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Category: Sports

  • Pakistan to travel to Australia at year end for Benaud-Qadir Trophy

    Pakistan will take a trip Down Under later in the year to take on Australia for the Benaud-Qadir Trophy. Three Tests – part of the third World Test Championship cycle – will be played at Perth, Melbourne and Sydney in December and January.

    The tour will open at the Perth Stadium on 14 December and it will mark the first instance of Pakistan playing a Test at the venue. The two teams will face off in the Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground from 26 till 30 December and the third and final match will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from 3 January, 2024. Pakistan has played 10 Tests at the MCG and eight at the SCG – at both venues they have won two matches each.

    In the lead-up to the series, Pakistan will play a four-day warm-up to acclimatise to the conditions Down Under.

    This will be Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s third Test tour of Australia. The prolific stroke-maker previously landed on the Australian soil in December 2016, under Misbah-ul-Haq’s captaincy, and November 2019, when Azhar Ali was the captain of the side.

    The right-hander has 278 runs – including a century – in five Tests. On the 2019 tour, Babar scored a century in the second innings in the first Test in Brisbane and followed it up with a 97 at Adelaide.

    Naseem Shah made his Pakistan debut at Brisbane in November 2019 and since has evolved as a mainstay in Pakistan’s bowling line-up across all formats. The right-arm speedster has 80 wickets in 42 matches.

    Pakistan last toured Australia for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and finished as the finalists.

    The Benaud-Qadir Trophy was launched in 2022 when Australia arrived in Pakistan after 16 years for a three-Test series. Pat Cummin’s side bagged the first iteration as they bagged the series 1-0 after defeating Pakistan in Lahore in the third and final Test.

    Schedule

    14-18 Dec: First Test, Perth Stadium

    26-30 Dec: Second Test, Melbourne Cricket Ground

    3-7 Jan: Third Test, Sydney Cricket Ground

  • Naila Kiani becomes second Pakistani woman to scale Mount Everest

    Naila Kiani becomes second Pakistani woman to scale Mount Everest

    Naila Kiani has successfully scaled world highest mountain Everest (8848.86 m) on Sunday morning, becoming the second woman to do so.

    She scaled the mountain with Nepali climber Pasang Temba Sherpa.

    Samina Baig was the first woman mountaineer from Pakistan to scale Everest in 2013.

    Before this, she climbed Annapurna I in Nepal, K2, Gasherbrum I and II.

    As per media reports, Naila Kiani is the first Pakistani woman climber to summit five peaks over 8,000m.

  • ‘Kaptaan, aap larae jeet gaye’; celebrities congratulate Khan on being set free

    ‘Kaptaan, aap larae jeet gaye’; celebrities congratulate Khan on being set free

    After the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the cricket fraternity came together to support the ex-cricketer. Khan was one of the greatest all-rounder of the cricket and mentored such players las Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzimam UL Haq and Aqib Javed.

    Former fast bowler Waqar Younis tweeted right after Imran Khan’s release and congratulated him.

    “Won the fight but long way from winning the War. Congratulations Skipper @ImranKhanPTI ALLAH pak aap ko apna hifzoimaan main rakha #Ameen #PakistanZindabad “

    A day earlier, the PTI chairman got blanket relief from the IHC as authorities have been barred from arresting the deposed prime minister in any case till Monday morning (May 15).

    In the first relief, a two-member special divisional bench granted two-week bail to the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case, and later, the court barred authorities from arresting him till May 17 in any new case filed against him till May 9 — the day he was detained in the corruption case, which led to deadly protests.

    Then, he sought transitory bail in four cases lodged against him in Lahore, in which the court awarded him bail till May 22 in the Zille Shah murder case, then, another bench barred authorities from arresting the former prime minister till the morning of May 15 while hearing the bail petition filed against three terrorism cases.

    Khan was arrested in a corruption case involving a property tycoon. The former prime minister had immediately approached the high court for release but it had declared his arrest “legal”.

    However, the apex court released him on May 11 after concluding that he was taken into custody in violation of rules by law enforcement agencies.

    Since being ousted from office last April, Khan has waged a tempestuous campaign for snap elections and fired unprecedented criticism at the coalition government and military who he blames for pulling him from power.

    He has accused senior military and government officials of plotting a November assassination attempt that saw him shot in the leg during a rally.

  • Big Bash League to be shortened in 2023-24

    Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) will be shortened to a 44-game season from 2023-24, Cricket Australia announced on Friday as it brought forward changes in the tournament structure set to be implemented under the new broadcast deal.

    The Twenty20 competition will be cut by 17 matches, featuring 40 home-and-away matches plus four finals from the next edition.

    The changes come 12 months in advance of a seven-year broadcast deal agreed between Cricket Australia and media partners Seven Network and Foxtel.

    Cricket Australia’s general manager of Big Bash Leagues, Alistair Dobson, said a shorter BBL would allow the league “greater flexibility” to deliver the “best possible fixture for clubs and fans”.

    The Women’s Big Bash will remain unchanged from its 59-game season.

  • Sania Mirza claps back at journalist for sexist question

    Sania Mirza claps back at journalist for sexist question

    Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza have been in the news due to rumours about their troubled marriage. Speculations about their alleged divorce have been in the news for quite some time now. Neither Sania nor Shoaib have addressed them or released a statement clarifying their stance.


    Recently when Sania was talking to the media at an event, a journalist asked her how she manages her child as well as her career, she gave a befitting reply.


    “Jaise wo (Shoaib Malik) manage karte hain, waise main manage karti hun. Aap agar Shoaib Malik ko wo sawaal puchenge, to main bhi aapka jawaab de dungi [I manage the way Shoaib manages, i will answer you when you will ask the same question from Shoaib].”


    Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik tied the knot on 12th April, 2010, followed by a valima ceremony in Sialkot. The couple welcomed their son Izhaan in 2018.

  • ‘We do not have much time to waste anymore’: Najam Sethi asks ACC to decide

    ‘We do not have much time to waste anymore’: Najam Sethi asks ACC to decide

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi has disclosed the crux of his recent meeting with Asian Cricket Council (ACC) officials and the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2023.

    In BBC’s podcast ‘Stumped’, PCB Chairman Najam Sethi said that they had proposed a Hybrid Model a month ago to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in which India will play their matches outside Pakistan and the rest of the teams will play their matches in Pakistan. “If India and Pakistan will meet in the final, we will play it at the neutral venue,” he said.

    BCCI secretary and ACC Chairman Jay Shah rejected the proposal by raising questions about logistics.

    “We have made it clear to them that it is we who decide where India can play their matches. If Sri Lanka suits us, we will choose Sri Lanka, but most probably we are prioritizing Dubai. First they have to consider and accept Hybrid Model then further talks begin,” Najam Sethi elaborated.

    That sounds negotiable, the Podcast host said.

    The PCB Chairman then said that they have proposed a revised version of ‘hybrid model’ in the recent meeting held twos days ago with ACC officials, in which the first four matches will be played in Pakistan and then the whole tournament will be shifted to Dubai.

    The ACC then raised a question about the possiblity of travel between two countries with all the crew and equipment.
    Sethi clarified that the teams have to come Pakistan just once.

    The podcaster asked Sethi how long it will take to negotiate, to which he replied, “Look, we only have three months left and we have to prepare. We have to selects the venues, we have to do arrangements for broadcasters. ACC have already wasted too much time, time is running out. ACC have to take a decision now”

    Najam Sethi also said that the World Cup is coming up, and if India does not come to Pakistan, our government will not allow Pakistan to travel to India.

    “If they don’t, why would we? Security risks are on both side,” Sethi concluded.

  • ‘Pakistan hai, to hum hain’: Shaheen Afridi changes DP to picture with Imran Khan

    ‘Pakistan hai, to hum hain’: Shaheen Afridi changes DP to picture with Imran Khan

    Former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Ex-Captain of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup victory Imran Khan got arrested on the May 9 from inside the Islamabad High Court.

    Soon after his arrest, protests broke out across the country, resulting in clashes between followers of his party and law-enforcement agencies.

    Along with being a politician, Imran Khan is also a former fast bowler, considered one of the greatest in the game.

    His inspiration on many fast bowlers is quite evident, with his exceptional pace and ability to swing the ball both ways.


    No second opinions, no disputes, and no doubts about the fact that Khan was one of the most prominent cricketers of his time.

    Cricket fraternity has come out in support of Imran Khan with Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s ace fast bowler, changing his Twitter profile picture to one in which he is sitting with Khan.


    “Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said,
    ‘Momino ki apas me aik dosre se mohabbat or hamdardi ki misaal aik jism ki tarah hai.
    Jab uska koi hissa takleef me hota hai, to sara jism us takleef ko mehsoos kerta hai.’
    Bus ye yad rakhna hai k Pakistan hai, to hum hain,” he wrote in a tweet.

  • India wants the whole Asia Cup tournament shifted to Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka agrees

    India wants the whole Asia Cup tournament shifted to Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka agrees

    Sri Lanka is now one of the strongest contenders to host Asia Cup 2023 as the recent meeting of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman with the Vice-President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Pankhaj Khimji seems to have not gone as well as was expected.

    According to a report, PCB Chief Najam Sethi met with ACC officials on Tuesday, May 9, where it was decided that Pakistan would pull out of the tournament because their proposal of hosting it in the UAE was not accepted.


    Asia Cup is scheduled for September this year, but the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, who is also the President of Asian Cricket Council (ACC) had threatened that the Indian government would not allow their team to travel to Pakistan because of security concerns.

    Regardless of the current political crisis in Pakistan, the country has just concluded a New Zealand series in peace. Yet Indian media and BCCI officials have based their decision to not send their team to Pakistan on security concerns.

    In the recent meeting with Jay Shah and ACC officials, Najam Sethi proposed a revised ‘Hybrid Model’ in which four teams Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh will play their matches in Pakistan and then all the teams along with Pakistan will move to Dubai to play the whole tournament.

    ACC officials straight away rejected the proposal by raising questions about logistics, asking how broadcasters will travel between the two countries with all the crew and equipment.

    Sethi reply was that they only had to travel to Pakistan only once and then will go to Dubai.

    ACC officials said that ahead of World Cup they cannot take the risk and that weather conditions are not suitable in Dubai for playing cricket.
    Sethi reportedly pointed out that the BCCI held IPL 2020 in Dubai and also in the same season.


    An ultimatum on the matter is expected by the end of this month. Should the decision go against Pakistan, the country’s status as a participant in the Cup would be up in the air, with a boycott being likely in that event.

  • Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka aligns with India to exclude Pakistan from Asia Cup?

    Asia Cup 2023: Sri Lanka aligns with India to exclude Pakistan from Asia Cup?

    Asia Cup is scheduled to be held in September 2023 but the event remains mired in doubts with India trying to derail the tournament. Pakistan has the official rights of hosting Asia Cup but Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not ready to send its cricket team to the host country.

    The world has witnessed that many international teams have visited Pakistan to play matches.


    A series with New Zealand was recently concluded, in which both teams played five T20I and five One-Day International (ODI) in the different cities of Pakistan but BCCI still has concerns.


    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Najam Sethi has presented a Hybrid Model in which India play their matches in Dubai, or more likely, in Sri Lanka.

    However, the BCCI has expressed dissatisfaction with this proposal. Currently, Sethi is in Dubai, where he met with ICC officials on Tuesday.

    He was scheduled to meet with Pankaj Khimji, Deputy President of the Asian Council, and cricket officials from the UAE to discuss the possibility of hosting India’s matches in the UAE under the ‘Hybrid Model.’

    The PCB is concerned that if the Asia Cup is not held now, the same issue may arise during the hosting of the Champions Trophy in 2025 and the ICC may decide to relocate the event if India does not participate.

    Therefore, under the proposed model, the Indian cricket team’s Champions Trophy matches will be held in Bangladesh. Currently, there is a tense stand-off between Pakistani and Indian officials, with India allegedly using its media to its advantage.

    The BCCI has also collaborated with Sri Lanka, convincing them to play two additional matches, as they have been eager to host the Asia Cup for some time now. In response, Pakistan has reminded Afghanistan that they recently played additional matches in Sharjah, and they stand with the PCB on this matter.


    While there are concerns about the heat in Dubai, efforts are being made to convince Bangladesh to cooperate, and they are reportedly willing to do so.

    PCB officials have publicly stated that “we have earned a substantial amount of money due to the PSL, and therefore, the Asia Cup’s cancellation would not be a significant concern for them.”

    In reality, the Pakistani authorities aim to avoid financial losses and prioritize preparations for the upcoming World Cup.


    Several news reports regarding the Asia Cup were circulating in the Indian media yesterday. One report claimed that “the members have rejected the PCB’s ‘Hybrid Model’ and moved the event from Pakistan.”

    However, an official representative from the PCB, who was in contact with an Indian Express representative, dismissed these reports as baseless and an attempt by the BCCI to increase pressure.

    He stated that the ACC has not officially denied accepting the ‘Hybrid Model’ proposed by the PCB, and discussions are still ongoing. The official further added that unverified news from unnamed sources is not credible.

  • World Cup 2023: Will Pakistan travel to India for the mega event?

    World Cup 2023: Will Pakistan travel to India for the mega event?

    As World Cup 2023 gets closer, cricketing fans wait for the joy of an India vs Pakistan clash.

    However, will Pakistan actually participate in the mega event? Speculations are rife that the country may skip the event. What has led to these rumors?

    The Indian government has said that they will not allow their team to travel to Pakistan for the Asia Cup 2023, leading to the assumption that the hardliner government will not allow the Pakistani team to play in India.

    The mega event of International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to take place in India, with broadcasters eyeing the potential of huge revenues from an India vs Pakistan match.

    However, will the Pakistan team get permission to travel to India in the light of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent statement given during a trip to India?


    “Sports should be kept separated from politics and foreign policy,” the FM had stated during his visit to attend the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.

    Earlier reports had claimed that Pakistan will play its World Cup matches in Ahmedabad in Narendra Modi stadium in Gujrat.


    “Pakistan may not agree to play against India at Narendra Modi Stadium due to certain reasons,” a source has disclosed, without discussing further details on the matter before the announcement of the official schedule.

    It must be noted here that International Cricket Council (ICC) hasn’t announced the schedule for the World Cup so far. The mega event will take place in October-November this year in India.

    A reliable source in PCB has also denied reports regarding their demand from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to give them a guarantee in writing that if Pakistan goes to India for ICC World Cup, then they will come here for ICC Champions Trophy in 2025.