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  • PM Khan to reportedly watch PSL 7 final at Gaddafi Stadium

    PM Khan to reportedly watch PSL 7 final at Gaddafi Stadium

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will reportedly watch the final of the ongoing seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

    PM Khan, who is the patron in chief of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has been officially invited by PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja to watch the match live at the stadium.

    As per Geo News, the PCB will invite other government officials and major personalities from other walks of life to Gaddafi Stadium to watch the final game.

    The report further stated that the representatives of Cricket Australia, who will be in Pakistan by the day of the PSL 7 finale to participate in the upcoming Pakistan vs Australia series, will also witness the closing ceremony.

    The PSL Lahore-leg matches will kick off today with 50% spectators capacity and children under 12 in the stadium under the updated National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) protocols.

    The unbeaten Multan Sultans will lock horns against Peshawar Zalmi on the first game of the second leg matches, which will be staged completely under the lights of the Gaddafi Stadium.

    PSL 2022 final is scheduled to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium on February 27.

    Earlier, PM Khan had also revealed that Lahore is his favourite team and will win this year’s league.

  • Australia prioritises Pakistan tour over IPL, players to miss a few matches

    Australia prioritises Pakistan tour over IPL, players to miss a few matches

    The Australian team will prioritise their national duty and several prominent players from Australia will miss out the first few matches of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 action due to the series against Pakistan.

    Read More – Australia announces full-strength squad for Pakistan tour

    Australian skipper Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, David Warner and others are all included in the auction. Cricket Australia (CA) laid down a strong ruling that their players were not allowed to abandon international duty for the IPL.

    Earlier, George Bailey, Australia’s chairman of selectors had said that IPL is a good enough “development opportunity” but CA would not release players when Australia was playing.

    “We do see the IPL as a really good development opportunity when it fits, but there’s obviously a huge amount of cricket with a series (in Sri Lanka) planned for immediately-post the IPL as well.”

    He later reiterated and passed a clear ruling on the matter.

    “So, it will be about working with the individuals to ensure they’re getting the preparation they need, but we certainly won’t be releasing players to the IPL while Australia are playing.”

    The Test leg of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, featuring three matches, is scheduled to end on March 25. Australia will then play a three-match ODI series in Rawalpindi, which will also host the only T20I on April 5. In an e-mail to the franchises on Wednesday, the IPL said Cricket Australia had permitted players who were part of both the Test and white-ball leg in Pakistan, to travel from April 6.

    This is a clear statement to IPL and to world cricket that Australia has refused to surrender to BCCI’s foothold in the cricketing world.

    The series is set to kickoff with the first Test match to be played on March 4 in Rawalpindi.

  • Selected schools in Lahore to be closed due to PSL at 1pm from today

    Selected schools in Lahore to be closed due to PSL at 1pm from today

    With the Lahore-leg of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 slated to kick-off from today (February 10), the deputy commissioner (DC) of Lahore has ordered the closure of schools at eleven different streets of the city at 1pm.

    Read More – Here is how to avoid traffic jams in Lahore during PSL matches

    As per details, the DC has sent a letter to the director colleges and other officers in view of the matches.

    According to the letter, the decision has been taken to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

    Educational institutions on Davis Road, Main Boulevard, Wahdat Road, Shimla Pahari, Canal Road, and Zahoor Elahi Road will be closed at 1pm.

    The Lahore-leg matches will be held from February 10 to 27, and preparations are in full swing ahead of the first match today, which will see Peshawar Zalmi locking horns against the in-form Multan Sultans.

    In their last encounter in the Karachi leg, Sultans beat Gladiators by six runs.

  • Is Shahid Afridi going to cook in his restaurant ‘Lala Darbar’?

    Is Shahid Afridi going to cook in his restaurant ‘Lala Darbar’?

    Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has announced that he will be opening a restaurant, ‘Lala Darbar’, in Dubai. He has also shared a video in which he can be seen wearing an apron and slicing tomatoes.

    Sharing the video, Afridi wrote: “One step closer to the big announcement. Revealing Soon.”

    Afridi further added: “Get ready to give your taste buds a mouth-watering triple tarka!”

    Afridi asked his followers to follow it on social media and he also revealed that the restaurant will be in Dubai.

    This is not the first time that the former all-rounder has tried a venture. He had opened a restaurant ‘Splice’ in Lahore and earlier in March 2021, he had also launched a range of skincare products. Announcing the news on social media, Afridi shared that the new line, from the world of Hope Care, is named ‘Ooh Lala‘.

    Besides this new skincare line, Afridi also has a clothing brand, ‘Hope Not Out’.

  • Saqlain to continue as Pakistan head coach, Shaun Tait appointed fast-bowling coach

    Saqlain to continue as Pakistan head coach, Shaun Tait appointed fast-bowling coach

    Former Pakistan cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq will continue as Pakistan’s head coach on an interim basis for another 12 months, while the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also named former Australia quick Shaun Tait as fast-bowling coach for 12 months.

    Read More – Pakistan announces squad for Test series against Australia

    Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Yousuf has been roped in as batting coach for the Australia series, which is scheduled to begin on March 4 in Rawalpindi.

    Saqlain, along with Abdul Razzaq, was appointed as interim coach following Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis’ resignations in September last year.

    The PCB had given an advertisement for five coaching positions — national high performance, batting, bowling, power-hitting and fielding — in December last year and had set a deadline for application as late January.

    As per reports, Tait is the only one to have taken up the position via this process for now, the other appointments were made on the basis of internal arrangements — instead of hiring new coaches based on the advertisement, the PCB promoted coaches from the high-performance centre to the national set-up on an interim basis. There were at least 12 applications for the various coaching roles overall but only the individuals who had applied for the role of bowling coach were shortlisted and interviewed, out of which Tait was finalised.

    Read More – Australia announces full-strength squad for Pakistan tour

    Since Ramiz Raja’s appointment as the chairman of PCB, there have been many changes in the set-up starting with Misbah and Waqar leaving their roles ahead of the home series against New Zealand. Saqlain, who was the head of international players’ development at the high-performance centre in Lahore at that time, was promoted as head coach but his initial tenure ended with the Bangladesh tour in December.

    Earlier, Saqlain had submitted his resignation following the tour but Ramiz persuaded him to continue in the role for another year, with at least eight assignments including the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup coming up. While Yousuf and Abdul Majeed (fielding coach) have been appointed just for the upcoming series, it is understood the PCB will make assessments during the Australia series before appointing anyone on a full-time basis.

    The position of a power-hitting coach is yet to be filled. While it was rumored earlier that former captain Shahid Afridi will be joining the national side for the role of power-hitting coach.

  • Video: Shahnawaz Dahani seen cleaning chairs at Gaddafi Stadium

    Video: Shahnawaz Dahani seen cleaning chairs at Gaddafi Stadium

    A video of the young Pacer of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans, Shahnawaz Dahani, is doing the rounds on social media in which he can be seen cleaning the chairs in the pavilion at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

    Sultan’s right-handed fast bowler Dahani has been unable to impress the fans with his bowling in the seventh edition of the league but the young pacer is known for his humble nature and unique celebrations on the field. The cricketer is also termed as “foreign minister” for his good relations with the foreign players in the PSL.

    During the first practice session of Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium, Dahani was seen cleaning chairs while batter Sohaib Maqsood captured the moment on his camera and uploaded the video on social media, reported Geo News.

    Dahani has only managed to take five wickets for Sultans in the tournament so far. His best spell was against Peshawar Zalmi in which he amassed three wickets, conceding 41 runs. He was highly criticised in the match against Quetta Gladiators in which he conceded 33 runs in two overs. He was also expensive against Lahore Qalandars and conceded 44 runs in his four overs.

    Dahani, however, was the highest wicket-taker for Sultans in the sixth edition of PSL. He took 20 wickets in 12 matches.

  • Pakistan announces squad for Test series against Australia

    Pakistan announces squad for Test series against Australia

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced 16 players and five reserves for the three Tests against Australia, which will be played in Rawalpindi (March4-8), Karachi (March 12-16) and Lahore (March 21-25).

    Test players who are not involved in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 will assemble in Karachi on Wednesday, February 16, for a training camp that will be held at the National Stadium.

    From the series against Bangladesh, three changes have been made in the national squad.

    Haris Rauf, who was in the side for South Africa and Zimbabwe Tests in 2021, has returned to replace off-spinner Bilal Asif, while Shan Masood, who last played in New Zealand in the 2020-21 season, has taken over from Abid Ali, who is completing his rehabilitation after being diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome. Yasir Shah has been added to the reserve pool.

    Chief selector Muhammad Wasim in a statement said: “We have opted for consistency for the important home series against Australia and changes have only been made where absolutely necessary. This is to give the boys confidence, reward them for their impressive performances in the longer version of the game in 2021 and continue to build the side for the future.”

    “These are the best available, most talented and in-form players in the domestic circuit. I am confident they will put up an impressive performance against a formidable Australia side,” he added.

    Test squad:

    Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood, and Zahid Mahmood.

    Reserves players selected for the tour are Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Yasir Shah.

    Cricket Australia announced the full-strength squad for Pakistan tour on Tuesday. While squads for the limited-overs matches that will follow the Tests are yet to be named, the fact that no Test players have pulled out is a vote of confidence for the tour.

  • ‘Nothing compares to what Roy delivered for us,’ Shahid Afridi on Roy’s innings for Quetta

    ‘Nothing compares to what Roy delivered for us,’ Shahid Afridi on Roy’s innings for Quetta

    Former Pakistan captain of Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi, who is currently representing Quetta Gladiators in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), praised Jason Roy’s magnificent 116-runs knock against Lahore Qalandars on Monday.

    Taking to Twitter, Afridi lauded the outstanding knock that steered the Gladiators to the victory in the 15th match of the PSL 7. The match was the last of the Karachi leg.

    “I have seen some amazing innings in the PSL, but nothing compares to what [Jason Roy] delivered for us,” the star all-rounder wrote.

    Roy, who played his first match of the PSL 7 last night, stormed himself into the record book as the batter smashed the second-fastest century of the PSL. He took just 49 balls to reach the triple-figures.

    In his astonishing inning, the right-handed batter smashed 11 boundaries and eight sixes. He also scored the third-highest individual score of the PSL history, scoring 116, led by the then Karachi Kings’ batter Colin Ingram, who scored an unbeaten 127 against the Gladiators.

    West Indian legend Sir Vivian Richards also praised the batter for his innings.

    Taking to Twitter, Roy wrote: “That one felt extremely special. Thank you to everyone for the kind words and support. @TeamQuetta @thePSLt20.”

  • Australian Marnus Labuschagne ‘excited’ to be a part of series against Pak

    Australian Marnus Labuschagne ‘excited’ to be a part of series against Pak

    The number one ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne is excited to be part of Australia’s historic tour to Pakistan, starting from March 4 in Rawalpindi.

    The Aussies are scheduled to tour Pakistan for three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I. While replying to a fan on Twitter, the 27-year-old said that it is the “first Australia tour to Pakistan in 24 years. So excited to be a part of this series.”

    Earlier in January, in a question and answer (Q & A) session, Labuschagne had said that he can’t wait to play in Pakistan and is itching to face ICC Cricketer of the Year, Shaheen Afridi.

    The tour will now start and end in Rawalpindi with the opening Test to be played from March 4-8 and the four white-ball matches to be played from March 29 to April 5.

    The change in the first Test venue means that the second Test will be played in Karachi from March 12-16 and the third in Lahore from March 21-25.

    The only T20 match of the series will be played in Rawalpindi on April 5.

    The schedule was earlier revised to ease logistical and operational challenges as well as to avoid Pakistan Day rehearsals, which usually commence in Islamabad in the second week of March.

    Meanwhile, it must be noted that Labuschagne has amassed 2220 runs in 23 Tests for Australia. The right-hander has scored six centuries since making his debut in 2018.

    Cricket Australia announced the full-strength squad for Pakistan tour on Tuesday. While squads for the limited-overs matches that will follow the Tests are yet to be named, the fact that no Test players have pulled out is a vote of confidence for the tour.

  • Here is how to avoid traffic jams in Lahore during PSL matches

    Here is how to avoid traffic jams in Lahore during PSL matches

    Lahore is set to welcome the second leg of Pakistan Super League (PSL) from February 10 and the City Traffic Police (CTP) Lahore has released a comprehensive traffic plan to facilitate the citizens during PSL 7.

    Defending champions Multan Sultans will be taking on PSL 2017 winners and three-time finalists Peshawar Zalmi in the first match of the Lahore leg at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

    Here is all you need to know about the traffic plan during the second half of the PSL:

    Opened Roads

    Canal Road will remain open from both sides. The public will be allowed to commute to Firdous Market, Hussain Chowk, M.M. Alam Road, Mini Market, Siddique Trade Centre, Centre Point, Kalma Chowk, and Barkat Market.

    Fawara Number 1, Siddique Trade Centre, and Jail Road (Canal intersection) to Qartaba Chowk will be accessible via Jail Road while Ferozepur Road will be accessible via Wahdat Road.

    Diversions

    Diversions will be placed at different points on Mall Road, Jail Road, Canal Road, Ferozepur Road, and Gulberg Main Boulevard. Here are all the points where diversions will be placed:

    Mall Road: Avari Chowk, Anarkali, Cantt Gate Palace, Sunderdas, Sultan Pulli, Dharampura Bridge including underpass, and Zafar Ali Mall.

    Jail Road: Shami Chowk, Sherpao Bridge including underpass, Eden U-turn, Qartaba Chowk, Shadman Market, Examination Hall Lawrence Road, and Chamba House.

    Canal Road: Dharampur Bridge including underpass, Sultan Bridge, Gulzar Bridge including underpass, FC Bridge, Zahoor Elahi R/O, and Shah Jamal.

    Ferozepur Road: Ichhra, Baba Qulfi, Muslim Town, and Silk Bank.

    Gulberg Main Boulevard: Mini Market, Mobilink Chowk, Main Market, Maria B, Gulberg Center, Hijaz Hospital, Hussain Chowk, Flower Market, Centre Point, Barkat Market R/O, Main Market R/O, Hali Chowk, and Chen One Chowk.

    Closed Roads

    During the movement, Mall Road, Ferozepur Road, Jail Road, and Gulberg Main Boulevard will remain close for 6 to 13 minutes.

    Mall Road: Avari Chowk to Mall Road will be closed for 6-9 minutes.

    Ferozepur Road: Muslim Town to Kalma Chowk will be closed for 6-9 minutes.

    Jail Road: Eden Centre to Shami Chowk will be closed for 9-13 minutes.

    Gulberg Main Boulevard: Siddique Trade Centre to Barkat Market will be closed for 9-13 minutes.

    During the match, Ichhra Bridge to Kalma Bridge and Davis Chowk to Cantt Gate will remain closed for all kinds of traffic.

    Parking

    Four parking spots have been specified. Shuttles will be operated to take spectators to the Gaddafi Stadium.

    Punjab University: Those coming from Thokar Niaz Baig, Icchra, Wahdat Road can park their vehicles in Punjab University. Those coming from Wapda Town, Johar Town, Garden Town, and Township can park their vehicles in Punjab University.

    Liberty Market: Those coming from Kahna, Kot Lakhpat, and Ferozepur Road can park their vehicles in Liberty Market.

    LDA Parking Plaza: Those coming from Cantt and Gulberg can park their vehicles in LDA Parking Plaza.

    Jam e Shireen Park: Those coming from Walton and Defence can park their vehicles in Jam e Shireen Park.