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  • Babar, Rizwan face-off: Both ready to face each other in first PSL 7 match

    Babar, Rizwan face-off: Both ready to face each other in first PSL 7 match

    The stage is set for the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) to begin on January 27 at the National Stadium in Karachi with defending champions Multan Sultans facing off 2020 champions Karachi Kings following a curtain-raiser opening ceremony.

    Babar Azam, who made the record for most T20I wins as captain in a calendar year with 20 in 2021, will lead Karachi Kings. Mohammad Rizwan, first-ever batter to score more than 1,000 T20I runs in a calendar year, will lead Multan Sultans.

    Babar in a statement issued by PSL, said: “I am very excited to be leading Karachi Kings this season. This is the first instance that I will be captaining a side in the HBL PSL and I am looking forward to it.

    “The first match of the tournament always has a lot of eyeballs and Multan Sultans can prove to be a tough opposition. I am sure the fans will get to see a thrilling contest.

    “Peter Moores is a seasoned coach and I have had fruitful discussions with him. Karachi Kings will display good, competitive cricket this season.”

    While Rizwan said: “We have all the potential to defend our HBL PSL title and we will be taking the field tomorrow with that mind set. This season will present us new challenges and we will have to plan accordingly.

    “Babar Azam is a wonderful batter and captain, and his leadership will certainly have a good impact on Karachi Kings. I am hopeful that the HBL PSL 7 will kick off with a great contest between the two sides.”

  • Rizwan misses ‘fighter’ Shahid Afridi ahead of PSL 7

    Rizwan misses ‘fighter’ Shahid Afridi ahead of PSL 7

    The seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to kick off from January 27 and skipper of PSL franchise Multan Sultans, Mohammad Rizwan, has said that he will miss the “fighter” all-rounder Shahid Afridi.

    The phenomenal all-rounder moved to Quetta Gladiators for the PSL 7, which would be his last tournament.

    Rizwan, while speaking to Cricket Pakistan, said that the global superstar’s absence will always be felt.

    “Last year he also got injured and we missed him dearly then as well,” Rizwan said. “He is a superstar of the country and his absence is always going to be felt. I talk to him time and time again as he makes things easier.”

    The wicket-keeper-batter, who was named the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year, also recalled the time that he spent with Afridi on the pitch.

    He said that Shahid is a fighter and he plays with passion and he never gives up. “I remember we were playing a match together and we needed 120-odd runs from 50-odd balls,” he said. “Our entire top-order had collapsed and batting together with him made me realise that he never gives up. When we would meet in the middle, he would tell things we need to do to turn the match around and that, for me, defines him as a person and a player,” he added.

    Sultans will be in action against Karachi Kings in the PSL 2022 opening match, which will be played at the National Stadium Karachi tomorrow (January 27).

  • VIDEO: PM Imran Khan has a message for all PSL teams

    VIDEO: PM Imran Khan has a message for all PSL teams

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has a special message for all the teams of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as the seventh edition of the league is set to begin in two days.

    In a video, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ramiz Raja and PM Khan can be seen launching the tournament together.

    “Together [with Ramiz], I am opening the PSL,” Imran Khan said. “I hope that every team will fight till the end and entertain the public,” he added.

    It must be noted that PSL 7 is starting from January 27 in Karachi. Defending champions Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings will play the opening match at the National Stadium.

    Karachi-leg will conclude on February 7. The Lahore-leg will start from Febraury 10 at Gaddafi Stadium, including the Final.

  • Australian A-List cricketers to miss Sri Lanka tour to prepare for Pak series

    Australian A-List cricketers to miss Sri Lanka tour to prepare for Pak series

    Cricket Australia has confirmed that they are preparing for Pakistan tour and this is the reason why their players David Warner and Mitchell Marsh will not attend the Sri Lankan series.

    Read More – ‘All looking really positive’ for Pak tour, says Australian Captain Pat Cummins

    Chief selector of the Australian team George Bailey, while announcing the team for the Sri Lankan series, revealed that David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and others are granted leaves to prepare for the Pakistan tour.

    The head coach of the Australian side, Justin Langer, will miss the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka as he will be busy preparing for Australia’s full-fledged tour to Pakistan in March this year. The Aussies will play three Tests, three ODIs as well as one T20I match against Pakistan.

    Aaron Finch will continue to lead the Australian side in the series.

    Australia T20I Squad:

    Aaron Finch (C), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Josh Inglis, Ben McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa

    On the other hand, Australian media claims that Cricket Australia and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are in a process of dialogues to play all the matches at one venue. Earlier, the first Test match of the series was set to start from March 3 in Karachi. The second in Rawalpindi from March 12 to 16 and the third in Lahore from March 21 to 25.

    The Australian cricket team will be visiting Pakistan in March and April.

  • Wasim Akram, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali test positive for Covid ahead of PSL 7

    Wasim Akram, Wahab Riaz, Haider Ali test positive for Covid ahead of PSL 7

    Former cricketer and Karachi Kings’ President Wasim Akram and two Peshawar Zalmi’s players — Wahab Riaz and Haider Ali — tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    As per The News, Wasim Akram and the players of the PSL franchise have quarantined themselves after their test for the virus came back positive.

    It is a big blow for Zalmi as its two key players tested positive for the virus days before the start of the mega event.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the total toll of coronavirus positive players for the Zalmis has reached four as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday confirmed the franchise’s Kamran Akmal and Arshad Iqbal had tested positive for Covid-19 and were replaced by players from the reserves pool.

    The replacement, according to the PCB, will be temporary and the replaced players can re-integrate into the squad after completing isolation and receiving negative PCR results.

    On January 21, the PCB had confirmed that three cricketers and five members of the support staff from different franchises had contracted the virus.

    Earlier, 40 staff memebers of the hotel reserved for PSL 7 bio-secure bubble had tested positive for Covid-19.

    The seventh edition of the PSL is scheduled to kickoff at Karachi’s National Stadium from January 27. The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) had allowed 25 per cent crowd attendance for the Karachi-leg of the tournament after the surge in cases in the city. NCOC will make a decision closer to the time for the Lahore-leg matches scheduled to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium from February 10-27.

  • Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen have a message for fans after receiving ICC awards

    Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen have a message for fans after receiving ICC awards

    Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam, wicket-keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi have a message for their fans after receiving ODI Cricketer of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year and ICC Player of the Year awards respectively. All three cricketers took to their social media to express their gratitude for achieving the feat.

    Read More – Babar Azam named ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year

    Taking to Twitter, Babar expressed his gratitude for being named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year 2021.

    “I am thankful to Almighty, my family, friends, and fans who always push me to do better with all their love and trust,” he said in a tweet.

    This is the third mention of Babar Azam in the ICC Awards 2021. He was earlier announced as the captain of the T20 and ODI teams of the year by the ICC.

    Similarly Rizwan, after being declared the T20I Cricketer of the Year, took to Twitter to thank the Almighty.

    “Alhumdulillah. Bus Allah se hota hai. Allah k ghair se nahi hota,” he wrote.

    He further added: “I am grateful to everyone for their support and love. In sha Allah, the journey has just started. This award is dedicated to Pakistan and the beautiful people of Pakistan.”

    The player aggregated a staggering 1,326 runs in only 29 matches at an average of 73.66 and a strike-rate of 134.89 last year.

    Read More – ‘Sirf Allah se hota hai’: Mohammad Rizwan after scoring 2,000 record T20 runs in a year

    According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), Rizwan was “as solid as ever behind the stumps”, playing a key role in Pakistan’s run to the semi-final during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, where he ended up as the third-highest run-scorer.

    Pakistan’s “tall boy” Afridi, as noted by ICC, also joined Babar and Rizwan in expressing his joy and gratitude by posting a tweet.

    “Almighty has been very kind to me. I’m extremely grateful for all the love sent my way,” he wrote.

    Afridi took 78 wickets in 36 internationals at an average of 22.20 with the best bowling figures of 6/51.

    The 21-year-old speedster was on fire throughout 2021, knocking some of the best batters over across all three formats of the game.

    He especially had a year to remember in Tests and T20Is, reaching his peak during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in UAE where he impressed one and all with his sheer speed and skills. His exceptional spell against India in the ICC T20 World Cup was the cherry on the top for the Pakistan cricket fans. He sent Indian openers KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and former captain Virat Kohli to the pavillion in the clash with India. He conceded only 31 runs in his four overs.

  • Anushka Sharma’s fans call out Shoaib Akhtar for his comments on Virat’s early marriage

    Anushka Sharma’s fans call out Shoaib Akhtar for his comments on Virat’s early marriage

    Former Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Akhtar, recently commented on the marriage of former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli with Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma in an interview with an Indian outlet. Anushka’s fans are calling out the former Pakistan speedster for his remarks.

    Shoaib Akhtar remarked that Virat Kohli should not have married now in his career so that he could perform at maximum level at his peak cricket career.

    He said, “I would have not even married if I were in his place. I had just scored runs and enjoyed cricket, these 10-12 years of cricket are different time and doesn’t come again, I am not saying getting married is wrong but If you are playing for India, you would have enjoyed the time a little.”

    Meanwhile, fans of Anushka Sharma have shown anger over his remarks on Virat’s early marriage. Many of them commented not to compare someone’s professional career with their personal life and commitments.

    https://twitter.com/sank_rang/status/1485287448250703873

    Another user added, “Sachin had no problem being married and having children and making runs and records.”

    Akhtar further added that married life increases the responsibility of a professional cricket player.

    “There is pressure from the children, of the family. As the responsibility increases, so does the pressure. Cricketers have a short career span of 14-15 years in which you stay at the peak for five-six years. Those years of Virat have passed, now he has to struggle.”

  • PCB releases Atif Aslam, Aima Baig’s PSL Anthem ‘Agay Dekh’, netizens compare it with ‘Groove Mera’

    PCB releases Atif Aslam, Aima Baig’s PSL Anthem ‘Agay Dekh’, netizens compare it with ‘Groove Mera’

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday released the much-awaited Pakistan Super League (PSL) anthem for the seventh edition of the tournament.

    The song, Agay Dekh is produced by Abdullah Siddiqui which features the rockstars Atif Aslam and Aima Baig.

    Sharing the official video of the anthem on the official Twitter handle, the PCB wrote: “The wait is over. Presenting to you the official #PSL7 anthem.”

    Last year, the PSL anthem ‘Groove Mera’, featuring Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig and Young Stunners, had become a hit. At first, a few netizens did not like the song but later it became a treat for cricket lovers.

    This is the first time that Atif Aslam sang a PSL anthem and his fans are gushing over his new style in the song and many are showering their love on his PSL debut.

    We have collected a few reactions of Twitterati, have a look:

    A few thought that ‘Groove Mera’ was better than ‘Agay Dekh’.

  • Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor ‘blackmailed to spot-fix matches after cocaine use’ by Indian businessman

    Zimbabwe’s Brendan Taylor ‘blackmailed to spot-fix matches after cocaine use’ by Indian businessman

    Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor says he was blackmailed into accepting a bribe to spot-fix international games but he never went through with it.

    https://twitter.com/BrendanTaylor86/status/1485522867768991745?s=20

    Taylor, 35, said he was threatened by a businessman and his colleagues in India in October 2019 to spot-fix at international matches after they filmed him taking cocaine.

    He said he took $15,000 but has never taken part in match-fixing.

    Taylor said the International Cricket Council (ICC) is imposing a “multi-year ban” on his international career.

    “I would like to place on record that I have never been involved in any form of match-fixing. I may be many things, but I am not a cheat,” said ex-Zimbabwe captain Taylor, who announced last year he was retiring from international cricket.

    “My love for the beautiful game of cricket far outweighs and surpasses any threats which could be thrown my way.”

    As per BBC Sports, ICC revealed that an investigation is underway.

    Taylor, one of Zimbabwe’s best-known cricketers, added he would check into a rehabilitation facility on Tuesday to treat his substance abuse.

    He described the last two years as “hell”, adding that it had “severely impacted” his mental and physical health and he had been diagnosed with shingles and prescribed “strong anti-psychotic medication”.

    “It is from absolutely rock bottom that I am trying to climb out of this mess I made,” he said.

    “I have let a substance take control of me and impair my vision, my morals and my values and it is time I prioritise what really matters.”

    Taylor, who has played 35 Tests, 205 One-Day Internationals and 45 Twenty20s for Zimbabwe and also played county cricket for Nottinghamshire, said he travelled to India to discuss a potential T20 league in his home country.

    He said such conversations took place and on the final night, he was offered cocaine.

    The next day the same men “stormed” into his hotel room, showed him a video of the drug use and said it would be made public if Taylor did not spot-fix for them.

    Taylor said he was given $15,000 as a “deposit” and would be given an additional $20,000 when the “job was complete”.

    “A ‘businessman’ wanted a return on his investment which I could not and would not give,” Taylor said.

    “I took the money so I could get out of India. I felt I had no choice at the time because saying no was clearly not an option.”

    “All I knew is I had to get out of there.”

    Taylor said it took him four months to report the offence to the ICC.

    “I acknowledge this was too long of a time but I thought I could protect everyone and in particular, my family,” he said.

    The ICC’s anti-corruption code bans players from accepting bribes to influence a match and also says all approaches must be reported “without unnecessary delay”.

    Taylor has accepted the ICC’s charges and has been offered sanctions by the governing body, although no final decision has been made.

  • ‘Caught off-guard’: Anushka-Virat don’t want daughter Vamika’s pictures to be shared

    ‘Caught off-guard’: Anushka-Virat don’t want daughter Vamika’s pictures to be shared

    After Anushka Sharma and her daughter were captured on live camera at an India vs South Africa match, the actor and her husband Virat Kohli explained that Anushka had been caught off-guard and did not realise the camera was on her and baby Vamika.

    Vamika, who turned one recently, was spotted with her mother in the VIP stand watching Virat Kohli and Team India play South Africa in the ongoing series. Vamika’s face was revealed in the shot and screenshots have since gone viral on social media. In one of the pictures, Virat can be seen dedicating his 50 to his daughter.

    He scored the 50 in the third and final One Day International of the three-match ODI series between India National Cricket Team and South Africa National Cricket Team at the Newlands, Cape Town on Sunda, which they ultimately lost.

    In an Instagram story, Anushka clarified that she didn’t mean to allow Vamika to be filmed, repeating her request that photos of her daughter not be taken or shared. She wrote: “We realise that our daughter’s images were captured at the stadium yesterday and widely shared thereafter. We want to inform everyone that we were caught off-guard and didn’t know that the camera was on us. Our stance and request on the matter stays the same. We would really appreciate if Vamika’s images are not clicked/published for reasons we have explained earlier.”

    See Anushka and Virat’s Instagram stories here:

    Anushka and Virat have previously requested media and fans not to circulate photos of Vamika. Last month, the actor posted a note thanking the media for not publishing pictures that had been taken of the couple with their daughter.

    Read More – Anushka’s love message for Virat after Test captaincy resignation, Bollywood stars react

    Vamika turned one earlier this month. Anushka and Virat tied the knot in 2017 and welcomed their bundle of joy in January 2021.