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  • Nine uncapped players included in England’s revised squad for Pakistan ODIs

    Nine uncapped players included in England’s revised squad for Pakistan ODIs

    England’s revised squad announced to play Pakistan in a three-match One-Day International (ODI) series after a Covid-19 outbreak led to the formation of a new playing eleven. Nine uncapped players have been included in England’s squad.

    Squad: Ben Stokes (c), Jake Ball, Danny Briggs, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Lewis Gregory, Tom Helm, Will Jacks, Dan Lawrence, Saqib Mahmood, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, David Payne, Phil Salt, John Simpson (wk), James Vince

    “It’s a great opportunity to play on the biggest stage, and for most of the players selected it’s not necessarily something they would have been expecting 24 hours ago,” managing director of England men’s cricket, Ashley Giles, said.

    “It’s an exciting group of players, with some young talent and some players who have impressed at a domestic level over a long period of time. We’re in unprecedented territory, in terms of replacing an entire squad and management team, and I’m very proud of how everyone has come together in order to get it done – both those within the ECB and from the county game.

    “Ben hasn’t captained our ODI side before so it’s a huge honour for him. We all wish him well and it’s a role I’m sure he’ll thrive in. I’d like to also put on record the thanks of the ECB to the PCB for their support and understanding during this time,” Giles added.

    Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday expressed satisfaction in a press release over the “assurances and guarantees” given by the England Cricket Board (ECB) over existing protocols in place for the Pakistan cricket team and support staff’s safety.

    The PCB responded to seven members of the England cricket team testing positive for coronavirus. Three players and four members of the support staff tested positive for the infection.

    “Pakistan Cricket Board has been in close contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board regarding concerns about the health and safety of its players since the news of Covid-19 outbreak in the England camp,” said the board in a statement.

    “The PCB is satisfied by the assurances and guarantees provided by the ECB on behalf of its medical panel,” said the PCB.

  • England ODI squad forced to self-isolate after seven positive Covid-19 cases

    England ODI squad forced to self-isolate after seven positive Covid-19 cases

    England’s white-ball squads have been forced to self-isolate two days before the start of their One-Day Internationals (ODI) series against Pakistan following seven positive Covid-19 tests among the team’s players and management.

    Taking to Twitter, senior sports journalist Faizan Lakhani also shared the news about the positive cases in the white-ball squads of the hosts.

    As per details, three players and four members of management have tested positive for Covid. “In collaboration with Public Health England, Public Health Wales and Bristol Local Health Authority, those impacted will now observe a period of self-isolation from July 4 following the UK Government’s protocol on quarantine,” an English Cricket Board (ECB) statement said.

    “The remaining members of the party have been deemed close contacts and will also isolate.”

    The ECB confirmed that the limited-overs series against Pakistan will go ahead as planned, with Ben Stokes due to return to international duty ahead of schedule and captain the squad.

    ECB’s chief executive Tom Harrison, said: ”We have been mindful that the emergence of the Delta variant, along with our move away from the stringent enforcement of biosecure environments, could increase the chances of an outbreak. We made a strategic choice to try to adapt protocols, in order to support the overall wellbeing of our players and management staff who have spent much of the last 14 months living in very restricted conditions.”

    “Overnight we have worked swiftly to identify a new squad, and we are grateful to Ben Stokes who will return to England duties to captain. We also recognise the impact this news will have on our first-class counties and their men’s playing squads and thank them, along with our partners Sky and Royal London, for their ongoing support in dealing with this pandemic.”

    A lot of players taking part in the ongoing County Championship have already been informed to report for national duty. They will be allowed to join the squad and the bio-secure bubble after negative Covid-19 Tests.

    The official announcement of the new squad is expected to be made at 3pm Pakistan Standard Time.

  • ‘This shouldn’t have happened’: Waqar Younis on Younis Khan’s resignation

    ‘This shouldn’t have happened’: Waqar Younis on Younis Khan’s resignation

    Pakistan men’s cricket team bowling coach Waqar Younis regretted on Monday that former captain Younis Khan had stepped down as the batting coach of the team just days before the England tour.

    Read More – Younis Khan’s shocking revelations

    Addressing a virtual presser from the United Kingdom (UK), where Pakistan will be playing three One-day Internationals (ODI) and as many Twenty20 International (T20I) against England, Waqar said, “It’s unfortunate [Younis Khan stepping down as the batting coach] at the stroke of [a] big tour. It has happened, but this shouldn’t have happened.”

    Last month, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had issued a statement announcing that the board and Younis had mutually agreed to part ways.
    Commenting on the development, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan had said it was sad to lose an expert of Younis’ stature and experience.

    “Following a series of discussions, we both have reluctantly but mutually and amicably agreed that it was time to move in different directions.

    “I want to thank Younis for his contributions during his short stint as the men’s national cricket team’s batting coach and hope he will remain available to assist the PCB by sharing his vast knowledge with the emerging cricketers,” he had said.

    Commenting on the matter, Waqar said the PCB and Younis had both given explanations about their differences.

    The bowling coach added: “Younis was a great help… [and] his work ethic has always been good.”

    Waqar was also asked to share his views on reports of PCB chief executive Wasim Khan visiting fast bowler Mohammad Amir, who retired from international cricket last year.
    He said he was not aware of the development until the media reported it, adding that it was the PCB head’s prerogative whether to visit Amir or not.

    “But if Amir doesn’t want to play or take back his retirement … or impress the selectors, then it’s hard. You have to do the right things to play for your country,” remarked Waqar.

  • PCB announces men’s central contract list for 2021-22

    PCB announces men’s central contract list for 2021-22

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the central contracts for the men’s national cricket team. Hassan Ali and Mohammad Rizwan have been promoted to category A, while Captain Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi retained their positions in the ‘A’ category.

    Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Fawad Alam, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah are included in category-B.

    The players included in category C are: Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Nauman Ali and Sarfaraz Ahmed.

    Imran Butt, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir have been placed in Emerging Category.

    According to the press release issued by the PCB, the list has been finalised by the panel that comprised Director-International Cricket, Zakir Khan, chief selector Muhammad Wasim and Director-High Performance, Nadeem Khan, who also consulted head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and captain Babar Azam as part of the process. The provisional list was then shared with Chief Executive Wasim Khan, before it was approved by PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani.

    “Selecting 20 players amongst a big pool of quality cricketers is always a challenging task. I would like to thank the panel for their diligent work in selecting the 2021-22 central contract list against an agreed criteria,” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said in a statement.

    “In the new list, we have seen eight new players emerge who have now gained central contracts. Due to the competitive nature of the central contract system, nine players who had contracts in 2020-21 have sadly missed out on this occasion. The door remains firmly open for these players and they will continue to remain in the plans of the selectors.”

    The 12-month contracts will run from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022.

  • Hundreds of people watching Euro Cup football matches catch coronavirus

    Hundreds of people watching Euro Cup football matches catch coronavirus

    Hundreds of people watching Euro Cup football matches were affected by Covid-19.

    Read More – Portugal knocked out of Euro 2020 despite Ronaldo being a top scorer

    As per reports, fans returning from London and St. Petersburg have been exposed to the Delta variant from India, and the rate of corona cases in Europe has risen by 10 per cent in one week.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), corona cases are on the rise in Europe again due to the easing of corona restrictions.

    WHO has called for better monitoring of football matches due to the rise in corona cases.

    The 16th edition of the European Championship, Euro 2020, began on June 11 with matches in 11 major cities across Europe — for the first time in the 63-year history of the tournament.

    At the end of the round of 16 stage, eight teams have qualified for the quarterfinals.

  • PM Khan announces Pakistan’s biggest cricket stadium in Islamabad

    PM Khan announces Pakistan’s biggest cricket stadium in Islamabad

    Prime Minister Imran Khan directed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani to lead the plan to build the country’s biggest cricket stadium in Islamabad.

    As per reports, Mani met Capital Development Authority (CDA) Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed in this regard on Thursday to discuss the roadmap for building the biggest stadium in Pakistan.

    The stadium will have state-of-the-art High-Performance Centre.

    CDA’s land, planning, and development department have completed the survey for the stadium. A complete report will be presented to PM Khan by next month. After PM’s approval, the stadium will be built in partnership with the public and private sectors.

    According to PCB’s director of High-Performance, Nadeem Khan, this stadium will be the biggest stadium in Asia with high-class facilities.

    “This is a great initiative by PM and we are looking forward to contributing our role in it. PCB is in touch with CDA for planning the establishment of Islamabad International Cricket Stadium,” he said.

    Nadeem also shared that there is a plan to increase sitting capacity inside the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in the near future.

    PM Khan visited the Korang Cricket Ground and reviewed the pace of work there as he promised other stadiums for young blood.

  • Younis Khan’s shocking revelations

    Younis Khan’s shocking revelations

    Former captain of Pakistan Men’s cricket team Younis Khan has said that if he had to resign from his batting coach position over the incident with Hassan Ali, he would have done so four or five months ago. “My resignation does not match with the rhythm of the incident with Ali.”

    Read more – Younis Khan breaks silence on feud with Hassan Ali

    “I was told that Hassan Ali was sorry, so I went to him myself,” Khan said in 11th Hour.

    Explaining the reasons for his resignation as batting coach, the former captain said that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not tell him about the bio-secure bubble for England tour. He had a surgery but he was informed later that his flight has been booked.

    Khan said the doctor’s call came on June 22 that you have not joined the bio-secure bubble, I told him I have surgery I can’t come in the bio-secure bubble.

    “I got another call. I can’t tell you his name yet. I told him I have surgery. I can’t join. I am exhausted. He said if you don’t come, there could be a situation like Muhammad Hafeez. The caller said that just like what happened to Hafeez, it can also happen to you,” shared the 2009 T20 World Cup captain.

    “I told him that I am not Hafeez but Younis Khan and I have no other option, if I will not be respected then how will a player be respected,” he questioned.

    The former captain further said: “I complained to the MD PCB about the NHPC coaches, telling Wasim Khan how outsiders were giving tips when we were there. I was the batting coach of the national team and I was being ignored. If I’ll go to the PCB again, I will write everything on a contract.”

    Host Wasim Badami asked if it was Zakir Khan who called him from PCB. Khan said that he resigned because of the call but will not reveal that person’s name.

    2009 uprising: “Shahid Afridi may be the mastermind if he has said that”

    Younis shared about the 2009 uprising that anyone could have been the mastermind of the incident. “I don’t know, it seems that the whole matter was about the captaincy.”

    The former captain said that the one who spoke in front of the PCB Chairman would be the mastermind of the incident, and if Shahid Afridi spoke, then maybe he was the mastermind.

    He said that Afridi came to Lahore from Karachi to meet the PCB Chairman. A player also took the Holy Quran from me to take an oath against me. A player was sent to me to bring the Holy Quran. He told me that he wants to recite the Quran before the match.

    Badami asked if the player who came to get the Holy Quran was Umar Akmal. On this, Younis Khan said that there are big leaks in the PCB and news has always been leaking.

    Khan said that if a player makes a mistake in the match, you cannot ask him, otherwise, problems will arise. Doubts will arise. And next time, if the player gets out by hitting a short, then what should be done, if the player does not ask for guidance, then there will be suspicions of spot-fixing.

    In response to a question, Khan said that for the last five years he used to stay locked in his room and play his cricket.

  • Injured Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears

    Injured Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears

    Tennis ace Serena Williams bids adieu to Wimbledon in tears on Tuesday after her latest bid for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles crown ended in injury.

    The seven-time Wimbledon winner was clearly in pain on a slippery Centre Court and sought treatment while 3-2 up in her first-round match against unseeded Belarussian Aliaksandra Sasnovich.

    Williams returned after a lengthy break but her distress was evident. She grimaced and wiped away tears before preparing to serve at 3-3 after Sasnovich had pulled back from 3-1 down.

    The 39-year-old American tennis star, who had started the match with strapping on her right thigh, then let out a shriek and sank kneeling to the grass sobbing, before being helped off the court with an apparent ankle injury.

    “Brutal for @serenawilliams but centre court is extremely slippy out there. Not easy to move out there,” Britain’s Andy Murray said on Twitter.

    Eight-times men’s singles champion Roger Federer expressed shock at Williams’ departure and voiced concern about the surface, with the roof closed on Centre Court on a rainy afternoon.

    His first-round opponent Adrian Mannarino of France also retired with a knee injury after a slip in the match immediately before Williams’.

    “I do feel it feels a tad more slippery maybe under the roof. I don’t know if it’s just a gut feeling. You do have to move very, very carefully out there. If you push too hard in the wrong moments, you do go down,” said Federer.

    Williams has been a Wimbledon finalist in her last four appearances but her bid to equal Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam singles titles remains stalled since her last Grand Slam win in Australia in 2017.

    With the absence this year of world number two Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Simona Halep, it was a golden opportunity for Williams. With Williams out of Wimbledon, 18-time Grand Slam champion Chrissie Evert says, “It’s anybody’s tournament.”

  • ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in UAE, Oman

    ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in UAE, Oman

    ICC has officially announced that Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.

    The cricket governing body announced the news on their social media accounts.

    Earlier, it was reported that the T20 WC 2021 is set to begin from October 17 in the UAE, with the final for the 16-team tournament scheduled for November 14. The tournament will start days after the Indian Premier League (IPL) final, which is likely to be held on October 15.

    As per details, the venue for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has been shifted to the UAE and Oman, with the tournament set to run from October 17 to November 14.

    The tournament was originally set to be staged in India, but had to be shifted given the deadly second wave of Covid-19 there.

    The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will remain the hosts of the event, which will now be held across four venues – Dubai International Stadium, the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Sharjah Stadium, and the Oman Cricket Academy Ground.

    The first round of the tournament, comprising eight qualifying teams, will now be split between Oman and the UAE. Four of these teams will then progress to the Super 12s round where they will join the eight automatic qualifiers.

    “The BCCI is looking forward to hosting the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 tournament in UAE and Oman,” said Saurav Ganguli in the official statement.

    The upcoming edition will be the first Men’s T20 World Cup played since 2016, when the West Indies beat England in the final in India.

    The eight teams competing in the preliminary stage are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, Namibia, Oman and Papua New Guinea, before the play-off stage and the Final on November 14.

  • Portugal knocked out of Euro 2020 despite Ronaldo being a top scorer

    Portugal knocked out of Euro 2020 despite Ronaldo being a top scorer

    The 2016 Euro Cup champions haven’t managed to defend their title as Portugal were beaten 1-0 by Belgium on Sunday in Seville.

    As per reports, the Portuguese footballer went home despite being the top scorer player with five goals in this championship. Ronaldo has become the oldest player to score for Portugal at a major tournament at age 36 years,130 days. He broke the record set by Pepe at World Cup 2018 (35 years, 124 days).

    Portugal’s team manager Santos complimented the team’s overall performance before stating that some of the players were “crying in the dressing room”. According to him, Ronaldo didn’t score on Sunday but he is a true captain in every sense of the word.

    The big moment came after the match when the official Twitter handle of Euro 2020 posted a video in which Ronaldo can be seen having a quick chat with Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. “Lucky, eh? (The ball) didn’t want to get in today! Good luck man,” Ronaldo was heard telling Courtois.

    Ronaldo’s performance was overshadowed by Belgian midfielder Thorgan Hazard as his 43-minute strike secured the big win. His brilliant goal was the standout of the night. “In these games, if you have a chance, you have to have a go. It went in, with a bit of luck and it was the goal that got us through. It’s a dream for me,” said Thorgan. 

    Belgium will now face Italy who beat Austria by 2-1, on Saturday. The match will be played on July 2 in Munich with full Covid-related SOPs as masks are mandatory in and around the stadium for the audience.