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  • Shoaib Malik blasts ‘unacquainted decision makers’ after humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe

    Shoaib Malik blasts ‘unacquainted decision makers’ after humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe

    Shoaib Malik has lambasted “unacquainted decision-makers” after a humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe in the second T20I at Harare Sports Club on Friday.

    Read more – PTI’s Faisal Javed rubbishes Mohammad Asif’s claims of meddling in players’ selection process

    Pakistan’s struggles with the middle-order were laid bare in Harare as the team slumped to a 19-run defeat, with Zimbabwe bowling them out for 99. Wobbles in the middle order have been a worry for much of Pakistan’s tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe, but the side had, by and large, escaped paying for it until now.

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam was sufficiently alarmed by Pakistan’s showing with the bat to warn solutions had to be found swiftly, with time running out before this year’s T20 World Cup.

    Taking to Twitter, Malik thrashed the management, saying: “Unacquainted decision makers need to take a step back; Babar and Chief Selector [Mohammad Wasim] need to call the shots. In my opinion, we need an international white-ball coach who understands cricket inside out and grooms our captain whilst giving clarity to our players for coming time.”

    The cricketer further said: “When your management relies on likes and dislikes especially when your cricket is just in surviving mode, then what else do expect as a nation?”

    “On top of that when you don’t let your captain take decisions this is bound to happen,” he added.

    In the post-match presentation ceremony, Azam said: “It’s a very painful performance. In South Africa, we had chased down 200; similarly here, we should have won this game comfortably. But unfortunately, we played poor cricket and continued to struggle in the middle order. Today, it was not just the middle order, but our batsmen right through couldn’t perform the way we expect them to. It was a collective collapse and we lost as a group. But credit to Zimbabwe who came back so strongly today.”

    Azam refused to make excuses for the defeat. “The wicket was similar to the other day but it was suitable [for batters] and that is not an excuse anyway. As a professional, you adapt to every condition but I think we as openers didn’t give a good start from the top and then our middle order was struggling to step up. The World T20 is closing in and we have to sort this out as soon as possible. The next game we will come back and make a good combination.”

    Meanwhile, there has been no official reaction from the PCB to Malik’s tweets yet, but as the fallout from Pakistan’s defeat grows, there are signs a man who made his debut in 1999 may yet be relevant to them in 2021.

    Zimbabwe beat Pakistan for the first time in T20I cricket in their 16th attempt, registering their first T20I win at home since 2016. The three-match series is currently level at 1-1, with the final game being played on Sunday.

    While Pakistan former speedster Shoaib Akhtar said: “Vulnerability of middle order badly exposed. Batsmen couldn’t tackle slow wicket. Embarrasing defeat. Have to come back stronger in the 3rd match.”

    Earlier, former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi had also raised the middle-order crisis in Pakistan Cricket Team.

    While congratulating the Pakistani team on winning the T20I against South Africa, he emphasised the need to work on middle-order performances.

    “Despite the victory, we need to review the middle-order performances where we seem to be struggling for a long time,” wrote the former all-rounder on Twitter.

    He also suggested that since it is the T20 World Cup year, the team should consider bringing Malik back.

  • Rizwan, Usman, Hasnain help Pakistan beat Zimbabwe with 11 runs

    Rizwan, Usman, Hasnain help Pakistan beat Zimbabwe with 11 runs

    Pakistan beat Zimbabwe in the first T20I with 11 runs, courtesy of a fine display of bowling from Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir and Mohammad Rizwan’s brilliant knock.

    When no one stood for Pakistan in the batting, Rizwan stood there and helped Pakistan get a decent total of 149 runs. On the other hand, the rest of the team managed to score only 67 runs.

    Read more – Why is the Pakistan cricket team so dramatic?

    Zimbabwe failed to put the struggling teams away, and Pakistan were there for putting away several times in that first innings. In the end, the 12 wides bowled, and the sloppiness in the field came back to cost them, and the frenetic nature of the chase when it should have been a cakewalk didn’t quite work in the end. They could only reach up to 138 runs with the fall of 7 wickets.

    Rizwan’s unbeaten 82 of 61 balls also helped him win the Player of the Match award.

    “They won the toss and used the pitch well. The wickets here are different, the pitch keeps low. But Babar and I have this plan where if one fails the other tries to go deep. It’s working for now. In Zimbabwe, the ball doesn’t quite come on to the bat, but once Hafeez fell, my aim was to get us to 150,” said Rizwan in the presentation ceremony.

    Meanwhile, Qadir’s three-fer for only 29 runs and Hasnain’s brilliant bowling spells led Pakistan to victory.

    Pakistan has defended total of under 150 thrice against ZIM and ZIM made 137, 137 and 138 this time too close.

  • European Super League: All six clubs withdraw from competition, Prince William concerned

    European Super League: All six clubs withdraw from competition, Prince William concerned

    All six Premier League clubs bowed to supporter pressure and have withdrawn from the European Super League (ESL).

    As per reports, Manchester City was the first club to pull out after Chelsea signalled their intent to do so by preparing documentation to withdraw. Liverpool, Tottenham, Arsenal all followed suit and confirmed they intended to withdraw from the project.

    Italian side Inter Milan are also set to withdraw as they no longer wish to be involved with the project. BBC Sport reported that bosses at the Serie A club are preparing for their exit following the dramatic developments.

    The 12-team Super League, set up by the seven aforementioned teams and Spain’s Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid and Italy’s AC Milan and Juventus was announced on Sunday to widespread condemnation.

    “Despite the announced departure of the English clubs, forced to take such decisions due to the pressure put on them, we are convinced our proposal is fully aligned with European law and regulations,” the ESL said on Wednesday, adding it was “convinced that the current status quo of European football needs to change”.

    In an interview with Italian newspaper la Repubblica, Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli said the remaining clubs will “press ahead” and the project still had “a 100% chance of being a success”.

    Balague also says Atletico Madrid are meeting on Wednesday morning to review their position.

    Prince William, who is president of the Football Association (FA), also expressed his concern over the “damage” the plans risk causing to “the game we love”.

    “Now, more than ever, we must protect the entire football community – from the top level to the grassroots – and the values of competition and fairness at its core.” wrote William on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s official Twitter account. “I share the concerns of fans about the proposed Super League and the damage it risks causing to the game we love.”

    William’s intervention comes as the royal family continues to mourn the death of his grandfather Prince Philip, whose funeral was held on Saturday.

    Fans of the “Big Six” Premier League teams were left upset and disappointed by the Super League announcement, having not been informed of the plans. Coaches and players were also not aware of the situation.

    In the hours following the confirmation of the Super League, fans of the Premier League “Big Six” took to their stadiums to protest the announcement, with Liverpool fans hanging banners and flags outside of Anfield.

    Chelsea supporters then voiced their concerns at Stamford Bridge in numbers prior to their Premier League game against Brighton. 

    Liverpool supporters’ groups also made the decision to remove their flags from The Kop, protesting the owners’ decision to “put financial greed above integrity of the game”.

  • PCB books 300-room hotel in Karachi for PSL6

    PCB books 300-room hotel in Karachi for PSL6

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has booked a complete hotel for the remaining matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL 6). The 300-room hotel will accommodate all six teams, officials and commentators.

    According to details, all rooms, halls, conference rooms and restaurants will be fully managed by the PCB. Hotels, transport, ground staff and broadcasters will remain inside the bubble under COVID-19 protocols.

    PCB has also settled a deal with a British company to maintain the bio-secure bubble for PSL. The Board has prepared the agreement documents and has sent them to a UK-Based company named Restrata.

    After seeing the company’s performance in the PSL, talks will be held with the company for the country’s next cricket season.

    The bio-bubble protocols of the competition will be decided by Restrata. It will be their responsibility to fully implement the protocols, monitor and manage the bio-secure and have a response and reaction to positive tests.

    The board will formally announce the company’s deployment after they sign the agreement.

    It must be noted here that PSL 6 was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the bio-secure bubble. As many as six cricketers and a staff member had tested COVID-19 positive.

    PCB announced last week that the remaining matches of the competition will be held from June 1-20 at the National Stadium in Karachi. All participants will be required to observe a seven-day quarantine period, which will commence from May 22 in one hotel. Following three days of training sessions, HBL PSL 6 matches will resume on June 1 with the final scheduled for June 20.

  • VIDEO: David Warner, Kane Williamson observe Ramzan fast

    VIDEO: David Warner, Kane Williamson observe Ramzan fast

    David Warner and Kane Williamson observed the fast alongside Rashid Khan to celebrate the holy month of Ramzan during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). In a video posted by Khan, Warner can be heard saying that he is very hungry.

    Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) Australian captain Warner and New Zealand batsman Williamson kept a fast alongside Afghan team-mates Rashid, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to observe the holy month of Ramzan.

    In a video shared by Rashid on his Instagram, he can be seen interacting with Williamson and Warner at what seems to be a restaurant where the cricketers may have gathered to break their fast.

    “Two legends were fasting with us today,” Rashid had captioned the Instagram Story.

    The 22-year-old can be heard asking Warner and Williamson about their fasting experience.

    “David, how is your fasting today?” Rashid Khan asked Warner in the video.

    “Good, but I am very thirsty and very hungry today. My mouth is so dry,” said Warner in response.

    Khan then turned the phone camera towards Williamson and asked him the same question.

    “Very good, thanks,” said Williamson, flashing a thumbs-up.

    “These two legends are observing the fast today. It is a pleasure to have them at the table,” said Rashid.

    The video went viral on social media and people couldn’t stop praising the two for expressing solidarity with their Muslim teammates.

    Sharing the video on Twitter, a former cricketer and journalist Isabelle Westbury revealed that Warner also celebrates Eid with his Australian teammate Fawad Ahmed.

    Westbury said that Ahmed “always cites him as a particularly understanding mate regarding cultural differences.”

    Read more – Afridi ‘sad to see’ South Africa release players for IPL amid Pakistan series

    The 2021 edition of IPL is currently ongoing with the matches taking place in Chennai and Mumbai.

  • Indian govt greenlights visa issuance for Pakistan team for T20 World Cup

    Indian govt greenlights visa issuance for Pakistan team for T20 World Cup

    The Government of India has approved the request to issue visas to the Pakistan cricket team and journalists for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place from October to November this year.

    According to details, although visas for the Pakistan cricket team have been sorted, it isn’t clear whether fans can travel across the border to watch the matches.

    The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI’s) apex council has been told by Board secretary Jay Shah following “government assurances”.

    Shah informed the council of the same in a video conference meeting held on Friday where it was also decided that the mega-event will be staged across nine venues with Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium hosting the final.

    “The visa issue of Pakistan cricket team has been sorted. However, whether the fans can travel across the border to watch matches is still not clear,” an Apex Council member told the Press Trust of India on conditions of anonymity.

    “It will be decided in due course of time. However, we had promised ICC that it will be sorted.”

    Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for close to a decade now due to political tensions between the two countries.

    Pakistan has been demanding assurances from the ICC that visas will be granted to its players for the 16-team extravaganza, which will complete seven editions this year.

    It must be noted here that the qualifying round for the mega event will take place firstly with teams divided into two groups. Sri Lanka, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, and Oman are placed in Group A whereas Bangladesh, Holland, Namibia, and Scotland will compete in Group B.

    For the main event, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, and two qualifying teams are part of Group 1 whereas India, South Africa, Afghanistan, England, and two qualifying teams are placed in Group 2.

    Two top teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals followed by the mega final, scheduled on November 15.

    The tournament is most likely to be played with COVID-19 protocols being enforced. The Decision regarding the crowd will be taken after monitoring the situation closer to the time.

  • Afridi wants PCB to review middle-order performances, suggests Shoaib Malik’s inclusion in T20Is

    Afridi wants PCB to review middle-order performances, suggests Shoaib Malik’s inclusion in T20Is

    Former captain of the Pakistan cricket team Shahid Afridi, while congratulating the Pakistani team on winning the T20I against South Africa, emphasised the need to work on middle-order performances.

    “Despite the victory, we need to review the middle-order performances where we seem to be struggling for a long time,” wrote the former all-rounder on Twitter.

    He also suggested that since it is the T20 World Cup year, the team should consider bringing Shoaib Malik back.

    On Friday, Pakistan defeated South Africa by three wickets in the last fixture of the four-match T20I series at the Supersport Park in Centurion and clinched the series 3-1.

    Pakistan, like South Africa, suffered a middle-order collapse as they went from 92-1 to 129-7.

    However, Mohammad Nawaz kept his cool in the end and was aided by some poor bowling by the hosts, allowing the tourists to cap the tour with a 3-1 T20I series win to go with the ODI triumph earlier this month.

    Pakistan will now depart for Zimbabwe on Saturday where they will play three T20Is on April 21, 23 and 25, followed by two Tests, which will be played from April 29 to May 3 and May 7-11.

    Malik went past 10,000 T20 career runs when he scored 74 in a domestic game in Rawalpindi in October 2020. He is the third batsman to have reached the landmark after Kieron Pollard (10,370 runs) and Chris Gayle (13,296 runs).

    The 39-year-old cricketer made his T20 debut in 2005 for Sialkot Stallions and has played 417 T20s in his career, scoring his 10,488 runs at an average of 37.06, with 64 half-centuries. He also has 151 wickets at 27.15, at an economy rate of 7.02.

    In his international career, Malik has played 116 T20Is, scoring 2,335 runs at an average of 31.13, with 8 half-centuries. He has 28 wickets at 23.53, at an economy rate of 7.08.

    Malik became the third batsman to reach 2000 runs in T20 Internationals after Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill. He reached the milestone during his 92nd T20 innings against Zimbabwe in Harare. While Mohammad Hafeez became the second Pakistani player to reach 2000 run-mark, number ninth in total.

    The 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in October and November 2021 in India.

  • Fakhar, Faheem, Nawaz hand Pakistan T20I series

    Fakhar, Faheem, Nawaz hand Pakistan T20I series

    While both teams suffered collapses in the fourth and final T20I of the Pakistan-South Africa series, South Africa’s 145 target proved insufficient in the fourth T20I with Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Nawaz dragging a stumbling Pakistan to clinch a 3-1 series win.

    Pakistan pulled off back-to-back T20I series wins over South Africa, even though the team did not have their first-choice personnel at their disposal, and capped off their tour with a 3-1 win. Thanks to a strong bowling performance and despite a batting wobble, Pakistan made heavy work of chasing 145, and after coasting on 92 for 1 lost 6 for 37 to put South Africa on the brink of a series-levelling coup. Thanks to Fakhar’s much needed 60 off 34 balls and Nawaz’s sensible conclusion, scoring 25 and hitting a six to end the match.

    Not the highest quality of cricket from either of the team, but all the nerves and all the errors added up and gave us a thriller to end this series. Pakistan has been the better team, as the 3-1 scoreline shows, but still needs to do plenty of work in different departments of the team.

    Nonetheless, the tour has been hugely entertaining, and Pakistan has come out on top in both the ODI and T20I series. A big achievement from them, and some encouraging signs for South Africa as well.

    For his brilliant spell, giving only 17 runs off 4 overs and 3 wickets, Ashraf was named the Player of the Match.

    Babar Azam received Player of the series for his 210 runs, including his maiden T20I century.

    Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Babar said: “We’ve really enjoyed this tour, despite the quarantine and everything. It would be even better if our fans were here, but unfortunately, that was not possible because of COVID-19, but we got a lot of support on social media.”

    “Once the set batsmen got out, a bit of pressure came onto the middle order today. We’ll sit down and talk about it, and give the players confidence so they can make up for the mistakes they’ve made.”

    Read more – Babar Azam dethrones Virat Kohli to become number one ODI batsman

    The captain added: “When we left, we left with the idea that we had to win this series and give 110%, and that’s what we did. Fakhar performed brilliantly in the ODIs, the bowlers were outstanding overall. When players perform like that, results will follow.”

    Talking about his performance, Azam said: “As for my performance, it was all about giving 100%, enjoying my cricket, and doing what the team needs.”

    Meanwhile, notable people also congratulated team Pakistan on securing the feat.

    https://twitter.com/iRashidLatif68/status/1383106582200905733?s=08
  • Bismah Maroof takes a break from cricket to welcome baby

    Bismah Maroof takes a break from cricket to welcome baby

    Captain of the Pakistan national women’s cricket team Bismah Maroof has announced that she is taking a break from cricket due to her pregnancy.

    “I am delighted to announce that I am entering a new chapter in my life as motherhood beckons,” wrote Maroof on Twitter. “I would like to wish the Pakistan women’s team the very best as I take an indefinite break from cricket.”

    “Request for prayers and support,” she added.

    Earlier, Maroof had also withdrawn from the tour to South Africa in January due to family reasons. Javeria Khan had led the team in her absence.

    Maroof had gotten married to her cousin Abrar Ahmed in November 2018. This is their first child.

  • Babar, Rizwan lead Pakistan to record-breaking victory

    Babar, Rizwan lead Pakistan to record-breaking victory

    Pakistan has completed their highest successful T20I run-chase with 12 balls to spare, beating South Africa with nine wickets.

    A feast of batting is what we watched today with Pakistan taking a 2-1 lead in the series. All credit for this goes to the opening duo: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

    Pakistan had never chased down a 200-plus target before this was only their second opportunity to do so and they’ve done it with two whole overs to spare. Babar has played an absolute blinder to lead the way, and Rizwan was the perfect foil, on a day when South African bowlers struggled for control in brilliant batting conditions. Babar and Rizwan put on 197, the fourth-highest T20I partnership overall, and the highest ever in a chase.

    South Africa scored 203 runs with the loss of only 5 wickets. Earlier, the pair of Janneman Malan and Aiden Markram, with the latter’s 31-ball 63 being his third successive T20I half-century. Markram bossed the show, with South Africa speeding along to 140 inside 13 overs.

    It is pertinent to mention here that Azam got to his first T20I hundred off just 49 balls, two days after he took 50 balls to score as many runs, smashing 15 boundaries and four sixes along the way.

    Talking to Ramiz Raja in the presentation ceremony, Babar said: “I had been waiting for this for a long time, I had planned for a long time, and today Allah has given me a chance to finish it. I stick to my strengths and play according to them, and the team’s requirements.”

    The batsman further shared: “Rizwan bhai also played outstanding innings. He was fasting (for Ramzan), and yet he batted and kept wickets, and was outstanding. We get a lot of confidence and belief looking at him.”

    “I also achieved a dream in one-day cricket today (No 1 ranking). I struggled hard, there was a lot of hard work that went into it. I keep trying to learn and add new things to my game, and I will keep trying to do the same,” said Babar, adding: “I think for our first six overs, we have to give credit to Malan and Markram for playing outstanding innings, until the 10-over mark, but the way we came back in the last five overs allowed us to restrict them to around 200.”