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  • Remaining PSL6 matches to reportedly be held in Lahore

    Remaining PSL6 matches to reportedly be held in Lahore

    Lahore has reportedly been chosen as the desired venue to host the remaining Pakistan Super League (PSL) sixth edition’s fixtures after five of the six franchise owners urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to shift the tournament there.

    According to details, in a virtual meeting chaired by PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, franchise owners expressed their concerns regarding the postponement of the league after multiple COVID-19 cases emerged among players and officials.

    “Five out of the six franchises urged the PCB to shift the remaining matches of the PSL 2021 to Lahore,” a PCB official told a local media publication.

    While the Government of Punjab has given the green signal to host the fixtures, a final decision regarding the matter will be taken in the next meeting which is going to be held in the coming days.

    Lahore was originally scheduled to host 14 of the 34 matches of the PSL 6 from March 10 onwards, which included the final of the competition.

    Meanwhile, in the same meeting, the franchise owners complained about their lack of involvement in the planning of the tournament. They also demanded to be taken into confidence over the bio-secure bubble for the remaining fixtures.

    Chairman Mani assured the franchise owners that there will be nothing to complain in future.

    PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, Chief Operating Officer Salman Naseer and Director Commercial Babar Hamid also attended the meeting.

    The Board is to complete the sixth edition most likely by June because the national team will be touring England for an ODI and T20I series and from there it will fly to the West Indies. On their return, Pakistan will host England and New Zealand from September, leaving no room for PCB to organise the event at a later stage.

    The official said there was also a possibility of PSL resuming later this month in case of postponement of the tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

  • VIDEO: Daren Sammy plays tape ball on the streets of Lahore

    VIDEO: Daren Sammy plays tape ball on the streets of Lahore

    Peshawar Zalmi Head Coach Daren Sammy was spotted playing cricket with locals on the roads of Lahore.

    After the abrupt end of the PSL 2021 due to an outbreak of COVID-19, Sammy is also an honorary citizen of Pakistan, opted to stay back in the country and experience it as a tourist. And one of those experiences include playing street cricket.

    In a video posted on Peshawar Zalmi’s official account, the former West Indies player can be seen playing tape-ball cricket.

    “Peshawar Zalmi Head Coach Daren Sammy stops on his way to play cricket with young cricketers in Lahore,” read the caption.

    https://twitter.com/PeshawarZalmi/status/1368943213961240579?s=20

    As soon as the former West Indies captain came out of his car, he was given a rousing welcome by the locals.

    The Zalmi head coach could be seen enjoying the few balls he played and even called for a free hit when he got a ball above the waist.

    Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi also thanked him for his contribution to portray Pakistan as a welcoming and peaceful country.

    “Thank you brother. Pakistan is indebted for your contribution,” wrote Afridi.

    Sharing pictures, Sammy said: “Played some street tape ball cricket earlier in Lahore. Where’s next?”

    Earlier, Afridi hosted a dinner in honour of Sammy and South African cricket great Hashim Amla. Captain of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal were also present at the feast.

  • Sarfaraz lashes out at television anchor for joking about his infamous yawn

    Sarfaraz lashes out at television anchor for joking about his infamous yawn

    Sarfaraz Ahmed has lashed out at Geo News anchor Muhammad Junaid for passing a joke on his infamous yawn.

    Responding to a video shared by senior sports journalist Faizan Lakhani, Junaid said: “Hahah Sarfaraz is awake after a deep sleep and yawning for a while,” referring to Sarfaraz’s infamous yawn during the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2019. In the video shared by Lakhani, three men can be seen singing “Iftikhar aur Iftikhar mujh ko zara tu aa kar mil.”

    “Junaid after seeing Sarfaraz Ahmed hitting four consecutive 6s,” Lakhani had captioned the video.

    Sarfaraz replied to Junaid’s tweet saying: “Mere bare me itna mat soucha karo tabiyat kharab jo jaye gee (Don’t think about me that much, you will get unwell).”

    “Tum jaise logo ke souch nazer aajate hai tum kis tarah souch te ho,” he added.

    The former captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team had smashed Islamabad United all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed for four consecutive sixes in an over. All four sixes from the Quetta Gladiators skipper looked effortless as Sarfaraz didn’t even advance onto his front foot or leave his crease to hit Iftikhar out of the park.

    Meanwhile, Sarfaraz had earlier been in the news for his exchange with Mohammad Hafeez , when Hafeez called Mohammad Rizwan the number one wicketkeeper batsman in Pakistan in all formats of the game.

  • ‘It is better to play cricket with your mouth shut’: Hina Butt berates Hafeez for pro PM tweet

    ‘It is better to play cricket with your mouth shut’: Hina Butt berates Hafeez for pro PM tweet

    Hina Butt has lashed out at Muhammad Hafeez for congratulating Prime Minister Imran Khan and calling his Vote of Confidence a “Masterstroke”.

    Responding to Hafeez’s tweet the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Hina Butt said: “Pakistan was ridiculed in the world for not following corona SOPs and now you are supporting a vote thief.”

    “It is better to play cricket with your mouth shut and do not comment on politics,” she added.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Saturday won the crucial confidence vote in the National Assembly, hanging on to power after his finance adviser Abdul Hafeez Sheikh lost the high-stakes Senate seat election earlier in the week. After PM’s victory, many celebrities took to their social media to congratulate him. Other celebrities who congratulated Khan included Waqar Younis, Gohar Rasheed, Haroon Shahid, Fahad Mirza, Shaan and Feroze Khan.

  • Shahid Afridi, Shaheen Afridi confirm wedding proposal, exchange love on Twitter

    Rumours of an engagement between cricket celebrity Shahid Afridi’s daughter and cricketer Shaheen Shah Afridi emerged yesterday when a sports Journalist Ihtisham ul Haq shared the news, ‘with permission from both families’.

    “With permission from both families, I would like to clarify the engagement rumours between Shaheen Afridi and the daughter of Shahid Afridi,” wrote the journalist.

    “The proposal has been accepted; it is thought that a formal engagement will be done within two years, following the completion of her education,” he added.

    Addressing the rumours, Shahid Afridi wrote, “Shaheen’s family approached my family for my daughter. Both families are in touch, matches are made in heaven, if Allah wills this match will be made too.”

    He also sent prayers for Shaheen, saying, “My prayers are with Shaheen for his continued success on and off the field.”

    Replying to Shahid Afridi’s tweet Shaheen wrote, “Alhumdulillah. Thanks Lala for your prayers. May Allah SWT make things easier for everyone.”

    “You are the pride of entire nation,” added Shaheen.

    Replying to Afridi’s tweet, one Twitter user pointed out that this proposal might be the reason why Shaheen Shah Afridi did not celebrate after taking Afridi’s wicket in PSL.

  • India qualify for ICC World Test Championship Final, will face NZ at Lord’s

    India has qualified for the inaugural ICC World Test Championship final after beating England with an innings and 25 runs in the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

    India outclassed England with both the bat and ball inside 3 days to set up the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in June.

    Resuming on their overnight score of 294 for 7, the hosts added another 71 runs on Day 3 thanks to Washington Sundar and Axar Patel’s 8th-wicket partnership to post 365 in their first innings.

    Having conceded a 160-run lead on day 3 of the contest, England needed a vastly improved batting performance in the second innings but another disappointing show saw them getting bundled out for 135 in the final session.

    Left-arm spinner Axar Patel picked up yet another five-wicket haul while Ravichandran Ashwin also grabbed 5 for Team India.

    India needed just a draw to reach the WTC final but a victory means they qualified for the summit clash in the top spot with 490 points. India registered 12 wins from 17 Tests, lost 4 and drew just 1 Test in the competition.

    No other team came close to matching India’s record. England had 11 wins from 21 Tests but still ended up in fourth place.

    Read more – Kevin Pietersen mocks Team India after Chennai loss against England

    New Zealand had already qualified for the WTC final with 420 points from 11 Tests with 7 wins and 4 losses.

    https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1368149627464118274?s=20

    The World Test Championship final will be played at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London from June 18.

  • From Larkana to PSL6: All you need to know about Shahnawaz Dahani

    From Larkana to PSL6: All you need to know about Shahnawaz Dahani

    The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has become a platform for many aspiring and young cricketers to fast track their cricket journey. Shadab Khan, Hassan Ali and Haris Rauf are just some players who have become superstars and made it to the national team after performing in PSL.

    This year, the player who caught everyone’s attention is 22-year old fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani – a young man from Larkana who has impressed everyone with his bowling skills and celebration style. Dahani was picked by Multan Sultans as an emerging player in the PSL6 draft and made his debut for Sultans during a game against Peshawar Zalmi. Since then, he has played three games and has taken two wickets in each of them.

    In an interview with Geo Super, the young cricketer opened up on his struggle, journey and future targets.

    Dahani is from a small village named Khuhawar Khan Dahani. Growing up, he used to play tape-ball cricket, barefooted, on an open and uneven field in his village.

    “I was passionate about bowling fast and was known in my village for my fast bowling, that’s why many there had named me 3G bowler – to relate the speed with the speed of the internet,” shared Dahani, adding that he knew nothing about professional cricket back then.

    Dahani said that he was invited to the U19 trials after some guests in his village witnessed him bowling with a tape ball.

    Recalling the moment, Dahani said when he was invited for the trials, he didn’t have any proper gear or shoes so he borrowed them from a friend and showed up to the trials. There he got selected to play inter-district U19 matches.

    Dahani, who has a B.Com Degree, said that his father wanted him to concentrate on his studies but his passion for the game pushed him to pursue it.

    “He [my father] is no more with us, but I am sure he would’ve been very proud today seeing me become the face of my village and bringing laurels” said Dahani.

    Dahani said when he completed the U19 season, he didn’t know there was a rule called “overage”. He showed up for trials again only to be told that he’s not eligible and needs to compete with seniors now.

    “I had no idea what had just happened, but I didn’t give up and made myself realise that if I have to compete, I will have to beat everyone” said the aspiring cricketer.

    After playing grade 2 cricket, he made his first-class debut last season and got 27 wickets in 8 games. His performance during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy impressed many which is why he was picked as an emerging player by Multan Sultans.

    Talking about his PSL journey and future goals, Dahani said: “I want to be among [the] best bowlers here. I know it’s a tough competition but I am giving my best.”

    “Everyone has their eyes on PSL and your performances here are noticed. It paves your way to [the] national team [and] you become a true star only when you’ve Pakistan’s star donned on your chest,” added the cricketer.

    “Sharing a dressing room with players like Shahid Afridi, Imran Tahir, Carlos Brathwaite is confidence-boosting for me. To be with them, celebrate with them and share a dressing room is increasing my courage as a cricketer,” he said.

    Recalling his humble beginnings the fast bowler shared that he was so passionate about cricket that he never missed any game on TV.

    “There was no facility, proper cable or anything so we made makeshift arrangements with friends to watch cricket matches. I had memorised stats and [the] action of all the bowlers then,” he said, adding that he aims to emulate bowlers like Shane Bond and Jofra Archer who are his role models.

  • VIDEO: Dale Steyn jams with Azam Khan

    VIDEO: Dale Steyn jams with Azam Khan

    South African fast bowler Dale Steyn was recently seen jamming with team fellow Azam Khan from Quetta Gladiators.

    The duo, who played for the Quetta Gladiators this season, went live on Steyn’s Instagram account during which Azam sang Coldplay’s Yellow while strumming along on his guitar.

    https://twitter.com/hassam_sajjad/status/1367555511667810304?s=20

    Fans of both the players loved the sweet bonding session, with many saying that it highlighted the other side of the PSL — the friendships and bonds forged after weeks of playing together.

    https://twitter.com/duke_dynamo/status/1367654243738542083?s=20
    https://twitter.com/Mah_noorjahan/status/1367700084247429120?s=20

    Azam’s his love for Steyn is not new.

    https://twitter.com/MAzamKhan45/status/1337316651977437190?s=20

    Steyn had recently sparked controversy after he remarked that playing in PSL and Lanka Premier League (LPL) is more rewarding that playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

    “I [feel] that playing in these other leagues was slightly more rewarding as a player. I think when you go to IPL, there are such big squads and so many big names and so much emphasis on maybe the amount of money players earn and everything like that, so sometimes, somewhere down the line, cricket gets forgotten,” Steyn had said.

    “When you come to like a PSL or the Sri Lanka Premier League (SPL), for that matter, there is an importance on the cricket. I have only been here for a couple of days and I have had people in and out of my room, just wanting to know about where I have played and how I went about it. Whereas, when I go to something like IPL that gets forgotten and the main topic is how much money did you go for in this IPL?”

    “That’s just me being brutally honest,” he added.

    However, the South African legend later issued a clarification over his comments saying that he had not intended to degrade, insult or compare any of the cricket leagues. He had received a lot of hate from Indian fans.

    “Social media and words out of context can often do that. My apologies if this has upset anyone,” Steyn had said.

  • Shahveer Jafry stirs controversy with claims of ‘hi-fiving’ PSL players

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced that the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was being postponed indefinitely due to rising COVID-19 cases among players and officials involved in the tournament.

    Soon after the news broke, PSL fans expressed their hurt and anger over the decision, with many pointing fingers at Peshwar Zalmi’s management for breaching the biosecure bubble as one night before the opening match, Zalmi coach Daren Sammy and captain Wahab Riaz were spotted meeting franchise owner Javed Afridi, who was not part of the bubble.

    Later, a Twitter user posted a video of Shahveer Jafry in which the vlogger boasted that he breached the bio-secure bubble of two players of Peshawar Zalmi.

    “Mainay toh to aik dou cricket players ko high-five bhi karlia hai,” Shahveer can be heard saying in the video. Jafry was talking to Mahira Khan and Zainab Abbas while watching the match at the National Stadium Karachi.

    Jafry was at the stadium with Mahira, who is the Brand Ambassador of Peshawar Zalmi, for the promotion of his upcoming web series Baarwan Khiladi. The cricket-based series is produced by Mahira Khan, and will feature Danyal Zafar, Kinza Hashmi, Saba Faisal, Sarmad Khoosat and Khaqan along with Shahveer.

    Jafry and Mahira have not yet responded to the controversy.

    Meanwhile, PCB, during the press conference, clarified that Peshawar Zalmi was not involved in any bubble breach.

  • England’s Alex Hales impressed with Pakistani food and hospitality

    England’s Alex Hales impressed with Pakistani food and hospitality

    Alex Hales has appreciated Pakistan’s hospitality and food, referring to it as “excellent”.

    Responding to a tweet by senior sports journalist Saj Sadiq, who said that the English star may not have been happy with the quality of food served to him at breakfast, Hales said: “It was one meal where the order was incorrect…I found it funny, nothing more.”

    “The food and hospitality here has been excellent, hope this clears it up,” he added.

    https://twitter.com/AlexHales1/status/1367485390773436428?s=20

    Controversy erupted after Hales, who was playing for Islamabad United in the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), posted a picture of his breakfast, writing: “Toast, omelette and baked beans.”

    In the photo, two boiled eggs could be seen with a slice of toast and an unopened packet. Fans and social media users thought the cricketer was indirectly trolling the PCB. They also expressed their reservations over the condition of the egg and took shots at PCB for the poor quality of the food.

    However, the right-handed batsman was quick to make things clear, clarifying that there was no issue with the quality and that he posted the photo only because he found it funny.

    Meanwhile, PSL6 has been postponed indefinitely after seven positive cases of COVID-19 were detected in the bio-secure bubble.