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Category: Sports

  • IN PICTURES: Shahid Afridi celebrates youngest daughter’s first birthday

    Shahid Afridi had the perfect Valentine’s Day.

    The former captain of the Pakistan Cricket team celebrated his youngest daughter Arwa’s first birthday on February 14 with an adorable pink and red-themed party. Lala shared pictures from the birthday on social media along with a heartfelt note.

    “Happy 1st Birthday to the youngest of my girls, Arwa,” wrote Lala in the caption. “MashaAllah you’ve brought our family so much happiness in such a short time.”

    “I pray Allah gives you and all our children the best of everything,” added the proud father.

    “Love you to the moon and back.”

    Afridi, who will be playing for Multan Sultans in this season’s Pakistan Super League (PSL), welcomed his youngest daughter in February last year.

  • ‘Shallow-minded approach exposed,’ says Hafeez after Sarfaraz criticises him

    Mohammad Hafeez has hit back Sarfaraz Ahmed after the latter criticised him for his recent statements.

    “Shallow minded approach exposed,” wrote Hafeez on Twitter. Though he did not specify who the tweet was directed towards, it is being speculated that the tweet was for Sarfaraz who had earlier called him out for spreading negativity.

    Earlier, Sarfaraz, while responding to Hafeez’s tweet, in which he had praised Mohammad Rizwan for his performance and “wondered” how long the batsman will have to prove himself, had said: “Hafeez Bhai, whoever has played for Pakistan from Imtiaz Ahmed, Wasim Bari, Tasleem Arif to Saleem Yousuf and from Moin Khan, Rashid Latif to Kamran Akmal and even Rizwan right now has always been number one for the country and have been respected accordingly.”

    Ahmed also said that everyone is behind Rizwan and hope he plays many more innings for Pakistan.

    “Aur ayende bhee jisko bhee chance milega wo Pakistan ke liye number one hee huga (And whoever is given a chance to play would be number one for Pakistan),” said Sarfaraz, adding: “We expect nothing but positiveness coming from an international player who has played so many games for Pakistan.”

    Later, replying to Sarfaraz’s tweet, Mohammad Amir who is currently feuding with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) management said: “You are also a number one wicketkeeper-batsman in Pakistan aur aap hi captain the jab team 2 saal team No 1 rahi in T20 or sab se bar kar Champions Trophy so you are [the] pride of Pakistan (You were the Captain when the Pakistan Cricket Team was the number one T20 team).”

    Meanwhile, social media users have set the internet ablaze with supporters from both sides weighing in their arguments, opinions and comments.

    https://twitter.com/fizike/status/1360467591689424897?s=19
    https://twitter.com/ArfaSays_/status/1360483665139097602?s=19
    https://twitter.com/BhattyHuzaima/status/1359923993097113600?s=19
    https://twitter.com/JawadMjk/status/1360441641950187520?s=19
    https://twitter.com/CricHassan/status/1360369676598063105?s=19
    https://twitter.com/ammarkhi/status/1360489901704310784?s=19

    Later, Senator Faisal Javed Khan also stepped into the conversation, saying: “Easy boys. Let’s motivate each other and be united as they say unity is strength.”

    “When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved,” he added.

    Later in a tweet, sports journalist Aliya Rasheed tweeted that PCB officials have talked to both of them and resolve their Twitter fight.

  • Army honours MMA fighter who defeated Indian opponent in 56 seconds

    Ahmed Mujtaba, who defeated India’s Rahul Raju in only 56 seconds in the first round of the mixed martial arts (MMA) competition ONE Championship, called on Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar.

    The chief military spokesperson presented him with a shield in honour of his achievement.

    In a tweet, Mujtaba said, “I am humbled by the encouragement and support. I request our youth to have faith in Allah & follow the principles of hard work and commitment.”

    Pakistan and India had earlier clashed in the championship in November 2019. Raju had won that match by submitting Pakistan’s Furqan Cheema in the second round.

  • Kevin Pietersen mocks Team India after Chennai loss against England

    Former England player Kevin Pietersen on Tuesday mocked Team India after their humiliating defeat in Chennai against England, reminding them of the warning he had issued to Virat Kohli’s men pertaining to their Test series against Joe Root-led side after their glorious win at Gabba last month.

    “India, yaad hai maine pehele hi chetawani di thi ke itna jasn na manaye jab aapne Australia ko unke ghar pe haraya tha (India, remember I warned you earlier not to celebrate too much when you defeated Australia at their home),” he tweeted after India suffered their second defeat at home under the captaincy of Kohli, losing to England by 227 runs in the Test series opener. 

    https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1359059768082579456?s=19

    Earlier, after the series win in Gabba last month, while most took to social media to congratulate India for their impressive win, Pietersen had tweeted: “India – yeh aitihaasik jeet ka jashn manaye kyuki yeh sabhi baadhao ke khilaap hasil hui hai. Lekin, asli team toh kuch hafto baad aa rahi hai jisse aapko harana hoga apne ghar mein. Satark rahe , 2 saptaah mein bahut adhik jashn manaane se saavadhaan rahen (India – Celebrate this historic victory, as you achieved it against many hurdles. But, the real team is coming after two weeks, that you have defeated in your home. Be cautious, beware of celebrating too much in 2 weeks).”

    https://twitter.com/KP24/status/1351501549013504001?s=19

    India was set a target of 420 in the final innings in Chennai but lost Rohit Sharma early in the chase. The reverse swing of James Anderson, ably assisted by left-arm spinner Jack Leach combined to take seven wickets between themselves helped England fold India for just 192 runs. 

    The win helped England take a 1-0 lead in the four-Test series while denting India’s hope of reaching the World Test Championship final. 

  • Hassan Ali seals the deal for Pakistan

    Hassan Ali seals the deal for Pakistan

    With two five–fors, Hassan Ali has sealed the deal for Pakistan, beating South Africa by 95 runs in second Test and won the series 2-0.

    The first series as captain for Babar Azam in Test cricket starts with a win – credit to hundred from Muhammad Rizwan and 10 wicket haul by Hasan Ali made the difference in the Test match.

    Babar has also been added to the list of Pakistani captains who won their debut Test series.

    Read more – Babar Azam opens up on his journey from ‘ball-picker’ to Test captain

    Pakistan won its first series against Proteas since 2003 by 2-0 with a 95-run victory in the second Test on the fifth and final day.

    Set 370-run to win, the Proteas were bowled out for 274 with Pakistan medium pacer Hasan Ali taking 5-60 — his best match figures of 10-114.

    Opener Aiden Markram scored a fighting 108 and Temba Bavuma 61.

    They put on a 106-run stand for the fourth wicket but Hasan struck with the second new ball to end Markra’s resistance.

    The 2-0 win is only Pakistan’s second over South Africa in 12 Test series, having lost eight and drawn three. Pakistan won the first Test by seven wickets in Karachi. Pakistan’s only previous series win over South Africa was in a two-match series at home in 2003.

    The series against South Africa – who were touring Pakistan for the first time in 14 years – is the biggest hosted by the home side since a deadly 2009 militant attack on Sri Lanka’s squad in Lahore halted international tours.

    With the brilliant 10-for, Hassan Ali became man of the match. While with his maiden Test match ton, Rizwan was declared man of the series.

    Meanwhile, the Pakistan cricket team regained its place among top 5 Test teams of the world with a 2-0 series win against South Africa.

    Pakistan earned 8 rating points after beating Proteas in Karachi and Rawalpindi to jump to 5th position in the ICC Test Team Rankings.

    The hosts were at the 7th position in the charts before the start of series while South Africa was at 5th. With the help of star performers – Rizwan, Hassan, Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan has gained this position.

    The two teams will now play three Twenty20 internationals on February 11, 13 and 14, all in Lahore.

    Following Pakistan’s win several celebrities, politicians and congratulated the team for the effort.

  • PSL 6 anthem ‘Groove Mera’ has everyone buzzing

    The much-awaited anthem of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season six featuring Aima Baig, Naseebo Lal and Young Stunners has finally released.

    Titled Groove Mera, the track starts with Naseebo Lal’s strong vocals and as she takes charge, the audience is guaranteed to start buzzing to the track. We go on to see Aima Baig who, in her quintessential style, delivers powerful vocals. Then we see Young Stunners making an entrance as they rap their way into the song. The rap has been written by the artists themselves. 

    “Continuing the rich tradition of entertaining PSL fans with a new anthem for each season, Groove Mera refers to the swing and feel of the movements of cricketers. It refers to moments of finesse that one finds in the heart of every cricket match,” read the official statement by the league.

    “This year’s anthem also reflects the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the majority of the fans will be watching Pakistan’s biggest sporting event remotely, this anthem cheers both players on the field and their fans at home as they celebrate their groove,” continued the statement, adding: “Most importantly, the best part of this year’s anthem is that, it is featuring female vocalists as the leads.”

    Last year’s anthem Tayyar Hain featuring Asim Azhar, Ali Azmat and Haroon had disappointed fans. The star-studded collaboration had failed to impress cricket aficionados, who retaliated by poking fun at the song.

    Read more – ‘I’m sorry’: Asim Azhar responds to backlash on PSL anthem

    Groove Mera has been composed by Xulfi while the music video has been directed by Fida Moin.

  • Ahmed ‘The Wolverine’ Mujtaba destroys India’s Rahul Raju in 56 seconds

    Ahmed ‘The Wolverine’ Mujtaba destroys India’s Rahul Raju in 56 seconds

    Mixed martial arts (MMA) star Ahmed ‘The Wolverine’ Mujtaba destroyed India’s Rahul Raju in ONE Championship’s first round in only 56 seconds.

    The MMA fighter, who hails from Quetta and debuted in 2013, ducked an overhand right and countered his opponent with a punch of his own, finishing him in just the opening minute of their fight.

    The referee had to intervene as Raju immediately fell to the canvas and Mujtaba followed up with another strike. The Pakistani fighter’s win in the first round of One Championship — Asia’s biggest MMA promotion — took his career record to 8-2, while his Indian counterpart fell to 7-6.

    A graduate of the Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering and Management Sciences (BUITEMS), the 35-year-old’s return marks his first fight in nearly three years when he lost to China’s Jia Wen Ma.

    After March 2018, several bouts, including two with Raju and one with Eduard Folayang, were scrapped. In 2016, he toppled Singapore’s highly-rated Benedict Ang, continuing his four-year spree of wins until losing to Keanu Subba in 2017.

    Taking to Twitter, Mujtaba dedicated his victory to the people of Kashmir and his fans in Pakistan and across the world.

    “Alhumdulillah. Thankyou everyone, much love and respect. A small gift to the people of Kashmir on Kashmir day,” he wrote on Twitter.

  • John Cena to perform in Pakistan in July, says report

    John Cena to perform in Pakistan in July, says report

    John Cena, the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar, and other wrestlers will visit Pakistan in July this year to participate in a wrestling event being organised by a private company.

    According to media reports, Cena, who has millions of fan in Pakistan, will be performing in Karachi and Islamabad during his visit to the country. A report claimed that all matters have been settled with the US wrestler and Hollywood actor.

    Cena, 43, is arguably one of the best professional wrestlers in the history of the sports.

    Pakistan had organised the Ring of Pakistan event last year wherein professional wrestlers from across the world participated.

    The popularity of Cena in Pakistan can be gauged by the fact that he made it to the merit list of the Islamia College, Peshawar, after someone submitted a fake admission form in his name. According to local media reports, the college administration had confirmed that someone had applied through a fake name, bank code, roll number, and grades and got into the college.

    At the time, the administration had said: “Incidents like these take place in online admission. Someone played a joke through the application. However, as soon as we came to know of it, we removed him from the system.”

    https://twitter.com/MahmailF/status/1303065544686436353
  • NCOC allows PSL 2021 to have limited spectators

    NCOC allows PSL 2021 to have limited spectators

    The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has granted permission to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to have spectators at the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled to commence from February 20. As per details, stadiums will be allowed only 20 percent spectators of the total capacity.

    According to a press release issued by PCB, the decision means around 7,500 ticketed spectators will be allowed access inside the National Stadium in Karachi per match day, while around 5,500 will be able to attend each match day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

    During the course of the event, the NCOC and the PCB will continue to work together and monitor the situation before a decision to increase crowd numbers for the three playoffs and the final is made.

    The NCOC made the decision following a detailed and comprehensive briefing by the PCB officials, in which they assured that the event organisers and the PCB will strictly follow the government’s COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), including social distancing.

    The press release further said that PCB will soon announce its ticketing policy to provide further clarity to the fans on how they can purchase tickets and the process to enter/exit the venues during the matches.

    Read more – PSL 2021: Interesting picks and drops

    Thanking NCOC, PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said: “I am thankful to the NCOC for trusting the PCB and allowing limited fans to watch the live-action of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2021. This is an endorsement that the PCB is an institution, which is capable of planning and then successfully implementing COVID-19 SOPs during its marquee event being staged in Pakistan for the second successive year.

    He added: “Fans are the PCB’s biggest asset and we are delighted that no matter a small number, but some will be able to have access to the matches. Their presence will add flavour and excitement to one of the biggest and most challenging leagues in the cricket calendar.”

    “I am optimistic that if we can maintain strict protocols during the HBL PSL 2021 matches we will have a strong case for more fans in the 2021-22 season in which we have to host high-profile international teams such as New Zealand, England and the West Indies as well as quality domestic events, including the National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the Pakistan Cup,” concluded Mani.

    The HBL PSL season six will be played in Karachi and Lahore from February 20 to March 22.

  • Here’s why you were stuck in traffic in Lahore despite South Africa playing Test in Rawalpindi

    Massive jams in major parts of Lahore on Thursday spelt misery for citizens on the second consecutive day with little or no public knowledge regarding the jams except assumptions that the South African cricket team was in town.

    According to the details of the jam, the city’s arteries, including Jail Road, Canal Bank Road and The Mall, remained blocked for traffic as contingents of police and rangers barred motorists from movement on the said roads.

    As a result, all routes leading to the aforementioned major roads also remained choked with traffic jams in Shadman, Shah Jamal, Gulberg, Mozang, Upper & Lower Mall, Lytton Road, Liberty Chowk, Kalma Chowk and Davis Road among other adjoining areas.

    But what could have been the cause, especially when the South African team is currently playing its second Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi?

    Well, a separate Proteas T20 squad arrived in Lahore on Wednesday for three-match series against the Green Shirts.

    Security before the movement of the team was beefed up in the Punjab capital and the guests were shifted to the hotel in the fully escorted motorcade.

    Heinrich Klaasen will lead the South Africa squad in the three fixtures which will be played on February 11, 13, and 14. The first practice session is scheduled for Friday.

    The series will start at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on February 11, and so, the current traffic situation is likely to prevail until February 15, after which the Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches could add to motorists’ woes.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bat in the second and final Test in Rawalpindi against South Africa on Thursday.

    Pakistan retained the playing XI which won the first Test by seven wickets inside four days at Karachi last week.