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  • LPL Final: Shoaib Malik dedicates win to ‘little champs’ of APS

    LPL Final: Shoaib Malik dedicates win to ‘little champs’ of APS

    Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has dedicated his win at the Lanka Premier League (LPL) to the “little champs who lost their lives in the Peshawar tragedy”.

    “Another WIN, another TROPHY, another Man Of The Match in the Finals,” wrote Malik on social media. “I dedicate today’s win to the little champs who lost their lives in the Peshawar tragedy.”

    It has been six years since a gruesome terrorist attack on the Army Public School (APS) left 149 people dead which included 132 children, one of the darkest days in Pakistan’s history.

    Meanwhile, Malik’s wife Sania Mirza and his father-in-law Imran Mirza, were over the moon with Shoaib’s performance and took to Twitter to express their joy.

    Malik shone with both the bat and the ball as Jaffna Stallions beat Galle Gladiators to win the LPL 2020 title in its inaugural season and received the Man of the Match award.

    Malik top-scored for Jaffna with 46 off 35 balls to help Jaffna near the 190-run mark after they won the toss and elected to bat first. He also bagged two wickets for 13 runs only in 3 overs to restrict Galle under 140 runs.

    Read more – Shahid Afridi leaves LPL midway due to a ‘personal emergency’

    The inaugural season of the T20 Lanka Premier League 2020 came to a thrilling end on Wednesday night with Stallions lifting the trophy after beating Gladiators by 53 runs in the final in Hambantota.

  • Babar Azam, Shan Masood named in Wisden’s Test Team of the Year

    Wisden, on Tuesday, unveiled its ‘Test Team of the Year’ for 2020 and the list which features the best performers in Test cricket between December 11, 2019, and December 11, 2020, included Shan Masood and Babar Azam.

    Shaan made it to the list with 419 runs in 6 matches at an average of 46.55 with a high score of 156 against England.

    “England began exceptionally before lunch on day one, and Masood rode it out. Then, even as the home bowlers erred, he couldn’t quite cash in. But on day two, as Pakistan slid to 176-5, he came into his own, slowly opening his shoulders as his batting partners dwindled. Having struggled against England previously – his 156 was more than he managed in four previous Tests against them combined – Masood’s should have been a match-winning knock, but Chris Woakes and Jos Buttler had other ideas,” said Wisden about Masood.

    Azam also made it to the list with 600 runs in 6 matches at an average of 100 with a high score of 143 against Bangladesh.

    Writing about Azam, Wisden said: “All told, that’s not a bad average. Babar Azam made sure the return of Test cricket was a joyous, triumphant one, and it was fitting that he, a player who had already inspired such hope in the country, should provide even more. That he’ll be disappointed with his exploits in England, despite averaging just under 50, shows how high his standards now are. The most important of Babar’s knocks in terms of the match situation. Having come in at 93-2, he breezed past a century in quick time, setting up a match-winning lead.”

    Read more – Only two Pakistanis nominated for ICC Awards of the Decade

    Meanwhile, check out the complete test team of the year below.

    Wisden’s Test Team of the Year 2020:

    1. Dom Sibley

    2. Shan Masood

    3. Kane Williamson (C)

    4. Marnus Labuschagne

    5. Babar Azam

    6. Ben Stokes

    7. Quinton de Kock (WK)

    8. Kyle Jamieson

    9. Stuart Broad

    10. Tim Southee

    11. Nathan Lyon

  • Police give clean chit to Babar Azam in harassment case

    Police give clean chit to Babar Azam in harassment case

    Police have given a clean chit to Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam in the harassment case against him.

    According to reports, Additional Sessions Judge Nauman Naeem had taken up the petition of a woman, namely Hameeza Mukhtar, against the Pakistani skipper.

    During the proceedings, the counsel of the petitioner sought time to submit documents in the court and said that the entire case was based on medical reports.

    Azam’s counsel, Barrister Harris Azmat, while requesting the court to reject the petitioner’s plea, said that Azam was a national cricketer and hero, adding that Hameeza had started blackmailing the national cricket team captain in 2016 whereas the police had cleared him in an investigation.

    Police also submitted an investigation report in the court, as per which the national cricketer was found innocent and the woman was levelling baseless allegations.

    “The court should reject the petitioner’s plea,” he said.

    Barrister Azmat said that Azam’s case was being covered by Indian media and the woman may have targeted the national cricketer once again at the behest of someone.

    The court adjourned the case after summoning petitioner Hameeza Mukhtar’s counsel on December 15 (today) for final arguments.

  • Shoaib Akhtar praises Indian artist for making amazing sketches of him

    Shoaib Akhtar recently praised an Indian artist for drawing a hyper-realistic ballpoint sketch of the former cricketer.

    Chitrakar, a freelance artist from New Delhi had posted his art on Instagram. The sketch shows two expressions of the fast bowler, one in black ink and the other in red.

    Taking to Twitter, the cricketer wrote, “I can’t thank you guys enough who make these illustrations by giving so much time & dedication.”

  • Pakistan women cricket team to tour South Africa in January

    Pakistan women cricket team to tour South Africa in January

    The Pakistan women’s national cricket team is expected to tour South Africa next month. As per details, the team will play three ODIs and three T20Is during the tour in Durban and Pietermaritzburg from 20 January to 3 February.

    This series has been organised to prepare the team for ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier to be held in July 2021.

    Women’s chief selector and head of the women’s cricket, Urooj Mumtaz, in a statement, said: “I am delighted that Cricket South Africa have agreed to host us for a full tour despite having already qualified for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022. This is yet another indicator and reflection of our relationship with the member boards who are willing to help and support each other in any possible way.”

    She added: “South Africa is ranked above us, both in the ODI and T20I formats and, as such, I am sure this series will go a long way in not only assisting us to further improve our standards but also prepare for June’s ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2021 as we aim to finish in the top three and progress to the event proper in early 2022 in New Zealand.”

    While the final squad for the tour is expected to be announced on Thursday, 31 December 2020, 27 probables for the tour include Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana Khan, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz and Syeda Aroob Shah.

    The above mentioned 27 players have been invited by the women’s national selection committee for a training and preparation camp, which will be held at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi from 20 December.

    Read more – Women cricketers travel to Karachi ‘in bags’

    Tour schedule:

    11 Jan – Departure for Durban

    13-19 Jan – Training, practice and intra-squad matches, Durban

    20 Jan – 1st ODI (d/n), Kingsmead Stadium, Durban

    23 Jan – 2nd ODI (d), Kingsmead Stadium, Durban

    26 Jan – 3rd ODI (d), Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg

    29 Jan – 1st T20I (d), Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg

    31 Jan – 2nd T20I (d), Pietermaritzburg Oval, Pietermaritzburg

    3 Feb – 3rd T20I (d/n), Kingsmead Stadium, Durban

  • ‘I’d pick Mohammad Amir in every white ball game I’d coach’: Mickey Arthur

    ‘I’d pick Mohammad Amir in every white ball game I’d coach’: Mickey Arthur

    Former Pakistan Cricket Team coach Mickey Arthur, in an interview, talked about Mohammad Amir’s skills and experience, saying: “I definitely think that Amir has got a future in middle of his career. I still think that he is one of the best white ball bowlers around at the moment.”

    Appreciating Amir’s courage, he said, “The one thing I do like about Aamir is when there is a tough situation he wants the ball he doesn’t shy away from the tough situations.”

    “His execution is good. He still has got enough pace. He is a wise, more experienced player,” said Arthur.

    Concluding his remarks, he said, ”I would have Amir in any white ball cricket team that I coach.”

    Read more – Kyun Nikala?: ‘Misbah Saab he bataa saktay hain,’ says Mohammad Amir

    In a response to Mickey’s remarks, Amir replied in a tweet, “Thanks coach I would love to play under your coaching anywhere in the world.”

    It is pertinent to add here that Amir was dropped from the 35-member squad, which is currently touring New Zealand. Pakistan head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq, explaining the decision said: “[Shoaib]Malik and Amir are not part of the white-ball matches as for this tour we have opted to invest, develop and focus on the promising and emerging players who are likely to be available to Pakistan for all formats.”

    John Michael “Mickey” Arthur was the coach of Pakistan Cricket Team from 2016 to 2019. He is the currently the Head Coach of the Sri Lanka national cricket team as of December 2019.

  • South Africa to make historic Pakistan tour in January after 14 years

    South Africa to make historic Pakistan tour in January after 14 years

    South Africa will tour Pakistan next month for the first time in 14 years to play two tests and three Twenty20 Internationals, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

    The five-day matches will be staged in Karachi from January 26-30 and in Rawalpindi from February 4-8, T20 fixtures will be played in Lahore from 11th February to 14th of February.

    International cricket has returned to Pakistan in the past 15 months following a militant attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009 that killed six policemen and two civilians.

    “It’s pleasing to see so many countries making a return to Pakistan — a proud, cricket-loving nation,” South Africa’s director of cricket, Graeme Smith, said in a statement.

    “I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the hospitality and transparency they showed our security contingent when they travelled over there a few weeks ago,” he said.

    He added: “The report on their findings and recommendations gives us confidence as an organisation that all of our team’s security, playing and accommodation needs will be met, and that the wellbeing of the team will be the top priority.”

    The Cricket board of South Africa (CSA) also confirmed the tour on Twitter.

    Pakistan captain Babar Azam said that aside from the thrill of playing at home, the tour will also be a chance for his side to test their progress across the two formats.

    “I am delighted that South Africa have confirmed their tour to Pakistan and look forward to captaining my country for the first time in a home Test,” said Azam in a statement.

    “Looking at the calendar of international cricket in 2021, I am pleased we are playing more against the sides which are ranked above us,” he said. “This is critical to not only our learning and development, but also an opportunity to improve our rankings across all formats.”

  • Breakdancing is now an Olympic sport

    Breakdancing is now an Olympic sport

    Breakdancing was one of four new sports along with skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing to get the Olympic green light on Monday for inclusion at the 2024 Paris Games.

    The four sports were included as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) executive board met to confirm the Paris 2024 programme.

    Skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing have already been added to the programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which will take place in 2021 after being postponed by a year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The introduction of breaking was “one of the results of the Olympic Agenda 2020,” Bach said. “We had a clear priority to introduce sports (that are) particularly popular among the younger generation and taking into consideration the urbanisation of sport.”

    Breakdancing, which grew up alongside hip hop in the South Bronx of New York in the 1970s and is officially known in sport terms as “breaking”, appeared at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, in the form of head-to-head “battles”.

    Russia’s Sergei Chernyshev, competing under the nickname Bumblebee, won the first breakdancing gold medal for boys in that event, while Japan’s Ramu Kawai won the girls’ title.

    “Today is a historic occasion not only for b-boys and b-girls but for all dancers around the world,” said Shawn Tay, president of the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF).

    “The WDSF could not be prouder to have breaking included at Paris 2024… It was a true team effort to get to this moment and we will redouble our efforts in the lead-up to the Olympic Games to make sure the breaking competition at Paris 2024 will be unforgettable.”

  • Wasim Akram urges authorities to look after players’ mental well-being

    Wasim Akram urges authorities to look after players’ mental well-being

    Wasim Akram on Tuesday emphasised on the mental well-being of cricketers going through tough isolation, calling authorities to ensure there are measures that can counter the implications of quarantine restrictions.

    Akram, while speaking to media outlets, maintained that it is never easy for an individual to spend two weeks in isolation, adding that such circumstances can have serious implications on one’s mental health.

    “It is imperative to look after players’ mental well-being in this scenario in order to keep them positive and motivated for the game. There’s a serious need to have a regular psychologist with teams when they travel to new environments,” said the legendary fast bowler.

    “I’m sure seniors like Waqar Younis and Misbah would have spoken to players in New Zealand to keep them motivated during isolation period,” added Akram.

    Calling for a uniform policy worldwide, the former cricketer said that it is never easy for anyone to move from one isolation to another.

    “I think ICC should talk to governments in this regard,” he shared.

    Green shirts were kept in strictly managed isolation in New Zealand for the last 14 days before the isolation period ended today (Tuesday). The team has been in a biosecure bubble since summer, playing back-to-back cricket.

    Akram also said that New Zealand team is in good form and Pakistan will have a tough time in the upcoming series.

    Akram’s remarks come after two England cricketers recently pulled out of Big Bash League in Australia complaining of biosecure bubble fatigue.

  • England tour of South Africa cancelled after coronavirus outbreak

    The ODI series between England and South Africa has been officially called off after issues around Covid-19 became too big to overcome.

    Official confirmation of the abandonment on medical grounds came today (Monday) after a series of postponements and cancellations over the last three days.

    A joint statement released by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board stated the decision was taken by the two boards “to ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players from both teams.” Both boards will work together to reschedule the series, which is part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League.

    England will return home without having played any of-the-three scheduled one-day internationals. The decision to call off the tour followed apparent breaches of the bio-secure environment at the hotel in Cape Town where both teams are staying.

    A South African player tested positive for Covid-19 on Friday. Two hotel staff members then tested positive before two members of the England touring party returned what were described as “unconfirmed positive tests” on Sunday.

    The series was to have started in Cape Town on Friday but that match was cancelled an hour before the players were to take to the field after the South African player’s positive test. That match was re-scheduled and moved to Paarl on Sunday, but that match was cancelled following the positive results in the England camp.

    The teams played three Twenty20 internationals without any problems before the Covid-19 outbreak.

    “CSA and the ECB will now work together to determine when the three-match series, which forms part of the ICC Cricket Men’s Super League, can take place in the future,” CSA tweeted.

    CSA Acting CEO, Kugandrie Govender said: “The concern over the mental health impact of recent events on all involved is not one that we as CSA or the ECB take lightly and the decision to postpone the tour is the most responsible and reasonable course of action for us.”