Current Final

Blog

  • PSL 8 final rescheduled to Saturday as PCB anticipates rain in Lahore

    PSL 8 final rescheduled to Saturday as PCB anticipates rain in Lahore

    In light of the adverse weather forecasted for the next few days, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to move the HBL PSL 8 final from Sunday, March 19 to Saturday, March 18. The match will take place at the Gaddafi Stadium, with Sunday and Monday serving as backup days.

    According to Najam Sethi, Chair of PCB Management Committee, the HBL PSL 8 is a significant event for all the teams, who strive to make it to the final and win the Supernova Trophy. Cricket fans eagerly anticipate this momentous occasion as well.

    Given the available information about the bad weather forecast, it is a prudent and proactive decision to make use of the off-day and play the final on Saturday. This way, two reserve days will be available in case the match cannot be completed or played on Saturday, rather than the traditional one day.

    The PCB has consulted with the Play-off teams, who are in agreement with the decision to reschedule the final.

    Additionally, the cricket board assures fans that there will be no inconvenience caused by the change. Tickets purchased for Sunday’s match will remain valid for the rescheduled final on Saturday.

  • Another Record for Rizwan as he gets 500 runs in PSL season 8

    Another Record for Rizwan as he gets 500 runs in PSL season 8

    Call him the Hit Man, or the Little Master, wicket-keeper Muhammad Rizwan just keeps piling on the records. The batting maestro has reached another milestone by scoring 500 runs for the third time in Pakistan Super League (PSL).


    Rizwan first scored 500 runs in PSL 6, then repeated the fear with 546 runs in PSL 7. Now he has again scored the 500 runs in the ongoing edition of Pakistan’s largest league.

    The wicket-keeper is becoming a brand day by day as per the saying of furious Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar “He who can speak and play well together can become a brand.” And Rizwan can do both.

    Rizwan is the first player to score 500 runs three consecutive times in the Pakistan Super league (PSL).
    The Sultans captain, who was the opening batter in the game, hit 10 boundaries and four sixes, staying on the pitch throughout the game.

    Since his debut in PSL in 2016, Rizwan has played in 70 matches, accumulating 1,962 runs in 59 innings. He has hit one century (during the ongoing season) and 16 fifties.

    Rizwan also has 178 fours and 45 sixes to his name.

  • Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes will not be compromised for IMF deal, says Finance Minister

    Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programmes will not be compromised for IMF deal, says Finance Minister

    During a session of the Senate on Thursday, Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar stated unequivocally that there would be no compromise on the country’s nuclear and missile programs. The assurance came in response to questions posed by PPP Senator Raza Rabbani, who had raised concerns about the delay in Pakistan’s agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Rabbani had suggested that the delay might be due to pressure being exerted on Pakistan’s nuclear program.

    In response to Rabbani’s questions, Dar stated that the delay was not due to any action by the current government, but rather to the fact that the IMF had requested that certain friendly countries fulfill commitments they had made to support Pakistan. According to Geo, Dar promised that once the staff-level agreement and the Extended Fund Facility program were finalized, the details would be posted on the finance ministry’s website.

    Dar also expressed his belief that Pakistan’s nuclear program was a matter of national security and emphasized that no one had the right to tell Pakistan what range of missiles or nuclear weapons it could have. He argued that the country’s nuclear and missile programs were essential for deterrence and for guarding Pakistan’s national interests.

    The delay in the IMF agreement has been a cause for concern, as it is seen as critical to taming a balance-of-payments crisis. The agreement, which was approved by the IMF in 2019 and is worth $6.5 billion, includes $1.1 billion that would be released once the agreement is signed. Dar had previously blamed the delay on the previous government, which he said had failed to meet commitments and created a trust deficit. Despite the delay, Dar stated that Pakistan was “very close” to signing the agreement.

  • Imran Khan says COAS General Asim Munir is behind Zaman Park operation

    Imran Khan says COAS General Asim Munir is behind Zaman Park operation

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has once again accused the establishment of interfering in politics, emphasising that nothing happens in the country without the permission of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.

    In an interview with Voice of America, Khan said, “This government is totally dependent on the establishment, nothing can happen without their consent.”

    Talking amidst the chaos happening right outside of his home at Zaman Park, he said, “It is too big a step for a government which has no legitimacy, no roots in this country, no moral authority. The only reason they are there is because of the establishment.”

    He went on to say that the establishment is one man and that man is the army chief. “He makes the decision. Whatever he says is followed”, added Khan.

    Since the ouster, Khan has been blaming the institution for removing him from power, naming ex-army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa multiple times in public.

    On March 3, the PTI chief said that he is ready to hold talks with the COAS for the sake of the country, claiming that the army chief considers Imran his enemy.

  • Pakistan faces second-highest food price inflation in South Asia: World Bank report

    Pakistan faces second-highest food price inflation in South Asia: World Bank report

    According to the World Bank’s “Food Security Update,” the consumer price inflation for food items in Pakistan in February 2023 on a year-on-year basis was 45.1 per cent, which is the highest in South Asia after Sri Lanka, which experienced 54.4 per cent inflation.

    The report further states that domestic grain and wheat flour prices remained volatile across South Asia at the beginning of 2023, and were well above their year-earlier levels. Specifically, in Pakistan, wheat flour prices in January 2023 reached record highs and were 20 to 140 per cent higher year on year.

    The high prices of food items have been attributed to several factors, including generally stagnant production since 2018, stock losses and disrupted trade flows due to the 2022 floods, high agricultural input and transportation costs, and high headline inflation, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

    The report noted that India, Bangladesh, and Nepal experienced year-on-year consumer price inflation for food prices of 6.2 per cent, 7.8 per cent, and 5.6 per cent, respectively, in January 2023. Rice production increased in 2022 in several countries, including India, despite reductions in Pakistan and Tanzania, according to the report.

    The US Department of Agriculture predicts a 4.5 per cent contraction in rice shipments due to a decrease in exports from Pakistan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam, which will more than offset an increase from India. Moreover, domestic food price inflation remains high around the world.

    According to Brecorder, the latest month between October 2022 and February 2023, for which food price inflation data are available, shows high inflation in almost all low- and middle-income countries, with inflation levels above 5 per cent in 94.1 per cent of low-income countries, 86 per cent of lower-middle-income countries, and 87 per cent of upper-middle-income countries, with many experiencing double-digit inflation.

    Furthermore, about 87.3 per cent of high-income countries are experiencing high food price inflation, and the countries affected most are in Africa, North America, Latin America, South Asia, Europe, and Central Asia, according to the report.

  • After being routed by Sultans Qalandars captain Afridi blames ‘Qudrat ka nizam’ for defeat

    After being routed by Sultans Qalandars captain Afridi blames ‘Qudrat ka nizam’ for defeat

    Lahore Qalandars collapsed in spectacular fashion on Wednesday night, registering the lowest total in the history of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

    Opening season 8 with a cracking start, Lahore Qalandars were on the Top of the Points table, seemingly well on their way to the finals.
    Showing complete team performance in every match and thrashing all opponents one by one, the seemingly invincible Qalandars were routed in the all-important match with Multan Sultans.

    Shaheen Afridi, the skipper of the Qalandars wants to assess where they went wrong before eliminator two on Friday.

    “We lost wickets quickly, and we will look into what went wrong and prepare for the next game as we still have a chance. When the main batters get out early, there is pressure on the lower-order batters,” he said.
    Observing that a single good catch or run-out can win a game, Afridi promised to work on weaknesses.

    “It is Qudrat ka Nizam. The wind started to blow, and Cottrell got the ball to swing. This is Qudrat ka Nizam,” added Shaheen Afridi in the post-match chat.

    Playing 11
    Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan.

    Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (wk/c), Usman Khan, Rilee Rossouw, Kieron Pollard, Tim David, Khushdil Shah, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Sheldon Cottrell, Ihsanullah.

  • Lahore High Court extends halt on Zaman Park police operation till tomorrow

    Lahore High Court extends halt on Zaman Park police operation till tomorrow

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) has extended the injunction on the police operation to arrest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in Zaman Park till tomorrow.

    Yesterday, the court had ordered the police to stop the operation to arrest Imran Khan till 10 am today.

    At the hearing of the petition against the police operation at LHC today, the court said that on Thursday all parties should sit together and find a solution. Stating that we are being dishonored as a nation, the judge said, “Move your rally; for God’s sake, let people live their routine lives.”

    LHC also stopped PTI from holding a rally this Sunday at Iqbal Park (Minar-e-Pakistan) and asked the party to let citizens live their routine lives.

    The party was planning to hold a “historic” public rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan on March 19 and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was set to lead it — despite “security threats”.

    PTI workers clashed for nearly 24 hours with the law enforcers trying to get through the party supporters and arrest Khan.

  • Mira Sethi meets boy who stood up to misogynist reporter at Aurat March

    At this year’s Aurat March, a boy went viral on Twitter when he was seen schooling a reporter by explaining to him why marching for women’s rights is incredibly important.

    Actress and writer Mira Sethi revealed yesterday that she had met the boy by tracing him down on Twitter, and described him as her ‘hero’.

    “Remember the kid who stood up to that vile reporter at Aurat March Lahore?” she wrote, “I found him on Twitter, asked if I could come over to express my gratitude and met his whole family. Muhammad Ali is only 20, but he radiates clarity and courage. I’m going to do whatever it takes to make sure his light is never dimmed. So full of gratitude today.”

    Syed Aly Jaffery also shared the interaction on his Twitter page and called her a ‘nice and amazing person’

    https://twitter.com/SyedAliJafferyy/status/1635985794602086401?s=20

  • PSL 8: Sultans thrash Qalandars en route to the finals

    Multan Sultan crossed all hurdles brilliantly and reached the finals of Pakistan Super League (PSL) by thrashing defending champs Lahore Qalandars last night at Gaddafi Stadium.

    Sultans defeated the nearly invincible Qalandars by 84 runs. Chasing a target of 161 runs, Lahore was routed at only 76 runs in 14.3 overs.

    Lahore lost Mirza Tahir Baig, who scored only 8 runs, early after Sheldon Cottrell bowled an out swinger who edged one through to Rizwan.

    Cottrell struck in the same over to trap Abdullah Shafique on a duck in front of the stumps.

    Lahore were hoping that opener and star batter Fakhar Zaman would lead the run-chase but that was not the case after the left-hander was clean-bowled by an inswinger from Anwar Ali. He scored six runs in seven balls.

    Earlier Multan Sultans choose to bat first and set a not so difficult target in PSL 8 season where usually the target is 250 above, putting up 161 in their 20 overs by giving 5 wickets.
    Multan made a decent start in the powerplay with 46 runs on the board without losing a wicket.

    Lahore got their first breakthrough in the eighth over after Haris Rauf cleaned up Usman Khan, who scored 29 runs in 28 balls. He added 53 runs for the first wicket with skipper Mohammad Rizwan.

    Lahore’s good bowling ensured that the middle orders were dominated by the Qalandars.

    However, missed chances in the death overs allowed Kieron Pollard to take the attack to the bowling side, adding 57 runs in 34 balls with the help of six maximums and a four.

    Tim David remained unbeaten on 22 runs in 15 balls.

    Rauf was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-34 in four overs. Meanwhile, Zaman and Rashid bagged one wicket each.

    David Wiese also bowled an economical spell of 0-24 in four overs.

    While Multan qualified for the final, Lahore will now play the second eliminator against the winning team of the first eliminator.

    Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will meet in the first eliminator on Thursday and the team that loses will get knocked out of the event. The winner will face Lahore on Friday.

    Playing 11
    Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings (wk), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan.

    Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (wk/c), Usman Khan, Rilee Rossouw, Kieron Pollard, Tim David, Khushdil Shah, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Sheldon Cottrell, Ihsanullah.

  • Chinese bank to provide Pakistan with another $500 million loan soon

    Chinese bank to provide Pakistan with another $500 million loan soon

    A Chinese bank has committed to provide Pakistan with another refinanced $500 million loan within the next few days. This brings the total of commercial loans to $1.7 billion out of the committed amount of $2 billion.

    Pakistani authorities are currently seeking 100 per cent confirmation from friendly donor countries and multilateral creditors before moving towards an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF has set an unwritten condition that Pakistan must secure refinancing of commercial loans and a rollover on deposits from China during the program period, which is set to expire in June 2023.

    A top official from the Finance Division confirmed that another $500 million commercial loan from a Chinese bank is on its way and will be completed soon. Chinese banks have already provided refinancing of $1.2 billion in commercial loans in the past few weeks, and Beijing has given assurance on another $500 million in loan refinancing in the next few days. Pakistan has also requested a rollover on the Chinese SAFE deposit of $2 billion within the ongoing month.

    All these factors are prerequisites for moving towards the signing of a staff-level agreement between the IMF and Pakistan. The Pakistani authorities are waiting for confirmation from Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar, as well as from the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, to fulfill the external financing needs of $6 billion until the end of June 2023. The guarantees for securing external financing are crucial for the sustainability of the IMF program.

    Brent crude and WTI are both down in the international market, which is good news for Pakistan’s economy. However, the IMF has secretly launched “Inclusive growth in the MENA region” at NUST. The IMF high-ups argued that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) possessing a major footprint resulted in the crowding out of the private sector. Pakistan’s budget makers have also assured the IMF that they will prepare gender-based budgeting in the next financial year.

    To meet the IMF’s demands, the CPI-based and SPI-based inflations have risen to unprecedented levels of 31.5 per cent every month and 42.3 per cent every week. The development budget of the federal government, known as the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP), has been slashed by 50 per cent for the current fiscal year in line with the Fund’s demand to curtail the budget deficit target.