Ishq Tamasha actress Kinza Hashmi appeared on Geo’s Jashan-e-cricket where the host Shahzad Iqbal asked her to choose the best cricketer amongst four players. The options included, Imad Wasim, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab khan, Kinza chose Babar in terms of his talent and cricketing skills over others.
On the work front, Kinza is currently being seen in ARY’s Azmaish and Geo entertainment’s Mohlat, the talented actress is playing two contrasting roles in both her plays.
Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam will reportedly be marrying his cousin next year.
Read more – VIDEO: Babar Azam trains in isolation
As per details, it has been agreed between the families of Azam and his cousin that the two will get married next year.
The skipper will be marrying his paternal uncle’s daughter.
Interestingly, a day earlier, former Pakistan cricket captain Azhar Ali had advised Azam to tie the knot.
Ali was hosting a question-answer session on Twitter.
A fan asked Ali whether he had any advice for Babar to which he responded: “Shadi ker lay” (get married).
Meanwhile, the skipper, who is recently in Abu Dhabi for the remaining matches of Pakistan super League’s (PSL) sixth edition, hasn’t officially announced the news yet.
Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam is seen training as he is in quarantine for remaining matches of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) sixth edition in Abu Dhabi.
“Training must go on,” wrote Babar while sharing the video on social media.
The captain in the video can be seen doing dips, running, and other fitness-related exercises.
Earlier, Imam ul Haq had posted a picture of a video conference of himself and other players, who are residing on the same floors of a hotel can’t meet each other for several days on end.
Haq shared a screenshot of a video call in which the cricketer can be seen interacting with Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Babar and Shoaib Malik.
It seems as if the screenshot has been taken while the players were having a hearty laugh as everyone, from Azam to Malik, can be seen smiling in the picture.
“So close, yet so far. Bio-secure bubble at its full flow. We’re all in close proximity. Some even on same floors but still not meeting.
“Keeping ourselves entertained with video calls, so that we can all entertain you from the ground in a few days,” wrote Imam.
Meanwhile, Sania Mirza commented on his post and said: “All that is fine but where are your clothes?”
A few days ago, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had confirmed receiving all the necessary permissions to hold 20 remaining matches the PSL 6 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under strict precautionary measures.
Babar Azam has become the first Pakistan captain to win his first four Tests as skipper as they swept the series against Zimbabwe 2-0 in Harare Sports Club on Monday.
Azam lauded his players after they completed a successful southern Africa tour with a second straight innings victory over Zimbabwe then looked ahead to his team’s planned tour of the West Indies in July.
It took Pakistan five overs to take the remaining Zimbabwe wicket to seal a win by an innings and 147 runs on the fourth day of the second Test. With the win, Azam also became the first Pakistan captain to win his first four Tests as skipper.
Shaheen Shah Afridi had Luke Jongwe caught behind for 37 to complete a five-wicket haul. He took five for 52.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Babar said his players had shown character and he was particularly pleased with the performance of the batsmen, especially man-of-the-match Abid Ali, who scored 215 not out in Pakistan’s only innings.
Abid, with his unbeaten double ton, received the Player of the Match award.
Hassan Ali bagged Player of the Series award, after taking 14 wickets at an average of just 8.92.
“The partnership between Abid and Azhar Ali was crucial,” he said. Azhar scored 126 in a second-wicket stand of 236.
“The confidence of our batsmen will be high and we have an important series in the West Indies coming up,” said Babar.
Meanwhile, Azam has been declared Player of the Month by the International Cricket Council (ICC) following his stunning performance in the ODI series against South Africa.
Pakistan is due to play three Tests and three T20 Internationals (T20Is) in the Caribbean.
A mother’s love is like none other and while mothers should be celebrated every day, every year comes a day entirely dedicated to them giving everyone to chance to let their mothers know how much they mean to them. Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. Some celebrate the day with their mothers, showering them with gifts and flowers, while others celebrate them in their memories. Like every year, this year too Pakistani celebrities expressed their love for their Moms on social media, giving the day more traction.
Check out some sweet wishes below:
Sharing a picture of himself kissing his mother’s foot, Abbas said: “‘Beshuk Jannat Maañ ke qadmon ke neechay hai’. I am nothing without you Maañ Ji, my ‘Jannat’!”
“May I always keep kissing your feet till I am alive,” he added.
“Meri pyaari Amma, thank you for making me what I am today,” said Maya. “Thank you for letting me know how to deal with the bad and good. Thank you for telling me that whatever happens, whatever someone says, whether it’s good or bad, you have to be positive and always think positive. I never used to understand before, but now I know what you meant. I am proud that I am your daughter. Love you Amma.”
The Aly sisters remembered their late mother by sharing old photographs of her.
“I have so much left to say to you. Not a day passes by that you don’t cross my mind. The fact that you’re no longer here will always cause me pain but you’re always in my heart,” wrote Saboor, alongside a picture of her mother.
“I know that you still hear me Mama, so please know this is true, that everything I’m today is all because of you. I miss you every day. You didn’t go alone, part of me went with you,” she added before going on to wish mothers across the world a Happy Mother’s Day.
“Take care of your mother because you will never get another,” said Saboor.
Posting a picture of herself and her mother from her godh bharai, Iqra said that she has no words to express how blessed she is to have her mother.
Iqra, who is also expecting her first child, said that she can’t wait for her little one to come and experience her grandmother’s love. The actor added that she is lucky to have her mother to hold her hand through it all.
Yasir shared a photo of himself with his late mother and said: “Yeh tasweer zaroor dhundli ho gai hai magar Amma aap ki yaad nahi. Love you. Aaj mother’s day hai aur 12 baje aap ki barsi. Meray liye Mother’s Day ko hamesha yaad rehny wala din bana dia.”
Pakistani skipper Babar Azam paid a heartfelt tribute to his mother, writing: “Mama Ji, beyond your love, support, care and kindness I do not exist. Forever in your debt. May Allah SWT keep your shade on us.”
Asim called his mother his “queen”.
Sonya took to Instagram and shared a picture of herself with her mother, saying: “I know Ammi that you’ve gone through a lot of struggle and pain in life. But I promise I won’t let all that go in vain. I want to do justice to every time you believed in me. I will grow up, to be the best I can be. I promise! I don’t know where life will take me as I grow old, but what I do know is that I will never be a person as big as you are.”
She also prayed for her happiness and a long life.
Momal shared a scenic photo with her mother. She also wrote:”My lovely mother, you are my life and my world. I am alive because of you.”
Alizeh shared a beautiful selfie of herself with her mother, saying: “Thank you for showing me how to keep my guards up in this world, where manipulation and bare minimum attention is considered love, you truly are the only pure form of love.”
Yumna also took to Instagram, sharing a picture of herself with her ”Qeemti tareen,” mother.
Zaidi also wished all the mothers a Happy Mother’s Day.
Many other celebrities payed tribute to their mothers by taking to their social media and shared what they feel for them. Not only them but some celebrity mothers like Aisha Khan, Sarwat Gilani and Syra Yousuf among others celebrated this day with their children.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced nominees for April’s ICC Player of the Month Awards. Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman are among the nominated players.
ICC introduced the award to recognise the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all formats of international cricket.
In the month of April, Pakistan captain Babar Azam became the number one ranked batsman in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, ending Indian Cricket Team’s captain Virat Kohli’s long reign at the top of the charts.
Babar’s match-winning 82-ball 94 in the third ODI against South Africa helped him gain 13 rating points to reach a career-best 865 points. He also contributed 122 from 59 balls in Pakistan’s successful chase in the third match of a T20I series against the same opposition.
His compatriot Fakhar Zaman also produced a stellar showing during the month, scoring two centuries in the ODI series victory over South Africa, including a magnificent 193 in the second match in Johannesburg.
Completing the men’s shortlist, Nepal’s Khushal Bhurtel was the leading run-scorer as his team won a tri-series also featuring the Netherlands and Malaysia. His significant contribution with the bat totalled 278 runs, including four half-centuries in five matches.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Alyssa Healy, her team-mate Megan Schutt and New Zealand’s Leigh Kasperek made it to the Women’s Player of the Month nominees.
Winners will be announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels.
Fans can vote for their favourite players, both male and female on given links by ICC or directly by going to ICC’s website.
Babar Azam has hit back at Shoaib Malik for his criticism that former has no control over team selection.
While addressing a virtual press conference on Wednesday, Babar addressed Malik’s comments and firmly told everyone to put an end to this discussion.
“This debate should end now. The same thing is repeated in every press conference that I have no control over selection,” said Babar Azam. “You can see on the field that I handle everything. I decide the playing 11. Management give their input. I know my responsibilities as a captain.”
Read more – Afridi wants PCB to review middle-order performances, suggests Shoaib Malik’s inclusion in T20Is
Malik had also said that the Pakistan team needs an international level white-ball coach while stating that the current team management relies on likes and dislikes.
“I don’t have any problem with the coach. This is the domain of PCB. Team management is fully supporting every player, so I am happy,” said Azam while purportedly addressing Malik’s remarks about head coach Misbah-ul-Haq.
Read more – Why is the Pakistan cricket team so dramatic?
Malik’s comments had come after Pakistan’s humiliating defeat by Zimbabwe during the second T20I in Harare last week.
Later in the third T20I, Pakistan had clinched the series 2-1 with a comfortable 24-run win.
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.
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.
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.”