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Tag: Babar Azam

  • Babar Azam dethrones Virat Kohli to become number one ODI batsman

    Babar Azam dethrones Virat Kohli to become number one ODI batsman

    Babar Azam has dethroned the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team Virat Kohli to become the number one batsman in One-Day Internationals, becoming the fourth batsman from Pakistan to attain the number one position in the latest ICC rankings list update, released on Wednesday.

    The 26-year-old player of the match scored 94 off 82 balls in the last match of theĀ ICC Menā€™s Cricket World Cup Super LeagueĀ series against South Africa in Centurion which helped him gain 13 rating points to reach 865 points and he now leads the Indian captain by eight points.

    Babar, a star of the ICC Under-19 Menā€™s Cricket World Cups in 2010 and 2012 has been playing ODIs since 2015 and had started the series against South Africa at 837 rating points but moved up to 858 (ahead of Kohli) after his score of 103 in the first match. He dropped to 852 by the time of the last weekly rankings update with a score of 32 in the second ODI.

    By ending Kohliā€™s 1,258 day-supremacy, Babar has emulated compatriots Zaheer Abbas (1983-84), Javed Miandad (1988-89), and Mohammad Yousuf (2003) as the number one ODI batsman. In Tests, Babar has attained a best of the fifth position and is currently ranked sixth while in T20Is he is third but has been number one in the past.

    Meanwhile, Fakhar Zaman is another Pakistan batsman to move up the ODI batting charts, gaining five slots to reach a career-best seventh position after his knock of 101. Shaheen Afridi (up four places to a career-best 11thĀ place) and left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (up 29 places to 96th) have progressed thanks to their three-wicket hauls in the match.

    Babar had earlier overtaken Rohit Sharma to get to the second spot.

    Reacting to the news, Azam, in a statement, said: “I feel privileged and honoured to have joined the company of stalwarts like Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad and Mohammad Yousuf, who will always be the shining stars of Pakistan cricket.”

    “This is another milestone in my career, which will now require even more hard work and absolute consistency with the bat in order for me to hold on to the ranking for an extended period of time, like Sir Vivian Richards from January 1984 to October 1988 and Virat Kohli for 1,258 days,” he continued.

    The captain further said: “I have also previously topped the T20I rankings, but the ultimate ambition and goal is to lead the Test rankings, which are the real testament and reward to a batsmanā€™s calibre, reputation and skills. I understand to achieve this objective, I will not only have to perform consistently but more importantly, against the top sides.”

    “I am looking forward to this challenge and remain confident I will be able to accomplish this target with the support of my teammates and coaching staff. But at this stage, I will savour the moment as it has come almost 18 months after I was first appointed the white-ball captain and that too at the back of my performances which helped Pakistan become the first Asian side to win two ODI series in South Africa,” added Azam.

  • South Africa outclass Pakistan in second T20I

    South Africa outclassed Pakistan with six wickets in the second T20I, equalling the four-match series.

    After opting to bat first, Pakistan managed to score 140 for nine in their allotted 20 overs. Babar Azam top-scored with run-a-ball 50, hitting five fours. Mohammad Hafeez contributed 32 off 23, striking six boundaries. The pair knitted 58 runs for the third wicket.

    For South Africa, George Linde and Lizaad Williams picked three wickets apiece. Linde with his left-arm spin accounted for Mohammad Rizwan (naught), Hafeez and Sharjeel Khan (eight off 12, one six).

    The hosts chased down the target in the 14thĀ over for the loss of four wickets. Aiden Markram top-scored with a 30-ball 54, smashing seven fours and three sixes. Wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen returned undefeated on 36 off 21 balls. His innings included four fours and a six.

    For the visitors, Usman Qadir was the most successful bowler with two wickets for 26 runs in three overs.

    In an after-match discussion, Babar said: “Early wickets which we lost cost us the game. We didn’t have partnerships. Credit to the South Africa bowlers. The aggression cost us the game. The players were not complacent. It was a new wicket and they bowled well. I have confidence in my team and we will do well in the next match.”

    The visitors have 48 hours to bounce back for the third match of this series, scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

  • Pakistan becomes the first Asian team to win two bilateral series in South Africa

    Pakistan has become the first Asian team to clinch two bilateral series in South Africa as they defeated the hosts by 28 runs in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) at Centurion.

    Their victory was built on Fakhar Zamanā€™s brilliant century, his second in as many matches, captain Babar Azamā€™s 94, Hasan Aliā€™s sparkling 32 not out, and Mohammad Nawazā€™s and Shaheen Shah Afridiā€™s three-fers.

    Fakhar stretched his excellent run of form from Johannesburg to Centurion as the left-handed batsman smashed 104-ball 101, embellished with nine fours and three sixes that set the platform for Pakistan to post 320 for seven. Babar was named player of the match award, while Fakhar was awarded player of the series.Ā 

    Babar provided the tourists with a perfect start to the innings after being asked to bat by Temba Bavuma with a 112-run partnership with Imam-ul-Haq, who scored a breezy 57 off 73, and 94-run stand for the second wicket with Babar, whose exquisite strokeplay saw him strike seven fours and three sixes off 82 balls.

    South Africa looked in all sorts of troubles against the Pakistan openers as the two left-handed batsmen stroked the ball around the dial and rotate the strike at will. It was not until the 22ndĀ over when Imam stepped down the wicket in search of a maximum that South Africa got their first breakthrough and handed an easy catch to the long-on fielder.

    Fakharā€™s dismissal in the 36thĀ over which sparked a collapse as Pakistan slipped from 206 for one to 257 for six in 10.4 overs. Pakistan, who had by then looked certain to post an imposing total, found themselves struggling to cross 300-run mark.

    Read more – Why is the Pakistan cricket team so dramatic?

    Then came Hasan Ali, whose last outing in the format was in the ICC Menā€™s Cricket World Cup 2019. He plundered Jon-Jon Smuts for four sixes in the penultimate over before Babar hit Andile Phehlukwayo for two sixes and a four in the last as Pakistan brought up 43 runs in the last two overs.

    Hasanā€™s posted a scorching 32 not out from mere 11 balls. His knock also included a four.

    In a rare instance, South Africaā€™s spinners delivered as many as 28 overs with Maharaj outshining his teammates with three for 45. Aiden Markram took two wickets for 48.

    Janneman Malan and Aiden Markram provided South Africa a quick start with a 54-run partnership in nine overs. Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed Markram with a length delivery which took the inside edge on its way to Sarfaraz Ahmedā€™s gloves.

    Debutant Usman Qadir dismissed Smuts before Mohammad Nawazā€™s left-arm orthodox accounted for Malan, Bavuma and Heinrich Klaasen as the hosts found themselves tottering at 140 for five.

    Fifties from Kyle Verreynne and Phehlukwayo brought South Africa back into the contest as they put a 108-run stand for the sixth wicket before Haris Rauf sent the former back to the pavilion in the 44thĀ over. Phehlukwayo became Hasanā€™s first wicket in the next over and Haris struck again in his next.

    South Africa lost their final wicket on the third ball of the final over on a scorching Shaheenā€™s yorker.

    Experts, colleagues, former cricketers and other notable people congratulated the team for a historic win.

    Man of the Match for the second time in the series, Babar dedicated this series to Pakistan, saying: “Alhumdulillah, this series win is for you Pakistan.”

    “Extremely proud of this champion team. Special shout out to Fakhar Zaman [and] his remarkable innings,” added Babar. “Well played South Africa.”

    Meanwhile, Man of the Series Zaman, while talking about his victory, said: “Absolutely honoured to be the part of this amazing team. Top efforts by everyone.”

    Pakistan will now face Proteas in four T20Is before moving to Zimbabwe, where they are scheduled to play two Test matches and three T20Is.

  • Why is the Pakistan cricket team so dramatic?

    Why is the Pakistan cricket team so dramatic?

    Pakistan may have won the match, beating South Africa with three wickets, but one thing is for sure: we don’t believe in an easy win.

    After such a painfully slow start, a crackling century by Babar Azam and all kinds of twists and turns, Pakistan’s win went right down to the very last ball.

    There were many dull parts of the game but it was the Babar century and the four-for from Nortje that lit the game up after Van Der Dussen gave South Africa something to defend with his maiden international century.

    There were clouds hovering in the chase for Pakistan but with a solid partnership between Babar and Imam ul Haq, it gave Pakistani side a better start despite Fakhar Zaman’s early fall of wicket. Sealing the deal for Pakistan, Faheem Ashraf hit a four to the covers and bagged the first win against Proteas in a three-match series.

    Meanwhile, Azam’s century puts him in a league of his own as the cricketer becomes the fastest batsman in the world to score 13 ODI centuries. It took the Pakistan captain only 76 innings to score 13 tons in the 50-over format.

    South Africa fought back through Nortje’s short balls and could have won it as well, had it not been for a no ball and free hit in the penultimate over. Always trust these two teams to make you bite your nails.

    Ramiz Raja, on commentary, saw the funny side to the happenings and reckoned why his team was so much in demand – they were entertainers through and through.

    Imam too saw the funny side. Speaking after the game, the cricketer said: “You know there’s this pandemic bringing everyone down these days and so we thought we’d entertain people a little.”

    Here are some reactions from experts, fans and notable people after a breathtaking win by Pakistan:

    https://twitter.com/Jadoon_hun/status/1378024435509248000?s=19
    https://twitter.com/oyee_khan/status/1378208940572442625?s=19
  • VIDEO: Younis Khan teaches Babar, squad fishing in South Africa

    VIDEO: Younis Khan teaches Babar, squad fishing in South Africa

    The Pakistan Cricket squad was spotted having a great time in a fun-filled fishing activity at the Centurionā€™s Irene Country Club in Pretoria, South Africa.

    Pakistanā€™s batting coach Younis Khan can be seen giving his fishing expertise to skipper Babar Azam and others in a video shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

    A South African native named Jack Jackie initially provided tips on how to catch fish from the pond which is part of the Pakistan teamā€™s bio-secure bubble.

    On the other hand, Babar revealed that he usually enjoys his time with Younis and has also gone fishing two to three times in the past.

    Younis showed his brilliant fishing skills and caught a big catfish that weighs around 2 to 3 kgs. The team went on to celebrate and praises Khan for his expertise. He later released the fish back into the pond.

    Pakistan team reached South Africa on March 26 and had their first practice session yesterday at SuperSport Park in Centurion.

    Earlier, a 35-members squad, including 22 players and 13 officials had departed for South Africa after testing negative for COVID-19.

    InĀ South Africa, Pakistan will play three ODIs from April 2-7, the matches will be counted in the ICC Menā€™s Cricket World Cup Super League. After that, the team will play four T20Is against the Proteas from April 10-16.

  • Babar Azam grabs second spot in latest ODI batting rankings

    Babar Azam grabs second spot in latest ODI batting rankings

    Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam has dethroned Rohit Sharma to grab the second spot in the latest ICC ODI rankings for batsmen. With 837 rating points, Babar has gone past Rohit’s tally of 836 points after the latter failed to play big innings in the first ODI against England.

    Captain of the Indian cricket team Virat Kohli is still at the top with 868 rating points to his name. England’s opener Jonny Bairstow played an innings of 94 in the 1st ODI to clinch his career-best 7th position in the ODI rankings.

    The English captain Eoin Morgan has moved to 24th place whereas all-rounder Ben Stokes has moved up from 75th to 64th in the ICC ODI rankings for bowlers.

    Stokes also went past his fellow all-rounder Chris Woakes to clinch the third spot in the ODI rankings for all-rounders. After a match-winning knock of 98, India’s opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has moved two places to 15th and pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has gained five places to get into the list of top 20.

    The rankings are updated after taking into account the performances in the 1st England-India ODI and the first two matches of the New Zealand-Bangladesh series.

    On the other hand, Azam is on the same spot of three in T20I rankings with 801 rating points followed by Kohli who moved up one spot with 762 rating points.

    On the contrary, thePakistani skipper is at sixth place in the ICC Test Batting Rankings.

  • LHC suspends court order directing FIR against Babar Azam

    The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday suspended a court order, directing the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register a case against Pakistan skipper Babar Azam over a harassment allegation.

    In the petition, Azamā€™s lawyer told the court that the trial court did not listen to his clientā€™s point of view. He added that his client was innocent and appealed to the court for justice.

    The LHC, while suspending the order, directed the FIA to submit its response in the case within two weeks and issued a notice to complainant Hameeza Mukhtar.

    In his petition, Azam’s lawyer also appealed that he was an international cricketer and the captain of the national cricket team in all three formats. It contended that the order passed by the sessions court was an “unreasoned, non-speaking order”.

    The court directed the complainant to present her stance in person or through her lawyer.

    The Pakistan team skipper had challenged an order by a sessions court, directing the FIA to register a case against him under the cybercrime law on the harassment complaint.

    Mukhtar, in her petition, had accused Azam and two women of harassing her and sending her death threats via WhatsApp through different mobile numbers.

    She said she was continuously blackmailed by the suspects, adding that they threatened to upload fake pictures of her on social media if she did not accept their demands.

    The FIA in its report filed with the court said the cricketer did not appear before the investigating officer; however, his elder brother appeared and sought time on behalf of the defendant to record a statement.

    ā€œSince, a regular inquiry has been commenced with respect to the complaint of the petitioner. Thus, the respondent (FIA) is directed to proceed further with respect to registration of FIR against the culprits within the stipulated time after committing legal formalities,ā€ the sessions court had said in the order.

    Earlier, Mukhtar levelled allegations of abortion and deceitful intercourse on the false assurance of marriage against the cricketer.

    She accused Azam of maintaining illicit relations and making false promises of marriage. She also alleged that she got pregnant in 2015 with Azam’s baby but on his wish, got it aborted. Later, they reportedly reconciled.

  • Babar Azam responds to harassment allegations

    Babar Azam responds to harassment allegations

    Babar Azam on Friday responded to the allegations of harassment on him and the case that has been petitioned before a local court in Lahore.

    Speaking to the media via video link, the Captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team said: “This is my personal matter and my lawyer is dealing with it in court. We face many hurdles in life and this is not the first one and I don’t want to discuss it further as I want to focus on the upcoming series of South Africa and Zimbabwe.”

    Earlier on March 18, a local court in Lahore had ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register a case against the skipper for harassing and blackmailing his former class fellow Hameeza Mukhtar.

    During the media interaction, Azam also addressed the rumors of his clashes with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management and the selection committee regarding the selection process of the players.

    “I want to clear all rumours [of a rift] between me and the management. It is better if these things remain in the meeting rooms. Debate is good for the team, some people agree with the debate and some do not. This is a normal thing and should remain in the meeting rooms,” said Azam.

    He further said: “This is not my team, this is our team. So, I do understand the protocols of selection.”

    “The role of captaincy is given to me and I have to utilize the players according to the situation [of the match]. I welcome the new team and InshAllah the results of the tour will be good,” added the captain.

    Earlier, rumors were rife that if there is a rift among Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim, head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and captain over the player-selection criteria but later Wasim had denied reports that there were any differences on the selection matters.

    The national side will face Proteas in three ODIs and four T20Is in South Africa, starting from April 2.

  • Local court directs FIA to book Babar Azam in harassment case

    Local court directs FIA to book Babar Azam in harassment case

    A local court in Lahore on Thursday ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register a case against Pakistan skipper Babar Azam for allegedly harassing and blackmailing his former class fellow Hameeza Mukhtar.

    According to reports, Additional district and sessionā€™s Judge Hamid Hussain also directed the FIA to book two other women in the case.

    The order was issued after it emerged that the mobile phone number, which was being used to harass the complainant, belonged to the 26-year-old cricketer and two women identified as Maryam Ahmed and Salemi Bibi.

    The investigators have been directed to register the case within the stipulated time without any delay.

    In November 2020, Hameeza, who claimed to be Azam’s neighbour and schoolfellow, accused the Pakistan skipper of all cricket formats of blackmailing, adding that the cricketer had ā€œtricked her into loveā€ and ā€œtorturedā€ her when she demanded him to marry her.

    She alleged that Azam engaged in illicit relations with her on the false promises of marriage and that she got pregnant out of wedlock but had to go for abortion on the cricketerā€™s insistence.

    Hamiza further said that she had financially supported Babar when he was struggling with his career, adding that she spent millions of rupees on him.

    Mukhatar also said that she had moved a total of five petitions in the court and would continue her struggle till she got justice.

    In January, she also promised to surrender her mobile for further inquiry into the matter but didn’t appear in the court nor provided any digital evidence.

    VIDEO: Did the woman who accused Babar Azam of harassment really drop charges?

    Later, on January 18, Babar Azam was summoned to court, at which his elder brother Faisal Azam appeared and sought some time for verifying the matter. He is yet to make an appearance in court.

    A copy of the court order

    However, Azam has rejected the allegations.

    In December 2020, Lahore police had declared Mukhtarā€™s accusations against Babar as false after the complainant remained unable to provide any concrete evidence to support her claims.

    Meanwhile, Azamā€™s counsel, Barrister Harris Azmat, while requesting the court to reject the petitionerā€™s plea, had 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 leveling baseless allegations.

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

  • Mohammad Wasim denies rumours of rift with Misbah-ul-Haq, Babar Azam

    Mohammad Wasim denies rumours of rift with Misbah-ul-Haq, Babar Azam

    Chief selector Mohammad Wasim has rejected claims of a rift with head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and captain Babar Azam. Over the past couple of days, different media reports suggested that both coach and the captain were unhappy with the team selection for the upcoming tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe.

    Wasim, while talking to a local media outlet, said that he has heard about the rumours of a rift between the trio but there are no legitimate grounds for these speculations.

    ā€œI have been hearing about the same rumours [of rift] but I donā€™t believe there is any truth in this,ā€ said Wasim. ā€œWe have a standard procedure which was followed during the selection of the teams for the South Africa home series and it was similarly followed this time around as well.”

    ā€œThe selection committee had three meetings with the captain and the coach whereas there were separate meetings of the selectors as well. So I donā€™t really know where are these rumours coming from.ā€

    The Men in Green are scheduled to face South Africa in three ODIs and four T20Is after which they will travel to Zimbabwe.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan batting great Inzamam-ul-Haq is also not happy with how things have panned out after the announcement of the squad for the upcoming tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe by Chief Selector Wasim.

    While speaking on his official YouTube channel, Inzamam revealed that skipper Azam is unhappy after his suggestions were ignored while selecting the team.