Shaniera Akram, who has made quite a mark in Pakistan with her warm nature and social activism, recently took to Instagram to thank her fans for all the love they shower on her.
Sharing a video of herself attending a recent match of the Karachi Kings’ at the National Stadium in Karachi in which some of the spectators were calling her ‘bhabhi‘, Akram wrote, “Love hearing you call my name and love being your bhabhi”.
Shaniera also wrote that she felt blessed to be in Pakistan and thanked the crowd for the love.
“During PSL, it’s the crowd that really makes these games so fun that’s why it’s so sad to hear we can only watch from our TVs and phones but at times like this, it’s better to be safe than sorry,” she wrote. The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced that all remaining matches will take place behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak.
“PSL really rocked this year and will continue too even if we are not watching all together from the ground we will still be together in spirit!! Let the games continue, stay safe, keep clean and healthy, and hope we all still have heaps of fun supporting our teams,” she added.
Even her personalized t-shirt had ‘bhabi‘ written on it.
With 22 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus in Pakistan, the Sindh Government has announced that the remaining matches of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) scheduled to take place in Karachi will take place in empty stadiums and without any crowds.
Advisor to the Chief Minister on Law Murtaza Wahab made the announcement on social media.
#SindhGovt has decided that the remaining matches of PSL in Karachi will take place without any crowd. This decision has been made after consultation with all stakeholders including the Pakistan Cricket Board.
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) March 12, 2020
The National Stadium in Karachi was scheduled to host five matches, on March 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17. Today’s (March 12) clash between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars is also currently taking place in the National Stadium though Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah has said that entry to the stadium will not be banned today.
However, the upcoming matches will be played behind behind closed doors to empty stadiums.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a press release said, “Following advice from the Sindh Government late Thursday afternoon, the Pakistan Cricket Board, has made a decision to stage the upcoming Karachi HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 matches in front of empty National Stadium. The precautionary decision has been made to better protect the health and safety of the spectators, players, officials and media.”
The release further stated, “The decision will not impact accredited commercial partners, media and other service providers, who will be allowed to enter the National Stadium. In addition, immediate families of the competing players and player support personnel, as well as franchise owners, will be allowed to attend matches.”
“In the meantime, the PCB has advised all players to avoid shaking hands and have also urged the fans not to approach the players for autographs, photographs and selfies. In addition to this, the PCB has decided the sides will not be required to shake hands with each other or opposition in the lead up to and during the matches and use a fist bump / verbal greeting instead.”
All unused tickets will be refunded as per the PCB’s ticketing policy through TCS and https://t.co/mygs1ALchM, more details to follow in due course. #HBLPSLV
As far as the matches and the final in Lahore are concerned, the board said, “With regards to the remaining fixtures in Lahore, we are already in contact with the Punjab Government and will take on board its advisory in relation to the Lahore matches.”
Earlier, netizens had urged the PCB to cancel the PSL matches.
In light of the Corona virus pandemic, I think that there is a need to rethink the merit in continuing the PSL matches. Let's not cancel them, but play them behind closed doors for TV or if they insist on having spectators in the stadium, all of them need to be screened b4 entry.
It is also pertinent to mention here that India on Thursday ordered upcoming international cricket matches to be played in empty stadiums in a bid to control the spread of coronavirus.
The chief ministers of two states where India is due to play matches against South Africa this month “have been advised to avoid gathering of people,” RS Jhulaniya said. “Matches may go on without spectator crowd”.
Furthermore, Brijesh Patel, governing council chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the country’s premier domestic cricket tournament due to start later this month, said the organisation would meet on Saturday to discuss “all possibilities” regarding the tournament, including visas issues for overseas players and the possibility of playing matches in empty stadiums.
Sport across the world has been badly affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Sindh Health Department is mulling over a proposal to issue an advisory for the public and requesting a ban on public events in Karachi, including the Pakistan Super League (PSL), after nine new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the port city on Monday, followed by another two in Sindh on Tuesday.
According to Geo, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are in touch with the Sindh government regarding the fate of the PSL matches that are to be held in Karachi over the next two weeks.
“PCB officials are in constant touch with the Sindh government and attending all the meetings regarding PSL matches in the city,” a PCB spokesperson was quoted as saying.
The spokesperson further said that the board would follow the Sindh government’s directives. “However, for now, the matches are still scheduled for Karachi.”
As per the details of the two cases surfacing Tuesday, the first case of the novel coronavirus emerged in Hyderabad. The patient had reportedly come to Pakistan from Doha via Syria. The second case of the virus emerged in Karachi, putting the total tally of cases in the port city at 15.
The total number of infections in Pakistan has now reached 18.
ENGRO SHUTS DOWN KARACHI HARBOUR FRONT OFFICES:
Engro Corporation shut down its offices in the HarbourFront building on Tuesday after an employee was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus.
Engro is a Pakistani multinational conglomerate company with subsidiaries involved in production of fertilizers, foods, chemicals, energy and petrochemicals. Its major subsidiaries, Engro Fertilizers, is one of the largest fertilizer manufacturers in the world.
A statement from the corporation stated that at 1 pm on Tuesday, an employee who worked at the eighth-floor office of the building was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The statement further said that the employee was last in the office for a few hours on Friday, March 6, 2020. The organisation said it had decided to shut its offices for three days “on medical advice from our doctor and in consultation with relevant experts”.
“Only as a precautionary measure, all Engro offices at the HarbourFront building shall remain closed over the next three days, with business to resume on Monday, March 16, 2020,” read the statement.
The organisation told its employees to work from home for the next three days and stated that upon their return, they will be screened for the novel infection.
Meanwhile, Sindh education secretary has dismissed rumours claiming that the provincial government was mulling plans to extend school holidays across the province as the coronavirus pandemic worsens.
Earlier in the day, it had been reported that the provincial health department will send a recommendation to Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah for schools to remain shut for a longer period.
Speaking to a private media outlet, Khalid Shah said the Sindh government was not considering any recommendations seeking an extension in school holidays. “All educational institutions in Sindh will re-open on March 16,” he said.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the health department held on Tuesday morning under the chair of the province’s health minister.
Commentator and former Pakistani cricketing star Ramiz Raja has sought honorary citizenship for Lahore Qalandars’ hard-hitting batsman Ben Dunk, who on Sunday trashed Karachi Kings with his match-winning 99 off 40 balls.
In a YouTube video, Raja heaped praise upon Australia’s Dunk for his blistering innings against the Kings, suggesting that Pakistan team would benefit from Dunk’s talent if he became a Pakistani citizen.
“Pakistan has long been missing a hard-hitter like Dunk,” he said.
“I think the Pakistani government should give him [Dunk] honorary citizenship. We should make him play for Pakistan because my wish is to see a Pakistani batsmen do similar kind of power-hitting. We haven’t seen any Pakistani batsman do this kind of hitting except for Shadab Khan this season.”
The report comes days after it was announced that West Indian star and captain of Peshawar Zalmi, Darren Sammy, will be given the highest civil award — Nishan-e-Pakistan — and honorary citizenship of the country by President Arif Alvi on March 23 for his “invaluable contribution to cricket in Pakistan”.
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had taken to Twitter to announce it.
President of Pakistan Dr @ArifAlvi will confer the highest civilian award and honourary citizenship to Darren Sammy on 23 March for his invaluable contribution to cricket in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/mn9AiLknB0
On February 19, the team’s owner Javed Afridi had said the franchise had put in a request to the president to grant the Zalmi skipper honorary citizenship of Pakistan and requested PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani to pursue it personally so that the application is approved.
Lahore Qalandars’ batsman Ben Dunk has been a hero for his team as he scored 99 off 40 balls that helped Qalandars win at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday. The star player hit 12 sixes during the course of the match. Meanwhile, there has been a lot of speculation on why he chews gum on the field and the player has finally revealed the reason behind this.
Speaking to the media after the match, Dunk said that he chewed gum on the pitch because it helped him focus on the task.
“There is nothing special in the gum, I chew it to remain focused on the task,” he said.
“Chewing gum is perhaps not a very good habit and I should not be doing it. It is being highlighted more in the videos. But I only do it to stay calm and focused on my task in the game,” Dunk added.
On the fact that he missed out on a century for the second time in the tournament, Dunk responded, “But it does not matter, what matters is that the team won.”
“I have to play the role in the batting lineup that is assigned to me by the team management. I always try and play according to the need of the team. The batting number does not matter, I always give my best.”
Dunk also admired the fans in Lahore for cheering for the team, saying that the crowd during the game is the 12th player for the Qalandars. He asked fans to keep backing the team through their wins and losses.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to raise awareness on breast cancer during the Pakistan Super League season 5 (PSL 5) in Lahore and Rawalpindi on March 7.
Pink ambiance will be produced while the bails will also be branded as pink as part of spreading the message by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The match officials, all the players, and commentators will don Pink Ribbons during the match.
Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators are to play at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, while a match between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United is scheduled at Pindi Stadium on Saturday.
The digital screens at the Gaddafi stadium and Pindi stadium will air breast cancer awareness messages.
Former Pakistan cricketer Tanvir Ahmed has said that Lahore Qalandars’ owner Fawad Rana might sell his franchise after another disappointing performance in the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Cricket Pakistan reported.
Islamabad United defeated Lahore Qalandars by 71 runs on Wednesday, which is the biggest victory margin, in terms of runs, in the history of the PSL. The previous biggest winning margin was 67 runs achieved by Quetta Gladiators against Karachi Kings in 2018.
“If things don’t change, Fawad might sell his franchise to someone else. The franchise spends a lot of money every year and conducts nation-wide talent hunt trials but the team disappoints on the field every season,” said Ahmed in a YouTube video.
“What’s the point of trials if the team does not perform?” he asked while also criticising Lahore’s decision to include opener Salman Butt in the lineup in Fakhar Zaman’s place.
“Salman Butt is not a T20 specialist and it made no sense to include him in the playing XI at the expense of Fakhar Zaman,” he said, adding that Qalandars were doing pretty well in powerplay overs even with out-of-form Zaman not performing.
Lahore Qalandars, who are currently at the bottom of the PSL V table with just one win in five games, will next be playing defending champions Quetta Gladiators at 7 pm on Saturday. Their maiden and only win from Tuesday was also against Quetta.
With Lahore Qalandars failing to gain winning momentum after being crushed by 71 runs in the match against twice champions Islamabad United, the latter have poked fun at the former for losing their fourth match out of the total five they have played so far.
“Naraz ho? @lahoreqalandars,” tweeted Islamabad as Lahore struggled to chase a huge target of 199 runs. The Qalandars were all out for 127 in 18.5 overs.
Earlier, only four of Lahore Qalandars’ batsmen could get into double figures — Usman Shinwari (30), Ben Dunk (25), Salman Butt (21) and Mohammad Hafeez (10).
For Islamabad, left-arm paceman Rumman Raees and left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar claimed three wickets each for 29 and 31, respectively, while skipper Shadab Khan took two wickets.
United had plundered a big score of 197 for the loss of only three wickets after being put to bat. Luke Ronchi and Colin Munro provided a fine start with an opening wicket stand of 103 runs.
Colin Munro top-scored with an unbeaten 87 — eight fours and three sixes during his 59-ball innings –, which contributed to Islamabad’s third victory in six matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020.
The fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League is officially underway and with all matches scheduled to be played in Pakistan, excitements levels are high. Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Multan are hosting matches over the next one month and while there are some of us who are excited to witness the action live, there are others who are not looking forward to the roadblocks and traffic diversions. Nonetheless, it is likely that everyone will end up attending at least one match in the stadium.
To make life easier, The Current has compiled a match guide to help make your life easier.
Start ahead
If you want to catch all the action from the start to the end, start ahead. Getting to the stadium and your enclosure will take some time because of the long walk to the stadium and several security checks along the way. If you’re someone who just wants to experience the thrill, especially at the end of the match, then time is not an issue.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes
Considering that there will be a lot of walking involved, wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Comfortable shoes especially are a must.
Carry a light-weight jacket with you
The ground is big and open and it can get chilly towards the end of the match. Best to carry a jacket or a light sweater so that you don’t feel cold.
Don’t carry unnecessary items
Keep your bags and pockets light and don’t carry unnecessary items because you never know what is not allowed to be taken inside the stadium – I lost my power bank at the security checkpoint. Perfumes and liquid items, especially, are not allowed inside the stadium.
Don’t litter or leave your garbage inside the stadiums
Dustbins are available everywhere so properly dispose your garbage and do not leave any wrappers or tissues behind.
Make sure you carry: Your ticket, your original CNIC, and a photocopy of the CNIC of the person whose name is mentioned on the ticket (if somebody else among your family/friends bought the ticket). Mobile phones are allowed but other
Karachi Kings’ coach Dean Jones and Peshawar Zalmi captain Darren Sammy retweeted a video of an upset Lahore Qalandar’s fan crying after his team’s defeat on Sunday against Islamabad United.
Jones took to twitter and asked the kid to support Kings and also offered him tickets to watch the cricket matches.
A video of a kid who supported Lahore Qalandars went viral on social media. The video shows a young boy sobbing over Sunday night’s defeat of Lahore Qalandars by Islamabad United who won the game by a wicket.
The kid was sad over Qalandars’ poor performance and Usman Shinwari, the man who bowled the last over in the game.
Lahore Qalandars lost both matches they played in PSL 5.
