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  • ‘No infrastructure’: Hafeez questions PM Khan over no focus on sports

    ‘No infrastructure’: Hafeez questions PM Khan over no focus on sports

    Former captain of Pakistan cricket team Mohammad Hafeez has some reservations with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government over no clear sports policies for athletes in the country.

    Talking to Cricket Pakistan, the former cricketer said that it is a big question mark on “sportsman” Imran Khan that there are no special arrangments for sports in Pakistan by him.

    “Personally, I am disappointed with the current government,” Hafeez said.

    “No infrastructure has been set where sportsperson in our country can excel. This is a huge setback for me. I know our prime minister is a sportsman and if there is no focus on sports in his tenure, then this is a huge question mark,” Hafeez added.

    The 41-year-old cricketer further talked about Khan’s decison to shut down departmental cricket while he also praised the former head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and Test player Azhar Ali for raising the matter.

    “I am proud of them. They took a big step and sincerely raised concern for others. Pakistan is not yet a welfare state and departments were catering to many players, they were fulfilling financial needs. No alternative has been found yet either.”

    Meanwhile, Hafeez urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) not to call back players from franchise leagues as they receive huge contracts and calling them back damage their reputation.

    “Calling back players from leagues put a dent on a player’s portfolio. Recently, Pakistan players were called back from BBL. I want PCB to revisit this process. When players get NOC, he must play completely as his and Pakistan’s reputation is at stake.” Hafeez emphasised as he has been called back from leagues midway on many occasions in the recent past.

    Hafeez also lauded skipper Babar Azam for brilliantly leading the national team.

    The cricketer also cleared the air about his clashes with the board. “There was no rift with anyone but yes, I had some principle stances on which I don’t compromise. I stood tall against the things and raised my voice. People were unhappy with it and they took some decisions which were felt that my relationships were not on good terms with higher authorities.”

    Hafeez recently announced his retirement from cricket and said that he had planned to announce it after the 2020 World Cup but it got delayed due to Covid and then he announced it after playing the T20 World Cup in 2021.

    Hafeez said that he will happily serve Pakistan cricket in the future in any capacity but won’t run after money as a job-seeker in the cricket board.

    He concluded by hailing Shaheen Shah’s growth as a pacer and is looking forward to playing under him for Lahore Qalandars in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), starting from January 27 at the National Stadium Karachi.

  • Moin Khan addresses Mohammad Hasnain’s ‘nice throw, mate’ bowling controversy

    Moin Khan addresses Mohammad Hasnain’s ‘nice throw, mate’ bowling controversy

    Former Captain of Pakistan Cricket Team and the Head Coach of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Quetta Gladiators Moin Khan has addressed Mohammad Hasnain’s bowling action controversy after his action was reported by the on-umpires of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL).

    Hasnain will get his bowling action test done in Lahore today (Wednesday) to see whether his action comes within the permissible 15-degree limit.

    “Sometimes these things are done to bring players under pressure. He [Hasnain] has been playing all over the world for the past five to six years and no such thing was reported,” Moin Khan told Samaa TV.

    “Maybe, he tried to change his action to improve his bowling which resulted in this problem,” he added.

    “Otherwise, I think he is a very fair action bowler and I don’t think it will affect his participation for Quetta Gladiators in PSL this season.”

    The Hyderabad-born pacer’s action came under the radar on January 15 in the match against Sydney Sixers.

    Read More – VIDEO: Wow triple wicket maiden in Mohammad Hasnain’s first over in BBL

    During the first innings, he hurled a shape bumper that Moises Henriques found it hard to face and there was a heated exchange as Moises remarked ‘nice throw, mate’, implying his action to be illegal.

    The result of the bowling action test could take up to 14 days which means Hasnain’s availability for the first few matches of the PSL 7 is not going to be affected. Having said that, if his action comes out to be illegal then he would be suspended from bowling any further in any form of cricket until he fixes his action.

    The seventh edition of the PSL is set to begin from January 27 while the first match will be played between the defending champions Multan Sultans with former winners Karachi Kings.

    Taking to former Pakistan cricketer and bowling coach Waqar Younis said he did not find any issue with Hasnain’s bowling action when he was the coach of national team.

  • Fans can now nominate ‘Hamaray Heroes’ for PSL 7

    Fans can now nominate ‘Hamaray Heroes’ for PSL 7

    Pakistani cricket fans will have an opportunity to nominate their favourite personalities, who will be recognised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) under the “Hamaray Heroes” initiative during the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) seventh edition, starting on January 27.

    Fans can submit their suggestions by completing a nomination form, available on the PSL website, and need to submit it before January 23.

    As per details, the final list will be submitted to a panel comprising of the PCB Board of Governors members. 34 candidates with maximum nominations will be rewarded remotely during the tournament. The tournament’s first 15 matches will be played in the Karachi-leg and 19 matches in the Lahore-leg.

    Fans will have a chance to pick their favourite personalities from different walks of life, such as such as sports, education, healthcare, art, culture, music, social work, social entrepreneurship and technology, with the PCB using its brand and reach to appreciate these individuals for their contributions and enhancing the image of the country.

    PSL fans can shine a light on the heroes by nominating them in one or several categories. They can be people or organisations who directly help others, whose work is improving the wellbeing of others, or whose achievements are inspiring others.

    The campaign was introduced in PSL 2020 and received an overwhelming response as the initiative rewarded prominent Pakistan stars, including Kabaddi player Imran Butt, Founder of ACF Animal Rescue Ayesha Chundrigar, Mountain Climber Nazir Sultan, Professional eSports Player Arslan Ash and Filmmaker Faheem Azvi.

  • PCB to award cash incentives to 15 cricket players

    PCB to award cash incentives to 15 cricket players

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be giving cash incentives to 15 Pakistani cricket players in recognition of their outstanding performance throughout 2021.

    Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja is expected to present the cash prize of Rs1.5 million to each of the top 15 players who remained an integral part of the unit in all three formats of the game.

    Two Test specialists Abid Ali and Sajjid Khan have also been invited apart from 18 players (three reserves) for their exceptional show in the longer version of the game.

    “The reception to honour the top cricketers is meant to recognise the services of all those cricketers who have helped the team stand tall in almost all the formats of the game,” a PCB official said in a statement.

    “Barring some brief hiccups, the team members have given exceptional performance throughout the year. Be it T20 World Cup performance, Test matches performance at home and abroad, the team has shown exceptional courage in all the departments of the game.”

    “Beating South Africa at their own soil and later sweeping through Bangladesh in their own backyard were exceptional achievements that needed to be recognised,” the PCB official said.

    Pakistan won 20 of 29 T20Is during the year which also saw them putting up some resolute show in the T20 World Cup. The team that was unbeaten eventually lost to Australia in the semi-finals but not before winning many hearts for the competitive element that was on display.

    The reception which will only be attended by the PCB high-ups is supposed to improve morale of the team members in front of the hectic season that also incorporates some important series and T20 World Cup to be held in Australia in October/November.

    Pakistan may also host leading international outfits including Australia, England, New Zealand, and West Indies through the coming season.

    Every player in the 15-man squad would receive Rs1.5 million each as cash incentive while the rest of the five including three reserves and two Test specialists will also be awarded.

  • Former cricketer Aqib Javed opposes PSL anthem

    Former cricketer Aqib Javed opposes PSL anthem

    Former Pakistan Test cricketer Aqib Javed has said that every year a new anthem of Pakistan Super League (PSL) is unnecessary.

    “There is no need for an advertising campaign; it is just a plain waste of money. Nobody wants to see singers,” the former head coach said while speaking to Geo News.

    Javed said that money should not be wasted on songs, there is no star bigger than cricketers and fans want to see Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam, not singers.

    “But now, fans come to watch Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and other cricketers in action. There’s no bigger star than the cricketers. People don’t come before the matches to see the singers,” he said.

    He further added that now there is no need for publicity campaign. Fans want to see cricketers in action and the song “Groove Mera” which is popular should be permanent.

    Speaking about his team’s anthems, he said the franchise had released several songs, but none of the songs were as famous as the first one.

    He said that the proposal of PCB chairman Ramiz Raja to hold a four-nation cricket series was good.

  • ‘We are in this together’: Australian cricket chief says if team tours Pak, ‘I will go with them’

    ‘We are in this together’: Australian cricket chief says if team tours Pak, ‘I will go with them’

    Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) Chief Todd Greenberg has told Australian cricketers that he will travel to Pakistan with them if the tour gets final approval but respects the wishes of “one or two” who might want to back out of the trip. If the team gets security clearance to travel, it will be Australia’s first tour to Pakistan since 1998.

    “I’ve made an assurance to the players that they won’t go alone. If they’re going to Pakistan, I’ll be going with them and I think that’s important. It’s an opportunity to show the players that we’re in this together,” Greenberg told Australian publication The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH).

    “The ACA accompanied Cricket Australia on a pre-tour of Pakistan late last year, and the reports were all very positive,” he further added.

    “But we’ll continue to take the advice of DFAT and other government organisations, as we need to be able to satisfy not just the players, but their families, that it’s safe to tour.” International teams have been reluctant to travel to Pakistan since the terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009.

    However, international players have competed in Pakistan Super League (PSL) and the West Indies also travelled to Pakistan in December 2021 for a Twenty20 series.

    Greenberg is aware that despite security assurances, a few cricketers might be unwilling to travel to Pakistan but he won’t force anyone.

    “There may be one or two players who won’t be comfortable despite the best advice we give, and that’s OK, we need to respect that.”

    CA chief executive Nick Hockley is also planning to travel to Pakistan for at least some part of the tour, while the interim chair Richard Freudenstein may visit for a period to meet with his counterpart Ramiz Raja, unless a new permanent chair is chosen by then, according to the report in the SMH.

    New Zealand and England had called off their tours to Pakistan ahead of the T20 World Cup last year, much to the disappointment of cricket fans in Pakistan.

    Chairman PCB Raja had earlier emphasised that cricketing nations need to back each other but said that “western bloc” was not helping the cause. He said he was expecting Australia to do the same what England and New Zealand did to them.

    It must be noted here that Pakistan will be hosting series with England twice in 2022. The Englishmen will visit Pakistan for seven-T20I series in September-October and they will return for a three-Test series starting in November, after the T20 World Cup in Australia.

    Pakistan and New Zealand Cricket Boards are also in constant talks to plan a series between the two nations.

    Meanwhile, the seventh edition of PSL is also set to kick start from January 27. International players from many cricketing nations will participate in the league.

  • Ramiz Raja to propose ICC four nation T20I ‘super series’ including Pakistan, India

    Ramiz Raja to propose ICC four nation T20I ‘super series’ including Pakistan, India

    Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja has said that he will be proposing to Internation theal Cricket Council (ICC) a four nation T20 International series which will include Pakistan with the ‘Big Three’ of cricket — India, Australia and England.

    Taking to Twitter, Ramiz wrote: “Hello fans. Will propose to the ICC a Four Nations T20i Super Series involving Pak Ind Aus Eng to be played every year, to be hosted on rotation basis by these four.”

    Chairman PCB said that this series can be played on a rotational basis by these four nations and profits can be shared on percentage basis.

    He further wrote: “A separate revenue model with profits to be shared on percentage basis with all ICC members, think we have a winner.”

    Pakistan and India faced each other in the group stage of the T20 World Cup in UAE, where the Babar Azam-led emerged victorious by 10 wickets. It was Pakistan’s first win against India in the ICC World Cups.

    Pakistan dominated the group stage and reached the semi-final without any hassle. However, the national side lost to the eventual champions Australia in the semi-final.

  • Most Valuable Cricketer: Mohammad Rizwan shines in PCB Awards

    Most Valuable Cricketer: Mohammad Rizwan shines in PCB Awards

    Pakistan wicket-keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan had an exceptional year with the bat, behind the wicket as well in T20 cricket. The star cricketer bagged two awards in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) annual awards. Rizwan has been given Most Valuable Cricketer Of The Year and T20 Cricketer Of The Year awards.

    There were a total of 10 categories identified with eight player’s categories and two special categories, including Spirit of Cricket and Umpire of the Year.

    Following is the complete list of winners in all categories announced by PCB in a press release issued after the online award ceremony:

    Impactful performance of the Year: Shaheen Shah Afridi

    Emerging Cricketer of the Year: Mohammad Wasim Jnr

    ODI Cricketer of the Year: Babar Azam

    Women’s Cricketer of the Year: Nida Dar

    Test Cricketer of the Year: Hassan Ali

    T20I Cricketer of the Year: Mohammad Rizwan

    Spirit of Cricket: Pakistan cricket team’s visit to the Namibia cricket team’s dressing room following their 45 runs victory to congratulate the Namibia side for qualifying for their maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and then progressing to the Super-12 Stage.

    Umpire of the Year: Asif Yaqoob

    Domestic Cricketer of the Year: Sahibzada Farhan

    Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year: Mohammad Rizwan

    The independent panel that selected the winners included Rashid Latif, Marina Iqbal (former international cricketers), Tariq Saeed (broadcaster), Mazher Arshad (statistician), Majid Bhatti, Mohammad Yaqoob, Mohi Shah, Rizwan Ali, Shahid Hashmi and Sohail Imran (journalists).

    Rizwan won the PCB’s Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award following a stellar 2021 in which he scored 455 Test, 134 ODI and 1,326 T20I runs, besides accounting for 56 batsmen behind the wickets across all formats.

    For the Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year award, Rizwan beat the strong competitors like Babar Azam, Hassan Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also had an impressive and outstanding year, which is reflected through Pakistan’s overall performance in 2021.

    “I feel humbled and honoured to have been adjudged Pakistan’s Most Valuable Cricketer of 2021. This is the PCB’s most prestigious award and to be recognised for my contributions in the team’s superlative performances across all formats in 2021 in such a way gives me tremendous satisfaction and happiness,” Rizwan said.

    “I thought I had an exceptional year in the shortest format of the game when I was able to hit a century early in the year against South Africa and then carry that confidence and momentum for the rest of the year. I give a lot of credit to our bowlers who bowled their hearts out and didn’t let the pressure get onto the batters by maintaining sustained pressure on opponents throughout the year.”

    Speaking on the ocassion, Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja said: “PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “On behalf of the PCB, I want to congratulate each award winner. They deserve all the applause and accolades for their tremendous consistency across all formats in difficult times that inspired their sides to outstanding performances throughout 2021, which have been widely acknowledged by the Pakistan cricket fans.”

  • PCB announces nominations for 2021 Awards, Rizwan gets 3 and Babar 2

    PCB announces nominations for 2021 Awards, Rizwan gets 3 and Babar 2

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the nominees for the annual cricket awards 2021.

    “We are all set to bring to you the PCB Awards 2021,” the board announced on its official Twitter handle on Monday.

    Shedding light on further details, the PCB said that the categories and nominations will be revealed on Tuesday.

    Taking to Twitter, PCB shared Impactful Performance of The Year Nominees. Fawad Alam was nominated for his impressive Test against South Africa, Hassan Ali for his 10-fer against South Africa, Mohammad Rizwan for his 79 not out against India in T20 World Cup and Shaheen Shah Afridi for his 3-31 against India in the same match.

    In emerging cricketers’ category, wicket-keeper-batter Azam Khan, young pacers Arshad Iqbal, Mohammad Wasim Jnr. and Shahnawaz Dahani are nominated.

    In Men’s ODI Cricketer of The Year category, skipper Babar Azam, power hitter Fakhar Zaman, pacers Haris Rauf and Shaheen Shah Afridi are nominated.

    On the other hand Women’s Cricketers of the year nominations include Aliya Riaz, Anum Amin, Fatima Sana and Nida Dar.

    Revealing Test Player of the Year of Award, PCB wrote: “Many thrilling performances in the Test cricket format, here are the stars who made it to the nominations for “Test Cricketer of the Year.” Players included in this category are Test opener Abid Ali, batter Fawad Alam, pacers Shaheen and Hassan.

    In the T20 Player of the Year category, all-rounder Shadab Khan, Haris, Shaheen and Rizwan are included.

    PCB named five cricketers in Domestic Cricketer Of The Year Nominees. Cricketers in this category include Asif Afridi, Mohammad Huraira, Iktikhar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan and Tayyab Tahir.

    The last category for today, “Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year” but certainly not the least. A valuable player not only performs exceptionally well but also inspires others to do more,” wrote PCB.

    Here are the nominees: Babar Azam, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been shortlisted in five categories for the PCB Awards 2021.

    Rizwan has earned nominations for the Impactful Performance of the Year, T20I Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year, Hasan Ali has been shortlisted for the Impactful Performance of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year awards.

    Babar Azam, Fawad Alam and Haris Rauf have been shortlisted in two categories each.

    For the Emerging Cricketer of the Year, Arshad Iqbal, Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Junior and Shahnawaz Dahani have been shortlisted.

    The winners of the Umpire of the Year and Spirit of Cricket awards will be announced directly on Thursday, January 6.

  • ‘Back in momentum’: Abid Ali thanks fans for ‘love’ and ‘support’

    ‘Back in momentum’: Abid Ali thanks fans for ‘love’ and ‘support’

    Pakistan’s Test opener Abid Ali has updated his fans about his health and thanked everyone for their love and support after the star cricketer’s heart procedures.

    Taking to Twitter, Abid said: “Alhumdulillah, get back in the momentum as per the doctor’s instructions.”

    The 34-year-old cricketer thanked his followers, saying: “A big thank you for immense love and support shown by my family, friends and followers.”

    The cricketer further said that he will recover soon and requested them to “keep praying”.

    Abid suffered from Acute Coronary Syndrome. While batting during the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match, the cricketer complained of chest pain after which he was taken to the hospital. There he had angioplasty and stents were inserted. The stent was inserted for the second time last week.

    The doctors had advised him to rest for two months after which he would be re-examined.