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  • Mahira Khan, Yumna Zaidi urge authorities to support women footballers

    Mahira Khan, Yumna Zaidi urge authorities to support women footballers

    With the FIFA ban looming over the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Mahira Khan and Yumna Zaidi have extended their support for Pakistan’s Women football team, requesting the authorities to resolve the women footballers’ issues.

    “Sports are essential to a society to remain healthy [and] provide us with the heroes we so desperately need to look up to and represent our country,” said Yumna, sharing her thoughts on the matter.

    Urging authorities to listen to the girl’s appeals, Yumna further said: “At present, the current Pakistan women’s football team seems to be going through a host of issues and I want to appeal to whoever is listening, please help them we need this.”

    “We need them to shine,” she asserted.

    Sharing a video of Hajra Khan on Instagram stories, Mahira wrote: “Respect the game!!! Respect the players!!”

    In a step that could be seen as players’ and teams’ vote of no confidence against Ashfaq Shah, the players of Karachi United and Highlanders Football Club have announced their decision to withdraw from the ongoing National Women Football Championship after the Ashfaq-led-group refused to hand over Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) offices back to the normalisation committee.

    While Ashfaq group’s act may lead Pakistan to a suspension from FIFA, both clubs say that they do not support the incidents that took place at PFF last weekend and have decided not to play under the Ashfaq-led setup in protest.

    Karachi United FC, which was scheduled to play against WAPDA Thursday morning in the semifinal, posted their decision on the club’s social media page, saying that given the prevailing circumstances and based on the decision of players, Karachi United has decided to withdraw its women’s team from the National Championship.

    The statement added that while the team had played its quarter final “under protest” and for purely football reasons, it had hoped that the matter would be resolved.

    “Since the FIFA deadline has passed and no corrective action has been taken, the team is left with no option but to withdraw from the competition,” the club said.

    “Being a football organisation, we feel that footballers and teams should never have to be put in such situations to make such choices as players and teams just want to play,” they added.

    Karachi United further appealed to the FIFA, AFC, NC and all stakeholders to urgently resolve this issue to avoid Pakistan from being suspended.

    Islamabad-based Highlanders football club said in the statement that following the recent development in PFF, it has decided not to participate in NWFC any further.

    “We do not support any act that brings football into disrepute because we believe that no individual is bigger than the game. However, the integrity of game should be maintained at all levels,” the club said in a statement.

    “We, the Highlanders club, believe that this is in best interest of Pakistan football,” the statement posted on club’s social media accounts said.

    Highlanders Women Football Club was playing its first national women championship and they proved themselves as one of the contenders to win the Trophy. They were scheduled to play against Masha United in the semi final on Thursday.

    “We travelled from Islamabad to Karachi with a dream to do well on football field and to win the national women football championship. We are proud of Highlanders’ performance in the tournament and I believe that we made the statement that we wanted to,” the club said.

    Earlier, six footballers from different teams had announced to boycott the championship ahead of the quarter final matches.

    Later Masha United, which was one of the semi-finalists, “become the third team to withdraw from the ongoing National Women’s Football Championship which lost its official status after PFF NC was ousted. Only WAPDA left now and probably get declared champion”, announced FPDC on Twitter.

    Hajra Khan, Khadija Kazmi, Sarah Ali, Mashal Hussain, Maria Khan and Zahra Shah had issued a issued a joint statement on Tuesday, saying “the integrity of game is being challenged by politicised governance, adding that “we, too, are responsible for upholding the integrity of the game.”

    The Pakistani footballers say FIFA ban would destroy their careers.

    Meanwhile, the Provincial Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab, Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti had addressed the issue, saying: “Pakistan Football Federation’s decision to play a role in the dispute, the parties are being contacted. The suspension of Pakistan’s membership by FIFA will bring the country into disrepute in the international arena. A positive solution to the conflict will come out soon.”

  • ‘SBP, PCB agree to build five-star hotel near Gaddafi Stadium’

    ‘SBP, PCB agree to build five-star hotel near Gaddafi Stadium’

    The Sports Board of Punjab (SBP) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have reportedly agreed to build a five-star hotel at Nishtar Park Sports Complex, near Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The decision was reportedly taken in a meeting presided by Director General Adnan Arshad Aulakh at the National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.

    According to details, PCB’s Senior General Manager Admin Col (retd) Ashfaq Ahmed, Consultant Abdul Ghafoor Bhatti, Director Admin Javed Chohan and other officials were also part of the meeting, which discussed the construction of a hotel, a High-Performance Centre and other issues related to the Lahore Regional Cricket Association (LRCA) ground.

    Addressing the meeting, Aulakh said: “Several world-class sports facilities have been provided in Nishtar Park Sports Complex and many international sports players used to visit here for sports events quite frequently.”

    “In such a situation, a five-star hotel is badly needed here. The security issue of international teams will also be resolved after the construction of a world-class hotel which will also provide a complete residence facility to world sports stars.”

    “In this way, the authorities won’t need to block the traffic and other roads for the security of foreign sports teams,” he added.

    It is pertinent to mention here that sporting events in the city often block all major traffic routes after authorities cordon off roads for security purposes. The construction of a hotel near the stadium will help solve traffic problems in the city.

  • COVID outbreak forces PCB to postpone PSL6

    COVID outbreak forces PCB to postpone PSL6

    The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has postponed the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) due to rising COVID-19 cases among players and officials involved in the tournament.

    As many as seven players and one support staff official have tested positive for the virus which led to question marks over PCB’s bio-secure bubble arrangements and reservations from foreign players. Quetta Gladiators’ Tom Banton and Islamabad United’s Fawad Ahmed and Lewis Gregory were among the players who tested positive.

    Following the increase in cases, international players were also given the option to leave for their home countries with Karachi Kings’ Dan Christian expected to be the first to leave today.

    PCB also issued a press release on social media which reads: “Following a meeting with the team owners and considering the health and wellbeing of all participants is paramount, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to postpone the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 with immediate effect. The decision was made after seven cases were reported in the competition, which had started on February 20.”

    “The PCB, as an immediate step, will focus on the safe and secure passage of all participants, and arrange repeat PCR tests, vaccines and isolation facilities to the six participating sides,” it added.

    PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan and Director – Commercial Babar Hamid will hold a media conference at the National Stadium in Karachi at 3pm today to provide further updates.

    Meanwhile, Hassan Ali, Shadab Khan, Ravi Bopara and Mohammad Hafeez expressed their disappointment over the latest developments.

    While, Faheem Ashraf took to Twitter and wrote: “O Muslims, despair is disbelief. Indeed, in every deed of Allah, there is good.”

    Later, in the press conference, Wasim said: “To make any bio-secure bubble successful, it needs partnership and sacrifice from everyone,” he said. “It is not about the blame game right now. There are a lot of emotions at the moment. Franchises have invested a lot of money and I know that there will be reactions from different sectors.

    “But as I said before, to make any bio-secure bubble, everyone needs to be on the same page, that’s how we managed to conduct a successful domestic season. I understand why they [franchise owners] are saying things like these but it is not about the blame game, its about Pakistan cricket and it’s welfare. It is not the time to fight right now. It is time to accept collective responsibility.”

    Wasim further said that his own proposal was to postpone the event for five days, continue testing but the franchises rejected the idea.

    “My own proposal was to postpone the tournament for five days and see where it goes,” he said. “But the franchises made it clear that the players are anxious and not in the mental state to continue with the tournament.”

    Wasim also reiterated that the SOP’s were shared with the franchises before the competition but no bio-secure bubble can be successful without self-policing.

    “The protocols were shared with the franchises on February 18,” he said. “We are not sure where or how the players contracted coronavirus. You cannot make any bio-secure bubble successful without self-policing.”

  • Rizwan, Fawad promoted to Category A and C

    Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Test Cricketer of the year 2020, Mohammad Rizwan, has been promoted to Category A of PCB’s Central Contract List 2020-21 following stellar performances across all formats in the ongoing season. In the elite category, the 28-year-old has now joined Pakistan captain Babar Azam, former captain Azhar Ali and star fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi.

    Since the current central contracts were announced on May 13, 2020, Rizwan is Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Tests with 529 runs in seven matches at an average of 52.90, while he is overall the third leading run-scorer in T20Is with 325 runs at an average of 65 and strike-rate of just under 139. In the three ODIs against Zimbabwe, he scored 25 runs.

    Behind the wickets, Rizwan has accounted for 16 batsmen in Tests, three in ODIs and eight in T20Is in the season during which Pakistan played international cricket against England, Zimbabwe, New Zealand and South Africa. Their upcoming assignments are in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

    As part of its policy to acknowledge, incentivise and reward high-performing cricketers, the PCB has also elevated Fawad Alam from A+ domestic contract category to Category C of the PCB Central Contract List 2020-21, while it also offered Category C contract to T20I specialist Mohammad Hafeez, which he politely turned down.

    Fawad Alam scored centuries against New Zealand and South Africa and has now aggregated 320 runs in 11 innings of six Tests. His 102 against New Zealand in the Boxing Day Test earned him the PCB Individual Performance of 2020 award.

    PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan while talking about the promotions said: “I want to congratulate Rizwan and Fawad for earning well-deserved and well-earned promotions. This is a reward for their hard work and high-quality performances during the difficult and challenging bio-secure environments that tested their determination, resolve, commitment, mental toughness and physical fitness to the limits.

    “The decision to promote the players was made during a meeting with the Chair of the Selection Committee, Muhammad Wasim, while we were reviewing player performances in the 2020-21 season and discussing the upcoming commitments.

    “It was agreed during the meeting that three players were the most deserving and outstanding performers in the season to date and, as such, they needed to be rewarded now instead of waiting for the time when PCB Central Contract List for 2021-22 will be reviewed and announced.

    “However, Mohammad Hafeez declined the reward and while I am disappointed, I fully respect his decision. He wants to wait for the PCB Central Contract 2021-22 list, which he is fully entitled to. Hafeez has been one of our star performers of the season and we hope he will carry the form and momentum to Africa.

    “I am sure this merit and performance-based decision will once again send out a loud and clear message to all professional cricketers that the PCB will not only recognise, appreciate and acknowledge their performances and achievements, but will also reward them so that they can strive to do better next time.”

    Taking to Twitter, Alam expressed his happiness over the promotion, writing: “Alhamdulillah! Can’t thank Allah enough for always being in my favour and granting me successes. Hard work pays off indeed. Thank you PCB for elevating me to category C of the PCB’s Central Contract list 2020-21.”

    Read more – Fahad Mustafa says ignoring Fawad Alam for a decade was ‘a failure of our system’

    Similarly, Rizwan also expressed his “relief” over the promotion on social media.

    Updated PCB Men’s Central Contract List for 2020-21:

    Category A: Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Babar Azam (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

    Category B: Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Asad Shafiq (Sindh), Haris Sohail (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Shadab Khan (Northern), Shan Masood (Southern Punjab) and Yasir Shah (Balochistan)

    Category C: Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imad Wasim (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab) and Usman Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

    Emerging Players’ Category: Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern) and Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh)

  • Should cricket give Nickelodeonesque broadcast a go?

    Should cricket give Nickelodeonesque broadcast a go?

    Apart from the usual coverage on CBS Sports, NFL collaborated with Nickelodeon for a kid-friendly coverage of the Wild Card round of the playoffs game between the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints on January 10, 2021. Very soon after the broadcast started, umpteen fans of different sports like hockey, baseball and basketball took to social media to point out how the governing bodies of the sports mentioned thereof need a kid-friendly broadcast to attract young generation towards sports. Barring a few exceptions, I didn’t see many people discuss whether or not the International Cricket Council (ICC) should follow suit. So, in what follows, I expound on the idea of Nickelodeonesque broadcast of cricket. First, I will look at whether the NFL’s move was a success or not. Second, I will outline how the Nickelodeon broadcast worked by breaking down how it differed from the usual broadcast. Third, I will deconstruct if this type of broadcast can materialise for cricket in the same way it did for NFL.

    In terms of viewership, the Nickelodeon broadcast of Bears-Saints game was a gargantuan success. Per CBS, as many as 2 million viewers watched the Nickelodeon’s simulcast thus becoming the most-watched program on Nickelodeon in almost a demi-decade. Zoomph, a social media analytics tool, noted that the Nickelodeon stream of the Bears-Saints game generated almost $6 million in social media value. According to them, there were 73,323 tweets related to the topic on the weekend of the broadcast that garnered 402 million impressions and 2.2 million engagements.

    More important, however, was the manner in which this broadcast took the world’s leading sports journalists by storm. American sportswriter Richard Deitsch, in his column for The Athletic, wrote that the Nickelodeon broadcast of Bears-Saints “was enormously different and challenging and chaotic and fun”. Sports Illustrated’s Conor Orr wrote that the broadcast was a revelation for him and stripping the game of all its self-importance and hubris was an absolute delight.

    For those who don’t follow NFL or missed the game, let’s take a look at how the Nickelodeon broadcast was different from the usual one. There were slime cannons sprayed at the player whenever any touchdown was scored, match scores and statistics emblazoned on the field were done in eye-catching colours like bright orange, lime green and purple supplemented with players having googly eyes, hamburger hats and characters like SpongeBob and Patrick Star also popped up on the screen to capture the viewers’ attention. On top of all these, Iain Armitage, who starred as Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon, was at the helm to explain penalties and other rules of the game in an easy-to-understand manner. Kids, for whom the simulcast was designed for, admired the fun-themed broadcast. Keith Smith, writer at Yahoo Sports, RealGM and CelticsBlog, tweeted that when he asked his daughter about what she likes about the Nickelodeon broadcast, she replied: “They’re explaining it. Like, in a way I can understand it as a kid. And these graphics are cool!”. Former American football quarterback Kurt Warner heaped praise on Nick for the playoff’s simulcast.

    “My son loves @Nickelodeon but has never sat and watched a football game with me UNTIL today… I appreciate Nick introducing our kids to the game in a fun & entertaining way!”, he tweeted.

    Much to the delight of those who found the simulcast appealing, Sean McManus, CBS Sports chairman, said that they’ll be looking to do similar broadcasts in the future with other Viacom platforms such as MTV, VH1 and BET.

    It might seem churlish to say so but when it comes to innovation and being at par with other top sports of the world, the game of cricket is an also-ran. As we saw when the idea of reducing Test matches to four days in order to increase the viewership numbers of Test cricket was tossed around, it invited criticism from a large number of traditionalists notorious for clinging to the age-old archaic rules. For a similar reason, ICC has attempted time and again to get cricket inducted into the Olympics to be at par with the other sports and solve its viewership conundrum but all of its attempts have been in vain.

    Although every aspect of this simulcast was amazing but one thing that stood out for me and must be there in cricket is that Young Sheldon part. If you scour through the Marylebone Cricket Club’s (MCC) website, it is tough for a common man to wrap his head around the plethora of rules listed there. Many argue that in the Subcontinent, cricket runs in their blood. However, that is simply watching the game, not completely understanding it. Understanding the game, and I cannot emphasize this enough, is different from simply watching it just like studying a book is different from reading it. To trigger interest in those who do not watch cricket or to ensure that those who watch, their interest does not fade out, ICC needs to inject fun in the game because today’s generation needs fun in everything to escape the worldly chaos and sports is no exception. Also, who (apart from traditionalists) wouldn’t like batsmen or bowlers getting slimed after scoring a hundred or taking a fifer or animated characters popping to explain the situation of the game?

  • 2020 Sports Roundup – Some losses, some gains

    2020 Sports Roundup – Some losses, some gains

    2020 has been a very strange year for sporting events around the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic. Stadiums, courts and all other sporting activities were suspended as people practised social distancing and stayed away from each other. The Olympics, scheduled to be held in Japan were also cancelled along with a plethora of other events and those which did take place happened behind closed doors in biosecure bubbles. Nonetheless, some major sporting events and incidents took place in Pakistan and here is a round-up of those.

    2020 Kabbadi World Cup – February 2020

    The 2020 Kabaddi World Cup was the seventh edition of the Kabaddi World Cup (Circle style), held from February 9 to February 16, 2020, with the Opening Ceremony on February 9, 2020, at the Punjab Stadium, Lahore.

    This was the first time the Kabaddi World Cup was held in Pakistan. All of the previous six circle-style kabaddi world cups have been hosted by India with the most recent event taking place in 2016. The tournament was eight-day long with matches in Lahore, Faisalabad, Kartarpur and Nankana Sahib.

    Other than India, teams from Iran, Canada, Australia, United States, Sierra Leone and Kenya also participated in the event.

    Pakistan emerged victorious from a close contest against India in the final of the Kabaddi World Cup in Lahore’s Punjab Stadium. The hosts won 43-41 to become Kabaddi world champions for the first time.

    2020 Pakistan Super League – February 2020

    The fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League started on February 20, 2020. This was the first time the league was held entirely in Pakistan. A total 34 matches were played in four venues: Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi and Multan.

    Days before the season was to conclude, the league was postponed over coronavirus fears.

    The playoffs and the final later took place in Karachi in November 2020 with Karachi Kings taking home the trophy for the first time. It was also the first time Lahore Qalandars made it to the final.

    Sami Aslam quits Pakistan cricket – December 2020

    On December 3, Pakistani test cricketer Sami Aslam announced that he is quitting Pakistan cricket and joining hands with USA Cricket. According to reports, Aslam struck a deal with USA Cricket that will see him spend two years and 10 months playing league cricket in the States and eventually represent the US.

    The Lahore-born cricketer was disgruntled after not being selected in the 35-member squad for the New Zealand tour despite his string of solid domestic performances in the previous campaigns.

    Mohammad Amir announces retirement – December 2020

    Perhaps the most shocking news from the year. Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir announced his retirement from international cricket on December 17 while he was in Sri Lanka, playing the Lanka Premier League (LPL).

    Speaking to journalist Shoaib Jatt, Amir said that he cannot continue playing for the country under the current management. Amir said that he will continue to play franchise cricket but has made up his mind not to carry on playing for Pakistan, adding that he has been “mentally tortured”.

    Amir had retired from Test cricket last year citing workload issues.

    Aaron Summers to play Pakistan domestic cricket

    Fast bowler Aaron Summers is set to make history by becoming the first Australian to take part in domestic cricket in Pakistan. The 24-year old will play for Southern Punjab in the 2021 One-Day Cup, which is scheduled to begin on January 8 and will run until the end of the month.

    The deal is understood to be in its final stages, with official confirmation from the PCB imminent. While Australia’s borders are currently closed to both departures and arrivals due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Summers has received a travel exemption from the Australian government, clearing the path for him to come to Pakistan.

    Summers reached Pakistan on December 28 and is currently in Lahore and has joined the Southern Punjab squad.

  • Bittersweet career of Pakistan cricket’s tragic hero

    Bittersweet career of Pakistan cricket’s tragic hero

    When Mohammad Amir burst onto the international scene at the tender age of 17, pundits speculated that Pakistan has found its next Wasim Akram. Even Wasim Akram himself, who is inarguably the greatest left-arm pacer ever, has claimed multiple times that Amir reminds himself of his playing days. In my vantage point, such comparisons are often unfair and necessary but it wasn’t a hyperbole by any means to say that anything could stop a bowler possessing such an enormous amount of potential from reaching celestial heights and becoming the next big thing in world cricket.

    However, things didn’t swing Amir’s way and Amir’s career turned out to be an altogether different affair.

    Having quit Test cricket in July last year, Amir announced his retirement from limited-over internationals after representing Pakistan in 147 international matches in a video message whereby he lambasted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for mentally torturing and overburdening him.

    “Every two months, someone says something against me,” said Amir. “Sometimes the bowling coach [Waqar Younis] says Amir ditched us, sometimes I’m told my workload is unsatisfactory. Enough is enough.”

    The 28-year-old left-arm pacer will now only ply his trade in T20 leagues across the globe.

    The literary term “tragic hero” aptly describes Amir’s career which spans over more than a decade and had its fair share of doom and gloom. He was universally revered in the beginning, then disgraced and booed at after his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal, and then loved again for some heroic performances before finally slipping off the selectors’ radar due to a lean patch.

    After making his debut against England in a T20 match at The Oval in June 2009, Amir could only represent the green shirts until August 2010 when he was banned for five years alongside Pakistan’s then-captain Salman Butt and his bowling partner Mohammad Asif after the now-defunct tabloid News of the World found the duo guilty of bowling deliberate no-balls in exchange of money. This ephemeral period of about 14 months, however, were more than enough to leave his mark with some memorable performances.

    In the final of 2009 T20 World Cup, he accounted for the tournament’s leading run-getter with a well-directed short delivery sending Tillakaratne Dilshan back to the pavilion for a duck. Playing his first test in Australia, where even the top visiting bowlers are treated with disdain, he tore through Australia’s batting order with a five-wicket haul at Melbourne.

    In July 2010, Australia took on Pakistan in England and Australian batsmen were again found all at sea against the teenage pace sensation who pocketed 11 scalps at 21 apiece. Even in that ill-fated tour of England, he fared extraordinarily well becoming the youngest bowler to take 50 Test wickets, breaking into the Top 10 of ICC’s ranking of Test bowlers and getting his name on the Lord’s honours board at an age of 18 years and 136 days.

    The sight of a frail teenager regularly bowling at speeds around 150 kilometres per hour and ripping through the batting order of top teams is always worth savoring. Interestingly, Amir’s best was yet to come. Disappointingly, he fell into the trap set by his skipper as a consequence of which the doors upon his career were closed for five years. And in so doing, he let down countless fans not only here in Pakistan but also across the globe who glimpsed a future star in the prodigious teenager.

    Thereafter, Pakistan relied on their spin triumvirate of Shahid Afridi, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez for a long time to do the damage with the ball. Although plenty of promising pacers like Junaid Khan and Aizaz Cheema came through the ranks to fill the void, Pakistan’s quest to find a pacer for a long term wasn’t smooth sailing as some were scarred by injuries while others were not up to the international standard.

    Fast-forward to 2015, when Amir’s ban expired, he was just 23. The PCB looked on to Amir to bail them out of their fast-bowling woes but they were caught in the crossfire whether they should give someone a second chance who tarnished their reputation. Some asserted that he has already served his punishment and should be given the green light to don the green shirts again whilst others vehemently opposed his comeback with some players showing reluctance to play alongside him. By virtue of strong outings in the Quaide Azam Trophy, he seized the opportunity and clawed his way back into the national team convincing the selectors that he hasn’t lost his touch despite a prolonged absence from playing cricket.

    For their T20 series against New Zealand in January 2016, selectors announced Amir’s name in the squad who got the chance to restart his career in the first match of the series. In the third game of the series, he got a taste of what he should have expected to face frequently throughout his remaining career. The stadium announcer played the sound of a cash register taking a dig at Amir while fans waved cash at him chanting “I’ve got a dollar for you”. The Home of Cricket, which Amir had left in disgrace, turned out to be the venue for his comeback Test and fittingly it was he who cleaned up England’s last batsman to seal off a victory for his side.

    In Pakistan cricket, a good performance against arch-rivals India is a shortcut that can guarantee the player to become a star and be endeared by the fans. Amir knew how to strike the right chord in the hearts of Pakistan cricket viewers and he did it with aplomb. In Asia Cup 2016, he scared the living daylights out of Indian batsmen and displayed a beautiful exhibition of fiery seam bowling against them in the T20 World Cup 2016. In the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy, he was at his devastating best when he dismantled India’s robust top-order putting his team in a commanding position to win the tournament.

    In Amir, Pakistan had a bowler who had the potential to assume the mantle of their pace spearhead for the foreseeable future. Alas, his magical splendor eluded him soon and his ascendency morphed into despondency. His pace dropped drastically in the final stages of his career, and sans World Cup 2019, his performance remained below-par. Even the greatest players go through a lean patch but it is how they emerge from it which sets them apart from ordinary sportsmen. He was full in his right to hang up his boots whenever he wants but his condescending tone in the farewell message gives birth to the barefaced question if he has reciprocated the love and investment PCB put in him. It also imparts a lesson that if PCB finds a prodigy in the future, it needs to ensure that he lives up to his potential and doesn’t meet the same fate as Amir.

  • Athletics Federation of Pakistan invites boy who jumped over 11 motorcycles for further training

    Athletics Federation of Pakistan invites boy who jumped over 11 motorcycles for further training

    The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) has invited the aspiring long jumper, whose video went viral on social media, for further training, journalist Faizan Lakhani has shared. The boy, Asif Magsi who hails from Thatta can be seen jumping over 11 motorcycles in the video.

    Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza also shared that the Athletics Federation is in touch with him.

    According to details, AFP President Major General Akram Sahi (retired), who himself was the long jump champion of Pakistan, contacted the 21-year-old and invited him for further training to Lahore.

    Sharing his thoughts on the young talent, General Sahi said: “This is a great moment for me as I was also the champions of Pakistan in the long jump. I am impressed with his talent and he could be a great asset for Pakistan.

    “He has great potential,” he added.

    General Sahi also said that the first question he asked him was if he ever got injured.

    “Thankfully, his answer was no, and I have advised him to stay safe till we meet in Lahore, as I have already invited him.”

    Meanwhile, Asif while speaking to various media outlets said he developed the skill while making Tik Tok videos. He said he wanted to make different videos which have the potential to go viral.

    “I wanted to join the Pakistan Army since childhood. So I started making videos based on national songs, and with each passing day my passion for jumping increased as have my jumps.”

    He said that he aims to set a new world record and make his country proud. The world record for the long jump is currently 8.95 meters while the Asian record is 8.33 meters.

    The video of the boy was originally shared by journalist Mohi Shah and soon went viral on social media. It even caught the attention of multiple Olympic award-winning athlete Carl Lewis, who remarked that “with his lack of fear, he has the perfect mindset”.

    The video also caught the attention of several public personalities including Minister of Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi, former Governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair and Fahad Mustafa who urged the Sports Board to take notice of the boy and train him.

    Other Twitter users also urged the Sports Board of Pakistan to hone this raw talent.

    Later, a video of the young man jumping over a canal also went viral on social media.

  • Govt awards cash prizes to winners of South Asian Games

    Govt awards cash prizes to winners of South Asian Games

    Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Dr Fehmida Mirza recently awarded cash prizes in the form of cheques to members of Pakistan’s Weightlifting and Tennis Team, who won medals at the 13th South Asian Games held in Nepal from December 1 – 10, 2019.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1257955629790003200?s=20
    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1257252535066378241?s=20

    According to a press release, “In line with approved cash award policy, gold medalists were given Rs 1 million each, silver medalists got Rs 500,000 while bronze medalists received cheques of Rs 250,000 each. In total, Rs 6.250 million and Rs 5.500 million were distributed to the weightlifters and tennis players respectively.”

    Speaking on the occasion, Dr Fehmida Mirza appreciated the athletes for their win and lauded parents for encouraging their daughters to take part in sport. The minister said that these winners are the ambassadors of Pakistan who portray the soft image of the country.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1258010085986631680?s=20

    She added the work was being done by the Pakistan Sports Board to resolve players issues and encourage more people to come forward in the field. She added that the Federal Government would continue to support talented players.

    Meanwhile, the athletes thanked the minister and government for appreciating their hard work and boosting their morale. They remarked that this is the first time that players are receiving rewards in the form of cash prize money, something that would help them in their future endeavours. The winners also requested the government to continue their support so that more people come forward in the field of sports.

    Some of the winners even took to social media to thank the government for their support.

    https://twitter.com/SportsBoardPak/status/1258011583453827072?s=20

    Here is a breakdown of the wins:

    Weightlifting

    The Weightlifting Team won 5 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals.

    Weightlifters Talha Talib, Haider Ali, Usman Amjad Rathore, Hanzla Dastgir Butt and Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt won gold medals while Abu Sufyan and Rabbia Razzaq won silver medals. Saima Shahzad won a bronze medal.

    Tennis

    Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, Aqeel Khan, Muzammil Murtaza, Muhammad Abid won silver in men’s team event while Sara Mansoor, Ushna Sohail, Mahin Aftaz Qureshi and Sarah Mehboob Khan won bronze medals in the women’s team event.

    In the mixed doubles event, Aisam and Wushna, and Muhammad Abid and Sara Mansoor won the bronze medals.

    In the men’s double Aisam and Aqeel Khan won a bronze medal as did Muzammil Murtaza and Muhammad Abid.

    Read more – Pakistani javelin thrower creates history, qualifies for 2020 Olympics

    Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, who broke all records at the SAG also received an award. The 22-year-old created history with his throw of 86.29m and qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

  • The Current Life with Shahid Afridi

    The Current Life with Shahid Afridi