They had backed Azam Khan to keep the stumps and appear in the middle order from number 6. The batter who broke into the scene through his aggressive performances in the Pakistan Super League, could not make an impact whatsoever and was eventually dropped from the last two T20Is, having scored just 22 from the first three matches.

“Nowadays social media comes after you”, Hafeez claims Pakistan didn’t want to deteriorate Azam Khan’s confidence

While speaking to A Sports recently, Mohammad Hafeez stated that Azam Khan was dropped from the final two T20Is for his own good as he was anyways experiencing a lean run of form. Hafeez claimed that if Azam had failed to produce a turnaround in those remaining matches then it would have shattered his self-confidence and also highlighted that fans on social media would have trolled him severely which could have further damaged the youngster’s morale.

Hafeez also said that he was left with no option but to drop Azam even if he wanted to give him some more playing time. But since he couldn’t match the expected standards, it was best that he sat out for the final two matches.

“We’ve given clarity to him that he is not going anywhere. Personally, I wanted to give him more matches, but after 3 matches, we thought that he’s not performing well enough so that his confidence wouldn’t shatter to the extent that he couldn’t make a comeback, because you know nowadays social media comes after you immediately after one or two performances.” – Hafeez said via A Sports.

Such has been Azam Khan’s short international career in which he has been picked based on promise and potential rather than match-winning performances. Since making his T20I debut in 2021 in England, the 25-year-old has played 7 matches after his debut and has only disappointed his father Moin Khan, Pakistani fans, and of course the Pakistan Cricket Board. The power hitter has scored only 1 six from 7 innings and only has 29 runs to his name with a highest of 10. That pretty much sums up his case.

“He will get those 10 to 15 matches before the World Cup”, Hafeez on Azam’s T20 WC chances

Mohammad Hafeez did not make it obvious but he did indicate that Azam Khan could be in line to appear for Pakistan in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. Hafeez revealed that when he told Azam that he is being dropped, the 26-year-old was reassured that he would get his chances in the future and that there was no reason to worry.

The former team director stated that the management had thought of giving him a long rope until the World Cup and that Azam will get his chances when New Zealand arrive for a T20 series tour to Pakistan before they head over to England for another T20I series.

“The plan was that we’ll play him, give him a full run, till the World Cup he’s not going anywhere. The 3-4 matches he got here (New Zealand), New Zealand’s team is coming here in April and then we’re going to England so he will get those 10 to 15 matches before the World Cup.” – Hafeez concluded. 

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Since the ODI World Cup 2023, Shaheen Shah Afridi has experienced a dip in form. The left-arm pacer faced criticism during the Test series in Australia, where Pakistan suffered a 3-0 whitewash. Afridi blamed speed guns for displaying lower speeds in Australia.

I’m Still Fit And Young – Shaheen Afridi

In a recent conversation, Shaheen Afridi emphasized that consistently bowling above 145 kph is not required in T20 cricket, highlighting the importance of timing and bowling variety. Afridi mentioned that he can still achieve speeds of 140 or 145 kph.

“I know I can still bowl 140 or 145, but you have to do everything when the time is right. In T20 cricket, no bowler bowls 140-plus as their average ball. In T20 cricket, you only need to bowl three or four balls at express pace. There are a lot of slower balls, variations, and the like. I have never felt my pace has dipped. I know I can bowl 140 or 145. I’m still fit and young, just 23,” Afridi said, as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Defending champions Lahore Qalandars have started their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024 campaign disastrously, losing their first two matches. The Lahore-based franchise felt the absence of Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan, who is sidelined with a back injury.

The Shaheen Afridi-led side will take on the Multan Sultans in their next match of the tournament at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Wednesday, February 21.

I Don’t Know A Lot Of Things – Shaheen Afridi

Reflecting on his journey as captain, Shaheen Afridi stressed the significance of inclusive leadership and fostering positive relationships within the team. He admitted to learning fundamental leadership aspects since assuming the captaincy role.

“When I wasn’t captain, I didn’t know a lot of things. Some so them are so basic I don’t even want to tell you about them. When you’re a bowler you only focus on yourself and your bowling,” Afridi added.

“When you’re captain, the 11 who play and the five sitting on the bench are all your players. You have to treat them as individuals, talk to them all, and keep a friendly atmosphere. You even have a responsibility to conduct yourself in a particular way with the coaching staff, because you’re all pursuing the same goals.”

Shaheen Afridi assumed leadership of the Lahore Qalandars in the PSL, guiding them to consecutive titles in the league. Following his success in the league, he was appointed as Pakistan’s T20I captain after Babar Azam stepped down from the T20I captaincy.

However, Pakistan suffered a series of defeats in his captaincy debut, losing 4-1 to New Zealand. Shaheen Afridi will lead Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled for June. The Men in Green are placed in the same group alongside India in the marquee event.

Also read: “Rashid Khan was our main bowler…” – Shaheen Afridi opens up on Lahore Qalandars’ poor start in PSL 2024

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Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali had sat together along with a few more panelists on a local Pakistani channel called A Sports. They usually discuss various aspects of cricket, from players’ analysis to putting forward blunt and honest opinions. One of the best things about the show is that they do not spare the country’s cricketing system at all and are known for voicing their opinions.

Currently, they have been discussing the ongoing 9th edition of the Pakistan Super League which went underway from February 17th onwards. Among the topics of discussion were the reigning champions Lahore Qalandars and their youth system which was initiated with the thought of creating a pipeline of young cricketers to represent the national side.

What is the Qalandars Players development program?

Back in 2016, when the first edition of the Pakistan Super League was played, the Lahore-based outfit launched its youth system which they named the Lahore Qalandars Players Development Programme (PDP). The scheme aims at scouting untouched nationwide talents, giving them thorough exposure by organizing camps.

The scouts would then spot several talents and put them in city-based teams with the best performers getting a chance to practice and further nourish their skills at the Qalandars High-Performance Center (QHPC) in Lahore. Until now, the plan has only unearthed a single talent and that is right-arm pacer Haris Rauf who used to play a lot of Tape ball cricket but has now been declined from the central contract list.

“We haven’t seen a product of the PDP”, Mohammad Hafeez criticizes Lahore Qalandars’ plan to promote talent

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez who was recently sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board from the role of senior team’s director, bashed the Qalandars PDP for not doing enough to identify talents that have been as impressive as their first found – Haris Rauf.

Mohammad Hafeez openly claimed that he hadn’t seen a single product from that scheme that has caught the eye. He claimed the plan is a good one as it will help the franchise boost its popularity and give the Pakistani team some new names.

However, Hafeez also feels that the reality on the ground is something else even if they have remained very active in their scouting but the outcomes of it are yet to be determined.

“So far, whatever progress Lahore Qalandars have made within the PDP, there is no doubt that they are very active. But so far, apart from just Haris Rauf, we haven’t seen a product of the PDP that has caught our eye at the international level.” – Hafeez told A Sports.

“And that product of the PDP, which you have found, is performing. When they started to think outside, they started picking the right players. The PDP program is good for cricket promotion, it enhances the franchise’s hype, but it is not performing on the ground.” – Mohammad Hafeez concluded. 

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The former allrounder was appointed as the team director by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in November in the aftermath of the team’s poor show at the ODI World Cup. Pakistan failed to progress ahead of the league stage after managing just 4 wins in 9 games.

Soon after the campaign ended, Babar Azam stepped down as the captain in all three formats while the likes of Grant Bradburn, Arthur, and Morne Morkel were sacked from the backroom staff too. Mohammad Hafeez replaced Arthur as the team director and also served as the interim head coach during the tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Mohammad Hafeez exposes Babar and Arthur:

Mohammad Hafeez’s first assignment as the team director was the tour of Australia where Pakistan played three Tests. The former cricketer revealed that he told the players straightaway to work on their fitness. He further revealed how the fitness trainer was told by Babar and Arthur to stop checking the fitness of the players and let them play freely.

“When we went to Australia, I told the players to take care of their fitness levels. I also asked the trainer about the fitness of the players. He told me a shocking thing that six months ago captain (Babar Azam) and Director of Cricket (Mickey Arthur) told me to stop checking the players on the fitness parameters and let them play the way they want.

“When the fat levels of the players were checked, the skin fold of all of them was high. They were unfit and some of them couldn’t complete a 2 KM trial. The decision taken 6 months back overruled the set criteria for fitness. You will suffer defeats if the fitness is like that,” Mohammad Hafeez said on A Sports.

Mohammad Hafeez reveals a shocking fact, how 6 months ago captain Babar Azam along with coaching panel had told team fitness trainer, fitness isn't the priority at the moment just let the boys play how they want to pic.twitter.com/yaq2iE7vto

— Ghumman (@emclub77) February 20, 2024

Pakistan struggled on both tours and ended up suffering a crushing loss. In Australia, they lost all three Tests before losing the T20I series in New Zealand 1-4. Meanwhile, Hafeez recently announced that he would step down as the team director of the Pakistan team. The PCB is yet to announce his replacement.

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They have lost their first two games of the campaign. In the tournament opener, the Qalandars suffered an eight-wicket loss at the hands of Islamabad United before losing to Quetta Gladiators by five wickets. In both the games, the Qalandars batsmen did well but the bowlers failed to perform well. Against Islamabad, the bowlers failed to defend 195 runs before failing to defend 187 against the Gladiators.

One of the reasons behind the Qalandars’ struggle with the ball is the absence of star spinner Rashid Khan. The Afghanistan spin spearhead is currently sidelined with a back injury and will miss the entire season of the PSL.  Shaheen Afridi has rued the absence of the leg-spinner but is confident that his teammates will step up.

“Rashid was our main bowler, crucial in the middle overs, taking wickets. He cannot be replaced, but we also need to maintain balance in the team. We hope Sikandar’s arrival will be beneficial,” Shaheen Afridi told Cricket Pakistan.

“I think Sikandar is the kind of bowler who can fill Rashid’s absence, and then Salman, who played his first match in the PSL, I believe they will step up and perform well,” he added.

Shaheen Afridi on captaincy:

Shaheen Afridi also shared his experience on the captaincy. He has been leading the Qalandars since 2022. In his maiden season as the captain, he led the team to its first-ever PSL title before helping them defend it in 2023. Last year, he also replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s T20I captain. The left-arm pacer also stated that the ongoing PSL is a good opportunity for the Pakistan players to prepare for this year’s T20 World Cup.

“I am enjoying leading my team. I am trying to take the team along with me. It’s a great opportunity because I am not just the captain of Lahore Qalandars but also of Pakistan, so I am taking the players along as well, and enjoying it,” Shaheen Afridi said.

“We have to see how our 20-25 players perform in the PSL. This is a good opportunity for all of us to prepare for the T20 World Cup,” he added.

The post “Rashid Khan was our main bowler…” – Shaheen Afridi opens up on Lahore Qalandars’ poor start in PSL 2024 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Naseem Shah recently talked about facing Virat Kohli on his T20I debut. He made his T20I debut in August 2022 against India during the Asia Cup. India won the match but Naseem Shah took the wickets of KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav in the match.

Naseem Shah was out of cricketing action after getting injured during the Super 4 match against India in the Asia Cup 2023 and since then he did not play competitive cricket until very recently in the PSL 2024. He missed the ODI World Cup 2023 and the Test series against Australia. He recently returned to cricket playing for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League. Naseem Shah bowled an inswinger to Virat Kohli on his debut which was edged but the catch was dropped or else it would have been a dream wicket for him.

Naseem Shah talked about how Virat Kohli is very humble and simple in real life. Even after being a big superstar, he does not have an attitude. Shah also said that while on the field, Virat is very passionate and focused but off the field, he is very humble, simple, and gentle. Virat Kohli has good relations with Pakistan players such as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Babar Azam.

“Virat Kohli is such a big Star. But he has no attitude or anything. He is a very humble and very simple guy. When he’s playing on the field, he’s so focused and passionate but off the field, he is very gentle, very humble & he’s a very nice human being,” said Naseem Shah on Samaa TV. Naseem Shah is a brilliant bowler and has been a great addition to the Pakistan side.

Naseem Shah praises Virat Kohli ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024

Naseem Shah said – “Virat Kohli is such a big Star. But he has no attitude or anything. He is very humble and very simple guy. When he’s playing on the field, he’s so focus and passionate but off the field he is very gentle, very humble & he’s very nice human being”. (Samaa TV) pic.twitter.com/kSoPGalVWo

— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) February 19, 2024

India and Pakistan will have their next face-off in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 as the two rivals will meet in New York City on June 9. Virat Kohli played one of the greatest innings in T20 history when the last time these two teams faced each other in the T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli scored 82 while chasing 160 in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 encounter against Pakistan at the MCG.

Naseem Shah recalled that he was not able to hear Babar Azam who was standing next to him while fielding in the match because of the noise. Virat Kohli chased the target after India was reduced to 31/4 in the powerplay and needed 130 more to win in just 14 overs. It was a sensational performance by Virat Kohli and was an example of why he is the greatest batter of this generation.

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Hafeez made this claim about Babar Azam agreeing to his instructions and requests while speaking to a local channel A Sport’s show named The Pavilion which also had panelists like the legendary former left-arm pacer Wasim Akram and another former captain Misbah-ul-Haq. The show is regarded as one of the most unbiased and highly opinionated cricket analytic shows in the world and they sat together to discuss about the 9th edition of PSL.

The conversation started after the host asked Misbah about a certain team drafting 7 opening batters in the team, asking about the mindset and strategy behind this weird decision. In response, Mohammad Hafeez who was appointed as the national team director back in November 2023, explained how he managed the Pakistan team which had 6 openers during their 5-match T20I series in New Zealand last month.

It was the first time in over 2 years that the Green Army went for a foreign T20 tour without Babar Azam as the captain. It was also Hafeez’s 2nd assignment with the team after enduring a 3-0 Test series whitewash in Australia under the captaincy of Shan Masood.

Pakistan had lost the New Zealand series by 4-1 with Shaheen Afridi’s tenure as captain getting off to a terrible start. While talking through about the question asked by the host, Hafeez stated he had to gamble between 6 opening batters to choose from in the playing XI, claiming that it’s never an easy job to carry out.

Hafeez also revealed that most of upcoming Pakistani batters are reluctant to bat at number 5 or 6, creating a scarcity of batters in the middle order before revealing that he requested Babar Azam to come down at number 3.

“Pakistan didn’t have any option for the number 5 or 6. We select most of the players on the basis of their scores and how much runs they accumulate because most of the Pakistani players want to play as an opener in white ball cricket or at number 3. And they pressure is on us as to whom should we pick,” Mohammad Hafeez said via A Sports. 

“This time around during the T20Is in New Zealand, we had 6 openers. And the first two openers Babar and Rizwan have been opening for 3 years, then you bring Fakhar Zaman at 3 so how do you manage the other 3 openers? It was a difficult task and took me about 2 months to convince Babar Azam to appear as a 1st down,” Hafeez added.  

“You are a great player, a wonderful..”, Hafeez applauds Babar Azam

Mohammad Hafeez then went on to applaud Babar Azam for his exceptional technique and contribution to the national side.

“You are a great player, a wonderful batter and you’ve been playing very good cricket but we also have to develop the Pakistani team. And for that I want you to come at number 3 because you’re playing this role in ODI cricket for last 6 years. Technically he’s very solid so thank you to him that he accepted my decision and him at 3 is the best way to move forward,” Hafeez concluded. 

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Shahid Afridi took to X(formerly Twitter) to express his best wishes to the players and claimed that it will be important for the national team to send scouting teams in order to find out any new talent from the league as well as monitor those who are already centrally contracted for the upcoming 2024 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies, set to start from June onwards.

The Green Army will be under the captaincy of Shaheen Afridi for the first time in a major ICC tournament, even if his tenure as the T20I captain did not get off to the best of starts in what was his first bilateral assignment in New Zealand where Pakistan lost a 5-match series by 4-1.

It will be interesting to see how Shaheen leads the team and if he is able to lead the team towards their 3rd successive appearance in the knockouts. Pakistan under Babar Azam’s leadership had reached the semi-finals of the 2021 edition before going all the way to the final in the previous edition (2022) in Australia and losing to eventual champions England.

Shahid Afridi who himself knows what it feels like to be a part of an ICC event-winning team, stated that PSL 9 will be key to their T20 World Cup plans and also passed on his wishes.

“To select the best players for the T20 world cup this summer, PSL9 is a key tournament! I wish every player the best of luck, give your best we are counting on you.” – Afridi wrote on his X handle. 

“PSL is my favorite” – Shahid Afridi applauds the league’s bowling quality

Shahid Afridi also revealed that despite playing in various different T20 leagues around the world, including the IPL, Global T20 Canada, Bangladesh Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, and Big Bash League among others, the PSL remains his favorite franchise tournament as he feels that there is high-quality bowling and nail-biting contests on offer.

“Having played leagues across the world, PSL is my favourite for the high quality bowling & intense matches,” Afridi concluded. 

Having played leagues across the @thePSLt20 is my favourite for the high quality bowling & intense matches. To select the best payers for @T20WorldCup this summer, the #HBLPSL9 is a key tournament! I wish every player the best of luck, give your best we are counting on you!

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) February 17, 2024

Meanwhile, season 9 of the Pakistan Super League begins tonight with a clash between last year’s finalists Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium from 7:00 pm onwards. All of the 34 matches including the league and knockout stages will be played in Lahore, the Multan Cricket Stadium, the National Bank Arena in Karachi, and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Karachi will be hosting the most number of matches – 11, including the entire play-off stages while Lahore and Rawalpindi will host 9 matches each and Multan will host the least number of matches  – 5. Pakistan’s biggest cricketing stars will grace the tournament, so don’t miss the action.

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Babar Azam was made the most expensive player ever during the player draft for PSL by the Zalmis for a sum that exceeded 2 crores of Pakistani rupees.

The star batter will be playing his 2nd season with the Peshawar-based outfit. Babar first entered the PSL scene, playing for Islamabad United in 2016 before being drafted by the Karachi-based team ahead of the 2017 edition. He has scored most of his 2935 PSL runs in his 6 seasons with the Karachi-based team from 2017-2022.

The 29-year-old stands as the highest run scorer in Pakistan’s most awaited sporting competition from 79 matches at an average of 43.80, including a century and 28 half-centuries. One of the main reasons why Peshawar Zalmi splashed over 2 crores on Babar Azam was to try and bring the glory days back.

Peshawar Zalmi were the winners of the PSL season back in 2017 and they had finished 3rd in the points table last year and missed out from reaching the finals after losing to eventual winners Lahore Qalandars in the Eliminator 2 match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

This year they have a solid squad having players like Shamar Joseph (partially), Aamer Jamal, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, and Asif Ali among others. And when they already have a leader like Babar Azam, the PSL title could be returning to Peshawar for the 2nd time. 

“There’s nothing that he hasn’t done” – Phil Simmons opines on Babar Azam

Meanwhile, Babar’s former outfit’s head coach, Phil Simmons feels that the PSL’s most expensive entity has been doing everything he can across all formats and that he will be ending up as the country’s greatest ever batsman to ever play the sport.

Simmons stated that it is the least compliment he can offer to Babar Azam whose side will be in action in PSL 9’s second match against the Quetta Gladiators in Lahore.

“He has been one of the top players in the world, in all three formats for a while now. There’s nothing that he hasn’t done in all three formats. He’s boring on being one of the greats of Pakistan cricket or world cricket by the end of his career. So that’s least compliment I can pay hiom, he’s up there and he’s up there for a while now.” – Simmons told Cricket Pakistan. 

Peshawar Zalmi squad for PSL 9: Babar Azam, Asif Ali, Aimal Khan, Salman Irshad, Daniel Mousely, Mohammad Zeeshan, Arshad Iqbal, Shamar Joseph, Luke Wood, Sufyan Muqeem, Mehran Mumtaz, Haseebullah Khan, Waqar Salimkheil, Khurram Shahzad, Arif Yaqoob, Saim Ayub, Aamer Jamal, Rovman Powell, Gus Atkinson, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Haris, Umair Afridi

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The PCB has also suspended Haris Rauf from playing in any foreign T20 league before June 30, 2024. PCB has denied him the no objection certificate (NOC) till that time. The rule comes after Haris Rauf refrained from participating in the Australia vs Pakistan Test series in December last year.

Haris Rauf opted to play in the Big Bash League during that period. He was part of the Melbourne Stars team in the Big Bash League 2023-24. Due to Rauf’s ouster from the Australia tour, Pakistan played inexperienced pacers like Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, and Aamer Jamal in his absence. Pakistan faced a humiliating 3-0 defeat in the Test series.

Also Read: “Was sitting in PM office…” – Shaheen Afridi’s revelation on his appointment as Lahore Qalandars’ skipper

Shaheen Afridi questions PCB’s timing to terminate Haris Rauf’s contract

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has questioned PCB’s timing to terminate Haris Rauf’s contract. The latter is part of the Lahore Qalandars team in PSL 2024, which is led by skipper Shaheen Afridi. While speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Afridi said the timing of the decision was not correct.

“I don’t have much to say about the PCB’s decision. But the timing is such that we have a match in one day and the decision just came through”, the Pakistan T20I skipper said.

Also Read: “When Virat Kohli came to bat…” – Naseem Shah talks about facing India star on T20I debut

Haris Rauf always ready to play for Pakistan: Afridi

Shaheen Afridi, who led Lahore Qalandars to the PSL trophy last season, also noted Haris Rauf is a mentally strong boy and the decision will not affect him. He also said that Rauf is always ready to play for the Pakistan National Cricket Team.

“Haris is a mentally strong boy and this won’t affect him hopefully, and perhaps the PCB will also understand that making the decision at this time was not correct. Haris is doing fine; he’s always ready to play for Pakistan,” the Lahore Qalandars captain further added.

Also Read: Mohammad Hafeez promises to expose Pakistan cricket after parting ways with PCB

Haris Rauf hunted the most wickets for Lahore Qalandars last season

Haris Rauf is a crucial pacer for Lahore Qalandars. Last season, he was the leading wicket-taker for the side. He hunted 17 wickets in 13 games averaging 25. Qalandars also won the trophy last season and Rauf played a major role in their quest for the title.

Meanwhile, PSL 2024 is set to commence on Saturday, February 17. Lahore Qalandars will lock horns with Islamabad United in the PSL 2024 opener. The encounter will take place at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, which is the home ground of Lahore Qalandars. Shadab Khan leads Islamabad United.

The post Shaheen Afridi supports Haris Rauf; targets PCB’s timing to terminate contract before PSL 2024 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

With yet another season of the PSL starting, Shaheen Afridi is all set to lead the Lahore Qalandars. The league is in its ninth season having started in 2015. The Qalandars are the defending champions of the title having won it in 2023.

The season starts with the first match between the Qalandars and Islamabad United on February 18 from 8 pm IST in Lahore. Every team will play 10 league games each. At the end of the league stage, the top four teams will make the knockouts with the top two playing the final on March 18.

Afridi was named captain of the Lahore Qalandars in December 2021 and has already led the franchise to back-to-back title victories. In 2022, he became the youngest skipper to win a T20 league. He also finished as the leading wicket-taker in the 2022 edition with 20 scalps in 13 matches.

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Afridi recalled how he became the Lahore Qalandars skipper and spoke about how the former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had a role to play in the same.

“I have not captained at any age level, really, maybe once at Under-19 level. I never even had an interest in captaincy. But then in 2021, I was sitting in the PM office with Sameen bhai [Lahore Qalandars owner] and Aqib Javed and Imran Khan [then Pakistan Prime Minister] suggested that I be appointed captain” said Shaheen.

“Obviously, you can never say no to Imran bhai. After that I became captain of Lahore. I was vice-captain, but when Imran bhai said I should be captain, that’s when the change happened,” he added.

Also Read: Lahore Qalandars playing 11 vs Islamabad United, PSL 2024 Match 1

Shaheen Afridi Recalls Imran Khan’s Wise Words

Shaheen’s impressive PSL performance meant that he was also chosen as Pakistan’s T20I skipper as the PCB decided to overhaul their leadership across formats after the ODI World Cup. The PCB chose him as the T20I skipper and Shan Masood as the Test skipper. Pakistan lost the T20I series 1-4 under Shaheen’s leadership to start his stint.

He further said how Imran Khan had a chat with him when the Qalandars won their first PSL title. Shaheen Afridi also spoke about a few more wise words from the former Pakitan skipper.

“When we won the title in 2022, I went to meet Imran [Khan] bhai and told him ‘at least we’ve now won one title!’ And I thanked him at the time for showing faith in me. That’s when my captaincy started, until then I had no interest. Imran said most great fast bowlers have been captains because fast bowlers have the authority to set fields and they understand other fast bowlers, concerning what they need and what they’re going through,” he concluded.

Shaheen’s leadership in the PSL should be monitored closely as he is all set to lead the Pakistan national team in the T20 World Cup 204 World Cup later this year in June.

Also Read: Lahore Qalandars vs Islamabad United Match Preview- PSL 2024, Match 1

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Naseem Shah is currently recovering from a shoulder injury that he picked during the Asia Cup 2023 due to which he also missed the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023. The 21-year-old pacer will return during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2024. He will be representing Islamabad United in the PSL this season. The Pakistan Super League is set to commence on February 17, Saturday with the opening game to be played between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United.

Naseem Shah, while talking about his T20I debut on the Islamabad United Podcast said that he has good memories of his debut and talked about how previous experience of Test and ODIs helped him to deal with the pressure in that high-octane clash. He also talked about India versus Pakistan being the most important match regarding the intensity of the crowd.

“I have good memories of my T20I debut against India. India versus Pakistan is the most important match when it comes to the crowds and intensity on the field and that was my debut match. I was naturally a bit nervous since it was my debut. But the good thing for me was that I had played a lot of cricket before, I had played Tests and ODIs, which helped me,” said Naseem.

Naseem Shah reveals his game plan against Virat Kohli on his T20I debut

“When Virat Kohli came into bat, I thought he would go hard. So I bowled an in-swinger hoping that it might catch his pad but he let it go. The next delivery I bowled an out-swinger, and caught the edge but yeah, the catch got dropped. But it was a good experience because when you make your debut against a big team and under so much pressure then you get a margin in other matches,” added Naseem Shah.

Naseem Shah made his national team debut at the age of 16 against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane. It was a Test match and then in August 2022, he made his ODI and T20I debut against Netherlands and India respectively. He has been one of the most lethal bowlers for Pakistan in recent times. His prowess with swinging the ball both ways is something that most of the batters fear.

Naseem Shah has been a brilliant bowler and has taken 51 wickets in Tests, 32 wickets in ODIs, and 15 wickets in T20Is. Shah has the best average in his career in the ODIs where he averages 16.97 while his Test and T20I average stands decent at 33.82 and 34.67 respectively. It will be interesting to see him back in action after so long as he is ready to represent Islamabad United in the PSL this season.

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While writing on ‘X’, Mohammad Hafeez stated that he always represented Pakistan with dignity and pride. Hafeez stated that he accepted the role of the Pakistan Cricket Team director with passion, however, unfortunately, his tenure was cut short from 4 years to 2 months by the new Pakistan Cricket Board management.

Mohammad Hafeez further concluded that he will make all the revelations that have resulted in the poor performance of the team during his period as the director of the team.

Mohammad Hafeez issues first response after being sacked as director of the Pakistan cricket team

I always Prioritise and represented Pakistan with dignity and Pride. I accepted the new role as a Director pcb with great passion to make positive reforms but Unfortunately my designated tenure which was offered by @TheRealPCB for 4 years was cut short for 2 mnths on the account…

— Mohammad Hafeez (@MHafeez22) February 16, 2024

Mohammad Hafeez wrote, “I always Prioritise and represented Pakistan with dignity and Pride. I accepted the new role as a Director pcb with great passion to make positive reforms but Unfortunately my designated tenure which was offered by PCB for 4 years was cut short for 2 mnths on the account of New chairmanship. Best wishes for Pakistan cricket future. As always, I foremost take responsibility and put myself accountable for all my executions in my given time and will accordingly reveal all the cricketing and other amateur non cricketing facts which ensue bad performances. Stay tuned…”

Apart from Mohammad Hafeez’s removal from the Pakistan cricket team director, the PCB has also terminated the contract of Pakistani pacer Haris Rauf. Rauf didn’t participate in the Test series against Australia and preferred playing in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Stars.

Over the past three years, the Pakistan Cricket Board has seen three chairmen. After the resignation of Zaka Ashraf as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Punjab Province caretaker chief minister Mohsin Naqvi was appointed as the new head of the PCB in the first week of February.

Pakistan’s performance in international cricket has only declined due to the instability in the board. The Pakistani team saw defeats in the home Test series at the hands of Australia and England along with elimination from the 2023 ODI World Cup. Pakistan lost the privilege of hosting the Asia Cup at this time, and it was subsequently hosted under a hybrid format.

In addition to losing the three-match Test series to Australia in a humiliating rout, the Pakistani cricket team also suffered a 4-1 defeat in the Twenty20 International series against New Zealand.

The Pakistani team has only been able to win games against low-ranked teams which include Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Also, the pace battery which was known to be the strength of the Pakistani team, the performance has only declined over the period of the last 2 years. The pace bowling has proved to be a weakness of the team and main players such as Shaheen Shah Afridi have also performed averagely with the ball.

Babar Azam also resigned as the captain of the side after Pakistan’s debacle in the ODI World Cup 2023. Soon after their early exit from the tournament, all the Pakistan’s support staff was fired.

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Asif Ali is currently gearing up to take part in the 9th edition of the Pakistan Super League for Peshawar Zalmi who will begin their PSL 9 campaign with a clash against Quetta Gladiators on 18th February, Sunday at the Gaddafi stadium in Lahore. Ali will be aiming to produce good performances in the upcoming season in order to aid his cause to get selected for the national side in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The 32-year-old has been unable to break into the national team since 2022 due to inconsistent performances and of course the rise of players like Saim Ayub, Mohammad Nawaz, and Azam Khan among others. His last senior appearance for the Green Army had come back in April 2022 during an ODI series in Australia.

Since then he has found it very difficult to climb up the pecking order. Asif Ali has mainly featured for the B team but even there his final appearance came back in October 2023 during the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou which was eventually won by a Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Indian team.

But he caught plenty of fire a couple of weeks ago when he exclaimed that he hits 300 sixes daily during practices. He has now come forward and explained that it was nothing but a misinterpretation and that he doesn’t have enough energy or ability to do so.

“I don’t run on petrol to hit 300 sixes daily. I used to practice hitting sixes during the camp in the NCA, but there was a mistake in my statement and also who wrote.” – Asif Ali told Cricket Pakistan. 

Ali was called up to the national side following his splendid performance in the 2018 edition of Pakistan Super League for Islamabad United. But the promise he showed in PSL was not replicated in his outings as a senior player as his strike rate of over 160 was decreased to 133.87 and it has resulted in him getting dropped from the team.

“I have worked on what I lacked, I will try to show them in PSL”, Asif Ali on his plans for season 9

While speaking to the same outlet, Asif Ali went on to highlight that cricket is a very tough game, claiming that it is a game of pressure and should be handled well. He also claimed that he has gained a lot of experience by playing in several franchises around the world and that he cannot wait to show all of it in PSL 9.

“Cricket is the name of pressure, this thing has to be handled well. I have experience of playing with different teams abroad. I have worked on what I lacked, I will try to show them in PSL. I have not lost hope, if I am lucky, I will make a comeback. The first step is to perform well in PSL,” Asif Ali concluded. 

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The ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League 2024 is scheduled from February 17 to March 18. The T20 league will commence with a match between the defending champions, Lahore Qalandars, and Islamabad United at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday.

United Arab Emirates Discussed As An Option For PSL – Report

Pakistani sports journalist Farid Khan revealed that the UAE is being considered as a potential alternative for hosting the PSL if the situation in Pakistan worsens due to nationwide protests. Khan noted that while some PSL team owners prefer the league to remain in Pakistan, discussions are ongoing regarding the contingency plan.

“Exclusive: United Arab Emirates discussed as an option for Pakistan Super League in case situation in Pakistan gets worse due to nationwide protests because of alleged rigging in elections. Most of the PSL owners want PSL to stay in Pakistan,” Farid Khan wrote.

Exclusive: United Arab Emirates discussed as an option for Pakistan Super League in case situation in Pakistan gets worse due to nationwide protests because of alleged rigging in elections. Most of the PSL owners want PSL to stay in Pakistan #HBLPSL9 #ElectionResults2024

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 15, 2024

Pakistan Super League franchises reportedly expressed disappointment as players prioritized leagues like South Africa’s SA20, the UAE’s ILT20, and the IPL. International players withdraw from the league at the last minute, causing teams to alter their plans.

Several notable players, including Rashid Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lungi Ngidi, and Reece Topley, will be absent from the upcoming Pakistan Super League. Their absence marks a significant loss for the tournament, impacting team compositions and dynamics.

Karachi To Host All Four Playoff Matches Of Tournament

Six teams, including Islamabad United, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators, will compete for the trophy this season. Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars have emerged victorious twice each, while the other four teams have clinched the title once in the league’s history.

The National Stadium in Karachi, the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, and the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan will serve as the host venues for the tournament. A total of 34 matches will be played as part of the PSL event.

Karachi is set to host a total of 11 matches in the T20 tournament. Meanwhile, both the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi will each host nine matches. Additionally, Multan will see action with five matches scheduled in the league.

During the league stage, each franchise will play the other five teams twice in a double round-robin format. The playoff round of the upcoming tournament, consisting of a Qualifier, two Eliminators, and the Final, will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi.

Babar Azam is the leading run-scorer of the tournament, scoring 2935 runs in 79 matches at an impressive average of 43.80 and a decent strike rate of 124.84. Wahab Riaz leads the bowling charts with 113 wickets from 88 matches, maintaining an average of 22.68.

Also read: PSL 2024 schedule to be changed? Disturbing news arrives from Pakistan amid PSL trophy unveiling

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The PCB and the players have been at loggerheads over the NOC issue for quite some time now. While the players want to play in as many overseas leagues as possible, the PCB wants to put a cap on the number of leagues the players can play in.

According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, the players expressed their displeasure over the issue when the Pakistan team was in New Zealand for the five-match T20I series. The Men in Green ended up losing the series 4-1 with several reports suggesting that the players were distracted due to the NOC issue and it affected their performance.

Pakistan players explore alternatives:

With the PCB not willing to give the required NOC to play in franchise leagues, the Pakistan players are exploring other options. As per the report, the players confronted the PCB about the issue during the New Zealand tour. At that time, the PCB officials told them that the board was just following team director Mohammad Hafeez’s advice.

When the players approached Hafeez, he pinned the responsibility on the board. Miffed with the situation, the players have already initiated discussions about early retirement or contemplating a shift towards freelancing. The players could reject central contracts in the future in order to play in overseas leagues.

In recent times, several players have taken big calls regarding their international careers in order to play in T20 leagues. In 2022, New Zealand trio Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, and James Neesham turned down central contracts to play in T20 leagues.

The news outlet further stated that there is widespread discontent among players regarding the suspension of Haris Rauf’s central contract. Earlier this week, the PCB terminated Rauf’s central contract for making himself available during the Test tour of Australia. The players could also approach the new PCB Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, to address their concerns.

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On February 15, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) terminated Haris Rauf’s central contract for opting out of the three-match Test series against Australia. The board also mentioned that the pacer will not be granted an NOC to play in overseas leagues until June 2024.

The 30-year-old initially committed to being part of the series but withdrew at the last minute, leaving Pakistan with an inexperienced bowling attack in away conditions. The Shan Masood-led team suffered a 0-3 series defeat in the red ball series against Australia.

Also Read: “Ravindra Jadeja played more traditionally than Rohit Sharma and Sarfaraz Khan..”- Michael Vaughan

Haris Raufs Response Was Found Unsatisfactory – PCB

“The PCB management provided a chance for a personal hearing to Haris in compliance with the principles of natural justice on 30 January, 2024, and his response was found unsatisfactory,” the PCB said.

“Playing for Pakistan is the ultimate honour and privilege for any sportsperson. Refusal to be part of Pakistan’s Test squad in the absence of any medical report or justifiable reason is a material violation of the central contract,” the release further added.

The pace bowler opted to play for the Melbourne Stars in the 13th edition of the Big Bash League (BBL). Rauf’s decision prompted criticism from chief selector Wahab Riaz and the PCB. Riaz stated that the move to withdraw would adversely affect Pakistan cricket.

Also Read: Watch: Ravi Shastri’s huge blunder as he calls Sarfaraz Khan’s wife his mother

Iceland Cricket Brutally Trolls Haris Rauf

Also read: Watch: Haris Rauf’s Embarrassing Entry Without Pads, Helmet, Or Gloves During Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Thunder Match In BBL 2023-24

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As a punishment for that, Haris Rauf will not be provided NOC to participate in any overseas league until June 30, 2024. As per the reports in ESPNCricinfo, it is learned that PCB has told the pacer that they want to be available for all international commitments in the near future.

Haris Rauf at the last minute pulled out of the Test series against Australia. Chief selector Wahab Riaz while announcing the squad said that the fast bowler had earlier told the board that he would play. But the pacer reportedly didn’t agree with what the chief selector said.

Haris Rauf stated in the argument that he never confirmed his availability as he wanted to take care of his body and prioritize white-ball cricket. PCB then released the statement on the contract termination of the pacer and mentioned that they considered the views of all the stakeholders.

Not being allowed to play overseas won’t affect Haris Rauf much. The fast bowler currently is part of the Pakistan Super League. After that, there aren’t any overseas leagues. Straight after the PSL, IPL 2024 will begin and Pakistan players in any case are not allowed to take part in the league.

Following the Indian league, The T20 Blast in England will start but Haris Rauf that time will be with Pakistan in the UK. The Men in Green will be locking horns with England in the white-ball series. Then it will be time for the T20 World Cup 2024 and by the conclusion of that, the fast bowler’s punishment will end.

Material violation of the central contract – PCB’s statement on Haris Rauf

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) while releasing an official statement on Haris Rauf’s contract termination said that they allowed the fast bowler to say his part but his response was unsatisfactory.

PCB further stated that Haris Rauf refusing to play in Tests against Australia was a violation of the central contract. Releasing the official statement, he explained:

“The PCB management provided a chance for a personal hearing to Haris in compliance with the principles of natural justice on 30 January, 2024, and his response was found unsatisfactory.

“Playing for Pakistan is the ultimate honour and privilege for any sportsperson. Refusal to be part of Pakistan’s Test squad in the absence of any medical report or justifiable reason is a material violation of the central contract.”

Haris Rauf’s absence was quite evident in the Australia Test series. Pakistan suffered a disappointing 3-0 whitewash in the series. Their bowlers weren’t up to the mark and had Haris been there, his pace on those surfaces could’ve been handy.

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PCB decided on Haris Rauf following a probe into his refusal to join Pakistan’s Test squad for the tour of Australia 2023-24. The board went through a hearing process conducted by a board committee. Haris’ central contract has been terminated from December 1, 2023, and no NOC (No objection certificate) to play any foreign league will be granted up to June 30, 2024.

The board did give the Pakistan pacer a chance to keep his side of the story with the principles of natural justice on 30 January 2024 and his response was found unsatisfactory. His behavior as an international cricketer was also found unsatisfactory at this point and his denial to represent the national team in the longest format was seen as his prime mistake.

Haris Rauf denied playing Test cricket in the series against Australia and opted to play in the BBL. This decision was not welcomed by the newly appointed chief selector Wahab Riaz, who replaced former Pakistan skipper Inzaman-ul-Haq in that position. He said that the team was looking forward to his use of his pace in the fast Australian pitches.

Also Read: Rizwan Javed slapped with 17 ½ years ban for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

“We spoke to the captain and coach, and they wanted to utilize Haris Rauf as an impact player in Test cricket. We weren’t demanding more than 10-12 overs a day from him, which he has done in ODIs,” Riaz was quoted as saying in a press conference.

PCB Disappointed With Haris Rauf’s Decision To Not Play Test Cricket

Pakistan picked Shaheen Shah Afridi, Khurram Shehzad, Mir Hamza, and Mohammad Wasim Jr as their pace-bowling options. Riaz said that being a centrally contracted player, Rauf should have represented the national team when some of their genuine fast bowlers were injured.

“Our frontline Test bowling options that bowl 140+ and can create an impact are unfit, all 3 of them. As a player when you’re centrally contracted, I think you need to sacrifice in such a situation and look to play for Pakistan rather than moving back,” he added.

Haris risked himself of being downgraded in the central contract after he made himself unavailable for the Australia Test series. A reliable source said that some senior officials in the Pakistan Cricket Board were unhappy at the attitude of Haris and also over the statements made by his Lahore Qalandars coach Aqib Javed, who defended the express pace bowler.

The source further said that the very fact that Haris didn’t come out with a denial directly had convinced the senior board officials he was playing games with the board and selectors. He initially showed his interest to play in the series but then pulled out before the series started.

Harid last played for Pakistan against England in the ICC World Cup in November 2023. Haris’s case is a prime example of the PCB giving prime importance to the players and asking them to make themselves available to play for the national team, especially the Test team. Refusal to play Test cricket for Pakistan, especially without a valid reason could lead to players losing their central contracts in the future as well.

Also Read: SRH and CSK eye investments in UK cricket; engage with England Cricket for The Hundred

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Mickey Arthur was removed from his position after Pakistan’s exit from the ODI World Cup 2023. Hafeez succeeded him as the Director of Cricket for the national team. Additionally, the former all-rounder briefly served as the head coach of the Pakistan cricket team.

Mohammad Hafeez-led Pakistan Suffered Losses In Australia, New Zealand

Mohammad Hafeez assumed the roles of team director and head coach ahead of Pakistan’s red ball series against Australia. Shan Masood captained the team following Babar Azam’s resignation. Unfortunately, Pakistan suffered a 0-3 series defeat in Australia.

Under Shaheen Afridi’s captaincy, Pakistan endured a disappointing 1-4 defeat in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Hafeez came under criticism for breaking Pakistan’s successful T20 opening combination of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

PCB Extends Heartfelt Gratitude To Mohammad Hafeez

On Thursday, the PCB issued an official statement expressing gratitude to Mohammad Hafeez for his significant contributions as Director of the Pakistan men’s cricket team. The statement highlighted Hafeez’s positive impact on players and the team.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board extends heartfelt gratitude to Mohammad Hafeez, Director Pakistan men’s cricket team, for his invaluable contributions,” the statement read.

Players were not happy with Hafeez during the New Zealand tour, particularly due to lengthy meetings and his strict management style. Additionally, Hafeez was hesitant to grant NOCs to contracted cricketers for franchise cricket, prioritizing national duties.

The PCB Wishes Mohammad Hafeez Good Luck

The PCB acknowledged his inspirational influence and mentorship during the tours of Australia and New Zealand. The board wished him success in his future endeavors.

“Hafeez’s passion for the game has inspired players and his mentorship during the tour of Australia and New Zealand have been of immense importance. The PCB wishes Hafeez good luck and success in his future endeavours,” the statement added.

Mohammad Hafeez, considered one of Pakistan’s finest cricketers, amassed nearly 13,000 runs and claimed over 250 wickets in 392 matches across formats. The former skipper represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, 218 ODIs, and 119 T20Is in his international career.

Pakistan Set To Next Bilateral Series Against England In May

Pakistan’s focus will soon shift to the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is set to commence on Saturday, February 17 at Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore. The tournament will kick off with defending champions Lahore Qalandars facing Islamabad United in the opening match.

Pakistan is slated to play its next bilateral series assignment against England in May. Following this, Pakistan will participate in the T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies. They are placed in Group A alongside India, the United States, Canada, and Ireland.

Also read: Mohammad Hafeez hits out Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi to retain his job as Pakistan Team Director

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The right-handed batsman has faced severe criticism in recent times for his failure to do well with the bat, especially in big games. It all began in the Asia Cup last year. He started the tournament with a brilliant 151-run knock against Nepal but could not extend his form as Pakistan crashed out at the Super Four stage despite being one of the favorites.

The poor show as a captain and batsman continued in the World Cup as well. He managed 320 runs in 9 games at an average of 40 and a strike-rate of just over 80. Babar Azam failed to do well in crunch situations during the tournament and was heavily criticized. After Pakistan failed to make it to the semifinals, he resigned as the captain in all three formats.

Babar Azam castled by young spinner:

It was expected that Babar Azam would be back to his best after being relieved of the captaincy duties. However, he struggled with the bat in Australia as well where Pakistan played three Tests. In six innings, he managed to score only 126 runs at an average of 21. He did score three fifties in a row in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand but Pakistan ended up losing all the games.

The star batsman would be desperate to do well in PSL 2024 and regain his top form ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup. He is currently training for the competition. And while only time will tell how he performs in PSL, one can say that he might be struggling with his confidence as he was undone by a young spinner in the nets. The ball kept a bit low and Babar Azam was completely beaten.

Watch:

Babar Azam bowled by a young spinner during Peshawar Zalmi practice session

What a moment for the youngster #HBLPSL9 pic.twitter.com/X81tCvQEaL

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 15, 2024

Meanwhile, Babar Azam will be leading Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 2024. The Peshawar-based outfit will open its campaign in the competition against Quetta Gladiators on Sunday.

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India last toured Pakistan in 2006 which was a multi-format tour and that was the last when the two nations played each other in a Test match. After the 2012-12 bilateral series, the two neighbouring countries have met only in ICC and ACC tournaments.

The last time the two nations locked horns against each other was during the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2023 where the Babar Azam-led Pakistan side toured India but had a disappointing tournament.

Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals of the ODI World Cup for the third time in a row and they even lost a game against Afghanistan. They lost four consecutive games in a World Cup edition for the first time.

Jay Shah is the current BCCI secretary and he has revealed the details about India visiting Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan are the defending champions of the ICC Champions Trophy as they won the last edition in England in 2017 where they defeated India in the finals of the competition which was their last victory against India in ODIs.

“How can I decide that? ICC will decide. Whatever the government decides, things will happen accordingly,” Shah told the reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony to name Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot after former board secretary Niranjan Shah.

The third Test of the five-match series between India and England is being played in Rajkot and India is batting first on a batting-friendly pitch. Jay Shah has said that the government and ICC will decide whether India will visit Pakistan, or they will miss the competition or the competition will be held in a hybrid model.

Jay Shah also reveals the captain of team India in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Jay Shah also talked about the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup which will be held in June and will be hosted jointly by the West Indies and the United States. He talked about the Indian team and who will be leading the Men in Blues in the T20 World Cup.

There were speculations between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya regarding leading the Indian team in the T20 World Cup but the BCCI secretary has given clarity regarding who will be leading the side.

“Rohit was captaining (in the past in other formats) and he came back for the Afghanistan series, which means we were going to let him continue forward. Hardik Pandya will be India’s vice-captain in the T20 World Cup 2024. We all saw how Hardik got injured in ODI World Cup 2023, so we were thinking about who to hand over the captaincy role to,” said Jay Shah.

Rohit Sharma is currently leading the side in the five-match Test series between India and England where the third Test is being played in Rajkot.

The series is currently levelled at 1-1 with India losing the series opener in Hyderabad but then making a terrific comeback in the second Test in Vizag to level the series.

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On the fourth ball of the second innings, Durdanto Dhaka batsman Mohammad Naim had already slammed Fortune Barishal bowler Keshav Maharaj for 10 runs from three balls, however, while trying to attack Maharaj, Naim went on the back foot and pulled a short ball towards the mid-wicket region. Naim was not able to clear the boundary and he was caught by Ahmed Shehzad while diving on the boundary.

Watch – Ahmed Shehzad showcases his fielding brilliance during BPL 2024

Ahmed Shehzad with a superb catch to give Keshav Maharaj his first BPL wicket.
.
.#BPL2024 #BPLonFanCode pic.twitter.com/xcV0G4H9rR

— FanCode (@FanCode) February 14, 2024

Ahmed Shahzad's catch against Lahiru Thirimanne was indeed iconic! It's always exciting to see such moments in cricket.

— Abbasrajpoot (@abbasrajpoot990) February 14, 2024

This Ahmed Shahzad catch reminds us of that iconic catch of him against Lahiru Thirimanne. pic.twitter.com/maFqhyvNfo

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 14, 2024

This Ahmed Shahzad catch reminds us of that iconic catch of him against Lahiru Thirimanne. pic.twitter.com/03U6j2GZcP

— definitely (@HUSNAINMANJ_01) February 14, 2024

Ahmed Shehzad was hurt while taking the catch and it was reviewed by the third umpire whether it was a fair dismissal or not. In the replay, it was found that it was a fair catch and Mohammad Naim had to walk back to the dressing room.

While Ahmed Shehzad took a brilliant catch it reminded the fans of the false catch that he took of Sri Lankan batsman Lahiru Thirimanne in 2015. In the replay, it was found that while Shehzad dived to take the catch, the ball had touched the ground. However, Shehzad took the ball in his hands and appealed for the catch despite clearly not completing it. At last, the third umpire gave the batsman not out as the ball had touched the ground.

Returning to the Bangladesh Premier League match between Fortnue Barishal and Durdanto Dhaka, Barishal put up a score of 186/6, captain Tamim Iqbal top scored with 71 runs from 45 balls whereas, other batsmen such as Ahmed Shehzad, Soumya Sarkar, and Mahmudullah scored 10 to 30 odd runs respectively.

Alauddin Babu picked up 3 wickets with the ball whereas Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam picked up 2 and 1 wicket respectively for Durdanto Dhaka.

Chasing down the target, Durdanto Dhaka were not off to a decent start as they lost early wickets and never got going throughout the chase. No other batsman apart from Alex Ross was able to stay at the crease for long and were dismissed cheaply. Ross played an unbeaten innings of 89 runs and smashed 5 fours and 7 sixes throughout his innings. In the end, Dhaka finished their innings at 159/8 and lost the match by 27 runs.

Mohammad Saifuddin and Khaled Ahmed picked up 3 wickets each with the ball whereas Keshav Maharaj and Obed McCoy picked up 1 wicket each.

This was the 9th loss for the Durdanto Dhaka in the Bangladesh Premier League 2024 whereas Fortune Barishal have moved to the 3rd spot with their fifth win of the match. Barishal will want to continue their winning momentum and also win the tournament this year.

Durdanto Dhaka on the other hand, will be aiming to break their streak of losses in the tournament and also make a comeback in the competition.

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Shadab Khan is the captain of Islamabad United whereas Babar Azam will be leading the Peshawar Zalmi this season and both of them share a friendly bond as Shadab was Babar’s deputy when Babar was leading the Pakistan side.

Babar Azam arrived at the ceremony after the trophy was unveiled and Shadab hugged him and greeted him. Then, to have some fun with Babar, he wiped his hands on the back of Babar’s Peshawar Zalmi jersey.

Shadab Khan has been out of the national team since his poor performance in the ODI World Cup and he is currently focusing on first-class cricket to make a comeback in Pakistan’s Test side.

The trophy unveiling ceremony had all six captains posing together with the PSL trophy for a photograph. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars), Shadab Khan (Islamabad United), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators), Shan Masood (Karachi Kings), Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) and Babar Azam (Peshawar Zalmi).

All the six captains were there for the photograph but Babar Azam arrived a bit late for the ceremony and the unveiling was already done when he arrived on the ground wearing his jersey.

Shadab Khan immediately greeted Babar Azam and hugged him upon his arrival, he then had a bit of fun with the Pakistani batter and wiped off his hands on the back of Babar Azam’s jersey. He is known for his funny pranks on his teammates and always tries to have fun with everyone.

Shadab was the deputy of Babar Azam in the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup in 2023. He has been one of the most reliable spin-bowling all-rounder for Pakistan but his poor performance in Asia Cup and World Cup led the team management to drop him.

Watch- Shadab Khan Wiping His Hands On Babar Azam’s Jersey

Shadab Khan cleaning his hands, using Babar Azam’s Zalmi shirt #HBLPSL2024 #HBLPSL9pic.twitter.com/9ilQw3lxHr

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 13, 2024

Babar Azam had a terrible 2023 even after becoming the No.1 ODI batter, he had a terrible time as a captain. Pakistan crashed out of the Asia Cup 2023 being at the bottom of the Super 4 table.

The Pakistan national cricket team then crashed out early in the ODI World Cup 2023 where they suffered four consecutive losses which was the first time in the World Cup history for Pakistan. They even lost a match against Afghanistan.

Babar Azam was forced to resign from his captaincy role in all three formats and the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Shaheen Shah Afridi as the new white-ball skipper and Shan Masood as the new red-ball skipper.

However, the new captains did not have an auspicious outing with the national side as Shan Masood-led Pakistan was whitewashed by Australia in the three-match Test series whereas Shaheen Afridi’s Pakistan side lost the five-match T20I series against New Zealand by 1-4.

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Babar Azam joined Peshawar Zalmi from Karachi Kings last year and led the team to the second qualifier in the PSL last year. The Pakistan Super League is scheduled to commence on February 17, Saturday and Peshawar Zalmi will open their campaign on Sunday against Quetta Gladiators.

During the trophy unveiling ceremony of the ninth season of the HBL Pakistan Super League, all the franchise captains were invited to click a picture together with the trophy.

There was Shaheen Shah Afridi who will be leading defending champions Lahore Qalandars, Sarfaraz Ahmed who will lead Quetta Gladiators, Shan Masood who will be the captain of Karachi Kings, Shadab Khan who will be leading Islamabad United, Mohammad Rizwan who is the captain of Multan Sultans and Babar Azam who will lead the Peshawar Zalmi this year.

While five captains were present and ready to click the picture in time, Babar Azam arrived a bit late for the unveiling. By the time he reached the ground, the trophy was already unveiled but everyone waited for him to click the picture of all the captains in one frame with the trophy.

Babar Azam is one of the most decorated cricketers in Pakistan with a great fan following amongst his countrymen and fans all over the world. He is one of the greatest Pakistani batters and has made a name for himself by achieving numerous records.

Babar Azam was seen coming to the ground late for the trophy unveiling ceremony and then he reached and hugged his Pakistan teammate Shadab Khan who was already present there alongside other captains. Shadab Khan was the first to greet Babar Azam and hugged him after he arrived on the ground for the group photo with the trophy.

Watch- Babar Azam Arriving Late For The Trophy Unveiling Ceremony

Update: Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam got late and reached after the PSL trophy unveiling was already done

But why did they wait for a few minutes for him? #HBLPSL9 pic.twitter.com/wuXpqVAtE3

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 13, 2024

Babar Azam did not have an auspicious 2023 as the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Under his leadership, Pakistan finished last in the Super 4 tables of the Asia Cup 2023 and then had an early exit in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 where they suffered four consecutive losses for the first time in the history of the ODI World Cup which included a heartbreaking loss against Afghanistan.

Babar Azam has made a better start to 2024 as he was the highest run-getter for Pakistan in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against New Zealand where he smashed three consecutive half-centuries.

However, Pakistan ended up losing all three games and lost the series 1-4 to New Zealand with the only positive being Babar’s batting performance in the series as he was struggling with form for a long time.

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The excitement around PSL 9 is brewing in the air as the country is gearing up to welcome some of the most renowned names of world cricket as well as some of the most talented and untouched names of Pakistan cricket. The tournament which started back in 2016, has gained a lot of prominence around the world and it will be no different this year as well.

It’s not just the players that everyone is excited about, the commentary panel is also as special as the players. A few of the world’s biggest former cricketers turned commentators along with some local names are going to turn up for the country’s mega cricketing event.

Starting with the local names then we can see several former Pakistani greats up there. Leading the front as always is the former PCB chief Ramiz Raja along with his former teammates Waqar Younis Aamir Sohail and Bazid Khan. Accompanying them are 3 former Pakistan women’s cricketers – Sana Mir, Urooj Mumtaz, and Marina Iqbal.

Michael Clarke Set To Headline International Commentary Panel In PSL 9

The International commentary panel will see former Australia international and 2015 Cricket World Cup-winning captain Michael Clarke make his much-awaited debut in PSL 9. Other than Clarke, the legendary voice of cricket Ian Bishop will be seen alongside the quirky Danny Morrison, Mark Butcher, Simon Doull, Sikandar Bakht, Pommie Mbangwa, Dominic Cork, Mike Haysman, Ali Younis and Tariq Saeed. The female presenters will see the renowned Erin Holland pair up with Zaira Abbas.

As PSL 9 inches closer to start, check out the squads for all the 6 teams:

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (C), Naseem Shah, Imad Wasim, Alex Hales, Colin Munro, Jordan Cox, Azam Khan, Tymal Mills, Tom Curran, Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Rumman Raees, Matthew Forde, Qasim Akram, Hunain Shah, Ubaid Shah, Shamyl Hussain.

Karachi Kings: Shan Masood (C), Mohammad Nawaz, Kieron Pollard, Daniel Sams, James Vince, Hasan Ali, Tim Seifert, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jamie Overton, Mir Hamza, Shoaib Malik, Muhammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Amir Khan, Anwar Ali, Arafat Minhas, Irfan Khan, Sirajuddin, Saad Baig.

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Afridi (C), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Rashid Khan, Rassie van der Dussen, David Wiese, Shai Hope, Sikandar Raza, Sahibzada Farhan, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Imran, Ahsan Hafeez, Jahandad Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Syed Faridoun, Dan Lawrence.

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (C), Iftikhar Ahmed, Dawid Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Jordan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Khushdil Shah, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan, Mohammad Ali, Faisal Akram, Aftab Ibrahim, Yasir Khan.

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Haris, Rovman Powell, Naveen-ul-Haq, Lungi Ngidi, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Asif Ali, Noor Ahmad, Saim Ayub, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Salman Irshad, Arif Yaqoob, Haseebullah Khan, Mohammad Zeeshan, Mehran Mumtaz, Umair Afridi, Dan Mousley

Quetta Gladiators: Sarfaraz Ahmed (C), Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Wasim, Jason Roy, Rilee Rossouw, Akeal Hosein, Sherfane Rutherford, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mohammad Hasnain, Abrar Ahmed, Will Smeed, Saud Shakeel, Sajjad Ali, Usman Qadir, Khawaja Nafay, Sohail Khan, Omair Yousuf, Adil Naz.

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Zaman Khan played a pivotal role for the Lahore-based outfit last year, forming a lethal bowling partnership with fellow countrymen Shaheen and Haris Rauf along with Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. All 4 of them were in the list of top 10 bowlers with the most wickets in PSL 8 with Rashid leading the way with 20 wickets in 11 matches, finishing as the tournament’s 3rd-best bowler after Multan Sultans’ Abbas Afridi (23) and Ihsanullah (22).

Shaheen scalped 19, Haris took 17 and Zaman accounted for 15 wickets. Their squad is looking even more formidable this year as they have bolstered their unit with some good local players and have also welcomed South African batter Rassie Van Der Dussen into the squad in place of Harry Brook.

The Qalandars will kick off their PSL 9 title defense against Islamabad United on February 17th and ahead of their opening clash, Zaman Khan revealed his plans for this season. While speaking to a local Pakistani outlet, Zaman stated that he is more than willing to work hard in order to help the Qalandars win back-to-back titles this year, regardless of the opposition, and believes the defending champs have a well-balanced squad.

“My target is to lead the team to the final through hard work. We have put in a lot of effort; the combination is good, and we will perform well. The T20 World Cup is also approaching, so the focus is on maintaining form and fitness for that,” Zaman Khan told a local outlet. 

Refining My Slow Yorkers And..”, Zaman Khan Discloses The Variations He Is Set To Display In PSL 9

Zaman Khan went on to reveal the variations he is nourishing in order to terrorize opposing batting orders in PSL 9. The 22-year-old claimed that he is working with determination to improve his slower yorker and improve his economy and efficiency in the death overs.

“I am actively working on refining my slow yorkers and investing extra effort to specialize in death overs,” Zaman concluded.  

He is also expected to play a part for Pakistan in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies, which is set to start from June 1 onwards. The Green Army will be aiming to take a major step forward in ensuring they win the coveted title for the 2nd time after getting beaten by England in the final last year. Pakistan have been placed in Group A along with teams like India, Canada, and Ireland.

PSL 9 will be very important for the local Pakistani players to make a mark in order to seal their tickets to the USA and West Indies for the T20 WC.

Lahore Qalandars full squad for PSL 9: Shaheen Afridi (C), Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Rashid Khan, Rassie van der Dussen, David Wiese, Shai Hope, Sikandar Raza, Sahibzada Farhan, Abdullah Shafique, Zaman Khan, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Imran, Ahsan Hafeez, Jahandad Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Syed Faridoun, Dan Lawrence.

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Fakhar Zaman was demoted to No.4 when Pakistan team management removed Babar Azam from opening the batting and gave him the No.3 slot. Fakhar Zaman has shown great team spirit by agreeing to change his batting position. According to him playing in the XI is more important than maintaining your batting position. However, for PSL he has selected a desired slot to bat and would like to bat at that specific position in the league for Lahore Qalandars.

Fakhar Zaman talked about the difference between the Pakistan Cricket team and PSL franchises and how the roles of players differ in both circumstances. While talking to the Media in Lahore on Sunday, Fakhar Zaman expressed his preference for opening the batting for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League this season. However, he was ready to contribute towards the team in any position.

“I am prepared to bat at any position, but my preference is to open in the PSL. The dynamics within the Pakistan team are different; there we have players from all across the country. You cannot compare the Pakistan team with the PSL franchise,” he further added.

Fakhar Zaman Will Play Under His National Team Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi

Lahore Qalandars will be led by Pakistan’s T20 skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and he has led this team to two consecutive title wins making them the only PSL team to have defended their title successfully. They defeated Multan Sultans in a thrilling final in the last season to claim their second PSL title. Shaheen’s success with Lahore Qalandars led to the Board appointing him as the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team in the shortest format.

However, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first T20 series as a skipper was a disaster as Pakistan lost to New Zealand by 1-4 in the five-match T20 series. Shaheen Shah Afridi will be opening the bowling in the PSL for Lahore Qalandars with his national team teammate Haris Rauf. Fakhar Zaman can be seen opening the batting for Lahore Qalandars with Abdullah Shafique as the two form the formidable opening pair of the Lahore Qalandars.

The PSL is scheduled to commence on February 17, Saturday and the first match will be played between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United. The defending champions will kick off the new season of PSL and it will be interesting to see whether Lahore Qalandars are able to win the competition for the third consecutive time under the leadership of Shaheen Shah Afridi and with notable players like Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Abdullah Shafique in the franchise.

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Virat Kohli led India to a thrilling four-wicket win over Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India chased down a 160-run target on the last ball of the game. The former captain scored an unbeaten 82 runs off 53 balls, including six boundaries and four sixes.

Kohli last played for India in a T20I match against Afghanistan last month. The 35-year-old opted out of the five-match Test series at home. He will be seen in action during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Virat Kohli Is The Best Player In The World – Mohammad Nawaz

In a conversation with Cricbuzz, Mohammad Nawaz described Virat Kohli as the best player in the world, highlighting his exceptional skill and match-winning potential. Nawaz said that Kohli’s knock showcased why he is considered the best player in the world.

“Look, he is the best player in the world. And why he is the best player around he showed in that game considering in those conditions when you lose four wickets inside 40 runs and the way our three fast bowlers were bowling only he could win a game from that point,” Mohammad Nawaz said.

Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya Rescued Indian Team After Early Setbacks

Chasing 160 runs to win, the Indian team found themselves in a challenging situation at 31/4. However, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya steadied the ship with their crucial partnership. The two Indian batters attacked Mohammad Nawaz to change the momentum.

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s strategic move to reintroduce his pacers proved effective. With India needing 48 runs off the last three overs, the right-handed batter managed to strike three boundaries against Shaheen Shah Afridi, providing a glimmer of hope for India.

Pakistani bowler Haris Rauf conceded three runs from the first four balls of the penultimate over. Kohli smashed back-to-back sixes off Rauf’s last two balls of the 19th over. The right-handed batter played a ridiculous shot over Rauf’s head for a six on the fifth ball.

Mohammad Nawaz was tasked with defending 16 runs in the final over of the match. Nawaz delivered for his team by dismissing Hardik Pandya on the first ball. However, Kohli hit six off a no-ball and three byes off a free hit, shifting the momentum in India’s favor.

Ravichandran Ashwin held his nerves as he struck a composed shot over mid-off on the final ball, clinching a dramatic victory in a high-octane encounter. Kohli’s stellar performance and Ashwin’s decisive shot sparked jubilant celebrations among the Indian team.

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India’s previous encounter with their arch rivals (T20 WC 2021) didn’t go down that well as the team which was then captained by Virat Kohli, lost by 10 wickets in the Super 12 clash at the Dubai International Stadium on 24th October. Mohammad Nawaz was not a part of the team that first restricted India to 151 before Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan chased the total down by the 18th over.

From India’s perspective, Kohli’s 57 off 49, Suryakumar Yadav’s 11 off 8, Rishabh Pant’s 39 off 30, and Ravindra Jadeja’s 13 off 13 helped them set up a very unsafe total. The already under-pressure Indian bowling attack, then led by Bhuvaneshwar Kumar could not pick up a single wicket as Babar and Rizwan amassed match-winning scores of 79 and 68 and helped Pakistan claim a maiden victory over India in T20 World cups.

A year later in Australia before Pakistan eventually ended up as runners-up of the 2022 edition, they were looking much stronger than India ahead of the latest installment of their world-famous rivalry. Indian captain Rohit Sharma had asked Babar Azam’s side to bat first at the MCG in their first Super 12 clash of the edition.

Pakistan posted 160 as the target, thanks to half-centuries from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shan Masood which was supported by short contributions from Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Nawaz, and Haris Rauf. Then India’s run chase got off to a very poor start as Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul were removed for 4 runs while Surya Kumar and Axar Patel came and went away with scores of 15 and 2.

Mohammad Nawaz Claims He Cannot Forget The Clash Against India At The MCG

As wickets kept falling, Virat Kohli would hold on to one end and stand for a much-needed partnership of 113 with all-rounder Hardik Pandya. It was all down to the final over of the match as India needed 16 runs for the win and Mohammad Nawaz who bowled the last 6 balls, just needed to pick the right lengths and restrict India from getting to the win.

He started pretty well by removing Hardik Pandya in the first ball before conceding a few boundaries and then again taking the wicket of Dinesh Karthik in the 5th ball. A wide in the next ball and a four in the last ball scored by Ashwin is what India handed the victory with Kohli walking away with the man of the match for his 82* off 53.

While speaking to Cricbuzz in the latest interview, Mohammad Nawaz stated that the game still haunts him and it hurts him every time he thinks of it.

“Can you tell us about the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup game at the MCG in 2022?” – the interviewer asked. “You are trying to hurt me again.” – Mohammad Nawaz responded on Cricbuzz. 

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Mohammad Amir is currently on duty for the Desert Vipers franchise in the ongoing International League T20 in the United Arab Emirates. The tournament is currently awaiting for the knockout stages to begin from 13th February onwards with teams like MI Emirates and Gulf Giants the favorites to go through to the final.

Desert Vipers are currently at the bottom of the table with just 6 points to their name in 9 league matches where they have come out on top just three times. They will play the last league match of the season against 5th-placed Sharjah Warriors and even if the Vipers win the contest, they will not seal qualification for the knockout phases.

They have several Pakistani players in the team other than Mohammad Amir like wicket-keeper batsman Azam Khan, and the national team’s T20I captain Shaheen Afridi. The Vipers lost their previous league match against Dubai Capitals in the final delivery of the match as Zimbabwe skipper Sikander Raza scored a six off the last ball to further solidify the Capitals’ chances of reaching the knockouts.

Mohammad Amir had figures of 1/37 in his 4-over quota and proved to be a bit too expensive during Dubai’s successful chase of 173 runs at the Dubai Sports City stadium. By far, Amir has been the best bowler for the Desert Vipers and he is their highest wicket-taker of the season.

The Punjab-born pacer is also tied with teammate Wanindu Hasaranga at 4th in terms of the league’s highest wicket-takers with 12 wickets in 8 matches with Fazalhaq Farooqi, Waqar Salamkheil, and Trent Boult leading the charts with 17, 14 and 14 wickets respectively.

After the Desert Vipers’ final league match of the season, Mohammad Amir will be flying over to Pakistan to feature for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League season 9 starting from February 13th onwards. The Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars will play the opening match of the season at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

“His Team Has Been Performing Well”, Sarfaraz Ahmed Opines On Mohammad Amir’s Impact On Teams

Sarfaraz Ahmed who last appeared for national duty in the 1st of a 3-match Test series in Australia, claimed that Mohammad Amir has been very impactful for whichever team he has played for around the world. Ahmed is expecting something similar from Amir this time around as well and hopes that he can be a profitable asset for the team.

“In the last two years, wherever Amir has played cricket, his team has been performing well. Amir and Sohail Khan are experts in both bowling new and old balls. We are hopeful that Amir will prove to be profitable for Quetta Gladiators.” – Sarfaraz told Cricket Pakistan. 

Meanwhile, the Quetta Gladiators will open their PSL campaign with a clash against Mohammad Rizwan-led Multan Sultans on February 15th.

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Saim Ayub is regarded as the future of the country’s national team having made his national debut in a T20I series against arch-rivals Afghanistan last year in March at the Sharjah stadium. He rose to major prominence through his exceptional performances in the Pakistan Super League and is often regarded as the next big thing by his teammates.

Although he still hasn’t been able to replicate his PSL performances in the international circuit those closer to him, know what type of a player he is and what he is capable of. He has carved out a niche for himself by gaining quality experience while representing various franchises around the world.

The humble left-hand aggressive batter has played for franchises like Durdanto Dhaka and Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League, Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Caribbean Premier League, Toronto Nationals in the Global T20 Canada, Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL.

Saim Ayub was in action for the national side during their tours of Australia and New Zealand as recently as last month. He made his debut for the Test side last month in the series concluding Test match of a 3-match series at Down Under where the Pakistanis were whitewashed by 3-0.

The youngster had scores of 0 and 3 across innings in David Warner’s farewell Test match at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground. Then later on in January, Ayub took part in the 5-match T20I series in New Zealand where after missing the 1st match, the 22-year-old played the remaining 4 matches in Auckland, Hamilton, Dunedin, and Christchurch.

Saim Ayub could not perform that well as he had scores of 27, 1, 10, and 1. Despite his underwhelming outings in the series which Pakistan lost by 4-1, batting coach Adam Hollioake has backed him to have a great international career going forward.

“I haven’t seen a more talented player than Saim Ayub. He didn’t play the first 2 Tests against Australia so I spent a lot of time with him. After a couple of Tests, you’ve hardly beaten his edge, haven’t gotten him out, and you realize you’re dealing with a player with a lot of talent. I think he’s a potential great of the game.” – Hollioake said to Cricket Pakistan. 

“Saim Ayub Has The Ability To Be One Of The Great Players”, Adam Hollioake Backs Pakistan Batter

Adam Hollioake recognized the fact that Saim Ayub is still in his early days of international cricket and claimed that the longest format of cricket is a hard one to crack.

“It’s early days and Test cricket is hard, but he has the ability to be one of the great players. Mentally, how he stands up to the grinds of international cricket and bounces back from failure. Everything else, he ticks all the boxes.” – Hollioake concluded. 

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The PCB reportedly noticed the activities of their senior players and felt that it would not set the right example for the young generations of cricketers to come. This is quite an uncanny decision from the cricket board, which is more often than not in the news for all the wrong reasons and rarely for the good reasons.

Their presidents change more than India’s fortunes during ICC events and it is not even a secret. Their internal issues are almost reflected in the performances of their players which have been poor for the last 1 year or so.

The Green army has struggled to win series out of Pakistan, barring Zimbabwe and other minnow oppositions. Their most recent challenge on foreign soil arrived in the form of back-to-back series losses in Australia and New Zealand last month.

Pakistan first arrived at the Land down under for a 3-match Test series right after their humiliating group stage exit from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India which also saw Babar Azam step down from all-format captaincy. The PCB appointed Shan Masood as the new Test captain while Shaheen Afridi took over the reins of the T20I team.

They would first endure a whitewash from Australia in the Benaud-Qadir trophy 3-match Test series before extending their losing run against New Zealand in a 5-match T20I series. The Kiwis had given them an equal amount of tough time as the Aussies did, winning the first four T20Is before letting Pakistan win the 5th one and save themselves from embarrassment.

Now with some of the players featuring in franchise leagues and interacting with fans through Q&A sessions on X, the PCB sees issues in there too.

PCB To Start Discussions With Player Agents On Stringent

One of the main concerns of PCB behind imposing strict social media regulations on national players is that they do not want the players to get into any type of controversy. And that is why, the cricket board has decided to implement certain norms that will restrict Q&A sessions from taking place.

The board has also started negotiations with players and their agents on this matter. They were prompted to do so after star bowler Shaheen Afridi answered a question related to the availability of left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir for the upcoming T20 World Cup in June to which Afridi responded that he will ask Amir regarding this.

It is interesting to note that this development has come days after interim Punjab CM Mohsin Naqvi was elected to take over as the new PCB chairman on a 3-year deal, replacing interim chair Zaka Ashraf.

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Virat Kohli, renowned for his exceptional performances, has amassed over 26,700 runs across various international formats, playing a pivotal role in numerous victories for India. The batter is currently on a break from the ongoing five-match Test series against England.

Virat Kohli Is Very Humble And A Very Nice Guy – Shadab Khan

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The last few months have not been brilliant for the Pakistan cricket team in international cricket. The Pakistani team have faced losses in every big tournament whereas they have only been able to win against low-ranked teams. Recently Pakistan faced a 4-1 loss at the hands of New Zealand in the five-match T20I series last month. Pakistan were able to win the final match of the series by 42 runs to avoid the whitewash.

Mohammad Rizwan lauded Shaheen Afridi as the captain of the side and stated that he is a very good captain. Rizwan remembered the days when both the players used to play together for the PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars. Rizwan stated that Shaheen never lost courage and heart till the end of the match.

Also Read: “Can guarantee that” – Dale Steyn predicts Heinrich Klaasen to set “world on fire” in IPL

Mohammad Rizwan lauds Pakistan’s T20I skipper Shaheen Afridi

Mohammad Rizwan told Cricbuzz, “He [Shaheen Afridi] is a very good captain and I have seen him in Lahore Qalandars and other teams where I was his teammate and he is that kind of a player who neither loses his heart nor courage till the end of a game.”

Further speaking the conversation, Mohammad Rizwan opened up on the team’s mindset in the fifth match of the series. Rizwan stated that Pakistan scored between 220 and 200 runs and still lost the match. Rizwan stated that in the last match, the Kiwis needed 135 runs to win and the Pakistani team were thinking that the Blackcaps would chase down the target in 12 overs. However, Rizwan added and remembered Shaheen Afridi’s words in the team hurdle. As per Rizwan, Shaheen had said to the other team members that they had to win the match and give a message to the world.

He said, “In the recent past against New Zealand, we scored 228, 220 and we lost the match. And in the last game we made about 135 runs and it looked like they will chase it down in 12 overs. But when Shaheen came down to the huddle he said that we have to win this game and show this world. And this is a unique quality that he possesses that he does not lose his courage at any stage of his game.”

Defending 135, Pakistan wrapped up New Zealand for 92 runs in the second innings and were able to avoid yet another whitewash.

Pakistan faced an early exit from the ODI World Cup 2023 and finished fifth in the points table with 4 wins from nine games. The ‘Men in Green’ were only able to win games against low-ranked teams whereas they also faced a setback by losing to Afghanistan.

Also Read: Record-breaking knock! Twitter reacts as Pathum Nissanka becomes first Sri Lankan to smash ODI double century

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Babar and Rizwan have been the most prolific pairs for the Pakistan team in T20I history, scoring 2,400 runs. The duo added over five 150+ stands in the format, with the best score of 203*. However, the management chose to demote Babar to No. 3 in the order.

The Pakistan team split the opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in the recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The team management tried to partner Saim Ayub with Rizwan at the top, but the experiment didn’t yield results for them.

Also Read: Cheteshwar Pujara hits 62nd FC hundred ahead of India squad selection for last 3 England Tests

People Have Understood It In Another Way – Mohammad Rizwan

During an interview with Cricbuzz at the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Mohammad Rizwan emphasized the team’s strategic experimentation ahead of the T20 World Cup. He explained that they are exploring various opening combinations, including left-right.

“This is not the fact and what our management said, probably people have understood it in another way. Our management and captain said that we are trying out different things for the World Cup and for that we want to see what can be our best XI. Like say we can have left-right combination at the top and Saim Ayub is left-hander. There is Fakhar Zaman also,” said Rizwan.

“So for the World Cup we were experimenting with left-right combination. I don’t think it is a wrong decision and if I am destined to [open] in that case I will do it in future and I am not angry with the thinking process of the management and neither is Babar Azam. Look they said, we are going to West Indies and there will be spin and every country is trying for left-right combination and so our management is also giving that a thought,” he added.

Babar Azam excelled with three half-centuries against New Zealand. However, the Rizwan-Ayub pairing failed to deliver, as their partnership peaked at only 33 runs in the first four games. This prompted a change in the opening combination for the final match.

Also Read: South Africa squad for one-off women’s Test against Australia announced; 6 uncapped players included

Saim Ayub played a quick-fire cameo of 27 runs off 8 deliveries during the series opener. However, the left-handed batter registered scores of 1 (3), 10 (13), and 1 (6) in the next three matches. Haseebullah Khan replaced Saim Ayub in the fifth and final T20I match.

Despite his struggles in three T20Is, Rizwan showcased his prowess in the fourth match against New Zealand in Christchurch. His unbeaten knock of 90 runs from 63 balls propelled Pakistan to a competitive total of 159, yet the hosts managed to secure victory by five wickets.

Pakistan will face England in a four-match T20I series in May, ahead of the much-awaited T20 World Cup set to be held in the USA and the West Indies in June. In the tournament, Pakistan is placed in Group A alongside India, the United States, Canada, and Ireland.

Also read: Watch: Iftikhar Ahmed admits Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan’s slow batting puts Pakistan under pressure

The post “Our management and captain said…” – Mohammad Rizwan on breaking his opening pair with Babar Azam in T20Is appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Virat Kohli is one of the best batsmen in international cricket to excel in all forms of cricket. Kohli has an average of 50+ across all three formats after playing over 100 games in each format. His Test average has fallen to 49.16 in recent times, however, he has averaged 50+ in the longest format for most of his career.

Notably, ODI and T20I require quite a different approach by batters. While batters need to bat with patience in ODIs without caring much about their strike rate, they need to bat at a high strike rate in T20Is. This shift has often made it hard for many batters to adjust in both formats.

Also Read: “By the barest of margins” – Twitter reacts as Australia beat Pakistan to enter U19 WC 2024 final

Big players like Virat Kohli will look at the team and the situation: Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan is another player like Virat Kohli, who has done a fabulous job in both ODIs and T20Is in recent years. Rizwan also makes a lot of adjustments in ODIs and T20Is. For instance, he plays as an opener in T20Is. However, in ODIs, he takes a spot in the middle-order.

During an interview with Cricbuzz, the Pakistan star revealed how he adjusts his batting in ODIs and T20Is. The right-handed batter revealed Virat Kohli’s mindset which he adopts to adjust in both formats. The Pakistan wicketkeeper said that he focuses on the requirements of the team and the match rather than his average.

“Firstly the teams that you are representing keep that [role] in front and if you think of yourself in that case… like players who think like let me save myself, he won’t go far. Those players who look at averages are average players”, the 31-year-old said.

“If someone is performing it will be there in the stats for people to see, like say India’s Virat Kohli, he is getting his average higher but he is not focusing on that because average players looks at average and big players will look at the team and the situation and my focus remains on what is the requirement of the team”, said Rizwan, who is currently busy with Bangladesh Premier League 2024.

Also Read: Babar Azam to become Pakistan captain once again under new PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi- Reports

Look at the board and play accordingly: Mohammad Rizwan 

Mohammad Rizwan also noted that there is a lot of difference in playing the new ball in ODIs and T20Is.

“The team says Rizwan look at the board and play accordingly. I maintain the same thing in my own life too but it is not easy. In T20 playing the new ball and in ODI go after 25 overs when the ball is a bit old that is not easy and it is a mind game”, Rizwan concluded.

Also Read: Watch: Babar Azam Avoids Running After Ball Deflection, Hilariously Chases It During BPL 2024 Match

Rizwan is part of Comilla Victorians in BPL 2024

Notably, Rizwan has been a decent performer for Pakistan across all three formats so far. He averages 40+ in Tests and ODIs. In T20Is, his average rises to 48+. He has featured in 30 Tests, 74 ODIs, and 90 T20Is for Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Rizwan is part of Comilla Victorians in the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League 2024. The right-handed batter has so far hit 85 runs in 5 games with a top knock of 21 in one match.

The post ‘Virat Kohli’s average is getting higher but he’s not…’ – Mohammad Rizwan makes ‘average player’ remark appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Azam Khan had stated that whenever he participates in franchise cricket he gets several opportunities. He stated that they believe in him and also his ability to win matches for the team. He added that whenever he plays under foreign coaches they never make him feel inadequate, however, whenever he plays for Pakistan he gets a sense that the management doesn’t consider him a good cricketer.

Salman Butt attacks Pakistani management

Azam Khan also added he has made four comebacks for Pakistan in three years. He added that he never got the chance to play a complete series which was very painful for him. He launched an attack on the Pakistani management to exclude him from the team and his comments went viral on social media platforms.

Salman Butt while speaking up on his YouTube channel stated that Azam Khan stated the right points about the team’s coaching staff. Butt reflected on Azam’s point of not being thought of as good enough and was also not given enough opportunities by the team management. Butt added that Azam Khan is still very young and later in his career he will realise that the same coaches were not good.

Salman Butt said, “See, he made some right points there related to the coaching staff. He said that he is being made to feel that he isn’t good enough. He is still very young. He will realise later in his career that some coaches aren’t real coaches; they are just there to praise the players. They want to please the players just so that they can retain their position.”

Azam Khan was part of Pakistan’s squad for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Azam was only given a chance in three games wherein he was only able to score 22 runs at an average of 7.33.

Pakistan faced a 4-1 defeat in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The Pakistani team were not able to perform as a team and failed in every department. The batsmen were not able to make runs whereas the bowlers as well went away for a lot of runs.

The last few months have not been decent for Pakistan as they have faced losses in almost every big competition. Pakistan were knocked out of the ODI World Cup 2023 and were able to win only four matches out of nine games. Also, Pakistan have been only able to win games against low-ranked teams whereas they have failed to find themselves on the winning side against quality attacks such as India, England, and Australia.

The post Azam Khan made right points – Salman Butt attacks Pakistani management appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The semi-final 2 of the ICC U19 World Cup 2024 between Australia and Pakistan went down the wire and made many bite their nails. It was a low-scoring thriller that saw both the teams fighting till the very end but in the end, the Aussies claimed the game by the barest of margins. 

Australia won the toss and opted to field first. They were magnificent with the ball as they bundled out Pakistan for just 179 runs. Tom Straker was the main reason behind the carnage with the ball as he picked 6 wickets whereas apart from Harjas Singh every other bowler chipped in. 

For Pakistan, Azan Awais (52) and Arafat Minhas (52) were the batters that got to half-century whereas every other batter failed. Apart from the duo, no other batters could go past the 20-run mark as Pakistan ended with just 179 runs. 

Australia in the chase were off to a decent start as Harry Dixon (50) slammed a half-century at the top to give his team a good start. But at the other end, they kept losing wickets at regular wickets and came under pressure. 

Oliver Peake (49) and Tom Campbell (25) kept Australia in the game but Pakistan’s Ali Raza brought his team back in the game. Australia was reduced to 164/9 and both teams were under pressure. With 3 runs needed in the last over, Raf MacMillian (19*) held his nerves and took his team home with one wicket to go. The ball went off the inside edge and rushed to the boundary to book a berth for Australia in the final against India.

Fans on Twitter react as Australia U19 defeat Pakistan U19 by 1 wicket 

As Australia U19 defeated Pakistan U19 by 1 wicket, fans on Twitter reacted to it. They were awestruck by the performance of both the teams in the high-intensity semi-final and gave some joyful reactions. Here are some of them.

Shahabsh bucho we are proud of u

— Sarfaraz Ahmed (@SarfarazA_54) February 8, 2024

India v Australia final.. #U19WorldCup

— Abhinav Mukund (@mukundabhinav) February 8, 2024

Great run boys In time you’ll realise that somethings are bigger and more important than results and this experience will develop you as quality international cricketers for Pakistan. Extremely proud of you https://t.co/I7mxvsubzB

— Shan Masood (@shani_official) February 8, 2024

By the barest of margins….#AUSvPAK #U19WorldCup #SemiFinals

— Nikhil Naz (@NikhilNaz) February 8, 2024

Chin Up Boys – You Fought really well #PAKvsAUS pic.twitter.com/lk9yk6DiHA

— Ehtisham Siddique (@iMShami_) February 8, 2024

Anyway, hats off to Saad Baig for the way he led the team and again, as usual, only our bowlers were sensational throughout the tournament. Chin up, guys #PAKvsAUS #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/dEUEgHInWF

— Hassan (@HassanAbbasian) February 8, 2024

Australia U-19 prevail

— Aayush Mahajan (@CricGlance) February 8, 2024

So on Sunday can India's under-19 boys, when they take on Australia, 'avenge' the loss of the senior team's in the World Cup 2023 final ? #cricket #PAKvsAUS

— Chandresh Narayanan (@chand2579) February 8, 2024

Pakistan ke players ki overacting is too good . Junior to senior all are actors. #PAKvsAUS

— kirat_13 (@kirat1313_) February 8, 2024

Not easy to win against U-23 team..kudos to Australia #PAKvsAUS #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/VFtMXe7KAI

— AB_Hi (@abhi_inthearc) February 8, 2024

#PAKvsAUS #U19WorldCup
Senior Pakistan Team to U19 Team players rn* pic.twitter.com/yPcgfjgBjN

— xuenain (@meer_xuenain) February 8, 2024

Australia U-19 boys to Pakistan#PAKvsAUS #U19WorldCuppic.twitter.com/hQYYIXp8Sj

— कट्टर KKR समर्थक (@KKRWeRule) February 8, 2024

Congratulations Australia Under 19 for qualify Final and well played Pakistan specially Bowling #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/390S0edOV9

— Rashid Latif | (@iRashidLatif68) February 8, 2024

Generational heartbreak against Australia! #U19worldcup

— عاقد (@aquidtweets) February 8, 2024

Cricket is cruel .#NaseemShah #U19WorldCup pic.twitter.com/QgFdzSruxY

— Mary Marouf (@Cricket_istic) February 8, 2024

So it’s India vs Australia In U19 World Cup Final

#U19WorldCup #INDvsAUS #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/fckLdtwQZH

— sarcastic (@Sarcastic_broo) February 8, 2024

Indian fans mood right now after Pakistan's lose #U19WorldCup | #PAKvsAUSpic.twitter.com/VNDqxJtAh9

— anurag (@viratians25) February 8, 2024

Congrats @CricketAus ! Proud of our boys and the potential they have shown. The hard work continues. Kudos to our support staff who have done their best to give these boys a springboard to launch their careers. #PAKvsAUS #U19WorldCup

— Usman Iqbal Wahla (@u_wahla) February 8, 2024

AUSTRALIA DEFEATED PAKISTAN BY 1 WICKET …!!!

Australia needed 16 with just a wicket in hand, the never give up attitude of Aussies take them to the Final of U19 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/bk5Q0tAu3h

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) February 8, 2024

The post “By the barest of margins” – Twitter reacts as Australia beat Pakistan to enter U19 WC 2024 final appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Mohsin Naqvi was recently appointed as the new chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). He replaced Zaka Ashraf from the post and became the 37th chairman of PCB. Naqvi previously served as the interim Chief Minister of the Punjab state of Pakistan and assumed the chairmanship of the Pakistan Cricket Board in the recent elections.

Babar Azam to become Pakistan captain once again- Reports

Some PCB sources have told Pakistan media that the new PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi is going to undertake significant chances under his leadership. Babar Azam will be renamed as Pakistan skipper once again.

Also Read: Jasprit Bumrah creates history, becomes the first Indian pacer to achieve Number 1 Test Ranking

The right-handed batter quit his captaincy after ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in India. Pakistan gave a miserable show in the tournament, failing to qualify for the semi-finals. They also lost to Afghanistan and faced a massive defeat against Team India.

After Babar Azam’s ouster as skipper, PCB named Shan Masood as the new captain in Tests. They also named Shaheen Afridi as the new skipper in T20Is. However, due to Pakistan team’s poor outing in their first-ever captain under them, PCB is likely to get back to Babar Azam for captainship.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant not to play entire IPL 2024? Ricky Ponting makes a shocking revelation on keeper’s comeback

Pakistan lost Test series to Australia 3-0

Pakistan suffered horrible results in the recent series against New Zealand and Australia. Under Test skipper Shan Masood, Pakistan lost a three-match Test series to Australia. They also all the three games to Australia with a humiliating show.

Pakistan lost the 1st Test by 360 runs, 2nd Test by 79 runs, and the 3rd Test by 8 wickets. Australia bagged victories by huge margins in all games to grab a clean sweep in the series. They also moved down in the ICC World Test Championship points table rankings after the series defeat.

Also Read: Watch- Massive goof up in Women’s Cricket as umpire Claire Polosak caught embarrassed after wrong signal in Australia vs South Africa ODI

Pakistan lost T20I series vs New Zealand under new skipper Shaheen Afridi

Later, Shaheen Afridi led Pakistan in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. The Kiwis hampered Pakistan in the first four games in the five-match series. Pakistan won the final T20I encounter to witness a 4-1 defeat in the T20I series.

Pakistan lost the 1st T20I game by 46 runs and the 2nd match by 21 runs. Later, they lost the 3rd T20I by 45 runs and the 4th T20I by 7 wickets. In the 5th T20I, Pakistan earned a victory by 42 runs.

The post Babar Azam to become Pakistan captain once again under new PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi- Reports appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Instead of thinking about using the opportunity to add another run for his team, Babar Azam chose to run after the ball to create a light-hearted moment for the fans and also add an element of fun for the cameras. The video is now going viral all over social media and it has received a mixed reaction from the fans.

While one fan felt that Babar was having some fun, another fan flashbacked the gully cricket days when the batter had to fetch the ball himself after hitting it quite far.

There was a fan who took a dig at Babar by claiming that he is practicing how to field for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA & West Indies.

As his actions are being loved as well as trolled by the fans, Babar Azam missed out on a half-century by just 3 runs. But the strangest part is that his 47 came off 43 balls. Now that’s some sort of Test cricket batting in T20s. Babar would first stand for a 67-run stand with fellow opener Rony Talukdar before receiving his marching orders in the 15th over by Mosaddek Hossain.

The 29-year-old had an underwhelming strike rate of 109. Nonetheless, Rangpur Riders would then go on to set up 176 as the target, following the accelerated knocks from Shakib Al Hasan, Nurul Hasan, and Mohammad Nabi. 

In response, the capital outfit were folded for just 115 in 18 overs with opening batter Mohammad Naim ending up as their best scorer for 44 off 31, which is still faster than the knock of Babar. Rangpur Riders claimed the victory a few moments ago by 60 runs at Mirpur and they have moved atop of the BPL table with 10 points to their name.

The Riders still have 5 more games to play in the league stages and the way they have been performing in this edition, it won’t be shocking to see them finish in the top 2 positions.

Babar Azam Goes After The Ball! Watch The Video

What was Babar Azam doing there? #BPL2024 pic.twitter.com/SlhXprLp0g

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 6, 2024

Babar being Babar Azam
How can someone hate this guy #BabarAzam𓃵 | #BPL2024 pic.twitter.com/Cab9nr1MVN

— Rehan Malik (@ArehanThoughts) February 6, 2024

Meanwhile, Babar Azam along with his Pakistani teammates who are representing various franchises in the BPL and ILT20, are expected to head back home by next week in order to take part in the 9th edition of Pakistan Super League. The tournament is slated to start from February 17th onwards with reigning champions Lahore Qalandars taking on Islamabad United in the opening match.

Babar Azam will be in PSL action a day later for the Peshawar Zalmi in match number 2 against Quetta Gladiators.

The post Watch: Babar Azam Avoids Running After Ball Deflection, Hilariously Chases It During BPL 2024 Match appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Azam Khan is currently taking part in UAE’s International League T20 (ILT20) for the Desert Vipers. The 25-year-old will then fly over to Pakistan in order to feature in the 9th edition of the Pakistan Super League where he will be representing Shadab Khan-led Islamabad United.

During the 19th game of the ILT20, Azam Khan smacked an emphatic quick-fire half-century, scoring 50 off 20 deliveries against the Gulf Giants. He would light up the entire Dubai Sports City cricket stadium with his sheer power-hitting ability which saw him bat with a brilliant strike rate of 250.

Azam smacked a total of 9 boundaries in that inning. He scored 5 fours and dispatched 4 sixes with his efforts helping the Vipers chase down the target of 162 set by the Giants. Desert Vipers are currently well on course to qualify for the knockout rounds as they are currently 4th in the league table and they are slated to go against the Dubai Capitals in their next fixture on February 9.

“Either Kick Me Out Entirely..”, Azam Khan Hits Out At The PCB

After getting some time off from Desert Vipers duty, Azam Khan sat along with veteran batter Shoaib Malik for an interview where both of them spoke about a range of topics. He was asked about his thoughts on the number of opportunities he has received to play for the national team and he would not hold himself back while answering it.

To put into context, Azam has played as many as 8 games for Pakistan, all of them coming in the shortest format from the number 6 position. He was also a part of the national side that got drubbed 4-1 by New Zealand in a 5-match T20I series. The 25-year-old kept it very honest and said that he would look to find his way out if the PCB clarified their stance on him.

“I always think that whenever I play league (franchise) cricket, I get a lot of opportunities because they know i can win them games and that is why they call me over. But if you are putting doubts on my head that I’m not good enough at this level then its fine as i will look for my own way out as well,” Azam Khan told Shoaib Malik. 

“I have staged 3 different comebacks in the last 4 years and I have never played a full series (for Pakistan) so that definitely hurts. Either you kick me out entirely after giving a full series but don’t hang my chances over the edge,” Azam added.  

“I play all of my cricket with a clear mind and whenever anyone put fears in my plans then I get frustrated. Whenever I play with foreign coaches, they never make me feel like that I’m lacking somewhere. But whenever I play for Pakistan, they make me feel like I’m not that good of a cricketer,” Azam Khan concluded. 

The post ‘Made 3 Comebacks Still Haven’t Played Full Series…’ – Azam Khan Takes Brutal Dig At Pakistan Coaches appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Following Zaka Ashraf’s resignation as the head of the PCB’s management committee, Shah Khawar assumed the role of interim chief. He took charge at the board’s headquarters last month. Khawar served in this capacity until the board elections were held.

Since Ehsan Mani’s tenure in 2021, PCB chiefs have failed to complete their terms. Ramiz Raja served for 15 months (September 2021-December 2022), while Najam Sethi (December 2022-June 2023) and Zaka Ashraf (July 2023-January 2024) did not last a full year each.

After Raja’s exit, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s operations were managed by committees headed by Najam Sethi and Zaka Ashraf. Mohsin Naqvi, now at the helm of the PCB, faces pivotal choices to elevate the Pakistan Super League and strengthen the national team.

Shah Khawar Declares Mohsin Naqvi’s Victory

Mohsin Naqvi has been appointed to the leadership role for the next three years with the backing of ten members of the board of governors at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, along with Mustafa Ramdey, endorsed his nomination for the Board of Governors established under the 2014 constitution.

Representatives from diverse regions and departments, such as Azad Jammu Kashmir, Larkana, and PTV, among others, have been included in the board. Although the secretary of inter-provincial coordination is part of the board of governors, they do not possess voting rights. Mohsin Naqvi’s win was officially declared by the Chief Election Commissioner.

The Board of Governors is listed below:

1. Mr Mustafa Ramday (PCB Patron’s nominee)
2. Mr Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi (PCB Patron’s nominee)
3. Mr Sajjad Ali Khokhar, President Regional Cricket Association AJK
4. Mr Zafarullah Jadgal, President Regional Cricket Association Dera Murad Jamali
5. Mr Tanveer Ahmed, President Regional Cricket Association Larkana
6. Mr Tariq Sarwar, President of Regional Cricket Association Bahawalpur
7. Mr Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited
8. Dr Anwaar Ahmad Khan, Ghani Glass Limited
9. Mr Javed Iqbal, State Bank of Pakistan
10. Mr Osama Azhar, Pakistan Television
11. Secretary to the Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, or any other officer nominated by him as an ex-officio member (Non-voting member)

Pakistan Suffered Series Losses In Australia And New Zealand

Pakistan experienced consecutive series losses in Australia and New Zealand. They suffered a 0-3 defeat against Australia in the Test series and a 1-4 loss to New Zealand in a five-match T20I series, under the leadership of Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi, respectively.

Pakistan’s next bilateral series assignment is a four-match T20I series against England in May. The T20 World Cup will take place in the USA and the West Indies in June, where Pakistan is grouped with India, the United States, Canada, and Ireland in Group A.

Players from Pakistan will shift their attention to the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), commencing at Gadaffi Stadium on February 17th, featuring defending champions Lahore Qalandars against Islamabad United.

Aksi read: Shahid Afridi plants news seeds of separation in Pakistan team, calls for PCB to sack Shaheen Afridi as T20 captain

The post Mohsin Naqvi Named Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman appeared first on CricketAddictor.

The criticism began when he failed to lead his team from the front in the Asia Cup. The Men in Green crashed out at the Super 4 stage despite being the favourites to win the competition. The criticism only increased when he as well as his team struggled to do well in the ODI World Cup. Pakistan bowed out of the World Cup at the league stage with just 4 wins from 9 games.

Babar Azam scored 320 runs in 9 games at an average of 40 and a strike rate of just over 80. Soon after the World Cup ended, he stepped down as the captain in all three formats and was replaced by Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood as the T20I and Test captains respectively.

Imran Nazir defends Babar Azam:

While it was expected that Babar Azam would do well after being relieved of the captaincy, he failed to impress in Australia as well. The right-handed batsman struggled throughout the three-match series, scoring just 126 runs in 6 innings as Australia clean-swept the series. He finally regained his form by scoring three T20I half-centuries in a row against New Zealand although Pakistan lost all those games.

With Babar Azam grabbing the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in recent times, Imran Nazir has come out in his support. The former Pakistan batsman stated that those who are criticising Babar do not understand cricket as he heaped praise on the batsman.

“For those who criticize Babar Azam, I would say, at least understand cricket first. He is the world’s best player, and I believe that in Pakistan, Babar is the player who, in terms of technique, as a cricketer, and as a personality embodies what it means to be a cricketer.

“A team doesn’t rely solely on one player; there are 10 other players who also contribute. He is doing his part; what about the rest?” Imran Nazir was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

“They say teamwork, how a team works together, and it’s not just one player’s teamwork. When the entire team is not doing anything, you can’t blame Babar as much as you want by lifting him, but now I also see that everyone is behind him, why don’t you say anything to the other players? He is making Pakistan proud, the rest of the world praises him, considers him a player, but here we sideline him and bring someone else in,” he added.

Babar is currently busy playing in the Bangladesh Premier League. He is plying his trade for Rangpur Riders and has registered scores of 56*, 2, 62, 37 and 46. He will soon be seen in action in the forthcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League.

The post Those who critize Babar Azam don’t understand cricket claims former Pakistan player, labels Babar as the best batsman in the world appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Shaheen Shah Afridi was elected as the new skipper of the Pakistan national cricket team after Babar Azam stepped down from the role following the early exit of the Pakistan team in the ODI World Cup 2023. Shaheen Afridi had a terrible first series as a captain as Pakistan lost to New Zealand 1-4 in the five-match T20I series recently. Shaheen Shah Afridi was trusted with the responsibility of leading the side after he led his PSL side Lahore Qalandars to consecutive title wins.

Shaheen Shah Afridi remembered the 2021 T20 World Cup encounter against India and said that it was a memorable edition because of the win against India. He mentioned that he took advice from Shahid Afridi before the match. Afridi also said that the team wanted to win the match for Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez as they were the most experienced players on the side and had faced defeat against India, many times previously.

“We had never defeated India in the T20 World Cup before. The 2021 edition was very memorable for us! I phoned Lala (Shahid Afridi) and took advice from him. We also wanted to win for Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez” said Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Shaheen Shah Afridi Reveals Emotions About The Win Against India In The 2021 T20 World Cup

“We had never defeated India in the T20 World Cup before. The 2021 edition was very memorable for us! I phoned Lala (Shahid Afridi) and took advice from him. We also wanted to win for Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez” – Shaheen Afridi #AskShaheen

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 4, 2024

The Pakistan cricket team has been in shambles since the Asia Cup 2023. They finished last on the Super 4 tables in the Asia Cup and then failed to qualify for the top four in the ODI World Cup 2023. They were whitewashed by Australia in the three-match Test series in December 2023 and then also faced defeat against New Zealand by 1-4 in the five-match T20I series. The Pakistan players are playing in different T20 leagues currently and will feature in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which is scheduled to commence on February 17.

The 2021 T20 World Cup was memorable for Pakistan as they defeated India for the first time in a World Cup match. However, in the following T20 World Cup in 2022, they were again defeated by the Men in Blue in a close encounter. The two arch-rivals will clash against each other in the 2024 T20 World Cup which will be hosted jointly by the West Indies and the United States. India and Pakistan will face each other on June 9 in New York where a temporary stadium is being set up with a seating capacity of 34000.

The post Not Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan!! Shaheen Shah Afridi reveals who he took advice from before beating India in T20 World Cup 2021 appeared first on CricketAddictor.

Shaheen Afridi is currently representing the Desert Vipers in the ILT20 2024 edition, which is captained by former New Zealand opening batter Colin Munro. The Vipers suffered a 30-run loss yesterday during match number 21 of the latest edition against the MI Emirates at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

Afridi watched his teammates getting stepped over by Nicholas Pooran’s Emirates side which came all guns blazing against the Vipers. After Colin Munro asked the Emirates to bat first, the home team got off to a flyer, thanks to Sri-Lanka opener Kusal Perera’s brilliant knock of 65 off 46 at a fiery strike rate of over 145 which included 8 fours and a six.

Although his partner Muhammad Waseem departed cheaply for 7, Perera continued to show his power-hitting prowess. Number 3 batter Andre Fletcher failed to provide stability as he got out while trying to dispatch every ball out of the park for an 11 off 9.

Then came the veteran Ambati Rayudu who steadied the Emirates’ falling ship. He chipped in very well with his 44 off 38 deliveries including 5 fours and a six. Rayudu stitched a 75-run partnership with Perera before the latter received his marching orders from countryman Wanindu Hasaranga.

MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran then played out a man-of-the-match winning knock of 39 off 15 at an unbelievable strike rate of over 260. His blistering knock included 3 fours and 4 sixes and helped his side post a defendable total of 189 on the board.

It was evident that the Desert Vipers missed the services of Shaheen Afridi who added a lot of variety and depth to the bowling attack. He is very effective with the new ball as well as the old ball, mainly because of the raw pace he generates and the high release point of his action, which is aided by his height.

In his absence, Mohammad Amir had the onus of leading the bowling attack and he was the team’s most economical bowler last night. Shaheen Afridi is expected to return for Desert Vipers’ next ILT20 clash against the Dubai Capitals on February 9th at the Dubai Sports City cricket stadium. The Vipers are currently in contention to reach the play-off rounds as they are currently placed at number 4 with 6 points to their name.

Shaheen Afridi’s Record Against Hashim Amla Shows Why The Latter Is So Difficult To Bowl Against

During the live session on his space on X, Shaheen Afridi claimed that Hashim Amla gave him the toughest time as a bowler and their head-to-head record shows why. The left-arm fast bowler has been able to get his wicket only twice out of the 113 balls he has bowled to Amla in 3 Test innings, 4 ODI innings, and once during a T2o franchise league game.

“Hashim Amla is the toughest batter I have bowled to in my career.” – Shaheen Afridi said on his X handle.    

The post Not Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma!! Shaheen Afridi names the toughest batsman he has bowled to appeared first on CricketAddictor.

In December 2020, Mohammad Amir shocked the cricketing world by bringing down the curtains on his international career at the age of 28. He decided relation between him and the then-team management turned extremely sour. Just before the announcement, Mohammad Amir had also told a TV channel that he was mentally tortured by the team management.

“I am leaving cricket for now because I’m being mentally tortured. I don’t think I can bear such torture. I’ve borne lots of torture from 2010 to 2015, for which I served my time. I’ve been tortured by being told the PCB invested a lot in me. I’ll just say two people invested in me a lot: [former PCB chairman] Najam Sethi and [former Pakistan captain] Shahid Afridi,” he had said.

He had also taken digs at the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis who were serving as coaches at that time. Since retiring from international cricket, Mohammad Amir has been busy plying his trade in T20 leagues across the world. He has also played in county cricket.

Doors open for Mohammad Amir:

Time and again, Mohammad Amir has said that he would be open to making a comeback to the Pakistan team when the time is right, and current T20I captain Shaheen Afridi has made it clear that he would have no problem having his former teammate in the squad.

In an X Space with Saya Corporation, the Pakistan pace spearhead said that he would talk with Amir to find out about his availability. He also stated that he liked bowling with Amir.

“I will talk to Mohammad Amir if he’s available to come back for Pakistan once again. Amir and I bowled together after almost 5 years. It was a very good experience to bowl with him, our partnership was great,” said Shaheen Afridi.

"I will talk to Mohammad Amir if he's available to come back for Pakistan once again. Amir and I bowled together after almost 5 years. It was a very good experience to bowl with him, our partnership was great" – Shaheen Afridi #AskShaheen

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 4, 2024

Amir has picked up 119 wickets in 36 Tests, 81 wickets in 61 ODIs, and 59 wickets in 50 T20Is for Pakistan so far. With the T20 World Cup to take place this year, Pakistan would not mind having a bowler of Amir’s caliber in their squad.

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Iftikhar Ahmed, who is currently part of the Sindh Premier League 2024 in Pakistan, opened up on the Pakistan cricket team’s flop show in international at the current time. Iftikhar stated that the whole team is responsible for the team’s poor performance rather than Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. He openly admitted that the slow batting of Babar and Rizwan puts the team under pressure but he denied putting the entire blame on the aforementioned players.

He said, “You are absolutely right, the burden falls on us when the required run rate reaches 13, 14 or 15, but it is not the fault of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. In this I think we will play well as a team, and do we blame even small things on Babar and Rizwan? They are world-class players of our team and we should respect them together. Both of them have been world number 1 and they both are world number 1 but things happen when runs are required more. I and the team are also responsible for this, not just Babar and Rizwan.”

Watch: Iftikhar Ahmed blames team for Pakistan’s poor form

Here’s @IftiMania agreeing kai @babarazam258 aur @iMRizwanPak kai sath batting se neeche walo par RRR ka pressure ata hai par woh yeah bhy kehte hain kai sara qasoor inka nahi hai #BabarAzam #Rizwan pic.twitter.com/rqFvg5r6j5

— muzamilasif (@muzamilasif4) February 4, 2024

Pakistan cricket team faced a 3-0 loss against Australia in the Test series whereas they also lost against New Zealand in the five-match T20I series by 4-1. During the T20I series, Iftikhar Ahmed was a flop with the bat but was able to prove effective with the ball. Iftikhar picked up 3 wickets in the fifth T20I and played an important role in the team’s win.

The Pakistan cricket team in the current time is going through one of the most pathetic phases of international cricket. At the current time, there is also a lot of instability in the Pakistan Cricket Board. With the current director Mohammad Hafeez, not expected to continue as the director of the team, the team needs to focus on a lot of problems.

The year 2023 was a terrible year for Pakistan as they lost to low-ranked teams such as Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Zimbabwe whereas, they also showcased a horrible performance in the Asia Cup 2023 and the ODI World Cup 2023. They also lost the hosting rights of the Asia Cup 2023.

On the other hand, there are many big tournaments such as the T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, and the World Test Championship coming up in the future time. The Pakistani team faced a disappointing exit from the ODI World Cup 2023 and finished fifth in the tournament with 4 wins and 5 losses. The Pakistani team will want to focus on their issues and perform well in the upcoming ICC tournaments.

The post Watch: Iftikhar Ahmed admits Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan’s slow batting puts Pakistan under pressure appeared first on CricketAddictor.

A few Pakistan cricketers are currently playing in the ILT20 and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2024). The PCB has decided to stick to its stance despite the repeated pleas of Pakistan cricketers.

The ILT20 and the BPL are the two major leagues where the majority of the Pakistan cricketers feature. A few of them play in the Big Bash League in Australia as well. 

PCB To Call Back National Players For PSL 9

Sources within the PCB reveal that several cricketers sought NOC extensions to capitalize on opportunities in these prominent leagues. However, after a review, the board has decided against giving an extension leaving a few prominent players in disappointment. The sudden refusal from the PCB has landed the players in trouble. Even players who are not currently a part of the national team have been called back. 

Also Read: EMI vs VIP Today Match Prediction- Who Will Win Today’s ILT20 Match? Match 21, 2024

Meanwhile, the players are allowed to participate in foreign until the start of the PSL. The Pakistan Super League (PSL 9) starts on February 17. However, the franchise owners are unhappy with the slow pace of work going on and are not sure whether the season will start on time. 

A player has reportedly spoken to an official from the PCB expressing his concern. The PCB has asked players to be available for the PSL and thus has asked players to play until February 13. One other player is said to have managed the permission to play till February 16. 

Pakistan are just fresh of their international season where they first played Pakistan and then New Zealand before the start of the ILT20. They were whitewashed against Australia 3-0 and also lost the T20I series against New Zealand. 

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Muhammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Usama Mir, Shadab Khan Aamer Jamal Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Hasnain, Ahmed Shehzad, and Shoaib Malik are some of the Pakistani players busy in the two leagues.

There are reports of a rift between the players and the management. Meanwhile, former Pakistan captain and coach Misbah-Ul-Haq recently said that neither foreign nor local coaches want to work with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) due to its ‘haphazard’ policies.

“If you look at the policies of the board, leave alone foreign coaches I don’t think even our local coaches want to work with the PCB. Pakistan cricket should not be run in such a haphazard manner and we need to have long-term plans for the team management, selectors and grooming of players. Unfortunately in Pakistan a change in the board leadership changes everything,” he said.

“I believe you can’t make a good team or groom quality players if proper time is not given for this process. We need to look at the systems of some other countries who are successful,” he added.

Also Read: GUL vs SJH Today Match Prediction- Who Will Win Today’s ILT20 Match? Match 22, 2024

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The Asia Cup 2023 was originally slated to undergo in Pakistan but BCCI’s refusal to send the Indian team over there due to security concerns forced the PCB to shift India’s matches, some of the group matches as well as the knockout round in Sri Lanka.

The SLC had signed a number of agreements with PCB related to expenditures of Hotels, flights, accommodation, and venue charges. The latter board would pay $281,700 to Sri Lanka for 4 chartered planes before agreeing to spend almost $2,069,885 for venue charges in the Island nation.

Then Chief Najam Sethi who was overseeing the proceedings of hosting the continental event, paid 75% of the sum and agreed to give the remaining amount after the tournament. However, they are yet to make payments of hotel bills and SLC president Shami Silva brought the issue to the discussion table during a recent ACC meeting, as per reports in Cricket Pakistan.

The meeting also had ACC President Jay Shah who asked Silva to schedule meetings with the PCB and discuss the matter directly with them. His cryptic request could also mean that he is unwilling to help the Pakistani board.

PCB in response has claimed that ACC is also liable for the due payments as they forced them to organize Asia Cup 2023 in a hybrid model. They also revealed that ACC had allotted only $2.5 Million as the hosting fees whereas the original cost to organize the tournament touched the 4 million mark.

What Will Be PCB’s Next Move Amid Financial Strains And Tensions At The Office

Cricket in Pakistan is actually going through tough times as they again await the appointment of a new PCB chief following the resignation of Zaka Ashraf. There are also talks about a change in the team director role, which Mohammad Hafeez has been overseeing since November without a proper salary.

And to make matters worse, the SLC raised this point at a very wrong time when the PCB themselves were going through a period of turmoil within their office. The internal disputes in the Pakistan board have had a direct impact on the team’s performance as well.

After Babar Azam stepped down from captaincy post CWC 2023 exit, PCB appointed Shan Masood as the Test captain and Shaheen Afridi as the T20I captain. Their journey under a new regime began with a 3-0 drubbing to the hands of World champions Australia in the Benaud-Qadir Test series before New Zealand stepped over Afridi’s 11 by 4-1 in the T20I series.

With the Pakistan Super League on the horizon, all the attention might turn towards the 9th edition for now. However, the lingering financial constraints between PCB and SLC are expected to catch heat in the coming days.

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