General Pakistan Cricket News

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Pope hits fifty but India in box seat in first Test against England​

AFP
January 27, 2024

England’s Ollie Pope celebrates after scoring a half-century during the third day of the first Test cricket match between India and England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on January 27. — AFP
Ollie Pope was unbeaten on 67 at tea with England still trailing by 18 runs and struggling against a persistent Indian bowling attack in the opening Test on Saturday.

England were 172-5 at the break in Hyderabad after beginning the second innings behind by 190 after the hosts were bowled out for a mammoth 436 in the morning session.

Pope was batting alongside wicketkeeper Ben Foakes (2) after brief and disappointing spells from Joe Root (2) and skipper Ben Stokes (6).

Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picked two wickets each.

 

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Australia collapse as Shamar Joseph inspires Windies to historic win in Brisbane​

Joseph's six wickets in a session lift West Indies to their first test win Down Under since 1997.

 

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ICC reprimands India’s Bumrah for ‘inappropriate physical contact’ with England’s Pope​

"Bumrah deliberately stepped in Ollie Pope's way as the batter went for a run, leading to inappropriate physical contact” says ICC.

 

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PCB terminates pace ace Haris Rauf’s central contract​

Abdul Ghaffar
February 15, 2024

Pace ace Haris Rauf’s central contract was terminated by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday following a probe into his alleged refusal to join Pakistan’s Test squad for the tour of Australia 2023-24, the cricket board said in a press release.

In November, chief selector Wahab Riaz had revealed that Rauf refused to take part in the Test tour of Australia and told selectors he wanted to focus on white ball cricket and manage his workload.

According to ESPNCricinfo a source close to the player revealed that Rauf had never committed to playing the Test matches in Australia. Riaz said that Rauf’s decision would “hurt Pakistan cricket”.

 

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[H1]Shaheen Afridi sends warning following Pakistan's captaincy chaos[/H1]

Shaheen Afridi was unhappy with the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) lack of communication regarding his removal from the captaincy position

[H4]News Desk in Karachi[/H4]
05 April, 2024

Tweet​

PHOTO: AFP

Pakistan pacer, Shaheen Afridi, on Friday posted a cryptic message on his official Instagram account, after being abruptly relieved of his role as captain of the Pakistan cricket team in T20Is.

Afridi assumed the T20I captaincy following Babar Azam's decision to step down from captaincy across all formats after Pakistan's premature exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The left-arm fast bowler's captaincy tenure commenced with a disappointing 4-1 series defeat to New Zealand on their home ground earlier this year. However, his leadership stint was cut short after just one series, with Babar Azam reinstated as the white-ball captain of Pakistan on March 31.

According to sources, Afridi was unhappy with the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) lack of communication regarding his removal from the captaincy position. The 23-year-old had also been upset by a statement, issued after his removal from the T20I captaincy, which contained words not authorized or spoken by him. The PCB acknowledged this error and conveyed to Afridi that it was an internal mistake.
Afridi shared a cryptic Instagram story, which conveyed a sense of warning, indicating Afridi's readiness to exhibit a side of himself that others might not have anticipated, should his patience be tested beyond its limit.

Shaheen's story read: "Never ever ever put me in a position where I have to show you how cruel and ruthless I can be. Don't test my patience. Because I might be the kindest and sweetest person you've ever met, but once I reach my limit, you'll see me do the things that no one thought I was capable of doing."

Despite feeling unjustly removed from the captaincy, Afridi has expressed his willingness to move forward from the ordeal.

 

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PAK vs ENG: Babar, Shaheen, Naseem dropped for final two Tests​

Sarfaraz also out; Squad features several new faces, Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped).

News Desk
October 13, 2024

PHOTO: AFP

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The Pakistan cricket selectors have officially named the squad for the upcoming second and third Test matches against England, scheduled to be held in Multan and Rawalpindi on 15 and 24 October, respectively.

In light of the current performance and fitness levels of key players, as well as Pakistan's future commitments in the 2024-25 international cricket season, the selectors have opted to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Abrar Ahmed, who is recovering from dengue fever, was also unavailable for selection.

The squad features several new faces, with Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam (all uncapped), along with fast bowler Mohammad Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan, stepping in for the rested players. SNoman Ali and Zahid Mehmood, who were initially part of the first Test squad but released afterward, have also been included in the 16-player team.



Squad for the 2nd and 3rd Tests:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.

Aqib Javed, a member of the men's national selection committee, expressed the challenges faced during the squad selection process.

“Selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors. We’ve had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule. With these factors in mind and in the best interest of Pakistan cricket as well as the players, we’ve made the decision to rest Babar Azam, Naseem Shah, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players regain their fitness, confidence and composure, ensuring they return in top shape for future challenges. They remain some of our finest talents with much more to contribute to Pakistan cricket. We are fully committed to supporting them during this period so they can come back even stronger.

“At the same time, we are offering opportunities to uncapped players like Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, along with Mohammad Ali, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood. They now have the chance to showcase their skills against a formidable England side. We believe they will rise to the occasion and make the most of this opportunity in the remaining two Tests.”

Additionally, Haseebullah and Mehran Mumtaz, who were part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad for the ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup, have been replaced by Maaz Sadaqat and Rohail Nazir. This tournament will take place in Oman starting from 18 October.

 

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Shoaib Akhtar loses temper on live television after Pakistan's defeat to England​

Akhtar did not hold back in criticizing both the players and the management

News Desk
October 13, 2024

Legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his frustration during a live television discussion on sports news channel following Pakistan's latest Test defeat, succumbing to England by an innings and 47 runs.

The loss, which took place on Friday, marked another chapter in a series of disappointing performances for the national team.

In a candid and passionate address, Akhtar did not hold back in criticizing both the players and the management, asserting that Pakistan cricket has experienced a significant decline over the past decade.

He bluntly stated that the current players are “not good enough” to represent the nation on the international stage.

"You will reap what you sow. Over the decades, I have seen the decline".

"The situation is disappointing. Losing is fine, but the game should be close. However, what we saw over the past two days, they completely gave up hope. This shows that we aren't good enough. England scored 800+ and Bangladesh also beat you," Akhtar said.

The Rawalpindi Express further highlighted the potential ramifications of the team's poor performance, raising concerns about Pakistan's Test status.

He characterized the current state of affairs as “disheartening” and urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), led by chairman Mohsin Naqvi, to implement strict measures for the improvement of cricket in the country.

"Fans are saying that Pakistan should withdraw from WTC. I saw some comments. ICC must be thinking 'should we send teams to Pakistan and keep their Test status alive'. It's just disheartening. This is going to hurt Pakistan cricket, fans and the upcoming talents. I want to request the PCB to sort out this mess," he said.

The disarray within Pakistan's cricketing ranks has been exacerbated by reports of groupism among players, primarily fueled by multiple individuals vying for the captaincy. Akhtar acknowledged that weak management and leadership only serve to perpetuate these issues.

"If your management and captain are weak, there will be groupism. If the captain is selfish, there will be groupism. Same is the case if the coaches are afraid of the captain. The captain calls the shot when it comes to selection. This has been the culture since my playing days," he further explained.

Notably, it has been 1,331 days since Pakistan last celebrated a Test victory, with the team's last win coming in February 2021 against South Africa in Rawalpindi under Babar Azam's captaincy.

 

[Sharma Ji]

"yahan to haanth upar kar ke rogered ho gai hain" @Vsdoc

 

[Sharma Ji]

That host lady is such a cutie omg x_x