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[ad_1] Karachi Kings pacer, Mohammad Amir, has opened up about his on-field clash with Peshawar Zalmi captain, Babar Azam, on Wednesday. Babar played a match-winning 68-run knock from 46 balls against Kings. During the innings, he flicked Amir for a boundary, which frustrated the left-arm pacer and he threw the next ball towards Babar in desperation. “It was heat of the moment thing and it was nothing personal [against Babar]. Bowlers should show aggression on the field, to get the best out of them,” Amir said in pre-match interview on Thursday. “I was under pressure in the game, which is the beauty of this league. It helps you get better,” he added. Amir conceded 42 runs in his four-over spell and went wicketless. Left-arm pacer emphasised the need to stick to basics. “In T20, there is no guarantee for success, so you have to execute your plans. If you keep making mistakes, you can’t win the game,” he said. “I thought we did well as a team, but little things can make a hu...

[ad_1] Babar Azam faced a challenging year in Test cricket, encountering a notable downturn in his batting performance, especially in the red-ball format. Throughout the entirety of 2023, he found himself unable to secure a Test half-century in nine innings, marking the first instance since his debut that he failed to achieve this milestone in a calendar year. His struggles persisted in the second Test against Australia at the renowned Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In a match where Pakistan had a daunting 317-run target set by Australia, Babar managed to score 41 runs before falling victim to Josh Hazlewood's delivery, succumbing to a clean bowled dismissal. This continued a trend seen in the first innings, where Babar Azam was similarly dismissed by Pat Cummins after scoring only one run. The right-handed batsman misjudged the ball, resulting in his stumps being disturbed as he was bowled out, reflecting the challenges he faced with the bat in the match and the year a...

[ad_1] Pakistan secured a comprehensive 238-run win over Nepal in Asia Cup opener on Wednesday in Multan. Iftikhar smashed an unbeaten 109 off just 71 balls, which included 11 boundaries and four sixes. He was involved in a 214-run partnership with Babar Azam – the highest fifth-wicket stand for Pakistan in ODIs as the duo’s efforts propelled Pakistan to 342-6. Iftikhar is fondly referred to as "chacha" (uncle) by his fans. Following the game, during the press conference, a journalist playfully addressed Babar as Iftikhar's "bhatija" (nephew), and inquired about Babar's support during their partnership. In response, Iftikhar highlighted the strong camaraderie between them, stating, "Bhatija also gave confidence to chacha and chacha also gave confidence to bhatija. Babar is a world-class player. The way he handles strike rotation alleviates pressure. Consequently, we relished our time batting together."   Aik hi dill hai kitni bar jee...

[ad_1] Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has questioned Pakistan's intent after a devastating loss to India in the Super Four stage of the 2023 Asia Cup. Following Pakistan's defeat to India, Afridi took to the social media platform 'X' (formerly known as Twitter) to express his thoughts about Pakistan's intent in the game while also encouraging the players that they could deliver better performances in their upcoming matches. He also commended India for their outstanding performance in all aspects of the match against Pakistan. "Winning/losing is part of competing, but not putting up a fight, not showing intent to win is just poor. Exactly what I was referring to in my previous tweet. India played as #1 on the field, batting & bowling. Congrats @imVkohli on achieving another dream milestone of ODI runs and well-crafted 💯 by you and KL Rahul. Chin up boys, you can do better than this, next match #PakvsInd,"Afridi said on 'X.' ...

[ad_1] Pakistan veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik has stated that skipper Babar Azam is working on the things that Shoaib Akhtar pointed out. In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan , Malik spoke about Shoaib Akhtar's recent controversial comments regarding Babar’s communication skills. ALSO READ:  Never asked Babar for my inclusion in Pakistan team: Shoaib Malik “It's his [Akhtar] opinion, and yes, we should respect that, only if that opinion is not hurting the sentiment of an individual player. After hearing that statement, the thing that came in my mind was that he gives his statements bluntly. He has a clean heart, and always speaks positively about everyone," he said. "His statement was not meant to hurt anyone. I understood from his statement that he was only trying to say that it's the demand of modern cricket to groom your personality along with your cricket skills to become a better brand. I know Babar is working on things that Akhtar has...

[ad_1] The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) has placed itself as one of the most sought-after events and one of the factors that make the league so exciting for the viewers are the rivalries between the six franchises. It is not only the fans who look forward to them, but the players and coaches also enjoy being in the middle of those high intensity contests. Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan told PCB Digital: “We plan ahead of the season on how we have to approach the upcoming tournament and we have done that already. “On a personal note, I enjoy playing against Karachi. It is one of the matches that I don’t want to lose as a captain or a player. It is not like I say this in the team huddle or something. It is just my personal desire to not to lose to them, especially when we play in Karachi.” Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim: “This rivalry [Lahore v Karachi] is good [for the HBL PSL]. It is the biggest game and now Karachi-Peshawar and Lahore-Quetta are new rivalries. “B...

[ad_1] Leaving behind Pakistan's Babar Azam and Bangladesh's Najmul Hossain Shanto, Ireland's batter Harry Tector bagged the International Cricket Council (ICC) Player of the Month Award for May 2023. Tector proved his mettle in a recently concluded One-Day International (ODI) series against Bangladesh, scoring his career-best 140 off merely 113 balls to help Ireland post a big total in the first ODI of three-match series. The middle-order batter came to the pitch at number four when his team was struggling at 16-2 in the 7th over. However, by the time of his dismissal at the end of the 42nd over, he had turned the contest around, scoring 45 from 48 balls in the third ODI against Bangladesh. Tector has become the first-ever Irish player to bag the ICC Player of the Month Award. "I'm delighted with the Award and would like to thank those who voted for me; however, cricket is a team sport first and foremost, so the Award is more a reflection on the perfo...

[ad_1] Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik talked about the controversy surrounding skipper Babar Azam, saying that he should step down as the team's captain voluntarily. "Babar Azam is a great batter but we do injustice by putting his leadership qualities and batting ability on the same scale," Malik said while speaking on the private channel programme. His comments came amid mixed opinions regarding the 28-year-old batter's leadership qualities. Malik said that it was a culture in Pakistan to expect immediate results. The former skipper said that it used to be 20 to 25 years ago when one player would win the match with his individual performance but today it was not the same as four to five performing players are required in the team for success. The 41-year-old cricketer said that if he was in Babar's place, he would have distanced himself from the leadership role and concentrated on his batting. He then suggested those who were close to Babar advise hi...

[ad_1] Former South African pacer, Dale Steyn, is amazed by Pakistan left-arm pacer, Shaheen Afridi’s use of his wrist while bowling his deadly inswing deliveries. While commenting on a video of Shaheen dismissing Babar Azam during Sunday’s PSL match between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, the legendary pacer admired the bend and flick in Shaheen’s wrist and advised young pacers to learn from him. “Shaheen’s wrist is amazing. The bend & flick he has is so special and an area where many young fast bowlers could look to find their extra yard of pace they searching for,” Steyn tweeted. “ Few drills one could try, but if you’re over 25 I’m sorry but it may already be too late. Still worth a try , ” he added.   Shaheens wrist is amazing! The bend & flick he has is so special and a area where many young fast bowlers could look to find their extra yard of pace they searching for. Few drills one could try, but if you’re over 25 I’m sorry but it may already be too late...

[ad_1] Najam Sethi, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), recently proposed the idea of hosting the Asia Cup in England. “England could be a possibility as a venue for the Asia Cup,” Najam Sethi said in a interview with an Indian media outlet. However, Salman Butt, a former Pakistani cricketer, expressed his reservations about hosting the Asia Cup in England, stating that it would not make sense to have a neutral venue for a tournament that is meant to represent the Asian continent. “A neutral venue like this [England] is not viable for Asia Cup, it will not make sense as it will mean that there is not a single venue in Asia where it could be held,” Salman Butt said. Butt argued that for the sake of giving options, you can provide as many as possible, but it is important to see if they are feasible or not. “You can include England in it and make it Euro-Asia Cup. You can also give this suggestion. In the past, Austral-Asia Cup used to take place in which Australia...

[ad_1] Skipper Rohit Sharma said he was bored of talking about India's pitches after the hosts lost the third Test to Australia on a wickedly turning Indore track on Friday. "This pitch talk is getting too much. Every time we play in India it's always about the pitch," Rohit told reporters after his side's nine-wicket loss. Rohit highlighted the first Test between South Africa and the West Indies, which ended inside three days on a fast Centurion surface on Thursday, and said that batting-friendly tracks, like the ones in Pakistan’s home Test series, produced "boring" contests. "People have to play well for the game to last for 5 days. Games are not lasting for five days even outside India. Yesterday, in South Africa, the game got over in three days. If the pitches are helping the bowlers, the batters need to try and test their skills," Rohit said. "It's not about always making sure that we are playing on flat pitches and the...

[ad_1] Naseem Shah, a key player for the Colombo Strikers, was notably absent from their crucial must-win match against the Galle Titans on Tuesday. During the toss of the aforementioned game, Chamika Karunaratne, the captain of the Colombo Strikers, said, "Naseem Shah is not playing today due to a shoulder injury." Nevertheless, Naseem has now clarified the situation, asserting that he is, in fact, not dealing with any injury. Rather, he made a deliberate choice to take a break during his team's recent LPL match. In his explanation, Naseem stated, "There is no injury or anything like that. I have been playing a lot of cricket recently, including the Sri Lanka Tests and back-to-back matches [in the LPL]. In this weather, it is very tiring, so some rest was needed. Babar also said that it would be better to take some rest because we have important matches coming up." In the Lanka Premier League standings, the Galle Titans and the Colombo Strikers hel...

[ad_1] Rashid Latif on Sunday appreciated Imran Khan's strong and timely statement about Babar Azam, the current captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. While speaking on his YouTube channel Caught Behind , Latif praised Khan's deep understanding of the game of cricket, highlighting that the former captain has an astute eye for talent and has made accurate predictions about many players in the past. According to Latif, Khan's cricketing acumen is unparalleled in the world, which makes his statement about the Pakistan captain significant. "[Imran] Khan sahab has given a very strong statement. There is no match to his cricketing acumen in the whole world. He made predictions about many players in the past and most of them came true. One or two mistakes can happen. But he keeps a keen eye on cricket, so his statement was timely," said Latif. In a recent interview, Khan lauded Babar’s batting potential, stating that he has the ability to surpass hi...

[ad_1] Pakistan is expected to announce their 16-member Test squad in the next two days for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka in July. There are a few exciting prospects who may receive their maiden Test call-up, namely Omair Yousuf and Mohammad Huraira. These young talents have shown impressive performances recently and are likely to be given an opportunity in the Test format. Omair Yousuf, a 24-year-old batsman, had an outstanding outing during Pakistan Shaheens' tour of Zimbabwe. He topped the batting charts with 348 runs from three innings, including his highest first-class score of 250 not out in the first four-day match. On the other hand, Mohammad Huraira, who has featured in 24 first-class matches, finished second on the batting charts with 242 runs from two innings, boasting an impressive average of 121. Their consistent performances have caught the attention of the selectors, leading to their potential Test call-ups. Another player likely to make...

[ad_1] Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, has responded to former Indian cricketer, Aakash Chopra's assessment that he is not yet part of the renowned Test cricket’s "Fab Four" that includes Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, and Joe Root. Chopra recently said that the "Fab Four" in Test cricket is no longer a valid term, as Virat Kohli's recent poor form has excluded him from the group. He added that Pakistan captain has the potential to join the group, but he hasn't reached that status just yet. During a press conference prior to the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, Azam said that his focus is on performing well and letting his name establish itself through consistent excellence on the field. "Everyone has their own point of view and opinion. My job is to perform. All the records I have broken thus far were due to my performances. My focus is to keep giving performances, so the name will keep coming everywhere by itself,"...

[ad_1] Peshawar Zalmi Captain Babar Azam while taking a shot in PSL 2023 match on February 14, 2023. — Twitter/@babarazam258 Peshawar Zalmi captain  Babar Azam said on Thursday that criticism is always ongoing and one cannot expect people to always speak in their favour. While talking to  Geo News, Babar said what matters more is how we learn from criticism and improve.  Peshawar Zalmi captain said, "The criticism will always be going on and it is not always the case that people talk in your favour. In every case, I always try to remain positive. The more I take things positively, the more my confidence increases."  Babar said that he does not comment on criticism, adding that he respects his critics' view because they have their own opinion and mindset to see things.  "I also try to learn with the passage of time because things have been changing fast and I have to adjust according to that. One can not perform 100% every day. It matters how you learn...

[ad_1] Shadab Khan believed that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan would get a greater amount of respect from the nation and the media after the ongoing series against Afghanistan, which saw the new-look team suffering a dismal 2-0 defeat. Pakistan T20I captain for the three T20Is against Afghanistan, Shadab, requested the people of the country to support the youngsters, saying, “we must accept one’s failures so that he can turn into a world-class player.” “We are aware of the talent in each of these players. Nervousness is always there, every time you wear a Pakistan star. This was seen today as well,” he said in a post-match press conference on Sunday after Pakistan lost the second T20I and the first bilateral series against Afghanistan. Shadab said conditions were totally different in Sharjah, adding, “Any team facing Afghanistan in these conditions, would have met the same fate.” He added the motive behind sending the young team for the assignment was to prepare the bench ...

[ad_1] Pakistan captain Babar Azam opted to bat first after winning the toss against New Zealand in the first Test of two-match series here at National Bank Cricket Ground. Pakistan's former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has returned to the playing XI after almost four years. The Champions Trophy 2017 winning captain last featured in a Test against South Africa in January 2019. Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza also made his comeback in the playing XI after he last played his only Test against Australia in 2018. Playing XIs Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafiq, Shan Masood, Saud Shakeel, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Agha Salman, Abrar Ahmed, Wasim Jr, Mir Hamza, Nauman Ali New Zealand: Tom Latham, David Conway, Kane Williamson, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Ajaz Patel [ad_2] Source link https://worldnews2023.com/stports/pakitan-bat-first-in-karachi-test-against-new-zealand-such-tv/?feed_id=275886...

[ad_1] Former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Yousuf has expressed his optimism about Pakistan's chances in the upcoming World Cup and has identified six potential pacers who could be part of the squad. Yousuf, while talking to media in Lahore on Thursday, highlighted the depth and variety in Pakistan's fast bowling department, emphasizing the country's abundance of options in white-ball cricket. “In fast-bowling, we have Shaheen Shah [Afridi], Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Wasim [Jnr]. Then we have new pacers like Ihsanullah and Zaman Khan, so Pakistan has a lot of options in white-ball cricket," Mohammad Yousuf told media in Lahore. While discussing Pakistan's overall team combination, Yousuf expressed satisfaction with the team's strength in white-ball cricket. “Our combination in white-ball cricket is really good. Our three batters are among top-ten ranked ICC ODI batters. Imad Wasim has made a comeback. Then, Shadab [Khan] and Mohammad Nawaz are reall...

[ad_1] There were match-winning knocks, spell-binding stroke-play and memorable moments from a personal perspective and his team in 2022 as Pakistan skipper Babar Azam claimed the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year Award for a second consecutive year. Here, we take a look at his performances and celebrate some of his outstanding achievements in the year. ALSO READ:  Clarke lands PSL commentary gig after BCCI controversy Babar Azam – Pakistan 679 runs from nine matches at an average of 84.87 with three centuries. The year gone by If you thought the Pakistan skipper had a year to remember in ODI cricket in 2021, then what he produced during 2022 was even better as the ultra-consistent right-hander maintained his lead as the No.1 ranked batter on the MRF Tyres ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings. It's a title that Babar has held firmly onto since July 2021 and on current form, has no intention of letting go easily. It might be surprising to note that Babar only played nin...