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[ad_1] Pakistan's pre-World Cup team-bonding trip to Dubai has been canceled due to unforeseen delays in obtaining travel visas for their visit to India in order to participate in the mega-event that is about to commence next month. The initial plan for the Pakistan team was to depart for the UAE next week, spending a few days there before heading to Hyderabad. This was in preparation for their inaugural warm-up match against New Zealand scheduled for September 29. However, due to ongoing visa delays, the team is now set to depart from Lahore to Dubai early next Wednesday and then proceed to Hyderabad for their preparations.  This unforeseen situation has raised concerns within the team, highlighting the complexities and challenges surrounding travel and diplomacy between Pakistan and India. According to ESPNcricinfo, Pakistan is the sole team among the nine sides traveling to India for the World Cup still awaiting visas, shedding light on the strained political relatio

[ad_1] Former legendary Pakistan pacer, Wasim Akram, has extended his heartfelt wishes to the national cricket team as they set out on their tour to Australia for a three-match Test series. In a recent social media video shared on platform 'X,' Akram specifically highlighted the newly appointed leadership, emphasizing the need for patience and decisiveness in their roles. He also expressed his well wishes, particularly to the "new boys" in key positions, including Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and Kamran Akmal, among others.  “Pakistan team has reached Australia, wish them all the luck, especially to the new boys. By new boys I mean Mohammad Hafeez who joined as Team Director/Head Coach, Wahab [Riaz] as chief selector, Kamran Akmal and others, give them time,” Wasim Akram said. The left-arm pacer also provided valuable advice to the newly appointed officials, cautioning against excessive media interactions. “They are present cricketers, it is their time. Le

[ad_1] The star-stubbed commentary panel for the upcoming Asia Cup 2023 has been announced, featuring experienced commentators from different countries.  India contributes five, Pakistan four, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand each offer one.  Notably, former Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, returning after a hiatus, joins Pakistan's lineup along with the legendary duo Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.  Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris  will also add a neutral voice to the panel. The tournament is set to commence on August 30, featuring the host team Pakistan in the inaugural match against Nepal in Multan. This year's Asia Cup will be played in the 50-overs format, featuring 13 matches. Commentary panel for Asia Cup 2023: Ravi Shastri, Sanjay Manjrekar, Russel Arnold, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan, Scott Styris, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Athar Ali Khan, Deep Dasgupta, Ramiz Raja, Bazid Khan. Asia Cup 2023 Schedule: 30 Aug –

[ad_1] The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed the team management for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 that will be played in India in October and November. Pakistan begin their campaign on 6 October when they play the Netherlands in Hyderabad.  Player support personnel: Rehan-ul-Haq (team manager), Mickey Arthur (Director – Pakistan men’s team), Grant Bradburn (head coach), Andrew Puttick (batting coach), Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Aftab Khan (fielding coach), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach), Dr Sohail Saleem (team doctor), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager), Usman Anwari (security manager), Maqbool Ahmad Babri (psychologist), Talha Ejaz (analyst) and Malang Ali (masseur). Pakistan are scheduled to depart for Hyderabad in the wee hours of Wednesday. Babar Azam’s side will play their first warm-up on 29 September against New Zealand and the second and last against A

[ad_1] Misbah-ul-Haq, the former captain of Pakistan's cricket team, has been appointed as an advisor to Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee, with a focus on cricket affairs. He also has been given the leading role to head the cricket committee. In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, PCB chair Ashraf told that the cricket committee was formed to look after all crucial matters and to pan out better suggestions for the improvement of Pakistan cricket. "I formed a cricket committee as soon as I held the office, which is headed by Misbah-ul-Haq. The committee will look after all the cricketing matters," Ashraf said. The 70-year-old also stated that for now, the coaching staff is performing well so far, but PCB is banking on the Misbah-led committee to decide the coaching staff's future. "To me, it doesn't matter whether the coaches are local or foreign; whoever will perform well to me that is b

[ad_1] The upcoming Asia Cup 2023 has become a source of concern for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the Indian team has refused to play in Pakistan, threatening the event's significance.  The Pakistan Cricket Board is currently exploring the possibility of relocating the upcoming Asian tournament from its originally scheduled host and is evaluating potential alternate venues in the UAE or Sri Lanka ALSO READ:  Asia Cup: PCB retains hosting rights, Indian matches likely to be held in UAE The Asia Cup is set to take place in the month of September, but with India's reluctance to participate, the PCB may have to find a solution soon. The boycott of the ICC World Cup 2023 scheduled in India is also not feasible due to the expected loss of billions of rupees. PCB officials are looking for a way to salvage the Asia Cup without jeopardizing their position on the Indian team's boycott.  The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee, Najam Set

[ad_1] The Pakistan cricket team have kicked their training camp at the Pindi Cricket Stadium for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia, starting from December 14, 2023.  The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has included three more pacers, namely Sameen Gul, Ali Shafique, and Muhammad Ali, to the camp. Chief Selector Wahab Riaz had already announced the inclusion of seven additional players to join the training camp, when he revealed the 18-member Test squad for Australia series. Those players include Arshad Iqbal, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usama Mir, and Usman Qadir. However, fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani is declared unfit bowl and PCB has made the decision to send Dahani to the National Cricket Academy for rehabilitation, aiming for his swift recovery. The board has also granted permission to former skipper Babar Azam, Sarfaraz Ahmad, and Usman Qadir to attend Imam-ul-Haq's wedding after today’s practice. However, these thr

[ad_1] Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, set the tone for his team's ambitions, making it clear that their goal is to secure victory in the 2023 World Cup and not settle for a top-four finish. During the pre-departure conference for the World Cup 2023 on Tuesday in Lahore, Babar was asked about whether they are envisioning finishing in the top-four of the mega-event. To which skipper Babar replied, "The top-four is a small goal for us. We want to come out as winners. We did not have enough time to put together a camp before the World Cup because we had been playing for too long continuously. We wanted to give the players a break so they come back refreshed and with the hunger to win. You play well when you have that hunger." Acknowledging the honor of representing Pakistan at the World Cup, even though they haven't played in India previously, the 28-year-old conveyed that the team isn't burdened by excessive pressure.  "All of us are proud of travelli

[ad_1] Former Pakistan fast bowler, Mohammad Amir, faced an onslaught from the Indo-Pak duo of Mohammad Hafeez and former Indian all-rounder, Yusuf Pathan in a thrilling Qualifier-1 match against Durban Qalandars on Friday in the ongoing ZimAfro T10 League 2023. Both Hafeez and Yusuf seemed unstoppable against Amir, as they consistently hammered him all around the ground. The brutal assault left the former Pakistan pacer struggling to find any answers. After being asked to bat first, Durban Qalandars set a formidable target of 140 runs, losing just four wickets in their allotted overs.  Asif Ali played an unbeaten aggressive innings and scored 32 runs off just 12 deliveries, which included five boundaries and one six. In the thrilling chase of 141 runs, Hafeez began in a fiery fashion, opening the innings with a boundary. He continued his assault by smashing a remarkable 17 runs in the very first over bowled by Amir in the final innings. Hafeez wins his battle against Am

[ad_1] Two-time World Cup winner and ICC Hall of Famer Lisa Sthalekar has revealed the first five players she would select if choosing a dream ODI XI. Sthalekar knows what it takes to win a World Cup having tasted success with the powerful Australian teams in 2005 and 2013 and keeps a close eye on the modern-day game in her role as a commentator. Ahead of the start of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India in October, Sthalekar nominated the five players she would choose first if compiling a dream ODI XI. 1. Jasprit Bumrah - India "I have to go Jasprit Bumrah at No.1. "An opening bowler is very important as you need to pick up wickets early, but then also be able to bowl at the death when the players are going hard.  "He is someone that can be used in the middle overs as well, so is a handy bowler across all the three different phases." 2. Virat Kohli - India "From a batting point of view, I am going to go with Virat Kohli at No.2. "

[ad_1] Quetta Gladiators captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed, blamed his bowlers for the team's poor performance in their recent match against Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi cricket stadium. During the post-match conference, Sarfaraz appeared frustrated with the team's lack of runs on the scoreboard but quickly shifted the blame onto his bowlers.  ALSO READ:  Waqar slams Sarfaraz Ahmed's batting approach against Qalandars He stated that the bowlers had let the team down by conceding too many runs even after taking early wickets inside the first ten overs. "We made a lot of mistakes. We didn't ball well in the first ten overs, even after taking seven wickets. It was a complete setback performance from our team. We aimed to restrict Lahore under 100 runs, but it didn't happen as we didn't ball at the right areas," he said. "We gave away 52 runs in the next six overs, which easily shifted the momentum towards the Qalandars," he added. Sarfar

[ad_1] Former captain, Rashid Latif, met with the newly appointed Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board management committee, Zaka Ashraf, yesterday at the PCB headquarters in Lahore.  Rashid spoke to Cricket Pakistan, stated that he received a call from Ashraf, expressing a desire to meet and discussed the matters pertaining to Pakistan cricket.  Acknowledging the importance of such discussions, Latif highlighted that he shared his insights and suggestions based on his vast experience in the game.  The 54-year-old also expressed his enthusiasm to contribute towards rectifying the affairs of the sport and offered valuable suggestions to enhance the performance and overall management of the cricketing setup. When questioned about the possibility of accepting a position within the board, Rashid Latif clarified that no formal offer had been extended to him. He also mentioned that due to pre-scheduled commitments, he does not have sufficient time to devote all his attention t

[ad_1] Former Pakistan captain, Mohammad Hafeez, has shown no interest in taking on the role of Chief Selector of the national cricket team.  After the departure of Haroon Rasheed from the position, the new management committee under the leadership of Zaka Asharaf is actively searching for a suitable candidate to fill the important role. Discussions were held with Hafeez in the past few days regarding the position of Chief Selector. However, the former cricketer has expressed his desire to work at the grassroots level instead, focusing on nurturing young talent and contributing to the development of cricket from the ground up. Another prominent former cricketer, Rashid Latif, has declined any position in PCB at this time, citing prior engagements and commitments that prevent him from taking on the role. The name of former Pakistan wicket-keeper, Moin Khan, was also presented to the board officials as a potential candidate for Chief Selector by individuals close to him, alt

[ad_1] The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is displeased with Sri Lanka Cricket expressing their interest in hosting the entire Asia Cup 2023 and, as a result, has rejected their proposal for an ODI series in the Lankan home soil. The relationship between the PCB and SLC intensified when the latter voiced their preference to host the Asian tournament instead of following Najam Sethi's proposed 'Hybrid Model'. This model suggested holding four matches in Pakistan initially and then moving the second phase to UAE. ALSO READ:  Rashid Latif points out three young batters for Sri Lanka Test tour According to a report by Press Trust of India (PTI), the strained relations between the two boards is the reason why PCB rejected Sri Lanka's proposal to play a few ODI matches alongside their two-Test series in July this year, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC).  "It is a clear indication that the PCB is not happy with the Sri Lankan board stepping in to

[ad_1] Pakistan analysts have started examining the data concerning the World Cup 2023 venues for the national team. In light of their request, they [PCB] have expressed their desire to play their match against Australia in Chennai instead of Afghanistan.  The International Cricket Council (ICC) is insisting Pakistan to play their match against India which is to be held in Ahmedabad. However, Pakistan has expressed reservations about this proposal, citing the need for approval from their government. This factor has contributed to a delay in announcing the schedule for the upcoming World Cup. The ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India in October and November of this year, is currently awaiting the official schedule release by the ICC. However, recent developments have been concerning objections raised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), indicating a different approach from them this time. Pakistan analysts are examining venue data, and specific objections hav

[ad_1] Amidst the excitement and anticipation for the highly awaited India versus Pakistan match in the upcoming World Cup, cricket fans are facing an unexpected challenge in Ahmedabad - exorbitant hotel prices, soaring above INR 50,000 per night. This has turned attending the high-stakes match into a costly affair. However, fans have found a creative solution to tackle this issue. They are now reaching out to hospitals near the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera for accommodation during the event. Hospital authorities have reported a surge in inquiries from cricket fans seeking one or two-night stays at their facilities. These stays, ranging from INR 3,000 to INR 25,000, often include food and a comprehensive medical examination. The twin-sharing option allows a patient and an attendant to stay together, making it a more affordable alternative to the escalating hotel prices. Dr. Paras Shah, Director of Sannidhya Multi-Speciality Hospital in Bhopal, explained that since it

[ad_1] A fake Twitter account under the name of Zaka Ashraf, the newly appointed chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) management committee, has been successfully taken down.  In June 2023, the imposter managed to have their account verified and assumed the persona of Ashraf. They included "Chairman @TheRealPCB" in their profile description, along with the hashtag "#ZakaAshraf". After cryptic tweets from the impersonator, the PCB confirmed the account was fake and reported it to Twitter.  “Mr Zaka Ashraf does not have an account on [Twitter]. This is a fake account and has been reported to [Twitter] by the PCB,” wrote PCB.   Mr Zaka Ashraf does not have an account on @Twitter . This is a fake account and has been reported to @verified by the PCB. pic.twitter.com/PbMYm2Chat — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 7, 2023 The individuals who pretended to be Ashraf posted a total of 55 messages on Twitter since the account was created in February

[ad_1] The third edition of Global T20 Canada tournament is all set to take place from 20th July to 6th August, whereas the inaugural season of Major League Cricket (MLC is scheduled to take place between July 13-30 in Dallas. According to recent media reports, the PCB has responded positively to the Gt20 and MLC's request to include Pakistani players but has set a condition for their participation. The PCB has asked the organizers of both leagues to pay $25,000 for each player's involvement in their respective T20 competitions. According to sources, Pakistan players selected for the aforementioned leagues are not happy with the condition set by PCB.  Their stance is that the organizers can afford to pay the $25,000 amount for a player with high earning contract, but why would they pay such a high amount for players with lower remuneration? According to the players, the board should reconsider this condition.  On the other hand, in the absence of the board chairman