Month: November 2021

The preparations for the upcoming series between Pakistan and West Indies are in full swing in Karachi with the foolproof security blueprint already conveyed to the concerned authorities.

According to details, the home department of Sindh called a meeting on Monday to discuss the security arrangements for the West Indies tour of Pakistan and has advised the law enforcement agencies to implement the tightest security arrangement possible.

Karachi’s Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Special Branch, AIG Operations, and DIG Security were present during the meeting that included officials from law enforcement agencies as well. Additional security will be provided to the West Indies squad as Special Security Unit commandos and lady commandos along with officers from other forces will be deployed to provide security to the players.

DIG Security, Maqsood Ahmed Memon, revealed that the security forces will also deploy sharpshooters in sensitive spots to provide foolproof security to the visiting team.

West Indies are scheduled to tour the country in the second week of December to play a three-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series. All six matches will be played at National Stadium, Karachi. The first match of the tour will be played on 13 December as the two teams kickstart the tour with the first T20I.

The three-match ODI series will be a part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League and both teams will be determined to gain the maximum points and climb up the table in order to qualify for the 2023 ICC ODI Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be played in India.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan’s all-format captain, Babar Azam, is expected to assume charge of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, Karachi Kings, for the seventh edition of the competition. According to the rumor mill, Babar will replace Imad Wasim as captain of the franchise.

Although it is not official yet, the social media team of Karachi Kings hinted at a big announcement last night. It remains to be seen what they actually say, however, ProPakistani understands that it will be about the captaincy change.

Babar has been a part of the Karachi Kings squad from the second edition of PSL and has been the most prolific scorer not only for the franchise but the league overall as well. Babar was previously a part of Islamabad United in the first edition of the tournament but could only manage to play two matches before being traded to Karachi Kings in the following season.

The 27-year old was the leading run-scorer in PSL 5, scoring 473 runs at an average of 59.12 in 11 innings. He was instrumental in his team’s title-winning campaign and was named as the player of the tournament.

The flamboyant batter has amassed 2,070 runs at an average of 43.12 and a strike rate of 121.55 in 56 innings in PSL history.

Babar was named as the national team’s captain last year and has since been brilliant both in terms of leadership and his own performances. He recently led Pakistan to their first semi-final in the T20 World Cup since 2012 and was named as captain of ICC’s most valuable team of the tournament.

Babar’s imminent announcement as captain of Karachi Kings will bring Imad’s four-year captaincy reign to an end. Imad is Karachi’s most successful captain since the league’s inception and led them to their only title in PSL 5.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will go as scheduled without any delay, a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday.

The PCB had earlier announced that the marquee tournament will start late in January 2022, instead of its conventional slot of February-March due to the home series against Australia.

Refuting the media reports that suggested the league could be delayed by a week or so, the source said that there was no such proposal under consideration and that the league would go ahead as planned.

Speaking about the PSL 7 draft, the source said that the cricket board was working out a slot before the West Indies home series, and hoped to organize the draft in the second week of December.

Earlier, media reports had suggested that the start of the seventh season of PSL could be delayed as the PSL management was facing difficulties in players’ registration.

“The PSL’s management was facing difficulties in players’ registration as most of the players will be busy in a foreign league on the dates proposed for the PSL 7 draft. The league could be delayed for a few days,” a media outlet had said quoting PCB sources.

Note that the draft for PSL 7 was earlier expected to take place in the first week of December, which could now be postponed by a week.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Former South African fast bowler, Vernon Philander, has thanked Pakistani players and team management for their love and support during his short stint as the team’s bowling consultant.

Philander, who was appointed alongside the head coach, Saqlain Mushtaq, and batting consultant, Matthew Hayden, on an interim basis ahead of the T20 World Cup, had to leave Pakistan’s camp on the fourth day of the first Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

His contract was due to expire by the end of November, but he had to leave early amid fears of travel restrictions due to the Omicron variant of the coronavirus discovered in his home country last week.

The former fast bowler wrote a heartfelt message in Urdu to thank the team management and players.

“My last two months with the Pakistan cricket team, which started from Lahore before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, have been wonderful. During this time all the players gave an excellent response and the team management encouraged me a lot,” Philander wrote on Twitter.

Earlier Matthew Hayden, who had left the side right after the T20 World Cup, had sent his heartiest wishes for the team.

The Australian batting great, who was excused from extending his contract after the mega event due to prior commitments, wrote a heartfelt note on Twitter in Urdu.

“Assalam o alaikum Pakistan! I am serving the mandatory quarantine in Brisbane at the moment but my heart is beating for all the players and support staff of the Pakistan cricket team in Dhaka,” he wrote on Twitter.

It is worth mentioning that the cricket board had appointed this interim coaching set up after former head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq, and bowling coach, Waqar Younis, had stepped down just a month before the T20 World Cup.

Source: Pro Pakistani