Tag: Sports

Former Pakistan head coach, Misbah-ul-Haq, said in a recent interview that top-order batsman, Fakhar Zaman, can be a trump card for the national side against India in the T20 World Cup clash.

Pakistan is scheduled to kick off its T20 World Cup campaign with a blockbuster game against arch-rivals on 24 October in Dubai. The Men in Green aim to rewrite history by registering their first-ever win over India in a World Cup event.

Commenting on the high-voltage encounter on a private TV channel, the former Pakistan captain backed the aggressive batsman to go hard at the opposition. Misbah said that his exclusion from the initial world cup squad boggled his mind.

“I didn’t understand why Fakhar was excluded from the initial squad despite his good recent form. He performed in South Africa and was in good touch,” said Misbah.

Misbah said that Fakhar has fond memories against the arch-rivals and could play a vital role in the big game as he has the ability to absorb the pressure.

“He makes Pakistan’s top order strong, and he proved it in warm-up games. He is an X-Factor for Pakistan in T20 World Cup, especially in the match against India, as he has a good record against them, including that Champions Trophy final’s hundred,” Misbah maintained.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Cricket stadium according to the standards of International Cricket Council (ICC) is set to be completed by the end of the year at Hayatabad Sports Complex in Peshawar.

According to Secretary Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Abid Majeed, the construction of a fully equipped stadium according to ICC standards is moving along rapidly and will be available for cricketing-related activities by the start of next year.

Abid Majeed revealed that the construction of the cricket stadium will cost Rs. 194 million as it has to include the facilities and equipment according to the standards of cricket’s governing body.

Apart from the cricket stadium, international-standard swimming pool, 3D squash court, state-of-the-art female gymnasium with all indoor sports facilities for women are also under construction at the Hayatabad Sports Complex. The construction of these facilities at the sports complex will cost the government in excess of Rs. 330 million.

Currently, the sports complex contains ultra-modern facilities including tennis courts, football ground, field hockey ground, squash courts, multipurpose indoor hall, badminton courts, table tennis hall, and male and female fitness center.

Abid Majeed further revealed that the KP government has already spent in excess of Rs. 210 million for renovations and up-gradation of the current facilities at the sports complex. He added that almost 85 percent of the construction work has already been completed.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan’s middle-order batter, Umar Akmal, has squashed away the rumors of him moving to the US to resume his international career by claiming that he is determined to make his comeback to Pakistan’s international team.

Earlier, Akmal had hinted that he is working on a deal in the USA and requested his supporters to support him on his journey but he had not specified the details of the deal. Since then Akmal has played league cricket in the US where he got off to an embarrassing start as he got out for a golden duck on his debut.

The flamboyant middle-order batter took to Twitter and requested his supporters and his family to keep him in their prayers so that he can make his comeback to Pakistan’s national team. Akmal, who has hit second-most sixes by a Pakistani batter in T20I cricket, responded to a tweet by one of his fans who had uploaded a video of all of Akmal’s sixes for Pakistan in T20I cricket.

Akmal responded, “InshaAllah (God Willing) I will come back strong, I am working hard and need all my family and fans prayers.”

The 31-year old recently reintegrated back into cricketing activities after serving his six-month ban from the game due to breaching PCB’s anti-corruption protocols. Akmal was initially banned for three years but his sentence was reduced after an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS). Akmal was allowed to come back to domestic cricket after he paid the fine of Rs. 4.2 million and undergoing a rehabilitation program.

Source: Pro Pakistani

The call for the cancelation of the iconic T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and India gains momentum as India’s Minister for Rural Development joins the saffron fanatics in the demand.

Talking to the media on Sunday, Minister Giriraj Singh urged his government to ‘reconsider’ the match as ties between both countries are ‘not good.’

“I think if relations (between India and Pakistan) are not good then this should be reconsidered,” Singh said in response to a question whether India should play Pakistan in the backdrop of so-called ‘targeted killings’ in Jammu and Kashmir.

The high-octane clash between Pakistan and India is scheduled for 24 October in Dubai, however, the demand for the boycott of the match is growing big with every passing day.

Two more Indian ministers had previously demanded a debate in the cabinet to cancel the Pak-India match.

Giriraj said that the match between Pakistan and India this Sunday needs to be viewed with a different mindset. He was of the opinion that by boycotting the match, the Indian government should send a message that they do not take such matters lightly.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Much to the excitement of the fans, Pakistan has finally launched its kit for the upcoming 2021 T20 World Cup. Pakistan is the third team in the Super 12s stage of the tournament to officially release the kit, South Africa and India were the other two teams who recently unveil their jerseys.

Pakistan has opted for a unique design this time around. While they have stuck with their traditional green and gold theme, it also features a unique part that runs through the entire jersey.

The kit was unveiled in a jaw-dropping video uploaded on Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) official account on various social media platforms.

Pakistan cricket fans can also support their team by buying the official merchandise from PCB’s merchandise store. The Men in Green’s official T20 World Cup jersey is on sale now.

Pakistan cricket team has already traveled to UAE in preparation for their T20 World Cup campaign. The Men in Green have a tough fixture list ahead of them in the competition. Their first match of the tournament will be played against arch-rival India on 24 October at Dubai International Stadium. Their second match will be played only two days later on 26 October against New Zealand at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Former New Zealand cricketer, Ian Smith, believes that the upcoming clash between Pakistan and New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup will be a ‘grudge match’ as Pakistan would be hungry to get back at the Kiwis after they pulled out of their limited-overs tour of the country a few weeks ago.

Smith said that New Zealand was right in calling off their tour as they believed that there was a major security threat to the players.

He said that despite the reasons behind the decision, the disappointment of the Pakistani players and fans is justified as they were eagerly waiting for the series. He added that the incident has added spice to the upcoming clash, and he is eagerly looking forward to the match.

“It’s a bit of a grudge match now on the basis that New Zealand pulled out of the tour over there just recently, and came home, which didn’t please Pakistan at all. We were right in doing what we did, but it doesn’t ease the pain for them, so there will be feeling in that game. It’s the first game that we play, and I think there will be a real edge to that one, so I am looking forward to it,” Smith remarked.

Pakistan will face New Zealand in their second match of the tournament on 26 October at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja, is set to meet the chiefs of different cricket boards including the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with the aim to allow Pakistan to organize international tournaments.

The PCB Chairman will meet them during the meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to be held in Dubai today to discuss the arrangements of Asia Cup 2022, which is being hosted by Sri Lanka.

According to credible sources, Ramiz Raja will try to convince his counterparts to allow Pakistan to host International Cricket Council (ICC) events in the future.

Note that PCB has already submitted a bid to host major ICC events from 2024 to 2031. The board has also asked other boards to hold mega events jointly.

Chairman PCB will also brief his counterparts about the recent abrupt withdrawal of New Zealand from the tour at the last moment and England’s decision to call off their tour.

Besides, PCB Chairman is also expected to call on Chairman Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) for exploring opportunities to hold joint international events in the years to come.

Source: Pro Pakistani