Day: December 14, 2021

Namibia’s captain, Gerhard Erasmus, and Netherlands opening batter, Max O’Dowd, have both offered to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) after Peshawar Zalmi’s Kamran Akmal pulled out of the tournament. Akmal decided against playing as he was picked in the silver category PSL 2022 draft.

Kamran had already voiced his concerns on being demoted to gold from diamond category in the PSL draft. After being picked in the 5th round of the silver category, he said that he felt humiliated and does not deserve to be picked in such a low category. While Kamran was disappointed at being demoted to the gold category, he was still hopeful of being picked in the first round of gold picks.

While Kamran Akmal expressed his disappointment at being picked in such a low category, there were several players around the world who would are eager to play in Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament. Players from associate nations who have had minimal exposure at the top level have expressed their desire to play more competitive cricket on numerous occasions.

Namibia’s captain, Gerhard Erasmus, who led his team to their first T20 World Cup and managed to make it to the Super 12s round of the stage took to Twitter to express his interest in the tournament. In response to a tweet by ESPNCricinfo, Erasmus tweeted, ‘Pick me. I’ll be there for free.”

Similarly, Netherlands’ opener, Max O’Dowd, who was the top run-scorer for the country in the 2021 T20 World Cup also expressed interest in taking part in PSL 7. Max tweeted, “Up for a swap? I’ll gladly play.”

The tweets by the two cricketers show the desperation of players from associate teams to play regular cricket at the top level as they get minimal opportunities to impress. Meanwhile, players from top-playing international teams are entitled to play even if they do not put in the required performances on the pitch.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Federal Planning Minister, Asad Umar, has requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to allow free entry for students in National Stadium Karachi during the ongoing tour of the West Indies.

The Minister’s remarks came after the first T20I match last night. While Umar congratulated Pakistan on the win, he also expressed serious displeasure over empty seats in the stadium.

Chatting with the media, the Minister asked Chairman PCB, Ramiz Raja, to announce the free entry of students in National Stadium and urged the Karachi residents to ensure maximum participation during the tour of the West Indies.

When asked about the crowd during PSL 7 considering the emergence of the Omicron variant, Umar, who also heads the National Command and Control Center (NCOC), said that a full crowd will be allowed during the PSL if the COVID-19 situation in the country remained in control till then.

Earlier, Pakistan defeated West Indies by 63 runs in the first of three T20I matches. Haider Ali won the player of the match award for scoring 68 runs on 39 balls.

Pakistan team also set two new records yesterday. Pakistan became the first team to register 18 T20I wins in a calendar year, breaking their previous record of 17 victories in 2018. The Men in Green also became the first team to bowl out the opposition for a record 35th time in T20I history.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that it will host Pakistan for a three-match ODI series in 2023. ACB released its official fixture list for the next two years which includes home series against top Test-playing nations including Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, and Australia.

The tentative dates for Pakistan’s tour of Afghanistan are stated as Feb-March in 2023 but it is unlikely that the series will be held in this timeframe due to Pakistan Super League which is held in February-March each year.

The dates for the tour are yet to be finalized and will be announced in due time after the two cricket boards come to an agreement on an available window for the series. This will be the first time the two neighboring countries will face off against each other in a bilateral series. The series was initially scheduled to be played this year but it could not go ahead due to the logistical issues after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan

Afghanistan will also play two Test series in the next two years. Both the series are scheduled to be played away from home against Zimbabwe and Ireland. Afghanistan is also set to travel to India to play a three-match ODI series in March of next year.

Overall, Afghanistan will play 37 ODIs, 12 T20Is, and 3 Tests in the next two years.

Source: Pro Pakistani