Day: April 8, 2024

The International Cricket Council announced the ICC Player of the Month. Sri Lankan batsman Kamindu Mendes has been named the ICC Player of the Month, based on his performances for March. Ireland's Mark Adair and New Zealand's Matt Henry were also nominated for the award. On the other hand, among the women players, England's batsman Maya Bouchier has been declared the ICC Women's Player of the Month. Australia's Ash Gardner and New Zealand's Emilia Kerr were also nominated. Source: Radio Pakistan

Former South African batter Gary Kirsten and Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie have been finalized as head coaches of the national team's white-ball and red-ball sides, respectively. As per details, Kirsten is going to take over the coaching responsibilities of the white-ball team, which includes the ODI and T20I sides. Gillespie, the former Australian fast bowler, is expected to take over the responsibility of coaching the Test team. The board has locked their services for the national team in important coaching roles and both the foreign coaches are expected to join the national team after the New Zealand series in April. Mohammad Yousuf and Abdul Razzaq will take charge at the helm as interim coaches for the five-match T20I home series against New Zealand while further assistant coaches will also be integrated into the coaching staff. The ideal candidate for the assistant coaching role should have a minimum experience of three years in the field with a Level II coaching badge. For the last three months, the PCB has been in the search for the head coaching role which previously resulted in failed negotiations with Shane Watson and Darren Sammy. With the finalization of the coaches, PCB is set to announce the squad for the series against the Kiwis which has faced delays due to the requirement for fitness reports of players in the Kakul training camp. Both Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie are World Cup winners having vast experience in both international and franchise cricket. Source: Pro Pakistani

PCB supremo Mohsin Naqvi has confirmed that Usman Khan's selection in the Pakistan squad is highly likely and the player will be considered for the national team after his stellar performances in PSL 9. In a recent press briefing in Lahore, the PCB Chairman stated, 'Usman Khan is eligible for Pakistan and he will play for the national side.' Usman Khan, a Karachi-born Emirati player, was recently banned by the Emirates cricket board over breach of contract, following his abrupt decision to play for Pakistan when the news came out that the player had been selected for the training camp in Kakul before the New Zealand series. The 28-year-old had previously shown keen interest in playing international cricket for the U.A.E but following his performances in the PSL 9 campaign, where he accumulated 430 runs in 7 innings including two mesmerizing centuries, the cricket board called him up for the training camp in Kakul. Mohsin Naqvi confirmed that the Pakistan squad for the series against New Zealand will be a nnounced on April 9 while the appointment of the foreign coaches will be formally announced by the PCB on April 15. Speaking on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the PCB chief said that all matches will be hosted in Pakistan and the country will also host South Africa and New Zealand in a tri-nation series after a gap of 20 years. However, the PCB chief said that India's participation in the mega-event is still a doubt maintaining that he cannot comment on that matter before time. Source: Pro Pakistani

Former Test cricketer, Azhar Mahmood, has been appointed as the head coach of the Pakistan cricket team for the T20I series against New Zealand which commences on April 18. Azhar has previously served as the bowling coach of the Pakistan team, as well as winning the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 crown with Islamabad United. Former fast bowler and current member of national selection committee, Wahab Riaz, will act as the senior team manager, while Mansoor Rana will be the team manager. Test match legend, Mohammad Yousuf, will serve as the batting coach, while Saeed Ajmal will be the spin bowling coach. Announcement of the Pakistan cricket team for the series against New Zealand will be made on Tuesday, 9 April in Lahore. The five-match series will be played from April 18 to 27 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. New Zealand cricket team is expected to arrive in Pakistan on April 14 with their depleted squad recently getting announced. Pakistan Cricket Board changed the national team's white-ball captain from Shah een Shah Afridi to Babar Azam ahead of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. Babar was removed as the all-format captain after the team failed to qualify for the Semi-Final of the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup in India. Shaheen's tenure lasted for one series, as Pakistan got thrashed against New Zealand in their home, 4-1, in a five-match T20I series. Source: Pro Pakistani

Newcastle United's star forward Alexander Isak's home was broken into by burglars by the 'away days gang' in Newcastle who often rob the homes of football stars when they travel to another city for a match away from home. The professional gang of robbers raided the home of the Swedish international and targeted his house through the back doors on Saturday, just two days before Newcastle's match against Fulham at the Craven Cottage stadium. According to the police, a car was stolen from the house of the footballer on Thursday and was later found three miles away from the home of the Newcastle United forward. The presence of the footballer's family during the robbery is still unknown while multiple reports suggest that no arrests have been made so far. Previously the burglars have attacked the homes of famous football stars like Jack Grealish, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, Raheem Sterling, and Newcastle's forward turned midfielder Joelinton. These burglars often try to profit from the unoccupied homes of the f ootballers during their away matches which has resulted in countless robberies over the recent months. Alexander Isak has been a talismanic figure for Newcastle this season with 15 goals in 23 matches for 'The Magpies' helping his club get closer to the European spots in the premier league table. Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan's re-appointed skipper Babar Azam picked up star pace Naseem Shah over Jasprit Bumrah as a death-over specialist in a recent podcast with Zalmi TV. In the podcast, named Off-Topic on Zalmi TV, the host asked Babar a question about who would he choose between Naseem and Bumrah in a match situation where 10 runs are required from the last over. The skipper responded that he would choose the Pakistani star pacer in a heartbeat for that particular situation. Babar Azam expressed supreme confidence in Naseem Shah's bowling talents and backed the bowler ahead of the experienced Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is known for his world-class death bowling ability. Naseem Shah bowled with fiery pace in the PSL 9 season and delivered some stellar performances throughout the campaign, notching up 15 scalps in 11 innings while becoming Islamabad United's best bowler in their arduous title-winning journey. The 21-year-old is a sensation and he already has 98 wickets to his name in international cricket at a v ery early stage in his career which makes him a lethal weapon in Pakistan's pace attack ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in June. It will be interesting to see how Babar utilizes his bowling prowess during the mega-event alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf. The batting maestro was recently reinstated as captain of Pakistan's white-ball side under the Mohsin Naqvi-led PCB on the advice of the selection committee which resulted in the abrupt removal of Shaheen as the captain of the national T20I side. Source: Pro Pakistani