Category: Sports

Pakistan cricket team has a unique place in T20I history when it comes to defending totals in low-scoring matches and also when they put up a total in excess of 200 on the board. Recent statistical analysis reveals that Pakistan is the only team to have successfully defended 150 or less the most number of times in T20 Internationals. This achievement underscores Pakistan's bowling strength in low-scoring encounters, showcasing their ability to win matches in matches that are predominantly low-scoring. Moreover, Pakistan's track record in high-scoring matches is equally impressive. Among all full-member teams, Pakistan remains the only side to have never lost a T20I match after scoring 200 runs, irrespective of whether they batted first or chased the target. This record has gone on for 11 matches, which in itself is a large sample size. This statistic underscores Pakistan's knack for turning strong batting performances into victories, highlighting their consistency in closing out matches when the runs are on the board. The team's bowling attack, renowned for its variety and skill, has often been the reason behind their defensive successes in low-scoring encounters. With the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, Pakistan's opponents will undoubtedly take note of the below-average strike rates of Pakistani batters in the game's shortest format. Most wins while defending 150 or less Teams Matches Pakistan 18 South Africa 14 Afghanistan 10 Bangladesh 10 New Zealand 10 Zimbabwe 10 Sri Lanka 9 West Indies 9 Australia 6 England 4 India 4 Most Defeats while scoring 200 Teams Matches West Indies 8 South Africa 8 England 5 India 5 Australia 4 New Zealand 3 Sri Lanka 3 Ireland 3 Bangladesh 1 Zimbabwe 1 Pakistan 0 Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has announced that the highly anticipated quarterfinal matches of the National Challenge Cup will not take place at Jinnah Stadium as originally planned. The timings of the matches have also been changed as the initial plan was to hold the matches in the evening. The quarter-finals will now be played at the same venues as the group stage matches during the day. The PFF's decision to conduct the quarterfinal matches outside of Jinnah Stadium is a surprise as many Pakistani fans expected the matches to be held inside the stadium. Despite the sudden venue change, football fever remains high as eight formidable teams gear up to battle for a coveted spot in the semi-finals. The quarterfinal lineup features some of the country's top football departments, including Pak Army, Pak Navy, Pak Air Force, Wapda, KRL, HEC, WTSC, and SA Gardens. Pakistan Army and Wapda are the only two teams that had a flawless group stage campaign with 9 points and three wins making them the clear f avorites for the tournament as we head into the knockout stages. Pakistan Navy will take on Pakistan Army in the first quarterfinal while six-time National Challenge Cup champions Khan Research Laboratories will face HEC on May 7. 2020 NCC champions will battle against Shahzad Anwar's Pakistan Airforce in the third quarterfinal whereas SA Gardens will play the final quarterfinal against WSTC on May 8. The unexpected venue change has only added to the intrigue surrounding the matches as the tournament comes closer to its conclusion, however, the final is expected to be held in Jinnah Stadium on May 12. Match Time Date Venue Pakistan Army vs Pakistan Navy 3:30 PM 7 May 2024 Ground 1 KRL vs HEC 3:30 PM 7 May 2024 Ground 2 WAPDA vs PAF 3:30 PM 8 May 2024 Ground 1 SA Gardens vs WSTC 3:30 PM 8 May 2024 Ground 2 Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan speedster Shaheen Afridi has been named as the ICC nominee for Player of the Month for April 2024 following his immaculate performance in the New Zealand series at home where he bagged the Player of the Series award. Shaheen bagged 8 wickets during the five-match series against New Zealand where he finished with figures 3-13 in the second match to bundle New Zealand out for only 90 runs. His left-arm pace also dismantled the batters in the final T20 and bagged his second Man of the Match award in the series with brilliant figures of 4-30. Pakistan defeated New Zealand in the final decider of the series to tie the series at 2-2 courtesy of Shaheen Afridi's world-class performance with the ball. April was Shaheen's month of brilliance. His performances were nothing short of exceptional. In a high-stakes match against the Kiwis, Shaheen's bowling display was spellbinding. Namibia skipper Gerhard Erasmus is also in the running for the ICC Player of the Month award due to his brilliant form with the bat in the five-match series against Oman. Meanwhile, UAE batter Muhammad Waseem has been in prolific form with the bat as he scored his third T20I century in the ACC Premier Cup to make it into the final list of the ICC nominees. Pakistan will play three T20I matches against Ireland and four T20I matches against England this month where they will prepare themselves for the upcoming T20 World Cup. Source: Pro Pakistani

Football coach education is currently non-existent in Pakistan and it is an alien concept to many stakeholders of football in the country. However, despite the challenges former Pakistan football coach Shahzad Anwar has provided a roadmap of how to become a coach in the country which is ranked 196th in the FIFA world rankings. In a podcast with ProSports, the former men's national team head coach recounted that no coaching program had taken place in the country since 2015. 'The last 'A-License' coaching course that was conducted by the PFF in 2015 was also the first one and since then there has been no coaching program, courses, or education in the country. Coaches who can afford the courses outside the country can travel abroad but what about those coaches who cannot afford it?? I think it is important that PFF conducts its coaching courses.' Shahzad Anwar is currently the only coach in the country who has an AFC Pro License coaching badge and has coaching experience of more than 25 years under his belt . Expressing his concerns over the lack of coaching education in Pakistan, the Popo FC head coach said, 'It takes almost 10-12 years to complete the coaching badges and acquire the AFC Pro or UEFA Pro License. 'Our coaches who acquired the AFC A License in 2015 could not get any experience following their coaching education because there was no domestic football taking place during that time in the country.' 'If domestic football had been taking place regularly in the country they would've gotten the practical experience required to elevate themselves as coaches and fulfill the demands of international football but they never got that experience because they had no competition to play in and they had no teams.' Anwar is currently managing the Pakistan Airforce department in the National Challenge Cup which consists of national team centre-backs such as Mamoon Musa Khan and Haseeb Khan. The former technical director of PFF said that the Bangladesh Football Federation has introductory coaching courses that they conduct every year whereas the All India Football Federation also organizes a D-License coaching badge program at an introductory level. Previously, in a podcast, Karachi United head coach Sheikh Hamdan said that the Pakistan Football Federation conducted a D-License in 2019 which was an introductory course for football coaches in Pakistan. Indian federation also conducts its own D-License following which the football coaches in India can apply for the AFC-C License coaching badge. The 'C' License can further propel the coach to the AFC B License, AFC-A License, and finally AFC Pro License the process to acquire the UEFA Pro License is the same but it is more expensive than the AFC with a higher difficulty level. AFC License and UEFA License are two different paths to acquire a coaching Pro License, before applying the coach has to choose a route, it is similar to an 8th-grade student trying to choose between Matric System and O Levels in Pakistan's education system. In Pakistan most coaches choose the AFC License route as it is much cheaper than the UEFA License, the further the coach goes up the ladder in terms of coaching badge, the more he gets recommendations from top coaches. It is similar to acquiring the degree of Ph.D. in the field of football, however, in Pakistan it is really difficult to acquire the resources to achieve that degree. Unfortunately for the aspiring football managers in the country, it is a tough task to reach the top without a proper roadmap. Source: Pro Pakistani

Pakistan's cricket captain, Babar Azam, stands on the cusp of making history both as a leader and as a batter in T20 international cricket. The batting maestro needs, one more victory to surpass Uganda's Brian Masaba as the most successful T20 captain in history. Masaba, with an impressive record of 44 victories in 56 games, has held this guided Ugand to their first-ever T20 World Cup, but Babar Azam's last two victories against New Zealand have brought him neck and neck with this record. Babar Azam has achieved this milestone in 76 matches, demonstrating remarkable consistency and leadership on the field. Moreover, Babar Azam's dominance extends beyond captaincy as the skipper is on the verge of surpassing two cricketing giants, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, in T20I run-scoring. Azam needs just 215 runs to surpass the tally of Virat Kohli to become the highest run-scorer in T20I cricket in history. Babar Azam's remarkable form and consistency with the bat have drawn comparisons to some of the greatest batters in modern cricket. His elegant stroke play and ability to anchor the innings make him a formidable opponent on the field. The Men in Green will play against Ireland in a three-match T20I series that will commence on May 10 followed by a four-match grueling T20 series against England, just before the start of their World Cup campaign on June 6. Captains with most T20I wins: Captain Wins Matches Babar Azam 44 76 Brian Masaba 44 56 Aghar Afghan 42 52 Eoin Morgan 42 72 Source: Pro Pakistani

In the 30th Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, the match between Pakistan and Japan ended in a draw by 1-1 goal at Ipoh in Malaysia today. Pakistan with seven points is leading in the points table. Pakistan will play next match against Canada at the same venue tomorrow. Source: Radio Pakistan