Tag: Sports

Star Pakistani pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has expressed confidence for the upcoming ODI season after a phenomenal performance in the white-ball series against New Zealand.

Speaking to the media after the fourth encounter against New Zealand, the left-arm pacer said that the Men in Green have the ability to reach the final of the upcoming Asia Cup and the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Responding to a question about preparation, Shaheen Afridi stated that the series holds immense importance for them as they will play two mega events in the next six months.

As a team, we will try to benefit from the conditions in India during the World Cup 2023 and lead the national team to victory in the final

The 22-year-old pacer further added that he has always tried his best to perform for Pakistan and will strive to perform in all three departments in the upcoming ODI season.

When asked about his wicket-taking ability in the first over, Shaheen said that his job is to attack the opposition and put pressure on them, whether it is the first or last over.

The left-arm pacer went on to say that injuries are a part of life, but it was a learning experience for him, and he hopes to continue his streak of good performances in the future.

It is pertinent to mention here that Shaheen returned to the national side after a long knee injury that caused him to miss both the white and red-ball season last year.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Fakhar Zaman has moved up to the second position in the latest ICC ODI rankings, after scoring back-to-back centuries against New Zealand in the ongoing series.

The 33-year-old has been in sensational form, scoring 117 and an unbeaten 180 in the first and second ODI, respectively. Zaman’s consistent performances have been a huge boost for Pakistan, and the team will be hoping that he can continue his rich vein of form in the remaining matches of the series.

These performances have propelled him further up the ICC ODI rankings, moving ahead of South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen, India’s Shubman Gill, and his fellow Pakistani teammate Imam-ul-Haq, who has unfortunately slipped down the rankings.

Imam-ul-Haq has moved from third to fifth position after scoring 60 and 24 runs in the first and second ODI respectively. Pakistan’s all-format captain, Babar Azam has retained his top spot in the rankings with a fine half-century in the second ODI.

Pakistan has been dominant in the ODI series against New Zealand, winning the first two matches and taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The third match of the series will be played today in Karachi, where Pakistan will look to secure a series win. The next three matches will be crucial for both teams as they look to fine-tune their strategies ahead of the ODI World Cup later this year.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Imam-ul-Haq has stated that the national team will do its best to achieve the number one spot in the ODI rankings by winning the upcoming series 5-0.

The left-hander, speaking in an interview, said that the players would prioritize improving the national team’s ranking over their personal rankings during this crucial ODI season.

“I am currently ranked third and Babar is ranked first, but our team’s ranking is not good. We aim to win this series 5-0 to make our team number one,” Imam stated.

While responding to a question, Imam remarked that Pakistan played good cricket in the recent past, winning nine of their last 12 ODIs.

Imam added that Pakistan will play two 50-over mega events in the near future and the upcoming ODI series against New Zealand will play a crucial role in preparing the team.

The 27-year-old batter remarked that the Men in Green will play a handful of ODIs before the mega event, but they will try to prepare themselves to play competitive cricket.

“It will be special to play and perform in the 2023 World Cup in India. I have not set any personal goals for that; the only aim is to win matches for my team,” Imam concluded.

It is worth noting that the stylish batter is part of the national squad for the five-match ODI series against the Kiwis, which commences today at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Haris Sohail has been ruled out of the first ODI against New Zealand due to shoulder pain while Shan Masood is also struggling with a finger injury.

Haris Sohail, the middle-order batter, suffered a setback during fielding practice as he collided with teammate Shadab Khan, resulting in a shoulder injury. This comes as a blow to Haris Sohail, who had been out of the team recently due to fitness issues but was set to make a comeback in the upcoming One Day International against New Zealand.

Although X-rays have shown no fractures, the team doctor and physio have advised Sohail to rest, ruling him out of the first ODI due to shoulder pain.

In addition, Shan Masood also suffered a finger injury during fielding practice, but his X-ray came back clear and he is expected to be available for the next match. It has been reported that emerging batter Abdullah Shafique may replace Haris Sohail in the first ODI.

As Pakistan and New Zealand gear up for the first ODI at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the injuries to Haris Sohail and Shan Masood have added an element of uncertainty to the team’s plans.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Fox Cricket has taken down its tweet about the allegations against Babar Azam after PCB’s strong statement against the fake news reporting.

Pakistan Cricket Board has expressed its disappointment over the recent controversy surrounding Babar Azam, the team’s captain that was reported by Fox Cricket. The news outlet had reported that Babar Azam was being accused of allegedly sexting his teammate’s girlfriend after videos and voice recordings went viral. The source of the article was found to be a parody account, which raised questions about the credibility of the platform.

It has been revealed that the screenshots and voice recordings that were used as evidence of the allegations against Babar Azam have proved to be fake. With this, many have claimed that it appears to be a defamation campaign against the team captain and that such attempts to tarnish the reputation of a player should be condemned.

In response to the article, PCB took to Twitter and stated, “As our media partner, you might have considered ignoring such unsubstantiated personal allegations which Babar Azam has not deemed worthy of a response.” The board also emphasized that such false and baseless allegations can harm the reputation of the player and the team.

Following the PCB’s strong reaction, Fox Cricket has taken down the post but the incident has raised concerns about the credibility of online news sources and the need for fact-checking before publishing news. Meanwhile, Babar Azam has refrained from commenting on the matter.

Source: Pro Pakistan

The government is launching 'Champions of Reforms' Network today (Wednesday) to make policy making process inclusive, citizen centric, demand driven and transparent.

In his tweets today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the network will serve as a platform to bring together top experts to serve the nation.

He said for the first time in Pakistan’s history, we are looking for practical ways to partner with our best talent and collectivise our efforts to resolve key challenges faced by the country.

Source: Radio Pakistan