Page 38 - Pakistan Cricket Team

Naseem washes Pakistan cricket's dirty linen in public on player insecurity

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah has come out in the open about the culture of insecurity in the national side, saying senior players are afraid of taking breaks to rest their bodies, fearing replacement by younger players. Shah, who was ruled out of the 50-over World Cup in India last year due to a shoulder problem, added that even he was afraid about losing his place in the side due to the injury. "Honestly, the main players are afraid of giving their bodies rest even when they know they need a break because the Pakistan cricket culture is such that if a new player comes in and performs in a match or two, you don't know if he will replace you permanently in the team," Shah told Cricwick. "This fear does not allow players to rest because you are scared your careers could end there," the young bowler said. Naseem said there was a need for clarity and better communication between senior players, team management, selectors and the Pakistan Cricket Board. "In other countries, if a ma

Pakistan in search of foreign cricket coach: Sammy, Watson decline offers

Pakistan's search for a foreign coach has hit hurdles with former Australian allrounder Shane Watson and former West Indian captain Darren Sammy dropping out of the race for the next head coach of the national team. While Sammy turned down approaches by the PCB citing he is already contracted with the West Indies board as head coach of the WI white-ball teams, Watson returned home on Saturday night after rejecting the offer from the Pakistan board. A well-informed source aware of the developments said that senior PCB officials had held detailed talks with Watson in Karachi during the PSL matches offering him the head coach position. Watson had initially shown interest and kept certain financial and other conditions to accept the offer," the source said. "But after the board more or less accepted Watson's financial demands the Australian was not happy that details of the proposed package were leaked out in the Pakistan media and social media." The Australian then politely turned do

Champions Trophy: Hybrid model on cards if India refuses to play in Pak

A 'hybrid model' to host next year's Champions Trophy in Pakistan remains an option as India's participation cannot be decided by the ICC if there is a government policy against it, a source in the governing body's all-powerful executive board told PTI on Friday. The ICC board meeting is currently underway in Dubai. The Champions Trophy, which will be held in February-March 2025, is not on the agenda but newly-elected PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi has stated that he wants to speak with his BCCI counterpart Jay Shah as well as ICC bigwigs on the sidelines, seeking some kind of assurance. However, an ICC Board member, who is privy to the developments, feels that any decision by BCCI, will only be taken closer to the tournament and once again, the idea of using UAE as a potential venue cannot be entirely discarded. "Every member can raise concerns for discussion at Board meetings and then it would go to a vote. But if the government (of a member nation) expressly say that they can't play

Pakistan to pay highest-ever salary to Shane Watson for head coach role

Former Australian all-rounder, Shane Watson, who is in line to take over as Pakistan cricket team's head coach, is yet to make up his mind despite the PCB accepting his remuneration demands. According to sources in the board, Watson has demanded $2 million annually, which is approximately around 46 million rupees per month, the highest fee ever paid to a foreign coach. Former foreign coaches of Pakistan such as Richard Pybus, Bob Woolmer, Geoff Lawson, Dav Whatmore, Grant Bradburn and Mickey Arthur were paid much less than what Watson has demanded. He has a young family in Australia and also has commitments in the USA Major League. So, he is weighing his options as the board wants him to spend maximum time in Pakistan helping them also discover and groom talent at domestic level, the source said. He conceded Watson was taking time to ink the contract because of the frequent changes within the PCB and the coaching staff. Watson, at present, is coaching the Quetta Gladiators in the

Rawalpindi and Lahore to host 5 T20Is against New Zealand next month

Pakistan will host New Zealand in a five-match Twenty20 International series next month as part of its preparations for the T20 World Cup. The Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday said Rawalpindi will host three games on April 18, 20 and 21 and the remaining two will be played at Lahore on April 25 and 27. New Zealand will likely be missing several frontline players including Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson, who will be playing in the Indian Premier League. New Zealand beat Pakistan 4-1 at home in Shaheen Shah Afridi's debut T20I series as skipper earlier this year. This tour symbolizes the deep-rooted ties and mutual respect that define the relationship between our two cricketing nations, Usman Wahla, the PCB's director of international cricket, said. Our avid cricket fans and the people of Pakistan will welcome the New Zealand team again. We hope to have yet another competitive series which is a key part of our buildup to this year's ICC T20 World Cup. The J

Babar Azam publicly expresses unhappiness with PAK team decision, stirs row

Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam's public expression of his unhappiness at being asked to bat at number three in T20 Internationals indicates that all is not well in the national team's dressing room. It all started after the top-order batter was forced to step down as the leader in all three formats by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Babar made his feelings clear at a media interaction during the Pakistan Super League on Tuesday that he was not satisfied with the decision to bat at number three during the New Zealand T20Is in January. Pakistan lost the series 1-4 after the successful opening pair of Babar and Muhammad Rizwan was split, and the latter opened alongside a young Saim Ayub. "It was the Pakistan team's demand at the time. I did that for Pakistan. "If I was asked individually, I wasn't satisfied with the decision to bat at one down position. However, I did that for Pakistan," Babar said. He also clarified that he didn't take any pressure opening in the shortest for

WTC 2023-25 points table: Check India and Australia rankings after NZ Tests

India, who established their position at the top after an inning and 64 runs win against India at Dharamsala on March 9, is now only six percentage points (PoP) ahead of the Australian side

NZC security team arrives in Pakistan for reconnaissance ahead of Pak tour

A security delegation of New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has reached Pakistan to carry out a reconnaissance of the arrangements for the Kiwi side's tour in April to play a T20 series. The delegation, which includes two members of the NZC and an independent security expert, arrived in Pakistan at the weekend to visit Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The five matches of the New Zealand are scheduled to be played at Lahore and Pindi in mid-April. "The security delegation will visit the match venues, hotels where teams will stay and also get briefings from government and security officials on the security plan for the visitors," a source in the Pakistan Cricket Board said. The delegation also includes the CEO of the New Zealand Players Association. The New Zealand team had returned home in September, 2021 without playing a match of its white-ball series in Pakistan after their government ordered them to come back after getting knowledge about a credible threat against the squad. New Zeala

Inzamam slams PCB's decision to remove Hafeez, demands respect for players

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has criticised the country's cricket board for removing Muhammed Hafeez as Team Director due to recent poor results, asserting that it is unfair to "target" ex-players in administrative roles when officials are refusing to shoulder any responsibility for the side's performance. The PCB had last month parted ways with Hafeez after a 0-3 Test defeat in Australia followed by a 1-4 T20 International series loss to New Zealand. Hafeez's contract, initially short-term, concluded after the T20 series in New Zealand, following the sports ministry's recommendation against a long-term agreement. "Can someone explain the reasoning behind removing Muhammad Hafeez as team director but retaining Wahab Riaz as chief selector after the Australian and New Zealand tours?" Inzamam said on a TV show. "Weren't both appointed at same time and given same responsibilities so why has only Hafeez been held accountable and not Wahab Riaz?" he asked. The former cricket

T20 World Cup 2024: Pakistan set to host NZ in April as preparation for WC

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to host a five-match T20 international series against New Zealand in April this year. A PCB official confirmed that talks were underway with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) to finalise the dates and venues for the rubber but the window would be from April 13 to 24. The official said that the series, being held in preparation for the T20 World Cup this year, would be probably staged in Lahore and Rawalpindi as Karachi would be hosting a series between the Pakistan and West Indies women's teams around the same time. Pakistan last month played a five-match T20 series, which New Zealand won 4-1. The Pakistan team, after the Pakistan Super League, will be involved in a series of T20 matches against Afghanistan, New Zealand and England ahead of the World Cup in June in the USA and the West Indies. Pakistan in the last two years has been able to host a number of international teams, including top ranked sides like Australia, England and New Zealand.

Pak team fitness was the lowest priority for Babar, coach Arthur: Hafeez

Former Pakistan cricket director Muhammad Hafeez has claimed that ex-captain, Babar Azam and foreign coaches Mickey Arthur and Grant Bradburn had given team fitness lowest priority in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup in India. Pakistan, under then-skipper Babar, had failed to make it to the semifinal knockout round, losing five of the nine league games and finishing fifth. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently did not renew Hafeez's contract following disastrous tours of Australia and New Zealand. Hafeez was made team director in late 2023 after Pakistan's abysmal show in the World Cup. Soon after he took charge, Pakistan were whitewashed in the three-Test series down under, while they lost the five-match T20I series against the Kiwis 4-1. "When I took over as director (in 2023) and we reached Australia, I told the team trainer to give me a report on the players' fitness standards and prepare a new fitness regimen," said Hafeez. "He told me that the former captain (Babar) and head

Pakistan cricket board terminates pacer Haris Rauf from central contract

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday terminated the central contract of fast bowler Haris Rauf in a disciplinary action for pulling out of the recent Test series in Australia. The PCB also announced that Haris will not be granted No Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in any foreign league up to June 30, 2024. "Fast bowler Haris Rauf has been penalised by Pakistan Cricket Board, following a probe into his refusal to join Pakistan's Test squad for the tour of Australia 2023-24," the PCB said in a statement. "After a thorough hearing process conducted by a PCB committee and taking into consideration the views of all stakeholders involved in the matter, Haris' central contract has been terminated from December 1, 2023 and no NOC (No objection certificate) to play any foreign league will be granted up to June 30, 2024." The PCB said its management provided Haris a chance for a personal hearing in compliance with the principles of natural justice on January 30 and his response w

ICC Under 19 World Cup winners list, winning captains, most successful team

India is the most successful team in the ICC Under 19 World Cup history. It has won the coveted trophy record five times

ICC Under 19 World Cup SF Highlights AUS vs PAK: India vs Australia final

Australia vs Pakistan Highlights, U-19 World Cup 2024 Semi-Final: Ali Raza's brilliant spell went in vain as Aussies won by one wicket in Benoni to book a ticket to the final against India on Sunday

ICC U19 World Cup semis: PAK vs AUS playing 11, live match time, streaming

People in India can live stream the Pakistan U19 vs Australia U19 semifinal in the ICC U19 World Cup 2024 on Disney Plus Hotstar

PAK vs AUS U19 World Cup SF Preview: Who will meet India in the final?

Pakistan and Australia have met six times in the U-19 World Cups and both of them have won three matches each with Australia winning in the last meeting by 122 runs in 2022

Pakistan Cricket Board appoints Syed Mohsin Naqvi as its full-time chairman

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday unanimously elected veteran administrator Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi as its chairman for a three-year term. The election was held at a special meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore. I am deeply honoured and humbled to have been unanimously elected as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board," Naqvi was quoted saying in the PCB website. "I am thankful for the trust and confidence reposed in me. I am fully committed to upgrading the standard of the game in the country and bringing professionalism in the administration of cricket in Pakistan." A Pakistani media baron, the 45-year-old Naqbi is the 37th full-time chairman of the PCB. Presently, he is serving as the incumbent caretaker Chief Minister of the State of Punjab. Former Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja was their last full-time chairman before he was sacked one year into his tenure due to "political interference" in December 2022. Najam Sethi

PCB, players on confrontation path over NOC for foreign leagues issue

A severe discord is brewing between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the players who are unhappy at not having their NOCs extended for league appearances through this month. A well-informed source in the PCB said on Sunday that some players were upset over the inconsistent policies of the board while granting NOCs to players to play in foreign leagues. The players who are presently engaged in the ILT20 and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL 2024) had requested the PCB to extend their NOCs so that they could complete their assignments before returning home for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which begins on February 17. But the PCB made it clear to the players that their NOCs would not be extended and they had to return as per the original schedule. The problem is that there are different conditions and return dates given to the players which has caused the problems. While the majority of players have to return by February 7, there are some players who can return on 11th and so

Inzamam blames ousted PCB chairman Zaka for mess in Pakistan cricket

A furious former skipper and chairman of selectors Inzamam ul Haq squarely blamed Pakistan Cricket Board's outgoing top boss Zaka Ashraf for being responsible for country's disastrous ODI World Cup performance in India last year. Zaka, who was named head of an Interim Management Committee to run PCB affairs in July, announced at a meeting of the committee a few days back that he was resigning immediately as Chairman and as a member of the board. Inzamam, was in fact, removed after the end of the tournament on allegations of 'Conflict of Interest' that he is managed by the same UK-based management firm that also looks after business interests of some of the active players. "Can you imagine the mindset of the players when during an important event like the World Cup in India they hear that the PCB Chairman is saying the team selected was not done by the board but by the captain and chief selector only," Inzamam said on a Pakistani television channel. Inzamam was referring to a press

After divorce with Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik ties knot with Sana Javed

Pakistan's former captain Shoaib Malik announced on Saturday that he has married a second time to the country's popular actor Sana Javed in Karachi after getting divorced from Sania Mirza. The cricketer who was previously married to Indian tennis star, Sania, with whom he has a son, released a photograph on a social media platform with his new wife, with the words "And We created you in pairs". Their five-year-old son Izaan lives with Sania. Sania's father Imran Mirza told PTI that "it was a 'khula'", which refers to the right of a Muslim woman to unilaterally divorce her husband. There have been strong rumours since 2022 about differences between Shoaib and Sania leading to a split, and they have rarely been seen together in the last couple of years. Just a few days back Malik also unfollowed the Indian star on Instagram. Shoaib and Sania had got married in Hyderabad in the Indian player's hometown Hyderabad in April 2010 and they use to live in Dubai. Sana Javed who has starre