Page 38 - Pakistan Cricket Team

T20 World Cup: Shaheen Afridi contemplates quitting as Pakistan captain

Disappointed that he was not involved in discussions concerning Pakistan cricket and his future as T20 skipper, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is contemplating stepping down as captain. A well-informed source close to Shaheen said that the bowler was upset that not even once the PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi or the national selectors have spoken to him about their future plans as far as the captaincy or appointment of coaches is concerned. "Shaheen is rightly upset as being the national T20 captain he expected that even if the board/selectors wanted to remove him they have the decency to also inform him for the reasons behind this and keep him in the loop about everything," the source said. The source said Shaheen was disappointed that he was not kept in loop as PCB chief held discussions with the national selectors and Babar Azam this week to discuss the T20 World Cup, appointment of coaches and captaincy. "Shaheen believes that if the Board wants to remove him they should have infor

T20 World Cup: PCB wants to bring Babar Azam back as Pakistan's captain

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has offered Babar Azam captaincy in the white ball formats but the star player has not yet made his decision, sources have claimed. It has been learnt that Babar has set down conditions for accepting the captaincy, including having a say in appointment of coaches. Babar has conveyed that he should given the reins of the side in all three formats. The national selection committee, though is divided on the issue. A former Punjab caretaker minister, who apparently has no cricket background, is not in favour giving back absolute power to Babar. "Some members of the selection committee now feel the best thing is to let Shaheen Shah Afridi continue as captain for the home T20 series against New Zealand in April and give him a chance to prove his credentials," one well-informed source said. He said there was a feeling among some selectors it would be best to wait for a series or two before taking a final decision to bring back Babar as captain. The interesting p

Former Pakistan Test captain Saeed Ahmed passes away at the age of 86

Saeed Ahmed, the former Pakistan Test captain and a dashing batsman of his time, passed away here after leading a largely reclusive life away from cricket since his retirement. He was 86. Ahmed played 41 Test matches, scoring 2,991 runs with five centuries and 16 half-centuries. He also took 22 wickets with his off-spin bowling. Ahmed made his Test debut against the West Indies during the famous drawn Bridgetown Test in 1958 when he was 20 and played his last Test for Pakistan in Melbourne against Australia during the 1972-73 tour. However, his Pakistan career had an undignified end during that tour. The Pakistan board believed that Ahmed faked a back injury to avoid playing against Dennis Lillee on a green top at Sydney after his altercation with the pacer in that Melbourne Test. Ahmed was subsequently recalled from the tour on disciplinary grounds and he was never selected for Pakistan again. But before that Ahmed was known for his elegance, particularly those drives down the .

Retired Imad Wasim makes himself available for Pakistan selection

Four months after retiring from international cricket, Pakistan spin all-rounder Imad Wasim has made himself available for national selection after playing a key role in Islamabad United's title triumph in the PSL. The 35-year old had retired in November 2023, saying it was time for him to focus on playing in foreign leagues. Imad was adjudged the Man-of-the-match for his franchise, Islamabad United in the Eliminator 2 and final of the Pakistan Super League 9 on Saturday and Monday. He had taken a fifer (5/23) in the PSL final as Islamabad grabbed the title for the first time since 2018. Imad told media that he wanted to serve Pakistan again. "I made a name for myself while playing for Pakistan and if my country needs me, I will be available. If not, I have no issues with that," Imad said. "Shaheen called me after I retired but I told him that we will talk after PSL," he added. The Pakistani selectors are due to announce a pool of players for a training camp at an Army base in K

Pakistan Cricket Board set to announce revamped selection committee

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has decided to revamp the national selection committee to give it more independence and authority to appoint the captain and team. "I don't want to get involved in appointing the captain, team and all that. I will be revamping the national selection committee and will give it more authority and independence to take cricket related decisions, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Monday during a press conference here. "The revamped selection committee will, after discussions with the team's head coach, recommend the captain and team. I want the selection committee, coach and captain to be independent to make decisions which they feel are best for the Pakistan team. "My job is to govern and administrate the board affairs properly to facilitate the players, he added. Naqvi said the board was in final talks with a candidate to take over as Pakistan's head coach. "Our team is talking to this person and I don't want to take his name before everyt

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