Sports

Quetta ‘to not host’ PSL 2023 matches

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

KARACHI: Quetta will no longer be the fifth venue for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) — scheduled to begin next month.

Speaking to The News, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official said that all the efforts to organise some of the PSL matches at the Bugti Stadium in Quetta proved “futile due to various reasons”, with the foremost being extreme weather conditions in the city.

“We are thankful to all those who helped the PCB with its efforts to organise PSL matches in Quetta. Following the announcement by the PCB Management Committee head Najam Sethi, we sent a special team to Quetta with the aim to make special arrangements to organise some of the PSL matches there,” the official said.

“The team held meetings with all the stakeholders in Quetta but came to the conclusion that it would not be possible to organise matches in the city this fall,” the official said.

“We are thankful to all, including the Corps Commander and the provincial administration for extending full support. However, we have decided that this time it will not be feasible to hold PSL matches there.”

“The main reason is extreme weather in Quetta and also the delay in starting the preparations for the extravaganza,” he said.

The official, however, was hopeful of organising warm-up or exhibition matches at the venue with the plan that from next year onward, Quetta would become a permanent venue for the PSL.

“I think from 2024 onward, Quetta can become a permanent venue of the PSL fixtures,” the official added.

The News, however, has learnt that one of the issues that prevented the PCB from conducting matches in Quetta was the difficulty of effective beaming of the PSL matches and technicalities involved in it.

“Sethi and other members of the board made sincere efforts to take the PSL to Quetta. We strongly believe that PSL nine matches can well be organised in Quetta in an effective and professional way. We are planning to kick-start the preparations early,” the official said.

The PCB official was also hopeful about holding some of the matches in Peshawar next year.

“Besides Quetta, we are also planning to hold some of the PSL 9 matches in Peshawar,” the official said.

The PSL 2023 matches, starting in February, will now be held at four venues — Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Rawalpindi.

Latest News

Saying goodbye to international cricket, Bismah Maroof

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The decision to leave international cricket was made by Pakistani women’s cricket player Bismah Maroof on Thursday.

According to details, Maroof declared, “I am choosing to say goodbye to the sport, which I really enjoy. I have had a really memorable cricket journey.”

Saying, “The PCB, companions, family, and fans have always supported me,” she highlighted the importance of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and fans to her career.

With an average of 29.55, Maroof had scored 3369 runs in 136 WODIs while playing for Pakistan.

Throughout 140 WT20Is, Maroof averaged 27.55 and scored 2893 runs.

Latest News

For the Pakistani team’s T20I against New Zealand, Haseebullah has replaced Azam Khan.

Published

5 days ago

Farwa

In a brief press release, PCB said, “The national selection committee has announced wicketkeeper/batter Haseebullah as the replacement player for Azam Khan, who was sidelined from the T20I series against New Zealand due to a tear in his right calf muscle.”

The information indicates that Haseebullah will become a member of the Pakistan team following the third Twenty20 International, and he will be eligible to be selected for the two remaining Twenty20 Internationals, which are slated to take place in Lahore on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Earlier in the year, Haseebullah, 21, played in his only Twenty20 international match against New Zealand.

or the unfamiliar, Azam Khan was declared out of the whole series on Saturday after missing the first Twenty20 International because of pain in his right knee and right calf muscle.

According to PCB, “Azam Khan has been advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle.”

The announcement also stated, “Azam will therefore be unable to take part in the current Twenty20 International series against New Zealand, which concludes in Lahore on April 27.”

Notably, Mark Chapman’s incredible innings helped the visitors to an easy seven-wicket victory in the third Twenty20 International, tying the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand at one.

Pakistan team for the Twenty20 Internationals in New Zealand

Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Babar Azam (c), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, and Muhammad Wasim Jr. are the reserve players.

Latest News

Rain cancels out Pakistan vs. New Zealand’s opening Twenty20 international

Published

1 week ago

Farwa

As the rain returned, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s expertly timed in-swinger to dismiss Tim Robinson left only a two-ball match going on at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

On-field umpires Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza shook hands with the players and decided to call off the contest as soon as the rain started up again. Additionally, there was a thirty-minute delay in the planned fixture toss. Then, after winning the coin toss, Michael Bracewell, the captain of New Zealand, decided to bat first.

The players from both sides assembled shortly after for the national anthems, but more rain caused the proceedings to be postponed.

The match appeared likely to be called off before a ball was played due to the intensity of the second spell of rain. But after the rain stopped, the ground crew worked extremely hard, and the game might go into five overs.

The second game, which takes place at the same location on April 20, will pit the two teams against one another.