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Shadab Khan: Pakistan’s match-winner who brings ‘fire and life’

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MELBOURNE: No matter what happens when Pakistan face England in Sunday’s final at the MCG, Shadab Khan has had a Twenty20 World Cup to remember.

Starring with both bat and ball, the 24-year-old all-rounder helped energise Pakistan’s flagging campaign when all seemed lost.

After last-ball defeats to India and Zimbabwe, Shadab pulled them back from the brink with three wickets against the Netherlands for their first win.

He then turned up with a fiery 22-ball 52 and bowling figures of 2-16 during his man-of-the-match performance against South Africa.

The Proteas’ subsequent shock defeat to the Netherlands helped Pakistan gatecrash the semi-finals.

Shadab has been shortlisted for player of the tournament and could well win it if Pakistan do business against England in the decider at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

When team-mates and coaches talk about Shadab they all refer to one thing.

“He brings invaluable energy to the team,” captain Babar Azam said.

Shadab’s commitment and relentless energy, whether it be in training or matches, galvanised Pakistan’s drooping World Cup.

Fire and instinct

Like many Pakistani cricketers, Shadab’s beginnings were humble.

He grew up playing cricket on the rough pitches of Mianwali district, a farming community near the banks of the Indus River in Punjab province.

It also happens to be home to former prime minister and cricket legend Imran Khan and former captain Misbah-ul-Haq.

People who know him well said Shadab has always been relentless in his dedication.

“Shadab’s commitment to cricket is unparalleled,” said his club coach Sajjad Ahmed.

“He used to sleep around 9:00pm and reach the ground before sunrise.

“That’s been his routine for years so that he can practise as much as possible.”

It was Ahmed who suggested Shadab should become an all-rounder and not just focus on batting.

Graduating from club cricket to district level and to Pakistan “A”, Shadab featured in a 2016 junior World Cup in Bangladesh and finished joint top wicket-taker for his team with 11.

The year after, Pakistan Super League franchise Islamabad United picked him as an emerging player.

“We were picking players in the draft for PSL 2017 and every other team was passing him on so I asked Misbah about him,” recalls Hassan Cheema, strategy manager of United.

“Misbah said that Shadab has that fire and instinct that he had not seen in a player for years.

“Six years later you can see his competitive fire and life he brings in the team is invaluable,” Cheema told AFP.

From boy to man 

But to talk only about his energy and commitment risks downplaying Shadab’s talent.

As a leg-spinner variations are Shadab’s assets and he has had success extracting bounce from the hard Australian pitches at the World Cup.

When he bats and fields his style is aggressive — his triple ability gives Pakistan flexibility in team selections.

It was then-Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur who brought him into the side in 2017.

“When we got Shadab into the team he was incredibly exciting as a cricketer,” Arthur told AFP from Britain.

“He was athletic and was a three-in-one cricketer.”

Since then Shadab has added maturity and confidence to his armoury.

“He is a match-winner for Pakistan. The difference I have seen is that he has come from a boy to a man,” said Arthur.

Leaps and bounds

Shadab had a dream international debut when he was named man of the match in Pakistan’s T20 win over the West Indies in Bridgetown in 2017.

That same year one of Shadab’s finest moments came at the Champions Trophy in a showdown against arch-rivals India, where he trapped Yuvraj Singh in front of the wicket.

English umpire Richard Kettleborough was unmoved but Shadab convinced skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed to review — and was proved correct, making Shadab a hero of Pakistan’s win.

“It was very close to the bat but Shadab was confident that it had hit the pad first,” Sarfaraz told AFP.

“It is his confidence in the ground that helps and motivates the team and that is why he is improving by leaps and bounds.”

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PSL 2023: Islamabad United win toss and put Multan Sultans to bat

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In the 24th fixture of the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, Islamabad United have won the toss and opted to bowl against Multan Sultans.

At the moment, United are in the second spot on the points table with 10 points, having lost only two of the seven matches they have played during the tournament so far.

The Sultans, with eight points, rank at number three — having won four of the seven matches they have played so far.

Playing XIs

Multan Sultans: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Shan Masood, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Tim David, Kieron Pollard, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ilyas, Ihsanullah

Islamabad United: Alex Hales, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Colin Munro, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan, Asif Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mubasir Khan, Rumman Raees, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Fazalhaq Farooqi

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Hamza Ali Abbasi to make TV comeback in serial ‘Jaan-e-Jahan’

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Renowned Pakistani film and television actor Hamza Ali Abbasi is all set to stage his come-back on the tv screen with upcoming drama serial “Jaan-e-Jahan”, the actor announced on Tuesday. 

Abbasi informed his followers regarding his return to the TV screen on his official Instagram handle by sharing a teaser of an upcoming project.

He wrote in his post: “Happy to introduce you to the captivating world of our upcoming project Jaan-e-Jahan written by Rida Bilal, directed by Qasim Ali Mureed,”.

He further wrote that “the drama is produced by Samina Humayun Saeed and Sana Shahnawaz coming soon on a TV screen near you.”

The actor has showcased his acting talent in many well-known dramas before but had announced his decision to withdraw from the showbiz industry over a year ago to devote more of his time to religion.

The actor’s last performance as Noori Natt in Bilal Lashari’s ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt‘, one of Pakistan’s highest-grossing films of all time, had his fans gripped to the screen. He had starred alongside Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan in Lashari’s magnum opus.

In an exclusive interview with Geo TV earlier, Abbasi had spoken of his role in “The Legend Maula Jatt” project that was touted as the game-changer and saviour of Pakistani cinema while dishing on the challenges he faced in the process of transforming into the barbaric Noori Natt.

“It takes a lot of guts to handle the kind of pressure that comes with such projects but you eventually get the courage to deal with it,” Abbasi had said.

Abbasi had further added that if one chooses to do such projects then they must ‘learn to tackle the challenges that come with it’ while adding: “As for us; me and Bilal [Lashari], we have become immune to it now.”

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In pictures: PSL trophies over the years

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A brand new trophy was unveiled for the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday.

The 24-carat “Supernova Trophy” was revealed at the Shalimar Gardens in Lahore and has left fans reeling. 

The PSL trophy is more than just an award, it is in many ways the biggest trophy a cricket team can win in Pakistan, given that in the last 8 years, PSL has come to be deeply loved by fans. 

At such a time, let’s take a look at the journey of PSL trophies over the years. 

PSL 2016

The trophy was taken home by winners of the first-ever PSL tournament, Islamabad United, in 2016. —  Facebook/LIVEPSL4
The trophy was taken home by winners of the first-ever PSL tournament, Islamabad United, in 2016. —  Facebook/LIVEPSL4

PSL 2017

The trophy of the second edition of PSL, won by Peshawar Zalmi in 2017. — Facebook/LIVEPSL4
The trophy of the second edition of PSL, won by Peshawar Zalmi in 2017. — Facebook/LIVEPSL4

PSL 2018

A photograph of the trophy won by Islamabad United in 2018 after being crowned champions for the second time. — Facebook/LIVEPSL4
A photograph of the trophy won by Islamabad United in 2018 after being crowned champions for the second time. — Facebook/LIVEPSL4

PSL 2019 

The trophy was won by Quetta Gladiators in 2019. — Facebook/LIVEPSL4
The trophy was won by Quetta Gladiators in 2019. — Facebook/LIVEPSL4

PSL 2020-2022

It must be noted that in 2020, the PCB announced that the PCB trophy revealed that year was here to stay. Therefore, between 2020 and 2022, the same trophy was used, and the winning team’s name was embossed on it each of the three years.

The trophy was taken home by Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. — Twitter
The trophy was taken home by Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans and Lahore Qalandars in 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively. — Twitter

PSL 2023

It is yet to be seen who will win this years Supernova Trophy revealed on February 9, 2023. — PCB/@TheRealPCB
It is yet to be seen who will win this year’s “Supernova Trophy” revealed on February 9, 2023. — PCB/@TheRealPCB

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