Wasim, Shadab help Pakistan restrict Zimbabwe to 130-8

Published

5 months ago

Farwa

PERTH: Mohammad Wasim and Shadab Khan shared seven wickets between them as Pakistan restricted Zimbabwe to 130-8 at the Twenty20 World Cup on Thursday in Perth.

Pakistan will fancy their chances of getting the 131 they need to bounce back from their heartbreaking opening loss to India on Sunday.

Zimbabwe elected to bat first and Wesley Madhevere and skipper Craig Ervine used the pace of Pakistan’s seamers to good effect with a string of boundaries in a 42-run stand.

But Shadab’s 3-23 with his wrist spin and pace bowler Wasim’s 4-24 held Zimbabwe – whose opening match in the Super 12 in Hobart was a washout – to a below-par total.

Ervine smashed Naseem Shah for two delightful fours but mistimed an attempted pull off Haris Rauf to be caught out for 19 off 19 balls.

Wasim justified his selection in place of batsman Asif Ali as he sent back Madhevere trapped lbw for 17, a decision the umpires denied but Pakistan successfully reviewed.

Sean Williams survived a reprieve on nine after Iftikhar Ahmed spilled a catch at mid-wicket off pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The left-handed Williams hit a few boundaries in his attempt to take the attack to Pakistan, before he was bowled by Shadab for 31.

Shadab struck again to get Regis Chakabva out next ball with skipper Babar Azam taking a one-handed stunner at slip.

Zimbabwe slipped further when Sikandar Raza fell for nine off Wasim, who took one more to be on a hat-trick, before giving away two wides and a single to Brad Evans.

Zimbabwe lost four wickets on 95 — Williams, Chakabva, Raza and Luke Jongwe — before Evans took his team past the 120-run mark.

Evans became Wasim’s fourth wicket in the final over, gone for 19.

Playing XI

Zimbabwe: Wessly Madhevere, Craig Ervine (capt), Milton Shumba, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Regis Chakabva (wk), Ryan Burl, Luke Jongwe, Brad Evans, Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani.

Pakistan: Babar Azam (capt.), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haider Ali, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.

‘Dirty politics’: Shaheen comes out in defence of Shahid Afridi

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Star pacer Shaheen Afridi has come out in defence of his father-in-law Shahid Afridi who has been dragged into “dirty politics” by a fake statement about former prime minister Imran Khan.

“I request you all to only think about Pakistan. We should not indulge ourselves into any act which divides us further,” the Pakistani cricketer said in a statement, sharing a video statement of Shahid Afridi.

“Hum Sab ko apni apni fields me positive reh ker Pakistan ka haq Ada kerna hoga. Pakistan Noor hai or Allah pak is Noor Ki Hamesha hifazat farmayain ge, Ameen.”

I request you all to only think about Pakistan. We should not indulge ourselves into any act which divides us further. Hum Sab ko apni apni fields me positive reh ker Pakistan ka haq Ada kerna hoga. Pakistan Noor hai or Allah pak is Noor Ki Hamesha hifazat farmayain ge, Ameen. https://t.co/ZCUp6CPZi4
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) March 19, 2023

Earlier, in a hard-hitting video statement, the former Pakistani captain Shahid Afridi slammed those dragging him in their “dirty politics”.

pic.twitter.com/e4aHS1WgIH
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) March 19, 2023

“I am observing since yesterday that a statement is being shared on social media under my name about former prime minister Imran Khan is very sad news. Whoever is doing this, is indulging in very dirty politics. Neither I want to be part of this activity nor I am involved in this.”

The former chief selector, in a visibly angry mood, said that he had the courage to say whatever he wants to say.

“I never made any such statement anywhere on my social media. So please don’t involve me in this dirty politics. Aap ko apki siasat mubarak ho. My only politics is to serve this nation.”

Sports

Pak vs NZ: PCB revises schedule of New Zealand’s tour to Pakistan

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday revised the schedule of the limited-overs tour of New Zealand to Pakistan due to “elections in Punjab”.

The Blackcaps are scheduled to play five ODIs and five T20Is with the PCB and New Zealand Cricket “unanimously” agreeing to make “tweaks” to the tour, the board said in a statement today.

According to sources, the itinerary was changed due to the upcoming general elections in Punjab scheduled on April 30.

As per the new schedule, New Zealand will arrive in Lahore and play three T20Is from April 14-17, before traveling to Rawalpindi where the final two T20Is and first ODI will be played from April 20-26.

The tour will end in Karachi with the remaining four ODIs to be played from April 30-May 7.

The PCB said that this is an additional tour by the New Zealand cricket team and the matches will count towards ICC Team Rankings.

The ODIs will also help Pakistan to prepare their side for the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, while the T20I will assist the PCB to continue with their rebuilding of the side for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, which will be held in the USA and West Indies in June/July 2024.

Revised schedule:

April 14 – 1st T20I, Lahore
April 15– 2nd T20I, Lahore
April 17– 3rd T20I, Lahore
April 20– 4th T20I, Rawalpindi
April 24– 5th T20I, Rawalpindi
April 26– 1st ODI, Rawalpindi
April 30– 2nd ODI, Karachi
May 3 – 3rd ODI, Karachi
May 5 – 4th ODI, Karachi
May 7 – 5th ODI, Karachi

Sports

PSL 2023: Babar Azam becomes top-run scorer

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam became the top scorer of the ongoing season of Pakistan Super League (PSL) during the second Eliminator against Lahore Qalandars at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday.

He marches on!
Meet the new owner of the Hanif Mohammad cap- @babarazam258 👑

Top run-scorer of the #HBLPSL8

Powered by @InverexSolar #SabSitarayHumaray l #LQvPZ pic.twitter.com/bJvM7oWHcv
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 17, 2023

Babar has outclassed Multan Sultans skipper Mohammad Rizwan who has played 11 matches and scored 516 runs in this edition.

As Babar scored his 37th run during the Eliminator, his total score for the tournament so far jumped to 522, surpassing Rizwan’s total.

The match is also Babar’s eleventh match in this edition.

This is the second time Babar has passed the 500-run mark. He first achieved this milestone during the 6th edition of the tournament in 2021, scoring 554 runs.

Previous records

Despite a rough start for the Zalmi during the tournament, the side’s captain seems to be on a roll. In the match against Islamabad United yesterday, Babar became the fastest cricketer to score 9,000 runs in T20 cricket.

Earlier, during the 27th match of the tournament, the right-handed batter smashed another 50 — the fastest 50 of his T20 career.

The right-handed batter scored 73 off 39 balls to help Zalmi score 242-6 in 20 overs. It was also his 83rd 50+ score in T20s.

Two days before that, during the 25th fixture of the tournament Babar also achieved another milestone. The skipper scored his first PSL century.

Babar managed to score 115 runs at a strike rate of 171.66 during a match against Quetta Gladiators at the Pindi Cricket Stadium — silencing his critics. His knock consisted of 15 fours and three maximums.

In PSL alone, the national side skipper has scored 2935 runs in the 77 innings he has played since the maiden season of Pakistan’s premier league. While Babar has one ton to his name — which he smashed in the ongoing season — he has scored 28 50s to date.

Babar has smashed 323 fours and 46 sixes in the PSL seasons he featured in.