Sports

Zaman Khan wants to break through in Pakistan’s World Cup squad

Published

9 months ago

Farwa

DERBY: Pakistani fast bowler Zaman Khan wants to represent the country in this year’s Cricket World Cup.

“I always think that since I have been doing so well in big games under pressure situations so if I get a chance to play in the World Cup all these experiences of handling the crunch moments will help me perform at my best during such a huge tournament with ease for Pakistan,” Zaman told Geo News.

The pacer was speaking at Incora Cricket Ground in Derby before flying to Canada to play in the Global T20 league.

The 21-year-old right-arm pacer who comes from a humble background in Azad Jammu and Kashmir has been consistently performing well in the last few months. During his stint with Derbyshire, he was among the top wicket-takers in the T20 Blast representing.

Zaman ended up getting 25 wickets at an average of just 16.55 in 14 matches.

“Throughout the Blast I strived to perform my best and do good for the team that was the reason I got so many wickets so it really went well for me and I’ve learnt a lot.”

“The knowledge I’ve gained I will carry forward and do good for my team and in future this experience will help me to do well in any league around the world,” said Zaman.

On the English conditions, Zaman said that it’s not easy bowling in the UK as the batsmen do not play too many dot balls.

He also feels very lucky that he got a chance to work closely with Derbyshire’s Mickey Arthur, who is also working as the team director of Pakistan’s national team.

Arthur had roped him in days before the start of the T20 Blast to represent Derbyshire Falcons in the tournament.

“Mickey Arthur was very glad about my performance in the Blast. He always backed me up and kept on telling me that for him I’m a match-winner and can contribute a lot to the team’s victory. This sort of feedback boosted my confidence,” Zaman said.

Zaman thankful to ‘ammi’

Zaman was representing Derbyshire along with fellow countryman Haider Ali.

Speaking about their time together Zaman revealed that Haider used to make delicious fresh meals for him and took good care of him for that he nicknamed Haider “Ammi” meaning mother in Urdu.

“He took great care of me while we were together, I used to call him “Ammi” as he used to cook fresh food for me whenever I wanted. But his speciality is his very delicious meat curry,” he said.

Zaman all praise for Shaheen

Zaman was all praise for Lahore Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi for the support and encouragement he has shown towards him.

“I think fast bowlers generally don’t support another fast bowler a lot. But the way Shaheen Afridi has supported me in my opinion no other fast bowler in the world would support a fellow pacer like that,” said Zaman

Zaman Khan also praised the love and support shown by fans generally everywhere he played in England but particularly at Derbyshire who nicknamed him “ZamZam”.

Latest News

Pakistan releases their England against Ireland team, and Hasan Ali is back.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The men in green will play a three-match series against Ireland before taking on England in a four-match series.

The 18-player roster now includes Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Ali, and Haris Rauf, who were all reinstated by the national selection committee.

Turn off the silence
Zaman Khan and Usama Mir, meanwhile, were left off the final roster.

Continue reading: Ramiz Raja selects Pakistan’s starting combination for the 2024 T20 World Cup

After the first Twenty20 International at Leeds on May 22, the team will be whittled down to 15 players for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 next month in order to meet the ICC’s deadline of May 24.

Pakistan squad for Ireland and England series:

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Iftikhar Ahmad, Usman Khan, Azam Khan (wk), Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha.

Ireland vs Pakistan T20I series:

10 May: First T20I in Dublin (7pm PST)

12 May: Second T20I in Dublin (7pm PST)

14 May: Third T20I in Dublin (7pm PST)

England vs Pakistan T20I series:

May 22: First T20I in Leeds (10:30pm PST)

May 25: Second T20I in Birmingham (6:30pm PST)

May 28: Third T20I in Cardiff (10:30pm PST)

May 30: Fourth T20I at The Oval, London (10:30pm PST)

Latest News

Gary Kirsten hopes to provide players with “clarity” prior to the Twenty20 World Cup.

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

When Kirsten featured on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, she acknowledged the difficulty of making quick adjustments but expressed optimism that the squad could establish a structure over the next three weeks, giving the players plenty of time to prepare for the World Cup.

He added that they have been communicating as a squad and praised Azhar Mahmood for his outstanding work as the “interim head coach.”

“I happen to be working on an assignment right now. Moving away was therefore challenging. I need to look over my contract right now.

But the arrangements are set in motion. In his role as acting head coach, Azhar Mahmood is performing admirably. Right now, we’re speaking with each other. I’m learning about the squad and their style of play.

It’s lovely to see them play. I have to be in the room, but I have to keep my distance. Although we communicate as a team, he is now in charge. I don’t want to take the lead from a distance because I don’t believe it is a good place to be. Actually, it’s not easy, but we’re trying our hardest.

“It’s going to be a fast turnaround (for me), we just need to acknowledge that.” However, over the next three weeks or so, we hope to implement some structures into the team to give the players the clarity they need ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Notably, Gujarat Titans, an Indian Premier League (IPL) team, have Gary Kirsten as their coach and mentor.

Kirsten will be leading the team in the following year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup 2025, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka in addition to the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series.

Pakistan

Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten discuss their candidacies as Pakistan’s next coaches.

Published

5 days ago

Farwa

At a news conference held here today, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced the appointments.

After finishing his duty in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Kirsten will assume leadership as the head coach of Pakistan’s ODI and T20I teams.

Kirsten will be in charge of the team for the following year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan, ACC T20 Asia Cup in 2025, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in addition to the forthcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and other bilateral white-ball series.

“It’s an incredible privilege to be given the job of leading the Pakistan men’s national team in white-ball cricket and to return to the world of international cricket after a long absence,” Kirsten said.

“I’m excited about the chance to support the Pakistan men’s national team in limited-overs cricket and hope to make a positive impact.”

“My aim is to bring the Pakistan men’s white-ball team together, utilizing their exceptional abilities to work toward a single goal and succeeding as a team on the pitch.

“Over time, my viewpoint on Pakistani cricket has not changed. The squad is constantly expected to perform at a high standard on a regular basis.

But in team sports, it’s not always easy to stay at the top of your game. It gives me great satisfaction as a coach to see players reach their greatest potential.

“I look forward to working with each player individually and as a team to support their development.”

In the interim, Gillespie will take over for the August home Test matches in the ICC World Test Championship against Bangladesh. In the 2024–25 season, there will also be tests at home in October against England and away in December against South Africa.

“I express my gratitude to the PCB for their belief in my abilities and for granting me the privilege of leading one of the most esteemed and accomplished cricket teams in the conventional format of the game,” Gillespie said.

“Given its illustrious history and fervent fan base, coaching the Pakistan cricket team is an enormous accomplishment for any coach.

I enjoy being able to concentrate on Test cricket because I adore the sport. The fact that Pakistan has such a large talent pool is another thing I adore.

“I like to think that I can contribute in some small manner to the players’ development. I’m taking this role because I want to win tests. I enjoy winning, and I’m confident we have what it takes to succeed.

In the end, it all comes down to playing the kind of cricket we want to play—a style that wins games for us, thrills the crowd, and makes everyone associated with Pakistani cricket happy.

“We have some excellent fast bowlers in Pakistan, and making use of them will be crucial to any success we have.”