Sports

‘To get Babar Azam out is a dream come true,’ says England’s Rehan Ahmed

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

Teenage sensation Rehan Ahmed Monday said “to get Babar Azam out is a dream come true” after his heroics left England on the brink of victory in the third Test against Pakistan and a record clean sweep.

Ahmed dismissed Pakistan captain and key player Mohammad Rizwan among others as his spin bowling proved to be the game-changer for England on day three.

The 18-year-old became the youngest debutant in men’s Test history to take five wickets in a single inning, beating the previous record held by Australia’s Pat Cummins.

“It was probably the best day of my life again. To get a five-for on debut is a dream come true,” Ahmed told the BBC.

“I have bowled better balls and not got wickets. To get Babar Azam out is a dream come true. He is a very good player.

“I liked the Rizwan wicket because I have been working hard on my leg-spin for the last two months with bowling coach Jeetan Patel. To get one to spin a little bit was great.”

Having bowled out Pakistan for 216 in the second innings, England are chasing a target of 167.

They will resume at 112-2 later on Tuesday, needing 55 runs to win the Test and become the first test team to complete a 3-0 whitewash in Pakistan, having won the first two tests in Rawalpindi and Multan.

After an explosive opening stand of 93 runs, Abrar Ahmed finally got the breakthrough for Pakistan after trapping Zak Crawley in front of the stumps. The right-hander scored run-a-ball 41 with the help of seven fours.

Ahmed, who was sent in as nightwatchman, became Abrar’s second wicket after scoring 10 runs.

At the close of play, Ben Duckett and Ben Stokes were unbeaten on 50 and 10 runs respectively.

Earlier, England were set a target of 167 runs to win the third and final Test after dismissing Pakistan for 216 in their second innings.

Skipper Babar Azam scored 54 and Saud Shakeel 53.

Babar became the first Pakistani in six years to score 1,000 Test runs in a calendar year and the fourth batter to reach the milestone in 2022 during the second innings.

He is the sixth Pakistani batter to reach 1,000 in a year, crossing the total when he reached 45 during an innings that ended on 54.

Babar and Shakeel added 110 runs for the fourth wicket to put Pakistan in a decent position but the former’s dismissal, when the score had reached 164, started a collapse with the home being bowled out for 216.

Pakistan lost their last seven wickets in the second innings while adding only 52 runs.

Despite Babar’s solid form, Pakistan are staring at a first-ever 3-0 series whitewash on home soil.

England won the first Test by 74 runs in Rawalpindi and the second in Multan by 26 runs.

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Sumair Ahmad is named the 2025 Champions Trophy Director by PCB.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi commented on the appointment, saying, “Sumair is a highly organized professional with a wealth of administrative expertise.” He will undoubtedly give players, officials, and fans alike an amazing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, especially when combined with his unshakable love for cricket.

He continued, “The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 promises to showcase Pakistan’s ability to host world-class cricketing events, welcoming players and fans from around the globe to experience the country’s renowned hospitality and passion for the game.”

The BCCI informed the ICC earlier this month that it will not be sending a side to the event, which is set for 2025 in Pakistan during the February–March season.

After the PCB asked for clarity in its letter regarding the BCCI’s unwillingness to tour Pakistan, the ICC requested India’s justifications for not inviting Pakistan to compete for the Champions Trophy.

The broadcasters, meanwhile, reportedly pushed the ICC to make the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule available right away.

Due to the Indian government’s refusal to send a delegation to Pakistan for the event, the schedule that was supposed to be issued on November 12 was postponed.

The broadcasting rights, which were given to broadcasters for a record $3 billion until 2027, are heavily dependent on the success of the main events, especially those involving India and Pakistan, which regularly attract the largest audiences.

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India withdraws from the World Cup of Blind T20 Cricket in Pakistan

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Adding to the issue surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Indian government refused to allow their squad to travel to Pakistan for the Blind Cricket T20 World Cup, which is set to start in Lahore on November 23.

According to Indian media, India, the reigning champion, would not go to Pakistan to play in the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 since the government has not given its approval.

Lahore and Multan are set to host the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 from November 23 to December 3.

The general secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association (IBCA), Sailendra Yadav, recently discussed the upsetting news about the blind cricket team’s upcoming trip to Pakistan in an interview with India Today.

The team was given a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Sports Ministry, but the Ministry of External Affairs finally refused to allow them to enter the border, Yadav revealed.

Yadav stated, “We have been waiting for the government to give us permission to travel to Pakistan for the past 25 days.”

“We will not be receiving any authorization to travel to Pakistan, and we can cancel your tournament,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed us over the phone.

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Aaqib Javed designated as interim head coach for white-ball formats of Pakistan

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the hiring of former fast bowler Aaqib Javed as the interim head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team till the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Throughout this period, Aaqib will maintain his role as a senior member of the men’s National Selection Committee and will be allocated more responsibilities upon the completion of the eight-team tournament.

The PCB will commence the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach, with the objective of finalising the appointment before the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is set to take place from 19 February to 9 March.

The white-ball coaching position became available with Gary Kirsten’s departure last month, prior to the current tour of Australia.

In Kirsten’s absence, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie led the team during the tour of Australia and will now return for the forthcoming two-Test series in South Africa.

The Pakistan men’s team is set to compete in three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe from November 24 to December 5, followed by an equal number of white-ball matches in South Africa from December 10 to 22.

Prior to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will host New Zealand and South Africa for an ODI triangular series from February 8 to 14.

Aaqib Javed had considerable coaching expertise, having formerly held the position of Pakistan’s bowling coach during their triumphant ICC T20 World Cup campaign in 2009. Earlier this year, he served as the bowling coach for the Sri Lanka men’s squad.

Before that, he managed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in achieving ODI status and qualifying for the ICC World Cup 2015 in Australia during his term as head coach.

Additionally, the right-arm fast bowler served as the coach of Pakistan’s Under-19 squad during their victory in the U19 World Cup in 2004.