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BENONI: South African captain Temba Bavuma took his team a step closer to automatic qualification for the Cricket World Cup when they beat the Netherlands by eight wickets in the second one-day international at Willowmoore Park on Friday. Bavuma made 90 not out in Benoni as South Africa achieved a victory target of 190 with 20 overs to spare. Another win in the final match in Johannesburg on Sunday –- or a no-result -– will take South Africa into the eighth and final qualification place for the World Cup in India in October and November. Bavuma said his own form was linked to “a certain level of backing and confidence that is going around in the environment at the moment”. Bavuma did not refer directly to the appointment of Rob Walter as head coach following the resignation of former Test wicketkeeper Mark Boucher but said: “I think a lot of the guys are feeding from the environment. We are also quite clear about how we want to go about things.” Fast bowler Sisanda Magala was name...

CHITTAGONG: Paul Stirling hit an aggressive 77 off 41 balls to lift Ireland to their first win against Bangladesh on Bangladeshi soil in Friday’s third and final T20 match. The visitors lost the opening two matches but raced to 126-3 in 14 overs after bowling out their hosts for 124 in Chittagong. Shamim Hossain struck his maiden 50 to lift Bangladesh from a precarious 41-5 but it was not enough to deny Ireland their first win of the tour. Stirling hit 10 fours and four sixes, including a six and three fours off consecutive deliveries, to hasten his team’s victory. Taskin Ahmed bowled Ross Adair for seven before Shoriful Islam dismissed Lorcan Tucker for four, but Stirling shared a 68-run partnership with Harry Tector for the third wicket to keep Ireland on course. Ireland were well in control by the time debutant leg-spinner Rishad Hossain had Stirling caught by Najmul Hossain at long on. Curtis Campher sealed the win with a six off Taskin. Mark Adair led Ireland’s bowling atta...

KARACHI: The hybrid model to host the matches of Pakistan and India during the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup and Asia Cup at a neutral venue is likely not to go ahead after the Board of Cricket Control in India’s (BCCI) flat refusal. Earlier, a report emerged that the two cricket boards were gradually moving towards a compromise and had nearly agreed to host India’s matches on a neutral venue while the rest of the Asia Cup will be played in Pakistan. As per the latest development, however, the BCCI has refused the hybrid proposal for both events and once again demanded to shift the Asia Cup entirely from Pakistan. Following BCCI’s initial refusal to tour Pakistan, the PCB also hinted at not touring India to participate in this year’s World Cup. Although PCB has not said anything officially on the prospect of using the hybrid model – India playing Asia Cup matches on a neutral venue – for the ODI World Cup but has hinted it will be discussed at the ICC forum. “This is not to say that the...

HAMILTON: Sri Lanka missed out on direct qualification for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 after New Zealand defeated them in the third and final ODI by six wickets on Friday.  Electing to bat first, Sri Lankan batting lineup struggled against the Kiwis’ pace attack as Matt Henry (3/14), Henry Shipley (3/32) and Daryl Mitchell (3/32) jointly led the charge and bundled out New Zealand for a paltry 157. Pathum Nissanka (57 off 64), Dasun Shanaka (31 off 36) and Chamika Karunaratne (24 off 42) were the only batters to show some resistance as Sri Lanka failed to fire in yet again. In reply, New Zealand underwent a shaky start as they lost three wickets inside the first seven overs. Four of their batters – Chad Bowes, Tom Blundell, Daryl Mitchell and Tom Latham – failed to cross single-digit. However, Will Young and Henry Nicholls anchored the chase afterwards and took the hosts over the line. The pair gathered a valiant 100-run partnership with Young and Nicholls remaining unbeaten on 8...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday clarified the position taken by its Chairman Management Committee Najam Sethi regarding the holding of Asia Cup 2023 at a “neutral” venue instead of in the host country Pakistan. Referring to Sethi’s media talk in Rawalpindi/Islamabad on Thursday, the board said the PCB chief briefed the reporters on the hybrid model he had presented to the ACC officials for the ACC Asia Cup to end the impasse that had been created following the BCCI’s decision not to send its team to Pakistan. “This proposal – to play India’s matches at a neutral venue and the rest in Pakistan – is under discussions within the ACC.” said Sethi. “At no stage during Thursday’s media interaction, did I give any reference to the ICC or make any remarks on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which is scheduled in October. This matter has not been mooted or discussed at any ICC forum so far.” he maintained Moreover,  the PCB expressed its disappointment over misquoting,...

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed shared that he believes Mohammad Amir is a more skilful pacer than Pakistan’s current ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. Sarfaraz, in a YouTube podcast, was asked to rate Mohammad Asif, Amir and Shaheen in light of their abilities as a pacer. “I will put Asif at the number one position,” Sarfaraz responded. “If you talk about skills, Amir is not playing international cricket right now. I think he should play international cricket but it is his decision. If Amir was playing right now, I would put Amir at two and Shaheen at number three,” he concluded. It is pertinent to mention that Sarfaraz is considered one of the most successful Pakistani captains. He is the only Pakistani captain two have won two ICC trophies — the Champions Trophy and U19 World Cup. READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed opens up on his future with Quetta Gladiators The post Sarfaraz rates Amir higher than Shaheen appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/cRP4...

KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators’ captain Sarfaraz Ahmed opened up regarding his future with his Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise and said he has no plans to leave the side. Sarfaraz while speaking in a YouTube podcast, responded to a question regarding his future with the Gladiators and shared his bond with the franchise owner Nadeem Omar and claimed that he will not leave the former champions until they decided to part ways. “I am associated with Quetta for the last eight years but my relationship with them is too old. I think since 2003 or 2004, I am with them. I guess I was just 17 when I first played for Nadeem Bhai’s team Omar Associates,” he recalled. “I played for the Pakistan club and Nadeem Bhai saw and supported me during my growth as a cricketer. He is just like a father figure to me. I will not leave Quetta until they do,” he said. Notably, Sarfaraz has been with the Gladiators since the inception of the PSL in 2016. The wicketkeeper never missed a single match for Glad...

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has thrown his weight behind current all-format captain Babar Azam by asserting that the latter’s captaincy skills are getting developed with time. Pakistan’s captain Babar often faces criticism regarding his captaincy and on-ground tactics in the team’s crucial matches. Under Babar’s captaincy, Pakistan played in the finals of the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup 2022 and the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2021. However, the team also had a dismal home season last year as the green shirts lost the Test series against Australia, England and could draw against New Zealand. They also lost the T20I series and ODI series against England and New Zealand respectively. Meanwhile, Sarfaraz, during an interview with a prominent Youtuber Nadir Ali, backed Babar as the team’s captain and claimed that he is improving with time. “There is always room for improvement. Babar is getting better as a captain. He has started doing good and I hope will keep ...

KARACHI: Former New Zealand cricketer and renowned commentator Simon Doull finally opened up on his conversation with Babar Azam during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight. New Zealand commentator Doull, has been in hot water after criticizing Babar for slowing down to complete his maiden PSL century in Peshawar Zalmi’s crucial fixture against Quetta Gladiators. The commentator received major backlash from Babar’s fans and then in Zalmi’s next fixture, he was seen having one on one conversation with Babar. Meanwhile, in a video posted on Twitter, Doull has finally revealed the gist of his conversation with Babar and claimed that Babar has a fear of getting out. “I told Babar that you are the best player in the country; I believe you should be bullying this tournament and owning these bowlers. You, at times, are afraid to get out, but you shouldn’t ever be afraid to get out. At some point in your innings, that shows, and that was kind of the gist of my whole chat with him,”...

Nottinghamshire on Thursday announced the signing of Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi for their Vitality Blast 2023 campaign.  Taking to Twitter, Nottinghamshire welcomed the star Pakistan seamer to the Notts Outlaws for the upcoming T20 Blast season. BREAKING | speedster @iShaheenAfridi signs for the 2023 @VitalityBlast . Full details https://t.co/EptegVwJ2q #TheEagleHasLanded pic.twitter.com/0O8OtRynQP — Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) March 30, 2023 The 22-year-old recently led Lahore Qalandars to their second consecutive PSL title and became the only captain in the tournament’s history to defend the championship. He was also signed by the Welsh Fire for £100,000 in the recently-held the Hundred draft for the third edition of the league. “In Shaheen, we’ve got a world class player – which is really exciting – and a player with a point of difference with the ball, which is crucial when we are looking to recruit,” said Nottingham head coach Peter Moores. Moore...

LAHORE: Pakistan women’s football team has travelled to UAE to supplement their preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympics Football Qualifiers, starting in Tajikistan next week.  According to the details, the national women’s team will hold a three-day training camp in Dubai before flying out to Tajikistan on April 3 for the first round of the AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Pakistan will play their first match of the tournament against the Philippines on April 5. They face Hong Kong on April 8 before ending their campaign on April 11 with an encounter against home side Tajikistan. In the first round of Olympic Qualifiers, 26 Asian teams will participate in the upcoming tournament. They are divided into five groups of four and two groups of three teams. The seven group winners from the first round will join Asia’s five highest-ranked teams – North Korea, Japan, Australia, China and South Korea – in the second round of the Paris 2024 Olympic women’s football qualif...

The idea to host Pakistan’s World Cup 2023 matches in Bangladesh has been discussed at the ICC meetings last week, reported a renowned cricket website on Wednesday. According to ESPN Cricinfo , in informal discussions on the sidelines of the board meetings in Dubai, PCB insisted to apply the same hybrid Asia Cup model for the World Cup as well. The upcoming edition of the Asia Cup and Pakistan’s participation in the Men’s ODI World Cup has been in jeopardy after the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) refused to tour Pakistan for the Asian event on political grounds. The BCCI maintained their stance of not touring Pakistan for the Asia Cup, while the PCB was adamant that if they do not, then Pakistan might not travel to India for the World Cup in October-November. Reportedly, PCB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) are gradually moving towards a compromise and have nearly agreed to host India matches o a neutral venue while the rest of the Asia Cup will be pla...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) finalized 32 disciplines and four exhibition sports including women’s cricket for the upcoming National Games, scheduled to take place in Quetta from May 15 to 23. In a press release issued on Wednesday, POA revised the list of sports disciplines and exhibition sports for the 34th chapter of the National Games. Earlier the body included 31 categories and three exhibition sports for the event. The decision was taken a fter discussion and th o rough consideration in the meeting of all stakeholders   held on March 6 in Lahore. The four exhibition sports now include Futsal (Men and Women), Throwball (Men and Women), Canoe and  Kayak, along with women’s cricket.  Details further suggest that a large number of male and female athletes will participate in the event for which POA requested provincial Olympic associations, Islamabad Olympic Association, services, departments and concerned sports federations to take ap...

DUBAI: Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam has dropped one spot in the latest ICC T20I batting rankings after he missed the recently-held three T20Is against Afghanistan. Babar had been rested for the away series against Afghanistan in Sharjah and as a result, he lost his place in the top three on the T20I batters’ list. According to International Cricket Council’s latest ranking updates, New Zealand’s Devon Conway displaced Babar from the third position as the latter slipped one spot to fourth overall. However, the New Zealand opener maintains a meagre 13 points lead over Babar, as he sits third on 768 points in the rankings. Meanwhile, India’s Suryakumar Yadav and Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan retain first and second positions on the list, respectively. On the other hand, Pakistan’s stand-in skipper Shadab Khan was duly rewarded for his impressive bowling in the three games against Afghanistan. He jumped eight places to fourth on the T20I all-rounder rankings and improved six sp...

DUBAI: Afghanistan captain and spinner Rashid Khan climbed to the top of the ICC T20I bowling rankings on Wednesday following his side’s maiden series victory against Pakistan. Afghanistan had beaten Pakistan for the first time in a bilateral T20I series as they claimed the recently-concluded three-match series by 2-1. A host of Afghanistan players got a boost in their T20I rankings including skipper Rashid Khan, who overtook Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga to become the No.1-ranked T20I bowler in the world for the second time. The leg spinner rose to the top of the T20I bowlers chart for the first time in 2018 and has been a consistent performer in the shortest format of the game ever since. According to the latest ICC rankings update, Rashid bagged the top position with 710 rating points, 15 points clear of second-ranked Hasaranga. “The right-armer collected a wicket in each of the three matches against Pakistan in Sharjah, with his miserly economy rate in both of Afghanistan’s vi...

JOHANNESBURG: Romario Shepherd’s late batting assault and a five-wicket haul by Alzarri Joseph took the West Indies to a series-clinching seven-run win against South Africa in the third Twenty20 international at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Shepherd slammed 44 not out off 22 balls to lift the West Indies from 161 for eight to 220 for eight, sharing an unbeaten ninth-wicket stand of 59 off 26 balls with Joseph, who made 14 not out. Fast bowler Joseph then took five for 40 as South Africa were restricted to 213 for six. New West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell said the players had responded to his call “to be fearless, to be natural – but you have to be smart too. The guys were excellent in this series.” Joseph, who missed the second match in Centurion when South Africa achieved a world record run chase of 259, struck crucial blows when he took the wickets of T20 stars Quinton de Kock (21) and David Miller (11). Joseph effectively wrapped up the match in the pe...

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO: Argentina captain Lionel Messi on Tuesday scored his 100th international goal for the reigning world champions as they romped to a 7-0 friendly win over outclassed Curacao. Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi opened the scoring against the Caribbean island minnows on 20 minutes in Santiago del Estero. It came 17 years after he opened his Argentina account in a 3-2 defeat to Croatia in March 2006. The 35-year-old soon added another just after the half-hour mark to make it 3-0, and then completed his hat-trick on 37 minutes with the fifth as Argentina toyed with their overmatched opponents. It was his seventh hat-trick for the national team. “You cannot describe Messi in words,” said fellow goalscorer Nicolas Gonzalez. “He’s the best in the world and he shows it match after match, day after day. Every time he touches the ball, he makes you smile.” Messi came into the game not just as his country’s all-time record goalscorer, but with more goals than the next t...

SHARJAH: Young opening batter Mohammad Haris has taken the responsibility for Pakistan’s dismal performance in the recently-concluded T20I series against Afghanistan. Haris, who scored just 22 runs in three innings, apologized to the cricket fans of the country for his consistent failures with the bat during the series. “Dear my nation. Not the result we wanted. I am responsible as I did not provide a good start for my team.” he maintained in a Twitter post on Tuesday. “Really sorry but we will learn from this experience and come back stronger In ShAA Allah,” he added. Dear my nation. Not the result we wanted. I am responsible as I did not provide a good start for my team. Really sorry but we will learn from this experience and come back stronger In ShAA Allah. — Muhammad Haris (@iamharis63) March 27, 2023 It may be noted here that Afghanistan beat Pakistan 2-1 in the maiden bilateral series between the two sides. Although the Green Shirts bounced back in the final T20I to ac...

PARIS: France held on to beat Ireland 1-0 in Dublin on Monday to win their second Euro 2024 qualifier, while the Netherlands eased past Gibraltar 3-0. Right-back Benjamin Pavard pounced with half an hour remaining at a sold-out Lansdowne Road before two superb Mike Maignan saves in the final two minutes. With 30 seconds to play in Dublin, AC Milan’s Maignan, who has succeeded former captain Hugo Lloris as Les Bleus’ goalkeeper, tipped over team-mate Jules Kounde’s panicked header. From the resulting corner Maignan saved the visitors’ skin as he made a similar save from Nathan Collins’ powerful effort. “Mike’s stop allowed us to stay in the match and claim a clean sheet, so I’m going to say that he’s the man of the match,” Bayern Munich’s Pavard told television channel TF1. “I had the chance to play, it was succesful, I scored, even if a defender’s main objective is to defend well,” he added. In Rotterdam, Manchester City centre-back Nathan Ake scored twice in a little over half a...

SHARJAH: Skipper Shadab Khan claimed that the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan proved helpful for Pakistan in strengthening their bench strength for future fixtures.  Shadab, who captained the Green Shirts during their 2-1 series defeat against Afghanistan in Sharjah, stated the team achieved their desired objective from the series despite the forgettable results. “The motive of this series was to prepare our bench strength and we have achieved this motive,” he said in a post-match press conference after Pakistan sealed a consolation win in the third T20I on Monday. “Unfortunately the young players could not perform as we expected from them but definitely this new talent will prove beneficial for Pakistan in the future.” Flanked by young opener Saim Ayub, who scored 49 from 40 to help Pakistan set a massive 183-run target, the Pakistan captain hailed the youngsters for their outstanding fightback under pressure and for outclassing the opponents in the competition. “...

SHARJAH: All-rounder Shadab Khan on Monday became the first Pakistan bowler to complete 100 wickets in T20 Internationals in the ongoing third T20I against Afghanistan. Shadab dismissed Usman Ghani in the last T20I of the ongoing three-match series against Afghanistan to complete his 100 wickets in the shorter format. Following this feat, Shadab also became the first Pakistani bowler to breach the 100-wicket mark in T20Is, followed by star all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who had 98 scalps to his name. Shadab took 87 innings to reach the milestone while Afridi played 98 T20Is. MILESTONE ALERT @76Shadabkhan becomes the first Pakistan men's cricketer to take 1⃣0⃣0⃣ wickets in T20Is #AFGvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/FO4c5ImTIb — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 27, 2023 Notably, the leg-spinner has thus far taken three wickets in as many overs and forced Afghanistan to slip to 73/7 while this story was filed. Earlier, Pakistan batters, led by young Saim Ayub,...

SHARJAH: Young left-handed opener Saim Ayub’s sensible 49-run knock and collective contributions by the batters helped Pakistan to post a massive total of 182/7 in the third T20I against Afghanistan. Put into bat first in the third T20I of the three-match series, led by Afghanistan 2-0 , Pakistan batters put on an all-round performance to pile a commendable total on the scoreboard with young Saim leading the way with a gritty 49-run knock. Earlier, the green shirts were once again off to a dismal start to their innings as wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris (1) perished cheaply in the second over with just one run on the board. Promoted to bat at number three, Tayyab Tahir, joined Saim in the middle and launched a counterattack on the Afghan bowlers. The right-handed batter was looking to dominate the bowlers, having smashed two boundaries early on, but failed to stretch his knock as he fell after scoring 10 off nine in the fourth over. Abdullah Shafique, who was going through a ro...

SHARJAH: Pakistan’s young right-handed batter Abdullah Shafique had a sigh of relief as he broke the unwanted streak of ducks in T20Is. Abdullah, who became the first player to bag four consecutive ducks in T20Is on Sunday, finally scored his first runs after four successive failures. The right-handed batter pushed a tossed-up delivery by Mohammad Nabi to wide long-on to score a much-needed run and avoided another duck. Notably, the right-handed batter had bagged the worst record in his brief five-match T20I career as he went out for a duck in four successive matches. Abdullah, who scored 41 not out on his T20I debut against Zimbabwe, was yet to score a run since then as he bagged two ducks each against New Zealand and Afghanistan. The young batting prodigy, however, came out roaring in the third and final T20I of the ongoing series as he scored a brisk 13-ball 23 before Rashid Khan castled him in the eighth over. He smashed a boundary and two sixes amid his brief knock. It is pe...

CHITTAGONG: Taskin Ahmed claimed three wickets in an over as Bangladesh kept their cool to beat Ireland by 22 runs in a rain-affected first Twenty20 international in Chittagong on Monday. Bangladesh posted 207-5 in 19.2 overs before rain ended their innings, halting the game for more than an hour and forcing match officials to set Ireland a revised target of 104 runs in eight overs. Ireland finished with 81-5 despite making a flying start to their run chase with 18 runs in the first over. Taskin forced the visitors to slow down with his three-wicket burst in the fourth over before claiming another wicket in the final over to finish with 4-16, his career-best figures in T20Is. Gareth Delany top-scored for Ireland and was unbeaten on 21. “(The pitch) looked tricky at some points, but got flatter and flatter. Disappointing to still come out on the wrong side,” said Ireland’s stand-in captain Paul Stirling. Rony Talukdar struck a career-best 67 from 38 balls to power Bangladesh to a ...

DUBAI: International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday changed the pitch rating of Indore’s Holkar Stadium, the venue for the third Test between India and Australia, from ‘poor’ to ‘below average’ after BCCI’s appeal. According to the ICC, the pitch was initially rated as poor and earned three demerit points but after a review by an ICC appeal panel, the rating was changed to below average, meaning the stadium received only one demerit point instead of three. “The footage from the Test was reviewed by an ICC appeal panel consisting of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket, and Roger Harper, ICC Men’s Cricket Committee Member,” said ICC in a statement. “Both were of the opinion that, while the guidelines had been followed by the Match Referee in accordance with Appendix A of the Pitch Monitoring Process, there was not enough excessive variable bounce to warrant the ‘poor’ rating.” With a total of 14 wickets falling on just the opening day of the third Test in Indore, the pitch ...

LONDON: Gareth Southgate hailed “ruthless” Bukayo Saka as the England forward’s breathtaking goal inspired a 2-0 win against Ukraine that maintained his side’s perfect start to their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on Sunday. Southgate’s team followed an impressive victory against Italy in their Group C opener with another composed display highlighted by Saka’s brilliance and the latest example of Harry Kane’s predatory instincts. Saka has been one of the standout performers in Arsenal’s climb to the top of the Premier League this season and the forward was at his very best once again at Wembley. It was Saka’s pin-point cross that allowed Kane to give England the lead in the first half as the Three Lions captain extended his record tally for his country. Kane wrote himself into the record books against Italy, scoring his 54th international goal to surpass Wayne Rooney as England’s all-time leading goalscorer. Surrounded by his wife and children, the Tottenham striker was presented w...

SHARJAH: Shadab Khan believed that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan would get a greater amount of respect from the nation and the media after the ongoing series against Afghanistan, which saw the new-look team suffering a dismal 2-0 defeat. Pakistan T20I captain for the three T20Is against Afghanistan, Shadab, requested the people of the country to support the youngsters, saying, “we must accept one’s failures so that he can turn into a world-class player.” “We are aware of the talent in each of these players. Nervousness is always there, every time you wear a Pakistan star. This was seen today as well,” he said in a post-match press conference on Sunday after Pakistan lost the second T20I and the first bilateral series against Afghanistan. Shadab said conditions were totally different in Sharjah, adding, “Any team facing Afghanistan in these conditions, would have met the same fate.” He added the motive behind sending the young team for the assignment was to prepare the bench streng...

AUCKLAND: Wicketkeeper batter Tom Latham will lead New Zealand instead of  Kane Williamson as the Black Caps named their T20I squad for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.  According to the details, Latham, who last played a T20I in September will return to the national colours and will take up the leadership role in the absence of New Zealand’s regular captain Williamson. Latham will captain the 15-member squad which features potential T20 debutants Chad Bowes and Henry Shipley, along with several players returning to international T20 cricket on the back of the strong international and domestic form. Tom Latham will return to international T20 action for the first time since 2021 to lead the BLACKCAPS T20 sides against Sri Lanka (home) and Pakistan (away). More | https://t.co/jzxlGum5JK #NZvSL #PAKvNZ pic.twitter.com/DNd31LkdKe — BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) March 26, 2023   According to the NZC, the Pakistan-bound squad will leave for the country on April 9 to play a...

SHARJAH: Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan in the second T20I of the three-match series here on Sunday. PLAYING XIs Pakistan: Shadab Khan (c), Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Mohammad Nawaz, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Zaman Khan, Ihsanullah. Afghanistan: Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq. HEAD TO HEAD Matches 4, Pakistan 3, Afghanistan 1 The post Pakistan win toss, elect to bat first against Afghanistan in second T20I appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/QlziThd

All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz has replaced Faheem Ashraf in Pakistan’s playing XI for the second T20I against Afghanistan on Sunday at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Taking to Twitter, Pakistan revealed the playing lineup for the second of the three T20Is, making just one change from the first match which the Green Shirts lost by six wickets. Our XI for the second #AFGvPAK T20I #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/1mrew39jSY — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) March 26, 2023 On Friday, Afghanistan bowlers wreaked havoc to restrict Pakistan to a meagre 92/9 before Mohammad Nabi’s sensible 38-run knock powered the hosts to their maiden victory over Pakistan in the first T20I. Playing XI: Shadab Khan (c), Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Azam Khan, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Zaman Khan, Ihsanullah. READ: Morocco stun Brazil for first time in friendly international   The post Nawaz replaces Faheem for Pakistan-Afghanistan second T20I appeared ...

PARIS: Spain won 3-0 against a Norway side missing the injured Erling Haaland in the opening round of Euro 2024 qualifiers Saturday, while Wales snatched a stoppage-time equaliser to frustrate Croatia. Dani Olmo turned in Alejandro Balde’s driven low cross on 13 minutes in Malaga and Joselu scored twice on his Spain debut to give new coach Luis de la Fuente a victory in his first match in charge. Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga pulled off a brilliant reflex stop to deny Fredrik Aursnes and clawed another effort off the line on his first start for Spain since October 2020. Alexander Sorloth then volleyed wide before Espanyol striker Joselu came off the bench and bagged a quick-fire double — heading in his first and sweeping home a rebound for the second. “I still can’t believe it,” said the 32-year-old Joselu, the first Spain player to net twice on his international debut since Fernando Morientes in 1998. “For any player this is just the best thing that can happen. It’s the re...

HARARE: Half-centuries from Gary Ballance and Wessly Madhevere helped Zimbabwe defeat the Netherlands by seven wickets and win a World Cup Super League one-day international series 2-1 on Saturday. After two midweek thrillers that were won in the final over, the home side were always ahead on run rate after restricting the tourists to 231 for nine. Sikandar Raza hit the match-winning four, taking Zimbabwe to 235 for three with 50 balls remaining at Harare Sports Club. Zimbabwe have often battled in all three formats due to poor top-order batting, but openers Madhevere and captain Craig Ervine excelled this time by putting on 96 for the first wicket. After their departures, former England batter Ballance and Sean Williams maintained the dominance of the Dutch attack to deliver a 96-run third-wicket partnership. While Ballance top scored with an unbeaten 64, including eight fours, Madhevere (50), Ervine (44) and Williams (43) played significant roles. Teenage Dutch leg-spinner Shar...

KARACHI: England’s wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings, who represented Lahore Qalandars in the recently-concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight, defended his decision of preferring the franchise league over national duty. Billings was among the few English players, including Alex Hales and Liam Dawson to prioritize lucrative PSL contracts rather than play for the national side in Bangladesh. The wicketkeeper batter, who made his England debut in 2015 urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to review their white-ball contracts. According to the details, English cricketers, without central contracts, can earn around £5,000 for a one-day international, and £2,500 for T20 internationals, which is considerably less than the value of franchise contracts. “Personally, the central contract situation has to resolve itself because we’re seeing it more and more where opportunities if you’re not centrally contracted…(are not significant),” the Independent quoted Billing. “An...

AUCKLAND: Henry Shipley tore through Sri Lanka’s batting line-up as New Zealand romped to a 198-run win in the first one-day international in Auckland on Saturday. Playing just his fourth match for the Black Caps, tall seamer Shipley took 5-31 as the tourists were skittled for 76 at Eden Park, their lowest ODI score against New Zealand. Sri Lanka’s capitulation in just 19.5 overs was their fifth-heaviest loss by runs to any ODI opponent, and New Zealand’s seventh-biggest win. The visitors never recovered after slumping to 31-5, with only three batters reaching double figures, including top scorer Angelo Mathews (18). It comes just two months after Sri Lanka’s world-record 317-run loss to India in Thiruvananthapuram — when they were skittled for 73. Their batters succumbed to a series of loose shots allowing Shipley to claim New Zealand’s first five-wicket bag in the format for more than four years. The 26-year-old worried his opponents with steep bounce and pace, prompting a seri...

SHARJAH: Pakistan captain Shadab Khan lent support to his young side despite the first-ever international defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in the first T20I of the three-match series here on Friday. Pakistan fielded a young side in the first T20I, marking the debuts of Tayyab Tahir, Saim Ayub, Zaman Khan and Ihsanullah. Meanwhile, Shadab, leading the fresh-look squad against Afghanistan, backed his youngsters and asserted that the nerves of international cricket may have affected their performance. “This series is for our youngsters. We tried to give them confidence. Sometimes, this can happen due to the nerves of international cricket but we have to back them because they have the talent, and hopefully, they’ll show it in the next game,” said Shadab. “These players are talented and we are sure about that. We should not make someone a star after just one good performance or discard them after one failure. We will back these players and give them full opportunity to perform during...

SHARJAH: Afghanistan put on a tight bowling display against the young Pakistan side to restrict them to a meagre 92/9 in the first T20I of the three-match series here at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. Opting to bat first, the young Pakistan side could accumulate 92/9 in their allotted 20 overs as they seemed clueless against a disciplined bowling attack put on by spirited Afghanistan. The green shirts were off to a dismal start to their innings as their young opening pair of Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub could only add 17 runs to the total before Fazalhaq Farooqi dismissed the former on six. More to follow… The post Bowlers dominate as Afghanistan halt Pakistan for 92/9 in first T20I appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/4toEYTH

KABUL: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Friday, unveiled the commentary panel and match officials for the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Afghanistan, scheduled to commence today. Former Pakistan cricketer Aamir Sohail and renowned commentator Sikandar Bakht, alongside New Zealand’s Simon Doull, India’s Raman Bhanot, Zimbabwe’s Tino Mawoyo and England’s Owais Shah will commentate during the upcoming series. Mawoyo will be available for the second and third T20Is while Shah will only be commentating in the first fixture. Announcing the Announcers! Here is our Commentators Panel for the B-Love Network Afghanistan vs Pakistan T20I Series, presented by Bank Alfalah! #AfghanAtalan | #AFGvPAK | #LobaBaRangRawri pic.twitter.com/i07pbEw3lU — Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) March 24, 2023   Furthermore, the ACB also announced match officials for the historic T20I series against Pakistan. Ahmad Shah Pakteen, Bismillah Jan, Farooq Khan and Akbar Al...

NAPLES: Harry Kane described his 54th international goal as a “magical moment” as he became England’s all-time leading goalscorer in a 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifying win away to Italy on Thursday. The Tottenham striker banished memories of his crucial penalty miss in the Three Lions’ World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in December by smashing home a spot-kick just before half-time to give the visitors a 2-0 lead in Naples. “It had to be a penalty, and once it hit the back of the net, huge emotion,” Kane told Channel 4. “A magical moment.” On his 81st international appearance, the England captain moved clear of Wayne Rooney’s tally of 53 goals for the Three Lions. “I knew it wouldn’t take long but that was quick,” Rooney posted on Twitter. “Great man, unbelievable goalscorer and an England legend. Congrats Harry.” Kane also surpassed Jimmy Greaves’ previous record of 266 to become Tottenham’s top scorer in February. “To be a part of that is amazing. I just want to say a big thanks ...

SHARJAH: Pakistan’s newly-appointed T20I captain Shadab Khan hoped he would lead the young side from the front during the three-match T20 series against Afghanistan starting today (Friday) at the Sharjah Stadium. Speaking at a scheduled pre-series press conference on Thursday, Shadab said that the crowd would get to see thrilling matches in the upcoming series, adding, “Afghanistan also have world-class players, especially Rashid Khan.” Talking about his strategy as the captain of a new-look Pakistan squad, Shadab said he believed in leading from the front and hoped that the players would continue their top form from the PSL. “I lead from the front and take complete responsibility,” said Shadab “I have asked the youngsters to utilize their form and play their national games,” he said He added since the quality of the Pakistan Super League is closer to that of international cricket, young as well as senior players making a comeback would not find it difficult to adjust. Moreover, ...

LONDON: Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were not chosen by any of the teams at the Hundred draft that saw PSL 8 sensation Ihansullah picked by Oval Invincibles to spearhead its pace attack in the 2023 season. On Thursdays, teams completed their squads for the upcoming third edition of the Hundred – England’s first-of-its-sort league – after a breathless day of drafting. A total of four players from Pakistan, including newly found pace sensation and Player of the Pakistan Super League season 8, Ihasanullah, were picked by three teams at the draft. Pakistan fast bowler and two-time PSL-winning captain Shaheen Afridi was picked by the Welsh Fire to lead their attempted revival in the upcoming season after going in the £100,000 category at the player draft. Similarly, Shadab Khan also went for £100,000, picked by Birmingham Phoenix in round two. Afridi’s compatriot and right-arm fast bowler Haris Rauf was also chosen by the Fire in the later rounds as they aimed to drastically improve ...