Sarfaraz Nawaz greets Zaka Ashraf with sumptuous dinner

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Chaudhry Muhammad Zaka Ashraf has left a legacy of sorts as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the years. 

Although none of his three tenures were allowed to go to the full distance for different reasons, yet he proved his mettle as an administrator par excellence in the whatever period he led the cricket affairs of the country. 

Recently, he undertook a visit of the United Kingdom (UK) and squeezed some time out of his typically packed schedule to have a session with Sarfaraz Nawaz, one of the greatest-ever fast bowlers produced by the country, for whom he has had tremendous respect for a long time. 

As all his friends, and even foes, know very well that Sarfaraz is blessed with a big heart who still believes in traditions of hospitality. Therefore, instead of just arranging a simple meeting, he threw a party for the former PCB chief to make it quite a memorable occasion. 

All along his career and after hanging his boots, Sarfaraz has been a man who’s never afraid to call a spade a spade. Always believing in letting his work to do the talking, instead of mobilizing support from one lobby or the other, he played cricket on his terms and gave more than hundred percent for the cause of the team every time he took the field. 

Globally acclaimed as the inventor of reverse swing, he helped Pakistan win innumerable matches. He was a real fighter, who rescued the team from crisis with his standout efforts. 

Who will ever forget his sensational spell at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1979 when all had seemed lost for Pakistan and skipper Mushtaq Mohammad was looking towards heavens to find out if there were threatening clouds overhead to force an abrupt end to the game! Yes, he captured seven wickets for just one run to turn it around decisively in an amazing display of swing bowling. 

Sarfaraz also hit headlines with his bold moves off the field which didn’t use to go well with the cricket bosses. He didn’t enjoy particularly good relationships with the functionaries of the board and, in a few instances, there were loud disagreements leading to controversies. 

But one cricket administrator who seems to have moved along most cordially with him is none other than the extremely polite and humble Zaka Ashraf, who is also a very sensible person. 

An alumnus of Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur, and Cadet College Petaro, where I also had the privilege of studying, Zaka Ashraf was first appointed as the PCB Chairman in October 2011. 

A court order in 2013 stopped him from performing his duties on the grounds that the process of his election was not transparent but the same court reinstated him in January 2014. His tenure was cut short again due to changes brought about in the PCB constitution. 

Zaka Ashraf was reappointed as the PCB Chairman once more in July 2023 but he resigned from his position only a few months later. It’s indeed a pity that he never got a full tenure which could have been of immense benefit to the Pakistan cricket affairs.

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Anwar-ul-Haq considers Dr Waqar Masood most suitable for helming PCB

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Anwar-ul-Haq, a former cricketer turned commentator and analyst, strongly reckons that Dr Waqar Masood Khan, an eminent economist with wide-ranging experience of both public and private sectors, is the most suitable person to head the affairs of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

In an exclusive session with PNFS recently, Anwar, who was one of the most prolific opening batsmen in the country for a long time, felt that the game of cricket in Pakistan will benefit greatly if Dr Waqar was tasked with the responsibility of leading the PCB. 

It may be recalled that Dr Waqar had retired from government service in 2017 while he was appointed as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) in 2020. He was also given a mandate to raise maximum revenue as part of compliance to the IMF programme. 

Having done PhD in Economics and Masters in Political Economy from Boston University Massachusetts, United States, and Masters in Economics and LLB from the University of Karachi, he was accorded the status of a Minister of State, being assigned to carry out reforms within the tax machinery. 

Dr Waqar had earlier served as the Federal Secretary in Finance Division, prior to holding several prestigious positions in the Federal Government including Special Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary Finance Division, and Secretary Economic Affairs Division. 

As Anwar has pointed out, Dr Waqar, hailing from a sporting family, has a rich background of playing cricket as well which made could enable him to understand and manage the affairs of the game much better than those bureaucrats and politicians without such first-hand experience. 

Indeed, the Pakistan cricket affairs have not been managed properly in those times when its helmsmen have remained engaged in preoccupations leaving the ground open for conspiracies and mischiefs by people entrusted with the responsibilities in good faith. 

A full-time administrator, well versed with sound knowledge and experience of cricket as well as management aspects, is more likely to come good rather than those doing it with limited or negligible time at their disposal. 

Anwar’s recommendations do make sense and the Pakistan cricket stands a better chance of redeeming itself if Dr Waqar, having proven track record besides clean reputation, was brought in as the new boss. He could turn it around, if allowed the powers to do so.

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Shan Masood deserves a minimum of two-year stint as captain

By Ahad Masood ‘Bobby’ in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The newly appointed captain of the national Test team, Shan Masood, should not be dumped even if Pakistan gets whitewashed in the upcoming three-match series in Australia. The world champions are overwhelming favourites to make a clean sweep in view of their own strength as well as the dismal Test record which Pakistan has had in Australia. 

Blooding Shan directly as a captain for such a demanding tour seems to be a hasty decision. Hopefully he would not be assessed on the basis of just one series and the decision-makers will be acting in national interest if let him lead the team until the end of the current cycle of World Test Championship which will continue for another two years. He could be given a longer stint, depending on performance.

Despite the criticism over Babar Azam’s captaincy, following the debacle in the Asia Cup followed by the World Cup, he could have been asked to skipper the team for Test series in Australia and also the T20I series in New Zealand. 

Alternatively, when they have brought Sarfaraz Ahmed back in their frame, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should have reappointed him as the captain in all three formats for at least next one year. Ideally, Shan should have been posted as vice-captain to either Babar or Sarfaraz before taking up the national captaincy. 

But, as we have often witnessed in the past, authorities pressed the panic button after the recently concluded World Cup just as they have done four years ago when Sarfaraz was removed unceremoniously. 

It’s a pity that captains are deposed in such haste. Pakistan, in the recent past in particular, has lacked in initiating the process of grooming captains by picking up the potential candidates as captains. 

Misbah-ul-Haq, the most successful Test captain, had innumerable vice-captains during his tenure while there was none when Sarfaraz was leading the side. There was no clarity of thought even in the era of Babar when sometimes Mohammad Rizwan was given the job before passing on the baton to Shadab Khan. 

Shan also had a brief stint as vice-captain during the home series against New Zealand but Babar, for reasons best known to himself, was not prepared to pick his deputy in the playing eleven which was indeed well and truly disrespectful. 

Shan is an educated youngster who has the experience of leading Multan Sultan in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) besides captaining the county of Yorkshire in England. A prolific left-handed opening batsman, who can shift gears whenever needed. He seems to be having the capacity to lead by example. 

The PCB would have been better off handing over captaincy across formats to him instead of just Test matches. He may still be asked to lead the ODI side as they haven’t made the announcement in this regard yet. 

The enigmatic Pakistan squad, short of confidence, will be tested on both the tours of Australia as well as New Zealand where the conditions would be entirely different to what these guys encountered at home. They didn’t perform consistently against these two sides even in own backyard last season. Hopefully they would do better this time to pose serious challenge to the hosts Down Under.

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Biased selection, mismanagement, player power, inept captaincy cost Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2023

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Biased selection, mismanagement, player power and inept captaincy were the major causes of Pakistan’s flop show in the Cricket World Cup 2023 as the returning national team faces a barrage of criticism. Dishonesty was also an obvious factor which created rifts and tension among the cricketers leading to chaos and dismal performance.

The quartet Babar Azam, Shaheen Khan Afridi, Muhammad Rizwan and Shadab Khan had been running the show for the past three years. These four guys were observed working in unison as they pursued identical goals of controlling the affairs of the game. 

There was a change of guard at the headquarters of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) more than one time during this period but the unity between these four didn’t let any helmsman to implement his own vision. Different chief selectors also came and went without having the guts to contain players’ power. 

The Babar-led Pakistan outfit managed to accumulate ranking points by whipping soft opponents. The skipper himself and Rizwan scored heavily in these matches while Shaheen also performed exceptionally well with the ball. Shadab, however, was unable to deliver the goods even against these sides and fingers were being pointed at him all along. 

Yet neither the PCB Chairman nor the chief selector could do anything to displace Shadab, who form as a bowler had dipped considerably as he failed to come to terms with the demands of one-day cricket. 

Everybody knew that he didn’t deserve a place in the World Cup squad as a bowling all-rounder but nobody could throw him out because of his bonding with Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen. 

Imad Wasim was much better choice as a spinning all-rounder but it’s a common knowledge that Babar didn’t like him. Muhammad Nawaz, despite his inconsistency with bat and ball, was the preferred option and the whole world saw the humiliation caused by him at crunch moments. The decision of ignoring mystery spinner Abrar Ahmad and choosing Usama Mir was mind-boggling as well. 

What was the logic of having a reserve wicketkeeper-batter in the shape of Muhammad Haris whereas the presence of Sarfaraz Ahmed would have proved much more beneficial for the squad? But the interests of the team were compromised and the former Pakistan captain was purposely dropped as the ruling elite of four men possibly felt uncomfortable. 

Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha were drafted in the contingent at the eleventh hour. While Saud justified his selection by chipping in with little contributions there was not much opportunity for Salman to showcase his skills. Even Saud needs to learn about converting those starts into something substantial if he is to become a regular member of Pakistan’s ODI playing eleven. 

With the Pakistani batsmen, barring a couple of occasions, failing to get big scores the pressure mounted on their own bowlers who were then taken to the cleaners by the opposing power-hitters. The policy of not allowing Haris Rauf to operate with new ball didn’t make sense and heavy price was paid for it. 

The captaincy of Babar was far from impressive during the course of the tournament. He was supposed to be the pivot of the team but he disappointed all his fans as runs didn’t flow from his bat and there was hardly any element of surprise at his resignation following the debacle in India.

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Shan best bet to replace Babar: Anwar-ul-Haq

Pakistan News & Features Services

Anwar-ul-Haq, a former cricketer turned commentator, seems absolutely clear in his mind that Babar Azam, following inconsistency and incompetence, should be removed from national captaincy across formats and the baton should be passed on to none other Shan Masood, the prolific opening batsman.

“I had been advocating for the removal of Babar long before this World Cup had started. It would be in the interest of the team if he is relieved of the leadership role and be allowed to focus on his batting which has obviously slumped in the recent past. He has been unable to do justice to his talents as a batter, having caused immeasurable harm to the Pakistan side,” Anwar, respected for his candid thoughts, remarked in a conversation with PNFS soon after Pakistan suffered an embarrassing loss against hosts India at Ahmedabad on October 14. 

“Irrespective of the fate of upcoming matches, Babar, unquestionably a world-class batsman, should be allowed to do his primary job of hitting centuries instead of dragging him in a role which doesn’t belong to him. The administrators of the game have already done great disservice to the country by having him lead the national team despite his unsuitability for the job,” the former cricketer reflected. 

“I think it’s about time to take decisions in the national interest instead of personal whims. Babar’s tactics as a captain have often been under the scanner and his insistence on shielding players of his own camp has led to chaos to numerous occasions,” Anwar felt. 

When questioned about the possible replacement for Babar, he didn’t mince words in asserting that Shan, the tall left-handed opening batsman, looked the best candidate to take over the captaincy in all three formats on the basis of his talents and record.

“In the limited opportunities having come his way over the years, Shan has proved himself to be a capable leader who is blessed with the desired qualities to take fight to the opposition. We need a captain like him who could lead from the front,” the former opening batsman emphasized. 

“I firmly believe that Shan has been victimized by people with vested interests. On the basis of his strengths, he certainly deserved to play more often for the national but he was discarded once too often after a brief dip in performance which was certainly unfair to him in particular and to the country in general,” Anwar added.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had installed him as vice-captain for the ODI home series against New Zealand but the evil forces within the team conspired to keep him out of the playing eleven. The conspirators prevailed and Shan was not allowed the space to perform,” he recalled. 

Anwar, who is credited to have mentored quite a few illustrious cricketers like the great Younis Khan, urged the PCB to appoint Shan as the captain of Pakistan team in the larger national interest as he possessed the rare potential to extract the best out of his teammates, both seniors and juniors.

"We have had enough for Babar as a captain. His record is far from satisfactory and he has to be sidelined without further delay," Anwar concluded.

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Younis, Sarfaraz face discrimination from PCB once more

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), seemingly as a part of its promotions ahead of the upcoming Cricket World Cup 2023, compiled and released a video, showcasing the high moments in history on the eve of the 76th Independence Day celebrations. Its contents have already resulted in causing lots of resentment and controversies. 

Initially the PCB was slammed for ignoring Imran Khan, the triumphant skipper of the World Cup 1992. Since he is a former Prime Minister besides being one of the greatest-ever all-rounders of the game, with a huge fan following globally, there was uproar and criticism from every nook and corner of the world. 

Omitting the World Cup winning captain on political grounds was indeed shameful and the PCB was forced to edit the video and release a new one which included his images. But a couple of more glaring omissions have not been rectified yet, which is very disappointing for those who love the game the most earnestly. 

How could the history of Pakistan cricket remain complete without mentioning the accomplishments of Younis Khan and Sarfaraz Ahmed? Yet they have been deprived of this honour of featuring in the video highlighting Pakistan’s conquests in the cricket field. Younis, as we all know, is the only other World Cup winning captain of Pakistan.

If Imran was the skipper of the team which brought home the title in 1992 it was Younis, under whose leadership, Pakistan had won the World Twenty20 Championship in 2009. Isn’t it strange that one World Cup winner becomes the Prime Minister of the country and the other one is denied the kind of respect and recognition he deserves?

Younis holds national records for the highest number of Test runs as well as centuries. He won numerous matches for the country. He led the team with distinction. But he was victimized in his playing days and the same trend has continued all along. Since he is brutally honest and straightforward, who always believed in let his bat to do all the talking, he has often been sidelined from limelight. Those in the corridors of power have generally been reluctant to interact with him because he takes pride in calling a spade a spade. 

Sarfaraz has also been meted out step-motherly treatment all along despite having exceptional record both as a player and as a captain of the national team. He had led the country to title victory in the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017. Earlier he was also the captain of the Pakistan team which annexed the ICC Youth World Cup. 

Pakistan remained the top ranked team in T20 rankings for two and a half years when Sarfaraz, an enterprising wicketkeeper-batsman, was at the helm of the affairs. He is credited to have blooded and groomed the youngsters like Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Khan Afridi and Fakhar Zaman who have gone on to become world-class performers. 

Both Younis and Sarfaraz have done wonders for the country, Any documentary of Pakistan cricket will be deemed incomplete without their mention. The PCB must re-edit the video to include both of them because they deserve to be there. The heroes are meant to be respected and admired, not humiliated or insulted.

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Sarfaraz Ahmed merits ODI selection after phenomenal Test comeback

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

It’s an open secret that Sarfaraz Ahmed has had to battle harder than normal cricketers in any part of the world to retain his place in the national team across formats. Despite having exceptional track record he has been forced to prove his worth time and again. This boy of steely nerves from Karachi deserves to be praised lavishly for having silenced his critics with performances more than once in his international career. 

After his fairytale comeback in the Test arena only a few months ago it was logical to have him in the limited overs matches as well, particularly One-day Internationals where accomplished batsmen like him are more likely to deliver than dashers or power hitters. Not surprisingly, he is being treated harshly once more. 

It’s mind-boggling to find his name still missing in the scheme of things for the ODI line-up. The kind of awesome form and fitness he displayed in the Test series against New Zealand had made him an automatic choice for the ODIs but for some strange reasons, which include petty politics, he was been kept on the sidelines once more. 

It will be fair to say that Sarfaraz, having the scores of 86, 53, 78 and 118 in four successive innings, was chiefly responsible for saving the two-Test home series against New Zealand. He was adjudged Man of the Match in the second Test and was also the unanimous choice for Man of the Series award. What more could have he done in his comeback series? 

He was scoring consistently in first-class cricket all along and yet he was kept out of the Test side for four years which can only be described as madness and nothing else. Quite remarkably Waqar Younis, as evidenced by his comments on air, was still not impressed with the accomplishments of the guy he had tormented or even victimized when he was the national coach. 

He was the man, alongwith skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, to have prevented him from playing in the early part of the 2015 World Cup. Sarfaraz was kept out of the playing eleven and it had needed the intervention of the then PCB chief, Shaharyar Khan, to get him in. The rest is history as we all know. 

Now another lobby with vested interests seems proactive in creating more hurdles for Sarfaraz to demoralize him. With the 2023 World Cup not very far away, these elements will be eager to keep him away from the squad. It is upto the PCB top brass to ensure fair chance to the man who made them proud with outstanding performance on Test return not very long ago. 

With Micky Arthur returning, there’s greater hope of justice being done with Sarfaraz as he definitely merits selection in the ODI outfit and should be a part and parcel of the squad for the next couple of years at least. His expertise and experience are too precious to be ignored. 

It’s a sheer nonsense to suggest that only one wicketkeeper-batsman can be a part of the playing eleven. Many teams are having more than one such all-rounder and they are getting the results. Therefore keeping Sarfaraz out of the team on the pretext of having someone else around for the same role makes no sense. He should be in the ODI team. No question about it.

Sarfaraz is very much needed in the Pakistan XI because he has mastered the art of accumulating runs. He remains an exceptional wicketkeeper whose batting prowess is the much-needed insurance for the national team which has often struggled in putting runs on the board.

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PVCA assured PCB support for staging inaugural Over-40 World Cup

Pakistan News & Features Services

The Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) has been assured total support by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in holding the inaugural Over-40 World Cup Cricket Tournament in Karachi later this year. 

The assurance was given by Najam Sethi, Chairman, PCB Management Committee, during his one-to-one meeting with the PVCA Chairman, Fawad Ijaz Khan, which was held in Karachi on February 16. The PVCA helmsman expressed his pleasure at having held what he considered to be a fruitful meeting with the high-profile PCB chief.

“I shared with him the details of the Over-40 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Karachi September 23 to October 8 this years in which a total of 14 countries will be participating with 56 matches to be played at eight different grounds of the city,” Fawad Ijaz disclosed in a brief chat with PNFS.

“After going through our plans and seeking details on some organizational aspects, the PCB Chairman was kind enough to appreciate the efforts of our body and he agreed in principle to fully support the event,” the PVCA Chairman added. 

He explained the various points of this year’s Over-40 World Cup, in which many star players have confirmed participation, as well as the other activities of the PVCA both at the domestic as well international levels in a meeting that lasted around one hour. The PCB chief was also briefed about the preparations for team which will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa, next month to participate in the Over-50 World Cup 2023. 

Najam Sethi, known for his proactive approach, commended the initiatives of the PVCA for efficiently conducting a broad array of activities, including organizing the Inter-School Cricket Tournaments. He applauded the World Cup winning Pakistan Over-60 team which lifted the trophy in Brisbane in September 2022.

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Rameez commends Saqlain’s role in T20 World Cup

By Ehsan Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Rameez Raja, Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has commended the role of interim coach Saqlain Mushtaq in the ICC T20 World Cup as well as during the Bangladesh tour. 

The PCB helmsman reckoned that Saqlain, a former Pakistan off-spinner, filled the vacant role from behind the scene quite admirably and he merited accolades for having created a sense nationalism. 

He also applauded the batting and bowling consultants, Matthew Hayden of Australia and Vernon Philander of South Africa respectively, who also rose to the occasion. 

"I don’t have fixed mindset and approach on this issue like short or long contracts,” he observed while commenting on appointment of foreign or local coaches for Team Pakistan. Rameez stressed that they were looking to improve Pakistan batters’ power hitting, adding that he was looking to see Pakistan getting better in Tests and ODIs. 

He would like specialists for different tours and conditions while indicating that Hayden may be retained with the team until the 2022 T20 World Cup to be held in Australia. 

The PCB Chairman pointed out that the team came up with improved performances in the T20 World Cup after the pressure they came under following the sudden and mysterious move of New Zealand to run away during the tour of Pakistan and then England cancelling their visit at the eleventh hour. 

“The boys fought hard in the T20 World Cup to come up with incredible performances which paid dividends and we were also awarded the Champions Trophy 2025 besides the Asia Cup,” the PCB Chairman concluded.

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Pak- WI ODI series postponed due to Covid-19

By Ehsan Qureshi at National Stadium, Karachi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The series of three One-day International between Pakistan and the West Indies, which was set to be played at the National Stadium, Karachi, from Dec 18 to 22, has been postponed due to detection of more Covid-19 positive cases in the West Indian camp. 

The series has now been rescheduled for June 2022. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) jointly issued a statement after five more positive cases were reported in the West Indies camp following the PCR testing, raising the total number of positive cases to nine since their arrival in Karachi on December 9.

“On Thursday (December 16) morning and as part of the PCB COVID-19 Protocols, Rapid Antigen tests were conducted on the remaining 15 West Indies players and six player support personnel. All 21 members of the West Indies touring party returned negative test result. As such, Thursday’s T20 International (T20I) proceeded as planned,” the statement read. 

“However, taking into consideration both the teams’ welfare as well as limited resources in the West Indies side for the ODIs, it has been agreed that the series, which forms part of the ICC Men’s Cricket Word Cup Super League, will be postponed and rescheduled for early June 2022. This will provide the West Indies with an equal opportunity to field their best available players for the World Cup qualification matches,” it added. 

“The West Indies team members, who returned negative results following Wednesday’s PCR and today’s Rapid Antigen tests, will depart from Pakistan after tonight’s match. Those who have tested positive will complete their isolation in Karachi before their travel arrangements are finalized to allow them to rejoin their families in time for Christmas celebrations.” 

“Meanwhile, the Pakistan team members, all of whom have returned PCR negative after Wednesday’s tests, will also be leaving the Managed Event Environment after tonight’s third T20I. The CWI would like to thank the PCB for its excellent series arrangements and appreciates its support in rescheduling the ODI series in June 2022.”

The West Indians must have heaved a sigh of relief at the postponement of the ODI series because their already thin resources could have been tested further in the longer of two white-ball formats.

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Cold welcome to international cricket in Karachi

By Ehsan Qureshi at National Stadium, Karachi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The functionaries of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were baffled with extremely low turnout of spectators and the obvious lack of interest in the T20 series between Pakistan and the West Indies which got underway at the National Stadium, Karachi, on December 13. 

Despite massive security arrangements as international cricket resumed in Pakistan, there were hardly a few dozens of cricket enthusiasts to have reached the stadium to watch the first T20I which began after office hours, at 6 pm. 

One major reason of the ongoing series failing to attract the masses could be the absence of top players of West Indies specially power hitters like Keiron Pollard and André Russell besides other top performers. 

The most expensive tickets were being offered at Rs 4,000 for the VIP enclosure while the lowest ticket of Rs 200 was being sold for Rs 200. 

The PCB must have expected bigger turnouts for the white-ball series against the West Indies as the Pakistan team was on a high after sterling performances in the last T20 World Cup followed by an extremely successful tour of Bangladesh. The only consolation for the PCB, however, was the resumption of international cricket after New Zealand and England had refuse to fulfill their obligations earlier this season.

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Pakistan’s motivated outfit aiming for ICC T20 World Cup glory

By Ehsan Qureshi in Dubai 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Team Pakistan is fully motivated and focused for glory in the ICC T20 World Cup whose knockout games start on November 10 with the first semifinal between England and New Zealand. 

Pakistan will be locking horns with Australia in the other semifinal the following day with a realistic hope of qualifying for the final on November 14. 

Led by consistent batter Babar Azam, with a bunch of seasoned and youthful campaigners, Pakistan is just a couple of steps away from fulfilling the dreams of recapturing the crown after 12 years. 

The manner in which the green shirts have performed in the league matches has been beyond expectations as they emerged triumphant in all five outings. The whole nation and millions of their supporters are now expecting them to bring home the title. 

Not much was expected from the Pakistan team when then entered the tournament and there seemed a distinct possibility of them qualifying for the semifinals in the presence of higher ranked outfits. 

But things have changed in a matter of weeks and now they are looking the most confident of all participating teams, with five successive victories under their belt and being the only undefeated side in the league rounds. 

If they simply sustain the momentum and avoid committing mistakes in the knockout games, they are all set to annex the trophy. 

Babar, Muhammad Rizwan, Shoaib Malik, Muhammad Hafeez and Asif Ali have done wonders with the bat. It’s the time for the 2017 Champions Trophy centurion Fakhar Zaman to show his magic as he is known to be having the temperament to come good in high-voltage matches. 

Shaheen Shah Afridi, spearheading the attack, is looking at his brilliant best and support from Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan can make things difficult for the opponents who will obviously be under greater pressure in the do-or-die contests. 

A word of caution for the Pakistan team as well. They cannot be expected to take any side for granted. An odd mistake can cost them the title. As compared to league games they have to be more vigilant in the knockout games to prevent any lapse in concentration. Top quality fielding and catching can lift their bowlers which can prove to be the difference in closely fought encounters.

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T20 World Cup: Pakistan looking to cement place in semis, India face elimination

By Ehsan Qureshi in UAE

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Babar Azam's Team Pakistan, fresh from consecutive victories over the fancied trio of India, New Zealand and Afghanistan, look forward to securing their spot in the semifinals of ICC T20 World Cup when they take on minnows Namibia here at the Shaikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on November 2. 

Pakistan will be going hard at the young African nation to sustain their winning momentum and top form. In my opinion, they are unlikely to make any changes in their winning combination although they will be expected better performance from veteran Muhammad Hafeez, Fakhar Zaman and Hasan Ali ahead of the crunch knockout games. 

The Pakistan players will be expected to keep their feet at the ground because of the highly unpredictable nature of the shorter format where an odd brilliance could change fortunes against the run of play. 

The mood in Pakistan camp is cheerful and buoyant. After two days of complete rest, main players have had extensive training session at ICC Academy Ground Dubai on November 1. 

However what was witnessed at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on October 31 was truly incredible as India tumbled once more against New Zealand and now Virat Kohli’s men in blue are at brink of elimination from the event they are hosting. 

Team India and their staunch supporters seemed to be paying for their arrogance, overconfident approach and not treating their opponents fairly in the arena. This is huge lesson and tragedy for Indian cricket despite everything in their favour they suffered ignominy. 

After witnessing Indian powerplay when they lost cream of their batting, the writing was very much on the wall for them. I witnessed the training sessions of the Pakistan reserves at the ICC Academy. 

When returning, I had come across hundreds of Indian deserting the Dubai Stadium after 10 overs of New Zealand innings. The spectators, which included elderly men and women coming along with their families, were deeply hurt, disappointed and dismayed with below par show by the highly rated Indian team. 

When I spoke to one cricket lover, Arvind from Chennai, he expressed his disappointment at India’s tame defeats but complimented Pakistan and New Zealand for their resounding triumph. A big fan of Babar Azam, he expected Pakistan to win the trophy now. When I tried to speak to a couple of young ladies for their reaction they just vanished after knowing that I came from Pakistan media.

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Fakhar, Haider and Sarfaraz finally inducted in Pakistan T20 World Cup squad

By Ehsan Qureshi 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Media pressure and public voice finally yielded results as the deserving trio of Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali and Sarfaraz Ahmed was belatedly inducted in 15-member Pakistan squad for T20 World Cup starting in United Arab Emirates from October 23. 

It had seemed that career of the 2017 Champions Trophy winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was over. But fortunes have fluctuated dramatically and he has forced his way back into the team in place of the much criticized Azam Khan. 

Fast bowler Muhammad Hasnain was axed from 18-member which also included three travelling reserve players Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and now Khushdil Shah. Haider came into the team in place of Hasnain. 

Chief selector Muhammad Wasim, who named the controversial squad a couple of weeks ago, was facing wrath of media in particular and public in general. He must, however, be complimented for finally having bowed down to pressure and selecting a balanced squad. 

Some questions still remained unanswered as to why Wasim had named the national squad long ago when Ramiz Raja was waiting in the wings to take over leadership of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

Interestingly Wasim had blamed the cancellation of New Zealand and England tours, stating that it caused problems in analyzing the performances of the players. 

Poor performances of Azam Khan as a batter and wicketkeeper in National T20 Cup was reason of his ouster. While his Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed’s fine batting and keeping resurrected his career. 

Highly talented Haider Ali, who was hailed by English media after blazing debut half century, was out of the team due to his inconsistent performances. A couple of classy knocks in T20 Cup have earned his place in national team. 

The veterans, Shoaib Malik and Wahab Riaz, however, have failed to secure a place in the team as was being predicted by some quarters. 

In the meantime the T20 World Cup-bound Pakistan squad will hold a seven-day training and conditioning camp under bio-secure protocols at the National High Performance Centre and LCCA ground, Lahore, from October 10. 

The squad members, along with their family members, will join the bio-secure and undergo Covid-19 testing upon arrival. After returning negative tests, the players will be allowed to commence their preparations with the gym sessions at NHPC, the PCB announced in a news release. 

The players will hold training sessions at the LCCA Ground at 1:30 pm on October 11 and 12 while they are scheduled to play a practice match under the lights on October 14 which will start at 6 pm. No training activity has been scheduled for October 13.

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PCB accepts Wasim Khan’s resignation

By Ehsan Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

England import Wasim Khan, on September 29, resigned as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and his resignation was accepted by Board of Governor, it was confirmed officially. 

Wasim Khan’s resignation was being anticipated soon after former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja had taken over as the Chairman of the board on September 13. But it was not expected so quickly. 

According to reports, Ramiz Raja desired to bring about sweeping changes in the PCB setup after sitting for few months in the office of the board headquarter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. However Wasim Khan’s resignation seems to have made things easy for Ramiz Raja, who was observed making the smallest of decisions independently, without consulting anyone after assuming the charge of Chairman, PCB. 

Ramiz Raja, rather diplomatically, praised the services of the outgoing CEO, according to the PCB media release. “During his time with PCB, Wasim Khan provided excellent leadership, particularly during the time of outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. The PCB owes Wasim Khan a debt of gratitude for his leadership and we wish him well in his future plans and career endeavors,” he complimented. 

The sources have indicated that Ramiz Raja was expected to appoint Director Cricket after amendments in the PCB constitution. According to reports, another former Pakistan captain Moin Khan, Head Coach of Quetta Gladiators and Lahore Qalanders Chief Coach, Aqib Javed, were also likely to be inducted in the PCB setup. But conflict of interest seemed the biggest issue as they can hold only one position at a time.

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New chief selector accords importance to domestic performance

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Although the battle in the middle didn’t reflect this kind of total supremacy for the home side but lady luck continued smiling on Pakistan all along and they managed to whip South Africa 2-0 in the two-Test series and followed it up with 2-1 victory in the three-match series of Twenty20 Internationals. 

Both the Test matches were keenly contested and while South Africa’s big guns, notably skipper Quinton de Cock and his predecessor Faf du Plessis, failed consistently with the bat, Pakistan rallied through their tail-enders to undo the good work of the South African bowlers who continued to be troubling and testing the local batsmen. 

Already the big news has broken from South Africa with du Plessis having announced his retirement from Test cricket. He didn’t mention it but it’s obvious that his miserable failure in the Pakistan series was the reason of his sudden decision to hang his boots. He had not looked out of form or jaded in either of the two Tests in Pakistan but his inability to convert starts into something substantial cost his team both the matches. 

The newly appointed Pakistan’s chief selector, Muhammad Wasim, has every right to celebrate the victories over South Africa both series even though neither of the two conquests could be considered emphatic. The bottom line, however, was that Pakistan emerged triumphant in both the formats against a fancied outfit. 

Wasim’s policy of blooding the top performers of the domestic tournaments into the national team looks a good move and I will like to compliment him for doing it. 

The domestic events deserve to be accorded due significance in order to maintain their sanctity and allow them to be competitive. It’s heartening to watch Pakistan’s debutant left-arm spinner Nauman Ali picking up wickets in both Tests and also contributing vital runs down the order. Hasan Ali made a forceful comeback while Fawad Alam extended his brilliance to prove how wrong the national selectors were in having sidelined him for nearly a decade. 

The performance of the newcomers also remained impressive in the T20 series. Zahid Mahmood made a dream debut in the decisive third game while Usman Qadir continued to remind us of illustrious father, the great Abdul Qadir. 

The chief selector will be advised, in the larger national interest, to provide opportunities to other fringe cricketers as well in order to create a larger pool of youngsters who could be pressed into service anytime to fill vacuum created by sudden injuries or illness to the established players. Similarly those talented cricketers, who sparkled and showed promise in the limited chances coming their way, should also not be ignored or treated harshly which will be detrimental to their confidence. 

One example is that of speedster Muhammad Hasnain. He surely deserves to get more matches after having proved his mettle earlier. He had bowled so brilliantly and it was really shocking to watch him getting dropped.

New edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) is round the corner and there’s excitement all over the country. We hope to see the best players of the country engaged in highly competitive matches that would indeed be enjoyed by the spectators and television viewers. 

Wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan has become a star overnight. Without going to details, let me say that the kind of luck and support he’s enjoying at the moment 

I won’t be surprised if he starts picking four or five wickets in every match when choosing to bowl. He has been batting well undoubtedly and the new feather in his cap is the captaincy of Multan Sultan in the PSL, having taken over from Shan Masood.

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T20 franchises should be made to field local players compulsorily

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Alex Hales, Chadwick Walton, Iftikhar Ahmed, Sherfane Rutherford, Imad Wasim, Umaid Asif, Mohammad Aamir, Waqas Masood and Arshad Iqbal. 

This was the playing eleven of Karachi Kings which overpowered Lahore Qalandars in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL-2020) at the National Stadium, Karachi, on November 17. 

The social media as well as the more conventional media of newspapers, radio and television hailed it as a victory for Karachi whereas there was not a single player belonging to the metropolis taking part in the final. 

The marketers, for commercial reasons, had billed it as a Karachi-Lahore final to arouse greater interest in two of the largest cities of Pakistan which also happen to be the biggest nurseries for cricket in the country. 

These two cities, undoubtedly, have produced the highest number of international cricketers and the healthy rivalry between the two powerhouses is understandable. But was the PSL 2020 title clash really a battle between Karachi and Lahore? Absolutely not! 

It was nothing more than a gimmick to be honest. It was more a case of names of the top two cities of the country were being exploited just for the sake of commercialism. 

The organizers and the promoters of the T20 leagues all over the world need to do little justice to the name of the cities which they use to make the contest a real one instead of letting it become a fake one. 

The controlling bodies like the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its member boards of respective countries should formulate a law to ensure local participation just as they regulate matters relating to restricting the number of overseas players. 

It has become a norm in every T20 league that no more than four overseas recruits are allowed to be fielded by a franchise in the playing. Similarly it should be made mandatory to have a minimum of four players belonging to the city whose name is being used. 

This will help in generating greater interest among cricket fans. It would have made a world of difference if Karachi Kings had fielded at least four cricketers from Karachi in the PSL final. 

These players will have made it look like a Karachi outfit rather being a team of mercenaries having assembled under the banner of Karachi. Isn’t it a joke that not a single player belong to the city was playing for Karachi Kings in the final which was being branded as Karachi-Lahore final? 

The administrators of the game should look into this matter instead of leaving it to the franchises themselves. And I don’t think anything less than imposing a clause in the playing rules will help do it! 

There will be multiple benefits of encouraging local participation which includes financial returns. People of the city will be much more attracted to their team if they knew it having local stars performing in the show. 

Hopefully the concerned authorities will make a note of it as they continue searching for ways and means for improvements. T20 leagues, by the look of things, are here to stay for a long time.

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Misbah led team of centurions; Sarfaraz had to contend with failing prodigies

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Comparisons are drawn often between Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed as captains of the Pakistan team and a few so-called pundits and pseudo experts try to glorify the achievements of Misbah and they purposely undermine the accomplishments of Sarfaraz. They are guilty of either twisting the facts or presenting only the half-truth. 

Now let me shed light on some the facts which are not highlighted or even discussed publicly. In other words let me try to bring to light the hidden half-truth. Misbah and Sarfaraz captained the national cricket team in different eras and the circumstances were dissimilar. 

While Misbah was extended maximum possible support by the ‘establishment’ of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Sarfaraz’s leg was being continuously pulled by the movers and shakers of our system. 

When Misbah was leading the Test team in particular, the players were mostly kept in a relaxed frame of mind and the batsmen in particular benefitted a lot with the peaceful mental state of theirs. 

Misbah himself amassed runs and centuries prolifically while ace batsman Younis Khan stroked century after century and the likes of Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Muhammad Hafeez and even Sarfraz literally made centuries at will. 

The scenario changed altogether from the moment Sarfaraz took over. Younis and Misbah had retired leaving a big hole in the batting line-up. 

Then uncertainties were allowed to flourish as a result of which runs and centuries dried from the bat of those who were supposed to take up the responsibility and rise to the occasion. Asad and Azhar became pedestrian as batters while the newcomers, drafted in to replace the retiring greats, took their own time in settling down. 

In this transition period Pakistan’s batting became mediocre to say the least and even Sarfaraz was unable to cope with the mounting pressure in Test matches. 

During the tenure of Misbah there were tons of centuries scored by the Pakistan batsmen in the Test arena while in the times of Sarfaraz there were literally none. 

When you don’t have adequate runs to play with how could you be expected to win a Test match no matter how resourceful you may be in the bowling department. Babar Azam, who has now blossomed into one of the best modern-day batsmen, was also found struggling for runs in Test matches in the period when Sarfaraz was leading the forces. 

Therefore Misbah was in hugely advantageous position when captaining the Test side than Sarfaraz who didn’t get the desired runs from his batters and it reflected in the results too. 

The wicketkeeper-batsman, however, made amends for his own shortfall of Test runs and centuries as well as of his more established batsmen in his side, by leading the team by example in limited overs formats which, for some reasons, has seldom been mentioned by those who derive pleasure by highlighting every chink in his armour. 

Why do people are not reminded that Sarfaraz remains the only Pakistani captain to have brought home more than one ICC trophy? Under him, Pakistan triumphed in the ICC Under-19 World Cup as well as the ICC Champions Trophy. 

Why do his critics fail to remember that Pakistan remained the top ranked team in T20 Internationals for a couple of years when he was calling the shots?

Sarfaraz’s own batting strike rate in Tests and One-day Internationals, despite every criticism and eyebrows, remains much better than many of his illustrious contemporaries.

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PCB manipulating to install Rizwan as captain in all formats

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The key officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) seem currently preoccupied in their manipulations to get Mohammad Rizwan installed as the captain of the national team in all three formats. 

It can’t be mere coincidence that Rizwan was handed over a Khyber Pakhtunkhwa outfit for the just concluded National T20 Cup which was a virtual Pakistan team if one added Babar Azam to it. 

Rather predictably this team won the tournament and the PCB bigwigs have gone closer to achieving their goal of appointing Rizwan as the captain of the Pakistan team which will mean, in their estimation, closing all possible routes of comeback for Sarfraz Ahmed at least in the near future. 

The axing of Sarfraz from the leadership role, despite his glorious performances in not too distant past, had always been on the cards when the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq and Waqar Younis had been given the absolute powers to manage the affairs of the team. 

It should not be forgotten that Misbah, as captain, and Waqar, as coach, had done everything they could do in keeping Sarfraz out of action from the World Cup in 2015. It was only after the intervention of the then PCB Chairman, Shaharyar Khan, which allowed a chance to Sarfraz who grabbed the opportunity with both hands. 

Sadly from cricketing point of view, Misbah and Waqar joined forces again when Ehsan Mani took over as the new PCB chief and they resumed their efforts in removing Sarfraz by hook or by crook. They succeeded in putting Sarfraz under greater pressure and the wicketkeeper-batsman from Karachi was unable to come to terms with the growing intrigues inside the dressing room. 

If removing Sarfraz was their short-term plan, the appointment of Rizwan as captain in all formats may well be their long-term plan by the look of things. Misbah and Waqar, with the obvious blessings of the PCB CEO, Wasim Khan, may accomplish their goals but it will be at the cost of national interest. 

There’s no doubt in my mind about the talents of Rizwan either as a player or as a captain but the manner in which he’s being fast-tracked in the leadership role raises a lot of questions and it may not be good even for him in the long run. 

Misbah and company had replaced Srafraz with Babar for limited overs versions while Azhar Ali was picked as the Test captain. All the moves have backfired and the stage is now set for the appointment of Rizwan as the captain in all three formats. 

Although Shan Masood should have been the obvious choice to lead Pakistan in the Test arena as Azhar Ali was likely to be removed any time because of his poor show in England, there are strong enough indications emerging that the left-handed opening batsman may not be considered for the role he so richly deserves in my opinion.

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