Sports

‘Babar Azam almost cried during very emotional presser’

Published

9 months ago

Farwa

Following Pakistan’s humiliation against Afghanistan that left the team’s World Cup dreams in tatters, senior journalist Abdul Majid Bhatti revealed that skipper Babar Azam was on the verge of crying and in emotions spitted out facts before the media.

Bhatti, who is currently in India to cover the mega event, spoke about the fitness issues highlighted by Babar, in his post-match press conference, during Geo News show Geo Pakistan.

On Monday, Afghanistan sailed through Pakistan’s 283-run target courtesy of impressive innings from Ibrahim Zadran (87), Rahmat Shah (77 not out), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65), and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (48 not out) to secure their second win in the ongoing tournament.

“In my opinion Babar Azam’s press conference after the defeat against Afghanistan was a very emotional scene that I witnessed with my eyes which you may have not seen from there (in Pakistan). So, in my opinion he was about to cry and in emotions he spoke a lot of facts that normally cricketers do not state,” said Bhatti

The journalist laid the blame on Babar for the current mess that the Pakistan team had ended up in and shared that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had shut the doors on a fitness regimen when Misbah-ul-Haq left head coach’s position two years ago.

He also lamented the importance being given to Biryani, chops and karahi, ever since the team landed in Hyderabad, and lack of focus on diet.

He highlighted that the players are professionals themselves and should focus on it rather than prioritising other issues.

“Before World Cup you (Babar Azam) were arguing with PCB for three months to increase your salary under the central contract. And close to Rs 5.7-5.8 million is being taken by three players — Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Sha Afridi — given the A category central contract. Its okay money is coming in cricket and you must get paid. But when you under-perform and complain about fitness after being captain for 3.5 years, then I think Babar Azam himself is responsible for this,” said Bhatti.

Meanwhile, journalist Sohail Imran dismissed reports regarding fights within the squad. However, he was astonished that the PCB issued a press release over a social media post

“When players and PCB will come out of social media pressure then there will be a vast difference in team’s performance,” said Imran.

‘Don’t know what players are thinking’, Babar Azam

In his post-match conference, Babar reprimanded the team’s poor fielding performance leading to a humiliating World Cup 2023 loss against Afghanistan at Chennai’s Chidambaram Stadium.

Babar blamed below-par performances in bowling and fielding departments for their consecutive third loss in the ongoing mega event.

“Players are absent-minded during fielding […] don’t know what they are thinking,” the skipper said while admitting that the team is “saddened” after today’s loss.

“We didn’t perform well in bowling and fielding [departments]”, he said and also acknowledged that the “spinners didn’t bowl well in the middle overs and didn’t put [enough] pressure [on Afghan batters].”

The 29-year-old also turned down any “added captaincy pressure” and said that he keeps both aspects of his responsibilities separate from each other.

“There is no truth in [team] being under pressure after India loss.”

“Our [game] plans are not seeing success […] Whatever we plan, is not being implemented to the fullest,” the skipper added.

Babar also congratulated Afghanistan on their historic win while reiterating his commitment to win the remaining matches of the World Cup.

Latest News

Changes to Pakistan’s Test team could be significant for the Bangladesh series.

Published

13 hours ago

Farwa

Major changes to Pakistan’s team are anticipated ahead of the forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh, sources in Lahore have revealed.

As the team gets ready for the series, meetings with the players are planned for next week.

It is predicted that the Test squad would undergo several changes. The team’s lineup is expected to be strengthened by the likely inclusion of Muhammad Huraira. Key players like Faheem Ashraf, Wasim Jr., Saim Ayub, and Nauman Ali, whose contributions are vital to the team’s success, struggle to get a spot on the squad.

Furthermore, according to sources, Imamul Haq or Sahibzada Farhan are anticipated to be added to the team, subject to additional assessment. Furthermore, following a fitness assessment, Amir Jamal and Hasan Ali’s futures will be determined.

The ultimate selection for the Test team will take place following Red Ball head coach Jason Gillespie’s return to Pakistan. The ultimate squad that will play Bangladesh in the forthcoming Test series will be greatly influenced by his assessments and thoughts.

Pakistan is scheduled to visit New Zealand in March and April of 2025, according to the country’s official cricket schedule, which was released earlier this month.

Throughout their visit, the Pakistan cricket team will play three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in an exciting series.

The T20I series, which starts at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on March 16, will serve as the tour’s opening event.

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The PCB will send Wahab Riaz to the Maldives to attend the ICC’s coaching course.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is scheduled to conduct a two-day High-Performance workshop in Maldives on 29-30 July. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Wahab Riaz, a retired Test cricketer, and Shahid Anwar, a former international cricketer and current head coach of the National Cricket Academy, will be taking part in the next workshop.

The workshop’s objective is to offer insights into the most up-to-date coaching approaches, as well as strategies for recognising and nurturing talent starting from its early stages.

In addition, Dr. Imran Abbas, the General Manager of Academies, will participate in a four-day training course for ICC Level-2 Tutors in Malé, starting on July 24.

The workshop is an integral component of ICC’s training and education initiative aimed at providing member countries with proficient Level 2 tutors who would subsequently instruct coaches.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed Iqbal Sikander, a former cricketer from Pakistan, and Amin-ul-Islam, a former captain of the Bangladesh Test team, to lead the training.

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Following Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dismissed Abdul Razzaq and Wahab Riaz from the selection committee on July 10.

Wahab was dismissed from his role as senior team manager, and Mansoor Rana was terminated from his post as team manager.

After being removed, Wahab utilised social media to release a message, expressing his appreciation for his time on the selection committee. He emphasised that he has many thoughts to share but prefers not to engage in finger-pointing or assigning blame.

“Wahab, in the caption of his social media post, expressed that he has a lot to say but does not wish to engage in the act of assigning blame,”

“My tenure as a member of the selection committee for PCB has concluded. I want to inform my fellow countrymen that I have dedicated myself to serving the game I am passionate about with unwavering commitment and honesty. I have exerted maximum effort to improve the state of cricket in Pakistan.”

“Being a part of the selection panel has been a great privilege.” Being part of the seven-member panel responsible for selecting the national team was a privilege. Each member’s vote held equal importance, and we made decisions collectively as a team. We also shared the responsibility of the selection process equally.

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Pakistan has advanced to the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 semifinals.

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

GreenshirtsWith a 10-wicket victory over the UAE, the Pakistani women’s cricket team advanced to the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 semifinal. Target: 104 runs in 14 overs were pursued by the Greenshirts.

When playing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pakistani women’s team won the toss and chose to field.

Captain Nida Dar of the Pakistan women’s cricket team remarked, “The bowlers’ performance in the last match was excellent, and the win against Nepal boosted morale.”

Pakistan’s starting eleven remains unchanged.

Dambulla, a town in Sri Lanka, is the site of the match.