Sports

Undeterred by final defeat, Shaheen Afridi vows to bounce with a bang

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Star pacer Shaheen Afridi, who was forced off the field by a knee injury in the final of T20 World Cup, which Pakistan lost to England, is not down with despair but rather geared up to return with a bang to make the country proud.

Despite the defeat, a humbled Afridi said it was an honour for him to have done his bit as a member of a world-class team and was willing to sacrifice more for the country if required.

“We are ready to give anything for Pakistan. Absolutely proud to be a small part of this great team. We gave it all and, InshaAllah, the hard work will continue,” Afridi tweeted on Monday.

Is Mulk k liye hamara Sab kuch haazir hai. Absolutely proud to be a small part of this great team. We gave it all and, In sha Allah, the hard work will continue. #PakistanZindabad pic.twitter.com/T5l8zaCAvG
— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) November 14, 2022

Afridi had to limp off the field due to knee discomfort during the final and was unable to deliver his final two overs, which could have changed the course of the match for the better.

The pacer took a brilliant catch of Harry Brook to send the middle-order batter back to the pavilion but injured his knee in the process.

“Shaheen Afridi landed awkwardly on his right knee. The medical panel is treating him and will provide any further update in due course,” the PCB said in a brief statement, soon after the injury.

It must be noted that Ben Stokes and Sam Curran starred as England battered Pakistan to win the final and become the sport’s first dual white-ball champions, holding both the 50 and 20-over titles.

Jos Buttler’s side pinned Pakistan to 137-8 in front of a zealot of 80,462 fans at a billowing Melbourne Cricket Ground, with player-of-the-match Curran bagging 3-12 and Adil Rashid chipping in with 2-22.

In reply, England slumped to 49-3 in the sixth over as they struggled to get any momentum against a fiery pace attack, with boundaries hard to come by.

But Stokes (52 not out) and Moeen Ali (19) used their experience and cool heads to guide England to 138-5 with six balls to spare, climaxing a riveting tournament that spanned 45 games over nearly a month.

Latest News

Saying goodbye to international cricket, Bismah Maroof

Published

14 hours ago

Farwa

The decision to leave international cricket was made by Pakistani women’s cricket player Bismah Maroof on Thursday.

According to details, Maroof declared, “I am choosing to say goodbye to the sport, which I really enjoy. I have had a really memorable cricket journey.”

Saying, “The PCB, companions, family, and fans have always supported me,” she highlighted the importance of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and fans to her career.

With an average of 29.55, Maroof had scored 3369 runs in 136 WODIs while playing for Pakistan.

Throughout 140 WT20Is, Maroof averaged 27.55 and scored 2893 runs.

Latest News

For the Pakistani team’s T20I against New Zealand, Haseebullah has replaced Azam Khan.

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

In a brief press release, PCB said, “The national selection committee has announced wicketkeeper/batter Haseebullah as the replacement player for Azam Khan, who was sidelined from the T20I series against New Zealand due to a tear in his right calf muscle.”

The information indicates that Haseebullah will become a member of the Pakistan team following the third Twenty20 International, and he will be eligible to be selected for the two remaining Twenty20 Internationals, which are slated to take place in Lahore on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.

Earlier in the year, Haseebullah, 21, played in his only Twenty20 international match against New Zealand.

or the unfamiliar, Azam Khan was declared out of the whole series on Saturday after missing the first Twenty20 International because of pain in his right knee and right calf muscle.

According to PCB, “Azam Khan has been advised to undergo a 10-day rest following radiology reports confirming a Grade One tear of his right calf muscle.”

The announcement also stated, “Azam will therefore be unable to take part in the current Twenty20 International series against New Zealand, which concludes in Lahore on April 27.”

Notably, Mark Chapman’s incredible innings helped the visitors to an easy seven-wicket victory in the third Twenty20 International, tying the five-match series between Pakistan and New Zealand at one.

Pakistan team for the Twenty20 Internationals in New Zealand

Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Babar Azam (c), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, and Muhammad Wasim Jr. are the reserve players.

Latest News

Rain cancels out Pakistan vs. New Zealand’s opening Twenty20 international

Published

7 days ago

Farwa

As the rain returned, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s expertly timed in-swinger to dismiss Tim Robinson left only a two-ball match going on at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

On-field umpires Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza shook hands with the players and decided to call off the contest as soon as the rain started up again. Additionally, there was a thirty-minute delay in the planned fixture toss. Then, after winning the coin toss, Michael Bracewell, the captain of New Zealand, decided to bat first.

The players from both sides assembled shortly after for the national anthems, but more rain caused the proceedings to be postponed.

The match appeared likely to be called off before a ball was played due to the intensity of the second spell of rain. But after the rain stopped, the ground crew worked extremely hard, and the game might go into five overs.

The second game, which takes place at the same location on April 20, will pit the two teams against one another.