Category: Sports

Shell Pakistan sponsors the Multan Sultans Team for PSL-7 Cricket

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Shell Pakistan is one of the leading sponsors of ‘Multan Sultans’ – the defending Champions and best performing team in HBL – Pakistan Super League (HBL PSL) over the last couple of seasons. Season 7 of the HBL PSL shall commence on the 27th of January with the final scheduled to be held on 27th February, 2022.

Multan Sultans won the PSL Championship in 2021, under the excellent captaincy of Mohammad Rizwan – an iconic wicketkeeper and batter, who has also been nominated as ‘Cricketer of the Year’ by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Rizwan has been in great form recently, as he played some exceptional, high-score innings during the ICC T-20 World Cup 2021, held in the United Arab Emirates.

The Country Chair of Shell Pakistan, Waqar Siddiqui, expressed his excitement to be a part of Pakistan’s biggest cricketing extravaganza, in collaboration with the defending Champions of the tournament. He stated that, “We have great confidence in the competitiveness and passion of the Multan Sultans, to continue their winning streak in many more tournaments. Shell Pakistan encourages healthy social activities. Sponsorship of this contest is aimed at engaging consumers in some exhilarating entertainment. Pakistan is a nation that thoroughly enjoys and loves cricket, and the world-class sportsmen playing for Multan Sultans making it a formidable competitor in the HBL PSL-7”.

On this successful collaboration between Multan Sultans and Shell Pakistan – the Captain of the franchise, Mohammad Rizwan, stated, “We are excited with this partnership which will fuel us even more in our preparations as we aim to become the first team in the HBL PSL to win back to back titles. This sponsorship will add value to the Multan Sultans brand, as we engage millions of cricket enthusiasts”.

Syed Haider Azhar, the COO of Multan Sultans reiterated the captain’s views. “We are delighted to once again partner with Shell, the leading brand in its industry. We look forward to building on this energy and excitement with the aim of securing another title for Multan Sultans.”

Over the years, PSL has emerged as the most successful brand of cricket in Pakistan, while Multan Sultans are one the biggest franchise teams today, attracting the most successful corporate partners.

This sponsorship will also provide customers the opportunity to avail exciting offers on the purchase of Shell V-Power. Shell V-Power is a premium, hi-octane fuel that provides ‘Unbeatable Keep-Clean Performance and Protection’ to car and bike engines.

Babar Azam declared ICC T20I Team of the Year captain

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed on Wednesday the names of the XI players who constitute the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year, with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as the captain of the squad.

Pakistan’s star players, wicket keeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan and bowling sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi, also made it to the team.

In a statement issued for the announcement of Men’s T20I Team of the Year, the ICC said that it is to recognise 11 outstanding individuals who have impressed one and all, “be it with the bat, the ball or their all-round exploits in a calendar year.”

Here is a look at the players who made the cut from Pakistan.

Babar Azam

The Pakistan skipper was at his classy best in the shortest format in 2021, leaving his best at the T20 World Cup where he ended the tournament as the leading run-scorer. 

Overall, Babar played 29 matches and aggregated 939 runs at an average of 37.56 with one century and nine half-centuries. His captaincy was also praised as he led his team to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman.

Mohammad Rizwan

The Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter ruled the roost in 2021 when it came to the shortest format of the game. Aggregating a staggering 1,326 runs in only 29 matches, Rizwan struck at an average of 73.66 and a strike-rate of 134.89. 

Apart from his exploits with the bat, he was as solid as ever behind the stumps, playing a key role in Pakistan’s run to the semis during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, where he ended up as the third-highest run-scorer.

Shaheen Afridi

It was a year to remember for Shaheen Afridi, especially in the shortest form of the game. Extracting brilliant movement with the new ball and reversing it with the old, Afridi picked up 23 wickets in 21 matches at an average of 26.04 and an economy of 7.86. 

Still only 21, Shaheen will likely lead the Pakistan pace bowling unit for years to come and with already rapid improvements in his bowling, he will undoubtedly prove to be a fearsome prospect.

The others include Jos Buttler of England, Aiden Markram of South Africa, Mitchell Marsh of Australia, David Miller of South Africa, Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka, Tabraiz Shamsi of South Africa, Josh Hazlewood of Australia, and Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh.

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Pakistani pacer Mohammad Hasnain to undergo test for bowling action

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan’s young fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain, who ended a brilliant stint with the Sydney Thunder side in the Big Bash League (BBL), is set to undergo a test for his bowling action which was reported by the umpires.

According to the EspnCricinfo, Hasnain will undergo the test at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) accredited biomechanics laboratory in Lahore.

In any case, he is allowed to bowl until the results of his testing come out, which could take up to 14 days. That means, in theory, he could be fine to bowl in the opening games of the PSL, reported EspnCricinfo.

In his last game in BBL, Sydney Sixers all-rounder Moises Henriques was heard on the stump mic saying “nice throw mate” to Hasnain after he bowled him a bouncer.

This development will be a blow to Hasnain ahead of the upcoming Pakistan Super League 2022 which is set to roll into action on January 27, and Hasnain is an important member of the Quetta Gladiators squad.

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The World’s First Cricket x Art Collaboration – Islamabad United joins hands with Pakistan’s most iconic Artist Imran Qureshi!

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Staying true to their tradition of bringing new and innovative ideas to the game of cricket, PSL’s most successful franchise and winner of season 1 and 3 of the competition, Islamabad United, proudly present the world’s first cricket x art collaboration in partnership with one of Pakistan’s most iconic artists, Imran Qureshi.

Under the project, AANideasLAB: IQ X IU, artist Imran Qureshi interacted with the Islamabad United players, conducting a visual art project, spread over several weeks. This collaboration aims to celebrate sport and art, two of the most universal languages we have today, bringing art to the Pakistani public through their love for the game of cricket.

 “Since its inception, Islamabad United has been focused on bringing innovation to the PSL and one of our missions has been to use the huge reach of cricket in introducing socially positive causes to a wider audience. I am especially enthused about this idea as it combines two of our passions – cricket and art – together, something not done before anywhere in the world. I have been thinking about this idea for a few years but Covid delayed its execution until this year. The project will help in mainstreaming visual and other arts to cricket fans in Pakistan as well as to a global audience. I am grateful to Imran Qureshi for accepting such a challenge as its inaugural artist and to the Islamabad United players who have shown flexibility for this totally new experience. Like all of you, I am keenly looking forward to seeing what creative forms this project takes” said Ali Naqvi, owner of Islamabad United.

“When Ali invited me to make a proposal for this project, it immediately clicked. I have always wanted art to be shared as widely as possible. Both arts and sports enable us to express ourselves physically, emotionally and even intellectually, allowing us to connect and communicate with each other around the world, crossing borders, cultures, languages and generations. If we blend these two languages into one, I believe we could create a powerful new vehicle and platform that could reach, and connect with, an even bigger audience. In Pakistan, Cricket provides a perfect platform for that objective. With my contribution I wanted to capture the energy of not only the sport and its players, but also the excitement and passion of the audience, the love for this game”, said Imran Qureshi.

The artistic output of the project will be used in the team’s official kit as well as other ventures this season.  

View the campaign video here: https://youtu.be/d-xZwtWVdtY

For more information, please visit:

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/IsbUnitedPSL/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/IsbUnited

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/islamabadunitedpsl/

 

Pakistan cricketer Yasir Shah cleared in rape case

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan test cricketer Yasir Shah has been declared innocent in a rape case registered at Islamabad’s Shalimar police station.

According to the police, the cricketer’s name has been dropped from the first information report (FIR) after the complainant admitted that his name was wrongly included in it.

The victim woman said test cricketer Yasir Shah’s name was added to the FIR due to misstatement.

The SHO Shalimar police station said that the cricketer has nothing to do with the assault case.

In December last year, the Islamabad police registered the case against Yasir for his alleged involvement in aiding the rape and harassment of a 14-year-old girl. The complainant alleged that Yasir’s friend, Farhan, raped her at gunpoint and also filmed her obscene video.

“The national cricketer and his friend also threatened her to share the video on social media,” the FIR said.

She claimed that Yasir also warned of embroiling her in a case if she approached the police. The FIR further stated that Yasir also used his influence to coerce the minor to marry his friend, Farhan.

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Gamers Galaxy: Pakistan’s Biggest Esports Festival Ends on a High Note

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Gamers Galaxy, Pakistan’s biggest esports festival with a grand prize pool of 20,000,000 Pakistani Rupees, presented by Mountain Dew and organized by Galaxy Racer, concluded after two days of activities, tournaments, meet & greets and panels with the country’s most popular content creators, entertainment and much more.

Held at Pak-China Friendship Centre in Islamabad from Saturday, 8th of January, the all-inclusive esports festival was inaugurated by His Highness, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum of United Arab Emirates (UAE). President Dr. Arif Alvi also virtually graced the occasion with his presence.

The esports festival featured Valorant, HER Galaxy Valorant Spike Rush 2v2, FIFA 22, and Tekken tournaments finals, apart from a spectacular performance by singer Shamoon Ismail.

Organized by Galaxy Racer Pakistan, the festival was supported by Special Technology Zones Authority, as a part of its strategy to drive the development of esports industry in the country.

Mountain Dew Gamers Galaxy Finals commenced on the second day and excited fans gathered to catch Pakistan’s best esports action. Team Exploit Storm took the title of Mountain Dew’s Valorant champion with 2,500,000 Pakistani Rupees, while Salman Haider Syed and Arslan Ash were crowned FIFA 22 and Tekken champions. The former won a cash prize of 500,000 Pakistani Rupees while the later walked away with 600,000 Pakistani Rupees.

16 teams of PUBG Mobile Gamers Galaxy were awarded with 200,000 Pakistani Rupees each for their participation. The finals will be announced next week where the winning team will walk away with a cash prize of 5,000,000 Pakistani Rupees.

Thrilling esports action was on display in the HER Galaxy Valorant Spike Rush 2v2 tournament. Team Joon-He took home Pakistan’s first-ever female esports tournament champion title with a cash prize of 250,000 Pakistani Rupees.

Mountain Dew Gamers Galaxy also welcomed an incredible line-up of popular influencers such as Taimoor “Mooroo” Salauddin, Khaqan Shanawaz, Junaid Akram “Ganjiswag” and gaming star Brownlad who discussed the Path of Content Creation during a panel discussion moderated by Haroon Tahir. While industry experts including Abdul Haseeb Khan aka HSB (Professional Esports Athlete), Khawar Naeem (Country Head Pakistan for Tencent Games), Walid Singer (Chief of Staff for Galaxy Racer) and Hina Nasir (Head of Marketing and PR for Special Technology Zones Authority) discussed the Evolution of Esports. The panel discussions attracted considerable interest from the visitors eager to learn about the future of content creation and esports in Pakistan.

On top of a wide array of activities and open tournaments, the world-renowned toy manufacturer L.O.L. Surprise! was at the festival for its first-ever appearance in Pakistan. Mountain Dew Gamers Galaxy’s closing day was topped off by a spectacular headline performance by singer Shamoon Ismail.

Following the conclusion of Mountain Dew Gamers Galaxy,  Fakhr-e-Alam, Galaxy Racer’s Country CEO and Partner, said: “I am speechless about the huge turnout. I have never witnessed a gaming tournament of this level in Pakistan. The passion of the gamers was exceptional and we wish to continue hosting such events in the future.”

Following the success of Mountain Dew Gamers Galaxy, Galaxy Racer is launching Pakistan’s first professional esports league titled ‘Supreme Galactic League’ which will comprise of 8 teams out of which two were already committed, as announced by Fakhr-e-Alam. He also announced a nationwide inter school and collegiate esports championship titled ‘ Scholars Galaxy’. 

The event was televised in partnership with Ten Sports for the first time in the country’s history and live streamed on https://www.youtube.com/c/GalaxyRacer.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter to know more.

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ProPakistani is Islamabad United’s Digital Media Partner for PSL 2022

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  For yet another season, Pakistan Super League’s top-performing team, Islamabad United, has signed Pakistan’s foremost digital publisher, ProPakistani, as its digital media partner for the PSL 2022 season.

The signing ceremony took place at ProPakistani headquarters in Islamabad in the presence of M Waseem Jr. – the Best Emerging Player by PCB from Islamabad United, and Bakhtawar Mahmood – Head of Strategic Communications at ProPakistani.

Also in presence were Zukhruff Fida – Media Manager, Islamabad United, and Amir Atta – Founder & CEO at ProPakistani.

ProPakistani was Islamabad United’s digital media partner for the 2020 and 2019 seasons as well. The partnership marks yet another year for collaboration among the two partners for the wildly popular cricket league.

Under the partnership, ProPakistani will be having in-depth interviews and analyses on multiple facets of Islamabad United and the factors that have propelled them to this level of success.

“We’re pleased and excited to have joined hands with Islamabad United for yet another PSL season,” said Aamir Attaa, Founder & CEO of ProPakistani at the signing ceremony.

“PSL is a massive success story and we couldn’t be prouder about how big it has become over the years. We congratulate Islamabad United for being a major team of the event and wish them luck for the upcoming season,” he added.

“This is going to be the 3rd year of our collaboration with ProPakistani as our digital media partners for the PSL series, and we’re excited about it already,” said Ali Naqvi, the owner of Islamabad United.

“Knowing that ProPakistani is the go-to site for millions of Pakistanis to get the latest and trustable updates on sports, tech, and many other subjects, this partnership feels quite natural. Based on our previous experiences with ProPakistani, we can confidently say that this season is going to be an exciting and rewarding one as well,” he added.

Also sharing his thoughts on the development, Ahsan Latif, CEO Islamabad United, said, “Islamabad United focuses on implementing a strategy built around its principle of 4 Es – Excellence, Empowerment, Education, and Environment. And within those parameters, this is a natural partnership for us.”

“We are confident that the partnership with ProPakistani will be a long and fruitful one for both parties,” he added.

Islamabad United is one of the most successful teams in PSL history with two PSL titles to their name already. Islamabad United is set against Peshawar Zalmi on 30th January at National Stadium Karachi. The rest of the PSL 2022 schedule can be viewed here.

PM Imran Khan honoured with international sports award

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday was awarded the  “International Sports Personality Award,” at the 11th edition of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards ceremony held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

According to The Khaleej Times, the awards were distributed by the Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the Chairman of Dubai Sports Council and Mattar Al Tayer Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the Dubai Exhibition Centre.

It should be noted that PM Imran Khan was announced as a winner back in November 2021 for dedicating his life to sports.

During his illustrious 21-year cricket career, Imran Khan made numerous contributions to Pakistan cricket including leading the green shirts to the 1992 World Cup title.

After making his debut in 1971, he went on to unleash several records, becoming one of the greatest players ever to grace the game.

In his stellar career, Imran represented Pakistan in the 88 Test matches and scored 3807 runs with six centuries as well as took 362 wickets at an average of 22.81.

While in the ODIs, he represented his country in 175 matches and took 182 scalps at an average of 26.61, along with 3,709 under his belt as well.

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Green Crescent Trust’s and Shahid Afridi Foundation’s Third joint fundraiser in Lahore on 13th January.

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SAF-GCT alliance for first time jointly steps outside Sindh to extend charitable services for out-of-school children all over Pakistan.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  The alliance of two leading charities of Pakistan-the Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) and Green Crescent Trust (GCT) for the first time are jointly stepping outside Sindh and coming to Lahore with an aim to extend their joint charitable work all over Pakistan for enrollment of the out-of-school children. The third joint fundraiser of the GCT and SAF will be held at a hotel in Lahore on January 13, 2022 to generate funds for the provision of quality school education to 10,000 out of school children belonging to the deprived communities in the country. The two non-profits joined hands in 2018 to work together for the education of the out of school children of the deprived communities. Both the charities have been jointly running 8 schools having an enrollment of 3,000 students from the backward areas.
The SAF and GCT have the aim to increase the number of their jointly managed charitable schools to 100 in the next five years for the children of the underprivileged areas. Punjab Governor, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, will grace the occasion as chief guest. Leading sports celebrities including Shahid Afridi, Pakistan Cricket Team’s captain Babar Azam, Squash Legend Jahangir Khan and many players of Pakistan Cricket team will attend the event. Dr. Amjad Saquib, Founding Chairman, Akhuwat and 200 plus leading businessmen with families will also grace the occasion as guest of Honor.
The sports memorabilia belonging to these celebrities will also be auctioned to generate funds for the noble cause. Renowned humorist Anwar Maqsood will make a special appearance at the fundraiser. Other notable guests expected on the day, include Punjab School Education Minister Murad Raas, Punjab Sports Minister Muhammad Taimoor Khan, APTMA patron-in-chief Gouhar Ijaz.
Celebrity actor, Adnan Siddiqui, Anwer Maqsood and Raja Matlub will jointly conduct the proceedings of the fundraiser. The SAF having extensive charitable work in many fields all across the country in recent past conduct a successful food ration drive during Covid-19 lockdown with active in-person participation of Shahid Afridi.
The GCT has been working in the field of education for the past 28 years with a network of 155 charitable schools having enrollment of 29,000 students of the deprived families. SAF Chairman, Shahid Afridi, said that his non-profit had joined hands with the GCT in view of its 28 years-long work to educate children of the backward areas, as the concerned charities of Pakistan should combine their resources in the same manner to do the noble work of ending illiteracy in Pakistan.
GCT CEO, Zahid Saeed, mentioned that in a recent meeting, President Dr Arif Alvi also appreciated the continuing partnership between the two charities while saying that the alliance emerged as an ideal example for the non-governmental sector of Pakistan to work together to enroll out-of-school children in every part of Pakistan.

ICC ratings: Kohli now ranks below Babar across all three cricket formats .

Posted on by Ali Qasim

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli has slipped below Pakistan captain Babar Azam in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) batting rankings across all three formats of cricket — Test, ODI, and T20I.

Kohli was already below Babar in the ODI and T20I rankings, but after the latest rankings were released, the Indian batter slipped two positions and is now at the ninth spot, with 747 rating points.

The ex-Indian ODI and T20I captain managed to score 53 runs in the Centurion Test against South Africa — averaging only 26.50.

Kohli was two places above Babar, who gained a spot, and is now at the eighth spot, with 750 rating points in the Test category.

The Indian batter, in the ODI rankings, is at second place — a spot below Babar, who is at the top of the list. The Pakistan batter has 873 rating points, while Kohli has 844.

In the T20I rankings, Babar is sitting at the second spot, with 805 rating points, while Kohli is not even in the top 10. The Indian batter is at the 11th spot, with 657 rating points.

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