Category: Sports

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistani batting great Inzamam ul Haq has been appointed the president of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi weeks ahead of the mega sports event of the country.

The much-awaited seventh edition of the PSL is starting January 27. Peshawar Zalmi announced the news on their official Twitter account on Thursday.

The veteran cricketer had been affiliated with the Yellow Storm as a mentor in the last season of PSL. Javed Afridi, chairman of Peshawar Zalmi welcomed Inzamam once again to the “Zalmi family”.

“Izamam ul Haq is a legend and his inclusion would benefit the Zalmi cricketers,” said Afridi.

He said that the cricketers will get to learn a lot from Inzamam. Earlier, on Wednesday, Peshawar Zalmi unveiled the playing jersey for the much-anticipated seventh edition of the PSL. According to a statement issued by the franchise, the Zalmi Kit is designed to represent the historic city of Peshawar and Pakistan’s national animal Markhor.

“The traditional designs of Peshawar, which is also known as the city of flowers, has been included in the kit, as well as representation of historic locations of Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Islamia College, Ghantaghar Peshawar, Khyber Pass and K2,” the statement highlighted.

The PSL’s latest edition will be played in Karachi from January 27 to February 7 and in Lahore from February 10-27. The first match will be staged under the lights of the National Stadium, where Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans will go head-to-head.

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Hemani has partnered with ‘Quetta Gladiators’ to launch special sports fragrance body sprays. At the signing ceremony, 3 new product of Quetta Gladiators body spray were launched, and it will be available soon across Pakistan at all leading supermarkets and all WB by Hemani outlets. Hemani is now stepping into the field of sports as the brand portfolio includes sports products.

A signing ceremony was held to officiate the partnership. “The potential of Pakistan & the talent of its people is wowing the world now. The country is full of natural treasures & uniqueness; our responsibility is to just explore it. And sky is the limit”, Mr. Mustafa Hemani, CEO of Hemani Group of Companies said during the ceremony.

“We are really happy to have Hemani with us because it’s truly a Pakistani brand which is well known around the world. Initially, we are launching Quetta Gladiators body sprays in partnership with Hemani Fragrances but hopefully in future we will launch more products in a mutually beneficial partnership,” Quetta Gladiators owner Nadeem Omar said.

The signing ceremony between Hemani and Quetta Gladiators witnessed the presence of Mr. Mustafa Hemani, CEO of Hemani Group of Companies and Mr. Nadeem Omar, owner of Quetta Gladiators franchise & a famous Pakistani Business Executive, also known for his contributions to sports. Quetta Gladiators Team Players Shahid Afridi and Sarfaraz Ahmed were also a part of the ceremony. Fakhre Alam, Pakistani Actor and TV Host, and Mr. Moin Khan, Coach Quetta Gladiators were also present during this exciting and pleasant moment.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) NED University of Engineering & Technology (NED) and Global Soccer Ventures (GSV) enter into a 10 year agreement to create the first soccer city stadium in Pakistan. The rumour mill of the much anticipated soccer city in Pakistan ends as year 2022 kicks off with an iconic landmark stadium deal being inked between GSV and NED University.

The state of the art stadium is influenced and designed by German engineering to develop a series of football infrastructure projects in Pakistan by GSV from the city of lights in Karachi. Karachi city will see an iconic landmark with a brand new sports arena landscape in its skyline with an investment of $12 million USD. It will not only offer FIFA international playing conditions but will also offer an enduring football experience for fans and players with a raft of marketing and technology opportunities for brands never offered before in Pakistan’s sports. The soccer city is based in the heartbeat of youth emulating the success of college football development model in the USA.

GSV’s philosophy is to identify and develop players at the right age whilst continuing their education being identified as a priority for Pakistani parents and thereby offering alternative careers as a hotbed of talent in football on and off the pitch. Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi, Vice Chancellor, NED University of Engineering and Technology said: “NED is world renowned for being at the cutting edge of technology and science in its educational curriculum so why not football. It is a vision that only GSV can bring to life. I have seen the science and evolution of football on offer and it will be a major transformation for football in Pakistan”.

Chairman GSV Yasir Mahmood said: “It is time Pakistan rediscovers itself in football infrastructure offering the much needed professional and world class facilities. This flagship soccer city at NED will entice other cities or institutes to come forward and become part of GSV’s football legacy offering the best in technology, science and football training all under one roof”. Michael Owen said: “There is nothing more important than having home and away fans in football stadiums. This investment will not only ignite inter-city football rivalry but will also become the future of football development all over Pakistan with sports science at the forefront offering international opportunities”.

Zabe Khan, CEO of GSV said: “We are the foundation of a sports revolution in Pakistan with soccer city being our flagship show-stopper. The ideology here is that we don’t want to tell people of our dreams we want to show them, so we build it, fans come and get fanatical about our players in Pakistan’s very own theatre of dreams to display their talent”A detailed press announcement and reveal of Pakistan’s first ever soccer city is to be made by end of January 2022 by Michael Owen and a star studded celebrity line up with the very first images and 3D virtual video of the stadium being unveiled as a new year’s gift to Pakistan – so stay tuned to GSV.

Lahore (NUT-Desk)

Former Pakistan Test captain Mohammad Hafeez has finally announced his retirement from international cricket, according to the media reports on Monday. Premiere Cricket Website ESPN also shared the news on its official Twitter Handle.

Hafeez, aka The Professor, had earlier bid farewell to Test cricket in 2018.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

After announcing the nominees of ICC Men’s ODI ‘Player of the Year’ award, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has issued a list of its nominees for Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy ‘Cricketer of the Year’ award, which includes Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and opener Mohammad Rizwan.

A statement issued for the announcement of nominations said Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi took 78 wickets from 36 internationals at an average of 22.20, during his outstanding year 2021.

The second cricketer nominated by ICC is Rizwan, who scored a total of 1,915 runs from 44 international matches at an average of 56.32 with two centuries in 2021.

England Test cricketer Joe Root comes in next after Rizwan with an impressive 1,855 runs off 18 international matches at an average of 58.37 and six centuries this year. He is also among the four nominees for the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.

Last but not the least, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson also made the cut for the award. The Black Caps skipper bagged an impressive 693 runs off 16 internationals at an average of 43.31 with one century in 2021.

“Match-winning knocks, sizzling spells, superhuman efforts and impeccable leadership,” is how the ICC referred to the traits of its four nominees for the Garfield Sobers Trophy ‘Cricketer of the Year’ award.

It is pertinent to mention that Mohammad Rizwan has also been nominated by the ICC for the ‘ICC Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year’ award.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Following the government s official go-ahead, the Pakistan Super League 2022, will not be a closed-door event. Spectators will be allowed 100% of the ground s seating capacity.

According to a declaration issued by the National Command and Operations Center (NCOC), fully vaccinated people will be allowed to watch the match in the stadium and to enter the stadium vaccination of those over 12 years of age will be mandatory.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will develop a mechanism for issuing tickets to vaccinated persons.

The letter issued to the federal and province stated that the PCB would be responsible for security arrangements for cricket matches and implementation of SOPs at the cricket ground and that masks and social distance would be required for spectators at the cricket stadium.

It is pertinent to mention here that the seventh edition of the PSL will start from January 27, for which the drafting process was completed this month. Umar Akmal has returned to the league, including Chris Gayle, Ben Dunk, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Irfan will not be part of PSL-7.

A colorful drafting ceremony of 7th edition of Pakistan Super League was held at National High Performance Center, Lahore. Chairman PCB Rameez Raja and others participated while franchise owners selected 18 players in 6 different categories. A total of 34 matches will be playing in the event.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The inventor of the famous ‘Doosra’ delivery and considered as one of the best off-spinners of all time, former Pakistan cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq turns 45 yesterday. 

The spinner served as the national team’s interim head coach during the T20 World Cup, Bangladesh and the West Indies series held recently. 

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) took to Twitter to upload an old clip of the former Pakistani spinner in which he clean bowls ex-England opening batsman Marcus Trescothick. 

“The right-arm off-spinner took 496 international wickets from 218 matches. Saqlain served as interim head coach of Pakistan men’s team during ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, tour of Bangladesh and West Indies series,” tweeted the PCB. 

Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousaf heaped praise on Saqlain Mushtaq. 

Saqlain played 169 ODIs for Pakistan from which he took 288 wickets and took 208 Test wickets from the 49 Test matches he played. 

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Abid Ali, a right-handed batter in Test cricket, was rushed to the hospital after he suffered chest pain while batting during a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in Karachi, Geo News reported Tuesday.

According to sources, the tournament’s organisers rushed the 34-year-old batsman to a hospital after he complained of chest pain.

Abid Ali has undergone a number of medical examinations and is currently under observation. However, it is not known if the pain was linked to any heart-related problem.

Abid Ali is playing in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy representing Central Punjab.The match between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Central Punjab is being held at the UBL Sports Complex.

Since his Quaid-e-Azam Trophy debut in 2007, Abid has been a constant presence on Pakistan’s domestic circuit, amassing over 6,000 runs.

He batted for Islamabad in 2017-18, scoring 231, then followed that up with an undefeated 249 in his ODI debut a few months later. The player first represented Pakistan internationally at the age of 31.

 

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday commemorated Pakistani Test cricket legend Hanif Mohammad on what would have been his 87th birthday.

The star cricketer, who set a major record in Test cricket bagging 337 runs in a 970 minutes innings against West Indies, was born on December 21, 1934, in Junagadh, India. He passed away in 2016.

“On this day in 1934, the architect of the longest Test innings, a 970-minute vigil for 337 runs in Bridgetown in 1958, Hanif Mohammad was born,” a special post from the official handle of ICC read on Twitter.

Mohammad Hanif, widely known as the Little Master, was the first star of Pakistan cricket to play the longest innings in Test history. The knock was followed a year later with the highest first-class innings to that point, 499 run out.

“With such feats, broadcast on radio, he turned cricket in Pakistan from the preserve of the Lahore educated elite into the mass sport it is today.

While being famous for excellent defence and never hitting the ball in the air, Hanif Mohammad could also attack and was the presumable inventor of the reverse-sweep.

He represented Pakistan in 55 Tests, scoring 3,915 runs at an average of 43.98. He still holds the record for highest score (337) in an innings by a Pakistani batsman followed by Inzamamul Haq (329) and Younus Khan (313). The veteran was also named as Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968.

In January 2009, Hanif Mohammad was named along with two other Pakistani players — Imran Khan and Javed Miandad — among the inaugural batch of 55 inductees into the ICC’s Hall of Fame. 

The cricketer’s versatility covered captaining for the squad, wicket keeping and bowling both right and left arm in Test cricket.

He was among four brothers to represent Pakistan. His elder brother Wazir played along with him during Pakistan’s debut Test against India at New Delhi in 1952.

In his last Test against New Zealand in Karachi in 1969, he played along with younger brothers Mushtaq and Sadiq. Another brother, Raees, played first-class cricket and was once the 12th man for a Test match.His son, Shoaib Mohammad, played 45 Tests and 63 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan.

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Lahore (NUT-DESK)