Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Fast bowler Haris Rauf took a career best 4-22 to help Pakistan defeat New Zealand by five wickets and record their second successive win in the Twenty20 World Cup on Tuesday.

Boosted by their brilliant performance in the 10-wicket rout of arch-rivals India on Sunday, Rauf inspired the 2009 champions to victory in front of a boisterous Sharjah crowd mainly comprised of Pakistani expats.

Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell both scored 27 for New Zealand, while skipper Kane Williamson made a laborious 25 off 26 balls as New Zealand were held to a below-par 134-8.

Veteran Shoaib Malik (27) and Asif Ali (26) came together with Pakistan wobbling at 87-5 and led the team to their target in 18.4 overs.

Pakistan had lost skipper Babar Azam to Tim Southee — bowled for nine in the sixth over — as the paceman took his 100th wicket in his 84th T20 international. 

He is only the third bowler behind Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (117 in 92 T20Is) and Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga (107 in 84) to take 100 or more wickets in the format.

Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi trapped both Fakhar Zaman (11) and Mohammad Rizwan leg-before to reduce Pakistan to 69-4. In between those two dismissals, Conway produced a brilliant diving catch at wide long-off to dismiss Mohammad Hafeez as he attempted to lift spinner Mitchell Santner out of the ground.

When Imad Wasim fell for 11, Pakistan still needed 47 off 31 deliveries. It was left to Asif — maligned for his continuous failures — to hit two sixes off Southee in the 17th over to bring down the target to 24 off the last three.

Malik reduced that to nine in two overs by hitting a four and a six off Santner. Asif then smacked Trent Boult for six before hitting the winning runs.

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Lahore (NUT-SPORTS)

After inflicting a 10-wicket humiliating defeat on arch-rival India, a confident Pakistan is fully prepared to take its revenge from New Zealand in its second T20 World Cup fixture scheduled to be played today (Tuesday) in Sharjah, UAE.

The much-anticipated Pakistan-New Zealand clash will start at Sharjah Cricket Stadium at 7 pm.

New Zealand will be kick-starting their ICC T20 World Cup campaign today against the green shirts, who began their journey with a record-breaking win against India.

On the ICC Men’s T20 team rankings, Pakistan is placed third, while New Zealand is on fourth position. Pakistan holds a historical edge over the Kiwis in the format though, having won 14 and lost 10 contests between the sides. The last series between the two countries, in December 2020, was won by New Zealand.

A day earlier, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson had said that both Pakistan and New Zealand enjoy good relations and the T20 World Cup match between the two teams “will be played in right spirits.”

His comments came after Williamson had been asked, “if he feels there will be some acrimony or any grudges during the match due to the situation that arose after New Zealand had abandoned Pakistan’s tour last month.”

 “The focus now is here at the T20 World Cup, and no doubt after last night’s performance, Pakistan have some momentum and are feeling pretty good about their cricket,” he had said.

Expected playing XI

Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi

New Zealand probable XI

Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert (wk), Kane Williamson (capt), Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee.

 

 

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

IMGC Congrats ‘The #PakistanCricket Team’ for making a history, of what the entire country and world witnessed. The Green Shirts win against arch-rivals India and to do so by 10 wickets is a cherry on top. Captain ‘#BabarAzam’ and ‘#MohammedRizwan’ along with ‘#ShaheenShahAfridi’ in particular lead the team to victory in high notes.

IMGC is proud of the overall performance of our heroes who outclassed India. IMGC has always been a great support in identifying the talent and nurturing them to go to the highest level through ‘#ShamaCricketClub and Academy’. The ‘Shama Cricket Club’ has a legacy of producing original talent like ‘#IftikharAhmed’, ‘#MaazKhan’, ‘#MuhammedIlyas’, ‘#AdilAmin’, ‘#HammadulHassan’ laddering them to the top level. ‘Muhammed Rizwan’ in particular is an example who started his cricketing career from this very club and is now a shining star and making news globally.

IMGC regular #CSR practices includes in developing the Health sector through ‘#HafeezRashidMemorialTrust & Free Diagnostic Clinics’ in #Nowshera, in the Education area we have established ‘#AlRashidModelSchools’ in Nowshera and Multan, for women empowerment ‘#Hunerkada’ is playing an important role. ‘Shama Cricket Club and Academy’ has taken the responsibility of training talented and potential cricket players to be polished and highlight their talent on district and international level.

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Leading electronics and technology brand, OPPO is one of the prime sponsors of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The brand is one of the market leaders in Pakistan in terms of smartphones and technology, and to celebrate the success of OPPO in the country, the brand took the media and prominent content creators to the highly anticipated Pakistan vs. India match held in Dubai.

OPPO and the content creators witnessed the excitement of the match through the lens of the OPPO Reno6 Pro 5G, a perfect device that is designed to capture emotions, moments and memories in portrait. The smartphone comes packed with countless image-enhancing features such as Bokeh Flare Portrait, AI Highlight Video and other cinematic quality video resolution, along with the extraordinary 64MP quad camera.

The content creators had a busy schedule with all the travelling, constant social media updates, content creation and live streams from the match, but OPPO Reno6 Pro 5G’s 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 flash charge ensured that their phones are fully recharged at a superfast speed and they’re always ready to take on the world with the long-lasting 4500mAh battery.

OPPO has had a long and joyous history with cricket, as one of ICC’s global partners; the brand has covered numerous ICC championships and tournaments since 2016. OPPO and ICC align in their belief to celebrate the essence of unity and togetherness. Pakistan’s triumph and the country’s unparalleled pride and happiness is exactly the emotions the brand believes in and wants to promote.

As a global leader in technology, OPPO gives ICC the platform to reach millions of audience members, households and cricket fans to witness extraordinary moments from the world of cricket. The event was broadcasted live on televisions and digital powered by OPPO, especially for the Pakistani audience.   

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan captain and Brand Ambassador Noon, Babar Azam has won the hearts of the nation with the historic win against India in the ongoing T20 Cricket World Cup. The winning captain dedicated his win to the youth of Pakistan and has announced the ‘Muhammad Azam & Saya Scholarship’ in partnership with Noon. The PKR 2 Million scholarship will target young boys & girls with a focus on sports related backgrounds. The scholarship is dedicated to his father who has been backbone throughout his life and career, and Saya Corporation.

Confirming the gesture, GM Noon Pakistan, Umair Chishti said ‘Babar’s partnership with Noon really furthers our mission to radically change the way people learn in Pakistan. This will allow us to provide quality education across all corners of the country’

CEO & Founder Saya Corporation Global Sports Group, Talha Rehmani commented on occasion, “I am extremely pleased with our collaboration with Noon as it allows us to build role models for our youth. This paves way to positively impact the future of Pakistan which is aligned with Saya Corporation’s vision.’

Noon Pakistan has amassed a user base of 1.6 Million students in its first year of operations. The online learning platform is offering daily live classes for O&A Levels, Matric & Inter across all major boards in Pakistan.

Saya Coporation is a leading sports management company with offices in Pakistan, England and South Africa mentoring the likes of Babar Azam, M. Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, Shadab Khan, Rassie van der Dussen and many more.

The app can be accessed through the link: https://bit.ly/3nagDeN

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Skipper Babar Azam led his team from the front in their resounding win against India during the T20 World Cup, with fans being overjoyed as the Men In Green rewrote the history books. 

Babar’s father could be seen in tears following his son’s impressive innings against the arch-rivals, India. 

The captain and Mohammad Rizwan smashed unbeaten half-centuries as Pakistan crushed India by 10 wickets on Sunday to register their first win over their arch-rivals in a Twenty20 World Cup.

This needs to go viral. Babar Azam's father crying in tears of joy after his son became the first ever Pakistani captain to beat India in a world cup match.

He was the biggest supporter of Babar in his childhood. He must be the most proudest man on earth. pic.twitter.com/9YaUeHZvjg

— Team Babar Azam (@Team_BabarAzam) October 24, 2021

Chasing 152 for victory, Babar (68) and Rizwan (79) took apart the Indian bowling as they steered their team home with 13 balls to spare in Dubai.

Left-arm quick Shaheen Shah Afridi set up victory — their first over their neighbours in six attempts in the tournament — with figures of 3-31 that restricted India to 151-7 despite a valiant 57 from skipper Virat Kohli.

Babar and Riwan went on the attack from the start with boundaries inside the powerplay – the first six overs when only two fielders are allowed outside the inner circle — to set the tone for their chase.

The dew did not help the Indian bowlers who regularly wiped the moisture off the ball with their towels while the openers kept the score ticking and got the occasional fours and sixes.

The batting pair kept up the charge as Babar reached his fifty with a six off spinner Varun Chakravarthy to get the Pakistan supporters dancing with joy.

Rizwan raised his fifty with a boundary off pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah and then raced past his captain, hitting six fours and three sixes in his 55-ball knock.Babar hit the winning runs to turn a new page in Pakistan-India rivalry.

 

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam lauded his side on Sunday after a historic win against India in the ICC T20 World Cup match but requested them not to be overexcited and complacent in the tournament.

Pakistan chased down 152 with 13 balls to spare without losing any wicket to register their first-ever win against the arch-rivals in ICC World Cup events. Babar and Mohammad Rizwan scored half-centuries after Shaheen Shah Afridi wrecked the Indian batting order with his fiery bowling spell.

The captain and head coach address the players after Pakistan's historic win over India. #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/Laww5iTMzX

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 24, 2021

Babar addressed the team in the dressing room after the epic win and credited everyone for the victory.

“This is not anyone’s individual’s performance; we have won this as a team,” Babar said while lauding his teammates.

“We must keep our team spirit intact, we need to move as a team in the tournament, and this is just the start,” the Pakistani captain said.

Babar added that it is was alright to celebrate the win and enjoy the moment but told the team not to get over-excited and stay focused on the collective goal.

“Enjoy the win but don’t get over-excited, we have a long tournament, and we need to remain focused on our goal — to win the world cup,” Babar said.

“We can’t be relaxed and complacent at any time, and everyone needs to give 100%. We will enjoy today, and that’s it. I request you again that don’t fall prey to overexcitement, as the next game is as important, and we must not be relaxed for that game,” the Pakistani captain.

Pakistan will play their next match of the tournament on Tuesday against New Zealand.

Lahore (NUT-DESK)

Former champions India and Pakistan will face off today (Sunday) in a T20 World Cup blockbuster in Dubai and the buzz around the game underlines the enduring appeal of the match-up between the sub-continent’s feuding neighbours.

India captain Virat Kohli and Pakistan counterpart Babar Azam have called it just another game, but that is clearly not the case.

The match will start at 7:00pm (PST).

The nuclear-armed neighbours have gone to war three times since gaining independence from British colonial rule in the mid-20th century and remain at loggerheads over Kashmir.

India last hosted Pakistan in a bilateral series in 2013 and the teams now meet only in global tournaments, the last being the 2019 ODI World Cup in England.

“I was involved in the games in 2014 and 2016. If you ask me, as a player, it was always a high-pressure game,” former India player Suresh Raina wrote for the International Cricket Council (ICC) website on Saturday.

“In the build-up, everyone is just telling you how big it is.”

“The fans have enjoyed this rivalry over the years and it is cricket at its best.”

The 17,500 tickets for the game were sold out hours after being put on sale and television channels in both countries are running special shows on the match.

“My inbox is flooded with requests for match passes,” Dubai businessman Anis Sajan, who owned a franchise in United Arab Emirates’ domestic T10 tournament led by England captain Eoin Morgan, told Reuters. “I’d say an India-Pakistan match is bigger than the Ashes.

“It may have become one-sided of late but emotions run high,” Sajan, vice president of the Dubai-based Danube Group, said referring to India’s 12-0 record against Pakistan in cricket World Cups.

Official broadcaster Star India, which has lined up an impressive array of sponsors for the tournament, acknowledges the commercial significance of Sunday’s match.

“The India-Pakistan clash is one of the biggest matchups in the world of sports,” Sanjog Gupta, Head of Sports at Star and Disney India, said in a statement.

“The clash at an ICC event attracts core and casual cricket fans as well as viewers who don’t watch any other cricket.”

For the first time in Pakistan, marketplace and retail platform Daraz is live-streaming the World Cup on its digital platform and the response has been overwhelming.

“We have seen a massive surge in installs and daily active users on our platform,” its managing director, Ehsan Saya, told Reuters.

“We are super excited to bring free streaming to Pakistanis and are confident our team will play their hearts out for our country.”

The timing of the game poses a dilemma for fans like Debasish Sarkar who does not want to miss Sunday’s other showdown between two arch-rivals, Manchester United and Liverpool in soccer’s Premier League.

“It’s a tricky choice for someone like me who’s equally mad about cricket and the Premier League,” Sarkar, a manager with a global cyber security software company, said from Kolkata.

“I’ll most probably have the India-Pakistan match on television and follow football on my mobile. I can’t afford to miss either.”

Babar Azam-led squad look to break World Cup jinx against India

The Pakistani team will look to end their losing streak against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup when the two rivals begin their title race in a Sunday blockbuster.

India have beaten Pakistan in all of their 12 matches at the T20 and 50-over World Cups.

However, Pakistan come into the Super 12s contest with 10 wins in a row in the UAE and former Pakistan all-rounder Mudassar Nazar believes the team has struck the right balance to challenge Virat Kohli’s India.

“A week ago I had apprehensions about the team but now they have made certain changes and they look a decent, well-balanced side now,” Nazar had told AFP earlier.

“Pakistan stand a very good chance as they have experienced players who have played a lot against India. India start as favourites and they have all the areas covered but in T20 anybody could beat anybody on their day.”

Azam, who is in top form with two T20 centuries this year, believes his team can break the World Cup jinx.

“Definitely we have played a lot of cricket in the UAE,” Babar had said when asked about his team’s dismal 0-5 record against India in T20 World Cup clashes.

“These conditions suit us and we know how to play here. We need to keep things simple in all the departments.”

The two teams last met in the 2019 ODI World Cup in England as India only plays Pakistan in multi-nation events after cutting off bilateral cricket ties with their neighbours following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Pakistan’s team

Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shahdab Khan, Imad Wasim, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Haider Ali.