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After Army Camp, Pakistan’s Latest Training Drill Also Draws Flak. Watch

admin — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:17:38 +0000

Major changes are expected in the Pakistan team following a disappoint exit from the T20 World Cup. The Babar Azam-led side was eliminated from the tournament in the group stage after losing to USA and India. The team continues to attract criticism from the cricket fraternity and fans, with some even suggesting that the board should sack the entire team. Days after arriving in Pakistan, captain Babar Azam was seen training in Lahore at the training complex of the Gaddafi Stadium. Amid criticism of the team, a video went viral on social media, where a few Pakistan players were seen doing catching drills.

In a bizarre incident, some of the players, including opening batter Imam-ul-Haq, were seen doing catching practice on old mattresses. However, the video has been drawing flak, with fans labelling the drill as “ridiculous”.

Here’s the video:

Imam-ul-Haq and others having special fielding drills with coach @Masroor173 in Pre Season Fitness Camp in Karachi pic.twitter.com/zL9qrwGVba

— Shahzaib Ali (@DSBcricket) July 2, 2024

Here’s how fans reacted:

They are making a joke out of themselves.

No wonder PCB is in a clown state.

— Rahul (@tweets_Sky33) July 3, 2024

Ball toh 2 fielders ke beech hi girna hai

— Crictic (@terikehkeluga) July 2, 2024

This is so ridiculous – cricket is the richest sport and these professionals are honing their craft on bed mattresses! I reckon the fields in the next series they play will be covered with these..

— Rajasthani Tau Ji (@Rajasthanii_Tau) July 3, 2024

Yar is Matress say behtar hai grass pey jump kar lain

— Faisal Syed (@FHASEEN) July 2, 2024

Never seen them do this successfully when it’s necessary on a field

— Hihi Gadid (@bigbrownenergy) July 3, 2024

Following their early exit from the tournament, the Pakistan players have been accused of playing politics withing the team. Rumours have also been rampant that there is groupism in the team with senior members not in the same page.

On Tuesday, Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan spoke to the media in Peshawar to address the team’s early exit from the T20 World Cup in the Americas.

While Rizwan admitted that while the criticism from the fans is justified, he rubbished the rumours of politics and groupism within the team, labelling it as ‘outside chatter’.

“People are saying that there’s some politics within the team, and there are some differences. If there were any differences, we have also lost games before. This is just outside chatter. This same team has played finals, semi-finals, but it is true that we haven’t won a trophy,” Rizwan said during a press conference in Peshawar.

“The criticism the team is facing is justified, and we deserve this since we didn’t meet expectations. Players who can’t face criticism won’t be able to succeed. We are disappointed with our performance in the T20 World Cup. There are multiple reasons behind our losses. When a team loses, one can’t say that bowling and batting is doing well,” he added.

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How Can Pakistan Qualify For Semi-Finals Of ICC Cricket World Cup 2023?

admin — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 04:45:59 +0000

Pakistan find themselves in a spot of bother at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 as the tournament heads into the second half. The 1992 champions have struggled for consistency despite getting a good start and as it stands, their future in the tournament remains uncertain. Pakistan won their opening match against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, before completing a World Cup-record run chase against Sri Lanka at the same venue. However, the tables started turning once they headed to Ahmedabad to face hosts India.

A terrible batting performance against India resulted in a seven-wicket defeat and that was followed by a thumping at the hands of the Australian batters. David Warner and Mitchell Marsh’s centuries in Bengaluru took Australia to 367/9 and in response, Pakistan could only manage 305 runs.

To worsen their situation, Afghanistan picked up their first win against Pakistan in ODIs in Chennai. The Afghan batting unit chased down a challenging 283-run target comfortably and won by eight wickets to push Pakistan out of the top four.

It was followed by a one-wicket defeat against South Africa at Chennai as the Proteas chased down 271. The only positive for them is that their net run rate did not take a massive hit despite four consecutive defeats (currently -0.387).

With three matches remaining, they still have a chance to reach the semi-finals, but they will require some assistance from other teams. Pakistan will face Bangladesh next in Kolkata, followed by New Zealand and England.

India, who have won all six matches, and South Africa who have been in stellar form have created a major divide with the rest of the teams. These two sides have one foot in the semi-finals while the third and fourth positions are up for grabs, which are currently occupied by New Zealand and Australia. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, are fifth with four points, the same as Pakistan, but have a game in hand.

Here’s a look at the different scenarios:

1. Pakistan win the next three matches – 5 wins, 10 points

Their best chance of making it to the semi-finals is if they win their next three matches. This will take their points tally to 10, meaning they will have defeated New Zealand, who are currently in the top three.

However, Pakistan would also need a favour from teams facing Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

If Australia lose all three of their remaining matches, including one against New Zealand, they will end up with eight points, allowing Pakistan to take a semi-final berth. The same case remains if Sri Lanka lose three of their remaining four matches in the World Cup 2023.

If Pakistan and Australia win all their matches, it can also bring New Zealand down to three defeats – as both Pakistan and Australia are yet to face them. Meanwhile, if Pakistan and Australia win their remaining matches by big margins while New Zealand and Sri Lanka lose all remaining games, they could knock the Kiwis and Lankans out and take the third and fourth spot.

2. Pakistan win two of their three matches – 4 wins, 8 points

This complicates their chance of making it to the next stage, but Pakistan will very much be in contention if they can win two of their remaining four matches.

In this scenario, either Australia and New Zealand would have to lose all of their remaining three matches, while Sri Lanka would need to lose two of their four upcoming matches. If this happens, the net run rate will decide who goes through.

Pakistan would also have to seal their two victories by massive margins and ensure they lose narrowly as the three teams above them have a higher net run rate.

3. Pakistan win one of their three matches – 3 wins, 6 points

Pakistan will be knocked out of the tournament.

4. Pakistan lose all three matches – 2 wins, 4 points

Pakistan will be knocked out of the tournament.

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Pakistan Star Reiterates ‘Friendships And Favours’ Comment As Team Struggles At Cricket World Cup 2023

admin — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 14:18:28 +0000

As the cricketing universe turns up the heat on the Pakistan cricket team, skipper Babar Azam has been facing severe criticism. But, other players haven’t been immune either, with the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris Rauf, etc. also coming in the line of fire. Amid this state of turmoil in the Pakistan team, Shoaib Malik has taken a sharp swipe at Imam, reiterating one of his old tweets where he had questioned ‘friendships and favours’ in the Pakistan team.

In a chat on A-Sports, Malik doubled down on Imam, questioning his lack of boundary count.

“When he was scoring runs consistently with same strike rate, no sixes, maybe two fours. We were okay as a nation. Why were we ok that time? Why did it not bother us? If you remember, I was the one who tweeted. Now, everyone remembers that. I tweeted, ‘when will we come out of friendships and favours? God helps those who are honest’,” asked Malik.

Shoaib Malik on Imam UlHaq – “Why were we happy when Imam was scoring fifties with no boundaries a few months back? Why were we enjoying his performances at that time? I was the first one who tweeted a year ago that friendships must end in Pakistan Cricket Team.”#PAKvsAFG pic.twitter.com/mIwSK0UZo8

— Usman Awan (@mutzoologist) October 24, 2023

“I talked about everything in our system (in the tweet). If I were diplomatic, I wouldn’t shoot myself on the foot when the World Cup squad (T20 World Cup 2022) was about to get announced. It was about the whole infrastructure. And I’m sticking to my tweet,” he added.

– When will we come out from friendship, liking & disliking culture.
Allah always helps the honest…

— Shoaib Malik(@realshoaibmalik) September 11, 2022

With defeats against India, Australia and Afghanistan, Pakistan’s World Cup semi-final hopes are hanging in balance. Babar Azam’s men don’t just need to win all of their remaining matches but also hope to see some of the other results fall in their favour.

As the World Cup campaign concludes, the future of a number of Pakistani cricketers could be up for discussion with the selectors and the board.

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Cricket world Cup: ‘Want Proteins, Not Carbs’: Pakistan Star’s Reply On Lack Of Sixes Breaks Internet

admin — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 10:39:42 +0000

There are several things which is missing from Pakistan’s game at the moment at the Cricket World Cup. With losses against India and Australia, the Babar Azam-led side is struggling to keep up in the race to a semi-final spot the ODI Cricket World Cup 2023.

However, the Pakistan cricket team ended a long wait in the match against Afghanistan in Chennai on Monday. Pakistan succeeded in ending their 1,169-ball long streak of not hitting a sixer during the first powerplay in ODIs this year. The Men in Green accomplished this during their ICC Cricket World Cup match against Afghanistan at Chennai on Monday.

On the third ball of the team’s fifth over, Abdullah Shafique smashed Naveen-ul-Haq for a six. He hit another six later to make it two sixes during the first ten overs. This year Pakistan faced 1,202 balls in the first powerplay and scored 945 runs across 20 innings. Of these, 789 balls faced by Pakistan were dot balls, which shows that they did not score on over 65 per cent of balls in this phase of the match. Pakistan batters smashed 131 fours and two sixes in the first powerplay this year.

In all, Pakistan scored 536 out of their 945 runs through fours and sixes, with only 12 runs scored while the aerial route.

Pakistan star batter Imam-ul-Haq was asked about the lack of sixes from Pakistan ahead of the Afghanistan match. “Lot of talk about the top-order not hitting sixes. What is the secret behind not hitting sixes at this level and what’s the mindset? Is there a process? Is there a mindset that you have to unlock? What is it?” asked a reporter.

“Maybe we want to eat more proteins and not that much carbs. It’s just that there is nothing, we want to talk about it. It’s just that we dont really feel it if we are not hitting sixers or fours. It’s just that what are we doing for the team…if we are winning matches. Unfortunately, last two matches we did not play well. We have to accept it,” Imam ul Haq said.

He really did say this!! Unbelievable

Journalists asks Imam why Pakistani batsmen haven’t hit any sixes in the opening 10 overs in ODIs in the last year.

His response: maybe we should eat more protein and less carbs.

Awkward humour from a guy who can’t run a 3 on the field. pic.twitter.com/mfHk5Cwj7f

— Hamza (@Hamzakk) October 22, 2023

Imam Ul Haq said, “we’ve to eat more protein instead of carbs to start hitting some sixes”. pic.twitter.com/SHYpirVUOT

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 22, 2023

“May be we have to eat more proteins not that much carbs …”

– Imam ul Haq on question of top order not hitting SIXES pic.twitter.com/sKMX9IkW5c

— Basit Subhani (@BasitSubhani) October 22, 2023

Skipper Babar Azam struck a composed half-century before useful cameos by lower-order batters guided Pakistan to 282 for seven against Afghanistan in their World Cup match on Monday.

Opener Abdullah Shafique made 58 off 75 balls and Babar got 74 off 92 balls, but had it not been for the efforts of Iftikhar Ahmed and the returning Shadab Khan, Pakistan would have finished with far less than what they eventually achieved.

While Iftikhar smashed his way to a 27-ball 40, Shadab contributed a breezy 40 in 38 deliveries. Expecting a slow pitch, the Afghans moved in with four spinners. However, the track turned out to be better than expected. The Pakistani openers Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq (17) began on a cautious note and managed a 56-run stand.

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Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan Wary Of Afghanistan Spin Threat At Chepauk

admin — Sun, 22 Oct 2023 07:53:58 +0000

A desperate Pakistan will be wary of a competent group of Afghanistan spinners’ ability to strike hard on an often-gripping Chepauk pitch during the World Cup match in Chennai on Monday. A win is mandatory for Babar Azam’s side after two successive defeats against India and Australia, as another slip up will severely hamper their ambitions to reach the semifinals of the tournament. Currently, they are in the fifth position with four points from as many matches but their net run rate of -0.456 is a worry, and it needs improvement. Pakistan’s big headache will be their batsmen’s travails, especially against spinners.

Even on a batting beauty in Bengaluru, their batters gave four crucial wickets to Aussie leg-spinner Adam Zampa, and they struggled to read his skidders.

Afghanistan have undeniable quality in their spin ranks as Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman can really trouble the best, and on a potentially favourable surface here they can kick up a mayhem.

In that context, Pakistan will need some steady effort from their batters particularly from Babar, who have been underwhelming in this event so far.

Mohammad Rizwan, the current tournament top-scorer with 294 runs, has done the bulk of work with the bat for them.

But rest of the middle-order batters like Saud Shakeel and Iftikhar Ahmed have not done enough to keep confidence in them.

Pakistan’s bowling too has not evoked much hope either. Traditionally, their bowlers have chipped in when their batters go off the boil, but this time they have not really stepped up to the occasion.

Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi showed some signs of regaining his range with a five-wicket haul against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.

But the form of other two pacers Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali remains a concern as they are still coming to terms with the demands of bowling inside the Power Play.

Pakistan always had some handy spinners supplementing the fast bowlers, but here left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawas and leg-spinners Shadab Khan and Usama Mir just don’t look the part.

They were neither able to pluck wickets nor stop the flow of runs, a primary reason behind Pakistan’s failure to exert control over their rivals in the middle overs.

And that will precisely be the point Afghanistan will look to cash in on tomorrow, and they will eye a better outing from their batsmen.

Their batters, except opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, too haven’t been able to fire in a desired manner in the quadrennial big bash.

There have been flashes by Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai and Hashmathullah Shahidi but they need to infuse some consistency into their performance as Pakistan are still a far more experienced opponent at such stages.

They also enjoy a 7-0 edge in the head-to-head stats against Afghanistan in ODIs.

Apart from the on-field calculations, the Pakistan vs Afghanistan rivalry has developed some needle to it over the last few years.

If the teams can fire themselves up to the occasion, then we may just see another classic.

Afghanistan:Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and Naveen ul Haq.

Pakistan:Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Wasim.

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India vs Pakistan: Virat Kohli Taunts Mohammad Rizwan Over Time Wasting. Clock Gesture Goes Viral During Cricket World Cup 2023 – Watch

admin — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 08:36:10 +0000

Virat Kohli in action during India vs Pakistan match at Cricket World Cup 2023© X (formerly Twitter)

Virat Kohli taunted Mohammad Rizwan for time-wasting and his clock gesture went viral during the India vs Pakistan match at the Cricket World Cup 2023 on Saturday. Rizwan came out to bat after Pakistan lost their second wicket in the form of Imam-ul-Haq and the wicket-keeper batter took quite a bit of time to get ready before facing his first ball. Kohli was not pleased with his antics and he took a jibe at the batter by pointing towards an imaginary clock on his wrist and insisting that he was wasting time. Time wasting can be a problem in the modern game as according to the new rules, if any bowling team cannot finish the total quota of overs within the stipulated time, they will be handed fielding punishments in the death overs.

Virat Kohli isn’t happy Rizwan takes too much time to enter the field #INDvPAK @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/XfJFNbRaOk

— ʟᴜᴄɪꜰᴇʀ (@platonic_ra) October 14, 2023

Indian cricket team bowlers fired in unison to dismiss Pakistan for 191. The pace trio of Jaspirt Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya took two wickets each. Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja also contributed with two wickets apiece as Pakistan were bowled out in 42.5 overs.

Skipper Babar Azam top-scored for Pakistan with 50 off 58 balls while Mohammad Rizwan made 49 off 69 balls. From 155 for two, Pakistan collapsed to 191 all out.

“It felt good. Usually you try to analyse the wicket as soon as possible. We realised the wicket is on the slower side so we wanted to bowl hard lengths. We were trying to make it as difficult as possible,” Player of the Match Bumrah said after the match.

“On how he reads pitches quickly and understands what lengths work) Just being aware I guess. I used to ask a lot of questions when I was young and that helps me now. Now I’m experienced. In my younger days they (seniors) were used to being troubled by me sometimes (with questions), but it helps to read the wicket and try different options. (On the slower ball to get rid of Rizwan) We were bowling in the middle overs and I saw Jaddu’s ball was turning, not too much but a little bit. I count my slower ball as a spinner’s slower ball, one of those days where it came off. (On the ball that got Shadab) Little phase where there was reverse swing, one of the occasions when the white ball was reverse swinging,” he added.

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Cricket World Cup 2023: Hardik Pandya ‘Says A Prayer’ To The Ball, Dismisses Imam-Ul-Haq On Same Delivery. Watch

admin — Sun, 15 Oct 2023 06:54:11 +0000

Team India won the toss and opted to field against Pakistan in their ODI World Cup 2023 match on Saturday in Ahmedabad. Mohammed Siraj provided the hosts with their first breakthrough as he dismissed Abdullah Shafique for 20. Later, when Pakistan got a partnership between Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam, all-rounder Hardik Pandya joined the party and removed the former for 36. Apart from the wicket, one thing which grabbed a lot of limelight was Hardik’s gesture, before delivering the ultimate ball.

On the second ball of the 13th over, Imam smashed a boundary off Hardik. Before delivering the next ball, Hardik closed his eyes and was seen saying a prayer. The very next moment, Hardik’s delivery touched the thick edge of Imam’s bat as wicketkeeper KL Rahul took an excellent catch behind the stumps.

Mantra from Hardik Pandya to the ball.

Next ball, Imam Ul Haq was dismissed. pic.twitter.com/n49dGtDOx9

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 14, 2023

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam fell soon after getting to 50 in Saturday’s high-voltage World Cup clash against India.

Azam reached his 29th ODI fifty off 57 balls with a boundary but was dismissed in the next over by fast bowler Mohammed Siraj.

India won the toss and elected to bowl first at the stadium which is expected to welcome 120,000 fans.

Pakistan lost their openers after a steady start but Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put on 82 runs for the third wicket to rebuild the innings.

Pakistan reached 157-3 in 31 overs in front of a crowd dominated by Indian spectators after delays in visas for Pakistan fans.

Siraj struck first to get Abdullah Shafique, who made 113 in Pakistan’s record chase of 345 against Sri Lanka, lbw for 20.

Hardik Pandya sent back Imam-ul-Haq, a left-hand opener, for 36 before Azam and Rizwan got together for a repair job.

Rizwan survived a reprieve on one when the on-field umpire adjudged him out lbw off Ravindra Jadeja but the batsman reviewed the decision in his favour.

(With AFP Inputs)

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India vs Pakistan, Cricket World Cup 2023: Key Player Battles To Watch Out For

admin — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 04:33:09 +0000

Sparks are expected to fly when India lock horns with Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday. India and Pakistan have produced some riveting battles over the years and the attraction of each of these matches have been some key player battles that have kept the fans at the edge of their seats. The Indian cricket team came out all trumps when they met Pakistan the last time in the Asia Cup. India dominated in all departments and defeated the Men in Green by 228 runs. It remains to be seen how the Indian vs Pakistan match is going to turn out this time. Before that, we shall turn our attention towards some key player battles that could decide the fate of the match.

Babar Azam vs Kuldeep Yadav

Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam’s battle with Kuldeep Yadav has been very exciting to watch over the years. Kuldeep has bowled 34 deliveries to Azam in ODIs till now and has dismissed him twice already. Babar Azam has managed to score only 18 runs against Kuldeep Yadav at a meagre strike rate of 52.9. That sums up how much Azam struggles against the Indian wrist-spinner. Moreover, Babar Azam hasn’t enjoyed the best of starts in the World Cup 2023 campaign, registering scores of 5 and 10 in the two matches so far. His confidence must be on the lower side and that presents Kuldeep Yadav an opportunity to improve his record against Babar further.

Virat Kohli vs Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Afridi has had a very quiet start to this World Cup campaign, claiming only a couple of wickets in the two games that the Pakistan cricket team has played so far. But this clash against India presents him with an opportunity to make things better. His battle with Virat Kohli will be one to watch out for. The left-arm pacer has bowled 24 deliveries to Virat Kohli in ODIs and has dismissed him once while conceding 21 runs. It can’t be said that Kohli has really struggled against Shaheen Afridi as he has scored runs at a good rate against him. But it’s always a treat to watch when a quality bowler bowls to an equally good batter. This battle is going to be highly competitive and that’s going to make it very special.

Imam-ul-Haq vs Jasprit Bumrah

Imam-ul-Haq isn’t enjoying the best of times in this World Cup campaign. In the two matches so far, he has scores of 15 and 12 to his name. He will need to cross another big hurdle if he wants to play a significant role in this match, and that hurdle is Jasprit Bumrah. The Indian pacer has bowled 21 deliveries to Imam-ul-Haq in ODIs and has already dismissed him once while conceding only 12 runs. This sums up that he not only keeps Imam quiet but also keeps creating chances to dismiss him regularly. If Imam doesn’t find ways to counter Jasprit Bumrah’s threat in this game, he might get dismissed early once again.

Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi

The India cricket team captain’s battle with Shaheen Afridi is also going to be quite exciting to watch. Rohit Sharma is high on confidence after scoring a match-winning century against Afghanistan, but he has always had issues against left-arm pace and that’s where Shaheen Afridi can cause troubles. Rohit Sharma has faced 42 deliveries from Shaheen Afridi in ODIs and has scored 33 runs against him while getting dismissed once. He has always maintained a cautious approach while playing Shaheen Afridi, showing respect for his quality as a new-ball bowler. Rohit Sharma needs to be careful once again as even one moment of carelessness can lead to his dismissal by Shaheen Afridi, who is an exceptional exponent of the new ball.

Mohammad Rizwan vs Kuldeep Yadav

Mohammad Rizwan has never faced Kuldeep Yadav in ODIs but he has an inherent weakness towards wrist-spin. He averages only 29 against wrist-spinners in ODIs while scoring runs at a strike rate of 80.27. The wicketkeeper-batter has great numbers against all other kinds of bowling but wrist-spin is something he isn’t quite adept at taking on. Kuldeep Yadav has been in great bowling form since last year and he has bowled very well in the two matches of this World Cup so far. He has been troubling right-handed batters continuously and it won’t be a surprise if he does the same to Mohammad Rizwan once again.

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Cricket World Cup 2023: Pakistan’s Predicted XI vs India- Will Babar Azam And Co Tinker With Winning Combination?

admin — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 03:42:12 +0000

The Pakistan cricket team will take on arch-rivals India in the 12th match of ICC World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday, October 14. Babar Azam and co. are coming into this encounter on the back of consecutive victories and so are India. But only one team will emerge victorious in this contest. The two arch-rivals locked horns in the Asia Cup Super 4 match recently and Pakistan lost that match by a huge margin of 228 runs. They got outplayed in all departments and that’s why they will be eager to come up with a much better performance this time.

Here, we shall take a look at the predicted Pakistan playing XI for this crucial ODI clash against the Indian cricket team.

Openers: Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq

Abdullah Shafique walked into the Pakistan lineup in the previous match and made an instant impact. The right-hander played a fabulous innings of 113 and will be eager to carry that form forward into the India vs Pakistan encounter. Imam-ul-Haq, on the other hand, has encountered failures in both games so far with scores of 15 and 12 to his name. The southpaw needs to step up in this highly important fixture.

Middle-order: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel

Babar Azam, the Pakistan cricket team captain, has struggled to get going. He has registered scores of 5 and 10 in the two games so far and he will be eager to make things work in this high-stakes clash. Mohammad Rizwan, on the other hand, has performed well in both games so far. He followed up his 68 against the Netherlands with another superb knock of 131* against Sri Lanka.

The left-handed Saud Shakeel has also justified his position in the Pakistani side. He was adjudged the Player of the Match against the Netherlands for his exceptional knock of 68 and then he also did well against Sri Lanka to contribute 31 runs at a crucial juncture.

All-rounders: Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz

The Pakistan all-rounders have been quiet so far. Iftikhar Ahmed did play a good cameo of an unbeaten 22 from just 10 deliveries against Sri Lanka and also claimed a wicket in the game against the Netherlands with his off-spin. But Shadab Khan, a leggie, and the left-arm orthodox Mohammad Nawaz are yet to perform to their potential. Both spin bowling all-rounders have been expensive with their bowling and they haven’t contributed much with their batting either. So, this India vs Pakistan match is going to be a good opportunity for them to showcase their talent.

Bowlers: Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Pacer Hasan Ali is playing for Pakistan in the absence of Naseem Shah and he has been delivering. After picking up a couple of wickets against the Netherlands, Hasan Ali delivered with four wickets against Sri Lanka. He was a bit expensive, though, conceding 71 runs in his 10 overs against the Lankans.

Left-armer Shaheen Afridi hasn’t been performing to his potential either. He has claimed only a couple of wickets in the two games so far and was quite expensive against Sri Lanka. Haris Rauf, however, has been bowling well. After registering figures of 3/43 against the Netherlands, he went on to claim two wickets against Sri Lanka.

Pakistan’s predicted XI for Cricket World Cup 2023 clash against India:Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

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Was There Tampering With Boundary During Pakistan’s World Cup match vs Sri Lanka? Internet Alleges

admin — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 02:21:39 +0000

The Cricket World Cup 2023 saw a high-scoring thriller between the Babar Azam-led Pakistan cricket team and the Dasun Shanaka-led Sri Lanka cricket team. Sri Lanka, boosted by centuries from Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama, put a massive 345-run target for Pakistan. Though the likes of Babar Azam failed, Pakistan fought back well with Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan leading the charge. Rizwan stayed not out on 131 as his team got past the target in 48.2 overs.

Several social media users, during the course of the match, pointed out to an interesting aspect on the ‘Field of play’ when Imam-ul-Haq took the catch of Kusal Mendis off Hassan Ali’s bowling. Several social media accounts thought that the boundary might have been pushed, which made it easier for Imam to take the catch close to the ropes. They pointed out to a patch of grass that looked a little off-colour, presumably due to the boundary rope. However, there was no official reaction from ICC regarding the same.

Pic 1: Pakistan vs Netherlands
Pic 2: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka

Why do boundary ropes shift only during Pakistan’s matches? pic.twitter.com/4EHJuSg8ph

— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) October 10, 2023

No way Pakistan fielders saw Shaheen and Hasan Ali bowling and pushed the boundary back. pic.twitter.com/KAXRhd5iML

— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) October 10, 2023

Boundary rope. Not saying they did it on purpose, but they really should have double checked. pic.twitter.com/s1fdvU3XJM

— Shivani Shukla (@iShivani_Shukla) October 10, 2023

This is absolutely pathetic from the Pakistan team. They are increasing boundary size in every match. @ICC take a look.

Once a cheater always a cheater. Shame on them. pic.twitter.com/DlV6Vo0pZa

— (@bholination) October 10, 2023

As for the match, Opener Abdullah Shafique and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan smashed fine centuries as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in a high-scoring World Cup match in Hyderabad on Tuesday. Shafique, playing only his fifth ODI, slammed a 103-ball 113, while Rizwan battled cramps to hit an unbeaten 131 and shared a 95-run partnership with Saud Shakeel (31) to help Pakistan overhaul Sri Lanka’s total of 344/9 in 48.2 overs.

Following their second win in the tournament, Pakistan climbed one spot to second on the points table behind leaders New Zealand.

Earlier, Kusal Mendis (122) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (108) struck terrific centuries as Sri Lanka posted a huge 344/9.

Mendis clobbered 14 fours and six sixes to make 122 off 77 balls and was involved in two century partnerships. He added 102 runs with Pathum Nissanka (51) for the second wicket and 111 with Samarawickrama for the third.

With PTI inputs

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