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ARY NEWS

Shahid Hashmi

  • PCB anti-corruption unit catches Bangladeshi bookie

    PCB anti-corruption unit catches Bangladeshi bookie

    SHARJAH: Pakistan Cricket Board’s anti-corruption unit has caught a Bangladeshi bookie, sources said on Friday, as the first attack on Pakistan Super League (PSL) by bookies has been handled properly.

    A source said that the detained Bangladeshi national, Umar, had tried to contact Pakistani and foreign players — apparently those who featured in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) in November-December last year — on social media.

    Another source said that Umar was involved in pitch siding — a term used for those fans who provide information to bookies on telephone from the ground stands.

    Around 100 Indian bookies were arrested and expelled from stands in Dhaka and Chittagong for pitch siding during the BPL.

    Pakistan Super League was rocked by a spot fixing saga last year which ended in five years bans on Islamabad openers Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif. An anti-corruption tribunal formed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently imposed a one-year ban on cricketer Shahzaib Hasan for his alleged role in the fixing scandal.

    PCB has taken extra measures to handle such approaches with a security manager linked with each team in the PSL.

  • Rain washes out Karachi-Multan PSL match

    Rain washes out Karachi-Multan PSL match

    A full house holiday crowd at Sharjah stadium was left frustrated when umpires called off the much awaited match between Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans as intermittent rain repeatedly thwarted attempts to start the match on Friday.

    Before the cut 6:17 local time the two umpires announced the call off as the outfield was left wet as repeated inspections were futile.

     

    Pakistani expats had thronged the stadium in anticipation of watching a close match between the hitherto unbeaten Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans. When the two teams reached they were welcomed by a light drizzle as Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim won the toss and opted to bat first.

    But when the two umpires — Pakistan’s Aleem dar and Asif – walked in to start the match they were only forced to order for the covers.

    There were three more inspection as groundsmen tried to soak the outfield but persistent rain failed them.

    The other jolt for the big crowd would have been the absence of popular allrounder Shahid Afridi of Karachi Kings who was due to miss the match with a knee problem.

    Lahore Qalandars will face Islamabad United in the second match of the day which is also threatened by rain.

     

  • Mohammad Amir raring to go after injury scare

    Mohammad Amir raring to go after injury scare

    SHARJAH: Karachi Kings’ spearhead Mohammad Amir is raring to go at Multan Sultans batsmen after resting for a match due to a side strain.

    Amir will be back in Blue and Red as table toppers Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans lock horns at Sharjah stadium on Friday.

    “I was feeling good as I had taken two wickets but went off the field only as a precaution and then had a good rest,” Amir told ARYNews.

    “I am feeling good now and am raring to have a go at Multan Sultans team. They have a very good batting unit with Kumar Sangakkara and Shoaib Malik so I have to be at my best to take wickets and win the match for Karachi Kings,” said Amir, who had the first PSL hat trick in his bag in the league’s first edition.

    Amir now has a mini fan in his daughter Minsa who adores her no end.

    “She is a blessing as they say that kids are your blessing,” said Amir.

    “Whenever I am down a bit I look at her and forget everything in life and world and its a great feeling . She is already a great fan of mine and hopefully when she grows up, will always be a great motivating factor.”

    In Karachi’s Dubai encounter against Zalmi, Amir, who had figures of 2 for 6 in his two overs had to walk off the ground due to the injury and wasn’t able complete his quota of four overs in his team’s five wicket win.

    He was rested for the game against Lahore Qalandars.

  • Karachi Kings celebrate Shahid Afridi’s birthday

    Karachi Kings celebrate Shahid Afridi’s birthday

    The mood in Karachi Kings’ camp was high on Thursday, besides being the undefeated team in the Pakistan Super League, but also because it was the birthday of their most popular player Shahid Afridi.

    Soon after the practice team manager Naveed Rasheed invited all the players, team staff and ARY news team to the cake cutting ceremony as the media got a real shock of their lives and a great opportunity.

    Afridi, now 38, cut the cake and after getting the first taste of it, gave bites to skipper Imad Wasim, director Rashid Latif and head coach Mickey Arthur.

    “It is nice to have your birthday celebrated by team and I am thankful to ARY for providing this opportunity,” said Afridi, who revealed he doesn’t celebrate birthdays.

    “Usually, I don’t celebrate birthday but since I am with my teammates, who care for me and wanted it to be celebrated, so I am grateful to them. For their love and affection that they remembered me,” said Afridi.

    Millions around the world have taken to twitter and facebook to send message to the great and popular allrounder who served Pakistan for almost 20 years.

    “My message to the fans is to keep supporting me, keep supporting Pakistan and keep loving and supporting Karachi Kings,” said Afridi.

    Imad said Afridi has been the livewire of the team.

    “It’s great to celebrate Shahid bhai’s birthday,” said Imad. “He has been the soul and heart of Karachi Kings and we all wish him the best in his life and cricket.”

    Head coach Mickey Arthur praised Afridi.

    “He (Afridi) is a great human being and a team man to the core,” said Arthur. “We value him a lot and this is a great occasion and we all wish him the best in his life.”

  • Kevin Pietersen backs Sarfraz as Pakistan captain

    Kevin Pietersen backs Sarfraz as Pakistan captain

    Former England captain Kevin Pietersen has urged the Pakistan cricket authorities to appoint Sarfraz Ahmed skipper for the 2019 World Cup to take pressure off him, saying Sarfraz is a good leader and knows the game well.

    Pietersen, who will retire from all cricket later this year, smashed a 34-ball 48 to lead Quetta Gladiators to a comfortable six-wicket win over Islamabad United.

    After the match, Pietersen praised Sarfraz, also skipper of Quetta, and termed Pakistan lucky to have such a knowledgeable captain.

    Read More: The best bowler I faced was Mohammad Asif, says Kevin Pietersen

    “Pakistan is very lucky to have Sarfraz as a captain,” said Pietersen of Pakistan and Quetta captain.

    “All the players like him. He has got a very good cricket brain and with World Cup just 12 months away, I think that it would be a very clever decision for Pakistan Cricket Board to say to Sarfraz, to take pressure off him, that ‘you are leading our team to the World Cup.”

    Pietersen warned against replacing Sarfraz, who lost the one-day series in New Zealand 5-0 in January this year.

    “You cannot replace a captain in the last 12 months because if you replace a captain after a captain does well like Sarfraz has done, he is a very good man and a great leader, so if you replace him that new captain can think that even he can get replaced before the World Cup.

    “So from my experience you back your captain so if you back your captain, your players will feel safe.”

    Pietersen admitted his role for Quetta has turned more responsible as he is playing for the last time.

    “I am committed to Quetta because I have signed a contract and when I signed a contract I fulfil my obligations of performing to the best of my ability. That’s the bottom line, I am here to score runs. The team has been absolutely magnificent for three seasons and there is no reason why I should just wander around and try to help the team.

    “That’s my role and it’s become even bigger role now that I am finishing and I am going into a different walk of life, on occasions, to be able to mentor the youngsters and lead by example.”

    Pietersen said he did not want to continue and had enough of cricket.

    Read More: ‘I am not having International Women’s Day’ says Kevin Pietersen

    “I am done. I hate fielding. Fielding does my head in,” said Pietersen of his international career which began in 2005.” I have been very lucky to have played 20 years of professional cricket without any major injury. A lot of people say you leave while you are on the top, so if I can keep performing like this then it is good.

    “As long as the team is performing, that’s all that really matters. I think for Nadeem (Omar). He is such a kind and wonderful man. I am so desperate for him to get a trophy.”

    Pietersen said he was as committed to Quetta to win the Pakistan Super League after twice losing in the final.

    “I have been passionate every single time I play for the purple team. Whether we win we enjoy together, whether we lose we build each other up and what Nadeem (Omar – owner of Quetta Gladiators) has created, what Sarfaraz has created and what Moin (khan) has created it’s a family team.

    “Our team is a family team and they are incredibly humble and they are not super emotional like a lot of the other owners. They do not go dancing in the crowd but they give us our full support and we know that they back us. It’s important from a player’s perspective to know that if we lose the smile is there and the same smile is there if we win.”

    Pietersen, who had refused to visit Pakistan for the playoffs and final — like he did last year — admitted to speaking to England and Wales Cricket Board director of cricket on a possible coaching stint.

    “I had some good conversation with Straussy. Because he is going through some personal hardships at the moment and I am being serious when I say that cricket isn’t significant when Andrew Strauss is dealing with what he is dealing with his wife and cancer, ” said Pietersen of Strauss’ wife Ruth who is diagnosed with cancer in January this year.

    “So you put all the nonsense to a side and I have actually spoken to him for quite a few times in the last couple of months. Cricket and a lot of other stuff that happens are gone, it’s insignificant, families are more important than all the nonsense. Cricket is insignificant to personal health. I am good with Straussy and I just wish Ruth all the best and hope, she can pull through, she is a fighter.”

  • On rise Quetta Gladiators look for Zalmi scalp

    On rise Quetta Gladiators look for Zalmi scalp

    Last year’s finalists Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators come face to face for the first time in the Pakistan Super League’s third edition as both teams look to consolidate their positions on the points table in the only match at Sharjah stadium on Thursday.

    Defending champions Peshawar Zalmi, who beat the Quetta Gladiators in the final at Lahore last year, need a victory as they have lost to Multan Sultans by five wickets and to Karachi Kings by the same margin of wickets. Their only win came against Islamabad United by 34 runs.

    Zalmi are still missing their wicket-taking bowler Hasan Ali who is nursing an ankle injury sustained in New Zealand in January while their Bangladeshi opener Tamim iqbal will leave for Sri Lanka after today’s match.

    Read More: Pietersen heroics lead Quetta to six-wicket victory over Islamabad

    Zalmi will once again look to Tamim and Kamran Akmal to give them a solid platform for a big total to stop Quetta who recorded their second win in three matches on Wednesday, with their key batsman Kevin Pietersen showing return to form with a brisk 34-ball 48.

    For Quetta Gladiators, Mohammad Nawaz is playing a dual role, checking the flow of runs with his accurate left-arm spin and then scoring at pace through his left-handed batting, providing Quetta the edge they needed.

    Zalmi were boosted by West Indian Dwayne Smith’s 71 in the match against Karachi Kings but that was not enough to seal the win.

    Zalmi will also want their left-arm spinner, Mohammad Asghar, to show up and match their 19-year-old leg-spinner Ibtisam Sheikh who has taken five wickets in the three matches so far and has burdened the attack on his not-so-broad shoulders.

    The two teams have played some exciting matches in the two editions of the PSL, with both teams tied at 3-3 in seven matches with one no result. But in the knock out stages, Quetta had the better of Zalmi by one run in the first edition and again by the same narrow margin last year.

    But Zalmi had the last laugh when they downed Quetta by 58 runs in the final last year. So expect another close encounter at Sharjah tonight.

  • Islamabad, Quetta seek surge in Sharjah

    Islamabad, Quetta seek surge in Sharjah

    SHARJAH: Former champions Islamabad United and twice runners-up Quetta Gladiators will seek a second win and change of fortunes as the Pakistan Super League 3 shifts to Sharjah on Wednesday.

    Quetta lost to Karachi by 19 runs in their first match before pulling off a comfortable nine wicket win against Lahore Qalandars in Dubai and will now look for their second win, while Islamabad lost to Peshawar Zalmi by 34 runs before sneaking a five wicket win over Multan Sultans.

    All six teams will complete their three matches today, with Karachi Kings leading the pack with six points in three undefeated matches. Multan Sultans are lurking behind after two wins and one defeat. Peshawar Zalmi has one win in two matches while Lahore Qalandars have lost all their matches in a disappointing campaign.

    Islamabad’s fragile batting, restricted to 142-9 by Peshawar, will be bolstered by the arrival of South African batsman JP Duminy who took part in team’s practice on Tuesday. Their inspirational captain Misbah-ul-Haq also seems to have recovered from a hamstring problem but will be assessed before the match.

    Quetta will also hope their foreign stars Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson and Rilee Rossouw fire. Watson smashed a quickfire fifty in their second match but Pietersen and Rossouw have yet to fire.

    Sharjah will provide a better pitch than Dubai where the pitches were hard to score on. Despite being termed as a smaller ground, the Sharjah stadium will have the same 65 metres boundaries like Dubai, so the notion that it’s a smaller ground is baseless.

    Quetta captain Sarfraz Ahmed had hoped the win will give his team more confidence.

    “The start was poor but the way we came back was incredible,” said Sarfraz after beating Lahore. “It’s hard to bowl spin against the kind of batsmen they have, but I have a good understanding with KP.

    “He helped as well, the way Nawaz came back here was superb, no praise is enough for him. The intent Watson showed was superb, as a team we got a lot of confidence out of this game.”

    Islamabad United’s stand in captain Rumman Raees will also hope Misbah returns so that he can fully concentrate on his bowling.

  • Karachi Kings will continue to work hard, promises Azhar Mahmood

    Karachi Kings will continue to work hard, promises Azhar Mahmood

    Karachi Kings have surprised all and sundry in PSL 3. Three wins in as many games is a great start but the team management comprising head coach Mickey Arthur, team director Rashid Latif, bowling coach Azhar Mahmood and batting coach Faisal Iqbal will closely monitor the progress of the team and will guard against complacency.

    The team’s support staff works day and night, on the field and away from it, to keep the good work intact, to bring the best out of the players.

    The notable thing about Karachi Kings is their bowling resembles that of Pakistan. They have successfully defended modest targets of 150 and 160 in the three matches thus proving they can defend any total through their knack of taking wickets.

    Against two times runner-up and formidable batting unit Quetta Gladiators, they took nine wickets, then kept another strong batting line up Peshawar Zalmi to 131-9 and then bowled out Lahore Qalandars for 132 — 28 wickets in three games! That speaks volume of their bowling.

    The one man in delivering the most is Azhar Mahmood, also the bowling coach of Pakistan’s national team. Azhar has been an unassuming and silent performer. ARY News gives credit whre it deserves and spoke to the man with ‘Midas Touch’.

    Q: PSL is all about grooming Pakistan’s raw talent and find good players for the national team. Have you found out any real talent till now in PSL 3.

    Azhar: It’s a bit early, but, yes, talent is there and just like last year we have seen some talented player like Shaheen Afridi and Ibtisam Sheikh. Shaheen has played Under 19. PSL is a good sign for Pakistan cricket. Youngsters share the dressing room with top players. They learn how to prepare for a match, what should be the mindset and what should be the approach. So PSL is the platform for these youngsters.

    Q: You have handled the bowlers very well. It seems that this is Pakistan team in blue colours, as they defend a modest total by taking wickets.

    Azhar: Twenty20 cricket needs a method. At times people forget that you don’t start hitting from the first ball. If you see how Ravi Bopara batted (scored 50 not out against Lahore), the way he held the innings and scored a brilliant fifty and lifted the total. If you look at the opponents they got panicked by hitting big shots although they needed 75 in the last 11 overs.

    So these things are lessons for the young players. I have three Pakistan bowlers in my attack so I tell them how to change approach in different formats. We play attacking cricket and take that option. A bowler must know that Twenty20 cricket is fast, you will go for runs and shouldn’t be worried about that. If you get wickets then it will put pressure on the batting side.”

    Q: Usman Shinwari has fully recovered a big time. He was advised four to six months for recovery, but hasn’t he returned before time?

    Azhar: His recovery is remarkable. When Usman was recovering he was sending me his videos of what he was doing. What he was doing and he and the medical team managing him worked really hard on him. Shinwari did the hard work and was very keen to stage a comeback. He worked very hard at NCA in Lahore and he must be given full credit. He took responsibility. Had Amir not had fitness problem we would not have played Shinwari. We wanted him to bowl more in the nets so that he fully recovers. But hats off to him.

    Q: Three out of three for Karachi Kings now, would complacency set in?

    Azhar: Our coaching staff does not allow any complacency to creep in. We will not think that we have won three games so we can relax. No, you win and you lose but the hard work should be consistent.

  • Shahid Afridi has made great contribution to Karachi Kings, says Mickey Arthur

    Shahid Afridi has made great contribution to Karachi Kings, says Mickey Arthur

    Shahid Afridi steals limelight wherever he goes. So when the popular all-rounder switched from Peshawar to Karachi Kings everyone was expecting a big impact from him. Afridi has done that, without even smashing sixes and fours. He has contributed both on and off the field and head coach Mickey Arthur praised him no end.

    Talking to ARY News, Coach Mickey Arthur told how Afridi has gelled in the Karachi squad, “I can only speak incredibly highly of the contribution that Shahid Afridi is putting in the dressing room. He is like a kid once again. The catch he took the other day and said that ‘coach, look I am fielding well and can come into Pakistan team again. I am available” He is advising Imad a great deal and has been excellent in his role. His bowling is great and I feel he will play an innings which will help us win sooner”.

    Arthur also told about the recruitment process of Karachi Kings this year, he said,

    “I think first and foremost we were very particular about our recruitment process. We looked for players who were useful for us. We looked for players who fit in. That’s why we have Colin Ingram, Joe Denly, Ravi Bopara and David Wiese and we knew that they will give us performances.

    “They know that if they perform here it will be the gateway for other leagues. They have come hungry and are keen to perform. The whole team needs credit for that. We have won three games and we are in a good position. We have played some good cricket but we are nowhere near any form of celebration yet”.

    By defending modest totals, Arthur believes that Karachi Kings looks like Pakistan team a bit.

    “We have seen it certainly with the Pakistan team that bowling has not been an issue. Batting is an issue with us and our fielding is something that we prided on. I am satisfied and the amount of hard work we put in on fielding at the national level has permeated at lower levels as well”, he said.

    Karachi Kings’ coach is also looking for an extraordinary talent in PSL 3 like Hasan and Shadab, he said, “Hussain Talat has played a very good knock the other day. We had Hasan Ali from the first event. He stepped in and made a great impact. Then we had Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman in the second edition but I have not seen anyone who has given me the joy Hasan Ali and Shadab gave but we still have a long way to go this year”.

    Taking about Ravi Bopara’s knock against Lahore Qalandars, Arthur said he gave a big lesson to the youngsters to play a responsible inning.

    “Yes, that a big lesson. I was quite hard on Ravi in the team meeting last night. I think he allowed the game to drift (against Peshawar Zalmi) in chase of 132, he should have finished the game in the 19th over so he came with a little bit at a fire in his belly. So he played a brilliant knock. We were targeting 150 but he got us 10 runs more than we wanted,” he said.

    Arthur also said that we may send our players to play leagues all around the world, only if it is beneficial for them.

    “We will judge every case separately. We have 20 players in mind so we will be cautious about sending them to leagues. If that is helpful then we may send them but if not we will not send them,” he concluded.

  • Confident Karachi brace for “clash of the titans” with Lahore

    Confident Karachi brace for “clash of the titans” with Lahore

    DUBAI: Boost up by back to back successes a confident Karachi Kings brace for wounded Lahore Qalandars, hoping another win could bring them closer to the play-off of the Pakistan Super League in the only match at Dubai stadium on Monday.

    Karachi Kings improved their record against last year’s finalists Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi with 19-run and five wicket victories to get a kick start to the PSL 3, raising hopes of a better finish than their fourth in the inaugural edition and third last year.

    Skipper Imad Wasim warned the league was still in early stages.

    “We are not getting carried away as this is an early stage of the league,” said Imad after his team made a heavy weather of a modest 132-run target on Sunday night. “We should have won two three overs before so thats an area where we have to be cautious.”

    Karachi Kings will also be cautious of their opponents Lahore who will be looking for a strong performance after two back to back defeats, by 43 runs against Multan Sultans and by nine wickets against Quetta.

    Lahore collapsed miserably against Multan in their chase of a 180-run target — still the highest in the tournament — after being well set at 132-3, losing seven wickets in a proverbial “fell like nine pin” collapse.

    They also failed to capitalise a robust start of 45 in 3.3 overs to lose against Quetta.

    Karachi Kings have the best record against Lahore, beating them by seven wickets and 27 runs in the first edition and by five wickets in the second. Their only loss against Lahore was a close seven run defeat last year.

    Karachi will be sweating on the fitness of their sopearhead Mohammad Amir who was cautiously rested after two overs of two wickets with a side strain but Imad was hopeful his main bowler will be on the park.

    “Amir felt some pain so we rested him cautiously and hope that he will be okay for the match on Monday but even if he is not then we have a back up,” said Imad of Usman Khan Shinwari who is also raring to go after recovering from a back injury suffered late October.

    Lahore will hope their star studded batting of Brendon McCullum, Fakhar Zaman, Umar Akmal and Cameroon Delport fire for them to open their account in the league.

    Lahore will also be desperate to improve on their last finish in both the first two years of the league.

    They are still waiting for pace spearhead Sohail Khan to recover fully from a back injury sustained last month to bolster their pace attack. Sohail was the best bowler last year with 16 wickets. But that was for Karachi Kings and will give him reason enough to fire against his old team-mates.

    The league will shift to Sharjah on Wednesday after a day’s rest.