This memorable incident unfolded during the Islamabad United versus Peshawar Zalmi match. Zalmi’s Amer Jamal had struck a delivery from Islamabad pacer Faheem Ashraf for a maximum.

Earlier in the same match, the ball-boy had missed a catch opportunity. However, he redeemed himself by successfully holding onto the chance the second time around. Despite the ball barely crossing the rope, it was a delightful sight to witness a fielder celebrating a six, sharing a light-hearted moment with the ball-boy.

Islamabad United won, putting Peshawar Zalmi to 167/9 after amassing 196/4 on their own. The player of the match was declared to be Shadab Khan.

The post PSL 2024: Ball-Boy Takes A Spectacular Catch, Watch The Epic Celebration With Fielder appeared first on Cricket Country.

During the PSL press conference ahead of the match between Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars, Babar was once again quizzed about his marriage and he came up with a hilarious reply.

“Aap kaptaan hai. Aapke saare ladko ki shaadiya ho rahi hai aur aapka baal safed hota jaa raha hai. Toh aapka kab iraada hai shaadi ka? (You are the captain. All of your players are getting married, and your hair is also turning grey. So when are you planning to get married?),” asked the journalist.

Babar, who was surprised by the question, gave a hilarious reply that left everyone in splits.

“Safed age ki wajah se nahi, shuru se hai safed. Yeh nahi ki shaadi ke liye ho rahi hai. Dekhiye, jab time aayega tab ho jaayega. Time ka wait main bhi kar raha hu, aap bhi karein (My hair was always white, and it is not because I am thinking about marriage. See, when the time is right, marriage will happen. I am waiting for the time to come, and you should wait too.).”

Babar Azam about his marriage & calling IFTI, “chachu” ?❤️?pic.twitter.com/8SLJUocYIy

— SAAD ?? (@SaadIrfan258) February 25, 2023

Meanwhile, Babar Azam’s Peshawar Zalmi has blown hot and cold in the PSL so far. The team is placed fourth on the points table with two wins and as many losses in four games.

The post Aapka Baal Safed Ho Rha Hai…: Babar Azam Leaves Audience In Splits After Journo’s Hilarious Question On Marriage appeared first on Cricket Country.

Babar’s strike rate was brought up in the press conference that followed the match. He strongly retaliated by asking the journalist if he ought to play at a strike rate of 300. He said “Why not strike rate of 300?”

Zalmi experienced a middle-order collapse after Azam and Mohammad Haris (40 off 21) shared a 76-run partnership for the first wicket . They could only manage to score 156/8 in their 20 overs.

Hasan Ali took three wickets for United, while Shadab Khan, Rumman Raees, Faheem Ashraf, and Mubasir Khan each took one wicket.

Don’t mess with Babar Azam tonight ? #HBLPSL8pic.twitter.com/nUZFXeUNp9

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 23, 2023

In response, Rassie van der Dussen contributed 42 runs off 29 balls, and United opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz led the run chase with 62 runs off 31 balls. In addition, Asif Ali made a cameo, scoring 29 runs in 13 balls as United won by six wickets with 5.1 overs remaining.

“We had a good start and executed our plans till then, but we lost back-to-back wickets. Hasan Ali bowled well and we lost the momentum. We tried to get it back, but it was too late and we didn’t get any partnerships. This was a 180-200 wicket. We are starting well but are not finishing strongly and that is an area we need to work on,” Azam said in the post-match show.

“But there are positives, especially with the way Haris is batting in the powerplay. I started well but didn’t finish the way I would have liked. It would have been different if there was a proper batter to support me at the other end,” he added.

The post Why Not Strike Rate Of 300?: Babar Azam’s Savage Reply To Pakistan Journalist In PSL 2023 appeared first on Cricket Country.

The Karachi team has made some significant changes in the team in the starting of year’s edition, team’s captain Imad Wasim has taken a dig at Babar said that this year the Karachi Kings have tried to include more match winners in their side rather than having players who played for their personal goals.

“We have tried to include more match-winners in our team rather than those who play for personal goals. So, this year, I believe, if we played up to our potential, our team will go deep”, Wasim said in an interview with Cricket Pakistan.

THE BIG ONE BABAR AZAM ?
WITH PSL 5 Trophy ?
PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT#BabarAzam? #ImadWasim #KarachiKings pic.twitter.com/WCDg3wEhH2

— Ahsan ?? (@AhsanAshraf258) February 9, 2023

PSL winning percentage of current captains.
1. Muhammad Rizwan: 70.83 %
2.Shaheen Afridi: 65.38 %
3.Imad Wasim: 53.84 %
4.Shadab Khan: 53.11 %
5.Sarfraz Ahmad: 50.70 %
6.Babar Azam: 9.09 %#rizwan #PSLAnthem #PSL8 #HBLPSL8 pic.twitter.com/0J6lgUvfar

— Team Superman (@TeamRizwanPak) February 9, 2023

Man of the Match won by Pakistanis at BPL

Iftikhar Ahmed x3

Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Rizwan x2

Usman Khan, Wahab Riaz, Shoaib Malik, Haris Rauf x1

— Nawaz ?? (@Rnawaz31888) February 9, 2023

He also added that the team will not miss Babar this season as ‘players come and go’.

“It doesn’t matter to us, players come and go, but nothing is more important than the team; now he’s playing for a different team, so good luck to him, this time we want to go for aggressive cricket” he added.

The post Karachi Kings Skipper Imad Wasim Takes A Dig At Babar Azam, Says ‘We’ve More Match Winners Than Those Who Play For Personal Goals’ appeared first on Cricket Country.

Peshawar Zalmi batting first, put up 158 runs on the board and the match went into the final over with the Lahore side needing 24 runs to win. Afridi hit 3 sixes and a boundary to take the match into the Super-over, where the Wahab Riaz-led Zalmi side successfully chased down 6 runs for the win, thanks to Shoaib Malik’s cool and calm composure.

THAT over. #HBLPSL7 l #LevelHai l #LQvPZ pic.twitter.com/o8AYrxjmNg

PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 21, 2022

Even though Lahore lost the match, but Shaheen has now become the talk of the country for his blistering knock of 39 off 20 deliveries. Legendary Pakistan all-rounder, Shahid Afridi was ecstatic after the Qalandar pacer’s feat and posted a collage of him with his picture, hailing the massive feat achieved by the tail-ender in the PSL match. Shaheen is engaged to Afridi’s daughter Aqsa.

“SHAHEEN AFRIDIIII YOU BEAUTYYY!!!”, the former Pakistan international posted on twitter.

SHAHEEN AFRIDIIII YOU BEAUTYYY!!! pic.twitter.com/RPv9ui2lNp

Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) February 21, 2022

With this victory, Peshawar Zalmi has now moved up to 3rd in the standings with 12 points. Lahore are placed 2nd with the same number of points. Multan Sultans lead the table with 18 points from 10 matches. Lahore will take on Multan tomorrow, whereas the Zalmi side will lock horns with Islamabad United on 24th Feb.

The post WATCH: Shaheen Afridi Smashes 23 Runs in Final Over, Shahid Afridi Reacts appeared first on Cricket Country.

Akmal is the second-highest run-getter in PSL history but ahead of the player draft, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demoted him from the platinum category.

“As far as the category is concerned, I was not happy when it was initially announced. I was very surprised to see my category demotion despite my good track record. The lower categories are better suited for youngsters,” Akmal had said.

However, on Wednesday Akmal confirmed to espncricinfo.com that the differences had been ironed out and he would continue playing for Zalmi.

“For me self-respect is foremost and it’s not about money,” Akmal said. “Had it (been) about more money I could have left Zalmi long ago but they are like a family and I never imagined leaving them. It’s the process that basically was surprising and how the board disregards the senior cricketers.

“It’s hurtful as it’s a domestic tournament and I am not done yet. It’s the passion for the game that kept me going and the performance that matters. I am not looking at the international level as I know I don’t deserve it but at PSL I think I deserve a lot at this level. Zalmi is my pride and I will be playing for them,” Akmal added.

“We have a great respect for Kamran,” Mohammad Akram, Zalmi’s head coach said.

“Picking him in the silver category was a part of our strategy as draft dictates who you pick at what stage. We had the right-to-match card with us and we saved it for him in case any team could have tried to pick him. So when you have a tool to protect your player you make sure that he isn’t hurt money wise,” he added.

The post Peshawar Zalmi Patch up With Kamran Akmal; Cricketer to Remain With PSL Franchise appeared first on Cricket Country.

Sohaib Maqsood celebrated his Pakistan recall at 34 after five years with an unbeaten 65, and South African Rilee Rossouw reserved his best for the final by smashing 50 off 21 balls in Multan’s imposing total of 206-4.

Peshawar, which opted to chase after winning the toss, got brief momentum from veteran Shoaib Malik’s 47 off 28 balls but was restricted to 159-9.

Legspinner Imran Tahir claimed his three wickets in his last over while Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabbani picked up the important wicket of power-hitter Hazratullah Zazai early to take the sting out of Peshawar’s run chase.

Multan came back strongly into the tournament after the league was moved to Abu Dhabi this month, winning four of its last five league games. It also beat favorites Islamabad United in the qualifier.

Multan struggled in Karachi with a solitary win from five games in February until the league was suspended when several players and support staff tested positive for the coronavirus.

Peshawar was the third time unlucky, falling in the final for a third time alongside 2018 and 2019.

Maqsood played a key role in Multan’s turnaround in the tournament and, yet again, showed off his aggressive batting to finish the league with 428 runs.

Peshawar captain Wahab Riaz seemed to have the final controlled by the halfway mark but Hazratullah Zazai dropped Maqsood on 6 at extra cover in the 11th over which proved costly.

Maqsood and Rossouw combined in a 98-run partnership off only 44 balls as Riaz and Amad Butt finished with identical expensive figures of 0-52. Both batsmen hit 11 fours and six sixes between them as Multan added 124 runs in the last nine overs and took the game away from Peshawar.

Fast bowler Sameen Gul, who played after Umaid Asif was suspended on Thursday for breaching the bio-secure bubble, claimed 2-26 as the rest of the bowlers struggled to contain the free-flowing batting of Maqsood and Rossouw.

With PTI inputs.

The post PSL 2021: Multan Sultans Wins Maiden Title, Beats Peshawar Zalmi in Final by 47 Runs appeared first on Cricket Country.

In a virtual media interaction ahead of the resumption of the Pakistan Super League, the South African, who’ll be featuring for Peshawar Zalmi made a bold statement that T20 leagues can endanger the essence of international cricket.

“T20 leagues are a threat for international cricket. The power of the leagues are growing year by year and obviously, in the beginning, there might be just 2 leagues around the world and now it’s becoming 4,5, 6,7 leagues in a year. The leagues are just getting stronger,” opinionated the Chennai Super Kings man.

“I think it’s important that in future you try and see how its possible both can co-exist because it becomes a choice moving forward into the future then it can be a real threat for the international game.”

Faf also believes that like cricket, one of the most popular games in the world, football will also have the same fate in the future.

“That is a huge challenge. Maybe in 10 years’ time cricket will almost be like soccer where you have your world events and in between, you have these leagues around the world where players can play,” the seasoned batsman said.

The versatile batsman said that it has already been done in practice, citing the example of the West Indies team, where some of the best players are giving more time on the domestic circuit of the t20 game. As a matter of fact he has also said that even the Proteas men have also started joining the bandwagon.

“If I take someone like myself you go and play 2 or 3 or 4 leagues around the world but I can’t predict the future. There are more and more players…(who want to play in T20 Leagues).

“West Indies probably is the first team that started doing it. All of their guys moved away from the international team to the T20 domestic circuit. So the West Indian team lost a lot of their key players. It’s starting to happen with South Africa also,” he said.

The post T20 Leagues Are a Threat For International Cricket- Faf du Plessis appeared first on Cricket Country.

Cricketer-turned-commentator Raja felt if the young kid follows the two cricketers, he could become the next world-beater.

”Haider has immense talent and has made a name for himself in his first season of PSL,” Raja said in a Youtube video.

”However, he needs to bring consistency in his performance and his ideal position is number three in the batting order. He has big quality shots in his armour and doesn’t need to improvise much as his power-hitting base is quite strong.”

”Haider needs to follow the approach of Babar Azam and Virat Kohli. These two doesn’t improvise much as they have so much talent and rely mainly on conventional shots. Haider has similar talent as Babar and Kohli, but just needs to work on his game awareness and play longer innings,” he added.

The right-handed dasher has had a brilliant Pakistan Super League (PSL) season where he has amassed 239 runs in nine games before COVID-19 suspended the tournament before the eliminators.

The COVID-19 outbreak has also affected the start of the Indian Premier League which was scheduled to start from March 29 but has been postponed till April 15.

The post Peshawar Zalmi’s Haider Ali Could Become Next Virat Kohli or Babar Azam: Ramiz Raja appeared first on Cricket Country.

“I back the decision to postpone the league but on a personal note I was in favour of holding the remaining matches as well. While we were discussing this issue in meeting with other PSL franchises and PCB, I raised the point that it is just a matter of 48 hours, so let the PSL conclude in a better way,” Afridi was quoted as saying by ProPakistani.pk.

Akhtar slammed the comments saying the PCB was already a few days late in calling off the tournament. English cricketer Alex Hales tested positive for coronavirus and was immediately sent back home.

“One of the team owners is still saying that these remaining matches should also have taken place. Imagine if this outbreak had spread in the stadium, be it Karachi or Lahore,” Akhtar was quoted as saying by ProPakistani.pk.

“Honestly it was a stupid mistake by the PCB to continue the league. Also, I’m pretty sure that they would have kept it running if the case had not emerged. PCB was late about six days with regard to the suspension of the league. Putting people at risk was not a sensible thing to do,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Zalmi have made the semi-final and will play Multan Sultans.

On the other hand, the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) that was slated to begin from March 29 has been postponed till April 15 because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The post Shoaib Akhtar Criticises Peshawar Zalmi Boss Javed Afridi’s Comments on Continuation of PSL Amid COVID-19 appeared first on Cricket Country.