Day: January 31, 2022

The official Twitter account of Pakistan Super League‘s (PSL) main sponsor, HBL has posted a cryptic tweet regarding the ongoing seventh edition of PSL.

The account tweeted, “Sorry fans, HBLPSL will not be the same this year.”

The cryptic tweet has gathered the attention of PSL fans as they wonder what the future holds for Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament. To make matters worse, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ramiz Raja has replied to HBL’s tweet indicating that something is coming to an end. The fans of PSL have been intrigued with the cryptic tweets from both parties as they worry for the future of the ongoing tournament.

Ramiz tweeted, “All good things come to an end. Sigh….I am off to other things but still excited for HBL PSL.”

Well, PSL fans need not worry as the cryptic tweets do not indicate that the ongoing PSL season is set to be postponed or canceled. Instead, this could be something exciting for the whole brand of PSL. The tweets have created the hype and have gotten the attention of Pakistan cricket fans which would indicate some exciting news for the tournament.

Prior to the start of the tournament, Ramiz Raja had promised to include some fun activities for fans outside the stadium. He had revealed that he will host different competitions including finding a new commentator in a PCB set-up fanbox outside the stadium. These tweets could very well relate to something on those lines.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Cryptic tweets by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Ramiz Raja, and main sponsor of Pakistan Super League (PSL), HBL, regarding PSL sent the cricketing fans in the country in a frenzy as they believed that the ongoing seventh edition of PSL might come to an abrupt end.

The tweets by the two parties indicated that something good is coming to an end and PSL will not be the same this year.

However, the real story behind the tweets has nothing to do with the future of the ongoing tournament. According to sources, the tweets are regarding HBL’s famous YouTube show ‘Jahan Fans Wahan Stadium’ which featured Ramiz Raja and Zainab Abbas as hosts of the show along with two Pakistani cricketers as guests on the show. The show had garnered a cult following as cricketing fans in the country enjoyed their favorite cricketers in fun segments.

Ramiz cannot continue in his role as the host of the show or any other commercial activities following his appointment as the PCB chairman a few months ago. The former World Cup winner has also left the commentary box ever since his appointment.

It is still unclear whether the show has been completely canceled or will it continue without Ramiz Raja as host.

Source: Pro Pakistani

With the PSL 7 underway, hard-hitting batsman Asif Ali has shared his goals and expectations for the season in an exclusive interview with ProPakistani. The 30-year-old batter also recalled his favorite moments while donning Pakistan’s jersey, and shared details about his career and his role as a power hitter.

Talking about Islamabad United’s preparations and potential to win PSL 7, Asif Ali told ProPakistani, “We have really good preparation and we are excited about PSL. Islamabad United has a really good team combination and we will hopefully win the tournament.”

Asif Ali also seemed happy about the new talent being discovered through PSL. Talking about the youngsters in Islamabad United, he said, “Juniors have reached Islamabad United after performing well on the domestic level.”

Expressing his views on the statistical approach of Islamabad United’s management towards selection and assigning of roles, Asif said, “Islamabad United’s managers are working brilliantly. They keenly watch players and then make decisions based on their performances. Islamabad United management works according to international standards.”

Talking about different coaches Islamabad United has experimented with in different seasons of the league, Asif Ali said, “We have ended up as champions twice and will try our best to win the final of PSL 7. Every coach has his own style and we get to learn a lot from every coach we work with. It is actually quite good that Islamabad United changes coach every year. In this way, there are more opportunities to learn. None of the players of the team object about changing the coach, instead, we feel happy about learning new things.”

Revealing his preference when it comes to choosing between foreign and local mentors, Asif Ali said,

I have played most of my cricket under foreign coaches. I cannot understand them. They used to tell me something else but I would always play my own cricket. Foreign coaches even used to get angry while mentoring us, but I never understood them.

Misbah-ul-Haq shares a strong bond with Asif Ali and Islamabad United as a former player and coach. Asif Ali also talked about Misbah’s role in his development. He said, “Entire Pakistan knows that Misbah is like a brother to me. He has always coached me as his young brother. I have learned a great deal from him about both cricket and personal life.”

Asif Ali termed teammates, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Afridi as his inspiration. Talking about his T20 World Cup fireworks, Asif Ali said, “Babar Azam, Shadab Khan, and Hasan Ali gave me the confidence. Babar Azam called me and said that Pakistan needed me. Babar Azam said that we would play together.”

He also expressed joy at the ICC awards won by his teammates, wishing them many more in the future. He also said that Ramiz Raja has been performing really well in the interest of cricket and cricketers. About the spirit and attitude of team Pakistan, the attacking batsman said, “The team’s plan is to always strive for success and not even think of losing.”

As he talked about his position in the batting order and his role as a power hitter, Asif Ali said, “In domestic cricket, I have batted at third or fourth position. In Pakistan team, I do not get a chance to play at these positions, instead, I have to bat at the end. So, I asked Shadab Khan to let me bat down the order in National T20 where I play at the international level. It is hard in international cricket to start hitting as soon as you reach the crease. It is not easy to wait until the sixteenth over, all padded up, and then do aggressive batting.”

Talking about his future in Test cricket, Asif Ali told ProPakistani that his playing style is not suited to Test cricket and can not see any chances of himself being successful in the long format of cricket. Asif Ali also gave the credit to former all-rounders Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi for valuable tips regarding power-hitting.

While choosing the most memorable moment of his career, Asif Ali picked his quickfire innings against New Zealand and Afghanistan in T20 World Cup 2021. He steered the game towards Pakistan’s side within a few deliveries. He also termed his match-winning three sixes in the final of Pakistan Super League 2018 against Peshawar Zalmi as ‘most memorable’.

Putting his anticipation into words regarding Australia’s historic tour of Pakistan after a gap of 24 years, Asif Ali said, “The entire team is very excited. In fact, the entire nation is excited. Cricket is the only game left in which people take interest.”

Asif Ali is positive to play his role as a hard hitter for the victory of both Islamabad United and Pakistan. He will be in action for Islamabad United in the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Islamabad United’s strategy manager, Hassan Cheema revealed Pakistani cricketers’ sympathy with star Indian batsman, Virat Kohli as he is currently struggling with his game. Cheema stated that seeing such a positive connection among the players even when they represent two fierce rivals on the field has restored his faith in humanity.

He took to his Twitter account, expressing amazement and pleasant surprise at this. He wrote, “[I] Find it fascinating that everyone I talk to right now, from our guys [Islamabad United] to Pakistan team guys in other [PSL] teams, everyone is hoping and in some cases praying for Kohli to get a hundred.”

Further acknowledging the spirit of cricket among the Pakistani cricketers, Hassan Cheema stated, “Game recognizes game like no other. Sort of restores my faith in humanity.”

Sharing his views about the pressure handled by cricketers in hard times as they face criticism, Hassan Cheema claimed that it can not be understood by anyone better than another cricketer. He wrote on Twitter, “But I can also get why they would have more empathy for him than us normal people. If anyone can relate to a [cricket] board being weird and fans being demanding, it is them.”

He also stated the grief felt by Pakistani cricketers upon the mean comments about Virat Kohli and his inability to perform the same remarkable way, he is known for. Hassan Cheema wrote, “Several times in the past week [during PSL] I have heard [the boys say] that people do not even forgive Kohli.”

On a lighter note, Hassan Cheema claimed that there should be no surprise if Pakistani cricketers admire and support Virat Kohli since above all, they are true fans of the game. He wrote, “Although now that I think about it, why wouldn’t they love and appreciate him. They are cricket fans first and foremost after all.”

He also took a slight dig at the media of both countries for creating a division between the two cricket-loving nations. Expressing his views about the sadistic situation, Hassan Cheema wrote in a tweet, “The fact that it surprised me is a reminder of how much brain poisoning I have from Twitter and traditional media over these things [Indo-Pak relations].”

Virat Kohli has suffered a massive setback lately as the Indian team failed to perform in the T20 World Cup 2021 and then against South Africa where they lost 3-0 in the ODI series. Virat Kohli has also stepped down as captain of the Indian team in all formats after performing the duty in an exceptional manner for 7 years.

However, the revelation of Pakistani cricketers’ reaction towards Kohli’s tunability to score a century is a breath of fresh air, proving that cricket is the key that holds the power to unite the two countries as it brings people emotionally close to each other and promotes peace.

Source: Pro Pakistani

Islamabad United will replace Paul Stirling, who began the Pakistan Super League 2022 with a scintillating 57 off 25 against Peshawar Zalmi, with Liam Dawson after the former will leave the side for international duty from 7 February.

The replacement has been approved by Event Technical Committee, which is headed by Zakir Khan (Director – International Cricket Operations) and includes Nadeem Khan (Director – High Performance) and Sameer Khosa.

Liam Dawson has previously represented Peshawar Zalmi in PSL. The all-rounder has picked up 11 wickets and scored 363 runs for Peshawar Zalmi in 24 matches he played for the franchise across three seasons.

He has also represented England at the international level, having played 8 T20Is, 3 ODIs, and 3 T20Is for his national team. The 31-year old will join the Islamabad United squad in the Lahore leg of the tournament.

Source: Pro Pakistani