Category: Sport

I’m going to Pakistan tomorrow, who coming with me? 😉🙌🏿

— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) September 18, 2021

Watch Video:

Starting August 06, The Kashmir Premier League is a six-team competition that would be held in Muzaffarabad. The final would be held on August 17. The six teams who would compete for the title are–Muzaffarabad Tigers, Kotli Lions, Bagh Stallions, Overseas Warriors, Mirpur Royals and Rawalkot Hawks.

Disclaimer: This video is not a work by Kashmir Today Staff.

No copyright infringement intended.

Shahid Afridi’s family says the proposal had been in discussion for two years; formal announcement to be made soon
Share

Star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has sought cricketing legend Shahid Afridi’s daughter’s hand in marriage, both families have confirmed.

A combo image shows Shahid Afridi with his daughter and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

[the_ad_placement id=”w”]

Reports suggest that the two families have reached an understanding, but a formal engagement will be announced in some time.

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s father Ayaz Khan has told the media that both families have longstanding relations and that Shahid Afridi’s family has agreed to the proposal. He said that a ceremony to formalise the engagement will be held soon.

A representative of Shahid Afridi’s family meanwhile told Geo News that the proposal had been in discussion for the past two years.

Shahid Afridi’s family said that since Shaheen is playing cricket and Shahid Afridi’s daughter is still studying, the engagement has not yet been formally announced.

They said that the engagement could be formalised shortly before the wedding in two years’ time.

The family has requested that the matter not be speculated on. Shahid Afridi will make a proper announcement when the time is right, they said.

Chennai: Chris Morris on Friday became the most expensive buy in the IPL auction history with Rajasthan Royals shelling out Rs 16.25 crore for the South Africa all-rounder even as uncapped players such as Karnataka’s K Gowtham also hogged the limelight with hefty deals here.

Spin bowling All-rounder Gowtham was bought for a record Rs 9.25 crore by the Chennai Super Kings. The 32-year-old is currently with the Indian team as a net bowler for the ongoing Test series against England.

Tamil Nadu’s Shahrukh Khan, named after the Bollywood superstar, expectedly got a handsome Rs 5.25 crore deal from Punjab Kings, more than 51 times his base price of Rs 20 lakh. Shahrukh has been in the limelight with his exploits in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Gowtham, an IPL regular who was released by Punjab Kings, was the second off-spinner CSK bought after England’s Moeen Ali. With the hefty price tag, Gowtham became the most expensive uncapped buy in IPL history. His base price was also Rs 20 lakh.

Morris’ big pay day came after another all-rounder and perennial under-performer, Australian Glenn Maxwell, once again managed to attract a winning Rs 14.25 crore bid from Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Punjab Kings, who went into the auction with the maximum purse among eight teams, paid Rs 14 crore to rope in Australian pacer Jhye Richardson hoping he will plug the gap in their leaking bowling department.

The 24-year-old, who has played two Tests, 13 ODIs and nine T20Is for Australia, was the leading wicket-taker in the recent Big Bash League.

Punjab paid a big amount — Rs 8 crore — for another Australian pacer, the uncapped Riley Meredith. The 24-year-old has 43 wickets in 34 T20s that he has played.

Morris, who came with a base price of Rs 75 lakh, generated bids from four teams before it became a battle between Royals and Punjab Kings.

Royals eventually sealed it with a record bid which made Morris the costliest buy at the auction ever, surpassing Yuvraj Singh, who was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 16 crore in 2015.

The costliest player in the IPL remains Virat Kohli, retained for Rs 17 crore by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In 70 IPL games, Morris has scored 551 runs at 23.95 and taken 80 wickets at 23.98.

Talking about why Royals went all out on Morris, team COO Jake Luch McCrum said: “We actually spoke to Chris before the auction itself, and did a full medical review of him. He’s in a bubble in South Africa now, about to play the domestic competition.

“Chris is an ex -Royal, and he’s one of those players with experience and who can deal with a price tag like that. We’ve re-balanced the side this year, he will fill in an important role for us.

“He is a quality bowler through all phases of the game, and also he can win us the game with the bat as well.”

Earlier, KKR made the opening bid for Maxwell but it eventually became a two-way war between Chennai Super Kings and RCB before the Virat Kohli-led team won him with a bid which came to USD 1.96 million.

“We wanted to get an X-factor player and we are delighted to get Maxwell,” RCB Director of Cricket Mike Hesson said.

Punjab Kings, who had paid Rs 10.75 crore for Maxwell in the previous auction, had released the 32-year-old following the 2020 edition in which he made 108 runs in 13 games at 15.42.

In 82 IPL games, Maxwell has made 1505 runs at a modest average of 22.13.

England all-rounder Moeen Ali also went for a high price of Rs 7 crore to Chennai Super Kings. Both Maxwell and Moeen had base prices of Rs 2 crore.

“Absolutely buzzing to play for CSK. They have a massive fan base and I can’t wait to meet them. I can’t wait to play under Dhoni. My teammate Sam Curran is there too. This made my day, made my year,” said Moeen in a video message.

PTI

Their confidence soaring high after the resounding 4-1 victory over NEROCA in their last match, Gokulam Kerala FC will aim to continue their winning streak when they face Real Kashmir FC in a Hero I-League match here on Saturday.

Vincenzo Annese’s Gokulam produced a clinical performance against NEROCA to lie fourth on the I-League table, just four points adrift of leaders Churchill Brothers. The winner on Saturday could jump to second place.

Speaking at the official pre-match press conference, Annese termed Saturday’s match against Real Kashmir as a “litmus test” for his side.

“We have improved a lot over the course of the season but now we have a litmus test in Real Kashmir FC. The match against them will be a tough challenge and it would also tell a lot about us as a team,” he said.

“It is tough to score a lot of goals in India and although we played well against NEROCA, we can still improve our attacking phase. We have lot of potential and I want to harness it to its fullest.”

The Italian coach said his side will have to be clinical in front of goal against Real Kashmir as the Snow Leopards play a lot of direct football.

Real Kashmir are fifth on the table on five points with a match in hand. A win could propel them higher up the table.

After being held to a 1-1 draw against Sudeva Delhi FC in their last match, David Robertson’s side would be looking to get back to winning ways.

“We could have had a lot more points but we are happy with where we are as we still have a game in hand. It is a long way to go till the end of the season but we are ready and looking forward,” Robertson said.

“Against Gokulam we will have to be on our toes. They are a strong opponent and they will test us to our limits. In this league, anyone can beat anyone on their day and we have to make sure that we do not drop points.

The issue of racism, simmering since the first day of the third Australia-India Test at Sydney Cricket Ground, boiled over on Sunday when Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj, abused constantly by a section of the crowd while fielding on the boundary line, went up and complained to his skipper Ajinkya Rahane and on-field umpires. Play was halted for 10 minutes before tea break, police called in and six people were ejected from the stadium.

The six told Siraj and fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah, “You brown dog, go home. We don’t like you”. The two had been called “monkeys, wanker and motherf*” on Saturday following which Team India had lodged an official complaint with ICC, which is looking into the matter. On Sunday, Cricket Australia (CA) “unreservedly” apologised to the Indian team and launched a parallel probe with NSW police, promising to take the “strongest measures” against anyone found guilty of vilification.

“These crowds have been free to come to the stadium and move around freely in Sydney, mouthing off. The Indian players have been subjected to all kinds of abuse at the same ground. The players are going through hell,” said a member of the Indian contingent.

Cricket Australia (CA) “unreservedly” apologised to the Indian team. “As series hosts… we assure them (Indian players) we will prosecute the matter to its fullest extent,” CA head of security and integrity, Sean Carroll, said.

India captain Virat Kohli, himself the victim of racial abuse on the boundary line in the past in Australia, tweeted: “Racial abuse is absolutely unacceptable. Having gone through many incidents of really pathetic things said on the boundary lines, this is the absolute peak of rowdy behaviour. It is sad to see this happen on the field. The incident needs to be looked at with absolute urgency and seriousness and strict action against offenders should set things straight for once.”

An Indian team official said, “We will move on from this incident — like possibly many such incidents that former Indian teams or other sides from the subcontinent have been subjected to on tours over the years. Whatever this culture change that they (Aussies) harping about, fact it this (sort of abuse) comes naturally to them.

“It just doesn’t end. At airports, while leaving the hotel, inside the stadium, on the streets — somewhere you’re going to get it. It’s nobody’s fault that some nameless, insensitive and vile human is going to let his or her tongue loose. But it’ll happen and there’s no running away from it. That’s a fact,” he added.

With inputs from Times of India

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.).

Srinagar: Star cricketer of Kashmir Abid Nabi Friday accused the selectors of Jammu Kashmir Cricket Association and national cricketer Parvaiz Rasool for being bias in selection process.

In the recently held selection, Abid Nabi was not included in the senior J&K cricket team.
On Friday, he along with several top cricketers of Kashmir held a protest against the selection process.

“Non cricketers are doing the selection of senior J&K cricket team. Yesterday when I went to cricket stadium, I was stopped by guards saying they had orders not to allow me to go inside,” he said as per news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

“Anyone can check my this year’s performance. If I have played for 17 years, does that mean I should not be part of J&K team? is made on the basis of performance,” he said.

He said JKCA was hijacked by some people. “Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association has been turned into Parvaiz Rasool Cricket Academy,” he claimed, while questioning the selection process.

Majid Dar, another Ranji Trophy player said it was a black day in the cricketing history of J&K that Abid Nabi was dropped despite his top performance.

“Despite his top performance, he is not being included in the team,” he added.

They were also carrying placards that read: “Save youth, save Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association.”

During the selections, sources said Abid Nabi had a heated argument with Parvaiz Rasool and selectors for dropping him. (KINS)

Rawalpindi: Aleem Dar will surpass Rudi Koertzen’s record of most one-day internationals as an umpire in the second match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe on Sunday, which will be his 210th ODI.

The 52-year-old, who played first-class cricket in Pakistan for over a decade as an all-rounder before taking up umpiring, had also made his ODI debut in Pakistan, when he stood in a match against Sri Lanka in his hometown of Gujranwala in February 2000.

Last year, Aleem passed his idol Steve Bucknor to the top of the Test umpires’ list. He holds the record of officiating in 132 Test matches and is second in the list of T20Is, only behind compatriot Ahsan Raza, with 46 T20Is. Aleem has officiated in 387 international matches so far, the most by any umpire.

“It is a matter of great honour for me to be on the top of the list of both Tests and ODIs for umpires. When I had started out in the profession, I had never imagined I would get this far. I can only say that I have enjoyed every moment on the field and learning has been an ongoing process all this while,” Aleem Dar said in an ICC release.

“I thank my family for standing by me over the years and am grateful to the International Cricket Council and the Pakistan Cricket Board for backing me and providing me with all the opportunities. I am also thankful to all my colleague match officials for their help and support,” he added.

Adrian Griffith, ICC Senior Manager Umpires and Referees: “Aleem has been a very consistent umpire over the years, and this is reflected in his 16 years on the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. We congratulate Aleem on the milestone, and wish him all the best for the upcoming game and series. We are sure many aspiring match officials look up to Aleem, and he will continue to inspire the next generation.” (ANI)

Babar in his first appearance for Somerset scored 42 runs and took a stunning catch to lead his team to a 16-run victory.

PTI

Pakistan’s white-ball cricket captain, Babar Azam has told his English county, Somerset that he would not display the logo of any alcohol beverage company on his shirt during the ongoing T20 Blast event in England.

Babar, who joined Somerset after Pakistan’s tour ended on Tuesday, was seen wearing a shirt which had the logo of an alcohol company on his back.

Not surprisingly, it led to some backlash in the social media but a source close to the Pakistan captain confirmed he had made it clear in his contract with Somerset he would not promote any alcohol company logo.

“Apparently the logo was on the back of Babar’s shirt by mistake and the county has assured him it will be removed for the next match, the source said.

Babar in his first appearance for Somerset scored 42 runs and took a stunning catch to lead his team to a 16-run victory.

In the past Muslim players representing other teams including England, South Africa and Australia have refused to wear kits displaying logo of any alcohol beverages company despite having to suffer big losses in earnings from their respective cricket boards.

Hashim Amla and Imran Tahir in South Africa, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid in England are a few examples.

The Pakistan cricket board permitted few of its players including Babar, Imad Wasim and Shaheen Shah Afridi to stay back in England and play the T20 blast tournament.

PTI

New Delhi: Former captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has slammed the Pakistan batsmen for their defensive approach against England in the ongoing Test series, saying they are “scared of playing their shots”.

Inzamam said Pakistan batsmen need to play aggressive cricket if they want to beat England in the second Test here and level the three-match series.

“Pakistan batsmen were scared of playing their shots. If you look at most of their dismissals, their bat was behind their leg,” Inzamam said on his YouTube channel.

“When you meet the ball, your bat should be ahead of your leg. You are getting caught at slips because you are employing a defensive approach.”

Pakistan struggled to reach 126 for 5 on the opening day which saw just 45.4 overs being bowled due to rain. Day two was no different with only 40.2 overs possible as bad light forced early stumps with Pakistan at 223 for 9, courtesy an unbeaten 60 by wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan.

The 50-year-old Inzaman, who scored 8830 runs in 120 Tests and 11739 runs in 378 ODIs, said only an aggressive brand of cricket can help Pakistan outwit England at home.

“I request the batsmen and team management to play aggressive cricket, in order to beat England. Otherwise, we will be depending on rain to save us in this Test,” he said.

Pakistan had lost the opening Test by three wickets at Old Trafford to concede a 0-1 lead to England in the three-match series.