Kashmir.Watch

Category: Sport

  • COVID-19: Former Pak first-class cricketer Zafar Sarfaraz passes away

    Former Pakistan first-class cricketer Zafar Sarfaraz has passed away after testing positive for COVID-19.

    The 50-year-old had been on a ventilator in the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Peshawar for the last three days, ESPNCricinfo reported.

    Sarfraz has become the first professional cricketer to succumb to COVID-19 in Pakistan.

    Sarfaraz had made his debut in 1988 and he went on to score 616 runs from 15 first-class games for Peshawar.

    He also managed to score 96 runs from six one-day games before retiring in 1994. He then took up the role of coaching both the senior and the Under-19 Peshawar teams in the mid-2000s.

    Zafar was the brother of Pakistan international player Akhtar Sarfraz.

  • Shoaib Akhtar moots India-Pakistan ODI series to raise funds for tackling COVID-19

    Says the proceeds can be donated equally to the governments to fight the pandemic

    Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, on Wednesday, proposed a three-match ODI series against arch-rival India to raise funds for the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in both the countries.

    The two nations have not played a full-series since 2007 due to the terrorist attacks on India by Pakistan-based outfits and the resultant diplomatic tension. They only play each other in ICC events and Asia Cup.

    Outcome irrelevant

    “In this time of crisis, I want to propose a three match-series in which, for the first time, the people of neither country would be upset at the outcome of the games,” Akhtar told PTI from Islamabad.

    “If Virat (Kohli) scores a hundred, we will be happy, if Babar Azam scores a hundred, you will be happy. Both teams will be winners irrespective of whatever happens on the field,” he said.

    “You are bound to get massive viewership for the games. For the first time, both countries will play for each other. And whatever funds are generated through this can be donated equally to the government of India and Pakistan to fight this pandemic,” added the 44-year-old.

    Sooner the better

    With both countries in a lockdown amid the fast-spreading pandemic, the games can only be organised when things improve. However, Akhtar feels the sooner they are held, the better it would be but could not tell how the logistics of such an initiative would be worked out.

    “Everyone is sitting at home at the moment, so there will be a massive following for the games. May be not now, when things start improving, the games could be organised at a neutral location like Dubai. Chartered flights could be arranged and the matches could he held.

    “It could even lead to resumption of bilateral cricketing ties and relations of both countries improve diplomatically. You never know,” he said.

    “The whole world will tune into it, so much money can be raised to deal with this crisis. In difficult times, the character of the nation comes forward.”

    In these extraordinary times, Akhtar feels both countries should help each other.

    “If India can make 10,000 ventilators for us, Pakistan will remember this gesture forever. But we can only propose the matches. The rest is up to the authorities (to decide).”

    PTI

  • Indian cricketers face backlash for supporting Pakistan virus fund

    Ex-Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have drawn criticism from a section of Indian society for supporting former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi’s foundation in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    Agencies

    Former Indian cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh have come under severe criticism after they expressed support for former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi’s charity foundation in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

    Afridi’s appeal for donations to help people affected by the deadly virus in Pakistan has had overwhelming support from leading cricketers.

    Harbhajan urged people to contribute in a video message and called on other cricketers in the two countries to make similar appeals. “These are testing times, it’s time to look out for each other,” Yuvraj wrote on Twitter in a call for funds.

    https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1244873490303340544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-40740126783608814012.ampproject.net%2F2004012158290%2Fframe.html

    But the two South Asian nations are bitter rivals and some Indian Twitter users posted angry tweets slamming the two Indian players for supporting the initiative of a rival player who has been a fierce critic of India’s handling of the Kashmir dispute.

    “Do you have any sense?” wrote one Twitter user. “Lost respect” for Harbhajan Singh, added another. “Sorry guys you lost it,” posted another user.

    India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2012-2013 due to political tensions between the two countries.

    Afridi thanked the two Indian players and condemned the online backlash.

    Yuvraj Singh defended his actions, saying that his message for helping those in need during the COVID-19 outbreak should not be misinterpreted.

    “I really don’t understand how a message to help the most vulnerable gets blown out of proportion!,” he wrote. “All I tried to achieve via that message was to help people in our respective countries by providing healthcare, my intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings. I’m an Indian and will always bleed blue and will always stand for humanity.”

    https://twitter.com/YUVSTRONG12/status/1245295251385958400

    India, which has been under a 21-day lockdown since March 24, has so far recorded 1,998 coronavirus cases and 58 deaths, according to data released by Johns Hopkins University. Pakistan has been the country worst hit by the pandemic in South Asia, with 2,118 confirmed cases and 27 deaths.

  • Watch: Clash On Field As Bangladesh U-19 Players Get Aggressive With Indian Team After World Cup Final

    Ugly scenes were witnessed after the U-19 World Cup final with the umpires having to step in to separate some of the players from both teams.

    Source: NDTV

    HIGHLIGHTS
    1. Bangladesh players get into the faces of Indians after U-19 World Cup
    2. The players clashed on the field aftet the end of the final
    3. Bangladesh beat India to win their maiden U-19 World Cup title

    Bangladesh registered a shock three-wicket win via the DLS method over defending champions India to clinch their maiden U-19 World Cup title on Sunday. The Bangladesh bowlers were aggressive and got in the faces of the Indian batsmen from the very start after they had elected to bowl, having won the toss. Both Shoriful Islam and Tanzim Hasan Sakib bowled extremely well with the new ball but were also guilty of launching verbal volleys at the Indians. And after Rakibul Hasan hit the winning runs for Bangladesh, the emotions seemed to spill over for the victorious team as they aggressively charged onto the field, again getting into the faces of the dejected Indian players. It led to some ugly scenes after the final as the Indian players confronted their Bangladesh counterparts with the umpires having to step in to separate a few players.

    According to a report in PTI, as soon as the match ended, it became tense with Bangladeshi players rushing to the ground and most of them still displaying aggressive body language. In fact, one India player rushed to confront and pushed a Bangladeshi player who had allegedly said uncharitable things and it was coach Paras Mhambrey seen calming his team.

    Here are clips of the incident from various angles after the U-19 World Cup final:

    Bangladesh captain Akbar Ali, who was adjudged Player of the Match for his unbeaten 43, apologised on the behalf of his team and admitted that emotions got the better of some of his teammates.

    “I don’t know exactly (about the incident) but what happened should not have. In the final, emotions can come out and sometimes the boys were getting pumped. As a youngster it should not be happening. In any manner, we have to show respect to our opponents and we should have the respect for the game because cricket is known as the gentleman’s game. So, I’ll be sorry for my team.

    “India-Bangladesh brings out the spark and before the World Cup final we lost the Asia Cup final to them. So the boys were too pumped up and wanted to take revenge. I will not say that it should be happening but I’m sorry from my side.”

    A dejected India captain Priyam Garg said that his team were fine despite losing the final but the reaction that came from the Bangladesh players after winning the final was “bad”.

    “We were easy. Winning and losing is a part and parcel of the game. But the reaction from the other side was bad. That should not have happened,” said India captain Priyam Garg in the post-match press conference.

    “Sometimes these things happen. Players can get emotional because there is so much at stake. Whatever happened wasn’t good. I think it’s not good for cricket as well. I think in the future you got to be careful with these things,” said India coach Paras Mhambrey said of the incident.

    (With PTI inputs)

    (This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

  • Bangladesh beat India by three wickets, lift maiden U19 World Cup 2020 Trophy

  • LIVE Score, India vs Pakistan, ICC U-19 World Cup Semi-Final: Pakistan Win Toss, Elect To Bat vs India In Semis

    Source: NDTV Sports

    IND vs PAK ICC U-19 World Cup Semi-Final, Live Cricket Score: Pakistan skipper Rohail Nazir won the toss and opted to bat against India in the semi-final.

    Defending champions India head into Tuesday’s U-19 World Cup India vs Pakistan semi-final in Pochefstroom as favourites but cricket matches between these two sides are seldom straightforward. In 2019, they met at Old Trafford during the ODI World Cup in England – Rohit Sharma’s 140 ensuring a comfortable India win. And now it is the turn of the youngsters, the future stars of international cricket, to go up against each other. India won their group beating New Zealand and Japan in the process before going on to hammer Australia by 74 runs in the quarter-final. Pakistan’s group match against Bangladesh — who meet New Zealand in the second semi-final on Thursday — was abandoned with Bangladesh in desperate trouble at 106 for nine. The Pakistanis beat Scotland and Zimbabwe to set up a quater-final with Afghanistan. That was another comfortable win in spite of the twitter storm over Afghan spinner Noor Ahmed running out Muhammad Huraira when he marginally backed up too far at the bowler’s end.

    Result:

    (This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

  • World Cup 2019: We had Allah with us, says Eoin Morgan after England’s historic win

    “We had Allah with us as well. I spoke to Adil (Rashid), he said Allah was definitely with us. I said we had the rub of the green (smiling),” Morgan said.

    Source: The Indian Express

    After leading the England men’s team to their maiden World Cup glory, skipper Eoin Morgan said that “we had Allah with us” and also mentioned that New Zealand had a better outing as compared to the hosts.

    Empathising with the Kiwis, who lost the match on the basis of boundaries after both the regulation 50 overs and the Super Over ended in ties on Sunday.

    Morgan on New Zealand’s campaign: “They’ve been actually through a better tournament than we have. The fact a trophy is sitting here is, you know — like I mentioned, we got the rub of the green today,” Morgan said during the post-match conference. He added, “New Zealand, throughout the group stages, were absolutely outstanding, very consistent and in the semifinal were very ruthless in playing against India, India are an extremely strong team.”

    Morgan on becoming the first captain to lead England men to World Cup glory: “I hope it (life) hasn’t changed that much. I enjoy my life. I lead quite a quiet one, so I hope it hasn’t changed too much. I would love it to change for everybody else who wants it to change, but I enjoy my life.”

    On being asked if it was Irishman’s luck:“We had Allah with us as well. I spoke to Adil (Rashid), he said Allah was definitely with us. I said we had the rub of the green (smiling).”

    Morgan is an Irish by birth, Ben Stokes a New Zealander, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali are second-generation Pakistanis, Jason Roy, a South African.

    Speaking on the diversity in the England squad: “It actually epitomises our team. Diverse backgrounds and cultures and guys grew up in different countries and to actually find humour in the situation we were in at times was pretty cool.”

    Speaking on his future: “We will let the dust settle, we’ll celebrate as hard as we can. I think it’s deserved. And then we will look at things. Four years is a long time away. I think the big question I will have to answer is will I be in the team in four years, will I be good enough? These guys are improving very quickly. Will I be able to keep up with them.”

    England’s World Cup-winning football legend Bobby Moore and rugby icon Martin Johnson’s black visage is carved on Mount Rushmore.

    On being asked if he wants a similar sculpture: “Not at all. There’s no Mount Rushmore. Primrose Hill, that’s about it.”

    Concluding with an emotional tribute, Morgan said: “They are the best, and they do it in a fashion that you’d have no qualms in turning around to your kid and saying, ‘Please idolise these guys, they are very admirable.’ They are.”

    (This story has not been edited by KASHMIR TODAY staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

  • 4 Life Lessons You Can Learn from The Men In Green

    AAQIB JAVEED

    “Learn from the mistakes of others as you will never live long enough to make them all yourself.”

    Pakistan failed to qualify for the Semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup as parallels were drawn with their 1992 winning run. They might have failed in their quest, but here are 4 important life lessons that can be learned from the Men In Green.

    1. Pakistan started this World Cup on a bad note with an inconsistent starting 11 and the likes of Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali and Hasan Ali failing miserably. With Haris Sohail, Shaheen Afridi and Imad’s inclusion, Pakistan bounced back and emerged as one of the strongest teams and won four matches in a row.

    Lesson: If you have incompetent members in the team, you’re bound to fail. Experience matters, but not at the expense of results. Give the new members a chance to prove themselves.

    2. Pakistan faced severe backlash after losing their match against India. They were criticized by the media, ridiculed on social media and were even humiliated by the fans in the stadium. But, Pakistan transformed and overcame their losses with remarkable back to back victories, silencing all critics.

    Lesson: Pampering people only makes them weak. Constructive criticism can go a long way in helping people overcome obstacles and can make them stronger.

    3. Although Pakistan went on a winning streak, they failed to qualify. In the end they had to rely on India or New Zealand to beat England. Australia and India on the other hand started off strong and went on to qualify without needing any help.

    Lesson: If you want to outsmart your competitors then never rely on others or be dependent on someone else. Be so strong that you set an example for others.

    4. Pakistan wasted many opportunities with poor displays in the field, dropping catches and eventually got knocked out because of their poor net run rate. Pakistan secured 11 points, equivalent to New Zealand, but the damage had already been done with crushing losses at the hands of West Indies and India.

    Lesson: Failing to seize opportunities can cost you in the long run. You are responsible for your own demise. Success comes to those who don’t miss opportunities at the right time.

  • First seven days after the defeat to India were very tough for team: Sarfaraz

    Pakistan cricket team captain Sarfaraz Ahmad has said that the first seven days following defeat to India were tough for the team

    “The next seven days after the defeat to India were very tough for the team. After the match, we took a two-day break and then I called a meeting with all 15 players, without the management. I discussed everything I had observed during the first five matches, all that we were doing wrong, and all the players responded well and gave their feedback.”

    He said the team had realised the issue of run rate after its first match of the World Cup tournament — in which West Indies dismissed Pakistan for a disappointing 105 — and later tried to win matches with good margins but the pitches were not favourable.

    “We are feeling as sorry as the nation [after exit from World Cup]. No one goes there to lose,” he said, acknowledging that the performance of the national team was not exemplary in the first five matches of the World Cup.

    “After the first match, we gained momentum but unfortunately we could not play against Sri Lanka because of rain and in the two next matches — against Australia and India — our performance was not good.”

    “The team then performed very well in the remaining four matches. All players, juniors as well as seniors, played their part and I am happy with them as a captain,” said Safaraz, also praising the coach and the management for tackling the players after the defeat to India.

    “As far as Shoaib [Malik] is concerned, unfortunately, he was not a part of the final match because we tried to go with a winning combination. He was given a farewell by the team and our best wishes are with him.

    “Now, we will take a break for the next 20 days and then make a new return.”

    When asked about his demeanour during the first five matches and whether he was under pressure from anyone, Sarfaraz said there was no such pressure from either Coach Mickey Arthur or chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq.

    He added that he was not giving up his captaincy but clarified that the final decision would be taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board.

    When asked if he had a say in the team selection, he said: “The team was constituted by consensus.”

  • Pakistan Beat Bangladesh By 94 Runs

    Pakistan Beat Bangladesh By 94 Runs In Their Last Match