15-member squad is well balanced on paper but need to perform, Hasan Ali, shadab Khan, Babar Azam will be the key players in ICC CT2017

Pakistan team will start journey against Arch-Rival India on 4^th June

15-member squad is well balanced on paper but need to perform

Hasan Ali, shadab Khan, Babar Azam will be the key players in ICC CT2017

By Adrees Malik

Pakistan cricket board selection committee headed by the legendary batsman of 1992 world cup champion announced 15 members squad after a long discussion with his mate members.

The selected 15 members team is well balanced on paper but in actual have trouble as out of form Ahmad shahzad and unfit Umar Akmal included in the team without any solid justification. Pakistan who will play matches against arch rival India, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Ex ODI captain Azhar Ali who was outed from the team in three matches series against west indies take back in the team while out of form Ahmad shahzad also got his space in final squad for ICC CT17.

Ahmad shahzad played last seven matches against West Indies (4 T20 and 3 ODI) but he was totally failed instead of two fifties in both ODI and T20 one each.

Selection committee has given chance to young Faheem Ashraf and Shadab Khan in the team and on the other Hand unfit Umar akmal also included in the team on the cost of his elder brother Kamran Akaml.

Sohail khan still out form the team while Junaid khan selected with Wahab riaz, Muhammad amir, hasan ali in the fast bowlers list.

Captain Sarfraz Ahmad have the experienced Shoeb Malik Muhammad Hafeez in middle order with young Fakhar Zaman, imad waseem and Babar Azam to meet the first big challenge of his captaincy in ICC CT17.

Pakistan cricket team who will play two warm up games at Edgbaston against Bangla Dash on 27^th may and Australia on 29^th may before clash with arch rival India on 4^th June at Edgbaston. 

ICC Group A

PCB announced 15 members squad for ICC CT17 Ahmad Shahzad back in opening pair while shadab khan in as young member

PCB announced 15 members squad for ICC CT17

Ahmad Shahzad back in opening pair while shadab khan in as young member

Current Line (Lahore)

PCB chairman selection committee inzimam ul haq announced 15 members squad for ICC CT17 held in June in England.

The following players are included for the competition

Ahmad Shahzad

Azhar Ali

Muhammad Hafeez

Fakhar zaman

Shoeb Malik

Sarfraz Ahmad (c)

Babar Azam

Umar akmal

Imad Waseem

Muhammad Amir

Wahab Riaz

Junaid Khan

Shadab Khan

Faheem Ashraf

Hassan Ali

The building standards Pakistan Under 18 left impression of skills in Australian national U18 Championship

The building standards

Pakistan Under 18 left impression of skills in Australian national U18 Championship

By Adrees Malik

Pakistan hockey team is the best team of the tournament “skills are amazing”, I am really impressed with the Green team, ohhh “the COLTS are astonishing”, “I love Victoria but after this match I become the fan of Pakistan team”, “show stealer is the Pakistan team of first round” It was the observation of everyone sitting in the grand and side stands of Tasmania Hockey Centre Hobart, as per the views collected from the execrators and staff of the opponents in the Australian national under 18 hockey championship 2017.

It was the first practical effort from Pakistan hockey federation to boost the standard of the hockey players after the decline and drought of three decades in international medal in Olympics or world cup.

PHF is no doubt appraisable after this effort to get confirmation from Hockey Australia to participate in their national tournament but hockey Australia needed more than PHF because of this brave decision.

Pakistan Under 18 team played total five matches in first round and won four while lost the match against NSW A with a margin of one goal (3-2).

The first-round stats

The opening game victory (2-1) was enough to boost the moral of the boys against Victoria for the rest of the tournament matches but the next defeat against NSW A by 3-2 also learning phase for the coach Kamran Ashraf and players. the next match was against queen’s land who won the visitors of the tournament by 3-1. South Australia was the next defeater for Pakistan and against them easy win by 3-0 griped the green team for 2^nd round slot. The last and fifth match was against northern territories and it was look like easy but NT played well, at the end Green shirts sealed victory with 4-2.

The team stats are good as Pakistan Under scored 14 goals in five matches and half of it that is 7 scored against them, which is acceptable total but the worry sign is the disciplinary temperament of the boys. Pakistan

Pakistan scored 14 goals in total and 10 out of fourteen were field goals which is positive sign for matureness in the field temperament of the boys.

According to the stats of the first round Afraz hakeem scored all four field goals, Naveed alam junior and umair sattar two field goal by each Gazanfar ali scored one field and one on short corner (PC). Shahzaib Khan also made one field goal while Rizwan ali and Nadeem ahmad each scored a goal on PC.

Discipline is the key to stand

As earlier mentioned the worry sign for team management is discipline on the field, Pakistan team faced twelve cards in first round (7 green and 5 yellow). Three-time yellow card for Adeel resulted a match suspension on him and he was not part of the team in last match against northern territory which means in four matches he faced three yellow. Adeel is the only boy who was suspended for a match in the tournament so far.

Head coach Kamran Ashraf who was a Golden runner as center forward with the Great Shahbaz Ahmad senior (Olympics and World champion) support and scored dozens of goals in international matches doing his first international assignment with the mature temperament during the tournament.

Kamran Ashraf on team performance

The team is good until now and I am satisfied with team performance but whereas the concern of cards it’s the matter of maturity which will improve with the passage of time, Kamran said while talking on the topic at the end of first stage. We defeat all the teams in our pool except NSW A which is very strong side and hopefully we will play final against them as per my observation of the tournament. The NSW has the good pace in which we are lacking but it’s not an excuse and definitely we will work on it to meet the standard, Kamran expected about the second stage of the tournament.

Kamran Ashraf was very much optimistic and said “ we and Australia has much difference in structure and this is the main difference which generate the pace of the game”. “we will do planning to beat them and definitely this time green team will be different in the match against NSW”.

Head Coach was praising the Hockey Australia and PHF ties which brought them to Australia to take part in Australian national Under 18 championships and he is also hoping for the next year participation.

“Pakistan Hockey especially the junior team need to face fast pace teams to meet the modern standards and for this purpose the present effort of PHF and HA is an absolutely fine addition and I am hoping it will continue for the next year too”.

Tournament Director on team behavior

Tournament Director Moore Branden praised the passion of team and management with positive remarks and said I found them the boys and their coaches keen to learn and excellent in cooperation to meet the rules of the tournament.

Upcoming Matches (Schedule and photos) included by Editor

The round two of the Australian national hockey championship will start on 26^th April after a day break of national holiday in Australia on 25^th Tuesday. Pakistan will face its opponents (Tasmania on 26^th April and West Australia on 27^th ) in Group C.

Adrees Malik is a sports Writer and international correspondent of Current Line international

catch him on twitter @AdreesMalik

Shoeb Malik and Hafeez made the pathway for Direct qialify ICC WC2019

Shoeb Malik and Hafeez made the pathway for Direct qialify ICC WC2019
Pakistan beat west indies in 3^rd ODI by 6 wickets and series by 2-1
Shoeb Malik grab the series with man of the match and series awards.
Ahmad Shahzad again floped as opener

Current Line (Gayyana)

Paksitan Cricket team confirmed his direct qualification for the ICC WC2019 after beeting West Indies in 3^rd and final ODI with 6 wickets with help of unbeaten ton of Shoeb Malik. Senior batsman Hafeez also made an impressive 81 to shun his critics.

The rain delayed match was started with West indies batting whoes captain jasen holder won the toss and decided to face bowling first, but they couldnt manage in early 20 overs a good total and lost three wickets with a low score of 68. Jesson Muhammad and Hope prevail for next 20 overs with a partnership of 101 runs which broke by Junaid khan in the hands of Sarfraz ahmad, hope contribute 71 runs in the west indian innings which was ended on the total of 233/9 runs.

Pakistan start journey in chasing of 233 runs with a flop start of out of form Ahmad shahzad who made on ly three runs and Kamran Akmal who ducked on the ball of Gabrial. The 2^nd ODI century maker Babar Azam was also clean bold by Gabrial on his score 16 while paksitan was 36/3.

The most seniors Muhammad Hafeexz and Shoeb Malik played excelently for made grenn team direct qualification for ICC WC2019 and raised the total 149 when Hafeez caught out by permual on the ball of Nurse, he was on 81 at that time. Shoeb Malik become unbeaten and made 101 with the cotribution of captain Sarfraz Ahmad’s 24 for the 6 wicket victroy in the final ODI of three match series.

Shoeb Malik awarded man of the match and player of the series.

Two men Army we “the Pakistan Cricket” will “MISYOU”

Two men Army we “the Pakistan Cricket” will “MISYOU”

Adrees Malik

Pakistan Cricket will miss forever two greats of Cricket from 14^th may 2017, when both will caped off from the Windsor Park after completion of 3^rd and last test of Pakistan tour to west indies.

The mighty middle order have no more both the greats after end of tour but their is lot of things to learn from them before leaving the ground in last 6 innings of their test career.

Misbah ul Haq and Younas khan are the two names of solid foots on the crease and nobody can shake them without their will.

The mother club of Cricket awarded them the Wisden Cricketers of the year. Both players never required any form of praise and writings because they are the cricket books now fro the world but i will definitely write on Misbah because of his services to Pakistan nation and Cricket and in later days will write on Younas khan.

Pakistan cricket team was suffering with spot fixing in 2010 when i was with team to cover Pakistan tour to England in 2010 and after the incident i was afraid how team will got its height in international cricket again. The team manager Yawar Saeed was not picking the phone to answer the quires even though at that time i suggest him as sports journalist to send back all the boys to Pakistan and handle with care at the homeland but he and chairman board of that time Ejaz Butt refused the idea.

Fake sheikh had done an excellent job for his organization News of  the World (the Sunday tabloid of the England which was laterally closed on the order of the court) but damaged the Pakistan cricket for the life time. The ban was not life time for the trio fixers but the damage was permanent which also shake the confidence of Pakistan Cricket not only the boys in the team.

It was the time to lead the team from the front with cool calm and passion to clean the menace of fixing in 2010. Misbah is the man who meet all above mentioned much needed qualities as team leader.

The chairman PCB called him for captaincy and he accepted the challenge and in last 7 years he proved his selection was fabulously right.

Misbah done unforgettable job with his mind and bat in both on and off the field to commemorate the cricket in history after spot fixing.

Misbah who will celebrate his 43^rd birthday exactly after 2 weeks (14 days) of his retirement from international cricket about which the venue was yet to decide by his wife, has played 72 test matches and will complete Diamond jubilee of 75 matches at the completion of his test career and the on going series with west indies in west indies.

Mighty Misbah made 10 centuries and 36 fifties  in his 16 year test career, he was debut against new Zealand on march 8 2001 at Auckland. Misbah was not impressive on his debut as he made 28 in first inning and only 10 in the 2^nd inning but the match result was in favor of Pakistan. Than after a while he was of the screen and made come back again almost after 5 years .

During his career there were dozens of panic situations he handled with his calmness and solid style of batting which criticized also but a middle order batsman captain who came on the crease when the score board showing 45/4 doing nothing other than to hold the wicket and Misbah always done this with solid defense.

He lead the team almost 7 years and now only 35 days left for him to be part of Pakistan Cricket as a team leader but it will never end his services because his education, knowledge of Cricket and love to cricket can give more to Pakistan in three dimensions Domestic,  National and on international level.

There are only two players in the team who has the ability to replace the mighty pair and these are Azhar Ali and Asad Shafique. His follower Azhar ali had to learn a lot and should tribute him with 100’s in last test match to dedicate his role model of the cricket as he shared with me before leaving to West Indies.

Pakistan Cricket fans have now tow most interesting and arguing questions

1.Mighty middle order going to miss the mighty pair ????

2.The Two Greats need greet from Azhar Ali and team Pakistan

The Flying high T20 series winner Pakistan lost ODI

The Flying high T20 series winner Pakistan lost ODI

The first outside the soil 300 plus match in history because of bad bowling

Current Line (Providence)

Pakistan Cricket team lost his first 300 plus runs defending match outside the soil in the history when Jasson Muhammad played a brilliant unbeatable 91 runs inning at Providence flat wicket.

We were 20 to 25 runs short which was the major reason of defeat The head coach Mickey Arthor said in post match press conference at the venue.

Pakistan team earlier won the T20 series and flying high mode for the ODI series but that was shacked by the Bowlers.

Our bowlers were not up to the mark while the west Indian bowling especially the spinners were brilliant Mickey also commentss on match result.