Day: December 12, 2021

Lahore, December 12, 2021 (PPI-OT):The six HBL Pakistan Super League franchises on Sunday finalised their squads in quest to lift the glittering trophy at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 27 March.

Defending champions Multan Sultans selected Australia’s Tim David, who was previously with Lahore Qalandars, in the Platinum Category, while their other notable picks included West Indian duo of Odean Smith and Rovman Powell, and Pakistan trio of Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Snr and Rumman Raees.

These players will join Imran Tahir, Mohammad Rizwan, Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw, Shan Masood, Shahnawaz Dahani and Sohaib Maqsood who were retained earlier in the week for the seventh edition of the tournament that will be played in Karachi from 27 January to 7 February and 10-27 February in Lahore.

England all-rounder Chris Jordan has returned to Karachi Kings in the Platinum Category after missing the 2021 campaign. The side also opted for England’s Lewis Gregory and Tom Abell, as well as Pakistan U19 captain Qasim Akram.

These players will join Aamir Yamin, Babar Azam, Imad Wasim, Joe Clarke, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Nabi and Sharjeel Khan were retained by the Kings on Friday.

Lahore Qalandars included Pakistan’s flamboyant batter Fakhar Zaman for the sixth successive year in Platinum Category, while also picking Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam (both Pakistan) and England’s pair of Harry Brook, Phil Salt. They will be in greens alongside Ahmed Daniyal, David Wiese, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hafeez, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sohail Akhtar and Zeeshan Ashraf. These players were retained by the franchisee on Friday.

Islamabad United have kept faith in Colin Munro of New Zealand in the Platinum Category and also picked Danish Aziz, Marchant de Lange, Reece Topley and Zafar Gohar. They will join Asif Ali, Alex Hales, Azam Khan, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Paul Stirling and Shadab Khan.

Explosive Afghanistan opener Hazratullah Zarzai and swashbuckling England opener Jason Roy were picked up by Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, respectively.

2017 champions Zalmi also picked fast bowler Arshad Iqbal, wicketkeeper/batter Kamran Akmal and wrist-spinner Usman Qadir, while 2019 winners Gladiators also scooped Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, Quetta-born Pakistan U19 batter Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and seasoned white-ball players Sohail Tanvir and Umar Akmal.

Final squads (in alphabetical order):

Islamabad United (Sunday’s picks) – Colin Munro (New Zealand, Platinum), Marchant de Lange (South Africa) (Diamond), Danish Aziz, Muhammad Akhlaq (both Pakistan), Reece Topley (England), Zafar Gohar (Pakistan) (all Silver), Mubasir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer (Emerging), Athar Mehmood (Pakistan) and Rehmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan) (both Supplementary)

Final squad: Asif Ali, Colin Munro, Hasan Ali (both Platinum), Faheem Ashraf, Marchant De Lange, Shadab Khan (Brand Ambassador), Alex Hales (Mentor), Azam Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr (all Gold), Danish Aziz, Mohammad Akhlaq, Paul Stirling, Reece Topley, Zafar Gohar (all Silver), Mubasir Khan, Zeeshan Zameer (both Emerging), Rehmanullah Gurbaz and Ather Mehmood (both Supplementary)

Karachi Kings (Sunday’s picks) – Chris Jordan (England, Platinum), Lewis Gregory (England, Diamond), Mohammad Imran, Rohail Nazir (both Pakistan), Tom Abell (England), Umaid Asif (Pakistan) (all Silver), Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram (both Emerging), Romario Shepherd (West Indies) and Talha Ahsan (both Supplementary)

Final squad: Babar Azam, Chris Jordan, Imad Wasim (all Platinum), Mohammad Amir, Lewis Gregory, Mohammad Nabi (all Diamond), Joe Clarke (Brand Ambassador), Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan (all both Gold), Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Imran, Rohail Nazir, Tom Abell, Umaid Asif (all Silver), Faisal Akram, Qasim Akram (Emerging), Romario Shepherd and Talha Ahsan (both Supplementary)

Lahore Qalandars (Sunday’s picks) – Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan, Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Pakistan), Harry Brook, Phil Salt (both England) (all Gold), Dean Foxcroft (South Africa), Kamran Ghulam (Pakistan) (both silver), Maaz Khan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging), Samit Patel and Syed Faridoum Mehmood (Pakistan) (England) (Supplementary)

Final squad: Fakhar Zaman, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, (all Platinum), Haris Rauf (Diamond, Brand Ambassador), David Wiese, Mohammad Hafeez (both Diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Harry Brook, Phil Salt (all Gold), Ahmed Daniyal, Dean Foxcroft, Sohail Akhtar, Kamran Ghulam, Zeeshan Ashraf (all Silver), Maaz Khan, Zaman Khan (both Emerging), Samit Patel and Syed Faridoum Mehmood (Supplementary)

Multan Sultans (Sunday’s picks) – Tim David (Australia, Platinum), Odean Smith (West Indies, Diamond), Asif Afridi, Anwar Ali, Imran Khan Snr, Rumman Raees (all Pakistan), Rovman Powell (West Indies) (all Silver), Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi (both Emerging), Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe) and Ihsanullah (Pakistan) (Supplementary)

Final squad: Tim David, Mohammad Rizwan, Rilee Rossouw (all Platinum), Imran Tahir (Mentor), Odean Smith (both Diamond), Sohaib Maqsood (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Brand Ambassador), Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood (all Gold), Anwar Ali, Asif Afridi, Imran Khan Snr, Rumman Raees Rovman Powell (all Silver), Aamer Azmat, Abbas Afridi (both Emerging), Blessing Muzarabani and Ihsanullah (Supplementary)

Peshawar Zalmi (Sunday’s picks) – Hazratullah Zazai (Afghanistan, Platinum), Usman Qadir (Pakistan, Gold), Arshad Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul (all Pakistan) (all Silver), Sirajuddin, Mohammad Aamer (Emerging), Ben Cutting (Australia) and Mohammad Haris (Pakistan) (both Supplementary)

Final squad: Hazratulah Zazai, Liam Livingstone, Wahab Riaz (all Platinum), Haider Ali, Sherfane Rutherford, Shoaib Malik (all Diamond), Hussain Talat (Gold), Saqib Mahmood (Gold, Brand Ambassador), Usman Qadir (Gold), Arshad Iqbal, Kamran Akmal (Mentor), Salman Irshad, Sameen Gul, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (all Silver), Mohammad Aamer, Sirajuddin (Emerging), Ben Cutting and Mohammad Haris (both Supplementary)

Quetta Gladiators (Sunday’s picks) – Jason Roy (England, Platinum), James Faulkner (Australia, Diamond), Ben Duckett (England), Khurram Shehzad (Pakistan), Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan), Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (both Pakistan) (Silver), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi, (Emerging), Ahsan Ali (Pakistan) and Noor Ahmed (Pakistan) (Supplementary)

Final squad: James Vince, Jason Roy, Sarfaraz Ahmed (all Platinum), Iftikhar Ahmed, James Faulkner, Mohammad Nawaz (all Diamond), Shahid Afridi (Mentor), Mohammad Hasnain (Brand Ambassador), Naseem Shah (all Gold), Ben Duckett, Khurram Shehzad, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (all Silver), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Ashar Qureshi (Emerging), Ahsan Ali and Noor Ahmed (Supplementary)

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

Lahore, December 12, 2021 (PPI-OT):Pakistan Cricket Board and Arif Habib Group today signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the installation of drop-in pitches. This partnership is aligned to PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja’s vision of improving the quality of pitches, which, in turn, will help budding cricketers to improve their techniques and produce improved performances on overseas tours.

The partnership was signed between the Arif Habib Group and the PCB during the HBL Pakistan Super League 7 draft.

The Arif Habib Group, as part of their commitment to contribute to Pakistan Cricket by improving cricket facilities and infrastructure, will sponsor two drop-in pitches and has also offered the PCB access to its cricket stadium, which is located in the Naya Nazimabad area in Karachi.

As per the agreement, Arif Habib Group will install drop-in pitches at Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium and one more at a location to be identified and confirmed by the PCB in due course. The process for the procurement of drop-in pitches is expected to be completed in 2022.

Once the upgradation is complete, the PCB will host and organise domestic matches at the Naya Nazimabad Stadium including U19 and women’s matches while practice sessions and exhibition matches for the HBL Pakistan Super League franchises can also be staged at the stadium from the 2023 edition onwards.

Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja: “The installation of drop-in pitches is surely going to benefit our players both at the domestic and international levels. Over the years, we have struggled to cope with the extra bounce and pace that some of the pitches in Australia and New Zealand provide.

“Despite abundance of talent and ability, we are yet to win an away Test series in Australia while our record in New Zealand has also taken a beating in recent trips. I want to thank Mr Arif Habib for coming forward and helping us in this regard.

“The Arif Habib Group has a keen interest in cricket which is apparent from the quality cricket facility that they are developing in Karachi. I am sure both PCB and Arif Habib Group will mutually benefit from this agreement in the years to come, as this deal has enormous potential that will come to fruition in due course.”

Chairman Arif Habib Group, Arif Habib: “We are delighted to partner with the PCB for the exciting drop-in pitches plan which will help our present and future stars especially while preparing for the challenges of playing and performing abroad.

“The Arif Habib Group is fully aligned with the PCB’s vision. Soon after taking charge Chairman Ramiz Raja met us in Karachi and we were impressed with his vision for Pakistan cricket which made us commit to this initiative as we believe this is a new beginning for cricket and the cricket economy in the country.

“We have already taken significant steps for the game of cricket as we know it is the passion point for the entire country; the Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium is a testament of our commitment to the cause. After this collaboration with the PCB, we will step-up our efforts to ensure that the stadium meets the requirements of top-cricket in terms of the pitches, outfield, infrastructure and spectator comfort so that the stadium can host exciting cricket games.”

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk