April 2, 2022 – Page 5 – Newswire Pakistan

April 2, 2022

Lanning: World Cup final nerves are a good thing

Dubai, April 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):Meg Lanning is pleased her Australia side are nervous ahead of tomorrow’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 Final against England.

The captain is expecting her players to draw on their nerves as well as their excitement as they look to steal England’s crown and win a seventh title in the match starting at 1pm local time at Hagley Oval.

Australia have been the most consistent team in the tournament, winning all eight of their games, and Lanning is hoping for another complete performance in the showpiece.

“There are certainly some nerves around I think it would be crazy if you weren’t nervous heading into a World Cup final, so it’s a good thing. But there’s a lot of excitement,” the 2013 champion said.

“It’s a great opportunity for our team to go out on a big stage and play really good cricket and we feel like we’ve been building throughout the tournament. We’ve got a really good game plan and also the skill sets within the team to be able to deliver but it comes down to what happens tomorrow.

“We know that it’s going to be tough, England always provide a great contest. They’ve got some world-class players who can take the game away from you really quickly.

“It’s going to be a massive challenge for us and certainly not going to be easy but we feel confident that if we can put up as close to our best as possible, then that’ll give us a good chance.”

Lanning, who will play in her 100th ODI tomorrow, started the tournament by saying everyone was chasing England but, with one game left, the goal has changed.

She said: “We’re both chasing the same thing tomorrow, we both want to win just as much as the other.

“That’s the thing about World Cup finals, it’s all on the line on the day, it’s irrelevant what’s happened previously in the tournament.

“Both teams start on zero runs tomorrow and it’s about putting out a really good performance and that’s the challenge for our team.”

While Australia have produced strong team performances throughout the World Cup, there was one name on everyone’s lips, Ellyse Perry.

The star all-rounder is facing a race against time to recover from a back injury that has kept her out Australia’s last two games but Lanning was able to provide a positive update.

“Ellyse got through a pretty hard and high-intensity session yesterday and she’s trained again today and is feeling pretty good.

“It will just depend on how she pulls up sort of this afternoon, that will be the final hurdle she needs to get over. But at this stage, it is looking pretty good.

“She can definitely play as a specialist bat and that’s probably the most likely scenario. She hasn’t bowled for a couple of weeks now and it would be difficult for her to come out and bowl in a final.

“Ellyse is a world-class player and has shown that over a long period of time, particularly in this 50-over format. She averages 50 with the bat and has a great record with the ball as well.

“To have someone with that experience, someone who has performed on the big stage before hopefully to be part of our team is a huge boost.”

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

April 2, 2022

Australia: a team of superstars ready for shot at glory

Dubai, April 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):Ranked number one in the world and the most successful side in ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup history, Australia have lived up to the billing once again.

On Sunday, the six-time champions will bid to complete a World Cup double against rivals England, add the 50-over trophy to their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 crown and cement their status as the best ODI team around.

Eight wins from eight matches suggests they will be tough to stop but England, the team tasked with doing so, know what it takes to win World Cup finals. The 2017 winners have steadily grown into this tournament and have momentum behind them after a slow start.

When they first met all the way back on March 5, England pushed Australia hard in the highest scoring game of the World Cup. But Australia showed then, and have shown subsequently since, exactly why they top the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings.

They are a team of match winners but no Australian has dominated this World Cup. Looking at the leading run-scorers and wicket-takers in the competition, there is not one player leading the way.

Vice-captain Rachael Haynes sits second on the most runs list, her 429 just four fewer than South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt has scored. But her skipper Meg Lanning (384) and opening partner Alyssa Healy (339) occupy third and fourth and are one big knock away from catching her up.

Among the bowlers, Jess Jonassen is the only Australian bowler to have reached double figures, sitting in joint-seventh with ten wickets. But fellow spinners Ashleigh Gardner and Alana King are just behind on nine, while Megan Schutt is the most successful seamer with seven.

Ellyse Perry collected back-to-back Player of the Match awards against New Zealand and the West Indies, taking three for 22 in the latter. But she will only play as a specialist batter if selected, following a back injury that kept her out of Australia’s last two games.

In Perry’s absence, the star quality of youngster Darcie Brown has continued to rise with the 19-year-old taking six wickets and even scaring her teammates with her pace and talent.

Schutt said: “She’s way better than what I was at her age, bowls a bit quicker too. But she’s just a fresh face.

“She’s a breath of fresh air and someone who just comes in and bowls fast with a smile on her face and that’s crazy. I’d kill for that.

“Someone like Darcie is paving the way for young kids around Australia and the world.”

The impact this Australia team is having, not only on Australians but also cricket more widely, cannot be underestimated and it is one recognised by Schutt’s teammate Beth Mooney.

Mooney has been a reliable middle-order batter for Australia throughout the tournament, stepping up to number four with Perry not available and steering her side home against Bangladesh when they slumped to 70 for five.

Her return of 268 runs sees her just outside the top ten but she leads the way with her batting average with a staggering 134.00. Lanning is next best with 64.00.

Mooney said: “Every game I get to play for Australia is pretty special, I certainly don’t take these opportunities for granted.

“I think where I feel really privileged to be part of this Australian team at the moment, it is with some absolutely world-class players that are going to be remembered for a long time.

“Just to be out here in this World Cup, obviously we had to wait a year for it, has been really special.”

A central part of what has turned Australia into the all-conquering team of women’s cricket is their captain Meg Lanning.

The 30-year-old took over the captaincy in 2014, leading Australia to three ICC Women’s T20 World Cup triumphs but has yet to skipper a one-day World Cup win.

She is often described as ruthless and robotic in her pursuit of victory, but her favoured cut shot requires a soft and deft approach and the smiley celebrations of her team’s stunning catches this World Cup shows she is starting to enjoy her cricket in real time.

What remains to be seen is whether Lanning will be smiling tomorrow but, with this team behind her, she has every right to feel confident of success.

April 2, 2022

England: a team built on togetherness

Dubai, April 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):England pride themselves on being a tight-knit group and they have had to be at the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022.

Even when they sat on zero points after three games, the team did not doubt each other or themselves and, after wrestling back some positive momentum, they are on the verge of a World Cup final.

England will take on old rivals Australia and it will require all their team spirit to defeat a side that they have not beaten in ODIs since 2017.

Their turnaround from a stuttering start, which featured a defeat to Australia in their opening game, has been led by England’s bowlers, which has the perfect balance of youth and experience.

Seamers Katherine Brunt and Anya Shrubsole are the only double World Cup winners in the tournament, having won in 2009 and 2017.

The duo have taken 10 wickets between them in this tournament, with Shrubsole passing 100 ODI wickets in the win over India, while Brunt will move to 35 World Cup games on Sunday, the fourth-most.

But it is spin that has dominated the wicket-taking for England and 22-year-old Sophie Ecclestone has earned a tournament-high 20 wickets, with Charlie Dean, who is a year younger, sitting joint-fifth with 11.

And Ecclestone credits her teammates with helping keep her mood up, particularly as she recovered from her worst ODI bowling figures of zero for 77 in the opener.

She said: “I’ve got to play with a smile on my face. That’s when I bowl my best, when I don’t take things too seriously.

“When I’m down or not had a good over, someone needs to come up to me and make me laugh and I will be much better then.

“I think Katherine’s the same, once you get a smile and she’s not angry or she’s not frustrated she’s back to her best.”

While England fell just 12 runs short in their chase of Australia’s 310 in the opening game, partnerships have often been hard to come by for the 2017 champions.

Danni Wyatt’s 116-run stand with Sophia Dunkley for the fifth wicket in their semi-final clash with South Africa was England’s highest of the tournament and came as they rebuilt from 126 for four.

Nat Sciver is England’s most successful batter with 288 runs to sit eighth in the run-scoring charts, with Dunkley two places and 19 runs behind her.

Wyatt has undergone a resurgence since being promoted up the order from seven to opener in place of Lauren Winfield-Hill.

The right-hander fell cheaply against South Africa and India in the group stages but came good against Pakistan, before scoring a maiden World Cup century to send England to the final.

It is a recurring theme for England to show faith in players who have delivered before, Brunt’s wealth of experience came to the fore against Pakistan as she took three for 17.

When England lost to South Africa, their third defeat in a row, other teams’ results then became important to their progression.

But as captain Heather Knight led the rebuild, the focus was always internal.

She said: “It was just about remaining as calm as we could, not panicking, realising that a lot of things that were going wrong were in our control.

“Little things like fielding, bowling extras, poor shot selection and they were things that we could change pretty quickly.

“I remember we had a recovery session in Mount Maunganui the morning after we’d lost against South Africa and had obviously lost a third one, and just trying to keep everyone happy and everyone positive.

“I think the girls did that brilliantly. Sometimes, you have to force it a little bit when we’re in a bad situation.

“But the fact that we’re very close as a group, I’m really proud actually of the fact that we’ve really stuck together.

“We’ve had some tough times on this trip so the fact that we’ve stayed together speaks volumes about this group and the character that we’ve got to turn it around and be in a position where we’ve got a chance to go and win it tomorrow.”

April 2, 2022

UVAS holds 7th National workshop on ‘Reproductive Ultrasonography in Domestic Animals’

Lahore, April 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Department of Theriogenology of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore in collaboration with In-Service Veterinary Professional Development (IVPD) arranged concluding ceremony of 7th five-day training workshop on “Reproductive Ultrasonography in Five Species of Domestic Animals” here in UVAS Veterinary Academy.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad (S.I.) chaired the concluding session of workshop and gave away certificates to the participants while Chairman Department of Theriogenology Prof Dr Amjad Riaz, Dr M Irfan-ur-Rehman Khan, Dr Talha Ashraf, Dr Sarbiland Khan, Dr Asmatullah Kaka including 24 veterinarian, farm mangers and vet practitioner/professionals from public and private organizations from all over Pakistan were present.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad lauded organizers for arranging such an informative hands-on training workshop which is necessary for the uplift of livestock sector and boost national economy of Pakistan. The objective of the workshop was to equip the participants with required knowledge and skills to diagnose reproductive issues and to improve fertility through ultrasonography in cow, buffalo, sheep, goats and dogs. The course aims to enhance participant’s practical knowledge and skills about the use and application of ultrasound in reproductive management of domestic animals. Visits to a private stud farm and local dairy animal sheds were also arranged during the workshop.

For more information, contact:
Public Relations Officer
University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS)
Syed Abdul Qadir Jillani (Out Fall) Road,
Lahore – Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-99211374, +92-42-99211449
Email: webmaster@uvas.edu.pk
Website: www.uvas.edu.pk

April 2, 2022April 4, 2022

IIUI Rector and President felicitate Muslims on commencement of Ramadan

Islamabad, April 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI), Rector Dr. Masoom Yasinzai and President, IIUI, Dr. Hathal Homoud Alotaibi have wished to the Muslims in Pakistan and around the world a blessed and peaceful Ramadan.

In a joint felicitation message, both IIUI Rector and President have urged the Muslim youth to disseminate Islam’s message of peace adding that fasting is all about patience, virtue and peace. They said Holy month of Ramadan is an opportunity to get rid of societal issues and mal practices as it makes the minds, souls and actions as limpid as water. IIUI leadership hoped that Muslims across the world would be able to make Allah almighty happy and get his blessings by practicing the true spirit of the great month.

The message added that poor, ill and helpless people must not be left alone in this month of blessings and they be given top priority. IIUI Rector and President said it’s a month to practice patience, self-control, ethical conduct, care for poor and needy and forgiveness.

They said it is a great opportunity to revitalize Emaan and spiritual cleansing. It added that Ramadan provides us unique chance to have a look at ourselves, our routine, our objectives and our mere purpose of existence. They said that distribution of Zakat to the needy should be observed and said that the practice encourages economic equality in the society.

For more information, contact:
Public Relations,
International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI)
Room No.118, Admin Block, New Campus,
H-10 Sector, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9019249
Fax: +92-51-9257909
Email: iiuipublicrelations@iiu.edu.pk
Website: www.iiu.edu.pk

April 2, 2022April 4, 2022

Decolonizing Islamic Studies

Islamabad, April 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):Colonialism, total rejection of which is not possible, is an ongoing phenomenon in the form of dominance of colonial powers on our ideas, philosophies, and theories, whose effects are visible in our incapacity to devise, define, and understand questions even in Islamic studies. The view was presented by Dr Humaira Iqtidar, reader in Politics, King’s College London, in her keynote speech during a hybrid seminar titled “Decolonizing Islamic Studies”, held at IPS on March 31, 2022.

The seminar was chaired by Professor Dr Qibla Ayaz, chairman, Council of Islamic Ideology, and moderated by Dr Taimia Sabiha, assistant professor, Department of Comparative Religion, International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI).

They were joined by Khalid Rahman, chairman, IPS, Professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Malik, former rector of IIUI, and Dr Humaira Ahmad, assistant professor, Department of Islamic Thought and Civilization, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, besides researchers and scholars who presented their observations.

While probing the prevalent theories, Dr Humaira Iqtidar maintained that many political theories and philosophies, which are based on limited historical experience and European quests, have been universalized.

Even though the decolonizing movement originally started in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and other African states when they questioned the prevalent educational structure and curriculum as the legacy of colonialism, it is the European centricity that is pervasive in the context of understanding DE colonialism across the globe. No one questions the universality of these philosophies as they are inculcated in society through knowledge and educational institutes.

This colonization of knowledge and industrial-scale education system stops us from asking questions like what is the purpose of producing and consuming knowledge. What knowledge is being produced and consumed? Who is producing knowledge? Etc.

Islamic studies has also been largely affected by this. The questions devised under Islamic studies were themselves deeply entrenched in colonial influence. These questions are developed in such a way that all the burden of violence falls on Muslims by making Islam appear violent and something that needs a compatibility check, while leaving no space for further questions.

The educational institutes are also established in link with these colonialism-entrenched questions. It is an effect of that educational training and colonial legacy that we have no capacity to raise the right questions.

While presenting the critique of Maulana Sayyid Abul A ‘la Mawdudi on nationalism that it is un-Islamic and a problem for democracy as it pushes humans towards racialism, Dr Humaira identified the limitations of the solution presented to this as colonial-inflicted. Building on this, she stated that decolonizing knowledge is a very difficult task as it doesn’t mean eliminating it.

The total rejection of colonial influence is not possible as we live with such institutions based on this influence and ideas. As for the creation of a possible solution, the need of the time is to combine different approaches and ideas creatively and understand our problems in a broader outlook.

In addition to this, she asserted the need to define questions, based on our ideas and practices, find answers ourselves, along with taking the curriculum into our own hands. Dr Humaira highlighted that the true meaning of decolonization is not about bringing the influence of colonialism to an end. She stated that decolonization of Islamic studies and knowledge requires the understanding of our history along with its mistakes, past experiences, lacking’s, and problems. Only then, it would shift the mind-set of people from the colonial influence.

Endorsing the ideas of Dr Humaira, Dr Fateh Malik commented on how the colonial powers, in particular the British, considered the strength of Islam as the biggest threat to them. He upheld the notion by mentioning how the creation of Pakistan – evidence of the strength of Islam, Muslim ideology, and united Muslims – was hindered several times by the colonial rulers.

He further said that the British are still afraid that Pakistan would become a true realization of its founder’s ideology and that’s why they have devised various means to maintain their colonial influence in the form of colonialization of knowledge.

Dr Humaira Ahmed upheld that the Islamic studies, as a discipline, is itself a project of colonialism and whose decolonization need to be done on two levels – the discipline of Islamic studies and within the discipline itself.

She identified the differences between madrasahs and university students, as a product of knowledge that is being imparted to them in different ways. The differences and problems of knowledge must be looked into through different aspects and at different levels, i.e. research, academia, etc. She also asserted that this task of decolonizing knowledge and Eurocentric approaches is huge and requires defined and trained people, who are unfortunately not there.

Dr Qibla Ayaz retained the idea of colonization of knowledge in Pakistan and the role of British institutions and people like Thomas Macaulay, who introduced the current education system in the subcontinent, in pushing the subcontinent into the pit of colonialism-inflicted knowledge and education structure. He also asserted the role of youth in pushing the DE colonial effort, the need for indigenized syllabus, and the requirement to decolonize other disciplines as well.

Rahman highlighted the need for a knowledge movement and work on decolonization which is multi-layered and multidimensional. He also underscored the necessity of including more and more disciplines in decolonizing efforts to achieve desired progress towards it. Lastly, he expressed the inclination of IPS in contributing to the cause with candour and invited researchers, students, and scholars to its ‘Indigenizing Policy Research’ Initiative to create a community of researchers to contribute to the needs towards the decolonization effort.

For more information, contact:
Outreach and Publications,
Institute of Policy Studies (IPS)
1, Street 8, F-6/3, Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8438391-3 (Ext: 122)
Fax: +92-51-8438390
Website: www.ips.org.pk