Sports
‘Is It Because Babar Azam…’: Ahmed Shehzad Blasts PCB Over Pakistan Star’s Exclusion From England Test
Veteran Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad has slammed the country’s apex cricket board for excluding domestic stalwart Kamran Ghulam from the team for the 1st Test of a three-match series against England. On Tuesday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 15-man squad for the series-opener, starting in Multan from October 7. However, there was no place for Ghulam in the team, who has been piling runs in the domestic circuit. In fact, since September 2023, Ghulam has smashed seven hundreds in 13 first-class matches for his side Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), with five hundreds coming in this year alone.
Ghulam was part of the squad for the Bangladesh Test series earlier this month, but did not feature. Despite dropping him from the team, the PCB insisted that the batter is still in their plans.
However, Shehzad slammed chief selector Mohammad Yousuf for his inclusion. In fact, he even asked Yousuf if Ghulam’s exclusion is due to the presence of Babar Azam, who also bats at no. 3.
“Kamran Ghulam has been ignored as Mohammad Yousuf didn’t make him a part of the 15-member squad. Khurram Shahzad is injured, while Aamer Jamal and Shaheen Shah Afridi aren’t fully fit. Despite that, you did not pick Mohammad Ali. It’s hard to understand. How will you justify not picking Kamran and Sahibzada Farhan in the squad? What sin did they commit? Is it because they bat in the same position where Babar bats? When Yousuf was the coach, he left everything on two to three players. Yousuf is the selector and this is the team he is selecting. Give me one logic why Kamran Ghulam was left out?” Shehzad said in a video uploaded on his social media handles.
If Saim & Abdullah can be given Chances then why not Kamran & Mohammad Ali? New Name for Dosti Yaari is “Fear of Failure”. This is Mindless Strategy by Pakistan Cricket Board#PakistanCricket #KamranGhulam #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/l5KhOFMrW2
— Ahmad Shahzad (@iamAhmadshahzad) September 25, 2024
Ghulam, 28, has played just one game for Pakistan, in an ODI against New Zealand last year, although he did not bat or bowl in that game.
The Upper Dir-born cricketer has been in impressive form in the ongoing Champions One Day Cup, scoring 248 runs at an average of 49.60 and a strike rate of 100 in five games.
However, Ghulam was dismissed for a solitary run in Markhors’ Qualifier against the Panthers.
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India could miss the services of skipper Rohit Sharma during one of the first two Test matches in Australia due to personal reasons which have communicated to the BCCI. The Indian team will embark on tough five-Test series in Australia starting November 22 in Perth and there is a possibility that Rohit could give either the first or the second game in Adelaide (December 6-10) a miss. “There isn’t any complete clarity about the situation. It is understood that Rohit has intimated to the BCCI that there is a possibility that due to a pressing personal matter, he might have to skip one of the two Tests at the beginning of the series,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
“In case, the personal issue is sorted before the start of the series, he might play all five Tests. We will get to know more in coming days,” he said.
The 37-year-old Rohit played both the home Tests against Bangladesh. India will next host New Zealand for a three-Test rubber starting October 16.
In case Rohit misses a Test match in Australia, the in-form Abhimanyu Easwaran is likely to be his cover although Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are also players with enough experience in the opening slot.
Easwaran will also be in Australia with the India A team which he is supposed to lead.
However, there is no word who the vice-captain of the Test team will be as there was no official deputy for Rohit during the recent home series against Bangladesh.
“I think we need to understand that we have got a lot of IPL captains in this team. When you talk about the likes of Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, hopefully a Yashasvi (Jaiswal) going forward.
“There are a lot of players who have led their franchises,” Abhishek Nayar told the media on the eve of the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur.
There are three candidates for the role — Rohit’s white ball deputy Gill, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who has led India in a Test in England, and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant.
“I wouldn’t look at them as youngsters anymore. Yes, they are youngsters in terms of age and the amount of cricket they have played. But, I think overall, mentally and in their development as a cricketer, I think they have the leadership qualities that are required. You don’t need to have a vice-captain that should be designated,” Nayar had stated when asked about the red-ball vice-captaincy.
“I think overall, the thought process of these youngsters is of a senior player. It’s of someone who has played a lot of cricket.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Sports
National Cricket League: Wahab Riaz, Nisarg Patel Excel As Texas Gladiators Thrash Atlanta Kings
Texas Gladiators beat Atlanta Kings in National Cricket League© X (Twitter)
Wahab Riaz and Nisarg Patel excelled with the ball while Dawid Malan produced another explosive knock as Texas Gladiators beat Atlanta Kings by 8 wickets in the National Cricket League on Saturday. Riaz, Patel and Jason Behrendorff took two wickets each as Atlanta Kings were bundled out for 61 in 8.4 overs. James Neesham was the top-scorer for Atlanta Kings with 12 and he was the only batter in the team to register a double-digit score. In reply, Texas Gladiators made short work of the target as they marched on to a victory with Malan playing a big role in chasing down the total in 8.3 overs.
Batting first, Atlanta Kings looked completely lost as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Texas Gladiators relied heavily on their bowlers and they made good on the trust as Atlanta Kings were all out for 61. Only Neesham could score in double digits as other big names failed to impress.
Ashmead Nedd, Usman Rafiq, James Fuller and Shahid Afridi all took one wicket each to put pressure on Atlanta Kings while the trio of Patel, Riaz and Behrendorff finished the game with their spells.
In reply, Dawid Malan slammed 29 off just 19 deliveries with the help of 4 fours and 1 six to guide Texas Gladiators to a comfortable victory. He received solid support from Nick Kelly who remained unbeaten on 16 off 16 deliveries with the help of a solitary boundary.
Texas Gladiators lost just two wickets with Angelo Mathews and Imran Tahir taking one apiece.
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Pakistan lost to England by an innings and 47 runs in the first Test.© AFP
England registered a dominant win over Pakistan in the first Test in Multan on Friday. The Three Lions won by an innings and 47 runs to take an early lead in the three-match series. The win was England’s fourth consecutive Test triumph on Pakistan soil, after a 3-0 whitewash two years ago. England had only won two away Tests against Pakistan in the previous 61 years. It was also filled with several new milestones for England. Opting to bat first, Pakistan posted 556, thanks to captain Shan Masood‘s 151 and centuries from Agha Salman and Abdullah Shafique. In reply, Harry Brook smashed 317 and Joe Root a record-setting 262 in England’s mammoth 823 for 7 declared, giving the visitors a 267-run lead. The Ollie Pope-led side then bundled out Pakistan for mere 220 to win the game by an innings and 47 runs.
A Test match that kept the record-keepers on their toes
England win the first #PAKvENG Test match by an innings in Multan
Scorecard href=”https://t.co/60exXWgQd4″>https://t.co/60exXWgQd4#WTC25 pic.twitter.com/PFTpYGDARx
— ICC (@ICC) October 11, 2024
Here are the three embarrassing records that Pakistan registered with loss to England –
Pakistan became the team with highest total to lose a Test Match by an innings. They scored 556 runs and lost the match vs England, surpassing Ireland’s 492 that had come in their innings and 10 runs defeat against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2023.
The Shan Masood-led side became the first-ever team to lost a Test match for five times despite scoring over 500 runs in first innings.
With the defeat vs England, Pakistan equalled their longest winless streak at home. They have failed to win any of their past 11 games. Last time it happened between February 1969 to March 1975.
The second Test kicks off at the same venue from Tuesday while the third game will be played in Rawalpindi from October 24.
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