Pakistan
KARACHI: The ninth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League is set to culminate in a title-deciding clash between a side for which finals have been a curse lately and a team which doesn’t know how to lose one.
Here at the National Bank Stadium on Monday, Multan Sultans will play their third PSL final in a row, the first of which resulted in their maiden trophy, but the other two saw them go down to Lahore Qalandars — by 42 runs 2022 and by an agonising margin of one run last year.
As they go for another shot at glory, their opponents will be Islamabad United, who have made it to the final for the first time in six seasons, but on both the two occasions they were involved in the title clash — 2016 and 2018 — they were crowned the champions.
Led by Pakistan’s star all-rounder Shadab Khan, United have arrived in the final with just the right momentum, fueled by a resurgent win over Peshawar Zalmi in the second Eliminator on Saturday.
United had chased down 229 runs to beat Sultans in their last league match before that, giving them a psychological edge over the Mohammad Rizwan-led unit.
Ending up as runners-up in the last two editions may seem like a matter of hard luck for the Sultans, but that’s not how the franchise’s players are looking at it. They have been directed by their captain Rizwan to put in even more effort on Monday.
“Last year we lost by one run, we have lost three matches this season and that too very close margins,” Sultans batter Usman Khan observed while talking to Dawn on Saturday. “Rizwan tells us to make sure that we work hard to avoid that one ball or the one moment that may potentially let us down at the end of the game.”
Rizwan’s active nature on the ground as a leader of his pack and his shrewd decision making has been impressive once again this season and many in the cricketing circles have called for the wicket-keeper/batter’s appointment as the Pakistan captain.
“Before every match he tells us to go inside the ground with a champion’s mindset,” revealed Usman. “And the way bucks all of us up even if we make mistakes is something that keeps our morale high.”
Rizwan’s support has helped Usman plunder 373 runs at a stunning average of more than 124 in only six outing this season with the support of two centuries. He is placed third in the league’s batting charts only under Rizwan who is second with 373 runs to his name.
Rizwan’s counterpart Shadab is not far behind in terms of runs and is well among the wickets as well. He has smashed 301 runs with a strike-rate of nearly 147, mostly playing at number four for United. With his leg-spin Shadab has hunted down 11 victims.
His average, however, is on a slightly higher side making him less lethal of a spin option than Sultans’ Usama Mir, who is the highest wicket-taker this season with 23 scalps and his average, 15, is half as much as Shadab’s.
But the all-rounder is blessed with the experience and utility of Imad Wasim, who has emerged as United’s trump card in the latter stages of the tournament. He won the match with the bat in the recent wins against Sultans and Zalmi, while also demonstrating expertise with his left-arm spin.
“He is one of the best all-rounders in the world right now,” Shadab said after the match against Zalmi. “You can’t doubt his ability after how he has won the last three knockout matches of us.
“We are lucky to have him in our team.”
Imad put up a match-winning partnership of 98 runs with Pakistan discard Haider Ali to snatch the second Eliminator from Zalmi’s jaws after the Babar Azam-led side had taken five United wickets in the space of 11 overs.
Haider, who has been dubbed as a wasted talent after emerging as an explosive batter in his early days, hit three towering sixes to wrap up the game for United, and Shadab believed such players were worth investing in.
“Some players need more love and respect than others and Haider is one of them,” he said. “You can’t write them off on the basis of a few bad performances.”
United’s depth and Sultans’ consistency will be tested in the final on a playing surface, which is likely to be on the slower side but is also expected to provide value for good batting.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1822126/hbl-psl-2024-sultans-look-to-break-curse-as-united-eye-another-triumph-in-final
SYDNEY: Senior International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice-President John Coates is unsure how many Russian athletes will compete as neutral athletes at the Paris Games, but thinks reports that it might be as low as 40 could be close to the mark.
Under sanctions put in place because of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, for which Belarus acted as a staging post, the IOC is allowing only some Russian and Belarussian athletes to compete in Paris under tight restrictions.
The inclusion of the neutral athletes remains a contentious issue, with Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba describing December’s decision to allow them as “shameful”, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo saying last week she hoped they would not come.
“The issue is how many of them are going to be there too, because they’re not going to be in any team sports because they can’t compete as Russia,” Coates said in Sunday’s edition of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.
“And then anyone who is prepared out of the Russian military clubs, they’re not going. I don’t know, but obviously some athletes might choose not to go if they’re not competing for Russia.
“I mightn’t be right, but I think that I’ve read something that it might be as little as 40.”
Neutral athletes will compete only in individual sports without flags, emblems or national anthems, and athletes who actively support the war in Ukraine, or are contracted to the Russian or Belarusian military, are not eligible.
Moscow, which describes the invasion as a “special military operation”, called the restrictions “illegitimate, unfair and unacceptable”, but Russia’s Olympic chief, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, has confirmed its athletes would not boycott the Games.
Because of doping sanctions that prevented them from competing under the Russian flag, 335 athletes took part in the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games as the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team, winning 71 medals. Belarus sent 101 athletes who won seven medals.
The ROC has since been suspended by the IOC for recognising regional Olympic Councils in territories annexed from Ukraine, a decision upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last month.
Of 4,600 athletes who had qualified for the Games at the time of the December decision on neutral athletes, eight were Russians and three held Belarusian passports. More than 60 Ukrainians had qualified.
Some sports, such as equestrian, have announced they will not allow any athletes from the two countries to compete, while World Athletics has had a blanket ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes since early 2022.
Others, such as World Swimming and the International Tennis Federation (ITF), will allow Russians and Belarussians to compete under the IOC restrictions.
Russia’s world number four tennis player, Daniil Medvedev, said earlier this month he was looking forward to competing and would abide by the rules.
The Paris Olympics run from July 26 to Aug 11.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1822123/paris-games-could-feature-only-40-russian-athletes-says-iocs-coates
KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi head coach Darren Sammy sat dejected, sunk in his chair in the press conference room after Islamabad United had knocked his team out of the HBL Pakistan Super League on Saturday.
The former West Indies skipper had been associated with Zalmi since the first season of the PSL — first as captain and then as coach — and his is the only franchise that has succeeded in qualifying for the playoffs in all of those seasons.
For that level of consistency, Zalmi have won the title only once, and for Sammy, that is far from enough.“Being consistent doesn’t mean anything to me without a trophy,” he told reporters after the loss against United. “I think that’s what we look to or aim to get every year.
“Nine playoffs, one trophy; that’s not enough”
Sammy rued how Zalmi lost both the Qualifier and the Eliminator, as he criticised how his players “didn’t execute plans” in the latter.“We’ve always got in the first hurdle, this year again we had two bites at the cherry and we could not move on,” he observed.
Sammy believed United approached the game with a relentlessness that has defined the side season in season out. Meanwhile, he was of the opinion that Zalmi “did not want is as much” as their opponents did.
“They have a lion as their mascot and that tells a lot about Islamabad,” he said. “Before the match I had asked my team what did they know about United and all of them agreed that they come at you again and again.”
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1822125/consistency-means-nothing-without-a-trophy-says-zalmi-coach-sammy
KARACHI: The ninth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League is set to culminate in a title-deciding clash between a side for which finals have been a curse lately and a team which doesn’t know how to lose one.
Here at the National Bank Stadium on Monday, Multan Sultans will play their third PSL final in a row, the first of which resulted in their maiden trophy, but the other two saw them go down to Lahore Qalandars — by 42 runs 2022 and by an agonising margin of one run last year.
As they go for another shot at glory, their opponents will be Islamabad United, who have made it to the final for the first time in six seasons, but on both the two occasions they were involved in the title clash — 2016 and 2018 — they were crowned the champions.
Led by Pakistan’s star all-rounder Shadab Khan, United have arrived in the final with just the right momentum, fueled by a resurgent win over Peshawar Zalmi in the second Eliminator on Saturday.
United had chased down 229 runs to beat Sultans in their last league match before that, giving them a psychological edge over the Mohammad Rizwan-led unit.
Ending up as runners-up in the last two editions may seem like a matter of hard luck for the Sultans, but that’s not how the franchise’s players are looking at it. They have been directed by their captain Rizwan to put in even more effort on Monday.
“Last year we lost by one run, we have lost three matches this season and that too very close margins,” Sultans batter Usman Khan observed while talking to Dawn on Saturday. “Rizwan tells us to make sure that we work hard to avoid that one ball or the one moment that may potentially let us down at the end of the game.”
Rizwan’s active nature on the ground as a leader of his pack and his shrewd decision making has been impressive once again this season and many in the cricketing circles have called for the wicket-keeper/batter’s appointment as the Pakistan captain.
“Before every match he tells us to go inside the ground with a champion’s mindset,” revealed Usman. “And the way bucks all of us up even if we make mistakes is something that keeps our morale high.”
Rizwan’s support has helped Usman plunder 373 runs at a stunning average of more than 124 in only six outing this season with the support of two centuries. He is placed third in the league’s batting charts only under Rizwan who is second with 373 runs to his name.
Rizwan’s counterpart Shadab is not far behind in terms of runs and is well among the wickets as well. He has smashed 301 runs with a strike-rate of nearly 147, mostly playing at number four for United. With his leg-spin Shadab has hunted down 11 victims.
His average, however, is on a slightly higher side making him less lethal of a spin option than Sultans’ Usama Mir, who is the highest wicket-taker this season with 23 scalps and his average, 15, is half as much as Shadab’s.
But the all-rounder is blessed with the experience and utility of Imad Wasim, who has emerged as United’s trump card in the latter stages of the tournament. He won the match with the bat in the recent wins against Sultans and Zalmi, while also demonstrating expertise with his left-arm spin.
“He is one of the best all-rounders in the world right now,” Shadab said after the match against Zalmi. “You can’t doubt his ability after how he has won the last three knockout matches of us.
“We are lucky to have him in our team.”
Imad put up a match-winning partnership of 98 runs with Pakistan discard Haider Ali to snatch the second Eliminator from Zalmi’s jaws after the Babar Azam-led side had taken five United wickets in the space of 11 overs.
Haider, who has been dubbed as a wasted talent after emerging as an explosive batter in his early days, hit three towering sixes to wrap up the game for United, and Shadab believed such players were worth investing in.
“Some players need more love and respect than others and Haider is one of them,” he said. “You can’t write them off on the basis of a few bad performances.”
United’s depth and Sultans’ consistency will be tested in the final on a playing surface, which is likely to be on the slower side but is also expected to provide value for good batting.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1822126/hbl-psl-2024-sultans-look-to-break-curse-as-united-eye-another-triumph-in-final
LONDON: Carney Chukwuemeka rescued Chelsea with a stoppage-time strike that inspired a 4-2 win over 10-man Leicester City in an FA Cup quarter-final thriller on Sunday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side were fortunate to survive a stirring fightback from Championship promotion chasers Leicester amid a mutinous atmosphere at Stamford Bridge.
Chukwuemeka netted in the closing minutes to save Chelsea from the embarrassment of being forced into extra-time.
Noni Madueke added Chelsea’s fourth to ensure the angry fans who booed Pochettino in the second half were silenced, at least for now.
For the sixth time in the last eight years, the Blues have advanced to the last four in the FA Cup.
But this was hardly a triumphant afternoon for Blues boss Pochettino, whose inconsistent team blew the two-goal half-time lead given to them by Marc Cucurella and Cole Palmer.
In between those strikes, Raheem Sterling missed a penalty and Axel Disasi gave Leicester hope with a farcical own goal early in the second half.
When Stephy Mavididi scored an eye-catching equaliser, Chelsea were in turmoil once again as the hapless Sterling earned the wrath of the home support.
But Leicester’s Callum Doyle was sent off for a professional foul on Nicolas Jackson, setting the stage for the Blues’ late revival.
Chelsea have failed to win a single domestic trophy since their most recent FA Cup triumph six years ago.
The west Londoners are languishing in 11th place in the Premier League and former Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton boss Pochettino is yet to win silverware in England.
Under mounting pressure amid a troubled first season in charge, Pochettino revealed this week that some of Chelsea’s young players endured a sleepless night before their League Cup final defeat against Liverpool in February.
Making amends by winning the FA Cup would buy Pochettino some much-needed breathing space.
In Saturday’s other quarter-final clash, Holders Manchester City cruised into the semi-finals thanks to two deflected strikes from Bernardo Silva that gave them a 2-0 win over a lacklustre Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
City made five changes from the side that started last weekend’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Liverpool and still managed to make the semi-finals of the competition for the sixth season in a row as Newcastle provided little resistance.
City took the lead in the 13th minute when a Silva shot took a wicked deflection off Newcastle defender Dan Burn, wrong-footing keeper Martin Dubravka and sending the ball looping into the net.
The home side went 2-0 up in the 31st minute and again it was Portuguese playmaker Silva cutting in from the right and shooting, with Sven Botman’s head helping to steer the ball past Dubravka this time.
City join Coventry City, who pulled off a shock 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier in the day.
WEST HAM LATE GOAL RULED OUT IN DRAW
WITH VILLA
In Sunday’s Premier League fixture, West Ham United had three goals ruled out, including what would have been a dramatic stoppage-time winner, as Aston Villa came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw in a fiery clash.
Michail Antonio’s stooping header, his first goal since August, gave the hosts the lead after 29 minutes.
West Ham had the ball in the net twice through Mohammed Kudus and Antonio either side of halftime, but neither goal stood.
Villa, who felt they should have had a penalty for handball before West Ham’s opener, equalised in the 79th minute when Nicolo Zaniolo poked home fellow substitute Moussa Diaby’s cutback after a period of sustained pressure.
James Ward-Prowse late free kick was bundled in to spark delirious celebrations at the London Stadium.
But a lengthy VAR check found that the ball had hit Tomas Soucek’s arm before it crossed the line to leave the home fans frustrated and both sides with a point.
Villa remain fourth on 56 points while West Ham are seventh on 44, three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United who have a game in hand.
In Saturday’s late action in the Premier League, Tottenham slumped to a shock 3-0 defeat against Fulham and remained on fifth in the standings.
Fifth-placed Tottenham were punished for a sloppy performance as the in-form Rodrigo Muniz netted twice either side of Sasa Lukic’s first goal for Fulham.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1822127/chelsea-survive-leicester-scare-to-reach-fa-cup-semi-finals
KARACHI: Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has turned down an offer to become the head coach of Pakistan men’s national team, media reported on Saturday.
A front-runner for the said position, the 42-year-old Watson was in discussion with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the national team’s coaching job but withdrew his name in the end.
The Ipswich-born player, who presently lives in Sydney, is the current coach of Quetta Gladiators team of the Pakistan Super League.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Watson is more interested in honouring his present coaching assignment and commentary obligations. He will be a part of the commentary team in this year’s Indian Premier League and coach the San Francisco Unicorns in Major League Cricket.
He would have to join immediately if he agreed to become Pakistan’s head coach ahead of the green-shirts’ home white-ball series against New Zealand next month.
Pakistan, who are currently without a head coach, will also play a T20 International series against England in May ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to be held in the US and West Indies in June this year.
According to media reports, the PCB was willing to pay Watson $2 million per year.
Watson, who was appointed head coach of the Gladiators last year, was a player of the franchise in 2019 when they won the PSL.
The Gladiators qualified for the playoffs of the ongoing PSL for the first time in five years. However, they were eliminated by Islamabad United at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Friday after which Watson left for Australia.
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1821960/watson-declines-coaching-offer-of-pakistan
WOLVERHAMPTON: Coventry City stunned Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 with two injury-time goals in a rollercoaster FA Cup tie at Molineux Stadium on Saturday as the Championship side reached the semi-finals for only the second time in the club’s history.
Wolves had looked set for a trip to Wembley after Rayan Ait-Nouri cancelled out Ellis Simms’ second-half opener, and Hugo Bueno then put the home side ahead in the 88th minute.
But Simms grabbed a second in the seventh minute of added time before team mate Haji Wright scored the winner in the 10th minute of injury time, curling his shot into the corner to send the Coventry fans, team and staff alike wild with delight.
Simms’s double made him the first Coventry player to score five goals in a single FA Cup campaign since Keith Houchen in 1986-87, the year Coventry won the cup — the biggest trophy in the club’s 140-year history.
“A great occasion, the fans have been amazing and we’re just delighted. I’m so proud of the lads. We’ve dug in, and even at 2-1 down we never gave up,” Simms told ITV.
“It’s going to be a great occasion at Wembley. We want to go all the way. The next round will be tough against a top Premier League team but we will give it our all and go in with all guns blazing.”
Coventry took the lead in the 53rd minute from a free kick when Simms bundled the ball into the net, with the goal awarded after a lengthy VAR check for handball in the buildup.
Wolves, who were missing Pedro Neto, Hwang Hee-chan, Matheus Cunha and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde through injury, had offered very little threat until Ait-Nouri swept home in the 83rd minute when Coventry failed to clear a cross.
“Credit to the players and the fans, the players gave everything and Coventry met us on a day where we weren’t at full strength and they were able to capitalise on it. They deserved to win the game,” Wolves manager Gary O’Neil told the BBC. “Losing in a quarter-final is obviously a missed opportunity, we produced as good as we could produce. That was it, the lads gave everything.”
Then, five minutes later, substitute Bueno put Wolves in front with his first senior goal, and a ticket to the semis had looked all but guaranteed.
But Simms grabbed a second at the far post to keep Coventry alive before Wright sent their fans into delirium with the winner.
“There’s a lot of quality in our side and as long as we believe and keep trying, we can take our chances,” Wright said. “It’s amazing to make it to Wembley and it will be good fun for all of us. Hopefully we can enjoy it [today] and then get back to work.”
LUTON RESCUE DRAW WITH FOREST, BURNLEY KEEP SURVIVAL HOPES ALIVE
In Premier League action on Saturday, Luton Town’s Luke Berry struck late to salvage a crucial 1-1 draw with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest, while Burnley kept alive their faint survival hopes with a 2-1 victory against Brentford on Saturday.
As the fight to avoid relegation comes to a head, Luton and Forest met in a potentially decisive showdown at Kenilworth Road.
Forest, beaten in their previous three games, took the lead through Chris Wood’s first-half strike.
But Berry came off the bench to equalise with just one minute to play in normal time.
Third-bottom Luton, who blew a three-goal lead in Wednesday’s disastrous 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth, are without a win in their last nine games in all competitions.
They sit three points behind fourth-bottom Forest, with both sides having nine games left to preserve their top-flight status.
Luton’s late leveller was painful for Forest, who face the potential threat of a points deduction before the end of the season after being hit with a Premier League charge over alleged financial breaches.
Wood put Forest ahead in the 34th minute, drilling past Thomas Kaminski from close-range after Morgan Gibbs-White’s chip picked out the New Zealand striker.
But Hatters substitute Berry levelled with a close-range strike from Reece Burke’s header in the 89th minute.
At Turf Moor, second-bottom Burnley won for the first time in 11 league games since a 2-0 victory at Fulham in December.
Vincent Kompany’s side took the lead in the 10th minute when Vitinho sprinted onto Josh Cullen’s pass and was about to shoot when he was pulled down by Sergio Reguilon.
The Spanish defender was shown the earliest red card in the Premier League this season, after a VAR check, and Jacob Bruun Larsen stepped up to convert the spot-kick.
Brentford were nearly gifted an equaliser when Dara O’Shea’s errant backpass had Burnley ‘keeper Arijanet Muric scrambling to clear off the line before pushing away Ivan Toney’s rebound.
David Datro Fofana fired wide with a golden opportunity to double Burnley’s lead, but the on-loan Chelsea forward made amends in the 62nd minute with a composed finish into the far corner.
Kristoffer Ajer got one back in the 83rd minute with a diving header from Bryan Mbeumo’s cross, but the Clarets held on for their first league win in 2024.
They are now eight points from safety with nine games left.
Brentford have won only three of their past 18 league games and sit just four points above the relegation zone.
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1821959/coventry-stun-wolves-with-two-injury-time-goals-to-reach-fa-cup-semis
KARACHI: Imad Wasim and Haider Ali starred with counterpunching efforts against Peshawar Zalmi in the second Eliminator here at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday to take Islamabad United to their third HBL Pakistan Super League final.
Both batters hit half-centuries after Islamabad, chasing 186, had found themselves reeling at 91-5 with the likes of captain Shadab Khan and power-hitter Azam Khan back in the hut cheaply.
Imad and Haider took their time on the crease, soaking in all the pressure and then unleashed an attacking onslaught in the last five overs.
That period saw Haider smack pacers Aamer Jamal and Luke Wood for three towering sixes over the leg-side, to effectively decide the match before Imad placed the latter past backward point for the winning boundary.
While Haider ended up unbeaten at 52 off 29, hitting five sixes in his knock, Imad accumulated nine boundaries for his 59 off 40.
The 98-run partnership between the pair came after spinner Saim Ayub had taken two early wickets and Mehran Mumtaz and Khurram Shehzad had chipped in with one each.
After being put into bat by United, Zalmi were driven by Saim’s fireworks. The right-handed opener entertained the spectators with an array of classy strokes — including six fours and four sixes — and later played the anchor’s role as he scored 73 off 44 balls.
The youngster did not relent despite losing opening partner and captain Babar Azam on the other end, as Shadab took a stunning catch to send the former Pakistan skipper off for 25 off 22.
Mohammad Haris saw Babar’s demise as an opportunity and slammed a quickfire 40 off 25 balls — the knock featuring three fours and two sixes.
Thanks to some disciplined bowling from United, Zalmi’s intensity had dropped in the middle-overs, but late cameos by Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Aamer boosted the side to a formidable total.
Naseem Shah was the pick of the bowlers, returning 3-30. Imad, with his left-arm spin, did not take wickets, but his cutters and pace-off deliveries restricted Zalmi from going for the magic figure of 200 as he conceded only 23 runs in his four overs.
Scoreboard
PESHAWAR ZALMI:
Saim Ayub c Faheem b Shadab73
Babar Azam c Shadab b Naseem25
Mohammad Haris c Shadab b Naseem40
R. Powell c Shadab b McCoy2
T. Kohler-Cadmore c Shadab b Naseem18
Aamer Jamal not out17
Hussain Talat not out8
EXTRAS (W-2)2
TOTAL (for five wickets, 20 overs)185
DID NOT BAT: L. Wood, Mehran Mumtaz, Arif Yaqoob, Khurram Shahzad
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-72 (Babar), 2-131 (Saim), 3-139 (Haris), 4-158 (Powell), 5-160 (Kohler-Cadmore)
BOWLING: Naseem 4-0-30-3, McCoy 4-0-50-1 (1w), Imad 4-0-23-0, Salman 1-0-13-0, Faheem 3-0-34-0 (1w), Shadab 4-0-35-1
Islamabad United:
M. Guptill c Babar b Khurram34
A. Hales c Mehran b Saim1
Salman Ali Agha b Saim5
Shadab Khan b Mehran0
Imad Wasim not out59
Azam Khan b Wood22
Haider Ali not out52
EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-1, W-11)16
TOTAL (for five wickets, 19 overs)189
DID NOT BAT: Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah, Hunain Shah, O. McCoy
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-6 (Hales), 2-20 (Salman), 3-21 (Shadab), 4-50 (Guptill), 5-91 (Azam)
BOWLING: Saim 3-0-34-2 (3w), Wood 4-0-38-1, Mehran 4-0-31-1 (1w), Khurram 3-0-22-1 (1nb), Aamer 3-0-41-0 (2w), Arif 2-0-19-0 (2w)
TOSS: Islamabad United
RESULT: Islamabad United won by five wickets.
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1822031/hbl-psl-2024-imad-haider-power-islamabad-united-into-final
KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators came into the ninth season of the HBL Pakistan Super League with renewed hopes under a revamped management structure and a new captain.
The changes seemed to have worked right away, as the former champions got off to a flying start in the campaign, as they won their opening three matches and despite a few jitters later, they managed to make it to the playoffs after a gap of four years.
When Mohammad Wasim’s powerful hit for six got them across the line against Lahore Qalandars in their penultimate league-stage match, wild celebrations went off in the Gladiators camp.
At that point it looked like the Gladiators of the past, ones who carried the image of the relentless underdogs, were back to challenge for their second title.
It wasn’t meant to be like that, though. In their last league-stage match, they let Multan Sultans bulldoze them by 79 runs, as the Quetta outfit lost out on the Qualifier spot.
In the Eliminator against Islamabad United on Friday night, they crumbled like a schoolboys’ team.
They had lost five wickets well before the end of the powerplay as they chased 175. All they could manage was 133, and had it not been for Omair Bin Yousuf’s valiant fifty, it would have been a more disastrous result.
”I think our top order batted in a hurry and lost their wickets cheaply as a result,” Omair told reporters after the match. “All teams face ups and downs, but we are willing to learn from this campaign.”
Omair praised Gladiators’ head coach Shane Watson — who had replaced Moin Khan ahead of the season — and Rilee Rossouw — who had taken over as captain after Sarfraz Ahmed was removed from the position — for creating a conducive environment in the team’s dressing room.
“I think I’ve learned a lot from both, because they have been very good players, and both have been among the best in this format,” said the right-handed batter. “… both have kept a very good atmosphere.
“They have given me a new perspective on how to take my cricket forward and I’m sure that’s the case with other young players in the team as well.”
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1821955/hbl-psl-2024-after-limp-exit-gladiators-vow-to-come-back-stronger
LAHORE: Jordan are perhaps the toughest opponents Pakistan will face in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign and head coach Stephen Constantine isn’t happy with the build-up.
While the Englishman said he was preparing a team that wouldn’t go down without a fight, he admitted there is little he can do.
Having been thrashed by both Saudi Arabia and Tajikistan in their opening Group ‘G’ games, things are only going to get tougher for Pakistan when they face home and away fixtures against a Jordan side on a high after reaching the final of the AFC Asian Cup earlier this month.
Jordan had a stunning run at the Asian Cup where they advanced to the title match for the first time in their history, only to lose to hosts and defending champions Qatar.
On their way to the final, they saw off a Tajikistan side that humbled Pakistan 6-1 in October, and Constantine knows his side face a stern test with little preparation.
“It’s difficult obviously for Pakistan to play the World Cup Qualifiers and face adamant opponents, who are football giants in Asia,” he told reporters after the national team’s training session at the Model Town Ground on Saturday. “We have had very little time to prepare for such a big game. And unfortunately, we are going to play one of the best teams in Asia.
“We were supposed to hold a camp in January that didn’t materialise. We weren’t able to hold any friendly games. We are facing Jordan with very little preparation. We’re working on the things we can work on. I can’t control those things. We will compete, we will fight, we will not lay down for anybody.”
Pakistan host Jordan at Islamabad’s Jinnah Stadium on March 21 before travelling to Amman for the return match five days later.
Constantine reiterated Pakistan are not in the running to qualify for the World Cup, having gone beyond the first stage of qualifying for the first time in their history in this campaign.
No, we are not going to play this World Cup and maybe not the next World Cup as well,” he said. “I am trying to prepare the team for the Asian Cup Qualifiers and the SAFF Championship.”
The top two teams from the group advance into the third qualifying round of the World Cup whilst also locking their berths at the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. The bottom two finishers go into the third qualifying round of the Asian Cup and Constantine said he was using these matches as preparation for the games ahead.
“These [matches] will help the players gain experience and exposure that will benefit them in the long run,” said the 61-year-old, who once again lamented the lack of domestic football in the country.
The training camp currently underway comprises solely of local-based players, who haven’t had a taste of regular activity with domestic football in the country having come to a halt under the Pakistan Football Federation Normalisation Committee.
Constantine said the diaspora players, who will be joining the team aren’t the solution.
“Diaspora players will be here by Sunday or Monday,” he informed. “We have to see the condition they come in because they’re playing games over the weekend. We don’t know if they’re free from injuries. We will face each problem one at a time.
“We had seven diaspora players but we still got beat [against Tajikistan] so you can’t say they’re going to be the solution of all of our problems.”
A visibly-upset Constantine also took a dig at his employers for the lack of domestic activity.
“How are we going to find the players, how are we going to develop them if theyre not playing?” questioned Constantine. “The level of the diaspora players is not some top leagues of Europe… they’re playing more consistently than our boys are here so that’s the advantage that they have.
“We need to do something here. We had a PFF Challenge Cup with 32 teams so start it from there. Take 16 of them and start the league. It’s not my area of expertise but we had 32 teams in the Challenge Cup so why do we need teams from all districts. I don’t know what’s going on but they need to fix this quickly.”
Responding to a question whether Pakistan could spring a surprise against Jordan on similar lines to 2007, when the national team held then-Asian champions Iraq to a goalless draw, Constantine countered by asking whether Pakistan had a league back then.
Told that a league was functioning back then, he said: “There’s your answer.”
Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2024
https://www.dawn.com/news/1821962/constantine-laments-pakistans-lack-of-preparation-for-world-cup-qualifiers-against-jordan