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Tag: Imran Khan

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Virat Kohli or Sachin Tendulkar? Imran Khan once told Indian High Commissioner who was better

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had once rated Virat Kohli higher than Sachin Tendulkar, recalls Ajay Bisaria, who served in Pakistan as India’s High Commissioner from 2017 to August 2019. Bisaria was later expelled by the Pakistan government in response to the abrogation of Art 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. “During one of the Iftar parties he had hosted, Imran Khan told me that he thought Virat Kohli was clearly the best cricketer in the world and he would rate him much higher than Tendulkar,” Bisaria said at the Idea Exchange. “Because, he said, Kohli turned losing matches into winning ones, and that is not what often happened in the case of Tendulkar. Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria at the Noida office of The Indian Express. (Express photo by Renuka...
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India vs England: How Bumrah’s reverse-swinging pearlers arrested England’s free-swingers

The new ball was taken off Jasprit Bumrah’s hand after a two-over spell. With R Ashwin immediately finding turn, Rohit Sharma brought Axar Patel from the other end. Switching between mid-on or short fine-leg, Bumrah would use every opportunity, sometimes just five-ten seconds, to urgently shine the ball. When the ball was not in his hands, standing at fine-leg, he would point out the BCCI emblem on his t-shirt to whoever had the ball, signalling which side of the ball to shine.For the next 13 overs, as England’s top-order employed the reverse-sweep to good effect and thwarted the plans of India’s spin trio, Bumrah would watch the proceedings quietly from his perch. He would often walk for a short conversation with Ashwin and Rohit, using those moments to attend the red-cherry. With lush...
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Wasim Akram reveals wife Shaniera didn’t know who he was when they met; he told her, ‘I’m kind of a big deal’

Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram has revealed that his Australia-born wife Shaniera Akram had no idea of who he was back when they met. The 57-year-old played 104 Tests for Australia in which he picked up 414 wickets besides wearing the green Pakistan jersey in ODIs for 356 games, ending his career with an astonishing 502 wickets. But Shaniera, who was a social worked back home in Australia when the duo met at a barbecue party, had no idea of Akram’s fame. “I met her when she was about 26 or 27 years old at a friend’s barbecue. She didn’t know who I was. I said, ‘I’m kind of a big deal back home’. She replied, ‘yeah, right!'” he revealed popular talk show, The Front Bar. Akram said that she believed that he must be a popular person only when he went to drop her off at a taxi stand...
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ODI World Cup: 1992 Cornered Tigers comparisons must wait but Babar Azam’s Pakistan still have heart for a fight

Losing a thriller to an inspired South Africa, a huge win over Bangladesh and beating New Zealand on Saturday via the DLS method courtesy of an unbeaten, attacking hundred from an opener — brought back after sitting out because of injury. Pushed into a corner after four losses on the trot, Pakistan have not rolled over. Epitaphs can be put on hold for now.They still need to win against England at Eden Gardens next Saturday to have any hope of making the semifinals. This campaign isn’t a comeback of epic proportions yet but the Pakistan faithful can’t be blamed for hoping the spirit of 1992 somehow rubs off on this team. You can try your hand at solving our Cricket World Cup crossword One thing is certain, there is still fight left in them — like Fakhar Zaman exhibited during his unbeate...
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Shaheen overtakes father-in-law Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar in Pakistan’s ODI World Cup wickets tally

Shaheen Shah Afridi struck thrice as Pakistan managed to reduce Bangladesh to 204 in their ODI World Cup league stage clash at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Tuesday. The left armer, who removed Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mahmudullah, now stands atop the wickets chart for the ongoing tournament with 16 scalps from seven games. In doing so, Shaheen has also managed to enter the all-time wickets tally for Pakistan in the ODI World Cup. You can try your hand at solving our Cricket World Cup crossword With his three wickets on Tuesday, Shaheen overtook his father-in-law and former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi as well as Shoaib Akhtar – both of whom nabbed 30 wickets.Most Read 1 Cricket World Cup: Why India is not in the semifinals yet despite winning six out of s...
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Uttar Pradesh cricket story: Imran Khan’s kebab memories, Rinku Singh’s sixes, a teenage girl’s India dream

These are exciting times for cricket in Uttar Pradesh. A state as large in both area and population can never be short on talent, but it has often been a cricketing backwater in comparison to Mumbai, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.Not any longer. With the relatively new stadium in Lucknow hosting five World Cup games – including India’s clash against holders England on Sunday – an IPL team representing the city and the state, and a new venue coming up in the Prime Minister’s parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh has become a big player in Indian cricket. Despite having an incredible talent pool, they have won the Ranji Trophy only once. But things are changing. The state now has an IPL franchise in Lucknow Super Giants. The Green Park in Kanpur is not the only internati...
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World Cup: No way back for Babar Azam and his Pakistan team? | Cricket News – Times of India

After shock loss, Pakistan captain's tactics, lack of penetrative bowlers and power hitters in focus as team look to salvage faltering campaignCHENNAI: Things are falling apart really fast for Babar Azam's Pakistan. After three back-to-back losses -the most painful being the one against Afghanistan at Chepauk on Monday - there's a sense of resignation in the Pakistan camp. While the Pakistani journos at the Chepauk press-box were dictating "End of the road" headlines to their respective desks in Karachi and Lahore, the body language of Babar suggested that the players don't believe that they can turn it around in the next four games."This loss is really going to hurt us," Babar said, summing up the mood of the camp and during a 15-minute interrogation by the media after the defeat.He co...
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World Cup: The perfect 10 iconic India vs Pakistan ODIs | Cricket News – Times of India

A 7-0 scoreline in World Cups might suggest India have overwhelmingly dominated Pakistan in One-Day cricket. But this lop-sided head-to-head is misleading. There was a period when an India win against Pakistan was a once-in-a-blue-moon affair. 10 memorable clashes between the two nations...LOW-SCORING CLASSICRothman's Cup, Sharjah (March 22, 1985): India were reigning world champions and had just beaten Pakistan in the Benson and Hedges final in Melbourne. Kapil Dev's team was the favourite but it was Imran Khan's 6/14 - one of the greatest spells in ODI - that helped Pakistan bowl out India for 125. On a difficult wicket, Kapil Dev, Sivaramakrishnan and Ravi Shastri struck back. But it was Sunil Gavaskar who took four catches in the slips as India bowled out Pakistan for 87.RESULT: IND...
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World Cup 2023: Like every Pakistan captain since 1992, Babar Azam needs to fill Imran-sized boots

For much of the sixty minutes that Pakistan spent on the ground before moving to the nets behind the arena, Babar Azam meandered from one spot to the other, surveying his scattered troops like a caring but not an anxious general. He checked into the ring of footballers, where he cheekily nutmegged Mohammad Rizwan before swiping the air, attempting an audacious overhead kick.He joined the pacers, stretching their sinews on the furnace-hot grass and himself contorted his body like a gymnast. He turned his gaze towards the centre pitch, had a quick peep at the surface roasting in the heat, before he flung half-a-dozen flat throws at a yellow plastic stump, where Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan were target-practising. Then, as though a siren went inside him, he called for a huddle. He addres...
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PCB ignores former PM Imran Khan from I-Day video; draws ire on social media | Cricket News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: On Pakistan's 77th Independence Day, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) faced backlash for excluding former Prime Minister Imran Khan from a commemorative video dedicated to the country's cricket icons and historic achievements. Surprisingly, the video omitted Khan, despite his pivotal role in leading the World Cup-winning team in 1992.Fans expressed astonishment at the oversight, highlighting Khan's status as a star performer who clinched Pakistan's sole World Cup victory in one-day cricket. The move drew sharp criticism, questioning how the cricket board could overlook Khan's remarkable contributions.Imran Khan, having transitioned from a cricketer to a politician, founded the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party after retiring from the sport. Presently, he remains incarcerat...
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How can you have the Asia Cup without us? Wonders PCB chief Najam Sethi | Cricket News – Times of India

MUMBAI: The Pakistan Cricket Board is exploring the option of organising a Tri-Series in case it has to pull out of the Asia Cup, PCB chairman Najam Sethi told TOI in an exclusive interview on Friday. Wanting to host at least four matches of the Asia Cup, Pakistan has threatened to boycott the Asia Cup in September if it's entirely held in Sri Lanka, as is being speculated. Asked if he was hopeful of resolving the deadlock, Sethi, speaking to this paper from London, said: "We rest on hope. But the thing is, we've to be prepared that if the hope doesn't materialise, what do we do? So, I must tell you that I've asked my team to make alternative arrangements to hold a three-nation tournament during the same time, if the Asia Cup is going to be played without Pakistan. I hope it doesn't com...
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Ramiz Raja removed as PCB chairman, 14-member panel headed by Najam Sethi takes charge | Cricket News – Times of India

KARACHI: Former cricketer Ramiz Raja has been removed as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by the country's government, which has appointed a 14-member committee, headed by Najam Sethi, to run the affairs of the game for the next four months.The Pakistan government, through a notification late on Wednesday, removed Raja following the team's 3-0 whitewash by England in the Test series.The notification, issued by Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, has to be approved by the federal cabinet, which is just a formality.The developments on Wednesday confirmed speculation that Sharif, who is the patron-in-chief of the PCB, had decided to appoint Sethi as the new chairman of the country's cricket body.Raja served as PCB chairman for 15 months after he was appointed by former prem...