Babar Azam Top Notch ICC T20 Batsman Declared in The World

Babar Azam Top Notch ICC T20 Batsman Update:
The latest update to the International Cricket Council’s ODI and T20I rankings has seen four players elevated to No.1 in their respective disciplines. Babar Azam Top Notch ICC T20 Batsman.

Babar Azam Top Notch ICC T20 Batsman. Pakistan batsman Babar Azam and New Zealand bowler Mitchell Santner now top the ICC rankings T20I batsmen and bowlers respectively, following the conclusion of the T20 series between the two nations which Pakistan won 2-1.

Read: Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20I Format

Babar was rewarded for finishing as the leading run-scorer in the series, with 109 runs at 54.5, jumping up 11 places to top the batting charts for the first time. Babar Azam Top Notch ICC T20 Batsman.

Babar is the second Pakistan batsman to top the T20I rankings after Misbah-ul-Haq, who had climbed to number-one spot in 2009. Babar Azam Top Notch ICC T20 Batsman.

Pakistan’s Ahmed Shehzad has moved up two places to 25th and is his side’s second highest-ranked batsman in the shortest format, but captain Sarfraz Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman are the biggest movers in the latest rankings.

Sarfraz’s series contribution of 79 runs has lifted him from 76th position to 55th, while Fakhar has claimed the 71st spot after rising 41 places following his series aggregate of 99 runs.

Among bowlers, Shadab Khan enjoyed a jump of 28 places to 14th spot courtesy of being the highest wicket-taker in the series against New Zealand. Whereas, the left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir now holds 27th rank.

Rumman Raees has also entered the top-100 bowlers with an improvement of 33 places, he is now ranked at 92nd position.

New Zealand’s slow left-arm bowler, Mitchell Santner dethroned his teammate Ish Sodhi to become the top-ranked T20i bowler after having a successful series against Pakistan.

Pakistan lost the first match but dominated New Zealand in the next two to win the T20I series after being whitewashed in ODIs. After the T20I series win, Pakistan made it to the top of the rankings, becoming the best Twenty20 team in the world.

Source: Mehran Post

Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20I Format After Beating New Zealand in 2018 Series

Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20 Update:

Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20 team rankings for the third time in as many months after winning their three-match series against New Zealand at the Bay Oval in Tauranga on Sunday the 28th January 2018.

The 18-run victory gave Pakistan a come-from-behind 2-1 series win that will see them overtake New Zealand at the top of the world T20 rankings. Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20I.

Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan beats India in Final by 180 Runs

An animated captain Sarfraz Ahmed leapt with delight and punched the air after the final ball as Pakistan pulled off back-to-back wins over the hosts. Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20.

Pakistan Cricket Secured Top Rank MRF Tyres ICC T20. However, New Zealand beat the Windies 2-0 earlier in the month to move to the number-one ranking once again. Kane Williamson’s side will have another crack at the number-one ranking when they will feature in next month’s T20I tri-series, also involving Australia and England.

It marked an incredible comeback for the tourists who were whitewashed in the five-match one-day series on arrival in New Zealand and lost the first Twenty20.

speedster Mohammad Amir, who won the man-of-the-series award said:

"It was a tough tour for us because... we lost the (ODI) series but T20s is a totally different format."
"It is very special for all Pakistani people."

Sarfaraz Ahmed praised the team effort and the way his side refused to be bowed after a disappointing start to the tour. He said:

"They way we came back after 6-0, credit goes to my boys. They worked really hard and now we are again number one."

Batting first on a friendly wicket, Pakistan reached 6-181 with opener Fakhar Zaman making 46 off 36 at the top of the innings. With wickets in hand, Umar Amin was able to lead a late charge that saw 58 runs scored in the final four overs. New Zealand, in reply, were never up with the run chase, and managed 6-163 in their 20 overs.

The defeat followed a 48-run loss in the second Twenty20, which ended a 13-match winning streak across all formats, and put a dampener on New Zealand's preparation for next month's triangular series with Australia and England. Zaman was the architect at the start of the Pakistan innings with a sharp 46 before being dismissed in a debatable decision when Tom Bruce took a catch at ground level.

New Zealand managed to arrest Pakistan's brisk early run rate in the middle of the innings until Amin lashed out. His 21 came off the first five balls in an over from Ish Sodhi before the New Zealand spinner claimed the wicket off the final delivery. Haris Sohail chipped in with 20 off 12 balls while Aamer Yamin, replacing the injured Hasan Ali, faced six deliveries for his 15.

New Zealand struggled from the start of their reply to get near the required run rate of more than nine an over, and were in early trouble when Williamson was out for nine.

Martin Guptill attempted to bully the bowlers but it was primarily a lone stand. When he was removed for 59 off 43 balls in the 13th over, the required run rate had shot up to 13.57. Ross Taylor put the ball over the boundary fence three times in his 25 off 10 balls. But with his dismissal in the 17th over, New Zealand were 5-128 and their hopes of a miraculous comeback were over.

Source: Mehran Post

ICC World XI Cricket Team Visit Pakistan Again in 2018 and 2019

ICC World XI Cricket Team Visit Pakistan Update: Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board,Najam Sethi said on Wednesday that World XI will again visit Pakistan in year 2018 and 2019 to help promote international cricket in the country.

The visit of World XI has paved way for international cricket to Pakistan and apart from the visit of other foreign teams the World XI will also undertake visits of Pakistan in the successive years 2018 and 2019,he told media. ICC World XI Cricket Team Visit Pakistan.

Read: ICC World XI Independence T20 Cup 2017 Pakistan Beats World XI in Finals

He stated:

"When next time the World XI tour Pakistan, it will have the services of top more most cricketers of the globe which will make the foreign team more stronger."

ICC World XI Cricket Team Visit Pakistan, Chairman PCB said after the three match Independence Cup series between World XI and Pakistan, Sri Lankan and the West Indies teams will be visiting Pakistan to play T20 matches.
Najam Sethi said:

"PCB is striving for the cause of return of international cricket to Pakistan and we are delighted that our efforts finally bore fruit and doors of international cricket have been opened to Pakistan with the visit of World XI."

He termed the successful holding of the Pakistan Super League final earlier this year 'the game changer' for cricket in Pakistan and said it helped in changing perception regarding Pakistan cricket in the world. ICC World XI Cricket Team Visit Pakistan.
He added:

"After the tour of World XI things will be improve as far as security and other issues are concerned and foreign teams will be coming to Pakistan to play international cricket."

Chief of PCB told:

"Definitely the successful holding of World XI tour will send a positive message to the world as seeing is believing and people connected with the games have seen that Pakistan organised the PSL final in a very good way. Now we are heading towards the successful tour of World XI and these are good achievements on part of PCB to break the dead lock of international cricket in the country."

Chairman PCB said apart from the efforts and contribution of the government and the concerned departments, the credit to make the World XI tour a success goes to the people of Pakistan who prayed a lot for the happening of the tour of World XI.

ICC World XI Cricket Team Visit Pakistan he said PCB will soon hold discussions with the cricket playing countries for sending their teams to Pakistan to continue its efforts for the cause of international cricket in Pakistan.

To a question, he said the matches of the Pakistan Super League will also be organised in Karachi and international cricket matches will also be staged in the port city to bring international cricket there after establishing the faith and confidence of foreign players and teams.

Source: Mehran Post

ICC World XI Independence T20 Cup 2017 Pakistan Beats World XI in Finals

ICC World XI Independence T20 Cricket Cup 2017 Update: Pakistan thrashed the World Eleven to clinch the Independence Cup, winning the three-match Twenty20 International series 2-1, here at the jam-packed Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night.

Ahmed Shehzad contributed his vital 89 runs off 55 balls with three sixes and eight fours in ICC World XI Independence T20 Cricket Cup 2017.

Chasing a daunting target of 184 in ICC World XI Independence T20 Cricket Cup 2017 final, the World Eleven led by South Africa captain Faf du Plessis could score 150 for eight in the 20 overs to lose the match by 33 runs and also the series.

Pakistan got the early breakthrough in ICC World XI Independence T20 Cricket Cup 2017 final as a low-pitched ball of Usman Khan Shinwari bold Tamim Iqbal. The Bangladeshi batsman managed to only score 14 off 10.

Read: ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo Revealed

Earlier, World XI skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss in ICC World XI Independence T20 Cricket Cup 2017 final and elected to bowl first against Pakistan in the third & final T20 being held at Gaddafi stadium here on Friday the 15th September 2017.

Speaking at toss, Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed said that fast bowler Hasan Ali will make comeback in place of Sohail Khan.

“Hopefully we wont be repeating the mistakes we made in the last game,” said the skipper.

Pakistan has made only one change in the team, bringing in back pace bowler Hasan Ali in place of Sohail Khan while two changes have been made in the World Eleven team, Darren Sammy and George Bailey replacing Tim Paine and Paul Collingwood.

Both the skippers have expressed their resolve to win the series, which stands locked at 1-1 after Pakistan beat the World XI by 20 runs in the opener while the tourists won the second match by seven wickets.

The international level cricket remained suspended in Pakistan following an attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in 2009. Only Zimbabwe visited the country in 2015 for a short series, an effort to revive the cricket in Pakistan to amuse local cricket lovers.

Teams

Pakistan: Ahmed Shehzad, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (c)(wk), Muhammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hassan Ali, Usman Shinwari and Rumman Raees.
World XI: Tamim Iqbal, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis (c), David Miller, Darren Sammy, Thisara Perera, George Bailey (wk), Ben Cutting, Samuel Badree, Morne Morkel and Imran Tahir.

Source: Mehran Post

Azadi Cricket Cup Pakistan 2017 Ups and Downs of International Cricket in Pakistan

Azadi Cricket Cup Pakistan 2017 Update: The wait is over and it’s happening for Pakistan cricket and for Pakistan, where cricket runs through the veins of millions, the time felt like decades.

Fortunately, Pakistanis never lost hope.The wait is over and it’s happening for Pakistan cricket and for Pakistan, where cricket runs through the veins of millions, the time felt like decades. Fortunately, Pakistanis never lost hope.

Seeing international stars playing again in our country for Azadi Cricket Cup Pakistan 2017 makes us proud, the emotions are hard to control. It’s time to celebrate and celebrate.

The first clash of Azadi Cricket Cup Pakistan 2017 turned out to be action-packed as lots of runs scored in front of a jam-packed house. The scenes of Azadi Cricket Cup Pakistan 2017 were dreamlike, but it happened and everything was smooth.

Read: ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo Revealed by PCB in Lahore

Even if Pakistan team had lost their game of Azadi Cricket Cup Pakistan 2017 yesterday (12th Septemeber 2017), cricket would have won, Pakistan would have won!

Let’s look at the journey of the revival of cricket in Pakistan and how it happened.

2008 – Terror Attacks in Lahore

Lahore suffered at the hands of terrorists on multiple occasions which led to the cancellation of Australia tour.

The Indian team also stopped visiting Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.

Pakistan Cricket Board had to face a loss of Rs. 336 million in 2008-09.

2009 – Attacks on Sri Lankan Cricket Team

On a day perfect for test match cricket, everything happened but cricket – the gloomiest days for cricket in Pakistan saw the Sri Lankan team attacked by terrorists on their way to Gaddafi Stadium.

On March 03, 2009, five Sri Lankan players were injured in a terror attack when they were heading towards Gaddafi Stadium on the third day of an ongoing test match.

Read: ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017 to Visit Lahore Pakistan

The tour was cancelled and Pakistan’s status as a host nation came under serious doubts, which eventually led to the absence of cricket for a long time. PCB yet again suffered a huge loss of Rs. 208 million.

2010-13 – No Cricket

Pakistani players were forced to face exile and play cricket away from home following the attacks in March 2009. Pakistani stadiums stayed empty for a long time.

2013 – Afghanistan Visits Pakistan

Finally, some there was some respite for cricket fans as Afghanistan national team visited Pakistan to play limited over cricket against regional teams and Pakistan A in February 2013.

Pakistan A won the series by 2-0 against the low-profile Afghan side, however, it did not contribute much to the revival of cricket as not many eyes were watching the games.

2015 – International Cricket Returns to Pakistan But …

Team Zimbabwe finally said yes to a limited over cricket series in Lahore in 2015, which spurred hope among the cricket fans. It was the first time after 2009 that a test-playing nation had decided to visit Pakistan for a T20I and ODI series.

Despite the fact that all the matches were played, there was a blast outside the stadium in the second ODI, which put an end to the hopes of more cricket series in the near future.

2016 – Pakistan Tops the Test Rankings

Although it has no direct connection with the cricket revival in Pakistan, the message was given out loud to the cricketing communities that you cannot keep Pakistan away from cricket and cricket away from Pakistan.

2017 – The Year it All Happened

First, the successful hosting of Pakistan Super League 2 Final, then the Champions Trophy triumph and then the combined efforts of PCB, Giles Clark and Andy Flower made sure that Pakistan got what it deserved.

The long drought was put to an end when ICC announced the World XI tour to Pakistan in September 2017.

Each of the players who’ve come to Pakistan know that they’re playing for more than just cricket.
And this was just the start, more teams including Sri Lanka and West Indies have also decided to support Pakistan in the hour of need.

Some matches of the PSL Season 3 are also expected to be played in Pakistan next year.

This has been a tough journey for the cricket lovers, not just from Pakistan, but for fans all over the world. Let’s hope that everything goes well during this tour and in the tours to come.

Source; Mehran Post

ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo Revealed by PCB in Lahore

ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo Update: Pakistan is set to host a T20 cricket series with World XI titled Azadi Tournament from September 12th 2017, first time in nearly nine years.

This was announced by Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium where he unveiled the ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo for the forthcoming series.
He said:

“PCB is also making efforts to hold matches in Karachi.”

Sethi announced calling the tournament an historic occasion. He urged the nation to play its part in making it a success. ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo.
Sethi said:

"Sri Lanka's decision to visit Pakistan for a T20 match and the subsequent arrival of West Indies for a three-match series next month is subject to the success of this tournament."

On the occasion of unveiling ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo, he said when he was the appointed chairman, the patron said there were two main objectives – to revive international cricket in Pakistan and to have an improvement in cricket ranking.

Read: ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017 to Visit Lahore Pakistan

It merits to mention here that Pakistani cricket team will play three T20 matches against World XI, scheduled to begin on September 12th 2017. The other two matches will be played on September 13th and 15th 2017 respectively. ICC World XI Cricket Pakistan Azadi Cup 2017 Official Logo.

Players from England, New Zealand, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe will be visiting Pakistan as part of the World XI squad for a three-match T20 series this month.

The country has seen only a short visit by Zimbabwe and the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), featuring a number of foreign players, since March 2009 when Sri Lankan team was attacked in Lahore.
South Africa’s Faf du Plessis will lead the World XI squad, which will arrive in Pakistan on September 11th 2017.
Brighto Paints is set to be the Presenting Sponsor of the World XI-Pakistan T20 cricket series and has been known for giving our talent international exposure. The company has made all efforts in supporting the youngsters, be it with their education or sports like football, hockey and now cricket. They have supported the budding talent to gain international exposure in their respective fields.
After attending the press conference, Atif Riaz Sikka, Chairman, Brighto Paints, exclaimed:

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this historic event and in bringing international cricket to national grounds again. We are here to give support to young talent and to change the mindset of international media, and build towards building a softer image of our country. We wish the players best of luck and look forward to this auspicious event.”

Source: Mehran Post

ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017 to Visit Lahore Pakistan

ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017 Update: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Najam Sethi on Thursday announced the 14-man squad which will tour the country in September to play three T20Is, being called the Independence Cup, in Lahore.

The team — which includes stars such as South African stars Hashim Amla, David Miller, Albie Morkel and Imran Tahir, West Indian Samuel Badree and Darren Sammy — will be led by South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis. ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017.

ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017, 0ther players which are a part of the squad are Australian George Bailey, Ben Cutting and Tim Paine. New Zealand’s all-rounder Grant Elliot, former England all-rounder Paul Collingwood, Sri Lanka opener Tamim Iqbal and Sri Lanka all-rounder Thisara Perera complete the squad.

Read: T20 International Independence Cricket Cup Pakistan Lahore 2017

Najam Sethi announced ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017:

“The team will arrive in Dubai two days before the matches and practice there.”

He added:

“A three-member security team is going to visit Pakistan on September 1st 2017. They will discuss security arrangements with the Punjab Government.”

Captain Du Plessis, in a statement published by the PCB, said that he is happy to do his part in the return of cricket to Pakistan.

“I am honoured to have been appointed as captain of such a diverse, attractive and well-balanced side.”

He added:

“Like most of the players, I look forward to my maiden tour to Lahore and play my part in the safe and gradual resumption of international cricket in Pakistan.”

On the topic of security for ICC World Eleven Cricket Team T20 Independence Cup 2017, Du Plessis showed his faith in the arrangements made by the PCB.
Captain Du Plessis said:

“All the members of the squad have complete faith and trust in the assessment and the judgement of the security experts, who have assured us that there will be no compromise on safety.”

He added:

“As professionals, we are getting paid to play in the series, but the bottom line is if we don’t feel safe, no amount of money can get us there. We will land in Lahore with nothing but cricket on our minds.”

Giles Clark, the head of ICC Task Force for Pakistan, believes that this tour is “not only important for cricket in Pakistan but also for international cricket since it opens the possibility of other teams, media and sponsors visiting Pakistan for bilateral series.”

ICC Chief Executive, David Richardson also welcomed the decision of players who’ve agreed to visit Pakistan. He further said:

“The ICC wants to see regular international cricket being played safely in all its Member countries and the World XI playing Pakistan in Lahore next month is a step towards that for the PCB. We are optimistic that this will be the next step in a steady and safe return of international cricket to Pakistan.”

Source: Mehran Post

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan beats India in Final by 180 Runs

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan beats India Update: Pakistan, at their most magnificent, swarmed all over India to win the Champions Trophy by 180 runs. 

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan beats India. It was the same template as when they won their previous global one-day tournament, the 1992 World Cup, in that Pakistan were hopeless at the outset of this tournament, which they entered as the eighth-ranked ODI team, to be demolished by India in their opening qualifier. Yet, England in the semi-final and India in the final could not live with them.

 

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan beats India. Having failed to reach 250 so far in this tournament, Pakistan posted 338 for four on the back of a dashing century by Fakhar Zaman, who slammed 114 off 106 balls, then bowled out India in only 30.3 overs on the back of Mohammad Amir’s opening spell. Again the importance of the opening partnership was illustrated to England, for whom it was the Achilles heel:

Read: ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats England for Finals

ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan beats India. Pakistan had slumped to eighth partly because they had gone 35 ODIs without a century opening stand, but once the left-handed Fakhar was paired with the steady Test opener Azhar Ali, they launched Pakistan with 118 against England, and 128 off only 23 overs against India.

Pakistan’s coach Mickey Arthur said:

“I’ve had five semi-finals with South Africa and never got to a final."

He added:

“I got to one final with Pakistan and eventually got a medal, so that’s fantastic, but the credit goes to the players.”

India’s captain Virat Kohli generously admitted:

“They [Pakistan] made us make those mistakes because of the way they were bowling and the way they applied the pressure in the field as well, and we have no hesitations or shame to admit that we could not play our best game today.”

Pakistan’s cricket is often hailed as mysterious and inexplicable instead of being the product of its environment, which it naturally is. Their aspiring cricketers pick up a bat and grip it as they like, without coaches telling them to use their leading elbow, and bowlers cannot extract bounce out of grass less pitches, like concrete, so they move it sideways instead: hence batsmen like Fakhar with his strong bottom hand.

 
As for inconsistency, or “unpredictability”, it stems from an infrastructure, which is not well-resourced by comparison with India’s, England’s and Australia’s: hence Pakistan could field like drains against India in the qualifier, and like a dream in the final.

The century by Fakhar, whose name means “pride”, was not the best innings played in a global one-day final because there was so much playing and missing and top-edging if the ball was short. It was, however, the most audacious and he had much of which to be proud. Fakhar, 27, dared to reach for the stars – never having played a one-day international before last month – and in his four innings in this Champions Trophy, he scored 30, 51, 57 against England, and his 114 made him man of the match.

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said:

"He hoped his side’s stunning 180-run Champions Trophy final win over arch-rivals India would be a catalyst for the full return of international cricket to his homeland."

Sarfaraz added:

“I hope this win will boost Pakistan cricket and hopefully all the (major) playing nations will come to Pakistan.”

This Champions Trophy went ahead as scheduled despite a terror attack at a pop concert in Manchester, northern England, on May 22 that killed 22 people. And it continued even after another deadly attack at London Bridge, barely two miles from The Oval on June 3 in which eight people died.

But after the victims were remembered with a minute’s silence by a capacity crowd, fans at The Oval were soon engrossed by an extraordinary match.

Via: Mehran Post

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats England for Finals

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats England Update: Pakistan beat England by eight wickets in the first ICC Champions Trophy 2017 semi-final at Cardiff on Wednesday.

After bowling out England for 211, Pakistan rode on a fluent opening stand and gave England no chance in the modest chase. Azhar, Fakhar, Babar and Hafeez were among the runs as Pakistan sprinted home with almost thirteen overs to spare.

They will now take on the winner of the second semi-final between India vs Bangladesh. ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats England.

Read: ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka for Semi Finals

England vs Pakistan, ICC Champions Trophy 2017 semi-final as it happened: Pakistan 215/2 after 37.1 overs. Pakistan completely outplay England to book a place in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 final. Azhar Ali, Fakhar and Babar impressed with the bat after a brilliant show by the bowlers. ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats England.

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats England. England 211 all out. Excellent bowling performance by Pakistan bowls out England for just 211 in the first semi-final.

The hosts were off to a steady start but Hassan Ali changed the course of the game in the middle-overs. The seamers scalped 3/35 and was very disciplined in the middle. Junaid Khan and debutant Raees picked two wickets each.

Pakistani Squak: Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (C, WK), Imad Wasim, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan.

England Squad: Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (C), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (WK), Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Jake Ball.

Hasan Ali (Man of the Match) said:

“England are a big team and we have bowled well. The way I bowled against South Africa, I tried to bowl the same way today. Against India, things did not go well in the last few overs but Azhar Mahmood helped me and I stuck to my plans. Eoin Morgan was my best wicket today.”

Sarfraz Ahmed said:

“We bowled very well and after that the batting was good too. Mohammad Amir wasn’t playing but Raees came in and did well. We elected to bowl and chase again [which worked]. After India, every game was a knockout game, I said to the players to just play your game.”

Mehran Post wishes Pakistani Shaheens for the final victory in ICC Cricket Championship 2017.

Via: Mehran Post

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka for Semi Finals

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka Update: Sarfraz Ahmed and Mohammad Amir led Pakistan to a sensational three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the virtual quarter-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff on Monday. ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka.

Chasing 237 to book their place in the last-four, the Men in Green were in all sorts of troubles after losing seven wickets for a score of 162 in the 30th over.

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka. However, pacer Amir, who had a wonderful day with the ball earlier, supported his captain in an unbeaten 75-run match-winning eighth-wicket partnership, as Pakistan chased down the target in the 45th over.

ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 Pakistan Beats Sri Lanka. Sarfraz finished with a brilliant unbeaten knock of 61 off 79, which included five boundaries, whereas Amir finished with valuable a 28 not out.

For Sri Lanka, pacer Nuwan Pradeep was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with the figures of three for 60 in his 10 overs.

Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 8 Ambassadors Announced Shahid Afridi Representing Pakistan

Earlier, after being put into bat first, the Islander were bowled out for 236 in the final over of their innings, courtesy sublime bowling performance from the Pakistani pacers.

Left-arm paceman Junaid Khan and right-armer Hasan Ali were the pick of the bowlers for the Men in Green, as the duo claimed three wickets a piece, whereas Amir and debutante Faheem Ashraf picked two wickets each.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Niroshan Dickwella finished with the top score of 73 off 86 balls, which included four boundaries.

Read: Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats Introduced in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

This victory means that England will meet Pakistan in Cardiff in the first semi‑final on Wednesday. They may be happy about that for the surface here seems to suit some of their team (their bowlers if not their batsmen).

There has not been much encouragement for bowlers in this tournament but the likelihood of some lateral movement for the fast men has been greater in Wales than in England. There may not be much pace in the pitches in Cardiff but good bowlers have sporadically found some movement. In earlier games Tim Southee, Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood have gained some assistance from grass, which Eoin Morgan has described as “thatchy”.

Read: ICC Champions Trophy 2017 Schedule Tickets Prices Media Coverage Rights

Pakistan, especially with the introduction of Junaid Khan as a replacement for the volatile Wahab Riaz alongside Amir and Hasan Ali, now have a triumvirate of pace bowlers who seem adept at exploiting any help. Hence they may be more dangerous opponents for England than Sri Lanka might have been.

Their pace trio were effective on Monday. Between them they took eight wickets with the debutant seamer Fahim Ashraf also picking up two. Such conditions favour Pakistan’s style of play. They are not so well equipped to chase the mega-totals as their batting lineup may be described as old-fashioned – with the exception of the newcomer Fakhar Zaman, a left-hander who wastes no time. But mega-totals in Cardiff are not guaranteed.

Via: Mehran Post

Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats Introduced in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats Update: Cricket is all about technique and for viewers, it’s all about real-time information and statistics.

To add more excitement to the game of cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has partnered with popular chip maker, Intel. Together, they had introduced smart bats during this ongoing ICC Cricket Champions Trophy 2017 in England.

These Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats will actually use chips, dubbed BatSense, that allow them to sense the bat swings.

Intel Sports Group Vice President Sandra Lopez highlighted the role of Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats in transforming the way we play and view sports. With higher levels of digitization, Intel is in a unique position to enable the sports industry to capture and analyze data to uncover and respond to new insights in real time.

Lopez said:

“Our goal is to lead the way forward into the digitization and personalization of sports, transforming the way fans and athletes experience sports.”

A new bat sensor powered by Intel Curie technology that can be mounted on any cricket bat to generate data for every stroke that the batsman plays. With this Intel Curie Technology BatSense Smart Bats, parameters like back-lift, bat speed and follow-through can be tracked for every cricket stroke. 

Several batsmen will use these bat sensors in the games at the 2017 Champions Trophy, enabling new insights on stroke play and rich story telling during broadcasts.

BatSense with Intel Inside has the potential to transform cricket across a varied audience from coaches to aspiring self-taught cricketers.

Coaches can use their insights and expertise along with the bat sensor data to make specific adjustments to a batsman’s technique ultimately helping him perform better.

Players Who Will Use Smart Bats

While it is almost confirmed that three players from each team will have BatSense-installed bats, the names of these players are yet to be announced. For now, we know of Indian and English players who will have the chips on their bats.

England: Ben Stokes, Alex Hales, Jason Roy

India: Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin

More Technology of Intel in ICC Champions Trophy 2017

ICC plans to modernize the game by bringing upcoming technologies to the cricketing field.

While similar bat-sensing tech has already been used in baseball bats, tennis racquets and golf clubs, it’s a first for cricket. Now, ICC is ready to incorporate VR and pitch reading drones.

Everything is explained in the video below:

A consumer version of BatSense will be released later this year. People will no longer need expensive trainers or months of trial and error to improve their skills. If anyone wants to bat like AB de Villiers or Chris Gayle, they will be able to use VR technology and the bat sensors along with a digital trainers.

Cricket fans, expect great times ahead with new ways of improving your game.

Via: Mehran Post