Sports

Mohammad Yousaf endorses Ramiz Raja’s statement about home pitches

Published

3 years ago

Farwa

After Raja, Yousaf emphasises making most of pitches for home series.
“Every home team makes pitches favourable for their players, so did we,” the batting coach reiterates.
“We had a look on the pitch today during training and it looks good,” says Yousaf regarding Karachi pitch.

KARACHI: Pakistan team’s batting coach Mohammad Yousaf has backed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja’s statement regarding taking “home advantage” while making pitches.

The first Test of the Pakistan vs Australia series in Rawalpindi ended in a draw and was followed by immense criticism due to the batting-friendly behaviour of the pitch throughout the tournament.

After Raja, Yousaf has also emphasised taking “home advantage” while making pitches for the series.

“Every home team makes the pitches favourable for their players, so did we,” the batting coach reiterated while talking to the press via a video link.

“Heavy rollers taken by Australia and the lack of sunlight are also the reasons behind such behaviour of the pitch. But teams prepare pitches at home according to their strength and our batters performed up to our expectations,” he shared.

Imam, Abdullah partnership

Yousaf praised the opening pair of Imam-ul-Haq and Abdullah Shafique and said that “Pakistan’s Test batting future is bright”.

“Imam and Abdullah were absolutely fantastic with their batting performance,” he said while acknowledging their records.

The former cricketer revealed his coaching mantra and also shared his conversation with Abdullah after which the youngster scored his maiden Test hundred.

“I always believe in listening to the players more than telling them about the game. Abdullah and I had a conversation before the second innings and I tried to listen to him.

“He was keen towards his technique but just needed a breakthrough which he got in his second chance. And now, the results are in front of you,” the legendary cricketer told reporters.

Karachi Test

Yousaf predicted a result-oriented second Test after looking at the pitch during their training session here on Thursday.

“We examined the pitch today during training and it looks good. Karachi pitches have given results in the recent past and I hope the same happens this time around, too,” he said.

“Our preparations are complete and we are really looking forward to continuing our momentum. This Test championship series is important for both the teams and players know it very well,” he concluded.

Latest News

Tickets for the Pakistan-India match were sold out in a matter of minutes.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

The International Cricket Council (ICC) reports that tickets for the much awaited Pakistan-India encounter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which is set to take place in Dubai, were sold out in a matter of minutes.

The tremendous demand for the Pakistan-India match underscores the fierce rivalry and excitement surrounding the tournament, even though tickets for the semi-finals are currently on sale.

Pavilion-specific ticket prices ranged from 500 AED for regular pavilion tickets to 1,200 AED to 5,000 AED for premium seats. The price of the elite Grand Lounge VIP packages was 12,500 AED, or roughly PKR 500,000.

On Tuesday, tickets will also go on sale for India’s first semi-final in Dubai as well as their final two group matches. Tickets for general stands are available for purchase online with prices for general stands starting at 125 AED.

Latest News

ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Today marks the start of the second phase of ticket sales.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Today marks the start of the second phase of the ICC Champions Trophy ticket sale.
Tickets for the opening match of mega event between Pakistan and New Zealand already sold out in the first Phase.
Following the Online sale of Tickets Last week, Physical Tickets for the Eight-Team competition will go on sale from Today.
Tickets for Matches in Pakistan including Group Stage Fixtures and the second Semi-Final will be Available at 108 Outlets of courier Service across the Country.
The Physical Tickets will be available to fans in 26 Cities of Pakistan.

For the ten matches that will be held in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, general stand tickets will start at 1,000 Pakistan Rupees, while premium seats in various categories will start at 1,500 Pakistan Rupees.
Tickets for the India matches scheduled for February 20 and 23 and March 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will be made available as soon as possible.

Latest News

Will the Champions Trophy 2025 miss an opening ceremony?

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 may commence without the traditional opening ceremony or captains’ press conference due to a modified arrival schedule for the participating teams.

This year, the England and Australia cricket teams will arrive in Pakistan nearer to the commencement of the event.

Sources inside the International Cricket Council (ICC) have verified that teams, including England and Australia, will arrive in Pakistan following their separate tours.

England is set to complete its tour of India by February 12, but Australia will conclude their series in Sri Lanka on February 14.

Consequently, both teams have retracted from the warm-up matches, a decision aligned with prior ICC events, where tardy attendance hindered practice matches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) indicated interest in staging an opening ceremony; but, logistical issues related to the teams’ arrival dates resulted in its postponement.

The PCB stated that although the occurrence was not officially verified, it has consistently been regarded as a potentiality.

Although the opening ceremony and press conference have been cancelled, the PCB is dedicated to organising an alternative event to commemorate the importance of hosting the ICC Champions Trophy for the first time in 29 years.

The inaugural match of the tournament, featuring Pakistan and New Zealand, is set for February 19 in Karachi.

The PCB has stated that a celebration for fans will be organized ahead of the match to highlight the excitement surrounding the event.