Sports

Pak vs NZ: Why was Mohammad Rizwan stopped from captaining during Karachi Test?

Published

2 years ago

Farwa

KARACHI: Sarfaraz Ahmed took over as stand-in captain in absence of skipper Babar Azam after the match referee barred Mohammad Rizwan from captaining the side as he was not part of the playing 11.

Rizwan, who is the 12th man, was seen captaining the Pakistan side on day three of the first Test against New Zealand in the absence of Babar Azam before the match referee informed the team management that a he cannot captain the side.

Azam and Salman Agha could not take the field due to flu. Rizwan is the vice-captain of the Pakistan Test team; however, he was rested for the first Test.

Rizwan took to the field without the skipper and was seen setting the field when the match referee informed the Pakistan team that according to the ICC rules, a 12th man could not be a stand-in captain.

Afterward, Sarfaraz was captaining; he was also seen reviewing Devin Conway’s LBW decision.

Meanwhile, left-handed batter Shan Masood was late to the field due to flu. A spokesperson said Pakistan’s media manager Ahsan Nagi had also fallen victim to the flu and did not come to the stadium today.

Players have been advised to stay cautious, said the spokepserson.

Sarfaraz’s return to Test side

Sarfaraz, who last played in January 2019 before this game, had to wait for three years, 11 months, and 15 days to don Pakistan’s Test shirt again. The former captain smashed 86 before losing his wicket to Ajaz Patel 17 minutes before the close of play.

The right-hander also became Pakistan’s leading run scorer in Tests among wicketkeeper-batters after his 86-run inning.

The wicket-keeper batter enjoyed an excellent 196-run partnership with Babar before Patel dismissed him when he edged one to Mitchell at first slip shortly before the close.

Sarfaraz said he was very nervous during the first few balls after coming to bat on the first day of the Karachi Test. He felt like it was his debut, he told in the presser after day 1.

Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) interim chief selector Shahid Afridi praised Sarfaraz Ahmed for his performance against New Zealand.

“Sarfaraz proved his selection right, excellent performance for him under pressure,” the former Pakistan skipper tweeted.

Latest News

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

Published

2 days 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.