Shehroze Kashif, a Pakistani mountaineer, faces extreme weather conditions in his attempt to conquer the world’s highest mountains, but the biggest challenge for him lies in securing the necessary funding.
Kashif, at the age of 21, aims to become the youngest person to summit all peaks above 8,000 meters in Pakistan and Asia this year. Reaching Everest alone cost him around $60,000, and summiting all the 14 “super peaks” can require hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This task becomes even more difficult in a country facing an economic crisis. Despite these challenges, the young climber remains determined to achieve his record-breaking summit attempt.
“My father sold my car and a piece of land… that’s how I did Everest,” Kashif told AFP from his home in Lahore, the sub-tropical, low-altitude city where he was born.
Only around 50 people are believed to have climbed all 14 super peaks, the youngest being Mingma Gyabu “David” Sherpa of Nepal, who summited them all by age 30.
To break this record, Kashif still has three mountains to conquer: China’s Shishapangma, and Cho Oyu and Manaslu in Nepal, having to re-climb the latter after a new, higher summit was officially recognised in 2021.
Hot on Kashif’s heels is Adriana Brownlee, a 22-year-old British-Spanish mountaineer who is also racing to be the youngest to scale all the eight-thousanders.
Kashif describes Brownlee — the youngest woman to climb the world’s second-highest peak, K2 — as “sharing the same stage”.
But unlike Brownlee, who has climbed 10 eight-thousanders, Kashif does not have international sponsorship and said he even struggles to get backers in Pakistan.
Brownlee will also need to re-summit Manaslu, in what would be her third attempt to scale the peak since first climbing it.
“I think she’s waiting for me (to do it) actually,” Kashif said with a laugh.
Climbing summits, breaking records
Kashif first became interested in climbing aged 11, when most Pakistani boys his age are building up their cricket skills.
Instead, he climbed the 3,885-metre Himalayan peak Makra in northern Pakistan.
He has racked up a string of records since then, with scarcely enough space in his Twitter bio to list them all.
Kashif is the youngest person to climb K2 and the youngest to climb both of the world´s two highest mountains.
He is also the youngest to climb Pakistan’s Broad Peak, the world’s 12th highest mountain and his first eight-thousander — a feat that earned him the moniker “Broad Boy”.
“It’s not about only climbing the mountains. It’s about the energy that you absorb from the mountains,” Kashif said.
“Every mountain has its own charm. It’s own aura of… danger and adventure and happiness.”
Scaling amid danger
With memorial plaques dotting the hills of the eight-thousanders, Kashif is aware of his pursuit’s risks.
“These guys were here with the same potential, same passion, same enthusiasm, same determination and same tolerance (as me),” he said.
Kashif’s most dangerous climb was up the world’s ninth-highest peak, Nanga Parbat, in July 2022.
He and his climbing partner Fazal Ali got lost in bad weather after summiting, and soon ran out of oxygen, food and water.
“I started hallucinating,” Kashif said. “My head was working (but the) rest of my body was just totally numb.”
When Kashif woke from a rest, he was surprised to be alive, and determined to survive. After six hours of trekking, the pair made it to one of the mountain’s base camps.
“The thing that I was most afraid of (is) that I don’t want to die without knowing what my body is capable of.”
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi commented on the appointment, saying, “Sumair is a highly organized professional with a wealth of administrative expertise.” He will undoubtedly give players, officials, and fans alike an amazing ICC Champions Trophy 2025, especially when combined with his unshakable love for cricket.
He continued, “The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 promises to showcase Pakistan’s ability to host world-class cricketing events, welcoming players and fans from around the globe to experience the country’s renowned hospitality and passion for the game.”
The BCCI informed the ICC earlier this month that it will not be sending a side to the event, which is set for 2025 in Pakistan during the February–March season.
After the PCB asked for clarity in its letter regarding the BCCI’s unwillingness to tour Pakistan, the ICC requested India’s justifications for not inviting Pakistan to compete for the Champions Trophy.
The broadcasters, meanwhile, reportedly pushed the ICC to make the Champions Trophy 2025 schedule available right away.
Due to the Indian government’s refusal to send a delegation to Pakistan for the event, the schedule that was supposed to be issued on November 12 was postponed.
The broadcasting rights, which were given to broadcasters for a record $3 billion until 2027, are heavily dependent on the success of the main events, especially those involving India and Pakistan, which regularly attract the largest audiences.
Adding to the issue surrounding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the Indian government refused to allow their squad to travel to Pakistan for the Blind Cricket T20 World Cup, which is set to start in Lahore on November 23.
According to Indian media, India, the reigning champion, would not go to Pakistan to play in the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 since the government has not given its approval.
Lahore and Multan are set to host the Blind T20 World Cup 2024 from November 23 to December 3.
The general secretary of the Indian Blind Cricket Association (IBCA), Sailendra Yadav, recently discussed the upsetting news about the blind cricket team’s upcoming trip to Pakistan in an interview with India Today.
The team was given a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Sports Ministry, but the Ministry of External Affairs finally refused to allow them to enter the border, Yadav revealed.
Yadav stated, “We have been waiting for the government to give us permission to travel to Pakistan for the past 25 days.”
“We will not be receiving any authorization to travel to Pakistan, and we can cancel your tournament,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed us over the phone.
On Monday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the hiring of former fast bowler Aaqib Javed as the interim head coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team till the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Throughout this period, Aaqib will maintain his role as a senior member of the men’s National Selection Committee and will be allocated more responsibilities upon the completion of the eight-team tournament.
The PCB will commence the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach, with the objective of finalising the appointment before the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy, which is set to take place from 19 February to 9 March.
The white-ball coaching position became available with Gary Kirsten’s departure last month, prior to the current tour of Australia.
In Kirsten’s absence, red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie led the team during the tour of Australia and will now return for the forthcoming two-Test series in South Africa.
The Pakistan men’s team is set to compete in three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe from November 24 to December 5, followed by an equal number of white-ball matches in South Africa from December 10 to 22.
Prior to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will host New Zealand and South Africa for an ODI triangular series from February 8 to 14.
Aaqib Javed had considerable coaching expertise, having formerly held the position of Pakistan’s bowling coach during their triumphant ICC T20 World Cup campaign in 2009. Earlier this year, he served as the bowling coach for the Sri Lanka men’s squad.
Before that, he managed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in achieving ODI status and qualifying for the ICC World Cup 2015 in Australia during his term as head coach.
Additionally, the right-arm fast bowler served as the coach of Pakistan’s Under-19 squad during their victory in the U19 World Cup in 2004.