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Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal appointed Pakistan bowling coaches

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Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former players, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal, as the fast bowling and spin bowling coaches, respectively, for the men’s team.

Their inaugural assignments in these roles include the Test series against Australia scheduled from 14 December 2023 to 7 January 2024 and the T20I series against New Zealand from 12 to 21 January 2024.

Following the World Cup 2023 debacle, the PCB has replaced the whole management and coaching staff of the team with Mohammad Hafeez taking over as team director, Wahab Riaz as chief selector while Shan Masood and Shaheen Afridi were appointed as Test and T20 captains.

Umar Gul previously served as the bowling coach for the Pakistan team during the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, and the subsequent series against New Zealand at home.

He has also been the bowling coach for Quetta Gladiators in the last PSL season and Afghanistan’s bowling coach in the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2022.

Gul made his international debut in 2003, representing Pakistan in 47 Tests (163 wickets at 34.06), 130 ODIs (179 wickets at 29.34), and 60 T20Is (85 wickets at 16.97) between 2003 and 2016.

Expressing excitement over his appointment, he thanked the PCB and its chief Zaka Ashraf and vowed to use his coaching expertise with the aim of elevating Pakistan’s bowling prowess to new heights

Similarly, Ajmal will take charge as the spin bowling coach.

Ajmal, who made his international debut in 2008, represented Pakistan in 35 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 64 T20Is, picking up 447 wickets across the three formats. He also served as the spin bowling coach with the HBL PSL franchise Islamabad United.

The former world no 1 ODI bowler was delighted to be given the opportunity.

“I am delighted to contribute to the development of spin bowling talent within the Pakistan national team. I believe my career and coaching experience will help enhance the spin bowling arsenal of the team.”

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Sumair Ahmad is named the 2025 Champions Trophy Director by PCB.

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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.

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India withdraws from the World Cup of Blind T20 Cricket in Pakistan

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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.

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Aaqib Javed designated as interim head coach for white-ball formats of Pakistan

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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.

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