Shafique shines as Lahore Qalandars knock Karachi Kings out of PSL 10
Next fixture
Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium will witness a thrilling encounter on Friday as Lahore Qalandars take on Islamabad United in Qualifier 2. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM.
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Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Babar, Rizwan face axe from T20s
The careers of three major pillars of the Pakistani cricket team – Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan – appear to be hanging in the balance as they face selection dilemma for upcoming tours. Shaheen, Babar, and Rizwan – all once key members of the national team – are now being consistently overlooked, raising questions about the future of their international careers. Shaheen, 25, has seemingly fallen out of favor with selectors. After being left out of the home series against Bangladesh, he's now also been excluded from the return tour. Sources claim that selector Aaqib Javed cited Shaheen's underwhelming performance in New Zealand, saying he needs to correct his flaws. Ironically, Shaheen led Lahore Qalandars to a HBL Pakistan Super League title and was the tournament's top wicket-taker with 19 scalps. Aaqib had previously worked with him as part of the same franchise, though their relationship is now said to be strained. While vacationing in England with his family, Shaheen was called back by selectors, but was then left out of the squad without any prior notice. He reportedly found out through social media. Some media reports had suggested disciplinary issues as the reason for his omission, but a top PCB official refuted these claims, reiterating that the decision was based purely on cricketing grounds, and that the board had not issued any directive against his selection. "If there were disciplinary issues, he wouldn't have been invited to the training camp either," the official added. Regarding Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, sources reveal that there is currently no plan to include them in the T20 squad. Coach Mike Hesson has already advised both players that they must adapt their playing approach in the shorter format and show some intent if they hope to make a comeback. Shaheen, Shadab Khan, and Salman Ali Agha are reportedly part of Mike Hesson's "core team", but will be rested periodically as part of a rotation policy. Shaheen might still be in contention for the upcoming West Indies tour, while Babar and Rizwan may be considered for the ODI squad. It's worth noting that Shadab is currently sidelined due to surgery, and the PCB is still in discussions to convert all three ODIs against the West Indies into T20 matches. If that happens, Babar and Rizwan's return could be delayed even further. Recently, in a media briefing, Coach Hesson said that Shaheen needs to improve his performance. He also dismissed rumors suggesting he had asked Babar Azam to take on wicketkeeping duties to re-enter the team. According to sources, these rumors were likely spread by "social media warriors" trying to drum up public support for the sidelined players. Pakistan Shaheens squad named for Eng tour The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced an 18-member squad for the Pakistan Shaheens' upcoming multi-format tour of England, scheduled to begin later this month. The tour will run from July 17 to August 6. Left-handed batter Saud Shakeel has been named captain and will lead a team that includes three other Test players: fast bowler Musa Khan, left-arm pacer Mir Hamza, and off-spinner Sajid Khan. The squad also features 14 emerging players, 11 of whom are under the age of 25. Among them are the top scorers from the most recent Quaid-e-Azam Trophy - Azan Awais and Maaz Sadaqat - along with Ali Zaryab, Haider Ali, Mohammad Suleman, Omair Bin Yousuf, and Shamyl Hussain, who strengthen the batting lineup. Rohail Nazir will serve as the wicketkeeper for the tour. The pace attack includes Mushtaq Ahmed, Shahid Aziz, and Ubaid Shah, while the spin department will be led by Sajid Khan, with support from Faisal Akram, Mehran Mumtaz, and Mubasir Khan. The team will assemble for a training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High-Performance Centre in Karachi before flying out to England on July 16. The final schedule and venues for the matches will be shared by the PCB in due course. Pakistan Shaheens squad: Saud Shakeel (captain), Ali Zaryab, Azan Awais, Faisal Akram, Haider Ali, Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Suleman, Mubasir Khan, Musa Khan, Mushtaq Ahmed, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, Shahid Aziz, Shamyl Hussain, Ubaid Shah.
Express Tribune
04-07-2025
- Express Tribune
Ali Tareen criticises PCB for ‘victory lap' over HBL PSL X
Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen has sharply criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for celebrating what it called a successful HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season, accusing officials of ignoring pressing issues surrounding the tournament's decline in public interest and operational standards. In a series of posts on social media following the PCB's recent debriefing session in Lahore, Tareen dismissed the board's claims of satisfaction from stakeholders regarding HBL PSL X, saying the league's underlying problems had gone unaddressed. 'Applause? You must be kidding,' he wrote on X, referring to the PCB's video summary that praised the league's performance. Tareen cited poor television ratings, dwindling stadium attendance, and a slowdown in digital engagement as evidence that fan interest has declined significantly. Applause? You must be kidding. 📉 TV viewership is down 📉 Stadium attendance is down 📱 Social media growth has slowed 😵💫 Team logistics were shambolic 🤡 The draft was comical And they want a standing ovation? 🤔 Skip the victory lap and address the slide. Fans notice.… — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 Empty stands in Karachi were among the most visible signs of that disconnect during the 2025 season, yet the PCB has not shared any clear plan to reverse the trend. Tareen also took aim at the tournament's operations, describing logistics as 'shambolic' and branding the player draft 'comical.' Team Logistics was shambolic because every team had to split their own players and staff between 3 different hotels in the same city! 😵💫 Some teams were asked to change the location and date of their games mid season! 😑 (Before the attacks) And don't even get me started on the… — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 He argued that the league's planning failures had undermined its professionalism and damaged its credibility among fans and players alike. 'And they want a standing ovation?' he posted. 'Skip the victory lap and address the slide. Fans notice.' If I own a team or not, I'll always be a huge PSL fan. And seeing its decline hurts. — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 The remarks have reignited tensions between franchise owners and the board. Tareen has previously voiced frustration with the PCB's management of the league and has called for structural changes in how the PSL is run. His latest comments suggest that concerns among stakeholders remain unresolved, despite public attempts by the board to frame the season as a step forward. Exactly what we thought afterwards… No input from franchises, no brainstorming on declining attendance and TV viewership. Just a one-way meeting where the PSL management told us everything is GREAT! 🥰🥳🎉#TeamDelulu — Ali Khan Tareen (@aliktareen) July 3, 2025 While the PCB has promoted PSL X as a milestone year, Tareen's criticism reflects broader unease about the league's direction in a competitive sports market where audience loyalty cannot be taken for granted.
Business Recorder
04-07-2025
- Business Recorder
Stakeholders share feedback after meeting with PSL management
LAHORE: Over the last 10 years we have shown to the world that we have the capacity, capability and organizational skills to pull off a vast six-week tournament across Pakistan involving over 60 overseas players. This was the feedback shared by the stakeholders after a meeting with the management of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The stakeholders of HBL-PSL including representatives of franchises, title sponsor, media rights partners and commercial partners met the management at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. Among the participants the representatives of the media rights partners of HBL-PSL also held workshops with the PSL management, which was headed by Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer. Ali Imran, Rao Umar Hashim Khan and Ayaz Imam from Walee Technologies, Trans Group and A Sports, respectively took part in the stakeholders meeting and shared their views with the PCB Digital. PSL's title sponsor HBL was represented by Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Ali Habib, who also lauded the remarkable consistency of the tournament. Ali Imran, Senior Vice President Walee Technologies said, 'I think HBL PSL X was just amazing. Walee partnered with biggest live-streaming and digital platforms in Pakistan including Begin, Daraz, Myco, Tamasha and Tapmad. This is the first time 57.4 million fans from Pakistan streamed the PSL matches and there were over 3.4 billionm views across these platforms. The way the PSL team works is amazing and they have been a great support for Walee Technologies in bringing the HBL PSL closer to the fans. I urge the fans to get ready to witness the biggest PSL event next year as we plan to bring more digital innovations to fore.' Rao Umar Hashim Khan, Group Director Trans Group said, 'Being the pioneer partner, I have the best wishes for the HBL PSL and I feel it is going to become the biggest cricketing event in the world. PSL is growing every season and we are hopeful that we'll showcase lots of good cricket in times to come. It has been an honour for Trans Group to be part of the HBL PSL for the entirety of the 10 seasons. It is such a joy to be a part of the PSL and everywhere we go it feels amazing to represent Pakistan's mega event.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
