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Qatar Tribune
13-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
PCB to sack Waqar, Malik and Misbah as mentors of domestic teams
Shahid Hashmi Telecom Asia Sport The Pakistan Cricket Board has removed Waqar Younis, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Sarfaraz Ahmed as mentors with the domestic teams as the former greats were not producing the desired results. With the yesteryears' stars failing to produce the desired results in return for the huge money they were being paid, the PCH decided to sack them, sources told Telecom Asia Sport ( The quintet, greats in their playing days, were tasked to help the domestic teams and players, both men and women, in August last year. But media and other former players criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for paying a whopping five million rupees (18,000 US dollars) to each of them for the job. 'PCB chairman has conveyed to the mentors that their services were no longer required as the desired results were not achieved,' said sources. 'The huge amount of money also has its implications with fears that the International Cricket Council's annual funding may be reduced in the wake of fears that television rights of international cricket may attract less price in the next cycle (2028-2032).' Malik, having sensed PCB's imminent decision, had conveyed to the Board that he doesn't want to continue as mentor as he was finding it difficult to juggle between his commercial commitments and mentorship. Shockingly, the five mentors were also allowed to do media assignments during the Champions Trophy and Pakistan Super League – earning millions more from Pakistani channels. Malik was forced to defend his role as mentor during his appearance for national channel, the Pakistan Television, during the Champions Trophy. 'We are not PCB's employees.' Malik justified mentors' appearance on TV despite being involved with domestic teams. Pakistan's domestic cricket is considered as the main reason for the country's poor showings at the international level. Sources said Misbah and Sarfaraz will still be part of the PCB in new positions. Misbah is amongst the candidates to take over as red-ball head coach, having been Pakistan's most successful Test captain with 26 wins in 56 Tests.
Express Tribune
17-04-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Babar's lean patch concerns ex-players
Babar Azam's career is at a crossroads. From being Pakistan's most prolific batsman who topped the ICC rankings in all three formats, to being a gawky struggler at the crease who has not scored a century in the last 43 months, Babar continues to grapple with poor form and has been at the receiving end of fans and critics' wrath. Dubbed as 'King Babar' by his fans up until 2023, mainly for his fearless batting, brilliant range of strokes and a plethora of records, the right-hander has been a shadow of himself in the past year and a half. His sketchy form has seen him losing the mantle of top batsman while he has also fallen out of favour with the cricket administrators and the selectors. It was for the first time since his international cricket debut in 2015 that Babar was left out of the team for poor form during last year's ODI and T20 tour to Zimbabwe, and again in the recent T20 series in New Zealand last month. While Babar's prolonged slump in form has drawn flak from a majority of ex-players, a few have sincerely come forward to advise him to sort out his problems by adjusting his technique and concentrating more at the crease. Former skipper and master batsman Zaheer Abbas, speaking exclusively to said Babar needs to shed his ego and consult his seniors in order to overcome the lean patch. "I have this impression that either Babar has an ego issue or is too shy to seek advice from his seniors in overcoming his current situation," said Zaheer, nicknamed the Asian Bradman for his scoring spree. "I vividly recall how former Indian batsman Azharuddin had sought guidance from me on India's tour to Pakistan in 1989-90. He was struggling to find runs and I told him to change his batting grip. That really helped him regain confidence and improve his performance," said Zaheer. Zaheer went on to add that Babar's stance at the crease is a rather close one today compared to a more open stance before, and he has little time to adjust himself to the pace of the ball. "I have noticed that Babar's dismissals of late have had him hurriedly going into his shots which clearly shows he is not finding time to adjust at the crease," observed Zaheer. Former Pakistan Captain and wicketkeeper Rashid Latif provided a different perspective on the Babar situation. "When you're under pressure, you need to find a way to wriggle out of the situation, but Babar has been unable to maneuver his way through," said Latif, considered as the best cricketing brain in the country. "Unfortunately, there's no proper mentor or batting coach in the dressing room to guide him. Babar needs to find a way out of the situation himself. He has to evolve," said Latif. Yet another perspective on the issue was provided by former Test and ODI player Shoaib Mohammad, the son of former Little Master Hanif Mohammad, while talking to Telecom Asia Sport. "From what I have observed, most of the teams around the world have by now sorted out Babar Azam's strong points, such as his patent cover drive, his pull shot or his weakness on spin bowling, and hence have made life difficult for him," said Shoaib who played 45 Tests and 64 ODIs for Pakistan and was known for his solid batting technique as opening batter. "Due to this reason, I see a tinge of frustration in Babar's batting these days, especially when the boundaries are not coming for him. But if he is not able to stand and deliver today like he used to, he should settle for singles and doubles and spend time at the crease to build his innings," advised Shoaib. "Babar recently snubbed a few of his fans and told them not to call him 'king'. There I could clearly see that he is constantly under pressure of that 'king' tag but also does not want to disappoint his fans. This confused mindset seems to be hurting him now. Perhaps, a cricket psychologist will be able to help Babar come out of his predicament," concluded Shoaib.
Express Tribune
07-04-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Gul set to join BD as bowling coach
Former Pakistan cricketer Umar Gul is set to take over as the new bowling coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. He will begin his tenure during Bangladesh's upcoming tour of Pakistan, where they are scheduled to play five T20Is in May. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has offered the 42-year-old Gul a three-month contract with the goal of developing their emerging fast-bowling talent for international cricket. Although the initial contract is for three months, there is potential for an extension until the 2027 World Cup, provided both parties are satisfied with the terms after the T20I series in Pakistan. Gul confirmed the offer to Telecom Asia Sport and mentioned that the final terms and conditions of the contract are still under discussion. "It's an exciting offer, and I look forward to it," he said. Gul, who was a key figure in Pakistan's 2009 T20 World Cup victory, has an impressive record in international cricket, having taken 163 wickets in Tests, 179 in ODIs, and 85 in T20Is. His standout performance came in the 2009 T20 World Cup semifinals against New Zealand, where he claimed five crucial wickets. In recent years, the former pacer has served as a bowling coach for both Afghanistan and Pakistan, and he has also been the bowling coach for the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The Bangladesh team boasts a promising group of fast bowlers, including Naheed Rana, who consistently bowls at 150 KPH. Other bowlers such as Hasan Mahmud, Tanzim Hasan Shakib, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, and Khalid Hasan will benefit from Gul's expertise and guidance. It is pertinent to mention that Bangladesh is scheduled to travel to Pakistan for a five-match T20I series in May. Initially, Bangladesh was scheduled to tour Pakistan in May for three ODIs and as many T20Is under the Future Tours Programme (FTP). However, after discussions between the two boards, the series has been revised to feature five T20Is instead, as part of their preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026.
Express Tribune
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Pak snub at Azlan Cup shocks ex-Olympians
Former hockey Olympians Hasan Sardar, Tauqir Dar and Imran Butt have lamented the shock omission of the Pakistan team from this season's Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament, scheduled to start in Ipoh, Malaysia from Nov 22. It was reported in the media on Wednesday that Pakistan has been excluded from the 2025 edition of the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Cup, despite finishing as runners-up in the previous edition. The exclusion was also confirmed on the official website for the tournament which did not include Pakistan among the participating teams. "I amazed at this development since Pakistan and Malaysia enjoy very cordial relations and our team has always participated and done exceedingly well in the Azlan Shah Cup," said former captain Hasan Sardar, one of the game's all-time greats who won the gold medal for Pakistan in 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, while speaking to Telecom Asia Sport ( "I am sure it is due to the incompetence and lack of coordination on the part of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), otherwise there is no reason that Pakistan does not get invited to Azlan Shah Cup. "The reason given for the snub which says PHF owes a debt to Malaysian Federation is rather ambiguous and we donot know much details on that, but I am sure the PHF has messed up things to face this ouster," said Hasan, who was the Man of the Tournament in the 1982 Hockey World Cup in Mumbai for scoring 11 goals. Ex-Olympian Tauqir Dar also expressed surprise at the development. "It is not good for the Pakistan's hockey as well as for the tournament itself, as our country has almost been a regular participant in the Azlan Shah Cup and last year it also ended up as runner-up after losing the final to Japan," said Dar, a member of the Pakistan team which won the Olympic gold in Los Angeles in 1984 under the captaincy of late forward player Manzoor Junior. "It would have been great if Pakistan was there because fans all over the world await the Pak-India clash in all the sports and it was likely that our team would have met India in the tournament which would have been a prime attraction for the fans," he added. Dar suggested the PHF to make a contact with the FIH and the Asian Hockey Federation as well to plead their case to include their team as it would be a great opportunity for the Pakistani players to hone their skills by playing against the top ranked teams of the world. "This was an ideal chance for the Pakistan team to play the world's top ranked teams and I will suggest that PHF should still try to get entry in the Azlan Cup," Dar concluded. Former Pakistan goalkeeper Imran Butt, while commenting on Pakistan's omission from Azlan Shah Cup, said the PHF must come out with a solid explanation for this development and should clarify whether Pakistan received an invitation for the tournament in the first place or not. "If the move to leave out Pakistan from the tournament has been initiated by the Malaysian Hockey Federation, then the PHF should strongly take up this issue with the FIH as well as with the Asian Hockey Federation which is being currently headed by our own Tayyab Ikram Sahab," said Imran who represented the country in 156 international matches including three World Cups and London Olympics 2012. "Pakistan players would have got tremendous exposure in the Azlan Cup because some of the top teams in the world are competing there including Germany, Belgium, India and others. It is a great setback that our team has been snubbed like this," said Imran who was part of Pakistan team which earned silver medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Meanwhile, PHF secretary Rana Mujahid in a press conference held on Wednesday totally rejected the issues of any dues of MHF being pending with his federation. "The Malaysian Hockey Federation has never lodged any complaint to the PHF about any dues. We have very friendly relations with the MHF," secretary PHF said.
Express Tribune
23-03-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
T20 star Hasan Nawaz makes his mark
It was just two days ago that Hasan Nawaz, the son of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif, was reportedly imposed a hefty fine as a "deliberate tax defaulter" in the United Kingdom, a year after the London High Court declared him bankrupt. In sharp contrast, his namesake Hasan Nawaz — no relation to the former PM — made his own identity by smashing a 44-ball maiden Twenty20 hundred against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland, guiding Pakistan to a thumping nine-wicket win in a fascinating 205-run chase. With his innings, Hasan proved he has not defaulted after being dismissed for naught in both the previous T20Is against New Zealand. Incidentally, Hasan dedicated the hundred to his father! "Full marks to head coach Aaqib Javed who supported me no end and told me that I will play all five games even if I fell for nought in the previous four matches," Hasan told Telecom Asia Sport ( "After scoring two ducks, I was thinking that now I have to go back to domestic cricket and score runs, but the coach, captain Salman Agha, and vice-captain Shadab Khan gave me full support." Hasan rose from a middle-class background in the Southern Punjab Saraiki city of Layyah. He had to strive to play cricket as the city lacked facilities and had to pay bowlers to bowl at him on the sandy grounds. "There were no facilities and no players available in the city, so I moved to Islamabad, where my sister supported me to the hilt," said Hasan whose engineer sister used to pick him up and drop him off at the ground daily. "I played club cricket with tape-ball but coaches told me to play with hard ball, so I joined a club and graduated to play high-level cricket and when I did well in the Kashmir Premier League in 2022, with 241 runs (second highest), then my name propped up and I played in the PSL," recalls Hasan. Former captains Wasim Akram and Shoaib Malik praised Hasan's talent. Malik predicted the youngster will play for Pakistan in the near future. Last year's domestic Champions T20 Cup added a new chapter in Hasan's career. He was once again second on the run-getters chart with 312 runs at a strike rate of 142. "I am indebted to the selectors who gave me a chance," said Hasan. "After the two failures, I was thinking of scoring the first run in international cricket and when it came, I had a sigh of relief. "Our strategy is to play T20I cricket like other countries are playing, so I have to follow that and keep my feet grounded to score consistently so that my team wins," he said. Against New Zealand on Friday, Hasan carted seven towering sixes and ten boundaries in his 45-ball 105 not out. His knock coupled with a maiden unbeaten half-century by skipper Salman Agha and a fiery 41 by fellow opener Mohammad Haris helped Pakistan chase the fastest 200-plus target in the history of the shortest format. Having crossed the first hurdle, Hasan will now be looking forward to riding the momentum in the fourth T20I at Mount Maunganui on Sunday. Winning that match will help the visitors level the five-match series 2-2 with the fifth and final match remaining to be played on Wednesday. They will play three ODIs following the T20I series and Hasan Nawaz will be hoping to do well in those matches too and cement his place in the squad.
