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Champions Trophy: Rizwan says pressure got to Pakistan’s batsmen in loss to India
Pakistan will be knocked out if New Zealand beat Bangladesh in Rawalpindi later on Monday.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan said Pakistan’s middle order succumbed to the pressure in a Champions Trophy defeat by fierce rivals India on Sunday that left the tournament hosts’ chances of progressing to the knockout stage hanging by a thread.
The defending champions were restricted to 241 all out in 49.4 overs and India comfortably chased down the total with six wickets and 45 balls remaining thanks to Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Rizwan, who scored 46 in a 104-run stand with Saud Shakeel (62), said his team had paid a heavy price for failing to build on the momentum.
“The middle order wasn’t good enough,” Rizwan told reporters.
“The players performed well before this. In our meeting we had discussed that on this pitch around 270-280 would be enough (but) because the outfield was slow, the pitch was slow, the ball wasn’t going into the gaps.
“Saud and I tried to build a partnership and took a lot of time, but after that the shot selection was poor. That’s where they got a chance to take our wickets. Our middle order maybe couldn’t take the pressure.”
Pakistan will be knocked out if New Zealand beat Bangladesh in Rawalpindi later on Monday.
“For now, we can say that it’s over. This is the truth. We’ll see what Bangladesh do with New Zealand, what New Zealand do with India, and what we do,” Rizwan said.
“As a captain, I don’t like this (depending on other teams). If you’re good enough, you show it by winning and keeping things in your hands.
“What matters is that India and New Zealand beat us. They played strong and we didn’t play well. If we get a chance (to sneak through) then so be it.”
Today’s match, Monday 24 February, will be broadcast live across Afghanistan on Ariana Television. Fans can tune in from 12:30pm for the pre match show, which will be followed by the match at 1:30pm. (Reuters)
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Muttaqi meets Norway’s new special envoy, discusses political and regional cooperation
The Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has held talks with Bjørn Johansen, Norway’s newly appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan, focusing on political and regional developments.
In the meeting, Johansen said Norway maintains historic ties with Afghanistan and has consistently sought to play a constructive role in supporting stability in the country, Afghan foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
He noted what he described as noticeable progress in Afghanistan in areas including security, counter-narcotics efforts, and other sectors, adding that further cooperation should be expanded through the normalization of relations with the international community.
Muttaqi, welcomed Norway’s continued engagement and cooperation with the Islamic Emirate, saying that the current stability in Afghanistan should be utilized effectively. He also emphasized that progress made by the Afghan authorities could help broaden future cooperation.
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Slovenia contributes €200,000 to support UNFPA humanitarian work in Afghanistan
The Government of Slovenia has contributed €200,000 to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to support humanitarian work in Afghanistan, focusing on reproductive health and protection services for women and girls.
According to UNFPA, the funding will help expand access to essential maternal and reproductive health care across the country, particularly in areas where services remain limited and humanitarian needs are high.
UNFPA said the support will be used to reach vulnerable women and girls with life-saving health assistance and protection services as part of its ongoing response in Afghanistan.
The contribution comes as international aid agencies continue efforts to sustain basic health services amid ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges in the country.
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Afghanistan rejects Pakistan’s allegations as ‘baseless’
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has rejected recent accusations by Pakistani officials claiming that attacks inside Pakistan were planned from Afghan territory, describing the allegations as “baseless.”
Hamdullah Fitrat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, said Afghanistan believes regional issues should be addressed through dialogue, mutual respect, and genuine cooperation rather than accusations, emotional rhetoric, or threats.
He reaffirmed that Afghan territory would not be used against any country and stressed that no group or individual would be allowed to carry out activities that threaten regional peace and stability.
The remarks came after Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry reportedly summoned Afghanistan’s Chargé d’Affaires in Islamabad on Monday and handed over a formal protest note regarding an attack on a police post in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Pakistani authorities alleged that the attack had been planned from inside Afghanistan.
According to reports, the explosion occurred on Saturday evening in the Fathkhel area of Bannu, killing 15 police officers and injuring four others, including one civilian.
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