Sport
Pakistan seek venue swap for World Cup matches vs Afghanistan, Australia
Pakistan are seeking to swap their venues for the matches against Afghanistan and Australia in 2023 Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be held in October-November in India.
As per the proposed schedule, Pakistan are to face Afghanistan at the spin-friendly MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed a desire to face Australia in Chennai rather than Afghanistan, CricTracker reported.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has proposed Pakistan to contest against arch-rivals India at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. However, Pakistan haven’t accepted the proposal yet, citing they needed permission from the government. This is understood to be the reason behind the delay in the release of the official schedule for the showpiece event.
According to a Cricket Pakistan report, Pakistan analysts are reviewing venue data and have raised certain concerns. Some opined that India have purposefully scheduled matches at venues where Pakistan might face difficulties with pitch conditions and practice facilities among others.
The pitch in Chennai often favours spinners, which will be a challenge for Pakistan against Afghanistan, who currently have strong spin attack. Notably, Pakistan have requested that their matches against Australia and Afghanistan be moved to Chennai and Bengaluru, respectively.
As per the proposed schedule, Pakistan’s first two qualifying matches are to be held on October 6 and 12 in Hyderabad. Meanwhile, the match against India is proposed for October 15 before the one against Australia in Bengaluru on October 20.
Pakistan’s matches against Afghanistan and South Africa are scheduled to be held on the October 23 and 27 respectively in Chennai. They will play Bangladesh in Kolkata on October 31 and New Zealand in Bengaluru on November 5 before their final group match against England in Kolkata on November 12.
Afghanistan’s cricket stars Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai have maintained their positions at the top of the latest ICC Men’s ODI rankings.
Rashid Khan remains the No. 1 ODI bowler in the world with 714 rating points.
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed is second with 675 points, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj has moved up to third with 667 points.
New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner is fourth with 644 points, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav on 623.
Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai continues to hold the top position in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings with 337 points, giving Afghanistan two players at No. 1 in different ODI categories. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe and Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh follow him in the list.
Abu Muslim Farah beat Omar Zawak Herat 4-0 in the 30th match of the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League, delivering an impressive performance.
The match was played today (Wednesday) at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.
Samiullah Naderi scored Abu Muslim Farah’s opening goal in the final minutes of the first half.
Abu Muslim Farah continued their attacking play in the second half, with Aman Sardari scoring the team’s second goal in the 69th minute with a spectacular header.
Omid Rajabi and Mirois Ghafouri then added two more goals to complete a 4-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Amanullah Sardari, captain of Abu Muslim Farah, was named Player of the Match against Omar Zawak Herat.
Abu Muslim Farah will face Ariana Khost in their next match on October 2, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Istiqlal Kabul on the same day.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League is being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s High Performance Center is set to launch a nationwide fast-bowling talent identification program, titled “Afghan Thunder,” across several provinces throughout October.
According to the ACB, the program will begin in Kunduz on October 4, with assessments continuing in Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, Khost, Paktia and Kunar before concluding in Nangarhar on October 27.
The board says eligible participants must be between 19 and 26 years old, at least 180 centimeters tall, hold a valid electronic National ID (e-Tazkira) and be capable of bowling at speeds of at least 140 kilometers per hour.
The assessment schedule is as follows: Kunduz on October 4–5, Herat on October 9–10, Kandahar on October 12, Kabul on October 14–15, Khost on October 19, Paktia on October 21, Kunar on October 25 and Nangarhar on October 27.
The ACB has encouraged eligible players who believe they have the potential to develop into high-level fast bowlers to take part in the Afghan Thunder Fast-Bowling Talent Hunt Program on the designated dates.
The board says the initiative aims to identify promising fast-bowling talent from across Afghanistan and provide talented players with a pathway into the country’s high-performance cricket system.
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