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As ICC World Cup reaches midpoint, here are the top batters and bowlers to watch

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Pakistan’s fast bowler Mohammad Amir celebrates his five-wicket against Australia at a World Cup match in Taunton, England on June 12, 2019 (Getty Images)
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Bangladesh fieldsman Shakib Al Hasan catches India's Ajinkya Rahane during their Cricket World Cup quarter-final match in Melbourne, March 19, 2015. (Reuters)
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India’s Rohit Sharma celebrates after a victory against Sri Lanka at Mohali, India on December 13, 2017. (Reuters)
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England's Jofra Archer celebrates the wicket of South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen at the ICC World Cup at Kia Oval, London, Britain on May 30, 2019 (Reuters)
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Australia's Mitchell Starc at the end of the innings against Bangladesh at the ICC Champions Trophy at Oval, London Britain on June 5, 2017 (Reuters)
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England's Joe Root celebrates after reaching his century during the 2019 ICC World Cup group stage match between England and Pakistan at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, central England, on June 3, 2019. (AFP)
Updated 19 June 2019
AHMER NAQVI
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As ICC World Cup reaches midpoint, here are the top batters and bowlers to watch

  • Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, India’s Rohit Sharma and England’s Joe Root are the undisputed power batters
  • Bowlers Mohammad Amir, Mitchell Starc and Jofra Archer have proved themselves the stars of the series
Updated 19 June 2019
AHMER NAQVI

KARACHI: The ICC World Cup 2019 has reached its midway point, with the race for the semifinals still wide open. But enough time has passed to get an idea of the teams that have been setting the tournament alight, and the players to watch out for. These are the Arab News picks for the top three batters and bowlers at the World Cup so far.

Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh Cricket’s first proper superstar

Quite a few people, not just in England and Australia but also Pakistan and India, will be upset by the suggestion that halfway through the series, the best player in this World Cup is from Bangladesh. But the stats say it all. No one has as yet scored more runs than Shakib’s 384, no one has hit more hundreds, and none of the other players mentioned on this list have his all-round ability, considering that he has picked up five wickets also. But Bangladesh cricket’s first proper superstar has sometimes deceived in the past. In three previous World Cups, his batting and bowling numbers were worse than his career stats, and he was more important as a bowler. Pushing for and receiving a move up the order this time around, he’s been impeccable with the bat, and his confidence has oozed down to his teammates. Twenty years after a shock win in a World Cup in England kick-started Bangladesh’s cricket journey, they now arrive with a dark horse team and one of the world’s best players. It’s been quite a journey. As Gaurav Kalra, Sports Group Editor at Network 18, tweeted, Shakib should take over as boss of the universe:

Rohit Sharma, India’s insouciant genius

Every generation seems to produce a creative genius whose greatest works stand the test of time, though a lack of motivation or interest causes them to burn out rather than fade away. It might not be exactly fair to label Rohit Sharma as such, but it is confusing why one of cricket’s most transcendent talents hasn’t reached the heights that other greats of his era have touched. In contrast to his great contemporary Virat Kohli, Rohit gives off the perception of not quite wanting the acclaims as much. Still, in white ball cricket, Rohit is a certified legend, and in this tournament he has been the highest averaging batter, showing off a shocking range of shots in his trademark insouciant style. Pakistan were lucky not to receive yet another Rohit double hundred. In the history of the game, that has only been achieved eight times by five players who’ve done it once, and Rohit, the sixth, has done it thrice. Don’t bet against him adding to that total sometime this tournament.

Joe Root, lead vocalist-turned-bass guitarist of English cricket

Joe Root is easily the most classical and all-round batter on this list, and in an England side packed with maddeningly explosive hitters, it might be a surprise to see him on this list. But Root, for so long the lead vocalist of English cricket, has shifted to bass guitar and it’s worked out brilliantly. He sets the tone for everyone else by playing as the anchor around which the already fearless hitters can play with even more freedom. His two hundreds have come at a fast pace and yet never once carried the bludgeoning that marks his teammates’ efforts, defined instead by shots meant to keep the traditionalists happy. Root’s solidity is also England’s main failsafe option if the weather creates unfriendly batting conditions. For all of England’s celebrated offensive firepower, they would need Root humming along the way he has been in order to win the tournament they are favourites for.

Mohammad Amir, Pakistan’s only world class player

Pakistan cricket has a maddening quality of only being able to be described in cliches. For example, as the sporting world embraces data analytics and increasingly makes decisions based on computing insights, Pakistan makes a mockery of stats. Coming into this tournament, Mohammad Amir had taken five wickets across two years since a star appearance at the Champions Trophy final. His average was in the 90s, his strike-rate in three figures. Pakistan bet on his potential and talent when selecting him, and once the tournament began Dr. Mohammad went away and Mr. Amir arrived at the party. Thrice now as Pakistan have conceded 300 against three of the best sides - Australia, England and India - he has conceded under five an over, and in each has looked the only world class player in green. His tournament best, 5-30 against Australia, was good, but he was superb in the crushing loss to India as he provided the only fight India faced in that match. It is no wonder so many have compared him to Wasim Akram, one of the greatest bowlers of all time:

Mitchell Starc, Australia’s booming inswinger

Tied with Amir for having taken the most wickets, Mitchell Starc has continued his form from the last tournament where he ended up as the top wicket taker. For a year, while former captain Steve Smith and star batter David Warner served a ban for ball tampering, Starc’s numbers had fallen off a cliff. Now, with those two back in the side, it appears Starc has magically rediscovered his mojo. The booming inswinger is back, but it helps that he has always been one of the best proponents of the yorker. In a tournament where too many bowlers have been guilty of bowling too short, his ability to find the feet has helped a scratchy, inconsistent Australian side pick up slightly undeserved wins against Afghanistan, West Indies, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Each of those wins involved Starc leading or participating in causing a collapse, and his presence has allowed Australia to boast a record much better than their collective efforts have suggested.

Jofra Archer, the x-factor in Team England

If there was a way to convert swag into statistics, Joffra Archer would have been the only player on this entire list. Young, effortlessly cool and exhilaratingly talented, the bowler has been the x-factor in England’s already formidable line-up. While the hosts have been able to rely on their batting to score just about anything, their uneven bowling has allowed even the likes of Pakistan to pile huge totals against them. Archer isn’t quite at the level where he can undo that profligacy by England, but with twelve wickets at an average better than Starc’s, he’s certainly making a big difference. And while he has made plenty of people take notice already, the feeling persists that we are yet to see the moment when Joffra Archer truly announces his arrival on the world stage. With England still to face arch-rivals Australia and co-favourites India, expect Archer to make a mark on one of these matches.

Topics: ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

Pakistan urges climate change collaboration with UAE after record rains hit Gulf nation

Updated 19 April 2024
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Pakistan urges climate change collaboration with UAE after record rains hit Gulf nation

  • The storm first hit Oman over the weekend, before pounding the UAE on Tuesday with its heaviest rains in 75 years
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif telephoned the UAE president, called for collective actions after rains kill over 70 people in Pakistan
Updated 19 April 2024
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday telephoned United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and urged collaboration between the two countries to tackle impacts of climate change, Pakistani state media reported, days record-breaking rains hit the Gulf nation.

The United Arab Emirates was still grappling on Friday with the aftermath of a record-breaking storm this week, with the main road connecting Dubai, the most populous emirate, with Abu Dhabi partially closed for traffic.

The storm first hit Oman over the weekend, killing at least 20 people, before pounding the UAE on Tuesday with its heaviest rains in 75 years of records. Scientists blame increasingly common extreme weather events, such as the rains in UAE and Oman, on human-led global warming.

During the telephonic conversation, Sharif lauded the UAE president for his “outstanding leadership qualities” and strong commitment to ensure the welfare of the Emirati people, the state-run APP news agency reported.

“The prime minister said that Pakistan had also witnessed heavy rains in recent days, resulting in loss of many precious lives,” the report read.

“He called for collective actions to combat the challenge of climate change and suggested that both countries strengthen their collaboration in the field.”

Pakistan has been prone to natural disasters and consistently ranks among one of the most adversely affected countries due to the effects of climate change. Torrential rains have killed more than 70 people in the South Asian country this month, according to authorities.

The UAE president appreciated the prime minister’s good wishes and reciprocated the warm sentiments for the people affected from rains and flooding in Pakistan, according to the APP report.

“Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to enhance bilateral cooperation in multifaceted areas,” it added.

Topics: Pakistan UAE ties UAE rains Arab News Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif

Over 600 IT firms, 100 foreigners attend ITCN tech conference in Lahore

Updated 19 April 2024
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Over 600 IT firms, 100 foreigners attend ITCN tech conference in Lahore

  • The three-day exhibition is set to fetch nearly $500 million investment from a dozen countries
  • The companies participating in the expo include Microsoft, Inbox, Lenovo, HP, NetSol and Dell
Updated 19 April 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: More than 600 IT companies, 55,000 participants, and around a hundred foreign delegates are attending an ongoing 24th edition of the Information Technology Commerce Network (ITCN) Asia Conference in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, Pakistani state media reported on Friday, citing officials.

The main sessions at the three-day tech event include the Artificial Intelligence Summit, Global Security Symposium, Gaming and Scholars Roundtable, Investor Summit, Freelancer Summit, Made in Pakistan Roundtable Conference.

State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said the objective of the event was to highlight the expertise and products of Pakistan’s IT sector at the international level.

“Sixty eight percent of Pakistan’s population consists of young people and IT is a field that has a lot of opportunities available for them,” she told Radio Pakistan broadcaster. “The government’s vision is to bring as much skill training as possible for the youth in the IT sector.”

Khawaja said the government would provide cheap loans to the IT sector so that freelancers could thrive.

“The government has started the Industry Academia Bridge Program under which IT students in universities can collaborate with the private sector to get practical training while studying and secure their jobs,” she added.

Speaking on the opening day of the event at Lahore’s Expo Center on Friday, Khawaja said it was an honor for Pakistan to be a founding partner of the Digital Cooperation Organization, a global multilateral body launched in November 2020 to help enable digital prosperity for all, and a testimony to the country’s readiness to be one of the leading stakeholders in the global IT ecosystem.

“Pakistan’s digital progress and its position as a global stakeholder is underscored by its vibrant youth as Pakistan produces 10,000 IT graduates every year,” she said.

“Together we will make Pakistan an IT hub as IT is the key toward growth of all sectors.”

A delegation of international investors belonging to 12 different countries is participating in the event that is expected to attract around $500 million investment, according to Pakistani state media.

Renowned international and national technology companies, including Microsoft, Inbox, Red Hat, TP-Link, Lenovo, HP, NetSol, Abacus and Dell, are participating in the three-day exhibition.

The event is being jointly supported by the Pakistani Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Pakistan Software Export Board and Pakistan Software Houses Association.

Topics: ITCN tech conference ITCN Lahore technology Arab News Pakistan

Pakistan stocks close at record high amid IMF talks, tensions in Middle East

Updated 19 April 2024
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Pakistan stocks close at record high amid IMF talks, tensions in Middle East

  • The benchmark KSE-100 index surged by 647 points after morning trading hiccups due to reports of Israel’s attack on Iran
  • Pakistani analysts say escalating tensions in Middle East will impact supply chain and increase import bill for Pakistan
Updated 19 April 2024
KHURSHID AHMED   

KARACHI: Pakistan’s stock market recorded on Friday its highest-ever closing at 70,909 points, stock brokers and analysts said, attributing it to ongoing talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but cautioning about potential economic impact of Israel-Iran tensions in the Middle East.

Explosions were heard in Iranian city of Isfahan on Friday that were described as an Israeli attack by western media. However, Tehran has not officially confirmed the development as its response remains muted.

The Pakistan Stock Exchange witnessed some nervousness in the morning trading session, when news of Israel’s attack on Iran came in. But despite the development, the benchmark KSE-100 index surged by 647 points to close at 70,909 points.

“When news of the attack on Iran came this morning, its impact was seen in the Asian and European markets at one point,” Shehryar Butt, portfolio manager at the Karachi-based Darson Securities, told Arab News.

“Nikkei saw a decline of more than a thousand points, but despite this, the Pakistan Stock Exchange performed much better.”

The Pakistani bourse has recently been trading at record highs amid positive sentiment prevailing among investors due to hopes of the country’s successful talks with the IMF.

“The basic reason for this is that Pakistan is currently in the IMF program, and very serious discussions are taking place in Washington at this time,” Butt said.

Pakistan’s finance minister, Muhammad Aurangzeb, is currently in Washington to hold talks with IMF officials for a new long-term loan program as Pakistan’s current $3 billion program is due to expire this month. The finance minister has expressed his hopes that the outline of the new program will be agreed next month.

Pakistan is expected to demand a loan size of around $7 billion but Jihad Azour, the IMF Middle East and Central Asia Director, said on Wednesday the reform package was more important than the size of the program.

“I would say the package of reform is now more important than the size of the program because we saw recently that the right measures provided the right response,” Azour said at a press briefing.

The surge in global oil prices amid geo political tensions and the Pakistani rupee’s recovery played “a catalyst role in Friday’s record close,” according to Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of the Arif Habib Corporation.

Though Pakistan’s market downplayed the Middle East tensions, but analysts said if the situation escalated, it would disrupt supply chain and impact Pakistan’s economy.

“The conflict between Iran and Israel will affect the Pakistani economy, quite a negative effect will be seen on the Pakistani economy because immediately after that, we saw geo-political situation worsening and oil started to rise,” Butt said, adding the rising global oil prices would impact Pakistan’s import bill.

Pakistan has imported petroleum products worth $12 billion during the July-March period of the current fiscal year, including $3.9 billion worth of crude oil and 2.9 billion worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG), according to official data.

Butt feared that if the situation persisted, then the attention of Saudi Arabia would also be drawn to the Middle East and the investment commitments made by the Kingdom with Pakistan could be delayed.

Haroon Sharif, an economist and former chairman of the Pakistan Board of Investment, said if the tensions in the Middle East escalated, their first impact would be on the stock market as foreign investors would like to shift their capital to safer markets.

“Another impact would be oil price escalation, hitting Pakistan’s trade deficit and traveling and cargo price would also escalate, increasing the cost of doing business,” Sharif said, adding that investors would hold their future expansion and investment plans till situation becomes stable.

Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States and scholar at Washington DC’s Hudson Institute, said a prolonged conflict between Iran and Israel would increase uncertainty and instability across the Middle East.

“If Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel was meant to show Iran’s reach, Israel has demonstrated its ability to strike deep inside Iran,” Haqqani told Arab News.

“Iran has several proxies that it can use while Israel has tremendous military and intelligence capabilities. Leaders of both countries have domestic political reasons to not be forgiving toward one another.”

Haqqani said the US would likely restrain Israel, while Iran would be constrained by its limited capability.

“After all, even after attacking with hundreds of missiles and drones, Iran was unable to cause real damage on ground in Israel,” he added.

Topics: Pakistan Stock Market

After Pakistan alert, WHO likely to issue wider warning on contaminated J&J cough syrup

Updated 19 April 2024
Reuters
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After Pakistan alert, WHO likely to issue wider warning on contaminated J&J cough syrup

  • The UN health body said it puts out global medical product alerts to ‘encourage diligence’ by authorities
  • The WHO this week sent out alert on five batches of contaminated cough syrup ingredients found in Pakistan
Updated 19 April 2024
Reuters

LONDON: The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children’s cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.

Nigeria’s regulator recalled a batch of Benylin paediatric syrup last Wednesday, having found a high level of diethylene glycol in the product during routine testing.

The contaminant, alongside another closely related toxin, ethylene glycol, has been linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in Cameroon, Gambia, Indonesia and Uzbekistan since 2022, though there is no evidence that these incidents are linked with the latest recalls.

The UN health body said it puts out global medical product alerts to “encourage diligence” by national authorities and was likely to do so in this instance, “subject to confirmation of certain details from parties.”

The recalled batch of Benylin syrup was made by J&J in South Africa in May 2021, although Kenvue now owns the brand after a spin-off from J&J last year.

J&J has referred requests for comment to Kenvue. In an emailed statement on Friday, Kenvue said it had carried out tests on the batch recalled by Nigeria and had not detected either diethylene or ethylene glycol.

“We continue to work closely with health authorities and the WHO and are engaging with NAFDAC to understand their test results, including verifying the authenticity of the sampled product, the testing methodology used, and results reported by the agency,” the statement added.

Since Nigeria’s recall, five other African countries have also pulled the product from shelves — Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa, where the drug was made.

South Africa’s regulator has also recalled another batch of the syrup, which is used to treat coughs, hay fever and other allergic reactions in children.

Diethylene glycol is toxic to humans when consumed and can result in acute kidney failure, although there have been no reports of harm in the latest incident.

RAW MATERIALS

In the 2022 cases, the contamination in the syrups came from the raw materials used by manufacturers in India and Indonesia.

The WHO said it was collaborating with both the manufacturer and regulatory authority in South Africa to investigate the Benylin paediatric syrup, and had information on the source of the ingredients used. Kenvue has previously said it tested its ingredients before manufacture.

The agency said the possibility that the syrup was counterfeit was also “under consideration as part of investigations.”

Earlier this week the WHO sent out a separate alert on five batches of contaminated cough syrup ingredients found in Pakistan that appeared to have been falsely labelled as Dow Chemical products.

It was the first alert the WHO has sent on excipients — elements of a medicine other than the active pharmaceutical ingredient — rather than finished products, the agency confirmed on Friday.

The batches of propylene glycol were contaminated with ethylene glycol.

“It was critical for WHO to also alert manufacturers that may have been procuring this material to exercise more caution,” a WHO spokesperson said by email.

Propylene glycol is not an ingredient in Benylin paediatric syrup, a Kenvue spokesperson said on Friday.

Topics: WHO

Death toll from heavy rains in northwest Pakistan rises to 39

Updated 19 April 2024
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Death toll from heavy rains in northwest Pakistan rises to 39

  • The rains that began last Friday have damaged 2,391 houses across the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
  • In southwestern Balochistan province, heavy rains have killed 15 people, triggered flash floods in several areas
Updated 19 April 2024
REHMAT MEHSUD SAADULLAH AKHTER

PESHAWAR/QUETTA: The death toll from continuing rains in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has risen to 39, while another 54 people have been injured in various incidents, the KP Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Friday.

The rains that began last Friday have caused damages to 2,391 houses in several districts across the province, according to the PDMA.

Khyber, Dir Lower and Upper, Chitral Upper and Lower, Swat, Shangla, Bajaur, Malakand, Karak and Tank districts have been declared the most affected by the downpours.

“As many as 23 children, eight men and eight women are among those died in rain related incidents during the last eight days,” the PDMA said in a statement on Friday.

The current spell of showers, which began on April 17, was likely to continue till April 21, the PDMA said this week.

The provincial government has released Rs110 million to be distributed among the affected families and dispatched aid, including tents, kitchen kits, blankets, hygiene kits, mosquito nets and mattresses, to the affected areas, according to the authority.

As the rains were expected to continue intermittently until April 21, the PDMA said it had already a letter to administration of all districts to remain alert and take precautionary measures.

In the southwestern Balochistan province, heavy rains have killed 15 people since Friday and triggered flash floods in several areas, according to provincial authorities.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti said climate change had become a “challenge” for the provincial government.

“Current rains are unusual which were never reported in a thousand years,” he told reporters on Friday. “The government has been helping the masses with available resources and our teams have reached all districts to help the people affected by rains and floods.”

Pakistan has received heavy rains in the last three weeks that have triggered landslides and flash floods in several parts of the South Asian country.

The eastern province of Punjab has reported 21 lighting- and roof collapse-related deaths, while Balochistan, in the country’s southwest, reported 10 deaths as authorities declared a state of emergency following flash floods.

In 2022, downpours swelled rivers and at one point flooded a third of Pakistan, killing 1,739 people. The floods also caused $30 billion in damages, from which Pakistan is still trying to rebuild.

Topics: rain

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