Kane Williamson made an unbeaten 94 and shared a 120-run partnership with Ross Taylor which lifted New Zealand into a strong position at stumps Saturday on the first day of the first cricket test against Pakistan.
Taylor made 70 and Williamson added a further 89 with Henry Nicholls who was 42 not out at stumps when New Zealand was 222-3.
Williamson came to the crease when only three balls had been bowled and remained for the next 86.3 overs, reshaping the New Zealand innings and changing the course of the first day.
Pakistan had been on top after winning the toss, bowling on a green pitch and after Shaheen Afridi removed New Zealand openers Tom Latham for 4 and Tom Blundell for 5 with only 13 runs on the board.
New Zealand faced its first real crisis of the domestic summer. In two tests against the West Indies it lost the toss and made scores of 519-7 and 460 to set up innings victories and a 2-0 series sweep.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s more disciplined attack made much better use of the toss and conditions than the West Indies. Shaheen brought pace and bounce which generated catches behind the wicket: Latham and Blundell were caught in the slip cordon and Taylor fell to a catch by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Mohammad Abbas brought immense accuracy and perseverance, conceding only 10 runs from his first 11 overs.
Williamson and Taylor were forced to graft for runs early. Taylor’s half century from 127 balls was his 34th in tests but second slowest in terms of balls faced while Williamson’s, from 154 balls, was his 33rd and his second slowest in New Zealand.
By lunch they had lifted New Zealand to 55-2 and they reached their half century partnership from 125 balls.
The pitch mellowed in the second session and, while the Pakistan bowlers maintained good line and length, Taylor and Williamson were able to bat more freely. They posted their 10th century partnership in tests from 249 deliveries, adding to the record of New Zealand’s most prolific test partnership.
Taylor had special cause to celebrate as he was making a record 438th international appearance across all formats, over-taking Daniel Vetorri’s record of 437. He has form a special alliance with Williamson, with whom he has batted more than 150 times in tests and scored more than 3,000 runs.
“At the start of my career I was happy just to play one or two games and to have come this far is nice,” Taylor said.
“Throughout the whole of the summer the pitches have been a little bit green, this one not as green as the other two. In tests you expect it to do a little bit for the first couple of hours and it certainly did that.
“We’re happy to get through pretty unscathed: 222-3 after losing those early wickets we certainly would have taken at the start of the day.”
Even Williamson had his moments. He was dropped at second slip, a hard chance, when he was 18 and again by Haris Sohail when he was 86. But he batted on, unruffled by those moments.
His late partnership with Nicholls gave substance to the New Zealand total and concern to Pakistan. Williamson made a career-best 251 in his most-recent innings in the first test against the West Indies while Nicholls made 174 in the second test.
Shaheen finished the day with 3-55 while Abbas had no wicket for 25 runs from 21 overs, 11 of which were maidens.
New Zealand 222-3 at stumps on 1st day, 1st test vs Pakistan
https://arab.news/r4sc5
New Zealand 222-3 at stumps on 1st day, 1st test vs Pakistan
- Pakistan had a good start after Shaheen Afridi removed New Zealand openers with only 13 runs on the board
- Shaheen finished the day with 3-55 while Abbas had no wicket for 25 runs from 21 overs
Government orders police to ensure ceasefire after nine killed over property dispute in northwest Pakistan
- The deadly and ongoing clashes over property dispute broke out on Wednesday
- Kurram has seen conflicts between tribes and religious groups in the past
PESHAWAR: The provincial administration of Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Friday instructed police to take necessary steps to end ongoing clashes in Kurram district over a property dispute, with nine people killed and dozens injured.
Located along Pakistan’s border with Afghanistan, the area has witnessed deadly conflicts among tribes and religious groups in the past as well as sectarian clashes and militant attacks. A major conflict that began in Kurram in 2007 continued for years before it was ended with the help of a jirga, a traditional assembly of tribal elders.
The current clash over a land dispute broke out on Wednesday and quickly spread to several villages and nearby settlements.
According to an official statement circulated by the KP government, Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur directed the district administration and police to ensure a ceasefire.
“No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands or disturb the peace of the area,” Gandapur was quoted as saying. “The administration and police must ensure the rule of government and law in the area. The parties to the dispute are also urged to resolve the property issue through a jirga according to tribal traditions.”
Syed Mir Hassan Jan, the Medical Superintendent at the District Headquarters Hospital in Kurram, said nine bodies and 58 injured people linked to the clashes had been brought to the hospital in the last three days.
The District Police Officer in Kurram, Nisar Ahmad Khan, said sporadic attacks were still ongoing.
“The conflict intensifies at night,” he said. “Sporadic exchange of fire has been going on between the tribes during the past two days.”
Khan said a large number of police and army personnel had been deployed at various locations to prevent clashes.
“The jirga, district administration, army and police have intervened to control the situation,” he added.
The roads leading to Kurram have also been shut down since the clashes began.
“The entrances and exits were closed so that any third-party intervention could be avoided,” the DPO said.
Security forces kill militant in intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s northwest
- ISPR calls the slain militant a close associate of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a high-value target
- It says he facilitated a suicide bombing that killed seven Pakistani security personnel
ISLAMABAD: Security forces have killed a militant in an intelligence-based operation in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Friday, adding that he facilitated suicide bombings and was involved in target killings.
KP, which borders Afghanistan, has seen a surge in attacks on security forces, government officials and anti-polio vaccination teams in recent weeks. In a major attack in the province’s Bannu district, ten soldiers were killed when militants launched a coordinated attack on a military cantonment on July 15.
Islamabad blames the recent surge in attacks, including the attack on the army cantonment in Bannu, on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a proscribed armed network, which it says operates out of neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegations and says rising violence in Pakistan is a domestic issue for Islamabad.
“Security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in the North Waziristan district on the reported presence of terrorists,” the ISPR said, adding that during the course of the operation, a militant named Razzaq was killed.
The slain militant was a close associate of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a high-value target, and remained involved in numerous militant activities in the area including the target killing of Malik Sher Muhammad, a local leader, earlier this year apart from facilitating a suicide bombing in March that resulted in the killing of seven soldiers.
The ISPR said a “sanitization operation” was being conducted to eliminate any other militant found in the area, adding that the security forces remained determined to eliminate extremist violence from the country.
Pakistan rejects Modi’s accusations Islamabad using ‘terrorism, proxy war’ to stay relevant
- Modi promised to defeat Pakistan’s ‘unholy plans’ against India on the anniversary of Kargil conflict
- Pakistan says India should reflect on its own targeted assassination campaigns in foreign territories
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan criticized the “belligerent remarks” of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday after being accused by him of employing “terrorism” in its eastern neighborhood to advance its strategic interests.
Modi’s comments came at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of a military conflict between the two nuclear-armed rivals in the Himalayan region of Kargil.
Both neighboring states share an uneasy relationship, with India accusing Pakistan of using militant groups as proxies to fight its rule in Kashmir, the Himalayan region both claim in full but rule only in part.
Pakistan has denied New Delhi’s accusations, saying it only provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination, though it has fought two out of three wars with India over Kashmir.
“Pakistan rejects the Indian Prime Minister’s belligerent remarks made in Drass, Ladakh on 26 July 2024,” the foreign office said in a statement.
“Bravado and jingoism undermine regional peace, and are totally counter-productive for resolution of long-standing disputes between Pakistan and India, especially the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir,” it continued.
The foreign office said such statements by Indian leaders could not deflect international attention from New Delhi’s “heavy-handed approach” to suppress the struggle of Kashmiri people.
“Instead of maligning others for terrorism, India should reflect on its own campaign of orchestrating targeted assassinations, subversion and terrorism in foreign territories,” it added.
The statement also highlighted Pakistan’s ability to safeguard its sovereignty, making a reference to the February 2019 downing of an Indian fighter jet in response to an aerial incursion.
It noted that while Pakistan was ready to “counter India’s aggressive actions,” it was committed to promoting peace and stability in the neighborhood.
Earlier, Modi said he wanted to “tell these patrons of terrorism that their unholy plans will never be successful” against his country.
India-Pakistan relations have been largely frozen as the two countries downgraded their diplomatic ties in tit-for-tat moves in August 2019 after New Delhi scrapped Kashmir’s special status and split it into two federally administered territories.
Ties were further strained after a suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy in Kashmir was traced to Pakistan-based militants, prompting India to carry out an airstrike on what it said was a militant base in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, Pakistan said there was credible evidence linking Indian agents to the killing of people on its soil — accusations that India termed “fake.”
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said last month that India would look for a solution to cross-border terrorism, which “cannot be the policy of a good neighbor.”
With input from Reuters
Government forms negotiation committee as Islamabad faces sit-in by religious party over inflation
- Jamaat-e-Islami workers have reached a key intersection in the federal capital to hold their demonstration
- They want the government to address the cost-of-living crisis, remove additional taxes in the federal budget
ISLAMABAD: Protest caravans of a Pakistani religious party entered the federal capital on Friday, planning to stage a sit-in against the rising cost of living and additional taxes imposed in the latest budget presented last month, as the government formed a negotiation committee to engage with its leadership.
The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party, led by Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman, announced the sit-in in Islamabad to forcefully call for a reduction in the power tariff amid soaring inflation and to review Pakistan’s agreements with independent power producers.
The party’s caravans entered the capital from different directions, as the district administration closed the Red Zone — a sensitive neighborhood of the city housing top government offices and the diplomatic enclave — with shipping containers and all other main routes leading to the Parliament House.
“We are ready for negotiations, but don’t disrupt public life,” Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said while addressing the situation in a news conference.
He said the government had formed a three-member committee to talk to the JI leadership, which included him and two senior members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
“The government’s three-member committee will talk to you. Amir Muqam, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and I will negotiate with you,” he continued, naming two other members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
“Whenever you express willingness, we are ready for the negotiations,” he added.
Meanwhile, JI’s spokesperson in Islamabad said the party would continue with its protest.
“Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman will be joining the sit-in at Zero Point shortly,” Aamir Baloch told Arab News, mentioning a major intersection in the city where various key roads and highways connect with each other.
He said thousands of JI workers had already reached the area to stage the sit-in despite the government’s “brutalities.”
“The police have arrested dozens of our peaceful workers from D-Chowk,” he said, referring to another spot in the city located near the parliament building. “The government wants to incite the peaceful protesters through such strong-arm tactics. It will be responsible for any law and order situation if our workers are not released immediately.”
Police in the capital have deployed additional contingents, including its personnel with riot gears, to prevent any untoward incident. The Rawalpindi-Islamabad Express Highway has also been closed with the shipping containers near the Zero Point bridge where the JI protesters have gathered.
Baloch said the party leadership would announce their agenda after reaching Zero Point.
“One thing is for sure,” he continued. “We are here to stay and will definitely stage a sit-in to press the government to meet our legitimate demands regarding inflation and taxes.”
Pakistan Navy commissions advanced warship to enhance region’s maritime security
- PNS Hunain was inducted at a ceremony in Romania that was attended by Pakistan’s naval chief
- The Pakistani vessel is equipped with terminal defense and advanced electronic warfare systems
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy has commissioned its offshore patrol vessel, PNS Hunain, at a ceremony in Romania, the military’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), said on Friday, adding the move will help strengthen regional maritime security in the Indian Ocean.
Pakistan’s Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf attended the commissioning ceremony as chief guest which was also joined by Romanian Chief of Defense Staff General Gheorghita Vlad and other senior officials and dignitaries.
“The induction of the ship will further enhance Pakistan Navy’s maritime security capabilities, presence in distant international waters and operational readiness,” the ISPR quoted the naval chief as saying. “The induction of
PNS Hunain will further strengthen the regional maritime security patrol deployment in the Indian Ocean.”
PNS Hunain is a multi-role, ultra-fast warship equipped with terminal defense and advanced electronic warfare systems, anti-ship and anti-air warfare capabilities, the statement added.
The naval chief also appreciated the professionalism of Damen Shipyard and its management for providing modern technology to Pakistan.
Earlier this month, the Pakistan Navy assumed command of a multinational task force responsible for ensuring maritime security in the southeastern waters of the Middle East by operating in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman and Gulf of Aden.
Combined Task Force 150 (CTF-150) is part of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a 34-nation coalition aimed at promoting security and stability in some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, focusing on counter-terrorism, anti-smuggling and enhancing navigational security.
