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Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi relishing Lord's 'dream' with Middlesex

Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi bowls during play against England in Manchester on August 8, 2020. (AFP)
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Updated 27 April 2022
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Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi relishing Lord's 'dream' with Middlesex

  • The Pakistani paceman took 6-35 against Bangladesh at the game's spiritual home in 2019 World Cup
  • Afridi has already taken 95 wickets in 24 Tests at an average of 25, making him a rising star of cricket
Updated 27 April 2022
AFP

LONDON: Pakistan paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi says he will be living a dream when he makes his Middlesex home debut at Lord's on Thursday.

The towering left-arm quick has signed to play for the English county club, based at the London ground -- the game's spiritual home.

"It's every cricketer's dream to come here and play at the home of cricket," Afridi told reporters at Lord's on Wednesday ahead of Middlesex's match against Leicestershire.

Afridi has already starred at the ground, taking 6-35 against Bangladesh during a 50-over 2019 World Cup match.

"Now I want to take 10 (wickets in an innings)," he said with a smile.

"When you play for your country, you always feel proud and that came against Bangladesh so it was a good game for me as well.

"As a youngster, you're playing in a World Cup game and you take six wickets so yes, it's a big high for me and one of the best memories for me."

Afridi, one of the rising stars of world cricket, with 95 wickets in 24 Tests at an average of 25, is set to play his maiden first-class match at Lord's, having made his Middlesex debut away to Glamorgan last week.

Middlesex, who play in the second division of the County Championship, won that match by an innings and 82 runs, with 22-year-old Afridi taking four wickets.

"The first game, everywhere you go, is crucial," said the paceman, who twice dismissed Australian Test star Marnus Labuschagne in the match -- after taking his wicket three times in the recent Test series between Australia and Pakistan.

Afridi's captain at Middlesex is another Australia batsman in Peter Handscomb.

"It's nice being on this side, definitely," said Handscomb, 31, who last played Test cricket in 2019.

"Not so nice in the nets, but out in the middle it's nice having him on your team.

"That first game, the energy he had running in, the pace on the ball.

"He always wanted another over, so that energy is great to see from someone just coming in. The boys loved him, loved everything that he brought.

"I hope that's a good sign to come for the next few games."

Afridi is getting acclimatized to English conditions in more ways than one.

"Last week I felt cold, but it's really good for me here. I spent time with my cousin and friends and my team-mates as well in the first game and we really enjoyed that time."

Afridi's time in England will take him around the country but there is one location that counts above any other, as far as he is concerned.

"Lord's is the one ground I like. Everything comes second after Lord's."

Topics: shaheen afridi Shaheen Shah Afridi

Police charge Pakistan couple with murder of child maid

Updated 6 sec ago
AFP
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Police charge Pakistan couple with murder of child maid

  • Iqra, 13, was taken to hospital in city of Rawalpindi on Tuesday in a critical condition and later died of severe injuries.
  • Rashid Shafiq and his wife Sana were charged with murder, remanded in custody for four days to allow for investigation
Updated 6 sec ago
AFP

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani couple appeared in court on Thursday accused of murdering a child maid, who police said they beat with a rolling pin for allegedly stealing chocolate.
Thirteen-year-old Iqra, who had only one name, was taken to hospital in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on Tuesday in a critical condition and later died of severe injuries.
A spokesman for Rawalpindi police said Rashid Shafiq and his wife Sana, who also goes by one name, were charged with murder and remanded in custody for four days to allow for an investigation.
“Initially it was ascertained that the lady used a rolling pin for torture,” spokesman Sajjad ul Hassan told AFP.
“The victim had multiple fractures; legs, ankle, arms, head. All this happened due to a missing chocolate,” he said.
Child labor in domestic work remains widespread in Pakistan, according to an International Labour Organization report from 2022, with one in every four households employing a child in domestic work, predominantly girls aged 10-14.
It is illegal to employ individuals under the age of 15 but it remains a common practice, with impoverished parents often sending their young daughters to work.
Iqra’s father Sana Ullah, who lives in a rural Punjab village, told AFP that his daughter had been working with the couple for the past 22 months, during which they paid him 8,000 rupees (around $28) a month.
“The beasts tortured my daughter in a way that no human could ever do,” he told AFP.
“I demand justice for this brutality.”
Domestic workers frequently face exploitation, violence and sexual abuse, with Pakistan’s patriarchal and rigid social-class structure leaving them without a voice.
In the past, parents frequently forgave the accused through out-of-court settlements under Islamic law, which allows the victim’s heirs to either seek retribution or accept compensation in the form of blood money.
Prosecutions for housemaid abuse are rare despite media attention on high-profile cases, with perpetrators facing few or no consequences.
In 2020, a couple in the same city was arrested for allegedly murdering their seven-year-old maid, who was blamed for letting a pet bird escape.

Topics: domestic worker Child abuse

‘Block that noise,’ ex-captain Sarfaraz advises Pakistan to hold nerves during India clash 

Updated 17 min 39 sec ago
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‘Block that noise,’ ex-captain Sarfaraz advises Pakistan to hold nerves during India clash 

  • Pakistan face India on Feb. 23 in Dubai for Champions Trophy 2025 Group A clash 
  • Under Sarfaraz Ahmed’s leadership in 2017, Pakistan beat India to win Champions Trophy
Updated 17 min 39 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan cricket captain Sarfaraz Ahmed advised the green shirts to head into their highly anticipated Champions Trophy clash against India by keeping their nerves in check and avoiding the added pressure, the International Cricket Council (ICC) reported on Thursday. 

India and Pakistan will take the field against each other in Dubai on Feb. 23 for their Champions Trophy Group A clash. One of the fiercest rivalries in sport, cricket matches between the two countries draw thousands to stadiums across the world, and millions to TV sets. 

Pakistan will begin their title defense against New Zealand on Feb. 19 in Karachi. Under Ahmed’s leadership in 2017, Pakistan beat India to lift the Champions Trophy that year in a one-sided clash. 

“Whenever we meet, it is a special occasion and there is so much hype and pressure around it,” Ahmed wrote in a column for the ICC.

“But as players, you need to stay calm, try and block that noise out, and just play with the same intensity as you would play Australia or any other team.”

Ahmed said Pakistan have a strong team and a really good chance of successfully defending the trophy. 

“Some of the boys from 2017 are still there and we’re talking about some of the best – especially Babar Azam,” he said, referring to Pakistan’s most prolific ODI batter. 

Ahmed noted that Azam was more mature and formidable than he was in 2017. 

“His batting will be so important for Pakistan and so will Fakhar Zaman’s,” he said, referring to Pakistan’s left-handed aggressive opening batter. 

He said left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf are both “brilliant bowlers.”

“The captain, Mohammad Rizwan, is also a wicketkeeper-batter, which worked pretty well for me back in 2017!” he said. 

The green shirts will face New Zealand in the final of an ongoing tri-nation series involving South Africa on Friday in Karachi. 

The tri-nation series is a warm-up before the Champions Trophy kicks off next week. 

Topics: sarfaraz ahmed Pakistan cricket Champions Trophy 2025

Opposition party writes to IMF on ‘electoral rigging’ as mission in Pakistan to assess governance

Updated 13 February 2025
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Opposition party writes to IMF on ‘electoral rigging’ as mission in Pakistan to assess governance

  • PTI’s Omar Ayub highlights the importance of transparency for economic and political stability in the note
  • He expresses hope that rule of law and democratic integrity will be a priority in IMF’s dealings with Pakistan
Updated 13 February 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party wrote to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday, urging it to take note of alleged election rigging and the manipulation of the democratic system in Pakistan.
The letter, penned by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, comes as a three-member IMF mission visits Pakistan for a Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) under the country’s $7 billion loan program.
The assessment, running until Feb. 14, aims to evaluate vulnerabilities in six key state functions, including fiscal governance, central bank operations, financial sector oversight, market regulation, rule of law and anti-money laundering efforts.
PTI has consistently complained of widespread irregularities in last year’s national elections, claiming they were used to deprive the party of its mandate. It has also protested a systematic crackdown on its leaders and supporters, arguing that a recent constitutional amendment has weakened the judicial system, leaving them without legal recourse.
“I write to you at a crucial juncture when the IMF mission is assessing Pakistan’s economic and governance framework, with transparency and the rule of law being fundamental concerns,” Ayub said in the letter addressed to IMF country head Mahir Binici.
“In this context, enclosed is a dossier that has been submitted to the Honorable Chief Justice of Pakistan, detailing undeniable evidence of widespread electoral rigging in the 2024 General Elections,” he continued.
Ayub emphasized the importance of transparency for economic and political stability, asserting that his party’s concerns should be brought to the attention of international institutions monitoring governance in Pakistan.
“We trust that upholding the rule of law and democratic integrity will remain a priority in all engagements concerning Pakistan’s future,” he added, offering Binici the opportunity to meet PTI leaders for further details.
Ayub’s letter follows an unprecedented meeting between the IMF team and Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi on Feb. 11, where they discussed judicial reforms, accountability and the recent controversial restructuring of a commission responsible for recommending judges to Pakistan’s superior courts.
This is not the first time PTI has reached out to the IMF with grievances following its removal from power in April 2022 through a no-confidence vote.
Last year, Imran Khan himself wrote to the global lender, urging it to carefully review the election results before approving new financial assistance for Islamabad. Despite PTI’s concerns, Pakistan secured a $7 billion loan from the IMF in September 2024.
In 2022, an audio leak featuring PTI’s former finance minister Shaukat Tarin also surfaced, in which he advised a provincial PTI leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to inform the IMF that Pakistan’s government would not be able to fulfill its loan repayment commitments.
The party came under severe criticism, with its rivals accusing it of working against the economic interests of Pakistan.

Topics: Omar Ayub Ex-PM Imran Khan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf

Pakistan hopeful Champions Trophy will bring more big events

Updated 13 February 2025
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Pakistan hopeful Champions Trophy will bring more big events

  • Top teams shunned Pakistan after 2009 attack on bus carrying Sri Lankan cricket players in Lahore 
  • Pakistan last hosted ICC event in 1996 when that year’s 50-over-World Cup was played in sub continent 
Updated 13 February 2025
AFP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will host a first major multi-country cricket tournament in nearly three decades next week and its cricket chief is hopeful that a successful Champions Trophy will bring a flood of other such events.
Top teams shunned Pakistan after the 2009 attack on a bus carrying Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, forcing them to relocate home matches, mostly to the United Arab Emirates.
It took the Pakistan Cricket Board years to convince foreign counterparts that it was safe to visit. Touring sides began returning after the board successfully staged its own T20 league, with several foreign players, on home soil in 2017.
“The ICC (International Cricket Council) Champions Trophy 2025 is a culmination of those efforts,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told Reuters.
“Our successful hosting of this event will further enhance Pakistan’s credentials, positioning us as a strong contender for more ICC events in the next events cycle.”
Pakistan staged the 1996 World Cup after winning the previous edition of cricket’s marquee event but the country’s fortunes crumbled with the rise of militancy following war in neighboring Afghanistan.

’SECURE AND WELL-MANAGED’
“Security has long ceased to be a concern for visiting teams as we have consistently demonstrated our ability to provide a safe, secure and well-managed environment for international cricket,” said Naqvi, who also doubles as the country’s internal security chief.
“Once we successfully staged home international series and consistently delivered PSL (Pakistan Super League) editions at world-class standards, the ICC accepted and recognized Pakistan’s readiness to host a global event,” he said.
“Since 2019, all major Test-playing nations — except India — have toured Pakistan, some multiple times.”
Naqvi said multiple visits by England and New Zealand and the growing number of international players in the PSL were an endorsement. “As a result, they are already familiar with Pakistan’s world-class playing conditions, operational efficiency and robust security measures.”
But he acknowledged that staging a multi-team event was tougher than hosting a single team.
“The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 has been a monumental task, requiring extensive preparations in a limited timeframe. Our stadiums last underwent significant renovations for the 1996 World Cup, and since then, the global cricketing landscape has evolved tremendously.”
The PCB has upgraded two main grounds in Karachi and Lahore for the event in an 11th-hour facelift.

Topics: Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan, Türkiye sign 24 agreements during Erdoğan visit, eye $5 billion trade

Updated 13 February 2025
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Pakistan, Türkiye sign 24 agreements during Erdoğan visit, eye $5 billion trade

  • Turkish president arrived in Pakistan early on Thursday morning to co-chair 7th session of Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council 
  • Pakistan, facing militancy spike, has deployed additional police officers and paramilitary forces to ensure security of Turkish leader and his delegation
Updated 13 February 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Türkiye on Thursday signed 24 agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) during a visit to Islamabad by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to discuss how to boost trade and economic ties between the two nations.

The Turkish president arrived in Pakistan early on Thursday morning to co-chair the 7th session of the Pakistan-Türkiye High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council (HLSCC), a forum established in 2009 to enhance bilateral collaboration. The council oversees joint standing committees covering key sectors such as trade, investment, banking, finance, culture, tourism, energy, defense and agriculture. Since its inception, six sessions of the HLSCC have taken place, with the last one held in Islamabad in 2020.

“In the seventh session of our [strategic] council [meeting], which we have just concluded, we have agreed to further strengthen our relations,” the Turkish president said after witnessing the signing of multiple agreements with Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif. 

President of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, sign joint declaration of 7th meeting of Turkiye-Pakistan High Level Strategic Cooperation Council on February 13, 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (PMO)

“Within the framework of this visit, we have signed a total of 24 agreements and MoUs in the fields of trade, water resources, agriculture, energy, culture, family and social services along with science, banking, education, defense and health.”

“We have reached an agreement with Prime Minister Sharif to reach a goal of $5 billion trade volume between Türkiye and Pakistan,” Erdoğan added. “To this end, we are expanding our current goods trade agreement in the first stage.”

Among the MoUs are four on defense, two MoUs and a protocol in the power, energy and mining sectors, three MoUs in promoting cooperation in the trade and industrial field, two agreements in water and seed production, two MoUs in scientific education and training, two MoUs in banking, one MoU on promoting bilateral cooperation in religious services and education, one MoU in Halal food, one MoU in media and public relations, one MoU in the legal sector, one MoU in health and pharmaceuticals, one MoU to promote cooperation in the aerospace industry and two agreements in the fields of cultural cooperation and co-production.

The two countries also exchanged two MoUs signed by the Pakistan-Turkiye Business Forum to enhance bilateral cooperation.

President of Turkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif witness exchange of MoUs and Agreements signed between Turkiye and Pakistan with regard to cooperation in different fields on February 13, 2025 in Islamabad, Pakistan. (PMO)

Erdogan said he had also held extensive discussions with the Pakistani prime minister on bilateral, regional and global issues.

The Turkish leader addressed the Pakistan-Türkiye Business and Investment Forum, speaking to leading investors, companies and business leaders from both nations. He urged them to strengthen cooperation in key economic sectors. 

Pakistan, which has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent months, has deployed additional police officers and paramilitary forces to ensure the security of the Turkish leader and his delegation.

The visit began hours after the US Embassy issued a travel advisory, citing a threat by Pakistani Taliban against the iconic Faisal mosque in Islamabad and asked its citizens to avoid visits to the mosque and nearby areas until further notice.

Topics: Pakistan Turkey Ties

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