ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s opening batter Ibrahim Zadran, who won the Player of the Match award for scoring 87 runs against Pakistan, said on Monday he wanted to dedicate his swashbuckling innings to Afghan nationals who have been asked by the Pakistani authorities to leave in recent weeks due to security reasons.
Zadran made the statement at the post-match ceremony after his team stunned Pakistan with an eight-wicket victory at the ICC World Cup 2023, making it even more difficult for the Green Shirts to get into the semifinals of the tournament.
This was Afghanistan’s first-ever one-day victory over Pakistan as they chased down a 283-run target with an over to spare.
“I wanted to go out there with a positive mind and positive intent and I did it,” Zadran said in his brief interview while also paying tribute to fellow opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz while pointing out they had been “playing together since the under-16 days.”
“I am feeling very glad for myself, for my country,” he added. “And I will say I want to dedicate this man of the match [award] to those people who have been sent back from Pakistan to Afghanistan.”
Pakistani officials have said in recent weeks that they want to address the issue of illegal immigrants, mostly Afghan nationals, and enhance border security amid an escalation in militant attacks in different parts of the country.
Caretaker Interior minister Sarfaraz Bugti said earlier this month that Afghan nationals were involved in 14 out of 24 suicide bombings since January while explaining the rationale behind the government’s decision to warn all illegal immigrants to leave the country by November 1 or face forcible expulsion.
Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott also said on Monday the “sky’s the limit” for his team after it handed a crushing defeat to Pakistan.
“I think the two opening batters that we have are very, very exceptionally talented young players and the sky’s the limit for both of them,” the former England batsman Trott noted.
“They’re different types of players and my message to them is just keep growing your own game and play your own way,” he added.
Ibrahim Zadran dedicates Player of the Match award to Afghans facing expulsion from Pakistan
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Ibrahim Zadran dedicates Player of the Match award to Afghans facing expulsion from Pakistan
- Zadran’s 87-run knock helped Afghanistan stun Pakistan with an eight-wicket victory at the ICC World Cup
- Pakistan has asked ‘illegal immigrants,’ mostly Afghans, to leave in recent weeks amid rising militant attacks
Pakistan receives $1.2 billion from IMF under EFF, RSF loan programs— central bank
- IMF Executive Board approved Pakistan’s second review under EFF, first review under RSF loan programs this week
- Disbursements from IMF have been crucial for cash-strapped Pakistan as it tries to recover from economic crisis
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central bank announced on Thursday that it has received $1.2 billion under the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) External Fund Facility and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) loan programs.
The IMF approved a $7 billion bailout package for Pakistan under its EFF program in September 2024 while in May 2025, it approved a separate $1.4 billion loan to Pakistan under its climate resilience fund. The RSF will support Pakistan’s efforts in building economic resilience to climate vulnerabilities and natural disasters.
The global lender approved Pakistan’s second review under its $7 billion EFF program and first review under the RSF loan on Tuesday. As per the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), the central bank received a combined sum of $1.2 billion under the EFF and RSF on Dec. 10.
“The amount would be reflected in SBP’s foreign exchange reserves for the week ending on Dec. 12, 2025,” the SBP said in a statement.
IMF bailouts have been crucial for cash-strapped Pakistan, which has been struggling with a prolonged economic crisis that has exhausted its financial reserves and weakened its currency. Pakistan came to the brink of a sovereign default in 2023 before a last-gasp IMF bailout package helped it avert the crisis.
Pakistan has had to take tough decisions to comply with the IMF’s loan requirements, which include scrapping subsidies from food and fuel items to trigger inflation. Since then, Pakistan has attempted to regain stability by sharply reducing inflation and recording a current account surplus.
The disbursement, however, comes at an important time for the South Asian country as it mitigates losses from a deadly monsoon season that killed over 1,000 people since late June and caused at least $2.9 billion in damages to agriculture and infrastructure.
