MELBOURNE: Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon put Australia in the driving seat of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday to leave Pakistan tottering at 194-6, still 124 runs behind on day two.
At stumps, Mohammad Rizwan was on 29 and Aamer Jamal not out two after Cummins took the crucial wickets of Abdullah Shafique (62) and Babar Azam (one), then Agha Salman (five).
Lyon chipped in by removing Imam-ul-Haq (10) and Shan Masood (54), while Josh Hazlewood bowled Saud Shakeel for nine as Pakistan’s dream of a first Test win in Australia since 1995 faded.
The visitors had claimed seven wickets in the morning session on a pitch offering seam and swing, restricting the hosts to 318.
Aamer Jamal spearheaded Pakistan’s charge with 3-64 after Australia resumed on 187-3 after being sent into bat, with Marnus Labuschagne top-scoring on 63.
Openers Haq and Shafique made a positive start in reply, surviving a series of loud appeals.
But veteran spinner Lyon, fresh from taking his 500th wicket during the first Test in Perth, finally earned a reward when Haq edged to Labuschagne at slip.
Undeterred, Pakistan upped the run rate after tea with Masood hitting Lyon for six and Shafique reaching his first Test 50 in Australia, and fifth overall, with a four off Mitchell Starc.
But their 90-run partnership was broken by Cummins, who showed sharp reflexes to stick out his left hand for a catch off his own bowling to end Shafique’s stay.
Fired up, he then clean bowled danger man Azam before Lyon returned to claim his second wicket when Masood miscued and Mitchell Marsh did well to hold a catch with the sun in his eyes.
Hazlewood took care of Shakeel before Cummins brought himself back and accounted for Salman, caught by wicketkeeper Alex Carey to leave Pakistan in trouble.
Labuschagne had been a rock on day one, digging in for an overnight 44 off 120 balls.
He padded up again alongside Travis Head on nine with the sun shining, smacking a boundary off Shaheen Shah Afridi in the opening over to signal Australia’s intent.
The explosive Head drove Hasan Ali to the ropes off his first ball and followed it up with another in the same over to quickly get in the groove.
But his flair cost him on 17, lashing at a wide Afridi delivery that took a thick edge and was well collected by Salman in the slips.
At the other end, Labuschagne kept plugging away to bring up his 17th Test half-century.
Marsh was given out twice in successive balls during a fiery Ali over while on seven by West Indian umpire Joel Wilson. He reviewed both decisions — for lbw and caught behind — and survived.
But just as the match appeared to be slipping away from Pakistan, Jamal bagged the wicket of Labuschagne, who edged to Shafique at slip.
Carey and Starc quickly followed as Pakistan cashed in with a new ball, before Marsh holed out to Jamal off Mir Hamza on 41 and the tail folded.
Australia won the first Test of the three-match series in Perth by 360 runs.
Australia take control of second Test as Pakistan flounder
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Australia take control of second Test as Pakistan flounder
- Pakistan claimed seven wickets in the morning session on a pitch offering swing, restricting Australia to 318
- Pakistan were tottering at 194 for 6 at stumps after losing the crucial wickets of Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam
Pakistan forms inquiry committee to probe mob attacks in Kyrgyzstan, says over 4,000 students evacuated
- Ishaq Dar says the inquiry committee will coordinate with the Kyrgyz authorities and submit report in two weeks
- Deputy PM says he asked his Kyrgyz counterpart to legalize 1,100 Pakistani workers being pursued for deportation
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday constituted an inquiry committee to establish what led to the mob attacks on its students in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, said the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, as over 4,000 Pakistani nationals were brought back from the Central Asian state.
Dar visited Bishkek on Tuesday to address the concerns of young students from his country enrolled in various educational institutions who witnessed the mob violence last week.
According to some media reports, the situation went out of hand in Bishkek last Friday after videos of a brawl between Kyrgyz and Egyptian students went viral on social media, prompting groups of local residents to target university hostels and private lodgings of international students, including those from Pakistan.
Official figures shared by the Pakistan embassy in Kyrgyzstan reveal nearly 10,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in the Central Asian country, with about 6,000 in Bishkek. The frenzied violence forced them to confine themselves for several hours in their rooms without food and drinking water, prompting many of them to make evacuation requests online.
“The additional secretary administration of the foreign ministry, Muhammad Saleem, will head a fact-finding committee to look into the incident, including the reason for such developments and subsequent reaction of the Pakistani mission and the government,” Dar told the media in a news briefing.
He said the committee would coordinate with the Kyrgyz authorities to review all the findings and developments in Bishkek and submit its report within two weeks.
The deputy prime minister informed a total of 4,036 students had returned from Bishkek by last night.
“To date, 3,233 students have returned on commercial flights, while 513 have benefitted from special flights arranged by the federal government,” he added. “The special flights arranged by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have also brought back 290 students.”
Dar said during his meeting with the Kyrgyz deputy PM, he inquired about the fate of the perpetrators of the violence and was told that the administration in Bishkek had zero tolerance in such matters.
“My counterpart told me that the Kyrgyz President had publicly announced that action would be taken [against those involved in the mob violence],” he added. “Many people have already been arrested by law enforcement agencies.”
Asked about the future of the returning students, he informed he had called for a meeting of the all stakeholders on Friday to look into the possibility of accommodating them in the Pakistani medical institutions.
Dar said he also found out that nearly 1,100 workers from Pakistan residing in Kyrgyzstan were being pursued for deportation by the government due to their illegal stay.
“I requested the Kyrgyz deputy prime minister to legalize them instead of deporting them and he agreed by saying that he would seek approval from the National Security Committee and Ministry of Immigration to make that possible,” he continued.
Dar said he had instructed the foreign secretary and the country’s diplomatic mission in Bishkek to pursue the issue until its implementation.
“This will benefit around 1,100 families in Pakistan,” he added.
Brokers say Pakistani investors reap 80% returns as stock market soars to historic levels
- Benchmark KSE100 index surged by over 85 percent within a year, constituting its best performance in over two decades
- Analysts say small investors should take long-term view of the situation to make about 30 percent annualized returns
KARACHI: With Pakistan’s stock market trading at historic levels, its robust performance has benefitted small investors who have earned approximately 80 percent returns on their investments, according to investors and brokers on Wednesday.
The country’s equity market has experienced an unprecedented surge, setting new records at a remarkable pace since June last year, after Pakistan secured a $3 billion short-term bailout program from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Within a span of a year, the benchmark KSE100 index has soared by over 85 percent, marking its swiftest recovery witnessed in over two decades. Last week, it breached 75,000 points for the first time in history.
According to stock analysts and brokers, the historic performance of the country’s bourse has been a blessing for people trading in the market, especially small investors.
“They [the small investors] are very happy,” Shahid Ali Habib, CEO of Arif Habib Limited, a Karachi-based brokerage firm, told Arab New. “I think if you ask any small investor today definitely, they are happy because the market has given them 78-79 percent of returns in the last 9-10 months.”
Pakistan was brought back from the brink of sovereign debt default last June, though the IMF loan provided a new lifeline to the country and revitalized the equity market.
Habib said many retail or small investors who had been put their money in fixed income could not benefit from the recent market performance and had only made 20-22 percent returns.
Despite giving 78-79 percent performance, the stock market still remains attractive in terms of price earning multiple and price to book since the profitability of companies has grown substantially.
“In 2019, our total profitability of all the listed companies was around Rs600-700 billion, but today it is Rs1.4 trillion,” he continued. “So, we have seen a lot of growth in the profitability of the companies, and this is the reason that the price earning multiple is coming down.”
Muhammad Tariq, a broker and investor, agreed the current market performance had made investors happy, but he pointed out not every share has performed well.
“Small investors are happy to some extent, but it’s not the case that every scrip within the 75,000 index has moved,” he said.
Tariq hoped the shares which did not perform well in the past would do better in the coming days to make everyone benefit.
“Some scrips are still stagnant and in the coming days, they too will perform well, because as there is a saying that when it rains, every place gets some drops,” he added.
Abdul Rauf, an investor, said those who were dealing in ready delivery of shares had earned very well and even recovered their losses.
“Small or big investors who dealt in ready deliveries of shares 10-15 days they earned very well, enough to cover their previous losses,” Rauf told Arab news.
However, at historic high levels, Abdul Rauf advised other investors to remain cautious due to high volatility linked with upcoming fiscal budget.
“You should keep your capital flexible so that after June, when the results [of budget] are out, you can start new buying,” he said, adding: “Since the 75,000 mark has been crossed for the first time in Pakistan’s history, a bit of caution is advisable.”
Pakistani analysts said the stock market’s continued performance would be contingent on the outcome of talks between Pakistan and the IMF along with economic improvement including easing of the inflationary pressure.
“The flurry of activity in Pakistan’s stock market reflects a surge of enthusiasm and optimism among investors,” Topline Security said in its report las week. “The index could reach 87,000 by December 2024 and 106,000 by June 2025.”
Amid high trading at higher level, analysts advised small investors to take a long-term investment view to make decent returns on equity investment instead of other asset classes.
“I think for a small- to medium-term investor, if they take a year to two-year view in making investment in the equity market, then definitely they can make decent returns compared to other asset classes,” Habib said, adding the investors could get 25-30 percent of annualized return if they took a long-term view of the situation.
Pro-Palestine protesters in Islamabad persist despite deadly car incident, urge stronger action against Israel
- Protesters have encamped at Islamabad’s D-Chowk for several days to raise awareness about the Gaza war
- Earlier this week, a speeding car lost control and ran over a several demonstrators, killing two of them
ISLAMABAD: Pro-Palestine protesters encamped in Islamabad vowed to stand their ground on Tuesday, as they condemned an incident involving a speeding vehicle that killed two people and injured four others at the site of their demonstration.
These protesters have set up their camps at D-Chowk in the Pakistani capital for the past several days. On Monday, a speeding car lost control and ran over a few demonstrators, killing two of them.
The driver of the car sped away but was later arrested by the police. However, the protesters said the incident did not dampen their spirits and they would continue to urge the government to do more about Israeli military actions in Palestine.
“I condemn it [incident] in the strongest possible terms,” said Tahira Abdullah, a human rights activist. “For the youth, all I have to say is, don’t be afraid. Come out in large numbers. The Government of Pakistan and the State of Pakistan does not listen to people who come out in small numbers.”
The war broke out in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 in response to the deteriorating condition of Palestinian people living under occupation. Israel suffered the deaths of more than 1,100 people, launching a retaliatory offensive, widely viewed as disproportionate, in which at least 35,456 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have lost their lives.
The protesters said the Palestine issue was close to their hearts and they would continue to raise their voice about it.
“Apart from my university and my professional degree, this is the most important thing,” Asad Ullah, a student, told Arab News.
“That [education and job] can happen any time, but the most important thing for me right now is making people aware about what is happening in Gaza and Palestine, what is happening to Palestinians.”
Rabail Shahid, another student, criticized the government for failing to provide security to the protesters in Islamabad.
“This incident happened here, I cannot even imagine, and [that too] in the Red Zone, in this Red Zone, which is a highly, strictly secured area,” she said.
Majority of the protesters said they wanted the government to take “immediate and effective steps” for the people of Gaza.
Some of them suggested the government must demarch the envoys of the countries supporting Israel and pursue the genocide case against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration at the International Court of Justice.
“We feel that the State of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan should do far more than it has been doing till now,” said lawyer Humaira Masihuddin.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and supports an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.
In recent months, the South Asian country has repeatedly raised the issue of Israel’s war in Gaza at the United Nations through its permanent representative, Ambassador Munir Akram.
Pakistan to face England in opening T20I clash at Headingley ahead of World Cup
- Skipper Babar Azam expresses confidence Pakistan will carry the winning momentum from the Ireland series
- England dominate the T20I rivalry with 19 wins to Pakistan’s nine triumphs, with one game ended as a no-result
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan men’s cricket team will take on England in the first of the four-match T20I series at Headingley today, Wednesday, in what is expected to be an exciting match ahead of next month’s World Cup.
The last T20I meeting between Pakistan and England took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. England edged past Pakistan by five wickets in the close encounter with Sam Curran earning the Player of the Final award for his figures of three for 12.
A full-strength Pakistan cricket team is expected to take the field at Headingley on Wednesday at the back of a 2-1 series win against Ireland in Dublin last week. Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi snapped up the Player of the Match awards in the two victories.
Pakistan men’s white-ball head coach Gary Kirsten also joined the side on 19 May for the first assignment of his two-year tenure.
“I am confident that Pakistan will carry the winning momentum from the Ireland series into the England T20Is. Our 2-1 victory in Dublin showcased the brilliance of our batters and bowlers, while also providing us with learnings as we aim to work on our areas of improvement,” said Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, the most successful captain in T20Is with 46 wins.
“We’ve had productive training sessions at Headingley and with head coach Gary Kirsten linking up with the squad, we are focused on fine-tuning our strategies and combinations for the four T20Is against England and T20 World Cup,” he added.
England dominate the T20I rivalry with 19 wins to Pakistan’s nine triumphs, while one game ended as a no-result. England were the winners of the previous bilateral series against Pakistan, clinching the seven T20Is played in Lahore and Karachi 4-3.
Series schedule:
22 May – v England, 1st T20I, Leeds
25 May – v England, 2nd T20I, Birmingham
28 May – v England 3rd T20I, Cardiff
30 May – v England, 4th T20I, The Oval
PM Sharif departs for Iran to offer condolences after fatal helicopter crash involving President Raisi
- The incident occurred when the Iranian president was flying to Tabriz amid dense fog causing poor visibility
- The Pakistani prime minister will meet the Iranian supreme leader, acting president to offer his condolences
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to travel to Iran today, Wednesday, to offer his condolences after President Dr. Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian lost their lives in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan Province on May 19.
The incident occurred after the Iranian president attended the inauguration of a joint hydropower project on the Aras River, which forms part of the border with Azerbaijan, in a ceremony with his counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
His helicopter crashed while he was on his way back to Tabriz with a seven-member entourage amid dense fog, causing poor visibility.
The Pakistani prime minister paid tribute to the Iranian president and foreign minister during the recent cabinet meeting. The Iranian officials arrived in Islamabad and visited other Pakistani cities last month and vowed to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will visit the Islamic Republic of Iran today to offer condolences at the sad demise of President Dr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian,” the foreign office announced in a statement.
“The Prime Minister will call on the Supreme Leader, His Eminence, Ayatollah Imam Khamenei, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and meet Acting President of Iran, Dr. Mohammad Mokhber, to convey condolences on behalf of the people and Government of Pakistan,” it added.
Sharif will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and other senior cabinet ministers.
According to media outlets, Raisi’s funeral will be held on Thursday.
Tens of thousands of Iranians in Tabriz on Tuesday mourned their president and other Iranian officials who died in the crash, walking behind the vehicle carrying their coffins.
