England ready for Pakistan’s spin assault in second Test

England's Harry Brook plays a shot during the third day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on October 9, 2024. (AFP/File)
Short Url
Updated 14 October 2024
Follow

England ready for Pakistan’s spin assault in second Test

  • Desperate to level the three-match series after an innings and 47-run defeat on Friday, Pakistan named three spinners in four changes
  • England left out seamers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes to bring in Matthew Potts and Stokes, but retained Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir

MULTAN: Returning England captain Ben Stokes said on Monday he hopes a reused pitch for the second Test against Pakistan in Multan will play into the tourists’ hands rather than the spin-heavy hosts.
Desperate to level the three-match series after an innings and 47-run defeat on Friday, Pakistan named three spinners in four changes from the first Test.
In a rare move, Pakistan — who have now gone winless in 11 home Tests since February 2021 — decided to use the same flat surface on which England piled up 823-7 declared in reply to their 556 all out.
“If you look at the way that the first Test played out, if another wicket like that was produced, maybe that gives us more of an advantage,” said Stokes, back in the side after missing the first Test with a hamstring injury.
Despite the first-innings run-fest — with Harry Brook smashing 317 and Joe Root making 262 — England bowled out Pakistan for 220 in their second innings to secure a remarkable victory.
England left out seamers Gus Atkinson and Chris Woakes to bring in Matthew Potts and Stokes, but kept the same spinners in Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir.
“You’d like to think it might be a bit more in favor of the spin, so if it does spin more, or if it does reverse more, there’s more options there for both teams,” added Stokes.
The all-rounder, who may not yet be fit to bowl, said he has never seen such a strategy before.
“It could be a tactic but I’ve never seen a pitch before used in back-to-back games. And I’ve never seen fans that big standing as umpires,” he said, referring to two big industrial fans at both ends being used to dry the pitch.
Since Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum took over in May 2022, England have played aggressive cricket, with only one draw.
“I think if we went 1-0 down at home, we would probably be going to our groundsman at the second Test saying ‘can we have a bit more of this, bit more of that’ to use our home advantage in our favor.
“With me being captain and Baz being coach, that’s how we both view cricket, that there should be a winner.”
Pakistan’s assistant coach Azhar Mahmood believes the pitch will help his team.
“The strategy behind the used pitch is to take 20 wickets,” said Mahmood.
“We want to get 20 England wickets and going with spinners will help us dominate.”
Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali make up Pakistan’s spin trio, with Aamer Jamal the only frontline pace bowler.
Mahmood defended the decision to leave out struggling star batter Babar Azam.
“There is no question that Babar Azam is our best batter,” said Mahmood of Azam, who is without a half-century in 18 innings.
“He is not dropped, we have given him rest considering the coming hectic cricket schedule and we thought it would be best for him to come refreshed for the three away tours coming.”


Pakistan Stock Exchange breaches record 94,000 points barrier during intraday trading

Updated 7 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan Stock Exchange breaches record 94,000 points barrier during intraday trading

  • Rupee stability, falling bank lending rates played catalyst role in stock market’s bullish activity, says analyst
  • Pakistan Stock Exchange has witnessed bullish trend since last Monday when government slashed policy rate

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) soared to a record high during intraday trading on Monday, breaching the 94,000 points barrier for the first time which analysts attributed to improved market sentiments due to rupee stability and the government’s move to slash the policy rate. 
The KSE-100 Index rose to a record 94,020 points, a level never seen before in PSX history, during intraday trading on Monday. The stock market has been experiencing a bullish trend since last week which was evident when it breached the 93,000 points barrier for the first time on Friday.
Ahsan Mehanti of Arif Habib Corporation told Arab News the bullish trend was led by blue chip companies after American finance company MSCI revised Pakistan’s expected sta­n­dard index weight for November to 4.4 percent. The MSCI, in its latest review this month, announced the addition of eight Pakistani companies to its Frontier Market Small Cap Index.
“Rupee stability and falling bank lending rates following a slump in government bond yields played a catalyst role in bullish activity at PSX,” Mehanti told Arab News via text. 
The bullish trend has been observed in the stock market since last Monday when Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 250 basis points, bringing it to 15 percent. This was the fourth straight reduction since June, as the country keeps up efforts to revive a sluggish economy with inflation easing.
Pakistan continues to enjoy record gains in the stock market as its economic indicators continue to improve after Islamabad secured a $7 billion, 37-month bailout package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in September. 
Last year, Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign default when it clinched a last-gasp $3 billion IMF bailout program. The country has suffered a prolonged economic crisis that drained its foreign exchange reserves and saw its currency weaken amid double-digit inflation.


Pakistan beat UAE to clinch United Arab Classic Baseball championship

Updated 19 min 34 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan beat UAE to clinch United Arab Classic Baseball championship

  • Tournament featured Palestine, UAE, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Nepal
  • Pakistan remained unbeaten throughout tournament, thrashing Afghanistan 17-3, India 12-0 and Bangladesh 10-0

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan beat hosts United Arab Emirates 12-1 to clinch the United Arab Classic Baseball championship this week, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Monday, with the South Asian team taking home the trophy by remaining undefeated throughout the tournament. 
Baseball United Arab Classic, organized by Baseball United--a professional baseball organization in the Middle East and South Asia--took place from Nov. 7-10 in the UAE. The tournament featured Pakistan, UAE, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia and Nepal.
Pakistan qualified for the final on Sunday after thrashing Afghanistan 17-3 on Saturday. Before that, the South Asian team had beaten India 12-0 and UAE 10-3. Pakistan had also defeated Bangladesh 10-0 on Nov. 7.
“Pakistan have won the United Arab Classic Baseball championship held in the United Arab Emirates,” Radio Pakistan said. “Pakistan beat UAE team in the final by 12-1.”
Pakistan’s official baseball body, Pakistan Federation Baseball, is internationally recognized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Pakistan Federation Baseball was founded by Syed Khawar Shah in 1992 and has grown into the preeminent baseball federation within South Asia over the last three decades.
Prior to this, Pakistan baseball won 10 championships in tournaments across Asia over the last 15 years, including the West Asia Cup in Islamabad in January 2023.


Pakistan PM to attend Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza and Lebanon today 

Updated 11 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan PM to attend Arab-Islamic Summit on Gaza and Lebanon today 

  • Israel has killed over 43,000 people in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, through relentless air and ground offensives
  • Pakistan's deputy PM on Sunday urged international community to hold Israel accountable for its "war crimes"

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will participate in the extraordinary Arab–Islamic summit meeting between the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) scheduled to be held today, Monday, in the Saudi capital Riyadh to discuss Israel's ongoing wars in Gaza, Lebanon and the Middle East situation.
Sharif arrived in Riyadh on Sunday night to join various Muslim leaders in the Saudi capital who will attend the summit called to discuss Israel's relentless military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel has waged war in Gaza since October last year, killing over 43,000 people and rendering the strip of land almost uninhabitable.  Last month, it also invaded Lebanon, killing 3,000 people since.
"Landed in Riyadh where I will join the leaders of the Muslim Ummah at the Joint Arab Islamic Summit being convened to discuss the rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza and speak with one voice for the rights of the Palestinian people and reaffirm our collective call for regional peace," Sharif wrote on social media platform X.

In this handout photo, taken and released by Pakistan’s Press Information Department on November 11, 2024, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif speaks during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz at the Royal terminal of Riyadh International Airport in Riyad on November 10, 2024, ahead of the Arab–Islamic summit in Saudi capital to discuss Israel's ongoing wars in Gaza, Lebanon and the Middle East situation. (Photo courtesy: PMO)

Sharif's office earlier said the prime minister was also expected to meet with world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
The summit today will be a follow-up to the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit held in November 2023 in Riyadh, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry. Sharif will reiterate Pakistan's full support to the Palestinian cause in his address at the gathering.
On Sunday, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, attended a meeting of the OIC's Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) in Riyadh, wherein he called on the world to hold Israel accountable for its "war crimes" in Gaza.
"[Dar] expressed alarm at Israeli adventurism in the Middle East that is endangering peace and security in the region," the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement. "[He] called on the international community to bring an end to Gaza genocide."
Pakistan does not recognize nor have diplomatic relations with Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on "internationally agreed parameters."
Islamabad has also dispatched more than 1,300 tons of relief goods for Gaza and Lebanon, besides establishing the 'Prime Minister's Relief Fund for Gaza and Lebanon' that aims to collect public donations for the war-affected people.
After attending the summit on Monday, the Pakistani prime minister will visit Baku, Azerbaijan on Tuesday to participate in a two-day World Leaders Climate Action Summit being held as part of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference.
"The prime minister will make a robust call for climate solidarity and climate justice, based on the established principles of equity," state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.


Militant attack on Pakistani border leaves 5 security forces dead, Iran says

Updated 11 November 2024
Follow

Militant attack on Pakistani border leaves 5 security forces dead, Iran says

  • No group claims responsibility for attack that took place in Iran's Saravan city in southeast
  • Sistan-Baluchestan province has been site of clashes involving militant groups, armed drug smugglers

TEHRAN: A militant attack near the Pakistani border with Iran left five Iranian forces dead, the state-run IRNA news agency reported Sunday.
The report said the dead were ethnic Baloch members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s volunteer Basij force and were killed in Saravan city in Sistan and Baluchestan province. Saravan is some 1,400 km (870 miles) southeast of the capital Tehran.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Earlier in the day, state TV reported that Revolutionary Guard forces killed three "terrorists" and arrested nine others in a military operation. The report did not specify which group the suspects belonged to.
Last month, unknown gunmen killed four people, including the chief of the Revolutionary Guard in the province.
In September, gunmen killed four border guards in Sistan and Baluchestan province in two separate attacks. The militant group Jaish al-Adl, which seeks greater rights for the ethnic Baloch minority, claimed responsibility for one attack in which one officer and two soldiers were killed.
The province, which borders Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been the site of occasional deadly clashes involving militant groups, armed drug smugglers and Iranian security forces. It is one of the least developed parts of Iran. Relations between the predominantly Sunni Muslim residents of the region and Iran’s Shiite theocracy have long been strained.


Pakistan’s record smog triggers anguish and anxiety

Updated 11 November 2024
Follow

Pakistan’s record smog triggers anguish and anxiety

  • Lahore, a city of 14 million people on the border with India, regularly ranks among world’s most polluted cities
  • Schools in main cities of Punjab province, of which Lahore is capital, have closed until Nov. 17 due to the smog

LAHORE: On the streets of Pakistan’s second biggest city, smog stings eyes and burns throats. Inside homes, few people can afford air purifiers to limit the damage of toxic particles that seep through doors and windows.
Lahore — a city of 14 million people stuffed with factories on the border with India — regularly ranks among the world’s most polluted cities, but it has hit record levels this month.
Schools have closed in the main cities of Punjab province, of which Lahore is the capital, until November 17 in a bid to lower children’s exposure to the pollution, especially during the morning commute when it is often at its highest.
“The children are constantly coughing, they have constant allergies. In schools we saw that most of the children were falling sick,” said Rafia Iqbal a 38-year-old primary school teacher in the city that borders India.
Her husband Muhammad Safdar, a 41-year-old advertising professional, said the level of pollution “is making daily living impossible.”
“We cannot move around, we cannot go outside, we can do nothing at all,” he told AFP.
According to the international Air Quality Index Scale, an index value of 300 or higher results is “hazardous” to health and Pakistan has regularly tipped over 1,000 on the scale.
In Multan, another city of several million people some 350 kilometers away, the AQI level passed 2,000 last week — a staggering height never seen before by incredulous residents.
Access to parks, zoos, playgrounds, historic monuments, museums and recreational areas will be banned until November 17 and tuk-tuks with polluting two-stroke engines, along with restaurants that operate barbecues without filters have been banned in Lahore “hot-spots.”
Air purifiers are luxury for most families, with the cheapest priced at around $90, with the added cost of replacing filters every few months in such extreme pollution.
Safdar and Iqbal do not have air purifiers and instead try to contain their children to one room.
“Preventive measures should have been taken. It’s a yearly occurrence,” Safdar said of the government.
“Obviously there is something missing in their solution.”
A mix of low-grade fuel emissions from factories and vehicles, exacerbated by agricultural stubble burning, blanket the city each winter, trapped by cooler temperatures and slow-moving winds.
The WHO says that air pollution can trigger strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases.
It is particularly punishing for children and babies, and the elderly.
Last year, the Punjab government tested artificial rain to try to overcome the smog, and this year, trucks with water cannons sprayed the streets — with no results.
Special smog counters to triage patients have been established at clinics across the province, with 900 people admitted to hospital in Lahore alone on Tuesday.
Doctor Qurat ul Ain, a hospital doctor for 15 years, witnesses the damage from an emergency rooms in Lahore.
“This year smog is much more than previous years and the number of patients suffering from its effects is greater too,” she told AFP.
Many arrive with labored breathing or coughing fits and reddened eyes, often the elderly, children and young men who have breathed in the toxic air while on the back of motorbikes.
“We tell people not to go out and otherwise to wear a mask. We tell them not to touch their eyes with their hands, especially children,” she adds.
For days the concentration of polluting micro-particles PM2.5 in Punjab has been dozens of times higher than that deemed tolerable by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Doctor Alia Haider, also a climate activist, is calling for awareness campaigns for patients who often do not know the dangers of smog.
Children from poor neighborhoods, she said, are the first victims because they live all year round with pollutants of different types.
“We are stuck in our own poison,” she said. It’s like a cloud of gas over the city.”