Pakistan's Umar Akmal Denies Doing Anything Wrong

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said Umar Akmal was in contention for the 16-man squad for the T20I series against England, but was dropped over an incident in Hyderabad in which he was alleged to have "misbehaved" with women at a party. 

 

Karachi: Pakistan's talented but controversial batsman Umar Akmal on Monday denied any wrongdoing in a party which led to his axing from the Twenty20 team for the three-match series against England later this month.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said Umar was in contention for the 16-man squad but was dropped over an incident in Hyderabad in which he was alleged to have "misbehaved" with women at a party.

The PCB has also served a show cause notice to the 25-year-old batsman whose career has been chequered with disciplinary problems.

Umar, younger brother of Kamran and Adnan Akmal who also played for Pakistan, on Monday responded to the PCB show cause notice.

"I attended a dinner party after being granted official permission by my team manager," said Umar in his response to the PCB notice.

Last year Umar was jailed in Lahore after he had a scuffle with a traffic warden over running a red light.

He was also left out of the team after the 2015 World Cup, with head coach Waqar Younis complaining about his insubordination during the event.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan last week said Umar would be given an opportunity to defend himself.

Umar meanwhile has labelled the allegations baseless.

"I am not answerable to anyone apart from the department I am playing for," Umar told reporters. "Cricket is my love and I want to represent Pakistan for a long period of time."

Pakistan's Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi has also reportedly backed the embroiled batsman, asking the PCB to clear Umar and then reinstate him in the squad.

Pakistan play England in a three-match T20 series with matches in Dubai (November 26 and 27) and Sharjah on November 30.

Story first published on: Tuesday, 17 November 2015 16:30 IST

Imran Khan's Ex-Wife Reham Khan Admits She Felt Stifled in Marriage

Islamabad: Two weeks after Imran Khan's second marriage ended in a divorce in just 10 months, Reham has spoken out, claiming that she was told that she should be making chapatis in the kitchen and not to be seen outside.
The Pakistani cricket legend-turned-politician and the 42-year-old TV journalist announced their decision to split on October 30 amid reports that Imran objected to her meddling in politics. (Imran Khan Divorces Second Wife Reham Khan, Is he Seeing Jemima Again?)
The 62-year-old Imran's marriage to Reham was his second after his first marriage with English heiress Jemima Goldsmith for nine years ended in divorce in June, 2004.
Reham Khan, a divorced mother of three, left a job on regional BBC news and moved back to Pakistan in 2013. (How Imran Khan Divorced his Wife Reham Khan)
"I was told specifically by a senior adviser: they basically wanted me to be in the kitchen, to be cooking chapatis and not to be seen ever again," Reham told Sunday Times.
Reham said as soon as she and her youngest daughter moved into Imran's mansion in Bani Gala, on a hilltop overlooking Islamabad, she felt stifled.
Her career was a constant problem, particularly when she became an "ambassador for street children" in Peshawar.
"There wasn't any involvement, I never attended meetings or anything of the sort, but obviously there was insecurity," Reham said.
Reham said she gave up her television show to avoid a conflict of interest and did not work for several months.
But she still upset Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) early on when a journalist questioned her about problems in her first marriage. Asked in an interview if she had been the victim of domestic abuse, she "didn't want to lie" and said yes.
"I answered as diplomatically as I could, being a politician's wife," she told the paper.
But the media storm that followed upset Imran's party. Imran's response was silence, she said.
"I was told not to defend myself, to let it die down," she said. But the "attacks escalated". Although Imran knew about her past, she thinks it took its toll on him: "I don't know if he was surprised by it, but he was affected by it."
She said guests to Imran's home were never fed and Imran was surviving on "one chapati a day".
Imran was not, she thinks, quite prepared for married bliss.
"I tried to talk to him. I'm very talkative and I'm very chatty but, you know, you can't exactly with Imran Khan. You can't discuss the colour of the curtains; you can only talk politics. You cannot exactly discuss Bollywood films with him. God knows I tried," she said.
Reham said she plans to continue her work with street children in Pakistan, is producing two films.
"I have to make up for loss of income. I married a man who convinced me that he loved me, who looked lonely and who I thought had the same ideas about life and the same goals, but we were just too different," she said.

Story first published on: Monday, 16 November 2015 13:13 IST

Saeed Ajmal-Less Pakistan Seek to End 20-Year Australia Drought

Saeed Ajmal, who has been suspended due to an illegal bowling action, has single-handedly ruled the dry and slow tracks of Pakistan's neutral venues in the United Arab Emirates, especially at Dubai where he has 37 wickets in six Tests, three of which Pakistan won.

Pakistan hope to end a 20-year drought against Australia when they meet in the first of two Tests in Dubai from Wednesday but they are hobbled by the absence of spin king Saeed Ajmal.

Ajmal, who has been suspended due to an illegal bowling action, has single-handedly ruled the dry and slow tracks of Pakistan's neutral venues in the United Arab Emirates, especially at Dubai where he has 37 wickets in six Tests, three of which Pakistan won. 

That includes 24 wickets in a 3-0 rout of England in 2012.

Pakistan have also lost frontline seamers Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz -- both through knee injuries -- and have to rely on uncapped leg-spinner Yasir Shah and two-Test left-armer Zulfiqar Babar, both of whom are likely to play.

Captain Misbah-ul Haq, under pressure to score runs after managing nought and 15 in the preceding 3-0 one-day series defeat, admitted Ajmal's absence is significant.

"Ajmal has left a big hole," said Misbah, who skippers a team whose last Test series win over Australia was back in 1994.

"But we have youngsters who should grab the chance and I am confident they can."

The return of veteran batsman Younis Khan and Azhar Ali will boost Pakistan's fragile batting as they seek to remain unbeaten in a Test series in the UAE since they were forced to decamp in 2009 due to security fears in their country.

Australia will also look to include both spinners in Nathan Lyon and Steve O'Keefe despite their unimpressive record of losing five of the last six Tests (one draw) in which they played with two spinners.

But they have dominated Pakistan, winning 13 out of the last 14 Tests against them.

Australia will hope skipper Michael Clarke, top Test run getter in 2013 with 1,093, anchors the batting after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained two months ago.

Clarke failed to get much-needed practice in the 153-run defeat in the four-day tour game against Pakistan 'A' on Sunday, managing just ten and five.

Clarke admitted Ajmal will be missed by Pakistan.

"I think there is no doubt that Ajmal is an amazing bowler. I think obviously Pakistan wish they had him available for selection," said Clarke.

"I have always said that Pakistan have always had a lot of talent in any form of the game and I am sure the Test eleven that they put on the field is very talented and know these conditions."

Australia will hope all-rounder Mitchell Marsh, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, will be able to fill in for the more experienced Shane Watson who is out of the tour due to a calf injury.

Australia's pace attack will be led by Mitchell Johnson who bowled with venom in the two one-dayers he played -- taking six wickets -- and supported by the hard-working Peter Siddle.

A 2-0 cleansweep would return Australia to the top of the Test rankings.

The second Test will be played in Abu Dhabi from October 30.

Teams (from):

Pakistan: Misbah-ul Haq (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Shan Masood, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Azhar Ali, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Talha, Rahat Ali, Imran Khan, Ehsan Adil, Sarfraz Ahmed, Zulfiqar Babar, Yasir Shah.

Australia: Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, Chris Rogers, Alex Doolan, Steven Smith, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Brad Haddin, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Johnson, Steve O'Keefe, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, James Faulkner, Nathan Lyon.

Umpires: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) and Marais Erasmus (RSA)

TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG)

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)             

Pakistan Women's Cricket Captain Leads Team to New Highs

Bolstered after winning the Asian Games gold medal for the second consecutive time, captain Sana Mir says her side has gone from strength to strength.

Pakistan recently suffered a humiliating ODI whitewash against Australia. That was the men's team. The women's team though is on a completely different level with success bolstering confidence in the camp.

Fresh from successfully defending their gold medal at Asian Games in Incheon, the women's team is on a high. Captain Sana Mir is especially pleased with how the team performed and predicted that the side can be more consistent if facilities are further improved in the country. "It really has been a wonderful experience because winning the gold medal was really important to us," she was quoted as saying by a Pakistan-based cricket website - Pakpassion.net. "However, let us also not forget that teams like Australia, England, New Zealand and India are well established teams with good infrastructure to back them up. We started quite late in our development of women's cricket. Although, we've been able to lessen the gap between the top teams and us, but the pressure has definitely been on us."

Appointed captain in 2009 - just four years after her debut, the 28-year-old cricketer said that she has seen expectations from her team rise with time. "People just want us to win and we've done it against the odds in 2010 and we knew that we could do it 2014 as well. But please remember that unlike the men's game, teams like Bangladesh cannot be taken lightly. They have had a lot more international exposure compared to Pakistan women and they also have international cricket at home which makes a huge difference," said leg-spinner Mir, who has 79 wickets from 70 ODI matches.

While there are questions about Misbah-ul-Haq's ability to lead the men's team, Mir has silenced her critics successfully - both as a player and as a captain. Adjudged  Player of the Tournament at the 2008 Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier, Mir feels Pakistan Cricket Board has helped her players defy the notion that conservative elements threaten development of Pakistan women cricketers. "The PCB has played a tremendous role in the evolution and development of women's cricket in Pakistan," she said. "Wherever we go, whichever countries we tour we get positive feedback."

Mir is currently ranked seventh in International Cricket Council's ODI rankings for bowlers. There is no other Pakistani player in the top-10 batting or bowling list.             

Wasim Akram urges struggling Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq to say goodbye to ODIs

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Wasim Akram has urged struggling skipper Misbah-ul Haq to say good-bye to ODIs, while blaming a lack of international cricket and the absence of a system for developing young players for the team's disappointing defeats in recent months.

Pakistan lost the final ODI against Australia in Abu Dhabi on Sunday to complete a 3-0 rout, and the upcoming Test series in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) looks likely to be a tough proposition.

The fast bowling legend Wasim urged struggling one-day and Test captain Misbah to take a positive approach with the team, or step aside. He said that the skipper should take brave and aggressive decisions but added that he is not doing that, The Dawn reported.

Akram said that if any vice captain is ready to lead then Pakistan must say goodbye to Misbah, who withdrew himself from the third and final ODI in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, as far as ODI is concerned.

The common complaint in international cricket is that teams play too many matches, but Akram said that Pakistan was suffering for precisely the opposite reason. He said that Australia was always favourites to win the one-day series, so he added that do not blame the Pakistan team, because they are playing so much less international cricket than other countries.

Pakistan lost one-day and Test series against Sri Lanka in August, their first international encounters in six months.

Akram said that India is playing too much cricket and so is Sri Lanka, and they are performing well. While hitting out at a lack of infrastructure and shortage of junior-level tours, Akram added that he thinks the PCB should arrange more Under-19 tours and Pakistan 'A' tours which would help groom youngsters but that is not there. 

Over 200 Pak lawmakers suspended for not declaring assets

ISLAMABAD: Over 200 lawmakers of Pakistan's Parliament and provincial assemblies were on Wednesday temporarily suspended by the Election Commission for failing to submit the annual details of their assets.

Under the Constitution, the lawmakers are bound to report every year the details of their wealth by September 30 which can be extended by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for 15 days.

The ECP had set October 15 as the deadline for the submission of assets.

A total of 210 lawmakers failed to submit their details of assets and liabilities.

In a notification issued at the end of deadline, the ECP directed that those failing to comply cannot attend the session of their respective assemblies during the period of suspension.

However, the members can get their membership restored anytime by fulfilling the legal obligation.

Those suspended included 40 members of the National Assembly, two members of the Senate, 98 members of the Punjab assembly, 28 members of the Sindh assembly, 33 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, and nine members of the Balochistan assembly.

Among the prominent members suspended are chief of right wing Jammat-i-Islami Sirajul Haq and Chairman of National Assembly Committee of Foreign Affairs Awais Khan Leghari.

The majority of those suspended belong to ruling PML-N of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

Pak Taliban’s top 6 leaders pledge ISIS allegiance

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani Taliban are on the verge of collapse, as their six top commanders have announced allegiance to the ISIS, a video released on Tuesday revealed.

The announcement came at a time when the terror conglomerate has been experiencing divisions in its ranks.

"I am confirming my allegiance to (ISIS chief) Abu Bakar al-Baghdadi and would abide by all his decisions. Whatever is the situation, I will follow and obey his every instruction," Taliban spokesman Shaidullah Shahid said.

"This allegiance is neither from the Taliban or its leader Mullah Fazlullah. This is only from me and five other leaders," said Shahid. "I appeal to al-Baghdadi to accept my allegiance," Shahid said. Fazlullah has supported ISIS but has not declared his allegiance, which lies with Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

The fresh defection is a serious setback for the Taliban. It had earlier lost tribal Mehsud faction, which had provided some of toughest foot soldiers and major monetary support to the organization before the military offensive in North Waziristan. 

'I am Not Misbah-ul-Haq, I am Shahid Afridi'

Shahid Afridi said no two captains are the same and insisted he developed his exciting brand of cricket and leadership thanks to the aggression of the Pakistani people. 

Afridi says he has very little in common with Pakistan's ODI skipper Misbah.

While Misbah-ul-Haq's form has raised doubts about his leadership skills, Pakistan's T20 captain Shahid Afridi feels aggression is the key to success. Pakistan suffered an ODI whitewash against Australia recently but Afridi says his teammates should stick to their fiery brand of cricket.
Re-appointed as T20I skipper after being axed unceremoniously three years ago, Afridi told ESPNCricinfo that every captain has his unique style. His was aggression. "Every captain has his own approach and I can't be Misbah and Misbah can't be Afridi," he said. "I love to play aggressive cricket because people in my country are aggressive, my players are aggressive and I want them to play aggressive cricket."
While the aggression was largely missing against the Aussies, Afridi feels it is the effort which counts. "Your body language on the field is the reflection of your intentions and people will look beyond the result or performance when they see your efforts," he said. This is in sharp contrast to the approach of Misbah who, many feel, is lacking the 'will to kill.'
Misbah's absence - rest being the official reason - from the final ODI has raised several eyebrows with many in Pakistan demanding for his removal. There are also reports of an internal strife in the dressing-room. Afridi though wants players to stay true to their strengths rather than mould themselves. "If he is comfortable with his approach then what is the problem? But players around him should not become Misbah. Each player has his own strengths and he should carry out what he is capable of rather than suppressing himself."
Afridi himself has hardly ever suppressed himself - on or off the field. Not a stranger to controversies, the 34-year-old had said on Monday that Pakistan don't deserve to play the World Cup if the team fails on UAE tracks. "If we are not able to win on these pitches then we have to think we can't go into the World Cup with these performances."
Even as Pakistan cricket struggles for form and guidance four months before the ODI World Cup, Afridi feels the ultimate cricketing glory lies in a combative game.

 

Misbah was not forced to sit out, clarifies PCB

Karachi: The trouble-prone Pakistan cricket team dressing room was once again witness to some drama and it took PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan’s intervention to diffuse the controversy generated by Misbah-ul Haq’s decision to rest from the third ODI against Australia.

Misbah-ul-Haq

Khan had to talk to the media in Abu Dhabi during the third ODI to defuse the impression that Misbah had been coerced or pressurised into not playing the third ODI by the team management, which is totally behind Shahid Afridi who led the side in the match on Sunday.

Although Misbah took pains to make politically correct appearances during the match to give the impression that everything was alright in the dressing room but former players still didn’t spare the PCB for its sudden decision to hand over the captaincy to Afridi.

Shaharyar said that Misbah was not forced to sit out.

“Neither me nor management have influenced Misbah to sit out, he has done it on his own, he is determined to return. I had an half hour chat with him. He says if ‘I am back to form I would like to lead to the World Cup’,” Khan told the media.

After Pakistan lost the match, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar waded into head coach Waqar Younis and even manager/chief selector Moin Khan and the PCB for even accepting Misbah’s wish to take a break.

“What is happening? What sort of message is being conveyed to the cricket world? Four months before the World Cup, we don’t know who is going to be our ODI captain. The PCB and management is only adding to the confusion with their strange statements,” Akhtar said.

Former Test captain, Ramiz Raja said if Misbah wanted to rest, a younger player should have been given charge of the team instead of Afridi.

Obama Girls, Malala, Lorde Make Time's 'Influential Teens' List

Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, in Birmingham. (Reuters)

Los Angeles:  The daughters of US President Barack Obama, entertainers, a Nobel laureate and a girl baseball player all made Time's annual list of most influential teenagers, the magazine said on Monday.

First daughters Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13; Grammy-winning New Zealand singer Lorde, 17; and Nobel Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai, 17, the Pakistani education activist winner, were all on the unranked list dominated by 20 females.

Time said it compiled its list of 25 teens - 29, counting accolades shared by siblings and partners - by analyzing their social media following, business successes and cultural importance.

The youngest were Sasha Obama and fellow 13-year-old Mo'ne Davis, a pitching sensation who led her Philadelphia boys' baseball team to the Little League World Series and landed a spot on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Tavi Gevinson, the 18-year-old fashion writer and founder of popular online magazine Rookie, was noted as emblematic of the contemporary teen in the Internet age, while transgender activist Jazz Jennings, 14, and Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, 18, also made the list.

The dominant categories were athletes, actors and singers.

Actors taking center stage were Kiernan Shipka, 14, of "Mad Men," Rico Rodriguez, 16, of "Modern Family" and "The Equalizer's" Chloe Grace Moretz, 17.

Pop singers Becky G, 17, and Austin Mahone, 18, earned plaudits as did New Zealand pro golfer Lydia Ko, 17, and Afghan National Cycling Team member Salma Kakar, 17.

Teens noted for business success include 15-year-old Erik Finman, founder of the online tutoring site Botangle.com; YouTube fashion star Bethany Mota, 18, and actress-turned-stockpicker Rachel Fox, 18.

Irish trio Ciara Judge, 16, Emer Hickey, 17, and Sophie Healy-Thow, 17, were noted for their discovery of bacteria that deposits nitrogen from the atmosphere into soil.

Los Angeles teen chef Flynn McGarry, 15, joined stars of Twitter's Vine short-form video service, Nash Grier, and singer Shawn Mendes, both 16.

Jaden Smith, 16, son of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, was recognised for acting and his Twitter following, while reality TV stars the Jenner sisters Kendall, 18, and Kylie, 17, were noted for their burgeoning Hollywood and merchandising careers.

Also in the spotlight were 19-year-olds Megan Grassell, founded of the Yellowberry clothing company that makes bras for teens, and South African-Australian YouTube star and actor-musician Troye Sivan.

© Thomson Reuters 2014