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He used to say to me, ‘Papa, I want to play for India’: Umran Malik’s father on his son’s rise

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It has been a mercurial rise for Jammu and Kashmir pacer Umran Malik since October this year. The 21-year-old youngster, who made heads turn for clocking speeds in excess of 150kph in the IPL 2021 for his team Sunrisers Hyderabad, was rewarded with a stint as a net bowler with the Indian team in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Malik’s impressive run has now extended into a call-up to the India ‘A’ team for the four-day series against South Africa ‘A’.

The quick rise in Malik’s fortunes has left his father Abdul Rashid delighted. “He used to say to me, ‘Papa, I want to play for India’. Our wishes have always been with him. We pray to God that our child plays for India one day. Now that his name has come into India ‘A’ squad, I hope in the future his name comes into the India squad and makes the nation proud. We tell everyone ‘He is not our child; he is the child of the nation’. Our only wish now is to see him play well and bring glory to the country,” said Rashid to IANS in a chat over the phone on Friday.

“We are really happy. The whole of Jammu and Kashmir and India is happy for this kid. The whole country has been praising him. We have been extremely delighted along with the whole nation as he has bowled very well,” added Rashid.

From being a net bowler for the Hyderabad franchise in the IPL, Malik was drafted into the main squad as left-arm pacer T Natarajan tested positive for Covid-19. As he showcased his raw pace in the IPL, he quickly caught the eye of many fans and cricketers, including Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

Rashid attributes his son’s pace to God-gifted energy and endurance, which is seen in Malik registering his name in the top ten fastest deliveries of IPL 2021, with the highest being 152.95 kph (at second place). “He has got natural strength and did not learn from anywhere. He used to go and practise in the cricket academy as well as in the college. God has given him the strength to bowl well. He has played really well till now.”

“He has lots of stamina and used to play cricket for the whole day. He used to leave at 10 am in the morning and come back at 7 pm. He would only take 3-4 bottles of water with him while leaving for practice. It used to be so much hot in the summers and still, he would go for the practice. He used to say, ‘Papa I have to go for practice’.”

Malik hails from a modest family in Gujjar Nagar, Jammu. Rashid, who works as a fruit seller in Shaheedi Chowk, says his family was always supportive of their son’s cricketing ambitions. “He was three-four years old when he got interested in cricket. We never stopped him from playing cricket. Whatever he needed to play the game, we provided him with the best of whatever we had. He was never made to feel like that mummy-papa do not allow me to play or not bring anything for me. Whatever we could do for him, did it.”

Such was Malik’s zeal for cricket that his family had to make him eat food on time. “He used to go and play cricket after studies for the day. His dedication to cricket was such that he did not care to have his food on time and we had to get him to have his food. After having his food, he again used to go and play cricket. From a very early age, he had an interest in the game,” says Rashid.

Malik’s rise since IPL 2021 has led to an outpouring of congratulatory messages for Rashid at work. “People are very happy. Many of them stop their cars and gave congratulatory wishes. Everyone in Jammu is very happy.”

Rashid signed off by saying, “Duyaein karna bachche ke liye. Hamari yahi duaa hain ki bacha acha khele, apne desh ka naam roshan kare. Hamari yahi duaa hai uske saath ki yeh India khele. (Please pray for the child. Our wish is that he plays well and brings glory to the country. Our wishes are with him to play for India).”

International

Champions Trophy: Pakistan’s dismal show likely to be discussed in cabinet and parliament

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Islamabad, Feb 27: The Pakistan cricket team’s depressing, dismal, and cheerless performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, resulting in its early exit from the tournament, has not only broken the hearts of home fans but also knocked on the doors of the country’s Prime Minister.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has personally taken notice of the team’s early departure and the below-par performance and is likely to take up the issues related to the cricket team in the cabinet and the parliament. Pakistan’s final Group A fixture against Bangladesh was washed out in Rawalpindi due to rain on Thursday, which meant that they ended their campaign without a win. With only one point, thanks to a washout, Pakistan will finish at the bottom of the group.

Prime Minister’s aide on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that PM Shehbaz will also take up the matter at the parliament. “The Prime Minister will personally take notice, and we will also ask him to raise these cricket-related issues in the cabinet as well as in the parliament,” said Rana Sanaullah.

It is pertinent to note that Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Special arrangements have been made to glorify the event, with Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi cricket stadiums renovated to increase audience capacity and further enhance the facilities. However, the team’s fans were left dejected after Pakistan lost both its matches and was knocked out of the tournament when their final league match with Bangladesh was rained off.

While anger persists among cricket fans, questions are being raised over the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), its chief Mohsin Naqvi, and the selection committee, which selected the squad. Aqib Javed, head coach of Pakistan, has tried to justify the team selection, stating that all players were selected on the basis of their recent performances.

On the other hand, internal issues within the PCB are also being linked with the team’s bad performance as many believe that the cricket board’s decision-making regarding playing eleven, the team, and the players has prompted foreign coaches like Jason Gillespie to part ways.

Rana Sanaullah said that he will also call on PM Sharif to address the ongoing issues within the PCB, emphasising that the cricket sport as a whole is in bad shape. “The sport at college and district levels is in a bad position, and the amount that has been spent on a professional level should be revealed before the public”, said Rana Sanaullah.

Rana Sanaullah also raised concerns over amounts being paid to mentors, who he highlighted admitted that they were unaware of their responsibilities and were being remunerated for doing nothing. “You will be surprised after hearing about the perks and privileges of other officer-bearers. You will be confused whether they are officials of a Pakistani institution or those belonging to a developed nation”, he said.

It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan’s performance on home grounds has certainly left fans heartbroken. In major ICC events, Pakistan’s performance in the past years has also not been mentionable.

In 2023, Pakistan only won four out of nine matches during the ODI World Cup in India and ended in fifth position on the points table. Pakistan also made an early exit from last year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA after losing to India and the USA in the preliminary stage.

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Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan’s Cricket Stadiums Far From Ready, Tournament Could Be Moved To Dubai, Claims Report

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Problems seem to be mounting for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as they face a race against time to handover a proper stadium to the International Cricket Council (ICC) before the Champions Trophy gets underway. According to The Times Of India report, the construction and upgradation work is still underway at the National Stadium in Karachi, Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium

A source following the developments said,”It is a very disappointing picture. All three stadiums are far from ready and it’s not renovation or refurbishment, but proper construction which is underway. There is so much work left with seats, floodlights, facilities and even the outfield and playing surfaces,”

The report further states there is not much time left for the venues to be handed over and it’s not a surprise that there are discussions about moving the entire tournament to the UAE. 

The PCB has to hand over the tournament venues to ICC by February 12, however, the stadium work which was scheduled to be finished by December 31, is yet to be completed.

A team of from the ICC will leave for Pakistan towards the end of the week to do a status check and informal contingency discussions are underway in Dubai corridors.

What is the Current stadium of Champions Trophy venues?

Lahore and Karachi are the two centres where heavy construction work is underway and their multi-storied enclosures, which will have dressing rooms and hospitality boxes, are yet to enter the finishing stages. In addition to the new enclosures, there is fencing work, placement of floodlights and seats which is far from the finish line.

The source added, “The weather is not ideal for construction and finishing work to happen at a rapid pace. At Gadaffi, even the plaster work isn’t completed yet. And most of the time is taken by finishing work because we are talking about dressing rooms etc. They just can’t be random rooms/enclosures for an ICC event. ICC has a checklist which needs to be met. National Stadium has decided to not completely finish the new enclosure because there is no time,”

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AFC Asian Cup 2027 to take place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar from Jan 7 to Feb 5

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Kuala Lumpur, Jan 7: The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will take place from January 7 to February 5 across three cities – Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar – in Saudi Arabia, the AFC announced on Tuesday.

A total of five stadiums in Riyadh will host the tournament’s matches; the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, the King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena and the Al Shabab Stadium.

Two stadiums have been confirmed for Jeddah – King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium – with a new state-of-the-art venue to be built in Al Khobar, completing the world-class infrastructure set to provide the backdrop for Asia’s top 24 national teams.

Saudi Arabia was announced as the host nation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in 2023. This will be the first time Suadi Arabia will host the tournament.

“Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament. This announcement goes beyond simply identifying locations and schedules; it reflects the ongoing high-level collaboration between us and the AFC as we work towards delivering an exceptional tournament that fulfills the aspirations of the entire Asian continent,” Saudi Arabian Football Federation chief Yasser Al Misehal.

Eighteen teams have already sealed their places at the AFC Asian Cup 2027. The remaining berths will be decided via the Qualifiers Final Round, which is scheduled to commence from March 2025 and features six groups of four teams – confirmed at last month’s draw – with the winners of each group making up the final cast.

India, aiming for its fifth appearance at the AFC Asian Cup, has been placed in Group C alongside Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. The team will look to replicate or surpass its 2019 performance, where it showcased significant progress on the continental stage.

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