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Agha wants Pakistan to be ‘ruthless’ | The Express Tribune
WANTS MORE: Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha was in action during the recently concluded Sri Lanka T20Is. Photo: AFP/File
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha emphasised the need for a more “ruthless” approach in the powerplay overs after his side scraped past Zimbabwe by five wickets in the opening match of the T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.
Put into field, Pakistan were put under early pressure as Zimbabwe openers Tadiwanashe Marumani and Brian Bennett motored to 59 without loss in the powerplay — the Chevrons’ second-highest powerplay score against Pakistan in T20Is. But despite the flying start, Zimbabwe faltered as Mohammad Nawaz spearheaded a strong Pakistan comeback, restricting them to a modest 147/8.
“It was a close game. We didn’t start well with either bat or ball, and when you don’t start well, the game tends to get close,” Agha said during the post-match presentation.
He credited Pakistan’s spin unit for dragging the team back into the contest, noting their consistent form over recent months. Agha revealed he anticipated a lower-scoring clash after assessing the surface on match eve.
“The spinners have been doing well for the last 4–5 months. They were the ones who put us back in the game,” he said. “When we saw the pitch last night, I knew it wasn’t going to be high scoring. It’s been that way lately in Pindi. It looked like a 160–180 kind of wicket, but we bowled really well. I was very happy chasing 147.”
Agha concluded with a clear message for his team heading into the next fixtures: start stronger, especially in the powerplay.
“We need to start well, bowling or batting. In the powerplay, we need to be ruthless. That’s what I’m going to talk about.”
Pakistan will now face Sri Lanka in their second match of the tri-series on Saturday, again in Rawalpindi.
Earlier, Pakistan began their campaign in the Tri-nation T20I series with a five-wicket victory over Zimbabwe as they chased the 148-run target with four balls to spare here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday night.
Zimbabwe will now take on Sri Lanka at the same venue on Thursday, 20 November in the second match of the series.
Player of the match Mohammad Nawaz’s all-round contributions (4-0-22-2, 21 not out off 12) coupled with a crucial 61-run fifth-wicket stand between Fakhar Zaman (44, 32b, 2x4s, 2x6s) and Usman Khan (37 not out, 28b, 3x4s) led Pakistan to their third T20I win in their last four fixtures.
Zimbabwe’s opening pair of Brian Bennett (49, 36b, 8x4s) and Tadiwanashe Marumani (30, 22b, 3x4s, 1×6) put on a solid 72-run stand in eight overs after Pakistan opted to bowl first.
Pakistan’s bowling attack reined in Zimbabwe’s batting line-up taking eight wickets for 75 runs in the remaining 12 overs after Nawaz halted the opening duo’s advance.
After walking in to bat at 94-3 in the 13th over, skipper Sikandar Raza remained unbeaten for 34 off 24 balls (3x4s, 1×6) including a six and a four in the last over of innings.
In turn, Pakistan stumbled to 54-4 after Saim Ayub (22, 26b, 1×4, 1×6) and Sahibzada Farhan (16, 15b, 3x4s) put on 27 runs for the opening stand.
Fakhar and Usman came together when Pakistan required 94 runs off 63 balls and saw off boundary-less 11th over. Usman then hit a boundary each in 12th and 13th over, while Fakhar found a six each in the next two overs bringing the equation down to 42 needed off last five overs.
Zimbabwe threatened to tighten the screws with Fakhar’s scalp in the 16th over off Richard Ngarava before Nawaz walked in and stitched an unbeaten 36-run match-winning stand with Usman.
Nawaz hit a six over long-on off Brad Evans in the 17th over after which Pakistan required 17 off the last two overs. The duo then gathered 12 runs off Evans in the penultimate over as in a dramatic turn of events he overstepped, they dropped Nawaz and Usman hit a four in a space of two balls.
Tinotenda Maposa – defending five runs off the last over – got hit for back-to-back fours by Nawaz on the first two balls as Pakistan got over the line.
The auction of two new teams of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held at Jinnah Convention Center in Islamabad at 4:15 PM today. The auction will be shown on television live. As many as 10 prospective buyers will off their bids for two new teams.
The number of teams in the 11th edition of the PSL will be increased from six to eight. The auction will be followed by a special performance by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had put forward the names of Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Rawalpindi.
Out of these six teams, bidders will select two.
The PCB has so far released details of 10 bidders.
The auction will be broadcast live in order to ensure transparency and global visibility to prospective investors and cricket fans worldwide.
Three weeks ago, PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Naqvi said that the PSL’s 11th edition was scheduled to be held from March 26 to May 3, 2026, while also announcing that the auction for two proposed new franchises would take place on January 8.
The announcements were made during a PCB investor roadshow in New York.
Addressing the event, Mohsin said the PCB had taken administrative control of the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium and intended to begin its renovation work soon.
He added that efforts were underway to have the venue ready for the PSL in time, though he acknowledged that completion before the tournament was not guaranteed.
“We are starting Muzaffarabad’s stadium, which we have taken over, and our target is to get it ready before the PSL. If not, then work will be initiated within this year,” he said.
Mohsin also stated that the deadline for submission of bids for the new franchises had been extended to December 22, citing interest from prospective investors.
- Australia chase down 160-run target on final day before tea.
- England form cordon to welcome Khawaja to crease in last match.
- Take credit for making game of it, not being ground into Sydney dirt.
SYDNEY: Australia had a few nervous moments but safely chased down their 160-run victory target before tea on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test on Thursday for a five-wicket victory and a 4-1 series triumph.
Seamer Josh Tongue led England’s battling rearguard with 3-42 but Alex Carey got Australia across the line with a four through the covers in mid afternoon in the company of Cameron Green.
England will take credit for making a game of it and not being ground into the Sydney dirt as previous tourists have in end-of-series dead rubbers at the famous old ground.
Without the bowling of injured captain Ben Stokes, however, defending 160 was always going to be an uphill challenge on a good wicket which allowed the second day-five action of the series.
Stokes exhorted his players from the slips but Australia’s openers got the target under 100 runs before Travis Head, whose third century of the series underpinned his team’s first-innings 567, ballooned a shot to midwicket off Tongue for 29.
Jake Weatherald followed for 34, again caught off Tongue’s bowling, to bring up lunch with Australia 89 runs from their goal.
It was 15 years and a day since England won the final Test of the 2010-11 series at the same ground by an innings and 83 runs — the last time they won an Ashes series Down Under.
The England players formed a cordon to welcome Khawaja to the crease but Tongue’s bowling was less friendly and the lefthander played on for six after facing seven balls.
Labuschagne had been dropped on 20 off Tongue when Bethell failed to hold onto the ball despite an acrobatic leap at backward point.
He was unable to make the most of his reprieve, however, running himself out for 37 with 39 runs still required for victory.
Carey, who made 16 not out, and Green, who finished unbeaten on 22, nearly reprised Labuschagne’s exit with a classic mix-up after an overthrow but eventually made their ground to secure the victory.
Earlier, England resumed on 302-8 but Mitchell Starc struck a major blow to their hopes of setting Australia a testing target when he had Bethell caught behind for 154.
Bethell’s superb maiden Test century offered plenty of promise for the future and was essentially the difference between an innings defeat for England and Australia batting again.
Starc returned to remove Tongue for six to end the innings on 342, the left-arm quick finishing with figures of 3-72 and a total of 31 wickets over the series.
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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.
The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal.
Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.
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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)
Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.
There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.
It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.
LEBRON JAMES DECLARES HIMSELF ‘TBD’ FOR BACK-TO-BACK GAMES FOR REST OF SEASON: ‘I’M 41′
However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.
Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.
Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.
Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.
Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.
Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.
Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
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Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.
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