Gautam Gambhir, a key figure in India’s 2011 World Cup victory, identified the crucial role played by Zaheer Khan in setting the tone for the tournament. He emphasized the importance of a standout performer in the upcoming World Cup and named Jasprit Bumrah as the player who can make a significant difference to India’s chances at the quadrennial event.

“I came across Mr. @JayShah’s statement about the security situation in Pakistan. Just to refresh his memory, Pakistan has hosted the following foreign players/teams in the past six years:

• 2017 – ICC World XI & SL
• 2018 – WI
• 2019 – WI (W), BD (W) & SL
• 2020 – BD, PSL, MCC & Zim
• 2021 – WI, PSL, SA & WI
• 2022 – Aus, PSL, WI, BD U19, Ireland (W) & Eng (2)
• 2023 – NZ (2), PSL, Women’s Exhibition Matches, #AsiaCup2023 (Nep, SL, Afg & BD) & SA (W)

Have no doubts, Mr. Shah, Pakistan is ready to host @BCCI at the #ICCChampionsTrophy2025,” Afridi declared on ‘X.’

Afridi’s response came after Shah’s comments that Pakistan might not be a safe location for cricket events. Shah cited concerns from various stakeholders about hosting the entire Asia Cup in Pakistan due to security concerns and the country’s economic situation.

Notably, ACC’s decision, led by Jay Shah, to hold all Super Four matches in Colombo despite the likelihood of heavy rain has drawn criticism. Sri Lanka is currently experiencing rainy conditions that are expected to impact the upcoming Super Four matches. Despite backlash, Shah has maintained the original schedule. Additionally, the India-Pakistan group stage match was washed out due to rain, and India’s last group stage match against Nepal was also affected, leading to a reduction in overs during the second innings.

Previously, ACC had planned to move the Super Four matches to Hambantota due to poor weather forecasts in Colombo, with the approval of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). However, Shah reversed this decision, causing significant discontent within the PCB.

Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has made a swift reversal of his retirement announcement, which was posted on Instagram just a week ago.

Tiwary is now poised to resume playing for Bengal following this change of heart, brought about by intensive discussions with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). This shift indicates his return to the fold of Bengal cricket.

According to a report from India Today, a crucial conversation with CAB president Snehasish Ganguly played a pivotal role in influencing Tiwary’s decision to retract his retirement. More comprehensive details regarding this matter are anticipated following a planned meeting between Tiwary and CAB officials scheduled for this Tuesday.

Ganguly is believed to have encouraged Tiwary to continue his contributions to the state team. Worth noting is that under Tiwary’s leadership, Bengal secured a place in the Rani Trophy 2022-23 semifinals, ultimately concluding as the runners-up.

Tiwary has been a stalwart figure in Bengal cricket for a considerable period. His impressive track record encompasses 141 first-class, 169 List A, and 183 T20 matches. In the realm of first-class cricket, he accumulated an impressive tally of 9902 runs at an average of 48.56, accompanied by 29 centuries and 45 half-centuries.

While his contributions to the national side haven’t matched his domestic feats, Tiwary has nonetheless donned the Indian Blue jersey in 12 ODIs and 3 T20Is. His most recent appearance for India took place in 2015 against Zimbabwe. His ODI statistics include 287 runs, featuring a century and a half-century. In T20Is, he scored 15 runs across three games, having been able to bat in just one of them.

With this notable change of direction in his retirement plans, the outlook for Bengal’s cricketing future appears promising. Fans and teammates alike eagerly await his official confirmation and anticipated return to the cricketing arena.

Media reports have suggested that Bangladeshi players are hesitant to play the tournament in the UAE due to concerns about the extremely hot weather in September.

Afridi’s remarks were made following the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision not to send their team to Pakistan for the 2023 Asia Cup. In an effort to find a resolution, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) proposed a hybrid model for the tournament, splitting it into two phases. The initial phase would take place in Pakistan, excluding India, while the second phase would be held in the UAE.

Regarding the reported concerns about the weather, Afridi stressed that professional cricketers should not base their decision to play solely on weather conditions.

“As professional cricketers, you shouldn’t let weather determine your participation. We’ve played matches at Sharjah in the scorching heat at 10 am in the morning. We used to feel dizzy when going towards the boundary line. It was extremely hot. These things happen, but they also test your fitness level,” Afridi stated during an interview on a local TV channel.

“If you want to make an excuse, you can come up with anything like it being too hot in the UAE. I believe these are just excuses,” he added.

Meanwhile, an Indian media report revealed that Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary and ACC chairman, has made it clear to the other countries that they do not accept the PCB’s suggested “hybrid model.” Shah recently discussed this matter with the heads of member nations and proposed that the tournament should take place at a single venue, specifically Sri Lanka.

According to the report, all other participating nations have agreed to play in Sri Lanka, and the PCB, as the designated hosts, will have to comply and play in Sri Lanka or withdraw. In this case, the four participating teams will be India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, with the inclusion of a fifth team yet to be determined.

In response to Shadab’s tweet, Afridi said, “My expectation from Shaheen is to perform with the ball first, as Pakistan depends on his early success (break throw). “I know he is working hard on his batting as well and we have seen what he can do,” said the former captain.

Shaheen, who excels in the bowling department, had earlier said that he wants to help the Men in Green win with his batting skills.
Ahead of the series with the Black Caps, the 23-year-old speedster said, “I am slowly learning the art of batting so that it helps Pakistan.” I want to win matches for Pakistan irrespective of my batting position.’

Shaheen said that he was interested in batting since the Under-19 team, but never gave it a chance. But the opportunity came recently, as he took a lot of batting practice during his rehabilitation.

Meanwhile, former star cricketer Shahid Afridi also wished the Pakistani team good luck for the fifth and last match of the series.

Shahid Afridi’s son-in-law Shaheen Shah Afridi, Ihsanullah and Mohammad Haris was in the group photo taken after the dinner. The coaching staff of Pakistan team including Haris, Naseem Shah, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed were seen but the captain of the winning team However, Babar Azam was not seen there.

Posting a group photo from his social media account, Shahid Afridi wrote, “I am proud to host a dinner party for the heroes of Pakistan. I pray to Allah for all of them, that the next matches can also be won like this.” It should be noted that Pakistan has won the series in the first 3 matches of the five-match series.

Notably, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Najam Sethi said that the interim selection committee headed by Shahid Afridi wanted to remove Babar Azam from the captaincy. Critics are trying to link the Pakistan captain’s absence in Afridi’s claim with that statement.