ISLAMABAD: The timid batting of Pakistan’s cricket team has left the country’s former cricketers and fans furious after rival India snatched a thrilling six-run win in the marquee game at the Twenty20 World Cup in New York.
A second successive loss in Group A on Sunday left Pakistan in danger of not advancing to the Super 8 stage of the tournament being jointly hosted by the US and the West Indies.
The United States, playing at the World Cup for first time, already made history last Thursday when it beat Pakistan in a Super Over after both teams were locked at 159 during the regulation 20-overs game.
Only two teams from each of the four groups advance to the second stage. So Pakistan needs to win its remaining games against Canada and Ireland and also hope results of other group games go in its favor to progress.
“I think I should have a template text ‘disappointed and hurt’ automatically set to be posted,” wrote former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“We should give credit to Pakistan, they tried their best to lose this game, I could not think any other way,” Akhtar said on national television’s sports channel PTV Sports. “It was run-a-ball, nobody asked you to hit and do anything stupid. Shocking, surprised, disappointed, but that was expected.”
Akhtar said the Pakistan team is made up of ordinary cricketers and he has no hope the team will get better in the future.
“They won’t change,” he said. “You are demanding extraordinary things from average people, you won’t get it. When mediocrity comes in you can’t get beyond that. That’s what you are getting from your investment (in cricket) for the last 20 years.”
Akhtar also criticized the International Cricket Council for the drop-in pitches in New York where all the five games have been low-scoring ones.
“Who makes that kind of tracks?” he questioned. “You had one year to prepare yourself. Hello ICC, wake up.”
Pakistan blew an ideal opportunity after its fast bowlers had bowled out India for 119 in 19 overs on another tricky surface where batters continued to struggle. It was cruising along at 80-3 in 13 overs when set batter Mohammad Rizwan played a reckless shot against Jasprit Bumrah and eventually Pakistan got restricted at 113-7.
“Batsmen throw it away as Pakistan lose to India in low-scoring nailbiter,” read the headline on the front page of English daily newspaper Dawn. The newspaper also splashed the picture of Rizwan on his knee after getting clean bowled and Bumrah celebrating the dismissal with Virat Kohli.
“Pakistan squander solid start as India claim T20 thriller,” headlined The News, another English daily.
Pakistan’s former fast bowling greats Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, who commentated on the game from New York, also vented their anger after the defeat against India.
“They have been playing cricket for 10 years and I can’t teach them,” Akram said. “Rizwan has no game awareness. He should have known Bumrah was given the ball to take wickets and that the wise thing would have been to play his deliveries cautiously, but Rizwan went for the big shot and lost his wicket.”
Younis said it was a horrible performance from the batters.
“Pakistan, if you can’t win this game, what should I say?,” he said. “This was given to you on a plate and Pakistan really spilled it. It was horrible performance by the Pakistan batters. There were a few partnerships in the beginning but they couldn’t really finish the game.
Thousands of cricket-mad fans had gathered in front of large screens in major cities in Pakistan to watch the blockbuster contest between the two nuclear-armed nations that have not played in any bilateral cricket matches for over a decade, but regularly play against each other in the ICC tournaments.
At least 17,000 people watched the game live on screens at the Pindi Cricket Stadium ‘fan park’, specifically set up by the ICC.
“I can’t believe it,” said 20-year-old university student Ibrahim Irfan after he walked out of the stadium in disbelief with his four friends. “It’s disgusting to say the least. How can they lose a game while chasing such a small target? We need a major overhaul. We are sick and tired of watching the same useless batters like Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim.”
Ahmed Awan, another fan who watched the game on giant screen in Karachi, said Pakistan players play for personal milestones.
“They bowled well but the batting was disappointing. They are playing for personal milestones … they should open the batting with tailenders and also in the middle order. The openers should come in the latter half of the game, be it (captain) Babar (Azam) or Rizwan.”
Loss to rival India at T20 World Cup leaves former Pakistan cricket greats and fans furious
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Loss to rival India at T20 World Cup leaves former Pakistan cricket greats and fans furious
- A second successive loss in Group A on Sunday left Pakistan in danger of not advancing to the Super 8 stage of the tournament
- The United States, playing at the World Cup for first time, already made history last Thursday when it beat Pakistan in Super Over
Gunmen kill two barbers among three, set police vehicle ablaze in Pakistan’s southwest
- Balochistan has been the site of a decades-old insurgency where separatist militants often target security forces, foreigners and ethnic Punjabi workers
- The latest attack comes at a time when Pakistan is fighting another insurgency in its northwest and is engaged with arch-foe India at the eastern border
QUETTA: Gunmen killed three people, including two barbers from the eastern Punjab province, and set a police vehicle ablaze in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province in the southwest, police and paramilitary Levies officials said on Saturday.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s most impoverished province, has been the site of a decades-old insurgency, where separatist militants often target security forces, police, foreigners and ethnic Punjabi commuters and workers, who they see as “outsiders,” by wresting control of highways and remote towns.
In this first attack, gunmen shot dead three people and injured another one inside a barber shop in Lasbela, a district adjacent to Pakistan’s commercial capital of Karachi, according to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Atif Amir.
“Two of the deceased hailed from Bahawalpur (Punjab) and one from Quetta,” the official told Arab News. “Hunt for the attackers is underway.”
In another incident, dozens of armed men entered the Panjgur district late on Friday night and attempted to seize control of the Panjgur city and nearby areas.
“The armed men set a police vehicle and record of the Panjgur police station on fire,” Abdullah Baloch, an official at the Panjgur Levies control room, told Arab News.
“No casualty was reported despite an exchange of fire between security forces and armed men in Panjgur city and Goran, another area located 15 kilometers from Panjgur.”
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks, but Baloch separatists have carried out similar assaults on law enforcers and ethnic Punjabis in the past.
The separatists accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s natural resources, such as gold and copper, and accuse foreigners and people from other province of backing the Pakistani state. Successive Pakistani governments have denied the allegations and said they only worked for the uplift of the region and its people.
The latest attacks come at a time, when Pakistan is fighting another insurgency by religiously motivated militant groups in its northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, while the country’s eastern border with India has also flared up in recent weeks over an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists last month.
Islamabad has variously accused Afghanistan and India of supporting the Pakistani Taliban and Baloch separatist groups, an allegation denied by Kabul and New Delhi.
In March, the Baloch Liberation Army separatist group hijacked a train with hundreds of passengers aboard near Balochistan’s Bolan Pass, which resulted in the deaths of 23 soldiers, three railway employees and five passengers. At least 33 insurgents were also killed, according to officials.
Late last month, police killed nine suspected militants in an intelligence-based operation in Balochistan’s Pishin district.
Pakistan shuts its airspace for 24 hours after fresh exchange of strikes with India
- India-Pakistan tensions, sparked by last month’s attack Kashmir that killed 26 people, spiraled into a military conflict this week
- The ongoing conflict has forced intermittent closure of airspaces in both countries, plunging the regional air traffic into disarray
KARACHI: Pakistan has once again closed its airspace to all domestic and international flights for 24 hours, the country’s airports authority said on Saturday, hours after Islamabad hit Indian military targets in retaliation to what it said were strikes on three of its air bases.
India-Pakistan tensions, sparked by last month’s attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, spiraled into a military conflict this week, when India conducted missile strikes on what it called “militant training camps” in five Pakistani cities, which Islamabad said killed 31 civilians.
Both sides have since exchanged drone, missile and artillery strikes, with either one claiming to have acted in retaliation. The ongoing conflict forced intermittent closure of airspaces in both countries, where flight operations were already affected since the neighbors closed their airspaces for the other shortly after the Kashmir attack.
While Pakistan partially resumed flight operations this week, Islamabad decided to close its airspace for another 24 hours after Pakistan launched strikes on Indian military targets in response to what it said were attacks on three of its air bases, one close to the capital, in the wee hours of Saturday.
“Pakistan’s airspace will remain closed for all types of flights until 12PM tomorrow (May 11),” a Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) spokesperson said around Saturday noon.
The ongoing tensions between Pakistan and India have plunged flight operations across the region into a disarray, with several domestic and international flights delayed, canceled or returned. The state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) this week suspended all flights after halting ground operations and initially diverting airborne planes to Karachi.
The latest closure bars both domestic and international air traffic from entering Pakistan’s airspace, a major corridor for flights between Europe and Asia.
Several Asian airlines, including EVA Air, Korean Air, Thai Airways and China Airlines, have rerouted or delayed flights for Europe, citing “safety concerns” due to the ongoing conflict. A Taipei-Milan flight was diverted to Vienna for refueling this week, while Korean Air opted for a longer route via Myanmar and Bangladesh.
India’s flight operations have also been impacted, with several airports closed.
The conflict has drawn international concern and world powers, including the United States, United Kingdom and China, have urged both countries to exercise restraint and avoid any escalation.
Pakistan minister denies nuclear body meeting after offensive launched on India
- Since Wednesday both sides have carried out strikes, counter strikes
- US secretary of State Rubio calls both sides for de-escalation, direct talks
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s defense minister said on Saturday that no meeting of the top military and civil body overseeing the country’s nuclear arsenal had been scheduled following a military operation against India earlier in the day.
Pakistan’s military said earlier that the prime minister had called on the authority to meet. The information minister did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
The worst fighting between the nuclear-armed rivals since 1999 has killed dozens of people on both sides and led to repeated calls for de-escalation from the United States and the G7 group of rich countries.
“This thing that you have spoken about (nuclear option) is present, but let’s not talk about it — we should treat it as a very distant possibility, we shouldn’t even discuss it in the immediate context,” Pakistan Defense Minister Khawaja Asif told ARY TV.
“Before we get to that point, I think temperatures will come down. No meeting has happened of the National Command Authority, nor is any such meeting scheduled.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Pakistan’s Army Chief General Asim Munir and India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, urging both sides to de-escalate and “re-establish direct communication to avoid miscalculation.”
“India’s approach has always been measured and responsible and remains so,” Jaishankar said on X after the call with Rubio.
Pakistan’s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, told local television that if India stops here then “we will consider to stop here.”
Indian media reported that Indian and Pakistani officials had spoken on Saturday.
The Indian military said regarding Pakistan’s military attacks on Saturday that “all hostile actions have been effectively countered and responded appropriately.”
“The Pakistan military has been observed to be moving their troops into forward areas, indicating offensive intent to further escalate the situation,” Indian Wing Commander Vyomika Singh told a press conference.
“Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness. Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military.”
STRIKES, COUNTER STRIKES
Pakistan early on Saturday said it had targeted multiple bases in India including a missile storage site in India’s north, in response to prior attacks by the Indian military.
India said there was limited damage to equipment and personnel at air force stations at the Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj areas. The military said there were several high-speed missile attacks on several air bases in Punjab, and that India had responded to the attacks.
Five civilians were killed in the attacks in the Jammu region of Indian-administered Kashmir, regional police said.
Pakistan said that, before its offensive, India had fired missiles at three air bases, including one close to the capital, Islamabad, but Pakistani air defenses intercepted most of them.
Analysts and diplomats have long feared that conflict between the arch-rivals could escalate into the use of nuclear weapons, in one of the world’s most dangerous and most populated nuclear flashpoint regions.
Locked in a longstanding dispute over Kashmir, the two countries have engaged in daily clashes since Wednesday when India launched strikes inside Pakistan on what it called “terrorist infrastructure.” Pakistan vowed to retaliate.
Pakistan’s information minister said in a post on X that Saturday’s military operation was named “Operation Bunyanun Marsoos.” The term is taken from the Qur'an and means a firm, united structure.
Sounds of explosions were reported in India’s Srinagar and Jammu, where sirens sounded, a Reuters witness said.
“India through its planes launched air-to-surface missiles ... Nur Khan base, Mureed base and Shorkot base were made targets,” Pakistan military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a late-night televised statement.
India has said its strikes on Wednesday, which started the latest clashes between the countries, were in retaliation for a deadly attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month.
Pakistan denied India’s accusations that it was involved in the tourist attack. Since Wednesday, the two countries have exchanged cross-border fire and shelling, and sent drones and missiles into each other’s airspace.
Pakistan and India say will consider de-escalation if other reciprocates
- India hit Pakistan with air strikes and missiles on Wednesday and since then they have been clashing daily, with dozens killed
- Pakistan said Saturday India had attacked three bases in Pakistan, after which it had targeted multiple bases in India in response
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Indian officials on Saturday said they would consider de-escalation if the other nation reciprocated, amid the worst fighting between the nuclear-armed rivals in decades.
India hit Pakistan with air strikes and missiles on Wednesday and since then both countries have been clashing daily through drones and missiles and gunfighting on the Line of control, the de facto border that divides the disputed Kashmir region between them. At least 50 have been killed on both sides.
In the latest confrontation, Pakistan Military Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said early on Saturday India had attacked three bases in Pakistan with missiles, after which it had targeted multiple bases in India in response, including a missile storage site in India’s north.
India said there was limited damage to equipment and personnel at air force stations in the Udhampur, Pathankot, Adampur and Bhuj areas. The military said there were several high-speed missile attacks on several air bases in Punjab, and that India had responded to the attacks.
Five civilians were killed in attacks in the Jammu region of Indian-administered Kashmir, regional police said.
Speaking to Pakistani news channel Geo News, Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said Islamabad would consider de-escalation if New Delhi stopped further attacks.
“We responded because our patience had reached its limit. If they stop here, we will also consider stopping,” Dar said, adding that he had conveyed the same message to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who spoke with him after speaking to New Delhi hours ago.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said India was committed to “non-escalation.”
“Indian armed forces reiterate their commitment to non-escalation, provided it is reciprocated by the Pakistan military,” she said.
“Pak military has been observed to be moving their troops into forward areas, indicating offensive intent to further escalate the situation. Indian armed forces remain in a high state of operational readiness.”
Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri rejected Pakistan military’s claims that it had destroyed several air force stations in India and caused serious damage to military sites and critical infrastructure during the overnight strikes.
The Group of Seven (G7) major countries urged India and Pakistan to engage in direct dialogue while the US government said it had offered assistance in starting “constructive talks.”
After a call on Friday between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, the US State Department said Rubio offered US assistance “in starting constructive talks in order to avoid future conflicts.”
Rubio has held regular calls with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar since the end of April.
Latest tensions between Pakistan and India were triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam resort town that killed 26 people on April 22. New Delhi has said Islamabad was involved, which denies the allegation and said it is willing to participate in a transparent and credible inquiry.
Pakistan and India have a history of bitter relations, having fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, a region split between them, since gaining independence from the former British colonial rule in 1947.
Both nations acquired nuclear weapons in 1998.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia discuss regional tensions after Indian strikes, Islamabad’s response
- The ongoing conflict between Pakistan and India has alarmed world powers and friendly nations
- There have been fears that the hostilities may turn into a full-blown war, if not intervened timely
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, has spoken with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan and discussed with him escalating regional tensions, the Pakistani foreign ministry said on Saturday, following Pakistan’s retaliation to Indian military strikes on three of its air bases.
Pakistan said India conducted drone strikes on its Nur Khan, Murid and Shorkot air bases early Saturday, adding that most of them were intercepted by the country’s air defense systems.
India said Pakistan had overnight launched several high-speed missiles targeting multiple air bases and civilian infrastructure in the northern Indian state of Punjab and Indian-administered Kashmir.
The situation has alarmed world powers and friendly countries that the hostilities, sparked by a massacre in Indian-administered Kashmir, may lead to a full-blown war, if not intervened.
“Dar today spoke with the Foreign Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, HH Faisal bin Farhan. The DPM/FM apprised him on the current situation in the region following last night’s Indian attacks and Pakistan’s subsequent response,” the Pakistani foreign ministry said.
“Both leaders agreed to maintain close contact.”
Tensions between the two neighbors escalated after India on Wednesday conducted missile strikes deep inside Pakistan, which officials said killed 31 civilians in multiple cities.
Drone and missile incursions and munition fire between the two sides have since killed around 20 more people, mostly on the Indian side, sparking diplomatic calls for restraint.
“Saudi FM expressed condolences over the loss of innocent lives and appreciated Pakistan’s measured and restrained response,” Islamabad’s foreign ministry said.
The statement came a day after Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir’s daylong visit to Pakistan, which followed his surprise stop in New Delhi for talks with Indian officials.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan share close diplomatic and strategic relations. The Kingdom has extended significant support to Pakistan during prolonged economic challenges faced by Islamabad in recent years, including external financing and assistance with International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan programs.
Saudi Arabia has also contributed to global peacemaking efforts by hosting talks and mediating prisoner exchanges between Russia and Ukraine.
New Delhi has accused Pakistan of backing the April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. Islamabad denies it and has offered to participate in a credible, international probe.
Pakistan and India have fought multiple wars, including two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, since their independence from British rule in 1947. Both rule the region in part but claim it in full.
New Delhi routinely accuses Pakistan of supporting armed separatist militants in Kashmir. Islamabad denies the allegations and says it supports the Kashmiri people diplomatically and politically.
