ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal was named among other players in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s Player of the Month awards from November’s international contests.
Bangladesh left arm spinner Nahida Akter celebrates her second successive nomination for the Women’s Player of the Month after more wicket-taking heroics in her side’s ODI series triumph against Pakistan.
Compatriot Fargana Hoque joins her on the shortlist after starring with the bat, notching valuable runs in the second and third encounters. The final name on the list is Pakistan’s Sadia, nominated for the first time thanks to her economical spells and an impressive performance in the first match.
Sadia was among the wickets once more during Pakistan’s visit to Bangladesh. Despite falling short of series victory, Iqbal impressed with economical wicket taking spells in the early exchanges, said a press release.
The first match was a particular highlight for the 28-year-old, her nine overs going for 13 runs with four wickets falling. This Player of the Match display was followed by another two wicket-haul, and Iqbal ended the month with six wickets at 12.50 and an economy rate of 2.58.
Nahida was named on the shortlist for the second successive month after her performances guided Bangladesh to a 2-1 victory over Pakistan in Mirpur. Nominated in October for her T20I endeavours, this time she conquered in ODIs – Akter winning the Player of the Series award with seven wickets across the three matchups at an average of 14.14, taking three for 30 in the first match and three for 26 in the decisive final fixture.
Meanwhile, with 110 runs in the victorious ODI series, Fargana Hoque earned her inaugural nomination for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month. The opener played a key role in levelling the series with a valuable 40 runs in the second outing in addition to a catch and a run out in the field as Bangladesh won in the Super Over. The series was won when Hoque top-scored in the third match with a controlled score of 62 to chase down the target and seal the triumph.
Meanwhile Men’s Player of the Month shortlist features two of Australia’s key performers as they secured their sixth Men’s Cricket World Cup crown, and one of India’s record-breaking strike bowlers.
Travis Head wrote himself into World Cup legend during November courtesy of two match-winning performances in the semi-final and final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to earn his first nomination since June. Similarly, Glenn Maxwell grabbed the headlines with an unforgettable innings to seal qualification through to the knockout stages. Completing the lineup of nominees is India’s Mohammed Shami, whose inspired bowling performances saw India blitz their opponents on the way to the final.
Head was nominated for the Men’s Player of the Month for the first time since his match-winning contributions helped Australia clinch the ICC World Test Championship Final in June.
A similar story unfolded in India, culminating in two Player of the Match performances in the knockout stages. South Africa were thwarted by Head’s brilliance with bat and ball in the semi-final in Kolkata; the spinner taking the key wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and Marco Jansen before top scoring with 62 in 48 balls in the thrilling chase.
His crowning glory however came in Ahmedabad. Staring at 241 for victory, Head hit a sparkling 137 in 120 balls to see his side home at a canter amid jubilant celebrations.
The Australian veteran (Glenn Maxwell) was shortlisted for the first time after a prolific November, which included arguably one of the great World Cup performances against Afghanistan in Mumbai. Chasing down 292 for victory after being 91 for seven, Maxwell smashed 31 boundaries in his unbeaten 201 to seal Australia’s safe passage to the knockout stages.
Fast forward to the final, and Maxwell again made key contributions, bowling a disciplined spell and removing the threat of Rohit Sharma before hitting the winning runs. Not done there, Maxwell also starred in the subsequent T20I matches against India, hitting 104 not out in 48 balls in the third encounter in Guwahati.
Shami topped the wicket-taking charts at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, and led India’s bowling attack in fine fashion with a number of scintillating displays during the month.
He started November with a Player of the Match performance against Sri Lanka in Mumbai, tearing through their batting lineup with sterling figures of five for 18. His highlight came in the semi-final victory over New Zealand though, where the pacer took seven wickets for 57 runs, booking the home team’s ticket to the Final. During the calendar month, Shami took 15 wickets at a remarkable average of 12.06.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 07 (APP): Renowned novelist and short story writer Intizar Hussain was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Thursday.
Born on December 7, 1925, Intizar Hussain gained wide recognition through his novels, short stories, poetry and nonfiction. He received several national and international awards including Sitara-e-Imtiaz from the government of Pakistan.
He died in Lahore on February 2, 2016.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): Pakistani pugilist Younis Khan has broken the Guinness World Record of Egypt’s Fariz Muhammad Shaban.
Younis, who hails from South Waziristan, broke the world record for the most one-hundred punches in one
minute.
Fariz Muhammad Shaban of Egypt did 214 punches in one minute while Younis was able to set the record by hitting 265 punches.
Younis has already set two Guinness World Records and was the student of Pakistan’s renowned martial artist and Guinness World Record Holder Irfan Mehsood.
As many as 15 students of Irfan have made Guinness World Records and his club ‘Lion’s Den Fight Club’ has set 115 Guinness World Records so far.
Irfan has broken many records including most push-ups (fingertips, carrying a 60 lb pack) in one minute, most step-ups in one minute (carrying a 100 lb pack), and the longest time in a reverse abdominal plank position carrying a 100 lb pack. He was also the only athlete to break world records using 80 to 100 Pounds of weight.
“I’m the only Pakistani athlete to break most of India’s world records. I have so far broken records of nine countries including India, USA, UK, France, the Philippines, Iraq, Egypt, Italy, and Spain,” he told APP.
RAWALPINDI, Dec 07 (APP): Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) in its crackdown against drug traffickers conducted 10 operations across the country and recovered 425 kg drugs besides arresting seven accused, said an ANF Headquarters spokesman here on Thursday.
He informed that 1400 grams Ice drug was recovered from a passenger’s trolley bag at Allama Iqbal International Airport. The accused resident of Lahore was leaving for Bahrain by flight number GF-676.
In another operation, 650 grams heroin was recovered from a passenger’s trolley bag at Allama Iqbal International Airport. Accused resident of Lahore was going to Bahrain by Flight No. GF-767 arrested.
3 kg heroin and 240 grams Ice were recovered from a parcel booked for the UK at a courier office in Karachi. 1040 grams heroin and 1025 grams Ice were recovered from two suspects arrested near T- Chowk Rawalpindi. The accused including a woman were arrested during the operation.
66 kg hashish hidden in a rickshaw was recovered near Afridi Chowk Karachi while an accused was arrested.
32.4 kg hashish hidden in two inverters was recovered on Super Highway Karachi while an accused was also arrested during the operation.
9.6 kg hashish was recovered from the bag of an accused rounded up near Jinnah Colony Karachi.
100 kg hashish and 200 kg opium hidden in a house on Noshki Road, Mastung were recovered. 9 kg hashish was hidden in Zakhakhel Khyber area while 690 grams Ice was recovered from an uninhabited area of Nadra Chowk, Torkham.
Separate cases under the Anti-Narcotics Act have been registered against the arrested accused while further investigations are under process.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 07 (APP): Pakistan’s economic landscape is undergoing a remarkable transformation, propelled by the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the country’s vast natural resources.
The Pakistan Business Forum (PBF) declared that Pakistan is poised to become the world’s most coveted investment destination, attracting billions in investments, Chairman PBF Atif Ikram Skeikh said on Thursday.
Atif Ikram Sheikh, PBF Chairman (Capital Area), painted a vibrant picture of Pakistan’s potential, highlighting its 250 million strong population, 60% of whom are under 30, as the nation’s most valuable asset. This young and dynamic demographic, coupled with abundant natural resources, presents an irresistible opportunity for investors.
Sheikh, addressing dignitaries from the UAE business community, emphasized the unwavering commitment of Pakistan’s government to economic stability. The SIFC’s one-window approach to meeting investor needs, combined with the stock market’s record-breaking performance and a strengthening rupee against the US dollar, are testaments to this commitment.
Beyond economic prosperity, Sheikh lauded the transformative initiatives undertaken by the armed forces under the leadership of General Asim Munir. These initiatives have instilled hope and fostered a stable environment for investment and growth. The decisive action against the smuggling mafia, which hampered the national economy, further strengthens confidence in Pakistan’s economic future.
PBF also extended its full support to the UAE’s Presidency for COP 28, highlighting the importance of collective action to address climate change and establish a Loss and Damage fund. The forum acknowledged the significant contributions of the 1.8 million Pakistanis residing in the UAE, who have played a vital role in strengthening the ties between the two nations.
Pakistan’s emergence as a rising star of investment holds immense promise for the future. The nation’s strategic location, demographic dividend, and abundant resources, coupled with unwavering commitment to stability and progress, pave the way for an era of unprecedented growth and prosperity.
ISLAMABAD, Dec 7 (APP): Speaker of the National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf urged Pakistanis on Thursday to enthusiastically participate in the upcoming elections and said that the power of their vote would determine the fate of the country.
In a message on Voter Day, the speaker said that general elections were scheduled for February 8 in Pakistan, and it was the prime responsibility of all citizens to actively engage in the electoral process.
He highlighted the need for broad participation in the democratic process, emphasizing that decisions made through the ballot box would shape the future of Pakistan.
He said, this year’s delimitation process had included a significant number of young voters, reflecting a positive trend for the future of democratic engagement.
The speaker commended the increased inclusion of youth in the electoral process.
He specifically encouraged women voters to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming elections, emphasizing the importance of their full and meaningful participation in shaping the country’s destiny.
He urged all Pakistanis to eagerly await the opportunity to send their elected representatives to the National Assembly, contributing to the progress and development of the country.
Expressing commitment to working together for the betterment of Pakistan and making decisions that would positively impact future generations, the speaker hoped that, on February 8, 2024, Pakistan would witness a new era of democracy through fair and transparent elections.
Serving the nation since 1947 by providing an accurate, objective, uninterrupted flow of news to the people, the national news service is pursuing a comprehensive strategy to transform the existing news operations into a forward-looking service – APP Digital for its diverse subscriber-base and the public.
Contact us: news@app.com.pk
Copyright © Associated Press of Pakistan