Cricket

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the legendary Indian cricketer, has etched his name in the annals of cricket history as one of the most successful captains of all time. Known for his unwavering composure and astute tactical acumen, Dhoni led the Indian national cricket team to unprecedented heights, winning all three major ICC tournaments: the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy.Dhoni's leadership style is characterized by his ability to remain calm under pressure, his keen understanding of the game, and his unwavering belief in his players. His ability to make quick decisions and adapt to changing circumstances has been instrumental in India's success on the international stage.Beyond his cricketing prowess, Dhoni has also garnered immense respect from fans and opponents alike for his humble demeanor and sportsmanlike conduct. Despite the intense rivalry between India and Pakistan, Dhoni's calm demeanor and respectful attitude towards opponents have won over fans across borders.One such Pakistani cricketer who is a fervent admirer of Dhoni is Sajid Khan, the spinner who played a pivotal role in Pakistan's recent Test series victory against England. In a viral video, Khan expressed his admiration for Dhoni, stating, "The best captain is MS Dhoni, he is very cool and calm, and a successful captain too."Khan's admiration for Dhoni is a testament to the latter's enduring legacy as a cricketing icon. Dhoni's ability to inspire and motivate his players, coupled with his tactical brilliance, has made him a role model for aspiring cricketers around the world.

Pakistan's seasoned off-spinner Sajid Khan has employed a unique strategy to unsettle England players during the ongoing third Test in Rawalpindi. Beyond his trademark mustache twirling and thigh thumping, Sajid has leveraged his bilingualism to gain an edge.While Sajid's bowling prowess stems from his spin angle and delivery flight, his batting exploits are a different tale. During the 86th over, Sajid engaged in a conversation with vice-captain Saud Shakeel, oblivious to the stump mic capturing their exchange.Sajid's subsequent six over midwicket into the Javed Miandad stand was a deliberate ploy, as he revealed. The intended targets were Pakistan-origin spinners Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir."We were only doing that [speaking loudly in Urdu] to deceive the bowlers. Rehan and Shoaib understand Urdu, so to fool them, we wanted them to hear we were only looking for the single. When we did that, they brought the field up, and the bowlers flighted it. Saud told me once they do, no half measures: just go for the big shot as hard as you can," Sajid explained.In the following over, Sajid unleashed two sixes and a four against Bashir, again targeting the midwicket region. His unbeaten 48 off 48 balls propelled Pakistan to 344.Rehan acknowledged Sajid's impressive batting but denied being misled by the Urdu conversation."He didn't fool me at all. He just said it for the media. I didn't even hear him. He said something like he's going to run down this ball, and I knew he was going to try and scoop me, and it didn't really work. I think he batted well, and he hit some big blows, but he didn't really fool me or Bash," Rehan said.Sajid's tactics have added an intriguing dimension to the Test match, showcasing his ability to influence the game both on and off the field.

Pakistan's seasoned spinner Sajid Khan has become a sensation with his witty response to a question about the "scare" he was giving to England batters in the third Test at Rawalpindi.Khan, along with fellow spinner Noman Ali, wreaked havoc on England's batting lineup, reminiscent of the legendary Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis duo. When asked about this comparison in a post-match press conference, Khan delivered an epic reply."I didn't scare anyone," Khan said with a chuckle. "You guys are saying that I did. God has given me such a look that even if I laugh, people get scared."Khan's humor aside, his partnership with Ali proved decisive in Pakistan's first series win in four attempts. The duo combined for 39 wickets in the second and third Tests, including crucial contributions with the bat.Khan praised Ali as Pakistan's most experienced spinner and declared that he deserved the Man of the Series award alongside him. "Noman bhai is a great mate and has served well," Khan said. "He deserved this award with me."Pakistan's captain, Shan Masood, also expressed his delight at the series victory, which ended his wait for his first as Test captain. "Thankful to God for the series win," Masood said. "There was no pressure as such. I was making a comeback, but there were people who backed me."Khan's return to the side was a major factor in Pakistan's success. He thanked God for the 2-1 series win and expressed gratitude to those who supported him. "I was making a comeback, but there were people who backed me," Khan said.

In the twilight of their careers, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal faced off in the 2017 Australian Open final, both battling injuries and fading from prominence. Despite the odds, they delivered an unforgettable match, with Federer emerging victorious. In a poignant moment, Federer expressed his willingness to share the title with Nadal, acknowledging the sport's unforgiving nature.Similarly, Sajid Khan and Noman Ali had faded from view in Pakistan cricket, with no recent first-class appearances and dwindling hopes of a national team return. However, in a remarkable turn of events, they emerged as the stars of Pakistan's recent Test series against England, sharing 39 of the 40 English wickets to fall.Sajid, awarded the Player of the Series, echoed Federer's sentiment, crediting Noman's mentorship and experience. "Nomi bhai is one of the most experienced players on the Pakistan domestic circuit," Sajid said. "We should be sharing these Player of the Series awards. He's a great spinner who has mentored and helped me as well."For England, the series was a disaster, but for Pakistan, it will be remembered for the resurgence of Sajid and Noman. Their dominance over England's batters seemed inevitable in hindsight, but when England reached 211 for 2 in the first innings in Multan, it was Sajid and Noman's reputations that were on the line.Despite Sajid's insistence that he felt no pressure, the weight of expectation was evident. "There wasn't so much pressure [of the series] but [there was] some pressure of the comeback," he admitted. "The captain, the vice captain, the whole team was gelling well together. We play domestic cricket together, on these kinds of wickets, so there wasn't that much pressure."Noman, the elder statesman at 38, recognized the significance of their performance. "We're grateful we had the conditions for the opportunity to win the series this way," he said. "The way we came back is especially pleasing, and we hope we get similar conditions in future and we'll pose difficulties for other teams."However, Noman also acknowledged the shortcomings in Pakistan's spin strategy. "I think if you want to prepare spinners, you need to play more red-ball cricket," he said. "You get all kinds of conditions in first-class cricket with new and old ball. When you do that, it gives you a lot of experience."As Pakistan contemplates the future of their spin attack, the lessons learned from this series will be invaluable. If they are to continue employing a spin-heavy approach, they must invest in developing their spinners through regular first-class cricket.

Pakistan is on the verge of securing their first home series victory since 2021 after dismantling England for a mere 112 runs in the third and final Test in Rawalpindi. The hosts now require a modest 36 runs to seal the triumph.Noman Ali and Sajid Khan, the dynamic spin duo, once again proved their mettle, claiming all 10 English wickets between them. Noman, with his left-arm spin, bagged six wickets for 42 runs, marking his sixth five-wicket haul. Sajid, on the other hand, registered four wickets for 69 runs, securing his second 10-wicket match haul in his 10-Test career.England's batting lineup, which had started the day 53 runs behind, initially showed promise with Joe Root and Harry Brook at the crease. However, Sajid and Noman's introduction turned the tide. Brook was dismissed by Noman after a promising start, while Sajid accounted for Ben Stokes and Jamie Smith.Root, who had been England's beacon of hope, was eventually trapped by Noman's guile. The veteran spinner delivered a perfect delivery that dipped onto a length, enticing Root to drive forward and nick the ball to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.Sajid then cleaned up the tail, dismissing Gus Atkinson and Rehan Ahmed to secure his second 10-wicket match haul. Shoaib Bashir was initially given out LBW, but a DRS review overturned the decision. However, Noman soon ended Bashir's resistance, while Jack Leach was stumped by Rizwan.Pakistan's victory in this Test series is a testament to the brilliance of Noman and Sajid. Since their inclusion in the squad, they have combined for 39 wickets, with Noman taking 20 at an average of 13.85 and Sajid claiming 19 at an average of 21.01.

Pakistan vs England, 3rd Test Day 2 Live Updates: Pakistan Faces Recovery Challenge After England's 267Pakistan's batters face a daunting task on Day 2 of the decisive third Test against England in Rawalpindi, as they aim to recover from a shaky start and build a competitive total. The hosts ended Day 1 on 73 for 3, trailing England's first-innings score of 267.Overnight batters Shan Masood and Saud Shakeel will be crucial to Pakistan's recovery efforts. Masood, the captain, and Shakeel remained unbeaten at stumps, with scores of 30 and 23, respectively.England's bowlers made early inroads on Day 1, with James Anderson dismissing Abdullah Shafique for a duck and Ollie Robinson removing Imam-ul-Haq for 12. Sajid Khan, Pakistan's star performer in the second Test, continued his impressive form, claiming six wickets for 75 runs. He was ably supported by Noman Ali, who took three wickets.England's batting was led by wicket-keeper batter Jamie Smith, who scored a gritty 89. Opener Ben Duckett also made a valuable contribution with 52. However, Pakistan's bowlers kept the English batsmen in check, with Khan and Ali sharing nine wickets between them.Pakistan will need to bat patiently and build partnerships on Day 2 to put pressure on England. The pitch is expected to deteriorate as the match progresses, making batting conditions more challenging.England, on the other hand, will be looking to maintain their momentum and take early wickets to put Pakistan under further pressure. The visitors will be confident of their chances, having won the first Test and drawn the second.The outcome of the third Test will determine the series winner. Pakistan will be desperate to avoid defeat and level the series, while England will be aiming to secure a famous victory on Pakistani soil.

On the opening day of the third and final Test match between England and Pakistan, the pitch at Karachi's National Stadium presented a challenging surface for batters, resulting in a dramatic collapse of wickets.Pakistan's Sajid Khan emerged as the star performer, claiming six wickets for 128 runs in 29.2 overs. This marked the third time in his career that he has taken five or more wickets in an innings.England captain Ben Stokes, who won the toss and elected to bat first, saw his team make a solid start, reaching 56 without loss. However, the pitch's unpredictable behavior soon became evident, and Zak Crawley's dismissal for 29 triggered a rapid collapse.England lost five wickets for just 42 runs, slumping from 56-0 to 98-5 within 12.5 overs. The pitch's uneven bounce and variable pace proved to be a nightmare for the batters.Despite the difficult conditions, Jamie Smith emerged as a beacon of hope for England, scoring a gritty 89 runs. He formed a crucial 107-run partnership with Gus Atkinson, who contributed 39 runs, helping England recover from their precarious position of 118-6.By lunch, England had reached 110-5, and by tea, they had progressed to 242-8, thanks to Smith and Atkinson's efforts. England's innings eventually concluded with a total of 267 runs.Sajid Khan's impressive bowling performance was a major factor in Pakistan's dominance on the first day. His ability to extract bounce and movement from the pitch proved to be a handful for the English batters.The match is poised for an intriguing contest over the remaining days, with Pakistan holding a slight advantage after the first day's play.

Pakistan Spinners Dominate England on Day 1 of Deciding TestIn a captivating opening day of the series-deciding third Test in Rawalpindi, Pakistan's spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali wreaked havoc on England's batting lineup.England, opting to bat first, made a promising start with openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley putting on a 52-run partnership. However, Noman Ali broke the stand by dismissing Crawley for 29. Sajid Khan then joined the fray, and together with Noman, they ripped through England's top order.Ollie Pope, Joe Root, and Harry Brook all fell cheaply, scoring just 3, 5, and 5 runs respectively. England slumped to 98 for five in the first session, with Pakistan keeper Mohammad Rizwan teasing batter Harry Brook over the stump mic, saying, "No more Bazball."The collapse continued after lunch as England lost skipper Ben Stokes for 12. At the close of play, England were struggling at 110 for six, with Sajid Khan and Noman Ali having taken three wickets each.Sajid Khan's impressive performance included the wicket of England's star batter Joe Root, who was trapped leg before wicket for just 5 runs. Noman Ali, meanwhile, dismissed Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, and Ben Stokes.Pakistan's dominance with the ball has put them in a strong position in the match. England will need to find a way to counter the spin threat if they are to avoid a series defeat.

Pakistan's spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali have etched their names in cricketing history by becoming the seventh pair of bowlers to capture all 20 wickets in a Test match. Their remarkable feat propelled Pakistan to a resounding 152-run victory over England in the second Test at Multan, setting up a thrilling winner-takes-all showdown in the series finale at Rawalpindi.Noman, the senior partner at 38, led the charge with a career-best 8-46 in England's second innings, while Sajid's 7-111 in the first innings laid the foundation for Pakistan's crucial 75-run lead. Their combined match figures of 11-147 and 9-204, respectively, highlight their dominance on a worn and turning Multan track.The spin pair's success stems from their contrasting styles and unwavering confidence. Noman's left-arm spin provides accuracy and control, while Sajid's off-spin generates sharp turn and bounce. Together, they kept the England batsmen guessing, exploiting the conditions to perfection."We bowled with a lot of confidence and his energy is always very high," Noman said of his partner. "Our plan was to keep it simple. We knew the England batsman would attack, so we were not distracted and kept it simple."Sajid, known for his flamboyant celebrations and immaculately groomed mustache, has become a fan favorite. "I followed my father in keeping a mustache," he said. "David Warner once said he was frightened of my mustache."Former Pakistan spinner Iqbal Qasim believes that Noman and Sajid complement each other perfectly. "Spin gives us the winning formula which we were not using," he said. "Noman and Sajid have matured with experience and can continue to give home wins like this."While it is too early to compare them to India's spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, Noman and Sajid have undoubtedly established themselves as a formidable force. Their performance in Multan has reignited Pakistan's hopes of a series victory and has set the stage for an epic showdown in Rawalpindi.