Page 20 - Pakistan Link - October 20, 2023

P20 - PAKISTAN LINK - OCTOBER 20, 2023 SPORTS

ast bowler Hasan Ali be- Pakistani Players Sick from Being Six Pakistan players — Abdullah
lieves the fever that has spread Shafique, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mo-
Fthrough the Pakistan team at hammad Rizwan, Agha Salman as well
the World Cup has been caused by Confined To Hotels: Hasan Ali as reserves Mohammad Haris and Za-
being largely confined to their hotel. man Khan — were laid low with flu
"We can’t go out much. If we do and fever on Tuesday.
want to go out, we have to go with an "The hospitality is good and we are taken good care of," fast bowler says Pakistan supporters from across the
entire security team," said Hasan on border have been effectively banned
Thursday. from the World Cup after a failure to
Pakistan are on their first visit to In- gain visas.
dia in seven years while only two of the Only a handful attended the high-
15-man squad had ever played in the profile clash with India at Ahmed-
country before this World Cup. abad’s 132,000-seater stadium, mostly
The tense political and diplomatic expatriates from the United States and
relationship between the two neigh- the United Kingdom.
bours means that Pakistan and India "The number of fans has in-
meet only in international cricket tour- creased and with journalists, they
naments, not bilateral events. are now about 45-47. Yes, we are
Pakistan’s participation in the World missing our fans but that is not in
Cup had hinged on security clearance our hands," said Hasan, who is Pak-
from Islamabad and even when it was istan’s leading wicket-taker at this
given, the government said it still had World Cup with seven.
serious reservations over security for The Pakistan team faced a hostile
the team. crowd in Ahmedabad, prompting the
Visas for the Pakistan squad were Pakistan’s Hasan Ali speaks during a press conference on the eve of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup ODI match Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to lodge
only issued two days before their de- between Pakistan and Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 19, 2023. — AFP a complaint with the International
parture. Cricket Council.
"The hospitality is good and we are before going out because security is an Asked about the 13 fit players avail- players have recovered from fever but They protested over the "inappro-
taken good care of, but we cannot go issue," added 29-year-old Hasan, who able for Friday’s game against Austra- when you live in a hotel room then priate behaviour" of Indian fans to-
outside and we have to tell the security has an Indian wife. lia, Hasan replied: "Yes, most of the room sickness happens." wards the Pakistani players. AFP

Catherine Dalton Joins Multan Sultans to PCB Says Players Didn't Violate Any Code

Become 'First-Ever' Female PSL Coach of Conduct By Supporting Palestine

atherine Dalton has joined Tareen, Multan Sultans' owner said.
Multan Sultans as a fast "It’s truly an honour and I can’t
C bowling coach to become thank you enough for this opportuni-
Pakistan Super League's (PSL) first- ty," Dalton said while expressing grati-
ever female coach. tude to Tareen.
The 30-year-old was born in the UK "Having worked in Pakistan with
and later obtained Irish citizenship in some of the Multan Sultan players on
2015 and went on to represent Ireland two previous visits, I am really thrilled
in four one-day internationals (ODIs) to be officially joining up with the fran-
and four T20Is. Announcing Dalton's chise at the PSL," Dalton said while
services, Multan Sultans — on their X speaking to ESPNcricinfo.
account — referred to her as "an ECB- "It's not lost on me the ground-
certified Level 3 Advanced Coach, has breaking moment for a female fast-
previously occupied coaching roles at bowling coach to be working in a
the national fast-bowling academy in Catherine Dalton while coaching major men's T20 franchise. I am very
the United Kingdom and the Ultimate in Pakistan. — Instagram/@cath_ humbled by the opportunity and can-
Pace Foundation in India." dalton57 not wait to hopefully help make a dif- An undated image of the Pakistan Cricket Board. — AFP
Among her numerous assignments, ference on multiple levels," she added.
she worked with Deepak Chahar. Ad- "Catherine has been part of our It must be noted that PSL 9 is sched- n By Sohail Imran was a personal decision."
ditionally, Dalton served as the assis- player-development programme for uled to take place between February 8 Pakistan's national team expressed
tant head coach at the National Fast- almost five years now. I have seen how and March 24, 2024. Multan Sultans LAHORE: As the devastation in solidarity with the people and children
Bowling Academy based in the UK, she has improved players first-hand. were the runners-up in the 2023 edi- Gaza has sparked protests around the in Palestine by posting the state's flag
working in partnership with Ian Pont I always knew she would become a tion and have reached the final in each globe, the Pakistani cricket team has on their individual X, formerly known
and Andre Nel. fast-bowling coach at a high level," Ali of the past three tournaments. expressed their unwavering support as Twitter, accounts on Wednesday.
and offered prayers for all Palestin- Earlier, Pakistan's wicket-keeper
ians who are suffering due to Israel's batsman, Mohammad Rizwan, dedi-
World Cup 2023: Pakistan to Benefit actions, amid their participation in the cated the team's victory over Sri Lanka
ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup in to his "brothers and sisters in Gaza".
from 'Dog Chewed Ball' In India India. Meanwhile, Indian fans and crick-
However, as India has expressed et experts used the team's support
solidarity with Israel in the matter, for Palestine to create controversies,
several Indian fans and cricket ex- claiming that the national team had
n By Sports Desk perts have raised questions regarding violated ICC rules. Sources from PCB
akistan cricket team's head the players' continuous support for added that the team is "allowed to ex-
coach Grant Bradburn has said Palestine, asking the ICC, which is the press whatever they wanted to," and
Pthat the Men in Green are look- governing body of the sport, whether that the players "did not violate any
ing to take advantage of Indian con- such gestures are permitted during the code of conduct by the ICC or PCB".
ditions, which make the ball scuff up tournament. The Health Ministry in Gaza re-
quickly, in the upcoming matches of According to sources, the Pakistan ports that more than 3,000 Palestin-
the ongoing World Cup 2023. Paki- Cricket Board (PCB) rejected the ob- ians have died and over 13,000 more
stan will play their fourth match at the jections over players' conduct saying: have been injured as a result of Is-
ICC's showpiece event against Austra- "The team's expression of solidarity rael's shelling.
lia at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in
Bangalore on Friday (October 20).
Speaking ahead of the match, Brad- insights about the venues too — the Bradburn told PCB Digital in the lead-
burn said that the ball gets scuffed up ball is scuffing up quite quickly and up to the game. “That also brings in
Pakistan’s Hasan Ali (C) celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of quickly in the conditions in India so looks like it is dog chewed after about more reverse [swing] which plays into
India’s Virat Kohli during the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup one-day in- the bowlers will capitalise on reverse 20 overs. It obviously means the ball our hands. So all of those elements are
ternational (ODI) match between India and Pakistan at the Narendra Modi swing. becomes a little bit softer, which makes good learning for us that we are taking
Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 14, 2023. — AFP “We have also had some wonderful it difficult to score in the later stages,” onboard,” he added.

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