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COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cricket board on Tuesday named a 24-member squad led by Kusal Perera for the six-match limited overs series in England even as a pay dispute remained unresolved.

The Sri Lankan squad will leave early Wednesday to play three One-day Intern­at­ionals and three Twenty20 Internationals.

Official sources said the players have refused a performance-based pay scheme which will see some of them lose up to 40 percent of their salaries, but agreed to continue negotiations after the England tour.

The players have been threatened with bans of up to three years if they did not play.

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has cut fees for 24 national players by up to 40 percent in new performance-based contracts, which the players have rejected.

Both sides failed to conclude their talks on the new scheme — which would mean drastic pay cuts for some senior players — by a weekend deadline set by SLC.

“Players have agreed to abide by the conditions of the board for the England tour,” a SLC official said, asking not to be named.

The official said Sri Lanka would have had to pay huge penalties to the England Cricket Board if the tour was cancelled due to the pay issue.

A lawyer representing the cricketers reiterated at the weekend they did not agree with the new pay scheme.

Under the proposed structure, former skipper Angelo Mathews and current Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne would suffer the biggest cuts.

Mathews’ annual fee would fall from $130,000 a year to $80,000, while Karunaratne was offered $70,000, a drop of $30,000.

When the new pay plan was unveiled last month, players said it was ‘non-transparent’ and urged SLC to not hold them at ‘gunpoint’.

The board has said players could earn more under the new performance-based scheme, formulated with the help of former skipper Aravinda de Silva and ex-Australia all-rounder Tom Moody.

The Australian was hired in March as the Sri Lankan board’s director of cricket to prepare the team for the next World Cup.

The national players were offered annual contracts with all-rounder Dhananjaya de Silva and wicket-keeper Niroshan Dickwella getting the highest remuneration of $100,000 each. However, both have also rejected the new pay deal, according to their lawyer.

The SLC officials said the base fees in the new contracts were in addition to payments for each match as well as allowances for travel outside Colombo.

The players, including Karunaratne and Perera, had refused to sign new contracts.

Squad: Kusal Perera (captain), Kusal Mendis (vice-captain), Danushka Gunathilaka, Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Niroshan Dickwella, Dhananjaya de Silva, Oshada Fernando, Charith Asalanka, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Ramesh Mendis, Chamika Karunaratne, Dhananjaya Lakshan, Ishan Jayaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Isuru Udana, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Pradeep, Binura Fernando, Shiran Fernando, Lakshan Sandakan, Akila Dananjaya, Praveen Jayawickrama.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2021

Web Desk by — June 9, 2021 in Cricket

Atif Aslam to make his HBL PSL opening ceremony debut, Imran Khan, Humaima Malik and the HBL PSL 6 anthem stars to also provide rich entertainment on Saturday, 20 February evening

Karachi, 14 February 2021: The HBL Pakistan Super League 6 will start with a glittering opening ceremony on 20 February with an entertainment-packed event which will include renowned artists including Atif Aslam, Imran Khan, Humaima Malick and the HBL PSL 6 Anthem artists: Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig & Young Stunners.

Internationally acclaimed singer Atif Aslam will be making his first appearance in the HBL PSL opening ceremony, the league has been launched every year with a colourful opening ceremony since its inception in 2016.

Renowned rap artist Imran Khan will also be making his debut at the HBL PSL stage.

The HBL PSL 6 opening ceremony will be have some parts filmed offshore in a specially designed studio space in Turkey.

The first four ceremonies were held at the Dubai International Stadium while the 2020 opening ceremony was staged at the National Stadium Karachi, and the same venue will play host to the 2021 ceremony.

As has been the tradition in earlier editions, the opening ceremony will be followed by the first-match of the season, defending champions Karachi Kings will play Quetta Gladiators in the night match.

Director Commercial PCB Babar Hamid: “This year promises to be really exciting especially the state-of-the-art technology being used to create this experience for Pakistani fans. As always, the excitement of the opening ceremony is further raised with the opening clash of the tournament, and the people in Karachi, I am sure will look forward to see Karachi Kings and Quetta Gladiators take the field as they both enjoy a huge fan base in the city.”

The ceremony will be aired on PTV Sports & Geo Super. The opening ceremony start time will be revealed in the coming week.

Web Desk by — February 14, 2021 in Cricket

HBL PSL 6 anthem ‘Groove Mera’ released

• The anthem has been sung by Naseebo Lal, Aima Baig & Young Stunners, the music video features Shadab Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shan Masood, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi & Wahab Riaz

Karachi, 06 February 2021: The HBL Pakistan Super League 6 anthem, “Groove Mera” has been launched today. The anthem will be playing on leading TV channels and will also be available on HBL PSL digital platforms throughout the 2021 edition of the most popular Pakistani cricket event of the calendar.

Continuing the rich tradition of entertaining HBL PSL fans with a new anthem for each season, “Groove Mera” refers to the swing and feel of the movements of cricketers. It refers to moments of finesse that one finds in the heart of every cricket match.

This year’s anthem also reflects the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic. As majority of the fans will be watching Pakistan’s biggest sporting event remotely, this anthem cheers both players on the field and their fans at home as they celebrate their groove!

The anthem is a celebration of Pakistan’s musical diversity. The mix of artists is particularly exciting as it represents artists from opposite ends of Pakistan’s musical spectrum. The anthem brings together voices from Pakistan’s rich musical landscape: regional folk and urban sounds of pop and hip-hop.

Singer Naseebo Lal is an industry veteran and cultural icon, whose grasp over regional tradition is acknowledged by fans and music critics across the country.

Aima Baig is considered the pop symbol of this generation, having voiced some of Pakistan’s biggest hits in the past few years. Alongside these two powerhouse female artists, the HBL PSL 6 anthem features hip-hop superstars, Young Stunners, who with their grounded voice and social outlook have gained an unprecedented online following.

The video, directed by Fida Moin, includes six leading cricketers who would be featuring for their respective franchises in the tournament, the players are Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) Shan Masood (Multan Sultans), Sarfraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators), Babar Azam (Karachi Kings), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars) and Wahab Riaz (Peshawar Zalmi).

Director Commercial PCB Babar Hamid: “The HBL Pakistan Super League 6 anthem ‘Groove Mera’ is the latest addition to the blockbuster anthems that the league has produced over the years. Each year we have endeavoured to produce top-quality HBL PSL anthems and all our previous anthems have made a big impact and have been received very well by our fans in Pakistan and abroad.

“This year’s anthem has been sung by the legendary Naseebo Lal and features the hugely popular star Aima Baig along with the young sensation Young Stunners. We are confident that the fans will appreciate the anthem and it will make them groove like the anthems of the past did.

“Meanwhile, we are fully focused and as always working around-the-clock with the sole intention of delivering another exciting and world-class edition of the HBL PSL which will once again provide rich entertainment through quality cricket with some of the biggest T20 stars in the world plying their trade at the National Stadium and Gaddafi Stadium.

“The fans in Karachi and Lahore that will be re-entering the stadiums after a year-long gap, will have a lot to look forward to both with in terms of the on-field action and ‘Groove Mera’ entertaining them in the stands!”

Naseebo Lal: “It feels great to be a part of the anthem because I have never done a song like this where I have enjoyed myself so much.”

Aima Baig: “I feel overwhelmed – it’s been an amazing journey and I’m really thankful for the opportunity. The vibe of the anthem is very street and urban with elements of festival EDM.”

Young Stunners, Talha Younis: “I’m honoured to be a part of the HBL PSL 6 anthem and it’s been an excellent experience. This time the HBL PSL has tried something different and out-of-the-box and I feel like

• The song can be viewed here

hsohu by — February 6, 2021 in Cricket

All 34 matches of PSL 2021 are likely to be played in Karachi and Lahore only. Though the news is not yet official it is said that PCB is considering organizing an equal number of matches in both the cities. 17 matches will be played in Karachi while Lahore will host the same number of matches. The decision of limiting matches to only two cities is because of the recent COVID-19 situation.

Preparations for PSL 2021 already underway: PCB CEO Wasim Khan | - GeoSuper.tv
Credit: Pakistan Cricket Board/ PSL

Previous year, all matches of PSL were played in Pakistan for the first time ever since its inception in 2016. The matches were played in four cities including Multan, Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

For 2021, the PCB was planning to add in Peshawar as another destination but due to the ongoing pandemic, this seems a tough choice and the board is contemplating to distribute matches between two metropolitan cities only.

This will become a challenge for Karachi and Lahore, especially for Karachi which faces major traffic issues whenever matches are staged here. Also, the law enforcement agencies will face a tough time managing peace and security city-wide for 15 days, and that too nonstop. However, this is too early to comment on it.

Multan too was a good option but lack of infrastructure, logistic problems, shortage of proper accommodation for international players and players’ security would be difficult. The same is not true for Rawalpindi though, which can be used as a third venue if the officials want to reduce burden on the two mentioned cities.

For now, the PCB is taking into consideration all the available venue options which will then be shared with the six franchise owners. The owners will then take the final call.

An official from PCB stated that all franchises are ready for PSL 2021 after clearing their previous charges. The PSL 2021 is expected to happen in February-March.

Afshan Ibrahim by — December 26, 2020 in Blogs

Pakistan Sports Awards and Agent Haq in collaboration with world’s no.1 sports drink Gatorade presents Mai Hoon Sitara, Pakistan’s first sports anthem. The anthem got an exclusive premier as part of the launch of Gatorade Pakistan Sports Awards held at the Punjab Football Stadium, Gulberg, hosted by the Sports Board Punjab.

The program kickstarted at 5pm with Sikandar Bakhat as the main host, while the Red Carpet was hosted by Arsalan Ishan, Mishayl Hussain, and Hira Hussain. The press conference featured representatives from PepsiCo along with the Chief Guest Minster Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti, Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Punjab and Chairman of Sports Board Punjab. Notable figures present at the event include, Ahmad Shahzad, Asim Azhar, Aima Baig, Secretary Sports Punjab Fawad Hashim, Abdullah Haris, Sohail Tanveer, Director General Sports Board Punjab and Youth Affairs Adnan Arshad Aulakh, Vice Chairman Sports Board Punjab Zahid Qayyum,  HSY, Atif Rana, owner Lahore Qalandars, Aqib Javed, Cricketer, Inam Butt, Gold medalist and two times World Beach Games champion, Afshan Noreen, Hockey player and winner of Best Player 2019, Nighat Kauser, Rowing Champion, Asfar Yaqoob, Hockey Player, Ahmad Ali Baig Golf champion and winner of Qatar Open 2019, Parkha Ijaz, Golfer amongst the many others.

The setup for the event was specifically developed with all SOPs in mind, including keeping a 6 feet distance in an outdoor area where there was an ample amount of breathing room for guests. Wearing of masks for all attendees was also made obligatory, with hand sanitization stations, and a digital PAX count display.

Commenting on the steps the Pakistani government is taking to help the sports industry grow further, Rai Taimoor Khan Bhatti, Provincial Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Punjab stated, “Sports is such a crucial part of any country. Therefore, the government of Pakistan has pledged to not only allocate funds for sports facilities but also for the rising stars who have continue to perform for Pakistan. Our partnership with Pakistan Sports Awards is one of many initiatives in the direction of recognizing the accolades of our sports persons have achieved for our country”

Asim Azhar, who also composed and wrote the song said “I was so proud of being a Pakistani when I found out that we have more than 75 world titles across so many sports that includes Hockey, Javelin, Squash, Snooker but also was disappointed that I didn’t already know all of this, and I wish through this song the whole of Pakistan realizes that sports heroes are real life heroes”

Aima Baig said “I feel honored to be representing the women of Pakistan in sports and I was impressed to find out that in 2019 more women won International titles than men for the first time as we now have a female badminton champ Mahoor Shahzad and also an ice-skating champ Malak Faisal! Just shows if we get a chance, we can also have female sports icon who can inspire not only women in Pakistan but across the world”

“Pakistan’s burgeoning youth population is brimming with potential.  This potential is poised for greatness if we harness, mentor and celebrate it. One of the platforms to make that possible is sports. Sports can impact lives in profound ways, for the ones playing them and for the ones cheering them on. The moments of victory, sacrifice, loss and conflict cut across age, beliefs and differences. The launch of Mai Hoon Sitara in collaboration with Gatorade Pakistan Sports Awards’ aims to promote and appreciate our youth making strides and breaking down barriers across the breath of the spectrum,” commented Ayesha Janjua, Marketing Director Beverages, PepsiCo Pakistan.

The Press Conference was followed by the launch of Pakistan’s first Sports Anthem ‘Mai Hoon Sitara’. Produced by Ameem Haq; directed by Abdullah Haris; written, performed and composed by Asim Azhar, the anthem also features Aima Baig and Rapper Ramiz Ali. Conceptualized as a tribute to the country’s sports heroes, the anthem highlights the struggles of athletes from different sports genres who put their heart and soul into winning titles for the country.

Commenting on the initiative Ameen Haq, Founder and CEO of Pakistan Sports Awards stated, “As Pakistanis, sports mostly meant cricket for us perhaps because that’s the only sport that is celebrated on a national level and we are known for our love for cricket. While our love for cricket will continue to grow, we also need to acknowledge our sportsmen and women who excel in different genres of sports including hockey, kabbadi, boxing, snooker, gymnastics, running, etc, and are working tirelessly to mark our country’s presence in the global arena of sports.

Our partnership with Mr. Salman Iqbal, Gatorade & Punjab Sports Board collectively is our way of showing gratitude to our heroic athletes, journalists and trainers; while also rekindling the spirit of sports especially during such tough times.”

The overall agenda for the event was to promote all genres of sports. All attendees came to show their support for the sports industry of Pakistan. The event ended with fireworks to mark the launch of Pakistan’s first sports anthem: Gatorade Mai Hoon Sitara.

Tweets in the support of Mai Hoon Sitara:

https://twitter.com/iamAhmadshahzad/status/1340322272247238659?s=20
https://twitter.com/WahabViki/status/1340320616260493312?s=20
Web Desk by — December 19, 2020 in Cricket

Fitness trainer and ambassador for Peek Freans Whole Wheat Slices, Sehr Beg, ran the annual Istanbul marathon as a part of her self-care journey for healthy and wholesome living.

Advocating for Peek Freans Whole Wheat Slices message of self-care; the fitness trainer, wife, and mother laced up her running shoes to establish the importance of taking out time for yourself. Peek Freans, with its Whole Wheat Slices, has been inspiring people to work on adopting a healthier lifestyle as a part of prioritizing self-care, to lead a balanced life.

Peek Freans Whole Wheat Slices Self-Care Ambassador Sehr Beg Participated in the 42K Istanbul Marathon

Sunday morning marked the start of the 42 km marathon, running across two continents; from the Asian side of the Bosphorus to the European side. For every KM that Sehr Beg completed, Peek Freans Whole Wheat Slices chose a winner to take part in her 21-day self-care workshop, that would teach how to balance your life by giving time to yourself, and protecting your mind, body, and soul.

Peek Freans Whole Wheat Slices has partnered up with Sehr Beg to spread awareness and encourage the masses to invest time in self-care and subsequently push Pakistanis towards making healthier choices to lead a more wholesome life.

Peek Freans Whole Wheat Slices Self-Care Ambassador Sehr Beg Participated in the 42K Istanbul Marathon
Web Desk by — November 5, 2019 in Events

Continuing his mission to support Pakistan’s neglected sport, Shoaib Malik – the former captain of Pakistan Cricket team – has launched “iBleedGreen” a national movement to empower all athletes, across all sports.

And to kick-off the campaign, Malik has announced to initiate funding to support Pakistan’s champion wrestler Inam Butt to ensure his participation in next year’s Olympics and this year’s World Beach Games.


“#iBleedGreen is a national movement to empower the Pakistani athletes across all sports, with a key focus on non-mainstream sport(s) in which we are heartbeats away from winning a World Title. Its core mission is to be a catalyst to help national athletes to live up to their full potential as public assets for Pakistan and Pakistani society – making a significant contribution to the development of youth, the well-being of individuals, and quality of life in our communities,” Malik said in a statement introducing #IBleedGreen.


“Our plan to launch #iBleedGreen was originally for July 2019, but due to the inspiring story of Inam Butt, we decided to launch a beta version to support his journey to the Olympics 2020 being held in Tokyo. Details here, please spread the word and support him as much as possible – the time is short. Imagine the inspiration an Olympic Gold medal can bring to our youth, who are 65% of the Pakistani population,” he added.


It is worth mentioning that #iBleedGreen is a portal to raise to fund through various methods which include crowdfunding as starters. 100% of the funds raised will go towards the athlete’s development plan to represent Pakistan for another chance at a World Title.


As the first step, the first target for the campaign is to generate 5 million PKR for Inam Butt. Details of expenditures are mentioned on this page https://ibleedgreen.org/InamButt/


Malik has offered his Cricket World Cup shirt, along with other items signed by Hasan Ali and Sana Mir for those who participate in this campaign.


“As Pakistanis, it is our duty to support all those who make us proud by giving their blood and sweat in various sports fields,” Malik said.

hsohu by — May 28, 2019 in News
#SooperJunoonWorldCup Bringing All Pakistanis Together!


Nothing represents the joy of cricket better than music. In Pakistan, cricket and music summon a combined power that brings the whole nation to its feet, heightens the senses, flaunts the identity and brings everyone together as one. With the World Cup starting soon, Junoon has managed to bring the passion of cricket to life with their liveliness, power, and dynamism. With the release of the much anticipated cricket anthem “Badleinge Jahaan” in association with Peek Freans Sooper, Junoon is back with a bang after 15 LONG years and they couldn’t have picked a better occasion!

The cricket anthem heavily draws its power from an emotional place – with the video featuring minorities and marginalized communities of the country who are an equal part of Pakistan, Peek Freans Sooper and Junoon manage to deliver a crucial message because there is nothing that binds us together more than our love for cricket. The Video showcases the authentic, unique and diverse representation of what people do, when this passion takes over the country.

“Badleinge Jahaan” is empowering and celebratory; it evokes a feelings of heritage and a sense of belonging. It isn’t meant to be just a World Cup song, rather it is meant to resonate with the Pakistani fans – of cricket and of Junoon. The lively energy of the song, the catchy tune, and the upbeat music has the potential to become a fond memory for the years to come.

Peek Freans Sooper has once again proved to be the brand that celebrates Pakistan and everything that is associated with it. It has always tried to make the country’s name shine in the world’s map, and “Badleinge Jahaan” is a proof of that.

Full Anthem
outlooktimes staff by — May 28, 2019 in Cricket

All local Pakistani football teams will be getting a chance to represent Pakistan in Red Bull Neymar Jr.’s Five World Finals in Brazil, as the local tryouts for teams from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad get ready to battle it out in the fields between 16th and 25th May.

The country qualifiers for Pakistan will kick off in Karachi, before moving on to Lahore and Islamabad. Once the tryouts are done, the top teams from each city will face-off in the national qualifiers in Lahore on May 25th, thus getting a chance to represent the country in the Red Bull Neymar Jr.’s Five World Finals in Brazil. To get a chance to enter this competition, the teams can simply sign up and register themselves by logging onto www.redbullneymarjrsfive.com any time till May 13th.

Red Bull Neymar Jr.’s Five 2019 Tryouts Kick off in Pakistan

The competition is based solely on the concept of survival of the fittest. Both males and females will be allowed to play together in a team, based purely on their skills and technique. A majority of the team’s players should be between the age of 16 and 25 years. The rules of the game include two parts: Two teams of no more than five players will play against each other for 10 minutes, without any goalkeepers, and every time a team scores, the opposing side would lose one of their players.

Red Bull Neymar Jr.’s Five is a tournament aimed to unite players from all around the world to celebrate football. In 2018, over 125,000 players from 62 countries signed up for the tryouts, and the tournament in 2019 is expected to be equally huge, if not a bigger deal.

outlooktimes staff by — May 7, 2019 in News

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hsohu by — November 12, 2018 in Sports 0