Ahmed Shehzad, a former cricketer, recently revealed his ultimate Pakistan XI during a local channel show, focusing solely on legends from previous generations as current players failed to find a place in Shehzad’s line-up.

Pakistan’s opening duo

Shehzad chose Saeed Anwar and Majid Khan as his opening pair. He praised Anwar’s versatility across the ground and admired Majid’s stylish batting and numerous records from his era.

“Saeed Anwar was a universally loved player who could dominate from any position on the field. I’ve watched many videos of Majid Khan, and his batting style was elegant with numerous records from his era,” Shehzad was quoted as saying by Pakistan Today.

Middle-Order Maestros

In the middle order, Shehzad included Zaheer Abbas, known for his aesthetic cover drives and dominance over bowlers. Younis Khan, recognized for his diligent work ethic and impressive stats, was a must-have for Shehzad. Javed Miandad, a childhood hero of Shehzad’s, found his place due to his undeniable impact. Shahid Afridi‘s dual ability to smash sixes and bowl spin made him a challenging but deserving choice. Moin Khan was selected?? as the wicket-keeper for his neat takes behind the stumps.

“He [Zaheer Abbas] was pleasing to the eye, the cover drive was great and used to dominate the bowlers. Younis Khan was a hard-working player with very good stats. Having him on any side is icing on the cake. I know I have placed him below but how can I miss Javed Miandad? Growing up watching him play, I had to adjust to him somewhere in my team. Shahid Afridi is the batter who can hit sixes and bowl spin. It was a tough call but for the wicketkeeper spot, Moin Khan used to take neat takes with the ball going smoothly in his gloves,” the 32-year-old added.

Also READ: Wasim Akram names his choice for Pakistan’s captaincy after their T20 World Cup 2024? exit

Bowling powerhouses

Shehzad’s bowling lineup featured Saqlain Mushtaq, credited as the ‘Doosra’ pioneer, for his match-winning performances and impressive statistics. Wasim Akram, an iconic figure in cricket, was an automatic selection due to his legendary achievements. Mohammad Zahid, known for his pace and skill, added? depth to the pace attack alongside Shoaib Akhtar, one of the faste??st bowlers in cricket history.

“Saqlain has won us matches and has great stats. It’s impossible if someone is playing in their childhood and is not following Wasim Akram and his achievements. Zahid played very little cricket and I remember once Brian Lara said, he is the fastest I have ever played,” Shehzad concluded.

No place for Babar Azam

Shehzad’s decision to exclude current captain Babar Azam from his ultimate Pakistan XI and other high-profile platers like Shaheen Afridi shows his doubt on the potential on the current crop, especially given Babar’s stature as one of Pakistan’s modern cricketing icons known for his consistent run-scoring and leadership qualities.

However, Pakistan faced an embarrassing defeat in the T20 World Cup 2024, exiting at the group stage. Throughout the tournament, Shehzad’s frustration over Babar’s captaincy has become increasingly apparent. Several media reports indicated tension between Shehzad and skipper Babar, with whom he had previously shared the field in age-group cricket.

Also READ: Who was the Einstein who made Babar Azam capta?in?�: Shoaib Akhtar rips apart Pakistan skipper after abysmal ?T20 World Cup 2024 performance

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

Arguably, the greatest all-rounder produced in world-cricket, South African legend Jacques Kallis has been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, along with Aussie star Lisa Sthalekar and Pakistan stalwart Zaheer Abbas.

Sthalekar holds an iconic stature in Australia’s women cricket while Abbas was one of the best Pakistan batsmen to grace the grace.

Lisa now enjoys a successful career as a commentator. She has voiced her opinion on the mic in several IPL games in recent years.

🎖�#ICCHallOfFame | Class of 2020 �/p>

🇿🇦 Jacques Kallis
🇦🇺 Lisa Sthalekar
🇵🇰 Zaheer Abbas pic.twitter.com/Wtc9qxkTeL

— ICC (@ICC) August 23, 2020

India’s batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar congratulated Kallis, Sthalekar and Abbas on their inclusion in?to the ICC Hall of Fame.

“Congratulations to @sthalekar93, Zaheer Abbas & @jacqueskallis75 on being inducted into the #ICCHallofFame. Sport can unite the world beyond boundaries and each of you have done your bit & more by being wonderful ambassadors of our beautiful game,” Tendulkar congratulated the trio, through hi?s Twitter pos??t.

Congratulations to @sthalekar93, Zaheer Abbas & @jacqueskallis75 on being inducted into the #ICCHallofFame.
Sport can unite the world beyond boundaries and each of you have done your bit & more by being wonderful ambassadors of our beautiful game. //t.co/IlHF5Qqd3X

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 23, 2020

Kallis numbers speak volumes of his abilities in all department of the game. The Proteas giant was renowned for his match-winning skills with both bat and the ball.

He is the only player to boast 10,000 runs in both ODI and Test format, along with double of 250 plus wickets.

Kallis is now the fourth South African cricketer to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, after Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards and Allan Donald.

The other all-rounders in ICC’s Hall of Fame are Kapil Dev, Sir Ian Botham, Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Richard Hadlee.

Well, the criteria for being inducted as an ICC Hall of Famer is a minimum of 8000 runs along with 20 hundreds. Also, batsmen must possess an average of over 50 in at least one of the two major formats, i.e., ODI and Test cricket.

For the bowlers, the minimum criterion is over 200 wickets in either ODI or Test cricket. Also, a strike-rate below fifty in Test and thirty in ODIs is a must.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

India is one of the most favorite destinations for cricket players. Some have found their life-partners in India while some have some sweet memories linked up to the nati?on.

Here are the top 10 cricketers with India connection:

10.) Sir Gary Sobers link-up with actress Anju Mahendru

West Indian legend Sir Ga?ry Sobers was linked up with Indian actress Anju ??Mahendru during West Indies tour to India in 1966-67.

9.) Sir Viv Richards and Neena Gupta

Viv Richards fell in love with actress Neena Gupta and the two had a child, now one of the leading fashion designers in the country. Though Richards and Neena wer??e not married, the two continue to be doting parent??s to their child Masaba.

8.) Zaheer Abbas and Rita Luthra

Pakistan’s batting legend Zaheer Abbas met Rita Luthra in England. When the duo met Rita was an interior designing student in the United Kingdom. The couple married in 1988.

7.) Muttiah Muralitharan’s Tamil connection

Muttiah Muralitharan, the leading wicket-taker in Test match history got c?lean bowled to Chennai girl, Madhimalar Ramamurthy. The couple got married in 2005 and have a son born in 2006.

6.) Brett Lee’s debut in movie

The former Australian speedster Brett Lee started off a new inning in movies after his retirement. Lee is the cast in an Indo-Australian film ‘Unindian’ opposite Tannishtha Chatterjee. Earlier he had recorded a song album with Indian singer Asha Bhosle.

5.) Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza

Pakistan’s right-handed batsman Shoaib Malik married to Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza in 2010.

4.) Dwayne Bravo acted in Tamil film

The West Indies all-rounder, Dwayne Bravo, who earlier played for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, acted in a Tamil movie ‘Ula’. Bravo also considers Chennai as his “home away from home”.

3.) AB de Villiers’ proposal at the Taj Mahal

Popular among fans as Mr 360 degree, AB de Villiers proposed his love Danielle Swart at Taj Mahal and the lady accepted the proposal. The duo got married in March 2013??.

2.) Shaun Tait married Indian model Mashoom Singha

Shaun Tait is married to a former Miss Earth India Mashoom Singha. The two fell in love ?during the Indian Premier League 2010 when Tait was playing for Rajasthan Royals.

1.) Jonty Rhodes named his daughter India

Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes became a proud father in 2015. Rhodes, who was a part of the coaching staff for the Mumbai Indians has named hi?s daughter as India Jeanne Rhodes.

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.

From Pakistani batsman Shoaib Malik to Australian pacer Shaun Tait, let’s have a look at some of the foreign cricketers who married Indian women.

7.) Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza:

Shoaib Malik is a Pakistani cricket superstar whereas Sania Mirza is an Indian Tennis sensation. The couple got married in 2010. However, the wedding of the couple was controversial since Malik was accused by another girl of already being married to her. Initially, Malik denied such reports. But later the girl’s parents (whom he had married before) showed photographs of the marriage certificate. It was soon confirmed that Malik took a divorce.

6.) Mike Brearley and Mana Sarabhai:

One of the most cerebral captains in the history of cricket, Mike Brearley met Mana Sarabhai during England’s tour of India in 1976-77. Later, the duo got married and are now settled in London with their two children.

5.) Zaheer Abbas and Rita Luthra:

One of the finest batsmen from Pakistan and th?e only Asian to score 100 first-class hundreds, Zaheer Abbas met Rita in the 1980s in the UK. They got married in 1988 and have a daughter named Samina Abbas.

4.) Mohsin Khan and Reena Roy:

Pakistani cricketer Mohsin Khan fell in love with Indian actress Reena Roy and later married her in 1983. However, the marriage couldn’t survive long and both ended in a divorce. Mohsin has a daughter named Jannat from his marriage with Reena Roy.

3.) Muttiah Muralitharan and Madhimalar Ramamurthy:

The greatest spinner of World cricket who played for Sri Lanka married Madhimalar Ramamurthy on 21st March 2005 ?who hails fro??m Chennai. The couple has a son who was born in January 2006.

2.) Glenn Turner and Sukhinder Kaur Gill:

One of the most talented and skillful batsmen from New Zealand, Glenn Turner married Sukhinder Kaur Gill in July 1973. The couple has two children. Turner’s wife is better known as Sukhi Turner, who became the mayor of Dunedin in 1995 and was in office until 2004.

1.) Shaun Tait and Mashoom Singha:

Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait married Indian model Mashoom Singha on June 12, 2014. He proposed her during a vacation when the duo had gone to Paris. The wedding celebrations spread across a week as Tait’s friends came over from Australia to India where the marriage was held.

Special mention:

Indian actress Neena Gupta and West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards were in a relationship for quite some time in the 1980’s. They also have a child together, Masaba Gupta, who is now a well-known fashion designer. Even though they never married but they have done their responsibility as parents for their child. Masaba, who even met Sir Viv’s son Mali, once famously said, “Not everyone gets to be Sir Viv’s daughter.”

For latest cricket news & updates, visit betvisa68.com.