Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez slams technology after Australia defeat – Arab News

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MELBOURNE: Pakistan coach Mohammad Hafeez said technology was “putting a curse” on cricket after seeing Mohammad Rizwan dismissed following a lengthy review in the visitors’ 79-run defeat to Australia in the second test on Friday.
Set an imposing victory target of 317 runs on day four at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Rizwan (35) and Agha Salman (50) put together a substantial stand of 57 before Pat Cummins separated the pair to leave Pakistan on 219/6.
Cummins’ delivery glanced Rizwan’s glove before carrying through to wicketkeeper Alex Carey, but Australia’s appeal was initially turned down.
The third umpire then overturned the on-field decision following a review which took several minutes and examined the incident from a number of different angles.
After Rizwan’s dismissal, Pakistan lost their last four wickets in quick succession as Australia sealed the win and took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-test series.
“We play this beautiful game of cricket on the basics of the game but sometimes the technology brings some decisions which obviously as a human we don’t understand…,” Hafeez told reporters after the defeat.
“He (Rizwan) is a very honest person and he said to me he did not even feel that it touched anywhere near the gloves.
“There should be conclusive evidence to reverse the decision of an umpire… and there was no very conclusive kind of evidence. Technology is basically putting the curse on this beautiful game of cricket.”
The third and final test of the series will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground from Jan. 3.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s caretaker government has “nothing to do” with the rejection or acceptance of nomination papers for the polls, Information Minister Murtaza Solangi said this week amid allegations of “pre-poll rigging” by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party against the country’s government and election regulator.  
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) scrutinized thousands of nomination papers of candidates for polls scheduled on Feb. 8, from Dec. 24-30.  
The PTI cried foul as the election regulator rejected former prime minister Imran Khan’s nomination to contest the 2024 national elections in two constituencies. Other PTI members whose nominations were rejected included Ali Amin Khan Gandapur, Murad Saeed, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Dr. Amjad Khan, Fazal Hakim Khan, Mian Sharafat, Salim-ur-Rahman, said Omar Ayub Khan, a Khan aide and a former federal minister. 
“Only the Election Commission has the authority to decide on election-related matters,” Solangi was quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) on Saturday. He was speaking to a private news channel.  
“The caretaker government had nothing to do with the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers which was part of the constitutional process.” 
Reiterating that polls would be held on Feb. 8, Solangi said the caretaker government was committed to providing financial and administrative support to the ECP for elections. 
In response to a question, Solangi said Pakistan’s constitutional bodies had been working “within their limits.” 
Khan, who is in prison since August after being convicted in a graft case, has accused Pakistan’s powerful military, the ECP, and his political rivals of colluding to keep him and the PTI away from elections. He denies any wrongdoing and says the charges against him are politically motivated. 
The Pakistani military, the election regulator, and the caretaker government deny Khan’s allegations. 
Tensions between Khan’s party and the ECP escalated earlier this month when the regulator stripped the PTI of its electoral symbol, a cricket bat, for violating rules in the intraparty elections. The symbol is reflective of Khan’s past as a successful cricketer, who led Pakistan to their only 50-over World Cup win in 1992. 
The decision, however, was overturned by a Pakistani high court which ruled the PTI could retain the bat as its symbol.  
ISLAMABAD: Over 1,000 Pakistanis, including 260 officers and soldiers of Pakistan’s Armed Forces lost their lives in several “terrorist” attacks this year, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said this week in a report, as the South Asian country continues to grapple with a surge in militancy. 
This year was marked by a surge in unrest in Pakistan’s western regions bordering Afghanistan as resurgent militants carried out attacks in the country’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces that border Afghanistan. 
As per Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies (PICSS), Pakistan witnessed the highest number of suicide attacks this year since 2014. 
“Pakistan Armed Forces, other law enforcement agencies, and people have made selfless sacrifices in the war against terrorism,” the APP said. 
“More than 1,000 people, including more than 260 officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, sacrificed their lives for the sake of the country in the terrorist attacks,” it added, citing data available with it as the source for the figures. 
The report said Pakistani security forces conducted 18,736 intelligence-based operations (IBOs) this year in which 566 “terrorists” were killed and 5,161 were arrested. 
 The most IBOs in 2023 took place in Balochistan, the state-run media said. 
“15,063 intelligence-based operations were conducted in Balochistan and 109 terrorists were sent to hell,” the report said. “Some 1,942 intelligence-based operations were conducted in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while 447 terrorists were sent to hell.” 
Meanwhile,190 IBOs were conducted in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province while only 14 took place in the northern mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, and 1,987 in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province. 
The report said that as per the data available with the APP, traces and evidence of “recent terrorist incidents” were linked to “terrorist sanctuaries” in Afghanistan. 
“In the coming year, the security forces, together with the law enforcement agencies, will continue the war against terrorism with a new dimension and determination,” the report added. 
The surge in militancy this year has also dented Islamabad’s ties with Kabul as it urges the Afghan Taliban administration to rein in militants Pakistan says launch attacks from Afghan soil. 
Afghanistan has rejected Pakistan’s allegations and repeatedly assured its neighbor it will not let militants use its soil to attack any country. 
KARACHI: As 2023 draws to a close, Pakistan’s equity market has seen a remarkable 55 percent surge, its most significant in 13 years, despite the national currency depreciating 20 percent against the greenback, marking a year of dynamic and impactful financial transformations.
In the first half of the outgoing year, Pakistani capital markets faced substantial challenges, with ongoing economic issues and political uncertainty fueling rumors of an imminent default on the country’s international obligations.
However, a pivotal shift took place in the middle of 2023 when the coalition administration of former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif managed to secure a $3 billion standby arrangement (SBA) from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), providing a much-needed financial lifeline to the country.
The signing of the SBA brought significant jubilation to the equity market, heralding newfound optimism and stability after a period of prolonged uncertainty and turmoil. The benchmark KSE100 Index surged by 55 percent that implied a 24 percent increase in dollar terms.
According to Topline Securities, such massive gain was witnessed after a period of 13 years, following the 60 percent increase in the index in 2009.
“Pakistani stock market went up by more than 50 percent last year and it was up 65 to 70 percent from the second half of last year,” Ali Farid Khwaja, Chairman of KTrade Securities, told Arab News. “So, it was one of the best performing asset classes in Pakistan and one of the best performing markets among the emerging markets globally.”
Khwaja noted multiple drivers for the surge, with the IMF program and the subsequent increase in investor confidence being the most significant.
“In the first half of the year, people were worried that Pakistan could default,” he added.
The key stock index, KSE100, closed its year-end trading session at 62,451 points after hitting the all-time high of 66,426 from 40,420 recorded during the last trading session of 2022.
The bulls also found a plausible reason to further tighten their grip at the equity market after the caretaker government managed to secure financial support from friendly nations like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of Arif Habib Corporation, also described the establishment of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), a hybrid civil-military forum to fast-track decision making and encourage foreign currency inflow, as a positive development for the market.
He noted that it received “commitments of up to $100 billion from the Saudi government, UAE, Kuwait and Qatar.”
Mehanti maintained the Gulf countries’ financial assurances also convinced the IMF to release the funding under the SBA.
He noted that foreign corporates resorted to net buying of $73 million in 2023 after three years, recording highest inflows after a gap of eight years.
Pakistani financial analysts said they were optimistic about the stock market in 2024 due to cheap valuations, availability of liquidity, lack of investment avenues and expected interest rate fall from the historic high of 22 percent.
Unlike the equity market, the Pakistani currency market experienced one of the worst periods of depreciation, closing the year-end trade at Rs281.86 against the US dollar on Friday after the national currency lost about 20 percent value in the interbank market.
The rally in greenback after August 14, when the caretaker government took charge and the rupee came under further pressure amid speculation that the interim setup might allow the rupee to fall amid a tough situation in the open and black markets.
“Amid talks of default and turmoil there were three markets with different rates operating,” Zafar Sultan Paracha, general secretary of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan (ECAP), said, adding: “One was the grey market which had touched Rs350. The open market rate stood at Rs335, and the rupee had depreciated to 307 against the dollar in the interbank market. It was a very alarming situation at that time.”
Paracha gave credit to the army chief, General Asim Munir, for taking necessary steps that brought stability to the market.
“Due to the administrative measures taken by the army chief and his team, the smuggling of dollar to the neighboring country [Afghanistan], money laundering, flight of capital, hoarding and speculation stopped,” he said. “It was after a long time the same rate in interbank and open markets prevailed.”
The government also cracked down on exchange companies involved in illegal trade and increased the minimum capital requirement for them from Rs200 million to Rs500 million.
As a result, the rupee gained strength in the interbank market, appreciating by nine percent from an all-time low of Rs307 to Rs282 against the greenback while strengthening it in the open market by 16 percent.
However, Pakistani financial experts said the national currency was likely to lose ground against the dollar in the foreseeable future due to external payment pressures.
“Considering Pakistan’s external payment risk and other factors, we expect the rupee in the interbank market to reach Rs310 against the US dollar by June 2024 and Rs325 by December 2024,” Muhammad Sohail, CEO of Topline Securities, said.
ISLAMABAD: More than two dozen Saudi cadets among 88 midshipmen have graduated from the Pakistan Naval Academy, the Pakistan Navy said on Saturday. 
The commissioning parade of 120th Midshipmen course was held at the naval academy in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, which was attended by Pakistan Navy Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf as the chief guest. 
The commissioning contingent included 60 cadets from Pakistan, 27 from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and one from Bahrain, according to Pakistan Navy. 
In his address, the naval chief commended parents of these cadets for instilling a spirit in their children to serve their nations.  
“He also lauded Pakistan Naval Academy for imparting quality training and expressed his hope that cadets from friendly countries trained at PNA will serve as our brand ambassadors to enhance bonds of endearment and affinity,” the Pakistan Navy said in a statement.  
Admiral Ashraf also advised the youth on a new dimension of warfare, which was the use of social media for disinformation.  
Later, he gave away awards to the distinction holders.  
The armed forces of Pakistan and the Middle Eastern countries enjoy strong ties. The two sides often undertake joint military drills and exercises. 
SYDNEY: David Warner exits Test cricket this week as one of the best openers the world has known, but his exploits will forever be overshadowed by the role he played in the notorious ball-tampering scandal of 2018.
The polarizing 37-year-old Australian will pad up for an emotional farewell at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the third Test against Pakistan after a career that began when he faced New Zealand at Brisbane in 2011.
In his 111 Tests, the left-hander has plundered 8,695 runs at an average of 44.58, with 26 centuries and 36 half-centuries.
A larger-than-life character, Warner also collected 89 catches as one of the most consistent slip fielders in the game.
“He is probably our greatest ever three-format player. He’ll be a loss,” Australian coach Andrew McDonald said on Saturday.
“Other people have been gunning for him for a period of time but for us, internally, we’ve seen the great value and what he brings to the table, hence why we’ve kept picking him.
“It can be hard to replace someone who is striking at 70, averaging 45, most ever runs as an Australian opener.”
But Warner, who plans to continue in white-ball cricket, has made enemies along the way, with former Australian quick bowler Mitchell Johnson letting rip ahead of the Pakistan series.
“Yes, he has a decent overall record and some say is one of our greatest opening bats,” he said.
“But his past three years in Test cricket have been ordinary, with a batting average closer to what a tail-ender would be happy with.
“It’s the ball-tampering disgrace in South Africa that many will never forget.”
Warner’s dark side came into play as the chief plotter in the ‘sandpaper-gate’ scandal in South Africa, which shattered a reputation already bruised by numerous run-ins.
Along with skipper Steve Smith, he was banned for a year by Cricket Australia for his part in the third Test debacle in Cape Town that saw Cameron Bancroft use sandpaper to scuff the ball before a crude attempt to conceal the evidence down his trousers.
Part of the punishment saw Warner stripped of the vice-captaincy and banned from ever leading the team, crushing his dream of captaining Australia’s one-day side.
For many in the game, the assertive Warner’s involvement was hardly a surprise.
In June 2013, he was suspended and fined for punching England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar on the eve of the Ashes.
“I’m extremely remorseful. I have let my teammates, Cricket Australia, the fans, myself and my family down,” said Warner at the time.
Two months earlier, he was similarly contrite after an ugly Twitter spat with two Australian journalists.
But his trademark combative nature never dimmed.
In the opening Test in Durban ahead of the ball-tampering fiasco, he and Quinton de Kock squared up to each other, with Warner claiming the home wicket-keeper had made “vile and disgusting” remarks about his wife Candice.
Warner was fined 75 percent of his match fee and De Kock 25 percent.
Despite the controversies, he was welcomed back into the Australia fold when his ban ended, and made his Test comeback during the Ashes series against England in 2019.
It was a miserable return, scoring just 95 runs in 10 innings at a paltry average of 9.5 while being repeatedly booed by English fans.
But selectors again kept faith and he bounced back later that year with an unbeaten 335 against Pakistan in Adelaide and has been ever present since.
Former Australia captain Greg Chappell said Warner would “never live down the sandpaper-gate incident,” but he urged people to look past it to his overall contribution to the team spanning more than a decade.
“Whatever one thinks of him, David Warner has been fantastic for Australian cricket,” he wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald this weekend.
“I know how hard it is to do what he has done through 111 Tests, so I hope that David’s harshest critics acknowledge his talent and contribution and forgive his human frailties.”

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