Bismah Maroof steps down as Pakistan women’s national team captain, no replacement announced yet
Bismah Maroof steps down as Pakistan women’s national team captain, no replacement announced yet/node/2260266/pakistan
Bismah Maroof steps down as Pakistan women’s national team captain, no replacement announced yet
Pakistan's Bismah Maroof watches the ball after playing a shot during the Group B T20 women's World Cup cricket match between Pakistan and West Indies at Boland Park in Paarl on February 19, 2023. (AFP)
ISLAMABAD: Bismah Maroof has stepped down as the Pakistan women’s national team captain, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Wednesday, ahead of a new ICC Women’s Championship cycle and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Maroof, who will continue to play for the team, was named Pakistan’s all-format captain in September 2017 and has had the best win and loss ratio among all regular players to lead the country in One-Day Internationals (1.000) and T20 Internationals (0.843). Under her leadership, the ODI team played 34 matches and won 16, while the T20I side won 27 of 62 matches.
“Bismah Maroof has stepped down as Pakistan women’s national team captain but will remain available for selection as a player,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
Neither the Board, nor Maroof, have clearly explained her reasons for stepping down.
PCB Management Committee Chair, Najam Sethi, thanked Maroof for her services as the captain of the national women’s side.
“Bismah has been an inspiration for millions of girls and has been a catalyst for a positive change,” Sethi said. “With her immense dedication and hard work, she has shown that women can continue to follow their passions and dreams.”
He added that Maroof had offered to help to smoothen "the leadership transition."
The board is yet to announce a replacement for Maroof and said a decision would be made in “due course,” the PCB added.
The Board quoted Maroof as saying it had been an “honor” for her to captain the national team.
“I feel fortunate to have led an incredible and hardworking bunch of cricketers. It has been one exciting ride, which has been full of highs and lows, but, at the end of the day, I will always be thankful to Almighty for providing me [with] this opportunity,” Maroof said.
“With the new ICC Women’s Championship cycle in its initial stages and the 2024 T20 World Cup more than a year away, I think this is the right time for me to step down and help so we have a smooth transition.”
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, but Kurram district has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades
Fresh fighting broke out last Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed
Updated 4 sec ago
AFP
PESHAWAR: Sectarian feuding in northwest Pakistan killed 13 more people, a local government official said Saturday, as warring Sunnis and Shiites defied repeated ceasefire orders in recent conflict claiming 124 lives.
Pakistan is a Sunni-majority country, but Kurram district — in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan — has a large Shiite population and the communities have clashed for decades.
Fresh fighting broke out last Thursday when two separate convoys of Shiite Muslims traveling under police escort were ambushed, killing more than 40.
Since then, 10 days of fighting with light and heavy weapons has brought the region to a standstill, with major roads closed and mobile phone services cut as the death toll surged.
A Kurram local government official put the death toll at 124 on Saturday after 13 more people were killed in the past two days.
Two were Sunni and 11 Shiite, he said, whilst more than 50 people have been wounded in fresh fighting which continued Saturday morning.
“There is a severe lack of trust between the two sides, and neither tribe is willing to comply with government orders to cease hostilities,” he told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Police report that many people want to flee the area due to the violence, but the deteriorating security situation makes it impossible,” he added.
A seven-day ceasefire deal was announced by the provincial government last weekend but failed to hold. Another 10-day truce was brokered Wednesday but it also failed to stymie the fighting.
A senior security official in the provincial capital of Peshawar, also speaking anonymously, confirmed the total death toll of 124.
“There is a fear of more fatalities,” he said. “None of the provincial government’s initiated measures have been fully implemented to restore peace.”
Police have regularly struggled to control violence in Kurram, which was part of the semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas until it was merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 79 people had been killed in the region between July and October in sectarian clashes.
The feuding is generally rekindled by disputes over land in the rugged mountainous region, and fueled by underlying tensions between the communities adhering to different sects of Islam.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will face Zimbabwe in the first of their three-match Twenty-20 International (T20I) series in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe on Sunday.
The first T20 between Pakistan and Zimbabwe will start at 4pm Pakistan standard time. Pakistan this week defeated Zimbabwe 2-1 in their three-match one-day international series.
“A 99-run win in the third ODI to wrap up a series victory,” the Pakistan Cricket Board remarked as Kamran Ghulam struck his maiden one-day international century to steer Pakistan to win.
“Onto the T20I action.”
Pakistan and Zimbabwe will play the second and third T20 matches on Dec. 3 and 5 at the same venue in Bulawayo.
The tourists then head to South Africa for an eight-match all-formats tour, including two Tests.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has welcomed the decision of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to lift a ban on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights to the bloc, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif saying it would make air travel easier for Pakistanis living in Europe.
EASA suspended PIA’s authorization to operate in the EU in June 2020 over concerns about the ability of Pakistani authorities and its Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to ensure compliance with international aviation standards.
The suspension came days after Pakistan launched an investigation into the validity of pilots’ licenses issued in the country following a PIA plane crash that killed 97 people.
In his statement on Friday, PM Sharif said the lifting of EASA’s ban would strengthen the national flag carrier’s reputation and bring financial benefits to the airline, the state-run Radio Pakistani broadcaster reported.
“The lifting of the ban reflects the successful policies of Pakistan and air travel will become easier for Pakistanis living in Europe,” Sharif was quoted as saying by the broadcaster.
The ban was costing PIA nearly 40 billion Pakistani rupees ($144 million) in revenue annually, according to government records presented in parliament.
PIA and the government had been pressing EASA to lift the ban even provisionally. The government’s attempt to privatize the airline fell flat when it received only a single offer this year, that too well below its asking price.
In a statement, the PIA also vowed to abide by the EASA regulations as it welcomed the lifting of the ban.
“The PIA administration will remain fully compliant with EASA and its rules and regulations,” the airline said.
KARACHI: Pakistani artisans participating in Saudi Arabia’s International Handicrafts Week, Banan, on Friday called for deepening cultural ties between the two nations, emphasizing the role of art and crafts in fostering mutual understanding.
The exhibition, held in Riyadh from Nov. 23 to Nov. 29, featured over 500 artisans from 25 countries, showcasing a vibrant blend of traditions and skills.
The event, organized by the Heritage Commission of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, highlighted the role of crafts in promoting cross-cultural dialogue.
Several Pakistani artisans were facilitated by their embassy to participate in Banan and represent their country’s rich culture.
“It is important to explore the ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia through a cultural lens, which has started to happen,” Danish Jabbar Khan, CEO of Kaarvan Crafts Foundation and a participant at the event, told Arab News over the phone.
“The cultural exchange is the way forward for two countries to understand each other," he continued. "It’s simpler and long-lasting. People-to-people exchange is very important that such platforms allow.”
Khan’s foundation works with rural communities, particularly women, to preserve traditional crafts such as truck art, blue pottery and woodwork.
This handout photograph, shared by Pakistani artist Ejaz ul Allah Mughal on November 29, 2024, shows a general view of his stall featuring tuck art at the Pakistan pavilion during the Saudi International Handicrafts Week, Banan, in Riyadh. (Supplied/Ejaz ul Allah Mughal)
“The experience [of participating in the exhibition] was phenomenal,” he said. “The culture here is so open in terms of its scale, work, and inclusion. I am delighted to see Saudi women entrepreneurs in huge numbers.”
A highlight of the exhibition was truck artist Ejaz ul Allah Mughal, who created custom pieces for attendees.
This handout photograph, shared by Pakistani artist Ejaz ul Allah Mughal on November 29, 2024, shows his work, featuring portraits of King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, at his stall featuring tuck art at the Pakistan pavilion during the Saudi International Handicrafts Week, Banan, in Riyadh. (Supplied/Ejaz ul Allah Mughal)
“I am happy that I represented Pakistan,” Mughal said, adding: “Though language was a barrier, art knows no boundaries. People here really appreciated my craft. Truck art is famous worldwide, so people know about it.”
Mariya Suhail, who uses a diverse range of Pakistan’s gemstones in jewelry, also took her craft to Banan. She set up Pakistan’s first gemstone cutting and processing facility in Lahore over a decade ago, though she later launched her own label, Orah Jewels.
Suhail's work blends Pakistan’s diverse gemstones into jewelry and home décor.
This handout photograph, shared by Pakistani artist Mariya Sohail on November 29, 2024, shows her stall at the Pakistan pavilion during the Saudi International Handicrafts Week, Banan, in Riyadh. (Supplied/Mariya Sohail)
“People here picked up gemstones from Pakistan and loved it," she told Arab News. "There is a lot of demand for Pakistani products here. People of Riyadh also have a very positive outlook towards Pakistan.”
She maintained that despite the language barrier, there was a lot of learning, networking and exposure.
“Cultural exchange is very important," she added. "I wish we can have more such events and opportunities to present this very beautiful image of Pakistan. It's been an incredible experience here.”
This handout photograph, shared by Pakistani artist Mariya Sohail on November 29, 2024, shows visiting children at her stall at the Pakistan pavilion during the Saudi International Handicrafts Week, Banan, in Riyadh. (Supplied/Mariya Sohail)
The Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh also commended the artisans’ participation, calling the Pakistani pavilion a testament to the country's rich cultural heritage and the unparalleled quality of its craftsmanship.
"From intricate handmade designs to traditional artistry passed down through generations, the showcased crafts highlighted the deep-rooted legacy of Pakistan's artisan community,” it said in a statement.
QUETTA: At least five people were killed after a speeding car hit a truck in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, an official said on Friday.
The vehicle carrying five people onboard was en route to Loralai from Quetta, when it crashed into the truck coming from the opposite direction in Sarki Jangal area, according to Loralai Deputy Commissioner Meeran Baloch.
The accident occurred after the driver of the speeding car lost control at a curve section of the highway.
“Five people traveling in the car, including principal of the Government Boys Degree College Loralai, were killed,” Baloch told Arab News.
“The bodies were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital Loralai, where four of them have been identified.”
Fatal road accidents are common in Pakistan where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in rural and mountainous areas, are in poor condition.
Such accidents are frequent in Balochistan where single-carriage roads connect various cities, and even some highways lack modern safety features.
Late last month, at least 12 people were killed and more than a dozen others sustained injuries in three fatal road accidents in the southwestern Pakistani province.
