Pride and excitement surge in Pakistan’s cricket fans ahead of Champions Trophy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s fiery right-arm pacer Haris Rauf put injury fears to rest this week by saying he felt comfortable bowling during practice and was “personally satisfied” with his fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy opener. 

Rauf sustained a muscular sprain in his lower chest during Pakistan’s match against New Zealand earlier this month, triggering fears the bowler would be ruled out of the tournament. Along with pacers Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Rauf is an essential part of the South Asian country’s pace attack.

Pakistan will face New Zealand in the first match of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 19, in the southern port city of Karachi. Two days before the clash, Pakistan’s cricket team held a training and practice session at the Oval Ground of the PCB’s Hanif Muhammad High Performance Center in Karachi on Monday. 

“I am feeling very good and have been practicing with high intensity for the past two days,” Rauf told reporters on Monday. “I did a bit of bowling today as well and did not feel any pain. Personally I am satisfied but will follow the management’s plan.”

In response to a question, Rauf said Pakistan had plenty of spinners in the form of Khushdil Shah, Abrar Ahmed and Salman Ali Agha apart from pacers. 

“We have a whole bowling unit and we properly utilize it as such,” Rauf said. “As a bowling unit, we have a lot of belief in ourselves.”

The Pakistani pacer pointed out that the green shirts have played the semifinal and final of two ICC T20 World Cups since 2021 and had also played the final of the Asia Cup in 2022. 

“We have together as a group for quite good time and wish to be remembered as the ones who won an ICC event for the country,” he said.

Pakistan are in Group A of the Champions Trophy tournament along with India, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Australia, England, South Africa and Afghanistan comprise Group B. The top two teams will qualify for the next round of the tournament. 

ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has predicted rain, snow and thunderstorms in several parts of Pakistan this week, amid an ongoing drought that has dented winter crops in the country’s breadbasket.

Last month, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said rainfall from Sept. 1 to Jan. 15 was 40 percent below normal across Pakistan, with Sindh, Balochistan, and Punjab being the most affected provinces with deficits of 52 percent, 45 percent and 42 percent, respectively.

The severe drought, which was in fact part of a larger trend of increasing climate variability, has adversely impacted the growth of crops like wheat, a staple food, as well as vital cash crops like potato, according to the Pakistani climate change ministry.

However, a fresh weather advisory by the NDMA said rains were expected in Punjab, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), which are likely to bring some respite to farmers who rely on rainwater to cultivate their lands.

“Rain and snowfall are expected in Pothohar region, including Murree and Galliyat, upper and northeastern Punjab, and Islamabad from February 19 to 21,” the NDMA said.

“Northern and northwestern Balochistan may experience rain, wind, thunderstorms, and snowfall from February 18 to 20. Upper KP is likely to see similar conditions from February 18 to 20, while GB and AJK will have cloudy weather with rain, wind, and snowfall on February 19 and 20.”

The agriculture sector contributes nearly a quarter of Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 37 percent of the national labor force, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization.

Pakistan generally relies on water from the Indus river which bisects the country from north to south, where it empties into the Arabian Sea.

Experts say a fast-growing population, climate change and poor resource management with an over-reliance on a single water source are all spurring scarcity, and building water reservoirs, restoring wetlands and promoting drought tolerant crop varieties is vital to mitigating recurring and intensifying drought risks in the country.

In its advisory, the NDMA urged the public to use ‘Pak NDMA Alert App’ to stay updated about the weather conditions before traveling.

“NDMA has advised relevant authorities to stay vigilant, especially in snowfall and rain-prone areas,” it added.