KARACHI: Pakistani athletes put on a remarkable show at the 2024 Chicago Marathon, with many delivering standout performances amid a field of over 50,000 runners.

Muhammad Amin Nadeem Mukaty led the Pakistani contingent and completed the marathon in an impressive 2:44:32 to secure the 761st position overall which also made him the fastest Pakistani at this year’s event.

Among the Pakistani women participants, Sara Tahoor Lodhi emerged as the fastest, finishing in 3:45:54. She was followed by Semeena Khan, who finished the race in 3:52:47, and Nadia Rehman, who clocked 4:14:44.

The performance of Pakistani runners at the Chicago Marathon marks a significant milestone for the country’s presence in athletics.

Results

• Muhammad Amin Nadeem Mukaty: 2:44:32
• Syed Sadiq Hussain Shah: 2:52:24
• Nizar Nayani: 2:53:26
• Shehryar Khursheed: 2:57:22
• Muhammad Shah: 3:07:15
• Ayaz Abdulla: 3:14:57
• Bilal Ehsan: 3:16:36
• Omer Asif Siddiqui: 3:22:08
• Miqdad Mohammed: 3:31:33
• Hamid Butt: 3:34:20
• Shahrukh Qureshi: 3:45:06
• Sara Tahoor Lodhi: 3:45:54
• Semeena Khan: 3:52:47
• Fahad Qureshi: 3:53:08
• Muhammad Majeed: 3:58:37
• Faizan Shakeel: 4:02:29
• Saif Ullah: 4:13:01
• Nadia Rehman: 4:14:44
• Khalid Sheikh: 4:15:18
• Radya Anwer: 4:20:10
• Ahfaz Mustafa: 4:25:45
• Nadia Karnani: 4:38:25
• Iqura Khan: 4:45:23

LAHORE: Pakistani on Monday revealed their playing XI for the second Test against England set to commence on Tuesday at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

Batter Kamran Ghulam is set to make his debut after being made part of the lineup following Babar Azam’s exclusion from the series. 

Meanwhile, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan and Zahid Mehmood will be part of the second Test as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Sarfaraz Ahmed have been rested, whereas, Abrar Ahmad is unavailable due to ill-health.

Today’s announcement comes a day after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled a 16-member squad wherein Babar, Shaheen and Naseem were “rested” along with wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed who was also released by the board.

The Green Shirts had suffered a rather embarrassing defeat by innings and 47 runs at the hands of the visitors.

Defending its decision to drop top players, the PCB said that the move was aimed at allowing the cricketers to have some rest so that they can come back afresh.

The decision was made in the best interest of Pakistan cricket, said a board’s spokesperson.

He noted that selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England has been a challenging task for the selectors and highlighted that the board had to carefully consider current players’ form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule.

The three-match series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25.

The second Test is set to be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium, same as the first match, whereas the third and last match of the series will be commence at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on October 24.

Playing XI

Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood.

Calling the decision of removing noted batsman Babar Azam from Pakistan team for the rest of the England Test series a pure folly, ex-England cricketer Michael Vaughan said Pakistan cricket was packed with surprises.

Vaughan, in a social media post, said it was an absolutely stupid decision, unless Babar himself had asked for a break.

“So Pakistan haven’t won in a while .. Go 1 nil down in the series and decide to drop the best player in Babar Azam I guess Pakistan cricket is full of surprises but this tops the lot .. absolutely stupid decision .. unless he has asked for a break!!!”

Following an innings and 47-run defeat in the series opener, the PCB on Sunday announced to give Babar “rest” for the second and third Tests against England.

The out of form batsman will miss the matches in Multan and Rawalpindi after Friday’s loss handed Pakistan their sixth consecutive test defeat and left them at the bottom of the World Test Championship standings.

The former Green Shirts captain struggled in the first Test against England, managing just 35 runs across both innings. He stepped down as captain in all formats after Pakistan’s elimination from the 2023 ODI World Cup.

However, four months later, he was re-appointed as the Twenty20 Internationals and ODI captain but his second stint also proved abortive, leading him to resign once again.

The newly formed selection committee has also rested frontline pace duo of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah for the Tests. Afridi, 24, a former captain in the T20I format has struggled to regain his form from before his knee injury.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood voiced his support for Babar in the wake of the defeat, labelling him as “Pakistan’s best batter” and called for players to be given more time.

Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman also showed support for Babar minutes before the squad was announced on Sunday.

“It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively,” Zaman wrote in a post on X.

“If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them.”

Aqib Javed, a Pakistan selector, said the selection committee had to carefully consider current player form, the urgency to bounce back in the series and Pakistan’s demanding 2024-25 international schedule.

The PCB spokesman said that selecting the squad for the upcoming Tests against England had been an uphill task for the selectors.

Uncapped players Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, and Kamran Ghulam, have been called up. The spokesman said that the board was offering opportunities to young players and domestic performers to showcase their skills against a formidable England side.

The second Test against England begins on Tuesday in Multan.

Pakistan squad:

Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Mumtaz, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha and Zahid Mehmood.

Cricket Australia on Monday announced their squad for the upcoming one-day international (ODI) series against Pakistan set to commence in November.

Pat Cummins has returned to the team as captain whereas Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head have been ruled out as they are on paternity leave — essentially paving the way for the inclusion of Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short who have been named in the 14-member squad as openers.

Pakistan will visit Australia for a three-match ODI series followed by a three-match T20I series scheduled from November 14 to 18 after the culmination of the ODI series with the second and third 50-over games on November 8 and November 10 at the Adelaide Oval, and Perth Stadium, respectively.

Australian chief selector George Bailey, as reported by the AFP, said: “This is our last ODI series before the Champions Trophy (in Pakistan) and the balance of the squad was focused on that as well as continuing to focus on the preparation of individuals for the upcoming Test summer.”

“We view this as an opportunity to expand on that achievement in preparation for next February in Pakistan,” he added while referring to the Champions Trophy set to be hosted by Pakistan next year.

Apart from Marsh and Head, Cameron Green has also not made it to the squad as the 25-year-old all-rounder will be undergoing surgery due to a back stress fracture which will rule him out for six months, said Cricket Australia in a statement.

Meanwhile, Cummins — who missed the white-ball tour of England and Scotland to rest — will be once again leading the team in the 50-over format for the first time since winning the World Cup 2023.

It is to be noted that the squad for the T20I series will be announced at a later date.

Australia squad

Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa