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Pakistani cricketer Hafeez considers retirement in protest
Lahore, Aug 7 (IANS) Pakistan’s senior batsman Mohammad Hafeez is reportedly considering retirement in protest against his recent demotion in the players’ categories by the Pakistan Cricket Board, local media reported on Tuesday.
Local media quoting sources close to the right-hand all-rounder said that Hafeez considered the demotion an insult to him because he had been performing up to the mark to win several honours for the country, reports Xinhua news agency.
Hafeez, 37, had been a regular recipient of the PCB’s top category contract, but the board on Monday replaced him with a young rising star, Babar Azam.
The PCB dropped Hafeez from category A to category B in the annual central contact given to players for a period of one year.
Hafeez has played 50 Tests, 200 One-day International and 83 Twenty20 International matches for Pakistan during his career which started in 2003.
“Hafeez felt upset over the decision, and now he is disillusioned due to discriminatory treatment and, as a result, cannot continue to keep on playing. Mohammad Hafeez will not sign the central contract,” local media quoted the sources as saying.
During a five-match series against Zimbabwe last month, Hafeez refused to play the fifth match of the series after he was included in the team for the first four matches of the series.
According to sources, Hafeez has expressed strong reservations over the new contract which demoted him to the second tier category.
On Monday, the PCB had announced new central contracts for the upcoming year July 2018- June 2019 by including a total of 33 players across five categories of the central contract. National team captain Sarfraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Amir, Yasir Shah and Babar Azam were included in Category A.
Ahmed Shehzad, who was provisionally suspended for testing positive for a banned substance, failed to get a central contract.
The PCB also announced 25 to 30 per cent increase in the monthly payment for each of its categories and also raised its players’ match fees by 20 percent across all categories.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.