����ֱ��

Rawalpindi: South African skipper Donovan Ferreira said his team will speed up preparation for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, with the series against Pakistan starting in Rawalpindi from Tuesday.

South Africa finished runners-up to India in the 2024 Twenty20 World Cup, and will be among the favorites for the coming edition which India and Sri Lanka co-host in February-March.

Ferreira said on Monday that this week’s three-match series provides an ideal opportunity.

“It is important to build up toward the World Cup,” he said. “I think this is the big stepping stone for us toward the World Cup.”

South Africa will miss David Miller — announced captain for this series but ruled out with injury — as well as Gerald Coetzee and Kwena Maphaka, who are both injured.

They have rested regular T20I skipper Aiden Markram, batters Tristan Stubbs and Ryan Rickelton, and spearhead Kagiso Rabada.

Despite less experience in the side and losing to Namibia earlier this month, Ferreira hopes his team will play an aggressive brand of cricket.

“The Namibia game is past now and I think we need to play an explosive brand of cricket with the bat or with the ball, as we have got exciting players in the side.”

Pakistan skipper Salman Agha also sees the series as an opportunity to build toward the World Cup.

“We need to further our preparations and overcome the mistakes we committed in the Asia Cup,” said Agha of the regional event last month where they finished runners-up to India.

Agha said he was excited to see star batter Babar Azam back in the T20I side for the first time since December 2024.

“Azam is a world class player and he will benefit our team with his batting,” said Agha.

“We have good batters and bowlers in the side so we need to build up toward the World Cup.”

The remaining two matches are on Friday and Saturday, both in Lahore.

ISLAMABAD: Meta has launched ‘ALIF,’ an artificial intelligence (AI) model, that allows users to communicate with it in Urdu as part of an expansion of its language capabilities, Pakistan’s information technology (IT) ministry said on Monday.

Urdu, Pakistan’s national language and one of the 22 languages enshrined under India’s constitution, is spoken by millions of people in South Asia and elsewhere in the world.

The announcement was made during the IT ministry’s “Future in Focus: AI and Innovation” event, held in partnership with Meta to advance digital transformation in Pakistan.

Officials announced a series of initiatives aimed at empowering Pakistan’s public sector and local communities during the event, according to the Pakistani IT ministry.

“Our National AI Policy and partnership with Meta reflects this commitment; advancing AI literacy, digital transformation, and innovation across government and academia,” IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja said at the event.

“The introduction of ALIF — Urdu for Meta AI is a milestone in making technology more inclusive and accessible for our people, ensuring that no one is left behind in our digital transformation.”

ALIF will enable people to access more information, express themselves and stay connected to what matters most, according to the Pakistani IT ministry.

Meta also launched a localized version of the “Transforming Public Sector Innovation in Asia Pacific with Llama” guide, outlining how its open-source AI model can improve government efficiency, enhance public services and strengthen data sovereignty.

Earlier this year, the IT ministry, in collaboration with educational institutes, launched an AI Literacy Program to train 350 non-computer science faculty members in core AI skills to prepare students for the future of work.

Pakistan and Meta have partnered for multiple initiatives to advance digital transformation, promote AI literacy and expand access to emerging technologies across the country.

In July, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Meta came together to address militancy in digital space by organizing a workshop on Meta’s evolving policies for handling militancy-related content and strengthening cooperation between digital platforms, law enforcement agencies and regulators.