Dubai (Sports News): Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, England all-rounder Will Jacks and United States of America fast bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk have been shortlisted for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for February while Sri Lanka batter Harshitha Samarawickrama, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana and India seam bowler Arundhati Reddy complete the women’s shortlist.Sahibzada outshone other batters with a record aggregate in an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup while Will Jacks and Schalkwyk were other standout performers. All three were in the ICC Team of the Tournament announced at the end of the event, Schalkwyk named as the 12th player.Men’s shortlistSahibzada Farhan (Pakistan)The hard-hitting opener amassed 383 runs at an average of 76.60 and a strike-rate of 160.25 in seven T20Is during the tournament. He broke Virat Kohli’s record runs in one edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and became the first to register two centuries in a single edition - against Namibia and Sri Lanka.Will Jacks (England)Jacks had a superb run with both bat and ball. He scored 192 runs at a strike-rate of 173.21 and grabbed 11 wickets at an economy rate of 8.04 in nine T20Is as his team made the semifinals of the tournament. He won four Player of the Match awards.Shadley van Schalkwyk (USA)Van Schalkwyk finished with 13 wickets at an economy rate of 6.80 in four matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He ended the initial group stage as the leading wicket-taker, grabbing four for 25 against both India and Pakistan and following up with a haul of three for 21 against the NetherlandsWomen’s shortlistHarshitha Samarawickrama helped win an ODI series in the West Indies with two half-centuries, Fatima Sana put up a fine-all-round effort in both ODIs and T20Is during the period while Arundhati Reddy was the leading wicket-taker in India’s T20I series win in Australia.Harshitha Samarawickrama (Sri Lanka)The left-hand batter scored 171 runs averaging 57.00 at a strike-rate of 60.85 in three ODIs that helped defeat the West Indies 2-1 in the Caribbean. She finished as the leading run-scorer in the series with knocks of 66, 35 and 70.Fatima Sana (Pakistan)Fatima scored 57 runs in two ODIs against South Africa at a strike-rate of 126.66 and also grabbed two wickets. She was the leading scorer in the T20Is in South Africa, striking 90 in the first match and an unbeaten 47 in the third. She also took two wickets.Arundhati Reddy (India)Reddy was the leading wicket-taker as India won their three-match T20I series in Australia by a 2-1 margin. She grabbed four for 22, two for 30 and two 35 in the three matches to finish with an average of 10.87 and an economy rate of 7.25.

Lahore (Staff Report):The tickets for the much-anticipated HBL PSL 11 will go on sale from Tuesday, 17 March, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today. The tickets will be available to fans online from 12pm at pcb.tcs.com.pk (infographics attached).The sale of physical tickets at TCS Express Centres will commence from Tuesday, 24 March. More details will be shared in due course.The E-Ticket option will be partially available for Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi stadiums and will operate on a first-come, first-served basis. The upcoming edition of HBL PSL starting from 26 March will feature 44 matches with eight teams taking part in the marquee event for the first time. For the first time, six venues – Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, Peshawar’s Imran Khan Stadium, Multan Cricket Stadium, Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, Karachi’s National Bank Stadium and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host matches.The final of the event will be played on 3 May at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.To encourage fans to come in large numbers, General tickets in Lahore and Karachi will be available to fans from PKR 250, while fans can purchase general stand tickets for Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium from PKR 300. General tickets in Multan and Rawalpindi will be available from PKR 400.Also, to facilitate families to witness action in Peshawar, an enclosure has been dedicated to families at the stadium for the fixture on Saturday, 28 March between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United. Fans can purchase tickets for the VIP Family Zone for PKR 2,000.Premium tickets for the afternoon match in Peshawar will be available at PKR 1,500, while fans can watch the action from the VIP enclosure at PKR 3,000. The VVIP Gallery will also be available to fans at the Imran Khan Stadium from PKR 6,000.For corporate customers, hospitality boxes will be available at the stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi. Gallery tickets will be available to fans in all stadiums (infographic attached).HBL PSL CEO Salman Naseer:“The sale of tickets for the HBL PSL 11 beginning tomorrow marks an important milestone as the league enters its 11th year and ushers in a New Era of growth and innovation. Over the last decade, the HBL PSL has established itself as one of the most exciting T20 leagues in the world and we remain committed to taking the fan experience to the next level.“While finalising the ticketing strategy for this season, special emphasis was placed on accessibility for fans across the country. We wanted to ensure that supporters can easily purchase tickets through a convenient online system, while also keeping prices affordable so that families and passionate cricket followers can come to the stadiums and enjoy the action live.“For the upcoming season of HBL PSL, fans can look forward to thrilling contests, with traditional rivalries set to intensify and new rivalries beginning to take shape. Every season brings fresh stories, new heroes and unforgettable moments and we are confident that this year will be no different.”

Multan (PR): The Chess Association of Punjab (CAP) has officially announced its newly elected Executive Council for the term 2026–2030. According to a spokesperson for the association, the elections were conducted through a transparent and constitutionally compliant process under the supervision of the Sports Board Punjab, with full participation of the General Body members. The newly formed leadership is committed to further promoting and strengthening the game of chess across the province.Dr. Naeem Rauf from Lahore has been elected as President of the association. A highly experienced administrator with extensive expertise in chess governance and organizational affairs, Dr. Rauf brings a wealth of knowledge and strategic vision to the role. His leadership is expected to steer Punjab chess toward new heights of excellence and inclusivity.Inamullah Awan from Gujranwala will serve as Senior Vice President. He holds a senior position in the government setup and is widely recognized for his dedication to mentoring and supporting young chess talent across the region.The association has appointed four Vice Presidents representing different regions of Punjab. These include:· Professor Tahir Raza Abid (Vehari)· Sheikh Abuzar (Bahawalpur)· Malik Shahbaz Babbar (Muzaffargarh)· Dr. Ejaz Asghar (Sheikhupura)Each of these individuals has played a notable role in promoting chess at the grassroots level and strengthening local chess communities in their respective districts.Raja Gauhar Iqbal from Rawalpindi has been re-elected as General Secretary. With an impressive record of organizing over 1,700 chess tournaments in recent years, he has demonstrated unwavering dedication to the growth and development of the sport across Punjab.Ehsan-ul-Haq from Gujrat has been elected as Finance Secretary. He will oversee the association's financial matters, ensuring transparency, accountability, and prudent management of resources.Other office-bearers include Sheraz Adil (Sheikhupura) – Joint Secretary and Shahid Lodhi (Multan) – Press Secretary.In a significant step toward promoting gender inclusivity in sports, Mrs. Bushra Saleem has been nominated as Women's Representative. She will work to encourage female participation in chess across the province and will represent the association in the General Body of the Chess Federation of Pakistan, alongside the President and General Secretary.The spokesperson further stated that the newly elected Executive Council represents a powerful blend of administrative experience, academic excellence, and genuine passion for the sport. The team is expected to play a transformative role in strengthening district-level chess associations, promoting youth and women participation, and significantly improving the standards of chess tournaments throughout Punjab.

Karachi (Sports News) Due to the increasing popularity of paddle sports, a paddle court was established in Naya Nazimabad. Special guest Chairman Naya Nazim Arif Habib inaugurated the court by cutting the ribbon.Arif Habib said: Naya Nazimabad is a true picture of Sports City. Where there are facilities for twenty sports including cricket, football, futsal, squash, tennis, swimming, table tennis, badminton, now the increasingly popular sport paddle court has also been completed. He said that Pakistani youth are very talented and he hopes that Pakistani youth will also achieve success in paddle. To a question, Arif Habib said that Chairman PCB Mohsin Naqvi has assured him that after the hotel is completed, Naya Nazimabad will host big cricket matches.Chief Executive Officer Samad Habib said that cricket, football and tennis competitions were organized in Ramadan and now a national paddle tournament will be organized here in the near future. On this occasion, President Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana Syed Mohammad Talha, Chief Operating Officer Mohammad Saeed, Senior Manager Sports Mohammad Asif, Senior Manager Raheel Karim, former Test cricketer Jalaluddin, businessman Usman Ghani, Tariq Iqbal and a large number of citizens were also present. During this, a cake was cut and colorful balloons were released in the air.

Abdullah AsjadISLAMABAD:Defending champions Lahore Qalandars will conduct a three-day conditioning camp at the Smart Qalandars High Performance Center in Islamabad as part of preparations for the upcoming 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League.The camp will begin today and continue until March 18, with training sessions taking place after Iftar from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.All locally contracted players will participate in the camp alongside Zimbabwe captain and Lahore Qalandars overseas player Sikandar Raza. The camp will focus on conditioning and team preparation ahead of the new season.The squad will regroup with all local and overseas players in Lahore on March 23 after the Eid holidays as preparations shift toward the PSL opener against Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on March 26.

Lausanne Switzerland (Sports News): The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to announce that New Zealand and South Africa will host the fourth edition of the women’s and men’s FIH Hockey Nations Cup (respectively), with the winners being offered the opportunity to join the 2026-27 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.The city of Cape Town, South Africa, will host the men’s event which will involve some of the best teams in the world: South Africa, New Zealand, France, Korea, Japan, Wales, Malaysia, along with Scotland—who were promoted via the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, and Ireland — who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.The 2025-26 edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup will run from 11 to 20 June 2026, and will mark the return of the competition to South Africa, which hosted the inaugural edition of the men’s competition in Potchefstroom in 2022.The women’s event will take place in Auckland, New Zealand from 15 to 21 June 2026. The impressive line-up for the competition includes includes hosts New Zealand, USA, Japan, Korea, Chile, Scotland, along with France — who were promoted via the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2, and India — who were relegated from the 2024-25 season of the FIH Hockey Pro League.The FIH Hockey Nations Cup was launched in 2021 to offer a top-level competition to the best-ranked teams not participating in the FIH Hockey Pro League and give the winning team the option to be promoted to the FIH Hockey Pro League in the following season.India, Spain and New Zealand have won the first three editions of the women’s competition thus far. On the men’s side, South Africa won the inaugural edition, followed by back-to-back successes for the New Zealand men’s team.FIH President Tayyab Ikram said: “On behalf of FIH, I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Hockey Associations of New Zealand and South Africa. We are delighted to have two outstanding host nations and cities for these remarkable tournaments. I’m excited for the thrilling matches and the fantastic atmosphere that will unfold across two continents, as some of the world’s top men’s and women’s teams showcase their talent for hockey fans around the globe.”

Lausanne Switzerland (Sports News): After a busy start to the calendar year of 2026 with teams playing in the FIH Hockey Pro League across three continents as well as the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in Chile, Egypt and India, there have been plenty of movements across the World Rankings Table.In the men’s rankings, Netherlands (3460) and Belgium (3453) remain neck-and-neck as the top two sides. Australia (3258) are in third, up one spot from the start of the year, followed by England (3152) in fourth, up three spots from where they started 2026! Argentina (3126) in fifth have been steady, while Germany (3110) in sixth, are down three places from the start of the year, followed by Spain (2936) and India (2774), who are both down one place each in seventh and eighth respectively. Ireland (2547) in ninth are up two spots, followed by France (2385) down one spot in tenth. New Zealand (2353) in eleventh are down one spot as a result of Ireland’s move up the rankings. Pakistan’s (2316) four wins in the Qualifiers in Ismailia has seen them climb up two places to twelfth, followed by South Africa (2227)—who are down one spot having already qualified for the World Cup via the Africa Cup of Nations. Japan (2150) in fourteenth are one of the biggest climbers of the year, up from eighteenth place, thanks to their stellar run in the Qualifiers in Egypt, which ended in a third place finish and a spot in the World Cup. Malaysia (2140) in fifteenth, Scotland (2082) in seventeenth and Egypt (2005) in eighteenth have all dropped down a couple of places each, while Wales (2108) in sixteenth and Canada (1926) in nineteenth have remained steady. China (1831) in twentieth, Chile (1827) in twenty first, Poland (1825) in twenty second, Korea (1813) in twenty third, Austria (1772) in twenty fourth and United States (1702) in twenty fifth round out the top-25 standings in men’s rankings. In the women’s rankings, the top-5 in the standings remain intact from the start of the year. Leading the way are Netherlands (3927), well clear atop the standings, followed by Argentina (3467) in second place, Belgium (3230) in third, China (3143) in fourth and Spain (2961) in fifth. England (2764) have moved up two spots — up into sixth — following their involvement in the Pro League as well as the World Cup Qualifiers. Germany (2711) remain in seventh despite tough results in the Pro League, while Australia (2513) have swapped places with England, dropping two places, down into eighth. India (2420) in ninth and New Zealand (2391) in tenth hold on to their spots from the end of the previous year, and are closely followed by Chile (2342) who are amongst the biggest rank gainers, moving up to their all-time high ranking of eleventh, having started the year in fifteenth. USA (2337) in twelfth have dropped a spot, followed by Ireland (2306) who remain in thirteenth. Scotland (2206) in fourteenth are up one place after qualifying for their first World Cup in 24 years, followed by Japan (2192) in fifteenth, who have dropped three spots, after finishing fourth in Chile and qualifying for the World Cup, thanks to their superior world ranking. France (1912) in sixteenth and Uruguay (1891) in seventeenth have climbed one and two spots respectively, while Korea (1826) have dropped three places down into eighteenth, with South Africa (1798) in nineteenth and Italy (1795) in twentieth round out the top-20. 

Hyderabad, Telangana, India (Sports News): England defeated hosts India 2–0 in the final at the GMC Balayogi Hockey Stadium on Saturday to clinch the gold medal at the FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Qualifiers 2026, while both the teams secured qualification for the FIH World Cup later this year in Belgium and Netherlands. England finished on top of the final standings unbeaten, while it was the first defeat of the tournament for India.Earlier in the day, Scotland booked their place at the FIH World Cup 2026 with a narrow victory over Italy, which earned them the third qualification spot. In the classification matches, Uruguay and Austria ended their campaigns on a winning note with victories over Wales and Korea, respectively. 7/8 Place - Korea 1 – 1 Austria (SO: 1-2)Korea hit a nadir in their concluding game of a disappointing campaign, going down to Austria in a shootout to finish last in the eight-team competition. It was their third defeat in five matches, besides a draw and a win. The Austrians held their nerves in the shootout for a 2-1 victory after the regulation 60 minutes ended at 1-1.Austria began in fine fashion, earning a penalty corner in just the third minute and converted it through Kristine Vijkovich. They defended their 1-0 lead going into half-time. Korea drew level in the opening minute of the third quarter when Yuri Lee scored off a set-piece. Both the teams tightened their defence thereafter, as the game produced no more goals despite chances created by strikers on both sides.The shootout turned out to be a who-blinks-first battle, with goalkeepers Michaela Streb (Austria) and Seoyeon Lee (Korea) defending their respective post resolutely. After Yujin Lee and Johanna Czech scored off the first attempts, none of the attackers from both the teams could find the mark – until Carla Kemper beat the Korean goalkeeper on the fifth and last attempt to win it for Austria. 5/6 Place - Wales 0 – 3 Uruguay Uruguay finished their tournament on a winning note when they defeated Wales 3-0 on the concluding day, which also earned them a 5th-place finish.The South Americans dominated the game right from the start, but it took a penalty stroke in the 23rd minute for them to break through as the in-form Teresa Viana made no mistake to put her team ahead with her fifth goal of the tournament.Uruguay continued to pepper the Welsh circle in the second half, which resulted in their second goal off the stick of Magdalena Verga in the 36th minute from a penalty corner. Wales failed to string together meaningful attacks, which showed up in the statistics with just nine circle penetrations by their strikers. Uruguay put the final nail in the coffin with their third goal in the 57th minute when Lupe Curutchague provided the finishing touch to an incisive move. It was Uruguay’s third win in five matches. 3/4 Place - Scotland 1 – 0 Italy With a place in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 on the line, the European battle between Scotland and Italy was understandably a cagey affair, which eventually was decided by a solitary goal scored by the Scots – booking them a ticket to the showpiece event in Belgium and Netherlands later this year. Scotland joined England and India as the three teams to progress to the World Cup from the qualifiers in Hyderabad. This also meant that Japan, who finished fourth in the qualifiers in Santiago, also made it to the World Cup as the highest world-ranked fourth-placed team from the two qualification tournaments. The Scotland vs Italy match-up wasn’t expected to be a battle of defence, especially after Scotland got on the scoreboard as early as the 7th minute when Amy Costello ensured the penalty-corner wasn’t wasted. In the next 53 minutes, Scotland earned just one more PC with Italy fortifying their backline while trying to find the equaliser. But it never came. The chances created by the Italians were few and far in between against a determined Scottish defence that conceded just one penalty corner and held its structure to protect the 1-0 lead for a ticket to the World Cup. Final - England 2 – 0 IndiaEngland took home the gold medal and a place in the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 with a 2-0 win over India in the final. The hosts had to settle for a silver medal, but it was enough to punch a ticket to the quadrennial event.In-form penalty-corner specialist Grace Balsdon put England ahead in the 13th minute, which made her the tournament’s joint top-scorer with five goals. India tried to piece together their A game but failed to find the equaliser despite having an almost equal share of ball possession and more circle entries than England. It remained 1-0 at half-time. India continued to pose a threat to England’s lead, which grew to 2-0 in the 43rd minute when Elizabeth Neal was awarded the goal that India challenged with a referral. However, the on-field official’s decision was upheld after video referral.The hosts were left with a stiffer chase in the last 15 minutes, where England held their nerves and defended in numbers to secure victory.

Lahore (Staff Report):Former Test captain and ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2006 and ICC Champions Trophy 2017 winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a distinguished career spanning around two decades.Karachi-born wicketkeeper-batter, who made his ODI debut in 2007 before making his Test and T20I debuts in 2010, went on to represent Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs and 61 T20Is.He scored 6,164 runs across formats, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he grabbed 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings during his international career.Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats (50 ODIs, 37 T20Is, 13 Tests) and led the side to the No.1 ranking in T20I cricket. During his captaincy, Pakistan achieved a world-record streak of 11 consecutive T20I series victories and recorded six clean sweeps, which include against West Indies (2016 and 2018), Sri Lanka (2017), Australia (2018), New Zealand (2018) and Scotland (2018).Sarfaraz’ leadership era also saw the emergence of several future stars, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, whom he backed at the start of their international careers.Sarfaraz Ahmed led Pakistan to historic triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy, beating India by 180 runs in the final at the Oval in England. With that victory, Sarfaraz became the first Pakistan captain to win the Champions Trophy and the only captain till date to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels, having earlier led Pakistan to win in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in 2006 in Sri Lanka.In recognition of his services and the Champions Trophy triumph, Sarfaraz Ahmed was awarded the Pride of Performance in 2018, becoming the youngest Pakistan captain to receive the honour.Talking about his individual records, Sarfaraz has the Pakistan record of 10 catches in a Test match, which he took against South Africa in Johannesburg 2019. He is till date only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s which he scored against England in 2016.Sarfaraz who played his first international match (ODI) in 2007 made his last international appearance in an international match (Test) against Australia in Perth in 2023.Sarfaraz Ahmed said:“It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan. From leading the U19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment in Pakistan colours has been special. I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, family and the fans for their unwavering support throughout my career.“Captaining Pakistan across all formats was a dream come true. I always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team. Seeing players like Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali,Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements.“I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board for the trust they placed in me over the years. Pakistan cricket has always been very close to my heart and I will continue to support the game in every possible way.”

Mohammad Ali SalaarPeshawar: Bahawalpur Region pulled off a four-wicket win over Lahore Region Whites in a last-over thriller, while Faisalabad Region defeated Peshawar Region by 15 runs on the seventh day of the ABS Developers National T20 Cup 2026 here at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar on Friday.In the second game of the night, Bahawalpur edged Lahore Whites by four wickets with two balls to spare while chasing 197.With 11 required off the final over of the innings bowled by skipper Aamer Jamal, Haider Ali was beaten off the first delivery before sending the second ball over midwicket into the stands for a maximum.Haider fetched two runs off the third delivery before striking the winning runs with a boundary off the fourth to seal a four-wicket win for his side. Haider remained unbeaten on 65 off 43 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes.In pursuit of the target, Bahawalpur lost opening batter Mohammad Sudais for naught in the first over before Mohammad Faizan Zafar (28, 22b, 2x4s, 1x6) added 68 with top scorer Saad Khan. Saad then shared another 45-run alliance with Haider Ali before being dismissed in the 12th over after scoring 65 off 30 deliveries laced with seven fours and four sixes as the scoreboard read 115 for three in 11.1 overs.Mohammad Rameez Jnr returned figures of 4-0-21-3, while Aamir, Ubaid Shah and Naseem Shah picked up one wicket each.Electing to bat first, Lahore Whites lost opening batter Muhammad Akhlaq (2) and Mohammad Saleem (4) in the third over with 14 on the board. Top-scorer Faiq (63, 42b, 5x4s, 3x6s) then shared a 110-run stand for third wicket with Tayyab Tahir (46, 34b, 7x4s).Following Tayyab and Faiq’s dismissal in the 15th over to Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (4-0-39-2), Farhan Yousaf added 67 off 31 with Mohammad Mohsin for the fifth wicket to lift Lahore Whites to 196 for five in 20 overs.Mohsin remained unbeaten on 32 off 16, smashing three fours and two sixes while Farhan got out on the final delivery of the innings after scoring an 18-ball 39, supported by four fours and one six.In the first game of the day, Faisalabad Region were inserted to bat by Peshawar and lost Muhammad Faizan for seven in the fourth over, before player of the match Atiq-ur-Rehman and Asim Ali Nasir steadied the innings. The pair added 35 runs for the second wicket, with Asim contributing 14 off 13 balls, hitting two fours. Atiq top-scored with 72 off 44 deliveries, striking 10 fours, while skipper Muhammad Irfan Khan made 32 off 23 balls, which included one four and two sixes. Mubasir Khan’s (27, 15b, 2x4s, 2x6s) late cameo lifted Faisalabad Region to 170 for nine.For Peshawar, Usman Tariq (4-0-20-2) and Mohammad Nawaz (3-0-23-2) shared four wickets.In reply, Peshawar Region’s chase got off to a shaky start as they were reduced to 32 for four in 4.2 overs. Shehzad Gul struck twice in his opening spell, dismissing Abuzar Tariq (11, 8b, 1x4) and Mohammad Haris, while Afaq Afridi and Zaman Khan (1-0-4-1) accounted for Yasir Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed, respectively.Zaman sustained a shoulder injury, which ruled him out of the match, trying to field a ball on midwicket boundary with a dive on the second ball of the 11th over. Nabi Gul and Israrullah, in a bid to revive the innings, stitched a 71-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Nabi departed after scoring 43 off 39 balls, laced with three fours and two sixes, while Israrullah made 47 off 40 deliveries, striking as many boundaries as his partner. Mohammad Imran Jnr also chipped in with an unbeaten 18 off 10 balls aided with one four and one six, but Peshawar Region fell 16 runs short of the target.For Faisalabad Region, Afaq returned figures of 3.5-0-38-4, while Shehzad bagged three wickets for 21 runs in four overs. Faisalabad have played out their four Group A matches and currently sit third with four points and near to no chances for qualification to the semi-finals. On Saturday in Group B, third-placed Sialkot will take on second-placed Abbottabad, while defending champions Lahore Blues will be up against fourth-placed Karachi Blues.Scores in brief: Match 13: Faisalabad Region beat Peshawar Region by 15 runs at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, PeshawarFaisalabad 170-9, 20 overs (Atiq-ur-Rehman 72, Mohammad Irfan Khan 32, Mubasir Khan 27; Usman Tariq 2-20, Mohammad Nawaz 2-23)Peshawar 155 all out, 19.5 overs (Israrullah 47, Nabi Gul 43; Afaq Afridi 4-38, Shehzad Gul 3-21)Player of the match: Atiq-ur-Rehman (Faisalabad)Match 14: Bahawalpur Region beat Lahore Region Whites by four wickets at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, PeshawarLahore Whites 196-5, 20 overs (Mohammad Faiq 63, Tayyab Tahir 46, Farhan Yousaf 39, Mohammad Mohsin 32 not out; Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 2-39)Bahawalpur 198-6, 19.4 overs (Haider Ali 65 not out, Saad Khan 65, Mohammad Faizan Zafar 28; Mohammad Rameez 3-21)Player of the match: Haider Ali (Bahawalpur)Saturday’s FixturesSialkot v Abbottabad at 4.30pm PKTLahore Blues v Karachi Blues at 9.30pm PKT