Sports Bulletin

PCB ReportFAISALABAD: Babar Azam smashed his 30th List-A century, becoming the first Pakistan batter to register 30 or more List-A centuries, as Allied Bank Stallions triumphed over Engro Dolphins by 174 runs here at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Thursday evening.For the second consecutive game Dolphins failed to chase a total as they followed their yesterday’s score of 192 all out by 97 all out in pursuit of the 272-run target.Stallions made it two out of three wins as they qualified for the playoff stage, along with UMT Markhors and Lake City Panthers, while the Dolphins faced their third consecutive defeat. Lions and Dolphins are fighting for the fourth place in the playoff stage and will face each other on 22 September.Babar hit an unbeaten 104 off 100 balls clubbing seven fours and three sixes including a boundary on penultimate ball of the innings to bring up his record century. Yasir Khan (46, 58b, 5x4s), Shan Masood (34, 36b, 3x4s) and Tayyab Tahir (33, 49b, 4x4s) were the other notable contributors. In turn, Mehran Mumtaz (3-14) and Jahandad Khan (3-18) picked up three wickets each as Dolphins fell for a paltry 97 in just 25 overs.After Stallions won the toss and elected to bat first, Shan and Yasir provided a solid opening partnership of 76 runs before falling in 13th and 17th overs, respectively. Babar and Tayyab stitched a 57-run third-wicket partnership before the latter fell in the 30th over.Husaain Talat chipped in with 23 off 25 balls with the help of two fours while also adding 46 with Babar for the fifth wicket. The eighth-wicket partnership between Babar and Haris Rauf stretched for 41 runs in 23 balls with the latter only contributing three runs. All six Dolphins bowlers picked up one wicket each.Jahandad’s three-wicket burst with the new ball left Dolphins at 40-3 before the other bowlers struck at regular intervals as they lost remaining seven wickets for just 57 runs. Abrar Ahmed dismissed the top scorers for Dolphins, Sahibzada Farhan (32, 36b, 6x4s) and Asif Ali (21, 28b, 3x4s). Haris Rauf bagged two wickets as well.Scores in brief (Allied Bank Stallions beat Engro Dolphins by 174 runs):Allied Bank Stallions 271-7, 50 overs (Babar Azam 104 not out, Yasir Khan 46, Shan Masood 34, Tayyab Tahir 33; Saud Shakeel 1-14, Qasim Akram 1-42, Faheem Ashraf 1-48)Engro Dolphins 97 all out, 25 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 32, Asif Ali 21; Mehran Mumtaz 3-14, Jahandad Khan 3-18, Abrar Ahmed 2-15, Haris Rauf 2-28)Player of the match: Babar Azam (Allied Bank Stallions) 

Zahid Mehmood (5 for 18) halts Stallions to achieve target, Markhors to face Dolphin on Sep 18PCB ReportFAISALABAD: UMT Markhors beat Allied Bank Stallions by 126 runs as the latter folded for 105 all out in 23.4 overs while chasing 232 runs in the fourth match of the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup on Sunday at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. Markhors will play their next match on 18 September against Dolphins.In a remarkable batting collapse the Stallions lost eight wickets for just 26 runs in a space of 54 balls as Zahid Mehmood (5-18) and Salman Ali Agha (3-21) ran through their batting line-up. Stallions were cruising at 79-2 requiring 153 runs from 211 balls but then lost their way. Zahid took just 4.4 overs to register his maiden List-A fiver-fer.Naseem Shah took first two wickets as Yasir Khan was caught behind in the 5th over while Shan Masood (19, 21b, 2x4s) chopped one on in 10th over to leave Stallions 52-2. Babar, the only Stallions batter other than Shan to enter double figures, looked in good touch for 45 off 44 balls accumulating eight boundaries but became Zahid’s first prey in 16th over.Earlier, Jahandad Khan’s career best List-A figures of 4-49 and Mehran Mumtaz’s 3-56 restricted the Markhors to 231 all out with 30 balls to spare. Markhors were reduced to 38-3 in in 8.2 overs with Fakhar Zaman (20, 24b, 2x4s), Mohammad Faizan (2, 8b) and Kamran Ghulam (11, 13b, 2x4s) back in the hut as Mohammad Ali, Jahandad and Abrar struck respectively, on regular intervals.Half-centuries from Salman Ali Agha and Iftikhar Ahmed brought the momentum back to the Markhors’ innings as the duo put on 65-run for the fifth-wicket partnership. Salman departed after scoring 51 off 72 balls with the help of three fours and one six with the scorecard reading 159-5.Iftikhar, batting at No.6, contributed 60 vital runs taking 66 balls as he hit eight boundaries. Abdul Samad (37, 35b, 5x4s, 1x6) and Iftikhar’s joint stand of 62 for the sixth-wicket meant that Markhors crossed 200-run mark but with Samad holing Mehran to long-on at the score of 221, the Stallions then took no time to wrap up the innings. Markhors lost their last five wickets for mere 10 runs as they managed 231 in 45 overs.Scores in brief (UMT Markhors beat Allied Bank Stallions by 126 runs)UMT Markhors 231 all out, 45 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 60, Salman Ali Agha 51, Abdul Samad 37, Mohammad Rizwan 33; Jahandad Khan 4-49, Mehran Mumtaz 3-56)Allied Bank Stallions 105 all out, 23.4 overs (Babar Azam 45, Shan Masood 19; Zahid Mehmood 5-18, Salman Ali Agha 3-21, Naseem Shah 2-24)Player of the match: Zahid Mehmood (UMT Markhors)

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB has confirmed match officials for the cricket season 2024-25 following an annual appraisal process. There is no change to the PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees, while, following feedback from the ICC, there is also no change in the ICC International Panel of Match Referees and Umpires.PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees: Aleem Khan Moosa (Karachi), Athar Laiq (Karachi), Bilal Moinul Haq Khiljee (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Kamran Chaudhry (Lahore), Mohammad Aslam (Quetta), Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad), Sohail Idrees (Lahore)PCB Elite Panel of Umpires: Abdul Moqeet (Lahore), Ahmed Shahab (Lahore), Aleem Dar (Lahore), Aley Haider (Karachi), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Aslam Bareach (Quetta), Faisal Khan Aafreedi (Sargodha), Farooq Ali Khan (Abbottabad), Ghulam Sarwar (Sibi), Imran Jawed (Karachi), Imranullah Aslam (Bahawalpur), Kashif Sohail (Khanewal), Khalid Mehmood Sr. (Karachi), Majid Hussain (AJK), Mohammad Asif (Lahore), Mohammad Sajid (Charsadda), Nasir Hussain (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rana Mohammad Arshad (Faisalabad), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Tariq Rasheed (Lahore), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore), Zulfiqar Jan (Charsadda)PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees: Abu-al-Hasnat Rao (Lahore), Ahmer Saeed (Karachi), Ali Gohar (Karachi), Fazal Akbar Shah (Peshawar), Ghulam Mustafa (Kasur), Inamullah Khan (Lahore), Mohammad Amiruddin Ansari (Karachi), Saman Zulfiqar (Sheikhupura), Samiul Haq (Faisalabad), Sohail Khan (Lahore)PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires: Abdul Karim (Naseerabad), Ahmed Nadeem (Peshawar), Aqeel Aadil Khan (Karachi), Asif Farooq Awan (Gujranwala), Dilshad Ali (Multan), Haroon Malik (Sargodha), Hashim Ali (Lodhran), Hassan Mahmood (Lahore), Irfan Haider (Islamabad), Jamshid Iqbal (Peshawar), Kamran Khalil (Lahore), Mohammad Basit (Lahore), Mohammad Fayyaz (Peshawar), Mohammad Imran (Sargodha), Mohammad Irfan Dilshad (Lahore), Mohammad Kaleem (Lahore), Mohammad Waqas (Lahore), Naseer Ahmed (Chakwal), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rafiq Ahmad (Dadu), Raza Asghar (Sheikhupura), Saleem Butt (Rawalpindi), Sultan Mahmood (Loralai), Syed Fahim Ahmed Bukhari (Karachi), Waqar Ahmed (Islamabad), Zeeshan Arif (Mirpur, AJK)PCB Development Panel of Umpires: Aamer Atta (Dera Ghazi Khan), Abdul Basit (Rawalpindi), Abdul Qayoom (Karachi), Abrar Ahmed (Kasur), Adnan Rashid (Lahore), Ajmal Khan (Swat), Anser Mahmood (Pattoki), Asim Alvi (Karachi), Farooq Anwar Bajwa (Faisalabad), Farooq Jan (Charsadda), Furqan Butt (Lahore), Ghayyur Hussain (Peshawar), Hameed Khan (Quetta), Hidayatullah (Pishin), Imran Naseem (Okara), Jaffar Hussian (Peshawar), Khalid Mahmood Jr (Quetta), Khalid Younas (Kohat), Khalil Ahmad Siddiqi (Kasur), Maqbool Ahmed (Faisalabad), Mehtab Hussain (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Aamir Sharif (Kohat), Mohammad Arif (Dera Ismail Khan), Mohammad Asif Jr (Multan), Mohammad Imran Jr (Bahawalnagar), Mohammad Masood Afridi (Peshawar), Mohammad Shafiqul Hai (Dera Ismail Khan), Mohammad Yousaf (Dera Ghazi Khan), Mumtaz Ali (Loralai), Muneeb Ahsan (Attock), Munir Ahmed (Kasur), Naik Mohammad (Kohat), Nasar Khan (Mardan), Naveed Khan (Nowshehra), Noor ul Hakam (Buner), Raweed Khan (Charsadda), Sadiq Amin (Charsadda), Sagheer Ahmed (Lahore), Saifullah Khan (Sargodha), Shahid Aslam (Karachi), Shahid Naseem (Rawalpindi), Sheraz Ahmed Rajput (Lahore), Sohail Khan (Charssada), Sohail Zaman Khattak (Peshawar), Waqas Zeb (Lahore), Waseemuddin (Kohat)PCB Women’s Panel of Umpires: Afia Amin (Lahore), Ayesha Farooq (Lahore), Fakhira Kazim Syeda (Muzaffarabad), Humairah Farah (Lahore), Nazia Nazir (Lahore), Riffat Mustafa (Kasur), Sabahat Rasheed (Lahore), Saleema Imtiaz (Karachi), Sania Ashraf (Lahore), Shakila Rafiq (Kasur), Sukhan Faiz (Multan), Sumaira Sajid (Lahore), Zakia Gul (Khairpur). 

Usman (111), Hasnain (5-74) script convincing win for Lake City PanthersSports Bulletin ReportFAISALABAD: Lake City Panthers trounced Dolphins by 50 runs in the third game of Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup on Saturday at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Saturday night.Dolphins got off to a steady start in pursuit of the 329-run target as the opening batters Mohammad Huraira (39, 30b, 3x4s, 3x6s) and Sahibzada Farhan (52, 69b, 4x4s, 1x6) put on 68 runs before the former fell to Shadab Khan in 13th over.Usama Mir eked out Muhammad Akhlaq and Sahibzada in the 20th and 22nd overs, respectively prompting a batting collapse for Dolphins as they went from 109-1 to 166-5.Mohammad Hasnain dismissed Saud Shakeel and Asif Ali before Qasim Akram and Faheem Ashraf fought back with a 78-run sixth-wicket partnership. Qasim was castled by Hasnain in the 42nd over for 65 off 62 balls (8x4s, 1x6) bringing Panthers back in the game.The right-arm pacer from Hyderabad soon dismissed Mohammad Abbas Afridi and then Faheem Ashraf (41, 35b, 4x4s, 1x6) to register his third List-A five-wicket haul. Dolphins fell 50 runs short as they were bundled out for 278 in 47 overs. Mubasir Khan and Usama bagged two wickets each while Shadab picked up one.Earlier, Usman Khan’s maiden List-A century coupled with brisk half-centuries from Haider Ali and Shadab propelled the Panthers past 300-run mark. Usman hit 11 fours and three sixes in his 111 which came off 110 balls as he lifted his team from 19-2 by stitching a 70-run third-wicket partnership with Umar Siddiq (30, 39b, 2x4s, 1x6) With Umar and Mubasir departing in 18th and 22nd overs, respectively and Panthers reeling at 105-4, Usman and Haider Ali joined forces to fetch 103 runs for the fifth-wicket. Haider struck five boundaries and three sixes in his 46-ball 63-run outing.Skipper Shadab, who walked in during the 35th over, registered his sixth List-A fifty, as he raced to 65 off 45 balls clubbing five fours and two sixes. Usama Mir’s 13-ball cameo yielding 22 runs helped the Panthers post 328 runs before they were bundled out in 49.4 overs. For Dolphins, Usman Qadir bagged three wickets while Mir Hamza and Abbas Afridi picked up two each. Faheem Ashraf dismissed one batter.Scores in brief (Lake City Panthers won by 50 runs):Lake City Panthers 328 all out, 49.4 overs (Usman Khan 111, Shadab Khan 65, Haider Ali 63, Umar Siddiq 30; Usman Qadir 3-63, Mir Hamza 2-50, Mohammad Abbas Afridi 2-68)Dolphins 278 all out, 47 overs (Qasim Akram 65, Sahibzada Farhan 52, Faheem Ashraf 41, Mohammad Huraira 39, Saud Shakeel 24; Mohammad Hasnain 5-74, Usama Mir 2-48, Mubasir Khan 2-58)Player of the match: Mohammad Hasnain (Lake City Panthers) 

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD:  The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today (Thursday) revealed Bahria Town as the title sponsor of the Champions One-Day Cup, which is set to run from 12-29 September in Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.The nomenclature of the tournament, which is set to begin today with the opener between Misbah-ul-Haq mentored UMT Markhors and Saqlain Mushtaq mentored Panthers, will be Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup.Apart from Bahria Town as the title sponsor, the other official sponsors include Blue World City, Inverex Solar Energy, Brighto Paints and Kingdom Valley. Tapal will serve as the official tea partner of the Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup.Furthermore, Lake City has acquired the naming rights for the Panthers team and will be called Lake City Panthers. Earlier, Allied Bank, Nurpur and UMT (University of Management and Technology) had acquired the naming rights for Stallions, Lions and Markhors (formerly Wolves), respectively.Chief Operating Officer PCB, Salman Naseer said: “The PCB is delighted to welcome Bahria Town on board as the title sponsor of the Champions One-Day Cup. We are thankful to for their support to Champions Cup, which is being participated by country’s best of the best cricketers, and hope this partnership will yield great dividends for our players and teams. Bahria Town and the presence of the other esteemed official sponsors goes beyond mere sponsorship but it also symbolises a shared commitment towards uplifting the sport as the domestic level. I would also like to thank the teams’ official sponsors for their kind support to Pakistan Cricket. The Champions One-Day Cup, with the help of our commercial and media partners, promises to be a highly exciting tournament for the fans in Pakistan.” 

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board today (September 6, 2024) announced the captains of the five Champions One-Day Cup teams, as well as provisional squads for the tournament, which will be held in Faisalabad from 12-29 September. The captains were appointed by the five team mentors: Misbah-ul-Haq (Wolves), Saqlain Mushtaq (Panthers), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Dolphins), Shoaib Malik (Stallions) and Waqar Younis (Lions).Pakistan’s Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel has been appointed captain of the Dolphins, former Pakistan T20I captain Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the Lions and the Panthers will be skippered by former white-ball vice-captain, Shadab Khan. Pakistan Shaheens' captain Mohammad Haris will lead the Stallions, while ex-all-format vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan will captain the Wolves.The Champions One-Day Cup will feature the country’s top cricketers. This 50-over tournament will be played in a single-league format. All matches will commence at 3pm, except for the Lions vs Panthers match on 16 September, which will start at 9:30am. The tournament will conclude with three playoff matches over four days, culminating in the final on Sunday, 29 September.Misbah-ul-Haq’s Wolves will face Saqlain Mushtaq’s Panthers in the opening match on 12 September.The PCB has also announced provisional squads for the five teams. These were selected by the team mentors through a draft process from a pool of 150 players, which was provided by the PCB following fitness tests—one of the primary selection criteria for domestic contracted players. The centrally contracted players will undergo fitness tests in Faisalabad on 7 and 9 September.Out of the 150 players, 125 were leading performers from the past three domestic seasons. The remaining 25 players were wildcards, selected based on their experience and performances for Pakistan, Pakistan Shaheens and Pakistan Under-19 teams over the last three years.Each team includes existing centrally contracted players. These are:Dolphins: Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf and Sarfaraz AhmedLions: Abdullah Shafique, Aamir Jamal, Imam-ul-Haq and Shaheen Shah AfridiPanthers: Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan and Usama MirStallions: Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir and Zaman KhanWolves: Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha and Shahnawaz DahaniCentrally contracted players who are not part of the squads include Mohammad Nawaz (personal reasons), Imad Wasim (unavailable), Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Ihsanullah and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (undergoing rehabilitation).In addition to Imad Wasim, who is currently playing in the CPL, the following players have made themselves unavailable for the Faisalabad tournament: Ahmed Shehzad, Azam Khan (CPL), Haris Sohail, Mohammad Amir (CPL), Mohammad Abbas (County cricket in the UK), Mohammad Ilyas and Umar Akmal. Fakhar Zaman, who is also playing in the CPL, is due to return on 10 September.Other players undergoing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy include Ahsan Ali, Athar Mahmood, Rizwan Hussain, and Zeeshan Zamir, in addition to Arshad Iqbal, Hasan Ali, Ihsanullah, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr.Nine domestic contracted players were excluded from the Champions One-Day Cup squads after failing their fitness tests. They are: Ali Shafique, Ali Zaryab, Arif Yaqoob, Danish Aziz, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Saad Baig, Rameez Aziz, Sharjeel Khan, and Shawaiz Irfan.Four cricketers, returning to competitive cricket after successfully passing their fitness tests and completing rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy, are: Hunain Shah (Lions), Sameen Gul, Sufiyan Moqim (both Dolphins), and Shahnawaz Dahani (Wolves).Squads:DOLPHINS: Saud Shakeel (captain, Karachi), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Faheem Ashraf (Kasur), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Akhlaq (Kamoki), Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (Karachi), Muhammad Riazullah (Peshawar), Noman Ali (Hyderabad), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Sameen Gul (Jamrud), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Karachi), Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Sufiyan Moqim (Kotli), Umar Amin (Rawalpindi) and Usman Qadir (Lahore), Mentor – Sarfaraz AhmedLIONS: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain, Peshawar), Abdullah Shafique (Sialkot), Aamir Jamal (Islamabad), Aamer Yamin (Multan), Faisal Akram (Multan), Hassan Nawaz (Islamabad), Hunain Shah (Lahore), Imam-ul-Haq (Lahore), Imran Butt (Lahore), Khushdil Shah (Bannu), Mohammad Asghar (Karachi), Muhammad Irfan Khan (Mianwali), Mohammad Taha (Karachi), Omair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Rohail Nazir (Islamabad), Shahab Khan (Mardan), Sharoon Siraj (Sahiwal), Sirajuddin (Bajaur) and Waqar Hussain (Okara), Mentor – Waqar YounisPANTHERS: Shadab Khan (captain, Islamabad), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Ahmed Bashir (Lahore), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Ali Raza (Sheikhupura), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Arafat Minhas (Multan), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Haider Ali (Attock), Mohammad Hasnain (Hyderabad), Mohammad Umar (Karachi), Mohammad Zeeshan (Faisalabad), Mubasir Khan (Rawalpindi), Rehan Afridi (Khyber), Rizwan Mehmood (Hyderabad), Saim Ayub (Karachi), Umar Siddiq (Lahore), Usama Mir (Sialkot), Usman Khan (Karachi) and Usman Salahuddin (Lahore), Mentor – Saqlain MushtaqSTALLIONS: Mohammad Haris (captain, Peshawar), Abrar Ahmed (Karachi), Adil Amin (Peshawar), Azam Khan (Peshawar), Babar Azam (Lahore), Haris Rauf (Islamabad), Hussain Talat (Lahore), Jahandad Khan (Rawalpindi), Junaid Ali (Lahore), Maaz Ahmad Sadaqat (Peshawar), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Mohammad Amir Khan (Swat), Saad Khan (Hyderabad), Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad), Shan Masood (Karachi), Tayyab Tahir (Sarai Alamgir), Ubaid Shah (Lahore), Yasir Khan (Rawalpindi) and Zaman Khan (Mirpur), Mentor – Shoaib MalikWOLVES: Mohammad Rizwan (captain, Peshawar), Fakhar Zaman (Abbottabad), Abdul Samad (Faisalabad), Akif Javed (FATA), Ali Usman (Multan), Bilawal Bhatti (Muridke), Haseebullah (Pishin), Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Mohammad Faizan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Imran Jnr (Peshawar), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (FATA), Muhammad Imran (Khanewal), Naseem Shah (Lahore), Nisar Ahmed (Lahore), Salman Ali Agha (Lahore), Shahnawaz Dahani (Larkana), Zahid Mehmood (Dadu) and Zain Abbas (Multan), Mentor – Misbah-ul-HaqEvent schedule:12 Sep – Wolves v Panthers13 Sep – Stallions v Lions14 Sep – Dolphins v Panthers15 Sep – Wolves v Stallions16 Sep – Lions v Panthers17 Sep – Dolphins v Wolves19 Sep – Stallions v Dolphins20 Sep – Lions v Wolves21 Sep – Panthers v Stallions22 Sep – Dolphins v Lions24 Sep – Qualifier (Team No.1 v Team No. 2)25 Sep – Eliminator 1 (Team No.3 v Team No.4)27 Sep – Eliminator 2 (Losing Qualifier v Winning Eliminator 2)29 Sep – Final. 

Sports Bulletin ReportFAISALABAD: Former ICC elite panelist Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob of the ICC’s international panel will umpire the opening match between Wolves and Panthers in the Champions One-Day Cup on 12 September, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today. Former Test cricketer Ali Naqvi will lead the Playing Control Team (PCB), which will also include Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan as third and fourth umpires.Aleem Dar, Asif Yaqoob, Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan are amongst a panel of nine umpires who will be officiating in the tournament between country’s best of the best players with stalwarts such as Misbah-ul-Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shoaib Malik and Waqar Younis involved as mentors. The other five umpires are: Faisal Aafreedi, Imtiaz Iqbal, Imran Jawed, Nasir Hussain and Rashid RiazApart from Ali Naqvi, match referees’ responsibilities will be shared between Bilal Khilji, Iftikhar Ahmed, Iqbal Sheikh, Nadeem Arshad and Kamran Chaudhry. Umpire and match referee appointments for the three playoffs and the final will be announced closer to time. Umpire and match referee appointments (all matches at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad; 16 Sep match will start at 9.30am, rest of the matches will start at 3pm).September 12, 2024: Wolves v Panthers. Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires); Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)September 13, 2024: Stallions v Lions. Aleem Dar and Waleed Yaqub (on-field umpires); Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)September 14, 2024: Dolphins v Panthers. Asif Yaqoob and Zulfiqar Jan (on-field umpires); Aleem Dar (third umpire), Waleed Yaqub (fourth umpire); Bilal Khilji (match referee)September 15, 2024: Wolves v Stallions. Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires); Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (fourth umpire); Bilal Kjilji (match referee)September 16, 2024: Lions v Panthers. Waleed Yaqub and Zulfiqar Jan (on-field umpires); Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Imran Jawed (fourth umpire); Iqbal Sheikh (match referee)September 17, 2024: Dolphins v Wolves. Nasir Hussain and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires); Imran Jawed (third umpire), Waleed Yaqub (fourth umpire); Iqbal Sheikh (match referee)September 19, 2024: Stallions v Dolphins. Imran Jawed and Imtiaz Iqbal (on-field umpire); Nasir Hussain (third umpire), Waleed Yaqub (fourth umpire); Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)September 20, 2024: Lions v Wolves. Imran Jawed and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires); Rashid Riaz (TV umpire), Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire); Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)September 21, 2024: Panthers v Stallions. Imran Jawed and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires: Faisal Aafreedi (third umpire), Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire); Nadeem Arshad (match referee)September 22, 2024: Dolphins v Lions: Faisal Aafreedi and Imtiaz Iqbal (on-field umpires); Nasir Hussain (third umpire), Imran Jawed (fourth umpire); Kamran Chaudhry (match referee). 

Abdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: The trials to select the Rawalpindi Markhors team for the Punjab Premier League (PPL) will take place here at Ayub Park cricket ground on September 4, 2024, as Mohammad Rashid Iqbal will perform the duties of chief selector.According to an official, PPL will be played in October at Jinnah Cricket Stadium Gujranwala and eight teams from all over the province including Lahore Leopards, Multan Stallions, Gujranwala Titans, Faisalabad Lions, Air Sial The Pride of Pakistan, Rawalpindi Markhors, and Rahimyar Khan Thunders will fight for the title.

Sports Bulletin ReportRAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced free entry for students for the second Test match between Bangladesh and hosts Pakistan, scheduled to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 30 August to 3 September.The students are required to be in their uniform and bring their educational institutions cards to enter the stadium. They will be able to witness the live action from any of the VIP enclosures – Imran Khan and Javed Miandad (subject to availability of seats) and premium enclosures – Miran Baksh, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir and Yasir Arafat.The decision was made to encourage students to come and witness exciting game of cricket between the two sides. Bangladesh are leading the two-match Test series 1-0, after defeating the hosts by 10 wickets in the first Test match which concluded on Sunday. The series is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25. The free entry policy for students does not apply on the seating capacity in PCB Gallery or Platinum Box. 

PESHAWAR (PR): Bajaur Cricket Association (BCA) has officially appointed sports journalist and cricket commentator Abdul Ghaffar Khan as its media coordinator, issuing a formal notification to this effect. Welcoming the decision, sports circles and club presidents praised this step as a positive move towards the promotion of cricket in Bajaur. Abdul Ghaffar Khan brings extensive experience in cricket commentary from Radio Pakistan and is a well-known sports journalist based in Islamabad.They further added that his appointment will not only enhance media coverage of matches in Bajaur but also highlight the issues faced by players at the governmental level. Expressing his commitment, Abdul Ghaffar Khan stated that he would utilize all his abilities to contribute to the development of cricket and cricketers in Bajaur.