Sports Bulletin

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-England batter Joe Root is back at the top of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after smashing a second successive century in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship series against New Zealand. Root, who had reached within striking distance of Marnus Labuschagne after the first Test, has wrested back the top spot from the Australia batter, whom he now leads by five rating points. Root is on 897 points after his knock of 176 in the first innings of the Nottingham Test, 20 less than his highest of 917 points. Root first grabbed number one position in August 2015 and was last at the top in December 2021 before Labuschagne leapfrogged him. Root has been No.1 in Tests for 163 days so far. Steve Smith (1,506 days), Virat Kohli (469 days) and Kane Williamson (245 days) are the others to have had substantial vigils at the top in recent years. Root’s compatriots, Player of the Match Jonny Bairstow and captain Ben Stokes have also had major gains. Bairstow’s 92-ball 136 that led the last day chase for an eventual five-wicket win, has moved up 13 places to 39th position while Stokes’s 75 not out has taken him from 27th to 22nd position. Ollie Pope (up 22 places to 53rd) and Alex Lees (up 26 places to 86th) have also moved up the rankings for batters while seam bowler Matthew Potts has advanced 18 places to 59th after picking up three wickets in the match. For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell’s scores of 190 and 62 not out have lifted him 33 places to a career-best 17th position while Tom Blundell’s first innings century has helped him move up four places to 31st position. Devon Conway’s innings of 46 and 52 see him inch up one slot to 23rd. Fast bowler Trent Boult is up four places to ninth. Wednesday’s weekly rankings update sees Pakistan batters hold the top two positions in both ODIs and T20Is and a number of slow bowlers make significant progress. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings that has been updated after the third Zimbabwe versus Afghanistan match, the Pakistan versus West Indies series and the first match between Sri Lanka and Australia, the Pakistan opener has moved up to take second spot behind captain Babar Azam after a Player of the Series effort of 65, 72 and 62. This is the first instance of Pakistan batters grabbing the top two positions in the ODI rankings. West Indies player Shai Hope (up two places to 11th), Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi (up five places to 45th), Australia’s Marcus Stoinis (up four places to joint-50th) and Sri Lanka’s Danushka Gunathilaka (up six places to joint-50th) are the others to move up the ODI batters’ list. Meanwhile, Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has moved up to number two and Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi to number four in the bowlers’ list led by New Zealand’s Trent Boult. Spinners Mujeebur Rahman of Afghanistan, Akeal Hosein of the West Indies, Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka and Shadab Khan of Pakistan have also moved up the rankings for bowlers. Hazlewood has also moved back to number one in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings while Maheesh Theekshana of Sri Lanka is up 16 places to eighth in the list. Australia spinner Ashton Agar (up three places to ninth), India seamer Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (up seven places to 11th) and spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (up four places to 26th) are the others to gain. The rankings for batters see Mohammad Rizwan gain one position to reach second in the list, also led by Babar. Aaron Finch has moved up one place to fifth while India’s Ishan Kishan has galloped 68 places to reach seventh position after aggregating 164 runs in three matches against South Africa.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-South Africa batter Lara Goodall and captain Sune Luus have gained in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings after playing their part in a nine-wicket win over Ireland in the opening match of their ICC Women’s Championship series in Dublin. Left-hander Goodall has moved up nine places to 58th among batters after an unbeaten 32 while all-rounder Luus grabbed three for 16 with her leg spin bowling to advance seven places and reach 39th in the list of bowlers. Opener Andrie Steyn, who scored 21 not out and was involved in an unbroken 55-run stand with Goodall, has gained 12 slots to reach joint-83rd position in the latest weekly update to the women’s player rankings, which are carried out on Tuesdays. For Ireland, new-ball bowler Jane Maguire is up four places to joint-83rd. The win in Dublin got South Africa their first two points of the ICC Women’s Championship. Pakistan are currently on four points and Sri Lanka on two after the 2-1 verdict in the opening series of the championship, which provides a direct qualification pathway to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Details on the IWC are available in an earlier media release which is available here. Goodall has also made significant gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings, which includes the last match of the T20I series that her team won 2-1 against Ireland and 15 matches of the ongoing eight-team Kwibuka Women’s T20 Tournament in Rwanda. Goodall has gained 28 slots to reach 71st position after her knock of 48 while Anne Bosch is up 14 places to 46th after her 44 not out. Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa (up one place to 20th), Gaby Lewis of Ireland (up one place to 22nd) and Janet Mbabazi of Uganda (up 11 places to joint-75th) are among the others to move up the rankings. In the rankings for bowlers, South Africa medium-fast bowler Tumi Sekhukhune is up two places to 25th after grabbing three for 20 while Nadine de Klerk and Nonkululeko Mlaba have reached 41st and 42nd positions after taking two wickets each. Celeste Raack of Ireland (up three places to 84th) and Nasra Saidi of Tanzania (up 13 places to 86th) have also progressed.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that Sri Lanka’s batting star Angelo Mathews and Pakistan’s debutante spin sensation Tuba Hassan have been voted the ICC Men’s and Women’s Players of the Month for May 2022. Mathews was voted the recipient of the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for May after piling on the runs over the course of his side’s impressive ICC World Test Championship series victory against Bangladesh. Amassing 344 runs at an average of 172 over the course of the two Tests, Mathews registered a huge score of 199 in the draw at Chattogram, and a supreme 145 not out in Mirpur. His epic innings in the second Test enabled his side to post an imposing total of 506 and complete a 10-wicket victory, gaining valuable points in the ICC WTC standings powered by MRF Tyres. Mathews becomes the first Sri Lanka player to be named the ICC Player of the Month since its inception in January 2021, scooping the award ahead of fellow nominees Asitha Fernando (Sri Lanka), and Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh). Anglo Mathews said: “I am absolutely honoured and delighted to be the ICC Men’s Player of the Month. I would like to congratulate Asitha Fernando and Mushfiqur Rahim who were front runners for this award, on their spectacular performances. “I am grateful for the opportunity and I wish to thank the almighty, my teammates, support staff, and fans for believing in me and supporting me as always. I would like to dedicate this to the people of Sri Lanka. Let's never stop believing.” JP Duminy, ICC Player of the Month voting panel member said:  “The great grit and determination that characterized Angelo’s performances during the month has shown that he still has the hunger and desire to make the difference at the elite level.” Pakistan’s Tuba Hassan was named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month after enjoying significant success with the ball during her debut international series. The 21-year-old leg spinner was instrumental in restricting scores set by opponents Sri Lanka in the three-game T20I series in Pakistan, where she captured the Player of the Series award, taking five wickets at an average of 8.8 and an economy rate of 3.66. The highlight was during her debut international fixture in Karachi, in which she grabbed three for eight to limit the tourists to 106, setting the platform for a six-wicket win. On what was an excellent month for Tuba, former Pakistan international and member of the voting panel Sana Mir commented: “Tuba has shown a lot of confidence and skill to make an impact for Pakistan in her debut series. She has been working hard for some time and it is really heartwarming to see her celebrating success in her first series for Pakistan.” In securing this month’s award, Hassan overcomes fellow nominees in compatriot Bismah Maroof, and Jersey’s Trinity Smith. Tuba is the first female player from Pakistan to win in the ICC Player of the Month awards.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-England batter Joe Root has overtaken Kane Williamson and Steve Smith to move within 10 rating points of top-ranked Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne in the latest weekly update to the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Root, who had lost the top spot to Labuschagne in December 2021 during the Ashes series, has gained 39 points after guiding England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first match of their ICC World Test Championship series at Lord’s. Root’s 115 not out in the second innings, his 26th Test century, has taken him from 843 to 882 rating points. Smith is third with 845 points while Williamson has slipped behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam to fifth. England captain Ben Stokes’s second innings half-century has lifted him two places to 27th. New Zealand’s Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell have also made important gains in Wednesday’s update. Blundell has progressed 15 places to 35th after scores of 14 and 96 and Mitchell 25 places to 50th with innings of 13 and 108. In the Test rankings for bowlers, New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson is back at his career-best third position after finishing with six wickets in the match. England seam bowler James Anderson, who also took six wickets, has moved up two places to seventh while his compatriot Matthew Potts has entered the rankings in 77th position after an impressive seven-wicket match haul on debut. Afghanistan players have made notable gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after taking a 2-0 lead over Zimbabwe in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series. Rahmat Shah has moved up two places to 29th position after aggregating 181 runs in the two matches while spin bowler Mohammad Nabi is up eight places to 11th with six wickets. Hashmatullah Shahidi (up eight places to 50th) among batters and Rashid Khan (up one place to third among all-rounders) have also moved up the tables. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza is up six places to joint-42nd among batters. The ODI update, which also takes into account the last two matches of the Netherlands versus West Indies series and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 matches played in Pearland (USA) over the past week, Windies spinner Akeal Hosein has moved up 14 places to 37th among bowlers. The United Arab Emirates pair of Vriitya Anand (up 29 places to 77th) and Chirag Suri (up 25 places to 87th), and Netherlands’ Max O’Dowd (up 33 places to 81st) have advanced in the batters’ list. The MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, see Australia captain Aaron Finch enter the top five and his opening partner David Warner move up eight places to 45th after guiding their team to a 10-wicket win with a 134-run stand in the first match of a three-T20I series against Sri Lanka. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who was named Player of the Match for his haul of four for 16, has moved up one place to second position. For Sri Lanka, opener Prathum Nissanka (up two places to seventh) and Charith Asalanka (up 14 places to 29th) have moved up the rankings for batters while Maheesh Theekshana is up three places to 21st among bowlers.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-Pakistan opener Sidra Ameen and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu have made notable progress in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings after finishing as the top run makers for their teams in the first series of the ICC Women’s Championship. Sidra, who scored 218 runs including a match-winning 123 in the second ODI to be named Player of the Series after the 2-1 win, has moved up 19 places to a career-best 35th position. Her previous best was 51st attained during this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Athapaththu, who smashed a match-winning 101 in the second ODI and totalled 142 runs, has re-entered the rankings in 23rd position. Athapaththu’s career-best is eighth position attained during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 in England. Captain Bismah Maroof remains the top-ranked Pakistan batter, her 98 runs in the series helping her retain 26th position, while Muneeba Ali’s 86 runs see her advance four places to 54th in the list led by Alyssa Healy of Australia. Harshitha Madavi (41st), Prasadani Weerakkody (64th), Kavisha Dilhari (66th) and Nilakshi de Silva (73rd) are other prominent Sri Lanka players in the batters’ list after their team won their first match against Pakistan in three editions of the ICC Women’s Championship. Meanwhile, several South Africa and Ireland players have been preparing for their upcoming IWC series with some fine performances in an ongoing three-match T20I series in Dublin that is level 1-1. Ireland all-rounder Gaby Lewis has achieved a career-best 23rd ranking after leading the series run chart with 83 runs in two matches. Mary Waldron (up six places to joint-79th) has also moved up the ranking for batters while Leah Paul (up seven places to 76th) and Celeste Raack (up five places to 87th) are the Ireland bowlers to progress. For South Africa, Tazmin Brits is up from 39th to 36th while Chloe Tryon (up four places to 49th), Anne Bosch (up 32 places to 60th) and Nadine de Klerk (up five places to joint-79th) have made notable gains among batters. In the bowling list led by Sophie Ecclestone, South Africa fast bowler Ismail has retained third position after taking two wickets, while Tumi Sekhukhune has advanced 20 places to take 27th position with five wickets in the two matches. Nadine de Klerk is also up in this list to 48th.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The ICC Men’s Players of the Month have shortlisted for May 2022 features players from both sides of the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Angelo Mathews and Asitha Fernando were two architects of Sri Lanka’s 1-0 series victory and are named in the shortlist thanks to key performances with bat and ball. Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh completes the lineup following stellar contributions at the crease in both Tests. Stars of Pakistan’s bowling attack and batting lineup, Tuba Hassan and Bismah Maroof, are shortlisted for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award after their recent 3-0 T20I series victory over Sri Lanka. Spin sensation Tuba enjoyed plenty of success, while skipper Bismah contributed consistently en route to chasing down targets in each fixture. Trinity Smith (Jersey) was integral to her side’s successful stint in the France Women’s International T20 Quadrangular, and her performances with bat and ball see her on the shortlist for the first time. Asitha Fernando (SL): The Sri Lanka seamer proved pivotal to his side’s success in Bangladesh, taking 13 wickets across the two WTC Tests at an average of 16.61. He followed up three wickets at Chattogram with an outstanding display with the ball at Mirpur. Fernando’s figures of four for 93 helped restrict the hosts’ first innings score, before he seized the upper hand for his side by ripping through the Bangladesh order in the second innings. His six for 51 ensured the tourists coasted to a 10-wicket win and a series victory. Angelo Mathews (SL): So often the key contributor in Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, Mathews was a constant danger for the Bangladesh side. Big centuries in both Tests saw him aggregate 344 runs at an average of 172. His mammoth 199 in Chattogram was outshone by a thrilling 145 not out in Mirpur, which set the platform for his side to post a huge score of 506 and secure an impressive series victory. Mushfiqur Rahim (Ban): Mushfiqur displayed his batting prowess, spearheading his side’s resistance with centuries in Chattogram and Mirpur. Amassing 303 runs at an average of 151.5, he was a shining light for the hosts. His 105 in the first Test was crucial, while his 175 not out and an important partnership with Liton Das in the first innings of the second Test stood out even as his teammates faltered around him. Tuba Hassan (Pak): Tuba’s masterful display with the ball in the T20I series against Sri Lanka earned her a first nomination in the ICC Women’s Player of the Month awards. With five wickets in the series at an impressive economy rate of 3.66, her dazzling performances were highlighted by an outstanding spell of three for eight in the first match in Karachi. This restricted the tourists to a modest 106 for eight and set the tone for her side to claim a whitewash on home soil. Bismah Maroof (Pak): The Pakistan skipper enjoyed a profitable T20I series against Sri Lanka, demonstrating her mature batting by guiding her side to a dominant 3-0 victory. Batting second in each match, Bismah was at the crease to see her side home in two of the three chases, ending the series as the leading run-scorer with 65 runs at a strike rate of 85.52. Trinity Smith (Jersey): Smith, 17, is the first player from Jersey to be nominated for the ICC Player of the Month awards after some stellar performances with bat and ball in the France Women’s International T20 Quadrangular. Scoring 120 runs without being dismissed and taking four wickets in the four matches she played, her 56 not out from 40 balls in the final match saw her side chase down a target of 126 to clinch victory.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The road to the biggest ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 commences in June with the first qualifying events taking place in Europe. European Sub Regional Qualifiers in Belgium and Finland mark the first step towards the 2024 event and will also feature a record 28 teams vying for qualification from the region The road to the biggest ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 commences in June with the first qualifying events taking place in Europe. These events mark the first step in the qualification process, eventually culminating in a record 20 teams competing at the landmark event in the USA and West Indies in 2024. Over the next two years, teams from across the globe will battle it out in 15 pathway events, all with an eye on sealing a place on the world stage. 68 nations start their journey at Sub Regional Qualifiers, with 28 teams entering at a later stage once the outcomes of this year’s event in Australia are confirmed and the automatic qualifiers for 2024 are known. The teams seeking to progress from the first step will be spread across 10 Sub Regional Qualifiers; 16 teams from Africa (two events), eight teams from the Americas (one event), nine teams from Asia (two events), seven teams from EAP (two events) in addition to the 28 teams competing from Europe across their three events. ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said: “We are delighted to see a record number of teams competing for places at ICC events as the Men’s T20 World Cup pathway begins in Europe. The T20 format continues to drive the growth of the game and over the next two years we will see new teams competing in ICC events for the very first time. “A very warm welcome to Hungary, Romania and Serbia who are making their debut and thanks to Cricket Belgium and Cricket Finland for playing host to a record number of teams at this stage in qualification. I would like to wish all the competing teams every success as they begin their journey towards the USA and West Indies in 2024.” Europe C Qualifier (Host – Belgium): Dates - 28 June - 4 July Participating Teams - (8 teams) Belgium, Denmark, Gibraltar, Hungary, Israel, Malta, Portugal, Spain Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe A Qualifier Host - Finland Dates - 12 - 19 July Participating Teams – (10) Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Isle of Man, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe B Qualifier Host - Finland Dates - 24 - 31 July Participating Teams - (10) Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Guernsey, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional EAP A Qualifier Host - Vanuatu Dates - 9 - 15 September Participating Teams - (4) Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional EAP B Qualifier Host - Japan Dates - 15 - 18 October Participating Teams - (3) Indonesia, Japan, South Korea Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa A Qualifier Host - TBC Dates - 15 - 24 November Participating Teams – (8) Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa B Qualifier Host - TBC Dates - 30 November - 6 December Participating Teams – (8) Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda St. Helena, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania Match Schedules (all times local): ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe C Qualifier (Belgium) 28 June 2022 Belgium v Gibraltar (Group 1), 11h00, Ghent Oval; Spain v Malta (Group 2) 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; Denmark v Hungary (Group 1), 16h00, Ghent Oval; Portugal v Israel (Group 2), 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 29 June 2022 Malta v Portugal (Group 2), 11h00, Ghent Oval; Gibraltar v Denmark (Group 1), 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; Israel v Spain (Group 2), 16h00, Ghent Oval; Hungary v Belgium (Group 1), 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 1 July 2022 Spain v Portugal (Group 2), 11h00, Ghent Oval; Hungary v Gibraltar (Group 1), 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; Malta v Israel (Group 2), 16h00, Ghent Oval; Denmark v Belgium (Group 1), 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club  2 July 2022 SF1 - Group 1 (3rd) v Group 2 (4th), 11h00, Ghent Oval; SF2 - Group 1 (1st) v Group 2 (2nd), 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; SF3 - Group 2 (3rd) v Group 1 (4th), 16h00, Ghent Oval SF4 - Group 2 (1st) v Group 1 (2nd) 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 4 July 2022 7th Place Play Off - Loser SF1 v Loser SF3, 11h00, Ghent Oval 3rd Place Play Off - Loser SF2 v Loser SF4, 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 5th Place Play Off - Winner SF1 v Winner SF3, 16h00, Ghent Oval Final - Winner SF2 v Winner SF4, 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe A Qualifier (Finland) 12 July 2022 Italy v Greece (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Isle of Man v Cyprus (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Sweden v Finland (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Romania v Turkey (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 13 July 2022  Cyprus v Romania (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Croatia v Sweden (Group 1) 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Serbia v Isle of Man (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Finland v Italy (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 15 July 2022 Italy v Sweden (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Turkey v Serbia (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Greece v Croatia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Romania v Isle of Man (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 16 July 2022 Serbia v Romania (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Greece v Finland (Group 1), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Turkey v Cyprus (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Croatia v Italy (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 18 July 2022 Sweden v Greece (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Cyprus v Serbia (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Finland v Croatia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Isle of Man v Turkey (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 19 July 2022 7th Place Play Off, Group 1 (4th) v Group 2 (4th), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground 3rd Place Play Off, Group 1 (2nd) v Group 2 (2nd), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 5th Place Play Off, Group 1 (3rd) v Group 2 (3rd), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground Final, Group 1 (1st) v Group 2 (1st), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe B Qualifier (Finland) 24 July 2022 Austria v Luxembourg (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Norway v Estonia (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Guernsey v Bulgaria (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; France v Czech Republic (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 25 July 2022 Czech Republic v Norway (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Slovenia v Austria (Group 1), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Switzerland v France (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Luxembourg v Guernsey (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 27 July 2022 Guernsey v Austria (Group 1),11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Estonia v Switzerland (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Bulgaria v Slovenia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Norway v France (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 28 July 2022 Switzerland v Norway (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Bulgaria v Luxembourg (Group 1), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Estonia v Czech Republic (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Slovenia v Guernsey (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 30 July 2022 Austria v Bulgaria (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Czech Republic v Switzerland (Group 2) 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Luxembourg v Slovenia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; France v Estonia (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 31 July 2022 7th Place Play Off - Group 1 (4th) v Group 2 (4th), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground 3rd Place Play Off - Group 1 (2nd) v Group 2 (2nd), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 5th Place Play Off - Group 1 (3rd) v Group 2 (3rd), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground Final - Group 1 (1st) v Group 2 (1st), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the Men’s T20 International against Namibia at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. Raza was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.” In addition to this, two demerit points have been added to Raza’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period, taking his cumulative demerit points to two. The incident occurred in the 16th over of Zimbabwe’s innings when Raza was given out LBW. He questioned the decision by showing his bat to the umpire, used inappropriate words about the decision numerous times as he was leaving the field of play, and shouted his displeasure again as he entered the dressing room. Raza admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Iknow Chabi and Langton Rusere and third umpire Forster Mutizwa levelled the charges. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that South African batter Zubayr Hamza has been suspended from all cricket-related activities for nine months after admitting to an anti-doping rule violation under the ICC Anti-Doping Code. Hamza provided an out-of-competition sample on 17 January 2022 in Paarl, South Africa, in which the prohibited substance Furosemide - which is a specified substance in Section S5 of the 2022 WADA Prohibited List - was found. He admitted the violation and, having established no significant fault or negligence on his part, a nine-month period of ineligibility has been imposed, backdated to 22 March 2022, the date that Hamza accepted a provisional suspension.  The effect of this suspension is that Hamza will be eligible to return to cricket on 22 December 2022. In addition, all of Hamza’s individual performances between 17 January and 22 March 2022 have been disqualified. Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit said: “The ICC is committed to keeping cricket clean and has a zero-tolerance approach to doping. It is also a timely reminder to all international cricketers that they remain responsible for anything they put into their bodies, to know exactly what medication they are taking so as to ensure it does not contain a prohibited substance and does not result in an anti-doping rule violation.”

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UEA):-Australia superstar Alyssa Healy and South Africa spin wizard Keshav Maharaj have been voted as the ICC Women’s and Men’s Players of the Month for April 2022. The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that Australia’s star of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final Alyssa Healy, and South Africa’s spin wizard Keshav Maharaj have been voted the ICC Women’s and Men’s Players of the Month for April 2022. Healy was selected the standout female player in April following her match-winning innings of 170 in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final in Christchurch, setting a record for the highest score ever made in any World Cup Final in the process. Tormenting England’s bowlers from the outset and scoring at a strike rate of 123.18, her blistering showcase at the crease steered Australia to a formidable total of 356 for 5, and with England falling short in reply, helped her side claim their seventh ODI crown. In being selected the ICC Player of the Month for April, Healy becomes the second female to win the accolade on two separate occasions after securing her first award back in April 2021. Healy was selected ahead of fellow nominees Janet Mbabazi (Uganda) and Nat Sciver (England). On being named the ICC Women’s Player of the Month, Healy responded “I am very humbled to win this month’s award ahead of two outstanding players. It was great to see Janet Mbabazi’s name in the mix after a stellar tri-series for Uganda. I’m looking forward to seeing her name in contention for more ICC Awards over the years to come. Thanks to all the fans for voting and supporting the women’s game. It’s been a great start to 2022 for our sport and I’m looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year holds.” JP Duminy, the former South Africa international and ICC Player of the Month voting panel member remarked, “Alyssa’s performance has certainly taken the world by storm and to do it in a Final says a lot about the character of this woman. She is a pioneer in the women's game and has set the bar extremely high.” South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj is named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month after enjoying a prolific spell with the ball during their recent ICC World Test Championship series victory over Bangladesh on home soil. The spinner proved a constant threat to the tourists, taking 16 wickets at an average of 12.12, celebrating two seven-wicket hauls in the second innings of both Tests. His wickets were significant catalysts for his side’s 2-0 series triumph, winning comfortably on both occasions - by 220 runs in Durban, and 332 runs in Gqeberha. In securing this month’s award, Maharaj overcomes fellow nominees in compatriot Simon Harmer - with whom Maharaj shared lengthy spells in tandem on their way to victory - and Jatinder Singh (Oman). Acknowledging his award, Maharaj responded “I’m honoured and privileged to receive the ICC Player of the Month award for April and I want to thank my teammates for helping me win this award. I’m really happy with how the team has performed this past season and I hope we can build on this to reach greater heights as a unit.” Speaking about Maharaj’s excellent performances in April, member of the voting panel and ICC Hall of Famer Lisa Sthalekar said, “Keshav was key to South Africa’s success in the series. The amount of wickets he claimed at crucial times was exceptional and his valuable runs were among the main reasons they defeated Bangladesh.”