Sports Bulletin

SB REPORT ISLAMABAD (September 15, 2020):-To ensure health and safety of players, officials and all other stakeholders, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced comprehensive Covid-19 protocols for the 2020-21 domestic season, which begins on 30 September with the National T20 Cup. From the beginning of the season, squad members, match officials, duty doctors and security managers will be placed in bio-secure zones, where they will be able to roam around and interact with each other freely. To ensure that the bio-secure zone is virus free, they will be required to return two negative Covid-19 tests, which is in line with the practices carried out at present in international cricket. Members of the First XI and Second XI squads are required to submit the results of their first Covid-19 tests by 16 and 18 September, respectively. The PCB will reimburse the costs of the first tests and conduct all following tests during the course of the season. Those returning negative results will be invited to PCB designated central stations, where they will undergo second Covid-19 tests under the supervision of the PCB medical team. The second tests of the First XI and Second XI squads will be conducted on 18 September and 21 September, respectively. While traveling to the central stations, the players and support staff personnel will not be allowed to use public transportation, except for air-travel. Upon their arrival at the central stations, they will undergo a disinfection process and will be afforded separate accommodation. Those who test positive in the tests conducted at the central stations will be isolated for five days and tested twice. If these players or support staff personnel continue to test positive, they would have to undergo a two-week-long period of self-isolation and return two negative results before their integration in the bio-secure zone. The players who toured England with the men’s national team for three Tests and three T20Is will travel to Multan on 23 September and after their second negative test will join their respective domestic teams on 25 September as they have been granted a period of relaxation following their 10-week-long tour. To provide ease and comfort to the U19 players and their parents and guardians, the PCB has taken the responsibility to conduct all Covid-19 tests of the teenage cricketers. Their first Covid-19 tests will take place on 1 October. Similar to the Covid-19 practice for the players and player support personnel, match officials will be required to submit their results by 24 September and their second tests will be conducted on 27 September at a PCB designated central station. The PCB realises that the Covid-19 situation continues to evolve throughout the country. It is committed to make efforts to ensure all challenges are dealt with accordingly, keeping the risk factor at an absolute minimum over the course of the season. Venue managers, ground staff, scorers and other officials will remain in the second layer and only in case of emergency they will be allowed to interact with those in the bio-secure zone, while wearing masks and maintaining at least 15-feet distance. During a match, team managers and match officials can interact with the venue manager via cell phones. Players would be advised to sit close to the dressing rooms during the match while social distancing will be maintained during lunch and tea intervals. Any person breaching the bio-secure zone will spend five days in isolation and would have to test negative twice in this period to re-enter the bubble.

SB REPORT LAHORE (September 14, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board has reiterated that the domestic players are not required to resign from their parent departments to obtain contracts for the 2020-21 domestic season, which commences on 30 September with the National T20 Cup. “The PCB is neither asking the players to resign nor to cancel existing contracts with their departments if they are interested in securing player contracts for the 2020-21 domestic season. “All the PCB is asking from the employed and contracted cricketers, in accordance with applicable policies and SOPs, is for them to provide No Objective Certificates (NOC) from their departments so that they can be offered contracts for the 2020-21 domestic season. The issuance of such NOCs is part of the normal course of business; is not only a PCB requirement but that of the departments as well; and is, in fact, an established past practice. “Once the relevant NOC has been issued by the player’s parent organisation and submitted to the PCB, the PCB will make payments in accordance with the terms of the contract it has executed with the player,” the PCB said in a statement. The PCB has already explained that an employed cricketer is eligible for the 2020-21 domestic contract and the PCB will have no objection if the player’s parent organisation also pays him during the term of the 2020-21 domestic player contract. “An employed cricketer can be offered 2020-21 domestic contract provided that the player has submitted the relevant NOC issued by his employer to the PCB in accordance with the rules and regulations applicable to such players. “Whether or not the player will be paid by the employer is a matter between the two entities. The PCB has further explained that two types of contracts will be offered to the high-performing domestic players. “A maximum of 32 players in each Cricket Association will be offered domestic central contracts, while the remaining players will be offered a seasonal contract. “Under the domestic contract, a player will be bound by the obligations of the domestic central contract and will receive a monthly retainer along with match fee, daily allowances, other related benefits etc. wherever applicable. “Under the seasonal contract, a player will be bound by the same obligations as those prescribed under the domestic central contract but will not receive monthly retainer. Such players, however, will be eligible to receive match fee, daily allowances, other related benefits etc. wherever applicable.”

By BIPIN DANI Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes was more popular for his spectacular fielding. As a fielder he won an ODI match single handedly and won the Man of the Match award (Hero Honda Cup, South Africa vs. West Indies, 1993-94, Mumbai). His association with the Swedish Cricket Fwederation (SCF) as a coach will improve the standard of cricket, believes Benn Harradine, the Performance Director. Speaking exclusveily, he said, "We realise that the way to improve the standard is first to invest in coaches and facilitators, and as the standards lift so to will the facilities". "Swedish cricket is developing at a rapid rate. 300% participating increase in the last 2 years. It has been a challenge to manage such an increase as we have different environmental conditions. Its cold for 7 months a year and because cricket is rather new in the nordics, there is not a huge offering of cricket grounds yet", he further added.    "More importantly I believe we are looking at improving the standard of cricket as a whole. Not specifically fielding". "Undoubtably Jonty needs no introduction, his merits speak for themselves. We connected on several occasions and this opportunity came at the right time for him and his family to relocate to Sweden. They are very fond of the lifestyle here in Sweden", he signed off.

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (September 10, 2020):-Encouraged by the government’s decision to open educational institutions from 15 September, the Pakistan Cricket Board today decided to maximise the participation of the teenage cricketers and hold open trials for the selection of six U19 Cricket Association squads that will feature in the National One-Day Tournament from 13 October and National Three-Day Tournament from 5 November. The open trials will now be held from 16-19 September at major cricket centres of all Cricket Associations and those who are born on or after 1 September 2001 will be eligible to appear. To provide equal opportunities to all the players and avoid crowding at the venues, the local players will undergo trials on day one, while the teenagers arriving from outside the venues will attend trials on the second day. This will also help the non-local players to plan their respective trips. Following the two-day activity, 40 players will be shortlisted for each of the six Cricket Associations, who will feature in trial matches, on 18 and19 September, to stake claims in the final 20-player squads. The trials will be held under strict Covid-19 protocols, which are available below along with the schedule of the trials. The players are advised to bring their own food items and energy drinks to keep themselves hydrated. Keeping the comfort of teenagers and their parents and guardians at the forefront, the PCB will run a four-day-long online registration process from 11-14 September. The interested players can register by sending an email at trialregistration@pcb.com.pk or WhatsApp at +321 436 5021, +303 444 5879 and +331 436 8821. The players will be required to bring original copies of their B-forms for pre-trial age verification. National High Performance Centre coaches will be involved in the trial processes at the LCCA ground in Lahore and the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. Trials in Abbottabad, Karachi, Multan, Quetta will be conducted by members of the National Junior Selection Committee, who will be joined by the teams’ head coaches. Saleem Jaffar, Chairman of the National Junior Selection Committee, said: “The PCB has been encouraged by the government’s decision to open educational institutions from 15 September and has now decided to hold open trials for the selection of six U19 sides for the National Three-Day and One-Day Tournaments. “The selectors had initially invited limited number of players due to the evolving Covid-19, while taking into consideration the youngsters’ health and safety. “The selectors have also made this decision based on feedback and comments we have received from various quarters on certain deserving players, who had failed to make the cut in the initially list of 291 players. “With limited age-group cricket played at the grass roots level in the past 18 months and supported by the government’s decision to open educational institutions from 15 September, it is appropriate that we revisit our strategy and convert this into open trials, which will provide equal and fair opportunity to all cricketers born on or after 1 September 2001. “However, the eligible players are strongly advised to bring with them their original B-forms for pre-trial age verification.” Trials breakdown (trials will be held from 0800-1800): Day one, 16 September, trials for local players Day two, 17 September, trials for outstation players Day three and four, 18-19 September, trials of shortlisted players Schedule: 16-19 September – Balochistan, Bugti Stadium. Selection panel: Wajahatullah Wasti, Hussain Khosa and Mazhar Deenari 16-19 September - Central Punjab, LCCA Ground. Selection panel: Coach National High Performance Centre, Tanveer Shoukat and Irfan Fazil 16-19 September – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Abbottabad Stadium. Selection panel: Taufiq Umar, Saqib Faqir and Mohammad Siddiq 16-19 September – Northern, Pindi Cricket Stadium. Selection panel: Coach National High Performance, Bilal Ahmed and Fahad Akram 16-19 September – Sindh, National Stadium. Selection panel: Sanaullah Baloch, Tahir Mehmood and Hanif Malik 16-19 September – Southern Punjab, Multan Cricket Stadium. Selection panel: Saleem Jaffer, Kamran Khan and Hafiz Majid Jahangir Covid-19 Protocols ·         Strict Covid-19 protocols will be implemented to ensure health and safety of players. As such, temperatures checks will be done on entry points of the venues ·         Players will have to wear masks when not inside the boundary ropes and maintain social distancing at any given time ·         Sharing of equipment and use of saliva on ball will not be allowed

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (September 9, 2020):-Head coaches of the six Cricket Associations today confirmed their 16-player squads for this month’s National T20 Cup. The squads were finalised from a pool of players, which the head coaches had selected on 28 August. In accordance with the event format and team requirements, the head coaches will select and announce their squads for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and 50-over Pakistan Cup closer to these competitions. The First XI National T20 Cup, for the first time, will be held on a double-league basis. The format has been changed keeping in view the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 and to provide the players with more opportunities to stake claims in the national side. With the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 Draft to also take place in November, the tournament provides a great opportunity for country’s best T20 players to impress the team owners with their talent and mettle. Northern will defend both the First XI and Second XI titles. The First XI matches will be played in Multan (1st round) and Rawalpindi (2nd round, semi-finals and final) from 30 September to 18 October and Second XI fixtures in Lahore from 1-8 October. Northern’s First XI head coach Mohammad Wasim has named a strong side, which will be captained by Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim and includes Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Amir, who recently featured in the T20I series against England. The side also includes promising fast bowler Musa Khan and wicketkeeper-batsman Rohail Nazir, who led Pakistan in this year’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, while other internationals in the line-up are Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Sohail Tanvir and Umar Amin. Imad will be available for the second round matches commencing 9 October in Rawalpindi as he is presently representing Nottinghamshire in the ECB’s Vitality Blast T20 competition. Balochistan, last year’s runners-up, will continue to be captained by Pakistan international Haris Sohail. Other internationals in the side are Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat, Umar Gul and Yasir Shah. The side will be coached by Faisal Iqbal. Pakistan T20I captain Babar Azam will lead Central Punjab that also includes Kamran Akmal, Abid Ali, Bilal Asif, Ehsan Adil, Faheem Ashraf, Naseem Shah and Zafar Gohar. Babar, like Imad, will join the squad for the second round matches after finishing his commitments with Somerset. The side will be coached by Shahid Anwar. Ahmed Shehzad and Hasan Ali were unavailable for selection due to fitness, while Salman Butt was not selected in the First XI side after he had failed to feature in any of his side’s matches in last year’s National T20 Cup. In the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 for Lahore Qalandars, he has played in only one game to date. However, considering his experience, he was offered to lead the Second XI side, which he declined. A star-studded Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be captained by wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan. The side includes Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imran Khan Snr, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Usman Khan Shinwari and Wahab Riaz who recently toured England with the Pakistan squad. Shaheen is presently representing Hampshire and will be in action for the second round matches. The side will be coached by former Test all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed will be back in the captaincy role, determined not only to give strong performances to stake a claim for the upcoming home series against Zimbabwe but also help Sindh reach the final. Also at his disposal will be star performers like Anwar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Khurram Manzoor, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Hasnain, Rumman Raees, Sharjeel Khan and Sohail Khan. Former Test batsman Basit Ali will be the coach. Southern Punjab will be coached by Abdul Rehman, who has retained Shan Masood as his team’s captain. Other players who have featured in international matches include Aamir Yamin, Bilawal Bhatti, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali (subject to fitness) and Sohaib Maqsood. Squads Balochistan First XI – Haris Sohail (captain), Bismillah Khan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Akbar-ur-Rehman, Akif Javed, Ammad Butt, Awais Zia, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Butt, Imran Farhat, Kashif Bhatti, Khurram Shahzad, Taimur Khan, Umaid Asif, Umar Gul, Usama Mir and Yasir Shah Player support personnel – Khuda Bux Silaci (manager), Faisal Iqbal (head coach), Wasim Haider (assistant coach), Ajab Gul Khan (trainer), Arif Shah (physio) and Shakir Khilji (analyst) Second XI – Sami Aslam (captain), Jalat Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Nasir, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Akhtar Shah, Ayaz Tasawar, Gohar Faiz, Gulraiz Sadaf (wicketkeeper), Hayat Ullah, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Junaid Khan, Mohammad Talha, Najeebullah Achakzai, Rameez Raja Jnr, Salahuddin and Taj Wali Player Support Personnel - Habib Baloch (coach-cum-manager), Shoaib Khan (assistant coach), Mohammad Hasnain (physio), Mohammad Hussain (trainer) and Waseemuddin (analyst) Central Punjab First XI – Babar Azam (captain), Saad Nasim (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafiq, Abid Ali, Ahmed Bashir, Bilal Asif, Ehsan Adil, Faheem Ashraf, Irfan Khan Niazi, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Qasim Akram, Rizwan Hussain, Sohaibullah, Usman Qadir and Zafar Gohar. Player Support Personnel – Azhar Zaidi (manager), Shahid Anwar (head coach), Samiullah Niazi (assistant coach), Mohammad Asad (physio), Yasir Mahmood (trainer) and Sajid Yasin (analyst) Second XI – Nauman Anwar (captain), Raza Ali Dar (vice-captain), Atiq-ur-Rehman, Aitzaz Habib Khan, Bilawal Iqbal, Fahad Usman, Junaid Ali, Kamran Afzal, Muhammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Faiq, Mohammad Saad, Nisar Ahmad, Suleman Shafqat, Waqas Maqsood and Zubair Khan Lodhi Player Support Personnel - Akram Raza (coach-cum-manager), Humayun Farhat (assistant coach), Arshad Javed (trainer), Ubaidullah (physio) and Mahmood Mohyuddin (analyst). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa First XI - Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wicketkeeper), Junaid Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Asif Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imran Khan Snr, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Mohsin, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Usman Khan Shinwari, Wahab Riaz and Zohaib Khan. Player Support Personnel - Farrukh Zaman (manager), Abdul Razzaq (head coach), Aftab Khan (assistant coach), Imranullah (trainer), Rehan Khalid (physio) and Waleed Ahmed (analyst). Second XI - Mehran Ibrahim (captain), Rehan Afridi (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Adil Amin, Asad Afridi, Israrullah, Khalid Usman, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Arif Shah, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Mohsin Khan, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Musaddiq Ahmad, Nabi Gul, Sajid Khan and Sameen Gul. Player Support Personnel – Riffatullah Mohmand (coach-cum-manager), Mohammad Aslam Qureshi (assistant coach), Ibrar Ahmed (trainer), Sajjad Ali Khan (physio) and Majid Ali Shah (analyst). Northern First XI - Imad Wasim (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Ali Imran, Asif Ali, Farzan Raja, Haider Ali, Hammad Azam, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Musa Khan, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sohail Akhtar, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Amin and Zeeshan Malik Player Support Personnel – Afaq Rahim (manager), Mohammad Wasim (head coach), Mohammad Masroor (assistant coach), Ali Sufyan (physio), Mohammad Aslam (trainer) and Mohammad Ahsan Ehsan (analyst) Second XI – Nauman Ali (captain), Umair Masood (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Aamer Jamal, Athar Mehmood, Faizan Riaz, Mohammad Ismail, Nasir Nawaz, Naved Malik, Nihal Mansoor, Raza Hasan, Salman Irshad, Sarmad Bhatti, Shiraz Khan, Shoaib Ahmad Minhas, Taimur Sultan and Zaid Alam. Player Support Personnel - Fahad Masood (coach-cum-manager), Saeed Anwar Jnr (assistant coach), Farrukh Hayat (trainer), Iftikhar (physio) and Mohammad Rizwan Hanif (analyst) Sindh First XI – Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain, wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Ahsan Ali, Anwar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Azam Khan, Danish Aziz, Hassan Khan, Khurram Manzoor, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Taha, Rumman Raees, Sharjeel Khan and Sohail Khan. Player Support Personnel - Rashid Khan (manager), Basit Ali (head coach), Iqbal Imam (assistant coach), Imran Khalil (trainer), Imtiaz Khan (physio) and Mohammad Asim Hussain (analyst). Second XI – Fawad Alam (captain), Hasan Mohsin (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Aamer Ali, Ammad Alam, Asad Raza, Ghulam Mudassar, Ibtisam Sheikh, Jahid Ali, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Umar, Rameez Aziz, Saad Ali, Saifullah Bangash, Shahnawaz and Omair Bin Yousuf. Player Support Personnel - Ghulam Ali (coach-cum-manager), Zafar Iqbal (assistant coach), Javed Sheikh (trainer), Nisar Khan (physio) and Shanullah (analyst). Southern Punjab First XI – Shan Masood (captain), Hussain Talat (vice-captain), Aamir Yamin, Ali Shafiq, Bilawal Bhatti, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali (subject to fitness), Saif Baddar, Sohaib Maqsood, Umer Khan, Umar Siddiq Khan, Zahid Mehmood and Zeeshan Ashraf (wicketkeeper). Player Support Personnel - Shahid Butt (manager), Abdul Rehman (head coach), Aizaz Cheema (assistant coach), Khawaja Rohail Ali (trainer), Mohammad Tayyab (physio) and Mohammad Faisal Rai (analyst) Second XI – Naved Yasin (captain), Agha Salman Ali (vice-captain), Maqbool Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Ali Usman, Anus Mustafa, Dilbar Hussain, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Mohsin, Mohammad Rameez, Mohammad Umair, Mohammd Irfan Jnr, Mukhtar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir, Zain Abbas and Zia-ul-Haq. Player Support personnel – Sajjad Akbar (coach-cum-manager), Zahoor Elahi (assistant coach), Iftikhar Hussain (trainer), Adeel Bajwa (physio), and Hafiz Mohammad Usman (analyst). Meanwhile, the head coaches have finalised a pool of reserve cricketers, in addition to the 45 players of their Cricket Associations, who, if required, can be used as Covid-19 replacements: Reserve players: Aamer Azmat (Peshawar), Abdul Rauf (Kurram Agency), Abdullah Muqaddam (Karachi), Abubakar Khan (Mianwali), Ali Manzoor (Lahore), Asif Fawad (Multan), Fahad Hussain (D.M. Jamali), Hamza Arshad (Rawalpindi), Hasan Raza  (Mirpur), Haseeb Azam (Rawalpindi), Hazrat Shah (Islamabad), Jahanzaib Sultan (Karachi), Khalilullah (Mardan), Mohammad (D.M. Jamali), Mohammad Nadeem (Islamabad), Mohammad Shahid (D.M. Jamali), Mohammad Umar Burki (KP), Mohammad Waqas (Karachi), Nasir Khan (D.M. Jamali), Raza-ul-Hasan (Karachi), Sajjad Ali (Mardan), Salman Fayyaz (Lahore), Shehzad Azam Rana (Islamabad), Shoaib Ahmed (D.M. Jamali) and Yousaf Babar (Multan)

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (September 4, 2020):-On Friday Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled 2020-21 domestic events calendar, as 208 matched will be stage at the different venues of the country. In a major shift from previous years and taking into account the upcoming three white-ball global events, the PCB has decided to hold First XI matches of the National T20 Cup and Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, and National U19 One-Day Tournament on a double-league basis. This will guarantee each side a minimum of 10 league matches in the three white-ball competitions. The top four sides in the senior events will progress to the semi-finals, followed by the final, and the top two sides in the juniors’ event will progress to the final. The National T20 Cup will be the curtain-raiser of the season, with matches being held in Multan and Rawalpindi from 30 September to 18 October, while the National U19 One-Day Tournament will be played in Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura from 13 October to 2 November. The National T20 Cup and the National U19 One-Day Tournament have been scheduled at the start of the season to enable all the top performers to have the opportunity to attract interest from the franchises prior to the HBL PSL 2020 draft in November. The Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament will be played from 8-31 January, after which the domestic season will conclude with the PCB’s marquee event, the HBL Pakistan Super League 2021, starting in February. Four-day first-class matches will start from 25 October and the event will conclude with the five-day final starting on 1 January. Second XI three-day matches will be played from 18 October to 13 December. Due to Covid-19 precautions, travel for players and officials will be restricted for all Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches during the 2020-2021 season, resulting in all matches being played at grounds in Karachi. In addition, staging the tournament in Karachi will help mitigate the risk of bad weather conditions, such as fog and dew, seriously intervening in matches at that time of year. While finalising the domestic cricket calendar, the PCB has also taken into consideration the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, which is likely to start around 15 April. The schedule of events will be further populated after the confirmation of Boys U13 & U16 and women’s events, HBL PSL 2021 and home international series against Zimbabwe and South Africa. Director – High Performance, Nadeem Khan: “In the uncertain Covid-19 situation, I am pleased that we have been able to put together a complete domestic cricket schedule, which is challenging but will contribute significantly in getting the best out of all the players that, in turn, will uplift the quality and standard of our home cricket. “There has been a strategy and vision behind preparing this schedule, and the most notable is the increase in number of white-ball matches at the senior and age-group level. This has been done after taking into consideration our teams’ current international performances and rankings in white-ball cricket as well as to looking into the future, while also providing optimum chances to the deserving and budding cricketers to thoroughly show their mettle and impress the national selectors. “The increase in number of matches will not only provide a fair and equal opportunity to all the talented players, it will increase their earnings – something that we have been very mindful and careful about since the revamp of the domestic structure. “In the past few weeks, the High Performance and Domestic department has been flat out as evident from recent announcements, including appointment of coaches, domestic teams, match officials and now the schedule. This required full support of the logistics and operations team as together we remain committed in providing a comfortable and good environment to the players so that they can excel on the field of play. “Now that the teams and schedule have been confirmed, I expect the respective coaches to start planning their season as usage and rotation of key players will be integral, also in the background that some of the star players may not be available throughout the season due to their international commitments. But this will surely provide other players with opportunities to step-up and take responsibility and make names for themselves.” PCB 2020-21 domestic schedule at a glance: National T20 Cup 1st XI (33 matches) – 30 September to 18 October; Multan and Rawalpindi National T20 Cup 2nd XI (15 matches) – 1-8 October; Lahore National U19 One-Day Tournament (31 matches) – 13 October to 2 November; Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura National U19 Three-Day Tournament (16 matches) – 5-29 November; Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura HBL PSL 2020 (4 matches) – 14, 15 and 17 November; Lahore Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 1st XI (31 matches) – 25 October to 5 January 2021; Karachi Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI (30 matches) – 18 October to 13 December; Karachi Pakistan Cup 1st XI (33 matches) – 8-31 January 2021; Karachi Pakistan Cup 2nd XI (15 matches) – 16-24 December; Karachi

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (September 3, 2020):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced its panel of match officials for the 2020-21 domestic season, which will commence with the National T20 Cup from 30 September. The first round matches of the double-league competition will be held in Multan, while the second round will be played in Rawalpindi. The six-member PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees include Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Muhammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof. Mohammad Javed Malik (Multan), while 14 members of the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires are Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Aftab Hussain Gillani (Bahawalpur), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Javed (Karachi), Nasir Hussain Snr (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore). These 20 elite officials will be on 12-month retainer contracts and will be responsible for sharing officiating duties in the First XI Cricket Association and HBL Pakistan Super League matches. In the 2019-20 season, the PCB had offered contracts to 18 elite match officials. Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh and Nadeem Arshad, are the two additions in the match referees panel, while Aftab Hussain Gilani (promoted from the development panel), Imran Javed, Nasir Hussain Snr, Qaiser Waheed, Syed Imtiaz Iqbal, Waleed Yaqoob (promoted from the development panel) and Zameer Haider are the umpires who will be offered contracts for the first time. The PCB has introduced supplementary panel for the first time, which includes the match referees and umpires who were unable to find places in the elite panel. They will be offered season contracts, which includes match fees and daily allowances. This panel will be responsible for officiating in the Second XI Cricket Association matches and will set-up for First XI and HBL Pakistan Super League duties as and when required. The 72-member PCB Development Panel of Umpires has been equally divided into two groups, with the first group to officiate in the PCB-organised age-group matches and the second group to stand in club, grassroots and school fixtures. The playing control team in these matches will be led by the PCB Development Panel of Match Referees, which comprises 15 officials. The PCB Development Panel of Match Referees includes a female official, Saman Zulfiqar from Sheikhupura. This is the third successive year she has been named in the panel as the PCB continues to encourage its women officials to get involved with the game if they have any aspirations of representing the country at the international level. Similar process was followed and adopted while finalising women umpires for the 2020-21 domestic season, who will be offered season contracts. These women officials will be involved in officiating women’s domestic matches, schedule of which will be shared in due course. The notable inclusion in the eight-member PCB Panel of Women Umpires is the addition of Sabahat Rasheed, who played 13 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan from 2005 to 2007. The 37-year-old from Lahore was a right-arm off break and is a graduate of Arts and Education. Bilal Qureshi, Manager, Umpires and Referees: “I want to congratulate all the match officials on their inclusion in the 2020-21 domestic panel and hope they will have a good season in which they will perform their duties to the best of their abilities. “This year’s assessment and appraisal process was transparent and merit-based in which two independent former ICC match officials reviewed the performances of all the officials, while accessing their self-assessments and video decisions during the season (where available) as well as presentations, interviews, knowledge and understanding about the Laws, decision-making and man-management skills. Separately, the match officials also underwent fitness tests, which are mandatory and as per international standards. “This robust process was carried out to ensure the best match officials can officiate in the PCB-organised tournaments and through their good knowledge and understanding of the Laws and regulations, contribute in enhancing the standard and quality of the 2020-21 domestic cricket. “At the same time, we have provided a pathway to the supplementary and development panel umpires with the incentive being a place in the elite panel. I understand this is a challenging pathway but such is the role that only the best of the best can move up the ladder and this can only happen through determination, consistent performances, correct application of the Laws and regulations, and good match management.” PCB Panel of Match Officials for 2020-21 season: PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees - Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Muhammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof. Mohammad Javed Malik (Multan) PCB Elite Panel of Umpires - Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Aftab Hussain Gillani (Bahawalpur), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Javed (Karachi), Nasir Hussain Snr. (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore) PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees - Ahmer Saeed (Karachi), Aleem Khan Moosa (Karachi), Ali Gohar (Karachi), Aziz-ur-Rehman (Lahore), Kamran Chaudhry (Lahore), Khalid Jamshed (Lahore), Mohammad Aslam (Quetta) and Tanveer Afzal (Faisalabad) PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires - Abdul Moqeet (Lahore), Ahmed Shahab (Lahore), Aley Haider (Karachi), Aslam Bareach (Quetta), Farooq Ali Khan (Abbottabad), Ghulam Sarwar (Sibi), Kashif Sohail (Khanewal), Khalid Mehmood Sr. (Karachi), Majid Hussain (AJK), Mir Dad (Islamabad), Muhammad Asif (Lahore), Muhammad Imran (Sargodha), Muhammad Sajid (Charsadda), Tariq Rasheed (Lahore) and Zulfiqar Jan (Charsadda) PCB Development Panel of Match Referees - Abu-al-Hasnat Rao (Lahore), Allah Ditto (Islamabad), Athar Laiq (Karachi), Bilal Moinul Haq Khiljee (Lahore), Fazal Akbar Shah (Peshawar), Ghulam Mustafa (Kasur), Inamullah Khan (Lahore), Masood Anwar (Khanewal), Muhammad Amiruddin Ansari (Karachi), Mohammad Jawed (Karachi), Mujahid Jamshed (Lahore), Saman Zulfiqar (Sheikhupura), Samiul Haq (Faisalabad), Sohail Idrees (Lahore) and Sohail Khan (Lahore) PCB Development Panel of Umpires (I) - Aamer Atta (DG Khan), Abdul Wasay (Kohat), Ahmed Nadeem (Peshawar), Akmal Hayat (Faisalabad), Asif Farooq Awan (Gujranwala), Farooq Anwar Bajwa Faisalabad), Farooq Jan (Charsadda), Ghayyur Hussain (Peshawar), Hassan Mahmood (Lahore), Imran Ullah Aslam (Bahawalpur), Irfan Haider (Islamabad), Javed Ashraf (Lahore), Kamran Khalil (Lahore), Khalid Mahmood Jr (Quetta), Mesam Turabi (Gujjar Khan), Muhammad Fayyaz (Peshawar), Muhammad Irfan Dilshad (Lahore), Muhammad Kaleeem (Lahore), Muhammad Waqas (Lahore), Nadeem Ghouri (Lahore), Nadeem Iqbal (Multan), Nasar Khan (Mardan), Qaiser Khan (Lahore), Rafiq Ahmad (Dadu), Rana Muhammad Arshad (Faisalabad), Raweed Khan (Charsadda), Raza Asghar (Sheikhupura), Saifullah Khan (Sargodha), Saleem Butt (Rawalpindi), Shamim Ansari (Karachi), Sohail Khan (Charssada), Sohail Zaman Khattak (Peshawar), Sultan Mahmood (Loralai), Syed Fahim Ahmed Bukhari (Karachi), Waqar Ahmed (Islamabad) and Waseemuddin (Kohat) PCB Development Panel of Umpires (II) - Asim Alvi (Karachi), Abdul Karim (Naseerabad), Abdul Qayoom (Karachi), Abrar Ahmed (Kasur), Adnan Rashid (Lahore), Akhtar Ali (Karachi), Ameen Abbasi (Bahawalpur), Anser Mahmood (Pattoki), Aqeel Aadil Khan (Karachi), Azizur Rehman (Karachi), Dilshad Ali (Multan), Hameed Khan (Quetta), Haroon Malik (Sargodha), Hashim Ali (Lodhran), Hidayatullah (Pishin), Jaffar Hussian (Peshawar), Jamshid Iqbal (Peshawar), Khalil Ahmad Siddiqi (Kasur), Maqbool Ahmed (Faisalabad), Mohammad Aamir Sharif (Kohat), Mohammad Arif (DI Khan), Mohammad Basit Siddiqi (Lahore), Mohammad Nazir Butt (Karachi), Mohammad Yousaf (DG Khan), Mumtaz Ali (Loralai), Munir Ahmed (Kasur), Naik Mohammad (Kohat), Naseer Ahmed (Chakwal), Naushad Khan (Peshawar), Naveed Khan (Nowshehra), Noor ul Hakam (Buner), Sagheer Ahmed (Lahore), Saifullah (Lahore), Shahid Qayyum (Faisalabad), Waqas Zeb (Lahore) and Zeeshan Arif (Mirpur, AJK) PCB Panel of Women Umpires – Afia Amin  (Lahore), Hummairah Farah  (Lahore), Nazia Nazir (Lahore), Nuzhat Sultana (Karachi), Riffat Mustafa (Kasur), Sabahat Rasheed  (Lahore), Saleema Imtiaz (Karachi) and Shakila Rafiq (Kasur).

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (August 28, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board today (Friday) announced the six Cricket Association squads for the 2020-21 domestic cricket season, which will commence on 30 September with the National T20 Cup. First round of the event will be played in Multan, while the final round will be held in Rawalpindi. Complete season schedule will be announced in due course. The squads were finalised by the six Cricket Association coaches who took into consideration performances of the last two seasons, retained maximum players from the 2019-20 season without reshuffling the squads too much and, where possible, provided opportunities to the centrally and emerging contracted players to represent their Cricket Associations. This has been done to ensure sense of ownership and pride amongst the players representing their Cricket Associations, which, in turn, will further enhance the involvement of the fans and cricket followers, and provide more balance to the six sides to make the forthcoming season more competitive than 2019-20. As such, the selectors have retained 158 players who were offered 2019-20 domestic contracts and have included 34 new players, including some who represented Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020. Each Cricket Association squad will comprise 45 players – 32 players with domestic contracts, supported by 13 additional players – and the PCB centrally and emerging contracted cricketers, belonging to their respective regions. The coaches will finalise the playing lineups for the events proper (National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Pakistan Cup One-day Tournament) in due course following discussions with captains and vice-captains, who will also be confirmed at that stage. Players with the seasonal contracts will be eligible to receive match fee, daily allowances and other related benefits, wherever applicable. The six head coaches have also finalised their squads with the vision of nurturing up and coming cricketers. In this relation, 11 teenagers who participated in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup earlier this year, have been selected. They are Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan); Irfan Khan Niazi, Qasim Akram and Fahad Munir (all three Central Punjab); Mohammad Wasim jnr, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Amir Khan and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (all four Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Mohammad Huraira (Northern) and Aamir Ali and Arish Ali Khan (Sindh). The coaches, who are also members of the national selection committee, have also followed the PCB’s policy of investing in the future as average age of the Balochistan side is 27, followed by Central Punjab 26, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 26, Northern 25, Sindh 25 and Southern Punjab 26. Balochistan First XI Head Coach Faisal Iqbal: “The selection of the squads was based on a thorough assessment of the players based on a wide-ranging selection criterion. I want to thank the coaches of the Balochistan second XI and U19 teams along with the first XI assistant coach, who all played a vital role in the selection of this squad. I am confident the Balochistan squad will impress and prove to be a real competitive unit across the three formats. We have given opportunities to the local talent from the province and the performers have been given their due. The squad is well-balanced and full of exciting players.” Central Punjab First XI Head Coach Shahid Anwar: “We have a big talent pool and some of the biggest names of the domestic game are once again part of the side which has established a legacy by the triumph in last year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class tournament. This year we have picked some exciting players including Pakistan U19 performers, who will be groomed with an eye for the future.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa First XI Head Coach Abdul Razzaq: “I am fully satisfied with the selection process, which was made on the basis of a comprehensive and an all-encompassing selection criteria. My squad has a great blend of youth and experience and my aim would be to provide them all the support and encouragement they need to play to their best potential. Like the rest of the squads, I also have some exciting players who can be real assets for Pakistan cricket in due course.” Northern First XI Head Coach Mohammad Wasim: “Northern played some exhilarating cricket last season and we made some innovative plans that brought us success in both the shortest and longest format. I have retained the core of the players who served the squad well and have added young blood with an aim of developing more top quality players who can not only serve us but can also graduate to the highest level of the game.” Sindh First XI Head Coach Basit Ali: “Sindh squad is a well-rounded one with some of the biggest names of the province, proven domestic performers as well as young players that have an abundance of potential. I look forward to a hugely exciting and competitive domestic season where both our red-ball and white-ball squads can play the kind of cricket that is on modern lines and in sync with the approach of the Pakistan team management.” Southern Punjab First XI Head Coach Abdul Rehman: “I have focused on building a squad that is full of young and exciting players backed by experienced and proven performers of the domestic arena. My aim is to groom players who can serve Pakistan cricket across formats at the senior level. I feel my squad has the depth and quality to play an attractive brand of cricket with an eye both on success and development of players.”

SB REPORT ISLAMABAD (August 27, 2020):-There were no surprises when Misbah-ul-Haq, the head coach and chief selector of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team, shortlisted Haider Ali for the three T20Is against England, which begin later this week at Old Trafford, Manchester. The 19-year-old batsman made headlines over the course of the 2019-20 season on the back of his dazzling stroke play and impressive knocks across formats, including the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 “This is a dream come true for me,” said Haider about joining the senior team. “Every young cricketer wishes to be here. This is my first tour and though I have shared dressing room with established cricketers in the HBL PSL 2020, being in the Pakistan dressing room is altogether a difference experience.” Younis Khan, Pakistan’s most prolific Test batsman who is in England with the team as the batting coach, praised Haider’s work ethic. He said: “Haider has that will and skill which turn a youngster into a good player. He has that spark and he is always eager to learn. “I believe he is an upcoming star of Pakistan and he will perform whenever he gets a chance. He is strong and his fitness is improving day-by-day. He has a bright future and the ability to play all formats for Pakistan.” Haider comes into the side after a prolific 2019-20 season in which he made 645 first-class runs at 49.62 and amassed 239 runs at a staggering strike rate of 158.27 in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 to finish as the joint second-highest run-getter for his team (Peshawar Zalmi) along with veteran Shoaib Malik. His 14 sixes were the most by any Zalmi batsman in the fifth edition of the league, which was played in Pakistan. Younis is also fond of Haider’s cover drive and while speaking about it, he said: “He plays well-calculated cover drives, quite like Babar Azam’s which are world renowned. I like his initial movement and the way he approaches the ball. He plays solid cover drives. I have worked with him on making his base strong and have been working with him on cut and pull shots, which are high scoring shots in international cricket.” Haider featured in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup under another promising youngster Rohail Nazir earlier this year in which he earned praises from the game’s greats for his scintillating strokes. He scored a fighting half-century in a semi-final against India. In 19 U19s 50-over matches, Haider has scored 655 runs, which included a century and six half-centuries at an average just below 39. He graduated to Pakistan Under-19 in May 2019 and made his debut memorable with a 65-ball 51 against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. Over the course of the past one year, Haider has established himself as one of the future stars. On his first-class debut in September 2019, Haider, opening the batting, scored a defiant 99 for Northern against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Abbottabad. The significance of his score is underscored by the fact that the next best score (33) in his team’s innings was registered by captain Imad Wasim. The right-handed top-order batsman scored his maiden first-class hundred against Balochistan in Rawalpindi in the fourth round and capped his first Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with a fighting second innings 203-ball 134 against a star-studded Central Punjab at Karachi’s National Stadium. “I had no prior experience of four-day cricket but I got a lot of motivation from the coaches and senior players in the side,” he said. “I was disappointed at not scoring a century, but it is there that I decided that whenever an opportunity presents itself next time, I am going to make the most of it. I scored a century three, four innings later and then in the final, which covered it to some extent. But, not being able to score a century in my debut match was a disappointment. “The experience of playing in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy helped me learn the importance of temperament in cricket as you can only score runs in the longer version of cricket if you show temperament in your batting.” Haider is now eager to prove himself at the apex level, whenever the opportunity presents itself. “This is my first tour of England. The conditions here are different than Pakistan and even a different kind of ball is used here. Arriving here two months early has been beneficial, as it has provided me the necessary time to practice – in nets and match scenarios – and be acclimatised. I am looking forward to make the most of what I have learned from my previous experiences.”

By BIPIN DANI England fast bowler James Anderson's 600-wicket journey began 17 years ago when he bowled Zimbabwean opener Mark Vermeulen at Lord's on the 2nd day (May 23, 2003) of the first Test. "Yes, I have been following Anderson's career with interest and absolutely have no regrets being his first test wicket", the 41-year-old right handed batsman Mark Vermeeulen, speaking exclusively over telephone from South Africa, said. Vermeulen has moved to South Africa where he has been involved in school coaching.   "It was a good ball which straightened down the slope at Lord's hitting the top of middle and off stump", he recalled, adding, "Obviously I was disappointed at the time but I don't feel so bad now knowing that he has taken 600 wickets". "Yes, what an incredible achievement by him reaching 600 Test wickets and to become the 1st fast bowler to achieve this is truly remarkable". "He's done very well to keep fit and playing for this long and I hope that he can get 20 more Test wickets so that he can jump ahead of Anil Kumble and go to number 3 in the all time wicket takers", he further added. Interestingly, Anderson had to spend nearly 21 hours between his 599 and 600th wickets. Had there been no play on the final day, he would have had to spend several months. India's  Umesh Yadav finished Nagpur Test v SL, 24 Nov 2017 on 99 wkts, and had to wait until Bangalore Test v AFG, 14 Jun 2018, to get the 100th one.