Sports Bulletin

Sports Report ISLAMABAD (June 6, 2020):-Left-arm spinner Anam Amin and middle-order batter Omaima Sohail are the new entries in the significantly improved, enhanced and performance-based PCB women’s central contract list for 2020-21, which will come into effect from 1 July. Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan and Diana Baig are the three players to get promotions at the back of their international performances in the just-concluded 2019-20 season. The nine central contracts see an increase of 33 per cent in the monthly retainers of the Category A players, while players in Category B and C will receive 30 and 25 per cent rise, respectively. In a continuation to last year, the Pakistan national women’s team will travel business class on all flights longer than five hours. Separately, and as part of the PCB’s strategy to enhance the profile of women’s cricket, inspire and incentivise aspiring cricketers and bring it at par with men’s cricket, the PCB has introduced emerging contract list. The nine-player list includes 16-year-old Syeda Aroob Shah, 15-year-old Ayesha Naseem (who made her Pakistan debut in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup this year), 22-year-old Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Fatima Sana, Kainat Hafeez, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir and Sadia Iqbal (who won player-of-the-match award on her T20I debut against Bangladesh in October). In a significant boost for the domestic cricketers, the match fee and event prize money have been increased by 100 per cent, while daily allowances have been increased by 50 per cent. In addition and following a review of the 2019-20 season, the PCB has decided to retain Bismah Maroof as captain till the end of the 2020-21 season. However, it has also been decided not to renew the contract of head coach Iqbal Imam who will now resume his duties in the high performance set-up. Iqbal’s replacement will be made through an advertisement process. Women’s central contract list 2020-21: Category A – Bismah Maroof and Javeria Khan Category B - Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig and Sidra Nawaz Category C - Anam Amin, Nahida Khan, Nida Dar and Omaima Sohail. Women’s emerging contract list 2020-21: Ayesha Naseem, Fatima Sana, Kainat Hafeez, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Najiha Alvi, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal and Syeda Aroob Shah Twenty-two-year-old Muneeba Ali, who made an impact with 292 runs at a healthy average of 58.40 in the National T20 Championship with a century and three half-centuries in five matches, has been included in the nine-player emerging contract list. The left-handed batter is joined by 16-year-old leg-spinner Syeda Aroob Shah, who bagged a player-of-the-match award on her ODI debut against Bangladesh Women in Lahore in November 2019 and was the highest wicket-taker in the national one-day championship. The Pakistan national women’s team is scheduled to feature in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier and the ACC Women’s T20 Cup in the next 12 months, while an U19 team will feature in the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women’s selection committee, while announcing the central contracts said: “On behalf of the selection committee, I would like to congratulate all the players who have received the central contracts. “The selection committee had detailed deliberations prior to announcing the central contracts. International performances over the past 12 months, fitness standards and the players’ ability to contribute in both white ball formats were key measures that formed the criteria for the selection. “Bismah and Javeria have been promoted to Category A, following leading performances with the bat in the last year. Over the last one year, Bismah scored 213 runs at an average of 42.60 in five ODIs and 236 at 39.33 in T20Is, while Javeria was the highest run-getter for Pakistan in T20Is with 260 runs including three half-centuries. “Diana Baig has been promoted to Category B and she joins Aliya Riaz and Sidra Nawaz – both of whom have been retained in this category – as she topped the T20I bowling charts for Pakistan in the last 12 months. Leading the pace bowling attack she has shown tremendous improvement with control over the ball along with being an exceptional fielder. “I am pleased for both new entries, Omaima Sohail and Anam Amin. Omaima has been added after being a consistent member of the side in both formats while Anam has been outstanding with the ball in T20 cricket, being the highest wicket-taker in the domestic and joint-highest in international circuit. “We had to take some tough decisions and would like to emphasize and encourage those who have missed out to take this as an opportunity to improve their game and make a strong comeback. Nida Dar sees a demotion following her below par international season. However she remains an integral member and I am confident in her ability and hope she will bounce back with strong performances. “An overall performance-based review will take place six months into the contracts, primarily to motivate the players to continue to excel, eliminating the element of complacency. “I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Bismah Maroof on retaining her leadership role in both ODI and T20 formats for the upcoming season. She has been a phenomenal performer and has risen to the occasion whenever the situation demanded. I am confident that she will continue to inspire the national women’s team dressing room and keep our performance chart trending upwards. “I am extremely delighted to announce the emerging contract category. Nine players have been included, comprising of talented individuals who have showcased their skill on the international and domestic stage, along with those future prospects who are on the fringes of the national circuit. The addition of this category will incentivise players to remain dedicated to the game, importantly increasing the pool of players and creating a competitive environment at the junior level.”

Sports Report ISLAMABAD (June 6, 2020):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Executive Wasim Khan today announced that over the next three months he will personally donate a total of PKR1.5million to support former players, match officials, scorers and ground staff who are struggling through financial hardships. Wasim took the voluntary decision to make this donation as a way of giving back to the game’s key stakeholders at a time when there was a greater need. “I have decided to personally make this donation to help those players, match officials, scorers and ground staff who are in dire need of financial assistance, “Wasim said. “This small contribution is to support the Chairman’s Welfare Fund that is already in place and to show solidarity with him as we look to provide as much support to the players, match officials, scorers and ground staff facing hardships in these tough economic times. “As head of the executive team, I also think it is appropriate that I take a personal lead with this and it’s a decision that feels absolutely right to me. After past culture of all PCB staff receiving substantial annual incremental increases, we have made a decision to tighten our expenditure over the next 12 months and only award increases to staffers who earn PKR100,000 a month or less. This will commence from the new fiscal year, which starts on 1 July.” PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said: “I appreciate Wasim Khan’s gesture and commend him for leading by example. Wasim’s actions show that he is not only a good leader, but one who thinks and cares about the wellbeing of past and present players and other stakeholders. “Wasim has consistently shown his commitment to Pakistan cricket and this is another example of his contribution and leadership. “I am sure that Wasim’s generosity will help cricketers in need in these difficult times.”

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (May 28, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today (Thursday) announced the appointments of Grant Bradburn as Head of High Performance Coaching and Saqlain Mushtaq as Head of International Player Development as part of the prestigious High Performance Centre’s restructuring. The restructuring is aimed at providing a clear pathway to the young and aspiring player support personnel and players within the game. In addition to the two former Test cricketers, LUMS graduate Asser Malik, who has a wide-ranging experience with various multi-national companies, has been confirmed as High Performance Operations Manager. The three appointments have been made following a robust recruitment process that included presentations by the candidates, followed by interviews conducted by a high-powered panel that also included members of the PCB Cricket Committee. Bradburn is presently the fielding coach of the Pakistan men’s national team, a role he took in September 2018 following a successful coaching stint with the Scotland men’s national cricket team. An off-spinner who played seven Tests and 11 ODIs from 1990 to 2001 for New Zealand, Bradburn also coached New Zealand A and New Zealand U19. Bradburn, a Level III coach, will be responsible for raising the overall standard of player support personnel across all the high performance centres of the country. He holds a strong reputation of creating united and successful environments with a strong focus on bringing new methods on coaching through individual learning and through developing systems that provide consistent feedback, assessment and support that ultimately fosters coaches’ development. Saqlain played international cricket between 1995 and 2004 and will be responsible for identifying, developing and preparing players so that they could go on to become world-class cricketers. Saqlain, known for introducing the Doosra, in his first full year (1996) with the Pakistan national men’s cricket team at the age of 18 established a record for the most ODI wickets in a calendar year (65). He then did even better the following year, setting a mark (69) that still stands. His impact was so great that he became the fastest bowler in history in terms of time (one year and 225 days) to reach the landmark of 100 ODI wickets, and to this day, no one else has got there in less than two years. Saqlain, also a Level III coach, has previously worked as a spin bowling coach with Bangladesh, West Indies and England men’s cricket teams, apart from serving as a consultant for PCB, Cricket Australia and New Zealand Cricket. Grant Bradburn: “I am honoured that my association and relationship with Pakistan cricket continues. I consider it a privilege to work here in Pakistan among highly skilled players and coaches, while I have realised there is incredible talent and passion for the game in this country. “I now aim to support our best players by enabling our current and future coaches with the skills they need to create world’s best players and winning environments. In turn, this proud cricket nation will aim to become self-reliant on cricket coaching resources that are both world leading and uniquely Pakistan. “I have attended meetings with other members of the High Performance Centre and have been impressed with their approach, vision and strategy. I am looking forward to making a meaningful contribution during my time at the High Performance Centre and I plan to succeed in creating an environment which all coaches will find challenging, productive and rewarding.” Saqlain Mushtaq: “It is an honour and a privilege to represent Pakistan. In this background, I am delighted to have been offered this exciting opportunity to work on skilful and exciting young cricketers and help them grow in their careers. “I have previously worked with a diverse group of cricketers and helped them improve their cricket. I am confident I will be able to translate all my knowledge and experience in the High Performance Centre and help the PCB raise the bar and set new benchmarks. “Before agreeing to the role, I had a look at a number of things, including the cricketing environment and people I will be working with. I think the vision, aspirations and strategy of the PCB is heading in the right direction and, as such, it is the right time to join the high performance team in Lahore and try to take Pakistan cricket back to its glory days.” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “The High Performance Centre is the heart of Pakistan cricket, which will ultimately set the direction of Pakistan cricket’s future. The unique skills and understanding that each of these individuals have of their specific areas will help create alignment to International standards and best practices. “The PCB’s objective is to help the men’s national team reclaim their top rankings and we will leave no stone unturned in creating opportunities and providing tools to the players to achieve these targets. “I am confident the team of Nadeem Khan, Grant Bradburn and Saqlain Mushtaq will create greater alignment between domestic and International cricket, make our high performance programs relevant in the modern world and will drive the standards and levels of professionalism required within our system.” The PCB will announce Bradburn’s replacement in the men’s national cricket team in due course.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 27, 2020):-The International Netball Federation (INF) on Wednesday organised an INF Roadshow of Asia, discussing the impact of coronavirus pandemic that has affected the international sports activities including that of netball events in Asia across the world. President INF Liz Nicholl (CBE) chaired the meeting and briefed the participants from the various countries about the recovery and development plans for the upcoming netball events. President Pakistan Netball Federation (PNF) Mudassar Arain and other Asian countries attended the meeting. President INF assured that the international body would help and support the affected countries as well as provided the SOP protocol for future events. Mudassar later thanked the International Netball Federation for hosting INF Roadshow of Asia, which was conducted by INF President Liz Ncholl and CEO Clare Briegal. It is important to mention here that the world netball bodies have been forced to postponed the several international events due to the coronavirus pandemic including Asian Women Netball Championship, Asian Men Netball Championship and World Under-15 Girls Netball Championship which were to be held before July 2020. Pakistan Netball Federation (PNF) has already postponed all netball activities in the country due to the coronavirus outbreak and lockdown situation on the special instructions of the government and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

By: BIPIN   DANI  Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the world’s most active cricket club and the guardian of the Laws of the game will not change laws on LBW and Leg Byes. Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has recently proposed radical changes in the LBW laws, stating that a batsman should be given out leg-before as long as the ball is hitting the stumps irrespective of the spot of its landing and impact. “The new LBW law should simply say: ‘Any delivery that strikes the pad without first hitting the bat and, in the umpire’s opinion, would go on to hit the stumps is out regardless of whether or not a shot is attempted’, he has proposed. “The current law encourages “pad play” to balls pitching outside leg, while this change would force them to use their bat. The change would reward bowlers who attack the stumps and decrease the need for negative wide deliveries to a packed off-side field,”, Chappell, 76, has further said. "MCC has no plans to alter the LBW Law or the Leg bye Law in the near future", the club in an e mail to this Reporter said. Sunil Gavaskar is of the opinion to do away with the Leg Bye law (23-2). "Such suggestions are not new but would, MCC feels, result in an increase in negative, run-saving bowling from around the wicket at the batsman’s pads, which would not improve the game as a spectacle", the Law office said.

 Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 22, 2020):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has published guidelines for the safe resumption of cricket to assist its Members in restarting cricket activity in their countries as government restrictions owing to COVID-19 start to relax. “ICC Back to Cricket Guidelines” is a comprehensive document developed by the ICC Medical Advisory Committee in consultation with Member Medical Representatives, and provides guidance for the safe resumption of community cricket, domestic professional cricket and international cricket. The guidelines do not provide answers to when the game can resume in different parts of the world, rather provide a framework with practical suggestions on how members can resume cricket in a manner that protects against the risk of transmission of or infection with the COVID-19 virus. The ICC advises its Members to use these guidelines as the basis to create their own policies for return to cricket activity in compliance, in all cases, with local and national government regulations (which should always take precedence) and to ensure the cricket community applies the necessary safety measures when resuming cricket.

Sports Report ISLAMABAD (May 14, 2020):-The PCB Cricket Committee met on Wednesday via video link under the chairmanship of Iqbal Qasim. It was the second meeting of 2020 for the group. The group discussed the appointment and review process for the appointment of the six Cricket Association and High Performance Centre coaches. The Chairman of the Committee agreed to form a sub-committee, which will work closely with Director - High Performance to create a criteria and performance evaluation process for the coaches. The committee also had a discussion on the participation of departments in the 2020-21 season. It was agreed that the committee will provide its suggestions, which will be forwarded onto the PCB management for consideration. In addition to the above, the cricket committee was apprised of the appointment process and responsibilities of Director – High Performance (who attended the session on special invitation), PCB Men’s Central Contract List for 2020-21 and also received updates on women’s and domestic cricket by Urooj Mumtaz and Haroon Rashid, respectively. PCB Cricket Committee Chairman Iqbal Qasim said: “The agenda for the quarterly meeting was in line with areas that required discussion and to get engaging feedback from all members of the Cricket Committee. On department cricket in 2020-21 season, it remains a work in progress and the committee will shortly forward its thoughts to the management. “The PCB Cricket Committee was overall satisfied with the PCB Men’s Central Contract 2020-21 list and was impressed with the concept of the Emerging Player’s Category as well as elite category in domestic cricket in which leading performers, who are unable to break into the central contracts, will be included. This will further motivate the youngsters and help uplift and improve the quality of our domestic cricket.”

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD:-The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Cricket Ireland decided to postpone the bilateral two-match T20I series, which was scheduled in July this year 2020 with mutual understanding on Thursday, as the Ireland Government had announced that behind closed-door matches can only be possible after 10 August. This date coincides with Pakistan’s tour to England for three Tests and as many T20Is for which the side is scheduled to depart late July. The matches in Dublin were planned for 12 and 14 July. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “It is sad that due the current Covid-19 pandemic, we have to postpone our tour to Ireland. We were looking forward to returning to the venue, where we featured against Ireland in their inaugural Test in 2018, and country where our players have always been supported and admired by the friendly and knowledgeable fans. “We fully respect and endorse CI’s decision at this difficult time. As we have all reiterated, the safety and security of players, officials and fans comes first. It remains a challenging time for all nations that are due to be hosting home series in the coming months; we as a cricketing family will continue to rally and work closely together.  “The PCB stands firmly with CI in these difficult times and we look forward to revisiting Ireland as soon as normal services resume.” Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Warren Deutrom said: “With the Irish Government announcement on 1 May regarding the gradual process of lifting restrictions here in Ireland, it unfortunately became impossible to host the Pakistan T20Is in Dublin on the scheduled dates. “We subsequently discussed scenarios around delaying the fixtures – or even playing them elsewhere - but with numerous complications around Government roadmap timelines, bio-security, quarantining, and scheduling harmony, it just hasn’t been possible to find a way to get the matches played.” “We deeply regret this, as the cricketing bonds between Ireland and Pakistan are strong, and we were very excited to host the world’s top T20 side. We look forward to a time when we can once again meet on the pitch and wish our Pakistan Cricket Board colleagues good health during these challenging times.”

Sports Report LAHORE (May 13, 2020):-Former Test spinner Nadeem Khan has been appointed as the PCB’s Director – High Performance following a robust recruitment process. Nadeem was one of the 16 candidates who had applied for the role and was subsequently interviewed by Iqbal Qasim (Chairman, Cricket Committee), Wasim Akram (Member, Cricket Committee), David Parsons (Ex-Performance Director – ECB) and Wasim Khan (Chief Executive, PCB). Following his appointment, Nadeem has resigned as Coordinator – National Men’s Selection Committee with immediate effect. Nadeem’s replacement will be announced in due course. The position of Director - High Performance has been created during a restructuring process and following the departures of Director – Academies, Mudassar Nazar, and Director – Domestic Cricket Operations, Haroon Rashid, who will finish their time at the PCB on 31 May. Director – High Performance will be responsible for managing and overseeing both the departments as the PCB believes the new structure will serve the game and it’s cricketers in a more seamless way. Nadeem’s relevant experience for this role included setting up the Moin Khan Cricket Academy and not only reviving the UBL Sports Academy but also transforming it into a successful and self-sustaining financial proposition as well as a high-quality grooming institution for budding youngsters. While the UBL Sports Complex presently has 1200 students, the UBL cricket team, during Nadeem’s tenure, reached the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 2015-16 and won the Inter-Departmental One-Day Cup in 2017-18. It was also during Nadeem’s time that four UBL players graduated to the Pakistan men’s national cricket team and five featured in various pathway squads. Before turning into a successful administrator the 50-year-old Nadeem played first-class cricket from 1986-87 to 2002-03. During this period, he played two Tests, two ODIs and 153 first-class matches. The highlights of Nadeem’s international career have been the wicket of Brian Lara, who was stumped by Rashid Latif during the 1993 Antigua Test, and the run-out of Sachin Tendulkar in the famous Kolkata Test in 1999. Commenting on his appointment, Nadeem Khan said: “I am delighted to join the Pakistan Cricket Board at an exciting time when major reforms are taking place at all levels that are aimed at embracing international practices in an effort to enhance the overall standard of our cricket. Having previous experience in delivering performance systems and a tournament-winning side, I am looking forward to the challenges, competitive opportunities, and overseeing the development of the PCB High Performance Programme.   “One of my key objectives will be to identify the assets at a young stage through the High Performance Centres and then monitor their growth, development and progression through our domestic programmes. I have some big shoes to fill but I am looking forward to making a significant and meaningful contribution during my time with the PCB.” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan welcomed Nadeem Khan: “I want to welcome Nadeem Khan to the PCB family. He brings with him tremendous respect, integrity and a huge amount of cricket knowledge. Nadeem’s understanding of all aspects of player pathways, domestic cricket and high performance systems will be vital as we aim to bridge the gap between domestic and international cricket through the new direction we are taking. “Director – High Performance is a critical role in the PCB’s Strategic Plan and Nadeem has demonstrated over the past three decades that he is the best candidate to help us achieve our objective of supporting a merit-based, quality focused first-class cricket and high-performance system.”

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD:-Two captains, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam along with left arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi placed in “A” category in the Central Contact List (CCL) for Season 2020-21, which was released by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday. According to Media Department of PCB, as many as 18-players are the part of central contract list in different three categories, as pacer Naseem Shah and batsman Iftikhar Ahmad are two new names in the list. Three players are in category “A”, nine in “B” and six in “C” while three players are in the Emerging category, as the contact will be effected from July 1 this year 2020. PCB also confirmed Azhar Ali as Test and Babar Azam as ODI and T20I captains for the period during which Pakistan is scheduled to play nine Tests, six ODIs and 20 T20Is, besides the Asia Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020. Naseem Shah became the youngest Test bowler in the history to take a fifer and a hat-trick in consecutive Tests against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in Karachi and Rawalpindi, respectively. Iftikhar, who had the best average and strike rate in T20Is amongst the Pakistan batsmen, played two Tests, two ODIs and seven T20Is in the 2019-20 season. Shaheen, following his 18 Test and two T20I wickets, has moved up in Category A, while Abid Ali (174 runs in three Tests and 74 runs in an ODI), Mohammad Rizwan (212 runs and 16 dismissals in five Tests, 50 runs and two dismissals in five T20Is) and Shan Masood (396 runs in five Tests) have been awarded Category B. Furthermore, and as part of its commitment and strategy to reward high-performing young cricketers, the PCB has created a new Emerging Players’ Category, and the initial inductees are Haider Ali and fast bowlers Haris Rauf and Mohammad Hasnain. Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz have missed out on central contracts but will remain in contention for selection in what will be a busier cricket season as compared to the one that has just concluded, while Imam-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Yasir Shah have slipped one category each. In the forthcoming season, Pakistan is scheduled to play two T20Is in Ireland (July), three Tests and three T20Is in England (July-September), three ODIs and three T20Is in South Africa (October), three ODIs and three T20Is at home against Zimbabwe (November), two tests and three T20Is in New Zealand (December), two Tests and three T20Is at home against South Africa (January 2021) and two Tests and three T20Is in Zimbabwe (April 2021). In addition to these bilateral series, Pakistan will also feature in the Asia Cup T20 tournament and the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2020 in Australia. PCB Men’s Central Contract List for 2020-21: Category A:- Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi Category B:- Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah Category C:-Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq,       Naseem Shah, Usman Shinwari Emerging Players’ Category:-Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain.