Sports Bulletin

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (February 11, 2020):-Front foot no ball technology will be used in a major tournament for the first time at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia later this month. The decision to use this system was made after successful trials conducted recently in both India and the West Indies. India-West Indies The third umpire will monitor the front foot landing position after each ball and communicate to the on-field umpire if the delivery was a no ball. The on-field umpires have been instructed not to call any front foot no balls unless advised to do so by the third umpire, although they will be responsible for calling all other types of no ball on the field. The technology was recently trialed across 12 games, during which 4717 balls were bowled and 13 no balls (0.28% of deliveries) were called. All deliveries were judged accurately. Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager Cricket said: “Cricket has an excellent track record of introducing technology to support the decision making of our match officials and I’m confident that this technology will reduce the small number of front foot no ball errors at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.” “No balls are difficult for umpires to call accurately, and even though the percentage of deliveries that are no balls is low, it is important to call them correctly. Since we first trialed this concept in the ODI series between England and Pakistan in 2016 the technology has improved significantly, enabling us to introduce it cost-effectively, and with minimum impact on the flow of the game.”

By Our Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD (February 11, 2020):-With only 9 days to go in the opening match of the much-anticipated fifth edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League, the fans are taking to social media with their playing XIs for their favourite franchises. The same level of excitement is found amongst the franchise owners who are eager to see their teams fight tooth and nail for the coveted trophy in front of passionate home crowds. After months of backroom discussions and deliberations for the crucial process of team selection – Player Draft in December and Replacement Draft last week – the six owners take a look at their line-ups for the upcoming season. Two-time champion Islamabad United’s owner, Ali Naqvi, said: “We are very happy with the team we have built for this season. At the Draft we went with our tried and tested #DimaghSe strategy and ended up achieving most of our targets. “Looking at the final squad, we feel very confident about another successful season. Our aim was to surround our younger local players with quality international pros. Hence we are delighted to get the likes of [Dale] Steyn in our squad. His impact on youngsters like Akif [Javed] and Musa [Khan] will be huge. It is one thing to be coached by a legend, but it is an unparalleled experience when you play and train with one. “Islamabad United have always focused on identifying talent from within the system hence the Emerging category has always been the priority for us. Even our current captain, Shadab Khan, was picked in the Emerging category in HBL PSL 2017. After every HBL PSL season, at least one emerging Islamabad United player has gone on to represent Pakistan. This season we are very confident about it happening again.” Islamabad United squad for HBL PSL 2020: Platinum – Shadab Khan (captain), Dale Steyn and Colin Ingram Diamond – Faheem Ashraf, Asif Ali and Colin Munro Gold – Luke Ronchi, Hussain Talat and Rumman Raees Silver – Amad Butt, Musa Khan, Rizwan Hussain, Zafar Gohar and Phil Salt Emerging – Akif Javed and Ahmed Safi Abdullah Supplementary – Saif Badar and Dawid Malan (Silver) Karachi Kings’ owner Salman Iqbal said: “I am very happy with the squad which we have been able to assemble. Our philosophy was very clear that we have to retain core nucleus of the team with the players who we want to be with us in the long-term, while building a strong bench around them with strategic picks for critical positions. “Getting Alex [Hales] in the side at the last spot in the round was a coup for us as he was our target player who we wanted to recruit straight into the team. The top T20 batter Babar Azam now has one of the most dangerous top-order partners with him with an in-form Hales. Sharjeel Khan and Cameron Delport build a very strong top-order core with them. “We have built a multi-dimensional and adaptive bowling core with a focus on getting specialists for different T20 phases. Being able to get CJ [Chris Jordan] really helped us. The team that we have built gives me a lot of confidence about our prospects this season. “With Imad Wasim, Babar, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Aamir Yamin and talented youngsters like Umer Khan, who I believe has a tremendous future ahead, Osama and now Arshad Iqbal, who has the desired skill and tactical maturity, we have various pieces we wanted and what remains to be seen is how great a team they can become. “I have always been impressed by the talent our nation has and I feel it is my responsibility to provide young talent chances to impress. I am often sent videos of talented youngsters from across Pakistan and last year when I heard of the prodigious talent of Umer, I knew we have to pick him. Many other teams have also chosen talented youngsters like Akif Javed, Rohail Nazir and Amir Khan who are very exciting to watch. I look forward to see them play as a franchise owner and as a fan and hope they are going to use this stage to showcase their brilliance and make a name for themselves.” Karachi Kings squad for HBL PSL 2020: Platinum – Babar Azam, Mohammad Amir and Alex Hales Diamond – Imad Wasim (captain), Iftikhar Ahmed and Chris Jordan Gold – Aamir Yamin, Sharjeel Khan and Cameron Delport Silver - Usama Mir, Mohammad Rizwan, Umaid Asif, Chadwick Walton and Ali Khan Emerging – Umer Khan and Arshad Iqbal Supplementary – Mitch McClenaghan and Awais Zia Lahore Qalandars’ CEO Atif Rana said: “Like the entire country, the Lahore Qalandars are very excited about HBL PSL 2020. Our team has worked really hard behind the scenes to cover all bases for this year's competition and we managed to achieve all of our retention and Draft selection targets. “Our squad is a great mix of utility foreign players along with experienced as well as exciting young players from Pakistan. Composition-wise we have covered all the bases. We have good fast bowlers and excellent spinners along with the desired batting strength in the top and middle order. We wanted to achieve the target of putting together a balanced side, which I feel we have. “Last year, we groomed and presented Haris Rauf, who has now taken the world by storm with his performances. This year, we aim to provide players like Dilbar Hussain and Farzan Raja with similar opportunities to showcase their talent to the world.” Lahore Qalandars squad for HBL PSL 2020: Platinum – Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez and Chris Lynn Diamond – Shaheen Afridi, David Wiese and Usman Shinwari Gold – Haris Rauf, Sohail Akhtar (captain) and Samit Patel Silver – Salman Butt, Seekkuge Prsanna, Ben Dunk, Farzan Raja, Jaahid Ali Emerging – Mohammad Faizan Supplementary – Dane Vilas, Dilbar Hussain Alamgir Khan Tareen, co-owner of Multan Sultans, said: “I am extremely happy since we were able to get all the players that our think-tank had identified. We had targeted certain players for specific roles and we are satisfied with our choices. We have good squad depth and decent like-for-like cover in every position. “I am particularly excited about the emerging and young players in our team. [Mohammad] Ilyas had a strong HBL PSL 2019 and was one of the top emerging players of the tournament, while Rohail Nazir’s recent accomplishments speak for themselves. Rohail has led the national U19 and emerging teams commendably and we believe that he can be an asset for Pakistan cricket in the future. “Ali Shafique is an exceptional talent as well. It was unfortunate that his participation in the last edition was curtailed due to an injury, but his extraordinary debut performance against Islamabad United showed everyone what he is capable of. We also have Khushdil Shah in our side whose explosive batting has earned him a call up to the Pakistan team. We hope that he lives up to everyone’s expectations and has a standout tournament.” Multan Sultans squad for HBL PSL 2020: Platinum – Mohammad Irfan, Moeen Ali and Rilee Rossouw Diamond – Shahid Afridi, Zeeshan Ashraf and Ravi Bopara Gold – James Vince, Junaid Khan and Sohail Tanvir Silver – Ali Shafiq, Shan Masood (captain), Khushdil Shah, Usman Qadir, Fabian Allen (from 7 March) and Wayne Madesn (till 7 March) Emerging – Mohammad Ilyas and Rohail Nazir Supplementary – Imran Tahir and Bilawal Bhatti Champions of the HBL PSL 2017 Peshawar Zalmi’s owner Javed Afridi said: “I am extremely happy with the squad. The HBL PSL Draft went very well for us. We were able to pick the players we wanted. We did not have the first pick in most categories, but the players we opted for ticked several boxes for us. Mohammad Akram is the one who looks after this department and his picks have always been top notch. “We have always opted for a mix of young players and experienced individuals. We had Hasan Ali with us when he was an emerging player and his progress is for everyone to see. Players like Ibtisam Sheikh and Sameen Gul proved their worth. This season, we have U19 stars in Haider Ali and Amir Khan. We are very excited to have them. Another player who could surprise and raise some eyebrows is Mohammad Mohsin. “We retained most of our key players and got Liam Dawson back in the Draft as well. Tom Banton is an exciting prospect and we were lucky to have the opening pick in that round. He had a very good Big Bash League season with Brisbane Heat. Another player we are looking forward to having is Liam Livingstone. Exciting times ahead!” Peshawar Zalmi squad for HBL PSL 2020: Platinum – Hasan Ali, Kieron Pollard (from 7 March) and Wahab Riaz Diamond – Kamran Akmal, Tom Banton, Shoaib Malik and Carlos Brathwaite (till 7 March) Gold – Darren Sammy, Imam-ul-Haq and Liam Dawson Silver – Umar Amin, Mohammad Mohsin, Rahat Ali, Lewis Gregory and Adil Amin Emerging – Amir Khan and Amir Ali Supplementary – Liam Livingstone and Haider Ali Nadeem Omar, the owner of the defending champions Quetta Gladiators, said: “The Quetta Gladiators squad is well balanced with T20 specialists both in batting and bowling departments. We did fairly well at the Draft with guys like Jason Roy and Ben Cutting joining the Gladiators though we couldn’t retain players like Sohail Tanvir and Rilee Rossouw. Fawad Ahmed getting picked up again was also a great plus. “Our young and emerging players Aarish Ali Khan and Azam Khan are extremely talented and future prospects for Pakistan and I am sure they will not let us down. “We are confident that we have a good combination, like last year. If we play to our potential, hopefully we would be the team with the silverware at the end of the HBL PSL 2020.” Quetta Gladiators squad for HBL PSL 2020: Platinum – Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain) and Jason Roy Diamond – Shane Watson, Ahmed Shehzad and Ben Cutting Gold – Umar Akmal, Mohammad Hasnain and Fawad Ahmed Silver – Ahsan Ali, Naseem Shah, Sohail Khan, Tymal Mills, Abdul Nasir Emerging – Arish Ali Khan and Azam Khan Supplementary – Keemo Paul (from 7 March), Khurram Manzoor and Zahid Mehmood (till 7 March)

SB News ISLAMABAD (February 11, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the schedule of Marylebone Cricket Club’s tour of Lahore, Pakistan, which runs from 13-19 February. The MCC will open its weeklong tour, its first in 48 years, with a 20-over match against Lahore Qalandars on 14 February at the Gaddafi Stadium after its arrival in Lahore on 13 February. Action will then shift to Aitchison College where the visitors will play Pakistan Shaheens in a 50-over fixture on 16 February. After it, the MCC will meet Northern and Multan Sultans in 20-over matches on 17 and 19 February. Tour schedule: 14 Feb – MCC v Lahore Qalandars (20-over-a-side) (5pm-8.10pm), Gaddafi Stadium 16 Feb – MCC v Pakistan Shaheens (50-0ver-a-side) (9.30am-5.15pm), Aitchison College 17 Feb – MCC v Northern (20-over-a-side), (12.30pm-3.40pm), Aitchison College 19 Feb – MCC v Multan Sultans (20-over-a-side), (12.30pm-3.40pm), Aitchison College

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal RAWALPINDI (February 10, 2020):-Pakistan beat Bangladesh by an innings and 44 runs in the ICC Test Championship fixture at Pindi Cricket Satdium on Monday. Bangladesh scored 233 runs in 1st innings and 165 in the second innings while hosts Pakistan scored 445 runs in their first innings. Babar Azam 143 and Shan Masood 100 were main contributors. Naseem Shah did hat trick on the third day's third session

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (February 10, 2020):-Bangladesh wrote their name on the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup trophy after a rain-affected three-wicket win over previous holders India in Potchefstroom. Mohammad Akbar Ali of Bangladesh pictured with the trophy during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup Super League Final match between India and Bangladesh at JB Marks Oval on February 09, 2020 in Potchefstroom, South Africa. In what was their first final in the competition’s 22-year history, the Tigers were far from overawed by the occasion, limiting India to just 170 with the bat despite Yashasvi Jaiswal’s swashbuckling 88. And though for a time it looked as though they would fall short in their chase, a captain’s display from Akbar Ali steered home the ship, as his unbeaten 43 carried them to the target despite rain playing its part. In a low-scoring thriller, Bangladesh reached their rain-adjusted target of 170 with 23 balls to spare, as they won a historic maiden title while ending India's unbeaten run in the campaign. India suffered an incredible batting collapse, where they lost the last seven wickets for just 21 runs and were bowled out for 177. Yashasvi Jaiswal (88) and Tilak Varma (38) had top scored, while Avishek Das (three for 40) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (two for 28) picked up the crucial wickets for Bangladesh. In their chase, Bangladesh lost wickets on a regular interval with Mohammad Hossain (47) and captain Akbar Ali (43 not out) keeping the innings calm as they crossed the winning line for a memorable victory. India's Ravi Bishnoi (four for 30), the tournament leading wicket-taker, once again impressed as he did his utmost to halt Bangladesh’s progress. Skipper and Man of the Match Ali said: "It is all about the hard work that we have put in, in the last two years. I can't thank the coaching enough. When we started this journey we wanted to play in the final and win the trophy, and it is a dream coming true. I can’t describe my feelings right now, I am so happy. “Congratulations to India, who have been brilliant throughout the tournament. It has been good experience for the team, hopefully we can build on this. India captain, Priyam Garg said: “We are disappointed, in terms of planning today we had certain things in place, tried to put it in the right areas and I think overall we did bowl well. The result didn’t go our way, but we had a good tournament.” Scores in brief Bangladesh Under 19s beat India Under 19s by three wickets (DLS method) at the JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom India 176 all out, 47.3 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 88, Tilak Varma 38; Avishek Das 3-40, Tanzim Hasan Sakib 2-27) Bangladesh 170-7, 42.1 overs (Mohammed Parvez Hossain 47, Akbar Ali 43*; Ravi Bishnoi 4-30, Sushant Mishra 2-25)

By Our Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD (February 9, 2020):-England’s Richard Illingworth will team up with Faisal Khan Afridi as an on-field umpire for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 opening match between defending champions Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United at the National Stadium on 20 February. Sri Lanka’s Roshan Mahanama will lead the playing control team for the curtain-raiser that will also include Asif Yaqoob as third umpire and Syed Imtiaz Iqbal as fourth umpire. Illingworth is one of the three foreign umpires who will be involved in the 32-day competition, which will feature 34 matches in Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi. Sri Lanka’s Ranmore Martinesz will be in action in the third match at the Gaddafi Stadium between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, while Michael Gough’s first of nine matches will also be at the Gaddafi Stadium on 6 March when Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans will go toe to toe. Aleem Dar, three-time ICC Umpire of the Year, will also return to the tournament after missing the 2019 event due to his international commitments. Aleem, at this stage, is scheduled to umpire in 10, 11 and 15 March matches at the Gaddafi Stadium. Aleem will lead a field of 15 umpires who have been selected for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020. The list includes five new faces in Aslam Bareach, Majid Hussain, Nasir Hussain, Saqib Khan and Syed Imtiaz Iqbal, who will perform fourth umpire responsibilities. The 10 umpires to share on-field responsibilities in the 30 preliminary round matches are Ahsan Raza, Aleem Dar, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Khan Afridi, Michael Gough, Rashid Riaz, Richard Illingworth, Shozab Raza, Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed. Besides Roshan Mahanama, Javed Malik, Mohammad Anees and Aziz-ur-Rehman will be the match referees. Appointments for the Qualifier, two Eliminators and 22 March final will be announced in due course. Umpire and match referee appointments: 20 Feb – Opening ceremony, followed by Quetta Gladiators v Islamabad United, National Stadium (time TBC). Richard Illingworth and Faisal Khan Afridi (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) 21 Feb – Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi, National Stadium (3pm-6.15pm). Richard Illingworth and Faisal Khan Afridi (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee); Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (8pm-11.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Rashid Riaz (on-field), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee) 22 Feb – Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm). Richard Illingworth and Faisal Khan Afridi (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee); Islamabad United v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Shozab Raza (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee) 23 Feb – Karachi Kings v Quetta Gladiators, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm). Richard Illingworth and Faisal Khan Afridi (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee); Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Rashid Riaz (on-field), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee) 26 Feb – Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Faisal Khan Afridi and Asif Yaqoob (on-field), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Aslam Bareach (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee) 27 Feb – Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Majid Hussain (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) 28 Feb – Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings, Multan Cricket Stadium (3pm-6.15pm). Faisal Khan Afridi and Shozab Raza (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Aslam Bareach (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee); Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium (8pm-11.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Majid Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee) 29 Feb – Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators, Multan Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm). Faisal Khan Afridi and Asif Yaqoob (on-field), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Aslam Bareach (fourth umpire), Javed Malik (match referee); Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Majid Hussain (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) 1 Mar – Islamabad United v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Majid Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee) 2 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Saqib Khan (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) 3 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Shozab Raza and Faisal Khan Afridi (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee). 4 Mar – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Shozab Raza and Asif Yaqoob (on-field), Faisal Khan Afridi (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Aziz-ur-Rehman (match referee) 5 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Saqib Khan (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) 6 Mar – Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Michael Gough and Shozab Raza (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Aziz-ur-Rehman (match referee) 7 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United, Pindi Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm). Tariq Rasheed and Rashid Riaz (on-field), Ranmore Martinesz (third umpire), Saqib Khan (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee); Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Michael Gough and Asif Yaqoob (on-field), Shozab Raza (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Aziz-ur-Rehman (match referee) 8 Mar – Multan Sultans v Islamabad United, Pindi Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm). Ranmore Martinesz and Tariq Rasheed (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Saqib Khan (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee); Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Michael Gough and Shozab Raza (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee) 10 Mar – Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Michael Gough and Aleem Dar (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee) 11 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Asif Yaqoob and Aleem Dar (on-field), Michael Gough (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohamad Anees (match referee) 12 Mar – Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Ahsan Raza and Michael Gough (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanam (match referee) 13 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Rashid Riaz and Michael Gough (on-field), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) 14 Mar – Karachi Kings v Islamabad United, National Stadium (7pm-5.15pm). Ahsan Raza and Michael Gough (on-field), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) 15 Mar – Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (2pm-5.15pm). Shozab Raza and Aleem Dar (on-field), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Mohammad Anees (match referee); Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm). Rashid Riaz and Michael Gough (on-field), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire), Roshan Mahanama (match referee) Appointments will be announced in due course for the following matches: 17 Mar – Qualifier (1 v 2), National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 18 Mar – Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 20 Mar – Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 22 Mar – Final, Gaddafi Stadium (start time TBC)

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (February 9, 2020):-Hosts Pakistan started their inning on Saturday morning in the first Test of ICC Championship at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Friday. Bangladesh were packed on 233 in their first innings.   Bangladesh Batting: Tamim Iqbal (lbw b Mohammad Abbas) 3 (5 balls) Saif Hassan (c Asad Shafiq b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 0 (2 balls) Najmul Hossain Shanto (c †Mohammad Rizwan b Mohammad Abbas) 44 (110 balls) Mominul Haque (c) (c †Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 30 (59 balls) Mahmudullah (c Asad Shafiq b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 25 (48 balls) Mohammad Mithun (c †Mohammad Rizwan b Naseem Shah) 63 (140 balls) Liton Das † (lbw b Haris Sohail) 33 (46 balls) Taijul Islam (c Yasir Shah b Haris Sohail) 24 (72 balls) Rubel Hossain (b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 1 (9 balls) Abu Jayed (run out Mohammad Abbas) Ebadat Hossain not out Extras 10 (b 6, nb 3, w 1) TOTAL: 233 all out (82.5 Overs, RR: 2.81) Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Saif Hassan, 0.3 ov), 2-3 (Tamim Iqbal, 1.4 ov), 3-62 (Mominul Haque, 21.5 ov), 4-95 (Najmul Hossain Shanto, 33.6 ov), 5-107 (Mahmudullah, 40.3 ov), 6-161 (Liton Das, 55.3 ov), 7-214 (Taijul Islam, 78.5 ov), 8-229 (Rubel Hossain, 80.6 ov), 9-233 (Mohammad Mithun, 81.2 ov), 10-233 (Abu Jayed, 82.5 ov) BOWLING                        O M            R             W            ECON    WD         NB          Shaheen Shah Afridi       21.5        3              53           4              2.42        1              2              Mohammad Abbas         17           9              19           2              1.11        0              0              Naseem Shah                 16              0              61           1              3.81        0              1              Yasir Shah                        22               2              83           0              3.77        0              0              Haris Sohail                      6 2              11           2              1.83        0              0              Pakistan (Playing XI) Azhar Ali (Captain), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Rizwan (Wicket-keeper), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah. Bangladesh (Playing XI) Mominul Haque Shaerab, Tamim Iqbal Khan, Mohammad Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Litton Kumer Das, Mohammad Taijul Islam, Mohammad Rubel Hossain, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury.

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (February 8, 2020):-Hosts Pakistan started their inning on Saturday morning in the first Test of ICC Championship at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Friday. Bangladesh were packed on 233 in their first innings.   Bangladesh Batting: Tamim Iqbal (lbw b Mohammad Abbas) 3 (5 balls) Saif Hassan (c Asad Shafiq b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 0 (2 balls) Najmul Hossain Shanto (c †Mohammad Rizwan b Mohammad Abbas) 44 (110 balls) Mominul Haque (c) (c †Mohammad Rizwan b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 30 (59 balls) Mahmudullah (c Asad Shafiq b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 25 (48 balls) Mohammad Mithun (c †Mohammad Rizwan b Naseem Shah) 63 (140 balls) Liton Das † (lbw b Haris Sohail) 33 (46 balls) Taijul Islam (c Yasir Shah b Haris Sohail) 24 (72 balls) Rubel Hossain (b Shaheen Shah Afridi) 1 (9 balls) Abu Jayed (run out Mohammad Abbas) Ebadat Hossain not out Extras 10 (b 6, nb 3, w 1) TOTAL: 233 all out (82.5 Overs, RR: 2.81) Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Saif Hassan, 0.3 ov), 2-3 (Tamim Iqbal, 1.4 ov), 3-62 (Mominul Haque, 21.5 ov), 4-95 (Najmul Hossain Shanto, 33.6 ov), 5-107 (Mahmudullah, 40.3 ov), 6-161 (Liton Das, 55.3 ov), 7-214 (Taijul Islam, 78.5 ov), 8-229 (Rubel Hossain, 80.6 ov), 9-233 (Mohammad Mithun, 81.2 ov), 10-233 (Abu Jayed, 82.5 ov) BOWLING                        O M            R             W            ECON    WD         NB          Shaheen Shah Afridi       21.5        3              53           4              2.42        1              2              Mohammad Abbas         17           9              19           2              1.11        0              0              Naseem Shah                 16              0              61           1              3.81        0              1              Yasir Shah                        22               2              83           0              3.77        0              0              Haris Sohail                      6 2              11           2              1.83        0              0              Pakistan (Playing XI) Azhar Ali (Captain), Shan Masood, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Mohammad Rizwan (Wicket-keeper), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah. Bangladesh (Playing XI) Mominul Haque Shaerab, Tamim Iqbal Khan, Mohammad Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mohammad Mahmudullah, Mohammad Mithun, Litton Kumer Das, Mohammad Taijul Islam, Mohammad Rubel Hossain, Abu Jayed Chowdhury Rahi, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD:-Australia and West Indies were left frustrated by the weather as their 5th Place Play-Off at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was abandoned at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. A scoreboard displays the state of play during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 5th Place Play-Off match between West Indies and Australia at Willowmoore Park on February 07, 2020 in Benoni, South Africa. Despite rain bringing the contest to a premature conclusion, the Windies finished the tournament in fifth position based on the Caribbean islanders’ higher finish in the group stages. When there was play earlier in the day, the Australians had powered their way to a commanding 319 for eight with half-centuries from Liam Scott, Lachlan Hearne and Cooper Connolly. Liam Scott of Australia hits a six during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 5th Place Play-Off match between West Indies and Australia at Willowmoore Park on February 07, 2020 in Benoni, South Africa. Liam Scott of Australia hits a six during the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 5th Place Play-Off match between West Indies and Australia at Willowmoore Park on February 07, 2020 in Benoni, South Africa. The 99-run opening stand from Scott and Sam Fanning as well as the 101-run stand for the fifth wicket between Hearne and Connolly anchored the innings. Matthew Patrick, with three wickets, was the pick of the mercurial Windies bowling attack as they failed to halt the consistent flow of runs from the Australian batsmen. In pursuit, the West Indies were 62 for one off 12.3 overs. The side's captain, Kimani Melius, had blasted his way to 39 before he was caught by Fanning off Scott, which proved to be the last action of the tournament for either of the sides as the umpires called the players to come off because of rain. While both teams were unable to live up to their billing on arrival to South Africa as potential favourites for the title, they still found some tournament positives. "Finishing fifth is not what we would have wanted, but the boys did play well,” said Melius. “I can also say that our preparations were good, one of the positives was being able to approach the game with more intensity.” Australian captain Mackenzie Harvey added: "We still played good cricket in the tournament despite the results and the squad camaraderie is awesome at the moment." Pakistan and New Zealand lock horns for third place The penultimate game of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup will see Pakistan and New Zealand go head to head for third place at Willowmoore Park, Benoni. Both teams will be keen to finish their tournament on a high after losing their Super League Semi Finals, falling at the second to last hurdle in their bid for silverware. Pakistan had reached the last four by finishing second in Group C behind finalists Bangladesh before defeating Afghanistan by six wickets thanks to Muhammad Hurraira’s knock of 64. But their challenge for the world crown was halted emphatically by defending champions India, who claimed a ten-wicket triumph after bowling out Pakistan for 172 in 43.1 overs. Pakistan will now hope to put right the wrongs from that performance when they take on New Zealand, who will have their own point to prove following their defeat in the last four to Bangladesh. Like their opposition, the Junior Black Caps finished runners-up in their group behind eventual finalists India, with one win, one no result and a defeat from their three matches. Despite an unconvincing route to the knockout stages, New Zealand came into their own in their Super League Quarter Final against West Indies, securing victory by two wickets in Benoni. They were unable to repeat the trick in their Super League Semi Final, however, as Bangladesh proved too strong at the JB Marks Oval to send New Zealand into the 3rd Place Play-Off. Scores in brief Australia Under-19s v West Indies Under 19s – match abandoned, Willowmoore Park, Benoni Australia 319-8, 50 overs (Liam Scott 66, Cooper Connolly 64, Lachlan Hearne 58; Matthew Patrick 3-43) West Indies 62-1, 12.3 overs (Kimani Melius 39, Leonardo Julien 14 not out; Liam Scott 1-6) ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 Fixtures 3rd Place Play-Off: 8 February: Pakistan v New Zealand, Willowmoore Park, Benoni Super League Final: 9 February: India v Bangladesh, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom    

By Our Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD:-The HBL Pakistan Super League returns with the historic fifth edition set to be played in Pakistan from 20 February to 22 March 2020. This edition will be the first one to be played in Pakistan in its entirety. Since the advent of the league in 2016, the tournament has gradually moved to Pakistan with this year’s edition nothing less than leapfrog for the coveted league. The first edition that included five teams was played entirely in the UAE; the second edition saw the first step towards its homecoming with the final between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The 2018 edition was the first instance that two Pakistani cities hosted the HBL PSL matches. Lahore was host to two play-offs while Karachi staged the final in which Islamabad United prevailed against defending champions Peshawar Zalmi. It was also in this very season that Multan Sultans was added as the sixth franchise. The 2019 season had an unprecedented eight games in Pakistan. Karachi’s National Stadium was the host to all matches, including the three play-offs and the final between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi which Quetta won convincingly to lift the prestigious HBL PSL trophy for the first time. Below is a brief look at the four exciting seasons from 2016-2019. HBL PSL 2016: Islamabad United made history when they beat Quetta Gladiators in the final of the inaugural edition of the HBL PSL to become the first-ever side to lift the prestigious PSL silverware. Islamabad cruised past the 175-run target for the loss of four wickets with eight balls spare in the final staged at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. West Indian Dwayne Smith was named the player-of-the-match for his scintillating 73 (51 balls, 7 fours, 4 sixes). Karachi Kings’ all-rounder Ravi Bopara was named the player-of-the-tournament for his all-round contributions (329 runs at 54.83, 11 wickets at 13.81). The tournament was played on a double-league. Peshawar Zalmi topped the standings at the end of the round-robin stage but lost out on a place in the final after losing both their play-offs to Quetta and Islamabad, respectively. The Zalmi-Gladiators first play-off was settled on the last-ball in front of a packed to capacity and heaving Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Quetta prevailed by one-run to clinch a spot in the final. United’s opener Sharjeel Khan scored the first-ever century in the HBL PSL history. The left-hander’s 117 helped Islamabad to a comprehensive victory over Zalmi on their way to the title. Qalandars’, who finished fifth and final in the standings, had something to cheer about as Umar Akmal topped the batting charts finishing with 335 runs in seven innings at an average of 83.75 and a staggering 157.27 strike-rate. The right-hander hit four fifties in the tournament. United’s Andre Russell topped the bowling charts with 16 wickets in 10 games, Zalmi’s Wahab Riaz took 15 in nine games while Gladiators’ left-arm-spinner Mohammad Nawaz picked 13 wickets in 10 matches. HBL PSL 2017: Zalmi outclassed Gladiators in one-sided final played at the Gaddafi Stadium to lift the glittering HBL PSL 2017 trophy. Zalmi maintained their consistent run and topped the table at the end of the round-robin stage for the second successive time. They, however, had to endure heartbreak for the second successive time when they lost another epic play-off against the Gladiators at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, once again by a solitary run. Chasing a monumental 201 runs to win, Zalmi finished at 199 for nine. The Daren Sammy-led side made a great recovery and unlike the first season, won their second play-off to advance to the final. Batting first in the final, Zalmi posted 148 for six in their 20 overs. Gladiators were dismissed for 90 runs in reply to lose their second consecutive final. Sammy was named the player-of-the-match for his match turning unbeaten 28 off 11 balls (three sixes, one four) and astute leadership. Kamran Akmal with 353 runs in 11 games including a century in the play-off against Kings and 12 dismissals behind the stumps was declared the player-of-the-tournament. He also bagged best batsman and best wicketkeeper of the tournament awards. Kings’ Sohail Khan, with 16 wickets, topped the bowling charts, while Wahab finished on the second-spot on the bowling charts for the second consecutive time collecting 15 wickets in 10 games. HBL PSL 2018: The HBL PSL came to Karachi’s iconic National Stadium for the first time when metropolitan city hosted the final - of what was a glittering season - between the defending champions Zalmi and United. 2/8/2020United won their second title by overcoming Zalmi by three wickets in an exciting final match. Batting first, Zalmi posted 148 for nine, the 148-run final tally was the same as the 2017 final. United, however, chased down the target with 19 balls spare. Luke Ronchi capped off his player-of-the-tournament performances with a brilliant 52 off 26 balls (four fours, five sixes). He added 96 runs for the opening wicket with Sahibzada Farhan (44), a middle-order collapse brought Zalmi back in the hunt before a six-ball unbeaten 26 by Asif Ali including three consecutive sixes of Hasan Ali sealed Zalmi’s fate. Ronchi scored 435 runs in 11 games at an astonishing strike-rate of 182; he averaged 43.50 to earn the most coveted player award in the tournament. Kamran occupied the second spot with 425 runs in 13 games which also included a century against Qalandars in Sharjah. Faheem Ashraf doubled United’s joy with a bowler-of-the-tournament performance (18 wickets in 12 matches). Wahab made it a hat-trick of occupying the second spot on the bowlers chart with 18 wickets in 13 games at 19.11. HBL PSL 2019: It was a case of third time lucky for the Gladiators as they finally made their third appearance in the HBL PSL final count by overcoming Zalmi by eight wickets in the 17 March final played at the National Stadium. The low scoring final was won by Gladiators with a degree of comfort after Zalmi failed to post a sizeable total in the HBLPSL final for the third time. Batting first, Zalmi posted 138 for eight as speedster Mohammad Hasnain and the richly experienced T20 globe trotter Dwayne Bravo shared five wickets between them. Ahmed Shehzad and Rilee Rossouw saw off the chase with an unbroken 73-run third-wicket partnership to give Gladiators a much awaited HBL PSL title. Ahmed scored 58 off 51 balls while Rossouw made 39 off 32 balls. Gladiators’ Australian import Shane Watson dazzled with the bat with a 430-run tally in 12 innings at 43.00 and a strike-rate of 143.81. He hit four half-centuries to top the batting charts topping. Kamran was once again the mainstay for Zalmi producing 357 runs in 13 innings with the help of three half-centuries. United’s Cameron Delport stood third with 355 runs in 12 innings. Hasan Ali had a magnificent season for Zalmi; the right-arm-pacer took 25 wickets in 13 games. Faheem took 21 in 12 games for the United while Wahab was once again among the top three, finishing the tournament with a 17 wicket tally in 13 matches. The HBL PSL five begins in Karachi on 20 February with a dazzling opening ceremony set to keep going the tradition of spellbinding opening ceremonies of the first four seasons. Defending champions Gladiators will lock horns with United in the opening clash just like the two did in the first-ever HBL PSL match back in 2016.