Sports Bulletin

BIPIN DANI India-born scorer Umesh Lagad, now working in the UAE for the last many years and wearing many hats of club cricketer, umpire, and coach was "more than happy" to be part of the Indo-Pak Asia Cup match, which Rohit Sharma-led team won in the last over on Sunday. The distance between Sharjah and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) is about 50 kilometers, which can be driven within 45 minutes on any normal day but Umesh Lagad, the Manual Official scorer of the Asia Cup was well aware about the road traffic he would have had to face to reach at the venue on Sunday. He had left his house more than six hours before the scheduled commencement of the high voltage Indo-Pak. "There will be unimaginable road traffic on Sunday. You also please leave earlier", he had advised before the match.   This was the second Indo-Pak. match Lagad was scoring. "I also officiated as a scorer in the T-20I World Cup match between India and Pakistan last year".   Umesh Lagad hails from a small village called Chikhli in Gujarat. "Ramayan-famed Sita (Dipika Chikhaliya) hails from my village", he said proudly. "Compared to all other matches, this India-Pakistan match is always filled with high drama and tensions. We have to be more cautious and careful while doing duty for this match as one mistake from our side may create a big controversy".    "Focusing on the game and concentrating on umpires' signal was, however, didn't pose much of a problem to me as I have already umpired in the past". He has been a regular at the IPL and the PSL (Pakistan Super League) matches when played in the UAE. Being a regular scorer in the box, he gets an opportunity to meet the world's legendary cricketers. "I feel so proud when they come and appreciate my work after the match". "I can't wait more to work in big matches like this", he signed off. There are six different scorers-Manual Official scorer, on-line scorer, D/L scorer, Linear scorer, Media scorer and the stadium scoreboard scorer-officiating in the Asia Cup. 

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The Sri Lankan cricketers will be put on a new name on their jerseys for the Asia Cup as FairPlay News becomes the official national sponsor for the team. “We are extremely happy to welcome Fairplay News as the official sponsors of the national team during the upcoming Asia Cup and hope that this partnership will augur well for the sports site” Said Mr. Ashley de Silva, CEO, Sri Lanka Cricket.  The Director of FairPlay News stated, “We are proud to be the Sri Lankan Cricket Team Sponsors. This association has given Fairplay News the right opportunity to be able to stand true to our name and work which imbibes the virtues of sport.” Dasun Shanaka and his 20 member squad will wear the jerseys with the name FairPlay News, a part of the FairPlay Sports, a fast-growing multi-vertical group with its presence in Sports News for the Asia Cup that will be held from the 27th of August in the UAE. FairPlay News is the country's leading sports news and updates platform and a fairly new entrant in the Fantasy Sport Category. The Asia Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka, but shifted to the UAE due to political turmoil and the economic crisis in the nation. Sri Lanka has witnessed months of food and fuel shortages, blackouts and runaway inflation in the wake of its worst financial crisis on record. This association is extremely welcome for the cricketing body amidst this turmoil.

Bipin Dani Next time, if you are out for a drive in Mumbai try to look around for Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma on a black Suzuki Access 125 scooter (MH02 FS 2692) drive. Former India captain may have taken his gorgeous wife on a rain pothole road for fun (maybe on his friend's scooty, which is being owned by Kshitiz Tambe) but this can be out of form of Kohli's hand and eye coordination exercise. It has been more than 1000 days since Kohli last scored a hundred in an international match. "Yes, scooter driving can help Kohli to have better eye and hand coordination. The man who drives a car can be a little relaxed, but it is not the case with the scooter rider. He has to be more cautious and careful, “Ms. Pallavi S. Kothawade, the Dy. RTO at her Mumbai office, speaking exclusively to this Reporter. "Hand and eye coordination and reflex training is one of the basics for any sport. Training on hand and eye helps in quicksilver decision making ability with proper trigger movements to execute the right movement pattern at the right time", believes Team India's trainer Ramji Srinivasan. "Neuromuscular pathways when well defined had a huge impact on the performance. There are speciality training protocols working on specifics rather than gross process. After some age training smart had a huge advantage than training hard". "Loads of exercise protocols are there to be designed according to the sport and skill. At the end of the day whether you have the projectile thrown at you or you are the projectile, better the reflex better the survival and excellence". "Focusing on specialized skill has cutting edge advantages than concentrating on gross fitness", the trainer added. Another renowned trainer, who has worked with Shikhar Dhawan, R. Ashwin, Vijay, Unmukt Chand and several other athletes says, "I think Kohli is trying to keep his mind relaxed and spend time. He has been working so hard over the years and too much scrutiny too”. "Mind needs recovery as much as the body. He was high performing across all formats and team captain too. When the results didn’t go well and of course politics with Sourav and his "friendship" with Rohit, he let go of captaincy it was a sudden dip in his stature. It has been hard for him to transition smoothly", Badri added.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-The Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed details of England’s tour of Pakistan for three Tests, which will be played in December. This will be England’s second half of the tour, following seven Twenty20 Internationals in Karachi and Lahore from 20 September to 2 October. Ben Stokes’ side will open the tour with the first Test in Rawalpindi from 1-5 December, before both sides move to Multan for the second Test from 9-13 December. Karachi will host the third Test from 17-21 December. This will be the first time England will play a Test in Rawalpindi, which has previously staged 12 matches with the home side winning five and losing three. When England last toured Pakistan in 2005, they lost the Multan Test by 22 runs. The venue has staged five Tests, with Pakistan winning three and losing one. National Stadium was considered Pakistan’s happy hunting ground until Nasser Hussain’s side in 2000 ended Pakistan’s 34-Test unbeaten record, winning the third Test in near darkness by six wickets. Pakistan’s only other loss in 44 matches in Karachi was against South Africa, who won the 2007 Test by 160 runs. Nonetheless, with 23 Test wins, the National Stadium remains Pakistan most favourite Test venue. Zakir Khan, PCB Director, International Cricket said: “We are pleased that Pakistan and England Test rivalry, which has historically produced close and tight matches, will return to our backyards in December. Both the sides have evolved since they last played in Pakistan in 2005 and have recently been playing entertaining and exciting cricket. I remain confident this series will live up to the expectations of the global cricket fans who want to watch and enjoy competitive and thrilling matches. “Pakistan cricket fans have waited for almost 17 years to see elite England players in action. And although they have enjoyed watching a number of them live in the recent editions of the HBL Pakistan Super League, nation versus nation Test cricket is the pinnacle where international stars and heroes are born.” Clare Connor, ECB Interim Chief Executive Officer: “The return of our men’s Test team to Pakistan for the first time since 2005 will be an historic occasion. The opportunity to play Test cricket in front of passionate cricket-lovers in Pakistan after such a long time is something to be cherished. “We have been working closely with the PCB over recent months and I am grateful to them for everything they have done, and continue to do, to make our Test and T20 tours a mouth-watering prospect for all involved.” The three Tests will count towards the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23. No.4 ranked England are presently sitting in seventh position on the Test championship table, while sixth-ranked Pakistan are fifth. Schedule of Tests: 1-5 December – 1st Test, Rawalpindi 9-13 December – 2nd Test, Multan 17-21 December – 3rd Test, Karachi Schedule of T20Is (matches to start at 1930 PKT): 20 September – 1st T20I, Karachi 22 September – 2nd T20I, Karachi 23 September – 3rd T20I, Karachi 25 September – 4th T20I, Karachi 28 September – 5th T20I, Lahore 30 September – 6th T20I, Lahore 2 October – 7th T20I, Lahore      

Sports Bulletin Report Rotterdam (Holland):-Pakistan showed nerves of steel to avoid embarrassment against 13th-placed Netherlands when they carved out nine runs victory in a low-scoring third match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League on Sunday. After six of the eight scheduled series of three ODIs each, third-placed Pakistan has 120 points with 12 wins, with the top three sides separated by five points. Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Pakistan produced a dismal batting performance to stutter to 206 all-out in 49.4 overs. Nevertheless, and like they have done so many times in the past, they bounced back strongly with the ball to dismiss the Netherlands for 197. The home side required 56 runs off the final 10 overs, then 35 runs in 30 balls and finally, 14 runs in the last over that was bowled by Mohammad Wasim Jnr. Interestingly, Pakistan applied pressure on their inexperienced opponents by suffocating them for runs by bowling a total of 178 dot balls instead of taking wickets, which had appeared to be the only way to win the encounter at the halfway stage. While the bowlers stuck to the plan and maintained a tight line and length, the fielders backed them as well as they could to continue to increase the pressure. Babar Azam also demonstrated intelligent captaincy when he made timely bowling changes that didn’t allow the Dutch batters to dictate terms. All the Pakistan bowlers came to party and brought the smiles back on the faces of their captain, head coach and the bowling coach. Naseem Shah, playing his third ODI, took a five-fer and finished with figures of 10-0-33-5, while Mohammad Wasim provided excellent support with career-best figures of 9.2-0-36-4. Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mahmood, playing their first matches of the tour, returned figures of 10-0-37-0 and 8-0-39-0, respectively. Mohammad Nawaz conceded 41 off his 10 overs. The result was a heartbreak for Tom Cooper, who plays his professional cricket in Australia and notched up his third successive half-century of the series. After scoring 65 and 66 in the previous two losing causes, he top-scored with 62 from 105 balls with four fours. When he became the seventh batter to be dismissed in the 46th over with 33 runs required, it was curtains for the Dutch. After the Netherlands had slipped to 37 for three, Cooper added 71 runs for the fourth wicket with Vikramjit Singh (50). The 35-year-old veteran of 29 ODIs added another 56 runs for the sixth wicket with Teja Nidamanuru (24) after the home side were in serious bother at 116 for five. Earlier, electing to bat first after making four changes in the starting line-up, Pakistan played an unprecedented 179 dot balls to limp to 206 all out in 49.4 overs. Babar Azam top-scored with 91, fourth time he had been dismissed in the 90s in 92 matches. He reached his 22nd half-century from 84 balls, including 50 dot balls, while his remaining 41 runs came at a run-a-ball. Dropped when 20, Babar’s uncharacteristic and not-so-fluent innings included seven fours and two sixes, and ended when he offered a return catch to off-spinner Aryan Dutt. Babar, who was the sixth batter out at the score of 168 in the 43rd over, added 55 runs for the second wicket with Fakhar Zaman (26, 43 balls) and 46 runs for the third wicket with Salman Ali Agha (24, 42 balls). Mohammad Nawaz was the other batter who made some contribution to the Pakistan score with a 35-ball 27 with one four and two sixes. No.9 batter Naseem Shah provided some entertainment late in the order. In the nine balls he received, he successfully reviewed umpire’s decisions twice, survived a run-out but was involved in Zahid Mahmood’s run-out, before becoming the last-wicket to fall when he holed out to Logan Van Beek off Vivian Kingma, who finished with figures of two for 15. The most successful Dutch bowler was medium-pacer Bas de Leede, who took three for 50 off nine overs, but the bowler who impressed everyone was 19-year-old wrist spinner Shariz Ahmad, claimed the wicket of Salman and finished with figures of 8-0-41-1. The two changes in the top-order included opener Abdullah Shafique and wicketkeeper/batter Mohammad Haris, who replaced Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan, respectively. Debutant Abdullah lasted just five balls before being bowled by Kingma, while Haris faced 10 balls before he was caught by Tom Cooper inside the 30-yard circle off de Leede at a time when Pakistan were struggling and captain Babar Azam was standing at the non-striker’s end. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat the Netherlands by nine runs, Pakistan win series 3-0 Pakistan 206 all out, 49.4 overs (Babar Azam 91, Mohammad Nawaz 27, Fakhar Zaman 26, Salman Ali Agha 24; Bas de Leede 3-50, Vivian Kingma 2-15) Netherlands 197 all out, 49.2 overs (Tom Cooper 62, Vikramjit Singh 50, Teja Nidamanuru 24; Naseem Shah 5-33, Mohammad Wasim 4-36) Player of the match – Naseem Shah (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin Report Rotterdam (Holland):-Opening batter Abdullah Shafique received the One Day International Cap in the 3rd One Day International match against Holland at Rotterdam on Sunday, as Pakistan skipper Babar Azam decided to bat first after winning that toss. Pakistan Playing XIs Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Agha Salman, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Zahid Mahmood, Shahnawaz Dahani Netherlands Playing XIs Vikramjit Singh, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards (C & WK), Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Musa Ahmed, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Vivian Kingma Match Officials: Umpires:             Michael Gough (England) Rizwan Malik (Netherlands) TV Umpire: Adriaan van den Dries (Netherlands) Reserve Umpire               : Nitin Bathi (Netherlands) Match Referee: Chris Broad (England)

Sports Bulletin Report Rotterdam (Holland):-Shaheen Shah Afridi has been advised 4-6 weeks rest by the PCB Medical Advisory Committee and independent specialists following latest scans and reports. This means Shaheen has been ruled out of the ACC T20 Asia Cup and home series against England, but is expected to return to competitive cricket in October with the New Zealand T20I tri-series, which will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022. Shaheen had suffered a right knee ligament injury while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. PCB Chief Medical Officer, Dr Najeebullah Soomro: “I have spoken with Shaheen and he is understandably upset with the news, but he is brave young man who has vowed to come back strongly to serve his country and team. Although he has made progress during his rehabilitation in Rotterdam, it is now clear he will require more time and is likely to return to competitive cricket in October. “PCB’s Sports & Exercise Medicine Department will be working closely with the player over the coming weeks to ensure his safe return to competitive cricket.” Shaheen will stay with the squad to complete his rehabilitation. His replacement for the ACC T20 Asia Cup will be announced shortly. The Pakistan side will arrive in Dubai from Rotterdam on Monday.

Sports Bulletin Report Rotterdam (Holland):- Pakistan outclassed hosts Netherlands by seven wickets in second ODI, as the Mohammad Rizwan lifted Pakistan to third in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League with a comfortable seven wickets victory over the Netherlands on Thursday. Babar scored a strokeful 65-ball 57, while Rizwan completed 1,000 ODI runs in his 49th match on the way to 69 not out as Pakistan achieved the 187-run target in 33.4 overs. The two reliable and dependable batters had joined the act at the score of 11 for two and added 88 runs for the third wicket. Babar, who reached his 21st career half-century from 52 balls with six fours, struck seven fours, while Rizwan hit six fours and a six in an 82-ball innings. The wicketkeeper-batter had completed his first half-century in four matches from 72 balls with four fours. The two had paired together after Fakhar Zaman found a leading edge to be caught by Vivian Kingma off his own bowling. Four balls later, Kingma dismissed Imam-ul-Haq, who was caught by Logan van Beek at point. While Rizwan was innovative and cheeky, as always, Babar was elegant, graceful and attractive, as ever, hitting almost everything from the sweet-spot of his willow until he perished with a mishit off off-spinner Aryan Dutt. The two batters dominated the proceedings from the very start and immediately shifted the pressure back on the Netherlands who were aiming for more wickets after quickly removing the two openers. Following Babar’s departure, Salman Ali Agha joined Rizwan and returned unbeaten on 50, his maiden half-century in his second appearance. Salman showed signs of talent and skills when he played some delightful strokes, including his only six that turned out to be the winning shot that also brought him his 50. He faced 35 balls and hit five fours and two sixes, and added 92 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket. Earlier, the Netherlands elected to bat first and lost their first three wickets for eight runs and last seven wickets for 178 runs to be bowled out for 186 in 44.1 overs. Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz equally shared six wickets between them conceding 16 and 42 runs, respectively, while Naseem Shah snapped up two for 27. 22-year-old Bas de Leede was the Netherlands’ leading scorer with an impressive 89 (120 balls, 2x4, 3x6) before he fell to Haris, while Tom Cooper followed up his 65 on Tuesday with 66 (74 balls, 7x4, 2x6). The two batters put on 109 runs for the fourth wicket. The third match of the series will be played on Sunday. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat the Netherlands by seven wickets in second ODI The Netherlands 186 all out, 44.1 overs (Bas de Leede 89, Tom Cooper 66; Haris Rauf 3-16, Mohammad Nawaz 3-42, Naseem Shah 2-27) Pakistan 191-3, 33.4 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 69 not out, Babar Azam 57, Salman Ali Agha 50 not out; Vivian Kingma 2-32) Player of the match: Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan)

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's batting all-rounder Shehan Jayasuriya, who is one among the few migrated players to the USA is a top scorer in the Minor League Cricket (MCL) with 647 runs. The 30-year-old cricketer is one among the four Sri Lankan professionals playing in the MCL in the USA. The other three are Amila Aponso, Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Milantha. Shehan Jayasuriya plays for the Silicon Valley Strikers team, which is being led by India's one-time U-19 World Cup winning squad Unmukt Chand. Incidentally, Unmukt Chand (519) and Lahiru Milantha (511 runs) are in the top ten scorers in the middle of the MCL season. The final will be played this month.  "I am so happy with what I have achieved and also this is my new chapter after I left Sri Lanka. I am so glad to get an opportunity to play here", Lahiru Milantha said over the telephone from the USA. Angelo Perera is likely to return to Sri Lanka for a few days. "My wife and a small kid (5 months) are there and I miss them. Will come there for a week to pick them", he said. As per the ICC rules, the migrated players can play for other national teams after three years.       

Sports Bulletin Report Kabul (Afghanistan):-Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the 17-men squad for the ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup 2022, which will be played from August 27 to September 11, 2022 at the two different international cricket venues Dubai and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). From the 16 players who are part of the Afghanistan Squad for the ongoing Ireland T20I Series, Samiullah Shinwari has replaced Sharafuddin Ashraf, who is now part of the reserve players for the event, along with Qais Ahmad and Nijat Masoud. In addition, the left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who was replaced by Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the Ireland series, has also found his way to the side. Chief selector Noor Malikzai: “The Asia Cup is an important event for us and, as such, we have picked our best available players for the event. Samiullah Shinwari has been added to the side for the Asia Cup. He is in very good form and can give further impetus to the batting department, which already boasts Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi. Shinwari has not played any international match since March 2020, but he has done well in the recently held Shpageeza Cricket League 2022 and demonstrated that he is a good option to strengthen our middle order." The Afghanistan National Team is currently in Ireland for a 5-match T20I series against Ireland. The team will depart for UAE for the Asia Cup after Wednesday's series decider against Ireland. Names of Players: Mohammad Nabi (Captain), Najibullah Zadran (Vice Captain), Afsar Zazai (Wicketkeeper), Azmatullah Omarzai, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujib ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari and Usman Ghani. Reserve Players:  Nijat Masoud, Qais Ahmad, and Sharafuddin Ashraf Asia Cup 2022 Schedule: August 27: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan August 28: India vs Pakistan August 30: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan August 31: India vs Qualifier September 1: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh September 2: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka September 3: B1 vs B2 September 4: A1 vs A2 September 6: A1vs B1 September 7: A2 vs B2 September 8: A1 vs B2 September 9: B1vs A2 September 11: Final