Sports Bulletin

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (December 30, 2021):-Although Covid-19 pandemic continued to affect sport events around the globe, the Pakistan Cricket Board successfully delivered 267 matches in 10 tournaments in the 2021 calendar year. These include Pakistan Cup 2021, HBL PSL 6, Cricket Associations T20, National T20, Cricket Associations Championship, National U19 Championship, National U19 Cup, Cricket Associations Challenge, Pakistan Women’s Cup and the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had a stellar calendar year when they swept the Pakistan Cup, National T20 and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy titles. Sindh dominated the Cricket Association tournaments by winning the 50-over, T20 and three-day tournaments, while Southern Punjab U19 Whites and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues shared the pathway event titles. Multan Sultans lifted the glittering HBL Pakistan Super League trophy in Abu Dhabi, whereas PCB Challengers retained the PCB Pakistan Women’s Cup crown. At the start of the year in January, the 33-match Pakistan Cup was held across three Karachi venues. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lifted the trophy with a seven-wicket win over Central Punjab at the State Bank Stadium. Central Punjab’s Tayyab Tahir was the top run-getter, scoring 666 from 12 matches at 60.55. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Asif Afridi topped the bowling charts with 25 scalps from 12 outings in the tournament. PCB marquee event, the HBL Pakistan Super League, commenced in Karachi but was postponed after 14 matches before the remaining 20 matches were held in Abu Dhabi. Multan Sultans, led by Mohammad Rizwan, won their maiden title, beating Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs. Pakistan’s all-format captain and Karachi Kings’ linchpin Babar Azam topped the batting charts, scoring 554 runs from 11 matches at 69.25. Young sensation right-arm fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani representing Multan Sultans took 20 wickets from 11 matches. Quetta’s Bugti Stadium hosted the 15-match Cricket Associations T20 tournament from 15 September to 22 September. Sindh, with four wins in five matches, won the competition. Right-handed batter Aamer Azmat representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa scored 242 runs from four matches and remained the top run-getter in the tournament. The 20-year old Zaman Khan from Northern topped the bowling charts, taking nine wickets from three matches. The National T20 was held in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 23 September to 13 October. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defeated Central Punjab by seven wickets at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to lift the trophy. The right-handed batter Sahibzada Farhan representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the top run-getter, scoring 447 from 12 matches at 40.64. In the bowling charts, Imran Khan Snr from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa topped the table with 16 wickets from 12 matches. Cricket Associations Championship (three-day event) was held across different venues of Punjab from 29 September to 14 November. The 30-match tournament was won by Sindh after topping the points table with 34 points. Balochistan’s right-handed batter Muhammad Azeem Ghumman topped the batting charts, scoring 890 runs from 10 matches. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Zohaib Khan took 30 wickets from nine matches, registering two five-wicket hauls in an innings. The 15-match Cricket Associations Challenge was held in three Punjab cities and was won by Sindh. In the batting department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Aamer Azmat was the top run-getter with 335 runs from five matches at 67. In the bowling department, Central Punjab’s Mohammad Irfan Jnr took nine wickets from five outings and remained top wicket-taker in the tournament. In pathway cricket, 12-team National U19 Championship (three-day event) was held from 10 October to 19 November in different parts of the country. The four-day final, which was staged at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, was won by Southern Punjab U19 Whites, who defeated Central Punjab U19 Blues by two wickets. Southern Punjab Whites’ Mohammad Shehzad topped the batting charts, scoring 829 from six matches at 92.11. Right-arm off-spinner Arham Nawab representing Central Punjab U19 Blues grabbed 30 wickets from six matches. The National U19 Cup was held from 14 October to 14 November at different parts of the country. The final was staged at the Pindi Cricket Stadium and was won by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues who defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites by 43 runs. Central Punjab U19 Whites’ Azan Awais remained top run-getter, scoring 313 from five matches at 78.25. Sindh U19 Blues’ Khawaja Mohammad Hafeez bagged 16 wickets from five outings in the tournament, with one five-wicket haul in an innings. The Pakistan Women’s Cup was staged from 9 September to 21 September in Karachi. The day-night final was won by PCB Challengers who defeated PCB Blasters by 68 runs at the National Stadium in Karachi. Aliya Riaz representing PCB Dynamites scored 364 from seven matches at 60.67. The right-arm off-spinner Nida Dar from PCB Blasters topped the bowling charts, taking 14 wickets from seven outings. The 31-match Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 was hosted in different parts of the country from 20 October to 29 December. The pink-ball final, held at the National Stadium in Karachi, was won by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who defeated Northern by 169 runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s captain Iftikhar Ahmed for his all-round performance (102 and 25, two wickets) was declared the player of the match. In the batting charts, Northern’s Mohammad Huraira was the top run-getter, scoring 986 from 11 matches at 58. In the bowling charts, Southern Punjab’s left-arm spinner Ali Usman picked 43 wickets from nine matches, registering two five-wicket hauls in an innings.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (December 28, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, celebrating and rewarding the top performances across men’s and women’s international cricket throughout the year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, celebrating and rewarding the top performances across men’s and women’s international cricket throughout the year. The ICC Awards 2021 recognise the outstanding performers following a year that comprised major international events such as the ICC World Test Championship Final and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, alongside numerous bilateral series in which records were broken. This year’s awards will comprise a total of 13 individual awards in all, as well as five Team of the Year announcements for each format across men’s and women’s cricket.  The individual award categories are as follows: Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year ICC Spirit of Cricket Award ICC Umpire of the Year The first seven categories listed above will feature a shortlist of four names, and these will be announced from 28 December to 31 December across all of ICC’s digital and social media channels. The shortlisted categories will recognize those players who have had the most impactful performances in the period under consideration – 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. The names shortlisted for these awards will be decided by a specialist ICC Awards panel, comprising prominent cricket journalists and broadcasters from across the globe along with ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice. The ICC Voting Academy, comprising a wider selection of global cricket journalists and broadcasters, will vote for their first, second and third choices, while global cricket fans will also be invited to vote for their top performers via ICC’s digital channels. The result of the ICC Voting Academy selections and the fans’ vote will be combined to determine the winner in each of these categories. The Emerging and Associate categories listed above will not feature shortlists and will be determined solely by the Voting Academy. The ICC Spirit of Cricket Award honours an action, moment, gesture, or decision on the field of play in international cricket during the year which best reflects the Spirit of Cricket, and this will be determined by the ICC, while the ICC Umpire of the Year Award is determined by votes collected from the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and Full Member men’s and women’s captains. The five ICC Teams of the Year will be also decided by the ICC Voting Academy via an online survey – with each voter selecting their teams in the batting order and nominating a captain for each format. The winners for each category will be announced in January 2022. The five official ICC Teams of the Year are set to be announced on 17 and 18 January, whereas the individual awards pertaining to women’s cricket will be announced on 23 January. The men’s awards, as well as the ICC Spirit of Cricket and ICC Umpire of the Year award, will be announced on 24 January.

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne will greet the New Year (2022) in the USA (United State of America). The 33-year-old opening batsman has been holidaying in the USA. Once the LPL (Lanka Premier League) began in Sri Lanka, the Test captain, who is not a part of the shortest format of the game left for New York. Confirming the news, his manager, Ravi de Silva speaking exclusively over the phone from Colombo, said, "He is on a private visit to enjoy some R&R (Rest & Recreation) in The Big Apple NYC in particular". "He is enjoying the nice weather there. Nice time away from all the fuss & holiday season in Sri Lanka". "Cool & Calm as always “Mr. Amiable” ala DK is enjoying some peace & tranquility - Ironically in a place where it never stops 24-7-365. He enjoys "Waking up in a City that Never Sleeps“. The Test captain visited the important spots- Dumbo Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Greenport etc. during his NY trip. Interestingly, the national chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe is also on a private visit to the Caribbean Islands. "He is on a personal trip there and will return to Sri Lanka on January 3", one of the sources in the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board said.

Bipin Dani More than 25 candidates have applied for the various coaching assignments in Sri Lanka, it is learnt. According to the information gathered from the reliable source in Sri Lanka, 20 people are local, who have responded to the advertisement which the SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) board had advertised for the various coaching positions. Most of them were recently involved in the franchise teams coaching in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). There have been other 7-8 foreigners who too have shown interest, not necessarily all of them have applied for the senior men team's head coaching but even for the other teams. "Will begin the interview process next week or immediately in the New Year", Aravinda de Silva, the head of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, said on Sunday morning.  "Two members from our committee, who are available on the day/days of interviews will join Mahela Jayawardene in the process", he added. "Will also seek Tom Moody's views", the chairman added. Tom Moody has a contract with the SLC as Cricket Director.  Aravinda didn't specify it but it is believed that Mahela is likely to favor Sri Lankan coaches. Only the head coach for the senior men's team may be a foreigner.  

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD (December 26, 2021):-The mother of former Test cricketer Shoaib Akhtar passed away on Sunday morning and was laid to rest at H-11 graveyard in the evening soon after Namaz-a-Esar in capital city Islamabad. The 46-year-old cricketer turned analyst is said to be one of the fastest and fiercest bowlers in international cricket, as he possesses the record for the fastest delivery bowled in international cricket. Akhtar has represented Pakistan in 224 international matches — 46 Tests, 163 ODIs, and 15 T20Is.

Dubai, UAE (SB Report):-The International Cricket Council has expressed grief at the passing of former England captain Ray Illingworth at the age of 89. Born in Pudsey, Yorkshire, the off-spinning all-rounder, started his first-class career in 1951 at the age of 19. Illingworth represented England from 1958 to 1973, playing 61 Tests, scoring 1836 runs and picking 122 wickets. He captained England to a famous 2-0 Ashes victory in 1970/71. He had a tremendous first-class career, accumulating 24,134 runs and taking 2072 wickets. He also led Yorkshire to three consecutive County Championship wins from 1966 to 1968. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Ray Illingworth was a giant of English cricket and was one of England's finest captains. He made an enormous contribution to the game, not just as England’s captain, but also as coach and chairman of selectors. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.” After retirement, Illingworth turned to broadcast and was a part of BBC's television coverage. He also served as England's coach in 1995/96 and was the chairman of selectors between 1994 and 1996.

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-We all have seen Yuvraj Singh's impeccable cricket as he hits balls off the ground with unmatchable sixes. But for the first time, the cricketer has been seen traveling in space. Well, sort of. For the first time, Colexion, Asia's biggest NFT marketplace, stepped ahead to push boundaries in space and launched satellite NFTs carrying prized possessions of the legendary India cricketer Yuvraj Singh in the metaverse last week. Colexion partnered with the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning batsman Yuvraj to release his own NFTs with augmented reality for this ground-breaking initiative. A hot-air balloon was launched from earth to orbit carried Yuvraj Singh's iconic bat, which he used to register his first-ever century in the 2003 ODI match against Bangladesh in Dhaka. Moreover, a never-before-released personalized video of Yuvraj Singh bat's entire space journey will be made accessible for fans, as it becomes the first minted NFT ever to be sent in orbit. The video will be uploaded on Colexion's official website in the last week of December. While speaking about his journey to space, Yuvraj, who is also an investor in Colexion, says, “I am excited to share my first NFT space journey exclusively on Colexion. Connecting with my fans on a new platform like this is exciting and I look forward to share some of my most cherished possessions like the first century bat.”  “I have always wanted to be closer to my fans and I am happy to partner with Colexion to be able to share these precious tokens from my cricketing journey with the people who have loved and encouraged me every step of the way. I look forward to engage with them in my Colexion digital avatar," he added, signing off from space. After this, Yuvraj will drop his first NFT that will be live on 25th December 2021. The NFT will contain a 3D version of the cricketer along with his signed 1st-century bat to be made available for his beloved fans. Furthermore, Colexion is creating a one-of-its-kind Virtual NFT Museum for all the NFTs of Yuvraj where his fans can be a part of his life's journey. Further, the cricketer's signed merchandise will be offered as giveaways on the platform as NFTs. Speaking about the initiative, Founder Abhay says, "We'll launch an autographed cricket bat along with a 3D statue of the cricketer, providing an exclusive opportunity to fans to own his digital collectibles. Colexion enables fans to witness this historic event and become a part of this massive revolution. We are creating interesting digital spaces for him to engage with his fans who will also be now able to 'own' special moments of his career." Through this historic initiative, Colexion aims to establish its footprint by becoming the first-ever NFT marketplace to launch exclusive NFT in space through high-end technology and innovation. NFT stands for non-fungible tokens- one-of-a-kind, blockchain-based assets that live on the blockchain and have become a blossoming business in the art world, with some selling recently for millions of dollars. Colexion is a platform that allows fans to buy, trade, and sell unique digital collectibles in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). An NFT is a form of crypto asset which uses blockchain to record the ownership status of digital objects, such as images, videos, and text. And Colexion through unique trump cards enables fans to own NFTs of their favorite player or celebrity. Interestingly, sports NFTs are quite the buzz— today's card collectors have shifted their attention to sports NFTs that offer proof of unique ownership of a video, photo, or other digital capture of an important moment in sports history. Earlier, Colexion has launched the world's largest NFT drop of 30 celebrities in the form of trump cards, including music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman, cricketers Varun Chakravarthy and Dwayne Bravo, and Bollywood and TV stars Tanuj Virwani and Aamir Ali, among others. Launched by Colexion, interactive trump cards contain photos and models in 3D and 2D formats of the celebrities.

Bipin Dani There will be no live radio commentary in South Africa for the upcoming Test series against India.   This was revealed by the (South African Broadcasting Corporation) SABC’s Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Ms. Gugu Ntuli. Speaking exclusively, she says, “The SABC can confirm that there will be no live radio commentary for the Protea Inbound Tour matches, therefore no commentators are appointed in this regard". "However, a provision for three live updates of three to five minutes long every hour on Radio 2000 has been made for these matches and the station will also stream full live commentary on its website www.radio2000.co.za”. Incidentally, the CSA (Cricket South Africa) board did make an appeal to the authorities so that through the radio broadcast, fans can rally behind the Proteas as they take on India in an historic encounter, which also marks the 30th Anniversary of  friendship between CSA and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Owing to the current pandemic situations in South Africa, the fans are not allowed at the grounds to witness the Tests. It is worth highlighting that many thousands of blind cricket fans are totally reliant on radio commentary to enjoy their favorite sport. This will deprive those fans of their enjoyment of the game. First of the three Tests will begin on Boxing Day at Centurion.

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board has approved the incentives for the three members of the National Selection Panel, it is learnt. According to the highly placed sources in the SLC, this incentive payment is for the recognition of their service for selecting the excellent team they picked for the ICC T-20 World Cup, which was played in the UAE (United Ara Emirates).  The three selectors, who each are benefited with a sum of Rs. 1 million are: Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Hemantha Wickramaratne.  "Yes, the team could not advance to the final stages of the World Cup but overall the performance of the team was good and could also win a few matches in the tournament and hence this decision was taken", two different sources confirmed the news on Tuesday. Incidentally, the proposal came from the SLC president Shammi Silva. "Incentive payment for the National Selectors-ICC T20 World Cup 2021. President's suggestion to offer Rs. 1 min each to the 03 National Selectors for the excellent work rendered by them in selecting the squad for the ICC T/20 World Cup 2021 which was recently concluded in Dubai, UAE, has been approved", the minutes of the 04th Executive Committee meeting (a copy in possession of this Reporter), which was held at the SLC Head Quarters on 9th November 2021, reads. 

Karachi (Sports Report):-The 67th meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the Pakistan Cricket Board was held on Tuesday, 21 December in Karachi. Below are some of the key outcomes and updates from the last meeting of 2021: Cricket development plans In line with the PCB’s strategy of investing in youth and pathways cricket following a bottom-up approach, the BoG backed and supported the PCB Chairman’s two new initiatives, which are: ·         Pathway Junior Contracts – Through strategic partnerships, the PCB will award 100 contracts to the most outstanding and bright cricketers under the ages of 11, 14, 16 and 19. Under this programme, the talented young cricketers will receive a stipend of PKR 30,000 per month and also earn 100 per cent scholarship, which will provide them access to cost-free education at a leading local educational institution that, in turn, will help them become wholesome individuals. ·         Pathway Cricket Foundation – Again through a strategic partnership, the PCB will appoint highly qualified resident foreign coaches at the National High Performance Centre. These coaches will work very closely with 100 teenage cricketers to nurture and develop them and prepare them for future events, including the U19 PSL, which is marked for October 2022. These coaches will also be available to assist and help elite and emerging cricketers. All discussions and details on the above initiatives with the PCB’s strategic partners have taken place and further details will follow shortly. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “In order to create a long-term sustainable process, it is essential that we continue to tap into, stimulate and motivate the youth’s passion and talent for cricket, whilst focusing on a bottom-up approach towards participation and making attempts to bridge the wide divide between pathways and Pakistan cricket journey. “We feel that our Junior Contracts and Cricket Foundation initiatives will now play a decisive role in ensuring that raw talent from even the remotest and less privileged of areas in Pakistan reaches its full potential. “Through these and various other initiatives, including an all-Pakistan Talent Hunt Programme, we aim to unearth the hidden talent and provide them absolute clarity at a very young age that the PCB will back, support and provide a clear pathway through which they can embark on their journey of representing Pakistan at an international stage.” Club scrutiny process and amendment to CA Model Constitution The BoG approved the club scrutiny procedure for 3,822 clubs, who took part in the First Registration of Cricket Clubs, across 90 City Cricket Associations in the first half of 2022. The club scrutiny procedure will be available on the PCB corporate website under Documents/PCB Model Constitutions next week. Furthermore, the BoG also approved amendment to Article 4.1(h) of the Model Constitution for Cricket Associations, which deals with Objects and Functions of the Cricket Association, now reads as: “…. coordinate cricket activities within their jurisdiction including but not limited to holding and organizing the tournaments, which may include divisional cricket, and endeavor to also organize or assist in organization of tournaments for clubs and schools …” Pakistan men’s cricket team performances Taking into consideration that a long and demanding international cricket period awaits the Pakistan men’s cricket team, an extensive discussion on the players’ workload handling took place. The BoG requested the PCB management to explore options and submit suggestions on how the elite cricketers can preserve their energies for Pakistan by remaining supremely fit, injury-free and fresh. The BoG appreciated the performance of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team and felt they came significantly close to meeting the expectations of their fans in the last quarter of 2021 through their grit, determination and positive attitude. The PCB Chairman highlighted Babar Azam’s authority, leadership and impact on the side as one of the turnaround factors. He also credited the calm influences of Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Matthew Hayden (batting consultant) and Vernon Philander (bowling consultant) as the other contributing factor as the trio were able to create a relaxed team environment that, in turn, allowed the team to excel, particularly during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Other updates: ·         West Indies will play three Twenty20 Internationals in the build up to the HBL Pakistan Super League 2023. The West Indies are already scheduled to play ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs in June 2022 to make up for the postponed December 2021 matches due to an increased number of Covid-19 cases in their side ·         The BoG approved in-principle the construction of 60 additional (international quality) player rooms each at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore and Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi. When completed, this will resolve the PCB’s challenges around logistics, security and road commuting, as well as setting-up and handling the Managed Event Environment ·         PCB Chairman, Acting Chief Executive Officer and the PCB BOG Committees submitted their reports, while the Chief Financial Officer presented his quarterly financial statements. Separately, there were presentations on fan engagement as well as on women’s cricket. Earlier, the BoG welcomed incoming PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain, who attended the meeting as an observer and will formally start in Lahore around mid-January.