Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lahore (October 6, 2021):-Lawrence Booth, Editor of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack and writer for the Daily Mail, and respected broadcaster Mike Haysman are the star features of the 36th PCB Podcast, which is now available here for viewing and free download for editorial purposes. Booth discusses England and Wales Cricket Board’s decision to withdraw their sides from next week’s tour of Pakistan, while Haysman shares his experience of commentating in the National T20 and highlights the talent and quality of cricket he witnessed in the Rawalpindi-leg matches. The Podcast begins with a special message from Vernon Philander, who was last month named as Pakistan side’s bowling coach for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The former South Africa fast bowler will arrive in Lahore on 7 October. The PCB Digital team also caught up with Pakistan Shaheens captain Saud Shakeel during the National T20 in Rawalpindi. The left-handed top-order batter looks ahead to the tour of Sri Lanka for two four-day matches and three 50-over games to be played in Kandy and Colombo from 28 October to 14 November. The show also includes interviews of Dr Najeeb Soomro and Tania Mallick, who recently started their journey at the Pakistan Cricket Board as Chief Medical Officer and Head of Women’s Cricket, respectively. The two experienced professionals spoke at length on their roles, responsibilities, targets and objectives.  

Report: Abdullah Asjad RAWALPINDI (October 5, 2021):-Twelve sides of six Cricket Associations will participate in the three-day National U19 Championship and one-day National U19 Cup, which will be held across six venues of Punjab from 10 October to 19 November. The three-day games will be followed by one-day fixtures, with a day’s gap between the two matches. Six Whites squads have been placed in Pool A and will play their matches in Gujranwala, Muridke and Sialkot, while the remaining six Blues squads are in Pool B with their matches scheduled at Rawalpindi and Islamabad’s Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Academy, National Ground and Shalimar Cricket Ground. The Pakistan Cricket Board, this season, has allowed each Cricket Association to field two sides. This has been done to allow talented youngsters the opportunity to stake claims in Pakistan squad for next year’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2022, besides increasing the pool of players at the grassroots level with the very best talent to be identified, nurtured and trained at the National High Performance Centre. Meanwhile, following merit-based trials, the 12 squads for the two tournaments have been confirmed. Performance of players in the City Cricket Association two-day and 50-over tournaments were also taken into consideration. The squads also include 32 players who attended an eight-week High Performance Camp at Karachi’s Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre under the supervision of head coach Ijaz Ahmed. The camp not only provided extensive practice, training and scenario-based match practice to the probables, it also furnished valuable exposure in a High Performance camp environment. Squads: Balochistan Whites U19: Abu Huraira (Lasbela U19), Aman Khan (Killa Abdullah U19), Arbaz Khan (Lasbela U19), Duniya Khan (Loralai U19), Haseebullah (Pishin U19), Hikmatullah (Loralai U19), Jan Muhammad ( Killa Abdullah U19), M Muddasir (Noshki U19), Muhammad Arif (Pishin U19), Muhammad Nasir (Naseerabad U19), Muhammad Uzair (Naseerabad U19), Qudrat Ullah (Quetta U19), Qurban Ali (Pishin U19), Rizwan Ahmed (Khuzdar U19), Waheed ul Rehman (Khuzdar U19), Yahya Khan (Quetta U19) Reserve Players: Israrullah (Naseerabad U19), Jahangir Khan (Loralai U19,), Seeed Ahmed (Khuzdar U19), Siraj Mehboob (Panjgur U19) Coaching staff: Aslam Sheikh (head coach), Mazhar Deenari (assistant coach) Balochistan Blues U19: Abu Bakar (Lasbela U19), Ali Asghar (Noshki U19), Aurangzeb (Balochistan U19), Basit Ali ( Balochistan U19), Junaid Ahmed (Quetta U19), Kabir Raj (Quetta U19), Muhammad Waheed (Quetta U19), Muhammad Umar (Pishin U19), Obaid Khan (Quetta U19), Sajjad Ali (Loralai U19), Shahid Khan (Quetta U19), Shamraiz Khan (Pishin U19), Wajid Ali (Naseerabad U19), Yasir Khan (Quetta U19), Zaheer Ahmed (Lasbela U19), Zulqarnain (Noshki U19) Reserve Players: Arshad Ali (Naseerabad U19), Mohammad Hussain (Noshki U19), Mohammad Ismail (Loralai U19), Yasir Hussain (Naseerabad U19) Coaching staff: Hussain Khosa (head coach), Aqil Baloch (assistant coach) Central Punjab Whites U19: Afzal Manzoor (Sheikhupura), Ahmed Hasan (Sheikhupura), Ali Razak (Lahore West Zone W), Ali Zoraiz Asif (Lahore North Zone B), Ameer Hamza (Gujranwala), Azan Awais (Sialkot), Hunain Shah (Lahore West Zone W), M. Awais (Faisalabad), M. Hassan Hameed (Lahore West Zone B), M. Ibtisam (Sargodha), Muneeb Wasif (Central Punjab U19s), Samama Riaz (Faisalabad), Shoaib Zahid (Jhang), Taha Mehmood (Gujranwala), Usman Nadeem (Lahore East Zone B), Zeeshan Sikander (Mandi Bahauddin) Reserve Players: Asad Raza (Gujranwala), Daniyal Yousuf (Lahore East Zone W), Hasan Ali (Faisalabad), Malik Abdul Rafay (Sargodha), Saria Khan (Mianwali) Coaching staff: Humayoun Farhat (head coach), Khurram Shehzad (assistant coach) Central Punjab Blues U19: Abrar Afzal (Lahore West Zone B), Abu Bakar (Gujranwala), Ali Asfand (Faisalabad), Ali Hassan (Sargodha), Arham Nawab  (Faisalabad), Awais Ali (Gujranwala), Hasnat Abbas  (Lahore West Zone W), Khurram Riaz (Lahore North Zone W), M. Ali Hassan (Gujranwala), M. Zeeshan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Waqas (Faisalabad), Saad Waseem (Faisalabad), Sameer Saqib (Faisalabad), Shahwaiz Irfan (Lahore West Zone W), Usama Zahid (Lahore West Zone W), Zain Ul Abdin (Gujranwala) Reserve Players: Umer Eman (Lahore West Zone B), Abdul Rehman (Faisalabad), M. Muzamil (Lahore West Zone W), S. Hassan Gillani (Sialkot), Saeed Ali (Sialkot) Coaching staff: Mohammad Ashraf (head coach), Ashraf Ali (assistant coach) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites U19: Abbas Ali (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Abbas Dawar (Charsada U19), Abdullah Zareen (Charsada U19), Afaq Khan (Mardan U19), Ayaz Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Daniyal Bhatti (Haripur U19), Imad Afzal (Mardan U19), Ismail Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U16), Khalid Shah (Peshawar U19), M. Farooq (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Muhammad Irfan (Peshawar U19), Mohammad Umer (Swabi U19), Rahimullah (Nowshera U19), Sahal Yousaf (Kohat U19), Sherdil Khan (Swat U19), Zubair Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19) Reserve Players: Afsar Ahmad (Buneer U19), Haneef ur Rehman (Swat U19), Muhammad Hasnain (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Shoaib Khan (Abbottabad U19) Coaching staff: Saqib Faqir (head coach), Muhammad Sadiq (assistant coach) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues U19: Abubakar Khan (Dir Lower U19), Ahmed Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Ayaz Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Ayub Khan (D.I Khan U19), Ch Shujah (Abbottabad U19), Haseeb Khan (Peshawar U19), Maaz Sadaqat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Muhammad Salman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Muhammad Yasin (Mardan U19), Muhammad Zulkifal (Charsada U19), Najab Khan (Charsada U19), Naqeeb Ullah (D.I Khan U19), Rooh Ullah (Mohmand U19), Sallahudin (Bannu U19), Umair Khan (Charsada U19), Zeeshan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19) Reserve Players: Arafat Khan (Peshawar U19), Azmatullah (Dir Upper U19), Muhammad Yasin (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19), Shahid Khan (Bannu U19) Coaching Staff: Sajid Shah (head coach), Shoaib Khan (assistant coach) Northern Whites U19: Abdul Basit (Rawalpindi U19), Abdul Jabbar Gillani (Islamabad U19), Ali Hasnain Sabir (Rawalpindi U19), Arsalan Sajjad (Muzzafarabad U19), Faizan Saleem (Mirpur U19), Jabbir Tayyab Khan (Islamabad U19), Jahandad Khan (Rawalpindi U19), Kamran Riaz (Islamabad U19), M. Ali Taj (Islamabad U19), Shan Khan (Mirpur U19), Sudais Ulfat (Islamabad U19), Suleman Asif (Rawalpindi U19), Syed Ali Zain Rizvi (Islamabad U19), Syed Hashim Mir Ali (Kotli U19), Usman Khan ( Paa U19), Waqas Zakir (Muzzafarabad U19) Reserve Players: Hammadullah (Attock U19), Ibraheem Bhatti (Rawalpindi U19), M.Bilal Muqaddar (Kotli U19), Muhammad Ismail (Jhelum U19) Coaching staff: Hafiz Majid Jahangir (head coach), Fahad Akram (assistant coach) Northern Blues U19: Aamir Hussain (Rawalpindi U19), Abid Ullah (Islamabad U19), Affan Ishaq (Rawalpindi U19), Aseer Mughal (Rawalpindi U19), Fahad Rashid Kiani (Muzzafarabad U19), Faraz Khan (Attock U19), Hamza Jahangir (Chakwal U19), Haseeb Imran (Jhelum U19), Hussain (Rawalpindi U19), M. Faizan Ghani (Attock U19), M. Umar Habib (Attock U19), Mehran Mumtaz (Rawalpindi U19), Mohammad Aftab (Islamabad U19), Mohammad Awais (Attock U19), Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad U19), Zain Ali Sajid (Mirpur U19) Reserve Players: Asad Raza (Mirpur U19), Hassan Ghalib (Jhelum U19), M. Sami Mir (Muzzafarabad U19), Shoukat Khan (Islamabad U19) Coaching staff: Kamran Khan (head coach), Jawad Hameed Haq (assistant coach) Sindh Whites U19: Adeel Meo (Sindh U19), Adil Ahmed Khan (Karachi Zone 1 U19), Afnan Khan (Karachi Zone 4 U19), Ali Shan (Shaheed Benazirabad U19), Ghazi Ghouri (Sindh U19), Habibullah (Karachi Zone 6 U19), Kashif Ali (Karachi Zone 6 U19), Malik Zain-Ul Abedin (Karachi Zone 1 U19), Mansoor Ali Khoso (Khairpur U19), Muhammad Fahad Amin (Karachi Zone 3 U19), Muhammad Sikander (Hyderabad U19), Najaf Ali (Shikharpur U19), Rehman (Hyderabad U19), Saqlain Nawaz (Khairpur U19), Wahaj Riaz (Karachi Zone 2 U19), Zeeshan Qasim (Karachi Zone 5 U19) Reserve Players: Abdul Rafay (Karachi Zone 3 U19), Ali Shinwari (Karachi Zone 2 U19), Syed Haider Ali Bukhari (Sanghar U19), Syed Muhammad Shahsha (Karachi Zone 7 U19) Coaching staff: Azam Khan (head coach), Hanif Malik (assistant coach) Sindh Blues U19: Abdullah Fazal (Karachi Zone 4 U19), Aftab Ibrahim (Karachi Zone 7 U19), Ali Ishaq (Karachi Zone 6 U19), Aliyan Mehmood (Sindh U19), Asif Ali (Shikharpur U19), Huzaifa Munir (Karachi Zone 7 U19), Kh. Muhammad Hafeez (Karachi Zone 6 U19), Maaz Khurram Amin (Karachi Zone 6 U19), Mohammad Abdullah (Jamshoro U19), Muhammad Sheryar (Karachi Zone 2 U19), Muhammad Umer (Khairpur U19), Nawaz Shareef Yousufzai (Karachi Zone 6 U19), Rizwan Mehmood (Sindh U19), Sarfaraz Ali (Khairpur U19), Taimur Mustafa (Karachi Zone 2 U19), Talha Ahsan (Sindh U19) Reserve Players: Mohammad Meesam (Hyderabad U19), Mohammad Mansab (Sukkur U19), Syed Ariyan (Karachi Zone 2 U19), Ziaullah (Karachi Zone 2 U19) Coaching staff: Tahir Mehmood (head coach), Syed Mauhtashim Ali (assistant coach) Southern Punjab Whites U19: Ali Haider (Vehari), Arfat Ahmad Minhas (Multan), Aun Shehzad (Muzafargarah), Faisal Akram (Multan), Harib Moeen (Bahawalpur), Hasnain Majid (Rahim Yar Khan), M Ammar (Rahim Yar Khan), M Aqib Asghar (Vehari), M Awais Abbas (Muzafargarah), M Ismail (Sahiwal), M Shehzad  (D G Khan), M Uzair Mumtaz (Multan), Meesam Raza (Multan), Nauman Abbas (Muzafargarah), Usama Aqeel (Okara), Zain Islam (Multan) Reserve Players: Ali Arshad (Bahwalnagar), Haider Baloch (D G Khan), Mohammad Nabeel Arshad (Pak Pattan), Syed Labaik Mehdi (Muzafargarah) Coaching staff: Bilal Ahmed (head coach), Azhar Shafiq (assistant coach) Southern Punjab Blues U19: Alam Zaib (Multan), Ali Afzal (Pak Pattan), Hamza Nawaz (Bahawalnagar), Haseeb Gul (Muzafargarah), Huzaifa Shafiq (Rajan Pur), Kashif Fareed (D G Khan), Khoubaib Ahmad (Bahawalpur), M Abu Bakar (Muzafargarah), Mohammad Ahmad (Vehari), M Danish (Muzafargarah), M Zahid (Multan), M Zubair (Multan), Moheer Saeed (Vehari), Rehan Ijaz (Rahim Yar Khan), Sharjeel Ahmad (Lodharan), Zarrar Shakeel (Okara) Reserve Players: Abdullah Zain (Rahim Yar Khan), Adnan Shahid (D G Khan), M Waji (Muzafargarah), Rahat Ullah (Rahim Yar Khan) Coaching staff: To be announced (head coach), Irfan Fazil (assistant coach) National Under-19 Championship and Cup schedule: Pool A 10-12 and 14 Oct - Balochistan (W)-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (W), Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot; Central Punjab (W)-Sindh (W), Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Northern (W)-Southern Punjab (W), Country Club, Muridke. 17-19 and 21 Oct - Balochistan (W)-Northern (W), Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot; Sindh (W)-Southern Punjab (W), Country Club, Muridke; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (W)-Central Punjab (W), Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala. 24-26 and 28 Oct - Balochistan (W)-Central Punjab (W), Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot; Northern (W)-Sindh (W), Country Club, Muridke; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (W)-Southern Punjab (W), Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala 31 Oct-2 and 4 Nov - Balochistan (W)-Southern Punjab (W), Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (W)-Sindh (W), Country Club, Muridke; Northern (W)-Central Punjab (W), Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot 7-9 and 11 Nov - Balochistan (W)-Sindh (W), Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot; Central Punjab (W)-Southern Punjab (W), Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Northern (W)-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (W), Country Club, Muridke POOL B 10-12 and 14 Oct - Balochistan (B)-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (B), Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; Central Punjab (B)-Sindh (B), National Ground, Islamabad; Northern (B)-Southern Punjab (B), Shalimar Cricket Ground; Islamabad 17-19 and 21 Oct - Balochistan (B)-Northern (B), Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; Sindh (B)-Southern Punjab (B), National Ground, Islamabad; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (B)-Central Punjab (B), Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad 24-26 and 28 Oct - Balochistan (B)-Central Punjab (B), Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad; Northern (B)-Sindh (B), National Ground, Islamabad; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (B)-Southern Punjab (B), Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 31 Oct-2 and 4 Nov - Balochistan (B)-Southern Punjab (B), National Ground, Islamabad; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (B)-Sindh (B), Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad; Northern (B)-Central Punjab (B), Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 7-9 and 11 Nov - Balochistan (B)-Sindh (B), National Ground, Islamabad; Central Punjab (B)-Southern Punjab (B), Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi; Northern (B)-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (B), Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad 14 Nov – National U19 Cup final (Pool A leader v Pool B leader), venue TBC 16-19 Nov – National U19 Championship final (Pool A leader v Pool B leader), venue TBC

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (October 5, 2021):-Surrey and England all-rounder Sam Curran has been ruled out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a lower back injury. Curran complained of back pain after Chennai Super Kings Indian Premier League fixture on Saturday against Rajasthan Royals. Results of the scan revealed the injury. He will fly back to the UK in the next couple of days and will have further scans and a full review later this week from the ECB’s medical team. Curran’s brother, Tom, has been drafted into England’s squad for the T20 World Cup. In addition, Surrey’s Reece Topley has been added as a travelling reserve. Topley will join the England party in due course. The England players and management not at the IPL arrived at their Muscat base earlier today and will remain in Oman until 16 October before moving to Dubai for the start of the tournament. England ICC Men's T20 World Cup Squad Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain Moeen Ali (Worcestershire) Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire) Sam Billings (Kent) Jos Buttler (Lancashire) Tom Curran (Surrey) Chris Jordan (Sussex) Liam Livingstone (Lancashire) Dawid Malan (Yorkshire) Tymal Mills (Sussex) Adil Rashid (Yorkshire) Jason Roy (Surrey) David Willey (Yorkshire) Chris Woakes (Warwickshire) Mark Wood (Durham) Travelling Reserves Liam Dawson (Hampshire) Reece Topley (Surrey) James Vince (Hampshire) ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 – England’s warm-up fixtures: England v India, Monday 18 October 2021, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 3.00pm BST) England v New Zealand, Wednesday 20 October 2021, Abu Dhabi (2.00pm GST / 11.00am BST) ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 – England’s Group Fixtures: England v West Indies, Saturday 23 October 2021, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 3.00pm BST) England v Qualifier (B2), Wednesday 27 October 2021, Abu Dhabi (2.00pm GST / 11.00am BST) England v Australia, Saturday 30 October 2021, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 3.00pm BST) England v Qualifier (A1), Monday 1 November 2021, Sharjah (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT) England v South Africa, Saturday 6 November 2021, Sharjah (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT) Semi-finals: First semi-final, Wednesday 10 November, Abu Dhabi (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT) Second semi-final, Thursday 11 November, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT) Final: Sunday 14 November, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)

Report: Aamir Ali Janjua Lahore (October 5, 2021):-Tension, excitement and thrill reaches its climax as the six Cricket Associations boasting country’s best T20 players lock horns in a dash to the semi-finals of the National T20 in the Lahore-leg matches, which begins on Wednesday and will be televised live on PTV Sports. After 18 matches of the tournament, which commenced in Rawalpindi on 23 September and carries a total prize of over PKR9million, all the sides have played six matches each. Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Sindh, Mohammad Rizwan-captained Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Babar Azam-led Central Punjab and Shadab Khan-captained Northern are locked at eight points apiece with four wins and two defeats. Imam-ul-Haq’s Balochistan have four points, while Aamer Yamin-led Southern Punjab are winless but still in with a chance to reach the knockout stage provided they win their last four matches convincingly and other results also go in their favour. Action will begin on Wednesday afternoon at 1500 Pakistan time when Sindh and Central Punjab will go toe to toe. At 1930, Northern will square off against Balochistan. The winner of Sindh-Central Punjab match will move to 10 points and put one step in the semi-finals, while Northern will prefer to follow in the footsteps of the earlier match’s winner though they are expected to face stiff resistance from Balochistan who will be keen to move to six points and remain close to the frontrunners. Unsurprisingly, world’s No.2 ranked T20I batsman Babar Azam is the leading run-scorer after six matches. The Pakistan captain has scored 286 runs at an average of 71.5 with a strike-rate of 143. He is followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sahibzada Farhan (220 runs, 36.66 avg., 133.33 strike-rate), Sharjeel Khan of Sindh (212, 35.33 avg., 148.25 strike-rate), Northern’s Haider Ali (208, 52 avg., 141.49 strike-rate), Mohammad Rizwan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (193, 32.16 avg., 129.53 strike-rate) and Abdul Wahid Banglazai of Balochistan (184, 36.8 avg., 111.51 strike-rate). Pakistan’s premier fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi leads the bowling chart with 12 wickets with an economy-rate of 8.58. Six bowlers are tied at nine wickets apiece, namely Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali (both Central Punjab), Asif Afridi, Imran Khan (both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) and Haris Rauf (Northern), while Sindh’s Ruman Raees is the only bowler with eight wickets. The six captains are excited and keenly looking forward to the remaining 12 round matches of the Lahore-leg, which will be followed by semi-finals on 12 October and the final on 13 October. Aamer Yamin: “After the disappointment of the Rawalpindi-leg we enter the Lahore-leg knowing that we have nothing to lose anymore. At the same time, we remember well how we turned it all around last year after an equally poor start.” Babar Azam: “This National T20 has been one of the most exciting T20 competitions I have ever been part of and I have no doubts that the quality and competitiveness of the tournament will get even better when we move to Lahore with all sides vying for semi-final berths. “Central Punjab have not been able to make their fans happy in the last two editions, but we are eager to lift the trophy at our home ground this time.” Mohammad Rizwan: “We have one simple game plan, which is to play cricket according to contemporary standards. It worked for us in the last season and playing attacking, positive and modern-day cricket will help us in retaining our title and entertaining the fans in Lahore. “We have achieved some good results in Rawalpindi, but the job is half done and our team understands that. We need to remain focused in Lahore, because all teams will be using the change of venue as an opportunity to regather and fill in the loopholes.” Imam-ul-Haq: “We may not have achieved the desired results in Rawalpindi, but we are optimistic about our chances in Lahore. Over the last few days, we have identified gaps in our game plan and we will be looking to fill them when we take the field on Wednesday.” Sarfaraz Ahmed: “The Rawalpindi-leg brought us good results and have put us in a good position for a place in the semi-finals. We cannot afford to be complacent as we still have a long way to go. “The pitches in Lahore should provide more scoring opportunities to the batters and need to ensure that we make full use of the conditions. While our top-order has been delivering for us as Sharjeel and Khurram are both contributing, we need a bit more from our middle and lower order.” Shadab Khan: “The Rawalpindi-leg was hard fought as all six teams produced some good cricket. We have gathered eight points and are eyeing a semi-final spot now. We play fearless brand of cricket and it has worked well for us not only this year but in the last two editions too.” Upcoming matches at the Gaddafi Stadium: 6 Oct - Central Punjab-Sindh; Balochistan-Northern 7 Oct - Central Punjab-Southern Punjab; Balochistan-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 8 Oct - Central Punjab-Northern; Southern Punjab-Sindh 9 Oct - Sindh-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Northern-Southern Punjab 10 Oct - Southern Punjab-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Balochistan-Central Punjab 11 Oct - Sindh-Balochistan; Northern-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 12 Oct - No.1 vs No.4 Team; No.2 Team vs No.3 Team 13 Oct – Final

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (October 4, 2021):-The Scoring in the cricket match is not an easy job, as a scorer keeps all his ears and eyes on the game during the full match. Match referees, umpires and scorers are important to organize a match successfully. Referees and umpires can move during the game but score cannot leave his place for a second, international scorer Adnan Farooq viewed this while talking to www.sports-bulletin.com at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi. Adnan Farooq, who performed the duties of scorer in 11 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals in Pindi Cricket Stadium, further said that a professional scorer must be accustomed with the faces of players, local and overseas as well. “We know the mostly Pakistani players closely and we have to work hard for the other teams, we collect the pictures of visiting team players and their profiles. Sometimes we use small telescopes to recognize the players during the fielding, “he maintained. “I started scoring career in 1992 with Radio Pakistan, as my father Talat Farooq was doing the same job there. He was also the official umpire of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and I learnt a lot from him. Later, in1998, I attached with PCB and started scoring in international cricket fixtures. I did scoring in over 120 first-class and 200 Grade -II matches. I toiled hard to go up in my career. Concentration is a basic skill of scoring, “he added. To a question, Adnan said that without understanding amongst the match referee, umpires and scorers a match could not be conducted according to international demands. “We share and compare our information with each other during intervals including water break or lunch break. If we found any error we rectify it at that time. It is also very important to react to the umpires' signs, when they motioned for four, six, wide-ball and no-ball. It is entirely a team effort to finish a match successfully, “he replied to another question. “I wish to cover maximum international cricket matches because I have a passion for cricket and without your commitment, dedication and devotion you cannot become a good scorer. The Pakistan Cricket Board is doing a lot for the officials and they encourage us in all the ways. The New Zealand team cancelled the tour at eleven hours and this was very disappointing for all cricket lovers. I wish to see maximum international cricket on the soil of Pakistan, “he concluded.

BIPIN DANI The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) will felicitate India's two centurions later this month. "We have a stand in the name of Sachin Tendulkar, who has played more than 100 Tests (200 specifically) for India. Mumbai's two other captains Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar, who too have played over Tests for India will be felicitated on 29th October", Nadeem Menon, the MCA official said to this reporter. Gavaskar and Vengsarkar have represented 125 and 116 Tests respectively. "Will be presenting a special box to Gavaskar for completing 50 years since he first played for India", he added. In 1971, Gavaskar went to the West Indies with the Indian team and scored 774 runs in the Test series. "Gavaskar and all his family members will be able to watch all matches from this special box". Gavaskar's brother-in-law and India's former stylist batsman Gundappa Vishwanth will be a special guest on this occasion. "We have also kept a function in the memory of late Madhav Mantri (uncle of Sunil Gavaskar) as it is his birth centenary year". One of the stands will be named after Dilip Vengsarkar on the day.

ABDULLAH ASJAD Rawalpindi (October 3, 2021):-ATF Southern Punjab suffered their sixth successive defeat in the National T20 2021-22 as Home City Central Punjab romped home by seven wickets in the 18th and last match of the Rawalpindi-leg of the tournament played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday night. Central Punjab comfortably chased down the 120-run target with their captain and ace batter Babar Azam scoring his 59th T20 half-century. During the course of his unbeaten innings, Babar broke the record for the fastest 7000 runs in the T20 format. Babar reached the milestone in a mere 187 innings going past former West Indies captain Chris Gayle who reached the landmark in 192 innings. Central Punjab completed the chase in 17.2 overs with Babar remaining undefeated on 59 off 49 balls. The right-hander hit five fours and two sixes in his innings. Kamran Akmal scored 28 off 26 balls (three fours), batting at number three, Kamran added 64 runs for the second-wicket with Babar. The two had come together after the early loss of Ahmed Shehzad (9). Qasim Akram who was promoted to number four fell for 10 while Hussain Talat (10 not out) finished the game with Babar on the other end. Hassan Khan took two wickets for Southern Punjab. Central Punjab meanwhile are now at number three on the table behind GFS Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, all three sides have eight points. Southern Punjab who are languishing at the bottom of the table are on the cusp of elimination, they would need to win all of their remaining four matches in the Lahore-leg which commences on Wednesday, 6 October to have any chance of qualifying for the semi-finals. Earlier, Southern Punjab lost their last eight wickets for a mere 34 runs as they were bowled out in 18.4 overs. The bottom-placed team in the points table had a shocking start as Faheem Ashraf (player of the match) accounted for Zeeshan Ashraf and Sohaib Maqsood for ducks in the first over of the match. Salman Ali Agha and Azam Khan brought their team right back in the hunt with an attacking 84-run partnership for the third-wicket. Both Salman and Azam looked set for big scores, however both were dismissed in quick succession to trigger the Southern Punjab collapse. Southern Punjab slipped from 85 for two to 119 all out with Hasan Ali doing the damage in the middle and death overs. Salman who was the first to go (caught by Sameen off Hasan), scored 40 off 29 balls (five fours). Azam who hit a couple of towering sixes in his 45 was run out by a direct hit from Ahmed Shehzad. The right-hander faced 41 balls and hit three fours and as many sixes. No other Southern Punjab batter could reach double figures as the Central Punjab bowlers maintained their stranglehold by making regular inroads. Hasan finished with four wickets for 24 runs in 3.4 overs while Faheem took three for 14 in his four. Scores in Brief: Home City Central Punjab beat ATF Southern Punjab by seven wickets. ATF Southern Punjab 119 all out, 18.4 overs (Azam Khan 45, Salman Ali Agha 40; Hasan Ali 4-24, Faheem Ashraf 3-14) Home City Central Punjab 123 for 3, 17.2 overs (Babar Azam 59 not out, Kamran Akmal 28; Hassan Khan 2-15) Player of the match:  Faheem Ashraf Wednesday’s matches (Lahore): Home City Central Punjab vs GFS Sindh -3pm Balochistan vs Northern -7:30pm

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (October 3, 2021):-Cricket fans from across the world are invited to Oman and the UAE to ‘Live the Game’ at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, with tickets for every one of the 45 matches going on sale today. Tickets are available to fans to watch the top 16 T20 teams in the world vying for the ultimate prize in the shortest format, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starting in Muscat on 17 October and concluding in the UAE on 14 November. With prices starting at just 10 OMR and 30 AED in Oman and UAE respectively, the event is accessible to all cricket fans. Tickets are available to purchase on https://www.t20worldcup.com/tickets . In the UAE all venues will be operating at approximately 70% of maximum seated capacity, whilst Abu Dhabi has also introduced new socially distanced ‘pods’ of a maximum of 4 spectators on their east and west grass mounds. The Oman Cricket Academy has had a temporary infrastructure built to welcome 3,000 fans. The ICC and event hosts BCCI have worked closely with host authorities to ensure fans can be welcomed in a safe environment and COVID 19 protocols will apply at all venues. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is the largest sporting event to be held in the region and it will be the biggest global cricket event since the pandemic with fans in stadia. The schedule offers a host of key rivalry fixtures and mouth-watering match ups.  The tournament kicks off with the Round 1 match between Oman and Papua New Guinea in Muscat.  Whilst, Australia and South Africa play the first match of Super 12s on 23 October in Abu Dhabi followed by the replay of the 2016 final between England and West Indies also on 23 October in Dubai. One of cricket’s biggest rivalries, India and Pakistan, will take place on 24 October in Dubai. Geoff Allardice, ICC Acting CEO said: "We are delighted to be welcoming fans back to international cricket in both Oman and the UAE to enjoy the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Our thanks to our hosts BCCI, Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and Oman Cricket as well as the local governments in these regions for their support in ensuring fans could attend in a safe environment. "The biggest sporting spectacle to have ever taken place in the region deserved to be played out in front of passionate cricket fans from all 16 nations competing and we are doing everything possible to keep it safe for all. It has been five years since the last Men’s T20 World Cup and we can’t wait for the world’s best players to arrive in Oman and the UAE and showcase the very best of T20 cricket." Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary BCCI, said: “I am delighted that the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be played in front of cheering fans both in the UAE and Oman. My sincere thanks to the government of the UAE and Oman for paving the way for fans to return in cricket grounds. The anticipation for the World Cup, which is taking place after five years, is building with each passing day. I am sure we will have fans coming from different parts of the world to support their team. The vibe they will create will boost the performances on the field. “The ticket sales have started, and I urge everyone to stay safe and follow the health advisories and savour the experience.” In addition to the top quality cricket, fans will also get to enjoy a host of entertainment choices, including DJs, fan zones and various other exciting activations around each venue, offering families and the young plenty of fun. Among full member nations Bangladesh, Ireland and 2014 winners Sri Lanka, there are also Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland all battling to qualify for the Super 12 stage.  There are four available places joining Afghanistan, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and West Indies in the Super 12 stage. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup promises to be a spectacle featuring cricket’s global superstars, among them Virat Kohli, Eoin Morgan, Kieron Pollard, and Babar Azam.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi (October 3, 2021):-All-rounder Mohammad Nawaz delivered both with bat and ball to spearhead Northern’s exciting 14-run win over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 17th match of the National T20 tournament played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Sunday evening. Set a 182-run target, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finished their 20 overs at 167 for eight as Iftikhar Ahmed’s fighting half-century went in vain. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stared their chase briskly with Israrullah and captain Mohammad Rizwan hitting some delightful shots in the power play overs. Israrullah (25) was the first to go with Haris Rauf taking his wicket. Rizwan was dismissed for 17 by Salman Irshad. Sahibzada Farhan (13) and Asif Afridi (21) were dismissed in the hunt of quick runs against the mounting asking rate. Iftikhar took the fight to the Northern attack with a series of big shots. The right-hander scored the 16th half-century of his T20 career, he was eventually dismissed by Haris for 58 off 34 balls. The middle-order batter hit two fours and five sixes in his innings. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa challenge subsided after Iftikhar’s dismissal, the win was Northern’s fourth win in six games; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have also won four and lost two matches. Earlier Northern recovered from a sensational opening over by Shaheen Shah Afridi to post their formidable total. Shaheen removed right-handers Ali Imran and Haider Ali with inswinging deliveries to jolt Northern. Both batters were dismissed for ducks in the space of three balls. Nasir Nawaz (24) and Umar Amin (27) fought back for their side with a 52-run third-wicket partnership which ended with Umar’s dismissal to Asif Afridi. Northern stuttered to 55 for four when Nasir fell to Israrullah. The in-form Mohammad Nawaz joined hands with his captain Shadab Khan as the two carved out an 89-run stand for the fifth-wicket. Shadab scored 46 off 27 balls (six fours, two sixes). Nawaz completed his second half-century in the tournament, he was run out in the last over for 51 (34 balls, one four, three sixes). Northern continued the attack in the death overs as 98 runs were added in the last seven overs. Asif Ali contributed an invaluable 21 off 11 balls (one four, two sixes) to push his side past the 180-run mark. Shaheen took two while Israrullah, Asif and Imran Khan Snr took a wicket apiece. Scores in Brief: Northern beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 14 runs Northern 181 for 7, 20 overs (Mohammad Nawaz 51, Shadab Khan 46, Umar Amin 27; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-30, Israrullah 1-9) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 167 for 8, 20 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 58, Israrullah 25; Haris Rauf 3-31, Mohammad Nawaz 2-26) Player of the match:  Mohammad Nawaz Wednesday’s matches (Lahore): Home City Central Punjab vs GFS Sindh -3pm Balochistan vs Northern -7:30pm

BIPIN DANI On the opening day of the four-day D/N pink ball Test against Australia, India's Smriti Mandhana was unbeaten on 80 runs. Any player would have a sleepless night with anxiety on scoring a hundred the next morning.  Her childhood coach and mentor Anant Tambvekar sent her a text message on WhatsApp, which read: Go for big daddy hundred with an emoji sign. Within minutes, Smriti replied Yes and two emoji signs. The coach further chatted and motivated saying, '' you must score a hundred, '' to which Smriti replied: '' Haan, Mai bhi serious hu (Yes, I am also serious (on putting up a hundred)". Smriti did so on Friday. The first Indian batter to face a pink ball in Test became the first Indian centurion and that too on Australian soil. "First Test hundred is always special for any player and if it is in the pink ball Test it is definitely a proud moment for all of us", the coach and mentor Tambvekar, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Nagpur, where he is a coach of the Goa team playing, said. "I am sure Smriti would have had a sound sleep (when she was unbeaten on 80 on the previous day). She had for sure. She is mentally very strong". Apart from Smriti's hundred, it was Punam Raut’s walking off the field when the umpire had ruled not out that stood out on the second day of the day-night Test. Raut’s decision to walk, that too in the absence of the DRS in the Test match,  reignited the debate over the ‘spirit of cricket’, triggered by India player Ravichandran Ashwin. Australian opener Beth Mooney said that there was “no chance” she would have done the same when asked by one of the commentators. The incident happened in the 81st over of India’s innings when Raut, batting on 36, decided to “walk” without any hesitation after believing to have nicked Sophie Molineux behind to ’keeper Alyssa Healy. As umpire Phillip Gillespie shook his head signalling not out, Raut simply walked off all the way to the pavilion without looking back, rediscovering the long-lost art of walking in Test cricket.