Sports Bulletin

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (September 7, 2021):-England Men’s Head Coach Chris Silverwood has named a 16-player squad for the fifth LV= Insurance Test match against India starting at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday 10 September 2021. Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler returns to the squad following the birth of his daughter during the fourth Test at the Kia Oval. Somerset spinner Jack Leach has been added to the squad for the final Test of the series. Batsman Sam Billings, who was included in the fourth Test squad, has returned to Kent. England Men’s Fifth Test Squad Joe Root (Yorkshire) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Haseeb Hameed (Nottinghamshire), Dan Lawrence (Essex), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham).  

SALMAN KHAN Lahore (September 6, 2021):-The National Selection Committee of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headed by former Test cricketer from Rawalpindi, Mohammad Wasim on Monday named a 15-player squad included five batters, two wicketkeeper, four all-rounders and four fast bowlers for the upcoming Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand and England, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. The seven home T20Is in Lahore and Rawalpindi will be played from 25 September to 14 October, while Pakistan will proceed to take on India in a battle of former champions in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener in Dubai on 24 October. Asif played his 29th and last T20I for Pakistan against Zimbabwe earlier in April and averages 16.38 with a strike-rate of 123.74, while his overall strike-rate in T20 cricket stands at 147. Khushdil Shah’s ninth and last T20I was against South Africa in Lahore earlier this year. The left-hander averages more than 21 and holds a strike-rate of 109.24, while his overall T20 strike-rate stands at 134. From the 19 players who were part of the Pakistan squad for the T20I series in England and the West Indies, Arshad Iqbal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Sharjeel Khan and Usman Qadir have been left out, though Fakhar and Usman along with Shahnawaz Dahani have been named as the three traveling reserves. The 15-player squad includes five batters (Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood), two wicketkeeper-batters (Azam Khan and Mohammad Rizwan), four all-rounders (Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Shadab Khan) and four fast bowlers (Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi). Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim: “While selecting the squad, we have tried to cover all our bases by catering for the modern day brand of T20 cricket that will be required to perform impressively in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This includes trusting the abilities, skills and experience of the players to perform in a high-pressure global tournament in conditions that are familiar to us, as well as looking at the teams we will play in Group-2 matches. “Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah may not have impressive numbers against their names but hardly anyone can doubt their tremendous talent and prowess. They are the best in the available pool of middle-order batsmen and we remain confident that they will provide us solutions to our middle-order difficulties through solid performances. “These two experienced middle-order batters will compliment Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan and Shoaib Maqsood, while in Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan, we have three top-quality spinners who are equally good with the bat and outstanding in the field. “Azam Khan is an aggressive and attacking batter who also keeps wickets, a combination that has earned him the selectors’ nod ahead of Sarfaraz Ahmed. Mohammad Wasim Junior has been preferred over Faheem Ashraf due to his pace and ability to hit big shots. Wasim will bolster the fast bowling unit, which comprises Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi. “Fakhar Zaman, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir were unlucky to miss out on the selections. Sohaib Maqsood’s ability to bat and perform anywhere in the top-order has given him an edge over Fakhar, while the presence of three experienced spinners, who are also capable batters, and five genuine wicket-taking fast bowlers made it difficult for Usman Qadir to get into the side. Like Faheem, an uncapped Shahnawaz was tied with Mohammad Wasim Junior, but we opted for the latter due to his pace and batting abilities. “Most of these players know the United Arab Emirates conditions better than others as they propelled Pakistan to number-one in the ICC T20I rankings after winning 21 out of 36 matches (13 loses and two no-results). In the lead up to the event proper, they will play seven T20Is at home, which will take their overall tally of T20Is in 2021 to 24 – most by any participating country. “The home series against New Zealand and England will provide us one-last opportunity to fine-tune our preparations. In doing so, we will like to win maximum matches so that we can carry the confidence and winning momentum to Dubai. “Our impressive record in the United Arab Emirates, clubbed with the talent we have in our ranks and the well-planned preparations gives me significant confidence that we will perform well in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. All the players now need to do is not to get overawed by the occasion, continue to keep faith in their abilities and try to give something extra each time they step onto the field.” 15-player squad (in alphabetical order): Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab) Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern) Asif Ali (Northern) Azam Khan (wicketkeeper, Southern Punjab) Haris Rauf (Northern) Hasan Ali (Central Punjab) Imad Wasim (Northern) Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab) Mohammad Hafeez (Central Punjab) Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh) Mohammad Nawaz (Northern) Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Sohaib Maqsood (Southern Punjab) Traveling reserves – Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) and Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) Pakistan’s schedule of T20I matches (all matches to start at 1900 Pakistan time): 25 Sep – Pakistan v New Zealand, 1st T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 26 Sep – Pakistan v New Zealand, 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 29 Sep – Pakistan v New Zealand, 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 1 Oct – Pakistan v New Zealand, 4th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 3 Oct – Pakistan v New Zealand, 5th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 13 Oct – Pakistan v England, 1st T20I, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 14 Oct – Pakistan v England, 2nd T20I, Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi 24 Oct – Pakistan v India, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 26 Oct – Pakistan v New Zealand, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah 29 Oct – Pakistan v Afghanistan, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 2 Nov – Pakistan v A2, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sheikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium, Abdu Dhabi 7 Nov –Pakistan v B1, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final schedule: 10 Nov – 1st semifinal, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 11 Nov – 2nd semifinal, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 14 Nov – Final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (September 5, 2021):-The Saint Lucia Kings repeated their performance from 24 hours earlier and once again recorded a win over the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in their 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) encounter. The Patriots won the toss and stand-in captain Chris Gayle chose to bat first, yet it turned out to be a trial by spin as they faltered for 118 all out against the turn of Jeavor Royal and Samit Patel. The Kings got off to the worst possible start in their chase, losing Andre Fletcher to a Fabian Allen delivery in the very first ball of the innings. They rebuilt via Roston Chase to comfortably reach their target of 119. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots lost their two explosive batsmen in the PowerPlay overs, as Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle were dismissed early. Youngster Royal was the stand out bowler with three wickets, while Patel was the most economical. A mix-up saw the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford run out and while Fabian Allen tried to give his side a big finish, he was dismissed in the 19th over.   Despite losing Fletcher in the first ball of the innings, Saint Lucia Kings still had the dangerous Faf du Plessis, who raced to 22 off 14 balls, before being caught out. The in-form Roston Chase ended up seeing his side home with a superb innings that saw him reach yet another half century, this time in thirty six balls, his third in a row at this year’s Hero CPL. The Kings chased their target in the 16th over as the powerful Tim David helped take them over the line with a rapid 18 runs off 7 balls.     Saint Lucia Kings now have their third consecutive win of the tournament and move closer to the top spot of the league standings.    

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Karachi (September 5, 2021):-A total of 14 matches will be played in the four-team Pakistan Cup Women’s One-Day Tournament that will kick-start the 2021-22 women’s domestic and international cricket season at the National Stadium, Karachi on Thursday, 9 September. Blasters led by Sidra Nawaz, Challengers led by Pakistan women’s captain Javeria Khan, Dynamites led by Muneeba Ali Siddiqui and Strikes led by Kainat Imtiaz will compete in the tournament that will conclude with a day-night final at the National Stadium on Tuesday 21 September. The Strikers have been added as the fourth team in the rebranded tournament for the first time. With the women’s player pool continuing to increase gradually, the PCB has included Strikers for the upcoming season, a move that is aimed to provide more opportunities for upcoming players to prove their mettle in domestic competitions. The induction of the fourth team has doubled the total number of the 50-over tournament matches from seven in previous years to 14 this year. On each of the seven playing days, two matches will be played simultaneously at the main National Stadium ground and the Oval Academy Ground that is a part of the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, located inside the National Stadium arena. On the seventh and last match-day, a third position play-off will be also be played, the match like the rest of the games will start at 10:00 am while the final will be played from 2:00pm, both these matches will be played on 21 September. The four squads will assemble in Karachi on Sunday and after clearing their covid tests will start the practice for the tournament on Tuesday, 7 September. The second practice session will be held on 8 September, a day before the commencement of the event. Squads for the Pakistan Cup Women’s One-Day Tournament Blasters: Sidra Nawaz (captain and wicketkeeper), Aisha Javed, Arijah Haseeb, Bibi Nahida, Fajar Naveed, Fatima Sana Khan, Gull Firoza, Momina Riasat, Nida Rashid, Noreen Yaqoob, Omaima Sohail, Saima Malik, Shawal Zulfiqar and Syeda Aroob Shah Support staff: Waqar Orakzai (Head Coach), Aqil Khan (Assistant Coach), Rabia Siddiq (Physiotherapist) and Fizza Abid (Manager). Challengers: Javeria Khan (captain), Anoosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Dua Majid, Fareeha Mehmood, Gull Rukh, Iram Javed, Khadija Chishty, Najiha Alvi (wicketkeeper), Nazish Rafique, Saba Nazir, Sidra Amin, Syeda Masooma Zehra Fatima and Waheeda Akhtar. Support staff: Waseem Yousafzai (Head Coach), Shakir Qayyum (Assistant Coach), Anjali (Physiotherapist) and Rabail Khalid Hashmat (Manager). Dynamites: Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (captain), Aliya Riaz, Fatima Zahra, Ghulam Fatima, Humna Bilal, Huraina Sajjad, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Nashra Sundhu, Neha Shermeen, Rida Aslam, Sadaf Shamas, Soha Fatima (wicketkeeper) and Syeda Insharah Asad   Support staff: Muhammad Kamran Hussain (Head Coach), Muhammad Ali Niazi (Assistant Coach), Yumna Khan (Physiotherapist) and Asiya Khan (Manager). Strikers: Kainat Imtiaz (captain), Aima Saleem Satti, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Bisma Amjad, Fatima Khan, Gul Uswa, Hafsa Khalid, Jaweria Rauf, Natalia Parvaiz, Umme Hani, Syeda Asma Amin (wicketkeeper), Tuba Hassan and Yusra Amir (wicketkeeper).                      Support staff: Arshad Khan (Head Coach), Shahid Mehmood (Assistant Coach), Sabrina (Physiotherapist) and Shagufta Bano Qasim (Manager). Tournament schedule (matches to start at 10am, final to start at 2pm): 9 September – Dynamites vs Blasters, National Stadium Challengers’ vs Strikers, Oval Academy Ground. 11 September –Dynamites vs Challengers, National Stadium Blasters vs Strikers, Oval Academy Ground. 13 September –Dynamites vs Strikers, National Stadium Blasters vs Challengers, Oval Academy Ground. 15 September – Challengers vs Strikers, National Stadium Dynamites vs Blasters, Oval Academy Ground. 17 September –Blasters vs Strikers, National Stadium Dynamites vs Challengers, Oval Academy Ground 19 September –Blasters vs Challengers, National Stadium Dynamites vs Strikers, Oval Academy Ground 21 September –Third position play-off, Oval Academy Ground Final (day and night) National Stadium.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lahore (September 4, 2021):-The six Cricket Association squads for the 2021-22 domestic season have been unveiled. Each squad was selected by the head coach, chairperson and chief executive of the respective Cricket Association in the presence of national men’s chief selector Muhammad Wasim, Nadeem Khan, High Performance Director, Junaid Zia, Domestic Cricket General Manager and chief executives of the other icket Associations as observers. Each Cricket Association squad comprises 40 players – 32 of which will be awarded domestic contracts, to be announced in due course – along with 10 additional players. Every Cricket Association will name 16 players ahead of the First XI and Second XI tournaments, and these players can be transferred between the two teams. While majority of players from the 2020-21 domestic season were retained, the gaps in each of the six sides were plugged with top performers of the City Cricket Association tournaments, after head coaches had a close look at them in the pre-season training camps that were held last week at each of the six Cricket Associations. The selected players are: Balochistan – Aftab Ahmed (Loralai), Fahad Hussain (Jaffarabad), Mohammad Idrees (Quetta), Mohammad Javed (Pishin), Sana Ullah (Loralai), Shoaib Ahmed (Lasbela), Syed Zainullah (Pishin) and Tariq Jameel (Loralai) Central Punjab – Asad Ali Jnr (Hafizabad), Gohar Hafeez Butt, Haider Ali (both Lahore), Mohammad Faizan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Tabraiz (Sialkot), Mohammad Waheed (Lahore) and Mudassar Riaz (Faisalabad) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Aitzaz Habib Khan (Mardan), Farhan Khan (Mohmand), Khayyam Khan (Swabi), Mashal Khan (Haripur), Mohammad Ibrahim (Swabi), Mohammad Tahir (Bannu), Niaz Khan (Swat) and Yasir Khan (Bannu) Northern – Aqib Liaqat (Poonch), Asad Raza (Faisalabad), Hamza Arshad, Kashif Ali (both Rawalpindi), Sadaqat Ali (Faisalabad), Sarmad Hameed (Jhelum) and Zaman Khan (Mirpur) Sindh – Asif Mehmood (Hyderabad), Imtiaz Leghari (Khairpur), Junaid Ilyas, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Shahid Mihrani (all four Karachi), Mushtaq Ahmed Kalhoro (Sukkur) and Usman Khan (Karachi) Southern Punjab – Ali Majid (Khanewal), Humayun Altaf (Lodhran), Kaleem Ullah (Layyah), Mohammad Sharoon Siraj (Sahiwal), Mohammad Jahangir (DG Khan), Mohammad Shahriyar and Mohammad Sudais (both Muzzafargarh) and Moin-ud-Din (Bahawalpur) This move is in line with the PCB’s policy of incentivising and rewarding top performers at each rung of domestic cricket and setting a clear pathway for graduation to the next level. The head coaches of the six Cricket Associations, who served as lead selectors of their sides, retained the core players, following which the remaining players were sent to a selection pool from where they were picked by other teams. Balochistan’s squad includes 55 per cent local players, which is a jump by 10 per cent from the last season as the PCB continues its efforts to develop the game in the province and provide opportunities to the youth to establish their careers as cricketers. In line with the promotion of the sport in the province, the PCB will commence the 2021-22 season from Quetta’s picturesque Bugti Stadium with the Cricket Associations T20 tournament starting on 15 September. The six squads will gather at the major centres in their jurisdictions for the pre-season camp from Sunday. Balochistan will have their camp at Quetta’s Bugti Stadium, Central Punjab’s will be conducted at LCCA Ground, Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Northern’s at House of Northern, Islamabad, Sindh’s at National Stadium, Karachi and Southern Punjab’s at Multan Cricket Stadium. Balochistan head coach Faisal Iqbal: “The CCA tournament provided a great opportunity to me to watch the upcoming cricketers of Balochistan and it helped me in further increasing the percentage of players in the squad. Last year, we had 45 per cent local players, which has now gone up to 55 per cent, which is a great sign for Balochistan cricket. Many of these top performers will be getting opportunities in the Second XI side, so when they reach the First XI team, they are well-prepared for the challenge, and can progress to Pakistan team.” Balochistan squad Abdul Hanan (Killa Abdullah), Abdul Nasir (Quetta), Abdul Rehman Muzammil (Multan), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Aftab Ahmed (Loralai), Akbar-ur-Rehman (Karachi), Akif Javed (Kohat), Ali Waqas (Sargodha), Amad Butt (Sialkot), Awais Zia (Chakwal), Ayyaz Tassawar (Sheikhupura), Azeem Ghumman (Karachi), Bismillah Khan (Quetta), Fahad Hussain (Jaffarabad), Fahad Iqbal (Karachi), Gohar Faiz (Quetta), Gulraiz Sadaf (Vehari), Haris Sohail (Sialkot), Hayat Ullah (Peshawar), Hidayatullah (Quetta), Jalat Khan (Quetta), Junaid Khan (Swabi), Kashif Bhatti (Shaheed Benazirabad), Khurram Shehzad (Mandi Bahauddin), Mohammad Ibrahim Snr (Quetta), Mohammad Idrees (Quetta), Mohammad Javed (Pishin), Mohammad Junaid (Quetta), Mohammad Shahid (Dera Murad Jamali), Najeebullah Achakzai (Quetta), Raza-ul-Hasan (Karachi), Sana Ullah (Loralai), Shehbaz Khan (Quetta), Shoaib Ahmed (Lasbela), Syed Zainullah (Pishin), Taimur Ali (Jaffarabad), Taj Wali (Peshawar), Tariq Jameel (Loralai), Umaid Asif (Sialkot) and Zainullah (Quetta) Additional players: Abid Ali Mengal (Naseerabad), Aqib Junaid (Lasbela), Bakhtiar Ahmed Shah (Noshki), Ehsan Ullah (Killa Abdullah), Nasir Khan (Loralai), Nazar Hussain (Quetta), Nizam Uddin (Panjgur), Salim Mal (Lasbela), Syed Ahmed Shah (Noshki) and Zubair Khan (Jaffarabad) Central Punjab head coach Abdul Razzaq: “It will be an exciting challenge to coach Central Punjab after spending last year at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was a great move to organise a camp of the top performers of the CCA tournament as it provided a fair and equal chance to all performers to display their skills and potential in front of coaches and it helped me in selecting promising players. I am confident that we have selected a squad that can outperform other sides in the season and I am eager to work on the skills of these players who can serve Pakistan in the future.” Central Punjab squad Abdullah Shafiq (Sialkot), Ahmed Bashir (Lahore), Ahmed Safi Abdullah (Faisalabad), Ahmed Shehzad (Lahore), Ali Shan (Faisalabad), Ali Zaryab (Lahore), Anas Mehmood (Lahore), Asad Ali Jnr (Hafizabad), Bilal Asif (Sialkot), Bilawal Iqbal (Lahore), Ehsan Adil (Gojra), Gohar Hafeez Butt (Lahore), Haider Ali (Lahore), Haseeb-ur- Rehman (Lahore), Hussain Talat (Lahore), Junaid Ali (Lahore), Kamran Afzal (Lahore), Kamran Akmal (Lahore), Mohammad Ali (Sialkot), Mohammad Faizan (Faisalabad), Mohammad Hafeez (Lahore), Mohammad Imran Dogar (Lahore), Mohammad Irfan Jnr (Sheikhupura), Mohammad Saad (Lahore), Mohammad Tabraiz (Sialkot), Mohammad Waheed (Lahore), Mudassar Riaz (Faisalabad), Muhammad Akhlaq (Gujranwala), Nisar Ahmed (Lahore), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Raza Ali Dar (Lahore), Rizwan Hussain (Faisalabad), Saad Nasim (Lahore), Saif Badar (Sialkot), Shoaib Malik (Sialkot), Sohaib Ullah (Sialkot), Umar Akmal (Lahore), Wahab Riaz (Lahore), Waqas Maqsood (Faisalabad) and Zafar Gohar (Lahore) Additional players: Abdul Ghaffar (Lahore), Abdul Samad (Faisalabad), Ali Hamza Snr (Hafizabad), Asfand Mehran (Lahore), Fahad Munir (Lahore), Irfan Khan Niazi (Mianwali), Mohammad Afzal (Kasur), Muhammad Saleem (Sheikhupura), Shahzaib Bhatti (Sialkot) and Yawar Bashir (Lahore) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa coach Abdur Rehman: “I have worked at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 10 years and I am very excited to be returning to the players with whom I had been working after spending two years at Southern Punjab. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has maintained high standard of cricket throughout the last season as they won every First XI tournament. The region has produced exciting cricketers recently, and my philosophy of coaching here would be to enhance the skills of the youngsters and provide them opportunities so they can be fruitful for Pakistan cricket.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa squad Aamer Azmat (Peshawar), Adil Amin (Peshawar), Ahmed Jamal (Abbottabad), Aitizaz Habib Khan (Mardan), Arshad Iqbal (Swabi), Ashfaq Ahmed (Charsadda), Asif Afridi (Peshawar), Farhan Khan (Mohmand), Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar), Imran Khan snr (Peshawar), Irfanullah Shah (Bannu), Israrullah (Dir Lower ), Kamran Ghulam (Peshawar), Khalid Usman (Swabi), Khayyam Khan (Swabi), Mashal Khan (Haripur), Mehran Ibrahim (Peshawar), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Mohammad Amir Khan (Swat), Mohammad Arif Shah (Mardan), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar), Mohammad Ibrahim (Swabi), Mohammad Imran (Swat), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Peshawar), Mohammad Khayyam (Swabi), Mohammad Mohsin Khan (Peshawar), Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (Peshawar), Mohammad Tahir (Bannu), Mohammad Wasim jnr (Peshawar), Musadiq Ahmed (Abbottabad), Nabi Gul (Nowshera), Niaz Khan (Swat), Rehan Afridi (Peshawar), Sahibzada Farhan (Peshawar), Sajid Khan (Peshawar), Sameen Gul (Peshawar), Saqib Jamil (Peshawar), Waqar Ahmad (Dir Lower), Yasir Khan (Bannu) and Zohaib Khan (Peshawar) Additional players: Arslan Sajjad (Abbottabad), Fazal-ur-Rehman (Kurram), Haris Khan (Charsadda) Junaid Khan Afridi (Khyber), Mahmood (Kurram), Mohammad Asad (Swabi), Mohammad Bilal (Mardan), Mohammad Wasim Khan (Bannu), Syed Fahad Shah (Mansehra) and Zeeshan Tahir (Dir Lower) Northern head coach Ijaz Ahmed Jnr: “Northern is rich of cricketing talent and it has produced some wonderful cricketers over the years. I am delighted to be coaching them for the upcoming season. We have been able to put together a well-balanced side for the upcoming season by keeping both red and white ball specialist players in the side. The camp of the CCA performers helped us in identification of young players in the region and it played a crucial role in helping me in having a close look at the upcoming cricketers, some of whom are selected for the 2021-22 season.” Northern squad Aamer Jamal  (Islamabad), Ali Imran  (Islamabad), Ali Sarfraz (Islamabad), Aqib Liaqat (Poonch), Asad Raza (Faisalabad), Asif Ali (Faisalabad), Ather Mehmood  (Gujranwala), Faizan Riaz (Islamabad), Farhan Shafiq (Islamabad), Haider Ali (Attock), Hammad Azam (Attock), Hamza Arshad (Rawalpindi), Imad Wasim (Islamabad), Jamal Anwar (Rawalpindi), Kashif Ali (Rawalpindi), Kashif Iqbal (Karachi), Mohammad Amir (Lahore), Mohammad Huraira  (Sialkot), Mubasir Khan (Rawalpindi), Munir Riaz (Rawalpindi), Musa Khan  (Rawalpindi), Nasir Nawaz (Rawalpindi), Raza Hassan  (Sialkot), Rohail Nazir (Islamabad), Sadaqat Ali (Faisalabad), Salman Irshad (Poonch), Sarmad Bhatti (Islamabad), Sarmad Hameed (Jhelum), Shadab Majeed (Mirpur), Sohail Akhter (Haripur), Sohail Tanvir (Rawalpindi), Taimur Sultan (Sargodha), Umair Masood  (Rawalpindi), Umar Amin (Rawalpindi), Umar Waheed (Rawalpindi), Usman Khan Shinwari (Khyber Agency), Waqas Ahmed  (Sialkot), Zaman Khan (Mirpur), Zeeshan Malik  (Rawalpindi) and Ziad Khan  (Rawalpindi) Additional players: Badr-ud-Din (Attock), Hasan Raza (Mirpur), Javed Khan (Muzaffarabad), Mohammad Aamer (Islamabad), Mohammad Ismail Khan (Rawalpindi), Naqi Raza (Rawalpindi), Shahid Ahmed (Mirpur), Shiraz Khan (Attock), Syed Aqib Shah (Rawalpindi) and Zaid Alam (Lahore) Sindh head coach Basit Ali: “The thought-process while putting together this squad was to fill in the gaps from the last season. We have strengthened our fast bowling and spin bowling departments as we have brought on board Zahid Mahmood and picked up young fast bowlers from the pre-training camp of the CCA top performers. My focus was to build a side which can turn around our red ball fortunes as we finished last in the last year’s first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.” Sindh squad Ahsan Ali (Karachi), Ammad Alam (Karachi), Anwar Ali (Karachi), Arish Ali Khan (Karachi), Asad Shafiq (Karachi), Ashiq Ali (Karachi), Asif Mehmood (Hyderabad), Danish Aziz (Karachi), Ghulam Mudassar (Karachi), Hassan Mohsin (Karachi), Ibrar Ahmed (Karachi), Imtiaz Leghari (Khairpur), Jahanzaib Sultan (Karachi), Jahid Ali (Karachi), Junaid Ilyas (Karachi), Khurram Manzoor (Karachi), Khuzaima Bin Tanveer (Karachi), Mir Hamza (Karachi), Mohammad Afzal (Karachi), Mohammad Asghar (Karachi), Mohammad Hasan (Karachi), Mohammad Shahid Mihrani (Karachi), Mohammad Suleman (Mirpurkhas), Mohammad Taha (Karachi), Mohammad Umar (Karachi), Mushtaq Ahmed Kalhoro (Sukkur), Omair Bin Yousuf (Karachi), Rameez Aziz (Karachi), Saad Ali (Karachi), Saad Khan (Hyderabad), Saifullah Bangash (Karachi), Saim Ayub (Karachi), Saud Shakeel (Karachi), Shan Masood (Karachi), Sharjeel Khan (Hyderabad), Sohail Khan (Karachi), Syed Faraz Ali (Karachi), Tabish Khan (Karachi), Usman Khan (Karachi) and Zahid Mahmood (Dadu) Additional players: Aamir Brohi (Larkana), Aashir Ahmed Siddiqui (Karachi), Amir Ali (Dadu), Daniyal Hussain Rajput (Hyderabad), Mohammad Ali Khan (Karachi), Mohammad Asad Malik (Hyderabad), Mohammad Makki (Karachi), Rumann Raees/ Tariq Khan (Karachi), Shahzar Hasan Khan (Karachi) and Shehzar Mohammad (Karachi) Southern Punjab head coach Shahid Anwar: “It is another great challenge of my coaching career to move to Southern Punjab. The Southern Punjab region is full of rich talent. We have developed squad keeping in mind that we have to build teams with the right combination of youth and experienced cricketers.” Southern Punjab squad Aamer Yamin (Multan), Ahsan Baig (Multan), Ali Majid (Khanewal), Ali Shafiq (Sialkot), Ali Usman (Vehari), Dilbar Hussain (Faisalabad), Hassan Khan (Karachi), Humayun Altaf (Lodhran), Imran Rafiq (D.G Khan), Kaleem Ullah (Layyah), Khushdil Shah (Bannu), M. Sharoon Siraj (Sahiwal), Maqbool Ahmed (Sahiwal), Mohammad Abbas (Sialkot), Mohammad Azam Khan (Karachi), Mohammad Ilyas (Peshawar), Mohammad Irfan (SLA) (Lahore), Mohammad Junaid (Muzaffarghar), Mohammad Shahriyar (Muzzafargarh), Mohammad Sudais (Muzzafargarh), Mohammad Umair (Bahawalpur), Moin-ud-Din (Bahwalpur), Muhammad Imran (Khanewal), Mukhtar Ahmed (Sialkot), Naseem Shah (Lahore), Naved Yasin (Vehari), Rahat Ali (Multan), Rameez Alam (Sahiwal), Salahuddin (Lahore), Salman Ali Agha (Lahore), Sohaib Maqsood (Multan), Tayyab Tahir (Lahore), Umar Khan (Rawalpindi), Umar Siddiq Khan (Lahore), Usman Salahuddin (Lahore), Waqar Hussain (Okara), Yousaf Babar (Multan), Zain Abbas (Khanewal), Zeeshan Ashraf (Okara) and Zia ul Haq (Vehari) Additional players: Abdullah Hamdani (Muzzafargarh), Abdul Rehman (Bahawalnagar), Anas Mustafa (Lahore), Faizan Zafar (Layyah), Hamza Akbar (Lahore), Mohammad Basit (D.I.Khan), Mohammad Jahangir (DG Khan), Shahbaz Khan (Lodhran), Usman Liaqat (Sahiwal) and Waseem Mehmood (Bahawalnagar)

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (September 2, 2021):-St Kitts & Nevis Patriots carried on their unbeaten start in the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a six wicket victory over the Jamaica Tallawahs. The Patriots won the toss and elected to field first and a disciplined bowling performance restricted the Tallawahs to 166/8, a total that appeared under par for the track. In reply the Patriots proved that assessment to be accurate as they made it four wins from four with another dominant batting display led by the tournament’s top scorer Sherfane Rutherford. The Tallawahs got their innings off to a lightning start with the hard-hitting duo of Chadwick Walton and Kennar Lewis putting on a blistering partnership of 41 runs inside 3.3 overs. However, once Paul Van Meekeren dismissed Kennar Lewis that led to a shift in the innings with the Patriots tightening the screws courtesy of some economical bowling by captain DJ Bravo. Things were to go from bad to worse for the Tallawahs when Walton had to retire hurt, tweaking his hamstring after running a quick single. It took an enterprising counter-attack by Rovman Powell and Carlos Brathwaite in the back end of the innings to revitalise the Tallawahs and this was further boosted by some late blows by the lower order to ensure they posted a respectable total. The Patriots made a similar start in their innings, with Evin Lewis bringing the early fireworks, but the wickets of Devon Thomas and Asif Ali in quick succession followed by Evin Lewis left the game in the balance. If things were finely poised Sherfane Rutherford and Fabian Allen made light work of the equation, a fantastic display of power hitting saw the pair smash 55 runs from 20 balls to seal the win at a canter.

By BIPIN DANI Sri Lankan Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne has cancelled his plan to go to England to play the County matches this season. The 33-year-old opening batsman was invited to play for the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club (NCCC). "No, he is not going there now. Due to the Covid restrictions in the UK, he has to cancel his plan to play for this County this season", one of his confidants, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, said on Thursday morning. "He was asked to be present there within 12 days but it was practically impossible to reach there via green-list country, where he was required to be in quarantine for 10 days", the source added. Even former captain Mahela Jayawardene had to take a flight to other country, spend ten days there in quarantine and then reached England for coaching in one of the teams in The Hundred tournament.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lahore (September 1, 2021):-Pakistan cricket selectors have named a 20-player squad for the three ICC Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals against New Zealand, which will be played in Rawalpindi on 17, 19 and 21 September. Uncapped wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris, fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Shahnawaz Dahani, and wrist-spinner Zahid Mahmood have been named in the squad, while middle-order batters Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah have been recalled. Iftikhar’s seventh and last ODI was against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi, while Khushdil’s only ODI appearance was also in the tied match against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi. Players who were part of the ODI series against England in July but have failed to retain their places are Haris Sohail, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Sohaib Maqsood. Pakistan ODI squad: Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shadab Khan (Northern), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) and Zahid Mahmood (Southern Punjab) Chief selector Mohammad Wasim: “The series against New Zealand is extremely important for Pakistan as the matches are part of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification. While we have tried to put together a formidable and a balanced unit, we have continued to ensure that we give opportunities to high performing players while looking into the future so that we can develop a strong bench-strength. “Shahnawaz Dahani was unfortunate to miss the selection for the England matches as the squad was announced before the start of the remaining 20 HBL PSL 6 matches. Hence, he was a straightforward selection when we sat to discuss and finalise the side for the New Zealand series. We have also given continued run to Mohammad Wasim, who impressed everyone in the T20Is against the West Indies. “Zahid Mahmood has been added to support Usman Qadir. While picking him, we took into consideration that he had excelled last time he played in a white-ball match in Lahore against South Africa. Although this time the format will be different, but in domestic 50-over competitions he has shown through his performances that he has the temperament to also perform in ODIs. “Mohammad Rizwan remains the first-choice wicketkeeper, as such, it has been decided to include 20-year-old Mohammad Haris in place of Sarfaraz Ahmed. This is not only to reward Haris for his outstanding domestic performances in the previous season, but also to give him a taste and flair of international cricket along with its rigours and demands and to ensure that we continue to groom young wicketkeepers who are fit and ready to step up when the opportunity presents itself. “Middle-order has remained our concern and, as such, after trying a few options, we have decided to give another run to Iftikhar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah, The two batters have played sufficient 50-over cricket at the domestic level and boast the required firepower to utilise the slog overs. We are optimistic they will come good in home conditions. “I know a few players will feel disappointed at missing out on the selection but we have a busy season of cricket ahead, which means there will be ample opportunities down the line for everyone to put up strong performances and push their case for national selection.”

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lahore (August 30, 2021):-The Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has approved 25 per cent crowd attendance for the upcoming Pakistan versus New Zealand series. New Zealand will arrive in Islamabad on 11 September with the three ODIs scheduled at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will stage the five T20Is. The decision means around 4,500 spectators will be able to attend the ODIs scheduled on 17, 19 and 21 September, while approximately 5,500 spectators will be able to watch the 25 September, 26 September, 29 September, 1 October and 3 October T20Is. Only spectators who are fully vaccinated and have Immunisation Certificate for Covid-19 will be allowed entry inside the stadia. Following the NCOC decision, the PCB will shortly announce ticket prices and other details for New Zealand’s first tour to Pakistan in 18 years. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “Spectators are the essence of any sport event as they create an ambiance and atmosphere for the players to excel, perform and enjoy. In this background, we are grateful to the NCOC for allowing the PCB to invite 25 per cent crowds for the eight matches. “I am sure following the NCOC decision, the unvaccinated cricket followers will expedite their vaccination process so that they can witness the first series on home soil between the two sides since 2003. “This will be an opportunity for the spectators to not only enjoy some quality cricket in the season-opening series but also support and back players from either side as the ODIs count towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 qualification, while the T20Is will lead into the ICC T20 World Cup.”

By BIPIN DANI All players and support staff members of the visiting South African team tested Covid-19 negative on their first PCR tests done on their arrival on Thursday, it is learnt. The next PCR tests for the visiting team will be conducted on 29th September.  Temba Bavuma-led South African squad arrived in Colombo on Thursday morning.  Sri Lanka's two army doctors have been assigned to comply with the Covid-related issues and tests during their 20-day stay in Sri Lanka. The visitors too have brought their own physician, it is learnt.  Both teams-South Africa and the Sri Lankan teams are staying in the same hotel.  The members of the home team also gave their PCR tests on Wednesday and all found negatives.  The three D/N ODIs' (September 2, 4 & 7) and the three-night T-20Is (Sept. 10,12 & 14) will be played at R. Premadasa Stadium behind closed doors.  Batting coach returns    Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower who had to miss the last series against India has returned. The Zimbabwe-born Flower was tested positive after returning from England and had to be isolated. The other support staff member G.T. Niroshan too was to be dropped for the same reason against the India series. He was replaced by Prad Navaratnam. He will continue to be with the team for the series against South Africa.