Sports Bulletin

Salman Khan MULTAN:-A career-best bowling performance by Mohammad Nawaz following impressive half-centuries by Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq earned Pakistan 120 runs victory over the West Indies in the second ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League fixture here on Friday night. The win lifted Pakistan from the pre-series 10th position to fourth spot. They are on equal points with the West Indies on 80, but are placed ahead of the two-time former world champions on net run-rate. In front of another full house, Nawaz turned the screws on the West Indies with his cunning and shrewd bowling to over and chasing return figures of 10-0-19-4 as the West Indies were skittled out for 155 in 32.2 overs after being 102 for three in the 19th over and chasing 276 for victory. This was Nawaz’s second career four-fer in 18 appearances after he had taken four for 42 against the same opposition in Sharjah in September 2016. Nawaz’s scalps included Shamarah Brooks (42), Brandon King (0), Nicholas Pooran (25) and Rovman Powell (10). Shaheen Shah Afridi, as he often does, provided a breakthrough in his first over when he dismissed last match’s centurion Shai Hope (4). But Brooks and Kyle Mayers repaired the damage with 67 runs second-wicket partnership. Mayers was ruthless on Pakistan’s fast bowlers, punishing them for four fours and two sixes in a 25-ball 33 before Mohammad Wasim disturbed the furniture behind the left-hander. Wasim finished with figures of three for 34. Nawaz got into action and claimed four straight wickets before Shadab Khan joined in the fun when he dismissed Romario Shepherd as the West Indies lost their last seven wickets for 83 runs to capsize for 155 without offering a real fight. Shadab added the wicket of Hayden Walsh to finish with two for 40. Earlier, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. Fakhar Zaman suffered his second successive failure when he was dismissed for a 28-ball 17 but Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam stitched a 120-run second wicket partnership that proved to the cornerstone of Pakistan’s 275 for eight. Imam scored run-a-ball 72 with six fours before his innings concluded after his mate Babar preferred to look at the ball instead of his partner that stunned the left-hander and left him stranded at the middle of the pitch. This was Imam’s sixth consecutive half-century after he had scored 56 (against England), 103, 106, 89 not out (all against Australia) and 65 (against the West Indies on Friday). Babar Azam, whose previous five scores were 158, 57, 114, 105 not out, 103, was on course for a fourth successive century but was beaten in the flight off Akeal Hosein and was caught and bowled by the left-arm spinner. Babar scored a 93-ball 77 that included five fours and a six. Babar’s dismissal produced three wickets of Mohammad Rizwan (15), Mohammad Haris (6) and Mohammad Nawaz (3) for the West Indies. However, small contributions by Shadab Khan (22), Khushdil Shah (22), Mohammad Wasim (17 not out) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (15 not out) propelled Pakistan to reach a position from where they could dictate terms. Pakistan collected 27 runs in the last two overs, including 12 off the penultimate over by Anderson Phillip and 15 off the final over of the innings by Romario Shepherd that included three fours by Shaheen Shah Afridi. For the West Indies, Hosein was the pick of the bowlers with three for 52, while Alzarri Joseph and Phillip equally shared four wickets between them conceding 33 and 50 runs, respectively. The third and final ODI of the series will be played on Sunday. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat West Indies by 120 runs Pakistan 275-8, 50 overs (Babar Azam 77, Imam-ul-Haq 72, Shadab Khan 22, Khushdil Shah 22; Akeal Hosein 3-52, Alzarri Jospeh 2-33, Anderson Phillip 2-50) West Indies 155 all out, 32.2 overs (Shamarh Brooks 42, Kyle Mayers 33, Nicholas Pooran 25; Mohammad Nawaz 4-19, Mohammad Wasim 3-34, Shadab Khan 2-40) Player of the match – Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-The Hundred Overseas Wildcard Draft has seen yet more international men’s and women’s superstars sign up to take part in The Hundred this summer. In a world first for cricket, overseas men’s and women’s players have been drafted together ahead of an exciting summer of world-class sport and family-friendly entertainment. The big signings include: Oval Invincibles selected Pakistan quick bowler Mohammad Hasnain as the first men’s pick while Afghan teenage spin sensation Noor Ahmad heads to Welsh Fire The Aussies are coming to the women’s competition with Welsh Fire picking up Nicola Carey as their first pick and Trent Rockets snapping up Elyse Villani South African star Imran Tahir will return to Birmingham Phoenix after lighting up The Hundred last year with the competition’s first hat-trick Other international stars in the women’s game include India’s Deepti Sharma heading to Birmingham Phoenix while New Zealand internationals Lea Tahuhu, Jess Kerr and Suzie Bates join Manchester Originals, London Spirit and Oval Invincibles respectively. For the first time in any cricketing competition, women’s players are being drafted along with the men as The Hundred takes another step towards providing an equal platform for women’s and men’s cricket. Mohammad Hasnain said: “I’m overjoyed to be joining Oval Invincibles. The Hundred looked like great fun last year and I can’t wait to get involved. The opportunity to play alongside stars like Sunil Narine, Jason Roy and the Curran brothers is hugely exciting. I’m really looking forward to getting back out on the field again.” Nicola Carey said: “I’m really excited to be heading to Welsh Fire. We’ve already got a strong Aussie contingent with Rachael Haynes and Annabel Sutherland and combine that with Tammy Beaumount as skipper and we’ve got the makings of a really strong squad. I’ve never played at Cardiff before and I’m looking forward to seeing the Welsh Fire fans making lots of noise at Sophia Gardens.” Sanjay Patel, Managing Director of The Hundred said: “It is brilliant news to welcome 16 more international stars to The Hundred. Players from seven countries have been selected and it’s great to welcome the likes of Mohammad Hasnain, Deepti Sharma and Suzie Bates to The Hundred this year. This continues to take the quality of cricket to another level and we can’t wait for a second summer of incredible sporting action.” Team-by-team – Overseas Wildcard Draft highlights Welsh Fire selected Australian star and World Cup winner Nicola Carey as the first women’s overseas selection. Afghanistan teenage spinning sensation Noor Ahmad will be heading to Cardiff after turning heads at the recent ICC U19 Men’s World Cup. Oval Invincibles chose exciting Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain as the first men’s overseas selection. They selected New Zealand batter Suzie Bates, one of the greatest cricketers in the history of the women’s game, in an impressive pair of picks. Trent Rockets named experienced Australian batter Elyse Villani as their women’s overseas pick while Australian Daniel Sams joins after impressing with Mumbai Indians in the IPL and Essex Eagles in the Vitality Blast. Northern Superchargers picked up Namibian allrounder David Wiese as the second men’s pick. Australian international Heather Graham joins after being part of her country’s recent World Cup winning squad. Manchester Originals snapped up New Zealand fast bowler Lea Tahuhu who will link up with her wife and fellow New Zealand legend Amy Satterthwaite at Emirates Old Trafford. The men selected Australian batter Ashton Turner who is currently captaining Durham in the Vitality Blast. New Zealand bowler Jess Kerr will link up with her sister Amelia at London Spirit. On the men’s side they secured powerful Australian batter Ben McDermott off the back of his great form for Hampshire Hawks in the Vitality Blast. Birmingham Phoenix retained South African spinner Imran Tahir with their men’s pick. Tahir provided one of the moments from the first year of The Hundred with his match winning hat-trick against Welsh Fire, the first in the competition. The women’s side selected India spinning allrounder Deepti Sharma who featured for London Spirit in the first edition of The Hundred. Southern Brave secured Australian spinner Molly Strano, the top wicket taker in the history of the Women’s Big Bash League, and explosive New Zealander batter Finn Allen with the last men’s pick. The window for the women’s sides to sign players remains open with teams having until 30 June to complete their squads. The men’s squads will be completed with the domestic Vitality Wildcard draft on 7 July.

Ibrahim Badees LAHORE:-The story of Abdul Wahid Bangalzai is an example for budding cricketers that tells anything can be achieved, only if you believe in your passion and then have the determination and resolve to pursue it with all the energy you have. The Quetta-boy is chasing his dreams despite coming from a humble background. His father is a driver who took loan to buy him his first white playing kit. After representing Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 and following a stellar 2021-22 domestic cricket season, he is now one of the 107 cricketers in the PCB’s Pathways Programme, which entitles the aspiring youngsters to monthly stipend of PKR30,000, education scholarship in an elite institution and coaching by international coaches at the National High Performance Centre. “I didn’t have the spikes and I traveled to and from the ground by sitting on the roof of the bus as the ticket for that spot was cheaper. My dad did not have the money to buy a white kit for me to attend my first cricket camp, but he took loan from his friends to fulfill my first cricket wish. “Today, after I have represented Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 and ACC U19 Asia Cup, my father is a proud man. My goal now is to represent Pakistan men’s cricket team in all three formats of the game and make him prouder than ever before,” recalled Abdul Wahid Bangalzai while talking to PCB Digital. The top-order batter had a phenomenal 2021-22 domestic season, which included an unbeaten 203 against defending champion Central Punjab in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy that made him the first batter from Balochistan to achieve the feat. He finished the tournament with 366 runs in eight first-class innings at an average of 61. Abdul Wahid was the cornerstone of Balochistan’s maiden domestic title after he aggregated 497 runs in 12 Pakistan Cup matches. The 19-year-old also had success in the National T20 when he scored 232 runs. “As son of a driver, we barely saw money. My dad earned around PKR13,000 and I remember going to bed without having dinner. I still remember words from my neighbours that the old man is working whole day and seeking loans, while Abdul Wahid has gone mad and is wasting his time on cricket!” Abdul Wahid believes that the new PCB Pathways Programme has facilitated talented players from Balochistan to flourish in their careers and his inclusion in 107 aspiring young cricketers of PCB Pathways Programme will encourage them to improve their skills. “It was not easy task for me to establish myself as a batter until the new structure came into existence. The players from Balochistan are now getting more opportunities through and the PCB Pathways Programme, which is making them more realistic, hardworking and committed.”

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced that fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain’s bowling action has been found to be legal after the amount of elbow extension in the reassessment was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations. As such, he can now resume bowling in international cricket and all domestic cricket worldwide. Hasnain was suspended from bowling following tests conducted on his bowling action at the ICC’s accredited testing centre in Lahore on 21 January. The test report, which was reviewed and verified by the Cricket Australia’s independent expert, had found his bowling action to be illegal. Hasnain underwent reassessment of his bowling action on 21 May at the ICC’s accredited testing centre in Lahore and the report was again verified by the Cricket Australia’s independent experts, as required under the ICC regulations. Hasnain was reported for a suspect bowling action in January during Cricket Australia’s domestic cricket competition.

Sports Report MULTAN:-Multan’s 14-year wait for the return of international cricket was rewarded with a record-breaking century by Babar Azam and Khushdil Shah’s whirlwind knock as Pakistan defeated the West Indies by five wickets in a last-over thrilling first ODI of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League on Wednesday. After scoring 114 and 105 not out in the last two ODIs against Australia in Lahore on 31 March and 2 April, respectively, Babar Azam struck another signature 103 off 107 balls that turned out to be the cornerstone of Pakistan’s effort of overhauling the West Indies’ 305 for eight with just four balls remaining. When Babar Azam struck his ninth boundary to reach the magical figures, he achieved three rare records. The world No.1 became the first batter in the history of ODI cricket to record three consecutive centuries on two different occasions, completed the fastest 1,000 ODI runs as captain and became the quickest to 17 ODI centuries. In September/October 2016, Babar had scored 120, 123 and 117 to become the third Pakistan batter after Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar and eighth overall to hit three successive centuries. In reaching 1,000 ODI runs in his 13th innings as captain, he eclipsed Virat Kohli’s record who had achieved this milestone in his 17th innings. Babar’s 17th career century came in his 85th innings that bettered Hashim Amla’s record who had scored his 17th century in 98th innings. Babar had joined Imam-ul-Haq at the score of 26 for one and added 103 runs for the second wicket with the left-hander who departed after scoring 65 off 71 balls with six fours. The Pakistan captain then put on 108 runs for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan, who contributed a 61-ball 59 with two fours and a six. However, the dismissals of Babar and Rizwan in a span of 19 balls with 50 runs required off 32 balls created a bit of panic in the home team’s camp. However, Khushdil Shah rose to the occasion and repeated his heroics in the second ODI against Australia by slapping four sixes (three off successive deliveries from Romario Shepherd) and a four in a 23-ball 41 not out. In the second ODI on 31 March, Khushdil had struck two fours and two sixes in a 17-ball 27 not out as Pakistan achieved the 349-run target with six balls to spare. Earlier, Shai Hope stroked his 12th ODI century and put on 154 runs for the second wicket with Shamarh Brooks as the visitors collected 305 for eight in 50 overs after electing to bat first. Hope scored 127 off 134 balls with 15 fours and a six, while Brooks’ 83-ball 70 contained seven fours. Cameos by Nicholas Pooran (21 off 16 balls with three sixes), Rovman Powell (32 off 23 balls with five fours) and Romario Shepherd 25 off 18 balls with two sixes) helped the visitors cross the 300-mark. For Pakistan, Haris Rauf was the most successful and expensive bowler when he picked up four wickets conceding 77 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi took two for 55, while Mohammad Nawaz picked up one wicket. Shadab Khan, returning to ODI action after a long lay-off, was impressive with the ball – giving away 37 runs in his 10 overs and picking up a wicket. In addition to the caught and bowled, he took an athletic one-handed catch at short third man to dismiss a dangerous looking Brooks to end the second wicket partnership. The second ODI will be played on Friday, while the third ODI will be held on Sunday. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat the West Indies by five wickets West Indies 305-8, 50 overs (Shai Hope 127, Shamarh Brooks 70, Rovman Powell 32, Romario Shepherd 25, Nicholas Pooran 21; Haris Rauf 4-77, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-55) Pakistan 306-5, 49.2 overs (Babar Azam 103, Imam-ul-Haq 65, Mohammad Rizwan 59, Khushdil Shah 41 not out; Alzarri Joseph 2-55) Player of the match – Khushdil Shah (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin Report Muzaffarabad (AJK):-Kotli United have won the title of 4th edition of Zalmi Madrasa Cricket League after beating Kashmir Tigers by 53 runs in the final at Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK). Mohammad Hassan was declared man of the match of Kotli United for scoring 88 runs. League was organized by Peshawar Zalmi and Zalmi Foundation jointly. Earlier in the semi-finals, Kashmir Tigers defeated CB Patriots by 8 runs while in the second semi-final, Kotli United defeated NC Mauverick by six wickets. Chief guests, Chairman Sufi Peace Forum Pir Ali Raza Bukhari, Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs Hafiz Hamid Raza and Azad Kashmir Government spokesperson Irfan Ashraf distributed the prizes among the players. The guests on the occasion congratulated Peshawar Zalmi, Zalmi Foundation and its Chairman Javed Afridi on the successful organization of Zalmi Madrasa League and said that Peshawar Zalmi was doing a great job of promoting religious harmony and encouraging Madaris students. Peshawar Zalmi Chairman Javed Afridi congratulated Kotli United team which on winning the title. Javed Afridi said that the purpose of organizing Zalmi Madrasa League was to give opportunity to the students of Madrasa to show their talents and to promote religious harmony.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-England batter Joe Root has overtaken Kane Williamson and Steve Smith to move within 10 rating points of top-ranked Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne in the latest weekly update to the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Root, who had lost the top spot to Labuschagne in December 2021 during the Ashes series, has gained 39 points after guiding England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first match of their ICC World Test Championship series at Lord’s. Root’s 115 not out in the second innings, his 26th Test century, has taken him from 843 to 882 rating points. Smith is third with 845 points while Williamson has slipped behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam to fifth. England captain Ben Stokes’s second innings half-century has lifted him two places to 27th. New Zealand’s Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell have also made important gains in Wednesday’s update. Blundell has progressed 15 places to 35th after scores of 14 and 96 and Mitchell 25 places to 50th with innings of 13 and 108. In the Test rankings for bowlers, New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson is back at his career-best third position after finishing with six wickets in the match. England seam bowler James Anderson, who also took six wickets, has moved up two places to seventh while his compatriot Matthew Potts has entered the rankings in 77th position after an impressive seven-wicket match haul on debut. Afghanistan players have made notable gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after taking a 2-0 lead over Zimbabwe in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series. Rahmat Shah has moved up two places to 29th position after aggregating 181 runs in the two matches while spin bowler Mohammad Nabi is up eight places to 11th with six wickets. Hashmatullah Shahidi (up eight places to 50th) among batters and Rashid Khan (up one place to third among all-rounders) have also moved up the tables. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza is up six places to joint-42nd among batters. The ODI update, which also takes into account the last two matches of the Netherlands versus West Indies series and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 matches played in Pearland (USA) over the past week, Windies spinner Akeal Hosein has moved up 14 places to 37th among bowlers. The United Arab Emirates pair of Vriitya Anand (up 29 places to 77th) and Chirag Suri (up 25 places to 87th), and Netherlands’ Max O’Dowd (up 33 places to 81st) have advanced in the batters’ list. The MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, see Australia captain Aaron Finch enter the top five and his opening partner David Warner move up eight places to 45th after guiding their team to a 10-wicket win with a 134-run stand in the first match of a three-T20I series against Sri Lanka. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who was named Player of the Match for his haul of four for 16, has moved up one place to second position. For Sri Lanka, opener Prathum Nissanka (up two places to seventh) and Charith Asalanka (up 14 places to 29th) have moved up the rankings for batters while Maheesh Theekshana is up three places to 21st among bowlers.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-Pakistan opener Sidra Ameen and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu have made notable progress in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings after finishing as the top run makers for their teams in the first series of the ICC Women’s Championship. Sidra, who scored 218 runs including a match-winning 123 in the second ODI to be named Player of the Series after the 2-1 win, has moved up 19 places to a career-best 35th position. Her previous best was 51st attained during this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Athapaththu, who smashed a match-winning 101 in the second ODI and totalled 142 runs, has re-entered the rankings in 23rd position. Athapaththu’s career-best is eighth position attained during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 in England. Captain Bismah Maroof remains the top-ranked Pakistan batter, her 98 runs in the series helping her retain 26th position, while Muneeba Ali’s 86 runs see her advance four places to 54th in the list led by Alyssa Healy of Australia. Harshitha Madavi (41st), Prasadani Weerakkody (64th), Kavisha Dilhari (66th) and Nilakshi de Silva (73rd) are other prominent Sri Lanka players in the batters’ list after their team won their first match against Pakistan in three editions of the ICC Women’s Championship. Meanwhile, several South Africa and Ireland players have been preparing for their upcoming IWC series with some fine performances in an ongoing three-match T20I series in Dublin that is level 1-1. Ireland all-rounder Gaby Lewis has achieved a career-best 23rd ranking after leading the series run chart with 83 runs in two matches. Mary Waldron (up six places to joint-79th) has also moved up the ranking for batters while Leah Paul (up seven places to 76th) and Celeste Raack (up five places to 87th) are the Ireland bowlers to progress. For South Africa, Tazmin Brits is up from 39th to 36th while Chloe Tryon (up four places to 49th), Anne Bosch (up 32 places to 60th) and Nadine de Klerk (up five places to joint-79th) have made notable gains among batters. In the bowling list led by Sophie Ecclestone, South Africa fast bowler Ismail has retained third position after taking two wickets, while Tumi Sekhukhune has advanced 20 places to take 27th position with five wickets in the two matches. Nadine de Klerk is also up in this list to 48th.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Babar Azam, world’s number-one batter in white-ball cricket and Pakistan’s all-format captain, has a huge fan following around the world. Former Pakistan Under-19 captain Qasim Akram is also one of Babar’s admirers and wants to follow in his footsteps so that he can also make a meaningful impact in the game. “I idolise Babar Azam as a batter,” Qasim told PCB website, adding: “He is an articulate batter and I want to be the next Babar Azam of this world.” Qasim also hails from his idol’s hometown in Lahore, where his father works in a pre-loved clothing shop. After captaining Pakistan in the West Indies tournament, he has remained Babar’s teammate in Central Punjab and HBL PSL franchise Karachi Kings. “It was an unforgettable experience for me to have such a great mind around. I have learnt from him how to build an innings, play cover-drives and improve pull-shots.” The 19-year old scored 203 runs and took 10 wickets in six matches of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2022. While representing Central Punjab in the National T20 2021-22, he took 11 wickets. Qasim scored a half-century in the HBL PSL 2022 for Karachi Kings, while in the Pakistan Cup 2021-22, he scored 285 runs and grabbed 10 wickets from 10 outings. “Babar has performed wherever he has played and I regularly follow his batting skills. So, I feel fortunate enough to share the dressing room with him. As a world number-one batter, he has set such high standards in Pakistan cricket that I would like to meet.” The middle-order batter and off-spinner is also among 107 players who are part of the PCB Pathways Programme. The four-week camp for the players’ is likely to start in the second week of June in Muridke, which is in line with PCB’s strategy to invest in young players. “PCB Pathways Programme is a great initiative where the young cricketers will receive a stipend of PKR30,000 per month and also earn 100 per cent educational scholarship, which will not only help them but also their families,” Qasim said. Qasim, with his off-spin bowling, has to date picked 14 wickets from nine first-class matches and is hoping to prolong his career like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. “I follow how Shoaib Malik and Mohammed Hafeez have extended their careers as all-rounders. I am presently working to improve my off-spin skills.”

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has divided the fielding responsibilities of the national cricket team between the two coaches-Anton Roux and Manoj Abeyeickrama-, it is learnt.    Anton Roux, who was till now working at the High Performance Centre, has joined the Sri Lanka national team's coaching staff. The USA-born Roux, who turned 41 on Sunday will be the fielding coach for the white ball games. Manoj Abeywickrama, who last was with the national Test team on Bangladesh tour will take over the fielding charge for the Test matches. The team had an optional training on Monday, a day before the first T-20I night match on Tuesday. The team is also assisted by eight net bowlers, who come from their respective homes at the ground.  TV commentary Former Australian wicket-keeper batter Brad Haddin is one of the TV commentators for the bilateral matches against Sri Lanka, commencing Tuesday, it is confirmed. The 44-year-old Haddin has the highest experience of playing 226 international matches (34 T20Is, 126 ODIs and 66 Tests) among all five commentators. This has been his first Sri Lanka tour as a commentator. The other fIve commentators are regular faces in Sri Lanka. They are : Russel Arnold, Farveez Maharoof, Roshan Abeysinghe, HD Ackerman and Aamer Sohail. Both Arnold and Sohail have also played over 200 international matches for Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively, although Sohail has not played the T-20Is.