Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that South African batter Zubayr Hamza has been suspended from all cricket-related activities for nine months after admitting to an anti-doping rule violation under the ICC Anti-Doping Code. Hamza provided an out-of-competition sample on 17 January 2022 in Paarl, South Africa, in which the prohibited substance Furosemide - which is a specified substance in Section S5 of the 2022 WADA Prohibited List - was found. He admitted the violation and, having established no significant fault or negligence on his part, a nine-month period of ineligibility has been imposed, backdated to 22 March 2022, the date that Hamza accepted a provisional suspension.  The effect of this suspension is that Hamza will be eligible to return to cricket on 22 December 2022. In addition, all of Hamza’s individual performances between 17 January and 22 March 2022 have been disqualified. Alex Marshall, ICC General Manager – Integrity Unit said: “The ICC is committed to keeping cricket clean and has a zero-tolerance approach to doping. It is also a timely reminder to all international cricketers that they remain responsible for anything they put into their bodies, to know exactly what medication they are taking so as to ensure it does not contain a prohibited substance and does not result in an anti-doping rule violation.”

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-Tom Harrison has decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after more than seven years in the role. He will leave the organisation in June. The ECB Board will now begin a comprehensive search process to identify the next CEO who will lead the ECB and work with stakeholders across cricket to ensure the continued growth and development of the sport. A key part of this role will be taking on leadership of the game-wide programme of action and improvement to make cricket a welcoming and diverse sport, including through the continued implementation of the action plan agreed in November 2021 to drive out discrimination within the game. Clare Connor, currently Managing Director of England Women’s Cricket, has agreed to become interim CEO when Harrison leaves until a permanent successor is in post. Since taking up the role of CEO in January 2015, Harrison has overseen record levels of investment across the game at all levels and has led the delivery of the ECB’s ‘Inspiring Generations’ strategy, which aims to make cricket a bigger and more accessible and inclusive sport. He also led the ECB’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic as cricket confronted unprecedented financial challenges and became the first sport to achieve the return of competitive international fixtures in July 2020. The growth of the game – including the launch of children’s participation programmes All Stars and Dynamos - has been supported by significantly increased investment in the sport, as the ECB’s annual revenue almost trebled during Harrison’s tenure. Support from broadcast and commercial partners has been crucial to this growth, including through a successful long-term partnership with Sky and the return of live cricket to free-to-air TV with the BBC. Tom Harrison said: “It has been a huge honour to be CEO of the ECB for the past seven years. Cricket is an extraordinary force for good in the world and my goal has been to make the game bigger and ensure more people and more communities in England and Wales feel they have a place in this sport. The long-term health of cricket depends on its ability to grow and remain relevant and be more inclusive in an ever-changing world. “The past two years have been incredibly challenging, but we have pulled together to get through the pandemic, overcome cricket’s biggest financial crisis, and committed to tackling discrimination and continuing the journey towards becoming the inclusive, welcoming sport we strive to be. I have put everything into this role, but I believe now is the right time to bring in fresh energy to continue this work.” Martin Darlow, Interim ECB Chair, said: “Tom has been an outstanding CEO and deserves our sincere thanks for all he has achieved in his time at the ECB. Through the Inspiring Generations strategy, he has set the game on a path to growth and to being played and watched by more people from all backgrounds, underpinned by record investment in cricket. “When the pandemic struck, it was Tom’s leadership that brought the game together and saved us from the worst financial crisis the sport has ever faced. He has always put the interests of the game first and worked to lead important change to make our game more accessible and inclusive, though we all know there is still much more work to do. “We will now begin the search for his successor who can build on all that he has achieved. I’m pleased that Clare Connor has agreed to step into the role on an interim basis while this process is under way.”

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanikan all-rounder Angelo Mathews has joined the company of 12 other Test cricketers who were dismissed on 199 runs. The list also includes another Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya (against India at Colombo in 1997).   Incidentally, Mathews had also missed the magical figure (of hundred) by mere a single run (against India at Mumbai in 2009) when he was run out. "Any batsman missing the magical figure is more painful", his elder brother Trevin Mathews, who has also played cricket and is now in the coaching profession said over the telephone from Colombo.   "If a batsman loses his wicket at 99 runs is always a little painful but when he is out at 199 runs is definitely more painful".    "Instead of hitting a big shot on the onside, my brother should have tried to run a short shot to enable him to run for a single...but what to do...It was not in his destiny on Monday", the brother added. However, former Pakistani opener Mudassar Nazar believes that losing a wicket at 99 is more painful. "I think it would be more painful if you were out on 99. I was once out on 95 and I find it more hurtful than being out on 199. Missing out on a Test century is unthinkable". Also, remaining not out on 199 (Kumara Sangakkara and Andy Flower) and running out of partners would be hard to make but think about the poor partner. He would be grief stricken at letting you down", Nazar added. Mathews' father,  Tyronne Mathews, who had also played cricket in his time, however, termed the dismissal as "unfortunate". "This all happens in the game. But we are not disappointed. Satisfied with his score of 199 runs", the father said. Marthews already had one unbeaten double century in a Test against Zimbabwe (at Harare in 2020).

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Lahore outclassed Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) by 9 wickets in the final of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy at Bhutto Shaheed Cricket Ground G-7 Islamabad on Monday. Matiullah got man of the match award. In the morning, Lahore won the toss and put AJK into bat. Apparently, the decision didn’t go in Lahore's favor as AJK put a mammoth total on the board. AJK made 262 runs for the loss of 1 wicket in the allotted 20 overs. Nisar Ali made 126 runs off 59 balls featuring 21 (4s) and 1 six and Faisal Mehmood made 81 runs off 41 balls. Imran Mughal took 1 wicket. Lahore in reply played exceptionally well and chased the huge target in just 17.5 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Matiullah was the top scorer with 111 runs off 50 balls featuring 19 (4’s) and 1 six, whereas Kamran Akhtar made 78 runs off 39 balls and Mohammad Salman played a brisk inning of 50 runs off 18 balls. Habib Taj was the only bowler to claim a wicket. Shoaib Qasirani (Head of Business Analytics NBP), Syed Sultan Shah (Chairman Pakistan Blind Cricket Council), Syed Salman Bokhari (Director Cricket Operations PBCC), Anwar Ali (Director Finance PBCC), Mohammad Bilal (President ICCB) were the guests and distributed prizes amongst the players. Player of the Tournament: B1: Riasat Khan (Abottabad) B2: Anees Javed (Islamabad) B3: Mohsin Khan (Peshawar) Best Wicket Keeper: Zahid Mehmood (Islamabad) On Sunday, in the first semifinal AJK beat Islamabad by 19 runs at the same venue. AJK won the toss and decided to bat first. Openers Faisal Mehmood and Nisar Ali toiled the strong bowling of Islamabad and both knitted 197 runs for the 1st wicket partnership. AJK made 222 runs on the board for the loss of 5 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Faisal Mehmood was the top scorer with 93 runs off 54 balls and Nisar Ali made 91 runs off 59 balls. Anees Javed was the only bowler to claim a wicket. In reply, Islamabad was well on the course to chase the target till the 12th over, but Anees Javed’s wicket opened the opportunity to AJK and they grabbed it with both hands.  Shahzeb Haider tried his best in a fighting inning of 98 runs off 66 runs but Islamabad was restricted to 203 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. Anees Javed was the 2nd best scorer with 50 runs off 30 balls. Muhammad was the pick amongst the bowler with 2 wickets to his name. Faisal Mehmood was judged man of match. Later, in the second semifinal, Lahore beat Bahawalpur by 54 runs Bhutto Shaheed Cricket Ground. Bahawalpur won the toss and put Lahore into bat. Lahore got off to a flyer, as their openers Matiullah and Kamran Akhtar took advantage of fielding restrictions and scored 82 runs in the first 6 overs. They both got out in the 8th over a total score of 98 runs, Matiullah and Kamran scored 35 and 46 runs respectively. Then Muhammad Salman and Sanwal Shahzada took charge and scored freely, both were dismissed on 44 and 49 runs respectively. Lahore posted a huge total of 243 runs on the board for the loss of 8 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Sajid Nawaz took 2 wickets, while Saqib and Ejaz claimed a wicket apiece. In reply, Bahawalpur got the big jolt in the first over, when their most dependant batsman Muhammad Rashid was bowled by Matiullah on just 1 run. Moeen Ali and Zafar Iqbal weren’t impressive either, they both fell cheaply. Lahore tightened the grip with clinical bowling and fielding and restricted Bahawalpur to 189 runs, Bahawalpur was bowled out in 19.4 overs.  Kamran Akhtar claimed two wickets, while Matiullah, Karamat and Rizwan claimed a wicket apiece. Man of the match awarded was declared Kamran Akhtar.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-As many as 1,118 young girls and women participated in the trials organised in five of the six Cricket Associations as the Pakistan Cricket Board’s efforts to make the game more gender-inclusive continue. The biggest turnout was in Central Punjab where 287 players appeared in trials. With 250 players, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was next. In what is a major development for the women’s game in Balochistan, 218 teenagers and women participated in the trials. 223 and 140 players gave trials in Southern Punjab and Northern. The selection panel in these CAs, which comprised highly qualified coaches in former Test and first-class cricketers, selected players across the U19, emerging (ages 19-24) and senior (ages 25-28) categories. 125, 139 and 40 players were selected in the U19, emerging and senior categories in Balochistan, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern (Muzaffarabad remaining) and Southern Punjab. Head of Women’s Cricket Tania Mallick: “The turnout in these trials is overwhelming. It underscores the appetite of women’s cricket in the country and has played a crucial role in the identification of talent in different parts. I want to thank parents around the country for facilitating their daughters to appear in these trials and this is a good omen for women’s cricket. The educational institutions have also played a major role in making these trials a success by bringing their students to venues. “I want to congratulate and thank the CAs who have played a robust role in the smooth execution of trials. These trials are the first step in the long journey for the development and promotion of the women’s cricket in the country, and it cannot be done without the support of CAs and we will continue to provide all the necessary support for it.” The selected players have ample opportunities with a bumper women’s cricket season ahead. The inaugural U19 World Cup next year provides teenage cricketers opportunities to make a name for themselves at a global stage, while players selected in other categories can push for the national selection by standing out in domestic T20 and One-Day tournaments as well as in a franchise tournament. Pakistan national women’s team have a busy 2022-23 season which kicks off with the T20I series against Sri Lanka later this month. They feature in three ICC Women’s Championship series, two of which will be played in Pakistan, Commonwealth Games, ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The trials are a joint-effort of the PCB and CAs to strengthen the women player talent pool by making the game more accessible, and promote the sport amongst the female population of the country. The trials in Muzaffarabad will be held on 17 May, while the Sindh-leg of the trials will be run from 18 to 28 May. The trials in Karachi will take place on 27 and 28 May.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-Besides hosts Islamabad, Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), Bahawalpur and Lahore qualified for the semifinals of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2022 (Grade-1) after completing the first round matches at two different venues at Islamabad on Saturday. On Sunday, 1st semifinal will be played between AJK and Islamabad while Bahawalpur will take on Lahore in the 2nd Semifinal. Both matches will be played at Bhutto Shaheed Cricket Ground G-7 Islamabad. Game-9: Bahawalpur beat Islamabad by 10 wickets at Bhutto Ground Bahawalpur outplayed Islamabad by 10 wickets. Batting first, Islamabad scored 187 runs for loss of 4 wickets in 20 overs. Anees Javed and Shahzeb Haider made 57 and 36 runs respectively. In reply, Bahawalpur reached the target with ease in just 16.4 overs without any loss. Moeen Aslam played superb innings of unbeaten 90* runs off 57 balls and Mohammad Rashid was the second-highest run-getter with unbeaten 86* runs off 44 balls. Result: Bahawalpur won by 10 wickets Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid Game-10: Abbottabad Vs Gujranwala beat Abbottabad by 5 wickets at PAF Ground, E-9 Abbottabad won the toss and decided to bat first. Abbottabad posted 212 runs on the board in the allotted 20 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Naeem Ullah was the highest scorer with unbeaten 83* runs off 53 balls. Riasat Khan was the second highest with 66 runs off 53 balls. Israr Hassan took 1 wicket. In reply, Gujranwala chased the target of 213 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 13.4 overs. Muhammad Akram missed out today and got out after scoring 33 runs but Israr Hassan stood tall on the other end and guided his team home with 61 runs off 34 balls. Arslan claimed two wickets for Abbottabad. Result:  Gujranwala won by 5 wickets Man of the Match: Israr Hassan Game-11: Lahore beat AJK by 9 wickets Bhutto Ground G-7 AJK won the toss and opted to bat first. Faisal Mehmood once again played superbly and guided AJK to accumulate 200 runs on the board for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs. Faisal Mehmood was the highest scorer with unbeaten 122* runs off 69 balls. Mati Ullah was the only successful bowler to claim a wicket. Lahore in reply chased down the target of 201 runs in 15.2 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Mati Ullah played a Captain’s knock of unbeaten 88* runs off 43 balls. Kamran Akhter was their second-highest run-getter with unbeaten 77* runs off 45 balls. Mehtab Khalil took 1 wicket for AJK. Result:  Lahore won by 9 wickets Man of the Match: Mati Ullah Game-12: Peshawar beat OKara by 1 run at PAF Ground, E-9 Peshawar won the toss and elected to bat first. Peshawar piled up a huge total of 259 runs on the board for the loss of 3 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Haroon Khan played extraordinary innings of 121 runs off 67 balls, he was well supported by Sana Ullah Khan, he made 56 runs off 28 balls. Badar and Ramzan Shared 1 wicket each. In reply, Okara tried well to reached the targer but fell short of 1 run. Badar Munir  played an outstanding innings of 175 runs off 69 balls. Umer Draz made 62 runs off 49 balls. Okara scored 258 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Mohsin Khan fetched 1 wicket. Result: Peshawar won by 1 run Man of the Match: Haroon Khan

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's Roshan Abeysinghe and South Africa's HD Ackerman are the part of the commentary team for the two Test matches in Bangladesh, it is learnt. According to the sources in Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), six names are approved for the commentary panel. They are : Athar Ali, Shamim Ashraf Chowdhury, Samonnoy Ghosh, Mazhar Uddin, HD Ackerman and Roshan Abeysinghe. Ghosh and Mazhar are assigned to commentate in the first and second Test respectively. Roshan Abeysinghe and HD Ackerman are regular faces for the Sri Lankan viewers as they are regulars in Sri Lanka for the international and the LPL (Lanka Premier League) matches. Both are scheduled to reach Bangladesh on Saturday. South African-born Ackerman now lives in Australia. Abeysinghe will also be a key member at the presentations. The first of the two Tests begins at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium (ZACS) in Chattogram on Sunday. The second Test match (May 23-27) will be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS), Mirpur Dhaka.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Sixty cricketers will attend the conditioning camp at the National High Performance Centre (NHPC) in Lahore in two different groups from Sunday. First group of 27 cricketers will attend the camp from 15-25 May, while the second group comprising 33 cricketers will participate in the camp from 26 May to 10 June. Players featuring in the English County Championship have been exempted from these camps. Pakistan squad for the ODI series against the West Indies will be announced on 23 May and those selected for the 8, 10 and 12 June matches will attend the training camp, presently scheduled in Rawalpindi, from 1 June. Players invited for the conditioning camp are: First group (15 -25 May) Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Akif Javed (Balochistan), Arshad Iqbal (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Arshadullah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa),  Asif Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Asif Ali (Northern),  Babar Azam (Central Punjab),  Faisal Akram (Southern Punjab),  Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haider Ali (Northern),  Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan),  Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Khurram Shahzad (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mir Hamza (Sindh), M0hammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shadab Khan (Northern), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Usman Qadir (Central Punjab), Yasir Shah (Balochistan) and Zahid Mahmood (Sindh) Second group (26 May- 10 June) Aaliyan Mehmood (Sindh), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan), Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Abrar Ahmed (Sindh), Ali Asfand (Central Punjab), Ali Usman (Southern Punjab), Arish Ali Khan (Sindh), Azam Khan (Southern Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Haseebullah (Balochistan), Imad Wasim (Northern), Irfanullah Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Maaz Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mehran Mumtaz (Northern), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Ali (Central Punjab), Mohammad Huraira (Northern), Mohammad Imran (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Imran Randhawa (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Taha (Sindh), Mohammad Zeeshan (Central Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Omair Bin Yousuf (Sindh), Qasim Akram (Central Punjab), Rehan Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Salman Irshad (Northern), Sameen Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Syed Zeeshan Zameer (Sindh), Usman Salahuddin (Central Punjab) and Zaman Khan (Northern)

BIPIN DANI Neutral match officials have been appointed for the two Test matches between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, it is learnt. According to the highly placed sources in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), the two officials from England (one umpire and one match referee) and one umpire from West Indies will officiate in the two Test matches in Chattogram (May 15-19) and Dhaka May 23-27).  "The ICC will be sending England's Chris Broad as match referee (for both Tests) and for first Test Richard Kettleborough (England) and for 2nd Test Joel Wilson (West Indies) as umpires", a source in Dhaka confirmed. The ICC had recently said that more neutral match officials should be utilised as travel restrictions are lifted while building on the success of the use of home umpires. Also, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid will officiate in both the Tests as an on-field umpire and Masudur Rahman Mukul and Gazi Sohel will be the reserve umpires. The duty of the third umpire will be shared between Joel Wilson (1st Test) and Richard Kettleborough (2nd Test). The home team will also have the knowledge of a Sri Lankan expert. The 44-year-old off-spinner Rangana Herath has again been hired by the BCB. Besides Herath, Sri Lanka's ex-fielding coach Shane McDermott will now sit in the opposite camp. He is the fielding coach for the Bangladesh team.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-An unbeaten innings of 137 runs by Mohammad Akram guided his team Gujranwala to claim a dramatically victory over Bahawalpur  by 7 wickets in the 8th game of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2022 (Grade-1) at PAF Cricket Ground E-9 on Friday. Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Islamabad and Lahore also won their matches on day-2 of the top national blind cricket fixture. Game-5:  AJK beat Okara by 7 wickets at Bhutto Ground In the morning, AJK won the toss and decided to bowl first. Okara posted 165 runs on the board in the allotted 20 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Umar Daraz once again shined with the bat and made an unbeaten 83 runs off 62 balls. Faseehullah was the second highest with 56 runs off 38 balls. In reply, AJK chased the target of 166 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 16.4 overs. Nisar Ali missed out today and got out after scoring 21 runs but Faisal Mehmood stood tall on the other end and guided his team home with unbeaten 74 runs off 49 balls. Iftikhar Tiger claimed two wickets for Okara. Result: AJK won by 7 wickets Man of the Match: Faisal Mehmood Game-6: Islamabad outclass Abbottabad at PAF Ground, E-9 Islamabad outplayed Abbottabad by 8 wickets. Batting first, Abbottabad made 138 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs.  Naeemullah and Asnaad Khan made 37 and 23 runs respectively. Shahzaib Haider was the star with the ball, he took 3 wickets for 21 runs in his 4-over spell. In reply, Islamabad reached the target in just 13 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Akmal Hayyat 48, Anees Javed 43 and Shahzaib Haider 36 runs were the main runs scorers. Muhammad Shoaib and Irfanullah claimed a wicket apiece. Result:  Islamabad won by 8 wickets Man of the Match: Shahzaib Haider Game-7 Lahore beat Peshawar by 2 wickets at Bhutto Ground G-7 Lahore won the toss and put Peshawar into bat. Sanaullah and Mohsin Khan again played superbly and guided Peshawar to accumulate 193 runs on the board for the loss of 2 wickets in 20 overs. Sanauallah was the highest scorer with 83 runs off 61 balls and Mohsin made 66 runs off 45 balls. Muhammad Salman was the only successful bowler to claim a wicket. Lahore lost quick wickets early in their innings but Muhammad Salman batted extremely well, he made 50 runs off 24 balls and gave his side a boost, his wicket opened the gate for Peshawar but Muhammad Rizwan played sensibly for his 39 runs. Lahore reached the target for the loss of 8 wickets in 18.5 overs. Mohsin Khan was a successful bowler taking 3 wickets. Result:  Lahore won by 2 wickets Man of the Match: Mohammad Salman Game-8 Gujranwala beat Bahawalpur by 7 wickets at PAF Ground, E-9 Gujranwala chased a mammoth total in a thriller. Mohammad Akram’s ton helped Gujranwala to win a nail-biter. Earlier, Bahawalpur batted first and piled up a huge total of 233 runs on the board for the loss of 7 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Rashid played extraordinary innings of 88 runs of 37 balls featuring 17 (4’s), he was well supported by Moeen Aslam, he made 61 runs off 43 balls. Mohammad Zafar’s 16-balls 32 runs innings lifted the run rate in the deck overs. Israr Hassan was the pick amongst the bowlers, he took 4 wickets for 31 runs. In reply, the masterclass innings of Mohammad Akram helped Gujranwala to win dramatically. Akram scored unbeaten 137 runs off 77 balls featuring 17 (4’s). Talha Iqbal made quick 29 runs. Gujranwala chased the target in 19.3 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Result: Gujranwala won by 7 wickets Man of the Match: Mohammad Akram.