Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Gull Feroza and leg-spinner Tuba Hassan have been included in the Pakistan women’s T20I squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka that will be played at the Southend Club, Karachi from Tuesday 24 May. Uncapped batter Sadaf Shamas has been included in the ODI squad while Gull Feroza who hails from Multan has also earned a spot in the fifteen member 50-over matches’ squad. Chief Selector Asmavia Iqbal finalised the squad in consultation with the head coach David Hemp and captain Bismah Maroof. The performances of the pre-series camp participants that was staged at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, National Stadium and Southend Club from 9 May, form, fitness and past performances were considered in the selection process. Bismah, Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig and Fatima Sana who appeared in the FairBreak Invitational T20 event in Dubai have returned to Karachi and will take part in the three-day pre series training from Saturday, 21 May. Kainat Imtiaz (T20I) and Sadia Iqbal (both squads) have returned after recovering from injuries and proving their form and fitness in the pre-series camp. The pre-series camp will conclude today with a practice session at the Hanif Mohammad HPC, a 50-over practice match was staged between the 26 camp participants at the Southend Club on Tuesday. The three T20Is will be played on 24, 26 and 28 May. The ODIs that are a part of ICC Women’s Championship will be staged on 1, 3 and 5 June. Chief Selector Asmavia Iqbal said: “I want to wish the two squads the very best for the series, we have provided opportunities to Gull Feroza, Sadaf Shamas and Tuba Hassan on the basis of their future potential and skills. The three youngsters took part in the emerging camp last December and made an impression with their talent. I am pleased to see their progress and we all feel it is now the right time to give them exposure of international cricket. “We had sent Tuba as a reserve player in the recently concluded ODI World Cup, she continues to make good progress and since spin bowling has been a traditional strength of ours, I feel she can make a good contribution in our bowling strategy. Gull Feroza has also made good progress, she has an aggressive style of play and can provide us brisk starts in both T20Is and ODIs which are now a big requirement at the international stage. Sadaf besides her batting skills provides us a bowling option too with her medium pace skills. “For the rest of the squad, we considered the players fitness, form and their performances in the preparation camp where we played a number of practice T20 and 50-over matches. I believe we have two formidable squads for both T20Is and ODIs, both squads have good depth and most certainly have the pedigree to beat the Sri Lankan team in what should be an exciting series.” Names of T20I squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan. Names of ODI squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz (wicketkeeper). Support personnel for both T20Is and ODIs: Asiya Khan (Manager), David Hemp (Head coach), Saleem Jaffer (Bowling coach), Waqar Orakzai (Assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (Strength and Conditioning coach), Rifat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist), Dr Muhammad Khurram (Doctor), Zubair Ahmed (Analyst). Series itinerary 24 May – First T20I 26 May – Second T20I 28 May – Third T20I 1 Jun – First ODI 3 Jun – Second ODI 5 Jun – Third ODI

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced that Matthew Mott has been appointed as England Men's White-Ball Head Coach. Mott, 48, has signed a four-year agreement and is expected to be in place for England's three-match ODI series against The Netherlands in Amsterdam next month. The ECB's selection panel of Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison, Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key, Strategic Adviser Andrew Strauss and Performance Director Mo Bobat unanimously agreed that he was the standout candidate for the role during the competitive interview process. Mott has led the Australian Women's Team since 2015 and during his seven years in charge has overseen one of the world's best winning records across international sport. Under his leadership, Australia Women have won consecutive ICC T20 World Cups, this year's ICC Women's 50-Over World Cup and are undefeated in four Ashes series. Mott has also helped Australia win 26 consecutive one-day internationals, a record in either the men's or women's game. Before taking up his post with Australia women in 2015, Mott worked as Head Coach of New South Wales - leading them to victory in the Champions League T20 tournament in 2009 - and then coached Glamorgan, reaching the final of the Yorkshire Bank 40 in 2013, before working as a consultant for Ireland during the 2015 ICC Men's World Cup. Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Rob Key, said: "It is a real privilege to be able to announce Mathew Mott as the Head Coach of our men's white-ball team. He has had an incredible coaching journey with so many varied experiences that have brought him to this point where he was outstanding in the interview process and the perfect fit for our white-ball teams. "We are lucky to be able to appoint a Head Coach that has not only been involved in international cricket for the last few years but he has also worked in franchise cricket around the world. More importantly, what he has done with the Australian Women's team is what will be asked of him to achieve for our men's white-ball sides. "I'm confident that in Eoin Morgan and Matthew Mott, we have a formidable partnership that can push for more trophies in the coming years and that Matthew will be able to oversee any transition that team will go through in the future. "Furthermore, Matthew will also help us invest in English coaches getting them as much experience as possible over the next few years." Head Coach, Matthew Mott said: "I am delighted to accept the opportunity to take this white-ball role with England. Whilst I am Australian, I have deep connections, and several of my closest friends are in the UK, having spent considerable time in Scotland, Wales and England, both as a player and coach. "When this role became available, I was attracted by the chance to work with such an established and successful team under the astute leadership of Eoin Morgan and now Rob Key, whom I have always admired as an excellent cricket mind. "The idea of the split roles and the chance to work alongside Brendon McCullum in his red-ball role is an opportunity that I am incredibly enthusiastic about and certainly provides the right balance for my family as we embark on this exciting journey. "It was always going to take something special to leave the role that I have loved for the past seven years with the Australian Women's team. However, I genuinely believe that the time is right to play a role in helping the England Men's ODI and T20 group continue to evolve as one of the best teams in the world. "I am fully aware that this team has been functioning well and part of my initial plan is to work with the playing group and support staff on how we can firstly maintain, then enhance, the success they have started to build over the past few years. "Since the excitement of accepting this role, I, like many people around the world, have been trying to come to terms with the tragic loss of my great mate Andrew Symonds. The support of his beautiful family and close friends in the coming days will be vitally important, so I respectfully request some time to process his passing and the immense loss before making any further comment on the role at this stage."

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-England Men's 6-member selection panel have named a 13-strong squad for the first two Test matches of the summer against New Zealand starting at Lord's on 2 June. Yorkshire batter Harry Brook and Durham seamer Matthew Potts are called up for the first time. Brook has been the standout batsman in Division one of the LV= Insurance County Championship. The 23-year-old, who made his England T20 debut in January in the Caribbean, has scored 758 runs at an average of 151.60, including three centuries and four half-centuries for the white rose county during the summer campaign. The 23-year-old Potts has been in impressive form in the LV= Insurance County Championship. He is the season's leading bowler, with 35 wickets and four five-wicket hauls, including his most recent return of seven for 40 in Durham's win over Glamorgan. The seam duo of Lancashire's James Anderson and Nottinghamshire's Stuart Broad return to the squad for the first time since the Australia Test series earlier this winter. Managing Director Rob Key said: "This is the start of a new era for our Test team under the stewardship of Ben (Stokes) and Brendon (McCullum). With a blend of youth and experience, we have selected an exciting squad that can compete with New Zealand in next month's Test series. "We have rewarded players in Harry Brook and Matty Potts who have had outstanding starts to the County season, and they deserve the opportunity to stake a claim at this level. "It promises to be a mouthwatering series, and I can't wait for the team to start against a very good New Zealand side. It is a fascinating prospect for everyone connected with the sport in this country." The three-match Test series forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. The England team will be looking to climb the rankings after a disappointing start to the second edition of the Championship. At the end of the two-year cycle, the top two teams will compete in the ICC World Test Championship Final due to be staged in the summer of 2023. The squad will come together for the first time next week in a camp before reporting to Lord's on 29 May ahead of the first Test on the 2 June. Selection Panel: The selection panel consists of Rob Key (Managing Director, England Men's Cricket), Brendon McCullum (England Men's Head Coach), Ben Stokes (England Men's Test Captain), Mo Bobat (Performance Director), James Taylor (Head Scout), David Court (Player ID Lead). Names of players: Ben Stokes (Durham) captain, James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Alex Lees (Durham), Craig Overton (Somerset), Matthew Potts (Durham), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Joe Root (Yorkshire) Schedule (Test Matches) 1st Test: England v New Zealand, 2-6 June, Lord’s Cricket Ground, London 2nd Test: England v New Zealand, 10-14 June, Trent Bridge, Nottingham 3rd Test: England v New Zealand, 23-27 June, Headingley, Leeds

BIPIN DANI Bangladeshi player Mushfiqur Rahim's parents (father : Mahbub Habib and mother Rahima Khatun) had no plan to go to the Stadium and witness the current Test series against Sri Lanka. However, they have now changed their plan and have decided to drive about 200 km from their native Bogra to Dhaka and watch the second Test at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium (SBNCS). "My son scored a hundred (on Wednesday) and also became the first cricketer in our country to score 5000 runs in a Test. We want to celebrate the occasion in Dhaka", Mahbub Habib said exclusively over the telephone. "We are happy for his performance in this Test and his two achievements (century and 5000 runs) on the same day have made us proud". Father, who is in the business of selling the building materials, agreed that it was a slow batting by his son. Rahim's 105 runs came in 282 balls and had only four fours in the innings. "Rahim didn't have enough runs and a century for quite some time and now he has scored a ton and it gives us satisfaction", the father of five children (4 sons and one daughter) added. Rahim is the only cricketer in the family. "He didn't want to come in my business". Rahim's elder brother is in the business of selling motorcycles. Another one is a computer engineer and the youngest brother is a student. Rahim, who married to Jannatul Kefayet in 2014 lives in Dhaka with son Shahrooz and they all can't wait to watch Rahim play in the 2nd Test beginning on May 23.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza has been fined 50 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the Men’s T20 International against Namibia at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo. Raza was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.” In addition to this, two demerit points have been added to Raza’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period, taking his cumulative demerit points to two. The incident occurred in the 16th over of Zimbabwe’s innings when Raza was given out LBW. He questioned the decision by showing his bat to the umpire, used inappropriate words about the decision numerous times as he was leaving the field of play, and shouted his displeasure again as he entered the dressing room. Raza admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Iknow Chabi and Langton Rusere and third umpire Forster Mutizwa levelled the charges. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's women's team captain Chamari Athapaththu believes that her recent form and experience of playing in the first ever 20-over FairBreak tournament in Dubai will benefit her in the upcoming tour of Pakistan. Sri Lankan team is to play three T-20Is followed by three ODIs' in Pakistan.  The 32-year-old bartting all-rounder recently played in the tournament where 90 players from 35 countries participated. She was the top scorer with 313 runs (in 7 matches she played) which also included an unbeaten score of 107 runs.  "I want to continue this form in Pakistan. I am excited about the Pak. tour", she said hours before returning to Colombo (to join the squad for Pak. tour). "It was really a good opportunity for me, playing against the best overseas players and associate players. FairBreak is a really good platform for all womens cricketers. So I'm keen to play in this league next year also", she added. Chamari, however, will miss the Indian cricket board-organized My-11 Circle Women’s T20 Challenge in India this month. The BCCI tournament (May 23-28) will clash with the Sri Lankan women's tour of Pakistan.

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.