Sports Bulletin

Bahawalpur and Peshawar clinch victories against Islamabad and Lahore on opening daySports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Bahawalpur and Peshawar clinched victories against Islamabad and Lahore respectively, on the first day of the second phase of the Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) Disability T20 Cricket Championship that started in Karcahi on Tuesday.In the first match at the Race Course Park Ground Lahore, Bahawalpur defeated Islamabad by seven wickets. Islamabad scored 138 for 9 runs in 20 overs per innings fixture. Adil Mehmood made 32 runs off 16 balls with the help of four fours and two sixes, Usman Paracha scored 25 runs with the help of four fours and Salman Ahmed contributed 19 runs with the help of three fours. Mohammad Nauman scored 18 runs and Shah Bahram scored 13 runs. Mohammad Shahzad, Waseem Mirza and Abdul Khaliq took two wickets each while Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Nauman took one wicket each.In reply, Bhawalpur achived the target for three wickets. Mohammed Noman scored 56 with the help of two sixes and Mohammad Shahzad scored 41 unbeaten with the help of three fours off 28 balls. Abid Hussain and Mohammad Asif scored 14 runs each. Zubair Khan took two wickets. Mohammad Nauman of Bahawalpur was declared the player of the match, award was given by Region Head Islamabad Mohammad Tahir. Region Head Multan Bahawalpur Jameel Kamran was also present.In the second match, Peshawar defeated Lahore by 34 runs. Peshawar played first and scored 206 runs for four wickets. Rahmatullah scored 100 runs from 60 balls with the help of 6 fours and 6 sixes. Wajid Aslam scored 62 runs from 38 balls with the help of four fours and three sixes. Usama Ali took two wickets while Usman and Abdullah Ijaz one wicket each. In response, the Lahore could score 172 for 5 runs in allotted 20 overs. Yasir Ajmal was top score with 78 runs with the help of 14 fours and one six on 49 balls while Shahid Ali Vatto scored 53 runs on 36 balls with the help of five fours and Safdar scored 15 runs.Nahar Alam, Moomin Khan, Osama Khan, Wasim Shah and Ehtesham Khan took one wicket each. Mohammad Nizam gave Peshawar's Rahmatullah the player of the match award for scoring a brilliant century.Wednesday’s Fixtures:Bahawalpur will face Lahore at 9:30 amIslamabad will face Peshawar at 2 pm.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has won the title of the President's Cup Grade-I 2023-24 after beating Higher Education Commission (HEC) by eight wickets in the final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday.Haseebullah compiled his eighth List A century to drive SNGPL’s flawless chase of the 190-run target. The left-handed opening batter hit an undefeated 101 off 79 deliveries featuring 13 boundaries and three maximums as his side scaled the target inside 26.3 overs.Abdullah Shafique (36, 46b, 3x4s, 1x6) and Omair Bin Yousuf (26, 19b, 3x4s, 1x6) were the only SNGPL batters to be dismissed while Saud Shakeel (20 not out, 15b, 2x4s, 1x6) accompanied Haseebullah till the end of the game. Mohammad Junaid and Aqib Liaqat claimed a wicket each, giving away 39 and 44 runs respectively.Earlier, HEC stumbled and failed to post an imposing total owing to regular blows. Six batters were sent back to the hut before HEC crossed the 100-run mark, following which they were reduced to 129-7 in 31.5 overs.The lower-order showed some resistance with Mohammad Ghazi Ghori top-scoring with 30 off 49 balls while Shahid Aziz (25, 20b, 1x4, 2x6s), and Waseem Akram (20, 27b, 2x4s) also chipped in with small contributions.Bilawal Bhatti was SNGPL’s most prolific bowler with figures of 3-37, and the trio of Mohammad Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani and Yasir Shah took two wickets each to skittle HEC for 189 in 45.4 overs.Scores in brief:HEC 189 all out, 45.4 overs (Mohammad Ghazi Ghori 30, Shahid Aziz 25, Mohammad Junaid 25; Bilawal Bhatti 3-37, Mohammad Ali 2-34, Shahnawaz Dahani 2-38, Yasir Shah 2-38)SNGPL 194-2, 26.3 overs (Haseebullah 101 not out, Abdullah Shafique 36)Player of the final – Haseebullah (SNGPL)Player of the tournament – Abdullah Shafique (SNGPL), 344 runs and 11 catchesBest Batter of the tournament – Hussain Talat (Ghani Glass), 364 runsBest bowler of the tournament – Shahnawaz Dahani (SNGPL), 19 wicketsBest Wicketkeeper of the tournament – Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (HEC), 10 dismissals 

Sports Bulletin Report Dublin (Ireland): Pakistan surprised hosts Ireland after thrashing them by 7 wickets in the second T20 match of the series, thanks to Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan, who hit swashbuckling half-centuries to guide Pakistan to a convincing seven-wicket victory to square the Series 1-1 here on Sunday.The experienced duo rescued Pakistan from a shaky start of 13 for two in 1.4 overs in pursuit of 194 runs target by producing a highly entertaining partnership of 140 runs for the third wicket in just 78 balls, propelling the visitors to victory with 19 balls to spare.Fakhar and Rizwan hit 12 fours and 10 sixes between them, forcing the Ireland fielders into a leather chase and spectators to take cover.Fakhar hammered six fours and six sixes in a 40-ball 78, marking his 11th half-century in 85 matches, while player of the match Rizwan smashed six fours and four sixes in a 46-ball 75 not out, recording his 27th half-century in 95 matches.After Fakhar departed at the score of 153 for three in 14.3 overs, Azam Khan joined the onslaught, scoring an unbeaten 30 runs off 10 balls, including one four and four sixes. Azam’s entrance came with Pakistan needing 41 runs for victory in 33 balls.Fakhar and Rizwan accelerated their scoring rate after Pakistan reached 87 for two in 10 overs. The duo collected 14 runs in the 11th over, 13 runs in the 12th over, 21 runs in the 13th over, and 18 runs in the 15th over, which also saw the dismissal of the left-handed Fakhar.The young Ireland bowlers had a forgettable day with Graham Hume, Ben White, and Mark Adair each picking up a wicket but at high economy rates of 10.66, 9.75 and 11.21, respectively. Craig Young was the most expensive bowler, conceding 45 runs in his three overs.Earlier, Ireland posted their highest total of 193 for seven against Pakistan with a flurry of runs coming in the last six overs, including 21 runs in the 15th over, 12 runs in the 19th over, and 17 runs in the 20th over.Curtis Campher, George Dockrell, and Gareth Delany led a late charge, lifting Ireland from 110 for three in 13 overs. Earlier contributions from Andy Balbirnie, Lorcan Tucker, and Harry Tector provided a solid foundation with 55 for two in the PowerPlay overs.Tucker top-scored with 51 off 34 balls, including five fours and two sixes, while Tector contributed a brisk 32 off 28 balls. Balbirnie’s brief stay yielded 16 runs off 14 balls.The most significant partnership of the innings was between Tucker and Tector, who added 62 runs for the third wicket. Tucker and Campher further added 41 runs for the fourth wicket, while the unbeaten eighth-wicket stand between Delany and Graham Hume added 28 runs from just nine balls.For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi stood out with figures of 3 for 49 in his four overs, including crucial breakthroughs in the death overs. Mohammad Abbas Afridi claimed two wickets for 33 runs, while Naseem Shah and Mohammad Amir chipped in with a wicket each.Scores in brief:Ireland 193-7, 20 overs (Lorcan Tucker 51, Harry Tector 32, Gareth Delany 28 not out, Curtis Campher 22; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-49, Mohammad Abbas Afridi 2-33)Pakistan 195-3, 16.5 overs (Fakhar Zaman 78, Mohammad Rizwan 75 not out, Azam Khan 30 not out)Player of the match – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin ReportBirmingham (UK): England Women thrashed Pakistan Women by 53 runs on the back of a solid bowling performance in the first T20I at Edgbaston on Saturday.Pakistan’s pursuit of the 164-run target was jolted by the wicket of Sidra Amin in the third over after her opening partner, Gull Feroza, had set the tone with two boundaries in the first over. Sadaf Shamas joined Feroza in the middle and took the fourth over by storm, cracking five boundaries off Danielle Gibson’s bowling.Pakistan finished the powerplay with 57-2 on the board before the English bowlers struck at regular intervals. Apart from Sadaf’s 24-ball 35 comprising seven boundaries, there wasn’t much resistance as Pakistan lost the last eight wickets for a mere 44 runs.Leg-spinner Sarah Glenn was at her destructive best dismissing four batters for just 12 runs in her four overs. Lauren Bell picked up three wickets. Charlie Dean and Sophie Ecclestone struck once each.After opting to bowl first, Pakistan had England under pressure as Waheeda Akhtar and Sadia Iqbal dismissed the English opening batters cheaply. Waheeda returned in the third over to add to England’s woes by getting rid of Alice Capsey followed by the run-out of Freya Kemp leaving them reeling at 11-4.Skipper Heather Knight (49, 44b, 6x4s) and Amy Jones (37, 27b, 6x4s) did the rescue work for their team by stitching a fluent 67-run fifth-wicket partnership. Following Jones’ departure, Gibson’s timely onslaught put Pakistan bowlers on the backfoot as she ransacked eight boundaries in her unbeaten 21-ball 41.The seventh-wicket unbeaten stand of 44 between Gibson and Ecclestone (19 not out, 11b, 3x4s) helped propel England’s score to 163-6 in 20 overs. Waheeda and Sadia picked up two wickets apiece.

Karachi (Sports Reporter): Pakistan Tape ball Premier League will start on Monday (May 12, 2024) at Moin Khan Stadium Defense Karachi.According to event director Khurram Majeed, ten teams from all over the country will participate in the tournament. Well-known social personality Ali Shekhani will be the chief guest of the opening ceremony. The winning team will be entitled to five million rupees and a trophy. The runner-up team will get two million rupees. Taimur Mirza, Khurram Chakwal, Asad Shah, Zaheer Kalia, Qadir Kashmiri, Fahad Mian Chanun Chhota Vicki, and Osama Ali will play in the league as icon players. 

Sports Bulletin ReportDublin (Ireland): Andy Balbirnie’s swashbuckling 77 runs off 55 balls laid the foundation for Ireland’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series here on Friday, marking only the second T20I between the two nations.Chasing a difficult 183-run target, Ireland reached 43 for two in the PowerPlay and then 153 for four in 17 overs. Needing 11 runs off the final six deliveries, Curtis Campher struck two fours, ran a double and stole the winning run off a leg-bye off the penultimate ball to hand Ireland their first win over Pakistan. Campher remained not out on 15 runs from seven balls.Balbirnie was undoubtedly the star of Ireland’s victory and deserving player of the match. The opener clobbered 10 fours and two sixes, forming a crucial 77-run third-wicket partnership off 52 balls with Harry Tector, who contributed 36 off 27 balls with three sixes and a four.After Tector departed, Balbirnie added 39 runs off 20 balls for the fourth wicket with all-rounder George Dockrell, who clubbed two sixes and two fours in a 12-ball 24. Balbirnie’s other useful partnership was for the fifth wicket with Gareth Delany (10 not out), yielding 24 runs off 15 balls.For Pakistan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi finished with figures of two for 36, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Imad Wasim snapped up a wicket each.Earlier, a blistering knock by Iftikhar Ahmed and his unbroken 32-run seventh-wicket partnership off 13 balls with Shaheen Shah Afridi lifted Pakistan from a precarious 150 for six in 17.5 overs to 182 for six in 20 overs.Iftikhar slapped three sixes and three fours in a 15-ball 37 not out, while Shaheen’s eight-ball 14 not out included two towering sixes.Pakistan seemed on course for a formidable total before they lost Babar Azam, Azam Khan, and Shadab Khan in the space of five deliveries, slipping from 116 for two in 14.3 overs to 123 for five in 15.2 overs. When Fakhar Zaman departed at the score of 150 in 17.5 overs, a score of 180 plus looked out of reach.However, Iftikhar and Shaheen demonstrated their power-hitting abilities to collect 32 runs in the remaining 13 deliveries to guide Pakistan to a score from where they could dictate terms.Babar Azam and Saim Ayub had laid the foundation of a strong total before the boat rocked, which was solidified by Iftikhar and Shaheen. After Mohammad Rizwan was run-out in the second over, Babar and Saim put on 87 runs from 57 balls for the second wicket.Babar, who batted at No. 3 to allow Saim to open the innings with Rizwan, notched up his 35th career T20I half-century when he scored 57 runs off 43 balls with a strike-rate of 132.5. His innings was studded with eight fours and a six.Babar has now scored 3,880 runs in 115 matches and will be aiming to become the second batter after Virat Kohli to achieve the 4,000 runs milestone. Kohli has scored 4,037 runs in 117 T20Is. Rohit Sharma has 3,974 runs in 151 matches, but he won’t be playing any T20Is until next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Saim struck four fours and three sixes in a 29-ball 45.

Sports Bulletin ReportLeicester (UK): ECB Women’s Development XI beat Pakistan Women by 37 runs in the only Warm-up match at Upton Steel County Ground, Leicester. Muneeba Ali top scored for Pakistan with 31 including four boundaries. Grace Potts dismissed four batters while Linsey Smith and Lauren Filer returned for two wickets each as Pakistan managed 103-9 in the 20 overs. Earlier, ECB Development XI after opting to bat first scored 140 for nine in 20 overs. England’s international Danni Wyatt top-scored for her side with a 34-ball 57, which included nine fours and one six. Nida Dar was the most successful bowler for the visitors, grabbing two wickets for 11 runs. Pakistan women’s team will travel from Leicester to Birmingham today to feature in first of the three T20I, scheduled at Edgbaston on Saturday. The first ball of the T20I match will be bowled at 2.30pm local time.Scores in brief:ECB Women Development XI 140-9, 20 overs (Danni Wyatt 57; Nida Dar 2-11)Pakistan Women 103-9, 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 31; Grace Potts 4-13, Linsey Smith 2-12, Lauren Filer 2-24)Tour schedule:11 May – 1st T20I, Birmingham (2.30pm local time) 17 May – 2nd T20I, Northampton (6.30pm local time) 19 May – 3rd T20I, Leeds (1.00pm local time)21 May – One-Day warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Northampton (11.00am local time)23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship) 26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

Sports Bulletin ReportDublin (Ireland): The Pakistan men’s cricket team will kick off its Europe tour with the first of three T20Is against Ireland on Friday May 10, 2024). The remaining two matches will also take place at the Castle Avenue on Sunday and Tuesday, before the team heads to Headingley, Leeds, on Wednesday for a series of four T20Is against England.Following the England series, with matches scheduled at Headingley (22 May), Birmingham (25 May), Cardiff (28 May), and The Oval, London (30 May), both England and Pakistan will head to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. England will face Scotland in Barbados on 4 June in their opening match, while Pakistan will launch their campaign against the USA in Dallas on 6 June. This marks the first time Ireland will host Pakistan for a T20I series. The two sides have previously met only once in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 where Pakistan won by 39 runs with Kamran Akmal receiving the player of the match award for his 51-ball 57 and two stumpings.Interestingly, both teams are in the same group for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and will face each other in Florida on 16 June. Apart from the two sides, India, USA, and Canada are also in the same group, with the top two teams advancing to the second stage.Pakistan head coach, Azhar Mahmood said: “Our preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 began with the home series against New Zealand and now it’s all about putting the final touches on those preparations. We have clarity on our game plans, strategies and combinations. It’s about bringing everything together before we arrive in the United States.

Last night’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final was all about Chamari Athapaththu stamping her class and authority and doing so in style! I had mentioned earlier that she is a big match player who is truly world-class and someone who can win any game on her own and last night’s terrific ton was a testament to that special ability and skill that she possesses.For Scotland, Kathryn Bryce’s absence due to injury was a huge setback, and despite a good start with the ball, the main wicket of Athapaththu eluded them, resulting in their eventual loss. After settling in and reaching her 50, Athapaththu unleashed her incredible power and stroke range at the Scotland bowlers, who crumbled under pressure. Athapaththu when in full flow, is almost impossible to stop and one felt that her breathtaking attack after reaching her fifty, and her flight from 50 to 100 in just 20 balls, left Scotland floundering.Sri Lanka’s 169-run total was always going to be a massive task for the Scotland batters, who would have struggled to achieve the target even in their skipper’s presence. Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to put up much of a fight with the bat. Sri Lanka’s dominant performance was a continuation of their exceptional recent run, led by Athapaththu’s heroics. The series wins against South Africa and New Zealand and a comfortable run in the Qualifier barring the UAE semi-final puts them in great shape ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.Despite a tough group comprising Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand, Sri Lanka have the potential to cause upsets and if Athapaththu can deliver in Bangladesh they may surprise a lot of followers of the game and maybe even make it to the semis there. Other than their two defeats in the group stage and final, Scotland’s performance and their journey has been nothing short of inspirational. They were not considered amongst the favourites coming into the tournament, but credit to Kathryn Bryce, her charges, and their support staff for stepping up when it mattered the most.Bryce’s mother recently revealed in an interview that even as a 10-year-old, the captain wanted to play a World Cup, it is wonderful to see her finally realise her dream. Scotland have Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies in their Women’s T20 World Cup group. I feel that they can certainly cause an upset or two, they have about four months to the event, and it all depends on how they use the time to prepare, the work has just begun for them, and I wish them the very best in this exciting journey.In recent years, the depth of women’s cricket has improved considerably with developing teams becoming more competitive than before and a lot of credit must be given to the ICC pathway events around the world, which provide opportunities and much-needed exposure to the players.As I mentioned in one of my earlier columns, new entrants Vanuatu certainly made their presence felt especially with their performance against Zimbabwe. Vanuatu beating a Full Member team was a big achievement indeed and was one of the highlights of the tournament. There was a lot of talent on display in the tournament in all 10 teams which pleased me immensely.Ireland and UAE look like teams with an exciting future, both fell at the semi-final stage, yet they both possess a lot of promising young players and have two quality leaders in Laura Delany and Esha Oza, who can take the two sides a long way in the years ahead.These are exciting times for women’s cricket as one of the top 10 teams (Ireland) that features in the ICC Women’s ODI Championship will miss out on the T20 World Cup, which clearly signifies that the gap between the top teams and Associate Member teams like Scotland and the UAE is closing, making the women’s international circuit more competitive than ever.The top teams simply can’t take things for granted anymore!At the end, I want to thank the ICC for providing me this incredible opportunity of witnessing the progression of women’s cricket up close and catching up with some of the players I played against in my career. When you are able to connect with the next generation of cricketers one-on-one and as a group, it becomes a wholesome experience while sharing of knowledge and experience takes place. This was one such event for me.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) today (May 5) announced the fixtures for the ninth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 taking place from 3 to 20 October in Bangladesh, an event that promises to inspire and connect with a new generation of fans across the globe.Ten teams will play 23 matches, over 18 action-packed days, at two venues in Bangladesh, the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet as the world’s best battle it out for the ultimate prize in T20 cricket.The schedule was unveiled at an event in Dhaka, attended by Nazmul Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board alongside Geoff Allardice, CEO of the ICC and the Captains of India and Bangladesh women’s team- Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana respectively.Before the official fixture launch, Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina met the two captains at her residence, offering her best wishes for a successful World Cup.ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 fixtures: Thursday, 3 October 2024: England v South Africa, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Friday, 4 October 2024: Australia v Q1, Sylhet, 15h00India v New Zealand, Sylhet, 19h00Saturday, 5 October 2024: South Africa v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v England, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 6 October 2024: New Zealand v Q1, Sylhet, 15h00India v Pakistan, Sylhet, 19h00Monday, 7 October 2024: West Indies v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Tuesday, 8 October 2024: Australia v Pakistan, Sylhet, 19h00Wednesday, 9 October 2024: Bangladesh v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00India v Q1, Sylhet, 19h00Thursday, 10 October 2024: South Africa v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Friday, 11 October 2024: Australia v New Zealand, Sylhet, 15h00Pakistan v Q1, Sylhet, 19h00Saturday, 12 October 2024: England v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v South Africa, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 13 October 2024: Pakistan v New Zealand, Sylhet, 15h00India v Australia, Sylhet, 19h00Monday, 14 October 2024: England v Q2, Dhaka, 15h00Thursday, 17 October 2024: Semi Final 1, Sylhet, 19h00Friday, 18 October 2024: Semi Final 2, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 20 October 2024: Final, Dhaka, 19h00