Sports Bulletin

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's top order batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa is available for the upcoming India tour, it is learnt, after he passed the required fitness tests. "He did the fitness tests on Monday at the Sugathadasa Stadium. He completed the 2-km run in 8 minutes and 35 seconds,” a source close to the player said. "He appeared for all the fitness tests including running and skin-fold.” Rajapaksa was not considered for the Australia tour where a series of five T20Is is being played, having announced his retirement from international cricket, only to reverse it days later after meeting Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa. "Though most of the players are scheduled to travel to India directly from Australia, selectors are giving thought to sending him from Colombo and he may be selected for the three T20I to be played ahead of the two Test matches,” another source in Sri Lanka, said. Interestingly, Bhanuka Rajapaksa is the only batter from Sri Lanka selected to play in the IPL. The other four players who were bought are predominantly recognized for their bowling.

Bipin Dani Nepal's 21-year-old wicketkeeper Aasif Sheikh has earned great praise and appreciation for refusing to run out Ireland’s Andy McBrine, who fell mid-pitch after colliding with the bowler while running a single. In the recent Oman Quadrangular T20I series involving Ireland and Nepal saw a sporting gesture as Sheikh gave McBrine a reprieve even though the batter was well short of the crease when the wicketkeeper collected the ball. "Actually, the batsman was running in his own line and our bowler accidentally got crashed into him but then I decided not to run him out", Aasif Sheikh, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Oman, said. "I have been playing cricket for many years and the only thing I have learnt is to play fair cricket, no matter if we win or lose. For us, the results don't really matter, we will play fair cricket in any situation". There are altogether six in his family and his elder brother (Mohammad Aarif Sheikh) also plays for the national team. "Our parents have played the most vital role in our cricket journey. It would not have been possible without their support. They gave us everything we needed.  We were not that financially strong but somehow they managed to provide us with a cricket kit so that we could focus on our game", Aasif Sheikh signed off.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABADA:-New Zealand batter Amy Satterthwaite has moved up to number three in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings after a fine effort in the opening match of their five-ODI series against India in Queenstown, less than three weeks ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022. Satterthwaite, who smashed a 67 ball 63 and was involved in an important 98 run third wicket partnership with opener Suzie Bates, has overtaken Australia’s Beth Mooney with a gain of 13 rating points. She is now 15 rating points behind India captain Mithali Raj, who is second with 744 in the list led by Australia opener Alyssa Healy who is 749 rating points. Bates’ 11th ODI hundred, which helped her team take a 1-0 lead in the series and won her the Player of the Match award, has lifted her into the world’s top 20 batters in ODIs for the first time in six months. The former captain has advanced five places to 17th position in the latest weekly update that includes the last match of the Australia-England series. Australia completed their Ashes triumph with another comfortable victory in the final ODI in Melbourne last week. Tammy Beaumont returned to form for England with a half-century, as did Meg Lanning with an unbeaten 57, allowing both batters to gain three places for their efforts. Beaumont and Lanning are now in fourth and fifth positions, respectively, with just one rating point separating them. In the bowlers’ list, England spinner Sophie Ecclestone was a bright spark in the final ODI, bowling her 10-over allocation and conceding just 18 runs while dismissing Rachael Haynes, taking an an excellent catch off her own bowling. She has moved a place up to second, closing in on the opportunity to top both the ODI and T20I bowling rankings at the same time. Ellyse Perry’s return to all-round excellence also enabled her to gain three places with the ball and increase her lead over second placed Nat Sciver in the all-rounders’ table to an impressive 87 rating points. New Zealand’s Lea Tahuhu is up four places to 13th and India’s Rajeshwari Gayakwad is up five places to 16th. Both bowled economically in the Queenstown ODI to move up in the world’s top 20 ODI bowlers. In the T20I rankings, Beth Mooney is back in her third stint as the top ranked batter with captain Meg Lanning also gaining a slot to reach second position. India opener Shafali Verma is now third in the list. New Zealand bowlers Amelia Kerr is up five places to eighth and Jess Kerr is up 16 places to 34th also making notable gains in the T20I rankings.

Bipin Dani More than six members of the touring Afghanistan squad have tested positive in Bangladesh, it is learnt, here. According to the highly placed sources in the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), more than six players and a support staff-including Indian team physio Pranchada have tested Covid-19 positive. "They are isolated", one of the sources, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Bangladesh. "The 23-member squad arrived from Doha to Dhaka on Saturday and reached Sylhet on Sunday. Their testing was done on Sunday and results came on Monday", the source added. The visitors are scheduled to play three D/N ODIs' beginning on 23rd February, and two T-20Is thereafter. "At present, the visiting team has five support staff members consisting of manager, head coach Navroze Mangal, physio, trainer and masseur. Few more coaching staff members are also likely to join from Kabul, it is understood. "At present, there has been no plan to change the itinerary", the source also added.   

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Mardan-born off-spinner Sajid Khan has made rapid strides over the course of the last two years but his ascent to the highest level of cricket is a tale of relentless struggle, hard work, determination and a never-say-die attitude spread over two decades. The 28-year-old made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in Harare last season and has already collected 18 wickets in his first four Tests. The highlight of Sajid’s short Test career has been his heroics in the Mirpur Test against Bangladesh in December, the off-spinner took 12 wickets in the match including eight in the first innings to lead Pakistan’s innings and eight runs victory in the ICC World Test Championship fixture. According to Sajid his cricketing story begins at the age of eight. “My story begins from when I was eight years old. I have two elder brothers, one is a rickshaw driver the other runs a grocery shop. Only those without a father would know what a struggle it is. When I grew up and started college I used do to some odd sport related jobs like fixing bat handles and grips and making between PKR 4 to 500, I used to also sell cell phones to make some money that I could spend on purchasing cricket gear. Despite his obvious promise and potential, Sajid failed to find a permanent slot in Peshawar sides to the sheer quality and depth that the first-class and Grade II squads especially as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regularly started unearthing players of international quality. Sajid decided to try his luck in Dubai where he juggled between a work at the Dubai Airport and weekend cricket opportunities.  “After Under-18 cricket, I barely got a chance to play Grade II cricket because Peshawar had a quality side and I could not make my way through that is when I left for Dubai. I used to work at Dubai Airport for five days and play cricket two days in the week. I had a six months visa but I didn’t even stay for six months as my mother asked me to return.” After returning from Dubai, Sajid finally made a long awaited breakthrough as Imran Khan Snr handed him perhaps the best cricket gift he could have hoped for at that stage of his career. “I found an opportunity to appear in Grade II trials, I got selected and joined the camp. At the camp Imran Khan Snr saw me, at that time Imran had played a few Tests for Pakistan, he asked me if I had cricket shoes but I couldn’t say to him I didn’t. Imran realised that I didn’t have cricket shoes so he took out a pair of cricket spikes and handed them to me. “My first match was for Peshawar against Wapda, with-in four overs I had taken six wickets and that is when my career took off. Once the domestic structure was revamped, I got an opportunity to play for the second XI and I scored 96 runs and took 13 wickets in a match against Balochistan.  I was immediately picked for the first XI (first-class) and I played my first match against Balochistan and took eight wickets. Sajid still has a long journey ahead of him and has big aspirations and dreams, he insists that hard work, perseverance and determination is what is required to succeed in cricket instead of a recommendation or source. He is a firm believer in letting your performance talk for you as he credits his mother for the turnaround in his life. “People who claim that you can’t play cricket without any recommendation or source lie, I would say it is a total lie. If you work hard and stay determined you are rewarded, I have fought hard and struggled for 20 years and then only have I reached here without any recommendation or source. I only work hard and respect my elders, whatever I have achieved, I have achieved due to my mother’s unflinching support. I owe everything to her and even today I look up to her for support, guidance and prayers.”

Special Report Next month’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 will take place in one of the greatest cricketing nations on earth – New Zealand. The number one summer sport, and second only to rugby all year round, the Kiwis are simply a nation of cricket lovers. They have over 70,000 registered players, while figures released by New Zealand Cricket in the last year reveal that there has been a 12% increase in the number of female participants playing the game. It will be the third time New Zealand host the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup, with games to be across six stunning venues. Let’s take a look at previous major ICC tournaments that have taken place on the land of the long white cloud. ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups The 2022 tournament is not the first time New Zealand hosts the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. The third tournament of the sport’s oldest world championship, in 1982, was also hosted entirely by New Zealand which included the competition’s first-ever final - the previous two editions in England (1973) and India (1978) were decided via the league table. But four years later, Lancaster Park in Christchurch hosted the first-ever ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup final in front of a crowd of just over 3,000, seeing Australia defeat England by three wickets to lift the trophy. The tournament returned in 2000 for a three-week-long edition that culminated with a final at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln, which saw the host nation triumph in one of the greatest World Cup finals of all-time - defeating Australia by just four runs. That gave the White Ferns their maiden world title and the class of 2022 would love a similar outcome on home soil this time around. ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups New Zealand has twice acted as hosts of the men’s 50-over tournament, on both occasions sharing the responsibilities with continental neighbours Australia. The first time was in 1992, the fifth staging of the finals. Seven of the 18 venues came from the two islands that make up Aotearoa with matches from Dunedin up to Auckland. The latter's Eden Park, the national stadium, hosted four matches including the opening game of the competition, where the Black Caps memorably beat their co-hosts by 37 runs. In 2015, the men’s tournament returned as seven cities, including Hamilton, Napier, Christchurch, Nelson and Dunedin hosted games, this time with each having a minimum of three matches. The largest stadia, Eden Park and the 37,000-capacity Wellington Regional Stadium, both hosted four games including a quarter- and a semi-final between them. The last-four tie in Auckland provided one of the highlights of the tournament when Brendon McCullum’s team beat South Africa by four wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method and reach their first-ever senior men’s final before falling to their co-hosts at the MCG. ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cups New Zealand has also hosted the ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup tournament on three occasions. The best young players in the world have headed to the islands described as the ‘paradise of the Pacific’, for the 2002, 2010, and 2018 events. The Bert Sutcliffe Oval hosted the finals of the 2002 and 2010 editions, while the Bay Oval in the stunning surroundings of Mount Maunganui, Tauranga hosted the 2018 final between India and Australia that saw the Indians win by eight wickets.

Aamir Ali Janjua DUBAI (UAE):-With the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 now just a matter of weeks away, the excitement is building as we near a month-long feast of cricket. From Australia to Bangladesh, the best teams in the world are applying the finishing touches to their preparation after a five-year journey to New Zealand. Here we take a look at how all eight teams qualified for the showpiece event, from the hosts all the way through to the debutants. New Zealand As hosts, New Zealand qualified automatically for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022. The omens are good for the White Ferns, who won the tournament last time it was played in New Zealand 22 years ago. They won a thrilling final by four runs against Australia on that occasion, successfully defending 184 at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln to earn revenge for a defeat against the same opponents three years previously. Australia Six-time champions Australia, who top the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Team Rankings, will make the short trip over the Tasman Sea in March after winning the ICC Women’s Championship. The three-year competition was contested by eight teams, with the top four booking their place automatically. In their 21 matches, Australia lost only once – all the way back in 2017 at Coffs Harbour against England. Three-zero series wins in India and against Pakistan, New Zealand, the West Indies and Sri Lanka show they will be tough to stop once again. England Holders England, like Australia, qualified through the ICC Women’s Championship, where they finished second with 29 points. England won 14 of their 21 matches, including that impressive win against Australia at Coffs Harbour, while they also recorded series wins against Pakistan, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. South Africa With 10 wins and 25 points, South Africa were the third nation to qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022. Like England, they also lost just six of their 21 matches, while they also won 10. That includes a 3-0 series win against hosts New Zealand, a series in which they batted second and chased down their target each time. India India were the final team to qualify through the ICC Women’s Championship, with 10 wins enough to see them finish fourth. A 2-1 series victory against South Africa in February 2018 put them in a strong position but it was their 2-1 series success against England a year later that made the rest of the world sit up and take notice. India bowled England out for 136 and 161 in the first two matches of the series on their way to securing two comfortable victories. West Indies With a series whitewash against Sri Lanka and further ODI wins against South Africa and India, West Indies finished seventh in the ICC Women’s Championship. They were in Zimbabwe for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier but when the competition was called off, their world ranking of seventh was strong enough to secure a place. Pakistan Pakistan had flashes of brilliance during the ICC Women’s Championship, including bowling South Africa out for just 63 on their way to an eight-wicket win. They eventually finished fifth, just four points off the top four, and were playing in the Qualifier before it was called off. Ranked eighth in the world, they were then automatically through to the main event and will be the lowest ranked side in New Zealand. Bangladesh  Ranked fifth in the world, Bangladesh will make their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup debut this year. Although not a part of the Women’s Championship and one of the teams in Harare for the Qualifier, Bangladesh qualified as a result of their ranking – which is higher than established heavyweights New Zealand, West Indies and Pakistan.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-The ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year Shaheen Shah Afridi is presently busy leading the Lahore Qalandars in their quest for their first HBL Pakistan Super League title as the seventh edition of the tournament moves towards the business end in Lahore. While Shaheen has one eye on the HBL PSL trophy, he has also set his sights on Australia’s all-format tour of Pakistan. The Pat Cummins-led Australia will be touring Pakistan for the first time in over 24 years for three Tests, three ODIs and one T20I, Shaheen was not even born when the Mark Taylor-led Australia won the 1998 Test series 1-0 before Steve Waugh-led side clean swept the three-match ODI series 3-0. Shaheen who took 78 wickets in 36 international matches last year at 22.20 is keen on continuing his rich vein of form especially in the three-match ICC World Test Championship series that begins with the first Test in Rawalpindi from March 4. The 21-year-old was in red-hot form in with the red ball in 2021 collecting 47 wickets in nine Tests at 17. 06 with an innings best of six for 51. Shaheen played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s success against South Africa at home, the two-match drawn series in the West Indies and Pakistan’s 2-0 clean sweeps against Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in their own backyards. Shaheen Shah Afridi: “When Australia last toured Pakistan I was not even born. This series is as such of a huge significance and I want to give a good performance and my aim is to build further on my 2021 performances across the three formats. “A series against Australia is always a big one and performing against them gives you recognition as they have always been one of the top sides. I always looked forward to playing against them in the UAE or in Australia and now playing them at home will be a massive occasion indeed and I am determined to give my best. “Last year our bowling attack was the best in the world and our aim is to maintain the momentum, Hasan [Ali] and I always look to attack and take wickets. I am sure we will get great support from the crowd during the series as fans would be excited to see the Australian side play on our grounds. “Playing in home conditions is always an advantage because you know the pitches better than the opponents and of course home fans also provide and extra incentive to perform.”

Bipin Dani Former Australian top order batsman and the ICC match referee David Boon, who will be officiated in the upcoming five T-20I matches between Australia and Sri Lanka will meet the team management of both sides before the commencement of the series scheduled on 11th February to decide on the duration of the drinks- interval, it is learnt. The ICC has announced that an optional drinks break of two minutes and thirty seconds might be taken at the midpoint of each innings subject to agreement between Members at the start of each series. "Reduction of time is optional and is not decided yet but will be discussed before the series begins", one of the sources in Australia, said exclusively.  "The drinks interval between the two innings is 20 minutes but the match-referee can reduce it up to 15 minutes", the source further added.  According to the former ICC umpire Daryl Harper, who now also officiates as a match-referee in domestic matches in Australia, the duration of drinks interval in each session is immaterial.  "The players have access to drinks at virtually any time in the match as it is currently between overs and also at the fall of a wicket", he said. India's veteran cricket umpires say, the duration of 2 minutes and 30 seconds will be "dicey to handle and implement". India's Vinayak Kulkurni, who has coached the umpires and was a Development Manager for the Indian umpires, said, "150 seconds is too less for drinks to reach the middle, which is on an average 65 yards, and more at some other venues like Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in Australia". "It may not be impossible but too tight for the drinks-men to reach there and come off the same distance and also allowing the on-field umpires and field players to get hydrated".    "The decision may have been taken to hasten the T-20 matches. Ideally it should have been four minutes, which is generally the case in the Tests and ODIs". "Considering the average over rate, a 4-minute drink interval is given and in no circumstances, it exceeds 5-minutes", he added.

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-The selection committee of Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC), headed by Mohammad Bilal Satti (Chairman Selection Committee) and comprising Masood Jan and Ibrar Shah (members), has announced the national blind cricket team for the South Africa series, scheduled to be commenced from February 28 at Karachi. According to an official of PBCC, South Africa will play three One-Day International matches in Karachi, 1st ODI will be played on 28th February 2nd ODI on 1st March and 3rd ODI on 3rd March 2022. All ODI matches will be held at Southern Club Cricket Stadium, Karachi. The Committee selected the national team after observing the trials from 31st January to 2nd February 2022 at Lahore and named the Pakistan Blind Cricket Team for the home series against South Africa. PBCC has included 6 new players in the team to give opportunity to young players to debut in international cricket in home conditions. Pakistan team for T20 International will be announced later on.  Worthy Chairman PBCC, Syed Sultan Shah has approved the team and also announced Team Officials for the ODI Leg. Nisar Ali and Zafar Iqbal will be the Captain and Vice-Captain respectively. Names of players: B1 (Totally Blind Category): Zafar Iqbal, Riasat Khan, Muhammad Shahzaib, Mohammad Salman, Kashif Siddique, B2 (Totally Blind Category): Nisar Ali, Shahzeb Haider, Matiullah, Ahtesham ul Haq, Naseeb Ullah B3 Partially Sighted Category: Mohammad Rashid, Mohsin Khan, Kashif Siddique, Faisal Mehmood, Akmal Hayyat, Israr ul Hassan Reserves: Fakhar Abbass (B1) Moain Aslam (B2) Sanaullah Khan (B3) Team Officials: Ali Dino (Manager), Mohammad Jamil (Coach) and Masood Jan (Trainer)