Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-A blistering display with the bat by Jacob Bethell helped England advance to the semi-finals of the Super League in a six-wicket win over South Africa. Bethell was one of the bowlers to restrict South Africa to 209 all out before hitting 88 to see England set up a clash with either Sri Lanka or Afghanistan. Matthew Welch’s 78 helped Zimbabwe to set Scotland a tricky chase of 249 in their Plate quarter-final. Scotland were unable to build partnerships as they slumped to 140 all out to see Zimbabwe advance to meet Ireland. They will be joined in the semi-finals by the hosts West Indies who were too good for Papua New Guinea in a 169-run win. The West Indies will now face the United Arab Emirates, while Papua New Guinea are set to take on Uganda in the Plate play-offs. Bethell’s batting masterclass sets England up for victory over South Africa South Africa endured a slow start having won the toss and chosen to bat, their first boundary came off the final ball of the fourth over, before Joshua Boyden dismissed Valentine Kitime off the next delivery. Boyden would claim his 12th wicket of the tournament to send the other opener Ethan-John Cunningham back to the hutch and reduce South Africa to 21 for two. Dewald Brevis and Gerhardus Maree combined to steady the South African ship, adding 55 runs to the total before Bethell dismissed Maree as he played and missed. Brevis remained a familiar stronghold for South Africa as he brought up his fourth fifty-plus score in a row eventually falling just short of a century on 97. His dismissal brought about a batting collapse for South Africa as three wickets fell for one run as the batters went in search of boundaries, but only found the grateful hands of fielders with Rehan Ahmed claiming figures of four for 48. The final-wicket partnership of Matthew Boast and Asakhe Tsaka frustrated England adding 40 as South Africa ended on 209 all out. Bethell came out all guns blazing in England’s chase, hitting the fourth fastest half-century of ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup history, reaching fifty off just 20 balls, as the Young Lions went at over 10 an over. George Thomas was a delighted onlooker at the non-striker’s end only moving into double figures in the tenth over, before smacking a six to bring up England’s hundred. South Africa finally struck as Bethell went for one heave too many but not before he had put on 88 from 42 deliveries to place England as overwhelming favourites. That tag was backed up by good partnerships in the top order, before William Luxton came in at five to strike 47 from 41 balls and get England into the semi-finals with a six. Zimbabwe too good for Scotland as Plate quarter-finals draw to a close After seeing his opening partner Emmanuel Bawa fall for three runs, Matthew Welch added 32 runs for the second wicket alongside Panashe Taruvinga, with Taruvinga contributing just three runs before being dismissed by Jack Jarvis. Welch then advanced passed fifty, as did Brian Bennett whose 54 off 58 balls helped Zimbabwe reach 155 in the 31st over. Bennett was then forced to go, bowled leg before wicket by Lyle Robertson as he was replaced in the middle by another Bennett, David, who worked with Welch to move Zimbabwe closer to 200 before Welch fell for 78. Jarvis then swung the game back in Scotland’s favour taking two wickets in two balls to reduce Zimbabwe to 221 for seven and remove the dangerous Rogan Wolhuter. His hat-trick ball came in his next over and while he could not get the scalp of Tendekai Mataranyika he soon bowled Connor Mitchell to leave Zimbabwe reeling. Alex Falao was the final wicket to fall as Zimbabwe ended on 248 all out, meaning Scotland would have to post their highest score of the tournament to win. In reply, Scotland were restricted by good bowling from Zimbabwe, Charlie Tear was first to go bowled leg before wicket by Mcgini Dube before Bennett and Bawa got in on the act. Left-arm spinner Mitchell then picked up the next three wickets as Scotland slumped to 105 for six with 26 overs remaining. Scotland’s collapse continued as Bennet also claimed a threefer including the final wicket of Ruaridh McIntyre to bowl out Scotland for a 108-run win and to advance to the Plate League semi-finals. Hosts on all-round fire in Papua New Guinea win The home side were in blistering form as they took on Papua New Guinea in the final Plate quarter-final. Shaqkere Parris and Matthew Nandu combined at the top of the order to add 155 runs before the first wicket fell, Parris caught behind off the bowling off Rasan Kevau. Nandu kept scoring alongside Teddy Bishop before he had to go –  playing and missing a good ball from Patrick Nou. Captain Nandu would eventually bring up his hundred on the final ball of the 42nd over, sweeping for four to earn his first century of the tournament, the landmark coming from 112 balls. Alongside Kevin Wickham, Nandu kept pushing the Windies’ total higher reaching 128 before a late fight back by Boio Ray. Nandu was the first of Ray’s victims as he claimed three wickets in the penultimate over, the West Indies eventually ended with an imposing 317 for six. Ray could not add to his heroics as he was bowled first ball by Nathan Edward and was soon joined in the dugout by Peter Karoho and captain Barnabas Maha as PNG slipped to 56 for three. Opener Christopher Kilapat then looked to dig in but was eventually out having scored just five from 46 balls. Not content with top scoring with the bat, Nandu then took two wickets in two balls as Papua New Guinea’s hopes of a win grew slimmer. Aue Oru reached 27 not out to be Papua New Guinea’s top scorer but his 52-ball innings was in vain as Rasan Kevau was run out on seven to see his side fall 169 runs short of their target.

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-South Africa batters Quinton de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen have made huge gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after helping their team complete a memorable 3-0 series win over India. De Kock is in the top five for the first time since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 after aggregating 229 runs that included a match-winning 124 in the final match in Cape Town. The wicketkeeper-batter has moved up four places after his Player of the Series effort. Van der Dussen, who scored 218 runs, has advanced 10 places to reach a career-best 10th position. Captain Temba Bavuma has also made huge progress, reaching a career-best 59th position from 80th before the latest weekly update which also includes the Afghanistan-Netherlands series and the last match of the Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe series. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, the leading scorer for India against South Africa with 169 runs, has moved up one place to 15th in the list led by Pakistan captain Babar Azam with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in second and joint-third positions, respectively. Rishabh Pant is up five places to 82nd. Afghanistan batter Rahmat Shah’s aggregate of 153 runs against the Netherlands has lifted him seven places to joint-36th while Hashmatullah Shahidi is up nine places to 53rd. For the Netherlands, Scott Edwards’s series-topping 208 runs see him move up 97 places to 100th. Charith Asalanka of Sri Lanka is another one to progress, from 52nd to a career-best 46th position. South Africa’s bowlers too have significant gains in Wednesday’s update. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is back in the top 20 after five wickets in the series and spinner Keshav Maharaj is at a career-best 33rd position. Andile Phehlukwayo is up seven places to 52nd after taking six wickets in the series. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, England batter Jason Roy’s 45-run knock in the second match against the West Indies has helped him move up one place to 15th while West Indies’ Brandon King is up 28 places to 88th thanks to his unbeaten 52 in the first match. In the bowlers’ list, Jason Holder is up to a career-best 26th following his haul of four for seven that won him the Player of the Match award in the first match. His team-mate Akeal Hosein bowled economically to gain 40 places and reach 33rd after the first two matches.

Bipin Dani Indian sociologists have come in support of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, who have requested the fans not to circulate their daughter Vamika's photo on social media. Cameras were zoomed in on Anushka holding the baby in the arm when former captain Kohli reached 50 in the 3rd and final ODI against South Africa on Sunday. "Any post made public is bound to have repercussions, and if you are celebrities, like Virat and Anushka, it will be followed by a large number of people reacting to it. Requesting them to social media to respect their privacy and not click, share or upload the pics of their little daughter was fine and totally their personal matter", Prof. Abha Chauhan, President, Indian Sociological Society (ISS), says. Adding further, she says, "Beyond that it should be just a normal way of leading life, even cheering at the match, or being clicked at times, could be a usual way of growing up for a child of the two celebrities". "The couple didn’t need to justify or sound apologetic about not being aware of the camera on them during the one-day international match between India and South Africa. The comments and counter-comments, now and before, from their fans and others, many of them making fun and some demeaning, were not in a good spirit". "Socialization of a child is a contextual process, it depends on where and to whom you are born. There are thousands of children in our country who need care and attention, but are completely ignored by the media. Why make some children more special than others, by either protecting them too much or exposing them a lot? Either way, the children of the celebrities will be susceptible to focus and remain the center of attraction. Just let them be…and just let them enjoy the status which they have inherited, normally and naturally! "If they don't want to bring the photos and other personal details of their daughter on social media, as an ethically and morally responsible persons, we should refrain from posting their personal details. It will provide a better chance, free from the dazzling lives of celebrities, of growing up and socialization to the daughter of Virat and Anushka", However, it is to be noted here that ex-captain Dhoni and his wife Sakshi have also portrayed their daughter Ziva in public domain. Prof. Manish K. Verma, the secretary. of the Association says, "No matter other celebrities have 'chosen' to make their personal life public by showcasing the photographs and other details of their spouse and children on social media, it is strictly the decision of Virat and Anushka that what they want with regard to their daughter and how they want to groom her", the sociologist adds.

Sports Bulletin JOHANNESBURG:-The South African Blind cricket team will visit Pakistan to play a bilateral series of the three One Day Internationals (ODI) and three Twenty20 matches from February 26 to March 9, 2022. In an effort to ensure a truly memorable and successful tour for the team, the City of Johannesburg's Sport and Recreation Directorate and Blind Cricket South Africa (BCSA) organized a training camp for the preliminary squad. It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) has invited Blind Cricket South Africa (BCSA) to compete in an international bilateral blind cricket series from 26 February to 9 March 2022. The South African national team will compete in three One Day International (ODI) and three T20 matches against their Pakistani counterparts. This tour promises to be enthralling as it will challenge the team against the 2017 T20 World Cup and 2018 ODI World Cup finalists. “It has been an effective training camp for Blind Cricket South Africa. This camp has enabled us to not only prepare and practice, but also to promote and facilitate our players' dignity and independence," said Michael da Silva, the coach of BCSA national team. “A 20-member South African team with players who all come from different provinces, including officials, will tour Pakistan," he said, adding that Blind Cricket South Africa will reveal the national team players for the series in the first week of February and that they have identified a pool of 25 to 30 players from whom the final line-up will be picked. The team stayed at Haron Bridge Retreat from Friday, January 21, to Sunday, January 23, 2022, for the training camp. BCSA identified the need for a national camp to prepare the country's best visually impaired cricketers for what would be a difficult yet exciting voyage to Pakistan. We've been working really hard. It hasn't been easy, but the team is doing very well," said Johan Schroeder, South Africa's 2013 Blind Cricketer of the Year and South African Blind Cricket national team member. “Being at the training camp has helped me understand that there is genuine concern and appreciation for each other among the players. To us, cricket is not only a game where champions are built. On and off the pitch friendships are also being forged, even on the opposing team," he said. The unabashed enthusiasm for the game is what stands out about blind cricket. As players practiced at the Haron Bridge Retreat Cricket fields, they eagerly anticipated sweep shots, committed their bodies on the line, and celebrated wickets with zeal. “We are really thankful to the City of Johannesburg and other sponsors for their help and support as players prepare for Pakistan; these gestures mean a great deal to us and the players," said Isaac Bidla, the president of Central Gauteng Lions Blind Cricket. “Playing blind cricket teaches players a lot; not only do they enjoy themselves, but they also develop mobility, the capacity to respond to sound, and fair play." All Covid-19 regulations were followed on arrival, and all team members were required to take a Covid-19 test to ensure safety throughout the course of the training camp. (Thanks to Ntombifuthi Junerose Nkosi).

Bipin Dani Former Sri Lanka captain and a member of the 1996 World Cup winning team Aravinda de Silva, who is now in Australia on a personal visit, was invited at the launch of the fixtures of the ICC Men's T-20 World Cup to be played there later this year.  This was revealed by Sri Lanka-born Vernon Tissera, who now works as an event photographer with Sports N News channel in Australia. The ceremony which was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where the final this year is scheduled to be played on November 13, was also attended by Aaaron Finch, Australia's 2021 T-20 World Cup winning captain, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Hussey and England's Michael Vaughan. Members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) also discussed with the participants about the possible outcome of this year's final.  While describing his feelings for winning the 50-Over World Cup in 1996, the former captain also expressed confidence in the present young team of Sri Lanka. "This young side has a lot of potential and this World Cup is almost nine months away, it is all to do with momentum and confidence. I think the team can be well prepared with the training in this period and do well", he said in the video, sent by another Sri Lankan Johann Dias Jayasinha, who is a National Operations and Media manager.

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-Captain Chamari Athapaththu produced a superb all-round effort to help Sri Lanka score a fine 22-run victory over Bangladesh and win the ICC Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. The last match of the five-team tournament, played to decide the final qualifying spot at this year’s Commonwealth Games, saw Athapaththu score 48 runs to propel Sri Lanka to 136 for six before returning figures of three for 17 to restrict Bangladesh to 114 for five. The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) will announce the cricket line-up in due course, once Sri Lanka are officially confirmed as the eighth team in Birmingham, joining Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa, who have already qualified for the Games. Athapaththu did everything right today right from winning the toss in the crucial fixture. Electing to bat, Sri Lanka were kept quiet by opening bowlers Salma Khatun and Soraya Azmim in the first few overs. Azmim was rewarded for consistently hitting hard lengths when Vishmi Gunaratne lobbed her to Fargana Hoque at mid-off to leave Sri Lanka at 14 for one in the fourth over. A few balls later, Athapaththu slashed Azmim over the infield for four before unleashing a barrage of sweep shots against Bangladesh’s spinners, two of which cleared the ropes for six. Off-spinner Salma Khatun, the only bowler up to that point to keep Athapaththu in check, was brought back into the attack. She responded by trapping Hasini Perera plumb in front with the score 61 for two in the ninth over. Athapaththu muscled Rumana over extra cover for six as she approached what could have been her third half-century of the tournament. However, she missed out on her fifty when she tried to repeat the shot, only managing an edge through to Shamima Sultana behind the stumps. Unsurprisingly, the fall of Athapaththu’s wicket allowed Bangladesh’s spinners to claw back before Nilakshi de Silva and Anushka Sanjeewani helped Sri Lanka accumulate 42 runs in the last five overs to take the score to 136 for six. In reply, Bangladesh benefitted from a dropped catch and four overthrows in the first couple of overs. Shamima Sultana was caught in the circle by Udeshika Prabodhani off the bowling of Ama Kanchana to leave Bangladesh at 18 for one in the third over. However, left-handed opener Murshida Khatun continued her fine form by clearing the infield for boundaries on three occasions during a Powerplay that fetched Bangladesh 46 runs. However, Sri Lanka’s spin quartet of Athapaththu, Inoka Ranaweera, Sachini Nisansala, and Kavisha Dilhari put the squeeze on Bangladesh, who could not score a single boundary in the next six overs. Athapaththu’s arm ball trapped Murshida in front to leave Bangladesh at 71 for two after 12 overs, requiring a further 66 runs off 48 balls for victory. Despite a dropped catch that went for four and a no-ball from Athapaththu, Bangladesh were unable to fight back as Sri Lanka completed a comfortable victory. Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana identified what went wrong for her team. “They managed to score extra boundaries in the last three overs. And we could not do well with the bat,” she said. Athapaththu was particularly impressed with her bowlers in this game. “I had complete confidence in our experienced bowling attack. The plan was to bowl lots of dot balls to exert pressure,” she said. Athapaththu was awarded the Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament awards. “I wanted to bat through, but I’m reasonably happy with the start I got today, giving a platform for the other players to compile a challenging total,” she said. Brief Scores: Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh by 22 runs. Sri Lanka 136/6 in 20 Overs; Bangladesh 114/5 in 20 Overs. Player of the Match: Chamari Athapaththu

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-As part of the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Pakistani pacer Shaheen Afridi as the recipient of the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2021. Afridi has had a fabulous 2021 across all three formats of the game. He took 78 wickets in 36 internationals at an average of 22.20. His contribution in the Test and T20I formats of the game was phenomenal. At the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Afridi took seven wickets in six matches aiding Pakistan formidably to make it to the semi-finals of the tournament. In the Test format, Afridi remained consistent and claimed 47 wickets in only nine matches at a staggering average of 17.06. His most memorable performance was at the high stakes game against India at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He claimed three wickets in that match which included the wickets of opening pair Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul and that of India captain Virat Kohli in the death overs. Commenting on receiving the honour Shaheen Afridi, said: “I feel truly honoured and privileged to become the first Pakistan cricketer to win the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year. I had always dreamt of doing something unique and special for Pakistan. In this background, I am elated and thank Almighty for blessing me with this respect. “I also feel humbled to join a galaxy of legends who have previously won the Garfield Sobers Trophy. I have grown up watching the exploits of these cricketers and now to be bracketed with them is a matter of great honour and pride for me, my family, my teammates and my country. “This award is a testament to the high quality of cricket we played as a group during another difficult and challenging year. This required a lot of mental and physical toughness on a consistent basis, and I am glad we all were able to maintain the high standards to live up to the expectations of our fans. “Every performance I gave for Pakistan was enjoyable and memorable and was made possible through the support of my teammates. But to me, the standout performances remained the three wickets against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, and the 18 wickets I took in the two-Test series against the West Indies in Jamaica. “I look forward to 2022 with optimism and hope I will be able to contribute regularly in Pakistan’s successes as at the end of the day, it all depends how we perform as a team and unit.”

Aamir Ali Janjua DUBAI:-As part of the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Lizelle Lee of South Africa and Babar Azam of Pakistan as the ICC ODI Cricketers of the Year 2021across women’s and men’s international cricket respectively. Lizelle Lee has had an outstanding year in ODI cricket. She scored 632 runs in 11 matches at an average of 90.28 that included a century and five half-centuries. Lee also finished as the highest run-scorer in 2021 in fifty over format. In South Africa’s tour of India, Lee was unstoppable, contributing with big runs in the 4-1 series win for her team. With 288 runs, including a hundred and two fifties, she ended the series as the highest run-scorer and was also awarded the Player of the Series. Lee scored the highest individual ODI score of her career at 132* in the third match of the series against India. She carried her form over to the series against West Indies and was once again the top run-getter in the series. Commenting on receiving the honour Lizelle Lee, said:  “I am very privileged and honoured to have been awarded the ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year. I honestly didn’t expect this. It is a privilege just to be nominated, anyone could have won this award. It is truly an honour! “There are so many that I would like to give credit to not just on the field but off the field too. Firstly, I would like to thank my family which has been my number one support system, my parents and my wife, our coaching staff, and teammates, without whom none of this would have been possible.” In the men’s category, Pakistani skipper Babar Azam has had an impressive 2021 across all formats of the game. He scored a total of 405 runs in six matches at an average of 67.50 which included two centuries. Babar was the second-highest run-scorer with 228 runs and was also the Player of the Match in both matches that Pakistan won against South Africa. Commenting on the honour Babar Azam said: “I feel humbled to have been voted as the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year a few days after being adjudged by the PCB as their ODI Cricketer of 2021. Recognition by the parent and then the world administrative bodies means a lot and gives me tremendous satisfaction and happiness. “It has been an excellent year for Pakistan cricket across all formats and I am delighted to have been part of an outstanding bunch of players who displayed their very best, both on and off the field that, in turn, earned them well deserved respect and acknowledgement from the opponents and fans alike.

Sports Bulletin LAHORE:-Bismah Maroof will lead the national side in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand as the national women’s selection committee announced the squad for the tournament to be played from 4 March till 3 April. The event will mark Bismah’s return to international cricket after two years as she took break from the game for the birth of her first child in December 2020. She will be accompanied by a support person, as part of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s parental policy, to help her look after the newborn, while keeping her focus on cricket. Asmavia Iqbal-led selection committee that includes Saleem Jaffar and Taufeeq Umar has called up leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima, who last played for Pakistan in 2018, and opener Nahida Khan, whose last outing in Pakistan colours was last January, after impressive performances in practice matches during the recent Karachi camp. Chair of women’s national selection committee Asmavia Iqbal: “I want to congratulate every player who made it to the squad for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup. We considered the conditions and challenges our team will encounter in New Zealand along with the current form of players and the team’s balance while putting together this squad. “While we have retained majority of the players who have been on the national duty recently, we have called back Nahida Khan and Ghulam Fatima. Nahida brings with her experience that every team seeks going into a World Cup and Fatima has had an incredible run in Karachi. She has done well to enhance her fitness and has been in good form in domestic cricket of late. Bismah Maroof: “It is a great honour for me to lead my country into another World Cup. I am thrilled to be back in action and do what I love and have dedicated my life to. “The recent selection matches proved to be fruitful for me and the whole side as we got some match practice under competitive and challenging environment leading into the mega event. The aim is to reach the World Cup semi-finals and I believe this team has the potential to pull it off.” The Pakistan squad will begin the final phase of their preparations with a 10-day pre-departure camp in Karachi from 27 January. They will depart for NZ on 8 February. Pakistan squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Nida Dar (vice-captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz Traveling reserves: Iram Javed, Najiha Alvi and Tuba Hassan Player support personnel: Aisha Jalil (team manager), David Hemp (head coach), Arshad Khan (assistant coach), Kamran Hussain (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (strength and conditioning coach), Zubair Ahmad (analyst), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager) and Rifat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist) Pakistan’s fixtures at ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022: 6 March – Pakistan v India at Bay Oval, Tauranga 8 March – Pakistan v Australia at Bay Oval, Tauranga 11 March – Pakistan v South Africa at Bay Oval, Tauranga 14 March – Pakistan v Bangladesh at Seddon Park, Hamilton 21 March – Pakistan v West Indies at Seddon Park, Hamilton 24 March – Pakistan v England at Hagley Oval, Christchurch 26 March – Pakistan v New Zealand at Hagley Oval, Christchurch

Bipin Dani Death over refers to the final overs in a limited match. Often the batting side would bat aggressively to gain more runs and increase their score. This will take place during the last five to ten overs of a team’s innings in a match. Former India cricketer, who has been a regular commentator has requested commentators all over the world not to use the term "Death Overs" while on air. "Request to all commentators please don't say Death Overs". Either call it slog overs or end overs", he has appealed. Explaining the reason for this appeal, the former googly bowler says, "we are going through a tough time. Death is not a nice word. The last ten overs are definitely important overs but one doesn't die if it doesn't go the team's way". Obviously, the veteran bowler’s words were directed at the ongoing COVID crisis.