Sports Bulletin

Karachi (Sports Report):-The five-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 pink-ball, day-night final has started between Northern and the joint-defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the National Stadium, Karachi from Saturday. The National Stadium staged the dramatic finale of the previous season between Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which ended in a tie. Another absorbing final between two balanced and well matched sides is expected from Saturday. Northern topped the table with 152 points from 10 matches (four wins, four draws, two defeats). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sealed the second spot with a tally of 150 points from their 10 games (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Sindh who were on top of the points table leading into the last two rounds, lost their way at the end and despite winning their 10th and final fixture against Southern Punjab finished with 143 points (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Northern captain Nauman Ali: “We have peaked at the right time and due to an all-round effort secured a spot in the final. I have been hugely impressed by the fight shown by our young players in the final few rounds which resulted in us topping the table. The pink-ball final though will be a different challenge for players from both sides with conditions expected to change especially under the lights. “However, I am confident that we possess the skills and the depth in our squad to compete at our best against a formidable side like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Iftikhar Ahmed: “This year’s tournament has proven to be as competitive as the previous two editions in the revamped domestic system. I am really pleased about our performances and how we have managed to secure a place in the final despite stiff competition. Our batters and bowlers have done admirably and raised the level of their game especially in the Karachi-leg which has produced results in almost every game. “The pink-ball under the lights will be a big challenge for both sides and it in a way even things out. It is a bit of an unknown for both set of players so I feel the first two days will be crucial for both teams as they will seek to gain early advantage. I have full confidence in my players and I think they will rise up to the challenge as we seek our fifth consecutive domestic title across the three formats.” Prize money: Winner - PKR 10,000,000 Runner Up - PKR 5,000,000 Best Batter - PKR 500,000 Best Bowler - PKR 500,000 Best Wicketkeeper - PKR 500,000 Player of the Tournament - PKR 500,000 Player of the final - PKR 50,000 Match officials: On-field umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Afridi TV umpire: Rashid Riaz Reserve umpire: Imtiaz Iqbal Match Referee: Nadeem Arshad

Bipin Dani There will be no live radio commentary in South Africa for the upcoming Test series against India.   This was revealed by the (South African Broadcasting Corporation) SABC’s Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Ms. Gugu Ntuli. Speaking exclusively, she says, “The SABC can confirm that there will be no live radio commentary for the Protea Inbound Tour matches, therefore no commentators are appointed in this regard". "However, a provision for three live updates of three to five minutes long every hour on Radio 2000 has been made for these matches and the station will also stream full live commentary on its website www.radio2000.co.za”. Incidentally, the CSA (Cricket South Africa) board did make an appeal to the authorities so that through the radio broadcast, fans can rally behind the Proteas as they take on India in an historic encounter, which also marks the 30th Anniversary of  friendship between CSA and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Owing to the current pandemic situations in South Africa, the fans are not allowed at the grounds to witness the Tests. It is worth highlighting that many thousands of blind cricket fans are totally reliant on radio commentary to enjoy their favorite sport. This will deprive those fans of their enjoyment of the game. First of the three Tests will begin on Boxing Day at Centurion.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (December 23, 2021: Fast bowlers Ahmed Khan, Awais Ali and Zeeshan Zameer blew away Afghanistan Under-19 as Pakistan Under-19 got off to a winning start in the Asian Cricket Cup (ACC) Under-19 Asia Cup with a four-wicket win at the ICC Cricket Academy Oval 2 on Thursday. Afghanistan, who won the toss and opted to bat first, have lost half of their batting side on just 12 runs. Nangeyalia Kharote, coming to bat at number-seven, was the only batter to score in double figures, 15 off 27, and struck three fours. Right-arm fast Ahmed took three for 21 from six overs which included dismissals of Suliman Safi (four off 19b), Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai (one off six) and Ijaz Ahmed Azad (first ball duck). Right-arm pacers Awais and Zeeshan grabbed two wickets apiece for nine and 12 runs, respectively. In their run-chase, Pakistan lost six wickets before achieving the target in the 17th over. Only two batters managed to enter into double figures with opening batter Maaz Sadaqat returning unbeaten on 14 off 46, hitting one four. For Afghanistan, Noor Ahmad picked three wickets for 20. Right-arm fast Bilal Sami bagged two wickets for 16. Pakistan U19 will take on India U19 in their second match of the tournament on 25 December at the same venue. Scores in brief: Pakistan U19 beat Afghanistan U19 by four wickets Afghanistan U19 52 all out, 23.1 overs (Nangeyalia Kharote 15; Ahmed Khan 3-21, Awais Ali 2-9, Zeeshan Zameer 2-12) Pakistan U19 53-6, 16.4 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 14 not out; Noor Ahmed 3-20, Bilal Sami 2-16) Result Pakistan U19 win by four wickets Player of the match – Awais Ali (Pakistan U19) Upcoming fixtures: 25 December – v India, Dubai 27 December – v UAE, Dubai

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board has approved the incentives for the three members of the National Selection Panel, it is learnt. According to the highly placed sources in the SLC, this incentive payment is for the recognition of their service for selecting the excellent team they picked for the ICC T-20 World Cup, which was played in the UAE (United Ara Emirates).  The three selectors, who each are benefited with a sum of Rs. 1 million are: Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Hemantha Wickramaratne.  "Yes, the team could not advance to the final stages of the World Cup but overall the performance of the team was good and could also win a few matches in the tournament and hence this decision was taken", two different sources confirmed the news on Tuesday. Incidentally, the proposal came from the SLC president Shammi Silva. "Incentive payment for the National Selectors-ICC T20 World Cup 2021. President's suggestion to offer Rs. 1 min each to the 03 National Selectors for the excellent work rendered by them in selecting the squad for the ICC T/20 World Cup 2021 which was recently concluded in Dubai, UAE, has been approved", the minutes of the 04th Executive Committee meeting (a copy in possession of this Reporter), which was held at the SLC Head Quarters on 9th November 2021, reads. 

Karachi (Sports Report):-The 67th meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the Pakistan Cricket Board was held on Tuesday, 21 December in Karachi. Below are some of the key outcomes and updates from the last meeting of 2021: Cricket development plans In line with the PCB’s strategy of investing in youth and pathways cricket following a bottom-up approach, the BoG backed and supported the PCB Chairman’s two new initiatives, which are: ·         Pathway Junior Contracts – Through strategic partnerships, the PCB will award 100 contracts to the most outstanding and bright cricketers under the ages of 11, 14, 16 and 19. Under this programme, the talented young cricketers will receive a stipend of PKR 30,000 per month and also earn 100 per cent scholarship, which will provide them access to cost-free education at a leading local educational institution that, in turn, will help them become wholesome individuals. ·         Pathway Cricket Foundation – Again through a strategic partnership, the PCB will appoint highly qualified resident foreign coaches at the National High Performance Centre. These coaches will work very closely with 100 teenage cricketers to nurture and develop them and prepare them for future events, including the U19 PSL, which is marked for October 2022. These coaches will also be available to assist and help elite and emerging cricketers. All discussions and details on the above initiatives with the PCB’s strategic partners have taken place and further details will follow shortly. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “In order to create a long-term sustainable process, it is essential that we continue to tap into, stimulate and motivate the youth’s passion and talent for cricket, whilst focusing on a bottom-up approach towards participation and making attempts to bridge the wide divide between pathways and Pakistan cricket journey. “We feel that our Junior Contracts and Cricket Foundation initiatives will now play a decisive role in ensuring that raw talent from even the remotest and less privileged of areas in Pakistan reaches its full potential. “Through these and various other initiatives, including an all-Pakistan Talent Hunt Programme, we aim to unearth the hidden talent and provide them absolute clarity at a very young age that the PCB will back, support and provide a clear pathway through which they can embark on their journey of representing Pakistan at an international stage.” Club scrutiny process and amendment to CA Model Constitution The BoG approved the club scrutiny procedure for 3,822 clubs, who took part in the First Registration of Cricket Clubs, across 90 City Cricket Associations in the first half of 2022. The club scrutiny procedure will be available on the PCB corporate website under Documents/PCB Model Constitutions next week. Furthermore, the BoG also approved amendment to Article 4.1(h) of the Model Constitution for Cricket Associations, which deals with Objects and Functions of the Cricket Association, now reads as: “…. coordinate cricket activities within their jurisdiction including but not limited to holding and organizing the tournaments, which may include divisional cricket, and endeavor to also organize or assist in organization of tournaments for clubs and schools …” Pakistan men’s cricket team performances Taking into consideration that a long and demanding international cricket period awaits the Pakistan men’s cricket team, an extensive discussion on the players’ workload handling took place. The BoG requested the PCB management to explore options and submit suggestions on how the elite cricketers can preserve their energies for Pakistan by remaining supremely fit, injury-free and fresh. The BoG appreciated the performance of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team and felt they came significantly close to meeting the expectations of their fans in the last quarter of 2021 through their grit, determination and positive attitude. The PCB Chairman highlighted Babar Azam’s authority, leadership and impact on the side as one of the turnaround factors. He also credited the calm influences of Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Matthew Hayden (batting consultant) and Vernon Philander (bowling consultant) as the other contributing factor as the trio were able to create a relaxed team environment that, in turn, allowed the team to excel, particularly during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Other updates: ·         West Indies will play three Twenty20 Internationals in the build up to the HBL Pakistan Super League 2023. The West Indies are already scheduled to play ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs in June 2022 to make up for the postponed December 2021 matches due to an increased number of Covid-19 cases in their side ·         The BoG approved in-principle the construction of 60 additional (international quality) player rooms each at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore and Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi. When completed, this will resolve the PCB’s challenges around logistics, security and road commuting, as well as setting-up and handling the Managed Event Environment ·         PCB Chairman, Acting Chief Executive Officer and the PCB BOG Committees submitted their reports, while the Chief Financial Officer presented his quarterly financial statements. Separately, there were presentations on fan engagement as well as on women’s cricket. Earlier, the BoG welcomed incoming PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain, who attended the meeting as an observer and will formally start in Lahore around mid-January.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (December 22, 2021):-Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne is now the number one batter in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, surpassing England’s Joe Root who had been on top since August this year. In the second Test held in Adelaide, Marnus scored his first Ashes century and went on to be adjudged the 'Player of the Match' for his knocks of 103 and 51 contributing towards Australia's 275-run win over England. He is the ninth player from Australia to have crossed the 900-point mark with the bat, joining the elite league of gentlemen, Sir Don Bradman, Ricky Pointing, Mathew Hayden, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke etc. Within the bowlers, Mitchell Starc is back in the world’s top ten Test bowlers for the first time since this January. Whilst his compatriot Pat Cummins held onto the top spot despite missing the second Test. England’s Ollie Robinson is in the world’s top 25 bowlers for the first time at a career-best 597 points and Joe Root has made his first appearance in the world’s top 10 all-rounders after his 111th Test appearance. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings there is a tie for top spot of batters between Pakistan’s Babar Azam and England’s Dawid Malan.  Mohammad Rizwan is now at a career-best 798 points and is the second Pakistani in the top three batter’s category. Nicholas Pooran was the bright spot for the West Indies in their 3-0 T20I series defeat against Pakistan.  His 108 runs at a strike rate of 147.94 took him up to 27th place, up from his previous career best of 30th.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Central Punjab opener Abid Ali complained of chest pain during his innings against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final-round match at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi today. Abid left the batting crease at 61 in Central Punjab’s second innings. Abid was taken immediately to a cardiac hospital where he was diagnosed as a case of Acute Coronary Syndrome. He is under the care of Consultant Cardiologist who is liaising with PCB medical team regarding further treatment. He is currently stable.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Central Punjab by 244 runs at the UBL Sports Complex Karachi in the final round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on Tuesday to set-up pink-ball five-day final against Northern at the National Stadium from 25 December. Right-arm fast Sameen Gul took three for 42 while Imran Khan Snr, Sajid Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed picked two wickets each as Central Punjab were dismissed for 250 after resuming this morning at 123 for no loss and chasing 495 for victory. The openers Abid Ali and Rizwan Hussain fought hard for Central Punjab. Abid scored 61 off 148 balls before retiring out. His partner Rizwan top-scored with 67 off 145, hitting 12 fours and one six. Hussain Talat coming to bat at number-five contributed a 132-ball 46, which included seven fours. At NBP Sports Complex, six wickets from leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood led Sindh to a 48-run win over Southern Punjab. The win didn’t help Sindh to qualify for the final as they finished on the third spot with 143 points. Chasing 232 to win, Southern Punjab were bowled out for 183 in the 55th over. Yousuf Babar, batting at number-five top-scored with a 124-ball 57, smashing six fours. Wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan contributed 25 off 37 balls, which included three fours. Sindh’s Zahid picked six wickets f0r 101 and ended-up taking eight wickets in the match. Mohammad Asghar with his left-arm spin bagged three for 35. Earlier, resuming their second innings on 294 for seven, Sindh were bowled out for 306 in the 77th over. Ali Usman picked four wickets for 102. At the conclusion of tenth and final round matches of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Northern topped the table with 152 points and will face Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the final who finished on second spot with 150 points. Scores in brief: Sindh beat Southern Punjab by 48 runs at NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 310 all out, 96.5 overs (Saad Khan 88, Fawad Alam 85, Sarfaraz Ahmed 34 not out; Naseem Shah 4-46, Ali Usman 4-113) and 306 all out, 76.2 overs (Saad Khan 63, Saud Shakil 63, Khurram Manzoor 59; Ali Usman 4-102) Southern Punjab 385 all out, 94 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 108, Tayyab Tahir 69, Yousuf Babar 64, Azam Khan 48, Ali Usman 38 not out; Shahnawaz Dahani 3-61, Mohammad Asghar 2-72, Zahid Mehmood 2-153) and 183 all out, 55 overs (Yousuf Babar 57; Zahid Mahmood 6-101, Mohammad Asghar 3-35) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Central Punjab by 244 runs at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 355 all out, 95.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 76, Ashfaq Ahmed 71, Rehan Afridi 63 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 53, Sajid Khan 51; Mohammad Ali 3-65, Faheem Ashraf 3-66) and 249-4 (decl), 67 overs (Fakhar Zaman 62, Iftikhar Ahmed 61 not out, Adil Amin 54 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 45; Bilawal Iqbal 3-45) Central Punjab 110 all out, 31.5 overs (Azhar Ali 43, Zafar Gohar 22 not out; Sameen Gul 3-30, Imran Khan Snr 3-42) and 250 all out, 101.5 overs (Rizwan Hussain 67, Abid Ali 61 retired out, Hussain Talat 46; Sameen Gul 3-42, Iftikhar Ahmed 2-18, Imran Khan Snr 2-31, Sajid Khan 2-63)

Karachi (Sports Report):-A maiden first-class triple-century by Mohammad Huraira and six wickets from Mubasir Khan lead Northern to an innings and 170 runs win over Balochistan on day three of the final round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium on Monday. The match was being live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel. Resuming their innings at the overnight score 0f 449 for two, Northern declared their innings on 631 for four in 124 overs. Huraira who resumed his batting on 243 continued to play shots all across the ground and brought up his first triple-century in the 113th over of the innings. The 19-year old right-handed batter struck 40 fours and four sixes during his innings of 311 off 343 balls faced and also became the second youngest Pakistan batter to score a first-class triple century. In reply, Balochistan trailing by 316 runs were bowled out for 146 in the 35th over handing Northern a comprehensive an innings and 170-run win over the former. For Balochistan only three players managed to enter into double figures with opening batter Imran Butt top-scoring with a 101-ball 81, hitting 13 fours. Northern’s off-spinner Mubasir grabbed six wickets for 49 in 10.4 overs, while right-arm fast Musa picked two wickets for 60. The win over Balochistan confirms Northern place in the pink-ball final scheduled to take place at National Stadium Karachi from 25-29 December. At UBL Sports Complex, chasing 495 to win, Central Punjab were 123 for no loss in 43 overs against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when stumps were drawn. Abid Ali (49, eight fours, 121b) and Rizwan Hussain (66, 12 fours, one six, 141b) will resume their batting tomorrow. Earlier, resuming their second innings on 89 for no loss, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declared their innings on 249 for four in 67 overs. Left-handed opening batter Fakhar Zaman top-scored with a 102-ball 62, which included 12 fours and one six. Captain Iftikhar Ahmed scored an unbeaten 61 off 82 balls, hitting seven fours. Adil Amin coming to bat at number-six returned undefeated on a 78-ball 54, which included three fours. The pair stitched a 114-run unbroken partnership for the fifth wicket. For Central Punjab, Bilawal Iqbal picked three wickets for 45. At NBP Sports Complex, Sindh were leading by 219 with three second innings wickets in hand against Southern Punjab at the close of play. Left-handed batter Saad Khan returned undefeated on 63, while Saud Shakeel (63, seven fours, 113b) and Khurram Manzoor (59, 10 fours, 73b) were other significant contributors with the bat. For Southern Punjab, Ali Usman grabbed three wickets for 92. Earlier, resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 333 for six, Southern Punjab were dismissed for 385 in the 94th over with a 75-run first innings lead. The right-handed Ali scored an unbeaten 38 off 83 balls. For Sindh, right-arm fast Shahnawaz Dahani picked three wickets for 61 in 17 overs, while spinners Mohammad Asghar and Zahid Mahmood bagged two wickets apiece. Scores in brief: Northern beat Balochistan by an innings and 170 runs at State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 305 all out, 59.1 overs (Shan Masood 190, Kashif Bhatti 68; Kashif Ali 4-49, Athar Mehmood 4-100) and 146-9, 34.4 overs (Imran Butt 81, Imam-ul-Haq 31; Mubasir Khan 6-43) Northern 631-4 (decl), 124 overs (Mohammad Huraira 311, Sarmad Bhatti 135, Umer Amin 51; Akif Javed 2-105) Points so far: Balochistan 3; Northern 25 Sindh vs Southern Punjab - NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 310 all out, 96.5 overs (Saad Khan 88, Fawad Alam 85, Sarfaraz Ahmed 34 not out; Naseem Shah 4-46, Ali Usman 4-113) and 294-7, 70 overs (Saad Khan 63 not out, Saud Shakil 63, Khurram Manzoor 59; Ali Usman 3-92) Southern Punjab 385 all out, 94 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 108, Tayyab Tahir 69, Yousuf Babar 64, Azam Khan 48, Ali Usman 38 not out; Shahnawaz Dahani 3-61, Mohammad Asghar 2-72, Zahid Mehmood 2-153) Points so far: Sindh 6; Southern Punjab 7 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Central Punjab – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 355 all out, 95.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 76, Ashfaq Ahmed 71, Rehan Afridi 63 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 53, Sajid Khan 51; Mohammad Ali 3-65, Faheem Ashraf 3-66) and 249-4 (decl), 67 overs (Fakhar Zaman 62, Iftikhar Ahmed 61 not out, Adil Amin 54 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 45; Bilawal Iqbal 3-45) Central Punjab 110 all out, 31.5 overs (Azhar Ali 43, Zafar Gohar 22 not out; Sameen Gul 3-30, Imran Khan Snr 3-42) and 123-0, 43 overs (Rizwan Hussain 66 not out, Abid Ali 49 not out) Points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 20, 2021):-New Zealand national cricket team will visit Pakistan to play two Tests and three One Day International matches series next year in December/January 2022-23 as part of the Future Tours Programme and will tour again in April 2023 to play 10 limited overs matches to make-up for the September 2021 abandoned tour. According to media department of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the arrangement was finalised following meetings and discussions between the PCB and NZC Chairmen Ramiz Raja and Martin Snedden. The two Tests and three ODIs will be part of the ICC World Test Championship and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, respectively, while the second visit will include two additional ODIs and will now comprise five ODIs and five T20Is that will count towards the ICC Rankings. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “I am pleased with the outcomes of our discussions and negotiations, and thank Martin Snedden and his board for their understanding and support. This reflects the strong, cordial and historic relations the two boards have and reconfirms Pakistan’s status as an important member of the cricket fraternity.” NZC Chief Executive David White: “Our respective chairmen, Ramiz Raja and Martin Snedden, had very fruitful and constructive discussions while in Dubai, further strengthening the bond between the two organisations. “It’s good to be going back.” The latest announcement means Pakistan will host eight Tests, 11 ODIs and 13 T20Is against Australia, England and New Zealand in the period from March 2022 to April 2023.