Sports Bulletin

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's outgoing national head coach Mickey Arthur's departure to England is delayed, it is learnt.   According to the sources in Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Arthur was to leave for England to take up his new assignment as cricket director with the Derbyshire County Cricket on December 8, but he will leave Sri Lanka on 15th December. "Arthur and Grant Flower, who was a batting coach with our team, were to leave on 8th December for the UK and were to be booked on the same flight", the source added.  The reason for Arthur's delayed departure is not known. "Flower may leave on Wednesday subject to the confirmation of his booking. He is leaving for the Sussex area", the source added. "Flower has a few offers but has not decided yet on his new assignment". SLC didn't extend the contracts of foreign coaches and has advertised for all coaching positions.

Karachi (Sports Report):-The eight-round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season is underway at three Karachi venues. On day-two of the three four-day fixtures, Sarmad Bhatti scored 145 for Northern while Tabish Khan and Zafar Gohar took five wicket hauls for Sindh and Central Punjab. Balochistan all-rounder Kashif Bhatti produced a sterling performance with bat and ball for his side.  Table-toppers Sindh conceded a 221 runs first innings lead to Northern at the UBL Sports Complex. Resuming at the overnight score of 136 for two, Northern posted 321 in their first innings courtesy Sarmad’s fifth first-class century. The left-hander’s 145 was compiled off 299 balls and included 16 fours and two sixes. Sarmad added 140 for the third-wicket with his captain Umar Amin who contributed 78 (134 balls, 12 fours). Seasoned Sindh pacer Tabish recorded the 39th first-class five-for of his career, the right-armer took five wickets for 55 runs in 23.1 probing overs. He was ably supported by Sohail Khan who took three Northern wickets for 61 runs. By close, Sindh had reduced the deficit to 116 runs by reaching 105 for one in their second innings at close of play. Opener Ahsan Ali scored 44 while Khurram Manzoor was unbeaten on 33 when stumps were drawn for the day. Northern collected three batting and Sindh tallied three bowling points. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gained a 115-run first innings lead. Resuming at the overnight first innings score of 45 for two, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were well-served by fast bowler Arshad Iqbal who while batting at number four as a night watchman scored 62 off 102 balls (nine fours). The ongoing season’s leading run-getter Sahibzada Farhan contributed 60 (six fours, one six, 127 balls) in a 102-run fourth-wicket stand with Arshad. Adil Amin (30), Mehran Ibrahim (33) and Asif Afridi (30) made crucial contributions to push the lead past the 100-mark. Speedster Muhammad Ilyas took four wickets while Aamer Yamin and Salman Ali Agha took three wickets each. By close Southern Punjab had reached 40 for no loss in their second innings to reduce the first innings deficit to 75. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected two batting while Southern Punjab collected four bowling points. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, resuming at the overnight score of 283 for five, Balochistan were bowled out for 325 in 104.4 overs. All-rounder Kashif Bhatti was the best performer with the bat for Balochistan on Tuesday with 53 off 82 balls (seven fours, one six). Left-arm-spinner Zafar who had taken two wickets on day-one, added three more to his tally to register the 10th five-for of his first-class career. Balochistan and Central Punjab collected three batting and bowling points respectively as Balochistan had reached 318 for eight in 100 overs. Central Punjab in reply were wobbling at 178 for five after 69 overs of batting in their first innings at close on day-two. Opener Rizwan Hussain top-scored with 50 off 98 balls (seven fours). Ali Zaryab scored 48 off 82 balls. Kashif followed his batting heroics with a four-wicket haul for 59 runs to put Balochistan in a strong position in the match. The left-armer will be chasing his 23rd first-class five-for tomorrow. Scores in brief: Sindh vs Northern - UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 98 for 9 declared, 31 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 33, Mir Hamza 18 not out; Ather Mahmood 4-23, Kashif Ali 3-42) and 105 for 1, 26.1 overs (Ahsan Ali 44, Khurram Manzoor 33 not out) Northern 319 all out, 100.1 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 145, Umar Amin 75; Tabish Khan 5-55, Sohail Khan 3-61) Points so far: Sindh – three, Northern – six Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 166 for 9, 57.1 overs (Muhammad Imran 64, Yousuf Babar 28, Tayyab Tahir 26; Arshad Iqbal 4-41, Asif Afridi 2-36) and 40 for no loss, 12 overs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 281 all out, 89.2 overs (Arshad Iqbal 62, Sahibzada Farhan 60; Muhammad Ilyas 4-71, Salman Ali Agha 3-32, Aamer Yamin 3-54) Points so far: Southern Punjab – four, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - five. Balochistan vs Central Punjab - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 325 all out, 104.4 overs (Shan Masood 102, Imran Butt 65, Kashif Bhatti 53; Zafar Gohar 5-126) Central Punjab 178 for 5, 69 overs (Rizwan Hussain 50, Ali Zaryab 48; Kashif Bhatti 4-59) Points so far: Balochistan - four, Central Punjab - three.

Dhaka, Bangladesh (SB Report):-Pakistan’s hopes of collecting maximum ICC World Test Championship points from a rain-marred second Test got a real impetus from off-spinner Sajid Khan as Bangladesh were left wobbling at 76 for seven and requiring another 24 runs to avoid a follow-on at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. After only 63.2 overs were bowled in the first two days and third day was completely rained-off, Pakistan declared their first innings at 300 for four after resuming at 188 for two. In the 26 overs Bangladesh played on Tuesday, Sajid Khan returned figures of 12-3-35-6 to put Pakistan in sight of a possible victory that looked unlikely and unexpected when play commenced on the fourth day. This was Sajid Khan’s best figures in a four-Test career after his first three Tests had yielded six wickets. His best performance in a 43 first-class matches career is also 6-35, which he is expected to improve on Wednesday, of course, weather permitting. While Sajid mermerised all the top-order batters, only Nazmul Hossain (30) and Shakib Al Hasan (23 not out) offered some resistance to keep Bangladesh’s slim hopes alive in the Test. Earlier, Pakistan batted for just over 35 overs in which they added 112 runs and lost the wickets of overnight batters Babar Azam (76) and Azhar Ali (56) to declare at 300 for four. However, Mohammad Rizwan and Fawad Alam put together an unbroken 103-run fifth wicket stand to put Pakistan in a position where they could afford to declare and try to make a match out of it. Rizwan returned unbeaten on a 94-ball 53 that included four fours and a six, while Fawad’s 50 not out came off 96 balls and was laced with seven fours. In the ICC World Test Championship, a team gets 12 points for winning a match, four for a draw and six for a tie. If Pakistan manage to turn things around in the second Test, they will have 36 points from two series and will be behind India (42 points from two series). Scores in brief (day 4 of 5): Pakistan 1st innings (overnight 188-2) 300-4d (Babar Azam 76, Azhar Ali 56, Mohammad Rizwan 53 not out, Fawad Alam 50 not out; Taijul Islam 2-73) Bangladesh 1st innings 76-7 (Najmul Hossain 30, Shakib Al Hasan 23 not out; Sajid Khan 6-35)

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai, UAE (December 7, 2021):-Pakistan opening batter Abid Ali and David Warner of Australia have been shortlisted in the men’s category for the ICC Player of the Month awards along with New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee, while left-arm spinners Anam Amin of Pakistan and Nahida Akter of Bangladesh are in the running to scoop the women’s award alongside West Indies all-rounder Haley Matthews who is nominated for the second time. The nominations for the month of November were announced on Tuesday, based on performances across formats and including matches from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 held in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world can now vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered on icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes until Sunday. Abid Ali (Pakistan) Pakistan opener Abid Ali was named Player of the Match after scores of 133 and 91 in the first match of their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series against Bangladesh in Chittagong. He played a pivotal role in laying the platform for an eight-wicket victory, thanks to two century opening stands in both innings with partner Abdullah Shafique. Tim Southee (NZ) New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee took eight wickets in the drawn opening Test of the WTC series against India in Kanpur, soon after excelling in the shortest format. He had seized seven wickets during his November matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, helping guide his team to the final spectacle in Dubai. In between these two milestones, he took three more T20I wickets against India in Ranchi. David Warner (Australia) Warner, who was Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, had standout performances of 49 in the semifinal against Pakistan and 53 in the final against New Zealand. In four T20Is during the period, he aggregated 209 runs at an average of 69.66 and a strike rate of 151.44, proving to be a crucial figure as his team secured their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy. Nahida Akter (Bangladesh) Nahida grabbed 13 wickets in four ODIs during the period at an economy rate of 2.22. 11 of those wickets came as Bangladesh claimed a 3-0 series victory in Zimbabwe, including figures of five for 21 in the third match in Bulawayo. The spinner’s remaining two wickets came in a memorable victory over Pakistan in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021 in Harare. Anam Amin (Pakistan) Anam accounted for 13 ODI scalps in November at an economy rate of 3.00. She was the leading wicket-taker in the ODI series against the West Indies with nine wickets and followed that up with four wickets in two matches during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2021, which included a haul of three for nine against Zimbabwe. Hayley Matthews (West Indies) All-rounder Hayley Matthews, who was shortlisted alongside her captain Stafanie Taylor in July, wins her second nomination after some consistent performances in four ODIs in which she scored 141 runs and grabbed nine wickets at an average of 13.11. She was a star in the series win over Pakistan, hitting 57 and taking three for 31 in the first match before a four wicket haul for 26 runs in the second. The ICC Player of the Month Voting Process: The three nominees for either category is shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters, and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on ICC’s digital channels. Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month November 2021 Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Melinda Farrell and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Sayeed Zaman and Mohammad Isam; England: Elizabeth Ammon and Holly Colvin; Ireland: Ian Callender and Isobel Joyce; India: Rica Roy and Irfan Pathan; New Zealand: Mark Geenty and John Wright; Pakistan: Faizan Lakhani and Sana Mir; South Africa: Firdose Moonda and JP Duminy; Sri Lanka: Neville Victor Anthony and Russel Arnold; West Indies: Desmond Haynes and Merissa Aguilleira; Zimbabwe: Tristan Holme and Mpumelelo Mbangwa; Others: Paul Radley and Dirk Nannes.

Bipin Dani Taqi Raza is one among a few persons having watched the last two 10 wicket hauls by Anil Kumble and Ajaz Patel.  Taqi Raza, a part of TV crew members, was present when Anil Kumble grabbed all ten Pakistani wickets (Delhi) in 1999. He was also present at the Wankhede Stadium when New Zealand's Ajaz Patel had all ten Indian victims in the Test, which Kohli's team won. "I am fortunate enough to be at the ground on both occasions", Delhi-based Raza, said over the telephone. Interestingly, Raza, in this profession for many years, has witnessed several other milestones. "I was present at Galle when Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralitharan captured his 800th Test wicket. Incidentally, his 800th wicket was taken from my end where I was posing as a cameraman. That was the farewell Test match of world's highest Test wicket taker". "I was present when Muralitharan and R. Ashwin took their 400th wickets". "I can't forget capturing Sachin Tendulkar's farewell Test match. I have witnessed Sachin's many hundreds and have never failed to capture the shot when Sachin looked up at God after reaching his hundred". There may or may not be a single person present at the ground to have witnessed Test cricket's all three ten wicket hauls in a Test innings by Jim Laker (England vs. Australia, Manchester, 1956), Anil Kumble and now Ajaz Patel but according to renowned cricket statistician and historian Steven Lynch, England's Richard Stokes was at the ground on first two occasions.  "When he was ten, Richard Stokes was taken by his father to the 1956 Ashes Test at Old Trafford, and watched Jim Laker complete his ten-wicket haul. In 1998, while working in India, businessman Stokes strolled along to watch a Test match in Delhi - and endured an even noisier day as Anil Kumble took all ten against Pakistan", Steven says.

Karachi (Sports Report):- The eight-round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season began at three Karachi venues today. On a day dominated by bowlers, Balochistan opener Shan Masood scored his second successive century. At the UBL Sports Complex, Northern (fifth on the points table) got off to a fantastic start against table-toppers Sindh by reducing them to 70 for six in 25 overs before lunch. Northern who opted to bowl first were rewarded by their bowlers in the opening session of the match as Sindh’s batting line-up stuttered on a pitch that offered early help to the bowlers. Sindh continued to lose wickets in the post-lunch session and declared their innings at 98 for nine (31 overs) to ensure Northern do not collect the full six bowling points that they would have salvaged by bowling out Sindh inside 100 overs. Omair Bin Yousuf (33) was the top-scorer for Sindh in what was otherwise a disappointing batting performance. For Northern, Ather Mahmood took four wickets for 23 while Kashif Ali captured three for 42. In reply, Northern lost their openers with only 18 runs on the board before captain Umar Amin revived the innings with an unbeaten 118-run third-wicket partnership with Sarmad Bhatti. At close of play, Umar was batting on 69 (119 balls, 11 fours) while Sarmad was 53 (141 balls, six fours) not out. Northern ended the day at 136 for two, having already accumulated a 38-run first innings lead. Sohail Khan took the two wickets to fall. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel,  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opted to bowl and their bowlers made most of the conditions by taking four Southern Punjab wickets in the morning session as lunch was taken with Southern Punjab wobbling at 51 for four. Southern Punjab got some respite through all-rounder Muhammad Imran’s fighting 64 off 83 balls (four fours, four sixes). Like Sindh, Southern Punjab also managed to avoid conceding full six bowling points to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by declaring their first innings at 166 for nine. Fast bowler Arshad Iqbal took four wickets for 41. Left-arm-spinner Asif Afridi who is captaining Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this match took two wickets for 36 runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also off to a shaky start as they finished day-one at 45 for two. Opener Musadiq Ahmed and number three Israrullah were the two batters dismissed. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Balochistan openers got their side off to a flying start by reaching 97 for no loss at lunch on day-one. Left-hander Shan Masood continued his rich vein of form by scoring his second successive century for Balochistan in as many appearances. Shan hit 13 fours and three sixes in his 102 off 142 balls before falling to Bilawal Iqbal. Shan added 157 runs for the first-wicket with Imran Butt who contributed 65 off 136 balls (seven fours, one six). After losing the openers, the Balochistan middle-order went cheaply to leave the side in slight discomfort at 247 for five. Ayaz Tassawar (36) and Kashif Bhatti (30) took the side to stumps without further loss. The two had so far added 36 runs for the sixth-wicket. For Central Punjab Hussain Talat and Zafar Gohar took two wickets each. Scores in brief: Sindh vs Northern - UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 98 for 9 declared, 31 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 33, Mir Hamza 18 not out; Ather Mahmood 4-23, Kashif Ali 3-42) Northern 136 for 2, 46 overs (Umar Amin 69 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 53 not out; Sohail Khan 2-39) Points so far: Sindh – zero, Northern – three Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 166 for 9, 57.1 overs (Muhammad Imran 64, Yousuf Babar 28, Tayyab Tahir 26; Arshad Iqbal 4-41, Asif Afridi 2-36) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 45 for 2, 20 overs. Points so far: Southern Punjab – zero, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - three. Balochistan vs Central Punjab - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 283 for 5, 83 overs (Shan Masood 102, Imran Butt 65; Hussain Talat 2-18) Points so far: Balochistan - two, Central Punjab - one.

Bipin Dani Shane McDemott is Sri Lanka's first among three foreign coaches, whose contracts have not been extended and left the country. Speaking exclusively over the telephone, the fielding coach said, "I have arrived back to Australia (on December 3) and I am doing another 14 days strict room quarantine before returning to Adelaide to reunite with my family which I haven't seen for over 450 days". After 10 days in strict Isolation in Colombo after contracting Covid, the board didn't see it necessary for him to return to the bubble as his contract finished on the 1st of December. McDemott could not be part of the series victory celebrations against West Indies. "It was disappointing not to be there to celebrate the series win, an amazing 2 years and say farewell to all the wonderful players and staff that I have developed strong relationships with". "I will miss them, the fans, and the country dearly and hope to return one day. It has been great to be a part of Sri Lankan cricket's resurgence in world cricket", he further added. It's a strange time for the SLC to restructure and make quality coaches reapply for roles in which they have had proven success. McDermott, however, is not sure whether he would apply again for the coaching role. "Possibly, I am going to take some time to see my family and see what happens next", he signed off.

Colombo (SB Report):-The T20 fever officially hit the islands of Sri Lanka on Sunday as the second season of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) kicked off with a glitzy opening ceremony in front of a host of fans at the R. Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa inaugurated the cricket league, as Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa and General Shavendra Silva also graced the occasion. The culture and the tremendous passion for cricket in Sri Lanka was on display as various artists performed to the tune of the Lanka Premier League official song ‘Ekwa Jayagamu’ rendered by Bathiya and Santhush’, Yohani, Sanka, Sajitha, Umaria and ADK. Amongst the colour and fervour of the massive opening ceremony, the Lanka Premier League witnessed the presence of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Namal Rajapaksa and General Shavendra Silva. Paralympic Gold Medalist Dinesh Priyantha also graced the event and declared the T20 franchise tournament open. Commenting on the occasion, Angelo Mathews, Captain of Colombo Stars and Sri Lankan legend said, “You know, all the nations are having this kind of a tournament and it benefits the country’s cricket because you produce so many young players and you give them the exposure playing with international stars so yeah, its a great exposure for all of them. LPL is a great platform for the budding stars and it is going to benefit Sri Lanka cricket a lot.” Anil Mohan - Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL said, "An explosive start is very important for any competition and what a start it was on Sunday. I would like to thank Sri Lanka Cricket, all the sponsors and brodcasters and most importantly the fans of Sri Lanka cricket, who showed their passion and love for their favourite stars at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. We look forward to a fantastic tournament." The Galle Gladiators gained the first mover advantage in the opening match of the Lanka Premier League 2021 on Sunday after they defeated Jaffna Kings by 54 runs in Colombo. Gladiators Captain Bhanuka Rajapaksa scored 56 runs off 31 runs and helped his team post a total of 164/7. Thereafter, Samit Patel picked up figures of 3/21 as the Gladiators bowled the Jaffna Kings out for 110. Player of the Match Samit Patel said, “LPL is a great tournament to play in. It has great pitches and some very special people playing it. Great Talent Sri Lanka have got here and experience and exposure like this will make them even better." A total of 24 matches will be played in the Lanka Premier League 2021. The Final Round Games will see the top two teams in the points table playing the Qualifier 1, whilst the 3rd and 4th placed teams on the table playing in the ‘Eliminator.’ The winner of ‘Qualifier 1’ will directly go into the Final, whilst the loser of the ‘Qualifier 1’ will play against the winner of the ‘Eliminator’ in the ‘Qualifier 2’, and the winner of that game will go into the Final. The Final will be played on 23 December 2021 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Stadium, Hambantota.

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (December 6, 2021):-As many as 28 women cricketers will undergo skills and fitness training at the Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre, Multan in the emerging women’s camp, which begins on 10 December. Over the course of the 18-day camp, these 28 players will train under the supervision of the coaching staff of the women’s national cricket team as well as Academy coaches. David Hemp, head coach of the women’s national team, will oversee the camp, along with academy coaches Mohsin Kamal and Mohammad Kamran Hussain. This camp serves an opportunity to the coaches to observe up-and-coming cricketers and provide them awareness about the desired skills and fitness levels to compete at the international level. In accordance with the PCB’s Covid-19 protocols, all those involved in the camp will undergo two tests before their integration in the bio-secure environment. Their first tests will be held at their residence on 7 December and those who return negative tests will undergo second testing on 10 December upon their arrival in Multan. Player names: Aleena Iqbal Shah Afridi, Anoosha Nasir, Ayesha Bilal, Ayesha Khan, Ayesha Naseem, Ghulam Fatima, Gul Uswa, Gul Firoza, Hafsa Khalid, Humaira Bibi, Huraina Sajjad, Kaynat Hafeez, Madiha Bibi, Mahnoor Qayyum, Najiha Alvi, Natalia Parvaiz, Neha Shermin, Noor?ul-Eman, Sadaf Shamas, Saima Malik, Shawal Zulfiqar, Syeda Aroob Shah, Syeda Masooma Zahra Fatima, Tooba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani, Waheeda Akhtar, Warda Yousaf and Yusra Amir Support Staff: David Hemp (Head coach), Mohsin Kamal (Assistant Coach), Muhammad Kamran Hussain (Assistant Coach), Fizza Abid (Manager), Rabia Siddiq (Physiotherapist), Zubair Ahmed (Performance Analyst) and Saboor Ahmed (Strength and Conditioning Coach)

Bipin Dani Ajaz Patel is the third bowler in the history of grabbing all ten wickets in a Test innings but his feat is more remarkable than the other two, according to Dipak Patel, the former Kiwi spinner. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Auckland on Sunday morning, he said, "Both Kumble and Jim Laker took all ten wickets in the second innings (home Tests), whereas Ajaz's journey of ten wickets began from the first day (away Test match) itself. I therefore reckon Ajaz's performance is better".  "It is very very difficult for a bowler to take all ten wickets and that too by a spinner is not easy". Interestingly, all three members of the 10 wickets club are spinners. And yes, Kumble did tweet a congratulatory message.    It was Dipak Patel who had advised Ajaz to switch from fast bowling to spin. "Ajaz's performance was superb and that too against the Indian batsmen. The fact is Indian batsmen play spinners well and therefore Ajaz's performance was amazing". Mumbai-born Ajaz's family moved to New Zealand many years ago. "He got to play his first Test only three years ago but since then he has been taking wickets. He has really worked very hard and the result is there for all to watch", Patel signed off.