Sports Bulletin

Saad Kayani KARACHI (December 2, 2021):-Pakistan cricket selectors today announced the T20I and ODI squads for the home series against the West Indies, which will be played in Karachi from 13-22 December. The 20-over matches will count towards the ICC T20I Rankings, while the 50-over games will be part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League. From the 18 players who were part of the recently-concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik have been left out, while fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain has been added to the 15-man squad. Likewise, from the 17 players who were available for selection for the England ODIs in July, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Wasim Jnr have replaced Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the 17-member side, while Abdullah Shafique has been named as a traveling reserve. Chief selector Mohammad Wasim: “As we have been playing T20Is since October and now have a pretty settled and balanced side, we have decided to reduce the number of players to 15. As such, we have not included Imad Wasim, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shoaib Malik. “For the ODIs, which we last played in July, we have accepted the team management’s request and provided them two additional resources. “In consultation with Hasan Ali and taking into consideration that he has been playing non-stop cricket since returning from a back injury, we have decided to give him time off from this series.” Names of players for T20Is: Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab), Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern), Asif Ali (Northern), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Usman Qadir (Central Punjab), Names of players for ODIs: Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab), Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern), Asif Ali (Northern), Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Haider Ali (Northern), Haris Rauf (Northern), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Hasnain (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) Traveling reserve: Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab) Player Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Talha Ejaz (team analyst), Col (retd) Muhammad Imran (Security Manager), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital manager), Dr Najeeb Soomro (team doctor) and Malang Ali (Masseur) Series schedule 13 Dec – 1st T20I, Karachi 14 Dec – 2nd T20I, Karachi 16 Dec – 3rd T20I, Karachi 18 Dec – 1st ODI, Karachi 20 Dec – 2nd ODI, Karachi 22 Dec – 3rd ODI, Karachi

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (December 2, 2021):-Qasim Akram will lead the 15-player Pakistan Under-19 squad in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup which will be played in January-February 2022 in the West Indies. The Lahore-born Qasim will also captain the team in the Under-19 Asia Cup that will be played in the UAE later this month. The junior selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board had invited 21 high-performing cricketers born on or after 1 September 2002 (eligibility criteria) for a training camp that is currently underway in Lahore to prepare the side for the two tournaments, the camp began last week. Besides the final 15 for both events, the squad also includes two travelling reserves who will be part of the touring party for both tournaments. The squad includes four players who took part in the preceding U19 World Cup that was played in South Africa in January-February 2020, Pakistan finished third in the event. Qasim, openers Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and Mohammad Shehzad and middle-order batter Irfan Khan Niazi were the four players to feature in the South Africa event. Following the 2020 event, Qasim was hugely impressive for Central Punjab in all three formats in the 2020-21 domestic season which was his first, Abdul Wahid scored a double-century for Balochistan in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy besides impressive batting in the National T20. Irfan appeared for Central Punjab in the National T20 and has already earned the reputation of being a clean striker of the ball, Shehzad was also one of the most prolific batters in the 2021-22 U19 one-day and three-day events. Besides the quartet, the squad includes promising players like spinners Faisal Akram (left-arm-wrist-spinner), Ali Asfand (left-arm-spinner), Mehran Mumtaz (left-arm-spinner) and Arham Nawab (off-spinner). Faisal represented Southern Punjab in the National T20. Abdul Faseeh, Haseebullah, Rizwan Mehmood and Maaz Sadaqat were the standout performers with the bat in the domestic U19 circuit. Pacers Ahmed Khan, Awais Ali and Zeeshan Zameer have also performed admirably besides impressing the selectors and coaches with their potential. Pakistan Shaheens and U19 head coach Ijaz Ahmed will lead the support staff on the two tours. Chairman Junior Selection Committee Saleem Jaffer: “Selection of U19 squads is always one of the most challenging and difficult tasks due to the available pool of talent. And this selection was no different, but we have tried to pick the best available 17 players who can help Pakistan win the World Cup for the country. “The PCB has prepared a robust plan for pathways cricket and I can assure all teenage cricketers who have missed out on selection this time that they will get a chance at some stage down the line. “I want to congratulate the 17 players who have made into the squad for the UAE and the West Indies tournaments. I remain confident that this side has the capability and potential to do well in both the upcoming events.” Name of players: Qasim Akram (captain, Central Punjab), Abdul Faseeh (Northern), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan), Ahmed Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Ali Asfand (Central Punjab), Arham Nawab (Central Punjab), Awais Ali (Central Punjab), Faisal Akram (Southern Punjab), Haseebullah (wicketkeeper, Balochistan), Irfan Khan Niazi (Central Punjab), Maaz Sadaqat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mehran Mumtaz (Northern), Mohammad Shehzad (Southern Punjab), Rizwan Mehmood (Sindh) and Zeeshan Zameer (Sindh) Traveling reserves: Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper, Sindh), Mohammad Zeeshan (Central Punjab). Support staff: Ijaz Ahmed (Head coach), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (Bowling coach), Mohtashim Rasheed (Fielding coach), Mohammad Javed (Strength and Conditioning coach), Waleed Ahmed (Analyst), Hafiz Naeem-ul-Rasool (physiotherapist) and Taimur Azam (Manager).

Karachi (SB Report):-Northern took complete control of their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy seventh-round fixture against Central Punjab while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gained a healthy first innings lead over Sindh on day-two. Southern Punjab and Balochistan batters took the attack to the bowlers for a second consecutive day. Over at the the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi, Southern Punjab were bowled out for 483 in their first innings on day-two after resuming at 327 for three. Middle-order batter Yousuf Babar scored his second first-class century, the right-hander remained unbeaten on 119 off 203 balls (13 fours). Salman Ali Agha who completed his century yesterday was dismissed for 135 (17 fours, 209 balls). Aamer Yamin scored a breezy 43 off 33 balls (six fours, one six) to propel the side past the 450-mark. Khurram Shehzad and Akif Javed took three wickets apiece for Balochistan. Southern Punjab collected the full five first innings batting points while Balochistan had to contend with two bowling points. Balochistan roared back in the contest courtesy a blazing century by opener Shan Masood who was making his first-ever appearance for the team. The left-hander registered the 16th first-class century of his career, Shan scored 105 off only 82 balls (17 fours, one six). After Shan’s dismissal Balochistan stuttered to 184 for four before an unbroken 92-run partnership between Ayaz Tassawar (58 not out) and captain Bismillah Khan (57 not out) took them to 276 for four at stumps. The two will resume the Balochistan innings tomorrow, 203 runs behind the Southern Punjab total. Their impressive batting so far have earned them two valuable batting points and they will be aiming to keep the scoring momentum going as they chase the full five batting points. Aamer Yamin and Ali Usman with two wickets each were the two wicket-takers for Southern Punjab. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declared their first innings at 265 for nine after gaining a 120-run first innings lead over Sindh on day-two. Resuming at the overnight 124 for two, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost six wickets with 169 runs on the board. The innings was revived by all-rounder Asif Afridi who followed his three-wicket bowling performance with 50 off 44 balls (seven fours, one six). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa added two batting points to their six-point bowling tally. Sindh collected three bowling points with fast bowler Sohail Khan playing a leading role with the ball with figures of 21.1-3-82-5 (37th first-class five-wicket haul). Sindh started their second innings in a poor fashion as opener Ahsan Ali (2) and Omair Bin Yousuf (9) fell with only 11 runs on the board. At this stage, the seasoned pair of Khurram Manzoor and captain Asad Shafiq rescued the side. The two had crossed their fifties and were at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day. Khurram has so far hit seven fours in his 59 (136 balls) while Asad’s even 50 has come off 96 balls with the help of eight fours. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, resuming his innings at 141, the hugely promising Haider Ali registered the maiden double-century of his first-class career. The 21-year-old was eventually dismissed for a scintillating 206 off 221 balls (27 fours, four sixes). Haider added 229 for the fourth-wicket with Faizan Riaz who contributed 67 as Northern amassed 445 for eight in 106 overs before declaring their innings. Northern collected the full five batting points on offer, pacer Muhammad Ali took three wickets for Central Punjab. Fast bowler Haris Rauf who was making his first Quaid-e-Azam Trophy appearance in the season then rocked the Central Punjab batters with his fearsome pace as he returned his best-ever first-class bowling haul. The right-armer, fresh from representing Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh took a liking to the red ball taking six wickets for 41 runs from 15 overs of electrifying pace. Hussain Talat with 51 punctuated with four fours and two sixes was the best Central Punjab performer with the bat, opener Imran Dogar scored 43 while Mohammad Saad and Ali Zaryab contributed 38 and 37. Central Punjab finished the day reeling at 223 for eight, needing another 72 runs to avoid a follow-on with only two wickets in hand. After gaining full five batting points, Northern have already accumolated three bowling points. They will be striving to collect three additional bowling points by bowling out Central Punjab with-in 100 overs of their innings when play resumes tomorrow. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab vs Balochistan –UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab 483 all out, 117.5 overs (Salman Ali Agha 135, Yousuf Babar 119 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 102; Kashif Shehzad 3-63, Akif Javed 3-78) Balochistan 276 for 4, 44.5 overs (Shan Masood 105, Ayaz Tassawar 58 not out, Bismillah Khan 57 not out; Aamer Yamin 2-44) Points so far: Southern Punjab – six, Balochistan – three. Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Sindh 145 all out, 42.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 31, Faraz Ali 31; Irfanullah Shah 5-43, Asif Afridi 3-16) and 137 for 2, 43 overs (Khurram Manzoor 59 not out, Asad Shafiq 50 not out; Irfanullah Shah 1-24) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 265 for 9 (declared) 64.1 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 75, Asif Afridi 50, Iftikhar Ahmed 40; Sohail Khan 5-82, Mir Hamza 3-62) Points so far: Sindh – three, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - eight. Northern vs Central Punjab – National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 445 for 8 (declared), 106 overs (Haider Ali 206, Faizan Riaz 67, Mohammad Huraira 54; Mohammad Ali 3-68) Central Punjab 223 for 8, 60.3 overs (Hussain Talat 51, Imran Dogar 43; Haris Rauf 6-41) Points so far: Northern - eight, Central Punjab - three.

Dubai, UAE (SB Report):-Lancer Capital has inked new historic in cricket after acquiring a franchise in the forthcoming United Arabs Emirates (UAE) T20 Cricket League that will be held next year 2022. According to an official, Lancer Capital has investments in a variety of best-in-class assets.  The Chairman of Lancer Capital, Avie Glazer, is an owner of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Glazer has also been the Co-Chairman of Manchester United since 2005.  Manchester United won more trophies than any other club in English football. Khalid Al Zarooni, UAE T20 League Chairman and Vice Chairman Emirates Cricket Board said; “I am very excited to welcome Glazer to the UAE T20 Family! To have a partner who has invested into sports properties with a long term investment perspective is a testament to the strength of the UAE T20 League’s Business Model and its value proposition to its stakeholders and an ode to the UAE as the destination of choice for global sports events.” Avram Glazer, Chairman of Lancer Capital LLC said; “I am very excited to be a part of UAE T20 at its formation.  UAE T20 promises to be a world class event that will be transformative to the growth of cricket in the Emirates.” Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary Emirates Cricket Board said; “We are extremely pleased that a legendary sports owner like Avie Glazer has chosen to partner with the UAE T20 League. This is a resounding thumb up to the unique opportunity that the UAE T20 league offers to experienced and established sports business owners. Our partnership with Lancer Capital will enable us to combine fans of the two widely followed sports – football and cricket – in a never done before manner”

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (December 1, 2021):-Fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has made it to the top five of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for the first time in his career after a fine show in the first Test against Bangladesh which Pakistan won by eight wickets. The 21-year-old left-armer, who grabbed seven wickets including a haul of five for 32 in the second innings of the Chittagong Test, has moved up three places to fifth position after overtaking James Anderson, Kagiso Rabada and Neil Wagner. Shaheen’s new-ball partner Hasan Ali too is at a career-best position after finishing with a similar seven-wicket match haul that included a five-for in the first innings. Hasan has advanced five places to 11th place. His previous best in Tests was 14th, reached in May this year. Pakistan’s opening batters were not the ones to be left behind. Abid Ali may have missed out on a century in each innings but his scores of 133 and 91 helped him shoot up 27 slots to a career-best 20th position while Abdullah Shafique enters the rankings at 83rd with scores of 52 and 73. For Bangladesh, Mushfiqur Rahim is up four places to 19th with scores of 91 and 16 while Liton Das has moved up 26 places to a career-best 31st position after accruing 114 and 59. Left-arm spinner Taijul Islam has progressed two places to 23rd after an eight-wicket match haul that included seven scalps in the first innings. The thrilling draw in Kanpur between India and New Zealand had quite a few performances from either side that reflect in the latest weekly update that also includes the first Test between Sri Lanka and the West Indies at Galle, which the host side won by 187 runs. Debutant Shreyas Iyer’s Player of the Match effort of 105 and 65 helped him enter the rankings in 74th position while opener Shubman Gill (up six places to 66th) and Wriddhiman Saha (up nine places to 99th) also made notable progress after notching half-centuries. Ravindra Jadeja is up two places to 19th among bowlers with five wickets in the match and is also up one place to second among all-rounders. Ravichandran Ashwin is the third-ranked all-rounder and 79th among batters. For New Zealand, Tom Latham’s knocks of 95 and 52 place him back in the top 10 as he goes up from 14th to ninth. Fast bowler Kyle Jamieson is ninth among bowlers, his three wickets in each innings resulting in a gain of six places. Tim Southee has gained 15 rating points to reach within one point of second-placed Ashwin (840) after his eight-wicket match haul. Sri Lanka, whose win in their first match of the ICC Men’s Test Championship put them on top of the table powered by MRF (on percentage points), also had some improvements after the Galle Test. Captain Dimuth Karunaratne’s Player of the Match effort of 147 and 83 has lifted him four places to seventh, just one below his career-best sixth position attained in August 2019. Former captains Angelo Mathews (up two places to 23rd) and Dinesh Chandimal (up four places to 46th) have also advanced. Left-arm spinners Lasith Embuldeniya (up four places to 37th) and Praveen Jayawickrama (up six places to 44th) and off-spinner Ramesh Mendis (up 28 places to 57th) have improved in the rankings for bowlers.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Aleem Dar, member of ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will team up with Ahsan Raza, who is one of the four Pakistani umpires in the ICC International Panel of Umpires, for the on-field umpiring duties of the first of the three T20I between Pakistan and the West Indies at the National Stadium, Karachi. The experienced umpire Aleem Dar will also be the on-field umpire for the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League fixtures between the two teams, and will be joined by Asif Yaqoob, Ahsan Raza and Rashid Riaz at the other end for the first, second and third ODIs, respectively. Match referee Mohammad Javed Malik will be lead the playing control teams for all six matches. Match schedule (all matches to be played at National Stadium, Karachi): 13 Dec – 1st T20I: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed Malik (match referee) 14 Dec – 2nd T20I: Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed Malik (match referee) 16 Dec – 3rd T20I: Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed Malik (match referee) 18 Dec – 1st ODI: Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed Malik (match referee) 20 Dec – 2nd ODI: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed Malik (match referee) 22 Dec – 3rd ODI: Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Asif Yaqoon (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed Malik (match referee)

Dhaka, Bangladesh (SB Report):-Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) named the 20-player squad for the 2nd Test match against Pakistan regarding the ICC Test Championship, starting from December 4, 2021 at Dhaka, as top all-rounder Shakib-ul-Hasan included after showing acceptable fitness. Left-arm batsman, Shakib had missed the first Test at Chittagong, won by Pakistan comprehensively by 8 wickets despite of going first innings deficit, has now included in the squad. Shakib passed a fitness test in Dhaka on Monday, which brought him back into a team. Name of players: Mominul Haque (captain), Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Liton Das, Yasir Ali, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Abu Jayed, Nayeem Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Rejaur Rahman Raja, Khaled Ahmed, Shohidul Islam, Mohammad Naim.

Saad Kayani KARACHI (November 30, 2021):-The seventh-round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 began at three Karachi venues today. The opening day was dominated by Southern Punjab and Northern batters while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers reigned supreme against Sindh. The toss was uncontested at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi as Southern Punjab were asked to bat first by Balochistan. Left-handed batter Zeeshan Ashraf who was included in the Southern Punjab squad for this round, made an immediate impression for his side with a stroke-filled 102 off 116 balls (13 fours, three sixes). Salman posted the 10th first-class century of his career as he took over the scoring reins after Zeeshan’s departure. The right-hander hit 15 fours in his typically stylish unbeaten 117-run innings that was compiled off 182 balls. Salman was at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day with Southern Punjab placed at a healthy 327 for three after 85 overs batting. Salman has so far added 154 runs for the unfinished fourth-wicket partnership with Yousuf Babar (45 off 117 balls, four fours). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opted to bowl after an uncontested toss against table-toppers Sindh at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium. The match is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers made most of the conditions and the decision to bowl first by reducing Sindh to 78 for four at lunch. Left-arm-spinner Asif Afridi made the inroads before lunch as he dismissed Sindh’s in form openers (Khurram Manzoor and Ahsan Ali) cheaply. Pacer Irfanullah Shah took over the wicket taking mantle post-lunch as Sindh were sent packing for 145 in 42.1 overs. The right-armer Irfan recorded the sixth five-wicket haul of his first-class career taking with figures of 12-2-43-5. Asif took three while pacer Arshad Iqbal took two wickets. Captain Asad Shafiq and Faraz Ali were the combined best scorers for Sindh with 31 runs each. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s superb bowling effort earned them the full six bowling points. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their first two wickets with only 32 runs on the board. At this stage captain Iftikhar Ahmed joined opener Musadiq Ahmed. The two added 92 runs for their unbroken third-wicket stand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finished the day a mere 21 runs behind Sindh at 124 for two. Musadiq has so far hit nine fours and one six in his 72 off 93 balls, Iftikhar’s unbeaten 34 has come off 69 balls with the aid of four fours. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Northern got off to a steady start against Central Punjab who had opted to bowl after an uncontested toss. Northern reached 77 for one at lunch. Opener Muhammad Huraira who is featuring in his maiden first-class season scored an enterprising 54 off 108 balls (eight fours). Huraira added 96 runs for the second-wicket with his captain Umar Amin who scored 50 off 73 balls (seven fours). Both Huraira and Umar fell with the score at 119, at this stage Haider Ali was joined by Faizan Riaz. Haider took control by playing some typically aggressive shots in his stellar batting performance. The right-hander fresh from a player of the match winning performance in the third Bangladesh-Pakistan T20I hit as many as many as 22 fours and one six in his unbeaten 141 off 168 balls. Haider now has three first-class centuries to his name in only nine appearances. Haider added 204 runs in the unbroken fourth-wicket alliance with Faizan Riaz who proved the perfect foil for Haider with 57 off 131 balls (five fours). Muhammad Ali with two wickets was the most successful bowler of the day for Central Punjab. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab vs Balochistan –UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab 327 for 3, 85 overs (Salman Ali Agha 117 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 102, Yousuf Babar 45 not out; Akif Javed 1-59) Points so far: Southern Punjab – three, Balochistan – one. Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Sindh 145 all out, 42.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 31, Faraz Ali 31; Irfanullah Shah 5-43, Asif Afridi 3-16) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 124 for 2, 32 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 72 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 34 not out; Sohail Khan 1-24) Points so far: Sindh – zero, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - six. Northern vs Central Punjab – National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 323 for 3, 87 overs (Haider Ali 141 not out, Faizan Riaz 57 not out, Mohammad Huraira 54; Mohammad Ali 2-54) Points so far: Northern - three, Central Punjab - one.

Chittagong, Bangladesh (SB Report):-Pakistan earned 1-0 lead in the two-test match series against hosts Bangladesh after registering a comprehensive win by 8 wickets in the morning session of the final day’s play of the first Tests at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong on Tuesday. With the win, Pakistan collected 12 World Test Championship points and jumped to the second spot on the points table with 66.66 percentage of points – which is a percentage of the points gained from the total available in matches a side has feature. Pakistan openers Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique dominated the first half hour as the pair stroked the ball around the ground with ease and grace. Abdullah added 20 more to his overnight 53 before he was LBW off Mehidy Hasan Miraz. Abid Ali, not out on 56 yesterday, fell nine runs short of becoming the 10th Pakistan batter in men’s Tests to record a century in both innings of a match, when he was plumb in front off Taijul Islam. For his fighting 133 in the first innings and an elegant 91 in the second, Abid was named player of the match. The experienced pair of Azhar Ali and Babar Azam took Pakistan over the line, as they were unbeaten on 24 and 13.This marked the third instance of Pakistan successfully completing a 200-plus run chase away from home. The two teams will face off the final Test in Dhaka from 4 December. Scores in brief: Bangladesh 330, 114.4 overs (Liton Das 114, Mushfiqur Rahim 91, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 38 not out; Hasan Ali 5-51, Faheem Ashraf 2-54, Shaheen Afridi 2-70) and 157 all out, 56.2 overs (Liton Das 59, Yasir Ali 36; Shaheen Shah Afridi 5-32, Sajid Khan 3-33) Pakistan 286 all out, 115.4 overs (Abid Ali 133, Abdullah Shafique 52, Faheem Ashraf 38; Taijul Islam 7-116, Ebadot Hossain 2-47) and 203-2, 58.3 overs (Abid Ali 91, Abdullah Shafique 73, Azhar Ali 24 not out) Player of the match – Abid Ali (Pakistan)

Chittagong (SB Report):-A brilliant century stand for the undefeated first wicket between Abid Ali and Abdullah Shafique had Pakistan on the verge of victory in the first Test against Bangladesh before fading light resulted in early stumps on the fourth day. Pakistan, chasing 202 to win the first of the two Tests, were 109 for none in 33 overs with Abid Ali, fresh from a century in the first innings, and Abdullah Shafique, who made 52 on day two, scoring solid half-centuries. This was only the second time in Pakistan’s Test history, which stretch 440 matches, that an opening pair recorded two century stands in a match. Imran Farhat and Taufiq Umer did it first time against South Africa in Lahore in 2003, when Pakistan came out victorious by eight wickets. Abid and Abdullah were unbeaten at 56 and 53 and will resume Pakistan’s pursuit of the remaining 93 runs on Tuesday. Earlier, a sizzling Shaheen Shah Afridi recorded his fourth Test five-wicket haul, which restricted Bangladesh to 157. The left-arm pacer returned five for 32, sending Liton Das (59) and Abu Jayed back in the hut after he had taken three wickets for six runs last day. Liton scored a fighting 59 off 89 to keep Bangladesh’s innings alive, after debutant Yasir Ali had to walk off the field after a scorching bouncer by Shaheen hit the flesh of his helmet. Bangladesh took Nurul Hasan Sohan as Yasir’s concussion replacement. Off-spinner Sajid Khan was also amongst the wicket takers as he accounted for Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nurul Hasan and Taijul Islam. Scores in brief: Bangladesh 330, 114.4 overs (Liton Das 114, Mushfiqur Rahim 91, Mehidy Hasan Miraz 38 not out; Hasan Ali 5-51, Faheem Ashraf 2-54, Shaheen Afridi 2-70) and 157 all out, 56.2 overs (Liton Das 59, Yasir Ali 36; Shaheen Shah Afridi 5-32, Sajid Khan 3-33) Pakistan 286 all out, 115.4 overs (Abid Ali 133, Abdullah Shafique 52, Faheem Ashraf 38; Taijul Islam 7-116, Ebadot Hossain 2-47) and 109-0, 33 overs (Abid Ali 56 not out, Abdullah Shafique 53 not out)