Sports Bulletin

Sports Reporter ISLAMABAD (October 18, 2021):-Jawz cricket club outclassed ESCO cricket club by 80 runs in a match at Marghazar cricket ground. After winning the toss being bating first,  Jawz club managed 248 for 9 runs on the board in 35 overs fixture. Shahid Ilyas hit brilliant ton 115 runs was major contributors for the winners. Junaid took 4 for 33 wickets for ESCO. In response, ESCO  scored 160 runs in 35 overs with loss of nine wickets Zarak made  56 runs, as Haseeb took 4 wickets from Jawz club.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT MUSCAT, OMAN (October 18, 2021):-Scotland overcame Bangladeshi tigers by just six runs in the second fixture of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at Oman Cricket Academy ground on Sunday night. Scotland team set a target of 141 runs to win for the Bangladesh but they could only score 134 for 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Bowler Chris Greaves was awarded the "Man of the Match" title as he picked up two wickets as well as scoring 45 runs. Brad Wheal picked up the wickets of Nurul Hasan and Mahmud Ullah to leave Scotland in the ascendancy. Mark Watt got his first wicket of the match by sending Afif Hossain back to the pavilion. Mushfiqur Rahim was the top batsman for the Bangladesh squad but he could only add 38 runs to his team's score, which was not enough to meet the target set by the Scottish team. For Bangladesh, Mehdi Hassan took 3 wickets, while Shakib Al Hasan and Mustafizur Rehman took 2 wickets each.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (October 18, 2021):-Scotland sent shockwaves through the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a six-run win over Bangladesh and captain Kyle Coetzer explained that this is a result that has been a long time in the making. Scotland sent shockwaves through the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a six-run win over Bangladesh and captain Kyle Coetzer explained that this is a result that has been a long time in the making. The Scots booked their place at the tournament back in 2019 but have spent much of the Covid-19 pandemic having to readjust their plans as tours and matches have been postponed. That has left plenty of time for planning and despite some early struggles in Oman, it all came together as Chris Greaves inspired the team to victory that puts Scotland in a strong position in Group B. And for Coetzer, who was part of the Scotland team that beat Bangladesh back in 2012, it was also important to remember just how many sacrifices the team has had to make simply to get here. He said: “It's a huge win for us, it’s something we’ve been planning for a long time. It’s been a long two years since the qualifying tournament.  “Until a month ago we had played two games of cricket as a group so there was a lot of planning behind the scenes, a lot of guys working hard and it sometimes seemed you were working for nothing because our tours kept getting cancelled. So that was really hard for us to manage.  “But now we’re reaping the rewards of keeping the faith that this tournament would come around and we would be a better team for it when we arrive out here.  “There have been a lot of sacrifices for many players, associate cricket is very hard and to get the opportunity we do when we get out here, it’s important to take it because otherwise if you get brushed aside people don’t appreciate how hard associate cricket is. We’ve made some good strides and I’m really proud.” Batting first, Scotland found themselves in trouble as Mahedi Hasan (3/19) and Shakib Al Hasan (2/17) made inroads and reduced their opponents to 53 for six. However, Greaves hit 45 off 28 deliveries to carry the team to 140 for nine, before taking two wickets as the chase fell short with Coetzer impressed by the belief of his side, who he knows are capable of more. He added: “It’s a special feeling to beat Bangladesh. It’s not the first time we’ve beaten them but we know the strength in depth in their squad.  “I think they gave us a lesson at the start of the innings with the skill that they put on show. It took a real fighting effort today. I was saying to our guys that we’re never out of the game and always believe. We’ll be looking for a more wholesome performance next time.” Next up for Scotland is a clash with Papua New Guinea, who were well beaten by Oman in their opening game. Bangladesh, meanwhile, take on the hosts in desperate need of a win, and for skipper Mahmudullah, it was their batting that faltered in this encounter, with Mushfiqur Rahim’s dismissal for 38 proving the crucial moment in the match. He said: “I think Mushy’s (Mushfiqur) wicket was the turning point because Mushy was looking good today. Probably a set batter has to stay but I think as a batting unit, we are disappointed so it’s a concern. We need to see where we made those mistakes and try not to repeat those mistakes in the next game. “I think the bowlers were on the right track, we picked up six wickets before they had scored 60 runs but after that, they had a good partnership. I have to give credit to those batters who built the partnership for Scotland, they played better cricket than us. We were just not good enough tonight. “We’re really disappointed. On that wicket and that ground, I think 140 was very much gettable. As a batting unit, we made a lot more mistakes than the right things. So we need to see the areas where we could have done better and we need to pull our socks up and try to win the next game.”

BIPIN DANI Former South African captain Faf du Plessis will make its first appearance in the 2nd edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), it is confirmed. According to the highly placed sources in the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board, he is set to play for the defending champion Jaffna Kings team, formerly known as Jaffna Stallions. Interestingly, the 37-year-old middle order batsman recently played the Indian Premier League (IPL) final and won the Player of the Match award for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team. "du Plessis has not been hired after the IPL final. He was in negotiations with the authorities much earlier but the clearance and confirmation was received on the day when he was adjudged the Player of the Match award for his 86 runs, which included 10 boundaries (7 fours and three sixes)", one of the sources, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, said on Sunday morning. "du Plessis, who has not been a member of the South Africa team in the World Cup will be the first overseas icon of the franchise team". The authorities have asked all participating teams to decide on pre-draft players and the list of the last year retained players. Jaffna team owners are likely to retain captain Thisara Perera and Thilina Kandamby as their coach. The team is likely to have few Pakistani players in overseas lists. "We are keen to retain Shoaib Malik, who has now been added to the Pakistan squad for the T-20 World Cup. His performance was good last year also", the source attached with the management, added. Jaffna Kings are also likely to retain the local players including Wanindu Hasaranga.

Sports Reporter ISLAMABAD (October 17, 2021):-Kashmir and Peshawar claimed victories against Islamabad by 33 runs and Gujranwala by 5 runs respectively in the ongoing PAF T20 Cricket Championship for Blind at E 9 cricket ground on Sunday. In the first match of the day, Kashmir scored 204 for 5 runs in their 20 overs innings, as Mohammad Faisal was main contributors with 81 runs. In reply hosts Islamabad could reach at score of 171 for five in 20 overs. Faisal was declared man of the match. In the second match, Peshawar posted 202 for 7 runs on the board, as the Gujranwala could score 197 for 3 runs in 20 overs per innings fixture. Haroon Khan scored 56 runs for winners while Mohammad Akram scored 120 runs for Gujranwala. Haroon got man of the match award. Monday’s Fixtures: Kashmir Vs Peshawar Islamabad Vs Gujranwala  

It will probably be his last time at this tournament as captain, so it's very important for him to make everyone believe we can do it and for us to get behind him. India fans can't wait for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to start for this reason. We have the players, we have the momentum - we just need to go out there and execute now. All of our players have just played the Indian Premier League in the UAE and they have played themselves into top form with eight or nine games in this environment. This gives India an edge on all other teams and makes them one of the big favourites to win the T20 World Cup in my opinion. The conditions in UAE are very similar to what we play India and also in Pakistan. It's a good opportunity for the Asian teams to come and play their natural game. We need to remember there are lots of other good teams in the tournament. Pakistan, Australia and England also look very good, and anything can happen in T20 cricket. For me, the key to success for India's batting lies in the top three. Rohit Sharma is a gun player - he has a brilliant record at ICC events in the past and had a great IPL. We need Rohit, KL Rahul and Virat to bat through to 15 overs and lay the platform. They can set the momentum for the India team by doing this. There are lots of electric combinations in the middle order and obviously Rishabh Pant is going to play a key role there. Hardik Pandya is also very capable as a power hitter. But if the top three are still there at that stage of the innings, there is no target that India can't chase. My experience in the IPL was that the wickets in UAE and Oman will be very, very challenging when it comes to the mystery spinners. That makes Varun Chakravarthy the main guy in the India bowling attack. He has showed he can exploit the pace of the pitches. Varun has only played three T20Is but I'm not concerned by any lack of experience. There is plenty of experience in this team, particularly in the seam attack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar in particular leads the way when it comes to experience and knowledge of how to deal with the big games. The inclusion of Shardul Thakur can also give extra strength to the fast bowlers that Virat has at his disposal. We have been waiting for this T20 World Cup for a long time. It has been a difficult two years but I think we're about to see something special in the UAE and Oman.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (October 16, 2021):-On the eve of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 starting in Oman and the UAE tomorrow (Sunday 17 October), cricket fans have double the reason to celebrate, with Australia’s turn to host the pinnacle global event for T20 cricket coming in just 12 months' time. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia will take place from 16 October – 13 November 2022 On the eve of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 starting in Oman and the UAE tomorrow (Sunday 17 October), cricket fans have double the reason to celebrate, with Australia’s turn to host the pinnacle global event for T20 cricket coming in just 12 months' time.    The world’s best players from 16 teams will play 45 matches around the country in what will be the biggest global sporting event to be hosted in Australia next year. It will be the first time Australia has hosted the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, following on from a record-breaking women’s event in 2020 that culminated in 86,174 fans attending the final at the MCG on International Women’s Day. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO Michelle Enright, said: “Hosting what will be the biggest sporting event in Australia next year has the ability to lift the nation’s spirits and the timing of the event could not be better for fans across the whole country to experience the joy of live sport again.” “We saw both at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015 and in the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, the power of major events to unite people and communities through sport and we can’t wait to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together for a celebration of cricket and culture in exactly one year from now.” The upcoming 2021 event in Oman and the UAE will play a role in determining who joins Afghanistan, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies and hosts Australia, who have already qualified for the 2022 showpiece. These eight teams gained direct entry to the Super 12 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 by virtue of being inside the top eight on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20 International Rankings at the cut-off prior to the postponed 2020 event. All teams who reach the Super 12 stage of the upcoming T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE will earn automatic qualification to the event in Australia next year. The current event qualification pathway is as follows: The 12 teams that play in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will automatically qualify for Australia 2022. From the 12 automatic qualifiers, the winner and runner up of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 plus the next six highest ranked teams (as of November 15, 2021) will go straight through to the Super 12 stage of Australia 2022. The remaining four teams from the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will play in the First Round of Australia 2022.

AAMIR ALI JANJUA Dubai (October 16, 2021):-When it comes to the best spinner at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, it's hard to look past Tabraiz Shamsi. The South African is ranked No.1 in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings for a reason and as a left-armer, he poses a significant challenge for batters. Left-arm wrist spinners are rare in international cricket - he's very consistent, can turn the ball both ways and has tremendous control. I saw him recently in the Caribbean when South Africa played the West Indies and he was able to spin webs around the West Indian batters. I see him playing a major role for his team with the ball - he has the ability to bowl in different phases of the game, too, which is important. His captain Temba Bavuma will be able to call on him to deliver at any time in the innings and that's worth its weight in gold. In terms of other spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin is of course there for India. He has that experience; he's played for quite a long time now. Australia can bowl Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar in tandem and they have done well bowling together in the recent past. Most of the teams have quality spinners in their ranks - at least two of them, because of the conditions teams predict that they will face. They can all win games single-handedly. That said, if there's one area of the West Indies team that I'm worried about, it's the spin department. It's an area of shortcoming for them. They have the one frontline spinner, Hayden Walsh, who had an exceptional home series quite recently. He didn't have a good Caribbean Premier League and going into this tournament, his form is not the best and his confidence might not be the best. He is quality enough to do well in the tournament, but outside of him, there aren't any out-and-out spinners. Being able to take wickets throughout the innings is so important. If the power hitters like Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Andre Russell can get the team to over 200 runs consistently, that area of deficit can be ignored. But if we don't score those type of runs, the bowling will be found out and the spin bowling in particular. Spin was a big strength of ours when we won the tournament in 2012 and 2016. We had Sunil Narine, Sulieman Benn and myself who could all use the new ball in any game. Spin is always important and has an integral role in T20 cricket - we've seen that in previous editions of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. It's being played in the UAE and Oman, where we have traditionally come to expect slow conditions. I foresee spinners having a big impact in this tournament. We played quite a few series in Pakistan and I played in the Pakistan Super League. Because of the heat factor and the dry nature of the surfaces, you always expect spinners to do well. The slow nature of the pitches also helps with that. Spinners will do particularly well in Dubai, as well as in Sharjah, which give you more of an opportunity. They will prosper less in Abu Dhabi because in my memory there is a lot of grass on the pitch there. T20 cricket puts a lot of pressure on spinners, because you can bowl four or five good balls and still end up going for runs. When the conditions favour the spinners, there's always additional pressure and expectation that they come and win the game for the team. Spinners are always under pressure in this game, whether you're bowling in the first over or the last. It's not new for them. Samuel Badree: Shamsi the spinner to watch in T20 World Cup  

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (October 16, 2021):-Gujranwala and Islamabad blind’s cricket teams registered the victories on the open day of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) T20 Blind’s Cricket Trophy 2021 after beating Kashmir by 43 runs and Peshawar 20 runs respectively at E-9 cricket ground on Saturday. Air Commodore, Zulfiqar Ali graced the opening ceremony as chief guest. In the first fixture, Gujranwala scored 153 for 7 in allotted 20 overs, as Mohammad Atiq was top scorer with 36. Kashmir team could score only 110 runs and lost their all batters. Meanwhile, in the second match, hosts Islamabad beat Peshawar by 20 runs, as Islamabad set a target of 241 runs in 20 overs. Mohammad Ayub hit a brilliant ton (107) and declared man of the match. In reply, Peshawar could score 221 for runs in 20 overs. Sunday’s Fixtures: Islamabad vs Kashmir Peshawar vs Gujranwala  

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 16, 2021):-Former captains Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir have been inducted into the PCB Hall of Fame posthumously. The two stalwarts have joined Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Zaheer Abbas, who were the initial inductees to the PCB Hall of Fame by virtue of being part of the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Fazal and Qadir were inducted following a transparent voting process. The PCB Cricket Committee* was involved in finalising the short-list comprising players who were retired from international cricket for, at least, five years. Subsequently, a 13-person independent voting panel**, comprising three ICC Cricket Hall of Famers, four former Pakistan captains and six respected members of the print and electronic media, was constituted to take part in the voting process, which was overseen by an internal auditor who also confirmed the results in favour of the inductees. The formal inductions of all the eight PCB Hall of Famers will take place during the ongoing season. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “It is befitting that Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir, legends from two different eras, be voted by their peers and admirers into the PCB Hall of Fame for 2021. This is a testament to their enormous popularity and is also a recognition of their services to this great game. “Fazal’s heroics in the early days introduced Pakistan cricket to the world as a force to be reckoned with and later inspired the next generations of fast bowlers. The wily, crafty and magical Abdul Qadir revived and reignited the slowly vanishing art of wrist-spin bowling. “Fazal Mahmood and Abdul Qadir are all-time greats and truly outstanding ambassadors for Pakistan and global cricket. This is just a small token of our appreciation and gratitude towards their contributions.” About Fazal Mahmood Fazal Mahmood, considered as the first superstar of Pakistan cricket, was born on 18 February 1927 in Lahore and took 139 wickets in 34 Tests from 1952 to 1962, including five wickets in an innings 13 times and 10 wickets or more in a match four times. However, his first-class career had commenced eight years earlier when he represented Northern India in the Ranji Trophy. When he hung his boots after the 1963-64 season, he had grabbed 466 wickets in 112 matches. In Pakistan’s debut Test series in 1952 in India, Fazal took 20 wickets, including 12 wickets in the Lucknow Test, which Pakistan won by an innings and 43 runs. In the return series in 1954-55, Fazal took 15 wickets in four Tests, while in the 1960-61 series he picked up nine wickets in five Tests. In 1955, Fazal became the first Pakistan cricketer to be named in Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year, a year after his performances had helped Pakistan draw their first series against England in England. Fazal claimed 20 wickets in the four-Test series, including match figures of 12 for 99 at The Oval that earned AH Kardar’s side a 24-run victory. Fazal’s varied swing and a mixture of leg-cutters were too much to handle for the West Indies as the maestro picked up 20 wickets in the 1957-58 series in the Caribbean and then followed up by 21 wickets in three Tests in the 1958-59 series at home. Fazal was bestowed with the President’s Pride of Performance Award – the highest national literary award of Pakistan – in 1958. In 2012, he was posthumously awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz – the second highest civilian award – in recognition of his services to Pakistan cricket, seven years after his passing on 30 May 2005. About Abdul Qadir Abdul Qadir, boasting a bouncy, enthusiastic run-up with a left elbow high and flicking the ball from hand to hand, took 236 wickets (five wickets in an innings 15 times and 10 wickets in a match five time) and scored 1,029 runs in 67 Tests from 1977 to 1990. He also demonstrated that leg spin could be highly effective in one-day cricket by claiming 132 wickets and scoring 641 runs in 104 ODIs from 1983 to 1993. In 209 first-class matches from 1975-76 to 1995-96, he captured 960 wickets and scored 3,740 runs, including two centuries. Born on 15 September 1955 in Lahore, Qadir made his Test debut against England in 1977 and in only his second match in Hyderabad, took six for 44 with the Wisden Cricketers Almanack describing him as “the most notable discovery of his type for some time”. In the 1987 Test series against the same opposition at Lahore, Qadir took nine for 56, which still stands as the best bowling performance by a Pakistan bowler. One of Qadir’s memorable bowling spells was in the 1986 Faisalabad Test against the mighty West Indies when he claimed six for 16 to spin Viv Richards’ side out for a paltry 53 that handed Pakistan a 186 runs victory. In 10 Tests against the West Indies, he picked up 42 wickets. Qadir also featured in the 1983 and 1987 World Cups, taking 24 wickets in nine matches, including five for 44 against Sri Lanka at Headingley. Qadir passed on 6 September 2019, with Wisden Cricketers Alamack, in its tribute, writing: “The legendary Pakistani leg-spinner Abdul Qadir was one of the finest exponents of his art, with his skills and magical tricks inspiring generations to come.” In 1988, Qadir received the President’s Pride of Performance Award, while in 2020, he was conferred with the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, the third-highest civilian award in Pakistan. In 2008, Qadir was one of the subjects of a Wisden Cricketers Alamack feature on five great players who were never a Cricketer of the Year. About the panel (who participated in the voting process): *PCB Cricket Committee: Saleem Yousuf (chair), Ali Naqvi, Umar Gul, Urooj Mumtaz and Wasim Akram **Independent voting panel:  Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis, Zaheer Abbas (all ICC Cricket Hall of Famers), Intikhab Alam, Rashid Latif, Sana Mir and Shahid Afridi (all former Pakistan captains), Aaliya Rasheed, Chishty Mujahid, Dr Nauman Niaz, Rasheed Shakoor, Sohail Imran and Qamar Ahmed (all print, electronic and broadcast journalists)