Sports Bulletin

Lahore(PR): The selection committee has named a 16-member men’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, with Salman Ali Agha continuing as captain of the team.All three matches will be held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, with the schedule set to be announced soon.The squad has been selected based on players’ performances in the ongoing HBL PSL X, which concludes on 25 May. This series also marks the first assignment for newly appointed head coach Mike Hesson. Squad:Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicket-keeper) and Saim Ayub.

Islamabad (PR):Shifa International Hospital Islamabad defeated Feariless Fighters Rawalpindi by 37 runs in a 1st Night match of the best of three series here at Pasban Cricket Ground Rawalpindi.Shifa International Captain Ibrar Ikhlaq won the toss and elected to bat first, Shifa International hit up 258 for the loss of four wickets in the allotted 25 overs. Batsman Zohaib Satti hit a fine century 129 runs not out 73 balls with 5 six and 16 fours, while Imran Shah (69) not out and Haris (21) were their leading run-getters. Feariless Fighters Nouman (2 for 51) and Faizan (1 for 21) were the other main wicket-takers. In reply, Feariless Fighters was bowled out for 221 runs in the 24th overs, Zahid (87), Ramzan (42), Nomi (27) and Faisal 26 were their main scorers. Syed Mudassar Bukhari bowled well and claimed 4 for 26 runs in 4 overs, while Mohammad Ikram (3 for 38), Amer Sohail (1 for 26) and Taimour (1 for 27) bowled well for Shifa International. Zohaib Satti declared “Man of the Match” for his impressive Performance.

Peshawar(PR):Lahore won the toss and opted to bat first, setting a formidable target of 230 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs. Sanwal Shahzada led the charge with an explosive 139 off just 75 deliveries, while Aftab provided solid support with 48 off 39. Mohsin Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Peshawar, claiming 2 wickets.In reply, Peshawar mounted a remarkable run chase, reaching the target in just 17.4 overs. Star batter Sanaullah Khan once again delivered a match-winning performance, remaining unbeaten on 137 off 65 balls. He was ably supported by Mohsin Khan, who contributed a quickfire 33 off 13 deliveries to seal the emphatic win.Result: Peshawar won by 8 wickets.Man of the Match: Sanaullah Khan.Match 6: Islamabad vs BahawalpurVenue: Mir Awais Cricket Ground, Peshawar Bahawalpur won the toss and elected to field first in their clash against Islamabad. The Islamabad batting lineup posted a respectable total of 182 for 5, thanks to a commanding 87 off 54 balls by Anees Javed and a steady 42 off 40 from Matiullah. Babar Ali was the standout bowler for Bahawalpur, picking up 2 wickets.Chasing 183 for victory, Bahawalpur reached the target in 18.1 overs with five wickets in hand. Muhammad Rashid starred with the bat, hammering an unbeaten 108 off 60 deliveries in a match-winning performance. He was well supported by Babar Ali, who chipped in with a valuable 21 off 16 balls. For Islamabad, Matiullah picked up 2 wickets, while Sayyam, Anees, and Akmal took one apiece.Result: Bahawalpur won by 5 Wickets.Man of the Match: Muhammad RashidMatch 7: Multan vs AJKVenue: Gymkhana Cricket Ground Peshawar.Multan won the toss and opted to bat first, posting a competitive total of 187 for 4. Key contributions came from M. Yousaf, who scored a composed 66 off 45 balls, and Safder, who added a rapid 39 off just 17 deliveries. Talha and Kamran picked up a wicket apiece for AJK.In response, AJK chased down the target in a blistering 10.2 overs, losing only two wickets. Kamran Akhter delivered a sensational unbeaten knock of 89 from just 29 balls, well supported by Nisar Ali, who smashed 78 off 29. Ghulam Akbar and Mohammad Shahbaz took one wicket each for Multan, but their efforts were in vain against the dominant AJK batting display.Result: AJK won by 8 wicketsMan of the Match: Kamran AkhterMatch 8: Abbottabad vs OkaraVenue: Mir Awais Cricket Ground, Peshawar Abbottabad won the toss and elected to bat first, setting a solid total of 187 for 5 in their allotted 20 overs. Riasat Khan led the charge with a commanding 92 off 64 balls, while Naeemullah added a valuable 62 off 47 deliveries. For Okara, Shahzad Akram picked up 2 wickets and Irfan claimed one.In response, Okara chased down the target in just 13.2 overs, losing only three wickets. Faseeh Ullah starred with a blistering 81 off 41 balls, while Umer Draz provided strong support with 61 off 29. M. Sabir and Arslan Rasheed managed to take a wicket each, but it wasn't enough to slow Okara’s powerful batting display.Result: Okara won by 7 wickets.Man of the Match: Faseeh Ullah.

Rawalpindi(Sports Bulletin Report):David Warner and James Vince’s mammoth 162-run stand helped Karachi Kings to a 23-run triumph over Peshawar Zalmi, which also ensured their place in the playoffs in the 27th HBL PSL X match here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.Karachi Kings defended the 237-run total – their highest ever score in HBL PSL bettering the 236-6 against Multan Sultans earlier this season, as they restricted Peshawar Zalmi to 214-5 in the allotted 20 overs.With this result, along with Kings, Islamabad United too have qualified for the playoffs making Sunday’s Zalmi versus Lahore Qalandars contest a virtual knockout game.After Zalmi elected to bowl first, Luke Wood inflicted the first ball blow removing Ben McDermott for a golden duck. Warner and Vince then took charge ransacking 57 runs off the Powerplay consigning Ali Raza’s 4th and Ahmed Daniyal’s 5th over for 12 and 18 runs, respectively.James Vince, who also crossed the 12,000 T20 runs landmark during the outing, brought up his half-century off 29 balls in the 10th over as Kings notched 100 runs by the halfway mark.In the next five overs the duo collected 62 runs, while Vince’s 42-ball stay, which yielded 72 runs with the help of 11 fours and one six, came to end courtesy Ali Raza at the end of 15th over. Vince, with 366 runs to his name in nine games, has also become the Hanif Mohammad cap holder overtaking Mohammad Rizwan.In the following over Luke Wood removed Mohammad Irfan Khan for a three-ball two before Arif Yaqoob brought an end to player of the match Warner’s 49-ball 86-run outing, which included 11 fours and two sixes.Khushdil Shah, who walked in to bat at 165-3 in the 16th over, bludgeoned four fours and three sixes to remain unbeaten for 43 off just 15 balls, while Mohammad Nabi struck three sixes and one four in his 10-ball 26 not out as the duo belted 72 runs in the last four overs.For Zalmi, Luke Wood returned economical figures of 4-0-19-2.In turn, Peshawar Zalmi’s spirited reply was highlighted by Babar Azam’s blitzy 94 off 49 balls as he set the tone for the chase with a 77-run second-wicket stand with Saim Ayub (47, 31b, 5x4s, 2x6s) after Mohammad Haris departed in the third over.The budding partnership between Babar and Saim was broken by the Fazal Mahmood cap holder Mohammad Abbas Afridi (17 wickets) in the 11th over with 107 runs on the board.Tom Kohler-Cadmore (20, 15b, 1x6) partnered with Babar for a 33-ball 62-run stand in which the latter clubbed three fours and as many sixes out of his total of 10 fours and four sixes.With Zalmi requiring 69 off the last four overs, Kings managed to eke out three wickets in a space of 11 balls across the 17th and 18th overs including running out Babar Azam.Maaz Sadaqat (19 not out, 8b, 2x4s, 1x6) and Hussain Talat’s (12, 6b, 2x4s) four fours and one six in the subsequent overs wasn’t enough as their team fell 23 runs short. For Kings, Abbas Afridi picked up 2-48, while Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza dismissed one batter each. Scores in briefMatch 27: Karachi Kings beat Peshawar Zalmi by 23 runs at the Rawalpindi Cricket StadiumKarachi Kings 237-4, 20 overs (David Warner 86, James Vince 72, Khushdil Shah 43 not out, Mohammad Nabi 26 not out; Luke Wood 2-19)Peshawar Zalmi 214-5, 20 overs (Babar Azam 94, Saim Ayub 47, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 20, Maaz Sadaqat 19 not out; Mohammad Abbas Afridi 2-48)Player of the match – David Warner (Karachi Kings)Sunday’s fixtures:Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators at Rawalpindi Stadium; 3pm PKTPeshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium; 8pm PKT   

Islamabad (Sports Desk):The 15th edition of the PBCC T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy (Grade-1) began today in Peshawar.Match 1: islamabad vs Okara Venue: Gymkhana Cricket Ground Peshawar The first match of the event was played between Islamabad and Okara. Islamabad won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted a massive total of 295/3 in 20 overs, led by Anees Javed (127 off 51) and Akmal Hayyat (50 off 29). Muhammad Irfan took 1 wicket for Okara.In response, Okara managed 227/5. Umer Draz top-scored with 72 off 52 balls. Sayyam starred with the ball, claiming 3 wickets.Result: Islamabad won by 68 runsMan of the Match: Anees JavedMatch 2: Peshawar vs MultanVenue: Mir Awais Cricket Ground, Peshawar Peshawar won the toss and chose to bat first. They posted a mammoth 259/2, thanks to a blistering 153 off 67 balls by Sanaullah and 47 off 23 by Mohsin Khan. Hafiz Farhan took 1 wicket.Multan replied with 208/6, with Muhammad Safder scoring 135 off 69. Peshawar’s bowlers Mohsin, Saifullah, Junaid and Sanaullah each took 1 wicket.Result: Peshawar won by 51 runsMan of the Match: Sana UllahMatch 3: Abbottabad vs Bahawalpur Venue: Gymkhana Cricket Ground Peshawar.Abbottabad won the toss and chose to bat. They scored 149/8, with contributions from Naeem Ullah (39 off 25) and Asnaad Khan (24 off 30). Mohammad Zafar and Malik Mujahid claimed 2 wickets each, while Mohammad Rashid took 1.Bahawalpur chased down the target in just 9.2 overs without losing a wicket. Moeen Aslam played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 96 off 34 balls, supported by Mohammad Rashid (55 off 22).Result: Bahawalpur won by 10 wicketsMan of the Match: Moeen AslamMatch 4: Lahore vs AJKVenue: Mir Awais Cricket Ground, Peshawar Lahore won the toss and elected to bat first. They posted a competitive total of 224 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs, with Sanwal Shahzada top-scoring with 127 off 67 balls, while Samiullah contributed 29 runs off 16 balls. Kamran Akhter and Habib Taj took one wicket each for AJK.In reply, AJK were restricted to 201 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Kamran Akhter was the top scorer with 45 off 22 balls, and Muhammad Ali Jahangir added 30 off 20 balls. Abdul Shakoor took 2 wickets, while Karamat and Ibrar Shirazi claimed one wicket each.Result: Lahore won by 23 runs.Man of the Match: Sanwal Shahzada

Lahore(SBR): Lahore Qalandars have confirmed the inclusion of Bangladesh’s legendary all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for the remainder of the HBL Pakistan Super League Season 10. He will join he squad on May 17 in Islamabad.Shakib, widely regarded as one of Bangladesh's greatest cricketers, boasts an exceptional T20 record with 7,438 runs and 492 wickets, including career-best bowling figures of 6 for 6. A proven performer in T20 leagues around the world, his arrival is expected to strengthen Lahore Qalandars’ depth and balance as the team approaches the final stages of the group round.Shakib replaces Daryl Mitchell, who is unavailable due to a hand injury sustained during his last over against Karachi Kings on May 4. He got a blow on his left hand in 14.2 overs in Gaddafi Stadium in a rain-effected contest.Expressing his excitement about joining the side, Shakib Al Hasan said: “I’m really happy to join Lahore Qalandars for the ongoing PSL season. We’re at a crucial stage of the competition where every game counts. It’s a tournament I’ve always enjoyed watching, and now I’m looking forward to contributing on the field. Qalandars have great fans and a strong team spirit, and I’m excited to be a part of the group as we push for a strong finish.”Sameen Rana, Team Director of Lahore Qalandars, welcomed the addition: “I’m excited to welcome Shakib to the Lahore Qalandars family. His experience, skill, and all-round ability make him a valuable addition, especially at this important stage of the tournament. His presence will add depth to our squad, and we’re confident he’ll have a strong impact both on and off the field.

Dubai(SBR): Seasoned opening batter Mohammad Waseem will lead the 15-member UAE squad for the two-match T20I series against Bangladesh which will be staged at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The matches will be played on Saturday, 17 May and Monday, 19 May – 7:00pm local time.  Squad: Mohammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’ Souza, Haider Ali, Matiullah Khan, Mohammad Jawadullah, Mohammad Zohaib, Mohammad Zuhaib, Rahul Chopra, Saghir Khan, Sanchit Sharma and Simranjeet Singh. scheduleSaturday, 17 May, 1st T20I – 7:00pm Sharjah Cricket StadiumMonday, 19 May, 2nd T20I – 7:00pm Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Karachi(SBR):Invincibles’ left-arm pacer Neha Sharmin Nadeem picked up 3-14 in four overs to help her team overcome Fatima Sana’s Conquerors in the sixth round of the National Women’s T20 Tournament 2024-25 at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.Neha provided the Invincibles with a head-start as she dismissed both the opposition opening batters for golden ducks before castling Najiha Alvi for a run-a-ball 16 to leave Conquerors 37-3.Skipper Fatima, who is currently leading the batting charts with 252 runs, continued her fine form with the bat as she contributed 41 runs off 32 balls with the help of seven fours, while also partnering with Hafsa Khalid (24, 35b, 4x4s) for a 33-run stand.Fatima fell prey to Tania Saeed, who returned figures of 4-0-18-2, as Conquerors were restricted to 107-8 in 20 overs.In turn, Ayesha Zafar (47, 35b, 8x4s) and Omaima Sohail (44 not out, 41b, 7x4s) forged a 91-run alliance for the second wicket after Humna Bilal landed an early blow to remove Muneeba Ali. Invincibles reached the target in 15.5 overs with eight wickets in hand.In the other sixth round fixture at the Oval Academy Ground, Strikers rolled over Stars by nine wickets as they chased the 98-run target in 12.4 overs to bag their second win in the tournament.Skipper Gull Feroza (37 not out, 42b, 3x4s) and player of the match Noreen Yaqoob (28, 21b, 4x4s, 1x6) put on a 56-run opening stand before Stars’ Tuba Hassan removed the latter. Eyman Fatima struck two fours and as many sixes in her unbeaten 14-ball 28 to take the team over the line.Earlier, Stars’ bid to win the toss and bat first fell flat as they slipped to 26-3 and then 55-5 as opening batter Sana Urooj contributed 19 runs off 17 balls hitting four boundaries.Tuba Hassan, batting at no.6, top scored with a 25-ball 30 inclusive of four fours, Hurraina Sajjad (14 not out, 15b, 1x4) and Sidra Nawaz’s (14, 27b, 2x4s) contributions pushed the Stars 97-7 in the allotted 20 overs.For Strikers, Anam Amin and Ayesha Bilal snapped two wickets each, while Noreen, Diana Baig and Rehmat Noreen dismissed one batter each.Scores in brief:Match 11: Invincibles beat Conquerors by eight wickets at the National Bank StadiumConquerors 107-8, 20 overs (Fatima Sana 41, Hafsa Khalid 24; Neha Sharmin Nadeem 3-14, Tania Saeed 2-18)Invincibles 108-2, 15.5 overs (Ayesha Zafar 47, Omaima Sohail 44 not out)Player of the match – Neha Sharmin Nadeem (Invincibles)Match 12: Strikers beat Stars by nine wickets at the Oval Academy GroundStars 97-7, 20 overs (Tuba Hassan 30, Sana Urooj 19; Anam Amin 2-14, Ayesha Bila 2-16)Strikers 98-1, 12.4 overs (Gull Feroza 37 not out, Eyman Fatima 28 not out, Noreen Yaqoob 28)Player of the match – Noreen Yaqoob (Strikers)7th round fixtures, Friday, 16 May: (both matches to begin at 3pm PKT)Match 13: Challengers v Stars at National Bank StadiumMatch 14: Strikers v Invincibles at Oval Academy Ground

Dubai(UAE) Fourth edition of the second-most watched T20 league in the world to be played from Tuesday, 2 December 2025 to Sunday, 4 January 2025• “We are delighted to confirm that the DP World International League T20 Season 4 will commence on the UAE National Day – Eid-Al-Etihad – which is one of the most important days on the UAE calendar,” says Chairman ILT20 and Vice-Chairman Emirates Cricket Board Khalid Al Zarooni• “Following extensive discussions with all our stakeholders, we believe the 2 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 tournament window is ideal for the DP World International League T20 Season 4. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins in early February hence it was important for us to start and finish Season 4 well before the tournament as it will allow the players playing both the DP World ILT20 and the T20 World Cup to prepare for national duty. In addition, we feel that the December-January window will provide the teams’ the best opportunity to access a bigger pool of players,” says CEO DP World ILT20 David WhiteDubai, 14 May 2025: The DP World International League T20 Season 4 will begin on Tuesday, 2 December – UAE National Day (Eid-Al-Etihad) with the six-team, 34-match tournament set to conclude with the final on Sunday, 4 January 2026.The biggest T20 league in the Gulf region has moved out of its traditional January-February window as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be played in February-March 2026.*Chairman ILT20 and Vice-Chairman Emirates Cricket Board Khalid Al Zarooni:* “We are delighted to confirm that the DP World International League T20 Season 4 will commence on the UAE National Day – Eid-Al-Etihad – which is one of the most important days on the UAE calendar.“The UAE National Day is the day where we celebrate the United Arab Emirates which is home to people from around the world including millions of diehard cricket fans. It is a real honour for us to join the nation in the UAE National Day 2025 celebrations with the launch of the region’s biggest T20 league – the DP World ILT20 Season 4, on the same day.”*CEO DP World ILT20 David White:* “Following extensive discussions with all our stakeholders, we believe the 2 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 tournament window is ideal for the DP World International League T20 Season 4. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup begins in early February hence it was important for us to start and finish Season 4 well before the tournament as it will allow the players playing both the DP World ILT20 and the T20 World Cup to prepare for national duty. In addition, we feel that the December-January window will provide the teams’ the best opportunity to access a bigger pool of players.“Season 3 was a big success with outstanding broadcast and digital numbers as the fans enjoyed a step-up in the quality of cricket. The teams gave their absolute all across the hugely competitive 34-tournament matches which concluded with a nail-biting final won by the Dubai Capitals in the last over of the match in front of a packed Dubai International Stadium. We are now fully focused on making an even bigger impact as we turn our attention to Season 4.”*DP World ILT20’s Season 3 featured some of the biggest T20 stars including; Nicholas Pooran, Sam Curran (player of the tournament – red belt winner), Shai Hope (most runs in the tournament – green belt winner), Fazalhaq Farooqi (highest wicket-taker – white belt winner), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Jason Holder, Alex Hales, Fakhar Zaman, Lockie Ferguson, David Warner, Rovman Powell, Dasun Shanaka, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, James Vince, Shimron Hetmyer, Tom Banton, Romario Shepherd, Tim Southee, Tim Seifert, Matthew Wade, Jason Roy, Adil Rashid and Adam Zampa.The Dubai Capitals won the glittering trophy, edging out the Desert Vipers in a thrilling final which was played in front of a full house at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, 9 February 2025. 

Karachi(SBR)Conquerors skipper Fatima Sana struck a masterful 88 off 49 balls against Challengers to help her team register second win of the National Women’s T20 tournament 2024-25 at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Saturday evening. Challengers were restricted to 137-7 in their pursuit of the 166-run target.Fatima, who walked in to bat at no.5 with 45 runs on the board, struck 14 fours and three sixes in her commanding knock, while also partnering for a mammoth 111-run stand with Najiha Alvi (25 not out, 25b, 2x4s).For Challengers, Rameen Shamim returned figures of 4-0-19-2, while Zaib-un-Nisa and Quratulain dimissed one batter each.In turn, Challengers’ Aliya Riaz, who turned up at no.3, top-scored with 36 off 34 balls hitting three fours and two sixes, while also stitching a 29-run stand with opening batter Sadaf Shamas (30, 30b, 5x4s, 1x6).With Challengers slipping to 80-5 after being 72-2, skipper Rameen (27 n0t out, 15b, 3x4s, 1x6) and Gull Rukh (17, 12b, 1x6) waged a fightback but in vain as they fell 28 runs short. For Conquerors Mahnoor Aftab picked up two wickets.At the Oval Academy Ground, Stars’ skipper Sidra Amin continued her brilliant form with the bat as she struck a 44-ball 59 inclusive of seven fours and one six in her team’s 69-run win over Invincibles.After the departure of opening batter Samiya Afsar (18, 12b, 4x4s) with 28 runs on the board, no.3 batter Sidra partnered with Sana Urooj (45, 41b, 4x4s, 2x6s) for a 75-run stand. Huraina Sajjad (18, 10b, 3x4s) and Tuba Hassan (17, 14b, 1x6) also chipped in with valuable contributions with the bat as Stars posted 172-5 in their 20 overs.For Invincibles, Omaima Sohail dismissed two batters for 27 runs in her four overs.With the ball, Stars’ Waheeda Akhtar ran riot with figures of 4-1-16-4, while Anosha Nasir and Tuba Hassan dismissed two batters each as Invincibles folded for a mere 103-9 in 20 overs. No batters except Muneeba Ali (40, 28b, 7x4s) and Omaima (30, 29b, 4x4s) entered the double figures for Invincibles, who have now lost three matches on the trot.Scores in brief:Match 5: Conquerors beat Challengers by 28 runs at the National Bank StadiumConquerors 165-5, 20 overs (Fatima Sana 88, Najiha Alvi 25 not out; Rameen Shamim 2-19)Challengers 137-7, 20 overs (Aliya Riaz 36, Sadaf Shamas 30, Rameen Shamim 27 not out; Mahnoor Aftab 2-9)Player of the match – Fatima Sana (Challengers)Match 6: Stars beat Invincibles by 69 runs at the Oval Academy GroundStars 172-5, 20 overs (Sidra Amin 59, Sana Urooj 45; Omaima Sohail 2-27)Invincibles 103-9, 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 40, Omaima Sohail 30; Waheeda Akhtar 4-16, Tuba Hassan 2-14, Anosha Nasir 2-38)Player of the match – Sidra Amin (Stars)