Sports Bulletin

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (October 22, 2020):-The England men’s Tour of South Africa has been confirmed with three IT20s and three ODIs taking place behind closed doors in Cape Town and Paarl from next month. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) have agreed to biosecurity and travel plans for what will be the first international tour undertaken by an England cricket team since the COVID-19 pandemic began. CSA approved the plans with the South African Government earlier this week granting exemptions for inbound travel for the England players and management. Eoin Morgan’s squad will depart from London on a chartered flight on Monday 16 November. The touring party will be based in Cape Town. Ahead of the IT20 series, the squad will train at Western Province Cricket Club. They will play three intra-squad practice matches – two T20s and one 50-over game – before the series starts. The three IT20s start on Friday 27 November at Newlands, Cape Town. The second match of the series will be played at Boland Park, Paarl on Sunday 29 November. Newlands will host the third match on Tuesday 1 December. The three-match ODI series, which are part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League, starts at Newlands on Friday 4 December. The second match will be played at Boland Park on Sunday 6 December, and the final game of the tour will take place on Wednesday 9 December at Newlands. Tom Harrison, ECB’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are looking forward to touring South Africa. I would like to personally thank Cricket South Africa for their efforts in ensuring this tour goes ahead and their diligent work to create an environment that is safe for our players and staff. They are working tirelessly to pull together a bio-secure plan in Cape Town and Paarl. “We owe it to the sport that we do everything we can to keep international competition progressing during this pandemic. “Series against the Proteas are always exciting and intense. We saw that earlier this year in South Africa and we can expect the same this time around.” “This is a wonderful boost for cricket,” commented CSA Acting Chief Executive Kugandrie Govender “The fact that England are the current World Cup champions will add tremendously to the two series and will give our own players every motivation to perform at their very best and challenge the acknowledged champions. “I would like to express CSA’s appreciation and sincere gratitude to the South African Government – specifically the Departments of Sport, Arts & Culture; Home Affairs and Health - for the support they have given us to make this return to international cricket in our country a reality, while maintaining that health safety for all remains the number one priority. “We are also very grateful to the England and Wales Cricket Board for the support they have given us in many areas and we will be able to draw on their own experiences and help in organising and running international cricket under bio-secure conditions. “This is a first for us and we commit to learn quickly and with great responsiveness as we have an action-packed international season ahead of us.” The National Selectors will confirm the England touring party early next month. England men’s Tour of South Africa: Monday 16 November: Touring party departs from London to Cape Town Saturday 21 November: 50-over intra-squad practice match. Newlands, Cape Town. Monday 23 November: Two T20 intra-squad practice matches. Boland Park, Paarl. Friday 27 November: 1st IT20 South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town (6.00pm SAST) Sunday 29 November: 2nd IT20 South Africa v England, Boland Park, Paarl (2.30pm SAST) Tuesday 1 December: 3rd IT20 South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town (6.00pm SAST) Friday 4 December: 1st ODI South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town (1.00pm SAST) Sunday 6 December: 2nd ODI South Africa v England, Boland Park, Cape Town (10.00am SAST) Wednesday 9 December: 3rd ODI South Africa v England, Newlands, Cape Town (1.00pm SAST) Thursday 10 December: Touring party departs from Cape Town to London

SPORTS REPORT KARACHI (October 21, 2020):-From white-ball cricket in Multan and Rawalpindi under the Covid-19 protocols, action moves to Karachi when the red-ball first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy commences on Sunday, 25 October. On Wednesday, the six head coaches announced their squads, which will include all the top performers who will not be involved in the series against Zimbabwe, which kicks off in Rawalpindi on Friday, 30 October. With a 35-member Pakistan men’s national and Shaheens squads to depart for New Zealand on 23 November, the players will get good three rounds of quality four-day cricket that will not only enable the players to strengthen claims in the touring party but will also provide them an excellent opportunity to rediscover their form ahead of a challenging tour. Defending champions Central Punjab have received a major boost as their coach Shahid Anwar named top-order batsman Ahmed Shehzad and fast bowler Hasan Ali in the 16-player squad. The side, to be led by Azhar Ali, will go head to head against Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Sindh at the National Stadium from 25 October. Sindh coach Basit Ali has kept faith in 20-year-old left-arm fast bowler Ghulam Mudassar after picking him from the Second XI side to provide him a chance in the First XI National T20 Cup. Ghulam will join seasoned pace duo of Sohail Khan and Tabish Khan as Sindh will aim to improve their last year’s fifth position. Balochistan head coach Faisal Iqbal has followed in the footsteps of Basit by providing 17-year-old Quetta-born batsman Abdul Wahid Bangalzai with an opportunity to show his temperament, stamina and technique in the longer version of the game. After an impressive performance in the Second XI National T20 Cup, Abdul Wahid was included in the First XI National T20 Cup. Balochistan, which finished at the bottom of the table last year, will be led by Yasir Shah, while Quetta-born wicketkeeper-batsman Bismillah Khan will be his deputy. Fast bowler Akif Javed has not been included in the squad as he is currently recovering from the knee injury he sustained during the National T20 Cup Abdul Razzaq has handed captaincy responsibilities of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa side to Ashfaq Ahmed, who was his side’s highest run-getter in the 2019-event with 805 runs at over 67. Adil Amin has been named as vice-captain in the side, which also include Imran Khan Snr, Junaid Khan, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Khan Shinwari from the squad that lifted the National T20 Cup in Rawalpindi last weekend. Northern, who were last year’s runners-up, will continue to be led by Nauman Ali, who was the highest wicket-taker in the edition with 54 scalps in 10 matches. Mohammad Wasim, the Northern head coach, has named 23-year-old former Pakistan U19 batsman Zeeshan Malik as his deputy. Abdul Rehman has named a strong Southern Punjab side, which will be captained by Test opener Shan Masood. Salman Ali Agha, after leading Southern Punjab in the Second XI Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first round, has been named in the first-class squad as part of the selectors’ overarching policy and strategy of encouraging and rewarding high-performing players. Fast bowler Rahat Ali is unavailable for the first three rounds of the tournament due to family commitments. Meanwhile, the six squads and their support staff will be undergoing Covid-19 tests in Karachi on Wednesday and Thursday, and all those with two negative results will enter a bio-secure bubble. The teams will practice on Friday and Saturday at the three venues (National Stadium, UBL Sports Complex and NBP Sports Complex) staging the opening round matches from Sunday, 25 October. Squads: Balochistan - Yasir Shah (captain), Bismillah Khan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdul Rehman Muzammil, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Adnan Akmal (wicketkeeper), Akhtar Shah, Amad Butt, Ayaz Tasawar, Imran Butt, Imran Farhat, Kashif Bhatti, Khurram Shahzad, Najeebullah Achakzai, Sami Aslam, Taimur Ali and Taj Wali Central Punjab - Azhar Ali (captain), Saad Nasim (vice-captain), Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Ahmed Shahzad, Ali Shan, Bilal Asif, Ehsan Adil, Hasan Ali, Kamran Akmal (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Saad, Qasim Akram, Rizwan Hussain, Salman Butt, Usman Salahuddin and Waqas Maqsood Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - Ashfaq Ahmed (captain), Adil Amin (vice-captain), Ahmed Jamal, Imran Khan snr, Israrullah, Junaid Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khalid Usman, Mohammad Mohsin, Nabi Gul, Rehan Afridi (wicketkeeper), Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Sameen Gul, Samiullah jnr and Usman Khan Shinwari Northern - Nauman Ali (captain), Zeeshan Malik (vice-captain), Ali Sarfaraz, Asif Ali, Faizan Riaz, Farhan Shafiq, Hammad Azam, Jamal Anwar (wicketkeeper), Nasir Nawaz, Naved Malik, Sadaf Hussain, Salman Irshad, Sarmad Bhatti, Tauseeq Shah, Umar Amin and Waqas Ahmed Sindh - Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain, wicketkeeper), Asad Shafiq (vice-captain), Ashiq Ali, Azizullah, Fawad Alam, Ghulam Mudassar, Khurram Manzoor, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Hasan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Saad Ali, Saud Shakeel, Sharjeel Khan, Sohail Khan and Tabish Khan Southern Punjab - Shan Masood (captain), Hussain Talat (vice-captain), Aamer Yamin, Bilawal Bhatti, Dilbar Hussain, Imran Rafiq, Maqbool Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Irfan (SLA), Saif Badar, Salman Ali Agha, Umar Siddiq Khan, Umar Khan, Zahid Mehmood and Zeeshan Ashraf (wicketkeeper)

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 19, 2020):-Punjab and Sindh registered their victories in the Blind Cricket Super League 2020 after beating Khyber Pakhtun Kawa (KPK) and Balochistan respectively at Ding Stadium Bahawalpur on Monday. Match No. 3 KPK Vs Punjab: (Venue: Dring Stadium, Ground No. 2 Bahawalpur) 3rd Match of the event was played between KPK and Punjab. KPK won the toss and opted to bowl first. Punjab with the help of calculated innings of Moeen Aslam and Zafar Iqbal defeated KPK by 61 runs. Moeen Aslam scored 68 runs and Zafar Iqbal made 48 runs for their team. Punjab posted a competitive total of 275 runs for loss of 9 wickets in allotted 40 overs. Mohsin, Haroon, Akram and Ayyaz took 1 wicket each. KPK, in reply, couldn't reach the target of 275 and they were bowled out on 214 runs in 34 overs.  Mohammad Tehseen was the only batsman to resist, he scored 60 runs. Shahzeb Haider and Haseen Ullah took 2 wickets each while Zafar Iqbal grabed 1 wicket. Result: Punjab won by 61 runs Man of the Match: Zafar Iqbal Match No. 4 Balochistan  Vs Sindh: (Venue: Dring Stadium, Ground No. 1 Bahawalpur) Sindh won the toss and put Balochistan into bat. Balochistan scored 256 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 40 overs. Badar Munir was the top scorer with 77 runs. Babar Ali claimed 2 wickets. Sindh reached the target of 257 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in 32.5 overs. Babar Ali and Raisat Khan made 82 and 70 runs respectively for Sindh. Badar Muneer claimed 1 wicket for Balochistan. Result: Sindh won by 6 wickets Man of the Match: Babar Ali

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 19, 2020):-Enthralling cricket action in the just-concluded National T20 Cup First XI tournament had fans and followers of the game glued to their TV and mobile screens. Numerous interesting numbers came up and records were made over the course of the 33-match tournament that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won by defeating Southern Punjab by 10 runs in the final on Sunday. Mazher Arshad provides a statistical review of the tournament. The highest scoring T20 event in Pakistan The overall run-rate in the National T20 Cup this year was 8.93 making it the highest scoring T20 tournament in Pakistan. The National T20 Cups in 2017 and 2019 both recorded 8.34 - the previous highest figure. In 33 matches this year, there were 15 totals of 200-plus, including 206 for four by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the final against Southern Punjab. It was only the second time that the 200-barrier was crossed in the final of a National T20 Cup. The first such instance being in 2010 when Lahore Lions posted 221 for three against Karachi Dolphins at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The run-rate this year in all T20s played in Pakistan, including a T20I series involving Bangladesh, the MCC tour, HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 and the National T20 Cup has been 8.72 – the highest ever in a calendar year. The previous best year in Pakistan in terms of scoring rate was 2019, when the run-rate was 8.46. Best Batsman and Best Bowler Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Fakhar Zaman, with 420 runs, and Shaheen Afridi, with 20 wickets, were tournament’s best batsman and bowler. Fakhar’s tally of 420 runs is the second highest in one edition of the National T20 Cup and only 12 behind Kamran Akmal, who accumulated 432 runs for Lahore Whites in the 2017 edition. Fakhar scored five fifties – including 67 off 40 balls in the final. Shaheen’s 20 scalps are joint-most along with Saeed Ajmal, who took 20 wickets in the 2016 edition. No fast bowler before Shaheen had taken this many wickets in a single edition of the tournament. The left-arm quick took 13 wickets in the powerplay overs, which is by far the most by any bowler. He struck in his opening spell in nine out of 10 games. There is no bowler in the world who has more T20 wickets than Shaheen (44) this year. The fastest hundred There were some extraordinary performances from the young talented cricketers in the National T20 Cup for First XIs. One of the highlights of the tournament was Khushdil Shah’s 100 off 35 balls for Southern Punjab in a 217-run chase against Sindh. It went down as the fastest T20 hundred scored by a batsman from Pakistan, beating Ahmed Shehzad’s 40-ball effort for Barisal Burners in the Bangladesh Premier League in 2012. The previous fastest 100 recorded on Pakistan soil was Bilal Asif’s 43-ball century on T20 debut for Sialkot Stallions against Abbottabad Falcons in Faisalabad in 2015. Only four batsmen in the world – Andrew Symonds (34 balls), Wihan Lubbe (33), Rishabh Pant (32) and Chris Gayle (30) – have scored a century in fewer balls in T20 cricket than Khushdil. Big-hits galore Khushdil’s strike-rate in the tournament was 177.45 – the highest among batsmen with at least 200 runs. His 25 sixes were the most by any batsman. The tournament had nine batsmen, the most in any edition of National T20 Cup, who scored more than 200 runs at a strike-rate of 150-plus. Prior to this tournament, the maximum number of batsmen with 200-plus runs and 150-plus strike-rate in one edition of National T20 Cup was only four (in three different tournaments in 2005, 2015 and 2017). Second fastest scoring innings In the last group match, Southern Punjab needed to chase 162 in 12.3 overs against Balochistan to quality for the semi-finals. They ended the innings with 166 for three in 10.4 overs at a run-rate of 15.56, the second highest in T20 history where at least ten overs were bowled. Brisbane Heat (15.80) is the only team that has maintained a higher run-rate in a T20 innings of more than 10 overs. Akin to Southern Punjab, Heat were also playing for a better run-rate when they put 158 for none in 10 overs against Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League in 2019.  

  ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 19, 2020):-Head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq today named 22 probables for the ODI and T20I series against Zimbabwe, insisting he has opted for experience in the 50-over matches and provided extended run to the youngsters in the T20I format.   Pakistan have not played ODIs since the home series against Sri Lanka 12 months ago and the Rawalpindi matches will be part of ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League from which the seven top-ranked sides, apart from hosts India, will qualify directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.   For the Lahore T20Is, the selectors have preferred continuity and consistency, while acknowledging the just concluded National T20 Cup had provided some exciting talent, which will be considered for the Pakistan and Shaheens’ next month tour to New Zealand and early next year’s home T20Is.   The selectors have rewarded Central Punjab’s Abdullah Shafiq with a call-up after the 20-year-old former Pakistan U19 batsman finished as the seventh most successful batsman in the National T20 Cup with 358 runs with a strike-rate of over 133. Abdullah scored a century on his T20 debut, becoming only the second player in history to make a century on both first-class and T20 debuts.   Shoaib Malik, who was player of the final, has made way for Abdullah Shafiq, while Rohail Nazir has been named as Mohammad Rizwan’s back-up wicketkeeper. Sarfaraz Ahmed, who was part of the squad for the England tour, has been encouraged to feature in the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, starting 25 October, so that he rediscovers better form ahead of the New Zealand tour.   Fast bowlers Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah were not considered for selection as they are recovering from injuries, but have been advised to play in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to prove their fitness before they are considered for selection.   Probables:   Batsmen - Abdullah Shafiq, Abid Ali, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Hafeez   Wicketkeepers - Mohammad Rizwan and Rohail Nazir   Spinners - Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir and Zafar Gohar   Fast bowlers - Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Musa Khan, Shaheen Shah and Wahab Riaz   Pakistan head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq: “The National T20 Cup saw some outstanding individual performances. A few leading performers may feel disappointed that they have been unable to break into the squad. But, I want to reassure them that they will remain in consideration for the New Zealand tour and early next year’s home series. All they now need to do is to carry those impressive run of forms in the upcoming domestic competitions.   “Furthermore, the present T20I squad already comprises youngsters who have played very few matches. As such, it is logical and sensible that we give them the support and confidence by providing them extended runs so that they can show what they are capable of at the highest level and cement their places for future assignments.   “We have resisted the temptation of experimenting in the ODIs for three simple reasons. Firstly, we cannot afford to be complacent and have to respect each and every opponent irrespective of their strength or international ranking. Secondly, every ODI counts as it leads towards automatic qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, and thirdly, we have not played any ODI cricket in the past 12 months.   “Abdullah Shafiq has been rewarded for his tremendous potential and performance. He has been identified as a future prospect and, therefore, drafted into the squad as part of his development.   “Seniors like Shoaib Malik and Sarfaraz Ahmed have not been picked for this series, but I want to categorically state that their careers are not over by any means as performance remains the only criterion for selection. These are strategic decisions as Shoaib’s absence will provide players like Abdullah Shafiq, Haider Ali and Khushdil Shah better chances of featuring in the upcoming matches.   “We have followed the same philosophy while leaving out Mohammad Amir and Usman Shinwari so that bowlers like Mohammad Hasnain, Musa Khan and Haris Rauf can get an extended run.   “Mohammad Hafeez and Wahab Riaz provide us that useful experience in the batting and bowling respectively, that will benefit the youngsters.   “Similarly, not many will disagree that on present form, Mohammad Rizwan is the first-choice wicketkeeper in both the white-ball formats. With an eye on future and as part of the succession plan, Rohail Nazir has been chosen as Rizwan’s back-up wicketkeeper. Instead of Sarfaraz sitting on the substitute bench, it makes sense that he plays in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy so that he retains his fitness and rediscovers form for the tour for the longer and more demanding tour of New Zealand.”   The probables will assemble in Lahore on 21 October for Covid-19 testing and after observing a five-day isolation period, during which they will play two 50-over matches at the Gaddafi Stadium, will travel to Rawalpindi on Monday, 26 October.   The probables for three T20Is will be shortlisted after the ODIs and players unlikely to feature in them will be advised to play in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy third round matches, which will commence from 6 November.   Pakistan probables for ODIs and T20Is:   Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafiq, Abid Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan, Musa Khan, Rohail Nazir, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz and Zafar Gohar   Series schedule (ODIs to start 1200, T20Is to commence 1530):   30 Oct – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi. 1 Nov – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi. 3 Nov – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi. 7 Nov – 1st T20I, Lahore. 8 Nov – 2nd T20I, Lahore. 10 Nov – 3rd T20I, Lahore.

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 16, 2020):-Defending Champions Northern reached on the top of points table after beating Khyber Pakhtunkawa by just 11 runs in the their last fixture of National T-20 Cup 2020 at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi on Friday. Wahab Riaz’s five wickets and Mohammad Haris’s maiden T20 half-century went in vain. Northern finished the league stage at the top of the six-team points table with 16 points from 10 matches (Eight wins, two defeats). They will play the fourth placed side in the first semi-final of the tournament tomorrow, their opponents will be determined at the end of the Southern Punjab-Balochistan clash tonight. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needed 21 runs in the final over which was bowled by the experienced Sohail Tanvir, they could only make nine runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa started their 145-run chase positively as openers Fakhar Zaman and Haris added 48 runs in 7.2 overs. Fakhar was bowled by Musa Khan for 11. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed by his opposite number Imad Wasim for nine. Imad took another big wicket when he sent back the experienced Shoaib Malik for six runs. Iftikhar Ahmed was dismissed by pacer Haris Rauf for 10 runs. Musadiq Ahmed, Wahab Riaz and Asif Afridi also fell cheaply in the hunt of quick runs as the asking rate kept mounting for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Haris who represented Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup earlier this year scored a composed unbeaten 79 punctuated with nine fours and one six. The right-hander who was appearing in merely his third T20 match showed glimpses of his talent, pedigree and range of shots in his innings which held the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa innings together. Despite his heroic effort, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa failed to get over the line. Man-of-the-match Haris Rauf took three more wickets to take his tournament tally to 17 wickets, this was his third man-of-the-match award in the tournament, Imad took two wickets for 25 runs. Reflecting on his performance, man-of-the-match Haris Rauf said: “I want to thank the Almighty first; throughout the event I have been able to bowl well. I was trying to bowl according to the pitches both in Multan and Rawalpindi and I am happy that I have been able to achieve sustained success. I tried to bowl some variations today as the pitch offered something to the bowlers. I hope to continue my bowling form in the coming games.” Northern won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision backfired as Northern lost their first six wickets in 15.5 overs with only 99 runs on the board. Their in-form top order was sent packing early, Ali Imran (8), Zeeshan Malik (21) and Haider Ali (7) failed to impress. Wahab Riaz dismissed Imran and Haider in a fiery opening burst. Wicketkeeper batsman Rohail Nazir also had a poor outing with the bat as he fell for six while birthday boy Umar Amin made 21 off 23 balls before falling to Asif Afridi. Asif Ali was dismissed by Wahab for 19 off 22 balls (two fours). Imad played a captain’s innings at this stage to take his team to a competitive total. The left-hander hit six fours in his 36 that came off 20 balls. Northern were restricted to 144 f0r nine in their 20 overs with Wahab returning brilliant figures of five for 21, this was the third five-wicket haul of  the seasoned left-armer’s 261-match T20 career. Scores in brief Northern 144-9, 20 overs (Imad Wasim 36, Zeeshan Malik 21, Umar Amin 21; Wahab Riaz 5-21) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 133-7, 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 79 not out; Haris Rauf 3-28, Imad Wasim 2-25) Result – Northern won by 11 runs Man-of-the-match – Haris Rauf (Northern) Saturday’s fixtures (semi-finals): 1500 PST – Team 1 v Team 4. Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Imtiaz Iqbal (third umpire), Imran Jawed (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 1930 PST – Team 2 v Team 3. Ahsan Raza and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Ghaffar Kazmi (third umpire), Saqib Khan (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (October 16, 2020):-Essex is set to have the opportunity to defend two red-ball titles next summer following confirmation that the First-Class Counties have agreed to a revised structure for the 2021 men’s first-class season. The chairs of the First-Class Counties have agreed via a vote that next summer will welcome the return of the County Championship in a group-stage format. The men’s first-class season ends with a showpiece five-day Lord’s final to win the Bob Willis Trophy. Essex will seek to defend both titles after the county won the 2019 County Championship and this summer’s Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s. Today’s announcement follows discussions between the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and First-Class Counties to help restart the County Championship, whilst mitigating against the impact of COVID-19 next summer. The agreed revised structure is for the 2021 men’s first-class season only. The 18 First-Class Counties will play 14 County Championship matches each next summer across Group and Division stages. Each First-Class County has initially been placed into one of three seeded groups of six and will be scheduled to play five home matches and five away matches during the Group stage. The top two counties in each group, at the end of the Group stage, will progress to Division One, with the other counties moving into Divisions Two and Three, where they will each play a further four matches. The winner of Division One will be crowned the 2021 County Championship winners. The top two teams in Division One will also earn the right to play in the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s.  ECB Chair, Ian Watmore, said: “Since starting in my new role last month one of my key priorities, as a huge supporter of red-ball cricket, has been to collaborate with the First-Class Counties so that we could confirm a structure for next summer’s men’s first-class season. “I am delighted that the counties have been able to reach that agreement less than three weeks after Essex won the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord’s. “The success of that competition provides reassurance that this structure can help safeguard against any impact the global pandemic may have on next season while also ensuring the integrity of the County Championship.             “It must be stressed that this structure has been agreed for next season only and during 2021 we will review and consult with the counties and other stakeholders to decide the appropriate next steps for the men’s domestic structure in 2022 and beyond.” Seedings for the Group Stage of the 2021 County Championship have been determined based on performances of the First-Class Counties during the 2019 County Championship and the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy. A provision to accommodate derby matches, only where appropriate within the seeding structure, into the groups has also ensured that county members and supporters can look forward to some of county cricket’s oldest rivalries resuming home and away next summer. 2021 County Championship groups Group 1: Essex, Warwickshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire, Durham Group 2: Somerset, Hampshire, Surrey, Gloucestershire, Middlesex, Leicestershire Group 3: Kent, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Glamorgan, Sussex Playing conditions for the 2021 County Championship and the 2021 Bob Willis Trophy final remain under discussion and will be announced in due course. After the group stage, teams will be split into three divisions, with the top two teams in Division One playing for the Bob Willis Trophy After the group stage, teams will be split into three divisions, with the top two teams in Division One playing for the Bob Willis Trophy

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 15, 2020):-A clattering innings by Haider Ali 86 (50 balls) helped defending champions Northern to overcome Balochistan by 39 runs in the 27th match of the National T20 Cup First XI tournament played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday. This was Northern’s seventh win in nine matches. The right-handed batsman along with Ali Imran, who blasted 41 off 22 at the back of three sixes and four fours, provided a sparkling start to Northern with a 92-run opening stand from just 8.3 overs. He then weathered the storm in a 50-run alliance, formed over 26 balls, with Shadab Khan after Northern slipped to 101 for three with the dismissals of Sohail Akhtar (one off two) and Asif Ali (three of seven) in nine balls. Haider  dismissed by Akhtar Shah, promoted to Balochistan’s First XI team after an impressive run in the Second XI National T20 Cup, on the last ball of the 15th over – struck five sixes and eight fours in the 50 balls he faced as he scored his 86 runs at a strike rate of 172. He was later named man-of-the-match. This was the 20-year-old’s second half-century of the tournament and fourth of his overall T20 career and proved to be instrumental in helping Northern, the table-toppers, post an imposing 199 for six. Reflecting on his match-defining innings, Haider said: “I am quite happy that I have received a man-of-the-match award at my home ground. I am making a comeback so it was important for me to adjust to the conditions. “Opening the batting helped me in that regard as I got ample time to read them before I played my shots freely.” Following Haider’s dismissal, Shadab, who by then had made 15 off 10, took the lead role as he finished on 42 not out from 27. Balochistan’s Amad Butt took two wickets for 29 runs. Balochistan, in the reply, crumbled after a 69-run opening stand between Imam-ul-Haq and Awais Zia. The partnership was broken in the eighth over as Imam, who made the highest score of the innings with 35 off 21 balls, was run out. Shadab’s leg-spin aggravated the situation for Balochistan as the 22-year-old dismissed Awais (34 off 27, two fours and two sixes) and Bismillah Khan (0 off one) on back-to-back balls in the ninth over. A 37-run partnership between Haris Sohail and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai for the fourth wicket followed. But, that could not help Balochistan bounce back into the match as they failed to recover from the earlier collapse and finished 39 runs short. Northern’s Shadab and Mohammad Ismail finished with two wickets apiece. Scores in brief Northern beat Balochistan by 39 runs Northern 199-6, 20 overs (Haider Ali 86, Shadab Khan 42 not out, Ali Imran 41; Amad Butt 2-29) Balochistan 160-8, 20 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 35, Awais Zia 34, Haris Sohail 28; Shadab Khan 2-13; Mohammad Ismail 2-32) Player of the match – Haider Ali (Northern) Friday’s fixtures: 1500 PST – Northern v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Imran Javed and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Saqib Khan (third umpire), Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 1930 PST – Balochistan v Southern Punjab. Ghaffar Kazmi and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Imtiaz Iqbal (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)    

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 14, 2020):-Misbah-ul-Haq has decided to step down from the chief selector’s responsibilities to concentrate and focus on the head coach’s role of the men’s national team. The new chief selector will begin his tenure from 1 December and until then, Misbah will continue to carry out selection responsibilities. The decision means Misbah will announce the squads for the home series against Zimbabwe on 19 October and then for the away series against New Zealand. The first assignment of the new chief selector will be to select the squads for the January home series against South Africa, comprising two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals. Misbah communicated his decision to PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan in Islamabad last week during the National T20 Cup. Commenting on his decision, Misbah-ul-Haq said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed the dual roles but after reviewing the past 12 months and looking ahead at the workload in the next 24 months of my tenure, it is appropriate that I invest and dedicate all my time, energy and attention to one role from now on. “Coaching is my passion and my ultimate objective remains to contribute to the development of players and help the side achieve bigger successes. When I was appointed last year, I was offered the coaching role first and then given the option to also head the selection committee, which I had graciously accepted. “I am grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board for their understanding and for supporting my thought process. “I had been thinking about the demands and rigours of the dual roles for some time. The meetings with the National High Performance staff and the Cricket Association coaches in the past two weeks have provided me better clarity and helped me in my decision-making as I believe we now have a strong system in place. “With the new Cricket Association system in full flow, the chief selector has to be able to watch as much domestic cricket as possible. With a big 24 months now coming up, we have mutually agreed that there is a need for me now to be fully focused on one role. “I look forward to a strong working relationship with the new chair of the selection committee and hope together we will achieve our collective objectives.” PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said: “The PCB wholeheartedly respects Misbah’s decision on stepping away from the chief selector role. When he took on the national head coach role, we also required him to take on the chief selector’s role due to circumstances at that point in time.      “Pakistan has three global events, including two Asia Cups and the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, as well as 10 Future Tour Programme commitments over the next 24 years. As head coach of the national side, he has reassessed his priorities and believes he has a better chance of producing the desired results by focusing solely on the coaching side. We are very happy to support his thinking on this. “Over the last two weeks, Misbah has worked closely with the other selectors to finalise the squads for both the upcoming series with Zimbabwe and the New Zealand tour, which will follow in November. We are grateful that this process is near completion, allowing time for the new chief selector to be in post to begin work from 1 December. “With a new chief selector, we will revisit the selection criteria to ensure that there is complete alignment between the Selection Committee, the High Performance Centre and the national men’s cricket team. With so much red and white-ball cricket ahead, we will need to select squads that have a strong balance between youth and experience”. Pakistan’s tentative FTP commitments till September 2022: Oct/Nov 2020 – Home series against Zimbabwe (three ODIs and three T20Is) Nov/Dec 2020 – Away series against New Zealand (two Tests and three T20Is) Jan/Feb 2021 – Home series against South Africa (two Tests and three T20Is) Apr 2021 – Away tour to Zimbabwe (two Tests and three T20Is) Jun 2021 – Away tour to England (three ODIs and three T20Is) Sep/Oct 2021 – Home series against New Zealand (three ODIs and three T20Is) Nov 2021 – Away tour to Bangladesh (two Tests, three T20Is) Dec 2021 – Home series against West Indies (three ODIs, three T20Is) Feb/Mar 2022 – Home series against Australia (two Tests, three ODIs, three T20Is) Jul 2022 – Away tour to Sri Lanka (three Tests, three ODIs) Global Events Asia Cup 2021, Sri Lanka (dates TBC) ICC T20 World Cup 2021, India (October/November) Asia Cup 2022, Pakistan (dates TBC)    

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 13, 2020):-Sindh’s left handed batsman Danish Aziz snatched the victory from Khyber Paktunkawa (KP) after smashing 72 not out in just 47 balls and hitting two six and two fours in the last over Iftikar Ahmed at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Karachi-born took his team over the line with a six on the last ball. Sindh required 19 off the last over when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Mohammad Rizwan handed the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed to bowl right-arm medium fast. Danish dispatched Iftikhar for a four on the first delivery before the equation reduced to 15 off the last three balls as the second and third ball turned out to be dots. Danish then struck two towering sixes down the ground with a four on the long-off sandwiched between them. Speaking about his man-of-the-match performance, Danish said: “It looked a bit difficult when the match came down to the last three balls. I was anticipating fuller deliveries so I decided to hit the ball down the ground. “My plan was to bat until the end of the innings. When Anwar Ali walked into bat with me, we decided to rotate the strike initially before punishing bad balls.” Danish spanked eight fours and four sixes and his 47-ball stay at the crease included a match-defining 77-run alliance with Anwar Ali, who made 33 off 32. The two had come together after Hassan Khan was run out without facing a delivery on the last ball of the eighth over. That the match had to be decided on the last ball was because Usman Shinwari who after recording his best score accounted for Khurram Manzoor (13 off 11), Sarfaraz Ahmed (13 off 13) and Sohail Khan (o off two) as Sindh slipped from 32 for three to 34 for six. Sindh, in their chase of 139, were dealt an early blow as Shaheen Afridi, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 16 scalps at 11.25, accounted for Sharjeel Khan on the second ball. His new-ball partner Imran Khan dismissed Asad Shafiq and Azam Khan in back-t0-back overs – the second and fourth of the innings. Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after being asked to bat, were driven to a respectable total of 138 for nine by Usman who made an unbeaten 15-ball 36 with the help of three sixes and two fours. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were struggling at 87 for seven before Usman stitched a 29-run partnership – the best of the innings - with Shaheen. He followed it up with a 20-run stand with Imran Khan, contributing all 20 runs in it accumulated over just six balls. Musadiq Ahmed, who batted at seven, was the other notable run-getter with a 14-ball 25 (two fours and two sixes) in an innings in which Sohail, Hassan and Mohammad Hasnain took two wickets apiece. Scores in brief: Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by two wickets Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 138-9, 20 overs (Usman Shinwari 36 not out, Musadiq Ahmed 25; Sohail Khan 2-12, Hassan Khan 2-21, Mohammad Hasnain 2-36) Sindh 140-8, 20 overs (Danish Aziz 72 not out, Anwar Ali 33; Usman Shinwari 3-20, Imran Khan 2-27) Player of the match – Danish Aziz (Sindh) Wednesday’s fixtures 1500 PST – Northern v Sindh. Imtiaz Iqbal and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Imran Javed (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 1930 PST – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Central Punjab. Ahsan Raza and Ghaffar Kazmi (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Saqib Khan (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)