Sports Bulletin

SB REPORT LAHORE (October 8, 2020):-Central Punjab bagged the Second XI National T20 Cup title with a seven-wicket win over Northern in the last match of the single-league event at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. The Nauman Anwar-led side topped the six-team points table with four wins from their five matches, while win-less Northern finished on the last spot. An unbeaten 57-ball 66 by Junaid Ali set the comfortable victory as Central Punjab overhauled the 134-run target with 11 balls to spare. The wicketkeeper-batsman took the lead role in the innings after Nauman, who made a quickfire 26 from 13 balls hitting four fours and a six, was dismissed by Athar Mehmood, who took two wickets for 36 runs. Northern, who failed to win a single match, managed a meagre 133 for eight after their captain Nauman Ali elected to bat. Aamer Jamal’s 24-ball 38 not out, which included four sixes, provided some respite to the defending champions, who had half of their batting line-up back in the pavilion for just 37 runs. Sarmad Bhatti was the other notable run-getter in the innings as he hit a six and two fours for his 33 off 28 balls. Reflecting on Central Punjab’s run in the event, Nauman Anwar told pcb.com.pk: “It has been an exciting journey and we got to play some quality cricket despite the Covid-19 protocols in place. We have really enjoyed our time over the last two, three weeks. That each and every player of our team raised his hand when the situation demanded and delivered is the reason behind our success in this event. “The most memorable match for us was our opening match, which was against Sindh [which Central Punjab won by four wickets]. The Central Punjab-Sindh rivalry always brings out the best amongst from all the players involved in such contests and what made it further exciting was the fact that it went deep into the last over.” During the tournament, as many as four bowlers picked up eight wickets each – the most in the event – and the two bowlers with the best average amongst them belong to Central Punjab. Kamran did it for 13.25 runs a wicket, while Waqas’ wickets were earned at 15.75. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sameen Gul took eight wickets for 18.50. Northern’s Athar, the 21-year-old right-arm pacer, gave away 19.63 runs for his eight wickets. Balochistan’s Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Southern Punjab’s Zain Abbas and Central Punjab’s Mohammad Akhlaq finished as the top three run-getters with 235 at 47, 193 at 96.50 and 185 at 61.67 respectively. Based on their brilliant runs, all three earned call-ups for the second-leg of the First XI National T20 Cup, which will start in Rawalpindi on Friday. Twenty-year-old Akhlaq – who scored three half-centuries, the most in the competition – will travel to Rawalpindi to integrate with the First XI squad. About his consistent run, Akram Raza, the head coach of Central Punjab Second XI team, said: “Akhlaq possess all the desired skills to thrive at the top level and he has been impressive throughout this competition. I have high hopes from him. “It is great to see players graduate from the Second XI teams to top. Akhlaq will be our second player to reach the First XI team after Abdullah Shafiq, who has earned admirers all over. I have been working extensively with most of these players since the last year and I can comfortably say that these players have a great potential and a lot of hunger to progress.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab, locked at six points each, finish at number two and three positions. Sindh and Balochistan end their Second XI National T20 Cup on fourth and fifth position. Scores in brief: Northern 133-8, 20 overs (Aamer Jamal 38 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 33; Waqas Maqsood 3-23, Kamran Afzal 2-14, Mohammad Ali 2-30) Central Punjab 134-3, 18.1 overs (Junaid Ali 66 not out, Nauman Anwar 26; Athar Mehmood 2-36) Result – Central Punjab won by seven wickets

SB REPORT KARACHI (October, 6, 2020):-Pakistan women’s national team will resume their cricketing activities when their High Performance Camp begins on Thursday in Karachi. A total of 27 players will undergo a 24-day-long camp between 8-31 October at the National Stadium and Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre during which they will work on their skills, fitness and play practice matches. Bismah Maroof, the captain of the women’s team, feels the players are excited to get together as a group after a gap of more than seven months, when they played the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia earlier this year, and are looking to make the most of the camp. Bismah Maroof, who has captained Pakistan in 38 ODIs and 18 T20Is, told pcb.com.pk: “There is a lot of excitement amongst the players to get back together after seven, eight months. Everyone is looking forward to making the most of this camp by working on their skills and fitness. “It is going to be a bit difficult to carry the rhythm from where we left but the aim should be to work hard and achieve it. We are looking forward to working with David Hemp, the newly appointed head coach, and try to get the best out of ourselves. “I spent a lot of time with my family during the lockdown and I enjoyed it. I spent my time with my husband and in-laws, with whom I had not been able to spend time much because of cricket. As a professional, I had to maintain my fitness to ensure I stay ready to hit the ground running whenever the opportunity arose. So, I focused on fitness work as I used to do running and cardio workouts at sunrise.” “As a captain, my aim is to take this team into the top four and this team has that potential. But, we need to work hard to achieve and fully utilise it, which is our focus over the next year so we can prepare ourselves for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in 2022.” For Javeria Khan, who has donned the golden star in 204 international matches, this camp serves an opportunity to get back her batting form through the practice matches. During the pandemic-induced lockdown days, the top-order batter returned to the hobbies she had as a student. Javeria Khan: “I am very, very excited to get back and feel blessed to be taking the field again to play the sport, which I love. This is a new beginning of sorts as we have a new head coach joining us and the players are getting together after a long time. We will try to enjoy our time together to the fullest. “It is great that we are having this camp at the start of our season as we can get in the rhythm. I will try to make the most of it and get back my batting form. “It was quite a tough challenge to cope with the halt that Covid-19 had brought. You enjoy breaks of two, three days, but when there is no end to such a long break in sight, you have to find different ways to motivate yourself to keep going. So, I picked up the hobbies, which I had left during my school days. I painted and sung, a little bit. I gave time to my family, which was nice. “We could not compromise on our fitness during this time and this lengthy break provided everyone an opportunity to strengthen their basics in regards to fitness. So, my aim was to enhance my fitness levels so I am ready both physically and mentally for the on-field challenges.”

SALMAN KHAN: MULTAN (October 5, 2020):-Shaheen Afridi’s record five-wicket haul and half-centuries by Mohammad Hafeez and Fakhar Zaman orchestrated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s third win of the National T20 Cup First XI tournament as they defeated Sindh by eight wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday. With five for 21, Shaheen became the first Pakistan bowler in the history of T20 cricket to register four five-wicket hauls in the format. Only Lasith Malinga has more five-wicket hauls (5) and the Sri Lanka pacer has gathered them in 295 matches, 239 more than Shaheen’s. This was the 20-year-old’s second five-fer in three matches. The left-arm pacer accounted for Khurram Manzoor’s wicket on his fourth ball with a scorching full-length delivery that came back into the right-handed batsman and followed it up with the wicket of Azam Khan in his next over. Sharjeel Khan and Ahsan Ali knitted a remarkable 111-run stand for the fourth wicket after Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed fell on the first ball of the last powerplay over to Wahab Riaz. Sharjeel, the left-handed opener, continued his impressive run and missed what would have been his third century in the format by 10 runs. He spanked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers for six sixes and seven fours in his 56-ball 90. He was duly supported by Ahsan, who made 42 off 32, which included five fours and a six. With Sindh looking set to cross the 200-run mark, Asif Afridi, the left-arm orthodox, provided Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the much-needed breakthrough with the wicket of Ahsan, following which, Shaheen removed Sharjeel, Anwar Ali and Sohail Khan as Sindh lost their last three wickets for 18 runs. Reflecting on his and the team’s performance, Shaheen told pcb.com.pk: “When I was walking in the middle before the start of the match, I had a clear aim in mind that I have to stick to my in-swing bowling and hit the hard length. “I am grateful to the Almighty that I have been able to gather four five-wicket hauls in such a short span of matches. “We sat as a group and discussed the conditions here after the first match. Since, we have been enjoying a great run in the tournament. Our captain is leading us from front and the seniors like Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik are carrying the team.” Mohammad Hafeez scored his second half-century on trot as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa overhauled the 184-run target in 19 overs. The all-rounder smashed four sixes and as many fours from 42 balls and returned not out on 72. Hafeez joined Fakhar Zaman - who was the other batsman to score a half-century with a 41-ball 61, which was studded with six fours and two sixes - after the dismissal of his captain Mohammad Rizwan, who scored eight off 10. The two set up a blistering 100-run partnership from 52 balls as they found boundaries at regular intervals and never allowed the opposition bowlers to settle. The dismissal of Fakhar did not provide any relief to Sindh bowlers as Iftikhar Ahmed raced to 40 not out at a strike rate of over 190. Iftikhar struck three sixes and a four. Sarfaraz’s men will be eager to avenge this defeat when these two teams meet at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on 13 October. Scores in brief: Sindh 183-7, 20 overs (Sharjeel Khan 90, Ahsan Ali 42; Shaheen Afridi 5-21) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 184-2, 19 overs (Mohammad Hafeez 72 not out, Fakhar Zaman 61, Iftikhar Ahmed 40 not out; Anwar Ali 2-40) Result – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won by eight wickets Player of the match – Shaheen Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Tuesday’s fixtures: 1500 PST - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Central Punjab. Aftab Gillani and Faisal Khan Afridi (on-field umpires), Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire); Nadeem Arshad (match referee). 19.30 PST – Balochistan v Northern. Qaiser Waheed and Waleed Yaqub (on-field umpires), Aftab Gillani (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Anees (match referee).    

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 5, 2020):- “My aim is to finish among the top run-getters for the tournament and I would continue to work hard to ensure I finish the tournament on a high. I do not compromise on my goals. I have the temperament to work really hard in their pursuit and will continue to do so in the future” said Zeeshan, who showed sparking performance in the ongoing T-20 National Cricket Cup 2020.  The 23-year-old right-handed batsman is leading the list for the tournament’s highest run-getters, something that he had been planning since he was named in the 16-player squad of the defending champions. He now sits at the top of that chart with 192 runs – which include two half-centuries – at an average of 48. He has struck 21 fours, which are the most for any batsman in the tournament, to date. That Northern have had a perfect start to the tournament and lead the points table is due to the solid foundation they have been provided courtesy their young top-order. Zeeshan, who likes to cut and drive the ball, smashed a remarkable 47-ball 77 in the opening match of the tournament against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the course of which he rewrote the history books, setting the highest stand for the second wicket (180) in the history of the National T20 Cup with Haider Ali. Three matches later, on 4 October against Sindh, Zeeshan bettered his career statistics as he recorded his best score in T20 cricket with a swashbuckling 84 off 52 balls that set Northern’s 13-run win. “If your half-century contributes to your team’s win it means a lot more than a century in a losing cause,” Zeeshan told pcb.com.pk. “I have really enjoyed batting in Multan and I hope to continue my form in the Rawalpindi-leg. Zeeshan had created an impression on his coach Mohammad Wasim and team management with a brilliant 216 during Northern’s first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament fixture against Southern Punjab at the Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot, last season. This was his maiden century in the format. In 16 first-class matches, to date, he has scored 1,032 runs – which also include six half-centuries - at an average 0f 33.29. Zeeshan featured for Northern’s Second XI side in the last season’s National T20 Cup and his penchant for scoring freely across the dial and ability to hit the ball further added to his credentials and, as such, he was named in the ‘A’ category of the domestic central contracts for the 2020-21 season. “My team, Northern, has played a significant role in my development as a batsman,” said Zeeshan. “Our coach Mohammad Wasim has put a great faith in me by promoting me to the First XI team and I look to repay it with my performances.” Zeeshan started his journey as a cricketer when he represented Rawalpindi U16 in December 2012 in Pepsi PCB Cricket Stars U16s Tournament. He toured England with Pakistan U17 team in August 2014 before featuring for Pakistan U19 side against Afghanistan and Kenya at home later that year. In 2016, he featured in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, in which the national team finished at the fifth position. Zeeshan, who likes to play football in his free time, admires Mohammad Hafeez and AB de Villiers and aims to work hard to represent Pakistan at the apex level. “AB de Villiers is my favourite international batsman, while I really admire the batting style of Mohammad Hafeez. My aim is to represent Pakistan and I will continue to strive hard to attain this goal.”

SALMAN KHAN MULTAN (October 4, 2020):-Balochistan recorded a 16-run win over the luckless Southern Punjab side to gain two valuable points in the ninth match of the National T20 Cup for First XIs on Sunday evening at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Southern Punjab’s poor run continued in the tournament as the Shan Masood-led side crashed to their fourth consecutive defeat, they are languishing at the bottom of the six-team points table without a single point in their kitty. Balochistan on the other hand recorded their second win in three matches; they now have accumulated four points. On Sunday, Shan fought hard with Khushdil Shah in a 103-run alliance for the third wicket in pursuit of the 231-run target. Left-armer Akif Javed accounted for both to settle the deal for Balochistan as the asking run-rate went beyond Southern Punjab batsmen; they finished on 214 for six in their 20 overs. Both left-handers (Shan and Khushdil) scored 72 runs each, Shan’s innings came off 42 balls and included three sixes and nine fours. Khushdil’s 72 included four sixes and seven fours, he faced 34 balls. Sohaib Maqsood was the only other batsman to offer some resistance scoring 20 runs off 15 balls with the help of four fours. Akif took three wickets for 35 runs to spearhead his side’s bowling attack. Umar Gul, Amad Butt and Kashif Bhatti took a wicket apiece. Reflecting on his performance man-of-the-match Imam-ul-Haq said: “As openers we were losing wickets at the start in earlier games, it is my responsibility as an international player to score and perform. The pitch was a bit slow at the start but I decided to spend time on the pitch and that eventually helped me very well. We didn’t have a target in mind as such as we wanted to gauge the conditions, Haris and Bismillah helped me stay at the pitch, we then aimed for 180-190 runs but the late flourish in the innings helped us get past the 200-run mark.” Balochistan won the toss and opted to bat first on a batting friendly pitch. They posted a mammoth total courtesy a blazing batting performance led by man-of-the-match Imam-ul-Haq and some sloppy bowling especially in the death overs by the Southern Punjab bowlers. Imam scored a scintillating 94 off 54 balls, the left-handed opener hit four sixes and 10 fours in his stroke-filled innings. Imam shared a dazzling 97 runs partnership in a mere 42 balls with his captain Haris Sohail as Southern Punjab bowlers lost the plot in the death overs. Haris smashed seven fours and two sixes in his 53 that came off 27 balls. Amad Butt provided the icing on the cake for Balochistan by scoring a whirlwind unbeaten 22 off 7 balls (two fours, two sixes) as 43 runs were conceded in the last two overs of the innings bowled by Hussain Talat (21 runs) and Bilawal Bhatti (22 runs) respectively. At the start of the innings wicketkeeper batsman Bismillah Khan scored 39 off 23 in an 80-run second wicket partnership which laid the foundations of the eventual Balochistan total. Scores in brief: Balochistan 230-4, 20 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 94, Hairs Sohail 53, Bismillah Khan 39; Hussain Talat 1-35) Southern Punjab 214-6, 20 overs (Khushdil Shah 72 , Shan Masood 72; Akif Javed 3-35) Result – Balochistan won by 16 runs Player of the match – Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan) Monday’s fixtures: 1500 PST – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Sindh. Faisal Afridi and Aftab Gilani (on-field umpires), Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Zameer Haider (fourth umpire); Nadeem Arshad (match referee). 1930 PST - Balochistan v Central Punjab. Zameer Haider and Nasir Hussain Snr (on-field umpires), Faisal Afridi (third umpire), Qaiser Waheed (fourth umpire); Mohammad Anees (match referee)

SALMAN KHAN ISLAMABAD(October 3, 2020):-Defending champions Northern once again displayed their all-round depth in a comfortable 35-run win over Central Punjab in the seventh match of the National T20 Cup for First XIs on Saturday evening at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Northern have attained maximum six points from their first three matches and are placed at the top of the six-team points table. The impressive Northern bowling line-up defended a 155-run total by restricting Central Punjab to 120 in 18.1 overs as pacers Musa Khan and Haris Rauf led the way taking  three wickets each conceding 23 and 26 runs respectively. Veteran Sohail Tanvir (two for 15) and skipper Shadab Khan (two for 25) took two wickets apiece as they provided more than adequate support to the young fast bowling duo of Haris and Musa. Central Punjab lost their way in the chase despite being placed at 90 for two in the 13th over, a stunning collapse saw them lose their last eight wickets for the addition of a mere 30 runs. Opener Abid Ali (36 off 33 balls five fours) fought hard for his side but his dismissal to Musa triggered the Central Punjab collapse, Abdullah Shafiq contributed 20 runs.  No other batsmen could offer much fight to the Northern attack. For another all-round effort Shadab Khan was named man-of-the-match, he also won the award in the previous game against Southern Punjab. Reflecting on his and his team’s performance Shadab Khan said: “I am very pleased with my team performance and also happy to contribute as an all-rounder. We made a great comeback once again after a tough start with the bat and even while bowling we bounced back from a difficult situation. The presence of Musa and Haris is a huge plus for us as their pace makes a real difference at any stage of the game. The reason for our success is our unity and fighting spirit, we never give-up in any situation and that has helped us win two tough games from difficult situations.” Earlier, Central Punjab who opted to bowl first after winning the toss, restricted Northern to 155 for eight. Leg-spinner Usman Qadir was the pick of the CP bowlers taking three wickets for 28 runs in his four economical overs. Captain Shadab Khan scored a quickfire 30 off 17 balls with the help of two sixes and two fours to lead his side’s recovery after they had limped to 40 for thee in the 10th over of their innings. Young wicketkeeper batsman Rohail Nazir hit two sixes and a four in his unbeaten 21 off 8 balls to take his team past the 150-run mark. Asif Ali hit three sixes in his 24 off 11 balls. Umar Amin contributed 21 off 14 balls with the help of two sixes. Scores in brief: Northern 155-8, 20 overs (Shadab Khan 30; Asif Ali 24, Rohail Nazir 21 not out; Usman Qadir 3-28) Central Punjab 120 all out, 18.1 overs (Abid Ali 36, Abdullah Shafiq 20; Musa Khan 3-23, Haris Rauf 3-26) Result – Northern won by 35 runs Player of the match – Shadab Khan (Northern) Sunday’s fixtures: 1500 PST - Balochistan v Southern Punjab. Qaiser Waheed and Waleed Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Aftab Gilani (third umpire), Nasir Hussain Snr (fourth umpire); Iqbal Sheikh (match referee). 1930 PST - Northern v Sindh. Faisal Afridi and Nasir Hussain Snr (on-field umpires), Zameer Haider (third umpire), Qaiser Waheed (fourth umpire); Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee)

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (October 3, 2020);-Northern batsman Haider Ali has been fined for a breach of the PCB Code of Conduct for Player and Player Support Personnel during his side’s 35-run win over Central Punjab in the seventh match of the National T20 Cup First XI tournament at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Haider was fined 30 per cent of his applicable match fee for a Level 1 offence relating to showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during a match. The incident occurred in the ninth over of Northern’s innings when Haider showed his bat to the umpire, which was deemed as a disagreement over the decision, after being adjudged LBW on an Usman Qadir’s delivery. Haider was charged for the violation of Article 2.8 by on-field umpires Aftab Gillani and Faisal Khan Afridi, third umpire Waleed Yaqoob, and fourth umpire Nasir Hussain. Haider pleaded guilty and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Iftikhar Ahmed.  

SALMAN KHAN MULTAN (October 2, 2020):-A sparkling performance by Shaheen Shah Afridi 5 for 20 helped Rizwan’s XI to earn a big victory by 8 wickets against Balochistan in the National T20 Cricket Cup 2020 fixture at Multan Cricket Stadium Multan. Shaheen caused early inroads and then returned in the death overs to finish with figures of 4-0-20-5 to restrict Balochistan to 152 for nine after they had elected to bat first. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa top-order then milked Balochistan’s bowling to race to victory in 17 overs for the loss of two wickets. It was a good bounce back by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after they had suffered a 79-run defeat against defending champions Northern in a tall-scoring match on Wednesday. Balochistan will have a chance to avenge for this loss when they will again meet Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Rawalpindi on 10 October. Shaheen stole the third day honours after Pakistan’s young batting guns had dominated the first two days of the 33-match competition. Shaheen removed Imam-ul-Haq (9) and Awais Zia (24) in his first spell and then returned to dismiss Ammad Butt (4), Yasir Shah (0) and Umaid Asif (7) as Balochistan managed 37 runs in the last five overs to finish at 152 for nine. Reflecting on his and his team performance, Shaheen Shah Afridi said: “I am very pleased with my performance and want to thank Allah for my success. I enjoy my bowling, I try hard wherever I play, in the first match we didn’t have an idea that the pitch will be so flat, in the second game today we changed our plans and worked out what length to bowl on the pitch and I am happy we got success with the strategy.” Shaheen was well supported by fellow left-armer Usman Shinwari who picked up two wickets but went for 48 runs. For Balochistan, Imran Butt finished as the top-scorer with a 32-ball 37, while Haris Sohail (29) and Awais Zia (24) were the other contributors. In their 153-run chase, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa openers Mohammad Rizwan (57 not out) and Fakhar Zaman (25) provided a 44-run start in less than five overs, before Rizwan and Mohammad Hafeez (45,  25b, 5x4, 3x6) added 66 runs for the second wicket. Rizwan returned unbeaten on 57, an innings that came off  42 balls and included five four and two sixes. Iftikhar Ahmed (27) was the other not out batsmen as the third wicket put on 47 runs in  30 balls. Scores in brief Balochistan 152-9, 20 overs (Imran Butt 37, Haris Sohail 29, Awais Zia 24; Shaheen Shah Afridi 5-20, Usman Shinwari 2-48) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 157-2, 17 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 57 not out, Mohammad Hafeez 45, Iftikhar Ahmed 29 not out, Fakhar Zaman 25) Result – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won by eight wickets Player of the match – Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Saturday’s fixtures: 1500 PST - Northern v Central Punjab. Aftab Gillani and Faisal Khan Afridi (on-field umpires), Waleed Yaqub (third umpire), Nasir Hussain Snr (fourth umpire); Iftikhar Ahmed (match referee). 1930 PST - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab. Nasir Hussain Snr and Zameer Haider (on-field umpires), Qaiser Waheed (third umpire), Faisal Khan Afridi (fourth umpire); Iqbal Sheikh (match referee)    

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (October 2, 2020):-Australia have retained top positions in the ICC Women’s Team Rankings for both ODIs and T20Is while India have overtaken New Zealand to grab third position in the T20I table, after the annual rankings update carried out on Friday. In other noteworthy changes in the latest update, which expunges results from the 2016-17 season, weights the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons at 50% and the 2019-20 matches at 100%, South Africa have overtaken New Zealand to fourth place and Bangladesh have leapfrogged Sri Lanka to eighth in the ODI table. Record lead for Australia in ODIs: Six-time ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup champions and winners of both editions of the ICC Women’s Championship, Australia’s stellar display during the rating period saw them win 20 of 21 ODIs, increasing their tally by eight points to 160. Their massive lead of 39 points over second-placed India is the largest by any team (men or women) in any form of the game. It comes on the back of 3-0 series wins over India, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and an earlier 2-1 win over England at the start of the ICC Women’s Championship, only a few months after England had won the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017. India (121) and England (119) have lost four points each while clinging on to their second and third positions, respectively, while South Africa (107) enjoy a 13-point lead over New Zealand (94), with the West Indies (85), Pakistan (77), Bangladesh (61) and Sri Lanka (47) following in that order. India’s gain only change in top 15 of T20Is list: The women’s T20I rankings table sees Australia and England retain the top two positions, their points tally remaining 291 and 280, respectively. India, who made the final of this year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, have overtaken New Zealand, in what is the only change in the top 15 of the 56-team list. The biggest improvement in rankings has been registered by Brazil, who are up 11 places to 27th, after a gain of 15 rating points, while the biggest ranking fall has been for Malaysia, who are down from 31st to 38th. Samoa (up two places to 16th), Indonesia (up two places to 20th) and the United States of America (up four places to 31st) are among other teams to have made notable progress.

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 2, 2020):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has invited 27 players for a women’s High Performance Camp, which will be kicked off from October 8, 2020 at National Cricket Stadium. According to media department of PCB, the announcement of women’s High Performance Camp has completed a slow but careful and strategic resumption of all cricket activities. The 2020-21 season had begun on 30 September with the National T20 Cup and the six Cricket Association U19 squads were named on Thursday for the three-day and one-day National U19 Tournaments, which will be played from 13 October to 29 November. The 27 cricketers invited for the High Performance Camp are: Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana Khan, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Pervaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz and Syeda Aroob Shah As part of the PCB Covid-19 protocols, all 27 players and player support personnel will undergo first round of testing at their residences, the cost of which will be reimbursed by the PCB. Players and player support personnel with negative tests will then assemble in Karachi, where they will undergo the second round of tests before being allowed to integrate with the larger group. During the camp, the players and player support personnel will undergo third round of testing to ensure their health and safety. During the training period, the players and player support personnel will follow the bio-secure protocols while being stationed at a hotel in Karachi. The High Performance Department will appoint the player support personnel, who will be announced in due course. Meanwhile, Lahore-based cricketers have been visiting the NHPC and taking advantage of the presence of experienced coaches in Atiq-uz-Zaman and Mohammad Zahid. The two coaches have split their time between men and women cricketers, while giving them the required attention and training as per their requirements. Atiq-uz-Zaman: “I have been impressed with their fitness standards. Despite the Covid-19 lockdown, the girls have maintained good fitness, which reflects their positive and professional approach. Fitness is the key, which specially helps in fielding and I am pleased with the dedication these girls are showing to further hone their skills. They are willing to go an extra yard to improve something which hasn’t been traditionally a hallmark of our cricket.” Mohammad Zahid: “Fast bowling is all about rhythm and the quickies are not too far from the top flight. The more these girls will bowl in the nets, the better they will get. Our objective is to help them rise to the standard where they play and perform in competitive cricket. “David Hemp’s appointment is a decision in the right direction. He is an experienced coach and understands the psyche, dynamics and requirements of women cricketers. All the coaches at the NHPC look forward to welcoming him in Lahore and will support and assist him in any way we can.” Wicketkeeper-batter Sidra Nawaz said: “It is very refreshing to be at the NHPC, which provides the cricket atmosphere and encourages professional cricketers to get actively involved and utilise the facilities. We have been missing this environment for nearly six months but with the opening of the NHPC and availability of renowned coaches, it is helping all of us to cover up for the lost time.” All-rounder Aliya Riaz said: “I know our domestic season has not been announced though the High Performance Camp has been unveiled, but we are taking this period as pre-season training and preparation so that they are not rusty when our cricket resumes. It is a blessing to have such outstanding training facilities with qualified coaches also available to us. We are thoroughly enjoying these training sessions and hope hard work in these sessions will pay off when our cricket commences.”