Sports Bulletin

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 1, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) fulfilled one more of its promises to the fans and followers when it announced the schedule of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 with all 34 matches to be played across four international venues of the country from 20 February to 22 March. The schedule announcement was part of the 50 days to go to HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 celebrations that also featured the launching of the countdown clock, which has been mounted at the main entrance of the Gaddafi Stadium – the home of Pakistan cricket. Reigning champions Quetta Gladiators will open the event at the back of an opening ceremony at the National Stadium in Karachi when they will go toe to toe with two-time former winners Islamabad United, while curtains will fall on the fifth edition of one of the most popular and followed leagues on 22 March at the Gaddafi Stadium. National Stadium will also play host to the Qualifier between the top two sides, whereas the Gaddafi Stadium will be the venue of the two Eliminators and the final. Of the 34 event matches, National Stadium will stage nine matches and Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will play host to 14 matches. Multan Sultans will play three games at the Multan Cricket Stadium, while Pindi Cricket Stadium will be the venue for eight matches. According to the event schedule, defending champions Quetta Gladiators will play three matches in Lahore, four in Karachi, one in Multan and two in Rawalpindi; while Peshawar Zalmi, the 2017 winners and the 2019 losing finalists, will be in action in one match each in Lahore and Multan, three in Karachi and five in Rawalpindi. Islamabad United will play three matches in Lahore, two in Karachi and five in Rawalpindi; Karachi Kings will play two matches in Lahore, five in Karachi, one in Multan and two in Rawalpindi; Multan Sultans will play five matches in Lahore, one in Karachi, three in Multan and one in Rawalpindi; and Lahore Qalandars will play eight matches in Lahore and one each in Karachi and Rawalpindi. PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said: “After bringing Test cricket back to Pakistan, hosting of the entire HBL Pakistan Super League is our other major achievement. I never had any doubts it was Pakistan’s league and should be played in front of home crowds. We had made this commitment to the people of Pakistan at the end of last year’s event and I am pleased today we have announced the event schedule with four centres to share the 34 event matches between them. “The HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 will feature 36 foreign stars. It was gratifying that 425 overseas players from 22 countries registered their interest in playing in the HBL PSL 2020. Of these, 39 from Afghanistan, 12 from Australia, 23 from Bangladesh, 10 from Canada, 109 from England, seven from Hong Kong, six from Ireland, seven from the Netherlands, eight from Nepal, 11 from New Zealand, nine from Oman, five from Scotland, four from Singapore, 27 from South Africa, 39 from Sri Lanka, nine from the UAE, six from the USA, 82 from the West Indies, 9 from Zimbabwe and one each from Bermuda, Kenya and Namibia. “This shows the confidence that players throughout the world have in playing in Pakistan. “Through this event, we expect economy and tourism to get significant boost, which will have a direct impact on the overall health of the country. “For the fans, this will be a long-awaited opportunity to see their cricketing heroes live in action and reinforce their love for this great game. I am expecting like last year, the entire country will get behind this tournament and by turning up in big numbers, they will once again show the world their passion for cricket. “For the PCB itself, the schedule announcement means we will now work flat-out until the final ball is bowled to ensure we produce an event that is memorable for all stakeholders, including the players, commercial partners, fans and media. “I want to especially thank the local governments and security agencies for their support and assistance. They have gone out of their way to facilitate the PCB in bringing HBL PSL back to Pakistan, for which we are grateful.” Event schedule 20 Feb – Opening ceremony to be followed by star Quetta Gladiators v Islamabad United, National Stadium (Start time TBC) 21 Feb – Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 22 Feb – Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Islamabad United v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 23 Feb – Karachi Kings v Quetta Gladiators, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 26 Feb – Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 27 Feb – Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 28 Feb – Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings, Multan Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 29 Feb – Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators, Multan Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 1 Mar – Islamabad United v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 2 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 3 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 4 Mar – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 5 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 6 Mar – Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 7 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United, Pindi Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 8 Mar – Multan Sultans v Islamabad United, Pindi Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 10 Mar – Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 11 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 12 Mar – Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 13 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 14 Mar – Karachi Kings v Islamabad United, National Stadium (7pm-5.15pm) 15 Mar – Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 17 Mar – Qualifier (1 v 2), National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 18 Mar – Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 20 Mar – Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 22 Mar – Final, Gaddafi Stadium (start time TBC)  

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 31, 2019):-The Pakistan Cricket Board has withdrawn fast-bowler Naseem Shah from next month’s ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup to be played in South Africa from 17 January to 9 February. The National Junior Selector Committee, which is headed by Saleem Jaffar, has named Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mohammad Wasim Jnr as Naseem’s replacement. Wasim Jnr took three wickets each in the ACC Asia Cup and on the tour of South Africa, while he bagged seven wickets on the tour of Sri Lanka. On the domestic circuit, he played one U19 one-day match in which he bagged three wickets, while he snapped up seven wickets in three U19 three-day matches. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup is a stepping stone for future stars and a platform for budding youngsters to graduate to international cricket. Naseem has recently broken that glass ceiling and has established his credentials as an international cricketer. “As such, the PCB has taken a pragmatic approach and decided to withdraw him from next year’s competition to provide this opportunity to another promising cricketer so that he can show his mettle and potential at a global stage. “This should not deter Pakistan’s chances at next year’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup as the selectors have picked a side that is experienced and bubbling with confidence to perform strongly. “Naseem will now remain in Pakistan and continue to work on his skills under the watchful eyes of bowling coach Waqar Younis. Furthermore, he will remain available for the home series against Bangladesh.” The 2004 and 2006 champions and three-time runners-up, are placed in Group C of the 16-team event and will play Scotland in their opening match on 19 January in Potchefstroom. Pakistan’s second match will be against Zimbabwe at the Witrand Oval on Wednesday, 22 January, while their third and final group match will be on 24 January at the JP Marks Oval against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the Super League, while the remaining teams will feature in the Plate Championship. The Super League stage will commence from Tuesday, 28 January and the top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners competing for the title on Sunday, 9 February, in Potchefstroom. Meanwhile, the Pakistan U19 cricket team’s preparation camp will commence at the National Cricket Academy from Wednesday, 1 January 2020. The team will depart for Johannesburg on 10 January. The following are the media opportunities during the camp. Wednesday, 1 January: Head coach Ijaz Ahmed will be available for media talk at around 2:30pm at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore. Friday, 3 January: Batsman Haider Ali will be available for media talk at around 2:30pm at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore. Monday, 6 January: Left-arm-spinner Arish Ali Khan will be available for media talk at around 2:30pm at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore. Tuesday, 7 January: All-rounder Mohammad Abbas Afridi will be available for media talk at around 2:30pm at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore. Wednesday, 8 January: Batsman Mohammad Irfan Khan will be available for media talk at around 2:30pm at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore. Thursday, 9 January: Captain Rohail Nazir will be available for media talk at around 2:30pm at the National Cricket Academy, Lahore. Friday, 10 January: Pakistan team will depart for South Africa in the afternoon.

By Our Special Corresponednt ISLAMABAD (December 31, 2019):-The year 2019 was a prolific one for batting sensation Babar Azam. The right-handed middle-order batsman stamped his authority on the international circuit across the three formats with some scintillating display of stroke-play that left the fans in awe across the cricketing world. Be it the bouncy tracks of South Africa and Australia, the high-octane ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 matches, Twenty20 Internationals or the emotions of the return of Test cricket to Pakistan, Babar left an indelible mark with his class, charisma, style, elegance, temperament and powers of concentration. In six Tests, Babar scored 616 runs at 68.44 at a hugely impressive strike-rate of 72.30 with the help of three centuries and three half-centuries. In 20 ODIs, Babar totalled 1,092 runs at 60.66. His strike-rate was 93.30 and the runs tally included three centuries and six half-centuries. In 10 T20Is, Babar contributed 374 runs at 41.55 with a strike-rate of 136.99. Babar scored a total of four half-centuries in T20Is this year. It is no surprise that Babar is the only cricketer in the ICC Player Rankings to feature in the top-six across the three formats - No.6 in Tests, No.3 in ODIs and No.1 in T20Is. Looking back at 2019, Babar Azam said: “It was a great year for me. I learned a lot this year especially how to perform in all conditions. I used to score runs earlier but sometimes I wasn’t able to give match-winning performances. I tried to improve on that aspect learned how to bat and win games under pressure, which was a big learning curve for me. “This year, I played my first 50-over World Cup. It was a big occasion and I really enjoyed the event [Babar scored a Pakistan record 474 runs in the tournament at 67.71]. As a kid, I used to follow World Cups very keenly on television. When I got selected for the big event, I set a goal of doing something big and different. “Being the top batsman in my team was always a target for me. The World Cup gave me an opportunity of getting recognised at the highest level, which gave me real satisfaction. My innings against New Zealand (101*, 127b, 11x4) was my best in the tournament and it taught me a great deal of how to bat and bail the team out in a pressure situation. “Test cricket was also quite rewarding for me this year. For the past two years, I wasn’t quite living up to my own and cricket fans’ expectations in the longest format. This year, I worked on improving the mistakes I made in the format and was able to overcome some of them which helped me make some runs. The more you play the longer format, the more you understand the nuances of the game and find your way. “My innings in South Africa against Dale Steyn gave me great pleasure and confidence that I can get into the Test match zone. I also learned how to convert 60s and 70s into 100s, and then my century in Australia gave me confidence that I can make big runs in the format. “When you score in places like South Africa, Australia and New Zealand against formidable bowling attacks, you get self-belief and confidence. I rate the century against Australia as my best innings of the year in Test format. “Playing in front of home crowd was a special feeling. I am thankful to the Almighty that I succeeded in achieving my goal of scoring and winning a Test against Sri Lanka. “I really enjoyed batting in front of home crowds. When fans take your name and you hear slogans in the stands, your confidence increases 200 per cent. It is an inexplicable feeling. I don’t feel undue pressure in these situations, it, in fact, increases my focus and determination thinking that these fans want me to do really well and I must make them happy. “You have to forget your past performances and focus on improving all the time. You can’t afford to relax if you have one good year. You have to keep delivering all the time that should be the ultimate goal. “Your responsibility increases 200 per cent each time you perform, consistency is the key and that is what I seek. One has to perform in each and every series and plan accordingly keeping in mind the opposition. “It is a big honour that I got T20I captaincy this year, it makes me really proud. In Australia though we were not able to perform up to expectations, the team will rebuild gradually and I am quite hopeful that we will do well in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2020.”

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 31, 2019):-Year 2019 will be remembered as a landmark year in Pakistan’s cricketing history. It ended with the country taking a major stride in ensuring full resumption of international cricket in Pakistan as Sri Lanka played two Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi in December. Prior to the Test series, Pakistan had staged eight HBL Pakistan Super League matches in Karachi in March, while Karachi and Lahore played host to Sri Lanka in white-ball cricket in September/October. Furthermore, the revamp of the domestic structure led to riveting cricketing action on-field which renewed the fans’ interest in domestic events and various steps were taken to make the PCB a transparent corporate body. On the field in 2019, Pakistan produced mixed results. The men’s side lost four Tests in South Africa and Australia before ending win drought in Karachi, while it missed a place in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-final by a fraction of a point after they ended up on equal points with losing finalists New Zealand. This performance came after they were swept aside by Australia and England in the lead up to the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over competition. Pakistan emerging sides produced more consistent performances. The U19s won the series in Sri Lanka and South Africa, while the Emerging side won the ACC tournament in Bangladesh. Women were not too far behind and despite being on the losing end against England, they were impressive in their shows against the West Indies and South Africa. The PCB got unprecedented recognition in the ICC with PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, Chief Executive Wasim Khan and Senior Legal Counsel Barrister Salman Naseer sitting on five influential committees. Implementation of the new PCB Constitution 2019 and rolling of transparency and accountability with the PCB uploading its Chairman’s Statement of Expenses and Benefits are the administrative achievements of the year. Reviewing 2019, PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said: “We had four objectives for this year and we have successfully met all of them. “We had to reform our constitution, make the governance structure of the cricket board transparent, introduce corporate practices through clear delegation of duties and fully restore international cricket in Pakistan. “The genesis of better on-field performances in international cricket is in domestic cricket. We have made massive investment in the revamping of our domestic structure in a very short time which has resulted in a very successful Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. “The changes have brought forward some fundamental changes. The first-class matches have entered fourth day, which was previously missing. The pacers are not getting undue assistance anymore and this has brought spinners into play, which will address the issue of the lack of spinners. “The PCB now enjoys unprecedented representation at international level as we became part of as many as five ICC committees this year. “The biggest challenge was to get Sri Lanka to tour Pakistan. They took small steps in their return to the country by playing white-ball cricket here first. “The biggest achievement for me was the two Tests we played against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi and Karachi. It has sent out a message that Pakistan is safe and ready for international cricket and we will now build on it. “We have to make cricket board more efficient and look forward at how we have to progress where there is value for money. We have to bring in more transparency and accountability and create an environment where we can work effectively. “Our challenge is to bring consistency in our performances and deliver the results. Our players are professionals and the more they play the better they will deliver. These youngsters are extremely talented and they are the light at the end of tunnel, which has been evident by the recent performances.”  

SB News ISLAMABAD (December 31, 2019):-The year 2019 was a year of mixed on-field performances for the Pakistan national men’s team. They strengthened the claim of Karachi’s National Stadium being the national side’s fortress in Test cricket with a win against Sri Lanka to register their first World Test Championship win, but struggled on away tours failing to win in South Africa and Australia. They won four consecutive group-stage contests in the ICC Cricket World Cup and fell just short of qualifying for the semi-finals on the basis of the net run-rate. They beat Sri Lanka 2-0 at home in their last ODI assignment, but series defeats to Australia and England put a dent in their win/loss ratio. Pakistan remained number one in T20Is throughout the year. They were beaten 2-1 by South Africa in an away series, which were followed by series losses to England, Sri Lanka and Australia. The PCB appointed Misbah-ul-Haq as the chief selector and head coach after the ICC Cricket World Cup, in 2019. Recapping the 2019, Misbah-ul-Haq said: “Pakistan ended 2019 on a high note with victory against Sri Lanka, but, overall, it was a tough year for Pakistan in Test cricket. “In white-ball cricket our mainstays like Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan, on the back of whom we had won the ICC Champions Trophy 2017, lost form at a crucial time which saw us suffer in the ODI World Cup and T20I format. Though, we managed to stay number one in the format throughout the year. Overall, our win ratio in T20I cricket has fallen. “Going further we have to improve a lot of things in both red-ball and white-ball cricket. This team has enough potential and new boys are also making their way in international cricket. There’s certainly a bright future ahead for us. “The emergence of Babar Azam as a mega star across all formats is very good news for Pakistan cricket. He remained number one in T20I cricket and is in the top ten batsmen in the ODI cricket. He played some brilliant innings in the World Cup and ended the year by establishing himself as a Test batsman with scintillating performances in Australia and two centuries against Sri Lanka in Pakistan. “Some of the new bowlers like Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi have arrived at the scene and they have been impressive in Test cricket. “Naseem got a five-fer in the last Test against Sri Lanka. Shaheen bowled well in the World Cup and he showed glimpses of being a Test bowler in South Africa, and bowled really well in Australia and here in Pakistan against Sri Lanka. “We will hopefully bank on these two promising fast-bowlers in the future. “Overall, we are on the right track. The more we play the longer format, the more we will improve. We need to do a lot of work in white-ball cricket ahead of the all-important ICC T20 World Cup next year. “Retaining number one position in T20Is was a big positive for us. No doubt, we did not perform up to the set standards, but this is something we look to build on. “Mohammad Rizwan performed very well for us in Australia, which was very good for us. Iftikhar Ahmed joined the team in the latter part of the year and the way he has put up performances in the T20I performances was certainly a plus for us. “We can go a long way with a few more additions in the side and the present players maturing.”  

SB News KARACHI (December 30, 2019):-Central Punjab defeated Northern by an innings and 16 runs to be crowned champions of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20. In the final, played at Karachi’s National Stadium, Central Punjab wrapped up the five-day affair in the evening session of the fourth day thanks to Bilal Asif’s sensational off-spin bowling which saw him bag as many as eight wickets for 112 runs. Northern had a 312-run trail to surmount with eight wickets in hand at the beginning of the play on Monday. Young opener Haider Ali registered his second first-class century after resuming his innings at the overnight score of 50. He along with Faizan Riaz (22) put up resistance for the first hour of the day’s play before Bilal removed both batsmen on either side of the latter half of the morning session. With 134 runs, Haider was the highest run-getter from his side. The 19-year-old smashed 22 fours and a six in his 204-ball stay at the crease. Rohail Nazir and Ali Sarfraz scored half-centuries in the middle-order and put up a defiant 95-run stand for the fifth-wicket. Rohail scored 70 from 96 balls, hitting nine fours, while Ali made 81 in 119 balls and cracked 12 fours. Once, the stand was broken, with Ehsan Adil trapping Rohail LBW, the Northern batting line-up crumbled with Bilal taking all five remaining wickets. Central Punjab had amassed a mammoth first innings score of 675 for eight declared on the back of a brilliant double-century by Umar Akmal. The middle-order batsman scored 218 runs with the help of 20 fours and eight sixes. For their match-winning contributions, Umar and Bilal shared the player of the final award. Tournament awards: Player of the tournament: Zafar Gohar (Central Punjab) - 458 runs, 38 wickets Best batsman of the tournament: Imran Butt (Balochistan) – 934 runs Best bowler of the tournament: Nauman Ali (Northern) – 54 wickets Best wicketkeeper of the tournament: Kamran Akmal (Central Punjab) – 41 dismissals Scores in brief: Northern 254 all-out, 61 overs (Faizan Riaz 116, Rohail Nazir 80; Faheem Ashraf 5-54, Bilal Asif 3-37, Aizaz Cheema 2-56) and 405 all-out, 111.3 overs (Haider Ali 134, Ali Sarfraz 81, Rohail Nazir 70, Zeeshan Malik 38, Faizan Riaz 22; Bilal Asif 8-112) Central Punjab 675-8d, 155.1 overs (Umar Akmal 218, Azhar Ali 119, Zafar Gohar 99, Salman Butt 74, Babar Azam 69, Kamran Akmal 41; Faizan Riaz 2-62, Mohammad Musa 2-115, Nauman Ali 2-183)

  SB News KARACHI (December 29, 2019):-Central Punjab’s Umar Akmal recorded his second double-century in first-class cricket on day three of the final of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament against Northern at Karachi’s National Stadium. The middle-order batsman made 218 runs from 265 balls, adding 95 runs to his overnight score on Sunday. He cracked a total of 20 fours and eight sixes in an innings which played a vital role in helping his side pile up a 421-run first innings lead. Central Punjab declared on 675 for eight. Umar got the desired assistance from Zafar Gohar, who fell just one run short of what would have been his career’s second century at this level, at the other end. The bowling all-rounder scored 99 from 168 balls, hitting 12 fours and two sixes, as the pair stitched a solid 215-run partnership for the sixth-wicket before Zafar was dismissed off Faizan Riaz’s bowling. For Northern, Nauman Ali, Mohammad Musa and Faizan picked up two wickets each. Northern, in their second innings, were 109 for two when stumps were drawn. Nineteen-year-old Haider Ali was the star performer with his unbeaten 50. The young opener crafted a 75-run opening partnership with Zeeshan Malik, who scored 38, hitting six fours, before falling to Bilal Asif. Haider has struck seven fours in the 113 balls he has faced to date and he will be joined by Faizan Riaz at the other end when the play resumes on Monday. The two have a daunting task of surmounting the 312-run trail to avoid an innings defeat. Umar Amin (17) was the other batsman to fall as he nicked Faheem Ashraf, who took five wickets in the previous innings, to be caught behind. Scores in brief: Northern 254 all-out, 61 overs (Faizan Riaz 116, Rohail Nazir 80; Faheem Ashraf 5-54, Bilal Asif 3-37, Aizaz Cheema 2-56) and 109-2, 36 overs (Haider Ali 50 not out, Zeeshan Malik 38) Central Punjab 675-8d, 155.1 overs (Umar Akmal 218, Azhar Ali 119, Zafar Gohar 99, Salman Butt 74, Babar Azam 69, Kamran Akmal 41; Faizan Riaz 2-62, Mohammad Musa 2-115, Nauman Ali 2-183)

  By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 29, 2019):-Bahawalpur on Sunday clinched the title of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind’s Cricket Trophy 2019 third times in a row after threshing Peshawar in the final by 7 wickets at Dring Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur. Hosts Bahawalpur won the toss and opted to bowl first. Sanaullah and Haroon Khan opened the innings for Peshawar. Peshawar made a brisk start and made 66 runs in first 6 overs, Sanaullah played-on a ball which hit on his face. He got out after scoring 57 runs off 37 balls. Haroon Khan got retired hurt after scoring 55 runs. Peshawar scored 197 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 4 wickets.  Shahzaib and Ijaz shared one wicket each. Bahawalpur in reply, chased the target 198 in 17.1 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Moeen Aslam again shined with the bat and made sparkling unbeaten 126* off 56 balls featuring 11 boundaries and 4 sixes. Rahid Ullah and Mohsin Khan claimed 1 wicket each. Bahawalpur won the final by 7 wickets. Moeen Aslam was judged best players of the final match. Eight (8) teams including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Okara, Gujranwala, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Peshawar and Bahawalpur participated in the event that was played from 25th to 29thDecember at Bahawalpur. Islamabad, AJK, Peshawar and Bahawalpur were the 4 semifinalists. While the final was played between Peshawar and Bahawalpur that won by Bahawalpur.  Shozeb Saeed, Deputy Commissioner Bahawalpur, Syed Sultan Shah, Chairman Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, Dawood Mehmood Malik Regional Chief National Bank of Pakistan were the guests and distributed prizes amongst the players. Player of the Tournament: B1: Tehseen  (AJK) B2: Matiullah Khan (Lahore) B3: Iftikhar Tiger (Okara) Best Wicket Keeper: Mohammad Waseem (Peshawar)

  SB News KARACHI (December 28, 2019):-Centuries by Azhar Ali and Umar Akmal consolidated Central Punjab’s position in the final of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament against Northern at Karachi’s National Stadium on Saturday. Central Punjab amassed a mammoth score of 466 for five and boasted an imposing 212-run first innings lead when stumps were drawn on day two of the five-day contest. The day started with the pair of Azhar and Salman Butt – who made 74, hitting 14 boundaries – pushing the Northern bowlers on the backfoot and denying any early inroads as the pair added 38 runs in their second-wicket partnership of 95 runs. Azhar, the Pakistan Test captain, added 102 runs to his overnight score and raised his first-class career’s 39th century. He made 119 runs from 212 balls, out of which 14 were dispatched for boundaries. After Salman’s wicket in the first session, Azhar continued to craft solid partnerships with the middle-order batsmen. He paired with Central Punjab captain Babar Azam, who cracked nine fours and a six in his 89-ball 69, for a 125-run stand for the third-wicket before adding 93 runs for the fourth-wicket with Umar Akmal, who returned unbeaten after scoring a blistering 123. Umar spanked Northern bowlers all around the ground smashing five sixes and 12 fours in the 115 balls he has faced to date. He took the leading role in the 98-run partnership for the fifth-wicket with his elder brother Kamran Akmal (41). This was the 29-year-old’s second century of the tournament and his 17th overall in first-class cricket. Umar will have Zafar Gohar (nine) on his side when play resumes on Sunday. Scores in brief: Northern 254 all-out, 61 overs (Faizan Riaz 116, Rohail Nazir 80; Faheem Ashraf 5-54, Bilal Asif 3-37, Aizaz Cheema 2-56) Central Punjab 466-5, 104 overs (Umar Akmal 123 not out, Azhar Ali 119, Salman Butt 74, Babar Azam 69, Kamran Akmal 41; Nauman Ali 2-113)

  By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 28, 2019):- Hosts Bahawalpur and Peshawar stormed into the final of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind’s Cricket Trophy (Grade-1) after winning semifinals at Dring Cricket Stadium Bahawalpur on Saturday. Final will be played on Sunday at same venue. 1st Semifinal: Peshawar beat AJK Peshawar beat Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in a sensational finish. Peshawar reached the target on the last ball of the innings to jump into final.   In the morning, AJK won the toss and decided to bat first. AJK riding on the special ton of Nisar Ali posted 222 runs on the board for the loss of 6 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Nisar Ali made 105 off 54 balls featuring 20 fours. Faisal Mehmood also played well for his 60 runs off 39 balls. For Peshawar, Mohsin Khan was the successful bowler, who took 3 wickets while Shafiullah, Haseenullah and Haroon Khan claimed 1 wicket each. Peshawar started well and both openers Sanaullah Khan and Haroon Khan shared century opening stand. Haroon Khan’s wicket opened door of fight back to AJK, he was bowled by Arfan Majeed after scoring 58 runs. Sanaullah’s 86 runs off 46 balls helped Peshawar to creep near the target but his wicket fetched another twist in the game. But Mohsin Khan’s 31 balls 51 runs enabled his team to cross the line on the last ball of the innings in a nail biting finish. Arfan Majeed took 2 wickets and Idrees Saleem claimed one. Result: Peshawar won by 6 wickets Man of the Match: Mohsin Khan Second Semifinal: Bahawalpur beat Islamabad Islamabad won the toss and put Bahawalpur into bat. Islamabad put tremendous pressure in first 6 overs of the game. Islamabad dismissed openers Moeen Aslam and Mohammad Ijaz cheaply they made 4 runs and 12 runs respectively. Mohammad Ayyaz also got out 14 runs. Thereafter, Mohammad Rashid and Zafar Iqbal played exceptionally well and built 122 runs partnership for 4th wicket and took their team out of whirlpool. Mohammad Rashid made 77 runs off 33 balls and Zafar Iqbal scored 76 off 38 balls. Mohammad Daniyal scored 14 runs and Shahzaib made 10 runs. Bahawalpur in their 20 overs made 264 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. Anees Javed, Yasir Andleeb, Hasnain Shamim took a wicket a piece. Islamabad in reply scored 196 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs. Shahzaib Hasan scored 61 runs off 37 balls and Anees Javed made 51 runs. Ijaz and Shahzaib took 2 wickets each. Result: Bahawalpur won by 68 runs Man of the Match: Zafar Iqbal