Cricket
T-20 Blind Cricket: Attock, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Quetta post wins
Sports Bulletin ReportFAISALABAD: Attock, Sargodha, Faisalabad, and Quetta earned victories on the opening day of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy (Grade-2) after beating their respective opponents, which commenced at the two different venues here on Wednesday.Jalil ur Rehman Assistant Commissioner (General) Faisalabad, Rana Riaz Business Head & SVP NBP, Syed Sultan Shah Chairman PBCC & President World Blind Cricket Ltd, Tariq Nazir, Divisional Sports Officer Faisalabad, Dr. Anwar Ali Sial Director Finance PBCC and Mohammad Bilal Director Cricket Operations PBCC were the guests at the opening ceremony.Attock beat Abbottabad by 10 wickets: (Bohranwali Ground):Attock won the toss and decided to bowl first. Abbottabad made just 147 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 7 wickets. Naeemullah was their highest scorer with 57 runs off 40 balls. Mohammad Noman, Mohammad Haroon, Ehtisham ul Haq and Mohammad Sohail claimed a wicket a piece.In reply, Attock chased down the target in just 9.3 overs without losing a wicket. Mohammad Zeeshan played a brisk innings of 90 runs off 40 balls featuring 18 (4’s) while Ehtisham ul Haq made 38 runs. Mohammad Zeeshan got man of the match award.Sargodha beat Karachi by 8 wickets (HPC Centre Chak-8):In the 2nd match of the tournament, Sargodha won the toss and asked Karachi to bat first. Karachi made 170 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in stipulated 20 overs. Shoaib Khan and Bismillah Khan made 30 and 26 runs respectively. Mohammad Abdullah was the only bowler to claim a wicket.In reply, Sargodha chased the target of 171 runs in 18.4 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Gul Shair played superbly for his 80 runs off 56 balls while Zain Ashraf made unbeaten 60 runs. Rashed Akbar claimed 1 wicket. Gul Shair got man of the match award.Faisalabad beat Sheikopura by 96 runs (Bohranwali Ground):Hosts Faisalabad won the toss and decided to bat first. Faisalabad made 273 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Ejaz Hussain played extraordinary well and scored a ton, he made 141 runs off 62 balls featuring 26 boundaries. Bilal Ali was the 2nd highest scorer with 57 runs off 36 balls. Sohaib Mehtab was the only bowler from Sheikhopura to claim a wicket.In reply, Sheikhopura couldn’t make the most of the batting friendly conditions and made just 177 runs in stipulated 20 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Raheel Ahmed made unbeaten 78* runs off 67 balls. For Faisalabad, Bilal Ahmed took 1 wicket. Ejaz Husain was declared man of the match.Quetta beat Gilgit-Baltistan by 174 runs (HPC Centre Chak-8):Quetta won the toss and elected to bat first. Naseebullah’s superb innings of 143 runs off 72 balls helped Quetta to set the gigantic total of 263 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Mohammad Saleem also made useful contribution of 70 runs off 51 balls. For Gilgit-Baltistan, Shoeb ul Hassan fetched 1 wicket.In reply, Gilgit Baltistan Scored only 89 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 7 wickets. Muzaffar Ali was the top scorer with 23 runs off 25 balls. M Saleem took 3 wickets and Imran Hakeem claimed 2 wickets for Quetta. Naseeb Ullah got man of the match award.
CRICKET - 21 Nov, 2023
Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Chief selector Wahab Riaz has announced an 18-member Pakistan Test squad for the tour to Australia comprising three matches scheduled from 14 December 2023 to 7 January 2024. This will be Wahab’s first assignment since he took charge of the national men’s selection committee last week.Shan Masood will be leading the side in his first assignment as Test captain. He was named Pakistan's captain for the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle after taking over the reins from Babar Azam last week.Left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub has earned his maiden call-up to the Test team after an impressive run in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24. The 22-year-old scored 553 runs in four matches for Karachi Whites and had three centuries to his name, including a match-winning double century against Faisalabad in the final of the tournament. He continued his form in the Pakistan Cup (one-day tournament), where he was named the best batter of the tournament, ending as the competition’s highest run-getter.Right-arm fast bowler Khurram Shahzad has also been awarded his maiden Test call-up, on the back of a successful domestic season thus far. The 23-year-old was the highest wicket-taker of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24 with 36 wickets in eight matches at an average of 20.31 and picked up 13 wickets at 16.62 in the recently concluded Pakistan Cup.Pace bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, who last appeared in Tests for Pakistan during England’s tour of Pakistan in late 2022 has returned to the squad.Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza, who registered 32 wickets at 20.88 in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24, and right-arm pacer Mohammad Wasim Jnr are making a return to the squad as well. The two fast bowlers were part of Pakistan’s squad during New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan that took place from December 2022 to January 2023.Names of players: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah AfridiThe squad will assemble in Rawalpindi on 22 November for a training camp ahead of the tour. The camp is scheduled to run from 23 to 28 November at Pindi Cricket Stadium. The team will fly out on 30 November from Lahore. Some additional players have also been invited to feature in the training camp. The players called for the camp are Arshad Iqbal, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usama Mir and Usman Qadir. Schedule:1st Test – Perth, 14-18 December 20232nd Test – Melbourne, 26-30 December 20233rd Test – Sydney, 3-7 January 2024
CRICKET - 19 Nov, 2023
Sports Bulletin ReportAhmedabad (India): Australia have become the cricket world champions after beating India by 6 wickets in the final at Modi Cricket Stadium Ahmedabad, India on Sunday night.India could score only 240 runs, as Australia decided to field first after winning the toss. Head was the hero of the day. Indian batters failed to post a big total on the board first time in the World Cup 2023. They lost won back-to-back 9 matches and lost the final. Tarvis scored 137 runs.
Pakistan Cricket Cup 2023-24: Peshawar clinch title
Peshawar overcome Karachi Whites by 5 wickets in a low-scoring finalAbdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: A couple of notable performances by Mohammad Imran (4for 28), and Mohammad Haris (46 off 33 balls), guided Peshawar to grab the Pakistan Cricket Cup 2023-24 title after thrashing Karachi Whites by 5 wickets in the final here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday in a low scoring final.The skipper of Peshawar Sahibzada Farhan won the toss and asked Karachi Whites to bat first in a 50 overs per inning fixture. Due to magical bowling by pacer Mohammad Imran, Karachi could post 103 runs on the board in 31.2 overs. Azam Khan was the top-scorer with 30 runs, as he faced 46 and smashed 5 fours. Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was the second top-scorer with 22 off 25 runs. He hit just a couple of boundaries. Habibullah made 13 runs.Besides, fast bowler Mohammad Imran (4 for 28), Abass Afridi (3 for 20), Mohammad Ilyas (1 for 24), and Azam Khan (1 for 27) were other successful bowlers for Peshawar.Peshawar got their target in 17.2 overs. Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris played a sparking and aggressive innings, which was the lion share in his team’s victory. He scored 46 from 33 balls featuring seven fours and a six.Sahibzada was out in bizarre fashion as he inadvertently whipped the bails off with his bat resulting in a hit wicket off Ghulam Mudassar. The other four wickets to fall were taken by Noman Ali (two wickets), Danish Aziz, and Saim (one each).Summarized Scorecard (final):Toss: Peshawar won the toss and decided to field firstMan of the Match: Mohammad ImranKarachi Whites (103 all out in 31.2 overs)Azam Khan 30 runs (46 balls, 4x5, 6x0), Sarfaraz Ahmed 22 runs (25 balls, 4x2, 6x0), Habibullah 13 runs (20 balls, 4x1, 6x0)Peshawar (Bowling):Mohammad Imran (4 for 28), Abass Afridi (3 for 20), Mohammad Ilyas (1 for 24), Azam Khan (1 for 27)Peshawar Batting (108 for 5 in 17.2 overs) Target 104Mohammad Haris 46 runs (33 balls, 4x7, 6x1), Sahibzada Farhan 16 runs (16 balls, 4x2, 6x1), Adil Amin 14 runs not out (16 balls, 4x2, 6x0)Karachi Whites (Bowling)Nouman Ali (2 for 19), Saim Ayub (1 for 6), Danish Aziz (1 for 17), Ghulam Mudassar (1 for 28)Awards of Pakistan Cup:Best Batter: Saim Ayub (Karachi Region Whites) (397 runs)Best Bowler: Zahid Mehmood (Multan Region) and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Peshawar Region) (15 wickets each)Best Wicket-keeper: Haseebullah (Multan Region) (326 runs and 10 dismissals).
CRICKET - 17 Nov, 2023
Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Member of the 2009 T20 World Cup wining squad and former Pakistan cricketer Sohail Tanvir has been appointed as head of the junior selection committee. Sohail made his international debut in 2007 and made two Test, 62 ODI and 57 T20I appearances for Pakistan. He picked up 130 wickets and scored 612 runs across the three formats.Sohail’s first assignment as chairperson of the junior selection committee will be the selection of the Pakistan U19 squad for the 2023 ACC U19 Asia Cup scheduled to be held between 8 and 17 December in UAE. Pakistan U19 will later take part in the ICC U19 World Cup from 13 January to 4 February in Sri Lanka.Sohail Tanvir said: “I am truly honoured and grateful for the opportunity provided by Chairman PCB Management Committee Mr Zaka Ashraf to serve as head of the junior selection committee. Being appointed chairman of this committee is a huge responsibility and I am looking forward to this exciting challenge.“I believe in the potential of our young talent and we collaboratively aim to build a pathway for success from the grassroots to the international level. Our first task will be selection of the U19 squad for upcoming ACC U19 Asia Cup, as we prepare to build a strong team to compete in the ICC U19 World Cup later next year.”
CRICKET - 17 Nov, 2023
Sports Bulletin ReportAhmedabad (India): The English duo of Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough will be the on-field umpires for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad.This will be the second time Kettleborough would be in the middle for the showpiece occasion. The 50-year-old previously stood alongside Kumar Dharmasena in the 2015 final, which saw Australia overcome New Zealand at the MCG.More than 93,000 spectators watched on that occasion and a three-figure crowd is expected tomorrow as the host nation look to replicate the Indian team of 2011 and lift the World Cup on home soil.Illingworth and Kettleborough, who were promoted to the ICC International List on the same day in November 2009, both acted as on-field umpires during this week’s semi-finals. Illingworth oversaw India’s victory over New Zealand, with Kettleborough in charge of Australia’s thrilling win against South Africa.Both men are previous winners of the David Shepherd Trophy, awarded to the ICC’s Umpire of the Year.Kettleborough, who reached a century of ODIs as an umpire earlier in the tournament when Netherlands took on Sri Lanka, took home the prize in three consecutive years between 2013 and 2015 and Illingworth added his name to the illustrious list in 2019 and 2022.On Sunday, the pair will be joined by Joel Wilson as third umpire, fourth umpire Chris Gaffaney and match referee Andy Pycroft, all of whom were part of the officiating teams across the semi-finals.Match officials (India v Australia):On-field Umpires: Richard Illingworth & Richard KettleboroughThird Umpire: Joel WilsonFourth Umpire: Chris GaffaneyMatch Referee: Andy Pycroft
PCB announces women’s squad for New Zealand tour
Omaima, Sana Fatima, Shawaal return in the 17-member squadSports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Fatima Sana, Omaima Sohail and Shawaal Zulfiqar stage a comeback in the Pakistan women’s team as the national selection committee headed by Saleem Jaffar announces a 17-member squad for the New Zealand tour scheduled to take place later next month.The side will play three T20Is in Dunedin and Queenstown from 3-9 December, before taking on New Zealand in three ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 ODIs from 12-18 December in Queenstown and Christchurch.Iram Javed, who was part of the 15-member squad for Bangladesh tour this month, was omitted from the squad and the experienced Omaima Sohail comes in the side after an all-round performance in for Pakistan A in the recently held T20 tri-nation series and bilateral series at home.18-year-old Shawaal Zulfiqar, who made her international debut against South Africa in September this year, makes a comeback after topping the batting charts in the tri-series with 106 runs including one half-century.Right-arm fast bowler Fatima Sana, who was ruled out of the bilateral series against Bangladesh due to injury, has recovered and is available to the side for the six white-ball matches.Pakistan squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda AkhtarPlayer support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rashid (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Mohammad Asfand Yar (strength and conditioning coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rifat Asghar Gill (physiotherapist) and Zubair Ahmed (analyst)Series schedule:3 Dec – 1st T20I, Dunedin5 Dec – 2nd T20I, Dunedin9 Dec – 3rd T20I, Queenstown12 Dec – 1st ODI, Queenstown (ICC Women’s Championship)15 Dec – 2nd ODI, Christchurch (ICC Women’s Championship)18 Dec – 3rd ODI, Christchurch (ICC Women’s Championship)
CRICKET - 17 Nov, 2023
Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Former Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has been appointed as the chief selector of the national men’s selection committee. His first assignment will be the selection of the national men’s squad for the three-match Test series against Australia from 14 December to 7 January in Australia and the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from 12 to 21 January in New Zealand.Wahab, who made his international debut in 2008, represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is picking up 237 wickets and scoring 1200 runs across the three formats. He was Pakistan’s second-most successful bowler in World Cups, registering 35 wickets across three editions of the marquee event.Wahab Riaz: “I am honoured to assume the role of chairperson for the national men's selection committee and I extend my gratitude to Chairman PCB Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, for entrusting me with this responsibility. The decision to involve former players in cricketing matters is commendable and I am willing to work for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.“Heading a selection committee is a challenging task. We have a significant Australia tour coming up that is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle and a T20I series against New Zealand that will allow us to develop a formidable unit leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June next year.“I have a good rapport with the Pakistan Men’s Team Director Mohammad Hafeez and we will be working closely for the success of Pakistan cricket. My primary goal would be to give weightage to the top performers in domestic cricket and announce well-rounded squads equipped with the necessary skillsets. I will always be available to the players for feedback and advice."
Lahore win NBP T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2023 title
Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Lahore Blinds’ cricket players outclassed opponents from Bahawalpur by 9 wickets in the final to lift the title of the 14th edition of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2023 (Grade-1), here at Shalimar Cricket Stadium on Friday.In the morning, Lahore won the toss and put Bahawalpur into bat. Bahawalpur openers Mohammad Rashid and Moain Aslam gave them a brisk and solid start. Their first wicket fell at the score of 161 runs when Mohammad Rashid was run out after scoring 93 runs off 54 balls. Moain Aslam and Zafar Iqbal then made another formidable partnership. Bahawalpur posted a mammoth total of 231 runs on the board in stipulated 20 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Maoin Aslam made 85 runs off 53 balls and Zafar Iqbal played a little cameo of 22 runs off 9 balls.Lahore in reply played exceptionally well and chased the target of 232 runs in the last over of the innings in a nail-biting finish for the loss of 1 wicket. Badar Munir exceptional form with the bat continues he remained unbeaten on 123 runs off just 70 balls featuring 20 (4’s) while Mohammad Salman played a handy innings of 76 runs off 40 balls to guide their side home. Mohammad Ejaz was the only bowler from Bahawalpur to claim a wicket.Man of the Match: Badar MunirRao Abid (Senior Vice President NBP Islamabad Region), Syed Sultan Shah (President World Blind Cricket Ltd & Chairman Pakistan Blind Cricket Council), Abdur Razziq Khattak (General Manager CSR OGDL), Syed Salman Bokhari (Director Cricket Operations PBCC), Shahzad (Deputy Director Sports CDA) were the guests of the occasion and distributed prizes amongst the players.Players of the Tournament:B1: Zafar Iqbal (Bahawalpur)B2: Badar Munir (Lahore)B3: Mohammad Rashid (Bahawalpur)Best Wicket Keeper: Ismail Shah (Peshawar)
T20 Blind Cricket: Bahawalpur and Lahore qualify for final
Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: ISLAMABAD: Bahawalpur and Lahore reached the final of the 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2023 (Grade-1) after beating Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Islamabad respectively by 8 wickets and 80 runs here at Shalimar cricket ground on Thursday. The final will be played on Friday at the same venue.First semifinal (Bahawalpur beat AJK by 8 wickets):In the morning, Bahawalpur won the toss and decided to bowl first. Azad Kashmir made competitive 204 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Kamran Akhter scored his consecutive ton and remained unbeaten at 102* runs off 58 balls while Mohammad Tehseen made 38 runs off 33 balls. Saqib Ali and Mohammad Shahzaib took one wicket each for Bahawalpur. In reply, Bahawalpur openers Moain Aslam and Mohammad Rashid dominated Azad Kashmir bowlers and gave a brisk start that helped their side to reach the target in 19.1 overs. Moeen Aslam scored brilliant 56 runs off 35 balls whereas Mohammad Rashid made 50 runs off 30 balls. Mohammad Zafar played a Captain’s knock of unbeaten 38 runs to guide his side home. Mohammad Idrees Saleem took 1 wicket for Azad Kashmir.Man of the Match: Moain Aslam Second semifinal (Lahore beat Islamabad by 80 runs):The second semifinal of the event was played between Islamabad and Lahore. Islamabad won the toss and put Lahore into bat. Lahore posted a massive total of 289 runs on the board for the loss of 4 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Badar Munir played a dazzling innings of unbeaten 204* runs off 83 balls and Mohammad Rizwan made 27 runs. In reply, Islamabad was restricted to 209 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Akmal Hayat was their highest scorer with 54 runs off 41 balls and Shahzaib Haider made 35 runs off 26 balls. Anees Khan took 3 wickets, Rizwan and Ahmer Iftikhar claimed 1 wicket each for Lahore. Man of the Match: Badar Munir
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