Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the 20 match officials for the League Round of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.Umpires Paul Reiffel and Paul Wilson share a laugh during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between England and Sri Lanka at Sydney Cricket Ground on November 05, 2022 in Sydney, Australia.Sixteen umpires will officiate the 13th edition of the tournament, including all 12 of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and four members of the ICC Emerging Umpire Panel, they are: Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nitin Menon, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shaid, Rod Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.The experienced list includes three of the four umpires who were appointed for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 final at Lord’s - Dharmasena, Erasmus and Tucker – with only Aleem Dar missing, who stepped down from the Elite Panel in March of this year.The Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees is represented at the event by a quartet of former international cricketers, namely, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath.Srinath will take charge of the tournament opener between the last event’s finalists, England and New Zealand on 5 October in Ahmedabad. Menon and Dharmasena will be the standing umpires, with Paul Wilson as TV umpire and Saikat taking on fourth umpire duties.The officials have been named for the entirety of the League segment, with the selections for the semi-finals and final of the tournament to be named in due course.Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket, said: “To deliver an event of this magnitude you require high performing individuals at every level. The ICC Elite panel of umpires, referees, and emerging group of umpires involved will bring immense skills, experience and world class standards to this World Cup. We are delighted with the group that we have assembled for this tournament”.“The ICC Cricket Operations department takes great pride and effort in operating a robust and meritocratic selection procedure with the help of our Member Boards. Our competitive pathway system continues to see the development and emergence of high-quality match officials across the game. We are pleased that four members of the ICC Emerging Umpire Panel have earned the opportunity to be part of this showcase event and we wish them, and all the other match officials involved all the very best for the tournament.”Sean Easey, ICC Manager – Umpires and Referees said: “We are pleased to announce the match officials who will be overseeing the biggest ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup ever. This group is the best from around the world and will be ready to perform a challenging job, with the eyes of the global cricketing community focussed on the event.“We are confident that they will do an excellent job and wish them all the best of luck for what promises to be a World Cup to remember.” 

Sports Bulletin ReportColombo, Sri Lanka (September 10, 2023): The Asia Cup 2023 cricket clash between India and Pakistan will spring into action at 2:30 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) at R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo Sri Lanka, as the toss will be important for the both skipper. The winner will likely opt to bat first.Pakistan have announced the playing elevens unchanged, who had defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets on September 6 at home Qaddafi Stadium Lahore. Rohit Sharma will lead India in the crucial fixture of the tournament, which has an extra day to reach on result.Pakistan (Playing XIs): Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen AfridiIndia Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

Sports Bulletin ReportColombo, Sri Lanka (September 10, 2023): Favorite Pakistan and India will meet in the afternoon in the Top-Four Round of the Asia Cricket Cup 2023 today at R Premadasa Cricket Stadium in Colombo Sri Lanka.Pakistan have announced the playing elevens unchanged, who had defeated Bangladesh by 7 wickets on September 6 at home Qaddafi Stadium Lahore. Rohit Sharma will lead India in the crucial fixture of the tournament, which has an extra day to reach on result.Pakistan (Playing XIs): Babar Azam (c), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen AfridiIndia Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya (vc), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumraj, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The 2023-2024 domestic season is set to commence on 10 September with both the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the Hanif Mohammad Trophy to be played concurrently. A total of 18 regional teams have been slotted in this domestic structure with eight teams playing in the premier first-class tournament Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and 10 teams featuring in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, a non-first-class four-day tournament. This will be the first domestic season played after the PCB revived the PCB 2014 Constitution according to which regional and departmental teams return to the domestic circuit.Abbottabad, Lahore, and Rawalpindi will be hosting the QeAT, with 29 matches slotted between four venues across the three cities. Peshawar, Karachi Whites, Lahore Blues, Rawalpindi, FATA, Multan, Lahore Whites, and Faisalabad are the teams playing first-class cricket. The opening round of the QeAT will begin on 10 September. Lahore Whites will be facing Lahore Blues at Gaddafi Stadium, while Peshawar and Karachi Whites will be facing each other at Abbottabad Stadium. Faisalabad vs. Multan will be held at Shoaib Akhtar Stadium in Rawalpindi while FATA vs Rawalpindi will be staged at Pindi Cricket Stadium. The second round of matches will begin on 16 September. A total of seven rounds will take place with each team playing the other once before the top two sides meet in the final scheduled at the Gaddafi Stadium from 22 to 26 October.With the revamped domestic structure, the new financial model will also be implemented. According to this, a player featuring in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will get a match fee of PKR 80,000, and players participating in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy will get PKR 40,000 per game. The non-playing members of a first-class team will get PKR 40,000. Adding to that, twenty players, selected by the regions according to the predefined criteria, will be assigned categories as outlined; A+ will get PKR 300,000, A PKR 200,000, B PKR 185,000, C PKR 170,000, D PKR 150,000, E PKR 100,000, F will pocket PKR 50,000. Hanif Mohammad TrophyThe Hanif Mohammad Trophy will have 26 matches, with the 10 teams divided into two groups. The ten teams featuring in the tournament are Abbottabad, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Bahawalpur, Dera Murad Jamali, Hyderabad, Karachi Blues, Larkana, Quetta, Sialkot and Islamabad. The tournament will see the top two sides from each group at the end of the group stage qualify for the Super 4 stage, where each team in that stage will play three matches. At the end of the Super 4 stage, the top side will qualify for next year's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The first round of matches will be played between Islamabad and AJK in Muzaffarabad and Larkana and Sialkot in Mirpur for Group A.For Group B, the first round of matches will be played between Hyderabad and Karachi Blues in Multan and Bahawalpur and Dera Murad Jamali in Rahim Yar Khan. The aim of the Hanif Mohammad Trophy will be to serve as a pathway for the regional sides to qualify for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. This domestic structure has been structured by the PCB Cricket Technical Committee. The structure has replaced the previous model, that was introduced in 2019 – which focused on six cricket association teams. The new domestic structure incorporates a larger pool of players with up to 360 cricketers set to benefit from increased earning opportunities.The previous edition of the QeAT was won by Northern, led by captain Umar Amin. Northern had defeated Sindh in the final at Gaddafi Stadium by an innings and 55 runs. Northern’s dominance in the season was highlighted by the way players like Muhammad Huraira and Mubasir Khan headlined the season. Sindh’s bowler Abrar Ahmed too had an extraordinary season, bagging 43 wickets in 12 innings.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board today (September 6) unveiled the schedule for seven tournaments which includes two U19 tournaments in the upcoming 2023-24 men's domestic cricket season.The 2023-24 cricket season will commence with 29 matches of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy starting on September 10 and concluding on October 26. The eight-team regional tournament will begin at Gaddafi Stadium, with Lahore Region Whites facing Lahore Region Blues on Sunday, September 10 while the other first-round matches include Peshawar Region vs Karachi Region Whites at Abbottabad Stadium, Faisalabad Region vs Multan Region at Shoaib Akhtar Stadium KRL Rawalpindi and FATA Region vs Rawalpindi Region at Pindi Cricket Stadium. The final will also be staged at the iconic Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium from October 22 to 26.The non-first-class tournament, Hanif Mohammad Trophy, will also start concurrently with Quaid-e-Azam trophy on September 10, featuring 10 regions in two groups. The top two sides from each group at the end of the group stage will qualify for the Super 4 stage, where each team in that stage will play three matches. At the end of the Super 4 stage, the top side will qualify for next year's Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The matches of the Hanif Mohammad Trophy will be played in Mirpur, Multan, Muzaffarabad, and Rahim Yar Khan.The one-day tournaments, Pakistan Cup and Hanif Mohammad Cup, will follow the conclusion of the red-ball tournaments, both starting on November 1. Pakistan Cup will be hosted in Abbottabad, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi. The semi-finals will be played on November 16 and 17 at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, while the final will take place on November 19 at the same venue. Meanwhile, the Hanif Mohammad Cup will begin on November 1 and will be hosted in AJK, Faisalabad, Multan, and Rahim Yar Khan. Like the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, the winner of the Hanif Mohammad Cup will be the side topping the Super 4 stage.The two-leg National T20 will be held in Karachi from November 24 to December 10. In the first leg, all 18 regional sides will compete to qualify for the Super 8, which will be played from December 1 to 8. The semi-finals of the tournament will be played on December 9, while the final will take place the next day. The venue for the three knockout matches will be Karachi's National Bank Stadium.Meanwhile, the two U19 tournaments – National U19 Championship (three-day) and National U19 Cup (one-day) will take place from 15 September to 13 November. Both tournaments will be held simultaneously, with a one-day gap between both formats in every round. The 18 regions will be divided into three groups, with the top team of each group qualifying for the triangular stage. The top two sides from the triangular stage will play the final of the National U19 Championship at the Rana Naveed Academy in Sheikhupura from 10 to 13 November. The final of the National U19 Cup will be played at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on 26 October.PCB 2023-24 men’s domestic cricket calendar:10 Sep-26 Oct – Quaid-e-Azam Trophy; Abbottabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi10 Sep-25 Oct – Hanif Mohammad Trophy; AJK, Multan and Rahim Yar Khan15 Sep-13 Nov – National U19 Championship (three-day)19 Sep-26 Oct – National U19 Cup (one-day)1 Nov-19 Nov – Pakistan Cup; Abbottabad, Islamabad and Rawalpindi1 Nov-16 Nov – Hanif Mohammad Cup; AJK, Faisalabad, Multan and Rahim Yar Khan.24 Nov-10 Dec – National T20; Karachi

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Pakistan women cricket team created another history by winning T20 Series against visitors South Africa 3-0, as they won the final T20 of the series by 6 runs in Karachi on Monday night.The South African captain, Laura Wolvaardt, won the toss and opted to field first. After completing two chases thus far, Pakistan was put into bat first for the first time this series. Pakistan had a steady start, scoring 41 in the powerplay, with both Shawaal Zulfiqar and Sidra Amin contributing to the scorecard.Even after the partnership was broken by Nonkululeko Mlaba, who got Shawaal out, the Pakistani scorecard did not stutter for long. A 49-run-partnership between Sidra and Bismah Maroof, and then another 49-run-partnership between Bismah and Nida Dar ensured that Pakistan got to 150.Considering that the hosts had chased 151 twice in the series, defending the same score felt like a big ask, especially considering the batting prowess of the visiting side. A magnificent 72 by Laura allowed South Africa to remain in the game till the last over. However, the South African captain’s efforts were not matched by other batters that came to the crease. The second-highest score on the South African batting was 20*, coming off Nadine de Klerk’s bat.The left-arm spin duo of Nashra Sundhu and Sadia Iqbal, who have had much success throughout the series, proved too heavy for the South African batters. With two wickets each to their name, Nashra and Sadia made sure that 151 remained unsurmountable for the visitors.With the T20I series comfortably completed in favour of the hosts, all eyes will now be on the ODI series. The first ODI will be played on 8 September 2023 at 3:30 pm (PST).Scores in brief:Pakistan win by 6 runs.Pakistan: 150-5 in 20 overs (Sidra Amin 39, Bismah Maroof 39; Tumi Sekhukhune 2-24)South African: 144-5 in 20 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 72, Nashra Sundhu 2-16, Sadia Iqbal 2-25)Player of the match: Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)Player of the series: Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa)

Ghani Ur RehmanPESHAWAR: A rising and talented junior cricketer of Peshawar, Mohammad Zaid Khalji has been touching the heights of cricket by showing his performance by scoring 6 tons and 24 half centuries in the current season.This talented cricketer, who plays in the Student Cricket Academy Gymkhana under the supervision of Coach Fakhar Alam, Mohammad Zaid Khalji has created a big name in a short period of time. Zaid Khalji, who is known for being a run machine, scored 142 runs with the help of 3 sixes and 16 fours against the Tribal Cricket Academy like every match. He surprised everyone by scoring runs.Zaid Khalji expressed his determination that he would make the name of Pakistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bright in the field of cricket. He said that he was very fond of cricket, if Allah wills, he will surely get success one day.Regarding Zaid Khilji, Coach Fakhr Alam said that Zaid Khilji was completely different from the children who play in the Student Academy and the entire Gymkhana Ground, as his style and skill with which he plays, it seems that this child will be successful in his mission. 

BIPIN DANIFormer Pakistani all-rounder Mudassar Nazar was one of the foreign invitees at the colourful and enjoyable 3rd Edition of Kenya Past Cricketers Reunion held in Nairobi last week. This was revealed by Subhash Modi, the Hon. Coordinator/PRO: Kenya Past Cricketers Reunion Third Edition 2023. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Nairobi, he said, "Mudassar has not played cricket in Nairobi but was in charge of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in the past. We invited him with his wife Jackie Janmohamed, who is the former Chairlady of Cricket Kenya and also Immediate Past Chairlady of Africa Cricket Association and also the first Kenyan Lady Umpire to umpire top cricket league matches in Nairobi"."Her support for cricket in Kenya is simply praiseworthy. Jackie has been supporting our cricketing functions since its inception in 2018. We value her unending support. Jackie Janmohamed, besides one of our platinum sponsors, was also our honoured Chief Guest. Janmohamed lives in Nairobi but she travels a lot overseas. She is one of the well-known lawyers here in Kenya"."Mudassar Nassar, a well-known Pakistan Cricketing Icon is husband to Jackie Janmohamed. The reason for inviting Mudassar was because he has served ICC and Kenya's National Cricket Academy with dedication and commitment", added the former international umpire Modi.Mudassar lives in Pakistan, Nairobi, Dubai, and United Kingdom (UK) depending on his travel plans, and work commitments. 

BIPIN DANIDr Daminda Attanayake, who is currently working as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) to the Sri Lanka Cricket team and also the medical representative to the International Cricket Council (ICC) from Sri Lanka has been appointed as an Event Chief Medical officer for the Asia Cup. She will be looking after the Sri Lanka leg of the Asia Cup. The ongoing Asia Cup is being hosted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the matches are being played in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Dr. Saleem Sohail is holding the same post and is looking after the event in Pakistan. "Event Chief Medical Officers are responsible for the co-ordination and governance of medical services provided by event medical staff to players, officials and team management during the event in both host cities (at the match, practise venue and at team hotels)", one of the sources aware about development said to this reporter. "Both Dr. Daminda Attanayake and Dr. Sohail will also ensure the proper processes outlined in the Medical Handbook are adhered to. They will also ensure that proper structures are in place to support emergencies and health issues related to spectators and other venue staff in both countries, Pakistan and Sri Lanka", the source further added. Dr. Daminda has also experience of working as a Team Physician to National Hockey and Netball teams and the Contingent Doctor for the Commonwealth Games 2018 in Australia. The decision on replacement of the injured player, if any, during the tournament will lie with the medical panel of the PCB, it is learned.  

Skipper Babar Azam, Ifikhar Ahmed hit tons, Green Shirts pile-up 342 in 50 oversSports Bulletin ReportMULTAN: A couple of remarkable innings, Babar Azam (151), and Iftikhar Ahmed (109 not out), helped Pakistan to post a comprehensive triumph against minnows Nepal by 238 runs in the opening fixture of the Asia Cricket Cup 2023 here at Multan Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.Chasing a challenging target of 343 runs, inexperienced XIs Nepal faced an early setback as Kushal Bhurtel was dismissed for just 8 runs. The wickets continued to tumble for Nepal as Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf wreaked havoc with their pace and accuracy. Aarif Sheikh showed resistance with a gutsy 26, but the rest of the batting line-up struggled to cope with the pressure exerted by Pakistan's bowlers.Shadab Khan's spin proved to be the undoing of Nepal's middle order, as he claimed four vital wickets. The Nepal batters struggled to find their rhythm against Shadab's variations and impeccable line and length. As a result, Nepal's innings came to a swift end at 104 runs in 23.4 overs.Earlier after opting to bat first, Pakistan's captain Babar Azam led from the front, showcasing his sublime skills with a scintillating knock of 151 runs off 131 balls. His innings was marked by 14 boundaries and four towering sixes, as he anchored the team's innings and guided them to a formidable total. Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq were dismissed in quick succession due to brilliant efforts in the field by Nepal.Mohammad Rizwan contributed a crucial 44 runs, displaying his ability to find gaps and rotate the strike effectively. Iftikhar Ahmed then stole the show with a breathtaking display of power-hitting, smashing an unbeaten 109 off just 71 balls, which included 11 boundaries and four sixes. He was involved in a 214-run partnership with Babar Azam – the highest fifth-wicket stand for Pakistan in ODIs as the duo’s efforts propelled Pakistan to 342-6.Scores in Brief:Pakistan beat Nepal by 238 runsPakistan: 342-6 in 50 overs (Babar Azam 151, Iftikhar Ahmed 109 not out; Sompal Kami 2-85, Karan KC 1-54, Sandeep Lamichhane 1-69)Nepal: 104 all out in 23.4 overs (Sompal Kami 28, Aarif Sheikh 26; Shadab Khan 4-27, Haris Rauf 2-16, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-27)Player of the Match: Babar Azam (Pakistan)Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir (travelling reserve).Nepal Squad: Rohit Paudel (c), Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Bhim Sharki, Kushal Malla, Aarif Sheikh, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Karan KC, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi, Pratish GC, Mousom Dhakal, Sundeep Jora, Kishore Mahato, Arjun Saud