Sports Bulletin

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." 

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)  

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

Bahawalpur, and AJK set to meet in first semifinal, Lahore to face hosts Islamabad on ThursdaySports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Bahawalpur, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Lahore and hosts Islamabad have advanced into the semifinals of 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2023 (Grade-1), Islamabad. On Thursday, the 1st semifinal will be played between Bahawalpur and Azad Kashmir while in the 2nd semifinal Lahore will take on Islamabad, as the both semifinals will be played at Shalimar Cricket Ground. Lahore beat AJK by 9 wickets at Shalimar Ground:In the morning, Lahore won the toss and asked AJK to take guard. AJK made 213 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in stipulated 20 overs. Kamran Akhtar was the highest scorer with unbeaten 107* runs off 69 balls and Idrees Saleem made 24 runs. Mohammad Rizwan claimed 3 wickets and Salman took 1 wicket for Lahore.  In reply, Lahore chased down the target with ease in just 17.1 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Sanwal Shehzada once again played a superb innings of 99 runs off 58 balls well supported by Badar Munir, who remained not out on 89* runs off 47 balls.Man of the Match: Sanwal ShahzadaPeshawar beat Okara by 16 runs at PAF Ground:Peshawar won the toss and decided to bat first. Peshawar set the competitive total of 180 runs on the board for the loss of 7 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Sana Ullah Khan was the leading scorer with 91 runs off 57 balls while Mohammad Asif made 34 runs. Shehzad Akram took 2 wickets and Kashif Siddique fetched 1 wicket for Okara. In Reply Okara made 164 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. Umer Daraz was the top scorer with 44 runs off 27 balls and Fasi Ullah made 35 runs for Okara. Mohammad Asif, Mohsin Khan and Haroon Khan took 2 wickets each.Man of the Match: Sana Ullah Khan. Bahawalpur beat Islamabad by 52 runs at Shalimar Ground:Islamabad won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bahawalpur set massive total of 242 runs on the board for the loss of 3 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Rashid once again shined with the bat and played an excellent innings of unbeaten 112* off 62 ball, well supported by Moeen Aslam who scored 56 runs off 35 balls.Fakhar Abbas grabbed 2 wickets while Anees took 1 wicket for Islamabad.In Reply Islamabad scored 190 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. Anees Javid was the top scorer with 54 runs off 41 balls and Hasnain Shamim made 36 runs. Babar Ali fetched 3 wickets while Zafar and Saqib took 1 wicket each.Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid Multan beat Guranwala by 8 wickets at PAF Ground:Multan won the toss and decided to bowl first. Gujranwala posted the competitive total of 224 runs in alloted 20 overs. Tayyab Rehmani was the top scorer with 58 runs off 26 balls while Israr Hassan made 52 runs off 29 balls. Abdul Razzaq, Safder and Shahbaz took 1 wicket each for Multan. In Reply Multan reached the target in 19 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Mohammad Safder was the leading scorer with 129 runs off 68 balls and Ahsan Razzaq chipped in with 40 runs off 41 balls. Zubair and Israr claimed 1 wicket each for Gujranwala. Man of the Match: Mohammad Safder.

ISLAMABAD (Press Release): Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Bahawalpur, Lahore, and hosts Islamabad earned victories on the second day of the 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy” Grade-1 here at two different venues on Tuesday.Azad Kashmir stun Peshawar by 10 wickets at Shalimar ground:In the first match of the day, Peshawar won the toss and decided to bat first. Peshawar made 85 runs in allotted 10 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Haroon Khan made 37 runs and Sanaullah Khan chipped in with 16 runs. Usman Ali took 1 wicket.In reply, Azad Kashmir with the help of Captain Nisar Ali’s superb innings of unbeaten 62* runs off 31 balls reached the target in 7.2 overs without any loss.Man of the match: Nisar Ali.Bahawalpur beat Gujranwala by 23 runs at PAF Ground:In 2nd match of the day, Gujranwala won the toss and asked Bahawalpur to bat first. Bahawalpur set the competitive target of 131 runs on the board for loss of 1 wicket in the allotted 10 overs. Mohammad Rashid Shined with the bat, he made 59 runs off 30 balls and well supported by Moen Ali, who scored unbeaten 48* runs off 29 balls. Syed Zubair Shah took 1 wicket.In reply, Gujranwala scorred 108 runs in allotted 10 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Akram was their top scorer with 44 runs. Mohammad Shah Zaib took 1 wicket for Bahawalpur.Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid.Lahore outclass Okara by 10 wickets at Shalimar Ground:In the 3rd match of the day, Lahore won the toss and decided to bowl first. Okara team scored only 99 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in the allotted 10 overs. Abu Huraira was the leading scorer with 22 runs. Mohammad Rizwan and Karamat Ali took 1 wicket each.In reply, Lahore reached the target with ease in just 8.4 overs without any loss.  Badar Munir Played superb innings of unbeaten 67* runs off 33 balls and Sanwal Shehzada made 22 runs.Man of the Match: Badar Munir.Islamabad beat Multan by 6 wickets at PAF Ground:In the last match of the day, Multan won the toss and elected to bat first. Multan made 110 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in stipulated 10 overs. Mohammad Sadar was the prominent scorer with unbeaton 84* runs off 41 balls. Matti Ullah took 1 wicket for Islamabad.In reply, Islamabad reached the target in 6.4 overs by losing their 4 wickets. Shah Zaib Haider was the top scorer with unbeaten 46* runs off 22 balls While Matti Ullah made 35 runs off 11 balls. Hafiz Farhan, Abdul Razzaq and Safdar shared 1 wicket each. Man of the Match: Matti Ullah.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Pakistan bowling coach, Morne Morkel from South Africa, has resigned from his post as the bowling coach of the Pakistan Men’s team.According to a press release of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the former South Africa pacer joined the Pakistan team on a six-month contract in June this year. Morkel’s first assignment with the men’s team was their tour to Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series.

Islamabad, AJK, Bahawalpur, and Lahore register victories on opening dayAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Islamabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Bahawalpur, and Lahore register victories on the opening day of the 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy” Grade-1, which commenced at two different venues simultaneously on Monday.Ahsan Mumtaz, Head of Finance & Commercial, NBP Islamabad region, Syed Sultan Shah Chairman Pakistan Blinds Cricket Council (PBCC) & President, World Blind Cricket Ltd, and Syed Salman Tariq Bokhari Director Marketing PBCC were present on this eve.Islamabad beat Gujranwala by 88 runs (Shalimar Ground):In the first match of the morning, Gujranwala won the toss and decided to bowl first. Islamabad made a mammoth total of 267 for 2 runs in allotted 20 overs. Matiullah played unbeaten innings of 140 runs off 64 balls hitting 15 boundaries and 5 sixes, while Anees Javed made quick 41 runs. Talha Iqbal was the only bowler to claim a wicket.In reply, Gujranwala was restricted to 179 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Israr Hassan and Mohammad Akram 49 and 45 runs respectively. Akmal Hayyat was the pick amongst bowlers with 2 wickets and Fakhar Abass claimed 1 wicket.Result: Islamabad won by 88 runs: Man of the match: MatiuallhAJK beat Okara by 5 wickets (PAF Ground):In the 2nd match of the tournament, AJK won the toss and asked Okara to bat first. Okara made 161 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Abu Huraira was the top scorer with 40 runs while Shahzad Akram chipped in with 36 runs. Kamran Akhtar and Idrees Saleem took 2 wickets each.In reply, AJK chased the target of 162 runs in 17.5 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Ali Jhangir made unbeaten 38 runs and Usman Ali scored 31 runs.Mohammad Arsalan took 2 wickets while Mohammad Arfan, Shahzad Akram and Iftikhar Hussain Tiger took one wicket each.Result: AJK won by 5 wickets: Man of the Match: Idrees SaleemBahawalpur beat Multan by 165 runs (Shalimar Ground):In the penultimate fixture of the day, Bahawalpur won the toss and decided to bat first. Match was reduced to 18 overs each innings. Bahawalpur made 255 runs in allotted 18 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Mohammad Rashid played extraordinary well and scored a ton, he made unbeaten 155 runs off 62 balls featuring 27 boundaries. Zafar Iqbal was the 2nd highest scorer with 56 runs. Mohammad Yousaf was the only bowler from Multan to claim a wicket.In reply, Multan couldn’t make the most of the batting friendly conditions and made just 90 runs in the stipulated 18 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. Mohammad Safdar made 22 runs. For Bahawalpur, Zafar Iqbal took 2 wickets, while Mohammad Shahzaib and Saqib Ali claimed one wicket each.Result: Bahawalpur won by 165 runs: Man of the match: Mohammad RashidLahore beat Peshawar by 9 wickets (PAF Ground):In the last game of the day, Lahore won the toss and not surprisingly decided to bowl first. Sanaullah’s unbeaten innings of 98 runs off 68 balls helped Peshawar to score 198 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Haroon Khan also contributed 53 runs off 36 balls. For Lahore, Badar Munir took 2 wickets for 23 runs in his 4 overs spell.In reply, Lahore reached the target in 18.1 overs over for the loss of 1 wicket. Badar Munir also shined with the bat he got out after scoring 104 runs off 60 balls. Sanawal Shehzada remained unbeaten on 81 runs off 51 balls. Mohammad Asif was the only bowler to take the only wicket.Result: Lahore won by 9 wickets: Man of the match: Badar MunirTuesday’s Fixtures:November 14, 2023: AJK Vs Peshawar at Shalimar Cricket GroundNovember 14, 2023: Bahawalpur Vs Gujranwala at PAF Cricket GroundNovember 14, 2023: Lahore Vs Okara at Shalimar Cricket GroundNovember 14, 2023: Islamabad Vs Multan at PAF Cricket Ground 

Eight teams to participate in national fixture: Opening ceremony at Shalimar groundAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: The 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy Grade-1 will get underway from November 13, 2023 at Shalimar cricket ground under the banner of Pakistan Blinds’ Cricket Council (PBCC). The final will be played on November 17 at the same venue.According to an official of PBCC, Eight top teams across the country will fight for the title during the 5-day prestigious blind cricket fixture. Teams have been divided into two pools, as the matches will be played at Shalimar Cricket Ground Margalla Road F-6/3 Islamabad and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Cricket Ground E-9 Islamabad.The inauguration ceremony will take place on Monday at 11:00 AM at Shalimar Cricket Stadium Margalla Road F-6/3 Islamabad. The semifinals and the final will be played on 16th and 17th of November 2023 respectively at the Shalimar Cricket Ground.Pool (A): Islamabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, MultanPool (B): Lahore, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Peshawar, OkaraSchedule (Date & Venue):November 13, 2023: Islamabad Vs Gujranwala at Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 13, 2023: AJK Vs Okara at PAF Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 13, 2023: Bahawalpur Vs Multan at Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 13, 2023: Peshawar Vs Lahore at PAF Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 14, 2023: AJK Vs Peshawar at Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 14, 2023: Bahawalpur Vs Gujranwala at PAF Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 14, 2023: Lahore Vs Okara at Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 14, 2023: Islamabad Vs Multan at PAF Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 15, 2023: Lahore Vs AJK at Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 15, 2023: Peshawar Vs Okara at PAF Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 15, 2023: Islamabad Vs Bahawalpur at Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 15, 2023: Gujranwala Vs Multan at PAF Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 16, 2023: 1st Semi-Final (1AVs 2B) at Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 16, 2023: 2nd Semi-Final (1B Vs 2A) Shalimar Cricket Ground IslamabadNovember 17, 2023: Final at Shalimar Cricket Ground Islamabad

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 has approved Noah Croes as a replacement for Ryan Klein in the Netherlands squad.Croes, who has played one ODI, was named as a replacement after Klein was ruled out due to a lower back injury. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the player can be officially added to the squad.The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 consists of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket and ETC Chair), Chris Tetley (ICC Head of Events), Hemang Amin (Acting CEO - BCCI), Gaurav Saxena (General Manager – Operations, BCCI), Russel Arnold and Simon Doull (Independent Representatives). 

Sports Bulletin ReportLONDON: The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the Central Contract offers for England Men's international cricket for the year from 1 October 2023.The system, which covers both red-ball and white-ball players, considers the likelihood of players featuring in England teams across formats over the next period while recognising performances in the preceding year. Multi-year contracts have been awarded for the first time since central contracts were established in 2000. The ECB has worked closely with the Professional Cricketers’ Association and Team England Player Partnership on behalf of the players to reach an outcome for all parties.In total, 29 players have received Central Contract offers - 18 England Multi-Year Central Contracts, eight England Annual Central Contracts, and three England Development Contracts.England Three-Year Central Contracts: Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Mark Wood (Durham)England Two-Year Central Contracts: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Matthew Potts (Durham), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire – from 1 November), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)England One-Year Central Contracts: Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Ben Stokes (Durham), Reece Topley (Surrey)England Development Contracts: Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), John Turner (Hampshire)Seven players (Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Matthew Potts and Josh Tongue) receive an England Central Contract offer for the first time. Yorkshire batter Dawid Malan also returns to an annual contract after missing out last year.Matthew Fisher, Saqib Mahmood and John Turner are offered Development Contracts to support the development of high-potential talent.Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket, Rob Key, said: "We are rewarding those players who we expect to make a significant impact over the coming years playing for England."It is great news and a credit to the players for demonstrating their commitment to English cricket in the ever-changing landscape of the sport."I would like to congratulate all the players who have been offered contracts. They will play a pivotal role in England's efforts over the next few years.”