Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI:-Northern batters Mohammad Huraira and Faizan Riaz struck sparkling centuries against Balochistan to help their side reach 347 for three on the first day of the third round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium on Sunday. The 20-year-old Huraira struck his fourth career century in 14th match when he was dismissed after scoring 169, while 34-year-old Faizan was batting on 100 – his 15th century in 89 matches – as the two batters added 172 runs for the third wicket. Huraira struck 23 fours and a six in a 223-ball innings, while Faizan has faced 119 balls off which 14 have been converted into fours. Huraira had earlier added 109 runs for the first wicket with Abdul Faseeh (34) and 34 runs for the second wicket with Umar Amin (22). For Balochistan, left-arm fast bowler Taj Wali took three wickets for 60 runs. Central Punjab’s right-arm spinner Usama Mir recorded career best figures of 28.4-8-91-6 to spin out Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 220 in 77.4 overs at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. The defending champions were cruising nicely at 93 for no loss, before the introduction of the 26-year-old turned the innings on its head as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their all 10 wickets for 127 runs. Openers Waqar Ahmed (58) and Sahibzada Farhan (44) had provided a flying start to their side, but the top and middle-order collapsed like a house of cards against Usama. Only No.3 batter Nabi Gul (40) and No.8 batter Sajid Khan (21) offered some resistance. When play ended on day one, Central Punjab were 24 for no loss. Abid Ali (20) and Ali Shan (4) will resume their innings on Monday. At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, ATF Southern Punjab recovered from 178 for six to finished the day at 259 for seven. Ali Usman (35) and Mohammad Ilyas (28) were the two not out batters. No.3 batter Usman Salahuddin was the top-scorer with 89, that came off 214 balls and included 12 fours. Together with Umar Siddiq (47), Usman added 56 runs for the second wicket, while he put on 47 runs for the seventh wicket with Ali Usman. For Sindh, spinner Abrar Ahmed finished with figures of 35-9-77-3, while Mohammad Umar took two for 51. Scores in brief (3rd round, day 1 of 4) Toss uncontested – Sindh decided to field v AFT Southern Punjab at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi AFT Southern Punjab (1st innings) 259-7, 90 overs (Usman Salahuddin 89, Umar Siddiq 47, Ali Usman 35 not out, Mohammad Ilyas 28 not out; Abrar Ahmed 3-77, Mohammad Umar 2-51) v Sindh Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won the toss and elected to bat v Central Punjab at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (1st innings) 220 all out, 77.4 overs (Waqar Ahmed 58, Sahibzada Farhan 44, Nabi Gul 40; Usama Mir 6-91, Ahmed Daniyal 3-33) v Central Punjab 24-0, 6 overs Toss uncontested –Balochistan decided to field v Northern at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad Northern (1st innings) 347-3, 78.2 overs (Mohammad Huraira 169, Faizan Riaz 100 not out, Abdul Faseeh 34, Umar Amin 22; Taj Wali 3-60) v Balochistan

faisal Islamabad:-The 13th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy Grade-2 will start from Monday (October 10, 2022) at Multan, as 8 teams will fight for top honour during the 5-day fixture. According to an official of Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC), the final will be played on October 14, 2022. Multan, Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Sargodha Abbottabad, Faisalabad and Sheikopura will take part in the premier national tournament of blind cricket. Teams have been divided into two following pools. Multan, Hyderabad, Sargodha and Faisalabad are in Group A while Karachi, Quetta, Abbottabad and Sheikopura are in Group B. Matches of the tournament will be played at Sports Complex Cricket Ground Multan and MC Cricket Ground Multan simultaneously. The inauguration ceremony of the said event will take place on dated 10th October 2022 at 11:00 AM at Sports Complex Cricket Ground Multan. The semi-finals and the final will also be played on the same field at Sports Complex Cricket Ground Multan on the 13th and 14th October 2022 respectively. The winner of this Grade-2 event will get a place in the Grade-1 Trophy next year and the last team on the points table will be excluded. 10th to 14th October 2022  Schedule: 10-10-22 Sargodha Vs Faisalabad Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 10-10-22 Abbottabad Vs Sheikopura MC Cricket Ground Multan 10-10-22 Multan Vs Hyderabad Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 10-10-22 Karachi Vs Quetta MC Cricket Ground Multan 11-10-22 Sheikopura Vs Quetta Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 11-10-22 Sargodha Vs Hyderabad MC Cricket Ground Multan 11-10-22 Karachi Vs Abbottabad Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 11-10-22 Multan Vs Faisalabad MC Cricket Ground Multan 12-10-22 Multan Vs Sargodha Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 12-10-22 Karachi Vs Sheikopura MC Cricket Ground Multan 12-10-22 Quetta Vs Abbottabad Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 12-10-22 Hyderabad Vs Faisalabad MC Cricket Ground Multan 13-10-22 1st Semi-Final (1AVs 2B) Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 13-10-22 2nd Semi-Final (1B Vs 2A) Sports Complex Stadium, Multan 14-10-22 Final Sports Complex Stadium, Multan

Sports Bulletin Report Christchurch (New Zealand):-Pakistan register second back-to-back victory in the ongoing Tri-Nation cricket series after thrashing hosts New Zealand by 6 wickets, as blistering Babar Azam innings of 79 not out (53 balls) looked enough to reach the target at Hagley Oval cricket ground Christchurch, New Zealand on Saturday night. It is pertinent to mention here that Green Shirts had defeated Bangladesh by 21 runs last Friday at the same venue. Pakistan opened their innings with skipper Babar Azam and wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan to get the target of 148 runs. Mohammad Rizwan, who had earned man of the match award a day before against Bangladesh by scoring 78 runs not out in an inning, tried his best to settle his feet on the pitch but he could score only 4 runs after wasting 12 deliveries on the bowling of Tim Southee and was judged LBW. Babar Azam was in nice touch and played strokes all sides of the ground, as he faced 53 balls and hit 10 boundaries. Bowling allrounder Shahdab Khan scored 34 runs in 22 balls and aggregated 61 runs for the 3rd wicket partnership with skipper Babar Azam. Pakistan achieved their target on the 2nd ball of the penultimate over of the match. Earlier, Black Caps captain Kane Williamson decided to defend the target against Green Shirts, who had defeated Bangladesh by 21 runs a day back at the same venue, at home ground. Three small +30 runs innings, Devon Conway (36), Mark Chapman (32) and Williamson (31), helped Kiwis to get a total of 147 runs in 20 overs after losing their 8 batters. Phillips contributed 18 runs. At one stage, hosts batters were in commanding position and they were 130 for 3 in 17 overs, as it was expected the Black Caps would post over 160 runs target for the tourist team. On this occasion Shahnawaz Dahani got the important wicket of Phillips on the very first ball of 18th over, as the batter was caught by Asif Ali at midwicket boundary. Later, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Wasim did not allow them to hit big boundaries. They conceded just 17 runs in the last three overs and sent 5 batters back to hut. Haris Rauf claimed three wickets while Mohammad Wasim trapped two kiwi batters after giving 28 and 20 runs respectively. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz (2 for44) and lanky pacer Shahnawaz Dahani (1 for 22) were other successful bowlers. Summarized Scorecard (Pakistan vs New Zealand) Venue: Hagley Oval, Christchurch Toss: New Zealand, elected to bat first New Zealand batting (147 for 8 in 20 overs): Devon Conway c Haider Ali b Mohammad Nawaz 36 (35 balls, 4X2, 6X2) Kane Williamson b Mohammad Nawaz 31 (30 balls, 4X1) Glenn Phillips c Asif Ali b Shahnawaz Dahani 18 (17 balls, 4X1) Mark Chapman c Mohammad Wasim b Haris Rauf 32 (16 balls, 4X3, 6X2) Pakistan Bowling: Haris Rauf (3 for 28), Shahnawaz Dahani (1 for 22), Mohammad Wasim (2 for 20), Mohammad Nawaz (2 for 44) Pakistan Batting (Target 147 runs in 20 overs): Babar Azam not out 79 (balls 53, 4X10), Shadab Khan 34 (balls 22, 4X2, 6X2), Mohammad Nawaz 16(balls 19, 4X2) New Zealand Bowling: Trent Boult (1 for 22), Tim Southee (1 for 24), Blair Tickner (2 for 42) Pakistan Playing XIs: Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam (c), Shan Masood, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Shahnawaz Dahani New Zealand Playing XIs: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (c), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, James Neesham, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Blair Tickner    

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Sylhet (Bangladesh):-Pakistan women got their ACC Women’s Asia Cup campaign back on track when they recorded only their third victory over India women in 13 T20Is and 24 internationals overall in Sylhet on Friday. Nida Dar led the batting charge when she returned unbeaten on a whirlwind 37-ball 56 not out to help Pakistan collect 137 for six. She then claimed two wickets for 23 runs and combined with Nashra Sandhu (three for 30) and Sadia Iqbal (two for 24) to dismiss a formidable and in-form India for 124 in 19.4 overs, who needed 18 runs off the last over. Pakistan’s 13 runs victory on Friday was their first over India since March 2016 when they won in Delhi by two runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method. Pakistan’s other win over India was in Galle in 2012, when they won by one run. Both these victories came in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cups, while Pakistan is still searching for their maiden ODI win in 11 encounters. Nida was at her brilliant best, when she clubbed five fours and a six, and put on 76 runs for the fourth wicket with Bismah Maroof after Pakistan had slipped to 33 for three after electing to bat first. Bismah was dismissed in the 16th over after hitting two fours in her 35-ball innings, but Nida carried the innings and helped Pakistan collect 26 runs off the last four overs. Openers Muneeba Ali (17) and Sidra Amin (11) had provided a solid start when they raced to 26 for no loss in 4.2 overs, before both departed in the space of eight balls. However, Nida and Bismah, followed by a brief run-a-ball innings by Aliya Riaz and Ayesha Naseem helped Pakistan reach 137 for six. The target was expected to be an easy and straightforward one for an experienced India, but Nashra, Nida and Sadia had other ideas as the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 runners-up were dismissed for 124 with two balls to spare. The three bowlers not only bowled intelligently and smartly, they were very well backed by their fielders, who held almost all the catches and didn’t concede extra runs in the outfield. The only blemish in the innings was when wicketkeeper Muneeba failed to stump the dangerous Smriti Mandhana, but the let-off didn’t prove costly as the opener was dismissed shortly afterwards by Nashra, who had earlier accounted for Sabbhineni Meghana. Nashra’s third victim was Radha Yadav. Nida’s scalps included Jemimah Rodrigues (2) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (12), while Sadiq Iqbal accounted for Deepti Sharma (16) and Richa Ghosh (26). Pakistan’s victory over India is also commendable after they had suffered a four-wicket defeat against Thailand on Thursday. But in today’s performance, Bismah Maroof’s side proved yesterday’s defeat was nothing but a surprise and a bad day in the office for them. Pakistan now has three wins in four matches, and will play the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. Their last league match will be against Sri Lanka on 11 October. The top-four sides will progress to the semi-finals, while the final will be held on 15 October. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat India by 13 runs Pakistan 137-6, 20 overs (Nida Dar 56 not out, Bismah Maroof 32, Muneeba Ali 17; Deepti Sharma 3-27, Pooja Vastrakar 2-23) India 124 all out, 19.4 overs (Richa Ghosh 26, Dayalan Hemalatha 20; Nashra Sandhu 3-30, Nida Dar 2-23, Sadia Iqbal 2-24) Player of the match – Nida Dar (Pakistan) Next match: Pakistan v UAE, 9 October

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Christchurch (New Zealand):-Mohammad Rizwan scored yet another half-century as Pakistan kicked off their tri-series campaign with a 21-run win over Bangladesh at the Hagley Oval on Friday. Brilliant spells in the middle from Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Mohammad Nawaz restricted Bangladesh to 146 for eight after Pakistan posted 167 for five. This was wicketkeeper’s sixth half-century in last eight innings as he made 78 not out off 50 balls – hitting seven fours and two sixes. Rizwan and Babar Azam (22 off 25) added 52 runs for the first wicket in 7.1 overs. The ever-consistent opener then added 42 more runs with Shan Masood, who made 31 off 22. Bangladesh captain Nurul Hasan had elected to field after winning the toss and Pakistan set a 168-run target. Pakistan’s pacers were too hot to handle for the Bangladesh openers and Wasim struck in the fifth over as he accounted for Mehidy Hasan Miraz (10 off 11). His opening partner Sabbir Rahman (14 off 18) followed him the next over, getting caught and bowled off Haris Rauf. Litton Das and Afif Hossain made 35 off 26 and 25 off 23 and Yasir Ali, batting at seven, top-scored with 42 not out off 21 (five fours and two sixes). Nawaz struck on consecutive balls in the 13th over to curtail Litton’s stay at the crease. The next ball he sent Mosaddek Hossain back to the pavilion. After dismissing Taskin Ahmed and Nasum Ahmed, on the first two balls of the penultimate over, Wasim finished with three for 24. Mohammad Nawaz returned two for 25. Scores in brief: Pakistan 167-5, 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 78 not out, Shan Masood 31, Babar Azam 22; Taskin Ahmed 2-25) Bangladesh 146-8, 20 overs (Yasir Ali 42 not out, Litton Das 35, Afif Hossain 25; Mohammad Wasim Jnr 3-24, Mohammad Nawaz 2-25) Player of the match – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-Four city-based sides, each comprising 12 local and six foreign players, will compete in the inaugural Women’s Cricket League (WCL) at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Pakistan Cricket Board revealed the details of event on Thursday. The final will be a standalone fixture between the top-two sides following 12 league matches and will take place a day before the HBL PSL 8 final. The HBL PSL 8 is scheduled from 9 February to 19 March 2023. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said: “I am delighted to announce the women’s league. This league will attract young women cricketers to this great sport and help our current players further enhance their skills when they will get to share dug-outs with the overseas players. The league will feature present and past trailblazers in women’s cricket in what promises to be an exciting 13-match event. “To amplify the coverage and promotion of this initiative, some of the matches will precede the HBL Pakistan Super League 8 matches. “This event is aligned to our strategy of making Pakistan a stronger cricket playing nation across all formats and genders. We are not only creating attractive brands to strengthen our cricket economy, but through this tournament are also providing career opportunities to our women cricketers. The more our women cricketers will participate in high-pressure events, the more they will learn. “The PCB is a strong proponent of empowering women to shine brighter. By engaging our women, which form 49 per cent of the country’s population, we will enhance the economic and social prosperity of our country.”

BIPIN DANI Sandeep Lamichhane is becoming the first Nepalese cricketer who will be spending at least the three nights in police custody. The 22-year-old legbreak googly bowler, who has been facing the rape allegations by a 17-year-old minor girl, was arrested immediately after he landed from the Qatar Airways flight at the Tribhuvan Internationbal Airport in Kathmandu on Thursday at around 10 in the morning. Sandeep surrendered himself and was handcuffed from the airport to the police station, though he had requested not to be hand-cuffed. "He has been sent to the Gaushala Jail, which is near to Nepal's most sacred Hindu Temple, Pashupatinath", one of the cricket sources in Nepal revealed. "He will remain in police custody until he is produced before the court on Sunday. We have Dussehra holidays till Friday and the court is closed on Saturday. We will come to know only on Sunday whether the court extends the police custody or grants bail. He is under trial now", the source further added. Shortly before his arrest Sandeep Lamichhane had promised on social media that he would fully cooperate in the investigation. He has hired the services of a prominent lawyer Saroj Ghimire, who is known to be a Lawyer for justice and committed to break all forms of conspiracy and plot and maintain high profession. Speaking exclusively, he said, "our court will hear the case on Sunday. The case has not reached a bail stage. The person is innocent till proven guilty". There was no anticipatory bail applied, confirmed the lawyer. "No anticipatory bail was applied and in this country the anticipatory bail on these types of allegations is not granted".  "Our primary concern was why Sandeep was hand-cuffed. He is not an individual but a player of an institution (Cricket Association of Nepal). He had himself surrendered and there were a number of police officials escorting him", the lawyer, who met Sandeep for about 10 minutes before being detained, added. Sandeep can be detained in this police custody maximum for a period of ten-days and then police has to apply for additional detention every time till the investigation is not over. 

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Sylhet (Bangladesh):-Thailand beat Pakistan by four wickets to hand Pakistan their first loss in the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS) on Thursday morning. Chasing a modest 117-run target, Pakistan bowlers kept Thailand batters in check as Thailand chased down the target on the penultimate ball of the match. Requiring 16 runs from two overs, the 19th over went for only six runs bowled by Nida Dar and she picked the prized scalp of Natthakan Chantham who top-scored with a 51-ball 61, which included five fours and two sixes. With 10 runs required of the last over, Rosenan Kanoh struck Diana for a four on the second ball to help her side achieved the target with four wickets in hand. Nida and Tuba Hasan bagged two wickets apiece, while Nashra Sandhu and Kainat Imtiaz took a wicket each. Earlier, after opting to bat first, Sidra Amin continued her fine form in the tournament, she top-scored with a 64-ball 56, smashing six boundaries. Pakistan scored 116 for five in their 20 overs at a slow and low track. This was Pakistan’s first loss in the tournament. In three outings in the tournament, Pakistan have won last two matches played against Malaysia and defending champions Bangladesh. The team will now take on arch-rivals India tomorrow at the SICS. The match will be broadcast live on PTV Sports, with toss taking place at 12 and first ball to be bowled at 1230pm PKT. Scores in brief: Thailand beat Pakistan by four wickets Pakistan 116-5, 20 overs (Sidra Amin 56; Sornnarin Tippoch 2-20) Thailand 117-6, 19.5 overs (Natthakan Chantham 61; Nida Dar 2-26, Tuba Hasan 2-18) Player of the match - Natthakan Chantham (Thailand)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-Valiant knocks by Imam-ul-Haq and Asad Shafiq helped Balochistan secure a draw against Central Punjab at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on the fourth and final day of the second round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23. The other two matches between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab at Abbottabad and Sindh and Northern at Faisalabad also ended in draws. Northern – with 33 points – are at the top of the table, followed by Balochistan (30). Central Punjab have 28 points, Sindh 21, Southern Punjab 16 and the title defenders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa find themselves at the bottom with 13. Balochistan began the day at 137 for one and were 213 runs behind Central Punjab’s mammoth 535 for six with Imam not out on 72. The left-handed opener converted his overnight score into his 10th first-class century before he was run out for 108. The 26-year-old smashed 13 fours in his 231-ball innings. Following Imam’s dismissal, Asad, the Balochistan captain, took the lead role in the fightback and added 63 runs for the fifth wicket with Ali Waqas (25 off 64), depriving Central Punjab bowlers any further inroads. Asad was unbeaten on 62 off 140 balls and had dragged Balochistan to 303 for six in 118 overs at the close of play. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kamran Ghulam missed what could have been his second century in as many matches by 14 runs. The right-handed middle-order batter made 86 off 175 (10 fours and two sixes) before Ahmed Bashir curtailed his stay at the crease. Kamran began the fourth and final morning of the match at 41 not out. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 275 for seven at the start of the day and were all out for 334. Southern Punjab were 101 for two in 44 over with opener Zain Abbas top-scoring with 32 off 51. Pakistan Test teammates Nauman Ali, captain of Northern, and Fawad Alam, Sindh’s middle-order batter, scored half-centuries at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. Northern began the day on 363 for six and were all out on 417 with the highlight of the day being Nauman’s 123-ball 65 (nine fours and two sixes). Starting the second innings with a 40-run lead, Sindh made 160 for four. They had their first three wickets down for 23, but Saad Khan and Fawad Alam, with 72 and 60 not out, respectively, ensured there were no further dramas and Sindh finish the match as a draw. Scores in brief: Balochistan v Central Punjab at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: Balochistan 185 all out, 47.2 overs (Hussain Talat 43, Asad Shafiq 34, Haseebullah 25, Azeem Ghumman 21; Ahmed Daniyal 3-41, Mohammad Ali 3-49, Umaid Asif 2-39) and 303-6, 118 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 108, Asad Shafiq 62 not out, Ali Waqas 25; Ahmed Daniyal 3-73) Central Punjab 535-6d, 143.3 overs (Tayyab Tahir 137, Azhar Ali 107, Qasim Akram 92, Aamer Yamin 50 not out, Mohammad Saad 38, Abdullah Shafique 36, Abid Ali 30; Hussain Talat 2-75, Akif Javed 2-116) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 240 all out, 69.2 overs (Waqar Ahmed 134 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 44; Mohammad Ilyas 4-76, Ahmed Bashir 3-31, Hasan Ali 2-42) and 334 all out, 108.5 overs (Kamran Ghulam 86, Sahibzada Farhan 83, Waqar Ahmed 75, Khalid Usman 22; Hasan Ali 4-82, Ali Usman 3-83, Ahmed Bashir 2-76) Southern Punjab 308 all out, 91.2 overs (Umar Siddiq 112, Salman Ali Agha 64, Yousuf Babar 23; Ihsanullah 3-45, Arshadullah 2-73, Arshad Iqbal 2-87) and 101-2, 44 overs (Zain Abbas 32, Usman Salahuddin 31 not out, Salman Ali Agha 26 not out) Sindh v Northern at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: Sindh 457-8d, 138.5 overs (Saud Shakeel 158, Sarfaraz Ahmed 70 not out, Khurram Manzoor 58, Omair Bin Yousuf 36, Saim Ayub 35, Mohammad Asghar 29 not out, Asif Mehmood 21; Mubasir Khan 4-140) and 160-4, 56 overs (Saad Khan 72, Fawad Alam 60 not out; Mubasir Khan 2-57, Mehran Mumtaz 2-84) Northern 417 all out, 143.3 overs (Faizan Riaz 119, Umar Amin 105, Nauman Ali 65, Sarmad Bhatti 46, Mohammad Huraira 42; Mohammad Asghar 4-138, Zahid Mehmood 4-138)

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The shortlists for the ICC Player of the Month awards for September have been revealed, and the lineups include some of the most exciting talent from the shorter formats of the game, as the excitement builds for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in just eleven days’ time. The candidates for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month crown all excelled across ODI and T20I cricket during the month. Australia’s Cameron Green was an instrumental figure in notable victories over New Zealand and India, Axar Patel is nominated following a series of impressive and restrictive bowling displays, while Mohammad Rizwan is nominated for the first time after a glittering run of performances with the bat. The shortlist for the women’s award features the star of Bangladesh’s successful campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier in the United Arab Emirates, Nigar Sultana, who captained her side to seal their place at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023. Completing the nominations are India heroes Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana. Both are shortlisted for the very first time, and are vying to be crowned the first ever India player to win the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award thanks to stellar performances in both ODI and T20I series in England. ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for September: Cameron Green (Australia): Australian all-rounder Green receives his first nomination for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month Award after producing a string of fine displays during September. After striking an unbeaten 89 to seal a dramatic two-wicket victory over New Zealand, in the first of three ODIs, attention then shifted to the T20I series against India, where Green continued his momentum. A thrilling knock of 61 from 30 balls helped his side clinch the opening match, and despite failing to win the series, Green topped the run scoring charts for his team with 118 runs at an average of 39.33. Axar Patel (India): So often a key threat in India’s bowling attack, Patel enjoyed a prolific September to earn his first nomination for Player of the Month. Claiming a total of nine wickets at an average of 11.44 and with a superb economy rate of just 5.72, he most notably excelled in the home series against Australia, where he took three for 17 in Mohali, two for 13 in Nagpur, and three for 33 in Hyderabad to underline his significant credentials as a key asset for India in the shorter format. Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan): Rizwan lies atop the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings for Batters and his form throughout September helped illustrate why he sits at the summit. The Pakistan ace registered three half-centuries in the latter stages of his side’s Asia Cup campaign which led them to the final, before continuing his rich vein of form in the subsequent T20I series against a visiting England side. Four further half-centuries followed, with the highlight being an unbeaten 88 during the dominant ten-wicket victory in the second T20I chasing down an imposing 199 set by the tourists. Rizwan’s month ended with him having amassed 553 runs at an average of 69.12 from his ten fixtures. ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for September: Harmanpreet Kaur (India): Despite a disappointing T20I series in England at the start of the month, Kaur was in imperious form during the subsequent ODI series which followed. Scoring 221 runs across the three matches, she guided her side over the finishing line in the first match with a controlled 74 not out, before she clinched the series for her team in style in the second match, striking an unbeaten 143 to seal a historic first ODI series victory for her side in England since 1999. Smriti Mandhana (India): Another of the leading lights of India’s batting lineup, and last year’s winner of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year, Mandhana also excelled during her time in England in September. She scored consistently across both white-ball series, highlighted by her unbeaten 79 during the first T20I in Derby and 91 in the first ODI in Canterbury – both match winning contributions. Mandhana also ended the month averaging over 50 in both formats, and with a strike-rate of 137 in the T20Is, underlining the scale of her successes during the month. Nigar Sultana (Bangladesh): Sultana led from the front during her side’s successful ICC Women’s T20 World Cup qualification campaign in the United Arab Emirates, scoring 180 runs at an average of 45 across five T20Is. The Bangladesh captain opened her account with a crucial score of 67 in her side’s first outing – a victory over eventual finalists Ireland, before registering an unbeaten 56 against the USA en route to clinching a spot in South Africa. In being nominated for the award, Sultana becomes the first female Bangladesh international to be shortlisted since Nahida Akter back in November 2021.