Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-Faizan Riaz stroked his 14th first-class century while Umar Amin registered his 25th career century to steer Northern to 363 for six against Sindh on day three of the four-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Faizan was batting on 106 when stumps were drawn for the day after Umar Amin, who had started the day at 60, was dismissed after scoring 105 as Northern were still 97 runs behind Sindh’s 457 for eight declared. Faizan’s 252-ball innings included eight fours and a six, while Umar belted 14 fours and a six in a 209-ball knock. After resuming the third day at 129 for two, Umar added 85 runs for the third wicket with Faizan, who has put on 71 runs for the unbroken seventh wicket with skipper Nauman Ali (36 not out). For Sindh, Mohammad Asghar added the scalp of Umar Amin to finish the day with figures of three for 109. At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Test opener Imam-ul-Haq was leading Balochistan’s fightback against Central Punjab. The left-hander was batting on 72 as Balochistan ended the day at 137 for one after Central Punjab had declared their first innings at 545 for six to secure a 350-run lead. Imam has hit eight fours in a 157-ball innings and provided his side a 132-run first wicket start with Imran Butt (53). Earlier, Central Punjab commenced their first innings at 417 for four in reply to Balochistan’s 185 with Tayyab Tahir on 118 not out and Qasim Akram batting on 59. Tayyab was dismissed after scoring 137 (244 balls, 12x4, 1x6), while Qasim Akram was unfortunate to missed his maiden first-class century when he fell to Amad Butt at the score of 92. Qasim’s 136-ball innings included 13 fours and a six. Aamer Yamin was the other Central Punjab batter amongst runs, when he scored 50 not out from 30 balls with seven fours and a six. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab match was heading for an exciting finish after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by 207 runs with seven wickets standing. After conceding 68 runs first innings lead and resuming at four for one, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa saw off the third day’s play at 275 for seven with Kamran Ghulam (41) and Sajid Khan (12) at the crease. Sahibzada Farhan was the top-scorer to date with 83 (147 balls, 12x4, 1x6) and Waqar Ahmed scored 75 (152 balls, 11x4, 1x6) as the two batters put on 162 runs for the third wicket after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had slipped to eight for two. For Southern Punjab, fast bowler Hasan Ali (three for 67) and Ali Usman (three for 82) shared wickets. 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 137-1 (Imam-ul-Haq 72 not out, Imran Butt 53) 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 275-7 (Sahibzada Farhan 83, Waqar Ahmed 75, Kamran Ghulam 41 not out; Hasan Ali 3-67, Ali Usman 3-82) 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) 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) Northern 363-6, 127 overs (Faizan Riaz 106 not out, Umar Amin 105, Sarmad Bhatti 46, Mohammad Huraira 42, Nauman Ali 36 not out; Mohammad Asghar 3-109)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lahore:-The Pakistan Cricket Board and Beaconhouse, Pakistan’s largest network of private educational institutes, have entered a three-year partnership for the PCB Pathway Scholarship Programme. Through this alliance, Beaconhouse will provide 100 academic scholarships annually to the players enrolled in PCB’s Pathway Programmes. The initiative is aimed towards the education and development of the future stars of Pakistan cricket who will be provided access to free education at the Beaconhouse campuses across the country enabling them to ultimately become well rounded professional cricketers. The partnership will provide invaluable support to PCB’s mission of providing young players from all socio-economic backgrounds the necessary education to reach their full potential of becoming wholesome individuals through the creation of pathways from PCB’s entry-level programmes, schools and clubs to representative competitions leading up to the national team. The initiative will also help trigger the sustainability of school cricket and will consequently open up the supply chain of cricketing talent in the country, whilst also increasing the talent pools for junior cricket leagues. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said: “The PCB Pathway Programme has the potential to change the fortunes of Pakistan cricket. The investment we have made for our upcoming stars will reap rich rewards in the years to come. The partnership with Beaconhouse is another major milestone in our quest of providing a holistic platform to our players for their cricketing and educational needs and requirements. “We hope to make them well-rounded ambassadors for Pakistan who can represent the country at international platforms with dignity and pride. “The partnership will also provide comfort to the parents and families of the players involved in the PCB Pathway Programme as the players will have quality education in tandem with their cricket coaching and training, it is an investment that will positively shape the lives of the players.” Chief Executive Beaconhouse Kasim Kasuri said: “We are delighted to work with the PCB in this important initiative. Beaconhouse strongly promotes sports at all its schools and believes in encouraging young people to explore their unique interests. Through this partnership, we hope to offer talented young cricketers the opportunity to pursue their passion and talent for cricket while also becoming accomplished individuals, equipped to take on the unique challenge of becoming future ambassadors of Pakistan.”

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-Central Punjab, thanks to centuries from Azhar Ali and Tayyab Tahir, were in a strong position against Balochistan at the close of second day’s play of round two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23. Central Punjab have already accumulated 10 points from the first two innings. Central Punjab were 417 for four after starting the day on 91 for two as Azhar brought up his 44th first-class century and Tayyab stroked his second century on the bounce. Central Punjab currently lead Balochistan by 232 runs. Azhar made 107 off 196 with 11 fours and a six and Tayyab was unbeaten on 118 off 205 and had hit 10 fours and a six. Tayyab will resume his innings with young all-rounder Qasim Akram, who made 59 not out off 77 (eight fours and a six). At Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, Northern were 129 for two in reply of Sindh’s 457 for eight. Umar Amin top-scored with an unbeaten 60 after he added 92 runs for the second wicket with Mohammad Huraira, who missed half-century by eight runs. Sindh captain Saud Shakeel, who stroked his 12th hundred at this level yesterday, converted his overnight 112 into 158. He batted for 319 balls and hit 14 fours and two sixes. Sarfaraz Ahmed scored his second half-century in as many matches with a 70 not out off 136 (eight fours).  Sindh were 309 for five at the completion of 100 overs and pocketed three batting points, while Northern got one point.  Umar Siddiq’s 13th first-class century lifted Southern Punjab to 308 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had made 240 yesterday. Southern Punjab began the day at a precarious 48 for three before Umar smashed 19 fours in his 199-ball innings. Salman Ali Agha was the next best batter in the innings with 64 off 88 (10 fours). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Ihsanullah (three for 45), Arshadullah (two for 73) and Arshad Iqbal (two for 87) shared seven wickets. Batting second, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are four for one and have a trail of 64 to surmount. Scores in brief: Toss uncontested – Central Punjab bowl first against Balochistan at 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) Central Punjab 417-4, 114.5 overs (Tayyab Tahir 118 not out, Azhar Ali 107, Qasim Akram 59 not out, Mohammad Saad 38, Abdullah Shafique 36, Abid Ali 30; Akif Javed 2-98) Innings points – Balochistan (one), Central Punjab (10) Toss uncontested – Southern Punjab elect to bowl against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 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 4-1, 1.1 overs 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) Innings points – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (four), Southern Punjab (eight) Sindh choose to bat against Northern at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Sindh 457-8, 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) Northern 129-2, 41 overs (Umar Amin 60 not out, Mohammad Huraira 42; Mohammad Asghar 2-56) Innings points – Sindh (three), Northern (one).

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The top 10 teams in the world will begin their bid for the ultimate prize in T20 cricket when South Africa take on Sri Lanka in the opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at Newlands on 10 February, as the match schedule for the biggest ever women’s sporting event in Africa was announced. Fans can now buy tickets for the 23 matches that will be played across Cape Town, Paarl and Gqeberha in 15 days. The world’s best cricketers will take centre stage for a uniquely African celebration of cricket culminating in a Finals weekend at Newlands Cricket Ground with the winner being crowned on Sunday, 26 February. Tickets prices start at R60, with scholars and pensioners able to avail discounts. Families can make the most of the action with kids under six coming in for free across all the venues. Bangladesh and Ireland complete the list of participating teams, joining Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies in the eighth edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be a spectacular celebration for everyone to be a part of. The final match schedule was released on Monday in a uniquely African event at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town with ICC Ambassador Mithali Raj attending the launch. The T20 World Cup, which is a ground-breaking opportunity for cricket in South Africa, will look to be the most inclusive and accessible cricket tournament ever played in the country, forming part of back-to-back World Cups that will leave a legacy to grow girls’ and women’s participation. The Western Cape will play host to a bumper opening weekend of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Boland Park will host the first double-header, with England and the West Indies in action in the early match, followed by defending champions Australia taking on New Zealand. The four sub-continent sides will headline the second double-header at Newlands on Sunday as India take on Pakistan and Bangladesh face Sri Lanka. ICC Chief Executive, Geoff Allardice said: “We are thrilled to be announcing the match schedule for the next ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as we look to build on the success of Australia 2020 and host a uniquely African celebration of cricket. “As a key strategic priority for the sport, women’s cricket continues to build momentum and engage more fans than ever before. With T20 as the growth vehicle for cricket we are confident that this event and the inaugural U19 Women’s T20 World Cup preceding the senior event will leave a lasting legacy to grow girls and women’s cricket around the world.” Former India captain Mithali Raj, who is an ICC Ambassador, said she was really excited about the tournament being held in South Africa. “The announcement of the schedule takes us one step closer to the Women’s T20 World Cup. This has been a fantastic period for the growth of the women’s game, and I am sure fans in South Africa will be out in huge numbers to support the players. “I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in ICC tournaments over the years and know what they mean to players globally. I can’t wait to watch some fast-paced, high-energy cricket and closely-fought, exciting matches.”

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Shane Watson has used the latest episode of The ICC Review to reveal which pace bowler he thinks India should include if star quick Jasprit Bumrah is ruled out of the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup through injury. Bumrah is battling an ongoing back concern that caused him to miss the recent Asia Cup and has already been ruled out of the current three-match T20I series at home against South Africa. While India is still hoping Bumrah can prove his fitness and feature at the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, it remains unclear whether the right-armer will remain in India’s squad for the event. Experienced seamers Mohammad Shami and Deepak Chahar are among the players already on India's standby list for the T20 World Cup, while Mohammad Siraj is also in the mix to feature given he received a call-up to replace Bumrah for the remainder of the South Africa T20 series. Watson is adamant that Siraj is the best option for India to include if they receive the dreaded news that Bumrah will be forced to miss the 20-over showcase Down Under. "The player I would put in if Jasprit’s not available is Mohammad Siraj, because of the firepower he presents," Watson told host Sanjana Ganesan on The ICC Review. "Without Bumrah, that’s the one thing India won’t necessarily have, which is vital on Australian wickets on the bigger grounds with the pace and bounce. "Siraj is great with the brand new ball. He is fast, he swings the ball away but also his defensive skills are pretty good. "And he’s got better over the last couple of years, with what we’ve seen in the IPL. "So, for me he’s probably going to be the one who is going to have the most impact." Watson thinks India's chances of claiming a second T20 World Cup title will be severely hampered should Bumrah not make the trip to Australia. Bumrah took more wickets than any other India pacer at last year's T20 World Cup and it’s the 28-year-old’s versatility to bowl superbly with the new ball and at the death that Watson thinks India will miss most. "Honestly, I think it’s going to have a huge impact on India’s chances of winning the T20 World Cup,” Watson noted.  

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT With the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup less than two weeks away, Australia legend Adam Gilchrist has chosen the first five players he would pick in a dream World T20I XI. A man who revolutionised the game with his work with both bat and wicket-keeping gloves, Gilchrist enjoyed a legendary white-ball career for Australia, winning three Cricket World Cup titles. In the T20 game, Gilchrist showed his qualities in the format's infancy, boasting a strike-rate of over 140. 1. David Warner (Australia) - ICC T20I Batting Ranking: 49th “He’s at the top of the order," Gilchrist said. “I think just his attacking attitude, the way he kick-starts innings at the top, and the confidence he’ll have from the previous T20 World Cup.” 2. Babar Azam (Pakistan) - ICC T20I Batting Ranking: 3th “His versatility across all formats, but also when it’s getting down to T20 cricket, just across all conditions, I think he can play all conditions really well," Gilchrist noted. 3. Hardik Pandya (India) - ICC T20I All-Rounder Ranking: 4th “Pandya is just an awesome figure straight across the board," Gilchrist said. “His ability to bat, bowl, field and entertain, he’s definitely in there.” 4. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) - ICC T20I Bowling Ranking: 4th “He’s just got to be there in any T20 team, doesn’t he?" Gilchrist said. “Cricketer of the year in this format across the world. Over the last decade, Rashid Khan is in there.” 5. Jos Buttler (England) - ICC T20I Batting Ranking: 21st “It’s a bit batting heavy I know, but Jos Buttler for me," Gilchrist added. “He is just dynamic, his power and his courage to take it on. Simply a stroke of brilliance from him and its game over."  

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-Central Punjab’s decision of not contesting the toss and electing to bowl paid dividends as their bowlers skittled Balochistan for 185 in 47.2 overs on the opening day of round two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 and helped their side pocket six bowling points. Fast bowlers Ahmed Daniyal, Mohammad Ali and Umaid Asif shared eight wickets between them. Ahmed returned the best figures of the innings three for 41, Ali took three wickets for 49 and Umaid’s two wickets cost 39 runs. Hussain Talat top-scored with 65-ball 43. Central Punjab were 91 for two – after the opening pair of Abid Ali (30) and Abdullah Shafique (36) put a 56-run partnership – at the close of play. Southern Punjab also bowled out Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in their match at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Mohammad Ilyas took four wickets for 76 and Ahmed Bashir returned three for 31 as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, despite a fighting 134 not out from opener Waqar Ahmed were bowled out for 240 in 69.2 overs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Arshad Iqbal and Arshadullah had provided their team a solid start with the ball as Southern Punjab were 48 for three by stumps. Sindh captain Saud Shakeel made his 12th first-class century against Northern at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The left-hander was unbeaten on 112 off 228 balls and had smashed 10 fours. He added 92 runs for the second wicket with opener Khurram Manzoor (58 off 113) and 88 with Omair Bin Yousuf (36 off 105). Sindh were 279 for four and Saud will be joined by Saad (11 not out) when the play resumes on Tuesday. Northern’s Mubasir Khan pocketed three wickets for 91, accounting for Saim Ayub (35 off 37), Omair and Fawad Alam (10 off 25). Scores in brief: Toss uncontested – Central Punjab bowl first against Balochistan at 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) Central Punjab 91-2, 30.4 overs (Abdullah Shafique 36, Abid Ali 30) Innings points – Balochistan (none), Central Punjab (six) Toss uncontested – Southern Punjab elect to bowl against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 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) Southern Punjab 48-3, 10.3 overs (Arshadullah 2-22) Innings points – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (two), Southern Punjab (five) Sindh choose to bat against Northern at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Sindh 279-4, 90 overs (Saud Shakeel 112 not out, Khurram Manzoor 58, Omair Bin Yousuf 36, Saim Ayub 35; Mubasir Khan 3-91) Innings points – Sindh (two), Northern (one)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Melbourne (Australia):-Five international players from all over the world are expected to perform well in the forthcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which will kick off from October 16, 2022 in Australia. Cricket lovers are eyeing on David Warner, Wanindu Hasaranga, Joe Buttler, Suryakumar Yadav and Mohammad Rizwan, who are capable to show sparking and notable performance in the World Cup. 1. David Warner (Australia) Only Pakistan captain Babar Azam scored more runs than Warner at last year's event and the Australia veteran is generally a much better player when playing on home soil. Warner hit three half centuries at last year's tournament and his 289 runs at an impressive strike rate of almost 150 was among the best for the leading players. His imperious form was a major reason why the all-conquering Australia side was able to hoist the trophy at Dubai International Stadium. 2. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) The Sri Lanka all-rounder has already shown his ability to save his best performances for the big occasion and you would have to think he could dominate for the island nation in Australia. Hasaranga lit up the 2021 event by claiming the most wickets (16) by any player and backed up that performance by finishing Sri Lanka's victorious Asia Cup campaign as the Player of the Tournament. The bigger grounds in Australia are sure to suit the 25-year-old and it's almost certain the star spinner will be among the leading wicket-takers again this year. 3. Jos Buttler (England) While the England captain is currently battling an ongoing calf injury, we expect him to recover in time to spearhead the assault for the 2010 winners. Over the last 12 months there has arguably been no one in the world in better form than Buttler, with the 32-year-old the only player to score a century at last year's event in the UAE and Oman. Buttler hit a brilliant unbeaten 101* against Sri Lanka in Sharjah and looked to be in even better touch during this year's edition of the IPL when he reached triple figures on four occasions and scored a massive 863 runs for Rajasthan Royals. His efforts during the home series against India and South Africa in July were not quite up to his lofty standards, but Buttler is sure to bounce back to his best in Australia. 4. Suryakumar Yadav (India) The emergence of Suryakumar Yadav in 2022 has been amazing, with the in-form right-hander now arguably the most important player in Rohit Sharma's dominant side. Yadav only managed to make four appearances for India at last year's edition of the T20 World Cup and his paltry return of 42 runs from three knocks barely ruffled any feathers in world cricketing circles. But since then the 32-year-old has been a model of consistency and has now found himself rated as the No.2 T20I batter in the world on the latest rankings list. 5. Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan) You will struggle to find a more consistent T20I batter than the experienced Pakistan opener and it should come as no surprise to see he is now rated as the No.1 T20I batter in the world. Rizwan's stability at the top of the order will be pivotal to Pakistan's chances of claiming the title in Australia and the 30-year-old will be out to replicate the excellent efforts he produced with the bat at last year's event. At the 2021 T20 World Cup Rizwan hit three half centuries and a total of 281 runs at an average of 70, with team-mate Babar Azam and Australia’s David Warner the only players to score more heavily than the right-hander for the tournament.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Kolkata:-Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against South Africa but the fate of his participation at ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 is still unknown. Jasprit Bumrah, a devastating bowler of India, might miss the T 20 World Cup scheduled to be held in October 16, 2022. With that he has also miss the South Africa series with India. Despite the news of his injury, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is not giving up on the possibility of Bumrah flying to Australia and playing in the T20 World Cup. In an interview, Ganguly said, “Bumrah is not out of the World Cup yet”. Before that on Friday, a BCCI media release confirmed that India’s ace quick had sustained a back injury and was being monitored by their medical team at the NCA. It is also known that, Bumrah had to undergo scans on his back but Ganguly said that he was keeping his fingers crossed and that a final decision could be taken in the "next two or three days". Just like Ganguly, the Indian fans will hope for Bumrah to be declared fit to play in Australia, which should bolster the team's chances of winning the tournament. The India squad will fly to Australia on October 6 and will play two practice matches against Australia and New Zealand on October 17 and 19. They start their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 23 in Melbourne.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka could not host the last Asia Cup in Sri Lanka due to the economic crisis and political unrest in the country, but it is now "safe" to host the forthcoming Lanka Premier League (LPL). This was revealed by former captain Sanath Jayasuriya. Speaking exclusively here in Mumbai, where the 53-year-old came to attend the second Road Show hosted by the Sri Lanka Tourism and Consulate General of Sri Lanka, Jayasuriya said, "Sri Lanka is now safer than what it was a few months ago. We will certainly host the LPL successfully and welcome the foreign players and the visitors. We want more people from the Asian countries to come and watch the matches and be satisfied with yourselves". Interestingly, Jayasuriya, who is a part of the Sri Lanka Legends team participating in the Road Safety World Series in India, came immediately playing the match against Bangladesh team in Raipur and returned to Raipur in the wee hours on Thursday to play the second Semi Final against West Indies. Chances of winning the upcoming World Cup 2022 in Australia, Jayasuriya says, "Our team is capable of winning the World Cup. Look at our recent performance in the Asia Cup. We were underdogs for the Asia Cup. When our team lost against Afghanistan, the people had written off our team and India was favourite to win it but ultimately, Sri Lankan team rose to the occasion". "Same thing had happened in the 1996 World Cup. No one had said that Sri Lanka would reach the Semi Final but we won the World Cup and therefore we urge the fans not to undermine our performance on and off the field".