Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Guernsey to host first Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup regional qualifier between 5 – 11 August, with Asia and Africa following in September 24 Division 2 teams aiming to secure eight Regional Qualifier spots. The 15th edition of the event will involve Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe by virtue of their top 11 finish in the 2022 edition. The remaining five spots will be determined by regional qualification. Guernsey will be the first stop on the qualification calendar for the 2024 event. Due to the depth in strength in the Europe, Africa and Asia regions, a two-division qualification pathway will take place with 24 teams competing for eight Regional Qualifier spots. The Europe Division 2 Qualifier starting on 5 August will see eight teams competing in 20 matches over a seven-day period across the island’s four venues. Young stars representing Denmark, France, Germany, Isle of Man, Italy, Norway and Sweden will arrive in Guernsey alongside the hosts to set the ball rolling on another thrilling series of qualification events. The two finalists and the winner of the third-place playoff will all progress to join Jersey, the Netherlands and Scotland in the Europe Qualifier - the second and final stage in the region’s qualification pathway, which will be held in 2023. Speaking on the commencement of the Europe Division 2 Qualifier, Mark Latter, Chief Executive Officer at Guernsey Cricket commented, “Having had to put international cricket on hold for the past couple of years, to be back both playing and hosting is really exciting and we look forward to welcoming all the teams to Guernsey to enjoy the fantastic cricket facilities we have and also the delights of our beautiful island. “For the Guernsey players it is great that they get the opportunity to show their talents in front of their family and friends, and for all it provides the opportunity to make cricketing friendships that will no doubt be rekindled in later years as they progress into their respective senior squads.”

Bipin Dani Johann Pieris will lead the Sri Lankan team of players above 60-years of age to play the World Cup in Australia in September. Pieris, who is a pilot by profession, has played cricket in Sri Lanka and has also represented Singapore in the national team.  "At 61, I am fit and fine enough to lead the Sri Lankan side. I am glad the World Cup is happening for the players of this age and I am sure it will be a success". The Sri Lankan team is made up of some players living in Sri Lanka, some have migrated to other countries like Australia, New Zealand and the USA.   Veterans Cricket Australia will host the first ever World Cup for the players having passed 60 years of age. This has been revealed by Rod Rice, the President Queensland Veterans Cricket and who is also the Tournament Team Liaison official.  Speaking exclusively, he said, "This is the inaugural Over 60’s World Cup, Over 50’s had one in Sydney, then one in Capetown which was cancelled halfway through due to Covid. The Over 50’s will be returning to Capetown in February 2023 to play a World Cup". "This year there will be 12 teams competing. Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Wales, Rest of the World, Canada, USA, West Indies. England decided not to attend as it clashed with the finals of the English Over 60’s County competition". "At the Over 60’s World Cup on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland in September, we will be holding a meeting of all the visiting teams to discuss the future of this competition and looking at forming a Committee. The size of the competition will be left open at this stage until we see how much interest there is, who knows what the future will hold", he further added. "The weather on the Sunshine Coast in September will be quite mild, being the start of Spring. The biggest issue the players will face is backing up from game to game and how their bodies hold up. We have had a few requests for Physios to be on hand each playing day", Rice signed off.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Bowlers dominate the day two proceedings of the first round matches of the National U19 Championship here in Karachi on Sunday. Balochistan Whites’ Jahangir Khan bagged five wickets to dismiss Southern Punjab Whites for 224 at the UBL Sports Complex, while a collective effort from Central Punjab U19 Whites bowlers had Northern U19 Whites following-on in a Pool B fixture. Pool A fixtures: At the Hanif Mohammad HPC Ground, Central Punjab U19 Blues spin twins Arham Nawab and Ali Asfand dismissed Northern U19 Blues for 212 in 77.5 overs. Resuming their innings on the overnight score of 77 for two from 25 overs, Northern Blues managed to bat only 52.5 overs more before getting themselves bowled out. Northern’s captain Shamyl Hussain could add only five runs to his overnight score and was dismissed for 61 off 109 balls, hitting seven fours and one six. Central Punjab Blues’ right-arm off-spinner Arham bagged four wickets for 76, while left-arm spinner Ali ended up taking three wickets for 56 from 22 overs. Ayub Khan took two wickets for 28 from nine overs. In return, Central Punjab Blues were in a spot of bother when at stumps they were 98 for five in 37 overs. Abidullah and Amir Hasan grabbed two wickets apiece for Northern U19 Blues. At the KCA Stadium, after first day’s play was a no show due to rain, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues won the toss and opted to bat first on day two against Sindh U19 Blues. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues were 91 for two in 23.4 overs when stumps were drawn. Opening batter Afaq Khan top-scored with 56 off 61 balls, striking five fours and one six. In the third fixture of Pool A, only 6.1 overs of play could take place at the TMC Ground in Karachi between Balochistan U19 Blues and Southern Punjab U19 Blues. Balochistan U19 Blues added 17 runs to their overnight score and were 95 for one in 31.1 overs. They lost opening batter Ikramullah for 49 who faced 102 balls and struck six boundaries. Pool B fixtures: At the NBP Sports Complex, Northern U19 Whites were asked to follow-on after they were dismissed for 117 against Central Punjab U19 Whites score of 312 for eight. Resuming their innings on the overnight score of five for no loss in three overs, the pair of Hassan Ali and Hassan Gillani shared seven wickets between them to bundled out Northern Whites inside 53 overs. The right-arm off-spinner Hassan Ali bagged four wickets for 20 from 10 overs, while left-arm orthodox Hassan Gillani picked three wickets for 30 runs. Samama Riaz chipped in with two wickets for 24 from nine overs. After following-on, Northern U19 Whites were 90 for three in 38 overs when stumps were called. Mohammad Ali Taj top-scored with 49 off 101 balls, hitting six fours. At the UBL Sports Complex, after the first day’s play was washed out, Balochistan U19 Whites captain won the toss and elected to field first against Southern Punjab U19 Whites. Balochistan Whites’ Jahangir Khan made full use of his captain’s call and took five wickets for 76 from 29 overs to dismiss Southern Punjab Whites for 224. The right-arm off-spinner Jahangir was equally supported by Hikmatullah and Qurban Ali – both bagging two wickets apiece. At stumps, Balochistan U19 Whites were 1 for one in five overs. At the Rashid Latif Academy Ground, after no play occurred on the opening day, only 5.1 overs were bowled on day two between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites and Sindh U19 Whites after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites won the toss and elected to bat first. Scores in brief – Pool A: Central Punjab U19 Blues v Northern U19 Blues at the Hanif Mohammad HPC Ground, Karachi Northern U19 Blues 212 all out, 77.5 overs (Shamyl Hussain 61; Arham Nawab 4-76, Ali Asfand 3-56, Ayub Khan 2-28) Central Punjab U19 Blues 98-5, 37 overs (Farhan Yousaf 22; Amir Hasan 2-34, Abidullah 2-36) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues v Sindh U19 Blues at the KCA Stadium, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues 91-2, 23.4 overs (Afaq Khan 56, Mohammad Farooq 29) Balochistan U19 Blues v Southern Punjab U19 Blues at the TMC Ground, Karachi Balochistan U19 Blues 95-1, 31.1 overs (Ikramullah 49, Basit Ali 42 not out) Scores in brief – Pool B: Central Punjab U19 Whites v Northern U19 Whites at the NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Central Punjab U19 Whites 312-8, 83 overs (Ali Razzaq 67, Ali Zoraiz 65, Moiz Rana 61; Abdul Basit 4-100, Mohammad Nabeel 2-55, Abuzar 2-66) Northern U19 Whites 117 all out, 52.4 overs (Mohammad Ammar 41, Dawood Nazar 32; Hassan Ali 4-20, Hassan Gillani 3-30, Samama Riaz 2-24) and 90-3, 58 overs (follow-on) (Ali Taj 49) Balochistan U19 Whites v Southern Punjab U19 Whites at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab U19 Whites 224 all out, 72.3 overs (Haseeb Nazim 57, Hamza Nawaz 34, Harib Moeen 34; Jahangir Khan 5-76, Qurban Ali 2-23, Hikmatullah 2-66) Balochistan U19 Whites 1-1, five overs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites v Sindh U19 Whites at the Rashid Latif Academy, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites 8-0, 5.1 overs

Sports Bulletin Report Birmingham (UK):-India, at the back of Smriti Mandhana’s blazing unbeaten 63 off 42, recorded an eight-wicket win over Pakistan in Group A match of the Commonwealth Games 2022 at Edgbaston Cricket Stadium on Sunday. India rolled over the 100-run target with eight wickets in hand and as many as 38 balls spare. India were provided a solid start to their run chase by left-handed Mandhana as her flurry of boundaries helped them cross the fifty-run mark inside the powerplay, which was reduced to five overs after the match started late because of a rain delay and the T20I affair curtailed to 18 overs. India’s both wickets fell to spinners, Shafali Verma, came off leg-spinner Tuba Hasan and Sabbhineni Meghana bowled by Omaima Sohail. Pakistan, after electing to bat, were all out for 99. Wicketkeeper-batter Muneeba Ali top scored with 30-ball 32. India’s Sneh Rana and Radha Yadav picked up two wickets each, while Renuka Singh, Meghna Singh and Shafali shared three wickets equally. Pakistan will play their last match of the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday against Australia. Scores in brief: Pakistan Women 99 all out, 18 overs (Muneeba Ali 32; Sneh Rana 2-15, Radha Yadav 2-18) India Women 102 for 2, 11.4 overs (Smriti Mandhana 63 not out)

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Half-centuries by Ali Razzaq, Ali Zoraiz and Moiz Rana helped Central Punjab U19 Whites to a respectable score against Northern U19 Whites at the NBP Sports Complex on the opening day of the National U19 Championship on Saturday. The other two matches of Pool B and one match of Pool A was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. In the Pool B match, after being put into bat by Northern Whites, Central Punjab Whites managed to score 312 for the loss of eight wickets from 83 overs. Opening pair of Ali Zoraiz and Moiz provided a solid 127-run stand for the first wicket. Ali scored 65 off 118 balls, hitting eight boundaries. Moiz chipped in with a 115-ball 61, which included nine fours. Ali Razzaq coming to bat at number four top-scored with a 98-ball 67. The right-handed batter struck nine fours during his 180 minutes stay at the crease. For Northern U19 Whites, Abdul Basit with his right-arm leg-spin bagged four wickets for 100 from 23 overs. He was supported by Abuzar and Mohammad Nabeel, both picking two wickets apiece. In return, Northern U19 Whites were five for no loss from three overs when stumps were drawn. Pool A fixtures: At the Hanif Mohammad HPC Ground in Karachi, Northern U19 Blues captain Shamyl Hussain scored an unbeaten half-century as his side scored 77 for two from 27 overs against Central Punjab U19 Blues. Due to rain, no further play was held after lunch break. Opting to bat first, left-handed Shamyl and Ali Abbas provided a 58-run start to the Northern innings. After the departure of Ali (17, 55b, two fours), Saad Masood was next to go just on the verge of lunch with 76 runs on the board. Shamyl remained unbeaten on 56 off 85 balls, which included seven fours and one six. At the TMC Ground in Karachi, only 25 overs of play occurred as no play took place in the first two sessions due to rain and wet outfield. After being put into bat by Southern Punjab U19 Blues, Balochistan U19 Blues opening pair provided an unbroken 78-run partnership for the first wicket. Basit Ali scored 40 off 70 balls, hitting three fours, while Ikramullah struck five boundaries during his 80-ball 38-run knock. Scores in brief – Pool A: Central Punjab U19 Blues v Northern U19 Blues at the Hanif Mohammad HPC Ground, Karachi Northern U19 Blues 77-2, 27 overs (Shamyl Hussain 56 not out) Balochistan U19 Blues v Southern Punjab U19 Blues at the TMC Ground, Karachi Balochistan U19 Blues 78-0, 25 overs (Basit Ali 40 not out, Ikramullah 38 not out) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues v Sindh U19 Blues at the KCA Ground, Karachi First day’s play abandoned due to rain Scores in brief – Pool B: Central Punjab U19 Whites v Northern U19 Whites at the NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Central Punjab U19 Whites 312-8, 83 overs (Ali Razzaq 67, Ali Zoraiz Asif 65, Moiz Rana 61; Abdul Basit 4-100, Mohammad Nabeel 2-55, Abuzar 2-66) Northern U19 Whites 5-0, three overs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites v Sindh U19 Whites at the Rashid Latif Academy Ground, Karachi First day’s play abandoned due to rain Balochistan U19 Whites v Southern Punjab U19 Whites at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi First day’s play abandoned due to rain

Bipin Dani The International Cricket Council (ICC) has added four women cricketers in their match officials’ panels. All four women have been added to the ICC's Development panel.  Out of these four women cricketers, Nimali Perera and Dedunu de Silva will act as umpires, and Michelle Perera and Vanessa De Silva are the match-referees. Incidentally, Dedunu de Silva and Vaneesa de Silva have played for the national team and other two- Nimali Perera and Michelle have played for the "A" team. Janani Narayanan, Vrinda Rathi, G. S. Lakshmi (India), Shivani Mishra (India-born, now based in Qatar) are few of the other Asian women in the ICC panel of umpires and match referee. They have been getting a chance to officiate in the men's matches. More to learn Officiating in the men's match will give more confidence, says Nimali Perera. "Doing men's matches gives me more confidence. The game is so hard, we have to concentrate more in men's matches than in women's", she said. "It is rather more difficult to officiate in a men's match but it gives us a lot of experience and a lot more to learn", she added. Umpiring is rather harder than playing in a match. One wrong decision can change the entire match", she added.

Sports Bulletin Report Birmingham (UK):-Barbados women handed a 15-run defeat to Pakistan women in their opening match of the Commonwealth Games 2022 at the Edgbaston in Birmingham on Friday night. Chasing 145 to win, Pakistan lost four wickets with 49 runs on the board. Iram Javed (first-ball duck), Muneeba Ali (17, 19b, three fours), Omaima Sohail (10, 14b, two fours) and Bismah Maroof (12, 28b, one four) were all back in the hut in the 11th over but Nida Dar’s unbeaten half-century kept Pakistan in the run-chase. Coming to bat at number five, Nida collected 20 runs from Shamilia Connell’s final over and 15th over of the innings. The over included three fours and a huge six from Nida’s bat. The pair of Nida and Aliya Riaz went on to collect 11 runs in the 17th over with 39 runs required from the last three overs. The pair scored eight runs from the 18th over. Aaliyah Alleyne broke the partnership on her last ball of the spell with Aliya going for a shot over mid-off, but was held by Connell in the 19th over. Aliya scored a 24-ball 14 and added 69 runs for the fifth wicket with Nida. With 27 runs required off the final over, Pakistan managed to score 11 runs with Ayesha Naseem striking a six off the second ball of the over. Nida brought up her half-century in the final over and returned undefeated on 50 off 31 balls. Her innings included seven boundaries and one six. For Barbados, Alleyne, Connell, Dottin and Matthews bagged a wicket each. Earlier, after winning the toss and opting to field first, Bismah Maroof-led side restricted Barbados to 144 for four from their allotted 20 overs. Deandra Dottin was the first Barbados batter to return to the pavilion when she tried to play too many shots in the opening over of the match and was caught by Bismah bowled Diana Baig for eight with nine runs on the board. Captain Hayley Matthews was joined by wicketkeeper-batter Kycia Knight and both batters scored runs at all parts of the ground. The pair knitted a 107-run partnership for the second wicket – the highest in the match. Matthews scored a 50-ball 51, hitting four fours and one six. Knight returned undefeated on 62 off 56 balls, which included nine boundaries. For Pakistan, right-arm fast Fatima Sana was the most successful bowler with two for 41 from four overs. Diana was the other wicket taker with one for 14 from two overs. Pakistan will now take on the arch-rivals India on Sunday, 31 July at the same venue. Scores in brief: Barbados women beat Pakistan women by 15 runs Barbados women 144-4, 20 overs (Kycia Knight 62 not out, Hayley Matthews 51; Fatima Sana 2-41) Pakistan women 129-6, 20 overs (Nida Dar 50 not out)

Sports Bulletin Report Birmingham (UK):-Despite the rain affected tri-series in Ireland which hampered the team preparations, the Bismah Maroof-led Pakistan are confident of a good show in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The green shirts, placed in Group A, open their campaign against Barbados with a day-night match at Birmingham’s famous Edgbaston Stadium. After the Barbados clash, Pakistan play arch-rivals India on Sunday, 31 July followed by a match against T20 world champions Australia on Wednesday, 3 August. The top two sides from each of the two pools (four teams in each pool) will progress to the semi-finals that will be played on 6 August with the third position playoff and final scheduled to take place on 7 August. All 16 event matches will be staged at the Edgbaston Stadium. In the Ireland tri-series, only one out of Pakistan’s four matches were completed. Nida Dar’s all-round performance which won her the player of the match award, guided the team to a 13-run win over the hosts courtesy the DLS method. The two matches against Australia had to be called-0ff midway while the other group match against Ireland was abandoned without a ball bowled. Rain interruptions also hampered the pre-tour camp in Islamabad earlier this month. David Hemp, the team’s head coach though believes that Pakistan will stay competitive in the Commonwealth Games as the squad aspires to impress and show their mettle regardless of the challenge of three formidable sides in Group A. Head Coach David Hemp: “Unfortunately the matches in Ireland got curtailed due to the weather but we did manage to complete all practice sessions. The players experiencing different conditions in the UK was a very valuable exercise. We were looked after very well in Ireland and want to thank the organisers for making the tour an enjoyable one. “Since arriving in Birmingham we have completed one practice session which was last night at Edgbaston and the players are really excited about the event. The game on Friday is what we have our eyes as we played two practice matches against MCC yesterday, the idea was to utilise all players in the squad in the two games and give them match exposure before the formal start of the event. “The match against Barbados will be a big challenge as they are a formidable unit as most of the players’ make-up the West Indies side. It is a great opportunity to play at a venue like Edgbaston and we hope the weather will be kind to us and we get to play all three pool games in the coming week.” Squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan. Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (Manager), David Hemp (Head coach), Saleem Jaffer (Bowling coach), Muhammad Zubair Ahmed (Analyst) and Rifat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist). Schedule of Pakistan matches: vs Barbados – 29 July, Birmingham vs India – 31 July, Birmingham vs Australia – 3 August, Birmingham Semi-finals – 6 August, Birmingham Third position playoff and final – 7 August, Birmingham

Sports Bulletin Report Galle (Sri Lanka):-The national side will depart for Pakistan via Dubai today at 2035 from Colombo airport. The team will arrive in Pakistan on the morning of 29 July. According to an official of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Azhar Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Faheem Ashraf will arrive in Lahore while Haris Rauf, Yasir Shah and Mohammad Nawaz in Islamabad. Nauman Ali, Saud Shakeel, Fawad Alam and Sarfaraz Ahmed will arrive in Karachi while Hasan Ali will stay in Dubai

Sports Bulletin Report Galle (Sri Lanka):-Left-arm-spinner Prabath Jayasuriya (player of the series) continued his dream start to Test cricket (29 wickets in three Tests) as his five-wicket haul earned Sri Lanka a comprehensive 246-run win in the second match of the ICC World Test Championship series against Pakistan at the Galle International Stadium on Thursday. Hosts Sri Lanka’s win tied the two-match series 1-1. The Babar Azam-led Pakistan had won the first Test by four wickets last week. The defeat has sent Pakistan to the number five spot in the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 rankings while Sri Lanka have moved up to number three. On Thursday – day-five of the Test, Pakistan resumed their second innings in pursuit of the 508-run record target at 89 for one and had to endure a big blow on the 13th ball of the day. Opener Imam-ul-Haq fell one short of his half-century with Ramesh Mendis inducing an edge that was neatly held by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. Imam’s 49 was compiled off 90 balls and included four fours. Mohammad Rizwan joined Babar and ensured that Pakistan continue to keep the scoreboard moving with an enterprising approach of strike rotation and the odd boundary whenever an opportunity appeared. The pair added 79 runs for the third-wicket while weathering some anxious moments before Rizwan was bowled by Jayasuriya while offering no-shot to a ball that straightened after pitching. Rizwan scored 37 off 69 balls (six fours), his dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse as Pakistan lost Fawad Alam (1) and Salman Ali Agha (4) by lunch. Fawad was run out while attempting a quick single while Salman was brilliantly caught at short-leg by Kusal Mendis off Jayasuriya. Pakistan took lunch at 188 for five, 320 runs short of the target. Once play resumed, Jayasuriya delivered a series of probing overs and was eventually rewarded with the prized wicket of Babar who fell lbw for 81 in the 66th over of the innings, prior to the dismissal, Babar was dropped in the slips in Jayasuriya’s previous over. Babar’s typically elegant innings included six fours and one six, he faced 146 balls. Mohammad Nawaz (12) was caught in the covers while attempting a big hit off Ramesh Mendis. Yasir Shah scored a quickfire 27 (25 balls, six fours) before falling to Jayasuriya with Kusal Mendis taking a sharp catch. Hasan Ali (11) was bowled by Ramesh Mendis in the next over. The match ended when Naseem Shah was caught at the mid-wicket boundary off Ramesh Mendis for 18 off 21 balls. Pakistan were bowled out for 261 in 77 overs. Jayasuriya bowled 32 overs and conceded 117 runs for his five-fer. Ramesh Mendis took four for 101 in 30 overs. Dhananjaya de Silva who scored a century in the second innings and led Sri Lanka on the field in the absence of the injured Dimuth Karunaratne was named player of the match. Scores in brief: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 246 runs Sri Lanka 378 all out, 103 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 80, Niroshan Dickwella 51, Oshada Fernando 50; Naseem Shah 3-58, Yasir Shah 3-83) and 360 for 8, 91.5 overs (Dhananjaya de Silva 109, Dimuth Karunaratne 61, Ramesh Mendis 45 not out; Naseem Shah 2-44, Mohammad Nawaz 2-75) Pakistan 231 all out, 88.1 overs (Salman Ali Agha 62, Imam-ul-Haq 32; Ramesh Mendis 5-47, Prabath Jayasuriya 3-80) and 89 for 1, 28 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 46 not out, Babar Azam 26 not out; Prabath Jayasuriya 1-46) and 261 all out, 77 overs (Babar Azam 81, Imam-ul-Haq 49, Mohammad Rizwan 37; Prabath Jayasuriya 5-117, Ramesh Mendis 4-101) Player of the Match: Dhananjaya de Silva Player of the Series: Prabath Jayasuria