Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan Blind Cricket Council (PBCC) has finalized the national squad for home series against South Africa. Nasir Ali will lead the Pakistan team in the most important series of the year 2022. Mohammad Jameel will accompany the squad as a coach while Mohammad Niaz will perform the duty of manager during the series. Twenty 20 Series (Schedule): 1st T-20 on 5th March at Bagh e Jinnah Lahore 2nd T-20 on 7th March at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad 2nd T20 on 8th March at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Names of players: 1. Zafar Iqbal B1 2. Riasat Khan B1 3. Mohammad Shahzaib B1 4. Fakhar Abbas B1 5. Sajid Nawaz B1 6. Nisar Ali (Captain) B2 7. Badar Munir B2 8. Matiullah B2 9. Anees Javed B2 10. Moain Aslam B2 11. Mohammad Rashid B3 12. Faisal Mehmood B3 13. Sanaullah Marwat B3 14. Akmal Hayyat B3 15. Israr ul Hassan B3 Reserve 16. Mohammad Salman B1 17. Shahzaib Haider B2 18. Mohsin Khan B3 Team Officials 19. Mohammad Niaz Manager 20. Mohammad Jameel Coach 21. Tahir Mehmood Butt Trainer

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Nasira Public School, Civil Aviation Authority Model School, Karachi Public School, Dawood Public School and Aga Khan Higher Secondary participated in the 2nd AHC-JCA Girls School Cricket Cup, which was organized by the Australian High Commission (AHC) at Jalaluddin Cricket Academy (JCA) in Karachi. The girls also participated in a five-day coaching clinic before the competition. At the end of the tournament, the special guest, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia Joanna Frederickson distributed prizes among the players and officials, who showed outstanding performance, including the winning team. "We are delighted to have first class PCB coaches at the five-day coaching clinic, who helped to build confidence, boost team spirit and inspire the girls," said Joanna Frederickson, Deputy High Commissioner of Australia.

Bipin Dani Former India captain and a member of the 1983 World Cup winning team Sunil Gavaskar has been given the honour to ring the newly installed bell at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. "The name of Sunil Gavaskar was suggested by the Indian cricket board when we asked for it", Riasat Ali, the director of the UPCA (Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association), speaking exclusively over the telephone said. "Gavaskar being the senior most player to be present at the ground is the right person we have chosen for the job". In the history of the Association, this being the first time that the night match (T-20I between India and Sri Lanka) would be inaugurated by ringing of the bell 5-minutes before the game. There have been such bells at Lord's (London) and Eden Gardens (Kolkata) also. The bell at Lucknow is made up of brass, we are told. 

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Mohammad Nawaz ruled out of Pakistan Australia Test series owing to his foot injury, as the three Test-Match series will be started from March 4, 2022 at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi. The following is an update on the Pakistan Test side for the Australia Tests: 1-Mohammad Nawaz has been ruled out of the series with a foot injury. He will not be replaced in the side 2-Naseem Shah and Sarfaraz Ahmed have now been added as traveling reserves. They will only be considered for selection if there is an injury 3-Mohammad Haris has been added to the reserve players list. However, he, along with Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas and Yasir Shah have been advised to participate in the Pakistan Cup, which commences on 2 March. If required, they will be drafted into the side 4-Test players who attended a training camp in Karachi and those not involved in HBL PSL 2022 playoffs will arrive in Islamabad later tonight. After observing a three-day room isolation, they will hold a training session on 27 February 5-Test players involved in the HBL PSL 2022 playoffs will travel to Islamabad in a bubble on 28 February and will participate in a training session on 1 March Names of 15-player squad: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Haris Rauf (Northern), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shan Masood (Balochistan) and Zahid Mahmood (Sindh) Test schedule: 1st Test, Rawalpindi March 4-8 2nd Test, Karachi March 12-16 3rd Test, Lahore March 21-25

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-The Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan (CFU) team will likely visit Islamabad at end of this month February to play cricket matches with different teams including Shalimar Cricket Academy in the capital city of Pakistan. According to an official, the Uzbek cricket team will likely arrive in Islamabad on February 26, 2022 and play four friendly cricket matches against different oppositions. The visit aims to highlight the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan Uzbekistan diplomatic relations. The Shalimar Cricket Academy will be organizing the matches during the 9-day trip emerging teams to face with CFU’s Senior and Under-19 lads. It will be first international visit of Uzbekistan cricket team since its establishment in 2019. “We hope the intended friendly matches will attract more cricket fans towards Cricket Federation of Uzbekistan, as the cricket is quite new in Uzbekistan. And, with more people involved in developing this wonderful sport in Uzbekistan, better for all involved parties, “he concluded.

I clearly remember the emotions from the final of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in 2017, having come so close to winning. The match against England was played in a packed Lord’s stadium and to miss out on that chance is something that will rankle forever. It has been an honour to have led India to two of the three ICC finals we have reached, going back to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2005 in South Africa. We have had several memorable performances over this period but are missing that one huge win. We have now been the beaten finalists in the most recent 50-over and 20-over World Cup finals and have learnt so much from those experiences that we will take into this World Cup in New Zealand. We have shown that we are more than capable of winning the trophy, it is now just a case of doing it and the impact of doing so would be incredible. I can only imagine what its effect would be. Not only would it mean so much for the players and our families, but it would make a real difference for all our fans back home in India, where there is already great anticipation for a Women’s IPL. Our fans are some of the most passionate in the world and we know that they will be watching on. I’m sure if we did win, we would be able to hear them all the way from New Zealand. To be recognised on the streets in my country is something I never expected when I appeared in my first World Cup in 2000, also in New Zealand, but that is now so common and shows how much the game has grown in India. Jhulan Goswami was by my side in 2005 and has been an ever-present member of the Indian team in all those years since, she has amassed 240 wickets in ODIs, 60 more than anyone else and luckily shows no signs of slowing down. We both so badly want to win an ICC World title before we call it a day! We have, of course, been joined by so many talented youngsters in recent years. There is huge talent in India and I am sure the next crop of players is already inspiring thousands and thousands of girls out there to pick up the bat or ball. When I was growing up, there was only the odd girl attending an academy but bunches of them are the norm nowadays. Shafali Verma is surely one of the players being watched with great enthusiasm back home. She is one of the world’s rising stars and I am backing her to have more impressive performances for India throughout the tournament with guidance and support from the stylish Smriti Mandhana at the other end. Taniya Bhatia has been very reliable behind the stumps and Richa Ghosh is hot on her heels, meaning we have two wicketkeepers we can trust. We all know what Harmanpreet Kaur can do on the world stage. Her 171 not out in the 2017 semi-final against Australia earned us a place in the final and her performances in last year’s Women’s Big Bash League show she is ready to do it again. We are very fortunate to be heading into this tournament having played New Zealand, Australia and England in recent months. The series in New Zealand has given us a chance to acclimatise, particularly to the seaming conditions we don't often experience at home. Against England, we won one of the three ODI matches and put up a good fight in the other two before beating Australia to end their run of 26 one-day wins. Those results show what is possible if we come together as a team and believe in ourselves, and now, I am just excited to get out there and play.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-15 Match Officials named for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, which is to be played across six venues in New Zealand from 4 March to 3 April. The International Cricket Council’s commitment to support women officials reflects in the appointments with several making their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup debuts starting with the tournament opener between the West Indies and hosts New Zealand at the Bay Oval in Tauranga. Former South Africa player Shandré Fritz, who featured in the 2005, 2009 and 2013 World Cups, will be the Match Referee in a Women’s World Cup match for the first time in the opener, as will her compatriot Lauren Agenbag, the first woman from her country to umpire a T20I International. Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (on-field), Alex Wharf (third umpire) and Sue Redfern (fourth umpire) will be the other officials for the match. Apart from Agenbeg, Fritz and Redfern, the other women officiating in the tournament are Match Referee GS Lakshmi and Umpires Kim Cotton, Claire Polosak, Eloise Sheridan and Jacqueline Williams. Adrian Griffith, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, said the appointments were part of ICC’s policy of nurturing the best available talent in different countries. Adrian Griffith: “We are proud to announce eight women Match Officials in our team for the tournament. We had six women Match Officials at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020 and the steady upward path is as per our plans and keeping with our long-term vision. “But while we have been continuously increasing the number of women officials, there have been no concessions and all of them deserve to be there. The appointments are based on merit, and they have made it to the top level because of their skill and perseverance. “It is good to have a good mix of experience and it is heartening to note the number of firsts for women officials in recent years. I wish all the Match Officials the very best and am confident that we will have fine adjudication during the tournament.” Lakshmi, who was the first woman to be named in the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees in 2019, will make her Women’s World Cup debut in the second match of the eight-team tournament while Polosak, Redfern and Williams, all pathbreakers too, will stand in their second Women’s World Cups. Polosak was the first woman to stand in a Men’s ODI, Redfern the first to have both played and stood in the Women’s World Cup, while Williams was the first woman to officiate as the Third Umpire in a men’s ODI. Paul Wilson, Langton Rusere, Ahmad Shah Pakteen and Ruchira Palliyaguruge are other experienced officials in the tournament while two New Zealanders - Umpire Kim Cotton and Match Referee Gary Baxter – also feature in the list of three Match Referees and 12 Umpires. Match Referees: Gary Baxter, GS Lakshmi, Shandré Fritz. Umpires: Lauren Agenbag, Kim Cotton, Ahmad Shah Pakteen, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Claire Polosak, Suzanne Redfern, Langton Rusere, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Eloise Sheridan, Alexander Wharf, Jacqueline Williams, Paul Wilson.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ireland confirm the big tickets to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia on Tuesday after reaching the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier A, supported by Dream 11, at Al Amerat. The two winning teams took the 13th and 14th spots for the tournament in Australia later this year, with the last two places to be decided at the Qualifier B in July. Chasing an imposing victory target of 176 to win, Nepal were rocked by the early strikes of UAE pacer Junaid Siddique. The quick, was in top gear, removing the top-three Nepal batters in his three-over spell. A sensational opening over saw Siddique sending back opener Aasif Sheikh and one-down batter Lokesh Bam off two successive balls. Nepal were 3-2 in six balls and the chase looked a tall order. Siddique then took the prize scalp of Nepal’s in-form batter Kushal Bhurtel in his second over. UAE skipper Ahmed Raza’s double-strike in the 13th over extinguished whatever hopes Nepal had as they were down to 83-6. Raza’s golden arm found him more success to wrap up Nepal innings for 107 and his five-wicket haul earning him the player of the match award. The experienced duo of Dipendra Singh Airee (38) and Gyanendra Malla were the only batters to reach double digits. Earlier, Vriitya Aravind, the new poster boy of UAE Cricket, continued with his blazing batting display. A whirlwind knock of 46 off 23 set the tone for his team’s impressive total. Opting to make the first use of the wicket, UAE plans to get off a fast start in the match were thwarted by Nepal bowlers. Chirag Suri was castled by Jitendra Mukhiya, who finished with a three-wicket haul, as UAE were 6-1 in 10 balls. Opener Muhammad Waseem regained his touch and along with Aravind took the rival attack to the cleaners. The teenager had hammered 5 fours and 3 maximums. He has now scored 267 runs so far to be the leading run-getter in the qualifiers. Waseem and Mohammad Usman then shared a stand of 64. Waseem cut loose in the 11th over smashing two boundaries and a six of Bohara. The opener reached his half-century in style with a six off Kamal Airee. With five overs remaining, UAE were 131/2. They put the pedal on the metal but lost two wickets in the 17th over off Bohara, who dismissed Usman and Waseem. Waseem’s 48-ball 70 was laced with 4 fours and 4 sixes. Zawar Farid’s big hits got UAE a productive over, but he perished in the same over. UAE added another 21 in the last two overs to reach 175. Ireland ease to victory Batting first after losing the toss, Ireland posted a total of 165/7. Gareth Delany top scored with a masterfully constructed 32-ball 47. Oman began the Powerplay well as Ireland’s usually reliable opening pair – Paul Stirling and Andrew Balbirnie - failed them this time. However, Delany and Harry Tector erected an 82-run fourth wicket stand to put the pressure back on the hosts. Tector was the aggressor early on, but once Delany settled in, fireworks ensued on both ends of the wicket. Skipper Zeeshan Maqsood in particular endured a difficult afternoon with the ball as Delany devoured his only over, smashing three consecutive sixes. Bilal Khan had dismissed both the openers earlier and Kaleemullah matched his strike partner’s efforts by plotting Tector’s demise for a well-made 35. Lorcan Tucker followed suit in the very next ball, and with Khawar Ali sending Delany back in the following over, Oman had their tails up for the final stretch of the innings. With good reason too, as Ireland were placed precariously at 106/5 at the end of 14 overs. George Dockrell chipped in with a valuable 16-ball 18, but it was Andy Mcbrine that provided the fuel to take Ireland past 150. His quick-fire 36 included 3 fours and 2 sixes.

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's two prominent cheerleaders-Gayan Senanayaka and Mohammed Nilam-who were scheduled to arrive in India on Wednesday evening (original plan was to reach India on Tuesday night) will miss the first T-20I in Lucknow. This is because of the Indian cricket board's decision taken in consultation with the host body (UPCA-Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association) to disallow the fans for pandemic reasons.    Confirming the same on Wednesday morning, Gayan Senanayaka said, "we are reaching Delhi on Wednesday, will stay there for two days and will directly head to Dharamshala.  The first T-20I (Night) will be played on Thursday in Lucknow.  "During this pandemic, I have missed many matches but anyhow, the time has now come to cheer for our team. The game without fans is really boring".  Both supporters will be at the ground for two ODIs' in Dharamshala. "We will also attend the first Test at Mohali. It will be our pleasure to attend the Mohali Test, which will be Virat Kohli's 100th Test".  Their presence in the second Test at Bangalore will depend on the BCCI's policy to allow fans. Gayan and Nilam are Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's fans. "We have requested them to provide us with match-tickets".   It may here be recalled that Rohit, in 2017 had provided air tickets to Nilam during the latter's India trip when he learnt that his father was ill in Sri Lanka. India's captain. Next year, Rohit Sharma, who was in Colombo leading the side in the Nidahas Trophy, didn’t forget his promise and paid a visit to Nilam’s family.  Gayan Senanayaka's Indian visit is being sponsored by Deen Brothers. "We have been sponsoring his tours since the last ten years", Najeeb Deen, the Managing Director of the company said over the telephone. Najeeb Deen, the former member of Sri Lanka Cricket's tour organizing committee is also a great fan and has visited ten countries and has witnessed five out of 6 World Cup finals (ODIs and T-20Is) in which his team reached finals.  

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI:-Ten players moved into the next round of the 14th National Tenpin Bowling Championship after producing acceptable performance at Leisure City Bowling Club, Jinnah Park Rawalpindi on Tuesday. Results: Naeem Sarwar (544) points Jawad Ali (539) points Awais Rasheed (535) points Faiz ur Rehman (528) points Unaib Ali (520) points Bablu (516) points Umair Iqbal (532) points Shan Asghar (492) points Malik Shahid (488) points Gazanfar (478) points