BIPIN DANI Earlier this week (Wednesday) the owners and the management of Shree Thaker Bhojanalay at Kalbadevi Road in South Mumbai were not surprised when a table for Gujarati Thali was booked by Sachin Tendulkar's wife Anjali, but yes, they were "pleasantly surprised" to see Little Master on their guest list. "It was because Anjali, being born in a Gujarati family, has been a regular visitor at our restaurant. She dines here frequently and sometimes with her friends, parents or our chief minister's wife but when we saw Sachin also here this time, our joy knew no bounds", says Hemraj Purohit, the manager of the restaurant. The occasion was Anjali Tendulkar's 54th birthday (yes, she is 7 years elder to our Little Master)". The family had decided to celebrate the birthday at Shree Thaker Bhojanalaya, the restaurant famous for Gujju food served in Gujarati Thalis. The restaurant, which is over 75 years old, is located in the most crowded area of the city. The restaurant has a tradition of saying "padharo jamva" (welcome to dine) in Gujarati / Marwadi style to each visitor. "To avoid rush, the family with about 20 people came at around 11.45 and dined and left within 45 minutes. They had brought the cake with them and a special section was provided to them for their privacy". Anjali's parents and friends were there. Daughter Sara was there. Son Arjun was not there. Anjali Tendulkar was born to a well known Gujarati family in India. Her father Anand Mehta (well-known bridge player) is an Indian while her mother Annabel (NGO worker) belongs to a British country. So that’s why her family has a taste of modernism. This beautiful woman Anjali, a pediatrician (not doing practice) married to a well known cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in 1995. "They all tasted all the items served to them and enjoyed the food", the manager adds. "Had a ??? (very good) Gujarati thali at Shree Thaker Bhojnalaya to celebrate Anjali’s birthday. Her Gujju genes are strong but our jeans’ buttons were weak after this meal! ????", Sachin Tendulkar later said on social media.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 12, 2021):- Lord Sebastian Coe, President World Athletics hailed the performance of Pakistani athletes Arshad Nadeem, who produce excellent performance in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. According to an official of Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP), in the opening remarks in the 24th Congress Meeting of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA), Lord Sebastian Coe, President World Athletics appreciated the performance and efforts of Asian Athletics Association as well as Athletics Federation of Pakistan as AFP conducted online seminars for the sports community of Asian region during the Covid-19 crisis. He also applauded the recent outstanding performance by Arshad Nadeem, Javelin Thrower at the Tokyo Olympics. The 24th Congress Meeting of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) was held on 8th November 2021. It was attended by the Presidents and Secretary Generals of 45 Asian Countries. President Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) Maj General (Retd) Mohammad Akram Sahi who is also Vice President of the AAA and Mohammad Zafar Secretary General AFP attended the Congress.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 12, 2021):-The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced an extension to its support agreement with The Adecco Group, the world’s leading talent solutions company, to help strengthen its support for athletes through Athlete365 Career+. The agreement ensures that athletes around the world will receive even greater support and assistance as they transition into life after sport. “The extension of our agreement underlines our commitment to supporting athletes at every stage of their lives,” said IOC Athletes’ Commission Chair  Emma Terho.  “Transitioning into a new career can be a challenging moment, and we are proud that Athlete365 Career+ has already supported thousands of athletes to successfully navigate this challenge. We are grateful that The Adecco Group will continue to make its resources available to athletes as they transition from competing on the field of play to competing in the labour market.” The IOC and The Adecco Group began working together in 2005 on what was then known as the IOC Athlete Career Programme. Since then, the programme, now known as Athlete365 Career+, has provided career development resources and training to more than 50,000 athletes, helping them to maximise their employment opportunities. “At The Adecco Group, we believe in the power of sport and athlete-talent potential,” said Alain Dehaze, CEO The Adecco Group. “For over 16 years, we have worked with the IOC to support athlete careers beyond sport. This support agreement meets with our purpose – to make the future work for everyone. In the next four years, we will be powering Athlete365 Career+ through talent solutions, expertise, and online resources. Our goal is to increase our reach and impact on the athlete community, helping athletes design their next career; positioning them as an unbeatable talent in the broader labour market.” The new agreement focuses on supporting the IOC in the development, management, implementation and coordination of IOC Athlete365 Career+. It also invests into powering Athlete365 Career+ through a blended offering based on three core pillars. The first pillar focuses on athlete career transition solutions. Aiming to support athletes’ career development, online resources will be provided via an Athlete Career Portal accessible from Athlete365, including a bespoke Athlete Attributes Assessment tool to help athletes understand and further build their unique skillset and hidden attributes. Through this pillar, the agreement will also offer the possibility of training to interested NOCs on matters such as career coaching and empowering administrative staff to better support athletes in designing their next career. The second pillar focuses on the provision of expertise and promotion. This support will be in the form of research and thought leadership to position athlete talent into the labour market. The third pillar of the programme will seek to strengthen the athlete employer initiative, working inside and outside the sports industry to build a global network of athlete employers. These arrangements will seek to further develop educational tools and curricula such as the Power Up workshops. IOC Athletes’ Commission Vice-Chair and Chair of the Athlete365 Career+ Steering Committee Seung-min Ryu added: “Transitioning to a new career after sport brings new challenges, but it does not have to promote fear if you are prepared. Through Athlete365 Career+, we strive to be a leader in the career transition for athletes in the fact that we are there for support and solidarity while empowering athletes to carry the beneficial skills learned on the field, throughout their lifelong journey.” Athlete365 Career+ has developed significantly over its many years of delivery. In the last five years, the Olympic Solidarity Athlete Career Transition programme has made funding available to 58 NOCs to organise Outreach workshops for their athletes to equip them with skills around self-knowledge and career exploration. In 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, these workshops pivoted to global digital delivery, resulting in Power Up online workshops having been delivered in six languages to over 1,000 participants from all around the world. In total, over 13,000 athletes have attended in-person or online outreach workshops since 2007.

SPECIAL REPORT: While the spotlight was on India, Pakistan, England and Australia throughout the tournament there was a little voice inside my head saying: ‘hang on don’t forget about New Zealand’. They are the current World Test champions, played in the last 50-over World Cup final and their white-ball cricket has been exceptional over the past couple of years. They are street smart and organised and have an inspirational leader in Kane Williamson. Batting first, England would’ve felt the pressure to put a good score on the board with teams in this tournament preferring to chase. New Zealand have a very strong bowling attack and had the perfect start, breaking the new opening partnership of Jonny Bairstow and Jos Buttler. In a high-pressure game, 160 is a good score and thanks to Moeen Ali, Dawid Malan and a late cameo from Liam Livingstone they reached a total they would’ve felt was defendable in a finals match. Chasing in a semifinal, you want your big guns to fire but when the Black Caps lost Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson, the hopes of a nation were on the shoulders of World Cup newcomers Daryl Mitchell and Devon Conway. On the big stage, this was their opportunity to make a name for themselves in white-ball cricket, and they knew exactly the game they needed to play, blocking out the noise and playing every ball on its merit. That’s the important thing about T20, if one solid partnership can take the game as deep as possible and you have big hitters at the back end, anything is possible. New Zealand won’t mind who they are playing in the final. They’ve already overcome a huge hurdle and got one over England which shows they can handle the heat when it's on them. In a final, it's about doing the basics as well as possible. That, group is really focused on the fundamentals, but also have the ability to flick the switch to fifth gear and blow teams out of the water. Their focus will be on getting themselves ready and controlling what they can control. Whoever they come up against, they'll be ready for them.

SPORTS REPORTER Lahore (November 12, 2021):-Southern Punjab were closing in their first win of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 as they were 56 runs ahead of Northern, who were 175 for six in second innings, when stumps were called on day three of the fourth round fixture at the Multan Cricket Stadium. It was Southern Punjab captain Mohammad Abbas and left-arm orthodox Ali Usman who wreaked havoc with the ball as only two Northern batters Faizan Riaz (51 off 112) and Muhammad Huraira (43 off 83) managed substantial scores. Southern Punjab were earlier bowled out for 394 after beginning the day at 340 for seven as pacer Aamer Jamal recorded his maiden five-fer with five for 111, while Musa Khan added another wicket to his tally to finish with three for 99. Yousuf Babar converted his overnight 116 into 138. At Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 285 for three in 86.4 overs in reply of Balochistan’s 463. Nabi Gul, with an unbeaten 88, had made the most runs for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Sahibzada Farhan and Musadiq Ahmed, who were at the crease overnight, also scored half-centuries. Farhan made 75 off 175 (10 fours), while Musadiq made 91-ball 70 (13 fours). On Saturday, the last day of the round, Nabi and Adil Amin (37 not out) will resume Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s innings. To date, Balochistan have accumulated four points, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have bagged two points (both batting). Scores in brief: Toss Uncontested – Southern Punjab choose to field against Northern at Multan Cricket Stadium Northern 163 all out, 56.1 overs (Nasir Nawaz 58, Umar Amin 29, Umar Waheed 21; Ali Usman 3-39, Mohammad Abbas 2-32, Zia-ul-Haq 2-32, Mohammad Ilyas 2-41) and 175-6, 62 overs (Faizan Riaz 51, Mohammad Huraira 43; Mohammad Abbas 3-36, Ali Usman 2-45) Southern Punjab 394 all out, 97.4 overs (Yousuf Babar 138, Azam Khan 70, Ali Usman 37, Imran Rafiq 34, Tayyab Tahir 22; Aamir Jamal 5-111, Musa Khan 3-99) Innings Points – Northern 3, Southern Punjab 9 Balochistan elect to bat against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after winning the toss at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Balochistan 463-5, 137.5 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 202 not out, Imran Butt 140, Haris Sohail 79; Asif Afridi 2-139) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 285-3, 8.4 overs (Nabi Gul 88 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 75, Musadiq Ahmed 70, Adil Amin 37) Innings Points – Balochistan 4, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (November 12, 2021):-Umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough will assume on-field duties in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be played between Australia and New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Umpires Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough will assume on-field duties in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be played between Australia and New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. Nitin Menon will be the TV umpire for the match while Kumar Dharmasena will be the fourth umpire. The final will be overseen by Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle. Match Officials for the final: Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle On-field umpires: Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough TV umpire: Nitin Menon Fourth umpire: Kumar Dharmasena

SPECIAL REPORT: Even though they ended up losing, I’m incredibly proud of the way this Pakistan team performed and how close they came to reaching the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 final.  In the end it came down to a few lapses in the field because they had put the runs on the board and everyone contributed. They just could not quite get over the line against Australia.  Shaheen Shah Afridi’s first over was incredible. That is becoming an event, everything stops when he has the new ball in his hand. He has been brilliant and builds up pressure because of his consistency, his application and his skill. The best batters in the world feel under pressure when he has that new ball and it is incredible the way he has used it in this tournament.  This team knew they were good enough to perform like this, 12 of the 15 won the Champions Trophy so it was in their muscle memory. That’s why I, along with a lot of people, knew that you could not rule them out.  The tournament did show that Pakistan are still quite new to these sort of match-ups and how teams use data to plan, execute and select their teams. That is an area where I think they can improve, and likewise when it comes to dealing with pressure.  And the last thing, which might have been the key to the semi-final, is about using all 15 players in the squad. Since the warm-ups, Pakistan have stuck with the same XI throughout, whereas there might have been an opportunity to try some other plans, or bring in a top player like Mohammad Wasim Jnr at some point. We saw Australia change things, leaving out Marcus Stoinis at one point then bringing him back and he ended up being the match winner.  It can be good to test a few people just to give yourself options when it comes to the knockout stages.  Australia seem to be peaking at just the right time and the way they have planned and covered all bases for these knockout stages has been really impressive. They knew they needed the extra batting and it won them the semi-final.  What is great about this team is that they were still not at their best, they missed a few chances in the field so they can still improve on this performance which makes them even more dangerous.  I would love to see New Zealand lift the trophy, but I think Australia may have the edge in the final because they have the better balance, particularly with Devon Conway out injured. He has been such a key player for New Zealand and his absence might just swing it Australia’s way. 

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 12, 2021):-The Royal Business Solutions (RBS) Diplomatic Football League 2021-22 Season-5 will kick off next week in the capital city Islamabad, as 11 teams will take part in the prestigious diplomatic football league including defending champions Kingdoms of Saudi Arabia (KSA). League will conclude in March next year. The launching ceremony was held on Friday at a local hotel. The trophy was unveiled on this occasion, as diplomats and countless sports lovers were present on this eve. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Royal Business Solutions (RBS) Adeel Riaz was also present in the wonderful and colourful ceremony. Besides defending champions Saudi Arabia, Thailand A, Thailand B, Gold Stars, Kazakhstan, Japan, Diplomatic, Gerry, Indonesia, Europeans Team, and Malaysian and RBS Diplomats teams will fight for top honours. Diplomats from 27 different countries will be in action during the tournament. The matches will be played on Saturday and Sunday of each week.    Title sponsor of the League were RBS Royal Business Solution, powered by Gerrys , Marriot Hotel Islamabad , Comet Sports, Joshila and  Alamco Duty free. The League is being organized by Mubasher Sanjrani, a former international football player of Pakistan, representing Sanjrani Oxen Enterprises. The previous diplomatic Gerry’s League was won by Saudi Embassy Team after beating in the final Brazilian team.  Adeel Riaz CEO from Royal Business Solutions, David Richard General Manager Marriot hotel and Fahad Jahangir, Head of Customer Care Gerry’s were present on this occasion. During the event all the participating teams uniforms were presented along with their logos and in the end the trophy was unveiled. The  Diplomatic Football League is the only platform that provides a healthy activity and brings people from different parts of the world closer through the lovely game football for a joyful time, especially for diplomatic community residing in Pakistan to shows them the soft image of our country Pakistan.  

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 12, 2021):-Abhilasha Bista from Nepal pairing with Goetz Taylor from United States of America (USA) lifted the Girls’ Double title after beating Daria Stefania Malaescu (ROU) and Sharvani Shrestha (NEP) 2-0 in the NBP-PTF International Juniors Tennis Championship at PTF Tennis Complex Islamabad on Friday. The score-line was 6-1 and 6-2. Meanwhile, Abdullah Adnan (PAK) and Abhishek Thorat (USA) set to meet in the final of Boys’ Singles of the ITF Pakistan, NBP-PTF International Juniors Tennis Championship after winning their respective semifinals at same venue. In the Boys' Singles semifinals, Abdullah Adnan ousted top seed Aarav Samrat Hada (NEP) in straight sets 2-0 after showing impressive performance, as he will meet Abhishek Thorat (USA) in the final at same venue on Saturday. American guy outclassed Yunes Talawar (IRI) in straight sets in the second semifinal. Results: Boys Singles (Semifinals): Abdullah Adnan (PAK) beat Aarav Samrat Hada (NEP) 7-5, 6-0 Abhishek Thorat (USA) beat Yunes Talawar (IRI) 6-1, 6-3 Boys Doubles (Final):  Ahmet Atabay (TUR) / Yunes Takawar (IRI) beat Aarav Samrat Hada (NEP) / Aki Zuben Rawat (NEP) 6-0, 3-6 (11-9) Girls Doubles (Final):  Abhilasha Bista (NEP) / Goetz Taylor (USA) beat Daria Stefania Malaescu (ROU) / Sharvani Shrestha (NEP) 6-1, 6-2.

SPECIAL REPORT Dubai (November 11, 2021):-Australia reached in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2021 after beating Pakistan by five wickets in the second semifinal at Dubai International Stadium Dubai on Thursday night. When David Warner and Glenn Maxwell fell in successive overs from Shadab Khan, the chase of 177 seemed doomed, but Stoinis and Wade had other ideas as they put on 81 in 7.4 overs. Stoinis started the comeback as he went after Haris Rauf, but it was Wade who did the most damage with three consecutive sixes off Shaheen Shah Afridi after being dropped by Hasan Ali to seal an unlikely success. Pakistan had made 176 for four batting first thanks to half-centuries from Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman, while Shadab Khan’s four for 26 looked to have swung the game their way. But this Australia team has already shown incredible resolve in this tournament and it was the case again here as they dug themselves out of a hole to reach a second ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final. It was a remarkable game, with Pakistan batting consultant Matthew Hayden revealing that Rizwan had spent the previous night in hospital with a lung problem, but he was fit to take his place in Dubai as Pakistan were put in to bat. And while he looked very nervous early on, Babar Azam was able to score quickly before Rizwan settled in. He was almost dismissed off Maxwell, a surprise choice to bowl in the powerplay, with Warner racing back but not quite able to take a stunner over his shoulder. The turning point for Rizwan seemed to be the first ball of the fifth over from Josh Hazlewood which he smashed for six over the legside, before being given a second life, Adam Zampa this time putting down a tough chance off the last ball of the powerplay when it was whipped flat down to him at long leg but slipped from his grasp inches from the ground. With 47 for none, Pakistan had their best score of the powerplay in the tournament and Babar continued to press on. But Maxwell and Zampa then managed to stem the flow of runs and that pressure told as Babar tried to take on the latter, picking out Warner on the boundary. Maxwell’s bowling was proving crucial, ensuring that Australia’s fifth bowler would not prove the weak link as he went for just 20 from three overs. Rizwan’s charge was slowed by a vicious short delivery from Mitchell Starc which rattled into the grill on his helmet. He responded by hitting Hazlewood for six before getting to his half-century the next delivery.  In this tournament, Pakistan have been exceptional in the final four overs, and it was no different here as Fakhar finally found his groove, smashing Hazlewood for six over long-on before Rizwan put a high full toss away for four and the resulting free hit into the stands for six. With 21 off that over and 49 off his four, Hazlewood proved expensive. Eventually, Rizwan went for 67, scooping Starc to mid-off, but Fakhar, the only Pakistan batter who had not really fired in this tournament to date, had his eye in. The next ball he smashed Starc miles back over his head before almost taking out umpire Chris Gaffaney with a straight four. Asif Ali had averaged a six every three balls in this tournament, but he could not contribute this time, picking out Steve Smith on the boundary on his first ball, from Pat Cummins. It should have been two in two but Smith put down Fakhar next ball, running in from the boundary as he watched the ball bounce out of his hands.  While Cummins went for just three runs off the 19th over, and Starc removed Shoaib Malik at the start of the last, back-to-back sixes from Fakhar took him to an unbeaten 55 and Pakistan to an imposing 176 for four. Australia’s chase got off to the worst possible start as Shaheen produced one of the overs of the tournament to kick things off. He trapped Aaron Finch leg before off the third delivery, then Mitchell Marsh almost suffered the same fate from a yorker next ball, surviving the review thanks to a pair of umpire’s calls. In the fourth over, Warner started to take a liking to Imad Wasim, and as he and Marsh got going, suddenly Australia were motoring along. By the end of the powerplay, they had 52 for one, the best of any team against Pakistan, but Shadab did for Marsh, a steepling catch well held by Asif as he fell for 28. Mohammad Hafeez was brought into the attack and his first ball gripped in the hand and came out all wrong, bouncing twice before Warner lifted it into the stands, a no-ball rubbing salt into the wounds. Steve Smith became Shadab’s second victim, again trying to attack and finding the fielder in the outfield, Fakhar the safe pair of hands on this occasion. Warner was nearly run out after a misjudged single from Maxwell gave Fakhar a chance with a direct hit. It felt like Warner had the win at his fingertips, while he was there, Australia were favourites. But the ball after the drinks break he went after one from Shadab that went away from him, nicking through to Rizwan. The elation from bowler and keeper as Warner fell for 49 told its own story. Remarkably, a replay appeared to indicate that Warner had missed the ball, but like everyone else, he obviously thought he had hit it, choosing not to review. Shadab was piling on the pressure and he got another, again with the help of some good fielding, as Haris Rauf caught Maxwell with a diving grab in the deep from a reverse sweep as Australia’s most destructive batter departed for seven. It was down to Stoinis and Wade and after another fine over from Shaheen, the equation was 62 from five overs. Stoinis was first to take on the bowlers as targeted Haris, with a huge six over midwicket followed by a four driven straight back past the bowler. The next over it was Wade who stepped into Hasan, hitting him back over his head for six to bring up the fifty partnership as Australia took 15 off the over in all, leaving 22 to get off two. Shaheen returned for the penultimate over and Hasan had the chance to remove Wade, dropping the keeper in the outfield after he did not connect with a heave over midwicket. A ball later, Wade jumped across his stumps and scooped Shaheen for six to take Australia to within touching distance. Scores in Brief Australia beat Pakistan at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai by five wickets Pakistan 176/4 in 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 67, Fakhar Zaman 55 not out; Mitchell Starc 2/38, Adam Zampa 1/22) Australia 177/5 in 19 overs (David Warner 49, Matthew Wade 41 not out; Shadab Khan 4/26, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1/35) Player of the Match: Matthew Wade (Australia)