SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi (September 23, 2021):-Mohammad Rizwan struck a sparkling half-century and Iftikhar Ahmed hit a quick-fire 40 not out as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa began their National T20 title defence with 36 runs victory over Home City Central Punjab in a match produced by the PCB and televised on PTV Sports. Rizwan slapped seven fours and a six in a 40-ball 65, while Iftikhar’s 25-ball 40 included six fours and a six that helped the defending champions to collect 187 for five in 20 overs after being put into bat on Thursday evening. Needing a positive and solid to stay in contention, Central Punjab lost Kamran Akmal (three) in the fourth over to Imran Khan Snr, Babar Azam (29) in the seventh over to Asif Afridi and Ahmed Shehzad (24) to Arshad Iqbal in the 10th over to slip to 71 for three at the halfway stage before finishing at 151 for nine. Mohammad Akhlaq fought a lone battle with a breezy 62, but lacked the support and big-hitting from the other end as the required run-rate continued to climb. When he eventually departed at the total of 128 in the 17th, it was all over for Central Punjab who ultimately fell 36 runs short. Akhlaq’s 35-ball cameo included six fours and four sixes. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shaheen Shah Afridi was the pick of bowlers with three for 25, while Arshad Iqbal and Imran Khan claimed two wickets apiece. Earlier, Fakhar Zaman (26) and Rizwan provided Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a solid 67-run start before Adil Amin (18) and Rizwan stitched up a 45-run partnership for the second wicket. Iftikhar then featured in two useful stands – 39 runs for the fourth wicket with Sahibzada Farhan (12) and an unbroken 29 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Wasim (11 not out) as the reigning champions added 91 runs in the last 10 overs to finish at 187 for five. For Central Punjab, Hasan Ali was as impressive as ever with three for 30, while Ahmed Safi Abdulllah and Wahab Riaz picked up a wicket each conceding 23 and 31 runs, respectively. Scores in Brief: Match 2 – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Home City Central Punjab by 36 runs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 187-5, 20 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 65, Iftikhar Ahmed 40 not out, Fakhar Zaman 26; Hasan Ali 3-30) Home City Central Punjab 151-9, 20 overs (Mohammad Akhlaq 62, Babar Azam 29, Ahmed Shehzad 24; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-25, Arshad Iqbal 2-34, Imran Khan Snr 2-37) Player of the match – Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Friday’s fixtures: GFS Sindh vs ATF Southern Punjab - 3pm Balochistan vs Home City Central Punjab - 7:30pm

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT LAHORE (September 23, 2021): Ideal physical and mental fitness plays an important role in the success of any athlete in any sport and the players can attain top level physical and mental fitness only through balanced diet and regular exercise; this was stated by Sports Board Punjab’s expert coaches Ijaz Abdul Khaliq and Olympian ShabanaAkhtar while delivering lecture to Punjab’s male and female athletes at a training camp at Punjab Stadium here on Thursday. It may be noted here that as per the directions of Director General Sports Punjab Adnan ArshadAulakh, the training camp of Punjab’s Under-17 Boys and Under-16 Girls athletics teams is in progress for the preparation of upcoming Inter-Provincial Athletics Youth Tournament scheduled to be staged in Peshawar from Sept 27 to 29, 2021. Sports Board Punjab’s coach Ijaz Abdul Khaliq and Olympian ShabanaAkhtar gave useful tips to young athletes regarding their daily diet plan and indoor and outdoor physical exercises during the camp. Punjab’s male and female athletes listened to the lectures passionately. Expert coaches and trainers gave answers to different queries of young athletes during question-answer session. After lectures, Punjab’s male and female athletes took part in running, stretching and other exercises under the supervision of expert coaches in Punjab Stadium.  

By BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka Cricket (board) will send its chief selector Pramodya Wickramsinghe to the UAE for the forthcoming T-20 World Cup to be played in Oman and the UAE, it is learnt. The SLC has maintained the policy of sending at least one selector on overseas tours. Pramodya stayed with the team in the same hotel when the team played against the visiting South African team. According to the sources in the SLC, the same coaching and other support staff members which officiated in the home series against South Africa recently have been retained. The team, which will be finishing the three-day quarantine on Friday, will begin the residential training camp in small groups from Friday.  "So far all our players have tested Corona negatives and strictly follow the bio-bubbles protocols", the source added. The team will be leaving for Oman by a Chartered flight on October 3. 

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Islamabad 9September 23, 2021):-Fans around the world are invited to ‘Live the Game’ with today’s global premiere of the official anthem and promo film for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. The 16-team tournament is the biggest sports event ever in the UAE and Oman and takes place between 17 October and 14 November. Composed by renowned Bollywood music director Amit Trivedi, the animated film features young fans from all over the world immersed and engaged in explosive T20I cricket and features some of the sport’s biggest superstars.  Host nation and India captain Virat Kohli, leads the group of players brought to life as ‘avatars’ in the animation, that interact with each other throughout.  Kohli is joined by fellow captain Kieron Pollard of the reigning champions, West Indies as well as Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan.  Launched in collaboration with ICC’s global broadcast partner Star Sports, the film premiers worldwide today across ICC, BCCI, and Star Sports’ social media handles. To view the film, click here. The video is also available to download on the ICC Online Media Zone. The animation features a brand-new broadcast technology that blends both 3D and 2D effects to create the stunning film.  A production team of over 40 people, including designers, modellers, matte painters, animators, lighters, and compositors, worked round-the-clock to produce the final version. ICC T20 World Cup 2021 anthem: Live The Game The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is the pinnacle of the shortest format of cricket and returns for the first time in five years on October 17th.  The tournament promises high-octane cricket and entertainment for everyone, including families and those new to the game, with matches taking place in a safe Covid-19 environment across the UAE and Oman.  16 countries, featuring the sport’s biggest names and best teams, will compete in global cricket’s biggest event since the pandemic. Kieron Pollard, one of the biggest power-hitters of T20 cricket and captain of the reigning champions, is excited by this year's competition.  It is the return of the cricket world cup, since last year's highly successful ICC's Women's T20 World Cup, that saw 86,174 in the iconic MCG for the final, a record for attendance of any women's cricket match. “There is something magical and special about putting on the West Indies jersey and stepping onto the field. This upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will give us more special moments. We know our fans will be fully engaged, watching, and supporting and we want to give them plenty to cheer about. I’m excited about the magic moments ahead”, said Pollard. Glenn Maxwell, all-rounder, Australia one of the greatest T20I players to have ever played the game agrees. "The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is going to be one of the toughest and most exciting on record. There are so many teams that could take the trophy and every game will be like a final. We can’t wait to get started knowing the calibre of players we have." The opening fixture of the tournament takes place on Friday, 17 October as Oman take on ICC Men's T20 World Cup debutants Papua New Guinea at Muscat's Oman Cricket Academy. Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium are two of the three remaining host grounds, while Dubai International Stadium will be the backdrop for the final on Sunday, 14 November. Claire Furlong, ICC General Manager, Marketing and Communications said: “We are excited to be launching this film ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 which is so different to anything we have delivered before. Cricket has more than a billion fans around the world, and we wanted to put our young fans in the heart of the action alongside their heroes and allow them to live the game. Partnering with Star Sports and Amit Trivedi to create the animation and music for the campaign has given us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fact that India are our hosts despite the event being staged in Oman and the UAE. I hope cricket fans enjoy watching and listening to this as much as we enjoyed creating it.” Commenting on the campaign launch, Dhiraj Malhotra, Tournament Director, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup said: “We are looking forward to hosting a spectacular tournament in the UAE and Oman and are working very closely with the ICC, ECB and Oman Cricket to keep it safe and entertaining for all. This tournament film is an invite to all our fans to come by and witness a top-class global sporting event and come live the game that we all love, with us.” Sanjog Gupta, Head – Sports, Star and Disney India, said, “The association with ICC to co-create the campaign for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup #LiveTheGame was an opportunity to create a compelling invite for young viewers around the world. Our creative team, at Star Sports, has collaborated with award-winning talent from across the globe and brought to life the animated anthem that flags off fans' journey towards the tournament. Fans' expectations from sporting experiences are evolving and we believe the future lies in personalised and immersive engagements across multiple touchpoints and varied platforms. The theme, sound and look of the campaign strive to connect with young fans who no longer want to just watch but #LiveTheGame. It also signals our commitment to a new era of Cricket experiences.” An announcement on venue capacities, ticket pricing and packaging will follow, while fans can get involved already via the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Trophy Tour, driven by Nissan. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy can be accessed virtually through a 3D augmented reality filter, housed on the official T20 World Cup Facebook and Instagram pages. The best of the fan-generated content will be collated and celebrated weekly on the T20 World Cup’s social media channels where fans can also win signed event merchandise and help to take the trophy to more cricket playing nations than ever before.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi (September 23, 2021):-Pepsi has joined hands with the Pakistan Cricket Board as title partner of the National T20. The six-team tournament commenced at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi today with the opening clash between Balochistan and Northern. PCB and Pepsi have a long-standing, time-tested partnership which will flourish further with the National T20 title partnership. The indomitable spirit of Pepsi and Pakistan cricket will be evidenced in this tournament which is in sync with Pepsi’s commitment towards promoting cricket in Pakistan. Defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa take on Home City Central Punjab in the second match of the day which begins at 7:30 PKT. Pakistan’s best shortest format players will be seen in action in the 33-match tournament. The first 18 games will be played in Rawalpindi while the last 15 matches will be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, the home of Pakistan cricket.

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Islamabad (September 23, 2021):-Hamza Roman claimed an upset after beating top seed Mohammad Hamza Ali Rizwan in the first semifinal of Boys’ Single fixture of the Midcourt ATF Championships Under-14 Leg 1 at PTF-SDA Tennis Complex, Islamabad on Thursday.  As many as 14 matches were played on the 4th day of the Championships.  In the Girls singles final, Haniya Minhas comfortably beat Amna Qayum 6-0, 6-0 and won the ATF 14 & under title. Haniya was in superb form throughout the tournament and won the title without losing a single game. In the Boys Singles Semifinals, Hamza Roman upset 1st seed Mohammad Hamza Ali Rizwan. In another Semifinals Haider Ali Rizwan easily dispatched Asad Zaman. The Boys Singles final will be played on Saturday 25th September 2021. Results: Boys Singles (Semifinals): Hamza Roman (Pak) bt Mohammad Hamza Ali Rizwan (Pak): 7-5,6-2; Mohammad Haider Ali Rizwan (Pak)bt Asad Zaman (Pak): 6-2,6-2 Boys Singles Positions (5-8): Ahtesham Humayun (Pak) bt Shehryar Anees (Pak): 6-0, 7-5; Darsheel Shrestha (NEP) bt Boris Adhikari (NEP): 7-6(4), 7-6(6) Boys Singles Positions (13-16): Nabeel Qayum (Pak) bt Zohaib Afzal Malik(Pak): 6-1,6-1 Boys Singles Positions (9-12): Mohammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan (Pak) bt Nishad Joshi (NEP): 6-1, 6-0; Omar Jawad Malik (Pak) bt Ali Zain (Pak):6-3, 6-4 Boys Singles Positions (13-16): Amir Mazari (Pak) w/o Abu Bakar (Pak) Boys Singles Positions (17-18): Ibrahim Ashraf (Pak) bt Abdur Rehman (Pak): 7-5, 6-2 Boys Singles Positions (21-22): Mohammad Haziq Aasim (Pak) bt Razik Sultan (Pak): 6-0, 6-2 Boys Singles Positions (19-20): Hammad Kashif (GBR) bt Eesa Fahd (Pak): 6-2, 7-5 Boys Doubles (Quarter-Finals): Asad Zaman / Ahtesham Humayun (Pak) bt Nabeel Qayum (Pak) / Abdur Rehman(Pak): 6-1, 6-3; Omar Jawad Malik / Amir Mazari (Pak) bt Boris Adhikarari (NEP) / Ibrahim Ashraf (Pak): 3-6. 6-1(10-7) Girls Singles (Final): Haniya Minhas (Pak) bt Amna Ali Qayum(Pak): 6-0, 6-0 Girls Singles Positions (3-4): Soha Ali (Pak) bt Zainab Ali Raja (Pak): 5-7, 6-0(10-7) Girls Singles Positions (5-6): Fatima Ali Raja (Pak) bt Mahrukh Sajid(Pak): 6-0, 6-1

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland (September 23, 2021):-After an announcement by Hockey Australia and Hockey New Zealand that they will no longer be able to participate to the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 due to COVID-related international travel restrictions put in place by their respective governments, both teams have been replaced by the USA and Canada. Since the qualification process for the event stipulates that the Pan American Hockey Federation has the quota of the first reserve, the USA – who finished third of the recent Junior Pan Am Championships - have been selected. The second reserve spot was attributed to the best team in the FIH World Rankings (Seniors) not yet qualified, namely Canada. As announced by Hockey India earlier today, the event (24 November – 5 December) will take place in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, the outstanding venue which will also host the next FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup in 2023.

ABDULLAH ASJAD Rawalpindi (September 23, 2021):-Northern recorded a comfortable six-wicket win over Balochistan in the opening match of the National T20 tournament at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Thursday evening. Haider Ali and Asif Ali made light work of Northern’s 140-run chase scoring 58 not out and 43 not out and adding 51 runs for the unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership to ensure a comprehensive victory for their side with 18 balls to spare. Haider gave another glimpse of his incredible batting talent as he hit seven fours and two sixes in his 41-ball knock. Asif played the finisher’s role to perfection clubbing four sixes and three fours in his 20-ball innings, Asif finished the match with a six down the ground off pacer Akif Javed. Umar Amin (2) and Zeeshan Malik (19) fell early in Northern’s innings but Haider and Asif ensured an emphatic victory for their side with their unbeaten alliance. Batting first, Balochistan were restricted to a 139 for seven total. Sohail Tanvir got Northern off to a fine start by dismissing Balochistan captain Imam-ul-Haq for six in the opening over of the match. Fast bowler Zaman Khan who was making his debut for Northern sent Bismillah Khan packing in the fifth over with the score on 26. Young opener Abdul Wahid Bangalzai played some sparking shots in his run-a-ball 24 before falling to Mohammad Nawaz. Northern bowlers kept Balochistan in check by making regular breakthroughs in the middle-overs, Akbar-ur-Rehman (24) and Ayaz Tasawar’s (4) dismissal left Balochistan struggling at 70 for five in 12.1 overs. Balochistan were revived by a 66-run stand for the sixth-wicket between all-rounders Amad Butt and Kashif Bhatti. Amad hit two fours and two sixes in his 34 while Kashif contributed 24 off 25 balls (two sixes). Haris Rauf and Nawaz took two wickets each for Northern conceding 18 and 31 runs, respectively. Scores in Brief: Northern beat Balochistan by six wickets Balochistan 139 for 7, 20 overs (Amad Butt 34, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 24, Akbar-ur-Rehman 24; Haris Rauf 2-18, Mohammad Nawaz 2-31) Northern 140 for 4, 17 overs (Haider Ali 58 not out, Asif Ali 43 not out; Yasir Shah 1-23, Amad Butt 1-25) Player of the match: Haider Ali Friday’s matches: GFS Sindh vs ATF Southern Punjab -3pm Balochistan vs Home City Central Punjab -7:30pm

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT ISLAMABAD (September 23, 2021):-Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has extended the date for football clubs registration till October 5, 22021, says a press release of PFF media department. Elections 2022 under the supervision of Pakistan Football Federation has already started online from August 21. Secretary General PFF, Mohammad Naveed Akram said that the first phase of registration was ended on September 20. A large number of Office Bearers of various clubs have verified their office bearers online to PFF. He said that various Office Bearers of different Club requested the Pakistan Football Federation to extend the date of registration. Then the Pakistan Football Federation has decided to extend the date till next month October 5, 2021. PFF has sent SMS to the President and Secretary present in the 2015 voter list through portal. So that he is confirming to his club and officials that they are in place at the moment or that any changes have been made. He is confirming and update on the same SMS. If there is no change in the club officials (president and secretary) and the club, they will be issued a form for renewal of club which has to be filled and submitted online. In the second phase, the club officials will complete the registration process of their club players and inform the Federation. In the third phase, the list of clubs will be released after checking the registration of clubs. The federation will make a final decision on whether to include the club in the voter list after physical scrutiny. Secretary federation said that this was a historical step of Pakistan Football Federation towards free, fair and transparent elections which would not only help in making the 2022 elections transparent and fair, but also make future elections controversial, Instead, it would be acceptable to all and will be helpful and cooperative in promotion of football.

By BIPIN DANI Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has expanded its two-member selection panel to five, it is confirmed. According to Asadullah Khan, the new appointee as a director (Cricket), the existing panel of two selectors (Rashid Zardan and Mir Mubaraz) has now also three  more selectors- Mirwais Ashraf, Abdullah Mazari and Noor Ul Haq) in the panel. "Will announce the name of the chief selector soon", Asadullah Khan, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Kabul, said. Khan, who has an extensive experience of working for over 20 years with the ACB combinely at various positions as coach and Performance analyst with the national team and also attended the ICC's High performance meeting. "We are retaining the same coaching staff for the World Cup. Lance Klussner will be the head coach and Shaun Tait as our bowling coach". ""We have not appointed any batting coach yet but Navroz Mangal will be an assistant coach", he signed off. Naseeb Khan has recently been appointed the new CEO, replacing Dr. Hamid Shinwari.