SPORTS REPORT RAWALPINDI (November 22, 2020):-PCB Dynamites beat PCB Blasters by seven wickets in the opening match of the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship being played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Sunday. Opener Ayesha Zafar and middle-order batter Iram Javed starred for the Dynamites in their convincing chase of the 138-run target which was completed in 19.1 overs. For PCB Dynamites, Ayesha lead the way with her 65-run innings of 50 balls. Iram remained unbeaten on 40 off 30 balls. Ayesha hit 10 fours and one six in her innings while Iram cleared the boundary four times (four sixes) and hit one four in her punishing knock that settled the game in the favour of PCB Dynamites. Hafsa Amjad, Maham Tariq and Anam Amin took a wicket apiece for PCB Blasters. Earlier, PCB Dynamites won the toss and opted to field first, PCB Blasters scored 137 for four in their allotted 20 overs. Javeria Rauf top-scored with 35 off 32 balls, her innings included two fours and two sixes. Aliya Riaz lifted the run-rate with a stroke-filled unbeaten 34 off 22 balls; she hit six fours in her innings. Opener Javeria Khan scored 29 off 36 balls, her innings included three fours. Kainat Imtiaz, Rameen Shamim and Nashra Sandhu took a wicket apiece for PCB Dynamites. In the second match of the tournament PCB Blasters will play PCB Challengers tomorrow at the same venue. Scores in brief: Result: PCB Dynamites won by seven wickets PCB Blasters 137-4, 20 overs (Javeria Rauf 35, Aliya Riaz 34 not out; Kainat Imtiaz 1-22) PCB Dynamites 138-3, 19.1 overs (Ayesha Zafar 65, Iram Javed 40 not out; Hafsa Amjad 1-19) Player of the match: Ayesha Zafar (PCB Dynamites)

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (November 18, 2020):-The chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ehsan Mani today (Wednesday) congratulated all participants, officials, local administration and security agencies on the successful completion of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 that concluded on Tuesday under the National Stadium floodlights. While an empty National Stadium for the playoffs took the gloss away from the first homecoming event that saw nearly 600,000 spectators cross turnstiles in the 30 league matches (last four league matches were played behind closed doors after the Covid-19 outbreak in Pakistan) before the event was suspended on 17 March due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, there was no doubt that the HBL Pakistan Super League 2000 had been an outstanding success given the very difficult circumstances. The two Karachi Kings versus Lahore Qalandars’ home and away preliminary round matches at the National and Gaddafi Stadium were packed-to-capacity as the fans thronged the two iconic and historic venues to watch the oldest rivalry in Pakistan cricket. PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani: “I had promised following the HBL Pakistan Super League 2019 that the 2020 edition will be held in Pakistan from start to finish. I reiterated this when the event was suspended prior to the playoff stage, and despite several challenges, uncertainties and doubts, I am delighted that the PCB has fulfilled another commitment and promise to the loyal and passionate Pakistan cricket fans and supporters. “But at the same time, I am sad that Karachi Kings had to make history before an empty National Stadium. This great game is all about fans and their absence was badly missed by all of us, including the players and match officials. We can only visualise the celebrations and a festive occasion this final would have created, only if the situation was normal. “I have been overwhelmed and touched by the fans’ support and appreciation who followed action on television and live-streaming, and took to the social media proactively and with great enthusiasm to contribute in enhancing the reputation and image of the country through positive and sporting posts and engagements. This was just another example of no matter what, you cannot take cricket out of the lives and systems of the Pakistan fans. “With the Covid-19 situation being an evolving one, the PCB will continue to monitor it and work with the authorities to explore ways of allowing fans to attend matches when international cricket and HBL Pakistan Super League matches are held in 2021. “The fans’ following, interest and enthusiasm of the Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars final also reflected the value and importance of inter-city matches, something we are on course of rolling out at the City Cricket Association level. Pakistan is lucky to have separate city-based and Cricket Association-based competitions as we aim to make these brands stronger and more popular. “I also want to offer my wholehearted thanks to the Sindh government and the local security agencies who continued their support of Pakistan cricket by helping in the successful delivery of the playoffs. I also want to offer my gratitude to the local and provincial administrations of other provinces who stood behind us in the preliminary stage matches, which were the cornerstone of the playoffs in Karachi. “The visiting players were once again appreciative of the way they were looked after and I am sure following these playoff matches, we have added more ambassadors of Pakistan cricket. “Not many will know, understand and recognise the efforts and hard work of the PCB staff, who have worked incredibly hard to demonstrate to the world that Pakistan can organise and deliver high-quality cricket successfully despite the challenging and difficult Covid-19 situation. “The PCB has already delivered more than 55 per cent of a full domestic season, while the home international series against Zimbabwe was smooth and flawless. “I remain confident that the PCB will succeed in completing the 2020-21 domestic season. We look forward to hosting South Africa under the Future Tours Programme agreement in January/February 2021 and leading international cricketers will also return to feature in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2021, which will be played at the back of the home series against South Africa. “I want to thank all the foreign stars who arrived in Karachi for the playoffs. This not only reflected the stature and value of the HBL Pakistan Super League, but also their loyalty and commitment to their sides. “As for the local players, it has not been an easy time since the start of the season on 30 September as they have continued to remain in the bio-secure bubble. I know this requires a lot of mental toughness and extra efforts to remain in a restricted environment, take the field almost every day and then produce strong performances. The sacrifices they are making will only contribute in helping them become stronger and tougher professional athletes. “Lastly, I want to thank all the PCB’s commercial partners, particularly Habib Bank Limited, for their continued patronage and support, as well as the media, who dedicated big spaces in their newspapers and allocated airtime in their prime bulletins and space on their digital platforms to highlight and promote the HBL Pakistan Super League, which continues to strengthen its reputation, credibility and following with every match.”

SPORTS REPORT LAHORE (November 18, 2020):-Pakistan Cricket Board on Wednesday announced the schedule of its men’s national cricket team’s tour to England and Wales in July 2021 that will comprise three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs and as many T20Is. The ODIs will be played in Cardiff, London (Lord’s) and Birmingham on 8, 10 and 13 July, respectively while the T20Is will be held in Nottingham, Leeds and Manchester on 16, 18 and 20 July, respectively. England lead the points table of the qualification league for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with 30 points from two three-ODI series. Pakistan share second spot with Australia on 20 points following a 2-1 series win over Zimbabwe, while Zimbabwe and Ireland are on 10 points each. The remaining eight sides in the 13-team competition are yet to play their opening fixtures in the Super League from which the seven top-ranked sides and World Cup hosts India will progress directly for the event proper to take place in October/November 2023. The ODI series against England will be one of Pakistan’s three away fixtures in 2021 with the other two being against South Africa (April 2021) and Afghanistan (September 2021). In addition to these away series, Pakistan will play two home Super League fixtures against New Zealand and the West Indies in October and December 2021, respectively. This will be Pakistan’s sixth consecutive tour to England. In 2016, Pakistan drew the four-Test series 2-2, won the ICC Championship Trophy in 2017, drew the two-Test series 1-1 in 2018, missed out on a place in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 semi-finals by a fraction of a point and lost the three-Test series 1-0 in 2020. Pakistan captain Babar Azam: “England and Wales is our second home as we have been visiting it regularly since 2016. Apart from building relationships and understanding the culture, these tours have helped us to enhance and improve our cricket skills and knowledge, as we now have a good understanding of the conditions and wickets in that part of the world. “England are the world champions and the number-one ranked side in ODIs, while they sit second in the T20I table. Besides trying to collecting valuable Super League points, our overarching objective is also to improve our white-ball rankings. The series against South Africa, England and New Zealand provides us with opportunities to improve our rankings as lower-ranked sides are awarded more points if they win a series against the side that is ranked above them on the rankings table. “England boasts some outstanding and world-class cricketers, which is reflected in their team results in the past couple of years. But if we have to qualify directly for the World Cup and also improve our ranking, we have to play and beat stronger oppositions, and I know we are capable of doing this.” Pakistan is presently sixth in ODIs behind England, India, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, while Babar Azam’s side is ranked fourth behind Australia, England and India in T20Is. Pakistan sits seventh in Tests. Provisional schedule: 8 July - 1st ODI, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff 10 July – 2nd ODI, Lord’s, London 13 July – 3rd ODI, Edgbaston, Birmingham 16 July – 1st T20I, Trent Bridge, Nottingham 18 July – 2nd T20I, Headingley, Leeds 20 July – 3rd T20I, Old Trafford, Manchester

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (November 18, 2020):-A four-member independent jury today announced the Team of HBL Pakistan Super League 2020, which will be captained by Islamabad United’s Shadab Khan. The independent jury included respected commentators Bazid Khan, Ramiz Raja and Urooj Mumtaz, and Nadeem Khan, who is a member of the HBL PSL 2020 Technical Committee and PCB Director – High Performance. The 12-member side, as per the event regulations, includes four foreign players and one emerging category player, and represents five teams with Lahore Qalandars boasting six players, three Karachi Kings, and one each from Islamabad United, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators. The squad in batting order is: Babar Azam (Karachi Kings) Chris Lynn (Lahore Qalandars) Alex Hales (Karachi Kings) Haider Ali (Peshawar Zalmi) Mohammad Hafeez (Lahore Qalandars) Shadab Khan (captain, Islamabad United) Ben Dunk (wicketkeeper, Lahore Qalandars) David Wiese (Lahore Qalandars) Mohammad Amir (Karachi Kings) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Lahore Qalandars) Mohammad Hasnain (Quetta Gladiators) Fakhar Zaman (12th, Lahore Qalandars) From the above, Babar Azam is the only player who was also a member of the Team of HBL PSL 2019 after he had aggregated 335 runs at an average of 30.45 with a strike-rate 115.51. While selecting the side, the independent jury considered a number of cricketing aspects, including consistency, impact on the side and results, fitness and best possible team combination so this team can take on any HBL PSL 2020 side on any given day at any of the four tournament venues. Ramiz Raja, who played 255 internationals for Pakistan and scored 8,674 runs: “Selecting top 12 performers from a rich list of outstanding guys was a challenge for the entire panel. We have picked a performance-based and balanced side that can compete against any HBL PSL 2020 franchise cricket side in any conditions. “Overall, the credit for the overwhelming success of HBL PSL 2020 in Pakistan goes to all participants who galvanised and entertained the nation with some attractive, aggressive and competitive cricket. Through the HBL PSL as well as the National T20 Cup and the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the selectors as well as cricket fans and followers have been able to spot and identify a number of excellent cricketers, who I am sure we’ll see in international cricket at some stage.” Shadab Khan: “I feel honoured to have been appointed captain of Team of the HBL PSL 2020, which includes some fine performers from one of the most successful events. However, it hurts that we were unable to make it to the playoffs. We gave our best shot, which was clearly not enough, and means we have to come harder and stronger when the sixth edition is played next year.”

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (November 17, 2020):-National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sui Southern, Pakistan WAPDA and Pakistan Navy reached into the semifinals of the ongoing 66th National Hockey Championship 2020, as the semifinal would be played on Thursday at Ayub Park Hockey Ground Rawalpindi. NBP will take on Sui Southern in the first semifinal of the top national hockey fixture while Pakistan WAPDA will meet Pakistan Navy in the second semifinal, as the final will be played on Friday as same venue between the winners of both semifinals. On Tuesday, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Punjab, WAPDA and Sui Southern have won their league matches after beating their respective opponents. Results (Day-9):- Game 1: Pakistan Navy beat Mari Petroleum 1-0 Ali Sher (1)                                                                                                                                                       Game 2: Pakistan Air Force beat Pakistan Police 4-1 PAF: Mohammad Rizwan (2), Umer Mustafa (1), Abdul Rehman (1) Police: Abdul Ahad (1) Game 3: Punjab beat Port Qasim 3-0 Punjab: Mohammad Zain (1) Mohammad Ammar (1), Hanan Khan (1) Game 4: Pakistan WAPDA beat National Bank of Pakistan 2-1 WAPDA: Tausiq Khan (1), Mohammad Sohail (1) NBP: Mohammad Abu Bakar Game 5: Sui Southern beat Pakistan Army 1-0 Sui Southern: Zeeshan Ali (1)  

SPORTS REPORT LAHORE (November 14, 2020):-The PSF-Punjab Satellite Squash Tournament 2020 started on Saturday, as top local guys have won their matches and moved into next round at Punjab Squash Complex. Farhan Hashmi had to work hard in the court to overcome Mohammad Farhan 3-1. Results (Round-1): Ammad Fareed (PAK) beat Faizan Khan (PAK) score 13/11, 11/6, 11/2 (25 mins). Noor Zaman (PAK) beat Mohammmad Abdul Qadir (PAK) score 11/9, 11/7, 11/3 (21 mins). Nasir Iqbal (PAK) beat Muhammad Uzair (PAK) score 11/2, 11/2, 11/2 (12 mins). Zahir Shah (PAK) beat Salman Saleem (PAK) score 11/6, 11/5, 6/11, 14/12 (28 mins). Mohammad Hassaan Raza (PAK) beat Naveed Rahmen (PAK) score 10/12, 11/7, 11/3, 11/4 (30 mins). Saeed Abdul (PAK) beat Mian Abdul Mughni (PAK) score 11/5, 11/2, 11/2 (13 mins). Mohammad Farhan Hashmi (PAK) beat Mohammad Farhan (PAK) score 12/10, 5/11, 11/5, 15/13 (36 mins). Israr Ahmad (PAK) beat Zeeshan Zeb (PAK) score 11/4, 11/3, 11/4 (18 mins). Sunday’s Fixtures: Ammad Fareed (PAK) vs Noor Zaman (PAK) 1:00 pm Nasir Iqbal (PAK) vs Zahir Shah (PAK) 1:45am Mohammad Hassaan Raza (PAK) vs Saeed Abdul (PAK) 2:30 pm M0hammad Farhan Hashmi (PAK) Israr Ahmad (PAK) 3:15 pm

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (November 14, 2020):-Pakistan Navy thrashed Pakistan Police 7-1 in the second match of the day seven of the 66th National Hockey Championship 2020 at Ayub Park Hockey Ground Rawalpindi on Saturday. Ali Sher, Mohammad Imad and Mohammad Sowair scored each two goals for the Pakistan Navy while Mohammad Haris scored single goal. Results (Day-7): Game-1: Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) beat Port Qasim Authority (PQA) 4-2 MPCL: Mohammad Umair (1), Mohammad Wasim (1), Owais Ahmed (1), Mohammad Arbaz (1) PQA: Mohammad Abu Zar (1), Mohammad Taha (1)    Game-2: Pakistan Navy beat Pakistan Police 7-1 Navy: Ali Sher (2), Mohammad Imad (2), Mohammad Sowair (2), Mohammad Haris (1) Police: Mohsin Khan (1) Game-3: Pakistan WAPDA beat Pakistan Air Force (POA) 1-0 WAPDA: Salam Razzak Game-4: Punjab beat Pakistan Army 3-2 Punjab: Owais-ur-Rehman (2), Hanan Ahmed (1) Army: Ali Haider (1), Mohammad Afzal (1) Game-5: National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) vs SSGPL (0-0)

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (November 12, 2020):-Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) overpowered 7-1 in the 66th National Hockey Championship 2020 at Ayub Park Hockey Ground Rawalpindi on Thursday. Results (Day-6): Game-1: Ports Qasim beat Pakistan Police 4-1 Ports Qasim: Sami Khan (1), Abu Zar (1), Hammad (1), Taha Khan (1) Police: Mohsin Shah Game-2: SSGCL beat Pakistan Air Force 7-1 Mubasher Ali (5), Ahmed Nadeem (1), Ali Sher (1) PAF: Rizwan Ali (1) Game-3: Pakistan WAPDA beat Mari Petroleum 3-1 WAPDA: Mohammad Ejaz (1), Aleem Bilal (1), Aleem Usman (1) Mari Petroleum; Tanzeem-ul-Hasan (1) Game-4: NBP beat Pakistan Army 4-2 NBP: Arsalan Qadair (2), Bilal Qadir (1), Aamir Ali (1) Army: Wasim Khan (1), Farhan Ahmed (1) Game-5: Pakistan Navy beat Punjab 3-1 Navy: Nauman (1), Mohammad Akbar (1), Hammad Khan (1) Punjab: Zain (1)

SPORTS REPORT LAHORE (November 12, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed the appointment of former captain Younis Khan as batting coach of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team until, at least, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, which is scheduled to be held in Australia in October-November with the final on 13 November. Younis had earlier accompanied Pakistan to England this summer and will now continue with his responsibilities for the upcoming series in New Zealand for which the side departs on 23 November. When not traveling with the national side, Younis will be based at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance in Karachi as a batting coach. A work programme will be developed with the National High Performance team. Younis, scored 10,099 runs at over 52 in 118 Tests; 7,249 runs in 265 ODIs and 442 runs in 25 T20Is. He has scored most Test centuries for Pakistan, 34, while his career-best 313 against Sri Lanka in Karachi in 2009 lifted him to No.1 position in the ICC rankings. Younis also captained Pakistan to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 victory in England. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “I am delighted that Younis will now be with for, at least, the next two years as our batting coach. The feedback we received about Younis’ impact in a short period of time in England was excellent. His work ethics, commitment and knowledge are second to none, and I am confident that his appointment will benefit a number of talented batsmen who have either recently broken into the national side or are knocking on the door of international cricket. “The PCB will also be utilising Younis Khan’s expertise and skills when he’s not on national duty as he will help local batsmen hone their skills. This is part of the PCB’s strategy to appoint highly-qualified and respected coaches across all major centres of the country so that we can start producing cricketers who can represent Pakistan with distinction. “This High Performance Centre element follows the recruitment of Mohammed Yousuf, who is based at the National High Performance Centre, meaning that the PCB has two of the very best contemporary ex-batters adding significant value and fulfilling important roles with developing and guiding the current and the future generation of Pakistan batsmen.” Younis Khan: “I am pleased to join the Pakistan cricket set-up on a long-term basis. I felt honoured when I was given the opportunity this summer and thoroughly enjoyed my time, and I now look forward to continuing the work with the same group of people on an important tour of New Zealand. “I am particularly happy that my scope of work has been extended beyond the national duties. I am equally interested and keen at working at the domestic level by identifying potential batsmen and then helping them improve their skills. “However, I want to remind all fans and followers that there is a process to achieve excellence and while some improvements can be noticed quickly, this will require lots of hard work, perseverance and patience before the required skills are embedded and start producing consistent results.” Meanwhile, the PCB has also appointed former Test spinner Arshad Khan as Pakistan women’s national cricket team’s bowling coach for one year. Arshad played nine Tests and 58 ODIs, taking 32 and 56 wickets, respectively. Arshad’s appointment has come within a month after former Bermuda and Glamorgan captain David Hemp was appointed head coach of the national side. Arshad will take up his role following the remaining four HBL Pakistan Super League 2020, where he is involved with Peshawar Zalmi and along with David, will be involved in the Women’s National T20 Championship. Arshad Khan: “This is an excellent opportunity to be working with women cricketers alongside David Hemp as we aim to collectively lift our national team in the upper half of the women’s draw. “When I look around at a big number of former international cricketers involved in the present set-up, it motivates me to not only prove my worth but also justify the faith imposed on me. “I now keenly look forward to looking at the available pool of women cricketers in the Women’s National T20 Championship and will then work on a strategy with David on how we move forward. This will be a demanding assignment and I am up for the challenge.” Players Support Personnel for Pakistan’s tour to New Zealand: Pakistan men’s national team – Mansoor Rana (Manager), Misbah-Ul-Haq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant coach), Waqar Younis (bowling coach), Younis Khan (batting coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Ibrahim Badees (team and social media manager), Malang Ali (team masseur), Dr Sohail Saleem (team doctor), Talha Ejaz Butt (analyst), Col (retd) Usman Anwari (security manager) and Yasir Malik (strength & training coach), Shaheens - Ijaz Ahmed (manager and head coach), Mohtashim Rashid (assistant manager & fielding coach), Rao Iftikhar (bowling coach), Hafiz Naeem (physiotherapist), Saboor Ahmed (trainer), Usman Hashmi (analyst) and Mohammad Imran Ali (masseur)

By BIPIN DANI Barring Mahela Jaywardene, IPL's all Sri Lankan players and support staff (men and women) who participated in the recently concluded IPL (Indian Premier League) in the UAE missed watching the final.    "We could not watch the men's final", former women's team captain Shashikala Jayawardene, confirmed over the telephone from her hotel room in Colombo on Thursday morning.  "Myself, Chamari Atapattu, Isuru Udana, Muthiah Muralitharan and Mario Villavarayan came in the same Emirates flight on Wednesday early morning",  Both women players played the Women's T-20 Challenge, Isuru played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and Murali and Mario were part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad teams as bowling consultant and the physical trainer respectively.     "We were in the night flight at the time when the final was underway (on November 10) . There was no flight on 11th and therefore had to leave without watching the final", she added.     All of them, (and may be Mahela Jayawardene, the Mumbai Indians coach, who may have arrived on Wednesday) are on a 14-day quarantine.  Sharing her experience of playing in the tournament, Shashikala says, "Our team (Supernovas) had a spark in them because Harman is a very positive, brave and strong character which affects us in a positive way. I really enjoyed being with a great bunch of cricketers".  "Coach Mamatha Maben was very supportive as well as the manager Trupti Madam and the support staff. So, I would like to thank BCCI for having such a wonderful event under these circumstances. Overall, we are happy that we played some good cricket after being away from cricket for 7 to 8 months due to this corona pandemic", she signed off.