SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 14, 2020):-Misbah-ul-Haq has decided to step down from the chief selector’s responsibilities to concentrate and focus on the head coach’s role of the men’s national team. The new chief selector will begin his tenure from 1 December and until then, Misbah will continue to carry out selection responsibilities. The decision means Misbah will announce the squads for the home series against Zimbabwe on 19 October and then for the away series against New Zealand. The first assignment of the new chief selector will be to select the squads for the January home series against South Africa, comprising two Tests and three Twenty20 Internationals. Misbah communicated his decision to PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan in Islamabad last week during the National T20 Cup. Commenting on his decision, Misbah-ul-Haq said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed the dual roles but after reviewing the past 12 months and looking ahead at the workload in the next 24 months of my tenure, it is appropriate that I invest and dedicate all my time, energy and attention to one role from now on. “Coaching is my passion and my ultimate objective remains to contribute to the development of players and help the side achieve bigger successes. When I was appointed last year, I was offered the coaching role first and then given the option to also head the selection committee, which I had graciously accepted. “I am grateful to the Pakistan Cricket Board for their understanding and for supporting my thought process. “I had been thinking about the demands and rigours of the dual roles for some time. The meetings with the National High Performance staff and the Cricket Association coaches in the past two weeks have provided me better clarity and helped me in my decision-making as I believe we now have a strong system in place. “With the new Cricket Association system in full flow, the chief selector has to be able to watch as much domestic cricket as possible. With a big 24 months now coming up, we have mutually agreed that there is a need for me now to be fully focused on one role. “I look forward to a strong working relationship with the new chair of the selection committee and hope together we will achieve our collective objectives.” PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said: “The PCB wholeheartedly respects Misbah’s decision on stepping away from the chief selector role. When he took on the national head coach role, we also required him to take on the chief selector’s role due to circumstances at that point in time.      “Pakistan has three global events, including two Asia Cups and the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, as well as 10 Future Tour Programme commitments over the next 24 years. As head coach of the national side, he has reassessed his priorities and believes he has a better chance of producing the desired results by focusing solely on the coaching side. We are very happy to support his thinking on this. “Over the last two weeks, Misbah has worked closely with the other selectors to finalise the squads for both the upcoming series with Zimbabwe and the New Zealand tour, which will follow in November. We are grateful that this process is near completion, allowing time for the new chief selector to be in post to begin work from 1 December. “With a new chief selector, we will revisit the selection criteria to ensure that there is complete alignment between the Selection Committee, the High Performance Centre and the national men’s cricket team. With so much red and white-ball cricket ahead, we will need to select squads that have a strong balance between youth and experience”. Pakistan’s tentative FTP commitments till September 2022: Oct/Nov 2020 – Home series against Zimbabwe (three ODIs and three T20Is) Nov/Dec 2020 – Away series against New Zealand (two Tests and three T20Is) Jan/Feb 2021 – Home series against South Africa (two Tests and three T20Is) Apr 2021 – Away tour to Zimbabwe (two Tests and three T20Is) Jun 2021 – Away tour to England (three ODIs and three T20Is) Sep/Oct 2021 – Home series against New Zealand (three ODIs and three T20Is) Nov 2021 – Away tour to Bangladesh (two Tests, three T20Is) Dec 2021 – Home series against West Indies (three ODIs, three T20Is) Feb/Mar 2022 – Home series against Australia (two Tests, three ODIs, three T20Is) Jul 2022 – Away tour to Sri Lanka (three Tests, three ODIs) Global Events Asia Cup 2021, Sri Lanka (dates TBC) ICC T20 World Cup 2021, India (October/November) Asia Cup 2022, Pakistan (dates TBC)    

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 13, 2020):-Sindh’s left handed batsman Danish Aziz snatched the victory from Khyber Paktunkawa (KP) after smashing 72 not out in just 47 balls and hitting two six and two fours in the last over Iftikar Ahmed at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi on Tuesday. The 24-year-old Karachi-born took his team over the line with a six on the last ball. Sindh required 19 off the last over when Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Mohammad Rizwan handed the ball to Iftikhar Ahmed to bowl right-arm medium fast. Danish dispatched Iftikhar for a four on the first delivery before the equation reduced to 15 off the last three balls as the second and third ball turned out to be dots. Danish then struck two towering sixes down the ground with a four on the long-off sandwiched between them. Speaking about his man-of-the-match performance, Danish said: “It looked a bit difficult when the match came down to the last three balls. I was anticipating fuller deliveries so I decided to hit the ball down the ground. “My plan was to bat until the end of the innings. When Anwar Ali walked into bat with me, we decided to rotate the strike initially before punishing bad balls.” Danish spanked eight fours and four sixes and his 47-ball stay at the crease included a match-defining 77-run alliance with Anwar Ali, who made 33 off 32. The two had come together after Hassan Khan was run out without facing a delivery on the last ball of the eighth over. That the match had to be decided on the last ball was because Usman Shinwari who after recording his best score accounted for Khurram Manzoor (13 off 11), Sarfaraz Ahmed (13 off 13) and Sohail Khan (o off two) as Sindh slipped from 32 for three to 34 for six. Sindh, in their chase of 139, were dealt an early blow as Shaheen Afridi, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 16 scalps at 11.25, accounted for Sharjeel Khan on the second ball. His new-ball partner Imran Khan dismissed Asad Shafiq and Azam Khan in back-t0-back overs – the second and fourth of the innings. Earlier, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after being asked to bat, were driven to a respectable total of 138 for nine by Usman who made an unbeaten 15-ball 36 with the help of three sixes and two fours. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were struggling at 87 for seven before Usman stitched a 29-run partnership – the best of the innings - with Shaheen. He followed it up with a 20-run stand with Imran Khan, contributing all 20 runs in it accumulated over just six balls. Musadiq Ahmed, who batted at seven, was the other notable run-getter with a 14-ball 25 (two fours and two sixes) in an innings in which Sohail, Hassan and Mohammad Hasnain took two wickets apiece. Scores in brief: Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by two wickets Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 138-9, 20 overs (Usman Shinwari 36 not out, Musadiq Ahmed 25; Sohail Khan 2-12, Hassan Khan 2-21, Mohammad Hasnain 2-36) Sindh 140-8, 20 overs (Danish Aziz 72 not out, Anwar Ali 33; Usman Shinwari 3-20, Imran Khan 2-27) Player of the match – Danish Aziz (Sindh) Wednesday’s fixtures 1500 PST – Northern v Sindh. Imtiaz Iqbal and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Imran Javed (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire); Mohammad Javed (match referee) 1930 PST – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Central Punjab. Ahsan Raza and Ghaffar Kazmi (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Saqib Khan (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)    

SB NEWS KARACHI (October 12, 2020):-The head coaches of the six Cricket Associations have finalised the Second XI teams for the three-day non first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which begins on 18 October in Karachi. Zain Abbas leads the defending champions Southern Punjab, who begin their campaign against Umair Masood-led Northern. Azeem Ghumman captains Balochistan, while Central Punjab and Sindh are led by Mohammad Saad and Saifullah Bangash. Mehran Ibrahim, who took over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s captaincy after Khushdil Shah joined the men’s national team for the tour of Australia in the last season, will continue in the role. The six teams have gathered in a local hotel in Karachi for the competition, which will be played on double-league basis at four venues – KCCA Stadium, NBP Sports Complex, State Bank Stadium and TMC Cricket Ground. They begin their preparations from Tuesday at the three venues that host the first round matches. The players who are featuring in the National T20 Cup, being played in Rawalpindi, will join their respective sides in Karachi after the completion of the tournament. In the meantime, the teams can request their replacements for the first round fixtures. Meanwhile, players and player support personnel, who shifted from bio-secure bubble in Lahore or became part of their squads for the first time this season, underwent Covid-19 tests and after returning negative results were integrated into the bio-secure bubble. In line with the Covid-19 protocols announced at the start of the season, all matches will be played behind closed doors. To ensure health and safety of the respected members of the media and due to limited resources and facilities, on-field coverage will not be allowed. The Pakistan Cricket Board will provide daily round-ups in both English and Urdu. The squads and event schedule are below: Balochistan 2nd XI - Azeem Ghumman (captain), Akbar-Ur-Rehman (vice-captain), Ali Waqas, Awais Zia, Gohar Faiz, Gulraiz Sadaf (wicketkeeper), Hidayat Ullah, Hayat Ullah, Jalat Khan, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Talha, Najeebullah, Shehbaz Khan, Shehzad Tareen, Taimur Khan and Usama Mir Central Punjab 2nd XI - Mohammad Saad (captain), Waqas Maqsood (vice-captain), Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Aitizaz Habibullah, Ali Shan, Anas Mahmood, Atiq-ur-Rehman,  Farhan Khan (wicketkeeper), Irfan Khan Niazi, Kamran Afzal, Muhammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Imran Dogar, Nisar Ahmed, Qasim Akram and Zubair Khan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2nd XI - Mehran Ibrahim (captain), Zohaib Khan (vice-captain), Arshad Iqbal, Asad Afridi, Asif Afridi, Irfan Ullah Shah, Mohamamd Amir Khan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Mohsin Khan, Mohammad Naeem Snr, Mohammad Sarwar, Musaddiq Ahmed and Waqar Ahmed Northern 2nd XI - Umair Masood (captain, wicketkeeper), Umar Waheed (vice-captain), Ammad Butt, Athar Mehmood, Farzan Raja, Jamal Anwar, Kashif Iqbal, Munir Riaz, Nihal Mansoor, Raza Hasan, Shadab Majeed, Shiraz Khan, Shoaib Minhas, Taimur Sultan, Zaid Alam and Ziad Khan Sindh 2nd XI - Saifullah Bangash (captain, wicketkeeper), Jahid Ali (vice-captain), Adeel Malik, Aamer Ali, Ammad Alam, Azam Khan, Danish Aziz, Fahad Iqbal, Hasan Mohsin, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Umar, Saad Khan, Shahnawaz Dhani, Shehzar Mohammad, Tariq Khan and Waleed Ahmed South Punjab 2nd XI - Zain Abbas (captain), Mohammad Imran (vice-captain), Ali Shafiq, Ali Usman, Anas Mustafa, Dilbar Hussain, Mohammad Basit, Mohammad Mohsin, Mohammad Rameez, Mohammad Umair, Mukhtar Ahmed, Salhuddin, Salman Ali, Tayyab Tahir, Waqar Hussain (wicketkeeper) and Zia-ul-Haq Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI schedule (all matches in Karachi): 18-20 Oct - Balochistan v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, State Bank Stadium; Central Punjab v Sindh, KCCA Stadium; Southern Punjab v Northern, TMC Ground 23-25 Oct - Balochistan v Southern Punjab, State Bank Stadium; Sindh v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, KCCA Stadium; Central Punjab v Northern, TMC Ground 28-30 Oct - Balochistan v Central Punjab, TMC Ground; Northern v Sindh, State Bank Stadium; Southern Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, KCCA Stadium 2-4 Nov – Northern v Balochistan, TMC Ground; Sindh v Southern Punjab, State Bank Stadium; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Central Punjab, KCCA Stadium 7-9 Nov - Sindh v Balochistan, KCCA Stadium; Central Punjab v Southern Punjab, TMC Ground; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern, State Bank Stadium 20-22 Nov - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Balochistan, State Bank Stadium; Sindh v Central Punjab, TMC Ground; Northern v Southern Punjab, KCCA Stadium 26-28 Nov - Southern Punjab v Balochistan, TMC Ground; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Sindh, NBP Sports Complex; Northern v Central Punjab, KCCA Stadium 1-3 Dec - Central Punjab v Balochistan, KCCA Stadium; Sindh v Northern, NBP Sports Complex; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, TMC Ground 6-8 Dec - Balochistan v Northern, NBP Sports Complex; Southern Punjab v Sindh, KCCA Stadium; Central Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, TMC Ground 11-13 Dec - Balochistan v Sindh, KCCA Stadium; Southern Punjab v Central Punjab, NBP Sports Complex; Northern v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, TMC Ground

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 11, 2020):-Defending champions Northern reached in the top-four stage of the National T-20 Cup 2020 after beating Southern Punjab by five runs in a last over thriller played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday evening. Southern Punjab now need to not only win each of their remaining four matches, they would also need help from some other favourable results to sneak through to the semi-finals. In-form fast bowler Haris Rauf (man-of-the-match) continued his golden run in the tournament with a fiery four wicket burst to take his tournament wicket tally to 14 in six matches while ensuring the defence of the below-par 145-run total that Northern had set Southern Punjab. Haris removed Southern Punjab captain Shan Masood (4) and Umar Siddiq (0) in his opening burst while Northern captain Imad Wasim accounted for the danger man Sohaib Maqsood for 19 to reduce Southern Punjab to 26 for three in seven overs. Haris then returned to account for Hussain Talat (12) while Southern Punjab suffered a major blow when Khushdil Shah who scored a 35-ball century against Sindh in the previous game, ran himself out in search of a quick single for 26 (20 balls, two sixes).   Zeeshan Ashraf, who batted at number six, fell for 25, Haris then bowled Dilbar Hussain (1) on the final ball of his spell to return figures of four for 23 in four overs. Aamer Yamin kept the hopes alive for Southern Punjab as he brought the equation down to 15 off the last over with some lusty blows, Imad conceded a mere nine runs in the final over while accounting for Mohammad Ilyas. Aamer remained unbeaten on 33 off 19 balls (three fours and two sixes) Southern Punjab ended their 20 overs at 140 for eight. Reflecting on his performance, man-of-the-match Haris Rauf said: “I want to thank the Almighty, it was a full team effort and we were well led by our captain. We all gave it our all and it worked for us. I was giving my full effort and trying my hardest, I was a bit disappointed when Khushdil Shah was dropped off my bowling, aggressive bowling is my style and I try and maintain the same approach and help my team with my fast bowling and positive attitude.” Earlier, Southern Punjab opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Northern were rocked early in their innings on a pitch that offered some help to the fast bowlers in the opening overs. Umar Amin (4), Zeeshan Malik (6) and Rohail Nazir (9) were all sent packing in the first nine overs leaving Northern tottering at 50 for three at a run-rate of less than six runs per over. Northern were then dealt a body blow when Sohail Akhtar who had looked in fine touch fell for 35 (32 balls, five fours) to Ilyas in the 11th over which left Northern 63 for four. Asif Ali and Shadab Khan who had been contributing crucial middle-order runs in the earlier games fell for 28 and nine respectively as Northern kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Imad remained unbeaten on 26 off 18 balls (three fours) as Northern finished on 145 for seven in their 20 overs. Ilyas (2 for 22) and Hussain Talat (2 for 28) took two wickets each while Mohammad Abbas (1 for 17) and Aamer (1 for 21) bowled economical spells to stifle the free scoring Northern batsmen. Scores in brief Northern 145-7, 20 overs (Sohail Akhtar 35, Asif Ali 28, Imad Wasim 26 not out; Mohammad Ilyas 2-22, Hussain Talat 2-28, Mohammad Abbas 1-17) Southern Punjab 140-8, 20 overs (Aamer Yamin 33 not out, Khushdil Shah 26, Zeeshan Ashraf 25; Haris Rauf 4-23, Imad Wasim 2-33) Result – Northern won by five runs Man-of-the-match – Haris Rauf (Northern) Monday’s fixtures: 1500 PST – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab. Shozab Raza and Saqib Khan (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Ahsan Raza (fourth umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee). 1930 PST – Balochistan v Central Punjab. Rashid Riaz and Imtiaz Iqbal (on-field umpires), Imtiaz Jawed (third umpire), Ghaffar Kazmi (fourth umpire); Mohammad Anees (match referee)

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 11, 2020):-Pakistan will launch its bid to qualify directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 by taking on Zimbabwe in the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches in Rawalpindi on 30 October, 1 and 3 November, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed today. The ICC has introduced the Super League to provide context to ODI cricket and will serve as a qualification for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with the hosts and other top seven sides automatically booking their spots for the India event. Featuring 13 teams, the 12 Test playing countries and the Netherlands, the Super League will see each side play four home and four away three-match series. The three ODIs were originally scheduled for Multan, but have been moved to Rawalpindi due to logistical and operational challenges. The change in the venue also means Lahore will now stage the three Twenty20 Internationals on 7, 8 and 10 November. These matches were initially planned to take place in Rawalpindi. Explaining the changes, PCB Director – International Cricket, Zakir Khan said: “After Multan became unavailable due to logistical and operational reasons, we took the opportunity to revisit the entire schedule and have come up with an itinerary that is suitable for the teams, match officials, broadcasters, event staff and other support agencies. “In the meantime, we are also in regular touch with the Metrological department and seeking their forecast for smog during November. We will continue to liaise with the Met Office and monitor the situation, and, if required, will make necessary changes. “The availability of Rawalpindi has ensured there is no uncertainty for our ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches as we aim to collect maximum points from this series to achieve our target of qualifying directly for the ICC’s pinnacle 50-over event.” Zimbabwe last visited Pakistan in 2015 for three ODIs and two T20Is. However, they now return after international cricket has resumed in Pakistan with full force following the successful tours of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in the 2019-20 season. In addition to this, HBL Pakistan Super League, for the first time in its young history, was staged in Pakistan until the last four matches were postponed on 17 March due to Covid-19 pandemic. These matches of the fifth edition will be staged in Lahore on 14, 15 and 17 November. Revised schedule (start time to be confirmed in due course): 20 Oct – Zimbabwe arrival in Islamabad 21-27 Oct – Isolation period & practice 28-29 Oct – Practice at Pindi Cricket Stadium 30 Oct – 1st ODI, Pindi Cricket Stadium 1 Nov – 2nd ODI, Pindi Cricket Stadium 3 Nov – 3rd ODI Pindi Cricket Stadium 4 Nov – Travel to Lahore 5-6 Nov – Practice at Gaddafi Stadium 7 Nov – 1st T20I Gaddafi Stadium 8 Nov – 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium 10 Nov – 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium 12 Nov – Zimbabwe departure for Harare

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 10, 2020):- A massive innings by opener Awais Zia (92) helped Balochistan to to claim a comfortable victory against Khyber Pakhtun Kawa (KPK) to move a step closer to securing a semi-final berth in the 17th match of the National T20 Cup for First XI teams at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday. Awais faced a mere 49 balls (10 fours, four sixes) in his brilliant effort that ensured Balochistan’s six wicket victory with 20 balls to spare. Balochistan lost two early wickets as Shaheen Shah Afridi continued his stunning bowling form by dismissing newcomer Abdul Wahid Bangalzai for a duck and Bismillah Khan for 18 in a pacy opening spell. Imran Butt fell for nine while Balochistan lost their captain Haris Sohail for one run before Awais was joined by Akbar-ur-Rehman in what turned out to be a match winning unbroken partnership of 88 runs for the fifth wicket. Akbar scored 24 off 22 balls, he hit three fours. Shaheen took two wickets for 38 runs in his four over spell but found little support at the other end as Balochistan batsmen especially Awais dominated the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa attack with sustained stroke play. Reflecting on his performance, man-of-the-match Awais Zia said: “My start wasn’t bad in Multan but I was struggling a bit to convert my starts, I was a bit unlucky. Today the responsibility was on me with Imam’s absence as my opening partner and I am happy that I made it count. My management and captain Haris Sohail were supporting me throughout and kept sending me messages that I needed to stay at the wicket since I can score quick runs whenever the opportunity comes.” Earlier, Balochistan opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Their bowlers produced a commendable job to restrict the powerful Khyber Pakhtunkhwa batting line-up to 154 for six in 20 overs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost captain Mohammad Rizwan (5) and Mohammad Hafeez (4) cheaply. Fakhar Zaman (33 off 34 balls, two fours, three sixes) added 38 runs for the third wicket with Shoaib Malik. Malik then added 69 runs for the fourth wicket with Sahibzada Farhan who contributed 12 runs to the partnership. The seasoned Malik became the first Pakistan batsman (third overall) to reach the milestone of 10,000 runs in T20 cricket. Malik appeared in his 395th T20 match today, he joined the 10,000-run club mark when he reached 47. Malik held the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa innings together before falling to Umar Gul for 74. His innings included eight fours and two sixes and came off 44 balls. Left-armer Akif Javed with two wickets for 20 runs was the most successful Balochistan bowler. Scores in brief Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 154-6, 20 overs (Shoaib Malik 74, Fakhar Zaman 33; Akif Javed 2-20) Balochistan 156-4, 16.4 overs (Awais Zia 92 not out, Akbar-ur-Rehman 24 not out; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-38) Result – Balochistan won by six wickets Man-of-the-match – Awais Zia (Balochistan) Sunday’s fixtures: 1500 PST - Northern v Southern Punjab. Shozab Raza and Imran Jawed (on-field umpires), Imtiaz Iqbal (third umpire), Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire); Mohammad Anees (match referee). 1930 PST – Balochistan v Sindh. Ahsan Raza and Saqib Khan (on-field umpires), Ghaffar Kazmi (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire); Nadeem Arshad (match referee)

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 10, 2020):-The high quality cricket action in the ongoing National T20 Cup continues to enthral the fans as the high scoring match between Southern Punjab and Sindh at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, the opening day of the second-leg of the tournament, saw record-books rewritten. As many as 433 runs were scored on the back of 21 sixes and 40 fours in a contest in which the record for the fastest T20 century by a Pakistan batsman was made in the second highest successful run-chase ever in the history of the National T20 Cup. Over the course of the match, the fans were treated with some exceptional power-hitting. That Sindh posted a daunting 216 for three was because of a blazing 58-ball 108 by Khurram Manzoor, who embellished the first innings of the match with his six sixes and 10 fours. Southern Punjab, in search of change of fortunes hoped for an extraordinary batting display from their batsmen, as they headed towards what would have been their fifth defeat in as many matches. They were saved by Khushdil Shah, whose spectacular 36-ball 100 provided Southern Punjab a most unexpected victory considering their state in the match. The 25-year-old smoked nine sixes and eight fours to register his first triple-digit score in just 35 balls and set a record for the fastest century in the format by a Pakistan batsman, which was previously held by Ahmed Shehzad, who had scored a century from 40 balls in a Bangladesh Premier League match in 2012. Khushdil, who made his Pakistan debut in last November at Perth in a T20I against Australia, said: “This knock has provided me a lot of confidence and my aim is to build on this innings. I am a natural power-hitter and the experience of spending time with men’s national team in England helped me to learn a lot more about batting. The coaches worked a great deal on me and I used to stay in ground with them from sunrise to sunset.” Khushdil arrived at the crease with his side struggling at three for 32 in five overs, but that did not deter the Bannu-born from expressing himself. He started to deal in boundaries from the third ball he faced as he dispatched Mir Hamza for back-to-back fours. “My favourite shots are the ones which bring me my first boundaries in an innings as they provide me confidence to build an innings,” he said. “I try to learn from the best in business and adopt their practice routines. I used to watch David Miller and then I saw Eoin Morgan in England on how he constructs his innings.” Khurram is amongst the many admirers Khushdil has earned. “It was a wonderful innings,” Khurram told PCB Digital. “I have very rarely seen such innings. Shahid Afridi had scored a century off 37 balls. I saw Khushdil’s innings unfold in front of my eyes at the ground yesterday. He turned the match around on his own and changed the game completely.” After 16 matches of the National T20 Cup for First XIs, the 34-year-old Khurram leads the batting charts with 253 runs at an average of 50.60. He has a century and two half-centuries from five innings in the tournament and is the leading run-getter in the National T20 Cup history. Reflecting on what was his fourth T20 century, Khurram said: “We had lost the toss and were asked to bat. With the teams able to chase big scores, my plan was to score as much runs as possible for my team by putting up a strong partnership with Asad Shafiq, who provided a great support. “With the moisture in the pitch, there were some problems early on. I stuck with what I have learned throughout my career which is, attack is the best defence. I enjoy paddle sweeping the fast bowlers as it is a difficult shot to execute. But, I enjoy that challenge.” Sindh and Southern Punjab currently sit at fifth and sixth positions on the points table as both have two points each. Khurram is hopeful that unlike last year, Sindh will be able to secure a semi-final berth in this edition. “I am hopeful that we will progress to the semi-finals as we still have five matches. We need to play good quality cricket and field well.”

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 10, 2020):-Sindh have been fined PKR25,000 for maintaining a slow over-rate during their Friday’s National T20 Cup fixture against Southern Punjab. In the stipulated time, Sindh were two overs short of their target after taking into account time allowances and, as such, were charged under Article 2.22 of the PCB’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel that deals with minimum over-rate offences. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Ghaffar Kazmi and Rashid Riaz, third umpire Asif Yaqoob and fourth umpire Saqib Khan. Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed pleaded guilty and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Nadeem Arshad.

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 10, 2020):-Central Punjab fast bowler Naseem Shah has been withdrawn from the National T20 Cup after complaining of a niggle in groin. He has been replaced in the Central Punjab squad by left-arm fast bowler Waqas Maqsood. Naseem will now report at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore where the PCB medical panel will carry out a detailed and complete investigation on his injury. Director – Medical and Sports Sciences, Dr Sohail Saleem: “Naseem is an asset who needs to be handled with care. As soon as he showed discomfort, we decided to withdraw him from the tournament and bring him to Lahore so that we can investigate the injury.” The PCB will provide further updates on Naseem’s injury in due course.

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (October 9, 2020):-The National Taekwondo Championship will be staged from October 28 to November 1, 2020 at Kala Shah Kaku, Lahore under the banner of Pakistan Taekwondo Federation (PTF). According to an official of PTF, over 550 male and female athletes will compete in different categories from all provinces, departments, services and affiliated units of federation. The national event of taekwondo is a regular feature and is one of the mega events on the calendar of Pakistan Taekwondo Federation. This is an excellent opportunity for the players from all over the country to exhibit their proficiency in their respective events. The championship is also provided them a platform for developing greater goodwill among all the regions of the country, which is vital for national integrity. The championship is likely to attract a large number of gatherings. A high quality of fights will be expected during the championship. The colourful opening ceremony will be held on 28 Oct 2020 at S A Garden, Kala Shah Kaku, Lahore. The Opening Ceremony will be hosted by Management of Pakistan Taekwondo Federation. Latest Electronic Sensors and Digital Scoring equipment will be used during this event. This year’s event is very special as it will be organized under the slogan ``Raise Your Spirit’’ after COVID-19 Pandemic. Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan WAPDA, Pakistan Railway, Pakistan Police, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa, Sind, Balochistan, Punjab, Gilgit Baltistan, Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) will participate in the 5-day national taekwondo showpiece.