By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 27, 2020):-Umar Gul was honoured in Lahore on Monday for his Pakistan record figures of five for six in T20Is when PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani presented him with a crystal plaque. The ceremony took place in the PCB Chairman’s office after the third Twenty20 International between Pakistan and Bangladesh was abandoned without a ball being bowled. According to media department of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Umar Gul recorded figures of 3-0-6-5 against New Zealand at The Oval in Pakistan’s successful ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 journey in England. Umar was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets as Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka in the final at Lord’s by eight wickets. Umar’s 5-6 remained a world record until Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis took 4-1-16-6 against Australia in Pallekele in August 2011. India’s Deepak Chahar presently holds the record for besting bowling performance following his figures of 3.2-0-7-6 against Bangladesh in Nagpur in November 2019. Umar Gul followed up his five for six with 2.2-0-6-5 four years later against South Africa at Centurion. After receiving the crystal plaque from PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani, Umar Gul said: “My each and every appearance and performance has been for Pakistan and it has been a privilege to represent my country and team, and play a small part in its successes. “I am grateful to the PCB for remembering and acknowledging my achievement. This is a welcome change in the way the PCB is operating and respecting cricketers who have contributed in the country’s image and profile building. I sincerely hope this trend continues and all the cricketers get their due recognition in front of their fans. “Such gestures will not only act as an encouragement for the players, but also play a big role in motivating youngsters to take up cricket as a profession. The PCB had honoured Javed Miandad during the Rawalpindi Test against Sri Lanka, while Saleem Yousuf and Rashid Khan were honoured during the Karachi Test.  

SB News Potchefstroom ( January 26, 2020):-Pakistan Under-19’s leading wicket-taker at the end of the group stage is the FATA-born all-rounder Abbas Afridi who has collected eight wickets in three Group C games of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup being played in South Africa. Abbas, who bowls right-arm-fast-medium, has provided great support to the strike bowlers Tahir Hussain, Mohammad Waseem and Amir Khan in Pakistan’s three games against Scotland, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. His performance has given great depth to the bowling attack and Abbas lends balance to the squad with his big-hitting abilities with the bat at number eight. Abbas took two for 32 in Pakistan’s opening match against Scotland where the boys in greens sent the Scots packing for 75 runs. He then made match winning contributions against Zimbabwe when the game was at a knife’s edge. His twin strikes in the 39th over of Zimbabwe’s innings brought Pakistan right back in the match, at the start of the over the African country needed 88 runs to win off 72 balls with seven wickets in hand. Abbas conceded a mere two runs in the over while taking two crucial wickets with his slower one and seam-up delivery respectively. On Friday, Abbas provided the perfect foil to debutant Amir Khan in the game against Bangladesh by taking three wickets for 20 runs in seven probing overs. Abbas followed Amir’s four-wicket burst in the opening overs of the rain-ruined match which came to a premature end due to persistent rain and a subsequent wet outfield with Pakistan in complete domination having reduced Bangladesh to 106 for nine in 25 overs. Abbas Afridi said: “I am happy with my contribution in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup so far especially since I have taken the most wickets for Pakistan. I want to continue my form and make all-round contributions since I feel I can deliver with both bat and ball. “I really enjoy bowling with the semi new ball. I rely on bowling seam-up while my slower one is also a wicket taking ball for me. I got crucial wickets when they needed few runs to win. I tried to contain the batsmen by bowling slower ones and also succeeded in getting wickets in the process. “We got [Afghanistan] out for 160 in the Asia Cup U19 tournament last year and we hope to get them for a low total again in the quarter-final match. “I want to progress to Pakistan’s senior men’s team and become a Test cricketer. Leading up to this tournament our coach Ijaz Ahmed and bowling coach Rao Iftikhar worked very hard with us which has given us the results. “I am very confident that we will make it to the semi-finals by beating Afghanistan in the quarters.” Pakistan are travelling to Johannesburg on Sunday and will start training for the quarter-final clash against Afghanistan from Monday. The two-time champions take on the Afghans in the last-eight clash at the Willowmore Park, Benoni on Friday, 31 January. Pakistan ICC U19 Cricket World Cup squad: Rohail Nazir (captain and wicketkeeper), Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Amir Ali (Larkana), Amir Khan (Peshawar), Arish Ali Khan (Karachi), Fahad Munir (Lahore),  Haider Ali (vice-captain), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Lahore),  Mohammad Shehzad (Multan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (North Waziristan), Tahir Hussain (Multan) Team management;– Ijaz Ahmed (head coach-cum-manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (trainer), Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rasul (physiotherapist), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Emmad Ahmed Hameed (media manager) and Col (retd) Usman Riffat Anwari (security manager).  

SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 26, 2020):-Top seed Aqeel Khan overcame 2nd seed Muzammil Murtaza 2-0 in the Men’s Singles final of the 5th Serena Hotels National Ranking Tennis Tournament at PTF Tennis Complex on Sunday. The final score-line was 6-3 and 7-6(4). Salim Saifullah Khan President –PTF graced  the occasion as guest of honor along with Hussain Odhwani (Serena Hotels) as chief guest, besides a large number of spectators  and tennis lovers witnessed the finals. Salim Saifullah while addressing appreciated the role of Serena Hotels in promotion of tennis in collaboration with PTF. He also appreciated both the sponsors and the organizers for conducting such an excellent event. He also praised the role of media for promotion of sports in Pakistan and especially game of tennis. He also hoped that these joined efforts would continue to further advance the image of sports in our country. Results: Men’s Singles; (Final) Aqeel Khan beat Muzammil Murtaza 6-3, 7-6(4) Boys’ Under-18 Singles (Final) Mohammad Shoaib beat Zalan Khan 6-3,6-2 Boys’ Under- 14 Singles (Final) Bilal Asim beat Ahmed Nail 6-4,7-6(4) Boys’ Under- 14 Doubles (Final) Mohammad Huzaifa Khan & Hamid Israr beat Haider Ali Rizwan & Hussnain Ali Rizwan 4-1,4-1 Hussnain Ali Rizwan bt Hamza Roman 2-4,4-2,4-3 Hamza Ali Rizwan bt Haniya Minhas 5-4(2) 4-2

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (January 25, 2020):-There was a new name at the top of the men's FIH World Rankings after the day's action in Sydney, Australia as Belgium men overtook the Kookaburras as the number one team in the world. A winning performance in the shoot-out gave the Red Lions a bonus point after they drew 2-2 in a thrilling match. Later in the day, a 5-1 victory for Germany men against Spain means Germany currently top the FIH Hockey Pro League table by virtue of their goal difference. The first match of the day was a meeting between Australia and Belgium. Australia women scored twice in the final two minutes of regular time to secure a 3-3 draw against Belgium before winning the shoot-out 4-2 to claim the bonus point at the Sydney Olympic Park. The Hockeyroos went ahead in the second quarter thanks to Ambrosia Malone’s fine backhand strike, but goals from Louise Versavel, Charlotte Englebert and Barbara Nelen put the visiting Red Panthers 3-1 up with five minutes left to play. Remarkably, late goals from Edwina Bone and Kalindi Commerford salvaged a draw for the home favourites, with Brooke Peris, Amy Lawton, Ambrosia Malone and Jane Claxton on target as Australia claimed two points from a possible three from the contest.  “I guess it was a little inconsistent from us”, Australia’s captain Emily Chalker said after the match. “There were some really good patches of play and stuff we’ve been building towards, but obviously the first game of the year, there was a few lapse moments when we let them score and we’ll have to come out a bit stronger tomorrow.” Belgium’s Louise Versavel, who was named Player of the Match, said: “Yes of course we are a little bit disappointed, but you have to look at the entire game and I think we played well for a big part of the game. We have to take the good things [from today] and go again tomorrow.” The men’s meeting between Australia and Belgium also featured late drama and a shoot-out, with the Red Lions equalising in the final minutes before taking the bonus point in the one-on-ones. The result sees Belgium leap-frog Australia to take top spot in the FIH World Rankings. An instinctive close-range volley from Thomas Briels put Belgium ahead in the 18th minute, with Australia eventually flipping the score-line on its head as Jeremy Hayward’s penalty corner and a penalty stroke from Tom Craig put the 2019 Pro League champions into a 2-1 lead. However, a late deflection from Belgium’s Felix Denayer levelled the scores at 2-2, triggering a shoot-out that the reigning world champions won 4-2 thanks to successful conversions from Florent van Aubel, Simon Gougnard, Victor Wegnez and Arthur van Doren.  “It was not easy to start in Australia, the number one in the world against the number two, but I think we put on a good game and I think the crowd saw some good actions”, said Belgium’s Nicolas de Kerpel, who was named Player of the Match. “We are really excited to play again tomorrow.”   In the second encounter between Spain and Germany men's teams, it was the visiting side who took control early on and never really looked like buckling under pressure. Christopher Ruhr added to his two goals from the previous day to open proceedings. Timur Oruz added another just after the hlf-time break and, although Marc Miralles gave Spain a lifeline, goals from Marco Miltkau, Lukas Windfeder and Constantin Staib were worthy reward for a dominant German performance. Speaking after the game, Player of the Match Marco Miltkau said: "We played a great defence and a good attacking game. We played as a team, we defended as a team. And our counter attacks were very good. That was our improvement on yesterday's performance." Before the game and again at half-time, Spain's Head Coach Frederic Soyez had called for more : "Clinical finishing, more aggression and more ambition." With the Netherlands their next opponents, these are all qualities the Spain team will need to find. On Sunday 27th January Australia and Belgium men and women will be back in action and then USA women will host the Netherlands in a match worth 6 points. The first match between the two sides was cancelled as a mark of respect following the tragic death of USA National Teams Manager Larry Amar. In accordance with the League’s regulations for a cancelled match, the points of this match will count double (6 points for the winning team, no point for the losing team; in case of a shoot-out, the team winning the shoot-out will get 4 points and the losing team 2 points). The complete match schedule available by clicking here. Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. FIH Hockey Pro League Estadio Betero, Valencia (ESP) Result: Men’s Match Day 6 - Saturday 24 January 2020 Spain 1, Germany 5 After Shoot-Out (Match 2 of 2) Player of the Match: Marco Miltkau (GER) Umpires: Jonas van 't Hek (NED), Bruce Bale (ENG), Coen van Bunge (NED - Video). Other Results: Match Day 6 – Saturday 25 January 2020 Sydney (AUS) – Women: Australia 3, Belgium 3 (4-2 After Shoot-) (Match 1 of 2) Sydney (AUS) – Men: Australia 2, Belgium 2 (2-4 After Shoot-Out) (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) – Men: Spain 1, Germany 2 (Match 2 of 2)

SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 25, 2020):-Sarah Mahboob Khan continued her good form by beating Sara Mansoor in a close match that which lasted 2 hours and 35 minutes in the Ladies Singles event of the Sareena Hotels National Ranking Tennis Tournament on Saturday at PTF Tennis Complex. Results: Men’s Singles; (Semi Final) Muzammil Murtaza beat Ahmed Ch 6-1, 6-4 Aqeel Khan beat Heera Ashiq 6-4,6-4; Ladies Singles (Final) Sarah Mahboob Khan beat Sara Mansoor 6-3,6-7(7),6-2; Boys’ Under-18 Singles (Semi Finals) Mohammad Shoaib beat Mahatir Mohammad 6-2,6-3  Zalan Khan beat Hasheesh Kumar 6-4,4-6,6-1; Boys’ Under-14 Singles (Semi Final) Bilal Asim beat Hussnain Ali Rizwan 5-3, 4-0  Ahmed Nael beat Haider Ali Rizwan 4-2,4-2; Boys’ Under-14 Doubles (Semi Final) Mohammad Huzaifa Khan & Hamid Israr beat Asad Zaman & Hamza Asim 4-1,4-1  Haider Ali Rizwan & Hussnain Ali Rizwan beat Ahmed Nael & Bilal Asim 3-5,4-2(10-5); Under-12 Boy’s & Girl’s Singles (Semi Final) Hussnain Ali Rizwan beat Haniya Minhas 4-0,4-0 Hamza Roman beat Ahtesham Hamyun 4-1,4-1; Under-10 Boy’s & Girl’s Singles (Semi Final) Haniya Minhas bt Raziq Sultan 4-0,4-0 Hamza Ali Rizwan bt Mohammad Hassan Usmani 4-1,4-1;

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (January 24, 2020):-Two goals from Christopher Rühr helped visitors Germany claim a hard-earned 2-2 draw against Spain before winning the shoot-out 4-3 in front of a packed house at the Estadio Betero in Valencia.  Germany needed just three minutes to open the scoring thanks to Rühr’s smart turn and shot, but the hosts levelled before the end of the first quarter through David Alegre’s fine reactions, pouncing on a penalty corner rebound. Veteran Red Sticks striker Pau Quemada put the home favourites in front with a stunning third quarter penalty corner drag-flick, but Ruhr’s clinical strike three minutes from time, assisted perfectly by Player of the Match Niklas Wellen, ensured that the match finished level at 2-2 and triggered a shoot-out for the bonus point.  Misses from Alvaro Iglesias and Josep Romeu proved costly for Spain in the one-on-ones, with Rühr, Tobias Hauke, Wellen and Florian Fuchs all on target as Die Honamas claimed two points from a possible three from the contest.   "It is always tough to play here, we knew that from last year”, said Germany’s Niklas Wellen after the match. “We struggled in the beginning. The first half was okay but we knew we could play better. The second half was better. We played some quicker passes and I feel 2-2 was a good result." Spain and Germany will play their second match of this double header on Saturday (25 January), a day that will also see Australia’s women and men taking on the national teams of Belgium in Sydney.  The second match, planned on Sunday 26 January in the same venue, is maintained and, in accordance with the League’s regulations for a cancelled match, the points of this match will count double (6 points for the winning team, no point for the losing team; in case of a shoot-out, the team winning the shoot-out will get 4 points and the losing team 2 points). On Wednesday, FIH had extended its condolences and deepest sympathy to Larry Amar’s family, friends and all members of USA Field Hockey. Result: Men’s Match 3 - Friday 24 January 2020 Spain 2, Germany 2 – 3-4 After Shoot-Out (Match 1 of 2) Player of the Match: Niklas Wellen (GER) Umpires: Coen van Bunge (NED), Jonas van 't Hek (NED) and Bruce Bale (ENG - Video).    Upcoming fixtures Match Day 6 – Saturday 25 January 2020 Sydney (AUS) – Women: Australia v Belgium (Match 1 of 2) Time: 1600 (GMT/UTC +11) Sydney (AUS) – Men: Australia v Belgium (Match 1 of 2) Time: 1830 (GMT/UTC +11) Valencia (ESP) – Men: Spain v Germany (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1300 (GMT/UTC +1) Match Day 7 – Sunday 27 January 2020 Sydney (AUS) – Women: Australia v Belgium (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1500 (GMT/UTC +11) Sydney (AUS) – Men: Australia v Belgium (Match 2 of 2) Time: 1730 (GMT/UTC +11) Chapel Hill (USA) – Women: USA v Netherlands (Match 1 of 1) Time: 1400 (GMT/UTC -5)  

SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 24, 2020):-The 2nd seed Muzammil Murtaza outclassed Mohammad Shoaib 2-1 in the Men's Singles event of the Serena Hotles National Ranking Tennis Tournament 2020 o Friday at PTF Tennis Complex. Results: Men’s Singles; (Quarter Final) Ahmed Ch bt Shahzad Khan 6-4,6-3; Heera Ashiq bt Mudasir Murtaza 6-3,6-4; Muzammil Murtaza bt M. Shoaib 4-6,6-1,6-1; Aqeel Khan bt M. Abid 6-3,6-2; Ladies Singles (Semi Final) Sarah Mahboob Khan bt Ushna Suhail 4-6,6-4,6-3; Meheq Khokhar bt Sara Mansoor 6-4,6-1. Boy’s 18& Under Singles (Quarter Final) Mahatir Muhammad bt Sami Zeb 6-3,3-6,6-3; Nalain Abbas bt Hamid Israr 6-1,6-4; M .Shoaib bt Faizan Fayyaz 6-3,6-0; Hamid Israr bt Zalan Khan 3-6,6-4,7-6(2); Boy’s 14&Under Singles (Quarter Final) Bilal Asim bt Ahtesham Humyun 4-0,4-0; Haider Ali Rizwan bt Asad Zaman 4-0,4-1; Ahmed Nal bt Yahya Musa Luni 4-1,4-1; Husnain Ali Rizwan bt M. Hamza Asim 1-4,5-3,4-2; 12 & Under Boy’s & Girl’s Singles (Quarter Final) Hamza Roman bt Nabeel Ali Qayum 4-1,4-0; Ahtesham Humyun bt Zohaib A Malik 4-0,4-1; Haniya Minhas bt Ali Zain 4-1,4-2; Husnain Ali Rizwan bt Ameer Mazari 4-2,4-1. 10 & Under Boy’s & Girl’s Singles (Quarter Final) Hamza Ali Rizwan bt Hammad Shah 4-0,4-1;  

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 24, 2020):-The 33rd Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships will kick off from Saturday at Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, Islamabad.  All the top leading players Aqeel Khan, Muzammil Murtaza, Mohammad Abid, Heera Ashiq, Shahzad Khan, Mudassar Murtaza, Ahmed Ch, Mohammad Shoaib, Mohammad Waqas Malik and Ladies players  Sarah Mahboob Khan, Sara Mansoor , Mehek Khkokor and Noor Malik will also be seen in action. Five events Men’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Ladies Singles, Ladies Doubles and Senior Doubles 45 Plus will be played during the championships. President, Islamabad Tennis Association (ITA), Tariq Mehmood Murtaza earlier chaired the Executive committee meeting and approved the arrangements for holding the 33rd Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships in a befitting manner and for the development and promotions of game of tennis in the country. Ladies event will start from Saturday in order to provide an opportunity to Ladies players to finish their matches before proceeding for New Zealand for participation in Asia Oceania Fed Cup competition.  Men’s Singles qualifying event will be played on Monday 27th January 2020.  Mohammad Arif Qureshi, ITF White Badge official will officiate as Referee whereas Mohammad Khalil Chughtai nominated as Tournament Director. Islamabad Tennis Association took the imitative to separate the junior events from the professional categories to encourage the talented junior players in Professional event comfortably. Capital Smart City will sponsor the tournament. Top 24 players will be accepted into the Main Draw of Men’s Singles as per PTF National Ranking and 8 players will qualify through the draw of qualifying.    

SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 23, 2020):-A total number of 43 matches were played on the 4th day of the Serena Hotels National Ranking Tennis Championships-2020 at the PTF Complex, Islamabad on Thursday. Results: Men’s Singles; (2nd Round) Mohammad Shoaib beat Yousaf Khalil 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Shahzad Khan beat Israr Gul 6-3, 6-3 Heera Ashiq beat Asadullah 0-6, 6-1, 6-0 Mudassir Murtaza beat Waqas Malik 7-6 (8), 6-1  Mohammad Abid beat Asad Siyyid 6-2, 6-3 Aqeel Khan beat Barkatullah 6-0, 7-6(7) Ahmed Ch beat Shaheen Mehmood 6-1, 6-1 Muzammil Murtaza beat Aqib Hayat 6-2, 6-3 Men’s Doubles; (Quarter Final): Barkatullah & Ahmad Ch beat Mudassir Murtaza & Asad Siyyid 6-3,6-3; M. Abid & Waqas Malik beat Ahmed Kamil & Ibrahim Omer 6-3,6-1; Yousaf Khalil & Heera Ashiq beat  Ejaz Khan & Asadullah 4-6,6-1 (13-11); Aqeel Khan & Muzammil Murtaza beat M. Shoaib & Huzaifa Abdul Rehman 6-2,6-4; Ladies Singles (Quarter Final); Sara Mansoor beat Esha Jawad 6-1,6-1; Sarah Mahboob beat Shimza Naz 6-2,6-4; Meheq Khokhar beat Noor Malik 6-2,6-0; Mahin Aftab beat Adela Miron 6-0,6-0; Ushna Suhail beat Mahin Aftab 6-1,6-2; Ladies doubles (Semi Final) Ushna Suhail & Mahin Aftab beat Adela Miron & Krisztina Jekkel 6-0,6-0; Meheq Khokhar & Noor Malik beat Mehvish Chistie & Esha Jawad 6-0,6-0; Boys’ Under-18 Singles (2nd Round); Hamid Israr beat Saim Danish 4-6,6-2,6-2; Faizan Fayyaz beat Kashan Umar 6-4,6-0; Mahatir Mohammad beat Mohammad Huzaifa Khan 6-3,6-4; Sami Zeb beat M.Abdullah 6-3,6-3; Hasheesh Kumar beat Hassan Ali 6-2,6-3; Mohammad Shoaib beat Bilal Asim 6-1,6-0; Zalan Khan beat Uzair Khan 6-1,7-5; Nalain Abbas beat M. Hamza Aasim 6-1,6-1; Boys’ Under-14 Singles (2nd Round) Ahtesham Humayun beat Mustansar Ali 4-0,4-0; Yahya Musa Luni beat Abdullah Ahmad 4-0,4-0; Husnain Ali Rizwan beat Ali Zain 4-1,4-2; Haider Ali Rizwan beat Ammar Masood 4-1,4-0; Asad Zaman beat Sameer Maqsood 4-1,4-0; Ahmed Nail beat Saim Shahzad 4-0,4-0 ; M. Hamza Asim beat Nabeel Ali Qayum 4-0,4-1; Under-12: Boy’s & Girl’s Singles (2nd Round) Ameer Mazari beat Razik Sultan 4-0,4-0; Hammad Shah beat Abdullah Ahmad 1-4,5-4,(4),5-2; M.Haziq Asim beat Amna Ali Qayum 5-3,5-3; Hamza Ali Rizwan beat Moeez Gul 4-1,4-1; Zohaib Malik beat Subhan Sahir 4-0,4-0; Soha Ali beat Uzair Maqsood 4-1,4-1; Nabeel Ali Qayum beat Essa Fahad 4-0,4-0; Taimoor Khan beat Zonaisha 1-4,4-0,4-0; Ameer Mazari beat Hammad Shah 4-1,4-0; Haniya Minhas beat Abdul Basit 4-1,4-0; Ahtesham Humayun beat Sameer Maqsood 4-1,4-0; Zohaib A. Malik beat Soha Ali 4-0,4-0; Under-10: Boy’s & Girl’s Singles (2nd Round) Hamza Ali Rizwan beat Uzair Maqsood 4-0, 4-0

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 23, 2020):-International Cricket Council (ICC) Chief Executive Manu Sawhney Thursday completed his two-day visit to Pakistan following positive and constructive meetings in Islamabad and Lahore. Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ehsan Mani and Chief Executive Wasim Khan accompanied Sawhney and ICC General Manager – Commercial, Campbell Jamieson, to a  meeting with Fahmida Mirza, Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC), in Islamabad on Wednesday. In Lahore on Thursday, they visited the Lahore Safe City Project before receiving a presentation from the PCB team at the National Cricket Academy. Sawhney’s visit was part of the ICC’s initiative to meet all Members and brief them on the process to be adopted for the allocation of ICC Events in the 2023-2031 cycle comprising eight men’s events, eight women’s events, four men’s U19 events and four Women’s U19 events. In the meeting with the PCB officials at the National Cricket Acaemy, Mr Sawhney and Jamieson also made a detailed and comprehensive presentation on the ICC’s expectations, criteria and selection process for the event hosts, including timelines for bid submissions. He also updated the PCB on the work being done by the ICC for cricket promotion, development, global strategy, financial growth, and also briefed on the challenges world cricket faces. PCB chief executive Wasim Khan said: “We had positive, constructive and wide-ranging meetings with the ICC in relation to the 2023-2031 event cycle. As part of our vision, we want to push on and host a number of ICC global events during the next rights cycle. “So, from that perspective, it was excellent to get an insight into the ICC’s expectations and requirements so that we can accordingly plan and prepare our bid document. “We now have a clearer idea of what will be required from us and so we will now go away from this meeting and think through our strategy for approaching the bid process. We are determined and keen to host ICC Events in the next events cycle and understand this will not be a straightforward project. We will require a lot of support from the government as well all stakeholders. “It was also good to understand the work being done by the ICC in Dubai for the betterment of world cricket. As a responsible and key Member of the ICC, the PCB remains committed to playing its role in taking cricket to the next level.”