By  BIPIN   DANI  Sri Lankan pace bowler Suranga Lakmal returns to the national Test squad which has been chosen for the forthcoming Zimbabwe tour. According to the highly placed sources, the 33-year-old right arm fast bowler will replace Ashita Fernando. "Otherwise it is the same team that toured Pakistan (for the two Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi in December) will be in Zimbabwe", the source at the SLC, said. Incidentally, Lakmal was originally chosen for the Pakistan tour but had to be last-minute dropped because of the dengue illness and Ashita Fernando was included in the side. The late comer Ashita Fernando, however, was not included in the final eleven. In the meantime, it is also learnt that Sri Lanka's tour of Zimbabwe is not hastily arranged as reported in certain section of the press. "It was already in pipe line and even the selectors had picked the Zimbabwe-bound team before recent India tour (where the T-20I series was lost)", the source added. The team has been sent for the sports minister's approval. Dimuth Karunratne's  team is scheduled to play two Tests (not to be recorded in World Test Championships) in Harare on January 19-23 and 27-31). The team with the same support staff members will leave (via Dubai) on wee hours on Thursday.   

SB News ISLAMABAD:-Singer Vera Blue (Celia Pavey) has announced as one of four Australian artists set to entertain crowds as part of a spectacular pre-game celebration at the opening match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020. Blue will be joined by First Nations performer Mitch Tambo, DJ Dena Amy and Indian-born musician Harts (Darren Hart). The crowd at Sydney Showground Stadium for the blockbuster between hosts Australia and India under lights on Friday 21 February will be treated to a celebration of music, dance and cricket. The event will also be broadcast to a global TV audience. The line-up showcases a diverse mix of Australian artists and complements the earlier announcement that global pop superstar Katy Perry will perform at the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday 8 March, International Women’s Day. Vera Blue is a singer-songwriter who combines her love of folk music with moody electronica. A leading artist on the music festival circuit, Blue recently featured on the chart-topping track ‘Rushing Back’ with Australian electronic producer Flume. Mitch Tambo, a proud Gamilaraay man is renowned for his didgeridoo playing and deeply committed to his First Nations culture and the people he represents. Mitch and DJ Dena Amy will together open the celebrations, performing a traditional welcome to country as part of an energetic set. Likened to Prince and Jimi Hendrix thanks to his singular blend of funk, jazz, blues, psychedelic rock and indie electronic, Harts (Darren Hart) is the voice behind the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 campaign song, ‘You’ve Gotta Get Up and Dance’. A re-record of the ‘70s hit from English rock-band, Supercharge, the song is available on streaming platforms, including Spotify. Vera Blue said:   “I’m super excited to be performing alongside some other amazing Aussie artists. It’s not very often you get to be performing at the opening celebration of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. This is going to be really different for me and everyone else performing there, but I think it’s going to be really fun. “I love that this tournament is about showcasing the world’s best female cricketers. It’s really cool that the fans get the chance to see them play here in Australia. “As an artist and a performer, I always look up to those paving the way for me. It’s important for young girls, and boys, to see that there is a pathway for them in many aspects of life, including professional sport. It’s going to be amazing.” ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Local Organising Committee CEO, Nick Hockley says fans will be treated to something special on opening night. “What better way to celebrate the opening night of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup – the first of two T20 World Cups Australia is hosting in 2020 – than with some of the nation’s most exciting music talent. The opening celebration will set the tone for world-class cricket action to follow and encourage fans from all the competing teams to get up and dance.” Acting New South Wales Minister for Sport, the Hon. Dr Geoff Lee, says: “In just over a month we will have the world’s best cricketers in our own backyard ready to entertain and excite the crowds. Kids will be cheering on their heroes and being inspired to become the next generation of superstars,” Dr Lee said. “And the entertainment announced today is first class too, making sure the spectacle will be big for our fans in NSW as well as cricket audiences watching on televisions around the globe.” World renowned live entertainment company Michael Cassel Group is producing the pre-match show, and are promising fans a thrilling, contemporary production led by producers Julie Brooks, Ric Birch and Michael Cassel. Acclaimed director and choreographer Mitchell Woodcock is the Creative Director. “The opening celebration is going to be huge! We’re incredibly proud to have such a formidable line-up of talented Australian artists who are sure to get people excited and ready for the ICC T20 World Cup 2020. Without giving anything away, cricket fans can expect a really energetic, dynamic show which is sure to get the party started!" said Michael Cassel, Producer and CEO of Michael Cassel Group.

SB News ISLAMABAD:-Badar Mohammad Khan, PCB’s Chief Financial Officer, has tendered his resignation after more than eight years in the role and will be departing at the end of the month. Badar Mohammad Khan said: “After serving under five PCB Chairmen since starting in July 2011, it is now time to move on and explore other opportunities. It has been a pleasure to be a part of the PCB and not only contribute in the financial and commercial growth of the company, but also meet and work alongside some of the best professionals. “I want to thank all my past and present colleagues for their support and wish the PCB future success.” PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani said: “Badar has been an important member of the PCB Senior Management Team. On behalf of the PCB, I want to thank him for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.” The PCB will soon start the process to find Badar M. Khan’s successor.      

SB News ISLAMABAD:-Opener Haider Ali and left-arm spinner Aamir Ali starred in Pakistan’s nine-wicket win over Nigeria U19 in their first warm-up match at the Mandela Oval, Hammanskraal. Aamir took three wickets and c0nceded just 12 runs in six overs as Nigeria were bundled out for 109 in 36.2 overs, after which Haider, who is also the vice-captain of the Pakistan U19 side, smashed 70 off 38 balls, hitting eight fours and four sixes, before he retired out. Aamir Ali said: “I have the experience of bowling on South African wickets. I enjoyed bowling in the match and I am confident that we can make the most of the practice matches and get acclimatised here. “During our camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore, the coaches worked with us and taught us various bowling grips which helped spinners. “The team has prepared hard and I am hopeful we will do well in the tournament.” Haider followed the good work by Pakistan bowlers with a blistering 70 off 38 balls before he was retired out. He hit eight fours and four sixes. “I toured South Africa with the U19 team last year and have a fair idea about the pitches here. I tried to play my natural game and we were confident of doing well after restricting Nigeria to 109. “I played my shots and got the rewards. I will continue to bat the same way and play aggressively as that is my natural style of play. I am confident that I will produce the results by playing my own game.” The two-time champions now play Sri Lanka in the second warm-up match at Irene Country Club, Pretoria, on Tuesday. Pakistan who are placed in Group C, play Scotland in their opening ICC U19 Cricket World Cup match on Sunday, 19 January. Their second match is against Bangladesh on Wednesday, 22 January followed by the third and final group match against Bangladesh on Friday, 24 January. All three games will be played in Potchefstroom. 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)

SB News ISLAMABAD:-Group A rivals India and Sri Lanka claimed contrasting wins on the opening day of warm-up action ahead of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 in South Africa. Kartik Tyagi took a hat-trick in the opening over to see reigning champions India past Afghanistan by 211 runs, while Sri Lanka’s mettle was tested in a tight 15-run win over South Africa. Nigeria, making their first appearance in an ICC tournament, were beaten by Pakistan while England’s clash with Zimbabwe was abandoned. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Karthik Tyagi starred with bat and ball as India opened their campaign to defend the U19 Cricket World Cup title with a thumping win over Afghanistan in Pretoria. Having won the toss and elected to bat first, India put on 255 for eight off their allotted 50 overs, aided by a 129-run second wicket partnership between Jaiswal (69) and Tilak Varma (55). Both batsmen retired out soon after to give batting practice for their team-mates, with cameo performances from captain Priyam Garg (36) and Shubhan Krishnan Sridhar (25*). The Afghanistan bowling duo of Abid Mohammadi (three for 19) and Fazal Haq (two for 48) played their part in slowing down the onslaught and kept the required run rate to below six runs an over. However fast bowler Tyagi (three for 10) tore in to the Afghanistan top order with a hat-trick in the first over that dismissed captain Farhan Zakhil, Sediq Atal and Rahmanullah without a score on the board. Sridhar, Utkarsh Singh and Sushant Mishra went on to pick up two wickets apiece as Afghanistan were reeling at 43 for nine after 17.3 overs before a rain delay, and with wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq the only player to register double figures. Ishaq was run out two balls after the break as India went on to record a resounding result. Afghanistan will begin their tournament against hosts South Africa in Group D in Kimberley on Friday. The four-time champions, meanwhile, open their campaign against Sri Lanka in Potchefstroom on Saturday. Sri Lanka clinched a thrilling 15-run victory over South Africa in the teams’ opening warm-up assignments in Soweto. After winning the toss and batting first, Sri Lanka’s Navod Paranavithana played an anchoring role as regular wickets fell around him. The opener smashed an impressive 12 fours and a six during his 64-ball 68, getting his side past the 100-run mark before falling in the 24th over. Despite a below-par return from most of the Sri Lankan batters, there were crucial contributions from the lower order with Mohamed Shamaaz (32) adding valuable runs to the total as they posted 197 all out with eight balls to spare. In reply, South Africa’s openers set the ideal foundation, as Andrew Louw (15) and Jonathan Bird combined for a 48-run partnership for the first wicket. Although the Sri Lankan bowlers managed to take wickets at regular intervals, Bird continued his dominance, scoring eight fours and one six for his 71 off 76 balls. This was before a spell of 11 overs where South Africa lost five wickets for 39 runs and despite a valiant 46 from all-rounder Jack Lees, the junior Proteas were bowled out for 182. Amshi De Silva’s 2 wickets for 30 runs led the charge for Sri Lanka, with six bowlers taking one wicket. Pakistan power past Nigeria Pakistan eased to a nine-wicket victory over Nigeria in their warm-up meeting at Hammanskraal. Chasing a modest 110 to win, the 2004 and 2006 champions reached their target in 14.3 overs aided by a destructive 87 off 38 balls from opener Haider Ali. Ali's innings contained eight boundaries and four sixes before retiring out. Mohammad Haris (18*) and Fahad Munir (14*) saw their team home to complete a convincing performance. Despite winning the toss and electing to bat first, Nigeria struggled as they were hustled out for 109 with nearly 14 overs left remaining from their innings. Sulaimon Runsewe (29) and Simon Mba (20) top scored for the West Africans, with no other batsman managing double figures in a fixture played under murky skies. The Pakistani bowling, led by Aamir Ali (three for 12), was equally destructive with Abbas Afridi and Qasim Akram also claiming two wickets apiece. Pakistan, coached by former Test batting stalwart Ijaz Ahmed, will be in Group C where they will start the tournament against Scotland on Sunday. This is a first tournament appearance for the Nigerians, who begin their Group B campaign against Australia in Kimberley next Monday. England and Zimbabwe frustrated by rain England and Zimbabwe saw their warm-up match rained off on Sunday as persistent showers hit the JC de Villiers Oval in Pretoria. Zimbabwe had won the toss and elected to bat first but were in trouble after an excellent opening burst by George Balderson. He took three for 16 on four overs, including a wicket with the sixth ball of the match. There were also three wickets for Scott Currie, who ended with figures of three for 30. His haul included the scalp of the dangerous Wesley Madhevere.  The only resistance for Zimbabwe came from Tadiwanashe Marumani, who compiled 53 off 75 balls, including one six and five fours. Zimbabwe were eventually bowled out for just 116, in 31.5 overs. With England poised to chase and confirm their credentials as one of the tournament contenders, a Highveld storm curtailed proceedings, and the match was eventually abandoned, with England on one without loss after just a single over. Scores in Brief Sri Lanka Under 19s beat South Africa Under 19s by 15 runs, Braamfischer Oval, Soweto Sri Lanka 197 all out, 48.4 overs (Navod Paranavithana 68; Merrick Brett 2-30) South Africa 182 all out, 44.1 overs (Jonathan Bird 71, Jack Lees 46; Amshi de Silva 2-30) Scorecard Zimbabwe Under 19s vs England Under 19s – match abandoned, LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria Zimbabwe 116 all out, 31.5 overs (Tadiwanashe Marumani 53; George Balderson 3-16, Scott Currie 2-30) England 1-0, 1 over Scorecard Pakistan Under 19s beat Nigeria Under 19s by nine wickets, Mandela Oval, Hammanskraal Nigeria 109 all out, 36.2 overs (Sulaimon Runsewe 29; Amir Ali 3-12, Abbas Afridi 2-12) Pakistan 110-1, 14.3 overs (Haider Ali 70 ret, Peter Aho 0-30) Scorecard India Under 19s beat Afghanistan Under 19s by 211 runs, Irene County Club, Pretoria India 255-8, 50 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 69, Tilak Varma 55 ret; Fazal Haq 2-48) Afghanistan 44 all out, 17.5 overs (Mohammad Ishaq 11; Kartik Tyagi 3-10, Sushant Mishra 2-11) Scorecard

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 12, 2020):-Mohammad Umer Khan, Zubair Tahir, Malik Muzammil Khan, Shehryar Khan, Mohammad Hamza Ilyas, Ahsan Ramzan, Kamran Albert Masih and Mohammad Shehryar Abbas moved into the quarterfinals of the 5th Jubilee Insurance Under-18 National Junior Snooker Championship 2020, as the quarterfinals will be played on Monday at Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Snooker Hall in the premises of Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad. Results (Last Four League Matches): Kamran Chaudhry (Isb) beat Mohammad Waqas (Sindh) 3-1 (34-45, 63-52, 74-30, 73-39) Mohammad Hamza Ilyas (Pjb) beat Abdul Hadi (Sindh) 3-1 (77-18, 46-28, 44-76, 58-20) Ahsan Ramzan (Pjb) beat Zohaib Mustafa (Isb) 3-1 (40-54, 47-17, 53-19, 60-52) Rizwan Durrani (Bal) beat Awais Ahmed (Kp) 3-0 (42-3, 56-13, 52-33) Results (Pre Quarters): Mohammad Umer Khan (Pjb) beat Rizwan Durrani (Bal) 4-2 (39-37, 79-23, 41-66, 62-27, 52-55, 75-05) Zubair Tahir (Pjb) beat Mohammad Ibrar (Kp) 4-2 (81-74, 31-44, 25-48, 61-14, 67-50, 70-39) Malik Muzammil Khan (Kp) beat Abdul Hadi (Sindh) 4-3 (24-55, 61-51, 12-68, 58-30, 31-67, 54-44, 59-12) Shehryar Khan (Sindh) beat Fardeen (Pjb) 4-2 (72-32, 40-60, 36-62, 57-56, 67-46, 81-74) Mohammad Hamza Ilyas (Pjb) beat Kamran Chaudhry (Isb) 4-3 (58-13, 27-52, 40-59, 1-64, 59-51, 65-20, 52-20) Ahsan Ramzan (Pjb) bt Syed Anus Zafar (Sindh) 4-0 (86-14, 80-1, 56-30, 63-29) Kamran Albert Masih (Kp) beat Umer Junaid (Sindh) 4-1 (36-45, 49-36, 77-40, 60-35, 65-21) Mohammad Shehryar Abbas (Pjb) beat Ahtisham Asghar (Pjb) 4-1 (39-64, 68-35, 80-22, 98-54, 54-15) Monday’s Fixtures Mohammad Umer Khan (Pjb v Zubair Tahir (Pjb) Malik Muzammil Khan (Kp) v Shehryar Khan (Sindh) Mohammad Hamza Ilyas (Pjb) v Ahsan Ramzan (Pjb) Kamran Albert Masih (Kp) v Mohammad Shehryar Abbas (Pjb)  

SB News ISLAMABAD (January 12, 2020):-Peshawar, Malakand, Faisalabad and Bahawalpur boards have won their first round matches of hockey event on the second day of Pakistan Inter Board Boys Gala 2020 at Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad on Sunday. Peshawar defeated Abbottabad in the first match 7-1, as the Yasir scored two goals while Tawheed, Saleem, Ismail and Athar scored one goal each. Zubair scored solitary goal for Abbottabad. In the second match, Malakand beat Sahiwal by 3-0. In the third match, Faisalabad beat Rawalpindi by 4-0 goals. Bahawalpur beat Larkana 3-0 in the fourth match of the day. Wasil scored 2 goals and own Abbas one goal. In the first match of football, Faisalabad defeated the Technical Education Board Peshawar by 2-1 while Board defeated Lahore 3-2 in the second match.

SB News ISLAMABAD (January 12, 2020):-The 5th edition of the Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Championships will be held from January 13 to 19, 2020, said an official of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) on Sunday. This is a Grade-A Tournament offering several events in various categories. The tournament will be played on the World Class “Plexipave Cushion Prestige” surface of the courts at the SDA-PTF Tennis Complex, Islamabad. It is amongst the leading prestigious events in the tennis calendar, organised by the Saifullah Khan family in memory of their mother, the late Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan. Salim Saifullah Khan, President PTF, on behalf of the Saif Group, announced handsome prize money of Rs. 800,000, which would be distributed amongst the winners and runners up, and other prize winners. Event will be contested for Men’s Singles & Doubles, Ladies Singles & Doubles.  In the Juniors categories, Boys 18U & 14U, Boys & Girls 12U & 10U will be played.  As well, Seniors 45+ Doubles will also feature in the events.

SB News ISLAMABAD:-Health Association of Nutrition and Dietetics Pakistan (HANDP) in collaboration with Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) organized an expert workshop on the topic of “Essentials of Nutrition in Sports and Fitness” at Jinnah Hall, Pakistan Sports Complex Islamabad. There were many experts and stakeholders, who discussed the seven founding pillars of Sports Nutrition. The workshop provided an extensive overview on seven topic which includes Optimizing Nutrition in Sports Performance, Sports Psychology, The Role of Super and Natural Foods on Body Development, The Synergistic effects of Nutrition and Physical activity on Mental and Organ Health, Sports Nutrition and Athletic Development, The Role of Supplements and Nutraceuticals in Sports and Fitness, Anti-Doping Regulatory Framework; The Narrow line Between use and misuse of Nutritional Supplements, and lastly, Talk on Role of Media in Sports and Fitness. Speakers who explained these topics were; RDN Ayeza Umer (HOD Clinical Nutrition Dept. Quaid e Azam International Hospital), Qurat ul Ain (Sports Psychologist Pakistan Sports Board), Rao SanaUllah (PhD UMT Lahore), Mariya Khan (Vostro World Islamabad), Waseem Ullah (CEO Ginnastic Nutrition), Mohammad Abbas (CEO Jacked Nutrition), Dr. Waqar (Chairman WADA Pakistan), and Bilal Azfar Abbasi (Health and Media Advisor). Umer Tanveer Butt Chairman Punjab Food Authority, Akbar Durrani Secretary Ministry of Inter Provisional Coordination and Amna Imran Khan Director General PSB also graced this workshop with their presence and valuable remarks. The workshop helped to raise awareness of nutrition, fitness, nutritional issues and the potential challenges ahead in the athlete’s life. This workshop provided a forum for dialogue between national regulatory authorities, students, athletes, professionals and other stakeholders. In penal discussion session questions were also raised by audience and answered by proficient speakers of health, nutrition, sports and fitness industry in the question answer session. Certificates and Suvinoirs were presented to guests and organizing team. Event concluded with the closing remarks of Abdullah Sarfraz (President Health Association of Nutrition and Dietetics Pakistan), who showed his gratitude towards the honorable guests, guest speakers, partners, participants and the organizing team. All stakeholders and respected guests appreciated this effort and assured their full support to spread such activities nationwide. Dr. Manan Haider and Mohammad Azam Dar, Dy. Director General (Tech) were also present on the occasion.

SB News ISLMABAD (January 12, 2020):-I’m now really excited for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup to begin – and I’ve got a good idea of the players to look out for during the tournament. There are a few young players who have been going around and doing very well for themselves recently. I think South Africa have got some exciting young players – a lot of them have done very well and are ready to represent the country on the big stage. Jonathan Bird is definitely one of the greatest young players in South Africa currently. He grew up in a very good school, and has been doing well over the past couple of years. There’s also Gerald Coetzee who’s a good all-rounder – he’s been involved in franchise cricket recently for Jozi Stars, which has really been able to benefit him as well as being part of the national setup. Khanya Cotani is another young fellow who is doing very well, and he’s obviously the South Africa vice-captain – he’s the type of player who I’m really excited to see. As the host nation, South Africa don’t want to be in a position where they get knocked out in the group stages or get to the quarter-finals and get beaten. If they can do well and get to the final, it will make a massive difference for those youngsters. In terms of other nations, I’ve watched the India team in training and I look at those young fellows and how well they conduct themselves – it’s almost like they are in the tournament already and their tournament mindset has already kicked in. It was one of the greatest things seeing those youngsters training and putting themselves together – they were playing the game so well, and it was almost like I was watching the Indian senior team as they looked very slick. I think the thing with the whole Indian squad is that they have already been part of the Indian system – they have certain players like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kartik Tyagi and Akash Singh who are set to play in the IPL. They have already been groomed to represent India as a nation when they grow older. Pakistan, too, have a lot of exciting players and I’m looking forward to seeing how Rohail Nazir performs with the bat. As captain of his country, there will be some pressure on his shoulders but at 18, he’s already shown himself to be a very strong player and a leader too, both in the field and with the bat. Rohail has already played first-class and List A cricket and was on a good run of form late in 2019, so it’ll be exciting to see how he goes against some world-class bowlers. England will also be an exciting team to watch, and a lot of their players already have a lot of experience in the domestic game. Ben Charlesworth is one of them, introduced to the first XI at just 17 and it’s big-match experience which will prove so important for players and teams. He helped Gloucestershire win promotion in England so he knows what it takes to win, and his batting is supported with some part-time bowling as well which could come in handy as the tournament goes on. As a batsman, Jordan Cox fits a similar bill – he’s played with and against some of the best players in the world in the English T20 competition, and he’ll have learnt so much just by being on the same pitch. Cox is in some good form as well, scoring big against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh late last year so he should go to South Africa with confidence – he’s playing players he’s faced before and he’s shown he can do it, it’s just about transferring his talent to the big stage. That’s the challenge for all the players in the coming weeks. They’ve shown they can do it, they wouldn’t be in their squads otherwise, but now it’s about converting their talent into temperament with the pressure on. Whoever does that the best will have a strong chance of inspiring their country to a victory.