Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (December 27, 2019):-A five-wicket haul by Faheem Ashraf and an unbeaten 57-run stand between Salman Butt and Azhar Ali put Central Punjab in a commanding position on day one of the final of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament against Northern at Karachi’s National Stadium on Friday. Faheem, the Central Punjab bowling all-rounder, returned five for 54 – his sixth five-fer at this level – as Northern were bowled out for 254 in 61 overs after electing to bat. He, along with Aizaz Cheema (two for 56), sparked an early collapse which saw the batting side getting reduced to five for 69 before a gutsy 116 by Faizan Riaz rescued Northern. Faizan, who now moves to fifth spot in the highest run-getters’ chart after scoring his third century of the tournament, smashed 14 fours in his 133-ball knock and crafted a defiant 155-run stand for the sixth-wicket with Rohail Nazir, who made a solid 80. Rohail, the Pakistan U19 captain, faced 115 balls, out of which 12 were dispatched for fours. As Central Punjab captain Babar Azam looked for a breakthrough, Faheem provided his side the crucial wicket of Faizan after which off-spinner Bilal Ashraf (three for 37) wrapped up the tail. Opener Salman took a lead role in Central Punjab’s reply scoring an unbeaten 48. The left-hander cracked 10 fours in the 67 balls he faced on the first day of the match, which helped Central Punjab to 87 for one in 21 overs before stumps were drawn. Batting at the other end was Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali – who scored 17 not out in 37 balls. Central Punjab’s only wicket to fall was Ahmed Shahzad. The right-handed opener made 20 off 22 balls before getting dismissed by Nauman Ali, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament. Central Punjab trail Northern by 167 runs. The second day’s play will begin at 10am on Saturday.  Scores in brief: Northern 254 all-out, 61 overs (Faizan Riaz 116, Rohail Nazir 80; Faheem Ashraf 5-54, Bilal Asif 3-37, Aizaz Cheema 2-56) Central Punjab 87-1, 21 overs (Salman Butt 48 not out, Ahmed Shehzad 20)

    By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 27, 2019):- Bahawalpur, Peshawar, Islamabad and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) reached in the semifinals of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind’s Cricket Trophy (Grade-1) after winning their matches played at Bahawalpur on Friday. The both semifinals will be played on Saturday at same venue, as 1st semifinal will be played between Peshawar and AJK while 2nd semifinal will be played between Bahawalpur and Islamabad. Day-3, match 1:-Bahawalpur Vs Okara:  (Venue: Dring Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur) Bahawalpur overpowered Okara by six wickets. In the morning, Bahawalpur won the toss and put Okara into bat. Badar Munir got out early thereafter Okara innings didn’t take off.  Okara posted 128 runs for loss of 6 wickets in allotted 18 overs. Match was reduced to 18 overs a side due to dense fog in the morning. Iftikhar Tiger roared with the bat, he made 50 runs. Usman took 2 wickets and Shahzaib claimed 1 wicket. Bahawalpur chased the target of 129 runs in 14.2 overs for the loss of 4wickets. Babar remained unbeaten on 40* runs and Moeen Aslam’s was dismissed on 39.Badar and Fakhar Abbass took a wicket a piece. Result: Bahawalpur won by 6 wickets Man of the Match: Babar Ali Day-3, Match 2: Karachi Vs Lahore (Venue: Saqid Public School Cricket Ground, Bahawalpur) Lahore whipped Karachi by 94 runs. Lahore batted first after winning the toss, made 266 for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs. Lahore Captain Matiullah once again excelled and made 114 runs off 47 balls and Salman contributed with 23 runs. For Karachi, Shair Ali and Tahir Ali shared one wicket each. Karachi in reply made 172 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs.  Waliullah made 73 runs and Tahir Ali scored 26 runs. Kamran and Karamat took a wicket a piece. Result: Lahore won by 96 runs Man of the Match: Matiullah Day-3, Match-3: Peshawar vs Islamabad: (Venue: Dring Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur) Peshawar won the toss and decided to bowl first. Islamabad posted 168 runs on the board for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs. Anees Javed once again played Captain’s innings. He remained not out 101 off 74 balls. Mohsin Khan took 3 wickets. Peshawar in reply chased the target in only 14 overs without losing any wicket. Haroon Khan and Sanaullah remained unbeaten on 93* and 65* runs respectively. Result: Peshawar won by 10 wickets Man of the Match: Haroon Khan Day-3, Match-4:AJK Vs Gujranwala: (Venue: Saqid Public School Cricket Ground, Bahawalpur) AJK batted first, made 174 runs for loss of 2 wickets in allotted 15 overs. Nisar Ali scored 67 off 38 balls and Tehseen made 42 runs off 33 balls. Tayyab and Zubair took 1 wicket each. In reply, Gujranwala made 140 for the loss of 5 wickets in allotted 15 overs. Israr Hassan was their top scorer with 26 runs and Tayyab made 24 runs. Nisar Ali took 1 wicket. Result: AJK won by 34 runs Man of the match: Nisar Ali

  SB Report KARACHI (December 26, 2019):-Twenty-five players will take part in the 14-day long Skills 2 Shine training camp for girls at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Center at the National Stadium, Karachi from Saturday, 28 December. The camp will run till 10 January 2020. The players have been selected on the basis of their performances showcased during the Skills 2 Shine U18 Women T20 Championship held from 15th – 25th November 2019 in Lahore. The coaching camp will provide the players a pathway in the build-up to the ICC Women’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2021 which will be played in Bangladesh. Names of players: Aima Saleem (Islamabad), Arijah Haseeb (Karachi), Anoosha Nasir (Karachi), Ayesha Naseem (Abbottabad), Bisma Amjad (Karachi), Fajar Naveed (Islamabad), Fatima Khan (Lahore), Fatima Zehra Shah (Islamabad), Gul Rukh (Lahore), Gul Uswa (Multan), Hamna Bilal (Islamabad), Hania Ahmar (Karachi), Inshra Asad (Karachi), Khushbakht Waseem (Lahore), Laiba Fatima (Karachi), Laraib Malik (Lahore), Laveeza Munir (Lahore), Momina Riasat Khan (Abbottabad), Najiha Alvi (Karachi), Nazish Rafique (Lahore), Rida Aslam (Islamabad), Saima Malik (Quetta), Shawal Zulfiqar (Lahore), Yusra Amir (Karachi) and Zaibunisa(Charsadda). Coaching staff: Shahid Anwar (Head coach), Wasim Yousafi (Assistant coach), Gemaal Maqsood Hussain (Strength & Conditioning Coach), Saima Malik (Physio), Rabia Siddiqui (Junior Physio), Fizza Abid (Academy Manager), Shanullah (Analyst),

  By Our Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD (December 26, 2019):=Fresh after their historic Test series win against Sri Lanka in Karachi, Pakistan cricket stars will be in action in the final of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament between Central Punjab and Northern which commences from Friday, 27 December, at the National Stadium, Karachi. The return of Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali and premier middle-order batsman and Central Punjab’s captain Babar Azam bolster Central Punjab, while the comeback of Pakistan U19 captain Rohail Nazir and top-order batsman Haider Ali strengthen the Northern side. The final of Pakistan’s premier domestic competition, will be a five-day affair. The contest not only provides an opportunity to both sides to get hold of the prestigious silverware but will also help them make history by being the first winners of the revamped tournament. The winner will also pocket a huge Rs. 10000,000 prize money. The runners-up will bag Rs.5000,000. The two sides have had an intriguing journey this season and were separated by three points on the table.  Central Punjab finished on top with 133 points, while Northern, with 130 points, ended the group-stage at number two. When the two teams meet on Friday, Northern will be eyeing revenge as two out of Central Punjab’s three wins this tournament came against them. Road to the final: Central Punjab – 3 wins, 1 loss, 6 draws, 133 points From the onset of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Central Punjab established themselves as strong contenders to secure a berth in the final. Though their journey started off with a draw in a Punjab Derby at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, their points tally got a massive boost in the next two rounds on the back of comprehensive wins. They rolled over Northern by an innings and 100 runs at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad in the second round and outplayed Balochistan, at their home, in the third round to record a victory with a margin of an innings and 12 runs. In their third win of the season, they beat Northern, this time by a margin of 205 runs, in Faisalabad in the seventh round. Central Punjab have lost only one match this tournament, against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 211 runs at NBP Sports Complex, Karachi, in the ninth-round. Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt, second and fourth on the highest run-getters charts, have been instrumental in ensuring their side’s success with the bat. Kamran has scored 865 runs with the help of three centuries and three half-centuries and he averages 61.79 in 14 innings. The 38-year-old has not only stamped his authority with the bat but has also been at the forefront of his side’s success with the gloves with 35 dismissals – the most in the tournament. Left-handed opener Salman Butt has struck three centuries – including a double-century – and two half-centuries in his 827 runs at an average of 75.18. With the ball, their spin-duo of Zafar Gohar and Bilal Asif, second and third on the list of highest wicket-takers, have been the major tormentors. Left-arm orthodox Zafar has taken 38 wickets, while off-spinner Bilal has 32 scalps to his name. Central Punjab captain Babar Azam said: “The first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is a prestigious tournament for the country and has a great significance in our domestic cricket as it serves as a nursery for Test cricketers. “We are very happy to be in the final and look to stretch our match-winning form into this contest. I missed some domestic matches because of the national duty but it was heartening to see the progress that our side made over the course of the tournament. “Our batting is our main strength and I am looking forward to contribute for Central Punjab after scoring a hundred against Sri Lanka at the same venue. “It is certainly going to be an exciting contest and from what I have seen in the camp, our all players are charged up for it.” Road to the final: Northern – 3 wins, 2 losses, 5 draws, 130 points Northern languished at the bottom of the points table for the first half of the tournament but traveling to Karachi in the sixth round brought a much-desired change in their fortunes. They recorded their first win of the tournament against Sindh at the National Stadium and took the tally of wins to three in the ninth and tenth rounds by securing wins over Balochistan by eight wickets and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 39 runs at UBL Sports Complex. Their captain Nauman Ali, the top wicket-taker in the tournament, has spearheaded his side’s epic turnover. His left-arm spin has garnered 52 wickets at an average of 22.85. He has recorded as many as five five-wicket hauls this season and has the best strike-rate (42.60) amongst the top ten wicket-takers. Northern’s Zeeshan Malik and Faizan Riaz are amongst the seven batsmen to have scored double-centuries this season. The two lead the batting charts for their side with Zeeshan being the leading run scorer from his side with 726 runs at an average of 55.85, while Faizan has 719 runs at an average of 71.90. Top-order batsman Umar Amin has the third most runs for Northern. The 30-year-old has made 595 runs – which include a century and three half-centuries – across 10 matches. Northern captain Nauman Ali said: “We are geared up for the final. There won’t be any such pressure on us against Central Punjab in the final. We have been involved in high pressure matches throughout our journey so we are aware how we have to handle the tough situations. “Our batting has done well with the likes of Zeeshan Malik and Faizan Riaz as both of the batsmen have scored double centuries. In the middle-order we have the experience of Umar Amin, Hammad Azam and Ali Sarfaraz. “I have had a good run this tournament with the ball and I am looking forward to lead my side from the front in the bowling department. We will also have Musa Khan available for the final and he will be joined by Waqas Malik, who has done well throughout the season. We have high expectations from both of them. The presence of senior pacers like Sadaf Hussain and Sohail Tanvir further bolsters our bowling department. “Our team has a good blend of youth and experience which makes it a complete unit. I am hopeful that we will do well in the final.” Officials The team of the match officials will be led by match referee Iftikhar Ahmed. Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob will be on the on-field umpires, while Rashid Riaz will carry out the duties of the TV umpire. Tahir Rasheed will be the reserve umpire. Individual awards In line with the PCB’s policy of incentivising top performers, the best players of the tournament will be awarded lucrative prize moneys. The best batsman, bowler and wicketkeeper of the tournament along with player of the tournament will get PKR500,000 each. The man-of-the-final will be awarded PKR50,000.      

  By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 26, 2019):-Bahawalpur, Islamabad, Okara and Peshawar overcame their opponents in the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind’s Cricket Grade-I on Thursday at two different venues in Bahawalpur. Day-2, match-1:-Bahawalpur Vs AJK:  (Venue: Dring Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur) Bahawalpur sank Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in a tight finish on Thursday, as Moeen Aslam played a calculated innings of 86 runs to guide his side home in the last over of the innings. Earlier, batting first after winning the toss, AJK posted161 runs for loss of 2 wickets in allotted 15 overs on the board. Match was reduced to 15 overs a side due to fog in the morning. Nisar Ali again contributed with the bat, he made 79* runs off (45) balls, Tehseen B1 also scored 50 runs off (33) balls. Mujeeb ur Rehman was the only bowler to claim a single wicket. Bahawalpur chased the target of 162 for the loss of 2 wickets in last over of the innings. Moeen Aslam’s 86* runs innings consumed 43 balls while Mohammad Rashid was dismissed on 35 runs were main contributors. Result: Bahawalpur won by 8 wickets Man of the Match: Moeen Aslam Day-2, Match 2:-Karachi Vs Islamabad (Venue: Saqid Public School Cricket Ground, Bahawalpur) Islamabad outclassed Karachi by 10 wickets and won the 2nd game in a row. Karachi batted first made only 88 runs in allotted 15 overs for the loss of 7 wickets. Tahir Ali was the only batsmen to enter in double figure, he made 19 runs. Hasnain Shah and Nisar Awan claimed 2 wickets each. In reply, Islamabad chased the target in just 5.5 overs without any loss. Sohaib B1 made 42 runs off just (14) balls and Anees Javed made 39 off (22) balls. Result: Islamabad won by 10 wickets Man of the Match: Sohaib Day2, Match-3:-Okara Vs Gujranwala: (Venue: Dring Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur) Okara defeated Gujranwala by 49 runs. Okara won the toss and decided to bat first. Badar Munir hammered Gujranwala bowlers and scored 122 runs off 56 balls. Okara posted 199 runs in 15 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Iftikhar Tiger got out after scoring 50 runs. Gujranwala, in reply could able to post 150 runs in 15 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Akram scored 41 runs. Iftikhar Tiger took 2 wickets. Okara registered its first win in the tournament. Result: Okara won by 49 runs Man of the Match: Badar Munir Day-2, Match-4:-Peshawar vs Lahore: (Venue: Saqid Public School Cricket Ground, Bahawalpur) Lahore batted first made 125 runs for the loss of 8 wickets in stipulated 15 overs. Matiullah scored 77 runs off (45) balls and Kamran made 17.  Mohsin Khan was the star with the ball, he took 4 wickets, while Rahid Ullah and Haroon Khan took 1 wicket each. Peshawar in reply, reached home in 14 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Haroon Khan and Safiullah made 47 and 44 runs respectively. Matiullah and Salman took a wicket a piece. Result: Peshawar won by 7 wickets Man of the Match: Mohsin Khan                        

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (December 26, 2019): Noor Bibi, Amina Roshi, Shaista Khan  and Tehseena Bibi  qualified for the final round of Women’s Singles of Pakistan Open Tenpin Bowling Championship 2019 at Leisure City Bowling Club, Jinnah Park, Rawalpindi. Secretary General, Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation, Ijaz-ur- Rehman inaugurated a week long tournament in a colorful ceremony. Players from both neighbor cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad were present in the opening ceremony. On the first day competitions, Noor got first position with 305 points, Amina Roshi scored 2nd position with 276 points while Shaista and Tehseena obtained 3rd and 4th positions with 247 and 231 points respectively. The final round will be played on December 31. Players from all over the country are participating in the Championship and 11 categories events is being played comprises Singles (Professional), Doubles, Team, Amateur, Deaf, Ladies, U-12, Media, Interschool, Intercollegiate and Inter University. All semi final competitions will be played on December 30 and final on December 31. After the finals, prizes distribution ceremony will be held at 6.00 PM. 20 players will be selected during the Championship for training camp. The selected players will participate in the international events after training 2 months training. The championship is being played under the supervision of Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation.

  Sports Desk ISLAMABAD:-FIFA inspection visited to Costa Rica and Panama as well as further discussions with the two relevant member associations, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has confirmed that the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup 2020 will be played in August in Costa Rica and Panama. The 16 participating teams will be divided into four groups of four with the best two of each group advancing to the quarter finals. This will be the first ever co-hosting of a FIFA youth tournament and the second co-hosting of a FIFA tournament since the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™. The number of stadiums to be used for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica and Panama 2020 will be discussed and confirmed with the two member associations. Details on the tournament’s timeframe and match schedule will follow. “We would like to thank the Costa Rican and the Panamanian football associations for their commitment towards women’s football and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in particular. We are looking forward to a fantastic competition in August”, says FIFA’s Chief Tournaments and Events Officer Colin Smith. “After the highly successful FIFA Women’s World Cup in France this year, it is important that we build on the momentum at all levels of the game. The U20WWC in Costa Rica and Panama next year is a perfect opportunity for us to continue driving the popularity of the game and with it being the first jointly hosted tournament – we can make the impact even greater”, says Sarai Bareman, Chief Women’s Football Officer.

  SB Report  KARACHI (December 25, 2019):-The final of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20 will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi from 27-31 December between Central Punjab and Northern. The following is the schedule of media opportunities in the build up to and during the match:   Thursday, 26 December: Both the teams will hold training sessions at the National Stadium from around 11am. The two captains will hold their pre-match media conferences from 11.30am at the NSK media conference area. Friday, 27 December:  Toss will take place at 9.30am and the first ball will be bowled at 10am. After the end of the day’s play, there will be media conferences. Saturday, 28 December: Play will resume at 10am and at the end of the play/match, there will be media conferences. Sunday, 29 December: Play will resume at 10am and at the end of the play/match, there will be media conferences. Monday, 30 December: Play will resume at 10am and at the end of the play/match, there will be media conferences. Tuesday, 31 December: Play will resume at 10am and at the end of the play/match, there will be media conferences.

    Faraz Ahmed Kayani ISLAMABAD ( December 25, 2019):-The picturesque winter resort of Naltar in Gilgit Baltistan is all set to host some exhilarating winter sports in the upcoming days. Prominent national skiers from all over the country have arrived at Naltar Ski Resort to participate in different events. Charged up skiers participated in practice runs in a pleasant sunny day. The energetic athletes appreciated Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for making this Resort truly world class and providing all possible facilities of International standard. They also expressed that competing with the famous skiers of the world would provide an excellent opportunity to Pakistani athletes to learn from their competitors and improve their performance in this game. The winter sports season will be commencing with the Saadia Khan and Children Ski Cup from December 27, 2019. Winter Sports Federation of Pakistan (WSPF), under the auspices Pakistan Air Force has chalked out an elaborate calendar of events for the season. Besides skiing, figure skating, snowboarding, ice skating and ice hockey competitions would also be held during the season.  Prominent among these would be Shah Khan Ski Cup, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Ski Championship and National Ski Championship. Other than these national events, Malam Jabba Ski Cup and CAS International Karakoram Alpine Ski Cup, featuring international skiers would also be held at Naltar and Malam Jabba Ski Resorts. These sports would not only promote tourism in the Northern Areas of Pakistan but also pave way for the conduct of International sporting events in the country.

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (December 25, 2019):-Besides hosts Bahawalpur, Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), Islamabad and Peshawar have won their matches in the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T20 Blind Cricket Trophy (Grade-1) after beating their respective their opponents at two different venues on Wednesday. Day-1, Game-1  Bahawalpur Vs Gujranwala:  (Venue: Dring Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur) Bahawalpur whipped Gujranwala in 1st match of the event. Mohammad Rashid’s 115 runs off 65 balls helped Bahawalpur to win by 76 runs. In the cool and breezy morning here in Bahawalpur, Gujranwala won the toss and decided to bowl first. But this decision didn’t work for them as Bahawalpur made 236 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 4 wickets. Rashid their formidable batsmen opened the innings and scored a ton while Zafar Iqbal was the other top scorer with 46 runs. Gujranwala in reply made 160 for the loss of 9 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Akram made 84 runs off 57 balls. Babar Ali and Sajid Nawaz picked three wickets each and Mohammad Ijaz claimed 2 wickets. Result: Bahawalpur won by 76 runs Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid Day-1, Game-2  AJK Vs Okara (Venue: Saqid Public School Cricket Ground, Bahawalpur) AJK defeated Okara by 30 runs and successfully defended the low total. Okara won the toss and put AJK to bat first. AJK made slow start but in later half recovered it by the hard hitting of Nisar Ali. AJK made 193 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 5. Nisar Ali played the captain’s knock of 110 runs off 64 balls. Okara in reply got the big thunderbolt in the shape of Badar Munir’s wicket. He was bowled by Mohammad Jameel without opening its account. Thereafter, AJK tighten the grip and didn’t allow Okara to come close to the target. Okara made 163 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Iftikhar Tiger made 62 runs. Mohammad Jameel claimed 3 wickets and Nisar Ali took 2 wickets. Result: AJK won by 30 runs Man of the Match: Nisar Ali Day-1, Game-3  Islamabad vs Lahore: (Venue: Dring Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur) Lahore won the toss and has been the case since last 2 matches decided to bowl first. Islamabad with the help of Anees Javed and Ayub Khan two centuries piled up 282 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Anees Javed remained unbeaten on 138 off 68 balls and Ayub Khan scored 104 runs off 48 balls. Kamran and Salman claimed a wicket a piece. Lahore tried well to reach the target but fell 17 runs short of the target. Matiullah played the brilliant innings of 126 runs off 65 balls. Lahore in stipulated 20 overs made 265 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. Anees, Hasnain and Akmal claimed wicket a piece. Result: Islamabad won by 17 runs Man of the Match: Anees Javed Day-1, Game-4  Karachi Vs Peshawar: (Venue: Saqid Public School Cricket Ground, Bahawalpur) Peshawar beat Karachi by 9 wickets. After winning the toss, Karachi decided to bat first and made just 129 for 9 wickets in 20 overs. Tahir was their top scorer with 62 runs. For Peshawar, Mohsin Khan took 3 wickets and Rahid Ullah claimed 2. Peshawar in reply chased down the target in only 11 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Sana ullah made 65 off 40 balls and Muhammad Waseem made 34 runs. Result: Peshawar won by 9 wickets Man of the Match: Sanauallah