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CRICKET - Int News 28 Jan, 2020

Saud to lead Pakistan against MCC
  SB News ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan Cricket Board has rewarded batsman Saud Shakeel for leading Pakistan to 50-over ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019 title by naming him as captain for the one-off 50-over fixture against the Marylebone Cricket Club. The tour schedule will be announced in due course but the MCC team will visit Lahore from 13 to 19 February.   The 24-year-old Saud is one of the 11 players who have been retained from the side that defeated Bangladesh by 77 runs in the tournament final in Dhaka in November 2019. The other 10 are Akif Javed, Haider Ali, Hasan Mohsin, Imran Rafiq, Mohammad Mohsin, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rohail Nazir, Saif Badar, Sameen Gul and Umar Khan.   Zeeshan Malik is the only new face in the 12-player squad. The 23-year-old scored 780 runs in the just-concluded Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class tournament at an average of 52.   Amad Butt, Khushdil Shah and Mohammad Hasnain, who were also members of the side that won in Dhaka, were not considered as they have already graduated to the senior team set-up.   Nadeem Khan, coordinator – selection committee, said: “We have followed the policy of consistency and rewarding players for achieving success in Dhaka. There is only one change in the and that is of young Zeeshan Malik, who performed well in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the last tournament of the 2019-20 domestic season to date.”   PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “I can’t emphasise enough on the importance of the MCC’s tour to Pakistan, which will be their first in 48 years. The fact that the MCC side will be led by their president and one of the most respected cricketers, Kumar Sangakkara, reflects how the world’s oldest and most influential clubs, who are also the Guardians of the Laws of Cricket, are viewing this tour.   “The MCC’s tour of Pakistan is part of our sincere efforts and endeavours to resume regular and normal international cricket activities. Sri Lanka played a full series, while Bangladesh have just completed white-ball matches and are scheduled to return for the two Tests and an ODI. Similarly, recent visits by Cricket Australia, England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Ireland and the International Cricket Council officials are a testament of our untiring efforts.”   Meanwhile, Northern coach Mohammad Wasim has also announced his 12-player side for the twenty20 match.    The side will be captained by Pakistan U19 captain Rohail Nazir and also includes Ali Imran, Haider Ali and Zaid Alam, who were members of the 15-player Northern side which defeated Balochistan by 52 runs in the final of the National T20 Cup.   Apart from the 50-over and 20-over matches against the PCB-selected sides, MCC will also play two 20-over matches against Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans. These matches will be part of the two teams’ warm-up matches ahead of the HBL Pakistan Super Leagues 2020. The remaining four franchisees will be in Karachi during this period and will play their practice matches in the metropolitan city where the tournament opener will be played on 20 February.   Pakistan Shaheens (in alphabetical order):   1. Saud Shakeel (captain) (Sindh ) 2. Akif Javed (Balochistan) 3. Haider Ali (Northern) 4. Hasan Mohsin (Sindh) 5. Imran Rafiq (Southern Punjab) 6. Mohammad Mohsin (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 7. Omair Bin Yousuf (Sindh) 8. Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper) (Northern) 9. Saif Badar (Southern Punjab) 10. Sameen Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 11. Umar Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 12. Zeeshan Malik (Northern)   Northern (in alphabetical order):   1. Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper) (captain) 2. Faizan Riaz (vice-captain) 3. Ali Imran 4. Haider Ali 5. Mubashir Khan (Northern U19) 6. Musa Khan 7. Nauman Ali 8. Sarmad Bhatti  9. Shahzad Azam 10. Shiraz Khan (Northern U19) 11. Zaid Alam 12. Zeeshan Malik  

CRICKET - Int News 27 Jan, 2020

Sanath Jayasuriya welcomes: Shoaib Malik in elite list
By BIPIN DANI Former Sri Lanka captain Santath Jayasuriya is happy to welcome Pakistani all rounder Shoaib Malik in his company. Malik, who will be 38 on Saturday is the 8th player to play international cricket over 4 decades. Malik made his international (ODI) debut in 1999 playing against West Indies at Sharjah. His Test debut was in 2001 (against Bangladesh in Multan) and now is also a part of the ongoing home series against Bangladesh. Malik, who has captained Pakistan in the past, joins the likes of Wilfred Rhodes, Dennis Brian Close, Frank Woolley, Sachin Tendulkar, Jack Hobbs, George Gunn and Sanath Jayasuriya in the elite list. Speaking exclusively over telephone from Colombo, Sanath Jayasuriya said, "Shoaib is a versatile player and for some reason he always used to do well against us. He made plenty of runs against us and was always a threat with the ball". "The secret for his longevity is his fitness. It is remarkable effort to stretch his career thus far". "It is an extremely difficult feat nowadays given the volume of cricket. I don’t see very many players having careers that are that long, unless they are extremely fit", Sanath Jayasuriya signed off.

CRICKET - Int News 27 Jan, 2020

Tayyar Hain – the official anthem of HBL PSL 2020 to be released on Tuesday
By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 27, 2020):-Tayyar Hain, the official anthem of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020, will be released across the country via the leading television news channels on Tuesday, 28 January, before the 9pm news bulletins. The anthem will available for viewing at the PSL YouTube Channel and will subsequently be played at the venues in the build up to and during this season’s flagship event. Tayyar Hain, through its lyrics and music, captures the mood and celebrates the fact that the entire HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 is taking place in Pakistan for the very first time. The launch of the anthem will also mark the official launch of the marketing campaign and build up to HBL PSL V. An integrated marketing campaign will be running from 28 January onward across all platforms.   Tayyar Hain’s video reflects the air of festivity gripping the entire nation with fans and supporters from all walks of life celebrating the home-coming of one of the most popular leagues on the planet. Tayyar Hain is a collaboration of Pakistan’s rock icon Ali Azmat, folk music legend Arif Lohar, former Awaz singer Haroon Rashid and famous pop artist Asim Azhar. It has been produced by renowned musician Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan (Xulfi), while Kamal Khan of Laal Kabootar fame has directed the anthem video. A total of 22 instruments have been used in creating Tayyar Hain, including indigenous instruments such as tumba, chimta, rubab and harmonium, and the video also casts Pakistan star cricketers Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Rumman Raees, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood. Arif Lohar said: “The HBL PSL V anthem brings together some of Pakistan’s best artists and getting to be a part of this song is something I will cherish for a very long time.” Ali Azmat said: “I feel honored that I got to sing the HBL PSL V anthem along with such talented artists. It will be something special to see packed stadiums in Pakistan with people from all walks of life singing and dancing to this song.” Haroon Rashid said: “The HBL PSL V anthem and video truly encapsulate the feeling of excitement that grips the entire nation as we approach HBL PSL.” Asim Azhar said: “Like most Pakistanis, I am an avid cricket fan myself and getting to sing the HBL PSL V anthem was a very special experience for me. It has allowed me to celebrate and express what most Pakistanis feel about the fact that their very own League is taking place in Pakistan.” Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan said: “This song is about our preparedness as a nation for HBL PSL and it is also an ode to the perseverance of every cricket fan in the country. I am a huge fan of cricket myself and I view the entire event taking place in Pakistan as a huge victory for the nation. The anthem, through its unifying melody, celebrates this very victory that’s taken years to evolve to reach this point. So today, we can proudly say Tayyar Hain!”

BADMINTON - National 27 Jan, 2020

National Badminton Championship: WAPDA and NBP qualify for final
SB News LAHORE (January 27, 2020):-National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Pakistan WAPDA reached in the final of 57th National Badminton Championship 2020 after beating SNGPL 3-1 and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) 3-0 respectively in the semifinals of the Women’s Team Event on Monday.  Results (Team Event Men Semi Final):- NBP beat SNGPL by 3-1 1st Single: Mohammad Muqeet (SNGPL) beat Raja Zulqarnain Haider (NBP) by 21-15, 21-19 1st Double: Rizwan Azam & Raja Hasnain (NBP) beat Mohammad Muqeet & Shahmeer Iftikhar (SNGPL) by 17-21, 21-14, 22-20 2nd Single: Murad Ali (NBP) beat Shahmeer Iftikhar (SNGPL) by 17-21, 21-14, 22-20 2nd Double: Kashif Sulehri & Raja Zulqarnain Haider (NBP) beat M Nouman & Ahmad Tariq (SNGPL) by 21-14, 21-13 Pakistan WAPDA beat KP by 3-0 1st Single: Azeem Sarwar (Wapda) beat M Adnan (KP) by 18-21, 21-14, 21-7 1st Double: Awais Zahid & Mohammad Atique (Wapda) beat Shakirullah & Zubair Shah (KP) by 21-17, 21-15 2nd Single: Irfan Saeed Bhatti (Wapda) beat Tahir Shah (KP) by 21-10, 21-11 Team Event Women Semi Final SNGPL beat Punjab by 3-1 1st Single: Zubaira Islam (SNGPL) beat Amna Jawad (Punjab) by 21-12, 21-11 1st Double: Zubaira Islam & Javeria Tahir (SNGPL) beat Laiba Masoud & Amal Munib (Punjab) by 21-9, 21-11 2nd Single: Amal Muneeb (Punjab) beat Aqsa Zikriya (SNGPL) by 21-10, 21-7 2nd Double: Aqsa Zikriya & Wirdah Gohar (SNGPL) beat Amna Jawad & Zainab (Punjab) by 21-15, 21-12 Pakistan Wapda beat NBP by 3-0 1st Single: Mahoor Shahzad (Wapda) beat Afshan Shakeel (NBP) by 21-3, 21-4 1st Double: Sehra Akram & Huma Javed (Wapda) beat Palwasha & Ayesha Akram (NBP) by 21-14, 21-14 2nd Single: Ghazala Siddique (Wapda) beat Minal Tariq (NBP) retired hurt Results of Monday’s Fixtures: Men Singles 1st Round Shoaib Riaz (Wapda) beat Mohammad Atique (Wapad) by 21-14, 21-19 Soban Jamil (Wapda) beat Qari Adnan (KP) by 19-21, 21-18, 21-13 Adeel Anjum (Army) beat Hamza (Army) by 21-17, 21-12 Yasir Ali (Punjab) beat Ahmad Tariq (SNGPL) by 21-10, 21-16 Muteeb Sohail (KRL) beat Ali Chishti (Islamabad) by 21-11, 21-14 Mohammad Waqad Ahmad (Wapda) beat Khalil Ur Rehman (KPT) by 22-20, 21-18 Fazal Ur Rehman (KPT) beat Tayyab Shafiq (Punjab) by 21-13, 21-12 Tahir Khan (Police) beat Ashan Tanveer (Punjab) by 21-8, 21-9 Shabbar Hussain (Wapda) beat Usama Shafi (Punjab) by 21-11, 21-9 Ahmad Faizan (Wapda) beat Shehroz Jamil Retired Hurt Mohammad Rizwan (Wapda) beat Shakirullah (KP) by 21-15, 21-8 Zohaib Khalil (Police) beat Nouman Sabir (SNGPL) by 21-18, 21-10 Raza Ali Adil (Punjab) beat M Waqas Aslam (Wapda) by 21-14, 19-21, 21-14
Snooker Championship: Asif Toba and Shahdab Baig reach in the final
By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 27, 2020):-Mohammad Asif Toba and Shahdab Baig qualified for the final of the 4th Masters (40+) Jubilee Insurance National Snooker Championship 2020 after winning their respective semifinals at Billiard and Snooker Hall, Pakistan Sports Complex on Monday, as the final will be played on Tuesday at same venue. Results (Quarterfinals): Shahid Shafiq (Punjab) beat Shahzad Butt (Punjab) 4-2 (52-65, 38-67, 61-31, 66-47, 62-28, 57-38) Shahdab Baig (Sindh) beat Zafar Iqbal (Isb) 4-2 (51-13, 67-51, 25-56, 66-43, 8-64, 60-30) Yasir Shehzad (KPK) beat Shah Khan (KPK) 4-1 (1-0, 0-1, 61-56, 62-19, 59-39) Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab) beat Imran Abdul Ghaffar (KPK) 4-0(87-0, 81-2, 109-7(68), 69-1) Results (Semifinals): Mohammad Asif Toba (Punjab) beat Yasir Shehzad (KPK) 4-0 (77-27, 73-13(53), 66-34, 50-38) Shahdab Baig (Sindh) beat Shahid Shafiq (Punjab) 4-2 (63-62, 65-55, 38-66, 27-63, 58-17, 60-22)

TENNIS - National 27 Jan, 2020

Federal Cup Tennis: Main Round starts from Tuesday
SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 27, 2020): Irfanullah, Usman Ijaz, Mian Bilal, Jabir Ali, Jibran-ul-Haq, Emad Uddin, Kamran Khan and Hamid-ul-Haq entered for the Men’s Singles Main Draw after beating their respective opponents in the final round of qualifying matches of 33rd Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships  here at S.Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, Islamabad. In the ladies singles first semi final, Sarah Mahboob beat Shimza Naz Durab 6-3, 6-0. In the second semi final Sara Mansoor beat Mehaq Khokhar in a well contested two set match 6-0, 7-5, the match lasted 2 hours. The final of Ladies Singles will be played tomorrow at 1:30 PM. Main Draw of Men’s Singles was taken out by the tournament Referee M.Arif Qureshi in the presence of all the ranked players, the top eight seed of Men’s Singles are Aqeel Khan, Muzammil Murtaza, Shahzad Khan, Mudassad Murtaza, Yousaf Khalil, Heera Ashiq, Ahmed Kamil and Mohammad Abid. The matches of Men’s Singles 1st round will start on Tuesday 28th Jan -20 at 9:30 AM. Results: Men’s Singles (Qualifying 1st Round) Usman Ijaz beat M.Bilal Farooq 8-2, Jabir Ali bet Pooyan Shateri 8-0, Kamran Khan beat Asadulah Karim 8-1 Men’s Singles (Qualifying 2nd Round) Irfanullah beat Huzaima Abdul Rehman 8-3, Mian Bilal beat Azeem Khan 8-4, Jibran-ul-Haq beat 8-2, Emaduddin beat Talha Saqib 8-5, Hamid-ul-Haq beat Ahmed Murad 8-2  Ladies Singles (Semi Finals) Sarah Mahboob beat Shimza Naz Durab 6-3, 6-0; Sara Mansoor beat  Mehaq Khokhar 6-0, 7-5.  

CRICKET - Int News 27 Jan, 2020

Umar Gul honoured during third T20I
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.  

CRICKET - Int News 26 Jan, 2020

Abbas Afridi, a key member of Pakistan Under-19 bowling attack
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).  

TENNIS - National 26 Jan, 2020

5th Serena Hotels National Ranking Tennis Tournament concludes
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

HOCKEY - Int News 25 Jan, 2020

Belgium Red Lions move to top of world rankings
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)
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