Sports Bulletin ReportRAWALPINDI: Islamabad United’s Naseem Shah has been fined 10 percent of match fee for a level 1 breach of the HBL PSL’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel during his side’s HBL PSL 9 fixture against Multan Sultans at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Sunday.Naseem was charged for violating Article 2.2 which deals with abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings. Naseem had kicked the stumps after the final ball of Multan Sultans’ innings.Since Naseem pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Roshan Mahanama, there was no need of a formal hearing. The charge was imposed by on-field umpires Ruchira Palliyaguruge and Muhammad Asif.Meanwhile, in a separate incident in the same match, Multan Sultans were fined for maintaining a slow over-rate. Sultans were ruled to be one over short of their target by match referee Roshan Mahanama, who took into consideration time allowances before arriving at the decision.As such, and in accordance with Article 2.22 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, each player was fined 10 percent of his match fee.

Quetta Gladiators beat Lahore Qalandars by six wickets at National Stadium KarachiSports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Quetta Gladiators secured their spot for the HBL PSL 9 playoffs after they defeated Lahore Qalandars by six wickets at National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Sunday night. After restricting Lahore to 166-4 in the first innings, vice-captain Saud Shakeel produced a brilliant unbeaten knock of 88 runs that allowed Quetta to edge over Lahore in the last-ball thriller.Lahore Qalandars could only manage to post 166-4 on the board after choosing to bat first. Sahibzada Farhan and Mirza Tahir Baig gave a decent start to their team; after Farhan hit a four on the first delivery of the game, the two took turns breaching the boundary periodically in the third, fourth and fifth overs.Abrar Ahmed, introduced in the sixth over, removed Farhan (25, 22b, 4x4s) on the third ball and then Tahir (12, 13b, 1x6) on the last delivery to bring Lahore down to 39-2 by the end of the powerplay.Abdullah Shafique, batting at three, hit two consecutive fours against Mohammad Wasim Jnr in the seventh over to recover the damage. He then hit a boundary against Abrar in the next over. Shai Hope, who could only manage five off seven, was caught behind in the 10th over off Wasim’s bowling as Lahore got to 70-3 at the halfway mark.Shaheen Shah Afridi promoted himself up the order, taking the responsibility of boosting his side’s total. The fourth-wicket partnership between Abdullah and Shaheen yielded 91 from 57, helping the team establish a sense of control over the innings.After four quiet overs, Shaheen took on Akeal Hosein by smashing three sixes in the 15th over. An over later, he hit two sixes against Abrar to get to his second HBL PSL half-century.In the 18th over, Abdullah (59 not out, 39b, 3x4s, 2x6s) also completed his second consecutive half-century of HBL PSL 9 in style as he hit a six against Hosein on the fourth delivery.In the last over, Sohail Khan caught the ball on his second attempt while fielding at deep third to help Amir dismiss Shaheen, who had to walk back for 55 on 34, on the back of two fours and four sixes. The final over only produced six runs as Lahore finished with a competitive total.Abrar had two wickets, while Amir and Wasim had one each.Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel gave Quetta Gladiators a 39-run opening stand after the former hit Shaheen three consecutive fours on the first three balls of the innings.Jahandad Khan, bowling the sixth over, provided the breakthrough as Roy (18, 14b, 4x4s) was caught behind. Quetta ended the powerplay at 43-1.Saud was joined by his captain, Rilee Rossouw, in the middle for a 27-run second-wicket stand which was broken by Jahandad on the last ball of the ninth over. Rossouw walked back for 13 off 11, with the help of one four.The Quetta captain, however, became the first foreign batter to complete 2000 HBL PSL runs and the fifth overall, only behind Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Rizwan.Khawaja Nafay and Saud produced a dogged third-wicket stand, that yielded 70 from 53, to reestablish Quetta’s control over the game after the two initial wickets. In the 13th over, Saud brought his second HBL PSL 9 half-century, taking 42 deliveries to do so.The partnership was eventually broken by Shaheen, who trapped Nafay (26, 24b, 1x6) leg-before wicket in the 18th over. Quetta required 29 from the final two overs, with Saud and Laurie Evans on the crease. Jahandad conceded 15 in the penultimate over courtesy of a four by Evans and a six by Saud to bring the equation to 14 needed from the final six deliveries.Shaheen removed Evans (7, 4b, 1x4) on the first ball of the final over as Tahir took a spectacular diving catch at deep cover point. Saud then hit two consecutive boundaries, inching closer to the target.With four needed off the final ball, Wasim, the sixth batter in, hit a six to help his team over the rope. Saud (88, 65b, 5x4s, 4x6s) remained unbeaten at the other end as Quetta cruised to the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Jahandad and Shaheen picked up two wickets each.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: DS Polo clinched coveted trophy in the 3rd President of Pakistan Polo Cup National Open Championship Finale 2024, outpacing FG Polo by 12-7 in the grand finale on Sunday. The thrilling final, held at the Jinnah Polo Fields in Lahore, was sponsored by Askari Bank, Habib Metro Bank, and Faysal Bank and Sitara Chemicals. Max Charlton was the standout player of the match, delivering an impressive performance by scoring seven goals for DS Polo. He was ably supported by teammates Ahmed Ali Tiwana, Daniyal Sheikh, and Nico Roberts, who each added a goal to the team's tally. FG Polo's effort was led by Mian Abbas Mukhtar with a hat-trick, while Raul Laplacette and Raja Mikael Sami contributed two goals each. The opening chukker saw both teams grappling to score, yet DS Polo broke through, notching a single goal to edge ahead 1-0. In the second chukker, FG Polo upped their game, successfully driving in three goals against DS Polo’s two, bringing the score to an even 3-3. DS Polo reclaimed the lead in the third chukker, outmaneuvering FG Polo with two goals to one, securing a narrow 5-4 advantage. DS Polo then took control in the fourth chukker, showcasing exceptional skill and teamwork to net an impressive five goals, extending their lead to a commanding 10-4. In the final and crucial fifth chukker, DS Polo further solidified their position by adding two more goals to their score, making it 12-4. Despite a spirited effort from FG Polo, who managed to string together three consecutive goals, reducing the gap to 12-7, it was insufficient to turn the tide of the match, culminating in a 12-7 victory for DS Polo. The match was expertly overseen by field umpires Nico Scortichini and Mark John Holmes, ensuring a fair and competitive finale, which was attended by a large audience of polo enthusiasts. Distinguished guests included Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman, along with senior representatives from the sponsoring banks - Askari Bank, Habib Metro Bank, and Faysal Bank - and Sitara Chemicals. The event also featured a captivating display of archery, a parade of antique cars, and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, adding to the festive atmosphere. In a closely contested subsidiary final, Master Paints/Diamond Paints edged out BN Polo with a 9-8 victory. During the prize distribution ceremony, accolades were bestowed upon the standout performers of the tournament. Max Charlton received the Most Valuable Player Award for a Foreigner, Zakaria Dawood was recognized as the Emerging Talent, the Spirit of Polo Award was presented to Director Rijas Faisal Shahzad and Raja Temur Nadeem was honored with the Most Improved Player. The most improved player in low goal was Sufi Mohammad Haroon, in 0-2 category was Agha Adam, in 0-2 Bilal Noon, in 0-4 category Raja Mikael Sami, in foreigner player category was Juan Cruz Greguoli while the medium goal award went to Mian Abbas Mukhtar, each demonstrating remarkable improvement and skill.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Bangladesh player Towhid Hridoy has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the third T20I against Sri Lanka in Sylhet on Saturday.Towhid was found to have breached Article 2.20 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to displaying conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game.In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to Towhid’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.The incident occurred in the fourth over of Bangladesh’s innings, when after being dismissed, Towhid turned around on his way back to the pavilion and remonstrated aggressively and inappropriately with the Sri Lankan players.Towhid admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.On-field umpires Sharfuddoula Saikat and Tanvir Ahmed, third umpire Gazi Sohel and fourth umpire Masudur Rahman levelled the charge.Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points. 

Winners Islamabad United batters achieve a mammoth total of 229 runs in 19.2 oversAbdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: Islamabad United (IU) thrashed Multan Sultans (MS) by 3 wickets in an HBL PSL cricket fixture after conquering a huge target of 229 runs in 19.2 overs here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday in a nerve-jangling contest. Overseas player from New Zealand, representing Islamabad United Colin Munro (84 runs, 40 balls, 4x9, 6x5) was the hero of the day.Islamabad United’s captain Shahdab Khan won the toss and elected to field first. Multan Sultan scored 228 for 4 runs in 20 overs per innings fixture. Usman Khan played a sparking knock of 100 runs in 50 balls with a strike rate of 200% and was the main contributor to his team’s reasonable total of 228 runs. He showed excellent batting, as he hit 13 fours and 3 huge sixes. Johnson Charles made 42 runs in 18 balls and smashed 3 fours and 3 sixes, Yasir Khan scored 33 for 16 runs with the help of 4 fours and 2 best sixes, Mohammad Rizwan could score only 20 off 17 balls with 2 fours and 1 six. Faheem Ashraf took 2 wickets, Hunain Shah and Naseem Shah snared one batter each.Islamabad United scored 232 runs with great success and wasted 7 batters in 19.2 overs. For Islamabad United Colin Munro was the top scorer with 84 for 40 runs. The left-handed batter hit 9 brilliant fours and 5 sixes. Skipper Shadab Khan scored 54 runs off 34 balls, as his inning was laced with 6 fours and 2 big sixes, Imad wasim could made 30 runs in 13 balls including 3 fours and 1 six and Farheen Ashraf made 23 runs with 2 fours and 1 six. Abbas Afridi took 3 wickets off 40 runs, Mohammad Ali claimed 2 wickets while David Willey got only one wicket in his 4 overs by conceding 30 runs.Summarized Scorecard:Islamabad United won the toss and decided to field firstMan of the Match: Colin Munro (Islamabad United)Multan Sultan (Batting) 228 for 4 runs in 20 oversUsman Khan (100 runs, 50 balls, 4x15,6x3), Johnson Charles (42 runs, 18 balls, 4x3, 6x3), Yasir Khan (33 runs, 16 balls,4x4, 6x2), Mohammad Rizwan (20 runs, 17 balls, 4x2, 6x1)Islamabad United (Bowling):Faheem Ashraf (2 for 32), Hunain Shah (1 for 29), Naseem Shah (1 for 31)Islamabad United (Batting) 232 for 7 runs in 19.2 oversColin Munro (84 runs, 40 balls, 4x9, 6x5), Shadab Khan (54 runs, 34 balls, 4x6, 6x2), Imad Wasim (30 runs, 13 balls, 4x3, 6x1), Farheen Ashraf (23 runs, 14 balls, 4x2, 6x1)Multan Sultan (Bowling)Abbas Afridi (3 for 40), Mohammad Ali (2 for 44), David Willey (1 for 30)Islamabad United (Playing XIs): Agha Salman, Azam Khan (Wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Hunain Shah, Imad Wasim, Tymal Mills, Colin Munro, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan (Captain), Haider AliMultan Sultan (Playing XIs): Abbas Afridi, Johnson Charles, Iftikhar Ahmed, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Yasir Khan, David WillyMatch Officials:Umpires: Mohammad Asif (Pakistan), Ruchira Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka)TV Umpire: Ahsan RazaReserve Umpire: Asif YaqoobMatch Referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka)Scorers: Shakil Ahmed, Zeeshan Khan

Sports Bulletin ReportJeddah (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Arabian Football Federation proudly acknowledges the incredible achievements of the newly established women's U-20 national team, following their historic matches against Mauritania in Jeddah this week. The team played back-to-back fixtures, marking a momentous occasion for women's football in the Kingdom.The first match was played on Wednesday, resulting in a resounding 3-0 victory for Saudi Arabia. This outstanding performance showcased the team's talent, determination, and hard work, setting the stage for an exciting journey ahead.Continuing their impressive form, the U-20 team achieved a commendable 1-1 draw against Mauritania in the second match held on Saturday. This result further solidified the team's growing status and demonstrated their ability to compete at an international level.Aalia Al-Rasheed, Head of the Women's Football Department said: "These matches have been a testament to the hard work and commitment of our talented players. The success of the women's U-20 national team represents a significant milestone in the development of women's football in Saudi Arabia. We are immensely proud of their achievements and remain committed to providing them with the support and opportunities they deserve."The matches held great significance as they formed an integral part of the nine-day training camp for the team. With a talented roster of 24 players, this training camp emerged as a crucial catalyst in driving the team's progress and overall development.The Saudi Arabian Football Federation extended its congratulations to the women's U-20 national team for their outstanding achievements and wishes them continued success in future competitions. This significant milestone will be served as an inspiration for women and young girls across the Kingdom, highlighting the growing opportunities and support for women's football in Saudi Arabia.

Sports Bulletin ReportRAWALPINDI: Multan Sultans set 229 runs target for Islamabad United (IU) to win the match of the HBL match at Pindi Cricket Stadium here today (Sunday).Islamabad United (Playing XIs): Agha Salman, Azam Khan (Wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Alex Hales, Hunain Shah, Imad Wasim, Tymal Mills, Colin Munro, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan (Captain), Haider AliMultan Sultan (Playing XIs): Abbas Afridi, Johnson Charles, Iftikhar Ahmed, Chris Jordan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (Captain/Wicketkeeper), Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Tayyab Tahir, Yasir Khan, David Willy

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Mohammad Aamir of Pakistan Army has won the title of the Lahore-Kasur Lahore Open Road Cycle Race by covering a distance of 70 Kilo-meters in 2 Hours 22 minutes and 17 Seconds on the occasion of Pakistan Day.Mohammad Bilal also from Pakistan Army garbed second position while Mohammad Arsalan third. Adeel forth (Punjab), Mohammad Hasnain fifth (Army) and Mohammad Shakil sixth (Punjab) positions respectively. The race paddled-off from Punjab Football Stadium at 08.00 am Sharp from Punjab Stadium Opp. Gaddafi Stadium Lahore towards Ferozpur Road Kalma Chowk, Model Town, Kanchi, Chungi Amer Sidhu, Gajumata, Khana Kacha, Mustafabad (Laliani) and turn back Kasur ByPass to ward Lahore and Terminated at Kalma Chowk Overhead bridge. Metro Bus Station opp Gadafi Stadium Lahore. A record 60 cyclists from Pakistan Army, Pakistan Wapda, Pakistan Railways, Higher Education Commission (HEC) and all division from Punjab took part in this mega Road Cycle Race. This race was organized by Punjab Cycling Association in collaboration with Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) Management Committee for the Sport of Cycling in Pakistan for the promotion and development for the game of Cycling.The chief guest for the opening ceremony was Mozam Khan, Former International Cyclist who flagged-off the race from Punjab Stadium. Faisal Ayub Khokhar Worthy Minister for Sports Punjab graced as chief guest for closing and prize distribution ceremony at the office of Punjab Olympic Association at National Hockey Stadium Lahore and awarded the cash award, Trophies and medals to first six positions holders of the Race. Rai Mohammad Asghar Manager Wapda team, Ch. Mohammad Shahbaz Assistant Manager Wapda team also present there with Idris Haider Khawaja Secretary General Punjab Olympic Association.

Sports Bulletin ReportRAWALPINDI: Islamabad United (IU) captain Shahdab Khan won the toss and asked rival team Multan Sultans’ skipper Mohammad Rizwan to bat first in PSL HBL match at Pindi Cricket Stadium here today (Sunday).Islamabad United (Squad): Agha Salman, Azam Khan, Jordan Cox, Tom Curran, Faheem Ashraf, Matthew Forde, Alex Hales, Hunain Shah, Imad Wasim, Obed McCoy, Tymal Mills, Mohammad Waseem, Colin Munro, Naseem Shah, Qasim Akram, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Ubaid ShahMultan Sultan (Squad): Abbas Afridi, Aftab Ibrahim, Johnson Charles (wicketkeeper), Faisal Akram, Reeza Hendricks, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Chris Jordan, Khushdil Shah, Dawid Malan, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (Wicketkeeper), Mohammad Shahzad, Shahnawaz Dahani, Olly Stone, Tayyab Tahir, Reece Topley, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, David Willey, Yasir Khan

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) briefed the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) regarding the preparations for the upcoming South Asian Games, which will be held in Pakistan this year 2024.According to an official of PHF, Haider Hussain, the Secretary-General PHF provided a comprehensive briefing during a meeting chaired by President POA, Mohammad Abid Qadri Gillani. The gathering, held under the auspices of the Pakistan Olympic Association for preparations of the South Asian Games, focused on the hosting responsibilities for the hockey event. The prestigious event is set to feature seven teams, both men's and women's, with the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore proposed as the venue.The assembly witnessed the presence of key figures, including Secretary-General POA, and officials from various national sports federations. Among them were Khalid Bashir (Secretary-General, Pakistan Basketball Federation), Haji Mohammad Shafiq (President, Pakistan Handball Federation), Faizi Khawaja (Chairman, Pakistan Rugby Federation), Nasir Ahmed (Director, Pakistan Volleyball Federation), and Mohammad Jahangir (Chairman, Pakistan Karate Federation).In their collaborative efforts, the stakeholders expressed their commitment to making the event a triumph, discussing various recommendations and strategies to ensure the seamless organization of the international competition. Secretary-General PHF Haider Hussain commended the POA's dedication to fostering the development of players and highlighted the concerted efforts being made to secure Pakistan as the host for international events.