Sports Bulletin

Our CorrespondentLAHORE: England Men have confirmed their XI for their opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy against Australia on Saturday in Lahore.Jamie Smith returns to the side, batting at No.3 and taking the gloves as wicketkeeper. Jofra Archer is selected alongside fellow seamers Brydon Carse and Mark Wood.England XI: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Pakistan players Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saud Shakeel and Kamran Ghulam have been fined for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during their tri-nation series match against South Africa in Karachi on Wednesday.Shaheen was fined 25 per cent of his match fee after he was found to have breached Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match.”The incident occurred in the 28th over of South Africa’s innings, when Shaheen deliberately got in the way of batter Matthew Breetzke as he ran a single, causing an inappropriate physical contact that also resulted in an argument.Saud and substitute fielder Kamran were fined 10 per cent each of their match fee as they celebrated too close to batter Temba Bavuma after he was run out in the 29th over of South Africa’s innings.Saud and Kamran were found to have breached Article 2.5 of the Code, which relates to “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during an International Match.”

Fakhar Zaman travelled to the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 without a single ODI appearance to his name. By the time he returned to Pakistan as a match-winner in the final, people were travelling hundreds of kilometres just to take a picture with him.The left-handed opening batter will make his return to the Pakistan team on home soil when the competition returns later this month, looking to recreate the heroics of eight years ago. In that tournament, he started out of the team, earned a one-day debut and went onto form the foundation of a final victory over India in one of the greatest days in Pakistani cricketing history. Even so, he was taken aback by the response when he landed back home.“It was special back in Pakistan,” he recalled. “I didn’t expect anything like that and I have never seen anything like that in my whole life. People were waiting for us. I was alone on the Peshawar flight, most of the guys were flying to Lahore or Karachi. There were thousands of people waiting at the airport. It took three to four hours to get out of the airport.“Then there were people waiting on the streets and on the roads. When I got to my hometown, the whole street was full of people. In our villages, we have a guest house and the whole guest house was full of people.“For many weeks, people from 500km or more away would come to take a picture. It was unbelievable and it was something special. The way we made people feel at that time, I wish I could do more things like that.”Fakhar did not feature in the first meeting between Pakistan and India, which India won by 124 runs, but was handed a debut in the second encounter against South Africa.He scored 31 off just 23 in that game as Pakistan stayed alive in the tournament with a 19-run victory at Edgbaston, a knock that is still right up there among his favourite in the format.He said: “In my head, I thought I would go and play positive cricket in that game and if something went wrong, then I would see for the next game against Sri Lanka if I changed. I scored 31 runs and it is still one of my favourite innings in my ODI career.“I didn’t feel that much pressure in the South Africa game. I felt more pressure in the Sri Lanka game. The first one was my first game and I wasn’t aware of what to expect. There were so many things going through my head, but I didn’t feel that much pressure.“There was more pressure game by game as we progressed.”While Fakhar went into the tournament with limited expectations, the Pakistan management and senior players never lacked confidence.And after they beat Sri Lanka by three wickets to reach the semi-finals, that belief started to filter through to the rest of the team that they were capable of going all the way.“Myself and Sarfaraz (Ahmed, the captain) played club cricket together in Karachi. We had a big tournament happening in Karachi just after the group stages. After the first game against India, I went to Sarfaraz and said ‘we will be playing in Pakistan’ and he said ‘what are you saying?’. He said ‘bro, we will go to Pakistan, but with the Champions Trophy’.“I was thinking looking at this man, he’s lost his senses, what is he saying? But the confidence of our leadership, Sarfaraz and Mickey Arthur, I didn’t think we would win but they would tell us every time that we would win, that we had to win.“The confidence in the leadership group, even after losing the first game, they were 100% confident that we would bring home the trophy. When we played Sri Lanka, the way luck was with us that day, Sri Lankan players dropped catches, and the way Sarfaraz played in that game, we knew that something great was coming.”Up against hosts England in the semi-finals, Pakistan’s bowlers were outstanding in Cardiff, shutting down the previously unstoppable English batters to set up an eight-wicket victory.That set up a final clash with India, the dream match-up for fans, but a meeting that Fakhar almost missed.“I was not well the day before the game,” he said. “I even talked to Mickey and said I won’t be able to play the game. He said you go out there and get a duck first ball, it doesn’t matter, you have to play that game. I managed to play but I remember that I didn’t sleep well that night and he forced me to play. I’m pleased he did!”Pakistan batted first at The Oval, and even though Fakhar did not feel like he was at his most fluent, he smashed a brilliant century, making 114 off 106 balls to set Pakistan on their way to 338 for four in 50 overs.That came after he had been given a reprieve when he was on three, caught off the bowling of Jasprit Bumrah, with a no-ball saving him.He said: “I had been talking to Shadab (Khan) and somebody got out on a no-ball when we were watching a game. I said ‘I’d love to get out to a no-ball’. I just said it randomly because whenever you get out, I always look to the umpire hoping they will say ‘wait while we check the no-ball’ and nothing happens and I end up back in the dressing room.“The same thing happened in that game, I got out to a no-ball. Kumar Dharmasena was the third umpire and I was going out. From the boundary, he said ‘wait there’. I was halfway back and when I saw that, I was 100% sure it was a no-ball. After that, I thought maybe it’s my day.”It certainly turned out that way, with Fakhar earning Player of the Match honours as Pakistan ended up winning by 180 runs, Mohammad Amir doing the damage with the ball as he tore through the dangerous Indian top order.That day is one that he will never forget, as he prepares to embark on his second Champions Trophy. And beyond the excitement of the day and the celebrations afterwards, it is the way the team came together in England and Wales that stands out.He concluded: “There are too many memories. The best memory for me was the way the team gelled, to become friends with Shadab, Faheem (Ashraf), Hasan Ali, we became really close.” (PR).

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the players in contention for the ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards for January, highlighting the top performers from a busy month of international cricket. Three talented spinners comprise the shortlist of candidates for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month, after all enjoyed a prolific start to 2025 in both long and short formats.Noman Ali seeks to win his second ICC Men’s Player of the Month award after wicket-taking feats and a historic hattrick in Pakistan’s World Test Championship series against the West Indies. First-time nominee Jomel Warrican topped the bowling charts in that series and led the tourists to their first Test win in the Pakistan for 34 years. Varun Chakravarthy completes the trio, after a string of stellar displays in India’s T20I triumph over England.ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for January:Noman Ali (Pakistan): Having won his maiden ICC Men’s Player of the Month award back in October 2024, Noman continues his impressive run in Pakistan’s Test bowling attack with another fruitful series against a spirited West Indies side in Multan. 16 Wickets fell to the left-armer across two matches, culminating in a ten-wicket performance in the second Test that included figures of six for 41 in the first innings and a brilliant hattrick – the first by a Pakistan spinner in Test cricket.Varun Chakravarthy (India): Another player who continues to enjoy fine form in international cricket, Chakravarthy was a threatening presence in India’s decisive T20I series against England in January. His four matches during the calendar month heralded 12 wickets at a startling average of 9.41, highlighted by a superb five for 24 in Rajkot – his best return in a home T20I – and has since seen him propel up the ICC Men’s T20I Bowler rankings to joint second position.Jomel Warrican (West Indies): Nominated for the very first time, the 32-year old celebrated a triumphant return to Test action in January with 19 wickets across both Tests in Pakistan. Awarded the Player of the Series for his efforts, Warrican took ten wickets in the first Test including a career-best seven for 32 in the second innings, before inspiring a landmark victory in the second encounter. Chipping in with valuable runs in the lower order, the left-arm spinner claimed five for 27 in the second innings to secure the 120-run win.ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for January:Beth Mooney (Australia): As Australia stormed to an Ashes sweep over England, Mooney was an ever-present force in the ODI and T20I encounters. A subdued start to the series by her standards came to an end with a battling half-century in the third ODI in Hobart, and from there her series came to life. Saving her best performances for the 20-over contests, the opener notched 213 runs at a blistering strike rate of 146.89, with scores of 75 and 44 preceding a stunning 94 not out in Adelaide in just 63 balls. These performances helped Mooney consolidate her position atop the Women’s T20I Batter rankings and sees her nominated for the first time since January 2024.Karishma Ramharack (West Indies): Ramharack celebrates her maiden nomination for the Player of the Month award, and features among the trio of contenders thanks to impressive performances in the West Indies’ ODI series against Bangladesh. With the hosts having won the opening match, the off-spinner recorded her first four-wicket haul in the format with four for 33, albeit in a losing cause in Basseterre. Her good form continued in the decider, where she went one better and recorded career-best figures of four for 12 to seal a comfortable eight-wicket victory and the Player of the Series prize.Gongadi Trisha (India): The 19-year-old was the toast of Malaysia at the recently concluded U19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2025, starring in India’s surge to the silverware with a record-breaking campaign. With 265 runs and 4 wickets coming in January’s contests, she hit the headlines with an inspired performance against Scotland; striking the first century in U19 Women’s T20 World Cup history with 110 not out off 59 balls before taking three wickets for six runs. As the tournament progressed, Trisha then capped a sterling campaign with a Player of the Match performance in the final that saw her named the outstanding player at the event.

Lahore (PCB Report): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to welcome cricket fans with a spectacular opening ceremony on 7 February, ahead of the Pakistan versus New Zealand match on 8 February. The tri-nation ODI series will be followed by the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which begins on 19 February.Fans can look forward to a series of colourful events, including live singing, stunning fireworks and a unique light show. Renowned singers Ali Zafar, Arif Lohar and Aima Baig will grace the stage with electrifying performances, followed by a dazzling drum and firework display. The opening ceremony, to be attended by Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, will be free for the public from 5.30 pm, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.Under the leadership of PCB Chair Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB has transformed the stadium into a modern cricketing venue in a record 117 days. The stadium now features brighter LED lights, two new larger score screens and comfortable imported seating in all enclosures, ensuring an unparalleled viewing experience for fans.Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has personally overseen the reconstruction process, making frequent day and night visits to monitor progress. His dedication has resulted in world-class facilities, including newly built hospitality boxes and upgraded amenities for both players and spectators.PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi: “Our venues are now on par with international standards and we are proud to offer cricket fans the best possible experience. The transformation of this stadium in such a short time is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team.“First of all, I thank the workers who made the impossible task possible. The combined efforts of Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), NESPAK, the contractors and PCB teams have turned this dream into reality. Despite criticism, our team remained committed and Allah Ta’ala made our path easy.”The stadium’s enhancements ensure that fans will enjoy a world-class cricketing experience, with improved seating arrangements, exceptional viewing angles and a festive atmosphere. The PCB remains steadfast in its mission to provide top-tier cricketing events and showcase Pakistan as a premier host for international matches.With preparations complete, the PCB is ready to deliver a grand spectacle with the tri-nation ODI series, setting the stage for an exciting ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Left-arm spinners Noman Ali and Jomel Warrican have attained career best positions in the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings after outstanding performances in the second Test between Pakistan and the West Indies in Multan.Noman, who became the first Pakistani spinner to take a Test hat-trick in a match haul of 10 for 121, has gained four spots to reach fifth position with 806 rating points. He is only the 12th Pakistani bowler to go past the 800-point mark in Tests and the only one from his country in the top 20 right now.Warrican won the Player of the Match award after finishing with nine for 70 in the second Test, moving up 16 places to 25th position. He has progressed a total of 28 places in the two Tests with a return of 19 wickets, that also won him the Player of the Series award.Kemar Roach (up one place to 18th) and Gudakesh Motie (up six places to 58th) are the West Indian bowlers to move up the rankings while Sajid Khan (up two places to 21st) and Abrar Ahmed (up two places to 50th) are the Pakistan players to move up the list.West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s second innings half-century at the top of the order that contributed in a 120-run win, has lifted him eight places to 44th position while Pakistan’s wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has moved back towards the top10, advancing from 17th to 15th position.Varma eyes Babar’s record: In the Men’s T20I Rankings, Tilak Varma has reached a career-best second position after an unbeaten 71 in the second T20I against England. His 832 rating points are the fourth-best by an India batter in the format after Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.Varma, who is 22 years and 82 days at the time of reaching second position, is only 23 rating points behind top-ranked Travis Ahead and with a good chance of becoming the youngest to top the T20I batting rankings. The mark is currently held by Babar Azam, who was 23 years, 105 days when he went top for the first time in January 2018.In the bowling rankings, England’s wrist-spinner Adil Rashid has ended Akeal Hosein’s 44-day stay at the top after taking one for 14 and one for 15 in the second and third matches of the series, completing his four overs each time to help England narrow the lead to 2-1.It is the second time the England leggie has topped the table, having occupied top spot for a year from December 2023 to December 2024.Liam Livingstone (up five places to 32nd) and Abhishek Sharma (up 59 places to 40th) are other batters to gain after the series while Varun Chakravarthy (up 25 places to a career-best fifth position), Joffra Archer (up 13 places to sixth), Axar Patel (up five places to 11th) and Hardik Pandya (up eight places to 43rd) have moved up the bowling list.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Australia fast bowler Scott Boland has broken into the top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings for the first time after helping his team defeat India by six wickets in Sydney to win their ICC World Test Championship series 3-1.The 35-year-old, who finished with a haul of 10 for 86 in the fifth Test match, has progressed 29 slots and is ranked joint-ninth along with India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Boland’s previous best was 36th position that he had attained in June 2023 after picking five wickets in the ICC World Test Championship Final against India.Jasprit Bumrah remains at the top of the list adding one rating point and going up to 908 (improving on the record for Indian bowlers) even as Australia captain Pat Cummins and South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada have inched up a slot each to reach second and third positions, respectively.In the latest weekly rankings that also take into consideration the second Test between South Africa and Pakistan in Cape Town and the second Test between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in Bulawayo, South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj has advanced two places to 17th position after taking five wickets in Cape Town while Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe (up five places to 43rd) and Rashid Khan of Afghanistan (re-entered at 54th position) are others to gain.Huge gains for South Africa batters: South Africa batters have made huge inroads after their 10-wicket victory over Pakistan. Ryan Rickelton’s match-winning 259 has lifted him 48 places to 55th position while captain Temba Bavuma (up three places to a career-best-equalling sixth position) and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne (up four places to 24th) have also advanced after notching centuries.Rishabh Pant of India is back in the top 10, while Pakistan’s Baba Azam (up five places to 12th) and Shan Masood (up 12 places to 45th), Afghanistan’s Rahmad Shah (up 26 places to 26th) and Zimbabwe’s Craig Ervine (up 10 places to 37th) are among others to move the batting rankings.South Africa’s Marco Jansen, named Player of the Series after finishing with 10 wickets and 80 runs, has moved up two slots to second among all-rounders.In the Men’s ODI Rankings, Will Young (up nine places to joint-13th) and Rachin Ravindra (up six places to joint-50th) in batting and Matt Henry (up six places to 12th) in bowling have gained after the first match of their series against Sri Lanka in Wellington.Kusal Perera (up 26 places to 10th) of Sri Lanka and Daryl Mitchell (up five places to 41st) of New Zealand have moved up the T20I batting list after the last match of a preceding T20I series while Nuwan Thushara (up nine places to 26th) and Henry (up four places to 38th) are among the bowlers to progress.

T20 Women’s World Cup 2024: Winners to receive $2.34 million, runners-up to get $1.17millionSports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be the first ICC event where women will receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the sport’s history. The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2023, when the ICC Board took the step of reaching its prize money equity target seven years ahead of its schedule of 2030, making cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s and women’s World Cup events.The winners of the tournament, which will now be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will receive US$2.34million, a massive, 134 per cent increase on the $1 million awarded to Australia when they clinched the title in South Africa in 2023.The runners-up will receive $1.17 million, an increase of 134 per cent in comparison to the $500, 000 South Africa received for reaching the final on home soil at Newlands Cricket Ground. The two losing semi-finalists will earn $675, 000 (up from $210 000 in 2023), with the overall prize pot totalling $7,958,080, a massive increase of 225 per cent from last year’s total fund of $2.45 million.This move is in line with the ICC’s strategy to prioritise the women’s game and accelerate its growth by 2032. Teams will now receive equal prize money for the equivalent finishing position at comparable events as well as the same amount for winning a match at those events. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 event prize money is only higher on account of 10 additional teams participating and 32 more matches played.Each win during the group stages will see teams take home $31,154, while the six teams who fail to reach the semi-finals will share a pool of $1.35 million depending on their finishing positions. In comparison, the equivalent pool for the six teams in 2023 was $180,000, shared equally. Teams, who finish third or fourth in their group will take $270,000 each while the teams who finish fifth in their group will both receive $135,000. All 10 participating teams are assured of $112,500.The increase in prize money for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 comes in line with the prize pot for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 also increasing to $3.5 million in total. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will open on 3 October with Bangladesh taking on Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): England batter Harry Brook has moved up to fourth position while Mushfiqur Rahim and Mohammad Rizwan have reached career-best positions in the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings after their fine performances over the past week.Brook’s scores of 56 and 32 in the first match of their ICC World Test Championship series against Sri Lanka in Manchester has lifted him three places to fourth position, just one adrift of his career-best third position attained following his second-innings century against the West Indies at Trent Bridge last month.Bangladesh batter Mushfiq’s match-winning 191 in the first Test of the WTC series against Pakistan in Rawalpindi has helped him advance seven places to a career-best-equalling 17th position while Pakistan’s Rizwan is in the top 10 for the first time after scores of 171 not out and 51.Others to move up the Test rankings include Sri Lanka batters Dinesh Chandimal (up four places to 23rd) and Kamindu Mendis (up eight places to 36th), Bangladesh’s Liton Das (up two places to 27th) and England’s Jamie Smith (up 22 places to 42nd).In the Test bowling rankings, England’s Chris Woakes is up four places to 16th after taking three wickets each in both innings against Sri Lanka while Asitha Fernando is up 10 places to 17th after also finishing with six wickets in the match.Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah (up four places to 33rd), England’s new-ball bowler Gus Atkinson (up four places to 42nd) and Matthew Potts (up five places to 57th) are the prominent movers in the bowling rankings.In the Men’s T20I Player Rankings, Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies has moved into the top 10 after scores of 65 not out, 19 and 35 in a 3-0 victory over South Africa in Trinidad. South Africa’s Reeza Hendricks is another one to gain, moving up to 13th position.In the bowling rankings, left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein of the West Indies has moved up four places to second position after taking four wickets in three matches. Gudakesh Motie, also a left-arm spinner from his team, is just one position behind Hosein after moving up 10 slots while Romario Shepherd is up to 31st position. 

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Jay Shah has been elected unopposed as the next Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Shah, who has served as the BCCI Honorary Secretary since October 2019 and Chair of the Asian Cricket Council since January 2021, will assume this prestigious role on December 1, 2024.Shah was the sole nominee for the chairmanship after current Chair Greg Barclay decided not to seek a third term. Upon his election, Shah expressed his intent to advancing the global reach and popularity of cricket, particularly with its upcoming inclusion in the LA 2028 Olympics—a moment he views as a pivotal opportunity for the sport’s growth.Jay Shah said: “I am humbled by the nomination as the Chair of the International Cricket Council. I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and our member nations to further globalize cricket. We stand at a critical juncture where it is increasingly important to balance the coexistence of multiple formats, promote the adoption of advanced technologies, and introduce our marquee events to new global markets. Our goal is to make cricket more inclusive and popular than ever before. While we will build on the valuable lessons learned, we must also embrace fresh thinking and innovation to elevate the love for cricket worldwide. The inclusion of our sport in the Olympics at LA 2028 represents a significant inflection point for the growth of cricket, and I am confident that it will drive the sport forward in unprecedented ways.”Shah’s election marks a new chapter for the ICC as it seeks to expand the game’s reach and continue its evolution on the global stage.