Sports Bulletin

By BIPIN DANI On Friday, Urooj Mumtaz became the first Pakistani woman commentator to officiate in men's ODI played between Pakistan and Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi. The 35-year-old Urooj Mumtaz will share the mike with Alan Wilkins (England), Bazid Khan, Ramiz Raja, Wasim Akram (all Pakistanis) and Tino Mawoyo (Zimbabwe) in all three ODIs. "Cricket commentary had obviously been a men dominated platform but now we see all male commentators also sharing mike with Mel Jones, Isa Guha and we hear mix a lot",  Urooj, speaking exclusively hours before the match on Friday, said.     "Boundary is being crossed now and there's great potential for the female commentators and a huge opportunity to commentate with male commentators at the top level".  "Of course, it takes time and home work is paramount but it is an art and one can educate and learn with the passage of time", she further added.  Her first experience of doing commentary in the men's international match was against touring Bangladesh (second T-20I) earlier this year.   "I was slightly nervous but excited and also thought it is a great opportunity to work with the likes of Morrison, Slater and Ramiz Raja. It was a great learning experience in terms of achieving great heights", she said about her debut experience. Ian Bishop and Wilkins are her favorite male commentators. "They are absolutely brilliant with the knowledge of the game and I like the way they describe the proceedings to keep the audience busy". "Melony Jones is my favorite female commentator. She has a beautiful way of conveying the message and provides the realistic views of the game", she signed off. 

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL RAWALPINDI (October 30, 2020):-Captain Babar Azam has won the toss and decided to bat first in the 1st One Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi on Friday. Medium pacer bowler Haris Rauf was capped by the team management at his home town. Pakistan Team: Abid Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (Captain), Haris Sohail, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf Zimbabwe Team: Sikandar Raza Butt, Briar Chari, Chamunorwa Chibhabha, Tendai Chisoro, Craing Ervine, Wessly Madhevere, Carl Mumba, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 27, 2020):-A total of 107 Covid-19 tests, conducted on the players and player support personnel of Zimbabwe and Pakistan sides as well as the match officials, have returned negative. The tests were conducted on Monday as part of the PCB’s Covid-19 Protocols following the assembling of the two sides in Islamabad. All 107 participants have now entered the bio-secure bubble in a five-star luxury hotel and are now allowed to interact with each other and move freely within the bio-secure bubble. The two sides will train at the Pindi Cricket Stadium today from 1pm. The three-match series, which is part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Super League, commences on Friday. The complete ODI and T20I series schedule is available below: 30 Oct – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi 1 Nov – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi 3 Nov – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi 7 Nov – 1st T20I, Rawalpindi 8 Nov – 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi 10 Nov – 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 26, 2020):-Pakistan men’s national cricket team will begin their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League campaign from 30 October when they will host Zimbabwe in the first of the three ODIs at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. The following is the two sides’ practice and match schedule in Rawalpindi till 3 November: Tuesday, 27 October: Both teams will hold training sessions at the Pindi Cricket Stadium from 1pm (PST). Beforehand, both the sides will hold online press conferences. A member of the Pakistan team will be available at 11.15am (PST), while a Zimbabwe team player will be available at around 11.45am, (PST). Wednesday, 28 October: Both teams will hold training sessions at the Pindi Cricket Stadium from 4pm (PST) and have no media interactions planned. Thursday, 29 October: The two teams will hold training sessions at the Pindi Cricket Stadium from 1pm. Beforehand, at around 12.30pm (PST) and 12.45pm (PST), opposite captains Chamu Chibhabha and Babar Azam will hold their respective online press conferences. Friday, 30 October: Toss for the first ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the Pindi Cricket Stadium will take place at 11.30am (PST), while the first ball will be bowled at 12pm (PST). Afterwards, star performers from either side will hold virtual media conferences. Interest foreign and local media are advised to confirm their attendance to Darlington Majonga and Raza Rashid Kitchlew (03018440280), respectively, at least, two hours before the start of the sessions. Sunday, 1 November: Toss for the Second ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the Pindi Cricket Stadium will take place at 11.30am, while the first ball will be bowled at 12pm. Afterwards, star performers from either side will hold virtual media conferences. Interest foreign and local media are advised to confirm their attendance to Darlington Majonga and Raza Rashid Kitchlew (03018440280), respectively, at least, two hours before the start of the sessions. Tuesday, 3 November: Toss for the third ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at the Pindi Cricket Stadium will take place at 11.30am, while the first ball will be bowled at 12pm. Afterwards, star performers from either side will hold virtual media conferences.

SPORTS REPORT RAWALPINDI(October 24, 2020):-Captain Babar Azam and vice-captain Shadab Khan, who will be in the leadership role for the first time in the ODI format, have vowed to play an aggressive and attacking brand of cricket when they start their stints with Pakistan’s first of the three ODIs against Zimbabwe on Friday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. The three-match ODI series is part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League and acts as qualification round for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The second match will be played on November 1 with the third and final match taking place on November 3. Babar widely regarded as Pakistan’s best all-format player is the only batsman in the world to feature in the top five of ICC’s Rankings for batsmen across the three formats. Babar averages 54.17 in the ODI format having donned the Pakistan colours 74 times. His tally includes 11 centuries and 15 half-centuries. Babar Azam: “To keep-up with the modern-day requirements of fast-paced cricket we need to be super fit. As the leaders of the group, both Shadab and I need to set an example with our fitness and commitment. We have a lot of cricket lined-up and the only method for us to regain our spot at the top of the rankings is aggressive and fearless cricket. “We need to work on overall improvement in all three formats of the game. We are looking forward to starting the journey on a positive note with the series against Zimbabwe; it is an opportunity for us to please our fans who would not be able to watch us from the stands due to the Covid-19-related challenges. We can, however, bring them joy by doing well in the series and by giving performances that please them. “My request to the fans is that we need their support just the way they supported us during the England tour and the National T20 Cup, which provided rich entertainment in a highly competitive environment.” Shadab Khan: “We won’t be taking Zimbabwe lightly at all. We are fully focused on the job at hand and during the season we are very keen on improving both our game and fitness. “Many players discuss fitness and how to improve in that area which is a positive sign indeed. For us each and every point in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matters. A convincing victory against Zimbabwe will hold us in good stead when we depart for the tour of New Zealand. “We had an excellent build-up to the Zimbabwe series with the National T20 Cup. The tournament was highly competitive. Such tournaments will help narrow the gap between domestic and international levels. The revamped domestic system surely provides that opportunity to the players.”

SPORTS REPORT KARACHI (October 24, 2020):-After an action-packed National T20 Cup in Multan and Rawalpindi, the focus shifts to Karachi as Pakistan’s largest city gears up to host the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, a jewel in the crown of Pakistan cricket, from 25 October. The first three rounds will be played across three venues – National Stadium, NBP Sports Complex and UBL Sports Complex – before the tournament takes an 11-day break during which the play-offs of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020, which had to be postponed due to an outbreak of Covid-19 in the country, will be staged. Besides the three venues, State Bank Stadium will also host six matches of the 31-match tournament. The six team captains were taken to a photo-shoot with the prestigious tournament trophy at the Quaid-e-Azam Mausoleum (Mazar-e-Quaid) on Friday. The players travelled in a sterilised bus and maintained social distancing at the location while fully following the existing Covid-19 SOPs and protocols during the shoot. With the Pakistan’s men’s national team and Pakistan Shaheens scheduled to travel to New Zealand on 23 November, the first three rounds serve as an audition for the first-class cricketers to stake a claim in the red-ball side on the back of impressive performances. In line with the PCB’s vision of incentivising top-performers, more than PKR17million are up for grabs over the course of the 31-match tournament with the winning prize money PKR10million and the runner-up bagging PKR5million. The top-performers – player of the tournament, best batsman, best bowler and best wicketkeeper – will pocket PKR500,000 each. The player of the final will be awarded PKR50,000. Defending champions Central Punjab will begin their campaign from the National Stadium, Karachi, as they take on hosts Sindh in a match which will be televised live on PTV Sports and relayed all over the world by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s official YouTube channel. The PCB as part of its commitment to promote domestic cricket, will broadcast and stream all 11 matches, including the five-day final, from the National Stadium. Sindh v Central Punjab, National Stadium, Karachi: With Babar Azam leading Pakistan in the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches and as many T20Is, Azhar Ali will take charge of the defending champions Central Punjab side, which includes seasoned wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal, who finished as the second highest run-getter in the last edition of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 906 runs at 60.40. Azhar will also have services of Test off-spinner Bilal Asif, who with 43 wickets from nine matches finished as the second highest wicket-taker in the 2019-20 edition. The side is further strengthened by the returns of Ahmed Shehzad, who captained Central Punjab last year with Babar on national duty, and pacer Hasan Ali. After Salman Butt withdrew himself from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Ali Zaryab has been promoted to Central Punjab’s first XI team. Central Punjab captain Azhar Ali: “As defending champions we aim to play with attacking mindset and strategy as it won us the trophy last year. We have some exciting youngsters and have retained the core of the side and I am really looking forward to the tournament. “With only six teams in the fray, the competition is going to be stiff and that augurs well for the tournament as the standard will be of the highest quality with all the teams capable of winning the event.” Sarfaraz Ahmed, the former Pakistan Test captain, will be eager to ensure that his team lives up to its potential as they were one of the two teams, other being Balochistan, who failed to register a win last season. They will be banking on Fawad Alam, who was Sindh’s best batsman last year with 781 runs (four centuries and two half-centuries) to provide stability to their batting order which also boasts Test batsman Asad Shafiq and impressive youngsters like Saud Shakeel and Omair Bin Yousaf. Tabish Khan will spearhead Sindh’s bowling attack in which Mohammad Asghar will lead the spin department. The left-arm orthodox had the fourth most wickets with 27 scalps in eight matches for Balochistan last year. Tabish took 25 wickets in the previous season, his new-ball partner Sohail Khan is not available for the opening clash due to a throat infection but is expected to join the team in the later rounds. Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed: “Last year we were not able to win any matches despite coming close and dominating the matches most of the days. This year we have once again fielded an experienced squad with some exciting youngsters. “Our aim would be to push for wins and keep ourselves in the contention of a final spot. I think we should have an exciting event which should keep the fans and followers engaged.” Northern v Southern Punjab, NBP Stadium, Karachi: Northern, under the leadership of Nauman Ali, won three matches – all secured in their last four matches – to secure a berth in the final. Over the course of their 11-match journey, Haider Ali, who later went on to become member of the men’s national team, scored 99 on debut and followed it up with two centuries, the last one of them in the final against Central Punjab. Despite Haider and their other young gun Rohail Nazir with the national side for the Zimbabwe series, Northern possess the desired firepower in their ranks with Zeeshan Malik, who has been handed vice-captaincy for the 2020-21 season, all-rounders Nasir Nawaz and Hammad Azam providing balance to the side which also includes batsmen Umar Amin, Faizan Riaz and Naved Malik. Their captain, Nauman, who was the highest wicket-taker last season with 54 scalps in 10 matches, leads a bowling unit comprising Sadaf Hussain, Waqas Ahmed and Tauseeq Shah. Northern captain Nauman Ali: “We played aggressive cricket last season and made a great comeback after a slow start to earn a place in the final. “This year too we have an exciting squad that is a good blend of youth and experience. We will be aiming to play the same result-oriented cricket with a positive approach. I am confident of my team delivering the goods and playing the tournament final. I do think that we can lift the trophy, this is an exciting time for our side in a hugely competitive tournament that will surely bring out the best from players of all six teams.” Southern Punjab, led by Test batsman Shan Masood, will be hoping for change of fortunes after they finished without a victory in the last season. Their head coach, Abdur Rehman, has gathered a promising side, which promises to provide Shan a balanced team with equally effective batting and bowling units. While Mohammad Irfan, slow-left arm, will spearhead the spin unit, which has talented youngster Umar Khan and leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood. Pakistan Test  pacer  Mohammad Abbas will lead the bowling attack that also includes Mohammad Ilyas and Dilbar Hussain. Umar Siddiq and wicketkeeper Zeeshan Malik are expected to provide stability to their batting order with Shan, while all-rounders Aamer Yamin and Hussain Talat will extend support to both departments with their all-round skills Southern Punjab captain Shan Masood: “The double-league nature of the tournament means that each of the six sides have an opportunity of making a comeback. Southern Punjab have an exciting outfit and we would be aiming to play the final. “Last season we had a good run and were in the contention for a final spot for a long time. There are six quality sides and the format of the tournament encourages quality and competitive cricket. We are looking forward to doing well and going all the way.” Balochistan v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan begin their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy campaign at the UBL Sports Complex. Balochistan, who finished at the bottom, will be led by Test leg-spinner Yasir Shah. Imran Butt, the highest run-getter of the last Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, is joined by left-handed top-order batsman Sami Aslam, who was the fourth highest run-getter with 864 runs, he represented Southern Punjab last season. 17-year-old Quetta-born Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, who graduated to the apex domestic level after impressing in the Second XI National T20 Cup, and Adnan Akmal are the other two promising additions in the batting department. Right-arm quicks Najeebullah Achakzai, Akhtar Shah, a former Pakistan U19 bowler, and Taj Wali form the core of the pace-bowling department after an injury to Akif Javed ruled him out from the tournament. Balochistan captain Yasir Shah: “Balochistan will enter the tournament with a positive mindset and approach. We have some exciting talent from the region like Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, who has done well in the Second XI and has now earned a deserved opportunity in our First XI. “Last season our bowlers did well and I am impressed with the form of bowlers like Taj Wali. We would strive hard for success while keeping an eye on developing quality players both for the region and Pakistan.” Fresh from the National T20 Cup win, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be looking to carry that form albeit in the absence of their star performers, who will be in Lahore at the national team’s camp for the Zimbabwe series. Ashfaq Ahmed, their highest run-getter in the last season, has been appointed captain by head coach Abdul Razzaq. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa boast an experienced pace bowling attack with the likes of Junaid Khan, Imran Khan Snr, Usman Khan Shinwari, Sameen Gul and Ahmed Jamal in the ranks, while their batting department is consolidated with the presence of top-order batsman Sahibzada Farhan, Adil Amin and wicketkeeper Rehan Afridi. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Ashfaq Ahmed: “It is an honour for me to captain the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team. We have a very capable squad that has the right blend of experience and youth. “My aim would be to lead the team from the front and deliver both as a player and captain. I think we can progress to the final even last year we had come close to reaching the final and this season our focus would be on earning a spot in the final. I am very excited about this opportunity; we should see some exciting cricket in Karachi over the course of the next two months.”

By BIPIN DANI It was rare for a woman cricketer to have her photoshoot on a cricket pitch.  The 24-year-old top-order batswoman Sanjida Islam, who married to another First-Class cricketer Mim Mosaddeak had her photoshoot on a cricket pitch.  "Oh, it just happened all of a sudden and not pre-planned. I had gone to the Rangpur Stadium for a photoshoot and there saw some boys playing cricket. Being a cricketer, I could not resist the temptation of playing a few balls and my photographer immediately clicked the photos", speaking exclusively over telephone from Bangladesh, she said.   Sanjida's photos, which became viral on social media playing a cover drive and a pull shot and gave all cricket-lovers couple goals. Coming out with an out of the box idea, the woman cricketer gave the International Cricket Council (ICC) the opportunity to tweet the pictures: "Dress, jewellery, cricketer bat. Wedding photoshoots for cricketers be like,". "The orange color (of my saree) is very auspicious in our culture and therefore I wore it on the day of shooting".   "I married Mim on 17th October. It is a love marriage. We have known each other since the last six years. We invited a few cricketers for the marriage and two national players could make it".  The couple is unlikely to go for a honeymoon. "Because of the COVID-19, we are not moving out of our country but hoping the effects of Coronavirus diminish and then will plan for overseas honeymoon", she added.  Sanjida has so far played 16 ODIs and 54 T-20Is. 

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (October 24, 2020):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today confirmed 187 cricketers have accepted enhanced and improved 2020-21 domestic cricket contracts, which include monthly retainers, daily allowances and match fees, besides share in the event prize money. In the 12-month domestic contracts, the monthly retainers range from PKR40,000 per month to PKR150,000 per month, depending on the player’s seniority, contribution to Pakistan cricket and performance in the previous season. A further 32 players have accepted five-and-a-half months seasonal contracts, which will expire at the end of the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, final event of the 2020-21 season. In such contracts, the players will receive daily allowances, match fees from the PCB as well as share from event prize money. These 32 players, who have voluntarily accepted seasonal contracts, include: Adnan Akmal, Abdul Nasir, Ali Waqas, Ayyaz Tassawar, Mohammad Ibrahim, Salahuddin, Sami Aslam (all Balochistan), Ali Shan, Atiq-ur-Rehman, Junaid Ali, Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Faiq, Raza Ali Dar, Sohaib Ullah, Zubair Khan (all Central Punjab), Mohammad Arif Shah, Mohammad Imran (both Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Aamir Ali, Asad Raza, Hassan Khan, Ibrar Ahmed, Ibtisam Sheikh (all Sindh), Mohammad Amir, Aamir Jamal, Amad Butt, Kashif Iqbal, Raja Farzan Khan, Taimoor Sultan, Mohammad Nadeem (Northern) and Mohammad Irfan Snr, Mohammad Mohsin and Salahuddin (all Southern Punjab). Another five players - Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz – have opted for event-based contracts. This category was introduced taking into account that a few players have opted for a certain format of the game. Players in this category will receive daily allowances, match fees and share in the event prize money. Seventy cricketers are still available in the pool of additional players, who will be offered seasonal or event based contracts as and when they are selected by their respective head coaches for the upcoming matches. Prominent amongst these 70 players is Salman Butt, who has withdrawn from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy due to domestic reasons. Apart from these players, the PCB has offered 18 central contracts and three emerging contracts. The 187 cricketers, who have accepted 2020-21 domestic contracts, are: Balochistan – Imran Butt, Kashif Bhatti (both A+ Category), Imran Farhat, Mohammad Talha (both A Category), Abdul Rehman Muzammil, Akbar-ur-Rehman, Akif Javed, Amad Butt, Awais Zia, Azeem Ghumman, Bismillah Khan, Gulraiz Sadaf, Jalat Khan, Taimur Ali, Taj Wali and Umaid Asif (all B Category), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Akhtar Shah, Gohar Faiz, Hayat Ullah, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Junaid, Shehzad Tareen, Taimur Khan and Usama Mir (all C Category) and Hidayatullah, Najeebullah Achakzai, Rameez Raja Jnr and Shehbaz Khan (all D Category) Central Punjab – Bilal Asif, Fahim Ashraf, Zafar Gohar (both A+ Category), Ahmed Shehzad, Ehsan Adil, Hasan Ali, Saad Nasim, Usman Salahuddin (all A Category), Mohammad Saad, Nauman Anwar, Usman Qadir, Waqas Maqsood (all B Category), Rizwan Hussain, Abdullah Shafiq, Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Ali Zaryab, Anas Mehmood, Bilawal Iqbal, Farhan Khan, Imran Dogar, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mohammad Akhlaq, Nisar Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Suleman Shafqat (all C Category), Atizaz Habib Khan, Fahad Usman, Mohammad Ali and Shahid Nawaz (all D Category) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –  Imran Khan Snr (A+ Category), Ashfaq Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Sajid Khan (all A Category) Adil Amin, Ahmed Jamal, Mohammad Asad, Mohammad Mohsin, Israrullah, Khalid Usman, Sahibzada Farhan, Sameen Gul, Zohaib Khan (all B Category), Arshad Iqbal, Asad Afridi, Asif Afridi, Irfanullah Shah, Kamran Ghulam, Mehran Ibrahim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Mohsin Khan, Mohammad Naeem Snr, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Musadiq Ahmed, Nabi Gul, Rehan Afridi (all C Category), Samiullah Jnr, Saqib Jamil and Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (all D Category) Northern – Nauman Ali (A+ Category), Asif Ali, Faizan Riaz, Hammad Azam, Mohammad Nawaz, Musa Khan, Raza Hasan, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Amin, Waqas Ahmed, Zeeshan Malik (all A Category), Ali Sarfaraz, Jamal Anwar, Rohail Nazir, Naved Malik, Shoaib Ahmed Minhas, Umar Waheed (all B Category), Mohammad Huraira, Ali Imran, Munir Riaz, Nasir Nawaz, Sohail Akhtar, Salman Irshad, Sarmad Bhatti, Shiraz Khan, Umair Masood, Zaid Alam (all C Category), Athar Mehmood, Ismail Khan, Nihal Mansoor, Shadab Majeed and Ziad Khan (all D Category) Sindh – Fawad Alam, Sohail Khan (both A+ Category), Anwar Ali, Khurram Manzoor, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Asghar, Saad Ali, Sharjeel Khan, Tabish Khan (all A Category), Adeel Malik, Ahsan Ali, Fahad Iqbal, Hasan Mohsin, Omair Bin Yousaf, Rameez Aziz, Saud Shakeel (all B Category), Waleed Ahmed, Ammad Alam, Ashiq Ali, Azam Khan, Danish Aziz, Ghulam Mudassar, Jahid Ali, Mohammad Hasan, Mohammad Taha, Saad Khan, Saifullah Bangash, Shehzar Mohammad (all C Category), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Tariq Khan, Mohammad Umar and Shahnawaz (all D Category) Southern Punjab – Khushdil Shah (A+ Category), Aamer Yamin, Bilawal Bhatti, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Irfan (SLA), Rahat Ali, Sohaib Maqsood (all A Category), Saif Badar, Imran Rafiq, Mukhtar Ahmed, Naved Yasin, Rameez Alam, Umar Khan, Umar Siddiq, Zahid Mahmood, Zain Abbas (all B Category), Mohammad Ilyas, Ali Shafiq, Dilbar Hussain, Maqbool Ahmed, Mohammad Basit, Mohammad Umair, Muhammad Imran, Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Waqar Hussain, Zeeshan Ashraf, Zia-ul-Haq (all C Category), Ahsan Baig, Ali Usman, Anas Mustafa and Mohammad Rameez Jnr (all D Category)

SB NEWS ISLAMABAD (October 22, 2020):- Well experienced international cricket umpire, Aleem Dar has been assigned on-field duties in five of the six upcoming white-ball matches between Pakistan and Zimbabwe, which will be played from 30 October to 10 November. The three 50-over ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches will be played in Rawalpindi, while Lahore will host the three 20-over fixtures. Aleem, the three-time ICC Umpire of the Year from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will stand in all the three ODIs as well as the first and third T20I, while he will be the third umpire for the second T20I. The ICC has appointed Prof. Javed Malik, member of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees, as match referee for the series. As per the ICC’s interim playing regulations, Aleem and Javed will be the ICC-appointed match officials. The PCB has appointed the umpires from the ICC International Panel of Match Officials, namely Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob, Rashid Riaz and Shozab Raza. When Ahsan Raza will walk out to officiate the second T20I, he will become the first umpire to complete a half-century of T20Is. Aleem Dar is second on the list with 46 matches, while Shozab Raza shares fourth spot with South Africa’s Shaun George with 36 matches. Ahsan, a former first-class cricketer, began his international umpiring career in February 2010 by standing in an ODI between Afghanistan and Canada at Sharjah Cricket Ground. Later that year in October, he officiated his first T20I match when Pakistan played South Africa at Abu Dhabi. Overall, the 46-year-old has stood in 85 international matches. ICC’s interim playing regulations, which are applicable to the upcoming series: Ban on applying saliva to the ball: Players will not be permitted to use saliva to shine the ball. If a player does apply saliva to the ball, the umpires will manage the situation with some leniency during an initial period of adjustment for the players, but subsequent instances will result in the team receiving a warning. A team can be issued up to two warnings per innings but repeated use of saliva on the ball will result in a 5-run penalty to the batting side. Whenever saliva is applied to the ball, the umpires will be instructed to clean the ball before play recommences. Non-neutral umpires: The requirement to appoint neutral match officials will be temporarily removed from the playing conditions for all international formats owing to the current logistical challenges with international travel. The ICC will be able to appoint locally based match officials from the ICC Elite Panel of Match Officials and the ICC International Panel of Match Officials. Additional DRS reviews: The CEC has also confirmed an additional unsuccessful DRS review for each team in each innings of a match, keeping in mind that there may be less experienced umpires on duty at times. This will increase the number of unsuccessful appeals per innings for each team to two for the white-ball formats. The ICC Cricket Operations team will support Match Referees when processing Code of Conduct breaches and a neutral Elite Panel match referee will conduct any hearing remotely via video link. Appointments (ODIs to start 1200, T20Is to commence 1530): 30 Oct – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire); Javed Malik (match referee) 1 Nov – 2nd ODI, Rawalpindi: Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire); Javed Malik (match referee) 3 Nov – 3rd ODI, Rawalpindi: Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire); Javed Malik (match referee) 7 Nov – 1st T20I, Lahore: Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire); Javed Malik (match referee) 8 Nov – 2nd T20I, Lahore: Ahsan Raza and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpire), Aleem Dar (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire); Javed Malik (match referee) 10 Nov – 3rd T20I, Lahore: Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpire), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire); Javed Malik (match referee)

SPORTS NEWS ISLAMABAD (October 22, 2020):-The top domestic cricket fixture, the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will start from October 25, 2020 (Sunday) under the Covid-19 protocols, which were planned, delivered and implemented by the PCB staff, including officials from the medical, high performance and security departments during the recently concluded National T-10 Cup at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi. According to Media Department of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the international class Kookaburra balls were used in the 31-match season that was spread over three-and-a-half months and played across the country. Quetta returned to the domestic cricket fold as matches were staged at the Bugti Stadium after 11 long years. The final-leg (last two rounds and the five-day final) were staged in Karachi to ensure completion of matches without weather interruption, a practice that had been successfully carried out in the last few years. Babar Azam-led Central Punjab won the tournament by defeating the youthful Northern side by an innings and 16 runs in the final held at the Karachi’s National Stadium. The second edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class tournament (2020-21) under the hugely competitive and quality-oriented domestic system gets underway across three Karachi venues –National Stadium, UBL Sports Complex and NBP Sports Complex on Sunday 25 October. Central Punjab would start the tournament as favourites to retain the title; some of the highlights of the 2019-20 season are reproduced below. Batting achievements in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20: A total of three batsmen crossed the 900-run mark in the season. Balochistan’s Imran Butt topped the batting charts with a tally of 934 runs at 62.26 in 17 innings. The right-hander posted four centuries with a highest of 214. Central Punjab’s seasoned wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal scored 906 runs in 15 innings at 60.40, his tally of runs included three centuries with a best of 166. Central Punjab opener Salman Butt was third on the list with a tally of 901 runs in 15 innings at 75.08; the left-hander hit three centuries including a best of 237. A total of 77 centuries were scored by 46 different batsmen from the six Cricket Association teams. Sindh’s Abid Ali posted the highest score of the tournament; the right-hander hit 249 not out in his team’s first-round match against Balochistan at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi. A total of eight double centuries were hit during the tournament. The 500-run mark in an innings was passed no less than 11 times during the tournament, Central Punjab posted the highest team total of the 2019-20 edition when they piled on 675 for eight declared against Northern in their only innings of the final. The highest partnership of the 2019-20 season was the 358-run second-wicket partnership between Zeeshan Malik and Umar Amin for Northern against Southern Punjab at Sialkot’s Jinnah Stadium. Bowling achievements in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20: While batsmen dominated the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2019-20 season, there were a number of match-winning bowling performances which challenged the batsmen and made the tournament a compelling watch. A total of 26 five-wicket (innings) and three ten-wicket (match) hauls were recorded during the tournament. Central Punjab’s Zafar Gohar’s 11 wickets for 133 runs against Northern were the best match figures of the tournament while Nauman Ali’s eight wickets for 71 runs against Central Punjab were the best figures in an innings. Northern’s Nauman who captained his side in the lead-up and in the final was the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 54 wickets in 10 matches at 25.38. The left-arm spinner took five wickets in an innings a total of five times. Off-spinner Bilal Asif who represented Central Punjab took 43 wickets in nine matches at 23.16; he took a total of two five-wicket hauls. Zafar took 38 wickets in his 11 appearances for Central Punjab at 36.76 with one five-wicket haul. Amongst fast bowlers Sindh’s Tabish Khan was the leading wicket-taker with 25 wickets in 10 matches which made him occupy the sixth-spot on the bowlers list. Fielding and Wicketkeeping numbers: Imran Butt who took 16 catches in the tournament topped the fielders’ list. Northern’s Umar Amin took nine catches while his teammate Ali Sarfaraz, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Israrullah and Sindh’s Khurram Manzoor took seven catches each. Kamran was involved in 41 dismissals behind the stumps (38 catches and three stumpings) followed by his brother Adnan Akmal who represented Southern Punjab (33 dismissals, 30 catches, three stumpings). Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was involved in 26 dismissals (25 catches, one stumping).