Sports Bulletin

SB Report LAHORE:- With one eye on the series against Australia, Pakistan’s bowling coach Waqar Younis will hold a bowlers camp at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. The national selection committee has invited 15 high-performing bowlers from the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and the ongoing National T20 Cup as well as fast bowlers Mohammad Abbas and Shaheen Shah Afridi for the weekend camp. The purpose of the camp is to provide the selectors better insight on the fitness and form of the bowlers that can further assist them while picking the T20I and Test sides. It will also give the bowlers an opportunity to understand their shortcomings and ways to improve their skills in the upcoming domestic matches. Fast bowlers Abbas and Shaheen will be back in action after missing domestic matches. Abbas was given a break after the third round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy to strategically manage his workload and fatigue, while Shaheen will return after for the first time since picking up dengue fever in August. Pakistan bowling coach Waqar Younis said: “As the National T20 Cup has a two-day break, we thought of utilising this time by holding bowlers camp in Lahore with multiple objectives. But, this does not mean that the selectors have limited their selection options to these 11 bowlers. The selectors have an open mind and bowlers who are best suited to the formats and conditions on the upcoming tour will be selected.” Chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq, and Test captain Azhar Ali will also monitor the camp. The T20I and Test squads for the Australia tour will be announced by chief selector and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq at 215pm on Monday, 21 October, in media conference at the Far End, Gaddafi Stadium. Bowlers invited for the camp are: Bilal Asif (Central Punjab), Bilawal Bhatti (Southern Punjab), Imran Khan Snr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Kashif Bhatti (Sindh), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Irfan Junior (Slow left-arm, Southern Punjab), Musa Khan (Northern), Mohammad Mohsin (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab), Rahat Ali (Southern Punjab), Sameen Gul (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Northern), Tabish Khan (Sindh), Yasir Shah (Balochistan) and Zahid Mehmood (Southern Punjab).        

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan Under-19 cricket team will leave for Beijing, China, on Wednesday evening to play friendly matches against the home and Afghanistan Under-19 squads. The 12-player squad will be captained by Mohammad Harris Khan, while Saim Ayub will be his vice-captain. Pakistan U19 team will play China on Saturday, 19 October and Afghanistan on Sunday, 20 October. A combined Afghanistan and Pakistan side will play China on Wednesday, 23 October. Pakistan squad will return home on Thursday, 24 October. The tour has been has been arranged by the Chinese government and the purpose of these matches is to strengthen the mutual communication, understanding and friendship between China, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan squad: Mohammad Harris Khan (captain), Saim Ayub (vice-captain), Aamir Ali, Abbas Afridi, Fahad Munir, Haseeb Ullah (wicketkeeper), Jahanzeb Sultan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Sameer Saqib, Shiraz Khan and Zaman Khan. Player support personnel: Mohtashim Rashid (coach), Rehan Khalid (physiotherapist) and Fazal Wahab (trainer).