Sports Bulletin

Sports DeskISLAMABAD: The 15th edition of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is around the corner, with emerging talents from 16 teams gearing up to compete for the coveted title in South Africa. The tournament began in 1988, and has seen seven different winners in the 14 editions so far. India lead the way with five titles to their name, followed by Australia (3), Pakistan (2), Bangladesh, South Africa, West Indies and England (1 each).1988 (Winners: Australia): The inaugural edition of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, then known as the Youth World Cup, was hosted to celebrate Australia’s Bicentenary in the land Down Under. Hosts Australia defeated Pakistan by 5 wickets in the final to win the inaugural edition of the tournament.Notable international stars from the Class of 1988: Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton, Chris Cairns, Mushtaq Ahmed, Sanath Jayasuriya, Brian Lara.1998 (Winners: England): It took another 10 years before another edition of the U19 World Cup was played and it was South Africa who were hosting an ICC tournament for the very first time. The number of teams doubled from the first edition, with 16 teams participating in the tournament.England triumphed over New Zealand in the finale by seven wickets at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, their maiden and only U19 World Cup win to date.Notable international stars from the Class of 1998: Graeme Swann, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Collins Obuya, Kyle Mills, Imran Tahir, Shoaib Malik, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan.2000 (Winners: India): Sri Lanka hosted the third edition of the tournament, where neighbours India got their hands on the trophy for the first time – a feat they went on to achieve four more times – after defeating the hosts by six wickets in the Final.Yuvraj Singh was named the Player of the Tournament, a feat he famously repeated 11 years later at the highest level as India lifted the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. South Africa’s Graeme Smith finished as the leading run-getter.Notable international stars from the Class of 2000: Michael Clarke, Mitchell Johnson, Shane Watson, Ian Bell, Yuvraj Singh, Niall O'Brien, Brendon McCullum, Graeme Smith, Jonathan Trott, Tatenda Taibu.2002 (Winners: Australia): Australia were crowned two-time Champions in a tournament hosted by their Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand for the very first time. Demonstrating their dominance, Australia maintained an undefeated record throughout the competition and sealed their triumph with a seven-wicket win over South Africa in the final.Notable international stars from the Class of 2002: Cameron White, George Bailey, Mashrafe Mortaza, Suresh Raina, Ross Taylor, Umar Gul, Kyle Coetzer, Hashim Amla, Upul Tharanga, Dwayne Bravo, Daren Sammy.2004 (Winners: Pakistan): The fifth edition of the U19 World Cup, hosted by Bangladesh, marked the debut of Uganda in the tournament. A new winner was guaranteed after two first-time finalists emerged. Pakistan got their hands on the trophy for the first time, clinching the title after beating West Indies in the final in Dhaka.Notable international stars from the Class of 2004: Alastair Cook, Shikhar Dhawan, Dinesh Karthik, Eoin Morgan, Wahab Riaz, Vernon Philander, Angelo Mathews, Craig Ervine.2006 (Winners: Pakistan): In a historic achievement, Pakistan became the first team to successfully defend their U19 Cricket World Cup title by defeating arch-rivals India in the final held in Colombo.Pakistan were given no chance after they set India a target of just 110 in the finale. However, they delivered a remarkable bowling performance, dismantling the Indian batting lineup with the first six wickets falling for a mere nine runs. India were ultimately bowled out for 71, securing Pakistan's back-to-back titles and cementing their place in history. Cheteshwar Pujara was the leading run-scorer and the Player of the Tournament.Notable international stars from the Class of 2006: Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, David Warner, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Tamim Iqbal, Moeen Ali, Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Tim Southee, Sarfraz Ahmed, Dean Elgar, Sunil Narine, Kieron Pollard.2008 (Winners: India): India’s misery in 2006 turned to glory in 2008 when they got their hands on the trophy for the second time under the leadership of the flamboyant Virat Kohli.India remained undefeated in the tournament, beating South Africa by 12 runs in a rain-truncated game decided by DLS. The 2008 U19 World Cup is widely remembered for catapulting three of the modern-day ‘Fab Four’ into the limelight. Kane Williamson was the opposite number to Virat Kohli in the semi-final while Steve Smith, then known more for his all-round ability, made an impact with the bat and ball throughout the tournament.Notable international stars from the Class of 2008: Josh Hazlewood, Steve Smith, Chris Woakes, Virat Kohli, Paul Stirling, Kane Williamson, Shan Masood, Kusal Perera, Darren Bravo.2010 (Winners: Australia): In a repeat of what happened in 2002, Australia won the U19 World Cup hosted by neighbours New Zealand. It was a low-scoring affair in the final, with Josh Hazlewood’s four-wicket haul helping Australia, led by Mitchell Marsh, defend a target of 208 against Pakistan.Notable international stars from the Class of 2010: Hashmatullah Shahidi, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, KL Rahul, Mitchell Marsh, Adam Zampa, Tom Latham, Babar Azam, Jason Holder2012 (Winners: India): The U19 Cricket World Cup returned to Australia for the first time since its inaugural edition. In the final held in Queensland, India secured a six-wicket victory over the host country, Australia, marking their third U19 World Cup triumph and matching their feat from the inaugural edition.Notable international stars from the Class of 2012: Travis Head, Imam-ul-Haq, Ish Sodhi, Akeal Hosein, Ryan Burl, Litton Das, Taskin Ahmed, Gerhard Erasmus.2014 (Winners: South Africa): South Africa enjoyed an unbeaten run en route to their maiden U19 Cricket World Cup title. They defeated Pakistan by six wickets in Dubai to get their hands on the trophy. Aiden Markram played a pivotal role in the final, leading by example with a score of 66* and earning the additional honour of being named the Player of the Tournament.Notable international stars from the Class of 2014: Shreyas Iyer, Kuldeep Yadav, Mustafizur Rahman, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Nicholas Pooran, Kyle Jamieson, Kusal Mendis, Shimron Hetmyer.2016 (Winners: West Indies): The 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup returned to Bangladesh for the first time since the 2004 edition. Defending champions South Africa faced an unexpected exit in the group stages, succumbing to surprise defeats against Bangladesh and Namibia. The final showdown featured West Indies and India, with the West Indies securing their first U19 World Cup title with a five-wicket victory in Dhaka after a gritty display by their batters.Notable international stars from the Class of 2016: Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rashid Khan, Shadab Khan, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sam Curran, Alzarri Joseph, Rishabh Pant, Josh Little, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra.2018 (Winners: India): New Zealand became the first country to host the U19 World Cup thrice, having previously held the tournament in 2002 and 2010. For the second year in a row, the defending champions, this time West Indies, crashed out of the group stages. In the final, India beat Australia by eight wickets to become four-time champions, the most by any side. Notable international stars from the Class of 2018: Gerald Coetzee, Alick Athanaze, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Towhid Hridoy, Harry Brook, Naveen-ul-Haq, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Harry Tector, Shaheen Afridi.2020 (Winners: Bangladesh): The 2020 U19 World Cup witnessed Bangladesh securing their first-ever victory in an ICC event at any level. Finalists India showcased their supremacy throughout the tournament under the leadership of Priyam Garg. Breaking records became a routine for his team as they overwhelmed Japan, securing victory with a remarkable 271 balls to spare — the second-highest record in Youth ODIs to date.Additionally, India achieved the distinction of being the first and only team, to date, to surpass 200 victories at the U19 level during the course of the tournament. However, on the day of the final, Bangladesh triumphed over powerhouse India in a tense, low-scoring clash, with a three-wicket win by the DLS method. Notable international stars from the Class of 2020: Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Tanveer Sangha, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohammad Wasim, Matheesha Pathirana, Jayden Seales.2022 (Winners: India): West Indies hosted the U19 Cricket World Cup for the first time in history. One of the biggest highlights of the tournament was the performance of Afghanistan, who made it past the group stage and went into the semi-final for the very first time, beating Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka along the way.Having faltered in the previous edition on the last step, India redeemed themselves by securing the title against England in the final, marking their fifth U19 World Cup triumph.The event unfolded amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to New Zealand's withdrawal due to stringent quarantine restrictions. Scotland stepped in as a replacement in the tournament.Notable international stars from the Class of 2022: Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Rehan Ahmed, Dunith Wellalage, Dewald Brevis. 

By BIPIN DANIRiyaz Aluher, the mentor of Sineth Jayawardena, who has been appointed the captain of Sri Lanka Squad for ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2024 believes that the 19-year-old right-arm off-spinner will bring glory to our Royal College. Riyaz Aluher is the assistant principal and in-charge of 35 sports at the college, where Sineth is studying. Speaking exclusively, he said, "Sineth is in his Advanced Level class. He missed his Advanced Level examination this year due to his national commitments but I am sure he will bring glory to the college". "He is presently the captain of our Royal College. Our college annually plays a three-day traditional cricket match against Thomas College. This year, it will be the 145th uninterrupted occasion and it is the longest school's encounter in the world". "In 1979, on the 100th year, our college team was led by Ranjan Madugalle, who is the ICC's chief match referee. The Sri Lankan president His Excellency Hon. Ranil Wichramsinghe and the Prime Minister Hon. Dinesh Gunawardana are also the sons of our College". "Royal–Thomian (the Battle of the Blues), commonly known simply as the Royal-Thomian, the cricket match has been played by the schools since 1879. This annual cricket match is played for the D. S. Senanayake Memorial Shield, and is affectionately known as the Battle of the Blues due to the colours of each school's flag"."The Royal-Thomian is the second-longest uninterrupted Cricket series in the entire world, preceded only by the Cricket Intercol played between Prince Alfred College, Adelaide and St. Peter's College, Adelaide, whose first match was played in 1878". "We hope our college captain Sineth will lead the national senior team soon in the future", he signed off.  

Bipin DaniThe family of Janith Liyanage has no regrets about missing him by 5 runs on Monday. Sri Lanka's 28-year-old batting all-rounder scored 95 runs, which included 2 sixes. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo on Tuesday, Janith's sister, Nimanka said, "we have no regrets regarding him missing a century because his target was to lead the score and he played his part for the country". He tried to do what was required from him at that time. Representing the country has always been his dream". "We are proud of him, playing in his 2nd ODI, he was instrumental in the team's victory", the sister added. "Icing on the cake was he getting the Player of the Match award". Janith's father is a businessman running a small food stall. His mother is a house maker. Nimanka is an elder sister. Janith has one more sister, too. The family watched the match on the TV. 

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International League (ILT20) unveiled the commentators for Season 2, as the former Pakistani pacers Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhter will be part of the panel.The voices behind some of the most iconic moments in the sport in recent years Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Saba Karim, Nikhil Chopra, Vivek Razdan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar will be joined by Alan Wilkins, Simon Doull, Daren Ganga, Danny Morrison and Niall O’Brien.Wasim Akram said: “I am truly thrilled to be part of the commentary team for the second season of DP World ILT20. The three iconic venues in the UAE will serve as the canvas for some of the most prominent T20 stars to showcase their talent.”Waqar Younis said: “DP World ILT20 is truly a cricketing rendezvous, featuring a mix of seasoned players and rising stars, making the league a must-watch for cricket enthusiasts globally. It is a celebration of cricketing diversity, with an array of player and team rivalries. I am very excited to be part of the commentators’ panel for the upcoming edition.”The tournament will be rolled into action from 19th January at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with a clash between defending champions Gulf Giants and Sharjah Warriors.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has named Mohammad Rizwan as the vice-captain of Pakistan Men’s T20I team for the New Zealand T20I cricket series, which will start January 12 at Auckland. Let arm pace Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the Green Shirts in a five-match series.Wicketkeeper batter, Mohammad Rizwan, 31, has played in 85 T20Is, scored 2,797 runs, including one century and 25 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, Rizwan has taken 41 catches and did 11 stumps.Mohammad Rizwan said: “It is an honour to be named as the vice-captain of Pakistan Men’s T20I side. I am thankful to the PCB for entrusting me with this responsibility. I am looking forward to working closely with the captain, coaching staff, and my teammates to contribute to the team's success.”Pakistan Squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain and wicket-keeper), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman KhanSchedule (T20 Series):1st T20 – 12 January 2024 at Eden Park, Auckland2nd T20 – 14 January 2024 at Seddon Park, Hamilton3rd T20 – 17 January 2024 at University Oval, Dunedin4th T20 – 19 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch5th T20 – 21 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch.

Mohammad Rizwan (88), and Aamir Jamal (84) take Pakistan to 313 total  Sports Bulletin ReportSydney (Australia): A couple of sparking and dazzling performances by Mohammad Rizwan (88), and Aamir Jamal (84) took Pakistan to 313 all out, as they were crawling 47 for 4 on the first Sydney Test at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against Australia on Wednesday. Australia were 6 without any loss at the stumps.Pakistan captain Shan Masood won the toss and decided to bat first. At one stage Pakistan were 47 for 4, as both opening batters Abdullah Shafique and debutant Saim Ayub could not open their account and went back to the dressing room after throwing the team in hot water.Shan failed to make the most of his reprieve, having been caught off a no-ball, and was dismissed by Mitchell Marsh for a modest 35 featuring three boundaries. After losing half their side for the score of 96, Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha then batted with purpose to conjure a 94-run partnership in quick time.Rizwan top-scored for Pakistan with a quality 88 off 103 balls, smashing 10 fours and two sixes. Rizwan’s surge was finally cut short when Cummins’ well-directed short ball saw him play into the hands of Josh Hazlewood.Salman continued his positive approach post the tea break, scoring his second fifty on the trot. He too fell victim to Australia’s short-ball tactics as Starc ended his feisty stay at the crease that saw him contribute 53 off 67 deliveries.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: A group of six players of the Pakistan T20I squad will depart later tonight for Auckland via Dubai from Lahore to feature in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, says a press release of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).The six members of the squad include Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed and Sahibzada Farhan. The players underwent a four-day camp at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, where under High-Performance Coach and camp commandant Yasir Arafat, they featured in two match scenarios and different practice sessions to equip themselves with the modern T20 cricket skills. The six players of the 16-member squad also trained for the fifth day on Tuesday, when the camp concluded.Names of players: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Wasim Junior, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman KhanSchedule:1st T20 – 12 January 2024 at Eden Park, Auckland2nd T20 – 14 January 2024 at Seddon Park, Hamilton3rd T20 – 17 January 2024 at University Oval, Dunedin4th T20 – 19 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch5th T20 – 21 January 2024 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. 

Sports Bulletin ReportSydney (Australia): Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese hosted a reception at Kirribilli House, Sydney on Monday in honour of the Pakistan and Australia teams and their respective management.Chairman PCB Management Committee, Mr Zaka Ashraf also attended the event. High Commissioner of Pakistan in Australia, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, and officials from Cricket Australia were also present.Prime Minister Australia warmly welcomed both the teams and went on to praise the performance of the Pakistan team, especially in the Melbourne Test. He commended the visiting team’s exemplary conduct during this tour and looked forward to witnessing good cricket in Sydney.Pakistan captain Shan Masood expressed his gratitude to the Australian Prime Minister for hosting the team. Shan highlighted how both teams are playing positive cricket in this series and mentioned that this serves as an opportunity to be an ambassador for your country through your conduct. He also hoped that the team would do well in Sydney to end the series on a high note.The third Test match between Pakistan and Australia will be played at Sydney Cricket Ground starting Wednesday, 3 January.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board appointed Juniad Khan, a former left-arm pacer Pakistan Under-19 team bowling coach, following the unavailability of Rehan Riaz, who has opted out of the ICC U19 World Cup due to a family emergency.Junaid, who previously served as the head coach of Islamabad Region, led the team to victory in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy and Hanif Mohammad Cup 2023-24. The 34-year-old cricketer has represented Pakistan in 107 international matches, taking 189 wickets.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Mohammad Jawadullah, who was a regular in tennis ball cricket, was an unknown entity in the professional cricket circuit until he took part in a nationwide talent hunt for bowlers in April 2022 organized under the watchful eyes of Robin Singh, the coach of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) national cricket team.Rest is history, as he did debut for the UAE national team in both ODI’s and T20I’s in 2023 and he credits his exposure in the DP World International League T20 for propelling his career. “I went into the first edition of the DP World ILT20 without any experience. Once I got to play more and more games, it not only helped me build my confidence but the exposure even helped me to get my first international cap for UAE in both ODI and T20I for the UAE. The learning process hasn’t stopped. I’m looking to get better with every passing day,” he said.The 24-year-old left arm quick spoke about his first time on such a big stage with a great deal of delight. “The DP World ILT20 is a very big tournament and I was indeed fortunate to have been included in the Sharjah Warriors squad for the first edition. This was my first taste of cricket with world-class players. The feeling was surreal and will stay with me for life,” he said. For the Season 2 of Gulf region’s biggest T20 League scheduled to begin on 19 January, Mohammad Jawadullah has been retained by the Sharjah Warriors. He was part of the same franchise in the inaugural edition of the tournament where they finished fifth and will look to help the team better their performance in the forthcoming edition.