Sports Bulletin

Sports Reporter LAHORE (November 4, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced West Indies will play three Twenty20 Internationals and as many ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches at the National Stadium in Karachi from 13–22 December. This will be the West Indies’ first tour of Pakistan since April 2018 when they played three T20Is. The two-time former 50-over world champions will be playing ODIs in Pakistan for the first time since December 2006. The December ODIs will form part of Pakistan’s fourth series in the Super League, which will see the top seven sides and the event host India qualify directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 with the remaining two sides progressing from the qualifying event. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “After missing out on home internationals in September and October, the West Indies tour will formally kick-off of an exciting and entertaining season of men’s international cricket in Pakistan with HBL Pakistan Super League 2022 and Australia’s first full series to follow. “The West Indies have always remained one of Pakistan cricket fans’ favourite sides. I am hopeful that the NCOC will support this series by allowing maximum crowds so that the fans can watch live in action their favourite players and back both the sides.”   Schedule: 9 Dec – West Indies arrival in Karachi 13 Dec – 1st T20I, Karachi 14 Dec – 2nd T20I, Karachi 16 Dec – 3rd T20I, Karachi 18 Dec – 1st ODI, Karachi 20 Dec – 2nd ODI, Karachi 22 Dec – 3rd ODI, Karachi 23 Dec - Departure

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (November 4, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the October nominees for the ICC Player of the Month awards, instituted in January this year to recognise the best international performances across formats for male and female cricketers. David Wiese of Namibia bats during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between Pakistan and Namibia at Sheikh Zayed stadium on November 02, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the October nominees for the ICC Player of the Month awards, instituted in January this year to recognise the best international performances across formats for male and female cricketers. The nominees for October in the men’s category are Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, Pakistan’s power hitter and finisher Asif Ali and Namibia’s prolific batter David Weise. Whilst in the women’s category Ireland’s all-rounder Laura Delany and right-handed batter Gaby Lewis make the list along with Zimbabwe’s captain and all-rounder Mary-Anne Musonda. An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world can now vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered on icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes for their favourite ICC player of the month for October in both categories. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) Shakib Al Hasan played six T20Is last month as part of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and Oman. He scored a total of 131 runs with a strike rate of 109.16 and took a total of 11 wickets with an economy rate of 5.59. Shakib had two spectacular all-round matches at the tournament last month, scoring 42 and taking three wickets against Oman before striking 46 and taking four wickets against Papua New Guinea. This is Al Hasan’s second nomination in the year. Asif Ali (Pakistan) Pakistan’s prolific middle-order batter Asif Ali played three T20Is last month also in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World 2021 where he scored a total of 52 runs with a strike rate of 273.68. His breakthrough performance was when he scored 27 out of just 12 balls to help defeat New Zealand. He went on to also hit four sixes in the next game against Afghanistan in the nineteenth over and sealed a victory against them. David Wiese (Namibia) Namibian veteran all-rounder David Weise has had a spectacular ICC Men’s T20 World Cup so far. He played eight T20Is where he scored a total of 162 runs with a strike rate of 132.78 and took seven wickets with an economy rate of 7.23. David’s match winning performance helped Namibia qualify for the Super 12s stage of the tournament where he scored a 66 not-out against the Netherlands and 28 not-out against Ireland, while also contributing with the ball. Laura Delany (Ireland) Ireland’s all-rounder Delany played four ODIs against Zimbabwe last month and scored a total of 189 runs with a strike rate of 108.62. Additionally, she went on to take four wickets with an economy rate of 3.85. Delany went on to score 86, 35 and 68 in her three innings in the ODI series win over Zimbabwe. Gaby Lewis (Ireland) Gaby also played four ODIs against Zimbabwe and scored a total of 263 runs with a strike rate of 77.35. Lewis was the leading run-scorer in Ireland’s ODI series win against Zimbabwe, scoring 65, 96 not out and 78 in the last three matches as Ireland recovered from 1-0 down to win the series 3-1 with Zimbabwe. Mary-Anne Musonda (Zimbabwe) Musonda captained Zimbabwe in four ODIs against Ireland and scored a total of 169 runs with a strike rate of 90.86. On a day that proved historic for Zimbabwe as they played their first ODI since being granted the status, Mary-Anne Musonda's unbeaten century had powered them to a four-wicket win against Ireland.  The ICC Player of the Month Voting Process: The three nominees for either category is shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters, and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels. ICC Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month September 2021 Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Melinda Farrell and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Tarek Mahmoud and Mohammad Isam’ England: Elizabeth Ammon and Claire Taylor; Ireland: Ian Callender and Isobel Joyce; India: Rica Roy and Irfan Pathan New Zealand: Mark Geenty and John Wright; Pakistan: Faizan Lakhani and Ramiz Raja; South Africa: Firdose Moonda and Makhaya Ntini; Sri Lanka: Neville Victor Anthony and Russel Arnold; West Indies: Desmond Haynes and Merissa Aguilleira; Zimbabwe: Tristan Holme and Mpumelelo Mbangwa; Others: Paul Radley and Dirk Nannes.

BIPIN DANI Following two successive defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand in the ongoing T-20 World Cup, perhaps Team India "needs" Daniel Jarvis, aka Jarvo 69 to bring luck for Virat Kohli's troops. Describing himself as a comedian, filmmaker and a prank-star, Jarvo 69 entered on the pitch on a few occasions during India's last tour of England and whenever he invaded the pitch, Indian team had won the matches. Last we heard was that he was sent to jail. But, now the Metropolitan Police confirmed that the ‘Jarvo’ has been released on bail without charge pending further investigation "Does India need me for the T20 World Cup? Got my full kit ready!!!", Jarvo 69 had posted a message on social media. Interestingly, more recently, he made his "debut" for New Zealand in a Rugby match.  "Where's Jarvo 69", the fans have reacted on social media in response to his "offer".

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT  Colombo: The Lanka Premier League (LPL) Colombo franchise has a new owner as 27th Investments Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President Anil Damani entered the second season of the premier T20 tournament of the Island Nation by acquiring the Colombo-based franchise in the tournament. Anil Damani is CEO & President of 27th Investments , which is one of the fastest growing investment companies in the southeast of USA. The 27th investments is a leader and a very manages several different entities under the 27th portfolio. Some of their primary investments are in Commercial Real Estate, Restaurants and Entertainment. Speaking about entering the LPL, Damani said, "I am absolutely ecstatic to enter the Lanka Premier League as the owner of the Colombo franchise. The Lanka Premier League showed propitious signs of enormous growth in its last season and therefore I am thrilled to have joined the tournament at this juncture. I am eagerly looking forward to developing the Colombo franchise into one of the best T20 franchises in the world." Welcoming the new owner, Anil Mohan, Founder and CEO of Dubai-based production giant IPG, the official promoter of LPL, said, "It's a great honour for me to welcome the CEO and President of 27th Investments Anil Damani as the owner of the Colombo franchise. I am sure that his love and passion for the game of cricket will only boost the Lanka Premier League and increase the fan following of the Colombo franchise."

SPECIAL REPORT: Asghar Afghan assured Afghanistan fans that the country’s cricket has a platform to progress even further as his final international match ended in victory over Namibia. Asghar Afghan of Afghanistan is carried off by team mates after his final game during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between Afghanistan and Namibia at Sheikh Zayed stadium on October 31, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Asghar Afghan assured Afghanistan fans that the country’s cricket has a platform to progress even further as his final international match ended in victory over Namibia. The 33-year-old, who announced his retirement from all forms of the game on Saturday, made a sprightly 31 as Afghanistan posted a winning total of 160-5. With Naveen-ul-Haq, 22, leading the way with the ball and other young players coming through, the former captain feels he is leaving a side in rude health. “To be honest, trust me, Afghanistan cricket is in very safe hands, and cricket will improve definitely,” he said. “For all the supporters from the last few years and the newcomers that are supporting us, I believe that Afghanistan cricket will improve more day by day, and trust me that will show.” Afghanistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign is now back on track as they beat Namibia by 62 runs, responding to their defeat to Pakistan in their second Group 2 game. It was an emotional day for Asghar and the vocal Afghan contingent in the stands, as the batter was given a guard of honour onto the field and showered with handshakes when dismissed. “I announced my retirement last night, so I received a lot of messages from my fans and colleagues how they were unhappy,” he said. “It's a very hard decision when you get to retirement, but I decided for my youngsters they should come. It was too important, and they should come and feel the pressure of the World Cup.” Afghanistan still harbour hopes of reaching the knockout stages of an ICC major event for the first time at the seventh attempt. They face India in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday in what promises to be a thrilling contest. For Namibia, it was a tough day at the office and they were unable to build on the momentum of their maiden T20 World Cup victory over Scotland. One positive came in the spell of leg-spin bowled by Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, 20, something of wildcard appearing in just his eighth T20 international. He trapped both Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran lbw, dismissing them for low scores. Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn revealed that Loftie-Eaton had been suffering from injury in the lead-up. “It was about managing Nicol leading up to game time,” said De Bruyn. “He had a quad strain, so it was tough. He wasn't really on tour ready, so we needed to get him bowling fit in the nets first. What he's shown today is that he's ready, and I'm so pleased for him. “He's a confident player. He's a youngster. So that's a very big positive.” Namibia face an uphill challenge in their maiden T20 World Cup campaign with New Zealand, India and Pakistan next up. “We're definitely looking forward to them, and we are fully aware that it's going to now really get tough,” said De Bruyn. “We just don't want to be a team that's just going to walk up and provide a middle practice. We want to continue competing. We need to sharpen up our skills. We need to believe. “Today was maybe an icebreaker for this team, experiencing this level of intensity. So we haven't got a long turnaround. One day training, and then we've got to come and face the heat.”

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's national players will be given a dose of booster vaccine once they arrive after the World Cup from the UAE. This was revealed by Prof. Arjuna de Silva, the chairman of the medical panel of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo on Sunday morning, he said, "all our national players already had two doses of (Sputnik) vaccine and it would be around six months once they return from the World Cup".  "We will be conducting the antibody tests on their return and those found low in tests will be given a booster dose of Pfizer vaccine". After the World Cup, Sri Lanka will play two Tests matches at Galle (Nov. 21-25 and Nov. 29-Dec.3). "No fans will be allowed for the home series against Windies, but yes, we are planning to allow their entry in the Lanka Premier League (LPL)", de Silva confirmed. In the meantime, it is also learnt that all players of the Under-19 which defeated the Bangladesh team (5-0) team were given the first dose of Pfizer vaccine on 26th October. They will be given the second dose after 21 days.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (October 31, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket. The batter, who has been a part of all seven major ICC tournaments that Afghanistan have participated in, has announced his retirement from all formats of the game. His final match came against Namibia in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday. ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Asghar has been a great ambassador of the game and played a huge part in Afghanistan’s rise up the ranks in world cricket. “He has played a pivotal role as batter and led his team astutely during his time as captain. “On behalf of the ICC, I wish him all the best for the future and hope that he continues to be associated with the game in the years to come. The 33-year-old finished his career having played 114 ODI matches, scoring 2,424 runs with a century and 12 half-centuries. He also scored 440 runs in six Test matches. Asghar captained his country in their first-ever Test match against India in 2018 and at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016. At the time of his retirement, he holds the record for the most wins as captain in T20 internationals having led his team to victory in 42 games.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's former pitch curator Jayananda Warnaweera was not surprised to see Australian opener David Warner regaining his form. The 35-year-old left-handed batsman Warner, who was running out of form before the match against Sri Lanka, scored 65 runs (which included 10 boundaries) at Dubai Sports City (DSC) ground on Thursday.  Warner was not in the form even in the IPL also. He is understood to have practiced hard on concrete pitches in the UAE before the match against Lankans. "Practising on a hard concrete wicket is always helpful because the ball comes faster on this pitch and it helps the batsman to regain his confidence", the 60-year-old Warnaweera, who has vast experience of working as a groundman in Sri Lanka said exclusively over the telephone. "We don't have concrete pitches (in Srti Lanka) and I very well remember Kumar Sangakkara practicing on a turf wicket in Galle for three-four hours and it helped him a lot". "Team India captain Virat Kohli also practices hard facing balls coming at a faster speed. The batsman can change his mind set up, tries to hit hard and gets well-adjusted to the timing".    

Hammad Ahmed Kayani KARACHI (October 28, 2021):-Former Test cricketer and member of PCB’s elite panel of match referees Ali Naqvi will lead the playing control team in the three One-Day Internationals between Pakistan Women and West Indies Women at the National Stadium, Karachi on 8, 11 and 14 November. The on-field umpiring responsibilities will be shared amongst Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Afridi and Rashid Riaz – all on the PCB’s elite panel of umpires. The match officials’ appointments in detail are below: 8 Nov – 1st ODI. Rashid Riaz and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires) and Faisal Afridi (reserve umpire). Ali Naqvi (match referee) 11 Nov – 2nd ODI. Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Afridi (on-field umpires) and Rashid Riaz (reserve umpire). Ali Naqvi (match referee) 14 Nov – 3rd ODI. Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires) and Faisal Afridi (reserve umpire). Ali Naqvi (match referee).

Sports Reporter Karachi (October 28, 2021):-Three squad members of the national women’s team participating in the pre-West Indies series camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre have tested positive for Covid-19. These members tested positive in the routine Covid-19 testing yesterday and are under 10-day quarantine, which ends on 6 November. The other squad members will remain in isolation till 2 November and undergo tests every alternate day, starting tomorrow, to stem any potential spread of the virus. As per the PCB Covid-19 Protocols, all squad members had joined the bio-secure environment after returning two negative tests. These squad members had been vaccinated for Covid-19 in May. Pakistan and West Indies will play three ODIs on 8, 11 and 14 November at the National Stadium.