Sports Bulletin

Bipin Dani The parents Nishantha De Silva and his house-wife Anusha were "not surprised" when the selectors named their son Raveen De Silva to lead the U-19 team for the tour of England.  "We were not surprised as he was always a leading contender among others. Captaincy is not a strange task for him over the years and he has been on the job in all the age categories in college and also at District and province levels", the father, speaking over the telephone for the SLC office, where he came to drop his son, said on Sunday morning.  "But yes, it was a long awaited dream that has come true. A lot of hard work and commitment he had put into the game finally paid for him. Awarding national captaincy is a great privilege for any player and he deserved the duty. He is a team player so he will get the support of everyone", he added.  Raveen's predecessor, Dunith Wellalage has been playing in the senior team and the new captain's family is also hoping that the history will repeat.  "Most of the time he got the opportunity to play with senior players and that was very helpful to grab useful tips from a younger age. This U-19 England tour is very important for all players because this is the last opportunity they have in their school career and I am sure Raveen will use his previous experience to play to reach the national level". "As parents, we were very delighted when we heard the message and strongly believe that he is capable of doing a great job".  Interestingly, Raveen's elder brother, Avishka, who lives in Melbourne with his wife Samadhi Dissanayake also plays club cricket there. "Avishka played for college in Sri Lanka. He is also a top-order batsman with a useful right-arm off-spinner, the father, who works as a General Manager at Oviklo International - Logistics company, added. 

Sports Bulletin Report MURIDKE:-Central Punjab, Sindh and Southern Punjab began their Women’s Under-19 T20 Tournament 2022 campaign with dominating wins at Muridke Country Club. Eyman and Shawal dominate Central Punjab's run chase in 10-wicket win over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa In the first match of the tournament, Central Punjab bowled out Khyber Pakthunkhwa for a measly 45 with Haleema Azeem Dar and Quratulain taking two wickets each. Captain Shawal Zulfiqar and Eyman Fatima chased down the target with as many as 13 overs remaining. Player of the match Eyman made 27 not out off 26 and Shawal scored 14 not out off 16. Dina Razvi's three for four sets Sindh 10-wicket win over Northern Player of the match Dina Razvi returned three for four in four overs as Northern could muster only 44 for six in 20 overs after being asked to bat. The other wicket-takers in the innings were Anoosha Nasir, Kainat Eman Shah and Emad Adeel. They all took a wicket each. Captain Aroob Shah made 20 not out off 8 and Aliza Sabir struck 19 not out off 14 as Sindh chased down the target in just 21 balls. Javeria Siddique's four-fer records Southern Punjab's 43-run win In the third match of the day, it was player of the match Javeria Siddique's returns of four for 10 that set the match for her side as Balochistan were defeated by 43 runs. Southern Punjab had made 121 for seven after choosing to bat with captain Aqsa Hafeez top-scoring with 29 off 42. Amina Javed and Fakhra Abdullah of Balochistan took two and three wickets respectively. Balochistan in reply were all out for 78 as Javeria starred with the ball. Scores in brief: Central Punjab beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 10 wickets Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 45 all out, 16.2 overs (Haleema Azeem Dar 2-10, Quratulain 2-7) Central Punjab 48-0, 7 overs (Eyman Fatima 27 not out, Shawal Zulfiqar 14 not out) Sindh beat Northern by 10 wickets Northern 44-6, 20 overs (Dina Razvi 3-4) Sindh 45-0, 3.3 overs (Aroob Shah 20 not out) Southern Punjab beat Balochistan by 43 runs Southern Punjab 121-7, 20 overs (Aqsa Hafeez 29; Fakhra Abdullah 3-28, Amina Javed 2-27) Balochistan 78 all out, 18.2 overs (Javeria Siddique 4-10)

BIPIN DANI Team India's batter Surya Kumar Yadav has one more luxurious car parked at his garage in Chembur, a suburb in eastern Mumbai. On Thursday he bought a new Mercedes-Benz GLS-400d model. He already had Audi, Range Rover, which are sold now, and now also possessing BMW, Skoda Superb and Nissan Jeep. "We have delivered this car to him on an auspicious day (Thursday) of Raksha Bandhan", Apurva Antani, the Senior Sales Manager at Metro Autohangar, Chowpatty showroom, speaking exclusively, said. "It is a Diamond White-Colour car and the number plate 7700 denotes his Wedding Anniversary (7/7/)'. "Surya had booked this car last December. He and his wife Devisha Shetty had come to pick it. The same was driven home by Surya". "Both seemed to be a very nice and humble couple". SKY, as the player is affectionately called, has just returned from the USA after playing against the West Indies. Interestingly, India's renowned cricketers-Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Shikhar Dhawan, Jaspreet Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Dilip Vengsarkar and commentator Harsha Bhogle are the clients of this company, we are told.

Bipin Dani The funeral of the former international umpire Rudi Koertzen, who passed away in a car crash on Tuesday will be held in South Africa on Saturday, the 20th August.  This was revealed by his son Rudi (junior). (It is common in South Africa where the father and son share the same name).   Koertzen was returning home from Cape Town after playing golf when the fatal accident happened. Three others were also killed in both crashes in the early morning hours in Riversdale. Speaking exclusively over the telephone, he said, "It will be a live telecast. Mike Gajjar of Cricket South Africa (CSA) will send the funeral information to all the cricket contacts and to the ICC to spread the word of the YouTuber link for the funeral. There will be a YouTube link sent out to watch the funeral".  Elaborating more about the accident, the son said, "my dad was sitting on the back seat in his white car and his friend (Wouter) was sitting next to the driver in the front seat. Both died at the spot and the driver survived. He is in the hospital and had surgery on Thursday".  "We are getting the body of my father on Saturday (13th August) and it will be kept at Avbob Funeral Home in Uitenhage".  Earlier, the umpire's daughter, Eumelda, speaking to this Reporter, said, "I miss my dad so much, it feels so unreal. He was my everything and now he has gone...I am asking God, Why ? Why ? Why my dad ?".    "The family can only take the consolation that Koertzen didn't have to suffer due to this accident and had immediately passed away. If he was in a wheelchair or something...". 

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-With the ambition of creating a strong talent pool at the domestic level and further strengthen its pathways programme, the Pakistan Cricket Board will hold the first of its kind Under-19 T20 tournament from Saturday. The U19 T20 Women Cricket Tournament 2022 will be competed by six Cricket Association teams, comprising 84 players, from 13 to 22 August at the Lahore Country Club, Muridke. The 10-day tournament will be conducted on round-robin basis, meaning each team will play at least five matches. The league stage will be followed by semi-finals and final on 20 August and 22 August. The U19 T20 Women Cricket Tournament 2022 serves a perfect opportunity for the players to stake a claim in the national U19 side ahead of the maiden ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa next year and the top performers are also guaranteed places in the senior sides, which will come into action when the senior women domestic season commences from November. To further incentivise the players to bring out their best performances, the PCB has also introduced financial awards to encourage the players to bring out their best. The winning team will receive PKR400,000 along with the silverware and the runner-up will get PKR200,000. The player of the tournament will be awarded PKR20,000 and each player of the match will receive PKR10,000. The tournament’s top performers – best player, best batter, best bowler and best wicketkeeper – will be gifted kit bags to encourage them to enhance their skills and pursue their cricketing ambitions. The PCB has also finalised the six squads, which consist of 14 players each. These squads have been nailed down after country-wide open trials and subsequent practice games amongst the selected players across the PCB-run women regional academies. Fifteen players have been placed in reserve pool and they can be called up based on a team’s requirement. Only players born on or after 1 September 2003 are eligible to play in the tournament. Squads: Balochistan U19 - Humaira Ghulam Hussain (Captain), Alisha Aslam, Aman Fatima, Amina Javed, Azra Habibullah, Dura-E-Nayab, Fakhra Abdullah, Fiza Noor, Kalsoom Kakar, Madhur Moolani, Misha Kareem, Ruqia Nazar, Shakira Ahmed and Shamim Amirullah Coaching staff - Aqil Khan (coach) and Rizwan Qureshi (assistant coach) Central Punjab U19 - Shawal Zulfiqar (Captain), Areesha Noor, Eyman Fatima, Farah Imran, Haleema Azeem Dar, Haleema Dua, Jaweria Ali, Komal Khan, Laiba Nasir, Noor Fatima, Quratulain Ahsen, Rida Aslam, Warda Yousaf and Zamina Tahir Chugtai Coaching staff – Mohsin Kamal (head coach) and Shahid Mehmood (assistant coach) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 - Zaibunisa Niaz (Captain), Aleesha Khan, Aliza Khan, Bakhtawar Arifullah, Gule Nayab, Hansa Zair Gul, Humaira Husain, Jalwa Anwar, Javeria Qamar, Mahnoor Aftab, Malaika Afridi, Sumbal Liaquat, Tayyaba Imdad and Tehzeeb Shah Coaching staff – Hajra Sarwar (Coach/Manager), Rehmat Gul (coach) and Riaz Kail (assistant coach) Northern U19 - Maham Anees (Captain), Fatima Sardar, Hadia Mushtaq, Kainat Riasat, Laiba Mubashar, Maheen Irfan, Malaika Noor, Mariyam Shehzadi, Muskan Abid, Noor Fatima, Rida Ashfaq, Sarah Jan Peter, Syeda Hania Zehra and Tahira Malik Coaching staff - Wasim Yousafi (head coach) and Intikhab Alam (assistant coach) Sindh U19 - Aroob Shah (Captain), Abeera Kaleem, Aliza Sabir, Anosha Nasir, Dina Razvi, Eman Adeel, Farhia Fahim, Haniah Ahmer, Kainat Eman Shah, Khizra Rani, Sara Fatima, Taskeen Fatima, Tooba Khan and Wasfa Hussain Coaching staff - Tahir Mehmood (head coach) and Nazim Khan (assistant coach) Southern Punjab U19 - Aqsa Hafeez (Captain), Anam Bibi, Aqsa Yousaf, Eman Fatima, Javeria Asharaf, Javeria Siddique, Laila Manzoor, Muqadas Bukhari, Rimsha Shehzadi, Sahar Fatima, Sana Khan, Sania Mazhar, Shameer Rajpoot and Uzma Iqbal Coaching staff - Kamran Hussain (head coach) and Shakir Qayyum (assistant coach) Reserve players - Areesh Yasin, Ayesha Shahzad, Bushra Bibi, Fatima Ghafoor, Fatima Nadeem, Hasnat Ibrahim, Jennifer Chaudhary, Kiran Akram, Malaika Shahzadi, Memoona Mazhar, Misbah Zaheer, Ramama Nazir, Rida Sajid, Simra Mehboob and Tooba Zafar Tournament schedule (All matches at Lahore Country Club, Muridke) 13 Aug – Central Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Northern v Sindh; Balochistan v Southern Punjab 14 Aug – Balochistan v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Central Punjab v Northern; Southern Punjab v Sindh 16 Aug – Southern Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Central Punjab v Sindh; Balochistan v Northern 17 Aug - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern; Central Punjab v Southern Punjab; Balochistan v Sindh 19 Aug – Sindh v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; Balochistan v Central Punjab; Southern Punjab v Northern 20 Aug – Semi-finals 22 Aug – Final

Bipin Dani Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has once again delayed the announcement of the squad. The BCB had sought the extension of the August 8 deadline and the team was scheduled to be announced on Thursday and the date has again been deferred. "We will announce the squad on Saturday afternoon", one of the sources said over the telephone from Dhaka. "We will announce the name of the captain and the team on the same day". The reason for postponement of the announcement is likely to be the issue with the biggest star Shakib Al Hasan, who has endorsed a sports betting company on social media.  As per existing laws in Bangladesh, there is prohibition on facilitation and promotion of any gambling related activities. "Let him decide whether he wants to play for the country or stay with betting", the BCB chief Nazmul Hassan Papon has said. Later reports have now suggested that Shakib has disassociated from this betting company. Incidentally, it is not the choice of the selectors but the BCB has a policy to pick a captain. "We have 3-4 names and will announce one among them to lead the side". In the meantime, injured Nurul Hasan Sohan is ruled out, it is also learnt. The 28-year-old wicketkeeper/batter who was injured in Zimbabwe has returned from Singapore after having a successful hand surgery by Dr. Antony Foo.

Bipin Dani Former coach Chandika Hathurusingha may again be associated with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB). The indications from the BCB that the 54-year-old former all rounder Chandika Hathurusingha, who was associated with the Bangladesh team (2014-2017) had an aggressive approach to the game and their current head coach Russell Domingo and his support staff is lacking in this aspect of the game. "We feel (Sri Lanka's) Chandika can motivate players in the right way", the BCB's Cricket Operations Chairman Jalal Yunus believes. "The support staff is very dedicated but maybe their way of coaching is different. Some coaches are aggressive, some aren't. You talk about Hathurusingha. He has the aggressive style we need. Our head coach Domingo is a very knowledgeable coach, but he is not that aggressive. We want that aggression", he is reported to have said. "We feel Chandika can motivate players in the right way. Tell (players) to have an aggressive attitude on the field. I think there lies the difference", he said. It is learnt that the current foreign coaching staff, who were to go on a short vacation after the ongoing Zimbabwe tour have been summoned in Bangladesh for the discussions and the decision on continuation of them may be taken after the Asia Cup.  Despite repeated attempts, Chandika Hathurusingha didn't respond to the calls in Australia and therefore no confirmation could be obtained on whether there has been a formal approach by the BCB in this regard. After coaching the Sri Lankan team last, he has not been associated with any national team.  

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed its sorrow at the death of former Emirates ICC Elite Panel Umpire Rudi Koertzen. Koertzen, 73, who officiated in 331 international matches in a career stretching from 1992 to 2010, passed away in a car accident in South Africa on Tuesday. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice remembered him as a highly professional umpire who was respected by colleagues and players alike. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Rudi was among the best umpires of his generation and one players had utmost respect for. He officiated in international games for close to two decades and the ICC relied on him for some big matches during this period. “Rudi was also very popular among his contemporaries and always willing to help. His contribution to cricket will be remembered for years to come. We send our condolences to his family and friends at his tragic death.” Koertzen, one of the original members of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires when it was formed in 2002, is third in the list of Test umpires in terms of number of match appointments, having officiated in 108 matches. He is second in the list for ODIs with 209 matches and stood in 14 T20Is. Koertzen was the TV umpire for the finals of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups of 2003 and 2007 and an on-field umpire for the finals of the ICC Champions Trophy tournaments in 2004 and 2006.  He was also the fourth umpire for the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2010 in Bridgetown. Koertzen was the first umpire to stand in 200 ODIs and the second after Steve Bucknor to stand in 100 Tests.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Australia opener Beth Mooney has recaptured the number one spot for batters in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings after losing it to her captain Meg Lanning just two weeks ago. Mooney capped a fine run in the Commonwealth Games with a 41-ball 61 against India in the final to finish as the top run-scorer of the tournament with 179 runs. With scores of 70 not out against Pakistan and 36 against New Zealand this past week, she is now 18 points ahead of Lanning with 743 rating points. The 28-year-old has grabbed top position for the third time in her career, having previously been No. 1 from 8 March 2020 to 21 March 2021 and from 9 October 2021 to 26 July 2022. Mooney’s team-mate Tahlia McGrath has continued her meteoric rise. After 14 matches, she boasts a batting average of 93.75 and a bowling average of 13.66, which ensures her a top-five position with the bat for the first time and 12th place in the all-rounders list. Jemimah Rodrigues’s return to form saw her score 146 runs in Birmingham, helping her gain seven spots and return into the top 10 batters for the first time since October 2021. England may have missed out on a medal, but their bowlers occupy the top three spots in the bowling rankings. Fast bowler Katherine Brunt has swapped places with Sarah Glenn and is up to second, her highest position for 11 years. Left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone continues to be at the top with a good lead of 34 rating points over Brunt. South Africa batters Anneke Bosch (up five places to 20th) and Tazmin Brits (up six places to 22nd) are others to gain big among batters while Pakistan’s Javeria Khan and India’s Deepti Sharma have gained two slots each to reach 32nd and 36th positions, respectively. The leading wicket-taker in the Commonwealth Games was Renuka Singh of India, and her 11 wickets have rewarded her with an entry into the top 20 for the first time. Fast bowlers Shabnim Ismail of South Africa and Megan Schutt of Australia have moved up two places each to grab fourth and fifth positions in the bowlers’ list. Left-arm spinners Nonkululeko Mlaba of South Africa and Radha Yadav of India are up to eighth and 14th places, respectively. In other movements, New Zealand’s Haley Jensen has galloped 31 slots to take 13th position while Australia’s Ashleigh Gardner (22nd) and South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk (28th) have also made significant movement. Gardner starred with both bat (96 runs at a strike rate of 137.14) and ball (five wickets at an economy rate of 4.20) and is up into second place among all-rounders, only behind Sophie Devine, who captained New Zealand to the bronze medal.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month awards for July 2022 as Sri Lanka’s newest spin sensation Prabath Jayasuriya and England’s Emma Lamb, who starred atop the order in her side’s whitewash series victory over South Africa. Jayasuriya claims the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award on the back of an outstanding series of displays with the ball, where his remarkable haul of wickets sees him crowned ahead of rival contenders England’s Jonny Bairstow - who won the Men’s award back in June - and French youngster Gustav McKeon. During Sri Lanka’s three Test matches on home soil in July, Jayasuriya stepped into the squad for the first time in the longest format and made an immediate impact against formidable opponents. After his side was humbled in the first Test defeat to Australia, the spinner celebrated a prolific Test debut, taking six for 118 in the first innings, and following up with an even more impressive six for 59 in the second to claim the final Test and draw the series. Jayasuriya kept his momentum going into the two-Test showdown against Pakistan later in the month, taking seventeen wickets across the series and ending July with staggering figures of 29 wickets at an average of 20.37. Jayasuriya said: ‘’I am delighted with this announcement, and wish to thank the fans for voting me as the ICC Men’s Player of the Month. Certainly it has been an incredible month for me, as I made the test debut, and also got the opportunity to contribute for my team to level the test series played against Australia and Pakistan.” ‘’I take this opportunity to thank my fans, teammates, coaches, family and friends for helping my journey, and thrilled with what I am experiencing at this moment in my life.” Irfan Pathan, former India international and ICC Player of the Month voting panel member, said: “Being a newcomer to Test cricket and starting with two five-wicket hauls in your first match is extraordinary, and it’s all the more impressive against a team like Australia. A tally of 29 wickets in just three Tests is too good to be overlooked and for that, he is my ICC Men’s Player of the Month.” Emma Lamb was voted the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July following her thrilling start to life opening the batting in England’s victorious ODI series victory over South Africa. Lamb consistently laid the foundations for her side to claim victory in each of the three matches, with her most notable contribution coming in the first match in Northampton. Her outstanding 102 in which she displayed a wide array of classy strokeplay set her on course for a stellar month, and she followed up this milestone by posting two further half-centuries to strengthen her credentials as a supremely talented top order batter, with a very bright future ahead. On winning the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for July, Lamb commented: “It's very exciting to have been awarded the ICC Women's Player of the Month award for July. I'm very happy to have earned my spot at the top of the order in the Test and ODI team and it's been brilliant to be able to score some runs and help the team win. “Everyone in the squad contributed to our multi-format series win against South Africa so I just want to keep scoring runs for the team - I feel very lucky that my performances across the last month have been rewarded and I hope to carry on my good form." Lamb secures the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award at the first time of asking, overcoming fellow nominees; England’s Nat Sciver and India’s Renuka Singh.