Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-Tthe line-up is topped by multi-platinum British pop-rock band Bastille, who will take to the stage at The Hundred men’s and women’s final at Lord’s on Saturday 3 September has been announced. They are joined by some of the freshest names on the UK music scene including Samm Henshaw, Katy J Pearson, Priya Ragu, English Teacher, Jordan Mackampa, Tamera, Lottery Winners, Mace The Great, Queen Millz, Casey Lowry and many more. For the second year running, the live music at all 34 games of The Hundred has been curated in collaboration with BBC Music Introducing. The partnership connects sports fans with both new and established artists who began their career on the BBC Music Introducing platform. The artists will perform in front of large audiences at some of the UK’s biggest cricket grounds, including Lord’s (London), The Kia Oval (London), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Emirates Old Trafford (Manchester), Sophia Gardens (Cardiff), Headingley (Leeds), Ageas Bowl (Southampton) and Trent Bridge (Nottingham). Kicking off on 3 August, The Hundred is cricket’s high-octane competition which fuses world class cricket with spectacular entertainment. The competition gives fans the chance to watch some of the best players in the world compete alongside epic music performances in a high energy, family-friendly environment. Brit and NME award-winning pop-rock band, Bastille, said: “We are really looking forward to being part of The Hundred Final this year. Woody in particular is a big cricket fan and loves what The Hundred has brought to the summer sporting schedule. Needless to say, we can't wait to be there!” In its first year in 2021, The Hundred attracted some of the biggest names in UK music including Becky Hill, Everything Everything, and Self Esteem, plus breakthrough acts such as Sports Team and Lauran Hibberd who are now on everyone’s playlists. 2022’s line up is set to be an equally big hit with new and existing fans of the game. Sophie Ecclestone, Manchester Originals star said: “The music last year was amazing, Lizelle and myself even had time for a little dance to Becky Hill during the opening game! It added so much to the competition and showed The Hundred is all about unmissable action on and off the pitch. I can’t wait to get a front row seat this summer and hopefully we can be dancing to Bastille after winning the competition.”

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated Eoin Morgan for an outstanding international career that saw him lead England to victory in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2019. The 35-year-old, who was instrumental in England’s strong showing in limited overs games in recent years, announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday as the leading scorer for England in ODIs and T20Is. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice praised Morgan’s innovative batting and astute captaincy while wishing him all the best for the future. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Eoin was an exceptional talent from his early days with the Ireland team and over the years he developed into a top-class batter and captain, leading England’s resurgence in limited overs cricket culminating in that quite extraordinary World Cup victory at Lord’s in 2019. On behalf of the ICC, I congratulate him for an outstanding career and wish him every success in the next phase of his career.” Morgan scored 99 on ODI debut for Ireland against Scotland in 2006 and played in all three formats after switching over to England in 2009. He was named as England’s white-ball captain in December 2014 and led the team to the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2016. He also led them to the semifinals of the T20 World Cup last year. Morgan scored 700 runs with two centuries and three half-centuries in 16 Tests, 7,701 runs with 14 centuries and 47 half-centuries in 248 ODIs and 2,458 runs with 14 half-centuries in 115 T20Is. He was the top-ranked batter in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Rankings between August 2011 and February 2012 and made it to the top 10 of the ODI rankings in January 2014.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan women’s national cricket team’s final preparations for the tri-series in Ireland and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham begin from Friday (tomorrow). The 15-member squad will take part in extensive training and practice sessions in a 10-day camp at the House of Northern, Islamabad before the team’s departure on 12 July. During the camp, the squad led by Bismah Maroof would participate in fitness, fielding, batting and bowling drills besides playing scenario-based matches in accordance to the demands of the T20 format. Both the tri-series and Commonwealth Games are T20 events. As part of the preparations for the tour, national team’s head coach David Hemp worked with Karachi-based players in a four-day long camp last week which was focused on individual and scenario-based practice sessions. Pacers Aimen Anwar, Fatima Sana and Kainat Imtiaz and batters Muneeba Ali Siddiqui and Omaima Sohail were the players involved in the camp. Bowling coach Saleem Jaffer also assisted Hemp in the camp along with Sindh women’s coach Azam Khan. The tri-series and Commonwealth bound squad would depart for Belfast via Dubai on 12 July. Squad: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza (wicketkeeper), Iram Javed, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wicketkeeper), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal and Tuba Hassan. Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (Manager), David Hemp (Head coach), Saleem Jaffer (Bowling coach), Muhammad Zubair Ahmed (Analyst) and Rifat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist). Additional support staff for the camp: Waqar Orakzai (Assistant coach), Saboor Ahmed (Strength and Conditioning coach).

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-Lancashire's Jos Buttler has been appointed captain of the England Men's white-ball teams by the England & Wales Cricket Board. He succeeds Eoin Morgan, who retired from international cricket earlier this week. The ECB Interim Chair, Martin Darlow, and Interim Chief Executive Officer, Clare Connor, approved the appointment on Wednesday evening following the recommendation by the Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Rob Key. Buttler has been part of England's white-ball teams for over a decade. He played his first T2OI game in 2011 and made his ODI debut a year later. The wicketkeeper/batter has been an integral part of the set-up, having been vice-captain since 2015 and has led the team 14 times previously (Nine ODIs & five T20Is). He has represented England 151 times in ODIs scoring 4120 runs at an average of 41.20, including 10 hundreds. In T20 internationals, he has won 88 caps scoring 2140 runs with an average of 34.51. He is one of three England cricketers (Dawid Malan and Heather Knight) to have scored hundreds in all three formats of the game. England Men's White-Ball Captain, Jos Buttler, said: "I would like to offer my sincere thanks and gratitude to Eoin Morgan for his outstanding leadership over the past seven years. It has been the most memorable period for everyone involved. He has been an inspirational leader, and it has been fantastic to play under him. There are lots of things that I have learnt from him that I'll take into this role. "It is a great honour to take over from Eoin, and the place he has left English white-ball cricket in is exciting, and I'm inspired for the challenges ahead. "There is excellent strength-in-depth in the white-ball squads, and I'm looking forward to leading the teams out for the series that are coming up against India starting next week and later in July against South Africa. "It is the greatest honour to captain your country, and when I have had the chance to step in the past, I have loved doing it. I can't wait to take this team forward." Clare Connor, Interim ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: "Jos is a fantastic role model who inspires through his performances on the pitch. He has been instrumental in setting new standards in men's white-ball cricket, and is the perfect leader to build on the incredible legacy which Eoin has built for our men's white-ball teams. "I'm excited to see where Jos and Matthew Mott take things from here, particularly as we build towards the ICC Men's T20 World Cup." Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said: "Jos Buttler was the perfect choice to succeed Eoin Morgan as our white-ball captain, and I had no hesitation in offering him the role. "Jos has been part of our white-ball set-up for over a decade and was integral in the transformation of the way the team has played its attacking brand of cricket over the past seven years. "He is well respected in the dressing room by all of his teammates and will relish leading his country. "He is in the form of his life and is showcasing his talent against the best players and teams in the world. "I believe the extra responsibility will take his game to a new level and inspire those around him. "I'm looking forward to seeing him take us forward. He thoroughly deserves the opportunity."

Abdullah Asjad RAWALPINDI:-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released the central contract lists for 2022-23, which comes into effect from Friday, 1 July. For the first time, the PCB has introduced separate red and white-ball contracts, while four more players have been added to the Emerging Category. This means a total of 33 players, 13 more than the previous season, have received contracts for the next 12 months. According to PCB, the Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam, along with Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi have been awarded both red and white-ball contracts. Amongst the 10 players who have received red-ball contracts, Azhar Ali has been promoted to Category A, Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah have been placed in Category C for the first time along with Saud Shakeel, who has been awarded Category D. Fawad Alam and Nauman Ali have been retained in Category B and C, respectively, whereas Abid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah have been handed Category D contracts. Eleven limited-over specialists have been awarded white-ball contracts. Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, who were in Category B in 2021-22, have been awarded Category A contracts, while Haris Rauf has been promoted to Category B. Mohammad Nawaz has been retained in Category C. Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir have been promoted from Emerging to Category D where they are joined by first-timers Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Zahid Mehmood. In the Emerging Category, the PCB as part of its strategy to encourage, develop and incentivise up-and-coming domestic performers, has increased the number of players from three to seven. Players in the Emerging Category are: Ali Usman, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Huraira, Qasim Akram and Salman Ali Agha. Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim said: “I want to congratulate all those who have earned central contracts for the 2022-23 season, especially our four younger players who have received red-ball contracts for the first time as part of our vision and strategy to identify, groom and develop specialists for the traditional and purist format of the game. “I understand there will be a few disappointed players who have missed out on contracts, but I want to reiterate that we are not limiting and restricting ourselves to these 33 players. As and when required, players from outside the list will be included. “We have also expanded our category of emerging cricketers from three to seven as it is very important for us to groom those cricketers who have potential to make it to the top level and give an incentive to those players who have excelled in our domestic tournaments.” Some of the salient features of the new central contracts are: A-10 per cent increase in match fees across all formats B-Increase in match fee for non-playing members from 50 per cent to 70 per cent of the overall match fee C-Introduction of a captaincy allowance to compensate the team captain for the additional responsibilities that comes with that role D-Allocation of an amount for current players with the aim to manage and reduce the workload of elite players and to ensure that they are fully fit, ready and fresh whenever they play for Pakistan RED AND WHITE-BALL CONTRACTS (5): Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Category A), Hasan Ali (red-ball Category B, white-ball Category C) and Imam-ul-Haq (red-ball Category C, white-ball Category B) RED BALL CONTRACTS (10): Category A – Azhar Ali Category B – Fawad Alam Category C – Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah and Nauman Ali Category D – Abid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Yasir Shah WHITE-BALL CONTRACTS (11): Category A – Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan Category B – Haris Rauf Category C – Mohammad Nawaz Category D - Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mehmood EMERGING CONTRACTS (7): Ali Usman (Southern Punjab), Haseebullah (Balochistan), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Huraira (Northern), Qasim Akram (Central Punjab) and Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab).

BIPIN DANI Sri Lankan selector and a member of the 1996 World Cup winning team Romesh Kaluwitharana has invited Shane Warne's brother Jason and his wife Shay for lunch at his resort-Kalu's Hideaway on Saturday on a way to their visit to Udawalawe National Park. On the invitation of Harin Fernando, the Hon. Tourism Minister and also Chalaka Gajabahu, the chairman of the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB),  Jason Warne and his wife are arriving in Sri Lanka on Friday morning. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Galle, where Kalu was witnessing the first day of the ongoing Test against Australia, he said, "Some of the most memorable moments in my cricket career was when Sri Lanka toured Australia and having to play against one of the greatest cricketers was a privilege.  Shane Warne was Unique, flamboyant, one of the toughest competitors I have played against and most importantly a wonderful human being".  "His humanity was extraordinary having visited Sri Lanka after the Tsunami to help the people in need was just one example of the person he was outside cricket". "I am honored to be able to say a "Thank you Mate" to this great man by Warnie's brother Jason visiting my Hotel  Kalu's Hideaway. Hope Jason will enjoy our hospitality and see how much your brother was admired and why Sri Lanka was special to Warnie", the 52-year-old former wicket-keeper signed off.

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD:-Balochistan have won the title of the 5th Pakistan Blinds’ Cricket Council (PBCC) Blind Cricket T-20 Super League 2022 after beating Punjab by 9 wickets in the final at Ayub Medical College Cricket Ground Abbottabad on Wednesday. Balochistan won the toss and put Punjab into bat first. Punjab set a competitive total of 219 runs on the board by losing their 7 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Rashid was the top scorer for Punjab, he made 74 off 41 balls and Mohammad Safdar made 43 runs off 29 balls. For Balochistan, Badar Munir was the pick amongst the bowlers; he claimed 2 wickets while Kamran and Fakhar took 1 wicket each.  In reply, Balochistan openers started the innings rapidly and didn’t allow the Punjab Bowlers to get settled. Badar Munir once again talked with his bat, he scored an unbeaten146 runs off 63 balls. Mohsin Khan and Riasat Khan made 29 and 28 runs respectively. Balochistan reached the target of 220 runs in 17.1 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Shahzeb took 1 wicket for Punjab. Badar Munir declared best player of the final Saqlain Saleem, Assistant Commissioner Abbottabad, Syed Sultan Shah, Chairman PBCC & President World Blind Cricket Ltd, Tariq Mehmood Ex DG Sports KPK and Chairman Zakat Council, Abbottabad, Bilal Khan Director Sports Ayub Medical College, Salman Tariq Bukhari, Director Cricket Operations PBCC, Anwar Ali Sial Director Finance PBCC, Shamas ur Rehman Director International Affairs PBCC and Ashraf Quraishi Chairman Village Centre Riala-One were the guests of the occasion and distributed prizes amongst the players. Best players of the Tournament: B1: Riasat Khan (Balochistan) B2: Badar Munir (Balochistan) B3: Mohammad Rashid (Punjab) Best Wicket Keeper: Ayub Khan (Punjab)

PCB Report KARACHI:-Pakistan Cricket Board today confirmed Daren Sammy, Javed Miandad, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik as mentors of the inaugural Pakistan Junior League, which will be held in Lahore in October this year. Miandad, who played in six World Cups from 1975-1996, will be the league mentor, while Afridi, Sammy and Shoaib will be the team mentors. The four stalwarts share six major world titles, 1,559 international matches, 43,057 runs and 992 wickets between them. Sammy and Shahid were team-mates in the Peshawar Zalmi team in 2017 when the team in yellow won the HBL Pakistan Super League at the Gaddafi Stadium. Javed Miandad will be involved as an overall mentor, assisting the mentors of the six sides and the players during the tournament. Afridi, Sammy and Shoaib will be part of the team dug-outs in the build up to and during the Pakistan Junior League, which will be played at the backend of Pakistan versus England T20I that is scheduled to conclude on 2 October. In addition to the team mentor roles, the four household names will also serve as event ambassadors and will use their knowledge, influence and attraction to promote and publicise the first of its kind event. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said: “I am delighted that we have been able to attract Javed Miandad, Daren Sammy, Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik as mentors for the Pakistan Junior League. Their involvement in the Pakistan Junior League will help us achieve one of our event objectives that revolves around helping future generation of cricketers to achieve the champions and match-winning approach and mindset. “The involvement of the four icons also confirms that we are on track for delivering a successful event that will go on to help Pakistan cricket in more than one way. Besides creating a winning environment and developing skills and temperament of the teens, we are committed to developing new properties and Pakistan Junior League is an event in that direction.” Javed Miandad said: “I have always enjoyed being part of the coaching set-up and this opportunity provides me with a chance to return to the field, work with players with bigger objectives and help them achieve excellence. Pakistan Junior League is an exciting and unique product, and I not only look forward to making a meaningful contribution but also project this league as a game-changer.” Daren Sammy said: “I am pleased to have been awarded with the opportunity to be involved in the inaugural Pakistan Junior League. I am fully behind the concept and believe it will assist in identifying and fast-tracking outstanding cricketers. “I have been part of Pakistan cricket system since 2016 and am a witness to some great local talent that has blown me away. I now look forward to working more closely with the teenagers, pass on my knowledge to them and help them fulfil their dreams of becoming international cricketers.” Shahid Afridi said: “I am a big advocate of investing in the future. If T20 cricket is a vehicle to promote and develop cricket, and identify young talent, then we need to create opportunities and come up with novel ideas to unearth hidden talent, and ensure their skills and performances are duly noticed and subsequently rewarded. “Working as mentor of a side comprising teenagers will be a new experience for me. I am thoroughly excited and looking forward to playing my part in helping these energetic and skillful cricketers achieve the zenith of glory. I believe that flashing actually only happens at under 13 to 19, after that it’s amiably man management. “I have no doubts with the abundance of talent we have, this tournament will be able to identify, at least, half a dozen cricketers who can be nurtured and developed into star cricketers, who can then go on to shoulder the expectations and hopes of millions of cricket fans and followers.” Shoaib Malik said: “I feel privileged and honoured to have been awarded with the opportunity to work as a mentor with one of the Pakistan Junior League sides. As someone who is actually a product of age-group cricket when I first played in the 1998 U19 World Cup, I can vouch for the importance and significance of this tournament. “I think the Pakistan Junior League fits very nicely in the PCB domestic cricket calendar as have 50-over and three-day cricket for the teenage cricketers. T20 cricket, which is nowadays the most popular and attractive format, will not only complete the calendar but will potentially produce three-dimensional players who can demonstrate their potential and talent to accept and adopt to the shortest format. “Franchise cricket always tests players to the limits and, in this background, it is even better that the skills of the players will be fully challenged, fast-tracking the very best in their careers. I believe Pakistan Junior League will prove to the cornerstone of our endeavours to once again become a force to be reckoned with across all formats.” The Pakistan Junior League will be played on single-league basis with the top-four sides progressing to the play-offs. The top-two sides will play in the Qualifier with the winner qualifying for the final. The losing side will get a second chance to progress to the final when it will play against the winner of Eliminator 1 between the number-three and four ranked sides.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The New Zealand batting pair of Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell have attained career-best positions in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings as has England spinner Jack Leach, after superb performances in the third match of their ICC World Test Championship series in Leeds. Mitchell and Blundell, who were involved in century partnerships in all three Tests of the series, are both in the top 20 now. Mitchell’s scores of 109 and 56 see him advance four places to 12th position while Blundell’s knocks of 55 and 88 not out have lifted him 11 slots to 20th position. England batter Jonny Bairstow, who has been quite the centrepiece with his blistering knocks in this series, has advanced 20 places to 21st after scoring 162 and 71 not out while Oliver Pope is up three places to 49th after his 82 in the second innings of the Test, which England won by seven wickets to complete a 3-0 series victory. Left-arm spinner Leach’s Player of the Match effort of 10 for 166 has helped him leap 13 places to a career-best 25th position among bowlers while Stuart Broad has moved up one place to 13th in Wednesday’s weekly update that also includes the second Test between the West Indies and Bangladesh. West Indies skipper Kraig Brathwaite is up one place to 27th after his first-innings half-century while Kyle Mayers (up 22 places to 57th) and John Campbell (up four places to 76th) are the others to move up the batters’ list for the West Indies, who won the WTC series 2-0. Nurul Hasan (up 14 places to 84th) and Nazmul Hossain (up 11 places to 88th) are the ones to advance for Bangladesh. Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales are now joint-40th among bowlers and Khaled Ahmed is in 88th position. Bangladesh captain Shakib al Hasan has slipped behind India’s Ravichandran Ashwin to third position among all-rounders. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, which considers performances in the third Netherlands versus England match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series and the fifth match of the Sri Lanka versus Australia series, Australia’s Alex Carey is up three places to 23rd after his knock of 45 not out and England’s Jos Buttler is up four places to 25th after his unbeaten 86. Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is in the top five, gaining two slots for his haul of two for 22 and England’s David Willey up three places to 37th after grabbing four for 36. The MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, updated after the two-match Ireland-India series won 2-0 by India, see Ireland’s Harry Tector gain a massive 55 places to reach 66th position among batters with scores of 39 and 64 not out. India batters Deepak Hooda and Sanju Sampson have made huge movements, though outside the top 100. Hooda has galloped 414 places to 104th after smashing 47 and 104 while Samson has gained 57 slots to reach 144th with a knock of 77 in the second match.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has confirmed that England Men's white-ball Captain Eoin Morgan has retired from international cricket with immediate effect. During his 13-year international career with England, the 35-year-old won the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup as Captain in 2019 at Lord's, the first time England Men had won the world crown. He was also part of the England team that won the 2010 ICC Men's T20 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean. Morgan is the all-time leading run-scorer and most-capped player for England Men in both ODI and T20I matches. During his seven-year tenure as Men's ODI captain, he guided England to number one in the ICC world rankings, including notable series victories against all the major nations. In his record-breaking 225 ODI caps, he scored 6,957 runs, including 13 hundreds at an average of 39.75. In his 126 matches as Captain, Morgan oversaw 76 victories with a win percentage of 60 per cent, the best win record by any England Men's ODI Captain in the history of the game. He captained the Men's T20I side on 72 occasions, equal to India's MS Dhoni as the most in T20 international cricket. In all, he represented England on 115 occasions scoring 2,458 runs. As a Test cricketer, he won 16 caps over a three-year period scoring two centuries. He also holds the world record for the highest number of sixes in an ODI innings, with 17 against Afghanistan at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup. In 2020, he received a CBE for services to cricket. Morgan started his international career with Ireland, where he played 23 ODIs from 2006 to 2009. Eoin Morgan said: "After careful deliberation and consideration, I am here to announce my retirement from international cricket with immediate effect. "To call time on what has been without doubt the most enjoyable and rewarding chapter of my career hasn't been an easy decision, but I believe now is the right time to do so, both for me, personally, and for both England white-ball sides I have led to this point. "From my start in the international arena with Ireland to winning the World Cup in 2019, I have never lost sight of how integral family support is to any international sportsperson. To my Mum and Dad, my wife, Tara, and our family around the world, thank you for your unconditional support throughout the good and more challenging times in my career. Without you all, this incredible journey would not have been possible. "I must also thank my teammates, coaches, supporters, and those behind the scenes who have made my career and any successes possible. I am hugely proud of what I have achieved as a player and captain, but the things I will cherish and remember the most are the memories I made with some of the greatest people I know along the way. "I have been lucky enough to play in two World Cup winning teams, but I believe the future for England's white-ball teams is brighter than ever. We have more experience, more strength and more depth than ever before. I look forward to watching on with a huge level of excitement. "To what lies ahead for me, I will continue to enjoy playing at a domestic level while I can. I'm really looking forward to playing and captaining London Spirit in the second edition of The Hundred this year." Rob Key, Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, said: "On behalf of the ECB and everyone involved in cricket, I'd like to thank Eoin Morgan for his outstanding contribution to the game. "It will be wrong to think Eoin's legacy was just winning the World Cup in 2019; it is far greater than that. "As with all great players and leaders, he has changed the way the game has been played, and he has changed the way an entire generation and generations to come will play this form of the game. His legacy within the game will be felt for many years to come. "He is, without question, the best leader I have seen. I wish him well in the next chapter of his career."