Sports Bulletin

Sports Report MULTAN:-Multan’s 14-year wait for the return of international cricket was rewarded with a record-breaking century by Babar Azam and Khushdil Shah’s whirlwind knock as Pakistan defeated the West Indies by five wickets in a last-over thrilling first ODI of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League on Wednesday. After scoring 114 and 105 not out in the last two ODIs against Australia in Lahore on 31 March and 2 April, respectively, Babar Azam struck another signature 103 off 107 balls that turned out to be the cornerstone of Pakistan’s effort of overhauling the West Indies’ 305 for eight with just four balls remaining. When Babar Azam struck his ninth boundary to reach the magical figures, he achieved three rare records. The world No.1 became the first batter in the history of ODI cricket to record three consecutive centuries on two different occasions, completed the fastest 1,000 ODI runs as captain and became the quickest to 17 ODI centuries. In September/October 2016, Babar had scored 120, 123 and 117 to become the third Pakistan batter after Zaheer Abbas and Saeed Anwar and eighth overall to hit three successive centuries. In reaching 1,000 ODI runs in his 13th innings as captain, he eclipsed Virat Kohli’s record who had achieved this milestone in his 17th innings. Babar’s 17th career century came in his 85th innings that bettered Hashim Amla’s record who had scored his 17th century in 98th innings. Babar had joined Imam-ul-Haq at the score of 26 for one and added 103 runs for the second wicket with the left-hander who departed after scoring 65 off 71 balls with six fours. The Pakistan captain then put on 108 runs for the third wicket with Mohammad Rizwan, who contributed a 61-ball 59 with two fours and a six. However, the dismissals of Babar and Rizwan in a span of 19 balls with 50 runs required off 32 balls created a bit of panic in the home team’s camp. However, Khushdil Shah rose to the occasion and repeated his heroics in the second ODI against Australia by slapping four sixes (three off successive deliveries from Romario Shepherd) and a four in a 23-ball 41 not out. In the second ODI on 31 March, Khushdil had struck two fours and two sixes in a 17-ball 27 not out as Pakistan achieved the 349-run target with six balls to spare. Earlier, Shai Hope stroked his 12th ODI century and put on 154 runs for the second wicket with Shamarh Brooks as the visitors collected 305 for eight in 50 overs after electing to bat first. Hope scored 127 off 134 balls with 15 fours and a six, while Brooks’ 83-ball 70 contained seven fours. Cameos by Nicholas Pooran (21 off 16 balls with three sixes), Rovman Powell (32 off 23 balls with five fours) and Romario Shepherd 25 off 18 balls with two sixes) helped the visitors cross the 300-mark. For Pakistan, Haris Rauf was the most successful and expensive bowler when he picked up four wickets conceding 77 runs. Shaheen Shah Afridi took two for 55, while Mohammad Nawaz picked up one wicket. Shadab Khan, returning to ODI action after a long lay-off, was impressive with the ball – giving away 37 runs in his 10 overs and picking up a wicket. In addition to the caught and bowled, he took an athletic one-handed catch at short third man to dismiss a dangerous looking Brooks to end the second wicket partnership. The second ODI will be played on Friday, while the third ODI will be held on Sunday. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat the West Indies by five wickets West Indies 305-8, 50 overs (Shai Hope 127, Shamarh Brooks 70, Rovman Powell 32, Romario Shepherd 25, Nicholas Pooran 21; Haris Rauf 4-77, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-55) Pakistan 306-5, 49.2 overs (Babar Azam 103, Imam-ul-Haq 65, Mohammad Rizwan 59, Khushdil Shah 41 not out; Alzarri Joseph 2-55) Player of the match – Khushdil Shah (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin Report Muzaffarabad (AJK):-Kotli United have won the title of 4th edition of Zalmi Madrasa Cricket League after beating Kashmir Tigers by 53 runs in the final at Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK). Mohammad Hassan was declared man of the match of Kotli United for scoring 88 runs. League was organized by Peshawar Zalmi and Zalmi Foundation jointly. Earlier in the semi-finals, Kashmir Tigers defeated CB Patriots by 8 runs while in the second semi-final, Kotli United defeated NC Mauverick by six wickets. Chief guests, Chairman Sufi Peace Forum Pir Ali Raza Bukhari, Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs Hafiz Hamid Raza and Azad Kashmir Government spokesperson Irfan Ashraf distributed the prizes among the players. The guests on the occasion congratulated Peshawar Zalmi, Zalmi Foundation and its Chairman Javed Afridi on the successful organization of Zalmi Madrasa League and said that Peshawar Zalmi was doing a great job of promoting religious harmony and encouraging Madaris students. Peshawar Zalmi Chairman Javed Afridi congratulated Kotli United team which on winning the title. Javed Afridi said that the purpose of organizing Zalmi Madrasa League was to give opportunity to the students of Madrasa to show their talents and to promote religious harmony.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-England batter Joe Root has overtaken Kane Williamson and Steve Smith to move within 10 rating points of top-ranked Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne in the latest weekly update to the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Root, who had lost the top spot to Labuschagne in December 2021 during the Ashes series, has gained 39 points after guiding England to a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first match of their ICC World Test Championship series at Lord’s. Root’s 115 not out in the second innings, his 26th Test century, has taken him from 843 to 882 rating points. Smith is third with 845 points while Williamson has slipped behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam to fifth. England captain Ben Stokes’s second innings half-century has lifted him two places to 27th. New Zealand’s Tom Blundell and Daryl Mitchell have also made important gains in Wednesday’s update. Blundell has progressed 15 places to 35th after scores of 14 and 96 and Mitchell 25 places to 50th with innings of 13 and 108. In the Test rankings for bowlers, New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson is back at his career-best third position after finishing with six wickets in the match. England seam bowler James Anderson, who also took six wickets, has moved up two places to seventh while his compatriot Matthew Potts has entered the rankings in 77th position after an impressive seven-wicket match haul on debut. Afghanistan players have made notable gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after taking a 2-0 lead over Zimbabwe in their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series. Rahmat Shah has moved up two places to 29th position after aggregating 181 runs in the two matches while spin bowler Mohammad Nabi is up eight places to 11th with six wickets. Hashmatullah Shahidi (up eight places to 50th) among batters and Rashid Khan (up one place to third among all-rounders) have also moved up the tables. Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza is up six places to joint-42nd among batters. The ODI update, which also takes into account the last two matches of the Netherlands versus West Indies series and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 matches played in Pearland (USA) over the past week, Windies spinner Akeal Hosein has moved up 14 places to 37th among bowlers. The United Arab Emirates pair of Vriitya Anand (up 29 places to 77th) and Chirag Suri (up 25 places to 87th), and Netherlands’ Max O’Dowd (up 33 places to 81st) have advanced in the batters’ list. The MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, see Australia captain Aaron Finch enter the top five and his opening partner David Warner move up eight places to 45th after guiding their team to a 10-wicket win with a 134-run stand in the first match of a three-T20I series against Sri Lanka. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who was named Player of the Match for his haul of four for 16, has moved up one place to second position. For Sri Lanka, opener Prathum Nissanka (up two places to seventh) and Charith Asalanka (up 14 places to 29th) have moved up the rankings for batters while Maheesh Theekshana is up three places to 21st among bowlers.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-Pakistan opener Sidra Ameen and Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu have made notable progress in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings after finishing as the top run makers for their teams in the first series of the ICC Women’s Championship. Sidra, who scored 218 runs including a match-winning 123 in the second ODI to be named Player of the Series after the 2-1 win, has moved up 19 places to a career-best 35th position. Her previous best was 51st attained during this year’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Athapaththu, who smashed a match-winning 101 in the second ODI and totalled 142 runs, has re-entered the rankings in 23rd position. Athapaththu’s career-best is eighth position attained during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 in England. Captain Bismah Maroof remains the top-ranked Pakistan batter, her 98 runs in the series helping her retain 26th position, while Muneeba Ali’s 86 runs see her advance four places to 54th in the list led by Alyssa Healy of Australia. Harshitha Madavi (41st), Prasadani Weerakkody (64th), Kavisha Dilhari (66th) and Nilakshi de Silva (73rd) are other prominent Sri Lanka players in the batters’ list after their team won their first match against Pakistan in three editions of the ICC Women’s Championship. Meanwhile, several South Africa and Ireland players have been preparing for their upcoming IWC series with some fine performances in an ongoing three-match T20I series in Dublin that is level 1-1. Ireland all-rounder Gaby Lewis has achieved a career-best 23rd ranking after leading the series run chart with 83 runs in two matches. Mary Waldron (up six places to joint-79th) has also moved up the ranking for batters while Leah Paul (up seven places to 76th) and Celeste Raack (up five places to 87th) are the Ireland bowlers to progress. For South Africa, Tazmin Brits is up from 39th to 36th while Chloe Tryon (up four places to 49th), Anne Bosch (up 32 places to 60th) and Nadine de Klerk (up five places to joint-79th) have made notable gains among batters. In the bowling list led by Sophie Ecclestone, South Africa fast bowler Ismail has retained third position after taking two wickets, while Tumi Sekhukhune has advanced 20 places to take 27th position with five wickets in the two matches. Nadine de Klerk is also up in this list to 48th.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Babar Azam, world’s number-one batter in white-ball cricket and Pakistan’s all-format captain, has a huge fan following around the world. Former Pakistan Under-19 captain Qasim Akram is also one of Babar’s admirers and wants to follow in his footsteps so that he can also make a meaningful impact in the game. “I idolise Babar Azam as a batter,” Qasim told PCB website, adding: “He is an articulate batter and I want to be the next Babar Azam of this world.” Qasim also hails from his idol’s hometown in Lahore, where his father works in a pre-loved clothing shop. After captaining Pakistan in the West Indies tournament, he has remained Babar’s teammate in Central Punjab and HBL PSL franchise Karachi Kings. “It was an unforgettable experience for me to have such a great mind around. I have learnt from him how to build an innings, play cover-drives and improve pull-shots.” The 19-year old scored 203 runs and took 10 wickets in six matches of the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2022. While representing Central Punjab in the National T20 2021-22, he took 11 wickets. Qasim scored a half-century in the HBL PSL 2022 for Karachi Kings, while in the Pakistan Cup 2021-22, he scored 285 runs and grabbed 10 wickets from 10 outings. “Babar has performed wherever he has played and I regularly follow his batting skills. So, I feel fortunate enough to share the dressing room with him. As a world number-one batter, he has set such high standards in Pakistan cricket that I would like to meet.” The middle-order batter and off-spinner is also among 107 players who are part of the PCB Pathways Programme. The four-week camp for the players’ is likely to start in the second week of June in Muridke, which is in line with PCB’s strategy to invest in young players. “PCB Pathways Programme is a great initiative where the young cricketers will receive a stipend of PKR30,000 per month and also earn 100 per cent educational scholarship, which will not only help them but also their families,” Qasim said. Qasim, with his off-spin bowling, has to date picked 14 wickets from nine first-class matches and is hoping to prolong his career like Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. “I follow how Shoaib Malik and Mohammed Hafeez have extended their careers as all-rounders. I am presently working to improve my off-spin skills.”

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has divided the fielding responsibilities of the national cricket team between the two coaches-Anton Roux and Manoj Abeyeickrama-, it is learnt.    Anton Roux, who was till now working at the High Performance Centre, has joined the Sri Lanka national team's coaching staff. The USA-born Roux, who turned 41 on Sunday will be the fielding coach for the white ball games. Manoj Abeywickrama, who last was with the national Test team on Bangladesh tour will take over the fielding charge for the Test matches. The team had an optional training on Monday, a day before the first T-20I night match on Tuesday. The team is also assisted by eight net bowlers, who come from their respective homes at the ground.  TV commentary Former Australian wicket-keeper batter Brad Haddin is one of the TV commentators for the bilateral matches against Sri Lanka, commencing Tuesday, it is confirmed. The 44-year-old Haddin has the highest experience of playing 226 international matches (34 T20Is, 126 ODIs and 66 Tests) among all five commentators. This has been his first Sri Lanka tour as a commentator. The other fIve commentators are regular faces in Sri Lanka. They are : Russel Arnold, Farveez Maharoof, Roshan Abeysinghe, HD Ackerman and Aamer Sohail. Both Arnold and Sohail have also played over 200 international matches for Sri Lanka and Pakistan respectively, although Sohail has not played the T-20Is.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-The ICC Men’s Players of the Month have shortlisted for May 2022 features players from both sides of the recently concluded ICC World Test Championship (WTC) series between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Angelo Mathews and Asitha Fernando were two architects of Sri Lanka’s 1-0 series victory and are named in the shortlist thanks to key performances with bat and ball. Mushfiqur Rahim of Bangladesh completes the lineup following stellar contributions at the crease in both Tests. Stars of Pakistan’s bowling attack and batting lineup, Tuba Hassan and Bismah Maroof, are shortlisted for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award after their recent 3-0 T20I series victory over Sri Lanka. Spin sensation Tuba enjoyed plenty of success, while skipper Bismah contributed consistently en route to chasing down targets in each fixture. Trinity Smith (Jersey) was integral to her side’s successful stint in the France Women’s International T20 Quadrangular, and her performances with bat and ball see her on the shortlist for the first time. Asitha Fernando (SL): The Sri Lanka seamer proved pivotal to his side’s success in Bangladesh, taking 13 wickets across the two WTC Tests at an average of 16.61. He followed up three wickets at Chattogram with an outstanding display with the ball at Mirpur. Fernando’s figures of four for 93 helped restrict the hosts’ first innings score, before he seized the upper hand for his side by ripping through the Bangladesh order in the second innings. His six for 51 ensured the tourists coasted to a 10-wicket win and a series victory. Angelo Mathews (SL): So often the key contributor in Sri Lanka’s batting lineup, Mathews was a constant danger for the Bangladesh side. Big centuries in both Tests saw him aggregate 344 runs at an average of 172. His mammoth 199 in Chattogram was outshone by a thrilling 145 not out in Mirpur, which set the platform for his side to post a huge score of 506 and secure an impressive series victory. Mushfiqur Rahim (Ban): Mushfiqur displayed his batting prowess, spearheading his side’s resistance with centuries in Chattogram and Mirpur. Amassing 303 runs at an average of 151.5, he was a shining light for the hosts. His 105 in the first Test was crucial, while his 175 not out and an important partnership with Liton Das in the first innings of the second Test stood out even as his teammates faltered around him. Tuba Hassan (Pak): Tuba’s masterful display with the ball in the T20I series against Sri Lanka earned her a first nomination in the ICC Women’s Player of the Month awards. With five wickets in the series at an impressive economy rate of 3.66, her dazzling performances were highlighted by an outstanding spell of three for eight in the first match in Karachi. This restricted the tourists to a modest 106 for eight and set the tone for her side to claim a whitewash on home soil. Bismah Maroof (Pak): The Pakistan skipper enjoyed a profitable T20I series against Sri Lanka, demonstrating her mature batting by guiding her side to a dominant 3-0 victory. Batting second in each match, Bismah was at the crease to see her side home in two of the three chases, ending the series as the leading run-scorer with 65 runs at a strike rate of 85.52. Trinity Smith (Jersey): Smith, 17, is the first player from Jersey to be nominated for the ICC Player of the Month awards after some stellar performances with bat and ball in the France Women’s International T20 Quadrangular. Scoring 120 runs without being dismissed and taking four wickets in the four matches she played, her 56 not out from 40 balls in the final match saw her side chase down a target of 126 to clinch victory.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board will hire the services of two different experienced computer analysts for the upcoming national matches against the visiting Australian team, it is learnt. According to the sources in the SLC, Prad Navaratnam will be the analyst for the white ball matches (three T-20Is and five ODIs), whereas Shirantha Niroshana will manage the two Test matches. Incidentally, Prad Navaratnam, who was a head of the Brain Centre and had resigned to move to Australia has now returned as a Lead Analyst for the National Team for the white ball games. In the meantime, India's Sridharan Sriram has reached Colombo to join the Australian team as its support staff. Australian players are in Sri Lanka from different destinations in batches.   Sri Lanka's former batter and wicketkeeper Upul Fernando (now settled in Australia), who has played over 150 First Class matches, will bring Melbourne West Cricket Academy U-16 team to Sri Lanka. On their 12-day tour from June 25, the players will also have their parents on this tour, it is confirmed by Upul Fernando.

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu led from the front as Sri Lanka recorded a commanding 93-run win in the third and final ICC Women’s Championship match at the Southend Club, Karachi on Sunday. Pakistan won the series 2-1 courtesy of their eight-wicket and 73-run win in the first two matches. At the end of the series Pakistan occupy the top-spot in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 cycle with four points from three games, Sri Lanka collected two points from their win today – this series was the first in the new championship cycle which will determine the six qualifying spots (top five plus the host) for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Today’s win was Sri Lanka’s lone victory in their first tour of Pakistan in 17 years, before the ODIs, the visitors had lost the T20I series by a 0-3 margin. Set a 261-run target, Pakistan were pegged back after a decent start. The hosts slumped from 41 for no loss to 48 for four in nine overs and never recovered from the mini collapse. Second ODI centurion Sidra Amin (19) was the first to go. Her opening partner Muneeba Ali (16) was run out while captain Bismah Maroof (0) and Nida Dar (5) were dismissed in quick succession as Sri Lankan bowlers tightened the screws. Omaima Sohail fought hard for her 40 off 61 balls (four fours) but her dismissal in the 28th over further increase Pakistan woes. Sidra Nawaz (7) and Fatima Sana (12) were dismissed in the search of quick runs as the required run-rate mounted. Diana Baig (0) was run out without facing a ball. Aliya Riaz stood firm at one end with a fighting half-century (sixth of her career), she was the ninth batter dismissed in an attempt of clearing the boundary. The right-hander hit four fours in her 56 off 82 balls. Athapaththu capped off a brilliant day in the field with a two-wicket contribution with the ball in her six overs. Oshadi Ranasinghe took two wickets while three batters were run out. Sri Lanka sealed their win with Anam Amin’s wicket in the 42nd over. Earlier, Athapaththu who had struggled to get going on the tour finally displayed her immense batting prowess with a scintillating century to set a solid platform for her side’s imposing total after she won the toss and opted to bat first for the fifth time on the tour (three T2oIs, first and third ODI). The left-hander posted the sixth century of her career off the 82nd ball of her innings, her blazing innings was punctuated with 13 fours and a six and she fell shortly after for 101 with Nida Dar dismissing her in the 31st over of the innings, Sri Lanka were 156 at that stage. Athapaththu is the only century maker for Sri Lanka in the ODI format and her innings today once again proved her immense value to country’s women cricket. Athapaththu took the attack to the Pakistan bowlers after the early loss of her opening partner Hasini Perera (3) and Hansima Karunaratne (0). The two were back in the dressing room with a mere four runs on the board in two overs. Athapaththu found an able partner in Harshitha Madavi, the duo added 152 for the third-wicket. After Athapaththu’s departure, Madavi kept the scoreboard moving for Sri Lanka. She was eventually dismissed in the 44th over for 75 off 128 balls (three fours). Madavi added 60 for the fourth-wicket with Kavisha Dilhari (28). Sri Lanka finished their 50 overs at 260 for seven which is their highest total against Pakistan, Anam Amin and Fatima Sana took two wickets apiece for the hosts. Scores in brief: Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by 93 runs Sri Lanka 260 for 7, 50 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 101, Harshitha Madavi 75; Anam Amin 2-43, Fatima Sana 2-51) Pakistan 167 all out, 41.4 overs (Aliya Riaz 56, Omaima Sohail 40; Chamari Athapaththu 2-20, Oshadi Ranasinghe 2-29) Player of the match: Chamari Athapaththu Player of the series:  Sidra Amin

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Vehari won the Southern Punjab-leg of the City Cricket Association Under-19 Tournament 2022-23 by beating Rahim Yar Khan and Sahiwal in the triangular stage of the 50-over competition. Sahiwal ended up taking the second spot in the triangular round beating Rahim Yar Khan by 49 runs in the last match of the leg on Saturday. It was Vehari’s captain Mohammad Aqib Asghar’s three wickets which helped his side win their second match of the triangular stage against Rahim Yar Khan in a low scoring contest at the Gymkhana Cricket Ground in Sahiwal on Thursday. In Balochistan’s jurisdiction, Lasbela U19 won the leg by beating Loralai by two wickets and Killa Abdullah Chaman by 96 runs in the triangular stage. For the winning team, the star performers were captain Arbaz Khan who bagged four wickets against Killa Abdullah Chaman and Bakhtiyar Khan, who picked five wickets against Loralai. Earlier, this week, Rawalpindi, Khyber, Faisalabad and Karachi Zone II were crowned champions of Northern, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Central Punjab and Sindh jurisdictions, respectively in the CCA U19 tournament. Balochistan Cricket Association In the three-group 13-team Balochistan-leg, Killa Abdullah Chaman, Loralai and Lasbela topped their respective groups before qualifying for the triangular stage. Killa Abdullah Chaman’s Muhammad Siddique accumulated 401 runs from six matches at 100.25 with unbeaten 123 his best in the tournament. Basit Ali representing Naseerabad scored 246 runs from three outings, which included 151 as his best. Muhammad Aqdas Khan representing Quetta finished with a tally of 227 runs from four matches at 113.50. Among bowlers, Lasbela’s Mohsin Ali bagged 18 wickets from five matches with six for 33 his best figures in a match. Himayatullah representing Killa Abdullah Chaman grabbed 13 wickets from six matches. Gwadar’s Allah Rakha and Loralai’s Zohaib Khan were next in line picking 12 wickets apiece. Southern Punjab Cricket Association In the three-group 14-team Southern Punjab-leg, Vehari and Sahiwal topped Pool A and Pool B with four wins from four matches respectively, while Rahim Yar Khan topped Pool C with three wins from three outings. Sahiwal’s Hamza Nadir finished as the leading run-getter with 243 runs from six matches at 40.50. Talha Mushtaq and Mohammad Ammar representing Rahim Yar Khan shared the batting honours scoring 190 and 188 runs, respectively. Vehari’s Moheer Saeed topped the bowling charts, taking 19 wickets from six matches at an economy rate of 2.23.  Sahiwal’s Muhammad Ismail and Mohammad Jan Sher shared the bowling honours with 17 wickets apiece from six matches.