Sports Bulletin

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's new sports minister Amith Thenuka Vidanagamage has invited the members of the defunct National Sports Council on Friday. Confirming the same on Wednesday evening, the minister, speaking exclusively over the telephone, said, "I have invited all the members of the National Sports Council which was appointed by the earlier minister Namal Rajapaksha to my office on Friday at 10.30 am". "Now Namal Rajapaksha is no longer the sports minister and hence the Council which was appointed by him is non-functional", the new minister confirmed. "These people have done a good job and therefore I have invited them all". "Yes, I am Mahela Jayawardene (he was a chairman of the NSC) and Kumar Sangakkara are overseas but we have requested them to attend the meet on zoom-call. It will be up to them to respond to this call", the minister confirmed. Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara are holding the top positions with the two franchise teams- (Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals respectively). The minister has no immediate plan to discuss the formation of a new Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).  "First let me hear about the NSC and then will decide on cricket", he concluded.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Pakistan and Netherlands will play their inaugural bilateral ODI series in August when Rotterdam will host the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches on 16, 18 and 21. The two sides have previously met in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups 1996 and 2003, and the ICC Champions Trophy 2002 with Pakistan winning the three matches. The three Super League ODIs were earlier planned in July 2020, but had to be postponed following the Covid-19 outbreak. Hosts Netherlands have won two of their 10 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches, while Pakistan have a 50 per cent record in the 12 matches. The event will determine which seven highest-placed sides plus hosts India will qualify directly for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. PCB Director, International Zakir Khan said: “We are pleased that with the support of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (KNCB), we have been able to reschedule the series, which is important to the growth and development of cricket in Netherlands as well as to the two teams’ chances of progressing directly to the 2023 World Cup. “Our men’s national cricket team had an excellent 2021-22 season and I am confident they will build on the momentum to entertain expat Pakistanis and the Dutch spectators with good cricket. This series will also help KNCB attract new and young audiences towards the game.” Series schedule: 16 Aug – 1st ODI; VOC Cricket Ground, Rotterdam 18 Aug – 2nd ODI; VOC Cricket Ground, Rotterdam 21 Aug – 3rd ODI; VOC Cricket Ground, Rotterdam

BIPIN DANI All Sri Lankan players touring Bangladesh next month will undergo proper fitness tests on April 25, it is learnt. According to the sources in Colombo, most of the preliminary squad members, who are in Sri Lanka and not part of the League matches overseas or playing English counties underwent the pre-testing and medical check-ups on Tuesday. No quarantine restrictions The squad members leaving on 8th May in a commercial flight will not be required to undergo any room quarantine, a top BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board) official said. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Dhaka, one of the officials confirmed, "Covid pandemic is easing out and therefore there will be no quarantine restrictions". "They (the players and their support staff) will undergo PCR tests on arrival and if cleared, they can start training from the very next day", the source added. The BCB's medical team has given this protocol to the management, it is learnt. Team head coach Chris Silverwood and the new assistant coach Naveed Nawaz have already arrived in Sri Lanka from England and Australia respectively. The squad is unlikely to have a separate specialist batting coach but the responsibilities will lie with the assistant coach. Selectors have picked the preliminary squad of 23 players. They are not to be put in a hotel but will come for training from their home to R. Premadasa Stadium from Wednesday. SLC's High Performance Centre has also sent a list of 12 support staff members for executive committee's approval. The 23-players squad may be reduced to 18 and 12 support staff may be sent to Bangladesh.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-Rob Key has been confirmed as the new Managing Director of England Men’s Cricket. Following a rigorous recruitment process, the former England international will take up the role immediately. Key will also relinquish his current role with Sky Sports. Key will be responsible for the strategy behind the England Men’s cricket teams and the performance pathways leading into them. He will also take a key role as part of the High Performance Review which will begin shortly. Prior to the appointment, Sir Andrew Strauss had undertaken the role on an interim basis following Ashley Giles’ departure in February after three years. A former England cricketer and Kent captain, Key is a hugely respected figure in the game. Key played 21 times for England across all three formats including making a Test double hundred against the West Indies at Lord’s in 2004 which led to him being named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2005. During a playing career that spanned three decades (1998-2015), Key amassed over 28,000 runs with 60 centuries. He captained Kent twice from 2006-2012 and then again from 2014-15. During his time as captain the side won the County Championship 2nd Division title in 2010 and reached three white ball domestic finals. He was also part of the England side who won the Under-19 World Cup for the first and only time in 1998. After announcing his retirement in 2016, Key became a successful commentator for Sky Sports alongside writing a regular column for the Evening Standard. He has remained involved in the administration side of the game and has previously sat on the ECB’s Performance Cricket Committee. Rob Key said, “It is an absolute honour to take up this role. The chance to have an impact and make a difference is an opportunity given to very few and I will give it everything I have to try shape the next great era of English Men’s cricket. “I have absolutely loved my time at Sky and I could never have imagined leaving were it not for this incredible opportunity. I’d like to personally thank Bryan Henderson and everyone in the team for their help and support. “Although at this current moment it has been a challenging time in English cricket, I also think it’s as exciting a time as I can remember. With two of our teams near or at the top of the world rankings and an undoubted amount of talent in our game, I hope to try and bring everyone along for the ride so we can all help take English Men’s cricket to new heights across all formats.” Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer said, “Following a thorough recruitment process, Rob stood out in a very competitive field. His passion and knowledge of the game at domestic and international level is outstanding. He is a proven leader and combines an approachable nature with fresh original thinking and resilience which will stand him in good stead. He will bring a lot to the role and I am sure players and staff alike will enjoy working with Rob. I have no doubt he will relish the challenge before us.” “I’d like to thank Andrew for agreeing to step back into the role on an interim basis. To have someone of his experience and skillset during the transition and recruitment process was invaluable. He remains a huge asset to English and Welsh Cricket.”

BIPIN DANI Former Nepal captain Gyanendra Malla received the highest civilian award in his country. The 31-year-old top order right-hand batter received this "Prabal Janasewa Shree Award from Government of Nepal this week. Speaking exclusively over the telephone, he said, "I would like to thank the Nepal Government for honoring me with this award. I am feeling really proud and honored". "It's always a great feeling that the Government puts value and recognizes my effort and contribution for Nepal as a cricketer for more than 17 years with the highest civilian award". "This is one of the biggest achievements of my life. Proudest moment for me and my family", he added. Paras Khadka, Somnath Kami were among the other cricketer-recipients of this award in the past. Sandeep Lamichhane had recently replaced Gyanendra Malla as Nepal captain.

Sports Bulletin Report LONDON:-Joe Root has today stepped down as England Men's Test Captain. Root holds the record for the most number of matches and wins as England Men's Test Captain. His 27 victories put him ahead of Michael Vaughan (26), Sir Alastair Cook, and Sir Andrew Strauss (24 each). After being appointed as Sir Alastair Cook's successor in 2017, Root led the side to a number of famous series victories, including a 4-1 home series win over India in 2018 and a 3-1 triumph away to South Africa in 2020. In 2018 he became the first England Men's Captain to win a Test series in Sri Lanka since 2001, a feat he went on to repeat with a 2-0 victory in Sri Lanka in 2021. He is already England’s second highest Test run scorer of all time behind only Cook and scored 14 centuries as Captain. His tally of 5,295 runs as skipper is the highest by any England Captain and puts him 5th in the all-time list behind only Graeme Smith, Alan Border, Ricky Ponting and Virat Kohli. Joe Root, said: “After returning from the Caribbean tour and having time to reflect, I have decided to step down as England Men’s Test Captain. It has been the most challenging decision I have had to make in my career but having discussed this with my family and those closest to me; I know the timing is right. "I am immensely proud to have captained my country and will look back on the past five years with enormous pride. It has been an honour to have done the job and to have been a custodian of what is the pinnacle of English cricket. "I have loved leading my country, but recently it's hit home how much of a toll it has taken on me and the impact it has had on me away from the game. "I want to take this opportunity to thank my family, Carrie, Alfred and Bella, who have lived it all with me and been incredible pillars of love and support throughout. I thanked all of the players, coaches and supporting staff that helped me during my tenure. It has been a great privilege to have been with them on this journey. "I would also like to thank all the England supporters for their unwavering support. We are lucky to have the best fans in the world, and wherever we play, that positivity is something we always cherish and admire, which is a huge drive for all of us out there. "I am excited to continue representing the Three Lions and producing performances that will enable the team to succeed. I look forward to helping the next Captain, my teammates and coaches in whatever way I can." Tom Harrison, ECB Chief Executive Officer said: “Joe has been an exceptional role model during his tenure, balancing the demands of Test captaincy whilst continuing to shine brilliantly through his own personal performances. He has led by example, and that has resulted in more Men's Test wins than any other England Captain, alongside a number of famous series home and away victories. “Joe’s leadership qualities were exemplified by how he led the team through some of the most difficult and uncertain times we have known, playing during the pandemic all over the world, which speaks volumes for him as a leader and as a person. “I know that every single person who has played or worked under Joe’s captaincy will speak of his integrity and humility as a person, as much as his determination and example as a leader. “Off the field, Joe has been no different. It has been a privilege and a huge pleasure to have worked with him in his capacity as our Men's Test Captain, and I know he’ll continue to drive English cricket forward as a senior player, offering his wealth of experience and advice to support his successor.”

Ali Ahmed LAHORE:-Pakistan men’s national cricket team is scheduled to play seven Tests, 17 ODIs and a minimum of 25 T20Is in the next 12 months as the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed and unveiled their upcoming international commitments. The seven ICC World Test Championship fixtures will be against three opponents – Sri Lanka (2), England (3) and New Zealand (2) – while the 12 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches will be versus West Indies, Sri Lanka, Netherlands and New Zealand (three each). In the shortest format of the game, Pakistan men’s side will feature in the ACC Asia Cup T20 in August/September and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 from 15 October to 15 November where they are guaranteed a minimum of five T20Is each. Outside the two events, their other T20Is will be against England (seven), West Indies (three) and New Zealand (five). New Zealand, in addition to the five ODIs in April 2023, will also play five T20Is. The women’s national side have a demanding but exciting and challenging 12 months, which will provide them more opportunities to improve and excel as well as to showcase their talent and potential to the world. The women’s side will feature in three ICC Women’s Championship series matches against Sri Lanka, Ireland (both home) and Australia (away), the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the 19th Asian Games in Guangzhou, the ACC Women’s T20 Cup (venue TBC), the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2023 South Africa and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 South Africa. In addition to this, Pakistan women will take on Ireland and Australia in a triangular T20 series in Belfast in the lead up to the Birmingham Games. At this stage, Pakistan Shaheens’ participation in the 19th Asian Games is confirmed, though efforts are being made to add a few more series for the Shaheens so that there are more opportunities for players who are knocking at the doors of the national side. While there is more international cricket for the men’s and women’s sides as compared to the 2021-22 season, Pakistan is set to host more international cricket in the coming season. West Indies, England and New Zealand men’s sides will tour Pakistan twice each, while Sri Lanka and Ireland women will visit Pakistan in May/June and October/November. This exciting and back-to-back international cricket will be in addition to the 2022-23 domestic cricket season, which will run concurrently to the international season. In the 2021-22 season, the PCB delivered 314 matches in 12 tournaments between September 2021 and April 2022. Pakistan international commitments (May 2022 to April 2023): 24 May - 5 June - Sri Lanka Women in Karachi (3 ODIs & 3 T20Is) 5-12 June - West Indies Men in Rawalpindi (3 ODIs) Jul-Aug - Pakistan Men to Sri Lanka (2 Tests & 3 ODIs) 12-24 Jul - Pakistan Women to Belfast for tri-series (4T20Is) 25 Jul-8 Aug - Pakistan Women for Birmingham Commonwealth Games (7 T20Is) Aug – Pakistan Men to Netherlands (three ODIs) 1-17 Sept – Pakistan Men to Sri Lanka for ACC T20 Cup (5 T20Is) 10-25 Sep – Pakistan Women and Pakistan Shaheens to Gangzhou, China, for 19th Asia Games Sep-Oct – England Men to Pakistan (7 T20Is) Oct - ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup (8 T20Is, venue TBC) 15 Oct-15 Nov - ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia, (5 T20Is) 30 Oct-19 Nov - Ireland Women to Lahore/Karachi (3 ODIs & 3 T20Is) Nov-Dec - England Men to Pakistan (3 Tests) Dec-Jan - New Zealand Men to Pakistan (2 Tests & 3 ODIs) 4 Jan-1 Feb - Pakistan Women to Australia (3 ODIs & 3 T20Is) Jan - West Indies Men to Pakistan (3 T20Is) Jan-Feb - ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, South Africa 2-26 Feb - ICC Women's T20 World Cup, South Africa Apr-May – New Zealand Men to Pakistan (5 ODIs & 5 T20Is)

BIPIN DANI Malaysia's Virandeep Singh, who took five wickets in five balls (against Push Sports Delhi) in Nepal Pro-Club Championship has "no regrets" on not being able to grab 6 in 6. The 23-year-old, who is also the opening batter (and wicket keeper) but also bowls spin grabbed five wickets in five balls but one batter was run out in the second ball of his last over on Monday. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Nepal, he said, "no regrets. I’m happy I took 5 in 5 balls". "To be honest with you, I didn’t know I had taken 5 wickets in that over. Only when I was going for the Man of the Match presentation did they tell me I had taken 5 and there were 6 wickets in the entire over". "I was told to bowl the 20th over of the match by the captain and my only goal was to restrict them to as low as I could, I wasn’t really thinking about wickets at that time but the goal was to contain. It just happened for me, the wicket was very supportive for spinners and I guess it was meant to be for me", he added. "It’s an amazing feeling to achieve such a feat. I never had that in mind, as I was just focused on doing the job for my team, but of course it’s a massive confidence boost for me now as a bowler and I hope to contribute more as a bowler to the national team". "The opposition team coach was my coach during the Everest premier league when I played for Chitwan tigers last year and he had put an Instagram story the night before our match saying something along the lines of ‘when your next match is against Viran and he’s on top of his game’. It was a photo of him looking worried. He actually meant that for my batting, as I’m primarily a batsman. And the next day when this happened, he came up to and said ‘I had prepared for your batting, but what was this all about. And we just had a laugh about it". "Overall, a memorable day for me, my family, my team, and the country as well", Malaysxia-born Virandeep Singh, whose foremothers were Indians, signed off. 

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Pakistan national women’s team will begin their ICC Women’s Championship campaign on 1 June when they host Sri Lanka for the first of the three One-Day International matches at Karachi’s Southend Club. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka will arrive in the cricket-mad city of Karachi on 19 May and will have three days of practice in the lead-up to the three T20 Internationals, which will be played on 24, 26 and 28, May 2022. The ICC Women’s Championship fixtures are scheduled for 1, 3 and 4 June. Ahead of the series, the national side will undergo an 11-day camp in which 26 players will participate. The camp will be held at the Academy Oval ground adjacent to the National Stadium. This will be the third edition of the ICC Championship. In the inaugural edition from 2014-16, Pakistan finished ahead of Sri Lanka in seventh position. In the event that ran from 2017-20, Pakistan finished in fifth position, ahead of New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka. This will be national side’s first series at the venue since they hosted the West Indies for three T20Is in December 2018. This will also be the first international series in Pakistan that will be played outside the hard Managed Event Environment since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. The players, team officials and match officials, along with other participants, will undergo on-arrival tests and will be expected to follow the SOPs to protect themselves from the virus. Anybody who tests positive will be required to undergo five days of isolation. Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof: “It is a great privilege for us to play the ICC Women’s Championship on our home soil and the side is very excited to welcome Sri Lanka. This edition provides us an opportunity to start fresh and make the most of the home advantage. “I am sure the team will perform to their fullest potential and the Pakistan cricket fans, who have extended us great support, will get to see better and consistent results.” At the completion of the series, the national side will fly to Ireland for a tri-nation T20I series in which they will take on the hosts and T20I champions Australia, before they move to Birmingham, England, for eight-team Commonwealth Games. The T20Is and ODIs during Sri Lanka women’s visit to Karachi will begin at 1400 and 0930. Schedule (Venue Karachi): 19 May – Teams arrive in Karachi 21-23 May – Training 24 May – First T20I 26 May – Second T20I 28 May – Third T20I 1 Jun – First ODI 3 Jun – Second ODI 5 Jun – Third ODI

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-The BRB Group will sponsor 100 contracts for junior cricketers that will be awarded under the PCB Pathway Cricket Programme. The contracts are initially being awarded for a one-year period. The PCB-BRB Group collaboration for this project has been initiated with the signing of a three-year long MoU (Memorandum of Understanding). Alongside the financial support, the PCB will invest in personality development and grooming of these youngsters. The focus will be on providing quality education whilst also upskilling cricketing talent. These 100 players will be earning monthly retainers of PKR 30,000 each. Scholarships will also be provided to these players in top schools and college/universities. Technical education on the side-lines of a comprehensive cricket skill acquisition plan will also be delivered as a part of the programme. Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja: “We want to thank the BRB Group for their support for the PCB Pathway Cricket Programme that will shape the future of Pakistan cricket. I have personally taken great interest in the project and it remains very close to my heart. “One of our major objectives is to invest in pathway cricket to ensure our future cricketers get the best possible training, grooming, education and financial support. I am delighted with the progress we have made in a short span of time. We have identified talented players who are in their early to late teens and are the future of Pakistan cricket, we will now fully focus on the development of their cricket, education and basic life skills. “The investment that we are making on grassroots is unprecedented, and I am confident that these steps will change the landscape of the game in the country for the future generations.” Chairman BRB Group Bilal Khawaja: “We are very excited about our collaboration with the Pakistan Cricket Board for the training, development and grooming of Pakistan’s future cricket stars under the PCB Pathway Cricket Programme. Cricket unites us as a country and has remained a source of joy, inspiration and pride for the last many decades. “BRB Group is keen on playing a major role in shaping Pakistan cricket’s future, I am sure these cricketers will go on to serve the country with distinction in the years ahead. The PCB and BRB Group are not only focused on making these youngsters’ good cricketers but we are also endeavouring to educate them and to teach them life skills. This is an unprecedented initiative by the PCB and we are delighted to make a strong contribution.