Sports Bulletin

Sports Reporter Dubai (November 17, 2021):-Mitchell Marsh and David Warner have made notable progress in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after helping Australia win their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday. All-rounder Marsh, who struck an impressive 77 not out off 50 balls to be named Player of the Match in the final against New Zealand, has progressed six spots to reach joint-13th position among batters while Player of the Tournament Warner’s scores of 49 against Pakistan in their semifinal and 53 in the final have helped him move up eight places to 33rd position. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson, who top-scored in the final with a knock of 85, has gained seven places to reach 32nd position while Devon Conway is up three places to fourth position after scoring 46 against England in the first semifinal in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman is up eight places to 40th following his unbeaten 55 against Australia in the second semifinal in Dubai while spinner Shadab Khan has moved up seven places to 16th position after bagging four for 16 in the same match. Other bowlers to gain in the latest update include Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who is up two places to third, and fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, whose haul of three for 16 in the final sees him move up two places to sixth position. New Zealand’s left-arm seamer Trent Boult is up seven places to 14th position after taking two for 18 in the final while Pat Cummins (up 24 places to 37th) and Chris Woakes (up 21 places to 46th) have also moved up the bowlers’ list. England’s Liam Livingstone is up seven places to third among all-rounders. Meanwhile, Canada batter Navneet Dhaliwal’s consistent performances in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Regional Qualifier have lifted him 36 places to 36th position. Dhaliwal’s scores included 65 against Panama, 49 against Argentina and 44 against Canada.

Sports Bulletin Report DUBAHI (November 17, 2021):-The ICC Board appointed Working Group has been established to review the status of the Afghanistan Cricket Board and cricket in Afghanistan in light of the recent governmental changes in the country. The group comprises Imran Khwaja (Chair), Ross McCollum, Lawson Naidoo and Ramiz Raja and will report back to the Board over the coming months. ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “The ICC Board is committed to continuing to support Afghanistan Cricket to develop both men’s and women’s cricket moving forward. We believe the most effective way for this to happen will be to support our members in their efforts to achieve this through its relationship with the new government. “Cricket is fortunate to be in the position to influence positive change in Afghanistan with the national men’s team a source of great pride and unity in a country with a young population that has experienced more upheaval and change than most. We should protect that status and continue to try to influence change through the ACB but will continue to closely monitor the situation and take any decisions accordingly.” Other updates The ICC Board approved the continuation of the ICC World Test Championship in its current form of a nine-team league over a two-year period with a final between the top two teams at the conclusion. Following the expansion of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup to a 14-team event in the next cycle2027, the Board accepted a recommendation from the Chief Executives’ Committee that the primary avenue for qualification for the event is based on rankings at a pre-determined cutoff date with the 10 highest-ranked teams on the MRF Men’s ODI Rankings qualifying automatically, and the remainder being determined via a global qualifier. BCCI Chair Sourav Ganguly has been appointed to the position of Chair of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee after Anil Kumble stepped down having served a maximum of three, three-year terms. ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “I am delighted to welcome Sourav to the position of Chair of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee. His experience as one of the world’s best players and latterly as an administrator will help us shape our cricketing decisions moving forward. I would also like to thank Anil for his outstanding leadership over the last nine years which has included improving the international game through more regular and consistent application of DRS and a robust process for addressing suspect bowling actions.” The Board also approved that first-class status and list A classification will be applied to women’s cricket to align with the men’s game and applied retrospectively. Going forward the ICC Women’s Committee will be known as the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee and will assume all decision making responsibility for women’s cricket reporting directly to the CEC. Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies has been appointed to the ICC Women’s Cricket Committee. ICC Chair Greg Barclay added: “This has been an extremely productive set of Board meetings and I’d like to thank my fellow Board Directors for their efforts in travelling to Dubai to enable us to enjoy our first face to face meeting in more than two years. International travel is not easy in COVID times, but we have achieved a significant amount by being in the same room. “Finally, on behalf of the ICC Board, I’d like to thank the ICC staff for their continued commitment over the last two years. It hasn’t been a straightforward period and the challenges thrown at us by COVID have impacted on how they have had to operate. They have responded with great energy and have consistently delivered to a high standard culminating with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 which has been a resounding success.”

Special Report Dubai (November 16, 2021):-Chairman, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ramiz Raja has thanked the International Cricket Council for awarding the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to Pakistan, saying the event will showcase Pakistan’s passion for the sport. The ICC Board’s decision means Pakistan will defend the ICC Champions Trophy title in their backyard when the eight-team and 15-match tournament is held at three iconic venues in February 2025. Pakistan had defeated India by 180 runs in the 2017 tournament at The Oval. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “I am pleased no-end with the ICC’s decision to select Pakistan as a host nation for one of their elite tournaments. By allocating a major global event to Pakistan, the ICC has expressed complete confidence and faith in our management and operational capabilities and skills. “We have continued to demonstrate how a great host we are and through the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, we will again showcase our passion and love for the sport as this event will be a boon to the millions of home fans, who will see world class teams and their favourite international players from close quarters. “We not only endeavour to plan and deliver a world-class event, we will also prepare and field a strong and formidable side that can perform and entertain our home fans. We saw during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup campaign how the nation got united and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 at home will be another opportunity to further strengthen that bond as we defend the title.”  

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (November 16, 2021):-Southern Punjab will enter the fifth round, which commences from tomorrow, of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 with their heads high as they take on Sindh at Gaddafi Stadium, the home of Pakistan cricket. Southern Punjab and Sindh have been the best sides in the competition to date as Southern Punjab lead the points table with 60 and Sindh are ranked second with 40. The match between these teams will be live-streamed through Pakistan Cricket Board’s official YouTube channel across the globe. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – who have same points as Sindh, but are ranked third – will play fourth-placed Central Punjab at Multan Cricket Stadium.  The two sides are joint-winners of the last Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and will be eager to bag crucial 16 points by securing a win to catch up with Southern Punjab. In the third match of the round, Balochistan, ranked fifth, and Northern, bottom-placed, will go head-to-head at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium. After becoming the first side to face a defeat, Northern will be hoping to make a strong comeback with a win. The players selected for the national Test side for the two-Test series against Bangladesh will not feature in this round. As such, the six sides can call up reinforcements from their squads, announced at the start of the season. This is the last round of this Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 being played in Punjab. The last half of the tournament, including the final will be played in Karachi. Squads: Balochistan - Imran Butt (captain), Bismillah Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Akbar-ur-Rehman, Akif Javed, Amad Butt, Ayaz Tasawar, Azeem Ghumman, Gohar Faiz, Haris Sohail, Jalat Khan, Kashif Bhatti, Najeebullah Khan, Raza-ul-Hasan and Taj Wali Central Punjab – Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Shehzad, Ali Zaryab, Bilawal Iqbal, Haider Ali, Imran Dogar, Junaid Ali (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Akhlaq (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Saad, Nisar Ahmed, Saad Nasim, Saif Badar, Waqas Maqsood and Zafar Gohar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Adil Amin, Arshadullah, Ashfaq Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Imran Khan Snr, Israrullah, Khalid Usman, Mehran Ibrahim, Musadiq Ahmed, Nabi Gul, Niaz Khan, Rehan Afridi (wicketkeeper), Sahibzada Farhan and Sameen Gul Northern – Umar Amin (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdul Faseeh, Ather Mehmood, Faizan Riaz, Kashif Ali, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, Mohammad Huraira, Munir Riaz, Musa Khan, Raza Hasan, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sarmad Bhatti, Umar Waheed and Waqas Ahmed Sindh – Asad Shafiq (captain), Ammad Alam, Ahsan Ali, Junaid Ilyas, Khurram Manzoor, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hassan, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Umar, Saad Khan, Shan Masood, Sohail Khan and Tabish Khan Southern Punjab – Umar Siddiq (captain and wicketkeeper), Adeel-ur-Rehman, Ali Usman, Aamer Yamin, Azam Khan (wicketkeeper), Hassan Khan, Imran Rafiq, Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Junaid, Naved Yasin, Tayyab Tahir, Yousaf Babar, Zain Abbas and Zia-ul-Haq Fixtures (17-20 November): Southern Punjab v Sindh – Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Central Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan Northern v Balochistan – Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

Abdullah Asjad RAWALPINDI (November 16, 2021):-Mohammad Waqas representing Central Punjab U19 Blues hit century against Southern Punjab U19 Whites on the opening day of the National U19 Championship final being staged at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. After being put into bat, Central Punjab were dismissed for 337 in the 77th over. Right-handed batter Waqas struck 16 fours and three sixes during his 132-ball 101 innings. He was supported by opening batter Shawaiz Irfan who contributed 71 off 113 balls, hitting 12 fours. Waqas and Shawaiz added 12o runs for the third wicket. Southern Punjab’s Faisal Akram with his left-arm spin took four for 54, while Arafat Ahmed and Mohammad Ismail bagged two wickets apiece. At stumps, Southern Punjab U19 Whites were 35 for no loss in nine overs. Scores in brief: Central Punjab U19 Blues v Southern Punjab U19 Whites – Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Central Punjab U19 Blues 337 all out, 76.1 overs (Mohammad Waqas 101, Shawaiz Irfan 71, Abubakar 38, Ali Asfand 31; Faisal Akram 4-54, Arafat Ahmed 2-48, Mohammad Ismail 2-68) Southern Punjab U19 Whites 35-0, nine overs (Aun Shehzad 19 not out, Arafat Ahmed 16 not out)

SPECIAL REPORT (November 16, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) today confirmed the 14 host countries of the ICC men’s white ball events from 2024-2031. 11 Full Members and three Associate Members have been selected to host two ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups, four ICC Men’s T20 World Cups and two ICC Men’s Champions Trophy events. Pakistan will host Champions Trophy in 2025. The USA and Namibia will host an ICC World Cup event for the first time. Whilst Australia, Bangladesh, England, Ireland, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe have previously staged major events and will do so again over the next decade. The hosts were selected via a competitive bidding process overseen by a Board sub-committee chaired by Martin Snedden along with Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Skerritt. The ICC Board accepted the recommendations of the committee who conducted a thorough review of each bid along with ICC management. A similar process to identify the hosts for ICC Women’s and U19s events for the next cycle will be undertaken early next year. ICC Chair Greg Barclay said: “We are delighted to have concluded this competitive bidding process for the first time for ICC events. To have 14 Members hosting 8 events is a reflection of the truly global nature of our sport and I’d like to thank every Member that submitted a bid and offer our congratulations to the successful bidders. “It is fantastic to be returning to so many previous hosts, but what is really exciting about this process is the countries who will stage ICC events for the first time including the USA which is a strategic growth market for us. This gives us the opportunity to deepen our connection with fans in traditional cricket nations and also reach new fans around the world.” Martin Snedden, Chair of the ICC Hosting Sub-Committee said: “We received a range of excellent bids to host the ICC Men’s events in the next cycle. We were committed to ensuring a broad spread of hosts to align with the ICC strategic objective of global growth and have ended up with 14 countries who will support that long term aim.” Ricky Skerritt, Cricket West Indies President and ICC Board member said: “The success of this joint bid by CWI and USA Cricket will be a huge boost for our cricket. It offers a vital strategic opportunity to promote and develop cricket, and related commercial activity, in North America and the Caribbean. I take this opportunity to thank all those at ICC, USA Cricket and CWI who helped to make this 2024 venue selection decision possible.” The awarding of the events to preferred hosts is subject to the completion of the host agreements and the ICC will now work closely with Members to finalise arrangements. 17 Members submitted a total of 28 proposals to host the eight ICC Men’s white ball events.

Aamir Ali Janjua DUBAHI:-The event which is scheduled to take place between 16 October and 13 November next year will see a total of 45 matches hosted across Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Final will be hosted under lights at the MCG on 13 November 2022. The semi-finals will be hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Adelaide Oval on 9 and 10 November, respectively. Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 champions Australia and runner-up New Zealand plus Afghanistan, Bangladesh, England, India, Pakistan and South Africa as the next highest ranked teams will gain direct entry into the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. Namibia, Scotland, Sri Lanka and the West Indies will play in Round 1. The four remaining spots at Australia 2022 will be filled via the ongoing qualification pathway, culminating in two global qualifying tournaments one to take place in Oman in February and the other in Zimbabwe in June/July. Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “We are looking forward to seeing the return of ICC events to Australia and are delighted to announce the seven host cities for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022. Following the success of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020 and a two year postponement, our sights are now firmly set on planning for the 2022 event in collaboration with the LOC. “With 12 teams already confirmed in the line-up, we eagerly await the culmination of the qualification process to see which other teams will join them.”

Haroon Zulfiqar ISLAMABAD:-Shifa International Hospitals Islamabad beat Capital Tigers Islamabad by 5 wickets in the friendly match played at Faisal Hills Cricket Ground near Taxila. Capital Tigers Captain Majid won the toss and elected to bat first, Capital Tigers made 196 for all out in 33rd over. Irfan Senior (68), Irfan (24) and Ikram (15) were the key contributors. Shifa International Shahmir Ali bowled well and claimed 4 for 32 in 6 over, While Azmat Bashir (3 for 33) and Muzammil Rana (2 for 12) were the other main wicket-takers. In reply, Shifa International achieved the target in the 27th over for the loss of five wickets. Tahir Akhtar and Mohammad Ikram contributed 76 runs in 6th wicket partnership, Tahir Akhtar (56 not out), Mohammad Ikram (41 Not out), Shahzad Kiani (29) and Shahmir Ali (21) were their main scorers. For Capital Tigers Amin took (2 for 25).

Ali Ahmed LAHORE:-National selectors today announced the Pakistan men’s cricket team for the two Tests against Bangladesh, which will be played in Chittagong (26-30 November) and Dhaka (4-8 December). Opener Imam-Ul-Haq, middle-order batter Kamran Ghulam and off-spinner Bilal Asif have been named in the 20-player squad, replacing Haris Rauf, Imran Butt, Shahnawaz Dahani and Yasir Shah, who were part of the 21-player side that toured the West Indies in July/August. Left-handed Imam has been recalled following his stellar performances in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in which he has aggregated 488 runs in five innings of four matches, including an unbeaten double-century. Imam had played his 11th and last Test against Australia in Adelaide in November/December 2019. Bilal has replaced Yasir Shah who is still recovering from a thumb injury he sustained during the National T20 and is yet to feature in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The off-spinner has taken 16 wickets in five Tests and has been drafted in the side considering Bangladesh squad includes left-handed batters and also looking ahead to the home Tests against Australia. Kamran has returned to the side after missing the West Indies tour. He was in the squad for the home series against South Africa after scoring a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy record 1,249 runs in the 2020-21 season. Kamran is presently in Sri Lanka with the Pakistan Shaheens where he scored 58 not out and 45 in two innings of the rain-affected two-match four-day series. Chief Selector Mohammad Wasim: “We have selected the squad following discussions with the team management and after taking into consideration the opposition’s potential make-up and the conditions in which the Tests will be played. “As we already have four frontline fast bowlers, we have allowed Haris Rauf and Shahnawaz Dahani to return to Pakistan after the T20Is so that they can play in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and prepare for Australia Tests. An in-form left-handed Imam-Ul-Haq has replaced Imran Butt, who managed to score at 17.8 in 10 Test innings, but he has a chance to continue to play and perform in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy so that he can force his way back in the side. “Bangladesh are strong side in their backyard but we have the resources, talent and experience to perform strongly and then carry that momentum into the Australia Tests, which will be part of the ICC World Test Championship.” Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Bilal Asif (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Naseem Shah (Southern Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Zahid Mahmood (Sindh).

Sports Bulletin Report DHAKA, Bangladesh:-The three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Bangladesh will commence from Friday, 19 November in Dhaka. The remaining two matches of the series will be played on 20 and 22 November at the same venue. Pakistan team training details: 16 November: Pakistan cricket team will hold a training session at the NCAG Mirpur at 1030. The PCB will provide videos, photos and interviews of squad members, which can be used for editorial purposes only. 17 November: Pakistan cricket team will hold a training session at the NCAG Mirpur at 1345. The PCB will provide videos, photos and interviews of squad members, which can be used for editorial purposes only. 18 November: Pakistan cricket team will hold a training session at the NCAG Mirpur at 1600. The PCB will provide videos, photos and interviews of squad members, which can be used for editorial purposes only. 19 November: First T20I match at Sher-E-Bangla Cricket Stadium Dhaka, first ball to be bowled at 1400. 20 November: Second T20I match at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Dhaka, first ball to be bowled at 1400. 21 November: Pakistan cricket team will hold a training session at the NCAG Mirpur from 1345. The PCB will provide videos, photos and interviews of squad members, which can be used for editorial purposes only. 22 November: Third T20I match at Sher-E-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Dhaka, first ball to be bowled at 1400.