Sports Bulletin

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 15, 2021):-Grant Bradburn has decided to step down from the Head of High Performance Coaching role to pursue further coaching opportunities. During his three years in Pakistan, the former New Zealand Test spinner served Pakistan cricket as national side’s fielding coach from September 2018 to June 2020, before taking on the development of coaching responsibilities. He remained a popular figure within the cricket fraternity and is regarded highly by players, coaches and colleagues. Grant Bradburn: “It has been an honour and privilege to serve Pakistan, providing challenge and support, to drive the players, coaches and teams forward. I will leave PCB grateful for the wonderful opportunities and the experiences I have gained. “As a foreigner, I felt welcomed and valued by my present and former PCB colleagues, players, officials and the Pakistan public. I have always felt safe here, loved exploring this wonderful country and made many lifetime friends. “My wife Maree and three children have also sacrificed a lot in allowing me to serve Pakistan cricket. Covid-19 regulations made it challenging for them to visit Pakistan and feel the warmth, love and friendship this country offers. It is now time for me to prioritise family and move forward to the next coaching challenge.” Director High Performance, Nadeem Khan: “Grant served Pakistan cricket with passion and dedication. He was always full of energy and ideas, a number of which he implemented following the restructuring of the National High Performance Centre. I thank Grant for his contributions to Pakistan cricket and wish him well in his future endeavours.”

BIPIN DANI It was a double delight for Ireland's 16-year-old Amy Hunter, who not only became the youngest international centurion but her unbeatern ODI ton came on her 16th birthday enabled the Ireland women's team to register a win against Zimbabwe. Interestingly, Hunter overtook the record which was held by India's Mithali Raj, against Ireland. Mithali had scored 114 (n.o.) in an ODI at the age of 16 years and 205 days in June 1999. “We are just so excited for Amy, although there is also a lot of relief there, as we know how hard she works and how many hours of training she puts in”, her mother Sara Hunter says exclusively. “Amy has been playing boys cricket since a young age, and she showed a true passion for cricket from an early age. She said she found cricket addictive, and as parents we saw that in how she has dedicated herself to the game.” Sara's both parents-father Jim- are doctors by profession. “Amy has just flown in from Zimbabwe and is exhausted after the tour and all the media attention over the last 48 hours. She’ll rest up with a day off school, but in true style she is planning to be back out there this weekend playing hockey for her school”, the mother continued. “We are so thankful that we could follow Amy’s innings on the livestream, as we couldn’t travel out there, and appreciate Zimbabwe Cricket for putting that on - and thankful for the Irish coaches and support staff that looked after Amy and her teammates in the tour.” Amy's brother, James is also a cricketer, informs Norman Shannon, the chairman of the cricket committee of the Instonians Cricket Club. "We are proud of Amy's superb performance. Amy and James played for our club. Now she plays for Malahide Cricket Club in the South as a higher standard. She is the only girl to score a hundred for Instonians Women's team", he added. 

H Shah MANCHESTER (October 14, 2021):-A 14-strong squad has been selected for the Lions tour of Australia starting in November. The touring party will depart on the 4 November along with the Test specialists selected in the Ashes squad. Selection is subject to passing Lions minimum fitness standards, which will be administered over the coming weeks. Lions squad to tour Australia Tom Abell (Somerset), Josh Bohannon (Lancashire), James Bracey (Gloucestershire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Mason Crane (Hampshire), Matthew Fisher (Yorkshire), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Alex Lees (Durham), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Liam Norwell (Warwickshire), Matt Parkinson (Lancashire), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Rob Yates (Warwickshire) The squad includes four players, James Bracey, Mason Crane, Ben Foakes and Dom Sibley, who are capped at Test level Lancashire batter Josh Bohannon, Surrey wicketkeeper Jamie Smith and the Warwickshire pair of seamer Liam Norwell and opening batter Rob Yates are new to the Lions set-up. The rest of the squad have had Lions experience in the past. Durham opener Alex Lees returns to the Lions for the first time in six years. The 28-year-old left-hander has been in excellent form in the LV= Insurance County Championship and will be looking to make an impression on this tour. The Lions will be in camp alongside the England Ashes squad and will play two intra-squad matches (1 x 3-day and 1 x 4-day matches) in Queensland. They will also take on Australia A in a four-day match. Dates and venues are still to be confirmed. The party will return home on 16 December. Coaching appointments will be announced in due course.

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (October 14, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board today provisionally suspended Zeeshan Malik of Northern Cricket Association under Article 4.7.1 of the PCB Anti-Corruption Code, which means he cannot take part in any cricket-related activity pending the investigation being carried out by PCB's Anti-Corruption Unit. Article 4.7.1 read as: Where either: (a) the PCB decides to charge a Participant with an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code; or (b) the PCB considers that there are other exceptional circumstances relevant to a Participant (for example, where any relevant police authority has arrested and/or charged a Participant with an offence under any relevant criminal law in respect of facts or circumstances that may also constitute an offence under this Anti-Corruption Code), it shall have the discretion, in circumstances where it considers that the integrity of the sport could otherwise be seriously undermined, to Provisionally Suspend the Participant pending the Anti-Corruption Tribunal’s determination of whether he/she has committed an offence. Any decision to Provisionally Suspend the Participant will be communicated to the Participant in writing, with a copy sent at the same time to the ICC and, where applicable, the National Cricket Federation to which the Participant is affiliated.

BIPIN DANI Afghanistan cricket team will participate in the upcoming T-20 World Cup under the old national flag-banner, it is learnt. According to highly placed sources in Kabul and the UAE, it has been made clear to the officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Doubts were recently raised about the participation of the team in the World Cup following the Taliban taking over the charge of the nation. "Afghanistan's old national flag is being displayed in the Expo 2020, a World Expo, currently hosted by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022", one of the sources confirmed from the UAE. The team is, however, likely to miss the first practice match against South Africa on 18th.  "Only eight Afghanistan players are in the UAE. The rest of the squad members, who were practicing in Qatar, could get late visas and arrive on Wednesday night/Thursday morning".   "As per the standard rule, they need to spend six-day quarantine before being allowed to practice and therefore the match may have to be skipped", the source aware of the development said. The authorities are in negotiations with the ICC and the Indian cricket board, it is learnt.    Andy Flower, the new batting consultant has already joined the squad in the UAE.  

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (October 13, 2021):-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa successfully defended the National T20 title thanks to their captain Iftikhar Ahmed’s all-round performance, which fashioned a seven-wicket win over Central Punjab in the final at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday. The 31-year-old all-rounder stroked a whirlwind 45 not out off 19 as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa overhauled a 149-run target with 18 balls spare. Iftikhar arrived at the crease with his side requiring 59 runs from 7.4 overs and smashed two sixes and six fours to finish as the second best batter in the tournament with 409 runs scored at a staggering strike rate of 170.41. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain completed the run chase by smoking Mohammad Faizan for a four through cover on the last ball of the 17th over and unleashed a roar in the Lahore night sky. He was won the player of the final and the best player of the tournament awards. Adil Amin with an unbeaten 25 off 21 provided Iftikhar support from the other end. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s run chase was off to a quiet start as Central Punjab captain Wahab Riaz bowled a maiden over to Sahibzada Farhan. Young wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris spanked Sameen Gul for a four and a six in the second over before he was dismissed. The second wicket 47-run stand between Farhan, who was named as the best batter for scoring the 447 – the most in the tournament – at a strike rate of 132, and Kamran Ghulam (37 off 31) staged the recovery and put Khyber Pakhtunkhwa into a strong position. Farhan made 26 off 28 and was dismissed by young off-spinner Qasim Akram. That Central Punjab bowlers had something to bowl at was due to the 85-run second wicket alliance between Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal. The pair came together after Mohammad Akhlaq was caught behind off Imran Khan Snr on the second ball and put Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers on the backfoot. Ahmed, who top scored in the innings with 36-ball 44, smashed Arshad Iqbal for two fours in the second over, but it was the fifth over when their partnership truly kicked off as the two smashed left-arm orthodox Asif Afridi for two fours and a six in an over that added 16 to the total. Ahmed finished the powerplay with a magnificent six over point as Central Punjab gathered 51 from the first six overs. It was left-arm orthodox Khalid Usman who ended their partnership as he deceived Kamran in the air and had him stumped. Kamran smashed three fours and two sixes in his 29-ball 42. The next over, Central Punjab’s problems compounded as Iftikhar introduced himself into the attack. Ahmed fell six runs short of what would have been his 40th T20 half-century as he hold out to long-off. In his next over, Iftikhar accounted for Saif Badar and Hussain Talat as Central Punjab slipped from 85 for one to 101 for five and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain finished with a superb three for five. Qasim was the only batter in the middle-order to make a valuable contribution with 11-ball 20. He struck two sixes to Imran in the 17th over, which added 20. But, from there on, Central Punjab lost wickets on regular intervals. Mohammad Imran removed Mohammad Faizan and Qasim on back to back deliveries in the 18th over and Arshad sent Faheem Ashraf and Zafar Gohar back to the pavilion in the next over. Imran returned in the last over to remove Wahab and end Central Punjab’s innings with four balls spare. Scores in brief Central Punjab 148 all out, 19.2 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 44, Kamran Akmal 42, Qasim Akram 20; Iftikhar Ahmed 3-5, Mohammad Imran 3-26, Arshad Iqbal 2-28) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 152-3, 17 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 45 not out, Kamran Ghulam 37, Sahibzada Farhan 26, Adil Amin 25 not out; Sameen Gul 1-19, Qasim Akram 1-27, Mohammad Faizan 1-46) Player of the final:  Iftikhar Ahmed Player of the tournament: Iftikhar Ahmed (409 runs and eight wickets) Best batter of the tournament: Sahibzada Farhan (447 runs) Best bowler of the tournament: Imran Khan Snr (16 wickets) Best wicketkeeper of the tournament: Rohail Nazir (12 dismissals)

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (October 13, 2021):-The qualification pathway to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Australia will continue this week with Denmark, Germany, Italy and Jersey set to compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier supported by Dream 11 hosted at the Desert Springs Cricket Ground in Spain. The qualification pathway to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Australia will continue this week with Denmark, Germany, Italy and Jersey set to compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier supported by Dream 11 hosted at the Desert Springs Cricket Ground in Spain. The event will be played from 15 - 21 October as a double round robin format with the teams finishing first and second to progress to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifiers A and B, which will take place in 2022. Little separates the teams on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings with Jersey (24th), Italy (26th), Denmark (30th) and Germany (36th) all within 12 positions of one another. The previous ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier in 2019 went down to the wire of the final match with Jersey narrowly pipping Germany to book their place at the Global Qualifiers. Jersey joined The Netherlands and Scotland as the two other European Associate Member representatives at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifiers in 2019 and narrowly missed out on a place in the finals, winning three of their six group matches. Freddie Klokker, Denmark captain said: “It has been nearly two years without any ICC events, so we can’t wait to get the tournament underway and play some very competitive cricket. There is a great opportunity for every team to go through to the next round so we as a team are really looking forward to the challenge ahead. If we are good enough to qualify for the next round, it would be a great opportunity to promote and advertise the great game that we play in Denmark.” Venkatraman Ganesan, Germany captain said: “We are extremely excited to be a part of this tournament and the opportunity to progress to the Global Qualifiers is a big motivation for the whole squad. Qualifying to the next round will be quite huge for cricket in Germany and I hope it will raise the profile of the sport significantly, opening up new and exciting opportunities to grow the sport in our nation. Good luck to all other participating teams.” Gareth Berg, Italy captain and coach said: “Cricket Italia are very excited to once again be partaking in an official ICC Men’s T20 World Cup qualifier. We have undergone some changes both in mindset and players with the aim of moving our game forward. So as a cricket nation I am excited by the new challenges this brings us both personally and as head coach and captain. Events like this are a great breeding ground for unearthing some real talent in Associate cricket. It’s a shame we can’t get all our players involved due to covid restrictions but the squad we have picked are hungry for success and want to win games of cricket for Italia.” Charles (Chuggy) Perchard, Jersey captain said: “After months of hard work, we’re all hugely excited to have the opportunity to be representing our Island in an ICC competition again. As a squad, we’ve got big dreams of qualifying for a World Cup and hopefully this will be the first step in our journey.” ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier 15 October 2021 - Germany vs Jersey (10h15); Italy vs Denmark (15h15) 16 October 2021 - Denmark vs Germany (10h15); Jersey vs Italy (15h15) 17 October 2021 - Denmark vs Jersey (10h15); Italy vs Germany (15h15) 18 October 2021 - Rest Day 19 October 2021 - Denmark vs Italy (10h15); Jersey vs Germany (15h15) 20 October 2021 - Italy vs Jersey (10h15); Germany vs Denmark (15h15) 21 October 2021 - Germany vs Italy (10h15); Jersey vs Denmark (15h15)

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (October 13, 2021):-Tickets went on sale last week, with thousands being snapped up in record time. There are still tickets available for games across all four venues; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oman and Sharjah and the world’s best players are calling on the expat community in the middle-east not to miss out.  Jos Buttler, England, said. “Wherever we travel, England fans show up and cheer us on.  So we want as many at our games as possible, not least as so many live in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and it will be great to have them in stadia cheering us on.” Aaron Finch, Australia, said: “We know we have loads of Aussie fans here in the UAE and would love for them to come watch us across the tournament. It’s a wonderful chance for them to see Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Pat Cummins and all of our guys together against some of the very best sides in the world. After the challenges of the past 18 months for everyone here and overseas it would be awesome to have the fans there cheering us on.” Trent Boult, New Zealand, added: “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is always a really exciting event and we expect this version in the UAE and Oman to be no different. We know there are plenty of BLACKCAPS fans in this part of the world and we’re hoping to see them in the stands cheering us on with crowds now confirmed for all matches. It's pretty special seeing Kiwi support when you’re playing away from home and in a world event.” Tabraiz Shamsi, South Africa said: “We have huge matches including clashes with Australia in Abu Dhabi, the West Indies in Dubai and England in Sharjah.  Fans of the Proteas are worldwide so we can’t wait for them to fill the stands and help create a special atmosphere.” Ireland’s Paul Stirling added: “We have a good record of spectators coming and watching us everywhere in the world, particularly here. You always see an Irish flag and Irish cricket supporters everywhere. We certainly always go and visit them in the Irish Village so hopefully they can come and visit us!” The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is the largest sporting event to be held in the region and it will be the biggest global cricket event since the pandemic with fans in stadia. Tickets remain available to fans to watch the top 16 T20 teams in the world vying for the ultimate prize in the shortest format, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup starting in Muscat on 17 October and concluding in the UAE on 14 November. With prices starting at just 10 OMR and 30 AED in Oman and UAE respectively, the event is accessible to all cricket fans. Tickets are available to purchase on https://www.t20worldcup.com/tickets . The schedule offers a host of key rivalry fixtures and mouth-watering match ups.  The tournament kicks off with the Round 1 match between Oman and Papua New Guinea in Muscat.  Whilst, Australia and South Africa play the first match of Super 12s on 23 October in Abu Dhabi followed by the replay of the 2016 final between England and West Indies also on 23 October in Dubai. One of cricket’s biggest rivalries, India and Pakistan, will take place on 24 October in Dubai. In addition to the top quality cricket, fans will also get to enjoy a host of entertainment choices, including DJs, fan zones and various other exciting activations around each venue, offering families and the young plenty of fun. Among full member nations Bangladesh, Ireland and 2014 winners Sri Lanka, there are also Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Papua New Guinea, and Scotland all battling to qualify for the Super 12 stage.  There are four available places joining Afghanistan, Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, and West Indies in the Super 12 stage.

BIPIN DANI Former First-Class cricketer Andy Moles, who coached Scotland team and also worked with the Afghanistan players has offered "all possible help" to Bandulla Warnapura.  Like Moles, Sri Lanka's first Test captain Bandulla Warnapura leg has recently been amputated below the knee.  "If you ever need a person who has gone through the challenges that lie ahead of you.. I am available 24/7…", Moles has conveyed the message to Warnapura through this reporter. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from South Africa, where he resides, said, "Yes there will be dark days ahead… However, if you can allow yourself to let people help you, you can get through those moments. Always remember there are people worse off than yourself". "When you are first told you are to have your leg amputated, all you can think about is that my life is over! How can I survive and create an income for my family. Then in my case, I started to think about the problems people are facing in their daily lives all around the world". "Then think about the support structure you have around you. The love of your family as well as your cricketing family. All of these people will be there to support you". Advising further, he says, "Then on top of that you have your own mental strength that has served you throughout your cricketing life". "God bless you and I will keep you in my prayers", Moles has said to Warnapura. Later, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo on behalf of the family, Warnapura's son, Madawa said, "We apologize for not being able to respond to our well-wishers' calls and messages individually at this situation, but their kind words and prayers in and around the world certainly kept us strong and surely has been a blessing for him. "We hope that Bandula/Our Father/Grandfather will soon be able to come back to us in his full energetic spirit so please continue to keep him in your prayers". "We as his family humbly thank all our relatives, the doctors, the ICU staff for every effort they take for his recovery".

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 13, 2021):-Home City Central Punjab produced a commanding performance to book their spot in the National T20 final with a one-sided seven-wicket victory over GFS Sindh in the second semi-final played under the lights at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on Tuesday night. Central Punjab will take on defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in what is their first National T20 final since the tournament was revamped as a six-team competition in the 2019-20 season. On Tuesday night, seasoned campaigners Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal spearheaded the 142-run chase with an almost flawless batting display that left the Sindh bowlers clueless. Wicketkeeper-batter Kamran registered the 44th T20 half-century of his career while Ahmed fell one short of his 40th T20 fifty. The two added 88 runs for the second-wicket. Kamran who played some typically stylish shots in his innings scored 51 off 36 balls (seven fours, one six) he was dismissed by spinner Abrar Ahmed in the 14th over. Ahmed was dismissed by Sohail Khan for 49 (46 balls, four fours). The pair of Hussain Talat (13 not out) and Qasim Akram (11 not out) took Central Punjab past the target with 13 balls to spare. Earlier, Sindh got off to a flying start as openers Sharjeel Khan and Khurram Manzoor added 50 in 6.2 overs. Central Punjab roared back in contention through their young all-rounder (player of the match) Qasim who got rid of Sharjeel for 32 (19 balls, five fours, one six). Sindh crashed from 50 for no loss to 87 for five as Qasim and left-arm-spinner Zafar Gohar ran through the middle-order with their probing spin bowling. After dismissing Sharjeel, Qasim got rid of Saud Shakeel (7) and Danish Aziz (0). Zafar dismissed Shan Masood (1) and Khurram who was Sindh’s top-scorer with 34 off 40 balls (three fours). Pacer Sohail who was promoted to number five in the batting order contributed 21 runs but Sindh never fully recovered from their batting slump and finished well short of a competitive total. They only reached 141 courtesy some big hits by tail-enders Mir Hamza (19 not out, 9 balls, one four, two sixes) and Rumman Raees 14. Qasim finished with three for 15 in four overs, while Zafar took two for 15 in his four-over spell. Wahab took two wickets for 30 runs. Scores in Brief: Home City Central Punjab win by seven wickets GFS Sindh 141 for 8, 20 overs (Khurram Manzoor 34, Sharjeel Khan 32; Qasim Akram 3-15, Zafar Gohar 2-15, Wahab Riaz 2-30) Home City Central Punjab 145 for 3, 17.5 overs (Kamran Akmal 51, Ahmed Shehzad 49; Sohail Khan 1-24) Player of the match:  Qasim Akram Wednesday’s match: Final –Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Home City Central Punjab -7:30 pm.