Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportDublin (Ireland): The Pakistan men’s cricket team will kick off its Europe tour with the first of three T20Is against Ireland on Friday May 10, 2024). The remaining two matches will also take place at the Castle Avenue on Sunday and Tuesday, before the team heads to Headingley, Leeds, on Wednesday for a series of four T20Is against England.Following the England series, with matches scheduled at Headingley (22 May), Birmingham (25 May), Cardiff (28 May), and The Oval, London (30 May), both England and Pakistan will head to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. England will face Scotland in Barbados on 4 June in their opening match, while Pakistan will launch their campaign against the USA in Dallas on 6 June. This marks the first time Ireland will host Pakistan for a T20I series. The two sides have previously met only once in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 where Pakistan won by 39 runs with Kamran Akmal receiving the player of the match award for his 51-ball 57 and two stumpings.Interestingly, both teams are in the same group for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and will face each other in Florida on 16 June. Apart from the two sides, India, USA, and Canada are also in the same group, with the top two teams advancing to the second stage.Pakistan head coach, Azhar Mahmood said: “Our preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 began with the home series against New Zealand and now it’s all about putting the final touches on those preparations. We have clarity on our game plans, strategies and combinations. It’s about bringing everything together before we arrive in the United States.

Last night’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final was all about Chamari Athapaththu stamping her class and authority and doing so in style! I had mentioned earlier that she is a big match player who is truly world-class and someone who can win any game on her own and last night’s terrific ton was a testament to that special ability and skill that she possesses.For Scotland, Kathryn Bryce’s absence due to injury was a huge setback, and despite a good start with the ball, the main wicket of Athapaththu eluded them, resulting in their eventual loss. After settling in and reaching her 50, Athapaththu unleashed her incredible power and stroke range at the Scotland bowlers, who crumbled under pressure. Athapaththu when in full flow, is almost impossible to stop and one felt that her breathtaking attack after reaching her fifty, and her flight from 50 to 100 in just 20 balls, left Scotland floundering.Sri Lanka’s 169-run total was always going to be a massive task for the Scotland batters, who would have struggled to achieve the target even in their skipper’s presence. Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to put up much of a fight with the bat. Sri Lanka’s dominant performance was a continuation of their exceptional recent run, led by Athapaththu’s heroics. The series wins against South Africa and New Zealand and a comfortable run in the Qualifier barring the UAE semi-final puts them in great shape ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.Despite a tough group comprising Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand, Sri Lanka have the potential to cause upsets and if Athapaththu can deliver in Bangladesh they may surprise a lot of followers of the game and maybe even make it to the semis there. Other than their two defeats in the group stage and final, Scotland’s performance and their journey has been nothing short of inspirational. They were not considered amongst the favourites coming into the tournament, but credit to Kathryn Bryce, her charges, and their support staff for stepping up when it mattered the most.Bryce’s mother recently revealed in an interview that even as a 10-year-old, the captain wanted to play a World Cup, it is wonderful to see her finally realise her dream. Scotland have Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies in their Women’s T20 World Cup group. I feel that they can certainly cause an upset or two, they have about four months to the event, and it all depends on how they use the time to prepare, the work has just begun for them, and I wish them the very best in this exciting journey.In recent years, the depth of women’s cricket has improved considerably with developing teams becoming more competitive than before and a lot of credit must be given to the ICC pathway events around the world, which provide opportunities and much-needed exposure to the players.As I mentioned in one of my earlier columns, new entrants Vanuatu certainly made their presence felt especially with their performance against Zimbabwe. Vanuatu beating a Full Member team was a big achievement indeed and was one of the highlights of the tournament. There was a lot of talent on display in the tournament in all 10 teams which pleased me immensely.Ireland and UAE look like teams with an exciting future, both fell at the semi-final stage, yet they both possess a lot of promising young players and have two quality leaders in Laura Delany and Esha Oza, who can take the two sides a long way in the years ahead.These are exciting times for women’s cricket as one of the top 10 teams (Ireland) that features in the ICC Women’s ODI Championship will miss out on the T20 World Cup, which clearly signifies that the gap between the top teams and Associate Member teams like Scotland and the UAE is closing, making the women’s international circuit more competitive than ever.The top teams simply can’t take things for granted anymore!At the end, I want to thank the ICC for providing me this incredible opportunity of witnessing the progression of women’s cricket up close and catching up with some of the players I played against in my career. When you are able to connect with the next generation of cricketers one-on-one and as a group, it becomes a wholesome experience while sharing of knowledge and experience takes place. This was one such event for me.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) today (May 5) announced the fixtures for the ninth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 taking place from 3 to 20 October in Bangladesh, an event that promises to inspire and connect with a new generation of fans across the globe.Ten teams will play 23 matches, over 18 action-packed days, at two venues in Bangladesh, the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet as the world’s best battle it out for the ultimate prize in T20 cricket.The schedule was unveiled at an event in Dhaka, attended by Nazmul Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board alongside Geoff Allardice, CEO of the ICC and the Captains of India and Bangladesh women’s team- Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana respectively.Before the official fixture launch, Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina met the two captains at her residence, offering her best wishes for a successful World Cup.ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 fixtures: Thursday, 3 October 2024: England v South Africa, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Friday, 4 October 2024: Australia v Q1, Sylhet, 15h00India v New Zealand, Sylhet, 19h00Saturday, 5 October 2024: South Africa v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v England, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 6 October 2024: New Zealand v Q1, Sylhet, 15h00India v Pakistan, Sylhet, 19h00Monday, 7 October 2024: West Indies v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Tuesday, 8 October 2024: Australia v Pakistan, Sylhet, 19h00Wednesday, 9 October 2024: Bangladesh v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00India v Q1, Sylhet, 19h00Thursday, 10 October 2024: South Africa v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Friday, 11 October 2024: Australia v New Zealand, Sylhet, 15h00Pakistan v Q1, Sylhet, 19h00Saturday, 12 October 2024: England v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v South Africa, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 13 October 2024: Pakistan v New Zealand, Sylhet, 15h00India v Australia, Sylhet, 19h00Monday, 14 October 2024: England v Q2, Dhaka, 15h00Thursday, 17 October 2024: Semi Final 1, Sylhet, 19h00Friday, 18 October 2024: Semi Final 2, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 20 October 2024: Final, Dhaka, 19h00

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Ireland recorded an unequivocal, 54-run win over Netherlands to knock them out of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. Tournament hosts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have sealed the fourth semi-final spot, moving one step closer to qualification for the main event in Bangladesh later this year.Ireland beat Netherlands by 54 runs: Ireland, who chose to bat first, lost their prolific openers Amy Hunter (1) and Gaby Lewis (10) within the first 14 balls of the match as Netherlands pacer, Iris Zwilling got her side off to a perfect start in the crucial clash. Orla Prendergast (19) and Delany added 38 runs for the third-wicket to bring Ireland back in the hunt. They landed stumbled when they also lost Leah Paul for two, stuttering to 55/4 in the 10th over.Ireland roared back in contention thanks to a superb, unbeaten 89-run partnership between Delany and Eimear Richardson. The two took the fight back to the Netherlands bowlers who were bereft of answers in the second half of the Irish innings.Delany hit some scintillating shots in her undefeated 70 off 45 balls (eight fours, two sixes), while Richardson contributed 34 off 32 (two fours). Ireland finished their 20 overs on 144/4. Zwilling took two for 13 in her four overs, she was the most successful Netherlands bowler.Netherlands began their chase confidently with openers, Zwilling and Sterre Kalis adding 24 runs. The partnership was broken when Zwilling fell on the final ball of the fourth over, Kalis followed her back to the dugout in the sixth over. In-form batter, Robine Rijke fell for a duck as 24 for no loss turned into 29 for three in 5.4 overs.A 31-run, fourth-wicket stand between wicketkeeper Babette de Leede and captain, Heather Siegers revived the Netherlands’ hopes. Delany, at this stage, followed her batting brilliance to the delight of both Irish and UAE fans. The medium-pacer ran through the Dutch middle-order with figures of 3/6 in two overs. Netherlands were eventually skittled out for 90 in 17.3 overs, confirming the UAE’s entry into the semis. Prendergast also took three wickets and Arlene Kelly took two wickets.Sri Lanka beat USA by 18 runs: Sri Lanka, who won the toss and opted to bat first, found it tough to score quick runs up front against some disciplined and probing USA bowling. Geetika Kodali clinched the massive wicket of Sri Lanka captain, Chamari Athapaththu (4) in the opening over of the match.Athapaththu’s dismissal made Sri Lanka look for consolidation early on as Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Madavi took time to settle. The two shared 49 runs for the second-wicket in eight overs. Gunaratne fell for 25 (22 balls, three fours). Madavi (23) was dismissed off the next delivery, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 55/3 in 9.1 overs.USA kept the scoring rate in check in the second half of the Sri Lankan innings. Middle-order batter, Hansima Kunaratne, occupied the crease for the remainder of the innings, consuming 27 balls for her 25 runs (three fours). Nilakshi De Silva scored 21 off 29.Sri Lanka ended their innings at 123/4. Saanvi Immadi, Aditiba Chudasama and Kodali returning a wicket each for the USA.USA got off to a solid start and looked in contention for an upset until the 13th over of their innings. They tumbled from 63/1 to 87/5 as the Sri Lankan bowlers, led by Athapaththu, made some crucial breakthroughs. The skipper led the charge, taking 3/14 in her four overs, she was later named the player of the match. Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoka Ranaweera took one wicket apiece.Opener, Disha Dhingra (28 off 29 balls, four fours) was the leading run scorer for the USA. Captain, Sindhu Sriharsha chipped in with 27 (three fours), while Pooja Shah remained unbeaten on 20. They were eventually restricted to 105/6 at the end of their allotted overs, ending their tournament at the bottom of Group A after being unable to secure a win in any of their matches.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today (May 2) announced its 18-player squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland (10-14 May) and England (22-30 May). The squad will be reduced to 15 players for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 after the first T20I at Leeds on 22 May to meet the ICC’s 24 May deadline.The men’s national selection committee has recalled fast bowler Haris Rauf, along with all-rounders Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha, in the 18-player squad. The two cricketers who did not make the cut from the original 17-player squad that faced New Zealand are wrist spinner Usama Mir and fast bowler Zaman Khan.Names of players: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman KhanHaris Rauf and wicketkeeper/batter Azam Khan were sidelined for the New Zealand T20Is due to injuries, while middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan and wicketkeeper/batter Mohammad Rizwan were rested from the two T20Is in Lahore due to niggles.The four cricketers underwent fitness assessments at the National Cricket Academy on Tuesday afternoon, showing significant improvement. This progress has provided confidence and encouragement to the PCB Medical Panel and the team management regarding their potential availability during the seven T20Is.Salman Ali Agha has established himself as a versatile cricketer, proficient in aggressive middle-order batting and off-spin bowling. His inclusion bolsters Pakistan's spin department alongside Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan.Hasan Ali's selection is attributed to his extensive experience, having featured in 50 T20Is and excelling in bilateral series and ICC Events. His impressive performance in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2024, where he claimed 14 wickets, further underlined his credentials. Currently representing Warwickshire in the English County Championship, Hasan adds depth to Pakistan’s bowling arsenal.Schedule of matches:10 May – v Ireland, 1st T20I, Dublin12 May – v Ireland, 2nd T20, Dublin14 May – v Ireland, 3rd T20I, Dublin22 May – v England, 1st T20I, Leeds25 May – v England, 2nd T20I, Birmingham28 May – v England 3rd T20I, Cardiff30 May – v England, 4th T20I, The Oval

Nida Dar to lead 17-member squad for the six white-ball matchesSports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The newly-appointed seven-member women’s national selection committee has named a 17-player Pakistan women’s squad for this month’s tour to England.Nida Dar will continue to lead the side, which will feature in three T20Is from 11-17 May and three ODIs from 23-29 May. The ODIs are part of ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 and this will be Pakistan’s eighth and final series in the current event cycle.Pakistan are currently sitting in fifth position with 16 points in the 10-team ICC Women Championship 2022-25 standings. The top five teams from this championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.In addition to the six white-ball international matches, the tourists will also play two warm-up games (T20 and One-Day) against ECB Development XI on 9 and 21 May. For their first England tour since 2016, the national side will leave on Sunday, 5 May.Pakistan women squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda AkhtarPlayer support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rasheed (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Hanif Malik (fielding coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist), Zubair Ahmed (analyst) and Hina Munawar (chief security officer)Tour schedule:9 May – T20 warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Uptonsteel County Ground (11.00am local time)11 May – 1st T20I, Birmingham (2.30pm local time)17 May – 2nd T20I, Northampton (6.30pm local time)19 May – 3rd T20I, Leeds (1.00pm local time)21 May – One-Day warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Northampton (11.00am local time)23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

Pakistan to take on USA in T20 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on June 6 in DallasAbdul Jabbar Faisal / Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the United States of America (USA) here Donald Blome on Tuesday Pakistan men’s cricket team, which will participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup that will take place in the USA, and West Indies simultaneously from June 1 to 29, 2024.The ambassador Donald Blome welcomed the national players accompanying Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi at his residence and extended his best wishes to the players for the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup matches in the United States.It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan would face the USA in their opening contest of the T20 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on June 6, 2024 at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas Texas.On this occasion, Ambassador Blome presented the team members with a commemorative embassy cricket ball and autographed softball bat. The Pakistani team reciprocated by presenting the ambassador with a signed cricket bat and team jersey.

Sports Bulletin ReportLondon (UK): England Men's selection panel have named a provisional squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and United States of America (USA) starting in June and the preceding four-match Vitality IT20 series against Pakistan, which gets underway next month in Leeds.Sussex quick bowler Jofra Archer has recovered from his right elbow injury and is named in the squad. Archer’s last appearance at this level came over a year ago in England’s tour of Bangladesh in March 2023.Lancashire left-arm spinning all-rounder Tom Hartley is the sole uncapped player and, along with Surrey batter Will Jacks, are the only players not to feature at an ICC World tournament previously.Selected players, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return in time for the series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Headingley on Wednesday 22 May 2024.The World Cup squad will fly to the Caribbean on 31 May ahead of England’s opening group match against Scotland at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, on Wednesday 4 June.Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Rob Key, spoke to media earlier. Rights-free video and audio files are available here.England T20 Squad for World Cup, and Pakistan Series: Jos Buttler (Captain-Lancashire), Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), Mark Wood (Durham)England’s Schedule of T20 World Cup:England v Scotland, Tuesday 4 June 2024, Kensington Oval, Barbados (10.30am local)Australia v England. Saturday 8 June 2024, Kensington Oval, Barbados (1.00pm local)England v Oman, Thursday 13 June 2024, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua and Barbuda (3.00pm local)Namibia v England, Saturday 15 June 2024, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua and Barbuda (1.00pm local)Schedule of England vs Pakistan Series:1st IT20: England v Pakistan, Wednesday 22 May 2024, Headingley, Leeds (6.30pm local)2nd IT20: England v Pakistan, Saturday 25 May 2024, Edgbaston, Birmingham (2.30pm local)3rd IT20: England v Pakistan, Tuesday 28 May 2024, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (6.30pm local)4th IT20: England v Pakistan, Thursday30 May 2024, The Kia Oval, London (6.30pm local).

FAISALABAD (BTNA): Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar win their sixth round matches of the National Women’s One-Day Tournament held in Faisalabad on Monday.In the match between Peshawar and Rawalpindi, Sidra Nawaz’s unbeaten 80 off 109 balls, which included six fours helped Peshawar beat Rawalpindi by two wickets with 16 balls to spare.Batting first at the Jawad Sports Complex Ground, Rawalpindi managed to score 151 for nine in 50 overs. For Peshawar, captain Mahnoor Aftab picked three wickets for 18 runs in 10 overs.In the second match of the day, a half-century by Yusra Amir and seven wickets between left-arm spinners Anosha Nasir and Maham Manzoor led Karachi to a six-wicket win over Quetta at the Bohranwali Ground.Opting to bat first, Quetta were bowled out for 156 in 49 overs, with Khadija Chishti scoring 50 off 77 balls, which included nine boundaries. Karachi’s left-arm spinners Maham and Anosha were the pick of the bowlers, with the former bagging four wickets for 33 and the latter clinching three scalps for 21 runs from 10 overs.In reply, wicketkeeper-batter Yusra (64 not out, 92b, 6x4s) helped her side chase down the target with 17 overs to spare.At the Iqbal Stadium, in a low scoring contest, Lahore overcame Multan by four wickets courtesy of a half century by Iram Javed and three wickets each by Ayesha Bilal and Quratulain.Batting first, Multan were bundled out for 123 in 39 overs. Opening batter Sadaf Shamas was the only batter to score in double figures and returned undefeated on 81 off 112 balls, hitting 11 fours and a six.In turn, Lahore achieved the target in the 28th over, losing six wickets in the process. Iram (54, 81b, 5x4s, 2x6s) added 63 runs for the fifth wicket with Noreen Yaqoob (33, 43b, 4x4s) to take her side home.Scores in brief:Peshawar beat Rawalpindi by two wickets at Jawad Sports Complex GroundRawalpindi 151-9, 50 overs (Aqsa Yousaf 28, Aima Saleem 26, Waheeda Akhtar 22, Fajar Naved 20; Mahnoor Aftab 3-18, Aleena Shah 2-38)Peshawar 152-8, 47.2 overs (Sidra Nawaz 80 not out; Tania Saeed 3-23, Fatima Zahra 2-28)Player of the match – Sidra Nawaz (Peshawar)Lahore beat Multan by four wickets at Iqbal StadiumMultan 123 all out, 39 overs (Sadaf Shamas 81 not out; Quratulain 3-22, Ayesha Bilal 3-23, Zunash Sattar 2-15)Lahore 124-6, 27.4 overs (Iram Javed 54, Noreen Yaqoob 33, Samiya Afsar 20; Shameer Rajput 2-20)Player of the match – Iram Javed and Noreen Yaqoob (Lahore)Karachi beat Quetta by six wickets at Bohranwali GroundQuetta 156 all out, 49 overs (Khadija Chishti 50; Maham Manzoor 4-33, Anosha Nasir 3-21)Karachi 158-4, 33 overs (Yusra Amir 64 not out, Omaima Sohail 39; Kinza Wahab 2-20)Player of the match – Yusra Amir and Maham Manzoor (Karachi)

Babar Azam (69 runs) and Shaheen (4 for 30) script Pakistan's victory in the fifth T20ISalman KhanLAHORE: Skipper Babar Azam (69 runs) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (4 for 30) guided Pakistan to a 9-run triumph in the fifth and last T20 International to square the tie 2-2 against New Zealand here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday night. Left-arm pacer Shaheen got the Man of the Match award and Player of the Series. Babar scored a 44-ball 69 to inspire his side to 178 for five and then Shaheen decimated New Zealand's middle-order to return figures of 4-0-30-4 as the tourists were bowled out for 169 with four balls to spare. Twelve months ago, the five-T20I series between the two sides had also ended in a 2-2 stalemate, while New Zealand won the series in their backyard earlier in January this year by 4-1.Babar scored at a strike-rate of nearly 157 and slapped six fours and two sixes until he was the third batter dismissed at the score of 123 in 15 overs. Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan continued Babar’s good work by helping Pakistan to collect 55 runs off the last five overs to reach a respectable score of 178 for five.Fakhar ended up with a 33-ball 44 with four fours and a six, while Shadab belted a six and four in a five-ball 15 not out. Usman Khan scored 31 off 24 balls with three fours and six, and added 73 runs for the second wicket with Babar after Saim Ayub had departed in the second over.In turn, New Zealand started off briskly and reached 81 for one in eight overs despite Shaheen sending Tom Blundell back to the pavilion in the first over. At that stage, Usama Mir sprang into action by dismissing Mark Chapman (12, 8b, 1x4) and Tim Seifert (52, 33b, 7x4s, 2x6s) in a space of 16 runs.Shadab Khan dismissed Michael Bracewell, and Imad Wasim had the better of Cole McConchie as New Zealand slipped to 103 for five before Shaheen picked up the scalps of Jimmy Neesham, Zakary Foulkes, and Ish Sohi, leaving New Zealand reeling at 137 for eight.Josh Clarkson and Ben Sears kept New Zealand’s hopes alive in the match when the tourists needed 12 runs off the last over with two wickets standing. However, Sears and last-man William O’Rourke were run-out in the last over bowled by Amir as New Zealand were bowled out for 169 in 19.2 overs to hand Pakistan a nine-run victory.