Sports Bulletin

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (September 4, 2020):-On Friday Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled 2020-21 domestic events calendar, as 208 matched will be stage at the different venues of the country. In a major shift from previous years and taking into account the upcoming three white-ball global events, the PCB has decided to hold First XI matches of the National T20 Cup and Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, and National U19 One-Day Tournament on a double-league basis. This will guarantee each side a minimum of 10 league matches in the three white-ball competitions. The top four sides in the senior events will progress to the semi-finals, followed by the final, and the top two sides in the juniors’ event will progress to the final. The National T20 Cup will be the curtain-raiser of the season, with matches being held in Multan and Rawalpindi from 30 September to 18 October, while the National U19 One-Day Tournament will be played in Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura from 13 October to 2 November. The National T20 Cup and the National U19 One-Day Tournament have been scheduled at the start of the season to enable all the top performers to have the opportunity to attract interest from the franchises prior to the HBL PSL 2020 draft in November. The Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament will be played from 8-31 January, after which the domestic season will conclude with the PCB’s marquee event, the HBL Pakistan Super League 2021, starting in February. Four-day first-class matches will start from 25 October and the event will conclude with the five-day final starting on 1 January. Second XI three-day matches will be played from 18 October to 13 December. Due to Covid-19 precautions, travel for players and officials will be restricted for all Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches during the 2020-2021 season, resulting in all matches being played at grounds in Karachi. In addition, staging the tournament in Karachi will help mitigate the risk of bad weather conditions, such as fog and dew, seriously intervening in matches at that time of year. While finalising the domestic cricket calendar, the PCB has also taken into consideration the commencement of the holy month of Ramadan, which is likely to start around 15 April. The schedule of events will be further populated after the confirmation of Boys U13 & U16 and women’s events, HBL PSL 2021 and home international series against Zimbabwe and South Africa. Director – High Performance, Nadeem Khan: “In the uncertain Covid-19 situation, I am pleased that we have been able to put together a complete domestic cricket schedule, which is challenging but will contribute significantly in getting the best out of all the players that, in turn, will uplift the quality and standard of our home cricket. “There has been a strategy and vision behind preparing this schedule, and the most notable is the increase in number of white-ball matches at the senior and age-group level. This has been done after taking into consideration our teams’ current international performances and rankings in white-ball cricket as well as to looking into the future, while also providing optimum chances to the deserving and budding cricketers to thoroughly show their mettle and impress the national selectors. “The increase in number of matches will not only provide a fair and equal opportunity to all the talented players, it will increase their earnings – something that we have been very mindful and careful about since the revamp of the domestic structure. “In the past few weeks, the High Performance and Domestic department has been flat out as evident from recent announcements, including appointment of coaches, domestic teams, match officials and now the schedule. This required full support of the logistics and operations team as together we remain committed in providing a comfortable and good environment to the players so that they can excel on the field of play. “Now that the teams and schedule have been confirmed, I expect the respective coaches to start planning their season as usage and rotation of key players will be integral, also in the background that some of the star players may not be available throughout the season due to their international commitments. But this will surely provide other players with opportunities to step-up and take responsibility and make names for themselves.” PCB 2020-21 domestic schedule at a glance: National T20 Cup 1st XI (33 matches) – 30 September to 18 October; Multan and Rawalpindi National T20 Cup 2nd XI (15 matches) – 1-8 October; Lahore National U19 One-Day Tournament (31 matches) – 13 October to 2 November; Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura National U19 Three-Day Tournament (16 matches) – 5-29 November; Lahore, Muridke and Sheikhupura HBL PSL 2020 (4 matches) – 14, 15 and 17 November; Lahore Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 1st XI (31 matches) – 25 October to 5 January 2021; Karachi Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI (30 matches) – 18 October to 13 December; Karachi Pakistan Cup 1st XI (33 matches) – 8-31 January 2021; Karachi Pakistan Cup 2nd XI (15 matches) – 16-24 December; Karachi

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (September 3, 2020):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced its panel of match officials for the 2020-21 domestic season, which will commence with the National T20 Cup from 30 September. The first round matches of the double-league competition will be held in Multan, while the second round will be played in Rawalpindi. The six-member PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees include Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Muhammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof. Mohammad Javed Malik (Multan), while 14 members of the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires are Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Aftab Hussain Gillani (Bahawalpur), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Javed (Karachi), Nasir Hussain Snr (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore). These 20 elite officials will be on 12-month retainer contracts and will be responsible for sharing officiating duties in the First XI Cricket Association and HBL Pakistan Super League matches. In the 2019-20 season, the PCB had offered contracts to 18 elite match officials. Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh and Nadeem Arshad, are the two additions in the match referees panel, while Aftab Hussain Gilani (promoted from the development panel), Imran Javed, Nasir Hussain Snr, Qaiser Waheed, Syed Imtiaz Iqbal, Waleed Yaqoob (promoted from the development panel) and Zameer Haider are the umpires who will be offered contracts for the first time. The PCB has introduced supplementary panel for the first time, which includes the match referees and umpires who were unable to find places in the elite panel. They will be offered season contracts, which includes match fees and daily allowances. This panel will be responsible for officiating in the Second XI Cricket Association matches and will set-up for First XI and HBL Pakistan Super League duties as and when required. The 72-member PCB Development Panel of Umpires has been equally divided into two groups, with the first group to officiate in the PCB-organised age-group matches and the second group to stand in club, grassroots and school fixtures. The playing control team in these matches will be led by the PCB Development Panel of Match Referees, which comprises 15 officials. The PCB Development Panel of Match Referees includes a female official, Saman Zulfiqar from Sheikhupura. This is the third successive year she has been named in the panel as the PCB continues to encourage its women officials to get involved with the game if they have any aspirations of representing the country at the international level. Similar process was followed and adopted while finalising women umpires for the 2020-21 domestic season, who will be offered season contracts. These women officials will be involved in officiating women’s domestic matches, schedule of which will be shared in due course. The notable inclusion in the eight-member PCB Panel of Women Umpires is the addition of Sabahat Rasheed, who played 13 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan from 2005 to 2007. The 37-year-old from Lahore was a right-arm off break and is a graduate of Arts and Education. Bilal Qureshi, Manager, Umpires and Referees: “I want to congratulate all the match officials on their inclusion in the 2020-21 domestic panel and hope they will have a good season in which they will perform their duties to the best of their abilities. “This year’s assessment and appraisal process was transparent and merit-based in which two independent former ICC match officials reviewed the performances of all the officials, while accessing their self-assessments and video decisions during the season (where available) as well as presentations, interviews, knowledge and understanding about the Laws, decision-making and man-management skills. Separately, the match officials also underwent fitness tests, which are mandatory and as per international standards. “This robust process was carried out to ensure the best match officials can officiate in the PCB-organised tournaments and through their good knowledge and understanding of the Laws and regulations, contribute in enhancing the standard and quality of the 2020-21 domestic cricket. “At the same time, we have provided a pathway to the supplementary and development panel umpires with the incentive being a place in the elite panel. I understand this is a challenging pathway but such is the role that only the best of the best can move up the ladder and this can only happen through determination, consistent performances, correct application of the Laws and regulations, and good match management.” PCB Panel of Match Officials for 2020-21 season: PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees - Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Muhammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof. Mohammad Javed Malik (Multan) PCB Elite Panel of Umpires - Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Aftab Hussain Gillani (Bahawalpur), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Javed (Karachi), Nasir Hussain Snr. (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore) PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees - Ahmer Saeed (Karachi), Aleem Khan Moosa (Karachi), Ali Gohar (Karachi), Aziz-ur-Rehman (Lahore), Kamran Chaudhry (Lahore), Khalid Jamshed (Lahore), Mohammad Aslam (Quetta) and Tanveer Afzal (Faisalabad) PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires - Abdul Moqeet (Lahore), Ahmed Shahab (Lahore), Aley Haider (Karachi), Aslam Bareach (Quetta), Farooq Ali Khan (Abbottabad), Ghulam Sarwar (Sibi), Kashif Sohail (Khanewal), Khalid Mehmood Sr. (Karachi), Majid Hussain (AJK), Mir Dad (Islamabad), Muhammad Asif (Lahore), Muhammad Imran (Sargodha), Muhammad Sajid (Charsadda), Tariq Rasheed (Lahore) and Zulfiqar Jan (Charsadda) PCB Development Panel of Match Referees - Abu-al-Hasnat Rao (Lahore), Allah Ditto (Islamabad), Athar Laiq (Karachi), Bilal Moinul Haq Khiljee (Lahore), Fazal Akbar Shah (Peshawar), Ghulam Mustafa (Kasur), Inamullah Khan (Lahore), Masood Anwar (Khanewal), Muhammad Amiruddin Ansari (Karachi), Mohammad Jawed (Karachi), Mujahid Jamshed (Lahore), Saman Zulfiqar (Sheikhupura), Samiul Haq (Faisalabad), Sohail Idrees (Lahore) and Sohail Khan (Lahore) PCB Development Panel of Umpires (I) - Aamer Atta (DG Khan), Abdul Wasay (Kohat), Ahmed Nadeem (Peshawar), Akmal Hayat (Faisalabad), Asif Farooq Awan (Gujranwala), Farooq Anwar Bajwa Faisalabad), Farooq Jan (Charsadda), Ghayyur Hussain (Peshawar), Hassan Mahmood (Lahore), Imran Ullah Aslam (Bahawalpur), Irfan Haider (Islamabad), Javed Ashraf (Lahore), Kamran Khalil (Lahore), Khalid Mahmood Jr (Quetta), Mesam Turabi (Gujjar Khan), Muhammad Fayyaz (Peshawar), Muhammad Irfan Dilshad (Lahore), Muhammad Kaleeem (Lahore), Muhammad Waqas (Lahore), Nadeem Ghouri (Lahore), Nadeem Iqbal (Multan), Nasar Khan (Mardan), Qaiser Khan (Lahore), Rafiq Ahmad (Dadu), Rana Muhammad Arshad (Faisalabad), Raweed Khan (Charsadda), Raza Asghar (Sheikhupura), Saifullah Khan (Sargodha), Saleem Butt (Rawalpindi), Shamim Ansari (Karachi), Sohail Khan (Charssada), Sohail Zaman Khattak (Peshawar), Sultan Mahmood (Loralai), Syed Fahim Ahmed Bukhari (Karachi), Waqar Ahmed (Islamabad) and Waseemuddin (Kohat) PCB Development Panel of Umpires (II) - Asim Alvi (Karachi), Abdul Karim (Naseerabad), Abdul Qayoom (Karachi), Abrar Ahmed (Kasur), Adnan Rashid (Lahore), Akhtar Ali (Karachi), Ameen Abbasi (Bahawalpur), Anser Mahmood (Pattoki), Aqeel Aadil Khan (Karachi), Azizur Rehman (Karachi), Dilshad Ali (Multan), Hameed Khan (Quetta), Haroon Malik (Sargodha), Hashim Ali (Lodhran), Hidayatullah (Pishin), Jaffar Hussian (Peshawar), Jamshid Iqbal (Peshawar), Khalil Ahmad Siddiqi (Kasur), Maqbool Ahmed (Faisalabad), Mohammad Aamir Sharif (Kohat), Mohammad Arif (DI Khan), Mohammad Basit Siddiqi (Lahore), Mohammad Nazir Butt (Karachi), Mohammad Yousaf (DG Khan), Mumtaz Ali (Loralai), Munir Ahmed (Kasur), Naik Mohammad (Kohat), Naseer Ahmed (Chakwal), Naushad Khan (Peshawar), Naveed Khan (Nowshehra), Noor ul Hakam (Buner), Sagheer Ahmed (Lahore), Saifullah (Lahore), Shahid Qayyum (Faisalabad), Waqas Zeb (Lahore) and Zeeshan Arif (Mirpur, AJK) PCB Panel of Women Umpires – Afia Amin  (Lahore), Hummairah Farah  (Lahore), Nazia Nazir (Lahore), Nuzhat Sultana (Karachi), Riffat Mustafa (Kasur), Sabahat Rasheed  (Lahore), Saleema Imtiaz (Karachi) and Shakila Rafiq (Kasur).

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (August 28, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board today (Friday) announced the six Cricket Association squads for the 2020-21 domestic cricket season, which will commence on 30 September with the National T20 Cup. First round of the event will be played in Multan, while the final round will be held in Rawalpindi. Complete season schedule will be announced in due course. The squads were finalised by the six Cricket Association coaches who took into consideration performances of the last two seasons, retained maximum players from the 2019-20 season without reshuffling the squads too much and, where possible, provided opportunities to the centrally and emerging contracted players to represent their Cricket Associations. This has been done to ensure sense of ownership and pride amongst the players representing their Cricket Associations, which, in turn, will further enhance the involvement of the fans and cricket followers, and provide more balance to the six sides to make the forthcoming season more competitive than 2019-20. As such, the selectors have retained 158 players who were offered 2019-20 domestic contracts and have included 34 new players, including some who represented Pakistan in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020. Each Cricket Association squad will comprise 45 players – 32 players with domestic contracts, supported by 13 additional players – and the PCB centrally and emerging contracted cricketers, belonging to their respective regions. The coaches will finalise the playing lineups for the events proper (National T20 Cup, Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and Pakistan Cup One-day Tournament) in due course following discussions with captains and vice-captains, who will also be confirmed at that stage. Players with the seasonal contracts will be eligible to receive match fee, daily allowances and other related benefits, wherever applicable. The six head coaches have also finalised their squads with the vision of nurturing up and coming cricketers. In this relation, 11 teenagers who participated in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup earlier this year, have been selected. They are Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan); Irfan Khan Niazi, Qasim Akram and Fahad Munir (all three Central Punjab); Mohammad Wasim jnr, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Amir Khan and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (all four Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Mohammad Huraira (Northern) and Aamir Ali and Arish Ali Khan (Sindh). The coaches, who are also members of the national selection committee, have also followed the PCB’s policy of investing in the future as average age of the Balochistan side is 27, followed by Central Punjab 26, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 26, Northern 25, Sindh 25 and Southern Punjab 26. Balochistan First XI Head Coach Faisal Iqbal: “The selection of the squads was based on a thorough assessment of the players based on a wide-ranging selection criterion. I want to thank the coaches of the Balochistan second XI and U19 teams along with the first XI assistant coach, who all played a vital role in the selection of this squad. I am confident the Balochistan squad will impress and prove to be a real competitive unit across the three formats. We have given opportunities to the local talent from the province and the performers have been given their due. The squad is well-balanced and full of exciting players.” Central Punjab First XI Head Coach Shahid Anwar: “We have a big talent pool and some of the biggest names of the domestic game are once again part of the side which has established a legacy by the triumph in last year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class tournament. This year we have picked some exciting players including Pakistan U19 performers, who will be groomed with an eye for the future.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa First XI Head Coach Abdul Razzaq: “I am fully satisfied with the selection process, which was made on the basis of a comprehensive and an all-encompassing selection criteria. My squad has a great blend of youth and experience and my aim would be to provide them all the support and encouragement they need to play to their best potential. Like the rest of the squads, I also have some exciting players who can be real assets for Pakistan cricket in due course.” Northern First XI Head Coach Mohammad Wasim: “Northern played some exhilarating cricket last season and we made some innovative plans that brought us success in both the shortest and longest format. I have retained the core of the players who served the squad well and have added young blood with an aim of developing more top quality players who can not only serve us but can also graduate to the highest level of the game.” Sindh First XI Head Coach Basit Ali: “Sindh squad is a well-rounded one with some of the biggest names of the province, proven domestic performers as well as young players that have an abundance of potential. I look forward to a hugely exciting and competitive domestic season where both our red-ball and white-ball squads can play the kind of cricket that is on modern lines and in sync with the approach of the Pakistan team management.” Southern Punjab First XI Head Coach Abdul Rehman: “I have focused on building a squad that is full of young and exciting players backed by experienced and proven performers of the domestic arena. My aim is to groom players who can serve Pakistan cricket across formats at the senior level. I feel my squad has the depth and quality to play an attractive brand of cricket with an eye both on success and development of players.”

SB REPORT ISLAMABAD (August 27, 2020):-There were no surprises when Misbah-ul-Haq, the head coach and chief selector of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team, shortlisted Haider Ali for the three T20Is against England, which begin later this week at Old Trafford, Manchester. The 19-year-old batsman made headlines over the course of the 2019-20 season on the back of his dazzling stroke play and impressive knocks across formats, including the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 “This is a dream come true for me,” said Haider about joining the senior team. “Every young cricketer wishes to be here. This is my first tour and though I have shared dressing room with established cricketers in the HBL PSL 2020, being in the Pakistan dressing room is altogether a difference experience.” Younis Khan, Pakistan’s most prolific Test batsman who is in England with the team as the batting coach, praised Haider’s work ethic. He said: “Haider has that will and skill which turn a youngster into a good player. He has that spark and he is always eager to learn. “I believe he is an upcoming star of Pakistan and he will perform whenever he gets a chance. He is strong and his fitness is improving day-by-day. He has a bright future and the ability to play all formats for Pakistan.” Haider comes into the side after a prolific 2019-20 season in which he made 645 first-class runs at 49.62 and amassed 239 runs at a staggering strike rate of 158.27 in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 to finish as the joint second-highest run-getter for his team (Peshawar Zalmi) along with veteran Shoaib Malik. His 14 sixes were the most by any Zalmi batsman in the fifth edition of the league, which was played in Pakistan. Younis is also fond of Haider’s cover drive and while speaking about it, he said: “He plays well-calculated cover drives, quite like Babar Azam’s which are world renowned. I like his initial movement and the way he approaches the ball. He plays solid cover drives. I have worked with him on making his base strong and have been working with him on cut and pull shots, which are high scoring shots in international cricket.” Haider featured in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup under another promising youngster Rohail Nazir earlier this year in which he earned praises from the game’s greats for his scintillating strokes. He scored a fighting half-century in a semi-final against India. In 19 U19s 50-over matches, Haider has scored 655 runs, which included a century and six half-centuries at an average just below 39. He graduated to Pakistan Under-19 in May 2019 and made his debut memorable with a 65-ball 51 against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka. Over the course of the past one year, Haider has established himself as one of the future stars. On his first-class debut in September 2019, Haider, opening the batting, scored a defiant 99 for Northern against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Abbottabad. The significance of his score is underscored by the fact that the next best score (33) in his team’s innings was registered by captain Imad Wasim. The right-handed top-order batsman scored his maiden first-class hundred against Balochistan in Rawalpindi in the fourth round and capped his first Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with a fighting second innings 203-ball 134 against a star-studded Central Punjab at Karachi’s National Stadium. “I had no prior experience of four-day cricket but I got a lot of motivation from the coaches and senior players in the side,” he said. “I was disappointed at not scoring a century, but it is there that I decided that whenever an opportunity presents itself next time, I am going to make the most of it. I scored a century three, four innings later and then in the final, which covered it to some extent. But, not being able to score a century in my debut match was a disappointment. “The experience of playing in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy helped me learn the importance of temperament in cricket as you can only score runs in the longer version of cricket if you show temperament in your batting.” Haider is now eager to prove himself at the apex level, whenever the opportunity presents itself. “This is my first tour of England. The conditions here are different than Pakistan and even a different kind of ball is used here. Arriving here two months early has been beneficial, as it has provided me the necessary time to practice – in nets and match scenarios – and be acclimatised. I am looking forward to make the most of what I have learned from my previous experiences.”

By BIPIN DANI England fast bowler James Anderson's 600-wicket journey began 17 years ago when he bowled Zimbabwean opener Mark Vermeulen at Lord's on the 2nd day (May 23, 2003) of the first Test. "Yes, I have been following Anderson's career with interest and absolutely have no regrets being his first test wicket", the 41-year-old right handed batsman Mark Vermeeulen, speaking exclusively over telephone from South Africa, said. Vermeulen has moved to South Africa where he has been involved in school coaching.   "It was a good ball which straightened down the slope at Lord's hitting the top of middle and off stump", he recalled, adding, "Obviously I was disappointed at the time but I don't feel so bad now knowing that he has taken 600 wickets". "Yes, what an incredible achievement by him reaching 600 Test wickets and to become the 1st fast bowler to achieve this is truly remarkable". "He's done very well to keep fit and playing for this long and I hope that he can get 20 more Test wickets so that he can jump ahead of Anil Kumble and go to number 3 in the all time wicket takers", he further added. Interestingly, Anderson had to spend nearly 21 hours between his 599 and 600th wickets. Had there been no play on the final day, he would have had to spend several months. India's  Umesh Yadav finished Nagpur Test v SL, 24 Nov 2017 on 99 wkts, and had to wait until Bangalore Test v AFG, 14 Jun 2018, to get the 100th one.

SB REPORT SOUTHAMPTON (August 26, 2020):-Pakistan opener Shan Masood and England all-rounder Chris Woakes came together for a chat on the final day of the three-match Test series. The two reviewed the competitive nature of the series, discussed the challenges of the bio-secure environment and the return of international cricket in Pakistan with the prospects of an England tour to the country. When Shan told Woakes about the positives of the return of cricket in Pakistan and the hosting of the entire HBL Pakistan Super League season five in the country, Woakes said, “Pakistan is a beautiful country and I have heard great stories about how passionate the fans are. I hope Test tours take place more frequently in the country.” Woakes, who led hosts to a victory in a closely-fought contest at Old Trafford, told Shan that the Test series between the two teams was a competitive one and quality of cricket was of the highest order. The two concurred the presence of fans would have made the series even more memorable. “This series was also hugely competitive and we [England] had to work extra hard to overcome the challenge,” the England all-rounder said. “Pakistan had a 10-year unbeaten record [in England] and we saw in the series how competitive it was especially since, you guys always seem to adapt very well to the conditions which most of the foreign teams touring here find as a challenge. “Pakistan have always had great support in England. I am sure the crowd would have enjoyed the Old Trafford Test as the match deserved a crowd. It would have been great to have banter between fans and to have live noise.” Woakes praised Shan for his career-best 156 in the first innings of that Test. He said: “We played U19 cricket together back in 2007 which now seems a lifetime ago. I was pleased for you to see you get 150 but not for me as I had to bowl all those overs.”   To a question by Woakes about Pakistan team management, Shan stated the presence of legendary former cricketers headed by Misbah-ul-Haq worked collectively on improving the players’ performances while focusing on technical and mental strengths along with the weaknesses of players. “I have a long association with Younis Khan. To score a hundred in his first match as the batting consultant of the team was a very special moment for me as he has been a mentor and coach to me for a very long time. I have played a lot of cricket under him at the first-class level. “Waqar Younis has worked extremely hard with the young pace attack led by Naseem and Shaheen. He even made me bowl a lot of overs in nets sessions and I also ended up bowling in the Southampton Tests. Misbah has really grown in his role and has been providing invaluable guidance to all; he is a great support to the squad. Mushtaq Ahmed who has had a lot of experience of coaching the England team has also been a tremendous help not only to spinners but the entire squad.” Reflecting on the team’s preparations ahead of the Test series, Shan told Woakes the team had worked very hard in the bio-secure bubble and was pleased with the facilities given to them. “We really worked hard in the build-up, which started in Derby when we first arrived in England. We really enjoyed the hospitality and we were provided great care in a challenging environment. Overall the Test series was played in great spirits between the two teams despite the on field battle for supremacy.”

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (August 26, 2020):-Hosts England has released the final schedule of three-match T-20 series on Wednesday, as both teams would meet at Old Trafford on Friday (August 28) in the first fixture. Schedule: England v Pakistan: 1st IT20 v Pakistan: Friday 28 August at Emirates Old Trafford (6.00pm start) 2nd IT20 v Pakistan: Sunday 30 August at Emirates Old Trafford (2.15pm start) 3rd IT20 v Pakistan: Tuesday 1 September at Emirates Old Trafford (6.00pm start) England v Australia: 1st IT20 v Australia: Friday 4 September at The Ageas Bowl (6.00pm start) 2nd IT20 v Australia: Sunday 6 September at The Ageas Bowl (2.15pm start) 3rd IT20 v Australia: Tuesday 8 September at The Ageas Bowl (6.00pm start)

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (August 26, 2020):-Pakistan skipper of Test team Azhar Ali jumped 11 steps up in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Ranking after scoring 141 runs innings against hosts England in the third Test match in Southampton. Azhar, who started the Test in 34th position, has jumped 11 places up to become Pakistan’s second highest-ranked batsman after Babar Azam, who has retained his fifth position. Azhar come into the third Test with scores of 0, 18 and 20, and carried his bat for 141, which was his 17th Test century in 81 matches. His efforts were unable to save Pakistan from follow-on, but his side managed to earn a respectable draw as the series ended 1-0 in England’s favour. Babar Azam scored 11 and 63 not out in the third Southampton Test, but has stayed in fifth position on 797 points. The list is headed by Steve Smith of Australia (911 points), followed by Virat Kohli (886), Marnus Labuschagne (827) and Kane Williamson (812). Wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, who was adjudged Pakistan’s player of the series, has gained three places and is now in 72nd position. Rizwan scored 53 and added 138 runs for the sixth wicket with Azhar in Pakistan’s first innings score of 273. Pakistan batsmen slipping in the latest ICC rankings are Asad Shafiq (26th), Shan Masood (29th), Abid Ali (59th), while Fawad Alam is outside the top-100. In the bowling table, Mohammad Abbas has dropped out of the top-10 after sliding five places to share 13th position with India’s Mohammad Shami. The fast bowler, however, has remained Pakistan’s highest-ranked Test bowler. Wrist spinner Yasir Shah, who took two for 173, has also slipped one place to 23rd spot, Shaheen Shah Afridi has stayed in 33rd spot and Naseem has dropped to 57th position. James Anderson, who dismissed Azhar to become the first fast bowler to capture 600 Test wickets, has moved up to eighth in the list, which is headed by Pat Cummins and followed by Stuart Broad, Neil Wagner, Tim Southee and Jason Holder.

By BIPIN DANI England's top order batsman Zak Crawley's 267 runs against Pakistan in the ongoing 3rd Test against Pakistan is the highest innings in Tests to end by stumping. The previous highest score for someone who was stumped out was Seymour Nurse's 258 in 1969. It took over 50 years for the highest scoring batsman to be stumped. "Credit goes to the wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan for keeping his concentration for so long (nine hours) and stumping the batsman", India's ex-stumper Kiran More says. "Only the top keeper can do this". "Credit should definitely be given to the wicket keeper. There will be many situations when a batsman who is batting brilliantly  keepers tend to take things for granted that the batsman will strike every ball. But keeping focused for such a lengthy period of time when a batsman has got over 250 runs and still gets him stumped is a testimony for his concentration levels", another keeper and the ex-chief selector, MSK Prasad remarked. "It reflects that when the batsman occupies the crease for so long, his chances become less to miss the ball. Pak. wk deserves appreciation for concentrating so long and stumping the man", Ajay Ratra said. "It is a challenge to keep wickets and focus for a long time. Only champions can do it", another wk, Naman Ojha said. Farokh Engineer : WK is the most important job for concentration for long hours and more difficult if the same wicketkeeper has to open the innings when he needs completely different concentration.

By BIPIN DANI Bangladeshi all rounder Shakib Al Hasan's fate for the forthcoming tour of Sri Lanka will be discussed early next week, it is learnt here. According to the sources in the BCB, the selectors will be meeting on Tuesday (first time in last five months) and will discuss the composition of the preliminary squad of 20 players for the three Tests to be played in Sri lanka in October-November. "The final squad will only be announced in Sri Lanka", one of the sources, speaking exclusively said. Apparently, this decision is to confirm the coronavirus results of all selected players. The selectors will also discuss with the team management   whether to include Shakib Al Hasan for the second and third Tests. Shakib's one year ICC ban (for not disclosing the approach) ends on 29th September. "Till then he cannot use the BCB and the SLC facilities for training but selectors can certainly include him for the remaining two Tests", one of the officials said.  Few in Bangladesh certainly want experienced Shakib to join the Lanka tour for the last two Tests. Selectors are also likely to seek coach Russell Domingo's inputs at a later stage. Domingo will be reaching Bangladesh on September 2. Shakib, now holidaying in the USA, is set to return to Bangladesh by the end of this month. Under the watchful eyes of Nazmul Abedin Faheem and Mohammad Salahuddin he will train at the BKSP (Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan), which is country's largest sporting institute