Sports Bulletin

SB News KARACHI (January 7, 2020):-In a bid to prepare for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, a three-team T20 tournament will be held at Karachi’s National Stadium from Thursday. The National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship is an eight-day-long tournament, in which PCB Blasters, PCB Challengers and PCB Dynamites will come face to face for national glory. The final, to be played on 16 January, will be played under floodlights. To maximise the reach of the women’s game, the contest will be live-streamed on the PCB’s YouTube channel. To provide opportunities to fans to watch the action up-close and promote the game amongst girls, Hanif Mohammad and Javed Miandad enclosures will be opened throughout the tournament with free entry for spectators. The winning team will bag PKR500,000, while the runners-up will get PKR250,000. The best performer of the tournament, the player of the championship, will be awarded PKR25,000 and the player of the match, for every game, will get PKR10,000. Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women’s selection committee, said: “The upcoming T20 tournament provides a great opportunity to the players to prepare for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. This is also an opportunity for all the participating players to leave a mark and put forward their case for the selection. “The decision to play the final of the tournament under lights is taken to emulate the conditions in the T20 World Cup as Pakistan will be playing two of their four group matches under floodlights. “The profile of women’s cricket has grown over the past few years and the decision to live-stream the final is going to attract more fans towards the game.” Schedule: Thursday, 9 Jan: PCB Blasters v PCB Dynamites, 12pm – Match referee: Ahmer Saeed, On-field umpires: Khalid Mahmood Snr and Nazir Butt Friday, 10 Jan: PCB Blasters v PCB Challengers, 12pm – Match referee: Ali Gohar, On-field umpires: Imtiaz Iqbal and Saleema Imtiaz Saturday, 11 Jan: PCB Dynamites v PCB Challengers, 12pm – Match referee: Athar Liaq, On-field umpires: Alay Haider and Abdul Qayyum Sunday, 12 Jan: PCB Dynamites v PCB Blasters, 12pm – Match referee: Amiruddin Ansari, On-field umpires: Shamim Ansari and Shakeel Ahmed Monday, 13 Jan: PCB Challengers v PCB Blasters, 12pm – Match referee: Aleem Moosa, On-field umpires: Tahir Rasheed and Azizur Rehman Tuesday, 14 Jan: PCB Challengers v PCB Dynamites, 12pm – Match referee: Mohammad Javed, On-field umpires: Imran Jawed and Nuzhat Sultana Thursday, 16 Jan: FINAL, 7pm – Match referee: Iftikhar Ahmed, On-field umpires: Khalid Mahmood Snr and Imtiaz Iqbal Squads: PCB Blasters - Rameen Shamim (c), Aliya Riaz, Anum Amin, Ayesha Nasim, Hurraini Sajjad, Javeria Khan, Javeria Rauf, Maham Tariq, Natalia Pavaiz, Neha Sharmin Nadeem, Noreen Yaqoob, Sadaf Shams, Sidra Nawaz and Tuba Hassan Team officials – Waqar Orakzai (coach), Shakir Qayyum (assistant coach), Mahlaka Mansoor (manager) and Riffat Asghar Gill (Physiotherapist) PCB Challengers - Bismah Maroof (c), Aiman Anwar, Aroob Shah, Ayesha Zafar, Fatima Sana, Hafsa Khalid, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nida Dar, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Waheeda Akhtar, Hafsa Amjad and Khadija Chishti Team officials – Amir Iqbal (coach), Shahid Mehmood (assistant coach), Aisha Jalil (manager) and Saima Malik (physiotherapist) PCB Dynamites – Nahida Khan (c), Diana Baig, Fareeha Mehmood, Ghulam Fatima, Irum Javed, Kainat Hafeez, Kainat Imtiaz, Lubna Behram, Masooma Jaffri, Nashra Sandhu, Omaima Sohail, Sana Mir, Sidra Amin and Umme Hani Team officials – Kamran Hussain (coach), Ali Niazi (assistant coach), Rabail Khalid (manager) and Sajida Fajar (physiotherapist)

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 6, 2020):-Sarfaraz Ahmed, the captain of the Pakistan side which lifted the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in 2006, made a visit to the ongoing Pakistan Under-19 camp at the National Cricket Academy on Monday and shared his experience of playing the biggest age-group cricket tournament. Pakistan boasts two U19 World Cup wins – the last one came under the wicketkeeper-batsman’s captaincy in 2006 with a memorable win over arch-rivals India by 38 runs in a low-scoring final in Colombo. After leading his country to the title, Sarfaraz made his debut for Pakistan national men’s team the next year in an ODI against India at Jaipur. He believes the upcoming ICC U19 Cricket World Cup, which will be played in South Africa from 17 January to 9 February, will serve as a stepping stone for the teenaged cricketers in the squad. Sarfaraz Ahmed said: “I have told the boys this is a perfect platform to graduate to the next level as we had also gone through this route. “Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi are prime examples, as they came from this set-up and are now a part of the national team. “I have a feeling that this team has the capability to beat any team in the competition and has the fire power to win the tournament. The momentum is on their side. They’ve had a good 2019 as they performed very well in South Africa and other recent series. “I have great memories of my time in the U19 side. The best one is the final which we won in the 2006 World Cup. The way we won it, I am going to remember it for the rest of my life. We had a brilliant time and we played like one.” Pakistan start their ICC U19 World Cup campaign on 19 January against Scotland U19. The Rohail Nazir-led side is in Group C with Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Scotland. Pakistan ICC U19 Cricket World Cup squad: Rohail Nazir (captain and wicketkeeper), Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Amir Ali (Larkana), Amir Khan (Peshawar), Arish Ali Khan (Karachi), Fahad Munir (Lahore),  Haider Ali (vice-captain), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Lahore),  Mohammad Shehzad (Multan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (North Waziristan), Tahir Hussain (Multan) Team management – Ijaz Ahmed (head coach-cum-manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (trainer), Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rasul (physiotherapist), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Emmad Ahmed Hameed (media manager) and Col (retd) Usman Riffat Anwari (security manager).

SB News ISLAMABAD (January 6, 2020):-Japan boast a global reputation for productivity but their rapid emergence onto cricket’s global scene has surprised even the most positive of supporters. Later this month, Dhugal Bedingfield’s side will rub shoulders with India, England, Australia et al, ready to pit their wits against the biggest forces in the game at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. But three years ago they didn’t even have an U19 team let alone one capable of sharing a global stage with players who possess IPL contacts, such as India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal and Anuj Rawat. Still, Japan is known for creating things: cars, electronics and robots are its specialism, but in this case a pathway from school fields to international fields has been formed. Japan may not be regarded as a cricket powerhouse but it may just become one. A summer camp in August 2017 convinced Japan Cricket there was sufficient talent and enthusiasm to build a U19 team. That came after four years of sweat, blood and toil in promoting the game after a structure was first put in place following an ICC grant for a targeted pilot participation programme. They ambitiously bid and won the rights to stage the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier last year, selecting a young group of players they were hoping to blood for 2021. However, they beat Samoa by 170 runs in the tournament opener and qualified with ease – going unbeaten through the tournament. As anyone who has ever visited Tokyo can attest, things tend to happen rather quickly in Japan. “People might be surprised that Japan is playing cricket and there might not be an historic culture in the country, but that is not to say we can’t be good at it,” said Alan Curr, head of operations at Japan Cricket. “Eleven of the boys that played in the qualifiers are able to play again in two years, which shows how far we have come. We are two years ahead of what we expected. “We are not expecting to knock over India but we are hoping to come away with our reputation as a cricketing nation enhanced. “A lot of people have said how great it is but we are not there to make up the numbers. We don’t expect to tear up any trees but if we can bag a win or two then that would be great.” It would be unwise to discount Japan. They boast plenty of talent, led by Marcus Thurgate, who scored a half-century in each of their qualifiers. He is also the team’s captain, wicket-keeper and star batsman – filling in anywhere in the top order. Neel Date, an opening batsman, is another to look out for while off-spinner Yugandhar Retharekar has the best economy figures in the Japanese senior league last season, despite being just 16 years old. His five for 18 helped set-up a four-wicket win against Fiji in Japan’s final qualifier, while fellow spinner Masato Morita will hope to find pitches that suit his leg-breaks. “If we can maintain the learning curve we are on right now then we will only get better,” Curr added. “We only meet up four times a year and we have qualified for a World Cup. We knew we would have to do a lot of work with them. With the tournament being in January and February, which is in the middle of our winter and there are no indoor training facilities in Japan, we have had to get creative. “We had a coach called Rohan O’Neill come over from Victoria to work with the boys for six weeks, so they have been through some intense training and they have improved – although there is a long way to go.” There might be. But Japan has already gained considerable ground.

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 6, 2020):-The upcoming limited overs series between the West Indies and Ireland will be contested trialing technology that will authorise the third umpire to call front foot no balls, like during West Indies’ recent ODI and T20I tour of India. During the trial, which will be carried out in all three ODIs and three T20Is, the third umpire will monitor each ball for any front foot infringement and communicate it to the on-field umpire to call a no ball. The on-field umpires will not call any front foot no balls unless instructed by the third umpire, but will remain responsible for other on-field decisions in the usual way. The benefit of the doubt will lie with the bowler, and if a late no ball call is communicated, then the on-field umpire will rescind a dismissal (if applicable) and signal a no ball. The outcomes of the trial will be used to gauge whether the system has a beneficial impact on the accuracy of no ball decisions and whether it can be implemented while minimizing disruption to the flow of the game. The International Cricket Council (ICC) had trialled no ball technology for the first time during a one-day series between England and Pakistan in 2016.

MB Khan RAWALPINDI (January 5, 2020):-Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) XI have won the Rawalpindi Women’s T 10 Cricket League Tournament after beating Multan by 44 runs in the final at Wiqar-un-Nisa College ground on Sunday. The brilliant player of the winner team Nameera was declared best player of the decisive fixture. Multan’s captain was announced the best player of the tournament. Multan team’s captain Bakhtawar won the toss and invited the opponent to bat first. DC Elevens piled a massive score 105 for 5 runs 10 overs. Amna scored 21 runs and Ayesha scored 19 runs while Multan Captain Bakhtawar got 2 wickets and the other brilliant bowler Samiya, Nadia and Maida got 1 wicket each. Mutlan could manage 61 for 6 runs on the board in allotted 10 overs.  Losing captain was not out on 40 runs, which made her performance prominent. DC Eleven team player Nameera got 3 wickets whereas Saba got 1 wicket. DSO Shams Toheed distributed the prizes along with the president of Youth Education and Sports Welfare society Zahid Awan. Professor Maryam, Nasir Aslam Raja, Snober Gul, Shafqat Niazi and Doctor Mohammad Hussain were also present on this occasion. In the final match Saleem Butt and Waqar performed the duty of empires and Saba Malik took the responsibility of scoring.     

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 5, 2020):-Right from the word go the International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 Cricket World Cup has acted as a petri dish for the progress of cricket’s emerging nations, with an ICC Associates XI entered in the inaugural event in 1988. From those early steps to memorable performances from Nepal, Namibia and Afghanistan in recent years, the age-group showpiece has acted as a vehicle for Associates to turn dreams into reality. And for Canada’s Nitish Kumar, it helped him make history. The all-rounder from Scarborough, Ontario has been representing his country for nearly a decade, starting in earnest at the 2010 U19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. Kumar was thrown in at the deep end of the international game, becoming the second-youngest player in ODI history when lining up against Afghanistan in February 2010. The U19 World Cup helped him consolidate those experiences and then equipped him for the biggest stage as he became the youngest-ever player to feature at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, figuring in Canada’s defeat to Zimbabwe in February 2011 aged 16 years and 283 days. “It was so special to be able to represent your country at such a prestigious event as the U19 World Cup,” said Kumar, now 25. “It was a competitive environment and we played against some of the best players in our age-group. “To succeed at the tournament, you need clear plans and to trust your skills. You’ve made it to that stage for a reason and you must believe you’re good enough to win every game. “It gives you an opportunity to measure your skills against the best in the world at your age. From there you are able to identify areas for improvement.” The U19 Cricket World Cup has always been a truly global gathering and Netherlands’ Tim De Leede and Canada’s Nicholas Ifill progressed from the 1988 Associates XI to gain Men’s Cricket World Cup experiences. In recent years Eoin Morgan, Rashid Khan, Steven Taylor, Kyle Coetzer and Mark Chapman have been some of the more recognisable names to star for Associate nations at the U19 World Cup. Chirag Suri batting againts Scotland Chirag Suri appeared for UAE in the 2014 tournament on home soil, where the host nation gained vital experience in a group with England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Hitting a half-century as his side came close to beating the Kiwis, Suri says the event suffused his side with belief they could challenge top-ranking nations. “This tournament definitely makes you believe in yourself as a cricketer and competing against the best only makes you a more competent and consistent player,” said Suri. “It’s a great place to be and to see where you stand as a player on the international stage amongst the best of your age. “It’s an incredible experience which players will share with their kids one day, you have to make every moment enjoyable and not leave anything in the changing room. “Personally, scoring a 50 against a Test nation like New Zealand and going incredibly close against them, and facing Sri Lanka and England, really made me believe in my ability and the potential of the team.” Associate nations will once again be out in force at the 2020 renewal of the event, set for South Africa from 17 January – 9 February. Nigeria and Japan secured qualification for the first time through victory at Africa and EAP Division One events, while Canada, UAE and Scotland will once again take part. Suri underlines that players who strut their stuff at the U19 World Cup have a unique opportunity – to launch their career in front of a global audience. “The U19 World Cup can be very pivotal for the next stage of your career if you’re a young player,” said Suri. “We have seen players doing well in these tournaments and with the confidence they get from it, going on to become the best of the world. “Virat Kohli is a prime example. I've been following him since his U19 World Cup appearance and look at his journey until today. “There isn’t a better platform to showcase your skills than this one.”

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 5, 2020):-Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi will host 8 matches of Pakistan Super League (PSL) T20 Cricket during the 4th edition, which will be kicked off from February 20, 2020 with wonderful and colourful ceremony at National Cricket Stadium Karachi. As many as 425 overseas players from 22 countries registered their interest in playing in the HBL PSL 2020. Of these, 39 from Afghanistan, 12 from Australia, 23 from Bangladesh, 10 from Canada, 109 from England, seven from Hong Kong, six from Ireland, seven from the Netherlands, eight from Nepal, 11 from New Zealand, nine from Oman, five from Scotland, four from Singapore, 27 from South Africa, 39 from Sri Lanka, nine from the UAE, six from the USA, 82 from the West Indies, 9 from Zimbabwe and one each from Bermuda, Kenya and Namibia. PSL Fixtures: 20 Feb – Opening ceremony to be followed by Quetta Gladiators v Islamabad United, National Stadium (Start time TBC) 21 Feb – Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 22 Feb – Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Islamabad United v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 23 Feb – Karachi Kings v Quetta Gladiators, National Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 26 Feb – Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 27 Feb – Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 28 Feb – Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings, Multan Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 29 Feb – Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators, Multan Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 1 Mar – Islamabad United v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 2 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 3 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 4 Mar – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 5 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators, Pindi Cricket Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 6 Mar – Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 7 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United, Pindi Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 8 Mar – Multan Sultans v Islamabad United, Pindi Cricket Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 10 Mar – Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 11 Mar – Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 12 Mar – Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 13 Mar – Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 14 Mar – Karachi Kings v Islamabad United, National Stadium (7pm-5.15pm) 15 Mar – Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars, Gaddafi Stadium (2pm-5.15pm); Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings, National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 17 Mar – Qualifier (1 v 2), National Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 18 Mar – Eliminator 1 (3 v 4), Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 20 Mar – Eliminator 2 (loser Qualifier v winner Eliminator 1), Gaddafi Stadium (7pm-10.15pm) 22 Mar – Final, Gaddafi Stadium (start time TBC)

Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 5, 2020):-The ICC U19 Cricket World Cup will provide teenagers from around the world a lifetime opportunity of making an impression on the cricketing world. Pakistan players selected for the global event are looking to make the most of the opportunity at hand and one such player is young all-rounder Mohammad Shehzad, who hails from Dera Ghazi Khan, a small town in Punjab.  Shehzad made a big career move very early in his life when he left his hometown and settled in Lahore to pursue his dream of making a big name as a cricketer. The 14-year-old had to deal with the tragedy of his father’s death at an early age and since has committed himself to cricket as he shoulders the responsibility of his family which includes his mother and five younger brothers.  Shehzad’s first memories of playing cricket are as a nine-year-old in DG Khan. The right-armer played cricket with boys older than him and it helped in improving his game and in no time his cricket talent started getting recognised. Shehzad on his early days, interest and ambition in cricket: “Due to lack of cricket infrastructure and facilities in Dera Ghazi Khan, I was advised to move to Lahore. I joined Pak Lions Cricket Academy two years ago and harnessed my skills there. “Imran Khan is my all-time favourite cricketer, while Babar Azam is the one batsman that I admire from the current generation. “I am delighted at my inclusion in the Pakistan squad for the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup. I am hopeful of doing well in the tournament. Head coach Ijaz Ahmed is guiding me as I am working on further improving my temperament, along with batting and bowling techniques.”  Shehzad first appeared in PCB recognised cricket when he played the PCB-Inter Regional U13 T20 tournament in 2017. He scored 178 runs in three matches with the help of two half-centuries, his best was 98 while he also took three wickets with his right-arm pace bowling.  is impressive show at the U13 level earned Shehzad a spot in the Multan U16 team for the following year’s PCB-Pepsi U16 one-day tournament in 2018/19 season. In five games he totalled 197 runs with the help of two half-centuries. His performance continued to improve as he amassed 309 runs in the PCB U16 Pentangular Tournament in the same season. He was declared the best batsman of the tournament with one century and two half-centuries to his name. Shehzad’s consistent run earned him the attention of the selectors and a place in Pakistan U16 team that took on Australia in a one-day and T20 series in the UAE in 2019. Shehzad justified his selection by scoring a match winning 73 not out in the only T20 match of the series. Against Bangladesh U16 in Pakistan, Shehzad scored 72 runs in two one-day matches and 126 runs in two three-day games. His consistent run earned him a place in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup squad.

Raja Asad Dubai (January 4, 2020):-The Friends Cricket Club ,Insaf Cricket Club and Leepa Valley Heroes reached into the semifinals of the Chinar Super league- Season II after winning their respective matches at Ajman Free Zone Al- Falah Cricket Ground United Arabs Emirates (UAE). At the quarterfinal stage, Friends Cricket Club defeated Dhirkot Badshah by eight wickets while Insaf Cricket Club beat Banian Starts with massive seven wickets. In the third fixture, Leepa Valley Heroes overcame Kotli Legends by 2 runs after a thrilling contest.

Report: MB Khan RAWALPINDI (January 4, 2020):-Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rawalpindi Elevens on Saturday qualified first time in the final of Rawalpindi Women Cricket League, as they will meet Multan in the final on Sunday at same venue. In the first semifinal, YES Rawalpindi beat the YES Islamabad with 8 wickets. YES Islamabad scored 48 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. YES Rawalpindi team players Naila Nazir and Hajra got 3 wickets each. In reply, YES Rawalpindi team completed their target after losing only 2 wickets. Madiha Riyasat won the player of the match award. In the second match, DC Eleven Rawalpindi beat YES Rawalpindi from 18 runs. DC Eleven score 85 runs on the loss of 6 wickets and played first and the other competitive team YES Rawalpindi has scored 68 runs on the loss of 3 wickets. Hira Khan declared best players of the match. DC Eleven beat YES Islamabad from 6 wickets. YES Islamabad bat first and gave the target of 52 runs. Saba, Amna and Nameera got 2 wickets and DC Eleven completed target after wasting 4 wickets. Player of the team YES Islamabad got 3 wickets.