Sports Bulletin

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy eighth round starts on Monday  By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 17, 2019):-As the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy enters its last three rounds, the competition to secure berths in the final of the country’s premier first-class tournament keeps on getting intense. The eighth round, which begins on Monday, 18 November, promises to generate more excitement in what has been a riveting tournament so far.  Northern return to Rawalpindi to host second-ranked Southern Punjab, who are 11 points ahead of them, at the KRL Stadium. The two teams played out a draw the last time they came face-to-face in the tournament. But, with the competition getting fierce with every round, both sides, this time, will enter the competition with guns blazing.  With 15 points on offer for the winning side, a victory for Northern (placed fourth with 71 points) will see them leapfrog the opposition. Northern turned heads with a surprise maiden win against Sindh, at Karachi’s National Stadium, which has established them as strong contenders to be one of the two finalists.  For the most part of the season, Northern, the only side to have lost two matches in the tournament before the beginning of the seventh round, languished at the bottom of the points table and were almost out of the tournament. But, traveling to the metropolis brought a much-needed change in their fortunes.  An incredible double-century by Faizan Riaz helped his side post an imposing 408 all-out from 14 for three after which Northern captain Nauman Ali, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 36 wickets, spun a web with five for 58 and four for 51  in his side’s 145 runs victory over the hosts.  Southern Punjab will pin hopes on Sami Aslam, the leading run-getter of the tournament with 833 runs at an average of 138.83. The left-handed opener cracked a century in his side’s last round fixture against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium and has four scores of 100 and above – which include an unbeaten 243 – in the tournament, to date.  Sindh v Central Punjab  Sindh, now at the bottom with 58 points, must have gone back to the drawing board and chalked out strategies as they take on table-toppers Central Punjab, who are 50 points ahead, in a contest which will be live-streamed at the PCB’s YouTube Channel.  The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy experienced arguably the most-ferocious battle when the two sides met in Faisalabad in the fifth-round. Sindh edged out in securing a draw in a high-intensity competition, marked by gutsy performances in all facets from both sides. Sarfaraz Ahmed, the Sindh captain, will bank on Fawad Alam, the only batsman from his side to score two centuries this season, and pacers like Tabish Khan, leading wicket-taker for Sindh with 17 wickets, Mir Hamza and Sohail Khan. Early call-offs due to bad light on all four days in their last match against Balochistan at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, meant Central Punjab were in the field for only 217.2 overs. Their batsmen and bowlers, however, made put some notable performances. Forty-year-old pacer Aizaz Cheema, upgraded to the first XI side after impressing in the non first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament, returned a five-fer and Usman Salahuddin and Umar Akmal cracked 94 and 78. Regardless of the two teams standing on the extreme ends of the points table, fans will witness an exciting competition with tensions expected to be high when the rivals meet at the National Stadium. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Balochistan  Karachi will be host to another first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. This match was shifted out of Abbottabad due to unexpected weather conditions, which hampered the matches from going full distance.  Balochistan’s Imran Butt has been in sublime form of-late. The 23-year-old racked up his second century of the tournament at the Gaddafi Stadium and is the third-highest run-getter this season with 673 runs at an average of 67.30. He has also cracked three half-centuries.  His teammate Mohammad Asghar, left-arm spinner, sits at the fifth place in the list of the highest wicket-takers with 19 wickets - which include a five-fer - and accounted for the prized scalps of Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal in the last round.  Balochistan, however, will be wary of Khyber Pakhtunkwa, placed third on the points table. They might not have secured a win this season, but they remain the only side to have not lost a match either.  Their in-form batting lineup – spearheaded by Ashfaq Ahmed, the second best amongst the run-getters this tournament with 675 runs including four centuries – has accumulated the most batting points (26) from all six teams, to date.  The onus of delivering with the ball will be on their pace unit which boasts Pakistan internationals Junaid Khan and Usman Shinwari. The pace-attack has been bolstered by the introduction of 31-year-old right-arm medium-fast Ahmed Jamal, who returned a first innings six for 93 against Southern Punjab in Abbottabad in the last round.  Upcoming fixtures (18-21 Nov)  Northern v Southern Punjab, KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi  Sindh v Central Punjab, National Stadium, Karachi  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Balochistan, UBL Sports Complex, Karachi  

Mohammad Hasnain six wickets guides Pakistan to 90-run win over Sri Lanka SB News LAHORE (November 16, 2019):- A sensational six-wicket haul from Mohammad Hasnain lifted Pakistan to a 90-run win over Sri Lanka in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019 match played at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium, Cox's Bazar on Saturday. Chasing 184 to win the match, Sri Lanka were blown away by a fiery spell of fast bowling from Mohammad Hasnain who took six wickets for 19 runs in seven overs. Khushdil Shah and Umar Khan also took two wickets apiece. For Sri Lanka, opening batsman, Petum Nissanka was top –scorer with 34 off 56 balls. Earlier in the day, Pakistan were dismissed for 183 in 49.5 overs after being put into bat. The top-order fell quickly as the green shirts lost three wickets for 31 runs inside 10 overs. Amad Butt who came to bat at number eight, top-scored with 44 off 45 balls, hitting three fours and as many sixes. Rohail Nazir (37) and Khushdil Shah (32) were other run-getters for Pakistan team. For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando took three wickets for 28, while Amila Aponso and Kalana Perera took two wickets apiece. Pakistan will take on Oman in their third match on Monday, 18 November. Scores in brief: Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium, Coxs Bazar, Pakistan 183 all out, 49.5 overs (Amad Butt 44, Rohail Nazir 37, Khushdil Shah 32; Asitha Fernando 3-28, Amila Aponso 2-36, Kalana Perera 2-45) Sri Lanka 93 all out, 30.4 overs (Petum Nissanka 34, Hasitha Boyagoda 22; Mohammad Husnain 6-19, Khushdil Shah 2-14, Umar Khan 2-4) Result: Pakistan won by 90 runs

144 cricketers from 14 countries register in Gold Category for HBL PSL 2020 Abdullah Asjad Islamabad, 15 November 2019:The Pakistan Cricket Board today released the preliminary list of Gold Category foreign players for the HBL Pakistan Super League Player Draft 2019 as well as a list of 325 local players who have been assigned Gold, Silver and Emerging categories. The list of 325 local players includes all cricketers from the domestic first and second XI squads as well as U19 cricketers. As part of this year’s policy, players who have already represented Pakistan at the international level have been assigned a base category of Gold. The cut-off date for these records was the same that applied to category renewals of local players that took place last month. The list was reviewed and approved by Coordinator - National Selection Committee, Nadeem Khan and Head of Player Acquisition & Management PSL, Imran Ahmad Khan. True to its tradition of promoting young Pakistani talent, HBL PSL rules require teams to have at least two Emerging cricketers in a squad of 16. Players need to be U23 as on 1 January 2020 to qualify for this category. Each team can now nominate up to six emerging players and up to two talent hunt discoveries that may be added to this list. In the Gold category, 48 England, 40 West Indies, 19 Sri Lanka, 10 Bangladesh, six Afghanistan, four each from Australia and New Zealand, three each from Ireland, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and one each from Canada, the Netherlands, Scotland and the United States of America have registered. Some of the most prominent players in the preliminary Gold Category are Gulbadin Naib, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad (all Afghanistan), Ben Dunk (Australia), Mehdy Hasan Miraz, Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed (all Bangladesh), Ben Duckett, Chris Wood, Jade Dernback, Jamie Overton, Joe Clarke, Reece Topley, Samit Patel, Saqib Mahmood (all England), George Dockrell, Kevin O’Brien, Paul Stirling (all Ireland), Anton Devcich, Jeetan Patel (both New Zealand), Dwaine Pretorious, Vernon Philander, Wayne Parnell (all South Africa), Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Dinesh Chandimal, Jeevan Mendis, Lahiru Kumara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Suranga Lakmal, Upul Tharanga, Wanindu Hasaranga (all Sri Lanka), Andre Fletcher, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor, Kieran Powell, Shane Dowrich, Sheldon Cottrell (all West Indies) and Brendan Taylor, Kyle Jarvis and Sikandar Raza (all Zimbabwe). Local players in the Gold category are: Abid Ali, Adnan Akmal, Asad Ali, Asad Shafiq, Awais Zia, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Bilawal Bhatti, Ehsan Adil, Fawad Alam, Imran Farhat, Imran Khan Jr, Imran Khan Sr, Imran Nazir, Khurram Manzoor, Mansoor Amjad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Talha, Mukhtar Ahmed, Nauman Anwar, Raza Hasan, Saad Naseem, Sami Aslam, Sharjeel Khan (subject to completion of his rehabilitation), Umar Gul, Usman Salahuddin and Zulfiqar Babar. The PCB will announce updated lists across all Categories by or before 21 November. List of international players who have registered in Gold Category to date: Afghanistan (6) - Gulbadin Naib, Hazratullah Zazai, Mohammad Shahzad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Waqar Salamkheil and Zahir Khan Australia (4) - Ben Dunk, Jonathan Wells, Josh Lalor and Nathan Rimmington Bangladesh (10) - Abul Hasan Raju, Afif Hossain, Al Amin Hossain, Alok Kapali, Aminul Islam, Litton Das, Mehdy Hasan Miraz, Mohammad Mithun, Mosaddek Hossain and Taskin Ahmed Canada (1) - Nikhil Dutta England (48) - Adam Lyth, Alex Davies, Arron Lilley, Ben Duckett, Benny Howell, Callum Parkinson, Chris Wood, Colin Ackermann, Craig Meschede, D Bell-Drummond, Dan Lawrence, Danny Briggs, David Payne, Dom Sibley, George Garton, Hamidullah Qadri, Hassan Azad, Jack Taylor, Jade Dernbach, James Fuller, Jamie Overton, Joe Clarke, John Simpson, Jordan Clark, Josh Cobb, Josh Davey, Josh Poysden, Luis Reece, Max Holden, Nathan Sowter Ollie Robinson, Paul Coughlin, Peter Trego, Reece Topley, Richard Gleeson, Riki Wessels, Rikki Clarke, Ross Whiteley, Ryan Higgins, Sam Hain, Samit Patel, Saqib Mahmood, Stephen Mullaney, Steven Croft, Tom Abell, Wayne Madsen, Will Jacks and Zak Chappell Ireland (3) - George Dockrell, Kevin O’Brien and Paul Stirling Netherlands (1) - Tobias Vissee New Zealand (4) - Anton Devcich, George Worker, Jeetan Patel and Seth Rance Scotland (1) - George Munsey South Africa (3) - Dwaine Pretorious, Vernon Philander and Wayne Parnell Sri Lanka (19) - Angelo Perera, Asela Gunaratne, Avishka Fernando, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Chaturanga de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Dushmantha Chameera, Jeevan Mendis, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Lahiru Thirimanne, Lakshan Sandakan, Malinda Pushpakumara, Minod Banuka, Nuwan Pradeep, Seekkuge Prasanna, Seekugge Prasanna, Suranga Lakmal, Upul Tharanga and Wanindu Hasaranga USA (1) - Ali Khan West Indies (40) - Andre Fletcher, Ashley Nurse, Bhaskar Yadram, Chadwick Walton, Christopher Barnwell, Danza Hyatt, Devendra Bishoo, Dominic Drakes, Dwayne Smith, Hayden Walsh Jr, Jahmar Hamilton, Jeavon Searles, Jeremiah Louis, Jerome Taylor, John Campbell, Jonathan Carter, Joshua Bishop, Kennar Lewis, Keron Cottoy, Khary Pierre, Kieran Powell, Kjorn Yohance, Krishmar Santokie, Kyle Mayers, Leniko Boucher, Mark Deyal, Obed McCoy, Ravi Rampaul, Ray Reifer, Rayad Emrit, Roland Cato, Romario Shepherd, Ronsford Beaton, Rovman Powell, Shamar Springer, Shane Dowrich, Sheldon Cottrell, Shermon Lewis, Trevon Griffith and Veerasammy Permaul Zimbabwe (3) - Brendan Taylor, Kyle Jarvis and Sikandar Raza

Dawid Malan leads England’s 19-player field in Diamond Category for HBL PSL 2020  Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 14, 2019):-England’s Dawid Malan leads a strong field of 59 foreign international cricketers who have registered to date in Diamond Category for HBL Pakistan Super League 2020. The registration window for the foreign players is still open and closes on 21 November following which an updated list will be released.  World’s third-ranked T20I batsman was in a punishing form in the just-concluded five-match series against New Zealand, totaling 458 runs in five matches. This included a 48-ball century, an England record, in the fourth match in Napier. Malan belted nine fours and six sixes in a 51-ball 103 not out to power England to 241 for three, their highest score to date, that laid the foundation of a comfortable 76-run victory.  Malan is the second England batsman to have scored a century in the shortest format of the game. Alex Hales achieved the milestone against Sri Lanka in Chittagong in 2014 and he has registered in Platinum Category for the tournament that has already caught the imagination of cricket followers and fans across the globe in its short history.  Malan has represented Peshawar Zalmi in three HBL PSLs since the inception of this glamourous and glittering tournament, helping the side from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to lift the silverware in 2017. England’s Ravi Bopara and Luke Ronchi, who won the player of the HBL PSL awards in 2016 and 2018, respectively, have also registered in the Diamond Category. Apart from Malan and Bopara, other big England attractions in the preliminary list also include Somerset’s Tom Banton (who was the second leading scorer behind Babar Azam in the Vitality Blast 2019 with 549 runs), Yorkshire’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore (who aggregated 435 runs in the Vitality Blast 2019), Joe Denly, Tymal Mills, Craig Overton, Phil Salt, James Vince and Luke Wright. Daren Sammy, the darling of HBL PSL, is amongst 12 West Indies players who have registered in the Diamond Category that also includes Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Alzarri Josphe, Keemo Paul and Marlon Samuels. In the preliminary list, 11 South Africa cricketers have registered with Rassie van der Dussen being the most popular name after his 241 runs in the ODI series against Pakistan earlier this year. Kyle Abbott, who was the fourth leading wicket-taker with 20 scalps for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast 2019, also features in the list. Other prominent names in the preliminary list include Bangladesh’s Mahmudullah (world’s fourth-ranked all-rounder) and Mustafizur Rahman (world’s 32nd-ranked bowler), Roelof van der Merwe of Netherlands (world’s 24th-ranked all-rounder) and Sri Lanka’s Niroshan Dickwella (world’s 72nd-ranked batsman) and Isuru Udana (world’s 56th-ranked bowler). Dasun Shanaka, who led Sri Lanka to 3-0 win over Pakistan last month, is also in the preliminary Diamond Category. Australia’s Fawad Ahmed, Chris Green and Ben Laughlin, and Najeebullah Zadran and Qais Ahmad of Afghanistan are the other players to register in the Diamond Category.  The PCB will announce additions to the list by or before 21 November, it will continue to share to date Gold, Silver and Emerging lists this week.  List of international players who have registered in Diamond category to date:  Afghanistan (2) - Najeebullah Zadran and Qais Ahmad Australia (3) – Fawad Ahmed, Chris Green and Ben Laughlin Bangladesh (4) -  Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mustafizur Rahman and Tamim Iqbal England (19) - Tom Banton, Ian Bell, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Pat Brown, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mason Crane, Liam Dawson, Joe Denly, Laurie Evans, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Tymal Mills, Craig Overton, Matt Parkinson, Phil Salt, James Vince and Luke Wright Netherlands (1) - Roelof van der Merwe New Zealand (1) – Luke Ronchi South Africa (11) - Kyle Abbott, Cameron Delport, Marchant de Lange, Rassie van der Dussen, Robbie Frylinck, Simon Harmer, Heino Kuhn, Duanne Olivier, Dane Vilas, Hardus Viljoen and David Wiese Sri Lanka (5) - Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dasun Shanaka and Isuru Udana West Indies (12) - Fabian Allen, Johnson Charles, Rahkeem Cornwall, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Daren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Oshane Thomas and Kesrick Williams  

Pakistan beat Afghanistan by eight wickets in ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019 SB Report Dubai (November 14, 2019);-Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by eight wickets in the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2019 match played at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium, Cox's Bazar on Thursday.  Chasing 139 to win the match, in their first outing in the tournament, Pakistan openers Omair-Bin-Yousaf (38) and Haider Ali (16) provided a solid 50-run partnership for the first-wicket. After the departure of the opening pair, Rohail Nazir and Saud Shakeel got together and contributed an unbroken 70-run partnership for the third-wicket to chase down the target in 35.3 overs. Rohail scored an undefeated 73-ball 53 laced with two fours and a six, while captain Saud Shakeel scored 30 off 48 balls which included one four.  Earlier in the day, Afghanistan were dismissed for 138 in 42.2 overs after opting to bat first. icketkeeper batsman Munir Ahmed top-scored with a 71-ball 41, he hit one four and two sixes. For Pakistan, Mohammad Mohsin took four wickets for 30 runs in 9.4 overs. Amad Butt and Khushdil Shah  chipped in with two wickets apiece. Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in their second match on Saturday, 16 November 2019.  

Bismah Maroof and Iqbal Imam retained captain, coach until ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD:-Bismah Maroof has been retained as captain and Iqbal Imam has been appointed as the head coach of Pakistan national women’s team until next year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in Australia from 21 February to 8 March.  Prior to the Australia event in December, the Pakistan national women’s cricket team will take on England in Kuala Lumpur in the seventh round of ICC Women’s Championship. The three ODIs will be followed by three T20Is.  Bismah, the 28-year-old veteran of 105 ODIs and 103 T20Is, was first appointed as Pakistan captain in the T20I format in 2016 for the tour of England, before taking over as ODI captain post-ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. To date, she has led Pakistan in 15 ODIs and 33 T20Is.  Iqbal Imam played 147 first-class matches from 1989 to 2005 during which he scored 6,249 runs and took 136 wickets. He was named as the batting coach in April and was made interim head coach for the recent home series against Bangladesh after Mark Coles resigned from the position.  Bismah Maroof, reflecting on her appointment, said: “It is truly an honour for me to be continuing as Pakistan’s captain and I look forward to leading the side in the next year’s T20 World Cup. “The team is in good shape and has produced some good performances recently. There’s a great deal of talent and passion in the girls and I look forward to carrying the momentum to the World Cup.”  Urooj Mumtaz, Chair of selectors for the Pakistan national women’s team, said: “I congratulate Bismah Maroof and Iqbal Imam on their appointments. “It is the dream of every cricketer to lead their nation in a world event and I am certain that Bismah is a good fit for the job. She has been at the helm for some years and she has grown as a leader.  “There has been a significant improvement in the performances of the women’s side of-late and her vast experience of international cricket is certainly going to benefit the team.” Iqbal Imam, expressing his delight at the announcement, said: “It is certainly an honour for me to be appointed as a head coach for the women’s side. “Women’s cricket in Pakistan is improving day-by-day and we have a lot of talented girls emerging. Our team has gotten off to a decent start this season by beat Bangladesh in T20I series and levelling the ODI series. “There’s a great potential in the side to do wonders and I aim to bring the best out of them.”  PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “Bismah Maroof and Iqbal Imam have put in the hard yards to be where they are today and I am very confident that the national women’s team will thrive under them. “Iqbal has been with the team since April and he understands the demands of the job. He has the desired skillset and was right up there amongst the candidates who applied for the job. “The Pakistan team showed improvements in their T20I and ODI series against Bangladesh under him and I hope that he will be able to carry forward the momentum gained from them.” The team’s performance will be reviewed after the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Australia 2020 before future decisions are made as the Pakistan national women’s cricket team has no scheduled Future Tours Programme or ICC commitments until the ICC Women’s World Cup New Zealand 2021, which will be held from 30 January to 20 February. Pakistan national women’s cricket team’s upcoming matches: Versus England in Malaysia 9 Dec – First ODI (ICC Women’s Championship), Kinrara Oval 12 Dec – Second ODI (ICC Women’s Championship), Kinrara Oval 14 Dec – Third ODI (ICC Women’s Championship), Kinrara Oval 17 Dec – First T20I, Kinrara Oval 19 Dec – Second T20I, Kinrara Oval 20 Dec – Third T20I, Kinrara Oval ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Australia 2020 26 Feb – v West Indies, Manuka Oval, Canberra 28 Feb – v England, Manuka Oval, Canberra 1 Mar – v South Africa, Sydney Showground, Sydney 3 Mar – v Thailand, Sydney Showground, Sydney

SB Report AJMAN (November 13, 2019):-Pakistan Blind Cricket Team defeated England by 8 wickets in the 2nd International T-20, which was played today at Ajman Oval Cricket Ground, Ajman on Wednesday.  In the morning, once again Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first. Pakistan’s moral with the yesterday victory was high. England top order again failed and Pakistani bowlers, bowled with some serious pace and variation and didn’t allow England middle order to settle in. Badar’s fiery spell left England wobbling at 59 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in first 10 overs. Badar took 3 wickets for 24 runs. Dan Field got out after scoring 5 runs, Sam Murray made 21 runs, Andy Powers and Peter Bulliet couldn’t open their accounts, Hollingsworth scored 5, Nathan Foy was caught at 8 runs, Ed Hossell the English Captain made 18 runs, Ameen sustained for his 14 runs, Jimmy went back to pavilion after making 2 runs, Josh Black scored 6 runs not out and England top scorer was Nathan Jamson, he remained unbeaten on 20 runs. England posted 132 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their 20 overs. The other wickets takers for Pakistan were Sajid Nawaz and Mohammad Shahzaib, they took 1 wicket each. Pakistan while chasing, lost two early wickets for 16 runs on the board. Sanaullah was caught by wicket keeper after scoring 6 runs while Zafar Iqbal was stumped without opening his account on the very next ball. Jimmy Millard was the bowler who took 2 wickets in one over. Two quick wickets gave England hope to pull things back, but the unbeaten 3rd wicket partnership of 118 runs by Anees Javed and Mohsin Khan turned the table on England. Pakistan hurried to target of 133 runs in just 13.1 overs for the loss of 2 wickets.  Anees Javed made unbeaten 55* runs and Mohsin Khan scored 50*. Pakistan is leading the 6 Match T-20 series by 2-0. The 3rd T20 International will be played under flood lit lights tomorrow at the same ground. Neil Bradshaw, the Disability Operations Manager England and Wales Cricket Board, was the guest of the occasion and gave away man of the match award. Result: Pakistan won by 8 wickets and 41 balls to spare MOM: Anees Javed

HBL PSL 2020 attracts some of the world’s very best By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-A fascinating duel between World No.1 Babar Azam and one of the modern day greats Dale Steyn is on the cards for the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 as the South African speedster is among the 28 international crowd-pullers to have registered to date in the Platinum category for one of the premier and most-watched leagues on the planet. The registration window for the foreign players is still open and closes on 21 November following which an updated list will be released.  The battle between Babar and Steyn made global headlines when the Pakistan batsman struck the South African pace ace for 10 boundaries in a span of just 31 balls in the Centurion Test late last year. He then followed up with five boundaries in 29 balls in the Cape Town Test to belt Steyn for a total of 16 fours off just 66 balls.  If the two end up in opposite camps when the player draft takes place in the first week of December, then the local and foreign fans are up for the resumption of an engrossing contest between a present day star and one of the all-time supreme fast bowlers.  This is the first time Steyn has registered for the HBL PSL, which reflects the popularity of the competition and the brand it has become since its inception in 2016. If picked, Steyn’s next year’s visit to Pakistan will also be his first since the 2007 tour when he played Tests in Karachi and Lahore.  Steyn was excited to be part of the draft pool, when he said: “Cricket means the world to Pakistani fans and I am excited that I will get to be a part of the HBL Pakistan Super League draft pool.”  Steyn’s longtime South Africa team-mate Hashim Amla and England’s World Cup winners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid are the other international players in the preliminary list of 28 cricketers who have registered in the Platinum category for the HBL PSL 2020.  Amla also toured Pakistan in 2007 before returning in 2017 with the ICC World XI for a three-match T20I series, while for Ali and Rashid, next year’s trips will be their maiden cricket tours, if picked.  Moeen Ali said: “I am very excited that I am going to be a part of such an incredible pool of players for the HBL PSL Player Draft. On the circuit, players talk about the quality cricket that they have experienced playing in the HBL PSL and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”  Apart from Ali and Rashid, Jason Roy is the other World Cup winner to have registered for HBL PSL 2020. Roy, who has previously represented Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators, said: “Pakistan cricket always offers unique and exciting stuff and this tournament is no different. They have some of the most passionate fans in the world and it is extremely heartening to experience this passion. I have had brief but memorable stints at the HBL PSL and it's great to be back in the pool.”  Roy’s compatriot Alex Hales and West Indies’ star Kieron Pollard are familiar faces in the HBL PSL. Alex Hales, who was picked by Islamabad United in 2018, said: “I had a great experience playing in Karachi last year and I can’t forget the love that I received from Pakistani fans. HBL PSL has grown so much in such little time and it is definitely an exciting tournament to be a part of.”  Kieron Pollard, who played for Peshawar Zalmi in the 2019 event, said: “Last year, I truly experienced what cricket means to Pakistani fans as I played in front of jam-packed crowds. It was definitely a highlight in my career and I hope that the HBL PSL festivity continues this season as well.”  Overall, the 28 players come from eight cricket-playing nations, with England boasting seven, South Africa six and the West Indies five, Afghanistan and Australia three each, Sri Lanka two and Nepal, and New Zealand one each.  While the PCB will announce additions to the list by or before 21 November, it will share to date Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging lists later this week.  List of international players who have registered in Platinum category to date:  ·         Afghanistan – Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman and Rashid Khan ·         Australia – Dan Christian, Ben Cutting and Chris Lynn ·         England – Moeen Ali, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid and Jason Roy ·         Nepal - Sandeep Lamichhane ·         New Zealand – Colin Munro ·         South Africa – Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir ·         Sri Lanka – Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera ·         West Indies – Carlos Brathwaite, Dwayne Bravo, Evin Lewis, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard  

SB Report ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan Blind cricket team defeated England by 9 wickets in the first Twenty 20 cricket fixture at Oval Cricket Ground Ajman, United Arabs Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday. Ahmed Amjad Ali, Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai officially inaugurated the series. Before the match, both teams kept one-minute silence in condolence to the sad demise of Anees Javed (Pakistan Team’s former Captain and current player) father who died few days ago. Anees, despite the harsh bolt from the blue joined the team in U.A.E to execute his national duty. In the morning, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bowl first. Muhammad Shahzaib Totally Blind B1 player made his debut. Syed Sultan Shah Chairman PBCC and Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai gave him the debut cap. Pakistani bowlers didn’t allow the English batsmen to play at will. Tight bowling toppled the English batsmen and their wickets kept falling in regular intervals. England team made only 137 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 7 wickets. Peter Bullet and Justin Hollingsworth were their best run getters, they scored 34 runs each. Shahzaib Hyder took 2 wickets, Mohisn Khan, Haroon Khan claimed a wicket a piece. Mohammad Shahzaib the debutant made his impact straight away and bowled England’s dangerous Nathan Foy cheaply. Target of 138 runs, remained a plain ceiling for Pakistani batsmen, Pakistan chased the target in 12.1 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Muhammad Rashid hit 61 runs off 37 balls and Haroon Khan made 26 runs, he was hit wicket on the bowling on Nathan Foy. Riasat Khan remained unbeaten on 16* runs. Stefan the Chairman of International Deaf Cricket Council was the guest of the occasion and gave away man of the match award. The 2nd Twenty-20 International will be played on Wednesday at the same venue. Result: Pakistan won by 9 wickets                       MOM: Muhammad Rashid

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Imran Butt, Aizaz Cheema star on day two SB Report ISLAMABAD:-Imran Butt’s eighth first-class century and two early wickets by Taj Wali and Mohammad Asghar put Balochistan ahead of Central Punjab on day two of their four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy seventh-round fixture at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Balochistan scored a mammoth 450 all-out on the back of Butt’s 137 and reduced the hosts to 28 for two before the play had to be called-off due to fading light. Twenty-three-year-old Butt continued his impressive form after resuming his innings on 77 and cracked his second 100-plus score in the tournament. He knitted a solid 167-run partnership for the third-wicket with Balochistan’s captain Imran Farhat - who scored 87 off 155 balls, hitting 11 fours - and smashed 16 fours in his 225-ball stay at the crease before he was removed by Aizaz Cheema, who returned his 37th five in first-class cricket. The 40-year-old right-arm medium-fast took five wickets for 100 runs in 31.1 overs, providing crucial breakthroughs to hosts over the course of his spells. Other notable performance with the ball came from right-arm medium-fast Mohammad Ali who picked up two more wickets on Tuesday and returned three for 72. For crossing the 400-run mark in 110 overs, Balochistan bagged maximum (5) batting points, while Central Punjab took two points for removing six or more batsmen. Only eight overs were possible in Central Punjab’s innings and Taj (2-0-5-1) and Asghar (2-0-7-1) made the most of the twilights hours by picking up the wickets of opener Rizwan Hussain (six) and night-watchman Ehsan Adil (seven). Salman Butt (15) and Central Punjab captain Ahmed Shehzad (0) will resume the innings for the hosts on Wednesday. Scores in brief: Balochistan 450 all-out, 124.1 overs (Imran Butt 137, Imran Farhat 87, Azeem Ghumman 72, Awais Zia 44, Taimur Khan 37, Hussain Talat 24; Aizaz Cheema 5-100, Mohammad Ali 3-72) Central Punjab 28-2, 8 overs (Salman Butt 15; Taj Wali 1-5, Mohammad Asghar 1-7)