Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Brisbane (January 15, 2023): Bismah Maroof-led Pakistan women’s side will take on Australia in the first of the three ICC Women’s Championship ODIs at the Allan Border Field, Brisbane on Monday. The second ODI scheduled on Wednesday, 18 January is also at the same venue, while the third ODI will be played at the North Sydney Oval, Sydney on Saturday, 21 January. The ODI series will be followed by three T20Is to be played from 24 to 29 January in Sydney, Hobart and Canberra. Before coming to Australia, the women’s team held their practice camps in Lahore and Karachi where they also featured in various intra-squad matches. Captain Bismah Maroof said: “We had good practice sessions here at the venue. The pitches here have different bounce as compared to Pakistan and it took us time to adjust to the bounce. “We are fortunate enough to get a practice game at the same venue where our opening two matches of the series will be hosted. This will help be familiar with the conditions. The fast bowlers bowled well in the practice match, and they will have a key role to play in these conditions. The spinners on the other hand will need to adjust their line and length as required here. “The batters need to get set on the wicket, and once they are set, it will be easy for them to score runs. We have prepared ourselves well and will try to execute our plans to give better results in the series. “We have done really well in the ICC Women’s Championship matches so far, the upcoming series against Australia is also very important. We will try to stick to our plans in the series.” The toss will take place tomorrow at 0435 (Pakistan Standard Time), while the first ball will be bowled at 0505 (Pakistan Standard Time). Pakistan ODI squad for Australia series: Bismah Maroof (c), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Tuba Hassan. Traveling Reserves: Aimen Anwar and Javeria Khan Player Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (team manager), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach and interim head coach), Taufiq Umar (batting coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach), Yasir Malik (strength and conditioning coach), Muhammad Zubair Ahmad (analyst), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media and digital content manager) and Rifat Gill (physiotherapist). Australia series Itinerary 16 January – First ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane 18 January – Second ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane 21 January – Third ODI at North Sydney Oval, Sydney 24 January – First T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney 26 January – Second T20I at Blundstone Arena, Hobart 29 January – Third T20I at Manuka Oval, Canberra

Sports Bulletin Report Brisbane (January 14, 2023): Pakistan women’s ODI and T20I squads brace up for a challenge against a formidable Australia unit in their backyard in the white-ball series consisting of three ODIs and as many T20Is. The three ODIs slated to begin from 16 January are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25. The first two ODIs will be played at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane on 16 and 18 January, where Pakistan are currently practicing over the past four days. For the final match of the series, the two teams will travel to Sydney to play on 21 January. Pakistan enter the ODI series in good form, having acquired five wins from their six outings in the ICC Women’s Championship. They clinched a 2-1 win over Sri Lanka in Karachi in June last year and later achieved a 3-0 sweep over Ireland in Lahore in November. One of the star performers for Pakistan in both series was opening batter Sidra Amin. The right-handed batter is placed at the top of the batting charts in the ICC Women’s Championship with a whopping tally of 495 runs in six games, 155 runs clear of second-placed Harmanpreet Kaur who has 340 runs to her name. Sidra’s runs have come at an average of 123.75, and an impressive strike-rate of 88.55, demonstrating her attacking strokeplay. She has scored 653 runs in her last 10 innings with three hundreds and two half-centuries. The hallmark of Sidra’s batting dominance was her unbeaten 176 against Ireland in the ODI series opener in her hometown Lahore, recording the fifth-highest individual score in Women’s ODIs. All geared up to continue the momentum in 2023 and take up the challenge of scoring runs in the foreign conditions of Australia, the 30-year-old told PCB Digital: “I am here in Australia for the first time, the conditions here are different to Pakistan as the ball rises a bit and I am trying to acclimatise as quickly as possible. “We had our preparation camps in Lahore and Karachi where we played some practice games before coming to Australia.” When asked to reflect on her supreme run last year, Sidra deemed the past 12 months as special. She claimed the string of quality knocks against different oppositions would give her a lot of confidence heading into the forthcoming series and she will be able to make the most of it. On her role in the team and how important it is for an opener to give a good start from the front, Sidra said, “As an opener it is a challenging job to face two new balls in ODI cricket, you have to see off the new ball and at the same time score runs and give a good start to the innings. Muneeba and I will look to give a good start to the innings so the batters coming after us should have the momentum to take it forward. “When you perform individually it helps your team, I will try to score runs which will ultimately benefit my team. The message from coach and captain is very simple, go out and play positive cricket, score runs for the team and help the team do well.” The Lahore-born batter also opened up about the importance of facing a top-tier side like Australia, in terms of the advanced level of cricket on display and a shot at earning their first-ever win against the hosts. “Everyone knows that Australia is a great side, playing against them is a good omen. It will help us to learn a lot,” said Sidra. Pakistan ODI squad for Australia series: Bismah Maroof (c), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Tuba Hassan. Traveling Reserves: Aimen Anwar and Javeria Khan Player Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (team manager), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach and interim head coach), Taufiq Umar (batting coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach), Yasir Malik (strength and conditioning coach), Muhammad Zubair Ahmad (analyst), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media and digital content manager) and Rifat Gill (physiotherapist). Australia series Itinerary 16 January – First ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane 18 January – Second ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane 21 January – Third ODI at North Sydney Oval No.1, North Sydney 24 January – First T20I at North Sydney Oval No.1, North Sydney 26 January – Second T20I at Blundstone Arena, Hobart 29 January – Third T20I at Manuka Oval, Canberra  

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Superb batting by Sadam Khan batted P&T Gymkhana to a convincing 63-run victory over Pindi Gymkhana here at the Pindi Gymkhana ground on Saturday. P&T Gymkhana, batting first, posted a decent total of 173 runs for the loss of seven wickets in allotted 20 overs. Sadam Khan emerged, as top-scorer with a sparkling knock of 60 runs off 31 balls that included 5 fours and 4 maximums. The other key contributors from the winning team was Yawar Bashir, who hammered 31-ball 32 runs while Manzoor Khan smashed unbeaten 29 runs off 12 balls.  Umar Anjum bowled brilliantly for Pindi Gymkhana as he clinched four wickets for 42 runs while Aneeq Mushtaq bagged 2 wickets for 23 runs and Asfand Mehran took one wicket for 29.  Outstanding bowling by Kramat Ali of P&T Gymkhana restricted Pindi Gymkhana to 110 runs for the loss 9 wickets in 20 overs. Aneeq Mushtaq scored 28-ball 37 runs while Asfand Mehran hit 15 and Wasif Khan 14 runs. Kramat Ali grabbed four wickets for 17 runs and he was ably assisted by Imran Hassan, who bagged 3 wickets for 23 runs and Asad Raza and Manzoor Khan got one wicket each.  For his brilliant batting display, Sadam Khan was named player of the match. On Sunday (January 15, 2023), Apollo Club will compete against Valencia Gymkhana Cricket Club in the only match of the day at Pindi Gymkhana ground at 10:30 am. 

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE): Dubai Capitals (DC) outclassed Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (ADKR) by 73 runs in the open fixture of the ILT20 cricket league here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday night. ADKR could score 114 runs in 20 overs, as they had 188 runs target to win a historical tie of United Arabs Emirates (UAE) cricket. Dubai Capitals’ skipper Rovman Powell displayed an inspiring performance with both bat and ball that was key in his team’s triumph.    On Friday, ADKR captain Sunil Narine won the toss and elected to field first, as the Dubai Capital posted 187 for 6 runs on the board in their allotted 20 overs. Powell smashed 48 runs in 29 balls, as his innings included 3 fours and 3 sixes while his teammate Robin Uthappa contributed 43 runs. He faced 33 balls and smashed three fours and two big sixes. Joe Root and Sikandar Raza scored 26 runs each innings at the crucial stage of the innings. Ali Khan (2 for 45), Ravi Rampaul (2 for 36), Andre Russell (1 for 31), and Sunil Narine (1 for 28) were the wicket-taker bowlers for ADKR. ADKR could score only 114 runs in 20 overs, as their single wicket was in the pocket. Only Paul Stirling erected in front of the Dubai Capitals’ bowling, who 58 runs off 38 balls. He hit five fours and two huge sixes during his innings. Andre Russell scored 12 runs, as the rest of the batters could not touch the double figure. For the winners, Rovman Powell (2 for 15), Mujeeb-ur-Rehman (2 for 16), Akif Raja (2 for 20), Isuru Udana (1 for 10), Sikandar Raza (1 for 17) and Hazrat Luqman (1 for 23) were successful bowlers. Summarized Scorecard (Game-1): Toss: ADKR won the toss and elected to bowl first Dubai Capitals (Batting) 187 for 6 runs in 20 overs Rovman Powell 48 runs (29 balls, 4x3, 6x3), Robin Uthappa 43 runs (33 balls, 4x3, 6x2), Joe Root 26 runs (21 balls, 4x2, 6x2), Sikandar Raza 26 runs (17 balls, 4x1, 6x2) Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Bowling): Ali Khan (2 for 45), Ravi Rampaul (2 for 36), Andre Russell (1 for 31), Sunil Narine (1 for 28) Abu Dhabi Knight Riders (Batting): Target 188 in 20 overs Paul Stirling 58 runs (38 balls, 4x5, 6x2), Andre Russell 12 runs (12 balls, 4x1), Dubai Capitals (Bowling): Rovman Powell (2 for 15), Mujeeb-ur-Rehman (2 for 16), Akif Raja (2 for 20), Isuru Udana (1 for 10), Sikandar Raza (1 for 17), Hazrat Luqman (1 for 23) Player of the match: Rovman Powell  

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: New Zealand beat Pakistan by 2 wickets in the 3rd One Day International match to claim the series 2-1 here at National Bank Cricket Arena on Friday night. Visitors chased their target on the first ball of the penultimate over of the contest, as Glenn Phillips was the hero of the day by scoring an unbeaten 63 in 42 balls innings including four fours and four sixes. Summarizes Scorecard (ODI-III): Toss: Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first Pakistan (Batting) 280 for 9 in 50 overs) Fakhar Zaman 101 runs (122 balls, 4x10, 6x1), Mohammad Rizwan 77 runs (74 balls, 4x6, 6x0), Agha Salaman 45 runs (43 balls, 4x4, 6x1), Haris Sohain 22 runs (25 balls, 4x1, 6x0) New Zealand Bowling: Tim Southee (3 for 56), Lockie Furguson (2 for 63), Mitchell Bracewell (1 for 44), Ish Sodhi (1 for 50) New Zealand (Batting) target 281 in 50 overs Glenn Phillips 63 runs not out (42 balls, 4x4, 6x4), Kane Williamson 53 runs (68 balls, 4x2, 6x0), Devon Conway 52 runs (65 balls, 4x5, 6x1), Daryl Mitchell 31 runs (36 balls, 4x1, 6x1) Pakistan Bowling Mohammad Wasim (2 for 35), Agha Salaman (2 for 42), Mohammad Nawaz (1 for 53), Usama Mir (1 for 61) Player of the match: Glenn Phillips 63 runs not out (42 balls, 4x4, 6x4)

BIPIN DANI Nepal's 22-year-old bowler who has been charged for raping a minor girl has been given a bail, it is confirmed. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Kathmandu, the president (Chatur Bahadur Chand) and the secretary (Prashant Malla) of the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), revealed, "Sandeep has been granted a bail in this case by High Court Patan in Kathmandu for a surety of Nepali rupees 20 lacs". "The bail is a partial relief but has been a great relief to him and his family. Sandeep was frustrated in the jail and everyone was awaiting this relief". Sandeep Lamichhane had been taken into custody on October 6 last year 2022 by police in Kathmandu in response to the arrest warrant that had been issued in his name over an alleged case of coercion / rape. This reporter can confirm the girl, whose name is Barsha Dangal and her claim of being a minor is challenged. Sandeep has been suspended by the CAN and it will not be until he is proven innocent. In another development in Australia, the Sri Lankan cricketer, Danushka Gunathilaka, who is also charged for the same offence and was bailed earlier is not yet freed. His case on Thursday was adjourned to February 23.    

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Model Town Club (MTC) and Cricket Center Club (CCC) recorded easy victories in the 20-K Cup 2023 T20 Cricket Tournament here on Friday. Mohammad Saleem steered Model Town Club to a 6-wicket victory over Lucky Star Club in the 19th match of the tournament. Batting first, Lucky Star Club scored 136 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Zain ul Hassan was the top scorer as he hammered 44 runs off 38 balls. Other key contributor was Junaid Ali, who struck 28 runs of 25 balls. For Model Town Club, Afaq Afridi claimed 3-22 and Irfan Rasheed took 2-20. Model Town Club replied well and chased the target losing four wickets in 18.1 overs, thanks to brilliant batting by Mohammad Saleem, who smashed 45-ball 64 runs while Amir Sajjad cracked 26 runs and Farman Ali 23 runs. Mohammad Subhan, Abuzar Zafar and Qasim Akram got one wicket each for Lucky Star Club. The 18th match of the tournament was won by Cricket Center, who defeated Shahkamal Cricket Club by 6 wickets. Shahkamal Club, batting first, posted 135 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 20 overs. Hamza Ahmad slammed unbeaten 51 runs while Sheraz Ali scored 27. Ali Zafar clinched 3-23 and Qaiser Ashraf took 2-36. Cricket Center comfortably chased the target losing four wickets in 19.3 overs. Anas Mahmood batted strongly and cracked 39 runs while Tariq Nawaz struck 37 and Ali Zafar unbeaten 17 runs. For Shahkamal Club, Mukaram Ali, Sheraz Ali and Arslan Ilyas got one wicket each. On Saturday (January 14, 2023), the only match will take place between Pindi Gymkhana and P&T Gymkhana at Pindi Gymkhana ground.

BIPIN DANI Former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who rang the 2-minute bell at the Eden Gardens on Thursday may be one of the very few cricketers who has had this honour at Lord's in London also. "We approached Sanga to ring our bell on Thursday and he readily accepted our proposal", Snehasish Ganguly, the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and venue for the 2nd ODI between India and Sri Lanka, said. Sanga has been one of the TV commentators in this bialateral series. "The two-minute bell is rung before the start of a day's play during all international matches, be it Test, ODI orT-20I. We want to follow the legacy of Lord's". Sanga rang the bell at Lord's on the first day of the 3rd Test between England and Sri Lanka in 2016. The tradition of ringing the bell at Lord's begain in 2007. Incidentally, Sanga also became the first non-Asian president of the MCC. "We have installed this bell 5-6 years ago when my brother Sourav was the president of the association and this practice will continue". "Generally, we invite international cricketers for this. India’s first World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev was the first bell ringer at Eden Gardens when this Lord's-type bell was installed at the iconic ground and the match was played against visiting New Zealand team", he added. It is learnt that at Lord's, the bell is rung at 5-minute before the match.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: City Gymkhana, Pak Lions and Shinning Club scored contrasting wins in the K-20 Cup 2023 T20 Cricket Tournament matches played here on Thursday. Pak Lions thrashed P&T Gymkhana by 10 wickets in the 15th match of the tournament here at Model Town Greens ground. P&T Gymkhana, batting first, gathered 131-8 in the allotted 20 overs. Karamat Ali (36) and Saad Najam (32) batted well. Niaz Khan, Umar Farooq and Afzal Tahiri captured two scalps each. Helped by clinical performances of openers Hassan Nawaz (105 off 35 balls) and Afzal Tahiri (27 of 11 balls) guided Pak Lions to a thrashing 10-wicket triumph. For his outstanding batting performance, Hassan Nawaz was named player of the match. Shinning Cricket Club defeated Yu Slim Cricket Club in the 16th match of the tournament by 62 runs here at Model Town Club ground. Batting first, Shinning Club posted 169-10 in 20 overs. Rao Khayyam was top scorer with 56 runs while Ulfat Rasool struck 24 and Zain Bin Farooq hit 23. Mohsin Nadeem claimed 3-31, Awais Munir 2-20 and Haider Butt 2-28. Yu Slim Club, in reply, could score 107-6 in 20 overs. Safeer Azam (29), Majid Majeed (23) and Arslana Sajid (22) played well. Hammad Ali clinched 3-15 while Rao Khayyam, Ali Hamza and Zahir got one wicket each. City Gymkhana overpowered Township Whites Club in the 17th match of the tournament here at Pindi Gymkhana Cricket ground. Township Whites, batting first, posted a good total of 192-8 in 20 overs with Shahrukh Ali scoring 61, Mohammad Faiq 41 and Rana Ayan Ali 40. Abdul Rehman and Usama Tariq bagged 2 wickets each. City Gymkhana replied strongly and chased the required target losing just four wickets in 19.1 overs. Rizwan played the hero’s knock of 90 runs of 39 balls to emerge as player of the match. He was ably assisted by Saad Athar (32*) and Jahangir Mirza (23*). For Township Whites, Ammar Yousaf took 2-4. On Friday (January 13, 2023), two matches will be played. Cricket Center will vie against Shahkamal Cricket Club in the 18th match of the tournament at Cricket Center ground while Model Town Club will play against Lucky Star Club in the 19th match of the tournament at Model Town Greens ground. The event is organized on a regular annual basis. The tournament is being played to pay homage to Col Fateh Sher Khan and is sponsored by a former American Pakistani, Nabeel Ahmad.

BIPIN DANI On last Tuesday, Team India captain Rohit Sharma did exactly opposite to what Sri Lankan spinner Suraj Randiv did in 2010 to ensure that opener Virender Sehwag misses out his hundred. He bowled a last ball no ball, thus Sehwag remained Not Out on 99, though India could win the match. Lanka spinner Dasun Shanaka could get a hundred, thanks to Rohit Sharma, who withdrew the run out appeal when pacer Shami had run Shanaka (he was on 98 then) out at the non-striker's end for backing up too far. India was already in a winning position then. Whether Sharma could have shown the same gesture otherwise? "Yes, Rohit could have shown the same gesture irrespective of the match. Rohit is a good sportsman and he has shown this spirit (withdrawing appeal) in the IPL also", his coach, Dinesh Lad says. Rohit's gesture has well been appreciated by former Lanka captain Sanath Jayasuriya and Angelo Mathews. "To put an end to this problem, I think umpires can take a call by warning the batsman not to leave the crease earlier. If he repeats it, caught red handed or by the third umpire then he should be declared out after a couple of warnings", says India's former chief selector MSK Prasad. "This will put an end to the embarrassment causing out of this kind of dismissal, especially to the bowler who is always at receiving end though he is right as per laws of the game". "It should be like out when a batsman is sent home for running on the pitch despite warnings". "The situation was well managed by Rohit Sharma", opines Lanka team manager Mahinda Halangoda.