Sports Bulletin

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE): Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne has overtaken England’s Joe Root to grab the top spot for batters in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after becoming just the eighth player to score a double-century and a century in the same Test. Labuschagne, who was just two points behind Root before the two ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Tests completed over the past week, now enjoys a healthy lead at the top even as Root has slipped to fourth place – behind Steve Smith and Babar Azam. Smith himself has gained two slots after contributing to the win with unbeaten scores of 200 and 20, along with Labuschagne registering the fifth instance of two Australians scoring double-centuries in the same Test. Smith’s tally of 893 rating points is his highest since January 2021. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon has moved up one place to 15th among bowlers after an eight-wicket haul that helped complete a 164-run victory and consolidate his team’s top position in the WTC points table. For the West Indies, captain Kraigg Brathwaite is back in the top 20 after scores of 64 and 110 in the Perth Test while Kyle Mayers has progressed to 41st in the bowlers’ rankings. England’s epic 74-run win in the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi reflects in the rankings for their batters as well as the seam bowling pair of James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, who finished with five wickets each in the match. Centurions Zak Crawley (up two places to 46th), Harry Brook (up 90 places to 70th), Ben Duckett (re-entered at 127th place) and Ollie Pope (up two rating points) have all gained in the weekly update as have Anderson (up two places to third) and Robinson (up seven places to a career-best eighth). Pakistan openers Abdullah Shafique (up five places to 15th) and Imam-ul-Haque (up 12 places to 38th) have attained career-best rankings after slamming centuries in the first innings and figuring in a 225-run stand. Naseem Shah has progressed five places to 54th with five wickets in the match while other fast bowler Zahid Mahmood’s six-wicket haul helps him enter the rankings in 109th position. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, India’s Shreyas Iyer has moved up seven places to joint-20th after scores of 24 in the first match of their ongoing series against Bangladesh and 49 in the preceding final match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League series against New Zealand. Charith Asalanka of Sri Lanka (up three places to 34th), Lokesh Rahul of India (up four places to 35th) and Afghanistan’s Najibullah Zadran (up four places to 41st) are among the others to progress in the rankings for ODI batters. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan has gained four slots to reach sixth in the ODI bowlers’ rankings after grabbing four for 37 in the last match of their Super League series against Sri Lanka. Bangladesh’s star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has hopped seven places to reach ninth among bowlers after his five-wicket haul against India while Sri Lanka leg-spinner Wanindu Hasanranga and Indian pacer Mohammad Siraj are in joint-26th position. New Zealand seamer Tim Southee (up five places to 29th) and India’s Shardul Thakur (up nine places to 42nd) have also progressed.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Pakistan international and Sindh’s Aroob Shah will lead Pakistan in the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup which will be played from 14 to 29 January 2023 in South Africa. Women’s selector Asmavia Iqbal announced a 15-player squad and five reserves players. These players were selected after their performances in this year’s Women U19 T20 Tournament held at Lahore Country Club in Muridke from 13 to 22 August. Later, the top performers of the six-team tournament had undergone two skills and training camps staged at the Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre, Multan in September and at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, Karachi in November. To further assess their fitness and skills, the U19 players had also featured in the first phase of T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament held at Lahore’s LCCA Ground from 26 November to 2 December. The players were part of Team Conquerors, one of the three participating teams in the event. Aroob Shah, who has featured for Pakistan in two ODIs and five T20Is, will have the services of hard hitting right-handed batters Eyman Fatima and Shawaal Zulfiqar. Besides the duo, Aroob who herself is a leg-spinner, will have promising spinners in the likes of Rida Aslam (left-arm spinner), Quratulain Ahsen (leg-spinner), Anosha Nasir (off-spinner) and Mahnoor Aftab (off-spinner). The squad also includes four fast bowlers in Areesha Noor, Haleema Azeem Dar, Haniah Ahmer and Zaib-un-Nisa. Chief Selector Asmavia Iqbal: “I want to congratulate the 15 players who have made into the squad for the inaugural U19 event. I remain confident that this side has the capability and potential to do well in the mega event. These players were selected after a rigorous and robust process and I want to congratulate the coaches who have worked tirelessly hard on the skills of the players to get them ready for the event. Pakistan Squad: Aroob Shah (Captain) (Sindh), Aliza Khan (Sindh), Anosha Nasir (Sindh), Areesha Noor (Central Punjab), Eyman Fatima (Central Punjab), Haleema Azeem Dar (Central Punjab), Haniah Ahmer (Sindh), Laiba Nasir (Central Punjab), Mahnoor Aftab (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Quratulain Ahsen (Central Punjab), Rida Aslam (Central Punjab), Shawaal Zulfiqar (Central Punjab), Warda Yousaf (Central Punjab), Zaib-un-Nisa (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Zamina Tahir (Central Punjab) Reserves Players: Aqsa Yousaf (Southern Punjab), Dina Razvi (Sindh), Maham Anees (Northern), Muskan Abid (Central Punjab) and Tahzeeb Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Support Staff: Aisha Jalil (Manager), Mohsin Kamal (Head coach), Mohammad Kamran Hussain (Assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (Strength and Conditioning coach), Mohammad Usman Shahid (Analyst), Rabia Siddiq (Physiotherapist) and Dr Hafiz Salman Asif (Team Doctor). Schedule: 15 January – vs Rwanda, Potchefstroom 17 January – vs England, Potchefstroom 19 January – vs Zimbabwe, Potchefstroom

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Nahida Khan’s second half-century in as many matches led Dynamites to their first win in the four-team second phase of T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament 2022-23 in Lahore on Tuesday. In another match, Iram Javed’s unbeaten half-century helped Strikers beat Blasters by eight wickets. At the LCCA Ground, after being put into bat, Dynamites scored 137 for eight in 20 overs. Opening batter Nahida top-scored with a 36-ball 51, which included seven fours. Her opening partner Gull Feroza scored run-a-ball 33, laced with three fours. The pair added 80 runs for the first wicket. Challengers’ Anoosha Nasir was the pick of the bowlers with four for 24. In return, Challengers managed to score 125 for five in 20 overs and were 12 runs short of the target. Dua Majid was the top run getter for her side, scoring 41 off 39, smashing five fours. Captain Omaima Sohail scored 28 off 21, hitting two fours and one six. At the Lahore Gymkhana, Irum Javed’s quick-fire 33-ball 54 not out helped Strikers chased down the 142-run target for the loss of two wickets in the 18th over. In the run-chase, opening batters Muneeba Ali and Javeria Rauf provided a solid 50-run start to the innings. After the departure of skipper Muneeba (38, 33b, five fours, one six), Javeria was joined by Iram and both added 59 runs for the second wicket. Javeria contributed 43 off 34 balls, hitting six fours. Iram’s unbeaten knock included four sixes and one four. Earlier, after opting to bat first, Blasters scored 141 for eight in their 20 overs. Opening batter Shawal Zulfiqar top-scored with a 41-ball 36, studded with five fours. Captain Fatima Sana returned undefeated on 34 off 24 balls, which included six boundaries. Scores in brief: Dynamites beat Challengers by 12 runs Dynamites 137-8, 20 overs (Nahida Khan 51, Gull Feroza 33; Anoosha Nasir 4-24) Challengers 125-5, 20 overs (Dua Majid 41, Omaima Sohail 28, Aliya Riaz 26) Player of the match – Nahida Khan (Dynamites) Strikers beat Blasters by eight wickets Blasters 141-8, 20 overs (Shawal Zulfiqar 36, Fatima Sana 34 not out, Ayesha Naseem 30) Strikers 146-2, 17.5 overs (Iram Javed 54 not out, Javeria Rauf 43, Muneeba Ali 38) Player of the match – Iram Javed (PCB Strikers)

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: India has refused to grant visas to Pakistan Blinds cricket, which had to participate in the T 20 Blinds Cricket World Cup 2022, which has been started in three cities of India from December 5. According to an official of the Pakistan Blinds’ Cricket Council (PBCC), Pakistan was a serious contender to win the World Cup as Pakistan has been the runners-up twice in the earlier two editions of this format of World Cups (2012 & 2017) and has beaten the current T-20 World Champion India five (5) times consecutively in the last five encounters during two Tri-Nation competitions in 2021 and 2022 and won both events. As per the available information, the Ministry of External Affairs India has denied Pakistan blind cricket clearance on political grounds. PBCC strongly condemned this discriminating act of India as sports authorities. Special persons’ mega sports events should be treated fairly and all teams must be given equal chances to compete in the event. Our counterpart Blind Cricket Association in India pleaded with their government for Pakistan clearance but nothing was heard.   

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sidra Amin have been nominated ICC Player of the Month by the International Cricket Council (ICC) today in celebration of the outstanding performances that took place across international cricket in November 2022. The shortlist for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for November features two stars of England’s T20 World Cup winning campaign. Jos Buttler was in inspired form as his side surged to glory, providing a solid platform for success both as skipper, and at the top of the order. Adil Rashid joins him in contention for the Player of the Month crown thanks to a series of restrictive and impressive bowling displays in the latter stages of the tournament. Finally, despite Pakistan falling short of claiming the T20 World Cup prize at the final hurdle, Shaheen Shah Afridi completes the lineup after his threatening spells with the ball saw him end the tournament as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker. In the ICC Women’s Player of the Month category, three opening batters stake their claim for the November prize following impressive performances in bilateral cricket. Pakistan’s Sidra Ameen celebrates her first nomination in the Player of the Month Awards as she dazzled in the victorious ODI series against Ireland in Lahore. From the opposing side, Ireland’s Gaby Lewis is named on the shortlist following impressive batting exploits in her side’s historic T20I series victory which immediately followed. Thailand’s Natthakan Chantam also enjoyed a prolific month at the crease, registering big scores in her side’s ODI series victory on home soil against the Netherlands. An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world can now vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered at icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes until Saturday. ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for November: Shaheen Shah Afridi (PAK) Spearheading Pakistan’s bowling attack in their surge to the Men’s T20 World Cup Final, Afridi once again proved a constant threat to opposing batters. Taking ten wickets during the month at a superb average of 7.30, his stand-out figures came in the must-win battle against Bangladesh at Adelaide, where his four for 22 secured his side’s passage through to the knockout stages. Although he was withdrawn mid-way through the Final due to injury, he was key to keeping England within reach during the showpiece finale. Jos Buttler (ENG) At the top of England’s batting order, Buttler showcased his full repertoire of strokes in a series of glittering displays as his side went on to claim the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The England captain started the month in dominant fashion with a Player of the Match performance against New Zealand, registering 73 from 47 balls as his side won by 20 runs in Brisbane. He then bettered this feat in the remarkable semi-final performance against India, where his brutal 80 from 49 balls alongside Alex Hales saw them chase down the 169 target without loss. Alongside his crucial score of 26 in a tense Final, Buttler also provided leadership in the field, ending with the Trophy lift on the field at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Adil Rashid (ENG) Rashid has proven himself time and again as a world-class bowler in the shortest format and November cemented his credentials as one of the standout performers in England’s armoury. Despite having taken just four wickets across the four T20Is he played in during the month, his expert economy rate of 5.70 was pivotal to restricting opposition scores in high-pressure matches. He claimed the Player of the Match award with figures of one for 16 in the final group game against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground, before excelling in the Final, where the outstanding consistency he demonstrated in his figures of one for 22 was rewarded with the T20 World Cup trophy. ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for November: Sidra Ameen (PAK) Pakistan opener Ameen enjoyed a hugely successful ODI series against Ireland last month, and will be hoping to celebrate her first ICC Player of the Month Award after scoring 277 runs across the three-match series in Lahore and only being dismissed once. She was in imperious form with the bat, recording her highest score of 176 not out in the first ODI, followed up with an unbeaten 91 from 93 balls as Pakistan claimed the whitewash victory 3-0 over the tourists in Lahore, and she walked away with the Player of the Series prize. Natthakan Chantham (THA) Chantham has been a key player for Thailand as they continue their rise in international cricket, and her first ODI appearances for her country underlined her abilities as a top-class batter. She is named on the shortlist after guiding Thailand to a 4-0 series win over a touring Netherlands in Chiangmai. Scoring 267 runs across the four matches, the Thailand opener registered her first century in this format in the first game (102 from 135 balls), and followed this up with two further half centuries in the successful series. Gaby Lewis (IRE) Ireland’s Gaby Lewis is no stranger to the ICC Player of the Month awards, and sees her name shortlisted for the fourth time. Despite losing the ODI series to Pakistan, Ireland bounced back strongly in the three T20Is which followed. Winning the first match thanks in large part to Lewis’ unbeaten 69 from 54 balls, they then secured the historic series victory in the final game with Lewis once again starring as opening batter. Her stylish 71 from 46 sealed the triumph and a Player of the Series award to cap off the memorable month.

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: A grade-II strain in right quad has ruled Haris Rauf out of the Test series against England. The fast bowler underwent an MRI during the first day’s play of the Rawalpindi Test after he rolled over the ball while fielding. The scans and the subsequent assessment by the PCB medical panel concluded that the fast bowler suffered a grade-II strain. Haris will travel to Lahore where he will begin his rehabilitation at the National High Performance Centre. England won the first of the three Tests on Monday by 74 runs. The second and third Tests will be played in Multan (9-13 Dec) and Karachi (17-21 Dec).

Abdul Jabbar Faisal RAWALPINDI: Determined England pacers, James Anderson (4 for 36) and Oille Robinson (4 for 50), restricted Pakistan to 268 in their second innings, as they were chasing 343 runs and they needed 263 runs on the last day of the Test match. Finally, England defeated Pakistan by 74 runs in the first Test match of the three-match Tie here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, as Pakistan needed 263 runs on the last day but they ended their journey at 268 runs total. James Anderson (4 for 36), Oille Robinson (4 for 50) and skipper Ben Stoke (1 for 69) were the heroes for the English team, who demolished Pakistan's batting line, as only one batter Saud Shakeel could score a half century. Pakistan top-order batters completely failed to stay on the pitch to reach the target. Imam-ul-Haq could score only 48 runs on a batting friendly track while injured Azhar Ali scored only 40 runs in 90 balls. Wicketkeeper bowler, Mohammad Rizwan showed some aggression and hit six four and two sixes for his 46 runs innings. Agha Salman contributed 30 runs. Summarized Scorecard (Pindi Test): Toss: England won and decided to bat England Batting (First innings): 657 all out in 101 overs Harry Brook (153 runs, 116 balls, 4x19, 6x5), Zak Crawley (122 runs, balls 111, 4x2, 6x0), Ollie Pope (108 runs, 104 balls, 4x14), Ben Duckett (107 runs, 110 balls, 4x15, 6X0), Joe Root (23 runs, 31 balls, 4x3, 6x0), Ben Stoke (41 runs, 18 balls, 4x6, 6x2)   Pakistan (Bowling): Zahid Mehmood (4 for 235), Naseem Shah (3 for 140), Mohammad Ali (2 for 124), Haris Rauf (1 for 78) Pakistan Batting (First innings): 579 all out in 155.3 136 overs Babar Azam 136 (168 balls, 4x19, 6x1), Imam-ul-Haq 121 (207 balls, 4x15, 6x2), Abdullah Shafiq 114 (203 balls, 4x13, 6x3), Agha Salman 53 (67 balls, 4x7, 6x1) Saud Shakeel 37 (93 balls, 4x3), Mohammad Rizwan 29 (44 balls, 4x3), Azhar Ali 27 (48 balls, 4x5) England (Bowling): Will Jacks (6 for 161), Jack Leach (2 for 190), James Anderson (1 for 52), Ollie Robinson (1 for 72) England Batting (Second Innings): Declared at 264 for 7 in 35.5 overs Harry Brook 87 (65 balls, 4x11, 6x3), Joe Root 73 (69 balls, 4x6), Zak Crawley 50 (48 balls, 4x7), Wills Jack 24 (13 balls, 4x1, 6x3)    Pakistan Bowling: Mohammad Ali (2 for 64), Naseem Shah (2 for 66), Zahid Mehmood (2 for 84) Agha Salman (1 for 47) Pakistan Batting (Second Innings) Target 343 Saud Shakeel 76 (159 balls), Imam-ul-Haq 48 (77 balls, 4x8), Mohammad Rizwan 46 (92 balls, 4x6, 6x2), Azhar Ali 40 (81 balls, 4x4), Agha Salman 30 (64 balls, 4x4), England Bowling: James Anderson (4 for 36), Oille Robinson (4 for 50), Ben Stoke (1 for 69) Pakistan (Playing XIs): Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain & WK), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ali, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Zahid Mehmood England (Playing XIs): Ben Stokes (c), Joe Root, James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson Schedule of Tests: 9-13 December – 2nd Test, Multan 17-21 December – 3rd Test, Karachi

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Blasters and Challengers got off to a winning start in their first of the three matches in the second phase of T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament 2022-23 in Lahore on Monday. It was Pakistan’s captain Bismah Maroof unbeaten 60 and Blasters’ captain Fatima Sana two for 28 which led to Blasters five-run win over Dynamites at the LCCA Ground. After being put into bat, Blasters scored 136 for seven in 20 overs. Left-handed Bismah top-scored with an unbeaten 48-ball 60, which included eight fours. Opening batter Shawal Zulfiqar scored a 20-ball 21, hitting three fours. Dynamites captain Umm-e-Hani with her off-spin bowling bagged two wickets for 10 in three. In return, Nahida Khan’s unbeaten 60-ball 70 went in vain as Dynamites were restricted to 131 for three in their 20 overs. The right-handed batter Nahida’s innings included eight fours and one six. All-rounder Nida Dar was other notable run getter, scoring an unbeaten 32-ball 38, smashing four boundaries. In the second match of the day, at the Lahore Gymkhana, Aimen Anwar’s all-round performance led Challengers beat Strikers by one run. After being put into bat, Challengers managed to score 115 for eight in their allotted 20 overs. Aimen coming to bat at number nine scored a valuable unbeaten 16 runs off 14 balls and struck one four. Opening batter Javeria Khan too scored 16 off 13 balls, which included three fours. For Strikers, the 20-year-old Fatima Khan picked three wickets for 16. In return, the strikers fell one run short off the target as managed to score only 114 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Natalia Parvaiz’ 28 off 32 balls and Syeda Aroob Shah’s unbeaten run-a-ball 26 goes in vain. Challengers’ leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima took two wickets for 16, while Aimen took a wicket for 24 runs in her four overs. Scores in brief: Blasters beat Dynamites by five runs Blasters 136-7, 20 overs (Bismah Maroof 60 not out, Shawal Zulfiqar 21; Umm-e-Hani 2-10) Dynamites 131-3, 20 overs (Nahida Khan 70 not out, Nida Dar 38 not out; Fatima Sana 2-28) Player of the match – Bismah Maroof (PCB Blasters) Challengers beat Strikers by one run Challengers 115-8, 20 overs (Aimen Anwar 16 not out, Javeria Khan 16; Fatima Khan 3-16) Strikers 114-7, 20 overs (Natalia Parvaiz 28, Syeda Aroob Shah 26 not out; Ghulam Fatima 2-16) Player of the match – Aimen Anwar (Challengers)

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE): India have been fined 80 percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Mirpur on Sunday. Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after India were ruled to be four overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. India captain Rohit Sharma pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Michael Gough and Tanvir Ahmed, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel leveled the charge.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's former Head Coach Mickey Arthur, who was scheduled to be the head coach of the Galle Gladiators team in the third edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will now, instead coach the Dambulla team, according to Samantha Dodanwela, the Tournament Director.  Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, he said, Arthur will be the coach of the Dambulla Giants and will be assisted by Avishka Gunwardene. The national captain of the white ball team Dasun Shanaka will be the captain". The reason for Arthur's switching to Dambulla is likely to be the wish of the owner of the Galle Gladiators team. It is learnt that Nadeem Omar has hired the services of Moin Khan and Umar Gul for his team. The Head Coaches of all the LPL teams are : Thilina Kandamby (Jaffna Kings), Ruwan Kalpage (Colombo Kings), Moin Khan (Galle Gladiators), Mickey Arthur (Dambulla Giants) and Piyal Wijetunge (Kandy Warriors). The Kandy team owners have also hired Sanath Jayasuriya as the team mentor. All national players who were part of the recently played series against Afghanistan are given a 3-day rest. All teams are assembling in Hambantota for the first leg of the tournament on 3rd and 4th December. The tournament kicks off on Tuesday with the first match between Jaffna and Galle. The 7th match onwards the tournament will move to Pallekele. The last leg of the LPL will be played from 17th match onwards to Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium