Sports Bulletin

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD: The Chief Selector, Mohammad Wasim on Monday named 18 players for Pakistan and England Test cricket series, as spinner Abrar Ahmed and Mohammad Ali have been included in the squad after showing impressive performance in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Season 2022-23. The three-match Test series will start from December 1, 2022 at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi. However, the venue can be changed owing to the political situation of the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) yet to make any decision regarding the changing of the venue. Abrar Ahmed, 24, a wrist spinner bowler, is in peak form in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He grabbed 43 wickets so far at an average of 21.95. He has recorded five five-wicket hauls in six matches and has played an integral role in turning his side into serious contenders to secure a berth in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final. Also, Mohammad Ali from Central Punjab, has been the best fast bowler in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in the last two editions, taking 56 wickets. His 24 wickets, including two five wicket hauls, at 25.54 in six matches are the most for any fast bowler this first-class season. His 32 wickets at 22.78 in eight matches in 2021-22 were also the most for a fast bowler. Uncapped Mohammad Wasim Junior and Zahid Mehmood, who were part of the Test side for the three Tests against Australia earlier in the year, are the other two players to return to the side. Selectors made 4 changes from Pakistan’s last Test assignment, which was in Sri Lanka that resulted in the two-Test series ending 1-1. Injured Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Fawad Alam and Yasir Shah failed to maintain their places in the squad. Mohammad Wasim said: “We picked-up the lads on their performance for historic Test series against England. The ongoing playing condition were in our minds, when we selected the players. We provided opportunities to Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Junior and Zahid Mehmood, who produced remarkable performance in domestic cricket. “Mohammad Ali has shown great patience and control, and his numbers speak for his consistency. He has been our best fast bowler in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 56 wickets at an average of 24 over the last two seasons. “I am confident that this team will ensure that the upcoming Test series against England will end in the same manner as it did when they last toured Pakistan in 2005.” The three Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship and are scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi (1-5 December), Multan (9-13 December) and Karachi (17-21 December). Pakistan squad for England Tests: Babar Azam (captain-Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abrar Ahmed (Sindh), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Haris Rauf (Northern), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Ali (Central Punjab), Mohammad Nawaz (Northern), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Naseem Shah (Southern Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shan Masood (Balochistan) and Zahid Mehmood (Sindh) Player support personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant to head coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Shaun Tait (bowling coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media manager), Ammar Ahsan (digital content producer), Lt Col (retd) Atif Azad (security manager), Dr Najeeb Soomro (team doctor), Talha Ejaz (analyst) and Malang Ali (masseur).

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Batsman Mannan Abbasi guided Shifa International Hospital Islamabad to 134 runs victory against Renegades Cricket team in a Champions League Cricket Tournament match here at Mumtaz City Cricket Ground Islamabad. Shifa International Captain Qutab Uddin Qureshi won the toss and elected to bat first, Shifa International piled up 262 for the loss of seven wickets in the allotted 30 overs. Mannan Abbasi hit a fine century 100 runs 61 balls with 7 six and 6 fours, while Shahzad Kiani (56), Imtiaz Alam (36), Nasir Mahmood (17) and Captain Qutab Uddin Qureshi (8) were their leading run-getters. Yasir (3 for 45) and Faheem (1 for 44) were the other main wicket-takers. In reply, Renegades were bowled out for 128 runs in the 25th over, Younis (26), Asif (20) and Faisal 16 were their main scorers. Tahir Akhtar bowled well and claimed 3 for 24 runs in 6 overs, while Shahbaz Afzal (3 for 41), Syed Mudassar Bukhari (1 for 6) and Captain Qutab uddin Qureshi (1 for 9) bowled well for Shifa International. Mannan Abbasi was declared “Man of the Match '' for his impressive Performance.  

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Sindh made a formidable start to their bid of reaching the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 final courtesy centuries by Khurram Manzoor and captain Saud Shakeel on the opening day of their tenth round tie against Balochistan at the LCCA Ground, Lahore on Sunday. Southern Punjab also made an explosive start in search of their first win of the season with Zeeshan Ashraf scoring a blazing century against Central Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore while table-toppers Northern were sent packing for 223 against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi. Sindh who are currently number two in the points table did their chances of securing a final’s berth no harm by a powerful batting performance on day-one against Balochistan after opting to bat first. Seasoned opener Khurram led the way with an unbeaten 174 off 258 balls (24 fours, one six) – his third century of the season. After a 70-run opening stand with Saim Ayub (41), Khurram was joined by his captain Saud. The two took control of the proceedings and dominated the Balochistan bowlers with an unbroken 279-run alliance for the second-wicket. Saud scored his fourth century of the ongoing season, the stylish left-hander was batting on 124 off 159 balls (13 fours, one six) when stumps were drawn for the day – Sindh ended the day at 349 for one (75 overs). Southern Punjab made Central Punjab pay for their decision to field first at the Gaddafi Stadium. Left-handed opener Zeeshan Ashraf scored a scintillating 145 off 230 balls (22 fours, three sixes) to lead the way. Imran Rafiq was batting on 58 off 131 balls (eight fours, one six) when play was called-off in the 75th over due to bad light. Zeeshan and Imran added 140 runs for the third-wicket. Southern Punjab were 270 for three at close of play. Central Punjab who are searching for a bagful of points in order to reach the final would need to claw back into contention tomorrow by bowling out their opponents for a manageable first innings score before potentially recovering the initiative with the bat. Northern had a poor start to their match against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Shoaib Akhtar Stadium as they were bowled out for 223 after being asked to bat first. Wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir held the innings together with 82 off 158 balls (seven fours, one six). All-rounders Mubasir Khan and Aamir Jamal contributed 31 runs each. Ihsanullah took four while Niaz Khan took three wickets. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were six for one when stumps were drawn for the day. Summarized Scorecards: Sindh won the toss and opted to bat against Balochistan at the LCCA Ground, Lahore Sindh 349 for 1, 75 overs (Khurram Manzoor 174 not out, Saud Shakeel 124 not out; Kashif Bhatti 1-82) Toss uncontested – Central Punjab chose to field against Southern Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 270 for 3, 74.3 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 145, Imran Rafiq 58 not out; Mohammad Saad 1-15) Toss uncontested – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chose to field against Northern at the Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi Northern 223 all out, 72.3 overs (Rohail Nazir 82, Mubasir Khan 31; Ihsanullah 4-41, Niaz Khan 3-59) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6 for 1, tw0 overs

Sports Bulletin Report SYDNEY: Australia defeated England by 72 runs in 2nd One Day International to secure the three-match tie 2-0 at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Australia on Saturday. Kangaroos won the toss and decided to bat first, as David Warner and Travis Head started the hosts’ innings. However, at Sydney both batters failed to provide a solid start, as at the score of 33, Warner lost his wicket at his personal score of 16 runs. Batter, Steven Smith, who had played an unbeaten innings of 80 runs at Adelaide, kept his same batting pace here and smashed 94 runs in 114 balls. He hit five fours and a single six during his a responsible, and vital and match winning innings of 94 runs. Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labushagne also played good innings of 59 and 58 runs innings to help their team to set a 280 runs total on the board. Adil Rasheed (3 for 57), David Willy (2 for 44) and Moin Ali (1 for 24) were the wicket taker bowlers of England. The Englishmen had 281 runs target in 50 overs, as he had to face early damage, when opener Jason Roy in the very first over, when he was clean bold on the bowling of acting captain Hazelwood. Wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings was the top scorer for England. He scored 71 runs in 80 balls with the help of 3 fours and 2 sixes. James Vince contributed 60 runs, as he hit three four and two sixes during his 72 balls innings. Mitchell Strac (4 for 47), Adam Zampa (4 for 45) and Josh Hazlewood (2 for 77) were the main bowlers of the day, who shared all the 10 wickets of opposition. Michell Strac was declared best player of the match.

Sports Bulletin Report MULTAN: Half-centuries by Arafat Minhas and captain Saad Baig and three wickets from Ali Asfand helped Pakistan U19 to a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh U19 in the second T20 match played at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday. The two-match T20 series ended with both teams winning a match each. Meanwhile, the solitary four-day match was drawn, while Bangladesh won the three-match 45-overs series by 2-1. Chasing 164 to win, Pakistan were in a spot of bother with three wickets down for 46 runs on the board. Wicketkeeper-batter Saad was joined by Arafat Minhas and the pair added an unbroken 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket to help the home side achieve the target in the 19th over. Saad top-scored for his side with an unbeaten 79 off 50 balls, smashing eight fours and three sixes. The left-handed batter Saad for his match winning innings was named player of the match, while he was awarded player of the series for scoring 107 runs from two outings in the T20 series. Arafat returned undefeated on a 37-ball 50, striking four fours and two sixes. Earlier, after being put into bat, Bangladesh scored 163 for six in 20 overs. Opening batter Jishan Alam top-scored with a 40-ball 73, hitting nine fours and two sixes. Chowdhury Mohammad Rizwan was the other notable run getter with 29 off 28 balls, which included two fours and one six. Pakistan’s left-arm spinner Ali Asfand bagged three wickets, while Mohammad Ibtisam took two wickets. Scores in brief: Pakistan U19 beat Bangladesh U19 by seven wickets Bangladesh U19 163-6, 20 overs (Jishan Alam 73; Ali Asfand 3-31, Mohammad Ibtisam 2-34) Pakistan U19 165-3, 18.2 overs (Saad Baig 79 not out, Arafat Minhas 50 not out) Player of the match – Saad Baig (Pakistan U19) Player of the series – Saad Baig (Pakistan U19)

Sports Bulletin Report COLOMBO: Lanka Premier League (LPL) Season 2022 will commence on December 6 at Hambantota with the inaugural game scheduled to be played between defending champions Jaffna and Galle. The first round of the tournament will consist of 20 games, which will be played at three different cricket venues Hambantota, Kandy and Colombo. The final round games will also be played at the Ranasinghe Premadasa International Cricket Stadium (RPICS), Colombo. Lanka Premier League 2022, which is Sri Lanka’s topmost domestic tournament, with an international flavor, will consist of 24 games and will see the participation of topmost domestic and international cricketers. The upcoming edition of the tournament will see the participation of a number of star international cricketers including Evin Lewis, Carlos Brathwaite, Janneman Malan, Dwaine Pretorius, D’Arcy Short, and Shoaib Malik, among several other players. Anil Mohan, an official promoter of LPL said: "The appetite for cricket in Sri Lanka is huge and we are bringing the best of cricketing action to our fans in Sri Lanka. With the LPL, we want to provide some high-energy T20 cricket throughout December. Sri Lankan Cricket has always produced many world class players and the inclusion of top international cricketers like Evin Lewis, Carlos Brathwaite, and Janneman Malan among others is contributing to the growth and popularity of LPL in the subcontinent. I am sure that the third edition will be a success like the last two seasons”. LPL 2022 (Schedule): December 6, 2022: Jaffna vs Galle, Colombo vs Kandy at Hambantota December 7, 2022: Dambulla vs Jaffna, Galle vs Kandy at Hambantota December 8, 2022: Dambulla vs Colombo at Hambantota December 9, 2022: Travel to Kandy December 10, 2022: Kandy vs Jaffna at Kandy December 11, 2022: Colombo vs Galle, Jaffna vs Dambulla at Kandy December 12, 2022: Kandy vs Galle, Colombo vs Jaffna at Kandy December 13, 2022: Dambulla vs Kandy, Galle vs Colombo at Kandy December 14, 2022: Jaffna vs Kandy, Colombo vs Dambulla at Kandy December 15, 2022: Travel to Colombo December 16, 2022: Rest & Practice December 17, 2022: Dambulla vs Galle, Kandy vs Colombo at RPICS December 18, 2022: Galle vs Jaffna, Kandy vs Dambulla at RPICS December 19, 2022: Jaffna vs Colombo, Galle vs Dambulla at RPICS December 20, 2022: Rest & Practice at RPICS December 21, 2022: Qualifier 1 (1 vs 2) vs Eliminator (3 vs 4) at RPICS December 22, 2022: Qualifier 2 (looser QF1 vs won E) at RPICS December 23, 2022: Final at RPICS, Colombo

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Sindh were guided towards potential safety by an undefeated century by promising batter Omair Bin Yousuf on day-three of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy round nine fixture against Northern while the Central Punjab-Northern match was poised for a draw. Third consecutive day of the Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa match in Abbottabad was lost due to rain and a wet outfield. Over at the National Bank Cricket Arena (National Stadium, Karachi), Sindh resumed their first innings from the overnight score of 52 for no loss in reply to Northern’s 605 for eight total. Middle-order batter Omair Bin Yousuf (101 not out 205 balls, 12 fours) was the star of the day for his side as his unbeaten century took Sindh to 345 for five (97.2 overs). Omair held the innings together to ensure his side stay poised towards a valuable draw. Omair found good support from the seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed who joined Omair at 216 for five. The two have so far added 129 runs for their unbroken sixth-wicket stand. Sarfaraz was unbeaten on 62 off 76 balls (eight fours) when stumps were drawn for the day. Saim Ayub scored 60 while captain Saud Shakeel contributed 43. Off-spinner Mubasir Khan took two wickets for Northern. Sindh would resume their innings tomorrow, 250 runs behind Northern with five first innings wickets intact. Over at the LCCA Ground, Balochistan finished day-three at 219 for four in their first innings in reply to Central Punjab’s first innings 349-run total. Opener Imran Butt top-scored with 80 off 147 balls (11 fours). The right-hander provided Balochistan a 115-run first-wicket stand with Imam-ul-Haq (43 off 93 balls, seven fours, one six). Abdul Wahid Bangalzai contributed 43 off 91 (five fours, two sixes). Central Punjab bowlers didn’t allow the Balochistan batters to get away as the run rate was kept under three. Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar was the most successful bowler for Central Punjab with three wickets for 64 in 24 overs. Balochistan will resume their innings 130-run behind Central Punjab tomorrow, at stumps on day-three Haris Sohail was unbeaten on 29, Hussain Talat was five not out. Brief Scorecard: Northern elected to bat against Sindh at the National Bank Cricket Arena (National Stadium Karachi) Northern 605 for eight (declared), 154.5 overs (Mohammad Huraira 173, Umar Amin 140, Hasan Raza 135; Zahid Mehmood 4-185, Abrar Ahmed 3-231) Sindh 345 for 5, 97.2 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 101 not out, Sarfaraz Ahmed 62 not out, Saim Ayub 60, Saud Shakeel 43; Mubasir Khan 2-47) Toss uncontested: Balochistan bowling first at the LCCA Ground against Central Punjab Central Punjab 349 all out, 96.5 overs (Qasim Akram 111, Faheem Ashraf 60, Ali Shan 53, Zafar Gohar 41, Bilal Asif 26; Akif Javed 4-97, Kashif Bhatti 2-59, Bilawal Iqbal 2-63, Yasir Shah 2-74) Balochistan 219 for 4, 74 overs (Imran Butt 80, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 43, Imam-ul-Haq 43, Haris Sohail 29 not out; Zafar Gohar 3-64) No play due to rain and wet outfield - Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Salman Khan MULTAN: Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby’s all-round show took Bangladesh 1-0 up in the two-match U19 T20 series against Pakistan. Rabby returned two for 15 and scored 38 off 25 as Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by five wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium. Pakistan managed 143 for eight after Bangladesh elected to bowl. Opener Basit Ali top-scored with 36 off 25 (four fours and a six) and Saad Baig, the Pakistan captain, made run-a-ball 28 (one six and one four). Bangladesh’s Tanvir Ahammed was the pick of the bowler with three for 25. Bangladesh lost four wickets for 69 but solid knocks from middle order batters Mohammad Shihab James, who made unbeaten 41 off 33 (two sixes and two fours), and Rabby took the visitors safely over the line with three balls spare. Mohammad Zeeshan took two wickets for 24. Scores in brief: Bangladesh U19 beat Pakistan U19 by five wickets Pakistan U19 143-8, 20 overs (Basit Ali 36, Saad Baig 28, Arafat Minhas 20; Tanvir Ahammed 3-25, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby 2-15) Bangladesh U19 149-5, 19.3 overs (Mohammad Shihab James 41 not out, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby 38, Jisham Alam 24; Mohammad Zeeshan 2-24) Player of the match – Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby (Bangladesh)

BIPIN DANI Sri Lankan Women’s Under-19 team won its match against the West Indies U-19 team by 6 wickets at the Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA VDCA Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.  Both West Indies and Sri Lanka's U-19 teams are in India to participate in the Quadrangular Women's U-19 T-20 series. The BCCI has fielded two teams A and B for this series. Sri Lanka's U-19 captain Vishmi Gunarathne had won the toss and invited the Windies team to bat first. Ashmi Munishar-led Windies scored 95 runs for three wickets in 20 overs. In reply, Sri Lankan batters achieved the target in 15.1 overs and scored 99 runs and lost four wickets. Opening batter and captain could score only one run but another opener and wk Sumudu Nisansala's aggressive batting (33 runs  which included 8 fours) was the top scorer of the Sri Lankan innings,  whereas Windies wk opener Shunelle Sawh was the top scorer (35*) of the match. 

BIPIN DANI Danushka Gunathilaka's bail application (no. 2022/00337563) will be heard by the Supreme Court on 28th November, it is learnt and also confirmed by Sri Lanka and Australia-based advocate Chanaka Senanayake, who was earlier coordinating the player's case.  According to the highly-placed sources in Australia, on Monday, the Sri Lankan all-rounder Danushka Gunathilaka bail application in the Supreme Court was submitted to the Registrar G. Galani by his new lawyer and the same has been accepted and accordingly it will be heard at 9.00 AM on 28th November.  Incidentally, the lawyers had also filed an application (no. 2022/00337572) to the local court stating that the rejection of the first bail appeal be heard again but by some other judge and accordingly, it has also been accepted to be heard on 17th November at 9.30 AM.    The 31-year-old Danushka Gunathilaka is facing the alleged criminal charges for raping a 29-year-old woman in Australia.  These applications will now be heard in Courts 4.4 or 4.5 Downing Street Centre Courts.  Danushka's new lawyer is Ivan Zayed. The services of another prominent lawyer Anand Amarnath will no longer be hired for this case, it is also learnt.   After elimination from the World Cup, the Sri Lankan team returned home without Danushka for his alleged crime. The investigators have described Danushka as a "flight risk" in their report. The term "flight risk" is used to describe a person under custody of law enforcement who is considered likely to abscond.