SPORTS DESK Islamabad (August 2, 2021):-FIFA has launched ReachOut, a campaign designed to raise awareness of the symptoms of mental health conditions, encourage people to seek help when they need it, and take actions every day for better mental health. With the support of past and current football players, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), FIFA is underlining the importance of greater awareness around mental health. In launching #ReachOut, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, said: “This campaign is very important in raising awareness about mental health conditions and encouraging a conversation which could save a life. In FIFA’s Vision 2020-2023, we pledge our commitment to make football work for society, and I thank the players and Ms Enke, who have contributed to this important initiative. “Depression and anxiety affect rising numbers of people worldwide, and young people are among the most vulnerable. Having a conversation with family, friends or a healthcare professional can be key. FIFA is proud to launch this campaign, supported by the World Health Organization and ASEAN to encourage people to #ReachOut.” The campaign hears from FIFA Legends Aline, Vero Boquete, Cafu, Laura Georges, Luis García, Shabani Nonda, Patrizia Panico, Fara Williams and Walter Zenga. FIFA.com also speaks with former Bolton Wanderers and Team GB forward, Marvin Sordell, and Sonny Pike, who was labelled the ‘next big thing’ at 14, about their experiences with depression. Teresa Enke also discusses the pain of losing a loved one to suicide, and her work with the Robert Enke Foundation. Depression affects more than 260 million people in the world while around half of all mental health conditions start by age 14. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in young people aged 15-29. Among active football players, 23 per cent report sleep disturbance, while 9% have reported depression and a further 7% suffer from anxiety. Among retired players, these figures increase, with 28% struggling to sleep and depression and anxiety affecting 13% and 11% respectively (source: FIFPRO) Working from home, unemployment, school closures and social isolation have affected people around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic; the challenges for people with mental health conditions, for whom access to treatment has, in many cases, been disrupted, are even greater. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it is as important as ever to look after our mental and physical health,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “WHO is delighted to support the #ReachOut campaign, spearheaded by FIFA to encourage people to talk about their mental health.” The video awareness campaign features Legends, current players and special guests, who have lent their support to this mental health campaign, and at times sharing their lived experience. The campaign is being shared on FIFA digital channels, with multimedia toolkits provided to the 211 FIFA member associations and to media agencies to facilitate dissemination and use within Europe and beyond. Meanwhile, players from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam reinforce WHO advice on how to help to keep our minds healthy, as well as our bodies, in the special ASEAN edition of #ReachOut. Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi said, “Mental health and well-being are just as important as physical health and safety. Under the Chairmanship of Brunei Darussalam, ASEAN is taking steps to advance cooperation with external partners on mental health, in order to provide the ASEAN Community with the necessary and appropriate mental health and psychosocial support services.”

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (July 31, 2021):-Olympic debutants Ireland missed out on a place in the quarter-finals of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Hockey competition, suffering a heart-breaking defeat to reigning champions Great Britain in the final match of the women's pool phase. Following India’s dramatic 4-3 win over South Africa earlier in the day, the Green Army went into the match against the Rio 2016 gold medallists knowing that only a victory – even by the narrowest of margins - would be enough to secure a place in the knock-out stages. However, it was not to be for the Irish, whose Olympic dream ended with a 2-0 loss. The first match of the evening session saw the Netherlands confirm their status as the winners of Pool A with a 3-1 triumph over Germany, who finished second in the standings. Quarter-finals – Monday August 2, 2021: 09:30 – Germany (2nd Pool A) v Argentina (3rd Pool B) – Match 3 12:00 – Australia (1st Pool B) v India (4th Pool A) – Match 4 18:30 – Netherlands (1st Pool A) v New Zealand (4th Pool B) – Match 1 21:00 – Spain (2nd Pool B) v Great Britain (3rd Pool A) – Match 2 Semi-Finals Winner Match 1 v Winner Match 2 Winner Match 3 v Winner Match 4

SPORTS NEWS Tokyo (July 31, 2021):-Standing at the base of the Olympic climbing wall in Tokyo, President of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) Marco Scolaris today convened a conference call with representatives of over 50 Member Federations. “Years of passion led us here,” Scolaris said, on the eve of Sport Climbing’s historic Olympic debut from 3-6 August at Tokyo 2020. Under normal circumstances, most of the people on the call would have been in Tokyo for the Games, but the COVID-19 pandemic that has kept spectators out of the venues has also forced the Sport Climbing community to largely follow the action from their homes. Scolaris addressed the many sacrifices the Olympic Movement, together with the people of Japan, have had to make just to stage the XXXII Olympiad. And while Climbing’s Olympic debut may not be taking place under ideal circumstances, “at the end of the day, our passion remains the same, and passion lives here today and is driving us,” Scolaris said. “Passion is taking us now to our walls, to our climbs.” Joining the IFSC President at the Aomi Urban Sports Park were IFSC Vice President Kobinata Toru and IFSC Secretary General Debra Gawrych. It is a proud moment for all three senior figures of the organisation, but perhaps particularly significant for Vice President Toru as he will witness the Climbing’s debut in his home country. As the meeting progressed, those joining had the opportunity to see athletes scaling the walls as part of the second unofficial training session. In addition to updating the members on activities since their last virtual gathering on 26 June, Scolaris outlined the initiatives that have been put in place by Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to provide the best possible television coverage for viewers around the world. They include augmented reality and a Digital Fan Engagement suite that will bring reactions from friends, families, and fans to the athletes in Tokyo. “In addition to that,” Scolaris said “Sport Climbing will be the only sport at the Games to benefit from innovative Virtual 3D Graphics that will take the sport to a whole new level. To help audiences understand the challenges faced by the athletes and get insight into how they solve problems, computer-generated graphics will enrich the coverage of Sport Climbing.” He also introduced the members of the IFSC team that are on the ground bringing the competition to life and those that didn’t travel but are providing significant support for the operations remotely. The IFSC President shared some rousing final words, encouraging everyone to play their part in making the Sport Climbing event at Tokyo 2020 a success by supporting the athletes from afar. “This is the time to take a deep breath, look up, and climb… higher, stronger, and faster – together. Join us in spirit, make the athletes feel your cheer, let us share the passion. May our community, our people join together and pack the Aomi Urban Park, on the screens, in the air.

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (July 31, 2021):-The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) can confirm that England Men's all-rounder Ben Stokes will take an indefinite break from all cricket with immediate effect. Stokes has withdrawn from England's Test squad ahead of the LV= Insurance Test series against India starting next week to prioritise his mental wellbeing and to rest his left index finger, which has not fully healed since his return to competitive cricket earlier this month. The ECB fully supports Ben's decision, and we will continue to help him during this period away from the game. Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Ashley Giles, said: "Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings and wellbeing. "Our primary focus has always been and will continue to be the mental health and welfare of all of our people. The demands on our athletes to prepare and play elite sport are relentless in a typical environment, but the ongoing pandemic has acutely compounded this. "Spending significant amounts of time away from family, with minimal freedoms, is extremely challenging. The cumulative effect of operating almost continuously in these environments over the last 16 months has had a major impact on everyone's wellbeing." "Ben will be given as long as he needs, and we look forward to seeing him playing cricket for England in the future." Stokes will be replaced in the squad by Somerset's Craig Overton. We request that privacy is given to Ben and his family during this time.

SPORTS REPORT Lahore (July 31, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced the schedule of second phase of the umpire and match referee Level-1 course, which will be held across the six Cricket Associations. The first phase of the course was held from 7-25 June in which 336 individuals, included 49 former international and first-class cricketers took part. The second phase of the course will include written tests, interviews and physical fitness evaluation. The second phase will commence in the Central Punjab Cricket Association where 82 participants will attend the day-long activity at the Gaddafi Stadium on 2 August. On 5 August, 49 future umpires and match referees from the Northern Cricket Association will attend the course at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Bilal Qureshi, PCB Manager - Umpires and Match Referees: “As we are heading towards complete revival of cricket in Pakistan with the resumption of clubs, schools and collegiate cricket, it is important that we have sufficient match officials in each Cricket Association to cater for the requirement. While the qualified match officials will enhance the quality of competitions within the Cricket Association’s jurisdiction, these tournaments will also provide experience and a pathway to these match officials to climb up the latter and integrate in the national framework. “We are pleased that some outstanding individuals are participating in the Level-1 course, who will surely inspire and attract other former cricketers to take up this noble profession as very recently we have seen the trend of retired cricketers officiating in domestic and international cricket. At the PCB, we are also keen for the retired cricketers to become match officials and remain connected with the sport.” The following is the complete schedule of the umpire and match referee course: 2 August – Gaddafi Stadium (Central Punjab Cricket Association, 82 participants) 5 August – Pindi Cricket Stadium (Northern Cricket Association, 49 participants) 9 August – Multan Cricket Stadium (Southern Punjab Cricket Association, 68 participants) 13 August – Abbottabad Cricket Stadium (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cricket Association, 62 participants) 24 August – National Stadium (Sindh Cricket Association, 47 participants) 26 August – Bugti Cricket Stadium (Balochistan Cricket Association, 28 participants)

SAJJAD SOHAIL Tokyo (July 31, 2021):-Australia completed their Pool B campaign with a perfect record of five wins from five matches, beating Argentina 2-0 to set in stone their status as pool winners. Remarkably, it is the first time that the Hockeyroos, who are triple Olympic gold medallists, have finished the pool phase at an Olympic Games with a 100% win record. A 2-0 defeat proved costly for Las Leonas, who finished third in Pool B behind Spain – 4-1 winners against Japan earlier in the day – on goal difference. Despite losing against China, New Zealand finished fourth in Pool B and will take their place in the quarter-finals. In Pool A, India were pushed all the way by South Africa before taking a 4-3 win, moving them ahead of Ireland and into the top four ahead of the Green Army’s must-win clash against reigning Olympic champions Great Britain this evening. More information about the matches can be found below, with the women’s competition quarter-final line-up being revealed following the conclusion of the evening session here at the Oi Hockey Stadium.  Women’s Pool B China 3-2 New Zealand China came into their match against New Zealand knowing that they needed a big win against the Black Sticks to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals, but their 3-2 success was not enough for a top four finish. Despite defeat, New Zealand’s qualification for the knock-out stages was confirmed, although they had to wait for the outcome of Spain’s match against Japan before knowing their final placement in Pool B. China were arguably the better team in the first quarter before a yellow card five minute suspension for Liang Meiyu swung the contest in the Black Sticks’ favour, with Ella Gunson scoring a penalty corner tap-in just ahead of the quarter time break. Liu Meng restored parity when she slapped home a second quarter penalty corner before Chen Yang put China ahead mid-way through the third quarter. A fierce forehand drive from Rose Keddell tied the scores at the end of the period, but Liang Meiyu’s 54th minute winner ensured that the points – but not the ticket to the quarter-finals – went to China.  "It's definitely a pleasure”, said China’s Peng Yang. “We have been facing huge pressure and to be able to win the last game is definitely a pleasure, and we feel excellent with the win. Although we did not proceed to the next stage, ultimately to finish off the competition with a win is definitely the most motivating factor that we can take away from this.” New Zealand’s Katie Doar said: "China played really well. At critical times we didn't really do the right things, so I guess we're just gonna have to reflect tonight. We've got a rest day tomorrow, so we'll definitely learn from that to come out better in our quarter-final.” It was a milestone game for China’s Wang Na, who made her 100th senior international appearance. Japan 1-4 Spain Spain knew that a point against Japan would be enough to book their place in the competition quarter-finals, but a comfortable victory over the Cherry Blossoms guaranteed them at Pool B finish of at least third before the result of the Argentina vs Australia match was known. It was a sad ending for the players and coaching staff representing the host nation, who finished sixth in the pool. Japan took a sixth minute lead when Kanon Mori scored from open play, an advantage that they held until mid-way through the second quarter when Laura Barrios ensured that the teams went into half time with the scores level. The Red Sticks kicked on after the break, with Begona Garcia and Candela Mejias on target before Berta Bonastre fired into an empty net three minutes from the end. It was a brilliant win for Spain head coach Adrian Lock, who returned to the sidelines today after being in Covid-19 quarantine since the start of the tournament. “We are so happy to have him back, it gives us a big plus on the pitch”, said Spain’s Maria Lopez after the match. “He came back this morning at 5am. We are so lucky to have him as our coach. It was extra motivation for us.” Commenting on her team’s third successive win, Lopez said: ““I think we are ready. We have been improving in each game, and [here] we scored four goals. It gives us a lot of confidence going into the next game.” Argentina 0-2 Australia Australia’s Hockeyroos continued their magnificent Tokyo form by completing the pool phase with a perfect five wins out of five, beating Argentina 2-0 to confirm their status as Pool B winners, with Las Leonas finishing third in the standings due to Spain’s marginally better goal-difference. There was little to choose between the two teams throughout the contest, although Argentina perhaps had the better of the early scoring chances with Delfina Merino and Agustina Gorzelany both going close. However, Australia’s magnificent defence, which has conceded just once in five matches here in Tokyo, proved to be almost impenetrable. The deadlock was eventually broken by Savannah Fitzpatrick, who stole possession from Argentina’s hugely impressive teenage defender Valentina Raposo before powering a backhand strike against the backboard. The win was confirmed a minute from the end when Emily Chalker bundled home from close range, finishing off a fine attacking move down the right.    Commenting on winning five from five pool matches and finishing on top of Pool B, Jane Claxton said: "It's pretty special. I think it's a new record for (Australian) women's hockey (to win all five pool matches) which obviously you can't not acknowledge. It's not every day that you win five out of five at an Olympic Games. But unfortunately, this is now the business end and that won't count if we go into a quarter-final and aren't successful." Argentina’s Agustina Gorzelany said: "No one wants to lose and we are angry about this result. We were trying some changes and I think this was the game to try them. These things do happen but from now on we know where we need to get better so we are now focusing on the quarterfinals and getting ready for that." Sofia Toccalino reached a personal milestone by playing her 100th international match for Argentina. Women’s Pool A India 4-3 South Africa Three goals from Vandana Katariya helped India complete their Pool A campaign with an important win over South Africa, a result which keeps alive their dream of qualifying for the competition quarter-finals. The result puts India into fourth place in the pool, but will have to wait until the end of today’s play before knowing if it is enough to progress, with fifth placed Ireland needing to defeat Olympic champions Great Britain to snatch quarter-final qualification away from the Indians. It was far from straight-forward for the India, who faced a South Africa team utterly determined to end their own competition on a high. Katariya’s fourth minute opener was cancelled out by South Africa’s Tarryn Glasby on the stroke of quarter time, with Katariya restoring India’s lead shortly after the re-start. Erin Hunter restored parity seconds before half time, but again India hit back when Neha established a 3-2 lead. Marizen Marais made the score 3-3 in the latter stages of the third quarter, putting real pressure on India’s hopes of claiming a crucial three points. However, the Indian victory was sealed 11 minutes from the end when Katariya completed her hat-trick. The action continues later today with the final two matches in Women’s Pool A, with Germany and the Netherlands going head-to-head to determine which nation will finish top of the standings. That match is followed by the Ireland versus Great Britain clash, with Ireland needing to defeat the reigning Olympic champions in order to leap-frog India into the fourth quarter-final qualification position. The hockey competitions at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 take place from Saturday 24 July to Friday 6 August 2021. Both the men’s and women’s competitions feature 12 teams, split into two pools of six ahead of quarter-finals, semi-finals and medal matches.

SPORTS NEWS  Georgetown (July 30, 2021):-Buraly Azam Khan has been ruled out of the second and third T20Is against West Indies after sustaining a head injury during the scheduled training session. A neurosurgeon has recommended an observation period of 24 hours. He will then be reassessed on Monday. His availability for the final T20I will depend on the reassessment done on Monday. The last three T20I’s between Pakistan and West Indies will be played in Guyana from 31 July to 3 August, 2021.    

SPORTS REPORT LAHORE (July 30, 2021):- Movement for Restoration of Cricket and Associations (MRCA) termed a move of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unlawful, illegal practices of implementing and taking forward its so-called plan and strategy through unelected people by niminating six cricket associations. MRCA Spokesperson Tariq Sarwar said in a statement that it was an unfortunate that all unelected officials of both the sides were engaged in meeting few days back to decide future course of action for the regional and grassroot cricket. "We believe that wasting 3 crucial years and PCB's failure to organize cricket through elected representatives is an unfortunate act of the PCB" said the MRCA official, "This kind of incompetency and nonprofessional administration has been costing Pakistan dearly at international level. MRCA Spokesperson said that entire process of club registration anew, appointment of coaches at regional and city level were made on political considerations would further harm Pakistan cricket at grassroot level. Reiterating MRCA demand of restoring 2014 constitution, MRCA official said Grant Bradburn is a proven failure with National High Performance Centre has done nothing significant. "Had NHPC done anything good, Pakistan team and its bench strength would have been enough to make it world beaters," said Tariq Sarwar. He said the inter-city cricket being played after politically-polarized selection of teams, has shown the highly poor quality throughout the country in a rainy season. MRCA also demanded of the Chairman PCB, CEO, COO, Director HPC and Domestice Cricket, Director International Cricket and BoGs members to step down.

SAJJAD SOHAIL TOKYO (July 29. 2021):-The Netherlands and Great Britain have both joined Men’s Pool B leaders Belgium in the quarter-finals of the hockey competition of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. A fourth successive win for Belgium sees them remain clear at the top of Pool B, with a thrilling draw between the Dutch and GB earning them a point apiece to confirm their respective berths in the knock-out stages. However, a shock defeat for Germany at the hands of South Africa means that their place in the last eight is not yet sealed, with the excellent South Africans still having a slim chance of progressing. In Men’s Pool A, India defeated reigning Olympic champions Argentina to book a ticket to the knock-out phases, with Los Leones currently outside of those all-important top four positions with one round of matches remaining. India 3-1 Argentina A tense encounter between India and Argentina was eventually won by the eight times Olympic gold medallists, who came away with a 3-1 victory against the reigning Olympic champions. India are now certain of a top two finish in Pool A, although Australia’s three point lead – and a vastly superior goal-difference – would make a first place finish unlikely going into the final round of matches. India did most of the attacking in the first two periods, but Argentina produced an excellent defensive performance to keep the Asian giants off the scoreboard. The pressure eventually told when Varun Kumar’s deflected penalty corner drag-flick deceived Argentina goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi and flew into the net. Argentina hit back thanks to Maico Casella, who ripped a high and powerful penalty corner drag-flick into the goal to restore parity with 12 minutes of the match remaining. However, late goals from Vivek Prasad and Harmanpreet Singh wrapped up the points for India and inflicted another blow to Argentina’s hopes of defending their Olympic title. Reflecting on the victory, India’s Rupinder Pal Singh said: "Feeling great after the win but there's a lot of things to improve yet because the important games are coming in a few days." Argentina’s Maico Casella said: "It was a tough game. We defended a lot. We knew that the game was going to be like this. We played the game we had to play but they did well also. We have to play against New Zealand and we have to win. Our mind now is there." Belgium 9-1 Canada Reigning World champions Belgium thrashed Canada to earn a fourth win on the bounce, maintaining their three-point lead at the top of the Pool B standings while eliminating the Canadians from the competition in the process. Canada are now unable to qualify for the quarter-finals, being six points away from the qualification positions with just one match, against fifth-placed South Africa, remaining.  Canada kept the brilliant Belgians under control for large periods of the opening two quarters, with Alexander Hendrickx’s 12th minute opener being cancelled out by a superb run and backhand strike from Mark Pearson. The Red Lions had to wait until the 29th minute before taking the lead, with Sebastian Dockier on target ahead of a rampant display after half time. Dockier and Hendrickx both claimed second goals either side of an effort from Felix Denayer, with Simon Gougnard and Cedric Charlier pushing the score to 7-1 at the end of the third quarter. Tom Boon and a stunning deflection from Florent Van Aubel – playing his 250th match for Belgium – completed the scoring, as Belgium hit nine goals for the second successive match; an ominous sign for their gold medal rivals here in Tokyo.  "We've got it all in our hands and that was the number one priority, and now we know how this kind of tournament works”, said Belgium’s Florent Van Aubel. “We're qualified for the quarter-finals and it's now that we have to do it. So we have one game against GB (Great Britain), an important game, and then it's do or die, three games in a row. That's what we play for." Canada goalkeeper Antoni Kindler said: "Obviously disappointed. We're playing the world champions so to be competitive with those guys you have to play your best hockey for 60 minutes. Unfortunately we let it slip there in the third quarter. With a team of their quality, every opportunity they have they capitalise.” South Africa 4-3 Germany South Africa produced unquestionably the biggest shock of the tournament so far with a stunning 4-3 victory over the much-fancied Germany. While the result keeps South Africa’s chances of qualifying for the competition quarter-finals technically alive, they would need not only for results to go in their favour but also for a dramatic change in goal-difference if they are to catch the Germans, who ended the day fourth in the Pool B standings. Germany justified their status as pre-match favourites when Timm Herzbruch fired home a messy penalty corner, but South Africa were level just a minute later thanks to a penalty corner of their own, with Matt Guise-Brown slamming a rocket against the backboard. Keenan Horne put South Africa ahead on the stroke of quarter time, but goals from Lukas Windfeder and Constantin Staib swung the match back in Germany’s favour, earning them a 3-2 half-time lead. Germany battered South Africa throughout the third period, but a superb counter-attack goal inspired by the exceptional Dayaan Cassiem resulted in Nicolas Spooner levelling the scores at 3-3. The winner came from the stick of Dayaan’s younger brother Mustaphaa Cassiem, with the 19-year-old – who was crying tears of joy at the end – seeing his speculative cross end up in the goal via a Germany stick, giving South Africa a famous victory over the European giants. "It's awesome”, said South Africa captain Tim Drummond. “It's something we've trained really hard for and moments like this and results. We knew we had it in us and it's just great for the guys to get this feeling now and hopefully we can remember this feeling.” Germany’s Lukas Windfeder said: “Our aim was to win here. Then we get 3-2 after a difficult start, we have everything in our own hands, but let us counter stupidly twice. Of course, there should have been more goals today through chances and corners, but it can't be that we have to score five or six goals per game to win. We want to decide the matches for us on the good defensive. And that doesn't work that way. " Netherlands 2-2 Great Britain Great Britain produced an incredible late fightback to steal a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, a result which put both teams through to the knock-out stages. Both teams have seven points, with Netherlands currently sitting second in the standings above third placed GB due to a superior goal difference. Thierry Brinkman put the Netherlands ahead in the 22nd minute before a penalty corner from Jip Janssen doubled the Dutch advantage five just a minute after half-time. Great Britain battled hard to get back into the contest and got the reward that their perseverance deserved thanks to a late double from striker Sam Ward, who guided home an open play deflection before bagging a penalty corner with three minutes left to play. The Dutch had a succession of penalty corners in the final minute, but could not find a way past inspired goalkeeper Oliver Payne, who was outstanding throughout. Great Britain striker Sam Ward said: "Coming back from the loss we had the other night - it was pretty tough to lose 5-1 to the Germans - we managed to put a performance in and do ourselves proud." Netherlands captain Billy Bakker said: "For the first three quarters we were good, but it's difficult to keep up that level for four quarters. In the fourth quarter GB (Great Britain) also played very well - they also have quality - and we weren't focused enough on our defensive positions. We lost the ball a lot and they benefited from that - we needed to keep the ball better. But we're satisfied.” The action continues later today with four matches in the women’s competition, three in Pool B and one in Pool A. In Pool B Spain face China before Japan and Argentina take to the field, with the Oceania derby match between Australia and New Zealand also scheduled. The Pool A match is a mouth-watering clash between reigning Olympic champions Great Britain and the Netherlands, the current World, European and FIH Hockey Pro League champions in a re-match of the Rio 2016 gold medal game.

Jamil Siraj CANBERRA-AUSTRALIA (July 29, 2021):-Some of Australia’s most loved cricketers and stars of the past will not be sleeping in their own beds this Sunday night in the hope that their efforts will change the lives of the thousands of homeless youth who do not have a safe bed to sleep in at night. Cricket Australia is throwing its support behind The Chappell Foundation’s Sports Stars Sleepout, with the event being moved to balconies, backyards and couch hopping due to the current pandemic restrictions in New South Wales. Australian captain Meg Lanning is on board to help The Chappell Foundation to bring up a century and hit its target of $100,000, with funds raised going directly to a variety of essential youth services including Back Track Youth Works, WAYS, Stepping Stone House, Ecumenical Coffee Brigade, Raw Potential and Taldumande Youth Services. Lanning will be virtually joined by wicket keeper/batter Alyssa Healy and Tassie Tigers’ trio Molly Strano, Elyse Villani and and Nicola Carey. Annabel and Will Sutherland will spend a night in their garage along with their father James, while former stars Matthew Hayden, Ed Cowan, Mitchell Johnson, Greg Chappell and Trevor Chappell have already been strong contributors to fundraising which has already surpassed $32,000. Johnson, who’ll dial in from Western Australia, said it was his own experience which motivated him to participate. “A lot of Australians are doing it tough at the moment, but homeless kids do it tough all the time,” he said. “Me and my little brother were lucky, but I know what it’s like to bounce around from home to home, parent to parent.