Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 6, 2020):-The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have announced the Caribbean players they will be retaining for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League. International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date. This year teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish. They could also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players. The Patriots have chosen to retain or sign seven Caribbean players ahead of the CPL draft, including signing Denesh Ramdin from the Trinbago Knight Riders: Evin Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago) Fabian Allen (Jamaica) Sheldon Cottrell (Jamaica) Denesh Ramdin (Trinidad & Tobago)+ Rayad Emrit (Trinidad & Tobago) Alzarri Joseph (Leeward Islands) Dominic Drakes (Barbados)* The Patriots have also announced that it will be Rayad Emrit who will captain the team and Australian Simon Helmot will be the Head Coach for the 2020 season. Speaking on his appointment as captain, Emrit said: “I am very excited to be part of the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots for a second season. I think that the team that is selected this year is going to be a very exciting one. I am very excited to be named as captain. It's always an honour and a privilege to lead a franchise. Our new coach, Simon Helmot, knows the CPL and he knows how to win titles. He and I are going to work very hard to get the team to the finals.” The CPL is scheduled to take place between 19 August and 26 September but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID-19 closely and are liaising with medical advisors and governments. A decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, will be made as soon as possible.

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (May 6, 2020):-PCB’s Dream Pairs series for Test players has gained great popularity among the fans, current and former players, pundits and journalists. The campaign entered its fourth phase on Tuesday, 5 May, with the fans asked to name two spin bowling pairs of their choice. Former Test off-spinner Tauseef Ahmed named his former colleague and co-hero of the famous 1987 Bangalore Test victory Iqbal Qasim as his dream partner from yesteryears before naming former leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed as his other partner. Tauseef Ahmed, who took 93 wickets in a 34-match-long Test career, said: “I am very lucky that in my career I played with the likes of Abdul Qadir and Iqbal Qasim. If asked to pick one spinner as my partner, I would go for Iqbal Qasim who partnered with me in the famous 1987 Bangalore Test win. “The performance we gave in that Test match is for all to see and remember. Iqbal remained very helpful and mentored me throughout my career. “I would also like to choose Mushtaq Ahmed as my other partner. Although, I didn’t play much with Mushtaq, I always admired his skills and temperament. Mushtaq was a very exciting player and never used to get fazed by any situation. He was an attacking bowler who used to take on the batsmen and crack jokes while bowling. We played together for UBL and Mushtaq’s temperament and bravery always stood out for me.” Mushtaq meanwhile thanked Tauseef for nominating him as his spin bowling partner and named former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq and the leading Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah as his two dream bowling partners. Mushtaq Ahmed, who took 185 wickets in 52 Tests, said: “I want to thank Tauseef Ahmed for his complements for me. When I started playing for UBL he was there as a mentor, role model and  someone who always supported me. “Among former cricketers I would like to name Saqlain Mushtaq as my bowling partner. Although I played a few matches with Abdul Qadir,I chose Saqlain as Qadir and I were similar bowlers while Saqlain being an off-spinner provided variety. “Saqlain and I featured in a lot of matches and were part of many victories. Among recent cricketers, I would want to bowl with Yasir Shah. Yasir has sped his way to 200 wickets in Test cricket and has broken many records. It would be an honour for me to bowl with Yasir.” The criterion for selection of the spinners is a minimum of 75 Test wickets. The activity acknowledges the services of former and present stars of Pakistan cricket. Before the spinners, the campaigns for fast bowlers, openers and middle-order batting pairs received tremendous response. Among openers, the 90s batting greats Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail (qualification minimum 1,000 runs as opener) came out as the most popular pair. The famed left-handed pair was followed by Saeed Anwar’s paring with Majid Khan, regarded as one of the most stylish and productive openers produced by Pakistan. Among middle-order batsmen (qualification minimum 2,500 runs in middle-order, batting positions three to seven) the famed middle-order batting duo of Pakistan highest Test run-getter Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf emerged as the most popular pair followed by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, a pair that remained the backbone of Pakistan Test batting in recent history. The legendary fast bowling duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis who shared 787 Test wickets between them was rated as the most popular fast bowling pair in Pakistan Test history, while Mohammad Asif was chosen to share the ball with Wasim as the second most popular fast bowling pair. The two-day long spinners’ campaign will be followed by dream pair of all-rounders and most popular wicketkeeper and captain.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 5, 2020):-The Trinbago Knight Riders have announced the Caribbean players, as they will be retaining for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League. International retentions and signings will be announced at a later date. This year teams can retain as many players from their 2019 squads as they wish. They could also transfer players to other teams and sign emerging players. The Knight Riders have chosen to retain or sign 10 Caribbean players ahead of the CPL draft: Dwayne Bravo (Trinidad & Tobago) Kieron Pollard (Trinidad & Tobago) Sunil Narine (Trinidad & Tobago) Darren Bravo (Trinidad & Tobago) Lendl Simmons (Trinidad & Tobago) Khary Pierre (Trinidad & Tobago) Jayden Seales (Trinidad & Tobago)* Amir Jangoo (Trinidad & Tobago)* Tion Webster (Trinidad & Tobago) Akeal Hosein (Trinidad & Tobago) Making the announcement, Venky Mysore, Director of TKR said: “Over the last 5 years, TKR has built the franchise by consciously bringing back players from Trinidad & Tobago and also developing local talent. We are delighted that all ten of our Caribbean players in the TKR squad for 2020 are from Trinidad & Tobago.” The CPL is scheduled to take place between 19 August and 26 September but the tournament organisers are currently watching the current situation with COVID-19 closely and are liaising with medical advisors and governments. A decision on whether the tournament can proceed as planned, or at a different time, will be made as soon as possible. ABOUT THE HERO CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE: First started in 2013, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere. There was a combined broadcast and digital viewership of 312million during the 2019 season to make it one of the fastest growing leagues in world cricket. In 2019 the tournament made a positive economic impact across the Caribbean of US$136million. Barbados Tridents are the current Hero CPL champions and the other competing teams are Trinbago Knight Riders, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Zouks and Jamaica Tallawahs. The 2020 tournament is scheduled to take place between 19 August and 26 September.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 5, 2020):-Across the international community, the past few months have been tough for individuals, families, institutions and businesses. Emotionally, socially, economically – these are unprecedented times, with an uncertain future to follow. Why it is important that, as an international federation, we plan now for a strong and confident return to hockey action for all our global hockey community: players, coaches, officials, partners and fans alike, when it is safe to do so. We know that only some things are in our ‘control’, but with so many uncertainties, the best way we feel we can move forwards as a global hockey family is to look at where we are, reflect on where we have come from, and look to build upon our plans for a sustainable structure that works for everyone. If we are to look for the positives to take from the current situation, it is that working from home has given us a chance to step back from the day-to-day operations and take a long, meaningful look at our strategies and how we can adjust and innovate so that hockey is a sport with a sustainable future around the world.

Sports Report ISLAMABAD (May 4, 2020):-Dr. Fehmida Mirza Federal Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) distributed the cheques among the members of Pakistan Weightlifting and Tennis Teams that won medals in the 13th South Asian Games, were held in Nepal from 1-10 December, 2019. It is important to mention here that Weightlifting team won 5 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals. Weightlifters Talha Talib, Haider Ali, Usman Amjad Rathore, Hanzla Dastgir Butt and Mohammad Nooh Dastgir Butt won gold medals while Abu Sufyan and Rabbia Razzaq won silver medals and Saima Shahzad had claimed bronze medals. Similarly, Tennis players Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, Aqeel Khan, Muzammil Murtaza and Mohammad Abid had claimed silver in men’s team event, Sara Mansoor, Ushna Sohail, Mahin Aftaz Qureshi and Sarah Mehboob Khan won Bronze medals in women team event. Aisam and Ushna Sohail won Bronze in Mixed Double, Mohammad Abid and Sara Mansoor also won bronze in mixed double event. Men’s double event Aisam and Aqeel Khan won bronze medal. In men’s double event Muzammil Murtaza and Mohammad Abid won bronze medal. Aqeel Khan won bronze in men’s singles. Muzammil Murtaza won bronze in men’s singles as well. In line with approved cash award policy, gold medalists were given Rs.1.000 million each, silver medalists got Rs.500, 000 while bronze medalists received cheques of Rs.250, 000 each. Total Rs.6.250 million and Rs.5.500 million were distributed to the Weightlifters and tennis players respectively. Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of IPC Saima Nadeem, Col. Gul Rehman Secretary General Pakistan Tennis Federation, Azam Dar Deputy DG PSB and parents of few athletes were present on the occasion. Talking to the players, Dr. Fehmida Mirza Minister for IPC/President PSB congratulated the medal winners and informed that half of the population of Pakistan is comprised of women. Their participation in the social life especially in the sports is commendable. She also appreciated the role of their parents who encouraged to their daughters to excel in the field of sports. Minister was of the view that these shinning players are the ambassadors of Pakistan who portray the soft image of Pakistan while representing their country abroad. Despite the fact that sports is a devolved subject and provinces should take lead to allocate appropriate resources to encourage players training, provision of coaches, talent hunt, make enabling environment for the masses to take participation in healthy activities etc  that Federal Government would continue to support the talented players to replace the stalwarts, she assured to the participations. Ministry of IPC and PSB is taking lead to resolve the issues of the players being faced in the current Covid-19 Pandemic. In this regard, a video conference with the provincial sports ministers will be arranged.            Mohammad Nooh Dastgir Butt, Gold Medalist, 12th and 13th SA Games, Bronze Medals Commonwealth Games 2018 and other players appreciated the role being played by Dr.Fehmida Mirza at this critical time. This is for the first time that players are receiving their reward in the form of cash prize money well in time which would definitely boost the morale of the players. This would definitely held their families and also facilitate for future endeavors. The medal winners emphasized that besides the federal government support provinces must play their due role to support the talented players so that youth, a major portion of the country, may utilize their energies in healthier sports activities and it can also make enabling environment for the youngsters to choose sports as their profession.   

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (May 4, 2020):-PCB’s Digital Pairs series for Test players has gained great popularity among the fans, current and former players, pundits and journalists. The campaign entered its third phase yesterday Sunday, 3 May, with the followers asked to name two fast bowling pairs of their choice. Asked to choose a bowling partner to form a dream pair both from the list of former bowlers and the current lot representing Pakistan in Test cricket, Shoaib Akhtar (hailed as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of the game) named Imran Khan and Naseem Shah as his partners. Shoaib Akhtar said: “If I pick a former fast bowler, I feel I would have been very fortunate if I would have bowled with Imran Khan with both of us at the peak of our bowling careers. If we would have bowled together we would have had the same mindset of attacking the stumps relentlessly. “Among the present lot, I feel Naseem Shah can replicate my bowling attitude and passion. Naseem and I would have made a fine pair with the same attacking attitude.” The criterion for selection of the bowlers is a minimum of 75 Test wickets. In 46 Tests, Shoaib took 178 wickets at 25.69. Despite not making the list (Four Tests - 13 wickets), Naseem has been chosen by Wasim and Shoaib as a future star. Naseem, the youngest to record a Test hat-trick taker, thanked Shoaib for choosing him as his bowling partner and is thrilled by the legendary bowler’s confidence in his abilities. Naseem Shah said: “Delighted to get Shoaib Akhtar’s recognition following acknowledgment by Wasim Akram. I want to thank Shoaib for nominating me as his bowling partner, these bowlers were my idols and getting recognised by them is nothing short of a big honour for me. “I agree that attitude and aggression are the keys to success for a fast bowler, I hope that I would live up to Shoaib’s expectations of me.” Pakistan’s Test fast bowling mainstay Mohammad Abbas named Wasim and Hasan Ali as his former and current partners, like Naseem, Hasan also does not meet the 75 wickets criteria but has been picked as a future star by his Test bowling partner Abbas. Mohammad Abbas said: “It is a great initiative by PCB; it isn’t easy to choose a pair considering the abundance of fast bowling stars. However since we have to choose one I name Wasim Akram as my bowling partner among former stars and Hasan Ali as my pair from the current lot.” The aim of the activity is to acknowledge the services of former and present stars of Pakistan cricket. Before fast bowlers, the campaign for openers and middle-order batting pairs received tremendous response. Among openers, the 90s batting greats Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail (qualification minimum 1,000 runs as opener) came out as the most popular pair. The famed left-handed pair was followed by Saeed Anwar’s paring with Majid Khan, regarded as one of the most stylish and productive openers produced by Pakistan. Among middle-order batsmen (qualification minimum 2,500 runs in middle-order, batting positions three to seven) the famed middle-order batting duo of Pakistan highest Test run-getter Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf emerged as the most popular pair followed by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, a pair that remained the backbone of Pakistan Test batting in recent history. The two-day long fast bowlers’ campaign will be followed by dream pairs of spinners, all-rounders and most popular wicketkeeper and captain.

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (May 3, 2020):-To help players learn from the cricket’s elite and remain focused on the game during the Covid-19 lockdown, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has organised online sessions for the Pakistan national women’s team with the legendary Wasim Akram and Babar Azam. The interactive sessions will be held via videoconference calls in which around 35 women cricketers – current internationals and emerging players – will be provided insights about how to strategize and approach the game in different conditions. ICC hall of famer and the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket from Pakistan, Wasim Akram, on Monday, will share his experiences and provide an overview about his learnings over the course of his extraordinary 18-year-long international career. Wasim had delivered a similar session to Pakistan men’s and a selection of emerging team players last week. The session with Babar Azam – whose stratospheric rise has seen him at the top of the T20I rankings, number three in ODI rankings and number five in Test rankings – will be attended by women batters in which the captain of the national men’s T20I side will shed light on the art of batting by sharing how he gears up for different conditions and situations. Sharing her excitement about the opportunity to learn from Wasim Akram, Aliya Riaz said: “I have grown up watching videos of Wasim Akram and how he brought laurels for Pakistan with both bat and ball from some adverse of situations. “It is a great opportunity for me and I am eager to learn from the great of the game and understand his work ethic which made him stand apart from the rest.” Looking forward to the session with Babar Azam, Omaima Sohail said: “Babar Azam is a top batsman and a session with him will help all the batters to understand what makes him different than the others and reflect on how we can continue to improve ourselves. “I will be looking to hear from Babar how he establishes his innings and navigates during the tough phases. I am sure this session will prove to be helpful.” Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women’s selection committee, said: “It is extremely important that the players continue to develop during this phase when cricket is on hold and these sessions are certainly going to be beneficial in that aspect. “We keep looking for ideas to keep the players engaged and motivated. Fitness plans have been provided to both the senior and junior group of players and they have been working at home to ensure they are ready once the situation normalises.” “Sessions with Wasim Akram and Babar Azam will provide the players an opportunity to listen and learn from the best, helping them in improving their game. Pakistan has produced some of the most extraordinary cricketers in the history of the game and we will continue to bring them on board for the benefit of our players.”

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (May 3, 2020):-PCB’s Digital Pairs series for Test players has gained great popularity among the fans, current and former players, pundits and journalists. The campaign entered its third phase today Sunday, 3 May, with the followers asked to name two fast bowling pairs of their choice. Pakistan’s highest Test wicket-taker Wasim Akram made a weighty contribution to the campaign by choosing the 1954 Oval Test hero Fazal Mehmood as his bowling partner. The legendary fast bowler then singled out Naseem Shah as the bowler he would have wanted to pair with among the current generation of Pakistan Test fast bowlers. Wasim Akram said: “PCB has started a great initiative of bringing together Pakistan’s Test stars in form of pairs. I was asked to pick a fast bowler who wore Pakistan’s golden star before me as my bowling partner. “I have bowled with Imran [Khan] Bhai, Waqar [Younis], Shoaib [Akhtar] and [Abdul] Razzaq, but if we talk about the greats who have represented Pakistan in the decades before I played, two names come to my mind, the founder of reverse swing Sarfaraz Nawaz and the Oval Test hero Fazal Mehmood. “I, being a left-arm swing bowler, would like to pair-up with Fazal Mehmood since he was a right-armer and his leg-cutter was very famous especially on matting wickets. “If I think about the current stars who are bowling at the moment and considering that I had the fortune of bowling with the number one bowler of my time Waqar Younis, I will pick another right-armer, Naseem Shah. He is a youngster, he bowls at 150 plus and he will only get faster with time.” Naseem, the youngest to record a Test hat-trick taker, thanked Wasim for choosing him as his bowling partner and is thrilled by the legendary bowler’s confidence in his abilities. Naseem Shah said: “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to know that a legend like Wasim Akram has chosen me as his bowling partner. Wasim Bhai spoke to us, fast bowlers, in an online video session last week and gave us tips that I am sure will hold us in good stead for the remainder of our careers. “Now, him choosing me as his bowling partner is simply fantastic and has provided me a great confidence boost. I look forward to reposing his faith in me and making him and Pakistan fans proud of my bowling in the years ahead.” Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi who has already snared 30 victims in mere eight Test appearances chose the famed Ws duo (Wasim and Waqar) among former stars while Naseem was his pick from the current players. Shaheen Shah Afridi said: “This is an exciting initiative by the PCB. If I had the choice, I would have loved to bowled with Wasim and Waqar Bhai, while among the present bowlers, I really like bowling with Naseem Shah. I really hope that I can continue to bowl successfully with him.” The criterion for selection of the bowlers is a minimum of 75 Test wickets. The aim of the activity is to acknowledge the services of former and present stars of Pakistan cricket. Before fast bowlers, the campaign for openers and middle-order batting pairs received tremendous response. Among openers, the 90s batting greats Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail (qualification minimum 1,000 runs as opener) came out as the most popular pair. The famed left-handed pair was followed by Saeed Anwar’s paring with Majid Khan, regarded as one of the most stylish and productive openers produced by Pakistan. Among middle-order batsmen (qualification minimum 2,500 runs in middle-order, batting positions three to seven) the famed middle-order batting duo of Pakistan highest Test run-getter Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf emerged as the most popular pair followed by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf, a pair that remained the backbone of Pakistan Test batting in recent history. The two-day long fast bowlers’ campaign will be followed by dream pairs of spinners, all-rounders and most popular wicketkeeper and captain.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (May 1, 2020):-Australia have moved to the top of the Test and T20I rankings for men while England continue to lead the men’s ODI rankings after the annual update carried out on Friday, which eliminates results from 2016-17. India displaced from top of Test list for the first time since October 2016; Pakistan slip in T20I rankings after 27 months as No. 1 England consolidate position on top of men’s ODI rankings, increasing lead over second-placed India In the latest update, that rates all matches played since May 2019 at 100 per cent and those of the previous two years at 50 per cent, Australia (116) have taken over from India as the top ranked side in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings with New Zealand (115) remaining in second place. India are now third with 114 points. With only two points separating them, this is the second closest the top three teams have been since the Test rankings were launched in 2003. The closest for the top three teams was in January 2016, when India had led Australia and South Africa by a single point. India have yielded the top spot for the first time since October 2016. This is largely because India had won 12 Tests and lost just one Test in 2016-17, the records of which were removed in the latest update. They had won all five series during this period including against Australia and England. On the other hand, Australia had lost to South Africa as well as to India in the same period. South Africa have suffered the biggest rating fall of eight points, which sees them drop below Sri Lanka into sixth place. They had won three series in the period culled, while they have lost eight of their nine Tests since February 2019, playing against Sri Lanka, India and England. India still lead the ICC World Test Championship, a league comprising six series played by each of the top nine Test sides. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings, reigning World champions England (127) have increased their lead over India from six to eight points. New Zealand remain in third place, three points behind India. The top ten rankings remain unchanged. England retain their No.1 position in ODI rankings By contrast, the updated MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings see plenty of changes. Australia (278) top the list for the first time since the T20I rankings were introduced in 2011. Pakistan, who had overtaken New Zealand to reach top position in January 2018 and then spent 27 months there, are now fourth with 260 points. England have moved into second position with 268 points while India are up one place to third, just two points behind. Afghanistan are down from seventh to 10th while Bulgaria are the biggest gainers, up 12 places to 51st in the 84-country list of teams that played the requisite six matches in the past three years. When the global T20I rankings were launched 12 months ago, there were 80 ranked teams. Since then seven teams have joined the table (Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Romania and Turkey), while three countries (France, Isle of Man and Israel) have lost their rankings having played insufficient matches.

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (April 29, 2020):-Former Test captain and wicket-keeper batsman Rashid Latif termed a wicketkeeper an important member of any team, as trio Sarfraz Ahmed, Rizwan Khan and Rohail Nazir were mentally strong on Wednesday while delivering an online lecture to three national wicketkeepers. Rashid, who played 37 Test and 166 One Day Internationals (ODI), during his lecture termed wicketkeeper as the most important member of a cricket team. “A good run out or a catch by the wicketkeeper can turn a match on its head and in favour of the team, “he said. He, who took 119 catches in Test and 117 in ODI, emphasised on the importance of physical and mental fitness and termed them the keys to sustained performances for wicketkeepers. Rashid Latif advised the three keepers to watch videos of former England wicketkeepers Alan Knott and Jack Russell. “Balance behid the stumps is very important for a wicketkeeper, strength in feet and legs help maintain balance, “He maintained. Great Rashid Latif, who stumped 11 in Test matches and 38 in ODI, also gave batting tips to the three players, besides the trio, Pakistan senior team management members head coach Misbah-ul Haq, bowling coach Waqar Younis and Shahid Aslam were also present during the session.