BY Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 22, 2020):-As many as 52 matches have been decided in the Serena Hotels National Ranking Tennis Championships-2020 at the PTF Tennis Complex, Islamabad on Wednesday. It is pertinent to mention that, Serena Hotels are playing an important and pivotal role in the promotion of sports in Pakistan by sponsoring national and international events, especially tennis as part of their sports diplomacy. A total number of 52 matches were played on the 3rd day in the Men’s singles,Men's doubles, Ladies singles ,Under-18 Singles and Under-14 Singles 1st Round. A large number of players are participating in the mega event from all over Pakistan by exhibiting their talent. It is also encouraging to note that the quality of play has improved tremendously, especially the young players have shown a lot of enthusiasm with a potential for further growth. Results; Men’s Singles; (1st Round) Barkatullah bt Mian Bilal 6-4,7-6 (5); Shaheen Mehmood bt Faizan Fayyaz 6-4,6-2; Asadullah bt Shakiullah 6-1,7-5; Heera Ashique bt Subhan Bin Salik 6-2,6-3; Muzammil Murtaza bt Ahmed Kamil 6-4,6-1; Asad Siyyid bt Ibrahim Omer 6-0,6-1; Mohammad Abid bt Imran Bhatti 6-1,6-1; Mudassir Murtaza bt Ayyaz Khan 6-1,6-1; M. Shoaib bt Jibran ul Haq 6-2,6-0; Aqeel Khan bt Huzaifa Abdul Rehman 6-1,6-1; Waqas Malik bt Ahmed Baber 6-7 (4),7-6 (2),6-2; Aqib Hayat bt Hameed ul Haq 6-3,6-5(retd); Israr Gul bt Ahmed Asjad 7-5,6-2; Shahzad Khan bt Shahid Afridi 6-0,6-4; Yousaf  Khalil bt Arham Attique 6-3,6-3;  Ahmed Ch bt Ejaz Khan 6-2,6-0 Men's Doubles: (1st Round) Mudassir Murtaza ,Asad Siyyid  bt Imran Bhatti, Mian Bilal 6-0,6-4:Ahmed kamil, Ibrahim Omer bt Shaheen Mehmood, Shahid Afridi, 6-4,6-2; HuzaifaAbdul Rehman, Shoaib bt shahzad Khan, Usman Ejaz 6-3,6-4;Ejaz Khan, Asadullah bt Abbas Khan, Shakir ullah 6-4,7-4 (10-7);   Boy’s 18& Under Singles (1st Round); Bilal Asim bt Ahmed nail Qureshi 6-4,6-2;  Hamid Israr bt Faisal Khalil 6-0,6-0; M.Abdullah bt Yahya Musa Luni 6-3,6-2; Mahatir Muhammad bt Hasam Khan 4-6,6-0,7-6; Hassan Ali bt Asad Zaman 6-4,6-1; Nalian Abbas bt Haseeb ullah 6-1,6-3; Uzair Khan bt Huzaima Abdul Rehman 6-1,7-5; Sami Zeb bt Faizan Shahid 6-4,6-2; Hasheesh Kumar bt Farman Shakeel 6-2,6-4; Faizan Fayyaz bt M. Talha khan 6-4,3-6,6-2; Kashan Umar bt Daniyal Ikhlaq 6-0,6-1; M. Shoaib bt aqib hayat 6-1,6-0; M huzaifa Khan bt Kamran Khan 6-1,4-6,6-2; Zalan Khan bt Subhan Bin Salik 6-3,6-3; Saim Danish bt Azan sajid 7-6(5),6-3; Hamza asim bt Maab Hassan 6-3,6-3 Ladies Singles (1st Round); Meheq Khokhar bt Seher aleem 6-1,6-0; Ushna Suhail bt Mehvish Chistie 6-1,6-1 ; Shimza Naz bt Mariam Mirza 6-0,6-2; Esha Jawad bt krisztina 6-1,6-0; Noor Malik bt Azeena Aleem 6-0,6-0; Sarah Mahboob bt Seher Aleem 6-0,6-1; Boy’s 14&Under Singles (1st Round) Ahtesham Humayun bt Jamal Shah 4-0,4-2;Yahya Musa Luni bt Taimoor Khan:4-2,5-3; Abdullah Ahmad w/o M. Talha Khan; Saim Shahzad W/o Hamza Rehmat: Ali Zain bt Maab Hassan 4-1,4-2; M. Hamza Aasim bt Awais Ahmed 4-0,4-0  

SB News LAHORE (January 22, 2020):-The National Juniors' Badminton Championship 2020 is going on in Lahore and players are competing in different events. In the Boys Singles Under-14 Mohammad Hashir Shah (KP) and Ghasif Malik of Punjab reached in the finals. in Boys Singles Under-16 Saad Amir of Punjab and Rai Abdul Mannan Punjab reached in  finals. Results: Boy's Single U-14 Semi Finals M Hashir Shah (KP) beat Basim Abdullah (Islamabad) by 21-15, 21-8 Malik Ghasif (Punjab) beat Taimoor Khan (KP) by 21-8, 18-21, 21-15 Boy's Single U-18 Semi Finals Omer Jhanghir (KP) beat Raza Ali (Punjab) by 21-14, 10-21, 21-17 Raja Hassan (Army) beat Ahmad Asif (Punjab) by 21-14, 9-21, 21-15 Girl's Single U-18 Semi Finals Omama Usman (Sindh) beat Aqsa (Balochistan) by 21-7, 21-19 Hadiqa (Punjab) beat Maria (Balochistan) by 21-6, 21-11 Boy's Single U-16 Semi Finals Rai Abdul Mannan (Punjab) beat Osaid Gul (KP) by 18-21, 26-24, 21-13 Saad Amir (Punjab) beat Ibrahim Rashid (Islamabad) by 19-21, 21-9, 21-19 Girl's Single U-16 Semi Finals Sumiya Tariq (Army) beat Kanzul Eman (Islamabad) by 21-8, 18-21, 21-14 Musfira Zahid (Sindh) beat Miss Sarwat (Balochistan) by 21-14, 21-13   Results of Quarter Finals    Boy's Single U-14 Quarter Finals Malik Ghasif (Punjab) beat Fahad Khan (KP) by 17-21, 21-12, 21-11 M. Hashir Shah (KP) beat M Akbar (Balochistan) by 21-9, 21-7 Taimoor Khan (KP) beat Aman Gul (KP) by 21-19, 21-23, 21-15 Basim Abdullah (Islamabad) beat Abdullah Tahir (Punjab) by 21-17, 21-18 Boy's Single U-18 Quarter Finals Raza Ali (Punjab) beat Malik Danyal (KP) by 21-11, 21-14 Umer Jhanghir (KP) beat Hamza Khan (KP) by 21-8, 20-22, 21-8 Ahmad Asif (Punjab) beat Zain Ul Abdin (Punjab) by 21-15, 21-23, 21-11 Raja Hassan (Army) beat Hafiz Shahnullah (KP) by 15-21, 22-20, 21-15 Boy's Single U-16 Quarter Finals Saad Amir (Punjab) beat Sami Khan (KP) by 21-10, 20-22, 21-11 Ibrahim Rasheed (Islamabad) beat Faizan Asim (Punjab) by 21-8, 21-8 Osaid Gul (KP) beat Sachal Shafiq (Punjab) by 21-13, 21-10 Rai Abdul Mannan (Punjab) beat M Zaid (KP) by 21-15, 21-9 Girl's Single U-18 Quarter Finals Miss Aqsa (Balochistan) beat Zainab Ch. (Punjab) by 21-17, 21-14 Omama Usman (Sindh) beat Deena Shahzad (Islamabad) by 21-18, 19-21, 21-19 Miss Hadiqa (Punjab) beat Farwa Jawa (Punjab) by 21-10, 22-20 Miss Maria (Balochistan) beat Muqadas Fatima (KP) by 21-15, 21-19 Girl's Single U-16 Quarter Finals Sumiya Tariq (Army) beat Aeman Fatima (Punjab) by 21-4 21-7 Kanzul Eman (Islamabad) beat Ayesha Shafiq (Punjab) by 21-4, 21-6 Musfira Zahid (Sindh) beat Soha Fatima (Punjab) by 21-12, 21-14 Miss Sarwat (Balochistan) beat Halema Saliha (Army) by 21-6, 21-4 Boy's Double U-18 Quarter Finals Raza Ali & Saad Amir (Punjab) beat Ibrahim Tahir & Abdul Malik (Punjab) by 18-21, 21-6, 21-8 Abdullah Siddiqui & Fayyaz Ur Rehman (Sindh) beat M. Taha & Moiz (Sindh) by 21-18, 21-16 Hafiz Shahanullah & Malik Danyal (KP) beat Raja Hassan & Haseeb Ahmad (Army) by 21-17, 15-21, 21-15 Omer Jhanghir & M Ozair (KP) beat Rafay Shahid & Sohail Javed (Army) by 21-19, 22-20 Girl's Double U-18 Quarter Finals Deena Shahzad & Kanzul Eman (Islamabad) beat Farwa & Naba Jawa (Punjab) by 21-5, 21-6 Omama Usman & Zoha Khan (Sindh) beat Maria & Aqsa (Balochistan) by 21-12, 16-21, 21-13   Results of last night matches:   Boy's Single U-14 Pre Quarter Finals M Hashir Shah (KP) beat Saim Shakeel (Punjab) by 21-16, 21-9 Basim Abdullah (Islamabad) beat Sanwal Shafique (Punjab) by 2117, 11-21, 26-24 M Akbar (Balochistan) beat M Ahmad (Punjab) by 21-17, 21-18 Abdullah Tahir (Punjab) beat Fazal Karim (Army) by 21-16, 21-10 Taimoor Khan (KP) beat Zain Bajwa (Punjab) by 23-21, 21-15 Aman Gul (KP) beat M. Saad (Punjab) by 21-10, 21-7 Fahad Khan (KP) beat Usman Habib (Army) by 21-10, 21-12 Malik Ghasif (Punjab) beat M Ahmad (Army) by 21-11, 21-13 Boy's Single U-18 Pre Quarter Finals Raja Hassan (Army) beat Abdul Malik (Punjab) by 21-13, 21-12 Hafiz Shanullah (KP) beat M Uzair (KP) by 21-18, 21-19 Zain Ul Abdin (Punjab) beat Mahad Bin Rafay (Islamabad) by 21-14, 21-13 Ahmad Asif (Punjab) beat Mekaeel Khan (KP) by 22-20, 21-18 Malik Danyal (KP) beat M Taha (Sindh) by 22-20, 21-19 Raza Ali (Punjab) beat Haseeb Ahmad (Army) by 21-14, 21-07 Umar Jhanghir (KP) beat Fayyaz Ur Rehman (Sindh) by 21-17, 21-15 Hamza Khan (KP) beat Khizer (Islamabad) by 21-11, 21-16   Boy's Single U-16 Pre Quarter Finals Osaid Gul (KP) beat Muneeb Alam (Islamabad) by 21-3, 21-6 Rai Abdul Mannan (Punjab) beat M Ibrahim (PB) by 21-11, 21-18 Sachal Shafique (Punjab) beat M Ibrahim (Islamabad) by 21-10, 21-10 Ibrahim Rashid (Islamabad) beat Umer Farooq (KP) by 21-10, 21-7 Faizan Asim (Punjab) beat Moiz Ahmad (Sindh) by 21-10, 21-13 Sami Khan (KP) beat Zaaviar Aslam (Islamabad) by 21-7, 21-9 Saad Amir (Punjab) beat Ghadeer (Balochistan) by 21-8, 21-7 Boy's Double U-18 Pre Quarter Finals Raja Hassan & Haseeb Ahmad (Army) beat Iqbal Hussain & S Hussain (Balochistan) 21-15, 22-20 Hafiz Shahullah & Malik Daniyal (KP) beat Hammad Asad & Zain ul Abdin (Punjab) by 21-9, 22-20 Abdullah Siddiqui & Fayyaz Ur Rehman (Sindh) beat Noman Habib & Atta Ur Rehman (Army) by 21-5, 21-6 Umer Jhnaghir & Uzair (KP) beat Talha Younis & M Ibrahim (Punjab) by 21-8, 21-9 M Taha & Moiz Ahmad (Sindh) Abdullah Asim & Faizan Asim (Punjab) by 21-19, 21-14 Rafay Shahid & Sohail Javed (Army) beat Khizer & Zaviar Aslam (Islamabad) by 21-3, 21-10  

SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 22, 2020):-The upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia will see Bismah Maroof lead Pakistan for the first time in a global event and the 28-year-old is excited to shoulder the responsibility. Bismah has led Pakistan in 36 T20Is. She is the only batter from Pakistan to have more than 2,000 runs, while she also has the most number of half-centuries (11) in the shorter version of the game. The presence of experienced batters in Javeria Khan and Nida Dar – the second and third highest all-time run-getters for Pakistan behind their skipper – further strengthens the batting department. The presence of talented batters like Omaima Sohail and Iram Javed along with the recall of Muneeba Ali and inclusion of uncapped Ayesha Naseem adds to the strength of the squad. Muneeba, who last played for Pakistan in November 2018, was called up at the back of a prolific National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship, in which she scored 292 runs at a fine average of 58.40 and struck a century and three half-centuries in five innings. Anam Amin, the new-ball specialist, is expected to spearhead the bowling attack as she has been the most successful bowler since 1 January 2019 with 13 wickets at an average of 16.07 and an economy of 6.53 in eight matches. Youngsters like leg-spinner Syeda Aroob Shah and left-arm orthodox Sadia Iqbal bring in the excitement, while Nida Dar, Aliya Riaz and Diana Baig provide the desired experience in the bowling department. Speaking to PCB digital about leading Pakistan in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and the team’s combinations, Bismah Maroof said: “It is the first time I will be captaining Pakistan in a World Cup which is nothing less than an honour for me. Of course, it is a big responsibility to lead your country in such an event but, so far, I have been enjoying my role as a captain. “At the same time, I am quite excited to lead this squad which has a good mix of senior and junior players. In Javeria Khan and Nida Dar we have the experienced players who share a good number of World Cup appearances between them. “Javeria has been performing really well and Nida’s experience of WBBL will prove to be beneficial for us. In Omaima Sohail, we have a young middle-order batter who is growing with every match. In Iram [Javed] and Aliya [Riaz] we have big-hitting batters. “Muneeba Ali has been an outstanding performer. She recently scored a century in the domestic T20 event and her numbers were outstanding. “Overall, we have a group of batters who have done well and they can take responsibility of taking the team forward. “Diana Baig has been bowling really well with the new ball and Aimen Anwar is making a comeback after a year. Aimen had bowled well in the West Indies series last year which gave me an impression at that time that we have a reliable T20 bowler coming up. I am excited with the prospect of using her, especially after how she has shown good rhythm in the recent T20 tournament. “Youngsters like Syeda Aroob Shah, Fatima Sana and Sadia Iqbal have been performing really well since their debuts for Pakistan in the last year. We have named uncapped Ayesha Naseem and there is a lot of excitement in the team on her inclusion as she has the ability to hit big. “Our team has grown in the last two years and we look forward to continue to grow over the course of the World Cup. The team is well-balanced and looks in good shape. I am hopeful that we will put up positive results.” Pakistan will kick off their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 campaign on 26 February against the West Indies Women. They take on England Women on 28 February after which they play South Africa Women and Thailand Women on 1 and 3 March. Pakistan squad for ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Muneeba Ali, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz (wicketkeeper) and Syeda Aroob Shah Officials: Syed Iqbal Imam (head coach), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach), Amir Iqbal (fielding coach), Gemaal Hussain (strength & conditioning coach), Dr Riffat Asghar Gill (physio), Aisha Jalil (team manager) and Zubair Ahmed (analyst)  

SB News POTCHEFSTROOM (January 21, 2020)Pakistan U19 will be targeting to build on their strong and impressive performance in their ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020 opener against Scotland when they take on Zimbabwe at the Witrand Oval, Potchefstroom on Wednesday. Pakistan had given Scotland a cricket lesson on Sunday when they raced to the 76-run target inside 12 overs for the loss of three wickets. A victory against Zimbabwe will strengthen their chances of qualifying for the Super League, which will be played between the two sides from each of the four Groups. In contrast, Zimbabwe lost to Bangladesh, the fourth side in Pool C, by nine wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) Method in a rain shortened match. Pakistan’s last Pool match against Bangladesh will be played on Friday, the day when their men’s senior will go head to head in the first of the three T20Is at the Gaddafi Stadium. Pakistan have featured in all the 13 ICC U19 Cricket World Cups to date and have always qualified for the Super League phase. In 11 events to date, they have finished fifth or better, while appearing in five finals, while the only time they ended up outside the top-five was in 1998 and 2012 when they achieved seventh and eighth positions, respectively. On Sunday, Mohammad Waseem from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the star of Pakistan’s seven-wicket victory. The right-arm pace bowler justified his selection after Naseem Shah was withdrawn due to national duties by returning figures of 7.5-2-12-5. Waseem was very well supported by left-armer Tahir Hussain, who rocked the top order and finished with figures of 9-2-23-3, including two wickets in the opening over of the match. Tahir’s new-ball partner Abbas Afridi bagged two for 32 as Pakistan fast bowlers shared all the 10 wickets between them. In run-chase, highly-rated Rohail Nazir and Irfan Khan got some batting practice when they scored 27 and 38 not out, though openers Hadier Ali and Mohammad Shahzad’s failures will be a bit of bother for the Pakistan team management. Middle-order batsman Mohammad Haris didn’t get a chance to show his mettle on Sunday but looks forward to contributing in the team’s success in future matches. Haris said: “ICC U19 Cricket World Cup provides a big platform for young players to graduate to the senior level and represent their country. The entire Pakistan squad is focused on delivering the goods in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup. “Jos Butler is my favourite player and I want to play like him in the middle-order. I was into cricket from a young age. I first started playing when I was nine. My professional cricket journey began at 15 in Peshawar when I started playing club cricket. “I feel really lucky that I got full support from my mother. I used to anxiously wait for Sunday as we used to play a match every Sunday, sometimes for the entire day.” Left-arm spinner Arish Ali Khan was not in the starting line-up on Sunday, but is likely to feature at some stage in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2020. On his early days and cricketing ambition, Arish told PCB digital: “I still remember Mohammad Amir’s devastating new-ball spell against India in the Asia Cup T20 2016 in which he dismissed Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina. That spell inspired me to pursue cricket seriously. Representing Pakistan U16 and that too as captain against Australia was a dream come true moment for me. “I want to become the best spinner in the world, at present my and the team’s focus is on the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup. Our coach Ijaz Ahmed and spin bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed have worked hard with us and given us important advice.” Pakistan ICC U19 Cricket World Cup squad: Rohail Nazir (captain and wicketkeeper), Abbas Afridi (Peshawar), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Quetta), Amir Ali (Larkana), Amir Khan (Peshawar), Arish Ali Khan (Karachi), Fahad Munir (Lahore),  Haider Ali (vice-captain), Qasim Akram (Lahore), Mohammad Haris (Peshawar), Mohammad Huraira (Sialkot), Mohammad Irfan Khan (Lahore),  Mohammad Shehzad (Multan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (North Waziristan), Tahir Hussain (Multan) Team management – Ijaz Ahmed (head coach-cum-manager), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (bowling coach), Abdul Majeed (assistant coach), Saboor Ahmad (trainer), Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rasul (physiotherapist), Usman Hashmi (analyst), Emmad Ahmed Hameed (media manager) and Col (retd) Usman Riffat Anwari (security manager).  

SB News LAHORE (January 20, 2020):-With only three days left in the first match of the T20I series against Bangladesh, Ahsan Ali and Amad Butt are optimistic to leave a mark at the international level. The two were among three uncapped players named in the 15-player line-up for the three home T20Is, which will be played in Lahore on 24, 25 and 27 January. Talking to Test cricketer Shan Masood in an exclusive interview, the pair reflected on how it will look to take inspiration from the performances in the domestic events. Ahsan impressed in the last edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League in 2018 as he scored 178 runs in eight matches batting at the top of the order for Quetta Gladiators. The 26-year-old scored 131 runs at a strike rate of just under 149 in the National T20 Cup in October, which pressed his case further for selection. In the same tournament, Amad, who turned out for Balochistan, the eventual finalists, scored 80 runs at a strike-rate of 170 and took 10 wickets at an economy-rate of 7.62. The 24-year-old was part of Pakistan’s squad that won the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Bangladesh in November. When Shan asked which performances, in particular, they would take inspiration from, Ahsan said: “Our qualifier against Peshawar Zalmi [in the last season] is a memorable contest for me. I played a crucial role in my side’s win by scoring 46 [his highest score that tournament] over the course of a crucial [111-run] partnership with Shane Watson. I had not played the last two matches so I was under a lot of pressure.” Amad recalled the semi-final of the ACC Emerging Teams Asia Cup against the archrivals, India. “At one stage in our match against India, we were almost out of the game. Then suddenly our fielding clicked and we got a run-out. I had to defend eight off the last over and their main batsman was at the crease. You know, matches against India are full of pressure as people take a keen interest in them. I am glad that I was able to deliver in it.” Speaking about his fitness regime ahead of his selection in the national side, Ahsan told Shan, his teammate in the Pakistan Cricket Club and National Bank of Pakistan sides, he had given up on his favourite dish Biryani along with rice, roti and sweet dishes to meet the desired fitness levels. “There has been a significant change in the past 31 days since I have been at the NCA. I used to eat Biryani a lot, but I have given up on it. I have also stopped eating rice, roti, and sweet dishes as we have to take light diets.” Recalling the moment when he was informed about his selection for the Pakistan national men’s team, Ahsan said: “No matter how much I emphasis on it, I won’t be able to put my happiness in words. Every player wants to play for Pakistan. I am blessed that I have gotten the opportunity to play alongside those players whom I once used to desire to meet.” Amad told Shan: “I was in Mardan when I got to know. To know that I am about to achieve my goal of playing for Pakistan was an extraordinary feeling, which cannot be explained. It adds extra responsibility because you want to do something for your country. I am praying to God to help me play a role in my country’s win in the upcoming matches, even if it is by scoring a single.” The first ball of the first T20I on Friday is scheduled to be delivered at 2pm (PST).    

By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 20, 2020):-The 5th Serena Hotels National Ranking Tennis Championships-2020 commenced at the at PTF Complex, Islamabad on Monday soon after the conclusion of 5th Begum Kuslum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Championships 2020. A total number of 48 matches were played on the opening day in the Men’s and Under-18 qualifying categories. A large number of players are participating in the mega event from all over Pakistan. The PTF Complex is bustled with the presence of large number and their parents. Following is the result: Men’s Singles Qualifying Matches: (1st Round) Tahir Ullah beat Hassan Ali: 6-3, Haseeb Ullah beat Azan Sajid: 6-1,Farhan ullah beat Adnan Rashid Khan: 6-2, Saim Danish beat Faisal Khalil: 6-2, Mubarak shah beat Faizan Shahid: 6-1,Abrarul Haq beat Atif Rehman: 6-4, Kamran Khan beat Hammad Humayun: 6-1,Hasam Khan beat Ahmed Murad: 6-3, Mahatir Muhammad beat Fayeduddin: 7-5, Kashan Umer beat Azeem Khan: 6-4, Pooyan Shitari w/o Abdullah Karim. Men’s Singles Qualifying Matches: (2nd Round) Jibran ul Haq beat Farman Shakeel: 6-1, Mubarak Shah beat Mujahid Zeb: 6-1,Ibrahim Omer beat Tahir ullah : 6-2, Abbas Khan beat Mahatir Muhammad: 7-5, Arham Attique beat Hasheesh Kumar: 6-2, Kashan Umer beat M. Abdullah: 6-2, Subhan Bin Salik beat Haseeb Ullah: 6-1 Sami Zeb beat Farhan ullah :6-0, Nailian Abbas beat Hasam Khan: 6-1, Aqib Hayat beat Pooyan Shetari: 6-1, Sikander beat Saim Danish: 6-0 Men’s Singles Qualifying Matches: (Final Round) Jibran ul Haq beat Uzair Khan: 8-1, Imran Bhatti beat Mubarak Shah: 8-1, Ibrahim Omer beat Talha Saqib: 8-0, Arham Attique beat Abbas Khan: 8-4, Subhan bin Salik beat Kashan Umer: 8-4, Ahmed Asjad Qureshi beat Sami Zeb: 8-5, Mian Bilal beat Nalian Abbas: 8-2 Aqib Hayat beat Sikander: 8-5 Boy’s U-18 Singles (Qualifying Round): Mohammad Hamza Asim beat Abdullah Rehman: 8-2, Azan Sajid beat Abdullah Rashid: 8-6  

  By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 20, 2020):-With one month to go before the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) returns to Pakistani soil,  the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced ticket prices and purchase details. For the first time in its young history, all 34 matches of the HBL Pakistan Super League will be played across four Pakistan venues with Karachi to stage nine matches, Lahore fourteen matches, Multan three matches and Rawalpindi eight matches from 20 February to 22  March. The first batch of tickets will be available for purchase starting 8 p.m. Pakistan Standard Time tonight through www.yayvo.com. General sale of tickets will commence on Tuesday, 28 January through dedicated TCS Express Centers across 38 cities of the country. Each customer can purchase up to seven tickets per match on one national ID card.            For the 20 February grand opening ceremony and opening match in Karachi, tickets have been priced between PKR1,000 to PKR6,000. Ticket price range for the final match in Lahore will be between PKR500 to PKR5,000 for the 22 March final. For the 17 March Qualifier in Karachi, the minimum denomination of the ticket is PKR500 and goes up to PKR4,000, while minimum ticket price for the two Eliminators that will take place in Lahore on 18 and 20 March, has been set at PKR500 with the most expensive ticket locked at PKR4,000. Ticket prices for HBL PSL 2020 were locked after an extensive review process factoring in start times, working and weekend games, and affordability for fans. PCB Director – Commercial, Babar Hamid said: “We promised focusing on fan experience for HBL PSL 2020 and I am delighted that we are launching a streamlined ticketing process with almost one month to go in the tournament. We are keen to offer our hospitality to the world and will encourage our fans form across the world to avail this opportunity and plan in advance.           “HBL PSL has always received a phenomenal response from passionate Pakistani cricket fans and we expect them to turn up in big numbers this year as well. This will also be a great time for us to show to the world Pakistan’s passion and love for this great game.”

SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 20,2020):-Saad Khan grabbed an upset victory in the league match of the Under-21 Jubilee Insurance National Junior's Snooker Championship 2020, when he eliminated 6th seeded Zaib Khan in straight frames 3-0 at Billiard and Snooker Hall, Pakistan Sports Complex on Monday. Results: Mohammad Saleem (Kp) bt Abdullah Hassan (Isb) 3-1 (6-63, 67-35,71-29, 69-50) Saad Khan (Kp) bt Zaib Khan (Bal) 3-0 (90-9(53), 57-37, 57-78) Imran Khan (Isb) bt Ali Haider (Bal) 3-0 (67-49, 50-13, 83-8(59)) Mohammad Ahmed (Pjb) bt Mohammad Salik (Sindh) 3-0 (70-57, 28-1, 1-0) Haris Tahir (Pjb) bt Sajjad Abdullah (Kp) 3-0 (86-13, 80-9(57), 75-5(62),) Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Pjb) bt Zahid Khan (Bal) 3-0 (77-08, 83-7(68), 84-8(84),) Sheikh Mohammad Mudassir (Pjb) bt Arij Arsalan (Sindh) 3-0 (70-10, 78-19, 64-16) Shehryar Khan (Sindh) bt Mohammad Shehryar Abbas (Pjb) 3-2 (60-32, 50-37, 41-65, 45-73, 57-52) Tuesday's Fixtures: (Pre-quarterfinals Best of 7 Frames) Haris Tahir (Pjb) v Farhan Majeed (Pjb) Shahzaib Malik (Pjb) v Shehryar Khan (Sindh) Saad Khan (Kp) v Arij Arsalan (Sindh) Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Pjb) v Imran Khan (Isb) Mohammad Ahmed (Pjb) v Umer Farooq (Pjb) Mohammad Saleem (Kp) v Sheikh Mohammad Mudassir (Pjb) Kamran Albert Masih (Kp) v Ahsan Ramzan (Pjb) Zaib Khan (Bal) v Mohammad Umer Khan (Pjb) Groups Position: Haris Tahir (Pjb), Ahsan Ramzan (Pjb) Mohammad Naseem Akhtar (Pjb), Umer Farooq (Pjb) Sheikh Mohammad Mudassir (Pjb), Arij Arsalan (Sindh) Kamran Albert Masih (Kp), Shehryar Khan (Sindh) Shahzaib Malik (Pjb), Mohammad Saleem (Kp) Zaib Khan (Bal), Saad Khan (Kp) Mohammad Umer Khan (Pjb), Imran Khan (Isb) Mohammad Ahmed (Pjb), Farhan Majeed (Pjb)  

SB Report ISLAMABAD (January 20, 2020):-Pakistan national women’s selection committee Monday announced a 15-player squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in Australia from 21 February to 8 March. The selectors have recalled Muneeba Ali and Aimen Anwar, while they have named uncapped Ayesha Naseem in the squad. The trio have replaced Nahida Khan, Ayesha Zafar and Rameen Shamim in the T20I squad, which lost 3-0 to England in Kuala Lumpur last month. The average age of the side is 24.8, which also indicates the selectors’ vision and future planning. As part of event preparation, Pakistan women will depart for Australia on 31 January and will play three warm-up matches against the West Indies on 7, 9 and 11 February. Prior to their departure, the team will have an eight-day camp from 23-30 January at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, Karachi. Squad (in alphabetical order): 1.       Bismah Maroof (captain) 2.       Aimen Anwar 3.       Aliya Riaz 4.       Anam Amin 5.       Ayesha Naseem 6.       Diana Baig 7.       Fatima Sana 8.      Iram Javed 9.       Javeria Khan 10.   Muneeba Ali 11.    Nida Dar 12.    Omaima Sohail 13.    Sadia Iqbal 14.    Sidra Nawaz (wicketkeeper) 15.    Syeda Aroob Shah   Muneeba, who last turned out for Pakistan in November 2018, has been recalled at the back of a prolific National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship, in which she scored 292 runs at a staggering average of 58.40. In the five innings of the just-concluded tournament, the left-handed opener scored a century in three half-centuries.   Ayesha has been inducted in the line-up for her hard-hitting abilities at the top of the order. The 15-year-old right-handed batter from Abbottabad scored 64 runs at a strike-rate of over 206.   Aimen, the right-arm medium-fast, took four wickets in five matches, bowling at an economy rate of 7.68, comes in as a new ball specialist to complement pacer Diana Baig and left-arm spinner Anam Amin in the Powerplay overs. She last played a T20I in February 2019 against the West Indies women in Karachi.   Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of the national women’s selection committee, said: “Jotting down the squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup was a tough task as many players had staked a claim in the side.   “Though the players who have been left out will be disappointed and heart-broken, this, however, should act as a motivation for them to comeback more strongly. On the other side of the coin, the selection of 15-year-old Ayesha and 16-year-old Aroob Shah should be a motivation and message for all the budding youngsters.   “Furthermore, the selectors have also valued our domestic competition, while also taking into consideration the players who have been regularly part of the side since the Bangladesh series.   “The team has been selected keeping in mind the current form and performances along with the conditions in Australia and, at the same moment, we have come up with the right balance of youth and experience which will complement each other in the mega event.   “Though Sana Mir doesn’t feature in the 15-player line-up, I believe we still have the desired experience in the squad. Sana has been a phenomenal servant of Pakistan cricket while being an inspiration to many girls out there. Unfortunately, her recent performances in the T20 format were not on her side.   “The Pakistan women’s national team’s performance graph has been on the rise and this tournament serves a perfect opportunity to this evolving unit to showcase its talent as we aim to continue to move women’s cricket forward and look towards the future.”   Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof said: “I am pleased that we have come forward with the best possible line-up which has the potential to have an impressive run at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.   “We have tried to strike the right balance of youth and senior players. While selecting the squad we considered the recent performances in the international and domestic events.   “It was a tough decision to leave out Sana Mir. I wanted to have her in the squad over which I, along with the selection committee, had deep deliberations. We had to decide between her and the emerging players who had been impressing on all the stages.   “I respect and support the decision of the major group and hope she will continue to serve Pakistan women’s cricket in future with the same passion and energy.”   Pakistan are drawn with England, South Africa, Thailand and the West Indies in Group B.   The Bismah Maroof-led unit begin their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 journey on 26 February against the West Indies Women. The take on England Women on February 28 after which they play South Africa Women and Thailand Women on 1 and 3 March.   Officials: Syed Iqbal Imam (head coach), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach), Amir Iqbal (fielding coach), Gemaal Hussain (strength & conditioning coach), Dr Riffat Asghar Gill (physio), Aisha Jalil (team manager) and Zubair Ahmed (analyst).    

SB News Potchefstroom (January 19, 2020):-Fast bowlers Mohammad Waseem and Tahir Hussain blew away Scotland Under-19 as Pakistan teenagers got off to the perfect start in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2020 with a seven-wicket win at the North West University Oval, Potchefstroom on Sunday. Scotland, who won the toss and opted to bat first, lost both openers in the opening over of the match as Tahir Hussain, playing his first match for Pakistan, sent the stumps of Angus Guy and Ben Davidson flying. Tahir then added the wicket of Tomas Mackintosh, who top-scored for Scotland with 20 runs, to his tally. Waseem, who had replaced Naseem Shah in the squad, took over from there. The right-arm pacer’s first wicket was of Jasper Davidson as he made full use of the opportunity with a probing spell of pace bowling.  Abbas Afridi took two quick wickets before Waseem polished off the tail taking the last four wickets as Scotland were sent packing for 75 in 23.5 overs. Waseem took five wickets for mere 12 runs in 7.5 overs. Tahir took three for 23 in nine overs, while Abbas took two for 32 in six overs. It took only 11.4 overs for Pakistan to chase down the target. Their run-chase was off to a shaky start as openers Haider Ali (four) and Mohammad Shehzad (0) were back in the pavilion in the first eight balls. Captain Rohail Nazir and Irfan Khan weathered the storm with a 47-run stand for the second-wicket. Rohail scored 27 off 23 balls, which included two fours a six, while Irfan returned not out with 38 runs to his name. The right-handed batsman faced 37 balls, of which six were dispatched for fours.  Pakistan take on Zimbabwe U19 in their second group match on 22 January.  Scores in brief:  Scotland U19 75 all out, 23.5 overs (Uzzair Shah 20, Tomas Mackintosh 17; Mohammad Waseem 5-12, Tahir Hussain 3-23, Abbas Afridi 2-32)  Pakistan U19 77-3, 11.4 overs (Irfan Khan 38 not out, Rohail Nazir 27)  Result Pakistan U19 win by seven wickets  Upcoming fixtures:  22 Jan – v Zimbabwe, Potchefstroom  24 Jan – v Bangladesh, Potchefstroom