Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI: Defending champions Balochistan stormed into the Pakistan Cup 2022-23 final when they defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 38 runs on Sunday to set Monday’s final date with Central Punjab. In a repeat of last year’s final, Balochistan, batting first, recovered to post an imposing 302 for eight in the allotted 50 overs and then dismissed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for 264 in 47.1 overs in front of PCB cameras at the State Bank Sports Complex. No.10 batter Kashif Bhatti belted five fours and four sixes in a 48-ball 69 not out and dominated the 89-run unbroken ninth wicket stand with Yasir Shah (17 not out) to lift Balochistan to 302 for eight after they have slipped to 213 for eight. He then picked up a wicket conceding 43 runs to walk away with the player of the match award. Earlier, Balochistan, put into bat, were in dire straits when they plunged to 138 for six with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Iftikhar Ahmed picking up the scalps of the top three batters - Imran Butt (29), Mohammad Junaid (22) and Haseebullah (20) - to finish with three for 52. At that stage, Bismillah Khan and Amad Butt put on 70 runs for the seventh wicket to take their side to 208 for six. Bismillah scored a 53-ball 65 with six fours and two sixes, while Amad contributed 27 from 21 balls with two fours and two sixes. However, the departure of Bismillah and Amad in a space of five runs, shifted the pressure back on Balochistan before Kashif Bhatti came to the party and not only helped his side post a commanding score but also entertained a decent holiday crowd with his lusty hitting. In their run-chase, three Khyber Pakhtunkhwa batters reached half-centuries but none of them were able to convert these scores into match-winning performances as Balochistan’s Amad Butt returned figures of 8.1-1-52-4 to steal the limelight. No.7 batter Adil Amin top-scored with 76 (67 balls, 6x4, 3x6), followed by Mohammad Haris (63, 54b, 6x4, 1x6) and Sahibzada Farhan (57, 55b, 5x4, 1x6). The highest partnership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s innings was for the sixth wicket when Adil and Haris put on 72 runs for the sixth wicket after their side had slipped to 127 for five. Scores in brief: Balochistan beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 38 runs, State Bank Sports Complex Balochistan 302-8, 50 overs (Kashif Bhatti 69 not out, Bismillah Khan 65, Imran Butt 29, Amad Butt 27; Iftikhar Ahmed 3-52) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 264 all out, 47.1 overs (Adil Amin 76, Mohammad Haris 63, Sahibzada Farhan 57; Amad Butt 4-52, Khurram Shahzad 2-38, Mohammad Junaid 2-64) Player of the match – Kashif Bhatti (Balochistan) Monday’s final: Central Punjab v Balochistan, State Bank Sports Complex

Sports Bulletin Report  MULTAN: When play began on the final morning of the U19 four-day contest between Pakistan and Bangladesh, any result was possible. The match in the last three days had swung like a pendulum. The tourists, set 411 to win with nine wickets in hand, had 60 on board, faced an uphill task but hung in for a draw by finishing at 357 for six. The solitary red-ball fixture was a curtain raiser for what is a six-match tour. The two sides play three 45-over matches and two T20s over the next two weeks, providing the teenage cricketers an opportunity to experience all the formats of the game under the competitive environment of international cricket. “We do not play a lot of four-day cricket at the junior level but this was a great learning and enjoyable experience,” said Saad Baig, the Pakistan captain. “We learnt the importance of being patient and the art of protecting one’s wicket.” That Bangladesh had a mammoth target to surmount was because of the sparkling centuries from Saad and Wahaj Riaz that lifted Pakistan to 347 after being two down for only 27 in the second innings. The pair added crucial 222 runs for the third wicket and put Pakistan on path of posting an imposing target in a match that had produced totals of 224 and 161. Both the batters scored 117 - while Wahaj’s took 172 balls in which he smashed 10 fours and five sixes, Saad brought up his at a strike rate of 87.31, smashing 18 fours and a six in his 134-ball innings. “We did not have a good start to the game but we made a great comeback. When I joined Wahaj at the crease at 27 for two, we talked about playing the ball on merit and spending time at the crease,” recalled Saad at the end of the match. “We played out 18 overs on day two. We decided to bat long before the third day and succeeded in stitching a 222-run partnership.” After their partnership came to an end, Haseeb Nazim, with a solid half-century (53 off 74), helped with the moment. Pakistan had Bangladesh one down for 60, but a gutsy century from Sharear Sakib and 80s from Jishan Alam and Mohammad Shihab James rescued the tourists. In what Bangladesh’s first century of the match, Sharear scored 134 off 202 balls in which he struck 21 fours. His partnership for the third wicket with Jishan, who made 97-ball 81, hitting nine fours and three sixes, of 166 ensured Pakistan bowlers do not get any further opportunities to make inroads in what was a crucial time in Bangladesh’s innings. “We began well on the fourth day, but Bangladesh played good cricket and dominated the first session,” said Saad. “We managed to fight back in the second session but eventually they claimed the third session and the evenly contested match ended in a draw.” As the match entered the thrilling final session, Pakistan needed to take four wickets, but Shihab, with his 85 not out off 130, provided stiff resistance. The two captains shook hands as the sun sank on the City of Saints. If the closely-contested four-day match is any indicator, the upcoming five white-ball matches are going to keep every fan and follower excited. “It was a great match to be part of. It is an honour to captain Pakistan at any level and it is a big achievement to lead the team in my first year at the U19 level. We have had a fantastic match and everyone is now excited for the one-days. Our focus is now on the three one-day matches and the aim is to pocket that series.” The two sides play three 45-over matches on 10, 12 and 14 on November, before the two T20s on 16 and 18 at the same venue. Scores in brief: Pakistan U19 224 all out, 68 overs (Mohammad Zulkifal 43, Ali Asfand 41 not out; Rohanat Doullah Borson 3-42, Jishan Alam 2-3, Maruf Mridha 2-29) and 347 all out, 79.1 overs (Saad Baig 117, Wahaj Riaz 117, Haseeb Nazim 53; Mohammad Shihab James 4-24, Rohanat Doullah Borson 2-61, Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby 2-81) Bangladesh U19 161 all out, 56 overs (Chowdhury Mohammad Rizwan 40, Rohanat Doullah Borson 23 not out; Abdul Basit 3-18, Aftab Ibrahim 2-31, Mohammad Ibtisam 2-32, Ali Asfand 2-39) and 357-6, 92 overs (Sharear Sakib 134, Mohammad Shihab James 85 not out; Mohammad Ibtisam 2-66, Mohammad Ismail 2-83) Target: 411 runs Result: Match drawn

 Sports Bulletin Report  LAHORE: Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas’ second consecutive five-wicket haul skittled Sindh for 210 after Southern Punjab opted to bowl, without contesting the toss, at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on the first day of round seven of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23. The Test fast bowler took five wickets for 50 in 18.1 overs, accounting for Omair Bin Yousuf, Saad Khan, Fawad Alam, Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed.Wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed made a fighting 56 off 62, hitting seven fours. This was the top-score of the innings. Southern Punjab were 21 for one. Umar Siddiq, one of the three centurions for Southern Punjab in the last round, was dismissed for six off Ghulam Mudassar. Zain Abbas and Mohammad Ilyas, 14 and 0, respectively, will resume Southern Punjab’s innings tomorrow.  Umar Amin stroked his second century of the season as Northern, who elected to bat after calling correctly at the toss, were 232 for five against Balochistan at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. The left-hander was unbeaten on 116 off 174 balls and hit 13 fours and a six. This was 33-year-old’s 26th first-class century. Bilawal Iqbal took two wickets for 41 runs in 17 overs. Khurram Shahzad, Yasir Shah and Hussain Talat picked up a wicket each. At the LCCA ground in Lahore, Israrullah recorded his 14th first-class century as he made 124 in 211 balls. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finished the day at 267 for five after Central Punjab opted to bowl without contesting the toss. Waqar Ahmed and Kamran Ghulam scored 47 and 45. Ahmed Daniyal took two wickets for 80 runs. Mohammad Ali and Usama Mir picked up a wicket each.  Scores in brief:  Toss uncontested – Southern Punjab opt to bowl against Sindh at Pindi Cricket Stadium  Sindh 210 all out, 69.1 overs (Sarfaraz Ahmed 56, Muhammad Umar 39, Fawad Alam 27, Abrar Ahmed 26, Saud Shakeel 23; Mohammad Abbas 5-50) Southern Punjab 23-1, 7.3 overs (Zain Abbas 14 not out)  Northern elect to bat against Balochistan at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium Northern 232-5, 68.3 overs (Umar Amin 116 not out, Mohammad Huraira 35, Faizan Riaz 31; Bilawal Iqbal 2-41) Toss uncontested – Central Punjab opt to bowl against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the LCCA Ground  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 267-5, 75 overs (Israrullah 124, Waqar Ahmed 47, Kamran Ghulam 45, Sahibzada Farhan 25; Ahmed Daniyal 2-80)

Sports Bullitin Report LAHORE: Bismah Maroof-led Pakistan are hoping to carry forward the winning momentum gained in the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup as they take on Ireland in the first of the three ICC Women’s Championship ODIs at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Friday. Ireland, on their maiden tour to Pakistan, will play three T20Is from 12 to 16 November at the same venue following the conclusion of the ODI series. These ODIs will be Ireland and Pakistan’s second series in the ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25. While Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka 2-1 in Karachi in June, Ireland lost all three matches to South Africa in Dublin in June. The hosts enter the series on the back of a productive five-day pre-series camp, which included two intra-squad matches and intense training and practice sessions. Pakistan - who are number eight in the ICC Women’s ODI rankings are ready to make an impression in the 50-over format in familiar playing conditions. Meanwhile, Ireland occupy the ninth spot in the ODI rankings. Pakistan enjoy an historic edge over the tourists in ODIs, having won 12 out of the 18 matches played between the two sides to date. The last time the two sides competed in One-Day Internationals was in February 2017 with Pakistan winning the match by 86 runs courtesy two wickets for 25 in 10 overs from left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu. Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof while talking to PCB Digital, said: “After a good performance in the recently concluded ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup, we are now focused on delivering our best in the ODI series which is a part of the ICC Women’s Championship. “Our aim like other teams would be to get points from the series. We have good blend of experience and youth in our side and it is really good to see young players performing and helping the side to win. “We are here to play a good game of cricket and we want fans to come to the stadium and support the team.” Ireland captain Laura Delany said: “We are delighted to be here in Pakistan, it’s a pretty historical moment for an Irish cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the first time and we will relish the opportunity. “The ODI series will be a competitive one as ICC Women’s Championship points will be up for grabs. We would like to go out there and put a really strong performance in the first game. “It’s a brilliant opportunity for the young girls to come to the stadium and get behind the Pakistan women’s team who have been incredibly successful for the last few years.” The three matches will begin at 9:30am with the toss at 9:00am. The series will be live streamed on the PCB YouTube channel. Pakistan ODI squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Umm-e-HaniIreland ODI squad: Laura Delany (c), Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Cara Murray, Celeste Raack, Eimear Richardson, Gaby Lewis, Jane Maguire, Leah Paul, Louise Little, Mary Waldron, Orla Prendergast, Rachel Delaney, Rebecca Stokell and Shauna Kavanagh.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Twenty-two women Under-19 cricketers will undergo skills and fitness training at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, Karachi from November 4 to 12, 2022. The U19 High Performance Skills Camp is in continuation to last month’s first phase of U19 High Performance Skills Camp, in which 27 players took part at the Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre, Multan. The second phase of the camp is going to provide an opportunity for players to work closely with coaches to hone their skills ahead of the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s World Cup, to be staged in South Africa in January next year. The players will play a number of practice games during the nine-day camp to help them understand different scenarios of a match. The camp will be headed by former Test cricketer Mohsin Kamal. The players will report for the camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, Karachi on 4 November. Chief Selector Asmavia Iqbal: “The ICC has taken a great initiative to organise World Cup at the U19 level. The coaches had worked on the skills of the 27 players camp held in Multan last month. During the camp, the players had played practice games to help them understand how to bat in the powerplay and bowl in the death overs. “The upcoming camp will help the participants to further enhance their skills. It is designed in such a manner which will ultimately help them to compete with the teams in the forthcoming mega event.” Player names:  Aliza Sabir, Anosha Nasir, Aqsa Yousaf, Areesha Noor, Syeda Aroob Shah, Dina Razvi, Eman Fatima, Eyman Fatima, Haleema Azeem Dar, Hania Ahmer, Laiba Nasir, Maham Anees, Mahnoor Aftab, Muskan Abid, Noor Fatima, Quratulain Ahsen, Rida Aslam, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Tahzeeb Shah, Warda Yousaf, Zaib-Un-Nisa and Zamina Tahir Support Staff: Aisha Jalil (manager), Mohsin Kamal (head coach), Jawad Hamid (assistant coach), Muhammad Kamran Hussain (assistant coach), Tahir Mehmood (assistant coach), Rabia Siddiq (Physiotherapist), Mohammad Usman Shahid (Performance Analyst) and Saboor Ahmed (Strength and Conditioning Coach)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-The Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday inaugurated the newly-renovated 501 Central Workshop Cricket Ground as known as Chaklala cricket ground Rawalpindi. According to a press release of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the cricket ground was upgraded to provide state-of-the-art sports facility to budding cricketers especially for the youth of twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad. At this occasion, COAS Qamar Bajwa appreciated the efforts of Rawalpindi Corps for renovating the old cricket ground and providing an excellent cricketing facility for the city.

Khurram Shehzad Awan Islamabad:-The cricket spectators of the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad did not show any interest in the National Cricket T20 Cup at Pindi Cricket Stadium that commenced on August 30, 2022 under the banner of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), as its second Leg will take place at Multan Cricket Stadium from September 10. T20, a most popular cricket format failed to attract the audience and to bring the youth in the stadium that has capacity of over 18,000. Owing to lack of planning, common people rejected the national t20 fixture at Pindi, as the youth were busy in the schools and colleges while adults were on their jobs and had no time to visit the stadium. If there would be day/night cricket it would be possible for the people to enjoy the game of cricket and witness the entertaining contests among the top six national teams. Also, there was no need to sell the tickets. Except the VIP enclosures rest of all should be free for the cricket lovers. It is also important to mention here that there was no shade in the stadium to protect the spectators from hot weather, mostly in Rawalpindi the temperature remained around 35. In the dog days of August and September it was not possible to sit under the sun the whole day. PCB should rethink its policies regarding domestic cricket, especially the National T20 Cup, which is the most popular annual fixture of cricket. Chairman PCB Ramiz Raja should take notice of this negligence to make the domestic tournament valuable for the future. 

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-The pre-season camp for the 2022-23 domestic men’s season will commence on Tuesday (August 23, 2022) at the respective cricket centres of the six Cricket Associations. The preliminary squads of Balochistan, Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern, Sindh and Southern Punjab will train at Bugti Stadium, Quetta, LCCA ground, Lahore, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, House of Northern, Islamabad, Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre, Karachi and Inzamam-ul-Haq High Performance Centre, Multan, respectively, till 25 August. The players will arrive at the cricket centres today. These squads have been finalised by the national men’s selector, Mohammad Wasim, in consultation with the six Cricket Associations and the final line-ups for the National T20, which begins from 30 August, and Cricket Associations T20, commencing 2 September, will be announced on the last day of the camp. The players and officials part of the ongoing Kashmir Premier League will join their sides when they arrive in Rawalpindi and Quetta on 26 August. The camps at six centres will be conducted by the coaches part of National High Performance Centre panel. Preliminary squads: Balochistan: Abdul Hanan Achakzai, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Abu Huraira, Aftab Ahmed, Akif Javed, Ali Waqas, Ammad Butt, Asad Shafiq, Ayyaz Tassawar, Azeem Ghumman, Bismillah Khan, Dawood Khan, Fahad Hussain, Fahad Iqbal, Faheem Younis, Gohar Faiz, Haris Sohail, Haseeb Ullah, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Wali, Hidayat Ullah, Hussain Talat, Imam-Ul-Haq, Imran Butt, Jalat Khan, Junaid Khan, Kabir Raj, Kaleem Ullah, Kashif Bhatti, Khurram Shehzad, Latifullah, Mirwais Tareen, Mohammad Ghaus, Mohammad Ibrahim Snr, Mohammad Idrees, Mohammad Ismail, Mohammad Javed, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Shahid, Najeeb Ullah Achakzai, Nasir Khan, Rasool Bakhsh, Raza-Ul-Hassan, Salim Mal, Shan Masood, Shehbaz Khan, Shoaib Ahmed, Taimur Ali, Taj Wali, Tariq Jameel, Yasir Shah, Zain ullah Snr and Zubair Khan Central Punjab: Abdul Sammad, Ahmed Daniyal, Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Ahmed Shahzad, Ali Shafiq, Ali Shan, Ali Zaryab, Ammer Hamza, Asad Raza, Bilal Asif, Bilawal Bhatti, Bilawal Iqbal, Fahad Munir, Gohar Hafeez Butt, Hamza Akbar, Haseeb-Ur-Rehman, Hunain Shah, Imran Dogar, Irfan Khan Niazi, Junaid Ali, Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Abu Bakar, Mohammad Akhalq, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Irfan Jnr, Mohammad Naveed, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Mirza Salman, Mohsin Riaz, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Saad, Mohammad Waheed, Mohammad Waleed, Mukhatar Ahmed, Nisar Ahmed, Rizwan Hussain, Saad Naseem, Sadaqat Ali, Saif Badar, Shahrukh Ali, Shoaib Akhtar, Sohaib Ullah, Umar Akmal, Usama Mir, Waqas Maqsood, Zafar Gohar and Zaid Alam Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Adil Amin, Adil Naz, Afaq Ahmad, Ahmed Khan, Aitizaz Habib Khan, Amir Azmat, Arshad Iqbal, Arshad Ullah, Ashfaq Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Farhan Khan, Fazl-ur-Rehman, Gohar Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsan Ullah, Imran Khan Snr, Irfan Ullah Shah, Israrullah, Khalid Usman, Maaz Ahmed  Sadaqat, Maaz Khan, Mehran Ibrahim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Mohsin Khan, Mohammad Bilal, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Nisar Afridi, Mohammad Usman, Musaddiq Ahmed, Nabi Gul, Najeebullah, Niaz Khan, Rehan Afridi, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, Sajjad Ali, Salman Khan, Saqib Jamil, Shahab, Shahid Aziz, Sher Badasha, Tahir Khan, Usman Tariq, Waqar Ahmed, Zeesshan Khan and Zubair Khan Northern: Abdul Faseh, Ali Imran, Ali Sarfraz, Amir Jamal, Aqib Liaqat, Ather Mehmood, Atif Khan, Faizan Riaz, Farhan Shafiq, Hassan Nawaz, Hassan Raza, Imad Wasim, Jamal Anwar, Kashif Ali, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, Mohammad Arham, Mohammad Hammad, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Ismail, Mohammad Naqash, Mohammad Shoaib Khan, Munir Riaz, Musa Khan, Nasir Nawaz, Raza-Ul-Mustafa, Rehman Khan, Rohail Nazir, Salman Irshad, Saqlain Gillani, Sarmad Bhatti, Shadab Majeed, Shoaib Amir, Sohail Tanvir, Sufiyan Maqim, Syed Aqib Shah, Taimoor Khan, Taimur Sultan, Umair Masood, Umar Amin, Umar Khan, Umer Waheed, Usman Khan Shinwari, Waqas Ahmed, Zaman Khan, Zeeshan Malik and Ziad Khan Sindh: Abrar Ahmed, Ahsan Ali, Akbar Khan, Alyan Mehmood, Ammad Alam, Anwar Ali, Arish Ali Khan, Ashiq Ali, Asif Ali Jnr, Asif Mehmood, Asim Ali, Danish Aziz, Ghulam Mudassar, Hassan Mohsin, Jahanzaib Sultan, Junaid Ilyas, Kashif Ali, Kashif Iqbal, Khurram Manzoor, Majid Asghar, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Afzal, Mohammad Ali Khan, Mohammad Asad, Mohammad Asad Malik, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Hassan, Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Umar, Mustafa Nasir, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rameez Aziz, Rizwan Mehmood, Rumann Raees, Saad Khan, Saifullah Bangash, Saim Ayub, Shahid Mirani, Sharjeel Khan, Shehzar Mohammad, Sohail Khan, Syed Faraz Ali, Syed Waleed Aazeem, Usman Khan and Zeeshan Zameer Southern Punjab: Abdur Rehman Muzamil, Adeel-ul-Rehman, Ahmad Hasan, Ali Husanian, Ali Imran, Ali Majid, Ameer Mauvia, Amir Yamin, Anjum Naveed, Awais Abbas, Azam Khan, Faisal Akram, Farhan Sarfaraz, Gulfam Aziz, Gulraiz Sadaf, Hassan Khan, Humayun Altaf, Imran Rafiq, Jalat Khan, Kaleemullah, Majid Ali, Maqbool Ahmed, Mohammad Arsalan Zia, Mohammad Asif Fawad, Mohammad Basit, Mohammad Sadaqat, Moinuddin, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Randhawa, Mohammad Jahangir, Mohammad Junaid Awan, Mohammad Rameez, Mohammad Shehzad, Mohammad Sudais, Mohammad Umair, Musaf, Omer Farooq, Rahat Ali, Saif-ur-Rehman, Sameen Gul, Sharoon Siraj, Sohaib Maqsood, Tahir Hussain, Umer Siddique, Usman Salahuddin, Waqar Hussain, Waseem Rasool, Waseem Akram, Yousaf Baber, Zain Abbas, Zeeshan Ashraf and Zia-Ul-Haq.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-The inaugural Cricket Associations Divisional Senior Tournament 2022-23 in all six Cricket Associations concluded on Sunday. Sargodha Division, Hazara-Mardan Division, Gilgit Baltistan Division and Sahiwal Division were crowned champions in Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern and Southern Punjab jurisdictions respectively. In the Balochistan-leg, Quetta-Rakhshan and Sibi-Naseerabad, while in Sindh jurisdiction, Karachi and Sukkur-Larkana Division were declared joint winners after the two finals were abandoned due to rain. Balochistan Cricket Association Quetta-Rakhshan and Sibi-Naseerabad were declared joint winners of the Balochistan-leg. Nasir Khan representing Sibi-Naseerbad Division scored 362 runs from four matches at 90.50. Nasir’s teammate Taimur Ali scored 222 runs from four outings in the tournament. Mohammad Junaid from Quetta-Rakshan scored 160 runs from four matches at 32. Zainullah Snr representing Quetta-Rakshan Division took 22 wickets from four matches with three five-fers. Zainullah’s teammate and left-armer Mohammad Junaid took 19 scalps from four outings in the tournament. Sibi-Naseerabad Division’s Mohammad Javed bagged 17 wickets from four matches. Central Punjab Cricket Association In the Central Punjab jurisdiction, Sargodha Division won the leg due to their first innings lead over Lahore Division in the final staged at the LCCA Ground from 19-21 August. Amongst the batters, Sargodha Division’s Hamza Akbar topped the table with 274 runs from four matches at 91.33. Ameer Hamza representing Faisalabad Division scored 269 runs from three outings in the tournament at 89.67. Sargodha Division’s Mohammad Abubakar scored 257 from three matches at 42.83. In the bowling charts, Lahore Division’s Haseeb-ur-Rehman and Mohammad Rameez Jnr bagged 16 and 15 wickets, respectively from four matches. Gujranwala-Sialkot Division’s Asad Raza grabbed 14 wickets from three matches. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Cricket Association Hazara-Mardan Division were declared champions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Divisional leg after taking a first-innings lead over D.I.Khan-Bannu Division in the final held at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium from 18 to 20 August. Left-handed batter Maaz Ahmed Sadaqat representing Hazara-Mardan Division topped the batting list with 395 runs from three outings in the tournament. Second on the list was Mohammad Usman representing Malakand Division who scored 355 runs from three matches at 71. Mohammad Nisar Afridi featuring for D.I.Khan-Bannu Division scored 291 runs from four matches at 58.20. Maaz Khan from Hazara-Mardan Division leads the bowling charts with 18 wickets from three matches. Sher Badshah and Adil Naz representing D.I.Khan-Bannu Division bagged 16 and 15 wickets, respectively. Northern Cricket Association Gilgit Baltistan Division were crowned champions of the Northern-leg on the basis of first-innings lead in the final against Rawalpindi Division staged at the House of Northern from 18 to 20 August. Sardar Hassan Raza representing Rawalpindi Division was the leading run-getter with 346 runs from two outings in the tournament at 115.33. Right-handed batters Taimur Khan and Umair Masood finished the tournament with 218 runs each from four matches each. Shoaib Amir and Saqlain Gillani representing Rawalpindi Division bagged 15 and nine wickets, respectively. Left-arm bowler Mohammad Ismail from Gilgit Baltistan grabbed eight scalps from four games. Sindh Cricket Association Karachi Division and Sukkur-Larkana Division were declared the joint winners of the Sindh Cricket Association Division tournament after the final between the two teams was abandoned due to rain. Karachi Division’s Shehzar Mohammad topped the batting charts with 213 runs from two outings in the tournament at 106.50. Hyderabad Division’s Rizwan Mehmood scored 145 runs in two innings at 36.25. Karachi Division’s Majid Asghar was the most prolific bowler with 14 wickets from two matches. Mohammad Asad and Mohammad Asad Malik representing Shaheed Benazirabad-Mirpur Khas Division bagged nine and six wickets, respectively. Southern Punjab Cricket Association Sahiwal Division clinched the title of the Southern Punjab Cricket Association-leg on first innings lead against Multan in the final staged at the District Sports Ground, Multan from 18 to 20 August.  Bahawalpur Division’s Ali Imran occupied the top spot with 411 runs from three matches at a staggering average of 102.75. Sahiwal Division’s Mohammad Arsalan Zia scored 408 runs from four matches at 136. Mohammad Sudais representing D.G Khan Division scored 308 runs from three matches at 61.60. Amongst bowlers, Sahiwal Division’s Mohammad Jahangir bagged 22 wickets from four matches. Left-arm bowler Mohammad Rameez from D.G.Khan Division grabbed 20 wickets from three matches. Another left-arm bowler Mohammad Junaid associated with Multan Division took 15 wickets from three outings in the tournament.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the panels of match officials for the 2022-23 men’s domestic cricket season, which will kicks-off with the National T20 on 30 August in Rawalpindi. The second leg of the event will run in Multan from 10-19 September. Former first-class cricketers Aaley Haider, who featured in 90 matches from 1993 to 2005, Mohammad Asif, who participated in 45 matches, Tariq Rasheed, who played 22 matches from 1996-2003, and Muhammad Sajid Khan Afridi, who played five matches, have been promoted to the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires. The four have joined Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Khan Afridi, Ghaffar Kazmi, Imran Jawed, Nasir Hussain Snr, Rashid Riaz, Saqib Khan, Shozab Raza, Syed Imtiaz Iqbal, Waleed Yaqub and Zameer Haider. There is no change in the PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees, which includes Ali Naqvi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Anees, Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh, Nadeem Arshad and Prof Muhammad Javed Malik. Apart from the National T20, the elite panelists will officiate in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (27 September-30 November) and the Pakistan Cup (10 December-3 January). Ghaffar Kazmi and Zameer Haider will retire during the year. Aftab Gilani and Qasier Waheed have slipped to the PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires, which includes few faces in Imranullah Aslam and Qaiser Khan. Other members of the panel are: Abdul Moqeet, Ahmed Shahab, Aslam Bareach, Farooq Ali Khan, Ghulam Sarwar, Kashif Sohail, Khalid Mehmood Snr, Majid Hussain, Mir Dad, Mohammad Imran and Zulfiqar Jan. There are two changes in the PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees. Former first-class cricketers Athar Laiq and Bilal Khilji have been added as Azizur Rehman and Tanveer Afzal will be retiring during the season. The match officials in the supplementary panel will be involved in the CA T20 (2-15 September), CA Championship (27 September-23 November) and CA Challenge (10-29 December). PCB Manager Umpires and Referees, Bilal Qureshi said: “We are pleased to confirm our match officials’ panels for the 2022-23 cricket season, which have been finalised following a robust appraisal and performance analysis process in which the match referees and captains reports from the last season were also considered. “I want to congratulate umpires Aaley Haider, Imranullah Aslam, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Sajid Khan Afridi, Tariq Rasheed, and Qaiser Khan, who have earned promotions as well as Athar Laiq and Bilal Khilji, who share 281 first-class matches between them, for breaking into the supplementary panel of match referees. “Azizur Rehman, Ghaffar Kazmi, Tanveer Afzal and Zameer Haider will be retiring during the season and we will give them proper send-offs, but is appropriate at this stage to thank them for their contributions to the game and their role in enhancing the match officials’ image and profile. “Officiating is a challenging and thankless job, but our match officials have recently made big progress in decision-making and player-management, which has contributed in improving the overall health and quality of our domestic cricket. In recognition of this and for the first time, we have decided to introduce monthly retainers for the supplementary panel. “I remain confident that all the match officials will play their integral part in the successful delivery of the 2022-23 domestic cricket and, in the process, will attract more former cricketers to take up this noble profession.” PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Mohammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof Muhammad Javed Malik (Multan) PCB Elite Panel of Umpires Aaley Haider (Karachi), Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Jawed (Karachi), Muhammad Asif (Lahore), Muhammad Sajid Khan Afridi (Charsadda), Nasir Hussain Snr (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Tariq Rasheed (Lahore), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore) PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees Ahmer Saeed (Karachi), Aleem Khan Moosa (Karachi), Ali Gohar (Karachi), Athar Laiq (Karachi), Aziz ur Rehman (Lahore), Bilal Moinul Haq Khiljee (Lahore), Kamran Chaudhry (Lahore), Khalid Jamshed (Lahore), Muhammad Aslam (Quetta) and Tanveer Afzal (Faisalabad) PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires Abdul Moqeet (Lahore), Aftab Hussain Gillani (Bahawalpur), Ahmed Shahab (Lahore), Aslam Bareach (Quetta), Farooq Ali Khan (Abbottabad), Ghulam Sarwar (Sibi), Imranullah Aslam (Bahawalpur), Kashif Sohail (Khanewal), Khalid Mehmood Snr (Karachi), Majid Hussain (AJK), Mir Dad (Islamabad), Mohammad Imran (Sargodha), Qaiser Khan (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore) and Zulfiqar Jan (Charsadda) PCB match officials on the ICC International Panel Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha) and Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore) (all umpires), Ali Naqvi (Lahore) and Prof Muhammad Javed Malik (Multan) (both match referees).