Sports Bulletin

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD: Former India all-rounder Test cricketer Salim Durani has passed away at the age of 88. He was living with his brother Jahangir Durani in Jamnagar. Durani had undergone a proximal femoral nail surgery after he broke his thigh bone in a fall in January this year. An aggressive left-handed batter and a left-arm spinner, Durani played 29 Tests, scoring 1202 runs and taking 75 wickets. He was best remembered for that magical spell that helped India to their first Test win in the West Indies in 1971, which is also remembered for Sunil Gavaskar's Test debut. In the space of a few balls, Durani had dismissed Clive Lloyd and Garry Sobers - the latter for a duck - at a crucial time in the second innings in Port of Spain for India's seven-wicket win. Durani conceded just 21 runs in the 17 overs he bowled.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan Under-19 did not back up their batting heroics in the previous matches as they were bundled out for 143/10 in 33 overs by Bangladesh U19s in the final of the U19 Tri-Series, the target that was easily chased by the visitors by 6 wickets in 24th over to the win the title. Earlier in the afternoon, Afghanistan opted to bat first and put only 143 runs on the board, thanks to another fighting half-century by Mohammad Haroon Khan who made 65 off 61 deliveries. The other batter to make a mark was the debutant Wafiullah Tarakhil who made 27 runs. But the first inning was dominated by the left-arm spinner Mahfizur Rahman who returned with figures of 6/29 off his 10 overs. In reply, the visitors got off to a very solid start and despite losing four quick wickets, they kept scoring runs at a higher rate and chased down the total by 6 wickets with 26.4 overs to spare. Mahfizur Rahman was awarded the best player of the match for his exceptional bowling performance. Afghanistan Skipper Noman Shah, who topped the batting chart of the tournament and scored 244 runs in 5 innings, was awarded the best batter of the tournament. Likewise, Bashir Ahmad was named the best bowler of the event with 13 wickets in four innings. In addition, Mohammad Haroon Khan was awarded the best player of the tournament by scoring 281 runs in 5 innings.

Sports Bulletin Report   Chattogram (Bangladesh): Ireland beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets in the third and final match of the T20I Series at Zahur Ahmed Chowdury Stadium, Chattogram Bangladesh on Friday. Bangladesh captain Shaikb-al-Has won the toss and decided to bat first. Hosts could score just 12 runs in 20 overs per innings fixture. All Bengali batters went back to the hut in 19.2 overs. Shamim Hossain was the top scorer with 51 runs, as he faced 42 balls and hit five four and two big sixes. Mark Adair (3 for 25) and Matthew Humphreys (2 for 10) were wicket-taker bowlers for Ireland. In reply, Ireland reached on target in 14 overs after losing just three batsmen. Paul Stirling, who was declared man of the match, scored 77 runs in 41 balls. He hammered 10 fours and four sixes. Curtis Campher contributed 16 runs in the team’s victory. Rishad Hossain, Shoriful Islam, and Taskin Ahmed shared one wicket each. Scorecard Bangladesh (Batting): 124 all out in 19.2 overs Shamim Hossain (51 runs, 42 balls, 4x5, 6x2), Rony Talukdar (14 runs, 10 balls, 4x3, 6x0) Ireland (Bowling): Mark Adair (3 for 25), Matthew Humphreys (2 for 10) Ireland (Batting): 126 for 3 in 14 overs Paul Striling (77 runs, 41 balls, 4x10, 6x4), Curtis Campher (16 runs not out, 9 balls, 4x2, 6x1), Harry Tector (14 runs, 18 balls, 4x1, 6x0) Bangladesh (Bowling): Rishad Hossain (1 for 19), Shoriful Islam (1 for 25), Taskin Ahmed (1 for 28)   

Sports Bulletin Report Chattogram (Bangladesh): Hosts Bangladesh outclassed Ireland by 77 runs in the T20 international in the 2nd fixture of the three-match series, played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Cricket Stadium, Chattogram Bangladesh on Wednesday night. Match was reduced to 17 overs per innings owing to the wet outfield. Ireland captain Paul Stirling won the toss and decided to field first. Bangladesh posted 202 for 3 runs in their allotted 17 overs. Litton Das was the top-scorer with 83 runs in innings. The opening batter hammered 10 fours and three big sixes, as he lasted 41 balls during his sparkling innings. Rony Palukdar contributed 44 runs in the total after facing 23 balls including three boundaries and a couple of sixes. Left-handed batsman, Shakib-Al-Hasam played unbeaten innings of 38 runs after wasting 24 balls, as his innings was studded with three fours and two huge maximum hits. For Ireland, Ben White claimed two wickets after conceding 28 runs in his four overs while Mark Adair gabbed one wicket. In reply, Ireland could score just 125 for 9 runs in 17 overs, as they were chasing a big target of 203 runs. Due to excellent bowling by Shakib (5 for 22), visitors failed to reach on target. Curtis Campher scored a half-century for his team, but it was not enough to win the match. He hammered three boundaries and three sixes during his 30-ball innings. Harry Tector 22 and Graham Hume 20 runs were other notable performance. Besides Shakib, Taskin Ahmed showed an excellent performance with the ball and picked up three wickets. Hasan Mahmud chipped in a single scalp. Shakil-Al-Hasan was declared man of the match on his remarkable all-round performance. Scorecard (Bangladesh vs Ireland): Toss: Ireland won the toss and decided to field first Bangladesh (Batting): 202 for 3 runs in 17 overs Litton Das 83 runs (41 balls, 4x10, 6x3), Rony Palukdar 44 runs (23 balls, 4x3, 6x2), Shakib Al Hasan 38 runs not out (24 balls, 4x3, 6x2), Towhid Hridoy 24 runs (13 balls, 4x3, 6x1) Ireland (Bowling): Ben White (2/28), Mark Adair (1 for 52) Ireland (Batting): 125 for 9 in 17 overs Curtis Campher 50 runs (30 balls, 4x3, 6x3), Harry Tector 22 runs (16 balls, 4x0, 6x3), Graham Hume 20 runs (17 balls, 4x0, 6x2) Bangladesh Bowling: Shakib-al-Hasan (5/22), Taskin Ahmed (3/27), Hasan Mahmud (1/6).

Sports Bulletin Report Sharjah (UAE): Pakistan stunned Afghanistan by 66 runs in the 3rd and final T20I of the three-match tie here at Sharjah International Cricket Stadium, United Arabs Emirates (UAE) on Monday night, and shattered Afghanistan’s dream of a clean sweep, as they were up 2-0 in the series before the last encounter. Afghan skipper Rashid Khan won the toss and decided to chase the target in the final game, as Pakistan made two changes in the playing elevens. Iftikhar Ahmed was included in the team in the place of burly Azam Khan while pacer Mohammad Wasim was switched by Nasim Shah. Pakistani batters piled up 182 for 7 runs in stimulated 20 overs, as the left-handed Saim Ayoub was topper with the 49 in 30 balls, as his innings was included with 2 sixes and 4 fours. Iftikhar Ahmed made 31 in 25 balls with 2 superb sixes, Shadab Khan hammered 28 and Abdullah Shafiq scored 23 and contributed to post a good total on scoreboard. Afghanistan could score just 116 runs, as they all went back into the hut in 18.4 overs. Azmatullah Omarzai, who was approved as a concussion substitute for Najibullah Zadran, scored 21 runs for his team, as these runs were not enough to reach on given target. Gurbaz scored 18, Mohammad Nabi 17, captain Rashid Khan 16 and Usman Ghani 15 were other bit notable performances, Captain Shadab Khan and pacer Ihsanullah grabbed three wickets each for Pakistan. Imad Wasim, Mohammad Wasim Junior, and Zaman Khan got one wicket each, as these bowling performances helped Green Shirts to restrict hosts on 116 runs total. Shadab Khan was judged best player of the match on his all-round performance, as he took 3-14 in 4 overs and scored 28 runs.

Sports Bulletin Report Sharjah (UAE): Afghanistan claimed a 7-wicket win against Pakistan to make history after winning the three-match tie in the second T20I to take a 2-0 unassailable lead in the three-match T20I series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in Sharjah on Sunday night. Afghanistan, chasing a target of 131 runs, got off to a solid start, thanks to Rahmanullah Gurbaz's 44 runs and Ibrahim Zadran's 38 runs. Despite losing a few wickets in the middle overs, Najibullah Zadran unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, and player of the match from the first match Mohammad Nabi’s 14 not out of nine balls, guided Afghanistan to a historical series win over Pakistan with a ball to spare. This was Afghanistan’s first-ever series win over Pakistan in any format. Earlier, after winning the toss for the second successive time in the series, Pakistan skipper Shadab Khan again opted to bat first. However, like the first match, their batting order collapsed as they lost five wickets inside 11 overs with just 63 runs on the board. Saim Ayub and Abdullah Shafique returned back to the hut without contributing any run in the first over of the match, while Mohammad Haris (15, 9b, 2x4,1x6), Tayyab Tahir (13, 22b) and Azam Khan (1,4b) were next to return back to the pavilion at the end of the 11th over. Pakistan's captain Shadab, and all-rounder Imad Wasim, took the responsibility of rescuing the team and added a valuable 67-run partnership for the sixth wicket. Imad, who made a comeback in the side, played exceptionally well and remained unbeaten on 64 runs off 57 balls, which included three fours and two sixes. Shadab, on the other hand, got out on the last ball of the innings after scoring 32 runs off 25 balls with three fours. Pakistan ended their innings with a total of 130 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. For Afghanistan, Fazalhaq Farooqi was their most successful bowler, taking two wickets for 19 runs in four overs and was named the player of the match. Scores in brief: Afghanistan beat Pakistan by seven wickets Pakistan 130-6, 20 overs (Imad Wasim 64 not out, Shadab Khan 32; Fazalhaq Farooqi 2-19) Afghanistan 133-3, 19.5 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 44, Ibrahim Zadran 38, Najibullah Zadran 23 not out, Mohammad Nabi 14 not out) Player of the match – Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan) Pakistan (Playing XIs): Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Shadab Khan (captain), Azam Khan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Zaman Khan and Ihsanullah Afghanistan (Playing XIs): Usman Ghani, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-ul-Haq

Mohammad Nabi (38 runs not out) guides Afghanistan to claim a six-wicket win Sports Bulletin Report Sharjah (UAE): Thanks to Mohammad Nabi 38 runs unbeaten innings that helped Afghanistan to post the first ever victory against Pakistan in an international encounter at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, United Arabs Emirates (UAE) on Friday night. Hosts won the first T20 of the series by six wickets to go up 1-0 in a three-match rubber. Chasing a modest 93 runs to win, the home side chased down the target in 17.5 overs, losing four wickets in the process. Mohammad Nabi was the star performer for Afghanistan, scoring an unbeaten 38 runs to guide his team to victory. Najibullah Zadran remained not out on 17 runs. The pair knitted a 53-run unbroken stand for the fifth wicket after Afghanistan were reeling at 45 for four in the 10th over. For Pakistan, the debutant Ihsanullah was the most successful bowler, taking two wickets for 17 runs. Earlier, the tourists won the toss and opted to bat first. Pakistan gave T20I debuts to four players, including left-handed opening batter Saim Ayub, Tayyab Tahir, Ihsanullah, and Zaman Khan. Pakistan's batting struggled to gain momentum as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Imad Wasim top-scored for Pakistan with 18 runs off 32 balls, while Saim scored 17 off 15 balls which included two fours and a six. However, the rest of the Pakistani batters failed to make significant contributions, and the team was eventually ended up scoring 92 runs for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs. Afghanistan's spin duo of Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and left-arm fast Fazalhaq Farooqi  picked up two wickets each, while skipper Rashid Khan,  Azmatullah Omarzai and Naveen-ul-Haq took one wicket each. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi was named the player of the match for his all-round performance. The second T20I of the series will be played at the same venue on Sunday. Scores in brief: Afghanistan beat Pakistan by six wickets Pakistan 92-9, 20 overs (Imad Wasim 18, Saim Ayub 17, Tayyab Tahir 16; Mujeeb-ur-Rahman 2-9, Mohammad Nabi 2-12, Fazalhaq Farooqi 2-13) Afghanistan 98-4, 17.5 overs (Mohammad Nabi 38 not out, Najibullah Zadran 17 not out; Ihsanullah 2-17) Player of the match – Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)

BIPIN DANI Former Sri Lankan top order batter Thilina Kandamby will make his debut as a "Specialised Coach" for the national team on Saturday. On Friday, the 40-year-old Thilina Kandamby, who has played 39 ODIs and 5 T-20Is, was sent to New Zealand to be associated with the team and had its first training session with Dasun Shanaka and his white ball-team boys.  The first D/N ODI between the New Zealand and the visiting Sri Lankan teams will begin at the Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday. Kandamby, who has reached New Zealand with the limited over-team members, will also stay with the T-20 squad. Kandamby has been a successful coach with the Jaffna Kings team in the LPL and is also a coach for the junior boys in Sri Lanka. "I retired at the age of 33 with the intention of becoming a coach", he had said in the video prepared by the JK team at the end of the LPL in 2022. Former and current Sri Lankan players have praised him a lot and see him to be associated with the national team soon. "I have known him for a long time and is a wonderful character and all players respect him", Jehan Mubarak said. Dhananjaya de Silva, Avishka Fernando, Dunith Wellalage and Maheesh Theekshana have all expressed their happiness and want him to be a regular coach for the senior team. SLC's top management team has sent him to New Zealand with an eye on him to be with the seniors.   

Sports Bulletin Report Sharjah (UAE): Pakistan have named a dynamic XI for the first of the three T20Is against Afghanistan at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday. Opener Saim Ayub, middle-order batter Tayyab Tahir and right-arm pacer Zaman Khan and Ihsanullah will make Pakistan debuts. Top-order batter Abdullah Shafique, all-rounders Faheem Ashraf and Imad Wasim, and Azam Khan made their returns to the Pakistan side. These eight players were named in the 15-member squad for this T20I series after a string of impressive performances in the domestic circuit and the recently-concluded HBL Pakistan Super League 8. The series comes with an opportunity for these players to carry their form in international cricket. Karachi-born 20-year-old Saim will open with Mohammad Haris, who has played five T20Is for Pakistan and announced his arrival in the last ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia with his blazing strokeplay and bold intent, and has batted with him in Peshawar Zalmi during the HBL PSL 8. Saim comes into the side after a highly impressive run for Sindh and Peshawar Zalmi. The left-hander played an integral role in crowning Sindh the National T20 champions as he made 416 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 155.22. He smashed 341 runs – that included five half-centuries, the joint-most in the season with Babar Azam – at a strike rate of 165.53 for Peshawar Zalmi in this HBL PSL at the top of the order. Abdullah and Tayyab make number three and four respectively. Abdullah, who has played three T20Is with his last being in December 2020 in New Zealand, comes into the side after making 268 runs at 144.08 for champions Lahore Qalandars. He scored two half-centuries, the last being in the final against Multan Sultans. Tayyab has been in good touch over the last year. He marked his HBL PSL 8 debut with a whirlwind 65 and made 137 runs at 144.21 and was the best batter of the Pakistan Cup that concluded in January. He also bagged player of the final award for his match-winning 71 for Central Punjab. He made 708 runs in first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at an average of 59 and recorded four centuries and one half-century. Azam scored 282 runs at a staggering 161.14 for Islamabad United this HBL PSL. His highest score of 97 came against Quetta Gladiators at the National Stadium Karachi. This will be 24-year-old’s fourth T20I. Faheem, Azam’s HBL PSL teammate, provided balance to the side with his contributions with bat and ball. He made 215 runs at 149.30 and took eight wickets at an economy of 9.50 – in a league that has had the best run rate (9.20) in the last one year for any major T20 tournament around the world. Imad’s nine wickets for Karachi Kings came at an average of 28.22 and an economy of 7.93, but it was his sensational batting that turned heads as the left-hander scored 404 runs at a phenomenal average of 134.66 and a staggering strike rate of 170.46. The 34-year-old has an experience of 58 T20Is in which he has 55 wickets at an average of 23.49. His economy is 6.33. Experienced speedster Naseem Shah will spearhead the pace attack that includes newcomers Zaman and Ihsanullah. Zaman was outstanding with the new and old ball in the Powerplay and death overs and he is expected to execute the same role in Pakistan colours on Friday. He moves the ball in the air at the start of the innings and keep the batters guessing in death with his wily variations. He defended 13 off the last over to help Lahore Qalandars to their second straight HBL PSL title and took 15 wickets at 23.60 runs per dismissal and an economy of 8.53 in the recent season. In Ihsanullah, Pakistan have a reliable pace bowler to carry them through the middle-overs. The right-arm pacer’s thunderbolts kept batters on backfoot throughout the HBL PSL 8 as he peppered every opposition with lethal bouncers. Ihsanullah was the first bowler in the tournament to pick a five-wicket haul and he went on to finish the tournament as the best player and best bowler for taking 22 wickets (the second most) at only 15.77 runs apiece and he leaked only 7.59 runs in the 45.4 overs he bowled, the most for a bowler with top-five wickets. Pakistan XI for first Afghanistan T20I: Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Abdullah Shafique, Tayyab Tahir, Shadab Khan (c), Azam Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Zaman Khan and Ihsanullah

Sports Bulletin Report Sharjah (UAE): Pakistan will take on Afghanistan in the opening fixture of the 3-match T20I Cricket Series on Friday (March 24, 2023) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates (UAE), as the match will get underway at 8:00 pm local time. The rest of the two matches of the series will be played on March 26 and 27 at the same venue. Afghanistan is hosting this vital series, as it was scheduled after the refusal of Australia to play against Afghanistan a few months back. Shahdan Khan will lead Green Shirts while Rashid Khan will lead Afghanistan first time in the history of Afghan cricket. Pakistan Squad: Shadab Khan (Captain), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Junior, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan Reserves: Haseebullah, Usama Mir, Abrar Ahmed Afghanistan Squad: Rashid Khan (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Usman Ghani, Sediqullah Atal, Najibullah Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Fareed Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi and Naveen Ul Haq. Reserve players: Nangyal Kharoti, Zahir Khan, Nijat Masoud Series Schedule March 24, 2023: T20I, Sharjah Cricket Stadium March 26, 2023: 2nd T20I, Sharjah Cricket Stadium March 27, 2023: 3rd T20I, Sharjah Cricket Stadium