Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (October 29, 2021):- ):-Asif Ali, four sixes in the penultimate over of the match, overwhelmed all efforts of  Afghanistan guys in a Group II fixture of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2021 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday night. Asif blitzed 25 in just seven balls to ensure Babar Azam’s 51 did not go to waste as they successfully chased 148 to win by five wickets in front of a raucous crowd at the Dubai International Stadium. Only some back-end fireworks from Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib, who shared an unbeaten stand of 71 off 48 balls, gave their side a competitive total after they had slipped to 76 for six. Asif had smashed 27 in 12 balls to help Pakistan beat New Zealand last time out and having trumped India in their opener, they have now cemented their spot on top of Group 2 and put one foot in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s World T20 2021. Nabi bucked the trend by choosing to bat in Dubai despite the dew and may have been regretting that call when Hazratullah Zazai was dismissed for a five-ball duck in the second over. The Afghanistan opener’s top edge off Imad Wasim was safely pouched by Haris Rauf to give Pakistan an early breakthrough. Mohammad Shazad struck the first boundary of the innings, but two balls later departed for eight after tamely chipping Shaheen Shah Afridi straight to mid-on to leave Afghanistan floundering at 13 for two. Rahmanullah Gurbaz got off the mark in some style, planting Wasim into the stands with an eye-catching slog-sweep but should have been easily run out soon after only for Mohammad Rizwan’s wayward throw to spare his blushes. Asghar Afghan also opened his account with a maximum in Wasim’s second over which went for 17, but the No.4 was soon walking back for 10 after Rauf took a sharp return catch, with his younger brother Karim Janat replacing him. In what was now typical fashion, Janat got going with a six off Haris but could only watch on as Rahmanullah holed out off Afridi for 10 as Afghanistan lost four wickets inside an action-packed powerplay, finishing on 49 for four. Janat’s promising partnership of 25 with Najibullah Zadran was cut short when the former holed out off Imad, who finished with two for 25, for 15 in the 10th over. The theme of big hits and wickets continued when Najibullah sent Shadab Khan out of the park only for the bowler to exact immediate revenge, having him caught behind for 22 with a wrong-un. Skipper Nabi was joined by Gulbadin and the pair spun the game on its head with a vital partnership of 71 off 48 balls, both batters finishing unbeaten on 35. Gulbadin exploded into life in Hasan Ali’s 18th over, smashing a six and two fours on his way to single-handedly adding 19 of the 21 runs scored. The 50 partnership came off just 36 balls and the carnage continued with Haris' 19th over going for 15 runs as Pakistan leaked 36 runs in just 12 balls. Shaheen's final over cost just seven, even with a no-ball, but the damage was done, and Afghanistan finished on 147 for six, more than enough for their spinners to get stuck into. Pakistan got off to a slow start in reply when Rizwan, eight off 10, was well caught on the boundary by Naveen-ul-Haq off Mujeeb Ur Rahman in just the third over. Fakhar Zaman wasted no time in getting going as he and captain Babar guided Pakistan to 38 for one from the powerplay before Mujeeb returned to complete an excellent spell of one for 14 from his four overs. Fakhar and Babar’s partnership reached 50 from just 39 balls as Pakistan took control of the chase with wickets in hand. Babar’s class shone through as he made his way to 36 before danger man Rashid Khan, belatedly brought into the attack in the 11th over, thought he had him trapped LBW only for the decision to be overturned on review. But DRS could not save the skipper’s partner Fakhar as Nabi had him pinned in front for 30 from the very next ball at the other end, curtailing the third-wicket partnership of 63 and leaving Pakistan 75 for two. Rashid had his 100th T20 international wicket, the quickest to the milestone, for real when Mohammad Hafeez’s top-edge found Gulbadin to give Afghanistan a chance with the asking rate creeping over nine. Babar should have been caught by Naveen off Rashid but the spinner had his man with the final ball of his spell of two for 26, a googly castling the Pakistan skipper as he surprisingly aimed a huge swipe into the leg side with 12 already having come from the 17th over. Naveen bowled a sensational 18th over which cost just two runs during which he shelled an exceptionally tough reaction chance off Shoaib Malik but two balls later the veteran batter nicked one behind to depart for 19 with 24 still needed off 13. Just as Afghanistan clawed their way in front, Asif had other ideas, belting four huge sixes off Janat in the 19th over to seal an incredible victory with six balls to spare. Scores in Brief Pakistan beat Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai by five wickets Afghanistan 147/6 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 35 not out, Gulbadin Naib 35 not out; Imad Wasim 2/25, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1/22, Shadab Khan 1/22) Pakistan 148/5 in 19 overs (Babar Azam 51, Fakhar Zaman 30, Asif Ali 25 not out; Rashid Khan 2/26, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1/14) Player of the Match: Asif Ali (Pakistan)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Sharjah (October 29, 2021):-The West Indies sealed a tight encounter against Bangladesh, winning by just three runs off the final ball of the game to knock Bangladesh out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Nicholas Pooran crashed 40 of 22 to rescue West Indies innings having lost the toss and been put into bat, as they posted 142 for seven. Bangladesh were steady in their reply but needing 13 off the final over, they could only manage 10 as the Windies kept their own qualification hopes alive. Debutant Roston Chase was into the action early on as opener Evin Lewis was caught easily by Mushfiqur Rahim at square leg. After being promoted to open, ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle was not all-conquering, instead being clean bowled by Mahedi Hassan having made four off ten. Shimron Hetmyer then fell in the seventh over and it would be four overs before the West Indies got a boundary, Chase combining with Kieron Pollard to steady the ship. Pollard then faced choppy waters as Bangladesh went up for a review for LBW but the DRS showed the impact was outside off stump and Pollard was safe, for now. Two balls later, Pollard was walking off retired hurt, a ball later new batter Andre Russell was back in the dugout, run out without facing as Taskin Ahmed got a toe to Chase’s drive back down the ground. Russell’s dismissal brought out Pooran who made 40 off 22 to rescue the West Indies to 119-5 and Chase was then undone by Shoriful Islam, who knocked over his leg stump. Jason Holder survived the hat-trick ball but his partner Dwayne Bravo fell three balls later as Pollard returned to the crease with five balls to go. He and Holder crashed what turned out to be three crucial sixes to push the West Indies to a respectable score. Captain Pollard was not the only one hurt, with Shakib Al Hasan noticeably hobbling between the wickets as he opened Bangladesh’s chase. And it was Shakib who was the first batter to go, sending an easy catch to Holder to leave Bangladesh on 21 for one. Mohammad Naim dragged the ball back onto his stumps off the bowling of Holder as the Tigers ended the powerplay on 29-2, the same as the Windies. From there, Bangladesh kicked on reaching 60 before the loss of their third wicket, Soumya Sarkar sending the ball into the diving hands of Gayle. The next wicket followed a similar pattern, Bangladesh adding 30 runs before losing a wicket, this time Rampaul bowling Mushfiqur for eight. With three overs remaining the Tigers needed 30 from 18 balls with Liton Das crashing a four to swing the game towards Bangladesh as he and Mahmudullah looked to be controlling the chase. Liton could not stay until the end though, as the long limbs of Holder caught him on the boundary, with six balls to go Bangladesh needed 13 runs. The West Indies were plagued by fielding errors missing run-out chances, dropping catches and missing balls, but with Bangladesh needing a boundary off the final ball, Russell held his nerve to bowl West Indies to a narrow victory. Scores in brief  West Indies beat Bangladesh at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah by three runs. West Indies 142/7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 40, Roston Chase 39; Shoriful Islam 2/20, Mahedi Hasan 2/27) Bangladesh 139/5 in 20 overs (Litton Das 44, Mahmudullah 31 not out; Jason Holder 1/22, Akeal Hossein 1/24) Player of the Match: Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (October 29, 2021):-Australia laid down a marker with a convincing seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Dubai to make it two wins from two in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. David Warner and Aaron Finch set the tone with a 70-run opening stand as the Aussies chased down a target of 155 with relative ease, with the former making 65 in a return to form. That sets them up perfectly for the next game in Group 1 against England, who are also two from two, with the winner taking a giant step towards the semi-finals. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have been beaten for the first time in the tournament and face a crucial clash with South Africa next up. After being put into bat, Sri Lanka lost Pathum Nissanka to an early top edge off Pat Cummins, but Charith Asalanka signalled his intent immediately with back-to-back boundaries. In the next over from Glenn Maxwell, he lifted the spinner out of the ground from the very first ball. A 63-run partnership with Kusal Perera set the platform, but the introduction of Adam Zampa changed things. He had a big shout for LBW in his first over and in his second he had Asalanka caught sweeping by Steve Smith for 35. Perera carried the fight with a big six off Mitchell Starc but a ball later he was heading back for the same score as Asalanka, unable to keep out a vicious yorker. At 86 for three and with two new batters, Sri Lanka needed to rebuild but Zampa got another, Avishka Fernando, while Starc had Wanindu Hasaranga caught behind. From the chance of making 170 or more, Sri Lanka were in trouble, not helped by Zampa finishing off his spell for a miserly two for 12. Bhanuka Rajapaksa set about consolidating with his skipper Dasun Shanaka as the pair added 40, largely thanks to 17 off the 17th over from Marcus Stoinis. Cummins broke that partnership as Shanaka top-edged to Matthew Wade, but Rajapaksa ended up unbeaten on 33 to take Sri Lanka to 154 for six. Very quickly, it became clear that they did not have nearly enough. Finch and Warner tucked into the bowling, readily accepting a regular supply of bad balls to dispatch to the boundaries. Finch powered two fours in the very first over and he and Warner combined to take Lahiru Kumara for 20 runs off his first over. Warner should have been on his way for 18, gloving one through to Perera off Dushmantha Chameera, but the wicket-keeper put it down as his bowler started to celebrate and umpire Richard Illingworth was twitching his finger. That was costly and by the end of the powerplay, Australia were 63 for none, the best performance of the tournament so far. Finch fell for 37 in Hasaranga’s first over, chopping on and in his next, Maxwell picked out Fernando on the boundary after dragging the ball over midwicket from outside off. Warner kept going though, moving to a half-century in the 12th over as he and Smith saw off the threat of Hasaranga and then went after the fast bowlers. As Australia looked to finish it off quickly, Warner found Rajapaksa on the boundary for 65 off just 42 deliveries, but Smith and Stoinis got them home with three overs to spare, to boost the net run-rate as well. Scores in brief Australia beat Sri Lanka at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai by seven wickets Sri Lanka 154/6 in 20 overs (Charith Asalanka 35, Kusal Perera 35; Adam Zampa 2/12, Mitchell Starc 2/27) Australia 155/3 in 17 overs (David Warner 65, Aaron Finch 37; Wanindu Hasaranga 2/22, Dasun Shanaka 1/6) Player of the Match: Adam Zampa (Australia)  

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (October 28, 2021):-The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved Jason Holder as a replacement for Obed McCoy in the West Indies squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved Jason Holder as a replacement for Obed McCoy in the West Indies squad. All-rounder Holder, who has played 199 international matches including 27 T20Is, was named as a replacement after McCoy was ruled out due to a leg injury. Holder was a reserve as per the allowance for teams to travel with extra players in view of COVID-19 quarantine requirements. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 consists of Chris Tetley (Head of Events, Chair), Clive Hitchcock (ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager), Rahul Dravid and Dhiraj Malhotra (BCCI Representatives), Simon Doull and Ian Bishop (Independent Members).

Report:- ABDULLAH ASJAD Islamabad (October 27, 2021):-Namibia claimed a great win against Scotland by 4 wickets in the ICC Men’s World T20 Cup 2021 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. According to information, Namibian captain Richie Berrington won the toss and invited opposition to bat first. Namibians Lefty bowler Ruben Trumpelman bowled excellent and got out three batters in first over of match. Left arm medium pacer Jan frynklicn picked up 2 wickets for 10 runs while JJ Smit took solitary wicket and restricted to Scotties on109 runs in 20 over game. Namibia chased 109 runs in 19th over with 4 wickets in hand. Opener Craig Williams scored 23 runs in 29 balls while second opener Michael van Lingen added 18 runs in 24 deliveries. Earlier, Scotland started his batting very poorly and loss 3 wickets in first over of the game and gave low total to Namibia for the chase. Scotland’s wicket keeper batter Matthew Cross scored 19 runs in 33 balls while Michael Leask played a batter innings and scored 44 runs in 27 balls. Scotland bowler Michael Leask got 2 wickets for 12 runs in 2 overs while Brad Wheal, Josh Davey and Safyaan Sharif shared one wicket each. Ruben Trumpelmann awarded man of the match. Scores in brief Namibia beat Scotland at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi by four wickets Scotland 109 for eight, in 20 overs (Michael Leask 44, Chris Greaves 25; Ruben Trumpelmann 3/17, Jan Frylinck 2/10) Namibia 115 for six, in 19.1 overs (JJ Smit 32 not out, Craig Williams 23; Michael Leask 2/12, Brad Wheal 1/14) Player of the Match: Ruben Trumpelmann (Namibia)  

Report: ABDULLAH ASJAD Islamabad (October 17, 2021):- England claimed a big win against Bangladesh 8 wickets in the ICC T 20 World Cup 2021 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirate(UAE) on Wednesday. English bowlers restricted Bangladesh on 124 runs in 20 over game. England’s left arm fast bowler Tymal Mills showed a brilliant piece of bowling and sent 3 Bangladeshi batters back to pavilion. Batting all-rounder Liam Livingstone got 2 wickets and conceded 15 runs only while right arm spinner Moeen Ali took 2 wickets. English batters chased 125 a small total in 14 overs after wasting two wickets. Opener Jason Roy played a brilliant innings of 61 runs in just 38 balls. He knocked 5 fours and 3 huge sixes. Dawid Malan added 28 runs and he faced 25 deliveries. Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler completed his 18 runs innings. Earlier, Bangladeshi Skipper Mahmudullah decided to bat first after winning the toss. Mushfiqur  Rahim was the major scorer with 29 runs in 30 balls for Bangladesh. Nasum Ahmed contributed 19 runs after facing only 9 balls. Captain Mahmudullah added 19 runs. Bangladesh’s Bowlers Shoriful Islam and Nasum Ahmed got one wicket each. Jason Roy awarded man of the match for his sparkling batting. Summarized scorecard: Bangladesh Batting: Mushfiqur Rahim(29 runs in 30 balls)3 fours, Nasum Ahmed(19 runs in 9 balls)2 six 1 four, Mahmudullah (19 runs in 24 balls)1 four. England Bowling: Tymal Mills 3 for 27, Liam Livingstone 2 for 15, Moeen Ali 2 for 18. England Batting: Jason Roy (61 runs in 38 balls) 5 fours 3 sixes, Dawid Malan (28 run in 25 balls) 3fours, Jos Buttler(18 runs in 18 balls)1 four 1 six. Bangladesh Bowling: Shoriful Islam 1for26, Nasum Ahmed 1for 26. Toss: Bangladesh won the toss elected to bat first Result: England won by 8 wickets Man of the match: Jason Roy

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (October 27, 2021):-South Africa batter Aiden Markram and Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan have attained career-best positions in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after their fine starts to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Aiden Markram of South Africa plays a shot during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup match between South Africa and West Indies at Dubai International Stadium on October 26, 2021 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Rahmanullah and Shaheen move up bowlers’ list; Shakib back as top-ranked all-rounder South Africa batter Aiden Markram and Pakistan opener Mohammad Rizwan have attained career-best positions in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after their fine starts to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Markram, who struck 40 and 51 not out against Australia and the West Indies, respectively, has gained eight slots to reach third position, only behind Dawid Malan and Babar Azam. His previous best was ninth place last month and he now averages nearly 40 with a strike rate of 147.29 in his career. Rizwan is up to fourth place, two better than the sixth he reached in July, following up his 79 not out against India with a score of 33 in their second match against New Zealand on Tuesday. Afghanistan’s Rahmanullah Gurbaz has risen nine places to a career-best 12th position after notching up 46 against Scotland while Bangladesh opener Mohammad Naim has moved up 11 places to a career-best 13th position after his 52-ball 62 against Sri Lanka. Namibia captain Gerhard Erasmus is up to joint-37th position after helping his side into the Super 12s. The top nine names in the bowlers’ list are all slow bowlers with Bangladesh spinner Mahedi Hasan’s consistent economical bowling lifting him nine places to a career-best 12th position. Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi, who starred in their memorable 10-wicket win over India with a haul of three for 31, is up 11 places to 12th position, just two off his career best. Harris Rauf, whose four for 22 against New Zealand helped them register a second consecutive win, has gained 34 slots to reach a career-best 17th position. Meanwhile, Bangladesh star Shakib Al Hasan has regained the top spot among all-rounders after a fine start to the World Cup.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (October 27, 2021):-The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved Adam Milne as a replacement for Lockie Ferguson in the New Zealand squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved Adam Milne as a replacement for Lockie Ferguson in the New Zealand squad. Fast bowler Milne, who has played 40 ODIs and 23 T20Is, was named as a replacement after Ferguson was ruled out due to a calf injury. Milne was a reserve as per the allowance for teams to travel with extra players in view of COVID-19 quarantine requirements. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 consists of Chris Tetley (Head of Events, Chair), Clive Hitchcock (ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager), Rahul Dravid and Dhiraj Malhotra (BCCI Representatives), Simon Doull and Ian Bishop (Independent Members).

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (October 27, 2021):-The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved Rubel Hossain as a replacement for Mohammad Saifuddin in the Bangladesh squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 has approved Rubel Hossain as a replacement for Mohammad Saifuddin in the Bangladesh squad. Fast bowler Rubel, who has played 159 international matches including 28 T20Is, was named as a replacement after Saifuddin was ruled out due to a back injury. Rubel was a reserve as per the allowance for teams to travel with extra players in view of COVID-19 quarantine requirements. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad. The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 consists of Chris Tetley (Head of Events, Chair), Clive Hitchcock (ICC Senior Cricket Operations Manager), Rahul Dravid and Dhiraj Malhotra (BCCI Representatives), Simon Doull and Ian Bishop (Independent Members).

Report: ABDULLAH ASJAD Islamabad (October 26.2021):-Pakistan overcame New Zealand by five wickets and clinched second back-to-back victory in the ongoing in the ICC Men’s T 20 World Cup 2021 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium Sharjah on Tuesday night. Green Shirts got their 135 runs target 18.4 overs. New Zealand were restricted by both spin and seam, with pace bowler Haris Rauf taking four for 22 as the Blackcaps made 134 for eight from their 20 overs. Pakistan got off to a slow start in reply making 55 off their first 10 overs before Shoaib Malik, 27 not out off 20, and Asif Ali, 27 not out from 12 balls, powered them to victory. Shaheen Shah Afridi started tamely for his standards, having taken one for two in his first over against India, bowling a wicket-less maiden over after Pakistan won the toss and chose to field. With New Zealand making good progress at 36 for no loss after five overs, captain Babar Azam brought on death-overs specialist Rauf, with the bowler making an instant impact. The first ball was right at Martin Guptill’s feet, and the second delivery he could do nothing about as it clattered off his thigh pad and into the stumps, as Guptill was forced to limp off having made 17 from 20. Not having had the chance to bat against India, Fakhar Zaman was in the game taking two catches to dismiss Daryl Mitchell and Jimmy Neesham. With New Zealand going at a run a ball, Kane Williamson was then given out lbw but a reprieve on review gave him a new lease of life as he scored three fours in a row to push New Zealand up to 90 for 3. That would be his last contribution as he was run out for 25 off 26 balls, and with Williamson gone, New Zealand reverted back to their run-a-ball approach with Glenn Phillips and Devon Conway trading singles. The pair would soon be out in the space of three balls, Rauf picking them both up to leave New Zealand 116 for six. Afridi may have begun quietly, but he ended his spell to raucous cheers, using a slower ball to deceive Tim Seifert with Rauf then picking up Mitchell Santner to leave Pakistan with a target of 135. Captain Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were not able to repeat their unbeaten partnership against India, the pair adding 28 before Azam was bowled by Tim Southee who claimed his 100th T20I wicket. With his partner gone, Rizwan was not at his free-flowing best and by the time Zaman was given out lbw on review, he had only made 24 off 26 balls, well below his average strike rate of 130. Conway then took a world-class catch at full-stretch in the deep to dismiss Hafeez for 11 and Rizwan was next to go, trapped lbw by Ish Sodhi for 33 with Pakistan needing 66 from just over eight overs to win. Pakistan were faltering before Ali crashed back-to-back maximums off Southee to put the Men in Green back on top and he knocked off the winning runs with eight balls to spare. Summarized Scorecard: Toss: Pakistan won the toss and decided to bowl first  New Zealand Batting: Daryl Mitchell 27 runs (20 balls, 4X1, 6X2), Devon Conyway 27runs (24 balls, 4x3), Cane Williamson 25 runs (26 balls, 4X2, 6X1). Pakistan Bowling: Haris Rauf 4 for 22, Mohammad Hafiz 1 for 16, Imad Wasim 1 for 24, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1 for 21 Pakistan Batting: Mohammad Rizwan 33 (34 balls, 4X5), Asif Ali 27 not out (12 balls 4X1, 6X3) Shoaib Malik not out (20 balls 4X2, 6x1) New Zealand Bowling: Ish Sodhi 2 for 28, Tim Southi 1 for 25, Tent Boult 1 for 29 Result: Pakistan won by 5 wickets Man of the match: Haris Rauf