Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: The 5-match T20 International matches series between hosts Pakistan and New Zealand will roll into action on Friday night, as the first tie will be played here at Gaddafi Stadium. Babar Azam-led Pakistan will play their first T20I here since October 2022, when they played England in the lead-up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan have won 10 of the 18 matches here since 2015 and the venue has provided viewers action their money’s worth with 8.13 runs being scored per over. For the Kiwis, it is an unchartered territory as they have never played a T20I in Pakistan. They will hope to bank on the experience of their recent tour of Karachi when they played two Tests and three One-Day Internationals across December and January and the data available to them about the venue, but playing in Gaddafi Stadium against a full-fledged Pakistan side will be a challenging ask. Pakistan already have an upper-hand as they have defeated New Zealand four times in the last five matches, the most recent one being a convincing seven-wicket win in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Sydney. That only defeat was during the tri-series in Christchurch, which Pakistan won, just before the World Cup. Babar Azam: “It is a great feeling to be back in Lahore in Pakistan colours. This promises to be an exciting series as we bring the exciting young talent and the experience of senior players together in this solid squad. “The T20 World Cup is over a year away and we will look to utilise the next five games to see where we stand. They will also help us gear up for the crucial five-match ODI series that follows as more or less we have the same players in this team and that series will provide us a good opportunity to prepare for the Asia Cup and World Cup later in the year.” Tom Latham said: “It is an exciting tour for our side and we know we’re coming up against a quality Pakistan team who will be a huge challenge. We’re obviously missing a few of our senior players, but that’s going to offer opportunities to others and I know the team are really looking forward to testing themselves. “Conditions are completely different to what we’re used to back home and it’s going to be important that we adapt as quickly as possible. We’ll lean on the experiences we had on the tour here a couple of months ago where we managed to play some good cricket in both the Test and ODI series. “The HBL PSL has also just been here so we will try and get as much information as we can, but it will ultimately be about adapting as quickly as possible.” Gaddafi Stadium will stage T20I matches on 14, 15 and 17 April before the action shifts to Rawalpindi where the last two games of the series will be played on 20 and 24 April. Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan New Zealand squad: Tom Latham (captain, wk), Chad Bowes, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Adam Milne, Cole McConchie, Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Rachin Ravindra, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Baber Elevens have confirmed their berths for the final after defeating New Zealand by 7 wickets in the first semifinal of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022 at Sydney Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.   New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and offered to opposite Captain Babar Azam for bowling first. Pakistani bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled brilliantly and took the first wicket in the third ball of the match. While Kiwis set 153 runs on the scoreboard. Middle Order Batter Daryl Mitchell scored 53 runs and faced 35 balls. Captain Kane Williamson added 46 runs in team total for 42 deliveries and wicket keeper Batter Devon Conway scored 21 runs in 20 balls. Pakistani bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi got 2 wickets for 24 runs in his 4 overs. Mohammad Nawaz took a single wicket and conceded 12 runs in 2 overs. In reply Pakistan chased 153 runs target in the last over with 7 wickets in hand. Pakistani opener Muhammad Rizwan scored 57 runs in 43 balls. Babar Azam scored 53 runs and faced 42 deliveries while Mohammad Haris scored 30 runs. Kiwi Bowler Trent Boult sent out 2 batters for the pavilion and conceded 33 runs. Mitchell Santner took 1 wicket for 26 runs Summarized Scorecard New Zealand Bating: - (152/4) Daryl Mitchell 53 runs in35 balls (3 four and 1 six), Kane Williamson 46 in 42balls (1 four and 1 six), Devon Conway 21 runs in 20 balls (3 four) Pakistan Bowling: Shaheen Shah Afridi 2 for 24, Mohammad Nawaz 1 for 12 Pakistan Batting: - (153/3)  Mohammad Rizwan 57 runs in 43 balls (5 four), Babar Azam scored 53 runs in42 balls (7 four), Mohammad Haris 30 runs in26 balls (2 four and 1 six) New Zealand Bowling: Trent Boult 2 for 33, Mitchell Santner 1 for 26 Toss: - New Zealand Man of the Match: - Mohammad Rizwan    

Sports Bulletin Report Adelaide, Australia: Pakistan stormed into the semifinal of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2022 after thrashing Bangladesh by 5 wickets in their last Group B fixture at Adelaide cricket stadium Australia on Sunday. Green Shirts achieved their target of 128 runs after losing five batters, as 9 balls were spare. After the Netherlands shocked South Africa by 13 runs in the earlier fixture to turn Pakistan versus Bangladesh into a winner takes all match, Shaheen recorded figures of 4-0-22-4 as Bangladesh were limited to 127 for eight. Mohammad Rizwan (32), Mohammad Haris (31), Babar Azam (25) and Shan Masood (24 not out) then made even contributions as Pakistan romped to victory with 11 balls to spare. The victory means Pakistan will join India in the semi-finals from Group-2 with the table-topper to meet England and No.2 side to take on New Zealand for places in the final. However, Group-2 standings will be confirmed following the India versus Zimbabwe match, which will be the final game of the Super-12 fixtures. For Pakistan, this was the second successive time they have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semifinals after having missed out in the 2014 (in Bangladesh) and 2016 (in India) editions. This is also the sixth time overall in eight tournaments Pakistan have reached the last four, winning the 2009 event in England and finishing runners-up in South Africa in 2007. The Adelaide Oval also became a happy venue for Pakistan on 6 November 2022 after they had lost to Australia in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015 quarterfinal match at the same venue seven years ago. Coincidently, the passage to the semifinals for the 2022 T20 World Cup is pretty similar to the 1992 World Cup when Pakistan had to win all remaining matches and also hope for some results to go in their favour so that they could progress to the last four. Thirty years later, Pakistan lost to India and Zimbabwe in last-ball finishes, before bouncing back to beat the Netherlands, South Africa and Bangladesh. Parallel to that, the Dutch caused one of the biggest upsets of the tournament when they knocked-out South Africa, leaving Pakistan a victory over Bangladesh to continue their march in the event. Scores in brief Match 41 – Pakistan beat Bangladesh by five wickets Bangladesh 127-8, 20 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 54, Afif Hossain 24 not out; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-22, Shadab Khan 2-30) Pakistan 128-5, 18.1 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 32, Mohammad Haris 31, Babar Azam 25, Shan Masood 24 not out) Player of the match – Shaheen Shah Afridi Pakistan (Playing XI): ohammad Rizwan(w), Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Haris, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi Bangladesh (Playing XI): Najmul Hossain Shanto, Soumya Sarkar, Litton Das, Shakib Al Hasan(c), Afif Hossain, Nurul Hasan(w), Mosaddek Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Nasum Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 has approved Mohammad Haris as a replacement for Fakhar Zaman in the Pakistan squad. Haris was named as a replacement after Zaman was ruled out after sustaining a posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury to his right knee. 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 2022 consists of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager - Cricket (Chair); Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events; Peter Roach, Cricket Australia, Shane Doyle, Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee; Shaun Pollock (Independent) and Ian Bishop (Independent).

Sports Bulletin Report Melbourne (AUS): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 has approved Gulbadin Naib as a replacement for Hazratullah Zazai in the Afghanistan squad. Naib who is a travelling reserve was named as a replacement after Zazai was ruled out due to an abdominal muscle strain. 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 2022 consists of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager - Cricket (Chair); Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events; Peter Roach, Cricket Australia, Shane Doyle, Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee; Shaun Pollock (Independent) and Ian Bishop (Independent).

Sports Bulletin Report Perth (AUS): Zimbabwe recorded only their second victory over Pakistan in 18 T20Is, first in a World Cup, when they won a crucial Group 2 Super-12 fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 by one-run here on Thursday. Needing 11 runs in the final over, Pakistan scored eight runs off the first three balls but managed only one in the next three balls to finish at 129 for eight in reply to Zimbabwe’s 130 for eight. The turning point in the last over was the dismissal of Mohammad Nawaz (22) on the penultimate ball when he was caught at mid-off off Brad Evans. Shaheen Shah Afridi was able to connect the last delivery of the innings, but his effort was not enough to secure two runs that were needed for a Super Over as he was run-out by a distance despite a fumble by wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva. The result has left Pakistan winless after two matches, while India and South Africa have four and three points, respectively from as many matches. This makes Pakistan’s passage to the semifinals extremely difficult as even wins against The Netherlands (30 October in Perth), South Africa (3 November in Sydney) and Bangladesh (6 November in Adelaide) will not absolutely guarantee them a place in the last four. India’s remaining matches are against South Africa (30 October), Bangladesh (2 November) and Zimbabwe (6 November), while South Africa, after their 30 October and 3 November matches against India and Pakistan, respectively will play their last match against The Netherlands on 6 November. Pakistan, in their pursuit of the 131 runs target and despite losing Babar Azam (4), Mohammad Rizwan (14), Iftikhar Ahmed (5), Shadab Khan (17), Haider Ali (0) and Shan Masood (44), needed 37 runs from 29 balls. Though they were able to score 18 runs through boundaries (3x4, 1x6), the remaining 25 balls yielded only 17 runs, which in the end made all the difference between winning and losing. Shan top-scored with a 38-ball 44 with three fours, while Nawaz’s 18-ball 22 included a four and a six. Mohammad Wasim finished with a 13-ball 12 not out with two fours. For Zimbabwe, Sikandar Raza picked up three wickets for 25 runs to walk away with the player of the match award. Brad Evans bagged two wickets for 25 runs. Earlier, Zimbabwe, electing to bat after winning the toss, were restricted to 130 for eight following a brisk 42-run first wicket stand in five overs. Haris Rauf accounted for Craig Ervine (19) and Mohammad Wasim dismissed Wessly Madhevere (17) as Zimbabwe slipped to 43 for two in the space of three balls before Pakistan picked up four wickets in six balls as Zimbabwe slipped from 95 for three to 95 for seven. At that stage, Ryan Burl (10 not out) and Brad Evans (19) put on 31 priceless runs for the eighth wicket to help Zimbabwe reach 130 for eight. Sean Williams was the batter who provided some resistance in the middle-order when he scored a 28-ball 31 before Shadab bowled him. For Pakistan, 21-year-old Wasim, who replaced Asif Ali in the playing eleven, produced his career-best figures of four for 24, while Shadab picked up three for 23. Scores in brief Match 24 – Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by one-run Zimbabwe 130-8, 20 overs (Sean Williams 31, Mohammad Wasim 4-24, Shadab Khan 3-23) Pakistan 129-8, 20 overs (Shan Masood 44, Mohammad Nawaz 22, Shadab Khan 17, Mohammad Rizwan 14, Mohammad Wasim 12 not out; Sikandar Raza 3-25, Brad Evans 2-25) Pakistan’s next match – vs The Netherlands, Sunday, 30 October (12pm PKT)

Sports Bulletin Report Melbourne (AUS): Pakistan's left-handed batter Shan Masood was struck on the right hand side of his head during a practice session at the MCG on Friday and officials took no risk with the 33-year-old as they took him straight to hospital for observation. The incident means Masood's place in Pakistan's XI for their T20 World Cup opener against India on Sunday is in doubt, pending tests, with fellow leftie Fakhar Zaman in contention to replace him. The latest update overnight from the PCB team in Australia is that Masood’s neurological observations are normal. The CT scan revealed a superficial bruising in the area where he struck, but he is currently asymptomatic. The batter will undergo a concussion re-test tomorrow. Masood was likely to come in after star duo Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan and bat at No.3 for Pakistan during the T20 World Cup given he appeared in this position for much of the recent tri-series in New Zealand. The left-hander only managed 64 runs from four hits during the matches against Bangladesh and the Kiwis, but has been the preferred choice for that crucial top-order spot for Pakistan in recent times.

Sports Bulletin Report Melbourne (AUS): The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is well underway, with the Super-12 stage of the event starting on Saturday and Pakistan taking on India in their opener in Melbourne on Sunday. Last year’s beaten semi-finalists have an outstanding record in the Men’s T20 World Cup and find themselves right among the favourites again this time around in Australia. And ahead of their Super-12 opener against rivals India on Sunday – we look at the Pakistan team in focus. 2022 prospects Pakistan have been drawn in Group 2 of the Super-12, alongside India, South Africa, Bangladesh. They have also been joined by Zimbabwe and the Netherlands from the group stage. In order to back up last year’s efforts, where they suffered defeat to eventual winners Australia in the semi-final, they will need to finish in the top two of their group. They come into the tournament in form though, winning four of their five matches in the tri-series with New Zealand and Bangladesh. Prior to the series in Christchurch, they ultimately suffered a 4-3 defeat in the seven-match T20 series with England. There is no doubt that Pakistan will be among the front-runners and will be expecting to advance past the Super-12 and into the semi-finals once again – although clashes with South Africa and India will be tough. T20 World Cup history Pakistan’s Men’s T20 World Cup history is nothing short of outstanding, reaching the semi-finals in five of the seven editions. They reached the final of the inaugural competition in South Africa in 2007, losing by just five runs to India after Gautam Gambhir’s 75 inspired the Indian side to victory. Two years later, they were the side lifting the trophy, with Shahid Afridi’s unbeaten 54 and Abdul Razzaq’s three for 20 seeing Pakistan to an eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at Lord’s. Despite their excellent record, that is the last time Pakistan reached the final, suffering back-to-back semi-final defeats in 2010 and 2012 against Australia and Sri Lanka, respectively. The 2014 World Cup saw Pakistan miss out on the semi-finals for the first time, and in 2016 they again missed out, meaning a long five-year wait until last year’s tournament in the UAE and Oman – in which they reached their first semi-final in nine years, but despite Mohammad Rizwan’s 67 and Shadab Khan’s four for 26, they endured yet another semi-final defeat at the hands of Australia. Best batters There are no prizes for guessing Pakistan’s best batter, as he is also the world’s best batter, with Rizwan sitting on top of the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. Averaging a phenomenal 52.34, Rizwan has one hundred and 22 fifties from just 62 innings, with a recent 69 in the win over Bangladesh last week showcasing his form heading into the T20 World Cup. That bodes well for the Super-12, with Pakistan facing Bangladesh, while against their other key opponents in the Super-12, India and South Africa, Rizwan averages an outrageous 96.5 and 62.16 respectively. Rizwan has formed what is surely the best opening batting pairing in world cricket with Babar Azam, who himself sits third in the current ICC T20I Player Rankings. Pakistan’s captain averages 43.66, slightly less than Rizwan, but he has racked up two hundreds and 29 fifties and like Rizwan, comes into the World Cup in excellent form, scoring 55 in that victory over Bangladesh, while also scoring his second T20 international hundred against England, scoring 110 as Rizwan hit 88 not out in a ten-wicket victory. Best bowlers Pakistan may have two of the best batters on the planet, but they are not short of outstanding bowling as New Zealand and Bangladesh recently found out. Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan are two to really keep an eye on, but there is plenty of bowling in the Pakistan line-up, with Mohammad Wasim and Mohammad Nawaz in particular on top form in recent weeks and Shaheen Shah Afridi coming back from injury for this tournament. Haris is a man who will strike fear into top order batters around the globe though, averaging just 23.03 and taking 64 wickets in his 50 matches, but he is joined by Pakistan’s extraordinary young all-rounder Shadab. Just 24, Shadab has already been a major part of the Pakistan team with both bat and ball for a number of years, taking 87 wickets at an average of 22.29 since his debut five years ago and he is once again going to be a key member of the side, with his leg breaks proving incredibly effective.

Sports Report Melbourne: Australia have made only one change to the squad that emerged victorious in 2021 and will aim to become the first team to retain the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. That brings Tim David into the fray, a burly Singapore-born batter who hit 16 of the 86 balls he faced in the IPL in 2022 for six. Finch has largely used him at six in the early days of his T20 international career, marking a subtle shift in orthodoxy that has seen power hitters traditionally placed high in the order. There is no place for all-rounder Cameron Green, a selection call that has raised eyebrows, with Australia placing faith in some of the world’s greatest multi-format players. They rightly sit among the favourites to win the whole thing with conditions suiting them down to the ground and home crowds squarely behind them. T20 World Cup history Australia didn’t start well at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. As reigning Men’s Cricket World Cup champions, their first game ended in five-wicket defeat to Zimbabwe. They recovered to make the semi-finals and their turbulent relationship with T20 continued with a group-stage exit in 2009. Australia were well beaten by rivals England in the 2010 final and reached the semi-finals in 2012, always in contention but never quite managing to produce the complete knockout performance. It looked like they had been left behind by the rest of the world when they failed to navigate the Super 10 in both 2014 and 2016 but a rousing run to the final last year wiped the slate clean. Best batters Why not start with David Warner, whose three half-centuries and 289 runs were pivotal to the 2021 triumph? This month Warner smacked 75 against West Indies and 73 against England to suggest he is rounding into form once again. The batting order is finely balanced between power and poise, with skipper Finch offering a steady hand on the tiller and Matthew Wade one of the finest finishers in the game. They will hope to see an upturn in fortunes for Glenn Maxwell and that David comes off on major event debut. Best bowlers Australia’s gun-pace attack has reinvented itself in the T20 format with the outstanding Pat Cummins capable of taking the ball in any given situation. Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc combine to form a peerless battery that will make merry on fast, bouncy surfaces. Concerns remain over the spin bowling department and an over-reliance on Adam Zampa. Finch’s plans will be tested if teams manage to hit the leg-spinner out of the attack.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 has approved Binura Fernando as a replacement for left arm fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka in the Sri Lanka squad. Fernando who has played nine T20Is, was named as a replacement after Madushanka was ruled out due to a torn quad muscle. Fernando will travel out from Sri Lanka and join the rest of the squad in Australia. 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 2022 consists of Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager - Cricket (Chair); Chris Tetley, ICC Head of Events; Peter Roach, Cricket Australia, Shane Doyle, Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee; Shaun Pollock (Independent) and Ian Bishop (Independent).