Cricket
Cricket becomes popular sports in Uzbekistan soon: Aziz Mihliev
Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD:-President, Cricket Federation Uzbekistan (CFU), Aziz Mihliev hoped that the game of cricket would become the popular and fashionable sports in Uzbekistan very soon along with boxing and football, as cricket is being played in 8 provinces of the country at the present.
During an exclusive interview with international sports website www.sports-bulletin.com he added: “There are 13 provinces of Uzbekistan and cricket is being played in the 8 provinces regularly and youth are keen to play cricket at club level. We have an international standard cricket ground in the capital city Tashkent and we are capable of organizing international competitions in our country, “he said.
“At the present 2000 people are attached to cricket and running their affairs smoothly at club level. There are six to 10 cricket clubs in eight provinces. Our major priority is to associate with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to stream-line the cricket affairs at national and international level. We have completed our paper-work regarding ICC and we will be associate member of the top cricket body of the world in next six to seven months, “he replied to a question.
To a question, Aziz said that Kurash, a martial art game, was the national sport of Uzbekistan. “Soccer and boxing are the most popular sports in our country and in some areas Buz-Kush (this is top game in Afghanistan, which is played on horses) is also played regularly. We have a good dedicated and hard working team that is working day and night to uplift the standard of cricket in the country. We are optimistic for the bright future of cricket in Uzbekistan, “he maintained.
“We are not getting any financial support from the government but we have a couple of sponsors, who assist us during the abroad visits and in holding the national events. We will definitely track the government but first we want to take cricket to a certain level then we will ask the government to support us. CFU will manage the technical courses and hire the services of international coaches to enhance the knowledge of our national officials, “he said.
Head of Uzbek cricket said while responding to another question: “This is our first time in Pakistan and playing cricket in an identical atmosphere like our country. Certainly, our players will learn too much during this tour. We are planning to visit Romania, Bangladesh and Malaysia in the near future and we received invitations from there. When our players will play against other international opposition they will improve their game skills, “he concluded.
Amelia Kerr makes huge gains in ICC Women ODI Player Rankings
Aamir Ali Janjua
Dubai (UEA):-New Zealand's star all-rounder Amelia Kerr continued her rise in the MRF Tyres ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings.
New Zealand's Amelia Kerr starred in New Zealand's 4-1 ODI series victory at home against India, which has seen her rise in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings.
Kerr did very well in the final two ODIs of the five-match series against India. In the fourth ODI, which was reduced to a 20-over contest, Kerr scored an unbeaten 68 in only 33 deliveries. In the fifth and final ODI, Kerr scored 68 in 75 balls. Her exploits with the bat have seen her jump up five spots to No.17 in the rankings chart for batters.
Kerr also contributed with a few handy overs in the final two matches. In the fourth match, she returned with figures of 3/30 in 3.5 overs as New Zealand successfully defended a score of 191. In the fifth and final ODI, she registered figures of 1/55 in her 10 overs. This has seen her rankings rise up to No.17 in bowlers, a gain of four positions. She has also broken into the top 5 of the all-rounders' chart, gaining two positions up to No.4. Her form will undoubtedly aid New Zealand, as the hosts aim to clinch their second ICC Women's Cricket World Cup title, beginning March 4.
In other big movements, Amy Satterthwaite dropped down four positions in the batting rankings, down to No.7. She scored a 16-ball 32 in the fourth ODI and 21-ball 12 in the fifth and final contest.
India's Harmanpreet Kaur also gained a spot and rose up to No.20 after scoring a 66-ball 63 in the fifth and final ODI to roar back into form. Her knock helped India win the fifth and final ODI by six wickets.
Deepti Sharma also saw her position rise in the bowling charts, gaining one spot up to No.12. She returned with figures of 1/49 in four overs and 2/42 in 10 overs in the fourth and fifth ODIs respectively. She only scored 9 runs in the fourth ODI and did not bat in the fifth match, which saw her lose one spot in the all-rounders' rankings, down to No.5.
Alyssa Healy continued at the top of the batting charts, while her Australian compatriots Jess Jonassen and Ellyse Perry maintained their status as the No.1 ranked bowler and the No.1 ranked all-rounder respectively.
Shalimar Cricket Academy claim 47 runs victory against Cricket Federation Uzbekistan Team
Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD:-Shalimar Cricket Academy (SCA) defeated Cricket Federation Uzbekistan (CFU) team by 47 runs in a Twenty 20 cricket match at Bhutto cricket ground on Tuesday, as an all-rounder performance by Umer Nawaz Khan (58 runs and 3 for 24) was the major different in the both sides.
CFU won the toss and asked SCA to bat first. The local team scored 179 runs for 8 wickets in their allotted 20 overs, as lion-share was 58 runs by Umer Nawaz, who faced 44 balls and smashed seven four and couple of sixes. Mohammad Afsar Khan contributed 45 runs in his team’s total. He hit three fours and 4 huge sixes during his short but exciting 21 balls innings. Mohammad Shabbir scored 39 runs in 31 balls with 4 fours and a solitary six. Mohammad Nabi (3 for 31), Mohammad Ismail (2 for 15) and Jamal Amin (1 for 39) were the wicket taker bowlers for the Uzbek team.
CFU’s all batters bowled out on 132 runs in 18.4 overs. Shahbaz was top scorer with 39 runs, as he faced 29 balls and hit each two fours and two sixes. Najeeb remained not out with 20 runs. He smashed one four and two sixes. Waqas Shah (3 for 21), Mohammad Amin (3 for 21), Umer Nawaz (3 for 24) and Ahmed Ali (1 for 14) were the wicket taker for the winning team Shalimar Cricket Academy Islamabad.
Summarized Scorecard:
Toss: Uzbekistan won the toss and decided to bowl first
SCA (Batting): 179 for 8 in 20 overs
Umer Nawaz Khan 58 runs (44 balls, 4X7, 6X2), Mohammad Afsar Khan 45 runs (21 balls, 4X3, 6X4), Mohammad Shabbir 39 runs (31 balls), 4X4, 6X1)
CFU (Bowling):
Mohammad Nabi (3 for 31), Mohammad Ismail (2 for 15), Jamal Amin (1 for 39)
CFU (Batting): 132 all out in 18.4 overs
Shahbaz 39 runs (29 balls, 4X2, 6X2), Najeeb 20 runs not out (4X1, 6X2)
SCA (Bowling):
Waqas Shah (3 for 21), Mohammad Amin (3 for 21), Umer Nawaz (3 for 24), Ahmed Ali (1 for 14)
Results: SCA won the match by 47 runs
Player of the Match: Umer Nawaz Khan
Vishnu Solanki advised to seek professional help for grief management
BIPIN DANI
There have been some instances when players have returned to the field after performing last rites of heavenly departed family members.
Last month, Baroda's Ranji Trophy team member, Vishnu Solanki received the news in Cuttack that his wife had given birth to a girl. Obviously, the 29-year-old Solanki's joy knew no bounds as it was his first child in the family.
However, his joy of parenthood did not last long. The next day he was woken up with the news that his one-day daughter is no more in this world. Shaken up, Solanki returned to Baroda, performed last-rites, consoled family members and returned and joined the squad. Not only that, he registered a hundred.
Another tragedy was unfolded again last Sunday. His 75-year-old father passed away in the hospital in Baroda.
Solanki informed the team management he wants to stay and play their last league game of the season, against Hyderabad, starting on March 3. He watched on his mobile the last rites of his father performed by his brother in Baroda.
Now, how would the situation Vishnu be able to deal with?
We posed this question to a sports psychologist Dr. Anusheela Brahmachary.
"Both the unfortunate events may cause short- or long-term trauma in him. Generally, such heart wrenching emotional distress pushes the individual in a phase of post-traumatic stress", the sports-psychologist added.
"As a player, I would assume that Solanki has a strong athletic identity. It may further be accompanied by his sense of duty towards his state team. Such attributes may drive him to resort to his sport as a coping mechanism where he continues to play under severe emotional distress because that is possibly the only way of some solace to him in this condition".
Adding further, she says, "it may also be possible that he is demonstrating avoidant behavior by getting away from the home environment and distracting himself by engaging in his sport which comes with a larger responsibility. Investing into larger causes is used by many to get over grief. Although, this may leave a potential chance of repression due to lack of adequate catharsis that is not recommended".
"It is important to ensure healthy coping mechanisms for him in the present situation. He should be allowed to cope in a customized way that he will feel comfortable about. He should have the liberty of doing things he wishes to and express freely according to his will and comfort. The only thing that should be taken care of is that he does not indulge into any repression or self-harming behavior that can have undesirable consequences".
"The wound is fresh in him and it is expected of him to be in pain. He would potentially feel different emotional and behavioral reactions within himself that are not very usual. If after a span of 10-12 weeks, his functionality and efficiency get disrupted or some significant behavioral changes are noticed, it will be advisable for him to seek professional help for grief management. Some people show delayed reactions to grief and trauma. A keen eye on trauma symptoms is necessarily to be kept to save him from slipping into depression", Anusheela concluded.
PCB includes Pacer Naseem Shah in Test squad
Sports Bulletin Report
RAWALPINDI:-Naseem Shah has been included in the Pakistan squad for the first Test against Australia after Haris Rauf was ruled out after testing positive for Covid-19, as the first Test match of the three-match tie will start from March 4, 2022 at Pindi Cricket Stadium.
According to media department of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB),Haris will remain in isolation for five days and will reintegrate with the squad after a negative test at the end of his isolation period. Following Rauf’s positive test on Tuesday, rest of the squad members and support personnel were retested. All these tests have come out negative.
Squad for first Test: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Iftikhar Ahmed (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shan Masood (Balochistan) and Zahid Mahmood (Sindh)
Uzbek Team beat JJ Cricket Club by five wickets in T20 fixture
Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD:-A 97-run unbreakable partnership for the 5th wicket between Atif Oryakhail (51) and Rehmat Ullah (50) helped Cricket Federation Uzbekistan (CFU) team to defeat JJ Cricket Club Islamabad by five wickets in the first Twenty 20 cricket match of the series at Bhutto cricket ground G-7 Islamabad.
CFU Team won the toss and decided to field first. JJ Club could manage only 156 runs on the board in their allotted 20 overs, as Farma Ullah was major contributor with 59 runs. He hit seven fours during his inning and faced 51 balls. Mohammad Afsar Khan played a sparking innings of 28 runs, as he smashed three fours and couple of sixes in 10 balls innings that amused the spectators and players. Mohammad Khalil contributed 24 runs in the JJ Club’s innings. He faced 22 balls and hit three boundaries. Mirwais Khan claimed three wickets for CFU after conceding 20 runs in his 4 overs.
CFU reached on their target in the 3rd ball of penultimate over of the match and snatched a highly regarded victory. Atif was top scorer with 51 not out runs, as he faced only 30 balls and hit three fours and three huge sixes. His teammate Rehmat Ullah also scored an unbeaten half century with the help of six fours and a big six after wasting 30 balls. Mohammad Afsar Khan got three wickets for JJ Club after conceding 28 runs.
Summarized scorecard:
JJ Club (Batting): 156 for 6 in 20 overs
Farman Ullah 59 (51 balls, 4X7), Mohammad Afsar Khan 28 not out (10 balls, 4X3, 6X2), Mohammad Khalil 24 (22 balls, 4X3)
CFU (Bowling):
Mirwais Khan (3 for 20)
CFU (Batting): 159 for 5 in 18.3 overs
Atif Oryakhail 51 not out (30 balls, 4X3, 6X3), Rehmat Ullah 50 not out (30 balls 4X6, 6X1)
JJ Club (Bowling):
Mohammad Afsar Khan (3 for 28) Salman Nawaz (1 for 24), Farhan Khan (1 for 28)
Umpires: Raja Iftikhar & Shaheen Iqbal
Blinds Cricket: Pakistan stun South Africa by 247 runs in the 2nd One Day International
Sports Bulletin Report
KARACHI:-Hosts Pakistan overpowered South Africa by 247 runs in the 2nd One-Day International of the historical Pakistan-South Africa Blind Cricket series at Southend Cricket Stadium Karachi. Pakistan earned 2-0 unbeatable lead in the 3-match series.
In the morning, the South African Blind Cricket Team won the toss and decided to bowl first. Naseeb Ullah made his debut for Pakistan in this game, he is from Quetta and emerged as a wicketkeeper-batsman.
Debutant Naseeb Ullah and Akmal Hayat opened the innings for Pakistan but both openers got out early after scoring 38 and 14 runs respectively. Pakistan lost 2 wickets for 64 runs, thereafter Riasat Khan and Faisal Mehmood played extremely well and together knitted 436 for the 3rd wicket partnership, which broke the world record of highest partnership in ODIs that was 434 (made by Anees Javed and Amir Ashraf vs England in 2010).
Pakistan made mammoth 554 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in the allotted 40 overs. Riasat Khan made 226 runs off 90 balls while Faisal Mehmood played superbly for his 188 runs off 94 balls. Lwande Bhidla again took 2 wickets for South Africa.
The target of 555 runs was too stiff for South Africa and they made 307 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the stipulated 40 overs. Bhule Bidla was the main run-getter with unbeaten 75* runs off 55 balls with the help of 12 boundaries while Jacob Kotze chipped in with 45 runs. Akmal Hayyat, Riasat Khan, Mohammad Rashid, and Zafar Iqbal claimed a wicket apiece.
Result: Pakistan won by 247 runs
Man of the Match: Riasat Khan
Prof. Arjuna de Silva to personally work with Bhanuka
BIPIN DANI
Prof. Arjuna de Silva, the chairman of the medical panel of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board will personally supervise, guide and monitor the fitness and skin fold level of Bhanuka Rajapaksa.
The 30-year-old top order batter has missed the selection of the India tour after being found to have an excessive skin fold on his body.
Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, Prof. Arjuna said, "I am a big fan of Bhanuka and will take all possible measures to ensure that he retains his fitness as per normal standard any international athlete should have".
Last week, the fans protested at the SLC headquarter to include him in the side.
"There is no time (to make him fit) to join the squad in India but he (Bhanuka) is a player, whom we can rely on for the World Cup and will surely work with his fitness from now onwards".
Even the sports minister Naman Rajapaksha has also hinted at these lines.
"The excessive skin fold can be hereditary but we cannot have an exception for one player. It is also unfair".
Bhanuka's fitness test was recently done and skinfold calipers were used just like everyone else. Unfortunately, he did not meet the minimum standard required.
"Fitness does not guarantee success but it does help with intensity at which one can play and perform continuously. Less fat amounts to less injuries".
"Excessive fat is only useful in Sumo Wrestling, where an athlete can't be pushed out of the ring easily", Prof. de Silva concluded.
Ramiz Raja credits crowds for phenomenal HBL PSL success
Sports Bulletin Report
LAHORE:-Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja has paid a glowing tribute to the Pakistan cricket fans when he credited them for the phenomenal success of HBL Pakistan Super League 7, which culminated on Sunday with Lahore Qalandars winning their maiden title at the Gaddafi Stadium.
PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “There is no doubt that the HBL Pakistan Super League 7 has been a phenomenal success and this is largely due to the fact that we had amazing crowds, both in Karachi and Lahore. In my professional career, I have never seen such charged up, overwhelming, enthusiastic, lively and supportive crowds, particularly in Lahore.
“On behalf of the Pakistan Cricket Board, I thank all the fans who crossed the turnstiles to not only play their significant part in the success of HBL PSL 7, but through our high-definition production showcased Pakistan as a cricket passionate country.
“I would like to thank our sponsors, players, franchises, the medical team, law enforcing agencies, local and provisional administrations, commentators and crew members, and ground staff for their untiring efforts, as well as millions watching on television all around the world who made this HBL PSL a memorable spectacle.
“HBL PSL 7 profits jumped to 71 percent, the most in its history, with each franchise earning around PKR900million, again the most in HBL PSL’s history, and all before the first ball was even bowled.
“For next year, we aspire to take this league to the homes of all franchises and broaden its fan-reach.”
Blind Cricket: Pakistan thrash South Africa by 249 runs in 1st One Day International
Sports Bulletin Report
KARACHI:-Pakistan Blind Cricket team defeated South Africa by a big margin of 249 runs in the 1st One Day International match of three-match tie at Southend Cricket Stadium Karachi on Monday.
South African Blind Cricket Team won the toss and decided to bowl first. Four players from Pakistan and three players from South Africa made One-Day International debut for their sides. Debutant Faisal Mehmood and Ahtesham ul Haq opened the innings from Pakistan and made 108 runs in the first wicket partnership. Mohammad Salman B1 attacked on opponents bowlers, as both Salman and Ahtesham hit centuries and put Pakistan into a formidable position, they scored 132 and 122 runs respectively. Shahzaib Hayder played a brisk inning of 118 runs off 56 balls and took Pakistan's score to 473 runs in stipulated 40 overs for the loss of 4 wickets. Lwande Bhidla took 2 wickets for South Africa.
In reply, chasing the huge target of 474 runs, South Africa lost early wickets and Pakistan bowling ran through the Proteas top and middle order by taking 6 wickets at mere 69 runs. Lwande Bhidla and Buhle Bidla tried to rescue and knitted a partnership of 103 runs for 7th wicket but wasn’t enough to take South Africa home. South Africa was bowled out at 224 runs in 38.4 overs. Lwande Bhidla was the star in the batting as well with 44 runs and Bhule Bidla scored 40 runs. Muhammad Shahzaib was the pick amongst the bowlers for Pakistan by taking 3 wickets, while Mohammad Salman, Shahzaib Haider, Mohsin Khan and Akmal Hayyat claimed a wicket apiece.
Akhtar Anayat Bhugri, Secretary Sports Sindh was the chief guest of the occasion and distributed prizes, he was accompanied by Syed Sultan Shah Chairman PBCC.
Result: Pakistan won by 249 runs
Man of the Match: Mohammad Salman.
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