Sports Bulletin

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga can't forget his first meeting with India’s Nightingale, Lata Mangeshkar, who at the age of 92, passed away in Mumbai on Sunday. Recalling the incident, the ex-captain said, "It was our great pleasure to have played the Charity match to raise funds for her Pune's cancer hospital in 2003. The BCCI's late president Raj Singh Dungarpaur, who had been my friend and an admirer of Lanka cricket had invited us to play the match in Mumbai and we participated". Arjuna Ranatunga had reached the ground in a helicopter from a nearby destination.   "It was the best of things we could do for an ever-enterprising lady. When I informed her that my mother (Nandani) is her great fan and has watched many Indian films in which Lata ji has sung songs, she immediately gave me a set of CDs signed by her and my mother, who is 84 now, still has been listening to her voice". "I am very sad to hear about her passing away. She was not only an icon for India, but internationally famed. Her music touched the hearts of millions of people around the world, and her legacy will live on for many more years through her music", Ranatunga added.

H Shah MANCHESTER:-England Men's Assistant Coach Paul Collingwood has been appointed Interim Head Coach for next month's three-match Test tour of the Caribbean. Collingwood, who took charge of England's T20 tour of the West Indies last month, is currently taking a break in Barbados before joining the touring party when they arrive in Antigua on 25 February, said: "I am genuinely excited to be leading the Test team for the tour of the Caribbean. I can't wait to get started. "Having a challenging Test series against the West Indies straight off the back of the Ashes disappointment gives us a chance from now to reset and rebuild. "Playing Test matches for England is the highest accolade in the game. My objective is to give players clarity, direction and encouragement for them to start building something special. "I have spoken to Joe Root and Ben Stokes, and both are excited and passionate to take the team forward in this new cycle. Although they know it won't be easy, they have the desire and bravery to do things differently to ensure the team can prosper. "We have an opportunity to get back on track." The touring party will be announced on Tuesday afternoon and departs the UK on Thursday 24 February. March 1-4 – Four-day warm-up match at Coolidge Cricket Ground, Antigua March 8-12 – 1st Test, West Indies v England at Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua March 16-20 – 2nd Test, West Indies v England at Kensington Oval, Barbados March 24-28 – 3rd Test: West Indies v England at National Cricket Stadium, Grenada

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Tickets to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 go on sale to the general public, giving fans the opportunity to secure their seats to see the world’s best players from 16 international teams fight for the ultimate prize across Australia from October 16 – November 13. Tickets will go on sale at t20worldcup.com from 1200 Midday (AEDT) on Monday 7 February for all 45 T20 World Cup matches, including the Final, which will be played at the MCG on 13 November 2022. Children’s tickets are available for every First Round and Super 12 match from $5, with adult tickets available at selected matches at each venue from $20. To mark the occasion of tickets going on sale, a new campaign ‘This is the Big Time’ was launched featuring some of the giants of international T20 cricket to showcase the unmissable nature of the most vibrant and action-packed global event Australia will host in 2022.  The larger-than-life concept features stars of the game peering into skyscrapers, emerging from iconic waterways and making the city streets tremble with their imposing size. Australia’s big-hitting Glenn Maxwell, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson and India’s rising star wicketkeeper-batter, Rishabh Pant, feature in the three-part TVC campaign, with Williamson’s released today (February 7) and the Maxwell and Pant versions to be aired later this month. It’s the first time that Australia will host T20 cricket’s global showpiece for men, with matches to be played in Adelaide, Brisbane, Geelong, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney. The fixture for the event was recently announced with the First Round to get underway in Geelong and Hobart featuring former champions West Indies and Sri Lanka, before hosts and defending champions Australia take on New Zealand in the opening match of the Super 12 at the SCG on Saturday 22 October in a re-match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Final. Australian Men’s Captain Aaron Finch said: “The ICC T20 Men’s World Cup is going to be a great spectacle and a huge honour for us to defend the trophy in front of our home fans. “There are so many great sides with the very best players in the world coming to Australia. It’s an amazing opportunity for Australian fans to see the world’s best. “We've felt the power of home crowd support at the 2015 One-Day Cricket World Cup and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup last year. “It will be great to have the whole country behind us and make it another World Cup to remember.” ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 Local Organising Committee CEO Michelle Enright said: “We’ve worked really hard to make families and communities a priority in ensuring the T20 World Cup is accessibly priced, so a family of two adults and two kids will be able to see World Cup cricket in all our host cities from just $50. “There’s nothing bigger in cricket than a World Cup and the T20 format is such a fun, energetic, vibrant celebration of cricket and culture – it really is the big time and that’s exactly what the campaign we are launching today is all about. “To see stars of the game towering over our host cities and making their presence felt through sheer size and entertainment speaks to the impact we want to make with fans. I really hope it puts smiles on faces and gets Australia excited to witness the best players go head-to-head in our own backyard.”

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The Upstox Most Valuable Team of the Tournament has been named with victorious captain Yash Dhull chosen to skipper a line-up of future stars. Overall, eight nations are represented in the 12-strong line up as champions India lead the way with three players included. Pace is provided by the likes of Josh Boyden, Awais Ali and Ripon Mondol with all-rounders Tom Prest and Dunith Wellalage the spin options alongside Vicky Ostwal. South Africa’s Dewald Brevis was announced as the Player of the Tournament for the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in West Indies for his record-breaking run haul. The side was pulled together by a selection panel including commentators Samuel Badree, Natalie Germanos, ICC Match Referee Graeme Labrooy and journalist Sandipan Banerjee. The team of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 (in batting order) is: Haseebullah Khan (WK, Pakistan) Teague Wyllie (Australia) Dewald Brevis (South Africa) Yash Dhull (Captain, India) Tom Prest (England) Dunith Wellalage (Sri Lanka) Raj Bawa (India) Vicky Ostwal (India) Ripon Mondol (Bangladesh) Awais Ali (Pakistan) Josh Boyden (England) Noor Ahmad (Afghanistan)

Javed Iqbal KARACHI:-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director High Performance Nadeem Khan visited Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium on the instructions of PCB Chairman Rameez Raja on Sunday and reviewed the available facilities. He was welcomed by Syed Mohammad Talha, President, Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana and Mohammad Asif, Manager Sports. Nadeem Khan inspected the various parts of the cricket stadium. On this occasion, Syed Mohammad Talha briefed them. He told Nadeem Khan that there were five pitches in the green ground with flood lights. “The pitches for the net practice are different. The pavilion will have a seating capacity of 10,000 spectators. The stadium is nearing completion with a world-class dressing room, fitness gym, swimming pool and 56-room five-star hotel, “he added. Syed Mohammad Talha said: “Chairman Arif Habib is a man who loves sports and that is why he is building Naya Nazimabad as a sports city. The new Nazimabad city will be a hub for the promotion of sports.”  Nadeem Khan expressed satisfaction over the facilities at the stadium. He said that the Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium was a beautiful addition to the city. The stadium would gradually host domestic and international cricket matches next season as soon as the ICC requirements were met.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABADIndia beat England by four wickets to win their fifth ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in the West Indies. The two unbeaten sides met at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda as England went in search of only their second title, but it was India who extended their record of most tournament wins. Raj Bawa took five for 31 as England lost wickets early in their innings before 95 from James Rew restored hope in the push for a first trophy since 1998. It was not to be as both Shaik Rasheed and Nishant Sindhu made fifties before Dinesh Bana crashed back-to-back sixes to seal the win. India dominate England to add another trophy to their cabinet England won the toss and chose to bat with their second-highest run-scorer Jacob Bethell alongside George Thomas who had made a courageous 52 in their semi-final win over Afghanistan. It was a shaky start for Bethell who survived an appeal for caught behind in the second over but fell three balls later as he was dismissed leg before wicket by Ravi Kumar for two. Captain Tom Prest came in at number three but could not add to his 292 runs as he went for a four-ball duck, England’s first of the tournament. Thomas was not deterred by the loss of two of his side’s key wickets as he played attractive strokes and earned a brief reprieve having been dropped on 26. But he too got out before he could have any real impact, caught by Yash Dhull off the bowling of Raj Bawa for 27. James Rew of England plays the ball through midwicket during the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup Final match between England and India at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on February 05, 2022 in Antigua, Antigua and Barbuda. It was left to James Sales to work with Rew to put on England’s highest stand of their innings, adding 93 runs to the total before Rew cruelly missed out on his century. He was caught by Kaushal Tambe for 95 from 116 balls having hit 12 sixes and almost singlehandedly given England a fighting chance. Sales was left stranded on 34 not out as the tail wagged – England were all out for 189 from 44.5 overs as Bawa claimed five for 31, with Kumar almost equally as impressive with four for 34. India’s chase of their modest target got off to the worst possible start as Angkrish Raghuvanshi was caught behind for a second-ball duck, with the right-hander unable to move past Prest to the third-highest run-scorer in the competition. The Men in Blue were able to score at a sedate rate, with Harnoor Singh adding 21 from 46 balls before he too was caught behind. Shaik Rasheed and Dhull looked to repeat their 204-run partnership they put on against Australia in the semi-final, as Rasheed brought up his fifty from 83 balls. However, Sales and Rew combined again this time to dismiss the right-hander with the very next delivery. England detected a chink in the Indian armour, and in Sales’ next over Dhull was caught by George Bell who wheeled away in celebration knowing two new batters were at the crease. However, Nishant Sindhu and Bawa, who has the highest individual score of the tournament with 162 not out, moved India to 164 before Bawa became the fifth wicket to fall. It was going to take something special to defeat India even now as the required runs ticked down to 14 from 23 balls. And something special did arrive, Rehan Ahmed sticking out a hand to stop a near-certain maximum and dismiss Tambe to leave India on 176 for six. But with Sindhu at the crease, England’s task always seemed difficult, he crashed four runs to relieve the pressure England had been building before taking a single to bring up his first half-century in international cricket. Dinesh Bana was in the mood to get the trophy in his hands as early as possible smashing a six off his toes to bring the scores level. Another six followed in the next ball as Bana's teammates raced onto the pitch before the ball had even crossed the rope, knowing victory and the trophy was theirs. ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 placings 1 - India 2 - England 3 - Australia 4 - Afghanistan 5 - Pakistan 6 - Sri Lanka 7 - South Africa 8 - Bangladesh 9 – United Arab Emirates 10 – Ireland 11 – West Indies 12 – Zimbabwe 13 – Uganda 14 – Scotland 15 – Canada 16 – PNG

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Australia men’s cricket team’s tour of Pakistan got a big thumbs-up from compatriots Ben Dunk and James Faulkner, who said the visitors will enjoy the atmosphere, the fanatic fans and a quality  opposition during their tour for three Tests, three ODIs and a one-off T20I from 4 March to 5 April. “I’ve been fortunate enough to speak to a few of the guys who are planning on coming over here. It’s certainly different to what we are used to at home. But, it’s important that cricket does come back to Pakistan and you get to play at home like you play away. “So, for the boys that are coming out, I think they can expect to a population that loves cricket and good performances, whether they're from the home team or the away team. It would just be an amazing thing for world cricket,” Dunk, who played five T20Is for Australia and a Lahore Qalandars’ regular, told PCB digital. Faulkner, who played a Test, 69 ODIs and 24 T20Is for Australia and is presently representing Quetta Gladiators in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2022, backed Dunk when he said: “I'm excited to watch Australia play Pakistan. “There are going to be challenging wickets in the Test matches to feature two very good teams.  I am sure the Australian players are going to be tested and will enjoy playing against some quality players. “It has been a long time since Australia came to Pakistan. In fact, it was probably the same year I came over for an under-19 trip when I was 17. I think it is important for cricket to be back in Pakistan, hence, why I’m here as well. I have traveled all around the world, so there is no exception for me not to come here.” On Friday, the CA Board approved their national men’s team’s first tour of Pakistan in 24 years, while a day before on Thursday, Test captain Pat Cummins confirmed most players were comfortable with the tour going ahead. “I think it’s great for cricket in general. Having played here in Pakistan for almost four years, I've got to experience a bit of the culture. “Certainly before COVID, the crowds and the atmosphere that would flood into our games. So, I'm hoping the COVID situation allows as many fans to get into the grounds as possible because I think it would be a really amazing atmosphere for a lot of the Australian players to experience,” Dunk said. Dunk echoed Faulkner’s views and agreed major Test playing nations needed to do more to ensure the smaller nations get enough Test cricket to survive and grow. “It’s hugely important that some of the more established Test playing nations lift their weight and help out the other Test playing nations that aren’t as fortunate. We’re seeing quite often around the world that some of the smaller Test playing nations aren't getting enough cricket to survive.”

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Southern Punjab Blues defeated Northern Blues by five wickets to top Group B and qualify for Monday’s final in the National U16 Cup against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites, which had topped Group A on Friday. Southern Punjab not only needed to beat Northern but also had to improve their net run-rate. And they achieved both with success as they first dismissed Norrhern for 190 and then achieved the target for the loss of five wickets in 43.3 overs. This meant Southern Punjab finished with a net run-rate of 0.93, while Northern ended with a net run-rate of 0.78. The stars of Southern Punjab’s win were Mohammad Jansher, who took four for 40, and batters Sameeer Akhtar (45), Zain Arshad (41) and Mohammad Saqib (35 not out). For Northern, Mohammad Bilal was the top scorer with 58, while Syed Ali Mehdi scored 53. With the ball. Mohammad Nabeel took three for 38. At the Multan Cricket Stadium, Farhan Yousuf scored 84 not out with 12 fours and a six as Central Punjab Blues achieved the 172-run target in 33.3 overs to defeat Sindh Blues by seven wickets. The result meant Central Punjab finished third with five wins, while Sindh finished with two wins in fourth place. Sindh Blues’ 171 for seven revolved around Syed Yahya Shah and Sufyan Usmani, who scored 66 and 51, respectively. Mohammad Usman took two for 38. At the Divisional Sports Ground, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues defeated Balochistan Blues by 108 runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finished fifth, while Balochistan Blues remained winless in the tournament. Batting first Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were all out for 195 in 45 overs with Shahzaib Khan top-scoring with 59, Usman Khan contributing 29 and Mian Yousuf Shah chipping in 28. Talha Shakir, Bakhtiyar, Syed Yasir Shah and Anees Khan took two wickets each. In turn, Balochistan Blues were dismissed for 89 in 22.1 overs with Abdul Saboor top-scoring with 46. Ahmed Hussain was the most successful bowler with four for 19, while Mohammad Ubaidullah took three for 11. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab Blues beat Northern Blues by five wickets at MCC Cricket ground Northern Blues 190 all out, 45 overs (Mohammad Bilal 58, Syed Ali Mehdi 53, Mohammad Jansher 4-30, Inamullah 2-13, Salman Ahmed 2-46) Southern Punjab Blues 192-5, 43.3 overs (Sameer Akhtar 45, Zain Arshad 41, Mohammad Saqib 35 not out, Sameer Ahmed 22; Mohammad Nabeel 3-38) Central Punjab Blues beat Sindh Blues by seven wickets at Multan Cricket Stadium Sindh Blues 171 for seven, 42 overs (Syed Yahya Shah 66, Sufyan Usmani 51, Saifullah Khan 21; Mohammad Usman 2-38) Central Punjab Blues 173-3, 33.3 overs (Farhan Yousuf 84 not out, Mohammad Areeb 34 not out; Mawaz Zahid 2-33) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues beat Balochistan Blues by 108 runs at Divisional Sports Complex, Multan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues 197 all out, 45 overs (Shahzaib Khan 59, Usman Khan 29, Mian Yousuf Shah 28; Talha Shakir 2-25, Bakhtiyar 2-31, Syed Yasir Shah 2-34, Anees Khan 2-38) Balochistan Blues 89 all out, 22.1 overs (Abdul Saboor 46; Ahmed Hussain 4-19, Mohammad Ubaidullah 3-11)

Jamil Siraj CANBERRA (Australia):-Cricket Australia (CA) has accepted men’s team head coach Justin Langer’s resignation, as he (Justin) was offered a short-term extension to his current contract, which sadly he has opted not to accept. CA would like to thank Justin for his outstanding leadership since he became Australian men’s team coach in 2018 and for guiding the team to the T20 World Cup title last year and the 4-0 Ashes victory. Justin is not only a legend of the game but an outstanding individual. The contract extension offered to Justin was the result of a thorough review process that evaluated many factors including future requirements of the team and the upcoming extensive schedule of fixtures. The extension was approved by the CA Board and was put to Justin last night. It included the opportunity to defend the T20 World Cup title in Australia at the end of this year. Justin informed CA this morning he was not accepting the offer and would resign with immediate effect. Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said: “Justin has been an outstanding coach of the Australian men’s team over the past four years.  “He has restored the trust in the team and his legacy is assured. “We are extremely proud of his achievements since he took over in 2018, including the recent T20 World Cup victory and Ashes success. “We are naturally disappointed Justin has decided against continuing as coach but respect his decision and wish him all the best in the future. “I would like to sincerely thank Justin and also his family for all that they have given to Australian cricket over the past four years, for which we remain eternally grateful.” Andrew McDonald has been appointed as interim head coach.

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's Under-19 captain Dunith Wellalage is being criticized for inviting Pakistan to bat first, but it was not his sole decision, it is learnt. "It was decided in the team meeting to field first if the toss is won", one of the sources, speaking exclusively over the telephone said after the match, which Pak team won comfortably. "Mahela Jayawardene was not a part of this decision", the source also confirmed. "Mahela, the consultant, left for Colombo a few days before. He has so many other things to do", the source added. "One of his main tasks is to fill the coaching vacancies for various teams". Former Sri Lankan cricketer Naveed Nawaz is likely to be the key contender. The 48-year-old Naveed, who played one Test and three ODIs is a coach for the Bangladesh U-19 team and was already interviewed. "He was invited by the team management for a meal when Mahela was in the West Indies. However, no proper discussion on his appointment took place in the presence of other coaching staff and Sri Lankan commentator Russel Arnold and the match referee-Graham Labrooy were also present", the source further added.  Sri Lanka's U-19 team was originally booked to leave for Colombo on 6th February, however, the team management is awaiting the ICC plan for a pre-boned departure by a day, it is learnt.   According to the sources in the Caribbean Islands, if the bookings and seats are available in British Airways flight for 5th February the team may not wait there to watch India's final against England on Saturday. The team is scheduled to arrive in Colombo from Antigua via Gatwick and Doha.