Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report KARACHI:-Sidra Amin scored the second century of her ODI career as Pakistan sealed a 2-0 series win with a match to spare in the ICC Women’s Championship encounter against Sri Lanka at the Southend Club, Karachi on Friday. After recording a comprehensive eight-wicket win in the first match on Wednesday, the Sidra inspired Pakistan produced an all-round show to record a thumping 73-run win. Sidra’s commanding batting performance was followed by another outstanding spell by young pacer Fatima Sana who took four Sri Lankan wickets. Sri Lanka were never quite in the hunt of the 254-run target. Openers Hasini Perera (14) and captain Chamari Athapaththu (16) were sent back with only 31 runs on the board in 12.1 overs. The visitors failed to break the shackles and lost wickets as they attempted to up the scoring rate. Hansima Karunaratne (27) and Prasadani Weerakkody (20) consumed 101 balls in the middle overs. Kavisha Dilhari who scored an unbeaten 49 in the first match scored 32 off 35 balls (two fours) but her departure via a stump out in the 39th over drew curtains to Sri Lanka’s efforts. The visitors kept losing wickets as the lower-order succumbed to probing bowling by Pakistan bowlers. Fatima Sana, who had accounted for Perera in her opening spell dismissed Oshadi Ranasinghe and Sachini Nisansala off successive balls in the 42nd over. Fatima Sana added her fourth when she dismissed Nilakshi de Silva for 17. Fatima Sana finished with four wickets for 26 in her 10 overs, she bowled three maidens. Omaima Sohail took two for 35. Sri Lanka finished their 50 overs at 180 for nine. Earlier, for the first time on the tour, Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof won the toss and opted to bat first. Sidra and Muneeba Ali combined to post Pakistan’s first-ever century plus opening-stand in ODIs. The two were involved in a 158-run partnership which comfortably beat the previous best of 96 between Javeria Khan and Nahida Khan against England at Kuala Lumpur in 2019. The left-handed Muneeba registered the second fifty of her ODI career. She was dismissed by Oshadi Ranasinghe for 56 off 100 balls (three fours). Sidra reached the second century of her career on the 137th ball of her innings. The seasoned batter who had scored 76 in the first match produced another dazzling display to dominate the Sri Lankan attack. Sidra went past her previous best of 104 and was just 10 runs shy of Pakistan’s all-time highest ODI score (133 by Javeria Khan) when she was dismissed for 123 (150 ball, 11 fours). Sidra added 74 runs for the second-wicket with Bismah. She has now joined Javeria as Pakistan most prolific ODI century scorer (two each). Bismah who remained unbeaten on 36 off 43 balls, went past Javeria’s tally of 2885 runs to reach the top of Pakistan women’s run-getters list in the ODI format when she reached 31. Nida Dar scored 10 off seven including a four off the last ball to help the hosts get past the 250-run mark. The third and final ODI will be played on Sunday. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 73 runs Pakistan 253 for 2, 50 overs (Sidra Amin 123, Muneeba Ali 56, Bismah Maroof 36 not out; Kavisha Dilhari 1-43 Sri Lanka 180 for 9, 50 overs (Harshitha Madavi 41, Kavisha Dilhari 32; Fatima Sana 4-26, Omaima Sohail 2-35) Player-of-the-match: Sidra Amin

Sports Bulletin Report MULTAN:-To mark the return of international cricket to the City of Saints – Multan – the Pakistan Cricket Board has set affordable ticket prices for the fans to watch their superstars in action during the upcoming three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League One-Day Internationals against the West Indies. The ticket prices range from PKR300 to PKR500 for the three matches to be played on 8, 10 and 12 June at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The Fans can book their tickets online and physically for the ODI series. Online tickets will be available on www.Bookme.pk whereas physical tickets will be available at designated stores of M&P and mobile vans located at Fatima town, Guslhat town and Kacheri chowk. The General tickets which include Elahi Brothers, Hanif Mohammad, Mushtaq Ahmed and Wasim Akram enclosures will be available for PKR300. The Premium category tickets for the Fazal Mahmood Enclosure, Imran Khan Enclosure, Javed Miandad Enclosure and Zaheer Abbas Enclosure are set at PKR500.  

BIPIN DANI South Africa's 19-year-old fast-bowler Thando Ntini, who took one-month coaching sessions from Rohit Sharma's childhood coach Dinesh Lad, says he is very much satisfied on being coached by a well-experienced coach and a lot of improvement in his own technique.  Speaking exclusively over the telephone before returning to his country on Wednesday, he said, "Coach Lad is phenomenal at what he does and understands the player very well. I have already seen plenty of improvements but excited for plenty more growth".  Incidentally, Thando Ntini is a son of Makhaya Ntini, who played 101 Tests, 173 ODIs and 10 T-20Is.   Thando Ntini had been in Mumbai since April 29.  "I had decided on coming to India to work on my cricket as it’s the biggest hub for producing and growing young cricketers. Also India has top coaches who shaped better both my knowledge and my game on and off the field".  The national academy program ( South Africa Emerging ) was not happening this year so I took matters into my own hands to upskill myself and not just sit at home". "This was also a great opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and be in a completely new space and environment and train and learn outside my country", he signed off.   

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The stage is set for the beginning of qualification for the inaugural edition of next year’s ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa, setting the tone for an exciting build up where the future stars of the women’s game will showcase their talents in front of the world. The ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup on South African soil sees back-to-back women’s events take place in the space of two months where the stars of tomorrow are followed by the icons of today’s game in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. The 16-team U19 Women’s T20 World Cup takes place in January 2023 and will include 11 Full Member nations Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe already confirmed as automatic qualifiers. An additional four spots will be determined by a regional qualification process where 19 teams across four regions will battle it out, with the winner of each qualifier confirming their place in the World Cup. Completing the line-up the remaining fifth spot in South Africa is automatically awarded to USA by virtue of being the sole Associate Member nation eligible to compete under the ICC’s Event Pathway Participation Criteria in the Americas region. Starting the Road to South Africa 2023 the first of the four regional events takes place in Asia, where Malaysian venues Kinrara Oval and YSD-UKM Oval, Universiti Kebangsaan in Kuala Lumpur will play host to the first ever U19 Women’s T20 World Cup qualification event. In the space of seven days between 3 and 9 June, 15 matches will be played as the hosts welcome young stars from Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand, Qatar and UAE, with the winner confirming their place in the World Cup. The U19 Women’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will also play an important role in the 100% Cricket Year of Women’s Cricket which was launched on International Women’s Day this year and aims to increase the visibility of women’s cricket, build heroes and connect more cricket fans with the women’s game. ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said “We are thrilled to be able to support the development of young female players by holding the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa on the eve of the senior event. The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has been the stepping stone for so many of the world’s best male players, so we are excited to see how the inaugural U19 women’s edition will drive the growth of women’s cricket and showcase the future stars of the game. “We look forward to working with Cricket South Africa and to celebrate another important milestone in the development of the women’s game.” Speaking on the upcoming Asia Qualifier in Malaysia, Asia Regional Development Manager Aminul Islam remarked “We are embarking on a very exciting journey where we will see some of the most promising young female talent in Asia competing in Malaysia this week. The participating teams are all hopeful of making history by competing at the first-ever ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, and there’s no question we will see some excellent cricket take place to determine who qualifies. Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe automatically qualify for the event, with the remaining five spots available through Regional Qualifiers.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Following a transparent and fair tender process, ARY Communications has won live-streaming rights in Pakistan region for the three ODIs against the West Indies and seven Twenty20 Internationals against England. The three ODIs will be played in Multan on 8, 10 and 12 June, while schedule of the September T20Is will be announced in due course. PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain: “We are pleased with the sale of live-streaming rights for Pakistan region for the three ODIs against the West Indies and seven T20Is against England. The latest agreement, which has seen a significant surge from the 2021-22 deal, reflects the value of Pakistan cricket and the earnings from this partnership will be reinvested into cricket. “I want to congratulate ARY for winning the live-streaming rights and delighted that our partnership, which commenced in 2016 when they won the franchise rights for the HBL Pakistan Super League, continues to grow and get stronger.” ARY Digital Founder and CEO Salman Iqbal: “ARY Communications is proud to become the official live streaming partner of the Pakistan Cricket Board for the upcoming white-ball series with West Indies and England. I am extremely proud of the fact that ARY Communications has, once again, submitted the highest financial bid in a transparent and public PCB bid process. “As pioneers of innovation in the broadcast industry, we have focused on evolving with the needs of today and we are very excited to introduce ARY ZAP - our super application - to our fans. We hope that the Pakistan Cricket will be part of the some very exciting cricket in the lead up to this year’s ICC T20 World Cup.”

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The road to the biggest ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 commences in June with the first qualifying events taking place in Europe. European Sub Regional Qualifiers in Belgium and Finland mark the first step towards the 2024 event and will also feature a record 28 teams vying for qualification from the region The road to the biggest ever ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024 commences in June with the first qualifying events taking place in Europe. These events mark the first step in the qualification process, eventually culminating in a record 20 teams competing at the landmark event in the USA and West Indies in 2024. Over the next two years, teams from across the globe will battle it out in 15 pathway events, all with an eye on sealing a place on the world stage. 68 nations start their journey at Sub Regional Qualifiers, with 28 teams entering at a later stage once the outcomes of this year’s event in Australia are confirmed and the automatic qualifiers for 2024 are known. The teams seeking to progress from the first step will be spread across 10 Sub Regional Qualifiers; 16 teams from Africa (two events), eight teams from the Americas (one event), nine teams from Asia (two events), seven teams from EAP (two events) in addition to the 28 teams competing from Europe across their three events. ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley said: “We are delighted to see a record number of teams competing for places at ICC events as the Men’s T20 World Cup pathway begins in Europe. The T20 format continues to drive the growth of the game and over the next two years we will see new teams competing in ICC events for the very first time. “A very warm welcome to Hungary, Romania and Serbia who are making their debut and thanks to Cricket Belgium and Cricket Finland for playing host to a record number of teams at this stage in qualification. I would like to wish all the competing teams every success as they begin their journey towards the USA and West Indies in 2024.” Europe C Qualifier (Host – Belgium): Dates - 28 June - 4 July Participating Teams - (8 teams) Belgium, Denmark, Gibraltar, Hungary, Israel, Malta, Portugal, Spain Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe A Qualifier Host - Finland Dates - 12 - 19 July Participating Teams – (10) Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Greece, Isle of Man, Italy, Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Turkey Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe B Qualifier Host - Finland Dates - 24 - 31 July Participating Teams - (10) Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Guernsey, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional EAP A Qualifier Host - Vanuatu Dates - 9 - 15 September Participating Teams - (4) Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional EAP B Qualifier Host - Japan Dates - 15 - 18 October Participating Teams - (3) Indonesia, Japan, South Korea Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa A Qualifier Host - TBC Dates - 15 - 24 November Participating Teams – (8) Botswana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi Event - ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Africa B Qualifier Host - TBC Dates - 30 November - 6 December Participating Teams – (8) Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda St. Helena, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania Match Schedules (all times local): ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe C Qualifier (Belgium) 28 June 2022 Belgium v Gibraltar (Group 1), 11h00, Ghent Oval; Spain v Malta (Group 2) 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; Denmark v Hungary (Group 1), 16h00, Ghent Oval; Portugal v Israel (Group 2), 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 29 June 2022 Malta v Portugal (Group 2), 11h00, Ghent Oval; Gibraltar v Denmark (Group 1), 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; Israel v Spain (Group 2), 16h00, Ghent Oval; Hungary v Belgium (Group 1), 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 1 July 2022 Spain v Portugal (Group 2), 11h00, Ghent Oval; Hungary v Gibraltar (Group 1), 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; Malta v Israel (Group 2), 16h00, Ghent Oval; Denmark v Belgium (Group 1), 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club  2 July 2022 SF1 - Group 1 (3rd) v Group 2 (4th), 11h00, Ghent Oval; SF2 - Group 1 (1st) v Group 2 (2nd), 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club; SF3 - Group 2 (3rd) v Group 1 (4th), 16h00, Ghent Oval SF4 - Group 2 (1st) v Group 1 (2nd) 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 4 July 2022 7th Place Play Off - Loser SF1 v Loser SF3, 11h00, Ghent Oval 3rd Place Play Off - Loser SF2 v Loser SF4, 11h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club 5th Place Play Off - Winner SF1 v Winner SF3, 16h00, Ghent Oval Final - Winner SF2 v Winner SF4, 16h00, Royal Brussels Cricket Club ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe A Qualifier (Finland) 12 July 2022 Italy v Greece (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Isle of Man v Cyprus (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Sweden v Finland (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Romania v Turkey (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 13 July 2022  Cyprus v Romania (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Croatia v Sweden (Group 1) 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Serbia v Isle of Man (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Finland v Italy (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 15 July 2022 Italy v Sweden (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Turkey v Serbia (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Greece v Croatia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Romania v Isle of Man (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 16 July 2022 Serbia v Romania (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Greece v Finland (Group 1), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Turkey v Cyprus (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Croatia v Italy (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 18 July 2022 Sweden v Greece (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Cyprus v Serbia (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Finland v Croatia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Isle of Man v Turkey (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 19 July 2022 7th Place Play Off, Group 1 (4th) v Group 2 (4th), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground 3rd Place Play Off, Group 1 (2nd) v Group 2 (2nd), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 5th Place Play Off, Group 1 (3rd) v Group 2 (3rd), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground Final, Group 1 (1st) v Group 2 (1st), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground ICC Men's T20 World Cup Sub Regional Europe B Qualifier (Finland) 24 July 2022 Austria v Luxembourg (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Norway v Estonia (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Guernsey v Bulgaria (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; France v Czech Republic (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 25 July 2022 Czech Republic v Norway (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Slovenia v Austria (Group 1), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Switzerland v France (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Luxembourg v Guernsey (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 27 July 2022 Guernsey v Austria (Group 1),11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Estonia v Switzerland (Group 2), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Bulgaria v Slovenia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Norway v France (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 28 July 2022 Switzerland v Norway (Group 2), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Bulgaria v Luxembourg (Group 1), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Estonia v Czech Republic (Group 2), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Slovenia v Guernsey (Group 1), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 30 July 2022 Austria v Bulgaria (Group 1), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; Czech Republic v Switzerland (Group 2) 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground; Luxembourg v Slovenia (Group 1), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground; France v Estonia (Group 2), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 31 July 2022 7th Place Play Off - Group 1 (4th) v Group 2 (4th), 11h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground 3rd Place Play Off - Group 1 (2nd) v Group 2 (2nd), 11h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground 5th Place Play Off - Group 1 (3rd) v Group 2 (3rd), 16h00, Tikkurila Cricket Ground Final - Group 1 (1st) v Group 2 (1st), 16h00, Kerava National Cricket Ground

BIPIN DANI There has been no move to move the next edition of the Asia Cup out of Sri Lanka, it is learnt. According to highly placed sources, the Asia Cup is likely to be played in Sri Lanka soon after the Lanka Premier League (LPL) this year.   Owing to the ongoing crisis and frequent power cuts and widespread shortages in Sri Lanka, the speculation was rife that it would be shifted to the UAE or Bangladesh.  However, according to the discussions the SLC officials (the president and the CEO), who were in India to watch the IPL final had a few meetings with the BCCI officials and it is learnt that they were able to convince the officials to host the Asia Cup as scheduled in Sri Lanka. The BCB president Nazmul Hassan Pappon too was in India and had not voiced his concern if the tournament was held in Sri Lanka and has not even pushed for the shift of the Asia Cup to Bangladesh. The possibility of shifting the Asia Cup in the UAE is ruled out considering the extreme hot conditions in August in the UAE. At present the SLC is concentrating on the forthcoming bilateral home series against Australia and Australia A teams. The Asia Cup is still a few months away.  The media reports of Sri Lanka playing two T-20I matches against India in the UAE to raise funds are not confirmed yet and no such matches are planned before the completion of the Asia Cup, it was confirmed by one of the officials aware about the scenario.    

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-The Pakistan national men’s team will begin their preparations for the three ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches against the West Indies from Thursday. Schedule of media opportunities: 1 June – Pakistan captain Babar Azam will be available to electronic media from 1300 and print media from 1320 at the press conference hall of the Gaddafi Stadium’s Far End Building. The players will assemble in Lahore and no training is scheduled on the day. 2 June – Pakistan vice-captain Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi will be available to media from 1300 till 1400 at the press conference hall of the Gaddafi Stadium’s Far End Building. The national side will hold a training session from 1430 till 2000 at the LCCA ground. 3 June – The national side will train at the LCCA ground from 1800 till 2330. 4 June – Head coach Saqlain Mushtaq will hold a media talk at 1330 at the LCCA ground. The national side will train at the LCCA ground from 1430 till 2000 5 June – The national side will depart for Multan.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's former opening batter Charith Senanayake has been appointed as the manager for the "A" team. The 59-year-old Senanayake will manage the home team against the visiting Australian "A" team to play two one-day and two four-day games in Sri Lanka during a bumper all-format Aussie tour in June-July. Managing the Sri Lankan team and players has not been the first time Senanayake would be doing so. He was the manager of the national team which beat Australia 3-0 in a Test series. More importantly, he was instrumental in swapping captains at the 2012 T-20 World Cup, following which the ICC was forced to change the rules.  In 2012, Sri Lanka switched the captaincy in its last World T-20 group match against England to avoid Mahela Jayawardene being banned for repeated slow over rate after the win against West Indies, and faced one match suspension. To ensure this, it was Senanayake, who asked Sangakkara to toss the coin (the scorecard mentioned Sanga was the official captain) but Jayawardene to lead the team on field. Unlike now, the ICC rules then didn't make any reference to switching captains before any international match.   Senanayake has also worked with current coach Avishka Gunawardene and toured Jamaica, Bangladesh previously.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-Pakistan spinners Anam Amin and Nida Dar have made notable gains in the latest weekly update to the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings after some fine performances in their three-match home series against Sri Lanka. Left-arm spinner Amin, who grabbed three for 21 in the first match and finished with four wickets in the series, has moved up two places to fourth position, just one off her career-best ranking of third attained in 2016 and 2018. Nida, who has also had a career-best third position in the past, is up four places to 10th. Medium-pacer Fatima Sana is another one to progress in the bowlers’ rankings, moving up seven positions to 73rd while Nida is also up two places to seventh among all-rounders. Sri Lanka medium-pacer Oshadi Ranasinghe’s haul of six wickets in the series has lifted her 18 places to a career-best 38th position. Sugandika Kumari (up 19 places to 46th) and Kavisha Dilhari (up 13 places to 59th) have also gained in the latest update. Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof, who was named Player of the Match in the final T20I, has returned to the ranking for batters in 24th position with an aggregate of 60 runs. Ayesha Naseem’s Player of the Match effort of 45 not out off 31 balls in the second match has helped her move up 16 places to 64th. The Sri Lanka batters to advance include left-hander Harshitha Madavi (up two places to 74th), Hasini Perera (up 18 places to 87th) and Nilakshi de Silva (up 22 places to joint-92nd). The upcoming ODI series between the two teams starting Wednesday kicks off the ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) and provides players a chance to move up the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings. Maroof goes into the series ranked 26th and is one of five Pakistan players in the top 50 for batters, while spinner Nashra Sundhu (14th) is among four Pakistan bowlers in the top 50.