Sports Bulletin

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (December 30, 2021):-Although Covid-19 pandemic continued to affect sport events around the globe, the Pakistan Cricket Board successfully delivered 267 matches in 10 tournaments in the 2021 calendar year. These include Pakistan Cup 2021, HBL PSL 6, Cricket Associations T20, National T20, Cricket Associations Championship, National U19 Championship, National U19 Cup, Cricket Associations Challenge, Pakistan Women’s Cup and the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had a stellar calendar year when they swept the Pakistan Cup, National T20 and Quaid-e-Azam Trophy titles. Sindh dominated the Cricket Association tournaments by winning the 50-over, T20 and three-day tournaments, while Southern Punjab U19 Whites and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues shared the pathway event titles. Multan Sultans lifted the glittering HBL Pakistan Super League trophy in Abu Dhabi, whereas PCB Challengers retained the PCB Pakistan Women’s Cup crown. At the start of the year in January, the 33-match Pakistan Cup was held across three Karachi venues. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lifted the trophy with a seven-wicket win over Central Punjab at the State Bank Stadium. Central Punjab’s Tayyab Tahir was the top run-getter, scoring 666 from 12 matches at 60.55. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Asif Afridi topped the bowling charts with 25 scalps from 12 outings in the tournament. PCB marquee event, the HBL Pakistan Super League, commenced in Karachi but was postponed after 14 matches before the remaining 20 matches were held in Abu Dhabi. Multan Sultans, led by Mohammad Rizwan, won their maiden title, beating Peshawar Zalmi by 47 runs. Pakistan’s all-format captain and Karachi Kings’ linchpin Babar Azam topped the batting charts, scoring 554 runs from 11 matches at 69.25. Young sensation right-arm fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani representing Multan Sultans took 20 wickets from 11 matches. Quetta’s Bugti Stadium hosted the 15-match Cricket Associations T20 tournament from 15 September to 22 September. Sindh, with four wins in five matches, won the competition. Right-handed batter Aamer Azmat representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa scored 242 runs from four matches and remained the top run-getter in the tournament. The 20-year old Zaman Khan from Northern topped the bowling charts, taking nine wickets from three matches. The National T20 was held in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 23 September to 13 October. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defeated Central Punjab by seven wickets at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore to lift the trophy. The right-handed batter Sahibzada Farhan representing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was the top run-getter, scoring 447 from 12 matches at 40.64. In the bowling charts, Imran Khan Snr from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa topped the table with 16 wickets from 12 matches. Cricket Associations Championship (three-day event) was held across different venues of Punjab from 29 September to 14 November. The 30-match tournament was won by Sindh after topping the points table with 34 points. Balochistan’s right-handed batter Muhammad Azeem Ghumman topped the batting charts, scoring 890 runs from 10 matches. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Zohaib Khan took 30 wickets from nine matches, registering two five-wicket hauls in an innings. The 15-match Cricket Associations Challenge was held in three Punjab cities and was won by Sindh. In the batting department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Aamer Azmat was the top run-getter with 335 runs from five matches at 67. In the bowling department, Central Punjab’s Mohammad Irfan Jnr took nine wickets from five outings and remained top wicket-taker in the tournament. In pathway cricket, 12-team National U19 Championship (three-day event) was held from 10 October to 19 November in different parts of the country. The four-day final, which was staged at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, was won by Southern Punjab U19 Whites, who defeated Central Punjab U19 Blues by two wickets. Southern Punjab Whites’ Mohammad Shehzad topped the batting charts, scoring 829 from six matches at 92.11. Right-arm off-spinner Arham Nawab representing Central Punjab U19 Blues grabbed 30 wickets from six matches. The National U19 Cup was held from 14 October to 14 November at different parts of the country. The final was staged at the Pindi Cricket Stadium and was won by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues who defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites by 43 runs. Central Punjab U19 Whites’ Azan Awais remained top run-getter, scoring 313 from five matches at 78.25. Sindh U19 Blues’ Khawaja Mohammad Hafeez bagged 16 wickets from five outings in the tournament, with one five-wicket haul in an innings. The Pakistan Women’s Cup was staged from 9 September to 21 September in Karachi. The day-night final was won by PCB Challengers who defeated PCB Blasters by 68 runs at the National Stadium in Karachi. Aliya Riaz representing PCB Dynamites scored 364 from seven matches at 60.67. The right-arm off-spinner Nida Dar from PCB Blasters topped the bowling charts, taking 14 wickets from seven outings. The 31-match Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 was hosted in different parts of the country from 20 October to 29 December. The pink-ball final, held at the National Stadium in Karachi, was won by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who defeated Northern by 169 runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s captain Iftikhar Ahmed for his all-round performance (102 and 25, two wickets) was declared the player of the match. In the batting charts, Northern’s Mohammad Huraira was the top run-getter, scoring 986 from 11 matches at 58. In the bowling charts, Southern Punjab’s left-arm spinner Ali Usman picked 43 wickets from nine matches, registering two five-wicket hauls in an innings.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have one hand on the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy after a commanding performance on day-four of the five-day, day-night final of the 2021-22 edition at the National Stadium, Karachi on Tuesday. After winning the first innings points race besides a 118-run lead, the Iftikhar Ahmed-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reached 152 for five at close of play in their second innings, an overall advantage of 270 runs with five second wickets in hand. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were in a spot of bother at dinner at 69 for four. In the final session of play, they lost the wicket of Asif Afridi after a dogged 60-ball 15. But an unbroken 49-run sixth-wicket stand between captain Iftikhar Ahmed (20 not out) and wicketkeeper Rehan Afridi (42 not out, 61 balls, five fours, one six) took Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to a formidable position by close of play. Earlier, eleven wickets fell in the first two sessions on Tuesday. After losing four wickets in relatively quick succession before the tea break, Northern lost three more in a jiffy after the break, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their first four till the dinner break with Fakhar Zaman blazing away with 50 off 53 balls (nine fours, one six) before falling to pacer Musa Khan minutes before the end of the session. Northern took tea at 255 for seven after resuming their first innings at 184 for three. Despite losing Sarmad Bhatti for 57 (157 balls, three fours) Northern were well placed at 220 for three before a sensational spell on the eve of the tea break by Mohammad Wasim Jnr turned the match on its head. The Waziristan-born pacer took three wickets in the space of 10 balls to leave Northern reeling, Wasim dismissed Faizan Riaz (30) and Mubasir Khan (0) in the same over before getting rid of Rohail Nazir courtesy an outstanding catch in the slips by Kamran Ghulam. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s stunning afternoon continued post tea-break as Northern folded for an addition of a mere one-run. They were bowled out for 256 in 83.2 overs handing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a 118-run first innings lead and more importantly four bowling points. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected a total of seven first innings points while Northern had to settle for four, if the match ends in a draw on day-five (tomorrow), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be declared winners due to their higher first innings points tally. Northern need an outright win to secure the trophy. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 374 all out, 118.2 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 102, Kamran Ghulam 72, Asif Afridi 68; Mubasir Khan 4-52, Waqas Ahmed 3-94) and 152 for 5, 54 overs (Fakhar Zaman 50, Rehan Afridi 42 not out; Musa Khan 2-37) Northern 256 all out, 83.2 overs (Haider Ali 81, Sarmad Bhatti 57, Mohammad Huraira 51; Sajid Khan 4-54, Mohammad Wasim Jnr 4-65) First innings points: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Seven. Northern – Four.

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-Eoin Morgan is best known for leading England to ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 glory but after scoring a hatful of runs when representing Ireland, he is the leading run scorer in ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cups. Eoin Morgan is best known for leading England to ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 glory but after scoring a hatful of runs when representing Ireland, he is the leading run scorer in ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cups. Morgan would become Ireland’s youngest ever senior international but before that he starred in both the 2004 and 2006 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cups. Morgan’s first World Cup game came against the West Indies and batting at No.3 he managed just five runs from 16 balls as Ireland came agonisingly close to an upset. The men in green were six runs short of chasing down the West Indies’ 265 for eight with Kevin O’Brien’s 95 not enough to get them over the line. Morgan fared little better next time out, scoring 12 in a heavy eight-wicket defeat to Pakistan before misfiring against Papua New Guinea, as he was trapped lbw for 11 off 18, albeit in a winning cause. He cashed in against Uganda, notching a century and finishing with 117 off 129 balls as Ireland’s 329 for nine proved to be far too many for their African opponents. Morgan showcased his all-round ability against Canada, first making 44 off 57 balls as Ireland posted 265 for nine. He was then named player of the match after taking three catches and two for 26 from ten overs with his right arm medium bowling – something he would leave behind as he headed into the senior ranks. Morgan was run out for 14 against Bangladesh as his side were bowled out for 141 and went on to lose by eight wickets. But he rounded off his first tournament with 65 from 69 balls against Australia in the plate semi-final, top scoring for Ireland as they went down by 49 runs to a side captained by Tim Paine. Morgan finished with 268 runs from seven innings with an average of 38.28 but would kick on to greater heights when he returned to the international stage two years later as Ireland captain. It was an unlucky 13 for Morgan to start with at the 2006 edition in Sri Lanka as Ireland collapsed to 97 all out in reply to Zimbabwe’s 215 for seven in their opener. Three days later and Morgan chipped in with 28 but was unable to prevent his side losing a nail biter by four runs against an England side led by Moeen Ali. Morgan hit his straps with 86 off 107 against Nepal the following day but his side were still beaten by 60 runs having conceded 234. A century followed against New Zealand on Valentine’s Day as his Ireland side crossed the 300-barrier but despite Morgan’s 124 off 126 balls, his side lost by three wickets. After bowling out Namibia for 115, Ireland won by six wickets with Morgan contributing 27 before he made 60 not out to steer his side to another victory by the same margin as they chased down 166 to beat Uganda to round off the campaign. Morgan’s tally of 338 runs from six matches made him the second highest run scorer of the tournament, only 11 behind India’s Cheteshwar Pujara, and his combined haul of 606 runs across the two tournaments makes him the most prolific youngster with the bat. Morgan may have shown his prowess with the ball as a teenager, but it is Zimbabwe’s Wesley Madhevere who is the leading wicket-taker at ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cups. The off spinner is no slouch with the bat, often opening the innings for his country, making him a prolific all-rounder. A prodigious talent, Madhevere featured at the 2016 ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup aged just 15. And in keeping with the phrase, ‘if you are good enough, you’re old enough’, Madhevere kicked off his tournament by taking five for 24 to help dismiss Fiji for 81. Madhevere took another wicket in the 129-run defeat to England next up, recording impressive figures of one for 53 from his ten overs given his opponents racked up 288 for four from their innings. He was back in the wickets with two for 48 in the narrow two-run defeat against the West Indies before chipping in with one for 40 in the six-wicket win over Canada. Another wicket came in the heavy victory over South Africa before he capped a fine tournament at such a young age with a miserly spell of none for 24 off ten overs in the five-wicket defeat to Afghanistan. With ten wickets from his first tournament at 21.20, Madhevere returned in 2018 and again started with a bang. He bagged the player of the match award after taking three for 19 to help bowl Papua New Guinea out for 90 before smashing 53 not out from 44 balls to deliver a ten-wicket triumph. Madhevere chipped in with another wicket in the defeat to Australia before the ten-wicket reverse to India was followed by figures of two for 11 from six overs with the ball and 47 with the bat in the win over Namibia. He missed out with both bat and ball against Sri Lanka before bouncing back in phenomenal style, taking four for 24 and smashing 93 in the 138-run win over Canada to round off the tournament. Madhevere was named as the ICC’s rising star of the tournament after taking ten wickets at 12.80 and returned for his third consecutive U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2020. However, it took him until the third game against Scotland to pick up his first wicket, with one more coming in a win over Canada before he came to the fore in the defeat to England with four for 42 from ten overs. Madhevere finished off with two for 18 against Scotland in the 11th place play-off to take his tally to 28 and leave him as the man to beat when it comes to the world’s best young bowlers.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (December 28, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, celebrating and rewarding the top performances across men’s and women’s international cricket throughout the year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, celebrating and rewarding the top performances across men’s and women’s international cricket throughout the year. The ICC Awards 2021 recognise the outstanding performers following a year that comprised major international events such as the ICC World Test Championship Final and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, alongside numerous bilateral series in which records were broken. This year’s awards will comprise a total of 13 individual awards in all, as well as five Team of the Year announcements for each format across men’s and women’s cricket.  The individual award categories are as follows: Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year ICC Emerging Men’s Cricketer of the Year ICC Emerging Women’s Cricketer of the Year ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year ICC Spirit of Cricket Award ICC Umpire of the Year The first seven categories listed above will feature a shortlist of four names, and these will be announced from 28 December to 31 December across all of ICC’s digital and social media channels. The shortlisted categories will recognize those players who have had the most impactful performances in the period under consideration – 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021. The names shortlisted for these awards will be decided by a specialist ICC Awards panel, comprising prominent cricket journalists and broadcasters from across the globe along with ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice. The ICC Voting Academy, comprising a wider selection of global cricket journalists and broadcasters, will vote for their first, second and third choices, while global cricket fans will also be invited to vote for their top performers via ICC’s digital channels. The result of the ICC Voting Academy selections and the fans’ vote will be combined to determine the winner in each of these categories. The Emerging and Associate categories listed above will not feature shortlists and will be determined solely by the Voting Academy. The ICC Spirit of Cricket Award honours an action, moment, gesture, or decision on the field of play in international cricket during the year which best reflects the Spirit of Cricket, and this will be determined by the ICC, while the ICC Umpire of the Year Award is determined by votes collected from the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees and Full Member men’s and women’s captains. The five ICC Teams of the Year will be also decided by the ICC Voting Academy via an online survey – with each voter selecting their teams in the batting order and nominating a captain for each format. The winners for each category will be announced in January 2022. The five official ICC Teams of the Year are set to be announced on 17 and 18 January, whereas the individual awards pertaining to women’s cricket will be announced on 23 January. The men’s awards, as well as the ICC Spirit of Cricket and ICC Umpire of the Year award, will be announced on 24 January.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE (December 28, 2021):-Pakistan’s top-order women batter Bismah Maroof has confirmed her availability for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2022 and will participate in warm-up matches to be held in Karachi as part of the side’s selection and preparation for the New Zealand event that will take place from 4 March to 3 April 2022. Bismah, who has played 108 ODIs and T20Is each in a career that started in 2006, commenced her maternity leave in December 2020 and gave birth to a baby girl in August 2021. Bismah has already been re-integrated into cricketing activities and has resumed fitness sessions as part of her post-childbirth rehabilitation at the National High Performance Centre. She will soon commence net practice after overcoming a thumb injury. Bismah Maroof: “The past few months have been the best of my life. Becoming a mother and spending time with my daughter has given me immense pleasure, but it is now time to return to my passion of representing Pakistan at an international stage. “The maternity leave helped me realise the significance of navigating the balance of raising a child and maintaining my professional cricketing career as I missed being on the field each time I saw the girls in action. But thanks to the PCB Parental Support Policy, which has greatly facilitated my return to cricket, I can now resume my ambitions and aspirations of playing for Pakistan and hope to make a useful contribution in our target of doing well in New Zealand.” Under the policy, if Bismah is selected, she will be allowed to be accompanied by her dependent child and one support person of her choice. Bismah will be one of the 36 probables who will feature in a seven-match tri-series at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre from 10-19 January. The women players will be split into two squads and will be joined by a local boys’ side with the New Zealand-bound squad to be named on 25 January. Meanwhile, the PCB has confirmed Urooj Mumtaz has stepped down as Chair of Women’s Selection Committee to focus on her professional commitments as well as to pursue other opportunities within the game. Asmavia Iqbal has been named as the new head of the selection panel and will be assisted by junior selection committee members Saleem Jaffar and Taufeeq Umar. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “I want to thank Urooj Mumtaz for her contributions as Chair of the Pakistan Women’s Selection Committee. You worked diligently in your role for which the PCB is grateful and indebted. We wish you best for your future endeavours.” Urooj Mumtaz: “It has been a wonderful experience to head the selection committee and contribute in the growth and progression of women’s cricket. I am grateful for the opportunity and thank all my colleagues, while wishing the team the very best in the 2022 international commitments and beyond.” Urooj was appointed Chair of the selection committee in March 2019. Probables for practice matches: Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Anoosha Nasir, Ayesha Bilal, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Nahida Khan, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fareeha Mehmood, Fatima Sana Khan, Ghulam Fatima (subject to fitness), Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Javeria Rauf, Javeria Khan, Kainat Hafeez, Kainat Imtiaz (subject to fitness), Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sandhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Ramin Shameem, Saba Nazir, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Saima Malik, Sidra Ameen, Sidra Nawaz, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne will greet the New Year (2022) in the USA (United State of America). The 33-year-old opening batsman has been holidaying in the USA. Once the LPL (Lanka Premier League) began in Sri Lanka, the Test captain, who is not a part of the shortest format of the game left for New York. Confirming the news, his manager, Ravi de Silva speaking exclusively over the phone from Colombo, said, "He is on a private visit to enjoy some R&R (Rest & Recreation) in The Big Apple NYC in particular". "He is enjoying the nice weather there. Nice time away from all the fuss & holiday season in Sri Lanka". "Cool & Calm as always “Mr. Amiable” ala DK is enjoying some peace & tranquility - Ironically in a place where it never stops 24-7-365. He enjoys "Waking up in a City that Never Sleeps“. The Test captain visited the important spots- Dumbo Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, Greenport etc. during his NY trip. Interestingly, the national chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe is also on a private visit to the Caribbean Islands. "He is on a personal trip there and will return to Sri Lanka on January 3", one of the sources in the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board said.

Aamir Ali Janjua DUBAI (December 27, 2021):-An all-round performance from skipper Qasim Akram led Pakistan Under-9 to a 21-run win over UAE U19 at the ICC Cricket Academy Ground in Dubai on Monday. The victory was Pakistan’s third win in a row and also confirmed their semi-final spot in the tournament. After opting to bat first, half-century by right-handed Qasim, followed by a 21-ball unbeaten 34 cameo by Ahmed Khan helped them post 219 for eight in 50 overs. Qasim top-scored with 50 off 67, hitting five fours. Haseebullah scored a 48-ball 39, which included two fours. Ahmed coming to bat at number-eight struck two fours and one six. For UAE, Aayan Afzal Khan picked three wickets for 44, while Nilansh Keswani bagged two for 32. In turn, UAE managed to score 198 for nine with wicketkeeper-batter Kai Smith and number-eight batter Aayan scoring 38 runs each. For Pakistan, Qasim with his right-arm off-spin grabbed three for 52. Maaz Sadaqat, Mehran Mumtaz and Mohammad Zeeshan bagged two wickets apiece. The semifinals will be played on 30 December with ICC Cricket Ground, Dubai hosting the first semi-final, while Sharjah Cricket Stadium to host second semi-final. Scores in brief Pakistan U19 beat UAE U19 by 21 runs Pakistan U19 219-8, 50 overs (Qasim Akram 50, Haseebullah 39, Ahmed Khan 34 not out; Aayan Afzal Khan 3-44, Nilansh Keswani 2-33) UAE U19 198-9, 50 overs (Aayan Afzal Khan 38, Kai Smith 38, Alishan Sharafu 35; Qasim Akram 3-52, Maaz Sadaqat 2-21, Mohammad Zeeshan 2-34, Mehran Mumtaz 2-35)

Bipin Dani More than 25 candidates have applied for the various coaching assignments in Sri Lanka, it is learnt. According to the information gathered from the reliable source in Sri Lanka, 20 people are local, who have responded to the advertisement which the SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) board had advertised for the various coaching positions. Most of them were recently involved in the franchise teams coaching in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). There have been other 7-8 foreigners who too have shown interest, not necessarily all of them have applied for the senior men team's head coaching but even for the other teams. "Will begin the interview process next week or immediately in the New Year", Aravinda de Silva, the head of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, said on Sunday morning.  "Two members from our committee, who are available on the day/days of interviews will join Mahela Jayawardene in the process", he added. "Will also seek Tom Moody's views", the chairman added. Tom Moody has a contract with the SLC as Cricket Director.  Aravinda didn't specify it but it is believed that Mahela is likely to favor Sri Lankan coaches. Only the head coach for the senior men's team may be a foreigner.  

Karachi (Sports Report):-The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 day-night final between Northern and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on course for an exciting finish as Northern finished day-two at 184 for three in their first innings in reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 374-run first innings effort on Sunday at the National Stadium, Karachi. Shortly before close of play Northern captain Umar Amin (4) was dismissed by Sameen Gul which left the match evenly poised. Northern will start day-three 190 runs behind Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with seven first innings wickets standing. Northern’s in-form young opening pair of Haider Ali and Mohammad Huraira got their side off to a flying start. The two right-handers played a series of stunning drives as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers struggled to find movement off the pitch under lights. The duo took Northern to 96 for no loss at dinner, shortly after the resumption of play, Huraira was dismissed for 51 off 65 balls (seven fours, one six), the fourth fifty of his maiden first-class season. Off-spinner Sajid Khan dismissed him lbw. Haider looked poised for his fourth first-class century before falling to Sajid in an attempt to clear the long-on boundary. His 81 came off 131 balls and included 14 fours. Earlier, resuming at the overnight first innings score of 252 for five, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were helped beyond the 350-run mark by all-rounder Asif Afridi who scored 68. Asif was involved in useful 39 and 63 run partnerships with Sajid Khan (22) and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (21). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bowled out for 374 shortly after the tea break. For Northern off-spinner Mubasir Khan took four while pacer Waqas Ahmed took three wickets. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected three batting points in the first innings while Northern had to settle for two. After the first 100 overs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 308 for seven. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 374 all out, 118.2 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 102, Kamran Ghulam 72, Asif Afridi 68; Mubasir Khan 4-52, Waqas Ahmed 3-94) Northern 184 for 3, 56 overs (Haider Ali 81, Mohammad Huraira 51; Sajid Khan 2-30) Match points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –three. Northern – two.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD (December 26, 2021):-The mother of former Test cricketer Shoaib Akhtar passed away on Sunday morning and was laid to rest at H-11 graveyard in the evening soon after Namaz-a-Esar in capital city Islamabad. The 46-year-old cricketer turned analyst is said to be one of the fastest and fiercest bowlers in international cricket, as he possesses the record for the fastest delivery bowled in international cricket. Akhtar has represented Pakistan in 224 international matches — 46 Tests, 163 ODIs, and 15 T20Is.