Sports Bulletin

Dubai, UAE (SB Report):-The International Cricket Council has expressed grief at the passing of former England captain Ray Illingworth at the age of 89. Born in Pudsey, Yorkshire, the off-spinning all-rounder, started his first-class career in 1951 at the age of 19. Illingworth represented England from 1958 to 1973, playing 61 Tests, scoring 1836 runs and picking 122 wickets. He captained England to a famous 2-0 Ashes victory in 1970/71. He had a tremendous first-class career, accumulating 24,134 runs and taking 2072 wickets. He also led Yorkshire to three consecutive County Championship wins from 1966 to 1968. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Ray Illingworth was a giant of English cricket and was one of England's finest captains. He made an enormous contribution to the game, not just as England’s captain, but also as coach and chairman of selectors. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.” After retirement, Illingworth turned to broadcast and was a part of BBC's television coverage. He also served as England's coach in 1995/96 and was the chairman of selectors between 1994 and 1996.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Captain’s innings from Iftikhar Ahmed helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa post 252 for five on the opening day of the five-day pink-ball final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday. The right-handed batter Iftikhar brought up his first century of the tournament facing 168 balls. He stitched a 104-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Kamran Ghulam who scored 72 off 196 balls, hitting 11 fours. The right-handed Kamran fell to Mohammad Nawaz in the final session of the day. Iftikhar was the last wicket to fall on the first day, when he was bowled by Waqas Ahmed for 102 facing 170 balls, which included 13 fours. Wicketkeeper-batter Rehan Afridi (23, one four, 53b) and Asif Afridi (three off seven) were not out. For Northern, Waqas picked three wickets for 52. Earlier Northern won the toss and opted to bowl first. Regular captain Nauman Ali was side lined due to a foot injury, Umar Amin was named the side’s captain for the final. Seasoned pacer Waqas provided Northern the perfect start by sending back Fakhar Zaman and this season’s leading run-getter Sahibzada Farhan on consecutive balls of the second over the match. The experienced pair of Ashfaq Ahmed and Kamran took Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 77 for two at tea, adding 71 runs in the first session for their third wicket alliance. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost Ashfaq’s wicket soon after the break, the right-hander fell for 45 off 92 balls (five fours) with off-spinner Mubasir Khan taking his wicket – the 26th of the season for the youngster. Captain Iftikhar joined Kamran at the crease after Ashfaq’s departure, Kamran reached the 13th half-century of his first-class career off 131 balls (nine fours). Kamran and Iftikhar added 73 runs till the break, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 158 for three at dinner after 55 overs. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 252-5, 87 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 102, Kamran Ghulam 72, Ashfaq Ahmed 45; Waqas Ahmed 3-52) Match points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2; Northern 1

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai, UEA (December 25, 2021):-Pakistan Under-19 cricket team defeated India Under-19 cricket team by 2 wickets in a thrilling match in ACC Men's Under-19 Asia Cup. Mohammad Shehzad scored 81 runs and judged man of the match while Zeeshan Zameer took 5 wickets. Pakistan U-19 needed 2 runs on the last ball of the match to win that Ahmed Khan hit a four to lead the team to victory. He played an unbeaten innings of 29 off 19 balls with the help of 3 fours and a six.  Pakistan U-19 cricket team achieved the target of 238 runs on the last ball of the match at a loss of 8 wickets. Mohammad Shehzad of Pakistan made 81 off 105 balls with 5 sixes and 4 fours. Mohammad Irfan Niazi 32 and Rizwan Mahmood 29 runs were out. India's Raj Nad Bawa took four wickets. Earlier, thanks to the excellent bowling of fast bowler Zeeshan Zameer, India U-19 cricket team was bowled out for 237 runs in 49 overs. Zeeshan Zameer guided 5 players to the pavilion for 60 runs. Owais Ali took 2 wickets while Moaz Sadaqat and Qasim Akram took one wicket each. India Under-19 cricket team's wicket keeper Better Aradhya Yadav scored 50 and Harnoor Pinnu scored 46 runs.

Islamabad (Sports Desk):-We all have seen Yuvraj Singh's impeccable cricket as he hits balls off the ground with unmatchable sixes. But for the first time, the cricketer has been seen traveling in space. Well, sort of. For the first time, Colexion, Asia's biggest NFT marketplace, stepped ahead to push boundaries in space and launched satellite NFTs carrying prized possessions of the legendary India cricketer Yuvraj Singh in the metaverse last week. Colexion partnered with the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning batsman Yuvraj to release his own NFTs with augmented reality for this ground-breaking initiative. A hot-air balloon was launched from earth to orbit carried Yuvraj Singh's iconic bat, which he used to register his first-ever century in the 2003 ODI match against Bangladesh in Dhaka. Moreover, a never-before-released personalized video of Yuvraj Singh bat's entire space journey will be made accessible for fans, as it becomes the first minted NFT ever to be sent in orbit. The video will be uploaded on Colexion's official website in the last week of December. While speaking about his journey to space, Yuvraj, who is also an investor in Colexion, says, “I am excited to share my first NFT space journey exclusively on Colexion. Connecting with my fans on a new platform like this is exciting and I look forward to share some of my most cherished possessions like the first century bat.”  “I have always wanted to be closer to my fans and I am happy to partner with Colexion to be able to share these precious tokens from my cricketing journey with the people who have loved and encouraged me every step of the way. I look forward to engage with them in my Colexion digital avatar," he added, signing off from space. After this, Yuvraj will drop his first NFT that will be live on 25th December 2021. The NFT will contain a 3D version of the cricketer along with his signed 1st-century bat to be made available for his beloved fans. Furthermore, Colexion is creating a one-of-its-kind Virtual NFT Museum for all the NFTs of Yuvraj where his fans can be a part of his life's journey. Further, the cricketer's signed merchandise will be offered as giveaways on the platform as NFTs. Speaking about the initiative, Founder Abhay says, "We'll launch an autographed cricket bat along with a 3D statue of the cricketer, providing an exclusive opportunity to fans to own his digital collectibles. Colexion enables fans to witness this historic event and become a part of this massive revolution. We are creating interesting digital spaces for him to engage with his fans who will also be now able to 'own' special moments of his career." Through this historic initiative, Colexion aims to establish its footprint by becoming the first-ever NFT marketplace to launch exclusive NFT in space through high-end technology and innovation. NFT stands for non-fungible tokens- one-of-a-kind, blockchain-based assets that live on the blockchain and have become a blossoming business in the art world, with some selling recently for millions of dollars. Colexion is a platform that allows fans to buy, trade, and sell unique digital collectibles in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). An NFT is a form of crypto asset which uses blockchain to record the ownership status of digital objects, such as images, videos, and text. And Colexion through unique trump cards enables fans to own NFTs of their favorite player or celebrity. Interestingly, sports NFTs are quite the buzz— today's card collectors have shifted their attention to sports NFTs that offer proof of unique ownership of a video, photo, or other digital capture of an important moment in sports history. Earlier, Colexion has launched the world's largest NFT drop of 30 celebrities in the form of trump cards, including music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman, cricketers Varun Chakravarthy and Dwayne Bravo, and Bollywood and TV stars Tanuj Virwani and Aamir Ali, among others. Launched by Colexion, interactive trump cards contain photos and models in 3D and 2D formats of the celebrities.

Karachi (Sports Report):-The five-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 pink-ball, day-night final has started between Northern and the joint-defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the National Stadium, Karachi from Saturday. The National Stadium staged the dramatic finale of the previous season between Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which ended in a tie. Another absorbing final between two balanced and well matched sides is expected from Saturday. Northern topped the table with 152 points from 10 matches (four wins, four draws, two defeats). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sealed the second spot with a tally of 150 points from their 10 games (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Sindh who were on top of the points table leading into the last two rounds, lost their way at the end and despite winning their 10th and final fixture against Southern Punjab finished with 143 points (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Northern captain Nauman Ali: “We have peaked at the right time and due to an all-round effort secured a spot in the final. I have been hugely impressed by the fight shown by our young players in the final few rounds which resulted in us topping the table. The pink-ball final though will be a different challenge for players from both sides with conditions expected to change especially under the lights. “However, I am confident that we possess the skills and the depth in our squad to compete at our best against a formidable side like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Iftikhar Ahmed: “This year’s tournament has proven to be as competitive as the previous two editions in the revamped domestic system. I am really pleased about our performances and how we have managed to secure a place in the final despite stiff competition. Our batters and bowlers have done admirably and raised the level of their game especially in the Karachi-leg which has produced results in almost every game. “The pink-ball under the lights will be a big challenge for both sides and it in a way even things out. It is a bit of an unknown for both set of players so I feel the first two days will be crucial for both teams as they will seek to gain early advantage. I have full confidence in my players and I think they will rise up to the challenge as we seek our fifth consecutive domestic title across the three formats.” Prize money: Winner - PKR 10,000,000 Runner Up - PKR 5,000,000 Best Batter - PKR 500,000 Best Bowler - PKR 500,000 Best Wicketkeeper - PKR 500,000 Player of the Tournament - PKR 500,000 Player of the final - PKR 50,000 Match officials: On-field umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Afridi TV umpire: Rashid Riaz Reserve umpire: Imtiaz Iqbal Match Referee: Nadeem Arshad

Bipin Dani There will be no live radio commentary in South Africa for the upcoming Test series against India.   This was revealed by the (South African Broadcasting Corporation) SABC’s Group Executive for Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Ms. Gugu Ntuli. Speaking exclusively, she says, “The SABC can confirm that there will be no live radio commentary for the Protea Inbound Tour matches, therefore no commentators are appointed in this regard". "However, a provision for three live updates of three to five minutes long every hour on Radio 2000 has been made for these matches and the station will also stream full live commentary on its website www.radio2000.co.za”. Incidentally, the CSA (Cricket South Africa) board did make an appeal to the authorities so that through the radio broadcast, fans can rally behind the Proteas as they take on India in an historic encounter, which also marks the 30th Anniversary of  friendship between CSA and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Owing to the current pandemic situations in South Africa, the fans are not allowed at the grounds to witness the Tests. It is worth highlighting that many thousands of blind cricket fans are totally reliant on radio commentary to enjoy their favorite sport. This will deprive those fans of their enjoyment of the game. First of the three Tests will begin on Boxing Day at Centurion.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (December 23, 2021: Fast bowlers Ahmed Khan, Awais Ali and Zeeshan Zameer blew away Afghanistan Under-19 as Pakistan Under-19 got off to a winning start in the Asian Cricket Cup (ACC) Under-19 Asia Cup with a four-wicket win at the ICC Cricket Academy Oval 2 on Thursday. Afghanistan, who won the toss and opted to bat first, have lost half of their batting side on just 12 runs. Nangeyalia Kharote, coming to bat at number-seven, was the only batter to score in double figures, 15 off 27, and struck three fours. Right-arm fast Ahmed took three for 21 from six overs which included dismissals of Suliman Safi (four off 19b), Ijaz Ahmad Ahmadzai (one off six) and Ijaz Ahmed Azad (first ball duck). Right-arm pacers Awais and Zeeshan grabbed two wickets apiece for nine and 12 runs, respectively. In their run-chase, Pakistan lost six wickets before achieving the target in the 17th over. Only two batters managed to enter into double figures with opening batter Maaz Sadaqat returning unbeaten on 14 off 46, hitting one four. For Afghanistan, Noor Ahmad picked three wickets for 20. Right-arm fast Bilal Sami bagged two wickets for 16. Pakistan U19 will take on India U19 in their second match of the tournament on 25 December at the same venue. Scores in brief: Pakistan U19 beat Afghanistan U19 by four wickets Afghanistan U19 52 all out, 23.1 overs (Nangeyalia Kharote 15; Ahmed Khan 3-21, Awais Ali 2-9, Zeeshan Zameer 2-12) Pakistan U19 53-6, 16.4 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 14 not out; Noor Ahmed 3-20, Bilal Sami 2-16) Result Pakistan U19 win by four wickets Player of the match – Awais Ali (Pakistan U19) Upcoming fixtures: 25 December – v India, Dubai 27 December – v UAE, Dubai

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board has approved the incentives for the three members of the National Selection Panel, it is learnt. According to the highly placed sources in the SLC, this incentive payment is for the recognition of their service for selecting the excellent team they picked for the ICC T-20 World Cup, which was played in the UAE (United Ara Emirates).  The three selectors, who each are benefited with a sum of Rs. 1 million are: Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Romesh Kaluwitharana and Hemantha Wickramaratne.  "Yes, the team could not advance to the final stages of the World Cup but overall the performance of the team was good and could also win a few matches in the tournament and hence this decision was taken", two different sources confirmed the news on Tuesday. Incidentally, the proposal came from the SLC president Shammi Silva. "Incentive payment for the National Selectors-ICC T20 World Cup 2021. President's suggestion to offer Rs. 1 min each to the 03 National Selectors for the excellent work rendered by them in selecting the squad for the ICC T/20 World Cup 2021 which was recently concluded in Dubai, UAE, has been approved", the minutes of the 04th Executive Committee meeting (a copy in possession of this Reporter), which was held at the SLC Head Quarters on 9th November 2021, reads. 

Karachi (Sports Report):-The 67th meeting of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the Pakistan Cricket Board was held on Tuesday, 21 December in Karachi. Below are some of the key outcomes and updates from the last meeting of 2021: Cricket development plans In line with the PCB’s strategy of investing in youth and pathways cricket following a bottom-up approach, the BoG backed and supported the PCB Chairman’s two new initiatives, which are: ·         Pathway Junior Contracts – Through strategic partnerships, the PCB will award 100 contracts to the most outstanding and bright cricketers under the ages of 11, 14, 16 and 19. Under this programme, the talented young cricketers will receive a stipend of PKR 30,000 per month and also earn 100 per cent scholarship, which will provide them access to cost-free education at a leading local educational institution that, in turn, will help them become wholesome individuals. ·         Pathway Cricket Foundation – Again through a strategic partnership, the PCB will appoint highly qualified resident foreign coaches at the National High Performance Centre. These coaches will work very closely with 100 teenage cricketers to nurture and develop them and prepare them for future events, including the U19 PSL, which is marked for October 2022. These coaches will also be available to assist and help elite and emerging cricketers. All discussions and details on the above initiatives with the PCB’s strategic partners have taken place and further details will follow shortly. PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “In order to create a long-term sustainable process, it is essential that we continue to tap into, stimulate and motivate the youth’s passion and talent for cricket, whilst focusing on a bottom-up approach towards participation and making attempts to bridge the wide divide between pathways and Pakistan cricket journey. “We feel that our Junior Contracts and Cricket Foundation initiatives will now play a decisive role in ensuring that raw talent from even the remotest and less privileged of areas in Pakistan reaches its full potential. “Through these and various other initiatives, including an all-Pakistan Talent Hunt Programme, we aim to unearth the hidden talent and provide them absolute clarity at a very young age that the PCB will back, support and provide a clear pathway through which they can embark on their journey of representing Pakistan at an international stage.” Club scrutiny process and amendment to CA Model Constitution The BoG approved the club scrutiny procedure for 3,822 clubs, who took part in the First Registration of Cricket Clubs, across 90 City Cricket Associations in the first half of 2022. The club scrutiny procedure will be available on the PCB corporate website under Documents/PCB Model Constitutions next week. Furthermore, the BoG also approved amendment to Article 4.1(h) of the Model Constitution for Cricket Associations, which deals with Objects and Functions of the Cricket Association, now reads as: “…. coordinate cricket activities within their jurisdiction including but not limited to holding and organizing the tournaments, which may include divisional cricket, and endeavor to also organize or assist in organization of tournaments for clubs and schools …” Pakistan men’s cricket team performances Taking into consideration that a long and demanding international cricket period awaits the Pakistan men’s cricket team, an extensive discussion on the players’ workload handling took place. The BoG requested the PCB management to explore options and submit suggestions on how the elite cricketers can preserve their energies for Pakistan by remaining supremely fit, injury-free and fresh. The BoG appreciated the performance of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team and felt they came significantly close to meeting the expectations of their fans in the last quarter of 2021 through their grit, determination and positive attitude. The PCB Chairman highlighted Babar Azam’s authority, leadership and impact on the side as one of the turnaround factors. He also credited the calm influences of Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Matthew Hayden (batting consultant) and Vernon Philander (bowling consultant) as the other contributing factor as the trio were able to create a relaxed team environment that, in turn, allowed the team to excel, particularly during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Other updates: ·         West Indies will play three Twenty20 Internationals in the build up to the HBL Pakistan Super League 2023. The West Indies are already scheduled to play ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League ODIs in June 2022 to make up for the postponed December 2021 matches due to an increased number of Covid-19 cases in their side ·         The BoG approved in-principle the construction of 60 additional (international quality) player rooms each at the National High Performance Centre in Lahore and Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre in Karachi. When completed, this will resolve the PCB’s challenges around logistics, security and road commuting, as well as setting-up and handling the Managed Event Environment ·         PCB Chairman, Acting Chief Executive Officer and the PCB BOG Committees submitted their reports, while the Chief Financial Officer presented his quarterly financial statements. Separately, there were presentations on fan engagement as well as on women’s cricket. Earlier, the BoG welcomed incoming PCB Chief Executive Faisal Hasnain, who attended the meeting as an observer and will formally start in Lahore around mid-January.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (December 22, 2021):-Australia batter Marnus Labuschagne is now the number one batter in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, surpassing England’s Joe Root who had been on top since August this year. In the second Test held in Adelaide, Marnus scored his first Ashes century and went on to be adjudged the 'Player of the Match' for his knocks of 103 and 51 contributing towards Australia's 275-run win over England. He is the ninth player from Australia to have crossed the 900-point mark with the bat, joining the elite league of gentlemen, Sir Don Bradman, Ricky Pointing, Mathew Hayden, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke etc. Within the bowlers, Mitchell Starc is back in the world’s top ten Test bowlers for the first time since this January. Whilst his compatriot Pat Cummins held onto the top spot despite missing the second Test. England’s Ollie Robinson is in the world’s top 25 bowlers for the first time at a career-best 597 points and Joe Root has made his first appearance in the world’s top 10 all-rounders after his 111th Test appearance. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings there is a tie for top spot of batters between Pakistan’s Babar Azam and England’s Dawid Malan.  Mohammad Rizwan is now at a career-best 798 points and is the second Pakistani in the top three batter’s category. Nicholas Pooran was the bright spot for the West Indies in their 3-0 T20I series defeat against Pakistan.  His 108 runs at a strike rate of 147.94 took him up to 27th place, up from his previous career best of 30th.