Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD (January 18, 2022):-Pre-tournament favourites Bangladesh and Sri Lanka eased to victory in their respective games on the opening day of the ICC Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur. Bangladesh spinners set up a regulation run chase to overcome Malaysia while Sri Lanka thwarted Scotland through a powerful batting display. Bangladesh beat Malaysia by 8 wickets Bangladesh got off to a winning start on the back of a disciplined bowling effort led by Rumana Ahmed, who picked up two for four in her full quota before a quick-fire 28 from Shamima Sultana helped them chase down a target of 50 in just eight overs. Bangladesh won the toss, elected to field first, and strung together a procession of dot balls in the Powerplay. Malaysian opener Wan Julia lost her off stump to an arm ball from off-spinner Salma Khatun to leave the hosts one wicket down in the fourth over with just three runs on the board. Yusrina Yakoop was next to go, playing around a low full toss from seamer Suraya Azmim. Mas Elysa then joined skipper Winifred Duraisingam at the crease. The pair stitched together 15 runs — the highest partnership of the innings — before Mas Elysa backed up too far at the non-striker’s end and was run out by bowler Nahida Akter. A few balls later, Malaysian skipper Duraisingam charged down the track and drove left-arm spinner Akter through the off-side for the first boundary of the innings. However, she departed in the very next over after chipping Ritu Moni to Sobhana Mostary at backward point. Malaysia was reeling at 26 for four at the halfway point and things only got tougher as leg-spinner Rumana Ahmed was introduced into the attack. She gave nothing away, picking up the key wickets of Ainna Hamizah and Arianna Natasya; the latter caught and bowled. Akter returned to clean bowl Nur Zulaika before Suraya Azmim disturbed the timber of Nik Atelia. Malaysia would go on to post 49 for nine with Duraisingam top-scoring with 12 off 31 balls. Needing to chase 50 for victory at 2.5 runs per over, Bangladesh’s openers wasted no time whatsoever. Shamima Sultana brought up a milestone of 500 T20I runs courtesy of a flurry of boundaries, including a towering six over square leg off the bowling of Duraisingam. With the opening partnership at 38, Malaysian left-arm spinner Arianna Natasya remained competitive, dismissing Salma Khatun off a straighter one that grabbed her outside edge and was taken by wicketkeeper Wan Julia. In her next over, she snared the wicket of the dangerous Sultana, but it was all too late as skipper Nigar Sultana and Fargana Hoque steered Bangladesh home with 12 overs and eight wickets to spare. Leg-spinner Rumana Ahmed was adjudged Player of the Match. “As a spinner, turn is less but (the pitch is) good for spinners if they bowl in the right areas with good variation,” she said. Malaysian skipper Duraisingam admitted that they were short on runs in the first innings. “First of all we need to put runs on the board. We need to start believing in ourselves and apply it in the centre,” she said. Bangladesh skipper Nigar Sultana acknowledged how her team’s hard work is paying off. “We worked so hard back home for this. We played some practice matches…we all know if we do well here, this is going to help us in the upcoming World Cup as well,” she said Sri Lanka beat Scotland by 109 runs Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu led from the front, pummeling 86 runs off 45 balls with 13 fours and two sixes to propel her team to 182 before her bowlers stepped up to bowl Scotland out for 73. Scotland, however, were unfortunate to lose both Lorna Jack and Ellen Watson to injury; the former not batting at all and the latter retiring hurt on 30. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to bat. Athapaththu took advantage of opening bowlers Kathryn Bryce and Rachel Slater missing their lines in the Powerplay as she scored boundaries all around the wicket. Teenage off-spinner Katherine Fraser was then introduced into the attack, trapping opener Vishmi Gunaratne in front for eight. Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka hands over her Player of the Match to Sachini Nisansala Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka hands over her Player of the Match to Sachini Nisansala This, however, did not deter the Sri Lankan skipper who peppered the off side boundary both in front of and behind square, taking seamer Hannah Rainey for 15 runs in her solitary over and leg-spinner Abtaha Maqsood for 13 in her first over. Abtaha would return to snare the wicket of Athapaththu with a smart piece of bowling that saw the batter stumped down the leg side. However, just as Scotland were edging their way back into the contest, the trio of Harshitha Madhavi, Nilakshi De Silva, and Ama Kanchana combined to score 53 runs in the last five overs to get Sri Lanka up to 182 for four. In reply, Scotland started well with both Ellen Watson and Sarah Bryce finding the fence on a regular basis. Soon after lifting left-arm Udeshika Prabhodani over long on for six, Sarah Bryce tried to go over the top but could not clear mid-off, getting caught in the circle by Nilakshi De Silva. Kathryn Bryce found the boundary immediately with an elegant cover drive before left-arm spinner and debutant Sachini Nisansala bowled her with a straighter one. In her next over, Nisansla would shine again, running out Katie McGill with a direct hit off her own bowling. Two balls later, Ellen Watson limped off the field and Scotland never recovered. They were bowled out for 73 with Watson and Lorna Jack unable to return to the batting crease. Sri Lanka won by 109 runs to put future opponents on notice. Athapathu won the Player of the Match award but chose instead to dedicate her award to debutant Nisansala for her two wickets and an impressive effort in the field. “She is a young and exciting player. She has been doing all the hard work in the nets and I’m happy she made her debut. You can expect some big contributions from her in the future,” said Athapaththu. As captain, she encouraged her bowlers to stick to the basics. “The best bet is to bowl wicket-to-wicket and always put the ball in the right areas. Obviously, minimise the loose balls and wait for the batter to make a mistake,” she said. While Scottish skipper Kathryn Bryce agreed that Athapaththu was in red-hot form, she also cited the dropped chance that allowed her to continue her innings. “We created chances but just didn't take them and that could have changed the momentum of the bowling innings,” she said. Kenya is the fifth team participating in the Qualifier to decide one remaining slot at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa have already qualified. Brief scores: Bangladesh beat Malaysia by 8 wickets. Malaysia 49/9 in 20 Overs; Bangladesh 53/2 in 8 overs. Player of the Match: Rumana Ahmed Sri Lanka beat Scotland by 109 runs. Sri Lanka 182/4 in 20 Overs; Scotland 73 All Out in 12.1 Overs. Player of the Match: Chamari Athapaththu

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (January 18, 2022):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced that the 2021 edition of the ICC Awards, celebrating and rewarding the top performances across men’s and women’s international cricket throughout the year will be unveiled on all of ICC’s channels and platforms this week. Beginning with the ICC Teams of the Year in the T20I category for both men’s and women’s on Wednesday, 19 January followed by the ICC Teams of the Year in ODI for both men’s and women’s revealed on Thursday, 20 January. The ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year will also be revealed on 20 January. The individual awards for excellence in women’s and men’s international cricket will be revealed on the ICC channels on 23 and 24 January. This year’s awards will comprise a total of 13 individual awards in all as listed below: 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 Players that have had the most impactful performances in the period under consideration – 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2021 were nominated for these awards. The ICC Voting Academy, comprising a wider selection of global cricket journalists and broadcasters, have voted for their first, second and third choices, while an overwhelming 1.2 million global cricket fans also submitted their votes to choose their favourite cricketers of the year. 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 did not feature shortlists and were determined solely by the ICC Voting Academy.

LAHORE (January 18, 2022):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today confirmed that it has received the final awards of the arbitration proceedings initiated by it against Techfront International FZE (Techfront) as well as the two separate arbitrations filed against it by Blitz Advertising (Pvt) Limited, before the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), and the outcome of all arbitrations has been favourable towards the PCB. The dispute relating to Techfront International FZE (Techfront) was on default of rights fee payments due in respect of the Television Broadcast and Live Streaming Media Rights Agreements of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL), while the disagreement with Blitz Advertising was, inter alia, on the delayed television broadcast and live streaming media rights fee payments for HBL PSL 2020 matches. In the arbitrations, the sole arbitrator appointed by the LCIA dismissed Techfront and Blitz Advertising’s claims and directed both entities to pay to the PCB rights fees rightfully due to be paid to PCB as claimed as well as the costs claimed by the PCB in lieu of counter-claims, damages, arbitration and legal costs and other miscellaneous expenses incurred. All awards have been issued in accordance with the laws of Pakistan as well as LCIA Rules under which every award shall be final and binding on the parties and by virtue of the arbitration agreement, the parties undertake to carry out any award immediately and without any delay. PCB Chief Operating Officer Barrister Salman Naseer: “These are major triumphs for the PCB as we have been able to successfully claim substantial revenues of the HBL Pakistan Super League. This also indicates we have air-tight contracts and that we will go full distance in protecting the HBL PSL brand as well as the interests of our franchises.” (Press Release)

Sports Report LAHORE:-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) suspended the ongoing National Under-13 and under-16 One-Day Tournaments after it became aware that some over-aged cricketers had been participating in the events taking place in Karachi and Multan, respectively. To protect the spirit and essence of these U13 and U16 tournaments by ensuring that only deserving cricketers feature in the relevant age-group competitions, which act as pillars of the PCB’s Pathways Programme, the PCB has decided to conduct a third round of bone age verification tests, following which the teams may be revised before both tournaments commence next week from scratch. Bone age tests in Multan, where each Cricket Association has fielded two teams each, will be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, while tests on 150 cricketers (including playing members, traveling reserves and reserve pool of players per side) participating in the U13 event in Karachi will be held on Tuesday. Players found over-aged following the latest bone age tests, will not be allowed to participate in these competitions. However, before the PCB takes appropriate actions, it will provide these players a two-day appeals window at the back of the fresh tests, during which the players can either undergo another round of bone age test or submit their original birth certificates and other supporting documents to verify their ages. Until the tournaments resume, the teams will remain at their stations and will continue to train and practice under the supervision of the PCB-appointed coaches. PCB Director – High Performance, Nadeem Khan: “After visual assessment confirmed that some over-age cricketers were participating in the U13 and U16 tournaments, suspending the events and conducting fresh bone age tests was absolutely the right thing to do. “The PCB, as the sole governing body of cricket in Pakistan, cannot allow over-age cricketers to take advantage of the flaws in the system and cause demotivation and mental stress to deserving under-age cricketers as well as their parents. “Falsifying age to become eligible to participate in age-group cricket is not only an offence but a menace that has been plaguing our system. This now needs to be corrected to protect the integrity of the tournaments as well as to stop the exodus of young talented cricketers. “The PCB will carry-out third round of bone age tests and players who are ultimately found to have breached the process, will be ejected from the tournaments before a decision on their future participation in PCB-organised events is made. Separately, the PCB will also review its internal processes and try to put in place protocols whereby only cricketers who are genuinely the relevant age get an opportunity to compete in PCB-organised events so that they remain on track to fulfilling their dreams though our pathways programmes.”

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-The ICC has confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022 has approved Benjamin Cliff as a replacement for Sonny Baker in the England squad. Baker has a back injury and is not able to take any further part in the tournament. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad. The Event Technical Committee consists of the Chair Chris Tetley (ICC Head of Events), Ben Leaver (ICC Senior Event Manager), Fawwaz Baksh (Tournament Director) Roland Holder (CWI Representative) Alan Wilkins and Russel Arnold (both independent representatives). England will next face Canada in Tuesday’s group A match at Warner Park in St Kitts and Nevis.

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD:-Dunith Wellalage was again the star for Sri Lanka as he took a five-fer and scored 52 to guide his side to a four-wicket victory over Australia in the ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup. The Lions came out on top in the tussle between the two unbeaten teams in Group D, with no Australian able to match Wellalage in Basseterre. Hosts West Indies did the business against Scotland as the bowlers dismissed Scotland for less than 100, with bowling coach and Windies legend Curtly Ambrose proudly watching on. Teddy Bishop then showed his skill with the bat to guide West Indies to a comfortable victory in Group D to sit second in the table with one game to go. Pakistan showed their batting strength as they played their opening game in Group C in Guyana, putting on 315 thanks to a Haseebullah Khan century. Zimbabwe fell 116 runs short in the chase despite an 83–run eighth-wicket partnership between Brian Bennett and Tendekai Mataranyika. West Indies show their all-round dominance in comfortable win over Scotland West Indies were ruthless after winning the toss and putting Scotland into bat as Shiva Sankar took the first three wickets including two in two balls on his way to match-best three for 17. Muhaymen Majeed made an entertaining knock at No.6, but his score of 11 was the second-highest of Scotland’s innings as they were unable to get close to the 178 they put on in a losing cause in their opener against Sri Lanka. Spin twins Onaje Amory and Anderson Mahase took a combined four for 42 as Scotland were restricted to 95 all out. Shankar was again involved as opener Oliver Davidson was the final wicket to fall, throwing a direct hit from deep to run out the left-hander who had battled to a valiant 43 from 93 balls. West Indies were steady in their march to the low total, their first wicket falling in the seventh over as Matthew Nandu was dismissed for eight off the bowling of Jack Jarvis, who was playing with a dislocated finger. Charlie Peet took the Windies’ second wicket, deceiving Shaqkere Parris with a pitched-up delivery that went straight through to the opener’s stumps to leave the hosts at 2-48. Wicket-keeper batter Rivaldo Clarke looked to combine with Teddy Bishop to guide West Indies home before falling to a similar delivery to the Parris dismissal but this time Davidson claimed the wicket as Clarke was caught behind. Bishop was able to stay at the crease to seal the win for the Windies, their first of the tournament, his six brought up the seven-wicket victory in just 19.4 overs. Wellalage stars again as Sri Lanka cruise to victory over Australia Australia struggled to build partnerships having been put in to bat by Sri Lanka, their highest stand coming between Campbell Kellaway and Nivethan Radhakrishnan as they put on 46 for the fourth wicket. Kellaway was Australia’s top scorer with 54 runs from 77 balls as the three-time champions slumped to 175 all out off the final ball of their innings. The last three wickets fell for eight runs as Wellalage produced his second double-wicket over of the match, as he also claimed his second five-fer of the World Cup. This time the slow left-armer went for one more run than against Scotland to return figures of five for 28, which sees him five clear in the early race to top the wicket standings. In reply, Sri Lanka kept above the required run rate but were consistently pegged back by the Australian quicks. Tom Whitney and William Salzmann took Sri Lanka’s second and third wickets in the space of three balls to reduce them to 41 for three in their chase of 176. Wellalage again helped to steady the ship, this time with bat in hand, putting on a 70-run partnership with Anjala Bandara, before Bandara was dismissed sending an outside edge into the hands of wicketkeeper Tobias Snell. Sri Lanka’s captain continued on to his half-century, coming off 69 balls and featuring four fours and one six. With the Lions requiring just five runs, it seemed that Wellalage would steer the team home but he was dismissed caught and bowled by Whitney and it was left to Raveen De Silva to hit the winning runs as Sri Lanka emerged the only unbeaten team in Group D. Haseebullah posts highest score of World Cup so far in Pakistan win Pakistan’s opener Haseebullah put on the highest score of the tournament so far with 135 from 155 balls as he and Irfan Khan combined for a 192-run third-wicket partnership. Irfan was forced to go for 81 from 77 balls, including eight fours, after being caught by David Bennett off the bowling of Mcgini Dube. Zimbabwe continued the fightback, led by right-arm seamer Alex Falao, who took the wicket of Haseebullah on his way to five for 58 as Pakistan ended with 315 for nine. The Chevrons had already produced a score higher than this against Papua New Guinea in their opening game of Group C but faltered in this chase. Matthew Welch and Steven Saul combined at the top of the order to put on 34 for the first wicket. The next six wickets fell for 77 runs before a timely partnership of 83 runs between Bennett and Mataranyika gave Zimbabwe a glimmer of hope. But with Bennett’s dismissal they were left needing 121 runs with only 58 balls remaining, Mataranyika followed his partner back to the hutch two balls later before the final wicket of Mcgini Dube fell to hand Pakistan a convincing 115-run victory.

Bipin Dani Sean Williams was the only centurion of the 1st ODI against Sri Lanka on Sunday, though his Zimbabwe team could not win the match. Back home, his father, Collin Williams, who also played First Class cricket, did watch the match on TV.   "I have always said this and I will say it again, for any Zim player to make 100 in these types of games is a huge achievement. These young men have to work twice as hard when they bat on the international stage", speaking exclusively, he said. "I am a very proud dad, to sit and watch our son make a 100 on tv is just fantastic and uplifting. When they left for tour, I wasn’t sure on how much match practice and preparation the team had managed to get in, but clearly they had done fairly well as I thought a good few of the players were nice and positive". "As for Sean his attitude was indeed positive from ball one and went at a run a ball for his innings, I thought the openers did a nice job, they got off to a nice start". Sean Williams has dedicated this innings to his father. "For this reason, it was very emotional. Sean and I are very close and I had been talking to him and saying he still has plenty of cricket left in him, not only with the bat and ball but as a senior player, he has the right mentality to bring young players on", he added. Sean had announced his Test retirement in August last year. "No, I wasn’t disappointed at all as it was his choice really. Sometimes the cricket gets overshadowed by side shows, like I also said I feel he has still a lot more to offer. Sean is a natural player and he does things that always bring positive input, I think he is happy with that". "Our chats are simply about playing and doing the best he can for as long as he can. I could go on but for now I am simply a very proud dad and look forward to watching him again as I always do", he signed off.

Sports Report Lahore (Sports Report):-As many as four matches were played in the third edition of Corporate Challenge Cup at Ittefaq Cricket Ground and Race Course Cricket Ground. Teams from Digital Planning Services, Olive Group, UCS and Jaffer Brothers won their round matches. In the first match played at Ittefaq Cricket Ground, Digital Planning Services (DPS) defeated Auditor General of Pakistan by 7 wickets. The team of Auditor General of Pakistan was bowled out for 163 while playing first. Irshad Hussain remained prominent by scoring 49 runs. Mudassar Rathore led three players to the pavilion. The DPS team achieved the target at a loss of three wickets. Ali Arham batted brilliantly and scored a century while Sharafuddin and Qasim Malik fielded one player each. Ali Arham was awarded Man of the Match for his excellent innings. In the second match, Jaffer Brothers beat Locative & UB Sports by 7 wickets. UB Sports team scored 127 runs for the loss of 7 wickets while playing first, Mohammad Yousuf remained the top scorer by scoring 36 runs, Syed Abrar dismissed two players. Jaffer Brothers team achieved the target at a loss of three wickets. Mohammad Salman played an unbeaten innings of 64 runs, Tehseen Mirza, Rehmat UB and Wasim Ahmed took one wicket each. Mohammad Salman was awarded the best player of the match for his excellent batting. Olive Group and UCS also won their round matches.

Sports Bulletin ISLAMABAD (January 17, 2022):-Bangladesh’s defence of their ICC Under 19 Men’s Cricket World Cup title got off to a poor start as they slipped to a seven-wicket defeat against England in their Group A opener. England’s bowling attack decimated the Bangladesh batting line-up as the reigning champions were reduced to 51 for nine in the 25th over at Warner Park in St Kitts and Nevis. Ripon Mondol of Bangladesh plays a shot ahead of Alex Horton of England during the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and England at Warner Park Sporting Complex on January 16, 2022 in Basseterre. Ripon Mondol of Bangladesh plays a shot ahead of Alex Horton of England during the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and England at Warner Park Sporting Complex on January 16, 2022 in Basseterre. No.11 Ripon Mondol hit 33 not out in a spirited last-wicket stand of 46 with Naimur Rohman (11) to drag Bangladesh up to 97, but they were still dismissed with the best part of 15 overs going to waste. In reply, the Young Lions lost opener George Thomas and captain Tom Prest but Jacob Bethell and James Rew put on 65 before the former was run out just shy of the finish line as England cruised to victory. Bangladesh captain Rakibul Hasan was part of the side that lifted the trophy in South Africa in 2020 and elected to bat after winning the toss. Seamer Joshua Boyden had openers Mahfijul Islam (3) and Ariful Islam (4) caught behind by wicket-keeper Alex Horton and Bangladesh were reeling at seven for three in the eighth over when James Sales got in on the act as No.3 Prantik Nawrose Nabil departed without scoring to give Horton his third victim. William Luxton ran out Md Fahim to make it eight for four before first-change bowler Thomas Aspinwall got his reward for running in and hitting the deck hard when he had Ashiqur Zaman caught by Luxton for nine. Left-arm spinner Fateh Singh picked up his first scalp of the tournament when Aich Mollah was caught by Sales for 13 to leave Bangladesh 31 for six in the 17th over. They then belatedly brought up their half-century before losing three wickets for just one run. Horton took his tally to six catches behind the stumps as Aspinwall took his second wicket and left-armer Boyden picked up two more as he recorded impressive figures of four for 16 from nine overs. Ripon’s counter-attacking 33 included five fours and a six as the tailender added a modicum of respectability to the Bangladesh total. Boyden dropped a catch at fine leg to deny Sales another wicket, but England did not panic and eventually a superb diving grab from Rew off the skipper Prest’s off-spin saw the back of Naimur after the last two had hung around for 11 overs. England got off to a slightly nervy start with the bat as Bethell survived a run-out scare when SM Meherob could not gather the ball at the stumps with only five on the board. He survived a close lbw appeal off Ashiqur shortly after before opening partner Thomas began to up the ante after a cautious start. But having hit three fours, Thomas perished for 15 when he miscued another attacking shot off Ripon to leave England 20 for one in the ninth over. Joshua Boyden of England poses for a picture with his player of the match award following  the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and England at Warner Park Sporting Complex on January 16, 2022 in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. Joshua Boyden of England poses for a picture with his player of the match award following the ICC U19 Men's Cricket World Cup match between Bangladesh and England at Warner Park Sporting Complex on January 16, 2022 in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. That breakthrough gave Bangladesh a small glimmer of hope but when the English captain Prest nicked one behind off his counterpart Rakibul for just four soon after, the game was very much on. However, Rew joined Bethell and together they batted superbly, counteracting the Bangladesh spin attack to alleviate any potential English nerves. Bethell eventually paid for some hesitant running - which had been a feature of his innings - but by the time he was run out by Ariful for a well-made 44 from 63 balls the game was all but over. Luxton strode out to the crease and promptly hit his first ball down the ground for six before Rew, 26 not out off 39 balls, hit the winning runs off the first ball of the 26th over. England picked up a comfortable two points to go top of Group A ahead of their match against Canada on Tuesday while Bangladesh will look to bounce back on Thursday against the same opponents, who lost to the UAE in their opener on Saturday.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (January 16, 2022):-The ICC Commonwealth Games Qualifier 2022 commences at the Kinrara Oval in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday as Bangladesh, Kenya, Malaysia, Scotland and Sri Lanka vie for the lone remaining slot at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham. The round-robin T20 tournament to decide who joins the seven teams already qualified for Birmingham, Australia, Barbados, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa – commences with a match between Bangladesh and Malaysia and will see Bangladesh and Sri Lanka face off on the last day. Women’s cricket will be part of the Commonwealth Games for the first time ever in what is seen as a huge opportunity to take the game to new fans. It will only be the second time that cricket will feature in it after a men’s competition was part of the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998. Bangladesh captain Niger Sultana has the chance of leading her team into the Birmingham Games to cap a fine year that has already seen them qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand in March-April. Nigar Sultana: “We are very confident. It was not easy for us to return to competitive cricket after the disruptions of training and matches because of Covid-19. However, we are well prepared now, having played in different conditions during the past few months. “I think our middle-order batting has been excellent in recent times. As this is a T20 tournament, I am expecting the opening batters to get us off to quick starts. We have experienced campaigners to compliment the youthful exuberance in our team. It’s going to be a combined effort from all of us if we do well here. Sri Lanka captain Chamari Athapaththu feels it is vital for their team to win the tournament after having missed qualifying for the 50-over World Cup. Chamari Athapaththu: “Apart from the World Cup, the Commonwealth Games (cricket competition) is the other major tournament to be held in 2022. Obviously, it won't wipe out the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup but will give us some amount of solace. “We have a very good chance of winning this tournament and qualifying for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. We have experienced players as well as talented youngsters in our side, with the likes of Harsitha Samarawickrama and Kavisha Dilhari the ones to look out for.” Scotland captain Kathryn Bryce understands that it won’t be easy for her team but is still aiming to win the Qualifier. Kathryn Bryce: “Every time we go into a tournament the main objective is to try and win. There’s only one qualification spot available, so we know it’s going to be a challenging task coming up against the likes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh who’ve been near the top of the world stage for a long time now. They have a lot of experience but we’re looking forward to testing ourselves against them. “It’s been a challenging build-up with COVID-19 still affecting things, but we’ve managed to get together as a squad to train together regularly. We’ve been indoors over the winter period, but I think there have been some good camps during the preparation and I’ve seen some good progression, so I believe we’ll be ready for the tournament. “There are lots of players in the team who are starting to stand up and as a team we’re not really relying on a small number of people anymore which is really exciting to see. Obviously, Abtaha Maqsood has a really big summer playing in The Hundred and I think her quality will hopefully come through and has the potential to win us some matches.” Kenya captain Margaret Ngoche wants to make the most of the opportunity of playing against teams like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Margaret Ngoch: “We want to utilize and maximize all the opportunities that will come our way in terms of experience and talent showcasing. We want to interact with other teams with the aim of building a great cricketing network and learn more from them. We want to ensure that we are among the top teams, and we are coming with a winning mentality.” “We know that this is a tournament like we have never experienced before. We will be playing with teams that have played in the World Cup. One of our major weapons is our mental capacity and experience that we have gathered through the years. The training and practice matches are just a way to polish the already effective tools that we possess. We have really invested in our mental capacity, because our 100% is better than the rest.” Malaysia captain Winifred Anne Duraisingam is hoping to gain the edge from familiar home conditions. Winifred Anne Duraisingam: “It feels good to play hosts after not being able to play the last two years. Malaysia is blessed with good weather and of course our hospitality and food will, I hope, be a great experience for the teams coming in. “In terms of advantage, we are certainly comfortable as we know the ground conditions and we hope this will give us an edge as we do our best. Without a doubt the strength of our team is in fielding and bowling. We are currently hard at work with our batting and we can see the improvements. “Kinrara Oval has hosted many international tournaments including ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2008, the Women’s Asia Cup and many other ICC and ACC (Asian Cricket Council) events. The pitch is very lively and is good for both batting and bowling.” Match schedule (local time): 18 Jan: Malaysia vs Bangladesh (09h30); Sri Lanka vs Scotland (13h15) 19 Jan: Kenya vs Bangladesh (09h30); Scotland vs Malaysia (13h15) 20 Jan: Kenya vs Sri Lanka (09h30) 22 Jan: Scotland vs Kenya (09h30); Sri Lanka vs Malaysia (13h15) 23 Jan: Bangladesh vs Scotland (09h30); Malaysia vs Kenya (13h15) 24 Jan: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka (09h30)