Cricket
Blundell, Tickner and Bracewell excited for first Pakistan tour
Sports Bulletin
RAWALPINDI (September 10, 2021): Eleven September is the date when New Zealand men’s national cricket team will land in Pakistan after 18 years and Blair Tickner, Dough Bracewell and Tom Blundell have made no secret of their excitement to be touring the country for the first time.
The historic tour of New Zealand to Pakistan will commence with the three One-Day Internationals at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, after which the two teams will play five T20 Internationals at Pakistan’s home of Cricket, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Blair Tickner: “We are very excited to get to Pakistan and play on their wickets. It is a bit disappointing that we will be not be able to see the beautiful country as we are stuck in a bubble. But, we are looking forward to play cricket there.”
Tom Blundell: “It is very exciting for us to tour Pakistan, as none of us has ever been there. I have heard it is a beautiful country. They are a very good white-ball team and I think this tour will be challenging for us, but it is an exciting opportunity for all of us to go there.
“It is really pleasing to see Pakistan play in front of their fans again and this experience is going to be very exciting for both sides. We have been playing in empty stadiums, but it will be very exciting to play in front of Pakistan fans.
Doug Bracewell: “Lads are excited for the tour. The results were disappointing for us here in Bangladesh but we are now looking forward to play in Pakistan.”
PCB to partner with Daraz for live streaming of 2021-22
Sports Bulletin
LAHORE (September 10, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board has finalised arrangements with Pakistan’s leading online marketplace, Daraz, for exclusive live streaming rights for the 2021-22 home international season in the Pakistan region.
The upcoming cricket season is set to be one of the busiest home seasons in Pakistan’s cricketing history with white-ball series tours by New Zealand, England (men’s and women’s) and West Indies followed by a full tour by Australia.
Daraz will have exclusive live streaming rights for the entire bilateral international cricket season which commences with the first ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Friday, 17 September.
As part of the partnership, Daraz users will get a chance to see the live stream free of cost on the platform’s recently launched “DarazLive” – a live streaming feature completely free of ads.
Daraz believes in providing its customers with added value by continuous tech-backed innovation and living up to that belief, the brand focuses majorly on the phenomena of In-App shoppertainment that allows users to get a complete entertainment experience from the comfort of their homes.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “I am excited to welcome Daraz on board as our exclusive live streaming partner for the Pakistan region. Cricket is Pakistan's biggest passion point and we are keen to make the game more accessible for our fans. Our Commercial team has focused on digital growth and this live streaming partnership is a great achievement for us as an organisation.
“I am confident that our partnership with Daraz will grow bigger and better in line with our strategic vision to take a futuristic approach for value-addition and addressing changing behaviours and needs of our fans, especially the youth."
Daraz Chief Marketing Officer Ammar Hassan: “We are extremely proud to partner with PCB for exclusive digital broadcasting rights for Pakistan cricket home series till March 2022. Daraz users will get a chance to see the live digital broadcast free of cost and free of ads while enjoying some great shopping deals during the matches. Live commerce is the next big thing and we want to bring the same trend in Pakistan.”
With this partnership, both, PCB and Daraz, hope to redefine the cricket and entertainment landscape of Pakistan and enable users to have easy access to the most loved sport of the country.
About Daraz
Daraz is the leading online marketplace in South Asia, empowering tens of thousands of sellers to connect with millions of customers. Daraz provides immediate and easy access to 50 million products in over 100 categories, delivering more than six million packages every month across the region.
Daraz is a mall, a marketplace and a community for its customers and sellers. It strives the raise the standards of e-commerce in South Asia through a seamless ecosystem consisting of end-to-end solutions across e-commerce, logistics, payment infrastructure and financial services.
In 2018, Daraz was acquired by Alibaba Group, and is proud to carry its part of the mission to “make it easy to do business anywhere in the era of the digital economy”. As part of the Alibaba ecosystem, Daraz leverages Alibaba's global leadership and experience in technology, online commerce, mobile payments and logistics to drive growth in its markets.
PCB-Aitchison College Cricket Scholarship programme launched
Sports Bulletin
LAHORE (September 10, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board today announced the launch of a scholarship programme in partnership with the prestigious Aitchison College, through which three outstanding cricketers from the PCB’s pathway programmes will receive cricket scholarships each year.
Based on pre-determined criteria, the PCB will identify three suitable and talented boys each year, including those who otherwise could not afford to attend the school without full financial support in the form of a PCB Cricket Scholarship.
Aitchison College will offer these youngsters places from Grade 7 to Grade 9 once each selected boy has met the minimum academic standards of the College for entry.
Apart from acquiring highest standard of education, the players will also represent the Aitchison College cricket teams at various levels, while also remaining available to represent their Cricket Associations in the PCB-organised events. The PCB National High Performance Centre will monitor their cricketing progress, ensuring they continue on their path to becoming high quality cricketers.
PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “The PCB-Aitchison College Cricket Scholarship programme is a ground breaking initiative. The College has a rich history of producing world-class cricketers and there is no better example than our current prime minister and patron Imran Khan. Through this scholarship, we can change the lives of these boys by providing them with world-class education.
“Through the combination of educational excellence and high quality cricket skills programs, we aim to support the development of these future leaders. The mutually agreed eligibility criteria will enable us to assess and identify young cricketers annually.”
Three most outstanding and deserving cricketers for this first cohort are: 14-year-old Ahmed Hussain from Peshawar, 12-year-old Ali Hasnain Badshah from Okara and 13-year-old Usman Khan from Peshawar. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U13 and U16s, Ahmed scored 283 and 100 runs, respectively, besides taking 11 and eight wickets. Ali scored 274 runs for Southern Punjab in the U13 tournament, while Usman scored 172 runs and took five wickets for the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U13.
Tallawahs keep hopes alive with win over Kings
SPORTS BULLETIN
St Kitts (September 10, 2021):-The Jamaica Tallawahs made it two wins in two as they defeated the Saint Lucia Kings by 55 runs at Warner Park, St Kitts.
This win means the Tallawahs move into a qualifying spot for the knockout games next week but all six teams still have a mathematical chance to reach the latter stages.
The Kings remain in third place in the table with all teams having two more group matches left to play.
The Tallawahs got off to a lightning start thanks to another brutal innings from Kennar Lewis who smashed 56 from just 24 balls. Lewis was well supported by Shamarh Brooks as the Tallawahs reached 78/1 off their PowerPlay overs.
While wickets fell throughout the Tallawahs innings they managed to maintain a fast scoring rate throughout with contributions from the middle order. It was Imad Wasim who pushed the Tallawahs past 200 with a 10-ball innings worth 27 runs including three consecutive sixes off the 20th over.
The Kings chase started just as quickly with Andre Fletcher and Mark Deyal both making quickfire scores as they reached 79/1 off their first six overs. Roston Chase and Deyal put on 66 runs in just 32 balls but both fell in the space of two balls to Carlos Brathwaite to bring the Tallawahs back into the match.
Those two wickets gave the Tallawahs a lot more control as they squeezed the Kings in the middle overs with Brathwaite keeping things very tight. The Tallawahs took two wickets in two balls twice more as the Kings chase petered out and the Tallawahs emerged victorious.
Jamaica Tallawahs 211 all out (Lewis 56, Brooks 34; Royal 3/37, Royal 3/53) beat Saint Lucia Kings 156 all out (Deyal 33, Chase 30; Imad 3/34, Brathwaite 2/13) by 55 runs
TKR SPINNERS STAR IN WIN OVER ROYALS
Trinbago Knight Riders battled to a six wicket victory in their 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) encounter with Barbados Royals.
The Knight Riders won the toss and opted to field first, which looked like a good decision as the Barbados Royals were restricted to double figures. Kyle Mayers as opener was the only batsman who managed to score anything sizeable against a lethal Knight Riders bowling line-up.
With such a low total to chase, the Knight Riders would have fancied their chances, but had an early scare, as they lost two wickets in the PowerPlay, however Colin Munro would eventually anchor the innings and take them to victory.
Barbados Royals shuffled their batting order in the last game to great success, so it was no surprise to see Mayers opening once again, scoring a fluent 24 runs off 12 balls. However, that was to be the highest score of the innings as Knight Riders used spin to undo the Royals; Kharry Pierre, Akeal Hosein and Sunil Narine combining to take seven of the nine wickets that fell, including that of key batsmen Glenn Phillips, Jason Holder and Azam Khan.
Trinbago Knight Riders started their chase by losing the wicket of Lendl Simmons to the pace of Mohammad Amir, which forced the team to play more cautiously. Munro, Darren Bravo and Tim Seifert carefully accrued runs, and despite losing four wickets, it ended up being a comfortable win for the Knight Riders thanks to Munro’s 41 not out.
Trinbago Knight Riders now have five wins in this year’s Hero CPL and move to the top of the league table.
England name preliminary squad for T20 World Cup 2021
SPORTS BULLETIN
Islamabad (September 9, 2021):-England Men's Head Coach Chris Silverwood has named a 15-player preliminary squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and Oman. Sussex fast bowler Tymal Mills returns to the international set-up for the first time since February 2017.
This summer, the left-arm quick has been impressive in the Vitality T20 Blast, where he has helped Sussex reach Finals Day at Edgbaston later this month. He also showcased his skills will great accomplishment in The Hundred, helping Southern Brave lift the trophy in the tournament's inaugural year.
Durham's Ben Stokes was not available for selection and continues to take an indefinite break from all cricket to prioritise his mental wellbeing. England have until 10 October to finalise their squad ahead of the tournament.
England Men's Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, said:
"We are excited about the prospect of challenging to win the ICC T20 World Cup. I believe we have selected a squad that covers all bases and has the depth to be successful in what is expected to be a very competitive tournament featuring the best players in the world.
"Tymal Mills deserves his inclusion and has demonstrated over the past couple of years, but particularly this summer that he has all skills to succeed at this level. His exceptional pace is a standout, and the way he has spearheaded Sussex and Southern Brave's respective attacks in the short-form game has shown that he relishes the pressures of the big stage. He will add variety to our bowling unit, and we can't wait to see him play in a major international tournament."
As part of the team’s build up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, England are scheduled to play four warm-up matches including a two-match T20I series against Pakistan with both matches due to take place at the Rawalpindi International Stadium on 14-15 October.
Names of players:
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex) Captain, Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Tymal Mills (Sussex), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), David Willey (Yorkshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham),
Reserves players:
Tom Curran (Surrey), Liam Dawson (Hampshire), James Vince (Hampshire)
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 – England’s Group Fixtures:
England v West Indies, Saturday 23 October 2021, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 3.00pm BST)
England v Qualifier (B2), Wednesday 27 October 2021, Abu Dhabi (2.00pm GST / 11.00am BST)
England v Australia, Saturday 30 October 2021, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 3.00pm BST)
England v Qualifier (A1), Monday 1 November 2021, Sharjah (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)
England v South Africa, Saturday 6 November 2021, Sharjah (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)
Semi-finals
First semi-final, Wednesday 10 November, Abu Dhabi (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)
Second semi-final, Thursday 11 November, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)
Final, Sunday 14 November, Dubai (6.00pm GST / 2.00pm GMT)
Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza to supervise Pakistan-New Zealand series
SPORTS BULLETIN
Islamabad (September 9, 2021):-Elite panellist Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza of the international panel will umpire in the three ODIs between Pakistan and New Zealand to be played at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on 17, 19 and 21 September.
Mohammad Javed will be the match referee for the ODIs as well as the five T20Is, which will be played from 25 September to 3 October. Javed is on the ICC’s international panel of match referees.
Aleem and Ahsan have been assigned on-field responsibilities for the ICC Men’s World Cup Super League fixtures as DRS will not be available.
Apart from Aleem and Ahsan, who will also be involved in the T20Is, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Afridi, Rashid Riaz and Shozab Raza will also share umpiring responsibilities in the matches to be played in Lahore. Asif, Rashid and Shozab are on the ICC’s international panel of umpires
The following are the match officials’ appointments:
17 Sep – 1st ODI, Pindi Cricket Stadium. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire) and Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee)
19 Sep – 2nd ODI, Pindi Cricket Stadium. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire) and Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee)
21 Sep – 3rd ODI, Pindi Cricket Stadium. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire) and Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee)
25 Sep – 1st T20I, Gaddafi Stadium. Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire) and Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee)
26 Sep – 2nd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium. Ahsan Raza and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Aleem Dar (third umpire) and Shozab Raza (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee)
29 Sep- 3rd T20I, Gaddafi Stadium. Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire) and Shozab Raza (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee).
1 Oct – 4th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium. Asif Yaqoob and Shozab Raza (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire) and Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee)
3 Oct – 5th T20I, Gaddafi Stadium. Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Shozab Raza (third umpire) and Faisal Afridi (fourth umpire). Mohammad Javed (match referee).
Mohammad Nawaz tests positive
Sports Bulletin
RAWALPINDI (September 9, 2021):-Mohammad Nawaz has tested positive for Covid-19 and has been quarantined as per the PCB Covid-19 Protocols. The left-arm spinner had tested positive during the second round of testing, which were administered upon arrival in Islamabad on Wednesday.
All other squad members have tested negative and, as such, the national side will hold a training session as scheduled on Friday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. The New Zealand side will arrive in Islamabad on Saturday for three ODIs and five T20Is, which will be played from 17 September to 3 October.
Batting coach Justin Sammons returns back to home
By BIPIN DANI
The visiting Sri Lankan team will be without the services of its batting coach Justin Sammons for the remaining three T-20Is, it is learnt here.
Sammons was recently appointed as batting consultant for this tour and officiated in all three ODIs.
However, according to highly placed sources in South Africa, he returned home with four ODI players (Janneman Malan, Beuran Hendricks, Kyle Verreynne and Lipo Sipamla) immediately on the day when the third and the last ODI was finished on Tuesday.
The head coach Mark Boucher will also be the batting coach for the three T-20Is to be played on September 10, 12 and 14.
Teams' trainings
South Africa (8-10 pm) and Sri Lankan (5-8 pm) players were scheduled to train on Thursday.
Sri Lankan team will also have the services of its foreign physio Brett Harrop. "Kusal Perera's training session on an off-day on Wednesday was supervised by Harrop", the source attached with the stadium facilities confirmed.
Birthday boy
Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka had "surprised visitors" minutes after midnight on Wednesday.
"It is Shanka's 30th birthday and all team members knocked on the door at midnight. They all had brought cake for him and put on his face. All had fun last night and the housekeeping staff was invited to clean the room thereafter", one of the sources confirmed to this reporter.
PCB signs three-year agreement with CricHQ and CricViz
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Lahore (September 9, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board has signed a three-year agreement with internationally renowned scoring platform CricHQ and world’s leading cricket data providers CricViz.
CricHQ will be PCB’s live scoring partner and will digitise scoring from grassroots level all the way up to the top-tier of Pakistan cricket which is the First XIs of the six Cricket Associations. The partnership will enable the PCB to collect data and analyse player performances using match reports and statistics.
Additionally, CricHQ will also provide video automation and capturing solutions for domestic matches in order to help coaches and players analyse performances.
CricViz, widely regarded as one of the leading data analytics software in the world, will give the PCB analysts and coaches the licenses to their query tool. The analysts and coaches will also be trained on the software to help in preparation of pre-match, during match and post-match analysis using the software.
Both partnerships are in line with the PCB’s plan to upgrade its data analytical wing to provide state of the art data analysis, match plus player impacts etc. These tools will help in modernising Pakistan cricket in terms of data analysis and selection of players.
The players are also set to make considerable gains as the tools are designed to help improve their performances while overcoming the flaws in techniques that might creep in their game from time to time.
Director High Performance Nadeem Khan: “We are delighted to enter into this very exciting partnership with CricHQ and CricViz. These partnerships will provide our players, coaches and selectors with the most modern statistics and tools that have become an integral part of present day cricket across the three formats. In recent years, these tools have turned the fortunes of many players and teams as data and statistics continue to revolutionise modern day cricket with the growing demands and advancements in technology.
“CricViz is one of the leading data analytics software in the world. It will not only provide full access but also training to our analysts on their software so we can make pre-match, during match and post-match analysis using their software.
“We would also be providing the same software at the domestic level to help up and coming players learn and understand how these tools can benefit them besides providing the coaching staff a great opportunity to upskill themselves and gauge their players.”
“This upgradation will help our data analytical wing to provide state of the art data analysis, match plus player impacts to their respective coaches at various levels of our professional cricket.”
CricHQ General Manager Global Grant Elliot: “We are very excited to be partnering with the PCB as their official scoring provider for all cricket. We look forward to using our technology to grow the talent and the game. It comes at a time when New Zealand plan to tour Pakistan after a break in international cricket.
“We at CricHQ are passionate about growing innovating and using the latest technology. It’s clear that the PCB plan on using digital technology to get the edge on talent and stay in touch with all their stakeholder by digitising players and their fans.”
Caribbean League: Brandon leads Warriors to victory
SPORTS DESK
Islamabad (September 9, 2021):-Guyana Amazon Warriors moved back into the top four of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table with a 17-run victory over the Saint Lucia Kings.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and elected to bat first, but they had to overcome an early wobble to post a competitive total lead by Brandon King’s enterprising 77.
In reply the Kings looked as if they were in cruise control when Roston Chase and Tim David put together a big partnership but excellent death bowling tightened the screws and the Kings succumbed to the pressure.
Having been supplanted in the top four by Jamaica Tallawahs earlier in the day, Guyana needed a win to reignite their competition. However, three early wickets in the PowerPlay put them on the backfoot as Wahab Riaz and Jeavor Royal made the early breakthroughs.
King came to the Amazon Warriors rescue with his first Hero CPL 50 of the season but other than Nicholas Pooran’s 25 no batsmen was able to stick with King.
Once King fell for his sparkling 77, Odean Smith was able to add some maximums to take Guyana to a challenging total of 151.
Saint Lucia Kings were circumspect in their early reply and found themselves three wickets down with 43 runs on the board. Gudakesh Motie’s parsimonious spin bowling saw him take 2/12 from his four overs to keep the Amazon Warriors well in the hunt.
Roston Chase and Tim David put together a boundary laden partnership of 75 from 63 balls but just as it seemed they would take the Kings home, Naveen Ul-Haq and Odean Smith bowled four excellent overs to seal two crucial points for the Amazon Warriors.
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