Sports Bulletin

JAMIL SIRAJ Melbourne, Australia (August 19, 2021):-The National Selection Panel (NSP) has today named a 15-player Australian squad for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE, Aaron Finch will lead the Australian team in the 16-nation cricket showpiece. Chair of Selectors George Bailey said: “We are confident this squad has the ability to take the side deep into what will be an extremely competitive tournament. “We have some of the best players in the world in their respective roles combined with the collective experience to succeed against the very best T20 sides in the world.”Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner and Pat Cummins return to the squad having missed the tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh. Steve Smith returns from an elbow injury while captain Aaron Finch is recovering well from recent knee surgery. “We look forward to having all of these players available both from a playing perspective and the experience they bring to International tournaments,” Bailey said. Names of players: Aaron Finch (c) (Victoria)Ashton Agar(Western Australia), Pat Cummins (vc) (New SouthWales)Josh Hazlewood (New South Wales) Josh Inglis(WesternAustralia) Mitchell Marsh (Western Australia) Glenn Maxwell (Victoria) Kane Richardson (South Australia) Steve Smith (New South Wales) Mitchell Starc (New South Wales)Marcus Stoinis (WesternAustralia) Mitchell  Swepson(Queensland) Matthew Wade (Tasmania) David Warner (New South Wales) Adam Zampa (New South Wales) Travelling reserves: Dan Christian (New South Wales), Nathan Ellis (Tasmania),Daniel Sams (New South Wales).    

SPORTS REPORT Islamabad (August 18, 2021):-England captain Joe Root’s valiant 180 not out in the first innings of the Lord’s Test has taken him to within striking distance of top-ranked batter Kane Williamson in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings. Root, who started the series in fifth place and overtook Virat Kohli after the first match against India, has risen another two slots to second position after the second Test. Root, a formerly top-ranked batter in the format, is on 893 rating points, only eight less than Kiwi skipper Williamson. Player of the Match Lokesh Rahul is another batter to gain after helping India to a 151-run victory and a 1-0 lead in the five-Test series. The 29-year-old opener, whose career-best is the eighth position he attained in November 2017, has gained 19 slots to reach 37th place with a knock of 129 in the first innings. The bowlers to gain from the Lord’s Test include James Anderson, who has gained one spot and is sixth after a five-wicket haul in the first innings while other England pace bowler Mark Wood and India’s Mohammad Siraj have made significant gains to reach 37th and 38th positions, respectively. Wood has gained five slots with five wickets in the match while Siraj’s four wickets in each innings see him gain 18 places. The latest weekly update, which includes performances in the first Test in Kingston, sees Pakistan captain Babar Azam move up two slots to eighth position among batters after scores of 30 and 55 while Faheem Ashraf and Fawad Alam have gained four slots each to reach 48th and 55th positions, respectively. For the West Indies, who won by one wicket, Jermaine Blackwood has gained nine slots to reach 35th position after getting 22 and 55. All-rounder Jason Holder is up five places to 43rd and captain Kraigg Brathwaite, who missed a first-innings century by three runs, has advanced 18 places to 45th. Holder has also moved into the top 10 for bowlers, his four wickets in the match lifting him two places to ninth position. Fast bowler Jayden Seales has soared 39 places to 58th after his eight-wicket match haul that earned him the Player of the Match award while Kemar Roach is another gainer, moving up two places to 11th. For Pakistan, left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has gained four slots to reach 18th position after taking four wickets in each innings and Faheem is up four places to 71st.

By BIPIN DANI Mohammed Siraj is known to wear his heart on his sleeve. The fast bowler on the Indian cricket team has several times drawn attention by publicly expressing emotion. But now, his restrained gesture of putting a left-hand finger on his lips after claiming a wicket has caught the public eye.   “It’s just his way of celebrating after taking a wicket I would say,” Arjun Yadav, who was his Under-23 coach, says. “It’s just a message to all the people who did not believe in his ability, and to silence his critics,” the son of former Indian spinner and ex-BCCI president Shivlal Yadav adds. In the last Test, Siraj was able to grab four wickets in each innings. Had he got one more in either innings, his name would have been up on the Honours Board at Lord’s.   “Of course, it is a chance he missed, but I am sure Siraj will be happy, as his four wickets in the second innings gave the Indian team victory. I know him well, and he believes team victory comes over all personal goals and achievements,” says Yadav, signing off.

SPORTS REPORT Lahore (August 17, 2021):-Vehari won the Southern Punjab-leg of the two-day City Cricket Association Tournament 2021-22 on first innings lead basis after their final against Muzaffargarh ended in a draw at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Monday. Vehari successfully defended their first innings score of 353 for nine to dismiss Muzaffargarh for 243. When the match ended, Vehari were 175 for three in their second innings. The stars of Vehari’s victory were Naveed Ahmed and Farhan Sarfraz. Naveed scored 138 in the first innings while Farhan struck half-centuries in each innings. Muzaffargarh’s Mohammad Junaid, who took six wickets in the final was the most successful bowler in the tournament taking 39 wickets from seven matches. The slow left-armer took three five-fors in the tournament. In the two-group 14-team Southern Punjab-leg, Vehari topped Pool A while Muzaffargarh topped Pool B. Sahiwal’s Sharoon Siraj was the most successful batsman with 669 runs from six matches at 74.33. His best was 185 not out in the tournament, his tally of runs included three centuries and one half-century. Ammar Ali from Dera Ghazi Khan was second on the list with 559 runs from six matches at 69.88 with a best score of unbeaten 152. The right-handed batsman scored three centuries and one half-century. Rajanpur’s Jawad Hussain scored 506 runs from six matches at 72.29 with 102 not out his best score. The left-handed batsman struck one century and three half-centuries. The only double-century in the Southern Punjab-leg was hit by Okara’s Waqar Hussain. The right-handed batsman scored unbeaten 202 against Khanewal which included 15 fours and three sixes off 228 balls. In five matches in the tournament, he scored 454 runs at 75.67. Second on the bowling chart was Zain-Ul-Abadin from Khanewal who took 28 wickets from six outings in the tournament. He bagged three five-wicket hauls with best figures of five for 40 in an innings. Sahiwal’s Mohammad Rameez and Dera Ghazi Khan’s Mohammad Jehangir shared the bowling honours with 25 scalps apiece. Rameez bagged three five-wicket innings and one ten-wicket match haul, while Jehangir’s best figures in an innings were five for 20. Meanwhile, the final of the Balochistan Cricket Association-leg will be played between Loralai and Lasbela from 21 August. Scores in brief: Final Result – Match drawn (Vehari won the final on first innings lead) Vehari 353-9, 75 overs (Naved Ahmed 138, Farhan Sarfraz 56; Mohammad Junaid 4-80, Shayan Khalil 3-71) and 175-3, 40 overs (Shahzad Ali 59, Farhan Sarfraz 52) Muzaffargarh 243 all out, 70 overs (Aamir Ijaz 75, Mohammad Sudais 55; Shoaib Khan 3-30)

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (August 17, 2021):-Pakistan will take on traditional foes India in their opening fixture of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at the Dubai International Stadium on 24 October, as the ICC has announced the schedule of the 16-team international cricket showpiece. The Babar Azam-led side will also face New Zealand and Afghanistan in Group 2 of the Super 12s stage, along with two qualifiers from Round 1. They will play New Zealand at the same venue on 27 October and take on Afghanistan in Dubai on 29 October. Sri Lanka, champions in 2014, and Bangladesh, Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands Oman, PNG and Scotland, feature in Round 1 of the 16-team tournament, being hosted by India in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman through to 14 November. Abu Dhabi will be the venue of the first semi-final on 10 November while the other semi-final (11 November) and the final (14 November) will be played in Dubai. All day matches are scheduled for 14h00 local time and the day-night matches are slated for 18h00 local time (+4 GMT). Pakistan captain Babar Azam said: “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 schedule announcement brings us one step forward in our preparations for this much-awaited global tournament. We will utilise the build-up period by playing in home series against New Zealand and England and will not only aim to fine-tune our final outlook but also win as many matches as possible so that we can carry that winning form and momentum to the United Arab Emirates. “For Pakistan, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 is like a home event as the UAE has been our venue for more than a decade. We have not only nurtured our talent and developed our side in the UAE but have also beaten the top sides in these conditions to peak to number-one in the ICC T20I Team Rankings. “All the players are excited, motivated and enthusiastic, and view this tournament as an opportunity to showcase our prowess and re-establish our superiority in the shortest format of the game in conditions that suit us best. “From a personal point of view, this will be my first ICC Major Event as Pakistan captain. I tasted success in 2017 and suffered disappointment in 2019 when we missed out on a semi-final spot by a fraction of a point despite beating both the finalists in league matches. I remain focused in inspiring my side with my performances so that we can become the first Pakistan side to win an ICC Major Event in Asia.” Kieron Pollard, captain of defending champions West Indies is promising exciting cricket, the type that helped them defeat England in a pulsating final at the Eden Gardens in 2016 with Carlos Brathwaite blasting four consecutive sixes in the last over to turn the tables on 2010 champions England. West Indies captain Kieron Pollard said: “We are excited to begin defence of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title later this year. T20 cricket is dynamic and the international scene is highly competitive, with players constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation and we are expecting a spectacular event in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. “We have a particularly interesting Super 12 group, which sees us come up against Australia, England and South Africa. We can’t wait to get started! West Indian cricketers have always played an exciting brand of cricket and I am sure our fans in the Caribbean and all over the world are highly anticipating seeing us in action.” New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said: “After so much disruption to world sport due to the pandemic it feels like there’s a lot of excitement about this T20 World Cup. “It’s always a highly competitive event with every team possessing match-winners who can turn games quickly. “I think we’ve got a pretty well-balanced side with a good mix of exciting new talent and some experience. “We saw in last year’s IPL in the UAE that surfaces can change over the course of a tournament and seam bowling as well as spin can work in the conditions. “We’ve got a strong pool with India, Pakistan and Afghanistan so far. All teams are strong which make way for an exciting competition “I know our guys are really looking forward to another world event and being able to represent New Zealand on the global stage in these challenging times. “Tournament play is unique and hopefully we can adapt to what’s in front of us and try and gain some momentum.” The groupings: Round 1 Group A: Sri Lanka, Ireland, Netherlands and Namibia Group B: Bangladesh, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and Oman (Top two teams from each group advance to Super 12s) Super 12s Group 1: England, Australia, South Africa, West Indies, A1 and B2. Group 2: India, Pakistan, New Zealand, Afghanistan, A2 and B1. (Top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals) Schedule: Round 1 17 Oct: Oman v Papua New Guinea, Muscat (14h00); Bangladesh v Scotland, Muscat (18h00) 18 Oct: Ireland v Netherlands, Abu Dhabi (14h00); Sri Lanka v Namibia, Abu Dhabi (18h00) 19 Oct: Scotland v PNG, Muscat (14h00); Oman v Bangladesh, Muscat (18h00) 20 Oct: Namibia v Netherlands, Abu Dhabi (14h00); Sri Lanka v Ireland, Abu Dhabi (18h00) 21 Oct: Bangladesh v Papua New Guinea, Muscat (14h00); Oman v Scotland, Muscat (18h00) 22 Oct: Namibia v Ireland, Sharjah (14h00); Sri Lanka v Netherlands, Sharjah (18h00) Super 12s 23 Oct: Australia v South Africa, Abu Dhabi (14h00); England v West Indies, Dubai (18h00) 24 Oct: A1 v B2, Sharjah (14h00); India v Pakistan, Dubai (18h00) 25 Oct: Afghanistan v B1, Sharjah (18h00) 26 Oct: South Africa v West Indies, Dubai (14h00); Pakistan v New Zealand, Sharjah (18h00) 27 Oct: England v B2, Abu Dhabi (14h00); B1 v A2, Abu Dhabi (18h00) 28 Oct: Australia v A1, Dubai (14h00) 29 Oct: West Indies v B2, Sharjah (14h00); Pakistan v Afghanistan, Dubai (18h00) 30 Oct: South Africa v A1, Sharjah (14h00); Australia v England, Dubai (18h00) 31 Oct: Afghanistan v A2, Abu Dhabi (14h00); India v New Zealand, Dubai (18h00) 1 Nov: England v A1, Sharjah (18h00) 2 Nov: South Africa v B2, Abu Dhabi (14h00); Pakistan v A2, Abu Dhabi (18h00) 3 Nov: New Zealand v B1, Dubai (14h00); India v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi (18h00) 4 Nov: Australia v B2, Dubai (14h00); West indies v A1, Abu Dhabi (18h00) 5 Nov: New Zealand v A2, Sharjah (14h00); India v B1, Dubai (18h00) 6 Nov: Australia v West Indies, Abu Dhabi (14h00); England v South Africa, Sharjah (18h00) 7 Nov: New Zealand v Afghanistan, Abu Dhabi (14h00): Pakistan v B1, Sharjah (18h00) 8 Nov: India v A2, Dubai (18h00) Knock-out stage 10 Nov: Semi-final 1 (A1 v B2), Abu Dhabi (18h00) 11 Nov: Semi-final 2 (B1 v A2), Dubai (18h00) 14 Nov: Final, Dubai (18h00) About the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 The seventh edition of the tournament comprises 16 teams and is being hosted by India in the United Arab Emirates and Oman The tournament is being played at four venues – Dubai International Stadium, Oman Cricket Academy (Muscat), Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Zayed Cricket Stadium (Abu Dhabi) Hosts India and nine other top teams in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings as of 31 December 2018 got direct entries The top eight were placed directly in the Super 12s and the next two – Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - joined six other teams coming through a Qualifier event in the group stage Two teams each from the group stage, consisting of four teams each, will join the eight direct entrants to complete the Super 12s line-up. If Sri Lanka and Bangladesh qualify from the first round, they will retain the seedings of A1 and B1 respectively for the Super 12s The top two teams from each group of the Super 12s will make the knockouts, the matchups being - A1 v B2 and B2 v A1

Report: Raja Hafeez Geneva, Switzerland:-Pakistan XI beat India XI by 5 wickets in the Independent Day cricket match that was played on August 14, 2021 at Geneva cricket Ground. India XI set 228 runs target for Pakistan XI, which they got in the 22nd over of their innings. Jawad Naseem played excellent innings of 103 not out and received the man of the match award.

SALMAN KHAN Lahore (August 15, 2021):-The National High Performance Centre (NHPC) will host a Wicketkeepers Specialised Camp from Monday, 16 August. A total of 12 promising wicketkeepers from all across the country will take part in the four-day long camp . The wicketkeepers who are on national duty or playing in the KPL will be invited in due course ahead of upcoming domestic cricket season. NHPC’s fielding and wicketkeeping coach Atiq-uz-Zaman will supervise the camp which is aimed at identifying back-up wicketkeepers and improving their skills ahead of an action-packed domestic and international cricket season. During the course of the camp, the wicketkeepers will engage in fitness, skill-work and batting drills. Names of wicketkeepers: Abdullah Butt (Southern Punjab), Aftab Alam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Afzaal Manzoor (Central Punjab), Ali Shan (Central Punjab), Hidayatullah (Balochistan), Maqbool Ahmed (Southern Punjab), Saifullah Bangash (Sindh), Shawaiz Irfan (Central Punjab), Shehryar Rizvi (Sindh), Umair Masood (Northern), Waqar Hussain (Southern Punjab) and Zubair Shinwari (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa).  

By BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's legendary cricketer and the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) president Kumar Sangakkara opened the new stands named after Denis Compton and Bill Edrich at Lord's on Thursday.   The late Denis Compton and Bill Edrich entertained thousands of spectators during their careers, and their contribution to the history of Lord’s will continue to inspire visitors to the Home of Cricket through the stands. Those present also included two generations of the Compton and Edrich families, of which the new stands continue to bear their respective names.  Sangakkara's presence in England is also because of his commentary assignment for the international matches.   Sanga also met former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who as a BCCI president is already in England to watch the ongoing Test at Lord's, the Mecca of Cricket.  Ganguly made his Test debut (in 1996) at Lord's and also scored a century at this ground. 

SPORTS REPORT Rawalpindi (August 13, 2021):-Rawalpindi won the Northern-leg of the two-day City Cricket Association Tournament 2021-22 on first innings lead basis after their final against Islamabad ended in a draw at the Shalimar Cricket Ground on Thursday. Rawalpindi successfully defended their first innings score of 206 to dismiss Islamabad for 202. When the match ended, Islamabad were 52 for one after Rawalpindi had set them a 239-run victory target. The stars of Rawalpindi’s victory were Hamza Arshad and Raheel Wakeel, who scored 54 and 50, respectively in their side’s modest 206, and Kashif Ali, who grabbed four wickets for 54 runs to help his side dismiss Islamabad four runs short. In the two-group 11-team Northern-leg, Rawalpindi topped Pool A with two wins and two draws from five matches, while Islamabad topped Pool B with one win and one draw from four outings. Rawalpindi’s Hamza, who scored 54 and 69 in the final, was the most successful batsman with 550 runs at 78.57 with a best score of 129 not out. Second on the batting chart was Sarmad Hameed from Jhelum who scored 431 runs from five matches at 86.20 with unbeaten 157 his best in the tournament. The right-handed batsman had scored two centuries and one half-century in the tournament, while his teammate Mohammad Ajmal finished as the third leading run-getter with 335 runs at 67. Rawalpindi’s Kashif Ali, Jhelum’s Shoaib Amir and Attock’s Nadeem Sikander shared the bowling honours with 26 scalps apiece. Kashif bagged two five-fers and one 10-wicket haul, leg-spinner Shoaib’s best figures in an innings were six for 38, while left-arm spinner Nadeem’s best returns in an innings were six for 93. Triangular stage commences in three City Cricket Association Tournaments The triangular stage of the CCA Tournaments has commenced in Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh. In the three-group 19-team Central Punjab-leg, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Sheikhupura qualified for the triangular stage. Faisalabad and Sialkot topped their respective pools with two wins and two draws from five matches each while Sheikhupura topped Pool A with four drawn games from six outings in the tournament. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, amongst 19 teams, divided in three groups, Bannu, Mardan and Haripur qualified for the triangular stage. In Sindh, amongst 17 participating teams, divided in three groups, Sukkur, Zone VI and Zone VII qualified for the triangular stage. Thirteen teams in the Balochistan-leg of the CCA Tournament are competing in the group stage to secure the two spots in the final. These teams are divided into two groups. The final of the 14-team Southern Punjab-leg will be played between Muzaffargarh and Vehari from 15 August. Scores in brief: Final Result – Match drawn (Rawalpindi won the final on first innings lead) Rawalpindi 206 all out, 63.5 overs (Hamza Arshad 54, Raheel Wakeel 50; Mohammad Amir 6-47) and 234-4d, 51 overs (Hamza Majeed 133, Hamza Arshad 69; Hammad Khan 2-20) Islamabad 202 all out, 62.3 overs (Mohammad Irfan 52, Umar Nawaz 49; Kashif Ali 4-54) and 52-1, 6 overs (Azeem Bari 25 not out)

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (August 13, 2021):-The England men’s cricket team will visit Pakistan to play couple of T20 international before taking part in the T20 World Cup, which will be hosted in United Arab Emirates and Oman jointly. English women’s team will also tour Pakistan to play two T20 and three One Day Internationals, as all matches will be played at Pindi Cricket Stadium Rawalpindi. According to media department of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Eoin Morgan’s side, along with Heather Knight’s team, will arrive in Islamabad on 9 October and while the men’s squad will depart for Dubai on 15 October, England women will stay back for the three ODIs to be played on 17, 19 and 21 October at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan: “We are delighted to welcome both the England men’s team for what will be their first tour to Pakistan since 2005, and the England women’s team, who will be touring Pakistan for the first time. Both are additional tours with England men’s side scheduled to return to Pakistan in the last quarter of 2022 for white-ball and ICC World Test Championship fixtures.” Both Morgan and Knight’s sides are 50-over world champions. England men are ranked No.1 in ICC T20I Team Rankings and England women are second – just five points behind ICC Women’s T20 World Cup winners Australia. Schedule: 9 Oct – England men and women sides’ arrival 13 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women; Pakistan Men v England Men (T20I double-header) 14 Oct - Pakistan Women v England Women; Pakistan Men v England Men (T20I double-header) 17 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women, 1st ODI 19 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women, 2nd ODI 21 Oct – Pakistan Women v England Women, 3rd ODI