Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE): India fast bowler Mohammad Siraj has grabbed the top position for bowlers in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after a superb show in the home series against New Zealand which his team won 3-0 to take No.1 position in the team rankings. The 28-year-old took five wickets in the two matches that he played in, including a haul of four for 46 in the first ODI on his home ground of Hyderabad. This followed another fruitful series against Sri Lanka, in which he had finished with nine wickets to move up to number three. Other Indian bowlers to be No. 1 in the ODI rankings are Kapil Dev, Maninder Singh, Anil Kumble, Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah. Siraj’s new-ball partner in the New Zealand series, Mohammad Shami, too has moved up the rankings, up 11 places to 32nd position after taking four wickets in two matches. Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav and seam bowler Shardul Thakur have reaped the gains of finishing with six wickets each in the series. Yadav has moved from 21st to 19th while Thakur has progressed five places and is 35th. Opener Shubman Gill led the charge of India’s batters as he stormed into the top 10 for the first time. His Player of the Series effort of 360 runs, that included a double-century and a century, has lifted him 20 spots to sixth position. He is now the leading India batter in the rankings, one slot above Virat Kohli. Captain Rohit Sharma’s 186 runs in the series have helped him move up two slots to eighth position while all-rounder Hardik Pandya has progressed in all three lists. He is up six places to 75th among batters, has gained 26 slots to reach 80th position among bowlers and has moved from 32nd to17th in the list of all-rounders. Michael Bracewell, who was the leading run-scorer for New Zealand with 188 runs, has rocketed 71 places to 85th position while Devon Conway has moved up from 50th to 37th. In the latest weekly update which also considers performances in the three-match series between Zimbabwe and Ireland that was drawn 1-1, Ireland batter Harry Tector has advanced 12 places to 13th position after leading the series aggregate with 176 runs. Zimbabwe star Sikandar Raza (up two places to 31st) is another batter to progress after the series while Ireland seam bowlers Joshua Little and Mark Adair have both advanced after finishing with five wickets each in the series. Little has progressed 27 places to 33rd position and Adair is up 46 places to 57th.

Bipin Dani Former Sri Lankan fast bowler Dhamika Prasad is now one among the three cricketers shortlisted for the head coach of the Nepal cricket team, it is reliably learnt. According to the highly placed sources in CAN (Cricket Association of Nepal), the 40-year-old former fast bowler, who has played 50 international matches (Tests: 25, ODIs: 24 and T-20i:1) had applied for the head coach post and was recently interviewed on line. Incidentally, Dhammika Prasad was an assistant and fast bowling consultant for Nepal for the series against Oman, Scotland, USA, and Canada. The retired Sri Lanka player has good coaching experience and his resume was attractive and presentation to the interviewers was also impressive, it is understood. The other four shortlisted and interviewed candidates are: Monty Desai (India), Glenn Pocknail (New Zeakand), Russell Domingo (South Africa), and Dav Whatmore (Australia). Most popular among these five is the well-experienced Dav Whatmore. However, Whatmore is contracted with the Vadodara Cricket Association in India and his contract runs until March 2023 and had to withdraw from Nepal coaching as he is unable to join Nepal team soon after India's Manoj Prabhakar’s contract ended prematurely. Domingo recently resigned from Bangladesh coaching and as per the latest information received, Domingo too has revoked his application. "I need some break now", he says to this Reporter. Monty Desai's term with the West Indies team as batting coach ended. Pocknall is a renowned coach in New Zealand. He is instrumental in shaping Davon Conway.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Baluchistan Bulls and Punjab Panthers have won their respective matches of the Kingdom Valley All Stars Supper League (ASSL) after beating Kashmir Janbaaz by 141 runs and Sindh Strikers by 76 runs respectively at two different venues here on Tuesday. Summarized Scorecard (Kashmir Janbaaz Panthers vs Baluchistan Bulls): Venue: Marghzar cricket ground Toss: Kashmir Janbaaz won the toss and elected to field first Result: Baluchistan won by 141 runs Baluchistan Bulls (Batting) 232 for 1 runs in 20 overs Mohammad Arshad 100 runs not out (51 balls, 4x19, 6x0), Tauqeer 72 runs not out (36 balls, 4x9, 6x2), Juman Shah 51 runs (33 balls, 4x4, 6x3) Kashmir Janbaaz Bowling: Asgher Ali Shah (1 for 27) Kashmir Janbaaz (Batting): 91 runs all out in 17 overs Shuja 24 runs (42 balls, 4x2, 6x0), Irfan Khan 17 runs (14 balls, 4x3, 6x0) Baluchistan Bowling: Nizam (4 for 21), Ali Bakhsh (3 for 15), Tauqeer (2 for 21), Khawar (1 for 8) Man of the match: Mohammad Arshad Summarized Scorecard (Sindh Strikers vs Punjab Panthers): Venue: Shalimar cricket ground Toss: Sindh Striker won the toss and decided to field first Results: Punjab Panthers won by 76 runs Punjab Panthers (Batting) 166 for 7 runs in 18 overs Asad Laghari 69 runs (42 balls, 4x2, 6x5), Sareer Abbasi 23 runs (14 balls, 4x2, 6x1), Najam-ul-Hasan 16 runs (17 balls, 4x2, 6x0) Sindh Strikers Bowling: Naeem Khan (2 for 20), Sifatullah (1 for 21), Fazal Hadi (1 for 22), Malik Zeeshan (1 fir 25) Sindh Strikers (Batting) 90 runs all out in 12.1 overs Malik Zeeshan 28 runs (14 balls, 4x3, 6x2), Ali Asgher 26 runs (22 balls, 4x2, 6x2) Umer Farooq 15 runs (10 balls, 4x2, 6x1) Punjab Panthers Blowing: Najam-ul-Hasan (4 for 36), Abdul Manan (3 for 13), Bilal (2 for 10) Man of the match: Asad Laghari

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) today completed announcements of the ICC Teams of the Year, a feature of the ICC Awards 2022 which captures the best combined XIs across the different formats of men’s and women’s international cricket after an action-packed year of competition. ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year: 1 Usman Khawaja (Aus) 2 Kraigg Brathwaite (WI) 3 Marnus Labuschagne (Aus) 4 Babar Azam (Pak) 5 Jonny Bairstow (Eng) 6 Ben Stokes (c) (Eng) 7 Rishabh Pant (wk) (Ind) 8 Pat Cummins (Aus) 9 Kagiso Rabada (SA) 10 Nathan Lyon (Aus) 11 James Anderson (Eng) ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year: 1 Alyssa Healy (wk) (Aus) 2 Smriti Mandhana (Ind) 3 Laura Wolvaardt (SA) 4 Nat Sciver (Eng) 5 Beth Mooney (Aus) 6 Harmanpreet Kaur (c) (Ind) 7 Amelia Kerr (NZ) 8 Sophie Ecclestone (Eng) 9 Ayabonga Khaka (SA) 10 Renuka Singh (Ind) 11 Shabnim Ismail (SA) ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year: 1 Babar Azam (c) (Pak) 2 Travis Head (Aus) 3 Shai Hope (WI) 4 Shreyas Iyer (Ind) 5 Tom Latham (wk) (NZ) 6 Sikandar Raza (Zim) 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (Ban) 8 Alzarri Joseph (WI) 9 Mohammed Siraj (Ind) 10 Trent Boult (NZ) 11 Adam Zampa (Aus) ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year: 1 Smriti Mandhana (Ind) 2 Beth Mooney (Aus) 3 Sophie Devine (c) (NZ) 4 Ash Gardner (Aus) 5 Tahlia McGrath (Aus) 6 Nida Dar (Pak) 7 Deepti Sharma (Ind) 8 Richa Ghosh (wk) (Ind) 9 Sophie Ecclestone (Eng) 10 Inoka Ranaweera (SL) 11 Renuka Singh (Ind) ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year: 1 Jos Buttler (c) (wk) (Eng) 2 Mohammad Rizwan (Pak) 3 Virat Kohli (Ind) 4 Suryakumar Yadav (Ind) 5 Glenn Phillips (NZ) 6 Sikandar Raza (Zim) 7 Hardik Pandya (Ind) 8 Sam Curran (Eng) 9 Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) 10 Haris Rauf (Pak) 11 Josh Little (Ire)

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally written to 27 leading departments, seeking their interest in participating in the PCB Domestic Cricket Season 2023-24, which will start in August. The letters were dispatched to the departments on behalf of Najam Sethi, Chair of the PCB Management Committee, in accordance with the PCB Constitution 2014 and on the specific instructions of PCB’s Patron, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is keen to see return of the department to play their integral role in the growth and development of Pakistan cricket. In the letters, the PCB has not only invited the departments to confirm their participation in the upcoming season at their earliest convenience that can help them prepare the season’s calendar, but have also encouraged to set up strong cricket sides, assuring them maximum coverage and publicity through the traditional and new media. Some of the prominent departments, who have been sent letters for participation in the PCB Domestic Season 2023, include: Ghani Glass, Income Tax, K-Electric, Karachi Port Trust, Khan Research Laboratory, National Bank of Pakistan, Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Omar Associates, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan International Airlines, Port Qasim Authority, Pakistan Television Corporation, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Pakistan Water & Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL).

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Nasrullah Zia’s sensational 77 runs steered Model Town Club to a thrashing 9-wicket win over Shahkamal Cricket Club in the third quarterfinal of the 20-K Cup 2023 T20 Cricket Tournament here at the Model Town Greens ground on Tuesday. Shahkamal Club, batting first, were all out for 131 runs in 19.3 overs. Imran Nazir Jr emerged as top scorer with 42 runs off 45 balls, hitting 3 boundaries and 1 sixes while the other key contributors were Mohammad Abdullah and Sheraz Ali, who slammed 37 and 27 runs respectively. No other Shahkamal Club batter could cross the doubles figures and fell cheaply. Afaq Afridi bowled well for Model Town Club and grabbed 3 wickets for 16 runs while Mohsin Irshad and Hassan Rizwan bagged 2 wickets each. Model Town Club started their run-chase in great style and comfortably achieved the required target, losing just one wicket in 16 overs. Opener Haider fell cheaply for 13 runs while player of the match Nasrullah Zia hammered superb unbeaten 77 runs off 48 runs that included 6 fours and 4 sixes. Mohammad Saleem also remained unbeaten for 31 runs off 34 balls. From Shahkamal, the only wicket was claimed by Usman Ali. On Wednesday (January 25), the fourth and last quarterfinal will be played between Golden Star Cricket Club and Model Town Greens Cricket Academy at Pindi Gymkhana Cricket Ground at 11:00 am.

Sports Bulletin Report Potchefstroom (South Africa): Pakistan continued their impressive run in the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup when they defeated Ireland by seven wickets in a crucial Super Six Stage Group-2 match here on Monday. Set a victory target of 114, Pakistan raced to victory for the loss of three wickets with 15 balls to spare. After defeating Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the preliminary round matches, this was Pakistan’s first win in the Super Six stage and they will now play their second match against New Zealand on Tuesday. If Pakistan beat New Zealand, they will significantly enhance their chances of progressing to the semifinals. In-form Eyman Fatima scored a 17-ball 25 with four fours and a six and Shawaal Zulfiqar contributed 18 from 20 balls with three fours. However, both fell on successive balls as Pakistan slipped to 44 for two in 6.1 overs. At that stage, captain Syeda Aroob Shah rose to the occasion and spearheaded Pakistan’s run-chase. She was the third batter out at the score of 100 in the 15th over when 14 runs were required in just over four overs. Aroob scored 35 from 25 balls with four fours. Warda Yousaf struck the winning boundary and returned unbeaten on 24, while Laiba Nasir was seven not out. Earlier, Anoosha Nasir took two for 17 and Rida Aslam bagged two for 26 as Ireland scored 113 for seven in their 20 overs. Ireland’s score revolved around Annabel Squires, who scored 55 not out from 52 balls with five fours. Scores in brief: Ireland U19 Women 113-7, 20 overs (Annabel Squires 55 not out; Anoosha Nasir 2-17, Rida Aslam 2-26) Pakistan U19 Women 117-3, 17.3 overs (Syeda Aroob Shah 35, Eyman Fatima 25, Warda Yousaf 24 not out, Shawaal Zulfiqar 18) Player of the match – Anoosha Nasir (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Former Test batter Haroon Rashid has been appointed as Chair of the men’s National Selection Committee, while other members of his panel will be announced in due course. Haroon played 23 Tests and 12 ODIs from 1977 to 1983 and last held this position in 2015-16. Most recently, he was the Convener of the Interim Selection Committee after having previously served in administrative and coaching roles with the age-group and national sides. Chair of the PCB Management Committee, Najam Sethi said: “I want to congratulate Haroon Rashid and hope he will use his cricket knowledge, understanding and background while picking squads for the upcoming international assignments.” Haroon Rashid said: “I am honoured to have been entrusted with this responsibility and look forward to working very closely with the team management and the National High Performance Centre so that we have clear pathways and can work collectively to select best available players for what will be a busy and high-profile year of cricket, including the ACC Asia Cup, ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and the tour of Australia for three Tests. “One of the key aspects I will like to focus on my time will be improving communication. This is a critical area as the players need to have absolute clarity on why they have been selected or not selected, which, in turn, will help them to deliver the desired results, work harder on their skills and remain motivated.” Pakistan FTP commitments from now until June 2024: 13 Apr-7 May – NZ to Pakistan (5 T20Is & 5 ODIs) July – Pakistan to Sri Lanka (two Tests) August – Pakistan to Afghanistan (three ODIs) September – ACC 50-over Asia Cup in Pakistan October/November – ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup India 2023 December/January – Pakistan to Australia (three Tests) February/March – West Indies in Pakistan (two Tests, three T20Is) May – Pakistan to Netherlands (three T20Is), Ireland (three T20Is) and England (five T20Is) June – ICC Men’s T20 World Cup USA/West Indies 2024

Report: Abdul Jabbar Faisal & Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (January 23, 2023): KPK Warriors and Kashmir Janbaaz recorded victories on the opening day of the Kingdom Valley All-Stars Super League (ASSL) after beating their respective challengers Baluchistan Bulls and Punjab Panthers respectively by 23 runs and 1 wicket at two different venues here on Monday. Chairman Kingdom Valley Ghulam Hussain Shahid graced the opening ceremony as chief guest. All the participating teams were introduced to him. On this occasion, GH Shahid assured the players to provide maximum support to the players. Abdul Waheed Sheikh and Waqar Ahmed Khan were also present on this eve. At Marghzar cricket ground, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) defeated Baluchistan by 23 runs. Baluchistan skipper won the coin’s battle and decided to chase a set target in 20 overs per innings fixture. KPK posted 137 for 8 runs total on the board, as Zohab Khan was top scorer with 46 runs. He faced 45 balls and hit five boundaries during his sparking innings. Adeel Shahzad contributed 35 runs in 28 balls while Farooq Ahmed 12 runs in 10 balls. Khawar (2 for 24) Mohammad Akram (2 for 28), Nizam (1 for 17), Tenvir Khan (1 for 27) and Ali Bakhsh (1 for 39) were the wicket-taker bowlers for Baluchistan. While cashing 138 runs in 20 overs, Baluchistan could score 114 runs in 20 overs and lost their last batter on the final ball of the match. Tenvir Khan played a responsible innings of 37 runs in 41 balls. He smashed three fours and two big sixes. Tauqeer scored 18 runs while Mohammad Akram 13 runs, as the rest of the batters could show any notable performance. Sabaz Ali snared 4 batters of opposite team with is magical bowling after conceding just 16 runs, as he was judged best player of the match on his sparking bowling performance. Gulzar Khan grabbed three wickets for 18, Mohammad Adeel got 2 for 13 while Sanaullah took one wicket a piece for 13 runs. Summarized Scorecard (Baluchistan Bulls vs KPK Warriors) KPK beat Balochistan by 23 runs Toss: Balochistan won and decided to field first Venue: Marghzar Cricket Ground KPK Warriors (Batting) 137 for 8 in 20 overs Zohab Khan 46 runs (45 balls, 4x5, 6x0), Adeel Shahzad 35 runs (28 balls, 4x2, 6x2), Farooq Ahmed 12 runs (10 balls, 4x1, 6x0) Baluchistan Bowling: Khawar (2 for 24) Mohammad Akram (2 for 28), Nizam (1 for 17), Tenvir Khan (1 for 27), Ali Bakhsh (1 for 39) Baluchistan (Batting) 114 all out in 20 overs Tenvir Khan 37 runs (41 balls, 4x3, 6x2), Tauqeer 18 runs (20 balls, 4x3, 6x0), Mohammad Akram 13 runs (16 balls, 4x2, 6x0) KPK Warriors Bowling: Sabaz Ali (4 for 16), Gulzar Khan (3 for 18) Mohammad Adeel (2 for 13), Sanaullah (1 for 13) Man of the Match: Sabaz Ali Umpires: Nadeem Kawaja, Mohammad Ishtiaq Match Referee: Ghulam Scorer: Mohammad Abdullah At Shalimar Cricket Ground, Kashmir Janbaaz claimed a thrilling one-wicket win over Punjab Panthers. Kashmir Warriors captain won the toss and put Punjab Panthers into bat first, as they managed 146 for 9 runs on the board in 20 overs. Ashan Khalil scored the first fifty of the tournament 50 runs in 37 balls with the help of seven boundaries. Abdul Manan 23 runs (18 balls, 4x3, 6x0), Asad Laghari 17 runs (18 balls, 4x3, 6x0) and Abdul Salam 13 runs (17 balls, 4x2, 6x0) other major run scorers. Raja Fiaz (2 for 19), Ghub Sher (2 for 22), Inam-ullah Khan (1 for 18), Irfan Khan (1 for 21) and Naseeb Abbasi (1 for 37) were the successful bowlers of Kashmir Janbaaz. Kashmir Janbaaz achieved their target on the last ball of the match, as the last batters were on the pitch and they scampered home on the final delivery of the match and pocketed a single wicket triumph in the tournament. Irfan Khan was topper runs getter with 24 in 18 balls including one four and two massive sixes. Raja Fiaz 23 runs (25 balls, 4x1, 6x1) and Rafiullah Khan 21 runs (13 balls, 4x2, 6x1) were other remarkable performances. For Punjab Panthers, Abdul Manan (2 for 17), Najam-ul-Hasan (2 for 11), Sameer (1 for 14), Abdul Salam (1 for 31) and Asad Laghari (1 for 14) were the wicket-taker bowlers. Raja Fiaz was declared man of the match on his all-rounder show. Summarized Scorecard (Punjab Panthers vs Kashmir Janbaaz) Kashmir Janbaaz beat Punjab Panther by 1 wicket Toss: Kashmir Janbaaz won the toss and elected to field first Venue: Shalimar Cricket Ground Punjab Panthers (Batting) 146 for 9 runs in 20 overs Ashan Khalil 50 runs (37 balls, 4x7, 6x0), Abdul Manan 23 runs (18 balls, 4x3, 6x0), Asad Laghari 17 runs (18 balls, 4x3, 6x0), Abdul Salam 13 runs (17 balls, 4x2, 6x0) Kashmir Janbaaz Bowling: Raja Fiaz (2 for 19), Ghub Sher (2 for 22), Inam-ullah Khan (1 for 18), Irfan Khan (1 for 21), Naseeb Abbasi (1 for 37) Kashmir Janbaaz (Batting) Target 147 in 20 overs Irfan Khan 24 runs (18 balls, 4x1, 6x2), Raja Fiaz 23 runs (25 balls, 4x1, 6x1), Rafiullah Khan 21 runs (13 balls, 4x2, 6x1) Punjab Panther Bowling: Najam-ul-Hasan (2 for 11),  Asad Laghari (2 for 14), Abdul Manan (2 for 17), Sameer (1 for 14), Abdul Salam (1 for 31) Player of the Match: Raja Fiaz (Kashmir Janbaaz) Umpires: Taimoor Kayani, Mohammad Ishfaq Match Referee: Ghulam Mustafa Scorer: Raja Hasan Akhtar  

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Cricket Center Cricket Club reached the semifinals of the 20-K Cup 2023 T20 Cricket Tournament after beating City Gymkhana Cricket Club by 5 wickets in the first quarterfinal played here at the Pindi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on bright sunny Sunday.  City Gymkhana, batting first, posted 182 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in 20 overs. Opener Rizwan emerged as top scorer as he smashed superb 70 runs off 40 balls with the help of 8 fours and 5 sixes while another opener Muaz Zahid scored 52-ball 57 runs, hitting 7 boundaries and 3 sixes. Mohammad Bilal remained unbeaten for 25 runs. Muhammad Ali’s excellent spell of 4-24 restricted their opponents from piling up 200 plus target. Bilawal Iqbal also secured one scalp for 41 runs.  Cricket Center successfully chased the target of 183 runs in 19 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Waheed played impressive knock of 58 runs off 36 balls while Ameer Hamza hammered 38, Imran Butt 29 and Ali Zafar unbeaten 29 runs. Abdul Rehman bowled well for City Gymkhana and bagged 2 wickets for 29.  For his outstanding bowling performance, Test cricketer Mohammad Ali was named player of the match. On Monday (January 23), the second quarterfinal will be played between Ali Garh Cricket Club and Ludhiana Gymkhana Cricket Club here at the Model Town Greens ground at 11:00 am.