Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: India has refused to grant visas to Pakistan Blinds cricket, which had to participate in the T 20 Blinds Cricket World Cup 2022, which has been started in three cities of India from December 5. According to an official of the Pakistan Blinds’ Cricket Council (PBCC), Pakistan was a serious contender to win the World Cup as Pakistan has been the runners-up twice in the earlier two editions of this format of World Cups (2012 & 2017) and has beaten the current T-20 World Champion India five (5) times consecutively in the last five encounters during two Tri-Nation competitions in 2021 and 2022 and won both events. As per the available information, the Ministry of External Affairs India has denied Pakistan blind cricket clearance on political grounds. PBCC strongly condemned this discriminating act of India as sports authorities. Special persons’ mega sports events should be treated fairly and all teams must be given equal chances to compete in the event. Our counterpart Blind Cricket Association in India pleaded with their government for Pakistan clearance but nothing was heard.   

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD: Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sidra Amin have been nominated ICC Player of the Month by the International Cricket Council (ICC) today in celebration of the outstanding performances that took place across international cricket in November 2022. The shortlist for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for November features two stars of England’s T20 World Cup winning campaign. Jos Buttler was in inspired form as his side surged to glory, providing a solid platform for success both as skipper, and at the top of the order. Adil Rashid joins him in contention for the Player of the Month crown thanks to a series of restrictive and impressive bowling displays in the latter stages of the tournament. Finally, despite Pakistan falling short of claiming the T20 World Cup prize at the final hurdle, Shaheen Shah Afridi completes the lineup after his threatening spells with the ball saw him end the tournament as Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker. In the ICC Women’s Player of the Month category, three opening batters stake their claim for the November prize following impressive performances in bilateral cricket. Pakistan’s Sidra Ameen celebrates her first nomination in the Player of the Month Awards as she dazzled in the victorious ODI series against Ireland in Lahore. From the opposing side, Ireland’s Gaby Lewis is named on the shortlist following impressive batting exploits in her side’s historic T20I series victory which immediately followed. Thailand’s Natthakan Chantam also enjoyed a prolific month at the crease, registering big scores in her side’s ODI series victory on home soil against the Netherlands. An independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world can now vote to decide the winners, which will be announced next week. Fans registered at icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes until Saturday. ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for November: Shaheen Shah Afridi (PAK) Spearheading Pakistan’s bowling attack in their surge to the Men’s T20 World Cup Final, Afridi once again proved a constant threat to opposing batters. Taking ten wickets during the month at a superb average of 7.30, his stand-out figures came in the must-win battle against Bangladesh at Adelaide, where his four for 22 secured his side’s passage through to the knockout stages. Although he was withdrawn mid-way through the Final due to injury, he was key to keeping England within reach during the showpiece finale. Jos Buttler (ENG) At the top of England’s batting order, Buttler showcased his full repertoire of strokes in a series of glittering displays as his side went on to claim the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The England captain started the month in dominant fashion with a Player of the Match performance against New Zealand, registering 73 from 47 balls as his side won by 20 runs in Brisbane. He then bettered this feat in the remarkable semi-final performance against India, where his brutal 80 from 49 balls alongside Alex Hales saw them chase down the 169 target without loss. Alongside his crucial score of 26 in a tense Final, Buttler also provided leadership in the field, ending with the Trophy lift on the field at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Adil Rashid (ENG) Rashid has proven himself time and again as a world-class bowler in the shortest format and November cemented his credentials as one of the standout performers in England’s armoury. Despite having taken just four wickets across the four T20Is he played in during the month, his expert economy rate of 5.70 was pivotal to restricting opposition scores in high-pressure matches. He claimed the Player of the Match award with figures of one for 16 in the final group game against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground, before excelling in the Final, where the outstanding consistency he demonstrated in his figures of one for 22 was rewarded with the T20 World Cup trophy. ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for November: Sidra Ameen (PAK) Pakistan opener Ameen enjoyed a hugely successful ODI series against Ireland last month, and will be hoping to celebrate her first ICC Player of the Month Award after scoring 277 runs across the three-match series in Lahore and only being dismissed once. She was in imperious form with the bat, recording her highest score of 176 not out in the first ODI, followed up with an unbeaten 91 from 93 balls as Pakistan claimed the whitewash victory 3-0 over the tourists in Lahore, and she walked away with the Player of the Series prize. Natthakan Chantham (THA) Chantham has been a key player for Thailand as they continue their rise in international cricket, and her first ODI appearances for her country underlined her abilities as a top-class batter. She is named on the shortlist after guiding Thailand to a 4-0 series win over a touring Netherlands in Chiangmai. Scoring 267 runs across the four matches, the Thailand opener registered her first century in this format in the first game (102 from 135 balls), and followed this up with two further half centuries in the successful series. Gaby Lewis (IRE) Ireland’s Gaby Lewis is no stranger to the ICC Player of the Month awards, and sees her name shortlisted for the fourth time. Despite losing the ODI series to Pakistan, Ireland bounced back strongly in the three T20Is which followed. Winning the first match thanks in large part to Lewis’ unbeaten 69 from 54 balls, they then secured the historic series victory in the final game with Lewis once again starring as opening batter. Her stylish 71 from 46 sealed the triumph and a Player of the Series award to cap off the memorable month.

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: A grade-II strain in right quad has ruled Haris Rauf out of the Test series against England. The fast bowler underwent an MRI during the first day’s play of the Rawalpindi Test after he rolled over the ball while fielding. The scans and the subsequent assessment by the PCB medical panel concluded that the fast bowler suffered a grade-II strain. Haris will travel to Lahore where he will begin his rehabilitation at the National High Performance Centre. England won the first of the three Tests on Monday by 74 runs. The second and third Tests will be played in Multan (9-13 Dec) and Karachi (17-21 Dec).

Abdul Jabbar Faisal RAWALPINDI: Determined England pacers, James Anderson (4 for 36) and Oille Robinson (4 for 50), restricted Pakistan to 268 in their second innings, as they were chasing 343 runs and they needed 263 runs on the last day of the Test match. Finally, England defeated Pakistan by 74 runs in the first Test match of the three-match Tie here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, as Pakistan needed 263 runs on the last day but they ended their journey at 268 runs total. James Anderson (4 for 36), Oille Robinson (4 for 50) and skipper Ben Stoke (1 for 69) were the heroes for the English team, who demolished Pakistan's batting line, as only one batter Saud Shakeel could score a half century. Pakistan top-order batters completely failed to stay on the pitch to reach the target. Imam-ul-Haq could score only 48 runs on a batting friendly track while injured Azhar Ali scored only 40 runs in 90 balls. Wicketkeeper bowler, Mohammad Rizwan showed some aggression and hit six four and two sixes for his 46 runs innings. Agha Salman contributed 30 runs. Summarized Scorecard (Pindi Test): Toss: England won and decided to bat England Batting (First innings): 657 all out in 101 overs Harry Brook (153 runs, 116 balls, 4x19, 6x5), Zak Crawley (122 runs, balls 111, 4x2, 6x0), Ollie Pope (108 runs, 104 balls, 4x14), Ben Duckett (107 runs, 110 balls, 4x15, 6X0), Joe Root (23 runs, 31 balls, 4x3, 6x0), Ben Stoke (41 runs, 18 balls, 4x6, 6x2)   Pakistan (Bowling): Zahid Mehmood (4 for 235), Naseem Shah (3 for 140), Mohammad Ali (2 for 124), Haris Rauf (1 for 78) Pakistan Batting (First innings): 579 all out in 155.3 136 overs Babar Azam 136 (168 balls, 4x19, 6x1), Imam-ul-Haq 121 (207 balls, 4x15, 6x2), Abdullah Shafiq 114 (203 balls, 4x13, 6x3), Agha Salman 53 (67 balls, 4x7, 6x1) Saud Shakeel 37 (93 balls, 4x3), Mohammad Rizwan 29 (44 balls, 4x3), Azhar Ali 27 (48 balls, 4x5) England (Bowling): Will Jacks (6 for 161), Jack Leach (2 for 190), James Anderson (1 for 52), Ollie Robinson (1 for 72) England Batting (Second Innings): Declared at 264 for 7 in 35.5 overs Harry Brook 87 (65 balls, 4x11, 6x3), Joe Root 73 (69 balls, 4x6), Zak Crawley 50 (48 balls, 4x7), Wills Jack 24 (13 balls, 4x1, 6x3)    Pakistan Bowling: Mohammad Ali (2 for 64), Naseem Shah (2 for 66), Zahid Mehmood (2 for 84) Agha Salman (1 for 47) Pakistan Batting (Second Innings) Target 343 Saud Shakeel 76 (159 balls), Imam-ul-Haq 48 (77 balls, 4x8), Mohammad Rizwan 46 (92 balls, 4x6, 6x2), Azhar Ali 40 (81 balls, 4x4), Agha Salman 30 (64 balls, 4x4), England Bowling: James Anderson (4 for 36), Oille Robinson (4 for 50), Ben Stoke (1 for 69) Pakistan (Playing XIs): Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain & WK), Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Haris Rauf, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Ali, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Zahid Mehmood England (Playing XIs): Ben Stokes (c), Joe Root, James Anderson, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Jack Leach, Liam Livingstone, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson Schedule of Tests: 9-13 December – 2nd Test, Multan 17-21 December – 3rd Test, Karachi

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Blasters and Challengers got off to a winning start in their first of the three matches in the second phase of T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament 2022-23 in Lahore on Monday. It was Pakistan’s captain Bismah Maroof unbeaten 60 and Blasters’ captain Fatima Sana two for 28 which led to Blasters five-run win over Dynamites at the LCCA Ground. After being put into bat, Blasters scored 136 for seven in 20 overs. Left-handed Bismah top-scored with an unbeaten 48-ball 60, which included eight fours. Opening batter Shawal Zulfiqar scored a 20-ball 21, hitting three fours. Dynamites captain Umm-e-Hani with her off-spin bowling bagged two wickets for 10 in three. In return, Nahida Khan’s unbeaten 60-ball 70 went in vain as Dynamites were restricted to 131 for three in their 20 overs. The right-handed batter Nahida’s innings included eight fours and one six. All-rounder Nida Dar was other notable run getter, scoring an unbeaten 32-ball 38, smashing four boundaries. In the second match of the day, at the Lahore Gymkhana, Aimen Anwar’s all-round performance led Challengers beat Strikers by one run. After being put into bat, Challengers managed to score 115 for eight in their allotted 20 overs. Aimen coming to bat at number nine scored a valuable unbeaten 16 runs off 14 balls and struck one four. Opening batter Javeria Khan too scored 16 off 13 balls, which included three fours. For Strikers, the 20-year-old Fatima Khan picked three wickets for 16. In return, the strikers fell one run short off the target as managed to score only 114 for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Natalia Parvaiz’ 28 off 32 balls and Syeda Aroob Shah’s unbeaten run-a-ball 26 goes in vain. Challengers’ leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima took two wickets for 16, while Aimen took a wicket for 24 runs in her four overs. Scores in brief: Blasters beat Dynamites by five runs Blasters 136-7, 20 overs (Bismah Maroof 60 not out, Shawal Zulfiqar 21; Umm-e-Hani 2-10) Dynamites 131-3, 20 overs (Nahida Khan 70 not out, Nida Dar 38 not out; Fatima Sana 2-28) Player of the match – Bismah Maroof (PCB Blasters) Challengers beat Strikers by one run Challengers 115-8, 20 overs (Aimen Anwar 16 not out, Javeria Khan 16; Fatima Khan 3-16) Strikers 114-7, 20 overs (Natalia Parvaiz 28, Syeda Aroob Shah 26 not out; Ghulam Fatima 2-16) Player of the match – Aimen Anwar (Challengers)

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE): India have been fined 80 percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against Bangladesh in the first ODI in Mirpur on Sunday. Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after India were ruled to be four overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. India captain Rohit Sharma pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Michael Gough and Tanvir Ahmed, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Gazi Sohel leveled the charge.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka's former Head Coach Mickey Arthur, who was scheduled to be the head coach of the Galle Gladiators team in the third edition of the Lanka Premier League (LPL) will now, instead coach the Dambulla team, according to Samantha Dodanwela, the Tournament Director.  Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Colombo, he said, Arthur will be the coach of the Dambulla Giants and will be assisted by Avishka Gunwardene. The national captain of the white ball team Dasun Shanaka will be the captain". The reason for Arthur's switching to Dambulla is likely to be the wish of the owner of the Galle Gladiators team. It is learnt that Nadeem Omar has hired the services of Moin Khan and Umar Gul for his team. The Head Coaches of all the LPL teams are : Thilina Kandamby (Jaffna Kings), Ruwan Kalpage (Colombo Kings), Moin Khan (Galle Gladiators), Mickey Arthur (Dambulla Giants) and Piyal Wijetunge (Kandy Warriors). The Kandy team owners have also hired Sanath Jayasuriya as the team mentor. All national players who were part of the recently played series against Afghanistan are given a 3-day rest. All teams are assembling in Hambantota for the first leg of the tournament on 3rd and 4th December. The tournament kicks off on Tuesday with the first match between Jaffna and Galle. The 7th match onwards the tournament will move to Pallekele. The last leg of the LPL will be played from 17th match onwards to Colombo's R. Premadasa Stadium

Abdul Jabbar Faisal RAWALPINDI: Historical Pindi Test entered into an interesting phase, as the Pakistan will be required 263 while England will be needed 8 wickets to earn the lead in the three-match series on the final day of the Pindi Test. 90 overs will be bowled on the last day. Pakistan were 80 for 2 in 20 overs at the end of day-4 game here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday. England set a 343 runs target for hosts after declaring their second innings at 264 for 7 in 55.5 overs at the tea break. Earlier, Pakistan lost their all the ten batters at the total of 579. Agha Salam added valuable 53 runs in the Pakistan’s total on Sunday. Will Jacks captured 6 for 161 runs, were best figures for the visitors’ side. Once again, Harry Brook knocked a belligerent innings by hitting 11 fours and 3 sixes during his 65 balls innings, as all the Pakistani bowlers were helpless. Former England captain Joe Root also presented his batting class by scoring 73 runs in 63 deliveries. Zak Crawley scored 50 runs in 48 balls that supported his team to get some quick runs. He smashed seven fours. Three Pakistani bowlers Mohammad Ali, Naseem Shah, Zahid Mehmood shared 2 wickets each against 64, 66 and 84 runs respectively. Agha Salman got one wicket after giving 47 runs. On Sunday morning, Pakistani batters, Agha Salman and Zahid Mehmood resumed their innings at 499 for 8 and added 80 runs to the team’s total. Green Shirts closed their first innings at 579 after playing 155.5 overs. The visitors earned a 78 runs lead over Pakistan before starting their second innings. However, Agha Salam showed some aggression and hit some creaking strokes during his 53 run innings, which was a blend of seven fours and a huge six. Zahid scored 17 while Haris Rauf 12 runs. Mohammad Ali remained not out without scoring a single run. Summarized Scorecard (Pindi Test): Toss: England won and decided to bat England Batting (First innings): 657 all out in 101 overs Harry Brook (153 runs, 116 balls, 4x19, 6x5), Zak Crawley (122 runs, balls 111, 4x2, 6x0), Ollie Pope (108 runs, 104 balls, 4x14), Ben Duckett (107 runs, 110 balls, 4x15, 6X0), Joe Root (23 runs, 31 balls, 4x3, 6x0), Ben Stoke (41 runs, 18 balls, 4x6, 6x2)   Pakistan (Bowling): Zahid Mehmood (4 for 235), Naseem Shah (3 for 140), Mohammad Ali (2 for 124), Haris Rauf (1 for 78) Pakistan Batting (First innings): 579 all out in 155.3 136 overs Babar Azam 136 (168 balls, 4x19, 6x1), Imam-ul-Haq 121 (207 balls, 4x15, 6x2), Abdullah Shafiq 114 (203 balls, 4x13, 6x3), Agha Salman 53 (67 balls, 4x7, 6x1) Saud Shakeel 37 (93 balls, 4x3), Mohammad Rizwan 29 (44 balls, 4x3), Azhar Ali 27 (48 balls, 4x5) England (Bowling): Will Jacks (6 for 161), Jack Leach (2 for 190), James Anderson (1 for 52), Ollie Robinson (1 for 72) England Batting (Second Innings): Declared at 264 for 7 in 35.5 overs Harry Brook 87 (65 balls, 4x11, 6x3), Joe Root 73 (69 balls, 4x6), Zak Crawley 50 (48 balls, 4x7), Wills Jack 24 (13 balls, 4x1, 6x3)    Pakistan Bowling: Mohammad Ali (2 for 64), Naseem Shah (2 for 66), Zahid Mehmood (2 for 84) Agha Salman (1 for 47) Pakistan Batting (Second Innings) Target 343 Imam-ul-Haq 43 (60 balls, 4x7), Saud Shakeel 24 not out (42 balls, 4x5), Abdullah 6, Babar 4 England Bowling: Ben Stoke (1 for 20) Oille Robinson (1 for 22)

Sports Bulletin Report MULTAN: The tickets for the second Test between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium will go on sale today at 1400. The iconic fixture will see the return of Test cricket in the City of Saints after over 16 years and will be played from 9-13 December. To make the most prestigious format of the game accessible to more and more people, the Pakistan Cricket Board has set the prices of the tickets at nominal PKR250 for VIP and PKR150 for Premium enclosure. The VIP enclosures are Imran Khan, Fazal Mehmood, Javed Miandad and Zaheer Abbas, while the enclosure that fall into Premium category are Wasim Akram, Elahi Brother, Hanif Mohammad and Mushtaq Ahmed. The tickets will be sold in physical form only and will be available at Gulgasht Bagh and Main Vihari Chowk from 0900 till 1800 every day.

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: After the conclusion of the six-match first phase of T20 Women’s Cricket Tournament, the second phase will commence from Monday, 5 December at the two venues of Lahore – Lahore Gymkhana and LCCA Ground. Four teams namely Blasters, Challengers, Dynamites and Strikers will feature in the event where Pakistan’s elite cricketers will take part. The second phase will be played on a single-league basis, where two matches will be played daily on 5, 6 and 7 December. Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will host the tournament’s final between the top two sides on 9 December. In order to incentivise domestic performers, the best performer of every match will continue to receive PKR20,000 as they were getting in the first phase of the tournament. The player of the tournament will bag PKR50,000. The winning team will receive PKR 1 million, while the runner-up will get PKR0.5million. The first phase was a great platform for Under-19 players to perform and get a chance to be a part of the inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup set to take place in January 2023 in South Africa. In the first phase, three sides Conquerors, Invincibles and Stars took part in the competition, which was played on a double-league basis. Stars led by Huraina Sajjad won all their four matches in the first phase, while Conquerors won two matches and Invincibles remained winless. In the batting charts, the 17-year-old Shawal Zulfiqar, representing Conquerors, topped the table with 161 runs from four outings, which included two half-centuries. Invincibles’ right-handed batter Gulrukh scored 133, while Stars’ skipper Huraina scored 101 from four matches. In the bowling charts, Conquerors’ right-arm leg-spinner Syeda Aroob Shah bagged nine wickets from four matches, which included one five-fer. Aroob’s teammate, 17-year-0ld Anoosha Nasir with her left-arm spin had five scalps to her name. Blasters squad: Fatima Sana (Captain), Aima Saleem, Anam Amin, Ayesha Bilal, Ayesha Naseem, Bismah Maroof, Fareeha Mehmood, Gul Rukh, Huraina Sajjad, Maham Manzoor, Mahnoor Aftab, Masooma Zehra, Shawal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin and Amber Kainaat Team management – Mauhtashim Rashid (head coach), Shahid Mehmood (assistant coach), Mahlika Mansoor (manager) Challengers squad: Omaima Sohail (Captain), Aiman Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Nasir, Ayesha Zafar, Dua Majid, Ghulam Fatima, Hamna Bilal, Javeria Wadood, Khadija Chishti, Lubna Behram, Najiha Alvi, Noreen Yaqoob, Rameen Shamim and Rida Aslam Team management – Azam Khan (head coach), Nazim Khan (assistant coach), Asiya Khan (manager) Dynamites squad: Umm-e-Hani (Captain), Aleena Shah, Gull-e-Uswa, Gull Feroza, Kainat Imtiaz, Nahida Khan, Nida Dar, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Saima Malik, Saira Jabeen, Sidra Nawaz, Tuba Hassan, Waheeda Akhtar and Yusra Amir Team management – Taufiq Umar (head coach), Jawad Hamid (assistant coach), Hina Azam (manager) Strikers squad: Muneeba Ali (Captain), Aroob Shah, Ayesha Irfan, Eymaan Fatima, Fatima Khan, Iram Javed, Javeria Rauf, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Neha Sharmeen, Saba Nazir, Soha Fatima and Zunera Shah gement – Waqar Orakzai (head coach), Rehmat Gull (assistant coach), Aisha Jalil (manager)