Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 9, 2021):-Sharjeel Khan’s scintillating 101 off 56 and Rumman Raees’ hat-trick orchestrated GFS Sindh’s commanding win over ATF Southern Punjab by 45 runs in the 24th match of the National T20 2021-22 at the Gaddafi Stadium. The win dashed Southern Punjab’s dreams of qualifying for the semi-final. With four off the six sides with at least eight points, Southern Punjab, who have four from two wins, can go to a maximum of six points if they beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in their last group match on 10 October. Home City Central Punjab, Northern and now Sindh are locked at 10 points apiece, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have eight points. Balochistan have six points with three more matches to go. Player of the match Sharjeel clubbed Southern Punjab bowlers all over the park, displaying wide-range of strokes, after Aamer Yamin, the Southern Punjab captain, elected to field. Sharjeel spanked as many as 13 fours and four sixes as he made almost 52 per cent of his side’s 196 runs. The hallmark of Sharjeel’s innings was his fearless strokeplay. Sindh lost Ahsan Ali, Sharjeel’s opening partner, in the first over. That, however, seemed to have no impact on the southpaw, who pulled Aamer for a four facing his third ball. He put 37 off 20 in the powerplay with Shan Masood, who contributed 22 off 15 (hitting four fours) before the latter was caught behind off Mohammad Imran on the first ball of the fifth over. The highlight of their alliance was the fourth over when Shan smashed Naseem Shah for three consecutive fours, before Sharjeel pulled the teenage right-arm pacer for a six over midwicket. He then stitched a 56-run stand with Saud Shakeel, who scored 26 off 19. Sharjeel continued fireworks till his departure on the first ball of the last over, as pacers Naseem and Zia-ul-Haq, who went for 49 and 42 respectively, leaked 18 and 13 runs in the 18th and 19th overs. He brought up his century, the fourth of his career and first for Sindh, with a flick that sailed over the square-leg boundary in the 19th over. Southern Punjab’s run chase suffered a major blow in the first over when Zeeshan Ashraf handed Shan, stationed at cover, an easy catch off Sohail Khan in the first over. The first three overs brought only 12 runs for the chasing side, but Tayyab Tahir, with his three consecutive fours off Mir Hamza, breathed life in it in the fourth over. The right-handed batter would hit two more fours before he was removed by Anwar Ali in the last powerplay over after scoring 32 off 23 (six fours). From that point, Southern Punjab struggled to keep up with the required run-rate and lost wickets at regular intervals. Mohammad Imran put up a fight with 29 off 20, but the match was done and dusted in the 17th over with Rumman Raees’ hat-trick which sent back Hassan Khan (run-a-ball seven), Aamer (27 off 18) and Naseem Shah (none off one). Southern Punjab were all out for 151 with seven balls spare. Rumman finished with three for 23, while Anwar Ali, Danish Aziz and Zahid Mahmood picked up two wickets each. Scores in brief: GFS Sindh beat ATF Southern Punjab by 45 runs GFS Sindh 196-7, 20 overs (Sharjeel Khan 101, Saud Shakeel 26, Shan Masood 22; Mohammad Imran 2-32, Naseem Shah 2-49) ATF Southern Punjab 151 all out, 18.5 overs (Tayyab Tahir 32, Mohammad Imran 29, Aamer Yamin 27, Salman Ali Agha 21; Rumman Raees 3-23, Anwar Ali 2-18, Danish Aziz 2-30, Zahid Mahmood 2-40) Player of the match – Sharjeel Khan (Sindh) Saturday’s fixtures: 1500 start – GFS Sindh v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1930 start – Balochistan v Northern

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Olbia, Italy (October 8, 2021):- The third day of the 2021 Junior World Championships in Olbia ended with a good harvest from European countries which, since the start of the event, have demonstrated their power and their good preparation for this first world level event of the post-Tokyo Olympic Games era. It is a fact that the Japanese are not there, but that is their decision and it in no way detracts from the performance of the countries involved; on the contrary. After three days of competition, there were already no less than 20 medallist countries. What undoubtedly strikes the discerning eyes of all observers of these championships, whether they belong to athletes, coaches or officials, is the level of judo practised. In Olbia, of course it is a question of tactics, but it is above all and beyond everything a question of commitment and the will to throw the opponent. The juniors can be proud of their judo; it's as good as that practised by their elders. You just have to see the amount of ippon and waza-ari scores to be convinced by that. The juniors offer us a magnificent show, up to expectations, which does a lot of good and which portends some world-class World Judo Tour tournaments in the near future. It is certain that the competitors involved in Olbia will be keen to prove that they have the makings of world and Olympic heroes. This promises generational clashes of the most beautiful kind from next week, during the Grand Slam in Paris. In Zagreb, a week ago, we already underlined that the current phase is more than a phase of transition between two Olympic cycles. It is a phase of construction during which the new builders can express their full potential. Thank you to all our juniors for bringing a youthful and energetic touch to international judo and for blowing an invigorating breeze of freshness across our heads. -81kg: A Second Gold for Georgia with Sherazadishvili Georgia does not need to be presented any more when it comes to talking about judo. With world champions and Olympics champions coming from the Caucasus country, it is not a surprise to discover a new Georgian name in the final of a world championships, which today was the case of Giorgi Sherazadishvili. He faced Adam Tsechoev of Russia for the gold medal, showing the good form of the Russian delegation too, which has already won two titles in Olbia. After the first two bronze medal matches, to be reported on shortly, the final started with the same high rhythm, giving the impression that once again the match won't last four minutes. Less active than his opponent, Adam Tsechoev was penalised a first time. As this pushed him to take risks, he was countered by Sherazadishvili for waza-ari. The Georgian champion just had to control the rest of the bout to gain the junior world title. Something tells us that it's not the last time we will see Giorgi Sherazadishvili. This is the second gold medal for Giorgia in Olbia. Giorgi Sherazadishvili said, "All Georgian judoka are strong because we work hard and we help each other. We are never alone on the mat, with all of the team and a whole country supporting each judoka. There is no better motivation than that." In the first bronze medal contest, Ayan Baigazy (KAZ) opposed Eljan Hajiyev (AZE). Hajiyev quickly took the lead with a clear waza-ari that was just lacking a bit of impact to be counted as ippon. A few seconds later, everyone could feel that something was going to happen and this time it was Ayan Baigazy who scored waza-ari with a massive counterattack (te-waza) on Hajiyev's attempt to score with a sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi. It was clear that this match wouldn't reach the end and that is exactly what happened when Eljan Hajiyev performed an aerial koshi-waza technique, this time for ippon. Yesterday, Gianni Maddaloni explained that together with his son they would win the title if Bright would follow, to the letter, the plan strategised together. This almost worked, until the quarter-final, when Bright Maddaloni Nosa (ITA) lost against Eljan Hajiyev (AZE). For the Italian there was still one chance to step on the podium, when he faced Artem Bubyr (UKR) in the second bronze medal contest. Unfortunately he was quickly countered on his very first attack and then pinned down by Artem Bubyr, with the medal eventually going to Ukraine. Final SHERAZADISHVILI Giorgi (GEO) vs TSECHOEV Adam (RUS) Bronze Medal Contests BAIGAZY Ayan (KAZ) vs HAJIYEV Eljan (AZE) MADDALONI NOSA Bright (ITA) vs BUBYR Artem (UKR) Final Results 1. SHERAZADISHVILI Giorgi (GEO) 2. TSECHOEV Adam (RUS) 3. HAJIYEV Eljan (AZE) 3. BUBYR Artem (UKR) 5. BAIGAZY Ayan (KAZ) 5. MADDALONI NOSA Bright (ITA) 7. JANFAOUI Emir (FRA) 7. ABDUJALILOV Muhammadjon (TJK) -70kg: A Pure and Humble Win for Tsunoda of Spain Cadet world champion in Kazakhstan in 2019 and bronze medallist at the last European Junior Championships in Luxembourg, Ai Tsunoda Roustant (ESP) is already an accomplished junior. She also already won a bronze medal in a Grand Prix on the World Judo Tour. Today she was ready to add one important line to her prize list, as she entered the final of the -70kg category against Croatian Lara Cvjetko (CRO), who was ready to follow in the footsteps of her illustrious teammate Barbara Matic, senior world champion last June in Budapest. Being less active than Tsunoda Roustant, the Croatian competitor was penalised a first time with a shido for passivity. Unsuccessful until the last minute and a half, Tsunoda Roustant launched her own version of a reversed tsuri-komi-goshi and this time scored a waza-ari. Very confident in her capacity to control the rest of the final, Ai Tsunoda Roustant won already the second world title of her young career in pure and humble style. Ai Tsunoda Roustant said, "Yes I have won and yes I’m very happy but I made too many mistakes today; I felt them too many times. I need to solve that problem but I hope it also means that I can still progress." The first bronze medal contest saw Luana Carvalho (BRA) and Friederike Stolze (GER) competing for a medal. The alert was red when Luana Carvalho almost caught Friederike Stolze at the beginning of the match but the German competitor escaped but not the second time it happened and that’s how Carvalho secured a perfect turn-over to apply a sankaku-jime, transformed into an immobilisation for ippon and the bronze medal. Katarzyna Sobierajska (POL) and Nataliia Chystiakova Nataliia (UKR) competed for the second bronze medal. After a long sequence of observation with no score, the first one to add one waza-ari to her name was Sobierajska. It was a score that she kept alive until the final gong, to win bronze. Final CVJETKO Lara (CRO) vs TSUNODA ROUSTANT Ai (ESP) Bronze Medal Contests CARVALHO Luana (BRA) vs STOLZE Friederike (GER) SOBIERAJSKA Katarzyna (POL) vs CHYSTIAKOVA Nataliia (UKR) Final Results 1. TSUNODA ROUSTANT Ai (ESP) 2. CVJETKO Lara (CRO) 3. CARVALHO Luana (BRA) 3. SOBIERAJSKA Katarzyna (POL) 5. STOLZE Friederike (GER) 5. CHYSTIAKOVA Nataliia (UKR) 7. CZERLAU Jennifer (HUN) 7. ESPOSITO Martina (ITA) -90kg: Hungarian Safrany Concludes a Beautiful Day of Judo Following the success of Joanne Van Lieshout on day two of the Junior Worlds, the Netherlands placed another athlete in a position to win gold, with Tigo Renes facing Peter Safrany of Hungary in the final of the -90kg weight division. Peter Safrany had already had the opportunity to show his counterattack capacities and once again in the final he scored twice with what looked like his tokui-waza or preferred technique, to win the title for Hungary. It must be said that the whole final block was exceptional, as only one match went to golden score and the whole sequence was not longer than one hour and ten minutes. Peter Safrany said, "Today my ura-nage worked pretty well but I’m so tired, especially since the quarter-final. That contest was the toughest because the French guy was never tired." Russia was assured to have one more medal with both Adam Sangariev (RUS) and Egor Andoni (RUS) being qualified for the bronze medal contest. This was the first and only golden score of the final block of this third day. With athletes knowing one another so well, they could not find a simple opportunity to throw and therefore the winner was decided by the one with less penalties than the other. Bronze went to Adam Sangariev. The French athletes all showed some really great judo throughout the preliminary rounds on day three but at the end of the day, only one athlete, Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou, was in a position to step on to the podium, against Alex Cret (ROU). It was a really pleasant match to watch both athletes offering to the public a lot of action and scores. Alex Cret scored first but his waza-ari was downgraded. Then the French competitor scored a first waza-ari with a rolling movement, followed shortly after by a low sode-tsuri-komi-goshi for ippon and the bronze medal for Maxime-Gael Ngayap Hambou. Final RENES Tigo (NED) vs SAFRANY Peter (HUN) Bronze Medal Contests SANGARIEV Adam (RUS) vs ANDONI Egor (RUS) NGAYAP HAMBOU Maxime-Gael (FRA) vs CRET Alex (ROU) Final Results 1. SAFRANY Peter (HUN) 2. RENES Tigo (NED) 3. SANGARIEV Adam (RUS) 3. NGAYAP HAMBOU Maxime-Gael (FRA) 5. ANDONI Egor (RUS)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT London (October 8, 2021):-The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the award of Central Contracts for England Men's international cricket for 2021-22. Under the new system, 20 annual contracts have been awarded on a 'single' contract list instead of the previous separation of red ball and white ball contracts introduced in 2016. The contracts awards panel, Managing Director of Men's England Cricket, Ashley Giles and Head Coach, Chris Silverwood, has also awarded four England Increment Contracts and three England Pace Bowling Development Contracts. The new system has been developed working in consultation with the players, Team England Player Partnership (TEPP) and the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA). It is designed to meet England's future needs in what has become a fluid and dynamic landscape. The system considers the likelihood of players featuring in England teams across formats in the next 12 months, whilst also recognising performances in the preceding year. Considerations were also agreed against a busy international schedule, made challenging by additional Covid-related constraints, and taking into account the mental wellbeing and welfare of the players. In addition to the 20 Central Contracts, awards have been made for Increment Contracts and Pace Bowling Development Contracts. This structure recognises players that may feature for England on a less predictable basis and supports developing and managing high potential pace bowlers across all formats. The contracts, which cover a 12-month period commencing 1 October 2021, have been awarded to the following players: England Men's Central Contracts Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Rory Burns (Surrey), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Dawid Malan (Yorkshire), Eoin Morgan (Middlesex), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood (Durham) England Increment Contracts: Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Tom Curran (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire) England Pace Bowling Development Contracts Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Craig Overton (Somerset), Olly Stone (Warwickshire), Somerset spinner Jack Leach, Yorkshire batsman Dawid Malan and Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson all receive Central Contracts for the first time. Lancashire all-rounder Liam Livingstone is awarded an increment contract for the first time after his excellent campaign during the English summer. Surrey's Tom Curran returns to an increment contract having had a white-ball contract in 2020/21. Managing Director of Men's England Cricket, Ashley Giles, said: "I would like to thank TEPP and the players for all their constructive input through the process of developing this new system, which I believe is the fairest and most transparent way of rewarding players across all formats. "We have worked well to get to this stage and the refinements made will take into account the amount of cricket we will be playing across formats over the next period of the ICC Future Tours Programme. "Since the inception of central contracts in 2002, the system has facilitated improved preparation, performance and professionalism of the England team and has ensured that players are well rewarded for representing their country at the elite level. "The international game continues to evolve, and we have to be mindful that we have to lead the way in player performance across cricket's ever-changing landscape. Our objective remains the same to develop world-class players in all three formats as we strive to become the most respected team in the world. "I would like to congratulate all the players offered agreements for the coming year, particularly newcomers Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, and Ollie Robinson. Receiving your first central contract is a great moment in any player's career. They will all play a pivotal role in England's fortunes over the next 12 months."

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lausanne, Switzerland (October 8, 2021):-The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that the Women’s national teams of India and Spain will join the FIH Hockey Pro League – “Hockey at its Best” – for Season 3, which is starting on 13 October with the title holders, World Champions and Olympic Gold Medallists, The Netherlands, taking on Belgium. Both teams will replace – for this season only – Australia and New Zealand, who last month announced that they were no longer able to participate to this season’s FIH Hockey Pro League (as well as the upcoming FIH Hockey Junior World Cups and the FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup) due to COVID-related international travel restrictions put in place by their respective governments. However, Australia and New Zealand will join Pro League again for Season 4. Whenever possible, the female squads of India and Spain will play on the same dates and venues as their male counterparts, who are already part of FIH’s global home-and-away league, which involves most of the best nations in world hockey. With India and Spain, the third edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League welcomes two teams who played brilliantly at the recent Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. India reached the fourth spot of the Olympic tournament, while Spain only narrowly missed the last four (losing to Great Britain in a shoot-out in the ¼ finals). FIH CEO Thierry Weil: “It’s wonderful to welcome such great teams as India and Spain for the next edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League, especially after their brilliant performance in Tokyo. This is great for the athletes and great for the fans! On behalf of FIH, I’d like to extend our sincerest thanks to Hockey India and the Royal Spanish Hockey Federation for having accepted our invitation.” Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam said: "We are absolutely delighted that the Indian Women's Hockey Team will participate in the forthcoming edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League. Their participation will not only give them an opportunity to compete against the best teams of the world, but it will also help us increase the fanbase for the Indian Women's Team. With the Asian Games being held in 2022, getting to play strong teams of the world earlier in the year will certainly be a great platform for our teams to get the right exposure before the all-important Asian Games which is also an Olympic Qualification event." Royal Spanish Hockey Federation President Santiago Deó said: "It is great news for Spanish hockey. The participation of the women's team in the FIH Hockey Pro League will enable our team to play against the best teams in the world. This will also make them better prepare for the FIH Hockey Women’s World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022."

Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (October 8, 2021):-As many as 14 male and 8 female foreigners players will take part in the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Serena Hotel-Combaxx International Squash Championship 2021, which will be kicked off from October 11 here at Mushaf Squash Complex, Secretary Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) Armaghan Aziz informed reporters in a press conference at a local hotel on Friday. He further said that the men's event would be pursuing prize money of $30000 while women’s 12000, as Pakistan number one and world number 45 Tayyab Aslam would be top seed player of the international squash showpiece. “All arrangements have been given final touches including security and the final will be played on October 15, 2021 at the same venue, “he added. “Besides hosts Pakistan, world ranking men and women players from Austria, Czech Republic, Egypt, England, Spain, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Serbia and Switzerland will take part in the prestigious squash event. This international fixture will be a nice omen for Pakistan squash, which will also open the doors for more international events at the soil of Pakistan, “he further added. Responding to a question, Secretary PSF said that the federation awarded two wild card entries to upcoming players Under-19 Noor Zaman and hamza Shraif. “Ten Pakistani players are in the main draw, as the main draw has 24 players according to rules of Professionals Squash Association (PSA) and $30,000 will be disbursed among the all 24 players according to their performance, “Armaghan said. While divulging the details of Women’s fixture, he said that Nadia Pfister form Switzerland would be top seed player of the tournament. “As many as 15 local girls are in the main draw while Pakistani top squash girl Noor ul Huda is 8th seed player of the international squash event, “he replied another question, as he was facing a volley of questions regarding the poor performance of the squash federation. “Serena Hotels and Combaxx Sports have very kindly joined hands with PSF and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for the national cause of promoting squash in the country. We heartily appreciate the Sports Diplomacy initiative as shared by Serena Hotel as their integral part to build stronger relations with communities. Pakistan has a tradition of excellence in many sports but competitive sports require the support of organizations through sponsorships and promotion, “he concluded.

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 8, 2021):-Aamer Jamal’s player of the match contribution and Rohail Nazir’s stunning 13-ball 26 not out handed Northern a thrilling five-wicket win as they chased 195 on the third ball off the last over against Home City Central Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium. Northern required 50 off 28 when the two youngsters came together. The two ensured that the flow of boundaries does not dry and it was the penultimate over – delivered by experienced Wahab Riaz – which set the match for Northern as Aamer and Rohail gathered 20 runs off it – leaving nine for the last over, which were collected with the help of two fours and a legbye. Aamer smashed five fours in his 27 not out off 14, while Rohail struck three fours and a six. It was the 92-run alliance for the second wicket between Ali Imran, who scored his career’s fifth half-century, and Haider Ali (37 off 29) that kept Northern in the hunt. The pair had come together in the first over when Faheem Ashraf removed Nasir Nawaz, who made 10 off five, scoring all of his runs in boundaries (one six and a four). The second-wicket partnership was broken by Hussain Talat in the 11th over with the dismissal of Ali, who smacked the ball out of the park on five occasions in his blasting 55 off 32 that also included three fours. Northern faced next blow in the next over as Qasim Akram removed Haider. With his 22 off 14 – with included two sixes – Mubasir Khan ensured Northern’s hopes were not dashed. But, in the 16th over he became Hussain’s second victim as the right-arm medium-fast finished with two for 36. Qasim Akram was the other bowler to take two wickets in the innings. It was the 124-run stand between the openers Ahmed Shehzad and Muhammad Akhlaq that set the foundation for Central Punjab to post an imposing total of 194 for five. In the process, the two batters stroked their first half-centuries of the event with Ahmed top scoring in the innings with a 45-ball 77 and Ahklaq cracking an equally destructive 61 off 41. The Central Punjab innings was off to a flying start after Northern captain Umar Amin decided to bowl at the toss. The pair had piled up 68 runs. The moment of the powerplay came in the sixth over when Ahmed smashed pacer Salman Irshad for five fours in an over that brought 22 runs. Pacer Aamer Jamal – who returned three for 38 – ended their alliance on the last ball of the 12th over. By then, the two batters had piled 124 runs together at a run-rate of over 10. The dismissal helped in bringing down the scoring rate with Nauman Ali allowing only three singles in the next over. Central Punjab couldn’t make the most of the platform provided by the openers as despite nine wickets in hand at the start of the death phase of the innings, their batters added 46 runs. Aamer accounted for Shoaib Malik (19 off 14) and Faheem Ashraf (12 off seven) in the last over, which cost Northern 14. Scores in brief: Northern beat Home City Central Punjab by five wickets Central Punjab 194-5, 20 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 77, Muhammad Akhlaq 61; Aamer Jamal 3-38) Northern 195-5, 19.3 overs (Ali Imran 55, Haider Ali 37, Aamer Jamal 27 not out, Rohail Nazir 26 not out; Qasim Akram 2-15, Hussain Talat 2-36) Player of the match – Aamer Jamal (Northern)

Sports Reporter KARACHI (October 8, 2021):-All top national cueist moved into the quarterfinals of the ongoing 4th National Snooker Championship 2021 after beating their respective opponents in the pre-quarterfinals at NBP Sports Complex, Clifton, Karachi on Friday. Results (Pre-quarterfinals): Zulfiqar A.Qadir (Sindh) bt Mohammad Ijaz (Punjab) 5-1 (71-45, 72-18, 39-57, 72-14, 72-25, 61-56(59),) Mohammad Sajjad (NBP) bt Mohammad Saleem (KP) 5-1 (24-72, 82-11(58), 99-10(62), 93-0(62), 68-25, 78-48) Haris Tahir (NBP) bt Mohammad Bilal (Punjab) 5-3 (24-58, 44-58, 60-21, 41-85, 64-31, 65-14, 62-27, 80-50) Shahid Aftab (Punjab) bt Awais Ullah (Punjab) 5-2 (21-91(82), 72-79, 58-24, 71-60, 69-55, 80-38, 122-09(122),) Mohammad Asif (NBP) bt Umer Naeem (Sindh) 5-4 (83-30, 127-8(83), 89-33, 27-68, 66-36, 20-73, 57-66(60), 4-69(64), 64-31) Ahsan Ramzan (Punjab) bt Umair Haider (Punjab) 5-1 (106-47, 55-27, 70-39, 16-75, 62-58, 48-9) Mohammad Faizan (Sindh) bt Sheikh Mohammad Mudassir (Punjab) 5-4 (53-41, 71-08(61), 62-55, 27-58, 88-15, 53-68, 34-68, 14-70, 70-28) Babar Masih (Punjab) bt Sharjeel Mehmood (KP) 5-4 (90-30, 96-11, 80-34, 108-30(104), 9-88(86), 15-95(82), 0-99(98), 36-64, 77-0(61),) Saturday Fixtures (10:00 am –Quarterfinals): Zulfiqar Ali Qadir (Sindh) v Mohammad Sajjad (NBP) Haris Tahir (NBP) v Shahid Aftab (Punjab) Mohammad Asif (NBP) v Ahsan Ramzan (Punjab) Mohammad Faizan (Sindh) v Babar Masih (Punjab)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lahore (October 8, 2021):-National selectors on Friday confirmed Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates from 17 October to 14 November. Pakistan is in Group 2 and will open their campaign against India on 24 October at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. From the squad that was announced on 4 September and after taking into consideration player performances and form, the selectors have made three changes. Sarfaraz Ahmed and Haider Ali have replaced Azam Khan and Mohammad Hasnain respectively, while Fakhar Zaman, who was originally named as a travel reserve, has swapped places with Khushdil Shah. The decision on Sohaib Maqsood’s inclusion in the squad will be made following medical advice. The top-order batter underwent MRI scans for the lower back after the 6 October National T20 match against Northern and missed Thursday’s Punjab derby against Central Punjab. Chief selector Mohammad Wasim: “After reviewing player performances in the highly-competitive National T20 and in consultation with the team management, we have decided to include Haider Ali, Fakhar Zaman and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. “The three in-form players bring with them wealth of experience and talent, and provide further stability, balance and strength to the side. “It must be tough for Azam, Khushdil and Hasnain for missing out but they still have a lot to offer in their careers. They are in our future plans as a lot of cricket has to be played post the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and in the lead up to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia. “I am pleased with the intensity and high quality of cricket that we have witnessed in the National T20. It has not only provided the players excellent match practice in the lead up to the UAE competition, it has also given us the opportunity to closely monitor the player progress and then make decisions that are in the best interest of the side for what will be a cut-throat tournament.”  Pakistan’s 15-player squad: Babar Azam (captain, Central Punjab) Shadab Khan (vice-captain, Northern) Asif Ali (Northern) Fakhar Zaman (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Haider Ali (Northern) Haris Rauf (Northern) Hasan Ali (Central Punjab) Imad Wasim (Northern) Mohammad Hafeez (Central Punjab) Mohammad Nawaz (Northern) Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper, Sindh) Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Sohaib Maqsood (Southern Punjab) Traveling reserves – Khushdil Shah (Southern Punjab), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh) and Usman Qadir (Central Punjab) Player Support Personnel: Mansoor Rana (manager), Saqlain Mushtaq (interim head coach), Shahid Aslam (assistant head coach), Matthew Hayden (batting consultant), Vernon Philander (bowling consultant), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Abdul Majeed (fielding coach), Talha Ejaz (team analyst), Col (retd) Muhammad Imran (Security Manager), Ibrahim Badees (media and digital manager), Dr Najeeb Soomro (team doctor) and Malang Ali (Masseur) Schedule of Pakistan’s matches in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 (all matches to start at 1900 Pakistan time): 24 Oct – Pakistan v India, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 26 Oct – Pakistan v New Zealand, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah 29 Oct – Pakistan v Afghanistan, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 2 Nov – Pakistan v A2, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sheikh Zayed International Cricket Stadium, Abdu Dhabi 7 Nov –Pakistan v B1, ICC T20 WC (Group 2), Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah ICC T20 World Cup 2021 semi-final schedule: 10 Nov – 1st semi-final, Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi 11 Nov – 2nd semi-final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai 14 Nov – Final, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai

SPORTS REPORTER Lahore (October 7 2021):-Imam-ul-Haq’s breezy 64 not out off 46 set Balochistan’s third win of the National T20 2021-22 as they defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the title defenders, by six wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. Imam’s first half-century of the event and 19th of his T20 career saw his team overhaul 156-run target with two balls spare. He struck six fours. Imam struck a crucial stand worth 58 with Umaid Asif, who contributed 20 off 12, which decided the match in his side’s favour and took Balochistan to the fifth spot on the points table. Umaid was Imran Khan Snr’s second scalp after he had dismissed Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (14 off 15) in the sixth over. At the start of the run chase, Abdullah Shafique provided a stable base to his side, scoring 28 off 24 (two fours and a six). Sahibzada Farhan with his 49-ball 78 anchored Khyber Pakhtunkhwa innings after Imam put them in to bat. Of the 15 fours in the innings, nine came off Farhan’s bat. He also struck one of the two maximums. Farhan surpassed Babar Azam to become the leading run-getter in this edition of the National T20 with 298 runs next to his name. This was his second half-century of this tournament. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost wickets on regular intervals and faced the first blow on the third ball when Aamer Azmat fell to Junaid Khan, who also accounted for Fakhar Zaman (12 off 13) in the 16th over and Farhan on the last ball of the penultimate over. Israrullah – the second best scorer in the innings – was run out on 19. Najeebullah and Amad Butt dismissed Mohammad Rizwan (17 off 19) and Iftikhar Ahmed (run-a-ball six). Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 155-6, 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 78; Junaid Khan 3-32) Balochistan 158-4, 19.4 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 64 not out, Abdullah Shafique 28, Umaid Asif 20; Imran Khan Snr 2-27) Player of the match – Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan)

Sports Reporter LAHORE (October 7, 2021):-After failing to record a win in the first six matches, ATF Southern Punjab won their second match on trot as they handed Home City Central Punjab a six-wicket defeat at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. That Southern Punjab overhauled the target of 155 with an over spare was due to excellent half-centuries by Tayyab Tahir and Khushdil Shah. It was the fifth over which set the momentum for the run chase when Hasan Ali, the Central Punjab captain, was smashed for four fours in an over, which brought 19 runs. Mohammad Imran, who made 24 off 17 and was dismissed in the ninth over, hit three of those. Tayyab and Khushdil denied Central Punjab bowlers any further breakthroughs and they went on to stitch 92-run stand before the former was dismissed in the penultimate over. Tayyab’s 68, included eight fours and two sixes, while Khushdil was unbeaten on 51 off 36 (eight fours). Southern Punjab were 67 for three after 10 overs. The match was defined in the next five overs as they brought 54 runs. It was Hussain Talat’s second half-century in as many matches that dragged Central Punjab to 154 after they were asked to bat first. Hussain staged a brilliant recovery with a carefully crafted 68 off 47 – which went down as his third score of 50-plus in the tournament. Central Punjab faced early blows when Southern Punjab captain Aamer Yamin and pacer Naseem Shah accounted for openers Kamran Akmal and Muhammad Akhlaq in the first two overs. Saif Badar followed them in the fourth over to leave Central Punjab tottering at 30 for three. Hussain, however, put the pressure back on the Southern Punjab bowlers as he smoked Zia-ul-Haq, who later turned out to be the most successful bowler in the innings, for three fours in the last powerplay over. Hussain, who smashed a total of six fours and three sixes, would hit Hassan Khan, the left-arm orthodox, for two consecutive maximums in the ninth over, but the tide turned once again in the 14th over when Zia sent Shoaib Malik (26 off 24) and Qasim Akram packing in consecutive balls. Shoaib’s dismissal brought an end to a 98-run stand. Hussain was dismissed by pacer Mohammad Imran in the next over and no other batter made any notable contribution from there on. Zia’s next two victims were Faheem Ashraf (three off four) and Wahab Riaz (four off six) as the left-arm pacer finished with the figures of four for 40. Last five overs brought only 28 runs at the loss of three wickets for Central Punjab. Scores in brief: ATF Southern Punjab beat Home City Central Punjab by six wickets Home City Central Punjab: 154-9, 20 overs (Hussain Talat 68, Saif Badar 26; Zia-ul-Haq 4-40, Aamer Yamin 2-22, Mohammad Imran 2-24) ATF Southern Punjab: 157-4, 19 overs (Tayyab Tahir 68, Khushdil Shah 51 not out, Mohammad Imran 24; Waqas Maqsood 2-42) Player of the match – Tayyab Tahir Friday’s fixtures: 1500 – Home City Central Punjab v Northern 1930 – ATF Southern Punjab v GFS Sindh