SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (December 31, 2020):-It is with great sadness that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has learnt of the death of Walther Tröger, IOC Honorary Member, at the age of 91. In addition to his invaluable contribution to the Olympic Movement internationally, Tröger’s remarkable career as a sports administrator was marked by his successful commitment to shaping sport in Germany for several decades. Holding a degree in law from the University of Erlangen, he started in 1953 as Secretary General of the German Student Sports Association, before joining the German Sports Confederation (1961-1970) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC), where he served as Secretary General between 1970 and 1992, and as President for 10 years until 2002. During those years, Tröger also served as 1st Vice-President of the German Basketball Federation (1976-2006) and as a member of the FIBA Sports Commission (1964-1994). He was also a member of the Executive Board, then Deputy Chairman of the German Sports Aid Foundation (1992-2002) and Chairman of the German Sports and Olympic Museum and of the Board of Directors of the Willi Daume Foundation. Tröger’s achievements were not limited to Germany alone. An avid sports fan – he practised handball, athletics, basketball, tennis and skiing – he served as IOC Sports Director between 1983 and 1990, before becoming an IOC Member in 1989 and an Honorary Member in 2010. IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Walther Tröger made a great contribution to the IOC, first as its Sports Director, then as a Member and lately as an Honorary Member. I got to know him as a person with a great passion for sport and an immense knowledge about the Olympic Movement already when we met for the first time in the 1970s, when he was Secretary General of the NOC and I was an athlete. In all his activities over the many years, Walther Tröger worked tirelessly in the administration of sport and made a major impact on the development of German and international sport.” Tröger’s career was punctuated by 27 editions of the Olympic Games as a sports official. He was notably Chef de Mission at the Olympic Winter Games eight times between 1976 and 2002. During the Olympic Games Munich 1972, his role as Mayor of the Olympic Village led him to be involved in the negotiations with the terrorist group that took Israeli athletes hostage. Throughout his IOC membership, he was involved in numerous commissions, such as the Sport for all Commission, of which he was successively Director, Chairman and an honorary member; the Olympic Programme Commission (1971-1994); and the Olympic Solidarity Commission (1985-1989). He also played a part in the success of several Olympic Games as a member of the Coordination Commission for the XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano in 1998 (1992-1998), the Coordination Commission for the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City in 2002 (1996-2002), and the Evaluation Commission for the XX Olympic Winter Games in 2006 (1998-1999). Since 2015 he had been an Honorary Member of the Sport and Active Society Commission. Tröger received a number of distinctions during the course of his career. He received in particular the Commander’s Cross of the German Order of Merit, the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, and the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the French Republic. In 2009, he was also awarded the Olympic Order, the Olympic Movement’s highest distinction. The IOC expresses its deepest sympathies to Walther Tröger’s family. As a mark of respect for him, the Olympic flag will be flown at half-mast at the IOC Headquarters for three days.

SPORTS REPORT KARACHI (December 31, 2020):-Hasan Ali-led defending champions Central Punjab are a step away from completing one of the most remarkable turnarounds in cricketing history as they take on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21 five-day final at the National Stadium from new-year’s day on Friday. Down and out and placed at the bottom of the six-team table at the end of the fifth-round and without a single victory to their name, the team made an inspirational comeback by winning four out of their last five matches and drawing the fifth to climb to the second spot on the points table with a tally of 137 points which sealed their final’s berth. Needing a convincing win in their tenth-round game against Southern Punjab, Central Punjab completed a resounding 10-wicket win in the second session of the last day to earn enough points (26) that helped them leapfrog Southern Punjab and Northern who both were in the running for the final when the tenth-round began. Central Punjab: In the all-important final, Central Punjab would be relying on the middle-order trio of Usman Salahuddin (797 tournament runs at 46.88), Mohammad Saad (608 tournament runs at 35.76) and Saad Nasim (575 tournament runs at 52.27) to lead the team in the batting department. The trio overcame the loss of seasoned batsmen Ahmed Shehzad and Kamran Akmal with such proficiency that Central Punjab decided to stick with the same combination for the final despite Kamran recovering from the injury he sustained in the earlier rounds of the tournament. The 38-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Kamran contributed a mere 112 runs in six innings of the first three rounds of the tournament at 18.66 before sustaining a finger injury. The in-form Usman slammed a remarkable unbeaten 219 off 346 balls against Southern Punjab and laid the match-winning platform for his side. Saad Nasim has been in prolific form since his induction in the team having made his runs in only seven matches with the help of four half-centuries and one century. Hasan would be aiming to once again spearhead the bowling attack; the right-armer has become the leading fast bowler in the tournament with 38 wickets in eight matches including two five-wicket hauls. Central Punjab’s pace attack has proven to be the most penetrative in the tournament with Hasan’s effort complimented by Waqas Maqsood who has 34 wickets in nine games. Spinner Ahmed Safi Abdullah has provided wicket-taking ability with his left-arm spin that has yielded him 33 wickets in nine games. Hasan Ali, captain Central Punjab: “I am delighted with the performance of my team; our journey to the final is a fantastic story which exemplifies the character and strength of the team and the management. Despite a poor start, we never lost belief and we knew that we had the ability of turning things around. “We have a great blend of youth and experience and that has helped us immensely especially in the tough situations we have to face. It truly has been an all-round effort and I am really looking forward to an exciting final and the team as a whole is now fully focussed and confident of retaining the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finished as the top team on the points table by accumulating 161 points (five wins, four draws, one defeat). They recorded the most wins by any team in the double-league group stage. They finished the group stage with a draw against Northern, the match was dominated by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa outfit that posted a mammoth 521-run total in the first innings courtesy centuries by Israrullah, Rehan Afridi and the leading run-getter of the season Kamran Ghulam. Kamran has been nothing short of a revelation in this edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. The 25-year-old right-handed batsman from Upper Dir has become the first batsman to cross the 1,000-run mark in the season since the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was revamped as a six-team Cricket Association-based competition last year. Kamran’s 1,065 runs have come from 18 innings (10 matches) at an average of 59.17, the tally includes four centuries and as many half-centuries. Adil Amin is the second highest run getter for the side with a tally of 755 runs in nine matches. The seasoned middle-order batsman has scored his runs at 47.19 with the help of a century and five half-centuries. Left-handed opener Israrullah has scored 608 runs at 35.76, while wicketkeeper Rehan has a tally of 550 tournament runs at 34.38. Mirroring Kamran’s top position in the batting chart is off-spinner Sajid Khan who has collected 62 wickets in 10 matches at 24.81, his tally includes as many as five, five-wicket hauls. Captain Khalid Usman would be once again pinning his hopes on Sajid to spearhead the attack in the final. Khalid himself has taken 32 wickets in 10 matches with his left-arm spin at 31.28. Fast bowler Irfanullah Shah, who has collected 17 wickets in five matches with the help of one five-wicket haul, will lead Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s pace-attack. Coach Abdul Razzaq has a potent pace attack at his disposal with young 19-year-old Mohammad Wasim Jr. also impressing in his maiden first-class season with a tally of 14 wickets in five matches. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also have two more young pacers at their disposal, Arshad Iqbal (11 wickets in four matches) and Sameen Gul (nine wickets in three matches) who can be drafted in the playing eleven for the final. Khalid Usman, captain Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: “I am really honoured to lead my side in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as it is the most prestigious tournament in our domestic cricket. Our team has gelled brilliantly in the tournament with both batting and bowling departments delivering consistently. Kamran Ghulam and Sajid Khan have been outstanding for us but I would like to stress that all the players in the squad have given their 100 per cent and we have seen a number of match winning performances at various stages of the season. “The final will be an exciting one with two in-form and balanced sides. We are one step away from lifting the trophy that we have worked really hard for and we are entering the final with the same positive mind-set which we have maintained in the season.”   If the final ends as a draw, the winner will be decided as per the following criteria: ·       The team that racked up the most first innings points as per 16.9 of PCB Playing Conditions 2020 ·       If the first innings points are tied, then both the teams will be declared as joint winners (first Innings lead shall not be considered) ·       If the first innings of both the teams is not completed within the scheduled duration, the match shall be considered as drawn and both the teams will be declared as joint winners

By BIPIN DANI Sri Lankan physio Ajantha Wattegama was on toe throughout the first Test match in Centurion. However, he is not to be blamed for players' injuries, according to Dulan Kodikara, the Sri Lanka-born physio, who has been with the Australian players and following the performance of the national team with the same interest. Speaking exclusively over the telephone from Australia, he says, "Just one man (Physio) cannot be blamed or held accountable for these injuries. It is an easy thing to point fingers and play the blame game when injuries occur". "The whole system and its implementation is to be held accountable. When the administration knew of the South African tour happening, they would have at least rested the key fast bowlers from being involved in the LPL. They should have conducted a fitness + bowling conditioning program to suit the longer formats of the game". "Meticulous planning which includes regular screening and testing of the players will help to keep track of their ups & downs, risk to sustain injury, fluctuations of fitness and well being including mental health".       "For all this to take place smoothly the sports science and sports medicine team not only needs experts and people with experience. They need systems to be in place. These practices have to be inculcated into a player when they are young, especially when the talent is identified and they are taken into a pathway program. If not these things may look/sound like “rocket science” to a lot of players. Especially a proper recovery (physical, social and psychological) + adequate supplements play a major role in minimising the injury risks", he further added. "I reckon people shouldn’t just blame Ajantha and wash their hands off. I certainly would not blame him or the team trainer without knowing the facts or what really happened behind the scenes, especially during the lead up to this Test series", he signed off.  Rest day Sri Lankan depleted players have got an additional day of rest because the Test match at Centurion finished within four days. "The ground, where the players will train is not ready and our first training session before the second Test match will now be held on January 1", one of the responsible members of the support staff, speaking exclusively over the telephone from Pretoria said.

SPORTS DESK ISLAMABAD (December 31, 2020):-The Pakistan Cricket Board today unveiled nominations for the PCB Awards 2020, the results of which will be announced on the PCB digital Platforms on Friday, 1 January 2020. The short-lists for 12 categories, including 10 individual categories, have been finalised by an independent panel comprising highly respected and distinguished cricket personalities. In short-listing the nominees, the independent jury did not limit itself to just player performances, but also took into account various other factors, such as the opponent, impact, value and contribution of the players in the matches and/or during the period under consideration. Pakistan captain Babar Azam, T20I specialist Mohammad Hafeez and fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi have been short-listed in three categories each, while Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah and Shan Masood have been nominated in two categories each. Both Babar and Shaheen feature in the White-Ball Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year categories, while Hafeez has been short-listed in the Individual Performance of the Year, White-Ball Cricketer of the Year and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year categories. Haris Rauf has made his way to the Men’s Emerging International Cricketer and White-Ball Cricketer of the Year categories and Rizwan has been included in the Test and Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year categories. Naseem is contending for the Men’s Emerging International and Individual Performance of the Year categories, while Shan competes for the Individual Performance and Test Cricketer of the Year categories. Apart from Hafeez (86 not out, 52b, 4x4, 6x6 v England 3rd T20I), Naseem (four for 26, including a hat-trick, v Bangladesh, only Test), Shan (156 v England, 1st Test) and Fawad Alam have been short-listed as well. Fawad has been included for his 102 in the first Test against New Zealand which finished in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday. The four nominees for the Domestic Cricketer of the Year are Hasan Ali, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel and Zahid Mahmood. Mohammad Huraira, Mubasir Khan, Rohail Nazir and Qasim Akram have been short-listed in the Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year category. Players born on or after 1 August 1999 and yet to make international debut for Pakistan in the 15-month period from 1 September 2019 to 31 December 2020 were considered for this category. There are two women’s individual award categories despite limited cricket. For the Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year, Ayesha Naseem, Fatima Sana, Najiha Alvi and Syeda Aroob Shah have been short-listed, while Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Javeria Khan and Muneeba Ali have been nominated for the Women’s Cricketer of the Year award. Spirit of Cricket Award and Corporate Achievement of the Year nomination were also decided by the independent jury, whereas the four umpires shortlisted on the recommendation of the match referees and six First XI Cricket Association captains are Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob, Ghaffar Kazmi and Shozab Raza. Categories (in brackets are the criteria): Umpire of the Year (Period under consideration 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Ahsan Raza ·         Asif Yaqoob ·         Ghaffar Kazmi ·         Shozab Raza Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year (Players born on or after 1 Aug 1999. Period under consideration 1 Sep 2019 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Ayesha Naseem ·         Fatima Sana ·         Najiha Alvi ·         Syeda Aroob Shah Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year (Players born on or after 1 Aug 1999 who are yet to make international debut for Pakistan. Period under consideration 1 Sep 2019 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Mohammad Huraira ·         Mubasir Khan ·         Rohail Nazir ·         Qasim Akram Men’s Emerging International Cricketer of the Year (International debut after 1 September 2019) ·         Haider Ali ·         Haris Rauf ·         Naseem Shah ·         Khushdil Shah Women’s Cricketer of the Year (Period under consideration 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Aliya Riaz ·         Bismah Maroof ·         Javeria Khan ·         Muneeba Ali Domestic Cricketer of the Year (Events under consideration HBL PSL 2020, National T20 Cup 2020 and first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020) ·         Hasan Ali ·         Kamran Ghulam ·         Saud Shakeel ·         Zahid Mahmood Individual Performance of the Year (20 international matches played between 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Fawad Alam - 102 v New Zealand, 1st Test ·         Mohammad Hafeez – 86 not out, 52b, 4x4, 6x6 v England 3rd T20I ·         Naseem Shah - 4-26 (hat trick) v Bangladesh, first Test ·         Shan Masood – 156 v England, 1st Test Spirit of Cricket (Period under consideration 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Sindh players thanking a retiring Imran Farhat for his contributions. ·         Pakistan team visiting Bangladesh dressing room after their 2-0 win in the T20I series. ·         Pakistan players congratulating Zak Crawley after his 267 in the Southampton Test. ·         Pakistan players congratulating Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura on a successful career. Corporate Achievement of the Year (Period under consideration 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         First-ever HBL PSL 2020 in Pakistan ·         Pakistan cricketers inspiring other international sides to play during the Covid-19 pandemic ·         A complete, competitive and exciting 2020-21 domestic season during the pandemic ·         South Africa and England men’s national cricket teams confirming tours to Pakistan in 2021 White-ball Cricketer of the Year (three ODIs and 12 T20Is from 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Babar Azam ·         Haris Rauf ·         Mohammad Hafeez ·         Shaheen Shah Afridi Test Cricketer of the Year (five Tests between 1 Jan 2020 and 31 Dec 2020) ·         Babar Azam ·         Mohammad Rizwan ·         Shaheen Shah Afridi ·         Shan Masood Most Valuable Cricketer of the Year (five Tests, three ODIs and 12 T20Is from 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2020) ·         Babar Azam ·         Mohammad Hafeez ·         Mohammad Rizwan ·         Shaheen Shah Afridi

SPORTS REPORT LAHORE (December 31, 2020):-The women national selection committee announced a 17-player squad for ODI and T20I series against South Africa, which will be played in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Javeria Khan will take the captaincy responsibilities in the absence of Bismah Maroof. Urooj Mumtaz-led selection committee, which also includes Asmavia Iqbal and Marina Iqbal, considered on-field performances in the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship, played from 22 November until 1 December in Rawalpindi, along with form and fitness of the players in the High Performance and probables camp while finalising the squad. Ayesha Zafar, Kainat Imtiaz, Nahida Khan and Nashra Sandhu return to the women’s national team for the tour in which they will play the hosts in three ODIs and as many T20Is. Nahida Khan finished the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship as the leading run-scorer with 154 runs at an average above 51 from her four outings. Her PCB Dynamites teammate Ayesha Zafar was the fourth best batter in the tournament with 111 runs. All-rounder Kainat Imtiaz was awarded player of the tournament award as she scored 111 runs from four outings, getting dismissed once, and took three wickets, while left-arm spinner Nashra Sandhu finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the tournament with four wickets at 25. When the team takes the field for the first one-dayer at Kingsmead Stadium, Durban, on 20 January, it will mark their return to international cricket after over 10 months due to the Covid-19-enforced hiatus. After the second one-dayer at the same venue on 23 January, they will move to Pietermaritzburg where they will play the third ODI on 26 January and first two T20Is on 29 and 31 January. For the last T20I on 3 February, which will also be the last match of the tour, the team will return to Durban. Urooj Mumtaz, the chair of national women selection committee: “The squad has been selected after closely observing the players in the recent High Performance and probables camps and the National Triangular T20 Women’s Cricket Championship. We have seen significant improvement over the last three months in the intent and mindset of the players and the team is shaping up well for the upcoming series. The squad is well balanced and possesses a good blend of youth and experience for what promises to be an exciting tour. “Javeria Khan is an experienced campaigner and has the desired understanding of the game which is necessary to lead the national women’s team. She has undertaken this responsibility in the past and I am certain she will rise to the occasion and inspire the players. “Our last tour to South Africa in 2018 produced high-quality cricket and we are looking forward to yet another competitive tour, which will be instrumental for the new head coach David Hemp as well as in our preparations for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers. “Selecting a squad is never a stroll in the park and naming 17 players for this tour was no different. David and I have identified key areas of the game where these players must continue to improve. We will be having honest conversations with the players who were unable to make it this time, as they remain an integral part of our plans.” The 17-player squad will continue to prepare for the tour in the bio-secure environment, which was set up on 20 December for the probables camp, in Karachi before their departure on 11 January. Squad (for ODIs and T20Is) Javeria Khan (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui, Nahida Khan, Nashra Sandhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Syeda Aroob Shah.

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (December 29, 2020):-Kashmir Premier League (KPL) on Tuesday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a charity organization, Shahid Afridi Foundation (SAF) aiming to develop cricketing activities to bring into line the community development with the cricketing activity creating a platform, which would positively encompass the people and land of Kashmir. The signing ceremony took place at local hotel. On this occasion, Arif Malik, President KPL said, “We have already Shahid Khan Afridi on board as our brand ambassador for the league and he already has a personal association and empathy for Kashmir and its people”. Shahid Afridi mentioned that he has visited Kashmir and term it as the Heaven on Earth. He also said he supports the Kashmiri Agenda and vow the launch of Kashmir Premier League a brand dedicated to the region. Mr Shahid Afridi is willing support the league initiative as it would open doors to new opportunities for the people. Through this process KPL will be promoting Shahid Afridi foundation on shirt logos and sponsoring food drives and other CSR projects. On this event Ch. Shahzad Akhtar CEO – KPL, shared his thoughts and highlighted the importance of KPL for the Kashmiri Community and said this will be a landmark event for the region. Other designated guests included Adil Waheed – Owner Mirpur Royal, Muhammad Arshad Khan Tanoli – Owner Muzaffarabad Tigers, Samar Abbas – Member Advisory Council KPL, Amir Nawab – Director Cricket Operations and Tanveer Mughal – Manager Cricket Operations KPL. It is pertinent to mention that KPL is a T20 fixture and six teams from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) will fight for top honour that included Rawalakot Hawks, Kotli Panthers, Mirpur Royals, Muzaffarabad Tigers, Overseas Warriors and Bagh Stallions. The matches will be played at Muzaffarabad, Mirpur and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from April 1 to 10 next year 2021.

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (December 27, 2020):-Muzammil Murtaza stunned heavyweight Aqeel Khan 2-1 in the Men’s Singles final of the 6th Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Tournament 2020 at the PTF Complex, Islamabad on Sunday. The final score-line was 7-6, 3-6 and 6-4. Ayman Ismael, CFO Eighteen was the guest of honor while Anwar Saifullah Khan, president Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), graced the occasion as chief guest to witness the finals and distributed prizes among the winners. Anwar Saifullah Khan appreciated the role of sponsors in the promotion of tennis in collaboration with PTF. He also appreciated the tournament organizers for conducting such an excellent event. He praised the role of media for promotion of sports in Pakistan and especially game of tennis. Earlier, in the Women’s singles final, Sarah Mahboob Khan had to work hard in the court to overcome her opponent Ushna Suhail 2-1 in a well-contested 3-set match with the score-line of 7-6(3),5-7 and 6-4. Results (Finals): Men’ Singles Muzammil Murtaza beat Aqeel Khan: 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-4 Ladies’ Singles Sarah Mahboob beat Ushna Suhail: 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-4 Seniors 45 Plus Mehmood Khan/Azeem Khan beat Rashid Malik (ZTBL)/Fayyaz Khan: 6-2, 4-6(10-5)

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (December 26, 2020):-Muzammil Murtaza and Aqeel Khan reached into the final of Men’s Singles Event of the 6th Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Tournament 2020 at the PTF Complex, Islamabad on Saturday. Now, both will meet in the final on Sunday at same venue. Results: Men’s Singles Matches: Muzammil Murtaza bt Shahzad Khan: 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 Aqeel Khan bt Mohammad Abid: 6-4, 6-3 Ladies Singles: Sarah Mahboob bt Hania Navaid 7-5, 6-0 Ushna Suhail bt Esha Jawad 6-2, 6-0 Boys Under-18: Mohammad Shoaib bt Aqib Hayat: 6-2, 6-1. Boys Under-16: Hamid Israr/Sami Zeb bt Farman Shakeel/Nalain Abbas 5-3, 5-3 Mahatir Muhammad/Haseesh Kumar bt Mohammad Talha Khan/Mohammad Huzaifa Khan 4-1, 4-0 Boy’s Unser-14 Singles: Bilal Asim bt Hussnain Ali Rizwan 4-2, 4-1 Hamid Israr bt Haider Ali Rizwan 4-2, 4-2 Hamid Israr bt Bilal Asim 4-1, 4-2 Girls’ U-14 Singles: Sheeza Sajid bt Fatima Ali Raja 4-2, 4-0 Amna Ali Qayum bt Natalia Zaman 4-2, 5-4(11) Boy’s/ Girl’s U-12: Hamza Roman bt Ehtisham Hamayun 5-4(6), 4-2 Haniya Minhas bt Hamza Ali Rizwan 1-4, 4-2, 4-2 Hamza Roman bt Haniya Minhas 4-2,4-2 Boy’s/ Girl’s U-10: Mohammad Hassan Usman bt Zohaib Afzal 4-2, 2-4, 5-3 Ismail Aftab bt Hamad Shah 4-1, 4-1 Mohammad Hassan Usman bt Ismail Aftab 4-2, 4-0 Seniors 45 Plus: Mehmood Khan/Azeem Khan bt Wakeel Khan/Amjad Nasir 6-3, 6-1 Rashid Malik/Fayyaz Khan bt Israr Gul/Shakeel 4-6, 6-3(10-3)

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL ISLAMABAD (December 25, 2020):- Shahzad Khan, Muzammil Murtaza, Mohammad Abid and Aqeel Khan qualifies for the Men’s Singles semifinals of the 6th Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan National Ranking Tennis Tournament 2020 at the PTF Complex, Islamabad on Friday. All four quarterfinal matches won by the high ranked players in straight sets, as Muzammil overcame Heera Ashiq 2-0 in a well-contested match, as the both sets ended at tiebreak. Semifinals will be played on Saturday at same venue. Results: Men’s Singles (Quarterfinals): Shahzad Khan bt Mudassir Khan 6-3, 6-3 Muzammil Murtaza bt Heera Ashiq 7-6(5), 7-5 Mohammad Abid bt Mohammad Shoaib 6-0, 6-4 Aqeel Khan bt Ahmed Ch. 6-4, 6-2 Men’s Doubles (Semifinals): Mohammad Abid/Waqas Malak bt Yousaf Khalil/Heera Ashiq 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 Muzammil Murtaza/Mudassir Murtaza bt Abdal Haider/Ahmed Ch. 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 Ladies Singles (Quarterfinals): Esha Jawad bt Mahvish Chistie 6-1, 6-0 Sarah Mahboob bt Sheeza Sajid 6-0, 6-0 Hania Navaid bt Noor Malik 6-4, 6-3 Ushan Suhail bt Mariam Mirza 6-2, 3-0(Ret) Boys Under-18 Singles: Aqib Hayat bt Hasheesh Kumar 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 Mohammad Shoaib bt Mahatir Mohammad 6-3,6-1 Boys Under-14 Singles: Husnain Ali Rizwan bt Shahsawar Khan 4-5(8), 4-1, 4-0 Hamid Israr bt Mohammad Hamza Aasim 4-0, 4-2 Haider Ali Rizwan bt Hamza Roman 2-4, 4-1, 4-2  Bilal Asim bt Ahtesham Humayun 4-1, 4-0 Girls Under-14 Singles: Sheeza Sajid bt Hareem Fatima 4-0, 4-0 Fatima Ali Raja bt Soha Ali 4-2, 4-0 Natalia Zaman bt Sara Khan 4-0, 4-2 Boys/ Girls Under-12 Singles: Haniya Minhas bt Zohaib Afzal 4-2, 4-0 Hamza Roman bt Mohammad Haziq Aasim 4-0, 4-2 Ahtesham Humayun bt Amir Mazari 5-4(3), 5-4(1) Hamza Ali Rizwan bt Ali Zain 4-0, 4-0 Boys/ Girls Under-10 Singles: Mohammad Hassan Usman bt Zohaib Amjad 4-0, 4-2 Hamad Shah bt Mohammad Bilal Fahd 4-0, 4-0 Zohaib Afzal bt Mohammad Shayan 4-2, 4-2 Senior’s 45 Plus: Wakeel Khan/Amjad Nasir bt Altaf Hussain/Shahid 6-1, 6-4

SPORTS REPORT ISLAMABAD (December 24, 2020):-The HBL Pakistan Super League 2021 is set to showcase Pakistan’s best talent once again as categories of the players who took part in the HBL PSL 2020 have now been finalised. Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who was the Player of the Tournament in the 2020 edition after scoring 473 runs in 12 matches, is joined by Karachi Kings teammates Imad Wasim and Mohammad Amir in the Platinum category. Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan continues in the Platinum category as his teammate Faheem Ashraf moves down to the Diamond category for the HBL PSL 2021. Peshawar Zalmi trio of Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Malik and Wahab Riaz have been placed in the Platinum category while fast bowler Hasan Ali moves to the Diamond category. Multan Sultans captain Shan Masood has moved up to the Diamond category with his impressive performances across HBL PSL 2020 and the National T20 Cup. Shan’s teammates Shahid Afridi and Sohail Tanvir have been placed in the Platinum category. Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is in the Platinum category while fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain moves up from Gold to Diamond after ending as Quetta’s leading wicket-taker in the HBL PSL 2020 with 15 wickets. Fakhar Zaman, who ended up as the second highest scorer in the HBL PSL 2020 with 325 runs in 12 matches for Lahore Qalandars, continues in the Platinum category where he is joined by teammates Mohammad Hafeez and Shaheen Shah Afridi, the highest wicket-taker of HBL PSL 2020. Qalandars pacer Haris Rauf’s meteoric rise continues as the fast bowler moves up from Gold to Diamond. He is the leading wicket-taker in 2020 with 57 scalps at 19.57. With the category renewal process and pick order finalised, the transfer and retention window is now officially open. As part of the category renewal process, franchise representatives were required to vote for every player. Teams were not allowed to vote for their own players but submit review requests at the end of this voting stage. The list was then reviewed by Director – High Performance Nadeem Khan and GM Commercial Imran Ahmed Khan, who has been leading player acquisition for HBL PSL since 2017. Factors including national team performances, domestic performances and perceived T20 brand value were considered while finalising local players’ categories. Director Commercial Babar Hamid: “The category renewals for the local players is a key step towards the delivery of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2021. The renewals were done on the basis of structured and meritorious criteria with an aim of providing fair and equal opportunity to all local players in what is one of the most followed and competitive cricket leagues in the world. “I am sure that like the previous five seasons we will see top-quality performances from our local players and a lot of young players will get a wonderful opportunity of showcasing their talents and progressing to the international stage by their exposure to a platform like the HBL PSL.” The category renewals did not apply to those players who were drafted in HBL PSL 2020 Playoffs in November. These players will be part of the overall player pool that will be available for selection at the HBL PSL Player Draft. Players who have represented Pakistan in any format have been assigned a base category of Gold. Under-23 players cannot be part of a squad as an Emerging player for more than two years unless they have played three or less matches in those two years. Teams can now send relegation requests for the players before finalising retentions. After a relegation request is floated, all other teams are given a chance to meet the player’s base category. If no team matches the player’s base category, the player may be relegated to a category below his base category.