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T20 Cup: Sindh reach on top with a comprehensive victory against Balochistan
MUHAMMAD KABIR
Rawalpindi (September 29, 2021):-Joint efforts took GFS Sindh to the top of the National T20 Cricket Cup 2021 on points table as they thrashed Balochistan by 77 runs at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi on Wednesday evening. The victory was Sindh’s third in as many matches, they now have six points and are at the top of the six-team points table.
Set a 176-run target, Balochistan were blown away by the Sindh bowling attack led by Shahnawaz Dahani, Zahid Mahmood and Danish Aziz who took nine wickets between them. Balochistan were bowled out for 98 in 16.4 overs. Fast bowler Shahnawaz took four wickets for 12 runs in 2.4 overs, leg-spinner Zahid took three for 18 in four and Danish took two for 23 in his four overs of left-arm-spin.
Shahnawaz has now taken eight wickets in three matches and he is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker along with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shaheen Shah Afridi. Balochistan openers Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and Imam-ul-Haq got the team off to a 46-run start. However, the chased fell away as soon as Imam was dismissed for 19 runs.
Balochistan lost all ten wickets for an addition of 52 runs as their batters failed while attempting big shots. Abdul Wahid was top-scorer with 29 off 23 balls (five fours). Bismillah Khan with 12 runs was the only other batter to reach double figures as the whole team was bowled out with 20 balls to spare.
Earlier, Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss and opted to bat first. The left-handed opening pair of Sharjeel Khan and Shan Masood provided the side a flying start of 52 runs in 6.2 overs. Sharjeel who hit three sixes and one four in a typically aggressive 34 off 20 balls fell to Umaid Asif.
Khurram Manzoor was dismissed for 10 while Shan got run out a ball after hitting a big six, his 30-ball innings off 31 included three fours and one six. Saud Shakeel contributed 32 off 24 balls (four fours). Saud added 55 runs for the fourth-wicket with Sarfaraz.
Sarfaraz added 39 runs for the unbroken fifth-wicket alliance with Anwar Ali (22 off 13 balls). The wicketkeeper-batsman scored for his side with an unbeaten 41 off 25 balls that included three fours and a six off Umaid (last ball of the Sindh innings). Kashif Bhatti, Umaid and Khurram Shahzad took a wicket apiece for Balochistan.
Scores in Brief:
GFS Sindh beat Balochistan by 77 runs.
GFS Sindh 175-4, 20 overs (Sarfaraz Ahmed 41 not out, Sharjeel Khan 34, Saud Shakeel 32; Khurram Shahzad 1-25, Kashif Bhatti 1-31)
Balochistan 98 all out, 16.4 overs (Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 29, Imam-ul-Haq 19; Shahnawaz Dahani 4-12, Zahid Mahmood 3-18, Danish Aziz 2-23)
Player of the match: Zahid Mahmood
Thursday’s matches:
Northern vs Home City Central Punjab -3pm
GFS Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -7:30pm
ATHLETICS - National 29 Sep, 2021
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Peshawar (September 29, 2021):-Punjab’s Under-17 Boys (16 medals) and Under-16 Girls (15 medals) athletics teams with 129 and 103 points respectively, won the Inter-Provincial Athletics Tournament 2021 that concluded at Qayyum Sports Stadium, Peshawar on Wednesday.
Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Mushtaq Ghani was the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony. Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh and DG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Asfandyar Khattak and other officials were also present on this occasion.
Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Mushtaq Ghani awarded winner’s trophy to Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh at the grand concluding ceremony.
After winning Inter-Provincial Athletics Tournament 2021 with a wide margin, Punjab’s young athletes danced and celebrated their overwhelming triumph in a befitting manner.
In the Boys U-17 Athletics Tournament, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team with 92 points finished second where the third position was taken by Sindh athletes who scored 53 points. The athletes from Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan had to content with 25, 13 and 4 points respectively.
Showing dominating performance, Punjab’s male athletes pocketed 9 gold medals, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals in the athletics meet. The second position team KP took 3 gold medals, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals. The boys team from Sindh failed to win any gold medal. However, they managed to win 3 silver and 4 bronze medals.
On the other hand, Punjab’s girls won 6 gold medals, 7 silver and 2 bronze medals during the mega event. Girls from host province KP got 3 gold medals, 3 silver and 4 bronze medals while Sindh female team clinched one gold and 4 bronze medals during the Inter-Provincial Athletics Tournament.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa girls accumulated 64 points to remain runners up while Sindh finished third with 42 points. Azad Jammu & Kashmir scored 18 points followed by Balochistan 12 and Gilgit Baltistan 4 points in the junior athletics tournament.
In the third and last day’s Boys U-17 athletics competitions, Punjab’s Majid, Mohsin, Sakhawat and Bilal won gold medal in 4x400 relay event. Punjab athletes Aman, Sakhawat, Mohsin and Majid also demonstrated wonderful performance in 4x100 relay event and obtained gold medal.
Mohsin also bagged gold medal in 200m race. The gold medal of 400m race was won by Punjab’s Majid Khan while the bronze medal went to Mohsin. Punjab’s Usman also excelled in 110m hurdles race and secured another gold medal for his team. Punjab’s M Hamza finished second and won silver medal in javelin throw event.
In Girls U-16 competitions on the third and last day, Punjab’s Amina, Momina, Fatima and Arooba won gold medal in 4x100m relay race. Punjab’s Sania and Arooba Fatime took silver medals in javelin throw and 200m race events respectively. In 400m race, Punjab’s Zara and Sana finished second and third respectively to win silver and bronze medal for their team.
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Midcourt ATF Under-14 Championships: Hamza ousts Hussnain 2-0
ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL
Islamabad (September 29, 2021):-Hamza Roman brushed-a-side to second seed Mohammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan in straight sets 2-0 in the quarterfinal of ongoing Midcourt ATF Under-14 Championships at Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF)-Syed Dilawar Abbas (SDA) Tennis Complex, Islamabad on Wednesday.
In the Boys’ Singles event, Hamza Roman (SNGPL) showed his classed and ousted second seed Mohammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan with the score-line of 6-4 and 6-1 while in the Girls’ Singles Haniya Minhas and Amna Ali Qayum qualified for the final.
Results:
Boys’ Singles (Quarter-Final):
Mohammad Haider Ali Rizwan beat Abdur Rehman 6-0, 6-0
Hamza Roman (SNGPL) beat Mohammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan 6-4, 6-1
Ahtesham Humayun (SNGPL) beat Ali Zain 6-1, 6-0
Asad Zaman beat Zohaib Afzal Malik 6-1, 6-2
Boys’ Singles (Positions-9-16):
Amir Mazari beat Nabeel Qayum 6-1, 6-4
Shehryar Aneees beat Haziq Aasim 6-2, 6-0
Mohammad Hamza Ali Rizwan beat Hammad Kashif 6-0, 6-0
Ismail Aftab beat Syed Aalay Bukhari 6-1, 6-1
Boys’ Doubles (Semiffinals)
Mohammad Haider Ali Rizwan / Mohammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan beat Mohammad Ibrahim Ashraf / Amir Mazari 6-2, 6-4
Asad Zaman / Ahtesham Humayun(SNGPL) beat Ali Zain / Haziq Aasim 6-2, 6-2
Girls’ Singles (Semifinal)
Haniya Minhas beat Fatima Ali Raja 6-0, 6-0
Amna Qayum beat Zainab Ali Raja 6-0, 6-1
Girls’ Singles (Positions-5-8)
Soha Ali beat Mahrukh Sajid 6-0, 6-1
Lalarukh Sajid beat Mahnoor Farooqui: 6-0, 6-1
Girls’ Doubles (Semi-Final):
Soha Ali / Zainab Ali Raja beat Zara Khan / Fatima Ali Raja 6-4, 6-4
Haniya Aman / Amna Qayum beat Lalarukh Sajid/ Mahrukh Sajid 6-0, 6-0
PCB accepts resign of Wasim Khan
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Lahore (September 29, 2021):-The Board of Governors of the Pakistan Cricket Board today met via videoconference in which they unanimously accepted the resignation of Chief Executive Wasim Khan, who had had joined the PCB on a three-year contract on 1 February 2019.
Following the meeting, PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja said: “During his time with the PCB, Wasim Khan provided excellent leadership, particularly following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic when very little information was available and precise decision-making was required to ensure cricket remained unaffected and continued to be played at the domestic and international levels.
“The PCB owes Wasim Khan a debt of gratitude for his good leadership and we wish him well in his future plans and career endeavours.”
Wasim Khan: “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the Pakistan Cricket Board and hugely satisfying to see the resumption of Test cricket with Sri Lanka playing Tests in Rawalpindi and Karachi, and the homecoming of the HBL Pakistan Super League during the last two years.
“When I arrived in 2019, there was a real need to build relationships and restore and enhance the global image and reputation of the PCB and Pakistan cricket. With decisive and strategic decision-making, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, we succeeded in earning the goodwill and respect of the global cricketing family, which I am hopeful will lead to increased international cricket being hosted in Pakistan in future.
“With a five-year strategy in place, new domestic structure in its third season and the investment in women’s cricket in an upward direction, I feel it is the right time to move on and reunite with my young family. They have sacrificed a lot so that I could fulfill my dreams of contributing to Pakistan cricket, which will always remain very close to my heart.
“I am grateful to have worked with all our fantastic commercial partners and the passionate people at the PCB. I would also like to thank each and every one of my staff for supporting me as well as the Pakistan men and women players, and the Pakistan cricket fans.
“Lastly, I want to wish PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja the very best during his tenure, I am sure there will be exciting times ahead for Pakistan Cricket under his leadership.”
National T20: Seating capacity doubled for Pindi matches
ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL
Rawalpindi (September 29, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced to increase the seating capacity from 25 % to 50 % the rest of matches at Pindi Cricket Stadium of National T20 Cup 2021 after the approval of National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). It is pertinent to mention here that the ratio of corona patients has been decreasing day by day in the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
According to PCB media department, only fully-vaccinated individuals will be allowed to buy the tickets and gain access to the stadium. Fans can continue to buy the tickets through www.bookme.pk, Bookme's mobile application and M&P courier offices across Pakistan.
Tickets can also be bought through Bookme’s helpline by 0313 7786 888. Spectators are requested to strictly adhere to government-mandated SOPs by wearing masks and maintaining social distancing when in the enclosures.
Terms & Conditions for spectators:
-Only vaccinated individuals will be allowed to purchase the tickets.
-NADRA-issued Vaccination Certificates must be shown at the time of purchase and when gaining access to the stadium.
-Original ID cards are mandatory.
-People under 18 are not allowed.
-Wearing of mask will be mandatory.
-Tickets are non-transferable.
-Anyone violating Bio-Secure protocols is liable to be evicted out of venue.
-All of the above terms will apply for complimentary and hospitality ticket holders as well.
Krunal Pandya wins hearts
By BIPIN DANI
Despite his poor performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), Krunal Pandya won the heart of his fans when he withdrew the appeal to run out K.L.Rahul, the captain of the Punjab Kings team.
In the 42nd IPL (night) match in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, Krunal Pandya bowled a yorker to Chris Gayle, and the batsman's straight drive hit non-striker Rahul and ball then ricocheted to bowler Krunal Pandya who not only whipped off the bails and appealed.
Realising his act of appealing against the spirit, Pandya withdrew the appeal.
"It (withdrawing the appeal) was in good spirit of the game because Rahul would not have attempted a run. Mumbai Indians are not in great form this year and it is indeed a creditable gesture Krunal has shown on the field", Krunal Pandya's mentor and former India stumper and selector, Kiran More said.
Incidentally, it was Kirn More who spotted talent in both Pandya brothers (Krunal and Hardik).
Krunal’s family was based in Surat with his (late) father Himanshu Pandya running a successful car business. But having watched his 6-year-old son Krunal enjoy the game so much, he decided to shift base to Baroda since Surat had no good cricket opportunities back then. He joined the famous Kiran More Cricket Academy there.
"Krunal has always been a sportsman".
"Now the game of cricket is being watched by millions of people and his recent sportsman spirit will be a good lesson for the young boys who are dreaming to be the cricketers", More added.
Kings Punjab skipper Rahul gave a thumb up to Krunal's gesture.
ICC and BCCI invite World Cup participating team representatives to discuss Biosafety Plan
By BIPIN DANI
The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Indian cricket board have invited the representatives of all the World Cup participating nations to attend an online briefing on Thursday, where the Strategic Biosafety Plan will be discussed, it is learnt here.
"The strategic objective of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Biosafety Plan is to develop straightforward easily understood protocols, that are objectively rational and strictly enforced to safeguard the wellbeing of participants, spectators and the communities of the UAE and Oman", one of the sources, speaking exclusively, said.
The ICC has formulated the Biosafety Scientific Advisory Group of five members and India's Dr. Abhijit Salve is the Event Chief Medical Officer. The ICC event is being hosted by the Indian cricket board.
Dr. David Musker (ICC's Covid Compliance Officer), Prof. Joe Toressi (Independent Biosafety Scientific Advisor), Dr. Peter Harcourt (Chairman of the ICC Medical Advisory Panel) and Dr. Gurjit Bhogal (Independent Medical Chair) are the other members of the group.
Following representatives will attend the briefing, which is scheduled to take place at 2.30 pm (UAE time).
Kate Beerworth & Alex Kountouris (Australia), Prasanth Panchada (Afghanistan), Debashish Chaudhary (Bangladesh), Dr. Nick Peirce & Moiz Moghal (England), Daminda Attanayake (Sri Lanka), Dayle Shackel (New Zealand), Dr. Shuaib Manjra (South Africa & ZW), Mark Rausa (Ireland), O. Gulston (West Indies) and Riaz Ahmed (Pakistan).
The ICC's other officials, Vanessa Hibkirk and Lorraine D'Souza will also attend the briefing, it is learnt.
ATHLETICS - National 28 Sep, 2021
SPORTS REPORT
Peshawar (September 28, 2021):-Punjab’s Under-17 Boys and Under-16 Girls athletics teams maintained the sequence of dominating performances and won 20 medals including 9 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze medals in the Inter-Provincial Athletics Youth Tournament 2021 in Peshawar on Tuesday.
Punjab’s Under-16 Girls clinched five gold, four silvers and one bronze while the Under-17 Boys have pocketed four gold, four silver and two bronze medals.
As far as points are concerned on the second day, Punjab’s boys are leading the event with 59 points followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 47 and Sindh with 14 points. On girls’ side, Punjab’s female athletes had 63 points whereas Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had 36 points till the filing of this report.
Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh congratulated Punjab’s medal winning athletes on showing overwhelming performance during the first two days’ competitions of Inter-Provincial Athletics Youth Tournament.
Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh said that the hard work of our professional coaches during 7-day training camp reflected in the shape of medals in Inter-Provincial Athletics Youth Tournament. “The excellent medal-winning performance of our players showed that our selection committee has selected all the male and female players purely on merit”.
Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh also witnessed thrilling competitions with keen interest. He also met with medal-winning male and female athletes of Punjab contingent and encouraged them for next competitions.
DG KP Asfandyar Khattak, Deputy Commissioner Peshawar Khalid Mehmood, Director Sports Hafeez Bhatti, Camp Commandant Tariq Nazir and other coaches Ijaz Abdul Khaliq, Allah Ditta Tahir, Nasreen and Sajida were also present on this occasion.
Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh appreciated the brilliant performance of Punjab’s talented male and female medal winners. He directed the team management and coaching staff to prepare their athletes fully for the remaining decisive events.
Director General Sports Punjab Adnan Arshad Aulakh expressed his determination that Punjab’s male and female athletes will grab top position in the medals table on the last day of the event.
In the 2nd day’s competitions, Punjab’s Khadija won two gold medals in discus throw and shot put events. Rimsha Qayyum and Amina Shahzadi also won gold medals in long jump and 100m hurdles events respectively.
Punjab’s Arooba (100m), Amina Shahzadi (long jump) and Rimsha (100m hurdles) also grabbed silver medals while Momina won the only bronze medal on the second day.
On the other hand in Boys U-17 competitions, Punjab’s Sakhawat won two gold medals in 100m and 400m hurdles race. Abdullah and Riaz also grabbed gold medals in discus throw and long jump competitions respectively.
Punjab’s Mohammad Azam won silver medals in shot put and discus throw events and Saleem Ullah got a silver medal in long jump. The only bronze medal of the day was won by Abdullah in shot put.
Midcourt ATF Under-Championships: Ahtesham claims an upset victory
SPORTS REPORTER
Islamabad (September 28, 2021):-As many as 16 matches were played on the second day of the Midcourt ATF Under-14 Championships 2021 Leg 2 continued at PTF-SDA Tennis Complex, Islamabad on Tuesday.
In girls singles, Haniya Minhas continued her fine form and dispatched Lalarukh Sajid 6-0a and,6-0 and in boys singles, Ahtesham Humayun upset third seed Amir Mazari at 6-2 and 7-5.
Results:
Boy’s Singles (Second Round): Hamza Roman bt Shehryar Anees: 6-4,6-4;Ahtesham Humayun bt Amir Mazari: 6-2,7-5; Zohaib Afzal Malik bt Mohammad Aalay Bukhari: 6-0,6-0; Asad Zaman bt Ismail Aftab: 6-1,6-1; Mohammad Haider Ali Rizwan bt Mohammad Hamza Ali Rizwan: 6-2,6-3;Ali Zain bt Nabeel Qayum: 6-2,6-0; Abdur Rehman bt Hammad Kashif: 6-2,6-0; Mohammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan bt Haziq Aasim: 6-1,6-0;
Girl’s Singles (Quarterfinal); Haniya Minhas bt Lalarukh Sajid: 6-0,6-0; Amna Qayum bt Mahrukh Sajid: 6-0,6-0; Fatima Ali Raja bt Mahnoor Farooqui: 6-1,6-1; Zainab Ali Raja bt Soha Ali: 1-6,6-4,7-6(3)
Boy's Doubles (Quarter-Final)Mohammad Haider Ali Rizwan / Mohammad Hussnain Ali Rizwan bt Shehryar Anees/ Hamza Roman: 6-2,6-2;Asad Zaman / Ahtesham Humayun bt Zohaib Afzal Malik/ Mohammad Hamza Ali Rizwan: 6-2,6-2; Ali Zain / Haziq Aasim bt Ismail Aftab / Abubakar: 6-0,6-3;Mohammad Ibrahim Ashraf/ Amir Mazari bt Abdur Rehman / Nabeel Qayum: 6-4,6-3
Cricket Associations Championship begins on Wednesday
SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Lahore (September 28, 2021):-Sindh will start their title defence when the opening round of the Cricket Associations Championship (three-day event) begins across three Punjab cities on Wednesday.
Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium and Saeed Ajmal Academy, Rana Naveed Academy in Sheikhupura and LCCA Ground in Lahore will host matches from 29 September to 14 November.
Sindh who recently won the Cricket Associations T20 tournament in Quetta will take on Central Punjab at the LCCA Ground in the opening round of the tournament. Balochistan will take on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, while Southern Punjab will face Northern at the Rana Naveed Academy in Sheikhupura.
The Cricket Associations Championship will be played on a double-league basis with each team playing the other twice. The final round of the tournament will be held from 12 to 14 November. The team accumulating the most points will be declared winners.
Balochistan Second XI captain Azeem Ghumman: “Our preparations for the three-day tournament are good. We had some practice sessions recently and we are hopeful of doing well.
We have a good combination of young and experienced players in the squad. We have good all-round players available in our team and with three to four experienced batters in our squad we look to do well in batting department.”
Central Punjab Second XI captain Ali Shan: “We are fully prepared to do well in the red-ball tournament. We had couple of good sessions before the start of the tournament and we are eager to perform on the ground.
Our fast bowling department is very strong and with seasonal batters in the squad, we are looking to produce some good performances in the tournament.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Second XI captain Waqar Ahmed: “We had a good one week preparations camp to get ourselves ready for the tournament. We have a young and energetic squad who are excited to perform in all three departments of the game.”
Northern Second XI captain Umar Waheed: “The preparations for the tournament are well on track as we have worked hard to rectify mistakes made in the last season. The combination of the team is well balanced with good spinners, the players know each other well which will help us to do well on the ground.”
Sindh Second XI captain Saifullah Bangash: “We have prepared well from the last season and are looking forward to doing well this season to become champions again. The players are relaxed; they have no pressure on them after winning the opening tournament (Cricket Associations T20) of the season. The players are ready to play quality cricket in the tournament.
We have good young players in the batting and bowling line-ups who are all set to showcase their talent on the field.”
Southern Punjab Second XI captain Moinuddin: “We have adjusted well to the conditions before the start of the tournament. We worked tirelessly on our skill level and we are aiming to produce good results when we go on the field.
“We have almost the same players that played in the recently concluded T20 tournament and we are looking to dominate in the red-ball tournament.”
First-round fixtures:
Balochistan vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
Central Punjab vs Sindh – LCCA Ground, Lahore
Southern Punjab vs Northern – Rana Naveed Academy, Sheikhupura
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