SPORTS NEWS Dubai (August 11, 2021):-All-rounder and captain of the West Indies women squad Stafanie Taylor was deservingly voted the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July 2021. Taylor contributed with both bat and ball as she led her team to win the ODI and T20I series against Pakistan in July. In the four ODIs against Pakistan, Stafanie scored 175 runs with a strike rate of 79.18 and took three wickets with an economy rate of 3.72. Stafanie was also on top of the rankings for batters and allrounders in the MRF ICC Women’s ODI Rankings earlier in July. Commenting on her recognition, Stafanie said: “This is a bit surprising to me, winning ICC Player of the Month award for July, but I’m happy. It shows that the hard work you put in, will pay off and it did, against Pakistan, to help us win that series. We played well in both formats. “I’m over in England now playing in The Hundred, which is a different kind of competition, played at a faster pace, but I’m still working hard. We’re also looking forward to the series against South Africa at home, and we will be looking to win that as well. I want to thank the fans for all their support, as it is always appreciated.” From the Bangladesh camp, experienced all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan was deservingly named the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2021 for his stellar performance across all three formats of the game. Shakib’s contributions to all three formats of the game helped Bangladesh win the series against Zimbabwe last month. He scored 96 unbeaten runs as Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by three wickets in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club. In the T20Is with the ball, Hasan took three wickets at an economy rate of seven leading his country to a series win against Zimbabwe. He is also the top Men’s all-rounder in the MRF ICC Men’s T20 Rankings announced earlier today. Reacting to his award Shakib Al Hasan said: “It is very humbling to be voted ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July 2021. There have been many outstanding performances during the month and that is why this is special for me. “I find most pleasure and satisfaction when I contribute to wins and therefore, I am very happy to have helped in Bangladesh’s successes over the last few weeks.”

SPORTS NEWS Kingston, Jamaica (August 11, 2021):-Pakistan have announced a 19-member Test squad for the ICC World Test Championship fixtures against the West Indies. The two-Test series will commence at the Sabina Park on Thursday, August 12. The squad was confirmed by Pakistan captain Babar Azam during his pre-series media conference, held via teleconference, on Wednesday. Pakistan Test squad: Babar Azam (captain) (Central Punjab), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain) (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Abdullah Shafique (Central Punjab), Abid Ali (Central Punjab), Azhar Ali (Central Punjab), Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab), Fawad Alam (Sindh), Hasan Ali (Central Punjab), Imran Butt (Balochistan), Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab), Naseem Shah (Central Punjab), Nauman Ali (Northern), Sajid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper) (Sindh), Saud Shakeel (Sindh), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shahnawaz Dahani (Sindh), Yasir Shah (Balochistan) and Zahid Mahmood (Southern Punjab). Pakistan captain Babar Azam “Looking at the likely team composition for the two Tests and giving preference to wellbeing of the players, it has been agreed to release Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz so that they can return to Pakistan and spend quality time with their families. This will also give them a few extra days to relax, regroup and recharge for the commitment ahead, which commence with the series against Afghanistan. “The past 12 months have been tough and the cricket that lays ahead is equally challenging and demanding. As such, we need to have as many fresh bodies as practically possible without comprising on the team results and performances. “Away Test series are always challenging and it is our endeavour to be a high-performing side on away series. Red-ball cricket is the pinnacle format of the game and is a test of skill, endurance, technique, patience and fitness. Test cricket does not allow you to show complacency at any stage and this is what we will like to achieve at the Sabina Park over the next couple of weeks. “Jamaican pitches provide a good challenge to the batters hence our batters need to come to the party and display their true potential and calibre in the two Tests. They have performed well this year and it is now time to take that confidence into the Test series and put up an improved and enhanced performance. “Whenever you come to the West Indies, you want to play your best cricket because of the strong heritage and history of this beautiful region. In this background, it was frustrating to see weather dominate the T20I series. As part of the T20 World Cup preparations, we wanted to give maximum opportunities to our players against the firepower of the West Indies but unfortunately the series got badly affected due to rain. “No one can control weather, but I think it is time to look at alternates to ensure cricket is not affected by weather. Maybe adding reserve days to every white-ball matches is an option, I don’t know, but I think there needs to be some debate around ensuring there is minimum loss of cricket due to weather.” Head to Head In the 17 Test series played between the two teams, Pakistan enjoy a 6-5 edge over the West Indies. However, the West Indies has a clear 4-1 lead over Pakistan in the eight series played in the Caribbean. In the last meeting between in 2016-17, Pakistan ended their win drought in the Caribbean by clinching their first-ever Test series victory by 2-1. In this series, Pakistan won the first Test in Jamaica by seven wickets before the host levelled the series in Barbados by winning second Test by 106 runs. In a nail-biting and thrilling series decider in Dominica, Pakistan won by 101 runs when Yasir Shah famously bowled Shannon Gabriel on the final ball of the penultimate over of the series with Roston Chase stranded at the non-striker’s end. Yasir Shah, who was adjudged player of the series, is part of the Pakistan squad, while Gabriel will be missed by the West Indies. Misbah-ul-Haq was Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in that series with 271 runs. He is presently the head coach and will aim to achieve the rare distinction of winning in the West Indies, both as captain and coach. ICC World Test Championship and Rankings For both Pakistan and the West Indies, this is their first series in the ICC World Test Championship. In this event, each side plays three home and three away series. Pakistan’s other away commitments are against Bangladesh (post-T20 World Cup) and Sri Lanka (July/August 2021), while their home series are against Australia, New Zealand and England (all in 2022). In the ICC World Test Championship, a side gets 12 points for winning a match, four for a draw and six for a tie, while a side is docked one championship point for each over short. In the ICC Test Team Rankings, Pakistan is ranked fifth with 94 points, while the West Indies are seventh on 78 points. If Pakistan wins both the Tests, they will rise to 97 points, while the West Indies will slip to 75 points. If the series result is reversed, then Pakistan will drop two points behind South Africa in sixth place on 86 points, while the West Indies will move to 85 points. A 1-1 draw will mean Pakistan will finish on 92 points (down by two points), while the West Indies will end on 80 points (up by two points). Player rankings: Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Azhar Ali are ranked 10th and 17th, respectively in the ICC Test Player Rankings, while Mohammad Rizwan is just outside the top-20 in 21st position. No West Indian batter is included in top 40 Test rank batsmen. In bowling, West Indies' Jason Holder and Kemar Roach are 11th and 13th, respectively while Pakistan's Hasan Ali and Mohammad Abbas are sharing 15th position. Shaheen Shah Afridi is 22nd and Yasir Shah 29th, and will be aiming to move up the ladder. Year 2021 for Pakistan players: With 407 runs, Azhar Ali is the most successful Pakistan batsman in 2021. Opener Abid Ali (359), Fawad Alam (333), Mohammad Rizwan (303) and Faheem Ashraf (247) are the other batsmen to dominate the two Tests each against South Africa and Zimbabwe. Hasan Ali is Pakistan’s most successful bowler this year. He has taken 26 wickets since 1 January 2021. Meanwhile, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has taken 19 and Nauman Ali has taken 16 wickets. Fixtures: 12-16 August: 1st Test match, Sabina Park, Jamaica 20-24 August: 2nd Test match, Sabina Park, Jamaica      

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Rawalpindi (August 10, 2021):-Pakistan Air Force (POA) outclassed Punjab 5-1 in the Group-B match of the Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup 2021 on Tuesday here at the blue surface of the Mari Petroleum Astroturf Hockey Stadium Ayub Park. PAF team started the game with a bang, as they attacked the Punjab goal-post back-to-back in the first quarter of the game. Rizwan Ali was unstoppable for the Punjabi guys, as he netted the ball thrice during the all four quarters. Sufyan Khan and Abdul Reham scored each one goal for their team PAF.  Bilal Aslam scored only one goal for Punjab team. Later in the second match of the day National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) defeated Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) 4-3 in a well contested match. Dilbar Khan, Ali Hasan, Junaid Manzoor and Arsalan Qadir scored goal for winners while Sohail Riaz scored two and Abbas Haider one goal for SSGC. Sohail was declared player of the match. Teams: Pool (A): WAPDA, Pakistan Navy, Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), Pakistan Army Pool (B): National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Pakistan Air Force (POA), Punjab Schedule & Results: August 8, 2021 (Day-1): WAPDA beat Pakistan Army 2-1 NBP beat Pakistan Air Force 3-2 Pakistan Navy beat Mari Petroleum Company 2-1 August 9, 2021 (day-2) SSGC Vs Punjab 2-2 Draw Army Vs MPCL 3-3 Draw WAPDA beat Navy 1-0 August 10, 2021 (day-3) PAF beat Punjab 5-1 NBP beat SSGC 4-3 August 12, 2021 (day-4): NBP Vs Punjab SSGC Vs PAF Army Vs Navy WAPDA Vs MPCL August 13, 2021 (Day-5) Semifinals August 14, 2021 (Day-6) Third place match Final     

PORTS NEWS Lausanne, Switzerland (August 10, 2021):-With the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 coming to its exciting culmination with the national men’s team of Belgium and the women’s team of Netherlands taking the gold medals, there has been jostling for positions in the FIH World Rankings. For Belgium men, winning the Olympic medal in a scintillating match against their close rivals Australia brought another prize - a jump in rankings to number one in the world. The victory moved Belgium onto 2716 points, ahead of Australia who are on 2642 points. India men enjoyed a fantastic competition, beating Germany in exciting fashion in the bronze medal match. This was India men’s first medal since they last won gold in 1980. The 41-year wait ended with a bronze medal and wins over Argentina, Japan, Great Britain and Germany in the pool and knock-out stages, sees the India (2362) move to third in the world rankings, ahead of the Netherlands (2115) in fourth and Germany (2072) in fifth. Great Britain, whose world rankings are categorised as England (1990), remain in sixth position, after they lost to India in the quarter finals, while Argentina (1826) also retain their position at seventh. New Zealand (1598), Spain (1532) and Canada (1422) are also unmoved following their performances at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, but South Africa’s (1413) performance, which included a surprise win over the higher-ranked German team has moved the African team from 14th to 12th in the FIH World Rankings. Host nation Japan (1025) drop one place from 15th to 16th, meaning they change places with Asian rivals Korea (1065). There is, once again, no change at the very top of the women’s FIH World Rankings where Olympic champions the Netherlands remain resolutely in the number one position. Argentina’s loss in the Olympic final, combined with Great Britain’s bronze medal win, sees England (2275), who represented Great Britain in the world rankings, leapfrogging Argentina (2261), Australia (2234) and Germany (2165) to move to second in the world rankings. The quarter-final losses suffered by Australia [to India] and Germany [to Argentina] caused both teams to slip two places down the rankings. Spain’s (1859) strong Olympic performance sees the Red Sticks move from eighth to sixth, New Zealand (1721) have travelled in the opposite direction as they fall from fifth to seventh. India’s (1710) performance moves them up to eighth position from 10th, with Belgium (1700) remaining in ninth and China (1651) slipping to 10th. Ireland’s (1499) failure to make the quarter-finals in Tokyo sees the Irish team slip to 12th. It is no move for host nation Japan (1231) or South Africa (1040) who remained unmoved in 14th and 16th position respectively. Tokyo 2020 was the first Olympic Games to take place since the introduction of the match-based rankings calculated model, which came into play in January 2020. The move away from the previous tournament-based system to one where opposing teams exchange points in official matches means that, for the first time, the results of the fixtures in Tokyo will have a direct, real-time effect on FIH World Ranking positions.

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Rawalpindi (August 9, 2021):-The two matches of ongoing Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup 2021 on Monday, as the first match was played between SSGC and Punjab while second between Pakistan Army and hosts MPCL at Mari Petroleum Astroturf Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi. WAPDA tide-over Pakistan Navy 1-0 in the third fixture of the day-2. The first match of day-2 was played between Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Punjab that ended in a draw after four quarters fuss, as the final score was 2-2. Rizwan Ali and Sohail Riaz scored goal for SSGC while Zain Ijaz and Abdullah were the goal scorer for Punjab. It was great of the day and both teams showed nice hockey with full skill and different moves and attacks. Later, the second match of the day was also ended without any result. Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL) and Pakistan Army tried their to win the game but at the final whistle the score board was showing 3-3 level. Both teams earned each one point after playing a draw game. Aamir Sohail, Mohammad Waqas and Wasim Akram scored goal for Army. Teams: Pool (A): WAPDA, Pakistan Navy, Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), Pakistan Army Pool (B): National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Pakistan Air Force (POA), Punjab Schedule & Results: August 8, 2021 (Day-1): WAPDA beat Pakistan Army 2-1 NBP beat Pakistan Air Force 3-2 Pakistan Navy beat Mari Petroleum Company 2-1 August 9, 2021 (day-2) SSGC Vs Punjab 2-2 Draw Army Vs MPCL 3-3 Draw WAPDA beat Navy 1-0 August 10, 2021 (day-3) PAF Vs Punjab NBP Vs SSGC August 12, 2021 (day-4): NBP Vs Punjab SSGC Vs PAF Army Vs Navy WAPDA Vs MPCL August 13, 2021 (Day-5) Semifinals August 14, 2021 (Day-6) Third place match Final     

SPORTS REPORT Lahore (August 9, 2021):-Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced the schedule of 2021-22 domestic cricket season in which it will hold 10 tournaments, comprising 266 matches. In the 2020-21 season, the PCB had organised 220 matches in nine tournaments to become the only cricket board to deliver a complete domestic schedule. Domestic competitions in the 2021-22 season are separate to the home international matches against New Zealand, England, West Indies and Australia, and the HBL Pakistan Super League, which will be held between September 2021 and March 2022. Not added to the 2021-22 domestic matches are the ongoing two-day CCA tournament matches, which commenced on 16 July and will conclude on 22 August, and the CCA U19 tournament that will begin on 1 September. The two tournaments are designed to provide opportunities to the outstanding performers to graduate to the Cricket Association sides for the senior and pathway competitions in the PCB Domestic Season 2021-22. The additional matches in the forthcoming domestic circuit have been added in pathways cricket for which the PCB has allowed the six Cricket Associations to field two sides each in the U16 and U19 tournaments. This means 12 sides will feature in the 62-match National U19 three-day championship and One-Day Cup, which will run side by side, from 3 October to 12 November in Gujranwala, Islamabad, Muridke, Rawalpindi and Sialkot. Another 12 sides will take part in the 31-match National U16 Cup from 8 to 19 March 2022 with Rawalpindi hosting the single-league competition. The National U13 One-Day Cup has returned to the national circuit after missing out last year due to Covid-19 pandemic. This single-league event will be held in Faisalabad from 8 to 18 February 2022. Director High Performance, Nadeem Khan: “For the 2021-22 age-group cricket season, each Cricket Association will be allowed to field two U16 and U19 sides so that we can increase the pool of players at the grassroots level with a focus on providing more opportunities and exposure to our next generation of cricketers. “This strategy is aligned to the Cricket Associations planning of reviving clubs, schools and universities cricket within their jurisdictions with the best players getting opportunities to express their talent in national tournaments. “In the U16 and U19 competitions, the players will be provided the same environment as in senior cricket which will help in their overall development as professional cricketers.” The 2021-22 season will kick-off with the eight-day Cricket Associations T20 tournament on 15 September in which the six second XI Cricket Association sides will go head to head in the shortest format of the game in Quetta. The National T20, featuring country’s best shortest format players, will be held from 25 September to 13 October. Eighteen first round matches will be held in Multan, while the remaining 15 matches, including the two semi-finals and the final, will be held in Lahore. Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, a jewel in the crown of Pakistan’s domestic events, will commence on 20 October. The first half of the 10-round single-league competition will be held in Multan, Faisalabad and Lahore. The event will then move to Karachi where it will culminate with the five-day final from 29 December. The three-day double-league Cricket Associations Championship for second XIs will be held from 28 September to 14 November, while the 50-over single-league Cricket Associations Challenge for second XIs will be played from 19 to 27 November. Both the tournaments will be held in Faisalabad, Lahore and Sheikhupura. Curtains will fall on the 2021-22 season in Lahore on 30 March 2022 with the final of the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament, which will get underway on 25 February and will be played on a double-league format. The other two event venues will be Faisalabad and Multan. Nadeem Khan: “We are excited to confirm a quality-based and competitive cricket season, which will not only test the skills, technique and fitness of professional cricketers but will help the selectors and coaches identify top performers for their inclusion in the national framework. “With the amount of international cricket across all three formats scheduled in the 2021-22 season and beyond, the upcoming season will prove to be a pathway for all those aspiring to serve Pakistan cricket and making a name at the international level. “This, like the previous season, will be a tough one that will test the cricketers to their limits. But that’s exactly what we want. We want to see our domestic system produce mentally and physically tough players who can perform in any condition against any opposition. “Most of the first XI matches will be televised and promoted digitally, meaning no performance can be ignored or overlooked. “Like the previous season, the PCB will not only create playing opportunities for these players but will also provide them quality playing facilities as well as international standard lodging and boarding so they can produce their best performances. If we want our domestic system to be robust, competitive and valued, then we need to make sure we cater for all these basic requirements, which in the past have fallen through the cracks.” Details on the tournament schedule, squads and match official appointments will be released in the lead up to the events. Schedule (subject to any late changes): First XI competitions National T20 (six teams, 33 matches) – 25 September-13 October Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (six teams, 31 matches) – 20 October-29 December Pakistan Cup (six teams, 33 matches) – 25 February-30 March 2022 Second XI competitions Cricket Associations T20 (six teams, 15 matches) – 15-22 September Cricket Associations Championship (three-day) (six teams, 30 matches) – 28 September-14 November Cricket Associations Challenge (50 overs) (six teams, 15 matches) – 19-27 November Pathway competitions National U19 Championship (three-day) and Cup (one-Day) (12 teams, 62 matches) - (3 October--12 November) National U16 Cup (One-Day) (12 teams, 31 matches) – 8-19 March 2022 National U13 Cup (One-Day) (16 matches) – 8-18 February 2022

SPORTS NEWS Yokohama (Japan):- World No. 1 Japan shut out No. 4 USA, 2-0, to win the Tokyo 2020 Olympic baseball gold medal on Saturday night at Yokohama Stadium, concluding the 16-game tournament. Munetaka Murakami’s solo home run in the bottom of the third inning would be the only run Japan would need, with winning pitcher Masato Morishita (5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 K) and relievers Koudai Senga, Hiromi Itoh, Suguru Iwazaki and Ryoji Kuribayashi combining on the shutout. "I'm so happy we won a gold medal," said Murakami, "and I'm so proud of being a member of Samurai Japan. Our starter was on top of the game, so when I stepped into the box in the third, I thought one run could be enough to win." USA’s Nick Martinez (6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 7 K), who was tagged with the loss, was also sharp on the mound, only surrendering the run off Murakami’s bat in the third. "The home run was just a nice piece of hitting by Murakami," said Martinez. The win represents Japan’s the first-ever Olympic gold medal in baseball and Japan becomes the first Olympic host nation to win the gold medal in baseball on home soil. "Winning the Olympics on home soil is very special,” said Japan manager Atsunori Inaba. "Winning gold shows the world the strength of Japanese baseball, and this success will bring more people to baseball in Japan, also." “I congratulate Japan on the gold medal,” said US manager Mike Scioscia, “but I don't want to congratulate Japan only. I tip my cap to every team we faced. Every day we had the challenges of game seven. All six teams represented baseball in the best way possible." Japan’s Tetsuto Yamada, who scored the second run of the gold medal game, was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the Tokyo 2020 tournament. “We won thanks to the help of a lot of people,” Inaba said. “Now I want the younger players to return to their club and share what they learned during this tournament. We want to set up a culture of international baseball for the future." Looking at future Olympic Games, Scioscia said: "It's an incredible oversight not having baseball included as a permanent sport in the Summer Olympics." In the bronze medal game on Saturday, world No. 7 Dominican Republic defeated No. 3 Korea, 10-6, as the Dominican Republic earned its first-ever Olympic medal in baseball, which is also the nation’s first-ever Olympic medal in a team sport. Dominican Republic becomes the seventh nation/territory in history to win a medal in baseball at the Olympic Games, following Cuba, Japan, USA, Korea, Australia and Chinese Taipei. Capping off the 16-game tournament, the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), together with Tokyo 2020 organizers, named the Tokyo 2020 All-Olympic Baseball Team, with five of the participating six nations represented.

SPORTS DESK Islamabad (August 8, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the July nominees for the ICC Player of the Month awards, instituted in January this year to recognise the best international performances across formats for male and female cricketers. The nominees for the monthly men’s awards this time are Shakib Al Hasan (BAN), Mitchell Marsh (AUS) and Hayden Walsh Jr (WI) while Hayley Matthews (WI), Fatima Sana (PAK) and Stafanie Taylor (WI) figure in the women’s shortlist. 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 on icc-cricket.com/awards are invited to cast their votes for their favourite ICC player of the month for July in both categories. ICC Men’s Player of the Month for July: Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) Experienced star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh contributed to all three formats of the game as Bangladesh won the series against Zimbabwe last month. Shakib Al Hasan scored 96 unbeaten runs as Bangladesh defeated Zimbabwe by three wickets in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club. In the T20Is with the ball, Hasan took three wickets at an economy rate of seven leading his country to a series win against Zimbabwe. Mitchell Marsh (Australia) Australian allrounder Mitchell Marsh played three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies last month. In the T20Is, Marsh scored 219 runs with a strike rate of 152.08 and took 8 wickets with an economy rate of 6.76, making him the lead run-scorer and wicket-taker for Australia in the series. Hayden Walsh Jr (West Indies) Leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr played three ODIs against Australia last month, where he took seven wickets with an economy rate of 4.14. Walsh Jr was also the most impressive bowler in the T20I series against Australia where he picked up twelve wickets in five games at an average of 11.66, making him the leading wicket-taker for the West Indies in both the ODI and T20I series against Australia. ICC Women’s Player of the Month for July: Hayley Matthews (West Indies) West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews scored her second ODI hundred and took two wickets with the ball as West Indies cruised to a dominant series-clinching eight-wicket win over Pakistan last month. Matthews was also named Player of the Series against Pakistan. Fatima Sana (PAK) Fatima Sana was the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in the ODI series against the West Indies, and also a joint-leader for her side in the T20I series between the sides. A maiden five-wicket haul from Fatima Sana helped Pakistan defeat West Indies by 22 runs via the DLS method in the fifth ODI of the series. In the same game, with four overs remaining in a shortened innings due to a delayed start, Sana scored an unbeaten 28 off 19 balls which included four boundaries. She was also named the player of the match for her stellar performance. Stafanie Taylor (WI) Captain Stafanie Taylor contributed with both bat and ball as the West Indies won both their ODI and T20I series against Pakistan in July. In the four ODIs against Pakistan, Stafanie scored 175 runs with a strike rate of 79.18 and took three wickets with an economy rate of 3.72. Stafanie was also on top of the rankings for batters and all-rounders in the MRF ICC Women’s ODI Rankings earlier in July. The voting process: The three nominees for either category is shortlisted based on performances from the first to the last day of each calendar month. The shortlist is then voted on by the independent ICC Voting Academy* and fans around the world. The ICC Voting Academy comprises prominent members of the cricket fraternity including well-known journalists, former players, broadcasters, and members of the ICC Hall of Fame. The Voting Academy submit their votes by email and hold a 90 per cent share of the vote. Fans registered with the ICC vote via the ICC website, accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Winners are announced every second Monday of the month on the ICC’s digital channels. ICC Voting Academy for ICC Player of the Month July 2021: Afghanistan: Hameed Qayoomi and Javed Hamim; Australia: Melinda Farrell and Lisa Sthalekar; Bangladesh: Tarek Mahmoud and Mohammad Isam’ England: Elizabeth Ammon and Claire Taylor; Ireland: Ian Callender and Isobel Joyce; India: Annesha Ghosh and Irfan Pathan; New Zealand: Mark Geenty and John Wright; Pakistan: Faizan Lakhani and Ramiz Raja; South Africa: Firdose Moonda and Makhaya Ntini; Sri Lanka: Neville Victor Anthony and Russel Arnold; West Indies: Ian Bishop and Merissa Aguilleira; Zimbabwe: Tristan Holme and Mpumelelo Mbangwa; Others: Paul Radley and Dirk Nannes.

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Rawalpindi (August 8, 2021):-Pakistan WAPDA, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Pakistan Navy recorded victories on the opening day of the Mari Petroleum Azadi Hockey Cup 2021 after defeating their respective opponents that started here at Mari Petroleum Astroturf Hockey Stadium Ayub Park Rawalpindi on Sunday. The top national hockey showpiece is being played under the banner of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). In the first match of the championship, WAPDA defeated Army 2-1, as the winners got the lead in the first half of the match when Rana Waheed netted the ball. Aslo, Waheed scored second goal for his team in second part of the match. Arslan Rao scored only goal for Army. Meanwhile, in the second match, National Bank of Pakistan beat Pakistan Air Force (PAF) 3-2 in a well contested match of the day, as both teams displayed excellent skills of game during ll the four quarters. However, NBP managed to defend their lead till the last whistle. Ali Hasan, Mohammad Shan and Mohammad Abubaker scored each one goal for their winner team NBP. Mohsin Hasan and Rizwan Ali were the scores for PAF. In the last match of the day Pakistan Navy defeated Mari Petroleum 2-1 in a trilling four quarters competition. Akbar Ali and Kamran Asif scored the goal for the winners while Aitsham scored the solitary goal for the losing side. President PHF Khalid Sajjad Khokhar graced the opening ceremony of the tournament. All top officials of Mari Petroleum and hockey federation were present on this occasion. The final of the championship will be played on red letter day August 14, 2021. Teams: Pool (A): WAPDA, Pakistan Navy, Mari Petroleum Company Limited (MPCL), Pakistan Army Pool (B): National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), Pakistan Air Force (POA), Punjab Schedule & Results: August 8, 2021 (Day-1): WAPDA beat Pakistan Army 2-1 NBP beat Pakistan Air Force 3-2 Pakistan Navy beat Mari Petroleum Company 2-1 August 9, 2021 (day-2) SSGC Vs Punjab Army Vs MPCL Navy Vs WAPDA August 10, 2021 (day-3) PAF Vs Punjab NBP Vs SSGC August 12, 2021 (day-4): NBP Vs Punjab SSGC Vs PAF Army Vs Navy WAPDA Vs MPCL August 13, 2021 (Day-5) Semifinals August 14, 2021 (Day-6) Third place match Final  

ABDUL JABBAR FAISAL Islamabad (August 7, 2021):-Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori extended congratulations to Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s premier javelin thrower, for showing his great talent by winning 5th place in the final of men’s javelin throw competition in the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday and conveyed best wishes for his future endeavors. According to media department of Japan embassy in Islamabad, the diplomat said in his message, “Though, unfortunately, you could not win a place on the medal winning podium but, I believe, you have won many hearts back home for your brilliant performance in the world’s mega event. I congratulate you for having the honor of competing in the final round played for the medals. Keep up your efforts with fresh zeal and I am sure, the day is not far when you will be on victory stand”, said the Ambassador.