Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Afghanistan player Mohammad Nabi has ended Shakib Al Hasan’s long tenure as the number one all-rounder in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after smashing a fine century in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.Nabi, who has been the number one T20I all-rounder in the past, moved up to the top position in ODIs after his fighting 136 helped him become the oldest player to top the ICC ODI all-rounders’ table at the age of 39 years and one month. Sri Lanka’s Tillkaratne Dilshan held the previous record at 38 years and eight months when he was number one in June 2015.Shakib had been at the top for 1,739 days (since 7 May 2019), which is the longest unbroken stretch anyone has had at the top of the ODI Rankings. His total reign has been for a record 4,276 days, which equates to more than 11 ½ years. Kapil Dev comes next with 3,816 days which includes two stints of 1,376 and 1,375 days.

Sports Bulletin ReportPESHAWAR: The rising table tennis player, Abdur Rahman Farooq emerged as a prominent figure in table tennis, showcasing his skills, and achievements at various competitions at national levels.Speaking to the media, Farooq expressed his deep passion for table tennis, aspiring to make a name for himself alongside renowned players like Arif Khan, Asim Qureshi, Farjad Saif, and Syed Mohammad Sabtain.Abdur Rahman Farooq has dedicated himself to training under the guidance of coach Mian Absar Ali, as his dedication has been reflected in recent victories, including a silver medal in the table tennis championship on 14th August, gold medals in both the inter-schools and inter-collegiate events, and silver medals in the UAT Expo 2022 Table Tennis and NUST EME Olympiad Tournament. Additionally, Farooq played a crucial role in securing a team event silver at the 28th Junior National Table Tennis Championship 2022, earning praise from provincial association officials, coaches, and senior players.Encouraged by the positive feedback, Abdur Rahman Farooq remains committed, working tirelessly day and night to further enhance his skills. He acknowledges the abundance of talent in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with young players stepping forward. However, he emphasizes the necessity of proper coaching for these emerging talents.While Chinese coaches played a significant role in the past, Abdur Rahman Farooq notes the current involvement of local coaches like Absar Ali and Amna Mahmood, who are guiding and training young children, including girls.

Sports Bulletin ReportRAWALPINDI: HBL Pakistan Super League has a rich history of providing platform to the finest young talent the country has to offer. HBL PSL 9 is set to feature an exciting new batch of talented players. From lethal fast bowlers and dexterous spinners to skillful batters, all players will look to prove themselves at the big stage. Mohammad Zeeshan (Peshawar Zalmi):Mohammad Zeeshan is a formidable pace prospect, having shown his promise in the Pakistan U19 team. Aided by his towering height of 6 feet 8 inches, the right-arm fast bowler extracts extra bounce, spelling trouble for the opposition.Zeeshan reflected on his addition to Peshawar Zalmi, saying: “Being picked for Peshawar Zalmi was a big moment for me as HBL PSL is amongst the best leagues in the world. I will be sharing the dressing room with and playing alongside Babar Azam, the best batter in the world, which I am really excited about.“T20 cricket allows limited room for the bowlers as the batters are always looking to charge. I think that’s where variations come into play; you need command over your slower balls, bouncers and yorkers to succeed.”Saad Baig (Karachi Kings):Born and bred in Karachi, Pakistan U19 captain Saad Baig will be representing his home city in the ninth edition of HBL PSL. The wicketkeeper-batter led Pakistan U19 to semi-finals of ICC U19 World Cup 2024. The previous year, he led Pakistan U19 to the semi-finals of ACC U19 Asia Cup.Saad, while talking about getting picked by Karachi Kings, said: “For any youngster, getting to play this league is a dream come true. I consider getting picked by Karachi Kings an achievement for myself so it was a big moment for me.“I will be part of a very experienced dressing room and I will try to improve my game as much as I can. I will ask seniors like Shoaib Malik and Keiron Pollard about their work ethic. They have played a lot of T20 cricket across the world so learning from them would be good for my future as well.”Ubaid Shah (Islamabad United):Right-arm pacer Ubaid Shah will be joining his brothers, Test cricketer Naseem Shah and first-class player Hunain Shah, at Islamabad United to strengthen the franchise’s pace battery. Since his debut for Pakistan U19, the pacer has become an indispensable asset to the side.“When I got to know that Islamabad United had picked me, I could not believe it. It is very important to me that Islamabad United put their trust in me, and I hope to reciprocate their trust by performing to the best of my ability.“It is very exciting that I am in the same team as both my brothers. And it is an honour to play under Shadab [Khan] Bhai’s captaincy. I look forward to learning from him. HBL PSL is big tournament with some very experienced names.”Shamyl Hussain (Islamabad United):Shamyl Hussain, set to represent Islamabad United at HBL PSL 9, is a top-order batter known for impressive strokeplay. The young left-handed batter, an avid fan of Brian Lara, says he has modelled his technique and shots after the West Indies batting legend.Reflecting on his addition to the team, Shamyl said: “I had been following the draft and when I did not get picked in the emerging category, I felt my heart drop so I turned my phone off for a while. When I turned it back on, I saw my coach’s message congratulating me. I could not believe I had been selected. To see my hard work pay off was the best feeling.“My style of play aligns with that of Islamabad United; I like to play attacking cricket and put pressure on the bowlers. I will be surrounded by senior players so my goal is to gain as much experience as I can during the tournament.”Syed Faridoun (Lahore Qalandars):Syed Faridoun is a left-arm wrist spinner who will be representing Lahore Qalandars in HBL PSL 9. As part of their Player Development Program, the franchise had sent Faridoun to represent Melbourne Stars at the Big Bash League in 2021.Although Faridoun was a part of the Qalandars squad back in 2022, he did not get to feature in a game. The young spinner, who is hoping to play his debut game in the upcoming season, said: “I want to fulfill the expectations the team and management have from me, whenever I am given a chance. Top players from around the world come to play in this league and I aspire to compete against them.“Your economy rate matters a lot in T20 cricket, so I always aim to restrict the flow of runs. I have gotten to share the dressing room with Rashid Khan in the past two years so I have learnt a lot from him.”Faisal Akram (Multan Sultans):Faisal Akram, another left-arm wrist spinner, is set to represent Multan Sultans in the ninth edition of the HBL PSL. Faisal was earlier picked by Karachi Kings in 2022, but warmed the bench in the previous two seasons. This year – on the back of a successful domestic season – Faisal is hoping to make his HBL PSL debut.“Multan is my home so it feels great that I have been picked to represent the city. If I get the chance to play, I will give my 100 per cent on the field. I am looking to end the season as the best emerging player of the season.“Multan Sultans have a great team this year. I am especially looking forward to learning from our captain Mohammad Rizwan, and foreign players like Reeza Hendricks and Dawid Malan.”Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (Quetta Gladiators):Khawaja Mohammad Nafay is a right-handed batter who was picked by Quetta Gladiators for the upcoming season of HBL PSL. Nafay already has experience of participating in franchise-based leagues.“My coach was with me when I got the news that I had been picked by Quetta. It made the moment really special because he has worked hard with me. It is a big deal for me, because performing in this league paves way for your selection to the national side.“I am really excited to share space with Jason Roy, Mohammad Amir and Sarfaraz Ahmed. I will have much to learn from these seasoned campaigners.”

Sports Bulletin ReportBusan (Korea): The arrangements have been given final touches, as the eagerly awaited ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024 will get underway on February 16, 2024 here at the Busan e-Sports Arena, Korea Republic. The prestigious table tennis event will be concluded on February 25 at the same venueThe defending champions, China, occupy the top-seeded positions in both the men's and women's team events at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024. In the Women's Teams draw, China is placed in Group 1 with Hungary, India, Spain, and Uzbekistan. While Hungary has a long history of medalling in the championships, they will be hard-pressed to get past the defending champions. Led by World No.1 Sun Yingsha, Team China is chasing their 23rd title in the event and are frontrunners to top the podium once again.On the Men's Teams front, the world's top two players, Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin will spearhead China's campaign. Their first hurdles back to the podium have been set, with Croatia, Hungary, Belgium and Cuba all fighting for a place in the main draw. Croatia will prove the toughest task for World No.1 China, with the outfit led by Andrej Gacina looking for an upset win to sure up their spot in the knockout rounds.In the Men's Teams, hometown heroes Korea Republic landed in Group 3 with India, Poland, Chile, and New Zealand. The local stars will be eyeing to improve on their bronze medals won at the 2022 edition in Chengdu.Both the Men's and Women's Teams events will see eight groups of five teams looking to advance to the knockout rounds. Each match is decided by best of five singles matches, with individual matches being best of five games. Each group will play a round-robin, meaning each team faces off against the other four teams in their group. After the round-robin is completed, the top three teams from each group advance to the knockout phase. 24 teams advance in total, getting a final shot at the title. Group winners will receive seeded positions, with the rest drawn into the knockout rounds in a way that ensures teams from the same group won't meet again in the first round.

Sports Bulletin ReportBhubaneswar (India): The Netherlands ensured they returned to winning ways after a shoot-out loss to the hosts a couple of days ago as FIH Hockey Pro League action continued in Bhubaneswar, India on Tuesday.(Men’s) Australia beat Ireland (5-0): Michael Robson celebrated his 150th cap, but it wasn’t to be a fairytale result for the Irishman as Australia secured a comfortable 5-0 win. Ireland started with good energy and matched their opposition for circle entries through the opening quarter, but the Aussies gained the ascendancy as the match progressed. Tom Craig opened the scoring for the Kookaburras in the 17th minute, deflecting in from directly in front of the keeper. Jeremy Hayward added a well-placed drag flick in the 22nd minute, and Ky Willott got a stick in front of the Irish defenders for a deflection to round off a stunning team goal in the 25th minute. Australia were 3-0 ahead at half-time and looked threatening.The Kookaburras kept the pressure on through the second half, but it was only in the 43rd minute that Nathan Ephraums extended their lead even further, picking up an awkward aerial ball into the Irish circle and using the 5m rule to work himself into a position for a clean strike. The Irish then enjoyed a couple of good attacks but failed to find the back of the net before Ky Willot rounded off the scoring for Australia in the 57th minute, getting his body into a good position to complete a difficult deflection.(Men’s) Netherlands beat Spain (3-0): The Netherlands were comfortable 3-0 winners over Spain as Jip Janssen extended his lead at the top of the goal scorers list. Both teams created half-chances in the first quarter, but it was Janssen who opened the scoring for the Dutch in the 15th minute with an unstoppable low drag flick. The Red Sticks produced some excellent opportunities in a high-energy start to the second quarter, but the Netherlands absorbed that pressure and then hit back hard in the 26th minute, Floris Middendorp cutting the Spanish defence apart with brilliant individual skill to the baseline before slipping his pass back to Duco Telgenkamp for the tap-in.There were good opportunities at both ends through the third quarter, and Spain were gifted a numerical advantage when ill-discipline from the Dutch saw them reduced to nine men just as the quarter ended. The Spanish quickly gave up that advantage with a green card of their own, and when a professional foul in the 51st minute earned them a yellow card and gave the Dutch a penalty corner, it was Janssen who stepped up to put the game beyond doubt with another drag flick.

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Young tennis girl Zainab Ali Naqvi (17) from Karachi passed away on Tuesday, who was here to participate in the ITF Pakistan Khawar Hyat Khan Memorial World Junior Championship Leg-1 at PTF SDA Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue Islamabad, at a local Guest House due to cardiac arrest.According to an official of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), Zainab Ali Naqvi- a young tennis player who had come to Islamabad from Karachi to participate in the ITF Juniors Tournaments, passed away last night on 12th February 2024 in Islamabad.Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi President-PTF, Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, Ex-President-PTF, PTF Council members, and the tennis fraternity at large offer their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. May Allah bless the departed soul with eternal peace in Jannah-ul-Firdaus, Aameen.The matches of the ITF Juniors were postponed as a mark of respect in memory of Miss Zainab and will be played on Wednesday with the same schedule. A Joint DUA was offered and one minute silence was observed by all the foreign and Pakistani players, parents, coaches, and the PTF Officials and staff.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: FG Polo Team clinched a decisive 8-5 victory against DS Polo Team in the opening match of the Bank Alfalah National Open Polo Championship for the Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup 2024 held here on Tuesday at the Lahore Polo Club, marked the commencement of this year's premier tournament.The event attracted a considerable audience, with Lahore Polo Club President Malik Azam Hayat Noon, members of the executive committee, the secretary Lt Col (R) Aamir Umar, and numerous families in attendance, all watched and enjoyed the high-caliber polo action on display.FG Polo's performance was highlighted by the exceptional play of their seven-goal Argentinean star, Raul Laplacette, whose skillful handling of both mallet and polo pony captivated the audience. Laplacette was instrumental in the team's success, scoring five impressive goals. His teammates, Andres Llorente and Mian Abbas Mukhtar, also made significant contributions, with Llorente scoring twice and Mukhtar adding one goal to the tally. On the opposing side, DS Polo's English talent, Maxwell Charlton, single-handedly matched FG Polo's intensity by netting all five of his team's goals.The match began with FG Polo quickly establishing a lead through a successful 30-yard penalty conversion. However, DS Polo responded in kind, leveling the score 1-1 with a 30-yard penalty of their own. FG Polo managed to edge ahead with a field goal just before the first chukker ended, securing a 2-1 lead. The second chukker saw both teams exchanging goals, maintaining FG Polo's slender 3-2 lead.As the match progressed into the third chukker, FG Polo extended their lead with two additional goals, while DS Polo managed a single goal in response. Despite DS Polo narrowing the gap to 4-5 with a 60-yard penalty at the start of the fourth chukker, FG Polo unleashed a flurry of three consecutive goals to solidify their dominance at 8-4. A late penalty conversion by DS Polo brought the final score to 8-5, but it was not enough to overturn FG Polo's commanding lead.The match was officiated by field umpires Mark Homes and Abdul Sattar Khan Niazi, with Martin Gandara serving as the match referee. The championship continues with Diamond Paints/Master Paints facing off against Olympia/AZB Polo in what promises to be another captivating match at the Lahore Polo Club.

Owais Autos overcome CWC XIs by 20 runs in the final, Asharf gets honourSports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Owais Autos team defeated CWC XIs by 20 runs in the final of the Solidarity Kashmir Cricket Cup at Moin Khan Academy.Captain of the Owais Autos Talha Ahmed Butt won the first toss and decided to bat first, as the batter managed 164 for 8 runs in 20 overs per innings fixture. A brilliant game was shown by Ashraf Khan, Alam Zeib, and Mohammad Sufyan. CWC XIs could score 144 runs.Chief guest presented trophies to Owais Autos team's best captain and best bowler Talha Ahmed Butt, best batsman Alamzeb and man of the match Ashraf Khan along with winner and runner-up trophies. 

Sahresh, Mehwish and Mahnoor win their quarterfinals in straight games 3-0Javed IqbalKARACHI: Three sisters Sahresh Ali, Mehwish Ali and Mahnoor Ali moved into the semifinals of the women’s event of the 3rd All Pakistan Image Torasam Khan Squash Championship after beating their respective opponents at Rooshan Khan Jehangir Khan Pakistan Navy Squash Complex on Tuesday.In the men’s fixture, top seed Saddamul Haq defeated Mohammad Zaman three-nil in the men's quarterfinal, Ashar Butt won 3-2 a thrilling contest against Bilal Zakir. Ashar was declared the winner due to Bilal Zakir wasting time during the match. Naveedur Rehman beat Talha Saeed by 3-0 games. Anas Ali Shah outplayed Anas Khan 3-0. The semifinals will be played on Wednesday at the same venue.Results (Men's Event):Saddam ul Haq beat Mohammad Zaman (3-0) 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 11-2 (34 min)Asher Butt beat Bilal Zakir (3-2) 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 6-11, 9-7 (42 min)Naveed Ur Rehman beat Talha Saeed (3-1) 14-12, 11-4, 13-11 (25 min)Anas Ali Shah beat Anas Khan (3-0) 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 (38 min)Results (Women's Event):Mehwish Ali beat Ilsa Imran (3-0) 11-9, 11-2, 11-2 (20 min)Sehrish Ali beat Syeda Zunaira (3-0) 11-1, 11-2, 11-1 (12 min)Mahnoor Ali beat Sameera Shahid (3-0) 11-6, 11-3, 11-3 (16 min)Anum Aziz beat Aina Sheikh (3-0) 11-7, 11-7, 11-4 (18 min).

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Bank Alfalah National Open Polo Championship for Quaid-e-Azam Gold Cup 2024 will get underway on Tuesday (February 13) at the Lahore Polo Club, marking the beginning of two weeks filled with thrilling polo action.The announcement was made by Malik Azam Hayat Noon, President of the Lahore Polo Club, alongside Syed Irfan Akhtar Gilani, General Manager Central East of Bank Alfalah, and key members of the LPC executive committee, including Mohamed Nasir Khan and Feroze Gulzar. The event has attracted a mix of international and local talent, including players and umpires, signaling a global showcase of polo prowess. This year's championship features five formidable teams, each comprising a blend of two international and two Pakistani players, promising an international flair to the matches. "The tournament will see these teams compete in a series of intense matches over the next fortnight, culminating in a grand finale on Sunday, February 25," said Noon. He expressed gratitude towards Bank Alfalah for their continued patronage of the championship, emphasizing the importance of such support in nurturing the noble sport of polo. The line-up for this premier polo event includes teams such as DS Polo, FG Polo, BN Polo, Diamond Paints/Master Paints, and Olympia/AZB Polo, with players hailing from polo heartlands like Argentina, England, and Spain. The tournament is not only a testament to the skill of national athletes but also a platform for international players to showcase their talents on Pakistani soil. Among the teams competing, Team DS Polo is represented by Daniyal Shaikh, Ahmed Ali Tiwana, Nico Roberts, and Max Charlton. Mir Shoaib Ahmed, Raja Temur Nadeem, Martin Gandara, and Juan Zubiaurre Canal form the lineup for Team Diamond Paints/Master Paints. Team FG Polo boasts talents such as Mian Abbas Mukhtar, Raja Mikayial Sami, Mario Gomes, and Raul Laplacette. Team Olympia/AZB features Ahmed Zubair Butt, Abdul Rehman Monnoo, Valentin Novillo Astrada, and Nicolas Corti, while Team BN Polo is composed of Babar Naseem, Santos Iriarte, Hamza Mawaz Khan, and Santiago Loza, showcasing a diverse array of skills and international experience across the board. The championship's opening match is set between FG Polo and DS Polo at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, with subsequent games unfolding over the course of the tournament, leading to the much-anticipated subsidiary and main finals at the Lahore Polo Club’s iconic Aibak Polo Ground on February 25. Syed Irfan Akhtar Gilani of Bank Alfalah said: "Promoting positive activities through sports is integral to our society. Bank Alfalah is committed to its corporate responsibility of sponsoring sports, and we look forward to continuing our support for the Lahore Polo Club and the broader game of polo in Pakistan."