Sports Bulletin ReportTAXILA: Mohammad Ali Larosh of Pakistan WAPDA overpowered top national badminton players Murad Ali from Khyber Pukhtunekawa (KP) 21 in the men’s singles fixture of the ongoing Chairman POF Ranking Badminton Championships in Wah Cantt on Thursday. The final score-line was 21-17, 19-21, and 21-12.Results (Day-2)Men’s Singles (Pre Quarterfinals):Irfan Saeed Bhatti (Wapda) beat Azeem Sarwar (Wapda) by 21-15, 21-15Mohammad Adnan (Army) beat Jalees Konain (SNGPL) by 17-21, 21-12, 21-19Muqeet Tahir (Wapda) beat Hamdullah (KP) by 21-11, 21-9Zohaib Khan Khalil (Police) beat Mohammad Zaid (KP) by 20-22, 21-17, 21-19Aoun Abbas (Wapda) beat Raja Zulqarnain Haider (Army) by 19-21, 21-19, 25-23Awais Zahid (Wapda) beat Uzair Khan (KP) by 21-6, 21-18Tayyab Shafiq (SNGPL) beat Raja Hassan Mujtaba (Army) by 21-23, 21-17, 21-18Mohammad Ali Larosh (Wapda) beat Murad Ali (KP) by 21-17, 19-21, 21-12Women’s Singles (Pre Quarterfinals):Ghazala Siddique (Wapda) beat Farzana Ali (Wapda) by 21-8, 21-10Umama Usman (SNGPL) beat Saima Waqas (Wapda) by 22-20, 21-13Kanzul Eman (PB) beat Zubaira Islam (SNGPL) by 22-20, 12-21, 21-18Laiba Masoud (Wapda) beat Sehar Abdul Majeed (PB) by 21-16, 21-11Sana Hanif (SNGPL) beat Roshane Ihsan (PB) 21-8, 21-8Mahoor Shahzad (Wapda) beat Amal Muneeb (PB) by 21-16, 21-12Bushra Qayum (Wapad) beat Saba Rasheed (Wapda) by 21-10, 21-14Ammarah Ishtiaq (Army) beat Huma Javed (Wapda) by 21-8, 21-18.

PCB ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan men’s selection committee has announced the squads for the upcoming South Africa tour, scheduled from 10 December to 7 January. The tour comprises three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests.Babar Azam has been named in all three squads along with Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha, while Naseem Shah has been selected for the Tests and ODIs. Shaheen Shah Afridi, who also missed the last two Tests against England, has been picked for the white-ball matches as part of his workload management so that he is in his best fitness and form for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.Also returning to the Test side is fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, who last played in Jamaica in August 2021. Abbas, who has taken 90 wickets in 25 Tests, had a stellar Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, claiming 31 wickets in five matches. Naseem Shah has also been named in the four-man pace attack after missing the last two Tests against England. The 21-year-old, who has played 19 Tests since making his debut in November 2019, has taken four wickets to date for Lahore Whites against Peshawar in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in Abbottabad.Fast bowler Khurram Shahzad has also been named in the Test side after claiming 15 wickets for Pakistan Shaheens against Sri Lanka ‘A’ last month. Mir Hamza is the fourth fast bowler in the 15-man Test squad and is presently playing for Peshawar against Lahore Whites in Abbottabad.However, off-spinner Sajid Khan has missed out on selection despite his 19 wickets against England. The selectors, after taking into consideration the Centurion and Newlands conditions as well as South Africa as the opposition, have opted for only one specialist spinner in Noman Ali, who took 20 wickets against England and has 67 wickets in 17 Tests.Also earning the selectors nod for the first time in ODIs is Sufyan Moqim, the left-arm wrist spinner who has taken eight wickets in two T20Is, including five wickets for three runs in the second T20I.The T20I squad will depart for South Africa on Friday, 6 December, after Thursday’s third T20I against Zimbabwe, while the ODI and Test players will depart for Johannesburg on 13 December. Pakistan men’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie will also arrive in Johannesburg on 13 December to supervise the pre-Test series camp.Names of selected players for South Africa tour:Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah (wk), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali AghaODIs: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)T20Is: Mohammad Rizwan (captain & wk), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wk)Aqib Javed, member selection committee and interim white-ball head coach said: “We have adopted a horses for courses policy to ensure all three squads are well-balanced and capable of performing strongly in South Africa. Leaving out Sajid Khan, despite his stellar performances against England, was an extremely tough and difficult decision. However, considering the pace-friendly conditions at Centurion and in Cape Town, we opted for Mohammad Abbas instead, who is an outstanding exponent of seam bowling. Shaheen Shah Afridi’s exclusion from the Test squad is a strategic decision to ensure he remains physically and mentally fresh for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Similarly, Fakhar Zaman was not considered as he is yet to regain form and match fitness. Our aim is to maintain consistency in ODI selections as part of our ICC Champions Trophy 2025 preparations, while also giving emerging talent opportunities in T20Is alongside experienced players. For Tests, we have focused on assembling a squad that can adapt to challenging conditions and consistently compete at the highest level. The Test series against South Africa will be highly competitive, but we are confident in our team’s ability to secure a historic series win. Our focus in ODIs is to continue building momentum ahead of the Champions Trophy, while the T20I series provides a platform to blend experience with emerging talent.”The series will begin with the first T20I in Durban on 10 December, followed by the first ODI in Paarl on 17 December. The Test matches will be hosted at Centurion and in Cape Town on 26 December and 3 January, respectively.Tour schedule:10 Dec – First T20I, Durban13 Dec – Second T20I, Centurion14 Dec – Third T20I, Johannesburg17 Dec – First ODI, Paarl19 Dec – Second ODI, Cape Town22 Dec – Third ODI, Johannesburg26-30 Dec – First Test, Centurion3-7 Jan – Second Test, Cape Town.

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Another closely fought match in the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) saw Lahore Qalandars defeat Victoria by 10 runs in Providence.The Australian outfit had looked the side to beat after they won their first two matches in style but they were undone by an impressive Qalandars display with bat and ball with Tabraiz Shamsi's spell the difference between the two sides.Victoria won the toss and captain Corey Anderson chose to insert the opposition. Mirza Baig played an anchoring role from the top of the order, accumulating 39 from 36 balls to set the foundation for a decent total.Anderson shuffled his pack and used a total of seven bowlers, it proved an effective tactic as the Qalandars batting card never managed to pull away, Mohammad Faizan was run out for 25 off 21, Tom Abell and Mohammad Akhlaq made 17 and 26 respectively and were the only other contributions of note.Qalandars captain Carlos Brathwaite fell for a golden duck after seeing his stumps splattered by Jackson Smith, Smith picked up three scalps and was joined in the wickets by the impressive Dominic Drakes. Drakes also collected a trio of wickets whilst stitching together 14 dot balls in his four overs to finish with a frugal economy rate to boot.Victoria needed 140 runs to win after dismissing the Qalandars for 139 but after a confident opening stand of 67 between Blake Macdonald and Joe Clarke they then lost regular wickets over their remaining overs.Tabraiz Shamsi was the pick of the bowlers for Qalandars, the slow left arm wrist spinner proved nigh on unplayable on the night, taking 3-11 off four overs that included an unbelievable 16 dot balls and not a single boundary being hit off him in a well deserved Player of the Match performance.Karima Gore provided resistance for Victoria but when he fell for 25 off 22 at the start of the 19th over it meant his side were down to their last pair. 12 runs played one wicket in the final over, Faheem Ashraf sealed the win by cleaning up Jackson Smith with his third delivery.The result sees things tighten up in the GSL table with Qalandars, Victoria and Guyana Amazon Warriors all on four points with two wins and a loss apiece. The next round of matches will prove crucial in deciding who makes the final. 

ISLAMABAD (Sports Desk): England and Warwickshire batter Jacob Bethell has been awarded an England Men’s Central Contract upgrade. The 21-year-old, who made his Test debut last week during England’s first Test victory over New Zealand in Christchurch, has signed a two-year contract running until September 2026. This follows his recent development contract, awarded just last month.Bethell made an impressive start to his Test career, scoring a maiden half-century in the second innings to help secure England’s win at Hagley Oval. In addition, three of England’s prominent seamers – Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, and Matthew Potts – have all extended their contracts until September 2026.England Men Centrally Contracted Players 2024/2025 (2 years): Jofra Archer (Sussex), Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Brydon Carse (Durham), Matthew Potts (Durham), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Jamie Smith (Surrey), Ben Stokes (Durham), Mark Wood (Durham)England One-Year Central Contracts: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire), Shoaib Bashir (Somerset), Zak Crawley (Kent), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Jack Leach (Somerset), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Ollie Pope (Surrey), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Olly Stone (Nottinghamshire), Josh Tongue (Nottinghamshire), Reece Topley (Surrey), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)England Development contracts: Josh Hull (Leicestershire), John Turner (Hampshire).

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Hosts China rallied from their first loss of the new FIH Hockey Pro League season a day earlier with a dominant victory over a young England side in Hangzhou on Wednesday.All the goals in their 4-0 victory were scored by different players in a match that saw the Chinese wrapping up an incredible year, in which they claimed Olympic silver, on a successful note (Women’s) China beat England (4-0): China ended their long year with a convincing 4-0 win over a young English side, pressing effectively and making excellent use of penalty corner deflections. It was another exciting start as England created a clear scoring opportunity in the opening minute, and China put penalty corners over the bar in the third and seventh.The hosts enjoyed more possession throughout, and Zhang Ying had the best chance of the first quarter when a long ball found her unmarked at the top of the circle, only for Miriam Pritchard to close down the angle well to deflect the ball wide of the English goal.China opened the scoring in the 17th minute, Chen Yang undoing Pritchard with a penalty corner deflection from the p-spot. England had a couple of chances to restore parity, threading a pass between the goalkeeper and a diving striker at the back post in the 20th minute, and having a penalty corner blocked by Chinese runners two minutes later. China then missed by inches from a recycled penalty corner in the 24th minute, but England immediately coughed up possession from the 16-yard hit and Ying completed the move with a tap-in to double their lead. He Jiangxin then gave China a 3-0 lead heading to half-time with another penalty corner deflection in the 28th minute. China were very much in control in the second half, holding possession well and pressuring the English into turnovers and errors. England found themselves defending desperately to save penalty corners in the 34th and 35th minutes, and then missed a 37th-minute penalty corner of their own that might have given them a platform to fight back in the match.The teams both missed with penalty corner variations at the end of the third quarter, and as the clock ticked down in the fourth, China continued to dominate. The Chinese had the final say with a 55th-minute field goal, Chen Yi intercepting a poor overhead clearance and working the ball to Zhang Wenli who popped it beautifully to Chen Yujun behind the English defence for a neat finish.

Sports Bulletin ReportTaxila: The Chairman Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) Board National Ranking Badminton Championships started on Wednesday here at POF Sports Complex in Wah Cantt, as Shafiq Ahmed DICR graced the opening ceremony as chief guest and Member POF Board along with Col. Ghulam Rubani Deputy Director Sports POF, Qaisar Bhatti Secretary Sports POF Senior Vice President PBF Tayyab Sohail and Raja Azhar Secretary General PBF were present at the occasion. After the recitation of Holy Quran the chief guest introduced the players and officials of the championships by SVP and Secretary General Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF) Raja Azhar. Later on Shafiq Ahmed inaugurate the event by hitting the shuttlecock. This is pertinent to mention here that Tariq Wadood (8 Time National Champion) also visited the venue, the PBF officials introduce the legend amongst the players and secretary POF and secretary PBF presented the shield to Tariq Wadood.Results (Men’s Singles Round-I):Irfan Saeed (Wapda) beat Ahmed Faizan (Wapda) by 21-9, 21-4Mohammad Ahmad (PB) beat Abuzar Rasheed (SNGPL) by 21-17, 21-12Mohammad Adnan (Army) beat Mohammad Jamal (KP) by 21-15, 21-15Abdur Rehman (Wapda) beat Hussain Shahzad (PB) by 19-21, 21-16, 21-9Azeem Sarwar (Wapda) beat Qasim Rasheed (ISL) by 21-11, 21-15Abdullah Latif (Army) beat Sohaib Yaseen (PB) by 21-7, 21-7Jalees Konain (SNGPL) beat Hafiz Abdul Manan (PB) by 21-13, 21-11Muqeet Tahir (Wapda) beat Mekaeel Khan (KP) by 21-8, 21-9Tahir Khan (Police) beat Mohammad Uzair Khan (KP) by 21-14, 21-13Umer Jahanghir (SNGPL) beat Fahad Ahmed (KP) by 21-11, 21-13Ahsan Asif (Wapda) beat Faiz (Army) by 19-21, 21-18, 21-12Raja Zulqarnain (Army) beat Akif Badar (PB) by 21-13, 21-10Hamdullah (KP) beat Danyaal Shahzada (KP) by 21-15, 21-13Tehseen Ullah (KP) beat Hamza Khan (KP) by 21-19, 18-21, 21-11Aoun Abbas (Wapda) beat Faizan Ali (PB) by 21-16, 21-18Ali Mehdi (Wapda) beat Umair Khan (ISL) by 22-20, 21-17Ibrahim Rasheed (PB) Shabbar Hussain (Wapda) by 21-12, 21-15Women’s Singles (Round-I):Ghazala Siddique (Wapda) beat Alja Tariq (Army) by 21-14, 21-9Farzana Ali (Wapda) beat Sidra Asif (Wapda) by 13-21, 23-21, 21-11Umama Usman (SNGPL) beat Shahnaz Shah (Wapda) by 21-7, 21-3Sehar Abdul Majeed (PB) beat Sehra Akram (Wapda) by 21-4, 21-3Saima Waqas (Wapda) beat Aimen Fatima (PB) by 21-10, 21-18Zubaira Islam (SNGPL) beat Zainab Azam (ISL) by 21-7, 21-7Kanzul Eman (PB) beat Aqsa Zikriya (SNGPL) by 14-21, 21-12, 21-19Laiba Masoud (Wapda) beat Palwasha Bashir (Sindh) by 10-21, 23-21, 22-20Sana Hanif (SNGPL) beat Faryal Arshad (KP) by 21-5, 21-9

LAHORE (SBR) Pakistan’s top-ranked ITF senior tennis player, Rashid Malik, continued to demonstrate his exceptional prowess on the court, securing a commanding 6-0, 6-1 victory over Husnain Mirza in the seniors 60+ singles quarterfinals of the RLK Group ITF Masters Championship 2024. Organised by the Punjab Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA), the prestigious tournament is underway at the Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy, Nishtar Park, Lahore, showcasing remarkable talent from across the nation and beyond. Besides Malik, Nauman Aleem also secured a place in the seniors 60+ singles semifinals, with a hard-fought 7-5, 7-6 victory against Tahir Butt. In the seniors 65+ singles quarterfinals, former Davis Cupper Inam ul Haq displayed his prowess, defeating Kh Abdul Muqeet 6-2, 6-2. M Babar followed with an impressive 6-0, 6-1 win over Raashed Zaheer. In the seniors 35+ singles quarterfinals, Inam Gul delivered a dominant performance, overpowering Mubeen Akram with a flawless 6-0, 6-0 victory. The seniors 40+ singles quarterfinals witnessed exciting matches as Kashif Rehmat comfortably defeated Sameer Noorani 6-2, 6-2, while Tariq Masih swept past Fazal Qadir Khan with a commanding 6-1, 6-0 scoreline. In the seniors 45+ singles quarterfinals, Ahmad Waqas Basit impressed with a decisive 6-1, 6-2 win against Umer Dilshad. Muhammad Asghar displayed resilience in his 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Ahsan Wali, while Shehryar Salamat cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Qadir Nawaz. The competition in the seniors 50+ singles quarterfinals was equally intense. Ahsan Razzaq defeated Mustafa Pirzada 6-2, 6-2, and Irfan Ullah Khan outplayed Anwar ul Haq 6-4, 6-3. In a gripping match, Munir Gill edged past Irfan Ahmad 6-0, 7-6, while Ashar Ali Khan overcame Pervez Hassan 7-6, 6-2. In the seniors 55+ singles quarterfinals, Imran Siddiqui advanced with a commanding 6-2, 6-0 win over Kaffee Siddiqui. The seniors 70+ singles quarterfinals saw Christophe Bureau outlast Kh Khurram in a thrilling 6-4, 7-5 encounter, while M Saeed Ikram Ullah prevailed over Salah ud Din 6-1, 6-1. Finally, in the seniors 75+ singles, Dr Zulfqar Malik dominated Abdul Rauf with a comprehensive 6-0, 6-1 victory, further underscoring the high level of competition in the championship. The Punjab Lawn Tennis Association extends its gratitude to the RLK Group for their sponsorship, ensuring the success of this landmark event in Pakistan’s tennis calendar.

Green Shirts outclass Bangladesh by 10 wickets in the final; Nisar Ali wins "player of the match" awardSports Bulletin ReportMultan (December 3, 2024): Pakistan's blind cricket team defeated Bangladesh to clinch the title of the 4th T20 Blind Cricket World Cup. In the final held at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Pakistan secured a commanding 10-wicket victory, remaining undefeated throughout the tournament and winning the T20 Blind Cricket World Cup for the first time.Bangladesh, batting first after winning the toss, set a target of 140 runs, scoring 139 for 7 in their 20 overs. Arif Hussain scored 54 off 52 balls, while Mohammad Salman added 31 off 35 balls. Pakistan's Babar Ali took two wickets for 24 runs in his 4 overs.In reply, Pakistan chased down the target in just 10.2 overs without losing a wicket. Captain Nisar Ali led the charge with an unbeaten 72, while Mohammad Safdar contributed 47 runs.During the prize distribution ceremony, World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) President Syed Sultan Shah, alongside WBCC Director of Global Development Raymond Moxley, presented the winning trophy and a cash prize of PKR 1 million to Pakistan's captain Nisar Ali. Bangladesh's captain Ariful Islam received the runner-up trophy and a cash prize of PKR 500,000.Nisar Ali was named Player of the Match for the final, while Bangladesh's Arif Hussain was recognized as the Emerging Player of the tournament. In the individual categories, Bangladesh's Azmat Hussain was named the Best Player in the B1 category, Pakistan's Nematullah in the B2 category, and Sri Lanka's Dumat Sandruwan in the B3 category.

Multan (SBR): Syed Sultan Shah, Chairman of Pakistan Blind Cricket Council, has been re-elected as the President of World Blind Cricket Council (WBCC) for the upcoming two-year term. Rajanish Henry from India was successfully elected as the Secretary General. The 26th General Council meeting of the World Blind Cricket Council took place at a local hotel in Multan, with representatives from the cricket boards of Australia, South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Afghanistan in attendance. Officials from India, England, and New Zealand participated online. Other elected officials include Nepal's Pawan Ghimire as First Vice President, South Africa's Isaac Bidla as Second Vice President, Australia's Raymond Moxley as Global Development Director, Pakistan's Tahir Mehmood Butt as Technical Director, and India's Chandrashekhar as Finance Director. South Africa’s Michael De Silva was elected as Assistant Secretary, Sri Lanka’s Sudesh Tharanga as Director of Public Relations, and the Regional Development Directors include Bangladesh’s Moin Iqbal for Asia and South Africa’s Ndumiso Nyawose for the African region.The members approved the minutes of the previous meeting. After being re-elected as the President of WBCC, Syed Sultan Shah thanked the cricket boards of all blind cricket-playing nations for re-electing him to the position. He expressed plans to introduce new reforms in blind cricket and take steps to promote the sport in countries like the United States and Kenya. New dark glasses for B1 players have been introduced. Syed Sultan Shah mentioned that Pakistan and India are among the top teams in world blind cricket and that both countries have a great working relationship. However, due to visa issues, the teams have not been able to play against each other. Therefore, it was decided that future World Cups and other international events would be held at neutral venues, allowing both countries to compete. The re-elected WBCC President also praised the services of former WBCC Secretary General Raymond Moxley for blind cricket. It was decided at the meeting that, going forward, no player can participate in international competitions without obtaining a site classification certificate from the International Blind Sports Association. 

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: An exciting new major competition, a world championship for squash players aged 22 and below, is to be played in Karachi, Pakistan, in 2025. The inaugural WSF U23 World Squash Championship will be hosted by the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) and contested from 6-10 April 2025. It will feature a men's singles event and a women's singles event, with both championships having a draw size of 32 players. Entry in each event will be limited to a maximum of two representatives of a National Federation, and players will receive a share of a $60,000USD prize pot and PSA ranking points for participating.WSF CEO William Louis-Marie said: "The WSF U23 World Squash Championship represents a great development for the global squash community. It will give up and coming players from all over the world the opportunity to test their skills against the world's best, as well as provide an invaluable bridge between the WSF World Junior Championships and senior events. My thanks to President Zaheer Ahmad Babar and the rest of the PSF team for their enthusiasm and drive to host what will no doubt be a special event. Karachi is a great choice to host the first edition of the championships, with Pakistan famous for producing some of the finest athletes in the history of the sport, including our Emeritus President Jahangir Khan, as well as a promising grassroots scene."PSF Senior Vice President Kazim Hammad said: "The championship is a great step in the right direction. This new initiative will encourage young players to continue training for another 5 years to wear the coveted world crown. In the process there will certainly be a mushroom growth of talent which could have faded away. Pakistan squash will go all out to ensure this new venture is successful. I compliment Vice President of Pakistan Squash and President Sind Squash to have accepted the challenge and sponsored and hosted the Championship in Karachi, Pakistan. Pakistan Squash Federation President Zaheer Ahmad Babar complimented the PSF team and wished them well and assured both Pakistan Squash's and Sind Squash's full support in achieving their goals. He added that Pakistan Squash will continue to host major events with a vision to make Pakistan the future hub of squash championships.”