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FOOTBALL - Int News 15 Mar, 2024

SAFF Women’s First Division League: AlUla win title
New champions AlUla crowned after penalty shootout victory against Al Taraji in finalSports Bulletin ReportJeddah (Saudi Arabia): AlUla was crowned SAFF Women’s First Division League champions following a captivating showdown against Al Taraji on Wednesday night – clinching the 2023/24 title with a penalty shootout victory at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Reserve Stadium.With promotion to the SAFF Women’s Premier League already assured for next season, the two went head-to-head to determine which team would win the championship. After a hard-fought final which ended 1-1 after extra time, AlUla clinched the title by winning 4-2 on penalties.The championship trophy was proudly presented to the AlUla club by Lamia Bahaian, Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), in the esteemed presence of Aalia Al-Rasheed, Head of the Women's Football Department at SAFF.As for Al Taraji, they enter next season’s Saudi women’s top flight as runners-up after narrowly missing out on the title. Al Amal also joined AlUla and Al Taraji in the 2024/25 SAFF Women’s Premier League after securing the third and final promotion spot thanks to a 3-1 win against Al Taqadum in Wednesday’s third-place play-off.A thrilling campaign from start to finish, this season’s second edition of the SAFF Women’s First Division League welcomed 26 clubs – beginning in group stage format with four groups of five teams and one group of six. After facing each other home and away across five cities, 12 qualifiers progressed to the final rounds – again using a group stage format with four groups of three teams. The winners from each progressed to the semi-finals, where AlUla beat Al Amal 3-0 and Al Taraji overcame Al Taqadum 1-0 – paving the way for Wednesday’s incredible final.Over the 2023/24 SAFF Women’s First Division League season, 122 matches were played with 111 wins and 979 goals. These figures illustrate the positive direction of travel for professional women’s football in Saudi Arabia, as well as the skill, development, and performances of players and clubs alike.The SAFF Women’s First Division League is one of several competitions playing a crucial role in the strategic growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia. By increasing the number of football competitions and enhancing standards, the aim of SAFF is to foster the development of talented female players within the Kingdom and provide pathways to representing the national team across age groups.

CRICKET - PSL 15 Mar, 2024

PSL: Sultans qualify for 4th successive final, as Zalmi fall flat in Qualifier
Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Multan Sultans qualified for the final of the HBL PSL in a row, as they ousted Peshawar Zalmi by a dominating seven-wicket victory in the qualifier on Thursday night at National Bank Stadium, Karachi. Peshawar Zalmi will face the winner of the eliminator one, scheduled between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators on 15 March.The Sultans' bowling line-up showcased their depth as all the bowlers contributed towards limiting Zalmi to a below-par total of 146-7, which was later knocked down by the batters in 18.3 overs, registering a convincing win.Multan Sultans’ opening batters, Yasir Khan and Muhammad Rizwan, set the tone for the chase with an impressive 61-run opening partnership. Yasir revealed his intentions from the get-go as he smashed Mehran Mumtaz for a maximum on just the second ball. While Rizwan struggled to get off the blocks, Yasir hit Paul Walter for three boundaries in the fourth over. Sultans notched 45 in the powerplay while the 50-run opening partnership came off 39 balls.Rizwan buckled under pressure in the eighth over as he succumbed to Aamir Jamal for a scratchy 15 off 21 balls with Saim Ayub taking the catch. In the next over, Yasir brought up his maiden HBL PSL half-century off just thirty balls.At the halfway mark, Sultans required a shade above run-a-ball with nine wickets in hand. Mehran returned in the 11th over and dismissed belligerent Yasir for 54 off 37 balls, comprising seven boundaries and one six.Johnson Charles and Usman Khan stitched a 35-run third-wicket partnership until Charles’ (11, 17b, 1x4) troubled stay at the crease was ended by Salman Irshad with a fine yorker. Iftikhar Ahmed (22 not out, 8b, 3x4s, 1x6) walked in and bludgeoned Salman for three boundaries. With a mere eight needed off the last two overs, he smashed Wood for a maximum followed by a single, while Usman (36 not out, 28b, 3x4s) hit the winning runs, taking Sultans to the final of HBL PSL 9. Mehran, Aamir and Salman picked up one wicket each.Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi won the toss and elected to bat first. David Willey struck in the first over, taking his tally of HBL PSL 9 powerplay wickets to eight, as Saim, hit a short ball toward the square boundary but was pouched by Yasir. Mohammad Haris joined Babar Azam in the middle for a 47-run second-wicket partnership.Haris raced to 22 off 13 balls on the back of four boundaries before Mohammad Ali pitched one just outside off-stump on a nagging length, inducing an edge that was caught by Rizwan. Zalmi finished the powerplay with 51-2 on the board. Usama Mir, introduced into the attack in the eighth over, dismissed Haseebullah, who cut the last ball of the over straight in the hands of Ali at short third.Tom Kohler-Cadmore joined Babar to steady Zalmi’s innings with a decent fourth-wicket partnership of 44 off 35 balls. With a boundary in the 11th over, Babar brought up his 1000 T20 runs in 2024. Chris Jordan, bowling the 14th over, unleashed a lethal yorker as he hit the base of Babar’s (46, 42b, 5x4s) off-stump leaving him stunned, with the scorecard reading 101-4.Babar also crossed the 500-run mark in HBL PSL 9, becoming only the second batter, besides Rizwan, to notch this feat twice in the tournament’s history. An over later, Usama returned to bowl the last over of his spell and took his HBL PSL 9 tally of wickets to 23, as he dismissed Kohler-Cadmore for a-run-a-ball 24. Usama, who holds the Fazal Mahmood Cap in HBL PSL 9, also became the bowler with joint second-most wickets in an HBL PSL season, with only Hasan Ali ahead of him with 25 scalps.Rovman Powell, who chipped in with 12 off 11 on the back of a solitary boundary, departed in the 18th over as Jordan bagged his second wicket. The penultimate over saw drama as Abbas Afridi dismissed Aamir Jamal (1, 3b), while a ball later Luke Wood smashed him for a six and a four on successive balls.Jordan bowled an impressive last over giving away just three runs as Zalmi scrambled their way to 146-7 in the stipulated 20 overs. Wood (14, 7b, 1x4, 1x6) and Paul Walter (14, 11b, 2x4s) remained unbeaten after adding 15 runs for the seventh wicket. Usama and Jordan bagged two wickets each while Willey, Ali and Abbas chipped in with one each.

CRICKET - T20I 14 Mar, 2024

ICC T20 World Cup 2024: Tickets packages for fans on March 19
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Additional public tickets for 51 of 55 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 fixtures are set to be released on Tuesday, 19 March at 10am AST, including for fixtures where tickets are currently unavailable. Fans will also have the first opportunity to secure a premium T20 World Cup experience through the opening of the hospitality programme.Following huge demand for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup tickets during the ballot, when more than three million applications were received, the expansion of public ticket availability will ensure that more supporters can experience the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup action live from each stadium.Fans can already create an account at the official platform tickets.t20worldcup.com to securely purchase tickets today to 37 matches. Prices start from as low as US$6 for select games in the Caribbean and from US$35 at USA venues.Venues with match’s tickets unavailable:Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago: Semi-Final 1 (26 Jun)Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill: Pakistan v Ireland (16 Jun)Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas: Netherlands v Nepal (4 Jun), United States v Pakistan (6 June), Sri Lanka v Bangladesh (7 Jun)Guyana National Stadium, Guyana: Semi-Final 2 (27 Jun)Kensington Oval, Barbados: C1 v A1 – Super Eight (20 Jun), A2 v C2 – Super Eight (21 Jun), A2 v B1 – Super Eight (23 Jun)Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York: India v Ireland (5 Jun), United States v India (12 Jun)Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua and Barbuda: A2 v D1 – Super Eight (19 Jun), A1 v D2 – Super Eight (22 Jun)Public tickets remain unavailable for four matches, including USA v Canada (Jun 1), India v Pakistan (9 Jun), India v Canada (15 Jun) and the Final in Barbados (Jun 29).ICC Head of Events, Chris Tetley said: “We are delighted to have worked with our commercial partners to be able to release these additional tickets to 51 matches to ensure that we are accommodating as many fans as possible at every ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 fixture. The demand has been exceptionally strong for matches at venues across both the West Indies and USA, so we encourage fans to secure their World Cup experience as soon as possible to be part of what will be a historic event.”Fawwaz Baksh, Tournament Director, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 said: “With less than 80 days to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, this announcement is an emphatic response to the global call from fans to make additional tickets available for matches and we are thrilled to be able to do this, while ensuring that as many people as possible have the opportunity to witness the biggest Carnival of Cricket in person.”T20 World Cup CEO, Brett Jones said: “We are thrilled to be able to offer additional tickets for sale to the public who are clearly hungry for them, and also happy to be in position to open our hospitality offerings. There are currently options for everyone, at all USA venues, but that is not likely to last long, so we encourage interested fans to act quickly.”

FOOTBALL - National 14 Mar, 2024

Pakistan football team training camp at Model Town Lahore
Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan national football team camp is in full swing here at Model Town football ground to train the lads for the upcoming home match of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Round 2 against Jordan, scheduled to be held in Islamabad on March 21.Under the guidance of head coach Stephen Constantine, the team is focusing on refining their skills and tactics to face the upcoming challenge. The attention is also being given to the goalkeepers with coaching support from Rogerio Ramos and Nauman Ibrahim. The training camp, which kicked off in Lahore on Monday will continue for the next few days.Pakistan squad (Probable's):Goal-Keepers: Salman Ul Haq, Saqib Hanif, Hassan Ali and Abdul BasitDefenders: Mamoon Moosa Khan, Mohammad Sohail, Junaid Shah, Umar Hayat Haseeb Khan, Mohammad Saddam, Mohammad Hamza Munir, Kamil Ahmad Khan and Mohammad AdeelMidfielders: Alamgir Ghazi, Rajab Ali, Ali Uzair, Moin Ahmad, Zaid Umer, Mohammad Zahid Shah and Ali ZafarForwards: Shayek Dost, Fareed Ullah, Mohammad Waleed Khan, Mohammad Waheed, Mohammad Adeel Younas and Yasir Arafat.

CRICKET - PSL 13 Mar, 2024

PSL Season 9: Ahsan, Gaffaney, Illingworth to officiate the final
Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board today (March 9, 2024) announced umpire and match referee appointments for the HBL PSL 9 three playoffs and the final, which will be played from 14-18 March at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.The 14 March Qualifier involving table-toppers Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi will be refereed by Roshan Mahanama. Aleem Dar and Richard Illingworth will be the on-field umpires, while Rashid Riaz and Faisal Afridi will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively.Match Referee Mohammad Javed will lead the playing control team for the 15 March Eliminator 1 between Islamabad United and Quetta Gladiators. Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffaney will be the on-field umpires, while Asif Yaqoob and Rashid Riaz will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively.16 March Eliminator 2 featuring the loser of 14 March match and the winner of 15 March fixture will be refereed by Muhammad Javed. Richard Illingworth and Asif Yaqoob will perform on-field umpire responsibilities, while Ahsan Raza and Faisal Afridi will be the third and fourth umpires, respectively.For the final scheduled on 18 March, Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffaney will perform the duties of on-field umpires, while Ahsan Raza and Asif Yaqoob will be third and fourth umpires, respectively. Roshan Mahanama will lead the playing control team for the final.

CRICKET - PSL 13 Mar, 2024

PSL: Match referee fines Iftikhar Ahmed for showing dissent
Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Multan Sultans’ Iftikhar Ahmed has been fined five per-cent of his match-fee for a Level 1 breach of HBL PSL’s code of conduct during his side’s HBL PSL 9 fixture against Quetta Gladiators at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi.Iftikhar was found to have violated Article 2.5 of the HBL PSL Code of Conduct, which reads as: “Using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal during a match”.The incident happened in the third over of Quetta Gladiators’ batting, when Iftikhar used inappropriate language towards the batter who was dismissed. Since Iftikhar pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Ali Naqvi, there was no need of a formal hearing. The charge was imposed by on-field umpires Rashid Riaz and Richard Illingworth. 

CHESS - Int News 13 Mar, 2024

FIDA World Seniors’ Chess Team Championship in July 2024
Sports Bulletin ReportKrakow (Poland): FIDA World Seniors’ Chess Team Championship will be held from July 1 to 12, 2024 in Krakow Poland under the banner of FIDE, the Polish Chess Federation, and Malopolska Chess Association.All FIDE member federations and eligible teams will participate in the FIDE World Senior Team Chess Championship (50+ 65+), which is to be held in Krakow- Poland.

FOOTBALL - Int News 13 Mar, 2024

AFC Asian Football Cup: Raja Atif Raza performs as a volunteer
Sports Bulletin ReportDoha (Qatar): Pakistani young lad, Raja Atif Raza worked as a workforce management volunteer during the AFC Asian Football Cup 2024 held in Qatar from January 12 to February 10. Raja Atif led his team and welcomed all FIFA officials, players, and guests at Hamad International Airport Qatar. Raja Atif was presented Honorary Certificate and Award by the government of Qatar. Raja Atif Raza said: “Volunteering is an important part of our culture. I am proud to represent Pakistan in major sports events in Qatar. Qatar won the AFC Asian Cup Qatar final. I hoisted the green flag of Pakistan on this occasion.”“I dedicate my award to my father Dr. Raja Meherban Hussain (Late). He gave us a better education and worked tirelessly to ensure our future. I thank my mother, sisters, and brothers Raja Adeel, Raja Waqas, Raja Danish, family members, friends, and respected people of his area, who pray for me for my success”, he concluded.

CRICKET - ICC 13 Mar, 2024

Ashwin reclaims No. 1 position in ICC Test Bowling Rankings
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is back at the top of the ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings after finishing with a nine-wicket match haul in his 100th Test match. Ashwin returned hauls of four for 51 and five for 77 against England as India won by an innings and 64 runs in Dharamsala to complete a 4-1 win in the ICC World Test Championship series.Ashwin reclaimed the top spot from compatriot Jasprit Bumrah to start his sixth stint at the top of the rankings. He first became number one in December 2015. Player of the Match Kuldeep Yadav, who became the fastest Indian in terms of balls bowled to take 50 Test wickets, has risen 15 places to a career-best 16th position after finishing with seven wickets in the match.India captain Rohit Sharma (up five places to sixth) and Shubman Gill (up 11 places to a career-best 20th) have also made notable gains while Player of the Series Yashasvi Jaiswal has moved up two places to eighth after notching a half-century. Jaiswal aggregates 740 rating points after nine Tests, with only two batters having tallied more after as many Tests – Australians Don Bradman (752) and Mike Hussey (741).England players Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow have moved up a slot each in the batting rankings while spinner Shoaib Bashir has progressed 11 places to 71st position. Australia completed a 2-0 series win over New Zealand in Christchurch to take second place behind India in the WTC table and Alex Carey’s match-winning 98 not out sees him go up from 50th to 38th. Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood continued his fine run to finish with six wickets in the match, including a five-for, to make it 35 wickets at 15.31 for the season and moved to second position behind Ashwin.That equals his best-ever position in the rankings, which he first achieved in February 2017. Despite a peak bowling rating of 864 – achieved in March 2017 – Hazlewood has never been in top spot. Only Kapil Dev (877), Ryan Harris (870), Courtney Walsh (868) and Rangana Herath (866) have had higher peaks without ever reaching number one position.Matt Henry’s superb first innings figures of seven for 67 helped him advance six places to 12th and over the 700-point mark for the first time in his career. He is also up to sixth among all-rounders. Australian Mitchell Marsh (up eight places to 55th) and New Zealand players Tom Latham (up six places 35th) and Rachin Ravindra (up 10 places to 66th) are others to move up the batting rankings.In the Men’s ODI Rankings, Ireland’s Harry Tector has moved up two places to a career-best-equalling fourth position after aggregating 141 runs in the three-match series against Afghanistan while Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s series-topping 172 runs in his team’s 2-0 win, sees him move up from 24th to 22nd. Ibrahim Zadran (up three places to 14th among batters) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (up 10 places to 41st among bowlers) have also gained in the latest update.The Men’s T20I Rankings see Mohammad Waseem move up two places to 14th among batters after scoring 68 not out and Junaid Siddiqui move up 14 places to 74th among bowlers after returning four for 14 as the United Arab Emirates beat Scotland in the first T20I in Dubai.Michael Levitt of the Netherlands (up 17 places to 32nd), Najmul Hossain Shanto of Bangladesh (up two places to 33rd) and Nepal captain Rohit Paudel (up six places to 48th) are others to move up in the batting rankings while Shoriful Islam of Bangladesh (up 19 places to 39th) and Ayan Afzal Khan of the UAE (up six places to 40th) have gained in the bowling rankings.

TENNIS - Wheelchair 13 Mar, 2024

Two-man Pakistan Wheelchair Tennis Team reached Thailand
Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: A two-member Pakistan Wheelchair Tennis Team including Asif Gul Abbasi, and Fida Hussain reached Pattaya Thailand on March 13 to participate in the ITF (International Tennis Federation) Asia Oceania Wheelchair Qualifier Cup 2024.According to an official of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), Pakistan’s wheelchair tennis contingent comprising 2 players and 1 Non-playing captain including Asif Abbasi, FidaHussain and Mohammad Khalid Rehmani on Wednesday reached Thailand city Pattaya for an international fixture.Besides, Pakistan, China, South Korea, Malaysia, Australia, Thailand, Iraq, India, and Kazakhstan will take part in the competitions for the top honour. The official draw ceremony will take place today (Wednesday) and the matches will start tomorrow (Thursday).
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