PCB-Pepsi National Under-16, Ali Asfand shines in Central Punjab U16 win  Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 30, 2019):-Ali Asfand took six second innings wickets as Central Punjab U16 defeated Balochistan Under-16 by an innings and 79 runs on day-two of the PCB-Pepsi National Under-16 three-day match at the Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad on Saturday. Balochistan resuming their first innings on 27 for five were bowled out for 57 in 30.3 overs. For Central Punjab, off-spinner Arham Nawab took four wickets for 10 runs in nine overs. After being asked to follow-on, Balochistan were dismissed for 132 in 51 overs. Adil Ahmed was top scorer with 32 off 64 balls.  For Central Punjab, left-arm spinner Ali Asfand took six wickets for 28 runs, and ended-up with match figures of eight for 34 runs. Arham who took four wickets in the first innings, grabbed two wickets for 40 runs in the second innings and ended-up with match figures of six for 50. Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Sindh were dismissed for 140 runs in 57.3 overs after resuming their first innings on the overnight score of 86 for six. For Southern Punjab, Bilal Ahmed, Mohammad Bilal and Mohammad Shehzad took three wickets apiece. Southern Punjab who were dismissed for 116 runs in their first innings, ended the second day’s play on 156 for six in 72 overs. Scores in brief: Central Punjab U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad Central Punjab 268-8, 80 overs (Azan Awais 78, Rafay Rana 54 not out; Faizullah 6-107) Balochistan 57 all out, 30.3 overs overs (Ikram Ullah 25; Arham Nawab 4-10, Ali Asfand 2-6, Muneeb Wasif 2-15, Samama Riaz 2-21) and after follow-on 132 all out, 51 overs (Adil Ahmed Khan 32; Ali Asfand 6-28, Arham Nawab 2-40) Result: Central Punjab win by an innings and 79 runs Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Southern Punjab 116 all out, 48.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 48, Alamzaib Khan 21; Aaliyan Mehmood 5-60, Mohammad Sikander 3-22) and 156-6, 72 overs (Mohammad Shehzad 40; Aaliyan Mehmood 3-32, Mohammad Sikander 2-46) Sindh 140 all out, 57.3 overs (Wahaj Riaz 29 not out; Bilal Ahmed 3-16, Mohammad Bilal 3-6, Mohammad Shehzad 3-41)

Four sides in contention for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 30, 2019):-After 27 first-class matches since the revamped Quaid-e-Azam Trophy commenced on 14 September, it has come down to the 10th and final round of the four-day tournament (starting on 2 December) that will determine which two sides will progress to the 27-31 December final at the National Stadium. With a maximum of 24 points (five batting, three bowling and 16 win) available, the top four sides are separated by 18 points, whereas Sindh and Balochistan will fight out to avoid the wooden spoon at the National Stadium in the six-team competition. Table-toppers Central Punjab will go into their last round match against fourth-placed Southern Punjab leading by 18 points. This match will be played at the State Bank Stadium in Karachi.   Second-placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have a 13-point advantage over their third-placed opponents Northern. This match will be played at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi, the venue that has produced results in the last two round matches. This means the top four sides – Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern and Southern Punjab – will be fighting tooth and nail to not only collect maximum points but to also keep their rivals to the minimum to ensure they remain in the hunt for the winner’s purse of PKR10million along with the prestigious silverware. The management of the four sides will have additional responsibilities from 2-5 December as they will have one eye on the proceeding at the other venue as this may potentially force changes to their game plans and strategies. So, all in all, the fans, followers and supporters of domestic cricket are up for thrilling and exciting next week in Karachi that is expected to produce some of the very best cricket. Central Punjab v Southern Punjab In the last four rounds, Central Punjab and Southern Punjab have both collected 42 points. When the two sides had met in the tournament opener at the Gaddafi Stadium, the match had ended in a high-scoring draw with Southern Punjab scoring 467 and 107-1, and Central Punjab scoring 473 in their only outing.  As points are awarded after 110 overs of the first innings of each side, both the teams pocketed 11 points apiece from this Punjab derby. Southern’s Sami Aslam had launched his first-class season with 243 and he is now the leading run-getter with 861 runs. Adnan Akmal, who scored 113 runs in the match, has 554 runs. In contrast, Central’s leading run-scorer to date is Kamran Akmal (750 runs), while Salman Butt is the tournament’s sixth most successful batsman with 662 runs.  Amongst the bowlers, Central’s Zafar Gohar is second on the overall list with 36 wickets, while his team-mate Bilal Asif is nine wickets behind with 27 wickets. For Southern, Mohammad Irfan has been the pick of the bowlers with 22 wickets, while Rahat Ali has 17 wickets.  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern  The two sides were involved in an exciting first-round fixture in Abbottabad when Northern escaped with a draw after being forced to follow-on. In reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 526 for nine declared, which revolved around Mohammad Rizwan (176) and Ashfaq Ahmed (106), Northern were dismissed for 262 before finishing at 433 for six, thanks to centuries from Asif Ali (114) and Mohammad Nawaz (100). In the last four rounds, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have earned 66 points while Northern have gained 62 points, including wins over Sindh and Balochistan by 145 runs and eight wickets, respectively. Ashfaq Ahmed has been the mainstay of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, scoring 766 runs with four centuries and three half-centuries, while Sahibzada Farhan has contributed 548 runs with four half-centuries at an average of over 45. Faizan Riaz leads Northern’s run-scoring chart with 634 runs with two centuries and two half-centuries, while Zeeshan is the 10th and last batsman in the 600-run club with 613 runs (one century and four half-centuries). In the bowlers’ table, Nauman Ali leads the leaderboard with 46 wickets. He is followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s duo of Sajid Khan (19) and Junaid Khan (14). Sindh v Balochistan When the two sides met in their first-round match, Sindh scored 473 for five declared and Balochistan replied with 355 for nine. However, their campaigns failed to take off as they remain the only sides to not win a match in the tournament to date. In the process, Sindh lost twice, while Balochistan ended up on the losing side thrice. However, Balochistan’s Imran Butt will be one of the players to watch-out for in this match. The 23-year-old Lahore batsman is sitting on 830 runs and currently occupying number two spot on the tournament’s batting list. On the opposite side is Fawad Alam, who is the fifth leading scorer in the tournament with 665 runs (three centuries and two half-centuries). Amongst the bowlers, Balochistan’s Mohammad Asghar is fourth on the most successful bowlers list with 26 wickets, while Sindh’s Tabish Khan is one wicket behind with 25. Tenth round fixtures: Central Punjab v Southern Punjab – State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh v Balochistan – National Stadium, Karachi

Hasan Ali ruled out of Sri Lanka Tests Abdullah Asjad Islamabad [ November,29, 2019]:Fast bowler Hasan Ali has been ruled out of home Tests against Sri Lanka after fresh CT scans revealed cortical rib fractures, involving ninth rib on the right side and eighth and ninth ribs on the left side. The fractures will require up to six weeks to heal and he will start a rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy from Monday.  Hasan, after passing fitness tests, had rejoined Central Punjab for their ninth round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 22 November. However, prior to the match, he complained of pain on his left side for which he underwent precautionary scans in Karachi that revealed fractures. The fractures were confirmed in the follow-up scans that were carried out in Lahore.  

PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day tournament second round matches begin  Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 29, 2019):-Balochistan Under-16 were left reeling at 27 for five in their first innings at close of play on day-one of the PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day match against Central Punjab U16 at the Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad on Friday.  After scoring 268 for eight in their allotted 80 overs on the back of fifties by Azan Awais and Rafay Rana, Central Punjab took the first five Balochistan wickets with Muneeb Wasif and Samama Riaz taking two wickets each. Earlier, Faizullah had taken six wickets for Balochistan.  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Sindh were 86 for six in their first innings in reply to Southern Punjab’s first innings score of 116 all out.  Southern Punjab who batted first were dismissed in 48.4 overs with Mohammad Ammar top-scoring with 48. Aaliyan Mahmood took five while Mohammad Sikandar took three wickets.  Sindh were reduced to 86 for six at close, Shayan Saad top-scored with 20 runs, Bilal Ahmed took three while Mohammad Bilal took two wickets.  Scores in brief:  Central Punjab U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad  Central Punjab 268-8, 80 overs (Azan Awais 78, Rafay Rana 54 not out; Faizullah 6-107)  Balochistan 27 for 5, 13 overs (Muneeb Wasif 2-6, Samama Riaz 2-21)  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  Southern Punjab 116 all out, 48.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 48, Alamzaib Khan 21; Aaliyan Mehmood 5-60, Mohammad Sikander 3-22)  Sindh 86 for 6, 40 overs (Shayan Saad 20; Bilal Ahmed 3-6, Muhammad Bilal 2-2)               PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day tournament, second round matches begin  Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 29, 2019):-Balochistan Under-16 were left reeling at 27 for five in their first innings at close of play on day-one of the PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day match against Central Punjab U16 at the Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad on Friday.  After scoring 268 for eight in their allotted 80 overs on the back of fifties by Azan Awais and Rafay Rana, Central Punjab took the first five Balochistan wickets with Muneeb Wasif and Samama Riaz taking two wickets each. Earlier, Faizullah had taken six wickets for Balochistan.  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Sindh were 86 for six in their first innings in reply to Southern Punjab’s first innings score of 116 all out.  Southern Punjab who batted first were dismissed in 48.4 overs with Mohammad Ammar top-scoring with 48. Aaliyan Mahmood took five while Mohammad Sikandar took three wickets.  Sindh were reduced to 86 for six at close, Shayan Saad top-scored with 20 runs, Bilal Ahmed took three while Mohammad Bilal took two wickets.  Scores in brief:  Central Punjab U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad  Central Punjab 268-8, 80 overs (Azan Awais 78, Rafay Rana 54 not out; Faizullah 6-107)  Balochistan 27 for 5, 13 overs (Muneeb Wasif 2-6, Samama Riaz 2-21)  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  Southern Punjab 116 all out, 48.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 48, Alamzaib Khan 21; Aaliyan Mehmood 5-60, Mohammad Sikander 3-22)  Sindh 86 for 6, 40 overs (Shayan Saad 20; Bilal Ahmed 3-6, Muhammad Bilal 2-2)  

Andy Murray has 'no chance' of winning another Grand Slam, according to Goran Ivanisevic Sports Desk ISLAMABAD:-Andy Murray has "no chance" of winning another Grand Slam title, according to former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic. The former world No 1 recently revealed he contemplated retirement a matter of weeks before winning the European Open in Antwerp last month. But gaining more confidence during tournaments in Zhuhai, Beijing and Shanghai, the Scot produced a remarkable level of consistency to win in Belgium - his first title since 2017. Although he was only able to compete in one match for Great Britain at last week's Davis Cup, Murray confirmed he was "ahead of where I expected to be at this stage" with regard to his hip. Ivanisevic, who is the current coach of Novak Djokovic, was brutally honest in his assessment of three-time Grand Slam champion ever winning a major again.

Russia cleared to compete at Euro 2020 despite threat of four-year sports ban Sport Desk ISLAMABAD:-Russia will be able to compete in Euro 2020 next summer even if a four-year ban from sporting events comes into effect. Investigators from the World Anti-Doping Agency found inconsistencies in laboratory data obtained from the Russian anti-doping agency in January and WADA's independent compliance review committee is recommending Russia be barred from hosting and competing in major international events for four years. However, it is understood that next summer's football European Championship, which Russia have qualified for and where St Petersburg will serve as one of 12 host cities, will not be affected even if WADA's executive committee and the Court of Arbitration back the proposed sanctions.

Southern Punjab win Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Second XI tournament  SB Report Lahore, 29 November 2019:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fought gallantly on the fourth and final day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI tournament but had to be content with a draw as Southern Punjab won the final on the basis of securing a first innings lead at the State Bank Stadium, Karachi on Friday. Chasing 484 runs for victory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 379 for seven in their second innings when stumps were drawn for the final time in the match. They had resumed their second innings at the overnight score of 11 for no loss. Opener Mohammad Mohsin scored 123 off 163 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes to lead his side’s charge towards the target. Left-handed middle-order batsman Khushdil Shah scored 51 off 45 balls (one four, three sixes) while top-order batsman Musaddiq contributed 50 off 82 balls. However, the task of scoring 474 additional runs on the final day proved to be beyond the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa batsman as they lost wickets at regular intervals and had to eventually settle for a draw. Veteran left-arm-spinner Zulfiqar Babar took three wickets for 90 runs after registering figures of five for 56 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first innings. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, State Bank Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 369-5, 83 overs (Tayyab Tahir 107 not out, Mukhtar Ahmed 103, Anas Mustafa 61, Mohammad Umair 45 not out; Asif Afridi 2-87) and 333 all out, 113 overs (Mohammad Umair 113, Tayyab Tahir 106, Maqbool Ahmed 35; Asif Afridi 4-85, Irfanullah Shah 3-72) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 219 all out, 50.4 overs (Musaddiq Ahmed 59, Khushdil Shah 48, Mohammad Mohsin 39; Zulfiqar Babar 5-56, Ataullah 3-58) and 379 for 7, 78 overs (Mohammad Mohsin 123, Khushdil Shah 51, Musaddiq Ahmed 50; Zulfiqar Babar 3-90) Result: Match drawn; Southern Punjab win the tournament on first innings lead

Quaid-e Azam Trophy Second XI Final: Imran and Tayyab score centuries for Southern Punjab SB News LAHORE (November 28, 2019):-Mohammad Imran and Tayyab Tahir scored centuries for Southern Punjab against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on day-three of the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI tournament being played at State Bank Stadium in Karachi on Thursday. Resuming their second innings on 86 for four in 32 overs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were in trouble at one point with six wickets down for 140 runs on the board. Tayyab Tahir who remained unbeaten in the first innings with 107 off 90 balls, got together with Muhammad Imran and forged a valuable 118-run partnership for the seventh wicket.  Tayyab scored a 242-ball 106, hitting eight fours and a six. Imran struck a 156-ball 113 laced with 16 fours and a six. Southern Punjab were dismissed for 333 runs in 113 overs. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Asif Afridi took four wickets for 85, while Irfanullah Shah grabbed three wickets for 72 runs in 19 overs.  Chasing 484 runs for victory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 11 for no loss in three overs, when stumps were drawn.   Scores in brief:  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, State Bank Stadium, Karachi  Southern Punjab 369-5, 83 overs (Tayyab Tahir 107 not out, Mukhtar Ahmed 103, Anas Mustafa 61, Mohammad Umair 45 not out; Asif Afridi 2-87) and 333 all out, 113 overs (Mohammad Umair 113, Tayyab Tahir 106, Maqbool Ahmed 35; Asif Afridi 4-85, Irfanullah Shah 3-72)  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 219 all out, 50.4 overs (Musaddiq Ahmed 59, Khushdil Shah 48, Mohammad Mohsin 39; Zulfiqar Babar 5-56, Ataullah 3-58) and 11-0, three overs

Northern beat Balochistan by eight wickets  SB Report KARACHI (November 28, 2019):-Impressive all-round performance against Balochistan at UBL Sports Complex handed Northern their second four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy win, which helped them climb to third spot on the points table. On the last day of the ninth round fixture, Northern chased down the 192-run target in 32.2 overs, scoring at an impressive run rate of 5.94. Ali Sarfaraz and Faizan Riaz remained unbeaten on 95 and 52, and cracked an undefeated 118-run partnership after openers Umar Amin and Zeeshan Malik fell for one and 37.  Ali cracked 15 fours and a six in his blistering knock, which lasted 87 balls. Faizan smashed four fours and four sixes in the 43 balls he faced. Earlier in the day, Balochistan added 44 runs to their overnight score of 189 for eight.  Wicketkeeper-batsman Bismillah Khan, after resuming his innings on 32, marched on to his first-class career’s 20th half-century and scored 69 off 101 balls with six fours and two sixes.  Northern captain Nauman Ali bagged his fifth five-wicket haul of the tournament – the most for any bowler this season. The left-arm orthodox returned five for 75. He was supported by Waqas Ahmed, who claimed for wickets at the expense of 72 runs.  After gaining 22 points from the match, Northern have jumped to the third spot on the table with 106 points. They were on ranked fourth before the commencements of the ninth round. Balochistan, at the bottom of the points table, are out of the race for the final.  Northern take on second-ranked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at State Bank Stadium in Karachi in the final round, which begins on 2 December. Balochistan play Sindh, ranked fifth and also out of the contention for final, at the National Stadium.  Scores in brief:  Balochistan 300 all-out, 90.2 (Imran Butt 124, Umar Gul 51, Imran Farhat 32; Sadaf Hussain 4-75, Nauman Ali 3-80) and 233 all-out, 79.5 overs (Bismillah Khan 69, Imran Farhat 55, Akbar-ur-Rehman 41; Nauman Ali 5-75, Waqas Ahmed 4-72)  Northern 342 all-out, 86.2 overs (Jamal Anwar 93, Sarmad Bhatti 86, Umar Amin 69; Taj Wali 6-89, Umar Gul 2-61) and 192-2, 32.2 overs (Ali Sarfraz 95 not out, Faizan Riaz 52 not out, Zeeshan Malik 37)

Sohail Tanvir reprimanded for code of conduct violation Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 28, 2019):-Sohail Tanvir has been reprimanded for a Level 1 offence which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match in Northern’s ninth round four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture against Balochistan at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi.  The incident occurred after the conclusion of the 41st over of Balochistan’s second innings when Sohail kicked the ball out of frustration for being unable to take a wicket. The Northern bowler was charged by on-field umpires Qaiser Waheed and Imran Jawed for the violation of Article 2.2 of the PCB’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. Sohail pleaded guilty and was reprimanded by match referee Ahmer Saeed.