Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportDublin (Ireland): Andy Balbirnie’s swashbuckling 77 runs off 55 balls laid the foundation for Ireland’s five-wicket victory over Pakistan in the first T20I of the three-match series here on Friday, marking only the second T20I between the two nations.Chasing a difficult 183-run target, Ireland reached 43 for two in the PowerPlay and then 153 for four in 17 overs. Needing 11 runs off the final six deliveries, Curtis Campher struck two fours, ran a double and stole the winning run off a leg-bye off the penultimate ball to hand Ireland their first win over Pakistan. Campher remained not out on 15 runs from seven balls.Balbirnie was undoubtedly the star of Ireland’s victory and deserving player of the match. The opener clobbered 10 fours and two sixes, forming a crucial 77-run third-wicket partnership off 52 balls with Harry Tector, who contributed 36 off 27 balls with three sixes and a four.After Tector departed, Balbirnie added 39 runs off 20 balls for the fourth wicket with all-rounder George Dockrell, who clubbed two sixes and two fours in a 12-ball 24. Balbirnie’s other useful partnership was for the fifth wicket with Gareth Delany (10 not out), yielding 24 runs off 15 balls.For Pakistan, Mohammad Abbas Afridi finished with figures of two for 36, while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Imad Wasim snapped up a wicket each.Earlier, a blistering knock by Iftikhar Ahmed and his unbroken 32-run seventh-wicket partnership off 13 balls with Shaheen Shah Afridi lifted Pakistan from a precarious 150 for six in 17.5 overs to 182 for six in 20 overs.Iftikhar slapped three sixes and three fours in a 15-ball 37 not out, while Shaheen’s eight-ball 14 not out included two towering sixes.Pakistan seemed on course for a formidable total before they lost Babar Azam, Azam Khan, and Shadab Khan in the space of five deliveries, slipping from 116 for two in 14.3 overs to 123 for five in 15.2 overs. When Fakhar Zaman departed at the score of 150 in 17.5 overs, a score of 180 plus looked out of reach.However, Iftikhar and Shaheen demonstrated their power-hitting abilities to collect 32 runs in the remaining 13 deliveries to guide Pakistan to a score from where they could dictate terms.Babar Azam and Saim Ayub had laid the foundation of a strong total before the boat rocked, which was solidified by Iftikhar and Shaheen. After Mohammad Rizwan was run-out in the second over, Babar and Saim put on 87 runs from 57 balls for the second wicket.Babar, who batted at No. 3 to allow Saim to open the innings with Rizwan, notched up his 35th career T20I half-century when he scored 57 runs off 43 balls with a strike-rate of 132.5. His innings was studded with eight fours and a six.Babar has now scored 3,880 runs in 115 matches and will be aiming to become the second batter after Virat Kohli to achieve the 4,000 runs milestone. Kohli has scored 4,037 runs in 117 T20Is. Rohit Sharma has 3,974 runs in 151 matches, but he won’t be playing any T20Is until next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Saim struck four fours and three sixes in a 29-ball 45.

Sports Bulletin ReportLeicester (UK): ECB Women’s Development XI beat Pakistan Women by 37 runs in the only Warm-up match at Upton Steel County Ground, Leicester. Muneeba Ali top scored for Pakistan with 31 including four boundaries. Grace Potts dismissed four batters while Linsey Smith and Lauren Filer returned for two wickets each as Pakistan managed 103-9 in the 20 overs. Earlier, ECB Development XI after opting to bat first scored 140 for nine in 20 overs. England’s international Danni Wyatt top-scored for her side with a 34-ball 57, which included nine fours and one six. Nida Dar was the most successful bowler for the visitors, grabbing two wickets for 11 runs. Pakistan women’s team will travel from Leicester to Birmingham today to feature in first of the three T20I, scheduled at Edgbaston on Saturday. The first ball of the T20I match will be bowled at 2.30pm local time.Scores in brief:ECB Women Development XI 140-9, 20 overs (Danni Wyatt 57; Nida Dar 2-11)Pakistan Women 103-9, 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 31; Grace Potts 4-13, Linsey Smith 2-12, Lauren Filer 2-24)Tour schedule:11 May – 1st T20I, Birmingham (2.30pm local time) 17 May – 2nd T20I, Northampton (6.30pm local time) 19 May – 3rd T20I, Leeds (1.00pm local time)21 May – One-Day warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Northampton (11.00am local time)23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship) 26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

Sports Bulletin ReportDublin (Ireland): The Pakistan men’s cricket team will kick off its Europe tour with the first of three T20Is against Ireland on Friday May 10, 2024). The remaining two matches will also take place at the Castle Avenue on Sunday and Tuesday, before the team heads to Headingley, Leeds, on Wednesday for a series of four T20Is against England.Following the England series, with matches scheduled at Headingley (22 May), Birmingham (25 May), Cardiff (28 May), and The Oval, London (30 May), both England and Pakistan will head to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. England will face Scotland in Barbados on 4 June in their opening match, while Pakistan will launch their campaign against the USA in Dallas on 6 June. This marks the first time Ireland will host Pakistan for a T20I series. The two sides have previously met only once in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2009 where Pakistan won by 39 runs with Kamran Akmal receiving the player of the match award for his 51-ball 57 and two stumpings.Interestingly, both teams are in the same group for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and will face each other in Florida on 16 June. Apart from the two sides, India, USA, and Canada are also in the same group, with the top two teams advancing to the second stage.Pakistan head coach, Azhar Mahmood said: “Our preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 began with the home series against New Zealand and now it’s all about putting the final touches on those preparations. We have clarity on our game plans, strategies and combinations. It’s about bringing everything together before we arrive in the United States.

Last night’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier final was all about Chamari Athapaththu stamping her class and authority and doing so in style! I had mentioned earlier that she is a big match player who is truly world-class and someone who can win any game on her own and last night’s terrific ton was a testament to that special ability and skill that she possesses.For Scotland, Kathryn Bryce’s absence due to injury was a huge setback, and despite a good start with the ball, the main wicket of Athapaththu eluded them, resulting in their eventual loss. After settling in and reaching her 50, Athapaththu unleashed her incredible power and stroke range at the Scotland bowlers, who crumbled under pressure. Athapaththu when in full flow, is almost impossible to stop and one felt that her breathtaking attack after reaching her fifty, and her flight from 50 to 100 in just 20 balls, left Scotland floundering.Sri Lanka’s 169-run total was always going to be a massive task for the Scotland batters, who would have struggled to achieve the target even in their skipper’s presence. Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to put up much of a fight with the bat. Sri Lanka’s dominant performance was a continuation of their exceptional recent run, led by Athapaththu’s heroics. The series wins against South Africa and New Zealand and a comfortable run in the Qualifier barring the UAE semi-final puts them in great shape ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.Despite a tough group comprising Australia, India, Pakistan and New Zealand, Sri Lanka have the potential to cause upsets and if Athapaththu can deliver in Bangladesh they may surprise a lot of followers of the game and maybe even make it to the semis there. Other than their two defeats in the group stage and final, Scotland’s performance and their journey has been nothing short of inspirational. They were not considered amongst the favourites coming into the tournament, but credit to Kathryn Bryce, her charges, and their support staff for stepping up when it mattered the most.Bryce’s mother recently revealed in an interview that even as a 10-year-old, the captain wanted to play a World Cup, it is wonderful to see her finally realise her dream. Scotland have Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies in their Women’s T20 World Cup group. I feel that they can certainly cause an upset or two, they have about four months to the event, and it all depends on how they use the time to prepare, the work has just begun for them, and I wish them the very best in this exciting journey.In recent years, the depth of women’s cricket has improved considerably with developing teams becoming more competitive than before and a lot of credit must be given to the ICC pathway events around the world, which provide opportunities and much-needed exposure to the players.As I mentioned in one of my earlier columns, new entrants Vanuatu certainly made their presence felt especially with their performance against Zimbabwe. Vanuatu beating a Full Member team was a big achievement indeed and was one of the highlights of the tournament. There was a lot of talent on display in the tournament in all 10 teams which pleased me immensely.Ireland and UAE look like teams with an exciting future, both fell at the semi-final stage, yet they both possess a lot of promising young players and have two quality leaders in Laura Delany and Esha Oza, who can take the two sides a long way in the years ahead.These are exciting times for women’s cricket as one of the top 10 teams (Ireland) that features in the ICC Women’s ODI Championship will miss out on the T20 World Cup, which clearly signifies that the gap between the top teams and Associate Member teams like Scotland and the UAE is closing, making the women’s international circuit more competitive than ever.The top teams simply can’t take things for granted anymore!At the end, I want to thank the ICC for providing me this incredible opportunity of witnessing the progression of women’s cricket up close and catching up with some of the players I played against in my career. When you are able to connect with the next generation of cricketers one-on-one and as a group, it becomes a wholesome experience while sharing of knowledge and experience takes place. This was one such event for me.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) today (May 5) announced the fixtures for the ninth ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 taking place from 3 to 20 October in Bangladesh, an event that promises to inspire and connect with a new generation of fans across the globe.Ten teams will play 23 matches, over 18 action-packed days, at two venues in Bangladesh, the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka and the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium in Sylhet as the world’s best battle it out for the ultimate prize in T20 cricket.The schedule was unveiled at an event in Dhaka, attended by Nazmul Hassan, President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board alongside Geoff Allardice, CEO of the ICC and the Captains of India and Bangladesh women’s team- Harmanpreet Kaur and Nigar Sultana respectively.Before the official fixture launch, Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina met the two captains at her residence, offering her best wishes for a successful World Cup.ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 fixtures: Thursday, 3 October 2024: England v South Africa, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Friday, 4 October 2024: Australia v Q1, Sylhet, 15h00India v New Zealand, Sylhet, 19h00Saturday, 5 October 2024: South Africa v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v England, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 6 October 2024: New Zealand v Q1, Sylhet, 15h00India v Pakistan, Sylhet, 19h00Monday, 7 October 2024: West Indies v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Tuesday, 8 October 2024: Australia v Pakistan, Sylhet, 19h00Wednesday, 9 October 2024: Bangladesh v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00India v Q1, Sylhet, 19h00Thursday, 10 October 2024: South Africa v Q2, Dhaka, 19h00Friday, 11 October 2024: Australia v New Zealand, Sylhet, 15h00Pakistan v Q1, Sylhet, 19h00Saturday, 12 October 2024: England v West Indies, Dhaka, 15h00Bangladesh v South Africa, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 13 October 2024: Pakistan v New Zealand, Sylhet, 15h00India v Australia, Sylhet, 19h00Monday, 14 October 2024: England v Q2, Dhaka, 15h00Thursday, 17 October 2024: Semi Final 1, Sylhet, 19h00Friday, 18 October 2024: Semi Final 2, Dhaka, 19h00Sunday, 20 October 2024: Final, Dhaka, 19h00

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Ireland recorded an unequivocal, 54-run win over Netherlands to knock them out of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. Tournament hosts, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have sealed the fourth semi-final spot, moving one step closer to qualification for the main event in Bangladesh later this year.Ireland beat Netherlands by 54 runs: Ireland, who chose to bat first, lost their prolific openers Amy Hunter (1) and Gaby Lewis (10) within the first 14 balls of the match as Netherlands pacer, Iris Zwilling got her side off to a perfect start in the crucial clash. Orla Prendergast (19) and Delany added 38 runs for the third-wicket to bring Ireland back in the hunt. They landed stumbled when they also lost Leah Paul for two, stuttering to 55/4 in the 10th over.Ireland roared back in contention thanks to a superb, unbeaten 89-run partnership between Delany and Eimear Richardson. The two took the fight back to the Netherlands bowlers who were bereft of answers in the second half of the Irish innings.Delany hit some scintillating shots in her undefeated 70 off 45 balls (eight fours, two sixes), while Richardson contributed 34 off 32 (two fours). Ireland finished their 20 overs on 144/4. Zwilling took two for 13 in her four overs, she was the most successful Netherlands bowler.Netherlands began their chase confidently with openers, Zwilling and Sterre Kalis adding 24 runs. The partnership was broken when Zwilling fell on the final ball of the fourth over, Kalis followed her back to the dugout in the sixth over. In-form batter, Robine Rijke fell for a duck as 24 for no loss turned into 29 for three in 5.4 overs.A 31-run, fourth-wicket stand between wicketkeeper Babette de Leede and captain, Heather Siegers revived the Netherlands’ hopes. Delany, at this stage, followed her batting brilliance to the delight of both Irish and UAE fans. The medium-pacer ran through the Dutch middle-order with figures of 3/6 in two overs. Netherlands were eventually skittled out for 90 in 17.3 overs, confirming the UAE’s entry into the semis. Prendergast also took three wickets and Arlene Kelly took two wickets.Sri Lanka beat USA by 18 runs: Sri Lanka, who won the toss and opted to bat first, found it tough to score quick runs up front against some disciplined and probing USA bowling. Geetika Kodali clinched the massive wicket of Sri Lanka captain, Chamari Athapaththu (4) in the opening over of the match.Athapaththu’s dismissal made Sri Lanka look for consolidation early on as Vishmi Gunaratne and Harshitha Madavi took time to settle. The two shared 49 runs for the second-wicket in eight overs. Gunaratne fell for 25 (22 balls, three fours). Madavi (23) was dismissed off the next delivery, leaving Sri Lanka struggling at 55/3 in 9.1 overs.USA kept the scoring rate in check in the second half of the Sri Lankan innings. Middle-order batter, Hansima Kunaratne, occupied the crease for the remainder of the innings, consuming 27 balls for her 25 runs (three fours). Nilakshi De Silva scored 21 off 29.Sri Lanka ended their innings at 123/4. Saanvi Immadi, Aditiba Chudasama and Kodali returning a wicket each for the USA.USA got off to a solid start and looked in contention for an upset until the 13th over of their innings. They tumbled from 63/1 to 87/5 as the Sri Lankan bowlers, led by Athapaththu, made some crucial breakthroughs. The skipper led the charge, taking 3/14 in her four overs, she was later named the player of the match. Udeshika Prabodhani and Inoka Ranaweera took one wicket apiece.Opener, Disha Dhingra (28 off 29 balls, four fours) was the leading run scorer for the USA. Captain, Sindhu Sriharsha chipped in with 27 (three fours), while Pooja Shah remained unbeaten on 20. They were eventually restricted to 105/6 at the end of their allotted overs, ending their tournament at the bottom of Group A after being unable to secure a win in any of their matches.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today (May 2) announced its 18-player squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland (10-14 May) and England (22-30 May). The squad will be reduced to 15 players for next month’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 after the first T20I at Leeds on 22 May to meet the ICC’s 24 May deadline.The men’s national selection committee has recalled fast bowler Haris Rauf, along with all-rounders Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha, in the 18-player squad. The two cricketers who did not make the cut from the original 17-player squad that faced New Zealand are wrist spinner Usama Mir and fast bowler Zaman Khan.Names of players: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman KhanHaris Rauf and wicketkeeper/batter Azam Khan were sidelined for the New Zealand T20Is due to injuries, while middle-order batter Muhammad Irfan Khan and wicketkeeper/batter Mohammad Rizwan were rested from the two T20Is in Lahore due to niggles.The four cricketers underwent fitness assessments at the National Cricket Academy on Tuesday afternoon, showing significant improvement. This progress has provided confidence and encouragement to the PCB Medical Panel and the team management regarding their potential availability during the seven T20Is.Salman Ali Agha has established himself as a versatile cricketer, proficient in aggressive middle-order batting and off-spin bowling. His inclusion bolsters Pakistan's spin department alongside Abrar Ahmed, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim and Shadab Khan.Hasan Ali's selection is attributed to his extensive experience, having featured in 50 T20Is and excelling in bilateral series and ICC Events. His impressive performance in the HBL Pakistan Super League 2024, where he claimed 14 wickets, further underlined his credentials. Currently representing Warwickshire in the English County Championship, Hasan adds depth to Pakistan’s bowling arsenal.Schedule of matches:10 May – v Ireland, 1st T20I, Dublin12 May – v Ireland, 2nd T20, Dublin14 May – v Ireland, 3rd T20I, Dublin22 May – v England, 1st T20I, Leeds25 May – v England, 2nd T20I, Birmingham28 May – v England 3rd T20I, Cardiff30 May – v England, 4th T20I, The Oval

Nida Dar to lead 17-member squad for the six white-ball matchesSports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The newly-appointed seven-member women’s national selection committee has named a 17-player Pakistan women’s squad for this month’s tour to England.Nida Dar will continue to lead the side, which will feature in three T20Is from 11-17 May and three ODIs from 23-29 May. The ODIs are part of ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 and this will be Pakistan’s eighth and final series in the current event cycle.Pakistan are currently sitting in fifth position with 16 points in the 10-team ICC Women Championship 2022-25 standings. The top five teams from this championship, along with hosts India, will directly qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.In addition to the six white-ball international matches, the tourists will also play two warm-up games (T20 and One-Day) against ECB Development XI on 9 and 21 May. For their first England tour since 2016, the national side will leave on Sunday, 5 May.Pakistan women squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda AkhtarPlayer support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rasheed (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Hanif Malik (fielding coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rabia Siddiq (physiotherapist), Zubair Ahmed (analyst) and Hina Munawar (chief security officer)Tour schedule:9 May – T20 warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Uptonsteel County Ground (11.00am local time)11 May – 1st T20I, Birmingham (2.30pm local time)17 May – 2nd T20I, Northampton (6.30pm local time)19 May – 3rd T20I, Leeds (1.00pm local time)21 May – One-Day warm-up game v ECB Development XI, Northampton (11.00am local time)23 May – 1st ODI, Derby (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)26 May – 2nd ODI, Taunton (11.00am local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)29 May – 3rd ODI, Chelmsford (1.00pm local time) (ICC Women’s Championship)

Pakistan to take on USA in T20 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup on June 6 in DallasAbdul Jabbar Faisal / Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Ambassador of the United States of America (USA) here Donald Blome on Tuesday Pakistan men’s cricket team, which will participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup that will take place in the USA, and West Indies simultaneously from June 1 to 29, 2024.The ambassador Donald Blome welcomed the national players accompanying Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi at his residence and extended his best wishes to the players for the upcoming T20 Cricket World Cup matches in the United States.It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan would face the USA in their opening contest of the T20 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on June 6, 2024 at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas Texas.On this occasion, Ambassador Blome presented the team members with a commemorative embassy cricket ball and autographed softball bat. The Pakistani team reciprocated by presenting the ambassador with a signed cricket bat and team jersey.

Sports Bulletin ReportLondon (UK): England Men's selection panel have named a provisional squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and United States of America (USA) starting in June and the preceding four-match Vitality IT20 series against Pakistan, which gets underway next month in Leeds.Sussex quick bowler Jofra Archer has recovered from his right elbow injury and is named in the squad. Archer’s last appearance at this level came over a year ago in England’s tour of Bangladesh in March 2023.Lancashire left-arm spinning all-rounder Tom Hartley is the sole uncapped player and, along with Surrey batter Will Jacks, are the only players not to feature at an ICC World tournament previously.Selected players, currently playing in the Indian Premier League, will return in time for the series against Pakistan, which gets underway at Headingley on Wednesday 22 May 2024.The World Cup squad will fly to the Caribbean on 31 May ahead of England’s opening group match against Scotland at the Kensington Oval, Barbados, on Wednesday 4 June.Managing Director of England Men's Cricket, Rob Key, spoke to media earlier. Rights-free video and audio files are available here.England T20 Squad for World Cup, and Pakistan Series: Jos Buttler (Captain-Lancashire), Moeen Ali (Warwickshire), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Harry Brook (Yorkshire), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire), Tom Hartley (Lancashire), Will Jacks (Surrey), Chris Jordan (Surrey), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Adil Rashid (Yorkshire), Phil Salt (Lancashire), Reece Topley (Surrey), Mark Wood (Durham)England’s Schedule of T20 World Cup:England v Scotland, Tuesday 4 June 2024, Kensington Oval, Barbados (10.30am local)Australia v England. Saturday 8 June 2024, Kensington Oval, Barbados (1.00pm local)England v Oman, Thursday 13 June 2024, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua and Barbuda (3.00pm local)Namibia v England, Saturday 15 June 2024, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua and Barbuda (1.00pm local)Schedule of England vs Pakistan Series:1st IT20: England v Pakistan, Wednesday 22 May 2024, Headingley, Leeds (6.30pm local)2nd IT20: England v Pakistan, Saturday 25 May 2024, Edgbaston, Birmingham (2.30pm local)3rd IT20: England v Pakistan, Tuesday 28 May 2024, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff (6.30pm local)4th IT20: England v Pakistan, Thursday30 May 2024, The Kia Oval, London (6.30pm local).