Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Member of the 2009 T20 World Cup wining squad and former Pakistan cricketer Sohail Tanvir has been appointed as head of the junior selection committee. Sohail made his international debut in 2007 and made two Test, 62 ODI and 57 T20I appearances for Pakistan. He picked up 130 wickets and scored 612 runs across the three formats.Sohail’s first assignment as chairperson of the junior selection committee will be the selection of the Pakistan U19 squad for the 2023 ACC U19 Asia Cup scheduled to be held between 8 and 17 December in UAE. Pakistan U19 will later take part in the ICC U19 World Cup from 13 January to 4 February in Sri Lanka.Sohail Tanvir said: “I am truly honoured and grateful for the opportunity provided by Chairman PCB Management Committee Mr Zaka Ashraf to serve as head of the junior selection committee. Being appointed chairman of this committee is a huge responsibility and I am looking forward to this exciting challenge.“I believe in the potential of our young talent and we collaboratively aim to build a pathway for success from the grassroots to the international level. Our first task will be selection of the U19 squad for upcoming ACC U19 Asia Cup, as we prepare to build a strong team to compete in the ICC U19 World Cup later next year.”  

Sports Bulletin ReportAhmedabad (India): The English duo of Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough will be the on-field umpires for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad.This will be the second time Kettleborough would be in the middle for the showpiece occasion. The 50-year-old previously stood alongside Kumar Dharmasena in the 2015 final, which saw Australia overcome New Zealand at the MCG.More than 93,000 spectators watched on that occasion and a three-figure crowd is expected tomorrow as the host nation look to replicate the Indian team of 2011 and lift the World Cup on home soil.Illingworth and Kettleborough, who were promoted to the ICC International List on the same day in November 2009, both acted as on-field umpires during this week’s semi-finals. Illingworth oversaw India’s victory over New Zealand, with Kettleborough in charge of Australia’s thrilling win against South Africa.Both men are previous winners of the David Shepherd Trophy, awarded to the ICC’s Umpire of the Year.Kettleborough, who reached a century of ODIs as an umpire earlier in the tournament when Netherlands took on Sri Lanka, took home the prize in three consecutive years between 2013 and 2015 and Illingworth added his name to the illustrious list in 2019 and 2022.On Sunday, the pair will be joined by Joel Wilson as third umpire, fourth umpire Chris Gaffaney and match referee Andy Pycroft, all of whom were part of the officiating teams across the semi-finals.Match officials (India v Australia):On-field Umpires: Richard Illingworth & Richard KettleboroughThird Umpire: Joel WilsonFourth Umpire: Chris GaffaneyMatch Referee: Andy Pycroft 

Omaima, Sana Fatima, Shawaal return in the 17-member squadSports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Fatima Sana, Omaima Sohail and Shawaal Zulfiqar stage a comeback in the Pakistan women’s team as the national selection committee headed by Saleem Jaffar announces a 17-member squad for the New Zealand tour scheduled to take place later next month.The side will play three T20Is in Dunedin and Queenstown from 3-9 December, before taking on New Zealand in three ICC Women’s Championship 2022-25 ODIs from 12-18 December in Queenstown and Christchurch.Iram Javed, who was part of the 15-member squad for Bangladesh tour this month, was omitted from the squad and the experienced Omaima Sohail comes in the side after an all-round performance in for Pakistan A in the recently held T20 tri-nation series and bilateral series at home.18-year-old Shawaal Zulfiqar, who made her international debut against South Africa in September this year, makes a comeback after topping the batting charts in the tri-series with 106 runs including one half-century.Right-arm fast bowler Fatima Sana, who was ruled out of the bilateral series against Bangladesh due to injury, has recovered and is available to the side for the six white-ball matches.Pakistan squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda AkhtarPlayer support personnel: Nahida Khan (manager), Mauhtashim Rashid (interim head coach), Saleem Jaffar (bowling coach), Taufeeq Umar (batting coach), Mohammad Asfand Yar (strength and conditioning coach), Syed Nazir Ahmed (media manager), Rifat Asghar Gill (physiotherapist) and Zubair Ahmed (analyst)Series schedule:3 Dec – 1st T20I, Dunedin5 Dec – 2nd T20I, Dunedin9 Dec – 3rd T20I, Queenstown12 Dec – 1st ODI, Queenstown (ICC Women’s Championship)15 Dec – 2nd ODI, Christchurch (ICC Women’s Championship)18 Dec – 3rd ODI, Christchurch (ICC Women’s Championship)

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Former Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz has been appointed as the chief selector of the national men’s selection committee. His first assignment will be the selection of the national men’s squad for the three-match Test series against Australia from 14 December to 7 January in Australia and the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from 12 to 21 January in New Zealand.Wahab, who made his international debut in 2008, represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 91 ODIs and 36 T20Is picking up 237 wickets and scoring 1200 runs across the three formats. He was Pakistan’s second-most successful bowler in World Cups, registering 35 wickets across three editions of the marquee event.Wahab Riaz: “I am honoured to assume the role of chairperson for the national men's selection committee and I extend my gratitude to Chairman PCB Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, for entrusting me with this responsibility. The decision to involve former players in cricketing matters is commendable and I am willing to work for the betterment of Pakistan cricket.“Heading a selection committee is a challenging task. We have a significant Australia tour coming up that is part of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle and a T20I series against New Zealand that will allow us to develop a formidable unit leading up to the ICC T20 World Cup in the USA and West Indies in June next year.“I have a good rapport with the Pakistan Men’s Team Director Mohammad Hafeez and we will be working closely for the success of Pakistan cricket. My primary goal would be to give weightage to the top performers in domestic cricket and announce well-rounded squads equipped with the necessary skillsets. I will always be available to the players for feedback and advice." 

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Lahore Blinds’ cricket players outclassed opponents from Bahawalpur by 9 wickets in the final to lift the title of the 14th edition of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2023 (Grade-1), here at Shalimar Cricket Stadium on Friday.In the morning, Lahore won the toss and put Bahawalpur into bat. Bahawalpur openers Mohammad Rashid and Moain Aslam gave them a brisk and solid start. Their first wicket fell at the score of 161 runs when Mohammad Rashid was run out after scoring 93 runs off 54 balls. Moain Aslam and Zafar Iqbal then made another formidable partnership. Bahawalpur posted a mammoth total of 231 runs on the board in stipulated 20 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Maoin Aslam made 85 runs off 53 balls and Zafar Iqbal played a little cameo of 22 runs off 9 balls.Lahore in reply played exceptionally well and chased the target of 232 runs in the last over of the innings in a nail-biting finish for the loss of 1 wicket. Badar Munir exceptional form with the bat continues he remained unbeaten on 123 runs off just 70 balls featuring 20 (4’s) while Mohammad Salman played a handy innings of 76 runs off 40 balls to guide their side home. Mohammad Ejaz was the only bowler from Bahawalpur to claim a wicket.Man of the Match: Badar MunirRao Abid (Senior Vice President NBP Islamabad Region), Syed Sultan Shah (President World Blind Cricket Ltd & Chairman Pakistan Blind Cricket Council), Abdur Razziq Khattak (General Manager CSR OGDL), Syed Salman Bokhari (Director Cricket Operations PBCC), Shahzad (Deputy Director Sports CDA) were the guests of the occasion and distributed prizes amongst the players.Players of the Tournament:B1: Zafar Iqbal (Bahawalpur)B2: Badar Munir (Lahore)B3: Mohammad Rashid (Bahawalpur)Best Wicket Keeper: Ismail Shah (Peshawar)  

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: ISLAMABAD: Bahawalpur and Lahore reached the final of the 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2023 (Grade-1) after beating Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Islamabad respectively by 8 wickets and 80 runs here at Shalimar cricket ground on Thursday. The final will be played on Friday at the same venue.First semifinal (Bahawalpur beat AJK by 8 wickets):In the morning, Bahawalpur won the toss and decided to bowl first. Azad Kashmir made competitive 204 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Kamran Akhter scored his consecutive ton and remained unbeaten at 102* runs off 58 balls while Mohammad Tehseen made 38 runs off 33 balls. Saqib Ali and Mohammad Shahzaib took one wicket each for Bahawalpur. In reply, Bahawalpur openers Moain Aslam and Mohammad Rashid dominated Azad Kashmir bowlers and gave a brisk start that helped their side to reach the target in 19.1 overs. Moeen Aslam scored brilliant 56 runs off 35 balls whereas Mohammad Rashid made 50 runs off 30 balls. Mohammad Zafar played a Captain’s knock of unbeaten 38 runs to guide his side home. Mohammad Idrees Saleem took 1 wicket for Azad Kashmir.Man of the Match: Moain Aslam Second semifinal (Lahore beat Islamabad by 80 runs):The second semifinal of the event was played between Islamabad and Lahore. Islamabad won the toss and put Lahore into bat. Lahore posted a massive total of 289 runs on the board for the loss of 4 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Badar Munir played a dazzling innings of unbeaten 204* runs off 83 balls and Mohammad Rizwan made 27 runs.   In reply, Islamabad was restricted to 209 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Akmal Hayat was their highest scorer with 54 runs off 41 balls and Shahzaib Haider made 35 runs off 26 balls. Anees Khan took 3 wickets, Rizwan and Ahmer Iftikhar claimed 1 wicket each for Lahore. Man of the Match: Badar Munir

Bahawalpur, and AJK set to meet in first semifinal, Lahore to face hosts Islamabad on ThursdaySports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Bahawalpur, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Lahore and hosts Islamabad have advanced into the semifinals of 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy 2023 (Grade-1), Islamabad. On Thursday, the 1st semifinal will be played between Bahawalpur and Azad Kashmir while in the 2nd semifinal Lahore will take on Islamabad, as the both semifinals will be played at Shalimar Cricket Ground. Lahore beat AJK by 9 wickets at Shalimar Ground:In the morning, Lahore won the toss and asked AJK to take guard. AJK made 213 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in stipulated 20 overs. Kamran Akhtar was the highest scorer with unbeaten 107* runs off 69 balls and Idrees Saleem made 24 runs. Mohammad Rizwan claimed 3 wickets and Salman took 1 wicket for Lahore.  In reply, Lahore chased down the target with ease in just 17.1 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Sanwal Shehzada once again played a superb innings of 99 runs off 58 balls well supported by Badar Munir, who remained not out on 89* runs off 47 balls.Man of the Match: Sanwal ShahzadaPeshawar beat Okara by 16 runs at PAF Ground:Peshawar won the toss and decided to bat first. Peshawar set the competitive total of 180 runs on the board for the loss of 7 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Sana Ullah Khan was the leading scorer with 91 runs off 57 balls while Mohammad Asif made 34 runs. Shehzad Akram took 2 wickets and Kashif Siddique fetched 1 wicket for Okara. In Reply Okara made 164 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. Umer Daraz was the top scorer with 44 runs off 27 balls and Fasi Ullah made 35 runs for Okara. Mohammad Asif, Mohsin Khan and Haroon Khan took 2 wickets each.Man of the Match: Sana Ullah Khan. Bahawalpur beat Islamabad by 52 runs at Shalimar Ground:Islamabad won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bahawalpur set massive total of 242 runs on the board for the loss of 3 wickets in allotted 20 overs. Mohammad Rashid once again shined with the bat and played an excellent innings of unbeaten 112* off 62 ball, well supported by Moeen Aslam who scored 56 runs off 35 balls.Fakhar Abbas grabbed 2 wickets while Anees took 1 wicket for Islamabad.In Reply Islamabad scored 190 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. Anees Javid was the top scorer with 54 runs off 41 balls and Hasnain Shamim made 36 runs. Babar Ali fetched 3 wickets while Zafar and Saqib took 1 wicket each.Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid Multan beat Guranwala by 8 wickets at PAF Ground:Multan won the toss and decided to bowl first. Gujranwala posted the competitive total of 224 runs in alloted 20 overs. Tayyab Rehmani was the top scorer with 58 runs off 26 balls while Israr Hassan made 52 runs off 29 balls. Abdul Razzaq, Safder and Shahbaz took 1 wicket each for Multan. In Reply Multan reached the target in 19 overs for the loss of 2 wickets. Mohammad Safder was the leading scorer with 129 runs off 68 balls and Ahsan Razzaq chipped in with 40 runs off 41 balls. Zubair and Israr claimed 1 wicket each for Gujranwala. Man of the Match: Mohammad Safder.

ISLAMABAD (Press Release): Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Bahawalpur, Lahore, and hosts Islamabad earned victories on the second day of the 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy” Grade-1 here at two different venues on Tuesday.Azad Kashmir stun Peshawar by 10 wickets at Shalimar ground:In the first match of the day, Peshawar won the toss and decided to bat first. Peshawar made 85 runs in allotted 10 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Haroon Khan made 37 runs and Sanaullah Khan chipped in with 16 runs. Usman Ali took 1 wicket.In reply, Azad Kashmir with the help of Captain Nisar Ali’s superb innings of unbeaten 62* runs off 31 balls reached the target in 7.2 overs without any loss.Man of the match: Nisar Ali.Bahawalpur beat Gujranwala by 23 runs at PAF Ground:In 2nd match of the day, Gujranwala won the toss and asked Bahawalpur to bat first. Bahawalpur set the competitive target of 131 runs on the board for loss of 1 wicket in the allotted 10 overs. Mohammad Rashid Shined with the bat, he made 59 runs off 30 balls and well supported by Moen Ali, who scored unbeaten 48* runs off 29 balls. Syed Zubair Shah took 1 wicket.In reply, Gujranwala scorred 108 runs in allotted 10 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Akram was their top scorer with 44 runs. Mohammad Shah Zaib took 1 wicket for Bahawalpur.Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid.Lahore outclass Okara by 10 wickets at Shalimar Ground:In the 3rd match of the day, Lahore won the toss and decided to bowl first. Okara team scored only 99 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in the allotted 10 overs. Abu Huraira was the leading scorer with 22 runs. Mohammad Rizwan and Karamat Ali took 1 wicket each.In reply, Lahore reached the target with ease in just 8.4 overs without any loss.  Badar Munir Played superb innings of unbeaten 67* runs off 33 balls and Sanwal Shehzada made 22 runs.Man of the Match: Badar Munir.Islamabad beat Multan by 6 wickets at PAF Ground:In the last match of the day, Multan won the toss and elected to bat first. Multan made 110 runs for the loss of 2 wickets in stipulated 10 overs. Mohammad Sadar was the prominent scorer with unbeaton 84* runs off 41 balls. Matti Ullah took 1 wicket for Islamabad.In reply, Islamabad reached the target in 6.4 overs by losing their 4 wickets. Shah Zaib Haider was the top scorer with unbeaten 46* runs off 22 balls While Matti Ullah made 35 runs off 11 balls. Hafiz Farhan, Abdul Razzaq and Safdar shared 1 wicket each. Man of the Match: Matti Ullah.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Pakistan bowling coach, Morne Morkel from South Africa, has resigned from his post as the bowling coach of the Pakistan Men’s team.According to a press release of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the former South Africa pacer joined the Pakistan team on a six-month contract in June this year. Morkel’s first assignment with the men’s team was their tour to Sri Lanka for the two-match Test series.

Islamabad, AJK, Bahawalpur, and Lahore register victories on opening dayAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Islamabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Bahawalpur, and Lahore register victories on the opening day of the 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy” Grade-1, which commenced at two different venues simultaneously on Monday.Ahsan Mumtaz, Head of Finance & Commercial, NBP Islamabad region, Syed Sultan Shah Chairman Pakistan Blinds Cricket Council (PBCC) & President, World Blind Cricket Ltd, and Syed Salman Tariq Bokhari Director Marketing PBCC were present on this eve.Islamabad beat Gujranwala by 88 runs (Shalimar Ground):In the first match of the morning, Gujranwala won the toss and decided to bowl first. Islamabad made a mammoth total of 267 for 2 runs in allotted 20 overs. Matiullah played unbeaten innings of 140 runs off 64 balls hitting 15 boundaries and 5 sixes, while Anees Javed made quick 41 runs. Talha Iqbal was the only bowler to claim a wicket.In reply, Gujranwala was restricted to 179 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Israr Hassan and Mohammad Akram 49 and 45 runs respectively. Akmal Hayyat was the pick amongst bowlers with 2 wickets and Fakhar Abass claimed 1 wicket.Result: Islamabad won by 88 runs: Man of the match: MatiuallhAJK beat Okara by 5 wickets (PAF Ground):In the 2nd match of the tournament, AJK won the toss and asked Okara to bat first. Okara made 161 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Abu Huraira was the top scorer with 40 runs while Shahzad Akram chipped in with 36 runs. Kamran Akhtar and Idrees Saleem took 2 wickets each.In reply, AJK chased the target of 162 runs in 17.5 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Ali Jhangir made unbeaten 38 runs and Usman Ali scored 31 runs.Mohammad Arsalan took 2 wickets while Mohammad Arfan, Shahzad Akram and Iftikhar Hussain Tiger took one wicket each.Result: AJK won by 5 wickets: Man of the Match: Idrees SaleemBahawalpur beat Multan by 165 runs (Shalimar Ground):In the penultimate fixture of the day, Bahawalpur won the toss and decided to bat first. Match was reduced to 18 overs each innings. Bahawalpur made 255 runs in allotted 18 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Mohammad Rashid played extraordinary well and scored a ton, he made unbeaten 155 runs off 62 balls featuring 27 boundaries. Zafar Iqbal was the 2nd highest scorer with 56 runs. Mohammad Yousaf was the only bowler from Multan to claim a wicket.In reply, Multan couldn’t make the most of the batting friendly conditions and made just 90 runs in the stipulated 18 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. Mohammad Safdar made 22 runs. For Bahawalpur, Zafar Iqbal took 2 wickets, while Mohammad Shahzaib and Saqib Ali claimed one wicket each.Result: Bahawalpur won by 165 runs: Man of the match: Mohammad RashidLahore beat Peshawar by 9 wickets (PAF Ground):In the last game of the day, Lahore won the toss and not surprisingly decided to bowl first. Sanaullah’s unbeaten innings of 98 runs off 68 balls helped Peshawar to score 198 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Haroon Khan also contributed 53 runs off 36 balls. For Lahore, Badar Munir took 2 wickets for 23 runs in his 4 overs spell.In reply, Lahore reached the target in 18.1 overs over for the loss of 1 wicket. Badar Munir also shined with the bat he got out after scoring 104 runs off 60 balls. Sanawal Shehzada remained unbeaten on 81 runs off 51 balls. Mohammad Asif was the only bowler to take the only wicket.Result: Lahore won by 9 wickets: Man of the match: Badar MunirTuesday’s Fixtures:November 14, 2023: AJK Vs Peshawar at Shalimar Cricket GroundNovember 14, 2023: Bahawalpur Vs Gujranwala at PAF Cricket GroundNovember 14, 2023: Lahore Vs Okara at Shalimar Cricket GroundNovember 14, 2023: Islamabad Vs Multan at PAF Cricket Ground