Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (UAE):-Pakistan batter Asif Ali and Afghanistan fast bowler Fareed Ahmad have both been fined 25 per cent of their match fees for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the Asia Cup match in Sharjah on Wednesday. Asif was found to have breached Article 2.6 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during an International Match” while Fareed was found to have breached Article 2.1.12, which relates to “inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator) during an International Match.” In addition to this, one demerit point each has been added to the disciplinary records of the players, both of whom did not have any previous offence in a 24-month period. The incident occurred in the 19th over of Pakistan’s innings, when Fareed came up and made inappropriate physical contact with Asif after dismissing him and the batter reacted with an aggressive gesture of the bat. Both players admitted their offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for formal hearings. On-field umpires Anil Chaudhary and Jayaraman Madangopal, third umpire Gazi Sohel and fourth umpire Raveendra Wimalasari levelled the charges. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The wicket-keeper batter becomes only the third Pakistan player to be No.1 in the MRF Tyres ICC Men's T20I Batting Rankings after Babar Azam and Misbah-ul-Haq. Nissanka, Mendis, Sharma, Kohli, Rahmanullah and Najibullah among others to move up in latest weekly update Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan has overtaken his opening partner and captain Babar Azam to seize the top position among batters in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after the weekly update carried out on Wednesday. Rizwan followed up his Player of the Match effort of 78 off 57 deliveries in an Asia Cup Group A match against Hong Kong with a crucial 71 off 51 against India in a Super Fours match in Dubai, to move from 796 rating points to a career-best 815 and claim the top position for the first time. Rizwan is only the third Pakistan batter to be No. 1 in the T20I batting rankings after Babar, who has been at the top of the table for 1,155 days in all, and Misbah-ul-Haq, who was at the top for 313 days, from 20 April 2008 to 27 February 2009. Meanwhile, Mohammad Nawaz’s match-winning 42 off 20 in the same match sees him move up 142 slots to 358th in the rankings. India’s Suryakumar Yadav has dropped to fourth place in the latest update even as a host of players from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan have made their way up after some fine performances in the Asia Cup. Sri Lanka openers Pathum Nissanka and Kusal Mendis have made notable progress after scoring half-centuries in a memorable win against India on Tuesday. Nissanka is up one place to eighth while Mendis has advanced 63 places to 41st position. Dasun Shanaka (up 11 places to 39th) and Bhanuka Rajapaksa (up 31 places to 68th) have also moved up the rankings for batters while off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana has progressed five places to eighth among bowlers. Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s Player of the Match effort of 84 off 45 balls that helped beat Sri Lanka in a group match, has helped him progress 14 places to 15th while Najibullah Zadran has moved up two places to 28th after scoring 43 against Bangladesh. Spinners Mujeeb ur Rehman (up three places to sixth) and Mohammad Nabi (up two places to 32nd) have also gained in the latest update. India captain Rohit Sharma has gained four slots to reach 13th position after scoring 72 against Sri Lanka in their Super Fours match while former captain Virat Kohli has gained four places and is 29th in the list after scoring 60 against Pakistan. Ravichandran Ashwin (up eight places to 50th) and Arshdeep Singh (up 28 places to 62nd) have also progressed. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings updated after the second and third Australia versus Zimbabwe matches and the first Australia versus New Zealand match, Australia’s David Warner has moved up one place to sixth position among batters and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson up one place to 10th.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Australia’s Commonwealth Games gold medallists Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney are shortlisted following their triumph in Birmingham alongside India’s Jemimah Rodrigues. Multi-format heroics are honoured in the men’s shortlist, where all-rounders Sikandar Raza, Mitchell Santner and Ben Stokes are in contention for the award. Heroes from Australia’s gold medal winning Commonwealth Games performance are honoured in the shortlist for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for August 2022. Tahlia McGrath and Beth Mooney starred with bat and ball on the way to winning the inaugural edition of women’s cricket on the event programme of Birmingham ‘22. India’s Jemimah Rodrigues is the third name shortlisted for the award following notable contributions at the crease in her side’s surge to the landmark final at Edgbaston. The nominees for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award pay tribute to some of memorable performances registered across all three formats in August. Sikandar Raza becomes the first Zimbabwe player to be nominated since Sean Williams back in March 2021, thanks to a series of outstanding contributions with the bat against Bangladesh and India. New Zealand all-rounder Mitchell Santner demonstrated his multi-format capabilities with bat and ball in August during his side’s series against Netherlands and West Indies, while Ben Stokes completes the lineup following his heroics at Old Trafford in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) second Test which saw the England skipper restore parity for his side against South Africa. ICC Women’s Player of the Month Nominees for August: Tahlia McGrath (AUS) McGrath was a key member of Australia’s gold medal winning team, taking five wickets at an average of 13.40 and scoring 114 runs throughout August. Despite a quiet showing in the final itself, her star performance came in the victory over Pakistan, where she scored 78 not out, took three wickets and registered a run out. This run of performances also helped her reach her career-high ranking of 12th among all-rounders in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings. Beth Mooney (AUS) Mooney is a player for the big occasion, and her nomination for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month Award is no surprise following an outstanding array of performances to secure her side’s gold medal. She registered a remarkable 167 runs in her three T20Is during August, and followed up her half-century in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final victory back in April with a match-winning score of 62 against India in the final of the Commonwealth Games. Jemimah Rodrigues (IND) August was a prolific month for India’s young batter, and despite falling agonizingly short at the final hurdle, Rodrigues played a crucial role in helping her side celebrate silver medal success at Birmingham ’22. Her score of 33 in the final got her side within touching distance of the top prize, but it was perhaps her vital contribution of 44 not out against England in the semi-final which was most important during the tournament, ensuring India took to the field in the first-ever appearance of women’s cricket at the Commonwealth Games. ICC Men’s Player of the Month Nominees for August: Sikandar Raza (Zim) Zimbabwe’s star all-rounder has enjoyed a sensational 2022 so far and continued his magnificent form in August during his side’s contests against Bangladesh and India. Raza was instrumental in claiming the ODI series victory for his side against Bangladesh thanks to unbeaten scores of 135 and 117 which came during two superb run-chases. He followed this up with a fine 115 against India in the final ODI in Harare albeit in a losing cause. In addition to his batting feats, he took seven key wickets during August, cementing his growing all-round credentials and seeing him rise to a career-high position of fourth in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings. Mitchell Santner (NZ) So often known for his bowling prowess in the shorter formats, Santner finds himself on the shortlist for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for the first time after solid performances during his side’s recent series in Netherlands and West Indies. A fine 77 not out in the Netherlands saw his side claim victory in the second T20I before he was unleashed on the West Indies batters in the ODI and T20I series that followed. Bowling superbly throughout, Santner finished the month having taken seven wickets at an average of 17 in T20Is, with a further four wickets across ODIs at an average of 21. Ben Stokes (ENG) Following a humbling defeat in the first Test, England’s talismanic skipper produced another memorable performance to help his side level the series in the WTC battle against visiting South Africa. Amassing 143 runs throughout the month and claiming seven wickets including the prized scalps of Rassie van der Dussen, Keegan Petersen and Aiden Markram, his most notable contribution came with his commanding century at Old Trafford, securing a comfortable victory and ensuring the series is in the balance ahead of the final showdown at the Oval this week.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-India’s Hardik Pandya has leaped eight slots to a career-best fifth place for allrounders in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings following his heroics with bat and ball against Pakistan in their Asia Cup clash on Sunday. He took three wickets for 25 runs and scored an unbeaten 33 from just 17 deliveries to help his side to victory by five wickets with two balls to spare, racking up 167 rating points as he went. On the opposing side, Mohammad Rizwan’s 42-ball knock of 43 saw him join his captain, Babar Azam, in the top two of the batters’ rankings with 796 rating points. Azam is still at the helm with 810 rating points. In the other two matches of the tournament, Afghanistan’s explosive start has seen several of their players make significant gains in the batters and bowlers lists. Openers, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Najibullah Zadran have climbed their way to 14th, 29th and 30th place respectively after their emphatic wins by eight and seven wickets against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Rashid Khan has moved two slots to number three in the bowlers' list with 708 rating points after taking three for 22 against Bangladesh, while Mujeeb Ur Rahman returns to the top 10 with a seven-slot leap to number nine on 660 points. In the United Kingdom, Ben Stokes advances three spaces to take second place for allrounders with 360 rating points in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings following their series-levelling, innings defeat over South Africa in the second Test match at Old Trafford. He climbs nine slots to reach 18th place with 668 rating points for batters and five slots to close at number 38 and 540 points in the bowlers' list. James Anderson is back in the top five after moving one spot from sixth place at 882 points after his combined six wickets for 62 runs in the match, while Stuart Broad slides one up to 13th at 713 rating points. Ollie Robinson goes up four places to 26th with 603 rating points to round them off. South Africa’s speedster, Anrich Nortje, was the most notable advancement in the bowlers' list from the opposition, rising three slots to 22nd with 628 rating points. Finally, in Townsville, Mitchell Starc took three for 24 in eight overs during Australia’s One-Day International (ODI) series opener against Zimbabwe, moving one slot in the bowlers' list to 15th place in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings. Glen Maxwell and Steve Smith have also moved one place each for their 18th and 19th positions in the batters list. Josh Hazlewood jumped three spaces to 25th in the all-rounders' list with 187 rating points. Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava and Victor Nyauchi advance 14 and nine spots to reach 106 and 183rd place in the bowlers' list, while the home side’s Cameron Green surged 82 slots for his position at 182 after taking his maiden ODI five-wicket haul in the match. 

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Ireland Women’s batter, Gaby Lewis, has risen six places to a career-best number 27 in the latest MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings. The move comes after Ireland’s dominant, outbound tour success against the Netherlands, where her side returned three emphatic wins to end the series unbeaten. The visitors made a strong showing with the bat in hand, Lewis making scores of 92 from 98 deliveries and 25 from 32 as she helped her side to victory by eight and five wickets respectively in the first and last matches of the series. Thanks to these dazzling performances at the crease, she now celebrates her career-best ratings points tally of 494. Leah Paul and captain Laura Delany, returned maiden ODI centuries in the second fixture of the series, becoming the first pair to score hundreds in the same innings for Ireland Women. In that team-record-tumbling match, Ireland set their highest women’s team total in ODIs of 337 for eight. The 236-run, third-wicket partnership between the pair was also the highest of any wicket in Irish women’s cricket, with Paul’s 137 from 138 deliveries the highest individual score in Ireland Women’s ODIs. If that wasn’t enough, their eventual, 210-run triumph was the team’s highest winning margin by runs in women’s ODIs. The pair make strong gains in the batters’ rankings, Delany rising 15 spots to a career-best 34th place with 455 rating points, while Paul shoots up 25 slots to 56th on 346 points. In addition, they rise to 66th and 71st respectively in the bowlers’ rankings with 280 and 266 points and in the allrounders list, Delany once again leads the charge, advancing 15 positions to 28th place, with Paul following with her own 25-place jump to share 36th spot with India’s Shikha Pandey. The final notable Irish team mention goes to Cara Murray, whose maiden five-wicket-haul (five for 39) in the same record-breaking match, saw her rise by 12 spaces to 60th in the bowlers’ rankings, with 321 rating points. While it was a losing series for the Netherlands, there were some individual gains to celebrate. Captain Babette de Leede leads the rankings advancements with a 91-slot catapult to number 120 in the batters’ rankings with 175 ratings points, thanks to her 76 from 98 balls in the series opener. Iris Zwilling advances from 144th place to 81st for bowlers and Frederique Overdijk was the all-round star with two unbeaten scores of 47 (88) and 38 (65) in the first and last matches and helpful contributions with the ball in hand. She rises 18 places to 97th spot in the batters’ rankings, while also moving 58 spots up to 116th place in the bowlers’ rankings and 61 places to number 93 in the all-rounders list.

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (UAE):-South African speedster, Kagiso Rabada gains two slots to rise to number three in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings following a thrilling bowling display in his side’s emphatic innings victory over England at Lord’s in the first of their three-match, World Test Championship series. The 27-year-old saw his name added to the honours board after taking his maiden five-wicket-haul (five for 52) at the prestigious venue, his 12th overall, and followed it up with two for 27 in England’s second innings, concluding the latest update with 836 rating points. Other gains are made by Rabada’s teammates Keshav Maharaj, who rises one place to number 18, Anrich Nortje, who jumps 14 spots to 25th place, and Marco Jansen who advances seven spaces to take up the 33rd spot. The trio also made significant strides in the All-Rounders rankings, most notably Jansen who climbs 17 slots to occupy 17th position. Jansen (48 off 79) and Maharaj (41 off 49 balls) shared a game-changing, 72-run, seventh-wicket partnership which proved crucial to their side’s winning cause. Opening batter Sarel Erwee makes the most significant advancement in the Test Batter rankings, climbing 35 places to share 64th position with England’s Jos Buttler on 476 points. Stuart Broad also rises among all-rounders after his second-innings cameo of 35 from 29 deliveries, dispatching five boundaries and a six. In a week of many major moves up the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings, India’s Shubman Gill rockets up 93 places to occupy 38th position with 570 points after spearheading his side’s 3-0 series victory against Zimbabwe in Harare. Gill’s knocks of 33 (34 balls) and 82 (72) were overshadowed by a sensational 130 from 97 deliveries in the final match, which saw him blast 15 boundaries and a six into the stands. On the opposing side, Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza also celebrates a four-place shift up the ODI rankings where he joins South Africa’s David Miller in 25th position thanks to his sixth ODI century - a dazzling 115 from 95 balls in the third and final match in the series. Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, continues to keep a tight grip on his number one spot in the batter rankings, increasing his rating points to 890 after his side beat the Netherlands 3-0 in Rotterdam. He is 101 rating points clear of second position; South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen. Leading from the front, Azam returned a half-century in every match, starting with 74 from 85 in the series opener, 57 (65) and narrowly missing out on three figures in the final match when he was dismissed on 91 from 125 deliveries. Tom Cooper of the Netherlands makes his own 108-spot surge to 75th thanks to his own three-peat of half-centuries against the tourists, returning 65, 66 and 62 runs in his respective appearances. New Zealand skipper, Kane Williamson, returned to ODI cricket for the first time since March 2020, re-entering the batting rankings in 11th place after his side beat West Indies 2-1 in their series in Barbados. Despite defeat in the opening match, Williamson showed grit with a handy 34 from 50 balls. He unfortunately had to bow out of the rest of the series due to injury, but his side bounced back strongly, coming back to claim the series. Williamson’s teammate, Finn Allen also makes major gains, climbing 121 places to land in joint 107th position with Namibia’s JJ Smit. Among other headlines, Mitchell Santner rises seven slots to 18th in the bowling rankings, along with West Indies’ Akeal Hosein, who moves 14 places to 23rd position. India’s Kuldeep Yadav reaches 34th place alongside teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Jason Holder advances 29 places to 58th, while India’s Shardul Thakur rose 10 places to number 62. Mohammed Siraj and Axar Patel round off the last of the most notable bowling moves, the former rising to 72nd, while the latter makes a significant, 84-slot rise to 83rd position. Finally, Afghanistan batter, Usman Ghani, advances 15 places to 88th in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings at the conclusion of last of the five-match T20I series against Ireland, which was ultimately won 3-2 by the hosts in Belfast. Lorcan Tucker returns to the top 100 after rising four spots to 97th place. In the bowling rankings, Joshua Little gains four slots to reach a career-best 39th spot, and among the all-rounders, Gareth Delany and Curtis Campher rise to 27th and 47th respectively from 29th and 52nd.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-West Indies have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against New Zealand in the third and final ODI in Barbados on Sunday. Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Nicholas Pooran’s side was ruled to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. In addition, as per Article 16.12.2 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League Playing Conditions, a side is penalized one point for each over short. Consequently, West Indies will lose two points from their points tally during the Super League. Pooran pleaded guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Leslie Reifer, third umpire Gregory Brathwaite and fourth umpire Nigel Duguid leveled the charge.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Netherlands all-rounder Bas de Leede has been reprimanded for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the second ODI against Pakistan in Rotterdam. de Leede was found to have breached Article 2.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to the use of an audible obscenity during an international match. In addition to this, one demerit point has been added to de Leede’s disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period. The incident occurred in the 17th over of the Netherlands’ innings. de Leede played the ball directly to a fielder and used inappropriate language which was heard through the stump microphone and on the live broadcast, necessitating an apology to the public by the commentators. de Leede admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee, Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees and, as such, there was no need for a formal hearing. On-field umpires Michael Gough and Nitin Bathi, third umpire Rizwan Akram and fourth official Adriaan van den Dries levelled the charges. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Afghanistan are scheduled to play four series against Ireland and three against Zimbabwe while also taking on top teams like Australia, India and New Zealand in the next cycle of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Future Tours Programme that runs from 2023-27. The announcement of the FTP, a result of the collective effort of Full Members with ICC’s support, ensures certainty of cricket fixtures with the confirmation of all bilateral series across the three formats. The exact dates and venues of the series are for the Members to announce in due course. Afghanistan’s commitments commence with a full away tour of Bangladesh consisting of two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is in June 2023 with Zimbabwe, Pakistan and the West Indies due to be hosted by them over the next few months. The maximum number of Tests for Afghanistan are pencilled against Zimbabwe, whom they will also play in 12 ODIs and 12 T20Is apart from five Tests. Ireland, who got Test status along with Afghanistan in 2017, will be their rivals in four Tests, 12 ODIs and 10 T20Is. The FTP announced today also confirms both home and away commitments against Australia, India and New Zealand. ICC GM of Cricket Wasim Khan said: “I’d like to thank our Members for the effort that has gone into creating this FTP for the next four years. We are incredibly lucky to have three vibrant formats of the game, with an outstanding programme of ICC global events and strong bilateral and domestic cricket and this FTP is designed to allow all cricket to flourish. “The landscape around the game is continuing to evolve and we will work closely with Members as we collectively adapt to that. We are committed to growing the game and giving more fans more opportunities to enjoy cricket, but are very mindful of the need to balance that ambition with the welfare of players.” Afghanistan Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer Naseeb Khan welcomed the announcement of the FTP. ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said: “Afghanistan Cricket Board is delighted to be a major part of the ICC’s Future Tours Program for the next cycle 2023-2027. The increased number of test matches will largely impact the growth of the game itself as well as the players, which is key in terms of our future plans. “We have always admired to be playing against the big nations and according to the new cycle, we are eagerly looking forward to playing some red-ball cricket against them. Bilateral cricket also plays an integral part in technical and financial growth, and we will work with our fellow boards to engage in more bilateral cricket. In addition to the cricket development part these matches will play a vital role in financial stability of ACB in future years.”

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed sadness at the death of former Board of Cricket Control India (BCCI) administrator and ICC Director Amitabh Chaudhary. ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “It is sad to hear of the passing of Amitabh Chaudhary. On behalf of the ICC, I extend my deepest condolences to our colleagues at the BCCI as well as his family and friends.”