Sports Bulletin

Abdullah Asjad RAWALPINDI (November 13, 2021):-It will be all Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when the National Under-19 Cup final takes place between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on Sunday. Both teams topped their Pools in the 12-team tournament, as the winning team will receive PKR1million while the runner-up will bag PKR500,000. The players will have the incentive to bring out their best performances as the tournament’s top performers – best player, best batter, best bowler and best wicketkeeper – will receive PKR50,000 each. The player of the final will be awarded PKR20,000. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites topped Pool A with four wins from five outings in the tournament. Central Punjab U19 Whites also finished with eight points in the group, but on better net run-rate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites qualified for the final. In Pool B, three teams Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues, Sindh U19 Blues and Central Punjab U19 Blues finished with eight points each from five matches, but again on better net run-rate, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues qualified for the final. Players to watch out for in the final: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites - Afaq Khan: The 18-year old Afaq has featured in five matches scoring 273 at 54.60. The left-handed batter has scored one century and one half-century in the tournament and currently is second on the list behind Central Punjab U19 Whites’ batter Azan Awais who has scored 313 runs from five matches. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues - Maaz Sadaqat: Maaz is a good all-round player available to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues. The 17-year old left-handed batter has scored 245 runs from five matches at 49, with one century and one half-century. He with his left-arm spin has taken eight wickets from five matches at 8. His best figures in the match was four for 25. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues – Salahuddin: In the bowling charts, Salahuddin with his left-arm spin is second on the chart. In five matches, he has taken 12 wickets with four for 15 his best figures in the match. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites – Khalid Shah: Khalid Shah has 12 scalps to his name from five matches in the tournament. The right-arm fast bowler has taken one five-wicket haul, with five for 21 his best figures in the match.

Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (November 13, 2021):-Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 Final, Janette Brittin, Mahela Jayawardena and Shaun Pollock were announced as the newest inductees into the prestigious ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. These legends will be formally inducted by fellow ICC Hall of Famer, Sir Clive Lloyd at the much-anticipated final between New Zealand and Australia on Sunday 14 November before the game gets underway at the Dubai International Stadium. The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame recognises the achievements of the legends of the game from cricket’s long and illustrious history. 106 players have been inducted since its launch in 2009, with Brittin, Jayawardena and Pollock as the latest inductees celebrated. Today’s inductees played in 284 Tests, 814 ODIs and 67 T20 Internationals between them. Janet Brittin was a mainstay of the England Test team for 19 years, helping to pave the way for women’s cricket between 1979 and 1998. Mahela Jayawardena retired as one of Sri Lanka’s greatest ever players, a key member of the team that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2014 and reached four other major ICC finals. Whilst South Africa’s Shaun Pollock was one of the finest bowling all-rounders the game has ever seen and was the first player to achieve the 3,000 run and 300 wicket doubles in both Test and ODI cricket. ICC Acting CEO Geoff Allardice said: “The ICC Hall of Fame is our way of honouring and celebrating the greats of our game. Only the very best players are recognized for their contribution to cricket in this way. I would like to congratulate Mahela and Shaun on their induction into this illustrious group and it is a wonderful way to commemorate Janette’s life and career.” Reacting to the news of Brittin’s induction, Angela Bainbridge, friend of Janette Brittin said: “I would like to extend my thanks to the ICC for the incredible honour they have bestowed on Jan by inaugurating her into the Hall of Fame. I along with Jan’s parents Maggie and Kevin are incredibly proud of her and her achievements and this award recognises both the player and the person that she was. You could not wish to meet a more humble or talented player and she always gave 100% whether she played for club, county, or country.” “Jan truly was a wonderful player and a fantastic role model for those that followed her. She would have loved to play in the professional forum that the girls enjoy today and would be proud of how they have all moved the game forward. It is sad that Jan is not able to collect this trophy herself, but her memory will live on.” Mahela Jayawardena commented: “I am thrilled to have been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. It’s a very special honour to follow in the footsteps of legends Sanga and Murali from Sri Lanka and so many other great cricketers of the past. “I am very grateful for the recognition and would like to enjoy and share the moment with all those that have helped me on my journey, including my family, friends, coaches, team-mates and, most importantly, Sri Lanka cricket fans who passionately supported and inspired me during my career.” Shaun Pollock said: “I would like to thank the ICC for this recognition of my career. It’s an amazing honour to be included in the Hall of Fame alongside the very illustrious company that has already been inducted. It’s a real cherry on the top or maybe even a book end of what has been a thoroughly enjoyable cricketing experience and I’d like to thank my teammates who played such a massive part along the journey.” Some career highlights of the latest inductees: Janette Brittin One of England’s most-successful batters with a Test career spanning 19 years Made her Test debut against West Indies in 1979, aged 19 Scored maiden ODI century against an International XI in New Zealand in 1982 Top-scored with 46 not out in the 1988 World Cup final, a defeat to Australia at the MCG Won World Cup in 1992, top-scoring again and taking the winning catch In 27 Test matches, she averaged 49.61 for her record 1935 runs and scored five hundreds In 63 ODIs, scored 2121 runs with an average of 42.42  ODI career included five centuries and a highest score of 138 not out in 1982 After her playing days, Brittin taught at Danes Hill school in Oxshott, Surrey She kept up her associations with cricket and in particular with Surrey, where she coached younger players She was awarded an MBE in 1999 but died in 2017 at the age of just 58. Mahela Jayawardena Made his Sri Lankan Test debut in 1997 Scored 66 Test debut runs towards Sri Lanka’s record total of 952-6 against India Scored 11,814 Test runs at average of 50.05 In 448 ODIs, he scored 12,650 runs at 33,37 Scored 1493 runs in 55 T20Is Along with Kumar Sangakkara, scored world record partnership of 624 v South Africa in 2006 He was a key member of the team that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2014 Played a part in Sri Lanka reaching four other major ICC finals He became the first Sri Lankan to score 10,000 Test runs His 374 against South Africa at Colombo in 2006 is a Sri Lankan record As coach, he has led the Mumbai Indians to three IPL titles. Shaun Pollock The first player to achieve the 3,000 run / 300 wickets double in both Test and ODI cricket Remains South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in all international cricket Took 5-32 against England at Cape Town in his first Test series and followed up with the double of 66 not out and 4-34 in his first ODI In 108 Tests, scored 3,781 runs at an average of 32.31, and took 421 wickets Played in 303 ODIs, scoring 3,519 runs at 26.45 and took 393 wickets Scored 86 runs in 12 T20Is, taking 15 wickets. Spent more than five years as the top ranked ODI bowler in the ICC’s rankings As captain, led South Africa to their first Test series victory in the Caribbean  

BIPIN DANI Earlier this week (Wednesday) the owners and the management of Shree Thaker Bhojanalay at Kalbadevi Road in South Mumbai were not surprised when a table for Gujarati Thali was booked by Sachin Tendulkar's wife Anjali, but yes, they were "pleasantly surprised" to see Little Master on their guest list. "It was because Anjali, being born in a Gujarati family, has been a regular visitor at our restaurant. She dines here frequently and sometimes with her friends, parents or our chief minister's wife but when we saw Sachin also here this time, our joy knew no bounds", says Hemraj Purohit, the manager of the restaurant. The occasion was Anjali Tendulkar's 54th birthday (yes, she is 7 years elder to our Little Master)". The family had decided to celebrate the birthday at Shree Thaker Bhojanalaya, the restaurant famous for Gujju food served in Gujarati Thalis. The restaurant, which is over 75 years old, is located in the most crowded area of the city. The restaurant has a tradition of saying "padharo jamva" (welcome to dine) in Gujarati / Marwadi style to each visitor. "To avoid rush, the family with about 20 people came at around 11.45 and dined and left within 45 minutes. They had brought the cake with them and a special section was provided to them for their privacy". Anjali's parents and friends were there. Daughter Sara was there. Son Arjun was not there. Anjali Tendulkar was born to a well known Gujarati family in India. Her father Anand Mehta (well-known bridge player) is an Indian while her mother Annabel (NGO worker) belongs to a British country. So that’s why her family has a taste of modernism. This beautiful woman Anjali, a pediatrician (not doing practice) married to a well known cricketer Sachin Tendulkar in 1995. "They all tasted all the items served to them and enjoyed the food", the manager adds. "Had a ??? (very good) Gujarati thali at Shree Thaker Bhojnalaya to celebrate Anjali’s birthday. Her Gujju genes are strong but our jeans’ buttons were weak after this meal! ????", Sachin Tendulkar later said on social media.

H Shah MANCHESTER (November 11, 2021):-In my capacity as England captain and as a senior player at Yorkshire, I feel compelled to address the current situation that has consumed the sport and YCCC. I just want the sport to be a place where everyone is enjoying it for the beautiful game it is and feels equal and safe. It hurts knowing this has happened at YCCC so close to home. It’s my club that I care passionately about it. I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting. There is no debate about racism, no one side or other. It is simply intolerable. These events have fractured our game and torn lives apart. We must now recover and come back together as fans, players, media, and those who work within cricket. We have an opportunity to make the sport I love better for everyone. I want to see change and actions that will see YCCC rise from this with a culture that harnesses a diverse environment with trust across all communities that support cricket in the county. We need to educate, unify and reset. I will reach out to YCCC new Chair, Lord Patel, to offer support however I’m able. We have to find a way to move forward and make sure this never happens again. In my opinion, this is a societal issue and needs addressing further afield than just cricket. That being said, we, as a sport, all have to do more. How can we all help shape things moving forward positively? What can everyone from myself, the ECB, counties, players, officials and others in the sport do to improve the state of the game? I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I think we need to educate more and earlier; we must call it out straight away and have our eyes and ears open more. Inclusivity, diversity and anti-discrimination is something over the past few years the England teams I have been involved in have spent a lot of time talking about and are very passionate about improving and making a big difference. It’s a big part of our culture, and we want to celebrate our diversity. We are representing England, and in that, we are representing the multicultural society we live in. We want all the fans to be able to enjoy what we do on the field and feel proud about who’s representing them. “With the Ashes fast approaching, I’d really like the fans back home to unite and get behind us as a team. We will be playing for you all, “Root said in his statement.

BIPIN DANI: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board has empowered former captain Mahela Jayawardene, who is a member of the National Sports Council to suggest the new coach for the national team, it is learnt. The discussion on Mickey Arthur's fate was discussed by some members in the Ex-co meeting, which was held at the SLC on Tuesday. It is also learnt that the services of head coach Mickey Arthur and few other coaching staff will be discontinued after the home series against the visiting West Indies team. Roshan Mahanama, who was one of the choices of the Aravinda de Silva-led cricket advisory committee is no more a front-runner. Muthiah Muralitharan had expressed very high opinion about him but because of lack of coaching experience Mahanama may not be at the helm, it is understood. Few of the Ex-co members are persuading Mahela to take up the head coach post but because of Mahela's other commitments, Sri Lankan coaches will also be considered along with the few overseas coaches.

BIPIN DANI: The visiting West Indies team, which arrived in Colombo on Monday will spend three days in hotel room quarantine before they begin their training, it is learnt. According to the sources in the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board, the players and the support staff members are arriving in different batches. The team will be playing a 4-day warm up match (November 14-17) in Colombo before heading to Galle for the two Test matches (Nov. 21-25 & Nov. 29-Dec.3). The home team which arrived on Saturday is not required to be in quarantine. "The players are given a short break and they will assemble in Galle on November 13", the source further added.

Jamil Siraj Sydney, Australia (November 10, 2021):-Cricket Australia has fined Victoria player James Pattinson 100 percent match fee, as he was found guilty of a Level 2 offence under the Cricket Australia Code of Conduct. Pattinson was charged and found guilty under Article 2.7 of the Code for throwing a ball at or near a player in an inappropriate and/or dangerous manner during a match. Pattinson was fined 100% of his match fee for the Marsh Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and New South Wales held on November 5-8, 2021. He also received one suspension point and will be ineligible for selection in the Victoria v New South Wales Marsh One-Day Cup match on November 12. Pattinson has the right to appeal the decision.

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (November 9, 2021):-England will play two additional men’s Twenty20 Internationals to the five T20Is originally planned when they will tour Pakistan in September/October 2022, England and Wales Cricket Board Chief Executive Tom Harrison announced today following his meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Ramiz Raja. The men’s side will then return to Pakistan in November/December at the back of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 to play three Tests, which will form part of the ICC World Test Championship. ECB Chief Executive Tom Harrison: “Myself and ECB’s Senior Director Martin Darlow visited Lahore to talk face to face with the PCB around some of the things that have happened over the past few weeks, leading to the cancelation of our tour in October. We also wanted to discuss the future as the two boards have a historic relationship and want to move the agenda towards a forward-looking one as opposed to one looking back. “We’re happy to announce that we’ll play two extra white-ball T20Is on our men’s tour of Pakistan in September/October 2022. We will then return after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia to complete the Test match element of that tour. “This is just to reaffirm our commitment to Pakistan cricket to getting England teams, men’s and women’s teams, eventually playing in Pakistan at home. “I don’t think there’s a cricketer in England who doesn’t want to test their abilities against the huge talent this country has and in the conditions they know best. “We also talked with our colleagues at the PCB around pathway engagement, how we can support proposals around the women’s game and some interesting ideas around the domestic agenda here in Pakistan. “We’re going to build on these plans going forward together and we’re excited about that too.” PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “The ECB have shown their large heartedness to be here for which I am thankful to Tom and Martin. It means a lot to us. “We are excited that England have committed to playing two additional T20Is as part of their white-ball tour in September/October in 2022. We put in lot of efforts to make sure that all visiting teams are comfortable in Pakistan. As such, it is a matter of pride for the Pakistan fans, who look forward to welcoming Australia and England in 2022. “England have got a great team and it’s mind-boggling how they’ve produced so many match-winners in a span of about five to seven years. They play very engaging and attractive cricket, which is fantastic for the fans and a big advertisement of the game.”

Sports Reporter LAHORE (November 9, 2021):-Balochistan beat Northern by an innings and four runs in their ninth-round match of the Cricket Associations Championship at the Saeed Ajmal Academy in Faisalabad on Tuesday. Resuming their second innings on 108 for five in 34.3 overs, Northern were bowled out for 179 in the 63rd over. Balochistan’s right-arm pacer Tariq Jameel picked four for 53 and ended-up with six wickets for 69. He was supported by Zainullah who with his left-arm spin picked three wickets in each innings and ended-up with match figures of six for 71 in 37 overs. Sindh’s Saim Ayub hit century in a drawn game against Southern Punjab at the Rana Naved Cricket Academy. Resuming their first innings on 390 for four, Southern Punjab managed to score 420 for five in 83 overs. Moinuddin returned undefeated on 170 hitting nine fours and as many sixes from 156 balls faced. Sindh in their second innings were 283 for three in 57.2 overs when stumps were drawn. Left-handed batter Saim scored 129 off 145, laced with 13 fours and three sixes. His opening partner Ahsan Ali scored 50-ball 80, which included 16 fours. Daniyal Hussain contributed an unbeaten 50 off 124, laced with four fours. At LCCA Ground in Lahore, Central Punjab played out a drawn game against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Resuming their first innings on the overnight score of 337 for nine in 65 overs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bowled out for 343. Zohaib Khan who resumed his batting on 96 scored an unbeaten 102 off 84, which included 11 fours and five sixes. Central Punjab in their second innings were 306 for seven in 70 overs when stumps were drawn. Rizwan Hussain top-scored with a 82-ball 74, hitting 11 fours and two sixes while Mohammad Waheed batting at number six scored an unbeaten 56 off 87, laced with five fours. Nisar Ahmad (42 off 54, four fours, one six) and Mohammad Irfan Khan (40 off 56, five fours) were other contributors with the bat. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Saqib Jamil picked three for 45. Scores in Brief: Balochistan beat Northern by an innings and four runs at Saeed Ajmal Academy, Faisalabad Northern 102 all out, 45.4 overs (Ali Sarfraz 27, Kashif Ali 25; Zainullah Snr 3-25, Mohammad Shahid 2-9, Tariq Jameel 2-16, Aftab Ahmed 2-28) and 179 all out, 62.2 overs (Ziad Khan 50; Tariq Jameel 4-53, Zainullah 3-46, Fahad Iqbal 2-10) Balochistan 285-9, 83 overs (Mohammad Shahid 72 not out, Fahad Iqbal 60, Hanan Achakzai 55; Farhan Shafiq 4-107, Kashif Ali 2-32) Match drawn between Southern Punjab v Sindh at Rana Naved Cricket Academy, Sheikhupura Sindh 387-8, 83 overs (Usman Khan 136, Ahsan Ali 101, Saim Ayub 54, Danish Aziz 40; Ahsan Baig 2-51, Ahmad Hassan 2-58, Umer Khan 2-112) and 283-3, 57.2 overs (Saim Ayub 129, Ahsan Ali 80, Daniyal Hussain Rajput 50; Umar Khan 2-70) Southern Punjab 420-5, 83 overs (Moinuddin 170 not out, Mukhtar Ahmad 142, Zeeshan Ashraf 67; Danish Aziz 2-147) Match drawn between Central Punjab v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at LCCA Ground, Lahore Central Punjab 403-3, 83 overs (Abdul Samad 108, Ali Zaryab 88, Rizwan Hussain 99 not out, Irfan Khan 91 not out) and 306-7, 70 overs (Rizwan Hussain 74, Mohammad Waheed 56 not out, Nisar Ahmad 42) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 343 all out, 67 overs (Zohaib Khan 102 not out, Waqar Ahmed 80, Mohammad Mohsin Khan 47, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 42, Saqib Jamil 33; Nisar Ahmad 3-63, Sohaibullah 2-36, Mohammad Waheed 2-78)

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (November 9, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for October which recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year. The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the winners of the ICC Player of the Month Awards for October which recognise and celebrate the best performances from both male and female cricketers across all forms of international cricket throughout the year. Pakistan’s Asif Ali and Ireland’s Laura Delany have been voted the ICC Players of the Month for October. Ali beat Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan and Namibia's David Wiese to the men's award, and Delany beat teammate Gaby Lewis and Zimbabwe's Mary-Anne Musonda to the women's prize. Ali scored 52 runs without defeat across three matches for Pakistan in October at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring at a strike rate of 273.68. He first grabbed headlines at the tournament by blasting 27 not out from 12 balls to help Pakistan defeat New Zealand, but it was what he did in the next game that made him a household name. With Pakistan needing 24 runs off the final two overs against Afghanistan, Ali hit four sixes in the 19th. Commenting on Ali’s performance ICC Voting Academy member Irfan Pathan said: “Helping your team to win, especially from the jaws of defeat is what makes Asif Ali special. And he did that not just once but twice,". Although he scored considerably less than other two nominated players, the contribution he made and the pressure situations from where he snatched the victories made all the difference.” Ireland captain Delany shone in their 3-1 ODI series win over Zimbabwe. The all-rounder flourished with bat and ball, scoring 189 runs at 63, and taking four wickets at 27. Commenting on Delany’s performance ICC Voting Academy member Lisa Sthalekar said: “Laura has been playing International cricket for over a decade and has the difficult task of captaining her country, which carries a great weight of expectation. I have been following her career, ever since I played alongside her in the Gordon Women’s Club in Sydney and watched her development. This recent series was a breakout series for her as she was able to register her highest ODI score and is a worthy recipient of the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for October.”