Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report Rotterdam (Holland):-Pakistan showed nerves of steel to avoid embarrassment against 13th-placed Netherlands when they carved out nine runs victory in a low-scoring third match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League on Sunday. After six of the eight scheduled series of three ODIs each, third-placed Pakistan has 120 points with 12 wins, with the top three sides separated by five points. Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Pakistan produced a dismal batting performance to stutter to 206 all-out in 49.4 overs. Nevertheless, and like they have done so many times in the past, they bounced back strongly with the ball to dismiss the Netherlands for 197. The home side required 56 runs off the final 10 overs, then 35 runs in 30 balls and finally, 14 runs in the last over that was bowled by Mohammad Wasim Jnr. Interestingly, Pakistan applied pressure on their inexperienced opponents by suffocating them for runs by bowling a total of 178 dot balls instead of taking wickets, which had appeared to be the only way to win the encounter at the halfway stage. While the bowlers stuck to the plan and maintained a tight line and length, the fielders backed them as well as they could to continue to increase the pressure. Babar Azam also demonstrated intelligent captaincy when he made timely bowling changes that didn’t allow the Dutch batters to dictate terms. All the Pakistan bowlers came to party and brought the smiles back on the faces of their captain, head coach and the bowling coach. Naseem Shah, playing his third ODI, took a five-fer and finished with figures of 10-0-33-5, while Mohammad Wasim provided excellent support with career-best figures of 9.2-0-36-4. Shahnawaz Dahani and Zahid Mahmood, playing their first matches of the tour, returned figures of 10-0-37-0 and 8-0-39-0, respectively. Mohammad Nawaz conceded 41 off his 10 overs. The result was a heartbreak for Tom Cooper, who plays his professional cricket in Australia and notched up his third successive half-century of the series. After scoring 65 and 66 in the previous two losing causes, he top-scored with 62 from 105 balls with four fours. When he became the seventh batter to be dismissed in the 46th over with 33 runs required, it was curtains for the Dutch. After the Netherlands had slipped to 37 for three, Cooper added 71 runs for the fourth wicket with Vikramjit Singh (50). The 35-year-old veteran of 29 ODIs added another 56 runs for the sixth wicket with Teja Nidamanuru (24) after the home side were in serious bother at 116 for five. Earlier, electing to bat first after making four changes in the starting line-up, Pakistan played an unprecedented 179 dot balls to limp to 206 all out in 49.4 overs. Babar Azam top-scored with 91, fourth time he had been dismissed in the 90s in 92 matches. He reached his 22nd half-century from 84 balls, including 50 dot balls, while his remaining 41 runs came at a run-a-ball. Dropped when 20, Babar’s uncharacteristic and not-so-fluent innings included seven fours and two sixes, and ended when he offered a return catch to off-spinner Aryan Dutt. Babar, who was the sixth batter out at the score of 168 in the 43rd over, added 55 runs for the second wicket with Fakhar Zaman (26, 43 balls) and 46 runs for the third wicket with Salman Ali Agha (24, 42 balls). Mohammad Nawaz was the other batter who made some contribution to the Pakistan score with a 35-ball 27 with one four and two sixes. No.9 batter Naseem Shah provided some entertainment late in the order. In the nine balls he received, he successfully reviewed umpire’s decisions twice, survived a run-out but was involved in Zahid Mahmood’s run-out, before becoming the last-wicket to fall when he holed out to Logan Van Beek off Vivian Kingma, who finished with figures of two for 15. The most successful Dutch bowler was medium-pacer Bas de Leede, who took three for 50 off nine overs, but the bowler who impressed everyone was 19-year-old wrist spinner Shariz Ahmad, claimed the wicket of Salman and finished with figures of 8-0-41-1. The two changes in the top-order included opener Abdullah Shafique and wicketkeeper/batter Mohammad Haris, who replaced Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan, respectively. Debutant Abdullah lasted just five balls before being bowled by Kingma, while Haris faced 10 balls before he was caught by Tom Cooper inside the 30-yard circle off de Leede at a time when Pakistan were struggling and captain Babar Azam was standing at the non-striker’s end. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat the Netherlands by nine runs, Pakistan win series 3-0 Pakistan 206 all out, 49.4 overs (Babar Azam 91, Mohammad Nawaz 27, Fakhar Zaman 26, Salman Ali Agha 24; Bas de Leede 3-50, Vivian Kingma 2-15) Netherlands 197 all out, 49.2 overs (Tom Cooper 62, Vikramjit Singh 50, Teja Nidamanuru 24; Naseem Shah 5-33, Mohammad Wasim 4-36) Player of the match – Naseem Shah (Pakistan)

Sports Bulletin Report Rotterdam (Holland):-Opening batter Abdullah Shafique received the One Day International Cap in the 3rd One Day International match against Holland at Rotterdam on Sunday, as Pakistan skipper Babar Azam decided to bat first after winning that toss. Pakistan Playing XIs Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (c), Agha Salman, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Zahid Mahmood, Shahnawaz Dahani Netherlands Playing XIs Vikramjit Singh, Max O'Dowd, Bas de Leede, Tom Cooper, Scott Edwards (C & WK), Teja Nidamanuru, Logan van Beek, Musa Ahmed, Shariz Ahmad, Aryan Dutt, Vivian Kingma Match Officials: Umpires:             Michael Gough (England) Rizwan Malik (Netherlands) TV Umpire: Adriaan van den Dries (Netherlands) Reserve Umpire               : Nitin Bathi (Netherlands) Match Referee: Chris Broad (England)

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 Rotterdam (Holland):-Shaheen Shah Afridi has been advised 4-6 weeks rest by the PCB Medical Advisory Committee and independent specialists following latest scans and reports. This means Shaheen has been ruled out of the ACC T20 Asia Cup and home series against England, but is expected to return to competitive cricket in October with the New Zealand T20I tri-series, which will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022. Shaheen had suffered a right knee ligament injury while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. PCB Chief Medical Officer, Dr Najeebullah Soomro: “I have spoken with Shaheen and he is understandably upset with the news, but he is brave young man who has vowed to come back strongly to serve his country and team. Although he has made progress during his rehabilitation in Rotterdam, it is now clear he will require more time and is likely to return to competitive cricket in October. “PCB’s Sports & Exercise Medicine Department will be working closely with the player over the coming weeks to ensure his safe return to competitive cricket.” Shaheen will stay with the squad to complete his rehabilitation. His replacement for the ACC T20 Asia Cup will be announced shortly. The Pakistan side will arrive in Dubai from Rotterdam on Monday.

Sports Bulletin Report Rotterdam (Holland):- Pakistan outclassed hosts Netherlands by seven wickets in second ODI, as the Mohammad Rizwan lifted Pakistan to third in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League with a comfortable seven wickets victory over the Netherlands on Thursday. Babar scored a strokeful 65-ball 57, while Rizwan completed 1,000 ODI runs in his 49th match on the way to 69 not out as Pakistan achieved the 187-run target in 33.4 overs. The two reliable and dependable batters had joined the act at the score of 11 for two and added 88 runs for the third wicket. Babar, who reached his 21st career half-century from 52 balls with six fours, struck seven fours, while Rizwan hit six fours and a six in an 82-ball innings. The wicketkeeper-batter had completed his first half-century in four matches from 72 balls with four fours. The two had paired together after Fakhar Zaman found a leading edge to be caught by Vivian Kingma off his own bowling. Four balls later, Kingma dismissed Imam-ul-Haq, who was caught by Logan van Beek at point. While Rizwan was innovative and cheeky, as always, Babar was elegant, graceful and attractive, as ever, hitting almost everything from the sweet-spot of his willow until he perished with a mishit off off-spinner Aryan Dutt. The two batters dominated the proceedings from the very start and immediately shifted the pressure back on the Netherlands who were aiming for more wickets after quickly removing the two openers. Following Babar’s departure, Salman Ali Agha joined Rizwan and returned unbeaten on 50, his maiden half-century in his second appearance. Salman showed signs of talent and skills when he played some delightful strokes, including his only six that turned out to be the winning shot that also brought him his 50. He faced 35 balls and hit five fours and two sixes, and added 92 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket. Earlier, the Netherlands elected to bat first and lost their first three wickets for eight runs and last seven wickets for 178 runs to be bowled out for 186 in 44.1 overs. Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz equally shared six wickets between them conceding 16 and 42 runs, respectively, while Naseem Shah snapped up two for 27. 22-year-old Bas de Leede was the Netherlands’ leading scorer with an impressive 89 (120 balls, 2x4, 3x6) before he fell to Haris, while Tom Cooper followed up his 65 on Tuesday with 66 (74 balls, 7x4, 2x6). The two batters put on 109 runs for the fourth wicket. The third match of the series will be played on Sunday. Scores in brief: Pakistan beat the Netherlands by seven wickets in second ODI The Netherlands 186 all out, 44.1 overs (Bas de Leede 89, Tom Cooper 66; Haris Rauf 3-16, Mohammad Nawaz 3-42, Naseem Shah 2-27) Pakistan 191-3, 33.4 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 69 not out, Babar Azam 57, Salman Ali Agha 50 not out; Vivian Kingma 2-32) Player of the match: Mohammad Nawaz (Pakistan)

Bipin Dani Sri Lanka's batting all-rounder Shehan Jayasuriya, who is one among the few migrated players to the USA is a top scorer in the Minor League Cricket (MCL) with 647 runs. The 30-year-old cricketer is one among the four Sri Lankan professionals playing in the MCL in the USA. The other three are Amila Aponso, Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Milantha. Shehan Jayasuriya plays for the Silicon Valley Strikers team, which is being led by India's one-time U-19 World Cup winning squad Unmukt Chand. Incidentally, Unmukt Chand (519) and Lahiru Milantha (511 runs) are in the top ten scorers in the middle of the MCL season. The final will be played this month.  "I am so happy with what I have achieved and also this is my new chapter after I left Sri Lanka. I am so glad to get an opportunity to play here", Lahiru Milantha said over the telephone from the USA. Angelo Perera is likely to return to Sri Lanka for a few days. "My wife and a small kid (5 months) are there and I miss them. Will come there for a week to pick them", he said. As per the ICC rules, the migrated players can play for other national teams after three years.       

Sports Bulletin Report Kabul (Afghanistan):-Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the 17-men squad for the ACC Men's T20 Asia Cup 2022, which will be played from August 27 to September 11, 2022 at the two different international cricket venues Dubai and Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). From the 16 players who are part of the Afghanistan Squad for the ongoing Ireland T20I Series, Samiullah Shinwari has replaced Sharafuddin Ashraf, who is now part of the reserve players for the event, along with Qais Ahmad and Nijat Masoud. In addition, the left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, who was replaced by Mujeeb Ur Rahman for the Ireland series, has also found his way to the side. Chief selector Noor Malikzai: “The Asia Cup is an important event for us and, as such, we have picked our best available players for the event. Samiullah Shinwari has been added to the side for the Asia Cup. He is in very good form and can give further impetus to the batting department, which already boasts Ibrahim Zadran, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Najibullah Zadran and Mohammad Nabi. Shinwari has not played any international match since March 2020, but he has done well in the recently held Shpageeza Cricket League 2022 and demonstrated that he is a good option to strengthen our middle order." The Afghanistan National Team is currently in Ireland for a 5-match T20I series against Ireland. The team will depart for UAE for the Asia Cup after Wednesday's series decider against Ireland. Names of Players: Mohammad Nabi (Captain), Najibullah Zadran (Vice Captain), Afsar Zazai (Wicketkeeper), Azmatullah Omarzai, Farid Ahmad Malik, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Karim Janat, Mujib ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq, Noor Ahmad, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Wicketkeeper), Rashid Khan, Samiullah Shinwari and Usman Ghani. Reserve Players:  Nijat Masoud, Qais Ahmad, and Sharafuddin Ashraf Asia Cup 2022 Schedule: August 27: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan August 28: India vs Pakistan August 30: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan August 31: India vs Qualifier September 1: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh September 2: Pakistan vs Sri Lanka September 3: B1 vs B2 September 4: A1 vs A2 September 6: A1vs B1 September 7: A2 vs B2 September 8: A1 vs B2 September 9: B1vs A2 September 11: Final

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-India will play two five-Test series each against Australia and England during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the period 2023-27 that was confirmed today. The announcement of the FTP, a result of a 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 of the series are for the Members to announce in due course. India kick off their engagements for the next cycle with a tour of the West Indies in July next year, when they play two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is. After hosting Australia for limited overs series, India will embark on their next full tour in December 2023 to South Africa. India, who finished runners-up to New Zealand in the first ICC World Test Championship that ran from 2019-21, play the first of their four five-Test series against England at home starting January 2024. They play Australia in an away series from November that year to January 2025, England in a series starting June 2025 and again versus Australia at home in January-February 2027. Afghanistan, who debuted in Tests in Bengaluru in June 2018, will be hosted again by India in the coming FTP cycle as they are pencilled to play one Test and three ODIs in mid-2026. India are also committed to playing other limited overs series against Australia, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and the West Indies over the next four years apart from matches that are part of the two WTC cycles falling in this period. WTC series: India’s WTC fixtures for the 2023-25 series comprise home series against Bangladesh, England and New Zealand and away series in Australia, South Africa and the West Indies. In the 2025-27 WTC, they are scheduled to play Australia, South Africa and the West Indies at home, while their away series will be in England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. The announcement of the Men’s FTP comes a day after the first ever Women’s FTP was announced. 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.” Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI, said: “I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all my colleagues at the CEC for the historic Women’s FTP – the first of its kind and the continued spirit of partnership to conclude the Men’s FTP which provides certainty to all the members to develop their cricketing eco-systems as well as commercial programmes around their own calendars.”

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.”