Day: June 21, 2023

Lahore, June 21, 2023 (PPI-OT): Greetings from NOC Pakistan!

We are pleased to inform you that Olympic Day 2023 will be celebrated in Pakistan with great enthusiasm. It is informed that the Olympic Day celebration is an annual event celebrated worldwide, commemorating the foundation of the modern Olympic Movement on 23 June 1894. It provides a unique opportunity to engage people of all ages and backgrounds in sports activities, promoting the Olympic spirit and encouraging active lifestyles. POA have planned a series of events, which are outlined below:

Plantation Drive shall be organized on 20th June 2023 at Government College University Lahore.

Plantation Drive shall be organized on 21st June 2023 at Lahore College for Women University Lahore.

Olympic Day Run/Competitions shall be organized by the various National Sports Federation/ Services and Department affiliated with NOC Pakistan on 23rd June 2023 at their respective headquarters/cities.

The main Olympic Day Ceremony and Run shall be organized by NOC Pakistan on 24th June 2023 at 1730 hours at DHA Sports Complex Lahore.

For more information, contact:

Pakistan Olympic Association

Olympic House, 2-Hameed Nizami (Temple) Road,

Lahore, Pakistan

Postal Code: 54000

Phone: +92-42-36280002, +92-42-36373753

Email: info@nocpakistan.org

Website: https://nocpakistan.org/

Dubai, June 21, 2023 (PPI-OT): Root first grabbed number one position in August 2015 and was last at the top in December last year, when Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne grabbed the top spot. Root is presently on 887 rating points, four more than second placed Kane Williamson and 10 ahead of Labuschagne, who is in third place. Another batter to make gains within the top 10 is Player of the Match Usman Khawaja, progressing two places to seventh position after smashing 141 and 65 in the Ashes opener. Harry Brook of England (up five places to 13th) and Alex Carey of Australia (up seven places to 29th) are others to make notable progress in the batting rankings for their performances in Birmingham.

England fast bowlers Ollie Robinson and Stuart Broad have gained one slot each after finishing with five and six wickets in the match, respectively. Robinson is in fifth place and Broad in ninth, even as veteran James Anderson retains second position in the list led by Ravichandran Ashwin. In the latest weekly update, which also considers performances in the one-off Test between Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Mirpur, Mohimul rose 17 slots to 53rd place after his 121 in the second innings. His teammate Najmul Hossain Shanto has shot up 25 spots to 54th after his first set of centuries. He smashed 146 in the first innings, followed by an equally impressive 124 in the second.

Mehidy Hasan skipped two places to 25th in the bowlers’ list after taking two wickets for 15 in just nine overs. His fellow bowlers, Ebadot Hossain and Shoriful Islam took four for 47 and two for 28, gaining three and 12 places respectively for their 62nd and 71st spots on the list. The MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings sees Sri Lanka’s batsmen make gains after their performances in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe. Kariyawasa Asalanka rose three places to 40th, while his teammates Kusal Mendis rose two slots to 50 and Pathum Nissanka jumped five spots from 62nd to 57th in the batters’ list.

Other notable gains were made by Oman batters, Aquib Ilyas Sulehri, who rose four places to 51st, along with Zeeshan Maqsood who rose six places from 65th to 59th and Kashyap Prajapati who is up five places to 91st. Maqsood also gained five places to reach 40th in the bowlers’ rankings and attained a career-best number three in the all-rounders’ list after rising two places. Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams rose five places to 53rd, while captain Craig Ervine leaped 12 slots to 79th.

Meanwhile, Saurabh Netravalkar has attained a career-best 18th position in the bowlers’ rankings, becoming the first USA player to reach the top 20 in either the batting or bowling lists of the ODI rankings. UAE’s Aayan Afzal Khan has jumped 10 slots to 37th and Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani and Richard Ngarava rose to 54th and 59th respectively from 58th and 66th.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Dubai, June 21, 2023 (PPI-OT): Australia and England have been fined 40 per cent of their match fee and penalised two ICC World Test Championship points each for maintaining slow over-rates during the first Test in Birmingham. Andy Pycroft of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after the teams were ruled to be two overs short of their targets 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 fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

In addition, as per Article 16.11.2 of the ICC World Test Championship playing conditions, sides are penalised one point for each over short. Consequently, two World Test Championship points will be deducted from both teams’ points total. Captains Pat Cummins and Ben Stokes pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for formal hearings. On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Marais Erasmus, third umpire Chris Gaffaney and fourth umpire Mike Burns levelled the charges.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com

Lahore, June 21, 2023 (PPI-OT): Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) in collaboration with the Government College University Lahore (GCU Lahore) planted saplings in the GCU, Lahore as part of the Olympic Day Celebration 2023. “Plant – Preserve – Plant” has long been a permanent feature of the POA programs to promote tree plantation drives across Pakistan. This initiative, under the theme “Plant – Preserve – Plant,” aligns with POA’s commitment to combat climate change and promote environmental sustainability in line with the Olympic Agenda 2020+5.

The picturesque Oval Ground of GCU Lahore was the site of the tree plantation drive witnessed by esteemed individuals to foster the Olympic spirit within the community. Under the guidance of Lt Gen (R) Syed Arif Hasan, President of the Pakistan Olympic Association, this event aimed to reinforce POA’s commitment to promoting environmental sustainability as part of the cherished Olympic values. By planting trees, the participants symbolized their dedication to building a greener future and their support for a healthy ecosystem.

Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi TI, the Vice Chancellor of GC University Lahore, expressed delight in hosting the Pakistan Olympic Association, Olympians, national heroes, and international athletes in this prestigious international event. He emphasized the significance of Olympic Day in celebrating sports, physical activities, and environmental conservation. By embracing the Olympic spirit collectively, the community can make a lasting impact and promote environmental consciousness. The Oval Ground of GCU was declared the Olympians Corner.

Present among the attendees were dignitaries including the Olympic Family, Olympians, national heroes, and international athletes as well as the faculty of GCU Lahore planted trees on the occasion. Prof. Dr. Asghar Zaidi TI, the Vice Chancellor of GC University Lahore, Mr. Manzoor ul Hasan Senior, Hockey Olympian and Ms. Shabana Akhtar, Track and Field Olympian interacted with the participants at the occasion. The presence of distinguished guests accentuated the importance of the occasion. Their participation showcased their unwavering support for the Olympic Movement and their commitment to inspiring others through sports.

The tree plantation drive at GCU Lahore exemplifies the Pakistan Olympic Association’s commitment to the Olympic values of friendship, excellence, and respect. By organizing such events, the NOC Pakistan aims to encourage people of all ages and abilities to engage in sports activities, fostering unity, healthy living, and overall well-being within the community. The celebrations of Olympic Day 2023 will continue throughout the week. POA shall continue to work along with the educational institutions to promote the Olympic Values across the communities.

For more information, contact:

Pakistan Olympic Association

Olympic House, 2-Hameed Nizami (Temple) Road,

Lahore, Pakistan

Postal Code: 54000

Phone: +92-42-36280002, +92-42-36373753

Email: info@nocpakistan.org

Website: https://nocpakistan.org/

Dubai, June 21, 2023 (PPI-OT): New Zealand became the latest nation to qualify for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 in Sri Lanka, as a series of strong displays saw them emerge victorious from the East Asia-Pacific Qualifier that concluded in Australia today. Unbeaten throughout the event, and recording big victories in the process, the talented crop led by skipper Oscar Jackson were confirmed as the 13th team heading to next year’s main event, by virtue of finishing the tournament at the top of the standings following a convincing win in their final fixture against Indonesia on Monday.

New Zealand now join Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe as the confirmed teams in Sri Lanka 2024. The victors enjoyed several highlights throughout the tournament, owing to a number of fine individual performances since the tournament opener on 12 June. Zac Cumming, Alex Thomson and the tournament’s top run-scorer Tom Jones (283 runs) were notable architects of New Zealand’s surge to qualification, highlighting all-round strength of the table-topping side.

Reacting to his side’s qualification for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, New Zealand captain Jackson commented, “Obviously, all of the boys are stoked about our qualification. We have been extremely lucky to have enjoyed such awesome preparation over the last few months in the lead up to this tournament. “As a team, we are delighted to come to Darwin and play a style of cricket that we are all really proud of. I’m so proud of the way in which the boys have come together, to form such a positive and inclusive environment.

“Our squad knows that there’s still plenty of hard work to come over the next few months in the lead up to Sri Lanka, but we are pleased with the direction we are heading in as a team.” Elsewhere, Japan enjoyed a prolific run of results despite their loss in the tournament opener. Winning their last five fixtures in Darwin to eventually finish in second place, they could also boast the tournament’s top-wicket taker, Kiefer Yamamoto-Lake, who took 17 wickets, including phenomenal figures of seven for 11 runs against Vanuatu.

Following the last round of fixtures on Wednesday, Fiji bowler Sunia Tuiwai Yalimaiwai was awarded the Player of the Tournament prize, most notably for his match-winning exploits against PNG (three for 23) and Indonesia (five for 13). Other bowlers also hit the headlines in Darwin, with no fewer than three hattricks recorded over the ten-day tournament period. New Zealand’s qualification means just three spots remain open for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, and the final competing nations will be decided through the remaining Regional Qualifiers in Africa, Europe and Americas.

The next event, the Africa Regional Qualifier, will be held in Tanzania from 23-29 July and the teams aiming to seal their place at the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda. The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 will see the world’s most exciting young talent go head-to-head, continuing the event’s rich legacy of forging the future stars of the men’s game. The fifteenth edition of the tournament sees it return to Sri Lanka for the first time since 2006.

Remaining Qualifying Events for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024

Africa Regional Qualifier, 23-29 July 2023, Tanzania

Competing Teams: Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe Regional Qualifier, 6-12 August, Netherlands

Competing Teams: Guernsey, Italy, Jersey, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland

Americas Regional Qualifier, 11-17 August, Canada

Competing Teams: Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, Suriname, USA

ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 Qualification Structure

16 teams will be competing at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Sri Lanka 2024 over 41 matches. 11 teams have automatically qualified for the event as the best-placed Full Member nations from the previous event in 2022. These are: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe. The remaining five spots are determined through regional qualification pathways, with one team from each region securing a place at the event.

Americas and EAP each host one qualifying event in 2023, with the winner of each event sealing a spot at the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Sri Lanka 2024. The Africa, Asia and Europe regions each have a two-step qualification structure. These regions hosted Division 2 Qualifiers in 2022 to determine the teams that will compete in the second and final qualifying event, the Regional Qualifier, with events taking place in 2023.

Only the winning teams from the Regional Qualifiers will qualify to compete at the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Sri Lanka 2024. The Asia and EAP qualification pathways concluded with Nepal and New Zealand advancing from their respective regions.

For more information, contact:

Headquarters,

International Cricket Council (ICC)

Street 69, Dubai Sports City,

Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE

Phone: +97-143828800

Fax: +97-143828600

E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com

Website: www.icc-cricket.com