PCB invites 21 U19 probables for training camp 

Lahore, November 25, 2021 (PPI-OT):The junior selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board has invited 21 high-performing cricketers born on or after 1 September 2002 for a training camp that will be held in Lahore to prepare the side for the upcoming U19 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates and the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.

The camp will be staged from 26 November to 16 December before the 17-player squad departs for the UAE on 19 December for the Asia Cup to be played from 20 December to 2 January. Following the UAE event, the side will proceed to the West Indies on 3 January where the World Cup will be played from 14 January to 5 February.

For the World Cup, Pakistan will be based in Trinidad and Tobago where they will play their Group C matches against PNG (15 Jan), Afghanistan (20 Jan) and Zimbabwe (22 Jan).

If Pakistan finishes in the top-two of Group C, they will feature in the Super League, matches of which will be played in Antigua and Barbuda. In the scenario of Pakistan finishing third or fourth in Group C, their Plate Championship matches will be in Trinidad.

The 21 players have been selected based on their performances in the recently-concluded U19 tournaments, which were organised by the PCB. A few prominent top performers, such as Abdul Faseeh, Irfan Khan Niazi, Mehran Mumtaz, Haseebullah and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai graduated from the pathway events to feature in the seniors competitions, including the four-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, three-day Cricket Associations Championship and Cricket Associations Challenge.

Qasim Akram represented Pakistan Shaheens on their tour of Sri Lanka which concluded earlier this month. During the training camp, the 21 players will have an opportunity to showcase their talent and potential when they will participate in a series of preparatory activities, including intra-squad matches at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan have featured in all 13 World Cups since its inception in 1988. Their best results were in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2004 and 2006, respectively when they lifted the silverware. Pakistan finished runners-up in 1988 and 2010, while they achieved third-place in 2000, 2008, 2018 and 2020.

From the current Pakistan Test squad, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Babar Azam, Fawad Alam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Nawaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi have made a name at the global stage after featuring in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.

Probables:

Abbas Ali (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Abdul Faseeh (Northern)

Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (Balochistan)

Ahmed Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Ali Asfand (Central Punjab)

Arham Nawab (Central Punjab)

Asif Ali (Sindh)

Awais Ali (Central Punjab)

Azan Awais (Central Punjab)

Faisal Akram (Southern Punjab)

Ghazi Ghori (Sindh)

Haseebullah (Balochistan)

Irfan Khan Niazi (Central Punjab)

Maaz Sadaqat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Mehran Mumtaz (Northern)

Mohammad Umer (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

Mohammad Shehzad (Southern Punjab)

Qasim Akram (Central Punjab)

Rizwan Mehmood (Sindh)

Zeeshan Ahmed (Central Punjab)

Zeeshan Zameer (Sindh)

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

Pakistan name 12 for first Test 

Chittagong, November 25, 2021 (PPI-OT):Pakistan today announced their 12-player squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, which will be played at the Ch. Zahoor Ahmed Cricket Stadium, Chittagong from Friday. The match will start at 1000 local time.

Squad (in alphabetical order):

Babar Azam – Captain

Mohammad Rizwan – Vice captain (wicketkeeper)

Abdullah Shafique

Abid Ali

Azhar Ali

Faheem Ashraf

Fawad Alam

Hasan Ali

Imam-ul-Haq

Nauman Ali

Sajid Khan

Shaheen Shah Afridi

The second Test will commence from Saturday, 4 December at Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium Mirpur, Dhaka.

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

Zimbabwe emerge victors in thriller; Thailand, Ireland registers wins

Dubai, November 25, 2021 (PPI-OT):Zimbabwe’s last wicket pairing got the hosts across the line against USA while Ireland and Thailand got two points on board at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Harare.

BANGLADESH V THAILAND – THAILAND WIN BY 8 WICKETS (DLS METHOD)

SCORECARD

Thailand’s decision to bowl first worked out very well for them, dismissing Sharmin Akhter and captain Nigar Sultana inside the Powerplay.

In a spot of bother early at 14/2, Murshida Khatun and Fargana Hoque strung together a solid 84-run stand. Both of them fell within a span of 3.1 overs with Hoque getting to her fifty but Khatun fell four runs short.

Ritu Moni’s stay at the crease did not last long. With three quick wickets falling, Rumana Ahmed and Lata Mondal steadied the ship with a partnership worth 52 runs for the sixth wicket. Nattaya Boochatham picked up three wickets in the final over of the innings to complete her five-for as Bangladesh finished on 176/8.

Openers Sornnarin Tippoch and Natthakan Chantham began solidly for Thailand and knocked off more than half the runs with their first-wicket stand. Both the batters were extremely cautious in their approach, taking 28 overs to score 97 runs of the partnership.

Bangladesh dismissed both the openers in a span of six overs after which Nannapat Koncharoenkai and captain Naruemol Chaiwai took control of the innings.

With rain playing spoilsport, players had to retreat into the dressing room. The match was eventually called off, with Thailand winning by DLS method.

IRELAND V NETHERLANDS – IRELAND WIN BY 29 RUNS

SCORECARD

Openers Leah Paul and Gaby Lewis have recently made a habit out of providing Ireland with great starts and they didn’t disappoint after being asked to bat first. The duo put on a 61-run stand, before Caroline de Lange put the brakes on scoring by scalping both the openers.

Ireland lost wickets in a heap and found themselves at 85/5, with Eva Lynch dismissing Shauna Kavanagh and Orla Prendergast off consecutive deliveries.

Skipper Laura Delany and Eimear Richardson had to pull off the rescue act and drag Ireland out of trouble, adding 85 runs for the sixth wicket. Heather Siegers ran through the rest of the batting order with a four-wicket haul, including the wicket of Delany and Richardson as Ireland folded for 199.

Prendergast made up for her duck in the batting innings by dismissing Juliët Post for nought in the third over. Babette de Leede and Sterre Kalis weathered the early storm with a 59-run partnership.

Once de Leede was dismissed for 34, Robine Rijke joined Kalis at the crease. Their 73-run partnership took the Netherlands close to victory, though Kalis fell short of a well-deserved half-century by just three runs.

Needing to go run-a-ball in the last 10 overs with seven wickets in hand, it seemed a simple chase for the Dutch. Two run-outs, including that of skipper Siegers, changed the dynamic of the game before Prendergast struck to dismiss the well-set Rijke for 56.

Needing 35 from the last four overs, the pressure of the asking rate got to the Netherlands as they succumbed to a 29-run defeat. The Dutch, who were cruising at 158/3, were skittled out for 170.

USA V ZIMBABWE – ZIMBABWE WIN BY 1 WICKET

SCORECARD

Put in to bat first, Gargi Bhogle and Mahika Kandanala gave USA a solid start in the Powerplay, putting on 38 runs for the first wicket before departing in quick succession. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals, losing Lisa Ramjit and Shebani Bhaskar in a span of six overs.

The wicket of skipper Sindhu Sriharsha for 22 triggered a collapse as the rest of the batting unit fell apart. Tara Norris offered some resistance with a 23-ball 18 which included three boundaries but found no support from the lower order.

USA, who were 89/4 at one point, were skittled out for 131 with Loreen Tshuma the pick of the bowlers with figures of 10-2-19-3.

Modester Mupachikwa and Sharne Mayers got Zimbabwe off to blazing starting, stitching together 57 runs of the target in under 10 overs.

Despite losing both openers soon after, it looked like the hosts were cruising to victory before they collapsed in stunning fashion. Moksha Chaudhary ran riot with the ball, claiming four wickets in a span of four overs. From 73/2, Zimbabwe were seven down for 87.

At this stage, every small partnership was worth gold. Precious Marange and Loryn Phiri added 10 runs for the eighth wicket before Marange and Nomvelo Sibanda put on 18 runs for the ninth.

Once Marange got out, it was down to the No. 10 and 11 batters Nomvelo Sibanda and Francisca Chipare to get Zimbabwe across the line. At that point, they still needed 17 runs. Chipare found the ropes twice in the next over to release the pressure and finished the game off in style with a boundary as Zimbabwe got across the line by the barest of margins.

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

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 delivers record viewership globally 

Dubai, November 25, 2021 (PPI-OT):Nearly 10,000 hours of live coverage – more than ever before – offered across TV and digital platforms in 200 countries at the back of increased viewership and consumption in India, Pakistan, UK, Australia and the strategic market of USA.

Cricket and sports fans across the world enjoyed unparalleled coverage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, when the tournament returned after five years. The pinnacle of the shortest format of the sport offered explosive cricket and entertainment for everyone and featured cricket’s biggest names and best teams. The event, the biggest ever cricket tournament to be staged in the UAE and Oman, broke viewership records in several regions, including garnering a record television reach of 167 million, and a record consumption of 15.9 billion minutes in India on the Star India Network, for the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash.

The encounter is now the most viewed T20I match in history, exceeding the previous high of the India-West Indies semi-final match from the 2016 edition of the ICC event held in India. The overall TV consumption for the full tournament in India was recorded at 112 billion minutes, this despite India’s early exit from the tournament. Viewership share amidst younger audiences in India (children below the age of 15) was at a healthy 18.5% at the back of a highly successful marketing campaign “Live the Game” targeting a younger demographic.

Digital consumption for the tournament saw an explosive growth on Disney+ Hotstar in India, adding significantly to the overall television viewership in the market.

In the UK, viewership for the India v Pakistan match grew by 60% on Sky UK whereas the overall viewership for the market went up by 7%. In Pakistan, the event was being broadcast by three players for the first time namely PTV, ARY and Ten Sports, which led to further growth in viewership by 7.3% compared to the 2016 edition of the event.

In Australia, the viewership increased by 175% on the Fox Network. In the USA, which the ICC recently named as one of the focus markets for the sport, the tournament was the most viewed cricket tournament ever on ESPN+.

ICC’s partnership with Facebook was a driver for the significant increase in video views, with a total of 4.3 billion views across all channels for the tournament, compared to 3.6 billion views which were garnered for the 2019 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The consumption across ICC’s digital assets also grew, recording a total of 2.55 billion minutes. ICC’s social media channels also saw a significant growth in engagement at 618 million across those platforms, which is a 28% jump since the 2019 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said: “We are pleased with these outstanding global viewership numbers, that demonstrate the power of T20I cricket to attract a huge audience across the globe on linear and digital platforms. It reinforces our belief that there is a significant opportunity and appetite to grow the game in our strategic growth markets including the USA, so more fans can enjoy it, more kids are inspired by it and sponsors and broadcasters want to be a part of it.”

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

It’s between Abdullah and Imam for Chattogram Test 

Chattogram, November 25, 2021 (PPI-OT):Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq will have anxious moments as Pakistan take on Bangladesh in the first Test in Chattogram on Friday.

Both the openers were named in the 12-player squad that did not include fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, a confirmation that bowling responsibilities will be shared between Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Nauman Ali and Sajid Khan.

Abdullah has been with the side since the start of the year and has stroked two centuries in three first-class matches, while Imam has reclaimed his place after scoring 488 runs in five Quaid-e-Azam Trophy innings. In 11 Tests, he has scored 485 runs at 25.5.

Whether the team management opts for Abdullah or Imam, Abid Ali will definitely have a new opener partner.

Shan Masood was Abid’s partner for the Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, England and New Zealand Tests, while Imran Butt opened the innings with Abid in the Tests against South Africa, Zimbabwe and West Indies.

Apart from the opener, the middle-order seems pretty stable and settled with Azhar Ali, Babar Azam and Fawad Alam, followed by wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan at No.6.

Bangladesh will be without experienced Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan with the former still recovering from a finger injury and latter not available due to a hamstring injury.

The home side are considering as many as three Test debutants in this game. Captain Mominul Haq has hinted that Mahmudul Hasan may open while Yasir Ali is a strong candidate at No 6. Rookie fast bowler Rejaur Rahman may also play ahead of Ebadot Hossain.

The momentum is also against Bangladesh who lost all the three T20Is despite preparing slow, low and turning tracks. Pakistan won the first T20I by four wickets while chasing 128 for victory, second by eight wickets after being set a 109-run target and third by five wickets on the last ball in pursuit of a 125-run target.

Pakistan have played three series in Bangladesh and won five of the six Tests, with their last win in Dhaka in May 2015 by 328 runs. Azhar Ali and Mushfiqur Rahim are the only players from either sides to participate in that match.

Azhar had scored 226 and 25, while Mushfiq scored 12 and zero as Azhar walked away with the player of the match, which will also be remembered for centuries from Younis Khan (148) and Asad Shafiq (107) as well as match figures of 36.3-7-128-7 by Yasir Shah, who will miss the series as he is yet to recover from a thumb injury he sustained during the National T20.

Pakistan squad (from): Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain, wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi

Bangladesh squad (from): Mominul Haque (captain), Shadman Islam, Saif Hasan, Najmul Hossain, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Nurul Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Nayeem Hasan, Taijul Islam, Ebadot Hossain Chowdhury, Abu Jayed Chowdhury, Yasir Ali, Mahmudul Hasan, Rejaur Rahman.

For more information, contact:
Media Manager,
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-5717231-4
Fax: +92-42-5711860
Website: www.pcb.com.pk

Rizwan, Rahul advance in MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings 

Dubai, November 24, 2021 (PPI-OT):Mohammad Rizwan and Lokesh Rahul have gained a slot each to occupy fourth and fifth positions, respectively, in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings.

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan’s upward movement is courtesy his 90 runs in the three-match series against Bangladesh that his side won 3-0, while opener Rahul is only six rating points behind after scoring 80 in two matches against New Zealand, a series also won 3-0 by India.

New Zealand’s Martin Guptill has gained three slots to reach 10th position scoring 152 runs against India while Rohit Sharma is 13th, gaining two places after topping the series with 159 runs. Suryakumar Yadav has galloped 24 places to 59th position.

Pakistan’s Fakhar Zaman is another one to move up the batsmen’s list, from 40th to 35th.

The rankings for bowlers see Mitchell Santner gain 10 slots to reach 13th position with four wickets in the series against India and Bhuvneshwar Kumar up five to 19th with three scalps. Deepak Chahar has moved up 19 slots to reach 40th position.

Others to progress in the list include Mahedi Hasan (up six places to 12th) and Shoriful Islam (up three places to 40th) of Bangladesh, and the Pakistan pair of Shadab Khan (up two places to 14th) and Hasan Ali (up 16 places to 44th).

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