Tag: (PCB)

Lahore, October 04, 2022 (PPI-OT):The 41st episode of the PCB Podcast is now available here for viewing and free downloading for editorial purposes.

In the latest edition:

Pakistan captain Babar Azam looks ahead to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022

England captain Jos Buttler hopes to return to play in front of Pakistan fans

Former England captain David Gower talks about the camaraderie between Pakistan and England players

Nick Hoult, cricket correspondent for The Telegraph, shares his experience of returning to Pakistan with the England side for cricket coverage

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

 

Lahore, October 03, 2022 (PPI-OT):In order to revive school cricket across the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board and Bank Alfalah have entered a four-year partnership. The signing ceremony between the two parties was held today at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. As per the partnership agreement, the PCB and Bank Alfalah will jointly organise a school tournament each year in which 120 schools (to be shortlisted by the PCB) will participate.

The PCB and Bank Alfalah will conduct nationwide school drives for making program-based interventions to harness and nurture youth with a strong passion for cricket.

With the growth of the partnership over the four-year period, the school participation will increase to 900 schools across the country as part of PCB’s grand plan of developing and sustaining a quality schools competition that will not only identify but will also nurture and groom future cricket stars.

A total of 105 PCB designated and approved grounds will be used for school cricket tournaments in this four-year period.

PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja: “We have entered another exciting partnership for the development of cricket. School cricket was one of our strengths in the years gone by but unfortunately we were not able to sustain organised and effective school cricket systems in recent years.

“As such, this partnership is monumental for us and I want to thank Bank Alfalah for aligning with us in the much needed initiative. Our aim is not only to revive school cricket but also to develop and sustain it for a long period.

“So many of our superstars of the 70s, and 80s were products of school cricket. This partnership will develop and groom the superstars of tomorrow. In the last one year, we have made unprecedented investment in pathway and grassroots cricket and this investment will surely benefit Pakistan cricket for the next decade or two.”

President and CEO Bank Alfalah Atif Bajwa: “Bank Alfalah stands proud of its longstanding partnership with PCB and together we’ve continued to support the shared passion for cricket in all these years working in collaboration.

“The current performance of the cricket team is a testament to the devotion and determination of Pakistanis taking the sport to newer heights. At the heart of our partnership lies the idea to help build future cricketers and provide them with the opportunities to shine at the national as well as international level.”

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

 

Lahore, October 02, 2022 (PPI-OT):The first round of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 was a productive one for the batters as seven centuries and 17 half-centuries were scored across three matches. The exciting bit – that sheds light on the quality of young cricketers – is the fact that five of the seven centuries were scored by the batters under the age of 30 and three of those five batters were 19-year-old Abdul Faseeh, 20-year-old Mubasir Khan (both Northern) and 23-year-old Abdullah Shafique of Central Punjab.

While Abdullah has broken into the Test side and established his credentials – most recently with a phenomenal 160 not out in the highest ever Test run chase at Galle this summer – the knocks of Faseeh and Mubasir underscore the depth of talent in the first-class player pool. Faseeh stroked his maiden century in only second first-class match and Mubasir, after winning the player of the tournament award in the previous edition, continued from where he left with a sparkling 170 not out.

Two of the three matches produced results in the opening round – Asad Shafiq’s Balochistan and Nauman Ali’s Northern beat title defenders Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab, respectively, on the last day. Central Punjab and Sindh played out a draw. The three second round matches will run from 3-6 October in Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Abbottabad. Balochistan v Central Punjab – Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Balochistan, after a 134-run win, will be high on confidence when they take on Central Punjab at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in front of HD cameras that will be live stream the action on the PCB’s official YouTube channel. It was Balochistan’s youngsters who played a huge role in the side’s win with fast bowler Khurram Shahzad returning the match figures of seven for 128 and batters Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and Haseebullah – both 20 – scoring half-centuries. Their captain, Asad, will hope that the trio stretch their form in the second round.

Central Punjab – who bagged 13 points against Sindh in the first round match – will be hoping to produce a result-oriented performance. Test batter Abdullah’s maiden first-class double-century in the first innings followed by 61 in the second innings and Tayyab Tahir’s 152 in the second innings was the highlight for Central Punjab. While Mohammad Saad will be hopeful that Abdullah, Tayyab, and Aamer Yamin, who scored 70 in the first innings, continue to add to their tally, he would also want other batters to step up and his bowlers to pick up 20 wickets so his side bags 16 crucial victory points.

Northern v Sindh – Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern, the finalists of the last 2021-22 edition, had a great start with 25 points – the most bagged by a team in the first round. Dominating all four days, Northern became the first side to enforce a follow-on as they skittled Southern Punjab for 269 after setting a huge 529 for five in the first innings. While Faseeh and Mubasir made centuries, experienced Umar Amin and Sarmad Bhatti were also amongst runs with half-centuries. In the bowling department, their captain, Nauman Ali, was duly supported by young left-arm orthodox Mehran Mumtaz, who took five wickets in his side’s opening match.

Fawad Alam’s remarkable 42nd first-class century and Sarfaraz Ahmed’s half-century rescued Sindh in the first innings and Saud Shakeel will consider himself lucky to have the services of these experienced Test cricketers. Saim Ayub’s bat continued to ooze runs – after his phenomenal batting at the top of the order led Sindh to their maiden National T20 title – as the 20-year-old made 71.

Sindh are high on confidence after starting the 2022-23 season with a surreal win and promise to give a tough time to Northern, who have played two of the three finals. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab – Abbottabad Cricket Stadium Both the sides will be eager to undo their errors of the first round and stage a strong comeback.

While Southern Punjab were outclassed by Northern at the Iqbal Stadium this week, there were few positives for them to take inspiration from. Opener Zain Abbas scored a valiant century in the first innings, while Imran Rafiq and Usman Salahuddin scored half-centuries in the second. On the other hand, Khalid Usman’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will also look to capitalise on the positives which include a century and a half-century from Kamran Ghulam and Arshad Iqbal’s six wickets in the match.

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

Lahore, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Pakistan Cricket Board and BRB Group partnership for the PCB Pathway Programme was unveiled at the board’s headquarters, the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore today.

Through this partnership, the BRB Group will sponsor monthly stipends of the 100 players involved in the PCB Pathway Programme. The partnership is aimed at supporting the PCB’s initiative of providing financial comfort to the participants and their parents in the pursuit of their cricketing dreams. The stipend will be of great value to the players especially the ones hailing from underprivileged backgrounds all across the country.

“The PCB Pathway Programme participants are being provided a life time opportunity of training with some of the best foreign coaches in a world-class high performance environment. “These players will now showcase their talent at the Pakistan Junior League from next week. Through the PJL platform and the partnership with BRB we are ensuring that the players and their parents get adequate financial help and support.

“Our partnership with BRB is a long term asset-building alliance. In the years ahead, these youngsters will represent Pakistan at the senior stage and compete with the best in the world. Their success will bring a lot of joy and satisfaction to the PCB, our fans and supporters of Pakistan cricket.”

“The BRB Group is delighted to associate with the PCB Pathway Programme. The programme is indeed a revolutionary concept that has the potential to shape the future of Pakistan cricket. We closely followed the progress of the first camp last month, we are very pleased with the way the programme is being run especially the involvement of world-class foreign coaches.

“This PCB Pathway Programme will bring great rewards to Pakistan cricket in the coming years as these players are set to serve us for a long time. Cricket unites the country and the team’s success is often a morale booster for the entire nation. By contributing for the development of our future stars, we are making a long term commitment which is very exciting for the BRB Group.”

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

Lahore, October 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):After undergoing a 10-day camp at the Lahore Country Club, Muridke and three days of intense practice and preparations in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Pakistan are ready for action with their first match of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup taking place tomorrow against Malaysia at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (SICS).

Bismah Maroof-led Pakistan are eager to showcase their talent, skill and temperament in the shortest format of the game. The seven-team tournament follows a round-robin format where each team will play the other once before the top four sides qualify for the semi-finals. The final of the tournament will be played on 15 October. Pakistan will take on defending champions and hosts Bangladesh on 3 October whereas the game against arch-rivals India is scheduled on 7 October.

Pakistan finished on the third spot in the last edition of ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2018-19. Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof: “The conditions here are the same as at home, the pitches will help the spinners. We will try to make full use of the conditions and get our momentum going and start on a winning note.

“The tournament’s format gives us a number of matches, providing us a great help to prepare for next year’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. “We are not going to take any team lightly and try to execute ourselves well to win tomorrow’s match.”

Right-handed batter Sidra Amin is included in the side as an opener in place of out-of-form Iram Javed. Commenting on her inclusion in the side and pairing up with Muneeba Ali, Bismah said, “We have tried a new pair in the opening position, I hope Sidra performs, her runs at the top will give stability to the batting order which can contribute in the team’s win.”

The tournament matches will be broadcast live on PTV Sports. Toss for the Pakistan and Malaysia clash will take place tomorrow at 0730 PKT while the first ball will be bowled at 0800 PKT. Squad: Bismah Maroof (c), Aimen Anwar, Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Naseem, Diana Baig, Kainat Imtiaz, Muneeba Ali (wk), Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Nashra Sundhu, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk) and Tuba Hasan Reserve players: Natalia Pervaiz, Umme Hani and Waheeda Akhtar

Support staff: Ayesha Ashhar (team manager), Saleem Jaffer (bowling coach and interim head coach), Mauhtashim Rashid (fielding coach), Muhammad Zubair Ahmad (analyst) and Rifat Gill (physiotherapist).

Pakistan’s fixtures:

2 October – v Malaysia

3 October – v Bangladesh

6 October – v Thailand

7 October – v India

9 October – v UAE

11 October – v Sri Lanka

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

Lahore, September 30, 2022 (PPI-OT):The inaugural edition of the Pakistan Junior League begins in less than a week’s time (Thursday 6 October) at the headquarters of Pakistan cricket Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The teams will be beginning their preparations for the tournament this weekend.

Before the conclusion of the PCB Pathway Programme earlier this week – almost all local PJL players were involved in the programme, the captains spoke about their excitement of playing the PJL, captaining their side and the life time opportunity of working with some of the greats of the game who are involved as mentors in the league.

The mentor roster includes legends of the game Javed Miandad (league mentor), Imran Tahir (Bahawalpur Royals), Shoaib Malik (Gujranwala Giants), Sir Vivian Richards (Gwadar Sharks), Daren Sammy (Hyderabad Hunters), Shahid Afridi (Mardan Warriors) and Colin Munro (Rawalpindi Raiders).

Captain Bahawalpur Royals Obaid Shahid: “Being picked and then named captain of Bahawalpur Royals is nothing less than a dream coming true. I am determined to make an impression in the tournament and lead my side with grit, determination and passion. This league is an incredible opportunity for all of us and we are all excited to participate.

“Our team mentor is Imran Tahir who despite his age remains one of the fittest players around. Having Imran in the dressing room means a lot to us, we would surely benefit from his presence and his immense experience as a T2o player. He will also inspire us to raise our fitness standard.”

Captain Gujranwala Giants Uzair Mumtaz: “I was overjoyed at my selection for the PJL and the honour of captaining Gujranwala Giants. My parents and family is really happy for me and are praying for my success.

“Our mentor Shoaib Malik is a legend of the game and his presence will mean a lot to us. We all hope to learn a great deal from him and aspire to make the most of his experience and pedigree. Having Shoaib in the dugout would help us immensely considering his rich T20 experience.”

Captain Gwadar Sharks Shamyl Hussain: “It was a big honour to get chosen for the Sharks and then being named the captain was the icing on the cake. I am really excited to deliver for my team as a player and captain.

“Having a mentor like Sir Vivian Richards is absolutely incredible, his presence alone will make a big impact in our dugout and we will learn a great deal from his experience and stature in the game.”

Captain Hyderabad Hunters Saad Baig: “I am thrilled to captain the Hyderabad Hunters in the Pakistan Junior League. I have made steady progress at the age-group level and this opportunity will help me improve my game further while competing with some of the best U19 talent from around the world.

“Our team mentor Daren Sammy is a T20 World Cup winner and has legendary status in the T20 format, we are all looking forward to learning from his vast experience.”

Captain Mardan Warriors Abbas Ali: “My family was overjoyed with my selection in the Mardan Warriors team. Captaining the side in the Pakistan Junior League is a fantastic opportunity for me and I want to give my absolute best in the tournament.

“Shahid Afridi’s presence as Mardan’s team mentor will be hugely beneficial for us considering his rich experience in the T20 format. Shahid will hopefully inspire us to great success in the tournament.”

Captain Rawalpindi Raiders Habibullah: “I am delighted to captain the Rawalpindi Raiders in the Pakistan Junior League. My squad has some exciting talent and I am looking forward to leading them to success in the tournament.

“Our team mentor Colin Munro has played T20 cricket around the world and made a big name, as a batter, I am really keen on learning the art of T20 batting from him.”

The teams will practice for four days leading up to the tournament opener between Gujranwala Giants and Mardan Warriors which will be played from 8pm next Thursday.

The 19-match tournament will be played on a single league basis with the six teams competing against each other once. The top four sides will compete in the playoffs, the final will be played on Friday, 21 October.

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