Category: Cricket

Islamabad: Star Lahore Qalandar’s bowler Rahshid Khan wishes good luck for his team to defend the title of HBL PSL 9. Rashid Khan in a video statement has said ” I wish all the best to my mates of Lahore Qalandars to defend the title of HBL PSL successfully. He said Shaheen Afridi is a good captain and leads the team from the front which is the mandatory virtue of the captain . I missed HBL PSL 9 due to the severe back injury and will comeback soon in the side in the next season. Rashid Khan appreciated the efforts of PCB to held the PSL for the 9 consecutive seasons which is remarklable.

Muhammad Rizwan Awan: The Desert Vipers sailed to a comfortable six-wicket win over the Sharjah Warriors in the 30th and final league match of the ILT20 season 2 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium after rain delayed the start of the match and reduced it to an 18-over contest.
A fine bowling display from Vipers’ Nathan Sowter (3 for 21) and Matheesha Pathirana (3 for 28), well backed by Sam Curran (2 for 29), restricted Warriors to 121 for 9 in 18 overs.
Vipers then raced to the target in 12.5 overs with openers Phil Salt (30) and Alex Hales putting on a 50-run partnership in 23 balls, followed by a 49-run partnership between skipper Colin Munro (27) and Dinesh Chandimal (24n.o) for the fourth wicket.
The Vipers, who were eliminated before the start of the match, won with 31 balls to spare. This victory helped them push the Warriors to the bottom of the table and to take the fifth slot.
In chasing the score, the Vipers’ opener Salt hit a 12-ball 30 runs with four boundaries and two sixes before being dismissed by Sean Williams.
One-drop Dan Lawrence got out quickly, pulling Junaid Siddique to Nilansh Keswani at fine leg for 7. Siddique also hit the off stump of Hales on 21 with an angling delivery. Dinesh Chandimal, with his skipper Colin Munro, smoothly carried their team to the target, though Munro got run out when seven runs were needed to win.
Earlier, the Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to bowl.
Brief scores:
Desert Vipers bt Sharjah Warriors by 6 wkts.
Sharjah Warriors 121 for 9 in 18 overs (Niroshan Dickwella 20, Luke Wells 31, Sean Williams 23, Sam Curran 2 for 29, Nathan Sowter 3 for 21, Matheesha Pathirana 3 for 28)
Desert Vipers 123 for 4 in 12.5 overs (Phil Salt 30, Alex Hales 21, Colin Munro 27, Dinesh Chandimal 24n.o, Junaid Siddique 2 for 16)
Player of the Match: Nathan Sowter

Muhammad Rizwan Awan :Gulf Giants, through an exhibition of superb teamwork and resilience, fought tooth and nail to defend a meagre total of 126 for 9 in 20 overs and pull off a 19-run win over Dubai Capitals in the 24th match of the DP World ILT20 season 2 at the Dubai International Stadium. This was the lowest total defended in the history of this tournament.
UAE’s 18-year-old left-arm spinner Aayan Afzal Khan bagged two wickets at a crucial stage of the match while his skipper James Vince produced two run outs to derail Capitals’ chase towards the easy target.
Dasun Shanaka pushed Capitals closer to the target through an unbeaten 24 but last man Haider Ali became the third batter to fall for a run out. Capitals were thus bowled out for 107 in 18.3 overs.
Capitals’ Olly Stone (4 for 14) and Scott Kuggeleijn (3 for 29) ran through Giants’ batting line-up with a lethal combination of accurate pace and judicious use of slower deliveries to restrict Giants to 126 for 9 in 20 overs.
The Gulf Giants were reeling at 17 for 4 at one stage but were lifted out of disaster by skipper Vince (32) and Shimron Hetmyer (34) through a 51-runs partnership for the fifth wicket in 42 balls.
Capitals made a mess of the ride towards the target losing both their openers for 30 runs. The first to go was their skipper and opener David Warner for 11 caught by Chris Jordan at mid-off to Jamie Overton, followed by opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz who was caught by Jordan at long on off Blessing Muzarabani for 15. When Jordan clean bowled Sam Billings for 12 and Gerhard Erasmus too clean bowled Max Holden for 7, the target looked unreachable.
Brief scores:
Gulf Giants bt Dubai Capitals by 19 runs.
Gulf Giants 126 for 9 in 20 overs (James Vince 32, Shimron Hetmyer 34, Scott Kuggeleijn 3 for 29, Olly Stone 4 for 14)
Dubai Capitals 107 in 18.3 overs (Dasun Shanaka 24n.o, Aayan Afzal Khan 2 for 8)
Player of the Match: James Vince

Muhammad Rizwan Awan :
Shimron Hetmyer, wearing his favourite jersey number 189 and sporting his white coloured hair, flayed the Sharjah Warriors bowling attack to score an unbeaten 53 runs and helped Gulf Giants post an impressive total of 187 for 6 in 20 overs and win the 22nd match of the ILT20 season 2 by 79 runs at the Dubai International Stadium.
Hetmyer’s knock off 28 balls studded with three boundaries and four sixes entertained the Sunday crowd that filled almost every seat at the Dubai International Stadium.
He recorded a partnership of 35 runs with Gerhard Erasmus (17) for the fifth wicket and 59 runs for the sixth wicket with Jamie Overton (25).
Hetmyer’s show began after Chris Lynn hit 45 runs off 32 balls with six boundaries and a six and had put on 66 runs for the second wicket in 47 balls. Warriors’ left-arm spinner Sean Williams picked three wickets for 46.
The Warriors’ chase began on a disastrous note. UAE’s 18-year-old left-arm spinner Aayan Afzal Khan, bowling the first over, struck by getting opener Niroshan Dickwella caught behind with the first ball, and one-drop Joe Denly with the second delivery, caught by Jordan at mid-off. Their batters continued to fall at regular intervals with Johnson Charles too being caught behind off Overton for 2.
After skipper Tom-Kohler Cadmore, who hit a brave 39, was caught by Cox off Drakes, and Sean Williams too was out caught by Afzal Khan at short third man off Zuhaib Zubair for 3, half the side was back in the dug-out for 44. After this, Giants’ victory was a mere formality. Lewis Gregory hit 30 runs but UAE’s 20-year-old leg spinner Zuhaib Zubair sped up Giants’ victory bagging four wickets for 22 runs.
Brief scores:
Gulf Giants bt Sharjah Warriors by 79 runs.
Gulf Giants 187 for 6 in 20 overs (James Vince 20, Chris Lynn 45, Shimron Hetmyer 53n.o, Jamie Overton 25, Sean Williams 3 for 46)
Sharjah Warriors 108 in 17.3 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 39, Lewis Gregory 30, Aayan Afzal Khan 2 for 16, Zuhaib Zubair 4 for 22)
Player of the Match: Zuhaib Zubair

Islamabad: In an extraordinary gathering of cricket excellence, Edgbaston is set to host the highly anticipated World Championship of Legends (WCL) this summer. Featuring luminaries like Shahid Afridi , Yuvraj Singh, , and Kevin Pietersen, the T20 tournament is approved by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB)on showcasing retired and non-contracted players from cricketing powerhouses England, India, Pakistan, Australia, West Indies, and South Africa.
Harshit Tomar, Director of Zabawa Entertainment, shared his excitement, affirming, “The current announcement strengthens WCL’s status as a top-tier platform for past cricketing champions, creating new opportunities for the league’s development and global significance.”

WCL has catalyzed advanced contract negotiations with cricket luminaries from the 1990s and 2000s. Notable figures such as Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, Kevin Pietersen have committed to participating in this cricketing extravaganza.
“We aspire to deliver top-tier sports entertainment to fans globally,” Tomar stated, emphasizing the grand scale of the tournament.
Scheduled to commence from the 3rd of July, the tournament promises to be an event of riveting clashes and unforgettable moments eagerly anticipated by fans and cricket enthusiasts.

Islamabad: The ILT20 Season 2 got off to a rollicking start with defending champions Gulf Giants living up to the billing in their campaign opener on 19th January.
Over the weekend, the star-studded league attracted thousands of cricket buffs who not only were treated to nail-biting action on the field but they also got a slice of entertainment at the weekend carnivals held at the iconic venues in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
There was plenty of fanfare with Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan gracing the occasion over the weekend where he was also seen backing his team Abu Dhabi Knight Riders who registered a scintillating win against Desert Vipers on 21st January at the Dubai International Stadium.
On Saturday and Sunday, the gates at the Dubai International Stadium opened to fans two hours prior to the start of the match with activities like bouncy castles, face painting, cricket nets, food kiosks welcoming the weekend audience. Performances by Vivek and Tuana, RJ Faizan kept the fans on their toes before the cricketing action unfolded.
The DP World ILT20 will be a memorable occasion for all, the tournament final will be staged at the iconic ‘Ring of Fire’ Dubai International Stadium on Saturday, 17 February.

amabad:

Islamabad: Chief minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi is appointed as Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) management committee after stepped down of Zaka Ashraf. Prime Minister of Pakistan Anwar Ul Haq Kakkar confirmed the name of Chief minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi as Petron in Chief of PCB management committee.

Ex Chairman PCB management committee Zaka Ashraf has resigned from the post on 19 January, 2024. Mohsin Naqvi appointed former test cricketer wahab Riaz as a provincial sports minister Punjab.

Dubai,
The Winchester School will battle it out with GEMS Modern for the top honours in the ILT20 Schools Cup Final. Six teams made the Final round after winning in their respective pools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah where 36 schools competed in the first round.
More than 500 teenagers took part in the first-round matches, 90 out of these 500 now feature in the final round being played at the ICC Academy Ovals, in Dubai. In the final round, the six teams named after the six franchises in the DP World ILT20 are divided into two pools of three teams each.
The finalists Winchester School are named after Dubai Capitals while GEMS Modern are named after defending champions Gulf Giants. The other teams in the fray were The Cambridge High School Abu Dhabi named after MI Emirates, GEMS Cambridge named after Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Our Own English Sharjah named after Sharjah Warriors and DIA Emirates Hill named after Desert Vipers.

Dubai:
The DP World International League T20 have unveiled a star-studded panel of commentators for the league’s Season 2. The world’s second most-watched league will be brought to life by a panel rounded-off with some of the leading cricketing experts in the world.

The voices behind some of the most iconic moments in the sport in recent years Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Saba Karim, Nikhil Chopra, Vivek Razdan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar will be joined by Alan Wilkins, Simon Doull, Daren Ganga, Danny Morrison and Niall O’Brien.
Wasim Akram: “I am truly thrilled to be part of the commentary team for the second season of DP World ILT20. The three iconic venues in the UAE will serve as the canvas for some of the most prominent T20 stars to showcase their talent.”
Waqar Younis: “DP World ILT20 is truly a cricketing rendezvous, featuring a mix of seasoned players and rising stars, making the league a must-watch for cricket enthusiasts globally. It is a celebration of cricketing diversity, with an array of player and team rivalries. I am very excited to be part of the commentators’ panel for the upcoming edition.”
The tournament begins on Friday 19 January at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with a clash between defending champions Gulf Giants and Sharjah Warriors

Dubai:
The DP World International League T2o has introduced the Super-Sub and Wildcard for Season 2. The UAE’s biggest T20 tournament commences on Friday, 19 January with a clash between defending champions Gulf Giants and Sharjah Warriors at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
The two new features are set to add even more excitement for the fans with the six tournament franchises required to put on their thinking cap while putting together their strategies for both the composition of their final tournament squads through the Wildcard as well as their playing elevens and Super-Sub nominations during the 34-match tournament.
Each team will have an option to substitute one player at any stage of the match after completion of the first over of the innings. If desired by the team, Super-Sub can be introduced right from the start of the second innings. A player once substituted cannot participate in the remaining part of the match.
The Head Coach shall nominate the Super-Sub to the fourth umpire and the on-field umpire will signal the scorers (wrists crossed above the head) indicating that the Super-Sub is being introduced.
The Super-Sub can be introduced after the start of the match or after completion of an over or in case of a batter, at the fall of the wicket or the batter retiring at any time during the over. The bowling team may also utilise a Super-Sub at the fall of a wicket, but that Super-Sub will not be permitted to bowl the remaining balls in that over if the wicket has fallen mid over.
Each franchise is permitted to add up to two additional players to its squad, beyond the original limit of 22 players. This is an option and not mandatory. If franchises have already reached the maximum $2.5m salary spend, they will be permitted to spend a maximum of 10% of the salary cap which is $250,000 on Wildcard players.
If teams still have some room within the original maximum $2.5m salary spend, they will be able to spend that remaining amount and if required, a further amount up to $250,000 while remaining within the Wildcard player spend.
Wildcard players may come into DP World ILT20 at any stage during the season. Wildcard players will not be eligible to be replaced by further replacement or Wildcard players.