Category: Games

Abu Dhabi, The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Sana Mir, the former Pakistan cricket team captain, as the ambassador for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. The tournament, supported by Dream11, will host 10 teams competing for two spots in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year. The competition will take place in Abu Dhabi from April 25 to May 7.

According to International Cricket Council, Mir will play a vital role in guiding and mentoring the teams and players throughout the qualifier. With 226 international caps and 137 as captain, Mir brings a wealth of experience to the tournament. She expressed enthusiasm for her role as ambassador, emphasizing the qualifier’s importance not only as a pathway to the T20 World Cup but also as an opportunity for Associate Member teams to gain significant exposure and experience.

The tournament will feature intense competition among teams divided into two groups, with the top two from each group progressing to the semi-finals. Mir highlighted the increasing competitiveness of women’s cricket and pointed to the potential for upsets, noting the strong capabilities of teams like Scotland, the Netherlands, and Zimbabwe, alongside favorites such as Sri Lanka and Ireland.

Mir, who retired with 2,432 international runs and 240 wickets, also mentioned her ongoing connection to the game and her mentorship roles, particularly with the Zimbabwean players during the ICC Women’s U19 T20 World Cup. She looks forward to seeing the continued evolution of the T20 format, acknowledging the increasing emphasis on power hitting and aggressive play, exemplified by players like Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu.

The tournament’s night matches have had their start times revised to 19:30 local time to accommodate conditions and broadcast schedules. The matches will be held at the Tolerance Oval and Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling qualifier.

Islamabad, New Zealand’s Mark Chapman and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi have ascended in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings following their standout performances in the current five-match series between their teams, which stands tied at 1-1 after three games. Chapman’s robust batting and Shaheen’s effective bowling were highlights of the series, influencing their upward movement in the rankings.

According to International Cricket Council, Chapman, who scored an unbeaten 87 from just 42 balls in the third match, has moved up 12 places to reach the 33rd position. Meanwhile, Shaheen’s impressive bowling figures of three wickets for 13 runs in the second match elevated him two places to the 17th position. Other players making strides in the rankings include New Zealand’s wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, who has risen three spots to 24th, and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, who is now ranked 18th.

The ICC rankings update also highlighted achievements in the Asian Cricket Council Men’s Premier Cup, where Dipendra Singh Airee’s performance for Nepal earned him a spot among the top 50 in the T20I Batting Rankings, becoming the fourth Nepali player to achieve this feat. Additionally, Airee’s ranking as the 11th in the all-rounders’ category marks the highest position ever achieved by a Nepali player.

Other notable movements in the rankings include Hong Kong’s Anshuman Rath and the United Arab Emirates’ Alishan Sharafu, who made significant gains in the batting rankings, and Nepal’s Sompal Kami, who rose in the bowlers’ rankings, all due to their performances in the ACC Men’s Premier Cup.

Islamabad, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler, has reclaimed his status as the country’s top T20 International (T20I) bowler after moving up two places to 17th in the latest ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings. His ascent follows impressive performances in the ongoing home series against New Zealand, where he has been the leading wicket-taker.

According to International Cricket Council, Afridi’s performance in the first three matches of the series, particularly his three-wicket haul in the second match, has been instrumental in his rise through the rankings, surpassing his teammate Haris Rauf. The series, which has seen one match affected by rain, currently stands tied at 1-1, with two games left to play.

The rankings also saw movements for other players in the series. New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi climbed the ranks among bowlers, thanks to his total of three wickets in the matches at Rawalpindi. On the batting front, New Zealand’s Tim Seifert and Mark Chapman made significant strides. Chapman, especially, jumped twelve places to 33rd after scoring an unbeaten 87 in the third match, a knock that included several sixes and earned him the Player of the Match award.

The updated rankings also highlighted the achievements of Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee, who recently joined an elite group of players to hit six sixes in an over in a T20I match. Following his performances at the ACC Men’s T20I Premier Cup, Airee achieved a career-high batting ranking, placing him among the top 50 T20I batters globally.

With the series poised for an exciting conclusion, players from both Pakistan and New Zealand look to further their credentials in the T20I format, while the ICC rankings continue to reflect the dynamic nature of international cricket.

Lahore, The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that players Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Irfan Khan will be rested for the upcoming T20 International matches against New Zealand this Thursday and Saturday. This decision follows the recent evaluation of their radiology reports by the PCB Medical Panel.

According to Pakistan Cricket Board, the decision to rest Rizwan and Khan was made after careful consideration of their medical assessments and in consultation with the Pakistan team management. Both players will undergo rehabilitation under the supervision of the PCB Medical Panel at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.

The rest period aims to ensure the players’ readiness for future engagements by allowing them sufficient time to recover from their respective conditions. The PCB has not yet announced who will replace the players for the matches.

Lahore, The President’s Cup, a 50-over cricket tournament featuring seven top departmental teams, is set to commence this Wednesday, with matches scheduled between April 24 and May 12 in Abbottabad and Rawalpindi.

According to Pakistan Cricket Board, the tournament will host a total of 24 matches across three venues: Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, and Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Teams competing include the current President’s Trophy champions, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), along with Pakistan Television (PTV), State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), Higher Education Commission (HEC), and Ghani Glass. These teams will play in a round-robin format, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals.

Team captains include notable players such as Ahmed Shehzad for WAPDA, Usman Salahuddin for SBP, and Saud Shakeel for SNGPL. The tournament boasts a prize pool of PKR 2.5 million, with the winners receiving PKR 1.5 million along with the trophy.

Abdullah Khurram Niazi, Director of Domestic Cricket Operations, highlighted the event as a significant step in the resurgence of departmental cricket in Pakistan, aligning with the PCB Chairman’s policy to revitalize domestic cricket and foster emerging talent.

The opening fixtures on Wednesday will feature SNGPL against Ghani Glass at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, PTV versus SBP at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, and KRL against WAPDA at Shoaib Akhtar Stadium.

Potchefstroom, Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu has returned to the top of the ICC Women’s ODI Batting Rankings following her standout performance of 195 not out in the third ODI against South Africa. Her innings, which is the highest score in a successful chase in the history of Women’s ODIs, was pivotal in leveling the ICC Women’s Championship Series at 1-1.

According to International Cricket Council, Athapaththu’s impressive batting not only marked her ninth ODI century but also allowed her to surpass England’s Natalie Sciver-Brunt, reclaiming the number one spot she previously held in July 2023. The series also saw other significant shifts in the rankings, with Athapaththu’s counterpart, Laura Wolvaardt of South Africa, moving up two places to third after scoring an unbeaten 184 and setting a formidable target in the same match.

Further changes in the rankings include West Indies captain Hayley Mathews, who advanced seven spots to 11th among batters and to second among all-rounders, thanks to her performance of 140 not out and three wickets in her team’s series against Pakistan in Karachi. Other notable movements were observed in former captains Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies and Bismah Maroof of Pakistan, along with several players making strides in both batting and bowling rankings.

Sadia Iqbal of Pakistan also made gains in the bowling rankings, moving up from 23rd to 17th after capturing three wickets in the early matches against the West Indies. Several other bowlers, including members from the West Indies and Sri Lanka, saw improvements in their standings following their recent performances.