Category: ICC Featured

Al Amerat: Bangladesh have defeated hosts Oman by 26 runs and kept themselves alive for qualifying into the Super 12s stage of T20 World Cup.

They restricted Oman to 127/9 while defending a 154-run target. Left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman led the bowling attack and claimed figures of 4/36 while veteran Shakib-ul-Hasan bagged three for 28 runs.

Oman looked positive in the chase after losing Aqib Ilyas (6) early. The pair of Jatinder Singh and Kashyap Kumar carried the momentum, adding 34 runs for the second wicket. Kashyap was the second wicket to fall on 41. He scored 18-ball 21.

Meanwhile, Jatinder carried the chase with skipper Zeeshan Maqsood and added 34 runs for third wicket. Zeeshan (12) fell to Mahedi Hassan while Shakib dismissed Jatinder in the following over. Right-hander Jatinder made 33-ball 40, powered by four boundaries and a six.

No batters from Oman took the game deep as they fell 26 runs after batting complete 20 overs.

Earlier, Bangladesh managed to score 153 runs after opting to bat first. Mohammad Naim and Shakib-ul-Hasan’s partnership was the standout. Naim, in his first T20 World Cup match, scored a crucial 64 off 50 balls.

For Bangladesh, Mohammad Naim and Shakib-ul-Hasan’s partnership was the standout. Naim, in his first T20 World Cup match, scored a crucial 64 off 50 balls.

He and Shakib added 80 runs for third wicket. Shakib scored 29-ball 42, giving Bangladesh the platform to post a big total, however, they collapsed at the back end. Only skipper Mahmudullah scored 17 down the order to take Bangladesh past 150.

Left-arm seamer Bilal Khan and Pakistan-born Fayyaz Butt were the standout bowlers for Oman, bagging three wickets each while pacer Kaleemullah claimed two for 30.

Bangladesh will now face Papua New Guinea on October 21 while Oman plays group toppers Scotland on the same day.

Al Amerat: Scotland are now a step closer towards Super 12s as they bagged a comfortable 17-run win over Papua New Guinea in the fifth match of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Scotland restricted PNG to 148 while defending 166. Papua New Guinea are out of the competition as they have lost both of their first two matches.

Meanwhile, PNG’s run-chase became interesting after PNG tried to put a fight back in the middle-overs.

Norman Vanua and Kiplin Doriga formed a 53-run stand in 26 balls for seventh wicket but couldn’t take it to the end. Vanua was the most impressive batter, scoring 37-ball 47. He hit two fours and two sixes. Doriga made 11-ball 18.

Josh Davey was the pick of the bowlers for Scotland, claiming figures of 4/18.

Earlier, Richie Berrington and Matthew Cross were the mainstays for Scotland as both added a 92-run stand for third wicket. Berrington scored 70 off 49 balls (Six fours and three sixes) at a strike rate of 142.86 while Cross made 36-ball 45.

After their dismissals, Scotland couldn’t capitalize as they lost six wickets in the last 11 balls.

For PNG, Kabua Morea bagged figures of 4/31 while Chad Soper claimed three wickets for 24 runs. Simon Atai took wicket of Cross in the 15th over.

Berrington was awarded player of the match for his brilliant innings. “We got just over par on that wicket,” he said. “At first we didn’t have a target in mind, and just wanted to get used to the wicket. Thankfully we managed to get that big partnership which was quite key in the end.”

Abu Dhabi: 2014 T20 World Cup winners Sri Lanka have claimed an easy seven-wicket win over Namibia here at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Sri Lanka chased down the 97-run target in the 14th over after wrapping up Namibia for 96 in 19.3 overs.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa led the chase by scoring 42 off 27 balls while Avishka Fernando made 30 off 28 balls. Both added 74 runs after Sri Lanka was struggling 26/3 in 5.1 overs. Ruben Trumpelmann, Bernard Scholtz and JJ Smit claimed a wicket each for Namibia.

Earlier, Sri Lanka dominated completely after skipper Dasun Shanaka opted to field first. Only three Namibian batters crossed the double-figure mark.Craig Williams scored 29 off 36 while captain Gerhard Erasmus made 19. JJ Smit chipped in with 15-ball 12.

Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana starred with the ball as he bagged figures of 3/25 while Wanindu Hasaranga and Lahiru Kumara claimed two wickets each. Pacers Chamika Karunaratne and Dushmantha Chameera also took a wicket each.

Read: Ireland beat Netherlands comfortably followed by Campher’s heroics

ABU DHABI: Paul Stirling (30) and Gareth Delany (44) comfortably chased the target for Ireland as they beat Netherlands comfortably by seven wickets in third match of T20 World Cup’s qualifying round. 

Set to chase paltry 107 runs in 20 overs, Ireland’s opener Stirling partnered strongly with middle-order batter Delany to set the tone of the chase after they lost two quick wickets. Fred Klaassen, Brandon Glover, Pieter Seelaar bagged a wicket each for Netherlands.

Stirling struck a boundary and a six whereas Delany smashed five boundaries and two sixes during his stay at the crease.

Earlier, Curtis Campher bagged four back-to-back wickets in an over to register a record in T20 World Cup’s history and helped Ireland bowl out the Netherlands for 106.

After deciding to bat first, Netherlands lost their opener, Ben Cooper, on a run-out that put them under pressure. The Netherlands lost two quick wickets initially as Ireland started taking charge in third match.

Max O’Dowd and Bas de Leede tried to cope up with the pressure as they scored 23 runs together but Josh Little came up with power and bagged Leede in the fifth over to reduce the Netherlands to 22-1.

Dowd carried his momentum and alongside Colin Ackermann scored crucial 29 runs before Campher came and conquered the show. The right-arm medium pacer took four wickets in a row to rattle the opposition.

Further destruction was caused by Mark Adair who picked up three wickets to help Ireland keep their upper hand. Dowd fought hard and scored worthy 51 runs off 47 balls with the help of seven boundaries.

Netherland’s skipper Pieter Seelaar added 21 runs to his team’s total.

Apart from Campher and Adair, Little bagged a wicket for Ireland.

Dubai: Batting consultant Matthew Hayden has joined the Pakistan team here at the ICC Academy Ground as Green Shirts take part in the first practice session after arriving in UAE.

Australia’s Hayden joined the side after he was tested negative for COVID-19. Bowling consultant Vernon Philander had joined the side in Lahore.

📸 First day of Pakistan @T20WorldCup squad training session at ICC Academy, Dubai #WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/OJnQRSzlwq

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 17, 2021

Remember, Pakistan men’s team arrived in UAE on October 15. They underwent COVID-19 tests on arrival and had to do mandatory one-day isolation.

It must be noted Pakistan will start their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals India on October 24 in Dubai. Green Shirts will play two warm-up games ahead of India’s clash.

The first practice match is against West Indies on October 18 in Dubai while second match is scheduled with South Africa on October 20 in Abu Dhabi.

Al Amerat: Co-hosts Oman have convincingly defeated Papua New Guinea by 10 wickets in the opening match of the 2021 Men’s T20 World Cup.

Oman chased down the 130-run target in 13.4 overs after restricting PNG to 129/9. Jatinder Singh batted flawlessly for his unbeaten 42-ball 73. He stroked seven fours and four sixes.

On the other hand, Aqib Ilyas played his part in the run chase by scoring 43-ball 50*. He hit five fours and a six.

Earlier, captain Zeeshan Maqsood starred for Oman as he took four wickets for just 20 runs. Bilal Khan and Kaleemullah also took two wickets each.

PNG’s captain Assad Vala rescued his side after they were struggling at 0/2. He paired up with Charles Amini and added 81 runs. Assad scored 56 off 43 balls, first fifty of the competition while Charles made 37 off 26 balls.

It must be noted that eight teams are competing in Round 1 of the competition. They are divided into two groups with the top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 12s, starting from October 23.

Also read: ICC confirms dates of 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia

Dubai: As the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 started today in Oman, cricket fans can also joy with the governing body announcing the dates of the next T20 World Cup, hosted by Australia in 2022.

Australia was originally scheduled to host the event in 2020 before it was postponed due to COVID-19 and now it has been re-scheduled for 16 October – 13 November 2022.

It’s the first time Australia will host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup after a record-breaking women’s event, which was held in February – March 2020. The final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), was won by Australia over India in front of 86,174 spectators, a record crowd for women’s sport in Australia and the second-highest crowd ever recorded for a women’s sporting event globally.

The 2021 event in Oman and the UAE will play a role in determining who joins Afghanistan, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies and hosts Australia, who have already qualified for the 2022 showpiece.

These eight teams gained direct entry to the Super 12 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 by virtue of being inside the top eight on the ICC Men’s T20 International Rankings at the cut-off prior to the postponed 2020 event.

All teams who reach the Super 12 stage of the upcoming T20 World Cup in Oman and the UAE will earn automatic qualification to the event in Australia next year.

The remaining four teams from the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 will play in the First Round of Australia 2022.

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Local Organising Committee CEO Michelle Enright, said: “Hosting what will be the biggest sporting event in Australia next year has the ability to lift the nation’s spirits and the timing of the event could not be better for fans across the whole country to experience the joy of live sport again.”

“We saw both at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015 and in the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020, the power of major events to unite people and communities through sport and we can’t wait to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together for a celebration of cricket and culture in exactly one year from now.”

Dubai: Pakistan men’s cricket team will hold a practice session today at 6.00 pm at ICC Academy ground, the training session will last for three hours.

The squad arrived in Dubai on October 15 and underwent mandatory COVID-19 tests. All members of the contingent tested negative.

Meanwhile, players took part in a gym session for the second consecutive day. The gym session lasted for two hours.

It must be noted Pakistan will start their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals India on October 24 in Dubai. Green Shirts will play two warm-up games ahead of India’s clash.

The first practice match is against West Indies on October 18 in Dubai while second match is scheduled with South Africa on October 20 in Abu Dhabi.

Read: Bazid Khan to represent Pakistan in T20 WC’s commentary panel

Muscat: Oman and Papua New Guinea open the Twenty 20 World Cup on Sunday in the unlikely surroundings of Al Amerat where the global showpiece gets underway after being chased out of India by Covid-19.

The seventh World Cup begins with a double-header at the 3,000-seat venue outside Muscat.

Later Sunday, Bangladesh face Scotland while Ireland, Namibia, Netherlands and 2014 champions Sri Lanka join the fray on Monday.

The eight teams in the first round of qualifying are chasing four places in the Super 12 round-robin stage.

England, Australia, South Africa, defending champions West Indies, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan will be waiting with all matches in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

The top four then progress to the semi-finals before the final in Dubai on November 14.

There is plenty at stake. A place in the next round guarantees a spot in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia.

There is also a financial incentive. Teams exiting at the first hurdle take home a modest $40,000.

The eventual champions pocket a $1.6 million winner’s cheque.

Oman are playing in their second T20 World Cup having shocked Ireland in 2016, the last time the tournament was held before the planned 2020 edition in Australia fell victim to the pandemic.

Oman’s team is made up almost exclusively of semi-professional South Asian expatriates who combine cricket with full-time work. Many train at 5:30 in the morning.

“There was a time when bowling and fast bowling was the only strength of the Oman team. Now I feel we are doing well as a whole unit,” said Oman vice-captain Aqib Ilyas.

“This team is much better than the one in 2016 and we have raised the bar.”

Papua New Guinea are making their T20 World Cup debut.

They have already acclimatised to conditions in the Gulf having been in Oman for a month.

Bangladesh have just one victory at the tournament since 2007 but with a world ranking of six, will be heavily fancied to make the second round.

They go into the tournament with home series wins over Australia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe under their belts.

“We have to be humble and not take anything for granted. We will have to be at our best from the first ball against Scotland,” said Bangladesh skipper Mahmudullah who has been sidelined in the build-up with a back injury.

England narrow favourites? 

The Scots have fallen at the first hurdle in their three previous T20 World Cup appearances, in 2007, 2009 and 2016.

They claimed their first and only win at the tournament five years ago — an eight-wicket triumph in a rain-affected match against lowly Hong Kong.

“We’re diving into the tournament head first really and it’s a real challenge for us,” said Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer.

“But we have beaten them (Bangladesh in 2012) in the past in T20 cricket with a Richie Berrington hundred.”

The top nations will join the event — played in stadiums 70-percent full — on October 23, with Australia and South Africa meeting in the opener of the Super 12 stage and England up against West Indies.

England beat New Zealand to win the 50-over world title at Lord’s in 2019.

Eoin Morgan’s team will, however, be without Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, who played key roles in that one-day World Cup triumph.

England had to defend 19 runs in the last over of the 2016 T20 final in Kolkata but West Indies’ Carlos Brathwaite famously hit Stokes for four straight sixes, giving the Caribbeans their second world T20 title.

Many of that winning team will be back, led by Kieron Pollard and old war horses Dwayne Bravo, 38, and 42-year-old Chris Gayle.

Asian giants India, who were the original hosts of the 2021 event before the pandemic meant a shift to the Gulf, will begin their campaign against arch-rivals and fellow former champions Pakistan on October 24 with Virat Kohli looking to go out with a bang before stepping down as captain of the T20 side.

Pakistan have edge?

Pakistan have won their last 10 Twenty20 internationals in the UAE and captain Babar Azam claimed Saturday that run will give his men the edge over India next weekend.

“Definitely we have played a lot of cricket in the UAE,” Babar said Saturday when asked about his team’s dismal 0-5 record against India in T20 World Cup clashes.

“These conditions suit us and we know how to play here.”

Lahore: The wait is over for cricket fans as the official jersey of Pakistan men’s team for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 has been revealed.

A new kit has been introduced for the mega event. The team’s jersey features shades of dark and light green with the star on the left and the World Cup logo on the right.

THE BIG REVEAL IS HERE!

PRESENTING TEAM PAKISTAN’S OFFICIAL JERSEY FOR THE #T20WorldCup !

GET YOURS NOW FROM https://t.co/12NS1mHqqi#WearYourPassion x #WhyNotMeriJaan pic.twitter.com/6St08OGVbJ

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 15, 2021

It must be noted that Green Shirts have touched down in Dubai for the mega event. An 18-member squad alongside supporting staff will undergo COVID-19 testing. The squad is accompanied by their families, they will go in quarantine for a day before starting preparations.

The national team did practice sessions in Lahore and played scenario matches to prepare themselves for the mega event under the supervision of interim head coach Saqlain Mushtaq and bowling consultant Vernon Philander. Batting consultant Mathew Hayden will join the team in the UAE.

Pakistan will play the first warm-up match on October 18 in Dubai against the West Indies. The second will take place on October 20 in Abu Dhabi against South Africa.

Pakistan will officially start the T20 World Cup campaign match against arch-rivals India in Dubai on October 24.