CPL’s team of the tournament announced

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The team of the tournament for the 2020 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) was announced on September 9. 

It has been selected by the tournament’s commentary team, comprising of Tom Moody, Ian Bishop, Daren Ganga, Danny Morrison and Samuel Badree, all of them being former international cricketers. 

The team contains three players from the Trinbago Knight Riders, who have gone through the group stages unbeaten, three members of the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad while two players from the Jamaica Tallawahs and one each from the St Lucia Zouks, St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and the Barbados Tridents have made the cut.

The team, captained by the West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard (Trinbago Knight Riders), also features Glenn Phillips (Jamaica Tallawahs), Sunil Narine (Trinbago Knight Riders), Shimron Hetmyer (Guyana Amazon Warriors), Nicholas Pooran (Guyana Amazon Warriors), Darren Bravo (Trinbago Knight Riders), Mohammad Nabi(St Lucia Zouks), Jason Holder (Barbados Tridents), Rayad Emrit (St Kitts & Nevis Patriots), Imran Tahir (Guyana Amazon Warriors) and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman (Jamaica Tallawahs). 

The selectors also picked one Caribbean and one overseas 12th man to round out the squad having Scott Kuggelejin (St Lucia Zouks) and Keemo Paul (Guyana Amazon Warriors). 

“After healthy discussion and debate the commentators have finalized what they believe is a power packed all-star XI from Hero CPL 2020,” Tom Moody, CPL’s Director of International Cricket, remarked. 

The final of the tournament, to be contested between Trinbago Knight Riders and St Lucia Zouks, will take place on September 10, due to start at 10 am Eastern Caribbean Time at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Port of Spain.

readmore »»

Iran’s expulsion called if champion wrestler executed

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A global union representing 85,000 athletes has called for Iran’s expulsion from world sport if it executed champion wrestler Navid Afkari whose case has stirred outcry.  

The 27-year-old Greco-Roman wrestler faces two death sentences after being convicted of stabbing a water security guard to death and other charges relating to anti-government protests in 2018, according to state media.

 The horrific act of executing an athlete can only be regarded as a repudiation of the humanitarian values that underpin sport,” an international wire news agency quoted the World Players Association (WPA) Director, Brendan Schwab.

“It must result in Iran forfeiting its right to be a part of sport’s universal community,” the WPA official remarked. 

Afkari has stated having been tortured into making a false confession, according to his family and activists, and his attorney maintained that there was no proof of his guilt.

readmore »»

Chinese bridge proficiency event concludes

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The 13th Chinese bridge and proficiency competition for foreign secondary students in Pakistan has successfully been concluded online. 

According to details made available by Zhang Hewing, a diplomat, Alina Zhang Kiani earned first position and she was followed by Sukhan Fatima and Maryam Jafar who second and third respective. 

Bridge is one of the key components of mind sports and China happens to be one of its major promoters. It may be recalled that the inaugural Mind Sports Olympiad was organized in Beijing in 2008, a few months after the Summer Olympic Games also staged there.

readmore »»

Iqbal Qasim quits as cricket committee chief; another jolt to PCB

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The resignation of Iqbal Qasim as the chief of the cricket committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its immediate acceptance by the Lahore-based headquarters clearly suggested that all was not well in running cricket affairs of the country.  

The soft spoken and well-mannered Iqbal Qasim, who scripted quite a few victories for Pakistan during his illustrious career as a left-arm spinner, has had the reputation of being a thorough gentleman all along as he became one of the best sports administrators of the country, after hanging his boots. 

He has held numerous positions over the years, having carried out the thankless job of being the national chief selector more than once. He may be a man of few words but he has had the ability to handle the most hostile of situations across the table. 

Being a proud product of departmental cricket, he obviously didn’t mince his words in letting his opinion know when the PCB took the controversial decision of marginalizing the departments who had played pivotal role in the development of cricket in Pakistan. 

Iqbal Qasim’s resignation as the cricket committee chief of the PCB doesn’t augur well for the Pakistan cricket which will be the biggest loser in his non-presence. He had been entrusted with the responsibility of heading the committee earlier this year.

readmore »»

Alamgir Shaikh, friends celebrate father of Pakistan snooker’s birthday party

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Ali Asghar Valika, acclaimed as the father of Pakistan snooker, was pleasantly surprised when a group of his prodigies, spearheaded by Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, arranged a luncheon party to celebrate his birthday party at the Karachi Club Annexe on September 2. 

Asghar Valika, credited to have revived snooker and taken it to another level, is currently Chairman of the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA). 

He was elected unopposed as the PBSA President for five successive terms, from 1988 to 2008. 

Although it was an unofficial party of friends but it turned out to be the get-together of the PBSA top officials with Alamgir Anwar Shaikh (Co-Chairman), Munawwar Hussain Shaikh (President) and Zulfiqar Ali Ramzi (Secretary), Irfan Moten (Treasurer) and Shariq Vohra (Member, Executive Committee) in attendance alongwith other office-bearers of the governing body of cue sports in the country. 

The soft spoken Asghar Valika, having turned 73, was delighted to be surrounded by his friends who wished him long life with immaculate health. Alamgir Shaikh, the motivating force behind organizing the birthday party, was mighty pleased with the occasion as he led the prayers for longevity of their beloved mentor whom he described as a source of constant motivation.

readmore »»

Preparations for Winter Olympics 2022 in full swing at Beijing

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Despite the challenges being faced due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, China has continued working round the clock to complete all arrangements for holding of the Winter Olympics 2020 in Beijing as per schedule. 

Air China, the state’s own carrier, has started flying its aircrafts with the theme paint for promotion of the next Winter Olympics in a big fashion. 

China's capital city of Beijing, in the Hebei province, will be playing host to the next Winter Olympics scheduled to be staged there from February 4 to 20, 2022. Some of the events will also be taking place in neighboring towns. 

Beijing, which also hosted the Olympic Games in 2008, is set to become the first city in the world to host both the Summer Olympics as well as the Winter Olympics.

readmore »»

Diversity Cup to get underway on September 5

By Naeem-ul-Haq in USA
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

While the focus of attention for the past one month was Pakistan’s much talked about tour of England where we were able to witness some high quality cricket despite rainy summer.

Now all roads will be leading to Detroit in Michigan where Global Sports will be staging the 15th edition of the Diversity Cup, regarded as one of the most popular cricket tournaments in USA, from September 5 to 7.

It’s going a festive weekend with lots of entertainment to be available for the cricket lovers who will be assembling from the different parts of the US, despite the threats posed by coronavirus (COVID-19).

A total of eight teams will be competing for the trophy. They will be battling it out over three days for getting the lion’s share in the attractive prizemoney of USD 17,500.

The participants have been divided equally in two groups. Pakistan Greens, India Blues, Bangladesh Tigers and Asia United have been drawn in the Group A while Michigan Cheetahs, USA Blues, Smart Choice World XI and Mich-ca XI constitute the Group B.

An added feature during the cricket carnival at Detroit will be a coaching camp for the youngsters on September 5.

Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler and an ICC Level-4 coach, will be master trainer at the youth camp and I have been assigned the responsibility of assisting him during the one-day event.

The Diversity Cup has become one of the success stories because of the continued hard work of the organizers and the team owners who have been generously supporting the tournament over the years.

Dr Shaukat Rasheed, based in Toledo, Ohio, will be fielding the Pakistan Greens outfit for the first time and he has reckoned it to be a strong and balanced side. I might be associated with their team in the capacity of coach, if needed.

Shahid Malik, a leading businessman, has been a huge support to the cause of cricket by owning a high profile team for the past eight years. The teams, owned by him, have often contained four to five international cricketers.

Ajay Reddy, another ardent cricket supporter, has been managing India Blues for last three years quite enthusiastically and his team has performed consistently over the years.

Ghulam Afser, who has been running Bangladesh Tigers for the last eight years, is an invaluable support to the organizers as has been Sarwat Iqbal, who owns USA Blues.

Their passion for the game has helped the tournament immensely. Well it’s time to celebrate as the Diversity Cup has turned 15 now.

Having been associated with the Global Sports in the capacity of Vice President, Advisor and coach since inception, I feel proud to be a part of the team which has made it one of the most popular annual cricket events of the country.

Global recognition has also come our way as the International Cricket Council (ICC) had recognized the Diversity Cup as a tournament in 2016. It’s really pleasing to share that an average of seven to eight Test cricketers from different countries has been in action during the course of a tournament. 

The presence of the legendary cricketers like Greg Chappell, Mushtaq Muhammad, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Muhammad Azharuddin, Asif Iqbal and Younis Khan has also contributed significantly in adding value to the Diversity Cup.

readmore »»

Chitral Broghil festival pushed forward

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The traditional Chitral Broghil Festival, scheduled to be held early next month, has been pushed forward, the organizers announced on August 29. 

The Tourism department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa announced that the festival had to be rescheduled because of heavy torrential rains. 

Now the festival will be held from September 12, although it was originally scheduled to get underway on September 5. 

The events to be contested during the traditional festival include polo, cricket and football besides tug of war and other local games. The organizers will also be establishing a special zone to house the tourists.

readmore »»