Lions, Stags, Wolves enter last-4 in Faysal Bank T20 Cup

By AM Khan

LAHORE, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) December 6, 2012: Lahore Lions, Bahawalpur Stags, and Faisalabad Wolves booked berths in semi-finals of Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2012 by recording their fifth straight victories Thursday.

Misbah-ul-Haq played rollicking knock of 72 not out to help Faisalabad Wolves beat Karachi Dolphins by two wickets. Bahawalpur Stags recorded 11-run victory over Hyderabad Hawks while Sialkot Stallions defeated Abbottabad Falcons by 34 runs to stay on course to grab the final vacant last-four berth.

FBT20: Rawalpindi Rams thrash Lahore Eagles by 8wkts

At LCCA ground, Rawalpindi Rams thrashed Lahore Eagles by eight wickets. Lahore Eagles, batting first, posted 155 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs. Saad Nasim was top scorer with 44 runs and Abid Ali added 23. Yasir Arafat claimed 3-37. In reply, Rawalpindi Rams achieved the target for the loss of just two wickets. Naveed Malik batted brilliantly and contributed 41-ball 77 runs laced with five fours and seven huge sixes while stylish opener Awais Zia scored 36-ball 54 runs with four fours and the same number of sixes. Naveed Malik of Rawalpindi Rams was named player of the match.

FBT20: Faisalabad Wolves beat Karachi Dolphins in last-ball thriller

Faisalabad Wolves recorded their fifth consecutive victory on Thursday to storm their way into semifinals of the Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2012 at Bagh-e-Jinnah Ground in Lahore.

Faisalabad Wolves defeated a star-studded Karachi Dolphins by two wickets on the final delivery of the match.

Pakistan’s former T20 captain Misbah-ul-Haq was the star of the show as he played the captain’s innings and remained unbeaten on 72 runs from 46 balls to steer his team to a superb victory.

Faisalabad Wolves, achieving the target of 146-7 in 20 overs, chased the victory target on the last ball of the match with Misbah playing his unbeaten 72-run innings with the help of four fours and three sixes.

Misbah Khan clinched 3-44 and Shahid Khan Afridi got 2-22 for the Karachi Dolphins.

Earlier batting first, Karachi Dolphins scored 147 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs.

Khurram Manzoor (51) hit an impressive half century while wicketkeeper-batsman Sarfaraz Ahmed delivered the final punch (29*) with Khalid Latif also chipping in with 23.

Ehsan Adil was the key bowler for the winners as he captured four scalps for just 28 runs.

Misbah-ul-Haq was named Man of the Match for his captain’s knock.

FBT20: Islamabad Leopards edge out Quetta Bears by five wickets

Islamabad Leopards recorded an impressive five wicket victory over struggling Quetta Bears in the Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2012 at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday.

The match stood no significance as both the teams had already crashed out of the semifinals contentions.

Put into bat first, Quetta Bears scored 111 for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs.

Farhan Khan top-scored with 32 runs on 32 balls with five fours while Naushad Irshad also played well and remained unbeaten on 19 runs.

Rao Iftikhar Anjum secured three wickets for 11 runs and Imad Wasim took two for 29 runs for the Islamabad Leopards.

In reply, Islamabad Leopards achieved the target for the loss of five wickets from 18.4 overs.

Junaid Nadir (32) and Bazid Khan (23) were the main contributors to the Leopards’ victory.

Arun Lal got one wicket for four runs.

Rao Iftikhar Anjum of Islamabad Leopards was named Man of the Match for yet another superb spell of medium-paced bowling.

FBT20: Multan Tigers pip Karachi Zebras by 17 runs

Multan Tigers continued to impress cricket fans across the country as they edged out Karachi Zebras by 17 runs in Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2012 at LCCA Ground on Thursday.

Multan Tigers, who can still topple Sialkot Stallions for a place in the semifinal of the event, scored 140 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs.

The top scorers for Tigers were Zain Abbas (46), Saeed Anwar Jr (39) and Gulraiz Sadaf (22).

Haris Ayaz (2-22) and Faraz Ahmed (2-25) bowled brilliantly for the winners.

Karachi Zebras, in reply, were all out on 123 runs from 19.4 overs. Javed Mansoor (35), Ramiz Aziz (29) and Saeed Bin Nasir 27 played well.

Rahat Ali was hero of the winning side as he clinched four wickets for 15 runs while Saeed Anwar Jr claimed 3-22 and M Irfan 2-17. Saeed Anwar Junior of Multan Tigers was named Man of the Match.

FBT20: Sialkot Stallions a victory away from SF berth

At Bagh-e-Jinnah Ground, Sialkot Stallions stunned Abbottabad Falcons by 34 runs. Put into bat first, Sialkot Stallions piled up a good total of 164 runs for the loss of six wickets in 20 overs. Haris Sohail remained unbeaten on 62 runs with six fours and three sixes while Shoaib Malik added 33 runs and Rana Naveed 27. Pace bowler Junaid Khan bowled well and grabbed 3-22. In reply, Abbottabad Falcons could manage to score 130 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. Yasir Hameed made 37 runs and Hammad Ali 33. Rana Naveed bagged 2-26. Haris Sohail of Sialkot Stallions was declared man of the match.

FBT20: Unbeaten Bahawalpur Stags enter last-four

At Gaddafi Stadium, Bahawalpur Stags, which is taking part in the National T20 for the first time, defeated Hyderabad Hawks to enter the semi-finals of the event on the sixth day. Bahawalpur Stags won the toss and decided to bat first. They lost their early wickets at a low score as their two batsmen were shown pavilion on just 13 runs while their third wicket fell on 47 runs. Stags players then played responsible innings and contributed well to make their team’s total a reasonable one. Ali Haider remained top scorer with 26-ball 40 runs while Usman Tariq added important 34. Bilal Khilji played captained innings and smashed 37 and remained on the crease till the end of their innings. Rehan Riaz and Kashif Bhatti bowled well for the Hyderabad Hawks and bagged two wickets each.

Hyderabad Hawks took a good start and scored 44 runs for the first-wicket partnership but Stags captain with his superb ball dented the Hawks batting getting the first wicket of Sharjeel (28). Zeeshan and Azeem Ghumman then played well and added 29 runs for the second-wicket partnership which was broken by Attaullah in the 11th over and soon Hawks lost another wicket in 13.1 over as Imran bowled out Zeeshan Gull (24). After that no batsmen of Hawks could play a big innings and lost their wickets one after another. Hawks tail-enders showed some resistance but could help their team to score win. Karam Hussain, M Talha and captain Bilal Khilji took two wickets each to guide their team to impressive triumph.

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Ehsan Adil makes strong case for national selection

By Farhan Nisar

LAHORE, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) December 6, 2012: Right arm fast medium bowler Ehsan Adil impressed Dav Whatmore, Pakistan national cricket team’s head coach, with his impressive bowling in his first match for the Faisalabad Wolves in the Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2012 on Thursday.

Dav Whatmore has been keeping a close look at the pool of young players exhibiting their skills in the ongoing Faysal Bank Twenty20 Cup in Lahore and Ehsan Adil’s brilliant bowling performance against Karachi Dolphins caught his eyes.

Karachi Dolphins are regarded as one of the top Twenty20 domestic sides in Pakistan but Ehsan Adil maintained his discipline and confidence against the likes of Shahzaib Hasan, Khalid Latif, and Khurram Manzoor as Faisalabad Wolves stormed into semifinals of the most prestigious domestic tournament.

Ehsan Adil gave away only 28 runs from his four overs and took four crucial wickets which helped his side restrict a strong batting unit of Karachi Dolphins to an average score of 147 for six from their 20 overs.

Ehsan Adil first removed Khalid Latif (23 from 19 – 2 fours, 1 six) by dislodging his stumps and then got rid of Fawad Alam (16 from 13 – 1 six), Khurram Manzoor (51 from 41 – 8 fours), and Anwar Ali (12 from 9 – 1 four).

The impressive performance by the fast medium bowler has earned him praise of Dav Whatmore who looked at his bowling with keen interest and the young pacer may get a chance to prove his mettle in Pakistan’s upcoming tour to South Africa.

Ehsan Adil, who represented Pakistan in this year’s ICC U19 World Cup in Australia, came up with the goods both with bat and ball in the top U19 tournament and impressed all and sundry with his control and discipline in bowling.

Ehsan Adil has also performed exceedingly well for Habib Bank Limited in the President’s Trophy this year as he is the second highest wicket taker in the tournament with 47 wickets, including three five-wicket hauls and an average of under 16 and with his yet another jaw-dropping performance the PCB selectors may find him room in the squad for South Africa tour.

Ehsan Adil has the ability to swing the ball both ways and bowls them at a pace over 130 kilometers per hour which makes him a perfect choice for Pakistan on the pacey and bouncy pitches in South Africa.

Ehsan Adil has toured South Africa in the past with the U19 team where he not only performed with the ball but also showcased his skills with the bat as he hit them big in the 3^rd youth One-dayer. Earlier this year, Ehsan Adil also performed with the bat in the quarterfinal match against India where he scored 35 from 38 balls to take Pakistan to 138 runs after they were reduced to 98 for seven. He followed that batting performance up by two wickets for 25 runs from his 10 overs.

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Stags, Lions, Stallions stay unbeaten in Faysal Bank T20 Cup

By AM Khan

LAHORE, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) December 3, 2012: The debutant Bahawalpur Stags continued their rich vein of form Monday as they joined Lahore Lions and defending champions Sialkot Stallions as the unbeaten teams in the Faysal Bank T20 Cup 2012 being played in Lahore.

Bahawalpur Stags (153/8 in 19.3) defeated a strong Karachi Dolphins (152/6 in 20) by two wickets, Lahore Eagles (162/8 in 20) beat Peshawar Panthers (86/8 in 20) by 76 runs, Abbottabad Falcons (120/8 in 19.5) beat Islamabad Leopards (116/8 in 20) by two wickets, Faisalabad Wolves (101/2 in 16.1) beat Hyderabad Hawks (97/8 in 20) by eight wickets, Lahore Lions (182/4 in 20) beat Multan Tigers (152/5 in 20) by 30 runs, and Sialkot Stallions (112/2 in 16.4) defeated Karachi Zebras (111/5 in 20) by eight wickets on Monday.

Lahore teams registered victories in their respective matches on the day three of the Faysal Bank Twenty20 Cricket Tournament here at the two different venues.

Man of the match Umar Akmal led Lahore Lions to an impressive victory over Multan Tigers in the fifth match of the day here at the Bagh-e-Jinnah ground.

Lahore Lions won the toss and decided to bat first. Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shahzad took a brilliant start and scored 59 runs in the first wicket partnership. Nasir fall prey of Kashif Naved when he was at 21. Then wicketkeeper stylish batsman Kamran Akmal joined aggressive opener Ahmed Shahzad and both the players played extremely well and added important 52 runs. Rahat Ali was the bowler who broke the second-wicket partnership and bowled Kamran on 31 runs runs. Opener Ahmed Shahzad played a responsible innings and remained on the crease till the 19th overs. He played brilliant shorts to every corner of the ground and remained the top scorer for the winners as he collected 68 runs. He was dismissed by Zulfiqar Babar in the very first delivery of the 19th over. Another leading player of the Lahore Lions was Umar Akmal who remained unbeaten on 55 runs in his just 21-ball innings in which he slammed five fours and four sixes. Abdul Razzaq could manage to score only two runs as he was run out by Gulraiz Sadaf. Lahore Lions total score at the end of their innings was 182 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs.

Chasing the target of 183 runs, Multan Tigers started their innings well and score 48 runs in their first-wicket stand but then Wahab Riaz of Lions took the first wicket of Tigers when he dismissed Zain Abbas on 19 runs. Gulriaz Sadaf then joined the opener Sohaib Maqsood and added 14 runs for the second wicket partnership as Sohaib was caught and bowled by Mustafa Iqbal at the score of 35 runs. The third-wicket partnership of Multan Tigers proved very successful as Gulraiz and Saeed Anwar Junior played brilliant innings and kept on clicking the scoreboard. At that time, it seemed that Tigers will conquer the Lions but Lions captain M Hafeez roared on Gulraiz and showed him pavilion at the score of 38 runs. Lions’ bowler kept on momentum and got two more wickets restricting the Tigers at the score of 142 runs.

Umar Akmal for his superb and aggressive batting show was named best player of the match.

At LCCA ground, Lahore Eagles thrashed Peshawar Panther by 76 runs. Imran Farhat was hero of the Lahore Eagles as he smashed superb 45-ball 68 runs. The other good striker for the Eagles was Azhar Ali who made 26 runs with the help of three fours. Waqar Ahmed (3-36) and Aslam Qureshi (2-25) bowled well for the Panther. M Khalil and Saad Nasim destroyed the Panther batting line up by grabbing two wickets each and restricted them to paltry 86-8 in 20 overs.

In other matches of the day, Bahawalpur Stags defeated Karachi Dolphins by two wickets at Bagh-e-Jinnah ground. Man of the match Imran Ullah of Bahawalpur Stags played powerful innings of 48 runs to lead his team to victory.

Mir Azam of Abbottabad Falcons steered his team to two-wicket victory over Islamabad Leopards here at the Gaddafi Stadium. Islamabad Leopards scored 116-8 in 20 overs with Amad Wasim scoring 45 runs. Amjad Waqas grabbed 3-21 and Khalid Usman 2-25. Abbottabad Falcons chased the target in the last over of the match. Mir Azam was hero of Abbottbad with his 59 runs while Younas Khan was unbaten on 38 runs.

Faisalabad Wolves overwhelmed Hyderabad Hawks by eight wickets here at the LCCA ground. Hyderabad Hawks could manage to score 98 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs with Rizwan Ahmed scoring 41 runs. Magical bowler Saeed Ajmal chipped in with two wickets along with two wickets each by Khurram Shahzad and Asad Ali. Faisalabad Wolves achieved the victory target in just 16.1 overs Farrukh Shahzad smashing impressive 51-ball 57 runs laced with nine fours. He was ably assisted by Naveed Latif who remained unbeaten on 34 runs.

Sialkot Stallions won by 8 wickets.

Shoaib Malik superb half century helped Sialkot Stallions to score an impressive triumph over Karachi Zebra here at the Gaddafi Stadium. Karachi Zebra could manage 111 runs for the loss of five wickets in 20 overs with Daniyal Ahsan scoring unbeaten 24 runs and Faisal Iqbal, Ramiz Aziz and Ramiz Raja Jr 21 runs each. Adeel Malik remained successful bowler for the losers with three wickets for 19 runs. Shoaib Malik played captain inning and remained unbeaten on 50 runs as his team achieved the target in just 16.4 overs for the loss of just two wickets. Haris Sohail also played well and made unbeaten 34 runs.

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Captains named for Pakistan T20 tournament

By Ubaid Awan

KARACHI, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) November 20, 2012: The organizers of Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 competition, on Tuesday, announced captains of the participating teams for the 2012 edition of the tournament.

After Pakistan’s skipper Mohammad Hafeez decided to part ways with the Faisalabad Wolves, the country’s Test skipper Misbah ul Haq was handed the responsibility to lead the team in the top T20 cricket tournament in Pakistan.

Former Pakistani all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who has been out of favors with the PCB selectors, has been given the charge of Islamabad Leopards while former skipper Younus Khan will lead the Abbottabad.

Legendary batsman Mohammad Yousuf will lead Lahore Lions in the Twenty20 tournament which will be played from December 2-10.

The Abbottabad team also has the services of Yasir Shah and left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan while Lahore Lions have Umar Akmal and Kamran Akmal in their squad.

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Mohammad Hafeez to represent Lahore Lions

By Aftab Tabee

LAHORE, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) November 20, 2012: Pakistan’s Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez has decided to play for Lahore Lions in the upcoming National Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2012 which will be played from December 2-10, 2012.

Talking exclusively with this scribe, Mohammad Hafeez who has been leading the Faisalabad Wolves in the previous editions of the domestic Twenty20 competitions, said that he was forced to relinquish his ties with the Faisalabad region only due to one man.

“President Faisalabad Region Anwar Chaudhry has been interfering in the team’s matters for a long time which has left me with no option to part ways with the team”, Mohammad Hafeez said. 

Pakistan’s Twenty20 skipper said that Mr. Anwar Chaudhry had been poking into the team management’s matters which had put him under stress as captain of the Faisalabad Region. He added that the latest example of Anwar Chaudhry’s high-handedness is non-selection of Zeeshan Qazi for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy squad of Faisalabad Region despite of taking the most number of wickets. Instead, brother of former fast bowler Shahid Nazeer was inducted into the Faisalabad squad, he added.

President Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA), Khawaja Nadeem has also confirmed Mohammad Hafeez’s inclusion in the Lahore Lions squad for the upcoming T20 tournament.

The Lahore Lions will be led by former Pakistan skipper and legendary batsman Mohammad Yousuf and will also have the services of Kamran Akmal and Umar Akmal who are integral part of the national Twenty20 cricket team.

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