President-elect Nadeem Omar set to take KCCA to higher level

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The President-elect of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Nadeem Omar, has already set the ball rolling by getting in touch with the concerned quarters for implementing his plans aimed at reviving the game in a big way.

He has been elected unopposed as the KCCA President as he enjoyed overwhelming electoral support prompting his predecessor and challenger Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui to withdraw his candidature the other day. 

The notification in this regard from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is being awaited and it may be delayed until polling for the slot of the KCCA Secretary is held in a few weeks. 

Nadeem Omar, a veteran sports promoter and a cricket administrator, having founded and managed successful cricket teams like Omar Associates, Omar Cricket Club and Capricorn Discount Cards, besides Quetta Gladiators, has begun his journey of transforming the KCCA into a bigger entity than it was ever before. 

The KCCA President-elect shared some of the exciting plans he has worked out to revolutionize the KCCA. He has already started making moves towards his strategic plan, covering nearly aspect of the game. 

The development of a new structure of cricket for Karachi features prominently on his agenda as he plans to have the KCCA managed as professionally as any other modern cricket association anywhere in the world. 

�First and foremost I have set the goal of reviving the KCCA Stadium in North Nazimabad. I plan to install floodlights at the ground besides improving the condition of the stadium. This would be the home of Karachi cricket,� he declared. 

�Secondly I have already spoken to the PCB to let the KCCA gets its share of space at the National Stadium where I intend to build a library and museum of Karachi cricket apart from setting up the High Performance Centre with the KCCA Academy. There are vacant spaces within the compound of the National Stadium and the KCCA is interested in using it,� Nadeem Omar disclosed. 

He has the plans for revitalizing the club cricket, with the help of its seven zones, on a war footing. He�s equally eager to launch proper cricket tournaments for schools, colleges and universities with the collaboration of the local education departments in order to engage a larger pool of students. 

�I would be interested in exposing the youngsters to matches of longer duration from an early age so that they face no problems when graduating to first-class cricket. We will have annual tournaments of three-day matches as well as T20 events,� he added. 

His plans include the development of news complexes containing a full-fledged cricket grounds where first-class matches could be played besides reviving the historic grounds like the Karachi Parsi Institute (KPI) where the legendary Hanif Muhammad played that epic knock of 499. 

Nadeem Omar emphasized on quickly developing and uploading a state-of-the-art website of the KCCA, to be updated on a daily basis, which would have details about coaches, umpires, scorers, clubs, departments, grounds, rules, women�s tournaments besides other features of general interest.

Engro teams up with Quetta Gladiators for PSL

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Engro Foods, one of the largest conglomerates of Pakistan, have become the official sponsors of Quetta Gladiators for the PSL-3 and the agreement in this regard was signed between the company�s President, Ghias Khan, and Nadeem Omar, the franchise owner, in a ceremony on February 8.

The tastefully decorated office of Quetta Gladiators, owned by Nadeem Omar�s Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, was buzzing with activity on a pleasant Karachi afternoon and the auditorium, the venue of the signing ceremony, was packed to capacity to witness the event. 

�We are starting this partnership with very high hopes of making it a big one as we share a lot of common goals. We need the support of corporations and sponsoring partners to grow and become self-sustaining entity. Together we can achieve our mutual objective of putting Pakistan on top of the tree in the cricket world,� Nadeem Omar observed. 

The Engro President, an ardent supporter of the game, described the Pakistan Super League (PSL) as a great initiative, having facilitated the return of international cricket to Pakistan. He was thrilling at teaming up with Quetta Gladiators, the only team to have reached both the PSL finals. 

There was more good news for Quetta Gladiators as unlike the last edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), their foreign cricketers have agreed to play their matches of the upcoming PSL-3 being staged in Karachi and Lahore.

�With the sole exception of Kevin Pietersen, all the foreign players of our squad have expressed their willingness to play in Pakistan this time round. Even the flamboyant England batsman (Pietersen) may come and play in our cities,� Nadeem Omar, owner of Quetta Gladiators, revealed in his speech on the occasion.

Besides Pietersen, the foreign cricketers in the Quetta Gladiators squad, being led by the Pakistan captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, are Shane Watson (Australia), Mahmudullah (Bangladesh), Jason Roy (England), Rilee Rossouw (South Africa), Carlos Brathwaite (West Indies) and Rashid Khan (Afghanistan). 

It may be recalled that Quetta Gladiators were deprived of the services of their prolific overseas cricketers, who opted not to travel to Lahore, as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chose to move the PSL-2 final away from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the course of the tournament. 

Having finished runners-up in both the editions of the PSL, Quetta Gladiators appear determined to make it third time lucky as the PSL-3 gets underway with the usual fanfare later this month.

�We were considered underdogs on both occasions but we turned it around with passion and team spirit and proved many people wrong by cruising into the final. Sadly we couldn�t win the title in the past but I am quite confident that our team will perform better than before to bring him the trophy,� Head Coach Moin Khan, himself a former Pakistan captain, remarked.

�In cricket you cannot guarantee results but one thing is sure that we are going to fight until the end. That�s what we have been doing in the past and will keep doing it as we maintain very relaxed atmosphere in our dugout with the emphasis being on team spirit rather than anything else,� he added. 

Moin Khan reckoned that the PCB should appoint Sarfraz Ahmed as the captain of the national team until team until the 2019 World Cup which will be helpful in bringing to an end speculations and uncertainties. 

�Just as Quetta Gladiators have announced that Sarfraz Ahmed will continue leading our team as long as he�s fit, the PCB would be advised to go for a long-term appointment in the larger national interest,� the former Pakistan captain added.

19th PVCA National Seniors Cup being contested by 103 teams

Pakistan News & Features Services

A total of 103 outfits from 50 cities, having been divided in 31 groups, will be participating in the 19th edition of the National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2017-18 being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd while Naya Nazimabad will be the co-sponsors.

The details about the event, whose Southern Zone matches will be getting underway on February 10, were shared by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, in a media briefing at the Karachi Gymkhana on February 6. 

Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, was also present on the occasion alongwith Akbar Iqbal Puri, President, Karachi Gymkhana, Abdul Haq, representing Naya Nazimabad, and the PVCA officials, Alamgir Ahmed, Amjad Islam Rishi, Shariq Hasib Khan and Mujahid Hamid. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan noted that the level of fitness of the cricketers, having crossed the age of 40, has improved considerably over the years primarily due to the introduction of the National Seniors Cup. 

Nadeem Omar reckoned that the senior cricketers were also making a significant contribution in the development of the sport, complimenting the PVCA to have withstood the challenges and delivered against the heaviest of odds. 

Akbar Puri informed that besides installing floodlights at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground, the club was looking forward to having more proactive role in cricket in near future. 

It was disclosed that 34 city teams from Punjab, 8 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5 from Sindh, 2 from Islamabad one from Baluchistan will be taking part in the tournament whose national final, to be contested between the Champions of Northern and Southern Zones, will be taking place in Karachi on 22nd April. The total prize money in the event will be Rs 694,000. 

Karachi Gold Bridge will be taking on Karachi Lucky Knitts in the inaugural match of the Southern Zone  at Naya Nazimabad Cricket Ground on February 10. 

In the Southern Zone competition, Omar Associates, Fact Date Engineering, A A Pakwan, CAA and Quetta are placed in the Group A while the Group B comprises of RLCA, Gold Bridge, Airport Gymkhana, Haseen Habib and Lucky Knitts with Hyderabad, Badin, Jamshoro and Mirpurkhas being the drawn in the interior Sindh group. 

The group matches of the Southern Zone, taking place at Karachi and Hyderabad, will be of 20 overs each innings whereas the Zonal finals as well as the National Final will be of 30 overs per innings. The group matches will be organized on single league basis. 

The matches of the Northern Zone, having got underway last November, are being played at Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Multan, Okara, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Muridke, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot while the matches of the Southern Zone will be played at Karachi and Hyderabad.

Amjad Islam Rishi will be the Tournament Coordinator while the Southern Zone Committee will be headed by Alamgir Ahmed. 

The National Seniors Cup, contested annually between the selected teams of the various cities, has been organized by the PVCA every season since they its launch in 1998. 

The PVCA has attained not only national but international recognition. It has played three series of limited overs matches against Indian Veterans featuring mega stars on both sides. It also organized a series of matches against touring Canadian Veterans Cricket team in February 2017 and they are again touring Pakistan later this month to play a series of matches in Karachi and Lahore. 

Besides organizing Seniors/Veterans/Super Veterans Cricket, the PVCA is also promoting School Cricket as well having already organized eight successful editions of Inter-School Cricket Tournament in Karachi.

KG Ramazan Festival�s prizemoney enhanced

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The prize money of the 32nd edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Twenty20 Cricket Tournament 2017 for the Omar Associates Trophy, due to start here at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on the first day of Ramazan, has been enhanced substantially. 

According to the details unveiled by the Tournament Director, Jam Nafees Ali, during the media briefing here at the Karachi Gymkhana on May 22, the categories for cash awards has been increased and the total prize money of the four-week event, whose final will be played on 28th of Ramazan, will be Rupees 14 lacs and 63 thousand, which is the highest in the 31-year-old history of the tournament. 

The champions will be getting Rs seven lacs and the runners-up will be collecting Rs three lacs fifty thousand with the losing semifinalists will be receiving Rs 50,000 each. The new categories of awards being introduced are for the most boundaries, most catches and most wickets in every match which will be in addition to Man of the Match awards. 

The tournament is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, the promoters of Quetta Gladiators, Omar Cricket Club and Omar Colts, who have also been managing veterans and women�s teams besides having its regular team which plays national-level tournaments, for the fourth year running.

In his welcome address, the Karachi Gymkhana President, Fawad Salim Malik, described the club as the premier sports and social club of the country, having been established more than 125 years ago. To a question, he disclosed that the Gymkhana management was working the plans to install floodlights at their cricket ground later this year. 

Speaking on the occasion, Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, welcomed the participation of the co-sponsors in the tournament hoped that other corporations and institutions will also come forward for patronizing sports. 

�The Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival has remained a most sought after tournament in which many future greats were discovered. The promising cricketers from all over the country get an opportunity to showcase their talents and those performing well get headstart to their career,� he added. 

Riazuddin, an international umpire and member of the technical committee, disclosed that all the T20 rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including Duckworth-Lewis method for shortened matches, will be applied during the tournament. 

As in the past, tournament will be contested by a total of 16 teams, having been divided equally in four groups for the preliminary rounds. This includes quite a new teams like Dubai Hawks XI, Acme Technologies, Mangus Sports, New Al Habib Cricket Club, Friends Cricket Club (Kandhkot) and Opera Cricket Club, who will be making their debut in the competition. 

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout phase, starting with quarter-finals on the 21st day of Ramazan. Omar CC has been drawn in the Group A alongwith Dubail Hawks XI, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Advance Telecom while the Group B comprises of Karachi Gymkhana Whites, Dollar East, Mohammad Hussain Cricket Club and Acme Technologies. 

The Group C contains Eaton CC, Magnus Sports, Sojhla Cricket Academy (Dera Ghazi Khan) and New Al Habib CC while the Group D will be Tapal CC, Heroes CC (Quetta), Friends CC (Kandhkot) and Opera CC.

Quetta Gladiators sign title sponsorship deal with Jubilee Life

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Quetta Gladiators, a Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, has signed title sponsorship deal with a leading private insurance firm for the second edition of the tournament starting in less than a couple of weeks time. 

The signing ceremony between the two parties was witnessed by capacity crowd in the hall of Movenpick Hotel, Karachi, where it was held on January 30. The top management of the PSL franchise alongwith some of their players and coach Moin Khan, who is also a former Pakistan captain. 

The Quetta Gladiators skipper, Sarfraz Ahmed, who is also the Pakistan T20 skipper and tipped to become the leader in all three formats in not too distant future, however, was unable to make it due to personal reasons. 

Nadeem Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, which owns Quetta Gladiators, was particularly pleased at signing the title sponsorship deal with Jubilee Life Insurance. 

�Jubilee Life is a dynamic young corporate entity which takes pride in long term relationships. Our successive meetings with them over the past few weeks to finalize the matters reflected their positive approach,� he noted.

�Our squad has a lot of young faces who make up for their inexperience with their aggression and high level of commitment. We may have entered the inaugural PSL as the underdogs but our boys excelled in the field to storm into the final. Now our aim will be to bring home the trophy,� Nadeem Omar remarked. 

He paid glowing tributes to Moin Khan, the coach of Quetta Gladiators, for having put the acts together so nicely, also acknowledging the services of Azam Khan, the manager besides complimenting Sarfraz Ahmed for leading by example.

Javed Ahmed, Managing Director, Jubilee Life Insurance, lavished Quetta Gladiators for emerging as a popular brand right away with their brilliant craftsmanship. 

�Your team has worked wonders in a short span of time and we appreciate your brilliance. We look forward to working with you for a long time to achieve our mutual objective of putting Pakistan cricket on top of the world,� he observed. 

The ceremony was also attended by the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, and the Chairman of the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), Fawad Ijaz Khan.

Master stroke by Quetta Gladiators

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Quetta Gladiators, a Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise, has signed a sponsorship deal with a leading lubricants firm for the upcoming second edition of the tournament.

The signing ceremony in this regard was held with great fanfare at Movenpick Hotel, Karachi, on December 3 in the presence of the top management of the PSL franchise as well as some of their players and coach Moin Khan, who is also a former Pakistan captain. 

Nadeem Omar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, which owns Quetta Gladiators, expressed his delight at signing the sponsorship deal with Pakistan Lubricants, the manufacturers of Master Oil, for the PSL-2, to be held in February-March 2017. 

�We have made history of sorts today. This is the first-ever sponsorship deal being signed by Quetta Gladiators. Obviously it�s new beginning for us. These are still the early days for the PSL. Ours as well as the other four franchises stand a great chance of getting more sponsorship support in future because the PSL is here to stay and make waves,� he reckoned. 

He attributed the success of Quetta Gladiators, who finished runners-up in the inaugural edition of the PSL earlier this year, to the virtues of teamwork, making special mention of coach Moin Khan and manager Azam Khan.

�Some circles were not much impressed with the line-up we had chosen. But we had done it with purpose and conviction. We had trusted the abilities of our team and they proved their mettle. Obstacles did come in our way during the journey but we were able to overcome them with our spirit and commitment,� Nadeem Omar declared. 

He expressed great confidence in his emerging players, hoping that the likes of young gun Hassan Khan, a product of Inter-School cricket, will turn out to be the stars of future. 

On a personal note, Nadeem Omar, whose company Omar Associates has been one of the most consistent supporters of sports in Pakistan over the years, observed that it felt quite differently to be sponsored for the first time. 

�Yes indeed the feeling is quite different at the moment because we have been accustomed to sponsoring all along rather than being sponsored,� he added. 

Later talking to the media, Moin Khan echoed similar sentiments and he too was looking forward to exciting performances from the franchise youngsters in the upcoming PSL. 

Tabish Javed, Managing Director, Pakistan Lubricants, looked forward to a long-term relationship with Quetta Gladiators. 

�For over five decades our brand Master Oil has exemplified trust and the PSL presents us the opportunity to reach out to our last base of customers and further promote the passion for cricket. It is the first step in what is intended to be a long journey,� he remarked. 

The ceremony was also attended by the key officials of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), including its President, Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, and Secretary, Shafiq Kazmi.

PVCA board includes three Test cricketers

Pakistan News & Features Services

The Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) has elected new board members and officials during its annual general body meeting held in Karachi and Lahore by video conferencing on November 14.

According to a notification issued by the PVCA, there were a total 16 directors, including three Test cricketers, Intikhab Alam, Ejaz Faquih and Kabir Khan, having been nominated by the four provinces and Islamabad. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, Nadeem Omar, Alamgir Ahmed, Amjad Islam Rishi, Salman Butt and Ejaz Faquih have been elected as the PVCA Directors from Sindh while Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, Intikhab Alam,Mujahid Hamid, Asad Ali Khan, Zahid Hussain and Rizwan Nisar are the elected Directors from the province of Punjab. Kabir Khan and Tariq Khan Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Shariq Hasib Khan (Balochistan) and Najeeb Sajid (Islamabad) are the other PVCA Directors elected from the respective territories.

Meanwhile Fawad Ijaz Khan and Ashiq Hussain Qureshi were unanimously re-elected as the new Chairman and Chief Executive of PVCA respectively for the three year term of 2016-19. Nadeem Sarwar was nominated as the Honorary Secretary and Rizwan Nisar was appointed as the Honorary Treasurer. 

The PVCA, which came into being in 1998, has emerged as one of the most proactive sports bodies, having organized numerous events. They have attributed the success to their consistent policies and the democratic set-up which they have had since its inception. 

Besides organizing cricket for the veterans, which remains its core objective, the PVCA has also played its role in promoting the game at the grassroots level, having organized eight editions of high-profile Inter-School cricket tournaments in Karachi, the last one of which concluded only a couple of days ago.

Omar Trophy to be inaugurated at Karachi Gymkhana

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A grand ceremony will be held at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 1 to mark the opening of the eighth edition of the PVCA Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2016 for the Omar Trophy, being contested by 32 outfits. 

Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, will be the chief guest in the inauguration ceremony, to be presided over by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). 

According to an announcement of the PVCA, the opening ceremony, to be attended by all the participating 32 teams, will be taking place from 9 am to 10 am and it will be followed by the inaugural match between Beaconhouse School and Ladybird Grammar School. 

The PVCA is organizing the Inter-Schools tournament in Karachi for the eighth time, having launched it with great fanfare in 1999. The event is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd with Bank Alfalah Ltd being the co-sponsors. 

The participating teams have been divided equally in eight groups. It includes 31 schools of the metropolis while a team of Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys has also entered the tournament in which 55 matches are scheduled to be played over a period of two and a half months. 

Besides the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground, the other venues to be used for the tournament will be National Stadium, NBP Sports Complex, KCCA Stadium, TMC Ground, Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium and SKBZ Ground. 

The PVCA will be spending over Rupees two million in holding the holding whose semifinals and finals, to be telecast live, will be staged at the National Stadium. 

The Man of the Match of every league outing will be entitled for a cash award of Rs 1,000 while the Man of the Final will be rewarded with a purse of Rs 5,000. The best batsman, the best bowler, the best wicketkeeper and the best player of the tournament will also be getting Rs 5,000 each. 

Besides arranging for meals and refreshments during matches, the organizers will also be providing shirts and caps to the participants and it will be mandatory for them to wear the sponsored shirts and caps during their matches. 

The PVCA has constituted an organizing committee for the tournament which will be headed by Nadeem Omar with Alamgir Ahmed having been appointed as the coordinator. Amjad Islam, Visal Ansari and Nasrullah Khan will be the other members of the committee. 

The students born on or after September 1, 1999, are eligible to participate in the tournament while each school has been allowed to field one guest player who should not be a student of 31 participating schools. All the matches will be limited to 40 overs per innings. 

The morning session games will be played from 10 am to 12.45 pm while the afternoon session fixtures will be held from 1.30 pm to 4.15 pm. 

No bowler will be permitted to bowl more than eight overs in a match whereas in order to encourage fast bowlers, the teams will not be allowed to use spinners during the first six overs.

PVCA Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament for Omar Trophy starts on September 1

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

A total of 32 outfits will be participating in the PVCA Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2016 for the Omar Trophy, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and sponsored by Omar Associates. 

The details about the tournament, to be spread over two and half months during which a total 55 matches are scheduled to be held, were unveiled in a media briefing by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, and Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, at the Karachi Gymkhana on August 30. Aly Mustansir, Chief Marketing Officer, Bank Alfalah, one of the co-sponsors of the event, also shared his views on the occasion. 

Salahuddin Ahmed, Sadiq Mohammad and Iqbal Qasim were the Test cricketers present in the gathering, along with former chief of the HBL Sports Division, Abdul Raquib, the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, and the President of Karachi Gymkhana, Fawad Salim Malik. Besides the media corps, the representatives of the participating schools also attended the briefing. 

It was announced that the tournament will be getting underway with a colourful opening ceremony at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 1 and it will be followed by the opening match between Beaconhouse School and Ladybird School the same day. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, in his speech, highlighted the role of the PVCA in the promotion of cricket at the grassroots level, as the association is now holding eighth edition of the Inter-School Tournament in Karachi, having launched it in 1999. 

�We had envisioned the Inter-Schools cricket on the pattern of the Ruby Shield, which used to be the premier tournament of its kind and it�s still talked about with great awe. We have launched something similar and we need supporters like Omar Associates and Bank Alfalah to join hands with us in making it an annual event,� he observed. 

�Both the semifinals as well as the final, to be staged at the National Stadium, Karachi, will be telecast live nationally and internationally as was done in the last edition of the tournament,� Fawad Ijaz Khan disclosed. 

Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, paid glowing tribute to the functionaries of the PVCA on organizing the Inter-Schools Tournament in Karachi for the eighth time in 17 years. 

�It�s quite an uphill task doing it as there are numerous challenges involved. Hats off to Fawad Ijaz Khan and his PVCA team for having done it quite professionally and nicely. Omar Associates is always a willing sponsor for the sports activities in the country and we are delighted to be supporting the PVCA Inter-Schools Tournament,� he observed. 

�It�s indeed a pity that just a few athletes of our country participated in the recently concluded Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. We need to build a proper infrastructure for sports as we do have the talents which are not being utilized,� he reckoned. 

Aly Mustansir, Chief Marketing Officer, Bank Alfalah, welcoming the initiative of the PVCA of continuously holding Inter-Schools Tournament in Karachi, expressed the hoped that it will also be taken to other cities. 

�Extending support in developing indigenous talent and taking innovation in to the next level are part of our institutional strategy as well. Inter-Schools Tournament provide solid platform to the rising talent and it�s extremely beneficial for the cause of the game,� he noted. 

Meanwhile the participating teams of the PVCA Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2016 for the Omar Trophy have been divided equally in eight groups. 

The Group A comprises of Ladybird Grammar School, Beaconhouse School, CAA School and Fahim School System while the Group B contains Fahad Academy, Happy Palace School, Fatimiyah Boys School and Zaheer Public School. 

The Group C features St Paul English School, Qadri Model English School, Zeeshan Secondary School and Qamar Bani Hashim School while the Group D is composed of Khan Secondary School, Al Fatima Academy, Oasis English Secondary School and The Educators. 

The quartet of BM Grammar School, Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Springfield School and Hira Foundation Boys School constitute the Group E while the Group F has the presence of Ebrahim Ali Bhai School, Karachi Public School, Government Boys Secondary School No 2 and Al Hameed Secondary School. 

The Group G includes Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys, Foundation Public School, St Patrick�s High School and Behbud Boys Secondary School while the four teams in the Group H are Kamran Public School, New Standard Secondary School, Falcon House Grammar School and The City School. 

At the end of the league matches, the leaders of all the eight groups will be advancing to the knockout stage of the competition, starting with the quarter-finals on October 31. The semifinals on November 10 and 11 will be followed by the final on November 15.

Nadeem Omar inaugurates KG Festival, stresses on fair play

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Nadeem Omar, the Managing Director of Omar Associates and the owner of Quetta Gladiators, has stressed on fair play and positive attitude as he formally inaugurated the 31st edition of the Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival Cricket Tournament 2016 for the Omar Associates Trophy on June 4.

With Test wicketkeeper-batsman Saleem Yousuf standing behind him, he dead-batted a friendly half-volley in the corporate settings of the banquet hall which, on a cricket ground, he would have deposited it somewhere into the stands! 

In his brief remarks on the occasion, Nadeem Omar, whose company is sponsoring the event for the fifth year running, hoped that other corporations and institutions will also come forward for patronizing sports. 

�Sadly the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year (2016-17), presented just the other day, doesn�t have adequate allocation for sports. Now the onus is on the private sector to promote sports in the right manner,� he reckoned. 

�The Karachi Gymkhana Ramazan Festival is the oldest tournament in which the talented cricketers from all over the country get an opportunity to showcase their talents. We are happy to be associated with it,� he added. 

Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, the promoters of Omar Cricket Club and Omar Colts, have also been managing veterans and women�s teams besides having its regular team which plays national-level tournaments.

Meanwhile the prize money of the Omar Associates Trophy 2016, due to start at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on the first day of Ramazan, has been enhanced. 

The decision in this regard was taken by the President of the Karachi Gymkhana, Fawad Salim Malik, during the media briefing as he announced that the winners will now be getting Rs seven lacs instead of Rupees six lacs and the runners-up will be collecting Rs three lacs fifty thousand instead of Rupees three lacs. 

The total prize money of the four-week event, whose final will be played on 28th of Ramazan, will be Rupees 13 lacs and eighty thousand, which is the highest in the 30-year-old history of the tournament. 

In his welcome address, Fawad Malik described the Karachi Gymkhana as the premier sports and social club east of the Suez Canal, which took pride in its legacy and heritage. He made a particular mention of its cricket ground, having hosted a few of Pakistan�s famous matches. 

Altaf Hussain Agha, a former President of the Karachi Gymkhana and also the Director of the Tournament Committee, spoke about the plans to install floodlights at their cricket ground later this year. 

Riazuddin, an international umpire of repute and member of the technical committee, disclosed that all the T20 rules and regulations of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), including Duckworth-Lewis method for shortened matches, will be applied during the tournament. 

As in the past, tournament will be contested by a total of 16 teams, having been divided equally in four groups for the preliminary rounds. This includes five new teams, Anees Hussain Cricket Club, Dawood Sports, Sojhula Cricket Club (Dera Ghazi Khan), Atiq Estate and Shahmil Associates, who will be making their debut in the competition. 

The top two teams from each group will qualify for the knockout phase, starting with quarter-finals. For the preliminary rounds, Omar CC has been drawn in the Group A alongwith Medicam, Mohammad Hussain CC and K-Electric while the Group B comprises of Karachi Gymkhana Whites, Sojhula CC, Atiq Estate and Eaton CC. 

The Group C contains Omar Colts, Heroes CC, Shahmil Associates and Anis Hussain CC while the Group D will be featuring Karachi Gymkhana Blues, Dubai Islamic Bank, Dawood Sports and Tapal CC.

Sound system breakdown mars Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup media briefing

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The media briefing of the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Cricket Tournament 2016, offering a record prize money of Rupees two million, was marred by the persistent sound system breakdown here at the Karachi Gymkhana Banquet Hall on Tuesday.

It caused considerable embarrassment to the dignitaries, who had to endure problems in conveying their message across to the media corps present on the occasion. 

The details about the four-week event, which will be getting underway at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium on June 28, were unfolded by Tournament Director, Riazuddin, who is also an international umpire. 

The prize money of the tournament has been enhanced to Rupees two million with the winners to collect a rich purse of Rupees one million and the runners-up to receive Rs half a million. 

Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, in his presidential address, shared the vision of his conglomerate which aims to contribute its bit in the promotion of sports in general and cricket in particular in the city of Karachi. 

�The Lawai Cricket Stadium in Naya Nazimabad, having floodlights besides many other facilities, remains occupied throughout the year. We also have developed a football stadium which will be inaugurated soon. We will be developing a hockey stadium as well soon. Additionally an indoor sports complex is also being built right next to the cricket ground,� he announced. 

�Our objective is to make Sports City at Naya Nazimabad, whose facilities could be utilized by the inhabitants of all over the metropolis. It will help immensely in sports promotion,� Arif Habib declared. 

Speaking on the occasion, Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, expressed his delight at the development of the outstanding facilities for cricket matches at the Lawai Stadium. 

�Our team has been playing the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup since its inception and we are thrilled by the atmosphere at the ground. The cricketers have thoroughly enjoyed performing under floodlights in the most peaceful of environment,� he observed. 

�Judging by the success of its previous editions, I have no doubt in my mind that it has become the premier tournament of the city to be organized during the holy month of Ramazan,� Nadeem Omar declared. 

Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, President, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), also appreciated the endeavours of the Arif Habib Group in the development of cricket facilities which will be helpful in raising the standard of the game. 

He commended the organizers of the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup for holding the tournament professionally since its inception three years ago and hoped that the ground will be playing host to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in not too distant future. 

Besides former Test cricketers, Jalaluddin, Shoaib Mohammad, Saleem Yousuf, Ejaz Faqih and Nadeem Khan, the ceremony was also attended by Samad Habib, CEO, Naya Nazimabad, Alamgir Anwar Shaikh, President, Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA), and Mohammad Iqbal, Director Sports, Naya Nazimabad. 

Meanwhile the 16 participating teams in the Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup Cricket Tournament 2016 have been divided equally in four groups. National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has been drawn in the Group A which also contains Dollar East, Heroes Cricket Club and Atiq Estate while the quartet of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Eaton Cricket Club and Dawood Sports constitute the Group B. 

Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGC), Sui Northern Gas Company Limited (SSGPL), Alamgir Gymkhana and Medicam have been placed in the Group C while the Group D features United Bank Limited (UBL), Omar Associates, K-Electric and Qasmi Cricket Club.

Nadeem Omar honours ICC President

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Nadeem Omar, an acclaimed sports patron, has firmly set the tradition of honouring the living legends and the evening dedicated to the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC), Zaheer Abbas, also known as the Asian Bradman, was an extension of it. 

The Crystal Ball Room of Hotel Marriott in Karachi was the venue of the reception hosted in the honour of the ICC President by Omar Associates on May 22 and it turned out be yet another memorable gathering of cricket fraternity. 

Jamshed Omar, Founder and Chairman of Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd, presented a shield to Zaheer Abbas, who also received a gold medal from Nadeem Omar, the firm�s Managing Director. 

Speaking on the occasion, Zaheer Abbas complimented the hosts for having set the tradition of national heroes. 

�This is an extraordinary service to the nation. Heroes are meant to be honoured and respected. It reflects that we are a vibrant and cultured nation. We need more people like Nadeem Omar in Pakistan to keep doing this more often,� the Asian Bradman declared. 

�Nadeem Omar, besides being a great patron of sports, is also a very lively person with whom I have fond memories on many tours. He is an enterprising person, having been gifted with a fabulous mind and a generous heart. He deserves to be complimented for his outstanding efforts,� Zaheer Abbas complimented. 

He regretted the decline in the standard of the game in Pakistan in the recent past but expressed the hope that things will get better as soon as foreign teams start visiting Pakistan in not too distant future. 

 �It�s indeed painful for me to note that our batsmen are not being able to perform consistently at the highest level for quite a long time now. The batting legends have retired long time ago. It really hurts at times because we have had a formidable batting line-up in our era,� he felt. 

The former Pakistan captain, who scored prolifically in Tests as well as the One-day Internationals, said he�s satisfied with his own performance as the ICC President during one-year tenure. 

Nadeem Omar, in his welcome speech, described Zaheer Abbas as a jewel in crown, who has made the country proud with his accomplishments as a cricketer as well as an administrator. 

�He was not only hero from the time I started following cricket but he was idolized by millions of people from all over the world. His batting remained poetry in motion and we all loved his stylish stroke-play,� 

Nadeem Omar reflected. 

Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), Salahuddin Ahmed, former chief selector, Prof Ejaz Ahmed Farooqui, President, Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA), Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, Qamar Ahmed, veteran journalist, Mansoor Masood Khan, Member Governing Board, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Moin Khan, former Pakistan captain, were the other speakers on the occasion. 

The ceremony was attended by a large number of eminent cricketers, including Jalaluddin, Saleem Yousuf, Sikander Bakht, Nadeem Khan, Ghulam Ali, Mahmood Hamid and Tanvir Ahmed.

Amar Cables annex 17th PVCA National Seniors Cup

Pakistan News & Features Services

Jamshed Salman�s brilliant knock of 73 powered Lahore Amar Cables to 49-run victory over Karachi Gold Bridge Media in the final of the 17th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2015 at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Cricket Stadium, Karachi, on January 10.

Lahore Amar Cables, having been crowned as the Northern region champions, became the new Senior Cup champions by whipping Karachi Gold Bridge Media, the Southern region champions, in the national final. 

Nadeem Omar, owner of the Quetta Gladiators, was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony with Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, being the guest of honour while the function was presided over by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). 

The winning team, Lahore Amar Cables, collected a purse of Rs 150,000 while the runners-up, Karachi Gold Bridge Media, received a reward of Rs 75,000. 

Among the individual awards, Jamshed Ali earned Rs 10,000 for being declared the Man of the Tournament while Rs 7,500 each was given to Mansoob Elhai (best batsman), Zafar Ali (best bowler) and Adnan Baig (best wicketkeeper). Jamshed Salman got Rs 5,000 for being the Man of the Match in the final. 

A record number of 109 teams from all over the country entered the annual tournament, organized by the PVCA and sponsored by IMI Omar (Pvt) Ltd and Arif Habib Group. 

Put into bat in the National final, Lahore Amar Cables was indebted to opener Jamshed Sultan who held the innings total with a brilliant 73 off 59 balls with the help of 10 boundaries. He dominated the 78-run second wicket stand with Bilal Khilji who made 27 off 43 balls. 

Left-arm spinner Rizwan Qureshi�s five-wicket haul pulled it back for Karachi Gold Bridge Media who succeeded in restricting their opponents to 167 for nine in the allotted 30 overs. Returning the figures of five for 29 off six overs, he was chiefly responsible for limiting Lahore Amar Cables, who lost seven wickets for 49 runs after a solid start. Leg-spinner Zafar Ali (2-29) also bowled well for the home side. 

Chasing a target of 168 in 30 overs to claim the trophy, Karachi Gold Bridge Media lost wickets at regular intervals and were unable to get on top of the bowling. Aamir Iqbal (30 off 51 balls) turned out to be the topscorer with Khalid Zubair (26 off 19 balls) and Kamran Hussain (21 off 43 balls) also threatening briefly. 

The middle-order succumbed to the leg-spinning duo of Rehan Rauf (3-21) and Akbar Ali (3-24) as Karachi Gold Bridge Media was bowled out for 118 in 28.5 overs. Off-spinner Jamshed Ali (2-17) also played his role in bringing about the collapse.

Gold Bridge Media become 17th PVCA National Seniors Cup regional champions

Pakistan News & Features Services 

Karachi Gold Bridge Media became the Southern region champions of the 17th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2015 by edging out holders Karachi Omar Associates by nine runs in the final at the National Stadium, Karachi, on November 29.

The prize distribution ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the final in which Arif Habib, Chairman, Arif Habib Group, was the chief guest. Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd and Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler, were also present on the occasion. 

Karachi Gold Bridge Media will now combat the Northern region champions in the National Final, also to be held at the National Stadium, on December 18. 

A record number of 109 teams from all over the country entered the annual tournament, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), and sponsored by IMI Omar (Pvt) Ltd and Arif Habib Group. 

As expected, the final turned out to be a closely fought affair. Put into bat, Karachi Gold Bridge Media scored 228 for nine in the allotted 30 overs. Karachi Omar Associates came up with a befitting reply but they were derailed by a middle-order collapse and finished at 219 for eight in 30 overs. 

The 112-run third wicket partnership between Aamir Iqbal and Rizwan Qureshi consolidated Karachi Gold Bridge Media�s position after skipper Mukhtar Ahmed, who opened the innings, set the tone by whacking six fours in his 33 off 24 balls. 

The momentum was sustained after his departure as Aamir Iqbal smashed one six and 11 fours in his 89 off 69 balls while Rizwan Qureshi belted nine boundaries in his 62 off 48 balls to ensure a commanding total for their side. 

Karachi Omar Associates pulled it back with late wickets through the spin trio of Iqbal Shaikh (2-24), Jaffer Qureshi (2-33) and Saifullah Magsi (2-35).to restrict their opponents to 228 for nine, after they appeared poised for a bigger total. 

Jaffer Qureshi fell early in the chase of 229 but Karachi Omar Associates was kept afloat by his opening partner Sajid Ali, who made 56 off 48 balls with the aid of one six and seven fours. 

Iqbal Shaikh�s whirlwind 60 off 37 balls with the help of one six and seven fours put Karachi Omar Associates in front with Azhar Khan (33 off 27 balls) also contributing his bit. At 173 for three the defending champions were the firm favourites to win the game as they only needed 56 with seven wickets in hand. 

The course of the match was changed by off-spinner Abdul Waheed (2-30) and left-arm spinner Rizwan Qureshi (2-44) as they picked up vital wickets in quick succession. 

The lower-order batsmen tried to win the day for Karachi Omar Associates but they narrowly missed the mark. Karachi Gold Bridge Media�s Rizwan Qureshi was declared Man of the Match for his fine all-round performance.

CCA revives Inter-Academy Cricket League

By Syed Khalid Mahmood 
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Six of the leading academies of the country will be taking part in the second edition of the NBP Inter-Academy Cricket League 2015, being organized by the Customs Cricket Academy (CCA), which will be inaugurated on November 28 with the CCA to take on NBP Cricket Academy in the opening match of the tournament at the NBP Sports Complex, housed in Clifton.

Besides the CCA and NBP Cricket Academy the other participating teams will be from Moin Khan Cricket, Rashid Latif Cricket Academy, PIA Cricket Academy and UBL Cricket Academy. The details about the event, whose inaugural edition was held in 2010, were unveiled by Jalaluddin, a former Test fast bowler and Head Coach of the CCA, in a media briefing at the Karachi Gymkhana on November 28. 

�It�s going to be an Under-19 tournament and the cricketers, born on or after January 10, 1997, will be eligible to take part in it. Only those players registered with the academy will qualify to represent the team. All the participating academies have submitted their 20-member squad to the organizing committee,� Jalaluddin informed. 

�There will be no entry fee for the tournament but a payment of Rs 2,000 will be needed if changes in the squad are desired by any of the participating team. Any player infringing the rules will be debarred from the event and the team will be fined upto Rs 5,000,� he added. 

�Although the tournament will be having limited-overs games with each team to play a maximum of 40 overs, they will have the flavor of four-day matches as well. Second new ball will be available after 30 overs. Similarly batting and bowling points will be awarded as incentives besides crediting nine points for an outright win and six points for a winning draw,� Jalaluddin explained. 

�The idea behind reviving the event is to improve the quality of cricket from grassroots level. Although the tournament is being organized after a gap of five years, now every effort will be made to hold it annually,� he announced. 

The tournament will be spread over six weeks and all its matches will be staged on Saturdays and Sundays in order to facilitate the participating students. 

Khalil Masood, one of the founders of the CCA and a former Chairman of the Corporate Law Authority, expressed his delight with the continued growth of the academy which was established with great fanfare in 1999. 

Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, emphasized on the significance of grooming young talent and providing them the best possible facilities. He urged the philanthropists to support the sporting activities generously for the sake of the nation. 

Javed Mansha, representing the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), talked about the role of his organization in promoting sports and he hoped that the legacy will live on. 

Owais Asad Khan, Incharge of the Sports & CSR Division of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), vowed to continue supporting the cause of sports in the same manner as his worthy predecessor. He also threw light on the significance of educating the athletes to let them become more successful in their careers. 

Prominent among the former cricketers present on the occasion included batting great Sadiq Mohammad, Azeem Hafeez, Sajid Ali, Anwar-ul-Haq, Sagheer Abbas, Athar Laeeq and Jawwad Ali.

Nadeem Omar condemns Mumbai violence, asks PCB to campaign for shifting World T20 out of India

Pakistan News & Features Services

Prominent sports promoter and Managing Director of Omar Associates, Nadeem Omar, has condemned the recent incidents of violence in India involving Shiv Sena extremists, as well as the negative approach of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), advising that Pakistan must now lead a vociferous campaign for the shifting of next year`s World T20 tournament from India.

Nadeem lamented that all the sincere efforts made by the Pakistan government and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) over the past few months to revive bilateral cricketing ties with India have not been reciprocated by the Indian government or the BCCI at any level whatsoever. 

`India`s hostile and inflexible approach towards PCB chief Shaharyar Khan`s repeated efforts to revive bilateral cricket series is totally unjustified, rather insulting,` Nadeem regretted.  

`I strongly feel that we should now forget about appeasing the Indians to play cricket with Pakistan because our self respect and pride is at stake now after the incidents on October 19,� he added 

Nadeem emphasized that Pakistan must take the lead now to launch a campaign for change of venue of the World T20 from India because people lives are at risk there. 

"There is a serious security situation in India now insofar the visiting teams and officials are concerned,� Nadeem, who patronizes a number of sports and sportsmen in the country, observed. 

`Look what happened to senior and respected umpire like Aleem Dar and how he was withdrawn in a jiffy by the ICC who shamelessly bowed to Shiv Sena demands,� Nadeem pointed out. 

`The Indians have yet again projected their narrow-mindedness and biased approach towards Pakistan by mixing sports with politics,� he said. 

�They have not spared the South Africans either, simply because they are taking the better of India at home, but the ICC unfortunately is turning a blind eye to it all,� he added. 

`That is why I am insisting that Pakistan must take a firm stand and should garner support from leading cricketing nations like England, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies to shift the 2016 World T20 from India due to serious security concerns there,� Nadeem concluded.

Pakistan Veterans remain undefeated on England tour

Pakistan News & Features Services

Pakistan Panthers Veterans remained undefeated on the tour of England as they overpowered Middlesex County Cricket Club by 33 runs in their last game staged at the St Mary Cricket Club Harrow Ground on August 28.

Batting first, Pakistan Veterans posted a healthy total of 276 for nine in the stipulated 40 overs. Then they contained Middlesex CCC to 243 for seven in 40 overs to win the match handsomely. 

They had defeated Dorset Veterans by 34 runs in their opening match at the Dean Park in Bournemouth while their other two games, against Surrey CCC and Hampshire CCC, were abandoned without a ball being bowled due to heavy rains. 

Sajid Ali was the declared as the batsman for Pakistan on the tour while Fawad Ijaz Khan was adjudged as the best bowler. 

Rain stayed away from their fourth and final game which turned out to be a high-scoring fixture with as many as 519 runs being scored in 80 overs of play. 

The Pakistan Veterans skipper, Fawad Ijaz Khan, won the toss yet again and opted to bat first. Opener Sajid Ali picked up from where he had left in the last game in which he had scored 94 off 89 balls. His 108-run partnership with Rizwan Nisar laid the foundation for a mammoth score. 

Sajid Ali, having represented Pakistan in One-day Internationals, smashed four sixes and six fours in his 70 off 54 balls while Rizwan Nisar hammered half a dozen boundaries in his 50 off 41 balls. The loss of a few quick wickets slowed down the rate of scoring but the innings was revived by Moin Khan, a former Pakistan captain, who whacked two sixes and three fours in his 31 off 28 balls. 

The onslaught in the death overs by Raja Arshad, who blasted five sixes in his breezy 39 off 17 balls, lifted the total with Naeem Ashraf (36 off 25 balls) and Sajjad Ahmed (22 off 16) also making useful contributions down the order. Alexander Keith (3-79), K Desai (2-38) and Reingold Mark (2-48) shared the wickets for the home side. 

Chasing a formidable target of 277, Middlesex CCC lost early wickets and even the centurion Reingold Mark, who unleashed five sixes and 15 fours in his 116 off 74 balls, could not change the course of the match. 

The hosts were restricted to 243 for seven with medium-pacer Shahid Mahboob (2-21) and left-arm spinner Fawad Ijaz Khan (2-56) being the most successful bowlers from the visiting side. 

A sizeable crowd watched the match which was also attended by former Pakistan captain Asif Iqbal, West Indian fast bowling great, Michael Holding, former Pakistan fast bowler, Jalaluddin, and celebrated cricket writer, Qamar Ahmed. Later in the evening, a dinner reception was hosted in honour of the team by the local Pakistani Community which was largely attended and covered extensively by media.

Sajid Ali, Fawad Ijaz Khan excel in Pakistan Veterans� victory in England

Pakistan News & Features Services 

Opener Sajid Ali powered Pakistan Panthers Veterans to 34-run victory over Dorset Veterans in their first match of the tour of England held at the Dean Park in Bournemouth on August 23.

Batting first, Pakistan Veterans scored 174 for eight in the allotted 30 overs. Then they restricted Dorset Veterans to 140 for nine in 30 overs to win the match comfortably in the end. 

The start to the game was delayed due to rain and it became 30-overs-a-side encounter instead of being the originally planned 40-overs-a-side contest. 

The Pakistan Veterans skipper, Fawad Ijaz Khan, won the toss and elected to bat. Sajid Ali held the innings together with a gritty 94 off 89 balls, hitting 14 boundaries, after the loss of a couple of early wickets. 

He received invaluable support from Nadeem Omar (18 off 26 balls), Najeeb Sadiq (18 off 28 balls) and Fawad Ijaz Khan (14 off 14 balls) as the total reached respectable proportions despite fine bowling from Joe Wilson (3-33) and Jim Ryall (2-25). 

Chasing a target of 175 in 30 overs, Dorset Veterans got off to flying start through the opening pair of Jim Rayall (35 off 40 balls) and John Young (26 off 29 balls). It was Fawad Ijaz Khan�s left-arm spin which turned the tide in the visiting team�s favour. After breaking the 67-run opening partnership, he picked up a couple of more wickets to return the figures of three for 36 off six overs. 

Dorset Veterans lost the plot after the fall of wickets in rapid succession and the run outs of two too-order batsmen, Mike Harper and Dave Miller, didn�t help their cause either. They were contained to 140 for nine in the stipulated 30 overs. 

Sajid Ali was adjudged Man of the Match in the presentation ceremony in which souvenir and mementos were also exchanged between the officials of the two teams. Richard Turner and Ian Vaughan-Arbuckle were the two umpires during the match. 

Meanwhile Pakistan Panthers Veterans, besides undertaking a visit of the historic Lord�s Cricket Ground on August 25, will be playing matches against Surrey CCC, Hampshire CCC and Middlesex CCC, during their one-week tour.

Nadeem Omar�s brilliant knock in vain as Omar Associates go down fighting

Pakistan News & Features Services

Nadeem Omar played a brilliant innings but it was not enough in the end as Omar Associates went down fighting by 22 runs in their encounter against Karachi Gymkhana here at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on November 16. The match was organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Nadeem Omar made a brilliant 68 off 64 balls to provide Omar Associates a strong platform to win the match. He was adjudged Man of the Match even though his team was unable to press home the advantage. 

Batting first, Karachi Gymkhana scored 191 for five in 22 overs. Saleem Parekh was the topscorer with 50 off 48 balls, hitting six fours while Tayyab Yousuf remained undefeated on 38 off 32 balls with the help of four boundaries. Leg-spinner Sajid Ansari (2-30) was the pick of the Omar Associates bowlers. 

Chasing a target of 192 in 22 overs, Omar Associates got off to a flying start through the opening pair of Nadeem Omar and Fawad Ijaz Khan, both of whom scored briskly. Fawad Ijaz was dismissed after scoring 48 off 44 balls, smashing five fours, while Nadeem Omar went on to score 68 off 64 balls with the aid of three boundaries. 

The asking rate could not be maintained in the final phase of the innings and Omar Associates was restricted to 169 for four in 22 overs. Off-spinner Akhtar Munir and left-arm spinner Jaffer Qureshi picked up a couple of wickets each for Karachi Gymkhana. 

The presentation ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the match in which chief guest Muzaffar Alam presented Man of the Match award to Nadeem Omar while Saleem Parekh and Akhtar Munir were declared best batman and best bowler respectively.