KARACHI: Pakistan’s team hotel in Dallas was changed after the country’s cricket board’s chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s intervention over the long distance between the accommodation and the Grand Prairie Stadium — the squad’s match venue and practice facility in the city.

According to sources, Mohsin contacted the International Cricket Council (ICC) and expressed his dissatisfaction with the hotel arrangements for the Pakistan team. His efforts convinced the event organisers to change the team’s hotel, sources added.

The initial hotel where the team was supposed to stay was a 90-minute drive from the stadium, while the new hotel is only a five-minute drive away.

Sources further revealed that Mohsin warned the ICC that he would not allow his team to endure long travel distances for any T20 World Cup matches, including the matches on June 9 and June 11 in New York.

The PCB cheif made it clear to the ICC that if the Pakistan team’s hotel was not changed, he would relocate the team to a better and more convenient location at the board’s expense.

Sources added that Mohsin stressed to the ICC that the national cricket team is his responsibility, and he will ensure the players’ comfort at all costs.

Reports suggest that the Indian cricket team is staying just 10 minutes away from the Nassau Country International Cricket Stadium in New York, while other teams’ hotels are more than an hour away.

South Africa and Sri Lanka have already expressed concerns about the facilities provided during their stay in the city.

The Babar Azam-led unit are scheduled to play archrivals India on June 9 and Canada on June 11, with their final first-round match against Ireland on June 16 in Lauderhill, Florida.

Scoreboards

PAPUA NEW GUINEA VS UGANDA

PAPUA NEW GUINEA:
A. Vala lbw b Ramjani0
T. Ura c Mukasa b Kyewuta1
S. Bau c Mukasa b Miyaji5
L. Siaka run out (Kyewuta)12
H. Hiri lbw b Nsubuga15
C. Amini b Nsubuga5
K. Doriga lbw b Ramjani12
C. Soper b Masaba4
N. Vanua c Ssesazi b Kyewuta5
A. Nao b Miyaji5
J. Kariko not out0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-8, NB-1)13
TOTAL (all out, 19.1 overs)77
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Vala), 2-17 (Bau), 3-19 (Ura), 4-36 (Siaka), 5-48 (Amini), 6-51 (Hiri), 7-65 (Doriga), 8-67 (Soper), 9-77 (Nao)
BOWLING: Ramjani 4-1-17-2, Kyewuta 3.1-0-17-2, Miyagi 4-0-10-2 (1nb), Masaba 4-0-17-1, Nsubuga 4-2-4-2

UGANDA:
R. Mukasa lbw b Nao0
S. Ssesazi lbw b Nao1
R. Obuya c Vala b Vanua1
R. Shah c Kariko b Vanua33
A. Ramjani b Soper8
D. Nakrani c&b Vala0
J. Miyagi run out (Vanua)13
K. Waiswa not out7
B. Masaba (c) not out0

EXTRAS (W-15)15
TOTAL (for seven wickets, 18.2 overs)78
DID NOT BAT: Kyewuta, Nsubuga
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-1 (Mukasa), 2-6 (Obuya), 3-6 (Ssesazi), 4-25 (Ramjani), 5-26 (Nakrani), 6-61 (Miyagi), 7-75 (Shah)
BOWLING: Nao 4-0-16-2 (3w), Vanua 4-0-19-2 (6w), Soper 4-0-13-1 (1w), Vala 2-0-10-1, Kariko 4-0-18-0, Amini 0.2-0-2-0
RESULT: Uganda won by three wickets.

AUSTRALIA VS OMAN

AUSTRALIA:
D. Warner c S. Khan b Kaleemullah56
T. Head c Kail b B. Khan12
M. Marsh c S. Khan b M. Khan14
G. Maxwell c Ilyas b M. Khan0
M. Stoinis not out67
T. David run out (Athavale)9

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-3, W-1)6
TOTAL (for five wickets. 20 overs)164
DID NOT BAT: M. Wade, M. Starc, N. Ellis, A. Zampa, J. Hazlewood
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-19 (Head), 2-50 (Marsh), 3-50 (Maxwell), 4-152 (Warner), 5-164 (David)
BOWLING: B. Khan 4-0-36-1 (1w, 1nb), Kaleemullah 3-0-30-1, S. Ahmed 4-0-28-0 (1nb), M. Khan 4-0-38-2 (1nb), A. Ilyas 4-0-18-0, Z. Maqsood 1-0-12-0

OMAN:
K. Prajapati lbw b Ellis7
P. Athavale lbw b Starc0
A. Ilyas c Wade b Stoinis18
Z. Maqsood c Wade b Stoinis1
K. Kail c Maxwell b Starc8
A. Khan c Hazlewood b Zampa36
S. Khan b Zampa0
M. Khan c David b Stoinis27
S. Ahmed c Warner b Ellis11
Kaleemullah not out6
B. Khan not out1

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-8)10
TOTAL (for nine wickets, 20 overs)125
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-6 (Athavale), 2-23 (Prajapati), 3-29 (Ilyas), 4-34 (Maqsood), 5-56 (Kail), 6-57 (S. Khan), 7-89 (A. Khan), 8-117 (M. Khan), 9-123 (Ahmed
BOWLING: Starc 3-0-20-2 (5w), Hazlewood 4-0-21-0, Ellis 4-0-28-2 (1w), Stoinis 3-0-19-3 (1w), Maxwell 2-0-11-0 (1w), Zampa 4-0-24-2
RESULT: Australia won by 39 runs.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2024