Author: A Sports

DHAKA: Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman will miss the remainder of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 after the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) withdrew his No-Objection Certificate (NOC) on medical grounds, officials said on Thursday.

Earlier today, Mustafiz played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s series win over New Zealand. The left-arm pacer returned to the playing XI after missing out on the first two matches due to injury.

He made an immediate impact with the ball and took a five-wicket haul in his side’s 55-run victory.

Mustafizur Rahman was bought by the Lahore Qalandars in the PSL 11 auction and represented the franchise in five matches.

In a statement released, BCB revealed the reason behind denying Mustafizur a No Objection Certificate (NOC).

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) wishes to inform that, following the conclusion of the 3rd ODI against New Zealand, the team’s medical staff has reviewed the condition of national team pace bowler Mustafizur Rahman,” the statement read.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“It has been decided that the player will undergo an immediate scan to further assess his condition, after which he will commence a rehabilitation program under the supervision of the BCB Medical Team,” it added.

“In this regard, the Board has withdrawn the No Objection Certificate (NOC) previously issued to Mustafizur. He will therefore not be available to participate in the remainder of PSL 2026.”

BCB also confirmed that pacer Nahid Rana, who played for Peshawar Zalmi, will also not be available as the speedster will be preparing for the Test series against Pakistan.

“The BCB would also like to inform that fast bowler Nahid Rana will not be released for PSL 2026. This decision has been taken to allow him adequate time to prepare for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan next month,” it concluded.

READ: Shanto, Mustafizur star in Bangladesh ODI series win

LAHORE: David Warner’s anchoring half-century and Khushdil Shah’s late cameo steered Karachi Kings to a five-wicket victory over arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Set a daunting 200, Kings aced the chase in the penultimate over, thanks to Khushil Shah’s whirlwind knock.

The Kings had a shaky start as Jason Roy was caught behind in the second over. He only managed nine.

After an early blow, Reeza Hendricks tried to stabilize the innings with a brief 29-run partnership. However, the latter perished in the fifth over after scoring 10.

As a result, Kings were reduced to 39-2 in 4.3 overs.

The wicket brought Salman Ali Agha to the crease, who was dropped on nought in the same over.

Qalandars continued to squeeze the runs flow that reaped reward in the eighth over when Agha was caught after scoring 15 off 14.

However, following the third wicket, Moeen Ali joined Warner, and the pair added 58 runs off just 32 balls, taking the score to 127 in 13.5 overs. Moeen smashed four sixes and a boundary on his way to 39 off 17 balls.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

But it was Khushdil Shah’s knock that blew Qalandars away. He struck 44* off 14 balls, hammering five sixes and two fours, including a 23-run over off Shaheen Afridi that reduced the equation from 34 off 18 to 12 from the last two overs.

He finished the match with back-to-back sixes off Haris Rauf’s penultimate over to seal a thrilling win. Meanwhile, skipper Warner remained unbeaten on 63 from 44 balls, hitting nine fours and a six.

For Lahore Qalandars, Ubaid Shah took a three-wicket haul.

Earlier, Abdullah Shafique’s and Fakhar Zaman’s brisk half-centuries propelled Lahore Qalandars to a strong total

Put into bat first, Lahore Qalandars piled up 199-6 at the end of 20 overs.

After losing Mohammad Farooq (18) in the third over, Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique forged a 110-run partnership that laid a foundation for a big total.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

The pair took the attack to the Kings’ bowlers, including a 22-run over from Rizwanullah. At the end of the powerplay, Lahore Qalandars scorecard read 57-1.

The defending champions continued their charge and kept the momentum going till the halfway mark of the innings.

The stand eventually culminated in the 15th over when Moeen Ali was caught after scoring 61 off 41, including three sixes and five fours.  The wicket slowed down Qalandars progress as the visitors kept them in check.

The pressure brought back-to-back wickets in the 16th and 17th over, that too off Charith Asalanka (0) and set batter Shafique.

Abdullah made 62 from 36 balls, laced with three sixes and five fours. As a result, Qalanders were 161-4 before a crucial cameo from Daniel Sams took them to a strong total.

He hit 20 off nine balls, hitting two sixes to take his side near the 200-run mark.

For Karachi Kings, Moeen Ali remained the pick of the bowlers, who took two wickets.

READ: Karachi Kings’ Talent Hunt Prodigy Rizwanullah makes PSL Debut

LAHORE: Fast bowler Rizwanullah discovered through the Karachi Kings Talent Hunt Program, made his Pakistan Super League (PSL) debut against Lahore Qalandars here on Thursday.

The 17-year-old right-arm fast bowler, a product of the Karachi Kings Talent Hunt Program, caught the eye of the franchise’s High Performance Coach Mohammad Masroor during a tournament in the provincial capital.

He has represented Karachi Whites at the U-19 level and has also featured in domestic Grade Two cricket.

“I was playing a tournament match in Karachi when Masroor bhai was watching. I bowled well in that match, and after that, he was impressed with my bowling,” Rizwanullah said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Inspired by former Australian speedster Brett Lee, the teenage pacer, who stands at 6 feet 7 inches, is capable of bowling at speeds of up to 145 kilometers per hour.

He has also played for Port Qasim in Grade Two cricket, where he has a five-wicket haul to his name.

“Brett Lee is my favorite bowler,” he continued.

Masroor Ahmed has closely monitored Rizwanullah’s rise over the past year, with special attention given to his training, diet, and fitness.

“He is 6 feet 7 inches tall and has previously played for Karachi Under-19. He can bowl at 145 Kmph,” Masroor said.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

“He has also played Grade Two cricket for Port Qasim, where he took five wickets in one match,” he recalled.

The teenager has impressed many and was also invited to Pakistan’s Test camp during Jason Gillespie’s tenure as head coach.

“Last year, when Jason Gillespie was coach, Rizwanullah was also called up to the Test camp,” Masroor said.

“The teenager has been monitored over the past year, with special focus on his training, diet, and fitness. I hope he will prove to be a good player for Karachi Kings,” he concluded.

READ: PSL 11: Mohammad Rizwan joins Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik in elite list

LAHORE: Karachi Kings have won the toss and decided to bowl first against arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in the crucial encounter of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Head to Head

The defending champions Qalandars and Kings have played each other 23 times. The Kings are ahead with 15 wins while the Qalandars have eight victories.

Their last meeting took place earlier in the ongoing PSL 11 at the same venue, where the Karachi Kings prevailed over Lahore Qalandars by four wickets in a low-scoring thriller.

Playing XIs

Karachi Kings XI: David Warner (capt), Jason Roy, Salman Ali Agha, Reeza Hendricks, Azam Khan (wk), Moeen Ali, Khushdil Shah, Hassan Ali, Zahid Mehmood, Rizwanullah, Mohammad Hamza

Lahore Qalandars XI: Mohammad Farooq, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Charith Asalanka, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Sikandar Raza, Daniel Sams, Shaheen Afridi (capt), Usama Mir, Ubaid Shah, Haris Rauf

READ: PSL 11: Mohammad Rizwan joins Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik in elite list

KARACHI: A disciplined bowling effort backed by a measured knock from Mohammad Rizwan took Rawalpindiz over the line against Islamabad United in the 34th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.

Set 138, Pindiz — their first win in PSL, chased down the target inside 18 overs, losing four wickets in the process.

The innings started poorly as opener Abdullah Fazal was dismissed on the very first ball of the match for a duck. Ghulam and Rizwan then stabilized the innings with a calm partnership, easing the pressure as runs came easily.

Their partnership surpassed 50 runs and helped the team pass the half-century mark. However, the 78-run partnership ended when Chris Green took a wicket, dismissing Kamran Ghulam, who scored a good 42 off 30 balls, with five fours and one six.

Pindiz lost three wickets when Shadab Khan caught Rizwan, who fought hard for his 45 runs off 38 balls, including five fours and a six, leaving the team at 92-3 in 12.5 overs.

The pressure increased as sharp fielding from Shadab Khan led to Sam Billings being run out at the non-striker’s end for just two runs. Daryl Mitchell and Dian Forrester then led RawalPindiz to victory, with Mitchell remaining unbeaten on 32 off 25 balls, hitting two fours and a six, while Forrester added 13 runs to secure the win.

Earlier, Rawalpindiz decided to bowl first, which proved advantageous as they bundled out Islamabad for 137 in their 20 overs.

United had a cautious start, with openers Devon Conway and Sameer Minhas struggling to accelerate, resulting in a slow run rate early on.

Mohammad Amir struck in the second ball of the fifth over, dismissing Minhas for six off 11 balls and ending a 20-run opening partnership.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Naseem Shah further weakened United during the powerplay by getting Mohammad Faiq out for five off six balls, leaving them at 29-2 after 5.5 overs. Saad Masood then took a wicket in the seventh over, dismissing Shadab Khan for just one run, and Islamabad fell to 30-3.

Conway and Mark Chapman built a crucial partnership that pushed the score beyond 50, but Daryl Mitchell ended the 49-run stand by dismissing Conway for 40 off 33 balls, including three fours and two sixes, bringing the score to 79-4 in 11.3 overs.

Asif Afridi quickly removed Chapman for 23 off 18 balls, and wickets kept falling as Haider Ali was dismissed for six off 13 balls by Saad Masood.

Amir returned to dismiss Faheem Ashraf for 11 off 12 balls, leaving Islamabad at 99-7 in 16.3 overs. Chris Green added a late push with 29 off 16 balls, including two fours and two sixes, but was run out in the final over.

Dian Forrester then finished the innings, taking the wickets of Mohammad Hasnain for a first-ball duck and Richard Gleeson, completing his second wicket.

READ: PSL 11: Mohammad Rizwan joins Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik in elite list

KARACHI: Rawalpindiz captain Mohammad Rizwan on Thursday entered the record books after becoming the third Pakistan batter to complete 9000 runs in T20 cricket during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash against Islamabad United.

Rizwan reached the milestone on the second ball of the ninth over at the National Bank Stadium.

In doing so, he joined a list of only two Pakistan players, Babar Azam and Shoaib Malik, who have reached the milestone.

Most Runs by Pakistan batters in T20s

Shoaib Malik 13571 runs in 557 matches

Babar Azam 12331 runs in 356 matches

Mohammad Rizwan 9013 runs in 310 matches

Coming into this fixture, Rizwan required 32 runs to reach the landmark. The right-hander was caught after scoring 45 from 38 balls.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

It is worth mentioning that the wicket-keeper has endured poor form as he has only managed 178 runs in nine matches at a modest average of 19.77 without a single half-century.

Earlier, Rawalpindiz decided to bowl first, which proved advantageous as they bundled out Islamabad for 137 in their 20 overs.

Devon Conway remained the top-scorer with 40 off 33 balls with the aid of three fours and two sixes. While Chris Green added a late push with 29 off 16 balls to take United to a respectable total.

For Rawalpindiz, it was an all-round bowling effort with Dian Forrester, Mohammad Amir, and Saad Masood sharing eight wickets between them.

READ: WATCH: Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf involved in verbal spat

KARACHI: Rawalpindiz fast bowler Mohammad Amir and Islamabad United all-rounder Faheem Ashraf were involved in a heated argument during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday.

In the 17th over of the United innings, Amir got rid of Ashraf with a short ball. Soon after the dismissal, the fast bowler pointed the all-rounder to leave the ground.

The gesture did not sit well with Ashraf, who responded in anger and pointed his bat at Amir. However, he was restrained by Asif Afridi and Saad Masood.

Nonetheless, Rawalpindiz decided to bowl first, which proved advantageous as they bundled out Islamabad for 137 in their 20 overs.

pic.twitter.com/6dnUbVJpzZ

— mediaa 🗂️ (@archive_PCT) April 23, 2026

United had a cautious start, with openers Devon Conway and Sameer Minhas struggling to accelerate, resulting in a slow run rate early on.

Mohammad Amir struck in the second ball of the fifth over, dismissing Minhas for six off 11 balls and ending a 20-run opening partnership.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Naseem Shah further weakened United during the powerplay by getting Mohammad Faiq out for five off six balls, leaving them at 29-2 after 5.5 overs. Saad Masood then took a wicket in the seventh over, dismissing Shadab Khan for just one run, and Islamabad fell to 30-3.

Conway and Mark Chapman built a crucial partnership that pushed the score beyond 50, but Daryl Mitchell ended the 49-run stand by dismissing Conway for 40 off 33 balls, including three fours and two sixes, bringing the score to 79-4 in 11.3 overs.

Asif Afridi quickly removed Chapman for 23 off 18 balls, and wickets kept falling as Haider Ali was dismissed for six off 13 balls by Saad Masood.

Amir returned to dismiss Faheem Ashraf for 11 off 12 balls, leaving Islamabad at 99-7 in 16.3 overs. Chris Green added a late push with 29 off 16 balls, including two fours and two sixes, but was run out in the final over.

Dian Forrester then finished the innings, taking the wickets of Mohammad Hasnain for a first-ball duck and Richard Gleeson, completing his second wicket.

READ: Lahore Qalandars to face THIS team in Global Super League 2026 opener

The schedule for the 2026 edition of the Global Super League (GSL) has been officially released, with Lahore Qalandars set to begin their campaign against Perth Scorchers in the tournament opener.

The competition will run from July 23 to August 1 in Guyana, with all matches scheduled to take place at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

This will mark Lahore Qalandars’ second appearance in the tournament, having featured in the inaugural 2024 edition, where they finished fourth in a five-team event.

The upcoming season will be the third edition of the GSL, featuring five franchises from across different T20 leagues.

Alongside Qalandars and Scorchers, the tournament will also include Desert Vipers, San Francisco Unicorns and defending champions Guyana Amazon Warriors.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Qalandars will kick off their campaign on July 23 against Scorchers before facing Desert Vipers the following day.

They will then take on Guyana Amazon Warriors on July 26 and conclude their league stage fixtures against San Francisco Unicorns on July 29.

The tournament format will see the team finishing at the top of the standings advance directly to the final.

The second and third-placed sides will meet in a qualifier on July 31, with the winner progressing to the title clash scheduled for August 1.

The GSL has seen two different champions, with Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) side Rangpur Riders lifting the inaugural title, while Guyana Amazon Warriors clinched the second edition and will now defend their crown on home soil.

Global Super League 2026 schedule

July 23 (Thursday)

• Lahore Qalandars vs Perth Scorchers XI

• Guyana Amazon Warriors vs San Francisco Unicorns

July 24 (Friday)

• Lahore Qalandars vs Desert Vipers

July 25 (Saturday)

• Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Desert Vipers

July 26 (Sunday)

• San Francisco Unicorns vs Perth Scorchers XI

• Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Lahore Qalandars

July 27 (Monday)

• San Francisco Unicorns vs Desert Vipers

July 28 (Tuesday)

• Desert Vipers vs Perth Scorchers XI

July 29 (Wednesday)

• Lahore Qalandars vs San Francisco Unicorns

• Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Perth Scorchers XI

July 31 (Friday)

Qualifier: Second Place vs Third Place

August 1 (Saturday)

Final: First Place vs Winner of Qualifier

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo could play alongside his son at Al-Nassr: report

Saudi Arabian football club Al-Nassr FC are considering integrating Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. into their senior setup, raising the possibility of a historic on-field link-up with his father Cristiano Ronaldo, according to recent reports.

The club is exploring plans to include the teenage forward in first-team training from the 2026/27 season, with a gradual pathway that could eventually lead to a senior squad appearance.

While no official confirmation has been made, the idea has gained traction given Ronaldo Jr.’s steady rise through the youth ranks.

Currently part of Al-Nassr’s academy system, he has been one of the standout performers at the U-16 and U-17 levels.

The timeline also aligns with a key eligibility milestone. Ronaldo Jr., born on June 17, 2010, will turn 16 this summer, the minimum age required to sign a professional contract and feature in senior football.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

This opens a realistic window for a potential father-son partnership, particularly with Cristiano Ronaldo’s current deal at Al-Nassr running until 2027. The veteran forward, still performing at the highest level in his 40s, could share the pitch with his son if the club proceeds with its plans.

Sources indicate that Al-Nassr’s hierarchy is closely monitoring the youngster’s development, with an emphasis on easing him into the senior environment rather than rushing his progression.

Importantly, Ronaldo Jr.’s rise has not been built on reputation alone. The teenager has delivered consistent performances at the youth level, including a recent hat-trick in a 4-3 win for Al-Nassr’s U-16 side against Al Fayha.

On the international stage, he has also made notable strides, helping Portugal’s U-16 team secure the Algarve International Tournament title earlier this year, his third youth trophy, already surpassing his father’s tally at the same age.

READ: Chelsea sack Liam Rosenior after horror run

Notably, Islamabad United are currently at the third spot in the PSL 11 points table, with four wins in seven games, while one of their games was abandoned due to weather.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindiz have failed to leave their mark in their maiden season, having lost eight games and currently lying at the bottom of the table without any point.

READ: Usman Khan creates history with record PSL century