Author: A Sports

Pakistan U19 fast bowler Ali Raza said mentor and manager Sarfaraz Ahmed leadership skills played a decisive role in the national side’s ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025 triumph.

Speaking during an interview with a private news channel, Raza credited team mentor and manager Sarfaraz Ahmed for guiding them and shaping the team’s winning mindset.

“The Pakistan U19 team worked incredibly hard, and our efforts finally paid off. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s experience and leadership were instrumental in shaping the team’s mindset,” he remarked.

“He never let us feel homesick. Instead, he created a family-like environment for the team, which really boosted our morale,” Raza maintained.

The bowler also thanked the team management for backing him during his challenging time while emphasizing the hard work which played a crucial role in glory for Pakistan.

“During my injury, there were times when I didn’t feel like practising. However, the management placed their trust in me, which motivated me to continue working hard.”

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Every day, the U19 team focused on learning and improving. The management encouraged us to give 100% on the field, and the result was evident in lifting the U19 Asia Cup trophy,” the 17-year-old said.

He revealed his idol fast bowlers while praising arch-rivals India for demonstrating sportsmanship.

“In cricket, there is no small or big player—what matters is showing sportsmanship. India displayed great sportsmanship, and we focused on playing our best cricket against them,” he said.

“I watch bowlers like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Mohammad Asif, Rana Naved, and Mohammad Sami.

In the Asia Cup final, I remembered Mohammad Amir’s spell from the Champions Trophy. Seeing former greats praise my performance, like Wasim Akram and Ian Bishop tweeting in my support, is a matter of pride for me,” Raza concluded.

For the unversed, Ali Raza played a crucial role in the victory against arch-rivals India with a four-wicket haul.

After Pakistan posted a daunting 347-run target,  India’s response never gathered momentum, as Pakistan’s bowlers ran riot to bowl them out for 156 in 26.2 overs, sealing a thumping 191-run victory.

Ali Raza led the charge with an impressive spell of 4 for 42, while Ahmed Hussain and Huzaifa Ahsan claimed two wickets apiece to complete a memorable triumph for the boys in green.

READ: Sameer Minhas reveals his cricketing idol

ADELAIDE: Pacer Haris Rauf delivered a fiery three-wicket spell to lead Melbourne Stars to a six-wicket win over Adelaide Strikers in the 10th match of Big Bash League (BBL) 15 here at the Adelaide Oval on Tuesday.

Set 156, Stars chased down the target on four wickets with 11 balls to spare.

Sam Harper remained the top scorer, scoring 55 from 36 balls with the help of five fours and two sixes.

Skipper Marcus Stoinis remained the other notable contributor with 32* from 22 to his name. The right-hander hit three fours and a six in his brisk knock.

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Melbourne Stars were off to a flyer as they posted 67 at the end of the powerplay, losing just one wicket in the process. Joe Clarke hit two fours before getting dismissed on 23.

Meanwhile, Harper continued to charge and stitched a brief 23-run partnership with Campbell Kellaway. The duo brought the total to 90 in 9.5 overs.

However, Hasan Ali took two crucial wickets in quick succession to jolt Stars in the chase. The right-arm pacer first removed well-set Harper, followed by the big wicket of Glenn Maxwell for two to reduce them to 96-3 in 11.3 overs.

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But Marcus Stoinis remained till the end to ensure his side crossed the finishing line. He added 37 and 28* run stands with Campbell Kellaway and Hilton Cartwright to take his side home.

For Stars, Hasan Ali remained the pick of the bowlers, managing to take two wickets in his three overs.

Earlier, after being given the opportunity to bat first, the home side Adelaide Strikers were unable to post a big total as they ended their innings on 155 for 8 in 20 overs.

Tom Curran ripped through their top order, removing Chris Lynn and Jason Sangha in the second over to put his side on top.

After an early hiccup, skipper Matthew Short batted with responsibility, crafting a 55-run partnership with Liam Scott to take the score to 62-3 in 7.5 overs.

The stand culminated with Scott’s wicket, trapped lbw by Stoinis for 25, despite it being another 48-run partnership that carried them over the 100-run mark, before a middle-order collapse saw them reeling.

Alex Ross and Short brought the total to 110 in 13.4 overs as Curran removed the latter, who top-scored with 56 from 42 with the help of four boundaries.

Eventually, the home side were limited to a below-par total at the end of their innings.

For Stars, Haris Rauf and Tom Curran combined and shared six wickets between them.

READ: Sameer Minhas reveals his cricketing idol

Pakistan’s emerging middle-order batter Sameer Minhas has revealed that national team star Babar Azam is his favourite cricketer, following a record-breaking campaign in the recently concluded ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025.

Speaking in an interview with a local news platform, the 19-year-old was asked to name the Pakistani player he admires the most. Minhas responded without hesitation, stating that Babar Azam remains his top inspiration within the national side.

Minhas was the standout performer of the tournament, playing a central role in Pakistan’s historic run to their maiden U19 Asia Cup title in the competition’s 35-year history.

The right-handed batter finished as the leading run-scorer, piling up 471 runs in just five matches at a staggering average of 157.00 and a strike rate of 117.45.

His tally included two centuries and a half-century, underlining his dominance throughout the event.

His most prolific outing came against Malaysia U19, where he produced a commanding unbeaten 177, setting the tone for Pakistan’s campaign.

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The teenager saved his best for the final against arch-rivals India, delivering a match-defining knock under pressure.

Minhas struck a superb 172 off 113 deliveries, peppering the boundary with 17 fours and nine sixes, as Pakistan posted an imposing total of 347 for eight after being put in to bat.

Ahmed Hussain provided valuable support in the middle order with a composed 56 off 72 balls.

India’s response never gathered momentum, as Pakistan’s bowlers ran riot to bowl them out for 156 in 26.2 overs, sealing a thumping 191-run victory.

Fast bowler Ali Raza led the charge with an impressive spell of 4 for 42, while Ahmed Hussain and Huzaifa Ahsan claimed two wickets apiece to complete a memorable triumph for the boys in green.

READ: Indonesia’s Gede Priandana creates T20I history with five-wicket over

BALI: Indonesia fast bowler Gede Priandana created history on Tuesday by becoming the first player to take five wickets in a single over in a men’s or women’s T20I.

He achieved this feat during the opening T20I against Cambodia, steering Indonesia to a dominant 60-run victory at the Udayana Cricket Ground.

The 28-year-old right-arm quick produced a spell for the ages in the 16th over of Cambodia’s chase of 168, completely dismantling the opposition’s middle and lower order in a dramatic collapse that effectively ended the contest.

Cambodia were still in the hunt at 106 for 5 after 15 overs, but Priandana, bowling his first over of the match, turned the game on its head instantly.

He struck with the first three deliveries to claim a stunning hat-trick, dismissing Shah Abrar Hussain, Nirmaljit Singh and Chanthoeun Rathanak.

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After a dot ball, he removed Mongdara Sok and Pel Vennak, conceding just a solitary wide in the over as Cambodia crumbled to be bowled out well short of the target.

With that extraordinary effort, Gede Priandana became the first bowler in T20 international cricket, across both men’s and women’s formats, to claim five wickets in a single over where fall-of-wicket data is officially recorded.

Earlier in the match, Priandana had also contributed with the bat, scoring six runs while opening the innings alongside wicketkeeper-batter Dharma Kesuma.

Kesuma starred with the bat for Indonesia, hammering an unbeaten 110 off 68 balls, an innings that included eight fours and six sixes, to set up a challenging total of 167.

While the five-wicket-over feat has been achieved twice in domestic men’s T20 cricket, by Bangladesh’s Al-Amin Hossain in 2013–14 and Karnataka’s Abhimanyu Mithun in the 2019–20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Priandana’s performance stands alone in the international arena.

READ: Former captain says ‘sacking Stokes, McCullum will not solve England’s woes’

KARACHI: All-rounder Jahandad Khan delivered with both bat and ball to guide Pakistan Television (PTV) into the President’s Cup final as Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) faltered in the semi-final.

Set 242 under lights at the National Bank Stadium, OGDCL fell short and were bowled out for 157 in 30.5 overs.

PTV will now face either Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) or Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) on 25 December at the same venue, where the second semi-final is set to take place on 23 December.

Maaz Sadaqat and Imam ul Haq provided a 43-run start, with the former remaining the core aggressor with 35 off just 16 balls. The left-hander hit three sixes and three fours in his knock.

After a positive start, OGDCL lost two wickets in quick time, leaving them in trouble at 44-2.

PTV bowlers kept mounting the pressure with clinical bowling and wickets at regular intervals. As a result, the unbeaten side in the tournament were reduced to 79-5 in 12.1 overs.

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With wickets falling, Danish Aziz and Rohail Nazir tried to arrest the slide with a brief stand, but a middle collapse saw them bundle out, which handed PTV an 84-run victory.

For PTV, after starring with the bat, Jahandad Khan also chipped in the bat, scalping two crucial wickets at a critical juncture of the game.

For his outstanding performance, he was named the player of the match.

Earlier, Jahandad rescued PTV from a precarious 159-5 and helped them reach a respectable total. He made 63 off 47 balls with the help of six fours and four sixes.

For OGDCL, Asif Afridi picked up two wickets in his nine overs.

It is pertinent to mention that OGDCL remained unbeaten in their seven league stage games, including a five-wicket win over PTV at the Oval Academy Ground on 10 December.

READ: BCCI to review India U19 performance after Pakistan defeat

MUMBAI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to review the India U19 team’s performance following a crushing defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup final, Cricbuzz reported on Monday.

Pakistan clinched the ACC U19 Asia Cup title emphatically, defending a mammoth 348-run target by bundling out India for just 156 in 26.2 overs, sealing a commanding 191-run win.

Sameer Minhas top-scored with a sensational 172 off 113 deliveries, including 17 fours and nine sixes.

In bowling, Ali Raza took a four-wicket haul while Huzaifa Ahsan, Abdul Subhan, and Mohammad Sayyam contributed with two wickets each.

According to the report, the move followed an online Apex meeting in which board members scrutinized the team’s overall performance in the tournament.

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“The decision was taken at an online Apex Council meeting on Monday (December 22) evening, where members discussed the team’s overall showing in the tournament and felt there was a need to seek explanations from the team management,” the statement from the report quoted.

The report further details that BCCI is set to hold talks with the head coach, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and the skipper, Ayush Mhatre, highlighting the unusual scrutiny.

The report also states that with the Under-19 World Cup in a few days, the BCCI wants to address issues early to avoid any setbacks heading into the mega event.

For the unversed, the U19 World Cup will be held from 15 January to 6 February 2026.

The tournament will continue with its familiar format: 16 teams, four groups, 41 matches, and a Super Six stage leading into semi-finals and a final.

READ: Received calls from India for fast-bowling guidance, claims Aqib Javed

LAHORE: Former Pakistan pacer and PCB director of High-Performance Aqib Javed has claimed that India contacted him seeking guidance for their fast bowlers through the board’s overseas players program.

Aqib, who is also a member of the national selection committee, appeared on the PCB’s podcast to discuss Pakistan cricket, high-performance structures, and future planning.

During the podcast, he spoke about the National High Performance Center, which serves as the board’s engine room for player development.

“We have big plans for the NCA [National Cricket Academy], including a fully functional biomechanics lab,” said Aqib Javed.

“The good news is that this lab, which had not been operational since 2006 and has been accredited by the ICC, is set to be functional in the upcoming months,” he revealed.

“With this facility, we can check illegal actions and work on improving player performance,” Aqib maintained.

Aqib also highlighted the PCB’s pathway program for overseas cricketers, which offers coaching and training programs to cricketing nations worldwide.

“Overseas and foreign players can now come to Pakistan for training, with recent arrivals from the Netherlands and England.”

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He also termed the program a litmus test for Pakistan cricket, noting that they would only understand their strengths when challenged.

He also revealed that calls had already come from India seeking guidance for their fast bowlers.

“Until we challenge ourselves, we won’t know how we compare globally, how capable our coaches are, or how strong our systems really are.

This is a program that will eventually spread worldwide. We have already received calls from India requesting guidance for their fast bowlers,” he claimed.

On this, the host remarked that Indians are reluctant nowadays to even shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts.

“Common people think differently, and bureaucracy approaches things in a slightly different way,” Aqib replied in a light-hearted manner.

READ: Arteta hints at Gabriel Jesus return ahead of League Cup clash

England head coach Brendon McCullum is unsure about his future but maintained that the Three Lions are not a ‘finished article’ with two Tests left in the Ashes against Australia.

This comes after England’s 3-0 drubbing in the Ashes series, despite two matches still remaining.

England were unable to put up a fight in the opening three matches, resulting in their fourth series loss down under since their 2011 triumph.

The head coach is unsure about his future ahead of the 2026 England summer, in which they will face New Zealand and Pakistan.

“I don’t know,” he said when questioned about his future with the Three Lions.  “It’s not really up to me, is it?

“I’ll just keep trying to do the job, try to learn the lessons that [we] haven’t quite got right here and try to make some adjustments. Those questions are for someone else, not for me,” he added.

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He emphasized the goals and fun that come with a bunch of England players, noting that he aims to bring out the best in them.

“It’s a pretty good gig. It’s good fun. You travel the world with the lads and try to play some exciting cricket and try to achieve some things … For me, it’s a matter of trying to just get the very best out of the people and try to achieve what you can with them.”

The 44-year-old mentioned the side’s progress since taking over and stressed that England should play the kind of cricket they have been known for over the past couple of years.

“Those other decisions are up to other people. But from my point of view, I’m enjoying the time that I’ve got with these guys, and I think we’ve made some progress from when I took over to where we are,” McCullum reiterated.

“We’re not the finished article, but I think we’ve definitely improved as a cricket team.

We’ve had an identity about us. Now’s the time for us in the last two Tests to really show that identity and try to salvage something from it,” the head coach concluded.

READ: Shadab powers Sydney Thunder to first win of BBL 15

CANBERRA: Shadab Khan’s decisive four-over spell and Matthew Gilkes gutsy knock propelled Sydney Thunder to a 34-run victory over Brisbane Heat in the ninth fixture of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 here at the Manuka Oval on Monday.

Set 194, Heat fell short and could only score 159 for six at the end of their 20 overs.

Matt Renshaw, who scored a century in his previous outing, remained the top-scorer for Heat with 43 runs to his name. The left-hander hit four boundaries and a six in his 28-ball knock.

Colin Munro and Jack Wildermuth started positively in the chase, adding 37 in 4.4 overs before Shadab Khan removed both batters in an over to halt their proceedings.

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Munro was caught for 18 while Wildermuth could not get going after making 15.

As a result, Brisbane Heat were 38-2 in 5 overs as Matt Renshaw and Hugh Weibgen paired up and launched a recovery.

The duo’s 70-run partnership off 47 balls took the score over the 100-run mark and brought Sydney Thunder back in the game.

However, the protagonist Shadab was again in the moment, who cleaned up Renshaw to give Sydney Thunder a breakthrough. Soon after, Weibgen followed him and was bowled by Daniel Sams for 30.

Consequently, Heat slumped to 108-3 to 115-4 in 14.3 overs.

With the required run-rate creeping up, Thunder mounted pressure with economical bowling and quick wickets, which put Heat out of the game.

The right-arm leg-spinner Shadab again proved beneficial with his 17th over, which yielded only 2 runs and a wicket, leaving the equation at 62 off 18 balls.

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In the end, the target proved too much and handed Sydney Thunder their first win of the season.

For Sydney Thunder, Shadab Khan took a four-wicket haul, whereas Daniel Sams managed to pick two.

Earlier, Brisbane Heat invited Thunder to bat first, a decision they capitalized on as they racked up 193-4 at the end of their innings.

Sam Konstas and Matthew Gilkes remained the cornerstone of a solid foundation, both putting up 127 in 13.2 overs on the board.

Konstas hit eight fours in his 45-ball 63, while Gilkes’ 76 off 48 included four boundaries and three sixes.

The solid foundation was enough for a big total as Sam Billings provided the Thunder innings impetus with a quick-fire 25 off 11 balls, laced with two sixes and two fours.

For Brisbane Heat, Jack Wildermuth managed to scalp two wickets in his quota of four overs.

READ: WATCH: Pakistan’s U19 Asia Cup heroes receive grand welcome after crushing India

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Under-19 cricket team received a hero’s welcome and a generous cash reward from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif following their historic victory over India to claim the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025.

The young Green Shirts clinched the ACC U19 Asia Cup title emphatically, defending a mammoth 348-run target by bundling out India for just 156 in 26.2 overs, sealing a commanding 191-run win.

On Monday, the Prime Minister hosted a luncheon in honour of the victorious squad, personally congratulating the players and management for their remarkable achievement.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, along with several federal ministers, also attended the event.

Shehbaz Sharif announced a cash reward of Rs 10 million for each player in recognition of their outstanding performance.

Speaking after the event, former national captain and Pakistan U19 mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed reiterated the Prime Minister’s announcement and praised the team’s efforts.

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“The Prime Minister has announced a reward of Rs 10 million for each player, and in the future, these young players will make the country proud,” he said.

Sarfaraz also highlighted the individual brilliance in the final, singling out Ahmed Hussain for a gutsy 56 off 72 balls, while Sameer Minhas top-scored with a sensational 172 off 113 deliveries, including 17 fours and nine sixes.

Pakistan U19 head coach Shahid Anwar also praised the preparation behind the triumph.

He revealed that a talent hunt starting June 17 involved seventy players undergoing trials, with each given four matches to impress selectors before being invited to the final camp.

The ten-day camp in Karachi featured guidance from former cricketers who helped refine the squad’s skills.

“Our goal upon leaving the country was clear: to win the trophy and, more importantly, to win the hearts of cricket fans,” Anwar stated, summarising the team’s dedication and focus.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed slams India’s conduct in U19 Asia Cup final