Author: A Sports

SYDNEY: Babar Azam was left furious following his dismissal during the high-octane Big Bash League (BBL) 15 encounter between Sydney Sixers and Sydney Thunder here at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

The right-hander made 47 from 39 deliveries, hitting seven boundaries before getting cleaned up by Nathan McAndrew.

He was involved in a 141-run stand in just 74 balls with Steve Smith, who scored 100 from 42 balls.

However, Babar was visibly angry with himself after losing his wicket and was seen striking the boundary cushion with his bat.

 

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“Wasn’t happy, Babar. Drama in the middle of the SCG after Steve Smith knocked back a run from Babar Azam, so he could take strike during the Power Surge,” the official BBL handle posted the video on its social media handle.

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Before getting dismissed, Babar Azam was denied a single from Steve Smith after the former had faced three consecutive dot balls.

In the very next over, Steve Smith fully capitalized on Power Surge — a strategic, two-over period the batting team chooses after the 10th over, where fielding restrictions are eased with only two fielders allowed outside the inner circle, hitting 32 runs in the over.

Eventually, Sydney Sixers romped to a five-wicket victory while chasing 190 run target.

Steve Smith starred with the bat, scoring a sublime 100 off 42 balls, striking nine sixes and five fours.

The emphatic win lifted the Sixers to fourth place on the BBL 15 points table, putting them firmly on course for a playoff berth.

They will now face fifth-placed Brisbane Heat in their final group-stage fixture on Sunday, with the result set to determine the last team to qualify for the playoffs.

READ: Steve Smith, Babar Azam star as Sydney Sixers outclass Thunder

MIRPUR: Shoriful Islam’s five-wicket haul, backed by brisk knocks from Mahedi Hasan and Asif Ali powered Chattogram Royals to victory over Noakhali Express in the 25th fixture of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26.

Royals chased down 127 on the loss of five wickets with 18 balls to spare.

Ihsanullah and Hasan Mahmud made early inroads with the ball to provide Noakhali Express a strong start.

Mahmudul Hasan Joy was the first wicket to fall, gone without scoring in the first over, followed by Mohammad Hari’s dismissal, who was caught for seven.

Ihsanullah struck again to remove Mahfijul Islam for duck quickly, followed by Mohammad Naim, who made 18 off seven with the aid of two fours and a six.

As a result, Chattogram Royals were reduced to 29-4 in 4.2 overs.

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However, a brief partnership of 40 runs between Hasan Nawaz and skipper Mahedi Hasan put the chase back on track.

The duo took the score to 69 in 9.3 overs before Nawaz was stumped for 11, leaving Royal five down.

The match was widely open, with Noakhali Express bowlers tailing up. But it was Asif Ali’s arrival at the crease that brought their side respite.

The recently retired Pakistani pinch hitter stitched an unbeaten 59* run stand with Mahedi and helped their side cross the finishing line.

Asif hit two sixes and two fours in his 36* off 30 while Mahedi remained one shy of a well-deserved half-century. He hit four boundaries and two sixes in his knock that put their side on top of the points table.

For Noakhali Express, Ihsanullah picked up two wickets.

Earlier, given the oppurtunity to bat first, Noakhali Express batters demonstrated a shambolic display as Chattogram Royals skittled them for 126 in 18.5 overs.

Hassan Eisakhil and Soumya Sarkar started positively with a 34-run stand in 3.1 overs.

Eisakhil and Sarkar made 25 and 14, respectively, and Express were 49-2 at the end of the powerplay.

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Despite two wickets in quick time, Noakhali Express was going steadily as Jaker Ali and Haider Ali launched a recovery with a 29-run partnership.

The pair brought the total to 78 in 9.4 overs before Mahedi Hasan and Shoriful Islam wreaked havoc with the ball.

The bowling pair sparked a collapse, with Noakhali Express slumping to 91-6 from 78-2 in 13.1 overs.

Eventually, the whole team was bundled out with Shoriful Islam picking up a five-wicket haul while giving away just nine in 3.5 overs.

READ: Steve Smith, Babar Azam stars as Sydney Sixers outclass Thunder

Steve Smith and Babar Azam produced a batting masterclass to guide the Sydney Sixers to a commanding victory over the Sydney Thunder in a high-octane Big Bash League (BBL) 15 encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

The emphatic win lifted the Sixers to fourth place on the BBL 15 points table, putting them firmly on course for a playoff berth.

They will now face fifth-placed Brisbane Heat in their final group-stage fixture on Sunday, with the result set to determine the last team to qualify for the playoffs.

Chasing a challenging target of 190, the Sixers got off to a flying start as Smith and Babar combined aggression with composure in a dominant opening partnership.

Smith took on the role of chief aggressor, while Babar provided stability, as the duo stitched together a 141-run stand in just 74 balls.

The partnership finally ended when Nathan McAndrew dismissed Babar, who scored a fluent 47 off 39 deliveries, including seven boundaries.

Smith continued his onslaught, racing to a blistering century off just 41 balls, peppering the boundary with nine sixes and five fours.

His innings came to an end immediately after reaching the landmark, as he was stumped off Tanveer Sangha, but not before putting the Sixers firmly in control of the chase.

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Despite losing a few quick wickets, the Sixers crossed the line comfortably with 16 balls to spare.

Jack Edwards remained unbeaten on 17 off eight balls, smashing two sixes, while Lachlan Shaw chipped in with a brisk 13 off seven to seal the win.

Earlier, Sixers skipper won the toss and opted to field, a decision that initially appeared costly as Thunder captain David Warner launched a fierce counterattack.

Warner added 56 runs for the opening stand with Matthew Gilkes, who scored 12 off 12, before Mitchell Starc broke the partnership in his first BBL appearance since the league’s fourth season.

Warner continued his assault and found solid support in Nic Maddinson, with the pair adding 84 runs in 47 balls.

Maddinson struck 26 off 16 before falling on the first ball of the final over, while Warner was left stranded at the non-striker’s end as Thunder finished on 189 for six.

The Thunder skipper remained unbeaten on a superb 110 off 65 balls, featuring 11 fours and four sixes.

For the Sixers, Sam Curran led the bowling effort with three wickets, while Starc, Edwards and Ben Manenti picked up one wicket apiece.

READ: New Zealand batter Tim Seifert set to miss PSL 11

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert will not feature in the upcoming season 11 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), confirming that he has decided to sit out the upcoming season due to other professional commitments.

Seifert, who has been a regular presence for Karachi Kings in recent PSL editions, shared the update during an interview with a sports platform following Melbourne Renegades’ match against Perth Scorchers.

While expressing his fondness for the league, the 31-year-old made it clear that scheduling priorities have forced him to miss PSL 11.

“I love playing in the PSL, it’s always fun,” Seifert said. “At the moment, I’ve got an opportunity elsewhere, so I’ll be missing this year’s edition. But I really enjoyed my last two years in the PSL.”

The New Zealand batter has played a significant role for Karachi Kings in previous seasons, appearing in 17 matches and scoring 424 runs at an average of 24.94.

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He maintained an impressive strike rate of 141.33, often providing stability and momentum at the top of the order.

Tim Seifert brings extensive franchise experience, having featured in major T20 leagues around the world, including the Big Bash League (BBL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), ILT20, Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

At the international level, the right-handed batter has represented New Zealand in four One-Day Internationals and 77 T20 Internationals

In the shortest format, he has accumulated 1,850 runs at a strike rate of 142.52, with 12 half-centuries to his name.

READ: Key matters on agenda as PSL governing council meets today

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026 is set to resume on Friday after the nationwide cricket boycott was officially called off following a late-night agreement between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB).

The standoff, which brought all cricketing activity in the country to a halt on Thursday, ended after the BCB met the primary demand of the players by removing M Najmul Islam from his position as chairman of the board’s finance committee.

As a result, Thursday’s postponed BPL matches will be played on Friday, with Chattogram Royals taking on Noakhali Express in the first match of the day, followed by Rajshahi Warriors facing Sylhet Titans later in the evening.

Notably, this situation has moved every match one day ahead, which means Friday’s matches will be moved to Saturday, and the group stage will now conclude on Sunday.

For context, two BPL matches and four Dhaka Cricket League games were abandoned on Thursday after teams refused to turn up for the toss, acting on CWAB’s call for a nationwide boycott.

The protest was sparked by remarks made by Najmul Islam, which players deemed disrespectful and humiliating.

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Earlier in the day, CWAB had made Najmul’s removal a non-negotiable condition for any dialogue with the board.

The BCB responded by stripping him of the finance committee chairmanship, although he remains a board director pending the outcome of an internal inquiry.

While the players welcomed the board’s move, discussions are still ongoing over CWAB’s demand for a public apology from Najmul, a point on which differences remain between the players’ body and BCB president Aminul Islam.

Speaking at a late-night press conference at the BCB headquarters, CWAB president Mohammad Mithun confirmed the decision to end the boycott, stressing that the choice was made in the broader interest of the game.

“Keeping the greater interest of cricket in mind, we will resume playing tomorrow (Friday). The BCB has assured us that they will reach out to him and fulfil our demands as early as possible,” Mithun said, referring to Najmul Islam.

READ: ‘Excited’ Alcaraz hungry to break Australian Open title drought

BULAWAYO: Henil Patel picked up a fifer to set up a comprehensive win for India over USA in the U19 World Cup opener here at the Queens Sports Club on Thursday.

India chased down a mere 96-run target with ease in 17.2 overs in a rain-hit encounter.

The USA started strongly in defense of a small target as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was sent back only in the second over. The left-hander could only score two.

India were further jolted with two quick strikes, with skipper Ayush Mhatre and Vedant Trivedi sent back in a span of two deliveries.

Trivedi and Mhatre were both caught for two and 19 runs respectively. As a result, India were reduced to 25-3 in 5.2 overs.

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However, Abhigyan Kundu and Vihaan Malhotra put chase back on track with 45 run partnership.

Malhotra was dismissed for 18 from 17 after hitting two boundaries, whereas Kundu remained unbeaten 42 from 41 balls with the aid of five fours and a six.

For USA, Ritvik Appidi picked up two wickets.

Earlier, India bowled out USA for 107 in 35.2 overs, thanks to Henil Patel’s bowling, who remained the chief destroyer.

Opener Amrinder Gill made one before a brief partnership of 28 between Sahil Garg and Arjun Mahesh kept Indian bowlers at bay till the eighth over.

However, Deepesh Devendran removed Garg for 18 which sparked a collapse that USA could not recover from.

Indian bowlers continued to chip in with wickets at regular intervals, with Nitish Sudini remaining the highest scorer for his side.

Sudini who made 36 from 52 was the last wicket to fell as USA were bowled out for a partly score.

For India, Henil Patel remained the star bowler as he picked up a five-wicket haul.

READ: West Indies U19 open World Cup 2026 campaign with Tanzania win

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday announced the immediate removal of M. Najmul Islam from his role as Chairman of the Finance Committee, following a nationwide boycott by the country’s cricketers.

The boycott forced the postponement of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) fixtures on Thursday.

The decision was taken by BCB President Md Aminul Islam under Article 31 of the BCB Constitution, with the board stating that the move was necessary to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of its operations.

Until further notice, the BCB president will himself serve as the Acting Chairman of the Finance Committee.

In an official statement, the BCB reiterated that players’ interests remain its top priority and stressed its commitment to safeguarding the dignity and honour of all cricketers under its jurisdiction.

The board also urged players to maintain professionalism and continue their participation in the BPL, underlining the importance of the tournament for Bangladesh cricket.

The development comes after a dramatic day on Thursday, when no teams arrived at the venue ahead of the scheduled BPL match between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express.

The protest, led by the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), resulted in both BPL fixtures for the day being postponed.

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The standoff stemmed from controversial remarks made by Najmul Islam earlier this week.

Speaking on the sidelines of a board prayer meeting for the late former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Najmul addressed questions about the financial impact if Bangladesh were to miss matches at the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

He suggested the board would not suffer financially and added that players would receive no compensation if they missed out—comments that were widely condemned by cricketers.

Najmul had already been under fire after accusing former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal of being an “Indian agent” in a Facebook post.

The remarks were made in response to Tamim’s recent interview, in which he urged the BCB to prioritise cricketing considerations amid uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup.

That uncertainty arose after the BCB decided against travelling to India for the tournament, citing security concerns, following a request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL squad.

READ: West Indies U19 open World Cup 2026 campaign with Tanzania win

WINDHOEK: West Indies made a confident start to their ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 campaign, registering a comprehensive victory over tournament debutants Tanzania at the High Performance Oval on Thursday.

Playing their first-ever match at the U19 World Cup, Tanzania were put in to bat and found the going tough against a disciplined West Indies bowling attack.

The African side were dismissed for 122 in 34 overs, with openers Dylan Thakrar and Darpan Jobanputra offering the only real resistance at the top.

Thakrar top-scored with 26, while Jobanputra added 19 from 46 deliveries, as just four Tanzanian batters reached double figures.

West Indies bowling attack was led by Vitel Lawes, who claimed three scalps.

Shaquan Belle and Micah McKenzie picked up two wickets each, while Jonathan van Lange and R’Jai Gittens chipped in with one apiece to keep the pressure constant.

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Chasing a modest target, the Caribbean side completed the task with little trouble, reaching 123-5 in 21 overs.

Tanez Francis anchored the run-chase with a composed half-century, scoring 52 off 55 balls, including six boundaries and a six.

Jewel Andrew played a crucial supporting role, contributing 44 from 44 deliveries with six fours and a six.

Tanzania’s bowlers showed some fight, with Raymond Francis and Augustino Mwamele taking two wickets each, while Laksh Bakrania accounted for one, but the total proved far too small to defend.

Meanwhile, the Group C fixture between hosts Zimbabwe and Scotland was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Harare due to adverse conditions, resulting in both teams sharing a point each.

READ: ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026: Everything You Need to Know

Pakistan’s emerging squash talents, Mehwish Ali, Mahnoor Ali, and Sehrish Ali, collectively known as the Ali Sisters, are set to represent Pakistan at the 17th WSF/ESF Czech Junior Open 2026, one of Europe’s most prestigious European Junior Gold-level squash tournaments, scheduled to take place in Prague, Czech Republic, from 15 to 18 January 2026.

Sanctioned by the World Squash Federation (WSF) and the European Squash Federation (ESF), the event will feature participation from 32 countries, making it a highly competitive international junior squash tournament.

The Ali Sisters will compete in the Under-15 and Under-17 categories, aiming to test their skills against top junior players from around the world while proudly carrying Pakistan’s flag on the international stage.

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Matches will be held at two premier venues in Prague, Hector Sport Centre and Squash Bowling Centrum (SBC).

All matches will be streamed live on the ESF Squash website, providing global access for squash fans.

Pakistan’s participation in the Czech Junior Open highlights the nation’s ongoing efforts to nurture young squash talent and uphold its strong legacy in the sport.

READ: Finn Allen helps Scorchers knock Renegades out of BBL 15

MELBOURNE: A scintillating century from Finn Allen propelled Perth Scorchers to a commanding victory over Melbourne Renegades, effectively ending the hosts’ campaign in the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 at Docklands Stadium on Thursday.

Already assured of a playoff berth, the Scorchers strengthened their push for a top-two finish with the emphatic win.

They will now face Melbourne Stars in their final league fixture, with both sides locked on 12 points and battling for the top spot.

Hobart Hurricanes, meanwhile, are guaranteed to finish second on 13 points after completing their league games.

Put in to bat, Perth made full use of the conditions as Allen and Mitchell Marsh launched the innings with a rapid 64-run opening stand.

Marsh departed for 20 off 15 deliveries, dismissed by Sam Elliott, but that did little to slow the Scorchers’ momentum.

Allen remained the driving force, combining fluency with brute power. He added 56 runs with Cooper Connolly and followed it up with a 44-run stand alongside Aaron Hardie, keeping the scoreboard ticking at a brisk pace.

The New Zealand batter eventually fell in the 17th over, caught off Adam Zampa after a blistering 101 off 53 balls, laced with eight sixes and five fours.

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Perth Scorchers posted an imposing 219-7 from their 20 overs, with Elliott the standout bowler for Melbourne Renegades, claiming four wickets. Zampa, Brendan Doggett and Will Sutherland chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Facing a daunting chase, the Renegades were immediately on the back foot as Josh Brown was dismissed for a duck in the opening over.

Jake Fraser-McGurk briefly injected hope with a counter-attacking 42 off just 18 balls, smashing five sixes before Luke Holt brought his cameo to an end.

With the asking rate climbing rapidly, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

Tim Seifert anchored the innings from one end and later added a one-sided 60-run partnership with Sam Elliott, but the target proved well beyond reach.

Seifert eventually perished for 66 off 43 balls while attempting to accelerate, effectively sealing the Renegades’ fate.

The hosts finished on 169-7, falling 50 runs short and bowing out of the tournament.

For the Scorchers, Cooper Connolly and Mahli Beardman picked up two wickets each, while Holt and Hardie contributed with one apiece.

READ: Mitchell Starc crowned ICC Men’s Player of the Month for December 2025