Saleh Ayub, Author at ASports.tv

Andre Russell to follow Nicholas Pooran, set to retire from International cricket

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell is set to follow Nicolas Pooran’s footsteps in retiring from International cricket during the T20I series against Australia.

A month earlier, former West Indies white-ball captain Nicholas Pooran had stunned cricket fans around the world as he announced his retirement from international cricket at just 29 years of age.

The left-handed batter, who had become a vital part of the West Indies’ limited-overs setup, brought the curtain down on an international career spanning eight years.

Now, the 37-year-old Russell, who has been named in the West Indies squad for the five-match series against Australia set to commence on 20 July at Sabina Park is also in line to bid farewell to international cricket.

According to Cricinfo, the opening two games of the series at Andre Russell’s home ground will be his farewell matches. The all-rounder known for his explosive batting has 84 T20I caps to his name and has only featured in the shorter format for the West Indies since 2019.

Andre Russell, hailing from Jamaica, is the second high-profile West Indies player after Nicholas Pooran to hang up his boots in international cricket in less than two months.

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Andre Russel was a vital cog of the West Indies squads that won the T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016.

Following the squad announcement for the series against Australia, head coach Daren Sammy expressed confidence ahead of the 2026 World Cup to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

“Our goals and strategic plans are aligned to winning the T20 World Cup in 2026,” he said.

“We have continuity in the squad from the previous series and as a unit we will continue to fine tune our style and brand ahead of the World Cup,” he added.

Sammy mentioned previous series results while stressing on the momentum for the next few months.

“Our previous two T20 series at home we were on the wrong end of the results but starting against Australia, we want to regain our form at home as we build momentum into next year’s World Cup with our exciting and dynamic group of players,” he concluded.

West Indies squad for T20Is against Australia

Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, Jediah Blades, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Gudakesh Motie, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd

READ: Tri-series: Jacobs, Robinson propel New Zealand to victory over South Africa

Travis Head urges Australia to ‘get back on the horse’ after WTC final heartbreak

Australia’s middle-order batter Travis Head has urged his team to move on from the loss against South Africa in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final at the iconic Lord’s stadium.

Travis Head remained optimistic about Australia’s chances ahead of their new World Cup Test Championship campaign, which is set to commence on Wednesday with a three-match series against the West Indies.

“There’s added motivation to go out there and play well,” Head said ahead of the first Test in Barbados while admitting that Australia did not play according to expectations against the Proteas.

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The southpaw expressed confidence in his team’s chances in the upcoming WTC cycle, stressing the need to move on from the loss.

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“We’ve got two more years to build, and this is another first look at it, so I think if you dwell on it for too long or if you look back, you forget about what’s moving forward,” he said.

“Of course, we care and, of course, it’s not ideal. But at the end of the day you can’t change it. You have to move on. You have to get back on the horse,” Travis Head added.

It is noteworthy to mention that Australia will be without the services of ace batter Steve Smith, who is recovering from a finger injury in New York. In contrast, former No.1 Test-ranked batter Marnus Labuschagne has been axed from the squad due to a slump in form.

Travis Head is now the most experienced middle-order batter in the Test against the West Indies.

They [the pitches] spun a little bit here,” he recalled. “They were pretty slow, but I’ve heard different things, especially with the Dukes and what that brings,” Head said of West Indies pitches on the back of his experience in the Caribbean.

Australia Squad For West Indies Tests

Pat Cummins (c), Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Alex Carey, Beau Webster, Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Matt Kuhnemann

READ: Major blow for Sri Lanka as key player ruled out of second Test against Bangladesh

Shadab Khan dedicates Islamabad United victory to Rumman Raees Amid personal loss

MULTAN: In a heartfelt gesture, Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan dedicated his team’s victory to Rumman Raees, who is grieving the loss of his sister.

Rumman, the fast bowling consultant for Islamabad United, left the team’s camp on 21 April.

The gesture followed United’s impressive victory over Multan Sultans at their home ground, marking their first win in Multan and their fifth consecutive victory in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.

Chasing a below-par score of 169, Islamabad United comfortably knocked the winning runs on the loss of three wickets with 17 balls to spare.

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Gous starred with an unbeaten 80 off 45 deliveries, laced with six fours and five towering sixes.

Speaking during the post-match presentation, Shadab Khan reflected on the team’s comprehensive victory, praising their clinical execution.

“Firstly, thanks to the Almighty. On paper, we looked strong, but what truly matters is execution—and I’m really pleased with how spot-on we’ve been. The team is playing wonderfully,” he said.

The leg-spinner emphasized the planning behind bowling first, lauding the bowling unit for their brilliant execution in the last six overs.

“We had already planned to bowl first, and credit goes to our bowling unit for executing brilliantly, especially in the last six overs. The pitch was a bit on the drier side, but they stuck to the plan and delivered, ” Shadab Khan added.

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Shadab Khan also highlighted the team’s depth, noting that all-rounders are a vital cog of in T20 cricket.

“In T20 cricket, all-rounders bring immense value—they add depth to the batting lineup and give extra options with the ball. They’re often the match-winners. Our strategy was to take the game deep, and it worked perfectly.”

Finally, he dedicated the win to Rumman Raees during this difficult time for his family.

“Lastly, this win is dedicated to Rumman (Raees) bhai and his family. He recently lost his sister, and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with him,” Shadab Khan concluded.

READ: ‘We were 20 runs short,’ Mohammad Rizwan on defeat against Islamabad United

PSL 10: Islamabad United name Alex Carey as partial replacement for Rassie van der Dussen

LAHORE: Islamabad United has picked Alex Carey as a partial replacement for Rassie van der Dussen during the online player’s replacement draft held on Monday for the upcoming tenth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Wicketkeeper batter Carey has been drafted in by Islamabad United to partially replace van der Dussen, who will miss PSL few matches due to personal reasons, confirmed Pakistan Cricket Board in a media release on Monday.

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Peshawar Zalmi has drafted South African all-rounder George Linde as a full replacement for Corbin Bosch in the Diamond category for the upcoming tournament.

Bosch reportedly considered forgoing his PSL contract to join Mumbai Indian’s squad for the Indian Premier League 18th edition.

Meanwhile, Peshawar Zalmi has reserved a replacement pick in the Gold category for Nahid Rana in the online replacement draft held today.

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Karachi Kings has chosen to reserve its pick for Litton Das, who was initially selected in the Silver category.

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Moreover, Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings have also secured the replacement picks for New Zealand players Mark Chapman and Kane Williamson, who were selected in the Platinum and Supplementary categories, respectively.

The PSL 10 will begin from Friday, 11 April with defending champions Islamabad United taking on two times champions Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The six-team tournament will see 34 matches from 11 April to 18 May, with Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium set to host 13 matches, including two Eliminators and the final.

Also, the upcoming edition will feature an exhibition match, which will be played on 8 April in Peshawar.

According to the PSL 10 schedule, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host 11 matches, including Qualifier 1 on 13 May. Karachi’s National Bank Stadium and Multan Cricket Stadium will host five matches each.

The marquee event will also feature three double-headers, with two matches on weekends (Saturday) and one on a national holiday (Labour Day).

READ: Pakistan, Bangladesh exclude ODIs from upcoming bilateral series

FATA ease past AJK to make a winning start in National T20 Cup

LAHORE: A strong batting and bowling performance led FATA to a four-wicket victory against Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) in the ninth match of the National T20 Cup at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday.

Batting first, AJK were bundled out for 149 runs on the last ball of the penultimate over.

Hasnain Nadeem remained the top scorer with a blazing half-century. Despite a strong opening partnership of 86 runs between Hasnain and skipper Hasan Raza, they ended up with a meager total.

Captain departed after scoring 33 off 30 deliveries, while Hasnain struck 29 balls 53, laced with four fours and as many sixes.

Following their dismissal, the batting line of AJK faltered and couldn’t capitalize on the opening start.

For FATA, Maaz Khan was the stand-out bowler, picking up four wickets for just 11 runs in his four overs. Azaz Khan took three while Shahid Aziz equally contributed with his two wickets.

In reply, FATA chased down the total for the loss of six wickets with 17 balls to spare.

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The openers Farooq and Mohammad Naeem laid the final nail in the coffin for AJK, forging a 76-run partnership.

Farqooq top-scored with his 34 balls 51, featuring six fours and two sixes, while his partner Nadeem composed knock of 30 runs of 20 deliveries, including five fours and a six.

Shahid Aziz remained unbeaten on 19 runs to steer FATA to victory in their opening match of the National T20 Cup.

Saad Asif and Aqib Liaqat each took two wickets for AJK, while Nadeem Khalil and Zaman Khan each claimed one wicket.

FATA secured a four-wicket victory, placing them at the top of the Group D standings in the National T20 Cup with two points, while AJK fell to the bottom of the group.

READ: Peshawar Zalmi pick explosive batter Mitchell Owen after Bosch withdraws from PSL 10

Babar Azam vs Virat Kohli: A statistical face-off before Champions Trophy showdown

The excitement among the fans is evident as the highly anticipated match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 approaches, reigniting debates about two of modern cricket’s finest batters—Virat Kohli and Babar Azam.

Both players have been instrumental in their teams’ success over the past decade, consistently scoring runs and shouldering immense responsibility.

As the high-voltage encounter between Pakistan and India approaches, let’s compare Virat Kohli and Babar Azam’s stats after 127 ODIs, along with their performances in the Champions Trophy.

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Babar Azam came under the microscope for his scratchy 64 off 90 balls in Pakistan’s 60-run loss to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli had an uncharacteristic outing against Bangladesh, scoring just 22 off 38 balls.

Lately, both batters have had demons while facing spin-bowling. Kohli has been dismissed by a leg-spinner in each of his last three ODI appearances, while Babar has struggled against spin bowlers over the past two years.

ODI Stats After 127 Matches – Kohli vs. Babar

Babar Azam’s recent form has been a topic of discussion, but his overall stats reinforce why he is regarded as Pakistan’s best batter.

In 127 ODI matches so far, he has amassed 6,083 runs at a remarkable average of 55.8, with a strike rate of 87.9. His tally includes 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries.

In comparison, at the 127-match mark, Virat Kohli had accumulated 5,355 runs at an average of 52.5 and a strike rate of 89.6, with 18 centuries and 29 fifties.

Babar Azam has maintained an even higher batting average at the same stage of his career, edging Kohli in centuries and overall runs. However, Kohli had a slightly better strike rate during this phase.

Kohli vs Babar: A Champions Trophy Comparison

Virat Kohli’s journey across four editions of the ICC Champions Trophy, from 2009 to 2025, has been remarkable.

Over 14 matches, he has amassed 551 runs at an outstanding average of 78.71, including five half-centuries. His highest score remains an unbeaten 96, and he has maintained an impressive strike rate of 90.18.

However, despite his consistency, the prolific batter is yet to register a century in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam is competing in his second Champions Trophy. He played a crucial role in Pakistan’s 2017 triumph and has since scored 197 runs in six matches at an average of 49.25.

His highest score is 64, with one half-century to his name. However, his strike rate of 73.50 is notably lower than Kohli’s.

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While Virat Kohli and Babar Azam both stand as modern-day greats, their careers have followed different trajectories. Kohli’s longevity and consistency across all formats have made him one of cricket’s finest, while Babar continues to carve out his legacy with remarkable performances.

As they prepare for yet another high-stakes battle, all eyes will be on how these two maestros handle the pressure and deliver on the grand stage.

READ: Pakistan likely to make one change for Champions Trophy clash against India: sources