Author: Web Desk

Pakistan Test all-rounder Aamir Jamal has stirred attention with a cryptic social media post after missing out on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) central contracts for the 2025-26 season.

The PCB, on Tuesday, confirmed the men’s central contracts for the upcoming cycle, announcing a significant reshuffle.

The board has abolished Category A altogether, while several established names, including Jamal, were left out of the list.

Others excluded from the roster include Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan.

Following the announcement, Aamir Jamal took to Instagram and shared a quoted post on his story with the caption: “Let them understand you, let them talk, Allah knows and when He will speak for you, your silence will become your shield.”

Moreover, unlike previous years, no player has been slotted in Category A. Instead, the 2025-26 contracts feature ten players each in Categories B, C, and D.

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The pool has also been expanded to 30 players, compared to 27 last year, with 12 fresh inclusions.

According to the PCB, five players have earned promotion in the central contracts for the upcoming season owing to their performances last year.

They are Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, and Shadab Khan, all of whom have been promoted from the C to the B category.

Additionally, nine players, including Shaheen Shah Afridi in Category B, have retained their positions in the same categories.

Abdullah Shafique, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel were retained in Category C, while Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr were retained in Category D.

Central Contracts for the 2025-26 season

List of this year’s centrally contacted players:

Category B (10 players): Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Category C (10 players): Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Sajid Khan, and Saud Shakeel.

Category D (10 players): Ahmed Daniyal, Hussain Talat, Khurram Shahzad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Shan Masood, and Sufiyan Muqeem.

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LAUDERHILL: Jason Holder held his nerve in a tense final over as the West Indies pulled off a thrilling two-wicket win over Pakistan in the second T20I at Central Broward Regional Park, levelling the three-match series 1-1.

Chasing a modest 134, the hosts wobbled early, courtesy of Mohammad Nawaz, who struck twice in his first two overs.

The left-arm spinner removed Alick Athanaze (2) and then Jewel Andrew (12) to leave the West Indies struggling at 26-2 inside four overs.

Captain Agha Salman rotated his spinners smartly, and Saim Ayub delivered next, sending back Sherfane Rutherford (9) before Nawaz returned to dismiss Shai Hope (21), making it 53 for 4 by the 11th over.

West Indies clawed back through Roston Chase and Gudakesh Motie, but Saim pegged them back again by getting rid of Chase for 16.

Motie then turned aggressor, launching two sixes off Hasan Ali to shift the pressure back on Pakistan.

But a sharp run-out by Mohammad Haris ended his brisk 28, and Muqeem added further damage by removing Keacy Carty, leaving the host reeling at 98-7.

Needing 36 off the last 18 balls, Holder and Romario Shepherd calmly plotted the chase.

Holder pounced on a wayward Hasan over to ease the pressure, and though Shaheen Afridi removed Shepherd in the final over, the experienced all-rounder sealed the win with a boundary off the last ball.

He remained unbeaten on 16 off 10.

For Pakistan, Nawaz stood out with 3 for 14 in four overs. Saim took 2 for 20, while Muqeem and Shaheen chipped in with a wicket each.

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Earlier, Pakistan’s decision to bat first didn’t go to plan.

Jason Holder struck early to remove Saim Ayub (7) and Sahibzada Farhan (3), before Akeal Hosein dismissed Haris (4), leaving the visitors reeling at 21 for 3.

Fakhar Zaman (20) and Agha Salman stitched a brief stand, but Motie’s tight spell ensured no breathing room. Salman top-scored with 38 off 33 balls, adding 60 with Hassan Nawaz, whose quickfire 40 brought momentum back.

But Holder returned to derail the innings once again, claiming the wickets of Hassan Nawaz and Mohammad Nawaz to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 19.

Motie polished off the tail, removing Salman and Faheem Ashraf (0) in one over.

Pakistan ended on 133 for 8, with Shaheen Afridi (2*) and Muqeem (1*) unbeaten.

The West Indies and Pakistan will face each other in the decider at the same venue tomorrow.

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Former South African pacer Dale Steyn has weighed in on the controversy surrounding the drawn fourth Test between India and England, calling out all-rounders Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar for chasing personal milestones once the match result was beyond doubt.

With the Test meandering towards a draw, England skipper Ben Stokes offered Jadeja a handshake to end proceedings early.

India, however, declined the gesture, allowing both Jadeja and Sundar to bring up their centuries before the match was eventually called off, a move that didn’t sit well with everyone.

The incident sparked a debate online, with South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi defending India’s choice. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Shamsi wrote:

“Why is there such a big deal being made about the Indians choosing not to accept the offer to end the game in a draw immediately? The offer was made, the offer was rejected, and they were fully entitled to make their choice. They got their 100s which they worked hard for. Game over.”

But Dale Steyn saw it differently. Responding to Shamsi, he suggested the Indians put personal glory ahead of the spirit of the game.

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“Shamo, this onion has many layers to it, and each one will make someone cry. The only issue I see here is the one thing people aren’t realizing — the batters weren’t playing for 100s, they were batting for a DRAW. That was the goal,” he wrote.

Steyn further added that once the draw was secured, the right thing would’ve been to shake hands.

“It’s not then the time to realize they’re safe and say, ‘No, we’d prefer some free milestones.’ Although within the rules, it just seems a little… well, odd,” he added.

While conceding that Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar batted well, Steyn believed they should’ve accelerated earlier if centuries were on their minds.

“At least then, we could all agree no team tried to outdo the other in this weird situation,” he concluded.

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DHAKA: Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Haque, on Tuesday, opened up on the future of veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan with the national team.

Amid increasing speculation about Shakib’s future, especially regarding his recent political controversies and ongoing legal issues, Haque confirmed that the former captain is still available for selection in all formats.

“Shakib is still available as a cricketer. He hasn’t retired from any format,” said the newly appointed BCB chief, putting to rest any assumptions of an unannounced exit from the game.

While Aminul Haque acknowledged he has yet to establish contact with the 38-year-old since taking over as board president, he stated that communication is on the agenda.

“I haven’t spoken to Shakib Al Hasan yet, but I do plan to,” he added.

The BCB head also made it clear that decisions regarding player selections are strictly the domain of the selectors, not the board administration.

“Team selection is the selectors’ responsibility. My job is to run the board, not to decide who plays,” Haque reiterated.

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The former captain’s future involvement with the national side, Haque said, will depend on discussions between the player and the selectors, taking into account his availability and interest.

He last represented Bangladesh in the Test series against India in October 2024. He has one of the most distinguished careers in Bangladesh cricket, having played 71 Test matches, 247 ODIs, and 129 T20Is.

Throughout his career, he has scored 14,730 runs and taken 712 wickets across all formats.

Shakib Al Hasan is currently in Guyana, where he is representing Dubai Capitals during the second edition of the Global Super League (GSL).

During the season opener against Central Districts, he gave an all-round performance to lead his side to a 22-run victory.

He struck an unbeaten 58 off 37, followed by a brilliant spell with the ball, taking four wickets for 13 runs.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a 27-day skills and fitness camp for the national women’s cricket team, set to run from July 7 to August 2 at the Hanif Mohammad High Performance Centre and the Oval Ground in Karachi.

The camp, which features 24 players, is designed to fine-tune both technical skills and physical conditioning as the squad prepares for a crucial stretch of international commitments, including a T20I tour to Ireland and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.

Once the main skills and fitness camp concludes, a focused preparatory camp for the 15-member squad selected for the Ireland series will be held from July 28 to August 2, offering a final round of match-specific preparations before departure.

The team is scheduled to fly to Ireland on August 3, where they’ll face the hosts in a three-match T20I series at the Clontarf Cricket Club Ground in Dublin. The fixtures are set for August 7, 10, and 11.

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But the real spotlight will fall in October, when the Green Shirts begin their ICC Women’s World Cup campaign, a tournament jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

Due to the ‘fusion formula’ agreement between the PCB and BCCI, which rules out bilateral visits for ICC events until 2026, Pakistan will play all their matches in Colombo.

Pakistan women’s team open their World Cup journey on October 2 against Bangladesh, followed by the much-anticipated clash with India on October 5.

The group stage continues with high-stakes fixtures against Australia (Oct 8), England (Oct 15), New Zealand (Oct 18), South Africa (Oct 21), and hosts Sri Lanka (Oct 24), all at the R Premadasa Stadium.

If Pakistan qualify for the knockouts, their semi-final will also be played in Colombo. The final is slated for November 2 in Bengaluru, unless Pakistan make it, in which case the showpiece will shift to Colombo, in accordance with the neutral venue policy.

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LAHORE: Former captain Babar Azam has exited the ongoing Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Skills Development Camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) after just two days of training, citing prior international commitments.

The 20-day training camp, organised by the PCB, is being held in three phases and is designed to fine-tune the skills of national cricketers across all formats. A total of 47 players are expected to participate throughout the program.

According to the schedule, Phase 1 of the camp, running from June 16 to 21, features 15 players, including Babar.

However, the 30-year-old batter wrapped up his training early and left for an overseas engagement on Thursday, which sources say had already been communicated to the camp management and PCB prior to his arrival.

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The players in the first phase of the camp include: Aamir Jamal, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Babar Azam, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Muqeem.

The second phase of the camp is set to begin on June 23, followed by Phase 3 on June 30, with fresh player batches expected to be announced in the coming days.

For the unversed, the Pakistan team is scheduled to tour Bangladesh in July for a three-match T20I series outside of the Future Tours Programme (FTP).

Sources confirm that Pakistan will arrive in Dhaka on July 18, with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) having already sent a draft schedule to the PCB for final approval.

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LONDON: South Africa’s Aiden Markram etched his name into the history books on Friday with a remarkable century in the fourth innings of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 against Australia at Lord’s.

After a forgettable six-ball duck in the first innings, Markram bounced back in style with an unbeaten 102* off 155 deliveries, a knock that not only revived South Africa’s chase but also placed him among an elite group of batters to score a century in a WTC final.

The Proteas opener now joins Australia’s Travis Head and Steve Smith in that exclusive list.

Head was the first to register a century in the WTC final — a match-winning 163 against India in 2023, followed by Smith’s gritty 121 in the same innings.

Batters to score a century in the WTC final

• Travis Head (AUS): 163 vs India, 2023
• Steve Smith (AUS): 121 vs India, 2023
• Aiden Markram (SA): 102* vs Australia, 2025

Markram’s effort is particularly significant, considering the WTC Final at Lord’s is being played under high-pressure conditions and on a Day 3 pitch.

Notably, no batter managed a hundred in the inaugural WTC Final between India and New Zealand, with Devon Conway’s 54 being the highest individual score in that low-scoring contest.

This century also marks another milestone as Markram is now the first-ever South African to score a century in the fourth innings of a Test at Lord’s.

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He’s also the first overseas batter to hit a ton in the fourth innings at the iconic venue since Michael Clarke did it back in 2009.

With Aiden Markram standing tall and skipper Temba Bavuma providing solid support with a composed half-century, South Africa ended Day 3 in a dominant position.

They now need just 69 runs to win the WTC Final and end their ICC title drought that dates back to 1998.

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Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha opened up after leading his side to a resounding 57-run win over Bangladesh in the second T20I at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.

This victory not only clinched the series 2-0 but also marked Pakistan’s first T20I series win at home in over three years.

The last time Pakistan won a T20I series on home soil was back in December 2021, when they swept West Indies 3-0.

Speaking after the match, Agha admitted he wasn’t aware of the three-and-a-half-year drought but called the win “incredibly special.”

“This achievement feels incredibly special – I hadn’t realised it’s been three and a half years since the last one. The team’s effort has made me immensely proud,” he said at the post-match presentation.

With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, Salman Ali Agha also laid out his vision for building a squad that’s not just balanced but deep enough to handle injuries without disruption.

“This is exactly what we’ve built towards – having 15 match-ready players. That depth means seamless replacements for any injuries – the kind of selection headache every captain dreams of,” he explained.

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He particularly stressed the need to develop a robust pace attack, highlighting the importance of having three reliable frontline seamers, backed up by three to four capable reserves.

“We’re committed to expanding our options, particularly in bowling depth. My vision is three frontline pacers plus 3-4 quality backups ready to step up when needed.”

Agha, who has quickly grown into the leadership role, credited the team’s attitude and hunger to perform for making his job smoother.

“Leading this team is a joy. When players are this motivated to perform for their country, my job becomes easier. I hope we maintain this standard long-term,” he said.

One of the brightest sparks of this series has been Hasan Nawaz — the young batter who continues to impress with his fearless approach and shot-making ability. Agha was full of praise for the rising star.

“Hasan Nawaz is batting at another level. His ability to dominate spinners and clear boundaries at will is rare,” he remarked. “He’s embraced his middle-order role brilliantly – this generational talent is transforming our lineup.”

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has reached a major milestone as it turned 300 matches old as the Quetta Gladiators took on Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday evening.

The Gladiators have been part of the first and 300th PSL games and reaped victories on both occasions. The first-ever PSL fixture took place on 4 February 2016 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Across the 10 seasons and in 300 exciting matches, the PSL has provided the fans across Pakistan and around the globe an opportunity to witness the best of the best cricketers in action.

Babar Azam, who has featured in all 10 seasons and taken the most catches (49), holds the record for most runs in the league history with 3,621 runs to date in 96 matches, which is also a record for most PSL games played by an individual.

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The right-hand batter also holds the record for most half-centuries (34) and 401 fours in PSL history.

Hasan Ali has taken the most wickets in PSL history with a tally of 121 scalps in 88 matches.

In the 300-match history of Pakistan’s premier cricket extravaganza, England’s Jason Roy holds the record for highest individual innings – 145 v Peshawar Zalmi in 2023, Fakhar Zaman has hit the most sixes – 117 in 90 matches, while Ravi Bopara’s 6-16 from season 1 remains the best individual bowling performance.

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Among the wicket-keepers, Mohammad Rizwan takes the lead with 84 dismissals and 2,749 runs.

Former Quetta Gladiators’ skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed holds the record for most matches as captain (80) and most wins (38).

On the umpiring front, Aleem Dar, who is set to retire from professional Umpiring at the end of this season, has officiated the most HBL PSL games – 81 in 10 seasons.

Number of matches played by each franchise:

• Peshawar Zalmi 110
• Islamabad United 105
• Karachi Kings 101
• Lahore Qalandars 100
• Quetta Gladiators 98
• Multan Sultans 86

“We are incredibly proud to have witnessed the 300th match of the HBL PSL history. The HBL PSL has never looked back after taking off in 2016, and its success throughout the whole decade is a testament to the quality of cricket on display and the utmost confidence of the fans and players alike in the brand,” said PSL CEO Salman Naseer.

“I congratulate each and every one who has been involved with the HBL PSL in any capacity during these ten years, especially the fans, franchises, commercial and services partners. It is because of their commitment that the league continues to grow, prosper and entertain us all season after season.”

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Karachi Kings all-rounder Aamir Jamal has been fined for breaching the code of conduct during his side’s nail-biting win over Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 10 on Monday.

The 28-year-old was handed a 5% fine on his match fee for committing a Level 1 offense under Article 2.5 of the PSL Code of Conduct, which relates to the use of language, actions, or gestures that could provoke an aggressive reaction from a dismissed batter.

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The incident took place in the 15th over of Zalmi’s innings when Jamal, after dismissing Hussain Talat, made a comment that was deemed inappropriate by the match officials.

The on-field umpires, Faisal Khan Afridi and Paul Reiffel, reported the matter to match referee Iftikhar Ahmed. Aamir Jamal accepted the charge and the sanction, avoiding the need for a formal hearing.

Despite the disciplinary setback, Karachi Kings went on to register their third win of the season, edging past Zalmi by two wickets in a tense finish.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

Chasing a target of 148 on a sluggish pitch, the Kings held their nerve to seal victory on the third delivery of the final over, with Hasan Ali striking the winning runs.

The Kings will now shift their focus to their next fixture against Quetta Gladiators, scheduled for April 25 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

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