Category: Cricket

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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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

KARACHI: Hyderabad Kingsmen batter Usman Khan on Wednesday etched his name into history books after scoring a sublime century against Multan Sultans in Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash.

The right-hander completed his 44-ball century on the final ball of the 16th over.

With this knock, Usman now holds the record for the most centuries in PSL history. achieving the milestone in just his 33th match.

Most Centuries in PSL

Usman Khan — Matches: 33 | Centuries: 4
Kamran Akmal — Matches: 75 | Centuries: 3
Rilee Rossouw — Matches: 103 | Centuries: 3
Fakhar Zaman — Matches: 103 | Centuries: 3
Babar Azam — Matches: 108 | Centuries: 3

Notably, he now has six T20 centuries and is the third-highest Pakistani centurion in the limited-overs format after Babar Azam and Sahibzada Farhan.

Most Centuries for Pakistan in T20 Cricket

Babar Azam | Centuries: 12

Sahibzada Farhan | Centuries: 9

Usman Khan | Centuries: 6

Earlier, he also reached his half-century off just 20 balls, marking the second-fastest fifty in the tournament’s history. He was eventually caught after scoring 101 from 47 balls, hitting 10 sixes and five fours.

Coming into the fixture, the wicket-keeper batter had scored 149 runs in eight matches at an average of 21.28.

Steve Smith’s century propelled Multan Sultans to a commanding 213-run total. The right-hander top-scored with 106 from 50 balls, striking six maximums and 12 fours.

For Kingsmen, Hassan Khan remained the pick of the bowlers, picking up one wicket while giving away only 28.

READ: David Warner backs Karachi Kings ahead of Lahore Qalandars clash

KARACHI: Usman Khan’s record ton guided Hyderabad Kingsmen to a four-wicket win over Multan Sultans in a run-fest during the 33rd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.

Kingsmen chased down a massive 214-run target in the final over, losing six wickets in the process. Usman top-scored with 101 from 47 balls, laced with five fours and 10 sixes.

After losing Maaz Sadaqat in the second over, Saim Ayub and Marnus Labuschagne stabilised the innings with a 34-run partnership, with the latter scoring most of the runs.

However, Mohammad Ismail struck twice in the final over of the powerplay to derail the chase. He was on a hat-trick and nearly had Usman Khan caught behind, but Sultans decided against the review.

As a result, Kingsmen were reduced to 48-3.

From there, Usman and Labuschagne turned the game around with a match-winning 123-run stand off 64 balls. Usman played the core aggressor role while Labuschagne played the second fiddle as the pair rebuilt the innings at a strong tempo.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

The pair raised the team’s century in the 10th over and kept the momentum going. There was not enough for Sultan’s bowlers, who could scratch their heads in front of Usman, who took Arafat Minhas to the cleaners in the 14th over, smashing three sixes to bring the equation down to 61 from 36 balls.

Despite losing Marnus Labuschagne for 61 off 41 balls (nine fours), Kingsmen remained in control of the chase.

Peter Siddle swung the contest back briefly in the 18th over, removing Usman and Glenn Maxwell (2) to bring his side back into the game.

But Hasan Khan’s explosive cameo of 24 off six balls sealed the victory in the third ball of the final over.

For Multan Sultans, Peter Siddle and Muhammad Ismail shared six wickets between them.

Earlier, Belligerent Steve Smith’s century propelled Multan Sultans to a commanding total

Asked to bat first, the Sultans posted 213-7 in 20 overs, headlined by Smith’s century and an imposing opening partnership.

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The opening pair of Farhan and Smith put on a batting show, forging a 132-run stand in 12.3 overs.

Sahibzada hit five sixes and four boundaries before getting caught on 66 from 43 balls. Meanwhile, Smith carried on and took the attack to the Kingsmen bowlers.

He was involved in a 53-run partnership with Josh Philippe, with Smith doing the bulk of the scoring, including a 28-run over off Hunain Shah to bring up his maiden PSL hundred.

The right-hander batter eventually departed for 106 from 50 balls, including six maximums and 12 fours.

Hyderabad Kingsmen bowlers did well in the final three overs to curtail the scoring rate and keep Sultans to 213.

For Kingsmen, Hassan Khan remained the pick of the bowlers, picking up one wicket while giving away only 28

READ: PSL 11: Azam Khan opens up after Karachi Kings defeat

LAHORE: Karachi Kings batter Azam Khan rued injuries after the match against Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

Earlier in the day, Peshawar Zalmi registered a seven-wicket victory over the Kings.

For Karachi Kings, Jason Roy starred with the bat, scoring an impressive 85 from 51 balls. Azam Khan also chipped in with the bat, hitting three sixes and three fours in his crucial 35 on just 19 deliveries.

In reply, Peshawar Zalmi chased down the 183-run target in 18.5 overs, largely due to sublime knocks from Kusal Mendis and young batter Farhan Yousaf.

The pair put up an unbeaten 119-run partnership from 69 balls, taking their team over the line. Mendis scored 80* from 43, whereas Farhan hit 58 off 36 balls.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Azam highlighted the shortcomings in the fixture, noting that every player wants to contribute to the team’s success.

“Every player tries to help take their team forward. I am also trying to help take my team forward,” he told reporters.

The right-handed batter cited injuries as a setback for the team to build a cohesive strategy.

“We made a good start in the league, but faced difficulties due to injuries. Due to injuries, we struggled to build a strong combination,” he maintained.

The 27-year-old praised David Warner and Moeen Ali for their influence on emerging players.

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“Both Moeen Ali and David Warner are very beneficial for our team. All the young players, including myself, are learning a lot from both players,” he said

“I think our score was decent according to the pitch, but we could not bowl well enough,” Azam observed.

Karachi Kings will face Lahore Qalandars tomorrow at the same venue.

READ: David Warner backs Karachi Kings ahead of Lahore Qalandars clash

LAHORE: Karachi Kings captain David Warner remained hopeful ahead of the crucial clash against arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

Kings endured a difficult outing against Peshawar Zalmi, losing the fixture by seven wickets.

With this loss, the Kings have to not only win both of their remaining matches but also rely on the other results going their way.

David Warner spoke about the pitch and the first innings total on the board while praising Ali Raza, who became the youngest Pakistan player to take a T20 hat-trick.

“I think the message back to the group was that 185 to 195 was probably the par total. It was hard, but underneath it was that sort of crumbly soil,” he revealed.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

“The guys said if you bash the length, you couldn’t really go under it. But look, the way that Raza bowled was outstanding; he showed all the senior players what length to hit,” the observed.

The 39-year-old emphasised momentum in the limited-overs format and said that being confident on abilities could turn things around

“That’s not tough at all [Gaining momentum in T20s]. It’s just about backing yourself. I think when things aren’t going well for your team, it’s about having confidence in yourself.”

“You see, with Zalmi at the moment, they are a quality lineup batting and backing themselves. You get totals of 200 plus comfortably when things are going your way. For us, it’s a couple of losses back-to-back now, and we have to try and keep the morale as high as we can coming here tomorrow.”

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He expressed confidence ahead of their key encounter against Lahore Qalandars, which could decide the Kings’ fate in the tournament.

“Yeah, look, it’s one of those things where you always want the ball to come onto the bat. You always feel when you haven’t had game time or when things aren’t going well, the bat feels a little bit heavier. But we’re all athletes; we do this day in, day out, and we have to rock back up tomorrow with a positive attitude,” Warner concluded.

Karachi Kings will face Lahore Qalandars tomorrow at the same venue.

READ: Peshawar Zalmi’s Ali Raza enters record books with PSL hat-trick

KARACHI: Hyderabad Kingsmen win toss against Multan Sultans and have opted to field first in the 33rd match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.

Head to Head

This will be just the second time both teams face each other. Sultans won their opening encounter against Kingsmen by six wickets.

Playing XIs

Hyderabad Kingsmen: Maaz Sadaqat, Marnus Labuschagne, Usman Khan (wk), Saim Ayub, Kusal Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Irfan Niazi, Hassan Khan, Hunain Shah, Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed

Sahibzada Farhan, Steve Smith, Ashton Turner (c), Shan Masood, Josh Philippe (wk), Muhammad Nawaz, Arafat Nawaz, Muhammad Imran, Peter Siddle, Muhammad Waseem Jnr, Muhammad Ismail

READ: Sameer Minhas targets Pakistan call-up after PSL 11 performance

KARACHI: Islamabad United opener Sameer Minhas eyes a Pakistan call-up after impactful performances in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11. 

After shining bright for Pakistan U-19, Sameer has made an immediate impact in PSL, amassing 265 runs at an average of 53 in six matches. The right-hander has notched up three half-centuries at an impressive strike rate of 163.58.

In an interview on a private channel, he emphasised the team’s performance, noting that every player is chipping in with crucial contributions.

“The team is putting in a really good effort, and a lot of players are contributing well,” Sameer said.

“My target is simple: whenever I get an opportunity, I want to make the most of it and play impactful innings for my team,” he stated.

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“You learn a lot by being around senior players. From game awareness to improving your skills, there is so much you can pick up. I have spoken to many players and gained valuable insights,” he added.

“I don’t think too much about how beneficial it is, but yes, you definitely learn a lot here,” he said.

“Everyone’s goal is to play for Pakistan, serve the country for a long time, and win trophies. That is my aim as well. For now, I want to make the most of every opportunity so that when the time comes, I can perform for Pakistan,” he added.

He also reflected on his performances in the U-19 Asia Cup 2025, where he played a pivotal role in Pakistan’s memorable triumph over arch-rivals India.

“I never really thought about the spotlight. We were focused on winning for Pakistan. Winning the Asia Cup was a major goal for us, and we achieved that. Unfortunately, we could not go all the way in the World Cup, but our mindset was always to bring trophies for the country,” he recalled.

The 19-year-old outlined his long-term goal for Pakistan, stating that his aim is to bring laurels for his country.

“It is every player’s dream to perform for Pakistan at the top level. That is my mindset and, Insha’Allah, I will continue to work towards it,” he said.

“We regularly talk, train together in the nets, and point out each other’s strengths and weaknesses. It helps us improve as players,” Sameer concluded.

READ: Mohammad Nawaz under PCB scrutiny after positive drug test: report

LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi youngster Ali Raza etched his name into the record books with a stunning hat-trick against Karachi Kings during their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 encounter at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

The 18-year-old pacer produced a remarkable final over to derail Karachi’s innings, claiming three wickets in as many deliveries to restrict them to 182-9.

Raza began his hat-trick with the dismissal of Khushdil Shah, who fell in unfortunate fashion via a hit-wicket. He then followed it up with two pinpoint yorkers to clean up Shahid Aziz and Hasan Ali.

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With this effort, Raza became only the seventh bowler in PSL history to register a hat-trick.

The milestone list is headlined by Mohammad Amir, who achieved the league’s first hat-trick in the inaugural 2016 edition, followed by notable names such as Junaid Khan and Imran Tahir.

Hat-tricks in Pakistan Super League (PSL)

• Mohammad Amir (KK) against Lahore Qalandars in 2016
• Junaid Khan (MS) against Lahore Qalandars in 2018
• Imran Tahir (MS) against Quetta Gladiators in 2018
• Mohammad Sami (IU) against Peshawar Zalmi in 2019
• Abbas Afridi (MS) against Quetta Gladiators in 2023
• Akeal Hosein (QG) against Peshawar Zalmi in 2024
• Ali Raza (PZ) against Karachi Kings in 2026

In addition to joining the elite list, Raza also set a new benchmark by becoming the youngest Pakistani to take a T20 hat-trick at just 18 years and 35 days.

The young pacer capped off an impressive outing with figures of 4-41, having earlier removed Karachi Kings captain David Warner during the powerplay.

READ: Rawalpindiz owner breaks silence on Mohammad Rizwan’s captaincy