Category: Cricket

KOLKATA: West Indies head coach Daren Sammy has issued a plea to return home following his side delayed exit from India due to travel disruptions linked to the Middle East crisis.

Sammy took to X account and shared his frustration over the delayed departure.

“I just wanna go home”, he wrote.

“At least an update, tell us something. Today tmw, next week. It’s been 5 days,” he later posted.

West Indies are one of the teams stuck in India due to the crisis in the Middle East. As per the report, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had initially informed the West Indies that efforts were underway to arrange a charter flight to London for the team’s return to the Caribbean.

It is believed the plan was for the team to depart from India mid-week, though no exact date was specified. Despite this, the West Indies team remains in Kolkata, where they lost to India in the Super Eights on March 1.

On Wednesday, Zimbabwe’s first group of squad members departed Delhi for home following the ICC’s changes to their travel plans.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Similar to West Indies, Zimbabwe played their final T20 World Cup match on March 1 in Delhi against South Africa, confirmed by Zimbabwe Cricket.

The Chevrons were initially set to leave on March 2, but that plan was cancelled.

“Zimbabwe Cricket confirms that the Zimbabwe senior men’s team participating in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 are on their way home from India after the ICC secured alternative travel arrangements following recent transit disruptions,” Zimbabwe Cricket said in a statement.

“Due to flight availability and revised routing, the squad will return to Harare in batches. Zimbabwe’s original travel route was via Dubai on an Emirates flight but it had to be altered. It has been learnt that Zimbabwe are now travelling to Harare via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” it added.

South Africa was eliminated after losing to New Zealand on Wednesday night and now awaits their return schedule. If England loses to India in the second semi-final on Thursday, their travel arrangements will also need to be planned.

READ: Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed join Pakistan men’s selection committee

MUMBAI: England have won the toss and decided to bowl first against India in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Playing XIs

India XI: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Ishan Kishan, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit Bumrah

England XI: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Tom Banton, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid.

Head to Head

India and England have faced each other 29 times in T20Is, with the Men in Blue emerging victorious on 17 occasions while the Three Lions have managed to win 12 games.

READ: Finn Allen smashes multiple records with T20 World Cup semi-final blitz

KOLKATA: New Zealand opener Finn Allen smashed multiple records during his 33-ball century in the semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 against South Africa on Wednesday.

Playing the first semi-final at Eden Gardens, Allen delivered a breathtaking unbeaten 100 off just 33 deliveries as New Zealand chased down the 170-run target with ease to seal a crushing nine-wicket win.

The right-hander’s blistering knock featured 10 fours and eight towering sixes and earned him the Player of the Match award.

The century also rewrote the record books, becoming the fastest hundred ever scored in the history of men’s T20 World Cups.

Allen surpassed the long-standing mark held by West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who had reached the milestone in 47 balls against England during the 2016 edition.

Gayle still occupies two spots on the list of the fastest T20 World Cup centuries, including his 50-ball hundred against South Africa in the inaugural 2007 tournament.

England captain Harry Brook also features among the fastest after scoring a 50-ball century against Pakistan earlier in the Super Eight stage of the ongoing event.

Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum completes the top five with his 51-ball century against Bangladesh during the 2014 edition.

Fastest centuries in men’s T20 World Cups

• Finn Allen (New Zealand) – 33 balls against South Africa in 2026

• Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 47 balls against England in 2016

• Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 50 balls against South Africa in 2007

• Harry Brook (England) – 50 balls against Pakistan in 2026

• Brendon McCullum (New Zealand) – 51 balls against Bangladesh in 2012

Allen’s blistering knock also ranks among the quickest centuries in overall T20 Internationals.

His 33-ball ton is now joint third-fastest in the format, drawing level with Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza and Namibia batter Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton.

The record for the fastest century in men’s T20Is is currently held by Estonia’s Sahil Chauhan, who smashed a remarkable 27-ball hundred against Cyprus in 2024.

Turkey’s Muhammad Fahad follows with a 29-ball ton against Bulgaria in 2025.

Fastest centuries in men’s T20Is

• Sahil Chauhan (Estonia) – 27 balls against Cyprus in 2024

• Muhammad Fahad (Turkey) – 29 balls against Bulgaria in 2025

• Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton (Namibia) – 33 balls against Nepal in 2024

• Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe) – 33 balls against Gambia in 2024

• Finn Allen (New Zealand) – 33 balls against South Africa in 2026

READ: Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed join Pakistan men’s selection committee

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed changes to its national men’s selection committee, bringing former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed into the panel following the resignation of former elite umpire Aleem Dar.

The updated composition of the selection committee was reflected on the PCB’s official website, confirming a four-member panel that now includes Misbah, Sarfaraz, former fast bowler Aqib Javed and ex-Test batter Asad Shafiq.

Dar’s departure comes after a relatively brief stint as a selector, having been appointed to the role on October 11, 2024. His exit follows reports suggesting internal disagreements during recent selection discussions.

According to sources, the multiple-time ICC Umpire of the Year had grown frustrated with the dynamics of the selection meetings, where he reportedly felt sidelined in the decision-making process.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The former umpire is also understood to have opposed the inclusion of Babar Azam, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan in Pakistan’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Sources further indicated that Dar had strongly backed wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan during the discussions.

He reportedly argued that if the management was willing to persist with players going through inconsistent form, Rizwan deserved similar backing and opportunities.

READ: India eye special performance to conquer ‘street-smart’ England

India will need a “special performance” to beat a “street-smart” England in their T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, bowling coach Morne Morkel warned on Wednesday.

Sanju Samson’s sparkling 97 not out enabled India to chase down 196 against the West Indies in a winner-takes-all clash on Sunday in Kolkata.

Morne said India would again need someone “to put their hand up” against Harry Brook’s side on Thursday night to keep the nation’s dream of a home World Cup win alive.

Morkel agreed India had not put together a flawless display in the tournament yet, but said that did not matter.

“We haven’t really spoken about the perfect game,” Morne told reporters at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium after India’s final training session before Thursday’s big clash.

“It’s not about how you get to the semi-finals. It’s about the next two games, how we’re going to play there.

“I think the quality of this team has been shown that on the day somebody will put their hand up.

“Then hopefully, especially tomorrow night, we can put that special performance in.”

It is the third T20 World Cup in a row that India will play England in the semi-finals.

Both previous times the winners went on to lift the trophy.

In 2022, England crushed India by 10 wickets in Adelaide and beat Pakistan in the Melbourne final.

Two years ago India won in Guyana by a similarly dominant 68 runs before downing South Africa in Barbados.

This time, though, India will have the backing of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai.

“It’s a big occasion tomorrow night here, a semi-final, a great stadium to play a great game of cricket,” said Morkel.

“So hopefully the boys can rock up tomorrow and just be calm and execute those skills.”

India are leaving nothing to chance in their preparations.

Training on Tuesday night was delayed by an hour so it did not coincide with a lunar eclipse, which is considered unlucky in India.

“I was told about the lunar eclipse and the session was pushed backwards,” admitted Morkel.

“I think the most important thing to focus on was the quality the guys put in at training, which was great to see.”

India hosted the T20 World Cup in 2016 and lost in a Mumbai semi-final to eventual champions the West Indies.

India are wary of the threat posed by England, who were shaky in the group phase but powered through the Super Eights with wins over Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand.

“They’re a team that’s street smart. Obviously there’s a lot of quality in their side,” said Morkel.

“Their batting is deep, which makes them a very dangerous side. With the ball, they’ve got a lot of attacking options.

“The way they approach a T20 game, fearless, trying to take the game on, will give you opportunities.

“Tomorrow is going to be a good shoot-out between two aggressive teams.”

READ: PCB unveils squads and schedule for National T20 Cup 2026

KOLKATA: New Zealand have won the toss and decided to field first against South Africa in the first semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

More to follow…

Playing XIs

New Zealand: 1 Tim Seifert (wk), 2 Finn Allen, 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Mark Chapman, 7 Mitchell Santner (capt), 8 James Neesham, 9 Cole McConchie, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Lockie Ferguson

South Africa: 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Ryan Rickelton, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Miller, 6 Tristan Stubbs, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Corbin Bosch, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Lungi Ngidi

Head to Head

New Zealand and South Africa have played each other 19 times in the T20I format. South Africa have won 12 times while New Zealand have won seven.

READ: PCB unveils squads and schedule for National T20 Cup 2026

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday officially announced the final squads and detailed schedule for the upcoming National T20 Cup 2026.

The tournament will commence on Saturday, March 7, with the semi-finals slated for March 17 and the final scheduled a day later on March 18.

A total of 23 matches will be played at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, which previously hosted nine Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixtures in October and November 2025.

This year’s competition will feature 10 regional sides: Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Karachi Whites, Karachi Blues, Lahore Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan and Sialkot.

Group A comprises Lahore Whites, Peshawar, Faisalabad, Karachi Whites and Bahawalpur.

Meanwhile, defending champions Lahore Blues headline Group B alongside Sialkot, Multan, Abbottabad and Karachi Blues.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals.

During the group stage, two matches will be played daily from March 7 to 16. The first fixture will begin at 4:15pm PKT, followed by the second at 9:15pm PKT. The final is set to start at 8:00pm PKT, with the toss scheduled for 7:30pm.

The squads feature a mix of seasoned internationals, emerging prospects and guest players, promising a highly competitive tournament.

Abbottabad will be led by Khalid Usman and include notable names such as Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Shadab Khan as guest players.

Bahawalpur will be captained by Muhammad Imran, with Haider Ali and Daniyal Hussain Rajput among their guest inclusions.

Faisalabad, under Muhammad Irfan Khan, boast the services of Asif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mubasir Khan and Zaman Khan.

Karachi Whites will be spearheaded by Saud Shakeel and feature Shan Masood and Saim Ayub, while Karachi Blues, captained by Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, include Shahnawaz Dahani and Mehran Mumtaz among their ranks.

Defending champions Lahore Blues will be led by Saad Nasim, while Lahore Whites will be captained by Aamir Jamal.

Multan have named Imam-ul-Haq as captain, with Aamir Yamin and Faisal Akram part of their setup.

Peshawar will be led by Mohammad Rizwan and feature Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris and Abbas Afridi.

Sialkot, under Usama Mir, include Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Ali among their key players.

National T20 Cup Squads

Abbottabad

Khalid Usman (captain), Afaq Ahmed, Ahmed Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Atizaz Habib Khan, Fayyaz Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khushdil Shah (Guest), Mohammad Wasim Jnr (Guest), Mohammad Mohsin Khan, Razaullah, Sajjad Ali (wk), Shadab Khan (Guest), Shahab Khan and Shahzaib Khan (U21)

Reserves: Hamid Ali, Adil Naz, Fakhar Zaman, Afaq Khan, Riazullah (U21)

Bahawalpur

Muhammad Imran (captain), Ali Shabbir (U21), Daniyal Hussain Rajput (Guest), Mohammad Faizan Zafar, Haider Ali (Guest), Hasnain Majid (U21), Khaqan Basheer, Mohammad Akram (wk), Mohammad Azab, Mohammad Basit, Mohammad Junaid, Muhammad Sarwar Afridi (Guest), Mohammad Sudais, Mohammad Umair and Saad Khan (Guest)

Reserves: Ali Hamza Waseem, Aoun Shahzad, Mohammad Faizan (U21), Amjad Ali, Gulfam Aziz

Faisalabad

Muhammad Irfan Khan (captain), Ahmad Safi Abdullah, Afaq Afridi (Guest), Asif Ali, Asim Ali Nasir (wk), Atiq-ur-Rehman, Daniyal Ali Khan (U21), Faham-ul-Haq (U21), Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Zeeshan (U21), Momin Qamar (U21), Mubasir Khan (Guest), Muhammad Awais Zafar and Zaman Khan (Guest)

Reserves: Mudassir Zunair, Ali Shan, Ali Asfand, Taimur Sultan, Shehzad Gul

Karachi Whites

Saud Shakeel (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Arif Yaqoob, Danish Aziz, Haroon Arshad (U21), Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Asghar, Muhammad Hamza Sohail, Muhammad Umar, Omair Bin Yousuf, Rizwanullah, Saifullah Bangash (wk), Saim Ayub, Saqib Khan and Shan Masood

Reserves: Asadullah Hamza, Muhammad Tariq Khan, Sohail Khan (wk), Mir Hamza, Huzaifa Ahsan

Karachi Blues

Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (captain, wk), Ahsan Ali, Asad Akhtar, Jahandad Khan (Guest), Jahanzaib Sultan, Khalil Ahmed (Guest), Mehran Mumtaz (Guest), Mohammad Taha, Muhammad Usman Raheem, Rameez Aziz, Rehman Ghani, Saad Baig (wk), Shahnawaz Dahani (Guest), Syed Shah Raza Naqvi and Wahaj Riaz

Reserves: Aarish Ali Khan, Raza Chandio, Mohammad Makki, Niqab Shafiq, Huzaifa Munir

Lahore Blues

Saad Nasim (captain), Abdullah Asif (U21), Ahmed Bashir, Ali Hassan Baloch (U21), Ali Razzaq, Asadullah, Attyab Ahmed, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Hunain Shah, Imran Butt, Mohammad Rizwan, Nisar Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Shahid Aziz (Guest) and Umar Siddiq

Reserves: Hammad Butt, Shahrukh Ali, Khawaja Mohammad Abdullah (wk), Mohammad Ahsan, Abubakar (U21)

Lahore Whites

Aamir Jamal (captain), Ali Raza, Ali Shahid Butt, Farhan Yousuf (U21), Imran Dogar, Junaid Ali (wk), Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Faiq, Muhammad Akhlaq, Mohammad Mohsin, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, Muhammad Saleem, Samama Riaz, Tayyab Tahir and Ubaid Shah

Reserves: Hamza Nawaz (U21), Muhammad Arsalan (U21), Usama Tariq, Zahid Khan, Zian Bin Farooq (wk)

Multan

Imam-ul-Haq (captain), Aamir Yamin, Ali Majid, Ali Usman, Bismillah Khan (Guest, wk), Faisal Akram, Hasan Hafeez, Mohammad Ismail (U21), Mohammad Naeem (Guest), Muhammad Shahzad, Moheer Saeed, Sharoon Siraj, Sirajuddin, Waseem Akram Jnr and Zain Abbas

Reserves: Uzair Mumtaz, Abdul Wahab (U21), Mohammad Shan (U21), Saim Ayaz, Alam Zaib Khan (wk)

Peshawar

Mohammad Rizwan (captain, wk), Ahmed Hussain (U21), Azam Khan, Ihsanullah, Iftikhar Ahmed, Israrullah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Shoaib (U21), Mohammad Imran Jnr, Nabi Gul, Sajid Khan, Usman Tariq, Waqar Ahmed and Yasir Khan

Reserves: Nizar Ali, Muhammad Amir Khan, Abuzar Tariq, Muhammad Amir Barki

Sialkot

Usama Mir (captain), Abdullah Shafique, Ahmad Hassan, Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Ali Afzal (wk), Athar Mehmood, Azan Awais, Hamza Nazar, Khawaja Arham, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohsin Riaz (wk), Mohammad Ali, Saeed Ali, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and Tayyab Arif

Reserves: Aashir Mehmood, Mohammad Hurraira, Shahzad Bhatti, Abdul Subhan, Awais Ali, Afzaal Manzoor

Hasan Nawaz and Sufyan Moqim will join the squad later.

READ: Babar Azam out as Pakistan name ODI squad for Bangladesh series

DUBAI: Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has surged to second place in the latest ICC T20I batters’ rankings following a historic run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, narrowing the gap on India’s Abhishek Sharma.

Farhan finished the tournament with a staggering 383 runs at an average of 76.60, the most by any batter in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

In doing so, he also became the only player to score two centuries in one T20 World Cup campaign.

The prolific right-hander climbed one position to second in the rankings with 848 rating points.

Despite enduring a relatively quiet tournament, Abhishek Sharma continues to hold the top spot, while England’s Phil Salt has slipped to third.

While Farhan enjoyed a meteoric rise, several other Pakistani batters witnessed a dip. Saim Ayub and Babar Azam each dropped one place to 35th and 37th, respectively. T20I captain Salman Ali Agha fell three spots to 41st.

However, Fakhar Zaman made a notable jump, climbing 17 places to 71st after his blistering 84-run knock against Sri Lanka in the final Super Eights fixture. He now sits on 481 rating points.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

In the bowlers’ rankings, Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed advanced two places to third with 736 points, edging closer to India’s Varun Chakaravarthy, who occupies the top position. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan remains second.

Mohammad Nawaz retained his 12th spot, while pacer Salman Mirza dropped three places to 21st. Shaheen Shah Afridi slipped four positions to 35th with 602 points.

Spinner Usman Tariq held firm at 55th, and Sufiyan Muqeem stayed at 60th. Saim Ayub, who features in the bowling rankings as well, fell to 67th.

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan dropped seven places to 72nd, while pacer Haris Rauf slid three spots to 84th. Abbas Afridi currently sits at 98th with 415 points.

In the all-rounders’ category, Saim Ayub slipped one position to third, paving the way for India’s Hardik Pandya to move up to second. Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza continues to lead the standings.

Mohammad Nawaz climbed one place to eighth, while Shadab Khan dropped to 22nd. Faheem Ashraf and Salman Ali Agha both slipped three spots to 55th and 56th, respectively, and Shaheen Afridi fell two places to 65th.

READ: WATCH: PSL 11 logo unveiled ahead historic eight-team season

LAHORE: The countdown to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 has officially begun after the league unveiled its new logo for the upcoming edition on Wednesday.

The PSL’s official X account revealed the branding on Tuesday, creatively incorporating the Urdu word for eleven (گیارہ), with the numeral “11” seamlessly embedded into the design.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pakistan Super League (@thepsl)

The logo reflects both tradition and modernity, signalling the start of what promises to be a landmark campaign for the marquee T20 tournament.

PSL season 11 is scheduled to get underway on March 26 at Lahore’s iconic Gaddafi Stadium, with organisers finalising preparations for an expanded and restructured competition.

This year’s edition will be historic for multiple reasons. For the first time, the league will feature eight teams, marking a major expansion in its structure.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

PSL 11 also introduces a significant shift in its player recruitment model, replacing the traditional draft system with an auction format.

In the tournament opener, defending champions Lahore Qalandars will face tournament debutants Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen. The match will be preceded by a colourful opening ceremony in Lahore.

In another notable development ahead of the season, the franchise that initially operated as Sialkot Stallionz has officially been rebranded as Multan Sultans.

READ: Babar Azam out as Pakistan name ODI squad for Bangladesh series

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board has made a bold statement ahead of the Bangladesh tour, leaving out former captain Babar Azam from the 15-member ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series.

The series, scheduled from March 11 to 15, will see all matches played at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka.

Alongside Babar, young opener Saim Ayub has also been excluded following underwhelming returns in recent white-ball outings.

Saim featured in eight ODIs in 2025, accumulating 236 runs at an average of 29.50, including two half-centuries.

Babar, meanwhile, scored 544 runs in 17 ODIs this year at an average of 34.00, registering one century and three fifties.

Veteran opener Fakhar Zaman, meanwhile, has been ruled out due to a hamstring injury and is currently undergoing rehabilitation.

Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the ODI side, with six uncapped players included in the squad.

The newcomers include Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan and Shamyl Hussain.

Notably, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain were recently part of the Pakistan Shaheens squad that faced England Lions in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh ODIs

Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain

Series schedule:

March 8 – Pakistan arrival

March 10 – Practice

March 11 – First ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

March 13 – Second ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

March 15 – Third ODI at Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed set to be appointed as Pakistan Test head coach: sources