Category: Cricket

PERTH: Mitchell Marsh and Fin Allen led Perth Scorchers to a resounding victory over Sydney Sixers to lift the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 title here at the Perth Stadium on Sunday.

Scorchers chased down a modest target of 133 in front of a packed home crowd, losing four wickets in the process with `15 balls to spare.

With this win, Perth Scorchers sealed record sixth title in the tournament’s history.

Mitchell Marsh and Fin Allen made light work of the chase with a blistering 80 run stand in 8.2 overs.

Allen continued his red-hot form and scored 36 from 22, striking four boundaries and a maximum. The right-hander innings ended in Mitchell Starcs over, thanks to a stunning catch from Jack Edwards at covers.

Sydney Sixers sniffed an opening with another wicket in the ninth over as Aaron Hardie departed for five.

As a result, Scorchers were 85-2 in 9.1 overs in BBL final.

However, Marsh held firm and kept the scoreboard ticking and put his side insight of victory in BBL final.

He was eventually removed on the first ball of the 15th over after scoring 44 from 43 balls laced with four boundaries and two sixes.

With 15 required from five overs, it was only a matter of time as Perth Scorchers cruised to victory.

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Josh Inglis who remained unbeaten on 29 from 26 finished it in style with a six of Ben Dwarshuis bowling.

For Sydney Sixers, Sean Abbott picked up two wickets.

Earlier, put into bat first, Sydney Sixers shambolic display with the bat ended their innings on 132 at the end of their 20 overs.

Daniel Hughes was the first to be dismissed, caught after only managing seven.

Sydney Sixers were 7-1 in 2 overs when Josh Philippe joined Steve Smith at the crease.

The pair added 27 before Aaron Hardie trapped Smith lbw to put his side on top. Smith made 24 from 13 with the aid of three fours and a six.

After Smith’s wicket, Perth Scorchers turned the screws on Sixers, limiting their scoring. As a result, Sixers were reduced to 66 at the half-way stage of the innings.

The slow scoring resulted in Josh Philippe’s wicket whose sluggish 24 from 24 ended in the 11th over.

In the last five overs, Sixers lost their way, thanks to David Payne’s double wicket over which sent skipper Moises Henriques (24) and Lachlan Shaw (14) packing.

Consequently, Sydney Sixers were 103-6 in 15.4 overs and their innings evetnually folded for a mere total.

For Perth Scorchers, Jhye Richardson and David Payne shared wickets between them.

READ: WATCH: Babar Azam among stars at PSL player auction workshop

LAHORE: Pakistan ace players Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and several other cricketers attended the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 player auction workshop, which is organized to familiarize stakeholders with the auction process.

The workshop is held at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, with all stakeholders of PSL invited to the workshop for the player auction.

The purpose of the workshop is to familiarize stakeholders with the auction process. Moreover, the briefing will also help determine the players’ categories and base prices.

Ahead of the workshop, the national team players, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and several others, were seen greeting each other.

 

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It is worth mentioning that this will be the first time since PSL’s inception that a player’s auction will be held instead of the traditional Draft system.

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The strategic shift is aimed at enhancing competitive balance, increasing transparency, and providing players’ greater earning opportunities.

Under the revised framework, each franchise will be allowed to retain a maximum of four players, with only one retention permitted per category.

This marks a sharp departure from previous seasons, where teams could retain up to eight players, along with additional provisions such as mentors, brand ambassadors and the Right to Match (RTM) option.

For PSL 11, the PCB has abolished the mentor, brand ambassador and RTM clauses altogether, streamlining the squad-building process ahead of the auction.

The two newly inducted franchises, Hyderabad and Sialkot, will also be granted special provisions, allowing them to select and retain four players from the available pool before the player auction.

In addition, every team will be permitted one direct signing of a foreign player who did not feature in PSL 10, a move designed to inject fresh international talent into the competition.

The PCB also confirmed that PSL 11 will get underway on March 26, 2026, and will mark Faisalabad’s first-ever stint as a host city. The venue will join Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Rawalpindi, expanding the league to five host cities.

READ: Naqvi to meet Pakistan T20 WC squad amid doubts over participation

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi is set to hold a meeting with the national cricket team, recently picked for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is slated to start next month.

According to the sources, the chairman will brief the players about participation in the World Cup and share the strategy with them.

The decision on Pakistan’s participation in the T20 World Cup will be made after consultation with the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

A day earlier, Mohsin Naqvi said that the final call on the national team’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be taken by the federal government.

Naqvi’s remarks came after International Cricket Council (ICC) had replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the upcoming World Cup following Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India for the event.

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The ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had been engaged in prolonged discussions over the issue, resulting in the latter’s pull out from the mega event.

Against that backdrop, sources had suggested that Pakistan could also consider boycotting the tournament after Bangladesh’s decision.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, Mohsin Naqvi made it clear that the PCB would not act independently on the matter and would align itself with the government’s position.

“The prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif] is currently not in the country. Once he returns, we will announce a final decision,” Naqvi said when asked about Pakistan’s stance following the ICC’s decision on Bangladesh.

The PCB chairman openly criticised the ICC’s handling of the situation, accusing the governing body of applying double standards and treating Bangladesh unfairly.

“Bangladesh has been treated unjustly. I raised the same point during the ICC board meeting,” Naqvi said.

“You cannot have a situation where one country is allowed to make decisions whenever it wants, while another is denied the same consideration.”

Earlier today, Pakistan revealed their 15 member squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. The mega event will be played from 7 February to 8 March across Sri Lanka and India.

Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad

Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (WK), and Usman Tariq.

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Director of High Performance and national selector Aqib Javed has dismissed comparisons between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan over a spot in the national team’s squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to played in India and Sri Lanka. 

While addressing the media, Aqib answered a question regarding the selection of Babar Azam over Mohammad Rizwan in Pakistan’s World Cup squad.

“You have to look at how the batting composition of your team shapes up. Babar is seen by both the coach and the captain as someone who can play a vital role in the team. This doesn’t mean that if one player is given a chance, another is denied one,” he remarked.

“We don’t think in terms of comparing one player to another or why one was chosen and the other wasn’t. There’s no logic in that. What you need to see is who fits better in the squad and which player makes the team stronger,” he explained.

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Meanwhile, white ball head coach Mike Hesson praised ‘exeptional’ Usman Khan for his wicket-keeping and emphasized his role in the team amid debate surrounding Mohammad Rizwan’s inclusion.

“When it comes to Usman Khan’s performance, we consider the availability we have and the type of cricket we want to play,” Hesson said.

“You build a composition of 7–8 batsmen, and you need to see what type of players come together to form a batting unit that can perform in any total or under any conditions,” he added.

He highlighted Usman’s performances while revealing the particular role that is required from him during the tournament.

“Usman Khan has been exceptional since he came back. He remained not out in three chases where we were losing wickets, and he has shown experience. His wicketkeeping is going probably better than expected. In Sri Lanka, it was high quality,” Hesson said.

“The role we have for our keeper is someone through the middle, batting at five or six. You are not comparing the same, as Rizwan is a top-order batter. There’s no spot in that role for a wicketkeeper,” Hesson concluded.

Earlier in the morning, Pakistan revealed the squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 with skipper Salman Ali Agha set to lead the 15-member side.

Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad

Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (WK), and Usman Tariq.

READ: Hesson reveals reason behind Haris Rauf’s T20 World Cup exclusion

LAHORE: Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has revealed that conditions played a major role behind Haris Rauf omission from the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 squad.

While addressing the media on the occasion of the team announcement, Hesson revealed that Pakistan’s decision to take only three specialist seamers for World Cup were due to Sri Lanka conditions.

“When we decided to only take three seamers in Sri Lanka, there were obviously going to be some key seamers,” Hesson told reporters.

The head coach furhter elaborated that Haris Rauf was in contention but ultimately missed out due to limited slots.

“Wasim Jr, Ahmed Daniyal and Haris Rauf were certainly considered, but unfortunately there’s no spot. The three that are going — Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Salman Mirza — can all bowl in all three phases of the game, which is really important when you’re potentially going to play two in Sri Lanka,” he explained.

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Hesson mentioned the previous editions of the World Cup where conditions allowed an extra seamer, noting that Faheem Ahsraf provides an all-round option incase if a third pacer is required.

“In previous World Cups and previously, we have always taken an extra seamer there because conditions have dictated that, whereas in this situation we haven’t gone down that path,” he stated.

“We have only picked three frontline seamers, with Faheem Ashraf as the all-rounder if we decide to play three, so that was pretty straightforward, and some very good players missed out,” Hesson revealed.

For those unwared, Rauf’s last appearance for Pakistan in T20I cricket came during the Asia Cup final against India on September 28, 2025, a match in which he struggled, conceding 50 runs in 3.4 overs while defending 146.

The performance raised questions about his ability to handle pressure in big moments, and he has not featured in the national T20I team since.

He was also left out of the T20I squads for the away series against Sri Lanka and the upcoming home series against Australia.

Earlier, Pakistan revealed the squad for T20 World Cup 2026 with skipper Salman Ali Agha set to lead the side.

Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad

Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (WK), and Usman Tariq.

READ: Mohsin Naqvi breaks silence on Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 participation

LAHORE: Pakistan have revealed their 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin on 7 February across Sri Lanka and India.

The squad was announced at a press conference attended by PCB Director of High Performance and member of the Men’s National Selection Committee Aqib Javed, Head Coach of the Pakistan white-ball team Mike Hesson, and T20I captain Salman Ali Agha.

Salman Ali Agha will lead the side for the first time in an ICC event. The team also features Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan, and Usman Tariq, all of whom will play the World Cup for the first time.

 

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The squad also includes Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, and Usman Khan.

For the unversed, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will begin on 7 February with the opening match scheduled between Pakistan and the Netherlands.

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Pakistan are slotted in Group A alongside India, the Netherlands, the USA, and Namibia. The Green Shirts will play all their matches in Sri Lanka under the Hybrid model.

Following the fixture against the Netherlands, Pakistan will then lock horns with USA on 10 February.

The high-voltage clash against arch-rivals India will be played on 15 February, whereas their final group-stage match is against Namibia on 18 February.

If Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals and final, both knockout matches will be played in Colombo. Otherwise, the semi-final and final will be held in Kolkata and Ahmedabad, respectively.

Pakistan T20 World Cup Squad

Salman Ali Agha (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (WK), and Usman Tariq.

Pakistan World Cup fixtures

Pakistan vs Netherlands: February 7, Colombo

Pakistan vs USA: February 10, Colombo

Pakistan vs India: February 15, Colombo

Pakistan vs Namibia: February 18, Colombo

READ: Mohsin Naqvi breaks silence on Pakistan’s T20 World Cup 2026 participation

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Saturday said that a final call on the national team’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be taken by the federal government.

Naqvi’s remarks came after reports emerged that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had replaced Bangladesh with Scotland for the upcoming World Cup following Bangladesh’s refusal to travel to India for the event.

The ICC and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) had been engaged in prolonged discussions over the issue, but failed to reach a compromise.

Earlier this week, the ICC formally rejected Bangladesh’s request to relocate their matches from India to Sri Lanka, insisting the existing schedule would remain unchanged and issuing what was effectively a final ultimatum.

Against that backdrop, sources had suggested that Pakistan could also consider boycotting the tournament should Bangladesh withdraw or be forced out.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, Mohsin Naqvi made it clear that the PCB would not act independently on the matter and would align itself with the government’s position.

“The prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif] is currently not in the country. Once he returns, we will announce a final decision,” Naqvi said when asked about Pakistan’s stance following the ICC’s decision on Bangladesh.

The PCB chairman openly criticised the ICC’s handling of the situation, accusing the governing body of applying double standards and treating Bangladesh unfairly.

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“Bangladesh has been treated unjustly. I raised the same point during the ICC board meeting,” Naqvi said.

“You cannot have a situation where one country is allowed to make decisions whenever it wants, while another is denied the same consideration.”

He stressed that Bangladesh should, in his view, be allowed to participate in the World Cup under any circumstances.

“They are a major stakeholder in international cricket. This kind of injustice should not happen,” he added.

Naqvi also alluded to what he described as the BCCI’s influence over ICC decision-making, warning that Pakistan would not accept any form of diktat.

“Bangladesh is the same ICC member as Pakistan,” he said. “If concessions have been made in the past for certain countries, then the same approach should be applied to Bangladesh.”

“One country cannot dictate terms to another. And if any such attempt is made, Pakistan will take its own clear stance,” Naqvi concluded.

READ: Bangladesh replaced by Scotland at T20 World Cup 2026: report

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to replace Bangladesh with Scotland at the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, following Bangladesh’s continued refusal to travel to India for the tournament, according to a report by Cricbuzz.

The report claims ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta formally informed board members on Saturday that Bangladesh were not complying with the governing body’s earlier decision to stick to the existing schedule.

With no breakthrough after weeks of discussions, the ICC moved to enforce its stance and extend a formal invitation to Scotland, who will now take Bangladesh’s place at the marquee event.

The decision brings an end to nearly three weeks of back-and-forth between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the ICC.

The dispute centred on Bangladesh’s refusal to play their World Cup matches in India, citing security concerns, and their insistence on relocating fixtures to Sri Lanka.

According to the report, the ICC informed the BCB via email on Friday evening after Bangladesh conveyed that its government had not granted permission for the team to travel to India for the tournament, scheduled to begin on February 7.

The matter had escalated earlier this week when the ICC Board held an emergency video conference on Wednesday.

During the meeting, a majority of directors reportedly voted in favour of replacing Bangladesh should they continue to reject the agreed schedule.

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The BCB was given until Thursday to consult its government and confirm whether it would travel to India. However, both the Bangladesh government and the board reiterated their position.

Bangladesh were drawn in Group C and were set to play their first three matches in Kolkata, followed by a group-stage fixture in Mumbai.

Security concerns first surfaced earlier this month after the BCCI, on January 3, instructed Kolkata Knight Riders to release Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL 2026 squad.

While no official reason was cited, the move came amid worsening diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh.

A day later, the BCB formally wrote to the ICC, stating, after consultation with the government, that the national team would not travel to India for its World Cup matches, a stance it maintained despite multiple rounds of talks.

Scotland’s inclusion is understood to be based on their consistent performances in recent ICC tournaments and their current world ranking of 14.

They narrowly missed out on progression at the 2024 T20 World Cup and have registered notable wins in past editions, including victories over West Indies (2022) and Bangladesh (2021).

As per the revised arrangement, Scotland will slot into Group C, where they are scheduled to face West Indies, Italy and England in Kolkata, before travelling to Mumbai to play Nepal.

While the ICC has yet to issue an official public statement, sources quoted in the report insist the decision is final, effectively ending Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup 2026 and underlining the ICC’s firm position amid mounting geopolitical tensions.

READ: Anisimova ramps up Melbourne title bid with imperious win

Pacer Nathan Ellis became the latest addition to Australia’s growing injury concerns ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin next month across Sri Lanka and India next month.

Leading the Hobart Hurricanes in BBL 15, the right-arm pacer Ellis was a late withdrawal from the Challenger against Sydey Sixers, raising fears over his availability for the T20 World Cup.

The 31-year-old had also missed the Hurricanes knockout fixture against Melbourne Stars due to injury and was expected to play in Challenger. However, the pacer was unable to recover from the injury.

Ellis, who famously took hat-trick on his T20I debut, is the latest addition to Australia’s injury concerns, as the ace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are recovering from injuries to be fit for the mega event.

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Hazlewood, sidelined since November last year, is expected to be fully fit before the tournament, while Cummins is likely to rejoin the squad in the latter stages of the mega event.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis also faced setback as he suffered a blow to his hand and was forced to retire during the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 fixture, subsequently requiring a scan.

Tim David is another player who pulled up his hamstring during the BBL fixture and is currently recovering ahead of the mega event.

It is worth mentioning that ahead of the T20 World Cup, Australia will tour Pakistan for a three-match T20I series, slated to commence on 29 January in Lahore.

Provisional Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026:

Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.

READ: Surya, Kishan help India chase down 209 against New Zealand

Blistering knocks by skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan led India to a crushing seven-wicket win over New Zealand on Friday, giving them a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20 series.

Chasing 209 for victory, India rode on a 122-run third-wicket stand between Kishan (76) and Suryakumar, who made an unbeaten 82, to achieve the target with 28 balls to spare in the second match in Raipur.

India head into the third match on Sunday in Guwahati with an eye on the series, which is a warm-up ahead of the T20 World Cup starting on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka.

The left-handed Kishan, who returned to the Indian team in the opener after two years, lifted the hosts from 6-2 with a string of boundaries.

He reached his fifty in 21 balls with a four and kept up the charge until his departure off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Kishan struck 11 fours and four sixes in his 32-ball knock.

Suryakumar reached his first fifty in the format for 468 days — and 23 innings — after which he raised his bat and looked up to the skies amid the applause.

His previous half-century was against Bangladesh on October 12, 2024.

Suryakumar, who hit nine fours and four sixes in his 37-ball blitz, and the left-handed Shivam Dube, who struck 36, put an unbeaten partnership of 81 to pulverise the opposition.

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Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy took a wicket each in the first two overs before Zak Foulkes conceded 24 runs off the third over, which started with a no ball for four and three wides.

Earlier, New Zealand posted 208-6 with skipper Mitchell Santner hitting an unbeaten 47 off 27 balls in a late blitz by the number seven batter.

New Zealand started strongly with opener Devon Conway and Tim Seifert taking on the opposition attack with a string of boundaries in a quickfire 43-run stand.

Medium-pace bowler Harshit Rana dismissed the left-handed Conway for the fourth time in successive white-ball matches to start with a maiden wicket. Conway made 19 off nine balls.

Wicketkeeper-batter Seifert, who made 24, followed his opening partner back to the pavilion without troubling the score as he fell to Varun Chakravarthy’s spin.

Glenn Phillips kept up the attack in his brief stay of 19 runs and, after his departure, the left-handed Rachin Ravindra took the lead in his 44 off 26 balls.

India struck regular blows including two to left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav but New Zealand batters kept up the pace and Foulkes finished with a six and four, but the effort was not enough to challenge India.

READ: Rajshahi Warriors crush Chattogram Royals to lift BPL trophy