Category: Featured

Melbourne Renegades General Manager James Rosengarten shared that the fans of the team are eagerly waiting to see Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan in action in the upcoming season of the Big Bash League (BBL).

Speaking exclusively to ARY News via video link, Rosengarten highlighted the growing buzz around the tournament, noting that this season marks the first time several of Pakistan’s biggest names will feature across different franchises.

“The Big Bash League is just days away, and the inclusion of Pakistan’s superstar players has truly taken the tournament to another level,” Rosengarten said.

“For the first time, players like Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf will represent different teams, and that has created huge anticipation.”

The Renegades GM said Rizwan’s arrival in Melbourne has generated particular excitement among local fans.

“In Australia, and especially in Melbourne, Pakistani fans are eagerly waiting for the Big Bash League,” he said.

“The fan clubs are ready, everyone is waiting to see when Mohammad Rizwan will step onto the field.”

Rosengarten also underlined the importance of Rizwan’s role within the Renegades setup, pointing to his partnership with Tim Seifert as a key asset.

“The combination of Mohammad Rizwan and Tim Seifert is very important for our team,” he said.

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“Along with that, young Pakistani cricketer Hasan Khan will also be a major point of interest this season.”

Acknowledging the presence of Pakistan’s star players across rival franchises, Rosengarten said the Renegades are prepared for the challenge.

“Babar Azam will be playing for Sydney Sixers, but we will step onto the field fully prepared,” he said. “Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf will bring serious pace, but our batters will be ready to compete.”

When asked if he would have liked to sign another Pakistani player, Rosengarten named Saim Ayub as his top choice.

“If I had the opportunity to draft one more Pakistani player, I would definitely choose Saim Ayub,” he said.

Rosengarten also thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi for facilitating the participation of Pakistani players in the league.

“I want to thank PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi,” he said.

“The decision to issue No Objection Certificates to so many Pakistani superstars is very encouraging. The cricketing relationship between Pakistan and Australia is becoming stronger with each passing day.”

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced the extension of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) teams bidding deadline amid growing interest from around the globe.

Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman PCB, wrote about the extension on his ‘X’ handle in which he also mentioned the upcoming second roadshow aimed at attracting investors worldwide.

“Witnessing growing interest from the Europe, USA, the Middle East and beyond in acquiring new HBL PSL teams, we have decided to extend the bid submission deadline by one week to 22 December 2025,” Mohsin Naqvi wrote.

“Good luck to everyone, excited to welcome our new franchise owners to the HBL PSL family.”

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This comes after the PSL’s first roadshow, held at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. The event was attended by Pakistan star players Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, and former cricketers.

After the first roadshow, the PCB is set to host another global roadshow in New York tomorrow, which will engage international investors ahead of the auction of the two new outfits.

“The New York Roadshow is part of the PCB’s global outreach strategy aimed at engaging with international investors ahead of the auction of two HBL PSL franchises, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, 6 January 2026,” the board had said in a press release.

“The initiative is designed to highlight the league’s commercial strength, global following, and long-term growth potential,” the statement added.

It is pertinent to mention that PSL, which began in 2016 with five outfits, is set to expand with the addition of two new teams.

Notably, the league expanded to five teams in 2018 with the addition of Multan Sultans.

With the addition of two new teams, the league will undergo its first major restructuring in seven years, taking the total to eight teams.

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DUBAI: Pakistan batters Sameer Minhas and Ahmed Hussain put on a masterclass to hammer Malaysia by a massive 297 runs in the second match of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2025 at The Sevens Stadium on Friday.

After Malaysia captain Deeaz Patro elected to field first, Pakistan’s top and middle order took full advantage, posting a commanding 345-3 in their 50 overs.

The innings was anchored by a sensational third-wicket partnership between Sameer Minhas and Ahmed Hussain, which completely turned the game in Pakistan’s favour.

Pakistan’s innings began on a shaky note as Usman Khan departed cheaply for a single, trapped by Nagineswaran Sathnakumaran in the second over with just four runs on the board.

Ali Hassan Baloch tried to steady the innings before being dismissed for 14.

At 30-2 in the 10th over, Sameer was joined by Ahmed, and they compiled a 293-run stand at a brisk pace.

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Ahmed Hussain scored a lively 132 off 144 balls, featuring eight boundaries and two sixes, before being dismissed hit-wicket off Muhammad Akram in the penultimate over.

Sameer Minhas stole the show with an unbeaten 177 from 148 deliveries, laced with 11 fours and eight sixes.

Malaysia’s bowling attack struggled to contain the onslaught. Sathnakumaran took two wickets but was expensive, conceding 91 runs in his full quota of 10 overs, while Akram returned with figures of 1-64.

Chasing an imposing target, Malaysia’s U19 side capitulated for just 48 in 19.4 overs.

Ali Raza and Mohammad Sayyam shared three wickets apiece, Daniyal Ali Khan claimed two, and Niqab Shafiq chipped in with one.

None of the Malaysian batters managed to reach double figures, with captain Patro and Akram top-scoring with nine runs each.

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DUBAI: The Phase I tickets of the much-anticipated International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 have begun today.

According to ICC, the sale of the historic low-priced tickets commenced at 6:15 pm PKT.

“More than 2 million tickets will go on sale in the first phase, with Phase II ticket sales set to be announced soon,” the cricket governing body said in a press release.

“Sales will begin at 18h45 IST with prices starting at just ₹100 (approximately $1.11) at some venues in India and LKR1000 (approximately $3.26) in Sri Lanka,” it added.

As per the press release, the ticket prices for Phase I in India start at ₹100 (approximately $1.11), whereas the prices for Phase I in Sri Lanka start at LKR1000 (approximately $3.26).

Following the announcement, ICC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr Sanjog Gupta revealed the reason behind the low prices while emphasizing the fans.

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“Phase I of ticket sales is an important milestone in our journey towards delivering the most accessible and global ICC event ever staged,” he said.

“Our vision for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is clear: every fan, regardless of background, geography or financial means, should have the chance to access an in-stadia experience of world-class marquee cricket,” the CEO added.

It is worth mentioning that ICC has yet to reveal the categories, price structure, and further details regarding ticket sales, which are likely to be revealed in due course.

For those unaware, the 10th edition of the mega event will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, with the tournament slated to run from February 7 to March 8 next year.

The event will feature 20 teams, which are segregated into four groups of five, with the top two from each group advancing into the Super Eight stage.

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 opener will be played between Pakistan and the Netherlands, with hosts and the reigning champions India taking on the USA later in the day in Mumbai.

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Sydney Sixers have given their marquee overseas signing, Babar Azam, a distinctive identity ahead of the Big Bash League (BBL) season 15, unveiling a customised jersey number for him.

The former Pakistan skipper, who arrived in Sydney this week to begin his BBL stint, will wear the number 056, a creative adaptation of his usual 56.

The franchise introduced the unique number across their social media platforms, releasing images of Babar at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) sporting his new look.

The tweak comes out of necessity, with Mitchell Starc, a mainstay at the Sixers, retaining the traditional 56 jersey.

The club showcased the pairing with a playful reveal captioned, “056 x 56 🔥 Babar wears 056, and Starc will wear 56 in BBL|15.”

The Sixers followed up the announcement with a short teaser video marking Babar’s arrival, showing the star batter walking into the dressing room with the simple caption: “He’s arrived.”

His inclusion is among the most anticipated features of BBL 15, which begins December 14 and runs through January 25, 2026, with 44 matches, most in prime-time evening slots.

Pakistan’s presence in this year’s competition is set to be one of the strongest in recent editions. Alongside Babar and Shaheen Afridi, several other national players were snapped up in the BBL 15 auction.

Mohammad Rizwan and Hassan Khan will represent the Melbourne Renegades, Haris Rauf joins the Melbourne Stars, Shadab Khan links up with the Sydney Thunder, and Hasan Ali features for the Adelaide Strikers.

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For more than a decade, the cricketing world has lived with one irresistible desire: that one day, Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli might break legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s iconic record of 100 international centuries.

Kohli’s recent resurgence, back-to-back hundreds against South Africa, taking his tally to 84, has reignited the conversation, but it hasn’t changed the hard mathematics.

As much as fans want the chase to continue, the reality is hard to ignore: Kohli now plays only one format, having retired from the other two.

Kohli, who turned 37 last month, finished his Test career on 30 hundreds, signed off from T20Is with one, and continues to dominate the ODI format with 53 centuries, the most in the world.

However, to reach Tendulkar’s 100, he still needs 16 more. In isolation, 16 might not sound impossible. In context, it looks highly improbable.

It’s worth noting that Tendulkar had a 24-year-long international career, playing 664 matches before retiring at 40.

Kohli, in contrast, retired from two formats even before turning 37 and now features only in ODIs, with an eye on the ICC ODI World Cup in 2027.

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It is widely expected that he will retire from professional cricket after the World Cup, leaving him limited time to chase the milestone.

Assuming India reach the World Cup final, Kohli’s upcoming schedule offers roughly 41 matches: 18 ODIs across six three-match series in 2026, a possible six-match Asia Cup, 11 World Cup matches, and a couple of preparatory bilateral series.

Forty-one games to score sixteen hundreds means a century every 2.56 innings, a rate beyond even Kohli’s peak performance.

Interestingly, Kohli has a career ODI century rate of one every 5.54 innings. But, in his last 42 ODIs, the rate improves to one every 4.66 matches, commendable, yet insufficient for the 100-century target.

At this pace, Kohli might finish somewhere between 91 and 93 centuries, a legendary tally, historic, yet shy of the round number that the cricketing world obsesses over.

There’s another hurdle that Virat Kohli may not feature in every series leading up to 2027, especially against weaker teams, where younger players are given opportunities. This could further reduce his chances.

While retirement timing is never certain, he might extend his playing career beyond the World Cup; however, Kohli’s abrupt exits from Test and T20 cricket suggest that he would not do that.

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s Olympic hero Arshad Nadeem reaffirmed his supremacy in javelin on Monday, clinching the gold medal at the 35th National Games with a commanding 81.1m throw.

Representing WAPDA, the Paris 2024 Olympic champion surged to the top of the leaderboard with his very first big effort, and no competitor came close to threatening his mark for the remainder of the competition. His throw stood unchallenged as the winning distance.

The silver medal also went to WAPDA through Yasir Sultan, whose best attempt of 70.77m placed him comfortably ahead of the rest but well short of Arshad’s benchmark. Pakistan Army’s Abrar secured bronze with a throw of 67.68m.

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Arshad, who became Pakistan’s first-ever individual Olympic gold medallist last year, is also serving as the flag-bearer for the National Games.

“Honoured to be the Flag Bearer at the National Games 2025 in Karachi,” he wrote on social media, lauding the electric atmosphere. “Amazing crowd and unforgettable energy.”

The star athlete performed a ceremonial throw at the glittering opening ceremony attended by Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah, Sindh Sports Minister Sardar Muhammad Bakhsh Mahar, and several prominent political figures, including PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

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Pakistan T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha has ruled out any significant changes in the team ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Speaking on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) podcast, Salman shed light on his cricketing career and team combination ahead of the mega event.

“I don’t think there will be any major changes before the World Cup. This is the combination we will continue with. The roles that we wanted for our playing XI and squad are clear, and I think you could see players in different roles,” he said.

The skipper emphasized the team’s combination over the past months, highlighting recent victories in the T20I format.

“We cannot make major changes in the next six matches because we were preparing for the past six, seven months, keeping the World Cup in mind.

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We have played with this group for six months, and the results have started to come,” he explained.

“Senior players understand Sri Lankan conditions very well, including me, because we have played a lot of cricket there. This will be an essential series for the new players. The series will be important for us, and we will take it seriously,” Salman said.

Salman Ali Agha admitted that, despite the momentum and victories, there is still room for getting better, noting that their goal is to take Pakistan to a level people hope for.

“The team is on the right track, but there is still room for improvement. We want Pakistan to reach the level where everyone hopes to see it,” he concluded.

For the unversed, the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is set to be co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India. The Green Shirts will play all of its matches in Sri Lanka as per the hybrid model.

Ahead of the mega event, Pakistan will also play Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series, starting January 8 in Dambulla.

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BRISBANE: All-round Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser’s five-wicket haul helped Australia romp to an eight-wicket victory in the second Test to go 2-0 up in the Ashes series against England here at the Gabba on Sunday.

The hosts chased down the paltry target of 65 in just 10 overs, captain Steve Smith pulling Gus Atkinson for a huge six over square leg for the winning runs.

Although not as humiliating as the two-day loss in the first Test in Perth, England were comprehensively outplayed in Brisbane in every department.

Their batting, apart from Joe Root and Zak Crawley in the first innings and captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks in the second, was just as rash as in Perth.

They gave their wickets away with poor strokes on the bouncy Gabba surface.

They also bowled poorly, pitching too short on the Gabba wicket and wasting the new pink ball, in stark contrast to an Australian attack missing spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

To make matters worse, England dropped five catches in the first innings, whereas Australia’s fielders caught everything that came their way.

Josh Inglis’s brilliant run-out of Stokes in the first innings changed the course of the match.

Australia now have a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series and are overwhelming favourites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow.

England were behind the game once they let Australia’s tail help the home side post 511 on Saturday, an overall lead of 177.

They then lost six second-innings wickets under lights to end the third day 134-6, still 43 runs behind the Australian total.

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While many expected England to surrender meekly on Sunday, Stokes and all-rounder Jacks led a fighting rearguard action to ensure Australia had to bat a second time.

Stokes and Jacks defied the Australian pace attack on a fiercely hot day to edge their way past the initial deficit target and begin to set Australia something to chase.

England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said Saturday his batsmen would not change their aggressive approach, despite a clatter of wickets from poor shots.

But Stokes and Jacks did the exact opposite during the first session Sunday.

They left balls they didn’t need to play and seemed happy to take their runs in singles rather than expansive boundary shots.

They scored just 28 runs in the first hour and passed the 43-run deficit 96 minutes into the session, scoring only 59 runs in the two hours.

The Australian bowlers, who ran rampant under lights on Saturday with the pink ball, were far more ineffective on Sunday, despite the wicket beginning to play some tricks.

The English offered only one chance when Scott Boland squared up Stokes, who got a thick edge over the slips cordon.

They continued to frustrate the Australians in the second session until just before the drinks break, Jacks got an edge to Michael Neser and Smith snared a breath-taking catch at slip, diving full length to his left and catching it low to the ground.

Neser struck again in the next over when Stokes nibbled at a ball outside the off-stump and got a fine edge to keeper Alex Carey to leave England 227-8, a lead of exactly 50.

Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer offered no real resistance as Neser recorded career-best figures of 5-42 and Smith equalled Rahul Dravid on 210 outfield catches, three behind current record-holder Root.

Sixty-five was never going to be enough and although Australia lost Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne in the chase, Smith and Jake Weatherald guided the home side to an easy win in style.

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The path to glory at the FIFA World Cup 2026 has now been laid out after the final groups were revealed during Friday’s draw ceremony in Washington.

The US President Donald Trump received FIFA’s new peace prize on stage at the Kennedy Centre before the draw for the first 48-team World Cup, which offered kind starts to the tournament for holders Argentina and much-fancied Spain in particular.

While the make-up of the groups was revealed along with the potential path through the knockout rounds for all the potential winners, the precise schedule for the competition will only be confirmed later on Saturday.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino will unveil the venues and kick-off times for all games from 1700 GMT, after which the teams will be able to focus on fine-tuning their preparations with barely six months left until the World Cup kicks off on June 11.

Lionel Messi’s Argentina will begin their defense of the trophy they won in Qatar in 2022 by facing Algeria, and will also play Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.

Reigning European champions Spain will kick off their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde before also taking on Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in Group H.

Thomas Tuchel’s England, seeking to win a first World Cup since 1966, will be expected to top Group L ahead of 2018 finalists Croatia, Ghana and Panama.

Two-time winners France face awkward tests against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway in Group I, which will be completed by a play-off winner from either Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname.

For the first time, the draw was done in such a way as to ensure the four highest-ranked nations were kept apart. Spain, Argentina, France and England cannot meet before the semi-finals, if all top their groups.

However, the path to that stage, with an extra knockout round now following the group phase, looks perilous.

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If the top seeds all win their groups, England could find themselves playing co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City in the last 16 and then Brazil in the quarter-finals, before a semi against Argentina.

Other possible match-ups include France and Germany being on a last-16 collision course and a potential meeting between Messi’s Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals.

The tournament will be held across the USA, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with 16 more teams added to the global showpiece, up from the 32 nations involved in 2022.

While the US will host most matches, including the final at MetLife Stadium outside New York, three of the 16 venues will be in Mexico and two in Canada.

The opening game sees Mexico play South Africa at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil and surprise 2022 semi-finalists Morocco will meet in Group C, which also features Scotland and Haiti.

Notably, Scotland and Brazil will meet for the fifth time at a World Cup.

Germany’s opponents in Group E will be the Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Caribbean minnows Curacao, while Portugal face Uzbekistan, Colombia and a play-off winner.

The United States got a manageable draw, with Paraguay, Australia and a European play-off winner in Group D.

The top two teams in each group advance to the last 32, joined by the eight best third-placed teams.

FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage Draw

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Winner of UEFA play-off D*

Group B: Canada, Winner of UEFA play-off A*, Qatar, Switzerland

Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland

Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Winner of UEFA play-off C*

Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador

Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Winner of UEFA play-off B*, Tunisia

Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand

Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay

Group I: France, Senegal, Winner of Fifa play-off 2*, Norway

Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan

Group K: Portugal, Winner of Fifa play-off 1*, Uzbekistan, Colombia

Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama

*UEFA play-off A: Italy, Wales, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Northern Ireland

*UEFA play-off B: Ukraine, Poland, Albania or Sweden

*UEFA play-off C: Turkey, Slovakia, Kosovo or Romania

*UEFA play-off D: Denmark, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland or North Macedonia

*Fifa play-off 1: DR Congo, Jamaica or New Caledonia

*Fifa play-off 2: Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname

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