Category: Featured

Former South African wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock has named two players from Pakistan in his all-time left-handers’ XI.

De Kock slotted himself at the top of the order alongside Australia’s explosive opener Matthew Hayden.

The top four features a heavy Sri Lankan presence with Sanath Jayasuriya at No. 3 and Kumar Sangakkara at No. 4.

The middle order includes “Mr. Cricket” Michael Hussey and India’s Ravindra Jadeja, before Pakistan’s legendary all-rounder Wasim Akram takes up the No. 7 role.

In the bowling attack, Quinton de Kock opted for a mix of pace and spin.

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Sri Lanka’s Rangana Herath is the only specialist spinner, complemented by a formidable trio of left-arm quicks: Mitchell Johnson (Australia), Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka), and Mohammad Amir (Pakistan).

Akram’s inclusion comes as no surprise as the “Sultan of Swing” remains the second-highest wicket-taker in ODI history with 502 wickets in 356 matches, alongside 414 scalps in Test cricket.

Meanwhile, Amir’s selection is more recent in flavour. The left-armer picked 119 wickets in 36 Tests, 81 in ODIs, and 71 in T20Is for Pakistan.

He briefly returned for the 2024 T20 World Cup after his first retirement in 2020, but after taking just seven wickets in four matches, he announced a second retirement after the mega-event.

Quinton de Kock’s All-Time Left-Handers’ XI

Matthew Hayden, Quinton de Kock (wk), Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara, Michael Hussey, Ravindra Jadeja, Wasim Akram, Rangana Herath, Mohammad Amir, Chaminda Vaas, Mitchell Johnson.

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) responded to rumours about the removal of Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood from their roles as white-ball and red-ball captains on Monday.

Speculation had been rife that Shan Masood could be replaced by Saud Shakeel as Test captain, while reports also suggested Mohammad Rizwan’s position as ODI captain was under threat.

However, PCB sources have categorically denied these claims, terming them “baseless.”

They confirmed that there is no proposal under consideration to remove Shan from the Test captaincy, nor is there any plan to appoint Saud as his replacement.

Similarly, the board dismissed talk of Mohammad Rizwan being stripped of the ODI captaincy, clarifying that Salman Ali Agha is not being considered for the role.

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The sources further added that the selection committee has not discussed any such matter, nor has there been any change in the category of players’ central contracts.

Pakistan are currently preparing for the Tri-Nation Series, featuring Afghanistan and the UAE, scheduled to be played in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7.

Each side will face the other twice, with the top two progressing to the final. Pakistan will open their campaign against Afghanistan on August 29 at 7:00 PM local time.

Following the tri-series, Pakistan will shift its focus to the ACC Asia Cup 2025, starting September 9 with the tournament opener between Afghanistan and Hong Kong.

Notably, neither Rizwan nor Shan will feature in the upcoming fixtures. Mohammad Rizwan remains out of Pakistan’s T20I squad, while Shan has not been part of the white-ball setup since 2023.

Tri-series schedule (all matches at Sharjah Cricket Stadium):

• 29 August – Afghanistan v Pakistan – 7pm local time
• 30 August – UAE v Pakistan – 7pm local time
• 1 September – UAE v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
• 2 September – Pakistan v Afghanistan – 7pm local time
• 4 September – Pakistan v UAE – 7pm local time
• 5 September – Afghanistan v UAE – 7pm local time
• 7 September – Final – 7pm local time

ACC Asia Cup T20 2025 (Pakistan fixtures, Super Fours and Final):

• 12 September – Oman v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm local time
• 14 September – India v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm local time
• 17 September – UAE v Pakistan, DICS, 6pm local time
• 20-26 September – Super Fours fixtures (Abu Dhabi and Dubai)
• 28 September – Final, DICS, 6pm local time

READ: Pakistan reveal squad for ICC Women’s World Cup 2025

Pakistan’s opening batters Saim Ayub and Imam-ul-Haq are among the 40 players from the country to have registered for the upcoming South Africa 20 (SA20) auction, set to be held in Johannesburg on September 9, 2025.

The fourth edition of SA20 will commence on December 26 and run until January 25.

The six teams in SA20 have a total purse of USD 7.4 million to spend on 84 available slots.

For Season 4, SA 20 has announced that each team will be allowed to have one Wildcard player—the player can be either a South African player or an overseas player whose salary falls outside the salary cap.

Notably, 784 players have signed up for the September 9 auction across the globe.

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From Pakistan, 40 former and current players have registered for the South Africa Premier T20 competition. The notable names are Azam Khan, Imam-ul-Haq, Abrar Ahmed, and Saim Ayub.

Interestingly, the six SA20 franchises —MI Cape Town, Joburg Super Kings, Durban Super Giants, Sunrisers Eastern Cape, Paarl Royals, and Pretoria Capitals—are owned by Indians.

It is noteworthy to mention that, during the previous three editions, no teams had ever included a Pakistani player in their squads.

Meanwhile, 150 players from England have listed their names in the Auction list, which also includes ace international players like Jason Roy and Alex Hales.

The curtain raiser and final of the tournament will be played at NewLands.

In the opening match of the SA20, defending champions MI Cape Town will face off against Durban’s Super Giants, with the final scheduled for January 25.

The Qualifier 1 of the event will be held in Durban on January 21, followed by the Eliminator in Centurion on January 23. The Qualifier 2 will take place on January 24.

For context, Sunrisers Eastern Cape is the most successful team so far, having won the opening two editions of SA 20 and finishing as runners-up in the last edition, falling short against MI Cape Town.

READ: Head, Green headline Australia’s crushing win over South Africa

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held its 80th Board of Governors (BoG) meeting on Saturday, under the chairmanship of Mohsin Naqvi, with discussions focusing on steps to improve the overall standard of cricket in the country.

The BoG reviewed measures aimed at enhancing Pakistan’s performance in international cricket, while also receiving a comprehensive briefing on initiatives promoting women’s cricket at the grassroots level.

Members were also briefed on reforms in domestic cricket aimed at providing greater opportunities for young talent, as well as plans to upgrade the High-Performance Centres across the country.

The BOG meeting approved updated financial rules of the PCB and also sanctioned the reappointment of auditors for the current fiscal year.

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Furthermore, procedural amendments were approved for the adoption of the global anti-corruption code, along with revised criteria for the scrutiny of clubs.

The BoG ratified the decisions taken in its 78th and 79th meetings.

Among those in attendance during the meeting were PCB BoG members Anwar Ghani, Zaheer Abbas, Sajjad Ali Khokhar, Zafarullah, Tanveer Ahmed, Muhammad Ismail Qureshi, Tariq Sarwar, and others.

Senior PCB officials, including COO Sameer Ahmed, PSL CEO Salman Naseer, CFO, and directors of International Cricket, Media and Communications, Domestic Cricket, Human Resources, High-Performance Centres, along with the head of Women’s Cricket and representatives of the legal department, also joined the session.

READ: Harvey’s unbeaten century powers Adelaide Strikers into Top End T20 semis

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced a revised schedule for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, confirming that Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been dropped as a host venue due to unavailability.

The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai has been named as its replacement and will now stage up to five fixtures, including three league matches, a semifinal, and potentially the final.

Despite the venue change, the overall schedule of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 remains intact, with matches running from September 30 to November 2 across five cities.

The confirmed venues now include Navi Mumbai, Guwahati, Indore, Visakhapatnam, and Colombo (Sri Lanka).

According to the ICC, the first semifinal will take place on October 29 in either Guwahati or Colombo, while the second semifinal is set for October 30 in Navi Mumbai.

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The final, scheduled for November 2, will be staged in Navi Mumbai or Colombo.

The tournament will feature eight teams playing in a round-robin format, with the top four sides progressing to the knockouts.

Warm-up matches begin on September 24, with India facing England in Bengaluru before meeting South Africa in Guwahati.

This will be the 13th edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, first staged in 1973.

Australia, the defending champions and seven-time winners, secured direct qualification alongside England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and hosts India. Pakistan and Bangladesh completed the lineup via the April qualifiers.

Revised ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 schedule

• Tuesday, 30 Sept: India vs Sri Lanka, Guwahati
• Wednesday, 1 Oct: Australia vs New Zealand, Indore
• Thursday, 2 Oct: Bangladesh vs Pakistan, Colombo
• Friday, 3 Oct: England vs South Africa, Guwahati
• Saturday, 4 Oct: Australia vs Sri Lanka, Colombo
• Sunday, 5 Oct: India vs Pakistan, Colombo
• Monday, 6 Oct: New Zealand vs South Africa, Indore
• Tuesday, 7 Oct: England vs Bangladesh, Guwahati
• Wednesday, 8 Oct: Australia vs Pakistan, Colombo
• Thursday, 9 Oct: India vs South Africa, Visakhapatnam
• Friday, 10 Oct: New Zealand vs Bangladesh, Guwahati
• Saturday, 11 Oct: England vs Sri Lanka, Colombo
• Sunday, 12 Oct: India vs Australia, Visakhapatnam
• Monday, 13 Oct: South Africa vs Bangladesh, Visakhapatnam
• Tuesday, 14 Oct: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Colombo
• Wednesday, 15 Oct: England vs Pakistan, Colombo
• Thursday, 16 Oct: Australia vs Bangladesh, Visakhapatnam
• Friday, 17 Oct: South Africa vs Sri Lanka, Colombo
• Saturday, 18 Oct: New Zealand vs Pakistan, Colombo
• Sunday, 19 Oct: India vs England, Indore
• Monday, 20 Oct: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh, Navi Mumbai
• Tuesday, 21 Oct: South Africa vs Pakistan, Colombo
• Wednesday, 22 Oct: Australia vs England, Indore
• Thursday, 23 Oct: India vs New Zealand, Navi Mumbai
• Friday, 24 Oct: Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, Colombo
• Saturday, 25 Oct: Australia vs South Africa, Indore
• Sunday, 26 Oct: England vs New Zealand, Visakhapatnam (11h00)
• Sunday, 26 Oct: India vs Bangladesh, Navi Mumbai
• Wednesday, 29 Oct: Semifinal 1, Guwahati/Colombo
• Thursday, 30 Oct: Semifinal 2, Navi Mumbai
• Sunday, 2 Nov: Final, Navi Mumbai

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The India team has been officially cleared to participate in the Asia Cup 2025, which is scheduled to begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where arch-rivals Pakistan will also compete.

The highly anticipated encounter between India and Pakistan is set to take place on September 14 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The official decision was announced via a statement from the Indian Sports Ministry, amid calls for a boycott due to the strained relations between the two countries.

According to the Indian Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,  the country will not host or visit Pakistan for bilateral engagements, but will allow Pakistani players to participate in multilateral events hosted by the country.

“In so far as bilateral sports events in each other’s country are concerned, Indian teams will not be participating in competitions in Pakistan. Nor will we permit Pakistani teams to play in India,” the ministry’s statement said while revealing a new policy.

“With regard to international and multilateral events, in India or abroad, we are guided by the practices of international sports bodies and the interest of our own sportspersons. It is also relevant to take into account India’s emergence as a credible venue to host international sports events,” the statement added.

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The ministry also noted that the Indian team and individual players will participate in international events that also feature teams or players from Pakistan.

“Accordingly, Indian teams and individual players will take part in international events that also have teams or players from Pakistan. Similarly, Pakistani players and teams will be able to participate in such multilateral events hosted by India.”

However, the statement did not specify whether Indian athletes would be permitted to travel to Pakistan for multilateral events.

The statement emphasized a smooth visa process for the athletes, team officials, technical staff, and representatives of the sports governing bodies.

It is noteworthy to mention that India and Pakistan have not faced each other in a bilateral series since 2012; however, they have played each other in multination events.

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DARWIN: Opener Maaz Sadaqat’s 104 off 59 balls, followed by Mubasir Khan’s three-wicket haul, powered Pakistan Shaheens to a commanding 107-run victory over Adelaide Strikers Academy in the Top End T20 series here on Wednesday.

Chasing a daunting 203-run target, Adelaide Strikers were bowled out for just 95 runs here at Marrara Cricket Ground.

Pakistan Shaheens jolted the Adelaide Strikers early, reducing them to 16-2 in just 2.1 overs.

Opener Mackenzie Harvey, who top-scored with 27 off 17 balls, tried to stabilize the innings; however, he fell in the fifth over as Stikers were reeling for 37-3.

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The wickets continued to tumble as Harry Nielsen’s (12 off 11) dismissal sparked a collapse that Adelaide Strikers could not recover from.

Eventually, the whole team bundled out for a modest score in 16.1 overs.

For Pakistan Shaheens, Mubasir Khan was the standout bowler, picking up three wickets in his quota of four overs, whereas Faisal Akram and Mehran Mumtaz supported him well with two wickets each.

This was Pakistan Shaheens’ third win in five games, and they now sit in second position with six points.

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Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan Shaheens demonstrated an impressive showing with the bat.

Shaheens scored 202-6 in their allocated 20 overs, courtesy of a mammoth opening stand between Yasir Khan and Maaz Sadaqat.

The duo forged a 149-run partnership in just 14.1 overs, hence helping Shaheens in posting a formidable total.

Yasir, who scored 51 off 35 balls, played a second fiddle while Maaz remained the core aggressor and went on to score a century. Maaz Sadaqat’s innings was peppered with 11 fours and two maximums.

For Adelaide Strikers, Harry Manenti picked up three wickets.

READ: Wasim Akram comments on India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash

LAHORE: Star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were demoted as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced central contracts for the 2025-26 international season on Monday.

A total of 30 male cricketers have been awarded central contracts that will be effective from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

Notably, unlike previous years, no player has been selected for Category A in this cycle. Instead, this year’s roster sees ten players each placed in Categories B, C, and D.

Compared to last year’s list of 27 contracted players, the PCB has expanded the pool to 30, including 12 fresh additions, highlighting the emergence of promising new talent and the Board’s strategic focus on squad depth and future development.

The new entrants in the central contract list are Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim.

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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.

Eight players have missed out on contracts this year. They are Aamir Jamal, Haseebullah, Kamran Ghulam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Muhammad Irfan Khan, and Usman Khan, all of whom were 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 Sufyan Moqim.

READ: Abdul Samad opens up after powering Pakistan Shaheens to victory

DARWIN: Abdul Samad produced a blistering unbeaten century to guide Pakistan Shaheens to a commanding victory over Melbourne Renegades Academy in the Top End T20 Series at the TIO Stadium on Monday.

Set a target of 179, the Renegades were bundled out for 105 in the final over.

Apart from opener Josh Brown, who made 36 off 30 balls, none of the top-order batters managed to reach double figures.

The side crumbled to 66-8 inside 13 overs before tailenders Xavier Crone (11), Callum Stow (15), and Michael Archer (14*) showed some resistance to take the total past 100.

For the Shaheens, Maaz Sadaqat led the attack with three wickets while Faisal Akram picked up two.

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Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Pakistan Shaheens recovered from a shaky start to post 178-5 in their 20 overs, courtesy of Samad’s heroics.

The innings began in disastrous fashion as openers Yasir Khan and Khawaja Nafay departed without scoring, leaving the side struggling at 2-2 inside two overs.

Mohammad Faiq (21 off 18) and Abdul Samad added 32 runs to steady the innings, but wickets continued to fall, with the Shaheens slipping to 55-4 by the halfway stage.

From there, Samad took charge and reached his half-century with calculated strokeplay before cutting loose in the latter stages.

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The middle-order batter added 109 runs for the fifth wicket with skipper Irfan Khan (23), a stand that turned the innings around.

Samad remained unbeaten on a scintillating 110 off 63 deliveries, laced with six fours and six sixes.

Mohammad Wasim Jr. chipped in with two not out as the Shaheens closed on 178-5. For the Renegades, five different bowlers shared a wicket each.

This result marked the Renegades Academy’s first defeat in the Top End T20 Series, while Pakistan Shaheens secured their second win in three matches.

READ: Former all-rounder calls for India to skip Pakistan clash at Asia Cup 2025

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Monday met national hockey team captain Ammad Butt and assured full support for the national side’s participation in the upcoming FIH Pro League.

During the meeting, Butt highlighted the key challenges surrounding the revival of hockey in the country and briefed Naqvi on the team’s preparations for the league. Discussions also touched upon player welfare and rehabilitation.

Mohsin Naqvi termed Pakistan’s qualification for the Pro Hockey League an honour and stressed that he would take a proactive role in facilitating the team’s participation.

He also announced a reward of PKR one million for each player and guaranteed swift resolution of any visa-related issues.

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Meanwhile, the PCB’s medical team has been tasked with handling players’ fitness and injury concerns, while its logistics team will provide complete operational support.

On the occasion, Ammad Butt also congratulated Mohsin Naqvi on receiving the prestigious Nishan-e-Imtiaz award.

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) president Tariq Bugti had earlier disclosed that the federation had sought an extension from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) to confirm the national team’s participation in the Pro League.

It is worth mentioning that last month, the FIH formally invited Pakistan to feature in the Pro League after New Zealand, despite winning the Nations Cup, pulled out of the competition.

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