Category: Sports

KARACHI: Hyderabad Kingsmen scripted a magical victory to qualify for the playoffs of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11  with a big win over Rawalpindiz at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Set a daunting 245, Rawalpindiz were bowled out for 136 in 17.1 overs, ending a miserable campaign in which they managed only 1 victory out of 10 matches.

For Kingsmen to qualify, they simply had to restrict Pindiz to 158 or less, and they did in style by posting an imposing total, followed by a sensational bowling performance.

Shahzaib Khan went early in the piece as he was caught at mid off for only one. After the opening wicket, Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khawaja stabilized the innings with a 43-run partnership. The stand culminated with Rizwan’s dismissal, caught at deep square leg for 26, marking an end to his horror run in the tournament.

The partnership was the only silver lining for Pindiz in another otherwise shambolic batting display.

Kingsmen struck quickly to remove the next batter, Kamran Ghulam — gone without scoring. Consequently, Pindiz were reduced to 56-3 in 5.4 overs.

After quick wickets, Sam Billings tried to counterattack and stitched a brief 38-run partnership with Khawaja. He made 23 off 12 before a lower-order collapse slumped them to 136 all-out.

Khawaja remained unbeaten on 66 from 43 balls, hitting nine fours.

For Hyderabad Kingsmen, it was an all-round bowling performance, spearheaded by Hunain Shah, who picked up four wickets.

Earlier, A fiery batting display from Hyderabad Kingsmen powered them to a massive total against Rawalpindiz in the 39th fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at National Bank Stadium on Sunday.

Put into bat first, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted a massive total of 244-6 in their 20 overs.

After losing captain Marnus Labuschagne for five in the second over, Maaz Sadaqat took control of the innings, adding a 54-run stand with Usman Khan.

Sadaqat remained the core aggressor, capitalising on the fielding restrictions. As a result, Kingsmen finished their powerplay with two down for 64.

Sadaqat departed after hitting five fours and a six in his 28 off 11 balls.

Usman persisted with his aggressive batting, scoring his fifth PSL half-century and consistently hitting boundaries to dominate the bowlers.

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Saim Ayub briefly partnered with him but was dismissed for 12 off six balls, which included a four and a six, thanks to Asif Afridi.

Subsequently, Usman and Kusal Perera combined to push the innings past the 100-run mark before Saad Masood took two wickets in one over, shifting the game’s momentum. Usman was dismissed for an explosive 54 off 26 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes, while Irfan Niazi was out for a duck on the first ball, leaving the Kingsmen at 119-5 after 9.2 overs.

The highlight of the innings was a cracking 108-run stand between Kusal Perera and Glenn Maxwell. The duo stabilized the innings, maintaining the scoring rate and propelling the team over 200 by the 17th over.

Maxwell, in particular, launched an aggressive attack, reaching his first PSL fifty and helping the duo surpass 100 runs together.

Their 108-run partnership was broken in the final over when Maxwell was run out by Sam Billings after a brilliant 70 off 37 balls, including eight fours and three sixes.

Perera scored his fourth PSL fifty and finished unbeaten on 50 off 30 balls, with five fours and a six, while Hassan Khan added a quick 16, culminating in a strong total of 244-6.

For Rawalpindiz, Saad Masood remained impressive with two wickets in four overs.

READ: Fakhar, Raza keep Lahore Qalandars alive with win over Peshawar Zalmi

West Ham scored a late winner on Saturday to stay two points clear of Tottenham in the battle to avoid Premier League relegation on a day of breathless drama.

Spurs looked set to escape the bottom three with just minutes remaining after their late goal against Wolves and Everton’s equaliser at the London Stadium.

But West Ham substitute Callum Wilson scored a winner in the 92nd minute to restore West Ham’s two-point cushion, with just four games to go.

Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham travelled to already-relegated Wolves without a Premier League win since December but were blunt in attack, mustering just two shots on target in the entire game.

Short of inspiration and confidence, it appeared they were heading for a damaging goalless draw before Joao Palhinha’s 82nd-minute goal secured a 1-0 win.

Travelling Spurs fans celebrated wildly when they learned that Everton had levelled in the 88th minute, cancelling out Tomas Soucek’s headed opener.

At that stage Spurs were out of the bottom three.

But West Ham were not finished, with Wilson adding a remarkable postscript to lift them back above Tottenham.

“The atmosphere was electric,” Wilson told the BBC. “I think the fans and the players have really come together in this period and it has stood us in good stead.

“We’re the ones in the driving seat at the moment and if we take care of our own results it should stand us in good stead come the end of the season.”

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Wolves and Burnley are already down but the race to avoid the final relegation spot has effectively become a two-horse race between Tottenham and West Ham, who have 36 points.

Nottingham Forest, three points ahead, hammered Sunderland 5-0 on Friday to pull well clear of the drop zone.

Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 3-1, getting the better of their opponents for the first time in four meetings this season to climb into fourth place above Aston Villa, who earlier lost 1-0 at Fulham.

Liverpool lost the season-opening Community Shield against Palace on penalties before defeats in the Premier League and League Cup.

Alexander Isak, who has recently returned to action after fracturing his fibula, scored his first goal for Liverpool since December.

Andy Robertson doubled Liverpool’s lead after a slick counter-attacking move.

Daniel Munoz halved the deficit in the second half but Florian Wirtz scored a last-gasp third to restore the home side’s two-goal cushion.

Mohamed Salah limped off in the second half at Anfield holding his hamstring with less than a month of his glittering career with the Reds remaining.

Arne Slot’s men are now near-certainties to qualify for next season’s Champions League, which would be some consolation after a miserable title defence.

They are level on 58 points with Villa and Manchester United — with all three teams eight points clear of Brighton.

“Our objectives this season have changed due to our form but the Champions League is so important to this football club and we’ve made a big step,” Robertson told Sky Sports.

In the early kick-off on Saturday, Fulham beat Aston Villa to keep their hopes of qualification for Europe alive.

Ryan Sessegnon scored the only goal of the game shortly before half-time after Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins had gone close for Villa.

Arsenal aim to retake top spot from Manchester City when they host Newcastle in the evening kick-off.

The Gunners have seen their nine-point lead vanish in the past two weeks and they are now behind Pep Guardiola’s men on goals scored, with both sides level on goal difference.

READ: Liverpool close on Champions League spot with win over Crystal Palace

Liverpool moved ever closer to securing Champions League football next season with a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, but will be hoping Mohamed Salah has not played his final game for the club.

Salah limped off in the second half at Anfield, holding his hamstring, with less than a month of his glittering career with the Reds remaining.

“It’s too early to say but we all know Mo and how hard it is for him to leave the pitch,” said Liverpool boss Arne Slot. “We have to wait and see how bad it is.”

Two goals in five minutes just before half-time tightened the grip of Slot’s men on a top-five finish.

British transfer record signing Alexander Isak scored his first goal since returning from a leg break as he smartly controlled Alexis Mac Allister’s wayward effort on goal and swivelled on the ball to volley it past Dean Henderson.

Andy Robertson then marked one of his final appearances at Anfield with a fine finish at the end of a lethal Liverpool counter-attack after third-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman had denied Palace an equaliser.

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Salah went to ground just before the hour mark, holding the back of his left leg, and was given a standing ovation as he made way for Jeremie Frimpong.

Daniel Munoz reduced the Eagles’ arrears in controversial fashion as Liverpool wanted the game stopped with Woodman down injured.

“It was a lot more nervy because of the goal. I don’t think we deserved to concede it in that fashion,” added Slot.

“Is there a game we play where there isn’t a talking point about the referee?”

But Florian Wirtz secured the three points deep into stoppage time with just his fifth Premier League goal since a £100 million ($135 million) move from Bayer Leverkusen.

Victory moves Liverpool up to fourth and opens up an eight-point lead on sixth-placed Brighton with just four games of the season remaining.

READ: Rizwanullah lauds Warner’s leadership after impressive bowling display

LAHORE: Fakhar Zaman’s half-century and Sikandar Raza’s cameo took Lahore Qalandars over the line against Peshawar Zalmi in a high-scoring Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Set a massive 200-run target, Qalandars hit the winning runs on the third ball of the final over, losing four wickets in the process.

In pursuit of the chase, the defending champions faced an early setback in the form of Mohammad Naeem, who only managed 10 from eight deliveries.

With Qalandars 21-1 in three overs, Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique put the chase back on track with a 44-run stand in quick time.

Shafique remained the core aggressor, hitting four elegant fours and a six in his 25 off 11 balls. He holed out to deep mid-wicket after the play, leaving Qalandars two down for 65.

However, scratchy Fakhar continued to motor on alongside Charith Asalanka, adding a crucial half-century partnership, bringing the score to 118 in 12.4 overs. The Sri Lankan batter played well for his 33 off 26, including three fours and a six.

Despite Asalanka’s departure, Qalanadrs motored along with Sikandar Raza providing the impetus with an enterprising 29 from only 11 balls. The right-hander took the attack to Ali Raza and Sufiyan Muqeem in the 15th and 16th over, accumulating 18 and 14 runs respectively.

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Raza’s innings ended in a bizarre way as he was hit-wicket. Meanwhile, Fakhar nudged singles, incoming Daniel Sams hit a whirlwind 35 off 15, hitting a six and five boundaries, taking his time over the line.

For Peshawar Zalmi, Khurram Shahzad was the pick of the bowlers with one wicket to his name.

Earlier, Babar Azam and Michael Bracewell’s half-centuries lifted Peshawar Zalmi to a strong total against Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Asked to bat first, Zalmi piled up 199-4 in their 20 overs.

Qalandars inflicted a poor start on Peshawar Zalmi as they lost James Vince (10) and inform Kusal Mendis (7) inside four overs.

As a result, Zalmi were 43/2 at the end of the power play.

After a shaky start, Babar Azam and Michael Bracewell launched a steady recovery, with the former scoring an anchoring half-century. Meanwhile, Bracewell fully capitalized on the reprieve from Mohammad Naeem on the boundary rope.

The highlight of the stand was boundaries alongside ones and twos that kept the scoreboard ticking.

With Zalmi well poised at 129-2 in 15 overs, Haris Rauf provided his side the much-needed breakthrough with the wicket of Babar, who made 59 from 45 balls with the aid of five fours and a six.

Meanwhile, Bracewell, who was joined by Iftikhar Ahmed, continued on his merry way. The duo added 64 from just 27 balls for the fifth wicket that pushed their score near the 200-run mark. The New Zealand batter hit eight fours and half a dozen maximums in his 83 off 45 before getting bowled in the final over.

On the other hand, Iftikhar scored 27 from 14, including five fours.

For Lahore Qalandars, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi picked up two wickets.

READ: Rizwanullah lauds Warner’s leadership after impressive bowling display

LAHORE: Karachi Kings teenage pacer Rizwanullah credited skipper David Warner for guidance after playing a pivotal role with the ball against Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11.

The 17-year-old bowled 3.4 overs in extreme weather conditions and took two key wickets — Saud Shakeel and Hassan Nawaz. His bowling performance played a crucial role in limiting Quetta Gladiators from scoring 200 runs at the end of their innings.

In reply, Karachi Kings chased down the 196-run target in 18.3 overs, thanks to David Warner’s and Reeza Hendricks sublime batting.

Warner was adjudged player of the match for scoring an unbeaten 89* off 48 balls with the aid of 10 fours and four maximums.

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Speaking to the media in the post-match press conference, Rizwanullah said he is enjoying his time in Lahore.

“I am enjoying the matches in Lahore,” he told reporters.

He also lauded skipper David Warner’s impact, noting that he guides him consistently both during matches and in the nets.

“Our captain, David Warner, guides me during the matches and in the nets,” the tall pacer said.

“The kind of pitch it was, 200 runs would have been easily chased. Both batters [David Warner] and [Reeza Hendricks] won the match with brilliant innings.”

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Rizwanullah thanked the coaches for giving him the oppurtunity to play at the big stage despite not having enough experience.

“I am grateful to my coaches, whose guidance has led me to this point, and after that, I am very much thankful to Karachi coaches Masroor bhai [Mohammad Masroor] because I haven’t had any other cricket except the National T20 Cup. It is very difficult to bring a player from club level to a Karachi team, which is a matter of pride,” he concluded.

READ: David Warner lauds ‘execution’ after emphatic win over Gladiators

LAHORE: Karachi Kings captain David Warner lauded a dominant nine-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

The Kings chased down a 196-run target inside 18 overs, losing only one wicket in the process. Warner and Reeza Hendricks starred with the bat, both scoring 89* and 87* runs respectively.

The win kept the 2020 champions alive in the tournament while Quetta Gladiators were eliminated.

In the post-match presentation, Warner highlighted early wickets in the Quetta Gladiators innings and acknowledged Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw for their half-centuries.

“We set the tone by taking early wickets at the start of the powerplay, but it just got away from us a little bit. Those two batted well and put on a good partnership,” he told the presenter.

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The skipper emphasized execution and the importance of a crucial partnership that sealed victory.

“But to bring it back to 196, I felt, was a very chaseable total. It was about going out there, trying to execute, and building a good partnership,” he added.

He remained optimistic about the chances of qualifying for the playoffs, noting that a commanding win

“I think you’ve just got to go out there and play the basics. I thought with the new ball on that wicket, one could have your name on it. We had a little bit of luck; a good start for me and Jason. But to play it out that way and win comprehensively was great, and now we have to wait with anticipation,” Warner concluded.

READ: WATCH: Ben Stokes’ first appearance after life-threatening injury

LAHORE: Lahore Qalandars have won the toss and have decided to bowl first against table toppers Peshawar Zalmi in the do-or-die encounter of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Head to Head

The two teams have faced each other 22 times in PSL history. Zalmi slightly lead the head-to-head record with 12 wins, while Qalandars have 9 wins. One match ended without a result.

Playing XIs

Lahore Qalandars Mohammad Naeem, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Charith Asalanka, Haseebullah (wk), Sikandar Raza, Ryan Burl, Daniel Sams, Shaheen Afridi, Ubaid Shah, Haris Rauf

Peshawar Zalmi Babar Azam, James Vince, Kusal Mendis (wk0, Farhan Yousuf, Michael Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, Abdul Samad, Khurram Shahzad, Sufyan Muqeem, Basit Ali, Ali Raza.

READ: WATCH: Ben Stokes’ first appearance after life-threatening injury

LAHORE: David Warner and Reeza Hendricks propelled Karachi Kings to a big win against Quetta Gladiators in the crucial Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

The Kings aced the 196-run target in 18.3 overs, losing only one wicket in the process, largely due to an unbeaten, explosive 141* stand off just 79 balls between Warner and Hendricks.

In pursuit of the target, Jason Roy and David Warner put on a blazing 58-run partnership in 5.2 overs. Roy was caught for 20, hitting four boundaries.

The wicket never shifted momentum in the Gladiators’ way as they launched an assault on the opposition, bringing the team’s total to 110 at the halfway stage of the innings.

Warner and Hendricks continued on their merry way as none of the opposition bowlers could trouble them. Eventually, Hendricks finished the match in style with a four off Jahandad Khan.

The skipper remained unbeaten on 89* off 48 balls, smashing four sixes and 10 boundaries, while Hendricks hit four sixes and eight fours in his 87 from 48 deliveries.

For Quetta Gladiators, Jahandad Khan remained the solitary wicket-taker.

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Earlier, Skipper Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw’s impressive batting helped Quetta Gladiators set a competitive total against Karachi Kings

Batting first, the Gladiators scored 195-6 in 20 overs, thanks to strong contributions from both batters.

The team started poorly, losing their first two wickets in the opening over as Hasan Ali dismissed Shamyl Hussain and Khawaja Nafay for ducks.

After these early setbacks, Saud Shakeel and Rilee Rossouw took charge, attacking the Kings’ bowling with aggressive boundaries and pushing the team past 50. Rilee was in superb form, scoring his 14th PSL half-century and accumulating vital runs.

The pair reached a 100-run partnership, with Saud Shakeel also hitting his fifth PSL fifty.

The stand ended when Rizwanullah took Shakeel’s wicket, who scored 57 off 34 balls with nine fours, leaving the team at 149-3 after 14.3 overs.

Hasan Nawaz joined Rilee Rossouw, who continued to hit boundaries, helping the team pass 150. Rilee’s innings concluded when Abbas Afridi dismissed him for 90 off 54 balls, with eight fours and six sixes, bringing the team to 157-4 after 15.3 overs.

The Gladiators lost wickets again as Rizwanullah took his second, dismissing Hasan Nawaz for two. Afridi, in his third over, took another wicket, removing Jahandad Khan for three, and the team fell to 185-6 after 19 overs.

The innings ended with Hasan Ali bowling the last over, with Dinesh Chandimal unbeaten on 30 off 17 balls, featuring three fours and a six, and Alzarri Joseph scoring two runs. For Karachi Kings, Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Rizwanullah took two wickets each.

READ: WATCH: Ben Stokes’ first appearance after life-threatening injury

England Test captain Ben Stokes facial transformation has left the cricketing fraternity stunned during a video appearance ahead of a packed cricketing summer.

The transformation was captured in a video posted on England Cricket’s social media handles, featuring numerous Three Lions cricketers showcasing the new kits across all three formats.

Following the video, Stokes’ transformation drew attention online.

 

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For those unaware, all-rounder Stokes suffered a broken cheekbone after being hit by the ball during a net session while he was coaching academy players at his county side, Durham, in February.

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After recovering from a serious injury, the 34-year-old revealed that he could not have been alive.

“I copped one straight in the face,” the 34-year-old told the England and Wales Cricket Board.

“Pretty nasty but, funnily, probably the best result of a bad situation, to be honest. Just a couple of inches one way or the other, I might not be here doing this interview if I hadn’t turned my head around,” he added.

“All things considered, although I had pretty major facial surgery to sort it out, it was a bit of a mess under here (cheekbone), I’ve got out quite lucky. So pretty thankful for that.”

England are set to play New Zealand in a three-match Test series, starting from June 4 at the Home of Cricket, Lord’s.

READ: PSL 11 observes Golden Ribbon Day to raise childhood cancer awareness

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has dedicated Saturday to raise childhood cancer awareness during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11, marking the occasion as ‘Golden Ribbon Day’ in a bid to use cricket’s platform for a wider social cause.

In the afternoon match, Quetta Gladiators is taking on Karachi Kings, while Lahore Qalandars will face Peshawar Zalmi in the evening fixture.

The PSL will make use of its popularity and reach to stand up for the children affected by cancer early in their lives. According to online available data, around 8,000 to 10,000 children in Pakistan are diagnosed with cancer annually. Early detection can raise the chances of survival up to 85 per cent.

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The players and officials are wearing golden caps in the afternoon clash, while Peshawar Zalmi will be wearing a special golden kit. The broadcast graphics will also be in golden colour to show solidarity and raise awareness regarding the disease.

The PSL has also invited eight kids who have survived cancer in their lives. Meanwhile, the Golden Ribbon day is being observed in partnership with the Indus Hospital, a healthcare unit which has successfully treated more than 14,000 childhood cancer patients.

At 8pm PKT, the Pakistan Cricket fraternity is set to come together to share their messages and thoughts on X using the hashtag #GoGold.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

These will be regarding the childhood cancer and in support of those going through the plight. The fans are also encouraged to share their messages and views regarding the Golden Ribbon Day using the official hashtag.

“Beyond the boundaries and the thrill of competition, the HBL PSL has always been a platform for meaningful change. Today, we stand in solidarity with the young warriors battling cancer as we #GoGold. Let’s turn the stadium and our feeds gold,” said Chief Executive Officer of PSL, Salman Naseer.

“It is vital that we dedicate our time and energies towards raising awareness and empathizing with those affected by childhood cancer and their loved ones. HBL PSL is a great avenue to raise awareness as millions are attached to this sporting extravaganza.”

READ: PSL 11 final to be played with crowd as PM Shehbaz grants approval