Category: Sports

LAHORE: Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi praised the team’s performance after the series win over Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday night. 

Shaheen Afridi starred with the ball, scalping three wickets to fold Australia for 157 in 42 overs.

In reply, Pakistan aced a tricky chase with contributions from Babar Azam, top-scoring with 40 off 84 balls. Shadab Khan and Abdul Samad forged an unbeaten 49* run stand that propelled the home side to victory.

Shaheen Afridi was awarded the player of the match for his impressive bowling.

With this, the Green Shirts sealed the ODI series 2-1 against Australia.

Speaking in the post-match presentation, Shaheen lauded the team’s performance in challenging conditions.

“I think it was a complete team effort throughout the series. The conditions were tough for the batters, but every run counted, and the players put in a great effort,” he said.

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He also highlighted the importance of home advantage while recalling the conditions in Australia.

“Whenever you’re playing in your own conditions, you try to make the most of them. When we went to Australia and won the series there, the conditions suited fast bowling,” he added.

The skipper particularly praised fast bowler Haris Rauf, revealing the bowlers’ game plan in the series decider.

“I think our batters contributed well, and throughout the series, the bowlers consistently hit the right areas. Haris Rauf deserves a lot of credit; he had an excellent series. A couple of partnerships did develop for Australia during the series but our plan was to create as many dot balls as possible and build pressure.”

“All of our bowlers executed their plans well and the credit goes to them. I will keep trying to do whatever I can to help my team improve, and God willing, I will continue to do so in the future,” he concluded.

READ: Indian cricketer calls time on international career

DUBLIN: West Indies women’s team clinched the T20I tri-series after the final fixture between Pakistan and Ireland was washed out due to persistent rain on Thursday.

Although Pakistan had already been eliminated following their washout against West Indies at the same venue on Wednesday, Ireland was still in contention since they needed to win that match to claim the tri-series title.

Heavy rain prevented any play, denying Ireland the chance to win the series on home soil.

They finished second with 10 points from four matches, behind West Indies, who also ended with 10 points but had a better net run rate.

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The abandoned fixture meant Pakistan ended the series without any wins, finishing last with four points after losing to West Indies by 25 runs and to Ireland by seven wickets.

Pakistan will now fly to England to compete in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled from June 12 to July 5.

In Group 1, they will finalize preparations with two warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Scotland in Derby on June 6 and 9.

Their World Cup campaign officially begins on June 14 when they face India at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

READ: Indian cricketer calls time on international career

India wicket-keeper batter KS Bharat has retired from international cricket, drawing the curtains on a Test career that saw him represent the country in seven matches.

The 32-year-old announced his decision on social media and thanked those who supported him in achieving the dream of representing India.

“With a proud heart and a sense of gratitude, I announce my retirement from international cricket,” Bharat posted on social media.

“To play for my country has been the greatest honour of my life. This journey of mine has demanded great resilience and strength but the Honour to represent India in Tests worth every moment,” he added.

“In a family of four, we all lived the same dream over two decades, a big heart to my sister, mom and dad for creating an environment and support system they have been . I am a product of their love ,discipline and hardwork,” he concluded.

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Bharat made his Test debut for India in the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy and went on to play seven matches, scoring 221 runs in 12 innings at an average of 20.09. Behind the stumps, he effected 19 dismissals.

He was also selected as India’s wicketkeeper for the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at The Oval.

Bharat is the second Indian cricketer in recent days, after all-rounder Vijay Shankar, to retire from international cricket. His decision comes amid the growing influence of franchise leagues around the globe, with active Indian players barred from participating in overseas T20 leagues.

After retirement, Shankar was picked by the Kandy Royals as an overseas star signing for the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026.

READ: Lord’s etches name in history with landmark Test milestone

Mirra Andreeva raced into her first Grand Slam final as she beat an erratic Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 at the French Open on Thursday.

The 19-year-old Russian took one hour and 16 minutes to overcome her Ukrainian opponent. Andreeva will play either compatriot Diana Shnaider or Pole Maja Chwalinska in Saturday’s final.

“I’m still very, very nervous. I was very nervous coming into this match,” said eighth-seeded Andreeva on court at the end.

Kostyuk, the 15th seed, had won her previous two meetings with Andreeva, both this year. The most recent was on clay in the final in Madrid as Kostyuk put together a 17-match unbeaten run on the red dirt coming into the Roland Garros last four.

Yet, on Thursday, she quickly started to unravel against her teenage opponent. Kostyuk dropped serve in the very first game after two double faults and a pair of unforced errors.

She led 0-40 in Andreeva’s first service game but a combination of Kostyuk errors on high-risk strokes and the Russian’s steadier defence allowed Andreeva to recover to consolidate the break.

The pattern persisted as Andreeva grabbed the initiative to win through the 34-minute set.

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Kostyuk had a break point in the first game of the second set but could not take it.

Andreeva pulled 4-1 ahead. Kostyuk, who finished with 34 unforced errors, finally forced a break of her own but promptly dropped serve to love and Andreeva duly served out the win.

“She’s had an amazing season,” said Andreeva of Kostyuk. “She’s an amazing player, very tough opponent.

“I’m super happy with the way I played and then that I got revenge for Madrid final and I’m happy that I’m in my first-ever Grand Slam final.

“All of these feelings combined it’s amazing. I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

Andreeva was the only one of the women’s semi-finalists to have reached this stage at one of the four majors — she lost to Jasmine Paolini at the last-four stage of Roland Garros in 2024.

Shnaider and Chwalinska, a qualifier, meet to decide her final opponent later Thursday.

“I’m nervous but at the same time I’m very, very excited,” added Andreeva of playing her first major title-decider.

READ: Maaz Sadaqat suffers injury during third ODI against Australia

MALE: Pakistan team on Thursday completed a historic 3-0 victory over Maldives in the third match of the four-nation Diamond Jubilee Tournament at the National Football Stadium.

Pakistan ended a 962-day period without a football victory and achieved their first win against the Maldives since the 1991 South Asian Games.

The first half saw Pakistan gain territorial ascendancy, but the Shaheens were unable to break the deadlock. Things turned around in the second half, when Hayyan Khattak’s rasping drive saw the Maldives keeper spill the ball, and Umer Nawaz was there to poach the ball and bundle it home.

The first Pakistan goal saw Maldives going on the offence to equalise, which saw them create two clear cut chances that could not be converted.

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However, Maldives were also leaving huge spaces in the field, and substitute Abdul Samad Arshad caressed the ball past the keeper in the 83rd minute.

The third goal came off a deflected shot when another substitute, Harun Hamid, saw his shot deflect off a defender in the 87th minute and go beyond a hapless Maldives keeper.

This completed Pakistan’s first win in well over two years. And gave Head Coach Nolberto Solano his first win as Pakistan head coach.

PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani congratulated the Pakistan team for their victory and hoped they would carry on in the same vein against Afghanistan in their next match on Saturday

Pakistan squad:

Goalkeepers: Saqib Hanif, Yousuf Butt, and Hassan Ali.

Defenders: Abdullah Iqbal, Mohammad Fazal, Abdullah Shah, Easah Suliman, Mohib Afridi, Mamoon Moosa, Ali Niazi and Haris Zeb.

Midfielders: Adil Nabi, Rahis Nabi, Alamgir Ghazi, Hayyan Khattak, Ali Agha and Otis Khan.

Forwards: Shayak Dost, Umer Nawaz, Ali Shah, Ali Khan, Samad Arshad and Harun Hamid.

READ: Lord’s etches name in history with landmark Test milestone

LAHORE: Pakistan secured a nervy four-wicket victory to seal the three-match ODI series against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Set a challenging 158, Pakistan huffed and puffed to reach the target in 41.3 overs, losing six wickets in the process.

Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat were off the blocks quick, racing to 27 in three overs. But it was Nathan Ellis who broke through for the visitors, cleaning up Sahibzada Farhan for six.

Sadaqat also fell soon after, pinned by Matthew Short. He hit five fours in his 27 off 26 balls.

Australia continued to chip in with regular strikes, with Ghazi Ghori, the next batter to fall. He only managed eight before perishing to Matthew Kuhnemann. As a result, the home side were 60-3 after 13 overs.

Babar Azam remained key for Pakistan, stitching a crucial 33-run stand with Salman Ali Agha, which brought the score near the 100-run mark.

However, things turned quickly for the home side as Australian spinners reaped rewards for squeezing runs flow. It was Kunhnemann’s triple strike, including two in an over, that jolted Green Shirts’ progress.

Consequently, they were languishing at 112-6 in 30.4 overs. Babar top-scored with 40 off 84 balls, hitting three boundaries.

Eventually, it was Shadab Khan and Abdul Samad’s unbeaten 49-run partnership that took them home. Both batters negotiated excessive spin and soaked up all the pressure. Samad made 13* off 25 while Shadab remained not out on 15.

For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann returned with the figures of 3/38 in 10 overs while Matthew Short, Matt Renshaw, and Nathan Ellis scalped one apiece.

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With this, Pakistan completed a 2-1 victory over Australia.

Earlier, Shaheen Afridi’s three-wicket haul headlined a clinical bowling display from Pakistan as they bowled Australia out for a modest total in the series decider at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

The visitors’ decision to bat first backfired as they were bowled out for just 157 in 42 overs.

Shaheen Afridi started the proceedings for Pakistan, setting the tone early with a wicket in the first over. Matthew Short was caught at mid on for a two-ball duck.

Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Inglis tried to rebuild with a 46-run stand, ending the powerplay on a positive note. Australia’s skipper capitalized on the fielding restrictions and took on the bowlers.

However, a good piece of fielding brought the partnership to an end with Labuschagne’s wicket. He made 19 off 39 with the aid of two fours.

The dismissals at regular intervals remained the pattern for Australia throughout the series and in the third ODI as well.

Josh Inglis remained the only silver lining, top-scoring with counterattacking 65 off 71 deliveries, hitting a six and eight fours.

Shaheen accounted for his wicket in the 27th over, which sparked a collapse that the visitors could never recover from. They slumped from 119-4 to 126-6 in a span of four overs.

Eventually, another run-out ended the innings for Australia. Nathan Ellis (1) was the player for the fall, marking an end to Australia’s disappointing series with the bat.

For Pakistan, Shaheen Afridi took three wickets, whereas Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed took each.

LONDON: The iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground has etched its name deeper into cricket history, becoming the first venue in the world to host 150 Test matches on Thursday. 

The opening match of the English summer between England and New Zealand marked the milestone, further cementing Lord’s status as the ‘Home of Cricket’ and the most historic Test venue.

The iconic ground leads the global rankings for hosting the most Test matches, followed by Australia’s Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Stadium to host most Tests:

Lord’s Cricket Ground  150
Melbourne Cricket Ground  118
Sydney Cricket Ground 114
Kennington Oval 108
Old Trafford 86

Over the years, Lord’s has provided fans with decades of highly competitive cricket. The venue is known for producing decisive results, with 98 matches ending in wins and only 51 finishing in draws.

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During its 142-year history, the iconic ground has hosted a number of memorable matches, with a total of 143,786 runs scored and 4,627 wickets.

England ace batter Joe Root has scored the most runs at this venue, followed by former players Graham Gooch, Alastair Cook, Andrew Strauss, and Alec Stewart. Meanwhile, Australia batter Steve Smith tops the runs charts for overseas batters at this venue.

Most Runs at Lord’s

Joe Root — 24*, 2166
Graham Gooch — 21, 2015
Alastair Cook — 26, 1937
Andrew Strauss — 18, 1562
Alec Stewart — 20, 1476

In bowlers, legendary fast bowler James Anderson leads the wickets charts with 129 wickets in 29 matches, while New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee has taken the most wickets by a visiting bowler, with 26 wickets in four matches.

Playing XIs

England: Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Gus Atkinson, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir

New Zealand: Tom Latham (capt), Devon Conway, Kane Williamson, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wkt), Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Will O’Rourke

READ: Maaz Sadaqat suffers injury during third ODI against Australia

LAHORE: Pakistan opening batter Maaz Sadaqat suffered an injury while fielding during the third ODI against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

The incident took place in the 10th over when Maaz attempted to prevent a boundary but ended up getting hurt in the process.

The 21-year-old remained on the ground outside the boundary rope as teammate Shamyl Hussain signalled for medical assistance. He was later assessed by the team physio before being helped off the field.

The injury adds to Sadaqat’s struggles in the ongoing ODI series, where the left-handed opener has been out of form with the bat, scoring just eight runs across two innings.

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He made only eight in the series opener and was dismissed for a golden duck in the second match, which Australia won by 41 runs at the same venue on Tuesday.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Maaz Sadaqat, Babar Azam, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Abdul Samad, Shadab Khan, Arafat Minhas, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Haris Rauf and Abrar Ahmed.

Australia: Matt Short, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Ollie Peake, Nathan Ellis, Cooper Connolly, Adam Zampa and Matt Kuhnemann.

READ: Liam Livingstone slams ‘flat’ IPL 2026 pitches

England all-rounder Liam Livingstone has criticized the pitches used in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

Livingstone, who turned out for Sunrisers Hyderabad, called the run-fests ‘boring’ and said there was little skill involved when batters were repeatedly clearing the boundary.

“We were playing Mumbai, and we chased 230 or 240 in 18 overs. I thought it is actually quite boring. Just watching people go 6, 6, 6. There is no real skill involved,” he said during the Stick To Cricket podcast.

He described the pitches as extremely flat and said high-scoring matches were common despite the presence of big boundaries.

“The pitches were so flat and the Impact Player just comes in. The boundaries are big enough but the pitches are so flat. At Mumbai, the ball just absolutely flies. In Hyderabad, he played at the same pitch maybe five or six times,” he added.

The 32-year-old heaped high praise on teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, noting that he had never seen a player like him in IPL.

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“I’ve never seen anything like it. And I’ve been there; this year was my seventh IPL. And I’ve played with and against some very good players, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.

Livingstone praised Sooryavanshi’s clean ball-striking ability, noting that his six-hitting prowess makes bowlers clueless.

Livingstone praised Sooryavanshi’s clean ball-striking ability, noting that his six-hitting prowess constantly puts bowlers under pressure.

“He’s just like the way he hits a ball, he hits a ball so clean, yeah. He never really mis-hits a ball, never really mis-hits a ball the whole time. And wherever the ball, the first time we got him out with a bouncer, first ball he hit it straight up.”

But then the development that he made as a player from the start of that tournament to the end was like… we were bowling bouncers, and he was hitting it over third man, and then you’d bowl this side, he’d hit it there; you bowl full, he hit it there; bowl a low full toss, he’d flick it over there. And you’re like, ‘Well, hold on a minute, where do we bowl?'” he concluded.

READ: Shaun Tait leaves Bangladesh fast bowling coach role

Former Australian pacer Shaun Tait has stepped down as Bangladesh’s fast bowling coach ahead of the multi-format series against Australia. 

According to the Daily Star, former pacer Talha Jubair has replaced him as the interim coach with the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) operations chairman Shahreer Nafees confirming the appointment.

Earlier, the board confirmed Tait’s departure from his position in a press release statement.

“Since informing the BCB of his circumstances, Shaun had expressed his willingness to continue in the role with a shortened time. However, it was ultimately agreed that stepping down from the position was the most appropriate course of action. The decision has been reached amicably and with mutual understanding,” the BCB said in its statement.

Tait played a key role in nurturing several fast bowlers, notably Nahid Rana, who has caught the eye with his raw pace in recent times.

Shaun Tait described the decision as difficult and lauded Bangladesh players for their commitment.

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“It has been a privilege to work with the Bangladesh National Team and to be part of a talented and committed group of players and support staff This was not an easy decision, and I sincerely appreciate the understanding and support shown by the BCB throughout our discussions,” Tait was quoted as saying in the BCB statement.

“I am proud of what the pace bowlers have achieved, and I believe they have an exciting future ahead. I wish the team every success going forward,” he added.

For the unversed, Tait took charge of the position in May 2025, with his contract running until the ICC World Cup 2027.

Bangladesh will begin their preparation camp for the Australia series on June 6. Australia are scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on Friday afternoon for a tour featuring three ODIs and three T20Is.

Bangladesh are set to play three ODIs and T20Is against Australia from 9 to 21 June for a six-match white-ball series.

The ODI series will commence at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka with the T20I series commencing on 17 June in Chattogram.

READ: Injured Virat Kohli ruled out of ODI series against Afghanistan