Category: Sports

Hyderabad Kingsmen head coach Jason Gillespie has dismissed any lingering speculation of a fallout with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), insisting that his relationship with the board remains “absolutely fine.”

Gillespie, who stepped down from his role as Pakistan’s Test head coach in December 2024 amid reports of differences with the PCB, commented on his relationship with the board on Saturday.

“Absolutely no problem,” Gillespie said when asked about his equation with the PCB.

“I finished my role as Test coach, and these things happen in coaching. We’ve all moved on; there’s no drama at all. From my end and the PCB’s end, the relationship is perfectly fine.”

The former Australia fast bowler had taken over the red-ball setup in April 2024 but endured a brief tenure amid reports of differences with team management.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

However, he made it clear that any such issues are now firmly in the past.

Shifting focus to the broader cricketing landscape, Jason Gillespie also weighed in on the growing influence of franchise leagues and their impact on international cricket, particularly the longest format.

“I love international cricket, especially Test cricket, and I’m not alone in that,” he said.

“It’s a challenge for administrators to strike the right balance with so many leagues around the world, but I think they’ve done a decent job so far.”

He acknowledged the increasing workload on players, particularly fast bowlers, who are often forced to make tough choices across formats.

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“Fast bowling is a very demanding job. You’re seeing players become more selective, especially with the rise of T20 cricket. It’s difficult to play all three formats throughout the year,” he said.

Gillespie also pointed out a shifting trend in modern cricket, where some players are opting out of certain formats altogether to prolong their careers, underlining the complexity of scheduling in today’s packed calendar.

The Hyderabad Kingsmen coach expressed confidence in his squad, singling out Saim Ayub as a player to watch despite recent inconsistent batting form.

“Saim is a quality player. There will always be ups and downs, but we’re encouraging him to play his natural game, watch the ball and back his strengths. I’m really looking forward to seeing him perform in this tournament,” he said.

READ: MS Dhoni to miss first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to injury

World number two Jannik Sinner of Italy stretched his win streak over fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev to seven matches on Friday, advancing to a Miami Open men’s final against Czech Jiri Lehecka.

The 24-year-old Italian fired 15 aces in beating Germany’s Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) after an hour and 53 minutes — boosting his streak of consecutive sets won at the elite Masters 1000 level to 32.

Sinner is trying to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the “Sunshine Double” by winning titles at Indian Wells and Miami in the same year.

“Standing here again in a final means very much to me,” Sinner said. “We’ll try to push in a couple of days, but in any case, it has been an incredible swing.”

Reigning Wimbledon champion Sinner, a four-time Grand Slam winner, also beat Zverev two weeks ago in the Indian Wells semi-finals and seeks his second Miami crown in three years.

“Coming here, trying to produce some good tennis, that was my main goal,” Sinner said. “Trying to play as many matches as possible. I couldn’t do better. I’m very happy.”

Also attempting a “Sunshine Double” is world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, who defends her Miami crown against American fourth seed Coco Gauff in Saturday’s WTA final.

Lehecka, seeded 21st, dominated 28th-seeded Arthur Fils of France 6-2, 6-2 in the other semi-final at Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

Lehecka is winless in three matches against Sinner without taking a set.

“He’s an incredible player,” said Sinner. “He’s going to be for sure more free than me, but I try to control whatever I can control, and the rest we’ll see how it goes.”

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Jannik Sinner blasted a forehand winner to break Alexander Zverev for a 3-1 lead and held from there to capture the first set after 42 minutes on a service winner.

Neither player could manage a break into the second-set tie-breaker, which turned when Zverev sent an overhead smash long to hand Sinner a 5-4 lead.

Zverev, who last beat the Italian in the fourth round at the 2023 US Open, sent a backhand wide on the next point and Sinner settled matters with a service winner, improving to 8-4 all-time against the German.

“Today has been a very tough encounter. He played some incredible tennis,” Sinner said. “I was serving very well, especially in the crucial moments, so I’m very happy.”

Sinner seeks a 26th career ATP title in his 35th career final.

Jiri Lehecka, who has not dropped a set in the event, delivered the Frenchman’s first four broken service games to advance after 75 minutes.

“It feels great. It’s definitely something I’ve been working towards the whole year and the whole pre-season,” Lehecka said.

“I really trusted my game and the work I put in. It didn’t matter when, but I knew it would come, and today was a nice example of how I want to play. I executed it well, so I’m very happy with today’s performance.”

Lehecka will jump past his current career-high ranking of 16th next week. He’s assured of leaping eight spots to 14th and, with a title, would reach 12th.

The 24-year-old seeks his third ATP title after Adelaide in 2024 and Brisbane in 2025. It’s the eighth career final for the Czech but his first in a Masters 1000 event.

READ: MS Dhoni to miss first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to injury

Legendary Indian captain MS Dhoni is likely to miss the first two weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 with a calf strain, his team Chennai Super Kings said on Saturday.

Dhoni, 44, led Chennai to five Indian Premier League titles and has only played in the T20 tournament since his international retirement in 2020.

“M.S. Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of TATA IPL 2026,” Chennai said in a statement.

Wicketkeeper-batter Dhoni, a two-time World Cup-winning captain for India, has defied age to be in CSK’s yellow, batting at number seven under skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.

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Dhoni played all 14 matches last year, scoring 196 runs, but Chennai finished bottom of the 10-team table.

Notably, the 19th edition of the IPL has begun today, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) playing against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The tournament final is scheduled to be played on May 31.

Chennai, who last won the IPL in 2023, will play their opening match on Monday against Rajasthan Royals.  The franchise will then face the Punjab Kings, RCB, and Delhi Capitals in the first fortnight of the season.

READ: England skipper Ben Stokes sidelined after gruesome facial injury

England Test captain Ben Stokes will be sidelined for the first month of the county season as he recovers from a cheekbone injury sustained in a training accident.

Stokes suffered a broken cheekbone after being hit by the ball during a net session with his Durham team-mates last month.

The 34-year-old said that his subsequent surgery was a success, although his photo on Instagram, showing a badly swollen and bruised face, revealed the extent of the horrific injury.

The prolonged rehabilitation process means that Stokes has had to delay his return to action.

The all-rounder, who has not played since the final game of England’s Ashes series thrashing in Australia in January, was originally hoping to make his comeback against Kent in Durham’s first round of County Championship fixtures next week.

But he now looks likely to sit out the first four matches of the domestic campaign before preparing for the New Zealand Test series by facing Worcestershire and Kent in May.

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“He was going to play the first game; he’s been training so hard to be ready. But he won’t play in that, obviously. We have to wait for the specialists to clear him,” Durham coach Ryan Campbell said.

“Unfortunately, it’s made a change, the accidental bump. He is pencilled in for Worcester and Kent, and I think it will just be those two, to be honest.

“He has got to recover from the facial injuries and then have to build up again. It is a long, old summer, and he will have that mapped out but is keen and ready to go.”

Campbell believes Ben Stokes was lucky to avoid further damage given the nature of the grisly injury.

“It was so, so much worse than you’d think. The ball was hit so hard, we are just lucky he got away with it,” he said. “The initial whack was bad. If it hits him in the eye, it could have been different. That could have been horrific.”

“His cheekbone worked the way it is supposed to: it caved in and looked after the rest of him. It is a bit scary, but a reminder to all of us to keep our eye on the ball.”

READ: PSL 11: Yasir Khan’s heroics in vain as Peshawar Zalmi down Rawalpindiz

LAHORE: A breathtaking run-chase powered by collective brilliance saw Peshawar Zalmi storm to a five-wicket victory over Rawalpindiz in a high-scoring clash of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday, overshadowing a sensational knock from Yasir Khan.

Chasing a daunting 215, Zalmi batters stepped up at crucial moments to seal the contest with five balls to spare.

The pursuit was set in motion by a 78-run opening stand between Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris, who added quick runs at the top.

Babar struck a fluent 39 off 28 deliveries before falling to Asif Afridi, while Haris fell prey to Ammad Butt after scoring 47 runs off 28 balls, leaving Zalmi at 96-2 at the halfway mark.

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Kusal Mendis continued to keep the scoreboard ticking with a rapid 31 off 17 deliveries. However, it was the explosive partnership between Abdul Samad and Michael Bracewell that turned the game decisively in Zalmi’s favour.

With 85 required off 35 balls, the duo unleashed a brutal counterattack, hammering 64 runs in just 23 deliveries.

Samad’s fiery 33 off 11 balls, studded with towering sixes, shifted the momentum before his dismissal by Mohammad Amir.

Bracewell, however, carried on the assault and, alongside Aamir Jamal, calmly guided Zalmi home. Jamal remained unbeaten on 17 off just five balls, while Bracewell contributed a crucial 35* off 17.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Earlier, Rawalpindiz posted an imposing 214-4 after being put into bat, largely built on a commanding opening stand between Yasir Khan and captain Mohammad Rizwan.

Yasir led the charge with a scintillating 83 off 46 deliveries, smashing seven fours and six sixes, while Rizwan anchored the innings with a composed 41 off 32. Their 125-run partnership laid a solid platform before Ali Raza broke through to remove both set batters in consecutive overs.

Late contributions from Kamran Ghulam (37 off 20), Daryl Mitchell (23 off 13) and Sam Billings (18* off 8) powered Rawalpindiz to the mammoth total.

READ: Shamyl Hussain responds to critics after blistering PSL knock

LAHORE: Pakistan’s emerging opener Shamyl Hussain delivered a strong response to his critics following a blistering half-century in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 clash between Quetta Gladiators and Karachi Kings on Friday.

Representing Quetta, the 21-year-old produced an eye-catching 52 off just 24 deliveries, striking five fours and four sixes to set the tone in a steep chase. However, his efforts went in vain as the Gladiators fell 14 runs short in a closely contested encounter.

Speaking after the match, Shamyl addressed the growing scrutiny around his performances, making it clear that external opinions will not influence his approach at the crease.

“As a cricketer, we are always trying to improve. No one has a perfect technique, especially early in their career—you learn gradually,” he said.

“When I was performing in domestic cricket, no one questioned my batting. Now, after a couple of failures, it suddenly becomes a problem.”

The left-hander stressed the importance of self-evaluation over public perception, highlighting the need to stay grounded amid fluctuating criticism.

“Public opinion keeps changing. My job is to assess myself and understand what is working. If something won’t work going forward, I’ll change it, but if it is working, I’ll stick with it,” he added.

Shamyl Hussain also underlined the mental demands of professional cricket, insisting that players cannot afford to be swayed by outside noise.

“I cannot change my batting based on what people say. I didn’t reach here because of them, and I won’t be dropped because of them. My focus is on improving myself and moving forward,” he concluded.

The young opener recently made his international debut for Pakistan in the ODI series against Bangladesh, where he endured a modest start, scoring just 10 runs in two appearances.

READ: David Warner praises Moeen Ali, bowlers after Karachi Kings’ strong start

LAHORE: Karachi Kings captain David Warner lauded his team’s all-round effort following a hard-fought 14-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 opener at the Gaddafi Stadium.

A composed late flourish from Moeen Ali, coupled with a match-winning four-wicket haul by Hasan Ali, helped Karachi Kings defend a competitive total of 181, restricting Quetta to 167-7 despite a strong start.

Reflecting on the innings, Warner admitted the team fell slightly short of their ideal total but credited Moeen Ali for steering the side to a strong finish.

“I think at the beginning we felt 170 was going to be around par,” Warner said. “We lost a few wickets in the middle due to some poor shot selections, including myself. But the way Moeen batted towards the back end and built that partnership to get us to a good total was fantastic.”

Warner, who contributed 35 off 22 at the top, highlighted the impact of Karachi’s spin attack in turning the game around after Quetta’s aggressive powerplay.

“I thought our spinners operated really well through the middle overs,” he noted. “They bowled with discipline, created pressure, and we were able to pick up wickets after the powerplay, which brought us back into the game.”

The Kings skipper also backed his bowlers’ execution under pressure, particularly emphasizing the role of dot balls in shifting momentum.

“With someone like Adam Zampa, I wasn’t too concerned. It was more about how we executed our plans,” he said. “By building pressure through dot balls and limiting them to singles, we were able to create chances, and the bowlers did that brilliantly.”

Warner was full of praise for Zampa, who made his presence felt in his first outing for the franchise.

“Zampa is a great addition to our team,” he said. “Having him alongside Moeen Ali and others who can contribute with the ball gives us a lot of options, especially in the middle overs.”

Despite the high-intensity contest, Warner also touched upon the positive atmosphere within the squad.

“The energy in the group is really good,” he added. “Even in situations where the crowd isn’t as big, it’s important to keep that energy up as a team. The boys are in a great space, and we’re enjoying ourselves.”

READ: “Experience Helps”: Moeen Ali Reflects on Match-Winning Knock for Karachi Kings

LAHORE: England all-rounder Moeen Ali delivered a match-winning all-round performance on his Karachi Kings debut, guiding the side to a thrilling victory over Quetta Gladiators in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 opener at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Moeen played a pivotal role with the bat, scoring a fluent unbeaten 48 off 29 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and three sixes. His composed knock in the latter stages of the innings helped Karachi Kings post a competitive total of 181-7, earning him the Player of the Match award.

Reflecting on his innings, Moeen highlighted the challenge posed by Quetta’s spin attack and the changing nature of the surface.

“Obviously, they [Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq] are two very good spinners. I haven’t faced them much before, and the wicket wasn’t as good as it looked early on,” Moeen said. “We started really well in the powerplay, but after that, it wasn’t easy to hit the ball. You just had to play proper cricket shots and not panic.”

The experienced all-rounder credited his calm approach under pressure to years of playing at the highest level.

“Earlier in my career, I might have panicked in that situation, but experience helps. I stay pretty calm and try to understand when to shift gears. When you’ve played a lot of cricket, you learn how to handle these moments,” he added.

Speaking specifically about facing off-spinner Usman Tariq, Moeen noted the bowler’s unique style.

“He’s very different and a quality spinner. He can break your rhythm as a batter, so I tried to delay my shots as much as possible and play according to the situation.”

Moeen also contributed with the ball, adapting his approach based on match conditions.

“With the ball, I was just trying to get some spin early on. There was a bit of grip in the powerplay, so I bowled a bit fuller. Later, it was about hitting the right areas and adjusting to the situation,” he explained.

Looking ahead, Moeen expressed satisfaction with the team’s start while acknowledging areas for improvement.

“It’s always nice to get points on the board early in the tournament. It’s still very early, and there are things we can improve on, but it’s a great start. Getting those two points, even if it’s not a perfect win, is what matters,” he concluded.

READ: PCB issues show-cause notice to Naseem Shah

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a show-cause notice to fast bowler Naseem Shah for an alleged breach of his central contract and the board’s media policy during the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11.

According to the board, the notice has been served under its disciplinary framework, with the right-arm pacer required to submit a response within the stipulated time. The PCB will determine any further course of action after reviewing his reply.

While the board did not officially disclose the reason behind the notice, it is understood to be linked to a social media post that surfaced during the tournament opener between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen.

The controversy emerged after a post from Naseem’s account on X (formerly Twitter) gained traction online.

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The now-deleted message appeared as a quote repost of a PCB update featuring chairman Mohsin Naqvi welcoming Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz at the venue.

“Why is she treated like the queen at Lords?” the message read, questioning the treatment of Maryam Nawaz at the event, drawing widespread attention on social media.

In response to the backlash, Naseem later issued a clarification, stating that the post was not made by him. He claimed that his account had been compromised and was only recently recovered after a security breach.

“This account of Naseem was recently hacked but now recovered successfully,” the statement read, distancing the player from the controversial remarks.

READ: PSL 11 unveils new rule to curb toss advantage

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) has rolled out a significant change to its playing conditions for the ongoing season 11, allowing captains to submit two separate playing XIs before the toss in a move aimed at minimising the impact of the coin flip.

The regulation, which came into effect from the tournament opener between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen, enables teams to adapt more strategically depending on whether they bat or bowl first.

Both captains, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Marnus Labuschagne, submitted two different line-ups to the match referee before finalising their XI after the toss.

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) later confirmed the amendment through an official statement, clarifying that the provision falls under Clause 1.2.1 of the PSL playing conditions.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board has today confirmed an update in the Playing Conditions of the 11th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League, which has been in place since the opening match of the tournament between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen on Thursday,” the press release stated.

Under the updated rule, each captain can hand in two team sheets prior to the toss, with both containing 11 players and up to four substitute fielders.

Once the toss is completed, the captain must select one of the two line-ups and formally sign off on it. No further changes to the playing XI are permitted after that point without the opposition captain’s consent, except in the case of a concussion substitute.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

The move is being seen as a progressive step, particularly in addressing the long-standing influence of dew in night matches. In such conditions, teams bowling second often struggle due to reduced grip for spinners and difficulty in controlling the ball, giving a notable edge to the side batting second.

By allowing captains to prepare two combinations, one tailored for batting first and another for chasing, the rule provides greater tactical flexibility.

Teams can now decide whether to strengthen their bowling attack or add batting depth based on real-time match conditions rather than being locked into a pre-toss decision.

READ: Peshawar Zalmi appoint Azhar Ali as fielding coach for PSL 11