Category: Top News

Steve Smith and Babar Azam produced a batting masterclass to guide the Sydney Sixers to a commanding victory over the Sydney Thunder in a high-octane Big Bash League (BBL) 15 encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday.

The emphatic win lifted the Sixers to fourth place on the BBL 15 points table, putting them firmly on course for a playoff berth.

They will now face fifth-placed Brisbane Heat in their final group-stage fixture on Sunday, with the result set to determine the last team to qualify for the playoffs.

Chasing a challenging target of 190, the Sixers got off to a flying start as Smith and Babar combined aggression with composure in a dominant opening partnership.

Smith took on the role of chief aggressor, while Babar provided stability, as the duo stitched together a 141-run stand in just 74 balls.

The partnership finally ended when Nathan McAndrew dismissed Babar, who scored a fluent 47 off 39 deliveries, including seven boundaries.

Smith continued his onslaught, racing to a blistering century off just 41 balls, peppering the boundary with nine sixes and five fours.

His innings came to an end immediately after reaching the landmark, as he was stumped off Tanveer Sangha, but not before putting the Sixers firmly in control of the chase.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Despite losing a few quick wickets, the Sixers crossed the line comfortably with 16 balls to spare.

Jack Edwards remained unbeaten on 17 off eight balls, smashing two sixes, while Lachlan Shaw chipped in with a brisk 13 off seven to seal the win.

Earlier, Sixers skipper won the toss and opted to field, a decision that initially appeared costly as Thunder captain David Warner launched a fierce counterattack.

Warner added 56 runs for the opening stand with Matthew Gilkes, who scored 12 off 12, before Mitchell Starc broke the partnership in his first BBL appearance since the league’s fourth season.

Warner continued his assault and found solid support in Nic Maddinson, with the pair adding 84 runs in 47 balls.

Maddinson struck 26 off 16 before falling on the first ball of the final over, while Warner was left stranded at the non-striker’s end as Thunder finished on 189 for six.

The Thunder skipper remained unbeaten on a superb 110 off 65 balls, featuring 11 fours and four sixes.

For the Sixers, Sam Curran led the bowling effort with three wickets, while Starc, Edwards and Ben Manenti picked up one wicket apiece.

READ: New Zealand batter Tim Seifert set to miss PSL 11

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert will not feature in the upcoming season 11 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), confirming that he has decided to sit out the upcoming season due to other professional commitments.

Seifert, who has been a regular presence for Karachi Kings in recent PSL editions, shared the update during an interview with a sports platform following Melbourne Renegades’ match against Perth Scorchers.

While expressing his fondness for the league, the 31-year-old made it clear that scheduling priorities have forced him to miss PSL 11.

“I love playing in the PSL, it’s always fun,” Seifert said. “At the moment, I’ve got an opportunity elsewhere, so I’ll be missing this year’s edition. But I really enjoyed my last two years in the PSL.”

The New Zealand batter has played a significant role for Karachi Kings in previous seasons, appearing in 17 matches and scoring 424 runs at an average of 24.94.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He maintained an impressive strike rate of 141.33, often providing stability and momentum at the top of the order.

Tim Seifert brings extensive franchise experience, having featured in major T20 leagues around the world, including the Big Bash League (BBL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), ILT20, Lanka Premier League (LPL) and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

At the international level, the right-handed batter has represented New Zealand in four One-Day Internationals and 77 T20 Internationals

In the shortest format, he has accumulated 1,850 runs at a strike rate of 142.52, with 12 half-centuries to his name.

READ: Key matters on agenda as PSL governing council meets today

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen said he’s keen to get to grips with the new car Red Bull unveiled on Thursday for a 2026 Formula One season of massive change.

The team unveiled the livery for their new cars before a few hundred guests at Detroit’s Michigan Central Station, less than two months before the season opens in Melbourne on March 7.

New rules for 2026 see aerodynamic changes to make cars lighter and smaller, along with modifications to engine specifications to make for a greater contribution from electric power in the hybrid units.

“There is a lot of unknown, there are big changes in the engine, in the car,” Verstappen said. “Initially, I’ll take time to adjust during test days. The motivation is very high.”

“It always takes a bit of time to get used to things,” he added. “You need to understand where the most performance is to be found, and get comfortable in the car.

“Also, with the new engine now as well, that will take a bit of time.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Red Bull, which has previously relied on Honda engines, took the gamble in 2023 of developing its own engine for 2026 in partnership with automotive giant Ford, which will return to F1 22 years after its departure.

Verstappen’s run of four straight world titles ended in 2025 as McLaren’s Lando Norris claimed the prize.

But despite an inferior car, the Dutch driver battled back from a massive deficit in the standings to challenge for the title, snatching eight wins, more than either Norris or teammate Oscar Piastri.

This year, Max Verstappen will be joined by French driver Isack Hadjar, promoted to the team’s Number 2 seat after a successful rookie season with Racing Bulls.

Hadjar was also on hand for Thursday’s splashy big reveal, as was Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies, who said the sweeping regulatory changes and a new engine would make for a steep learning curve.

“I think it would simply be naive of us to think we could build our engine from scratch… and be more competitive right from the start than people who’ve been doing it for 95 years,” he told AFP.

READ: PCB to revise match timings for Australia T20Is: sources

Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal fired Barcelona to a 2-0 win over Racing Santander and into the Copa del Rey quarter-finals on Thursday.

The Spanish internationals’ strikes helped holders Barca defeat second division leaders Racing to progress from a surprisingly tight last 16 clash and record an 11th consecutive victory across all competitions.

The hosts had two goals disallowed for offside, and record 32-time winners Barca did just enough to claim victory.

“We didn’t think they would be so hard to break down,” admitted Torres to Movistar. “We knew that we had to stretch the game, be calm, and in the end it went well.”

Having seen Real Madrid eliminated at second-tier Albacete on Wednesday, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick named a fairly strong side, including teenage star Yamal.

After a 15-minute delay with some fans stuck outside, the match kicked off at Racing’s Sardinero stadium, and Barca quickly took control of the ball.

The Catalans struggled to turn possession into a meaningful opening, though, and when they finally did, Dani Olmo missed his kick from Marcus Rashford’s dangerous cross.

Racing looked to breach Barcelona’s high defensive line, but when they did get in behind, the visitors managed to mop up well.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Giorgi Guliashvili’s low effort from range was fielded comfortably by Joan Garcia, and that was as close as the hosts came.

Barcelona continued to push forward in the second half, and Rashford had a shot tipped away and also drilled narrowly wide.

Eventually, the Spanish champions took the lead through Torres, after Fermin Lopez sent him through on goal. The Spain international rounded Racing goalkeeper Jokin Ezkieta and rolled home.

The hosts were forced on the offensive and twice had the ball in Barcelona’s net, but both of Manex Lozano’s goals were ruled out for offside.

Barcelona goalkeeper Garcia made a superb save to thwart Lozano one-on-one deep in stoppage time and avoid the game going to extra time.

The Catalans wrapped up their win with the last kick of the match, Yamal tapping in Raphinha’s cross at the back post.

“We played the game we had to play, we played a 10 out of 10 match, (with) two offside goals and the chance at the end… it’s okay, it’s football,” said Racing defender Alvaro Mantilla.

Elsewhere, Valencia won 2-0 at Burgos to reach the last eight.

READ: BPL 2026 set to resume as cricketers call off nationwide boycott

The Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026 is set to resume on Friday after the nationwide cricket boycott was officially called off following a late-night agreement between the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Cricketers’ Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB).

The standoff, which brought all cricketing activity in the country to a halt on Thursday, ended after the BCB met the primary demand of the players by removing M Najmul Islam from his position as chairman of the board’s finance committee.

As a result, Thursday’s postponed BPL matches will be played on Friday, with Chattogram Royals taking on Noakhali Express in the first match of the day, followed by Rajshahi Warriors facing Sylhet Titans later in the evening.

Notably, this situation has moved every match one day ahead, which means Friday’s matches will be moved to Saturday, and the group stage will now conclude on Sunday.

For context, two BPL matches and four Dhaka Cricket League games were abandoned on Thursday after teams refused to turn up for the toss, acting on CWAB’s call for a nationwide boycott.

The protest was sparked by remarks made by Najmul Islam, which players deemed disrespectful and humiliating.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Earlier in the day, CWAB had made Najmul’s removal a non-negotiable condition for any dialogue with the board.

The BCB responded by stripping him of the finance committee chairmanship, although he remains a board director pending the outcome of an internal inquiry.

While the players welcomed the board’s move, discussions are still ongoing over CWAB’s demand for a public apology from Najmul, a point on which differences remain between the players’ body and BCB president Aminul Islam.

Speaking at a late-night press conference at the BCB headquarters, CWAB president Mohammad Mithun confirmed the decision to end the boycott, stressing that the choice was made in the broader interest of the game.

“Keeping the greater interest of cricket in mind, we will resume playing tomorrow (Friday). The BCB has assured us that they will reach out to him and fulfil our demands as early as possible,” Mithun said, referring to Najmul Islam.

READ: ‘Excited’ Alcaraz hungry to break Australian Open title drought

Carlos Alcaraz warned Friday that he was “hungry” to break his Australian Open title drought and become the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, calling it his primary target in 2026.

The world number one from Spain is the title favourite, along with two-time defending champion and great rival Jannik Sinner.

The Melbourne Park crown is the only one of the four majors that Alcaraz has never won; his best performance was the quarter-finals in 2024 and 2025.

If he goes all the way this year, he will surpass fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal as the youngest man to win all four majors. Nadal was 24 when he achieved the feat.

The 22-year-old Alcaraz, who begins his title assault against Australia’s 79th-ranked Adam Walton, said he could not wait to get going.

“I think this is my main goal for this year,” said Alcaraz, whose only warm-up was a win against Italy’s Sinner in a light-hearted exhibition match in South Korea.

“So it’s going to be really interesting for me how I prepared, which I think I just made a really good pre-season, just to be in good shape.

“I’m just hungry for the title, hungry to do a really good result here. I’m just getting ready as much as I can. I’m really excited about the tournament beginning.”

Alcaraz was asked by reporters if he would swap titles at all three of the other majors this year for one Melbourne crown.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Underlining just how important winning the Australian Open and nailing the career Grand Slam is to him, he said he could not decide.

“I don’t know which one I would choose,” he said, smiling broadly. “Obviously complete the career Grand Slam is something amazing to do, be able to be the youngest that has done it before, you know, is even better.”

There has been much focus on Alcaraz’s coaching team in the build-up to Melbourne.

In December, the six-time major champion abruptly announced that he was splitting from coach Juan Carlos Ferrero after seven hugely successful years together, with assistant Samuel Lopez taking over.

Carlos Alcaraz began working with Ferrero, a former world number one, when he was a teenager.

Quizzed by reporters for the reasons behind the surprise split, Alcaraz said that it felt like the right time to end the partnership and was a mutual decision.

“With Juan Carlos, we decided to do it. I’m just having plenty of confidence in the team that I have right now,” he said.

“As I said, practice has been really good. I’m just feeling well. So, just excited about the tournament beginning with the team that I have right now.”

READ: Key matters on agenda as PSL governing council meets today

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) Governing Council is set to hold an important meeting on Friday to discuss several key issues related to the upcoming season 11, sources revealed.

The meeting, which will be conducted virtually, was initially scheduled for Thursday but was later postponed by a day.

It will mark the first Governing Council session since the inclusion of two new franchises, expanding the league from six to eight teams.

According to sources, the agenda will focus on finalising major operational and commercial matters ahead of PSL 11.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Discussions are expected to include player retentions, the players’ draft, auction-related issues and the overall tournament schedule.

Notably, PSL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Salman Naseer has recently revealed that the possibility of conducting a players’ auction will be discussed with the franchises.

Sources further revealed that proposals to increase players’ remuneration and introduce direct signings could also be taken up during the meeting, with the possibility of key decisions being finalised.

The Governing Council is also likely to deliberate on various options for the draft date, while members may be asked to give their views on holding the players’ draft before the bidding process for the Multan Sultans franchise.

READ: BCB sacks Najmul Islam following cricketers’ boycott

BULAWAYO: Henil Patel picked up a fifer to set up a comprehensive win for India over USA in the U19 World Cup opener here at the Queens Sports Club on Thursday.

India chased down a mere 96-run target with ease in 17.2 overs in a rain-hit encounter.

The USA started strongly in defense of a small target as Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was sent back only in the second over. The left-hander could only score two.

India were further jolted with two quick strikes, with skipper Ayush Mhatre and Vedant Trivedi sent back in a span of two deliveries.

Trivedi and Mhatre were both caught for two and 19 runs respectively. As a result, India were reduced to 25-3 in 5.2 overs.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

However, Abhigyan Kundu and Vihaan Malhotra put chase back on track with 45 run partnership.

Malhotra was dismissed for 18 from 17 after hitting two boundaries, whereas Kundu remained unbeaten 42 from 41 balls with the aid of five fours and a six.

For USA, Ritvik Appidi picked up two wickets.

Earlier, India bowled out USA for 107 in 35.2 overs, thanks to Henil Patel’s bowling, who remained the chief destroyer.

Opener Amrinder Gill made one before a brief partnership of 28 between Sahil Garg and Arjun Mahesh kept Indian bowlers at bay till the eighth over.

However, Deepesh Devendran removed Garg for 18 which sparked a collapse that USA could not recover from.

Indian bowlers continued to chip in with wickets at regular intervals, with Nitish Sudini remaining the highest scorer for his side.

Sudini who made 36 from 52 was the last wicket to fell as USA were bowled out for a partly score.

For India, Henil Patel remained the star bowler as he picked up a five-wicket haul.

READ: West Indies U19 open World Cup 2026 campaign with Tanzania win

DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Thursday announced the immediate removal of M. Najmul Islam from his role as Chairman of the Finance Committee, following a nationwide boycott by the country’s cricketers.

The boycott forced the postponement of Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) fixtures on Thursday.

The decision was taken by BCB President Md Aminul Islam under Article 31 of the BCB Constitution, with the board stating that the move was necessary to ensure the smooth and effective functioning of its operations.

Until further notice, the BCB president will himself serve as the Acting Chairman of the Finance Committee.

In an official statement, the BCB reiterated that players’ interests remain its top priority and stressed its commitment to safeguarding the dignity and honour of all cricketers under its jurisdiction.

The board also urged players to maintain professionalism and continue their participation in the BPL, underlining the importance of the tournament for Bangladesh cricket.

The development comes after a dramatic day on Thursday, when no teams arrived at the venue ahead of the scheduled BPL match between Chattogram Royals and Noakhali Express.

The protest, led by the Cricketers Welfare Association of Bangladesh (CWAB), resulted in both BPL fixtures for the day being postponed.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The standoff stemmed from controversial remarks made by Najmul Islam earlier this week.

Speaking on the sidelines of a board prayer meeting for the late former prime minister Khaleda Zia, Najmul addressed questions about the financial impact if Bangladesh were to miss matches at the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

He suggested the board would not suffer financially and added that players would receive no compensation if they missed out—comments that were widely condemned by cricketers.

Najmul had already been under fire after accusing former Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal of being an “Indian agent” in a Facebook post.

The remarks were made in response to Tamim’s recent interview, in which he urged the BCB to prioritise cricketing considerations amid uncertainty over Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup.

That uncertainty arose after the BCB decided against travelling to India for the tournament, citing security concerns, following a request from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL squad.

READ: West Indies U19 open World Cup 2026 campaign with Tanzania win

WINDHOEK: West Indies made a confident start to their ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 campaign, registering a comprehensive victory over tournament debutants Tanzania at the High Performance Oval on Thursday.

Playing their first-ever match at the U19 World Cup, Tanzania were put in to bat and found the going tough against a disciplined West Indies bowling attack.

The African side were dismissed for 122 in 34 overs, with openers Dylan Thakrar and Darpan Jobanputra offering the only real resistance at the top.

Thakrar top-scored with 26, while Jobanputra added 19 from 46 deliveries, as just four Tanzanian batters reached double figures.

West Indies bowling attack was led by Vitel Lawes, who claimed three scalps.

Shaquan Belle and Micah McKenzie picked up two wickets each, while Jonathan van Lange and R’Jai Gittens chipped in with one apiece to keep the pressure constant.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Chasing a modest target, the Caribbean side completed the task with little trouble, reaching 123-5 in 21 overs.

Tanez Francis anchored the run-chase with a composed half-century, scoring 52 off 55 balls, including six boundaries and a six.

Jewel Andrew played a crucial supporting role, contributing 44 from 44 deliveries with six fours and a six.

Tanzania’s bowlers showed some fight, with Raymond Francis and Augustino Mwamele taking two wickets each, while Laksh Bakrania accounted for one, but the total proved far too small to defend.

Meanwhile, the Group C fixture between hosts Zimbabwe and Scotland was abandoned without a ball being bowled in Harare due to adverse conditions, resulting in both teams sharing a point each.

READ: ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2026: Everything You Need to Know