Category: Top News

KANDY: Former Pakistan women’s captain Urooj Mumtaz has expressed serious reservations over men’s leadership options following the side’s exit from the T20 World Cup 2026, admitting she is “clueless” about a ready-made successor to current skipper Salman Ali Agha.

Pakistan’s campaign ended despite a spirited five-run win over Sri Lanka in their final Super Eight fixture.

The 2009 champions had entered the contest knowing that victory alone would not be enough; they required a commanding margin to surpass New Zealand’s superior net run rate (NRR) and qualify for the semi-finals.

Posting 212-8 in 20 overs, Pakistan needed to restrict Sri Lanka to 147 or below. Although they clinched a narrow win, the bowlers failed to defend the required margin, sealing Pakistan’s fourth successive ICC tournament exit before the semi-final stage.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, Urooj Mumtaz said Pakistan’s current pool of players does not offer an obvious long-term captaincy solution.

“I have a question mark,” she said when asked about the T20I leadership.

“I look down the list of 20 players that Pakistan has right now, and there’s nobody really there who screams ‘captain’ to me. Or someone you pen down and say, ‘right, he’s playing all games and fits in as player number one in all games, no matter what the conditions are.’”

While she acknowledged the impressive batting form of Sahibzada Farhan, she stopped short of endorsing him for the role.

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“Yes, Sahibzada Farhan, in his current form, is brilliant. I don’t think he is captain material just yet,” she added.

Mumtaz also pointed out that several senior players have already had their opportunities as the T20I captain of Pakistan, so they should not be considered again.

“Shadab [Khan] has been through that cycle, Shaheen Shah Afridi has been through that cycle, Babar Azam has been through that cycle. So I am very clueless right now,” she remarked.

On Shadab Khan, she noted that while he had previously shown interest in captaincy, his recent all-round returns against top opposition have not been convincing.

“I think he has a lot to prove in terms of his all-round cricketing ability. He is very short at this moment in terms of his batting and bowling against top-quality sides,” she said.

With Agha himself stating after the match that he will not make an immediate decision about stepping down, Urooj Mumtaz believes continuity might be the only practical route, at least for now.

“Unless you literally say ‘Sahibzada Farhan, two-year cycle, away you go’ or somebody like Saim Ayub, who I don’t think will be dropped for long and deserves a place in that XI — apart from that I don’t see any captain material,” she said.

“So, unless Pakistan has got a succession plan in place, probably continue with Salman Ali Agha till they find a replacement.”

READ: Kamran Akmal blames lack of T20 evolution for Pakistan’s World Cup exit

Bradley Barcola scored, and Desire Doue had a penalty saved as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) held on for a 1-0 win away to Le Havre on Saturday to extend their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table to four points.

PSG were looking to take advantage of another slip-up by title rivals Lens, who were held to a 1-1 draw away at Strasbourg on Friday to go two games without a win.

Luis Enrique’s side duly got the job done with Barcola heading in from a Lee Kang-in cross on 37 minutes for his ninth goal of the season.

It was not a full-strength PSG, with Ousmane Dembele again out injured along with Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves, while skipper Marquinhos was among the players rested.

Doue came off the bench in the second half and won a penalty with just over 10 minutes remaining, but his kick was kept out by Le Havre goalkeeper Mory Diaw diving to his right. PSG have converted only five of their 10 spot-kicks this season.

Diaw also produced a fine reaction save from Nuno Mendes while PSG goalkeeper Matfei Safonov made a key stop to deny Issa Soumare at the other end.

“There are no nice and easy games for PSG because every match is important. We need to get players back and improve because we have less confidence than usual at the moment,” said Luis Enrique.

The reigning European champions are gearing up for a Champions League last-16 tie against Chelsea and have now won nine out of 10 Ligue 1 games played since the start of December.

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“It is the first time we have had a four-point gap at the top, so this is a time for us to be happy. It was important to get the win here,” added the coach.

Elsewhere in France on Saturday, Rennes made it two wins out of two under new coach Franck Haise as they beat Toulouse 1-0 in Brittany thanks to Arnaud Nordin’s first-half goal.

Monaco got back on track after losing to PSG in their Champions League play-off tie as USA star Folarin Balogun and Simon Adingra scored in a 2-0 win over Angers.

Balogun, who is expected to be a key player for the United States at the World Cup, now has 12 goals this season in all competitions, including four in his last four games.

Marseille, in fourth play host to third-placed Lyon on Sunday in a key game in the fight for Champions League qualification.

Pablo Longoria left his position as Marseille president on Saturday evening, the Spaniard departing after five years to be replaced on an interim basis by Alban Juster.

Longoria’s departure comes amid a period of turbulence at the 1993 European champions, who saw coach Roberto De Zerbi leave just under three weeks ago in the wake of a 5-0 defeat away to PSG and their elimination from the Champions League.

De Zerbi has been replaced in the dugout by Habib Beye. Director of football Medhi Benatia recently announced he was stepping down, before it was confirmed he would stay on until the end of the season at the club owned by US tycoon Frank McCourt.

READ: Asian football postpones club knockouts after US, Israel strikes

KUALA LUMPUR: Asian Football Confederation (AFC) bosses postponed on Sunday the first-leg knockout matches of the continental club championship to be played in the Middle East this week, after the United States and Israel attacked Iran.

The decision to reschedule matches involved all three of the AFC’s main club competitions, including the Champions League Elite, the Malaysia-headquartered AFC said.

“In light of the developing situation in the Middle East… matches in the West Region, originally scheduled for March 2–3, 2026, will now be rescheduled,” it said in a statement in Kuala Lumpur.

“The AFC will continue to closely monitor this rapidly evolving situation and remains resolute in ensuring the safety and security of all players, teams, officials, and fans,” the body added.

Games included a scheduled match between Qatar’s Al-Duhail and Saudi powerhouse Al-Ahli, according to the AFC schedule.

Other Elite round-of-16 games like Dubai-based Shabab AlAhli hosting Iran’s Tractor, and Abu Dhabi club Al Wahda versus Al-Ittihad are also affected.

Matches played elsewhere in the Asian region will continue as scheduled, the AFC said.

READ: Kamran Akmal blames lack of T20 evolution for Pakistan’s World Cup exit

Former wicket-keeper batter Kamran Akmal has delivered a blunt verdict on Pakistan’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, arguing that the team’s inability to evolve with the modern game left them trailing behind the competition.

Pakistan’s shortcomings were laid bare during their lacklustre T20 World Cup campaign, which ended on Saturday when the team failed to reach the semi-finals.

From the captain Salman Agha, who was criticised for not being a T20 player, to slow batting rates and the use of all-rounders not up to the job, Pakistan were shown to be behind the times in the rapid-fire format.

Kamran Akmal believes there is a huge gulf in standard between Pakistan and the top sides such as India, West Indies, South Africa and England.

“Other teams have evolved to the demands of Twenty20 cricket, but neither our team nor our players meet those standards,” Akmal told AFP.

“It is like other teams are playing on the moon and we are on Earth. We only beat smaller teams but lose to top teams.”

Pakistan had high hopes for the T20 World Cup 2026 after sweeping Australia 3-0 in a pre-tournament series.

They boasted a quintet of spinners that should have been suited to the turning pitches in Sri Lanka, where they played all their matches.

But they received a rude awakening in their first match against the Netherlands when they squeezed home by three wickets in the final over, thanks to Faheem Ashraf’s 11-ball 29.

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Like most of his predecessors at World Cups, Agha blundered in the pressure-cooker match against India, which only went ahead after the Pakistan government U-turned on a boycott just days before the encounter.

Agha won the toss and asked India to bat. The decision backfired badly as Pakistan conceded 175 and were hammered by 61 runs.

Agha inexplicably held back his mystery spinner and chief weapon, Usman Tariq, to the 11th over, by which time opener Ishan Kishan had scored his match-shaping 77, and India were well on their way to a winning total.

“How on earth did you bowl at a venue which was suited to batting first?” questioned former Pakistan player Basit Ali. “After India scored 175, our batters failed to handle the pressure of a chase.”

Agha also held back Tariq’s second over against England, after he took a wicket in his first, allowing captain Harry Brook to build a sparkling match-winning century.

“It was weak captaincy from Agha,” said Kamran Akmal, who also took aim at the head coach Mike Hesson and the selectors.

“We were also not helped by head coach Mike Hesson, who has an obsession for bit-and-pieces all-rounders who were neither complete bowlers, nor good batters.”

Pakistan’s insistence on sticking with the out-of-sorts Babar Azam did nothing to help their shaky batting. The star batter’s slow scoring at number four interrupted the side’s rhythm.

He was dropped for the final match against Sri Lanka on Saturday, where Pakistan finally posted a total in excess of 200, but it proved too little too late as New Zealand progressed on net run rate.

READ: Sanath Jayasuriya to step down as Sri Lanka head coach after World Cup setback

 Legendary former captain Sanath Jayasuriya has decided to step down as head coach of the Sri Lanka men’s team, bringing an end to a tenure that began with historic promise but concluded in disappointment at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Jayasuriya confirmed his intention to relinquish the role following Sri Lanka’s narrow five-run defeat to Pakistan in Pallekele, a result that ended their Super Eight campaign without a victory.

Although he has yet to formally notify Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), the former opener revealed that he had already made up his mind months ago that this World Cup would be his final assignment in charge.

“I thought it was time to give it to someone else,” Jayasuriya said at the post-match press conference. “About two months ago, during the England series, I said I didn’t have hopes of staying in the job for long. I had taken this decision by then.”

He admitted he had hoped to bow out on a high.

“I thought I’d be able to leave as coach on a good note in the World Cup. I wasn’t able to do that as well as I’d like, and I’m sad about that,” he added.

Jayasuriya’s current contract runs until June 2026, and he clarified that discussions with the board are still pending.

With a limited-overs home series against the Afghanistan national cricket team scheduled to begin on March 13, SLC may yet request him to oversee that assignment.

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“My contract runs till June. I haven’t given SLC any news officially yet. They don’t even know I am going to say this,” he said. “If they can get somebody [to coach the team], then definitely they should do that.”

Sanath Jayasuriya initially took charge on an interim basis after the 2024 T20 World Cup and enjoyed immediate success. Under his guidance, Sri Lanka secured their first bilateral ODI series win over India in 27 years in August 2024.

That resurgence continued with a memorable Test victory over the England cricket team at The Oval, followed by a dominant 2-0 home Test series sweep against New Zealand.

Those achievements led to his full-time appointment on October 1, 2024; however, the momentum proved difficult to sustain.

Sri Lanka delivered a modest showing at the ACC Asia Cup 2025 and failed to impress in a T20I tri-series in Pakistan.

Their World Cup preparation also raised concerns after a 3-0 T20I series whitewash against England, which immediately preceded the global event.

Jayasuriya had previously served as chief selector in two separate stints.

READ: Usman Qadir comes out of retirement, eyes Pakistan return

Pakistan leg-spinner Usman Qadir has officially reversed his retirement from international cricket, announcing on Sunday that he is once again available for national selection in all formats.

The 32-year-old, son of legendary leg-spinner Abdul Qadir, had stepped away from international cricket on October 3, 2024.

However, in a fresh statement posted on his official X account on March 1, 2026, Qadir confirmed that he has withdrawn that decision with immediate effect.

Explaining the reasoning behind his U-turn, Qadir pointed to a recent stint in Australia that reignited his passion and belief.

“After a period of deep reflection and a successful stint in Australia, I have decided to officially withdraw my retirement from all formats of international cricket with immediate effect,” he wrote.

The leg-spinner revealed that his performances Down Under, where he claimed 41 wickets, played a decisive role in restoring his confidence.

“My time playing in Australia was transformative. Achieving 41 wickets and receiving such a positive response reminded me that my competitive edge is as sharp as ever. It proved to me that I still have a significant contribution to make on the global stage,” he stated.

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Beyond performance, Usman Qadir spoke emotionally about the weight of family legacy and the influence of those closest to him.

“Cricket is more than just a sport for me; it is a family legacy,” he said, referencing the towering impact of his father on Pakistan cricket.

“After discussing this with my family and considering my father’s immense contributions to Pakistan cricket, I feel a profound responsibility to continue. My family’s wishes, combined with my own burning desire to represent my country, have made this decision clear.”

Qadir acknowledged that reclaiming his place will require hard work but insisted he is ready for the challenge.

“I am fully committed to the grind and am making myself available for selection across all formats, starting from the basics, to serve Pakistan cricket to the best of my ability,” he added.

Signing off on an emotional note, he declared, “My journey isn’t finished. I am ready to carry forward the spirit of Pakistan cricket once again.”

For the unversed, Qadir has represented Pakistan in 26 international matches since his debut in 2020 during a T20I match against Zimbabwe. He has taken a total of 32 wickets during his brief international career.

READ: Salman Ali Agha addresses captaincy future after T20 World Cup exit

KOLKATA: West Indies coach Daren Sammy believes history can repeat itself as he aims to mastermind a T20 World Cup victory to end India’s hopes, just as he did when captain 10 years ago.

Sammy led his side to a T20 World Cup semi-final win against India in Mumbai in 2016 and went on to lift the trophy as they beat England in the final in Kolkata.

It is on that same Eden Gardens pitch that Sunday’s clash will play out in front of 68,000 partisan fans.

Although it is nominally a Super Eights game, it is in reality a straight shootout — the winner will move on to the semi-finals and the loser go home.

“In order to win this tournament, you have to go through India at some point,” said Sammy. “Tomorrow is that day for us.”

“History could repeat, though it’s a different venue and two different teams.”

The West Indies have not reached the semi-finals since lifting their second T20 World Cup a decade ago.

But Sammy said earlier in the tournament that he believed “something special” was going to happen with his group of players, captained by Shai Hope.

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“Because of the focus I saw in the team, the mindset, the attention to detail, the attention to their preparation, I still believe that,” said Sammy. “Let me see if my words come true tomorrow.”

West Indies skipper Hope has at his disposal a potent spin attack, seam bowlers with variety and incredible batting power. His side have already blasted 66 sixes, a record for a T20 World Cup.

India are next on the list, 63, which sets up the possibility of a high-scoring slugfest on Sunday.

“It’s a knockout,” said Sammy. “You win, you go through. You lose and then you start thinking about all the what-ifs.”

“That’s what makes an athlete, that’s what makes competition, that’s what makes a World Cup the pinnacle of your sport.”

Awaiting the winner should be a semi-final against England in Mumbai on Thursday.

The final is in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan breaks long-standing record of Virat Kohli

India need to “be brave with the bat” in their winner-takes-all T20 World Cup showdown against the West Indies, said their assistant coach on Saturday.

India come into Sunday’s do-or-die Super Eights clash in Kolkata full of confidence after finally stringing together a consistent batting performance in piling up 256-4 against Zimbabwe.

Abhishek Sharma laid the platform with his first fifty of the tournament after a torrid time in the group phase, where he had three ducks in a row.

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Sunday’s pitch at Eden Gardens looked good for batting.

And that could turn the match into a slugfest against a powerful West Indies line-up that has hit more sixes, 66, than any other side in the tournament.

India are next on the list with 63 and are striving to keep the defence of their 2024 crown alive.

The West Indies have not reached the semi-finals since lifting their second T20 World Cup a decade ago — in Kolkata.

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“It’s certainly going to be a challenge,” ten Doeschate told reporters before India trained at Eden Gardens.

“The surface looks pretty good, so it could be a high-scoring game.

“You have to be brave with the bat to maintain a high strike rate and high intensity throughout.”

Both India and the West Indies lost to South Africa and beat Zimbabwe in Super Eights Group 1.

It means Sunday’s clash in front of around 68,000 partisan fans at Eden Gardens will be a straight shootout for a place in the semi-finals, with the losers going home.

Awaiting the winner should be a semi-final against England in Mumbai on Thursday.

The final is in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.

READ: Fakhar Zaman shatters Mohammad Rizwan’s T20 record

Daniil Medvedev claimed his second Dubai title on Saturday following the withdrawal of his opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, due to a left hamstring injury.

The Russian also said he was unsure if he would be able to play next week’s ATP 1000 event in California after UAE airspace was partially closed due to Iranian strikes on the country, following the United States’ and Israel’s attacks on Iran.

Dutchman Griekspoor picked up the injury towards the end of the opening set of his semi-final win over Andrey Rublev on Friday and looked doubtful for the final when he limped into his post-match press conference.

The tournament announced on Saturday that Griekspoor “was deemed unfit to play in the ATP 500 men’s final following a medical assessment”.

“Of course, unfortunate, but Tallon, I could see yesterday that maybe he had an injury,” said Medvedev in audio quotes provided by the ATP.

“You never know how these injuries develop through the night. Sometimes they get easier, and you can play, like with some soreness. Sometimes they get worse, so I guess it got worse.

“I cannot do anything about it. I played a great tournament, the four matches I played. Of course, I wanted to play the final, but it is what it is.

“I played an unbelievable match yesterday, so I would, either way, take it as a final for me, and I’m happy to win the tournament.”

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This is the first time Medvedev has been able to repeat a title. The 30-year-old Russian had won 22 trophies in 22 different events before clinching a second Dubai crown on Saturday to go with the one he captured in 2023.

“Of course, I take a lot of confidence. But tennis is a very fast-paced sport, so one week you can play not the way you want, and the other week you’re playing amazingly. So I just hope to bring this confidence from the four matches I played in Indian Wells, for sure.

“I played unreal the whole week, so I was actually really looking forward to the final and trying to play even better than I did. But it is what it is, and I’m really happy with how the week turned out in general.”

The Dubai doubles final went ahead as scheduled, and the singles final was set to be played despite Iran’s ongoing attacks on the UAE on Saturday.

The players are meant to fly straight to California for the upcoming Indian Wells Masters, but their travel plans have been disrupted due to regional airspace closures and the suspension of all flight operations at all Dubai airports until further notice.

Medvedev said he still didn’t know how he was going to make it to California and will be waiting on updates regarding the reopening of the Gulf region’s airspace.

READ: Sahibzada Farhan breaks long-standing record of Virat Kohli

KANDY: Opening batter Fakhar Zaman on Saturday broke Mohammad Rizwan’s record for the most sixes by a Pakistan batter during the Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Fakhar surpassed Mohammad Rizwan’s previous record of 95 sixes with a towering hit off spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the third over of Pakistan’s innings.

The clean strike not only shifted early momentum but also etched Fakhar’s name at the top of Pakistan’s six-hitting charts in T20 internationals.

Promoted to open the batting, Fakhar laid a monumental 176-run foundation with Sahibzada Farhan.

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Both batters kept Sri Lankan bowlers at bay, powering Pakistan in a dominant position.

Fakhar Zaman was eventually dismissed after scoring 84 from 42 balls with the aid of four sixes and nine fours.

At the time of filing this story, Pakistan were 179-2 in 16.4 overs.

Most sixes for Pakistan in T20Is

Fakhar Zaman — Matches: 120 | Sixes: 99

Mohammad Rizwan — Matches: 106 | Sixes: 95

Babar Azam — Matches: 145 | Sixes: 80

Mohammad Hafeez — Matches: 119 | Sixes: 76

Shahid Afridi — Matches: 98 | Sixes: 73

READ: Farhan breaks Kohli’s long-standing T20 World Cup record