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ADELAIDE: Australia’s legendary pacer Glenn McGrath reaction went viral after ace off-spinner Nathan Lyon surpassed his Test wicket tally during the third Ashes Test against England here on Thursday.

Lyon claimed his 564th Test wicket, moving past McGrath and sitting behind only Shane Warne among Australian bowlers.

The landmark came in memorable fashion as the 38-year-old struck twice in his very first over after returning to the Test side, removing Ollie Pope before clean-bowling Ben Duckett to reach the milestone.

The achievement came on day two of Lyon’s 141st Test and underlined his enduring value to Australia’s red-ball setup.

After Lyon surpassed his record, McGrath mimicked slamming his chair on the floor.

 

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Nonetheless, McGrath praised Lyon and shared his thoughts on the achievement.

“What a bowler. Nathan Lyon deserves to get that.”

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“You wondered what impact Nathan Lyon was going to have in this game. First over, and that was a gem of a ball,” he added.

Speaking after the day’s play, Lyon talked about his ideals and expressed pride in the achievement.

“I grew up idolising Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and these guys in my childhood were my heroes,” he said.

“And to think of being able to overtake Glenn … it’s pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it’s something that I’ll look back on at the end of my career, or even tonight,” Nathan Lyon added.

The 38-year-old thanked teammates for standing by his side, noting that he would take time to reflect on what he described as an ‘extremely special’ moment in his long career.

“I’ll sit back and try and have a moment because it is an extremely special moment for myself. “But I haven’t been able to do that without the guys at the other end, my teammates.”

“I’ve been around this group long enough to understand my role inside, and it’s an amazing group to be a part of,” he explained.

“I’ll continue to enjoy that while I can, it’s a pretty special group, and just extremely grateful for that opportunity, I guess. “Same emotions as usual, nervous, but that’s me,” the veteran spinner concluded.

READ: Lyon ‘humbled’ after moving past childhood hero McGrath

ADELAIDE: Australia’s ace spinner Nathan Lyon opened up after surpassing his childhood hero Glenn McGrath during the third Ashes Test against England here on Thursday.

Lyon claimed his 564th Test wicket, moving past McGrath and sitting behind only Shane Warne among Australian bowlers.

The landmark came in memorable fashion as the 38-year-old struck twice in his very first over after returning to the Test side, removing Ollie Pope before clean-bowling Ben Duckett to reach the milestone.

The achievement came on day two of Lyon’s 141st Test and underlined his enduring value to Australia’s red-ball setup.

Speaking after the day’s play, Lyon talked about his ideals and expressed pride in the achievement.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“I grew up idolising Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath and these guys in my childhood were my heroes,” he said.

“And to think of being able to overtake Glenn … it’s pretty humbling to be honest with you, and it’s something that I’ll look back on at the end of my career, or even tonight,” Nathan Lyon added.

The 38-year-old thanked teammates for standing by his side, noting that he would take time to reflect on what he described as an ‘extremely special’ moment in his long career.

“I’ll sit back and try and have a moment because it is an extremely special moment for myself. “But I haven’t been able to do that without the guys at the other end, my teammates.”

“I’ve been around this group long enough to understand my role inside, and it’s an amazing group to be a part of,” he explained.

“I’ll continue to enjoy that while I can, it’s a pretty special group, and just extremely grateful for that opportunity, I guess. “Same emotions as usual, nervous, but that’s me,” the veteran spinner concluded.

READ: Pakistan squad for ICC U19 World Cup announced

MELBOURNE: Veteran Peter Siddle’s three-wicket haul and Marcus Stoinis’ gutsy knock propelled Melbourne Stars to an eight-wicket victory over Hobart Hurricanes in the fifth match of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 here at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.

Set 159, Melbourne Stars hit the winning runs on the last ball of the 15th over with eight wickets in hand.

Thomas Rogers and Joe Clarke stitched 46 in 5.3 overs to provide the home side a strong start.

Rogers hit six fours in his 30 from 18 before getting caught on Rishad Hossain’s bowling.

Two overs later, Joe Clarke was also sent back for run-a-ball 20, leaving Stars two down for 58 in 7.3 overs.

This was the only silver lining for Hobart Hurricanes, who then faced a boundary-laced storm from Campbell Kellaway and skipper Marcus Stoinis.

The duo forged a 101* run partnership from 51 balls, which kept Hurricanes bowlers at bay.

Eventually, Stars reached the target without any major hiccup as Kellaway remained unbeaten on 41 from 27 balls with the help of five fours.

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On the contrary, Stoinis’ innings was laced with seven fours and two maximums. The skipper made 62 from 31 deliveries.

For Hobart Hurricanes, Rishad Hossain managed to take two wickets.

Earlier, after being put into bat first, Hobart Hurricanes ‘ power-packed batting lineup was curtailed to 158-9 in their 20 overs.

The visitors were jolted with two early blows as opener Mitchell Owen (8) and Rehan Ahmed (1) were back in the pavilion in the space of two balls.

Consequently, Hurricanes were reduced to 10-2 in 1.1 overs with Ben McDermott and Nikhil Chaudhary at the crease.

Catch Big Bash League (BBL) 15 news updates here!

The duo tried to stabilize the innings with a brief partnership of 26 runs, but Marcus Stoinis hit them back with Chaudhary’s wicket in the fifth over, who could only add seven to the total.

For Hurricanes, two of their senior batters Tim David and McDermott were at the crease, which helped their cause with an 83-run partnership, although not in quick time.

The duo brought the scoring to 119 in 15.3 overs with McDermott remaining the core aggressor, while David’s sluggish 31 from 31 was ended by Siddle.

Yet, they reached a respectable total of 158, thanks to Ben McDermott’s 69 from 52 with the help of two sixes and five fours.

For Melbourne Stars, Peter Siddle starred with the ball, scalping three in his four, while Haris Rauf and Marcus Stoinis picked up two each.

READ: Pakistan squad for ICC U19 World Cup announced

Pakistan cricket team will tour the West Indies for a two-match Test series in July-August 2026, Cricket West Indies (CWI) vice-president Azim Bassarath confirmed on Wednesday.

Bassarath, who is also the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), made the announcement during the board’s executive luncheon at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain.

He revealed that the series will run from July 15 to August 7, 2026, and will form part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

According to Bassarath, Pakistan will play a four-day warm-up match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) before the start of the Test series.

The first Test will be staged at the Queen’s Park Oval, while the second Test will be played at the BLCA.

“We will also host the Pakistan tour of the Caribbean from July 15 to August 7, 2026, comprising the four-day warm-up match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, the first Test match at the Queen’s Park Oval and the second Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy,” Bassarath said during his address.

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He also confirmed that the BLCA has now achieved full international accreditation, enabling it to host matches across all formats of the game.

The upcoming red-ball tour aligns with Pakistan’s Future Tour Programme (FTP), although the detailed match schedule is yet to be released.

Pakistan and the West Indies have shared a competitive recent Test history.

The two sides last met in a Test series in January this year, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Pakistan had also toured the Caribbean for a Test series in 2021, with that contest also finishing level.

Earlier this year, Pakistan visited the West Indies for limited-overs cricket, featuring in three ODIs and three T20Is.

READ: Pakistan squad for ICC U19 World Cup announced

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Thursday, revealed the 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC U19 World Cup 2026, as well as the upcoming tri-series in Zimbabwe.

Farhan Yousaf will continue to captain the Pakistan U19 team in the upcoming events.

The tri-series, featuring Afghanistan, Pakistan and hosts Zimbabwe, will be played from 25 December to 6 January.

It will serve as preparation for the ICC U19 World Cup 2026, which will take place in Namibia and Zimbabwe from 15 January to 6 February.

Both tournaments will be contested in the 50-over format.

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Pakistan U19 are currently competing in the ACC U19 Asia Cup in Dubai and will face Bangladesh in the semi-final on Friday, 19 December.

The final of the eight-team tournament is scheduled for Sunday, 21 December in Dubai.

The only change to the 15-member squad from the Asia Cup is the inclusion of right-arm fast bowler Umar Zaib, who replaces left-arm spinner Mohammad Huzaifa for the tri-series and the ICC U19 World Cup.

Pakistan U19 team will play a minimum of four matches in the tri-series, with the top two teams qualifying for the final on 6 January.

Pakistan U19 squad: Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas and Umar Zaib

Non-travelling reserves: Abdul Qadir, Farhanullah, Hassan Khan, Ibtisam Azhar and Mohammad Huzaifa

Support staff: Sarfaraz Ahmed (manager/mentor), Shahid Anwar (head coach/batting coach), Rao Iftikhar (bowling coach), Mansoor Amjad (fielding coach), Abrar Ahmed (trainer), Ubaidullah (physio), Ali Hamza (analyst)

Tri-series fixtures

• 25 December – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan, Harare Sports Club
• 27 December – Afghanistan v Pakistan, Harare Sports Club
• 29 December – Zimbabwe v Pakistan, Prince Edward
• 31 December – Zimbabwe v Afghanistan, Sunrise Sports Club
• 2 January – Pakistan v Afghanistan, Sunrise Sports Club
• 4 January – Zimbabwe v Pakistan, Old Hararians Sports Club
• 6 January – Final, Old Hararians Sports Club

ICC U19 World Cup Pakistan fixtures

• 16 January – Pakistan v England, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 19 January – Pakistan v Scotland, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 22 January – Zimbabwe v Pakistan, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare
• 24 January to 1 February – Super 6 matches
• 3 February – First semi-final, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo
• 4 February – Second semi-final, Harare Sports Club, Harare
• 6 February – Final, Harare Sports Club, Harare

READ: Lionel Messi backs THIS PLAYER for FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award

Lionel Messi has voted in favour of former Barcelona teammate Ousmane Dembele for the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award, it has been revealed following the release of official voting details by world football’s governing body.

FIFA published the ballots of national team captains, coaches and selected media representatives from each member association after the awards ceremony in Doha, where Dembele was crowned the 2025 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year.

The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and France forward finished ahead of Barcelona prodigy Lamine Yamal, with Kylian Mbappe placing third.

Messi, who had previously won the award, named Mbappe as his second choice, while opting for Yamal, the teenager who had inherited his iconic Barcelona No. 10 shirt, as his third pick.

Dembele’s triumph capped a remarkable season in which he played a pivotal role in PSG’s historic campaign.

Under Luis Enrique, the French winger enjoyed the most prolific spell of his career, scoring 35 goals across all competitions, including 21 in Ligue 1 to finish as the league’s top scorer.

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His standout performances were central to PSG’s maiden UEFA Champions League title, highlighted by a dominant 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the final.

The Paris club also completed a historic continental treble, becoming the first French side to win the Champions League, domestic league and main domestic cup in the same season, before going on to reach the Club World Cup final.

Dembele’s stellar year had already been recognised earlier when he won the 2025 Men’s Ballon d’Or, edging out Yamal, who finished second, while PSG midfielder Vitinha placed third.

The award made Dembele the first French player to claim the Ballon d’Or since Karim Benzema in 2022.

Lionel Messi was among those to publicly congratulate Ousmane Dembele following his Ballon d’Or success, further underlining the respect he commands among football’s elite.

READ: England Ashes dreams on life-support as Australia rip through batting

ADELAIDE: A pumped-up Australia ripped through England’s fragile batting Thursday to leave the tourists staring down the barrel of a third Test defeat with their Ashes campaign on the brink, barring a miracle.

At stumps on a sweltering day two, England had ground to 213-8, trailing by 158 after Australia added 45 to their overnight 326-8 as temperatures soared to 40 Celsius.

A gutsy Ben Stokes was a weary not out 45 after facing a marathon 151 balls in searing heat with Jofra Archer on 30 in a Test England must win, and on a pitch ideal for batting.

The captain’s mood was not helped by another suspect decision by the Snicko technology, but at least his brave knock, including a blow to the helmet off Mitchell Starc, helped his side avoid the follow-on.

Australia lead the five-match series 2-0 and will retain the urn if they win or draw after back-to-back eight-wicket thumpings in Perth and Brisbane.

Opening pair Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley saw off the early overs from Starc and Pat Cummins.

However, it was a mirage, as England lost three wickets for five runs in a 15-ball blitz, the latest chapter in a familiar tale.

Cummins first tempted an edge from Crawley, on nine, to wicketkeeper Alex Carey in the Australian skipper’s first Test since July after lower back issues.

Then, in a stroke of genius, he brought on spin king Nathan Lyon, who was controversially left out for the pink-ball second Test at the Gabba.

Lyon grabbed two wickets in a sensational opening over, with a hapless Ollie Pope (3) flicking to Josh Inglis at midwicket before he bowled Duckett for 29.

Joe Root edged Scott Boland to Carey, but a review showed it did not carry.

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England’s most experienced player failed to capitalise and was gone in the third over after lunch to Cummins, with Carey collecting another edge.

It was the 12th time Cummins has dismissed Root, more than any other bowler.

With the Ashes on the line, Stokes showed what he called “a bit of dog”, and he barely flinched when a Starc bouncer thudded into the back of his helmet.

But he lost a succession of partners, the first when Cameron Green removed Harry Brook, again caught by Carey.

Jamie Smith departed for 22 when Carey took what Australia claimed was a faint bottom edge off Cummins.

Snicko showed a small spike despite a gap between bat and ball, with Stokes shaking his head in disbelief as Smith trudged off.

Carey’s day one century on his home ground had been shrouded in controversy over a Snicko error when he was on 72 and given not out.

England failed to have the decision overturned on review, with replays showing a noise spike well before the ball reached his bat.

Carey later conceded he likely edged the delivery from Josh Tongue, and the technology operator admitted to an error.

Scott Boland quickly removed Will Jacks (6) and Brydon Carse (0) before Archer dug in with Stokes to see out the day.

Earlier, Starc plundered five quick fours before being bowled by Archer for 54. Lyon and Boland then piled on the pain in a 23-run last-wicket stand before Lyon was trapped lbw for nine by Archer, who ended with 5-53 as Australia posted 371.

READ: Nathan Lyon overtakes Glenn McGrath’s record in third Ashes Test

MOUNT MAUNGANUI: Devon Conway and Tom Latham plundered a poor West Indies attack for a mammoth opening partnership on day one of the third Test here on Thursday as New Zealand piled up 334-1.

Conway ended the day 178 not out, and captain Latham was out just before the close for 137. Nightwatchman Jacob Duffy was on nine at Stumps.

Conway and Latham put together 323, the second-highest opening partnership for New Zealand, only bettered by Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis’s 387 stand against the West Indies in Georgetown in 1972.

It was also only the eighth time New Zealand had registered a stand in excess of 300 in Tests.

Conway batted all day, facing 279 balls for his second century of the calendar year, but his first at home since January 2022 against Bangladesh in Christchurch. He scored 153 against Zimbabwe in August.

The 34-year-old Conway brought up his sixth Test century from 147 balls, and stroked 25 fours during his 279-ball stay.

Latham’s 15th Test century contained 15 fours and a six as he faced 264 balls.

Conway and captain Latham had a near chanceless partnership. For the first two sessions, the West Indies toiled without so much as a single lbw shout.

Early in the third session, they finally created a chance, but Latham was dropped by wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach off the bowling of Anderson Phillip when on 104 and New Zealand on 253.

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The marathon partnership justified Latham’s decision to bat first on a green-looking wicket that is tipped to suit spin later in the match.

The West Indies seamers found good movement off the grassy surface in the opening overs, bowling tight lines which had both Conway and Latham defending cautiously, but they became more aggressive once the new ball was seen off.

West Indies skipper Roston Chase said he would have bowled had he won the toss.

At a suggestion, spin would play a part later in the match, said he would “have to see it to believe it”. But after just 22 overs, Chase was on to bowl his offspin and ended up bowling 19 overs throughout the day.

Kemar Roach was the best of the bowlers, taking the lone wicket for figures of 1-63 from 17 overs.

New Zealand included spinner Ajaz Patel in their side for his first home Test in five years. Tom Blundell returned to keep wicket after missing the previous Test with injury.

The West Indies made one change, with the injured fast bowler Ojay Shields replaced by batsman Alick Athanaze.

New Zealand lead the three-match series 1-0, after a draw in the first Test in Christchurch, and a nine-wicket win in Wellington.

READ: Nathan Lyon overtakes Glenn McGrath’s record in third Ashes Test

ADELAIDE: Australia’s veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon etched his name deeper into cricketing history during the third Ashes Test against England, overtaking Glenn McGrath to become the country’s second-highest wicket-taker in the format.

Lyon claimed his 564th Test wicket on Thursday, moving past McGrath and sitting behind only Shane Warne among Australian bowlers.

The landmark came in memorable fashion as the 38-year-old struck twice in his very first over after returning to the Test side, removing Ollie Pope before clean-bowling Ben Duckett to reach the milestone.

The achievement came on day two of Lyon’s 141st Test and underlined his enduring value to Australia’s red-ball setup.

Renowned for his classical off-spin and ability to extract bounce and drift, Lyon has now climbed to sixth place on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers.

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Ahead of him on the overall charts are England’s Stuart Broad (604) and India great Anil Kumble (619), with Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralitharan leading the list with 800 wickets.

Shane Warne (708) and James Anderson (704) complete the top three.

Lyon, affectionately known as “Garry”, has previously said he feels he is in some of the best form of his career and has no immediate plans to step away from the game.

His longevity has been aided by a singular focus on Test cricket, having not played international white-ball cricket since 2019.

The off-spinner has also spoken openly about his desire to continue until at least the 2027 Ashes in England, with Australia set to enter a heavy Test schedule from August next year onwards.

READ: India-South Africa fourth T20I abandoned due to fog

Netflix is set to release a FIFA football simulation game exclusively on its gaming platform in summer 2026, timed to coincide with the World Cup, the streaming giant said Wednesday.

The game, developed and published by Delphi Interactive, will be available to Netflix subscribers and can be played solo or online with friends using only a smartphone, the company said.

Los Angeles-based Delphi Interactive is also working on a premium James Bond game in cooperation with Amazon and Danish gaming publisher IO Interactive.

The upcoming game from FIFA, world football’s governing body, does not yet have a title or release date, with more details to arrive in 2026, the company said.

“The FIFA World Cup is going to be the cultural event of 2026, and now fans will be able to celebrate their fandom by bringing the game right into their living rooms,” said Alain Tascan, president of games at Netflix.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the game aspires “to reach billions of football fans of all ages everywhere in the world,” calling it “a great historic step for FIFA.”

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The game comes three years after FIFA removed its name from the world’s best-selling football video game.

FIFA had dominated the market for PlayStation and Xbox games for nearly three decades.

But in 2022, FIFA ended its partnership with EA Sports, the game’s US creator, in a dispute over licensing fees.

Earlier this year, FIFA launched FIFA Rivals, a free-to-use cartoon-style mobile game.

Netflix began offering video games in 2021 to extend its entertainment ecosystem beyond films and TV series.

The service offers a catalog of mostly mobile and, more recently, TV-playable games that are included with a standard Netflix subscription.

READ: India-South Africa fourth T20I abandoned due to fog