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RAWALPINDI: A composed all-round performance powered Pakistan to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the final of the T20I tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a modest target of 115, Pakistan completed the task in 18.4 overs despite a brief middle-order delay.

Openers Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan provided a steady base with a 46-run partnership. Farhan looked fluent during his stay before falling for 23 off 22 balls, while Saim continued to anchor the chase.

Babar Azam joined Saim and ensured Pakistan crossed the 50-run mark safely. Saim eventually departed for 36 off 33 deliveries, but by then, Pakistan had full control.

Skipper Salman Ali Agha added 14 runs before a minor wobble saw two quick wickets fall late in the innings.

However, Babar held firm till the end, remaining unbeaten on 37 off 34 balls to guide Pakistan home with over eight balls to spare.

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Earlier, Sri Lanka struggled to build momentum after being put into bat. Their top order was jolted early when opener Pathum Nissanka (11) fell cheaply.

A lone resistance came through Kamil Mishara, who registered his third T20I half-century with a fluent 59, but lacked support at the other end as wickets fell regularly.

Once Mishara was dismissed, Sri Lanka’s innings fell apart dramatically. The visitors lost their final five wickets for just 10 runs, collapsing for 114 in 19.1 overs after looking set for a slightly more competitive total at one stage.

Pakistan’s bowling attack delivered with discipline and intent, led by Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Nawaz, who claimed three wickets each.

Abrar Ahmed chipped in with two crucial breakthroughs to seal the contest firmly in Pakistan’s favour.

READ: Tri-Series Final: Pakistan, Sri Lanka to observe silence for cyclone victims

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan and Sri Lanka will observe a minute of silence before the start of the T20I tri-series final today at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in memory of those who lost their lives in the devastating floods caused by Cyclone Ditwah.

The gesture comes as Sri Lanka continues to reel from extreme weather conditions that have triggered widespread destruction across several regions.

According to Sri Lanka’s disaster authorities, at least 123 people have lost their lives so far, while 130 others remain missing.

Relief operations are currently underway, with nearly 44,000 affected residents shifted to government-run welfare centres after their homes were damaged or washed away.

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Both teams will stand together in remembrance just moments before the high-stakes final of the ongoing tri-series, which also featured Zimbabwe.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka booked their places in the title clash through contrasting campaigns in the group stage.

Pakistan suffered only one defeat in four matches, a loss that came against Sri Lanka, while that lone victory was enough for Sri Lanka to secure qualification for the final.

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, claimed a single win in the tournament, which came against Sri Lanka.

READ: Star England fast bowler set to miss second Ashes Test: report

BRISBANE: England fast bowler Mark Wood is expected to miss the second Ashes Test against Australia at The Gabba as team management looks to carefully manage his recovery, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo.

The decision comes as England aim to preserve their express pacer for the remainder of the Ashes series after his long return from injury.

Wood featured in the opening Test in Perth, which England lost inside two days, marking his first competitive appearance in nearly nine months following knee surgery for medial ligament damage earlier this year.

The 35-year-old bowled 11 overs in that match and was notably absent from England’s first training session in Brisbane on Saturday, the only member of the touring party not present at Allan Border Field.

During the Perth Test, Wood himself admitted in a television interview that he was unlikely to play all five matches of the series.

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He had already been under a fitness cloud before the opening Test after experiencing tightness in his left hamstring during a warm-up fixture at Lilac Hill.

Despite that, he proved his readiness in the nets and delivered in the match with trademark pace, including a 150kph bouncer that struck Cameron Green on the grille.

With England trailing 1-0 in the series, Mark Wood is expected to be rested for the pink-ball Test, with a possible return pencilled in for the third Test in Adelaide.

Josh Tongue is the leading candidate to replace him, while Matthew Potts also remains in contention.

READ: Ehtesham Ahmed becomes first from Pakistan to earn MCC’s 100-match cap

Karachi-born cricketer Ehtesham Ahmed has etched his name into Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) history after being awarded the prestigious 100-match cap by the club.

With this, he became the first player from both Pakistan and Ireland to achieve the milestone.

The honour was formally presented at the iconic Lord’s by current Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) President Ed Smith, marking a proud moment in the 41-year-old’s long and dedicated cricketing journey.

A former Karachi Under-17 player, Ehtesham has spent nearly two decades building an impressive career in the European club circuit after relocating to Ireland.

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Over the years, he has represented several leading sides in Leinster cricket, enjoying successful stints with clubs such as YMCA, Terenure, Balbriggan and Clontarf.

His consistent performances, professionalism and longevity at the highest club level have now been recognised with one of the MCC’s most respected individual honours.

The 100-match cap is reserved for players who have shown outstanding commitment and service to the MCC across different competitions and tours.

By reaching this landmark, Ehtesham joins a select group of cricketers to have represented the historic club on 100 occasions, underlining both his durability and value as a player over the years.

READ: 1988 Olympic hero Imran Sherwani passes away at 63

Imran Sherwani, the former Great Britain and England hockey star best remembered for his decisive role in the iconic 1988 Olympic final, has passed away at the age of 63, his family confirmed.

Sherwani was a central figure in Great Britain’s stunning gold-medal triumph at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

This victory ended the nation’s 68-year wait for an Olympic title in men’s hockey and remains the last time the team has reached the podium at the Games.

Sherwani represented both England and Great Britain with distinction during his international career, earning a combined 94 caps.

He featured 49 times for England and a further 45 times for Great Britain, cementing his reputation as one of the most dependable defenders of his generation.

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Alongside Olympic glory, he also won a silver medal with England at the 1986 World Cup and followed it up with another silver at the European Championship in 1987.

Away from the field, Imran Sherwani showed remarkable courage in later life after being diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer’s in December 2019, a condition he publicly disclosed two years later in a bid to raise awareness.

His family, in a heartfelt statement, said that while the sporting world knew him for his achievements, they would always remember him as a devoted family man whose warmth, humour and kindness left a lasting impression on all those around him.

Tributes poured in from across the hockey community following the news of his passing.

EuroHockey President Marcos Hofmann described Sherwani as one of the very finest players of his era, adding that his performance in the Seoul final would forever remain one of the sport’s most iconic moments.

England Hockey CEO Rich Beer also paid a glowing tribute, calling Sherwani a true icon whose influence extended far beyond the pitch.

READ: Max Verstappen bid for fifth title suffers setback

Max Verstappen’s quest for a fifth drivers’ world title suffered a setback on Friday when he was out-qualified by a Red Bull team-mate for the first time in 440 days.

The Dutchman will start sixth in Saturday’s sprint at the Qatar Grand Prix behind team-mate Yuki Tsunoda on the third row.

The last time Verstappen, who is level with Oscar Piastri and 24 points adrift of Lando Norris in the championship, was outpaced in any qualifying session was at the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, when he was beaten by Sergio Perez.

Tsunoda, widely expected to be dropped by Red Bull at the end of this year, was 0.009 seconds faster than Verstappen, who spent most of the sprint qualifying session complaining about the balance and performance of his car.

“Not good,” was his verdict on the session. “From the first lap, it was really bad bouncing and with aggressive understeer, which would shift into oversteer at high speeds. Just not what you want!”

“We were locked in (to the set-up), and of course, we tried to change a few things on the wheel, but it never really worked and made it tricky.”

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He said he had changed his set-up after the earlier sole practice session at the high-grip but dusty high-speed Lusail International Circuit, but added that he and the team needed to understand the problems.

“It wasn’t working well in qualifying, so that’s something we need to understand,” he added.

“With this balance, in the sprint at least, it will not be a lot of fun. It will be more about trying to survive, I guess, and then make some changes going into qualifying (for Sunday’s race).”

Max Verstappen made clear before the weekend’s action began that he had only an outside chance to take the title and was relying on perfect results and more self-inflicted problems for his rivals after McLaren’s double disqualification last weekend in Las Vegas.

READ: England ‘learned the lessons’ from Perth loss, says Ben Stokes

BRISBANE: England captain Ben Stokes said on Saturday that lessons had been learned from their crushing first Ashes Test defeat to Australia in Perth, but that the team had moved on.

Australia took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series with a stunning eight-wicket win in a frenetic two-day clash in Perth characterised by batting collapses and Travis Head’s match-winning 123.

In the aftermath, England was slammed as “brainless” and even “arrogant” by former greats for their meek performance after putting themselves in a strong position to win.

“We’ve talked about it, and we’ve moved on,” Stokes said in Brisbane ahead of the second day-night Test starting on Thursday. “We had some good conversations around the group.”

“Look, Travis played an amazing knock, there’s no hiding away from that,” he said. “But that’s not the overriding contribution as to why we didn’t end up getting the result.”

Ben Stokes noted there were “amazing things throughout that Test match.”

“The way that we bowled in the first innings … and we ended up putting a score on the board that we believed was definitely defendable,” he said.

“But we all know there were moments in that game where we could have been a lot better to help us gain even more of an advantage that we did have.

“We know that, and we understand that. And the important thing that you need to do from that as a team and as individuals is learning from that.”

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England face a daunting task at the Gabba in Brisbane to level the series with Australia, masters of pink-ball Tests, winning 13 out of 14 matches under lights.

Despite England having a much more mixed record, management opted against any of their main players being part of a two-day day-night clash against a Prime Minister’s XI this weekend in Canberra.

The decision was slammed as “amateurish” by former Ashes-winning captain Michael Vaughan, who added that he was “staggered” that they would turn down the opportunity.

Stokes said he understood the blowback, but defended the move with England instead scheduling extra training sessions in Brisbane.

“That’s where it is, it’s in Canberra, which is a different state,” he said.

“The (weather) conditions are obviously going to be completely different to what we’ve got coming up.

“So what you try and do is you try and take all the factors into consideration, the pros, the cons, whatever it may be, and then you always discuss that and decide what it is that we think is going to be our best preparation.

“We know that we are doing everything that we can to make sure that we are best prepared for this game,” he added.

READ: Abu Dhabi T10 playoffs schedule confirmed as top four teams seal their spots

ABU DHABI: The playoffs for the Abu Dhabi T10 league are confirmed as the final four teams have secured their spots after Deccan Gladiators defeated Vista Riders in the last league match of the tournament here on Friday.

Quetta Qavalry, who have already qualified for the next round, finished in top position with 12 points to their name. Earlier in the day, they suffered their only loss in the tournament against Royal Champs by 14 runs.

Quetta Qavalary will now face Aspin Stallions in Qualifier 1 tomorrow at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

All four matches of the playoffs will be played at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

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Qavalry and Stallions have two chances of qualifying for the Abu Dhabi T10 final after finishing in the top two of the points table, since the loser of Qualifier 1 will take on the winner of Eliminator on Sunday in Qualifier 2.

The eliminator will be played between Ajman Titans and UAE Bulls, with the grand final on Sunday.

Abu Dhabi T10 playoffs matches

Quetta Qavalry vs Aspin Stallions, Qualifier 1
Ajman Titans vs UAE Bulls, Eliminator
Eliminator Winner v Qualifier Runner-up
Final

UAE Bulls managed to advance after Deccan Gladiators defeated Vista Riders by 19 runs. With this, the Gladiators finished in seventh spot with six points while the Riders remained in eighth position.

Despite having six points to their name, the Bulls reached the playoffs based on their superior Net run-rate (NRR).

On the contrary, Royal Champs finished at the bottom with only four points and two victories to their name, with the last victory coming today against Quetta Qavalry.

READ: Guardiola accuses Man City of ‘playing safe’ in Leverkusen defeat

Pep Guardiola accused his much-changed Manchester City team of “playing safe” in their surprise Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen in midweek.

The City manager paid the price for making 10 changes to his starting line-up as the German side won 2-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

Guardiola felt his players were too risk-averse as they slipped to a second successive defeat following last week’s Premier League reverse at Newcastle.

Referring to the Leverkusen defeat, he said: “We didn’t try. In football, when you play on the green, you have to try things, and we didn’t try.”

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He added: “I think they played not to make mistakes, not to play to do something, that is so difficult. In football, you have to play offense, and you have to try… they played to be safe.”

Pep Guardiola, whose team faces struggling Leeds on Saturday, suggested the players who started against Leverkusen had lacked confidence.

“I have a lot of confidence in them, still right now I have a lot,” he said. “I have a huge value in what they are as football players, and that maybe is higher than (they have) themselves.”

City are still without midfielder Rodri for the Leeds game, but Guardiola said the Spanish international would be back soon.

Guardiola’s men are third in the Premier League table, seven points behind leaders Arsenal.

READ: Major update on Palmer’s availability ahead of Arsenal clash

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha has backed his side to shine in the T20I tri-series final against Sri Lanka.

Speaking on the eve of the final, Salman highlighted Pakistan’s performances in the past months and shed light on yesterday’s defeat against Sri Lanka.

“We are playing really good cricket throughout the tri-series, [in fact] we are playing good cricket for the past three months,” he said.

“Unfortunately, we could not finish yesterday’s game, but how we made a comeback after being four down in the power play is commendable,” Agha said while hailing the fight-back

He also mentioned the batting collapses, noting that every player is stepping up for the team, which has helped them form partnerships.

“We discuss in every meeting about batting collapses, and it’s all about taking responsibility; every individual is taking responsibility.

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Due to this, our collapses are not frequent and are not as consistent as we had in the past,” he continued.

Salman Ali Agha expressed confidence in his side and stated that they will play in the same manner as they played in the past two months at home.

“We will play the brand of cricket that we have been playing for the past two months, and I think we have to play that cricket because it is working for us.

Every final is important, and the upcoming fixtures are preparation for the T20 World Cup,” the skipper concluded.

The final will be played tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Squads

Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Hassan Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), and Usman Tariq.

Sri Lanka: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Kamil Mishara, Kamindu Mendis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Janith Liyanage, Vijayakanth Viyaskanth, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushan Hemantha, Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Thushara, Asitha Fernando, Pavan Rathnayake, and Eshan Malinga.

READ: WATCH: Agha, Shanaka pose with Trophy ahead of tri-series final