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RAWALPINDI: Pakistan handed a Test debut to 38-year-old left-arm spinner Asif Afridi in the second Test against South Africa on Monday here at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Afridi, who replaced fast bowler Hasan Ali in the playing XI, was preferred over Abrar Ahmed to bolster Pakistan’s spin attack alongside Noman Ali and Sajid Khan.

The hosts are fielding only one pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, in the second Test, reflecting a spin-heavy strategy on the Rawalpindi surface.

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With his debut, Asif Afridi becomes Pakistan’s second-oldest Test debutant at 38 years and 299 days, making him the oldest to earn a Test cap for the country since Miran Baksh, who debuted at 47 back in 1955.

Having made his first-class debut in 2009, Afridi endured a long break before re-emerging in 2015 to establish himself as a consistent performer in domestic cricket.

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Over 57 first-class matches, he has taken 198 wickets at an average of 25.49, alongside scoring 1,630 runs, including a century, underlining his value as a lower-order contributor.

For the visitors, South Africa welcomed back Keshav Maharaj, who missed the first Test due to injury, while Marco Jansen returned to the side as well, replacing Wiaan Mulder and Prenelan Subrayen.

READ: Azhar Mahmood wary of Maharaj threat ahead of second South Africa Test

Max Verstappen made it clear that he is chasing a spectacular fifth world title after reeling off his third win in four races with a masterclass in Sunday’s sizzling United States Grand Prix.

After avoiding direct comment on the championship for several weeks, Red Bull’s four-time champion said he felt sure he now has a real chance of snatching the title from the grasp of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Boosted by cutting Piastri’s advantage to 40 points with five Grands Prix remaining, including two more sprint races, a buoyant Verstappen called for Red Bull to maintain their momentum.

“Yeah, for sure, the chance is there,” he said. “We just need to try and deliver these weekends until the end. We will try whatever we can.”

After winning both Saturday’s sprint and Sunday’s Grand Prix race, Verstappen has 306 points in the title race, in third place, leaving Piastri on top with 346 points and Norris on 332.

McLaren have already won the constructors’ title for the second consecutive year, but have focused on preparing for 2026 and stopped introducing updates to their car for this year, leaving their drivers nervously scrambling to keep their title bids on track.

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The 28-year-old Dutchman has now collected 119 points from a possible 135 over the last five Grand Prix weekends, a run that has also coincided with improvements in form from both Mercedes and Ferrari.

Verstappen added: “It was an unbelievable weekend for us. I knew that the race was not going to be super straightforward, and I think, if you look at the whole race, the pace between me and Lando was really close.

“I think the first stint is where we made the difference. I could eek out a little bit of a gap, and that is basically what we kept until the end.”

He added, “I am incredibly proud of everyone for delivering a weekend like this, and now we just have to keep the momentum.”

Verstappen’s late-season charge has prompted memories of the 2007 season when Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari went into the final race in Brazil trailing both McLaren drivers, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, but emerged as champion.

READ: Marnus Labuschagne reveals reason behind continued batting struggles

Australia middle-order batter Marnus Labuschagne opened up about his poor form with an Ashes spot looming, admitting that he had been trying too hard instead of relying on his natural batting strengths.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Fox Sports, Marnus stated that he wants to enjoy his game and play with freedom.

“It’s always nice when you’re scoring runs. The only thing I really wanted coming into this summer — take everything out, selections, everything else — I just wanted to be back playing cricket the way I want to be playing, playing with that freedom,” he said.

“It’s nice to have come out and started the way I have. Coming into this summer, runs was going to be the currency and that was probably the big focus point,” he continued.

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With Ashes looming, Marnus has picked form and scored four hundreds in his last six innings in Australia’s domestic competition.

He was going through a poor run of form from last couple of year, eventually sidelining him from the Test squad ahead of their three-match series against West Indies across June and July earlier this year.

“It doesn’t matter how you score them or what it looks like; just find a way to keep scoring runs. Since then, my technique moulded into whatever the game needs,” he explained.

The right-hander lamented diving too deep into the technical aspects of his game instead of focusing on what natural ability he had in his batting.

“There’s a few technical things that I’ve ironed out of my game and had a bit of time to work on.

(I was) getting too deep into my technique and trying to be too perfect instead of just playing with what I’ve got; just going out there, reading the game and then using my technique to adjust to whatever they’re bowling and how they’re trying to attack me,” he concluded.

Australia has started its action-packed summer on a high note with a thumping seven-wicket victory over India.

Meanwhile, the first of the five Ashes Tests against England will begin on November 21 at the Perth Cricket Stadium.

READ: Marsh, bowlers power Australia to win in rain-hit ODI opener

RAWALPINDI: South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram expressed confidence in his side’s ability to counter the spin challenge and bounce back against Pakistan in the second Test, scheduled to be played tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Markram lavished praise on Keshav Maharaj, who is set to return after missing out on the first Test in Lahore.

“Kesh is available, that’s why he’s here. It’s great to have him back in the camp — he brings lots of experience and a really good skill set as well,” he told reporters in the pre-match presser.

“For us, it’s very important to try and level the series, and we’re looking forward to this game starting tomorrow,” he continued.

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South Africa were outplayed by spin from Pakistan in the first Test played at the Gaddafi Stadium. Noman Ali starred in the match with a ten-wicket haul, troubling the Proteas batter with his magical spin bowling.

Markram admitted that he is ready to face more spin, and they have plans to counter the threat posed by the home side spinners.

“We’re expecting more spin; the wicket looks pretty good to the eye, but we’ve expected these types of conditions from day one. It’s about us having done some homework post that first game and coming up with new plans to hopefully counter that,” he explained.

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Regarding his batting, the South Africa skipper emphasized net practice and stated that he is in good shape to score vital runs for his team.

“I’ve been feeling good, spending time in the nets trying to come up with ideas that suit my game in these conditions. I feel like I’m mentally in a really good space and very hungry to contribute and lead from the front.”

The 31-year-old remained confident in his side’s chances to avoid a 2-0 clean sweep.

“When you get to spinning conditions, the guessing game is always how long till it really starts to spin exaggeratedly, so we’ll have to assess that as quickly as we can.

We know how this game works — it doesn’t always come off — but I’ll always live and die with my heart on my sleeve and give it a good fight.,” Aiden Markram concluded.

READ: Marsh, bowlers power Australia to win in rain-hit ODI opener

Australia captain Mitchell Marsh guided his side to a comfortable seven-wicket win against India in a rain-affected first one-day international in Perth on Sunday.

Chasing 131 for victory in a match that was reduced to 26 overs a side, Marsh scored 46 not out as the home side cruised to an easy win to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Matt Renshaw was unbeaten on 21 alongside Marsh as Australia reached 131-3 with 29 balls remaining. Josh Philippe contributed 37, batting at number four.

“I was proud of the way our young guys came out and got the job done.”

Marsh, who was also named player of the match, won the toss and chose to field due to the inclement weather around the Western Australia city.

It paid dividends as India’s innings was hampered by rain delays, which frustrated the visitors who struggled to build any momentum.

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A quickfire 38 off 31 balls from KL Rahul helped India to recover to 136-9, with Australia set 131 to win after the total was adjusted on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern system.

Australia’s opening bowlers, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, troubled the Indian batters with a good line and movement.

Hazlewood had Rohit Sharma caught at second slip for eight before Starc claimed Virat Kohli without scoring, leaving the visitors 21-2.

India skipper Shubman Gill was caught by wicketkeeper Philippe off Nathan Ellis for 10 before the first rain delay, with India 23-3 after 8.5 overs.

Hazlewood grabbed his second victim when Shreyas Iyer gloved a ball to Philippe before another long delay with India at 45-4.

When they eventually resumed, the game was reduced to 26 overs.

Rahul smashed two huge sixes but fell on the boundary going for a third.

Nitish Reddy blasted 19 runs off the last two overs, but the reduced total was never enough.

The two teams meet again in Adelaide on Thursday before the final match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday.

READ: Did Starc break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for world’s fastest delivery?

RAWALPINDI: Interim red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood has hailed South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj as a world-class spinner, emphasizing that his return will bring significant challenges for Pakistan.

Keshav Maharaj will make his return to the side after missing out in the first Test, and he will pose a threat to Pakistan batters; however, Mahmood braces for better execution and decision-making in the match.

“We’re playing against the best team and they’re obviously not going to take this lightly, they’ll give it their all to comeback; they were relying heavily on one of their spinners [Keshav Maharaj], who’s one of the best in the world. It’ll bring a lot of challenges for us.”

“We know what challenges will come, and we need to see how to tackle those. On the day, it’s all about execution and making the right decision when you bat, bowl, or field,” Azhar told reporters in a pre-match press conference.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

Azhar emphasized a dry Pindi pitch and hinted that the playing XI will be tweaked according to the surface.

“We will decide tomorrow morning about the playing XI. Currently, the pitch is looking on the dryer side, and there is a possibility of changes, “but not too many,” he remarked.

“It’s possible we go with a 3-1 combination [three spinners and one pacer], but it hasn’t been decided yet,” he said.

“With regards to the toss, we don’t want that the whole match is decided by the toss. Even, if we lose the toss, our aim is that even if we lose the toss, we try to make 350 (runs) in the first innings,” he continued.

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Azhar Mahmood also termed the process as key for winning the World Test Championship (WTC), stating that the players’ confidence is on the higher side.

“Obviously, we need to go step by step to reach there — you need to play in conditions abroad, play in the West Indies, Bangladesh, and England. So the process that I keep talking about, we need to take the matches one by one. With Test matches, we’ll take it session by session.

“This team has been playing for quite some time now, the boys’ morale is quite high, they knew it was important to win the match, and you saw the effort they put in. They’re confident, and they’re all getting along well and playing together. This is what a team needs to build up,” he concluded.

READ: WATCH: Mitchell Starc removes Virat Kohli for duck in ODI series opener

PERTH: India batting maestro Virat Kohli return to international cricket was cut short by Australia ace pacer Mitchell Starc, who bowled a terrific delivery to send the right-hander back for a duck in the first ODI here on Sunday.

After opting to bat first, India did not have the best of a start as returning Rohit Sharma perished for just eight from 14 balls.

As a result, the visitors were 13-1 at the end of the fourth over with Virat Kohli coming at his long-occupied No. 3 spot.

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The right-hander’s much-awaited return was highly anticipated; however, he could not open his account after playing eight deliveries and was caught at backward point.

Notably, this was Virat Kohli’s first duck on Australian soil in 65 matches played from 2011 to 2025. Overall, the right-hander has scored 3616 runs at a stellar average of 51.65 with 11 centuries and 19 fifties to his name.

Yet, India set Australia a 137-run target in a match reduced to 26 overs per side, courtesy of KL Rahul and Axar Patel’s 39-run stand, which lifted the visitors out of trouble.

Rahul made 38 from 31 balls with the aid of two sixes and two fours, whereas Patel struck three fours on his way to 31 from 38 balls.

For Australia, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, and Josh Hazlewood scalped two wickets each.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, and Arshdeep Singh.

Australia: Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh (c), Matthew Short, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Owen, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Ellis, Matthew Kuhnemann, and Josh Hazlewood.

READ: Did Starc break Shoaib Akhtar’s record for world’s fastest delivery?

PERTH: Australia ace pacer Mitchell Starc was captured bowling a 176.5 km/h delivery in the ongoing first ODI against India here at the Perth Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The left-arm pacer’s opening delivery to opener Rohit Sharma was clocked at a stunning 176.5kph. Soon after, fans were in awe, wondering if Starc had shattered Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar’s long-standing record for bowling the fastest-ever delivery in international cricket.

However, it was later revealed that the recorded speed was incorrect as the bowling speed gun malfunctioned.

For the unversed, Shoaib Akhtar holds the record for the fastest delivery in international cricket— 161.3 km/h, which he bowled against England during the 2003 World Cup.

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India has set 137 in a game reduced to 26 overs per side due to rain, courtesy of KL Rahul, 38 from 31 balls, studded with two fours and two sixes.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc was on song from the start, removing India’s ace Virat Kohli for a duck, which set the tone early for Australia to dictate terms in a rain-hit encounter.

Overall, Mitchell Starc bowled six overs and gave away 22 runs while taking one wicket.

Playing XIs

India 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Axar Patel, 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Nitish Reddy, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Mohammed Siraj

Australia 1 Travis Head, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Matt Short, 4 Josh Philippe (wk), 5 Matt Renshaw, 6 Mitch Owen, 7 Cooper Connolly, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh Hazlewood

READ: PCB confirms tri-Series will go ahead despite Afghanistan withdrawal

A rampant Lionel Messi scored a sensational hat-trick to seal Major League Soccer’s Golden Boot award on Saturday as Inter Miami roared into the playoffs with a 5-2 victory over Nashville SC.

The Argentine superstar tallied an astonishing 29 goals from 28 matches, with Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga and Nashville’s Sam Surridge tied for second best with 24 goals.

Messi claimed his first MLS Golden Boot and also staked his claim to a second straight Most Valuable Player award with a bravura performance that saw Inter rally to clinch third place in the Eastern Conference.

They’ll face the same Nashville team in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs starting on October 24.

Nashville had seen some quality chances go begging when Messi put Miami in front in the 34th minute with a cracking goal from outside the penalty area.

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Messi took a pass from Jordi Alba and made one cut before he unleashed a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner.

Nine minutes later, Nashville’s Surridge grabbed his 24th goal of the season when he headed in a pinpoint delivery from Hany Mukhtar at the near post.

Nashville seized a 2-1 lead deep in first-half injury time when Jacob Shaffelburg was there to fire home the rebound off a Mukhtar shot that hit the post.

Messi’s first penalty conversion of the season pulled Inter level in the 63rd.

The referee pointed to the spot after a ball deflected by Luis Suarez hit Mukhtar on the arm.

Messi stepped up and rolled it past Nashville keeper Joe Willis.

After Baltasar Rodriguez made it 3-2 to Miami in the 67th, Messi completed his hat-trick in the 81st with a curling shot through traffic and past Willis.

Miami’s Telasco Segovia completed the scoring against a shell-shocked Nashville in second-half injury time.

READ: Zimbabwe to participate in T20I tri-series after Afghanistan withdrawal

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has clarified the rumors regarding pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi potentially replacing wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan as the national ODI captain.

The cricket board confirmed that no final decision has been made regarding the ODI captaincy for the upcoming home series against South Africa.

A PCB spokesperson stated that head coach Mike Hesson has officially written to PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, recommending a joint meeting of the Selection Committee and Advisory Committee to finalise the captaincy issue.

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According to the board, Chairman Naqvi has forwarded the request to both committees, which are set to convene on October 20, where the final call on who will lead Pakistan in the ODI format is expected to be made.

The clarification comes amid growing reports that Shaheen Shah Afridi is being considered to replace Mohammad Rizwan as Pakistan’s ODI captain following a run of disappointing results in the format.

Pakistan’s struggles in 50-over cricket have been evident this year.

The team failed to progress beyond the first round of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, before enduring a 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand and a 2-1 series loss to the West Indies.

READ: Shaheen Afridi to replace Mohammad Rizwan as ODI captain: report