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LAHORE: The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Mohsin Naqvi, praised the national Test team for their impressive victory over the reigning World Test Champions, South Africa.

Pakistan secured a commanding 93-run victory in the first Test of the two-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

In a statement issued after the win, Naqvi congratulated captain Shan Masood, players, and the entire team management for the impressive all-round display that gave Pakistan a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

“Pakistan has triumphed against the World Test Champion team — this victory is a result of teamwork,” said Mohsin Naqvi. “Our players showcased excellence in every department, from batting to bowling and fielding.”

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The PCB Chairman expressed hope that the team would continue their winning momentum in the upcoming Test, adding that the performance reflected a renewed sense of discipline and unity within the squad.

“I congratulate the captain, all players, and the management for this outstanding win,” he said. “I am confident the team will maintain this consistency in the second Test as well.”

Pakistan’s victory was built on the brilliance of Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi, who shared eight wickets between them to bowl South Africa out for 183 on the fourth day.

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Shaheen struck early in the morning session, removing Tony de Zorzi with the third delivery of the day to set the tone.

Noman continued to apply pressure from the other end, dismissing Tristan Stubbs cheaply before accounting for the dangerous Dewald Brevis, who had briefly revived South Africa’s hopes with a brisk 54.

Ryan Rickelton contributed 41 in a fighting partnership with Brevis, but once both fell, Pakistan took firm control of the match. Sajid Khan chipped in with two crucial wickets, while Noman and Shaheen ran through the rest of the lineup.

Shaheen wrapped up the innings by removing Kyle Verreynne (19), Prenelan Subrayen (8), and Kagiso Rabada (0), sealing Pakistan’s dominant victory before tea.

READ: Pakistan seal commanding win over South Africa in Lahore Test

LAHORE: Noman Ali and Shaheen Shah Afridi steered Pakistan to a dominant 93-run victory over South Africa in the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday, taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.

Chasing 277 for victory, South Africa’s hopes faded under relentless pressure as they were bowled out for 183 on the fourth day. Both Noman and Shaheen claimed four wickets apiece, ensuring Pakistan wrapped up the game before tea.

The visitors began the morning on shaky ground, and things only worsened when Shaheen Afridi struck with the third delivery of the day, removing Tony de Zorzi for 16 to give Pakistan an early breakthrough.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

Noman Ali, who had already been Pakistan’s standout spinner throughout the match, continued his fine form by dismissing Tristan Stubbs for just two, tightening the screws further.

A brief resistance came from Dewald Brevis and Ryan Rickelton, who added 50 runs for the fifth wicket to take South Africa past the 100-run mark.

Brevis, showing character after a first-innings duck, struck a fluent 54 off 54 balls, including some confident strokes to keep the chase alive.

However, Noman broke the stand by removing Brevis at a crucial juncture, while Sajid Khan soon followed up by dismissing Rickelton for 41 off 73 balls, ending South Africa’s last real fightback.

At 137-6 by lunch, the Proteas were still 140 runs short of the target, with Kyle Verreynne (3) and Senuran Muthusamy (3) at the crease.

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The pair offered little resistance after the break as Muthusamy fell prey to Sajid Khan, scoring a mere six runs.

Simon Harmer joined Verreynne, and they added 29 runs for the eighth wicket but could not stand a chance against Pakistan’s bowlers.

Shaheen Afridi came back onto the attack and took the remaining three wickets to seal Pakistan’s emphatic victory.

Verreynne departed after scoring 19 runs, while Prenelan Subrayen (8) and Kagiso Rabada (0) were Shaheen’s other victims. Harmer remained unbeaten for 14.

Other than Shaheen and Noman’s four-wicket hauls, Sajid Khan claimed two wickets for Pakistan.

READ: Son tells South Korea to ignore reputations at FIFA World Cup 2026

Son Heung-min said South Korea need to show the big teams less respect at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after recovering from being “punched” by Brazil to beat Paraguay.

The captain Son and his teammates were hammered 5-0 by Brazil in a friendly in Seoul last week, but got back on track with a 2-0 home win over Paraguay on Tuesday.

Son, who set a new record for South Korea’s men’s team with his 137th appearance against Brazil, urged his side to ignore their opponents’ reputations at the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“When we go up against strong teams, we have to think about how we can be more aggressive,” said Son, now playing for Los Angeles FC.

“For instance, I think we respected Brazil too much and that had a big influence on the result.

“We now know it hurts to get punched like that, and we have to learn how to fight back.”

South Korea have upset more fancied teams at the World Cup before, famously beating Portugal, Italy and Spain on the way to the semi-finals on home soil in 2002.

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They scored a goal in each half against Paraguay in Seoul, through Eom Ji-sung and Oh Hyeon-gyu.

Son Heung-min played only the first half after appearing for just over an hour against Brazil.

The 33-year-old forward said he was proud of his team’s performance just days after the Brazil humiliation.

“After a big loss like the one we had, players can feel discouraged, and it can show on the pitch,” said Son.

“To see my teammates put that behind them and pounce on their chances, I felt really grateful as their captain.”

Tuesday’s friendly was played out in front of a disappointing crowd of 20,000.

“If we play better football and more entertaining football, then I am sure fans will return to the stadium,” said Son.

READ: Portugal’s Ronaldo becomes all-time top World Cup qualifying scorer

Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo became the top goalscorer in World Cup qualifying history at the age of 40 on Tuesday against Hungary.

Ronaldo netted his 40th and 41st qualifying goals, overtaking retired Guatemala international Carlos Ruiz, who scored 39 between 1998 and 2016.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner levelled for Portugal against Hungary in a 2026 World Cup qualifier after 22 minutes by finishing from Nelson Semedo’s cross.

Ronaldo pounced again before half-time after being set up by Nuno Mendes to give Portugal a 2-1 lead at the break.

Ronaldo, also the all-time top international goalscorer with 143 strikes, is aiming to play at a sixth World Cup.

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However, Hungary grabbed a late 2-2 draw to stop Portugal from reaching the 2026 edition with two games to spare.

After Attila Szalai netted for the visitors, Ronaldo’s first-half brace put Roberto Martinez’s side on the verge of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

However, Dominik Szoboszlai struck in stoppage time to make Portugal wait and boost his nation’s hopes of making it to the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

Portugal snatched a late victory from a five-goal thriller when the teams met in Hungary in September, as Marco Rossi’s side showed their steel.

Hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, Hungary again proved a tough nut to crack.

READ: Hungary deny Portugal, Ronaldo early World Cup 2026 berth

Cristiano Ronaldo set a new record for World Cup qualifying goals, but Hungary grabbed a late 2-2 draw to stop Portugal from reaching the 2026 edition with two games to spare.

After Attila Szalai netted for the visitors, Ronaldo’s first-half brace put Roberto Martinez’s side on the verge of qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

However, Dominik Szoboszlai struck in stoppage time to make Portugal wait and boost his nation’s hopes of making it to the tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

“We are getting closer to our goal! Let’s go, Portugal,” said Ronaldo on X after the game.

Martinez’s side top Group F with 10 points, five clear of Hungary.

“We didn’t manage the game in the last 10 minutes well enough,” admitted Spanish coach Martinez.

“If you don’t kill the game, you need to know how to manage it until the end. Today we stopped playing and Hungary equalised.”

Portugal snatched a late victory from a five-goal thriller when the teams met in Hungary in September, as Marco Rossi’s side showed their steel.

Hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986, Hungary again proved a tough nut to crack.

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They took an early lead through Szalai, when the tall defender headed home from Szoboszlai’s corner after eight minutes.

Ronaldo, still leading the line for his country at 40, soon levelled, tucking home after Nelson Semedo crossed for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

It was his 40th goal in World Cup qualifying, setting a new record ahead of retired Guatemala international Carlos Ruiz on 39.

Ronaldo, who missed a penalty against Ireland at the weekend, extended his tally before half-time with his 143rd international goal, also an all-time record.

The veteran was in the right place at the right time again to clinically finish off a cross from Nuno Mendes and give his team the edge in an end-to-end clash.

Hungary pushed for an equaliser in the second half and Szalai hit the crossbar with another header.

Martinez took off Ronaldo, who is hoping to play at a sixth World Cup, but Nations League champions Portugal could not keep hold of their lead.

Eventually, Liverpool midfielder Szoboszlai found the leveller when he arrived at the back post to finish off Daniel Lukacs’s low cross, which found its way through.

“I’m proud of everyone, I’m proud of the whole team,” said Szoboszlai. “I couldn’t get to the near post, so I went for the far post. I don’t know how many legs the ball went through, but it worked out.”

READ: Nabi, Sami star as Afghanistan complete clean sweep over Bangladesh

ABU DHABI: Mohammad Nabi’s 62 from just 37 balls, followed by Bilal Sami’s five-wicket haul, powered Afghanistan to a 200-run victory over Bangladesh in the final match of the ODI series here at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Set 294, Bangladesh innings folded for 93 in just 27.1 overs, sealing a 3-0 series win for the hosts.

The victory was Afghanistan’s second biggest in terms of margin, with their largest being the 232-run triumph against Zimbabwe.

Set a target of 294, Bangladesh were bowled out for just 93 in 27.1 overs, sealing a 3-0 series win for hosts Afghanistan.

Saif Hassan top-scored with 43 from 54 balls with the aid of two fours and three sixes in an otherwise disappointing performance.

After losing opener Mohammad Naim on the second ball of the eighth over, Bangladesh’s batting lineup slid as Rashid Khan and Bilal Sami combined and took eight wickets between them.

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The Tigers lost wickets at regular intervals with no player crossing double figures apart from Hassan.

Eventually, the visitors were bundled out for the lowest total against Afghanistan in One Day Internationals.

For Afghanistan, Bilal Sami starred with the ball, picking up a maiden five-wicket haul while Rashid Khan supported him well, scalping three wickets in his six overs.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, Afghanistan racked up 293-9 in their 50 overs, courtesy of Ibrahim Zadran’s gutsy knock, followed by a brisk half-century from veteran Nabi in the last phase of the innings.

Zadran made 95 from 111 balls, studded with seven fours and two sixes, whereas Nabi struck five maximums and four boundaries in his knock.

For Bangladesh, Saif Hassan picked up three wickets in his four overs while giving away only six runs.

READ: South Africa thump Rwanda to qualify for 2026 World Cup

ARDIYA: The AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier clash between Pakistan and Afghanistan ended in a 1-1 draw here at the Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium on Tuesday.

Afghanistan, hosting the match, started in style with Mahboob Hanifi netting the goal in the fifth minute of the game. However, Pakistan fought back in the 29th courtesy of Etzaz Hussain’s equalizer.

Despite the earlier goals, both teams tried hard but eventually could not score a goal, ending the match in a draw.

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Both teams are winless, with Syria already going through from Group E. Afghanistan and Pakistan’s previous clash, held on October 9 at Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad, also ended in a goalless draw.

Pakistan had ample chances to pierce the net against the visitors; however, during the 65th minute of the game, Otis Khan missed a vital chance by sending his penalty kick soaring over the bar, midway through the second half, in front of more than 7000 people.

Pakistan has already suffered defeats at the hands of Mayanmar 1-0 in June and 2-0 against Syria in March.

The 2027 AFC Asian Cup Qualifier will be played in Saudi Arabia.

READ: Sultan of Johor Cup: India come from behind to hold Pakistan for a draw

COLOMBO: The continuous downpours at the R. Premadasa Stadium on Tuesday forced the abandonment of the 15th fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. 

The match was abandoned after the innings break due to continuous drizzle that prevented play from happening.

Opting to bat first, Sri Lanka posted a competitive 258-6 in their 50 overs.

Openers Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne laid a solid foundation with a 101-run stand, with the former notching up her 20th ODI fifty on 72 balls, while Gunaratne made 42 from 83 with the aid of three fours.

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Sri Lanka batted comfortably until the 40th over as New Zealand made a roaring comeback with quick wickets. As a result, Sri Lanka went from 183-3 to 198-5 in 42.4 overs.

However, it was Nilakshika Silva’s brisk knock at No. 6 that carried them to a strong total.

She struck seven fours and a six on her way to 55 from just 28 balls, also scoring the fastest fifty of the tournament.

For New Zealand, Sophie Devine starred with the ball, picking up three wickets in her nine overs.

Playing XIs

Coach Carlo Ancelotti said Brazil ‘mentally collapsed’ in their 3-2 friendly defeat to Japan on Tuesday and warned that they need to learn from their mistakes before the World Cup.

Brazil threw away a two-goal lead as Japan came roaring back in the second half in Tokyo, with Ancelotti’s men helpless in the face of the home side’s pressure.

A mistake in the Brazil defence for Japan’s first goal opened the floodgates, and Ancelotti said his players were not strong enough to turn it around.

“Brazil didn’t have the attitude in the second half to stop Japan’s reaction,” said the Italian.

“I am very clear about what happened, that the team mentally collapsed after the first mistake. “This was the team’s biggest mistake.”

It was Ancelotti’s second defeat since taking over in May, following a 1-0 away loss to Bolivia in World Cup qualifying.

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Brazil arrived in Tokyo fresh from a 5-0 thrashing of South Korea, and they turned on the style again in a sparkling first-half performance.

Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli both scored to put the five-time world champions comfortably ahead at the break.

Japan came roaring back after half-time with goals from Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda to give their country their first win over Brazil.

“We lost a bit of a good attitude and positive thinking,” said Ancelotti.

“The mistakes had an influence on the team.”

Ancelotti is bidding to become the first foreign-born coach to win the World Cup at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

He vowed to keep experimenting with his line-up and said individual mistakes would not cost players their places in the squad.

Ancelotti said it was “better to make these mistakes now than at the World Cup”. “We need to learn from the mistakes we made in the second half,” he said.

READ: Sultan of Johor Cup: India come from behind to hold Pakistan for a draw

JOHOR BAHRU: India netted three goals in the last two quarters to hold Pakistan for a 3-3 draw in the ninth match of the Sultan of Johor Hockey Cup here at the Taman Daya Stadium on Tuesday.

Pakistan junior hockey team was leading till the third quarter with 2-0; however, forward Araijeet Singh Hundal netted one into the goal post on a penalty to open the account for his team.

In the fourth quarter, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha scored an equalizer, followed by another goal from Araijeet Singh, who put the Blue Colts on the winning cusp.

Green Shirts were under severe pressure in the last part of the game, yet Sufyan Khan capitalized on a penalty corner and leveled the score line.

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Eventually, the match ended in a stalemate at the end of the full time, with both teams awarded points.  Pakistan now sits in third place with four points, whereas Australia is on top, followed by India.

Pakistan had seized control of the match until the third quarter, starting with Hannan Shahid, who scored in the fifth minute of the first quarter, giving the Green Shirts an early lead in the game.

Pakistan doubled the score with Sufyan Khan converting a penalty corner in the second quarter.

The Green Shirts will play New Zealand tomorrow and will face table toppers Australia on October 17 in their final group stage encounter.

The final and classification matches of the tournament will be played on October 18.

Pakistan Squad for Sultan of Johor Cup

Ali Raza, Muhammad Faizan Janjua, Muhammad Sufyan, Muhammad Wasim, Samiullah, Muhammad Nadeem Khan, and Zakaria Hayat Aqeel Ahmed, Muhammad Imad, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Ali Murtaza, Rana Muhammad Walid Ashraf, Hamza Fayyaz, Abdul Qayyum, Muhammad Usman, Ashraf, Basharat Ali, and Muhammad Shaheer.

Reserves

Yasir Sanawar and Muhammad Hassan

READ: ‘Poor Shot selection cost us’: Azhar Mahmood reflects on Pakistan’s collapse