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ABU DHABI: Afghanistan spin wizard Rashid etched his name into record books, joining former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq in an elite list.

Rashid spun a web around Bangladesh in the second ODI at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, which dismissed the Tigers for a mere 109 runs.

Set a partly 191, Bangladesh’s batting line faltered under pressure and were eventually bowled, which handed Afghanistan a comprehensive 81-run victory.

The leg-spinner picked five for 17 in 8.3 overs while giving away only 17.

With this feat, he entered an elite list of spinners and levelled with Mushtaq for bowlers who have taken the most six-five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket.

Most five-wicket hauls in ODIs among spinners

Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka) – 10 five-wicket hauls

Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 9 five-wicket hauls

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – 6 five-wicket hauls

Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan) – 6 five-wicket hauls

Overall, Rashid now sits in the eighth position of bowlers who have taken more five-fors in 50-over cricket. Former Pakistan pacer Waqar Younis topped the list with 13 five-fors in this format.

Most five-wicket hauls in ODIs

Waqar Younis (Pakistan) – 13 five-wicket hauls

Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka) – 10 five-wicket hauls

Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 9 five-wicket hauls

Brett Lee (Australia) – 9 five-wicket hauls

Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) – 9 five-wicket hauls

Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) – 8 five-wicket hauls

Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 7 five-wicket hauls

Mohammed Shami (India) – 6 five-wicket hauls

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – 6 five-wicket hauls

READ: Imam, Shan hold firm after Rabada’s early blow

LAHORE: Pakistan opening batter Imam-ul-Haq opened up about the missing ingredient in his batting after marking his return to the Test side with a composed knock against South Africa here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

Imam made 93 from 153 balls and missed out on his fourth hundred in the format, ending his two-year absence in style.

The southpaw built a monumental 161* run stand with skipper Shan Masood after Abdullah Shafique fell on the third ball of the match.

His innings was laced with seven fours and a six. The 29-year-old was eventually removed before tea by Senuran Muthusamy.

After the opening day, Imam expressed disappointment at missing out on his ton while reflecting on his partnership with Shan Masood.

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“I’m disappointed to have missed the century, but that’s part of the game,” he said.

There’s no scripted plan in cricket. In the first 8-10 overs, I took my time, but when the spinners came in, the roles reversed — Shan became more aggressive and I settled in. We didn’t plan it that way, but our partnership helped us reach a good total in the end,” he added.

He praised South Africa for fighting back following a lean opening session. The Proteas at one stage reduce the home side from 199-2 to 199-5. However, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Rizwan’s unbroken stand finished the day on a strong note.

Regarding his comeback, the opener emphasized his domestic form and said that he is not worried about his place in the team.

“Our position is good overall. South Africa made a strong fightback. Rizwan and Agha had a fantastic partnership. I always try to perform in a way that contributes to the team’s victory. Being in and out of the team is part of the game — I don’t fear it,” he explained.

He also highlighted the missing element in his batting, emphasizing the importance of big scores to attract more attention.

“I felt there was a missing element in my batting — whether in one-day cricket, four-day cricket, or any format. So I’ve worked on how to play match-winning innings for Pakistan.”

“Sometimes small things get overlooked; like today, if I had scored 93 or 150, people see it differently and the performance gets highlighted more. We are working on that process, and it will continue,” he concluded.

READ: Babar Azam achieves major milestone in South Africa Test

LAHORE: Pakistan top-order batter Babar Azam achieved a major World Test Championship (WTC) milestone in the ongoing first Test against South Africa here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

Coming into this Test, Babar required two runs to become the first Asian batter to score 3,000 runs in the ICC WTC.

The batting maestro reached the landmark with an elegant boundary on the fourth ball of the 48th over. With this, he became Pakistan’s first and overall eighth player to score 3000 runs in the Test championship.

Most runs in ICC World Test Championship

JE Root (ENG) 69 matches 6080 runs

SPD Smith (AUS) 55 matches 4278 runs

M Labuschagne (AUS) 53 matches 4225 runs

BA Stokes (ENG) 57 matches 3616 runs

TM Head (AUS) 52 matches 3300 runs

UT Khawaja (AUS) 43 matches 3288 runs

Z Crawley (ENG) 52 matches 3041 runs

Babar Azam (PAK) 37* matches 3021 runs

However, despite a promising start, he was trapped lbw by Prenelan Subrayen on the score of 23. His 48-ball knock featured five fours.

Overall, Babar Azam has registered 18 half-centuries and eight tons in the 37 WTC matches played so far.

Most runs by Asian batters in ICC World Test Championship

Babar Azam – 3021
Shubman Gill – 2826
Rishabh Pant – 2731
Rohit Sharma – 2716
Dimuth Karunaratne – 2642
Virat Kohli – 2617

Notably, India’s Test captain Shubman Gill trails behind with 2826 runs in 39 matches so far. Gill has scored 10 tons and eight 50s in the cycle, and is averaging at 43.47.

His compatriot Rishab Pant is third in the list with 2731 runs to his name at an average of 43.34 in 38 matches. He scored six centuries and 16 half-centuries.

READ: Namibia stun South Africa to seal historic T20I win

Lionel Messi scored twice to spark Inter Miami to a 4-0 victory over Atlanta United, seizing the lead in Major League Soccer’s scoring table in a key victory for the Florida club.

The Argentine superstar scored his 25th and 26th goals of the season, moving ahead of Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga in the race for the Golden Boot after starting the day tied with the Gabon international on 24 goals.

Miami, already assured of an MLS Cup playoff berth, continued their push for better playoff position.

They pulled level with Cincinnati on 62 points in the Eastern Conference, four points behind leaders Philadelphia, who have clinched the Supporters Shield as the team with the best regular season record in the league.

Messi’s 39th-minute strike to open the scoring was a beauty.

Baltasar Rodriguez robbed an Atlanta defender and found Messi just outside the box. Messi strode forward and curled a left-footed shot around Pedro Amador and out of the reach of Atlanta goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert in the upper left corner of the net.

Hibbert had denied Messi in the 13th minute as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner came up empty on a string of early attempts.

Messi was instrumental in Jordi Alba’s goal that doubled Miami’s lead in the 52nd minute, lofting a ball forward to the Spaniard, who chipped a left-footed shot over Hibbert into the bottom right corner of the net.

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Alba’s sixth goal of the season came on the day that Inter paid tribute to the former Spain and Barcelona star, who announced this week that he would retire at the end of the MLS season.

Uruguay’s Luis Suarez made it 3-0 in the 61st minute, and Messi added his second in the 87th, knocking in a left-footed shot from the center of the box after Alba found him with a long through ball.

With MLS playing through the FIFA international window, Messi’s status for Inter’s match remained a mystery until shortly before kickoff when manager Javier Mascherano announced his lineup.

Messi and Rodrigo De Paul had trained with Argentina this week in Florida, although Messi was a spectator as Argentina beat Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly at Hard Rock Stadium on Friday.

De Paul came on as a late substitute against Venezuela and was unavailable for Inter, who had six players called up for international duty during the current window, which will also see Argentina play Puerto Rico on Monday in a match moved from Chicago to Inter’s Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

Saturday’s game was Inter’s last regular-season home game at the venue, as they prepare to move into their new Miami Freedom Park next season.

READ: Solano proud of Pakistan’s fighting display against Afghanistan

LAHORE: Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha’s resilient stand led a strong fight back from Pakistan in the final session on day one of the first Test against South Africa here at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.

Rizwan and Salman forged an unbroken 114-run stand for the sixth wicket, which helped the home side finish strong at 313-5.

Salman made 52* from 83 balls with the aid of two fours and a six, while Rizwan scored 62 from 107 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes.

The duo came in when Pakistan were in trouble at 199-5 just after the tea. The pair took the responsibility on their shoulders and lifted the team out of the trouble.

Following the tea, Pakistan lost one more wicket in the form of Babar Azam, who was trapped lbw for 23. Before the break, Pakistan were cruising; however, the home side slumped from 199-2 to 199-5.

South Africa left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy struck twice in two balls at the stroke of tea to wrest back control after a gritty stand between Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq, which drove Pakistan’s innings.

Muthusamy removed well-set Imam-ul-Haq and newcomer Saud Shakeel to lift the Proteas. At tea, Babar Azam remained unbeaten on 23 from 48 balls with the aid of four boundaries.

Saud was caught and bowled for a golden duck as Senuran Muthusamy took an easy catch on his follow-through. Meanwhile, Imam-ul-Haq was caught on the fifth ball of the 56th over.

The left-hander played a composed knock of 93 runs from 153 balls, striking seven fours and a six.

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After the opening session, Shan Masood and Imam-ul-Haq added 56 runs to take Pakistan from 107 to 163.

Prenelan Subrayen provided the visitors a much-needed breakthrough, trapping Pakistan skipper for 76 from 147 balls, laced with nine fours and a six.

Earlier, Imam-ul-Haq and skipper Shan Masood steadied Pakistan’s innings with a century stand against South Africa at the stroke of lunch.

Opting to bat first, Pakistan lost their opener, Abdullah Shafique, as Kagiso Rabada trapped him on the third ball of the opening over. He could only score two from three balls.

However, after early wickets, Shan and Imam kept the Protea bowlers at bay and forged a 105* run partnership which steadied their innings.

Imam, who returned to the format after a two-year gap, struck his 10th half-century with the aid of five boundaries, whereas Shan has four boundaries and a six to his name.

For South Africa, Kagiso Rabada remained the sole taker in his seven overs.

Playing XIs:

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Agha, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan.

South Africa: Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Sen Muthusamy, Prenelan Subrayen, Kagiso Rabada, Simon Harmer.

READ: WATCH: Shadab Khan returns to action after injury layoff

COLOMBO: Skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt’s all-round performance powered England to an 89-run victory over hosts Sri Lanka in the 12th fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 on Saturday.

Set 254 under lights at the R Premadasa Stadium, Sri Lanka’s batting line faltered and were bowled out for a mere 164 in 45.4 overs.

Vishmi Gunaratne, who came into bat for retired hurt Chamari Athapaththu, fell in the penultimate over of the powerplay after scoring 10 from nine balls.

As a result, Sri Lanka were 37-1, however, Hasini Perera and Harshitha Samarawickrama added 58 for the second wicket which steadied the Islanders in the chase.

England made a roaring comeback in the middle phase of the innings, removing both set batters, which reduced Sri Lanka to 98-3 in 22.3 overs.

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Perera top-scored with 35 from 60 balls, striking three fours, while Samarawickrama made 33 from 37 with the aid of five fours.

Following the wickets, the three lions took control of the match, cutting through the middle order to secure a comfortable third win in the tournament and to go on top of the points table.

For England, Sophie Ecclestone picked up four wickets in her quota of 10 overs while giving away only 17.

Earlier, after being put on to bat first, England managed to post 253-9 in their 50 overs, courtesy of Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 117 from 117 balls, laced with nine fours and two sixes.

She remained the lynchpin of England’s batting lineup, ensuring that England reached a winning total despite losing wickets at the other end.

For Sri Lanka, Inoka Ranaweera starred with the ball, scalping three wickets, whereas Udeshika Prabodhani and Sugandika Kumari bagged two wickets each.

Playing XIs

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 2 Hasini Perera, 3 Harshitha Samarawickrama, 4 Vishmi Gunaratne, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Nilakshika de Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Dewmi Vihanga, 9 Sugandika Kumari, 10 Inoka Ranaweera, 11 Udeshika Pabodani

England: 1 Tammy Beaumont, 2 Amy Jones (wk), 3 Heather Knight, 4 Nat Sciver-Brunt (capt), 5 Sophia Dunkley, 6 Emma Lamb, 7 Alice Capsey, 8 Charlie Dean, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Linsey Smith, 11 Lauren Bell

READ: Namibia stun South Africa to seal historic T20I win

WINDHOEK: Ruben Trumpelmann’s three-wicket haul, followed by an ice-cool finish from Zane Green, helped Namibia edge South Africa in a last-ball thriller to seal a memorable win in a one-off T20I here at the Namibia Cricket Ground on Saturday.

Set a mere 135-run target, Namibia hit the winning runs on the last ball of the match, losing six wickets in the process. The thrilling victory marked Namibia’s first against South Africa in their maiden meeting.

Namibia lost their openers Jan Frylinck and Louren Steenkamp in the first four overs. Frylinck made seven from five, whereas Steenkamp scored 13 from 19 balls.

Despite early wickets, the home side kept chipping away with runs at a decent rate. South Africa got their third wicket after the power play in the form of Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton.

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The Proteas kept taking wickets at regular intervals, with the game evenly poised after 16.3 overs as the scorecard read 101-6 in 16.3 overs.

However, the 37* run partnership between Zane Green and Ruben Trumpelmann turned the game on its head.

With 11 required off the last over, Green struck six and four on the last ball, which completed Namibia’s fourth T20I win against a full member nation.

For South Africa, Nandre Burger and Andile Simelane picked up two wickets.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, South Africa could only muster 134-8 in 20 overs.

Jason Smith top-scored for the visitors with 31 from 30 balls with the aid of two fours. Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock, returning to international cricket after taking his retirement back, managed to score just one run.

For Namibia, Ruben Trumpelmann remained the standout bowler, picking up three wickets.

Playing XIs

Pakistan T20I vice-captain Shadab Khan resumed training on Saturday in a bid to make his return to international cricket following surgery for a recurring shoulder injury.

The 27-year-old resumed his practice and physical training, which was seen in a video posted on his social media account.

Shadab was seen doing intense rehabilitation exercises, gym workouts, and bowling practice.

“Rehab work ongoing, back training on all aspects! Pain! You made me a, you made me a believer, believer,” he wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Shadab Khan (@shadab0800)

For the unversed, the leg spinner had undergone surgery on his right shoulder on July 5 in England.

The need for surgery came after multiple consultations and persistent discomfort in his right shoulder for some time. The surgery eventually ruled him out of several key assignments for Pakistan, including the Asia Cup 2025.

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Since then, Shadab has been part of the PCB’s structured rehabilitation program, focusing on regaining strength, flexibility, and match readiness.

Shadab’s last appearance for Pakistan came in the three-match T20I series at home against Bangladesh, where he picked up four wickets and scored 48 and 7 in two innings.

For the unversed, the all-rounder remained a vital cog in Pakistan’s white-ball and his comeback will boost the team’s chances ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026

READ: Sultan of Johor Cup: Pakistan thrash Malaysia 7-2 to seal winning start

JOHOR BAHRU: Pakistan junior hockey team kicked off their campaign in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 in dominant fashion as they outplayed hosts Malaysia 7-2 here at Taman Daya Stadium on Saturday.

The Green Shirts remained throughout the game, starting with Sufyan Khan, who capitalized on the penalty in the third minute to send one into the nets.

Malaysia fought back in the second quarter as Ammar Qusyairi Halim scored the equalizer in the 20th minute. However, it was Sufyan again who replied in a minute with a goal from another penalty corner.

Following this goal, Pakistan never looked back and scored four quick goals in just five minutes to put them in a decisive position.

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The architect of this mastery was Hannan Shahid, starting with a goal in the 30th minute, followed by Nadeem Khan and two goals from Sufyan, who also completed his hat-trick.

Pakistan scored two more goals in the final quarter to seal a thrilling victory.

For the unversed, the tournament, which started in 2011, is a week-long annual U21 international men’s hockey tournament that is held at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Malaysia.

The 12th edition of the tournament features six top international teams — Pakistan, Australia, Great Britain, India, Malaysia, and New Zealand.

Great Britain is currently the defending champions, having defeated Australia last year in the final, which was also their fourth title victory in the tournament’s history.

Pakistan will play Great Britain tomorrow, followed by a clash against arch-rivals India on October 14.

Pakistan will play New Zealand on October 15 and will play against 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: Spinners keep India in command after Gill ton against West Indies

India’s spinners struck regular blows to dent West Indies’ reply as the hosts extended their dominance in the second Test after a fluent century from skipper Shubman Gill on Saturday.

The tourists were 140-4 at stumps on the second day, still trailing India by 378 runs at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Shai Hope, on 31, and wicketkeeper-batsman Tevin Imlach, on 14, were batting at the close of play after left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets.

Shubman Gill led from the front with his unbeaten 129 — his fifth hundred of the year in eight Tests — after Yashasvi Jaiswal’s run out on 175 in the second over of the day following a mix-up with the captain.

Jadeja added that they would try to get the tourists out early on day three, even though “there is not much spin on the wicket”.

In reply to India’s mammoth first-innings 518-5 declared, opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul (34) and Alick Athanaze (41) offered some resistance before departing.

Chanderpaul edged a short-of-a-length ball from Jadeja to slip, where KL Rahul caught it after a couple of juggles to end a 66-run second-wicket stand.

Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav sent back Athanaze, and in the next over, skipper Roston Chase was dismissed for a duck off Jadeja.

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Hope kept up the fight after he survived a close lbw appeal, which India reviewed but lost as ball tracking confirmed the umpire’s call.

In the second session, West Indies opener John Campbell fell for 10 as Sai Sudharsan somehow took a stunning and slightly lucky reflex catch at forward short-leg.

The left-handed Campbell attempted a slog sweep off Jadeja, and Sudharsan instinctively held on to the ball with his helmet, chest, and hands as he ducked for cover.

Gill, who started the day on 20, took on the West Indies attack with his classy strokeplay, hitting 16 fours and two sixes in his 10th Test century.

Gill scored three runs off left-arm spinner Khary Pierre to reach a hundred and raised his bat to acknowledge a raucous weekend crowd.

He and wicketkeeper-batsman Dhruv Jurel, who made 44, shared 102 runs for the fifth wicket and put on quick runs peppered with regular boundaries after the lunch break to turn the screw on the West Indies.

Earlier, the left-handed Jaiswal added just two to his overnight score before departing after the dramatic runout.

Attempting a single after pushing the ball to mid-off, Jaiswal set off, but Gill had his back towards the striker and was ball-watching, and Imlach was quick to rattle the stumps.

Gill kept calm and put on 91 runs with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 43 before Warrican got him out for his third wicket.

India are hot favourites to sweep the two-match series after winning the opener by an innings.

READ: Shan prioritises 20 wickets over big runs ahead of South Africa Tests