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Harry Kane is considering extending his stay at Bayern Munich after the England captain claimed his interest in returning to the Premier League has cooled.

Kane has made a fast start to the season at Bayern, scoring 18 goals in 10 games to fuel the German champions’ Bundesliga title defence.

The 32-year-old, who has netted 103 goals in 106 appearances for Bayern, is under contract in Munich until 2027 and is “fully all in” ahead of possible negotiations over a new deal.

“In terms of staying longer, I could definitely see that,” said Kane, who has reported for England duty ahead of a friendly with Wales and a World Cup qualifier in Latvia.

“I spoke openly a couple of weeks ago that I have not had those conversations with Bayern yet, but if they were to arise, I would be willing to talk and have an honest conversation.

“Obviously it depends on how the next year or so goes and what we achieve together. Right now, I would say we are in a fantastic moment, and I am not thinking about anything else.”

When Kane left Tottenham in 2023, it was expected the striker would return to England to try and break the Premier League goalscoring record.

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He needs 48 goals to eclipse Alan Shearer’s mark of 260.

Tottenham boss Thomas Frank recently said he would love to have the club’s record goalscorer back in north London.

“In terms of the Premier League, I don’t know. If you had asked me when I first left to go to Bayern, I would have said for sure I would come back,” added Kane, who is reported to have a £57 million ($66 million) release clause in his Bayern contract.

“Now I have been there a couple of years I would probably say that has gone down a little bit, but I wouldn’t say I would never go back.

“What I have learnt in my career is that different opportunities and different timings happen and things fall in place. Going back to my first point with Bayern right now I am fully all in with Bayern.”

Bayern Munich sporting director Christoph Freund recently said his side are “probably witnessing the best version of Harry Kane there has ever been”.

Kane won the Bundesliga last season with Bayern, his long-awaited first major trophy, and that success has driven England’s record goalscorer to improve even further.

“When you win a title like I did last year, maybe it could be easy to go the other way and be like, ‘OK I’ve done what I wanted to achieve’,” Kane said.

“But it’s given me more motivation to do more and be better. I think I’ve shown that this year.

“I was interested in how I would feel after winning a trophy. Obviously, there’s still a lot more I want to achieve in terms of other trophies and bigger trophies for sure.”

READ: Labuschagne dropped as Australia announce squad for India series

MELBOURNE: Top-order batter Marnus Labuschagne has been dropped from the Australia ODI squad against India, which is set to begin on October 19 at Perth Cricket Stadium

Labuschagne has been dropped on the back of his poor run in the format, while Matt Renshaw has been added to the squad and is lined up to make his debut after having impressive outings for Australia ‘A’.

Renshaw was also named in the ODI squad against Pakistan in 2022; however, he didn’t get a game.

Meanwhile, ace pacer Mitchell Starc’s addition to the squad has also bolstered Australia’s pace attack. The left-arm pacer will be playing his ODI after a year.

Glenn Maxwell is not included in the squad as he is recovering from a wrist injury, which also kept him out of New Zealand T20Is.

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Following the squad announcement, chair of selectors George Bailey emphasized the Ashes and home season, hinting at workload management at the back end of the series.

“We have named a squad for the ODI series and first two games of the T20 series as there will be some management through the back end of the series as individuals prepare for the summer through Sheffield Shield cricket,” he said.

The majority of the T20 squad will remain together as it’s an important period in the build towards the World Cup next year, however we are trying to strike a balance to ensure we simultaneously prepare certain individuals for the Test series ahead,” he explained.

The three-match ODI series will begin from October 19 and end on October 25 followed by a five-match T20Is, starting from October 29.

Australia ODI squad vs India

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Mitchell Owen, Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa

Australia T20I squad vs India (first two matches)

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

READ: Markram picks THIS batter as game-changer against spin-slaught on Pakistan tour

LAHORE: The tickets for the two-Test match series between Pakistan and South Africa will go on sale later today from 5pm.

The online tickets will be available on PCB’s website, while physical tickets for the Test matches will be available at TCS Express Centres from Thursday, October 8.

The first Test will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 12 to 16 October, while the second Test will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 20 to 24 October. Both Test matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.

Tickets for six white-ball matches (three T20Is and three ODIs) will go on sale online and be available at TCS Express Centres from October 16.

To facilitate fans, the entrance for all five days for the first Test at General (Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Ahmed), First-Class (A.H.Kardar, Abdul Qadir, Sarfraz Nawaz, Javed Miandad), Premium (Rajas, Saeed Anwar), and VIP (Imran Khan, Fazal Mahmood) enclosures will be free.

The VIP enclosure (Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram) at Iqbal End, formerly known as Far-End, will be priced at PKR 800 to 1,000, while the VIP enclosure (Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas) at Jinnah End, formerly known as Pavilion End, will also be available to fans from PKR 800 to PKR 1,000.

The Gallery (Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis) at the Iqbal End will be available to fans from PKR 800 to PKR 1,000.

For second Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, the fans can witness the action on all five days for free from General (Miran Bakhsh, Sohail Tanvir), First-Class (Shoaib Akhtar, Yasir Arafat), Premium (Azhar Mahmood, Javed Miandad) and VIP (Imran Khan, Javed Akhtar) enclosures.

The tickets for PCB Gallery located at the main building will be available to fans at PKR 800 for the first four days of the Test match, while on the fifth day, they will be available at PKR 1,000.

The Platinum Box per seat for the first four days will be available at PKR 8,000, while the ticket for the fifth day will cost a spectator at PKR 10,000.

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For the first T20I to take place on Tuesday, 28 October at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, General tickets will be available to fans at PKR 400, First-Class enclosure tickets will be available from PKR 600.

The tickets for Premium and VIP enclosures will be available at PKR 700 and 800, respectively. Furthermore, the tickets for PCB Gallery and Platinum Box per seat will be available at PKR 1,500 and PKR 15,000, respectively.

For the second and third T20I to take place at Gaddafi Stadium on 31 October and 1 November, the General enclosure tickets will be available at PKR 400.

The First-Class tickets will be available at PKR 600, while Premium and VIP enclosure tickets will be available at PKR 700 and PKR 800, respectively.

The VIP enclosure located at Iqbal End will be available for fans at PKR 1,500, while VIP enclosures (Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas) at Jinnah End will be available to fans from PKR 2,000. The VIP Gallery (Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis) will be available to fans at PKR 2,500.

For the three ODIs to take place at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on 4, 6 and 8 November, the fans can purchase General (Zaheer Abbas, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shahid Nazir) enclosure tickets at PKR 400.

The First-Class (Hanif Mohammad, Taslim Arif, Ijaz Junior) enclosures tickets will be available at PKR 600, while VIP (Javed Miandad, Fazal Mahmood) enclosures will be available at PKR 800.

The tickets for VIP Ground Floor (Imran Khan, A.H. Kardar) enclosures will be available at PKR 3,000. Hospitality boxes for the series are also available for sale. For more information, contact the PCB head office.

READ: Akram, Jamal released from Pakistan squad for South Africa series

South Africa stand-in skipper Aiden Markram has backed Dewald Brevis as a game-changer on spin-friendly pitches during the Pakistan tour.

Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, Markram pointed out Brevis’ aggressive gameplay and stated that he could change the course of the game in quick time.

Proteas will be without their ace batter, Temba Bavuma, for the first tour of Pakistan since 202`1. Bavuma suffered a calf strain and was eventually ruled out of the tour.

“He’d definitely be an option, especially with the way he plays spin,” Markram said of Brevis.

Dewald Brevis has played two Tests so far and has already caught the eye with his power hitting in T20I cricket.

“If the conditions are going to be exaggerated, he can quickly change the momentum of the game, doing what he does and playing the way he does. He’ll be a definite consideration, ” he remarked.

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Regarding extreme spin conditions, he emphasized home advantage and deemed the exaggerated pitches as challenging for both teams.

“If it’s your home game, you can pretty much prepare whatever wicket you’d like to prepare. That’s how I see it. Ultimately, if it’s going to be extreme like it was in the English series, then it’s going to be difficult for both teams from a batting point of view.

For us as a squad, we’ve just got to be happy with what we have, whatever the conditions look like, and to back whoever it is on the day to get the job done. So I’m not too fussed by it,” he continued.

South Africa have also picked a spin-heavy squad with an ample variety in their lineups. Notably, Simon Harmer is vastly experienced and has 987 first-class scalps along with 39 in Test cricket.

“They’re all quite different. If you look at the two off-spinners to start with, Simon and Subs [Prenelan Subrayen], especially having faced them now, where it is spinning, it’s two completely different challenges they throw at you. That’s something great to have as a squad,”

“You don’t really want similar types of spinners. They are each quite different, different paces, different types of spin in terms of side spin and overspin and stuff like that, which reacts differently off the wickets. They’ll play a massive role for us there if what we’re expecting is going to be the case,” he concluded.

The first Test will begin on October 12 at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

South Africa squad for Pakistan Tests

Aiden Markram (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj (second Test only), Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne

READ: Clinical South Africa outplay New Zealand in Women’s World Cup clash

INDORE: Nonkululeko Mlaba’s four-fer followed by a Tazmin Brits sublime century powered South Africa to a resounding six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the seventh fixture of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 here at the Holkar Stadium on Monday.

Set 232, South Africa comfortably knocked off the winning runs on the loss of four wickets with 55 balls to spare.

After losing skipper Laura Wolvaardt (14 from 10) on the last ball of the third over, Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus forged a monumental 159-run stand, which threw New Zealand out of the game.

Tazmin Brits went on to score his maiden ton in the World Cup, whereas Sune Luus remained unbeaten, ensuring that the Proteas crossed the finishing line to get off the mark on the points table.

Brits made 101 from just 89 balls peppered with 15 fours and a six, whereas Luss made 83* from 110 deliveries, which was laced with 10 fours and a six.

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For New Zealand, Amelia Kerr was the only silver lining in the bowling as she picked up two wickets in her quota of ten overs.

Earlier, after opting to bat first, the Blackcaps were bundled out for 231 in 47.5 overs.

New Zealand struggled to get going and lost wickets at key intervals. The highlight of their batting was an 86-run partnership between Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday for the fifth wicket.

However, once the stand culminated, South Africa took control of the game and never allowed New Zealand to post a formidable total.

Devine made 85 from 98, studded with nine fours, whereas Halliday, briskly 37 from 45 balls, was laced with six boundaries.

Nonkululeko Mlaba remained the standout bowler for South Africa, picking up a four-wicket haul. Ayabonga Khaka and Chloe Tryon supported her well with one wicket each.

READ: Asad Shafiq urges school, colleges to invest in sports

KARACHI: Former Pakistan cricketer Asad Shafiq on Monday inaugurated an inter-school and inter-college sports festival organised by Whales College, emphasizing the importance of investing in sports within educational institutions.

Shafiq, who is currently a member of Pakistan’s national men’s cricket team, recalled his school-going days and appreciated the management for engaging students in sports.

“I am really glad to be a part of this event. It reminds me of my school-going days. I also started playing cricket in school,” he said.

“Schools and colleges should focus more on sports. This is the base for every athlete,” he stressed.

Shafiq inaugurated the event alongside Whales College’s chairman, Wahaj Hussain.

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On the occasion, Hussain thanked Shafiq for his presence and assured him that he would keep providing the students with such opportunities.

“Our aim is to give students a platform where they can showcase their sporting skills,” Hussain said.

“I am happy to see Asad Shafiq among us today. His presence would give confidence to our students who are the future of our nation,” he added.

For the unversed, the Inter-school and inter-college festival will continue till October 11 at different venues in Karachi.

Overall, 114 colleges and schools are participating in different sports, including cricket, football, futsal, basketball, and tug of war.

READ: Sidra Amin reprimanded for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

COLOMBO: Pakistan women’s team top-order batter Sidra Amin has been reprimanded for breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during the India-Pakistan clash in the Women’s World Cup 2025.

Sidra was deemed guilty of Article 2.2 violation, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match.”

The incident happened on the final delivery of the 40th over when Sidra was caught by India captain Harmanpreet Kaur off Sneh Rana’s bowling.

Consequently, one demerit point has been added to her disciplinary record, marking her first offence in a 24-month period.

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The right-hander has admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Shandré Fritz of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, thereby avoiding a formal hearing.

The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Lauren Agenbag and Nimali Perera, alongside third umpire Kerrin Klaaste and fourth umpire Kim Cotton.

For context, a Level 1 violation may result in penalties ranging from an official reprimand to a fine of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee and one or two demerit points.

Notably, Sidra Amin remained the top scorer for the Pakistan team in defeat against India. She made fighting 81 from 106 balls, striking nine fours and a six.

However, her knock was not enough as India successfully defended a target of 248 runs with a clinical bowling display.

This was Pakistan’s second defeat in the World Cup 2025 and its overall 12th loss against India in Women’s ODIs.

The women in Green will face the challenge of seven-time winners and defending champions Australia in their next fixture, scheduled for October 8 at the R Premadasa Stadium.

READ: Akram, Jamal released from Pakistan squad for South Africa series

LAHORE: All-rounder Aamir Jamal and uncapped left-arm wrist spinner Faisal Akram have been released from Pakistan’s expanded Test squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa.

On 30 September, an 18-member squad was announced for the series, and it was indicated that it would be trimmed ahead of the first Test.

Aamir has played eight Tests for Pakistan, while Faisal is yet to make his debut.

The opening Test of the series, scheduled to begin on October 12, will mark the start of the World Test Championship (WTC) campaign for both teams.

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South Africa will enter the field as the defending champions, having defeated Australia earlier this year, while Pakistan will look to start the series on a strong note, after finishing at the bottom in the previous cycle.

Notably, this will be the Proteas’ first tour of Pakistan since January 2021, when they faced a 2-0 defeat.

Shan Masood will continue to captain Pakistan with an experienced batting order shaping the lineup of the home team.

The opening day of the 68th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) has been washed out due to persistent rain across venues.

The worsened weather on Monday forced a complete washout at all five venues— Abbottabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar.

The first round of the country’s premier first-class is scheduled to run from October 6 to 9, with the Sialkot region set to defend the title.

The winner of the 10-team tournament will receive PKR 7.5 million, while the runners-up will grab PKR 4 million.

“The PCB has announced a winner’s prize of PKR 7.5 million, while the runners up will collect PKR 4 million. In a first, player of the match in each league match will also get PKR 25,000,” the board said in statement.

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“Player of the final will be awarded PKR 100k, while best bowler, batter, wicket-keeper, and player of the tournament will be awarded PKR 250k each,” it added.

Notably, every team is required to field at least one U21 player in their playing XI as part of the player development program.

There are 10 teams participating in the tournament, with FATA, Faisalabad, Karachi Blues, and Multan qualifying from the Hanif Mohammad Trophy.

Meanwhile, wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Hasan Ali, and Sajid Khan are also representing their respective regions in the tournament on the directives of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Quaid Azam Trophy Teams

Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, FATA, Faisalabad, Islamabad, Karachi Blues, Lahore Whites, Multan, Peshawar, and Sialkot.

Hanif Mohammad Trophy Qualifying Teams

FATA, Faisalabad, Karachi Blues, Multan

First round fixtures

6-9 October

Abbottabad v Bahawalpur at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Lahore Whites v Islamabad at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi

Peshawar v Sialkot at Imran Khan Stadium, Peshawar

FATA v Multan at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad

Faisalabad v Karachi Blues at Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad

READ: Babar Azam returns for QEA Trophy as PCB announce squads

TRINIDAD: Former all-rounder and a key player in the West Indies’ maiden World Cup triumph in 1975, Bernard Julien has died at the age of 75 in Valsayn, a town in Northern Trinidad. 

Julien represented the region across 24 Tests and 12 ODIs from 1973 to 1977. He scored 866 runs and picked up 50 wickets in the longer format of the game.

His last appearance for the West Indies came against Pakistan in 1977, a match which ended in a draw.

His notable performance was in the 1975 World Cup, where he produced back-to-back impressive bowling spells against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, respectively.

First, he took a four-wicket haul against the Islanders in the group stage fixtures and then followed it by another four-fer against the BlackCaps in the all-important semi-final.

Besides his bowling, he also showcased his prowess with the bat in the final against Australia, scoring 26 off 37 balls.

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The President of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Dr Kishore Shallow, expressed sorrow and offered condolences to his friends and family members.

“To the family, friends, and loved ones of Bernard Julien, we extend our deepest condolences. His passing reminds us that a life devoted to purpose never truly leaves us.

Cricket West Indies stands with you in this moment of loss, and we hope Bernard knew he was valued and loved by the cricketing family he helped to shape, and that he found peace knowing his contribution will always endure,” the statement read.

West Indies legend Clive Lloyd also mourned the all-rounder’s loss and hailed his services for cricket.

READ: Injured Rodri out of Spain’s World Cup 2026 qualifiers