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Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has expressed his excitement to don the Melbourne Renegades colours in the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) 15.

In a video shared by the BBL’s official social media handles, Rizwan opened up about his admiration for Australian cricket and his hunger for new challenges.

“Look, my career, I always love challenges,” Rizwan said.

“And I have seen the cricket of Australia. The way I have played against these guys, they are challenging players. I love the way they play.”

The Pakistan star praised the Australian cricketing mindset, highlighting their discipline and clarity in execution.

“It doesn’t matter what the world is doing; Australian players always stick to their plans. Whatever they decide, they go for it, no matter the situation,” he added.

Set to join a new dressing room for the first time in a major franchise league outside Asia, Mohammad Rizwan shared his enthusiasm about integrating into the Renegades setup and learning from the experience.

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“I always love challenges, the atmosphere of the stadium, the people, the cricketers, I love them all,” he added.

“The cricket in the Big Bash is very competitive; it’s not easy cricket. Every game tests you.”

Calling the Renegades his “new family,” Rizwan expressed confidence that the experience would be both enjoyable and rewarding.

“Yes, the Renegades might be a new family for me, but they have a great history. We’ll enjoy our time together, let’s see what happens there,” he concluded.

The 15th season of the Big Bash League is set to begin on December 14, 2025, featuring 44 matches.

The opening fixture will see Perth Scorchers take on Sydney Sixers at the Perth Stadium, a contest that will also mark Babar Azam’s much-anticipated BBL debut.

READ: Pakistan wrestler Hasan Ali advances to Asian Youth Games Quarter-finals

MANAMA: Pakistan’s young wrestler, Hasan Ali, started his Asian Youth Games 2025 campaign strong by defeating Marafi Abdul Rahman of Jordan 6-4 in his opening bout, qualifying for the quarter-finals of the 71kg category.

Hasan will now face Bazaarzada of Tajikistan in his quarterfinal clash, scheduled to take place within the next 30 minutes.

The promising wrestler is part of a two-member Pakistani wrestling squad competing at the continental event, alongside Muhammad Abdullah (65kg), who will take the mat on October 29 against S. Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

All mat wrestling bouts are being held at 12:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time, while beach wrestling events are set for October 30, featuring additional Pakistani participants.

In preparation for the Games, the Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) organized a two-month national training camp in Gujranwala, where the wrestlers trained under the supervision of coach and secretary general Inam Butt.

Inam Butt earlier expressed full faith in his young wrestlers.

“Our young wrestlers are fully prepared to give their best today. Insha’Allah, they will win medals and raise the green crescent flag high for Pakistan,” he stated.

Pakistan has sent a 53-member contingent to the ongoing Asian Youth Games 2025, being held in Bahrain from October 22 to 31.

The country has already opened its medal tally with a bronze in the boys’ kabaddi event.

The tournament marks the third edition of the Asian Youth Games, bringing together young athletes from across the continent to compete in a wide range of disciplines.

READ: Lionel Messi breaks silence on World Cup 2026 participation

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal could miss more than two months after the La Liga leaders said Monday he needed further knee surgery.

Real captain Carvajal came back from injury to play as a substitute in Madrid’s 2-1 win over Barcelona on Sunday.

But the 33-year-old defender will miss the Champions League trip to Liverpool next week, and is likely to be sidelined for Manchester City’s visit to the Santiago Bernabeu on December 10.

“Following tests carried out on our captain, Dani Carvajal, by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with the presence of a loose body in his right knee joint. Carvajal will now undergo an arthroscopy,” said Madrid in a statement.

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The club did not specify his expected absence period; however, it is believed that the right-back’s absence will last upwards of six weeks, potentially sidelining him until January 2026.

Dani Carvajal suffered a severe knee injury in the same leg in 2024 and had an operation, which kept him out for most of last season.

Spanish media reports suggested the Spanish right-back could miss between six and 10 weeks, meaning he will not feature in his country’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers in November.

READ: Lionel Messi breaks silence on World Cup 2026 participation

The talented wrestlers from Pakistan are set to launch their campaign today at the Asian Youth Games 2025, taking place in Manama, Bahrain.

The national team features Hassan Ali (71kg) and Muhammad Abdullah (65kg), both determined to make an impression against Asia’s finest young grapplers.

Hassan will compete in his pre-quarterfinal bout today (October 27) against Marafi Abdul Rahman of Jordan, while Abdullah will take the mat on October 29 to face S. Aliyev of Azerbaijan.

According to the event schedule, all mat wrestling bouts will begin at 12:00 PM Pakistan Standard Time (PST), while beach wrestling competitions are slated for October 30, where Pakistani wrestlers will also be seen in action.

In preparation for the Games, the Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF) conducted a two-month national training camp in Gujranwala, focusing on technique, endurance, and mental conditioning under the supervision of coach and secretary general Inam Butt.

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Speaking ahead of the opening bout, Inam Butt expressed confidence in his young squad’s preparation.

“Our wrestlers are fully prepared to give their best today. Insha’Allah, they will win medals and raise the green crescent flag high for Pakistan,” he said.

The PWF has called on the nation to extend prayers and support for its athletes as they aim to bring home laurels from Bahrain.

Pakistan has sent a 53-member contingent to the Asian Youth Games 2025, which are being held in Bahrain from October 22 to 31.

The country has already opened its account at the event, claiming a bronze medal in the boys’ kabaddi competition.

The Asian Youth Games 2025 mark the third edition of the multi-sport event, featuring young athletes from across the continent competing in a wide range of disciplines

READ: Real Madrid’s Carvajal ruled out of Liverpool clash with knee injury

Lionel Messi has expressed his desire to play for Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but he says he will listen to his body before deciding whether he can make that dream a reality.

The 38-year-old striker for Inter Miami of MLS led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title and yearns to be on the field when the “Albiceleste” defend the crown next year in North America.

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi told NBC News in an interview broadcast on Monday that he will see next year how his body feels before deciding on whether or not he can play in the World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“It’s something extraordinary to be able to be in a World Cup and I would love to,” said Messi, who turns 39 next June.

“I would like to be there, to be well and be an important part of helping my national team, if I am there.

“And I’m going to assess that on a day-to-day basis when I start preseason next year with Inter and see if I can really be 100%, if I can be useful to the group, to the national team, and then make a decision.”

Messi, who has been playing professionally since 2004, wants the chance for one more star turn on football’s biggest stage.

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“I’m really eager because it’s a World Cup. We’re coming off winning the last World Cup, and being able to defend it on the field again is spectacular because it’s always a dream to play with the national team, especially in official competitions.”

Messi, who debuted with Barcelona in La Liga at age 17, joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and moved to MLS in 2023.

“The truth is that I like everything about living here,” Messi said of Miami.

“I spent a lot of time in Barcelona, which for me is an extraordinary city, where I grew up and had many spectacular moments, and which we miss a lot.

“But Miami is a city that allows us to live very well, that makes us enjoy life, that allows us to be calm, that allows the kids to be themselves and live day to day.”

Messi has 195 appearances for the Argentine national team, scoring 114 goals.

READ: Frank confident Van de Ven has ‘big future’ at Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank is upbeat about the long-term future of Micky van de Ven at the north London club, despite reported interest from Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The centre-back scored twice in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Everton to take his tally for the season to five goals in 13 appearances, with Spurs now third in the table — five points behind leaders and arch north London rivals Arsenal.

Van de Ven has become a leading figure in the absence of injured club captain Cristian Romero and could lead the side out again in a League Cup match away to holders Newcastle on Wednesday.

Frank, attempting to retain the senior players in a squad that won the Europa League in May, was relaxed about keeping hold of van de Ven, who joined Spurs on a six-year deal in 2023, for all the talk that Real are tracking the progress of the 24-year-old.

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“Yeah, very happy with Micky. I think he has been brilliant for the club since he signed and he has taken some steps up this season,” Frank said.

“I think he actually defends even better. I think he is still very good on the ball, he added the goals and the headed goals, which I am very happy with. He’s a threat from set-pieces.

“Character and leadership are also growing, and as far as I know, we have a good contract with him, but definitely a player I see with a big future at the club.

“I think he is happy here, that is very important and we’re happy with him, so let’s see what happens in the future.

“I think the most important thing is it looks like he really enjoys his football, he really enjoys his time here, I am very happy with him, everyone is really happy, so that’s a good sign.”

READ: I was told not to penalize India as match referee, claims Chris Broad

Former ICC match referee Chris Broad has claimed that he was instructed to ”be lenient’ in order to avoid India an over-rate fine at one point during his time as a match official.

Former ICC match referee Chris Broad disclosed that he was instructed to “be lenient” in order to prevent India from incurring an over-rate fine during his time in office.

While speaking to ‘The Telegraph’, Broad did not specify when the incident occurred; however, he described the scene, stating that during one match, India were slow with their overs, so the team was supposed to be fined.

“India were three, four overs down at the end of a game, so it constituted a fine,” he said.

“I got a phone call saying, ‘be lenient, find some time because it’s India’. And it’s like, right, OK. So we had to find some time, brought it down below the threshold.”

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“The very next game, exactly the same thing happened. He [Sourav Ganguly] didn’t listen to any of the hurry-ups and so I phoned and said, ‘what do you want me to do now?’ and I was told ‘just do him’,” he revealed.

The 68-year-old further said that he wanted to continue in the role; however, his contract was not renewed.

“I was very happy to carry on,” Broad remarked. “But for 20 years, I dodged a lot of bullets, both politically and physically. I look back and I think, ‘you know, 20 years is quite a long time to be doing that job’.”

He also discussed the Indian influence and financial aspects involved in the game while operating within a political environment.

“I think we were supported by Vince van der Bijl (ICC umpires manager) while he was in position because he came from a cricketing background, but once he left, the management became a lot weaker. India got all the money and have now taken over the ICC so in many ways,” he claimed.

“I’m pleased I’m not around because it’s a much more political position now than it ever has been.,” Chris Broad concluded.

Overall, Chris Broad remained in the role from 2003 until February 2024. During his 20 years, he oversaw 123 Test matches, 361 ODIs, and 138 T20Is.

READ: Salman Ali Agha explains Usman Khan’s inclusion in T20I squad

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has revealed the reason behind the selection of wicket-keeper batter Usman Khan in the national team for the three-match T20I series against South Africa.

The first T20I match will begin tomorrow at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Usman Khan, who averages 14.93 with the bat in 19 T20Is, last appeared in the format against New Zealand on March 26, 2025.

Speaking ahead of the opening T20I, Salman shed light on the inclusion of Usman, mentioning the batting in the middle orders. He also emphasized his record in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

“We wanted a keeper who could bat in the middle order and handle the middle overs, particularly against spin. We think that since we’re going to Sri Lanka soon, and even before that, we’ll face a lot of spin in the middle overs,” he said.

Catch Pakistan vs South Africa news updates here!

“And you can say, you must have seen in the PSL [Pakistan Super League], his international record isn’t that great, but in the PSL, he bats really well against spin in the middle overs.”

Regarding the team’s momentum, the skipper highlighted the Asia Cup 2025 and tri-nation series, noting that they have learned valuable lessons from their mistakes.

“We’ll continue from where our journey left off. We learned a lot from the Asia Cup and the tri-nation series before that. We’ve picked up a lot from those games. We’ll try to fix the mistakes we made and work on overcoming them in the upcoming series, keeping our World Cup preparation on point,” Salman explained.

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“We need to quickly cut down on our mistakes, especially the ones that keep happening again and again, because they shouldn’t be happening,” he continued.

The 31-year-old mentioned modern-day cricket and emphasized that they do not aim for high scores, but rather evaluate the situation at hand.

“Cricket has definitely gotten faster, but as you saw, we just came back from the Asia Cup, and those pitches didn’t really favor scores of 180 or 190. We don’t blindly aim for 180 or 190; we look at the situation,” Salman concluded.

READ: ‘We can beat any side’: Salman Ali Agha confident ahead of South Africa series

Jurrien Timber urged Arsenal “not to get too high” after they extended their lead at the top of the Premier League.

On a weekend where title rivals Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all lost, the Gunners beat Crystal Palace 1-0 to move four points clear of the shock second-placed team, Bournemouth.

Arsenal’s seventh consecutive victory in all competitions put them six points in front of City and seven ahead of reigning English champions Liverpool.

The victory over capital rivals Palace also capped a fine week for Mikel Arteta’s men, who also posted a third successive Champions League win with a 4-0 rout of Atletico Madrid.

There are growing hopes among the Gunners’ faithful that Arsenal may be on the verge of ending their long wait for the Premier League title. The club were last crowned champions of England back in the 2003/04 season.

But Arsenal defender Timber said: “It is good to stay neutral, and not to get too high.

“Obviously, we’ve been doing well, but it’s still early in the season, and we just have to keep getting better game by game.”

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The 24-year-old Netherlands international added: “The next game is already in three days, which is a (League) Cup match (against Brighton), and the next Premier League game (against Burnley) is going to be tough as well.

“So, let’s keep our feet on the ground and keep working hard, and then from there, we’ll see what happens.”

Arsenal’s impressive start to the season has been built on a miserly defence, which has conceded just three goals in their opening 13 games across all competitions, with the clean sheet against Palace their fifth in succession.

“Everyone plays a part in it, but it’s a good thing and a good foundation to build on,” said Timber. “From that standard, you just have to keep getting better and be consistent in what we do, and then throughout the whole season, hopefully we’ll turn it into something beautiful.

“It gives you confidence, and it shows that we’re doing really well, and also, if it’s for multiple games in a row, it says something about consistency.

“We just have to keep improving, and look at what we can do better, but also take that feeling with you, that confidence, and go into the next game with the same mindset.”

READ: ‘We can beat any side’: Salman Ali Agha confident ahead of South Africa series

KARACHI: Pakistan’s seasoned cueists Muhammad Asif and Asjad Iqbal are set to participate in the IBSF World Snooker Championship 2025, which will be held in Doha, Qatar, from November 3rd.

The Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) announced the participation of the national snooker team comprising five players.

Besides Asif and Asjad, the players featuring in the tournament are Shahid Aftab, Muhammad Sajjad, and Muhammad Hasnain Akhtar.

 

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The three-time World Champion Asif directly qualified for the last 48 as the defending Champion.

On the contrary, Asjad Iqbal qualified on the last basis of the 16 knockout round last year, while Muhammad Hasnain Akhtar is directly qualified for the last 48 by virtue of being the Current World U-17 Champion 2025.

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Ahead of the tournament, a training camp of the participating players will be organized at Jahanger Khan Sports Complex, Karachi.

The camp will allow players to hone their skills in preparation for the mega event, with the PBSF expressing confidence that they will shine at the Championship.

For context, the Men’s Championship will be played in two stages, with all players, except those directly placed into Stage 2 by the IBSF Technical Committee, having to advance through Stage 1.

According to the rules mentioned on the IBSF official site, two qualifying events will be held, each allowing a maximum of 64 players. The events will be conducted on a knock-out basis, completed over two days each, with matches to be Best of 7 frames.

READ: India issue update on Shreyas Iyer’s life-threatening injury