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Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik has criticized the Indian team for refusing to accept the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from the Asian Cricket Council President and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.

India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final. However, the drama unfolded after the match, with the post-match presentation delayed by an hour.

The delay was due to India’s refusal, stemming from the fact that the trophy was to be handed over by the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.

The stage for the post-match ceremony was not set for an extended period. At last the stage was set up with Mohsin Naqvi and other dignitaries taking their place.

However, the ceremony ended without the silverware as the Indian team celebrated their victory without their trophy.

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Speaking in a post-match show, Shoaib talked about the post-match presentation ceremony of the final.

“Think about the pressure on players, the heat they battled, and the effort they gave. All of it was for one reason – to win the trophy and the tournament,” he said.

“And after all their hard work, they still didn’t step forward to collect the trophy. For now, they might celebrate the choice in their own way, but down the line, after a few years, this will haunt them. We won the trophy, gave our best, yet never took it,” he continued.

He called it a missed opportunity for the Indian team and mentioned the impact of a sportsman on the field.

“At the end of the day, they are athletes, they are players. Their role is to step onto the field and give everything they have. This was a huge achievement, a tight contest, and not taking the trophy, it means missing out on the moment. It was a massive moment,” he concluded.

READ: Alzarri Joseph ruled out of India tour, Holder declines selection

South Africa have forfeited a 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Lesotho for fielding an ineligible player, world football governing body FIFA announced on Monday.

South Africa’s 2-0 victory on March 21 in Polokwane has been replaced with a 3-0 defeat, meaning they drop to second place in Group C of the African qualifiers, behind Benin on goal difference, while Lesotho remain fifth.

South Africa violated Article 19 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code by playing Teboho Mokoena after the midfielder had accumulated two yellow cards against Benin and then Zimbabwe, the football body’s disciplinary committee said.

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The South African FA, which has still 10 days to appeal the decision, must also pay a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,536).

The ruling offers a lifeline to Nigeria and Rwanda of reaching the finals, with both teams now only three points behind South Africa.

Only the nine group winners qualify automatically for next year’s World Cup. The four best runners-up will advance to play-offs, which could secure Africa a 10th spot in the finals.

For context, the FIFA 2026 World Cup will be historic as 48 teams will participate for the first time, expanding from 32 teams, and will be played across three countries in North America: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

READ: Alzarri Joseph ruled out of India tour, Holder declines selection

ST JOHN’S: West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph has been ruled out of the two-match Test series against India due to a lower back injury.

According to the Cricket West Indies (CWI), Joseph experienced discomfort, and follow-up scans revealed the degeneration of a lower back injury.

“Alzarri Joseph has been ruled out of the upcoming test series against India due to a lower back injury,” the CWI wrote on X.

Following the 28-year-old’s injury, West Indies approached all-rounder Jason Holder, who is currently featuring in the T20I series against Nepal in the UAE.

However, he declined to be part of the squad, citing a planned medical procedure. Jason Holder last Test appearance came against
South Africa at Providence in August 2024.

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Subsequently, Jedia Blades, who is yet to make his Test debut, has been called up to the side. The 23-year-old is also in the UAE and will join the squad after completing the three-match series against Nepal.

For the unversed, Joseph is the second fast bowler to be ruled out of the series.  Last week, ace pacer Shamjar Joseph was ruled out with an injury, with uncapped  Johann Layne named as his replacement.

The injuries have left a void in the West Indies fast bowling attack, with Jayden Seales the only one to have played more than ten Tests.

Notably, this will be the West Indies’ first tour of India since 2018. The opening Test is scheduled to begin in Ahmedabad on October 2, whereas the second match is slated to commence in Delhi from October 10.

Updated West Indies squad for India Test series

Roston Chase (capt), Jomel Warrican (vice-capt), Kevlon Anderson, Alick Athanaze, John Campbell, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Johann Layne, Jediah Blades, Brandon King, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jayden Seales

READ: India refuse Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

Carlos Alcaraz battled back to beat Casper Ruud 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in Tokyo and reach his 10th final of a spectacular season, emulating fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.

The world number one and US Open champion Alcaraz will face his Laver Cup conqueror, Taylor Fritz, in Tuesday’s decider of the Japan Open.

No man, since the legendary Rafael Nadal in 2017, has reached 10 finals in a season.

“Following his steps in making 10 finals in a season is something great,” said Alcaraz, who also set a new personal best of 66 wins in a season.

“Hopefully it’s not going to end here — a few tournaments ahead, hopefully (I’ll) get to the finals there as well.”

Alcaraz has wowed the crowds this week, but he was in danger of being outshone by Norway’s world number 12 Ruud, who pulled off a series of spectacular winners to take the first set.

Alcaraz, who suffered an ankle injury on Thursday in his opener, regained control in the second set before closing out the match with another ferocious display of power-hitting.

“Emotionally, it was really tough to deal with everything today,” he said.

“I’m really happy to be able to turn around everything, and I ended that match playing such great tennis. “I’m excited to be playing in another final.”

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His opponent will be world number five Taylor Fritz, who beat the Spanish superstar in San Francisco two weeks ago.

Fritz beat fellow American Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-3 in the day’s other semi-final.

Alcaraz practiced with Fritz in Tokyo before the tournament began, and he described his final opponent as “a really difficult player to play against”.

“That practice gave me a really good feedback to how I should approach the match,” said Alcaraz.

“I will try to play my best tennis tomorrow — my Plan A, if I want to beat him — because his level is pretty high right now.”

Alcaraz picked up from where he left off in his quarter-final win over Brandon Nakashima, pounding Ruud with some huge forehands early in the match.

But the Norwegian had a few tricks up his sleeve as well, drawing applause from Alcaraz when he floated a winner to the baseline from a difficult angle.

Ruud took the first set when Alcaraz, beginning to show signs of frustration, hit a return long.

The 22-year-old came back strongly, sending down nine aces in the second set alone to tie up the match.

Alcaraz broke Ruud midway through the third set and never looked back, sealing victory with another jackhammer forehand.

“Physically, it can be better, I’m not going to lie,” said Alcaraz, who has been playing with his ankle strapped since his injury.

“Just doing the best work that I can with my team, with my physio, and hopefully tomorrow it will be even better.”

READ: Chris Woakes announces retirement from international cricket

England all-rounder Chris Woakes has called time on his international career after missing out on Ashes 2025 selection.

Woakes’ last appearance for England came against India in the fifth Test at the Oval, where he dislocated his shoulder. However, the pacer still came out to bat with a sling in his armpit.

Following the injury, the pacer was in a race against time to be fit for the Ashes; however, he was left out of the squad, which drew a curtain on his career.

The right-arm pacer took to his social media handle and announced his retirement, expressing pride in representing the Three Lions in a career spanning 15 years.

 

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A post shared by Chris Woakes (@chriswoakes)

“The moment has come, and I’ve decided that the time is right for me to retire from international cricket,” Woakes said in a statement.

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“Playing for England was something I aspired to do since I was a kid dreaming in the back garden, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have lived out those dreams.

He thanked his teammates with whom he shared the field with the greatest pride while confirming that he will continue to play county cricket.

Representing England, wearing the Three Lions and sharing the field with teammates over the last 15 years, many of whom have become lifelong friends, are things I’ll look back on with the greatest pride.”

Chris Woakes played 62 Tests for England, picking up 192 wickets at an average of 29.61. In ODIs, Woakes appeared for England 122 times, scalping 173 wickets. He also played 33 T20Is and has 31 wickets to his name.

The all-rounder remained a vital cog in England’s 2019 ODI World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup triumph.

READ: Pakistan team donates Asia Cup final fees to May 7 attack victims

The Pakistan cricket team has announced the donation of ACC Men’s Asia Cup final match fees to the families of the ‘innocent victims’ martyred in the May 7 attack.

The Pakistan cricket team has pledged to donate their match fees from the ACC Men’s Asia Cup final to the families of the victims martyred in the May 7 attack in India, which resulted in the loss of several innocent civilian lives.

The announcement came via the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) social media handle.

“The Pakistan Cricket Team has dedicated its Asia Cup final match fees to the innocent victims martyred in the May 7 attack… Our thoughts and prayers are with their families,” the post read on X.

Similarly, India captain Suryakumar Yadav has also announced that he will donate his match fees to India’s armed forces and the victims of the Pahalgam attack.

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For context, India defeated Pakistan by five wickets in the Asia Cup final. Tilak Varma and Kuldeep Yadav starred for the champions, with both players playing a vital role with the bat and ball, respectively.

It is pertinent to mention that the drama began from the tournament’s onset, as two arch-rivals faced each other for the first time after a military confrontation that happened in May this year.

This continued in the final as well, as the post-match presentation started an hour after the scheduled time.

The delay was due to India’s refusal to accept the silverware from Mohsin Naqvi, who is the chairman of both the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the PCB.

Following the trophy fiasco, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, Devajit Saikia, also confirmed to the Indian news agency ANI that the team had declined to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi.

READ: India refuse Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

DUBAI: The much-anticipated final between India and Pakistan ended in a last-over thriller, but the drama continued as the Men in Blue refused to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi.

According to Cricinfo, the reason for India’s refusal came from the fact that the trophy was to be handed over by the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

The thrilling match finished at 10:30 pm Dubai time; however, the wait for the presentation continued, which started after a one-hour delay.

After the final, the Pakistan team walked off the ground into the dressing room while the Indian team stayed on the field.

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Meanwhile, the stage for the post-match ceremony was not set for an extended period of time. At last, after nearly an hour, the stage was set up with Mohsin Naqvi and other dignitaries taking their place.

The presentation also saw unprecedented scenes as Kuldeep Yadav, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma received their individual awards from other dignitaries on stage, whereas Pakistan captain Salman Agha accepted the runners-up cheque from Mohsin Naqvi.

Following this, the host Simon Doull announced the conclusion of the ceremony.

“I have been informed by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) that the Indian cricket team will not be collecting their awards tonight. So that does conclude the post-match presentation,” he said.

READ: WATCH: India celebrate Asia Cup 2025 triumph without trophy

DUBAI: A rare sight unfolded at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday as India celebrated their ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph without the trophy.

The unusual celebrations came after the Indian team refused to accept the silverware during the delayed presentation ceremony, since it was to be presented by the Asia Cricket Council (ACC) president and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.

Alongside Naqvi, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Council, the vice president of the Emirates Cricket Board, and representatives from the tournament sponsors were present on the stage.

The Men in Blue were seen celebrating their victory on the stage without the silverware. Skipper Suryakumar playfully mimicked, and the rest of the side held up an imaginary trophy as part of their celebrations.

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Earlier, India defeated Pakistan by five wickets to clinch the Asia Cup 2025 title. Tilak Verma stood up with the bat, scoring a vital 69* from 53 balls.

The champions started their chase on a shaky note as Pakistan’s pacers ripped through their top order.

Dangerous Abhishek Sharma was the first to go holing out to mid on, whereas Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, in poor form, perished courtesy of an excellent catch from Salman Ali Agha.

The Men in Blue were pegged back with Shubman Gill’s wicket, who was caught on mid-on after scoring 12. As a result, India were reduced to 20-3.

However, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma arrested the slide and batted with calm and composure. The pair added 58 runs for the third wicket, which put India back on course in the chase.

Sanju’s dismissal opened a brief door for Pakistan; however, Varma remained composed and guided India towards the target.

Eventually, India aced the chase with Rinku Singh— playing his first game of the tournament, hitting the ball over mid wicket for four to seal an emphatic win for his side.

Pakistan got off to a strong start after being asked to bat first. Openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman looked in fine touch, stitching together a solid 84-run partnership.

Their positive intent laid the perfect platform for a big total, but once the stand was broken, Pakistan’s innings unraveled quickly.

The middle order failed to capitalize on the strong foundation, and wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals.

READ: Agha ‘proud’ of Pakistan fight despite Asia Cup 2025 final loss

DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Salman Ali Agha praised his team’s fighting spirit despite their defeat to India in the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final.

India outplayed Pakistan by five wickets in a last-over thriller, a game that saw ups and downs from both sides.

The Men in Blue chased down the target of 147 runs on the fourth ball of the final over, with Tilak Varma starring. The left-hander played a gutsy knock under pressure and scored an unbeaten 69 from 53 balls.

Pakistan endured the same middle-order collapse after Sahibzada Farhan’s and Fakhar Zaman’s strong opening partnership of 84 runs.

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Despite a strong foundation, Pakistan were bowled out for 146 in 19.1 overs, thanks to Kuldeep Yadav’s spin magic, who picked up a four-wicket haul, including a three-wicket over.

After the match, Salman Ali Agha expressed his disappointment over the defeat and rued the middle-order collapse after a strong opening foundation.

“It is tough pill to swallow. We could not finish well in the batting. Bowling, we gave everything. If we could have finished well, it would have been a different story. We could not rotate the strike properly and we lost too many wickets,” he said.

“That was the reason we could not score what we wanted. We have to sort out our batting very soon. They bowled really well, outstandingly well,” he added

He further emphasized the last six overs of the match while pointing out batting flaws.

“They needed 63 off six overs, I thought we had the game. The bowlers bowled really well, we have to give them credit, but the batting was a concern. Very proud. We fought really well. We are proud as a team. So much to look forward to, we will improve and come back stronger,” he concluded.

READ: Asia Cup 2025 final presentation ceremony delayed following India’s victory

DUBAI: The presentation ceremony for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 final has been delayed after India triumphed over Pakistan on Sunday here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

According to reports, the delay has been due to India’s refusal to hand over the Asia Cup trophy to ACC president Mohsin Naqvi.

On 17 September, India captain Suryakumar Yadav had requested that if his side wins the Asia Cup 2025, he does not want the trophy to be presented to him by Mohsin Naqvi.

The development came after India defeated Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final by five wickets.

Set 147, India chased down the target on the fourth ball of the last over, losing five wickets in the process.

Pakistan pacers ripped through India’s top order as Faheem Ashraf and Shaheen Afridi combined to rattle the defending champions.

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Dangerous Abhishek Sharma was the first to go holing out to mid on, whereas Skipper Suryakumar Yadav, in poor form, perished courtesy of an excellent catch from Salman Ali Agha.

The Men in Blue were pegged back with Shubman Gill’s wicket, who was caught on mid-on after scoring 12. As a result, India were reduced to 20-3.

However, Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma arrested the slide and batted with calm and composure. The pair added 58 runs for the third wicket, which put India back on course in the chase.

Varma particularly nudged the balls for a single and eased pressure. Samson, on the other hand, was looking good. He got a reprieve in the ninth over as Hussain Talat dropped a sitter.

Yet, he departed after making 24 from 21 balls with the help of two fours and a six. At this stage, India were 77-4 in 12.4 overs.

The game was evenly poised at this stage, with India requiring 69 from 42 balls. However, Tilak Varma’s presence at the crease and some sloppy fielding and tactical errors from Pakistan put India on top.

Haris Rauf’s 17 yielded 17 runs from the 15th over, which tilted the game in India’s favor.

Eventually, India aced the chase with Rinku Singh— playing his first game of the tournament, hitting the ball over mid wicket for four to seal an emphatic win for his side.

For Pakistan, Faheem Ashraf picked up three wickets.

READ: Kuldeep Yadav opens up after India’s Asia Cup 2025 triumph