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Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal scored as Barcelona eased to a comfortable 3-0 win over Mallorca on Saturday to move four points clear at the top of La Liga.

The champions extended the gap to Real Madrid in second before Alvaro Arbeloa’s side visit Valencia on Sunday, with Marc Bernal also on target late on at the partially reopened Camp Nou stadium.

Barcelona’s first-half display was sluggish, even though Lewandowski’s goal had them ahead at the break.

“I was not happy… we were not on our level, the playing and passing were too slow,” admitted Flick, who demanded more from his side going forward.

“The first half was not how Barca wanted to play, (but) the second half was much better.”

Mallorca target man Vedat Muriqi came close early on as he slid in at the back post but hit the side netting, while Jan Virgili’s shot was saved by Joan Garcia.

Marcus Rashford added some urgency to Barca’s game after a listless start, curling inches wide of the far post after cutting in from the left.

A blocked shot from the England international led to the opener, with Dani Olmo knocking the rebound to Lewandowski to finish from close range.

Rashford’s dangerous free-kick was tipped onto the bar by Mallorca stopper Leo Roman, and Yamal missed from point-blank range as Jules Kounde sent the rebound into his path.

The 18-year-old made amends in the second half with a superb shot from outside the area, which left Roman with no chance.

It was his fourth goal in four games, with Yamal in his best form of the season.

“He kept his energy for the second half and the goal. Lamine is fantastic,” said Flick.

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Midfielder Marc Casado struck the crossbar with a deflected effort as Barca could have opened up a wider lead.

At the other end, Garcia earned his clean sheet with a good save to thwart Antonio Sanchez, before Bernal rounded off Barca’s victory.

The 18-year-old midfielder broke in behind the Mallorca defence, showed composure to open up a shooting angle and finished with the aid of a deflection, his first goal for the club.

Bernal broke into the first team at the start of last season, but a severe knee injury in August 2024 kept him out for around a year and delayed his progress.

“It’s a great joy for him, when a player has such a bad injury, we all feel it, we suffer with him… I’m very happy for him,” Casado told Movistar.

Bernal, who usually plays at the base of the midfield, admitted scoring for the first time for the club was an emotional moment after his injury struggle.

“When I scored, I thought a lot about how tough the last year was for me, so it’s really satisfying, for my family too, I thought of them too,” said Bernal.

Flick handed 19-year-old midfielder Tommy Marques his debut late on, as another youngster from the club’s feted La Masia academy made the jump to the first team.

“His technique is unbelievable, his body language is top,” said Flick, adding that the Spaniard may be able to start playing regularly for Barca next season.

In the late match, Real Sociedad moved up a place to eighth, just four points behind Real Betis in fifth, after a 3-1 win at home to Elche.

Earlier on Saturday, La Liga postponed Rayo Vallecano’s home match against Real Oviedo because of the condition of the pitch at Madrid’s Vallecas stadium.

They later moved Sevilla’s home game against Girona, scheduled for a 1730 GMT slot on Saturday, to Sunday because of adverse weather conditions.

READ: ‘Miracolo’: Football-mad Italy to make cricket World Cup debut

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the base prices of players registered for the highly anticipated Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11 player auction.

The landmark auction is scheduled to take place on February 11, with a total of 879 local and overseas cricketers from across the cricketing world signing up.

The pool includes players from Afghanistan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England and Sri Lanka, with base prices ranging from PKR 60 lakh to PKR 4.2 crore.

Several high-profile international stars have entered the top base price bracket of PKR 4.2 crore.

The list features Afghanistan’s Fazal Haq Farooqi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Australia’s David Warner, and New Zealand all-rounders Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell.

South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw, England’s James Vince and Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka have also placed themselves in the highest category.

Among Pakistan players, Mohammad Rizwan, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf, Fakhar Zaman and Faheem Ashraf headline the top-tier bracket, underlining the strong local presence in the auction.

The second-highest base price category begins at PKR 2.2 crore and includes notable names such as Australia’s Usman Khawaja and Peter Siddle, New Zealand’s Colin Munro, England’s Jason Roy and South Africa veteran Imran Tahir.

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Pakistan representatives in this category include Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Saud Shakeel and Shan Masood.

You can find the complete list of players along with their base prices by clicking here.

Under the new auction model, each franchise has been allocated a purse of PKR 450 million to build their squads, along with an additional PKR 55 million reserved for direct signings.

All franchises, including the newly-added Hyderabad and Sialkot Stallionz, have already confirmed their retentions and direct signings ahead of the auction.

However, Peshawar Zalmi were dealt a setback after their direct signing Rahmanullah Gurbaz withdrew from the upcoming season.

Meanwhile, Multan Sultans remain in a unique position heading into the auction. The franchise, currently without an owner, will enter the bidding process with a full purse after retaining no players and making no direct signings.

Notably, the Multan franchise is scheduled to be sold through a separate auction in Lahore on February 9, just two days before the PSL 11 player auction.

READ: ICC delegation to meet Mohsin Naqvi to break India-Pakistan deadlock: sources

Italy have won the football World Cup four times, but when it comes to cricket, they are minnows making a historic debut in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 among the game’s elite.

The Italians play Scotland in the T20 World Cup at Kolkata’s famous Eden Gardens on Monday and will be the lowest-ranked team in the competition.

“How did we get to the World Cup? In Italy, we say ‘miracolo Italiano’, an ‘Italian miracle’,” said Riccardo Maggio, development officer with the Italian Cricket Federation.

Maggio has spent a lifetime helping cricket grow on the fringes of the football-obsessed nation.

“We’re coming to the World Cup, and believe me, we’re not coming just once for appearance,” he said.

“Passion and the Italian way of doing things make us the miracle that we are.”

Italy beat Scotland in the qualifiers, and facing them again on Monday would be a “huge honour”, said skipper Wayne Madsen.

“Captaining Italy is not something I take lightly,” the South Africa-born Madsen, 42, who has played English county cricket, told AFP.

Italy are in Group C and also face England, the West Indies and Nepal.

The challenge is huge, but Maggio has faith. The 56-year-old played for Italy in a six-wicket victory over an England Cricket Board XI in 1998, a match that the ICC said “shocked” cricket.

“I was on the field that day, and we had to play out of our skins,” he said, voice trembling. “And now we’re playing England at the World Cup. I’m sorry, but I’m going to cry.”

Italy’s federation says it has about 1,800 players and around 100 clubs.

“Football will always be huge in Italy, that’s just the reality,” Madsen said, adding that playing in the World Cup will be a “massive” boost.

“When people see Italy competing on a global stage, it sparks interest and belief,” he said.

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Cricket actually has a long history in Italy. In 1793, English naval hero Horatio Nelson “organised the first-ever recorded game in Naples”, according to the ICC, most likely to keep his sailors out of trouble while in port.

An Italian English-born colonel, Francis Maceroni, then took the game to Naples in the 1810s.

“The first difficulty was to get bats and balls. I set to work and made both with my own hands,” Maceroni wrote in his memoir.

The Genoa Cricket and Athletic Club was founded in 1893 at the British consulate, aiming to play cricket in summer and football in winter.

It became the country’s oldest football club, with Genoa winning the Italian Serie A championship nine times.

“It’s still called ‘Genoa Cricket and Football Club’,” Maggio noted.

AC Milan, according to its club history, was founded as the “Milan Football and Cricket Club” in 1899.

Players and fans in Italian cricket come from around the world.

“We have Italians from Australia, Italians from South Africa, the Asian-Italian community, Italians from Italy,” Maggio said.

Madsen will complete an unusual World Cup double on Monday — playing in two different sports for two separate countries.

He played at the field hockey World Cup for his native South Africa, but holds an Italian passport now through his ancestry.

Former South Africa T20 international JJ Smuts, who is now Italian through marriage, is also in the squad.

“A lot of our players have deep Italian roots and others have found their connection to Italy through life and opportunity,” Madsen said.

“What matters most isn’t where you were born, but how much it means to you to wear this badge.”

READ: Peshawar Zalmi comments on Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s PSL withdrawal

Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday issued an official clarification after Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz withdrew from the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11, just two days after being announced as the franchise’s direct signing.

The 24-year-old Afghan opener confirmed his unavailability through a message in Pashto, citing personal commitments and scheduling constraints following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

“After the World Cup, I won’t be available for the PSL this season due to my schedule,” Gurbaz said. “I will be focusing more on my foundation work in Afghanistan. Thank you for all the love and support.”

His sudden withdrawal prompted a detailed response from the 2017 PSL champions, who clarified that Gurbaz’s signing had been completed strictly in accordance with league regulations and after obtaining the required No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from both the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

“We would like to clarify to our valued and loyal fan base that the recent direct signing of Afghanistan cricketer Mr Rahmanullah Gurbaz was completed strictly after he received full NOC clearance from both the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Afghanistan Cricket Board,” the franchise stated.

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Peshawar Zalmi emphasised that Gurbaz was selected purely on professional and cricketing grounds and was among the top options available on the official player list provided to franchises.

“At the time of selection, he was among the best available options on the official list provided, and his signing followed the prescribed process accordingly,” the statement added.

“This decision was taken purely on professional and cricketing grounds, in full compliance with PSL regulations, PCB guidelines and the established framework of the HBL PSL. No consideration beyond merit, team requirements and due process was involved.”

The franchise concluded by confirming that a replacement direct signing will be announced in due course.

Earlier, ahead of the historic PSL 11 players’ auction scheduled for February 11, Peshawar Zalmi had retained four players.

Babar Azam leads the list in the Platinum category with a retention fee of PKR 70 million, followed by Sufiyan Muqeem in Diamond (PKR 44.8 million), Abdul Samad in Gold (PKR 28 million) and Ali Raza in the Emerging category (PKR 19.6 million).

READ: Quetta Gladiators sign Spencer Johnson as direct signing for PSL 11

CHENNAI: Afghanistan have won the toss and elected to bat first against New Zealand in the fourth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

PLAYING XIs

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner (c), James Neesham, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy

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Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan (capt), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Ziaur Rahman, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

HEAD TO HEAD

Afghanistan and New Zealand have faced each other twice in T20I cricket, with both their meetings coming at the T20 World Cup.

The Kiwis clinched victory in the 2021 edition, while Afghanistan returned the favour in 2024.

Matches 2, New Zealand 1, Afghanistan 1

READ: PCB rejects claims of writing to ICC over India clash

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has categorically rejected claims made by Indian media that it wrote to the International Cricket Council (ICC) refusing to play the T20 World Cup group stage match against India on February 15.

PCB spokesman Amir Mir, clarifying the matter, stated that the board has not made any such contact with the ICC.

“We reject the false claims made by Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta,” Mir said.

He further accused the Indian media of spreading misinformation, adding, “Have patience; it will soon be revealed who actually contacted whom.”

“As usual, sections of Indian media are busy circulating fiction. A little patience and time will clearly show who actually went knocking and who didn’t,” he added.

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The development follows senior Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta’s claim that the PCB had reached out to the ICC to initiate dialogue over the World Cup stalemate.

“PCB has now reached out to ICC for a dialogue on the India-Pakistan World Cup after the ICC replied to their official communication: PCB first wrote to ICC saying they were pulling out of that game implying the ‘Force Majeure’, attaching their Govt’s tweet,” Gupta post read on X.

“The ICC then wrote back, asking what factors under ‘Force Majeure’ were they trying to imply, and telling PCB of legal ramifications and sanctions the ICC could hit them with,” it added.

“The PCB has now approached ICC for a dialogue to ‘resolve’ the issue.”

A week earlier, a post issued by the Government of Pakistan’s official X account said the government had granted permission to the Pakistan team to travel to Sri Lanka for the tournament, but instructed that “the Pakistan cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India”.

The statement did not specify a reason for that decision.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan grants approval to the Pakistan Cricket Team to participate in the ICC World T20 2026, however, the Pakistan Cricket Team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15th February 2026 against India,” the statement read.

It is understood that the PCB is yet to write to the ICC to inform them of the boycott.

READ: Hyderabad franchise reveals name ahead of PSL 11

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad newly inducted Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise has officially revealed its name ahead of the landmark season 11.

The name ‘Hyderabad Houston Kingsmen’ was officially revealed during the franchise launch event held here at the Niaz Stadium.

The franchise owner, Fawad Sarwar, officially unveiled the team’s name and logo during the ceremony.

A day earlier, the franchise also bolstered its squad with the addition of Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Maaz Sadaqat, and Akif Javed.

The outfit also roped in Australia ace batter Marnus Labuschagne as a direct signing for the upcoming edition.

For those unaware, the Hyderabad franchise, one of two new teams joining PSL 11 alongside the Sialkot Stallionz, was secured by Sarwar’s Kingsmen Group through the auction with a winning bid of Rs 1.75 billion ($6.25 million).

The franchise has also stacked up coaching staff with prominent names.

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Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie will oversee the team as head coach. The 50-year-old has previously worked in Pakistan cricket and was appointed as head coach of the national Test side in April 2024.

Meanwhile, Bradburn will work as the fielding coach under newly-appointed head coach Jason Gillespie.

Bradburn brings significant experience to the role, having served Pakistan in multiple capacities in recent years.

The former New Zealand cricketer was appointed head coach of the Pakistan men’s national team in 2023.

Before that, Bradburn also served as Pakistan’s fielding coach from 2018 to 2020, and later moved to the National Cricket Academy, where he worked on coach development.

He has also coached internationally, having previously worked as the head coach of Scotland’s men’s team.

The landmark edition of the league, PSL 11, will begin on 26 March, with the auction scheduled for February 11.

READ: ICC moves to revive India-Pakistan T20 World Cup clash

The International Cricket Council is in talks with the Pakistan Cricket Board to resolve the boycott of its T20 World Cup match against India on February 15, AFP learnt Saturday.

Any clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan is one of the most lucrative in cricket, worth millions of dollars in broadcast, sponsor and advertising revenue.

But the fixture was thrown into doubt after Pakistan’s government ordered the team not to play the match in Colombo.

The Pakistan Cricket Board reached out to the ICC after a formal communication from the cricket’s world body, a source close to the developments told AFP.

The ICC was seeking a resolution through dialogue and not confrontation, the source added.

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The 20-team tournament has been overshadowed by an acrimonious political build-up after Bangladesh, who refused to play in India citing security concerns, were replaced by Scotland.

As a protest, Pakistan refused to face co-hosts India in their Group A fixture.

Pakistan, who edged out Netherlands in the tournament opener on Saturday, will lose two points if they forfeit the match and also suffer a significant blow to their net run rate.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav said this week that his team would travel to Colombo for the clash.

Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments.

READ: Rahmanullah Gurbaz pulls out of PSL 11

MUMBAI: Suryakumar Yadav and bowlers combined to steer India to a 29-run victory over USA in the third fixture of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

Set a challenging 162, the USA fell short of the target and managed 132-8 in 20 overs despite showcasing an excellent display with the ball.

India inflicted a poor start on USA, who lost their top three batters in the first three overs.

As a result, USA were reduced to 13-3 with Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi at the crease.

The pair arrested the slide with a 58-run partnership, although it came on the slower side on 52 balls.

USA scorecard read 71 when Varun Chakravarthy broke the partnership to give India an opening.

The mystery spinner removed Milind Kumar who made 34 from 34 balls.

After the breakthrough wicket, Indian bowlers chipped on and took wickets at regular intervals which never allowed the USA batters to settle down.

As a result, they ended short of the target with Shubham Ranjane losing his wicket on the final ball of the innings.

The right-hander’s valiant knock of 37 from 22 included three sixes and two fours.

For India, Mohammed Siraj picked up three wickets.

Ealier, Suryakumar Yadav played a captain’s knock to lift India out of trouble against a disciplined USA bowling lineup

USA capitalized on the decision to bowl first as they limited the strong Indian batting lineup to 161-9 in 20 overs.

The hosts were put in early trouble right from the outset as their dashing opener Abhishek Sharma was sent back for a duck in the second over.

The left-hander could not make his World Cup debut memorable, holing out to a deep cover.

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After an early wicket, Ishan Kishan played some shots and kept the scoreboard ticking.

He added 37 with returning Tilak Varma for the second wicket, bringing the total to 45. However, Shadley van Schalkwyk’s triple-wicket over put his side in a top position at the end of the powerplay.

He removed Kishan (20) and Varma (25), which was followed by the wicket of  Shivam Dube, who could not open his account.

As a result, India were in dire straits with 46-4 at the end of the six overs.

Rinku Singh came to the fore to rescue India and stitched a 26-run partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav. The pair brought the total to 72 in 11.4 as the partnership was broken in the form of Rinku’s wicket.

The left-hander managed six from 14 before getting caught at long on. The slide continued as all-rounder Hardik Pandya could not trouble the scorers much. He made five as the home side were 77-6.

It was all Suryakumar Yadav’s calculated knock, which not only helped them cross the 150 mark but ensured that they finished on a strong note.

The skipper kept losing partners at the other end and capitalized on the last over from Saurabh Netravalkar, amassing 21 runs.

He remained unbeaten on 84 from 49 balls, striking four sixes and 10 fours.

For the USA, it was a clinical bowling effort except for Netravalkar, who had forgettable figures of 65/0 in four overs. Apart from him, Shadley van Schalkwyk remained the standout bowler, taking four wickets.

Harmeet Singh also provided support from the other end with his two wickets in economical spin bowling.

READ: Rahmanullah Gurbaz pulls out of PSL 11

Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has withdrawn from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11, just days after being announced as a direct signing by Peshawar Zalmi.

The wicketkeeper batter from Afghanistan confirmed the development via video message posted on Instagram.

Speaking in his native Pashto, he cited scheduling commitments following the T20 World Cup and personal responsibilities at home as the reasons behind his unavailability.

“After the World Cup, I won’t be available for the PSL this season due to my schedule,” Gurbaz said. “I will be focusing more on my foundation work in Afghanistan. Thank you for all the love and support.”

The 2017 PSL champions Peshawar Zalmi had officially announced the signing of the Afghan batter on 5 February, sharing a graphic of Gurbaz in traditional attire against a mountainous backdrop on their social media platforms. The franchise did not disclose the financial details of the deal.

However, the 22-year-old’s withdrawal means he will not feature in PSL 11, which is set to begin later this month.

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Since making his international debut in 2019, Gurbaz has established himself as a key figure in Afghanistan cricket. He has represented his country in two Tests, 52 One-Day Internationals and 83 T20 Internationals, earning a reputation as an aggressive opening batter.

Gurbaz is also a familiar name on the global franchise circuit, having played in major leagues including the Indian Premier League (IPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Caribbean Premier League (CPL), SA20, and ILT20.

In the Pakistan Super League, Gurbaz has featured in three seasons, turning out for Multan Sultans in 2021 and Islamabad United in 2022 and 2023. Across 15 PSL matches, he has scored 318 runs at an average of 22.71, including one half-century.

His absence from PSL 11 leaves Peshawar Zalmi with a late decision to make as teams finalise their squads under the league’s new auction-based system.

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