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LAHORE: Karachi Kings captain David Warner has brushed aside speculation of a rift with teammate Moeen Ali after a viral clip during their Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash against Rawalpindiz triggered debate on social media.

The video, widely circulated on X (formerly Twitter), showed an animated Warner walking towards Moeen before Karachi’s team director Haider Azhar intervened and led the Australian opener away. The brief exchange was quickly interpreted by fans as a sign of tension within the Kings’ dressing room.

“BIG FIGHT BETWEEN DAVID WARNER & MOEEN ALI. During the match session, a heated argument broke out between Moeen Ali and David Warner,” the video caption stated.

However, Warner moved swiftly to shut down the rumours, clarifying that the moment had been taken out of context.

“Calm down, mate. You have zero context. Our manager always wants to shake hands first. Has nothing to do with Mo – it’s called team banter,” Warner responded to the above-mentioned video.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 calm down mate. You have zero context. The 🤡 our manager always wants to shake hands first . Has nothing to do with Mo 🤣🤣 it’s called team banter

— David Warner (@davidwarner31) April 3, 2026

Azhar also backed the skipper’s version, dismissing the claims of any disagreement and insisting the moment was light-hearted.

“Not true! Both of them were making fun of me!” he added.

The off-field chatter, meanwhile, did little to overshadow Karachi’s strong showing on the field.

Warner led from the front with a composed 50, while Azam Khan produced a blistering 74 as the Kings chased down a daunting 198-run target to secure a five-wicket victory.

The duo’s crucial 76-run stand for the third wicket proved decisive, guiding Karachi to their third consecutive win in the tournament.

READ: Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane ruled out of Freiburg clash

Harry Kane will miss the Bundesliga match between Bayern Munich and Freiburg this weekend but should be fit for their Champions League clash with Real Madrid next week, coach Vincent Kompany said Friday.

Kane missed England’s friendly defeat by Japan this week with an ankle problem and has not recovered in time to face Freiburg on Saturday.

Bayern take on Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

“Harry trained well until Sunday, then he felt something in his ankle while with the national team,” Kompany told reporters.

“That will have an impact on tomorrow’s game — he won’t be available. Nevertheless, I’m positive about Tuesday. It’s not great, I’d like him to play against Freiburg, but as things stand today, that won’t be possible.”

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Bayern lead second-placed Borussia Dortmund by nine points in the Bundesliga and can take another step towards a second straight title this week. But they will be without Kane and his suspended understudy, Nicolas Jackson.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund also confirmed that Raphael Guerreiro will leave the club at the end of the season, with Juventus reportedly interested in signing the Portugal full-back.

“Rapha will be leaving us. It wasn’t easy because he’s a great lad, has played a lot of good games, is very versatile – a great strength of his,” said Freund.

“But we’ve always said that when we make a decision, we tell the lads, so that’s what we’ve done now.”

Guerreiro has scored 12 goals in 89 appearances for Bayern since signing from Dortmund three years ago.

READ: Gennaro Gattuso resigns as Italy coach after World Cup flop

Gennaro Gattuso quit as Italy coach on Friday as the Azzurri failing to reach a third straight World Cup continued to send shockwaves through Italian football.

A World Cup winner in 2006, Gattuso leaves after less than a year in charge of Italy, a team which has fallen far behind historic rivals like France and Spain in the last two decades.

Defeat on penalties to Bosnia and Hercegovina in Tuesday’s qualification play-off final ended up costing Gattuso his job, as the man who hired him also stepped down as president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Gabriele Gravina had asked Gattuso to stay on immediately after elimination in Zenica, but his departure, and that of national team general manager Gianluigi Buffon, paved the way for the 48-year-old to resign.

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Gattuso took charge of Italy in June last year following the sacking of Luciano Spalletti, himself a victim of a dismal title defence at Euro 2024 and a 3-0 hammering at the hands of Erling Haaland’s Norway in their first World Cup qualifier.

His record is impressive on paper, with six wins, one defeat and one draw in eight matches with 22 goals scored and 10 conceded.

But that draw was the 1-1 with Bosnia, which preceded a penalty shoot-out in which Italy missed twice, while the loss was another humiliating one to Norway, this time 4-1 at the San Siro.

Gattuso was considered by many a strange choice to replace Spalletti due to his spotty club coaching record, and he was heavily criticised after Tuesday’s elimination.

READ: PSL 11: Weather forecast for Lahore Qalandars-Multan Sultans clash

LAHORE: The upcoming match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 11 between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans is likely to be affected by weather concerns here on Friday.

A light drizzle had already set in by the evening, forcing ground staff to swiftly cover the pitch and outfield at the LCCA Ground as a precautionary measure, raising concerns over a potential delay or interruption.

According to weather forecasts, conditions in Lahore remain far from ideal for cricket. At around 6:00 PM local time, thunderstorms were reported with temperatures hovering at 19°C but feeling closer to 15°C due to the wind chill.

Catch all the PSL 11 updates here!

Winds from the south-west, coupled with high humidity levels touching 85%, have added to the discomfort, while over 12 mm of rainfall has already been recorded.

Visibility has also been significantly reduced, with dense cloud cover and a low ceiling contributing to gloomy playing conditions. Air quality remains unhealthy, further compounding the challenges for players and officials.

While a slight improvement is expected by 7:00 PM, with rainfall predicted to ease and temperatures dipping marginally, the overall outlook still suggests unstable weather.

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Cloud cover is set to remain heavy, and visibility is unlikely to improve substantially, keeping the possibility of interruptions alive.

Notably, Ashton Turner-led Multan Sultans have enjoyed a strong start to their campaign, sitting second on the points table with two wins from two matches.

In contrast, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Lahore Qalandars find themselves in the mid-table with one win and one loss.

READ: Fakhar Zaman’s appeal rejected as PSL committee upholds two-match ban

LAHORE: Blistering half-centuries from David Warner and Azam Khan propelled Karachi Kings to a hard-fought five-wicket victory over Rawalpindiz in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing a challenging 198-run target, the Kings crossed the finish line with four balls to spare, registering their third consecutive win in the tournament.

The run chase saw an early setback when Muhammad Waseem departed for 23 in the third over with 27 runs on the board.

However, Salman Ali Agha steadied the innings alongside Warner, adding a crucial 43-run stand before falling for 29.

The turning point came when Azam joined Warner in the middle, as the duo stitched a decisive 76-run partnership for the third wicket, shifting the momentum firmly in Karachi’s favour.

Warner played an anchoring yet fluent knock of 50 off 36 deliveries, laced with six fours and a six, before being dismissed by Daryl Mitchell in the 16th over.

Azam, meanwhile, took charge with an aggressive approach, smashing 74 off just 34 balls, including six fours and six towering sixes. His innings brought the Kings within touching distance before he fell to Mohammad Amir in the penultimate over.

With the equation down to the final over, Abbas Afridi sealed the win in emphatic fashion, launching a six early in the over to take Karachi Kings home.

Earlier, Rawalpindiz posted a competitive 197-6 after being put into bat, recovering strongly from early setbacks.

Hasan Ali struck early to remove skipper Mohammad Rizwan (21), while Khushdil Shah dented the top order further by dismissing Yasir Khan (8) and Kamran Ghulam (10), reducing them to 55-3.

The innings was then revived by a superb 120-run partnership between Mitchell and Sam Billings, both of whom registered half-centuries. Billings scored 58 off 35 deliveries, while Mitchell top-scored with 65 off 41 balls.

Hasan eventually broke the stand in the death overs, finishing as the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while Khushdil claimed two and Mir Hamza chipped in with one.

READ: Fakhar Zaman’s appeal rejected as PSL committee upholds two-match ban

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) Technical Committee has upheld the two-match suspension of Fakhar Zaman, dismissing the Lahore Qalandars opener’s appeal against the sanction imposed earlier this week.

Fakhar was penalised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after being found guilty of a Level 3 breach of the tournament’s Code of Conduct, relating to ball-tampering during Lahore Qalandars’ clash against Karachi Kings at the Gaddafi Stadium.

The left-handed batter had denied the charge and opted for a full disciplinary hearing, which was conducted by match referee Roshan Mahanama. Following a review of the evidence and Fakhar’s defence, the referee imposed a two-match suspension, the maximum penalty for a first Level 3 offence.

In response, Fakhar Zaman lodged a formal appeal, seeking a reassessment of the decision.

The matter was then revisited by the PSL Technical Committee, which conducted a fresh review before arriving at the same conclusion.

According to the PCB, the committee, comprising Professor Javed Malik, Dr Mumraiz Naqshband, and Syed Ali Naqi, carried out a de novo inquiry, examining all available evidence and hearing submissions from relevant parties before dismissing the appeal.

“Pursuant to conducting a de novo inquiry, reviewing all evidence, and hearing submissions from relevant individuals, the Committee has dismissed the appeal and upheld the two-match ban imposed by Match Referee Roshan Mahanama,” the cricket board stated.

The board confirmed that the original sanction would stand, meaning Fakhar will now miss Lahore Qalandars’ upcoming fixtures, including their match against Multan Sultans on April 3 at Gaddafi Stadium, followed by an away game against Islamabad United on April 9.

READ: Minhas, Shadab star as Islamabad United secure first win in PSL 11

LAHORE: A sensational unbeaten partnership between Sameer Minhas and captain Shadab Khan powered Islamabad United to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing a challenging 184-run target, United made light work of the total, reaching the finish line in the 19th over with eight wickets in hand, courtesy of a dominant batting display led by their in-form duo.

The innings began on a positive note as Devon Conway and Sameer Minhas put together a brisk 44-run opening stand, with the latter taking the aggressive route.

However, Abrar Ahmed struck twice in quick succession to remove Conway (18) and Andries Gous (2), leaving United at 61-2 inside seven overs.

From there on, it was all about Minhas and Shadab, who combined to produce a match-winning, unbeaten 128-run partnership. The pair blended composure with calculated aggression, ensuring there were no further hiccups in the chase.

Minhas led the charge with a superb 82 not out off 48 deliveries, striking eight fours and three sixes, while Shadab complemented him with an equally impressive unbeaten 69 off 39 balls, decorated with five fours and four sixes.

Earlier, Quetta Gladiators posted a competitive 183-5 after opting to bat first, thanks to strong contributions from both their top and middle order.

Openers Shamyl Hussain and skipper Saud Shakeel provided a solid platform with a 50-run stand before Salman Irshad dismissed Hussain for 21.

Shadab then made an impact with the ball, removing Shakeel for a brisk 42, followed by quick strikes that left the Gladiators reeling at 93-5. Imad Wasim also chipped in with a crucial wicket during the middle overs.

A late recovery was orchestrated by Hassan Nawaz and Tom Curran, who stitched together an unbeaten 90-run partnership. Nawaz remained not out on a fluent 64 off 35 balls, while Curran added a steady 29 to push the total to 183-5.

READ: Saad Baig lauds David Warner’s leadership at Karachi Kings

READ: Rumman Raees urges Babar Azam to consider T20 retirement

LAHORE: Sahibzada Farhan smashed an unbeaten century to guide Multan Sultans to a commanding six-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in a high-scoring encounter of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

Chasing a daunting 226-run target, the Sultans produced a clinical batting display, reaching the target with eight balls to spare and four wickets in hand.

Farhan was the architect of the remarkable chase, remaining unbeaten on a scintillating 106 off just 57 deliveries. His innings, laced with eight sixes and seven fours, ensured the Sultans stayed ahead throughout the run-chase.

He found solid support at the top from Steve Smith, who scored a fluent 46, while vice-captain Shan Masood added a valuable 29.

Farhan then stitched an unbroken 37-run stand with Arafat Minhas, who played a quickfire cameo of 26 off 11 balls to seal the win in style

Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen posted an imposing 225-5 after being put into bat, riding on aggressive contributions from their top order.

The opening pair of Saim Ayub and Maaz Sadaqat provided a flying start, adding 59 runs in the first five overs before Peter Siddle broke the stand by dismissing the former for 27.

Sadaqat continued his impressive form, hammering a rapid 62 off 26 deliveries, striking five fours and five sixes, before falling to Mohammad Nawaz.

Veteran Sharjeel Khan then anchored the latter half of the innings with an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls, ensuring the Kingsmen posted a formidable total.

Notably, this was the third defeat for the Hyderabad Kingsmen, whereas Multan Sultans are sitting at the top of the PSL 11 points table with two victories in as many games.

READ: Rumman Raees urges Babar Azam to consider T20 retirement