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Barcelona coach Hansi Flick confirmed Tuesday reports that veteran goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will join neighbours Girona on loan.

Flick confirms ter Stegen’s loan exit from Barcelona

Germany international Ter Stegen has fallen behind Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny in the pecking order at Barca.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon the 33-year-old stopper needs to play regularly to make his case to start for Germany at the tournament.

“This morning Marc said that he is going to Girona,” Flick told a news conference ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Slavia Prague.

“I think Marc is a fantastic goalkeeper. We decided (to go a) different (way) for the future for the club and I think it was the right decision. But I wish him all the best because he is a fantastic goalkeeper.

“Maybe we see him in the German national team in the World Cup. (My) fingers are crossed for this and I think he has good chances.”

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Ter Stegen, who joined Barca from Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014, has won six La Liga titles with Barca and the Champions League once, among other silverware.

The goalkeeper missed much of last season with a severe knee injury, leading to Barca bringing Szczesny out of retirement to take his place.

Another injury kept Ter Stegen out of action during much of the current campaign, in which he has made only one appearance.

Ter Stegen did not travel to Prague, where Barca are aiming to secure a top eight finish in the league phase of the Champions League.

They are also without the suspended Lamine Yamal for Wednesday’s match, which will take place in sub-zero conditions.

“The good thing is that (the players) have to run because it’s warmer,” joked Flick.

Barca’s 11-game winning run came to an end with a defeat at Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday.

Flick said it could make his team improve, particularly in their finishing.

“We played on the highest level and this is what I want to see, it was better to lose (like) this instead of showing a bad performance,” added Flick.

“I think this could give us a little bit more confidence to believe in what we are doing… but I think we have to be more (accurate) in front of goal, this is what I want to see from the team.”

READ: Salah back in Liverpool squad after AFCON

Mohamed Salah made his much-anticipated return to the Liverpool squad on Tuesday following the Africa Cup of Nations as the club prepare to face Marseille in the Champions League.

A smiling Salah was put through his paces at the club’s training centre with the rest of Arne Slot’s squad ahead of Wednesday’s match in France.

The return of the Egypt forward has been a major talking point after he took aim at Liverpool in an explosive interview early last month.

Salah accused the club of throwing him “under the bus” after he was benched for three games in a row and said he had no relationship with Slot.

But he appeared as a substitute in a 2-0 Premier League win against Brighton on December 13, providing an assist, and Slot subsequently said the club had moved on from the furore.

Last week, Slot said he welcomed Salah’s return, refusing to divulge the content of his conversations with the 33-year-old, whose team finished fourth at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Slot said before Saturday’s 1-1 draw against struggling Burnley he was unsure whether the forward would face Marseille.

But on Tuesday afternoon Liverpool said Salah had been named in the 20-man squad for the trip to France.

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“Mohamed Salah is included having returned to the club after representing Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations,” a statement on the club’s official website said.

Liverpool are currently ninth in the league phase of the Champions League.

The top eight qualify automatically for the last 16 while teams placed from ninth to 24th face a play-off round.

Salah is Liverpool’s third-highest goalscorer of all time with 250 goals in 421 appearances, winning two Premier League titles and the Champions League since joining from Roma in 2017.

He signed a lucrative new two-year contract last year as he played a starring role in guiding Liverpool to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

But he has been a shadow of his former self during Liverpool’s struggles this season, managing just five goals in all competitions.

Liverpool’s Premier League defence collapsed with a run of six defeats in seven matches starting in late September.

The club are now unbeaten in 12 games in all competitions but remain 14 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.

READ: MLitton Das ‘unsure’ over Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup participation

MIRPUR: Bangladesh T20I skipper Litton Das is unsure about the national team’s participation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which begins on 7 February.

Bangladesh is slotted in Group C in the marquee event alongside West Indies, Nepal, and England. The Tigers’ first three matches are scheduled in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, with their last match taking place in Mumbai.

However, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has refused to send its team to India for the tournament, citing safety concerns for players and support staff, and has requested that the ICC shift the matches outside India.

The decision followed an IPL-related dispute involving pacer Mustafizur Rahman, which triggered strong reactions in Dhaka.

Despite multiple discussions, the ICC’s proposal to change venues within India was rejected by the BCB, which remains firm on playing its matches in Sri Lanka, prolonging the standoff.

Das spoke to the media after Rangpur Riders lost to Sylhet Titans in the Eliminator of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

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“It’s not safe [to answer],” Das told reporters regarding the ongoing impasse in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.

“You don’t know, I don’t know, we’re on the same page. The World Cup is still a long way away. We’re not even sure yet whether we’ll go to the World Cup at all,” he maintained.

He emphasized opponents and pointed out the clarity regarding the decision, which would ease some nerves.

“Everyone is playing the BPL, that is true, but if we had known who our group opponents were or which country we were going to, that would have helped. Until now, no player knows which country we are going to or whom we will play against. Like me, the whole of Bangladesh is now in uncertainty.

The skipper also revealed that the team had been kept in the dark regarding participation in the mega event.

“I don’t know but there has been no communication with me. Many things in life are not ideal, but you have to accept them according to the situation,” he concluded.

READ: West Indies umpire Chris Taylor to officiate President’s Trophy matches

KARACHI: West Indies umpire Christopher Mark Taylor is set to officiate three matches of the President’s Trophy Grade- I as part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Umpire Exchange Programme, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced today.

Taylor will officiate the Ghani Glass vs Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) fixture set to start on Wednesday, 21 January at the National Bank Stadium.

“The Ghani Glass v Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) game at the National Bank Stadium beginning on Wednesday, 21 January will be Taylor’s first game in the tournament,” the board said in a press release.

“He will also be the field umpire in Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) v SNGPL fixture at the KCCA Stadium starting 27 January, and Sahir Associates v Pakistan Television (PTV) game at the National Bank Stadium, scheduled to start on 2 February,” it added.

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Overall, Chris Taylor has officiated in five women’s one-day and three T20Is besides his 41 first-class, 56 List-A, and 53 T20s experience.

Taylor last served as an umpire in the West Indies domestic 50-over competition in November 2025.

It is worth noting that the fourth round of the tournament resumes on Wednesday, with WAPDA squaring off against OGDCL at the KCCA Stadium.  Meanwhile, in another fixture, Ghani Glass will face SNGPL at the National Bank Stadium.

While Sahir Associates will face State Bank of Pakistan at the State Bank Stadium, defending champions PTV will take on KPL at the UBL Sports Complex.

READ: U19 World Cup: Australia crush Japan to seal Super Six berth

MIRPUR: Mirza Baig and Aamer Jamal starred as Chattogram Royals sealed a place in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 final with a six-wicket victory over Rajshahi Warriors here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, on Tuesday.

Set mere 134 to chase in Qualifier 1, Royals hit the winning runs on the third ball of the final over.

Mirza Baig and Mohammad Naim laid a strong foundation with a 64-run stand in 11.3 overs.

Naim 30 from 38 included three fours.

Despite the wicket, Chattogram Royal kept cruising as the Pakistani duo of Hasan Nawaz and Mirza Baig stitched a 34-run partnership, which brought the total to 98 in 15.3 overs.

Despite the wickets, Baig held the innings together and brought his side near the finishing line.

He eventually departed after scoring 45 from 47 balls with the help of four boundaries.

With nine required of the final over, Royals skipper Mahedi Hasan smashed a six and took a double run to take his side into the final. He remained unbeaten on 19 from nine balls.

For Rajshahi Warriors,  Abdul Gaffar Saqlain scalped two wickets.

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Earlier, put into bat first, Rajshahi Warriors batting lineup faltered under pressure and were skittled for 133 at the end of their 20 overs.

Sahibzada Farhan and Tanzid Hasan put on a 30-run partnership for the opening wicket in 5.3 overs.

Farhan was caught after scoring 21 off 19, which included a six and two fours.

However, it was Mahedi Hasan’s back-to-back strikes on successive deliveries that turned the game on its head. The spinner first snared Mushfiqur Rahim for a duck and followed up the wicket with the captain, Najmul Hossain Shanto, who made eight.

As a result, Warriors were reduced to 49-3 in 8.4 overs.

Despite wickets tumbling around him, Tanzid kept his head cool, but Hasan Nawaz ended his resistance in the 14th over.

He departed after top-scoring for his side with 41 off 37, striking three fours and a six.

Aamer Jamal, meanwhile, cut through the lower order with two wickets as Abdul Gaffar Saqlain hit a quick-fire 32 from 15 to take his side to a competitive total.

The right-hander’s innings included three sixes and two fours.

For Chattogram Royal, Aamer Jamal bowled three overs and picked up two wickets while giving away 27. Mahedi Hasan also managed to pick two, while the rest of the five bowlers also picked one apiece.

READ: U19 World Cup: Australia crush Japan to seal Super Six berth

WINDHOEK: Will Malajczuk’s sublime ton guided Australia to an easy win over Japan, while the Bangladesh vs New Zealand fixture was washed out in the ICC Men’s U19 World Cup 2026.

Set 202, Australia romped to an eight-wicket victory in 29.1 overs, becoming the first team to qualify for the Super Six stage of the tournament.

Will Malajczuk and Nitesh Samuel started briskly in the chase as the pair added 135 in 15.3 overs.

Malajczuk remained the core aggressor, first racing to a 21-ball half-century and then completing his ton on 51 balls.

He eventually departed after scoring 102 off 55 balls, laced with five sixes and 12 fours. Steven Hogan was the second wicket to fall in the 20th over. He made 15 from 20 balls.

Eventually, Australia reached the target with Samuel’s remaining unbeaten on 60 off 73 deliveries, hitting four boundaries. Tom Hogan made 19* from 27 balls.

For Japan, Charlie Hara-Hinze and Nihar Parmar picked up one wicket each.

Earlier, Japan decided to bat first and managed 201-8 at the end of their 50 overs.

After losing Nikhil Pol for a duck in the opening over, Nihar Parmar and Hugo Tani-Kelly stabilized the innings with a 58-run partnership.

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Parmar made 33 from 67 balls with the help of a six and two boundaries.

Japan were kept afloat by Hugo Tani-Kelly, who held the innings together with a string of parnterships until the middle order collapse.

He forged another partnership of 46 runs with Charlie Hara-Hinze (24), bringing the total over 100 run mark.

However, Hinze’s dismissal sparked a mini collapse, slumping Japan from 103-5 to 118-6 in 30.3 overs.

Despite the wickets, Tani-Kelly resisted and remained unbeaten on 79 from 135 deliveries, which included six fours.

For Australia, Naden Cooray remained the pick of the bowlers with three scalps to his name.

Meanwhile, the Group B fixture between New Zealand and Bangladesh got washed out due to rain.

The fixture commenced after an hour delay and was reduced to a 47-over match per side.

However, due to rain, only 10 overs of play were possible with New Zealand scoring 51-1.

The second rain-abandoned clash left New Zealand in a precarious position, as they will have to defeat India in their final group stage fixture to avoid depending on other results — Bangladesh-USA to advance to the Super Sixers.

READ: Sixers’ captain admits Babar needed ‘days’ to get over Smith saga

PERTH: Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has revealed that Babar Azam was upset and needed several days to move on after Steve Smith denied him a single during his side’s must-win Big Bash League (BBL) 15 fixture.

During the Sydney Sixers’ clash against Brisbane Heat on Sunday, 18 January, Smith was keen to capitalize on the Power Surge over. Babar nudged the last ball of the 11th over to long on, but Smith opted not to run.

In the next over, Smith accumulated a record 32 runs from the over, including four sixes in a row.

Babar was dismissed in the next over and appeared visibly frustrated, striking the boundary cushion with his bat as he made his way back to the pavilion.

The ace batter remained in the dressing room for the remainder of the game and did not rejoin his teammates when players mingled on the outfield after the game.

Speaking ahead of the Sixers’ qualifier against Perth Scorchers, Henriques admitted that the incident took time to settle.

“It took a couple of days for that to settle down,” Henriques told Fox Cricket. “To be honest, think it’s just a bit of a misunderstanding of the culture of each other, ” he added.

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The skipper explained that such on-field decisions are common in Australian cricket culture and that Babar initially struggled to relate to it.

“It’s a pretty common thing in our culture, and maybe for him (Babar), he wasn’t used to it and didn’t quite understand.

Once it was explained to him, he was absolutely fine. They’ve kissed and made up, and it’s two of the greats back friendly again,” Henriques revealed.

He also confirmed that he, along with Sixers coach Greg Shipperd, spoke to Babar to help him move on from the incident.

“[We are] always trying to understand…we could visibly see he was quite upset with what happened on the field, so we needed to try and understand why he felt that way. Once we got to the bottom of it, it was okay,” he explained.

For the unversed, Babar Azam has endured a lean run in the tournament, managing just 202 runs in 11 matches at a strike rate of 103.06.

His poor run continued in the qualifier, where he was dismissed for a two-ball duck during the Sixers’ chase of 148 against the Scorchers in the BBL Qualifier.

READ: Chris Woakes’ last-ball six sends Sylhet Titans into BPL Qualifier 2

PERTH: Perth Scorchers delivered a clinical all-round performance to outclass Sydney Sixers by 48 runs and book their place in the final of the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 at Optus Stadium on Tuesday.

Asked to bat first, the Scorchers recovered from an early setback to post a competitive 147 for nine in their allotted 20 overs, with Finn Allen once again playing a pivotal role.

The hosts were rocked in the opening over when Mitchell Starc removed Mitchell Marsh for five, giving the Sixers a dream start.

Allen, however, counter-attacked alongside Aaron Hardie, and the pair added a vital 58 runs for the second wicket to stabilise the innings.

Starc returned to break the stand, dismissing Allen for a fluent 49 off 30 deliveries, an innings laced with two fours and four sixes.

The Scorchers then slipped into trouble, losing four wickets for just 20 runs and sliding to 87 for five.

Skipper Ashton Turner anchored the innings with a measured 29 off 21 balls, while Jhye Richardson chipped in with a valuable 20 off 18 down the order, ensuring Perth crossed the 140-run mark.

For the Sixers, Starc led the attack with two wickets, while Jack Edwards and Ben Dwarshuis also claimed two apiece.

Joel Davies and Ben Manenti picked up one wicket each as Sydney kept the Scorchers in check during the latter stages.

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In response, the Sixers’ chase never gathered momentum as they were bowled out for just 99 in 15 overs.

The visitors’ troubles began immediately when opener Babar Azam was dismissed for a second-ball duck, stumped by Josh Inglis off Cooper Connolly in the very first over.

The collapse continued in the fourth over when Mahli Beardman struck twice, removing Josh Philippe for 13 and captain Moises Henriques for two, leaving the Sixers struggling at 23 for three.

A brief resistance came through a 40-run partnership between Steve Smith and Lachlan Shaw, but David Payne ended that stand by dismissing Shaw for 15.

Smith, who top-scored with 37 off 24 balls, soon followed, becoming Beardman’s third victim as the Sixers lost their last hopes.

With Smith gone, the batting folded rapidly, as Sydney lost their remaining four wickets for just 25 runs to be bundled out well short of the target.

Beardman was the standout performer with the ball for the Scorchers, finishing with impressive figures of three for 20. Connolly and Payne picked up two wickets each, while Hardie and Richardson contributed with one apiece.

Despite the heavy defeat, the Sixers remain in contention for the title. They will get another opportunity to reach the final when they face the winners of the Knockout clash between Hobart Hurricanes and Melbourne Stars, scheduled for Wednesday, in the Challenger on Friday.

READ: Shoaib Malik announces retirement ahead of PSL 11

Veteran batter Shoaib Malik has announced his retirement from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ahead of landmark season 11.

Shoaib shared the news on his social media handle, recalling cherished memories over the past decade.

“I cherish every single moment and friendship I have made on and off the field throughout my 10 years of the Pakistan Super League as a player,” he wrote.

 

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A post shared by Shoaib Malik (@realshoaibmalik)

“It’s time to call it a day. However, my passion and motivation to serve for the betterment of cricket will always stay. Thank you PSL.”

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For the unversed, Shoaib Malik has been a mainstay of the PSL since its very beginning, having represented four different franchises – Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Peshawar Zalmi, and Quetta Gladiators. He played his last match for Quetta Gladiators in PSL X.

He is currently the fourth-leading run-scorer in the history of the PSL, accumulating a total of 2,350 runs with an average of 33.09 across 92 games.

In addition to his batting prowess, Malik has also showcased his all-round capabilities, taking 17 wickets over the years.

Overall, Malik is the sixth-highest run getter in T20 cricket with 13571 runs to his name.  The right-hander has notched up 83 half-centuries at a strike rate of 127.24.

Besides his T20 career, Malik was a key member of Pakistan’s 2009 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup-winning squad and captained the national side in all three formats during his career.

In total, the all-rounder played 446 international matches for Pakistan, accumulating 11867 runs with the help of 12 centuries and 61 half-centuries alongside 218 scalps.

READ: New Zealand suffer injury setbacks ahead of T20 World Cup 2026

MIRPUR: Chris Woakes held his nerve under pressure, smashing a six off the final delivery to guide Sylhet Titans to a dramatic victory over Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 Eliminator at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a modest target of 112, the Titans sealed the contest on the final ball, with Woakes clearing the ropes off Faheem Ashraf to complete a tense run chase and book a place in Qualifier 2.

Sylhet will now face the losing side of Qualifier 1 between Rajshahi Warriors and Chattogram Royals.

The chase began shakily for the Titans as they lost an early wicket, but Parvez Hossain Emon (18) and Ariful Islam (17) steadied the innings with a 36-run partnership for the second wicket.

Later, Sam Billings and captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz adopted a cautious approach, adding 50 runs for the middle order.

Billings top-scored with 29, while Miraz chipped in with a valuable 18 as Sylhet inched closer to the target.

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The match came down to a tense final over, with nine runs needed and Faheem Ashraf entrusted with the ball.

Faheem conceded two runs off the first delivery before bowling two dot balls to swing the momentum back in Rangpur’s favour. Moeen Ali was dismissed on the fourth ball, leaving Sylhet needing seven runs from the final two deliveries.

Woakes, however, rose to the occasion and launched the final delivery for a six, sparking celebrations in the Sylhet camp and ending Rangpur’s campaign.

Earlier, Rangpur Riders struggled with the bat and were restricted to 111-9 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a disciplined bowling display by the Titans.

Mahmudullah was the top scorer with a composed 33 off 26 balls, hitting two boundaries and two sixes. Khushdil Shah provided late impetus with a brisk 30 off 19 deliveries, including three sixes, while Nurul Hasan added 18.

Khaled Ahmed led the attack with impressive figures of 4 for 14, while Woakes and Nasum Ahmed picked up two wickets apiece.

READ: New Zealand suffer injury setbacks ahead of T20 World Cup 2026