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BRISBANE: Mitchell Starc’s four wicket haul backed by gutsy half-centuries from Steve Smith and Sam Curran propelled Sydney Sixers to a five-wicket win over Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 knockout fixture.

Sydney Sixers chased down 172 in 18.4 overs, losing five wickets in the process.

The BBL 15 finals — Playoffs will commence on 20 January with Sydney Sixers facing Perth Scorchers in the Qualifier.

Meanwhile, third-placed Hobart Hurricanes will square off against fourth-placed Melbourne Stars in the knockout.

After losing Babar Azam (1) and Josh Philippe (8) in the first three overs, Steve Smith held the innings together with a string of partnerships.

The right-hander, who top-scored with 54 from 40 balls, including five boundaries, steadied the innings, first stitching a 43-run partnership with skipper Moises Henriques.

The pair’s partnership brought the total to 74 in 8.4 overs before Henriques was caught after scoring 20.

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Smith followed the stand with another crucial partnership off 60 runs alongside Sam Curran that took the game away from the Brisbane Heat. Sam Curran hit two sixes and five fours in his 53* from 27 balls.

For Brisbane Heat, Xavier Bartlett picked up two wickets.

Earlier, after put into bat first, Brisbane Heat racked up 171-9 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.

Nathan McSweeney starred with the bat, scoring a vital 69 from 54 balls, which was laced with eight fours.

Michael Neser was the other notable contributor as he captilized on the power surge, hitting 35 off 14 balls with the help of two sixes and five fours.

For Sydney Sixers, Mitchell Starc was the star bowler as he picked up the first four-wicket haul of his short BBL career.

READ: WATCH: Babar Azam falls cheaply in must-win clash for Sixers

PRAGUE: Pakistan’s rising squash star Mehwish Ali suffered a serious injury during the semifinal of the WSF Czech Junior Open 2026, currently underway in Czech Republic.

According to available details, Mehwish was in a strong position, leading the match by two games when the injury occurred mid-match.

The severity of the injury forced an immediate halt to play, and she was subsequently shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for close medical monitoring and treatment.

Medical staff are attending to her condition, and further updates regarding her health and recovery are awaited.

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The incident has cast a shadow over an otherwise outstanding tournament for Pakistan, where the Ali Sisters — Mahnoor, Mehwish, and Sehrish Ali — have once again demonstrated Pakistan’s growing strength in international junior squash.

The squash community, teammates, and fans have expressed deep concern and solidarity with Mehwish Ali, wishing her a speedy and full recovery.

For the unversed, the WSF Czech Junior Open 2026 is a highly ranked international junior squash tournament under the European Squash Federation Junior Gold Circuit, featuring top young players from across the world and offering valuable international ranking points.

All matches will be streamed live on the ESF Squash website, providing global access for squash fans.

READ: Pakistan’s Ali Sisters shine at WSF Czech Junior Open 2026

BRISBANE: Sydney Sixers opener Babar Azam once again fell cheaply during his side’s must-win encounter against Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL) 15.

Set to chase 172, Babar Azam and Steve Smith opened the innings for Sixers with the latter fresh off a century, quickly finding his rhythm.

Smith crunched three fours off the opening over from Michael Neser, taking the total to 15 in the first over.

However, in the next over, pacer Xavier Bartlett made Babar’s stay short as the right-hander tried to chip a full on leg delivery, handing an easy catch to mid on. The right-hander was caught for one from seven deliveries.

However, in the next over, pacer Xavier Bartlett made Babar’s stay short as the right-hander tried to chip a fuller delivery, offering an easy catch to mid-on. He made one of seven deliveries.

Overall, Babar Azam scored 202 runs in 10 matches at an average of 25.25 with the help of two half-centuries. Notably, his strike rate remained modest at 104.12.

Sydney Sixers will need to win this match to qualify for the final four stage of the tournament and keep their title hopes alive.

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Earlier, after put into bat first, Brisbane Heat racked up 171-9 at the end of their allotted 20 overs.

Nathan McSweeney starred with the bat, scoring a vital 69 from 54 balls, which was laced with eight fours.

Michael Neser was the other notable contributor as he captilized on the power surge, hitting 35 off 14 balls with the help of two sixes and five fours.

For Sydney Sixers, Mitchell Starc was the star bowler as he picked up the first four-wicket haul of his short BBL career.

READ: Italy reveal squad for maiden T20 World Cup appearance

PRAGUE: Pakistan Ali Sisters star Mahnoor Ali defeated Ukraine’s Tarasova to qualify for the final of the 17th WSF Czech Junior Open 2026, currently underway in Czech Republic.

The tournament is one of Europe’s most prestigious Junior Gold-level squash tournaments.

Mahnoor booked a place in the summit clash after beating Tarasova 3–0 in the semifinal, with a dominant performance: 11–5, 11–6, 11–7.

Besides Mahnoor, another Ali sister, Sehrish Ali, also delivered a spirited performance but was defeated by the second seed Johanna Reháková of the Czech Republic.

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Sehrish will now compete later today in the bronze medal match.

However, Mehwish Ali suffered a serious injury during her semifinal match.

According to available details, Mehwish Ali was in a strong position, leading the match by two games, when the injury occurred mid-match.

The severity of the injury forced an immediate halt to play, and she was subsequently shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for close medical monitoring and treatment.

Medical staff are attending to her condition, and further updates regarding her health and recovery are awaited.

The incident has cast a shadow over an otherwise outstanding tournament for Pakistan, where the Ali Sisters — Mahnoor, Mehwish, and Sehrish Ali — have once again demonstrated Pakistan’s growing strength in international junior squash.

The squash community, teammates, and fans have expressed deep concern and solidarity with Mehwish Ali, wishing her a speedy and full recovery.

For the unversed, the WSF Czech Junior Open 2026 is a highly ranked international junior squash tournament under the European Squash Federation Junior Gold Circuit, featuring top young players from across the world and offering valuable international ranking points.

All matches will be streamed live on the ESF Squash website, providing global access for squash fans.

READ: Italy reveal squad for maiden T20 World Cup appearance

Italy have named a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to begin on 7 February across Sri Lanka and India.

Wayne Madsen will lead the side in which the Azzuri would make their first appearance at a major ICC tournament.

Among the notable inclusions are former South Africa all-rounder JJ Smuts, who has played six T20Is for the Proteas. While top-order batter Emilo Gay have missed out due to an injury.

The European nation’s historic campaign in the mega event comes on the back of their impressive performance in the ICC Men’s European Qualifier, where they finished behind the Netherlands.

During the qualifier, Italy outplayed the strong Scottish team alongside Guernsey.

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Interestingly, their ace batter and former captain Joe Burns, who played a pivotal role in Italy’s qualification, was left out of the squad.

The marquee event will run from 7 February to 8 March across Sri Lanka and India, with the opening fixture scheduled between Pakistan and the Netherlands.

Italy is placed in Group C alongside two of the tournament’s successful teams, West Indies and England, alongside Bangladesh and Nepal.

Italy will begin their World Cup campaign on 9 February against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Italy squad

Zain Ali, Marcus Campopiano (wk), Ali Hasan, Crishan Kalugamage, Wayne Madsen (c), Harry Manenti, Gian Piero Meade, Anthony Mosca, Justin Mosca, Syed Naqvi, Benjamin Manenti, Jaspreet Singh, JJ Smuts, Grant Stewart and Thomas Draca.

READ: Damien Martyn issues first statement after ‘miraculous’ recovery

Australian Test cricket great Damien Martyn has revealed he was only given a 50 percent chance of surviving after being put in an induced coma with meningitis last month.

The 54-year-old former batsman, who played 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006 and 208 one-day internationals, was rushed to hospital on December 27 with the disease that causes swelling of membranes around the brain.

He was in a coma for eight days, but miraculously pulled through and is now back home.

In a heartfelt social media post late Saturday, Martyn said it was touch and go whether he would live, and the experience was a reminder of “how fragile life is”.

“After being given a 50/50 chance of surviving, I came out of the induced coma eight days later not able to walk or talk,” he said.

“And yet four days after that, with the doctors in disbelief, I walked, I talked and proved to them all why I should be released from hospital to start my recovery.

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“So happy to be home, to be able to put my feet in the sand on the beach and to start thanking all those people that reached out to me and my family in their unwavering support,” he added.

“Bring on 2026 … I’m back.”

Known as one of the game’s great strokemakers, Martyn became a key figure in Steve Waugh’s all-powerful Australia side, hitting 13 centuries and averaging 46.37.

He was also part of the Australia team that won the 2003 ODI World Cup, cracking 88 not out in the final against India in a match-winning partnership with Ricky Ponting.

Martyn retired in 2006 during the Ashes series and had kept a low-profile since.

READ: Sri Lanka’s Chamuditha smashes highest individual score in U19 World Cup

WINDHOEK: Sri Lanka’s Viran Chamuditha delivered a record-shattering performance on Saturday, scripting history in the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026 during his side’s opening fixture against Japan at the Namibia Cricket Ground.

The left-hander produced a monumental innings of 192 from 143 deliveries, the highest individual score ever recorded in the tournament’s history.

His knock, studded with 26 boundaries and a six, saw him surpass the previous record of fellow Sri Lankan Hasith Boyagoda, who had scored 191 against Kenya in the 2018 edition.

Highest individual scores in U19 World Cup

Chamuditha’s innings laid the foundation for a commanding Sri Lankan total and only came to an end when he was dismissed by Timothy Moore, by which time the damage had already been done.

The record-breaking display was complemented by another landmark achievement, as Chamuditha and opening partner Dimantha Mahavitana stitched together a colossal 328-run stand.

The partnership is now the highest for any wicket in the history of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup.

Highest partnerships in U19 World Cup

Powered by the mammoth opening stand, Sri Lanka posted an imposing target of 388 runs for Japan in their first outing of the 2026 tournament, underlining their intent early in the competition.

READ: U19 World Cup: India, Bangladesh captains skip handshake

BULAWAYO: The Group B clash in the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup at Queens Sports Club on Saturday began on an unusually sour note, as India captain Ayush Mhatre and Bangladesh vice-captain Zawad Abrar avoided the customary handshake after the toss.

Abrar, standing in for Bangladesh captain Md Azizul Hakim Tamim, who missed the match due to illness, won the toss and opted to field, citing the damp conditions following rain.

However, the absence of the traditional pre-match greeting between the two leaders was the key talking point, coming amid escalating tensions between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).

The strain between the two boards has intensified after the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) announced the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their IPL squad, citing directives from the BCCI.

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The decision triggered a strong response from the BCB, which subsequently announced that Bangladesh’s national men’s team would not travel to India for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, citing security concerns.

The BCB then took the matter to the International Cricket Council (ICC), formally requesting a change of venue for Bangladesh’s matches. The board has insisted that its team should play in Sri Lanka, the co-host nation, instead of India.

Adding to the diplomatic fallout, the Bangladesh government announced a ban on coverage of the IPL in the country, further deepening the rift between the two cricketing nations.

As of now, the ICC has not made a final decision regarding Bangladesh’s T20 World Cup fixtures.

The governing body has offered to shift venues, but only within India, citing logistical challenges that make a move outside the country difficult.

READ: Finn Allen seals top spot for Perth Scorchers with Melbourne Stars win

PERTH: Finn Allen continued his red-hot form as Perth Scorchers secured a six-wicket win over Melbourne Stars to finish atop the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 standings on Saturday.

The top-of-the-table clash in Perth was set up with both teams on 12 points, with a chance to end the group stage at the summit.

Scorchers made the most of the opportunity, finishing with 14 points and leaving Melbourne Stars behind on 12, while Hobart Hurricanes sit second with 13 points.

The fourth playoff spot will be decided on Sunday when the Sydney Sixers take on the Brisbane Heat.

Scorchers won the toss and opted to bowl, a decision that paid immediate dividends.

Melbourne Stars struggled against a disciplined Perth attack and were bundled out for 130 in 18.2 overs.

Jhye Richardson led the charge with a four-wicket haul, supported by David Payne and Cooper Connolly, who took two wickets each.

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The Stars’ batting lineup failed to fire, with only captain Marcus Stoinis offering resistance.

Stoinis produced a valiant 55 off 39 balls, including five fours and two sixes, but lacked support from the rest of the lineup.

Campbell Kellaway (19) and Hilton Cartwright (13) were the only other batters to reach double figures.

Chasing 131, Scorchers lost early momentum as Haris Rauf ran through the top order, picking up three wickets and reducing Perth to 26-3 in 4.1 overs.

But Finn Allen held his nerve and steadied the innings. He found a strong partner in Aaron Hardie, and the duo stitched a crucial 94-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Allen led the chase with a 39-ball 69, smashing seven sixes and two fours, before falling to Peter Siddle with just 11 runs required.

Hardie then took charge, remaining unbeaten on 41 off 37 balls, guiding Scorchers to victory with plenty of time to spare.

READ: BPL 2026: Malan, Hridoy power Rangpur Riders to win over Dhaka Capitals

MIRPUR: Half-centuries from Dawid Malan and Towhid Hridoy laid the foundation for a comprehensive Rangpur Riders victory over Dhaka Capitals in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2026 clash at the Shere Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.

Asked to bat first, the Riders made full use of the conditions as Malan and Hridoy stitched together a dominant 126-run opening partnership, putting Dhaka under pressure from the outset.

Malan set the tone with an authoritative 78 off 49 deliveries, striking eight fours and four sixes before Taskin Ahmed finally broke the stand.

Hridoy ensured the momentum was not lost, anchoring the innings with a well-paced 62 from 46 balls, decorated with five boundaries and four maximums, before falling to Maruf Mridha.

Kyle Mayers provided late impetus with a brisk 24 off 16, helping Rangpur post a competitive 181 for 4 in their allotted 20 overs.

Dhaka Capitals’ chase never quite settled. Faheem Ashraf struck early, removing both openers inside the first four overs to leave the hosts struggling at 36.

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The pressure intensified when Nahid Rana dismissed Saif Hassan and Sabbir Rahman in quick succession, reducing Dhaka to 53 for 4.

A brief revival came through Mohammad Saifuddin and Imad Wasim, who added 48 runs for the seventh wicket to keep the contest alive.

However, Mustafizur Rahman’s timely breakthrough ended Wasim’s knock of 20 and halted the comeback.

Saifuddin fought on valiantly, finishing unbeaten on 58 off just 30 balls, including three fours and five sixes, but the target proved out of reach.

Dhaka Capitals closed on 170 for 7, falling 11 runs short.

Nahid Rana led Rangpur’s bowling effort with three wickets, while Faheem Ashraf chipped in with two, sealing a convincing all-round performance for the Riders.

READ: PTV stun SNGPL to break 232-year-old first-class cricket record