Category: Top Picks

Manchester City added to their attacking arsenal on Friday with the signing of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth for a reported £65 million ($87 million).

The 26-year-old, who has scored 10 Premier League goals this season, has signed a five-and-a-half-year deal.

Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham were amongst the other clubs interested in the London-born Ghana international, who had a buyout clause that would reportedly expire on Saturday.

“I am so proud to have joined Manchester City,” said Semenyo.

“I have watched City over the last decade under Pep Guardiola, and they have been the dominant team in the Premier League as well as achieving amazing things in the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

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“They have set the highest of standards, and it’s a club with world-class players, world-class facilities and one of the greatest managers ever in Pep.”

His final act after three years with the Cherries was scoring a stoppage-time winner to beat Tottenham 3-2 and end an 11-game winless run on Wednesday.

Manchester City are hoping Antoine Semenyo can boost their challenge for silverware on four fronts in 2026.

Pep Guardiola’s men trail Arsenal by six points at the top of the Premier League and have FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League fixtures in the coming weeks.

READ: Pakistan seamer Mohammad Ali joins Nottinghamshire

Pakistan seam bowler Mohammad Ali is set for his first stint in county cricket after signing a short-term, multi-format contract with Nottinghamshire for the closing phase of the 2026 English domestic season.

The 33-year-old will link up with the Trent Bridge outfit at the start of August and remain available for selection over the final two months of the campaign, featuring in both the County Championship and the One Day Cup.

Ali arrives in England with an impressive body of work behind him, having claimed 340 wickets across his professional career.

His international experience includes appearances in four Tests, three T20 Internationals and one One-Day International, with his most recent outing for Pakistan coming on ODI debut against New Zealand in March last year.

Speaking after the move was confirmed, Mohammad Ali described the opportunity as a long-held ambition.

“I’ve always wanted to play county cricket and test myself in English conditions, so this is a really special opportunity for me,” he said.

“Playing at a venue like Trent Bridge is something every cricketer dreams of, and I’m eager to contribute in both red-ball and white-ball cricket during an important stage of the season.”

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Mohammad Ali is no stranger to the Nottinghamshire setup, having previously worked with assistant head coach Paul Franks during the 2022–23 domestic season in Pakistan, where Franks was involved with Central Punjab.

That campaign proved a successful one for the fast bowler, as he finished as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, claiming 24 wickets at an average of 25.54.

He also played a vital role in Central Punjab’s domestic 50-over title-winning run, picking up six wickets in five matches, including figures of 2 for 31 in the final.

Franks welcomed Ali’s arrival, highlighting not only his on-field ability but also his character and work ethic.

“Mohammad really impressed me with his personality and professionalism during our time together in Pakistan,” Franks said.

“We’ve kept in touch since then and looked at opportunities to bring him to Nottinghamshire before. This felt like the right moment, and he’s someone who is a pleasure to have in the dressing room.”

READ: Real Madrid’s Mbappe fit to play Super Cup final: Alonso

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Thursday that superstar French striker Kylian Mbappe is fit to play in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona after a knee sprain.

The forward was left out of Madrid’s travelling party to Saudi Arabia, with Los Blancos beating city rivals Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the semi-final on Thursday to set up a Clasico final on Sunday.

“(Mbappe) is a lot better, he is feeling good, and he has the same chance of playing as his team-mates,” Alonso told reporters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappe would fly to join the squad on Friday.

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The 27-year-old is Los Blancos’ top goalscorer with 29 goals this season across all competitions in 24 appearances.

Notably, Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tight Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Thursday to set up a Clasico final clash against rivals Barcelona.

Meanwhile, holders Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 5-0 on Wednesday in the first semi-final.

For the unversed, the Spanish coach led Madrid to a win over Barcelona in his first Clasico at the helm in October.

READ: Real Madrid edge Atletico to set up Clasico Spanish Super Cup final

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in a tight Spanish Super Cup semi-final in Saudi Arabia on Thursday to set up a Clasico final clash against rivals Barcelona.

Fede Valverde’s blistering free-kick and a Rodrygo Goes strike helped Madrid claim a fifth consecutive victory across all competitions, with Alexander Sorloth pulling one back for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who came up short in Jeddah.

Alonso was close to the sack after a run of inconsistent form towards the end of 2025, but his team have slowly found their footing in the shape of positive results, even if some performances have not been entirely convincing.

The Spanish coach led Madrid to a win over Barcelona in his first Clasico at the helm in October, before his team began to slump.

With French superstar Kylian Mbappe out as he recovers from a knee sprain, Alonso kept young striker Gonzalo Garcia in the centre of the attack after his hat-trick against Real Betis on Sunday.

Atletico beat their city rivals 5-2 when the teams met in September in a La Liga derby but this was a far closer affair.

Los Blancos took the lead after just two minutes when Valverde’s ferocious free-kick flew past Sorloth in a poorly-positioned wall and rocketed past Jan Oblak.

The Norwegian Atletico forward might have done more to block it, and Oblak got his hand to the shot but could not keep it out because of the sheer power.

Valverde celebrated vehemently, slapping his own head, clearly delighted at breaking his duck in a difficult season to date.

By taking the lead, Real Madrid earned the right to sit deeper and force Atletico to try and attack them to pull back level.

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Madrid hit the Rojiblancos when they could on the counter, with Oblak saving well from Rodrygo after he floated inside from the right.

Atletico began to create some chances and could have pulled level before the interval.

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tipped away Sorloth’s header, and then the target man clumsily nodded Conor Gallagher’s cross off-target from close range.

Rodrygo extended Madrid’s lead in the 55th minute with his third goal in five games, continuing a rich vein of form across the past few weeks after a run where he failed to score for 32 games straight.

The Brazilian found a gap to burst through in the middle of Atletico’s defence and kept his cool to sweep the ball past Oblak.

Three minutes later, Atletico hit back, with Sorloth finally finding the net with a header from Giuliano Simeone’s cross.

The striker gave defender Raul Asencio just enough of a shove to put him off without being penalised for it before nodding in.

The Atletico coach goaded Madrid winger Vinicius Junior when he was substituted, with the Brazilian failing to score for a 16th consecutive game.

Real Madrid face Barcelona on Sunday in the final at the King Abdullah Sports City stadium after the Catalans thrashed Athletic Bilbao 5-0 on Wednesday.

READ: Anthony Joshua pays tribute to close friends killed in crash

The U17 and U-19 National Wrestling Championship has officially commenced across Pakistan under the joint collaboration of the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Wrestling Federation (PWF).

The championship aims to identify and promote young and talented wrestlers at the national and international levels.

In this regard, trials for District Gujranwala will be held on Friday, 9 January 2026, at the Gujranwala Sports Complex.

 

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The national event will feature the participation of international wrestlers, national medalists, and emerging young talent.

The event will also provide young athletes with an opportunity to make a case for selection in the national team.

The National Wrestling Championship eligibility criteria and weight classes to ensure fair play are mentioned below.

U-17 Division:

This category is open to athletes born in 2009 or later. It focuses on younger competitors with five specific weight categories: 30 kg, 35 kg, 40 kg, 45 kg, and 50 kg.

U-19 Division:

This category is designed for older youth athletes born in 2007 or later. Because these athletes are more developed, the weight classes are much broader, ranging from light-heavy to heavyweight.

The categories include 57 kg, 61 kg, 65 kg, 70 kg, 74 kg, 79 kg, 86 kg, 92 kg, 97 kg, and 125 kg.

READ: Anthony Joshua pays tribute to close friends killed in crash

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua paid a moving tribute on Thursday to the two close friends killed in a car crash in Nigeria, labelling them “brothers” and “great men”.

Joshua suffered minor injuries in the December 29 crash, and after being discharged from hospital he returned to England before attending the funerals of Latif Ayodele and Sina Ghami last Sunday.

“Thank you for all the love and care you have shown my brothers,” Joshua posted on Instagram.

“I didn’t even realise how special they are. I’ll just be walking with them and cracking jokes with them, not even knowing God kept me in the presence of great men.

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“100 percent it’s tough for me, but I know it’s even tougher for their parents. I have a strong mind, and I believe God knows their hearts. May God have mercy on my brothers.”

Ayodele, the personal trainer of the former two-time unified heavyweight champion, and Ghami, Joshua’s long-time strength and conditioning coach, both died at the scene of the crash on December 29.

Nigerian police charged the driver of the vehicle, Adeniyi Mobolaji Kayode, 46, with “dangerous driving causing death”.

The accident took place on a busy highway linking Lagos and Ibadan in southwest Nigeria when the Lexus SUV in which they were travelling rammed into a stationary truck.

Joshua, 36, who has family roots in Nigeria, was on holiday in the country following his win over Youtuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Miami on December 19.

READ: PCB chief Naqvi aims to run Multan Sultans profitably amid speculation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has expressed confidence in Multan Sultans’ financial prospects, stating that he wants to run the outfit for at least a year to prove it is a profitable venture.

Earlier today, PSL officially expanded ahead of season 11 in a historic auction, with Hyderabad and Sialkot confirmed as the two new franchises following a high-stakes auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

The two teams will make their debut in PSL season 11, joining the existing six franchises: Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, and Multan Sultans.

However, Former Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen decided to sit out the auction for two new PSL franchises.

Tareen, whose group was notably absent from the list of 10 qualified bidders, took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify the move, emphasizing the emotional connection his family shared with the Multan Sultans franchise.

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“After careful consideration, my family and I have decided not to participate in today’s PSL franchise auction,” Tareen wrote.

“Our time with Multan Sultans was never just about owning a cricket team. It was about South Punjab. About giving a voice to a region that had been overlooked for too long. That’s what drove everything we built.”

Speaking at a press conference alongside the new team owners after the auction, Mohsin reflected on the challenge of managing Multan Sultans.

He hinted at skepticism about the team’s finances, noting that management aimed to demonstrate the league’s commercial potential ahead of the auction.

“I took a challenge, and that is that there were a lot of claims on social media that the team was in losses. So I, and all of the team, decided that we will show you how much profit this business offers, publish the numbers before going for the auction,” Naqvi stated.

Naqvi added that while there is external pressure and speculation about the future of the team, his focus remains on running the Sultans for at least a year and proving that it can be a profitable venture.

“The pressure has started to be built up on me to sell out the team,” he said in a light-hearted manner while referring to Naseer.

“But my wish is to operate Multan Sultans for one year, and I’m very much hopeful that we would leave it in profit so the world gets to know that it’s a plus-plus business.”

READ: Moeen, Salman star in Sylhet Titans win over Dhaka Capitals

SYLHET: Moeen Ali’s all-round brilliance and Salman Irshad’s three-wicket haul powered Sylhet Titans to a 20-run victory over Dhaka Capitals in the 18th match of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2025-26 here at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Set 181, Capitals fell short, ending on 160-8 after their 20 overs despite a strong start.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Abdullah Al Mamun added 56 in 5.5 overs before quick wickets jolted their chase.

Mamun made 24 from 11 with the help of five fours.

Titans bowlers made a comeback with the wickets of Nasir Hossain and Shamim Hossain, both dismissed for three and one run respectively.

As a result, Dhaka Capitals were reduced to 67-3 in 8.5 overs.

Watch BPL 2026 matches LIVE Here!

But it was Gurbaz who held firm and kept the scoreboard ticking. The right-hander stitched a 37-run stand with Saif Hassan to put the chase back on track.

Gurbaz reached his half-century, but Azmatullah Omarzai and Salman Irshad struck in successive overs, which removed both of the set batters.

The opener remained the top scorer with 51 off 44, striking two sixes and three fours, whereas Saif’s 22 off 14 included a boundary and a six.

With the asking rate mounting, Salman Irshad kept chipping with the ball and dented the Capitals’ chase. Consequently, they slumped to 113-6 from 104-3 in 14.3 overs.

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Eventually, Capitals fell short with Sabbir Rahman remaining unbeaten on 25 off 16 with the aid of two sixes.

For Sylhet Titans, Salman Irshad topped the wickets chart with three wickets. Moeen Ali also delivered with the ball, picking up two wickets.

Earlier, put into bat first, Sylhet Titans managed to put `180 for 6 on the board in their allotted 20 overs.

The highlight of Sylhet Titans innings was Moeen Ali’s fireworks late down the order as he hit 28 off just eight deliveries, laced with three sixes and two fours.

Meanwhile, Ariful Islam and Parvez Hossain Emon were the other notable contributors with the bat, scoring 32 and 38 runs, respectively, which helped Titans reach a winning total.

For Dhaka Capitals, Ziaur Rahman was the pick of the bowlers, scalping three wickets.

Earlier in the day, Rajshahi Warriors defeated Noakhali Express by four wickets in the 17th fixture of the BPL.

Warriors chased down 152 run target in the final over, losing six wickets in the process.

Muhammad Waseem starred with the bat, scoring 60 off 35, studded with four sixes and four boundaries.

Mehedi Hasan Rana picked up three wickets for Noakhali Express.

READ: Hyderabad, Sialkot join PSL ahead of landmark season 11

England Test vice-captain Harry Brook has issued a public apology following the late-night altercation with a bouncer during the New Zealand tour.

The incident took place before the third ODI in Wellington, as Brook was denied entry to a nightclub because he was suspected of being too drunk.

The batter was involved in an argument with a bouncer and was not injured by the physical contact.

Brook, who is set lead England in the T20 World Cup 2026, self-reported the incident to the team’s security, and later on, he was fined £30,000 by the English Cricket Board (ECB).

The 26-year-old has now issued a public apology for his behaviour during the New Zealand tour.

“I want to apologise for my actions. I fully accept that my behaviour was wrong and brought embarrassment to both myself and the England team,” he said in a personal statement.

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“Representing England is the greatest honour of all, which I take seriously, and I am deeply sorry for letting down my team-mates, coaches and supporters. I have reflected on the lessons it has taught me about responsibility, professionalism, and the standards expected of those representing your country.

Meanwhile, the ECB acknowledged the apology and revealed that the incident was dealt with a confidential inquiry process.

“We are aware of this incident and it has been dealt with through a formal and confidential ECB disciplinary process. The player involved has apologised and acknowledged their conduct fell below expectations on this occasion,” the board said.

For the unversed, Australia defeated England in the Sydney Test to seal a 4-1 Ashes series win, extending their record dominance at home since England’s 2011 triumph.

READ: Sarfaraz Ahmed reacts to inclusion of new teams in PSL

Former Pakistan captain and U19 team manager Sarfaraz Ahmed has hailed the inclusion of two new teams in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) ahead of the landmark 11th season.

Sarfaraz took to his X account and extended congratulations to the new team owners and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

“Well done, PCB and PSL, on a successful auction. Congratulations to KingsmenCricket and OZGroupOfficial on their bids,” he wrote.

“Great to see the league expand to 8 teams—welcome Hyderabad and Sialkot. Pakistan Zindabad,” he added.

Earlier today, PSL officially expanded ahead of season 11, with Hyderabad and Sialkot confirmed as the two new franchises following a high-stakes auction held at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

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The two teams will make their debut in PSL season 11, joining the existing six franchises, Karachi Kings, Lahore Qalandars, Peshawar Zalmi, Quetta Gladiators, Islamabad United, and Multan Sultans.

The official names of the Hyderabad and Sialkot teams will be announced at a later stage.

The auction saw intense competition among qualified bidders, with aggressive bids reflecting the league’s growing commercial value.

The Hyderabad franchise was secured by the FKS Group, owned by Fawad Sarwar, after a successful bid of Rs 1.75 billion.

Later, OZ Developers, owned by Hamza Majeed, clinched the Sialkot franchise with a record-breaking bid of Rs1.85 billion, the highest figure of the auction.

PSL Teams Auction LIVE HERE

As per PSL auction rules, successful bidders were given the option to choose their home cities from a PCB-approved list that included Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit.

Hyderabad and Sialkot ultimately emerged as the preferred choices.

With the addition of two new teams, PSL 11 is set to be the biggest edition of the tournament to date. The upcoming season is scheduled to run from March 26 to May 3.

READ: Hyderabad, Sialkot join PSL ahead of landmark season 11