Tag: australia

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has unveiled a five-member commentary panel for the upcoming T20I series against Australia.

The series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, from 29 January to 1 February. The games will start at 4pm PKT with the coin toss set to take place at 3.30pm PST.

Notably, former Australia Test batter Simon Katich is set to return to Pakistan as a commentator for the three-match series. He last visited Pakistan in March 2022 to call the three-match Test series.

Katich will be joined in the commentary box by ex-Pakistan Test captains Aamir Sohail and Ramiz Raja, alongside former Test batter Bazid Khan.

Former Pakistan women’s team captain Urooj Mumtaz also completes the five-member commentary panel for the series.

Zainab Abbas is set to be the presenter for the PCB’s famous PitchSide Studio, as the viewers will soak in the expert analysis during the pre- and post-match shows of all three matches at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The High-Definition broadcast coverage of the series will be carried out with the help of 28 cameras, which also include buggy cam. HawkEye and UltraEdge will be part of the Decision Review System (DRS) Technology.

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Moreover, ICC International Panel Match Referee Ali Naqvi will lead the playing control team in all three matches.

The second game will be his 50th T20I as match referee, as he officiated his first game in the format at the same venue in April 2023.

Ahsan Raza, member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will be one of the on-field umpires during the first two T20Is, while Asif Yaqoob of the ICC Emerging Panel of Umpires and Rashid Riaz of the ICC International Panel of Umpires will join him on the field in the first and second T20Is, respectively.

Rashid, the fourth umpire in the first T20I, will join Nasir Hussain of the ICC International Panel of Umpires in the third T20I to perform the on-field duties with PCB National Elite Panel of Umpires member Zulfiqar Jan being the fourth umpire.

Apart from being the fourth umpire in the second game, Nasir will begin the series as the third umpire, while Asif and Tariq Rasheed of the PCB National Elite Panel of Umpires will perform the third umpire duties in the second and third T20I, respectively.

READ: Mitchell Marsh unlikely to play first T20I against Pakistan, stand-in captain named

A baggy green cap worn by Donald Bradman fetched A$460,000 (US$319,000) at public auction in Australia on Monday, a record price for a cap worn by the Australian cricket legend.

The price paid for the cap, once a 16.5% buyer’s premium of A$75,900 is added, totals A$535,900, beating the previous record holder, a baggy green from the same series — against India in 1947/48 — that was sold in 2024.

That cap was bought for A$479,700, including the buyer’s premium, at auction.

Bradman, who died aged 92 in 2001, had given the cap sold on Monday to Indian all-rounder Sriranga Wasudev ‘Ranga’ Sohoni.

Inside, it bears the inscriptions: ‘D.G. Bradman’ and ‘S.W. Sohoni’.

Back in Bradman’s day the baggy green cap was awarded for each series they played — a contrast to the present day where only one is handed out on Test debut.

Sohoni’s family looked after the cap until it was put up for auction — Sohoni died in 1993 aged 75.

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The buyer requested anonymity but it will go on display at an Australian museum.

“That’s over three generations under lock and key,” said Lee Hames, the chief operating officer of Lloyds Auctioneers and Valuers, who held the auction.

“If you were a family member you were only allowed to look at it when you were 16-years-old for five minutes.”

The series was notable for being India’s first as an independent country and Bradman’s last on home soil.

Bradman made it a memorable one, scoring 715 runs — including his 100th first-class century — as the Australians romped to a 4-0 series win.

Bradman is widely regarded as cricket’s greatest-ever batter and averaged 99.94 in his 52-match Test career.

READ: U19 World Cup: England edge closer to semis, Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan

LAHORE: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan on Monday expressed confidence ahead of the T20I series against Australia and T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin on 7 February across Sri Lanka and India.

The national team is currently involved in a training camp ahead of three match T20I series against Australia.

Speaking after scenario based practice match, Shadab said he welcomes praise when he performs well but is aware of the criticism he often faces.

“When you do well, you get praise. I know there’s a lot of criticism directed at mem but I focus on my game,” Shadab told reporters.

Talking about conditions in Sri Lanka, he noted that the weather keeps changing but expressed confidence in the team’s approach while praising ace batter Babar Azam.

“Wherever we play, we aim to play good cricket.” “Babar Azam is our biggest player. I have seen him grow into the player he is today,” he added.

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“I am a bowler who can also contribute with the bat. There’s been talk that I focus too much on batting, but I balance both aspects of my game,” Shadab explained.

He admitted he had been away from cricket for some time but is now back and ready to contribute.

“Modern cricket demands that you adopt new strategies and adapt accordingly,” he said.

On conditions in Sri Lanka ahead of the T20 World Cup, he predicted that putting up a big score on the board will be a challenge.

“Big scores will be difficult to come by.”

“The upcoming series against Australia is the best preparation for the World Cup. Our spinners performed well in the Asia Cup, and I hope they continue to perform in the World Cup as well,” he concluded.

For those unaware, Australia are set to arrive in Pakistan on Wednesday, 28 January and will play just their second series in the format on Pakistan soil after a solitary T20I in April 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan squad for Australia series

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq

READ: West Indies reveal T20 World Cup 2026 squad

WINDHOEK: Dominant Australia sealed another win at the U19 World Cup as Charles Lachmund and Steven Hogan starred against South Africa, leading their side to a six wicket win here at the Namibia Cricket Ground on Sunday.

Put into bat first, South Africa were skittled for mere 118 in just 32.1 overs.

The Proteas were put into early trouble as opener Armaan Manack was trapped lbw for duck on the second ball of the first over.

After an early wicket, skipper Muhammed Bulbulia joined hands with Jorich Van Schalkwyk and added 27 for the second wicket partnership.

The stand was broken in the fifth over as Bulbulia was cleaned after scoring 19. The wicket triggered a mini collapse as both Jason Rowles and Daniel Bosman, were dismissed cheaply.

As a result, South Africa were 37-4 in 10 overs.

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The slide was briefly halted as Paul James and Jorich Van Schalkwyk put on a 30 run partnership. However, a total misunderstanding ended in Van Schalkwyk’s run out. He made 26 from 55 balls with the aid of three fours.

Following his wicket, South Africa innings quickly unraveled as Australia bowlers dominated the proceedings.

Paul James remained the top-scorer for South Africa with 34 to his name with the help of a four and a six.

For Australia, Charles Lachmund led the bowling attack with a three wicket haul to his name.

In reply, Australia reached the target without any major hiccups in 32.5 overs, losing four wickets.

South Africa snared an early wicket in the second over as Will Malajczuk  departed for four. Yet, Australia cruised in pursuit with a string of partnerships.

Steven Hogan remained the highest scorer for them as he managed 43 from 73 deliveries, striking five boundaries in the process.

For South Africa, JJ Basson shined with ball as he took three wickets in his quota of 10 overs.

With this win, Australia remained undefeated, winning three out of three games.

READ: PSL 11 auction: All you need to know about players, base prices and team purse

Pacer Nathan Ellis became the latest addition to Australia’s growing injury concerns ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, set to begin next month across Sri Lanka and India next month.

Leading the Hobart Hurricanes in BBL 15, the right-arm pacer Ellis was a late withdrawal from the Challenger against Sydey Sixers, raising fears over his availability for the T20 World Cup.

The 31-year-old had also missed the Hurricanes knockout fixture against Melbourne Stars due to injury and was expected to play in Challenger. However, the pacer was unable to recover from the injury.

Ellis, who famously took hat-trick on his T20I debut, is the latest addition to Australia’s injury concerns, as the ace duo of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins are recovering from injuries to be fit for the mega event.

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Hazlewood, sidelined since November last year, is expected to be fully fit before the tournament, while Cummins is likely to rejoin the squad in the latter stages of the mega event.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis also faced setback as he suffered a blow to his hand and was forced to retire during the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 fixture, subsequently requiring a scan.

Tim David is another player who pulled up his hamstring during the BBL fixture and is currently recovering ahead of the mega event.

It is worth mentioning that ahead of the T20 World Cup, Australia will tour Pakistan for a three-match T20I series, slated to commence on 29 January in Lahore.

Provisional Australia squad for T20 World Cup 2026:

Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa.

READ: Surya, Kishan help India chase down 209 against New Zealand

WINDHOEK: Australia romped to a nine wicket win over Sri Lanka to top Group C, while Bangladesh secured a place in the Super Six stage of the ICC U19 World Cup with a seven-wicket win over USA on Friday.

In group A, Australia sealed a commanding win over Sri Lanka after bowling the Islanders for just 58.

The defending champions chased down the partly target in 12 overs, losing only wicket in the process.

Nitesh Samuel scored 19 from 40 and Steven Hogan hit three boundaries for his 28 from 27 deliveries.

For Sri Lanka, Rasith Nimsara was the solitary wicket taker.

With this victory, Australia topped the group with three wins out of three games.

Earlier, put into bat first, Will Byrom’s five wicket haul skittled Sri Lanka for 58 in 18.5 overs.

Australia pacer Charles Lachmund and Will Byrom inflicted a miserable start on Sri Lanka as they were reduced to 3-3 in 3.2 overs.

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The wickets continued to tumble for Sri Lanka as none of their batters could got going. Chamika Heenatigala top-scored for his side with 14 from 21` balls.

In Groub fixture, Bangladesh secured a comprehensive seven wicket win over USA to seal their Super Six spot.

Put into bat first, USA were bowled out for 199 in their 50 overs.

Adnit Jhamb remained the highest scorer for his side, managing 68 off 69 with the help of a six and three fours.

For Bangladesh, Iqbal Hossain Emon remained the standout bowler with three wickets. Al Fahad, Shahriar Ahmed and Rizan Hossan shared six wickets between them.

In reply, Bangladesh chased down the target in 41.3 overs, losing three wickets in the process.

Skipper Azizul Hakim top scored with 64 from 82, hittig two fours and same number of maximums. Zawad Abrar was the other notable contributor, striking three sixes and five fours in his knock of 47 from 42 balls.

For USA, Ritvik Appidi, Utkarsh Srivastava and Sahil Garg picked up one wicket each.

READ: Derbyshire rope in Sufiyan Muqeem for T20 Blast 2026

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday named a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia, starting on 29 January.

The series will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, from 29 January to 1 February. The games will start at 4pm PKT with the coin toss set to take place at 3.30pm PST.

Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have returned to the T20I squad after missing the three-match away series against Sri Lanka in January.

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Shadab Khan will continue to build on his comeback in the previous T20I series and will form part of a strong spin-bowling contingent along with Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Tariq.

Pakistan squad and player support personnel are expected to convene in Lahore on Saturday, 24 January and will begin their preparations for the series the following day.

Australia are set to arrive in Pakistan on Wednesday, 28 February and will play just their second series in the format on Pakistan soil after a solitary T20I in April 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan squad for Australia series

Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq

Player support personnel: Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Hanif Malik (batting coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Ejaz (performance analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmed (media manager), Lt. Col. (r) Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Dr Raheel Karim (psychiatrist) and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur)

READ: New Zealand fast bowler ruled out of T20 World Cup 2026

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday confirmed the schedule for the three-match home T20I series against Australia.

The three-match T20I series will take place on 29, 31 January and 1 February at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Australia’s T20I squad will arrive in Lahore on Wednesday, 28 January. The coin toss in all three matches is set to take place at 5.30 pm PST (Pakistan Standard Time) with the first ball expected to be bowled at 6:00 pm PST.

The series serves as crucial game time for both sides ahead of the all-important ICC Men’s T20I World Cup 2026, where Pakistan are placed in Group A and Australia in Group B.

This will also be Australia’s third trip to Pakistan since March-April 2022, when they played a three-match Test and ODI series followed by a solitary T20I.

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They played three of their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in the country as well.

Australia bagged a close three-wicket win in the only T20I they played at the Gaddafi Stadium on 5 April 2022

“We are excited and look forward to hosting Australia for the three-match T20I series here in Lahore,” said COO PCB, Sumair Ahmed Syed.

“The tour marks a blockbuster beginning of the year for Pakistan Cricket fans, and I urge them to turn out in numbers during the series to support both the teams as they put the final touches to their T20 World Cup preparations.

“I’m sure the Gaddafi Stadium has become a familiar sight for the Australian Cricket team as they have played a Test, five ODIs and a T20I here since March 2022.”

Pakistan vs Australia series schedule

• 1st T20I – Thursday, 29 January – 6pm PKT
• 2nd T20I – Saturday, 31 January – 6pm PKT
• 3rd T20I – Sunday, 1 February – 6pm PKT

READ: U19 Warm-Up: Minhas shines in Pakistan’s victory over USA

Australia were dealt a worrying blow on Tuesday ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after ace all-rounder Marcus Stoinis was forced to retire hurt during the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 fixture.

Stoinis, 36, is part of Australia’s 15-member provisional squad for the forthcoming mega event and is currently leading the Melbourne Stars in the BBL.

The right-hander came out to bat with the Stars struggling at 43-3 in 8.3 overs while chasing a modest 84-run target.

The skipper made 23 of 20 balls with the help of a six and a boundary before a short of a good length ball from Jamie Overton hit his thumb during the 14th over of the game, with Stars requiring just two runs to win.

 

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After the blow, Stoinis immediately removed the glove and signalled for the physio. He eventually left the field and later provided an update on his injury during the post-match presentation, noting that a scan was needed.

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“I think I’ll probably be getting the scan, but I think it’s okay,” he said.

“Just sort of precautionary at the end, when you’re right near the end of an innings, I think. Initially, it feels like nothing, and then after about 10 seconds, you feel something.

And it’s probably just not worth the risk at that stage of the game, I guess. And to be honest, their boys were really good. Lynny [Chris Lynn] and Shorty [Matt Short] came up and said, mate, get off. You’ve got two runs to go, so get off. So right decision in the end,” Stoinis concluded.

Provisional Australian squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

READ: Curran’s four-fer routs Hasan Ali’s Strikers out of BBL 15

SYDNEY: Australia won the final Ashes Test against England by five wickets on Thursday to seal a dominant 4-1 victory after a gruelling series, sending the retiring Usman Khawaja out on a high.

The nervy hosts saw wickets tumble as they chased their 160 target, which they reached after lunch on day five with Cameron Green not out 22 and Alex Carey on 16 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

For England, it was the final chapter in a miserable series.

Australia lost openers Travis Head (29) and Jake Weatherald (34), along with captain Steve Smith (12) and Khawaja, who made six in his final knock before retirement.

Marnus Labuschagne, dropped on 20, compiled 37 before needlessly running himself out to give Ben Stokes’s men a flicker of hope as they reduced Australia to 121-5.

But victory was never seriously in doubt after England were dismissed for 342 on the back of Jacob Bethell’s stylish 154.

Defeat ended a long tour for the visitors that quickly turned into a horror show when they lost the opening two Tests in Perth and Brisbane by eight wickets and the third at Adelaide by 82 runs.

Stokes’s side had arrived confident they could win their first series in Australia since 2010-11 amid taunts about the hosts having their worst side in 15 years.

Facing heavy criticism over their preparations, discipline and ultra-aggressive “Bazball” style of cricket, they rallied to pull off a stunning four-wicket comeback win in the fourth Test in Melbourne.

It was their first victory in 18 Tests on Australian soil and restored some pride, but another loss in Sydney, albeit close, will see them face a tough inquisition on their return home with coach Brendon McCullum’s job on the line.

Australia achieved their success despite being without pace spearhead Josh Hazlewood for the series and skipper Pat Cummins for all but one Test, while veteran spin king Nathan Lyon played a limited role.

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Nearly 860,000 fans watched the series, with a record 211,032 through the turnstiles in Sydney.

Tempers flared earlier on day five when Weatherald survived a review for caught behind on 16 despite the controversial Snicko technology, which has been unreliable all series, appearing to indicate a faint murmur.

An angry Brydon Carse had to be pulled away from complaining to the on-field umpire by Stokes, and the bowler exchanged heated words with Weatherald.

England finally got their reward when Head swiped Tongue to Carse at midwicket and Weatherald top-edged the same bowler to Matthew Potts.

Smith was bamboozled by a turning ball by spinner Will Jacks, and Khawaja, after being given a guard of honour by England when he walked out for the final time, played on.

England resumed on 302-8 with a 119-run advantage and added 40.

Precocious number three Bethell, trumpeted as the future of English cricket, padded up on 142 with Potts yet to score.

He reached 150 before edging Mitchell Starc to wicketkeeper Carey to end a breakthrough innings, with his marathon 265-ball stay including 15 fours.

Tongue was the last man out for six, again to Starc, with Potts unbeaten on 18.

It was Starc’s 31st wicket of the series, more than any other bowler.

Australia were all out for 567 in their first innings on Wednesday on the back of centuries from Head and Smith in reply to the tourists’ 384, built on Joe Root’s 160.

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