Tag: semi-final

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday unveiled match officials for the highly anticipated ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals.

Two-time former Champions India and Australia will face off in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4, while New Zealand and South Africa will clash in the second semi-final in Lahore on Wednesday, March 5.

Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth will oversee the first semi-final between India and Australia, while Michael Gough will serve as the third umpire.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

The second semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa, set to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on Wednesday, will be officiated by Kumar Dharmasena and Paul Reiffel, while Joel Wilson will be the TV umpire.

Here is the full list of Match officials for Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finals:

Semi-final 1: India v Australia (Dubai)

On-field umpires: Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth

Third umpire: Michael Gough

Fourth umpire: Adrian Holdstock

Match referee: Andy Pycroft

Umpire coach: Stuart Cummings

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Semi-final 2: South Africa v New Zealand (Lahore)

On-field umpires: Kumar Dharmasena and Paul Reiffel

Third umpire: Joel Wilson

Fourth umpire: Ahsan Raza

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle

Umpire coach: Karl Hurter

It is to be noted here that the full implications of India’s refusal to play Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Pakistan were laid bare on Sunday as Australia and South Africa waited to find out whether they will play their semi-finals in Lahore or Dubai this week.

Read: Australia opener ruled out of Champions Trophy, replacement named

The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-finalists have been confirmed, after India thrashed New Zealand in the final group-stage game of the tournament (today) on Sunday.

India will face Australia in the first semi-final in Dubai on Tuesday, 5 March. New Zealand will take on South Africa in Lahore on Wednesday, 6 March.

South Africa topped Group B, with Australia finishing second, just a point behind. India, who finished top of Group A, will play Australia at the Dubai International Stadium on March 5.

The second semi-final will see South Africa face New Zealand at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 6 March.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

The winners of these two matches will meet in the final on Sunday, 9 March, with the venue yet to be confirmed.

It is important to mention that the full implications of India’s refusal to play Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan were laid bare on Sunday as Australia and South Africa waited to find out whether they will play their semi-finals in Lahore or Dubai this week.

Political tensions between the neighbours mean India has not played a cricket match in Pakistan since 2008, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was not inclined to change the policy for the Champions Trophy, citing government advice over security issues.

As a result, although the rest of the tournament is taking place in Pakistan, India played all of its group matches in Dubai and will stay put for Tuesday’s semi-final and the final next Sunday if it makes it through.

Read: Champions Trophy: Chakaravarthy’s five-fer rattles New Zealand as India tops Group A

SYDNEY: Pakistan team mentor Matthew Hayden has put his weight behind out-of-form skipper Babar Azam and has cautioned the opposing teams that they are about to witness some very special knock from the Pakistan captain in the final phase of the T20 World Cup.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday ahead of the first semifinal between the Green Shirts and New Zealand tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground, former Australian cricketer has backed Pakistan’s opening pair, Babar and Mohammad Rizwan, to bounce back from the dip, saying that such special players do not stay down for long.

Hayden supported both of the openers and compared their predicament to that of Adam Gilchrist during the 2007 ODI World Cup.

“Babar and Rizwan rightly are the number one combination,” he said. “Adam Gilchrist… had quite a lean World Cup…(And) that last match against Sri Lanka, he went on to score an incredible hundred and realized his potential in that tournament and awakened the world once again to the fact that he was such a premium player. ”

He further went on to say we all felt the pressure at any given time in our careers and that was no different for the No.1 combination.

Talking about Babar’s form in the current T20 World Cup, Hayden said: “You can’t continue to punching out the fifties and hundreds and the strike rates of 140 plus. There’s got to be moments in time when there’s a lull.”

“As well know about the weather when there’s a lull, there’s often a storm that follows. So look out, the rest of the world because I think you’re about to see something very special from Babar,” he warned.

It is pertinent to mention here that No.4 ranked T20I batter Babar remained unimpressive with the bat in the ongoing mega event as he was dismissed within the single digits four out of five times while he managed an overall 39 runs in the tournament so far.

READ: Liverpool handed Real Madrid rematch in UCL last 16, PSG draw Bayern