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Pakistan Shaheens thrashed ACT Comets by nine wickets in the Top End T20 Series at the DXC Arena on Monday at the back of a half-century by opener Shamyl Hussain. The left-handed batter made 57 not out off 44 balls, hitting nine fours, to help his side overhaul the 123-run target at the 15.2 overs mark. This was Pakistan Shaheens’ second game in the 2023 Top End T20 Series. Shamyl Hussain laid a solid foundation for the run chase with a 66-run stand with Dera Murad Jamali-born Basit Ali, who struck two fours and a six in his 27-ball 28, before adding the remaining runs with captain Rohail Nazir , who made 39 not out at a sparkling rate of 185. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed four fours and a six. Pakistan Shaheens had opted to bowl after Rohail called correctly at the toss and put up a disciplined show with the ball. Faisal Akram, the left-arm unorthodox, returned two for 22 and Sajjad Ali and Arafat Minhas picked up a wicket each as ACT Comets managed 122 for seven. Nicholas Bro...

OSLO: Pakistan street child football team on Monday, edged Årvoll IL 2-1 to qualify for the next round of the ongoing Norway Cup here. This was the national team’s second consecutive victory in the ongoing tournament, which handed an 11-1 thrashing to Frigg Oslo FK 11-1 in the campaign opener on Sunday. In their second match, however, the national street child football team got off to a contrasting start as Årvoll pulled ahead with an early strike in the first half. Pakistan created a few chances in the middle phase of the first half but finally scored an equaliser, minutes before the break. Abdul Wahab struck the first goal for Pakistan. The visitors, relishing the momentum, pulled ahead in the second half courtesy of Tufail Shinwari, who scored the match-winner. Pakistan’s 2-1 advantage remained intact till the final whistle, meaning the national team progressed into the next round with one game to spare. Pakistan street child football team will now take on Skjold IL in th...

Northern Territory Strike beat Pakistan Shaheens by 59 runs in the opening match of the Top End T20 Series at the Gardens Oval in Darwin on Sunday afternoon. Shaheens will take on ACT Comets tomorrow in their second Top End T20 Series fixture at the DXC Arena. The first ball will be bowled at 1800 local time. Opting to bat first, Northern Territory Strike scored 185 for five in 20 overs. Param Uppal top-scored for his side, returning unbeaten on 59 off 28 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes. Opening batter Josh Kann was other contributor with the bat, scoring a 31-ball 47, which included two fours and four sixes. For Pakistan Shaheens, spinners Aaliyan Mahmood and Arafat Minhas bagged two wickets apiece. In turn, Shaheens got off to a shaky start, losing two wickets in the first two balls of their innings to right-arm fast Tom Menzies. Opening batter Shamyl Hussain was joined by captain Rohail Nazir and the pair stitched a 49-run partnership for the third wicket. Left-handed ...

David Warner and Usman Khawaja hit unbeaten fifties as Australia reached 135/0 on Sunday in pursuit of a mammoth target of 384 runs to win the fifth Ashes Test, the last international appearance of Stuart Broad. They kept Stuart Broad waiting for a farewell wicket after the England fast-bowling great made a shock announcement on Saturday that he was retiring following this match. Warner was 58 not out and fellow left-hander Khawaja unbeaten on 69 when rain at 2:41 pm (1341 GMT) stopped play on the fourth day. Australia need 249 more runs to complete a 3-1 series win and a first Ashes campaign triumph in England since 2001. If Australia do manage to reach that target, it will be the eighth-highest fourth-innings total to win any Test and the second-highest in England, behind Australia’s 404-3 at Headingley in 1948 when Arthur Morris made 182 and batting great Don Bradman an unbeaten 173. It would also be a new ground record — the highest successful fourth-innings chase in ...

COLOMBO: Towhid Hridoy’s half-century, followed by a combined effort from the bowlers led Jaffna Kings to a thumping 21-run victory over Colombo Strikers in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) curtain-raiser on Sunday. The defending champions Kings scripted a solid start to their LPL campaign with a resounding victory over last edition’s runners-up. Put into bat first, the Kings registered a commendable total on the board as Towhid Hridoy’s half-century bolstered them to 173/5 in the allotted 20 overs. Hridoy top-scored for the Kings with a 39-ball 54 which featured four boundaries and a six. Besides him, Dunith Wellalage (25*), Priyamal Perera (22) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (21) made notable contributions. Meanwhile, Kings’ skipper Thisara Perera played a crucial came at the death and bolstered his side’s total. He scored 14 from seven balls with the help of three boundaries. For the Strikers, Naseem Shah, Matheesha Pathirana, Chamika Karunaratne and Lakshan Sandakan struck out a batter...

England great Stuart Broad said Saturday he will retire from all cricket following the conclusion of the fifth Ashes Test against Australia at The Oval, describing his career as “a wonderful ride”. The 37-year-old seamer, the fifth most successful bowler in Test history, with 602 wickets, told Sky Sports after stumps on the third day: “Tomorrow (Sunday) or Monday will be my last game of cricket. “It has been a wonderful ride and a huge privilege to wear the Nottinghamshire and England badge as much as I have.” Broad, the son of former England opening batsman Chris Broad, added: “I am loving cricket as much as I ever have. I have always wanted to finish at the top and this series feels like one of the most enjoyable and entertaining I have been a part of.” Broad, appearing in his 167th and final Test, made his debut in December 2007 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. He has been half of one of Test cricket’s most durable partnerships alongside fellow veteran fast bowler Ji...

DALLAS: MI New York captain Nicholas Pooran’s unbeaten century in the run chase powered his side to win the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket (MLC). In the first final of the first edition of the MLC, MI New York handed a seven-wicket thrashing to Seattle Orcas. Set to chase a massive 184, MI New York completed the run chase in just 16 overs, thanks to a berserk 137 by Nicholas Pooran. MI New York had a contrasting start to the run chase as they lost their opener Steven Taylor for nought in the first over. Pooran, coming out to bat at number three, soon launched recovery as he stitched a one-sided 62-run partnership with Shayan Jahangir (10) before the latter perished in the fifth over. Pooran continued to dominate the Orcas’ bowlers with belligerent hitting and was involved in another crucial partnership for MI New York, adding 75 runs for the third wicket with Dewald Brevis, who could score 20 from 18 deliveries before getting run out in the 13th over. Click to watc...

Bayern Munich announced on Saturday that Senegalese striker Sadio Mane was in talks “about a change of club” with reports suggesting he was destined for Saudi side Al Nassr. The German champions left Mane out of a friendly match in Tokyo, posting on social media: “Sadio Mane is in contract negotiations about a change of club and is therefore not in the line-up today.” The 31-year-old former Liverpool star is expected to become the latest high-profile player to join the cash-rich Saudi league. As Bild and Kicker magazine reported Sadio Mane was on his way for a medical with Al Nassr, and Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel declined to be drawn on the player’s future. “We are still in the transfer window and I would like to see what’s going on and wait and see how things will happen,” he told reporters after Bayern’s 1-0 win over Kawasaki Frontale in Japan. Sadio Mane would be another major signing for the club that pulled off the first coup of a raft of signings by Saudi clubs, luring Crist...

BRAMPTON: Wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan scored an anchoring half-century in the run chase and powered Vancouver Knights to a resounding nine-wicket victory over Brampton Wolves in the 12th match of the GT20 Canada. Set to chase a modest 130, the Knights comfortably amassed 133 in response, for the loss of just one wicket and 17 balls to spare. Wicketkeeper batter Rizwan, who joined Knights following his participation in the away Test series against Sri Lanka, which Pakistan swept 2-0 , made inroads in his first GT20 2023 appearance. The right-handed opening batter top-scored for the Knights with an unbeaten half-century and steered them to a much-needed victory. Trademark Rizwan innings, calm and collected in a run-chase #GT20Canada #GT20Season3 #GlobalT20 #CricketsNorth   #BWvVK @iMRizwanPak pic.twitter.com/xl2CmcFrVp — GT20 Canada (@GT20Canada) July 29, 2023 Rizwan scored 52 from 42 deliveries, laced up with two boundaries and three sixes. Besides him, Corbi...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finalised the schedule for the T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to be co-hosted by the United States of America (USA) and West Indies, ESPN Cricinfo reported. According to the report, the next edition of the T20 World Cup will run from June 4 to 30. It further revealed that the ICC had shortlisted venues in the USA which include Lauderhill in Florida, Morrisville, Dallas and New York, for tournament matches and warm-ups. Notably, Florida has already hosted international matches and is and is set to host the second ODI between West Indies and India. Morrisville and Dallas — currently hosting the inaugural edition of the Major League Cricket — are yet to get international status, which is mandatory as per ICC rules. “The grounds in Dallas (Grand Prairie Stadium), Morrisville (Church Street Park) and New York (Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx) are yet to get international venue status, which is mandatory as per ICC rules,” the report stated. “...

Cristiano Ronaldo was replaced at half-time as Al Nassr drew 1-1 with Champions League finalists Inter Milan in the second game of their pre-season tour in Japan on Thursday. Abdulrahman Ghareeb opened the scoring for Al Nassr midway through the first half before Davide Frattesi equalised for Inter a minute before half-time. Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo joined Al Nassr from Manchester United in January, a moment that brought Saudi football to world attention. Since then, the Public Investment Fund — one of the world’s richest sovereign wealth funds — has continued to recruit players for Saudi clubs from Europe’s biggest leagues, including France striker Karim Benzema who joined Al Ittihad from Real Madrid. Alex Telles followed in Ronaldo’s footsteps by signing for Al Nassr from United on Sunday, making his first start in Osaka. The Brazilian left-back created the first clear chance in the 20th minute, but compatriot Talisca’s header was saved by Inter goalkeeper Filip St...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Thursday, issued a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to the national men’s Hockey team to partake in the upcoming Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in Chennai, India. According to the details, the national men’s hockey team has already received the visa for India and will now travel to the neighbouring country on July 31. Earlier this month, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) selection committee unveiled an 18-member squad for the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy. According to the details, the 18-member squad with seven stand-by players were finalised after the conclusion of two-day trials and was approved by PHF President Brigadier Khalid Sajjad Khokhar. Umar Bhutta will continue to lead the national men’s hockey team while Abdul Waheed Ashraf will serve as his deputy in the Asian Champions Trophy. The recently-announced squad includes Akmal Hussain, Abdullah Ishtiaq Khan, Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan Khan, Ehtisham Aslam, Osama Bashir, Aqe...

Pakistan men’s football team will face Cambodia in the Preliminary Round One of the upcoming FIFA World Cup Asia Qualifiers. The game’s apex body on Thursday, unveiled the draws for the first and second rounds of the qualifiers. The first-round matches will be played on the basis of one home and one away match on October 12 and 17, with the 10 winners advancing to the second round. The first step on Asia's road to #WeAre26 ! These 20 sides will face off for a place in the second round group stage of 2026 AFC #WCQ . #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Vif9J5BbxH — FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 27, 2023 Those 10 nations will then join the remaining 26 teams, already slotted in the second round on the basis of FIFA Rankings, which will feature nine groups of four nations, with the winners and runners-up then progressing through to the third round.| The race is on! Asia is ready to begin the run for the finish line in Canada, Mexico and USA. #WCQ | #WeAre26 pic.twitte...

Captain Lindsey Horan scored a second-half equaliser as holders the United States came from behind to draw 1-1 with the Netherlands at the Women’s World Cup on Thursday in a rematch of the 2019 final. Midfielder Jill Roord fired home a first-half opener to threaten a momentous result in the Group E clash in Wellington in front of a crowd of 27,312. But Horan responded just after the hour as the Americans maintained their proud unbeaten record at the Women’s World Cup stretching back to the 2011 final, when they were beaten on penalties by Japan. The stalemate leaves the two teams locked on four points and neither is yet assured of a berth in the knockout phase heading into their final group games on Tuesday, when the US face Portugal and the Dutch play Vietnam. Horan’s 62nd-minute equaliser from substitute Rose Lavelle’s corner came moments after a flashpoint between US midfielder Horan and her Lyon teammate Danielle van de Donk. “I respect her so much because that’s how it should...

BRAMPTON: An all-round effort from Colin de Grandhomme bolstered Brampton Wolves to sink Montreal Tigers by 15 runs in the top-of-the-table clash of the ongoing GT20. The former New Zealand all-rounder backed his first-innings half-century with two wickets and a run out to dent the Tigers’ expedition of emerging victorious in the GT20 top-of-the-table clash. Put into bat first, the Wolves could accumulate 143 before being bundled out in the final over despite Colin de Grandhomme’s gutsy half-century. The Wolves had a dismal start to their innings as Shakib Al Hasan castled Aaron Johnson (6) to push the visitors on the back foot. Wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan, however, stitched an anchoring second-wicket partnership with Mark Chapman before falling to Aayan Afzal Khan in the seventh over. He scored a brisk 21-ball 33, laced with six boundaries. The Wolves coped another blow in the same over when Hussain Talat perished for a three-ball duck. Click to watch GT20 Canada Live on...

BRAMPTON: Saad Bin Zafar-led bowling attack decimated Mississauga Panthers’ batting lineup before Colin Munro’s blistering half-century propelled Toronto Nationals to a thumping six-wicket victory in GT20 Canada. Put into bat first, the Panthers’ star-studded batting lineup faltered and could finish at 115/9 in the allotted 20 overs. The Panthers got off to a poor start to their innings as they lost four wickets with just 28 runs on the board inside seven overs. Following the slump, skipper Shoaib Malik attempted to anchor the innings with a cautious 44-run partnership with James Neesham. The pair added vital runs in the middle but remained a touch slow as they conceded 53 deliveries before Neesham perished. The Kiwi all-rounder scored 18 off 24. Panthers’ mainstay Shoaib Malik soon followed Neesham back into the hut as he perished in the 17th over after top-scoring for his side with a run-a-ball 37. Tom Cooper played a blistering cameo at the death to bolster Panthers’ total bef...

The much-anticipated clash between Pakistan and India in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup, scheduled for October 15, is likely to be preponed due to the date coinciding with the beginning of the Navratri festival, The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. “We have been told by the security agencies that a high-profile game like India vs Pakistan, for which thousands of travelling fans are expected to reach Ahmedabad, should be avoided since they will be stretched because of Navratri,” a top official from India’s cricket board, who did not wish to be identified, told The Indian Express. “We are mulling the options that we have and a decision will be taken soon,” the official said. The report further suggested that the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah also called a meeting on July 27 (tomorrow) with all the authorities involved in hosting the World Cup matches to analyze the possible change. “I feel it will be in the best interest of all concerned that we ...

India’s women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur was banned for two matches by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday for her verbal swipe at umpires and on-field behaviour against Bangladesh. Harmanpreet Kaur was also fined 75 percent of her match fee by the game’s apex body. She admitted “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision” and “public criticism in relation to an incident occurring in an international match”, the ICC said in a statement, adding that she accepted her punishment. The team India all-rounder hit the stumps after being given out on 14 in the one-day international on Saturday — which ended in a rare tie — and later called the umpiring “pathetic”. She was heard telling her Bangladeshi counterpart Nigar Sultana to invite the umpires on stage after the post-match presentation, forcing the Bangladesh players to opt out of a joint photo session. Harmanpreet Kaur is one of the biggest stars in the women’s game in India, which launched a women’s equ...

Mohammad Rizwan replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed as the concussion substitute on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed. “Sarfaraz Ahmed has been replaced by Mohammad Rizwan as a concussion substitute in the ongoing second Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka,” said PCB in a statement. “Match referee David Boon accepted the Pakistan team management’s request for the substitution,” it added. Notably, Sarfaraz was hit on his head while ducking a bouncer by Asitha Fernando in the afternoon session on day three. The incident occurred in the 81st over of Pakistan’s first innings when Sarfaraz Ahmed came out to bat at number six after Saud Shakeel’s dismissal. Asitha Fernando welcomed the wicketkeeper batter with a short-pitched delivery but the ball deflected down to the fine leg boundary off the helmet. However, Sarfaraz Ahmed continued to bat on his way to a 22-ball 14 before he was taken off the field after 86 overs. According to the P...

DUBAI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam slipped two spots to fifth in the latest ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings, updated on Wednesday, while Saud Shakeel enjoyed a massive surge at the back of a record-breaking double century. Pakistan’s hero with the bat amid their four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test, Saud Shakeel got the reward of his heroics in the Galle Test as he rose 12 spots to 15th and a new career-best rating on the latest rankings for Test batters. Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who was close to reach the summit in the Test batting rankings, dropped two spots after a below-par individual performance in the aforementioned Test. His scores of 13 and 24 resulted in him losing 27 rating points and down to the fifth spot in the rankings. Besides the duo, All-rounder Agha Salman shot up 17 places to 58th overall for batters, while young seamer Naseem Shah (up one place to 44th) and inexperienced spinner Abrar Ahmed (up 12 spots to equal 45th) found new hig...

MORRISVILLE: Heinrich Klaasen scored the first-ever century in the history of Major League Cricket (MLC) and powered Seattle Orcas to beat MI New York in the last group stage fixture on Tuesday. Set to chase a massive 195, the Orcas amassed 195/8 with four balls to spare at the back of a scintillating century by Heinrich Klaasen. The right-handed baton charged the MI New York bowlers on his way to an unbeaten 110. He conceded a mere 44 deliveries and smashed nine boundaries and seven sixes amid his match-winning and record-setting knock. Orcas were 37/2 in the sixth over when Heinrich Klaasen came out to bat. The right-handed batter soon anchored the run chase with a brilliant 62-run partnership with Nauman Anwar. Click to watch MLC Live on  ARY ZAP The pair of Anwar and Klaasen dominated MI New York bowlers with belligerent hitting before Nosthush Kenjige finally removed the former. Anwar scored 51 off 30 balls, smashing six boundaries and three sixes. The Orcas then began...

Saud Shakeel’s half-century in the second Test against Sri Lanka on Wednesday, propelled him to become the first-ever batter in the history of Test cricket to score a half-century in each of the first seven Tests of his career. With his astounding consistency, the left-handed batter left behind the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Basil Butcher, Saeed Ahmad, and Bert Sutcliffe, who scored a half-century in each of their first six Tests. Pakistan were 210/3 in response to Sri Lanka’s 166 when Pakistan’s first match hero Saud Shakeel walked out to bat. The in-form batter wasted no time adapting to the conditions and soon put on an important partnership for the touring side. He played a brilliant 57-run knock from 110 deliveries, hitting six boundaries before Asitha Fernando dismissed him in the 81st with Pakistan at 319/4. With his record-breaking half-century, Saud Shakeel put on an important fourth-wicket partnership with Abdullah Shafique. They added 109 runs to the total which lifted Pa...

BRAMPTON: Sherfane Rutherford’s swashbuckling 84-run knock propelled Montreal Tigers to the top of the GT20 standings with a resounding six-wicket victory over Vancouver Knights on Tuesday. Put into bat first, Vancouver Knights could only raise 149/4 in the allotted 20 overs despite Fakhar Zaman’s 73. The Knights got off to a poor start to their innings as they lost Rayyan Pathan (6) cheaply with just 18 runs on the board in two overs. Harsh Thaker (9 off 17) joined Fakhar Zaman in the middle and anchored the innings with a gritty 50-run partnership which ended with the former’s dismissal in the 10th over. The pair, however, remained a touch slow as they conceded 44 runs in the process. Fakhar Zaman then stitched another crucial partnership for the Knights, with captain Rassie van der Dussen, before finally perishing in the 16th over. He top-scored for the Knights with a brisk half-century. His 53-ball 73 featured seven boundaries and three sixes. Fakhar’s dismissal halted the f...

COLOMBO: Abdullah Shafique scored a sensational century and put Pakistan in sheer control with a massive 107-run first-innings lead over Sri Lanka at Lunch on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test. More to follow… The post Abdullah’s century strengthens Pakistan’s grip on second Sri Lanka Test appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/8xfT1My

BRAMPTON: The seventh match of the ongoing GT20 Canada between home side Brampton Wolves and Surrey Jaguars was abandoned due to persistent rain here on Sunday. Put into bat first, Brampton Wolves could score 50/3 in 7.2 overs before rain intervened. After multiple inspections, the umpires opted to deem the clash abandoned with no result and thus, both Wolves and Jaguars were awarded a point each. Wolves, who started their GT20 campaign with two straight victories, held the top position in the standings with five points in three matches while Jaguars got their first points and sit at fifth. The Wolves next face Montreal Tigers on Thursday while the Jaguars will take on Toronto Nationals tomorrow. In the other GT20 fixture on Sunday, Left-arm pacer Kaleem Sana returned exceptional figures of 3/8 before a sparkling half-century by Chris Lynn led Montreal Tigers to a statement seven-wicket victory over Mississauga Panthers. Put into bat first, the Panthers could accumulate a mod...

Pakistan Shaheens’ captain Mohammad Haris reviewed his men’s incredible victory in the recently concluded ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup and termed it “very satisfying”. Pakistan Shaheens successfully defended the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup title. Shaheens defeated India A in the final by a comprehensive 128-run margin at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday evening. The star of the final was the right-handed batter Tayyab Tahir , who scored a match-winning century. Eight teams featured in the 50-over tournament which was held in Colombo from 13 to 23 July. The teams were divided into two pools, with Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Oman A and Sri Lanka A forming Group A, while Pakistan Shaheens along with India A, Nepal and UAE A, were in Group B. Pakistan Shaheens finished second in their group, beating Nepal and UAE A by four wickets and 184 runs, respectively. In the third fixture, Shaheens went down against India A by eight wickets. Top two teams from each gro...

Australia have retained the Ashes after the fourth Test against England ended in a rain-affected draw, with bad weather at Old Trafford washing out Sunday’s final day. The result ensured Australia, as the holders, kept the Ashes at 2-1 up with one match left in the series — regardless of the result of next week’s fifth Test at The Oval. Heavy overnight rain left the outfield sodden and meant play was unable to start as scheduled at 11:00 am (1000 GMT) in Manchester. No sooner had it been announced that play would resume at 1200 GMT, provided there was no further rain, the ground was subjected to a fresh downpour lasting several hours. The match was officially abandoned by the umpires as a draw at 1624 GMT. Despite this draw, Australia will still have to avoid defeat at The Oval if they are to secure their first Ashes series win in England since 2001. “The group should be pretty proud. Our preference is to come over here and win the Ashes but...

MORRISVILLE: Rilee Rossouw’s swashbuckling 78-run knock powered Los Angeles Knight Riders to a stunning two-wicket victory over table-toppers Seattle Orcas in the 12th match of the Major League Cricket (MLC). Set to chase 171, Rilee Rossouw’s unbeaten 78 sealed a narrow two-wicket victory for the bottom-ranked LA Knight Riders with five balls to spare. The Knight Riders had a poor start to the pursuit as they were four down for a mere 22 runs inside the batting powerplay before Rossouw turned things around. The left-handed batter launched an astounding recovery with a brilliant 67-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Andre Russell. The pair appeared to have settled down before Harmeet Singh got rid of Russell in the 12th over. The all-rounder scored a 29-ball 37 with the help of four boundaries and two sixes. The Knight Riders once again began to lose wickets at an alarming rate after Russell’s departure but Rossouw stood his ground firm and kept the scoreboard ticking with b...

BRAMPTON: Left-arm pacer Kaleem Sana returned exceptional figures of 3/8 before a sparkling half-century by Chris Lynn led Montreal Tigers to a statement seven-wicket victory over Mississauga Panthers in GT20. Put into bat first, the Panthers could accumulate a modest total of 140/6 in the allotted 20 overs despite James Neesham’s unbeaten half-century. The Panthers had a shaky start to their innings as they were two down for a mere eight inside two overs. After losing back-to-back wickets, Azam Khan and Navneet Dhaliwal stitched a crucial 45-run stand for the third wicket until the former’s departure in the ninth over. Azam scored 26 off 19 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and two sixes. James Neesham joined Dhaliwal in the middle after Azam’s dismissal and the pair added a cautious 41-run partnership for the fourth wicket before the latter perished in the 15th over. Dhaliwal scored 46 but remained too slow as he conceded 47 deliveries. The Panthers then lost two more...

Pakistan pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah struck in quick sessions to leave Sri Lanka rattling at Lunch on the opening day of the ongoing Colombo Test. At the stroke of Lunch, Sri Lanka were 79/4 with Dhananjaya de Silva (33) and Dinesh Chandimal (9) unbeaten at the crease. Sri Lanka, opting to bat first in the second Test of the ongoing two-match series, led by Pakistan 1-0, got off to a shaky start to their innings. The hosts coped with an unfortunate blow when opener Nishan Madushka (4) got run out, courtesy of a sharp fielding effort by Shan Masood, who charged in from short extra cover and nailed a one-handed direct hit onto the stumps. Shaheen Shah Afridi then pushed Sri Lanka further on the backfoot when he got Kusal Mendis (6) caught at point. Naseem Shah then added further to the misery of the home side as he struck twice in quick succession to leave them reeling at 36/4. The right-arm pacer implemented a perfect trap to get rid of Angelo Matthews as he bowled ...

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar expressed his disappointment over the absence of Babar Azam from the recently-unveiled promo for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday, released a promo video for the mega event featuring superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The promo, released on all ICC social media platforms , became cricket fans’ attention within minutes but it did not go well with Pakistan fans. The two-minute-long video promo was alleged to under-represent Pakistan and also did not feature the top ODI batter, Babar Azam. Besides being the top-ranked batter in the 50-over format, Babar Azam is the current ICC Men’s ODI Player of the Year and Sir Garfield Sobers ICC Player of the Year. He is also currently the only batter to feature in top-three of all-format ICC rankings. Consequently, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, known for his blunt opinions, did not mince his word while criticising the promo for under-representing Pakistan and the...