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Uganda have ensured a top-two finish in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Qualifier and booked their tickets for the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA, while Zimbabwe failed to qualify for their second consecutive ICC event. This will be their first-ever appearance in an ICC World Cup event as they will become only the fifth African nation to feature in T20 World Cup. In the qualifier, Uganda overcame Tanzania in their opening game by a comfortable margin of eight wickets. However, in the next game, a brilliant 4/17 from Namibian all-rounder David Wiese handed them a six-wicket defeat. Presenting the 2⃣0⃣ teams that will battle for ICC Men's #T20WorldCup 2024 : https://t.co/9E00AzjcRN pic.twitter.com/1nu50LOLWQ — ICC (@ICC) November 30, 2023 The African side picked up in grand style, defeating the Test-playing Zimbabwe by five wickets. While skipper Sikandar Raza’s 48* starred for his side, Uganda’s bowling effort led by Dinesh Nakrani (3/14), ...

LAHORE: All-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed has parted ways with Quetta Gladiators and will wear the colours of Multan Sultans in the ninth season of Pakistan Super League (PSL), while Rilee Rossouw will return to Gladiators. The trade deal saw Quetta Gladiators and Multan Sultans swapping Iftikhar Ahmed and Rilee Rossouw, as well as, Sultans getting the first pick in the platinum category round one while Gladiators will get the first pick in the silver round one. Box-office Trade Alert Iftikhar Ahmed joins Multan Sultans Rilee Rossouw joins Quetta Gladiators #HBLPSLDraft #HBLPSL9 @TeamQuetta @MultanSultans @IftiMania @Rileerr pic.twitter.com/VHobXp3LEu — PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) November 30, 2023 Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel The process of local player category renewals for the upcoming ninth edition of the tournament was completed on 10 November with categories upgraded for nine players. The registration window for foreign players was opened on 25...

ABU DHABI: Chamika Karunaratne picked up three wickets followed by an unbeaten half-century by Kusal Perera, which guided New York Strikers to an eight-wicket win over Bangla Tigers  in the fifth Abu Dhabi T10 League match at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. Strikers after opting to bowl first inflicted early damage to the Tigers as Muhammad Jawadullah bowled Chris Lynn on the third ball of the innings. However, Jordan Cox and Kusal Mendis knitted a counter-attacking 59-run partnership in 24 balls to push the total to 61 before Cox was also bowled by Jawadullah. Jordan Cox played a quick cameo of 37 runs from 17 balls laced with six boundaries and one six. Mendis also followed his partner to the dugout in the next over after scoring 29 off 12. Bangla Tigers could not recover from the back-to-back wickets and kept losing wickets swiftly as only three batters managed to reach double figures. Chamika Karunaratne picked two wickets in the final over to restrict Bangla Tigers to 101...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to upgrade the category of newly appointed Test captain Shan Masood in the central contract list from D to B. The decision has been made in line with the board’s policy that if a centrally contracted player below A or B categories is appointed captain, their contract shall be upgraded to category B for the tenure of their captaincy. 34-year-old Shan Masood was named Test captain on 15 November 2023, until the conclusion of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel The left-handed batter has featured in 30 Tests, amassing 1,597 runs and will lead Pakistan in his first assignment as captain in the upcoming three-match series against Australia, commencing from 14 December. Pakistan team will kick off the Test series with the first Test in Perth from 14-18 December 2023. The second Test match will be played in Melbourne, from 26 to 30 December, while Sydney will host the last gam...

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday that Rahul Dravid will stay on as coach of India, having led the hosts to the final of the ICC World Cup 2023 earlier this month. It was “unanimously agreed to further the tenure” of the 50-year-old former skipper, the BCCI said in a statement. “The board acknowledges Mr [Rahul] Dravid’s instrumental role in moulding the Indian team and commends his exceptional professionalism,” it said. Dravid’s contract had expired after the ICC World Cup 2023, which ended on November 19 with India’s defeat to Australia. Dravid was appointed in November 2021 for a two-year period. “The last two years with team India have been thoroughly memorable,” said Dravid. “Together we have witnessed the highs and lows, and throughout this journey, the support and camaraderie within the group have been phenomenal. “I am genuinely proud of the culture we have set in the dressing room.” His team of support staff, including batting coac...

Australian spin bowler Todd Murphy expressed his excitement about bowling to former Pakistan captain Babar Azam as he gears up to face Pakistan in the upcoming cricketing summer, highlighting the formidable challenges that lie ahead. “Bowling to Pakistan’s top order batters would be a challenge,” acknowledged Murphy, emphasizing the skill and prowess of Pakistan’s batsmen. Speaking specifically about Pakistan’s captain, Murphy praised Babar Azam, stating, “Babar Azam is a very good player, and Pakistan’s top order boasts players with great class.” “I am not sure if Babar Azam is playing against PM XI, but it would be exciting to bowl against him. It’s always great to get a chance to test yourself against a test-playing nation.” Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Answering to a question regarding Rickey Ponting’s recent statement about Pakistan’s bowling attack, Todd Murphy stated “Playing against Pakistan would be a huge challenge. Pakistan has a good bowling attack, ...

ABU DHABI: Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews claimed a hattrick to help Northern Warriors edge Morrisville Samp Army by nine runs in a close Abu Dhabi T10 League match at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. Samp Army invited Warriors to bat first in the second match of the Abu Dhabi T10 League and inflicted early damage as Kennar Lewis departed in the third over with 24 runs on the board. Hazratullah Zazai remained firm on one end, while Qais Ahmed picked back-to-back wickets from the other end to leave the Warriors reeling at 47-3 in the sixth over. Zazai also went back to the dugout in the next over after scoring 20 off 18 with the help of two sixes. Colin Munro then took responsibility and scored an unbeaten 15-ball 36, featuring two boundaries and three sixes to guide his side to 103-5 in 10 overs. Qais Ahmed led the bowling charts with the brilliants figures of 2-12 in two overs. Samp Army had a turbulent start to the chase as they lost their first three wickets in three overs...

LAHORE: Karachi Kings have let go of their HBL PSL 5 winning captain Imad Wasim, who will don Islamabad United colours in the ninth edition of the tournament, while pace bowler Hasan Ali will join the Kings squad. Imad Wasim, who was named as the All-Rounder of HBL PSL 8, has been snapped by Islamabad United in the Platinum category in a trade with Hasan Ali (Diamond category). By virtue of this player trade, Karachi Kings have received Islamabad United’s first-round silver pick in exchange for their second-round silver pick. Buckle up. The trade market’s open for a wacky ride… Imad Wasim joins Islamabad United Hasan Ali joins Karachi Kings Are you ready for the 2024 #HBLPSLDraft ? #HBLPSL9 Read more here: https://t.co/84X51hG2ux pic.twitter.com/qejugejDXB — PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) November 29, 2023 The successful relegation requests from franchisees ahead of the HBL PSL 2024 Player Draft include Lahore Qalandars’ Mirza Tahir Baig, Islamabad United’s Rumman Rae...

LAHORE: The Director of the Pakistan men’s cricket team Mohammad Hafeez has stated that former captain Babar Azam will flourish as a batter and perform at his best without the pressure of captaincy. Mohammad Hafeez, who recently replaced Mickey Arthur as The Director of the Pakistan team, shared his views during a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s tour of Australia. “Babar Azam’s services as a batter for Pakistan cannot be forgotten. However, not being captain will release pressure on him and help him flourish his game solely as a batter,” said Hafeez. “Captaincy definitely adds pressure onto a cricketer. Babar Azam has already been making excellent contributions to Pakistan cricket, and I think he will further enhance his performance to help Pakistan achieve success,” he further added. Hafeez also clarified that Babar Azam has a good relationship with other team-mates and newly appointed Test captain Shan Masood, which will help the team perform as a unit against Australia. Fo...

CHRISTCHURCH: Nida Dar’s four-wicket haul led the Pakistan women’s team to a 57-run win over the New Zealand XI in a 50-over practice game at the Bert Sutcliffe Oval in Lincoln University today. The practice match allowed both sides to play their 15 players in an innings. Opting to bat first, Pakistan women scored 238 for the loss of 13 wickets in 50 overs. In the batting department, wicketkeeper-batter Najiha Alvi top-scored for her side with a 52-ball 38, which included two fours. For New Zealand XI, GES Sullivan and LM Kasperek bagged four and three wickets, respectively. In turn, New Zealand XI managed to score 181 and lost 13 wickets in their 50 overs. Opening batter AG Gerken was the top run-getter for the losing side, scoring 42 off 78 balls, and hitting six boundaries. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Right-arm off-spinner and captain Nida was the most successful bowler for her side, clinching four wickets for 11 runs in four overs. Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig...

KARACHI: Sahibzada Farhan and Iftikhar Ahmed played blistering knocks, which were followed by a combined bowling effort by Peshawar bowlers to thump Larkana by a huge margin of 126 runs during a National T20 Cup 2023-24 match at National Bank Stadium. While batting first, Peshawar posted a mammoth total of 248-2, which is the highest total in the history of the National T20 Cup. Sahibzada Farhan scored an unbeaten 107 off 54 balls, with the help of 15 boundaries and four sixes followed by Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored 31-ball 76, featuring eight boundaries and four sixes. In response, Larkana could only manage to get 122-7 in the allotted overs, losing by a huge margin of 126 runs, with all of Peshawar bowlers returning with at least a wicket each. Prior to that, Ahmed Shehzad (81, 44b, 10x4s, 4x6s) and Muhammad Akhlaq (44 not out, 24b, 5x4s, 2x6s) unleashed a fierce batting onslaught to take Lahore Whites to a nine-wicket victory over Quetta. Lahore Whites chased a modest 133...

English midfielder Jude Bellingham has broken the club record for scoring the most goals in the first 15 matches at Real Madrid, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo in his debut La Liga season. Bellingham contributed to Real Madrid’s 3-0 win over Cadiz at the Estadio Nuevo Mirandilla, with a goal and an assist to extending his goal tally to 14 in the ongoing season. Watch La Liga 2023/24 Live on ARY ZAP He left Real Madrid legends Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo Di Stefano and Pruden Sanchez behind to claim the record as they all scored 13 goals in their first 15 games. Bellingham’s feat is even more impressive considering the fact that he plays in the midfield while the legends he surpassed are all strikers. Jude Bellingham has been in impressive form in the ongoing season since making his La Liga debut with a goal in Real Madrid’s season opener against Atheltic Club. Bellingham was signed by Real Madrid this summer from Borussia Dortmund at a base transfer fee of €103 million. Follow us ...

KARACHI: An undefeated half-century by Hammad Siddique helped Islamabad defeat Dera Murad Jamali by two wickets in a thrilling National T20 Cup 2023-24 match at National Bank Stadium. While batting first, DM Jamali were dismissed for 127 in 19.1 overs courtesy of a four-fer by Umair Afridi. Islamabad faltered while chasing a low total, losing eight wickets in the process, but were able to get over the line on the last ball of the game. Prior to that, in another Group B fixture of National T20 Cup 2023-24, right-arm fast bowler Hunain Shah defended 10 runs in the final over to help Lahore Blues to a five-run win against Karachi Whites at the same venue. Lahore Blues posted 159-8 in 20 overs while batting first, on the back of a half-century by Imran Butt. Karachi Whites batters Ammad Alam, Azam Khan and Omair Bin Yousuf’s batting efforts went in vain as their team could only get to 154-7 in the allotted overs. Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP Peshawar posted 158-2 in th...

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ishan Kishan led the batting charge for India to set up a convincing 44-run win over Australia in the second Twenty20 international on Sunday. Jaiswal smashed a 25-ball 53 and fellow left-hander Kishan hit 52 off 32 deliveries to help India to 235-4 after being invited to bat first by Australia in Thiruvananthapuram. Spinner Ravi Bishnoi and fast bowler Prasidh Krishna took three wickets each as the hosts kept Australia down to 191-9 and extended their lead to 2-0 in the five-match series. Indian batters ruled as Yashasvi Jaiswal laid the foundations for India’s mammoth total with key contributions from fellow opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made 58, and Rinku Singh’s unbeaten nine-ball 31. “The boys are not putting too much pressure on me. They are taking onus,” India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, who won his second successive match as national captain, said. “I told them (players) before, be prepared to bat first. There was a lot of dew. We talked to defend i...

West Indies batter Darren Bravo has announced to take a break from cricket for an indefinite period of time after not being named in the West Indies squad for the three-match ODI series against England next month. Bravo, who last represented the West Indies in February 2022, took to Instagram and announced his decision owing to the difficulty of giving his best in current circumstances. “I’ve taken some time to ponder and wonder what’s my next step moving forward as a cricketer,” Darren Bravo wrote on Instagram. “At this point in my career, it’s not easy or should I say it takes a lot to continue to find the energy, the passion, commitment, and discipline to be able to perform to the best of my ability and put myself in a position to make my return to international cricket.” Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel He further stated that he was not communicated about his exclusion, from the West Indies main squad as well as the West Indies Academy squad for the series again...

England batter Joe Root has pulled out of next year’s Indian Premier League (IPL), joining his red-ball skipper Ben Stokes in sitting out the glitzy Twenty20 tournament. Root, who had made his IPL debut for Rajasthan Royals earlier this year, opted out a day before the deadline for franchises to announce their releases and retentions ahead of the auction on December 19. “Joe Root has opted out of IPL 2024. The dressing room will miss you, Rooty,” Royals said late Saturday in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Root became the second player from England to opt out of the IPL after Stokes announced his withdrawal last week in order to manage his workload and fitness. Royals said in a statement on their website that they “respect” Root’s decision. “Even in a short span of time, Joe was able to create such a positive impact on the franchise and the players around him,” said Kumar Sangakkara, Royals’ director of cricket. “His energy around the group and the experience he brought to the Roy...

KARACHI: Muhammad Hurraira’s unbeaten half-century went in vain as FATA came out victorious by two runs (DLS) over Sialkot in a rain-hit National T20 Cup 2023-24 match at National Bank Stadium. Sialkot got to 151-3 in the stipulated 15 overs owing to an unbeaten half-century by Mohammad Huraira. In turn, FATA scored 77-1 in 8.3 overs when rain returned and the side was awarded the game as per the DLS calculations. Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP Meanwhile, Lahore Blues clinched a last-ball victory over Hyderabad, edging to a one-wicket victory in the thrilling National T20 Cup clash. Blues chased 154 on the back of a collective batting effort. Three wickets by Hyderbad’s Jawad Ali as well as two wickets each by Daniyal Hussain Rajput and Asim Ali ensured that Imran Butt-led Lahore Blues were fiercely challenged during the chase. Adil Amin’s unbeaten half-century took Peshawar to a seven-wicket victory over Lahore Whites at NBP Sports Complex. They chased the target in ...

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s newly-appointed Test captain Shan Masood scored a brisk century on the first day of the scenario-based practice match amid the team’s training camp for the upcoming Test tour of Australia. Pakistan’s batting prodigy Saim Ayub depicted his sublime form and laid a solid foundation alongside Shan despite the early dismissal of Abdullah Shafique. Saim and Shan batted with utmost domination but the former failed to convert his brilliant knock into a big one and walked back after scoring 35. Shan Masood was then joined by Babar Azam and the pair found themselves among runs. The left-handed batter went on to score a century before opting to retire on 101. Babar, on the other hand, scored a well-crafted 71 before also opting to retire to pave the way for the other batters to seize the opportunity to boost their preparations. Day 1⃣ of the two-day scenario match at Pindi Cricket Stadium Pakistan Batters made 298-2 in 63 overs with Shan Masood (101 retired) and Baba...

Pakistan’s experienced pacer Hasan Ali, known for his joyful nature off the field, once again amused the cricket fans as he engaged in a funny Kabadi battle with the national team’s masseur amid the training camp for the Australia Tests. Pakistan team’s training camp for the three-match away series against Australia is underway at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. The players hit the nets and participated in several fielding drills since the commencement of the camp. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Meanwhile, in the latest turn of events, Hasan Ali, who is poised to lead Pakistan’s pace attack on the upcoming tour alongside ace speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi, once again caught the attention with his wit. In a video, circulating on social media, the national cricketers were seen warming up in the field before Hasan Ali hilariously grappled with masseur Malang Ali. The right-arm pacer manhandled Ali on the ground and raised his hands in a triumphant manner. His gesture left...

Alex de Minaur smoothly guided Australia into a second successive Davis Cup final with an assured 2-0 win over Finland on Friday in Malaga. The world number 12 wore down Emil Ruusuvuori in a 6-4, 6-3 straight sets triumph, after Alexei Popyrin beat Otto Virtanen 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in the first singles rubber. Australia, who last won the Davis Cup in 2003, will face Novak Djokovic’s Serbia or Jannik Sinner’s Italy in Sunday’s final. “For us this cup is a priority, we do everything we can to represent Australia, with pride and passion,” said De Minaur. “It’s not too bad to reach another final.” Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt said reaching the final means “a hell of a lot” to him. “Our boys dug really deep … we’re a tight-knit unit and we’ve given ourselves another opportunity on Sunday,” he added. De Minaur produced a remarkable comeback against the Czech Republic in a rollercoaster classic to help his country reach the semi-finals but had a gentler ride this time at the Martin Carp...

Shoaib Malik stole the show with his bowling exploits and led Sialkot to register a super-over victory over Multan on the opening day of the National T20 Cup 2023/24. In the Group D clash of the ongoing 18-team tournament, Sialkot and Multan went hard at each other and could not be separated after two innings as both drew level on 148 each. Watch National T20 Cup Live on ARY ZAP Sialkot’s captain Malik stood up for his side and bowled the super over which saw him take both wickets for just three runs after which Sialkot got over the line in four deliveries. Multan had notable performers in Zeeshan Ashraf (61, 45b, 4x4s, 4x6s) and Tahir Hussain (4-26) while Sialkot opener Mirza Tahir Baig had made a 48-ball 66 in the first innings. FATA right-arm pacer Shahid Aziz rattled the AJK batting with a four-fer as the latter fell short by 40 runs in the other Group D encounter of the National T20 Cup at HPC Oval Ground. In the first innings, Khushdil Shah (54, 40b, 3x4s, 3x6s) and Moh...

Former Indian opening batter Gautam Gambhir has backed Rohit Sharma to lead Team India in the T20 World Cup 2024, co-hosted by the United States of America and West Indies in June next year. Rohit Sharma led India during the recently concluded ICC World Cup 2023, where he scored 597 runs at an average of 54.27 and ended as the second-leading run-scorer only behind fellow-batter Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli scored 765 runs during the mega-event, setting the record for most runs in a single edition of the World Cup, a record previously held by Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were instrumental to India’s dominant performance during the ICC World Cup 2023, where they remained undefeated until the final, losing to champions Australia. Gambhir stressed the inclusion of both star batters in India’s squad for next year’s T20 World Cup, with Sharma leading the side. “They (Rohit and Kohli) both need to get picked, both should be picked and more importantly...

England have called up Matthew Potts for their ODI series against the West Indies after seamer Josh Tongue was ruled out of the white-ball tour with an injury. Jos Buttler’s team will play three 50-over matches in the Caribbean next month followed by five Twenty20 internationals, just weeks after their bitterly disappointing World Cup campaign. Josh Tongue, 26, had continued his impressive breakthrough year on the international stage with a maiden white-ball call-up when the squads were announced earlier this month but he picked up an injury while on a training camp in the United Arab Emirates with the England Lions second-tier team. Matthew Potts has represented England in three ODI matches during the series against Ireland in September. Josh Tongue’s injury will rule him out of the whole tour of the West Indies, with Matthew Potts filling in his shoes in the ODI series, however no replacement for the T20I squad has been finalised yet. The ODI series is set to begin in A...

World number one Novak Djokovic steered Serbia into the Davis Cup semi-finals as he beat Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-4 to secure a 2-0 triumph over Great Britain in Malaga on Thursday. The 36-year-old rebuked British fans at the end of the match as they tried to down his victory speech. After Miomir Kecmanovic edged Jack Draper 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) in the opening clash 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic outclassed a stubborn Norrie to book a date with Jannik Sinner’s Italy on Saturday after they beat the Netherlands 2-1. Djokovic, who beat Sinner to win the ATP Finals on Sunday in Turin before flying to the Costa del Sol, celebrated his landmark 400th week at number one with a straight sets win over Norrie, the captains agreeing not to play the redundant doubles. British fans outnumbered Serbs at the sold-out Martin Carpena arena but the relentless Djokovic silenced them with his 21st consecutive Davis Cup singles win. “Keep going, keep going,” said Djokovic, addressing British fans try...

Ronnie O’Sullivan has warned he will quit snooker if he is restricted from playing non-tour events in China, saying his career is at a “crossroads”. Exhibition events in East Asia are becoming increasingly lucrative but often clash with World Snooker Tour (WST) dates. Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan and other UK-based players are contracted to play in WST tournaments and could face sanctions if they miss events. “If I can’t go and do what I need to do, which is play a lot in China, I won’t ever play again,” he told the BBC. “So, we’re at a kind of crossroads now. “If that gets to the point where I’m not able to do that, I’m not allowed to do that, I probably won’t play. I’ll probably go and play Chinese 8-Ball because I still want to play snooker, I still want a cue in my hand. “There’s just not enough here in the UK for me to justify the effort that I put in. “If someone’s going to respect me and value me more, why would I not go there? It’s like being in an unhealth...

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s 18-member squad kicked off training for the upcoming three-match Test series against Australia, scheduled to commence on December 14. According to the details, 18 players including seven additional players Arshad Iqbal, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usama Mir, and Usman Qadir, partook in the team’s first training session. Earlier Thursday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) invited three more pacers Sameen Gul, Ali Shafique, and Muhammad Ali to the training camp. The players participated in several fielding drills and carried out robust batting and bowling sessions. Game mode Day 1⃣ of the training camp at Pindi Cricket Stadium #AUSvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/QEXndWvNBW — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 23, 2023 Pakistan’s training camp for the Australia tour will run until November 28. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Opening batter Imam-ul-Haq and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf will miss...

Cricket Australia (CA) on Thursday, Prime Minister (PM) XI lineup that will take on Pakistan in a four-day red ball match at Manuka Oval from 6-9 December 2023. The PM XI features six Test-capped players Cameron Green, Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser and Matthew Renshaw. The four-day practice match will also serve as a vital opportunity for Australian players such as Cameron Green to try and reclaim his spot in the national team. The 24-year-old all-rounder will be desperate to find himself among runs and wickets when Australia’s PM XI take on Pakistan in Canberra. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated that he, alongside, CA Chair of Selectors George Bailey, selected experienced players to face Pakistan, who are on the cusp of Test selection. “The Prime Minister’s XI has a rich history within Australian Cricket, and I am delighted to confirm the squad to face Pakistan next month,” said Albanese. “George Bailey, Tony Dodemaide and I have selected an ex...

Australian opening batter David Warner has responded to former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif over the latter’s statement about India being the ‘best team on paper’ despite the loss in the ICC World Cup 2023 final. Indian team gave a dominant performance in the ICC World Cup 2023, remaining undefeated in ten games before the final, where they lost to Australia, who won their sixth World Cup title. Mohammad Kaif, while talking to an Indian channel after the match claimed that ‘India is the best team on paper.’ “I can never accept that the best team has won the World Cup. The Indian Team is the best team on the paper,” said Kaif. “ The way Rohit Sharma’s team has played, my chest swells with pride, it was just a bad day, it happens in the game,” he further added. His statement garnered several reactions from the cricket fraternity, including Australian broadcaster Glenn Mitchell, who took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) and reminded Mohammad Kaif that “World Cup final...

Australia won their sixth World Cup title after defeating India, however, they have been denied a full-scale heroes’ welcome home as they are scheduled to face the same team in a T20I series, a mere four days after meeting in the ICC World Cup 2023 final. The stunning six-wicket victory on Sunday, against previously unbeaten India in front of nearly 100,000 partisan fans in Ahmedabad, saw Australia extend their World Cup tally to six – the most by any team. But celebrations had to be scaled back by the demands of the international cricket calendar. Seven members of the triumphant ODI squad will remain in India for the five-match T20 series including Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith and Travis Head, who scored a century in the final. That meant a low-key return for the rest of the one-day squad as they flew home in dribs and drabs, with smiling skipper Pat Cummins among those landing in Australia on Wednesday. It was a far cry from some of the raucous ticker-tape parades enjoyed by victo...