Rawalpindi (PR): Butt Hockey Academy Rawalpindi organized two thrilling hockey matches at Shehnaz Sheikh Hockey Stadium, Rawalpindi, as part of the Independence Day celebrations in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.The first match was played between Women XI Rawalpindi and Butt Women Hockey Academy, with Women XI Rawalpindi securing a narrow 1-0 victory.In the second encounter, Rawalpindi Hockey Club faced Butt Hockey Club, where Butt Hockey Academy produced an impressive performance to register a convincing 3-0 win.The Principal of Askaria College graced the occasion as the chief guest. The celebrations also included an Independence Day cake-cutting ceremony organized by Butt Hockey Academy, followed by the distribution of prizes among the players.In a special tribute to his services to hockey, Jameel Butt, International Coach and Referee, was honored during the ceremony. As a gesture of appreciation, Askaria College presented him with a brand-new Honda motorcycle for his outstanding services and contribution to the promotion of hockey.A large number of spectators turned up at the stadium and enthusiastically witnessed both matches, adding to the festive atmosphere.The event reflected the spirit of Independence Day while promoting hockey and encouraging young players in the Rawalpindi-Islamabad region.

Multan (Sports News):: Left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz has been ruled out of the Al Batal Presents University of Lahore National Champions Cup after sustaining an injury to his right middle finger, it was confirmed on Friday. Nawaz was taken for scans on Thursday, 13 August, which confirmed a fracture to the finger, ruling him out of action for a minimum of three weeks.He picked up the injury while fielding for his team Sparco Paints Pakistan Gold in their 12 August fixture against Al Batal Productions Pakistan Blues. He did complete his quota of 10 overs in the game which, Gold lost by six wickets at the Multan Cricket Stadium. After two weeks, Nawaz will report to PCB’s Sports and Exercise Medicine Department to commence conditioning and progress through the required Return-to-Play (RTP) protocols under medical supervision.

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) ha invited 33 players for training camp in Islamabad aiming to the preparations of the "Four-Nation Invitational Hockey Tournament" to be held in Kazan, Russia.The training camp will be established at the Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex, Islamabad, starting on August 15. The Four-Nation Tournament will be played from August 27 to September 1, 2026, in Kazan, Russia.According to the notification issued on the recommendations of the Professional Development Committee and the National Selection Committee of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, all selected players have been directed to report by 5:00 PM on August 15.PHF sent a letter to all relevant Provincial Associations, Sports Departments, and Service Organizations directing the players to bring a No Objection Certificate (NOC), a passport valid for at least 6 months, 8 passport-sized photographs, and their playing kits.Names of Players:Goalkeepers (4): Faizan Janjua, Mohammad Awais, Muneeb-ur-Rehman, Awais Rasheed.Defenders (6): Yasir Islam, Ehsan Khan, Usman Khan, Mohammad Zain, Asad Aziz, Bilal Aslam.Half-Backs (8): Abdul Hamid, Ahsan Nadeem, Samiullah, Aqeel Ahmed, Irfan Shah, Mohammad Atif, Abdul Wahab, Rehan Ali.Forwards (15): Mohammad Arsalan, Taha Sherwani, Sarfraz Zaheer, Awais Arshad, Shareef Khan, Mohammad Faizan, Ali Murtaza, Mohammad Bilal, Taimoor Javed, Mohammad Ahmed, Danish Tariq, Ramzan Sargana, Abu Bakar/Abuzar, Abdul Yousuf, Waseem Akram, Usman Ashraf.

Multan (Salman Khan): University of Lahore Pakistan Whites bagged a nervy six-run win in a nail-biting contest against Al Batal Blues in the third match of the Al Batal Presents University of Lahore National Champions Cup 2026-27 here at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Thursday night. Whites were spearheaded by their pace trio of Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani and Haris Rauf as they came from behind to defend their total of 245 runs, restricting Blues to 239 in 49.4 overs. Wasim Jnr picked up his maiden five-wicket haul not just in List A but also across his competitive career by removing half-centurion Maaz Sadaqat, Tayyab Tahir, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Ahmed Daniyal and Sufyan Moqim. He was backed up by Dahani, who saved 15 runs in the last over an ended with figures of 4-43 in 9.4 overs taking his tally of List A wickets to 95 in 55 matches. Dahani got Hasan Ali to sky a full toss in last over as Usman Khan pouched it safely.Hasan had threatened to take away the game from the Whites with a brilliant 29-run knock off 28 balls including striking two of his five boundaries in the last over. He had stitched a 22-run 10th-wicket stand with Akif Javed (5 not out, 4b, 1x4) and the duo almost pulled off a memorable win. Before Hasan and Akif came together, the Blues had lost three for 19 from a strong position, slipping from 198-6 in 42.2 overs to 217 for 9 in 46 overs. Wasim Jnr took all three scalps by first breaking the dangerous 30-run partnership between Irfan and Ahmed Daniyal (9, 27b, 1x4). He first bowled Irfan in 43rd over who was striking the ball well at 37 off 34 before falling and also struck two fours, and three sixes in his knock. Wasim delivered a double-wicket 46th over to further dent Blues’ advance in the chase and also completed his memorable five-for.Earlier in the chase, Maaz Sadaqat (59, 77b, 6x4s, 1x6) and Mohammad Faiq (54, 64b, 5x4s, 1x6) had put on a 99-run second-wicket partnership following Sahibzada Farhan’s (17, 19b, 4x4s) early departure in seventh over. The duo looked certain to take the game away but Wasim Jnr and Haris removed both in a space of eight balls. Blues went from 129-1 in 26.2 overs to 158-6 losing 5-29 in a stunning collapse as Dahani got Arafat Minhas (12, 14b, 2x4s) and Rohail (8, 17b). Earlier, Pakistan Whites were challenged by the Pakistan Blues spinners, who grabbed seven wickets for 116 in 26 overs combined with Faiq’s off-spin leading the way. Meanwhile, pacers Hasan Ali and Akif Javed picked up the last two wickets to wrap up the Whites’ innings. Shahzaib Khan resisted with a consecutive half-century, while Saad Masood, along with Haris Rauf and Waseem Jnr stretched the innings from 157-6 in 32.3 overs to a competitive total of 245 all out in 49.3 overs.Faiq was given the new ball and he delivered two wickets in two overs - seventh and ninth – by disturbing timber in Saim Ayub’s (22, 22b, 4x4s) case and got Mohsin Riaz stumped after getting hit for a six. Following these two strikes Whites’ batters Shahzaib and Usman Khan (29, 42b, 3x4s) put on a 73-run stand in 15.1 overs, which was then broken by Faiq. It was a point from where Blues took four for 40 in 8.5 overs removing Usman, Shahzaib and Hasan Nawaz. Shahzaib, who hit his seventh List A half-century, was on 71 off 84 having hit three fours and three sixes when he hit Maaz Sadaqat towards long off boundary where Arafat took a spectacular catch by jumping back over the rope after grabbing the ball in the air. Maaz picked up his second wicket when he lured Khushdil Shah – facing his fourth ball – to hand him a straight caught and bowled. Arafat got one through Hasan Nawaz’s defences on the third ball of the 33rd over to leave the Whites 157-6. Haris and Saad then stitched a game-changing stand of 53 runs in 65 balls arresting the imminent collapse. Haris struck two fours and one six in his contribution of 27 runs off 34 balls. Saad’s stay at the crease yielded 35 runs off 46 balls including a six and a four. Waseem Jnr was the last batter to depart after scoring a valuable 25-ball 21 hitting two fours. Faiq’s 3-36 were his best haul in List A cricket as he took his tally to 10 scalps, while Arafat backed up his Wednesday’s figures of 10-1-36-2 with 10-1-30-1 on Thursday. Apart from Maaz’s two, Sufyan, Akif and Hasan picked up one wicket each. Scores in brief Match 3 – UOL Pakistan Whites beat Al Batal Productions Pakistan Blues by six runs at Multan Cricket Stadium Pakistan Whites 245 all out, 49.3 overs (Shahzaib Khan 71, Saad Masood 35, Usman Khan 29, Haris Rauf 27, Saim Ayub 22, Muhammad Waseem Jnr 21, Hasan Nawaz 20; Mohammad Faiq 3-36, Maaz Sadaqat 2-12) Pakistan Blues 239 all out, 49.4 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 59, Mohammad Faiq 54, Muhammad Irfan Khan 37, Hasan Ali 29; Mohammad Waseem Jnr 5-46, Shahnawaz Dahani 4-43) Player of the match – Mohammad Waseem Jnr (Pakistan Whites) 

Islamabad (PR): Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan continued their outstanding run at the ITF Masters World Individual Championships, booking their place in the Men’s 45+ doubles final with a straight-sets victory over Ukraine’s Andriy Baidikov and Anatolii Stepakhno.The Pakistani pair prevailed 6-4, 7-6 in a hard-fought semifinal that became increasingly tense as the match progressed.After taking the opening set 6-4, Aisam and Aqeel appeared to be cruising toward the final when they surged to a 4-1, 40-15 lead in the second set. The Ukrainian pair, however, refused to go away and staged an impressive comeback, clawing their way back into the set and eventually forcing a tiebreak.What followed was a very close and tense tiebreaker, with little separating the two teams. Aisam and Aqeel ultimately held their nerve at the crucial moments, closing out the match in straight sets and securing their place in the World Championship final.The victory continues a remarkable week for the experienced Pakistani duo, whose combination of big-match experience, resilience and composure under pressure has carried them through a series of demanding encounters in Lisbon.There will be little time for either player to rest, with both also scheduled to compete today in their respective Mixed Doubles semifinals.Aisam is partnering Nina Hermann of Austria, while Aqeel is playing alongside Eileen Aranas-Roth of Germany, leaving both Pakistani stars in contention for medals across multiple events as the Individual World Championships enter their decisive stages.Aisam and Aqeel will now turn their attention to the Men’s 45+ doubles final, where they will attempt to cap their exceptional run by claiming the World Championship title.

Sports Bulletin ReportLisbon (Portugal): Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan continued their impressive run at the ITF Masters World Individual Championships, advancing to the semifinals of the Men’s 45+ Doubles after a thrilling victory over the dangerous Spanish pairing of Francisco Javier Martínez Baena and Pedro Nieto Orellana.In a dramatic quarterfinal played on Court 1 at the famous Jamor Tennis Center, the Pakistani duo prevailed 6-7, 7-6, [10-2] in front of a sizeable gathering of tennis enthusiasts.Aisam and Aqeel appeared to be heading for defeat after dropping a tightly contested opening set and then falling a break behind in the second. The Spaniards subsequently held two match points, but the experienced Pakistani pair produced their best tennis under pressure, saving both and forcing the set into a tiebreak.After taking the second set 7-6, Aisam and Aqeel completely seized the momentum in the deciding match tiebreak, racing away to a commanding 10-2 victory to seal a memorable comeback and a place in the World Championship semifinals.Earlier in the tournament, the Pakistani pair had overcome the leading Japanese combination of **Hayato Otsubo and **Manabu Tsujimoto in 3 sets, further underlining their strong form in Lisbon. They will now face a Ukrainian duo in the semifinals as they attempt to secure a place in the championship match.On Tuesday, Pakistan also enjoyed an outstanding day in the 40+ Mixed Doubles, with both Aisam and Aqeel reaching the semifinals with their respective partners.Aqeel, partnering Eileen Aranas-Roth of Germany, fought back from a set down to defeat the Portuguese pairing of Caterina and Joao Ferreira 4-6, 7-6, [10-4]. Like his men’s doubles quarterfinal, the contest required a determined comeback before Aqeel and Aranas-Roth dominated the deciding match tiebreak.Aisam, meanwhile, partnered Nina Hermann of Austria and produced a more straightforward quarterfinal victory, defeating the German combination of Katherina Rath and Thomas Bergmeister 6-2, 6-4 to book their place in the last four.The results mean that Pakistan’s two leading players have now reached the semifinals in both Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles, continuing a remarkable World Championships campaign in Lisbon following Pakistan’s silver-medal performance in the Men’s 45+ World Team Championships.

Lahore (faisal): A delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran Cricket Association visited the Pakistan Cricket Board headquarters at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, where they held discussions with PCB officials on the promotion and development of cricket in Iran and opportunities for strengthening bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Iran.The Iranian delegation met with PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed Syed and PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer. The delegation also included representatives of the Iran Cricket Association.During their visit, the delegation toured Gaddafi Stadium, the Cricket Museum and the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where they reviewed the training and other cricket facilities available at the PCB’s premier high-performance centre.The discussions focused on a range of areas aimed at supporting the growth of cricket in Iran, including coaching support for Iranian national and junior teams, exchange of coaching knowledge and expertise and opportunities for Pakistani coaches to share their experience and technical skills with Iranian players and teams.The two sides also discussed cooperation in the development of cricket infrastructure and the provision of cricket and sporting equipment to support the needs of Iranian cricket at both junior and senior levels.The PCB and the Iran Cricket Association agreed to explore further opportunities for collaboration, including the exchange of technical knowledge and expertise, with the shared objective of promoting and developing cricket.

Islamabad (faisal); Ghazanfar Bilal and Tayyab Bilal have won the men's double titles of the Marka-i-Haq Azadi Cup Tenpin Bowling Championship 2026, Ijaz and Faheem got 2nd position at Leisure City Bowling Club, Safa Gold F-7, Markaz, Islamabad.President, Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation, Ijaz-ur-Rehman and a large number of peoples were also present on the occasion.In the men's double event; Ghazanfar Bilal and Tayyab Bilal won the men's double titles with 736 points,Ijaz-ur-Rehman and Faheem Akbar obtained 2nd position with 705 points, Ahmer Suldera and Daniyal Shah bagged 3rd position with 702 points and Ayaz Ijaz and Daniyal ijaz secured 4th position with 692 points while Eyaan Bhatti and Abdul Moiz got 5th position with 627 points.The Concluding Ceremony of the Championship will be held on August 14, at 6.00 pm. in which prizes will be delivered to the winning players.

Dubai (SBR): Pakistan captain Babar Azam has returned to the top 10 of the ICC Men’s Test Batting Rankings after two years following his team’s eight-wicket win over the West Indies in Port of Spain that helped draw the two-match ICC World Test Championship series.The 31-year-old scored 88 and 24 not out, advancing five slots to 10th position in the rankings. He had slipped out of the top 10 in September 2024 after remaining there continuously for the previous five years. Babar’s career best second position was achieved during a home series against England in December 2022.Abdullah Shafique, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten knocks of 160 and 24, has progressed 25 slots to 32nd position, overtaking players like Marnus Labuschagne, K.L. Rahul and compatriots Salman Agha and Shan Masood in the process.Brandon King of the West Indies is another player to rise in the batters’ list, up from 73rd to joint-69th despite being unable to bat in the second innings due to a back injury. He scored 46 off 50 balls in the first innings.The bowling rankings see the West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph inch up one place to 19th after finishing with three wickets in the match while Pakistan off-spinner Sajid Khan (up five places to 30th), new-ball bowler Mohammad Ali (up eight places to 85th) and left-arm spinner Ali Usman (up 58 places to 97th) have also moved up.In the ICC Men’s ODI Batting Rankings, Afghanistan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has risen three positions to 11th after scoring 32 and 71 in the second and third matches of their series against Ireland. Oman’s Hammad Mirza (up two places to 85th) and the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Rahul Chopra (up 37 places to joint-97th) have advanced following their performances in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 series in Dundee.Ireland’s seam bowler Mark Adair returns in 17th position after picking two wickets each in two matches against Afghanistan and Scotland’s Brandon McMullen is up 10 spots to joint-48th in the bowlers’ list after taking three wickets each against Canada and the UAE in Dundee.The drawn Test series in the West Indies has not helped the cause of either team as they occupy the bottom two positions in the ICC World Test Championship points table.Australia are at the top with 87.50 percentage points with seven wins and a loss in eight outings while South Africa (75.00) and New Zealand (72.22) are in second and third positions, respectively.

BIPIN DANIOn 11th August 2026, cricket paused to remember the man who embodied resilience, artistry, and dignity at the crease — Hanif Mohammad, Pakistan’s original Little Master. It marked the 10th anniversary since his passing, yet his legacy continues to inspire generations.Hanif Mohammad, famed for his marathon innings and unmatched technique, was more than just a cricketer; he was a symbol of Pakistan’s cricketing pride in its formative years. His son, former Test cricketer Shoaib Mohammad, shared exclusive reflections on this solemn occasion.A Global HonourShoaib recalled a remarkable gesture that underscored his father’s stature beyond borders: “Perhaps he is the only Pakistani cricketer for whom even the Great Britain’s flag was half-mast — which is done for royalties and through the Queen’s consent only.”Such recognition, rare and historic, highlighted Hanif’s universal respect as a sportsman who transcended national boundaries.A Legacy Awaiting RecognitionYet, Shoaib expressed regret that his father’s contributions have not been fully honoured at home: “It’s a pity no ground has been allocated under his name as yet. Imagine the prestige and honour he brought for Pakistan with his world records.”Hanif’s 970-minute epic 337 against the West Indies in 1958 — the longest innings in Test history — remains a monument to endurance. One year later, he scored the highest first class innings to that point-499 (run out). His records and influence laid the foundation for Pakistan’s cricketing identity, but Shoaib’s words remind us that institutional recognition still lags behind.Ten years on, Hanif Mohammad’s memory is not just about statistics; it is about the dignity with which he carried Pakistan’s flag on the world stage. His son’s heartfelt words echo a call for fitting tributes — perhaps a stadium or ground in his name — so future generations can remember the Little Master not only through books and stories, but through living monuments to his greatness.