Lahore (PCB Report): Josh Philippe’s 35-ball 55, Ashton Turner’s unbeaten 43 off 28 and Momin Qamar’s 3-24 powered Multan Sultans to a five-wicket win over Islamabad United as they chased the 172-run target in 18.4 overs to register their first win in the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday night.Coming in at 16 for one in the third over, Philippe joined forces with skipper Steven Smith to put the chase on the track with a 45-run stand for the second wicket. The pair took Mohammad Salman Mirza to cleaners, smashing three sixes in a 21-run fourth over.Philippe then collected two more boundaries off Shadab Khan in the seventh over to move Multan to 60 for one. Smith’s steady31 off 23 balls, featuring one four and three sixes ended in the next over when Salman Irshad forced a mistimed shot that Shadab safely pouched at mid-off.Shadab struck in the following over to remove Shan Masood for six. Philippe kept the momentum going, adding 61 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Ashton Turner as Multan raced to 131 in the 14th over and closed in on the target.After Philippe departed, Arafat Minhas arrived to provide the finishing touches with a rapid 25 off 11 balls, cracking four fours and a six. Turner stayed unbeaten on 43 hitting three fours and one six as Multan completed the chase with eight balls remaining.Salman Irshad (4-0-28-2) and Shadab Khan (4-0-36-2) picked up two wickets each.Asked to bat first, Devon Conway and debutant Sameer Minhas provided their side with a 48-run opening partnership. Conway took charge in the second over, striking Mohammad Nawaz for a four and a six, while Sameer showed early intent with two sixes; first off Mohammad Wasim Jnr over covers and then off Peter Siddle over cow corner.Siddle, however, responded well to break the opening stand in the sixth over, dismissing Conway for 26 off 23 balls, an innings featuring three fours and a six.Wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous (11, 9b, 2x4s) then added 21 runs for the second wicket with Sameer before falling to Arafat Minhas in the ninth over. Gous’ wicket initiated a brief collapse as Momin Qamar removed for28 off 21 balls, which included one four and two sixes.Mark Chapman struck Momin for a six and two fours in the first three balls of the 12th over, but the wrist-spinner hit back in style by castling captain Shadab Khan with a googly.Chapman then combined with Haider Ali for a 27-run partnership to keep the innings on track. The left-hander’s brisk knock ended on the final ball of the 15th over with the score at 130 for five, after he top-scored with a 21-ball 40 which included three fours and two sixes.Momin struck again with the very next delivery, removing Haider Ali (13, 12b, 2x4s).Faheem Ashraf then provided the late impetus with a brisk cameo of 17-ball 26, hitting three fours and one six. He began with a boundary off Wasim Jnr in the 18th over, followed it up with two fours off Peter Siddle in the penultimate over, and capped his effort with a six off Wasim in the final over to power his side to 171 for eight in 20 overs. Apart from Momin’s three, Wasim Jnr picked up two wickets, while Arafat, Siddle and Nawaz struck once.Scores in brief:Match 4 – Multan Sultans beat Islamabad United by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreIslamabad United 171-8, 20 overs (Mark Chapman 40, Sameer Minhas 28, Faheem Ashraf 26, Devon Conway 26; Momin Qamar 3-24, Mohammad Wasim Jnr 2-42)Multan Sultans 175-5, 18.4 overs (Josh Philippe 55, Ashton Turner 43 not out, Steven Smith 31, Arafat Minhas 25; Salman Irshad 2-28, Shadab Khan 2-36)Player of the match – Momin Qamar (Multan Sultans) Sunday’s fixtures: Quetta Gladiators v Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 2.30pm PKTLahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 7pm PKT

Lahore (PR): K2 Squash Club is set to host its first-ever PSA Challenger Tournaments this April in USA, signaling a major step forward in its journey toward international recognition. The initiative, led by Tournament Director Mohammad Naveed Alam, highlights the club’s growing stature and ambition to establish itself as a key venue on the global squash circuit.Sanctioned by the Professional Squash Association and presented by One World Squash, the two-phase tournament will feature elite players from around the world, combining experience with emerging talent. The men’s Challenger 15K event, scheduled from April 8 to 12, is expected to deliver high-quality action with a strong international field that includes Salman Khalil, Tom Walsh, Mohammad Sharaf and Yassin Elssin Elshafei. With a total prize purse of $15,000, the event promises intense competition and valuable ranking opportunities for participants.Wildcard entries, including Ahsan Ayaz, add an extra layer of excitement, offering rising players a platform to compete at a higher level. The final is scheduled for April 12 and is expected to draw significant attention from squash enthusiasts.The Women’s Challenger event will follow from April 22 to 26, featuring a competitive lineup of international players such as Zeina Zein, Laura Silva, Lucie Stefanoni and Malak Taha. With a prize fund of $6,000, the tournament will provide crucial exposure and ranking points for players aiming to progress within the PSA circuit.These tournaments represent the culmination of consistent efforts by K2 Squash Club to expand its role in professional squash. Having previously hosted PSA Satellite events, the club has steadily built the infrastructure and organisational expertise required for higher-tier competitions. A key figure in this evolution has been Muhammad Naveed Alam, whose extensive experience, including over 15 years alongside squash legend Jahangir Khan, has significantly contributed to the club’s development strategy.Support from the club’s management, led by owner Karamatullah Khan, has further strengthened this vision. Their commitment to promoting squash and creating opportunities for players has been instrumental in bringing PSA Challenger events to the venue.As the tournaments approach, K2 Squash Club stands poised to make a lasting impression. Beyond the matches themselves, the events reflect a broader ambition to position the club as a recognized destination for international squash, marking an important step in its continued growth.

 Lahore (PCB Report): Karachi Kings registered a 14-run win against Quetta Gladiators on the back of all-round performance of Moeen Ali and Hasan Ali’s four wickets to open their account in the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.Chasing 182 to win, Quetta got off to a flying start courtesy Shamyl Hussain’s 21-ball half-century but Hasan Ali’s sixth haul of four wickets in HBL PSL and Moeen’s neat spell of 4-0-26-1 delivered the triumph for Karachi Kings.Shamyl and Saud gathered 79 runs off the first 7.1 overs to put the chase well on track for Quetta. HBL PSL debutant Shamyl threw the gauntlet with five fours and four sixes to stamp his authority in a 24-ball 52-run knock.The young left-hander ransacked 19 runs off Mir Hamza’s sixth over hitting three fours and brought up his half-century in style with a six.Karachi Kings staged a comeback right after the end of field restrictions with Adam Zampa bowling a four-run over, while Salman Ali Agha removed Shamyl in the subsequent over giving away four as well.Zampa removed Khawaja Mohammad Nafay in the ninth over followed by player of the match Moeen snapping Saud (33, 25b, 6x4s) as Gladiators managed 95-3 at the halfway mark.Needing 87 off 60, Gladiators were squeezed by Kings’ disciplined bowling with the equation coming down to 35 off the last two overs.In the meanwhile, Hasan eked out the vital scalp of Rilee Rossouw (25, 21b, 3x4s) in the 16th over to end a 29-run fourth-wicket stand. He picked up the wickets of Hasan Nawaz (19, 24b, 2x4s), Tom Curran and Ahmed Daniyal in the penultimate over to almost seal the game for Kings finishing with 4-27 and took his tally to 129 wickets in HBL PSL history – six best of Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 123.Mir Hamza defended 30 off the last over as Gladiators could only manage 15. Ben McDermott’s 13-ball 25-run not out blitz comprising three fours and one six went in vain after walking in at 124-4 in 15.1 overs. Earlier, Moeen helped Karachi Kings to a fine total of 181-7 in 20 overs with a rapid 29-ball 48 not out following David Warner and Salman Ali Agha’s thirties.At the start of Kings’ innings Alzarri Joseph drew the first blood removing Muhammad Waseem for a three-ball duck. Salman and Warner then launched an assault on the Gladiators bowling till the fourth over.Salman struck a four and six off Tom Curran in the second over across four balls, while Warner slammed four back-to-back boundaries against Alzarri Joseph in the next over to push Gladiators on the backfoot.Ahmed Daniyal then got hit for a hat-trick of fours by Salman Ali Agha in the fourth over before pinning him leg-before to bag the first of his three scalps. Kings finished the powerplay with 60 runs on the board for the loss of two wickets.Warner (35, 22b, 4x4s, 1x6) then got together with Saad Baig (30, 23b, 6x4s) to stitch 43 runs off 30 balls before Daniyal broke the stand landing the third punch for Gladiators.From this point Quetta Gladiators got back in the innings taking three for 21, which also included Abrar accounting for Warner and Usman Tariq castling Azam Khan for a run-a-ball 14 comprising one six.Moeen walked in at 100-4 after 10.3 overs and kept the innings intact despite Gladiators clawing their way back into the game after the halfway mark. He hit four fours and three sixes on his return to the HBL PSL after playing nine matches for Multan Sultans in the 2020 season.Karachi managed to stitch three valuable partnerships after Moeen and Azam Khan struggled to get going in a 17-ball 10-run stand. Moeen shared 31 for the sixth wicket with Khushdil Shah (12, 8b, 2x4s), 20 off 11 with Shahid Aziz (8, 8b, 1x4) and an unscathed 21 off nine with Hasan Ali (7 not out, 3b, 1x4) for the eighth wicket.Daniyal returned figures of 4-0-36-3, while Joseph picked up two wickets.Match 2 – Karachi Kings beat Quetta Gladiators by 14 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreKarachi Kings 181-7, 20 overs (Moeen Ali 48 not out, David Warner 35, Saad Baig 30, Salman Ali Agha 22; Ahmed Daniyal 3-36, Alzarri Joseph 2-32)Quetta Gladiators 167-7, 20 overs (Shamyl Hussain 52, Saud Shakeel 33, Ben McDermott 25 not out, Rilee Rossouw 25; Hasan Ali 4-27)Player of the match – Moeen Ali (Karachi Kings)Saturday’s fixtures:Peshawar Zalmi v Rawalpindiz at 2.30pm PKTMultan Sultans v Islamabad United at 7pm PKT

Islamabad (Sports Reporter):The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) announced that Sara Mansoor, National Development Director-PTF and former national champion, has been awarded the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship to participate in the 17th Edition of the International Coaching Enrichment Certificate Program (ICECP) 2026–2027.Organized by the University of Delaware in collaboration with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the ICECP is a globally recognized coaching education program. Ms. Sara Mansoor’s selection highlights her significant contributions to tennis in Pakistan and reflects PTF’s commitment to coaching excellence.The program will begin with an online module in April 2026, followed by sessions in the United States in September 2026, and will conclude in Lausanne, Switzerland, in April 2027.

Lahore (Sports News): Qalandars began their title defence in style with a dominating 69-run win over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the opening match of the HBL Pakistan Super League here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Thursday night.Hyderabad Kingsmen were bundled out for 130 in 20 overs chasing the 200-run target with the Qalandars pacers collectively taking six for 96.Skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi and Ubaid Shah struck in third and fourth overs, respectively to remove the Hyderabad Kingsmen opening duo of Usman Khan and Saim Ayub with 33 runs on the board.Lahore Qalandars kept on taking wickets at regular intervals with Mustafizur Rahman and Sikandar Raza eking out the next three wickets in the three over post the powerplay.Sikandar removed the dangerous Kusal Perera in seventh over and Marnus Labuschagne (26, 22b, 3x4s) in ninth as Kingsmen were left reeling at 65-5 in nine overs. Mustafizur in the meanwhile accounted for Mohammad Irfan Khan.From this juncture, Kingsmen never came back in the game as they lost their remaining five wickets for 65 runs as well with Riley Meredith remaining unbeaten for 19 off 26 hitting one four, while Hassan Khan (14, 9b, 1x4, 1x6) and Rizwan Mehmood fell to Haris Rauf.Haris, Sikandar and Ubaid bagged two wickets each, while Mustafizur and Shaheen claimed one wicket each.Batting first, Lahore Qalandars got off to a flying start through Mohammad Naeem and Fakhar Zaman, who stitched together an 84-run opening stand. The pair got off the blocks with a flurry of boundaries.Naeem also struck the first six of the innings in the third over off Meredith as the two plundered 64 runs in the powerplay, with Fakhar collecting 20 runs off Mohammad Ali in the sixth over.Hyderabad Kingsmen made a comeback in the innings with three quick wickets as the opening partnership was broken in the ninth over when Naeem (30, 19b, 4x4s, 1x6) fell prey to Hassan Khan trying to dig a full delivery but holed out to Rizwan Mehmood at long on. Abdullah Shafique was run out in the following over at the striker’s end after Fakhar called for run but Hammad Azam’s lethal throw from short third did the job.In the 10th over, Fakhar also departed, miscuing a shot towards deep midwicket where Saim took the catch off Hassan with Qalandars 94-3. Fakhar, who became the second batter besides Babar Azam to reach the 3000-run mark in the HBL PSL, contributed 53 off 39 balls striking 10 fours.Parvez Hossain Emon (14, 13b, 1x6) and Haseebullah steadied the innings adding 37 runs for the fourth wicket to carry their side to 131 for four in 15.1 overs.Sikandar then provided the late impetus with a brisk 24 off 10 balls, laced with two fours and two sixes, while Haseebullah remained unbeaten on 40 off 28 deliveries, striking two fours and two sixes.Shaheen Shah Afridi hit two sixes off the last two deliveries of the innings after walking in to bat at 187-6 in 19.4 overs. Qalandars finished with 199 for six in their 20 overs. Meredith and Hassan picked up two wickets each.Scores in brief:Lahore Qalandars 199-6, 20 overs (Fakhar Zaman 53, Haseebullah 40 not out, Mohammad Naeem 30, Sikandar Raza 24; Hassan Khan 2-30, Riley Meredith 2-39)Hyderabad Kingsmen 130 all out, 20 overs (Marnus Labuschagne 26, Riley Meredith 19 not out; Haris Rauf 2-22, Sikandar Raza 2-27, Ubaid Shah 2-27)

Jonty BanksThe 2026 British Open Masters will feature alongside the prestigious PSA Squash Tour Diamond-level British Open in Birmingham this summer, with the event being held between 3rd and 7th of June at Solihull & Arden SC and West Warwickshire Club.The British Open Masters Squash Championships is the oldest and most established tournament in masters squash and is widely considered one of the two most prestigious tournaments, alongside the World Masters.Masters events are for players aged 35 and over and cater for both male and female entrants, beginning with the over-35 tournament all the way up to the over-80 event, with consolation plates also on offer.

Islamabad (Sports News): On an exciting second day at the Optasia Championships 2026, Malaysia’s Rachel Arnold and Pakistan’s Noor Zaman claimed seeding upsets to earn places in the quarter finals of the Gold level event. Arnold took on local favourite and No.7 seed Jamsine Hutton in the first match of the evening session tonight at the famous Wimbledon Club, grasping the opportunity to reach a second Gold quarter final with both hands. Arnold stormed out of the gates in the opening game, establishing a 6-1 lead with Hutton not yet at the races. Arnold ran through to 10-4 and despite a comeback from Hutton to reach 9-10, the Malaysian converted. Both players looked to be slightly nervous taking the ball in short with errors coming from both rackets. Arnold turned to her trusted forehand boast to constantly drag Hutton into the front left corner, and if the shot wasn't an outright winner, the follow-up was. She doubled her lead, winning 11-8. Hutton's accuracy and intensity improved drastically in game three. She started to move Arnold away from the middle and earned herself a 7-4 lead. However, errors crept into Hutton's game once again, which gave both points and confidence to Arnold. The Malaysian took the game to a tiebreak and sealed the win by a 12-10 scoreline.“I came into it trying to be confident and I wanted to try and take it point by point and I think that really helped me today. I’m disappointed that I let her back in at the end of each game but overall I’m happy to be able to get through.“Jaz is such a good player and she’s been playing really well lately and she was fighting hard again today but I think I played well in the front corners and just happy to be through.”The only other upset of the day came from Pakistan’s Noor Zaman, who also needed jusr three games and 32 minutes to move past Mexico’s Leonel Cardenas. The highly skilled Zaman was in top form from the outset, moving the ball into the front corners with ease and testing the movement of the Mexican at any opportunity. Cardenas looked as though he couldn't read any of the attacking shots of the Pakistani, as Zaman ran through to win 11-7 and take the lead. Zaman's incredible shot-making continued in game two. The 21-year-old showed no fear as he eyed a second Gold event quarer final and after just 21 minutes, had doubled his lead. Despite a stronger showing from Cardenas in the third game, he still looked to be struggling to read Zaman and utilise his own attacking strengths. Cardenas held a narrow lead but once again, Zaman was able to rattle off the points to move ahead on the scoreboard. Zaman won 11-7 to end day two and complete the quarter-final line-ups.Elsewhere on day two, women’s top seed Hania El Hammamy got her title defence off to a strong start by beating England’s Torrie Malik in straight games. Former World Champions Diego Elias and Karim Gawad advanced to the last eight, whilst Youssef Ibrahim marked his return to action with a win over compatriot Mohamed Abouelghar. Satomi Watanabe and Amanda Sobhy will also face each other in the quarter finals after comfortable wins over Melissa Alves and Kenzy Ayman, respectively. Results: Optasia Championships 2026 Men’s Round Two[3] Diego Elias (PER) bt Jonah Bryant (ENG) 3-0: 13-11, 2-0 ret. (30m)Noor Zaman (PAK) bt [8] Leonel Cardenas (MEX) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 (32m)[5] Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 3-2: 7-11, 18-16, 11-4, 7-11, 4-2 ret. (70m)[2] Karim Gawad (EGY) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-8 (38m)Results: Optasia Championships 2026 Women’s Round Two[1] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Torrie Malik (ENG) 3-0: 12-10, 11-2, 11-5 (35m)Rachel Arnold (MAS) bt [7] Jasmine Hutton (ENG) 3-0: 11-9, 11-8, 12-10 (35m)[5] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Kenzy Ayman (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 3-11, 11-4, 11-3 (38m)[3] Satomi Watanabe (JPN) bt Melissa Alves (FRA) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 (34m)

Lahore (Sports News): The National Women’s T20 Tournament 2026 is scheduled to commence from Friday, 27 March in Lahore. The five-team tournament will be played in a double-league format, with each side playing at least eight fixtures before the top two sides qualify for the final.The final of the tournament will be played at the Ghani Glass Cricket Ground on Sunday, 12 April.The five teams participating in the tournament are Challengers, Conquerors, Invincibles, Stars and Strikers. Defending champions Stars will feature in the opening match of the tournament taking on Challengers at the Ghani Glass Cricket Ground.Three venues – Bagh-e-Jinnah, Ghani Glass Cricket Ground and LCCA Ground will host the 21-match tournament.The tournament provides an opportunity for players to perform and stake a claim for selection in the national side. Pakistan women’s international assignments in the next three months include a home bilateral series against Zimbabwe, a T20I tri-series in Ireland and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup scheduled to take place in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July.To further incentivise the players, the prize pot for the tournament is PKR 3.3 million, with the winning side receiving PKR 1.5 million and the runners-up getting PKR one million.The morning matches in the tournament will begin at 10am, with the toss taking place at 9.30am. The first ball in the afternoon matches will be bowled at 2pm, with the toss taking place at 1.30pm. 

Lahore (Sports News):The Pakistan Cricket Board has today announced the match officials for the HBL PSL 11, which will be played in Lahore and Karachi from 26 March to 3 May with 44 matches slated to take place.Sir Richard Richardson, member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, is set to make his HBL PSL debut as match referee. Previously Sir Richardson has officiated four Tests and three T20Is in Pakistan between 2017 and 2024 including the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and World XI at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.Four members of ICC Elite Panel of Umpires Ahsan Raza from Pakistan, Christopher Gaffaney from New Zealand, Allahudien Palekar from South Africa and Alexander Wharf from England will be joined by Sharfuddoula Saikat and Chris Brown in a strong overseas contingent of Umpires.Palekar and Saikat will be making their HBL PSL debuts. Among others Asif Yaqoob, Rashid Riaz, Faisal Khan Aafreedi, Nasir Hussain, Zulfiqar Jan, Abdul Muqeet, Alay Haider, Imran Jawed and Tariq Rasheed will perform umpiring duties in the tournament.Roshan Mahanama, who has been a regular match referee in the HBL PSL since 2017, will return to extend his tally of 71 HBL PSL matches as head of playing control team starting with the opening match between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen.In the first match Wharf and Ahsan will be on-field umpires, while Asif Yaqoob will perform duties as TV Umpire. Tariq Rasheed will be the fourth umpire.UmpiresAhsan Raza, Chris Gaffaney, Sharfuddoula Saikat, Allahuddien Palekar, Alex Wharf, Chris Brown, Asif Yaqoob, Rashid Riaz, Faisal Khan Aafreedi, Nasir Hussain, Zulfiqar Jan, Abdul Muqeet, Alay Haider, Imran Jawed and Tariq RasheedMatch RefereesRoshan Mahanama, Sir Richard Richardson, Ali Naqvi, Kamran Chaudhary, Bilal Khilji, Iftikhar Ahmed, Aleem Moosa, Sohail Idrees

Islamabad (Sports News):Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has been named the ICC Player of the Month for his extra-ordinary performances in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 during February while India seam bowler Arundhati Reddy has won the women’s award after her fine performances in a T20I series in Australia.Sahibzada won the award ahead of many stalwarts as he broke Virat Kohli’s record runs in one edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and became the first to register two centuries in a single edition of the tournament - against Namibia and Sri Lanka.The dynamic opener amassed 383 runs in seven T20Is at an impressive average of 76.60, while maintaining a strike rate of 160.25. His performances stood out from the tournament for the monthly award as the final two Super Eight fixtures and the knockout stages took place in March and will be evaluated in the next cycle.Sahibzada Farhan: “It’s an incredible feeling to win this ICC award, especially for performances on the World Cup stage, where fans from all over the world are watching every moment. That makes it even more special.“It was truly a tournament I’ll always cherish, and I’m determined to carry this momentum forward in the series and competitions ahead. I’m deeply grateful to my teammates for their constant support and belief in me - this wouldn’t have been possible without them.”Reddy shone with her fine seam bowling Down Under, helping India win their T20I series against Australia by a 2-1 margin. Reddy was the leading wicket-taker in the series with hauls of four for 22, two for 30 and two 35 in the three matches, finishing with an average of 10.87 and an economy rate of 7.25.Arundhati Reddy: “It’s a real honour to be named ICC Player of the Month, and even more special knowing I was able to contribute to a T20I series win in Australia. Beating Australia on their home turf is never easy, which makes this award even more meaningful.“This series win has given our team a huge boost of confidence as we build towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales this summer. We’ve got a well-balanced squad, and I believe we’ll be a team to watch.”Sahibzada won the men’s award ahead of Will Jacks of England and Shadley van Schalwyk of the USA while Harshitha Samarawickrama of Sri Lanka and Fatima Sana of Pakistan were the shortlisted players Reddy edged out for the women’s award.