Islamabad (Sports Report): Seam bowlers called the shots in the first match of the ICC World Test Championship series between the West Indies and Pakistan in Tarouba, which the home side won by 90 runs, and the movements in the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings reflect that.Player of the Match Justin Greaves finished with a career-best match haul of seven for 39 and gained 21 places to reach a career-high 48th position and his team-mate Jayden Seales moved up five places to 24th after finishing with a five-for in the second innings. Greaves has also advanced eight slots to ninth in the all-rounders’ list.Pakistan’s Mohammad Abbas, who has been ranked as high as third (in 2018), made his first appearance in the top 20 since late 2021 as he advanced nine places ahead to 17th after his match haul of eight for 85.The batting rankings see Pakistan captain Babar Azam move up four slots to 15th after an unbeaten 58 in the second innings while Shan Masood’s 109 in the first innings has lifted him eight places to 36th. Shai Hope’s 92 in the first innings has taken him from 51st to 39th and Kavem Hodge is up to 60th after a seven-slot gain.India captain Shubman Gill begins his third stint as the top-ranked ODI batter after New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell conceded the top spot, missing the final ODI against the West Indies in Bridgetown due to a low-grade hip strain.The New Zealand pair of Will Young (up three places to joint-38th) and Tom Latham (up five places to 46th) and the West Indies’ Sherfane Rutherford (up 13 places to 45th) have moved up the batting rankings. With the ball, Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz had remarkable figures of 10-2-21-1 against the Netherlands and 10-2-14-0 against Nepal to move up five places to seventh in the ODI rankings.India’s teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has surged ahead to 48th position in the ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings after his Player of the Series effort in Zimbabwe helped him gallop 230 places. He finished with 151 runs in three innings that boasted a 19-ball 50 in the first match and a 49-ball 81 in the third.Others to move up the T20I rankings include Tilak Varma (up two places to sixth) and Shreyas Iyer (up seven places to 24th) in the batting rankings. Blessing Muzarabani (up 10 places to 26th) and Ravi Bishnoi (up 31 places to 41st) have advanced in the bowling rankings.

Tarouba (PCB Report): Pakistan suffered a 90-run defeat against West Indies on the fourth day of the first Test at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba with the hosts taking a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The second Test match will be played in Port of Spain from 2 August.Resuming their second innings at 126 for seven, West Indies were dismissed for 181, setting Pakistan a target of 211. Mohammad Abbas completed his seventh five-wicket haul in Test cricket, returning impressive figures of five for 22 from 15.5 overs.Shamar Joseph, who returned unbeaten on the overnight score of 22, struck 38 off 27 balls, including four sixes, before Mohammad Ali breached his defence. Abbas then removed Kemar Roach for 18 and Jomel Warrican for 14 to wrap up the innings. Khurram Shahzad and Ali grabbed two wickets each.Pakistan’s run-chase suffered early setbacks as Imam-ul-Haq and Azan Awais were dismissed for three apiece. Salman Ali Agha was trapped leg-before for nought as Pakistan slipped to 25 for three.Captain Babar Azam held firm at one end, but wickets continued to fall regularly. Mohammad Rizwan made 11 before being bowled by Justin Greaves, who also accounted for Aamir Jamal. Ali Usman, Shan Masood, Khurram and Ali were dismissed in quick succession, leaving Pakistan struggling at 71 for nine.Babar reached his 32nd Test half-century from 81 balls and combined with Mohammad Abbas in a 49-run partnership for the last wicket. Abbas contributed a fighting 23 off 33 balls, hitting four boundaries, while Babar remained unbeaten on 58 from 107 balls, including nine fours.Jayden Seales ended the resistance shortly after tea by dismissing Abbas, as Pakistan were bowled out for 120 in 40.2 overs. Seales finished with five for 20, while Greaves and Roach bagged two wickets each.Scores in brief:West Indies 311 all out, 98.5 overs (Shai Hope 92, Kavem Hodge 84; Mohammad Ali 4-50, Mohammad Abbas 3-63) and West Indies 181 all out, 54.5 overs (Shamar Joseph 38, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 35; Mohammad Abbas 5-22, Mohammad Ali 2-52, Khurram Shahzad 2-54) Pakistan 282 all out, 80.1 overs (Shan Masood 109, Imam-ul-Haq 63; Justin Greaves 5-27, Shamar Joseph 2-58) and 120 all out in 40.2 overs (Babar Azam 58 not out, Mohammad Abbas 23; Jayden Seales 5-20)

Abdullah AsjadISLAMABAD: The South Korea men's national hockey team arrived in the capital city Islamabad on Tuesday day to play a four-match Series, which will be kicked off on July 30 here at Naseer Bunda Hockey Stadium, Pakistan Sports Complex.According to an official of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), the first Test will be played at 6:00 p.m. on July 30, while the remaining matches are scheduled for August 1, August 4, and August 7, with all games set to begin at the same time.The series forms a key part of Pakistan's build-up to the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. The four-match contest against one of Asia's leading hockey nations is expected to provide valuable international exposure, allowing the national team's coaching staff to assess player performances and finalize combinations ahead of the global event.The PHF has also announced that the second leg of the bilateral series will be staged in South Korea. Pakistan's national team is scheduled to tour South Korea in September, ahead of the Asian Games, for another series of international fixtures as both countries continue their preparations for upcoming major tournaments.

Islamabad (Sports Desk); In accordance with its mandate, the FIFA administration is exploring the concept of bringing together FIFA’s commercial rights – spanning broadcast, sponsorship, ticketing, and licensing – with the operational delivery of FIFA tournaments through the creation of FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE). A consultation process has begun following the receipt of a proposal that aims to unlock the full potential of FIFA’s broadcast rights and sponsorships across all of its tournament portfolio in men’s, women’s and youth football.Central to this would be a repositioning of FIFA Forward, FIFA’s flagship development programme, which aims to increase funding per FIFA Member Association (MA) from USD 8 million to USD 20 million for the 2027-30 cycle and grow steadily thereafter cycle-on-cycle. This funding would support infrastructure, coaching, national teams, competitions, grassroots football and the women’s game.The process follows an address by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to the FIFA Council and FIFA Member Associations on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final in New York, where he reiterated his intention to “unleash the commercial potential and opportunity that FIFA has”, a position that had already been outlined in his speech to the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, in April 2026.“Football is the world’s most popular sport and an extraordinary engine of human and social development," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino. "Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value – and we celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game. Our job is to make sure the rest of football grows with it: FIFA exists to support sustainable, inclusive development in every corner of the world.“As its global governing body, FIFA is responsible for making sure the game reaches every corner of the world, and that the value it creates supports federations and communities everywhere. Our next stage of growth needs a structure built for it, one where the commercial side of the game operates as a focused, dedicated business, with its value shared more and better all around the world. Every FIFA Member Association should have an opportunity to seek a fair share of the available funding to shape its own future, deciding for itself rather than relying on others. This is about the democratisation of football worldwide.“We intend to invest heavily even in the smallest or most remote parts of the footballing world, places that are too often passed over. Every FIFA Member Association, whatever its size, resources, or geographic location will have a voice and the opportunity to determine its own course. Football has become a truly global game and so the benefits must be felt globally.”

Hambantota (SBR): Sri Lanka romped home with an eight-wicket win over Pakistan in the decider of the three-match ICC Women’s Championship (2025-29) ODI series as they chased the 188-run target in 37.2 overs here at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota on Tuesday afternoon.Player of the series Harshitha Samarawickrama scored an unbeaten 71 off 92 balls hitting 11 fours to take her series tally of runs to 173 including a 100 not out in the second game.Samarawickrama arrived the crease when Fatima Sana broke the 46-run opening stand between Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne, getting the latter caught behind for 12 off 17 in the seventh over of the chase.For the third wicket, Samarawickrama and player of the match Athapaththu added 39 runs off 48 balls before the second breakthrough came via off-spinner Umm-e-Hani. Athapaththu had backed up her superb three for 27 spell with a quickfire 38-ball 52 hitting seven fours and two sixes.From this juncture, Samarawickrama and Hasini Perera grounded out a 106-run unbeaten stand off 137 balls. They were constantly probed by left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu who went wicketless but only gave away 23 runs in her 10 overs, which also included a maiden.While Samarawickrama brought up her ninth WODI half-century, Perera made sure to register her fourth fifty in the format as he finished exactly on 50 off 77 balls having struck eight fours. Fatima Sana returned figures of 8-2-34-1, while Hani’s only wicket came for 43 runs in six overs including a maiden.Earlier, Pakistan were rocked by right-arm pacer Chethana Vimukthi’s three-wicket strike in just the second over of the game. She first got Sadaf Shamas caught behind after the opening batter had struck two fours in the opening over.Sidra Amin was also caught behind, while Ayesha Zafar was wrapped on the pads for a duck before Muneeba Ali evaded a hat-trick ball safely. Pakistan did try to salvage the innings with a few middle and lower order partnerships but it wasn’t to be as they were bowled for 187 in 40 overs with Fatima Sana and Gull Feroza getting into forties.Gull and Muneeba set out positively after the setbacks and kept the run flow coming at a decent rate as they gathered 68 off 82 balls. Athapaththu got Gull leg-before in the 16th over as she looked to sweep but missed the connection and departed for 40 off 35 balls with the help of five fours.Muneeba also couldn’t convert her scrappy start of 34 off 71 balls hitting three fours as she fell to Inoka Ranaweera. Fatima Sana stuck around for 49 balls at the crease scoring 41 and was the last batter dismissed. Pakistan skipper struck a six and two fours but became one of Kavisha Dilhari’s three quick strikes.Pakistan felt themselves poised to go through all the 50 overs when Fatima and Najiha had joined forces and scored 30 runs off 22 balls in tandem but Athapaththu again intervened in the 29th over to induce a leading edge off the wicketkeeper-batter as she returned for a 39-ball 30 hitting four fours. From this point, Pakistan lost 4-47 in 11.4 overs.Vimukthi returned figures of 8-1-36-3, Athapaththu 6-0-27-3 and Dilhari 7-0-27-3, while Ranaweera gave 41 runs for her solitary wicket.The two teams will now move to Dambulla and take part in a three-match WT20I series with the matches scheduled on 31 July, 2 and 4 August.Scores in briefMatch 3 of 3 – Sri Lanka women beat Pakistan women by eight wickets at Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium, Hambantota  Pakistan 187 all out, 40 overs (Fatima Sana 41, Gull Feroza 40, Muneeba Ali 34, Najiha Alvi 30; Chamari Athapaththu 3-27, Kavisha Dilhari 3-27, Chethana Vimukthi 3-36) Sri Lanka 191-2, 37.2 overs (Harshitha Samarawickrama 71 not out, Chamari Athapaththu 52, Hasini Perera 50 not out)Player of the match – Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka women)Player of the series – Harshitha Samarawickrama (Sri Lanka women)Tour schedule: (All matches to begin at 9.30am Pakistan time)23 July – Pakistan won by five wickets25 July – Sri Lanka won by eight wickets28 July – Sri Lanka won by eight wickets31 July – First T20I at Rangiri Dambulla International cricket stadium, Dambulla2 August – Second T20I at Rangiri Dambulla International cricket stadium, Dambulla4 August – Third T20I at Rangiri Dambulla International cricket stadium, Dambulla 

Pakistan thrash Sri Lanka 3-0 in second semifinal, Bangladesh beat Uzbekistan 3-0Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Hosts Pakistan and Bangladesh advanced into the final of the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Men's Volleyball Championship 2026 after beating Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan respectively in straight games 3-0 in the semifinals here at Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Tuesday. The final will be played on Wednesday at the same venue.Pakistan crushed their opponents, Sri Lanka 3-0, as the second semifinal witnessed another outstanding performance by the host nation, as Pakistan comfortably defeated Sri Lanka in straight sets to advance to the final.Backed by a packed home crowd, Pakistan played with tremendous confidence and intensity from the opening whistle. The Green Shirts dominated every aspect of the match through powerful serving, exceptional blocking, quick attacks, and disciplined defensive play.Pakistan took complete control after winning the opening set and produced its most dominant volleyball of the tournament in the second set, allowing Sri Lanka only ten points. Although Sri Lanka offered improved resistance in the third set, Pakistan remained calm under pressure and completed another comprehensive victory. The final score-line was 25–18, 25–10 and 25–21. The victory extends Pakistan's remarkable unbeaten record to six consecutive victories, all achieved in straight sets, and secures a deserved place in the championship final. Kazakhstan Defeat Nepal to Finish Fifth:Kazakhstan displayed excellent teamwork, consistent serving, and disciplined attacking play to dominate the match. Nepal fought hard, particularly during the closely contested second set, but Kazakhstan maintained composure during the crucial moments to complete a straight-set victory. Kazakhstan defeated Nepal 3–0 at score of 25–16, 26–24 and 25–20. With this victory, Kazakhstan finished fifth, while Nepal concluded the championship in sixth place.Bangladesh overcome Uzbekistan 3-0:The first semi-final featured an exciting contest between Bangladesh and Uzbekistan. Bangladesh produced one of its finest performances of the tournament, controlling the match with aggressive serving, disciplined blocking, and outstanding teamwork. Uzbekistan attempted to fight back in each set, but Bangladesh remained composed throughout and never allowed its opponents to build momentum. The game score was 25–21, 25–20 and 25–19. The convincing victory secured Bangladesh's first appearance in the championship final, while Uzbekistan will now compete for the bronze medal.

QUETTA/ISLAMABAD: Brigadier (Retd) Riaz ud Deen Kasi has been elected President of the Balochistan Golf Association (BGA) unopposed in its annual elections. Among other office-bearers elected unopposed are Haji Muhammad Farook Khan as Senior Vice President, Muhammad Zakria Nasir as Vice President, Muhammad Ali as Honorary Secretary, Ramzan Ali as Treasurer, and Lt Col (Retd) Altaf Hussain as Joint Secretary.According to a press release issued by the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF), the annual elections of the Balochistan Golf Association were successfully conducted at the Quetta Golf Club. The electoral process took place under the supervision of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Election Commission, with representatives from the Provincial Olympic Association and the PGF in attendance. The election was conducted in strict accordance with the constitutions of the PGF and BGA, as well as the directives of the PSB, and was officially confirmed following thorough scrutiny and verification by the Election Commission.Extending its heartfelt congratulations to the newly elected office-bearers, the Pakistan Golf Federation expressed confidence that the new leadership will play a pivotal role in strengthening the sport at the grassroots level, encouraging junior players, and raising the standard of golf across the province. The PGF also extended its appreciation to the Pakistan Sports Board, the Provincial Olympic Association, the Election Commission, Quetta Golf Club, and all relevant stakeholders for ensuring a transparent, fair, and orderly election process. (SBR)

Lahore (SBR): The Pakistan Cricket Board will hold an U17 Skills Development Camp at the High-Performance Centre in Faisalabad from Thursday, 30 July.A total of 48 players selected on the basis of their performances in the National Men’s U17 Cup have been invited to participate in the camp. The players will be divided into two groups of 24.In the first phase, the first group of 24 players will arrive on Wednesday, 29 July and will be split into two teams of 12 players each and will compete in four 50-over matches. The second group will subsequently follow the same format, with two teams of 12 players playing four 50-over matches.Following the completion of both phases, 30 players will be selected on the basis of their performances for a two-month High Performance Camp at the High-Performance Centre in Faisalabad.The programme will be conducted under the supervision of Ijaz Ahmed Jnr, Head Coach – High Performance Centre along with the supporting coaching staff.The initiative forms part of the PCB’s commitment to identifying and developing emerging talent at the age-group level. The camp will focus on enhancing the players’ technical, tactical, physical and mental skills, while further strengthening the pathway to the Pakistan U19 team.Team A:Ammar Khan, Hamid Raza, Hammad Khan, Hassan Ali, Humza Abbas Baloch, Mohammad Sanan, Muhammad Abdul Qadeer, Mohammad Asad Abdullah, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Ihsan, Mohammad Saqib Khan and QudratullahTeam B:Ali Akbar, Huzaifa Khan, Malik Khizar, Mohammad Naveed, Mohammad Noman Ijaz, Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, Mohammad Yousaf, Nafees Akhtar, Shahzaib Zafar, Sher Wali Khan, Taj Mohammad and Zaryan Ali KhanTeam C:Aliyan Qaiser, Amir Khan, Attaullah, Fahad Iqbal, Faiq Ali, Mohammad Abuzar, Mohammad Essa Baloch, Mohammad Usman, Raja Mohammad Jalal, Shahzil Farooqui, Sudias Ahmad and Ubaid UllahTeam D:Abdullah Ahmed Butt, Ali Khokhar, Arslan Hassan, Azan Ahmed, Daud Tauqir Rana, Hassan Ali, Ibrar Ahmed, Mohammad Haseeb, Mohammad Saim, Mohammad Zohaib, Saghir Ahmed and Said Imad Ali Shah

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan outclassed Kazakhstan 3-0 in their last league match of the Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA) Men's Volleyball Championship 2026 after showing an impressive performance here at the Liaquat Gymnasium, Pakistan Sports Complex on Monday. The final score-line was 15-23, 25-19 and 25-21.Uzbekistan Finish League Stage with Straight-Set Victory over NepalThe opening match of the day featured Uzbekistan against Nepal. Nepal challenged Uzbekistan strongly, particularly in the opening set, but Uzbekistan displayed greater consistency during the crucial moments to earn a comfortable victory.The first set proved to be highly competitive, with Uzbekistan narrowly edging Nepal 26-24. After taking the early lead, Uzbekistan gained momentum and controlled the remainder of the match with disciplined blocking, accurate serving, and powerful attacking volleyball. The final score-line was 26–24, 25–20 and 25–22. The victory strengthened Uzbekistan's position in the standings and secured qualification for the semi-finals.Bangladesh Produce Stunning Comeback to Defeat Sri LankaThe second match of the day produced another thrilling five-set encounter as Bangladesh recovered from two sets down to defeat Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka appeared to be heading for victory after winning the opening two closely contested sets 26-24 and 26-24. However, Bangladesh demonstrated remarkable fighting spirit, reducing the deficit by winning the third set before forcing a deciding fifth set with another impressive performance in the fourth.In the decisive set, Bangladesh maintained its composure under pressure and completed one of the tournament's finest comebacks. Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka 3–2 at 24–26, 24–26, 25–23, 25–21 and 15–12. The dramatic victory earned Bangladesh a place in the semi-finals and delighted spectators with one of the championship's most memorable matches.Results:Uzbekistan beat Nepal 3–0 (26–24, 25–20, 25–22)Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka 3–2 (24–26, 24–26, 25–23, 25–21, 15–12)Pakistan beat Kazakhstan 3–0 (25–23, 25–19, 25–21)Semi-Final Schedule – 28 July 20265th Place Classification Match – Match No. 16Nepal vs Kazakhstan at 10:30 AM1st Semi-Final – Match No. 17Pakistan vs Sri Lanka at 1:00 PM2nd Semi-Final – Match No. 18Bangladesh vs Uzbekistan 3:30 PM

Tarouba (PCB Report): Pakistan’s disciplined bowling attack restricted West Indies to 194 for three on a rain and bad-light-affected opening day of the first Test at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on Saturday.After West Indies elected to bat, experienced pacer Mohammad Abbas provided Pakistan with the early breakthrough, dismissing Brandon King for 12. King attempted to cut a delivery close to his body but dragged the ball onto his stumps, leaving the hosts at 13 for one.Only 14.1 overs were possible during the morning session due to rain, with West Indies reaching 23 for one at lunch. Pakistan’s seamers maintained tight lines and made scoring difficult in helpful conditions.Following the resumption, Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kavem Hodge added 51 runs for the second wicket before Aamir Jamal struck in his first over. Chanderpaul, who scored 21, edged a delivery outside off stump to Salman Ali Agha at second slip.Abbas then claimed his second wicket when Amir Jangoo was trapped leg-before for 21. The on-field decision was overturned after Pakistan captain Babar Azam opted for a successful review, reducing West Indies to 106 for three.Hodge, however, led the hosts’ recovery with an unbeaten 83 from 181 balls, including nine fours. He received valuable support from Shai Hope, who remained unbeaten on 39 as the pair added an unbroken 88 runs for the fourth wicket.Pakistan continued to maintain pressure throughout the final session, with Abbas, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Ali keeping the scoring rate under control. Test debutant Ali Usman also bowled 12 overs and conceded 34 runs.Play was called off after 67 overs due to bad light, with the hosts closing on 194 for three.Scores in brief (Day-1): West Indies 194-3, 67 overs (Kavem Hodge 83 not out, Shai Hope 39 not out, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 21, Amir Jangoo 21; Mohammad Abbas 2-44, Aamir Jamal 1-54)