Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Five players from ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 winners India have been selected for the Team of the Tournament after they beat New Zealand in a pulsating final. The Black Caps saw four members of their squad make the team, including Player of the Tournament Rachin Ravindra, with Mitchell Santner being named captain.Two players from Afghanistan also made the cut after the Asian nation won their first-ever ICC Men’s Champions Trophy match in their debut appearance. At the top of the order, Ravindra was an expected selection after he scored two centuries and topped the run-scoring charts with 263.His knock of 112 against Bangladesh was instrumental in seeing New Zealand over the line and his 108 in the semi-final against South Africa showed he is dangerous wherever he bats.He is joined by Ibrahim Zadran at the top of the order. The 23-year-old Afghan more than left his mark on the tournament, scoring a brilliant match-winning knock of 177 – the highest-ever Champions Trophy score - against England in the group stage.India’s Virat Kohli slots in at number three after he finished fifth in the run-scoring charts with 218 at an average of 54.50. Kohli made a memorable unbeaten century in his side’s group-stage win over Pakistan and a crucial 84 in the semi-final success over world champions Australia.Teammates Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul join him in the middle-order after impressive tournaments. Iyer was India’s top run-scorer, with two half-centuries helping him to 243 runs in total, while Rahul finished with an average of 140 thanks to unbeaten knocks of 42 and 34 in the semi-final and final respectively.New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips is selected at number six after a brilliant performance with the bat and in the field. His diving one-handed catch to dismiss Shubman Gill in the final was one of three iconic takes across the tournament, while the 28-year-old scored one half century against Pakistan and took two wickets against South Africa in the semi-final to go alongside an unbeaten 49.Azmatullah Omarzai is the second Afghan named in the team. The fast-bowling all-rounder had a fantastic tournament with both bat and ball and finishing with seven wickets at 20 and 126 runs at 42.00. Santner is named as team captain after finishing the tournament with nine wickets – the joint second-most – but more importantly picked them up at crucial times.His knack of taking potential game-changing wickets was evident in the final. With the help of a sublime Phillips catch, he removed Shubman Gill and followed it up with the wicket of Iyer. India’s Mohammed Shami caps a successful return from injury by being selected after finishing with nine wickets.Matt Henry unfortunately missed the final due to a shoulder injury he picked up in New Zealand’s semi-final win over South Africa but still finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10 at 16.70. The team is completed by Varun Chakravarthy, who took nine wickets in just three matches. He bowled his full allocation in all three matches he played and never went for more than 49. India’s Axar Patel was selected as 12th man.The selection panel consisted of commentators and former international players Ian Bishop, Simon Doull and Aaron Finch, Hindustan Times journalist Rasesh Mandani and ICC General Manager Events and Corporate Communications, Gaurav Saxena.ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Team of the Tournament: Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan), Virat Kohli (India), Shreyas Iyer (India), KL Rahul (wk-India), Glenn Phillips (New Zealand), Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan), Mitchell Santner (captain) (New Zealand), Mohammad Shami (India), Matt Henry (New Zealand), Varun Chakravarthy (India), Axar Patel (India).

Amad claims 5 wickets, PTV players overcome State Bank of Pakistan by 3 wickets in finalArsalan SheraziRAWALPINDI: On the fourth day, PTV chased the target of 153 runs, securing victory with 7 wickets down. In the first innings, State Bank of Pakistan was bowled out for 205 runs. PTV’s Mohammad Shehzad achieved a hat-trick, taking 5 wickets.PTV scored 317 runs in their first innings, gaining a 112-run lead. PTV’s Waqar Hussain and Muhammad Shehzad scored centuries in the first innings. Waqar Hussain scored 106, while Mohammad Shehzad remained unbeaten with 125 runs.In the second innings, State Bank of Pakistan was all out for 264 runs. PTV captain Imad Butt took 5 wickets. The five-day night final was played with a pink ball at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.  

Arsalan SheraziLahore: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Farooq Ahmed spoke to the media, discussing bilateral cricketing ties and future series.Expressing gratitude, Farooq Ahmed thanked Mohsin Naqvi for the invitation, stating, "Our cricket has progressed significantly." He further revealed that discussions between PCB and BCB included plans for white-ball series apart from the Future Tours Programme (FTP)."Both boards are actively engaged in scheduling upcoming series," Farooq Ahmed added, signaling positive developments in cricketing collaboration.Welcoming the BCB President to Lahore for the Champions Trophy semi-final, Mohsin Naqvi acknowledged Bangladesh’s support in hosting the tournament. "I appreciate BCB’s cooperation in organizing the Champions Trophy," he stated.Highlighting ongoing discussions over the past few weeks, the PCB Chairman assured that progress on bilateral series will be made soon.  

Lahore (PCB Report): Salman Ali Agha has been named Pakistan’s T20I captain, with Shadab Khan as vice-captain, for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from 16-26 March. Mohammad Rizwan will continue as ODI captain, with Salman serving as his deputy for the three 50-over matches scheduled at the backend of the tour from 29 March to 5 April.The decision to appoint Salman and Shadab as T20I captain and vice-captain, respectively, has been made with an eye on two major upcoming tournaments - the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (September 2025) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (February/March 2026). Salman previously led Pakistan in a T20I series against Zimbabwe last year, winning 2-1.As part of preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan is set to play a minimum of five T20Is in the ACC Asia Cup 2025 and three T20Is each against West Indies (away, July), Afghanistan (home, August), Ireland (home, September), South Africa (home, September/October), Sri Lanka (home, November) and Australia (home, January 2026).Mohammad Rizwan will continue leading the ODI side as Pakistan builds towards the ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup 2027, which will take place in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe in October/November 2027.T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman KhanODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim and Tayyab Tahir. A wicketkeeper/batter will be added to the ODI squad following the T20IsIn the T20I squad, there are three uncapped players – Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Ali – while Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali the two players who have yet to debut in ODIs. The four players have been rewarded for their impressive performances in the Champions One-Day and T20 Cups.In the Champions T20 Cup, Abdul Samad scored 115 runs at a strike-rate of 166.67 after aggregating 145 runs at a strike-rate of 122.88 in the Champions One-Day Cup. Likewise, Hasan Nawaz had a staller Champions T20 Cup, finishing as the second leading run-getter with 312 runs at a strike-rate of 142.47. Mohammad Ali with 22 wickets was the leading wicket-taker in Champions T20 Cup, while he took three wickets in the Champions One-Day Cup.Akif Javed has been selected in the ODI side after his seven wickets in five Champions One-Day Cup matches, while he took 15 wickets in the Champions T20 Cup.Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were not considered for either format on medical advice. Fakhar suffered a left lower intercostal muscle sprain during Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand, while Saim is recovering from a right ankle fracture sustained on the first day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa in January. Both are expected to be fully fit for the HBL Pakistan Super League 10, starting in Rawalpindi on 11 April 2025.Aqib Javed will continue as interim head coach for the New Zealand tour. His original term was until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but he has been asked to extend his tenure while the search for a permanent head coach begins. Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed as batting coach.Player Support Personnel: Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Aqib Javed (interim head coach), Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Mohammad Masroor (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saiman (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Butt (analyst), Irtiza Komail (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media and digital manager) and Sergio Basil Mullins (masseur).New Zealand tour schedule:16 Mar – first T20I, Hagley Oval, Christchurch18 Mar – second T20I, University Oval, Dunedin21 Mar – third T20I, Eden Park, Auckland23 Mar – fourth T20I, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui26 Mar – fifth T20I, Sky Stadium, Wellington29 Mar – first ODI, McLean Park, Napier2 Apr – second ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton5 Apr – third ODI, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The match officials for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 have been announced as India take on Australia and South Africa face New Zealand.New Zealander Chris Gaffaney and England’s Richard Illingworth will take charge of the first semi-final in Dubai between India and Australia, with Michael Gough serving as third umpire and Andy Pycroft on match referee duties.Illingworth continues in Dubai having overseen India’s Group A clash with New Zealand, while Gaffaney had been due to umpire Australia’s meeting with South Africa in Group B before the weather intervened.Then in the second semi-final in Lahore, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena will work alongside Australia’s Paul Reiffel as the on-field umpires for the clash between the Proteas and the Black Caps.Joel Wilson will be the third umpire, while Ranjan Madugalle is the match referee for this encounter.Dharmasena took charge of New Zealand’s win over Bangladesh in Group A, while Reiffel was in the middle when India beat Pakistan.Semi-Final 1: Dubai, India v AustraliaOn-field Umpires: Chris Gaffaney & Richard IllingworthThird Umpire: Michael GoughFourth Umpire: Adrian HoldstockMatch Referee: Andy PycroftSemi-Final 2: Lahore, South Africa v New ZealandOn-field Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena & Paul ReiffelThird Umpire: Joel WilsonFourth Umpire: Ahsan RazaMatch Referee: Ranjan Madugalle

Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: Former Test captain and wicketkeeper batter, Moin Khan has joined the Kashmir Premier League (KSL), as the preparations for the first edition of the prestigious T20 tournament are in full swing, the event will be played in Muzaffarabad, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi in May, June this year 2025. Moin joined the league as the Executive Director of Cricket Operations, the contract signing ceremony took place at a local hotel in Karachi, which was attended by former cricketers and KSL Chairman Masood Ahmed Khan among others. On this occasion, Moin Khan said:  “Kashmir Premier League will make Super League a big brand. The league will be successful when the players get money, the players will not have any problem in this league. Big players like Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi are also associated with this league, which suggests that the league will be on a large scale, a talent hunt program will also be organized for the league.”The players from the league will also be included in the Quetta Gladiators team. Kashmir Supreme League Chairman Masood Ahmad Khan said in his speech, "Legendary players have been included in the league to make it successful. It will be very beneficial to have Wasim Akram, Shahid Afridi and Moin Khan. The aim of the league is to bring forward the talented players. It is also to show the positive face of Kashmir to the world." At the end of the ceremony, the agreement for the sale of franchise Kotli Kings was also signed. 

Rawalpindi to host 11 matches, defending champions Islamabad United to face Lahore Qalandars in opening fixtureSports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host 11 matches, as the defending champions Islamabad United will take on Lahore Qalandars on April 11, 2025 in the opening fixture of the HBL PSL 10 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The six-team tournament will see 34 matches from 11 April to 18 May, with Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium set to host 13 matches, including two Eliminators and the final.Also, the upcoming edition will feature an exhibition match, which will be played on 8 April in Peshawar. The teams of the match will be confirmed in due course. For HBL PSL X, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host 11 matches, including Qualifier 1 on 13 May. Karachi’s National Bank Stadium and Multan Cricket Stadium will host five matches each. The marquee event will also feature three double-headers, with two matches on weekends (Saturday) and one on a national holiday (Labour Day).Karachi Kings –winners of the league’s fifth edition, will begin their campaign on 12 April in their own backyard against runners up of the last edition, Multan Sultans.Multan Sultans’ – the winners of the sixth edition, will face Lahore Qalandars on 22 April – the first HBL PSL X match hosted by Multan Cricket Stadium.The newly constructed Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium will welcome the tenth edition of the HBL PSL on 24 April with home side Qalandars, winners of the seventh and eighth editions taking on Peshawar Zalmi.Peshawar Zalmi, champions of the HBL PSL 2017 will play their five matches at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the winners of the fourth edition, Quetta Gladiators will play five matches at the Gaddafi Stadium.HBL PSL Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer: “We are thrilled to officially announce the schedule for the historic 10th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League. Over the past decade, the HBL PSL has grown into a globally recognised tournament, showcasing the best of Pakistan’s cricketing talent. The fans in this year’s tournament will not only see high-profile international cricketers but will also witness 34 high-octane matches across four major cities—Karachi, Lahore, Multan, and Rawalpindi. As part of our commitment to expanding the reach of the HBL PSL, we are delighted to host an exhibition match in Peshawar before the start of the tournament, which is a significant step in bringing top-tier cricket to Peshawar, a city with a deep-rooted love for the game. We remain dedicated to enhancing the experience for players, fans, and stakeholders, who have witnessed some breathtaking contests in the league over the years.”HBL PSL X schedule (April 11 to May 18, 2025):11 April – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium12 April – Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium; Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans, National Bank Stadium, Karachi13 April – Quetta Gladiators v Lahore Qalandars, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium14 April – Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium15 April – Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars, National Bank Stadium, Karachi16 April – Islamabad United v Multan Sultans, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium18 April – Karachi Kings v Quetta Gladiators, National Bank Stadium, Karachi19 April – Peshawar Zalmi v Multan Sultans, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium20 April – Karachi Kings v Islamabad United, National Bank Stadium, Karachi21 April – Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi, National Bank Stadium, Karachi22 April – Multan Sultans v Lahore Qalandars, Multan Cricket Stadium23 April – Multan Sultans v Islamabad United, Multan Cricket Stadium24 April – Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore25 April – Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore26 April – Lahore Qalandars v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore27 April – Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore29 April – Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore30 April – Lahore Qalandars v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore1 May – Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings, Multan Cricket Stadium; Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore2 May – Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore3 May – Quetta Gladiators v Islamabad United, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore4 May – Lahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore5 May – Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Cricket Stadium7 May – Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium8 May – Peshawar Zalmi v Karachi Kings, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium9 May – Peshawar Zalmi v Lahore Qalandars, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium10 May – Multan Sultans v Quetta Gladiators, Multan Cricket Stadium; Islamabad United v Karachi Kings, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium13 May – Qualifier 1, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium14 May – Eliminator 1, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore16 May – Eliminator 2, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore18 May – Final, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Abdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: New Zeeland posted a comprehensive triumph by 5 wickets against Bangladesh to confirm their berth in the top-four stage of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Monday. Result of the Group match disappointed hosts Pakistan, as they were officially ousted from title race.This was a game that Najmul Hossain Shanto's team had to win to stay alive. But they batted like that was just too much trouble. Bangladesh started at nearly a run a ball. But 10 of the next 15 overs went for three runs or fewer. Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah fell from the pressure created in this period. A combined 511 matches' worth of experience was only good for 6 runs in a do-or-die game. Their wickets left Shanto with no way forward. He kept having to readjust to a new partner, to a new match situation and in the end produced a staccato innings of 77 off 110. He could've done better. The others should've done better.Taskin Ahmed and Nahid Rana raised Bangladesh's hopes with a fiery opening spell, rattling Will Young's stumps in the first over and snaring Williamson for a rare single-digit score. The infield was richly populated at that point. The whole atmosphere was buzzing, the crowd also getting in the act. Into this walked Ravindra. One of the best things about his batting is his touch. It's so pure. Down at No. 4 - he was brought into the XI to replace an ill Daryl Mitchell - there was possibly a risk that he wouldn't be able to take full toll of that. But as luck would have it, he began his innings within the field restrictions and that meant he could profit from his timing. His first five fours were all about finding the gap because his timing always took care of the rest.Ravindra had to wait 11 overs since the field spread to find his next boundary but that didn't mean he was stagnant. His first 23 runs came off 21 balls with five fours. His next 28 runs came off 29 balls with one four. There was one chance in between all that. A mix-up with his Wellington team-mate Devon Conway could have resulted in him being run-out had Tanzid Hasan been able to get a direct hit in the 12th over.Bangladesh weren't able to take their chances. New Zealand did. Williamson did have a hand in proceedings here, picking up smart catches at short midwicket and cover. Michael Bracewell, after wrapping up an uninterrupted 10-over spell, ran 30 yards to his right to pick up a diving catch that probably wasn't even his. But he decided to take charge and it worked.Bracewell contributed 43 of 178 dot balls that plagued Bangladesh. You have to go back to 2012 to find an innings they'd paced quite so poorly. Rotating strike was a struggle and the avenues they chose to get out of that weren't ideal. Perhaps the pitch was too slow in the afternoon to be able to work the ball into gaps. Mushfiqur made a play against Bracewell but he couldn't clear the long boundary with his slog sweep. Bangladesh were 106 for 4 in the 23rd over. At a time when consolidation was actually needed, Mahmudullah made an ill-advised trip down the track and skewed a leading edge to cover.Bracewell contributed to his success by slowing his pace down. Bangladesh contributed considerably more. They exit the tournament having faced more than 50 overs of dot balls. Their decision-making left them so short on batting resources that they had Taskin on strike for the 45th over and it ended up as a maiden. The Black Caps had pulled off another flex, earlier when they had only three fielders, instead of the five allowed, on the boundary in the 40th over.New Zealand went into the chase knowing all they needed were a couple of partnerships and New Zealand got them. Ravindra put on 57 runs with Conway and then 129 with Tom Latham, who is so good at that middle-order crisis manage role. You can totally imagine him side-kicking whoever leads the earth's remaining population at the end of a zombie apocalypse. First things first though, there's an ICC trophy up for grabs.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): India beat Pakistan by six wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday evening to qualify for the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy. Tonight was Pakistan’s second defeat in as many matches in the tournament after they went down to New Zealand in the opening match by 60 runs.After opting to bat first, Pakistan were dismissed for 241 in 49.4 overs. Saud Shakeel coming to bat at number three top-scored for the side with a 76-ball 62, which included five boundaries. Captain Mohammad Rizwan was other notable run-getter, scoring 46 off 108 balls, hitting three fours. For India, left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav took three wickets, while Hardik Pandya bagged two wickets.In turn, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten century led India to a six-wicket win with 45 balls to spare. Kohli’s innings included seven fours, which came off 111 balls faced. Shreyas Iyer (56, 67b, 5x4s, 1x6) and Shubman Gill (46, 52b, 7x4s) were other contributors with the bat. For Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed two wickets, while Abrar Ahmed and Khushdil Shah snapped a wicket each.Pakistan will now play Bangladesh in their final group match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, 27 February.Scores in brief:India beat Pakistan by six wicketsPakistan 241 all out, 49.4 overs (Saud Shakeel 62, Mohammad Rizwan 46, Khushdil Shah 38; Kuldeep Yadav 3-40, Hardik Pandya 2-31)India 244-4, 42.3 overs (Virat Kohli 100 not out, Shreyas Iyer 56, Shubman Gill 46; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-74)Player of the match – Virat Kohli (India)  

Our CorrespondentLAHORE: England Men have confirmed their XI for their opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy against Australia on Saturday in Lahore.Jamie Smith returns to the side, batting at No.3 and taking the gloves as wicketkeeper. Jofra Archer is selected alongside fellow seamers Brydon Carse and Mark Wood.England XI: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (C), Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood