Sports Bulletin

Rawalpindi (Sports Reporter): Pakistan is set to host Sri Lanka for a three-match T20I and two-match World Test Championship series, while in between the two series, England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will also play a One-Day International tri-series. The match officials’ panel for these upcoming 12 international matches from 9 October to 21 November have been announced today. Jeffrey Crowe, member of ICC’s Elite Panel of match referees and former New Zealand Test cricketer, will lead the playing control team in all the seven matches of the showpiece ODI tri-series from 18 to 31 October in Rawalpindi and Lahore. Crowe made his Test debut as referee in October 2004 in Faisalabad Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.The New Zealander completed 350 ODI matches and also became just the second person to officiate 700 international matches as referee earlier this month. Pakistan’s Ahsan Raza and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid from Bangladesh – both members of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, along with ICC International Panel Umpires including Wayne Knights from New Zealand, Asif Yaqoob, Nasir Hussain, Rashid Riaz Waqar and Faisal Khan Aafreedi will carry out umpiring duties in the ODI tri-series. Knights, who will add to his tally of 37 ODIs as Umpire, will partner with Asif in first match of the tri-series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka as on-field umpire. Ahsan, who will officiate the last two matches of the ODI tri-series as on-field umpire, will be accompanied by Sharfuddoula in Sri Lanka v England match in Lahore before standing in the field with Knights in the final. Faisal, Rashid and Nasir will be on-field umpires for one match each in the tri-series, while Asif will stand in two. Sharfuddoula and Knights will take turns as third umpire throughout the tri-series with the former starting in the series opener. Former English first-class cricketer and member of ICC’s Emerging Match Referees Group Dean Cosker will lead the playing control team for the first time in Tests when Sri Lanka and Pakistan face each other in Rawalpindi and Lahore. He has so far officiated 16 ODIs, 17 T20Is, three WODIs and six WT20Is after starting his career in October 2024. ICC Elite Panel of Umpires members Adrian Holdstock, Allahuddien Palekar – both from South Africa - and Rodney Tucker from Australia will carry out duties as on-field umpires in the two Tests. In the first match in Rawalpindi, Holdstock and Tucker will be on-field umpires, while Palekar will join Holdstock in the second Test. Palekar will be the third umpire in first Test, while Tucker will carry out the third umpire duties in second. Faisal Aafreedi and Asif Yaqoob will be fourth umpires in first and second Test, respectively. In the three-match T20I series scheduled on 9, 11 and 13 October, ICC International Match Referee Ali Naqvi will lead the playing control team. In the first match Rashid Riaz and Nasir Hussain will be on-field umpires, while Faisal Aafreedi will stand with Nasir in the second. Rashid will join Faisal in the third on-field. Faisal, Rashid and Nasir will be third umpires, respectively in the three T20Is, while Tariq Rasheed – PCB National Elite Panel Umpire – will be fourth umpire in all three T20Is. Match officials list:Pakistan v Sri Lanka T20I series Umpires - Faisal Khan Aafreedi, Nasir Hussain, Rashid Riaz Waqar, Tariq RasheedMatch Referee – Ali Naqvi ODI tri-series – Pakistan, England, Sri Lanka Umpires – Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Khan Aafreedi, Nasir Hussain, Rashid Riaz Waqar, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Wayne KnightsMatch Referee – Jeffrey Crowe Three-day practice match at Islamabad ClubUmpires – Ahsan Raza and Abdul Moqeet, Zulfiqar JanReferee – Kamran Chaudhary Pakistan v Sri Lanka Test series Umpires – Adrian Holdstock, Allahuddien Palekar, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Khan Aafreedi, Rodney TuckerMatch Referee – Dean Cosker Match-by-match appointments: 9 October - 1st T20I – Rawalpindi - Rashid Riaz Waqar and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires), Faisal Khan Aafreedi (third umpire)11 October - 2nd T20I – Rawalpindi - Faisal Khan Aafreedi and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz Waqar (third umpire)13 October – 3rd T20I – Rawalpindi - Faisal Khan Aafreedi and Rashid Riaz Waqar (on-field umpires), Nasir Hussain (third umpire)18 October – 1st ODI – Rawalpindi – Wayne Knights and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (third umpire), Faisal Khan Aafreedi (fourth umpire), Jeffrey Crowe (match referee)20 October – 2nd ODI – Rawalpindi - Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and Faisal Khan Aafreedi (on-field umpires), Wayne Knights (third umpire), Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire), Jeffrey Crowe (match referee)22 October – 3rd ODI – Rawalpindi – Wayne Knights and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (third umpire) Faisal Khan Aafreedi (fourth umpire), Jeffrey Crowe (match referee)25 October – 4th ODI – Lahore – Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and Rashid Riaz Waqar (on-field umpires), Wayne Knights (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Jeffrey Crowe (match referee)27 October – 5th ODI – Lahore - Wayne Knights and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires), Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (third umpire), Rashid Riaz Waqar (fourth umpire), Jeffrey Crowe (match referee)29 October – 6th ODI – Lahore – Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Wayne Knights (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (fourth umpire), Jeffrey Crowe (match referee)31 October – tri-series final - Lahore – TBC v TBC – Wayne Knights and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (third umpire), Rashid Riaz Waqar (fourth umpire), Jeffrey Crowe (match referee)4-6 November – Three-day practice match – Islamabad – Ahsan Raza and Abdul Moqeet (on-field umpires), Zulfiqar Jan (fourth umpire), Kamran Chaudhary (match referee)9-13 November – 1st Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Rawalpindi – Adrian Holdstock and Rodney Tucker (on-field umpires), Allahuddien Palekar (third umpire), Faisal Khan Aafreedi (fourth umpire), Dean Cosker (match referee)17-21 November – 2nd Test – Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Lahore - Adrian Holdstock and Allahuddien Palekar (on-field umpires), Rodney Tucker (third umpire), Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire), Dean Cosker (match referee).

Lahore (Sports Reporter): Azan Ahmed has been named captain of Pakistan U17 squad that will take on Sri Lanka U17 in a bilateral series scheduled to take place in Multan next month.The series consists of one three-day match and five one-day matches, all set to be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium from 9 to 24 October. Sri Lanka will arrive on Monday, 5 October while both sides will practice at the stadium from 6 to 8 October.17-year-old Azan represented Rawalpindi U17 in the National Men’s U17 Cup held earlier this year. The right-arm leg-spinner took 36 wickets in eight matches with four for 28 his best figures in an innings during the two-day tournament. He also led his side to the title as Rawalpindi defeated Abbottabad by 125 runs in the final held at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 11-13 May.Following the tournament, 48 players were called up for the U17 Skills Development Camp which was held in Faisalabad from 30 July. Among the 48 players, 30 players were later shortlisted to take part in the second phase of the camp.All 16 players alongside four reserve players selected for the series had featured in National Men’s U17 Cup.16-member squad:Azan Ahmed (captain), Abdullah Ahmed Butt, Arsalan Hassan (wk), Daud Tauqeer Rana, Fahad Iqbal, Hamid Raza, Hamza Abbas Baloch, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Essa Baloch, Mohammad Ihsaan, Mohammad Naveed, Mohammad Saim, Mohammad Yaqoob Khan, Mohammad Yousaf, Sher Wali Khan and Sudais AhmedReserve players:Ammar Khan, Imad Ali Shah, Nafees Akhtar and Saqib KhanSeries schedule (all matches at Multan Cricket Stadium):5 Oct – Sri Lanka U17 arrival6-8 Oct – Pakistan U17 and Sri Lanka U17 teams training at MCS9-11 Oct – Only Three-Day match15 Oct – First One-Day17 Oct – Second One-Day19 Oct – Third One-Day21 Oct – Fourth One-Day24 Oct – Fifth One-Day

Kuwait (Sports News): The DP World ILT20 Development Tournament Kuwait 2026 officially got underway with a prestigious Trophy Unveiling Ceremony, bringing together dignitaries, participating teams, players, match officials, families and supporters as excitement builds ahead of the tournament.The ceremony was hosted by Harman Sahni, who welcomed the participating teams and distinguished guests, including Mr. Emad Al Jassam, General Secretary, Kuwait Cricket Board, and Mr. Sajid Ashraf, Executive Director & Strategic Partner, DP World ILT20.Following the National Anthem of the State of Kuwait, Mr. Emad Al Jassam and Mr. Sajid Ashraf officially unveiled the tournament trophy, marking an important milestone ahead of the start of the competition.Addressing the players and guests, Emad Al Jassam expressed his appreciation to the Public Authority for Sport in Kuwait and Kuwait Cricket Board President Mr. Haider Farman for their leadership and continued support. He also congratulated the DP World ILT20 leadership team on the League’s continued success and its commitment to creating opportunities for emerging cricket talent.Sajid Ashraf extended his heartfelt appreciation to the visionary Chairman of DP World ILT20, Mr. Khalid Al Zarooni, and the dynamic League Commissioner, Mr. Mubashshir Usmani, along with the entire DP World ILT20 team, for their continued leadership, guidance and support.Emad Al Jassam and Sajid Ashraf also extended their best wishes ahead of the DP World ILT20 Player Auction, scheduled for 1 October 2026 in Dubai, followed by DP World ILT20 Season 5, from 21 November to 20 December 2026.The ceremony highlighted the growing opportunities being created for emerging cricket talent through the Development Tournament and acknowledged the tireless efforts of the entire Kuwait Cricket management team in contributing to the continued growth and global reach of the DP World ILT20 brand.The four team captains — Meet Bhavsar (Failaka Guardians), Mohamed Aslam (Boubyan Warriors), Yasin Patel (Kuwait Falcons) and Ali Zaheer (Pearl Strikers) — joined the dignitaries for the ceremonial cake cutting, followed by an exclusive captains’ photo shoot with the coveted trophy.The ceremony concluded with a series of official photographs featuring the captains, participating teams and Kuwait Cricket Board management.With the trophy unveiled and the teams ready for action, the stage is now set for an exciting chapter of competitive cricket in Kuwait.The DP World ILT20 Development Tournament Kuwait 2026 promises to shine a spotlight on emerging talent, provide players with a platform to showcase their abilities, and further strengthen the pathway between Kuwait cricket and one of the world’s leading T20 leagues.#KuwaitCricket | #AllInForCricket | #WhereTheWorldPlays

Lahore (Sports Reporter): Sri Lanka U17 will travel to Pakistan next month to take part in a bilateral series against Pakistan U17, the PCB announced today. During the tour, both sides will play one three-day and five one-day matches.All matches will be staged at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan from 9 to 24 October.Sri Lanka U17 will arrive in Multan on Monday, 5 October and both sides will take part in practice sessions from 6 to 8 October at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The three-day match will then take place at the same venue from 9 to 11 October.Following the three-day match, Pakistan U17 will play five one-day matches against Sri Lanka U17 from 15 to 24 October.Currently, the U17 players are taking part in a Skills Development Camp, which commenced in Faisalabad on Thursday, 30 July. Earlier this year, the PCB also hosted the National U17 Cup in Faisalabad, which was won by Rawalpindi U17 Region.Series schedule (all matches at Multan Cricket Stadium):5 Oct – Sri Lanka U17 arrival6-8 Oct – Pakistan U17 and Sri Lanka U17 teams training at MCS9-11 Oct – Only Three-Day match15 Oct – First One-Day17 Oct – Second One-Day19 Oct – Third One-Day21 Oct – Fourth One-Day24 Oct – Fifth One-Day

Dubai (Sports Reporter): Seasoned batter Harpreet Singh Bhatia will lead UAE in the three-match T20I series against hosts Malaysia. The series begins on Monday, 14 September. The second and third matches of the series will be played on Wednesday 16 September and Thursday 17 September. All series matches will be held at the Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur with the first ball to be bowled at 10:00am local time. *UAE’s 15-member squad – Malaysia T20I series:* Harpreet Singh Bhatia (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Adeeb Usmani, Akshdeep Nath, Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma, Haider Ali, Ibrar Ahmed, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Shahdad, Rahul Chopra, Sohaib Khan and Tanish Suri.*Support Staff:* Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Stanley Chioza (fielding coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manpreet Sidhu (video analyst) and Manish Pardeshi (physiotherapist). *Malaysia vs UAE T20I Series – match schedule (Local time – Kuala Lumpur):*First T20I – Monday 14 September – Malaysia vs UAE – 10:00am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala LumpurSecond T20I –Wednesday, 16 September – Malaysia vs UAE – 10:00am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala LumpurThird T2oI – Thursday, 17 September – Malaysia vs UAE – 10:00am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur 

Dubai (Sports Reprter): The International League T20 Management has appointed Mike Fordham as Interim Chief Operating Officer. Fordham has been the league’s Head of Operations since the inception of the tournament 2022.Fordham has taken over the role with immediate effect and will spearhead the execution of DP World ILT20 Season 5, which will be played in November-December this year. In a career spanning two decades, Fordham has accumulated rich experience – specialising in sporting, governance and commercial set-up of new leagues, competitions and franchises.*Interim Chief Operating Officer DP World ILT20 Mike Fordham:* “It is a real honour to have been given the task to spearhead the DP World ILT20 Season 5 execution. The DP World ILT20 has grown into one of the top T20 tournaments. The league is known for top-class cricketing action at three world-class venues.“This year’s edition will be bigger and better. We are all excited about the upcoming DP World ILT20 Development Tournament – an incredible platform for young UAE players to make a claim for the main event later in the year. Some of the biggest T20 stars have signed up for the DP World ILT20 Player Auction which further exemplifies the league’s stature and reputation as a competition that attracts the very best in the business.”

Kabul (Sports News):: The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirms that Afghanistan will host Bangladesh and Zimbabwe for an extensive international cricket schedule in the United Arab Emirates during October and November 2026, featuring a one-off Test against Bangladesh, an ODI Tri-Nation Series involving all three teams, a three-match T20I series followed by a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe.

Anjum ShakeelDubai (UAE): The third season of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) will be played from October 3 to 18, 2026, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).According to an official, former Australia opener David Warner, India’s World Cup-winning all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, South African batting legend AB de Villiers and former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo are among the high-profile names set to return to competitive action.The tournament will be expanded to seven teams this year with the inclusion of Bangladesh Champions for the first time. The participating sides are Pakistan Champions, India Champions, Australia Champions, South Africa Champions, West Indies Champions, England Champions and Bangladesh Champions.The 16-day T20 tournament is expected to attract huge interest from cricket fans, particularly with the prospect of another clash between traditional rivals Pakistan and India.With several legendary players returning to the field and Bangladesh joining the competition, WCL 2026 is expected to deliver an exciting mix of nostalgia, rivalry and high-quality T20 cricket.

Mohammad RizwanLondon (UK):: The Pakistan Cricket Board has today announced that seven players have been released from the Test squad following completion of the Lord’s Test. The players include Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Ali Usman, Aamir Jamal, Muhammad Awais Zafar and Khurram Shahzad. A total of seven replacements have been named including five uncapped players at Test level and two capped players. Among the players announced as replacements, batters Saim Ayub and Abdullah Fazal have played eight and two Tests, respectively, while left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder Arafat Minhas has represented Pakistan in three ODIs and four T20Is. The four other players are left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran Jnr, wicketkeeper-batter and player of the tournament of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 Saad Baig, right-arm pace bowling all-rounders Mohammad Imran (also known as Imran Randhawa) and Razaullah. The players will join the Pakistan squad ahead of the third Test against England. Additionally, Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul have also been released and will be replaced by Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke in the backroom staff.Updated Test squad for Birmingham Test: Babar Azam (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicket-keeper) Saim Ayub, Sajid Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah

Lahore (Sports News):The Pakistan Cricket Board has today announced the 15-member Pakistan men’s U19 squad for the tour of England starting 2 September with a solitary Youth Test match at the Arundel Castle Cricket Ground.Right-handed batter Farhan Yousaf, who led Pakistan to ACC U19 Asia Cup title win in December last year, is set to lead Pakistan U19 team on the tour, which also includes four Youth ODIs between Pakistan and England.The squad includes a quartet of pacers – Mohammad Sayyam, Abdul Subhan, Rizwanullah and Umar Zaib along with the spin duo of left-arm wrist-spinner Mohammad Huzaifa and left-arm spinner Niqab Shafiq. Aliyan Salman, Ahmad Hussain, Jahangir Bilal and Hayam Khan are set to provide the squad with all-round support.Hamza Zahoor and Abdul Qadir are the two wicketkeepers in the squad, while apart from Farhan, Usman Khan and Hasnain Abbas Dar are the designated batters.Pakistan U19 team took part in a pre-tour training camp at the National Cricket Academy and concluded it with a two-day red-ball intra-squad match on Tuesday. The contingent will depart for England on Sunday, 30 August from Lahore. Among the players, Farhan, Subhan, Ahmad, Hamza, Sayyam, Huzaifa, Niqab, Umar and Usman have already represented Pakistan U19, while the remaining players are in line to make their debut for the team.Shahid Anwar will be the head coach of Pakistan U19 team, while he will be supported by Rao Iftikhar Anjum (fast bowling coach), Zohaib Khan (spin bowling coach) and Humayun Farhat (fielding coach).15-member squad:Farhan Yousaf (captain), Abdul Qadir (wk), Abdul Subhan, Ahmad Hussain, Aliyan Salman, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Hasnain Abbas Dar, Hayam Khan, Jahangir Bilal, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Huzaifa, Niqab Shafiq, Rizwanullah, Umar Zaib and Usman KhanNon-travelling reserves:Abbas Afridi, Ali Hasnain Badshah, Farhanullah, Hassan Khan and Ibtisam AzharSupport Staff:Shahid Anwar (head coach), Rao Iftikhar Anjum (fast bowling coach), Zohaib Khan (spin bowling coach), Humayun Farhat (fielding coach), Ubaid Ullah (physiotherapist), Ibrar Ahmed (trainer) and Ali Hamza (performance analyst) Only Youth Test – 2-5 September ODI Matches: 1st Youth ODI – 9 September – Arundel2nd Youth ODI – 12 September – Guildford3rd Youth ODI – 14 September – Wormsley4th Youth ODI – 16 September – Wormsley