Cricket
Rawalpindi Test: Sri Lanka occupy driving seat, Dhananjaya and Kusal Hit Centuries
Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Sri Lanka strengthened their position in the Rawalpindi Test on the third day, reaching 404 for 4 at stumps in their first innings, just 30 runs behind Pakistan's total of 434. The visitors have six wickets remaining and are in a commanding position heading into the fourth day.Bad light once again disrupted play, forcing an early close with 23 overs remaining. A total of 70 overs have now been lost due to poor light over the first three days of the Test. Pakistan's bowlers managed to claim just one wicket on the third day.Dhananjaya de Silva remained unbeaten on 167, while captain Kusal Mendis was not out on 117. The pair built an outstanding unbroken fifth-wicket partnership of 249 runs, putting Sri Lanka in a strong position.Earlier, Kamindu Mendis scored 58, Lahiru Udara contributed 42, Dinesh Chandimal managed just one run, while Pasindu Sooriyabandara was dismissed for a duck. For Pakistan, Mohammad Abbas and Shakib Khan picked up two wickets each.Pakistan had declared their first innings at 434 for 9, leaving Sri Lanka just 30 runs short of taking the lead as the match heads into the fourth day.
ICC congratulates umpire Paul Reiffel for officiating in 100 ODIs
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated Paul Reiffel of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires for completing a century of One Day Internationals as an on-field umpire at the third ODI between New Zealand and India in Hamilton on Tuesday. Reiffel has become the 23rd umpire to stand in at least 100 ODIs and the sixth Australian to do so after Daryl Harper, Simon Taufel, Darrell Hair, Steve Davis and Rod Tucker.ICC General Manager – Events and Cricket Operations, Gaurav Saxena said: “The ICC is fortunate to have an esteemed panel of umpires who bring a wealth of experience and understanding of the game, both as former players and officials. Paul is a great example of that journey.“Having played at the highest level of international cricket, he has successfully transitioned into umpiring and established himself as one of the most respected officials in the game. His 13 years on the Elite Panel speak volumes about his consistency, professionalism and the high standards he has maintained.“On behalf of the ICC, I congratulate Paul on reaching the significant milestone of 100 ODIs as an umpire and wish him continued success in the years ahead.”Paul Reiffel said: “I am grateful to the ICC and Cricket Australia for their support over the years, and to my colleagues on the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires and Referees for the great camaraderie and advice along the way.“I would also like to thank my family and friends for always being there for me and for their constant support and encouragement. It has been a wonderful journey to be involved in the game at the highest level, first as a cricketer and then as an umpire, and I feel fortunate to have had these opportunities.“I look forward to being part of many more matches and making many more memories in the years ahead.”Reifel was named in Australia’s national umpire panel in 2005, six years after his final international appearance and in 2008 became the first former Australian Test cricketer to be appointed to the ICC International Panel of Umpires. He was promoted to the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in June 2013.Reiffel’s first ODI as an umpire was between Australia and New Zealand in Melbourne in February 2009 and he has stood at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cups in 2015, 2019 and 2023. He has also officiated in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in the 2017 and 2025 editions. Reiffel and Kumar Dharmasena of Sri Lanka are the only two men to have both played in and umpired in 90 ODIs.
Tickets for second Test to go on sale from Thursday
Rawalpindi (Sports Reporter): Tickets for the second Test of the two-match series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka will go on sale on Thursday, 12 November from 3pm onwards. The second Test, which was rescheduled from Lahore to Rawalpindi will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 17 to 21 November.Tickets will be available at designated TCS Express Centres (infographic attached).Pakistan and Sri Lanka are currently playing the first Test at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Both Tests are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.To facilitate cricket fans, tickets for all five days of the second Test will be available for PKR 200 in all enclosures, including the VIP enclosure.Tickets for the PCB Gallery, located in the main building, will be available for PKR 800 (per person/ per day) for all five days of the Test match.Fans can also purchase seats in the Platinum Box for PKR 8,000 (per person/ per day) on all five days of the second Test.
ACC U19 Asia Cup: Pakistan beat Nepal by 101 runs to reach semifinals
Oman (Sports Report): Defending champions Pakistan U19 continued their unbeaten run in the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2026, registering a comprehensive 101-run win over Nepal U19 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Tuesday.With three wins from as many matches, Pakistan finished at the top of Group ‘A’ and secured their place in the semi-finals, where they will face Bangladesh U19 in the first semi-final on Thursday, 12 November. After being put into bat, Pakistan posted a competitive 275 for seven in their allotted 50 overs, courtesy of impressive half-centuries from Ahmed Hussain and captain Farhan Yousaf.Left-handed batter Ahmed top-scored with a quick-fire 89 off 73 balls, striking seven fours and two sixes, while Farhan contributed a valuable 74 off 95 balls, including six fours and three sixes. The pair rescued Pakistan from 64 for three, adding 135 runs for the fourth wicket to lay the foundation for a challenging total. Hasnain Abbas Dar provided late impetus with a brisk 25 off 23 balls. For Nepal, Bipin Sharma took three wickets for 58 runs.In turn, Nepal were dismissed for 174 in 43.4 overs. Ahmed completed an all-round performance, returning impressive figures of four for 35 in 10 overs. Mohammad Huzaifa and Mohammad Sayyam took two wickets apiece. For Nepal, Rohit Chand top-scored with 37.Scores in brief:Pakistan U19 275-7, 50 overs (Ahmed Hussain 89, Farhan Yousaf 74; Bipin Sharma 3-58)Nepal U19 174 all out, 43.4 overs (Rohit Chand 37, Niraj Kumar Yadav 29; Ahmed Hussain 4-35, Mohammad Sayyam 2-27)Player of the match – Ahmed Hussain (Pakistan U19).
Sri Lanka Reach 114/3 After Pakistan Declare First Innings at 434/9 on Day Two
Islamabad (Sports News): Sri Lanka reached 114 for three at stumps on the second day of the first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi after play was called off 25.5 overs early due to bad light.Sri Lanka still trail Pakistan by 320 runs, with seven wickets remaining in their first innings.Earlier, Pakistan declared their first innings at 434 for nine, with Saud Shakeel narrowly missing out on a century after scoring an impressive 93 runs. Mohammad Tayyab Arif contributed 57, Arafat Minhas 52, Mohammad Taha 51 and Babar Azam 50. Ghazi Ghori scored 48, while Azan Awais made 30, Salman Ali Agha 16 and Razaullah 10. Saqib Khan remained unbeaten without scoring.For Sri Lanka, Asitha Fernando and Dilshan Madushanka claimed three wickets each, while Milan Rathnayake, Lahiru Kumara and Sonal Dinusha picked up one wicket apiece.In reply, Sri Lanka got off to a shaky start as Pakistan's bowlers made early inroads. Opener Pasindu Sooriyabandara was dismissed for a duck at a total of seven, caught behind by wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori off Mohammad Abbas.Sri Lanka suffered their second setback at 12 when Dinesh Chandimal departed for just one run, caught by Salman Ali Agha at slip off Saqib Khan.The visitors lost their third wicket at 65 as Lahiru Udara was caught behind by Ghazi Ghori off Saqib Khan after scoring 42.At stumps, Kamindu Mendis was unbeaten on 40, while Dhananjaya de Silva was batting on 22.Saqib Khan took two wickets, while Mohammad Abbas claimed one for Pakistan as the hosts remained in a strong position at the end of the second day's play.
Qalandars appoints Aminul Islam as Advisor to the franchise’s High-Performance Centres.
Lahore (Sports Reporter): Lahore Qalandars have appointed former Bangladesh captain Aminul Islam as Advisor to the franchise’s High-Performance Centres.In his advisory role, Islam will provide input on the development of the Qalandars’ High-Performance Centres, with an emphasis on player development, coaching practices and opportunities for young cricketers to progress in the game.Through this appointment, Lahore Qalandars aim to draw on Islam’s experience of working across in its outreach to Bangladesh landscape in growth of cricket and support their ongoing efforts in player development.Islam brings experience in both international cricket and cricket development. He served as Cricket Development Manager, Asia, at the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 2015 to 2025 and as Cricket Development Officer at the Asian Cricket Council. He also served as President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board. During his playing career, he represented Bangladesh from 1988 to 2002 and captained the national team at the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
Rawalpindi Test, Pakistan make 281 runs in 67.2 overs against Sri Lanka
Tayyab Arif, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Taha, and Babar Azam hit half-centuriesAbdul Jabbar FaisalRAWALPINDI: Four half centuries, Tayyab Arif (57), Saud Shakeel (57 not out), Mohammad Taha (51), and Babar Azam (50), were vital small innings for the hosts batters to put 281 runs on board in 67.2 overs against Sri Lanka on the opening day of the first Test match at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Monday, as the bad light forced officials to halt the game before completing the 90 overs of day. Pakistani unbeaten batters, Saud Shakeel and Ghazi Ghori, will resume their first inning on Tuesday.Four lucky guys, Tayyab Arif, Mohammad Taha, Arafat Minhas, and Saqib Khan, were honoured with green caps before starting the game at Pindi stadium. After Sri Lanka opted to field first, right-handed opening batter Tayyab provided Pakistan with an aggressive start, smashing 57 off just 51 balls, including nine fours and a six. He added 86 runs for the opening wicket with Azan Awais, who contributed 30 off 50 balls.Tayyab brought up his maiden Test half-century off just 46 balls before falling to Asitha Fernando. Left-handed Mohammad Taha displayed composure and determination in his debut innings, scoring 51 off 105 balls, including six boundaries. He brought up his maiden half-century off 101 balls.Captain Babar Azam also registered a half-century, striking seven fours in his 50 off 58 balls, before being dismissed by Dilshan Madushanka. Saud Shakeel continued Pakistan’s progress with an unbeaten 57 off 112 balls, featuring seven fours. He shared a valuable partnership with Taha to strengthen the hosts’ position. For Sri Lanka, Fernando took two wickets.Scores in brief:Day 1 of 5Pakistan 281-5, 67.2 overs (Tayyab Arif 57, Saud Shakeel 57 not out, Mohammad Taha 51, Babar Azam 50; Asitha Fernando 2-64)
CRICKET - Physically Handicap 09 Nov, 2026
Rawalpindi (Sports Reporter): Islamabad remained unbeaten in the second phase of the National Physical Disability Cricket Championship and qualified for the semi-final, where they will face Peshawar on Wednesday. On the second day of the second phase, Islamabad won both their matches and secured first position on the points table, while Rawalpindi and Sialkot also won their matches.On the occasion of these matches, Pakistan Physical Disability Cricket Association President Imran Balwani, Secretary Amiruddin Ansari, Head Coach Sabih Azhar, Regional Heads Javed Ashraf, Mohammad Tahir Raja, Director PPDCA Mohammad Nizam and others were also present.In the first match of the second day of the second phase at Ayub Park Cricket Ground, Rawalpindi, Islamabad defeated Sialkot by five wickets. Batting first, Sialkot were bowled out for 125 runs thanks to Luqman Arif's 30 and 20 runs each by Muhammad Nauman and Najm-ul-Hassan. Muhammad Bilal took five wickets for 19 runs while Raja Naseem took two players. In reply, Islamabad achieved the target for the loss of five wickets in 18.4 overs. Syed Wazarat Shah scored 41, Usman Pracha scored 27 and Irfanullah scored 16 runs. Shahroz Ali and Muhammad Nauman took two wickets each. Muhammad Bilal was declared Man of the Match.In the second match, Rawalpindi defeated Faisalabad by 65 runs. Batting first, Rawalpindi scored 161 runs for the loss of eight wickets. Muhammad Tahir scored 55, Rasool Badshah scored 29 and Bilal Azim scored 25 runs. Muhammad Uzair took three wickets while Inam Hussain took two wickets. In reply, Faisalabad's team could score only 96 runs, Irfan Ali with 31 and Adnan Ali with 14 runs were prominent. For the winning team, Qayyum Khan took three wickets and Abdul Basit took two players. PD Cricket Team Head Coach Sabih Azhar presented the Man of the Match cash award to Qayyum Khan.In the third match, Sialkot defeated Faisalabad by 9 wickets. Batting first, Faisalabad's team collapsed for 94 runs, Sajjad Akbar was the top scorer with 42 runs off 34 balls with the help of 6 fours. Muhammad Nauman took three wickets for 2 runs while Najm-ul-Hassan took three wickets for 20 runs. In reply, Sialkot achieved the target for the loss of one wicket in 10.4 overs. Luqman Arif scored 45 runs off 22 balls with the help of 8 fours and Maaz scored 22 runs. Najm-ul-Hassan was given the Man of the Match cash award.In the fourth and last match, Islamabad defeated Rawalpindi by two wickets after an interesting contest to reach the semi-final unbeaten. Batting first, Rawalpindi scored 158 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Arsalan Madni scored 42, Bilal Azim scored 38 and Muhammad Asim scored 25 runs. Waqif Shah and Zubair Khan took three wickets each. In reply, Islamabad achieved the required target for the loss of eight wickets in 19.3 overs. Wazarat Shah scored 53, Usman Pracha scored 41, Muhammad Shaukat scored a useful 19 and Waqif Shah scored 14 runs. Rasool Badshah and Qayyum Khan took two wickets each. Head Coach Sabih Azhar presented the Man of the Match cash award to Waqif Shah.The first semi-final of the championship will be played on Wednesday, 11th November between Peshawar and Islamabad.
Pakistan U19 thrash India U19 by 3 wickets' Hamza Zahoor hits ton
Oman Sports Report): Wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor scored an unbeaten century under pressure as defending champions Pakistan U19 defeated arch-rivals India U19 by three wickets in a thrilling Group ‘A’ encounter of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Sunday.This was Pakistan’s second successive win in the tournament, following their nine-wicket win over UAE, courtesy of Usman Khan’s unbeaten 139 in the previous match on 6 November.Chasing 209, Pakistan crossed the finish line in 48.1 overs with three wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare, courtesy of a match-winning unbeaten 100 off 108 balls from Hamza, who struck 10 fours and three sixes.Pakistan defeated India by a commanding 191 runs in the final of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in Dubai to lift the trophy last year.Pakistan’s chase began on a difficult note as they slipped to 61 for five inside 15 overs. With the defending champions facing a challenging situation, Hamza displayed remarkable composure and determination to turn the contest in Pakistan’s favour.He combined with Hasnain Abbas Dar (38, 67b, 2x4s) for a crucial 107-run sixth-wicket partnership that revived Pakistan’s hope and shifted the momentum.Despite losing Hasnain and Mohammad Sayyam (4, 13b), Hamza remained unbeaten and guided Pakistan home alongside Niqab Shafiq (2 not out), completing his outstanding century in a pressure-filled run chase.For India, Manal Chauhan took three wickets for 32.Earlier, after opting to bat first, India were bowled out for 208 in 46.3 overs despite a fighting century from Arjun Rajput, who struck 107 off 85 balls, including 11 fours and five sixes.Pakistan’s bowlers made early inroads, reducing India to 42 for four in 16.4 overs.Ali Raza (3-37), Rizwanullah (3-24) and Niqab Shafiq (3-42) shared nine wickets between them, while Mohammad Sayyam returned economical figures of one for 27 from 8.3 overs.Scores in brief:Pakistan U19 beat India U19 by three wickets at Al Amerat Cricket Ground, OmanIndia U19 208 all out, 46.3 overs (Arjun Rajput 107, Kavya Paresh Patel 23, Aaryavir Sehwag 22; Rizwanullah 3-24, Ali Raza 3-37, Niqab Shafiq 3-42)Pakistan U19 209-7, 48.1 overs (Hamza Zahoor 100 not out, Hasnain Abbas Dar 38, Abdul Qadir 20; Manal Chauhan 3-32, Mohit Ulva 2-45)Player of the match – Hamza Zahoor (Pakistan U19)
ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy: Esha Oza to lead UAE’s squad
Dubai (Sports Reporter): Seasoned all-rounder Esha Oza will lead the 14-member UAE squad in the 10-team ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy 2026 which will be played at two Ajman venues from Thursday, 12 November. The venues are Seven Districts Sports Club and Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground. The 10 teams – up from eight in the inaugural edition – will be divided into two groups of five. Group A comprises Sri Lanka, Ireland, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and hosts UAE, while Group B features Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Netherlands and Zimbabwe.UAE begin their tournament journey with a clash against Ireland at the Seven Districts Sports Club on Friday 13 November from 9:00am local time. They play Scotland at the Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground on Sunday 15 November. UAE’s third match is against Sri Lanka – Monday, 16 November at the Karwan Sports Club Ground from 1:15pm local time. The side will take on PNG on Wednesday, 18 November at the Karwan Sports Club Ground from 9:00am local time. The Super Six stage – featuring three teams each from both groups will be played from Friday, 20 November to Monday, 23 November. The top two teams in this stage will progress to compete for the trophy in the Wednesday, 25 November tournament final which will be played at the Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground from 9:00am local time. UAE squad for ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2026: Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Archara Supriya, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Janani Thirukkumaran, Mehul Kulkarni, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Simran Seth, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) and Uttara Iyer. Support Staff: Subha Venkataraman (manager), Oscar Nauhaus (head coach), Shyla Alam (strength and conditioning coach) and Merin Saji (physiotherapist). ICC Women's Emerging Nations Trophy 2026 – UAE matchesFriday, 13 November – UAE vs Ireland, Seven Districts Sports Club, Ajman – 9:00am local timeSunday, 15 November – Scotland vs UAE, Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground, Ajman – 1:15pm local time Monday, 16 November – UAE vs Sri Lanka Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground, Ajman – 1:15pm local timeWednesday, 18 November – PNG vs UAE, Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground, Ajman – 9:00am local timeFriday, 20 November to Monday, 23 November – Super Six StageWednesday, 25 November – Final – Karwan Sports Club Cricket Ground, Ajman – 9:00am local time
Most Popular
