Cricket
INDIA TO HOST ICC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS TROPHY 2027
Dubai (PR): The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 will be staged in the Indian cities of Mumbai and Vadodara from 14 to 28 February.The Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai and the Vadodara International Cricket Stadium will be the venues for the landmark tournament that will bring together six of the world’s leading women’s cricket teams - Australia, England, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.Those six teams, who qualified as per their positions in the ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings on the 6 July qualification cut-off date, will compete in a round-robin league, with the top two sides advancing to the final on 28 February.The tournament was originally scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka but will now be staged in India as Sri Lanka Cricket continues to make the requisite reforms outlined at the ICC’s Annual Conference in July.The ICC assessed three candidates - Bangladesh, India and South Africa - against its established host evaluation criteria before recommending India as the replacement host, a decision ratified by the ICC Board on 2 September.ICC Chairman, Jay Shah, said: “The ICC Women’s Champions Trophy 2027 marks an exciting new chapter for women’s cricket. As the inaugural edition of the tournament, it will bring together the best teams in the world in an intense, high-quality competition, while creating even greater incentive for teams to continue rising through the rankings and competing for a place on the global stage.“With a marquee ICC women’s event now taking place every year, we have a significant opportunity to build greater momentum, provide more consistency and create a stronger rhythm for the women’s game, its players and its fans around the world."
Asia Cup: Pakistan women beat Thailand women by 35 runs
Shakil AnjumDubai (UAE): Muneeba Ali’s fourth T20I half-century and three wickets by Sadia Iqbal led Pakistan women to a 35-run win over Thailand women in the fifth match of the ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS) on Tuesday evening. This was Pakistan’s first match of the eight-team tournament.Chasing 120 to win, Thailand were never able to get going in the run-chase as they lost two wickets in the second over with six runs on the board. Both wickets went to left-arm spinner Sadia, who bowled a double-wicket maiden over. Sadia returned in the final over of the match to bag her third wicket and finished with match figures of 4-1-11-3.Another left-arm spinner, Nashra Sundhu, was the most economical bowler for the winning side, conceding just six runs and taking one wicket in four overs. Right-arm leg-spinner Tuba Hassan was also among the wickets, accounting for two wickets for 17 runs from her quota of four overs.Earlier, after opting to bat first, Pakistan managed to score 119 for nine in their allotted 20 overs. Opening batter Muneeba was the top run-getter with 54 off 52 balls, which included four fours. Sadaf Shamas was the other notable run-getter with a run-a-ball 20. She struck three boundaries and added 54 runs for the fourth wicket with Muneeba.For Thailand, Suleeporn Laomi and Thipatcha Putthawong took two wickets each.Pakistan will now take on India in their second group match on Saturday, 5 September at the DICS.Scores in brief:Pakistan W 119-9, 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 54, Sadaf Shamas 20; Suleeporn Laomi 3-14, Thipatcha Putthawong 3-18, Phannita Maya 2-34)Thailand W 84-8, 20 overs (Chanida Sutthiruang 25; Sadia Iqbal 3-11, Tuba Hassan 2-17)Player of the match – Muneeba Ali (Pakistan)Next fixture v India women, 5 September at DICS
Pakistan Cricket Board makes 7 changes in touring England squad
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
Men’s Regional U19 Academies to commence from today for 20 teams
Lahore (PR): The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed the commencement of the Men’s Regional U19 Academies across 16 regions for 20 teams from Monday, 31 August. Around 500 U19 players will take part in these academies, which are designed for instilling professional cricket attributes in them. The players will be provided a number of facilities at their respective regional headquarters and will train under the supervision of the PCB coaches. The academy programme has been scheduled keeping in mind the schedule of the U19 tournaments in the 2026-27 domestic season. The 20 regional teams will take part in National U19 Cup – 50-over white-ball matches – and National U19 Trophy – three-day red-ball matches – following the conclusion of the academies. The complete schedule for both the tournaments will be shared in due course.
Pakistan men’s U19 squad announced for England tour
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
Harpreet Singh Bhatia to lead UAE in ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2026
Dubai (PR): UAE’s 14-member squad will take part in the eight-team ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2026 (50 overs) which will be played in Kuala Lumpur from Sunday, 30 August. Seasoned batter Harpreet Singh Bhatia will captain the team. UAE have been placed in Group B. Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Singapore are the four other teams in the group. UAE will play their tournament opener on Monday, 31 August against Qatar at the Bayuemas Oval. Their next match is against Kuwait which will be played at the same venue on Thursday, 3 September.UAE next play Singapore at the UKM YSD Oval – Sunday, 6 September. Their last group match is against Oman which will also be played at the UKM YSD Oval. The semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday, 10 September while the tournament final and the third position playoff will be played on Saturday, 12 September. *UAE squad – ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2026:* Harpreet Singh Bhatia (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Adeeb Usmani, Akshdeep Nath, Aryansh Sharma, Haider Ali, Ibrar Ahmed, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Mohsin Khan, 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). *ACC Men’s Premier Cup 2026 – UAE matches schedule (Local time – Kuala Lumpur):*Monday 31 August – Qatar vs UAE – 9:30am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala LumpurThursday, 3 September – Kuwait vs UAE – 9:30am, Bayuemas Oval, Kuala LumpurSunday, 6 September – UAE vs Singapore – 9:30am, UKM YSD Oval Tuesday, 8 September – UAE vs Oman – 9:30am, UKM YSD OvalThursday, 10 September – Semi-Finals 1 and 2 – 9:30am, Bayuemas Oval and UKM YSD OvalSaturday, 12 September – Third position and Final – 9:30am, UKM YSD Oval and Bayuemas Oval
Aimen Anwar announces retirement from international cricket
Lahore (SBR): : Fast bowler Aimen Anwar has announced her retirement from international cricket with immediate effect, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed today. She represented Pakistan in eight One-Day and 37 T20 Internationals between July 2016 and February 2023 after first emerging on the scene for Karachi U19 in PCB National U19 Women’s Championship in January 2010. Aimen became Pakistan women’s 37th T20I cap against England at Southampton in 2016 and 76th ODI cap against Bangladesh in Colombo in 2017. She picked up four ODI and 29 T20I wickets across her 45-match Pakistan career. She was part of Pakistan women’s squad for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2018, 2020 and 2022-23 editions and also played in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand. Most recently Aimen has worked as broadcaster and on Monday she made her debut as match referee in the ongoing National Women’s U19 Tournament after successfully completing her induction course for the job back in January this year.
12 pacers, eight spinners called up for NCA bowlers development camp
Lahore (Sports News): A total of 12 pacers and eight spinners have been called up to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore for a two-phase bowlers’ development camp in line with the academy’s player development programme, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today. Among these are seven uncapped fast bowlers and one uncapped spinner.In the first phase, pacers will undergo a robust five-day camp under the supervision of NCA coaches from 24 to 28 August, while the spinners are set to attend the camp from 31 August to 4 September. During the five-day period, these bowlers will work closely with the NCA and the men’s white-ball team coaches. It will include in-depth work on the technical and tactical skills along with a review of their performance in the recent-most competitive cricket that they have played. Among the fast bowlers, Razaullah (Peshawar region), Mohammad Salman (Lahore region), Qayyum Khan (Faisalabad region), Abdul Subhan (Sialkot region), Abuzar, Mohammad Imran Jnr (both Peshawar region) and Muhammad Imran (Bahawalpur region) are uncapped, while Mohammad Salman Mirza, Ahmed Daniyal (both Lahore region), Akif Javed (FATA region), Mohammad Hasnain (Hyderabad region) and Faheem Ashraf (Faisalabad region) are capped. The spinners include the uncapped Mehran Mumtaz, while Mubasir Khan, Saad Masood (all Rawalpindi region), Faisal Akram, Arafat Minhas (both Multan region), Abrar Ahmed, Danish Aziz (both Karachi region) and Mohammad Nawaz (Rawalpindi region) are capped. Among the cohort of 20 players, only the tearaway pacer Qayyum is yet to make his competitive cricket debut. He made a solitary appearance in this year’s President’s Trophy Grade-II Silver for Sports Board Punjab.
Ahmad Shah Abdali First Class Tournament begins on August 29, 2026
Kabul (Sports News): The ninth edition of the Ahmad Shah Abdali First Class Tournament 2026 will be rolled into action on August 29, 2026. The event features four teams competing in a double round-robin format from August 29 to October 8 across Khost and Nangarhar provinces.
Women’s Asia Cup 2026 – Esha Oza to lead UAE’s 15-member squad
Dubai (SBR): Seasoned all-rounder Esha Oza will lead the 15-member UAE squad in the eight-team DP World Women’s Asia Cup 2026 which will be played at the Dubai International Stadium from Thursday, 28 August. UAE are placed in Group B with Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka the other three teams in the group. UAE take on Sri Lanka in their tournament opener on Friday, 29 August. They next play Indonesia on Friday, 4 September while their third group match will be against Bangladesh – Tuesday, 8 September. The semi-finals will be played on Thursday 10 September and Friday 11 September. The final is schedule to take place on Sunday, 13 September. All tournament matches will be played from 6:30pm local time. *UAE squad for DP World Women’s Asia Cup 2026:* Esha Oza (captain), Archara Supriya, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Janani Thirukkumaran, Lavanya Keny, Mehul Kulkarni, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Uttara Iyer and Vaishnave Mahesh. *Support Staff:* Subha Venkataraman (head coach), Shahzada Saleem (assistant coach), Shyla Alam (strength and conditioning coach) and Merin Saji (physiotherapist). *DP World Women’s Asia Cup 2026 – UAE matches* Friday, 29 August – Sri Lanka vs UAE, Dubai International Stadium – 6:30pm local timeFriday, 4 September – UAE vs Indonesia, Dubai International Stadium – 6:30pm local time Tuesday, 8 September – Bangladesh vs UAE, Dubai International Stadium – 6:30pm local timeThursday, 10 September – Semi-Final 1: A1 vs B2, Dubai International Stadium – 6:30pm local timeFriday, 11 September – Semi-Final 2: A2 vs B1, Dubai International Stadium – 6:30pm local timeSunday, 13 September – Final, Dubai International Stadium – 6:30pm local time
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