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Match officials named for ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Final
Islamabad (Sports News): Eloise Sheridan and Jacquline Williams of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Umpires will be the on-field umpires in Sunday’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 Final between India and South Africa.The match takes place at DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, where both nations are bidding to become champions for the first time.Sheridan and Williams were in the middle for South Africa’s memorable 125-run victory over England in the semi-final.Williams also umpired the group game between the two finalists on 9 October, which South Africa won after a brilliant run chase.Sue Redfern is in place as Third Umpire, Nimali Perera is Fourth Umpire and Michell Pereira is the Match Referee.The match begins at 15h00 local time.Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Officials for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 FinalTeams: India v South AfricaOn-field Umpires: Eloise Sheridan & Jacquline WilliamsThird Umpire: Sue RedfernFourth Umpire: Nimali PereraMatch Referee: Michell Pereira
Match officials named for Women’s World Cup semi-finals
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The match officials have been announced for this week’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 semi-finals.Eloise Sheridan and Jacquline Williams of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Umpires will be the on-field umpires for England’s clash with South Africa in Guwahati.Sheridan was in the middle when the two sides met in the group stage, a match England won by 10 wickets, while she also oversaw South Africa’s victory against Pakistan.Williams was in charge for two matches apiece involving the two teams in the group stage – South Africa’s successes against India and Bangladesh, and England’s victory over India and defeat against Australia.Vrinda Rathi is in place as third umpire, with Claire Polosak as fourth umpire and GS Lakshmi of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees as the referee for the match.Attentions then turn to Navi Mumbai, where Lauren Agenbag and Sue Redfern will be in the middle for reigning champions Australia against hosts India.South African Agenbag is no stranger to the Indian side, having overseen their group clashes against Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh, while Redfern was among the on-field umpires for the group stage match between the two nations, when Alyssa Healy’s sparkling century led Australia to the highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs.They are joined by Kim Cotton as third umpire, Nimali Perera as fourth umpire and Michell Pereira as match referee.Semi-Final 1: Guwahati, Wednesday 29 OctoberTeams: England v South AfricaOn-field Umpires: Eloise Sheridan & Jacquline WilliamsThird Umpire: Vrinda RathiFourth Umpire: Claire PolosakMatch Referee: GS LakshmiSemi-Final 2: Navi Mumbai, Thursday 30 OctoberTeams: Australia v IndiaOn-field Umpires: Lauren Agenbag & Sue RedfernThird Umpire: Kim CottonFourth Umpire: Nimali PereraMatch Referee: Michell Pereira
UAE secure ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 spot
Dubai (SBR): The United Arab Emirates (UAE) have claimed their place in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after an emphatic, eight-wicket victory over Japan in their Super Six clash at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Asia/East Asia-Pacific (EAP) Qualifier in Oman on Thursday.Mohammad Waseem and his charges join Nepal and Oman as the three qualifiers of the regional qualification competition with guaranteed top three finishes before the tournament’s scheduled conclusion on Friday.The 20 teams for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 are now finalized and they are as follows: India (tournament host), Sri Lanka (tournament host), Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, England, Ireland, Italy, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa, UAE, USA, West Indies and Zimbabwe.The UAE eliminated hopefuls, Japan, Samoa and Qatar from contention, who were still in with a mathematical chance.In the match, Japan were restricted to 116/9 after being put into bat by the UAE. Only Wataru Miyauchi – at number nine – made a significant contribution to the scoreboard, returning unbeaten for 45 off 32 deliveries. Other scores in the double figures came from Esam Rahman (23) and Abhishek Anand (10) at the top of the order and Abdul Samad (11 not out) at number 11.The UAE’s Haider Ali (three for 20) and Mohammad Arfan (two for 24) did the most damage with the ball in hand, setting up a simple chase for their batters.Openers, Alishan Sharafu and Mohammad Waseem did not disappoint, they shared a 70-run stand before it was broken by Declan Suzuki (one for 14) who removed the skipper, Waseem for 42 at the start of the eighth over.Sharafu departed for 46 at the hands of Ibrahim Takahashi (one for 16) in the 11th over, but the foundation was firmly laid, giving Mayank Kumar (13 not out) and Rahul Chopra (14 not out) a smooth pathway to batting their team victory with 47 balls to spare.
Rashid back as No.1 in ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings
Dubai (SBR): Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has returned to the top position in the ICC Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings after playing a crucial role in a 3-0 series win over Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi.Rashid, who finished with 11 wickets in the series that included a five-for in the second match, has moved up five slots to take the top position with 710 rating points, 30 more than South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj, who is in second spot. Rashid had become No. 1 for the first time in September 2018 and last occupied the position in November 2024.Seam bowler Azmatullah Omarzai has achieved a career-best 21st position after a 19-spot leap with seven wickets in the series while Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan Miraz (up four places to 24th) and Tanzim Hasan Sakib (up 24 places to 67th) have also moved up the bowling rankings.New high for Ibrahim Zadran: In the batting rankings, Ibrahim Zadran has leapt eight places to reach a career-best second position after top-scoring with a total of 213 runs that won him the Player of the Series award.He has achieved the highest-ever batting rating by any Afghanistan player, surpassing Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 686 points achieved last November, and his second position is also the highest position by any ODI batter from his country.Rahmanullah (up two places to 16th) and the Bangladesh pair of Towhid Hridoy (up seven places to 42nd) and Mohammad Nabi (up six places to 50th) too have moved up the batting rankings.Azmatullah and Rashid have also prospered in the ODI Rankings. Azmatullah has returned to the top spot while Rashid has moved up to fourth position. This is Azmatullah’s second stint as No. 1, having earlier been at the top from February to August this yearCareer-best Test ranking for Kuldeep Yadav: The ICC Men’s Test Bowling Rankings see India spinner Kuldeep Yadav attain a career-best 14th position, rising seven places after an eight-wicket match haul. Jomel Warrican and captain Roston Chase have gained two and four places, respectively, to reach 30thand 57th positions.The batting rankings see India opener Yashaswi Jaiswal advance two slots to fifth position after notching 175 in the first innings of the second Test against the West Indies in New Delhi while KL Rahul’s knocks of 38 and 58 not out have lifted him two places to 33rd.The West Indies batters to gain are Shai Hope (up 34 places to 66th) and John Campbell (up six places to 68th), who scored centuries in the second innings.
ICC Player of the Month nominees for September revealed
Islamabad (Sports Desk): India’s Abhishek Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav are in contention for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for September along with Zimbabwe’s Brian Bennett, while Smriti Mandhana of India, Sidra Amin of Pakistan and Tazmin Britts of South Africa form the shortlist for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.Abhishek’s Player of the Series effort at the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates and spinner Yadav’s crucial strikes during the tournament have put them in the reckoning while Bennett is in the shortlist on the back of some strong T20I performances across different series.Mandhana was named Player of the Series in a home ODI series against Australia to emerge as a strong contender for the monthly award while Sidra and Brits were prolific in their ODI series in Pakistan to also come out strongly.Men’s shortlist:Abhishek Sharma (India)The left-handed opener scored 314 runs in seven matches at an average of 44.85 and an astounding strike-rate of 200 in the Asia Cup. His attacking batting was crucial in his team’s wins in the continental tournament, and he achieved the highest rating points ever in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings when he touched 931 at the end of the Super Fours stage of the tournament.Kuldeep Yadav (India)The left-arm wrist-spinner was the leading wicket-taker in the Asia Cup with 17 scalps in seven T20Is at an average of 9.29 and an economy rate of 6.27. The highlight for him was a haul of four for 30 in the final against Pakistan and he also grabbed four wickets in a league match against the United Arab Emirates.Brian Bennett (Zimbabwe)The 21-year-old top-order batter aggregated 497 runs in nine T20Is at an average of 55.22 and an impressive strike rate of 165.66. He was the leading run-scorer in the T20I series against Sri Lanka and Namibia before registering scores of 72, 65 and 111 in his first three innings in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Africa Qualifier.Women’s shortlistSmriti Mandhana (India)The left-handed opener struck 308 runs in four ODIs during the period, aggregating 308 runs at an average of 77 and a strike rate of 135.68. The India vice-captain had scores of 58, 117 and 125 in the home ODI series against Australia, reaching the three-figure mark off just 50 deliveries in the third match, the fastest century by an India batter.Sidra Ameen (Pakistan)Sidra was the leading run-scorer in the home ODI series against South Africa with 293 in three ODIs at an astounding average of 293 and a strike rate of 82.76. Her purple patch saw her score 121 not out, 122 and 50 not out in the three matches.Tazmin Brits (South Africa)Brits was named the Player of the Series against Pakistan even though she figured in only two of those matches. She had scores of 101 and 171 in the first two matches, both of which South Africa won to take a winning lead in the series that ended with a 2-1 scoreline
Women’s World Cup: Hannah approved as replacement for Devonshire in New Zealand squad
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 has approved Hannah Rowe as a replacement for Flora Devonshire in the New Zealand squad.Rowe was named as a replacement after Devonshire was ruled out after sustaining an injury to her dominant handduring the team's training session at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.The Event Technical committee of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 consists of Wasim Khan (Chair, ICC General Manager - Cricket), Gaurav Saxena (ICC General Manager – Events & Corporate Communications), Abey Kuruvilla (BCCI Tournament Director), Mel Jones (Independent nominee).
International Cricket Council suspends USA Cricket’s membership
Islamabad (Sports Desk): The International Cricket Council (ICC), after a thorough review of affairs and extensive engagement with key stakeholders over the past year, today confirmed the suspension of ICC membership status of USA Cricket, with immediate effect.The decision, taken by the ICC Board during its meeting earlier, was based on USA Cricket’s repeated and continued breaches of its obligations as a ICC Member under the ICC’s Constitution. These include, but are not limited to, the failure to implement a functional governance structure, lack of progress toward achieving National Governing Body status with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), and significant actions that have caused reputational damage to cricket in the United States and around the world.The suspension is an unfortunate but necessary step to protect the long-term interests of the game and the ICC’s top priority remains ensuring that the athletes and the sport itself are not impacted due to the suspension. The ICC Board has decided that USA’s national teams will retain their right to participate in ICC events, including preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA28).The management and administration of USA national teams will temporarily be overseen by the ICC and/or its designated representatives to ensure continued support for the players and maintain momentum towards Olympic inclusion. This approach reflects the ICC’s firm commitment to upholding the best interests of cricketers in the USA and the sustenance of a High-performance & Player development program which will seek to elevate the stature and capabilities of players representing USA.The ICC Normalisation Committee, supported by the ICC management, will outline the steps required for the suspension on USA Cricket to lifted and its membership rights restored. These will include demonstrable and specific changes to USA Cricket’s governance structure, operations and overall status in the Cricket ecosystem. The normalization committee will also monitor USA Cricket’s progress and provide consultatory support.The ICC remains committed to supporting the growth of cricket in the United States, protect the sporting ecosystem and its constituents, namely the athletes and bolstering its march towards a more significant role on the global stage.
ICC reveals Player of the Month nominees for August
Islamabad (Sports Desk): Fast bowlers Matt Henry, Jayden Seales and Mohammed Siraj are in the running for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for August while Muneeba Ali, Orla Prendergast and Iris Zwilling form the shortlist for the ICC Women’s Player of the Month award.Siraj’s burst on the final day of the Test series against England that helped India win in dramatic fashion at The Oval has put him in the reckoning even as Henry’s clinical display in a two-Test series in Zimbabwe and Seale’s superb performances in a memorable home ODI series against Pakistan put them in contention.The women’s shortlist is based on T20I performances in Europe. Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast is in the shortlist after helping win a home T20I series against Pakistan and continuing the form in subsequent T20Is, Muneeba makes it to the shortlist as she helped win the last match of that series with a sparkling century and the Netherlands’ Zwilling is there among the three after finishing with a bagful of wickets in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier.MEN’S SHORTLISTMatt Henry (New Zealand)Henry finished as the Player of the Series against Zimbabwe as New Zealand blanked the home side 2-0. The 33-year-old had match hauls of nine for 90 and seven for 56 as his team won the two Tests in Bulawayo by massive margins.Jayden Seales (West Indies)Seales grabbed 10 wickets to be named the Player of the Series in the three ODIs at home against Pakistan. He finished as the leading wicket-taker and the highlight for him was a career-best haul of six for 18 in the final match that his team won by a huge 202-run margin to claim their first series win over the opposition since 1991.Mohammed Siraj (India)Siraj’s match-winning performance at The Oval that helped draw the five-match series against England 2-2 was sensational. He grabbed three wickets on the morning of the final day as India won the match by six runs. He had hauls of four for 86 and five for 104 in the two innings, finishing with nine wickets at an average of 21.11.WOMEN’S SHORTLISTMuneeba Ali (Pakistan)Muneeba struck only the second century in a WT20I by a Pakistan batter, her 100 not out off 68 deliveries helping her team win the third match of the series against Ireland by eight wickets. The left-handed opener scored a total of 132 runs in three matches at an average of 66.00Orla Prendergast (Ireland)The 23-year-old Ireland all-rounder was named the Player of the Series in a home T20I series against Pakistan that her team won 2-1. She aggregated 144 runs and took four wickets in the series and continued her fine run in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. Her aggregate over the month was 244 runs at an average of 48.80 and a strike rate of 127.08 and a total of seven wickets.Iris Zwilling (Netherlands)Zwilling grabbed 10 wickets in six T20Is during the period which saw her finish as the joint leading wicket-taker in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. She averaged 10.70 per wicket at an economy of 4.65 and had returns included three-wicket hauls against Germany and Italy
Sikandar Raza becomes No. 1 ODI all-rounder for the first time
Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Zimbabwe’s star player Sikandar Raza has become the top-ranked all-rounder in the ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings for the first time in his career after a fine show in the two-match series against Sri Lanka in Harare.The 39-year-old scored 92 and 59 not out in the two matches and took one wicket in the series to overtake the Afghanistan pair of Azmatullah Omarzai and Mohammad Nabi, who are now placed second and third, respectively. Raza’s previous best was the second position that he attained in December 2023.Raza’s aggregate of 151 runs also lifted him nine places to 22nd position in the batting rankings, which is two places off his career-best 24th position reached in June 2023. He has also gained one spot to reach 38th position among bowlers.Sri Lanka opener Pathum Nissanka, who topped the aggregate with 198 runs to be named the Player of the Series, has moved up seven places to 13th position while Janith Liyanage (up 13 places to 29th) of Sri Lanka and Sean Williams of Zimbabwe (up three places to 47th) are others to move up the batting rankings after the series.Scotland batter George Munsey is up three places to 34th after a match-winning 84 not out against Canada in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup League 2 while South Africa’s Tony de Zorzi has moved from 67th to 64th.The ODI bowling rankings see South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj shake off Sri Lanka spinner Maheesh Theekshana to take the sole No. 1 position after a match-winning haul of four for 22 in the first ODI against England in Leeds with Jofra Archer (up six places to 19th) and Lungi Ngidi (up five places to joint-23rd) among the others to move up the bowling rankings after the match.Asitha Fernando has advanced six places to 31st while Dilshan Madushanka’s match-winning four for 62 in the first Harare ODI that included a hat-trick, has lifted him from 60th to 52nd position.The ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings see Afghanistan batters Ibrahim Zadran and Sediqullah Atal make huge progress after helping beat Pakistan in a tri-series match in Sharjah with scores of 65 and 64, respectively. Zadran is up 12 places to 20th while Atal has rocketed 346 places to 127th position.Pakistan batters Hasan Nawaz (up two places to joint-31st) is among those to gain in the batting rankings while Sufiyan Muqeem (up 11 places to 22nd), Shaheen Afridi (up eight places to 26th and Mohammad Nawaz (up 15 places to 43rd) are among those to move up the bowling rankings.Raza’s upward movement may have resulted in Nabi slipping to third position in the ODI all-rounders’ list, but he has moved up one spot to second position among T20I all-rounders.
Saliya Saman banned for five years under Anti-Corruption Code
Dubai (PR): Former Sri Lankan domestic cricketer Saliya Saman has been banned from all cricket for five years after an ICC Anti-Corruption Tribunal found him guilty of breaching the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) Anti-Corruption Code.Saman was among eight people charged in September 2023 for breaching the Code.The charges relate to the 2021 Abu Dhabi T10 Cricket League and attempts to corrupt matches in that tournament which were disrupted by the ICC, the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (DACO) for the purposes of the ECB’s Code for the tournament.
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