Cricket - Int News
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)
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)
PCB includes four players in Test squad for Sri Lanka Series
Rawalpindi (faisal): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) added 4 players including all-rounder Aamir Jamal, rookie pacer Ali Shabbir, batter Mohammad Tayyab Arif and pace bowler Saqib Khan in Pakistan’s Test squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.Tayyab, Ali and Saqib have received maiden Pakistan call-ups. They also featured in the Patron’s XI v Sri Lanka practice match at the Islamabad Club from 4-6 November. Ali Usman and Abdullah Fazal have been released from the Test squad.Aamir, who has played nine Tests, three ODIs and six T20Is for Pakistan, was recently player of the final in President’s Trophy Grade-I, where his bowling figures of seven for 32 and 55 with the bat turned the tables in favour of eventual winners Markhor IT Solutions. He also led Lahore Whites in the opening round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold and snapped three wickets while scoring 74 and 23.Right-hand batter Tayyab also impressed in the Departmental first-class tournament where he led Kingsmen Academy and scored 727 runs in seven matches at an average of 66.09 including three centuries in his maiden season. 19-year-old fast bowler Ali has played eight first-class matches and taken 22 wickets. He also picked up three wickets against Sri Lanka.Saqib played an instrumental role in Karachi Blues’ title run in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 by taking 47 wickets in nine matches at an average of 20.60 with a best of seven for 34. The first Test match will begin on Monday, 9 November at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.Pakistan Test squad (16): Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Arafat Minhas, Azan Awais, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Suleman, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Tayyab Arif, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wicketkeeper, Salman Ali Agha, Sameer Minhas, Saqib Khan and Saud Shakeel.
Usman Khan’s unbeaten century guides Pakistan U19 to nine-wicket win over UAE
Oman (Sports Report): An unbeaten century by Usman Khan helped Pakistan U19 register a commanding nine-wicket win over United Arab Emirates (UAE) U19 in their opening Group ‘A’ fixture of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Oman on Friday. The defending champions will next face arch-rivals India U19 in their highly anticipated tournament encounter on Sunday, 8 November.Chasing 225 runs to win, Pakistan U19 achieved the target in 37.3 overs with Usman striking an unbeaten 139 off 120 balls, laced with 21 fours and one six. The left-handed batter brought up his century off 98 balls, hitting 14 boundaries and was named player of the match for his match-winning performance.Usman and Jahangir Bilal provided Pakistan a solid start, stitching together a 153-run opening partnership. Jahangir scored 60 off 87 balls, including six fours before falling to Ahmed Khudadad in the 29th over.Usman then added an unbroken 72-run partnership with Abdul Qadir, who remained unbeaten on 20 off 19 balls, striking one four and a six, as Pakistan completed the chase with 75 balls to spare.Earlier, after being put into bat, UAE U19 were bowled out for 224 on the final ball of their allotted 50 overs.Noorullah Ayobi top-scored with 70 off 55 balls, hitting three fours and six sixes, while Yayin Kiran Rai contributed 47 off 74 balls.For Pakistan, Mohammad Sayyam was the pick of the bowlers, returning figures of three for 37 in 10 overs. Ali Raza, Hasnain Abbas Dar and Rizwanullah bagged two wickets each.Scores in brief:Pakistan beat UAE by nine wickets at AI Amerat Cricket Ground, MuscatUAE 224 all out, 50 overs (Noorullah Ayubi 70, Yayin Kiran Rai 47; Mohammad Sayyam 3-37, Hasnain Abbas Dar 2-22, Ali Raza 2-38, Rizwanullah 2-55)Pakistan 225-1, 37.3 overs (Usman Khan 139 not out, Jahangir Bilal 60, Abdul Qadir 20 not out)Player of the match – Usman Khan (Pakistan U19)
Defending champions Pakistan set for ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in Oman
Oman (Sports News): Defending champions Pakistan are all set to feature in the eight-team ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in Oman from 5 to 14 November. Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside Nepal, the United Arab Emirates and India.Pakistan defeated India by 191 runs in the final of the previous edition of the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates in December 2025. The side arrived in Oman ahead of the tournament to acclimatise to the conditions and prepare for the event.Before travelling to Oman, Pakistan U19 enjoyed a successful tour of England, winning the four-match one-day series 3-1. They narrowly lost the only four-day match by 10 runs.Farhan Yousaf will lead Pakistan in the tournament. The right-handed batter scored 223 runs in four one-day matches during the England tour, including a century and a half-century.In the upcoming edition, Pakistan will begin their title defence against UAE on 6 November before taking on India on 8 November and Nepal on 10 November. The Group B includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.The semi-finals of the tournament will take place on 12 November, while the final is scheduled on 14 November.Pakistan U19 head coach Shahid Anwar while talking to PCB Digital said:“First of all, I would like to thank the Pakistan Cricket Board for sending us to Oman four to five days ahead of the tournament, allowing the players to acclimatise to the conditions. “The players have trained hard over the past few days and are 100 per cent fit, committed and motivated to defend the title and bring the trophy back to Pakistan.“Our mindset is to play fearless cricket. Every player is eager to perform and contribute to the team’s success. Being the defending champions is not a pressure but a privilege. Having won the title in the past gives us confidence that we can do it again.“We are satisfied with the way the players and coaching staff have prepared for the tournament. We will try to win the hearts of our fans, defend our title and bring the trophy back to Pakistan.”15-member squadFarhan Yousuf (captain), Abdul Qadir (wk), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Raza, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Hasnain Abbas Dar, Hayam Khan, Huzaifa Ahsan, Jahangir Bilal, Mohammad Huzaifa, Mohammad Seyam, Niqab Shafiq, Rizwanullah, Usman KhanPlayer support personnelShahid Anwar (head coach & team manager), 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)
APL T20 Players’ Draft ceremony to take place on November 3, 2026, at Dubai
Dubai (PR): The Afghanistan Cricket Board, in partnership with its official partner, announced that the APL T20 Players’ Draft will take place on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, at 2:30 PM at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel, UAE.The leadership roles of all participating teams were announced last week, marking an important step in preparations for the upcoming edition of the APL T20. The Players’ Draft will now bring together team representatives, officials, players and other key stakeholders for one of the tournament’s major pre-event activities.Approximately 1,500 Afghan and international players registered for the APL T20 across the Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging categories. Following the evaluation and shortlisting process, 462 players have been selected for inclusion in the draft pool and will be presented to the participating teams during the draft ceremony.The event will provide teams with the opportunity to build their squads by selecting players from the available categories in accordance with the tournament’s draft regulations.
Afghanistan beat Australia in final to lift Hong Kong International Sixes 2026 title
Hong Kong (Sports News): Afghanistan delivered an outstanding all-round performance to defeat Australia in the final and lift the title of the Hong Kong International Sixes 2026. Batting first, Australia posted a challenging total of 115 runs in their six-over innings. In response, Afghanistan produced a remarkable batting display to chase down the target and secure a memorable victory.Imran Mir led the charge with a blistering unbeaten 53 off just 14 deliveries, while Farmanullah Safi contributed an unbeaten 27 off seven balls. Skipper Gulbadin Naib also played a crucial role, scoring 17 off just six deliveries to help Afghanistan complete the chase and seal a four-wicket victory.With this triumph, Afghanistan have been crowned champions of the Hong Kong International Sixes 2026.#HK6 | #HongKongSixes2026
Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 3 wickets to win Tri-Nation Cricket Series final
Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Pakistan clinched the ODI tri-series title after securing a dramatic three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka at the Gaddafi Stadium. Spearheaded by a monumental, record-breaking century from veteran left-handed opener Fakhar Zaman and crucial supporting knocks from Saad Baig and Arafat Minhas, the hosts successfully chased down a daunting target of 326 with nine balls to spare.Chasing a challenging target of 326, Pakistan faced early jitters when Sri Lankan fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka struck twice in his opening two overs. He dismissed emerging opener Maaz Sadaqat (5) and star batsman Babar Azam (0) in quick succession, leaving the hosts stuttering at a precarious 14 for 2.However, young wicketkeeper-batter Saad Baig joined Fakhar Zaman at the crease to launch a sensational rescue mission. The duo constructed a magnificent 149-run partnership for the third wicket, completely shifting the momentum back in Pakistan's favor. Saad contributed a sparkling 74 off 75 deliveries, laced with 11 boundaries, before Maheesh Theekshana broke the stand in the 27th over.Continuing his phenomenal touch, Fakhar Zaman anchored the chase brilliantly and brought an end to his century drought with a majestic knock. The 36-year-old left-hander hammered 127 runs off just 99 deliveries, featuring 11 boundaries and six towering maximums, marking his 12th ODI century.Fakhar then shared a vital 57-run stand for the fourth wicket with all-rounder Salman Ali Agha (17) before Madushanka cleaned him up in the 34th over. Despite his departure, the foundation for victory was firmly set.As the innings progressed into the closing stages, youngsters Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas stepped up with a crucial 94-run partnership. Minhas played a blazing cameo of 61 runs from only 31 balls, hitting four sixes and three fours.Although a late double-strike by Asitha Fernando in the 48th over caused a sudden flutter, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi kept his cool. On the third delivery of the penultimate over, Shaheen smashed Madushanka for a massive six towards the square-leg boundary to seal a memorable victory for Pakistan. Dilshan Madushanka was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with figures of 3 for 63.Earlier, put in to bat, Sri Lanka posted a competitive total of 325 for 8 in their allotted 50 overs. Opener Kamindu Mendis played a sensational, career-best innings of 131 off 128 balls, supported brilliantly by Pavan Rathnayake, who contributed an aggressive 77 off 65 deliveries. Together, they formed a massive 146-run third-wicket partnership.Despite late breakthroughs from Pakistan’s bowling attack—where captain Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, and Haris Rauf claimed two wickets each—Sri Lanka crossed the 300-run mark, setting up a thrilling final that ultimately ended in Pakistan's favor.
Afghanistan beat Oman by 4 wickets in the Hong Kong Sixes
Hong Kong (Sports News): Afghanistan put on an incredible batting effort to beat Oman by 4 wickets for their second successive victory in the Hong Kong Sixes campaign, top their group, and qualify for the semifinals.Batting first, Oman posted 120/4 in their six-over innings. In reply, Afghanistan produced an outstanding batting display and chased down the target with 4 wickets and four balls to spare.Sediqullah Pacha smashed an unbeaten 45 off just 10 balls and was equally supported by Farmanullah Safi, who scored an unbeaten 37 off just 11 deliveries. Skipper Gulbadin Naib contributed 21 off 7 balls, while Karim Janat scored 17 off 6 deliveries.#HK6 | #HongKongSixes2026
Pakistan to take on Sri Lanka in ODI tri-series final on Saturday
Lahore (Sports Report): Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Pakistan will take on Kusal Mendis-led Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday, 31 October.The toss will take place at 12.30pm PKT, while the first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 1pm.The ongoing ODI tri-series is the fourth such tournament to be held on Pakistan soil, following the editions featuring Australia and South Africa in 1994, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in 2004 and New Zealand and South Africa in 2025.Pakistan, who became the first side to qualify for the final of the ongoing tri-series after registering two wins against England and one against Sri Lanka, will be aiming to clinch their maiden ODI tri-series title on home soil.In the batting charts, Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha is the leading run-scorer for the hosts with 158 runs from four outings in the tournament, including a century against fellow finalists’ Sri Lanka in the opening match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.In the bowling department, young Arafat Minhas has bagged nine wickets in four matches, including a six-wicket haul in Pakistan’s 87-run win over England at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. He will be aiming to deliver another match-winning performance if given an opportunity in Saturday’s final.Captain Shaheen is joint second on the tournament’s leading wicket-takers list alongside Sri Lanka’s Dilshan Madushanka with eight scalps from four matches.Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan captain talking to PCB Digital ahead of the final said:“We have performed well as a team, but there are still areas where we need to improve, particularly scoring runs at the top and building partnerships.“The crowd has always supported us and we hope fans will turn out in large numbers tomorrow to witness an exciting contest.“We are hopeful of maintaining our team combination and putting up a good performance in the final.”Pakistan squad for tri-series final:Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Abrar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Maaz Sadaqat, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Saad Baig (wk), Sahibzada Farhan and Shadab Khan Kusal Mendis, Sri Lanka captain in an exclusive talk to PCB Digital ahead of the final said:“The final is a big game for us. Pakistan have played good cricket in their recent matches. We are well prepared and looking forward to the final.“We played really well against Pakistan in our previous encounter. We have done several things right and are focused on following our processes and sticking to our basic plans.“Everyone in Sri Lanka is very happy with our performances. Pakistan fans have also shown great support for Sri Lankan players, which is encouraging for us.”Sri Lanka squad for tri-series final:Kusal Mendis (c), Sahan Arachchige, Dushmantha Chameera, Sachindu Colombage, Avishka Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Janith Liyanage, Dilshan Madushanka, Eshan Malinga, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Lahiru Udara, Pavan Rathnayake, Dasun Shanaka, Maheesh Theekshana, Dunith Wellalage
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