Cricket - Int News
Gulf Giants Strengthen Coaching Staff with Michael Klinger and Shane Bond
Ahmedabad (SBR); Adani Sportsline today announced Gulf Giants' coaching and support staff for the upcoming season of the DP World UAE ILT20, assembling a group that blends continuity with fresh expertise ahead of the new campaign.Michael Klinger has been appointed Batting Coach, joining a coaching team led by Head Coach Simon Helmot. Shane Bond continues as Bowling Coach, Kadeer Ali joins as Fielding Coach, James Pipe remains Physiotherapist, Gary Brent takes over as Strength and Conditioning Coach and Saurabh Walkar continues as Analyst.The appointments reinforce a support structure designed to build on Gulf Giants' strong record in the competition, including their title-winning campaign in the inaugural ILT20 season in 2023.Helmot, whose appointment was announced last month, arrives with an accomplished track record in white-ball cricket and extensive experience across leading T20 leagues. He will lead a coaching group that combines established relationships within the franchise with specialist expertise drawn from across the global game.Klinger brings extensive experience as both a player and coach. Currently Head Coach of Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League (WPL), he is well acquainted with Adani Sportsline's high-performance environment and player development approach.Bond, one of the most respected fast-bowling coaches in world cricket, continues in his role after joining the franchise last season. The former New Zealand international has worked with elite teams and players around the world and will continue to oversee the development of Gulf Giants' bowling unit.Kadeer joins from Worcestershire County Cricket Club, where he serves as Assistant Head Coach, adding specialist fielding expertise to the coaching setup.Pipe continues as Physiotherapist, providing continuity in player care and recovery, while former Zimbabwe international Brent joins as Strength and Conditioning Coach after previous stints within the Adani Sportsline ecosystem. Walkar also retains his role as Analyst, supporting match preparation and performance planning.Speaking on his appointment, Klinger said, “I’m familiar with Adani Sportsline’s philosophy through my time with Gujarat Giants, so this is an exciting opportunity to join another team within the group. Gulf Giants have strong foundations and I’m looking forward to working closely with Simon and the rest of the staff to help build a solid unit that can make a big impact in the new season.”Bond added, “We’ve got a strong setup at Gulf Giants and I’m excited to continue working with the group as we prepare for the new season. There’s quality in the squad, and with Simon coming in as Head Coach as well as Klinger joining as Batting Coach, it’s a great opportunity for us to keep building and push standards even higher.”The coaching group brings experience from international cricket, franchise leagues and domestic competitions across multiple countries. As preparations gather pace, Gulf Giants will look to build the momentum required to challenge for a second title in the DP World UAE ILT20, which was launched in 2023 and has quickly established itself as one of the leading T20 leagues in world cricket.
15-member Men’s squad announced for Asian Games 2026
Lahore (Sports News):Sahibzada Farhan will lead the Pakistan Men’s Team in the Asian Games 2026, set to take place in Aichi-Nagoya in Japan from 19 September to 4 October. The 10-team Men’s T20I event will be played at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture.The men’s cricket event will commence on 24 September, while the medal matches will be played on 3 October.30-year-old Farhan has featured in 46 T20Is for Pakistan, scoring 1,305 runs, including two centuries and 10 half-centuries. Abdul Samad, who has played five T20Is for Pakistan has been named vice-captain of the side.Among the 15-member squad, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood are the four players yet to represent Pakistan in the T20I format.Additionally, 14 of the 15 players selected for the Asian Games squad are part of the NCA White-Ball Camp, which is set to commence in Lahore from Monday, 15 June.15-member squad: Sahibzada Farhan (captain), Abdul Samad (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan (wicket-keeper)Support staff:Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Mohammad Tahir (physiotherapist), Imran Ullah (trainer), Usman Hashmi (analyst-cum-team operations coordinator).
49 cricketers invited for pre-season camps at the NCA
Lahore (Sports News)Forty-nine players will take part in National Cricket Academy’s Red-Ball and White-Ball camps, the PCB announced today. The NCA Red-Ball Camp will begin on Monday, 8 June and continue until Friday, 10 July with 22 players taking part.The players who were part of the recently concluded ODI series against Australia and have been selected for the Red-Ball Camp will join the camp from 15 June.The NCA White-Ball Camp will commence on Monday, 15 June and continue until Friday, 18 September. Twenty-seven players will take part in the camp.Both camps have been devised to prepare players for upcoming international and domestic events. During the camps, the players will work with National and NCA coaches alongside PCB Medical staff on their skills and fitness. The players will also have one-on-one sessions with coaches to better understand the skills and fitness requirements at the international level.It is pertinent to mention here that the NCA recently hosted two separate camps for red-ball and white-ball cricketers ahead of Pakistan Men’s team tour to Bangladesh and three-match ODI series with Australia, respectively.22 red-ball camp players:Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Usman, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Imam ul Haq, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Obaid Shah, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzad Gul and Shan Masood27 white-ball camp players:Abdul Samad, Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Farhan Yousaf, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Razaullah, Rohail Nazir, Saad Baig, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Sameer Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan
16-member squad announced for Australia ODI series
Rawalpindi (faisal)The National Men’s Selection Committee has named a 16-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Australia commencing on 30 May. The ODI series between Pakistan and Australia will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 30 May to 4 June.Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas and Rohail Nazir are the three players selected in the squad who are yet to represent Pakistan in ODI cricket.Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will continue to lead the side, while Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Sufyan Moqim, who were not part of the away ODI series against Bangladesh in March have been recalled to the side.Mohammad Ghazi Ghori and Rohail Nazir have been named as the two wicketkeeper-batters in the squad after Usman Khan was not considered for selection due to illness. Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were also not considered for selection as they had earlier been ruled out due to injuries and will continue their rehabilitation programmes under the supervision of the PCB medical panel.The 16-member squad will assemble in Islamabad later today and will train under the coaching staff from Saturday, 23 May. The media advisory regarding the camp will be shared in due course.Australia men’s team will arrive in Islamabad on 23 May. They will also take part in training sessions at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, details of which will be announced in due course.16-member squad:Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain and Sufyan MoqimTeam Management:Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Hanif Malik (batting coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Iftikhar (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Ejaz (analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media manager), Col. Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor) and Muhammad Ehsan (masseur)Series schedule (All matches to begin at 4.30pm local time):23 May – Australia arrive in Islamabad30 May – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium2 June – 2nd ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore4 June – 3rd ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub to miss ODI Series against Australia
Lahore (Sports News):: The opening batters, Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, will not be available for selection for the upcoming three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against the Australia national cricket team, scheduled to begin on 30 May during Australia’s tour of Pakistan.The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that both players are currently recovering from injuries and have been advised to continue their rehabilitation programmes under the supervision of the PCB medical panel. Consequently, they have been ruled out of selection for the ODI series.The PCB wishes both players a speedy recovery and looks forward to seeing them return to competitive cricket at the earliest opportunity.
Pakistan U19 to tour England in September 2026
Lahore (Sports News): Asian Champions Pakistan U19 will embark on a tour of England in September to feature in a bilateral series. The tour includes one four-day match and four one-day matches between Pakistan U19 and England U19, scheduled to take place from 2 to 16 September.The only four-day match will be played from 2 to 5 September in Arundel, while the first one-day match of the series will also be held at the same venue on Wednesday, 9 September. The second one-day match will take place in Guildford on Saturday, 12 September.The third and fourth one-day fixtures of the series will be played in Wormsley on 14 and 16 September, respectively.Pakistan U19 in their recent assignments defeated India by 191 runs in the final in Dubai on 21 December 2025 to lift the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup trophy. The side then went on to win the tri-series in Zimbabwe, featuring Afghanistan and hosts Zimbabwe in January 2026.Pakistan U19 also featured in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia earlier this year, where they played five matches and won three of them.Tour schedule:2-5 Sep – Four-Day match, Arundel9 Sep – First One-Day, Arundel12 Sep – Second One-Day, Guildford14 Sep – Third One-Day, Wormsley16 Sep – Fourth One-Day, Wormsley
Adani Sportsline Appoints Simon Helmot as Head Coach of Gulf Giants
Ahmedabad (PR): Adani Sportsline today announced the appointment of veteran Australian cricket strategist Simon Helmot as Head Coach of Gulf Giants ahead of the upcoming season of the DP World UAE ILT20.Helmot brings more than two decades of experience across domestic, international and franchise cricket, including assignments in some of the world’s leading T20 leagues. He has been associated with the Hyderabad side in the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2013 and has contributed to multiple title-winning campaigns across leading T20 tournaments in Australia, the Caribbean and the UAE. Over the years, he has earned a strong reputation for building high-performance team environments and maximising player potential in pressure situations.Prior to this appointment, Helmot completed a five-season tenure with Melbourne Renegades, leading the team to its maiden Women’s Big Bash League title in 2024.As part of his onboarding with Gulf Giants, Helmot recently met Mr Pranav Adani, Director, Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), in Ahmedabad to discuss the long-term vision for Gulf Giants and the franchise’s preparations for the upcoming ILT20 season.Speaking on his appointment, Helmot said: “I’m excited to join Gulf Giants and be part of the next phase of the franchise’s journey in the UAE ILT20. My discussions with Mr Pranav Adani reflected Adani Sportsline’s long-term commitment towards building strong sporting ecosystems, nurturing talent and creating competitive teams. I look forward to working closely with the players and support staff as we build towards a successful season.”Pranav Adani said: “We are pleased to welcome Simon to Gulf Giants and the Adani Sportsline family. Simon brings deep experience across global franchise cricket, a strong understanding of the T20 ecosystem and a proven ability to build competitive, high-performing teams. His leadership approach and focus on player development align closely with our long-term vision for Gulf Giants, and we look forward to the upcoming season under his guidance.”Since its launch in 2023, the UAE ILT20 has quickly emerged as one of the world’s leading franchise T20 leagues, featuring top international players, coaches and franchises from major cricketing nations.Gulf Giants also thanked former Head Coach Jonathan Trott for his leadership and contribution during the previous season and wished him continued success for the future.About Adani Sportsline Adani Sportsline is the sports arm of the diversified Adani Group, which has a presence in ports, logistics, energy, utility, infrastructure, electric power generation and transmission, mining, airport operations, natural gas, and food processing.Formed in 2019, Adani Sportsline has an overarching philosophy to inculcate a culture of sports at the grassroots level and create globally competitive opportunities for future champions in India. In line with the group’s vision of nation-building, the company aims to build a world-class ecosystem that nurtures sporting talent, accelerates the sports economy and plays the role of an enabler in India’s journey to become a leading sporting nation.
Pakistan to host Australia for three-match ODI series
Lahore (Sports News):Australia men’s cricket team will tour Pakistan for a three-match ODI series, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced today. Australia will arrive in Islamabad on 23 May and take on the hosts in the first ODI scheduled at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 30 May.The second and third ODIs of the series between both sides will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 2 and 4 June, respectively.All three ODIs are scheduled to begin at 4.30pm local time, with the toss taking place at 4pm.The upcoming bilateral ODI series will be Australia’s first in Pakistan since March/April 2022. Australia earlier visited Pakistan this year in January/February to feature in a three-match T20I series, which the hosts won 3-0 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.Australia also featured in ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Pakistan, including a five-wicket win against England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on 22 February.Series schedule:23 May – Australia arrive in Islamabad30 May – 1st ODI, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium2 June – 2nd ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore4 June – 3rd ODI, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Mohammad Waseem to lead UAE in ICC CWC League 2 Series
Dubai (Sports News): Seasoned batter Muhammad Waseem has been named the interim captain of the UAE Men’s National Team for the ICC CWC League 2 Series – Nepal 2026. UAE will play Nepal and Oman in the double-league tri-series – pathway for the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027. The series will be played at the Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur. Waseem has previously led the side in 26 ODIs. He has replaced Rahul Chopra (ODI captain) who has been rested for the tour. UAE will play Nepal in their first match of the series on Saturday 25 April. Their next three matches are on Monday 27 April, Friday 1 May and Sunday 2 May against Oman, Nepal and Oman respectively. All series matches will begin at 9:30am local time. *UAE squad for ICC CWC League 2 series matches:* Mohammad Waseem (captain), Adeeb Usmani (wicketkeeper), Ajay Kumar, Akshdeep Nath, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Haider Ali, Harpreet Bhatia, Jash Giyanani, Junaid Siddique, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Shahdad, Muhammad Zuhaib, Nilansh Keswani and Sohaib Khan.Support Staff: Amjad Ezzi (team manager), Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Stanley Chioza (fielding coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manpreet Sidhu (video analyst) and Manish Pardeshi (physiotherapist). ICC CWC League 2 Nepal – UAE matches schedule (Local time – Kirtipur):*Saturday, 25 April – Nepal vs UAE – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.Monday, 27 April – UAE vs Oman – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.Friday, 1 May – Nepal vs UAE – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.Sunday, 3 May – UAE vs Oman – 9:30am, Tribhuvan University International Cricket Ground, Kirtipur.
Match officials announced for Pakistan v Zimbabwe women’s series
Lahore (Sports News): The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced match officials for the forthcoming Pakistan v Zimbabwe Women’s series scheduled to take place at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 4 to 15 May.The six-match white-ball series includes three ODIs and three T20Is. The ODIs are part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2025-29, followed by three T20Is.Sri Lanka’s Nimali Perera will stand as on-field umpire in all six matches of the series. PCB’s match umpires including Zulfiqar Jan, Tariq Rasheed, Saleema Imtiaz, Faisal Afridi and Nasir Hussain will perform their duties as match officials across the white-ball series. Humairah Farah will perform reserve umpire duties in the ODI matches.Umpire and match referee appointments (Matches from 4 to 15 May)4 May – First ODI – Nimali Perera and Zulfiqar Jan (on-field umpires), Tariq Rasheed (third umpire), Humairah Farah (reserve umpire); Kamran Choudhry (match referee)6 May – Second ODI – Nimali Perera and Tariq Rasheed (on-field umpires), Zulfiqar Jan (third umpire), Humairah Farah (reserve umpire); Kamran Choudhry (match referee)9 May – Third ODI – Nimali Perera and Saleema Imtiaz (on-field umpires), Tariq Rasheed (third umpire), Zulfiqar Jan (reserve umpire); Kamran Choudhry (match referee)12 May – First T20I – Nimali Perera and Faisal Afridi (on-field umpires), Nasir Hussain (third umpire), Saleema Imtiaz (reserve umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)14 May – Second T20I – Nimali Perera and Nasir Hussain (on-field umpires), Saleema Imtiaz (third umpire), Faisal Afridi (reserve umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)15 May – Third T20I – Nimali Perera and Saleema Imtiaz (on-field umpires), Faisal Afridi (third umpire), Nasir Hussain (reserve umpire); Ali Naqvi (match referee)
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