Cricket
T20 World Cup: ICC appoints Match Official for group stage
Islamabad (Sports News):Kumar Dharmasena and Wayne Knights will be the on-field umpires for the opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 between Pakistan and the Netherlands to be played at the Sinhalese Sports Club ground on 7 February.Dharmasena, an off-spinner who was a member of the Sri Lankan team that won the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1996, has overseen 37 matches at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup including the finals of 2016 and 2022, putting him fourth on the all-time list.New Zealander Knights, in contrast, is at his first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and will reach the landmark of 50 T20Is as on-field umpire in the Group A match in Colombo.The complete match-day appointments for the group stage of the 20-team tournament were announced today while the appointments for the Super Eight and knockout stages will be confirmed in due course.Elsewhere on the opening day, Nitin Menon and Sam Nogajski will be in the middle for the Group C clash between Scotland and the West Indies. Menon was part of the on-field team for the first semi-final at the 2024 World Cup, between Afghanistan and South Africa, while Nogajski’s four group matches last time out included India’s clash with the United States of America.Those two teams meet again this year, rounding off a triple-header on 7 February, and this time Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker will be the on-field duo.Tucker leads the way for matches officiated in this competition, on 46, and will bring up his half-century during the tournament. The Australian will also be in charge of the England versus Nepal, India against Namibia and the South Africa against the United Arab Emirates fixtures.Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth stood alongside for the 2024 final and reunite for the Group B clash between Australia and Ireland on 11 February.Illingworth will also be in the middle, alongside Dharmasena, for the crunch clash between rivals India and Pakistan in Colombo on 15 February.In all, 24 officials will be on-field umpires during the group stage, with Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Langton Rusere and Adrian Holdstock among the other returnees.Match Referees: Dean Cosker, David Gilbert, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath.Umpires: Roland Black, Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Wayne Knights, Donovan Koch, Jayaraman Madanagopal, Nitin Menon, Sam Nogajski, KNA Padmanabhan, Allahuddien Paleker, Ahsan Raza, Leslie Reifer, Paul Reiffel, Langton Rusere, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Gazi Sohel, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Raveendra Wimalasiri and Asif Yaqoob.
Mohammad Waseem to lead UAE in two-match T20I series against Ireland
Dubai (Sports News): Prolific opener Mohammad Waseem will lead the UAE side in the two-match T20I series against Ireland which will be played at the Dubai International Stadium. The first match of the series will begin at 6:30pm local time tomorrow (Thursday). The first ball in the second match will be bowled at 10:00am local time on Saturday, 31 January. UAE squad: Mohammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Basil Hameed, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Arfan, Mohammad Farooq, Mohammad Jawadullah, Mohammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, Sohaib Khan and Simranjeet Singh.
Pakistan vs Australia: T20 Series to start on Thursday at Lahore
Lahore (Salman Khan):Pakistan will lock horns with Australia in the three match T20I series at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore as the visitors return to the country after last year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The three T20Is will take place on 29, 31 January and 1 February.The first ball will be bowled at 4pm PKT in all games with the coin toss set to take place at 3.30pm. Australia’s 17-member squad arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday led by Mitchell Marsh.Among the players Jack Edwards, Josh Philippe, Mahli Beardman, Matthew Kuhnemann and Xavier Bartlett are visiting Pakistan for the first time. Beardman and Edwards are uncapped at the international level.Pakistan’s 16-member squad convened in Lahore on 25 January and have prepared for the T20I series with training sessions and a solitary scenario-based T20 match on Monday.Babar Azam – the leading run-scorer in T20I history – and Shaheen Shah Afridi – the second-leading wicket-taker in T20Is for Pakistan – return to Pakistan squad after missing the Sri Lanka series earlier in January.On the bilateral front, the two teams have faced each other 28 times in T20Is since their first contest at Johannesburg on 18 September, 2007. Pakistan have won 12, while Australia hold the edge with 14 wins including one at the Gaddafi Stadium in April 2022.The two teams have faced off in nine bilateral series, four of which comprised of one off T20I. Pakistan have won in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2018. Australia have secured series wins on five occasions against Pakistan. Salman Ali Agha, Pakistan captain:“We have prepared really well for this series in the previous 10 days. There are no weak opponents in T20 cricket and our focus is on executing our plans and playing smart, quality cricket.“Having the experienced and senior players in the group is vital, it makes a big difference when you are trying to win a series.”Mitchell Marsh, Australia captain:“I’m really excited to be here as this series is ideal preparation of the World Cup. Pakistan have a great tradition of fast bowling and I’m looking forward to facing Shaheen Shah Afridi.“Winning away from home is always tough, especially in these conditions, but that’s exactly what makes it a great challenge for us.”Pakistan 16-member squad:Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman TariqAustralia squad:Mitchell Marsh (c), Adam Zampa, Ben Dwarshuis, Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Josh Inglis, Josh Philippe, Mahli Beardman, Marcus Stoinis, Matt Short, Matthew Kuhnemann, Matthew Renshaw, Mitch Owen, Sean Abbott, Travis Head and Xavier Bartlett.
Pakistan U19 beat New Zealand U19 by eight wickets
Harare (Sports News):A four-wicket haul by Abdul Subhan, followed by a fluent unbeaten 76 from Sameer Minhas guided Pakistan U19 to a comprehensive eight-wicket win over New Zealand U19 in their Super Six Group 2 fixture of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe on Tuesday.After winning the toss and opting to field, Pakistan bowled New Zealand out for 110 in 28.3 overs, an effort that included five maiden overs – three by Subhan and two by Ali Raza. Right-arm fast bowler Subhan returned impressive figures of four for 11 to earn the player of the match award, while Ali Raza (3-36) provided solid support as Pakistan’s bowlers applied sustained pressure throughout the innings.New Zealand’s resistance came mainly through Hugo Bogue, who scored 39 off 27 balls. However, regular wickets meant New Zealand side never gained momentum, slipping from 59 for one to 67 for seven as Pakistan tightened the screws in the middle overs.In turn, Pakistan achieved the modest target in just 17.1 overs, losing only two wickets and with 197 balls to spare. Opening batter Sameer anchored the innings with yet another half-century. His unbeaten 76 came off 59 balls which included 10 fours and two sixes. He shared key partnerships, first steadying the innings after the early loss of wicketkeeper-batter Hamza Zahoor (8, 11b, two fours) and then adding 67 runs with Usman Khan (15, 24b, one four) for the second wicket.Following today’s win, Pakistan U19 will travel to Bulawayo on Wednesday to take on India in their second Super Six fixture at the Queens Sports Club on Sunday, 1 February. The first ball of the match will be bowled at 9.30am local time.Scores in brief:New Zealand U19 110 all out, 28.3 overs (Hugo Bogue 39; Abdul Subhan 4-11, Ali Raza 3-36)Pakistan 112-2, 17.1 overs (Sameer Minhas 76 not out)Player of the match – Abdul Subhan (Pakistan U19).
Pakistan announce squad for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026
Lahore ( Sports News): The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where they are placed in Group A and scheduled to face Netherlands in their opening game on 7 February in Colombo.The names were unveiled during a press conference addressed by the PCB Director High Performance and member men’s national selection committee Aqib Javed, Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha and white-ball head coach Michael James Hesson at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Sunday morning.Among the players, skipper Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Sahibzada Farhan and Usman Tariq have received their maiden mega-event call-ups to the Pakistan squad.Meanwhile, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan and Usman Khan have played in at least one or more editions of the tournament since 2021. In the 20-team tournament, each team is set to play four group games before the Super Eight and Knockout Stage, all between 7 February and 8 March.Pakistan are also set to face Australia in a three-match T20I series at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on 29, 31 January and 1 February with the preparation camp starting today.15-member squad:Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman Tariq
Lower Dir’s Mohammad Sayyam on his journey to Pakistan U19 colours
Harare (Sports News):Pakistan U19 left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Sayyam’s rise is a story of persistence, self-belief and support from mentors who spotted his talent early, despite limited facilities in his hometown of Lower Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Sayyam’s association with cricket began at a young age while he was still in school. Speaking to PCB Digital in Harare ahead of Pakistan U19 Super Six stage matches, Sayyam reflected on his early cricketing days, saying: “My journey in cricket began during my school days, where my interest in the game developed at a very young age. I first got noticed during school trials when I bowled well and was selected in the team. My performances in those matches helped build my confidence.”Elaborating further, he added, “One of my teachers, Mohammad Tahir, identified my potential early and encouraged me to join an academy. With his support and guidance, I was able to take that important step in my career.”Talking about his early development, the 17-year-old said, “I later joined the DCA Cricket Academy, where coach Ijaz-ul-Haq worked closely with me. He has played a significant role in my development and I am very grateful for his continuous support.”Sayyam’s performances at the district level paved the way for regional selection and in 2023, he represented Peshawar region in the Inter-Region U16 One-Day Tournament. Although he managed to play two matches due to rain, the exposure proved valuable in building his confidence.Last year marked a major breakthrough when Sayyam featured in the National Men’s U19 Cup, where he claimed 14 wickets in seven matches for Peshawar region. His impressive showing earned him selection in the Pakistan U19 squad, including the training camp in Multan, where he continued to impress the coaching staff.Sayyam carried that momentum into the ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup in Dubai, finishing with 10 wickets in five matches, including two wickets in the final against India. Reflecting on his performances and representing Pakistan on the global stage, he said, “Representing Pakistan at the U19 level is a moment of great pride for me and my family. I am extremely happy to be here and hope to continue performing well for the team.“I belong to Dir, where there are limited cricketing facilities and very few players make it to this level. That makes this achievement even more special for me. Every cricketer dream of playing for Pakistan and it has always been my goal as well. Wearing the national colours is an honour and a big responsibility.”Sayyam draws inspiration from legendary left-arm pacer Wasim Akram, whom he considers his role model. He said, “Wasim Akram is my role model. As a left-arm fast bowler, I admire him greatly and aspire to follow in his footsteps.”When asked about his goals in the ongoing ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, the left-arm pacer said,“My main focus in the World Cup is to deliver strong performances and help my team succeed. I want to contribute towards winning the trophy for Pakistan.”The young fast bowler, who grabbed three wickets in the tri-series in Zimbabwe and has featured in two of Pakistan’s three World Cup matches in Harare, expressed gratitude to his family, coach and teachers, acknowledging their unwavering support throughout his journey.
ICC appoints Match Official for Namibia Super 6 stage of U19 World Cup
Islamabad (Sports News):The Emirates ICC International Panels of Umpires and Referees have been announced for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 Super Six stage matches taking place in Namibia.Faisal Afridi and Nitin Bathi will be the on-field umpires for Australia’s clash with South Africa at the Namibia Cricket Ground, with Cory Black in place as TV Umpire and Forster Mutizwa as Fourth Umpire.Afridi was in the middle for South Africa’s group stage defeat against Afghanistan, while Bathi oversaw the Proteas’ victory over Tanzania.Also on January 25, Shaun Haig and Iknow Chabi will be the on-field duo as the West Indies take on Ireland. They will be supported by TV Umpire Graham Lloyd and Fourth Umpire Virender Sharma.It will be Haig’s third match as an on-field umpire involving the West Indies, as he also took charge of their defeat against Afghanistan and victory over South Africa in the group stage.The following day, Afghanistan take on Sri Lanka, with Cory Black and Forster Mutizwa in the middle. Haig will be the TV Umpire, with Chabi in place as Fourth Umpire.Black and Mutizwa will also be the on-field team for the 13th-16th place play-off match between Japan and Tanzania at the High Performance Oval.The Match Officials for the Super Six matches in Zimbabwe will be announced once those match ups are confirmed.24 January – Japan v Tanzania – High Performance Oval, WindhoekOn-field: Cory Black and Forster MutizwaTV: Graham LloydFourth: Deighton ButlerReferee: Prakash Bhatt25 January – Australia v South Africa – Namibia Cricket Ground, WindhoekOn-field: Faisal Afridi and Nitin BathiTV: Cory BlackFourth: Forster MutizwaReferee: Prakash Bhatt25 January – West Indies v Ireland – High Performance Oval, WindhoekOn-field: Shaun Haig and Iknow ChabiTV: Graham LloydFourth: Virender SharmaReferee: Neeyamur Rahul26 January – Afghanistan v Sri Lanka – Namibia Cricket Ground, WindhoekOn-field: Cory Black and Forster MutizwaTV: Shaun HaigFourth: Iknow ChabiReferee: Neeyamur Rahul
Pakistan unveil 16-member squad for T20I series against Australia
Lahore (Sports News):The Pakistan Cricket Board has named a 16-member squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The matches will take place on 29, 31 January, 1 February and will begin at 4pm PKT. Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi have returned to the T20I squad after missing the three-match away series against Sri Lanka in early January. Shadab Khan will continue to build on his comeback in the previous T20I series and will form part of a strong spin-bowling contingent along with Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz and Usman Tariq. Pakistan squad and player support personnel are expected to convene in Lahore on Saturday, 24 January and will begin their preparations for the series the following day. Australia are set to arrive in Pakistan on Wednesday, 28 February and will play just their second series in the format on Pakistan soil after a solitary T20I in April 2022 at Gaddafi Stadium. 16-member squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) and Usman TariqPlayer support personnel: Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Mike Hesson (head coach), Ashley Noffke (bowling coach), Shane McDermott (fielding coach), Hanif Malik (batting coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Grant Luden (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Ejaz (performance analyst), Syed Naeem Ahmed (media manager), Lt. Col. (r) Usman Anwari (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Dr Raheel Karim (psychiatrist) and Mohammad Ehsan (masseur)Series schedule: (All matches at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore)1st T20I – Thursday, 29 January – 4pm PKT2nd T20I – Saturday, 31 January – 4pm PKT3rd T20I – Sunday, 1 February – 4pm PKT
Pakistan U19 beat Zimbabwe U19 by eight wickets to reach Super 6 stage
Islamabad (Sports News): An unbeaten half-century by Sameer Minhas and a three-wicket haul from Ali Raza helped Pakistan U19 register an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe U19 in their Group ‘C’ fixture of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on Thursday afternoon. The win also confirmed Pakistan’s qualification for the super six stage of the tournament.After opting to field, Pakistan bowlers put Zimbabwe on the back foot early. Wicket-keeper Hamza Zahoor was sharp behind the stumps, taking a fine diving catch to his right to dismiss Kian Blignaut off Ali Raza’s bowling. Captain Farhan Yousaf then produced a moment of brilliance by diving to his right to take a superb catch off Momin Qamar’s bowling to remove Zimbabwe’s top run-getter Nathaniel Hlabangana, who scored 59 off 85 balls, including seven fours and one six.Right-arm fast bowler Ali, who had taken four wickets in the previous match against Scotland, led the bowling attack with figures of three for 16 in eight overs. He struck early to remove Kupakwashe Muradzi and Kian Blignaut and later dismissed Brandon Senzere.Fast bowlers Abdul Subhan and Mohammad Sayyam, along with left-arm spinner Momin, picked up two wickets apiece as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 128 in 35.5 overs.In reply, Pakistan achieved the target comfortably in 26.2 overs. Sameer anchored the innings with an unbeaten 74 off 75 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes. He was well supported by Usman Khan, who scored a brisk 26, as the pair added 49 runs for the second wicket.Ahmed Hussain remained not out on 24 as Pakistan reached the target with 142 balls to spare.The convincing win earned Pakistan two valuable points and secured their place in the super six stage, which will commence later this week.Pakistan, who finished second in Group ‘C’ (C2), will face B3 in the super six stage at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday, 27 January, before taking on B1 at the Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, on Sunday, 1 February. Sameer Minhas said:“Qualifying for the super six stage is a big achievement for us as a team. After getting out early in my previous innings, my focus today was to spend time at the crease, keep things simple and trust my basics, which helped me build my innings and gain confidence.“Our fielding and bowling were very encouraging. Our fielding was a big positive. All the players put in a lot of effort and it is the result of the hard work we have done in training. The fielding coach has worked extensively with us and it showed on the field.“The super six stage will be challenging with quality teams and two crucial matches. Our aim will be to win with a healthy net run-rate, which will be vital heading into the semi-finals.”Scores in brief:Zimbabwe 128 all out, 35.5 overs (Nathaniel Hlabangana 59; Ali Raza 3-16, Abdul Subhan 2-14, Mohammad Sayyam 2-36, Momin Qamar 2-39)Pakistan 132-2, 26.2 overs (Sameer Minhas 74 not out, Usman Khan 26, Ahmed Hussain 24 not out)Player of the match: Sameer Minhas
Pakistan to play Zimbabwe in last group match of ICC U19 Men’s CWC
Harare (Sports News):Pakistan U19 will be aiming to end their group-stage fixtures of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup on a winning note when they take on Zimbabwe U19 at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on Thursday, 22 January.The Asian champions, who are part of Group ‘C’ in the ongoing mega event, defeated Scotland by six wickets on Monday, while they suffered a 37-run defeat against England on Friday, 16 January.Farhan Yousaf-led Pakistan side, who recently won the tri-series in Zimbabwe by beating the hosts by nine wickets in the final, will be expecting their players to replicate those performances in tomorrow’s important encounter.The first ball of the match will be bowled at 9.30am local time, with the toss scheduled at 9am. The match will be broadcast live on PTV Sports and Geo Super in Pakistan, while live streaming will be available on Myco, Tamasha, ARY ZAP and Tapmad across the country.In head-to-head contests, Pakistan U19 and Zimbabwe U19 have faced each other 18 times, with Pakistan winning 15 matches. Zimbabwe have won once, while two matches ended with no result due to rain.As per the format of the 16-team, four-group tournament, the top three sides from each group will qualify for the Super Six stage. The top three teams from Group ‘B’ will join the three qualifiers from Group ‘C’ to form one Super Six group. Similarly, the top three teams from Group ‘A’ will combine with the three qualifiers from Group ‘D’ in the other group.Pakistan, who are currently placed second in Group ‘C’ (C2), are likely to face B3 at the Harare Sports Club on Tuesday, 27 January, before taking on B1 at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Sunday, 1 February.The top two teams from each Super Six group will qualify for the semi-finals, scheduled to be played on 3 and 4 February, respectively. The final of the tournament will be played at the Harare Sports Club in Harare on Friday, 6 February.Earlier, Pakistan U19 team took part in a training session in the afternoon at the Old Hararians under the supervision of the coaching staff led by Shahid Anwar. The session lasted for over two hours, with batters and bowlers engaging in net sessions, followed by fielding drills.At the conclusion of the session, right-arm fast bowler Abdul Subhan, said:“We are well prepared for the upcoming match and put in a lot of work during practice. I have been spending extra time working on my batting in the nets and the coaches have been guiding me throughout the process, which has helped me generate more power and fluency in my batting.“The team’s momentum is good. Tomorrow’s match is very important for us. A win will give us a lot of confidence and help us going into the next stage of the tournament.”15-member squad:Farhan Yousaf (captain), Usman Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Subhan, Ahmed Hussain, Ali Hasan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, Hamza Zahoor (wk), Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Sayyam, Mohammad Shayan (wk), Niqab Shafiq, Sameer Minhas and Umar ZaibICC U19 World Cup Pakistan fixtures:16 January – England beat Pakistan by 37 runs at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare19 January – Pakistan beat Scotland by six wickets at Takashinga Sports Club, Harare22 January – Zimbabwe v Pakistan, Takashinga Sports Club, Harare24 January to 1 February – Super 6 matches3 February – First semi-final, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo4 February – Second semi-final, Harare Sports Club, Harare6 February – Final, Harare Sports Club, Harare
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