Cricket - Int News
Zimbabwe to feature in T20I tri-series in Pakistan
Lahore (SBR): Zimbabwe Cricket has accepted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s invitation to participate in a T20I tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka, to be staged in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 17 to 29 November.The maiden tri-series on Pakistan soil has been scheduled to provide all three sides with preparation ahead of next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka.The tri-series will commence on 17 November, with hosts Pakistan taking on Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second fixture will also be played at the same venue on 19 November, when Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe.Following the two matches in Rawalpindi, the action will shift to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, which will stage the remaining five matches, including the final on 29 November.Earlier today, Afghanistan expressed their inability to participate in the tournament.T20I Tri-Series (Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe)17 November – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi19 November – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi22 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore23 November – Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore25 November – Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore27 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore29 November –Final, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Afghanistan U19 team to visit Bangladesh for a Five-Match Youth ODI Series
Kabul (SBR): The Afghanistan Cricket Board confirms that the Afghanistan National U19 Cricket Team will visit Bangladesh for a five-match Youth ODI series, scheduled from October 28 to November 9, 2025, in Bogura, Bangladesh.The team will leave Kabul for Bangladesh on October 20 and will engage in a week-long conditioning camp before meeting the home U19 side in the opening match of the series on October 28.The first two matches are set to be played in Bogura, while the last three will take place at the RDS Cricket Ground in Rajshahi. The matches are scheduled for October 28, 31, and November 3, 6, and 9 respectively.This series marks a crucial phase in Afghanistan’s youth cricket development, providing valuable international exposure and competitive experience ahead of the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026, hosted by Zimbabwe and Namibia.Naseeb Khan, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, stated: “We are committed to ensuring that our Future Stars remain consistently engaged alongside the National and A teams. This series will play a crucial role in preparing our U19 squad for the upcoming World Cup and could well unearth promising talents who may later advance to higher levels, including the A team and the senior national side.”Afghanistan Future Stars have recently completed a series of intensive preparatory camps held across Nangarhar and Khost provinces over the past three months, where players focused heavily on physical conditioning, skill development, and participated in several intra-squad practice matches designed to strengthen team cohesion and match readiness.
Lahore Test: Pakistan score 313 runs for 5 on opening day
Lahore (Sports News): Pakistan batters were satisfied when they finished 313 for 5 on the opening day of the first Test match at Qaddafi Stadium Lahore on Sunday after 90 overs game.Left-handed batter Imam ul Haq was the top scorer with 93 runs while skipper Shan Masood added 75 runs. Both batters aggregated 160 runs for the second wicket. Acha Salman and Mohammad Rizwan were not out at the end of day 1 game. Babar Azam could only made 23 runs.
Ticket on sale: Pakistan vs South Africa
Lahore (PR): The tickets for the two-Test match series between Pakistan and South Africa will go on sale later today from 5pm. The online tickets will be available here, while physical tickets for the Test matches will be available at TCS Express Centres from Thursday, 8 October (infographic attached).The first Test will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 12 to 16 October, while the second Test will take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 20 to 24 October. Both Test matches are part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27.The tickets for six white-ball matches (three T20Is, three ODIs) will go on sale online and available at TCS Express Centres from 16 October.
Match officials announced for Pakistan-South Africa Cricket Series
Lahore (PCB Report): Sri Lanka’s Ranjan Madugalle will officiate as match referee for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 matches and white-ball series between Pakistan and South Africa, scheduled from 12 October to 8 November.The first Test will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 12 to 16 October. Australia’s Rodney Tucker, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will serve as an on-field umpire alongside New Zealand’s Christopher Brown, who is part of the ICC Emerging Umpires Group.Bangladesh’s Saikat Sharfuddoula, also from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will perform the duties of third umpire, while Pakistan’s Faisal Khan Afridi from the ICC International Panel of Umpires will act as fourth umpire.For the second Test, to be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 20 to 24 October, Christopher Brown will be joined by Saikat Sharfuddoula as on-field umpires, while Rodney Tucker will officiate as third umpire. Rashid Riaz, from the ICC International Panel of Umpires, will serve as fourth umpire.In the first T20I on 28 October at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Muhammad Asif Yaqoob (ICC Emerging Umpires Group) will be joined by Rashid Riaz as on-field umpires, with Faisal Khan Afridi as third umpire and Tariq Rasheed as fourth umpire. The same team of officials will oversee the second T20I on 31 October at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.For the third T20I, to be played at the same venue on 1 November, Rashid Riaz and Faisal Khan Afridi will serve as on-field umpires, with Asif Yaqoob as third umpire and Tariq Rasheed as fourth umpire.For the three ODIs at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, Saikat Sharfuddoula and Asif Yaqoob will officiate as on-field umpires for the first ODI on 4 November, while England’s Alex Wharf, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires will be third umpire, with Rashid Riaz as fourth umpire.Alex Wharf and Ahsan Raza (both from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires) will officiate as on-field umpires together for the first time in the series during the second ODI. Saikat Sharfuddoula and Rashid Riaz will perform the duties of third and fourth umpires, respectively.For the third and final ODI, Saikat Sharfuddoula and Faisal Khan Afridi will serve as on-field umpires, Alex Wharf will be third umpire, while Rashid Riaz will act as fourth umpire.
Mohammad Waseem to lead UAE in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier
Dubai (SBR): UAE will compete in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and EAP Qualifier next month. Prolific opener Mohammad Waseem will lead the 15-member squad. Three teams will earn qualification from the Qualifier for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 which will be played in India and Sri Lanka. A total of nine teams are competing in the tournament – divided into three pools of three teams each. UAE have been placed in Group 1 along with Malaysia and Qatar. The team will play Qatar on Wednesday, 8 October and Malaysia on Friday, 10 October. The top two teams from each pool will progress to the Super Six Stage. Super Six matches will take place from 12 to 17 October – the top three teams from the Super Six Stage will earn ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 qualification. UAE (squad): Mohammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Jonathan Figy, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Mohammad Farooq, Mohammad Irfan, Rahul Chopra (wicketkeeper), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh and Zahid Ali.Support Staff: Amjad Ezzi (team manager), Lalchand Rajput (head coach), Azharuddin Qureshi (strength and conditioning coach), Manipreet Sidhu (video analyst) and Manish Pradeshi (physiotherapist). Schedule (Oman – UAE matches):Wednesday, 8 October – UAE vs Qatar – 2:30pm – Al Amerat Cricket Stadium Friday, 10 October – UAE vs Malaysia – 10:00am – Al Amerat Cricket Ground Turf 2 Super Six Stage – 12 October to 17 October – Al Amerat Cricket Stadium and Al Amerat Cricket Ground Turf 2
PCB announces an 18-member squad for South Africa Test series
Lahore (SBR):The national selection committee has named an 18-member squad for the two-Test match series, part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 against South Africa, commencing on 12 October. The squad will be further trimmed before the start of the first Test.Shan Masood will continue to lead the side, while three uncapped players – Asif Afridi, Faisal Akram and Rohail Nazir have also been included.South Africa, champions of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25, will take on Pakistan in the first Test at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from 12 to 16 October, while the second Test will be staged at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi from 20 to 24 October.The two-Test match series will be followed by three T20Is and as many ODIs to be played from 28 October to 8 November. The squad for the white-ball series will be announced in due course.The players for the pre-series camp will undergo training under red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood and NCA coaches later today till Wednesday, 8 October. The players who featured in the recently concluded ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup will join the squad on 4 October.Pakistan squad:Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicket-keeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah AfridiSouth Africa tour to Pakistan12-16 October – First Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore20-24 October – Second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi28 October – First T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi31 October – Second T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore1 November – Third T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore4 November – First ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad6 November – Second ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad8 November – Third ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad.
Wheelchair T20 Cricket: Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets
Sports Bulletin ReportKarachi: Pakistan wheelchair cricket team defeated Afghanistan by 5 wickets in the opening fixture of the 4-match T20 Cricket Series here at UBL Sports Complex. Chasing 146, the hosts sealed victory in just 15.5 overs. Usama Tariq dazzled with a quick-fire 66, while leg-spinner Imran Arain delivered a match-winning spell, claiming five wickets to earn the Player of the Match award.Batting first, Afghanistan posted 145 in 19.4 overs after winning the toss. Asif top-scored with 28, Raheem made 26, and Zar Alam chipped in with 13. Pakistan’s bowlers dominated the innings, with Imran Arain taking 5 wickets, Muhammad Fayyaz 3, and Ayub 1.Pakistan’s chase was anchored by Usama Tariq’s 40-ball 66, supported by Mohammad Fayyaz’s unbeaten 37. Ahmed added 16 runs, while contributions from Misal (5), skipper Mohammad Zeeshan (5), and Mubeen (6) ensured a smooth pursuit. Imran Arain remained not out alongside Fayyaz as Pakistan reached the target with ease.Speaking after the match, captain Mohammad Zeeshan expressed pride: “After 20 years, we are finally hosting international wheelchair cricket on home soil. Later this year, Pakistan will also stage the Wheelchair Asia Cup featuring six teams.Afghanistan’s captain Mansoor Adil praised the occasion: “Pakistan’s hospitality has been excellent. This series is a valuable preparation for the upcoming Asia Cup.The second T20 will be played on Tuesday at 7:30 PM at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi.
Asia Cup: Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 11 runs to reach in final
Dubai (SBR): Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed three wickets and hit a brisk 19 off 13 balls, while Haris Rauf claimed a three-fer as Pakistan defended 135 to beat Bangladesh by 11 runs in the ACC T20 Asia Cup Super-Four game at Dubai International Stadium on Thursday night and set up a final against India on Sunday.The pace duo of Shaheen and Haris returned combined figures of 6-50 in their eight overs as Pakistan defended their joint-second lowest T20I total against Bangladesh.Defending the 136-run target, Shaheen provided his side with the perfect start, removing Parvez Hossain Emon for a two-ball duck – his 22nd first-over wicket in T20Is – followed by the scalp of Towhid Hridoy (5) to leave Bangladesh 23-2 in 4.2 overs.Haris Rauf then eked out the prized scalp of Saif Hassan (18, 15b, 1x4, 2x6s) on the first ball of the sixth over, reducing Bangladesh to 36-3 at the end of the powerplay.Nawaz sent Mahedi (11) back in the hut on the final delivery of the eighth over as Bangladesh were left reeling on 44-4. Nurul Hasan (16, 21b, 1x6) and Shamim Hossain (30, 25b, 2x6s) then put on 19 runs for the fifth wicket, before the former fell prey to Saim Ayub with Bangladesh requiring another 72 runs from the last eight overs.Saim, continuing his fine form with the ball, got rid of skipper Jaker Ali (5, 9b) when Nawaz grabbed his third catch of the night in the 14th over, reducing Bangladesh to 73-6.Shaheen ended Shamim’s 25-ball resistance in the 17th over, while Haris struck twice in the following over as Bangladesh slumped to 101-9.Haris defended 23 runs in the final over, handing his side the victory. Saim returned figures of 4-0-16-2 taking his tournament tally of wickets to eight.Earlier, Pakistan were asked to bat first and lost their opening duo within first ten balls of the game with just five runs on the board. Pakistan finished the Powerplay with Fakhar Zaman (13, 20b, 2x4s) and Salman Ali Agha in the middle with the score at 27-2. Fakhar fell in the subsequent over, while Hussain Talat followed him nine balls later.Trouble deepened for Pakistan when Agha was dismissed with scorecard reading 49-5 in 10.5 overs. Shaheen, at no.7, played a crucial cameo of 13-ball 19 hitting two sixes, before losing his wicket to Taskin in the 14th over with 71 runs on the board.Mohammad Haris (31, 23b, 2x4s, 1x6) and Nawaz then stitched a 38-run partnership off 24 balls for the seventh wicket to take Pakistan past the 100-run mark.Bangladesh landed another blow in the 18th over when Pakistan’s top-scorer Haris was caught and bowled by Mahedi. Nawaz (25, 15b, 1x4, 2x6s) then hit Taskin for a maximum off the first delivery of the penultimate over, but was caught at cover on the very next ball.Faheem Ashraf’s solitary four and three twos in the final over lifted Pakistan to 135-8 in 20 overs. For Bangladesh, Taskin finished with figures of 4-0-28-3. Rishad and Mahedi picked up two wickets apiece.Scores in brief:Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 11 runs at Dubai International Cricket StadiumPakistan 135-8, 20 overs (Mohammad Haris 31, Mohammad Nawaz 25, Shaheen Shah Afridi 19, Salman Ali Agha 19; Taskin Ahmed 3-28, Rishad Hossain 2-18, Mahedi Hasan 2-28)Bangladesh 124-9, 20 overs (Shamim Hossain 30, Saif Hassan 18; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-17, Haris Rauf 3-33, Saim Ayub 2-16)Player of the match – Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
Players need to deliver 100 percent to overcome opponents, Afridi
Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: If Pakistan reach in the final of the T20 Asia cup 2025, all 11 players will have to deliver hundred percent in all the 3 deportments of the game including batting, bowling and fielding to overcome opposite team, this was stated by former Test cricketer and captain Shahid Khan Afridi while talking to the media-person here at National Press Club (NPC) on Wednesday.Shahid Afridi, with 27 Test, 398 ODI, and 99 T20 matches for Pakistan, said that he missed right-arm pacer Naseem Shah, as the pitches and conditions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were suitable, helping and supporting the seam bowlers. “Although Pakistani players are not producing sparkling performances, however, after toiling hard in all three departments of cricket, they can turn the tables of the match, “he maintained.Replying to a question, he said that with the ongoing cricket infrastructure at the domestic level of Pakistan could not compete with the top cricketing nations of the world. “The top officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will have to pay their attention to domestic cricket. When the domestic system will be strong you will get strong players in the national team, “he added.“When I was playing home cricket, there was very tough competition, and a player had to work hard to play in first-class matches. So, we need to work at the national level of cricket, and chairman PCB will have to work on it. We have tremendous talent, we can make unbeatable teams in all three formats, including Test, ODI, and T20, “he replied to another question.A question regarding the skipper Agha Ali Salman, Afrid said that he always supported and encouraged young players. “When PCB put the responsibilities of captaincy on the shoulders of Afga Salam, I had a different opinion. Now, he is young and leading the Green Shirts in international competition, we should back him and support him, “legendary former cricket Shahid Khan Afridi concluded, who got 44 Test, 395 ODI, and 98 T20 during his international career and scored 5 Test and 6 ODI tons.
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