Cricket

Pakistan cricket commentator and analyst Ali Younis has strongly condemned the online abuse and personal attacks directed at his wife, Aliya Riaz, following Pakistan’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s T20 World Cup. In an emotional video message, Younis accused sections of social media and former cricketers of fueling a toxic culture of hatred that has gone far beyond legitimate criticism of cricket performances. “Karma means that whatever you do, whatever you say,

Fast bowler Matt Henry produced a decisive spell late on day two to put New Zealand firmly in control of the second Test against England at The Oval on Thursday, after Glenn Phillips celebrated the first Test century of his career. England closed the day on 222-6 in reply to New Zealand’s first-innings total of 391, still trailing by 169 runs with only four wickets remaining. Henry, who had battled back spasms during the opening Test at Lord’s, dismissed stand-in captain Joe

Pakistan women’s cricket stalwart Nida Dar has announced her return to professional cricket, ending an indefinite break from the game that began in April 2025. The 39-year-old all-rounder revealed the news through a social media post, expressing her readiness to represent Pakistan once again after taking time away from the sport to focus on her mental well-being. “After taking time to focus on myself and regain my strength, I am happy to share that I am back and available for

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a major overhaul of its central contracts system, introducing a groundbreaking format-based structure under the leadership of PCB Chairman Syed Mohsin Naqvi. Recognizing the evolving nature of modern cricket, the PCB has moved away from the traditional “one-size-fits-all” model, which treated players from all formats under the same grading system. The new framework acknowledges the unique demands of Test, ODI, and T20 cricket and

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has once again sparked debate over Pakistan cricket administration after making candid remarks about opportunities given to former players within the cricket setup. During a recent interview, Afridi was asked why former cricketers such as Mohammad Yousuf, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz and Azhar Mahmood continue to receive opportunities in coaching and administrative roles, while he remains outside the system. Responding to the question, Afridi

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced a youthful 15-member squad for the men’s T20 cricket competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with opening batter Sahibzada Farhan appointed as captain. The squad features a new-look lineup, with several established national stars including Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan left out of the squad. The selection reflects Pakistan’s focus on providing international ex

Australia produced a clinical all-round performance to defeat Pakistan by 41 runs in the second ODI at Lahore, levelling the three-match series 1-1 and setting up a winner-takes-all decider. After being put into bat, Australia recovered from an early setback to post 231 on the board. The visitors suffered a nightmare start when Alex Carey was dismissed off the very first ball of the innings. However, Josh Inglis and Matthew Short steadied the ship with a valuable partnership

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan marked their 1,000th One-Day International in style, defeating Australia by five wickets in the opening ODI of the three-match series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday, with young spinner Arafat Minhas producing a record-breaking debut performance. The 21-year-old left-arm spinner etched his name into Pakistan cricket history by becoming the first home bowler to claim a five-wicket haul on ODI debut. Minhas returned outstanding figures of 5-32, sp