Oct 25(ABC): Legendary player Shahid Afridi believes that the Pakistan Junior League (PJL) — an initiative of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) — would play an important role and benefit the sport. In a column published on the PCB’s website, the all-rounder praised the cricket board for organising such a tournament for youngsters. “The PJL is meant for our future …

MELBOURNE, Oct 24(ABC): Following a nerve-wracking game between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in their first match of the ongoing T20 World Cup, Pakistan captain Babar Azam reiterated to learn from mistakes after the Green Shirts lost the match by four wickets. “[We] will learn from mistakes,” Babar Azam said, speaking during a post-match presser. Speaking on Pakistan’s performance in their first match in …

Oct 24(ABC): Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis said the Twenty20 world champions were hurting after an 89-run humbling by New Zealand in their Super 12 stage clash on Saturday, but he backed the hosts to feed off the pressure and reach the semi-finals. The result at Sydney Cricket Ground hammered Australia’s net run rate, which will be used to separate teams …

Oct 24(ABC): Star spinner Rashid Khan said Afghanistan would bounce back from their opening loss to England at the Twenty20 World Cup having shown “promising talent” in the five-wicket defeat. England bowled out Afghanistan for a paltry 112 in Perth on Saturday but the Afghan spin force led by Rashid dragged the opposition chase to the 19th over by taking …

MELBOURNE, Oct 24(ABC): Iftikhar Ahmed registered his name in the record books Sunday after sealing the record of smashing the most sixes in Australia among Pakistani batters. Ahmed smashed four sixes in his innings against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the teams’ opening match and was able to score 51 runs off 34 balls. Before this, it …

HOBART, Oct 24(ABC):  Ireland’s George Dockrell on Sunday took field against Sri Lanka in his team’s opening Super 12 match at the Twenty20 World Cup despite testing positive for COVID-19. “Cricket Ireland confirmed the 30-year-old has been identified as ‘potentially positive’ for COVID-19,” the International Cricket Council said. “Under the current regulations, a positive test does not stop Dockrell from …

Oct 24(ABC): South Africa captain Temba Bavuma vowed Sunday his team will come out with all guns blazing in their Twenty20 World Cup bow in Australia, with no time to ease themselves into the tournament. The Proteas have a poor record in global events, never winning a World Cup or reaching a final in either short-ball format. They failed to …

Oct 19(ABC): Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina remained in contention for a WTA Finals spot with a 7-6(5) 6-2 win over Karolina Pliskova in the first round of the Guadalajara Open on Tuesday. Pliskova served for the opening set at 5-3 but the Czech was unable to finish the job as Rybakina battled back to force a tiebreak. Pliskova issued one …

LAHORE, Oct 19(ABC): Former West Indies captain Daren Sammy has been appointed as the head coach of Peshawar Zalmi for Pakistan Super League season eight. Darren Sammy was unavailable last season for Zalmi due to his commitment. Peshawar Zalmi chairman Javed Afridi wrote in a Twitter message that he welcomes Darren Sammy once again to the Peshawar Zalmi family. He …

MELBOURNE, Oct 19(ABC): Sri Lanka paceman Dushmantha Chameera has been ruled out of Thursday’s crunch T20 World Cup clash against Netherlands with a calf strain in another injury blow for the former champions. Chameera picked up three wickets in Tuesday’s big win over the United Arab Emirates in Geelong but hobbled off the field after pulling out of his run-up …

Oct 19(ABC): After Wasim Akram, former legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar Monday predicted four semifinal teams of the T20 World Cup, reported. “India, Pakistan, Australia and England will reach into the semifinals of T20 World Cup,” predicted Tendulkar while talking to British Newspaper Telegraph. On a question about the winner of the ongoing T20 World Cup, the former Indian captain said, “India has …

BRISBANE, Oct 19(ABC):  Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi made a brutal comeback to the T20 World Cup 2022 by maintaining his strength. The pacer joined the team in Australia to play the mega event after spending weeks in England to treat a ligament injury to his right knee. During a warm-up match against Afghanistan, Shaheen bowled a deadly toe-crusher to Afghanistan’s opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz …

LAHORE, Oct 19(ABC): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday sought an emergency meeting of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) after the Indian cricket board said their team will not tour Pakistan to play Asia Cup 2023. The PCB, in its letter to the ACC, condemned the unilateral announcement by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah …

Oct 18(ABC): Bas de Leede took two wickets and made an unbeaten 30 as the Netherlands took a giant step towards the Twenty20 World Cup Super 12 on Tuesday with a tense five-wicket victory over giant-killing Namibia. At a sun-soaked but near-empty Kardinia Park in Geelong the African nation were restricted to 121-6 in their 20 overs, with the Dutch …

Oct 18(ABC): Karthik Meiyappan lit up the Twenty20 World Cup with a hat-trick on Tuesday but it was in vain as Sri Lanka dismissed the United Arab Emirates for just 73 to get their campaign back on track. The Asian champions were stunned by Namibia in the tournament’s opening game on Sunday, a crushing 55-run defeat that left no room for error …

MUMBAI, Oct 18(ABC): World Cup winner Roger Binny was Tuesday appointed head of India s cricket board — the sport s richest body — replacing Sourav Ganguly after he was reportedly forced out in a political tussle. Binny, 67, was elected president at a meeting of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai, where secretary Jay …

Oct 18(ABC): Following the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision not to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year, former Pakistani cricket captain Shahid Afridi bashed the board and called it out for its “lack of experience”. Taking to Twitter, the cricket legend wrote: “When excellent comradery between the 2 sides in the past 12 months …

KARACHI, Oct 18(ABC):  After being crowned champion of the 18th Penang Junior Open 2022 in Malaysia, Pakistan’s 11-year-old squash player Mahnoor Ali is being praised for her prowess in the game at such a young age. Mahnoor hails from Peshawar but resides in Karachi. Speaking  after winning the prestigious accolade, Mahnoor said: “It’s an exceptional feeling, to be honest. I …

KARACHI, Oct 18(ABC):  American actor and former professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock has stepped in to increase the hype around the T20 World Cup 2022’s most-awaited clash between arch-rivals Pakistan and India on October 23. The Rock has been promoting his movie Black Adam in India and shared his excitement regarding the tournament’s greatest cricket rivalry. “When the greatest rivals collide, …

MELBOURNE, Oct 18(ABC):  England seamer Reece Topley appears doubtful for their opening T20 World Cup match against Afghanistan after rolling his ankle during practice, the team said on Tuesday. The 28-year-old left-armer hurt his left ankle during a fielding drill ahead of Monday’s warm-up match against Pakistan at the Gabba. He will be assessed in the build-up to Saturday’s match …

LAHORE, Oct 18(ABC): Following the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) denial to visit Pakistan for the Asia Cup next year, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is deliberating not to participate in the 2023 World Cup set to take place in India next year, sources told. The board is already considering pulling out of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) after …

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Australia captain Aaron Finch gave himself a timely boost ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup while India seamer Mohammed Shami proved his worth in a dramatic four-wicket final over in a warm-up match between the tournament heavyweights on Monday. Finch had managed only one fifty in his previous 10 T20 Internationals and his slump has been a …

HOBART, Oct 17(ABC): Sikandar Raza smashed 82 off 48 balls to set up a convincing 31-run victory for Zimbabwe in their opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup against Ireland on Monday. Zimbabwe lost three early wickets after being invited to bat first in Hobart, but Raza put on key partnerships to guide the team to 174-7 in Hobart. Returning …

BRISBANE, Oct 17(ABC): England Monday defeated Pakistan by six wickets during the T20 World Cup 2022 warm-up match, boosting their confidence ahead of starting their campaign in the mega event. Chasing a target of 161 runs, England reached the target within 15 overs despite losing their opening pair hitting low scores. Pakistan got rid of England’s openers cheaply — Phil …

Hobart, Australia, Oct 17 (ABC): George Munsey’s unbeaten half-century and some inspired bowling helped Scotland thrash two-time Twenty20 World Cup champions West Indies by 42 runs in another big upset on Monday. The shock result comes a day after Namibia hammered Asia Cup winners Sri Lanka in the tournament opener in Australia. Munsey’s 53-ball 66 laced with nine boundaries steered …

LAHORE, Oct 16(ABC): Former Pakistan player Aqib Javed said that Pakistan has the best bowling combination across all teams for the coming Twenty20 World Cup. Addressing a press conference while launching the Women’s Cricket Talent Hunt Program in Lahore, Aaqib Javed said that after the inclusion of Shaheen Shah Afridi in the squad, the bowling line of national team will …

MELBOURNE, Oct 16(ABC): Test skipper Pat Cummins is ready to be Australia’s one-day captain on a rotational basis and is even open to sharing the responsibility with David Warner, the 29-year-old said on Sunday. With Aaron Finch announcing his ODI retirement last month, Australia will need to find a leader for the 50-overs squad with less than a year to …

GEELONG, Oct 16(ABC): Bowlers led by Bas de Leede helped the Netherlands edge out the United Arab Emirates by three wickets in a tense low-scoring match of the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday. Skipper Scott Edwards stood unbeaten on 16 as the Netherlands chased down their target of 112 with one ball to spare in the second match of the …

Oct 16(ABC): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed Sunday that pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi would be available for the T20 World Cup warm-up fixture against England. Shaheen, 22, has been sidelined since sustaining a ligament injury to his right knee during a test match in Sri Lanka in July, missing the Asia Cup and home series against England. But …

Oct 16(ABC): Pakistan’s two iconic figures — first Test captain Abdul Hafeez Kardar and most successful Test batter Younis Khan — have been inducted into the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Hall of Fame. These two stars have joined Abdul Qadir, Fazal Mahmood, Hanif Mohammad, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Zaheer Abbas in the illustrious group. Kardar …

GEELONG, Oct 16(ABC): Sri Lanka’s T20 World Cup campaign suffered a disastrous start on Sunday as the former champions crashed to a 55-run loss against plucky Namibia in Geelong. Arriving as surprise Asia Cup champions, Sri Lanka had hoped to make an early statement against the African associate side in front of thousands of expectant supporters on a sun-bathed afternoon …

Oct 15(ABC): The much-awaited match between Pakistan and India in the Twenty20 World Cup 2022 is likely to be affected by rain. Both traditional rivals have been placed in Group 2 in the Super 12 stage. The other teams in their group are Bangladesh and South Africa. The group will have two more teams that will join the group after …

MELBOURNE, Oct 15(ABC): England captain Jos Buttler is happy with his team s preparation but tipped champions Australia as the favourites to win the Twenty20 World Cup on home soil, in comments to the media on Saturday. England prevailed in a seven-match Twenty20 series in Pakistan before flying to Australia where they beat their hosts and reigning world champions twice …

SYLHET , Oct 15(ABC):The Indian women’s cricket team has become the Asia Cup 2022 champion for the seventh time as they continued their dominance in the tournament. The Indian team registered a cakewalk win over Sri Lanka in the final of the 2022 edition by 8 wickets. For her brilliant performance with the ball, Renuka Singh Thakur has won the …

Oct 15(ABC): Former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed extended best wishes for the Pakistan cricket team ahead of the T20 world cup set to begin on October 16. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday announced Pakistan’s 15-player squad for T20 World Cup a day after Pakistan won the tri-series in New Zealand. Babar Azam-led squad beat New Zealand by five wickets, however, the performance of …

MELBOURNE, Oct 15(ABC):  India has the bench strength to make up for the absence of its injured stars when its T20 World Cup campaign gets under way against archrivals Pakistan, skipper Rohit Sharma said Saturday. Mohammed Shami has been added to India’s 15-man squad to replace pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who is out with back issues, for the marquee tournament in …

Oct 15(ABC): Pakistan skipper Babar Azam celebrated his birthday on Saturday with all the captains of the teams playing in the T20 World Cup. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) invited all the team captains to celebrate Babar’s 28th birthday. “Special guests for the birthday of Pakistan captain. We invited all the team captains at the T20 World Cup to celebrate Babar Azam’s birthday,” …

KARACHI, Oct 15(ABC):  Pakistan’s top shooter Gulfam Joseph has earned a direct berth to the Paris Olympics 2024 after finishing sixth in ISSF World Shooting Championship in Cairo. The 22-year-old Joseph scored 198.4 after playing five series in the ranking round of the men’s 10m Air Pistol competition. He finished sixth and won the Olympic qualification quota. Earlier in the …

DHAKA, Oct 15(ABC): Bangladesh have brought in Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam to replace Mohammad Saifuddin and Sabbir Rahman in their T20 World Cup squad. All four members were part of the team that played the recently concluded tri-series in New Zealand, and although Bangladesh lost all four matches, their technical consultant Sridharan Sriram insisted that there were positives. Soumya …

LAHORE, Sep 15(ABC): Pakistan wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan has managed to persist his top position in the latest ICC T20I rankings while Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who is unable to perform recently has slipped down a little further after a dismal display in the recently concluded 2022 Asia Cup. Babar has moved down to the third spot as South Africa’s …