Author: News Desk

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar has responded to martial artist Shahzaib Rind’s public criticism over the government’s failure to deliver promised financial support, assuring the athlete that the matter will be resolved immediately.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Minister Tarar addressed Rind directly, saying, “Dear Shahzaib, there seems to be some miscommunication. We sincerely apologise for this unjustified delay. Sportsmen like you are our real heroes, and we value your achievements.”

He said the Prime Minister had taken “serious notice” of the situation and has ordered that the matter be resolved without further delay.

“The PM has further instructed that such mistakes must never happen in the future. We regret this unjustified delay and the inconvenience caused,” the minister added.

Shahzaib Rind, Pakistan’s reigning Karate Combat Lightweight World Champion and a six-time national Wushu champion, had earlier accused the country’s political leadership of dishonesty and neglect. 

He claimed that despite public announcements by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of a PKR 5 million cash prize and PKR 80 million in support for his training, he had received nothing even after 1.5 years.

Shahzaib recently extended his undefeated record to 8-0 after a commanding victory over Brazil’s Luis Rocha at KC 56, further cementing his legacy as one of the country’s top fighters.

Pakistan has officially barred all its sports teams from participating in events held in India due to security concerns, a notification issued by the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has said. 

The decision was taken during a recent meeting of the PSB. The notification clearly states that no sports federation will be allowed to send teams to India without prior approval from the board.

As a result of this directive, Pakistan’s national team will not be able to take part in the upcoming Asia Hockey Cup. The notification does not specify how long the restriction will remain in place.

The move reflects heightened security sensitivities and adds another layer of complexity to already strained sporting relations between the two countries.

Two athletes from the Pakistani contingent participating in the 2025 World University Games in Germany have gone missing, media reports confirmed.

According to reports, both athletes took part in their respective competitions but have been untraceable since July 24. Sources revealed that they were last seen  attending a dinner with the team, after which their absence was noticed during breakfast the next morning.

It has been further disclosed that the athletes’ passports are currently with the team manager. The rest of the Pakistani contingent is scheduled to return home on July 27.

The head of the Pakistani delegation Javed Memon stated that a complete update on the situation will be shared soon.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the national squads for the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies, including three T20Is and three ODIs.

The team will depart for the United States (US) on July 27. The T20Is are scheduled for July 31, August 2 and 3, followed by the ODIs on August 8, 10, and 12.

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has been retained as ODI captain, with star players like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Babar Azam also included in the 15-man squad.

A major highlight is the return of Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Afridi to the T20I side, which will be led by Agha Salman. Meanwhile, Abbas Afridi, Salman Irshad, and Ahmed Daniyal, who featured against Bangladesh, have been dropped.

The T20I squad also includes Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Hussain Talat, and Mohammad Nawaz. Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris, and Sufiyan Muqeem round out the lineup.

In the ODI squad, Rizwan will be joined by Salman Ali Agha, Babar Azam, Abdullah Shafique, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Saim Ayub.

Also named are Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Haris, and Sufiyan Muqeem.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has shared a crucial message for the national cricket team, stressing the need to adopt a consistent style and build squad depth ahead of major tournaments like the Asia Cup and ICC World Cup.

In a detailed post on social media platform X, Hesson reflected on the team’s recent performances and laid out his vision for long-term success.

“Currently sitting 8th in the world, we need to create depth and competition for places as well as play a style of cricket that can give us more consistency over time, especially at key events like Asia Cup and World Cups,” he wrote.

He noted that the first six matches of the recent series were played on two contrasting types of pitches, offering key insights into the squad’s adaptability. “A young batting group shone with 200+ scores early. Mirpur, which is the lowest scoring venue in T20Is, certainly tested our adaptability and after struggling early we fought back and showed an ability to learn with experience.”

Hesson praised new players for stepping up and making an impact. “New players stepped up, showing promise and in some instances excelling,” he said.

 “Specialist Coaches have played a key role in developing bowlers both here and at the NCA,” he wrote.

Hesson expressed satisfaction over the improvement in fielding as well. “Fielding was a huge step up in the last two matches and we’re starting to look like an international fielding side.”

The head coach signed off his message with a hopeful note: “Onwards.”

It merits mention that Bangladesh won the T20I series 2-1, with Pakistan avoiding a whitewash by securing a 74-run victory in the third match.