Category: Sports

Former Pakistan cricket captain Rashid Latif has announced that he will expose the secrets of match-fixing in his upcoming book.

In a statement, Latif said, “I have started writing a book. Match-fixing was at its peak in the ’90s. I will expose everything—how fixing happened and who was involved.”

He further stated, “I will disclose what went on in ’90s cricket and also reveal which former captain submitted a presidential pardon request.”

Earlier, Rashid Latif also expressed that cricketers from the ’90s should be kept away from Pakistan cricket.

Speaking on Geo News’ program Harna Mana Hai, he remarked, “It took 17 years for Pakistan to win another World Cup because the ’90s players didn’t let go.”

“Keep the ’90s players away from management and the team, then the current players will try to win,” he added.

“They must be tired of serving Pakistan. Let them take a step back for a while,” Latif suggested.

His comments came at a time when Pakistan, the defending champions and hosts of the Champions Trophy, were knocked out of the tournament just five days after it began.

Former Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir has finally revealed why he took early retirement from international cricket.

Speaking on a private TV channel’s program about Champions Trophy 2025, Amir opened up about the difficulties he faced in his career. He recalled a time when Pakistan was set to tour New Zealand during the COVID era, but his name was not included.

“Pakistan team was going to New Zealand during COVID. Forty players were selected, but my name was not there,” Amir revealed.

He further shared how the Pakistan Super League (PSL) was about to start, but the national team’s squad was announced beforehand to prevent players like him and Shoaib Malik from performing well and forcing their way into the team.

“PSL was about to start, but they announced the team early so that Amir and Malik wouldn’t perform well and they wouldn’t have to take us,” he said.

Amir also criticized former head coach Waqar Younis, accusing him of taking biased decisions. He claimed that some former cricketers from the 90s actively tried to ruin his career.

“A former cricketer from the 90s tried his best to destroy my career,” Amir stated.

Reflecting on his PSL performance, Amir recalled how he bowled a Super Over for Karachi Kings, leading the team to the final.

He said that one of the members of the coaching staff was from the 90s era and that people were questioning his decision to exclude Amir from the 40-member squad.

“Everyone was asking him why Amir was not in the New Zealand squad despite performing well,” Amir said.

According to Amir, the former coach responded vaguely, saying, “He is in our plans, but we need to keep him under pressure for now. We will see later.”

Mohammad Amir initially retired from international cricket in 2020, citing concerns over his treatment by the team management. Before the T20 World Cup 2024, Amir took back the retirement, after which he was made a part of the national team.

However, the left-arm fast bowler retired from international cricket again on December 14, 2024.

The Indian cricket team not only lifted the glittering ICC Champions Trophy after defeating New Zealand in the final but also secured a massive prize money reward.

On Sunday, India claimed their third Champions Trophy title by defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the final of the 2025 edition.

The match, held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, saw New Zealand’s captain, Mitchell Santner, win the toss and opt to bat first. New Zealand posted a total of 251 runs for the loss of seven wickets in their allotted 50 overs. In response, India chased down the target in the 49th over, losing six wickets along the way.

Apart from lifting the trophy and receiving their medals, the Indian players also took home a significant prize money reward.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the tournament prize money on February 14.

According to reports, India, as the tournament winner, received $2.24 million (over 620 million Pakistani rupees), while runners-up New Zealand were awarded $1.12 million (over 310 million Pakistani rupees).

The total prize money for this edition of the Champions Trophy saw a 53 percent increase compared to the previous edition.

Indian ODI cricket team captain Rohit Sharma has put an end to all speculation about his future in ODI cricket after leading India to victory in the 2025 Champions Trophy final against New Zealand.

Before the final, there was a lot of buzz about whether Rohit, who will turn 38 in two months, would retire from ODIs, given that India’s next big tournament in the format is the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, he made it clear in the post-match press conference that no such decision had been made.

“I am not going to retire from this format. I want to make sure no rumours spread moving forward. Koi future plan hai nahi, jo chal raha hai chalega (there is no future plan; whatever is going on will continue as it is),” Rohit said.

He also highlighted the strong mindset of the Indian team.

“There is a lot of hunger even in guys who have played a lot of cricket, and it rubs down on the younger players. We have five to six players who are real stalwarts. It makes the job easier for all of us,” he added.

In the final, Rohit played a crucial knock, scoring 76 off 83 balls with seven fours and three sixes while chasing 252. His strike rate of 91.56 helped India secure a four-wicket win.

This was Rohit’s first-ever half-century in an ICC event final and his highest score in any ODI final, surpassing his 66 against Australia in the 2008 Commonwealth Bank Series final at the SCG.

Now, across nine ICC finals, he has scored 322 runs in 11 innings at an average of 32.20, with a highest score of 76.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is facing criticism for not having a single representative at the presentation ceremony of the 2025 Champions Trophy, held at Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.

India won the tournament after defeating New Zealand by four wickets. During the trophy presentation, only International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Roger Binny, secretary Devajit Saikia, and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) director Roger Twose were present to hand out awards.

Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar spoke out about the matter on social media.

“India has won the ICC Champions Trophy today, but I noticed something strange. Pakistan were the hosts, yet there were no Pakistan Cricket Board representatives at the trophy presentation. This is beyond my understanding. Why was there no one to represent us and give us the trophy? Please think about it. It’s a world stage, but sadly, I could not see any PCB members. Feeling very down to see that,” said Akhtar in a video posted on X.

Conflicting reports, however, claimed that PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed was present at the stadium but not invited for presentation ceremony by the ICC.

This Champions Trophy was Pakistan’s first ICC event at home in 29 years, but the national team had a disappointing campaign, getting eliminated in the group stage after losses to New Zealand and India.

India on Sunday won the Champions Trophy 2025, defeating New Zealand in the final by four wickets at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and decided to bat first.

In the first innings, opener Will Young scored 15 (23), while Rachin Ravindra provided a quick 37 (29). Skipper Kane Williamson managed 11 (14) before falling victim to Kuldeep Yadav. Daryl Mitchell was the top scorer with a steady 63 (101), while Tom Latham contributed 14 (30). Glenn Phillips played a cautious 34 (52) and Michael Bracewell provided a late flourish with a 53 (40). Mitchell Santner added 8 (10) before being run out.

While New Zealand put up a competitive total of 251/7 in their 50 overs, Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets each. Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja chipped in with one wicket apiece.

In the second innings, India successfully chased down 252 in 49 overs. Rohit Sharma led from the front with a solid 76 (83), while Shubman Gill contributed 31 (50).

Virat Kohli fell for 1 (2), but Shreyas Iyer steadied the chase with 48 (62). Axar Patel added a crucial 29 (40), and KL Rahul scored 34 (33) to guide India home. Hardik Pandya chipped in with 18 (18), while Ravindra Jadeja was not out on 5 (5).

For New Zealand, Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell took two wickets each, while Rachin Ravindra and Kyle Jamieson picked up one each.

It merits mention that India remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.

The pitch for the Champions Trophy final has been finalised, and as reportedly foreseen, it is expected to be another slow surface, similar to many others in Dubai.

According to reports, the final will be played on the same pitch used for the Group A clash between India and Pakistan. This surface is once again expected to assist spinners, giving India a potential advantage in the final against New Zealand with their strong spin attack.

Dubai International Cricket Stadium has a total of 10 pitches, all prepared under the supervision of Australian curator Matthew Sandry. These pitches are generally slow, offering significant turns, which makes batting challenging.

Across four matches at the Dubai Stadium, the average first-innings score has been 246, with the highest total of 264 posted by Australia against India in the semi-final. India successfully chased this total in 49 overs, losing six wickets. In contrast, Pakistan’s average first-innings score over 10 matches has been 295.

Historically, Dubai’s pitches have favoured bowlers over batters, and a similar trend is expected for the Champions Trophy final. Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, and Ravindra Jadeja took five wickets in the February 23 match against Pakistan, restricting them from posting a big total.

Varun Chakravarthy, who did not play the match, is expected to relish the conditions in the final. The pacers also received some assistance in the early overs, which could benefit both teams’ pace attacks.

India’s spin attack has been in excellent form throughout the tournament, playing a key role in their success. They are the only team to have bowled out all four of their opponents.

As both teams gear up for an exciting finale, the slow and spin-friendly conditions at Dubai Stadium seem poised to play into India’s strengths, giving their spinners and adaptable batting lineup a chance to dominate on the grand stage.

The Champions Trophy final between India and New Zealand will be played in Dubai on Sunday, March 9.

Former Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has addressed speculations about his potential participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

During an interview on a private TV channel, the host asked Amir about his impending British passport acquisition, which could allow him to play in the IPL. In response, Amir stated, “If I get the opportunity to play in the IPL next year, I will certainly take it.”

The host further questioned Amir about the potential criticism he might face in Pakistan for playing in the IPL. Amir responded by saying, “I have already retired from international cricket.”

Without taking names, Amir pointed out, “While Pakistani cricketers were banned from the IPL, some former players were involved in commentary and coaching IPL franchises.”

Expressing his preference, Amir mentioned, “I would love to represent the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) franchise in the IPL.”

During the discussion, his fellow cricketer Ahmed Shehzad commented, “RCB needs a bowler like Amir to solve their bowling woes. He can help RCB secure their first-ever IPL title.”

Mohammad Amir initially retired from international cricket in 2020, citing concerns over his treatment by the team management. Before the T20 World Cup 2024, Amir came out of retirement, after which he was included in the national team.

However, the left-arm fast bowler retired from international cricket again on December 14, 2024.

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez’s dismissal of the performance of legendary cricketers of the 90s has drawn a response from bowling maestro Waqar Younis.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the former fast bowler shared a picture with left-arm bowling great Wasim Akram, captioning it: “90s Ka Londa!”

Waqar also highlighted the stats of his iconic partnership with Wasim Akram, listing down their 191 Test matches, 618 ODIs, 1,705 wickets, 8,594 runs, 66 five-wicket hauls, and 10 instances of taking 10 wickets in a match. He ended his post with the hashtag #NotBad and tagged Wasim Akram.

Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez had taken a dig at cricketers from the 1990s, claiming they had left no legacy behind as they had failed to win any ICC tournaments for Pakistan.

Speaking on a TV program, Hafeez criticized their performances in the 1996, 1999, and 2003 ICC events, saying, “We could have won at least one final, but it didn’t happen.”

He acknowledged, “Past players were mega superstars, but they failed to inspire by winning an ICC trophy. Things improved later, and in 2009, we won an ICC event under Younis Khan’s captaincy.”

Hafeez further stated, “If people look up to Babar Azam today, it is because he was part of the 2017 Champions Trophy-winning team, which played a huge role in reviving Pakistan cricket.”

 “Unfortunately, cricketers from the 90s failed to fulfil Pakistan’s dream of winning major ICC tournaments.”

Sitting alongside Hafeez in the studio was former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, who was not pleased with the remarks.

He responded, “Hafeez has generalized all players, but let me remind him—those 73 ODI wins that put us above India today, we were the ones who won them!”