Category: Sports

Liverpool is aiming to strengthen their defence under new manager Arne Slot, and Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi has caught their attention. However, they face tough competition from other top Premier League clubs.

Reports suggest that Liverpool and Manchester United are preparing summer bids for the 24-year-old defender. Guehi, who struggled at Chelsea but found success at Palace, has become a key player for both his club and the England national team. He has played 121 league games and helped keep 29 clean sheets.

Other clubs, including Newcastle and Tottenham, are also interested. Tottenham even offered £70 million in January, but Palace rejected the bid. Guehi’s speed and aggressive playing style have earned him praise from former England interim manager Lee Carsley.

Liverpool’s interest in the player could increase if Virgil van Dijk does not renew his contract. Even if Van Dijk stays, Liverpool will need a strong defender for the future, making Guehi a great choice.

Meanwhile, Manchester United’s manager, Ruben Amorim, is also looking to strengthen his defence, as some of his current defenders have not fully met expectations.

Guehi’s reliability and experience make him an attractive option. Signing him could be a smart move for Liverpool, as he has proven himself in the Premier League and could provide the defensive strength the team needs.

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam has lost his mobile phone, the star batter revealed in a social media post.

“I have lost my phone and contacts. I will get back to everyone as soon as I find it,” Babar said in a post on his official X account.

The post comes as the former skipper trains for the upcoming tri-series and the ICC Champions Trophy. In these tournaments, he is expected to open the innings alongside Fakhar Zaman. 

According to reports, the team management has urged Babar to play a role similar to that of Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, and the 30-year-old has agreed to take on this challenge.

Pakistan recently announced a 15-member squad with Fakhar Zaman as the only regular opener. Chief selector Asad Shafiq said that the second opener will be decided before the tri-series starts on Feb 8.

Reports revealed that concerns regarding the team’s opening combination came to fore when youngster Saim Ayub suffered an ankle injury on the first day of the Cape Town Test. Head coach Aaqib Javed, batting coach Shahid Aslam, wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan, and the selection committee held multiple discussions with Babar, convincing him to open the innings in both Test and ODI formats.

The management believes that Babar’s presence at the top will strengthen the team, and he has agreed to take on the responsibility, particularly in the upcoming tri-series and Champions Trophy.

The management is confident that Babar will play a pivotal role in Pakistan’s ODI squad. He has played 123 ODIs and scored 5,957 runs at an impressive average of 56, including 19 centuries and 23 half-centuries. 

While he is a regular opener in T20 cricket, he has mostly played at number three or four in ODIs. The last time he opened the innings in ODIs was against England in 2015.

As the tri-nation series between Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand approaches, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has released exclusive hospitality box packages for the much-awaited matches in the days leading to the Champions Trophy.

According to the details, fans looking for a luxurious and memorable cricket experience at the newly-renovated stadiums in Lahore and Karachi stadiums can now book hospitality boxes with prices varying on the basis of seating arrangement.

Here’s a breakdown of the options available in Lahore and Karachi for the series:

Lahore Hospitality Options:

1st ODI – Saturday, February 8

Sub-Activity Box 1-3 (15 Seater Box): PKR 1,000,000
New Pav 20 Seater Box: PKR 800,000
New Pav 24 Seater Box: PKR 1,200,000

2nd ODI – Monday, February 10

Sub-Activity Box 1-3 (15 Seater Box): PKR 800,000
New Pav 20 Seater Box: PKR 600,000
New Pav 24 Seater Box: PKR 1,000,000

Karachi Hospitality Options:

3rd ODI- Wednesday, February 12

East 2-5 New Pav 10 Seater Box: PKR 600,000
East 2-5 New Pav 15 Seater Box: PKR 600,000
New Pavilion 20-Seater Box: PKR 400,000
New Pavilion 24-Seater Box: PKR 800,000

Final-Friday, February 14

East 2-5 New Pav 10 Seater Box: PKR 800,000
East 2-5 New Pav 15 Seater Box: PKR 800,000
New Pavilion 20-Seater Box: PKR 600,000
New Pavilion 24-Seater Box: PKR 1,000,000

The hospitality box packages, however, offer more than just premium seating as they also include exclusive access to VIP areas besides food and beverages served throughout the match for a memorable experience.

While PCB’s announcement has added to the excitement of many, some other fans didn’t seem so sure about the packages offered by the board.

“The PCB’s social media team has hired a person from PIA’s marketing team,” wrote one confused fan, apparently assuming the packages were a graphic design gaffe.

Another user said you could “set up a 3D cinema at home” for PKR 1.2 million.

“Boxes are not for individuals… corporate takes them and hands out tickets to their premium customers. I don’t get what the fuss is about?” wrote a fan while trying to explain the packages to others.

It merits a mention that the PCB has revealed the price of tickets for fans in general as well. Tickets for most matches are available for PKR 350, whereas those for weekend matches (Pakistan vs New Zealand on February 8) and the final match on February 14 are priced at PKR 500.

Following are the details for special tickets offering premium seating:

Lahore – Gaddafi Stadium

VVIP enclosures (Majid Khan and Zaheer Abbas 
1st ODI- Saturday’s match: PKR 5,000
2nd ODI- Monday’s match: PKR 4,000

VVIP enclosures (Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram)
1st ODI- Saturday’s match: PKR 3,500
2nd ODI- Monday’s match: PKR 2,500

VIP enclosures (Fazal Mahmood and Imran Khan)
1st ODI- Saturday’s match: PKR 2,000
2nd ODI- Monday’s match: PKR 1,500

Premium enclosures (Rajas and Saeed Anwar)
1st ODI- Saturday’s match: PKR 1,500
2nd ODI- Monday’s match: PKR 1,000

General enclosures (Hanif Mohammad, Imtiaz Ahmed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Saeed Ahmed)
1st ODI- Saturday’s match: PKR 500
2nd ODI- Monday’s match: PKR 350

First-class enclosures (Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Abdul Qadir, Javed Miandad, and Sarfaraz Nawaz)
1st ODI- Saturday’s match: PKR 1,500
2nd ODI- Monday’s match: PKR 1,000

Karachi – National Bank Stadium

General Enclosures (Asif Iqbal, Nazar Mohammad, Waqar Hasan, and Younis Khan)
3rd ODI- Wednesday’s match: PKR 350

Final on Friday: PKR 500

First-Class enclosures (Imran Khan, Intikhab Alam, Wasim Akram, Wasim Bari, and Shahid Afridi)
Wednesday’s match: PKR 750
Final on Friday: PKR 1,000

Premium enclosures (Iqbal Qasim, Mohammad Brothers, Naseem ul Ghani)
3rd ODI- Wednesday’s match: PKR 1,000
Final on Friday: PKR 1,500

VIP Enclosures (Fazal Mahmood, Hanif Mohammad, and Javed Miandad)
3rd ODI- Wednesday’s match: PKR 1,500
Final on Friday: PKR 2,000

VVIP Enclosures (Majid Khan and Zaheer Abbas)
3rd ODI- Wednesday’s match: PKR 4,000
Final on Friday: PKR 5,000

Gallery Seats

3rd ODI- Wednesday’s match: PKR 5,000
Final on Friday: PKR 6,000

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is considering a potential change in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 

According to media reports, middle-order batter Tayyab Tahir could be replaced by spinner Sufyan Maqeem in the national squad for the tournament. The PCB has called Sufyan Maqeem for a fitness test as part of the selection process.

PCB selection committee has faced criticism for including only one frontline spinner in the squad for the Champions Trophy. The squad for the tournament, which will be held in Pakistan from February 19 to March 9, 2025, can be modified until February 11, 2025.

PCB announced a 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 on January 31, which includes Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakil, Tayyab Tahir, Afeem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

The PCB has until February 11 to make any changes to the squad. After this deadline, replacement players can only be included on medical grounds, subject to approval from the ICC Event Technical Committee.

The Champions Trophy 2025 will not have Indian match officials, as two top candidates have excused themselves from officiating in Pakistan.

According to Indian media, Javagal Srinath, a respected match referee, and Nitin Menon, an elite ICC umpire, both withdrew owing to personal reasons.

Reports claim that Menon declined to travel to Pakistan, and since he couldn’t officiate in India’s matches in Dubai, he was left out of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Srinath confirmed that he requested leave after already spending a long time away from home in November, December, and January.

Both are the only Indians in the ICC Elite Panel, and their absence was confirmed when the ICC announced the official match officials for the tournament.

The 12-member umpire panel includes Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Michael Gough, Paul Reiffel, Chris Gaffaney, and Kumar Dharmasena, while Ahsan Raza is the only Pakistani umpire on the list.

The match referees for the tournament will be David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, and Andrew Pycroft.

Earlier, the Indian team refused to visit Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. The PCB agreed to a hybrid model for Indian matches.

As per the hybrid model, all India matches, including the semi-final and final if they qualify, will be played in Dubai. Similarly, if Pakistan participates in an ICC event in India, they will play at neutral venues.

Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis has announced his immediate retirement from One-Day Internationals (ODIs) ahead of the 2025 Champions Trophy.

According to Cricket Australia, he will remain available for T20 cricket selection.

The decision to retire from ODIs allows him to focus on T20 cricket. Originally part of Australia’s Champions Trophy squad, a replacement will now be selected.

Cricket Australia stated that the National Selection Panel will finalize the Champions Trophy squad after the Test series against Sri Lanka.

Stoinis played 74 ODIs for Australia during his career.

The West Indies Cricket Board has announced the schedule for the upcoming white-ball series against Pakistan.

The Pakistan cricket team will play the series in July and August. The series will include three T20 matches and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs).

The T20 matches will be played in the USA, specifically in Broward County, Florida, and are scheduled for July 31, August 2, and August 3.

The ODI matches will be held at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad, scheduled for August 8, August 10, and August 12.

A key statement from a senior official of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has surfaced regarding the possible inclusion of Pakistan cricket team players in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the future.

Pakistani cricketers have been absent from the IPL for the past 17 years. In the inaugural edition of the league in 2008, 12 Pakistani players were part of the tournament. However, following the 2008 Mumbai attacks and the 2009 terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore, the BCCI decided to exclude Pakistani players from the league.

According to media reports, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla recently addressed the matter during a podcast. When asked whether Pakistani players would ever be able to play in the IPL again, Shukla shifted the responsibility onto the franchises.

“We have included Pakistani commentators and umpires in the IPL, but when it comes to players, it depends on the franchises. Franchises do not select Pakistani players, and we do not include them in the auction list,” he remarked. 

When asked if any franchises had ever discussed the inclusion of Pakistani players, he responded, “Some franchises have mentioned it, but overall, the circumstances make it difficult to include them.”

Rajeev Shukla also commented on the possibility of a bilateral cricket series between the two countries.

“At this moment, we do not have permission from the government. Even organizing a bilateral series at a neutral venue is not allowed,” he revealed. 

He emphasized, “We aim to play in each other’s countries, but for that, government approval and security clearance are necessary. The attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore changed everything.”

Due to ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan, Pakistani cricketers are not permitted to participate in the IPL. Additionally, the two nations have not played a bilateral series since 2012.

Afghanistan’s white-ball star Gulbadin Naib has made a bold claim, saying that Afghanistan’s clashes with Pakistan are “more intense” than Afghanistan-India.

During an interview with CricTracker after a match against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders on February 2, he said, “The rivalry [of Afghjanistan] with Pakistan is much more intense than India-Afghanistan. Whenever we face Pakistan, the atmosphere is electric, whether in India, Pakistan, or Dubai. It’s a clash that brings out the best in both teams.”

Talking about the Champions Trophy, he said, “It’s going to be a tough competition with all eight teams being strong, having qualified through the ODI World Cup. But we are confident in our abilities and will go into the tournament with a positive mindset.”

Naib praised the DP World ILT20 as a great platform for Afghan cricketers to showcase their skills to the world. He said, “It’s a great chance for Afghan players to prove themselves among the best.”

The 33-year-old also spoke about playing alongside cricket star David Warner. “Sharing a dressing room with Warner has been an amazing learning experience. His knowledge and way of playing are very valuable,” he said.

It merits a mention that Afghanistan defeated Pakistan in the ODI World Cup 2023 by eight wickets.

Former Indian captain and head coach Rahul Dravid’s car collided with an auto-rickshaw, causing the cricketer to lose his temper.

A video of the incident has gone viral on social media, showing Dravid arguing on the road.

According to reports, the accident happened on Cunningham Road, a busy area in Bengaluru. The auto-rickshaw driver allegedly hit Dravid’s car from behind while they were stuck in traffic. However, it is unclear whether Dravid was driving the vehicle himself.

After the collision, the former head coach appeared visibly angry. The incident occurred around 6:30 PM on Tuesday, but no police case was filed.

Before leaving the scene, Dravid took the auto driver’s phone number and the rickshaw’s registration details.