Category: Sports

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced significant financial support for foreign players ahead of the 2025 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). 

According to reports, the Board will pay an additional $100,000 to each of the six high-profile foreign players who commit to participating in the tournament.

The extra payment will come from a special fund created by the PCB for the PSL. The fund has now increased to a total of $1 million. The fund was set up as part of a deal to pay top players when the central revenue pool’s net broadcasting income reached three billion rupees.

The fund will help cover the salaries of foreign players who have signed contracts for the PSL 2025 edition. Previously, the base salary for foreign players in the PSL draft was set at $200,000 per player, but this amount will be increased for this year’s edition.

One of the players, David Warner, who will be joining Karachi Kings, is set to earn $300,000 for participating in the PSL, out of which $100,000 will be paid from the PCB’s special fund.

This is the first time that PSL has offered such a financial package for its foreign players, highlighting the PCB’s commitment to attracting top-tier talent. A few years ago, the PSL Governing Council decided to allocate $500,000 annually for elite players’ salaries when the central revenue pool’s net broadcast revenue reached three billion rupees. Since this fund remained unused last year, the amount has now been increased to $1 million.

Some of the foreign players joining PSL 2025 include big names like David Warner, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson, Finn Allen, Matthew Short, Sean Abbott, Naheed Rana, Litton Das, Michael Bracewell, Roussie van der Dussen, and Corbin Bosch. These players are set to feature in the 10th edition of PSL.

This year’s PSL will coincide with the Indian Premier League (IPL), as both leagues will overlap during their respective windows. PSL is scheduled to run from April 17 to May 22, while IPL will run from March 21 to the end of May. This overlap is expected to bring a competitive edge, as both leagues will be battling for attention during their final stages.

With increasing financial support and top-level talent signing lucrative deals, PSL is strengthening its reputation as one of the biggest T20 leagues in the world. The PCB’s efforts to attract international talent through profitable contracts are aimed at raising PSL’s global profile while ensuring that Pakistan’s cricket benefits from the international exposure of these players.

A court in Dhaka has issued an arrest warrant on Sunday for apprehending former Bangladesh captain and all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan in a bank fraud case.

According to Bangladeshi media, a relationship officer from a local bank, Shaheb Rahman, filed the case against Shakib Al Hasan, accusing the cricketer and three of his associates of failing to transfer around 41.4 million Bangladeshi Taka via two separate cheques.

Shakib’s company, Al Hasan Agro Farm Limited, has also been involved in the case, with Managing Director Ghazi Shaheer Hussain and Directors Imad Haque and Malaika Begum named in the case as well.

The cheques in question were issued for partial repayment of loans but were blocked due to insufficient funds.

Dhaka’s Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ziaur Rahman issued the order.

Shakib was named in the cheque fraud case on December 15, 2023, and after an initial hearing on December 18, the court ordered him to appear on January 19, 2024.

Shakib Al Hasan, a member of the ruling Awami League, was elected unopposed in the general elections on January 7, 2024. However, due to student protests and the political crisis following Sheikh Hasina’s potential ousting, Shakib is currently residing abroad.

Russian tennis player Daniil Medvedev has been fined $76,000 (around 20 million Pakistani rupees) for misconduct during a first-round match at the Australian Open. 

The 28-year-old Russian got frustrated and hit his racket into the net five times during his first-round win against Thai wildcard Kasidit Samraj on Tuesday.

In his second-round loss to American Learner Tien on Thursday, Medvedev was given a point penalty after throwing his equipment to the side. 

He will face a deduction from his prize money for the season’s opening Grand Slam.

West Indies cricket team captain Kraigg Brathwaite has accused Pakistan of preparing a tough pitch to gain a home advantage.

Speaking after the match on Sunday, Kraigg Brathwaite said, “The pitch in Multan was very difficult, with a lot of spin. Pakistan prepared this pitch to take advantage of their home conditions.”

He added, “Pakistan also didn’t bat well in the second innings. I think we could have bowled better in the first innings.”

The West Indies captain, however, appreciated the local fans, saying, “The Pakistani fans supported us too. It felt good to see the support from the crowd.”

Brathwaite also praised his teammate, saying, “Jomel Warrican bowled very well. I hope he performs well again in the second Test match. We will make a comeback in the next game.”

Pakistan defeated West Indies by 127 runs in the first Test match at Multan on Sunday.

Pakistan scored 230 runs in the first innings and were all out for 157 in the second. The visiting team was bowled out for 137 runs in the first innings and 123 in the second.

The Multan Test concluded within three days.

Indian javelin thrower and two-time Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra tied the knot with Indian tennis player Himani Mor on Sunday.

He announced his marriage in an Instagram post, captioning it, “Neeraj (heart emoji) Himani, united in love.”

The post, however, did not reveal details about the wedding, but Neeraj’s fans were surprised by the announcement, as the athlete usually keeps his personal life private.

The star’s wife, Himani Mor, is from Sonipat and is currently studying in the US. 

The wedding ceremony took place in the US, after which Neeraj Chopra and Himani reportedly departed for their honeymoon.

Himani is an athlete who played sports during her college days at Miranda House, Delhi University, in New Delhi. She is pursuing a Master of Science from the Isenberg School of Management.

She studied Sports Management at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana, and completed an MBA in Sports and Fitness Administration/Management at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire, USA.

Currently, she works as a graduate assistant at Amherst College in Massachusetts, USA. She also manages the women’s tennis team. Her role includes coaching, managing venues, recruiting players, networking, training, sports administration, and strategic planning.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she also worked as a Business Development Executive from June to November 2022.

India has announced its 15-member squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy, notably excluding a key fast bowler.

Rohit Sharma will lead the team, with Shubman Gill as the vice-captain. However, Mohammed Siraj is not in the lineup.

The team includes former captain Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, and Mohammed Shami. Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav are also in the squad.

The tournament, featuring eight teams, will take place from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan and Dubai, with matches scheduled in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi. The teams are divided into two groups: Group A includes Pakistan, India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh, while Group B consists of Afghanistan, South Africa, England, and Australia.

Pakistan will face New Zealand in Karachi on February 19. The highly anticipated clash between Pakistan and India is scheduled for February 23 in Dubai. Pakistan will host 10 matches, while four matches, including all of India’s group-stage games and the first semi-final, will be held in Dubai.

The final is set to be played in Lahore, but if India qualifies, it will be moved to Dubai. A reserve day has been designated for the final in case of any weather-related disruptions.

Indian cricketer Rinku Singh is reportedly engaged to a 25-year-old Member of Parliament Priya Saroj.

According to media reports, the left-handed batter proposed to Priya, who won the Machhlishahr seat in Uttar Pradesh in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket.

Multiple news outlets and journalists on Friday claimed the reported engagement. Neitzans even congratulated Rinku on social media.

However, Priya’s father, Tufani Saroj, has denied the engagement, stating that Rinku’s family has made a marriage proposal, but nothing has been confirmed yet.

“Priya is currently in Thiruvananthapuram (a city in India) for some work, and her engagement with Rinku Singh has not happened. Yes, the talks are on between the families,” he told India TV Digital.

Rinku Singh is expected to be part of the playing XI for the upcoming T20 series against England, and Kolkata Knight Riders have retained him for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Pakistan’s entire team has been bowled out for 230 runs on the second day of the Multan Test against the West Indies.

Pakistan resumed their incomplete innings with 143 runs for 4 wickets. However, the start of the day did not go well for the Pakistani batters, as wickets began to fall in the first session.

Saud Shakeel scored 84, and Salman Agha was out for 7 runs, while Mohammad Rizwan was dismissed after scoring 71 runs. After Rizwan, Nauman Ali scored 0, and Khurram Shehzad made 7 runs before getting out.

Other players, including captain Shan Masood (11), Babar Azam (8), Mohammad Haris (7), and Kamran Ghulam (5), also failed to make significant contributions.

For the West Indies, Jayden Seales and Jomel Warrican each took three wickets, while Kevin Sinclair took two wickets, and Gudakesh Motie claimed one wicket.

It’s important to note that Pakistan ended the first day with 143 runs for four wickets.

Pakistani mountaineer Asad Ali Memon has successfully climbed Mount Vinson, the highest peak in Antarctica.

Mount Vinson stands at 4,892 meters and is considered the coldest peak in the world. Asad now has only one more peak left, Mount Puncak Jaya, to complete his Seven Summits challenge.

This is the sixth peak Asad has climbed in his journey to conquer the highest mountains in all seven continents.

After reaching the summit, the mountaineer shared an emotional video on his Instagram, expressing his happiness and excitement over this achievement.

Earlier this week, another Pakistani mountaineer, Samar Khan, also made headlines by climbing another peak in South America. She successfully scaled Mount Aconcagua in Argentina, which stands at 6,961 meters.

England cricketer James Vince, poised to skip domestic cricket to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) this year, has decided to leave the country after violent attacks on his home.  

In an interview with The Telegraph, Vince explained the scary reasons behind his decision to leave Hampshire, where he has lived since the past eight years with his wife and children. His house was attacked twice while his family was inside. Burglars broke windows and entered the house but did not physically harm anyone.

After the first attack, the family moved to a temporary location for a week before returning home. However, the house was attacked again, prompting Vince to decide to leave the country.

“All the experts we’ve spoken to say it looks like a money issue, unpaid debts or something. We have nothing to conceal, and all we want is for this to end,” he lamented. 

“If you have any information or have noticed something in the footage that could assist, please get in touch with us or Hampshire Police. It could be the final piece of information we need to find out what is going on and get our lives back to normal,” Vince said.

He expressed his love for the club Vince Hampshire, stating, “I love Hampshire. It’s been my club and home for 16 years. I want to keep delivering for Hampshire in T20 cricket and further our success in the competition.”

Vince has scored over 13,000 runs in first-class cricket and globally, is a well-known T20 player.