Category: Sports

Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has responded to reports claiming he is on complete bed rest and the possibility of missing the upcoming Champions Trophy.

He was injured on January 7 during the first innings of the 5th Test match against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT).

After this, several Indian media outlets reported that Bumrah had been suffering from a back injury and had gone on bed rest, putting his participation in the Champions Trophy in doubt. They claimed that Bumrah sustained the injury during the Sydney Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

The media reports suggested that Bumrah’s back issues were serious and that he wouldn’t rush his return to cricket, as doctors had advised bed rest.

However, Bumrah took the X (formerly Twitter) to deny these rumours, calling the news fake. He tweeted, “I know how easy it is to spread fake news, but this one really made me laugh,” adding several laughing emojis.

In the recent Test series against Australia, Bumrah bowled a total of 151.2 overs in five matches and emerged as the most successful bowler with 32 wickets. 

The Champions Trophy is set to begin on February 19. Prior to that, India is scheduled to play a five-match T20 series against England starting January 22, followed by 3 ODI matches.

South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy after suffering a back injury. 

According to Cricket South Africa, Nortje’s injury was confirmed after a scan on Monday. He was part of South Africa’s 15-member squad for the tournament but is now expected to miss the event as he won’t recover in time.

Cricket South Africa will announce the replacement later.

The ICC Champions Trophy is scheduled to start on February 19 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is set to earn £300 (over 86,000 Pakistani rupees) per minute under a new deal, making him the highest-paid athlete in the world.

Reports suggest Ronaldo is likely to sign a contract with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr worth £167.9 million (over 57 billion Pakistani rupees).

The 39-year-old Ronaldo joined Al-Nassr in January 2023, earning £164 million per season for matches and an additional £49 million for off-field activities. With this new deal, he will become the highest-earning player globally.

Cristiano Ronaldo shares his retirement plans

On November 18 2024, Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has announced his retirement plans.

Portugal booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League with a 5-1 win over Poland on Friday. Ronaldo secured his 132nd international win by surpassing former Real Madrid teammate Sergio Ramos, who had 131 wins for Spain.

The 39-year-old spoke about his retirement plans while addressing the media after the match.

“I just want to enjoy,” he said, adding that his retirement could be in “a year or two.” He continued, “I don’t know; I’m going to be 40 soon.”

“As long as I enjoy it with passion, I will continue playing. The day I realise that I no longer had the passion, I would retire,” he said.

Ronaldo also revealed that he has “no plans to go into the coaching field” and that he may consider other matters after retirement.

“I do not see myself becoming a manager of any team, it is not in my plans; my future is in other fields outside of football. Time will tell what happens.”

Earlier, in an interview in August, Ronaldo indicated that he was considering retiring early despite his contract with the Saudi club Al-Nasr expiring after this season.

He recently also became the first man to score 900 goals in official matches and is also a five-time Ballon d’Or winner.

English cricketer James Vince has decided to skip first-class cricket for the 2025 season to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). He made this decision despite the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) new rules regarding No-Objection Certificates (NOCs).

Vince will continue to lead Hampshire’s T20 team but has stepped down as club captain after nine years and will not participate in the County Championship this summer.

The 33-year-old has been retained by Karachi Kings ahead of the PSL draft. In November, the ECB announced that it would issue No-Objection Certificates (NOCs)—required for players to join overseas leagues—only to white-ball players for tournaments held during the English cricket season.

With the PCB moving the PSL to April-May, Vince had the choice to either miss the PSL and lose out on the financial opportunity or change his Hampshire contract to focus solely on white-ball cricket. He opted for the latter, a decision the club confirmed on Wednesday.

Vince is the first major player to make a big career decision in response to the ECB’s new policy. While unlikely to add to his 13 Test caps at age 33, his decision is significant. He has been a key player for Hampshire since 2015, scoring 29 centuries and averaging 41.22 in his 197 first-class games.

Meanwhile, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, signed by Peshawar Zalmi, may follow Vince’s lead by switching to a white-ball contract to participate in the PSL. He is currently in talks with Somerset and the ECB for clarification.

A number of players have been upset since the ECB announced its new policy in November, with some even threatening to take legal action. 

The ECB, however, has remained firm in its decision. Chief Executive Richard Gould stated that the policy is supposed to protect English cricket and prioritise the sport’s overall interests over individual players’ preferences.

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi might return to his former club, FC Barcelona, on loan in a surprising move. His contract with Inter Miami runs until December 2025, but reports suggest that Messi could sign a new deal with the club.

Under Major Soccer League (MLS) rules, the football star could be loaned out during the off-season, which runs from November to March.

If Messi extends his contract with the Florida team until 2026, he could retire at the end of the American season. This would also put him in great shape for the 2026 World Cup, which Canada, the U.S., and Mexico will host. 

A special clause in Messi’s contract could allow this move, similar to how Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to Arsenal and AC Milan on loan. 

Messi left Barcelona in 2021 amid the club’s financial issues. Since then, there have been talks of his possible return. After his departure, he spent two years at Paris Saint Germain before joining Inter Miami.

The ticket prices for Pakistan’s matches in the ICC Champions Trophy have been confirmed. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with approval from the PCB Chairman, has finalised the pricing.

According to reports, ticket sales for Pakistan’s matches are expected to begin shortly.

Ticket prices for the matches in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi will vary by city, venue, and seating category. Prices range from 1,000 PKR for General Enclosure seats to 25,000 PKR for exclusive VIP and hospitality experiences.

Ticket Categories

Fans can choose from several ticket categories, including:

• General Enclosure
• First Class
• Premium
• VIP
• VVIP

Semi-Final Ticket Prices

The semi-final matches, expected to attract larger crowds, will have higher ticket prices. The minimum ticket price for these matches will start at 2,500 PKR.

Karachi Match Prices

The opening match between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi on February 19 will have the following ticket prices:

• General Enclosure: 1,000 PKR
• First Class: 1,500 PKR
• Premium: 3,500 PKR
• VIP: 7,000 PKR
• VVIP: 12,000 PKR
• Note: No Gallery tickets available.

For other matches in Karachi, the ticket prices will follow the same structure as above.

Lahore Match Prices

The match between Australia and England in Lahore will have these ticket prices:

• General Enclosure: 1,000 PKR
• First Class: 2,000 PKR
• Premium: 5,000 PKR
• VIP: 7,500 PKR
• VVIP: 12,000 PKR
• Gallery: 18,000 PKR

For matches involving Afghanistan, only General Enclosure and Gallery tickets will be available:

• General Enclosure: 1,000 PKR
• Gallery: 12,500 PKR

The semi-final in Lahore will have higher prices:

• General Enclosure: 2,500 PKR
• VVIP: 25,000 PKR

Rawalpindi Match Prices

For the match between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, the ticket prices are:

• General Enclosure: 2,000 PKR
• First Class: 4,000 PKR
• Premium: 7,000 PKR
• VIP: 12,500 PKR
• Note: No VVIP or Gallery tickets available.

For other matches in Rawalpindi:

• General Enclosure: 1,000 PKR
• Gallery: 12,500 PKR

 

Pakistan’s star batter, Babar Azam, has a chance to break former captain Imran Khan’s record in the upcoming Test series against the West Indies.

Azam is currently the fifth-highest run-scorer for Pakistan against the West Indies in international cricket, with 1,676 runs. Khan, in his playing days, scored 1,977 runs against the West Indies — a record that Babar can break with just 301 more runs.

The first Test match of the home series between Pakistan and the West Indies is set to start on Friday, January 17.

Gautam Gambhir’s position as the Indian cricket team’s head coach is under threat following a series of losses.

Gambhir took over as head coach in July last year. Since then, the team has lost six out of 10 Test matches and a One Day International (ODI) series in Sri Lanka.

The situation worsened after India was shockingly whitewashed by New Zealand in a home Test series and lost a Test series 1-3 against Australia. 

These defeats have cast doubts not only about the future of star players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma but also about Gambhir’s role in the team.

Indian media reported that Gambhir’s performance as head coach will be reviewed if India fails to perform well in the upcoming Champions Trophy. Although his contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) runs until the 2027 World Cup, the recent poor performance could lead to further scrutiny of his role.

Sources from BCCI revealed that Gambhir has not delivered significant results so far. 

If India does not perform well in the Champions Trophy, his position will be closely examined, and a decision regarding his future could be made.

Gambhir has been working to end the superstar culture within the team, which has caused some tension with senior players. Reports suggest that Gambhir and some senior players are not on the same page regarding team culture.

A meeting on Tuesday between BCCI officials, captain Rohit Sharma, Gambhir, and chief selector Ajit Agarkar led to new travel rules for players’ families.

According to reports, wives of players will now be allowed to accompany them on international tours for a limited time. For tournaments or series lasting more than 45 days, wives can stay for only 14 days. For shorter tours, this stay is reduced to just 7 days.

All Indian players will now also be required to travel together on the team bus. In recent years, some players preferred travelling alone, but this will no longer be allowed.

Pakistani cricketer Usman Qadir has moved to Australia to pursue a better future in cricket. 

He has settled in New South Wales while playing for the Hawkesbury club in Sydney.

Usman has previously played for South Australia and participated in the Big Bash League (BBL), representing Perth and Adelaide. He also had the honour of playing for Australia’s Prime Minister’s XI.

Last October, Usman announced his retirement from Pakistan cricket, citing disappointment. Speaking about his decision, Usman said, “Cricket is my livelihood, and I have come to Australia with plans for my future. I am hopeful and determined to find good opportunities in cricket here.”

Usman’s family will soon join him Down Under. 

Usman had earlier returned to Pakistan from Australia to fulfil the wishes of his late father, Abdul Qadir, who wanted to see him play for Pakistan. 

During his time with the national team, Usman represented Pakistan in one ODI and 25 T20 International matches.

The drafting process for the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has been completed, revealing that Quetta Gladiators has re-selected former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. 

The Gladiators are now preparing to appoint Sarfaraz as their head coach for the upcoming season.

The decision comes after Australian cricket legend Shane Watson stepped down from the head coach role citing other professional commitments. Watson had to withdraw, prompting the Gladiators’ management to turn to Sarfaraz for leadership.

Sarfaraz has had a long association with Quetta Gladiators, playing with the team since nine years. 

He captained the team for eight seasons and led them to their first-ever PSL championship in 2019. Under his captaincy, the team played 86 matches with Sarfaraz contributing 1,525 runs.

Before the drafting process for the current season, Quetta Gladiators had released Sarfaraz from their squad.

This was the first time in nine years that he was part of the draft, but none of the franchises picked him as a player. However, the Gladiators have now brought him back in a new role as head coach, marking the beginning of a new chapter for both Sarfaraz and the team.