Category: Sports

New Zealand cricket star Martin Guptill has ended his over a decade-long career, announcing his retirement from international cricket.

“Playing for New Zealand was always my dream as a little boy, and I consider myself lucky to play for my country. I will always remember the time spent with the players. I will be available in T20 leagues around the world,” he said in a statement.

“I thank all my colleagues and coaching staff, especially Mark O’Donnell, who coached me from the Under-19 level and supported me throughout my career,” he added.

The 38-year-old cricketer last represented New Zealand in October 2022.

Guptill made his debut against the West Indies in 2009 and represented the country in 47 Tests, 198 One-Day Internationals and 122 T20s.

Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana has secured the first hat-trick of 2025 in the second ODI against New Zealand.

As per the details, Theekshana on Wednesday dismissed Kiwi captain Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry and Nathan Smith.

He took two wickets on the last two balls of the 35th over and completed his hat-trick by dismissing Matt Henry with the first ball of the 37th over, also becoming the sixth Sri Lankan bowler to secure a hat-trick in ODI cricket.

Chaminda Vaas had previously took hat-tricks against Zimbabwe in 2001 and Bangladesh in 2003, while Lasith Malinga had achieved the feat against South Africa in 2007. Among other Sri Lankan bowlers who have secured hat-tricks are Farveez Maharoof, Thisara Perera, Wanindu Hasaranga and Matheesha Pathirana.

Theekshana’s outstanding performance, however, could not secure Sri Lanka a win.

New Zealand scored 255 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in the rain-affected ODI played in Hamilton. In pursuit of the target, the Sri Lankan team was bowled out for 142 runs in 30.2 overs. Rachin Ravindra was declared the man of the match for his brilliant innings of 79 runs.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shifted the venue of the tri-series between Pakistan, New Zealand and South Africa from Multan to Lahore and Karachi.

The series is scheduled to be played out from February 8 to 14, just before the start of Champions Trophy 2025.

The series was originally scheduled to be held in Multan but has now been shifted to Karachi and Lahore.

According to a PCB statement, “This decision reflects the PCB’s confidence in the readiness of these upgraded venues and their ability to deliver a world-class experience for players, officials, and fans alike. Further details regarding the series will be shared in due course.”

On the other hand, preparations for the Champions Trophy are also in full swing, for which the capacity of Gaddafi Stadium has been increased to 35,000 spectators and new seats have been installed throughout the stadium.

480 modern LED lights have been installed in the stadium to improve the quality of broadcasts, which will provide excellent viewing quality for the fans. Two large digital replay screens will be installed next week.

Champions Trophy 2025 is scheduled to be played from February 19 to March 9, 2025, in Pakistan and UAE.

Want to know about Babar Azam’s contract with CA?

Star Pakistani batsman Babar Azam’s sponsorship deal with CA is set to bring in a hefty amount.

The 30-year-old batsman ended his long-standing partnership with the English company Gray Nicholls on December 30, 2024. Now, he is associated with CA Sports, a cricket equipment manufacturer in Pakistan.

Reports revealed that the former captain had signed a lucrative deal with the Pakistani brand, which included several incentives.

CA Sports will not only pay Babar Azam 70 million Pakistan rupees annually as a bat sponsorship fee but will also give him a separate bonus for outstanding performances.

The report says that Babar will receive an additional amount for every fifty and century, which will encourage his performance.

70 million per year is the most lucrative contract of any batsman in the history of Pakistan cricket, which competes with similar contracts of global cricket superstars like Virat Kohli and Joe Root.

Babar Azam parts ways with Gray-Nicolls to join Pakistani brand

Pakistan’s batting superstar Babar Azam officially ended his partnership with Gray-Nicolls, the iconic British sports brand.

The star cricketer is now set to represent CA Sports, a leading Pakistani cricket equipment manufacturer. 

CA Sports, known for its high-quality cricket gear, has been a long-standing favourite among domestic and international players. The move not only highlights Babar’s desire to support a local brand but also aligns him with a company deeply rooted in Pakistan’s cricketing culture.

Fans have already started speculating about Babar’s new customized CA Sports bat, which could soon make its debut on the field. This collaboration is expected to further strengthen CA Sports’ reputation as a global cricket equipment brand.

Pakistani opener Fakhar Zaman, who steered the team to a decisive win over India with his outstanding 114-run innings in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, is gearing up for a full comeback in the 2025 edition of the tournament.

As per the details, Fakhar, who was dropped from the national squad last year, allegedly for his criticism of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and officially for being “unfit”, is hoping to make a comeback on home ground during Champions Trophy 2025.

“I am 100 per cent optimistic about playing the Champions Trophy and am preparing for the tournament in full swing. Currently, my focus is on the Champions Trophy and that is why I did not play in Australia and South Africa. My only focus is making myself available for the tournament and being fully fit for it,” he said during the Viper Voices Podcast.

Fakhar said he was not part of the team after the T20 World Cup due to illness and fitness issues, but now he was 100 per cent recovered. “I spoke to the selectors and head coach, and everyone wanted me to play Champions Trophy… you will see me in Pakistan’s upcoming white-ball series as well.”

Talking about Saim Ayub, Fakhar praised the 22-year-old opener and said he had kicked off his ODI career in a great way with three centuries and one fifty in just nine innings, including those against Australia and South Africa.

On the young opener’s recent injury against South Africa, the veteran batter hoped he would recover soon. “He is such a great batsman… if he continues to play for the next four or five years, he will be among the top three in the world. Pakistan has three of the best players in the world… Babar Azam, Muhammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub… and I consider myself fortunate for being in the same team as them.”

It merits mention that Fakhar has not played international cricket since the T20 World Cup in June 2024. He played his last ODI during the 2023 World Cup.

Despite his performance over the years, Fakhar was declared unfit and dropped from the national squad. Reports, however, claimed he was excluded from PCB’s central contract 2024-25 for going against the board’s wishes to tweet in favour of struggling Babar Azam.

Fakhar’s tweet in favour of Babar Azam:

National cricketer Fakhar Zaman had severely criticized Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision to drop former captain Babar Azam in the second and third Test matches against England.

Fakhar wrote on X sitting Indian star cricketer Virat Kohli, “It’s concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn’t bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively.”

“If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on safeguarding our key players rather than undermining them,” he wrote.

The Pakistan squad for the second and third Tests against England was announced on Sunday, while Babar Azam, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi have been dropped from the team.

PCB’s show-cause notice to the Fakhar:

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had taken strict action against batsman Fakhar Zaman after Zaman publicly supported Babar Azam in a tweet on X.

According to Geo, PCB has issued a show cause notice to Fakhar Zaman and asked for a reply within a week. Geo sources say that the notice was issued to Fakhar due his public criticism of the selection policy, stating that the tweet was a violation of discipline.

Fakhar Zaman dropped from central contract 2024-25:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced the central contracts for the 2024-25 season, and unfortunately, Fakhar Zaman was dropped from the list.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi has explained the reason behind sacking Fakhar Zaman from the central contract.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, October 27, Naqvi said, “Any national team player cannot go around tweeting his opinion on decisions made by the selection committee.”

Pakistani selectors have decided to include Saim Ayub’s name in the squad for Champions Trophy 2025. If Saim, who got injured during the on January 3 against South Africa, does not recover by the mega event, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will request the tournament’s technical committee for a replacement player.

The deadline for teams to submit their preliminary list of players for the Champions Trophy 2025 is approaching, as all teams can submit the list by 12 am on January 11.

Teams can change their squads without the approval of the International Cricket Council (ICC) until February 11, but from February 12, it will be mandatory to get the approval of the ICC technical committee for changes in teams.

Saim has reached London from Cape Town for treatment. He has been ruled out of cricket for six weeks due to a fracture in his right ankle. 

He suffered the fracture while fielding on the first day of the second Test match against South Africa on January 3.

Read more about Saim Ayub?

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has been appointed mentor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the Champions Trophy 2025.

Afghan Cricket Board (ACB) spokesperson Syed Naseem Sadat said, “The ACB has given Younis Khan the responsibility of mentoring the Champions Trophy; he will join the Afghanistan team before the start of the tournament.”

Younis Khan had been the batting coach of the Afghanistan team in 2022.

Younis was one of Pakistan’s most successful batsman.

He played 118 Test matches, scoring 10,099 runs at an average of 52.05, including 34 centuries and 33 half-centuries, with a highest score of 313.

He appeared in 265 ODIs, accumulating 7,249 runs at an average of 31.24, with 7 centuries and 48 fifties.

He played 25 T20I, scoring 442 runs.

Want to read about PSL Draft 2025?

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 drafting ceremony has been shifted from the coastal town of Gwadar to the central city of Lahore. Drafting will be held on January 13 at the Hazuri Bagh at the historic Lahore Fort.

The player draft ceremony was earlier scheduled to be held at the port of Gwadar, however, logistical challenges forced it to be shifted to Lahore.

 
Gwadar will be included as a key destination in the route of the PSL trophy tour to be held in March.

The 10th edition of the HBL PSL will be held between April 8 and May 19 this year. Six franchises will select their star-studded squads during the player draft ceremony on Monday, January 13, at the centuries old Lahore Fort.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has fined Pakistan for slow over-rate in the Cape Town Test against South Africa on Monday.

The ICC has fined Pakistani players 25 per cent of their match fees for slow over-rate along with deducting five World Test Championship points.

Pakistan bowled five overs less in the allotted time.

Under ICC rules, a fine of 5 per cent of the match fee is imposed for each reduced over; one point is deducted for each over for a slow over-rate in the World Test Championship. The fine was imposed after captain Shan Masood accepted the charge. 

South Africa whitewashed Pakistan in the two-match Test Series.

Protease won the first Test match by two wickets, while in the second Test match, they defeated the Green Shirts by 10 wickets.

Owner of Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans, Ali Khan Tareen, believes his team was responsible for Pakistan’s underwhelming performance and subsequent exit from the T20 World Cup 2024.

Appearing on the YouTube channel ‘Relukattay’ to discuss PSL 10 categories, Tareen reflected on PSL 9 in conversation with host Salaar, talking about Sultans’ defeat against Islamabad United in the final, which had paved way for Imad Wasim’s return to the national squad.

“That was Imad Wasim’s day,” Salaar said while referring to the PSL 9 final that saw Islamabad chasing the 162-run target set by Multan. Imad had played a key role in the chase with his crucial boundaries when 19 runs were needed off 12 balls.

Recalling that day, Tareen shared what he told a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official. “When the match ended, I was standing at the ceremony with a member of the PCB. I told him that I was apologising in advance because, due to us, Imad Wasim was now in the World Cup squad and he would get us killed at the World Cup.”

“He looked at me and said ‘son… I know… you’re absolutely right’, and that’s exactly what happened. He played the World Cup because of us, and Pakistan suffered… so Multan Sultans takes the blame for it,” Tareen added.

The 2024 T20 World Cup squad, which included Imad, was announced by PCB’s selection committee after PSL 9.

He played three matches in the tournament, scoring 19 runs and taking three wickets. In a crucial match against India, he scored 15 runs off 23 balls while chasing a total of 120. Pakistan lost the match by six runs, and Imad faced significant criticism for his poor batting performance.

He announced his retirement from international cricket in December 2024.

Want to read about Yuzvendra Chahal’s divorce?