Category: Sports

Former Indian cricketer Naman Ojha’s father has been convicted in an embezzlement case before being given a seven-year prison sentence. 

Indian media reported that Ojha’s father was among the four people who were convicted for embezzling 1.25 crore Indian rupees, 11 years ago at a Bank of Maharashtra branch in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh.

Reports have said that the police had registered a case against six people. The Multi Additional Sessions Court pronounced the verdict in the case on Tuesday (December 24).

According to the report, Vinay Ojha was a branch manager in the bank 11 years ago. He has now been fined INR 700,000 in addition to the imprisonment.

Mastermind Abhishek Ratnam was sentenced to 10 years in prison and handed out a fine of 10 lakh rupees. Two other brokers were also sentenced to seven years in prison and a fined seven lakh rupees.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who hails from Madhya Pradesh, has played four matches for India.

He made his ODI debut in June 2010 against Sri Lanka in Harare alongside the recently retired Ravichandran Ashwin.

Naman has also played two T20 Internationals for India while also playing a Test under Virat Kohli’s leadership against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2015.

Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli has become social media’s target for getting into a fight on Thursday with 19-year-old Australian opener Sam Konstas, who was making his Test debut during the 4th Test of Border Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia won the toss and elected to bat first, with Sam Konstas playing brilliant shots against ace Indian bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

A video shot during a break in the over shows Virat intentionally crashing into  Sam’s shoulder on the side of the pitch. Kohli then turned around and started challenging the young batter.

First, Usman Khawaja tried to end the matter with a smile and placing a hand on Kohli’s shoulder. Match officials intervened and cooled the matter down. 

Despite Kohli’s attempt at bullying the young debutant, Sam played confidently and scored a half-century off 52 balls.

Later, Sam Constas scored 60 runs off 65 balls before being bowled out lbw off Ravindra Jadeja.

Virat’s behaviour was largely met with disapproval, leading to severe criticism on social media. 

Here is how social media is reacting to the altercation: 

Today is the first day of the fourth Boxing Day Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy between Australia and India at the MCG.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced playing XI for the first Test against South Africa.

As per the details, Pakistan will field four fast bowlers, including Mohammad Abbas, who last played a Test for Pakistan in August 2021 against West Indies.

Abbas made it to the Test squad due to his excellent domestic performance, claiming 31 wickets in five matches of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy this year.

The playing eleven also includes captain Shan Masood, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas.

The two-Test series is due to start tomorrow (Thursday, Dec 26). The Boxing Day Test will be played at the Super Sports Park in Centurion.

The second Test will begin in Cape Town on Jan 3.

While Pakistan won their last Test series against England 2-1 in Oct this year, changes have been made to the winning batting lineup for the upcoming series.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Pakistan has planned to field seven batters in the first Test against South Africa.

Captain Shan Masood will open the innings along with in-form Saim Ayub.

Former Test captain Babar Azam, who was dropped from the second and third Tests against England in October this year, is once again being included to the team in place of out-of-form Abdullah Shafique.

In the first Test against South Africa, Babar will play at number 3, Kamran Ghulam at number 4 and vice-captain Saud Shakeel at number 5.

ODI and T20 skipper, wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan, will bat at number 6.

In addition, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha will come to bat at number 7.

The Pakistan cricket team’s management and selection committee has planned to field seven batters in the first Test against South Africa.

Captain Shan Masood will open the innings along with in-form Saim Ayub on Thursday at the Super Sports Park Centurion.

Former Test captain Babar Azam, who was dropped from the second and third Tests against England in October this year, is once again being included to the team in place of out-of-form Abdullah Shafique.

In the first Test against South Africa, Babar will play at number 3, Kamran Ghulam at number 4 and vice-captain Saud Shakeel at number 5.

ODI and T20 skipper, wicketkeeper Muhammad Rizwan, will bat at number 6.

In addition, batting all-rounder Salman Ali Agha will come to bat at number 7.

Earlier, Pakistan has whitewashed South Africa in a three-match ODI series after defeating Protease by 36 runs in the third and last ODI of the series.

The match being played in Johannesburg was delayed due to rain. When the toss was held after the rain stopped, the South African captain won the toss and invited the visiting team to bat. After the match started, the game had to be stopped again due to rain and three overs were reduced.

Batting first, the national team scored 308 runs for nine wickets in the stipulated 47 overs, thanks to Saim Ayub’s brilliant century. Pakistan fell one run short due to the delayed start of the innings, and South Africa got a target of 308 runs.

Opener Saim Ayub played an innings of 101 runs; Saim Ayub scored a century in 91 balls, and his innings included 13 fours and two sixes.

Apart from them, captain Muhammad Rizwan scored 53, Babar Azam scored 52 runs, vice-captain Salman Agha scored 48, and Tayyab Tahir scored 28 runs.

For the host team, Rabada took three wickets, while Marco Jensen and Fortuion took two wickets each.

In response, South Africa could score 271 runs in 42 overs.

Tony de Zorzi scored 26,  Rassie Van Der Dussen 35, Aiden Markram 19, Heinrich Klassen 86, Marco Jansen 26 and Corbin Bosch scored 40 runs for South Africa.

Sufiyan Muqeem took four, while Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi took two wickets each for Pakistan.

Keeping up with his uncle’s legacy, former prime minister Imran Khan’s nephew has set the benchmark for endurance sports in Pakistan.

As per the details, Shahrez Khan is excelling on the international stage with outstanding performances in Ironman races across Luxembourg, Turkey, New Zealand and South Africa.

An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), consisting of a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2 km) bicycle ride and a marathon 26.22-mile (42.2 km) run completed in that order, a total of 140.6 miles (226.3 km). It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world.

Shahrez’s remarkable journey includes a stellar 10th-place finish in his age group at Ironman 70.3 South Africa, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite.

While the young athlete is taking forward a proud family legacy in sports, he is also inspiring future athletes and making Pakistan proud on the global stage.

English cricketer David Willey has rejected an offer from an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise and signed up for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) instead, ARY News reported.

According to reports that The Current has been unable to verify independently, Willey has announced preferring the PSL over IPL and will appear in the Pakistani league during its upcoming 10th edition.

The pacer will be available for the entire tournament, reports said, adding that he had registered himself for the PSL after passing on an offer made by IPL’s Lucknow Super Giants.

It may be noted that Willey had also skipped participating in the IPL earlier this year citing personal reasons. He had, however, represented Multan Sultans in the PSL.

During this year’s PSL 9, Willey took 15 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 20.40 runs and economy rate of 7.46. His performance had secured him the slot of the 2024 tournament’s fourth-highest wicket-taker.

While Willey has become the first foreign player to register, the registration of foreign players is ongoing for the 2025 draft of the PSL. Several other prominent English cricketers are also a part of the process.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the schedule for the Champions Trophy 2025.

As per the details, the opening match of the Champions Trophy will be played in Karachi on February 19, and the tournament will continue till March 9.

The tournament will feature 15 matches played between 8 countries. Among the cities hosting the matches are Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Dubai, the ICC said.

Dubai will only host Indian matches.

Groups

Group A: Pakistan, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh

Group B: South Africa, Australia, Afghanistan and England

Champions Trophy schedule:

February 19: First match Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi

February 20: Bangladesh vs India (Dubai)

February 21: Afghanistan vs South Africa (Karachi)

February 22: Australia vs England (Lahore)

February 23: Pakistan vs India (Dubai)

February 24: Bangladesh vs New Zealand (Pindi)

February 25: Australia vs South Africa (Pindi)

February 26: Afghanistan vs England (Lahore)

February 27: Pakistan vs Bangladesh (Pindi)

February 28: Afghanistan vs Australia (Lahore)

March 1: South Africa vs England (Karachi)

March 2: India vs New Zealand (Dubai)

March 4: First semi-final (Dubai)

March 5: Second semi-final (Lahore)

March 9: Final Lahore (Will be held in Dubai if India reaches the final)

March 10: Reserve Day

2024 was a year filled with incredible sports moments that captivated fans around the world. Here are the top 10 moments that will be remembered for years to come.

1- Arshad Nadeem’s Glory at the Paris Olympics

Pakistani javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem made history at the 2024 Paris Olympics by clinching the gold medal in the men’s javelin throw event. Arshad’s throw of 92.97 meters was not just a personal best, but he also outshone his global competitors and reaffirmed his position as one of the world’s top athletes in his discipline. His victory was celebrated across Pakistan.

2- India Wins the ICC T20 World Cup

The Indian cricket team emerged victorious in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, defeating South Africa in a thrilling final. This victory will be remembered as a historic moment in Indian cricket history, as India snatched victory from South Africa when they needed 30 runs off 30 balls with six wickets in their hands.

3- Imane Khelif’s historic gold medal

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, the target of racist attacks on her gender, won the gold medal in the women’s boxing competition. In the final of the boxing 66 kg category match, a visibly pumped-up Imane defeated China’s Yang Liu by 5-0.

4- Novak Djokovic’s Historic Calendar Grand Slam

Novak Djokovic achieved a historic feat by winning all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year, solidifying his place as one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

5- Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 World Championship

Max Verstappen secured his third consecutive Formula 1 World Championship, further solidifying his position as one of the greatest drivers of all time.

6-Simone Manuel’s Retirement

Simone Manuel, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, announced her retirement from competitive swimming, bringing an end to a remarkable career that inspired generations of athletes.

7- USA stuns Pakistan in the T20 World Cup

The USA cricket team stunned the world and Pakistan with a historic victory in the T20 World Cup. In a thrilling encounter, the underdog Americans emerged victorious over the 2022 finalists, showcasing incredible skill, determination, and a never-say-die attitude. 

8-Bangladesh’s historic test win over Pakistan

Bangladesh scripted history in Pakistan, securing their first-ever Test series victory over their hosts with a resounding 2-0 sweep. The series began with a historic 10-wicket win for Bangladesh in the opening Test, a result that stunned the cricketing world. This was followed by a thrilling six-wicket victory in the second Test, sealing the series and etching Bangladesh’s name in the annals of cricketing history.

9- Gukesh Dommaraju becomes World Chess Champion

Indian teenager Gukesh Dommaraju has made history by becoming the youngest-ever world chess champion. He defeated defending champion Ding Liren of China in a dramatic match in Singapore on December 12, 2024. Gukesh, who is just 18 years old, is four years younger than the former record-holder, Russian grandmaster Garry Kasparov, who was 22 when he won the title in 1985. 

10-Pakistan whitewash South Africa on their home ground

Pakistan achieved a historic feat in South Africa, becoming the first team to whitewash them in an ODI series on their home soil. This remarkable achievement came after a dominant display across all three matches, showcasing Pakistan’s resilience and skill.

England captain Ben Stokes has been sidelined temporarily after suffering a hamstring injury. 

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed that Stokes sustained the injury on the third day of the final Test against New Zealand in Hamilton.

Stokes has ruptured his left hamstring, which will be operated on in January. He will then be re-evaluated after three months.

Stokes bowled 24 overs in New Zealand’s first innings before suffering the injury during the second ball of the 13th over in the second innings.

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has finally broken his silence on tweeting in support of Babar Azam in October, explaining why he did so.

He appeared on PAKTV.TV on YouTube on Monday with sports Journalist Sanaullah, where he openly talked about tweeting in favour of Babar Azam and gave his reasons for doing so. The host asked him, “If you had tweeted, did it occur to you that there could have been a better way and that you should not have tweeted?” 

“I completely thought that it would have been better if I had not tweeted,” Fakhar replied. “People also thought that I had criticized the Board’s (Pakistan Cricket Board) decision, but this was 100 per cent wrong. I had tweeted before the team was announced. Some of our journalists and former cricketers were saying that Babar should be dropped. It was coming to my mind that people do not see that Babar Azam has done so much for the country and are saying that he should be dropped.”

Fakhar said that he tweeted before the team was announced. “Think for yourself, I am also a cricketer, in a way, an employee of the PCB. I will tell all the players that you can never be above the Board, nor can you criticize any decision of the Board as long as you are playing. I did not tweet because Babar would sympathize with me, I always talk to him on and off,” he added.

He also said, “The young batter Khawaja Naffay is a good boy; he has a spark. You must have seen that Saim Ayub came in the beginning, and he also struggled a lot. The first thing I said about him was that if he takes care of himself, he can become an updated version of Babar Azam. Similarly, this boy Naffay also has a lot of spark, if he is groomed for big cricket, he can play for Pakistan for a long time.”

Fakhar had expressed his support for Babar Azam on X (formerly Twitter) on October 13, 2024, following Babar’s exclusion from Pakistan’s Test squad for the remaining matches against England. In his post, Fakhar highlighted that during Virat Kohli’s challenging period between 2020 and 2023, India did not drop him, suggesting that sidelining Babar could negatively impact the team.