Category: Sports

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has finally resolved the long-standing impasse over the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Under the agreement, India’s matches in the eight-team event will be played at a neutral venue, while in return, ICC events hosted by India will also be played at neutral venues.

According to the press release issued by the ICC, “The ICC Board has today approved that matches between India and Pakistan played at ICC Events during the current rights cycle from 2024 to 2027 (which are to be hosted in India or Pakistan) will be played at a neutral venue proposed by the tournament host. This will apply to the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 (Pakistan), ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 (India) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (India and Sri Lanka).”

“In addition, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been awarded hosting rights of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2028, where neutral venue arrangements will also apply. Cricket Australia has also been awarded hosting rights for one of the senior ICC women’s events during the period 2029 to 2031.”

“The match schedule for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 will be confirmed in the coming days.”

Pakistan will host another ICC event after 4 years, in which Pakistan has been awarded the hosting of the 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup.

The 2028 Women’s T20 World Cup will be the first ICC event of the next cycle, and the Pakistan-India fusion formula may also be applied to the Women’s T20 World Cup.

According to the report, in addition to this, until 2027, both teams will play ICC event matches in each other’s country at neutral venues, and the host board will select the neutral venue.

India is hosting the Women’s World Cup 2025 and the Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

The cricket website report states that the ICC Board will formally approve the agreement between Pakistan and India.

The ICC has also agreed to a proposal for a tri-nation T20 series involving Pakistan, India and any other Asian full-member or associate-member team.

The series will also be held at a neutral venue, a proposal that has been put forward as compensation for Pakistan not being able to host India’s matches in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which previously refused to send its team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, now finds itself relying on the Green Shirts to secure a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.

After the Brisbane Test against Australia ended in a draw on December 18, India’s chances of making it to the WTC final began to fade, leaving them needing Pakistan’s help.

To qualify for the ICC Test Championship final, Australia, India, South Africa, and Sri Lanka are the teams in the running. 

For India to make the final, Indian fans, the board, and the team will have to hope that Green Shirts win their remaining two Test matches against South Africa. If that happens, India could qualify by winning just one Test match against Australia.

Another route for India to qualify is more difficult but direct. If India wins both of its remaining matches against Australia, they will secure a place in the final. Defeating Australia on their home ground, however, is no easy task for India.

If India wins the series against Australia 1-3, they could still qualify for the final.

Pakistan’s PUBG Mobile team Asi8 has become the number one team in South Asia.

Founded in Pakistan, AS i8 Esports has been a prominent name in the PUBG Mobile circuit for years. The team’s journey to becoming South Asia’s top team has been anything but easy. They have consistently delivered strong performances in major tournaments, including the PUBG Mobile Pro League (PMPL) Pakistan and South Asia events. Their ability to adapt, strategize, and maintain composure under pressure has been key to their success.

AS i8 Esports is not just a team; it’s a family of talented individuals who excel in their roles. The roster includes players like Uzair Ahmed (UZM), the team captain, and Raja Haseeb (CRYPTO), a star player known for his tactical gameplay. Under the guidance of Shahbaz Ahmed (TRYNDA), the team’s founder, CEO, and coach, they have developed a winning formula that combines skill, strategy, and teamwork.

The team also benefits from a strong support system, including content creators and managers who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the players can focus on their game.

AS i8 Esports’ rise to the top has had a significant impact on the esports landscape in South Asia. They have proven that with determination and hard work, teams from this region can compete on a global stage. Their success has inspired a new generation of players in Pakistan and beyond to pursue esports as a viable career.

i8 Esports has firmly established itself as a powerhouse in the South Asian esports scene. Their rise to prominence is credited not only to their exceptional teamwork and strategy but also to their star players, IQ and FALAK, who have played pivotal roles in the team’s success.

 

FALAK & IQ’s performance

IQ’s ability to make high-pressure decisions has often resulted in game-changing moments, such as winning critical 1v3 or 1v4 battles. FALAK has consistently been one of the top fraggers in tournaments, racking up kills and securing key eliminations for the team. Both players excel in communication, ensuring smooth coordination during high-stakes matches.

Pakistani PUBG players facing sponsor and visa issues for PMGO Brazil

Pakistani Player Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG) players faced sponsor and visa issues for the PUBG Mobile Global Open (PMGO) Brazil, which was a LAN event.

Pakistan’s PUBG Mobile teams, including one of the best teams, Agonxi8, and Seventh Elements, likely missed out on the opportunity to play in the PUBG Mobile Global Open (PMGO) Brazil. PMGO was an offline tournament, and the offline qualifiers of this event took place from 28 March to 30 March.

The Pakistani teams did not get their visas on time due to Pakistan’s visa policies. Even if they had managed to get a visa, they would have had to manage travel, hotel, and other costs themselves in Brazil, an amount close to PKR three to four million. The prize pool of the LAN qualifiers was just $2,000 for each team, and unfortunately, if they could not qualify for the next stage, they would have borne a heavy loss.

The Pakistani government was not supportive of eSports. There was no platform to grow the eSports community in the country.

The government needed to take serious notice of this problem because eSports was a huge income source for many players.

Brazil and Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior has won the 2024 FIFA World Player of the Year award.

Captains, coaches, journalists and fans from around the world voted for the best footballer of 2024 and the best moments in football.

Argentina and Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho won the Puskas Award for the best goal. The awards ceremony was held in Doha.

Spain’s Aitana Bonamati was awarded the Women’s Footballer of the Year award, while America’s Eliza Naihar was awarded the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.

Brazil’s Marta won the Marta Award for the best women’s goal, named after her.

This year, FIFA introduced the Marta Award for the best goal in women’s football, with Marta receiving the award for her goal against Jamaica.

Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez was named the best goalkeeper of the year, while Brazil’s Thiago Maia clinched the Fair Play Award.

Former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar has predicted that Rohit Sharma will step down as captain if he does not perform well in the upcoming Test matches.

“If Rohit Sharma flops in Melbourne and Sydney, he will resign and will not wait for the selectors’ decision. He will definitely play the last two Test matches, but if Rohit Sharma does not score runs in the last two matches, I think he will step down as captain,” Gavaskar predicted. 

He speculated that Rohit will not become a burden on the team. “He is a cricketer who cares a lot about the team.”

Rohit Sharma has scored only 152 runs in the last 13 Test innings at an average of 11.83, for which he is facing a lot of criticism.

Sharma is currently under criticism due to his recent form and leadership decisions, particularly following India’s losses against New Zealand and Australia.

India’s star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has announced that he is retiring from international cricket after the third Test match against Australia on Wednesday.

Ashwin represented India in 106 Test matches, taking 537 wickets in his Test career.

He has also represented India in 116 ODIs and 65 T20 matches.

Ashwin said, “I would like to thank everyone who has been with me on this journey of cricket, this was my last day as a cricketer in all formats. I enjoyed it a lot during my career and have many memorable memories. This is a very emotional moment for me.”

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has paid tribute and congratulated Ashwin on his retirement.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed the category renewals list for players set to feature in the 10th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

Islamabad United

Platinum

• Imad Wasim (Retained)
• Naseem Shah (Retained)
• Shadab Khan (Retained)

Diamond

• Azam Khan
• Salman Ali Agha

Gold

• Faheem Ashraf
• Haider Ali
• Qasim Akram
• Rumman Raees

Silver

• Shahab Khan

Emerging

• Hunain Shah
• Shamyl Hussain
• Ubaid Shah

---

Karachi Kings

Platinum

• Hasan Ali (Promoted)

Diamond

• Mohammad Nawaz
• Shan Masood
• Shoaib Malik

Gold

• Arafat Minhas
• Anwar Ali Khan
• Mir Hamza
• Zahid Mahmood
• Irfan Khan Niazi

Silver

• Mohammad Amir Khan
• Muhammad Akhlaq

Emerging

• Saad Baig
• Sirajuddin

Lahore Qalandars

Platinum

• Fakhar Zaman (Retained)
• Haris Rauf (Retained)
• Shaheen Shah Afridi (Retained)

Diamond

• Abdullah Shafique

Gold

• Sahibzada Farhan
• Zaman Khan
• Mirza Tahir Baig
• Kamran Ghulam
• Jahandad Khan

Silver

• Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti
• Muhammad Imran Jnr
• Salman Fayyaz
• Syed Faridoun Mahmood

Emerging

• Tayyab Abbas

Multan Sultans

Platinum

• Usama Mir (Promoted)
• Iftikhar Ahmed (Retained)
• Mohammad Rizwan (Retained)

Diamond

• Mohammad Abbas Afridi
• Khushdil Shah
• Mohammad Ali
• Usman Khan

Gold

• Ihsanullah
• Tayyab Tahir
• Shahnawaz Dahani
• Faisal Akram

Silver

• Ali Majid
• Yasir Khan

Emerging

• Aftab Ibrahim
• Muhammad Shahzad

Peshawar Zalmi

Platinum

• Saim Ayub (Promoted)
• Babar Azam (Retained)

Diamond

• Aamir Jamal
• Mohammad Haris

Gold

• Arshad Iqbal
• Asif Ali
• Haseebullah
• Hussain Talat
• Khurram Shahzad
• Salman Irshad
• Sufyan Moqim

Silver

• Arif Yaqoob
• Mehran Mumtaz
• Umair Afridi

Emerging

• Aimal Khan
• Ali Raza
• Mohammad Zeeshan

Quetta Gladiators

Platinum

• Mohammad Amir (Promoted)

Diamond

• Abrar Ahmed
• Sarfaraz Ahmed
• Saud Shakeel
• Mohammad Hasnain

Gold

• Mohammad Wasim Jnr
• Usman Qadir
• Omair Bin Yousuf
• Sohail Khan
• Umar Amin

Silver

• Sajjad Ali Jnr
• Usman Tariq
• Bismillah Khan
• Khawaja Mohammad Nafay

Emerging

• Adil Naz

New/Promoted Players

Platinum

• Hasan Ali – Karachi Kings (Promoted from Diamond)
• Mohammad Amir – Quetta Gladiators (Promoted from Diamond)
• Saim Ayub – Peshawar Zalmi (Promoted from Diamond)
• Usama Mir – Multan Sultans (Promoted from Diamond)

Pakistan Tuesday night defeated South Africa by three wickets in the first ODI of the three-match series.

As per the details, the first ODI was played at Boland Park where South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first, setting a target of 240 runs for Pakistan.

South Africa managed to post a total of 239/9 in their 50 overs. The innings started strong with Tony de Zorzi and Ryan Rickelton putting together a 70-run opening partnership. However, the dismissal of de Zorzi triggered a collapse, and South Africa found themselves at 88/4. Captain Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen steadied the innings with a crucial 73-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Klaasen played a vital role, scoring 86 off 97 balls. The tail-enders chipped in with some valuable runs, but the final total was still below par.

Salman Agha was the standout bowler for Pakistan, taking 4 wickets for just 24 runs, putting the South African batting lineup under pressure. Abrar Ahmed also made significant contributions, picking up 2 wickets for 32 runs. Their efforts were crucial in restricting South Africa to a manageable total.

In response, Pakistan chased down the target, finishing at 242/7 in 49.3 overs. The chase was led by Saim Ayub, who played a brilliant knock of 109 runs off 119 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes. Salman Agha also played a crucial role with the bat, scoring 82 runs off 90 balls.

French striker Karim Benzema is reportedly considering retiring from club football at the end of the current season.

Karim has already retired from international football, playing his final match for France in 2022.

The French striker plays for Saudi club Al Ittihad, having previously enjoyed a stellar 14-year career at Real Madrid. Benzema struggled in his first season at Al Ittihad but has since returned to form and has scored 10 goals in 10 matches so far this season under manager Laurent Blanc.

The star footballer is just two goals behind top scorer Aleksandar Mitrovic and level with Cristiano Ronaldo in goals in the current season of the Saudi Pro League.

TalkSports’ reports state that despite a strong return to form, Benzema is assessing his future and may decide to retire sooner than expected.

Benzema currently earns £86m a year under his contract at Al-Ittihad, which runs until 2026. He scored 354 goals in 648 appearances for Real Madrid during his career, winning 25 trophies, including five UEFA Champions League titles.

He also won the Ballon d’Or after a stellar season in 2022, scoring 44 goals in 44 matches.

The final schedule for hosting the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy is expected to be announced on Tuesday.

All matters have been settled between the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) concerning the tournament, and the agreements between the two boards are now in the final stages.

According to Express, both boards have assured the ICC of the new draft, with mutual cooperation, and the final announcement is expected today.

The Champions Trophy will be played under the hybrid model, as per the details available so far, whereas the Pakistani team will not visit India for any ICC event until 2026.

Under the hybrid model, if the Indian team does not reach the semi-finals or the final, the entire event will be played in Pakistan. If India reaches the semi-finals or final, one semi-final and the final will be held in the United Arab Emirates, upon the arrival of the Indian team.

Earlier, reports had emerged that the schedule of the event could not be announced in the light of a holiday last week.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan-India match will also be played in Dubai, with the Indian team playing its three group matches at the same venue.

In an unofficial meeting of the board, the ICC approved the hybrid model, and an agreement in principle was reached between Pakistan and India regarding it.

If the hybrid model is accepted, the ICC will also allow Pakistan to host the Women’s Tournament after 2027, while the issue of the knockout matches for the 2026 T20 World Cup will be decided later.

Earlier, Indian media claimed that Champions Trophy 2025 will be held under the hybrid model, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) and India have accepted all the conditions of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

With the approval of the hybrid model, the Champions Trophy matches will be held in Pakistan and Dubai. An unofficial meeting of the board was held in which the ICC approved the hybrid model, and an agreement, in principle, was reached between Pakistan and India, Indian media claims this.

The Pakistan team will not go to India for the 2026 T20 World Cup, while the Pak-India league match will be played in Colombo. 

Pakistan will host the ICC Women’s tournament after 2027, while the issue of the knockout matches of the 2026 T20 World Cup will be decided later. No written agreement has been reached. 

The final decision regarding the Champions Trophy will be made today (Saturday). A three- year fusion model is likely to be approved by the ICC. 

Under the fusion formula, Pakistan is talking to Dubai, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka for five matches, while Indian media has named Dubai as the venue. 

According to sources, the ICC offered Pakistan compensation for the transfer of matches from Pakistan; however, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi did not talk about additional compensation at the meeting.

Sources say that negotiations were held between the Pakistan and Indian cricket boards to finalize the matter. Almost all the issues have been finalized in the talks. A formal announcement is expected today after all stakeholders’ approval.

ICC sources say that discussions are ongoing on the issue of the Champions Trophy, and an announcement will be made through a press release as soon as the issues are finalized. The whole matter will come to light in the next 24 hours.