Category: Sports

Lionel Messi is out of Argentina’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia after sustaining ankle injury.

He has yet to play for Inter Miami since their victory over Colombia in the Copa America final. Coach Lionel Scaloni has recalled Roma forward Dybala, but he has not made an international appearance since March 2023.

Argentina is at the top of South America, qualifying for the 2026 tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The top six teams out of 10 will be eligible for the finals.

Argentina’s Squad

Goalkeepers: Emiliano Martinez, Geronimo Rulli, Walter Benitez, Juan Musso

Defenders: Gonzalo Montiel, Nahuel Molina, Nicolas Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez, Nicolas Tagliafico, Valentin Barco, Leonardo Balerdi, Cristian Romero, German Pezzella

Midfielders: Guido Rodriguez, Rodrigo De Paul, Ezequiel Fernandez, Enzo Fernandez, Giovani Lo Celso, Leandro Paredes, Alexis Mac Allister

Forwards: Alejandro Garnacho, Nicolas Gonzalez, , Giuliano Simeone, Valentin Castellanos, Matias Soule, Paulo Dybala, Lautaro Martinez, Valentin Carboni, Julian Alvarez

Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi has shared an update on the surgery on the Pakistan cricket team.

While addressing a press conference in Lahore on Monday, he said, “People talk about surgery and want to cut the throats of four or five, that doesn’t happen. Let the pool be made first; then, there will be a backup, and surgery will be done. The surgery is still pending, let the instruments be completed first.”

He said, “I will fix all cricket issues. I don’t have any magic wand to wave.”

Talking about Bangladesh’s defeat, he said, “The defeat against Bangladesh is very disappointing. The Champions Cup will be completed at the end of September, and then performers will come forward. The selection committee has picked the boys. There are 17 players now, and it is the job of the coach and captain to make a strong lineup.”

“Waqar Younis has helped in terms of mentors; he was supposed to take over a team, but now he will take over the team regularly. It’s been 5-7 months, and I’m trying to improve the situation.”

Regarding the Rawalpindi Test, he further said, “We have requested the pitch report and will receive it by tomorrow, regretting the defeat. Trying to improve will take some time, but it will all get better. The players’ central contract will also be announced in the next few days.”

Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by 10 wickets in Rawalpindi on August 25 in the first Test of a three-match Test series.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 schedule.

ICC has divided 10 teams into two groups. Group A includes India, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, while Group B includes South Africa, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, and Scotland.

Pakistan will start their campaign on October 3 against Sri Lanka in Sharjah. They will play their second match against traditional rivals India on October 6 in Dubai. Pakistan will face Australia in the third match on October 11, while New Zealand will face it on October 14.

The event’s semi-finals are scheduled for October 17 and 18 in Dubai and Sharjah respectively. The final match of the Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled for October 20 in Dubai.

Before the event, warm-up matches will also be played from September 28 to October 1, and the national women’s team will play two warm-up matches against Scotland and Bangladesh.

Former Pakistan cricketer Waqar Younis is ready to step down from his post as Cricket Affairs Advisor to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi just a few days after his appointment.

According to ARY, a new cricket advisor could be appointed in place of Younis. Some officers refused to cooperate with the former fast bowler, an act that left him bitter. He is now reportedly ready to resign from the post. He has been absent from the post since several days.

The former captain has been appointed a mentor in the Champions Cup starting next month, along with Misbah ul Haq, Saqlain Mushtaq, Sarfraz Ahmed, and Shoaib Malik.

Sources say Waqae’s tenure as Advisor Chairman of the PCB was until August 19. He was appointed for a short period.

Waqar Younis’s appointment was also challenged three weeks ago in the Lahore High Court (LHC). The petition challenged the PCB’s decision to make the appointment without advertisement.

Dutch football player Anwar El Ghazi has announced that he will donate 500,000 euros to the children of Gaza who are victims of Israel’s genocide.

The footballer was suspended last year by his club, FSV Mainz 05, for raising his voice in favour of Palestine in 2023, which resulted in the termination of his contract.

Ghazi appealed in court against the football club’s decision, where he got justice. The German court declared the club’s decision illegal. The club was ordered to pay the last nine months’ salary, which is worth a total of €1,700,000.

The Dutch footballer wrote on social media, “After receiving a substantial payment today from Mainz, I would like to make clear that my legal battle with Mainz has never, for me, been about money.”

He further wrote, “I would like to take this moment to thank Mainz for two things. Firstly, for the substantial financial payoff, €500k of which will be used to fund projects for the children in Gaza. I hope Mainz, despite their repeated failed attempts to avoid making the due payment, takes solace from the knowledge that they have, through me, contributed financially in trying to make life a little more bearable for the children of Gaza.”

“Secondly, in attempting to silence me, making my voice even louder for the oppressed and voiceless in Gaza.”

The footballer signed a contract with Championship team Cardiff City this month and had a contract with Mainz until 2025.

Saudi Arabia’s eSports team Falcons has won the eSports World Cup 2024. The world competition, held for the first time in Riyadh, saw Team Falcons scoring 5665 points.

The Falcons strengthened their lead by winning the (Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile) Championship in Week 1 and the (Free Fire) in Week 2, earning them 1,000 points for each tournament.

The Falcons were awarded $7,000,000(1.93 Billion PKR) in prize money and the World Cup trophy at a closing ceremony on Sunday, August 25. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also participated in the ceremony and awarded the trophy to the team.

Team Falcons’ participation and success in the eight-week-long eSports World Cup event reflect the significant investment made in Saudi Arabia’s gaming sector.

Netherlands’ Liquid secured second place, winning $4,000,000 (1.1 billion PKR). Team BDS secured third place, winning $2,000,000 (55 crore PKR).

This event had a massive prize pool of $60,000,000, featuring 22 video games.

Free Fire team HotShot from Pakistan participated in the event but was eliminated from the league stage. In Tekken, eight Pakistan players participated, and four of them qualified for the top 8 but unfortunately did not win the trophy. In the final of the Tekken 8, South Korea’s Ulsan defeats Pakistan’s Atif Butt by 5-0.

The government should support eSports by providing training facilities and organizing tournaments. This will help Pakistani players improve their skills and compete internationally. eSports can also offer entertainment and job creation for young people.

Here are some glimps from the event.

Photos credit: ewc_en

Fatima Sana has been appointed captain of the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Ten players from the last T20 World Cup have been selected for the current squad, including Nida Dar, while Sadia Iqbal’s inclusion is subject to fitness.

Previously, the ICC moved the Women’s T20 World Cup from Bangladesh to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The ICC stated that the event was relocated due to Bangladesh’s political situation. However, Bangladesh will retain the right to host the event in the future.

The tournament will take place in Dubai and Sharjah from October 3 to 20.

Bangladesh has defeated Pakistan by 10 wickets in the first Test of three match Test series in Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan were bowled out for just 146 in their second innings on the final day of the Rawalpindi Test, leaving Bangladesh with a target of just 30 runs to win.

On the last day of the Rawalpindi Test match, Pakistan started the innings with the loss of one wicket when captain Shan Masood lost his wicket after adding just five runs.

After that, Babar Azam, 22, Abdullah Shafiq, 37, Shaheen Shah Afridi, 2, Naseem Shah, 3, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha and Muhammad Ali were dismissed for zero.

Mohammad Rizwan scored 51 runs, Pakistan had a lead of only 29 against Bangladesh.

Mehdi Hasan Miraz 4, Shakib Al Hasan 3 while Sharaful Islam, Naheed Hasan and Hasan Mehmood got one wicket each in the second innings from Bangladesh.

Match Overview:

First inning:

Pakistan-448/6 (Declared)
Bangladesh-565/10

Second inning:

Pakistan-146 (Lead 29)
Bangladesh 30/0

Director Marketing of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Usman Waheed, has resigned after failing to achieve goals set by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Sources indicate that Naqvi had set specific targets for the Champions events. Waheed, however, fell short, resulting in setbacks for the PCB in selling both local and international rights.

Previously, the PCB sold its broadcast rights for matches to be played in Pakistan from August 2024 to December 2026 for just 1.06 billion rupees, compared to the allocated 3.02 billion rupees—1.48 billion rupees less than the expected amount.