Category: Sports

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has submitted the preliminary squad names for the T20 World Cup to the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

According to news reports, PCB sent a 15-member initial squad along with reserve player names to the ICC.

Reports added that the PCB can make changes to the names without ICC permission before January 31. After that, the board will need approval from the ICC Technical Committee to make any changes to the team.

The board intends to announce the World Cup squad and the squad for the Australia series after the series against Sri Lanka, reports stated. 

Officials want to observe the performance of one or two players during the Sri Lanka series before finalising the lineup.

Preliminary names include players from the Sri Lanka tour along with Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf.

The ICC T20 World Cup begins on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka. 

Pakistan will play all their matches in Sri Lanka.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has instructed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their squad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia confirmed the decision and said the board will allow KKR to sign a replacement player if the franchise chooses to do so.

“Due to the recent developments that are going on all across, BCCI has instructed the franchise KKR to release one of their players, Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, from their squad and BCCI has also said that if they ask for any replacement, BCCI is going to allow that replacement,” Saikia told an India media outlet.

Rahman was the only Bangladeshi player to be sold in the IPL 2026 auction held in Abu Dhabi on December 16. He was bought by KKR for Rs9.2 crores.

Mustafizur has been a fixture in the IPL since 2016, playing for multiple franchises including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, and Chennai Super Kings. The left-arm pacer has taken 65 wickets in 60 matches at an economy rate of 8.13. Last season, he returned to Delhi Capitals as an injury replacement.

The decision follows threats from a hardliner Hindutva activists who warned they would beat up Bangladeshi cricketers if they participated in the IPL. The activists also issued a warning to Bollywood star and KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan against allowing Bangladeshi players to represent his team.

Relations between the two South Asian neighbors have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks. Dhaka suspended visa and consular services at its missions in New Delhi and Agartala on December 22 following protests outside the facilities.

India responded by suspending visa services at its Chittagong visa application center in Bangladesh after violent protests erupted following the death of prominent Bangladeshi activist Sharif Osman Hadi. 

The 32-year-old activist, a harsh critic of India, died on December 18 in a Singapore hospital after masked gunmen shot him in the head in Dhaka a week earlier. Hadi played a key role in the 2024 uprising that ended former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Tensions escalated further after the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old Hindu man who was lynched and burned in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district over blasphemy allegations.

New Delhi and Dhaka summoned each other’s envoys earlier this week in a tit-for-tat move. The visa freeze affects tens of thousands of Bangladeshis seeking medical treatment in India.

Haris Rauf’s struggles in death overs continued in the Big Bash League (BBL) as he failed to defend 10 runs in the final over against Brisbane Heat, handing his opponents a thrilling victory at the Gabba.

Melbourne Stars posted a competitive 195/6 in their 20 overs, setting up what looked like a defendable total. Brisbane Heat needed 10 runs from the last over with Max Bryant 36 runs off 23 balls and Xavier Bartlett 25 off 8 at the crease. Rauf stepped up to bowl the final over, but the result was all too familiar for the Pakistani pacer.

Bartlett took a single off the first ball, then Bryant took a double, followed by a massive six and a boundary to seal the win. Brisbane chased down the target in 19.4 overs, losing just six wickets.

Cricket fans on social media wasted no time roasting Rauf for yet another late-over collapse. One user wrote, “Only bowler who can do this,” while another asked, “Last over isko deta kon hai? [Who gives him the last over]” 

MAX BRYANT!

Can you believe it? The Brisbane Heat have won another thriller at The Gabba #BBL15 pic.twitter.com/3ffcxaHAPs

— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) January 2, 2026

“Haris Rauf finally found his form,” one fan joked sarcastically. Another added, “Haris Rauf always at the crime scene,” summing up his reputation for high-pressure failures.

“Normal day at the office for Haris Rauf,” commented another user, highlighting how this has become a recurring theme in his career.

This isn’t the first time Rauf has crumbled under pressure in the final over. His history of late-game collapses reads like a horror story for Pakistan fans.

In the 2022 T20 World Cup against India, Pakistan needed to defend 28 runs off eight balls. Rauf bowled the 19th over and was smashed for two consecutive sixes by Virat Kohli on the last two balls. India won that match, and what seemed like a certain Pakistan victory slipped away.

Fast forward to the 2025 Asia Cup final. India needed 10 runs in the last over, and once again, Rauf was the bowler. He conceded those runs in just four balls, giving away 50 runs in his four overs that day.

Then came the 2024 T20 World Cup match against the USA. Rauf couldn’t defend 15 runs in the final over, forcing the game into a Super Over. The USA went on to beat Pakistan in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.

Despite this loss, Melbourne Stars remain at the top of the BBL table with five wins from six matches.

Multan Sultans are reportedly considering Pakistan T20 captain Salman Ali Agha to replace Mohammad Rizwan as captain ahead of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) season.

Accordint to reports, Rizwan, who has been synonymous with Multan Sultans’ rise in the PSL, has already stepped down from the captaincy.

The captaincy change forms part of a wider overhaul at Multan Sultans. The Pakistan Cricket Board will operate the team directly for PSL 11 after the previous ownership arrangement ended. 

The franchise will be put up for auction again once the season concludes.

Reports suggest Lahore Qalandars head coach Aqib Javed will take charge as Head of Cricket Affairs, overseeing player recruitment, long-term planning, and cricket operations. 

Pakistan’s current head coach Mike Hesson is expected to join as head coach, while Abdul Razzaq, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Taufeeq Umar have been discussed for supporting roles.

Former owner Ali Tareen announced his departure from Multan Sultans on November 25, 2025, following public disputes with PSL management. He criticised the league’s structure through podcasts and social media posts targeting specific officials. When the board sent Sultans a notice, Tareen tore it up on video and posted mocking commentary online.

The board asked Tareen to offer an unconditional apology and delete his social media posts, but he refused. The PCB subsequently offered contract renewals with revised fees to all six franchises except Sultans.

The 11th edition of PSL will run until May 3, 2026, featuring eight teams for the first time in the tournament’s history. PCB received significant interest in the two new franchises, with ten parties qualifying to bid.

The new franchises reportedly could sell for 1.25 to 1.5 billion rupees each.

Australian all-rounder Sean Abbott is frustrated at not being able to dismiss Pakistani star Babar Azam, declaring that he is “sick of bowling” to the batsman.

Abbott, who has represented Australia in 29 ODIs and 28 T20Is, has yet to claim Babar’s wicket in either white-ball format despite multiple encounters.

Abbott has bowled 48 deliveries to Babar in ODIs, conceding 40 runs without success. In T20Is, he has managed only 12 deliveries to the Pakistani batsman, leaking eight runs.

The duo currently plays together for Sydney Sixers in the ongoing Big Bash League 2025-26. Despite sharing the same dressing room in the franchise league, Abbott highlighted the difficulties he faces when bowling to the 31-year-old.

“Babar hits you where Babar wants to, and I’m sick of bowling at him,” Abbott said during an interview that has since gone viral on social media.

“Whether it’s domestic cricket or international cricket, I don’t think I’ve ever got him out, and it feels a bit like a death by a thousand cuts sometimes because you look up the scoreboard and he is striking at 120 and you don’t feel like you are nowhere near getting him out,” he added.

Abbott then praised Babar’s contribution to the Sixers squad, calling the Pakistan international an “asset” to the team.

“So, a real asset to have, and he has been a hell of a fit for us so far. Really blessed that Babar is in the Sixers.”

Earlier today, Abbott and Babar led Sydney Sixers to their second victory in BBL 2025-26 as the visitors defeated Melbourne Renegades by six wickets with five balls to spare.

Abbott set the tone for the crucial win by claiming 3/16 from his four overs. Babar then guided the chase with a not out half-century, top-scoring with a 46-ball 58 that included four fours and a six.

Australian cricketing coach Jason Gillespie has opened up about the circumstances that drove him to resign from his position as Pakistan’s head coach.

Responding to a fan’s question on X, Gillespie cited a complete breakdown in trust with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and explained that the board’s treatment left him with no choice but to walk away from the role.

“Sacked our senior assistant coach with ZERO communication with me about it, as Head Coach I found this situation completely unacceptable […] a number of other issues which left me completely humiliated,” he said.

The 49-year-old admitted that his troubling experience with Pakistan has soured him on full-time coaching entirely and he now questions whether he wants to return to coaching at all.

Gillespie took charge of Pakistan’s Test side in April 2024 and later assumed responsibility for the white-ball team. However, his tenure ended abruptly in December after a turbulent period filled with poor communication and disputes with the PCB.

The PCB asked Gillespie to oversee the white-ball side on an interim basis following Gary Kirsten’s departure. He guided Pakistan to a rare ODI series victory in Australia, but resigned shortly afterwards.

Gillespie revealed that internal politics and a lack of unity within the setup played a major role in his decision to leave. He also launched a scathing attack on Aqib Javed, who succeeded him as interim head coach.

The Australian accused the former Pakistan pacer of working against him during his tenure and bluntly described him as “a clown”.

Pakistani mixed martial artist Shahzaib Rind will face Israeli fighter Natan Levy in the Lightweight World Championship 2026, Karate Combat announced on their social media platforms.

The promotion has not yet revealed the date for the highly anticipated matchup.

Rind responded to the announcement with confidence, commenting on the post: “History is going to be made inshallah ☝️”

Fans flooded the comments section with messages of support for the Pakistani fighter.

One user wrote, “Let’s Go ,” while another taunted the Israeli by writing, “The win will not be promised to him.”

“Lets go shahzaib!!! ‍♂️,” another supporter commented.

One excited fan declared, “Now This Is Gonna Be Banger Let’s Gooooo.”

Rind currently holds the KC Lightweight World Championship with an undefeated professional record of 9-0. He successfully defended his title in Miami on January 25, 2025, defeating former three-time world champion Edgars Skrivers 7-0 at Karate Combat 52, becoming world champion for the second time.

Rind delivered one of the fastest knockouts in Karate Combat history, stunning Peru’s Marco Cubas with a knockout in just 21 seconds during the first round of Karate Combat 44 in Mexico City. The 27-year-old started with a flying knee followed by a head kick and ground strikes to complete the stunning finish.

His most recent victory came on July 19, 2025, when he knocked out Brazilian fighter Luiz Rocha via TKO at 2:57 in Round 4 at Karate Combat 56 in Miami.

The fighter from Balochistan began his martial arts journey at age nine and boasts a combined Wushu and Kickboxing record of 75-4, the majority of which was attained while training himself from YouTube videos.

Rind is a six-time national champion. He made history by defeating Brazilian Bruno Roberto De Assis at KC-49 in Singapore on September 18, 2024, becoming Pakistan’s first-ever world champion in Karate Combat.

Pakistani-Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has announced on Friday that he is resigning from international cricket ahead of the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

The 39-year-old made the announcement during a press conference at the SCG, with his parents, wife, and daughters present for the emotional moment.

Khawaja revealed that the Test match in Sydney will mark the end of his 15-year international career. “This match holds special significance for me because I grew up in this city and became a young man watching cricket here,” he said.

The veteran batsman will continue representing Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League and Queensland in domestic cricket.

Khawaja ranks among Australia’s most successful batsmen, having scored 6,206 runs in 87 Test matches with 16 centuries. The Sydney Test presents an opportunity for him to surpass Michael Hussey on the list of Australia’s highest Test run-scorers.

As Australia’s first Muslim and Pakistan-born Test cricketer, Khawaja has played a prominent role in speaking out against racial discrimination. He built a lasting legacy off the field through the Usman Khawaja Foundation.

“I never believed I would represent Australia, but today I proudly conclude my journey,” Khawaja said in his heartfelt statement.

His career weathered multiple ups and downs, including being dropped from the team several times, yet he staged remarkable comebacks and established himself as a respected and consistent player.

“I want to be remembered as a humble, hardworking cricketer who entertained the crowds,” he added.

In 2023, Khawaja received the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year and Shane Warne Test Cricketer of the Year awards. He was also part of the Australian team that won the ICC Test Championship that year.

“The most prominent feeling is contentment. I feel fortunate to have played so many matches for Australia. I hope I’ve inspired people,” Khawaja said.

Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg praised Khawaja’s contributions. “Usman Khawaja has made an extraordinary impact on Australian cricket through his exceptional performances. He is one of our most stylish and brilliant batters,” he stated. 

The final Ashes Test begins on January 4 at the SCG.

Pakistan cricket stars Babar Azam and Muhammad Rizwan spent New Year’s Eve together before turning into opponents in the Big Bash League (BBL) match between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Renegades on Thursday.

In a pre-match video, a presenter caught up with Rizwan before the match at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne. During the conversation, Rizwan revealed he spent the previous night with Babar and called him over for a chat.

“I also was with Babar Azam as well last night,” Rizwan said before calling out, “Bobzy, come here.”

When Babar joined them, the presenter asked if they spent New Year’s Eve together.

“Yeah, last night we were together. Happy New Year. Lovely to see you,” Babar said.

The presenter then asked if their families celebrated together as well.

“No, we were together last night, but his family stayed in a hotel. But we had a lot of discussion last night about the conditions,” Babar explained.

The presenter pointed out the unusual situation where they celebrated together the night before but now will play against each other, with Rizwan keeping wicket and chattering behind the stumps as Babar bats.

“To be honest, yes, I’m not used to that. But today I will be doing my stuff when I’m fielding and when he’s batting. So let’s see,” Babar responded with a smile.

Rizwan also spoke about the challenge of facing his teammate and friend.

“I always give him respect because he’s a very nice guy. But now he’s in opposition, so at least we will do all the things that the team requires,” Rizwan said.

Fans on social media praised the friendship between the two cricketers, with comments like “Good luck both of you,” “Bobzyy the king,” and “Kaptanaa” flooding the video.

The match marked the 18th game of BBL 2025-26 at Docklands Stadium. Sydney Sixers won the toss and chose to field first. Melbourne Renegades posted 164 for 9 in their 20 overs, with Rizwan keeping wickets for the side.

Sydney Sixers has chased down this total in 19.1 overs with Babar Azam scoring 58 not out on 46 balls.

Both teams entered the match desperately needing a win. The Renegades had won one match and lost two, suffering consecutive defeats to the Hobart Hurricanes. The Sixers had also won just one of their four matches heading into this contest.

The Sixers hold a dominant head-to-head record against the Renegades, having won their past nine BBL matches against them.