Category: Sports

Tareen group has entered the bidding process for new Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises, marking a surprising turn just days before his official departure as owner of Multan Sultans.

According to media reports, Tareen Group has submitted documents to participate in the auction for two new PSL teams, joining 11 other companies from five countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, UAE and Pakistan. If they meet technical requirements, they will compete in an open bidding process at Islamabad Convention Centre on January 8.

The development comes as the most expensive PSL franchise prepares to part ways with its current ownership. The board will officially seal the separation on December 31, ending a relationship that grew increasingly strained over recent months.

Ali Tareen had openly criticized PSL management and a specific official through several podcasts and social media, questioning the league’s structure. When the board sent Multan Sultans a notice, Tareen tore it up on video and posted mocking commentary. The board offered contract renewals with revised fees to all six franchises except Sultans.

“I’d rather lose the team than run it on my knees, but stand tall with my head held high. This is goodbye,” Tareen wrote on social media, following up with an email to officials.

Reports indicate the board asked him to offer an unconditional apology and delete his social media posts but he refused.

Current franchise owners cannot bid for new teams under league rules. However, after December 31, Tareen will officially exit the owners’ list, making him eligible to participate.

Multan Sultans pays an annual fee of 1.08 billion rupees, the highest in PSL. Foreign company valuations push this to 1.35 billion rupees. The new franchises  reportedly could sell for 1.25 to 1.5 billion rupees.

The 12 bidding companies include mobile phone manufacturers, solar panel firms, real estate groups and other prominent business entities. Several consortiums have formed. Officials will announce results of the preliminary bidding phase on Saturday.

The winning bidders will own their franchises for 10 years, from 2026 to 2035. They can choose team names from Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad or Gilgit, or propose alternatives subject to board approval. They must pay a one-time fee of one million dollars.

PSL’s 11th edition will run from March 26 to May 3, 2026, featuring eight teams for the first time.

Multan Sultans joined PSL in 2017 as the sixth franchise before the third season. Schon Properties bought the team on an eight-year contract, but PCB terminated the agreement the following year over unpaid annual fees. The board temporarily managed all player and coach contracts before issuing tenders for new ownership rights.

In December 2018, Alamgir Khan Tareen and Ali Khan Tareen acquired ownership. Alamgir became sole owner in 2021. Following his death in 2023, Ali Tareen took over management.

According to reports, PCB has not decided whether it will manage Multan Sultans directly for the 11th edition or sell the team through bidding.

Australia seized control of the fourth Ashes Test as the Melbourne Cricket Ground saw 20 wickets tumble on day one, making it unlikely for the match to last for a full five days.

English captain Ben Stokes won the toss and chose to bat first, but Australia bowled out the visitors for just 152 runs in the first innings.

England’s bowling attack responded strongly, dismissing the entire Australian team for 110 runs, giving the hosts a modest 42-run lead.

By stumps on day one, Australia had reached 4 runs without any loss in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 46 runs.

The second day’s play will begin at 4:30 am (Pakistan Standard Time) on Saturday.

Australia already holds an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match Ashes series. They defeated England by 8 wickets in the first Test, followed by another eight-wicket victory in the second Test at Brisbane.

They clinched the series with an 82-run win in the third Test at Adelaide.

The fifth and final Test between the two teams will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 4 to 8, 2026.

Indian star all-rounder Hardik Pandya has earned widespread praise for his composed response to an unpleasant encounter with a fan outside a New Delhi restaurant on Thursday.

The Indian cricketer was leaving the venue with his girlfriend Maheika Sharma after a Christmas dinner when a crowd of fans gathered on the spot, hoping for selfies. Pandya obliged several fans before heading toward his car with security personnel. 

However, one frustrated fan, unable to get through the crowd and security, reportedly shouted an insulting remark at him.

“Bhaad mein jao [Go to hell],” the fan yelled. Despite the provocation, Pandya chose to ignore the comment and continued walking without engaging in a confrontation.

A video of the incident went viral on social media, with users commending the all-rounder for his restraint. 

On the field, Pandya has been delivering exceptional performances. He played a crucial role in India’s recent Twenty20 International series against South Africa, helping secure a 3-1 series victory. In the opening match, he scored 59 runs off just 28 balls, rescuing India from a difficult position.

His most explosive performance came during the fifth T20I in Ahmedabad, where he smashed 63 runs from only 25 balls. He reached his half-century in just 16 balls, making it the second-fastest fifty by an Indian in T20I history, behind only Yuvraj Singh’s legendary 12-ball record from 2007. Pandya’s innings helped India post a commanding total of 231 runs.

After his match-winning performance, Pandya celebrated by blowing flying kisses to Sharma from the field, a moment that quickly  spread on social media.

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has opened up about the on-field incident during the recent Test series in India where Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant made inappropriate comments against him.

During the opening Test, the stump mic caught Bumrah and Pant referring to Bavuma as a “bona” — a derogatory term for people suffering from dwarfism — while discussing whether to review an lbw decision. Cricket fans immediately slammed the Indian players for using inappropriate language.

In his column for an international cricket news website, Bavuma revealed that both players approached him with an apology, though he initially remained “in the dark” about what they were apologising for.

“I know from my side there was an incident where they said something in their language about me. At the end of the day, two senior players, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah, came and apologised,” Bavuma wrote.

“When the apology was made, I was in the dark about what it was about, I hadn’t heard it at the time, and I needed to check in with our media manager about it.”

The South African captain added that while he accepts what happens on the field, he doesn’t forget such remarks.

“What happens on the field stays on the field, but you don’t forget what is said. You use it as fuel and motivation, but there are no grudges per se,” he stated.

Bavuma also addressed another controversy from the tour involving South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad’s “grovel” remark. 

After the second Test, Conrad explained their late declaration by saying they wanted India to “really grovel” and bat them completely out of the contest. The word sparked debate due to its historical association with Tony Greig’s racially insensitive comment before the 1976 England-West Indies series.

“Shukri also took some heat for his ‘grovel’ remark. I was put under pressure by the media on that side, asking me to clarify the comments that were made. I thought Shukri was the man best positioned to give context to it all,” Bavuma said.

“Shukri spoke after the ODI series and put that issue to bed. In hindsight, he said he could have chosen a better word and I agree with him.”

South Africa won the Test series 2-0, marking their first Test series victory in India since 2000. 

India bounced back to win the ODI series 2-1. In the T20I series, India clinched the five-match series 3-1, with one match abandoned due to fog in Lucknow.

Australian Test cricketer Usman Khawaja’s family has become targets of an online abuse campaign following the tragic Bondi Beach attack, his wife Rachel Khawaja has revealed.

As per the details, the attack has heightened anti-Islamic sentiments in Australia after it was revealed that the shooters, father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram, were linked to the Islamic State.

Amid the Islamophobia spike, Rachel Khawaja posted on her Instagram some of the comments directed at her daughters Aisha and Ayla, and herself, on social media.

“I’ve collected a small sample size of some of the comments we have received over the past week,” she posted. 

“I would love to say this is new, but sadly we have always received these kind of messages. But of course, they have gotten worse.”

The shocking comments called their daughters “future school blasters” and said they had “cancer terr***** blood”. Numerous comments told the family to “go home” to Pakistan.

“It is important now more than ever that we continue to come together and stay united,” Rachel posted. “Whether it’s standing up against antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism, we shouldn’t stand for any of it.”

Khawaja, who was born in Islamabad, and moved to Australia with his family at the age of five, has spoken openly about his Islamic faith throughout his international career. 

He has publicly addressed Islamophobia, including speaking about abuse directed at Muslim athletes and the need for greater understanding and inclusion in sports.

He also issues several statements on Instagram in response to the Bondi tragedy.

“Truly devastating news from Bondi today,” he posted with a broken-heart emoji. “Lives lost senselessly, families shattered, the Bondi community traumatised. There are no words – only heartbreak. My thoughts and prayers to all affected.”

On Monday morning, Khawaja shared another message. “Up before the break of dawn and praying for the Jewish and Bondi community as a whole,” he posted.

“No room whatsoever for these hate crimes.”

During his career, Khawaja has also made several statements focused on human rights, specially against Israeli genocide in Gaza, with messages such as “all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right” written on his shoes during the 2023 Test series against Pakistan.

On December 14, 2025, two gunmen opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Archer Park near Bondi Beach. 

The attack killed 15 people and wounded more than 40 others.

The suspects were identified as 50-year-old Sajid Akram and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram.

During the attack, Ahmed al-Ahmed, a local fruit shop owner, rushed Sajid Akram and wrestled his shotgun away. Sajid Akram was shot and killed by police at the scene, while his son Naveed Akram was wounded by police and taken into custody. 

The England Cricket Board (ECB) has promised to investigate reports of excessive drinking by England players during their recent break in Australia.

ECB Managing Director Rob Key confirmed that the board will look into the matter after English cricketers spent six days at the coastal resort of Noosa, Queensland, following their defeats in the first two Ashes Tests and before the Adelaide Test.

Reports emerged in British and Australian media that England players indulged in heavy drinking throughout their stay at the popular beach destination, raising questions about the team’s professionalism during a crucial tour.

“Stories of players drinking six days solid and that’s unacceptable,” Key told a foreign media outlet. “We’ll be looking into seeing what the facts are as opposed to the things that have been embellished or elaborated on.”

Key explained that the situation requires careful examination. “When you see a picture of five or six guys sitting down for lunch, a couple of them having drinks, you need to see what’s going on with that,” he said.

“Headlines can be misleading at times, saying it’s a stag do and stuff like that,” Key added. “If it’s true that it became a stag do and people are out drinking all the time excessively, that’s not acceptable. I don’t agree with a drinking culture. I don’t like a drinking culture.”

Prior to the Ashes series, Key had urged England’s squad to not “get caught doing stupid things.”

When asked about criticism directed at Head Coach Brendon McCullum following the defeats, Key defended his coach. “McCullum is a good coach and his Test record is strong,” he said.

Australia wrapped up an 82-run victory on day five of the third Test in Adelaide on Sunday to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series and retain the urn. England had already suffered eight-wicket defeats in both Perth and Brisbane before the Adelaide loss.

The fourth Test of the series begins on December 26, in Melbourne, where England will attempt to salvage some pride from a disappointing tour.

Former Pakistani fast bowler and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Director of High Performance Aqib Javed has revealed that India contacted Pakistan seeking guidance for their fast bowlers.

Javed, who also serves as a member of the national selection committee, revealed this during a podcast with PCB, where he also discussed Pakistan cricket, the high-performance structure, PCB’s Overseas Players Program and long-term planning in detail.

“We have been receiving phone calls from India as well, and they have requested guidance for their fast bowlers,” Javed disclosed, adding that the program will expand globally in the future.

According to Javed, India contacted through the PCB’s Overseas Players Program, which provides coaching and training opportunities to cricketers from around the world.

“Foreign players can now come to Pakistan for training, and we have already hosted players from the Netherlands and England,” he added.

During the conversation, Aqib Javed spoke about the role of the National High Performance Centre and described it as the PCB’s “engine room” for player development.

“We have big plans for the National Cricket Academy (NCA), which include establishing a fully functional biomechanics laboratory,” he said.

The veteran cricketer emphasised that the initiative represents Pakistan’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for cricket coaching, particularly in fast bowling development — an area where Pakistan has produced some of the world’s finest talents over the decades.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the launch of a new T20 competition, the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), scheduled to begin in October 2026.

According to a press release issued by the Afghanistan Cricket Board, the inaugural season will feature franchises from five cities, showcasing prominent Afghan national players alongside international stars and emerging local talent.

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf unveiled the league at a launch ceremony in Dubai on Saturday.

“The Afghanistan Premier League represents a significant advancement in our cricket journey. It will create new opportunities for our players, inspire the next generation, and highlight Afghan cricket on the global stage,” Ashraf stated.

The tournament’s first season will take place in the United Arab Emirates in October 2026, with the player draft or auction expected in June or July 2026.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board previously launched a tournament under the same name in early 2018, but only one season took place. That edition featured several world-renowned players including Chris Gayle, Brendan McCullum, and Shahid Afridi. 

However, officials shut down the league due to payment issues and concerns about transparency.

Afghanistan currently hosts the Shpageeza Cricket League, its domestic T20 competition, annually from July to August. Five domestic teams participate in that tournament.

The new league by the same name is likely to have its draft around June-July 2026.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has lodged a formal complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding Indian players’ conduct during the Under-19 Asia Cup final.

Speaking to media at a reception hosted by the Prime Minister in Islamabad to honor the Asian Under-19 champion team, Naqvi addressed the incidents that marred Sunday’s final in Dubai.

“Politics and sports should remain separate. Yesterday, Indian players kept provoking our players throughout the match. We are informing the ICC about this matter,” Naqvi stated.

Pakistan Under-19 team mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed criticized India’s approach to the game, emphasizing the contrast in sportsmanship between the two sides.

“India’s behavior regarding the sport was not good at all. The Indian team adopted unethical conduct,” Sarfaraz said. “We celebrated our victory with sportsmanship spirit. The team delivered excellent cricket and displayed outstanding teamwork.”

The former Pakistan captain stressed the importance of maintaining standards in cricket. “Competition in cricket must always be accompanied by ethics and respect at the highest level,” he added.

Pakistan secured the Asia Cup title with a commanding 191-run victory over India in Dubai on Sunday, thanks to Samir Minhas’s brilliant batting performance.

Pakistan’s Under-19 cricket team received a spectacular welcome at Islamabad International Airport upon their return. PCB Chief Operating Officer Samir Ahmad Syed, Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed, and other cricket board officials greeted the players and support staff upon arrival.

A massive crowd of cricket fans gathered at the airport to celebrate the young champions, with the occasion marked by a stunning fireworks display.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif rewarded Pakistan’s young cricket heroes with PKR 10 million each after their dominant Asia Cup victory.

Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir also met the Pakistan Under-19 cricket team at the General Headquarters to congratulate them on their historic triumph.