Category: Sports

Pakistan on Tuesday defeated South Africa by a narrow margin in the first One-Day International (ODI) at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

As per the details, newly-appointed captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and chose to field first.

Batting first, South Africa posted 263 runs in 49.1 overs. The Proteas made a flying start with an impressive opening partnership headlined by veteran Quinton de Kock (63) and debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius (57).

Captain Matthew Breetzke (42) and Corbin Bosch (41) added valuable runs in the middle order to lift the total.

Pakistani bowlers put up a strong attack with pacer Naseem Shah (3/40) and spinner Abrar Ahmed (3/53) in lead. Saim Ayub (2/39) chipped in to keep the visitors in check.

Chasing 264, Pakistan’s innings turned into a nerve-wracking affair. The top order provided a steady start with Fakhar Zaman (35), Saim Ayub (32) and Mohammad Rizwan (43) contributing useful runs, but wickets at key moments built pressure.

All-rounder Salman Ali Agha played a match-winning knock, anchoring the chase with a crucial 62 runs and guiding the tail through the tense final overs to take Pakistan home with just two balls to spare.

South African bowlers, led by Donovan Ferreira (2/53), fought hard to defend the total but couldn’t stop Pakistan from sealing a dramatic win.

This thrilling victory hands Pakistan an early lead in the ODI series.

The remainder of the series will be contested at the same venue. The second ODI is scheduled for Thursday, November 6, followed by the third ODI on Saturday, November 8.

The debate over who is the greatest footballer of all time has returned with Cristiano Ronaldo once again saying that Lionel Messi is not better than him.

In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan, the Portuguese superstar, who currently plays for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, confidently placed himself above the Inter Miami forward.

In a teaser for the interview, Morgan asks Ronaldo whether Messi is better than him. The 39-year-old instantly replied, “Is Messi better than me? I disagree. I don’t want to be humble.”

As he nears the final years of his career, Ronaldo has set his sights on scoring 1,000 professional goals, a record no player has ever achieved.

Despite his bold claim, Ronaldo has often expressed respect for Messi. He has praised the Argentine on multiple occasions, once mentioning that they share a cordial relationship and that he would like to have dinner with him someday.

The full interview, which will explore Ronaldo’s rivalry with Messi and other moments from his life, will be released next Tuesday.

The two legends dominated football’s biggest stage for over 17 years, battling for Ballon d’Or titles and goal-scoring records as well as European championships.

With his latest brace for Al Nassr, Ronaldo now has 952 professional goals, sitting just 48 away from his 1,000-goal target. Messi, on the other hand, reached 891 goals after scoring in Inter Miami’s recent match against Nashville, trailing Ronaldo by 61 goals in their long-running race.

While fans remain divided over who is better, Messi is the only among the two to have won a World Cup for his country.

Pakistani tape-ball star Tamour Mirza has made history by signing a record Rs30 million endorsement deal with a sports equipment company – making it the biggest ever for the grassroots format.

As per the details, the deal with F Plus was signed at a local hotel in Lahore, and the ceremony was attended by national cricketer Haider Ali among several other sports personalities.

The deal marks a major step in recognising tape-ball cricket as a serious and fast-growing part of Pakistan’s sporting culture.

Speaking at the event, Mirza said the partnership was beyond personal achievement. “This is not just about me… it’s about giving tape-ball cricket the respect it deserves and motivating young players across Pakistan.”

Mirza added that such collaborations could attract more sponsors and support for the format that has long served as a launchpad for emerging cricket talent in the country.

Flisky Aneer Arslan, a representative of the company, praised Mirza’s influence and announced plans to launch a new range of high-performance tape-ball bats designed for the format.

“We want to take tape-ball cricket to the next level by providing players with top-quality gear,” Arslan said.

Pakistan secured a 2-1 T20I series win against South Africa on October 31, with debutant bowler Usman Tariq grabbing all the attention with his unique bowling action.

Usman’s unusual action involves a slight pause before releasing the ball, a method that impressed onlookers as he took two wickets in the series-deciding match. While captain Salman Ali Agha lifted the trophy, social media began buzzing over Usman’s bowling style, with some fans questioning its legality.

However, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already cleared his action after biomechanical testing. Usman’s distinctive delivery style, which first raised eyebrows during PSL 2024, was later approved after multiple reviews.

Speaking in an interview before his debut, the 27-year-old said he received the selection call at an unexpected moment. “I was sleeping when I got the call, and it was the day of my mehndi ceremony,” Usman said with a smile. “When they told me I had been selected, I couldn’t believe it.”

He added, “Our regional president, Gohar Ali, called me to share the news. There was a family event going on at home, and everyone was so happy.”

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Usman said he had continued playing cricket alongside his job in Dubai before deciding to return to Pakistan. “God gave me talent, and I kept playing even while working in Dubai,” he said. “The dream I saw while sitting at home is finally coming true.”

The young spinner thanked Quetta Gladiators for giving him a platform in the Pakistan Super League, which helped him reach the national side.

Explaining his unusual bowling style, Usman revealed in an earlier interview that it comes from a physical condition. “My action looks different because I have two elbows,” he said. “Doctors have confirmed that my arm cannot straighten completely. It’s a natural condition, and my body structure is different from a normal person’s.”

The PCB later confirmed that Usman Tariq cleared his bowling assessment at the board’s approved biomechanics lab in Lahore, making him eligible to represent Pakistan.

Pakistani athletes delivered an impressive performance at the annual Istanbul Marathon held on Sunday. The event is known as the world’s only intercontinental marathon, connecting Asia and Europe.

A total of 12 athletes represented Pakistan in the 42.195-kilometer full marathon. Mubarez bin Rafiq led the pack with a strong finish, completing the race in 3 hours 21 minutes and 30 seconds. He was followed by Mujtaba Ahsan, who clocked 3 hours 23 minutes, while Ismail Khan, who lives in Istanbul, secured third place among the Pakistani runners with a time of 4 hours 3 minutes.

Geo News Deputy Sports Editor Faizan Lakhani also participated in his first-ever marathon, completing the full distance in 5 hours 13 minutes.

In the women’s category, Sehar Ali Janjua led the way by finishing in 4 hours 22 minutes, followed by Hina Malik, who completed the race in 4 hours 49 minutes.

Other Pakistani participants included Umar Rasheed, Zain Ahmed, Kashif Raza, Mehr Wish Hanif, Sadaf Saad, and Haziq Khalid.

All the runners wore green shirts to represent Pakistan, and they received a warm welcome from spectators as they crossed the iconic Bosphorus Bridge.

More than 41,000 runners from 126 countries took part in the Türkiye İş Bankası 47th Istanbul Marathon, organized by Spor İstanbul. The race holds World Athletics’ prestigious Gold Label status and featured 5,976 runners in the 42-kilometer category, 12,440 in the 15.5-kilometer run, 18,000 in the Corporate Run, and 5,000 in the Public Run.

The route began on the Asian side of the city, 250 meters behind the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, and ended at Sultanahmet Square on the European side.

In the men’s elite race, Kenya’s Rhonzas Lokitam Kilimo claimed victory with a time of 2 hours 10 minutes 12 seconds. Last year’s winner, Dejene Debela of Kenya, finished second in 2 hours 10 minutes 23 seconds, while Ethiopia’s Sufaro Woliyi took third in 2 hours 10 minutes 26 seconds.

In the women’s category, Ethiopia’s Bizuager Aderra won the race in 2 hours 26 minutes 19 seconds, followed closely by compatriot Sofia Assefa at 2 hours 26 minutes 21 seconds. Kenya’s Joan Jepkosgei secured third place with a time of 2 hours 26 minutes 36 seconds.

Winners received $50,000 for first place, $20,000 for second, and $10,000 for third, with prize money awarded down to eighth place, who earned $1,000.

Separate awards were given to the top Turkish runners, with the top five in both men’s and women’s categories sharing a total of $9,515. The first-place Turkish athlete received $1,428, followed by $1,190, $952, $714, and $476.

In the wheelchair category, the top four finishers earned $714, $595, $476, and $357, respectively. Additional prizes were distributed across various age groups, ranging from 35–39 up to 85 and above.

Overall, organizers distributed around $226,000 in prize money across all categories.

Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has announced his retirement from T20 cricket.

New Zealand Cricket confirmed the news in a post on X, stating that Williamson will not participate in the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies, and the star batter wants to focus on the Test series scheduled for December.

Williamson is the second-highest run-scorer for New Zealand in T20s. Since making his T20I debut in 2011, he represented the Black Caps in 93 matches, scoring 2,575 runs with 18 half-centuries.

Under his leadership, New Zealand reached the T20 World Cup semifinals twice and made it to the final once, marking one of the most successful eras in the country’s limited-overs history.

Pakistan on Saturday defeated South Africa by four wickets in the third T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, clinching the three-match series 2-1.

After winning the toss, Pakistan opted to field first. South Africa posted 139 for 9 in their 20 overs with Reeza Hendricks scoring 32, Corbin Bosch 30 and Donovan Ferreira adding 29 runs.

For Pakistan, Shereef Sheem starred with the ball, taking three wickets while Faheem Ashraf and Usman Tariq picked up two each. Salman Mirza and Mohammad Nawaz claimed one wicket apiece.

In response, Pakistan successfully chased down the target, finishing at 140 for 6. Babar Azam top-scored with 68 while skipper Salman Ali Agha contributed a valuable 33 runs.

Earlier in the series, Pakistan lost the opening match by 55 runs in Rawalpindi but bounced back with a nine-wicket win in the second T20I in Lahore.

The two sides will now face off in a three-match ODI series scheduled from November 4 to 8 in Faisalabad.