Category: Sports

Two members of the Australian women’s cricket team were inappropriately touched by a motorcyclist in Indore, Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday morning when the players were walking back to a café, a day after Australia defeated England by six wickets in the Women’s World Cup.

“CA can confirm two members of the Australian women’s team were approached and touched inappropriately by a motorcyclist while walking to a café in Indore,” the board said in a statement.

“The matter was reported by team security to police who are handling the matter.”

According to Indian media reports, local police have identified a suspect in connection with the case.

Australia is currently in India for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup and will play its final group match against South Africa today — before next week’s semifinal.

Celebrating Pakistan’s rich equestrian heritage, the Bravehearts Tent Pegging Championship 2025 has kicked off at Lahore’s Fortress Stadium, featuring riders and clubs from across the country.

Tent pegging, which dates back to ancient cavalry warfare, remains a proud part of Pakistan’s rural and military traditions. The sport involves riders galloping at full speed to strike and lift wooden pegs using a lance or sword.

The game originated in Afghanistan and comes from the ancient approach towards warfare. While some origin stories call it a technique used by warriors to attack the tents of their enemies, others claim it was an exercise for target practice enabling warriors to attack elephant feet during battle.

As part of the event in Lahore, participants are showcasing skill, speed and precision while putting up a spectacular display for audiences.

The event comes months after the Pakistan national tent pegging team won the International Tent Pegging Championship 2025, organised by the Pakistan Equestrian Federation under the supervision of the International Tent Pegging Federation.

Among the top participants are Chaudhary Ali Ahmed, Muhammad Naveed Butt (Horse Teeraz), Muhammad Waqas Tiwana (Horse Fajar), Chaudhary Hasham Attaullah (Horse Al Murtajiz), Malik Tahir Irfan (Horse Shan-e-Sodagar), Malik Abdullah (Horse Tiger), Raja Zarar Sajjad, Syed Qutab Ali Shah Bukhari, Sardar Ahmed Dogar, Murad Abbas Chawan from Multan Horsemanship Club and Umair Khan Yousafzai, captain of Pukhtoon Ghazi Club (KP).

Other participating clubs include the Asia Tent Pegging Club (Bahawalpur), Naich Tent Pegging Club, Kingdom Saddle Club (Lahore), and the Arabian Equestrian Club of Pakistan.

The championship is being held under the supervision of Chief Organiser Ijaz Ramay while Ahsan Ullah Joyia serves as the coach of Bravehearts Horsemanship Club.

Barcelona winger Raphinha will miss Sunday’s Clásico against Real Madrid after suffering a setback while recovering from a hamstring injury.

The Brazilian felt discomfort during training earlier this week, Spanish media reports have stated. 

Raphinha has been out for about a month and may not return before the international break. He last played in Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Real Oviedo on September 25.

Barcelona’s injury list continues to grow, with Robert Lewandowski, Joan Garcia, Gavi, Dani Olmo, and Marc-André ter Stegen all unavailable for the trip to the Santiago Bernabéu. Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen also remain doubtful for the match.

Head coach Hansi Flick will miss the game as well after failing to overturn his red card. Assistant coach Marcus Sorg will take charge on the touchline and handle pre-match press duties.

The top-of-the-table clash will be the first Clásico of the season, with Real Madrid currently two points ahead of Barcelona. The result is expected to play a key role in shaping the early title race.

After the Madrid fixture, Barcelona will face Elche, Club Brugge, and Celta Vigo before the international break. The club has not announced a specific return date for Raphinha but expects him to need a few more weeks of recovery.

Barcelona’s medical staff will monitor Raphinha’s progress closely, as hamstring injuries often require careful management to avoid recurrence.

Pakistani cricketers signed by Big Bash League (BBL) teams have received clearance to participate in the upcoming season after earlier concerns that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) would not issue No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for overseas leagues.

In late September, PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmad Syed issued a notice to players and agents stating that the board would temporarily stop granting NOCs for foreign T20 leagues. The move raised doubts about the participation of several Pakistani stars in the BBL.

However, Cricket Australia Chief Executive Todd Greenberg confirmed on Saturday that the issue had been resolved. 

“That came through last week,” Greenberg said. “So they’ll all be playing, they’ve all been cleared to play, which we’re really excited about because we’ve got some great Pakistan players in the BBL, so looking forward to seeing them here this summer.”

Babar Azam (Sydney Sixers), Shaheen Shah Afridi (Brisbane Heat), Hasan Ali (Adelaide Strikers), Mohammad Rizwan (Melbourne Renegades), Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars) and Shadab Khan (Sydney Thunder) will represent their respective franchises in the tournament.

The BBL is scheduled to begin on December 14 and will continue January 25, 2026.

Pakistan Super League (PSL) Chief Executive Officer Salman Naseer has confirmed that the upcoming 11th edition of the tournament will feature two new teams and two additional venues.

Speaking on a private TV podcast, Salman Naseer said the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is seriously considering hosting matches across six venues. “InshaAllah, HBL PSL 11 will be played at six different venues,” he said.

He revealed that Peshawar’s Imran Khan Stadium (formerly Arbab Niaz Stadium) is almost complete but still needs final touches to meet international standards. 

PCB wants the stadium ready to host PSL 11 matches, but a long-term lease agreement is necessary before making major investments.

Salman Naseer also mentioned that Faisalabad will be added as one of the new host cities, as international matches are already scheduled there.

Talking about the league’s expansion, the CEO said the PCB plans to introduce two new franchises and the tender process for the sale of teams will begin in November. “There is significant interest in acquiring new teams, and we expect tough competition,” he added.

The PSL began in 2016 with five teams, and the addition of Multan Sultans in 2018 took the number to six. With two more teams joining in season 11, the league will, for the first time, feature eight franchises.

The development comes a day after the PCB issued a legal notice to franchise owner Ali Khan Tareen, threatening to terminate his contract. Sources said the PCB was unhappy with Tareen’s criticism of the board’s handling of the league, which he said had failed to grow as a strong brand.

Multan Sultans responded by saying it was “disappointing that PCB considers constructive criticism a crime,” while Ali Tareen later released a video message tearing up the notice and defending his stance.

Pakistani MMA fighter Rizwan “The Haider” Ali has extended his unbeaten run with a dominant first-round technical knockout against India’s Rana Rudra Pratap Singh in the Absolute Championship Akhmat event in Dubai.

As per the details, the win improved Rizwan’s professional record to 11-0 and marked his fourth straight victory against an Indian opponent in two years.

The fight at Dubai’s Agenda Arena on Thursday started with tensions running high as both fighters refused a glove touch. Rudra Pratap, a 28-year-old from Lucknow, attempted an early takedown, but Rizwan countered with strong defence and took control.

Rizwan pushed his opponent against the cage, landed a knee to the body and slammed him to the canvas, moving into full mount and unleashing a series of heavy punches. As a result, the referee was forced to stop the fight with two minutes still left in the first round.

The victory came as a strong response to Rizwan’s previous split-decision win over Egypt’s Adham Mohamed.

After the fight, UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev congratulated Rizwan at cageside, recognising his growing presence in the global MMA scene.

Rizwan later showed sportsmanship by embracing Rudra Pratap after the bout, ending the contest on a note of mutual respect.

Pakistani cricketer Sohaib Maqsood has expressed gratitude to Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi for helping him recover his car after almost nine months.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sohaib wrote, “I would like to pay a huge thanks to @MohsinnaqviC42 and @MaryamNSharif for helping out in retrieving my car after almost 9 months. Truth always wins. #Alhumdulillah huge thanks to RPO Multan and CPO Multan for looking into this matter personally and for taking quick action. @GovtofPunjabPK and @OfficialDPRPP were regularly in touch with me for last 3,4 days and made sure justice prevail sooner rather than later. #Alhumdulillah.”

i would like to pay a huge thanks to @MohsinnaqviC42 and @MaryamNSharif for helping out in retrieving my car after almost 9 months Truth always wins #Alhumdulillah huge thanks to RPO Multan and CPO Multan for looking into this matter persnally and for taking Quick action❤️… pic.twitter.com/t4K5Ys1ulZ

— Sohaib Maqsood (@sohaibcricketer) October 24, 2025

The cricketer had earlier shared a video detailing a major financial fraud during the sale of his car, in which he claimed that the buyer failed to pay the full amount and used political influence to avoid returning the vehicle.

In that video, Sohaib appealed to the Punjab government for help, saying he did not want to get caught up in court proceedings. He had urged Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, and Punjab Police to intervene.

After weeks of following up, Sohaib confirmed that the authorities acted swiftly and ensured the return of his car, thanking them for their support and timely action.

Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood has advised Babar Azam to play more domestic cricket to strengthen his game in the longer format.

Speaking after Pakistan’s eight-wicket defeat to South Africa in the second Test on Thursday, Azhar said Babar lacks first-class experience and needs more domestic cricket to adapt to the pressure of Test matches.

“Many of our players have limited first-class experience,” Azhar told reporters at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The former all-rounder added that players can only learn to handle pressure by playing domestic cricket regularly.

“If you look at our players like Babar Azam or Abdullah Shafique, both have not played much first-class cricket. Abdullah has played a few matches, and Babar has also not played much first-class or Test cricket,” he said.

“When you play domestic cricket, you learn how to deal with pressure. Then when you come into international cricket, you perform better. Even if you fail, you know how to make a comeback. I believe domestic cricket is the best solution,” Azhar added.

The head coach also stressed the need for Pakistani batters to improve against spin bowling. He said domestic pitches should also support spinners so that batters can learn to play them better.

“Pakistan needs to learn how to bat well against spinners. We also need to prepare spin-friendly pitches in domestic cricket. Players must be mentally strong in international cricket,” he said.

South Africa defeated Pakistan by eight wickets in the Rawalpindi Test to level the series 1-1.

Sydney Sixers have rolled out a grand welcome for Pakistan’s batting superstar Babar Azam by announcing a special fan zone called “Babaristan” ahead of the upcoming season of Big Bash League (BBL).

The franchise shared the announcement across its social media accounts with the caption, “Introducing Babaristan, A Fan Zone Like No Other,” creating a wave of excitement among cricket fans in both Australia and Pakistan.

“We’re celebrating cricket culture like never before with Babaristan, a brand-new Sixers fan zone dedicated to welcoming one of the world’s greatest cricketers, Babar Azam,” the franchise said in its official statement.

The Sixers have invited fans to join the celebration when they face the Adelaide Strikers in their opening match on December 17, which will also mark Babar’s long-awaited BBL debut.

The 15th edition of the Big Bash League will feature 44 matches from December 14, 2025, to January 25, 2026. The opening match will see the Perth Scorchers take on the Sydney Sixers in a high-voltage clash at Perth Stadium.

Babar’s inclusion has already boosted fan excitement, with the Sixers’ supporters preparing to turn parts of the stadium into “Babaristan,” a tribute to Pakistan’s deep cricket passion.

Several other Pakistani players will also appear in the upcoming BBL season. Shaheen Afridi will play for Brisbane Heat as the first overseas and platinum pick, while Mohammad Rizwan will represent the Melbourne Renegades. Haris Rauf will continue with the Melbourne Stars, Shadab Khan will join the Sydney Thunder, Hasan Ali will play for the Adelaide Strikers, and all-rounder Hassan Khan will return to the Renegades.