Category: Sports

Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi has responded to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) letter requesting the Asia Cup 2025 trophy.

According to reports, the BCCI wrote to Naqvi, asking for the handover of the trophy their team won earlier this year. 

In response, Naqvi stated that if India wants the trophy, a formal ceremony can be arranged for the presentation.

Reports added that the ACC has informed the Indian board that the trophy can be handed over in the first week of November. The council has proposed holding the ceremony in Dubai during that period.

Naqvi has reportedly made it clear that a BCCI official can attend the event along with one player to receive the trophy.

The Indian team did not collect the Asia Cup 2025 trophy from Naqvi after winning the final. 

Following the incident, Naqvi sent the trophy back to the ACC office and remarked that if the Indian captain wanted it, he could visit his office to collect it.

Former Pakistan captain Misbah Ul Haq is expected to be given an important role by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

According to media reports, the PCB recently advertised the position of director of international cricket operations, and Misbah is a strong candidate for the role. 

The eligibility criteria mentioned in the advertisement requires the applicant to be a former Test or One-Day International cricketer.

The PCB had earlier suspended Director of International Cricket Operations Usman Wahla for his poor handling of the Pakistan-India dispute during the Asia Cup. Although he was later reinstated, the board has now decided to remove him from the post and could assign him to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) instead.

The PCB has invited applications for the new international cricket director with November 2 set as the last date to apply.

Pakistan has been bowled out for 333 runs in their first innings against South Africa on the second day of the Rawalpindi Test.

Resuming play at 259 for five, Saud Shakeel and Agha Salman were at the crease with 42 and 10 runs respectively. Both batters added valuable runs as Saud completed his half-century. Agha Salman scored 45 before getting out, while Saud Shakeel made 66 runs before losing his wicket.

Shaheen Afridi, Sajid Khan, and Asif Afridi failed to make an impact and were dismissed by Keshav Maharaj. Noman Ali remained not out on six runs.

For South Africa, Maharaj delivered an outstanding performance, taking seven wickets. Simon Harmer claimed two wickets, while Kagiso Rabada took one.

On the opening day, Pakistan captain Shan Masood had won the toss and opted to bat first. Shan scored 87, while Abdullah Shafique contributed 57 runs.

Pakistan leads the two-match Test series 1-0 after defeating South Africa by 93 runs in the first Test played in Lahore.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has criticised Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to appoint Shaheen Afridi replacing Mohammad Rizwan as ODI captain.  

In a video message on his social media accounts, Amir said he does not believe the timing of the decision was right.

“I don’t think Mohammad Rizwan has been treated fairly. Rizwan was not a bad One-Day captain,” Amir said.

“He led Pakistan to series wins in South Africa and Australia, something even some of our biggest captains couldn’t achieve. We should not have forgotten that,” he added.

The 33-year-old highlighted the need for consistency in leadership and admitted that former players and analysts, including himself, share responsibility for the ongoing instability in Pakistan cricket.

“Captaincy should not depend on just one good or bad series. We are all responsible for this, former cricketers and analysts included. We don’t allow our cricket to stabilise,” Amir said.

“Captains are not made overnight; it takes two to three years to build one. But here, one bad series is enough to replace a captain. I don’t think this is the right call. Rizwan is a smart captain and has that knack for leadership.”

Amir also suggested that Shaheen should have first been appointed as vice-captain to assess his leadership skills and manage his workload effectively.

“If Shaheen had to be made captain, he could have first been appointed as vice-captain and his performance judged accordingly — especially considering his fitness,” he said.

Shaheen Afridi’s first assignment as Pakistan’s ODI captain will be the three-match home series against South Africa, starting November 4 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Shaheen previously led Pakistan in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand in January 2024. After Pakistan’s 4-1 defeat, Babar Azam took over the T20I captaincy for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup later that year.

Mohammad Rizwan captained Pakistan in 20 ODIs, winning nine and losing 11, with a winning rate of 45 percent. He was appointed as both ODI and T20I captain on October 27 last year before being replaced after a disappointing T20I series where Pakistan lost all four matches under his leadership.

Following the defeats, Salman Ali Agha replaced Rizwan as T20I captain ahead of Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand.

Pakistan football team captain Abdullah Iqbal made history by helping Mjällby AIF win their first-ever Swedish league title. 

The small club from Hallevik, a fishing village in southern Sweden with around 1,500 residents, lifted the Allsvenskan trophy with three games to spare.

Mjällby defeated Goteborg 2-0 to seal the title, standing 11 points clear of second-placed Hammarby. The 22-year-old defender joined Mjällby last season and quickly became a key part of coach Anders Torstensson’s squad. The team’s strong defense and smart recruitment were vital, as they conceded only 17 goals throughout the season.

Iqbal’s calmness, aerial strength, and game awareness played a major role in Mjällby’s success. He appeared in 22 matches, played the second-most minutes in the defense, and also registered one assist. 

Iqbal now becomes one of the few Pakistani players to win a top-division league title in Europe, a milestone that could motivate more young Pakistani footballers to aim higher.

Mjällby’s remarkable run has drawn comparisons to Leicester City’s 2016 Premier League triumph. Despite having a small budget compared to bigger clubs like Malmo, Mjällby relied on data-based scouting and discipline to dominate the league. They recorded 20 wins from 27 matches and lost only once.

With the league title, Mjällby have also secured a spot in the 2026–27 UEFA Champions League qualifiers. As they prepare for that challenge, Abdullah Iqbal’s journey from a Danish-Pakistani youngster to a title-winning defender continues to inspire Pakistan football.

The opening day of the second and final Test between Pakistan and South Africa ended with Pakistan scoring 259 for 5 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan captain Shan Masood won the toss and chose to bat first. Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq opened the innings for the hosts. Imam was bowled by Simon Harmer for 17, while Abdullah played a solid knock of 57 runs. Babar Azam contributed 16 before Keshav Maharaj dismissed him. Shan Masood scored 87 runs, and Mohammad Rizwan added 19 before getting out.

At stumps, Saud Shakeel was on 42 and Agha Salman remained not out on 10.

For South Africa, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer picked up two wickets each, while Kagiso Rabada took one.

Earlier, Shan Masood confirmed at the toss that Pakistan made one change to their lineup. Asif Afridi came in for Hasan Ali and received his Test cap from Shaheen Afridi. Asif made his debut at the age of 38 years and 299 days.

South Africa captain Aiden Markram said his side would have also opted to bat first if they had won the toss. The visitors made two changes, bringing in Keshav Maharaj and Marco Jansen.

Pakistan lead the two-match Test series 1–0 after defeating South Africa by 93 runs in the Lahore Test.

Morocco made history by winning the Under-20 FIFA World Cup for the first time after defeating Argentina 2-0 in the final held in Chile.

The title clash held at Santiago’s Julio Martínez Prádanos National Stadium saw Mohamed Yassir Zbiri scoring twice in the 12th and 29th minutes to secure victory for his team. His outstanding performance earned him the Player of the Match award.

With this triumph, Morocco became the first African nation since Ghana in 2009 to win the Under-20 World Cup.

Throughout the tournament, Morocco delivered strong performances, beating South Korea, the United States, and France in the knockout stages to reach the final.

Argentina, which had remained unbeaten in the tournament, struggled in the final with the absence of key players Claudio Echeverri of Bayer Leverkusen and Franco Mastantuono of Real Madrid.

Pakistan’s squash player Ashab Irfan claimed his first PSA World Tour title after defeating England’s Sam Todd in the final of the Richardson Wealth Men’s Open 2025 in Vancouver, Canada.

The 21-year-old won the final in straight sets, 11–9, 11–1, 11–5, finishing the $31,250 event in just 43 minutes. Irfan showed complete control throughout the match, using pace and precision to dominate Todd.

Earlier, Irfan edged past second-seeded Adrian Waller 3–2 in the semifinals, while Todd had beaten top-seeded Yahya Elnawasany.

This victory adds to Irfan’s six Challenger titles and is expected to improve his current world ranking of 59.

The win is a major boost for Pakistan squash, which has long been searching for players to follow in the footsteps of Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan.

Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Salman Ali Agha have emerged as the main contenders for Pakistan’s ODI captaincy as discussions continue among members of the team management.

According to reports, head coach Mike Hesson has raised the issue of a possible change in the one-day leadership with the PCB think-tank. 

Initial consultations have already taken place and one of the leading candidates has reportedly demanded full assurance of captaincy until the 2027 World Cup. He has also asked for complete freedom in decision-making. 

Shaheen Afridi is said to be the frontrunner for the role.

The discussions come as the PCB considers replacing incumbent skipper Mohammad Rizwan ahead of the team’s next ODI assignment.