Category: Sports

Renowned cricket analyst Dr Nauman Niaz has strongly criticised the selection of Pakistan’s ODI team after their defeat in the opening match of the series against Bangladesh’s national cricket team.

Speaking during a discussion on a private TV channel, Niaz said Pakistan cricket has entered a difficult phase and questioned the direction of the team.

“This is the real phase of our cricket. From here we are going to go further down, not forward. Unfortunately, we tried to push the T20 format into ODI cricket,” he said.

Niaz also referred to a previous statement by former Pakistan captain Younis Khan about Babar Azam.

“Younis Khan once said on social media that in the attempt to bring down one Babar Azam, the entire Pakistan cricket has been brought down,” he said.

He also questioned Pakistan’s performance in the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and criticised the management’s explanations regarding team changes.

“My question is that your team had a debacle in the T20 World Cup, and then your head coach went to New Zealand and later reached Dhaka and said, ‘We did not drop players, we are giving youngsters an opportunity.’ The reality is that he had not even seen those youngsters play,” Niaz said.

Niaz also raised concerns about the decision to leave out Babar Azam and Saim Ayub from the ODI squad.

“Should Babar Azam be dropped from ODIs, which is his best format? Should Saim Ayub be dropped from ODIs? And where is Saud Shakeel, who used to rotate the strike in the middle order? In the last ODI he played, he scored a fifty against India in the Champions Trophy,” he said.

Pakistan omitted Babar Azam and Saim Ayub from the ongoing ODI series against Bangladesh and included six uncapped players in the squad.

In the first ODI, Bangladesh defeated Pakistan national cricket team convincingly. Nahid Rana received the player of the match award after dismantling Pakistan’s batting line-up.

Pakistan were bowled out for 114 in 30.4 overs, and Bangladesh chased the target in 15.1 overs with two wickets down.

Pakistan now continue preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, with no T20 international matches scheduled for the next six months.

A 17-year-old speech-impaired boy has allegedly been beaten to death in India after a misunderstanding during the T20 World Cup final on Sunday.

The victim, Kundan Kumar, was attacked in Jakkopur village under Mahnar police station while watching the match on a cellphone with other local youths. 

Kundan, son of farmer Brijkishor Rai and the youngest of four siblings, lived in ward number 18 of the village.

Police identified the accused as Kisan Kumar, 17, son of Visunkant Thakur, a resident of the same neighborhood.

According to villagers, the boys were watching the final together when Kundan shouted as India lost a wicket. Other youths allegedly misinterpreted his reaction as a celebration of India’s wicket, which triggered an argument that quickly escalated into a physical fight.

Kundan’s mother said the incident happened suddenly.

“On March 8, Kundan went out of the house for some work. It is not known how he ended up near those people. Some boys from the village were watching the match on a cellphone. My son also started watching there,” she said.

She added, “When India’s first wicket fell, Kundan screamed. They thought he was happy about the wicket falling. The youths beat him up and smashed his head.”

Locals rushed Kundan to Mahnar Community Health Centre, where he received primary treatment. Doctors referred him to Hajipur Sadar Hospital and then to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) due to the severity of his injuries. Kundan, however, died on the way to Patna early Monday morning.

Mahnar SDPO Praveen Kumar said that the assault took place in a mutual dispute between two youths over watching cricket. During the altercation, Kundan fell on a stone after being pushed, which caused serious injuries. He was being taken to the PMCH for treatment but succumbed to his injuries on the way.

Police have said that a forensic team visited the spot and collected samples from the crime scene. Two teams have been formed to track down the accused, and raids are underway to apprehend him.

Jay Shah has faced heavy criticism on social media after his repeated appearances in a celebration video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) following India’s T20 World Cup triumph.

Shah currently serves as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC), a role that requires neutrality as the head of the sport’s international governing body.

However, many social media users questioned his prominent presence in the video posted by the BCCI after the Indian cricket team won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Visuals that the whole nation will remember for ages

Special moments of pure and unfiltered joy from #TeamIndia‘s historic triumph in the #T20WorldCup 2026 @ImRo45 | @GautamGambhir | @hardikpandya7 | @surya_14kumar | @JayShah #MenInBlue pic.twitter.com/wxyKqOmwLC

— BCCI (@BCCI) March 10, 2026

The clip highlighted the best moments from the final and contained 16 frames in total. Shah appeared in 12 of those frames, which quickly sparked criticism online.

Several users reacted strongly and questioned why the focus shifted away from the players who won the tournament.

“Why is Jay Shah in every frame?” one user wrote.

Another comment said, “You forgot the post match presentation where Jay Shah won the POTM and POTS.”

A third user joked, “Jay Shah was man of the tournament or what?”

Others also raised similar concerns about the video.

“90% of the frames have Jay Shah. Cover the real heroes – team management and players.”

“Jay Shah won the World Cup?”

“Why Jay Shah acting like Indian team captain.”

What many expected to be a simple celebration of India’s World Cup victory quickly turned into PR blunder. Many users argued that the clip focused more on administrators than on the players who secured the title.

The incident also revived earlier criticism involving ICC promotional content. 

In 2025, the ICC faced backlash after a promotional video for the ICC World Test Championship Final repeatedly showed Jay Shah instead of focusing on the teams.

Multan Sultans owner and CD Ventures CEO Gohar Shah has revealed that he was once selected in the Lahore Qalandars trial programme, but lost his chance due to injury. 

Shah revealed the story during a recent television programme, recounting how he was on the verge of a professional cricket breakthrough before an injury that changed his path.

He said he attended the Lahore Qalandars trials in 2016 or 2017 at Qaddafi Stadium. “I attended the Lahore trial in 2017… I think in 2016 or 2017… at Qaddafi Stadium. They used to hold trials in every city. So, I went to the one in Lahore and I think I bowled four or five balls.”

Shah said one of his deliveries was clocked at 84 mph and he was immediately selected.

However, he said he could not continue because he suffered an injury just days before the tournament started.

“All selected boys went to Muzaffarabad for the tournament. Unfortunately, I got injured a couple of days before it and that’s when Salman Irshad and Maz Khan, who also later got picked by Lahore Qalandars, emerged.”

Shah said the situation could have been different had he gone on to play, but was practically out of cricket in Pakistan due to said injury.

Gohar Shah, who is now the majority stakeholder in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Multan Sultans, has shifted from dreaming of becoming a professional cricket to owning and leading a top T20 team ahead of the PSL 2026 season. 

CD Ventures successfully requested the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rename the newly established Sialkot Stallionz franchise as Multan Sultans after acquiring the majority stake, bringing the Multan identity back into the league. 

The rebranding was confirmed by PCB and PSL officials, and the franchise’s annual value has increased following the ownership change.

Pakistani batter Abdullah Shafique has drawn mixed reactions on social media after his response to a presenter during a match in the National T20 Cup.

The moment took place during the game between Sialkot and Karachi Blues. A presenter questioned Shafique about his approach during the chase.

The presenter asked whether he should have tried to hold down one end after arriving at the crease when the ball was coming well onto the bat and expectations were high from him and Hassan Nawaz.

Abdullah Shafique told the commentator he should be a coach pic.twitter.com/ViYMPP2CUn

— PCT Replays 2.0 (@ReplaysPCT) March 8, 2026

Shafique responded with a remark that quickly went viral online.

“I think you should become a coach with all the good questions you ask. This is a game, and things happen like this. Holding one end—what, am I going to play until tomorrow?” he asked. 

He said he will try to learn from mistakes and try to do better next time.

“These are T20 matches. You have to go with the flow of the game and manage according to the overs. It is not necessary that your success rate is always high. In this game, you learn from your mistakes and try to do better in the next match,” he added.

The exchange triggered debate among cricket fans on social media, with many sharing different views about the batter’s tone and response.

Some users supported Shafique and praised his reply. One comment read, “Agreed ,” while another user wrote, “He just roasted him.”

Others criticised the response and called for a more humble attitude. One comment stated, “He needs to be humble,” while another wrote, “Performance do takay ki nahi aur attitude dekho.” Some fans also felt both sides were at fault, with one reaction saying, “Both in the wrong.”

In the match itself, Karachi Blues posted a strong total of 202 runs. During the chase, Shafique scored 28 runs off 15 balls before his dismissal when Sialkot stood at 60 for 2.

Sialkot later collapsed and were bowled out for 161 in 19.4 overs. Karachi Blues secured a 40-run victory.

Abdullah Shafique has represented Pakistan across formats. In Test cricket, he has played 24 matches, scoring 1,610 runs at an average of 37.44, including five centuries and six half-centuries, with a highest score of 201. 

In One Day Internationals, he has featured in 27 matches, scoring 737 runs at an average of 29.48, including one century and six half-centuries, with a top score of 113. 

In T20 Internationals, he has played six matches, scoring 64 runs with a highest score of 41.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has addressed questions about Babar Azam after Pakistan left the senior batter out of the squad for the upcoming ODI series against Bangladesh national cricket team.

Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka on Monday, Hesson said that the selection focused on giving opportunities to emerging players rather than targeting any individual.

“No one was dropped specifically. This is a good opportunity for us to look at young talent,” Hesson said when asked about Babar’s absence from the squad.

Hesson also spoke about the challenge Pakistan expects in Bangladesh’s home conditions. He expressed confidence in Pakistan’s spin attack but acknowledged that adapting quickly to local conditions will remain important.

“We have good spinners in the middle overs and we can beat Bangladesh in their conditions, but Bangladesh are also a very good team in their own conditions. We will have to adapt quickly to the conditions here,” he said.

The head coach pointed out that several players in the squad earned their spots through strong performances with Pakistan Shaheens.

“Our team includes some new faces who performed well for Pakistan Shaheens,” he said.

Pakistan will begin the three match ODI series against Bangladesh on March 11 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium. The second match will take place at the same venue on March 13, while the final ODI will be played on March 15.

The selectors left both Babar Azam and Saim Ayub out of the squad and handed maiden ODI call ups to six players.

Pakistan’s squad for the Bangladesh series includes Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain along with Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has reacted to the Pakistan men’s hockey team after their dramatic qualification for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026.

Taking to his X account, he wrote, “Zindabad! the Hockey Federation has been a hub of looting for many years. Every official who came took whatever they could and never let go. The new leadership will have to take accountability of the past 15 years.”

The Pakistan men’s national field hockey team on Saturday secured their spot in the World Cup after a thrilling 4–3 win over Japan national field hockey team in the semi-final of the qualifiers.

زندہ باد ۔ ھاکی فیڈریشن کئی سالوں سے لوٹ مار کا بازار تھا ۔ جو عہدیدار آتا تھا جپھا مار لیتا چھوڑتا نہیں تھا۔نئی قیادت کو گزشتہ 15 سال کا حساب لینا ھو گا۔ https://t.co/BmknWFqEIk

— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) March 8, 2026

Pakistan staged a stunning comeback in the final quarter, overturning a 3–1 deficit to seal the victory and confirm their return to the prestigious tournament. 

The team last competed in the FIH Hockey World Cup in 2018.

The team’s recent success comes after a month of controversy. Upon returning from the Australia tour earlier this year, captain Butt accused the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and team management of lying to players, silencing their concerns, and subjecting them to poor living conditions.

Following the uproar, PHF president Mir Tariq Hussain Bugti resigned. The players then met with Mohsin Naqvi, who assured them of his support and awarded each player one million rupees as recognition for their efforts.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar sparked debate after sharing his strong reaction to India’s victory in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday.

India produced a dominant performance to defeat the New Zealand national cricket team by 96 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad and lift the trophy.

Akhtar however offered a critical view during a show. “It’s like when there’s one rich kid in a neighbourhood who calls all the poor kids and says, ‘Come, let’s play cricket, but I’ll be the winner.’ That’s exactly what India is doing with us. Out of eight teams, they keep four, and out of those four they call three again and move forward, and then they say, ‘See, I’ve won.’ They have ruined cricket entirely,” Akhtar said.

His remarks quickly drew mixed reactions from cricket fans on social media. Some viewers agreed with his concerns about the balance of power in international cricket, while others defended India’s performance in the tournament.

It is worth noting that during the co-hosted tournament, India played only one match in Sri Lanka while the remaining games took place in India. The tournament also featured both semi-finals and the final in India.

Interestingly, Akhtar had earlier taken a more balanced stance before the final. He had recognised India as favourites but also expressed hope that New Zealand could claim the title.

“I feel New Zealand might be bogged down in front of India, but India also have the pressure of 1.5 billion people. They have already lost a match in the World Cup final to Australia in Ahmedabad. I see India as the winner out of all this, but for cricket’s sake, it’s high time New Zealand won this World Cup,” he said before the match.

Despite his criticism, Akhtar also acknowledged the role of India’s team management. He praised head coach Gautam Gambhir for supporting players during difficult periods and giving them confidence.

Akhtar was not the only former Pakistan cricketer to share his views after the final. Former fast bowler Mohammad Amir also discussed the match during the talk show Harna Mana Hai.

Amir suggested that New Zealand’s bowlers failed to apply consistent pressure on India’s batters, which allowed the hosts to take control of the game.

India set the tone after choosing to bat first and posted a huge total of 255 for five. The aggressive approach from the top order placed New Zealand under immediate pressure.

During the chase, wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert played an attacking knock of 52 off 26 balls. However, India’s bowlers quickly regained control of the contest.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah delivered a match-winning spell and claimed four wickets for 15 runs, while all-rounder Axar Patel picked up three wickets for 27 runs.

India eventually secured a comprehensive victory and celebrated another major triumph on home soil.

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner has said he hopes to lift the trophy and “break a few hearts” when his side faces India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final on Sunday.

“I wouldn’t mind winning a trophy. We try not to get overawed by the situation or opponents. We go out there and do our thing. Everyone knows we’re probably not the favourites, but we don’t mind,” Santner told reporters ahead of the final.

He said New Zealand can put themselves in a strong position if they perform well as a team.

“We know if we do our little things well and put in a strong team performance, it puts us in a pretty good position to hopefully lift the trophy. I wouldn’t mind breaking a few hearts to lift the trophy for once,” he added.

Santner also said playing at home brings pressure for India.

“There is obviously a lot of pressure on India to win this World Cup at home. If we can go out there and put that added pressure on them, we’ll see what happens,” he said.

The New Zealand skipper added that the players were excited for the final.

“It’s a World Cup final and the guys are excited and ready to go,” Santner said.

Both teams are in great form with New Zealand making it to the final after defeating South Africa and India winning against England in a high-score semi-final.