Category: Sports

The Indian cricket team has changed its hotel in Ahmedabad ahead of the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup to avoid bad luck that followed them during the 2023 Cricket World Cup.

According to Indian media reports, the decision was taken as the team prepares to face New Zealand in the final on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. 

Reports said the team was avoiding the hotel where they stayed during the final back in 2023 as India lost that match to Australia. The report described the move as an attempt to move away from the memories of that defeat, however, officials have not yet issued an official statement in this regard.

Earlier, a report also claimed that the team delayed a training session in Mumbai by 45 minutes before the semi-final because of a lunar eclipse.

India also believes it lost to South Africa in the Super 8 stage of the tournament in Ahmedabad when the match took place on a black-soil pitch.

The venue offers different surfaces, including red-soil pitches, black-soil pitches, and mixed surfaces. Indian media suggested that the team may prefer a red-soil pitch for the final. 

The semi-final in Mumbai was also played on a red-soil surface and delivered a strong batting performance.

Reports also suggested that the team could on Sunday use the visiting team’s dressing room instead of the home dressing room in Ahmedabad so as to change the environment before the final.

TV host Tabish Hashmi and former Pakistan cricketers Ahmed Shehzad, Rashid Latif and Mohammad Amir have promised to donate one month of their salaries to the Pakistan hockey team if the team performs well in the upcoming FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026.⁠

They made the announcement during a recent programme on a private television channel, where the panel discussed Pakistan hockey’s return to the world stage.

Pakistan secured qualification for the World Cup after defeating the Japanese hockey team 4-3 in the semi-final of the World Cup qualifiers in Egypt and booked a place in the final of the event on Friday.

Pakistan opened the scoring to take a 1–0 lead, but Japan fought back strongly and moved ahead 3–1, putting the Men in Green under heavy pressure. 

Pakistan’s attack responded with a strong comeback, first levelling the score at 3–3 before scoring a late goal to secure the victory.

Goalkeeper Ali Raza played a key role in the victory. Japan earned a penalty stroke with four minutes left in the match, but Ali Raza stopped the attempt and protected Pakistan’s narrow lead.

Sufyan Khan, Abu Mahmood, Muhammad Imad and Afraz scored the goals for Pakistan in the thrilling contest.

The win secured Pakistan’s place in the Hockey World Cup for the first time in eight years. The team last appeared in the tournament in 2018 and failed to qualify for the most recent edition.

The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 will take place from August 14 to August 30 in Belgium and Netherlands.

Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has said that New Zealand face a huge challenge against India in the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup, claiming that the Kiwis will struggle to beat the hosts.

Steyn shared his thoughts during a discussion with former South Africa captain AB de Villiers on his YouTube channel ahead of the title clash.

While discussing the match, Steyn brought up New Zealand’s record in ICC finals and pointed out that the team has lost five of the seven finals it has played. 

He joked that if New Zealand lose again, the “chokers” label often given to South Africa should move to them.

“Look, let’s be honest here. New Zealand…. everyone likes to call South Africa chokers, but I am going to say it. New Zealand haven’t won many World Cups themselves, and they have been in more finals than we have,” Steyn said.

“So, no offence, New Zealand, but please go on to win this; otherwise, I am formally handing over that card to you; it’s yours. I love New Zealand, but they won’t beat India. It would require a monumental choke from India. I am calling it; it’s impossible. I really want them to win, but do I think they’ll beat India? No,” he added.

New Zealand have won two ICC finals in their history. The team defeated India in the final of the 2000 ICC KnockOut Trophy, which later became the Champions Trophy. 

They also beat India in the final of the ICC World Test Championship Final 2021.

During the same conversation, de Villiers also spoke about New Zealand’s victory over South Africa in the semi-final of the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup. He said the defeat still frustrates him because he believed South Africa had a better chance to beat Australia in the final.

“I hate New Zealand for that. In 2015, they were never going to beat Australia in that final. And I mean, guys will hate me for saying this, but there was only one team that was going to beat Australia in Australia, and that was South Africa, alright. And now we find New Zealand in the final again, and they will play India in India. Lots of respect for New Zealand as a sporting reason. Both you and I are going to be killed, Dale, if they go on to win the T20 World Cup,” de Villiers said.

India will meet New Zealand in the final on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Former Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Amir has hit back at former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif and said that he earned his place in cricket through performances, not fielding.

The exchange started when Amir criticised Indian opener Abhishek Sharma during the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Amir called the young batter a slogger and predicted that India would fail to reach the final of the tournament.

Abhishek struggled to score consistently in the competition, which supported Amir’s early criticism. However, Amir’s prediction about India’s campaign proved wrong.

India have reached the final and will face New Zealand on March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Kaif dismissed Amir’s remarks and urged fans to ignore the former Pakistan pacer. He also suggested that Amir talks about India only to stay in the spotlight.

Amir responded strongly and questioned Kaif’s remarks while highlighting his own experience in the shortest format.

“I don’t know about his career. He played just 29 matches in the Indian Premier League and his strike rate was 103. I don’t need attention by speaking about the Indian team. I have been a part of 350 T20s,” Amir said on his YouTube channel.

Amir also criticised Kaif’s international career and insisted that he reached the top level through performances.

“I played cricket because of my performances and not fielding. You should say thanks to Dada [Sourav Ganguly]. You played cricket for your fielding. You shouldn’t be passing such remsrks,” Amir added.

India now stand one step away from another major milestone. The defending champions can become the first team to retain the T20 World Cup title.

Former Australian batter Usman Khawaja has expressed surprise over reports that Pakistan players could face heavy fines following their disappointing campaign at the T20 World Cup.

Khawaja shared his reaction in a video posted on social media after hearing that players might face penalties of up to Rs5 million each due to poor performances during the tournament.

“I just heard that the Pakistani players got fined after the T20 World Cup. I mean, I didn’t believe it at first, but it must be true. It’s absolutely amazing that the PCB could think this is a good idea. Sorry, I’m laughing because I can’t. I can’t believe it,” Khawaja said.

He questioned the logic behind punishing players for defeats and argued that such decisions only increase pressure on athletes who already face intense scrutiny.

“Just think—what high-performance team in the entire world, let alone cricket, fines players for losing games? They’re not trying to lose! How does that even make them perform better next time? All it does is put more pressure and stress onto the players. They’re already under enough pressure. They’re Pakistani players. The whole country is watching. Even past selection decisions have put them under stress, and now, on top of that, you’re fining them. It’s in absolute shambles. I really feel for the Pakistani players,” he stated.

Khawaja also said he felt sympathy for the squad and described the situation as another surprising episode in Pakistan cricket.

“Poor Pakistani players. Yeah, I’m lost for words, honestly. That’s why I made this video. I can’t believe it. Every time I think Pakistan’s not going to surprise me, they surprise me. It’s like a drama series. I can’t wait for the next episode,” he added.

Pakistan’s campaign in the tournament ended in the Super Eights stage. The 2009 champions managed only one win against a full-member side when they narrowly defeated Sri Lanka national cricket team in their final Super Eights match.

The team earlier suffered defeats against India national cricket team and England national cricket team, while their match against New Zealand national cricket team ended without a result due to rain in Colombo.

The early exit marked the second consecutive edition of the T20 World Cup where Pakistan failed to reach the semi finals. Pakistan last reached the final in 2022, where they finished runners up after losing to England in final.

Following the team’s poor performance, PCB reportedly fined each player five million rupees.

Pakistani hockey captain Ammad Butt has thanked Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi for supporting the team after it secured three consecutive wins in the ongoing Hockey World Cup qualifiers.

Speaking to a reporter after the pool stage, the Pakistani captain praised his teammates for their performance and credited the management for backing the players.

“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. We won all three matches in the pool stage. I believe my team performed really well, and I give all the credit to my players. Alhamdulillah, we have qualified for the semi-final,” he said.

Butt said the upcoming semi-final will be crucial for Pakistan as it will decide their chances of reaching the Hockey World Cup.

“The semi-final is a very important match for us because it is a knockout game. Winning it is very necessary for our team because we want to qualify for the World Cup and present this achievement as a gift to our country,” he added.

The captain also appreciated support from authorities and said that the players received proper facilities during the tournament.

“I would like to thank Mohsin Naqvi for fully supporting Pakistan hockey. I also thank the Government of Pakistan for listening to our concerns and addressing the issues that existed before. The players have been facilitated in the best possible way, and the boys have performed with full dedication,” he said.

Butt also praised the new coaching staff and management working with the team. He said the staff continues to guide the players in the right direction as they aim to qualify for the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Pakistan continued their impressive run in the qualifiers with a victory over Austria. Pakistan defeated Austria 4-2 in the ongoing tournament in Ismailia, Egypt, to secure their third consecutive win.

Pakistan held a 2-0 lead by the end of the third quarter before adding two more goals in the final quarter to seal the match. Abu Bakar scored two goals for Pakistan, while Azfar and Sufyan Khan added one goal each.

Pakistan will now play the semi-final on Friday. A win in the match will secure direct qualification for the Hockey World Cup.

The Green Shirts also have a chance to return to the World Cup after eight years. Pakistan last played in the tournament in 2018.

The team’s recent success comes after a period of controversy last month.

Upon returning from the Australia tour earlier this year, Butt accused the Pakistan Hockey Federation and team management of lying to players, suppressing their voices, and subjecting them to demeaning living conditions.

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

Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir has raised questions over the exclusion of Babar Azam and Saim Ayub from Pakistan’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh.

Speaking on a television show, Amir said that the selectors must clarify whether the two players were dropped due to performance or rested from the format.

“Did you drop Saim and Babar from ODI cricket because of their T20 performances, or have you given them rest from ODI cricket? That is the first question,” Amir said.

He also questioned how the players would return to the team if they had been dropped on performance.

“If they were dropped because of performance, then which ODI cricket will they play for a comeback? That is the second question,” he added.

Amir further asked whether the newly selected players would form the core of Pakistan’s squad for the next ODI World Cup.

“Eight months remain until the ODI World Cup. Will these same players who have been selected for the Bangladesh series play the World Cup? And if these players fail to perform, will the ones who were dropped return to the team? We need clarity,” he said.

Ahmed Shehzad also questioned the decision and asked whether Babar Azam was consulted before his omission.

“Did you take Babar into confidence before dropping him? Tell us the reason as well. If he has caused damage to Pakistan cricket, then say it clearly. If that is not the case, then he does not deserve this treatment,” Shehzad said.

He added that Babar remains Pakistan’s best batter in the longer formats of the game.

“He should be in the team because he is your best batter. You do not have a better batter than him in ODI and red-ball cricket,” he said.

The debate began after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 15-member squad for the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. The board did not provide a clear explanation regarding Babar Azam and Saim Ayub’s absence from the squad.

Six uncapped players received their first call-ups in the ODI format, signalling a major shake-up in the side.

Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the team in the series.

Among the new names, Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood and Shamyl Hussain recently represented Pakistan Shaheens during their series against England Lions in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan squad includes Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori (wk), Saad Masood, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha and Shamyl Hussain.

Pakistan will arrive in Bangladesh on March 8 and hold a practice session on March 10.

The three-match ODI series will begin on March 11 at the Shere Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka. The second ODI will take place on March 13 at the same venue, while the third and final match will be played on March 15.