Category: Sports

With Asia Cup 2025 around the corner, sponsorship and advertisement rates for the much-awaited tournament have been revealed, of which the advertisement rates for the highly-anticipated Pakistan versus Indian match, have recorded a significant spike.

According to Indian media, the cost of a 10-second TV advertisement during an India-Pakistan match has jumped to INR 1.6 million (PKR 5.15 million). The co-presenting partnership has been set at INR 180 million (PKR 580 million).

The associate partnership rate is INR 1.3 million (PKR 4.18 million), whereas a complete advertising package is available at INR 44.8 million (PKR 144 million).

On the digital side, co-presenting and highlights partnerships are each priced at INR 300 million (PKR 966 million). Meanwhile, the co-powered package is being offered for INR 180 million (PKR 580 million) as rights holders expect record viewership for this year’s Asia Cup.

The Asia Cup will begin on September 9 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Pakistan and India drawn in the same group.

The much-awaited group-stage clash between the two sides is scheduled for September 14. If both teams progress, they could face off again in the Super Four on September 21, and possibly for a third time in the final.

Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has revealed the reason behind his exclusion from this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 commentary panel.

After retirement, the former player became a regular voice in Indian cricket commentary and was regarded as one of the most popular analysts. But fans were surprised when he was missing from the IPL 2024 commentary panel.

In a recent interview with Indian digital media, he finally revealed the name of the player whose objection kept him out of the commentary panel. The anchor expressed his ‘Hardik ichha’ to know about the issue. No player’s name was taken but the hint was clear that the player in question was Hardik Pandya.  

BREAKING NEWS

Irfan Pathan confirmed that he was removed from commentary because he criticized Hardik Pandya and his fragile ego was hurt. pic.twitter.com/pwbWjnXi2t

— (@jod_insane) August 15, 2025

Pathan replied: “You expressed ‘Hardik iccha’ to know aboutt him.  There are 14 matches in IPL. If I have criticised 7 times, then I have gone soft 7 times. You (Hardik) have made a mistake 14 times, I have shown you seven times. This is our job.”

He also made it clear that his criticism should not be mistaken for personal dislike. “As a broadcaster, it is my responsibility to analyze honestly. Criticism should never be taken as a personal grudge,” he added.

The former all-rounder stressed that he holds no personal enmity with Hardik. “I have always supported players, including Hardik and his brother Krunal Pandya,” Pathan said.

At the time, Indian media reported that broadcasters were unhappy with former players bringing personal grudges into commentary and social media, and that Pathan had issues with some cricketers, which he often hinted at in his analysis.

Pakistan’s Ashab Irfan clinched the Johns Creek Open squash tournament in the United States after defeating Malaysia’s Nathan Kue in the final.

Ashab sealed the title of the $12000 tournament with a convincing 3-1 victory in just 40 minutes.

Nathan took the opening game 11-8, but Ashab made a strong comeback to dominate the next three games 11-2, 11-2, and 11-6. His powerful strokes and quick movement left the Malaysian struggling to match his pace.

This triumph marks Ashab Irfan’s third PSA title of the year, cementing his growing reputation on the international squash circuit.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the national squad for the upcoming T20 tri-series and Asia Cup, dropping star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Naseem Shah.

Salman Ali Agha will continue to lead the 17-member squad that includes Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah and Hussain Talat. Other members include Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Muqeem.

The tri-series between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be played in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7, while the Asia Cup will take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28.

Green Shirts will play their first match on September 12 against Oman, followed by the highly anticipated encounter against arch-rivals India on September 14.

“Conditions in Sharjah are always challenging. We cannot take Afghanistan lightly. Playing against them is and will remain a challenge,” Head coach Mike Hesson said during a presser.

“We will prepare well for it. The tri-series will give us a chance to prepare for the Asia Cup,” he added.

Hesson further said that it was a tough call to judge a player’s form on the basis of only three matches. “Babar Azam played well in the first match but was asked to improve in some areas. Sahibzada Farhan was man of the match in three out of six games.”

Director of High Performance Aaqib Javed also spoke about the decision. “Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were not part of the last three series. Saim, Fakhar and Sahibzada Farhan were playing in the top order. It is not fair to say that we are ruling out Babar and Rizwan based on two or three matches. We cannot say they will never be considered again.”

“The current players have been given opportunities. The seniors have the Big Bash coming up. Whoever performs well there will come back into the team,” he said, adding that Babar and Rizwan would definitely play T20 cricket if they performed like others.

“There is no issue with them, but at the moment, we have good options in hand.”

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami’s former wife, Haseen Jahan, has accused him of neglecting their daughter’s education expenses while allegedly spending lavishly on the children of his girlfriends.

Jahan, a former model, married Shami in 2014, and the couple welcomed their daughter Aira in 2015. In 2018, she separated from the cricketer after accusing him of domestic violence, adultery, and dowry harassment.

In a social media post, Jahan alleged that Shami refused to support their daughter’s admission to a good school. Sharing Aira’s photo on Instagram, she wrote, “By the grace of Allah, I am very happy today, because enemies wanted my daughter not to get admission in a good school, but with Allah’s blessings, my daughter has now been admitted to a reputed international school. Alhamdulillah.”

She further claimed that, despite his wealth, Shami tried to obstruct their daughter’s education. “The father of my daughter, who is a multi-millionaire, tried hard to stop her from studying in a good school. Just because of his affairs with other women, he was playing with his daughter’s future. He sent his girlfriends’ children to the best schools, spent lakhs on business class flights for women, but refused to pay for his own daughter’s education,” she said.

Jahan added, “I thank Allah that there is law in this country, otherwise I don’t know what would have happened to us.”

Last month, the Kolkata High Court ordered Shami to pay a monthly allowance of 400,000 Indian rupees to his estranged wife and daughter. According to the ruling, Jahan will receive 150,000 rupees per month while Aira will receive 250,000 rupees. The court also said Shami is free to voluntarily contribute toward his daughter’s educational and other expenses.

However, Jahan challenged the ruling, filing a plea in the High Court to raise the allowance to 700,000 rupees for herself and 300,000 rupees for her daughter.

Former Australian Test captain and legendary coach Bob Simpson has died at the age of 89, Cricket Australia and local media have confirmed.

Simpson played 62 Test matches for Australia, scoring 4,869 runs with 10 centuries. Fans admired him in the 1960s and 70s for his aggressive batting and sharp fielding.

He produced one of the greatest innings in Test history when he scored 311 runs against England, a knock that cemented his place among the game’s best batsmen.

After retiring from international cricket, Simpson turned to coaching and reshaped Australian cricket. He took charge in the late 1980s when the team struggled for consistency. Under his strict discipline and focus on teamwork, Australia lifted the 1987 World Cup.

His coaching laid the foundation for Australia’s dominance in the 1990s and 2000s, when the team went on to rule world cricket.

Cricket Australia paid the former captain a befitting tribute, calling him not only a great batsman and captain but also an extraordinary coach who gave Australian cricket a new direction.

Chinese mountaineer Guan Jing has died while descending K2, the world’s second-highest peak.

According to Shigar district Deputy Commissioner Arif Ahmad, Guan was struck by falling rocks on Tuesday night while making her way down from the summit.

“An army aviation team is ready for the recovery of the body and is waiting for better weather conditions,” he said, as cited by a foreign media outlet.

According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which monitors local climbing expeditions, Guan is the fourth casualty of the country’s summer climbing season.

She was among 30 climbers who reached the summit of K2 on Monday before beginning her fatal descent.

“The incident occurred on the Abruzzi Spur route between Camp I and Advanced Base Camp, a section notorious for frequent rockfalls,” the Alpine Club stated.

At 8,611 metres (28,251 feet), K2 is located on the Pakistan-China border, and is 238 metres shorter than Mount Everest but is considered far more technically challenging.

Former Pakistani batter Basit Ali has called for a court-martial of the national cricket team following Pakistan’s shocking 202-run defeat to West Indies in the third One Day International, which led to a 1-2 series loss.

Basit Ali criticised the team’s performance sharply, saying, “Our players have neither courage nor talent. They play just for show. These people have destroyed Pakistan cricket. Pakistan should now play against teams like Nepal and Italy. If a court-martial is not conducted, we will even lose to Italy and Nepal.”

He targeted captain Mohammad Rizwan and batter Babar Azam, adding, “Both are still living on the performances from the early days of their careers. Now they only do advertisements. People who could not even coach a local team were made Pakistan team coaches. Babar and Rizwan do not listen to coaches. Whatever coaches say, they only pretend to listen. These two need someone like Inzamam Ul Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, or Younis Khan to wake them up, but they know no one will do it and they won’t let anyone either. Babar Azam should put his ego aside.”

Former wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal also demanded the removal of both the captain and the head coach.

He said, “Neither of them knows how conditions are, which combinations to use on the field, or how to use spinners. Even in the Champions Trophy, spin options were ignored and now the Asia Cup will also be played in spin-friendly conditions.”

Akmal added, “Pakistan needs an aggressive captain, so leadership should be given to Shaheen Shah Afridi. He has consistently shown leadership skills in the PSL. Making him captain and removing him after just one series caused loss.”

He questioned the governing board, asking, “After the embarrassing defeats to Bangladesh and now West Indies, why does the board not call meetings to hold the coach, management, and captain accountable? They need to be removed.”

Recently, 10th-ranked Bangladesh defeated the Green Shirts 2-1 in a T20 series, and West Indies, starting the ODI series as the 10th-ranked team, secured a 2-1 victory to reach the ninth position.