Category: Sports

Better Future Pakistan has won the Norway Cup 2025 title in the Boys Under-15 category with a commanding 2-0 victory over Norwegian side FK Gjøvik-Lyn in the final held in Oslo on Saturday.

The team concluded the tournament with a perfect record, winning all nine matches. They scored 38 goals and conceded only five, making them one of the most dominant sides in the tournament’s history.

Their journey through the tournament began from Group 6, where they defeated Stabæk Fotball 2 (8-0), Bergen Nord (3-0), and Krokelvdalen IL 2 (5-0), topping the group with a +16 goal difference.

Better Future Pakistan continued their winning streak in the knockout stages with victories over Levanger FK (4-0), Skeid (4-2), Greåker IF (4-2), and Gjelleråsen (4-1) in the semifinal.

Alongside their on-field success, the team earned praise for discipline and sportsmanship, receiving 16 green cards for fair play.

The win marks a significant milestone for the Better Future Foundation, an initiative that supports underprivileged youth in Pakistan through football.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to ban the use of “Pakistan” in any cricket league without prior approval, following controversy at the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) in England.

According to reports, no league or team will be allowed to use the name Pakistan without formal permission from PCB. The decision was taken by the PCB’s Board of Directors in response to events surrounding the WCL, where political interference once again marred the spirit of the game.

In line with its repeated efforts to politicise cricket, India refused to play against Pakistan in the WCL semifinal which was scheduled for July 31 in Birmingham. Earlier, India had also boycotted the group stage match against Pakistan. By walking away from the semifinal, India effectively handed Pakistan Champions a direct spot in the final.

Reports suggest that five Indian players, including captain Yuvraj Singh, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, and Yusuf Pathan, opted out of the semifinal due to Shahid Afridi’s presence in the Pakistan squad. The players had earlier demanded Afridi’s exclusion over his criticism of Indian actions in Kashmir.

WCL later confirmed India’s withdrawal in an official statement.

The political tension comes at a time when India recently agreed to participate in Asia Cup 2025, following an Asian Cricket Council meeting chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi. However, backlash within India against playing with Pakistan continues to mount.

Despite the controversy, the WCL final is set to take place today (Saturday) between Pakistan Champions and South Africa Champions. 

South Africa sealed their spot in the final after a nail-biting one-run win over Australia Champions in the second semifinal. Batting first, South Africa posted 186 for 8 with Morne van Wyk scoring 76 and Stumps contributing 57. Australia, led by Daniel Christian’s 49, fell just short, finishing at 185 for 7.

The final between Pakistan and South Africa will now determine the winner of the World Championship of Legends 2025.

Chairman of Cricket Operations at the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), Nazmul Abedeen Fahim, has criticised the condition of pitches in the country, particularly at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, following the recent T20I series against Pakistan.

The pitches came under scrutiny after the first two matches of the series produced low scores, drawing criticism from players and experts alike.

Speaking to the media, Fahim said, “We tried to prepare sporting pitches, but it didn’t happen. The responsibility lies with those in charge of pitch preparation.”

He noted that the board never instructed on preparing low and slow pitches. “The board never asked for low-bounce, slow wickets. When we requested bouncier tracks, very few were prepared,” he said.

“We are often told that natural ground conditions and a high number of matches are the reasons. But overall, the Mirpur wicket is not satisfactory,” he added.

He further stressed the need for improvement. “We have to work on this in the future. Pitch preparation will now be treated as a top priority.”

It merits mention that Pakistan lost the first two games of the T20I series, after which head coach Mike Hesson criticised the pitches, calling them “one of the lowest-scoring surfaces in world cricket.”

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha also raised concerns about the quality of pitches, deeming them unsuitable for preparation ahead of major tournaments like the Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup.

Better Future Pakistan has reached the final of the prestigious Norway Cup 2025 in the Boys 15 category, delivering a campaign that has turned heads across Europe.

Representing Pakistan in one of the world’s largest youth football tournaments, the team has won all eight matches on their way to the final, scoring 36 goals and conceding just five. Their attacking play and discipline have made them the second-highest scoring team in the category.

In the group stage, they topped Group 6 with wins over Stabæk Fotball 2 (8-0), Bergen Nord (3-0), and Krokelvdalen IL 2 (5-0). The knockout rounds saw them continue their dominant form, defeating Levanger FK (4-0), Skeid (4-2), Stjørdals-Blink (4-0), Greåker IF (4-2), and Gjelleråsen (4-1).

The team also maintained a strong fair-play record, receiving 16 green cards during the tournament.

Better Future Pakistan will now face Norwegian side Gjøvik-Lyn FK in the final at Ekeberg 01 on Saturday.

Pakistani martial artist Fatima Naseem has achieved a remarkable milestone by setting her sixth Guinness World Record.

She broke the record for the most full-extension punches in one minute while holding an egg in each hand. Guinness World Records set the challenge at a minimum of 250 punches without breaking the eggs.

Fatima exceeded the target by delivering 302 full extension punches in just 60 seconds, all while ensuring the eggs in both her hands remained intact.

Guinness World Records has officially confirmed her achievement through an email and updated the record on its website.

Fatima, who continues to make Pakistan proud with her martial arts skills, said this accomplishment marks her sixth entry into the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records.

Lancashire County Cricket Club has blamed a clash between Pakistani and Indian fans for the removal of a man wearing Pakistan cricket jersey at Old Trafford during the final day of the England-India Test earlier this week.

The spectator, identified as Farooq Nazar, shared a video on social media showing security staff confronting him over his Pakistan cricket jersey. According to Nazar, a staff member from Lancashire asked him to cover his green Pakistan limited-overs shirt. When he refused, he was escorted out by police officers.

In an earlier statement, Lancashire said the fan was removed “due to unacceptable behaviour directed towards the stewarding team”, however, the incident sparked backlash online, prompting the club to conduct an internal review and apologise for “any upset and offence caused which was not intended”. Addressing the criticism, Lancashire clarified the removal was not because of the fan’s attire.

“Firstly, we wish to make it clear that there was no intention to remove the individual simply for wearing a Pakistan cricket shirt,” the club said in a statement. They further explained the context by referring to a prior incident during the match.

“The approach taken was informed by an incident on Saturday, during which a group of supporters waved a Pakistan national flag, leading to tensions with nearby Indian fans,” the statement read.

“In that case, our stewards were able to de-escalate the situation by respectfully asking the individuals to put the flag away, which they did without hesitation.”

“In light of this context, our team adopted a precautionary, safety-first approach on Sunday,” Lancashire further stated.

“A stand supervisor politely asked the individual to cover his shirt in the interest of his own safety and to avoid any potential escalation. Despite several courteous requests from the supervisor and the response team, the individual repeatedly declined to comply.”

South Africa Champions edged out Australia Champions by just one run in a thrilling second semifinal of the World Championship of Legends, setting up a final clash with Pakistan Champions.

In the semifinal played on Tuesday in England, South Africa won the toss and opted to bat first. They posted a competitive total of 186 runs for 8 wickets in 20 overs. Morne van Wyk was the top scorer with 76 runs, while Stumps added a valuable 57.

In reply, Australia Champions fought hard but narrowly missed the target, ending their innings at 185 for 7. Daniel Christian was the standout batter with 49 runs.

With this narrow victory, South Africa qualified for the final, where they will meet Pakistan Champions on Saturday.

It merits mention that Pakistan reached the final after India refused to play against them in the first semifinal.

Pakistan defeated West Indies by 14 runs in the first match of the three-match T20I series, held in Lauderhill, Florida, on Friday.

West Indies captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to bowl first.

Batting first, Pakistan posted a total of 178 runs for the loss of six wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Saim Ayub led the charge with a solid 57-run knock, while Fakhar Zaman contributed 28 runs and Hasan Nawaz added 24. 

For the West Indies, Shamar Joseph was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 30 runs in his four-over spell.

In response, the West Indies could only manage 164 runs for 7 wickets in 20 overs. Johnson Charles and Jewel Andrew both scored 35 runs, while Jason Holder remained not out on 30.

Pakistan’s bowling unit performed well, with Mohammad Nawaz picking up 3 wickets and Saim Ayub adding 2 to his name. Shaheen Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem took one wicket each.

Saeem Ayub was named Player of the Match for his all-round performance, scoring 57 runs and taking 2 wickets. 

The second T20I will be played on Sunday, August 3.