SPORTS NEWS

 DUBAI, September 14, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan have been handed a double setback after being sanctioned for maintaining a slow over-rate during the third and final Test against England in Birmingham. Pakistan were found to have bowled 11 overs short of the required rate after time allowances were taken into consideration during the Test, which England won by eight wickets to complete a 3-0 series sweep. As a result, Pakistan’s players have been fined 50 per cent of their match fees, while the team has also been deducted 11 points from its ICC World Test Championship (WTC) tally. The decision was announced by Ranjan Madugalle of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees following charges levelled by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Chris Gaffaney, third umpire Allahudien ...

 ISLAMABAD, 14 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has launched its Pakistan Women’s Football Strategy 2026–2030 under the theme “From Paper to the Pitch,” establishing a national framework to develop women’s football from grassroots participation to the elite level and create sustainable pathways for players, coaches, referees, administrators and leaders. The strategy is based on five pillars: Participation and Competitions; Player Development and High-Performance; Education and Capacity Development; Visibility, Engagement and Growth; and Governance and Leadership. PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani described the launch as a historic moment, saying Pakistan’s women’s team has participated in a FIFA event and is now ranked higher than the men’s team...

Delhi, 13 September 2026 (Nosheen): Abhishek Sharma starred with the bat as India defeated Afghanistan by eight wickets in the opening T20I of the series at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Chasing a target of 157 runs, India comfortably reached the target while losing just three wickets. Abhishek Sharma top-scored with a blistering 82 off 43 balls, smashing seven sixes and seven fours, while Ishan Kishan scored 42 off 33 balls, including five fours and a six. The pair shared a 121-run partnership for the second wicket. For Afghanistan, Mohammad Nabi claimed two wickets. Earlier, Azmatullah Omarzai’s unbeaten 64 off 44 balls helped Afghanistan post 156 for eight in their 20 overs despite a difficult start. Omarzai struck four sixes and four boundaries. India’s bowlers made an explosive ...

 Hulunbuir, 13 September 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Malaysia 4-2 and secure the bronze medal in the Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2026 at the Moqi Training Base on Sunday. Malaysia took a 2-0 lead early in the match, with Adam Ashraf Johari scoring a field goal in the 11th minute before Shafiq Ammar Fahmi Suzaini converted a penalty corner two minutes later. Pakistan, however, fought back strongly as Rana Abdul Sami scored twice in the 34th and 47th minutes to level the score at 2-2. Muhammad Shaheer then converted a penalty corner five minutes later to give Pakistan a 3-2 lead, before Waleed Rana sealed the victory in the 56th minute by successfully converting a penalty stroke. Pakistan had enjoyed an impressive run in the tournament, winning all four...

Abbottabad, 13 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): Salman Ali Agha smashed an unbeaten triple-century to put Kingsmen Academy in a commanding position against MIT Solutions on the second day of their President’s Trophy Grade-I fixture at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Kingsmen Academy resumed their innings at 275 for three, with Agha adding 50 more runs to complete his triple-century. He remained unbeaten on 300 after facing 336 deliveries, hitting 42 fours and six sixes. Muhammad Suleman also scored a century, contributing 115 runs off 119 balls with 13 fours and two sixes, while Salman Aslam claimed two wickets for MIT Solutions. In reply, MIT Solutions reached 179 for three in 31 overs, with Mohammad Farooq unbeaten on 107, including 11 fours and five sixes, but they still trailed by 3...

 Birmingham, 13 September 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson has expressed his willingness to take on the national Test coaching role on a permanent basis after overseeing the team’s final Test against England. Hesson was appointed interim coach for the final Test following a mid-series overhaul by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which saw seven players sent home and head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul removed from their positions. Speaking after Pakistan suffered a 3-0 series defeat against England, Hesson said he enjoyed Test cricket and believed Pakistan had enough talent to make progress with the right direction. The 51-year-old New Zealander said he had not yet considered a permanent offer, as his immediate focus remained on Pakistan’s white-ball com...

New York, 13 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open final on Saturday to claim her third Grand Slam title and complete her rise to world number one. Rybakina, who was already assured of replacing Sabalenka at the top of the rankings after reaching the semi-finals, denied the Belarusian a third consecutive US Open crown and ended her 20-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows. Rybakina won her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 before defeating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final in January to secure her second major. The 27-year-old Kazakh controlled the opening set with powerful groundstrokes and converted three of 12 break-point opportunities to take it 6-4. Sabalenka fought back strongly in the s...

LAHORE, 12 September 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Abbas equalled a 27-year-old record held by legendary pacer Wasim Akram during the third Test against England after taking two early wickets in the opening over. Abbas also made a valuable contribution with the bat, scoring 42 runs and sharing a 121-run ninth-wicket partnership with Razaullah, which helped Pakistan post a total of 449 runs and take a strong position in the match. As England began their chase of the 130-run target set by Pakistan, Abbas made an immediate impact by dismissing England’s first two batters in the opening over, giving Pakistan a crucial start in their defence. With the achievement, Abbas matched Wasim Akram’s feat from 1999, when the Pakistan legend had taken two wickets in the opening over of a ...

 LAHORE, 12 September 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan cricketers Mohammad Rizwan and Imam-ul-Haq will reportedly be unable to participate in the upcoming President’s Trophy Grade-I after failing to submit mandatory fitness-test reports to their respective departmental teams. According to sources, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made fitness testing and submission of fitness reports by departmental teams compulsory for players seeking to participate in first-class cricket. Sources said that neither Rizwan nor Imam underwent the required fitness tests with their departments, leaving their respective teams without the necessary reports. As a result, the two cricketers are currently considered ineligible to feature in the tournament, which begins on September 12. Rizwan was named vice-c...

 RENNES, 12 September 2026 (Ghufran): Adrien Thomasson scored the only goal as Rennes defeated Marseille 1-0 on Friday to move provisionally to the top of Ligue 1, while Marseille suffered their third consecutive defeat. Thomasson struck from close range early in the second half after Mousa Al-Tamari nodded the ball back across the goal, giving Rennes their third straight victory. The Rennes forward later saw another effort hit the crossbar, but his side held on to move onto 10 points, one ahead of Monaco. Monaco, who have won all three of their matches so far, can reclaim top spot when they travel to Strasbourg on Saturday. Marseille created several chances but struggled to find the net, with their limited activity in the summer transfer window raising concerns about the depth of...