SPORTS NEWS

 Johannesburg, 1 October, 2026 (Nosheen): The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the schedule for the 2027 World Cup, with traditional rivals Pakistan and India set to face each other in the group stage on October 10, 2027, in Johannesburg. Pakistan and India have been placed in Group A alongside Australia, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and one qualifying team. According to the ICC schedule, the highly anticipated Pakistan-India encounter will be played on Sunday, October 10. The two sides could meet again in the Super 7 stage if they progress from the group stage. The 2027 World Cup will be jointly hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

 Islamabad, 1 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam was surrounded by a large number of spectators during a President’s Trophy Grade-I match at Diamond Ground in Islamabad on Tuesday. Several spectators entered the playing area and attempted to take selfies with the star batter. Amid the rush, Babar took a mobile phone from one of the fans and threw it away. The incident occurred during the match between Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Babar eventually made his way through the crowd and reached the pavilion. Following the incident, Islamabad Police increased security arrangements at the ground to control the gathering and prevent further disruption. The incident occurred as spectators gathered around the Paki...

 Nagoya, 1 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): China defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the women’s team squash championship round-robin match at the Asian Games in Nagoya. China’s 14-year-old Yin Ziyuan and Liu Ziyi secured straight-game victories to seal the tie for the hosts, while Pakistan’s Sana Bahadar produced a commanding performance to claim the country’s only win. Liu Ziyi defeated Mahnoor Ali 3-0, winning 11-4, 11-8 and 11-2. Pakistan levelled the contest when Sana Bahadar defeated Zhang Yuning 3-0, winning 11-7, 11-9 and 11-2. In the deciding match, 14-year-old Yin Ziyuan defeated Sehrish Ali 3-0. Yin won the opening game 11-3, lost the second 7-11, but bounced back to take the third 11-3 and secure China’s 2-1 victory. The result marked an important win for China as the women’s squash...

 Okazaki, 1 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan defeated India 3-0 in the men’s volleyball quarter-final of the Asian Games 2026 at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium on Thursday to book a place in the semi-finals. Pakistan made a strong start, winning the opening set 25-19 in 23 minutes. India put up a strong fight in the second set, but Pakistan held their nerve to win 25-23 after a 34-minute battle. Pakistan then dominated the third set 25-18 in 25 minutes to complete a convincing victory. Opposite Murad Khan led Pakistan’s scoring with 19 points, including 18 successful spikes, while Ali Usman Faryad contributed 13 points and Mohammad Hammad added nine. Pakistan also held the advantage in attack points, recording 75 compared with India’s 60, and led 5-4 in blocks. Pakistan had ear...

 Bandung, 30 September 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan earned a historic 2-2 draw against the Philippines in the FIFA ASEAN Cup on Tuesday, securing their first-ever point in a FIFA competition and recording a notable result against a side ranked more than 60 places higher. Pakistan initially fell 2-0 behind after the Philippines scored twice early in the match, but Mohammad Ali Akbar pulled one goal back two minutes after half-time before Abdul Samad Arshad completed the comeback with an equaliser around the hour mark. Samad, who plays abroad, joined the national squad in Indonesia on September 25, a day before Pakistan’s opening match against Thailand, which they lost 4-0. Several other overseas-based Pakistani players also joined the team directly in Indonesia instead of attending the...

 Nagoya, 30 September, 2026 (Ghufran): South Korea’s men’s volleyball team became the latest victims of a transport mix-up at the Asian Games in Japan after an organiser-provided shuttle bus took the team to the wrong venue, forcing them to cancel their training session. A Korea Volleyball Association official said the team was taken to Okazaki instead of its scheduled training venue in Inuyama, resulting in significant time being lost and the cancellation of Monday morning’s practice ahead of their group match against Taiwan. The Korean Olympic committee filed a formal complaint with the organisers over the incident. Despite the disruption, South Korea went on to defeat Taiwan 3-1. The latest incident is part of wider organisational problems reported at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, pa...

 Nagoya, 30 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan secured another medal at the Asian Games on Friday after Noor Zaman and Mohammad Ashab Irfan won their respective singles matches to reach the squash semifinals. Third-seeded Noor defeated Hong Kong’s Chi Hin Henry Leung 11-7, 11-6, 3-11, 11-4, while fifth-seeded Ashab staged a comeback to beat India’s fourth-seeded Veer Chotrani 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, 11-6 at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena. The victories ensured Pakistan at least a bronze medal in the men’s singles competition, as losing semifinalists are awarded bronze medals. It is the first time since 2002 that two Pakistani players have reached the Asian Games squash semifinals. Noor will face Malaysia’s top seed Eain Yow Ng on Saturday, while Ashab will meet second seed Abhay Singh...

Guwahati, 30 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Indian captain Shubman Gill created history on Wednesday by smashing the fastest double century in One-Day International (ODI) cricket during India’s match against the West Indies in Guwahati. Gill reached the 200-run mark in just 117 balls, becoming only the second Indian batter after Rohit Sharma to score more than one ODI double century. His spectacular innings included 24 fours and seven sixes as India chased a challenging target of 406 runs. Gill had previously scored an ODI double century against New Zealand in Hyderabad in 2023. Earlier in the innings, he completed his 11th ODI century in only 62 balls, including five sixes and 10 fours, setting a new record for the fastest ODI century by an Indian captain and surpassing Rohit Sharma’s pre...

ISLAMABAD, 29 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has reportedly approached the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), seeking compliance with the Lahore High Court's directions and the return of his mobile phone, according to a report by ESPNcricinfo. Rizwan has also reportedly requested the agency to provide written details regarding the nature of the investigation being conducted against him. According to the report, Rizwan sent a letter to the NCCIA nearly two weeks after the Lahore High Court's ruling, stating that he had not been informed about the specific nature of the inquiry. He asked the agency to clarify the matter under investigation and inform him about when he is required to appear before the authorities.The Pakistan batter als...