SPORTS NEWS

RAWALPINDI, 19 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has made an impressive return to form, scoring his fourth One-Day International century to help Pakistan secure a 37-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tri-series on Sunday. The 32-year-old’s achievement comes after a challenging 18 months during which he was appointed captain of Pakistan’s T20 International team, subsequently lost the leadership role, experienced a decline in his Test performance and was eventually dropped from the format. During this difficult period, Salman returned to domestic cricket and scored nearly 600 runs before rediscovering his form on the international stage. His latest century was his third in just 10 ODI matches, underlining his growing importance to Pakistan’s b...

 KARACHI, 19 October, 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan is set to host another major international squash event as the $82,000 Venus ABC Open Squash Championship begins on Wednesday at Creek Club, Defence Authority Karachi. The five-day championship, which runs until October 25, will feature separate men’s and women’s competitions, with each event offering prize money of $41,000. Foreign players have begun arriving in Pakistan to participate in the tournament, which is included in the international squash calendar. According to the organisers, the top eight players in each event will receive byes in the opening round and advance directly to the pre-quarterfinals. England’s world No. 25 Chris Malik has been named the top seed in the men’s event, followed by Egypt’s world No. 48 Mostafa El S...

GEORGETOWN, 19 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan defeated arch-rivals India by eight wickets in their second match of the IMC Over-40 Cricket World Cup in Guyana, securing a convincing victory after restricting the opposition to 143 runs. According to tournament reports, India won the toss and elected to bat first but were bowled out for 143 in 34.3 overs in the ninth match of the competition. Murtaza Ali was India’s top scorer with 48 runs, while Amit Mishra contributed 38. Pakistan’s bowling attack delivered an impressive performance, with Mohammad Khalil taking three wickets, while Mohammad Irfan and Fahad Jabbar claimed two wickets each. Wasim Ali and Syed Fareeduddin also took one wicket apiece. In response, Pakistan comfortably chased down the target in 26.2 overs, losing just tw...

 Rawalpindi, 18 October, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has achieved another significant milestone in his cricketing career, becoming the fifth Pakistani player to complete 16,000 runs in international cricket. Babar reached the landmark during Pakistan’s One-Day International (ODI) match against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Despite achieving the milestone, the right-handed batter could not convert his innings into a major score and was dismissed for 45 runs against the visiting side. Babar has remained a key member of Pakistan’s batting line-up for several years, representing the country across all three international formats: Test cricket, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals. His achievement reflects his cumulative performanc...

Rawalpindi, 18 October 2026 (Ghufran): Salman Ali Agha struck an impressive century to help Pakistan set a target of 306 runs for Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tri-nation One-Day International (ODI) series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs after Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field first. Salman Ali Agha led the batting charge with 107 runs, while Babar Azam contributed 45 and Saad Baig scored 39. Hasan Nawaz added 37 runs, followed by Arafat Minhas with 18 and Fakhar Zaman with 16. Saim Ayub scored seven runs, while Faheem Ashraf managed six. For Sri Lanka, Eshan Malinga took four wickets, while Asitha Fernando claimed three wickets to restrict Pakistan’s total. The tri-nation ODI series features Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England, w...

 Lahore, 18 October 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan’s junior hockey team continued its winning run in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2026, defeating Canada 6–2 in its second match of the tournament. The Pakistani players displayed an aggressive performance from the opening minutes, taking the lead in the ninth minute when Hamza Fayyaz scored the opening goal. Hamza Ali doubled Pakistan’s advantage in the 14th minute, while Rana Abdullah Sami added the third goal in the 25th minute. Canada responded through Bhullar Gurnoor, who scored in the 30th minute. Pakistan strengthened its position when Rana Waleed scored the fourth goal in the 38th minute. Canada’s Yogeshwaran Abhiram found the net in the 45th minute, reducing the deficit to 4–2. However, Pakistan maintained its attacking momentum in...

 Tashkent, 18 October 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan has won the bronze medal at the IHF Asia Zone III Women’s Nations Handball Trophy, marking an encouraging achievement for the country’s women’s handball team. Hosts Uzbekistan claimed the trophy, while Turkmenistan secured the silver medal and Pakistan finished third to take bronze. Kyrgyzstan placed fourth, followed by Tajikistan in fifth position. Pakistan began its campaign on October 13 against Turkmenistan but suffered a 38–19 defeat. In its second match on October 14, the team lost 46–8 to hosts Uzbekistan. Pakistan bounced back strongly in its third match against Tajikistan on October 15, securing an impressive 36–14 victory. Team captain Saharish was named the best player of the match for her outstanding performance. Pakistan ...

Islamabad, 18 October 2026 (Ghufran): A major development has emerged in efforts to revive Pakistan’s national sport, as the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has decided to re-establish its departmental hockey team. The move is being viewed as an important step towards restoring institutional support for hockey in the country. The decision has been welcomed by the hockey community, particularly talented young players seeking stable employment opportunities and a platform to demonstrate their abilities at the highest level. The recruitment process for players is set to begin immediately, while the NBP hockey team will also participate in the upcoming National Games. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has warmly welcomed the initiative, expressing confidence that the return of a major natio...

Abu Dhabi, 17 October, 2026 (Nosheen): The One-Day International (ODI) tri-series featuring Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe is set to begin in Abu Dhabi, with Bangladesh scheduled to face Zimbabwe in the opening match. Afghanistan will play its first match against Zimbabwe on October 19, as all three teams compete for a place in the final. At the conclusion of the group stage, the top two teams on the points table will meet in the final on October 23. Afghanistan will be led by Rahmat Shah, Bangladesh by Litton Das, and Zimbabwe by Sikandar Raza. All matches will be played at Abu Dhabi Cricket Stadium, with proceedings scheduled to begin at 4:30 pm local time. The three teams will aim to deliver strong performances throughout the tournament, secure qualification for the final and lift...

Lahore, 17 October, 2026 (Nosheen): The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has officially confirmed that Canada’s national hockey team will visit Pakistan in February 2027, marking an important step towards the revival of international hockey in the country. PHF President Mohiuddin Wani described the upcoming visit as a significant development for Pakistani hockey, expressing confidence that it would help strengthen sporting ties between Pakistan and Canada. He welcomed the Canadian team’s tour and said that exemplary arrangements would be made to ensure a successful visit. Wani added that the tour would provide an opportunity to promote international hockey in Pakistan and create greater opportunities for local players to compete against foreign teams. He further reaffirmed that the PHF wou...