SPORTS NEWS

MANCHESTER, 20 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Former Pakistan Test captain Wasim Akram has criticised Babar Azam’s decision to take charge of the national Test side, describing it as a mistake and saying the batter should have continued playing only as a player. Speaking at a charity fundraising event in Manchester alongside Waqar Younis, Akram said he did not want to blame anyone and acknowledged that his assessment could be wrong. He recalled an incident during the toss for the third Test when Babar was asked about changes involving seven players and the coaching staff and reportedly responded that he was unaware of the changes. Akram said a captain must stand by his players, arguing that a player cannot perform at his best if he feels his captain is not supporting him. In Akram’s view, ...

SEVILLE, 20 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Raphinha scored a superb hat-trick as Barcelona came from behind to beat Sevilla 3-1 in La Liga on Saturday, maintaining their perfect record and moving six points clear of Real Madrid. Sevilla took the lead in the 19th minute through Youssouf Fofana, but Raphinha equalised before the break with a low finish. The Brazil international then put Barcelona ahead early in the second half with a header before completing his hat-trick with a fine chip over the goalkeeper. Teenage forward Lamine Yamal played a key role in Barcelona’s comeback, providing the assists for Raphinha’s second and third goals. The victory marked Barcelona’s eighth win from eight matches across all competitions this season, while Raphinha took his tally to 12 La Liga goals in seven a...

LONDON, 20 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): Newly appointed England Test coach Stephen Fleming has said it would be wrong to ask former captain Ben Stokes to reverse his decision to retire from international cricket ahead of next year’s Ashes. Stokes announced his retirement from England duty and stepped down as Test captain during the team’s defeat by New Zealand at Trent Bridge in June. The 35-year-old has since continued playing for Durham and is also set to join Adelaide Strikers for a stint in Australia’s Big Bash League. Fleming, who previously worked with Stokes at Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, said he had recently met the all-rounder and found him comfortable with his decision. Fleming also said he respected Stokes’ choice and would not attempt to persuade him to r...

NISSHIN, 20 September 2026 (Nosheen): Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by eight wickets to qualify for the gold medal final of the Asian Games Women’s cricket competition at Korogi Sports Park on Sunday. Chasing a target of 178, Sri Lanka reached the required total inside 17 overs after losing just two wickets. Captain Chamari Athapaththu led the successful chase with an unbeaten 83 off 50 balls, including six sixes and seven fours. Hasini Perera contributed 42 off 26 balls, while Imesha Dulani scored 27 off 21. Earlier, Pakistan posted 177 for four in their allotted 20 overs, with Ayesha Zafar top-scoring with an explosive 71 off 40 balls, including nine fours and two sixes. Shawaal Zulfiqar also scored 54 off 50 balls, while captain Fatima Sana remained unbeaten on 20 off 12 deliveries. Fatim...

 MUNICH, 19 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane has become the fastest player to score 100 goals in the Bundesliga, reaching the milestone in his 98th league appearance against Union Berlin on Friday. Kane scored Bayern’s second goal from the penalty spot in the 39th minute after beating goalkeeper Frederik Rønnow, before adding another goal in the 54th minute. Cologne’s Dieter Müller previously held the Bundesliga record, having reached 100 goals in 129 matches during the early 1970s. Across Europe’s five major leagues, only Cristiano Ronaldo reached 100 league goals faster, achieving the milestone in 92 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid in the early 2010s. Since joining Bayern Munich in 2023, Kane has finished as the Bundesliga’s leading scorer in each ...

LAHORE, 19 September, 2026 (Ghufran): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has formally launched its expanded School Cricket Talent Hunt Programme, with Chairman Mohsin Naqvi emphasizing the importance of identifying and developing young cricketers who could represent Pakistan in the future. The programme began at Gaddafi Stadium with an opening match between Beaconhouse and Aitchison College, attended by Naqvi as the chief guest. Speaking to the media, Naqvi said the initiative had been significantly expanded following a positive response to last year’s programme. He said 1,400 schools have been registered this year, with around 21,000 children participating in approximately 2,895 matches across 100 districts. Naqvi said the main objective is to identify talented youngsters from across the co...

LONDON, 19 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): England fast bowler Brydon Carse will face no charges after Derbyshire Police closed an investigation into an alleged assault following an incident in Derby on August 23. Police said officers attended Molly Malones in the early hours of August 23, where Carse was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly before being “de-arrested” after his details were recorded. Following further enquiries and contact with the alleged victim, police decided that no further action would be taken. Carse, 31, remains subject to a separate investigation by the Cricket Regulator, which will determine whether he has a case to answer under its regulations. Videos of Carse’s arrest were circulated on social media, showing him speaking with Durham teammate Matthe...

 MANCHESTER, 18 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Seventeen-year-old Floyd Samba enjoyed a dream Manchester City debut, scoring twice in a 5-0 victory over Norwich in the League Cup to help set up a last-16 meeting with Brighton. Samba was one of 10 changes made by Enzo Maresca following Manchester City’s dramatic derby victory over Manchester United on Sunday and impressed on his first senior appearance. Brazilian forward Allan also scored on his debut following his £34 million move from Palmeiras, while Rayan Cherki added City’s second goal. Samba opened his account with a header from Allan’s cross before curling a superb second goal into the far corner shortly after the interval. Ryan McAidoo completed the scoring late in the match as City’s young players dominated Norwich, who ha...

JOHANNESBURG, 18 September, 2026 (Nosheen): South Africa have suffered another setback ahead of their three-match ODI series against Australia, with fast bowler Lungi Ngidi ruled out after sustaining a right hamstring injury while playing for the Titans against the Dolphins in the opening round of the domestic first-class season. Scans confirmed the extent of the injury, with the 30-year-old pacer set to undergo rehabilitation. Ngidi becomes the third South African seamer to miss the ODI series after Kagiso Rabada and Ottneil Baartman. South Africa have replaced Ngidi with 20-year-old Nqobani Mokoena, who made his ODI debut during the team’s recent tour of Namibia. Mokoena has been withdrawn from the Dolphins’ first-class match against Western Province after bowling 19 overs and taking one...

LAHORE, 18 September, 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan’s Abdul Rehman has won the men’s Magic Skill Award at the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 after his spectacular goal against Wales was voted the tournament’s best skill moment by fans. Rehman displayed outstanding three-dimensional skills during Pakistan’s 3-3 draw against Wales, beating four defenders before finishing with a superb strike. His goal received 44% of the fans’ votes in the men’s category, narrowly defeating Canada’s Canton Melville, who secured 39%. The award recognises one of the tournament’s standout individual skill moments, with Rehman’s goal emerging as the fans’ favourite. Pakistan finished their World Cup campaign in 11th place, their best finish at the tournament since 2006. The four-time world champions began their Pool D cam...