SPORTS NEWS

 LAHORE, 16 September 2026 (Ghufran): The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has decided not to send the national hockey team to India for the upcoming Men’s Asian Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held from October 27 to November 5, with league matches in Jalandhar and the semi-finals and final in Mohali. PHF President Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani confirmed the decision, saying it was taken after considering the bilateral relations between Pakistan and India. The announcement came a day after Indian Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said that the Pakistan hockey team would participate in the tournament and assured his government’s full support. Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh had also said that the hockey federations of the two countries maintained good relations. Oma...

 DUBAI, 16 September 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam and middle-order batter Saud Shakeel have climbed two places each in the latest ICC Test batting rankings released on Wednesday, with Babar moving to 13th position after scoring 76 off 103 balls in Pakistan’s second innings of the third Test against England at Edgbaston, while Saud rose to 16th after scores of 43 and 29; former Pakistan captain Shan Masood made the biggest gain among established Pakistani batters, rising four places to 37th following his fighting 95, while Test debutant Razaullah entered the rankings at 91st after an impressive 81 off 63 balls featuring nine sixes and four boundaries; meanwhile, Abdullah Shafique dropped 11 places to 46th, Mohammad Rizwan slipped one place to 34th and Salman...

 Dubai, 15 September, 2026 (Ghufran): The Indian women’s cricket team sparked controversy during the Women’s Asia Cup final by refusing to accept the championship trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi during the post-match presentation ceremony. Naqvi was the chief guest at the final, but the Indian players did not receive the trophy from the ACC president following their victory over defending champions Sri Lanka. The incident echoed a similar controversy involving the Indian men’s cricket team last year, when the players also refused to receive the trophy from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony. On the field, India delivered a dominant performance, defeating Sri Lanka by 72 runs to win the Women’s Asia Cup title for a record eighth time. Batting firs...

 Lahore, 15 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): New York has been ranked the world’s leading sports city for 2026, climbing from third place in the previous ranking, while no Pakistani city has secured a place among the global top 100. According to the 2026 Sports Cities Ranking released by Swiss-based Burson, Paris slipped to second place after holding the top position for three consecutive years, while Los Angeles ranked third. The ranking assesses 100 cities with strong connections to the global sports industry and incorporates the views of experts, sports media representatives and international sports leaders, along with analysis of social media activity and media coverage. New York’s rise to the top was attributed in part to major sporting events, including the NBA championship an...

New Delhi, 15 September, 2026 (Ghufran): India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in the second T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday to clinch the T20I series, with Sanju Samson delivering a blistering batting performance. Chasing a target of 160 runs, India reached the required total inside 14 overs for the loss of just three wickets. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson gave the hosts a flying start, putting together an 88-run partnership during the first six overs. Sharma scored 39 off 19 deliveries, hitting four sixes and two fours, while Samson smashed four sixes and seven fours in a sensational 57 off just 22 balls. Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma then completed the chase by adding an unbeaten 40-run partnership, securing another one-sided victory for India. Afghanistan leg-spinne...

Islamabad, 15 September, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Pakistan Test captain Babar Azam is set to return to first-class cricket after a seven-year hiatus as he joins Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) as a guest player in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-I. Babar’s last first-class appearance came in 2019, when he represented Central Punjab in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. His return comes at a crucial time as the right-handed batter has been struggling for big scores in Test cricket. Babar has not scored a Test century since December 2022 and has averaged 30.43 with the bat since the beginning of 2023, managing only eight fifties in his last 39 innings. His highest score since his last Test century is 88, scored in the second Test against the West Indies last month. OGDCL was included i...

 CHANDIGARH, September 14, 2026 (Nosheen): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has confirmed that the Pakistan hockey team will participate in the upcoming Men’s Asian Champions Trophy, scheduled to be held in India from October 27 to November 5. India, Pakistan, China, Japan, Malaysia and South Korea will compete in the six-team tournament. Mann said India’s existing policy allows Pakistan to participate in multinational sporting events, while bilateral contests between the two countries remain restricted. He said there was no issue with Pakistan participating in multinational tournaments, although bilateral series between India and Pakistan could not currently take place. The tournament will be staged in Jalandhar and Mohali, with league-stage matches scheduled for Jalandhar bef...

 LIVERPOOL, September 14, 2026 (News Desk): Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has admitted there will be “ups and downs” as he seeks consistency early in his Anfield tenure following a stuttering start to the season. The former Bournemouth boss, who replaced the sacked Arne Slot, oversaw a frustrating 0-0 draw against Fulham on Saturday after morale-boosting victories over Ipswich and Atletico Madrid. Liverpool, already struggling to keep pace in the Premier League, will face Tottenham in the third round of the League Cup at Anfield on Tuesday. Iraola acknowledged the frustration over the Fulham result but said the team must accept fluctuations during the rebuilding process and focus on reproducing the performances shown against Atletico Madrid and Ipswich. He said consistency would...

RIYADH, 14 September, 2026 (Nosheen): Cristiano Ronaldo has called for lifetime bans for football fans who taunted Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves over the death of his close friend and former Portugal teammate Diogo Jota. Chants about Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who died in a car crash last year, were heard during Al-Hilal’s 6-0 away victory over Al-Taawoun on Saturday. Ronaldo, who is based in Saudi Arabia and captains Portugal, urged football authorities to take strict action against the supporters involved, saying people who engage in such behaviour should never be allowed to enter a stadium again. Neves, 29, responded to the chants by sarcastically giving a thumbs-up and applauding before pointing towards the sky. After the match, he said he hoped those responsible would ...

NEW DELHI, 14 September, 2026 (Ghufran): India spinner Varun Chakravarthy has been ruled out of the remaining T20I series against Afghanistan due to an injury. The 35-year-old will miss the second and third T20Is scheduled for September 15 and 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, while his injury has also raised doubts over his participation in the Asian Games 2026. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not yet issued an official statement regarding Chakravarthy's injury. The right-arm mystery spinner featured in the series opener, conceding 16 runs and taking one wicket in his four-over spell. Chakravarthy has faced injury concerns over the past year, including a foot injury sustained while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL 2026. During the England T20I series in July...