Sports Bulletin

Islamabad (Sports Desk): Knight has captained England Women 199 times since 2016, including leading the team to a home World Cup victory in 2017 and to two other ICC tournament finals. She oversaw 134 victories as England Women captain, second on the list of England Women’s all-time most successful captains.She also led the team to a record-breaking run of eight consecutive ODI series wins including defeating Australia during the 2023 home Ashes, in which England also won the IT20 series to draw a thrilling Women’s Ashes that took interest in international women’s cricket to a new level.However, on the back of disappointing performances by the team in last year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE and the recent Ashes in Australia, the ECB has decided to appoint a new Captain to lead the team into a new era. Knight’s successor will be appointed shortly.Clare Connor, ECB Managing Director, England Women, and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “Heather has been an outstanding leader as England Women’s Captain. She has led the team by example as a role model off the pitch, and through the runs she has scored on it – often in the toughest conditions.“Heather has enjoyed many highlights as England captain. I particularly remember the century she scored in the Ashes Test at Canberra in 2022 where her individual brilliance nearly helped the team pull off a famous win. It was an innings of great skill and great heart.“She led the team brilliantly to win a World Cup on home turf, creating memories we will never forget. That magical day at Lord’s acted as a catalyst for so much of the growth we have seen for women’s and girls’ cricket in the years since.“Heather is passionate about inspiring young girls to play cricket and to playing her part in making our sport gender-balanced. She is a powerful role model to young professional female players and to recreational players alike. Having started her England career as an amateur, she has always understood the important connection between the England team and the grassroots game.”Heather Knight said: “Captaining my country for the last nine years has been the biggest honour of my life and I will look back on my tenure with an enormous sense of pride. I have loved the challenge of leading the team, but all good things come to an end and it’s time for me to go back into the ranks and focus on being the best batter and teammate that I can be for the team.“Winning the ICC Women’s World Cup on home turf at Lord’s in 2017 will always be a huge highlight, but being a part of the huge steps forward made in the women’s game off the pitch brings me just as much pride.“Thank you to all the players and staff, who have given it everything along the way - especially Mark, Lisa and Jon, three head coaches that I’ve loved working with. The people make the job.“Thank you to the fans that have supported me and the team through the highs and the lows. Finally, to my friends, family and long-suffering partner Tim, you live the journey with me and I wouldn’t be here without your support.“I have loved being England Captain, it's been the most rewarding period of my career, but for now I’m excited to focus on my batting and supporting the team and the new captain in the best way I can.”Knight made her England debut in 2010 and ten years later became the first England men’s or women’s player to score an international century in all three formats of the game.Richard Gould, ECB Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m immensely thankful for everything Heather has given in her time as Captain. The World Cup win and the thrilling 2023 Women’s Ashes will live long in the memory.“Heather’s influence as Captain has extended far beyond her impact on the pitch. Through her leadership and dedication, she has inspired many women and girls to get involved in the sport, fuelling the transformation of women’s cricket we have seen since 2016. As one of the world’s best batters, I look forward to watching Heather play on for England for many years to come.” 

Sports Bulletin ReportChristchurch (New Zealand): Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan are all set to take on New Zealand in the five-match T20I series starting on Sunday, 16 March. The first game will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch, with the first ball to be bowled at 2.15pm local time.The second match will be played at University Oval in Dunedin on 18 March, while the third match of the series will be played at Eden Park in Auckland on 21 March. The fourth and fifth T20Is will be played at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui and Sky Stadium in Wellington on 23 and 26 March, respectively. A three-match ODI series will follow the T20I action and will be played from 29 March to 5 April.The Pakistan squad arrived in Christchurch on Thursday and held their first training session on Friday afternoon. Before their arrival, the T20I squad underwent a pre-series camp from 7 to 10 March at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.Pakistan’s squad includes three uncapped players – Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Ali – who earned call-ups to the national side following their impressive performances in recent domestic events. Pakistan have an upper hand over New Zealand in the 44 T20I contests between the two sides with 23 wins while the Black Caps have secured victory in 19 fixtures. The last T20I series featuring the two sides, which was played in Pakistan in 2024, finished with a 2-2 scoreline with one match abandoned due to rain. Salman Ali Agha, who led the team to a 2-1 T20I series win in Zimbabwe in his first series as captain, said: “The team's preparations are going well, and we will try to produce better results in New Zealand. We have some young players in the side, and it is an opportunity for them to showcase their talent at the international level after performing well in domestic cricket.”T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman KhanPlayer Support Personnel: Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Aqib Javed (interim head coach), Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Mohammad Masroor (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saiman (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Butt (analyst), Irtiza Komail (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media and digital manager) and Sergio Basil Mullins (masseur).New Zealand tour schedule:16 Mar – first T20I, Hagley Oval, Christchurch18 Mar – second T20I, University Oval, Dunedin21 Mar – third T20I, Eden Park, Auckland23 Mar – fourth T20I, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui26 Mar – fifth T20I, Sky Stadium, Wellington29 Mar – first ODI, McLean Park, Napier2 Apr – second ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton5 Apr – third ODI, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

Sports Bulletin ReportFAISALABAD: The National T20 Cup will begin from Friday (March 14) at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad with defending champions Karachi Region Whites taking on Islamabad Region. On the same day, Bahawalpur Region will take on Dera Murad Jamali Region at the same venue.18 teams from 16 regions will feature in the tournament, with participating teams divided into four groups. The matches will also be played at Lahore’s two venues – Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA and Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan.The top two sides from each group will qualify for the quarter-final stage, which will be played at the Iqbal Stadium on 23 and 24 March, with the semi-finals set to take place at the same venue on 26 March.The final of the tournament will be played at the Iqbal Stadium on 27 March, with the winning team bagging a prize money of PKR five million, while the runners-up will have to settle with PKR 2.5 million. The double-header matches in Faisalabad will begin at 7pm PKT, while the matches in Lahore and Multan will start at 4.30pm PKT.

Islamabad (Sports Desk): The group, led by England Women A Head Coach and Performance Batting Coach Jon Lewis, will play three T20s, three 50-over matches and a four-day match against Australia A.Returning batter Paige Scholfield, who had to withdraw from England Women’s tour to South Africa in November 2024, is named in all three squads. She is joined by players from the England Women Pace Programme including Surrey teammates Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Emma Jones (T20 and 50-over) and Alexa Stonehouse, who is selected across all formats.Alice Capsey and Danielle Gibson (both 50-over and four-day only) as well as Bess Heath and Freya Kemp (all formats) were part of the England Women’s Ashes squads earlier this year. Capsey and Gibson will join the tour following their time in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) and all are selected for this tour to provide continued opportunity to play competitive matches against a strong Australian side.The majority of the group have recently been preparing at a training camp in Abu Dhabi to further their skills in warm conditions and gain some competitive scenario practice. The group depart for Sydney on 17 March. England Women A Head Coach Jon Lewis said: “We are looking forward to testing ourselves against a national side with great depth. We are aware of the challenge ahead.“There has been some good work done by the players based in England and those who have been playing cricket over the winter around the world and this tour provides an opportunity for players to push for selection into the senior squad through strong performances against the Australians.”Jonathan Finch, Director of England Women’s Cricket, added: “We have a good mix of experience across the three squads with all players striving to perform and push for selection into the senior team. The experience they will gain through highly competitive matches within a multi-format schedule will be really exciting, and hopefully invaluable for them in accelerating their development. A tour to Australia is what so many young cricketers dream of, and we wish them well."England Women A T20 squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A 50-over squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Mahika Gaur (Lancashire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Emma Jones (Surrey), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Ryana MacDonald-Gay (Surrey), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Bryony Smith (Surrey), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)England Women A four-day squad: Hollie Armitage (Durham), Alice Capsey (Surrey), Georgia Davis (Warwickshire), Danielle Gibson (Somerset), Kirstie Gordon (The Blaze), Jodi Grewcock (Essex), Bess Heath (Durham), Freya Kemp (Hampshire), Charis Pavely (Warwickshire), Grace Potts (Lancashire), Paige Scholfield (Surrey), Grace Scrivens (Essex), Seren Smale (Lancashire), Alexa Stonehouse (Surrey), Mady Villiers (Durham), Issy Wong (Warwickshire)T20 match schedule (All matches at Hurstville Oval, 1pm local time, 2am UK time):Wednesday 26 March 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 1st T20Friday 28 March 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 2nd T20Sunday 30 March 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 3rd T2050-over matches (at Cricket Central, 10.30am local time, 00.30am UK time):Wednesday 2 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 1st matchFriday 4 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 2nd matchMonday 7 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A 3rd matchFour-day match: Saturday 12 April-Tuesday 15 April 2025: Australia Women A v England Women A four-day match (Cricket Central, 9.30am local time, 00.30am UK time).

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: The National T20 Cup 2024-25 will start on March 14 with 18 teams from 16 regions set to take part in the event. The tournament will see 39 matches played across three cities, Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan.The Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad will host 23 matches, including the knockout stage of the competition. In Lahore, the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA Ground will serve as the two venues, while the Multan Cricket Stadium will host eight games. A prize pot of PKR 9.4 million will also be up for grabs, with the winning team clinching PKR five million and the runners-up getting PKR 2.5 million.Abbottabad Region: Adil Naz, Afaq Ahmad, Ahmad Khan, Aitzaz Habib Khan, Aqib Khan, Arshad Iqbal, Fayyaz Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Khalid Usman, Khayam Khan, Mohammad Arif, Sajjad Ali Hashmi, Shahab Khan, Shahzaib Khan and Yasir Shah Reserve players: Anees Azam, Israr Hussain, Mehroz Rasheed, Mohammad Adil and RiazullahAJK Region: Aqib Liaqat, Awais Akram, Basit Ali, Faizan Saleem, Hassan Raza (Captain), Hussnain Nadeem, Mohammad Haider, Nadeem Khalil, Naveed Malik, Qazi Arbaqan, Rohan Qadri, Saad Asif, Salman Irshad, Usman Maroof and Zaman Khan Reserve players: Ibrar Ahmed, Moin pervaiz, Najam Naseer Kayani, Raja Farhan and Usman YousafBahawalpur Region: Mohammad Imran Randhawa (Captain), Ali Shabbir, Aun Shehzad, Hasnain Majid, Imran Khan Snr, Mehran Sanwal, Mohammad Akram, Mohammad Ammar, Mohammad Azab, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Faizan Zafar, Mohammad Junaid, Mohammad Shaharyar, Mohammad Shahid, Mohammad Sudais and Salahuddin Reserve players: Ali Umar, Gulfam Aziz, Khaqan Bashir, Mohammad Alamgir and Shayan KhalilDera Murad Jamali: Abubakar, Basit Ali, Dawood Khan, Fahad Hussain, Farhad Khan, Majid Ali, Mohammad Deen, Mohammad Shahid, Mohammad Uzair, Nasir Khan, Rasool Bakhsh, Shoaib Ahmed, Tariq Jameel, Yasir Hussain and Zahoor AhmedFaisalabad Region: Asif Ali (Captain), Ahmed Safi Abdullah, Ali Asfand, Ali Raza, Ali Shan, Ibtisam-ur-Rehman, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Awais Zafar, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Kashif, Mohammad Zeeshan, Momin Qamar, Raees Ahmed, Shehzad Gul and Taimur Sultan Reserve players: Asad Raza, Asim Ali Nasir, Arham Nawab, Atiq-ur-Rehman and Hammad HamzaFATA Region: Asif Afridi (Captain), Afaq Ahmed, Azaz Khan, Ifranullah Shah, Khubaib Khalil, Maaz Khan, Mohammad Farooq, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Mohammad Usman, Rehan Afridi, Salman Khan, Sameen Gul, Samiullah Jnr and Shahid Aziz Reserve players: Aimal Khan, Fazal-ur-Rehman, Khayal Man, Nisar Afridi and Sohaib KhanHyderabad Region: Akbar Khan, Fawad Ahmed, Jawad Ali Bhatti, Kashif Bhatti, Majid Asghar, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Saddam, Mohammad Waqar, Mohammad Azeem Ghumman, Mustafa Nasir, Noman Ali, Rizwan Mehmood, Saad Khan, Sharjeel Khan and Ubaidullah Khan Reserve players: Asad Malik, Fardeen, Haris Khan, Mohammad Huzaifa and Sheharyar BalochIslamabad Region: Ali Imran, Arsal Sheikh, Farmanullah Khan, Hammad Saddique, Kaleem Dil, Mohammad Umair Riaz, Musa Khan, Naseerullah Khan, Nusratullah, Raja Hamza Waheed, Rohail Nazir, Sarmad Bhatti, Shamyl Hussain, Shayan Sheikh and Umair Afridi Reserve players: Faizan Riaz, Mohammad Hammad Khan, Mohammad Nadeem, Murtaza Jamal and Rizwan AliKarachi Region Blues: Abdullah Fazal, Aftab Ibrahim, Arish Ali Khan, Bahadur Ali, Fahad Amin, Huzaifa Munir, Jahanzaib Sultan, Kashif Ali, Mohammad Asghar, Mohammad Hamza Sohail, Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, Rameez Aziz, Saifullah Bangash, Wahaj Riaz and Waleed Azeem Reserve players: Adeel Meo, Aftab Khan, Arbaz Khan, Naveed Ahmed Khan and Sahil IqbalKarachi Region Whites: Afnan Khan, Arif Yaqoob, Danish Aziz, Haroon Arshad, Khurram Manzoor, Khwaja Mohammad Nafay, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Umar, Saad Baig, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Sohail Khan Reserve players: Abdul Moiz, Ashiq Ali, Maaz Khurram Amin, Mohammad Tariq Khan and Sarfaraz AhmedLahore Region Blues: Farhan Yousaf, Hammad Butt, Hunain Shah, Hussain Talat, Imran Butt, Junaid Ali, Mohammad Arsalan, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Zahid, Nisar Ahmed, Qasim Akram, Salman Mirza, Samama Riaz and Umar Siddiq Reserve players: Asfand Mehran, Hafiz Usman Nadeem, Hamid Liaqat, Intasar Ali and Khawaja Mohammad AbdullahLahore Region Whites: Ahmed Bashir, Ahmed Daniyal, Attayb Ahmed, Hassan Rizwan, Kamran Afzal, Mohammad Azeem, Mohammad Faiq, Mohammad Mohsin, Mohammad Rameez. Mohammad Saleem, Mohammad Salman, Mohammad Akhlaq, Saad Nasim, Tayyab Tahir, Ubaid Shah and Zain Bin Farooq Reserve Players: Danish Butt, Imran Dogar, Mohammad Ahsan, Mohammad Waheed and WasiullahLarkana Region: Amir Ali Babar, Amir Ali Brohi, Aqeel Danish, Bilal Irshad, Ghulam Raza Mahar, Imtiaz Laghari, Mohsin Raza, Muhshtaq Ahmed, Sabit Ali, Sarfraz Ali, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzaib Ali, Shahzaib Aziz, Umar Khalid and Zahid Mehmood Reserve players: Asif Ali Chandio, Faraz Aziz, Hamesh Kumar, Mohammad Umar and Najaf AliMultan Region: Aamer Yamin, Ali Majid, Arfat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Humayun Altaf, Imam-ul-Haq, M Ismail Watto, Mohammad Shahzad, Sharoon Siraj, Tahir Hussain, Uzair Mumtaz, Waqar Hussain, Waseem Akram Jnr, Zain Abbas and Zeeshan Ashraf Reserve players: Ali Haider, Ali Usman, Huzaifa Ayub, Mohammad Sadaqat and Rao IrfanPeshawar Region: Iftikhar Ahmed (Captain), Abubakkar, Adil Amin, Israrullah, Maaz Sadaqat, Moazzam Umar, Mohammad Amir Khan, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Mohammad Zulkifal, Mohammad Amir Barki, Niaz Khan, Nizar Ali, Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Tariq and Waqar Ahmed Reserve players: Ahmed Khan, Gohar Ali, Hilal Khan, Mohsin Khan and Nabi GulQuetta Region: Abdul Hameed, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai, Bismillah khan, Bohar Aman, Ehsanullah, Haseebullah, Latifullah, Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Idrees, Mohammad Junaid, Najeebullah, Sajid Khan, Shamraiz Khan, Usman Khan Shinwari and Yasir Khan Reserve players: Ikramullah, Mohammad Imran, Mohammad Javed, Nizamuddin and Sohail MajeedRawalpindi Region: Aqib Shah, Atif Khan, Kashif Ali, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Awais Anwar, Mohammad Faizan, Mohammad Nabeel, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Raza-ul-Mustafa, Mubasir Khan, Nasir Nawaz, Saad Masood, Taimur Khan, Yasir Khan and Zeeshan Malik Reserve players: Abdul Faseeh, Ali Hasnain, Amir Hassan, Usman Khan and Ziad KhanSialkot Region: Abdullah Shafique, Afzaal Manzoor, Ahmed Hassan, Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Amad Butt, Ashir Mehmood, Bilawal Bhatti, Hasan Ali, Mirza Tahir Baig, Mohammad Huraira, Mohsin Riaz, Shoaib Akhtar Jnr, Shoaib Malik and Usama Mir Reserve players: Ali Shafique, Awais Ali, Ayaz Tasawar, Azan Awais and Shahzaib Bhatti 

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Five players from ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 winners India have been selected for the Team of the Tournament after they beat New Zealand in a pulsating final. The Black Caps saw four members of their squad make the team, including Player of the Tournament Rachin Ravindra, with Mitchell Santner being named captain.Two players from Afghanistan also made the cut after the Asian nation won their first-ever ICC Men’s Champions Trophy match in their debut appearance. At the top of the order, Ravindra was an expected selection after he scored two centuries and topped the run-scoring charts with 263.His knock of 112 against Bangladesh was instrumental in seeing New Zealand over the line and his 108 in the semi-final against South Africa showed he is dangerous wherever he bats.He is joined by Ibrahim Zadran at the top of the order. The 23-year-old Afghan more than left his mark on the tournament, scoring a brilliant match-winning knock of 177 – the highest-ever Champions Trophy score - against England in the group stage.India’s Virat Kohli slots in at number three after he finished fifth in the run-scoring charts with 218 at an average of 54.50. Kohli made a memorable unbeaten century in his side’s group-stage win over Pakistan and a crucial 84 in the semi-final success over world champions Australia.Teammates Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul join him in the middle-order after impressive tournaments. Iyer was India’s top run-scorer, with two half-centuries helping him to 243 runs in total, while Rahul finished with an average of 140 thanks to unbeaten knocks of 42 and 34 in the semi-final and final respectively.New Zealand’s Glenn Phillips is selected at number six after a brilliant performance with the bat and in the field. His diving one-handed catch to dismiss Shubman Gill in the final was one of three iconic takes across the tournament, while the 28-year-old scored one half century against Pakistan and took two wickets against South Africa in the semi-final to go alongside an unbeaten 49.Azmatullah Omarzai is the second Afghan named in the team. The fast-bowling all-rounder had a fantastic tournament with both bat and ball and finishing with seven wickets at 20 and 126 runs at 42.00. Santner is named as team captain after finishing the tournament with nine wickets – the joint second-most – but more importantly picked them up at crucial times.His knack of taking potential game-changing wickets was evident in the final. With the help of a sublime Phillips catch, he removed Shubman Gill and followed it up with the wicket of Iyer. India’s Mohammed Shami caps a successful return from injury by being selected after finishing with nine wickets.Matt Henry unfortunately missed the final due to a shoulder injury he picked up in New Zealand’s semi-final win over South Africa but still finished as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10 at 16.70. The team is completed by Varun Chakravarthy, who took nine wickets in just three matches. He bowled his full allocation in all three matches he played and never went for more than 49. India’s Axar Patel was selected as 12th man.The selection panel consisted of commentators and former international players Ian Bishop, Simon Doull and Aaron Finch, Hindustan Times journalist Rasesh Mandani and ICC General Manager Events and Corporate Communications, Gaurav Saxena.ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 Team of the Tournament: Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan), Virat Kohli (India), Shreyas Iyer (India), KL Rahul (wk-India), Glenn Phillips (New Zealand), Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghanistan), Mitchell Santner (captain) (New Zealand), Mohammad Shami (India), Matt Henry (New Zealand), Varun Chakravarthy (India), Axar Patel (India).

Amad claims 5 wickets, PTV players overcome State Bank of Pakistan by 3 wickets in finalArsalan SheraziRAWALPINDI: On the fourth day, PTV chased the target of 153 runs, securing victory with 7 wickets down. In the first innings, State Bank of Pakistan was bowled out for 205 runs. PTV’s Mohammad Shehzad achieved a hat-trick, taking 5 wickets.PTV scored 317 runs in their first innings, gaining a 112-run lead. PTV’s Waqar Hussain and Muhammad Shehzad scored centuries in the first innings. Waqar Hussain scored 106, while Mohammad Shehzad remained unbeaten with 125 runs.In the second innings, State Bank of Pakistan was all out for 264 runs. PTV captain Imad Butt took 5 wickets. The five-day night final was played with a pink ball at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.  

Arsalan SheraziLahore: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Farooq Ahmed spoke to the media, discussing bilateral cricketing ties and future series.Expressing gratitude, Farooq Ahmed thanked Mohsin Naqvi for the invitation, stating, "Our cricket has progressed significantly." He further revealed that discussions between PCB and BCB included plans for white-ball series apart from the Future Tours Programme (FTP)."Both boards are actively engaged in scheduling upcoming series," Farooq Ahmed added, signaling positive developments in cricketing collaboration.Welcoming the BCB President to Lahore for the Champions Trophy semi-final, Mohsin Naqvi acknowledged Bangladesh’s support in hosting the tournament. "I appreciate BCB’s cooperation in organizing the Champions Trophy," he stated.Highlighting ongoing discussions over the past few weeks, the PCB Chairman assured that progress on bilateral series will be made soon.  

Lahore (PCB Report): Salman Ali Agha has been named Pakistan’s T20I captain, with Shadab Khan as vice-captain, for the five-match T20I series against New Zealand from 16-26 March. Mohammad Rizwan will continue as ODI captain, with Salman serving as his deputy for the three 50-over matches scheduled at the backend of the tour from 29 March to 5 April.The decision to appoint Salman and Shadab as T20I captain and vice-captain, respectively, has been made with an eye on two major upcoming tournaments - the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 (September 2025) and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 (February/March 2026). Salman previously led Pakistan in a T20I series against Zimbabwe last year, winning 2-1.As part of preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan is set to play a minimum of five T20Is in the ACC Asia Cup 2025 and three T20Is each against West Indies (away, July), Afghanistan (home, August), Ireland (home, September), South Africa (home, September/October), Sri Lanka (home, November) and Australia (home, January 2026).Mohammad Rizwan will continue leading the ODI side as Pakistan builds towards the ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup 2027, which will take place in Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe in October/November 2027.T20I squad: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Hasan Nawaz, Jahandad Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Haris, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousaf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim and Usman KhanODI squad: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sufyan Moqim and Tayyab Tahir. A wicketkeeper/batter will be added to the ODI squad following the T20IsIn the T20I squad, there are three uncapped players – Abdul Samad, Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Ali – while Akif Javed and Mohammad Ali the two players who have yet to debut in ODIs. The four players have been rewarded for their impressive performances in the Champions One-Day and T20 Cups.In the Champions T20 Cup, Abdul Samad scored 115 runs at a strike-rate of 166.67 after aggregating 145 runs at a strike-rate of 122.88 in the Champions One-Day Cup. Likewise, Hasan Nawaz had a staller Champions T20 Cup, finishing as the second leading run-getter with 312 runs at a strike-rate of 142.47. Mohammad Ali with 22 wickets was the leading wicket-taker in Champions T20 Cup, while he took three wickets in the Champions One-Day Cup.Akif Javed has been selected in the ODI side after his seven wickets in five Champions One-Day Cup matches, while he took 15 wickets in the Champions T20 Cup.Openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub were not considered for either format on medical advice. Fakhar suffered a left lower intercostal muscle sprain during Pakistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener against New Zealand, while Saim is recovering from a right ankle fracture sustained on the first day of the Cape Town Test against South Africa in January. Both are expected to be fully fit for the HBL Pakistan Super League 10, starting in Rawalpindi on 11 April 2025.Aqib Javed will continue as interim head coach for the New Zealand tour. His original term was until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, but he has been asked to extend his tenure while the search for a permanent head coach begins. Mohammad Yousuf has been appointed as batting coach.Player Support Personnel: Naveed Akram Cheema (team manager), Aqib Javed (interim head coach), Azhar Mahmood (assistant coach), Mohammad Yousuf (batting coach), Mohammad Masroor (fielding coach), Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist), Drikus Saiman (strength and conditioning coach), Talha Butt (analyst), Irtiza Komail (security manager), Dr Wajid Ali Rafai (team doctor), Syed Naeem Ahmad (media and digital manager) and Sergio Basil Mullins (masseur).New Zealand tour schedule:16 Mar – first T20I, Hagley Oval, Christchurch18 Mar – second T20I, University Oval, Dunedin21 Mar – third T20I, Eden Park, Auckland23 Mar – fourth T20I, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui26 Mar – fifth T20I, Sky Stadium, Wellington29 Mar – first ODI, McLean Park, Napier2 Apr – second ODI, Seddon Park, Hamilton5 Apr – third ODI, Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The match officials for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 have been announced as India take on Australia and South Africa face New Zealand.New Zealander Chris Gaffaney and England’s Richard Illingworth will take charge of the first semi-final in Dubai between India and Australia, with Michael Gough serving as third umpire and Andy Pycroft on match referee duties.Illingworth continues in Dubai having overseen India’s Group A clash with New Zealand, while Gaffaney had been due to umpire Australia’s meeting with South Africa in Group B before the weather intervened.Then in the second semi-final in Lahore, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena will work alongside Australia’s Paul Reiffel as the on-field umpires for the clash between the Proteas and the Black Caps.Joel Wilson will be the third umpire, while Ranjan Madugalle is the match referee for this encounter.Dharmasena took charge of New Zealand’s win over Bangladesh in Group A, while Reiffel was in the middle when India beat Pakistan.Semi-Final 1: Dubai, India v AustraliaOn-field Umpires: Chris Gaffaney & Richard IllingworthThird Umpire: Michael GoughFourth Umpire: Adrian HoldstockMatch Referee: Andy PycroftSemi-Final 2: Lahore, South Africa v New ZealandOn-field Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena & Paul ReiffelThird Umpire: Joel WilsonFourth Umpire: Ahsan RazaMatch Referee: Ranjan Madugalle