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World Cup

England beat Pakistan by 37 runs in ICC under-19 World Cup clash

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England beat Pakistan

HARARE: England defeated Pakistan by 37 runs in the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup match played in Harare.

Chasing a target of 211, Pakistan were bowled out for 173 runs in the 47th over. Captain Farhan Yousuf top-scored for Pakistan with a fighting 65 runs, while Momin Qamar remained unbeaten on 18.

Other Pakistani batters failed to build partnerships, with Huzifa Ahsan (17), Abdul Subhan (14), Ahmed Hussain (12), Sameer Minhas (10), Umar Zaib (10) and Muhammad Shayan (7) making modest contributions.

England’s bowling attack was led by James Minto, Alex Green, and Ralphie Albert, who claimed two wickets each, while Manny Lamsden and Farhan Ahmed picked up one wicket apiece.

Earlier, England were bowled out for 210 runs in 46.5 overs after Pakistan opted to field first. Caleb Falconer starred with 66 runs, supported by Ben Dawkins (33) and Ralphie Albert (25).

For Pakistan, Ahmed Hussain took three wickets, while Ali Raza, Momin Qamar, and Abdul Subhan grabbed two wickets each.

In other matches of the tournament, Australia defeated Ireland by eight wickets, while Afghanistan beat South Africa by 28 runs to make a winning start to their campaign.

Pakistan to finalize squad for Australia, World Cup

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Pakistan to finalize

Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is set to hold final consultations on the national squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup and the three-match home series against Australia later this week.

Sources said head coach Mike Hesson will return to Lahore after completing the Sri Lanka tour. Members of the national T20 squad are arriving back in Pakistan today following the series in Sri Lanka. Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha will meet with selectors to finalize the squad.

Once consultations are complete, the PCB Chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, will approve the official squad announcement. The PCB has already submitted the preliminary names for the T20 World Cup to the ICC. Changes to the list can still be made before January 31 with ICC approval.

Probable Players:

The likely squad is expected to include captain Salman Ali Agha, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Khan, and Abrar Ahmed.

Other potential inclusions are Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Salman Mirza, and Khawaja Nafi. Reserve players may include Abdul Samad, Mohammad Wasim Junior, and Usman Tariq.

FIFA and TikTok partner to deliver unique digital experience for World Cup

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FIFA and TikTok

Zurich: The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) and TikTok have signed a first-of-its-kind “Preferred Platform” agreement to expand coverage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and offer football fans a unique digital experience worldwide.

The partnership is designed to make football’s biggest event more accessible to millions of fans through innovative digital engagement. Under the agreement, TikTok becomes FIFA’s first official preferred platform, providing fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and digital content.

A dedicated “FIFA World Cup 2026 Hub” will be launched on TikTok, featuring match ticket information, viewing details, and interactive gaming features. Broadcasters and official media partners will be able to live stream content, post match clips, and generate revenue through advertising on the platform.

To safeguard FIFA’s intellectual property, TikTok will implement strict anti-piracy measures. For the first time, FIFA and TikTok will also launch a comprehensive Creator Program, granting selected TikTok creators from around the world direct access to press conferences and training sessions to deliver immersive World Cup content to their followers.

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said the goal is to bring the excitement of the 2026 World Cup closer to fans than ever, emphasizing TikTok as the ideal platform for this mission.

TikTok’s Global Head of Content, James Stafford, highlighted the platform’s growing football audience, noting that 42 percent of sports content viewers on TikTok show increased interest in live matches. He added that the company aims to engage younger audiences and women in particular.

The agreement builds on the success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, whose videos on TikTok garnered billions of views. The collaboration has now been significantly expanded for the 2026 World Cup, featuring 48 teams, with the aim of taking the tournament to new digital heights.

Pakistan announces squad for ICC under-19 World Cup

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Pakistan announces

LAHORE: The Pakistan Under-19 cricket team has been announced for the upcoming tri-nation series and the ICC Under-19 World Cup. Farhan Yousuf will continue as captain, with only one change in the squad: Umar Zubair replaces Mohammad Huzaifa.

The squad includes captain Farhan Yousuf, vice-captain Usman Khan, Abdul Subhan, Ahmad Hussain, Ali Hassan Baloch, Ali Raza, Daniyal Ali Khan, and Umar Zubair.

Additional members are Hamza Zahoor, Huzaifa Ahsan, Momin Qamar, Mohammad Siyyam, Mohammad Shayan, Naqab Shafiq, and Sameer Minhas.

Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the Under-19 Asia Cup after defeating the UAE by 70 runs.

The tri-nation series will be held in Zimbabwe from December 25 to January 6, featuring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and host Zimbabwe. Pakistan’s Under-19 team is expected to play at least four matches in the series.

The ICC Under-19 World Cup will take place from January 15 to February 6 in Namibia and Zimbabwe, with both tournaments played in the 50-over format.

ICC T20 World Cup groups and Pakistan-India match details revealed

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ICC T20

The ICC T20 World Cup 2026 is scheduled to be played from February 7 to March 8, with the official schedule set to be announced on November 25.

According to media reports, 20 teams will be divided into four groups of five teams each. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the Super 8 stage. Pakistan and India have been drawn in the same group, with their clash scheduled on February 15 in Colombo.

It is expected that Netherlands, Namibia, and USA will also be in the Pakistan-India group, while the host nation Sri Lanka will have Australia, Zimbabwe, Ireland, and Oman in its group.

Meanwhile, England, West Indies, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Italy are likely to form one group, while South Africa, New Zealand, Afghanistan, UAE, and Canada will be in another.

Match venues in India include Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad, while Sri Lanka will host matches in Colombo and Kandy. Pakistan will play its group-stage matches in Sri Lanka.

Ahmedabad has been selected as the final venue, but if Pakistan reaches the final, it will be played in Colombo. Semi-finals are scheduled for Mumbai and Kolkata, with venue selection dependent on the semi-finalist teams; Pakistan’s semi-final, if qualified, will be held in Sri Lanka.