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PCB launches complain to remove match referee

PCB Demands Removal of Match Referee for Pakistan-India Asia Cup Clash Over Alleged ICC Rule Breaches

nenagency / September 15, 2025

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced on Monday that the Pakistan Cricket Board has filed a complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against the match referee of the Pakistan-India Asia Cup game, accusing him of breaching rules related to the “Spirit of Cricket.” “The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket,” Naqvi posted on X, referring to referee Andy Pycroft. “The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the match referee from the Asia Cup,” he added. The Asia Cup clash between Pakistan and India was held on Sunday in Dubai, where India secured a seven-wicket victory thanks to a strong bowling performance led by spinner Kuldeep Yadav. It was the first meeting between the two rivals since their military conflict in May. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav sealed the win with a six, sparking celebrations among Indian fans in a stadium that notably had many empty seats. After the match, players from both sides left the field without the customary handshakes. When asked about the gesture in the post-match press conference, Suryakumar explained that the decision not to shake hands was in line with the stance of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian government. Speaking at the presentation ceremony, he added that India had approached the encounter as “just another game” and dedicated the victory to the country’s armed forces. “We stand with the families of the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and express our solidarity,” Suryakumar said. “Today’s win is for the Indian army.” The April 22 attack on civilians in Pahalgam, in Indian-occupied Kashmir, led to renewed Pakistan-India hostilities in May. New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing the assault without providing evidence — a claim Islamabad firmly rejects. After Sunday’s Asia Cup match, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed to Dawn.com that team manager Naveed Akram Cheema had “registered a protest against the match referee’s behaviour.” “It was against the spirit of sportsmanship that the Indian team refused to shake hands,” the PCB quoted Cheema as saying, alleging that “the match referee had even instructed the captains not to shake hands at the toss.” As a form of protest, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha skipped the post-match ceremony. Coach Mike Hesson explained that Salman’s absence reflected the team’s disappointment over India’s conduct. “It was a follow-on effect,” Hesson said. “We were keen to engage and shake hands at the end of the match, but that obviously didn’t happen.” Commenting on the controversy, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi wrote on X earlier today: “Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports.” India had resisted calls to boycott the match between the nations, with its cricket board stating it could not boycott an international event and that such a move would “bring a lot of negativity for all our future endeavours of hosting any multinational tournament”.

Cricket, Sports

Pakistan vs India: Afridi Takes Pakistan to 127/9 in Asia Cup Clash

nenagency / September 14, 2025

Four sixes for Shaheen Shah Afridi, two off successive deliveries in the last over, have given Pakistan a modicum of respectability after they were dominated completely by India’s quality attack. Afridi ends up with a person best oof 33 off 16, the only silver lining on the scoreboard. His inside-out six off Varun Chakravarthy, in p-articular, was an excellent shot. The bigger picture, though, remains that India look all set to extend their dominance over Pakistan in recent years. The game has gone only one way right from the golden duck for Saim Ayub off the first legal delivery of the match. Kuldeep Yadav has three, and Jasprit Bumrah and Axar Patel two each. Farhan perishes, Pakistan in dire straits As we enter into the death overs, Kuldeep Yadav starts with a wide wrong’un, anticipating a big hit from Sahibzada Farhan. The big hit comes, and he ends up toe-ending it to long-on. He is gone for 40 off 44. That their best-looking batter has not scored at a run a ball tells you the story of Pakistan’s innings. Kuldeep ends his night with figures of 4-0-18-3 despite a sweetly timed slog-swept six by Shaheen Shah Afridi. his pitch is not that bad where you score 127. If shaheen can hit some, so can Indian batting. Haris played a poor shot to Bumrah, and Saim has yet to understand what shots to play as his first in a tournament. Hoping Shaheen’s batting gave him something that will get him to topple some wickets too!”

Pakistan vs. Oman, Pakistan vs. Oman, Asia Cup 2025

Cricket, Sports

Pakistan Set for Match Against Unprepared Oman – Aisa cup 2025

nenagency / September 12, 2025

Almost every international or continental tournament includes a few participants who do not belong at that competitive level, yet they still compete. This disparity, often described as a boys-among-men scenario, can arise from various factors, with representation being a significant and justifiable reason. However, one might speculate that it also relates to some administrator’s belief that a larger tournament equates to a larger prize. Regardless of the underlying reason, Oman fits this unfortunate narrative perfectly. The current situation of this small cricket team, which was not particularly talented to begin with, is exemplified by their daunting challenge of facing Pakistan in both teams’ opening match of the Asia Cup 2025 on Friday in Dubai. This is a Pakistan team that has won the championship twice and recently overwhelmed Afghanistan — the self-proclaimed second-best team in Asia and perhaps even beyond — in the final of a tri-nation tournament. Moreover, this Pakistan team is in a position to drop Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan — both of whom rank among the top 10 run scorers in T20I cricket history — and still maintain a competitive edge. Furthermore, this Pakistan team presents such a stark contrast to Oman that any analysis or preview should not even focus on them. It would be akin to advising a prime Wasim Akram on how to play against a helmet-less seven-year-old child in overcast English conditions during the mid-90s. Analyzing Pakistan is unnecessary. Any combination of 11 players donning the green jersey should be able to secure a dominant victory. Whether it consists of eleven batters with no bowlers, six spinners and five wicketkeepers, or even a lineup made up of the support staff, it should suffice. In fact, coach Mike Hesson could open the batting for Pakistan, and they would still hold the advantage … at least on paper (more on this later). Almost every international or continental tournament includes a few participants who do not belong at that competitive level, yet they still compete. This disparity, often described as a boys-among-men scenario, can arise from various factors, with representation being a significant and justifiable reason. However, one might speculate that it also relates to some administrator’s belief that a larger tournament equates to a larger prize. Regardless of the underlying reason, Oman fits this unfortunate narrative perfectly. The current situation of this small cricket team, which was not particularly talented to begin with, is exemplified by their daunting challenge of facing Pakistan in both teams’ opening match of the Asia Cup 2025 on Friday in Dubai. This is a Pakistan team that has won the championship twice and recently overwhelmed Afghanistan — the self-proclaimed second-best team in Asia and perhaps even beyond — in the final of a tri-nation tournament. Moreover, this Pakistan team is in a position to drop Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan — both of whom rank among the top 10 run scorers in T20I cricket history — and still maintain a competitive edge. Furthermore, this Pakistan team presents such a stark contrast to Oman that any analysis or preview should not even focus on them. It would be akin to advising a prime Wasim Akram on how to play against a helmet-less seven-year-old child in overcast English conditions during the mid-90s. Analyzing Pakistan is unnecessary. Any combination of 11 players donning the green jersey should be able to secure a dominant victory. Whether it consists of eleven batters with no bowlers, six spinners and five wicketkeepers, or even a lineup made up of the support staff, it should suffice. In fact, coach Mike Hesson could open the batting for Pakistan, and they would still hold the advantage … at least on paper (more on this later). However, there is an interesting aspect regarding Pakistan. They possess a peculiar relationship with this ‘on-paper’ advantage. At times, what is expected to occur on paper does not materialize for them at all. They were, after all, humiliated by the United States in their opening match of the 2024 World Cup. The narrative and background of this Oman team indicate that they lack even the Buster Douglas-like opportunity that most of Pakistan’s opponents typically have. Pakistan’s decision would be to either field a full-strength team while keeping an eye on the highly anticipated match against India on Sunday, or to provide some lesser-used players with an opportunity. It is likely that they will opt for the former, but neither choice is expected to influence the final outcome. Selecting Hesson to open would be a wise decision, however.

Mitchell Starc, The last goodbye , T20 Cricket

Cricket, International, Sports, Uncategorized

The modern swing king Mitchell Stac Says The One Last Goodbye T20 Cricket

nenagency / September 2, 2025

Six months before the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Australia’s white-ball speed leader Mitchell Starc announced his retirement from Twenty20 international cricket in order to concentrate on prolonging his career in one-day and test cricket.With 79 wickets from 65 Twenty20 Internationals, the 35-year-old left-armer retires as the country’s most successful fast bowler in the format. He is ranked second on Australia’s all-time list, behind spin bowling partner Adam Zampa.His top goal has always been test cricket, he declared in a statement released by Cricket Australia on Tuesday. “I have enjoyed every second of every Twenty20 match I have played for Australia, especially the 2021 World Cup, not only because we won but also because of the amazing team and the fun we had.” “I believe this is the best course of action for me to stay fit, fresh, and at my best for the 2027 ODI World Cup, the Ashes, and an away Indian test tour.” In the games preceding the T20 World Cup, it also allows the bowling group time to get ready. Australia’s T20I team, which was announced on Tuesday for the forthcoming series against New Zealand, did not include Starc. The rangy, swing-bowling virtuoso will be difficult to replace, according to Selectors chairman George Bailey. “We will miss his ability to bowl clutch overs at the end and make an impact early with the new ball,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “Very few people swing it at 145 kilometers per hour. He also has excellent fielding. Although he won’t be replaced exactly, we have given Nathan Ellis, Ben Dwarshuis, Sean Abbott, and Xavier Bartlett important roles. With nine wickets in seven games in the United Arab Emirates in 2021, Starc was instrumental in Australia’s first and only T20 World Cup victory. Australia’s ambitions of winning another T20 World Cup next year are severely damaged by his retirement, which comes 13 years after his 2012 debut and continues to wind down a great generation of players. Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis have all stepped away from the one-day game since opening batsman David Warner retired last year. Todd Greenberg, the manager of Cricket Australia, commended Starc for making “significant sacrifices” to represent his nation. “It’s another example of putting team first to give the next generation of fast bowlers a clear route to the T20 World Cup early next year,” he said.

Cricket, Pakistan, Sports

PCB Reaffirms Support for Rizwan, Masood Amid Performance Review

nenagency / August 25, 2025

PCB captaincy support Lahore, August 25, 2025, 05:39 PM PKT – PCB Reaffirms Support for Rizwan, Masood Amid Performance Review The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reaffirmed its support for ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan and Test captain Shan Masood on August 25, 2025, following their denial of leadership change rumors. The statement comes as the PCB selection committee, led by Aaqib Javed, reviews team performance ahead of the Asia Cup and Australia tour. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, addressing a press conference, clarified, “No discussions on replacing Rizwan or Masood have occurred,” as reported by NEN. The board dismissed claims that Salman Ali Agha and Saud Shakeel were considered for ODI and Test captaincies, respectively. Despite recent losses, including a 34-year first ODI series defeat to the West Indies, Naqvi praised Rizwan’s leadership and Masood’s 2-1 Test series win over England. The PCB is focusing on squad stability, with plans to integrate young talent for upcoming matches. The selection committee, now excluding captains and coaches, aims for merit-based decisions. “We trust our captains to deliver,” Naqvi added. Fans are urged to support the team via nenagency updates.

National News, Sports

Pakistani Seychelles Trail Runners Honored at Homecoming Ceremony

nenagency / August 24, 2025

Islamabad, August 24, 2025, 11:07 AM PKT – Pakistani Seychelles Trail Runners Honored at Homecoming Ceremony Pakistani athletes who excelled at the Seychelles Africa Nature Trail Runs were celebrated at a homecoming ceremony in Islamabad on August 24, 2025. The event, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, recognized their outstanding performance in the international competition. Federal Minister Attaullah Tarar, addressing the ceremony, praised the runners for elevating Pakistan’s global image. Their dedication showcases our nation’s spirit,” he said, according to a ministry statement. The athletes secured top positions, competing against runners from across Africa and beyond in the Seychelles event. The ceremony highlighted Pakistan’s growing presence in international sports. Tarar announced plans to support future training programs for athletes. Stay updated at nenagency. Seychelles trail runners

Sports

Pakistan U-12 Tennis Team Arrives in Singapore for ATF Final

nenagency / August 23, 2025

Islamabad, August 23, 2025, 01:51 PM PKT – Pakistan U-12 Tennis Team Arrives in Singapore for ATF Final The Pakistan 12 & Under Tennis Team arrived in Singapore on August 23, 2025, to compete in the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) 12 & Under Team Competition finals, scheduled from August 25 to 30. The team, led by captain Muhammad Nameer Shamsi, is poised to represent Pakistan against top regional teams. According to the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), the squad, including Shayan Afridi, Rashid Bachani, and Muhammad Ibraheem Hussain Gill, is ready to showcase their skills following their success in the South Asia Regional Qualifying Event in Sri Lanka. PTF President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi expressed confidence, saying, “Our young players are prepared to make Pakistan proud.” The team will face strong competition from nations like Iran, Thailand, and China. Qureshi urged the players to stay focused and compete fiercely. Stay updated at nenagency.com.