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Pakistan cricket team will tour England next year ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027 for a five-match One-Day International (ODI) series, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday. The series will begin on May 15 in Southampton, followed by matches in Manchester on May 19, Leeds on May 21, Chester-le-Street on May 23 and Cardiff on May 26. The PCB said that the ODI series will serve as key preparation for both teams ahead of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2027, scheduled to be held in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia from 4 October to 21 November 2027. Pakistan are currently ranked fifth in the ICC Men's ODI rankings, while England are seventh. Before the 2027 ODI tour, Pakistan are set to visit England next month for a three-match Test series from 19 August to 13 September. Pakistan last played an ODI series in England in 2021, where Babar Azam finished as the leading run-scorer with 177 runs, including a brilliant 158 in the third ODI. Ser...

Pakistan has asked the United States for a $10 billion exchange stabilisation facility, according to a source briefed on the matter, which, if approved, could provide a lifeline for the cash-strapped South Asian economy. The request, which is being reported for the first time, follows Pakistan's role in brokering talks over the US-Iran war, which raised its diplomatic profile and stirred hopes that it could seek economic gains from Washington and other partners. In the request to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Islamabad is seeking a Bilateral Exchange Stabilisation Support Facility between the US and the Pakistani government worth $10 billion with a maturity of up to five years. The facility, if agreed to, would bolster Pakistan's reserves, ease pressure on the rupee and reduce its reliance on multilateral financing, even as Islamabad undertakes tighter fiscal and monetary policies in line with its International Monetary Fund programme. The US Treasury declined to com...

Ferran Torres scored an extra-time winner as Spain defeated holders Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup on Sunday and shatter Lionel Messi's dreams of a triumphant farewell to football's greatest stage. Barcelona striker Torres lashed home a thumping finish in the 106th minute to reward a dominant display by Spain against an Argentina team who failed to register a single shot on target in 120 minutes. A star-studded crowd of 80,663 that included US President Donald Trump packed East Rutherford's MetLife Stadium to see if Argentina captain Messi could crown his glittering career with a second World Cup victory. But the 39-year-old maestro — almost certainly playing in his final World Cup game — was reduced to irrelevance as Spain took control early on against an Argentina team who committed a catalogue of cynical fouls throughout. The South Americans' skulduggery ended with midfielder Enzo Fernandez being sent off after a brutal challenge on Spain defender Pau Cubarsi...

The race for the FIFA World Cup 2026 Golden Boot has entered its most thrilling phase, with France’s Kylian Mbappé emerging as the leading contender while Lionel Messi prepares for a showdown against an unbeaten Spain side. As football fans debate between two generations of greatness, the Golden Boot battle has become one of the biggest attractions of the tournament finale. For millions of supporters, Mbappé’s journey to this defining moment represents years of hard work, consistency and brilliance on the biggest stage. The France forward strengthened his claim after delivering a spectacular two-goal performance against England in the third-place play-off, taking his tournament tally to 10 goals and putting himself in pole position for the prestigious individual award. However, another section of fans continues to back Argentina captain Lionel Messi, believing the legendary forward still has one final opportunity to rewrite history. Messi has remained among the tournament’s most infl...

Lionel Messi's battle-hardened Argentina take on silky Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday as the first 48-team tournament in history reaches a climax in New Jersey. The South Americans are striving to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win back-to-back World Cups, while Spain are eyeing a second title after their maiden victory in 2010. After concerns in recent days that the final could be affected by smoke from wildfires in Canada that has blanketed eastern US states, there were blue skies over New Jersey on Sunday morning. The showpiece at the MetLife Stadium, the culmination of the 104-match tournament, is likely to be the final World Cup appearance for Messi, widely considered the greatest player of all time. US President Donald Trump will be among the 80,000-strong crowd in East Rutherford - the first game he has attended in the tournament. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will also attend, meaning the leaders of a...

The federal government has decided to review fuel prices on a daily basis amid a surge in global oil rates, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Friday. Addressing a press conference alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Malik said the decision was approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal cabinet. Renewed military strikes in the Middle East were also weighing on risk sentiment, keeping oil prices elevated and reigniting concerns about inflation and growth. Oil prices were on the rise, with Brent crude futures LCOc1 up 0.6% at $84.75 a barrel, while US crude CLc1 advanced 1.1% to $79.8 per barrel. He said the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) would determine fuel prices daily, with updated rates to be published on its website. Expressing concern over renewed tensions in the Middle East, the minister said the conflict heightened uncertainty in global energy markets. He noted that international diesel prices had risen sharply following the lat...

Argentina qualified for final of the FIFA Football World Cup beating England by 2-1 goals in the second semi-final in Atlanta last night. The third-place match will be played in Miami on Saturday at two in the night. The final will be played at New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday midnight. via Original Source

Lionel Messi inspired a stunning late comeback as Argentina overturned a one-goal deficit to beat England 2-1 on Wednesday, booking a place in the World Cup final with two goals in the final seven minutes. Just when England appeared set for victory after Anthony Gordon's second-half goal, Argentina mounted a relentless late siege and got their reward as Fernandez levelled before Martinez completed the turnaround in the 92nd minute with Messi providing the pass for the equaliser and the cross for the winner. The result added another unforgettable chapter to one of football's fiercest rivalries, a contest rich in history, emotion and tension from the opening whistle. For England, dreams of a first World Cup final since 1966, when they enjoyed their only triumph at the global tournament, were dashed in the closing stages, while Argentina celebrated a comeback that kept alive their quest for another world title. With England inexplicably parked in their own end, an Argentina eq...

Lionel Messi has spent over two decades carving a path through international soccer, facing every World Cup-winning nation from Brazil to France, but one notable opponent has always been missing from the list: England. That will change on Wednesday when Argentina meet the European side in a World Cup semi-final in Atlanta, a heavyweight clash that Argentina's FA (AFA) described on its website as "the match fate owed Messi." The 39-year-old Messi has played Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, Italy, Spain and France during his career, yet never crossed paths with England. The closest he came was a friendly in Geneva in November 2005, the last time the two sides faced each other. Argentina lost 3-2 as Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, who scored twice, overturned goals from Hernan Crespo and Walter Samuel. Messi, however, missed out after being sent off on his international debut against Hungary earlier that year. "It's special because they're a great team, a powerhous...

A blistering century by Jos Buttler, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, powered England to a 56-run victory over India in the fifth T20I at The Rose Bowl in in Southampton on Saturday. The 56-run victory meant India remain winless in the five-match series, which the home side won 4-0 as the opening fixture in Chester-Le-Street was washed out. Put into bat first, the home side piled up a massive total of 257/3 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a monumental 233-run partnership between Buttler and captain Harry Brook. England, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as Prasidh Krishna dismissed Phil Salt on the fourth delivery of the second over with just eight runs on the board. Following the early stutter, skipper Brook joined Buttler in the middle, and the duo turned the game on its head with belligerent hitting and went on to add 233 runs for the second wicket. The second-highest partnership for any wicket in a men's T20I, involving full-member nations,...

France captain Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty but curled in a superb goal on the hour as France struck twice in six minutes to brush aside Morocco 2-0 on Thursday and book their spot in the World Cup semi-finals. Mbappe, who at 27 became the youngest player to rack up 20 World Cup appearances, also bagged his 20th World Cup goal with a curling shot from just inside the box before Ousmane Dembele added another six minutes later with a low drive to set up a last-four meeting with Belgium or Spain. Mbappe is the tournament's joint top scorer with eight goals, level with Lionel Messi, and he trails the Argentine by one goal in the World Cup all-time scoring list. "That's three (semi-finals) in a row — it's good," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "It seems logical and natural, but you still have to get the job done. It was tricky, the penalty... when it's Kylian. He never has any doubts. "But we're exactly where we wanted to be," said Desc...

The first quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup will be played between Morocco and France in Boston tomorrow. The second quarter-final will be played between Spain and Belgium in Los Angeles on Saturday. The third and fourth quarter-finals will be played on Sunday with Norway facing England in Miami and Argentina taking on Switzerland in Kansas City. via Original Source

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced Pakistan's Test squads for the upcoming tours of the West Indies and England, with Babar Azam returning as the team's captain. The squads were announced by the PCB selection committee, including Aqib Javed, Asad Shafiq, and Misbah-ul-Haq during a press conference in Lahore. A 16-member squad has been named for the two-match Test series against the West Indies, while a 17-member squad has been announced for the England tour. Saud Shakeel has been included as the 17th member for the England series, subject to fitness clearance. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman, right-handed batter Muhammad Awais Zafar, right-arm fast bowler Ubaid Shah and wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Ghazi Ghori are the uncapped players included in the squad. All-rounder Aamer Jamal has returned to the Test squad for the first time since featuring against South Africa in 2025, while the pace attack comprises Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, young speedster Ubaid Sha...

In the second semi-final of ICC Women T-20 World Cup, England defeated South Africa by 40 runs at Oval in London last night. Bating first, England scored 169 runs for the loss of five wickets in stipulated twenty overs. In reply, South Africa could manage to score 129 runs for the loss of eight wickets in twenty overs. The final will be played between Australia and England at Lords's on Sunday. The match will start at 7:30 pm. via Original Source