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The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) on Wednesday announced a 20-man squad for the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, which will be held in the Netherlands and Belgium from Augugust 15 to 30. Waqar and Ali Raza were named as the team’s goalkeepers. The squad also includes Muhammad Abdullah, Muhammad Sufyan, Moeen Shakeel, Abdul Waheed Ashraf Rana, Abdul Hanan Shahid, Zakaria Hayat, Arshad Liaqat, Adeel Latif, Ahmed Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Imad Shakeel Butt, Muhammad Hamaduddin Anjum, Rehman Abdul, Afraz, Umar Mustafa, Abu Bakar Mahmood, Abdul Matan and Muhammad Imad. Dutch coach Bob Johan Veldhof will serve as head coach during the tournament, with Christopher John Bowen and Adnan Zakir appointed as assistant coaches. Muhammad Owais Qarni will be the team manager. The 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup will be played in the Netherlands and Belgium from Augugust 15 to 30. PHF President Mohiuddin Ahmad Wani expressed confidence in the squad, saying it combined experienced and young player...

Pakistan defeated the West Indies by eight wickets in the second Test to level the two-match series 1-1. The national side comfortably chased down a modest target of 75 runs in the final stages of the match, losing just two wickets. Abdullah Shafique and Babar Azam remained unbeaten on 24 runs each to steer Pakistan home. Earlier, West Indies were bowled out for 117 in their second innings, setting Pakistan a straightforward target after a dominant bowling display by the hosts. The victory marked a strong comeback for Pakistan following their defeat in the opening Test. The hosts controlled key moments throughout the match, with Abdullah Shafique’s brilliant first-innings century and Sajid Khan’s match-winning bowling proving decisive. Sajid Khan was named Player of the Match for his outstanding performance, taking eight wickets across both innings and playing a vital role in restricting West Indies to a low total in their second innings. The result ensured the two-Test series end...

Former South African cricketer Michael Smith has been appointed as the batting coach of the Pakistan men’s cricket team for two years, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday. According to a press release issued by the PCB, the “46-year-old will work with the team across both red-ball and white-ball formats”. He will join the Pakistan team ahead of the three-match Test series against England, commencing on Aug 19, the press release stated. Elaborating on Smith’s experience, the press release stated that he had featured in 89 first-class matches, 72 List-A matches and 16 T20 matches between 2003 and 2013. “The right-handed batter scored 7,029 runs across the three formats, including nine centuries and 40 half-centuries,” the PCB said. Smith, who holds a Level 4 coaching qualification, has served on the coaching staffs of three HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises — Islamabad United, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans, it added The press release further stated tha...