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Cristiano Ronaldo said on Thursday he was retiring from the Portugal team, bringing the curtain down on one of the most illustrious international careers in the history of football. The 41-year-old announced that he would 'hand back the number 7 shirt' after the November international break. Ronaldo captained Portugal to their first major trophy at Euro 2016 and helped them win the 2019 and 2025 Nations Leagues. "It was not an easy decision, because there are decisions that are not made only with the head. They are also made with the heart," said Ronaldo. "If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you hug someone, forget a worry or feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it." Ronaldo thanked his family, the Portuguese people and the teammates, coaches and staff he worked with over his 23-year career with national team. "Portugal will always be a part of me," he captioned the announcement video. Ronaldo has made 234 appe...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed the formulation of a comprehensive and coordinated strategy, in consultation with all four provinces, within a week to eradicate polio from the country. He was chairing a review meeting on polio eradication in Islamabad today. The Prime Minister stressed the need to ensure the complete eradication of polio from Pakistan through close consultation with the provinces and a joint strategy involving all stakeholders. He said achieving a polio-free Pakistan is a major challenge, but the nation's determination and resolve are stronger than the challenge. Shehbaz Sharif directed the Federal Minister for National Health Services, Minister of State, Federal Secretary for National Health and members of the Polio Eradication Team to immediately visit all four provinces and hold meetings with the respective Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries. The Prime Minister expressed concern over the recent polio cases reported in the country and called fo...

Explosive batsman Glenn Maxwell announced his international retirement Tuesday after being overlooked for Australia's upcoming Twenty20 series against England. The mercurial 38-year-old, who had not played a Test since 2017, called time on his one-day career last year but kept the door open for T20s. He has not been picked since the World Cup in Sri Lanka in February, with selectors bypassing him for a series against Bangladesh in June. Maxwell was again overlooked for the squad named Monday to play England in November, with a host of younger players instead preferred. "A little bit sad and a little bit inevitable too, but I'm announcing my retirement from international cricket," Maxwell said on the Final Word podcast. "We probably had numerous discussions before and after the T20 World Cup," he added of talks with selectors. "And it was pretty open-ended. "There wasn't any pressure from (Australia team management), and we decided to sort...

Pakistan have been fined 5% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during the final of the Pakistan ODI Tri-Series against Sri Lanka in Lahore on Saturday. The hosts were found to be one over short after time allowances were taken into account by match referee Jeff Crowe of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel. The offence falls under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with minimum over-rate offences. Under the provision, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their team fails to bowl within the allotted time. On-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Wayne Knights, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Rashid Riaz levelled the charge. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi pleaded guilty and accepted the proposed sanction, avoiding a formal hearing. Pakistan won the tri-series final by three wickets, chasing Sri Lanka's total of 325 for eight with nine balls to spare. Fakhar Zaman led the c...

Pakistan defeated Oman by 18 runs in the Plate final of the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 to claim the second-tier title after failing to retain their championship crown at Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok on Sunday. Batting first, the Men in Green posted an imposing 154-4 in their allotted six overs, with captain Abbas Afridi leading from the front with a blistering 73 off just 16 deliveries, featuring one four and 11 sixes. He subsequently retired before returning to the crease in the final over. Abdul Samad chipped in with 26 off five deliveries, including two boundaries and three sixes, while opener Khawaja Nafay scored seven off three balls, including a six. Ahmed Daniyal added a quickfire 25 off five deliveries, smashing four sixes, while Muhammad Shahzad contributed 13 off four balls, including two sixes. Irfan Niazi, meanwhile, was dismissed for a first-ball duck. In reply, Oman managed 136-4 in their allotted six overs despite a dominant opening partnership between Usman Ali and Zoh...

Fakhar Zaman's explosive century, supported by half-centuries from Saad Baig and Arafat Minhas, guided Pakistan to a thrilling three-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the home ODI tri-series final at Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Chasing a challenging target of 326, Pakistan reached the finish line with seven wickets down and nine balls remaining, securing the title in front of their home crowd. Pakistan's pursuit began poorly as Dilshan Madushanka struck twice in his opening two overs, removing young opener Maaz Sadaqat for five and Babar Azam for a duck. The early dismissals left the hosts struggling at 14 runs. However, Saad Baig joined Fakhar Zaman at the crease, and the pair steadied the innings with an impressive 149-run partnership for the third wicket. Both batters registered half-centuries during the stand, putting Pakistan back on course. Maheesh Theekshana eventually ended the partnership in the 27th over, dismissing Baig for 74 off 75 balls. His innings included 11 bo...

Pakistan clinched a thrilling four-wicket victory over arch-rivals India in their Group C clash at the Hong Kong Sixes 2026 on Friday, boosting their hopes of advancing to the next round alive at Mission Road Ground in Mong Kok. The victory came as a breather after Pakistan suffered a one-wicket defeat against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in their opening Group C encounter earlier in the morning. Batting first, India were bowled out for just 88 in their allotted six overs, with Shashank Singh top-scoring with a fighting 40 off 11 deliveries, featuring two fours and five sixes. Nitish Rana contributed 19 off 14 balls, including one four and two sixes, while T Natarajan remained unbeaten on 12 off six deliveries, striking two boundaries. Rahul Tripathi added nine off five balls, while Rahul Tewatia and captain Krunal Pandya were dismissed for first-ball ducks. For Pakistan, Abdul Samad was the leading wicket-taker with figures of 2/10 in a single over, while Ahmed Daniyal and Moha...

England beat Sri Lanka by 55 runs in their final league match of the ODI tri-series at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday, setting up a title clash between the host and Sri Lanka on Saturday. Chasing a target of 387, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 331 in 45.1 overs despite centuries from Pavan Rathnayake and a strong contribution from captain Kusal Mendis. Rathnayake top-scored with 118 off 77 balls, hitting 15 fours and one six, while Kusal made 89 off 71 deliveries, including eight fours and five sixes. Avishka Fernando also contributed 48 off 50 balls as Sri Lanka attempted to keep pace with England's imposing total. However, Sri Lanka continued to lose wickets at crucial stages and fell 55 runs short of the target. Liam Dawson led England's bowling attack with four wickets for 49 runs in his 10 overs. Sonny Baker claimed two wickets, while Sam Curran, Henry Crocombe and Joe Root took one each. Earlier, England posted 386 for five in their allotted 50 overs, with Ben D...

Pakistani fast bowler Haris Rauf has been fined 20% of his match fee and handed an official reprimand for breaching Level 1 of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct during Sunday's ODI against England, the apex cricketing body said on Wednesday. Rauf was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which concerns conduct contrary to the spirit of the game. The pacer has also received one demerit point, taking his tally to five following his third offence within a 24-month period. The incident occurred at the end of the 46th over of Pakistan's innings when Rauf, positioned at the non-striker's end, appealed for a wide before engaging in an argument with England all-rounder Will Jacks. Rauf raised his bat during the exchange and continued the argument despite a warning from umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid. He subsequently brushed past the umpire while walking towards Jacks. Meanwhile, England ha...

Pakistan opener Saim Ayub has been dropped from the national squad following a series of disappointing performances in the ongoing tri-nation series, with Sahibzada Farhan named as his replacement in the ODI squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has directed Saim to play domestic cricket to regain his form, while Farhan will travel back from Nepal to join the national side. Saim Ayub struggled to make an impact in the first three matches of the tri-nation series, managing just 21 runs across the games. His continued lack of runs appears to have prompted the selectors to make a change, bringing an end to his place in the national squad for the time being. The PCB has decided that the left-handed opener should return to domestic cricket, where he will have an opportunity to regain his confidence and batting form. Farhan named as replacement Sahibzada Farhan has been included in Pakistan’s ODI squad as a replacement for Saim Ayub. Farhan, who captains Pakistan’s T20 side, is curr...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday opened the direct signing window for all eight franchises ahead of the 12th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and also announced a pre-season roadmap that includes a player auction and matches across five to six venues. According to the PCB, PSL 12 will run from March 18 to May 2, 2027, featuring 44 matches over 46 days, including 40 league fixtures and four playoff matches. The direct signing window has been opened on October 23 and will remain available until November 23, 2026, allowing each franchise to directly sign one marquee player who did not feature in PSL 10 or PSL 11. The player auction is scheduled for January 23, 2027, while the tournament final will take place on May 2. In a significant step towards strengthening Pakistan's domestic cricket pipeline, the PCB has aligned its domestic competition calendar with the PSL pre-season cycle, the statement added. The National T20 Gold and National T20 Silver tournaments ...

Sri Lanka produced a sensational batting performance to chase down England’s mammoth target of 430 runs in the third ODI of the tri-nation series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Thursday, completing a remarkable victory with one ball to spare. Sri Lanka reached the target in 49.5 overs, pulling off what was billed as the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history after England had posted an imposing 429 for four in their allotted 50 overs. Sri Lanka endured a shaky start to their pursuit, losing opener Kamindu Mendis for 18 and skipper Kusal Mendis for a duck within the first five overs, leaving the team struggling at 24 runs. However, Rathnayake joined Fernando at the crease, and the pair launched a spirited counterattack against the England bowlers. Their third-wicket stand yielded 166 runs from just 137 deliveries, with both batters reaching their respective half-centuries. The partnership was finally broken by Jamie Overton on the opening delivery of the 28th over, whe...

Arafat Minhas delivered an all-round performance to help Pakistan defeat England by 87 runs, securing their second win in the ongoing ODI tri-series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Chasing a target of 303, England were bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs despite a strong start from openers Tom Banton and Ben Duckett. The duo stitched together a 91-run opening partnership, finding boundaries with ease as they took the attack to Pakistan’s bowlers during the early stages of the chase. However, Haris Rauf broke the stand in the 15th over by dismissing Duckett, who fell five runs short of his half-century after scoring 45 off 46 deliveries, including eight boundaries. Banton continued to bat sensibly, building a steady partnership with Harry Brook to take England past the 100-run mark. During the stand, Banton also brought up his third ODI half-century. The right-handed batter eventually fell to Arafat Minhas in the 19th over after scoring a fighting 57 off 53 deliveries, i...

Pakistan batter Babar Azam has completed 16,000 runs in international cricket across all formats on Sunday. He reached the milestone after scoring 45 runs against Sri Lanka in a match in the tri-nation series. Babar has emerged as the fifth Pakistani batter to score 16,000 runs in international cricket. Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, Younis Khan and Javed Miandad have also crossed the 16,000-run mark. Meanwhile, Pakistan set Sri Lanka a target of 306 runs in the opening match of the three-team ODI series in Rawalpindi on Sunday. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field. Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in the final over. Salman Agha top-scored with 107 off 90 balls, while Babar Azam made 45, Saad Baig scored 39 and Hasan Nawaz contributed 37. Saim Ayub scored seven, Fakhar Zaman made 16 and Arafat Minhas added 18. via Original Source

A hundred from Salman Ali Agha helped Pakistan put up a formidable total against Sri Lanka in the first match of the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday. Pakistan, however, failed to capitalise fully on their strong position, surrendering their last five wickets for only 26 runs. Reduced from 279-5 to 305 all out, the hosts struggled against the bowling of Eshan Malinga and Asitha Fernando. After being asked to bat first, Pakistan were bowled out for 305 in 49.5 overs, with Salman leading from the front and receiving valuable support from Babar Azam, debutant Saad Baig and Hasan Nawaz. The Green Shirts made a positive start as openers Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub looked to build momentum, finding boundaries at regular intervals and putting together a promising opening partnership. However, Saim was the first batter to depart, falling to Dilshan Madushanka in the fourth over. His dismissal ended the 23-run opening stand, with the left-hander scoring seven off eight ...

Kusal Mendis guided Sri Lanka to a convincing eight-wicket win over Pakistan, scoring an unbeaten half-century in the third and final T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Pakistan, however, won the series 2-1 after clinching victories in the first two games. Set to chase a 169-run target, the visitors comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just two wickets and 17 balls to spare, courtesy of an unbeaten partnership for the third wicket between Kamindu Mendis and captain Kusal. Sri Lanka, however, got off to a shaky start to the pursuit as Mohammad Imran Randhawa trapped right-handed opener Lahiru Udara (one) lbw on the first delivery of the second over with 15 runs on the board. Udara's dismissal paved the way for Kusal to walk out at No.3, and the captain, alongside opener Sineth Jayawardena, put Sri Lanka into a commanding position by raising a 59-run partnership for the second wicket, which came at a brisk pace. Arafat Minhas eventually broke the thre...

Sri Lanka have named fast bowler Eshan Malinga and wicketkeeper Anjala Bandara in their squad for the two-Test tour of Pakistan in November, handing both players their maiden Test call-ups while recalling left-arm pacer Dilshan Madushanka. Bandara replaces Niroshan Dickwella, who was recalled for the home Test series against India in August but has been omitted from the latest squad. Meanwhile, Kusal Mendis will lead Sri Lanka in his first series as Test captain after Dhananjaya de Silva stepped down from the role. Malinga, who has established himself in Sri Lanka’s limited-overs teams, has earned his maiden Test call-up after claiming 44 wickets in 19 first-class matches at an average of 31.15. The 22-year-old Bandara, meanwhile, has been rewarded for his impressive first-class record. He averages 65.85 after 31 matches, having scored seven centuries and seven half-centuries, with a highest score of an unbeaten 200. Openers Lahiru Udara and Kamil Mishara, who featured in the seco...

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by 82 runs in the second Twenty20 International (T20I) at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series on Sunday. Maaz Sadaqat struck 96 off 51 balls, including six fours and seven sixes, while captain Sahibzada Farhan scored 73 off 44 balls as Pakistan posted 215 for three in their 20 overs. Mohammad Imran then took three wickets for 11 runs in four overs to help restrict Sri Lanka to 133 for seven. Salman Mirza claimed two wickets for 28 runs, while Saim Ayub and Shadab Khan took one each. Sri Lanka, who elected to field after winning the toss, made a poor start to their chase. Lahiru Udara fell for five in the first over, caught behind off Salman Mirza, before Mohammad Imran removed Sineth Jayawardena for 22 in the final over of the powerplay. Sri Lanka reached 35 for two after six overs and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Mohammad Imran struck twice in the eighth over, dismissing captain Kusal Mend...

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the first T20I, with captain Sahibzada Farhan’s 89 and Maaz Sadaqat’s half-century powering the hosts to a successful chase of 183 at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday. Chasing a target of 183 runs, Pakistan got off to a blistering start as openers Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman smashed 54 runs in the first five overs. With Pakistan at 54-1, Farhan was joined by Maaz Sadaqat after Fakhar (21 off 13 balls) was dismissed by Eshan Malinga. The pair added 92 runs for the second wicket, with both batters scoring freely. Sadaqat scored 50 off 29 balls, hitting three sixes and four fours before being trapped lbw by Maheesh Theekshana. Sri Lanka struck back with three quick wickets as Pakistan slipped from 144-1 to 156-4 in the 16th over. Hasan Nawaz and Saim Ayub failed to make an impact, falling to Dushmantha Chameera and Theekshana, respectively. Farhan, who brought up his half-century off 33 balls, went on to score 89 off 53 delive...

The 12th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be played from March 18 to May 2, 2027, with all eight franchises returning to compete for the title, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday. The eight-team format will return for the second successive season following a record-breaking PSL 11. The playing window was finalised after extensive consultations with key stakeholders following the PSL Governing Council meeting held in London on September 1, 2026. Owners and representatives of all eight PSL franchises attended the meeting. The last season of the league cricket marked several milestones, with eight teams competing for the first time and a first-ever player auction replacing the draft system. The final at Gaddafi Stadium attracted a record crowd of 32,461. Peshawar Zalmi were crowned champions after defeating debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets on May 3, 2026, ending a nine-year hiatus for the title. With the PSL 12 window now confirmed, the ...