Browsing: Pakistan

Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan, File) Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan has removed Lahore Qalandars from his social media bio, following his countryâ€s decision to withdraw from the upcoming tri-nation T20I series in Pakistan. The withdrawal comes in protest against recent Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan, which reportedly killed eight civilians, including three young cricketers.

Rashid Khan X handle

Rashid, widely regarded as one of Afghanistanâ€s most influential cricketers, had previously listed all his major teams on X (formerly Twitter), including the national side, Gujarat Titans in the IPL, Adelaide Strikers in the BBL, and Lahore Qalandars in the PSL. The latest update now shows the Qalandars removed, leaving only his IPL and BBL affiliations alongside the Afghanistan national team.

Pak-Afghan Border Clash: Airstrike Kills 3 Afghan Cricketers, ACB and Rashid Khan Blast Islamabad

The change followed a strongly worded statement from Rashid condemning the airstrikes and expressing support for the Afghanistan Cricket Boardâ€s (ACB) decision to pull out of the series scheduled in Lahore from November 17 to 29. The tri-series was to feature Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe.

Rashid Khan post on X

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes — a tragedy that claimed women, children, and young cricketers aspiring to represent Afghanistan on the global stage,†Rashid wrote on X. “These unlawful actions are a grave violation of human rights. I fully support the ACBâ€s decision to withdraw. Our national dignity must come first.â€The ACB confirmed that the three cricketers killed in the attacks — Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — were from Paktikaâ€s Urgun district, while seven others were injured.Afghan players have expressed strong reactions to the incident. All-rounder Gulbadin Naib posted: “This brutal act by the Pakistani army is an assault on our people, pride, and independence, but it will never break the Afghan spirit.â€The move by Rashid Khan, both in public statements and his bio update, underscores the growing tension and the emotional toll of the attacks on Afghan cricket, as the team takes a firm stand on national dignity and respect for the lives lost.

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Pakistan are on the brink of elimination from the World Cup after their match against New Zealand was abandoned because of rain.

The tournament’s bottom side are yet to win in five games, and suffered their second successive abandonment in Colombo.

In contrast to the first abandoned match, where they were well placed to beat England, Pakistan were struggling in this fixture, finding themselves at 92-5 at the 25-over mark, after which the covers came on for good.

The R. Premadasa Stadium is playing host to all of Pakistan’s fixtures and the majority of Sri Lanka’s, but Colombo has been blighted by rain, with this match the fourth of nine staged there to fail to reach a result.

The abandonment means an India win against England on Sunday will ensure Pakistan cannot qualify for the knockout stages despite having two group games left to play.

Even if England are victorious, Pakistan will still need to defeat both South Africa and Sri Lanka and hope a large number of fixtures fall in their favour.

Meanwhile, New Zealand move level with India, who occupy the fourth knockout spot, on four points but having played one game more, with the two sides set to meet on Thursday.

Sophie Devine decided her side would bowl after winning the toss, and New Zealand removed openers Omaima Sohail and Muneeba Ali in the space of four balls to leave Pakistan 30-2 in the seventh over.

Sidra Amin then cut straight to Eden Carson off Lea Tahuhu, with the players coming off for rain immediately afterwards.

Resuming after 90 minutes on 52-3, Natalia Parvaiz holed out to Devine off Carson’s bowling, while Melie Kerr bowled Fatima Sana.

Aliya Riaz, top-scorer with an unbeaten 28, began to rebuild with Sidra Nawaz, but the umpires were forced to call the covers on again and, after almost three hours of waiting for the rain to subside, the match was abandoned.

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England coach Charlotte Edwards says they “got away with it” after the washout against Pakistan, but insists their best is still to come.

Pakistan, who are bottom of the Women’s World Cup table, reduced England to 79-7 and then reached 34-0 in pursuit of 113 to win before rain rescued Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side from a shocking defeat.

Edwards says they have reflected and moved on from that match in Colombo, but is hoping for an improved performance as they take on co-hosts India in a crunch fixture on Sunday.

“We haven’t played our best cricket, which is think encouraging for us as a group and we get to play now against some of the best teams in the world,” Edwards told BBC Sport.

“So I think we’re ready to take that challenge on.

“We were outplayed against Pakistan and we know that, we’ve spoken about it. We did get away with it, but we’ve got to move on.”

England are in a commanding position to reach the semi-finals, likely to only need one win from their last three to confirm their spot, but their results so far have flattered them, particularly in the batting department.

Since the dominant opening win against South Africa, England were 78-5 against Bangladesh, a standalone Sciver-Brunt masterclass ensured a comfortable win against Sri Lanka and then came the lucky escape against Pakistan.

“We probably weren’t as adaptable as I’d have liked,” Edwards added.

“I think there’s been some concerns around our batting, but I haven’t got many. When I came into this role it was about winning first and foremost, and the only game that we haven’t played well is against Pakistan.”

The real test begins now. India have been inconsistent so far but are expecting a sellout crowd in Indore, and impressed beat England away from home this summer.

On Wednesday is the tantalising grudge match, with England face defending champions Australia – the first time they have played one another since the Ashes humiliation at the start of this year before Edwards took charge.

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BBC

A large crowd gathered for the players’ funeral on Saturday

Afghanistan will no longer take part in an upcoming cricket series after it says three players in a local tournament were killed in an air strike.

The Afghan Cricket Board (ACB) said it would withdraw from November’s tri-nation T20 series out of respect for the three, who did not play for the national team, who it said were “targeted” in an “attack carried out by the Pakistani regime” on Friday evening.

The strike hit a home in Urgon district in eastern Paktika province, where the cricketers were eating dinner together after a match, eyewitnesses and local officials told the BBC.

Eight people were killed, the ACB said. Pakistan said the strike targeted militants and denied attacking civilians.

The ACB named the three players who were killed as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon, calling their deaths “a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family”.

The attack came hours after a temporary truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan was due to expire following days of deadly clashes on the border between the two nations. Dozens of casualties have been reported.

Pakistan said it had targeted Afghan militants in the air strike and that at least 70 combatants had been killed.

Pakistan’s Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar said claims that the attack targeted civilians are “false and meant to generate support for terrorist groups operating from inside Afghanistan”.

On Saturday, large crowds of people were seen gathering at the funeral for the strike’s victims.

In a social media post, Afghan national team captain Rashid Khan paid tribute to the “aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage”.

Other players for the Afghan national side joined the tributes, including Fazalhaq Farooqi who said the attack was a “heinous, unforgivable crime”.

The strike came after Pakistani officials said seven soldiers were killed in a suicide attack near the Afghan border on Friday.

The 48-hour truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which began on Wednesday at 13:00 GMT, has reportedly been extended to allow for negotiations.

An Afghan delegation arrived in the Qatari capital of Doha on Saturday for peace talks with the Pakistani side.

The Taliban government said it would take part in the talks despite “Pakistani aggression”, which it says was Islamabad’s attempt to prolong the conflict.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Pakistan should “reconsider its policies, and pursue friendly and civilised relations” with Afghanistan.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Saturday that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif would lead the country’s delegation in Doha.

It said the talks will focus on ending cross-border terrorism and restoring peace and stability on the Pakistan-Afghan border.

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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has revealed the names of three cricketers who were killed in a tragic attack in eastern Paktika province, near the Pakistan border. (AFP Photo) NEW DELHI: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has revealed the names of three cricketers who were killed in a tragic attack in eastern Paktika province, near the Pakistan border. The players, identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, had travelled from Urgun to Sharana, the provincial capital, to take part in a friendly cricket match. After returning home, they were targeted during a gathering in what the ACB described as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”Alongside the three cricketers, five other people were also killed, and seven others were injured in the incident. The ACB described the attack as “a great loss for Afghanistanâ€s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,†extending its “deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families” and the people of Paktika province.In response to this heartbreaking incident, the ACB announced that Afghanistan would withdraw from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, scheduled for late November, “as a gesture of respect to the victims.” “The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime,” ACB wrote. “In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon) alongside 5 other fellow countrymen from Urgun District were martyred, and seven others were injured. The players had earlier traveled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match. After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering. “The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistanâ€s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family. The ACB also extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families of the martyrs and to the people of Paktika Province. “In response of this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan, scheduled to be played in late November. “May Allah (SWT) grant the martyrs the highest ranks in Jannah, bless the injured with a speedy recovery, and grant their families patience, reward, and strength during this time of immense grief,” the board said.Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan expressed his sorrow on social media, stating: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage. It is absolutely immoral and barbaric to target civilian infrastructure. These unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed.”Rashid added, “In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACBâ€s decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else.”Other Afghan internationals also voiced their grief. Fazalhaq Farooqi called it “a heinous, unforgivable crime,” while Mohammad Nabi said, “This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”

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File pic – Afghanistan cricket team (AFP Photo) NEW DELHI: Afghanistan have withdrawn from a tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka next month following the killing of three local cricketers in an attack, the countryâ€s cricket board confirmed on Friday. According to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the players had travelled from Urgun to Sharana in eastern Paktika province, near the Pakistan border, to participate in a friendly match.The ACB stated that “after returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering” in what it described as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”

Pakistan-Afghanistan Clashes: Heavy Fighting Along Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Border, Taliban Posts Damaged

The board identified the three players as “Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon,” and added that five other people were also killed in the attack. No further details about the incident were provided.The ACB said it “considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” while extending its “deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families.”It added that the decision to withdraw from next monthâ€s tri-series was made “as a gesture of respect to the victims.”Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan took to social media and wrote: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage.””It is absolutely immoral and barbaric to target civilian infrastructure. These unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed.“In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACBâ€s decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else,” he wrote. Afghan international cricketer Fazalhaq Farooqi expressed his grief on social media, writing: “The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime.”Another international player, Mohammad Nabi, commented: “This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”

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On October 15, the Pakistan W vs England W match in the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup took place at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo. The Pakistani womenâ€s team won the toss and decided to bowl first. England started their innings by losing their first wicket at the score of 13 runs in the second over. The Pakistani bowling attack completely outclassed Englandâ€s batting line-up, and they kept losing wickets after wickets. Fatima Sana took 4 wickets in this match by giving just 27 runs in her 6 overs. During the first innings, this match was interrupted by heavy rainfall, which resulted in a shorter match of just 31 overs. After the rain break, England resumed their innings and scored 131 runs for 9 wickets in 31 overs.

As per the DLS method, the target for the Pakistani womenâ€s team was 113 runs. Pakistan started their chase on a good note by scoring 34 runs in the first 6 overs, but after that, once again, this match was interrupted by heavy rainfall, which this time resulted in the match being officially abandoned. As a result of this, despite an overall brilliant performance from the Pakistani womenâ€s team, they had to share a point with the England womenâ€s team.

Pakistan W vs England W 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup: Is the Pakistani Womenâ€s Team Eliminated?

The Pakistani women team has not yet been officially eliminated from the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup2025 Women ODI World Cup. Currently, they sit at the bottom of the table with just one point and a net run rate of -1.887. So far in this tournament, Pakistan has played four matches; they lost three back-to-back matches, and their recent match ended in a no-result. Pakistanâ€s road to qualify for the semi-finals now looks extremely challenging. For them to have a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals in the 2025 Women ODI World Cup, they will need to win their remaining three group stage matches with high margins to boost their net run rate. Additionally, they will have to hope that India, New Zealand, and Bangladesh keep losing their remaining matches. Their next match is scheduled on 18 October 2025 against the New Zealand womenâ€s team.

Pakistan W vs England W 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup: Whatâ€s next for Englandâ€s Womenâ€s team?

The England womenâ€s team currently sits at the top of the table with 7 points and a net run rate of +1.864. They have won three matches back-to-back in this tournament, and their fourth match ended in a no-result, giving them a single point. England is one of the predicted teams that will easily qualify for the semi-finals in the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup. For a secure spot in the semi-finals, they just need to win at least 1-2 match from the remaining three group stage matches. In their next match, they will face the Indian womenâ€s team on October 19, 2025.

FAQs

Q. Has the England Womenâ€s team ever won the Womenâ€s ODI World Cup?
A. The England Womenâ€s team has won the Womenâ€s ODI World Cup four times.

Q. Who is the captain of the Pakistani Womenâ€s team?
A. Fatima Sana is the captain of the Pakistani Womenâ€s team in the 2025 Women ODI World Cup.

Q. Has the Pakistani Womenâ€s team ever won the ODI Womenâ€s World Cup?
A. The Pakistani Womenâ€s team has never been able to win the ODI Womenâ€s World Cup.

Q. Has the Pakistani womenâ€s team been eliminated from the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup?
A. The Pakistani womenâ€s team has not yet been officially eliminated; however, if they lose one more match, they will be eliminated from the 2025 Womenâ€s ODI World Cup

Q. Why is the Pakistani womenâ€s team playing their matches in Sri Lanka?
A. All the Pakistani womenâ€s team matches are being played in Sri Lanka because of the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.Â

Get All the ICC Womens World Cup Updates at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook & Instagram.

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England travel to Indore for their next two games to take on their toughest opponents in India, on Sunday, and Australia on 22 October.

Neither are ideal opponents to be facing with batting fragilities to address but the pitches there are expected to be flatter and friendlier to batters.

It was Knight’s gritty determination which rescued them against Bangladesh and Sciver-Brunt’s class ensured they posted a winning total against Sri Lanka, but when both fell early against Pakistan, England could not recover.

“Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight have scored more runs between them than their team-mates combined at this tournament,” World Cup winner Alex Hartley said on BBC Test Match Special.

“That says something within itself, and neither of them batted in the first match. That is a concern.”

Beaumont and Jones have struggled against the swinging ball – stands of six, 24 and 13 following the chase of just 70 in the opener against South Africa – but Charlotte Edwards’ first move in charge was to show faith and re-promote Jones, and it feels unlikely she will disrupt the pair.

After Sciver-Brunt and Knight, England’s next best batter has been number eight Charlie Dean with a steady 27 not out in a tense chase against Bangladesh, a handy 19 against Sri Lanka and she top-scored with 33 against Pakistan.

There have been glimpses of promise from Alice Capsey at seven but Sophia Dunkley and Emma Lamb are struggling to start their innings against spin in the middle order.

Lamb has 18 runs in three innings while Dunkley has 29, each of their dismissals to spin, with the former being asked to play an unfamiliar role.

When batting in the top three in domestic and international cricket, Lamb averages 44 in 61 innings with five centuries. These three innings here are the first she has ever played at number six professionally in the 50-over format.

Danni Wyatt-Hodge is England’s unused batter on the bench, and played in the middle order for a number of years, so it will be interesting to see how long the Lamb experiment continues.

England may have dodged an embarrasing slip-up here, but will be aware things are not going to get any easier.

India and Australia await. Any wobbles against those two and England’s campaign could quickly fall flat.

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England avoided a shock defeat by Pakistan at the Women’s World Cup, being saved by heavy rain in Colombo.

An inspired bowling performance from Pakistan saw England slump to 79-7 after 25 overs before the first heavy downpour began.

After a lengthy delay, the rain eased and play resumed at 31 overs per side, with England posting 133-9 after a useful stand of 47 between Charlie Dean, who top-scored with 33, and Em Arlott.

Pakistan were set a revised target of 113 and made a promising start by reaching 34-0 before the rain resumed and denied them a historic victory, which would have been their first one-day international win over England.

It was a fortunate escape for England who suffered their second batting scare of the tournament, after they recovered from 78-5 to beat Bangladesh, and a big wake-up call before their toughest challenges against India and Australia which come next.

Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side were outplayed by Pakistan, who are winless in the tournament so far, as five wickets fell in the powerplay, including another failure for the opening partnership. Tammy Beaumont was the first to fall, bowled after leaving a superb delivery from Diana Baig which nipped back sharply.

Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana then starred with three wickets, bowling Amy Jones for eight, before claiming the two vital scalps of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight, bowled and lbw for four and 18 respectively.

Without their two most experienced players, England were exposed and caught between attack and defence.

Sophia Dunkley and Alice Capsey were lbw sweeping and Emma Lamb’s struggles at number six continued as she was bowled by spinner Sadia Iqbal for four.

Capsey and Charlie Dean withstood Pakistan’s array of spinners for 70 balls but only added 21 runs before the pressure told on the former, but Dean was proactive once play resumed by adding valuable runs with Arlott.

Pakistan openers Omaima Sohail and Muneeba Ali were confident at the beginning of their reply and England were sloppy with the ball, but it is another heartbreak for them having reduced defending champions Australia to 76-7 before that game also slipped from their grasp.

England now travel to Indore to face India and Australia before they conclude the group stage against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, where flatter pitches are expected at both venues.

They will be hopeful Sophie Ecclestone and Lauren Bell, who were left out of the XI in Colombo for Sarah Glenn and Em Arlott, will recover from illness in time.

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Pakistan ended world champions South Africa’s unbeaten run by completing a 93-run victory in an entertaining and hard-fought first Test in Lahore.

The Proteas, whose 10-match winning streak in Test cricket culminated in victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final in June, were dismissed for 183 in pursuit of 277.

Having resumed on 51-2, they lost first-innings centurion Tony de Zorzi lbw to left-arm quick Shaheen Afridi to the third ball of the day to push the finely-poised chase in Pakistan’s favour.

Left-arm spinner Noman Ali, who took 10-191 in the match, removed Tristan Stubbs for two and bowled Dewald Brevis, who offered some resistence with a run-a-ball 54.

Off-spinner Sajid Khan also took advantage of sharp turn to end opener Ryan Rickelton’s stay – he lasted 145 balls for 45 runs – and Shaheen returned in the afternoon session to knock over the tail with a fine display of reverse swing.

He had Kyle Verreynne lbw for 19 and bowled Prenelan Subrayen and Kagiso Rabada to seal the win.

It was both sides’ first match of the 2025-27 Test championship cycle and moves Pakistan straight into second place behind leaders Australia.

Their victory was built around contributions of 93 by opener Imam-ul-Haq and, crucially, number seven Salman Agha which lifted them to 378.

From there spinners Noman and Sajid took advantage of favourable home conditions, as they did in their Test series win over England last year, to maintain their advantage.

The second and final Test begins on 20 October.

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