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Express Tribune
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Tharanga plots T20 overhaul for Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's chairman of selectors Upul Tharanga is determined to induct young blood in the team with an eye on the T20 World Cup. PHOTO: AFP Sri Lanka's Chairman of Selectors, Upul Tharanga, has vowed to overhaul the national T20 side after a humbling 2-1 series defeat to Bangladesh — their first ever against the neighbours in the shortest format. With the next ICC Men's T20 World Cup on home soil just over a year away, Tharanga is pushing for urgent course correction. Tharanga admitted in an interview with Telecom Asia Sport ( "We've simply been too inconsistent with the bat," "We've tried different combinations, but it's time to bring in fresh blood. Sri Lanka's recent collapse in Dambulla, where they were bundled out for just 94 — their lowest T20 total at home — was followed by a limp 132 in the series decider in Colombo. It left fans stunned and exposed the chronic frailties in the middle order, especially under pressure. Tharanga, a former captain and World Cup winner, has overseen commendable progress in Tests and ODIs since taking over as chief selector. But in T20Is, he concedes the team is lagging. With India and Sri Lanka co-hosting the marquee event in 2026, he knows time is slipping. Fresh Faces, New Ideas Among the names knocking on the door are Nuwanidu Fernando and Pawan Rathnayake — two domestic standouts who may soon get their big break. Tharanga said They've earned their chances. We need energy, hunger, and composure — especially in the middle overs. One player already in the system who could be handed greater responsibility is Janith Liyanage. A consistent performer in ODIs at number six, Liyanage is now being assessed for a similar role in T20s. "He's not a power-hitter, but he reads the game well," said Tharanga. "He adds value as a fielder and a calm presence when things get tense." Bowling Balance and Selection Headaches With a deep pace pool at their disposal, Sri Lanka faces a different challenge: who to leave out. Only two frontline pacers are likely to be picked in the playing XI, making it tough for express bowlers like Matheesha Pathirana and Dushmantha Chameera to feature regularly. Tharanga hinted at a rotation policy to both preserve fitness and inject variety. "We have options, but balance is key. You can't pick everyone, so we need to be smart about who plays when." Perhaps the most glaring issue is Sri Lanka's lack of firepower with the bat. Unlike other top teams, the islanders still struggle to clear the boundary consistently. Tharanga said: "Even in 2014, when we won the title, we weren't reliant on brute force. It was about smart cricket - rotating strike, finding gaps, reading situations. That's missing now, especially in the middle overs. To address that void, Sri Lanka has brought in renowned English power-hitting coach Julian Wood on a short-term assignment. Wood, a former Hampshire batter, has worked with IPL franchises and international teams, focusing on improving strike rates and power output. "It's a good move," said Tharanga. "The boys must absorb as much as they can. T20 cricket is evolving, and we need to keep up." Road to 2026 Begins Now The run-up to the World Cup offers plenty of opportunities to rebuild. Sri Lanka will face England, Pakistan and Zimbabwe in upcoming series, with the Asia Cup looming and a potential home series against India on the cards next month. "Every series from here on is a platform to experiment, refine and commit to a core group," Tharanga said. "We're not far off - but it will take bold decisions, patience, and a bit of risk. We owe that to our fans."
Express Tribune
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Afridi slams India over cancelled WCL match
Former skipper Shahid Afridi is at the centre of the WCL controversy for being his outspoken self. PHOTO: WCL The high-voltage World Championship of Legends clash between Pakistan and India was cancelled under dramatic circumstances on Sunday, and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has pointed fingers - albeit indirectly - at one individual whom he labelled a "rotten egg". "We came here to play cricket, not politics. But one rotten egg destroyed the match," Afridi told Telecom Asia Sport ( during a media interaction. "Players should act as ambassadors of their countries, not as embarrassments." Although Afridi refrained from naming the player, sources indicate he was referring to former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who, along with five other Indian players - Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Shikhar Dhawan, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan - reportedly refused to play due to Afridi's presence in the Pakistan team. The tension stems from the aftermath of the April 22 terror attacks in Pahalgam in Indian-administered Kashmir, which killed 26 people. India blamed Pakistan-based militants, prompting missile and drone strikes across the border. Pakistan responded with counterattacks. The escalation, which temporarily subsided through international intervention - notably by US President Donald Trump - appears to have spilled into the sporting arena. Afridi, who was active on social media during the hostilities, had been a vocal critic of India's actions. This reportedly irked several Indian players, especially Harbhajan, leading to their collective decision to pull out just before the match. "They were here and even trained a day earlier," Afridi revealed. "If they had any objection to me, they could have just said it - I wouldn't have even gone to the stadium. I had a shoulder injury and was not going to play anyway." Afridi further claimed that some Indian players were willing to honour the commitment but were overruled. "Just because of one player who refused to budge, the others backed out. I had already conveyed that I was not playing, so there was no reason for this last-minute drama." The abandoned match disappointed a crowd of over 17,000 fans in Birmingham, who were looking forward to a rare India-Pakistan encounter in the legends format. "This was meant to be a game for fun - a spectacle. But if you keep mixing politics with sport, cricket will always suffer," Afridi said. "In places like the UK, USA and Canada, Indians and Pakistanis live side by side and want these matches. It's time to stop using cricket as a political pawn." Afridi pointed out that the two nations recently competed in volleyball and hockey without incident. "There seems to be a problem only when it's cricket. Why? That's a question India must answer." Pakistan team owner Kamil Khan said discussions with tournament organisers are ongoing. "We want the two points since we didn't forfeit the match," he said. "If Pakistan and India meet in the semi-finals, the match will likely be avoided. But if it's the final - well, that's something we need to decide soon." Afridi ended with a call for renewed sporting diplomacy: "Sports has always helped build bridges. If both countries want to move forward, they must talk - not talking will only deepen the divide."
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
WC stakes fuel Pak-WI scheduling battle
The cricket boards of Pakistan and the West Indies have found themselves at odds over the proposal to convert three scheduled One-Day Internationals into T20 matches — a disagreement that could result in Pakistan cancelling the Caribbean leg of their tour. Pakistan is slated to play three T20Is against the West Indies in Lauderhill, Florida on August 1, 3 and 4, followed by three ODIs in Tarouba on August 8, 10 and 12. However, the PCB has formally requested West Indies cricket board (CWI) to convert the ODIs into T20Is which could serve as preparation for next year's T20 World Cup. PCB Sources confirmed with Telecom Asia Sport ( that CWI has been unwilling to accept the proposal. "The PCB wrote to CWI asking to switch the ODIs into T20Is, but they have neither replied nor shown any readiness to accommodate the request," one official revealed. Officials in the West Indies camp reportedly believe they stand a strong chance of defeating Pakistan in the ODI format — an opportunity to improve their current tenth-place ranking. Pakistan are currently fourth in ODIs, while the West Indies languish in ninth. The stakes are significant: the top eight teams in the ODI rankings, along with hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, will secure direct qualification for the 2027 World Cup. The remaining teams must battle through the qualifiers. West Indies, once the dominant force in one-day cricket, missed out on the 2023 World Cup in India and were forced to qualify for the 2019 edition through a play-off. "It has been a major setback for a side that won the first two ODI World Cups in 1975 and 1979, and finished runners-up in 1983 — all held in England," a source told West Indies administrators believe playing more ODIs against higher-ranked opponents is critical to regaining lost ground and securing automatic entry into the 2027 event. "They feel that if they can defeat Pakistan, it will significantly boost their ranking and improve their qualification prospects," the source added.
Al Etihad
15-07-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
Academies of cricket stars wide off the mark in the UAE
16 July 2025 01:00 Kuumar Shyam (Abu Dhabi)The UAE's fantastic infrastructure for cricket and sports in general is a boon for expatriate families, while star cricketers also love travelling to the Emirates for business and pleasure. Yet, when it comes to coaching academies marrying the two, the sweet spot of success has been week, things came to a head when around 35 families and a few cricket coaches were left in the lurch when branches of Rohit Sharma's CricKingdom Academy at three Dubai schools, managed by local partners Grasport, shut a statement from CricKingdom has insisted it will restart and take a fresh guard, the incident is the latest in a pattern where academies or projects riding on big names such as MS Dhoni, Ravi Ashwin, Yuvraj Singh and even former UAE coach Robin Singh have failed to build an a report by Telecom Asia Sport, a local academy chief Sudhakar Shetty said: 'Parents are sometimes too gullible. They pay hefty fees expecting personal attention from these stars. Disappointment sets in quickly, they pull out their children, and franchise owners are left to cover all expenses. In the long run, sustainability becomes impossible.' Shetty has been running the MaxTalent academy for many in 2016, Dhoni launched his signature centre at Springdale Academy in collaboration with local partners while at the peak of his career. Soon after, Ashwin's Chennai-based GenNext Cricket Academy partnered with Kings' Schools in Dubai. Both have since who followed Dhoni in the captaincy role, also allowed his name to be used as a rubber stamp by people who hoped the name alone would attract students while he was clearly kept busy by his playing schedule. And the academies, often set up with much fanfare and high expectations, promise aspiring cricketers not only expert coaching but also an encounter with their Chakraborty, a former first-division cricketer who was associated both with the Dhoni and Sharma academies, told Telecom Asia Sport that the problem is twofold. 'Firstly, none of the big names have shown the accountability to visit their academies after the inauguration – let alone every few months. The franchise owners soon find the economics of licence fees, facility rentals and coaches' salaries unsustainable.'Among other names, former England cricketers Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff, and Sri Lankan great Aravinda de Silva have also failed to launch academies in the UAE after making initial plans. CricKingdom's four other academies with Sharma in India, Germany, Singapore and Qatar have had no issues. The closures in Dubai came less than a year after the multinational chain CricKingdom ventured out with a Dubai-based company Grasport as partners. Within the first quarter alone, the signs were apparent with coaches going unpaid for months. A statement from CricKingdom is still maintaining that the operation will be revived in a new format, while submitting a detailed timeline to show how they tried to resolve the matter with Grasport, whose founder Suhas Pudota has admitted to the media that he miscalculated the costs and revenues, while offering yet another promise that he will return the dues. While parents will move their children – aspiring to be the next Rohit Sharma – on to other options, most of the coaches, certified by the world body International Cricket Council and who moved to Dubai for this job offer, are now left high and dry without being fully theory, these initiatives bridge the gap between talent-rich regions and professional coaching infrastructure. However, sustainability depends not only on the stature of the cricketer involved but also on the strength of the local partnerships, operational structure and long-term Khan, a long-serving administrator of the Sharjah Cricket Council, believes there is already a strong grassroots ecosystem in the UAE and it is working. 'The Sharjah Cricket Academy, started in 1984, has groomed several national players. There are also committed local coaches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai who have proven their dedication over decades. Running academies by remote control – lending a big name but relying on locals to do all the work – simply doesn't work.'
NDTV
11-07-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Pakistan Government Unlikely To Allow Hockey Teams to Travel To India For Asia Cup, Junior World Cup: Report
The Pakistan government is highly likely to turn down a request from the hockey federation to allow the senior and junior teams to feature in two upcoming events in India due to political tension following the Pahalgam attack and subsequent Operation Sindoor. Pakistan is scheduled to participate in the Asia Cup to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from August 27 to September 7, for which the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has sought the government's clearance. Pakistan is also due to participate in the FIH Junior World Cup, to be played in Chennai in November-December this year. 'There is no chance the Shahzab Sharif-led government will permit the national hockey team in this geo-political situation,' a senior official told Telecom Asia Sport. Sources said members of the coalition government believe it will not be safe to send the team after the armed clashes between the two neighbours. Following a terrorist attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, India launched missile and drone strikes on Pakistan on May 7. Pakistan also responded with air strikes and drone attacks before the four-day conflict ended in a ceasefire. Sources said after hearing an emphatic 'No' from the government, the Pakistan Hockey Federation will demand that FIH and the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) relocate the events to a neutral venue like Malaysia or Oman. 'PHF will try to get the events out of India, but there are very slim chances of that coming about as Malaysia and Oman do not have the requisite money to bid for the events, which is close to 100K dollars,' said PHF sources. Pakistan last toured India for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy, finishing fifth amongst six teams, with India winning the event. No untoward incident happened during the event. Recent reports from India suggested that the authorities were willing to allow Pakistan to feature in the hockey events. Hockey India had also said they have permission from the MEA and the Home Ministry. But ever since the reports surfaced, the Indian media has launched scathing attacks on the permission, which has caused serious apprehensions in Pakistan. Opposition to Pakistan sending the hockey team to India has already started. PM Shahbaz's Youth Affairs program chief Rana Mashood fired the first salvo on Friday. 'We wish that the Pakistan hockey team also defeat India in their den, but after the recent tension, it would not be conducive to send the team to India,' Mashood said in a media talk in Karachi. Mashood has a strong say in the government's decisions on sports and last year helped the Pakistan Hockey Federation to get forty million rupees in a grant to prepare the team for their year's FIH Nations Cup. Olympian Hanif Khan said Pakistan should be allowed to play on a neutral venue. 'After the recent war, Pakistan should not send its team to India because it will not be safe, and we cannot trust India. PHF must demand to host the event in a neutral venue.' Pakistan's non-participation will cost them in a big way as the Asia Cup is a qualifying event for next year's World Cup. Pakistan did not qualify for the 2023 World Cup held in India. They have also not won the Junior World Cup after their win in the inaugural event in 1979. Pakistan hockey team head coach Tahir Zaman said his players are under training. 'Our players are training separately, and we are waiting for government permission. Our preparation will be complete, but it's a government decision which we will follow.'
