PCB to omit star Shaheen’s trio for West Indies tour Pakistan have endured a difficult few years on and off the field, with back-office turmoil and mismanagement leading to poor performances by the team as seen in the last three major ICC events, which we covered with our cricket predictions.  The Shaheens suffered premature ejections from the ODI World Cup in 2023, the T20 World Cup last year, and the ICC Champions Trophy, which they hosted a few months ago but failed to get beyond the group stage.  However, there is reason for optimism lately, as the Green Shirts just completed a three-match T20 series against Bangladesh on home soil and produced excellent performances to whitewash the Tigers 3-0, helping them build momentum for their upcoming tour to the West Indies.  Ahead of the Bangladesh series, the PCB made significant changes to the national team by omitting three of their star players in Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi, which sent shockwaves across the nation.  Having won the series fairly comfortably, reports in the lead-up to the team’s trip to the Caribbean now suggest that the Board, following consultation with head coach Mike Hesson and current captain Salman Ali Agha, are likely to leave out the trio again for the upcoming tour.  While Azam and Rizwan’s omissions were somewhat less surprising, given they were also dropped after losing to South Africa earlier this year, Afridi’s potential exclusion is extremely unexpected when considering how well he performed at the PSL this season.  It is understood that the national selection committee, which includes Aaqib Javed, Aleem Dar, Safaraz Ahmed, Sikandar Bakht and Salman Agha, cited concerns around form, team dynamics and internal behaviour as part of their reason for overlooking the Pakistani trio.  Pakistan-West Indies tour schedule For Pakistan’s T20 series against Bangladesh, Shadab Khan served as deputy to Agha, while Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah were recalled to the squad. Saim Ayub returned from an injury sustained against the Proteas, and PSL top-scorer Sahibzada Farhan was also summoned.  Pakistan squad vs Bangladesh: Salman Ali Agha (c), Shadab Khan (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub There is widespread expectation that, given how the Shaeens performed against the Tigers, Hesson and co are likely to remain unchanged when they head to the Americas to face the West Indies next month. Pakistan and the Windies are set to play three T20 matches at the Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium in Florida on July 31 and August 2 and 3, before heading south to the Caribbean for three one-day internationals between August 8 and 12.  More cricket news 

Headingley Cricket Ground (Leeds) The first match of India’s five-match Test tour to England gets underway at Headingley on June 20, and we will be covering the fixture with our cricket predictions, so be sure to check them out before the toss.  Back in the early 1900s, it was a common occurrence for sports grounds to be used for multiple sporting events, and Headingley was no different, with football matches frequently staged on the pitch during the cricketing offseason.  In 1932, one such football match left the batting strip badly damaged that the next County Championship match at the venue was almost unplayable, with players having to endure uneven bounce and poor underfoot conditions.  As a result, the Yorkshire County Cricket Club was forced to intervene, setting stricter rules around the use of the pitch for multi-sports use. This proved to be a catalyst for widespread change, with several other venues following suit to ensure the preservation of the playing surface’s integrity, specifically for cricket.  Edgbaston Cricket Ground (Birmingham) Edgbaston has two major pieces of history attached to it, but arguably the most important (and well-known) is that it was the first cricket ground in England to have floodlights installed in 1997, which enabled day-night matches to be played at the venue. If you’ve ever watched or visited Edgbaston, you likely know that one of the most iconic sections of the ground is known as the Eric Hollies stand, which is famous for its electric atmosphere and colourful characters.  However, do you know how it got its name? Well, the stand is named after bowler Eric Hollies, who denied Donald Bradman a massive record. Bradman played the final match of his Test career at the venue, and Hollies dismissed him for a duck, which prevented the legendary batsman from retiring with a perfect batting average of 100.  View the latest cricket odds Lord’s Cricket Ground (London) Known as the “Home of Cricket”, Lord’s is steeped in heritage and memories. However, it is also full of fun facts; most notably, it is home to the world’s oldest sporting museum, which also houses the original Ashes urn.   Another quirky fact about the venue is that it has a sloping outfield. While other grounds around the world also have their ups and downs, Lord’s has a 2.5 metre slope from one end to the other, which aids bowling and can make batting an absolute nightmare. One other piece of trivia about the Home of Cricket is that it operates entirely on renewable energy. Some of the initiatives include wind energy, a rainwater recycling system, solar thermal panels and green walls.  Old Trafford (Manchester) While the name Old Trafford is synonymous with English Premier League outfit Manchester United, the cricket and football stadiums are not the same. They are both located in Greater Manchester but are separated by a short walk.  Old Trafford has been in existence since the 1800s, but the greatest memory of the venue was created in 1956, when English bowler ...

Premier League clubs keeping tabs on Lookman While several European powerhouses have put transfer decisions on hold until the end of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, others are taking advantage of the transfer window extension to get early deals done before the mad scramble for reinforcements in September.  Some of the clubs that have already made moves in the transfer market are Liverpool and Manchester United, with the former set to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, while the Red Devils have already acquired the services of Brazilian Matheus Cunha.  However, there is still plenty expected to happen between now and the start of next season, and one player who has popped up on the radar of several EPL clubs in recent weeks is Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman.  The 27-year-old enjoyed another productive season in Italy, scoring 15 goals and providing five assists to help Atalanta BC to third place in Serie A, which secured them Champions League qualification for a second consecutive season.  However, despite his impressive performance for La Dea in 2024-25, reports in recent days have suggested that the Nigerian star is looking for a move back to England, with Liverpool, Man United and Arsenal all believed to be interested in securing his services. The Reds had approached Atalanta to sign Lookman in January, but they were unwilling to allow him to leave mid-season. However, it is understood that the Serie A giants are now open to the possibility of allowing him to depart for a fee in the region of £50.4m.  There is also a belief that Arne Slot’s side may be considering a swap deal for Lookman, with Federico Chiesa, who has struggled to find his footing since arriving at Anfield, possibly headed in the opposite direction.  Check out our football predictions Former Arsenal star urges Gunners to sign Lookman Aside from Liverpool, Arsenal are expected to be busy in the transfer window, as they look for attacking reinforcements after Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz were both forced to spend the majority of last season on the sidelines due to injury.  Following the departure of Eddie Nketiah to Crystal Palace, Jesus is the only recognised striker at the Emirates Stadium at present, and in his absence, Mikel Arteta was forced to deploy Mikel Merino in a more advanced role.  In the last week, former Arsenal star Ian Wright urged the Gunners to consider signing Lookman this summer, stating that the Nigerian attacker has “unfinished business” in the Premier League.  Lookman began his career at the Charlton academy and had unsuccessful spells at Everton, Fulham and Leicester City before finally finding a home at Atalanta, where he led the team to the Europa League title, scoring a hat-trick in the final.  During his time in Bergamo, Lookman has scored 52 goals and provided 25 assists in 118 appearances, including a career-best 20 goals and seven assists across all competitions last season.  More football news 

Dilmperis pens new deal with Punjab FC The 2024-25 Indian Super League season was one of the best in the league’s history, as it delivered fierce battles and saw Mohun Bagan Super Giant produce a memorable campaign in which they secured the domestic double, lifting the ISL Shield and Cup.  However, MBSG was not the only team in the ISL to make major progress this term – Punjab FC, under the guidance of head coach Panagiotis Dilmperis, continued to establish itself as a proper contender in their second full season in the top flight.  The Shers suffered major setbacks with injuries to players, but finished in 10th place in the league standings with 28 points. The highlight of their season, though, was reaching the quarter-final of the Kalinga Super Cup.  As a result, the club opted earlier this week to hand Dilmperis a contract extension until 2027, rewarding the Greek tactician for his part in a solid season and for the strong progress he has made behind the scenes in reaching key milestones.  One of the most notable improvements the 50-year-old has pioneered was the strides made in the club’s youth development, for which they received the award as the Best Elite Youth Program for the 2024-25 season. In an interview following his contract extension, Dilmperis said:  “I’m honoured to continue this exciting journey with Punjab FC. I want to sincerely thank Punjab FC for trusting me and giving me the opportunity to be part of Indian football. It has been a rewarding experience working with such talented and hardworking players. I believe Indian football has immense potential, and I’m proud to contribute to its growth through our work at Punjab FC.” The Shers fielded the youngest squad in the league with an average age of 25 years and 216 days last term, while nine players were drafted into the senior team and six went on to make their top-flight debut under Dilmperis.  Check out our football predictions Punjab FC players earn national team call-ups In addition to retaining the services of Dilmperis for the foreseeable future, Punjab also handed new deals to the Greek manager’s entire coaching staff, including assistant coaches  Konstantinos Katsaras and Ioannis Papaioannou.  Punjab’s coaching team have worked tirelessly to develop their young squad, and their efforts were certainly not in vain, as two of their brightest prospects, Abhishek Singh and Nikhil Prabhu, both earned their maiden call-ups to the Indian national team this month.  Unfortunately for the Blue Tigers, they suffered an agonising defeat in their AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon, when Stefan Pereira tucked away a penalty for the Dragons in the 94th minute.  More football news

PKL legend calls it quits after auction snub The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has experienced a rapid rise in recent years, with the game expanding beyond India’s borders, as illustrated by the Kabaddi World Cup being hosted in England for the first time ever in March this year.  The PKL Season 12 auction took place in Mumbai on May 31 and June 1, with a staggering 529 players from several countries, including India, Iran, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the UK, among others, being put up for sale. The upcoming campaign is also expected to be the most widely covered by the best betting sites in India ever.  Ultimately, only 121 players at the auction were sold, leaving over 400 individuals without a franchise for the upcoming season, and that included legendary raider Pardeep Narwal, who has been a part of the league for 10 years.  After going unpicked, the 28-year-old stunned kabaddi fans by announcing his retirement from the league via a live video with popular Indian sports broadcaster Sunil Tanjena. He also acknowledged that his performances in recent years were not up to the mark based on his own lofty standards. He said:  « Honestly, I didn’t feel much at that moment. I was like, Okay, maybe someone will definitely bid. When I played for Patna earlier, I used to score 200-300 points. Now, even 111 or 122 doesn’t feel enough. I want to score 15-16 points per match, not just three or four.”  Narwhal’s incredible achievements in the PKL earned him the nickname “Dubki King,” and during his tenure, he racked up a stunning tally of 1,801 raid points and still holds the record for the most raid points in a single season – 369 for Patna Pirates back in Season 5.  Check out our sports predictions Narwal’s plans for life after Pro Kabaddi League After confirming his retirement, Narwal revealed that his focus from here on will be to make the transition into coaching, reaffirming his choice to call time on his playing career, while also stating that his fans should accept his decision.  Dubki King spent five seasons with the Patna Pirates and led the franchise to three PKL titles. He was also the first player to be awarded Top Raider twice before moving to UP Yoddas for a staggering ₹1.65 crore in Season 8.  In the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, Narwal posted 188 and 220 points for the Uttar Pradesh outfit, helping them to back-to-back semi-finals. However, he only managed 111 raid points in Season 11 while playing for the Bengaluru Bulls.  Narwal was a key member of the Indian national kabaddi team that won the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship, cementing his place in the history books as one of the greatest of all time. More kabaddi news

Gill looking forward to captaincy challenge against England With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both calling time on their Test careers, we are on the cusp of a new era for Indian cricket, with Shubman Gill now set to lead the team in the longest format of the game.  India have already arrived in England to commence preparations for their upcoming five-match Test series, which gets underway at Headingley on June 20, and our cricket predictions will be available throughout the tour, so be sure to check them out.  The last time the Men in Blue played a Test series was at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in December last year, where they were well below their best, losing the series 3-1 – a result that piled pressure on Sharma, who was very poor and even dropped for a match.  Indeed, captaining India is not for the faint-hearted – in fact, it is often called the second-most important job in India behind being the prime minister. However, despite the pressure, Gill seems unfazed ahead of the upcoming series. He said in an interview:  « To be able to get this opportunity is a great honour… it’s a big responsibility. I’m looking forward for this exciting opportunity, and I think the upcoming series in England is going to be a very exciting one. I believe in leading by example, not just by my performance but, off the field, by my discipline and hard work.” Gill’s appointment is not the only notable change to India’s Test squad of late, as wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant will serve as the team’s vice-captain, ahead of Jasprit Bumrah, whose workload is still being managed following injury.  Gill in great nick following impressive IPL campaign  While the 2025 Indian Premier League ultimately ended in disappointment for the Gujarat Titans after they bowed out in the Playoffs to the Mumbai Indians, Gill’s performance in the competition was superb.  Alongside Sai Sudharsan at the top of the Titans’ order, Gill and his opening partner ended the competition in first and fourth place in the Orange Cap standings, with 759 and 650 runs, respectively.  On a personal level, the new skipper will also be looking to redeem himself after a very poor showing at the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he scored just 93 runs in five innings, posting scores of 20, 13, 1, 31 and 28. Overall, though, Gill has played 32 Tests for India and has scored 1,893 runs at an average of 35.0. He has scored seven fifties and five centuries, with a strike rate of 59.9 and a high score of 128 against Australia in March 2023.  More cricket news

Bengal Warriorz – Head coach Naveen Kumar The Bengal Warriors made headlines at the PKL Season 12 player auction by splashing out ₹2.205 crore to bring in last season’s top raider Devank Dalal, who will captain the team, which also sees the return of Korean star Jang Kun Lee.  Raiders: Sushil Kambrekar, Vishwas S, Manprit, Punit Kumar, Rachit Kumar, Jang Kun Lee, Omid Khojasteh Mohammadshah, Himanshu, Devank Defenders: Yash Malik, Manjeet, Deep Kumar, Amandeep, Ankit, Sandeep, Harander, Parteek, Mayur Jagannath Kadam, Ashish, Nitesh Kumar All-rounders: Moolchandra Singh, Shivansh Thakur Bengaluru Bulls – Head coach BC Ramesh Following a disappointing Season 11, the Bengaluru Bulls have made significant changes to their squad for 2025, retaining only four players who featured for the franchise in the previous season. Among their most notable acquisitions are Akash Shine and Alireza Mirzaeian.  Raiders: Manjeet, Pankaj, Pirati Srisivatejesh, Ganesha B. Hanamantagol, Aashish Malik, Shubham Bitake, Mahipal, Akash Santosh Shinde Defenders: Lucky Kumar, Deepak S, Shubham Rahate, Manish, Satyappa Matti, Ankush, Sanjay, Yogesh All-rounders: Chandranaik M, Amit Singh Thakur, Sahil Suhas Rane, Sachin, Ahmadreza Asgari, Alireza Mirzaeian, Dheeraj Dabang Delhi KC – Head coach Joginder Narwal The PKL Season 8 champs, Dabang Delhi, used their Final Bid Match to keep hold of their star raider Ashu Malik for the upcoming campaign, while they also bolstered their ranks by signing defensive stalwart Fazel Atrachali and Neeraj Narwal.  Raiders: Mohit, Anil Gurjar, Vijay, Ajinkya Ashok Pawar, Akshit, Neeraj Narwal, Ashu Malik Defenders: Sandeep, Anurag, Raman Singh, Mohit, Saurabh Nandal, Gaurav Chhillar, Surjeet Singh, Amirhossein Bastami, Fazel Atrachali All-rounders: Amit, Ashish Kumar, Naveen, Arkam Shaikh Gujarat Giants – Head coach Jaivir Sharma With Fazel Atrachali headed to Dabang Delhi, the Gujarat Giants will need to find a new skipper for Season 12. However, that could be an easy decision for the franchise after they locked in two-time champion Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh for a whopping ₹2.23 crore.  Raiders: Rakesh, Parteek Dahiya, Himanshu Singh, Himanshu, Shridhar Ananda Kadam, Ankit, K Harish, Ajith V Kumar Defenders: Amit, Sumit, K Harish, Rohit Kumar, Milad Jabbari, Lucky Sharma, Shubham Kumar  All-rounders: Himanshu Yadav, Visvanth V, Nitin Panwar, Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh  Check out our sports predictions Haryana Steelers – Manpreet Singh Haryana Steelers clinched the title last season and have opted to keep hold of the majority of the team that served them so well in 2024. However, they have brought in a few notable additions, including the likes of Shahan Sha Mohammed from Bangladesh.  Raiders: Vikas Ramadas Jadhav, Vinay, Shivam Anil Patare, Jaya Soorya, Vishal Tate, Mayank Saini, Ghanshyam Roka Magar, Shahan Sha Mohammed, Naveen Kumar Defenders: Jaideep, Manikandan, Rahul Sethpal, Ankit, Sachin, Ritik, Hardeep, Rahul, Zubair All-rounders: Sahil, Ashish Jaipur Pink Panthers – Head coach Narender Redhu The Jaipur Pink Panthers lost the services of their captain, Arjun “Raid Machine” Deshwal, to the Tamil Thalaivas at the PKL 12 auction, but they did manage to lure in Nitin Kumar Dhankhar and Uday Parte for ₹1.002 crore and ₹50.10 lakh, respectively.  Raiders: Sombir, Ritik Sharma, ...

Cricket Australia hoping for BCCI to revise restrictions If there was any doubt around whether Virat Kohli is one of the greatest batsmen over the last decade, those were put to rest at the 2025 Indian Premier League, where he led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden title in his 18th campaign with the franchise.  Kohli ended the competition as RCB’s leading run-scorer and third in the Orange Cap standings with 657 runs, averaging 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71. He was also the team’s top scorer in the final against the Punjab Kings, scoring 43 runs off just 35 deliveries.  After winning IPL 2025, Cricket Australia revealed their desire to see the Indian superstar feature in the Big Bash League, despite the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) restrictions on male Indian players. While the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Deepti Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur have all participated in the Women’s BBL in the past, their male counterparts are not allowed to do so owing to the BCCI’s current ruling, which prohibits Indian male cricketers from playing in T20 leagues abroad unless they are retired from all forms of cricket for the nation.  Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg said in a recent media interview:  « We would love to welcome some Indian players to the BBL. That would be fantastic. That’s certainly some conversations that we will continue to have with the BCCI. I mean, I would love to see Virat Kohli playing in the BBL this year. That would certainly create some interest in crowds and ratings, I’m sure. But at the moment, that’s not happening, but we do have our ambitions to do those types of things. » Greenberg went on to emphasise the expanding presence of Indian owners and corporations in international cricket, pointing to recent takeovers of teams in the SA20 and The Hundred, such as the Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles and Manchester Originals.  More cricket news What happened at the 2024-25 Big Bash League? The 14th edition of the Big Bash League saw the Hobart Hurricanes crowned as champions after beating the Sydney Thunder by seven wickets in the final at the Ninja Stadium in Bellerive on January 27.  Batting first, the Thunder posted a defendable total of 182/7 in their 20 overs, but the Hurricanes proved too strong and chased down the target with 35 balls to spare, and for the loss of just three wickets.  Twenty-three-year-old Mitchell Owen was the standout performer in the final, smashing a sizzling 108 runs off just 42 balls, including six fours and 11 sixes at a strike rate of 257.14, which earned him the coveted Player of the Match award.  Hobart will aim to defend their maiden title in the 15th edition of the tournament, which is expected to get underway in December, while the 2025-26 season players draft will be held on 19 June 2025.  Check out our sports predictions 

Football: “Maybe Man Utd or Chelsea” – Eric Chelle on Victor Osimhen’s next club