Shahid Afridi makes explosive comments, questioning the umpire’s integrity over Fakhar Zaman’s dismissal
Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi launched a scathing attack on the umpire who gave out to Fakhar Zaman against the bowling of Hardik Pandya in Sunday’s Super-four match of the Asia Cup in Dubai. Zaman was given out caught behind on the bowling of Hardik Pandya. The decision was initially made by the on-field umpire and then referred to the third umpire for review. Afridi suggested on a Pakistani TV channel that the umpire was biased towards India, implying the umpire had aspirations to officiate in the Indian Premier League. The caught-behind decision was reviewed by the third umpire, who checked a few slow-motion replays before upholding the call in India’s favour. After returning to the dressing room, Zaman expressed his displeasure at the third umpire’s decision. Afridi, sharing his view, stated that he believed the Pakistan opener was not out. “He has to umpire in the IPL too,” Afridi said on Samma TV, suggesting that the umpire was biased towards India. Former Pakistan batter Mohamamd Yusuf, who was also a part of the panel discussion, echoed Afridi’s sentiments. “They didn’t even check many angles. Fakhar had hit three fours and handled Bumrah with ease in the first over. His wicket was crucial for India,” Yusuf asserted. Earlier, even Pakistan pace great Shoaib Akhtar had termed the third umpire’s call to give Fakhar out, the ‘wrong’ one. “Fakhar wasn’t out. With 26 cameras available, why did the third umpire only check two angles? If Fakhar had stayed, the match might have turned,” he had said.
Abhishek retorts with bat and words
After Sunday’s India -Pakistan clash in Dubai Abhishek Sharma has become a household name in both the countries. Now, He is known as a tormentor after a thrashing 74 off just 39 balls, which steered India again to earn a comfortable six-wicket victory in the Super-four clash against Pakistan in Dubai. Abhishek not only hit sixes but responded to sledging attempts by Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi with words of his own. Tension was evident from the first over. Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma walked out with intent, while Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf met them with stares and words. Abhishek responded immediately, striking over the boundary and exchanging words with Afridi. Soon, both Indian openers exchanged words with the Pakistani bowlers. If the battle on the field wasn’t enough, Abhishek made sure to carry the momentum off it too. Hours after sealing the six-wicket win, he posted pictures from the match with a simple caption, ‘You talk, we win,’ and the post became viral. In his post-match chat, Abhishek made it clear, saying, “The way they were coming out to us without any reason, I did not like it at all. That’s why I went after them. I wanted to deliver for the team.” His words summed up India’s night in Dubai. Pakistan had started with fire, racing to 91 for the loss of one wicket inside 10 overs, but ended with only 171 on the board as the Indian bowlers clawed back. In reply, India’s openers turned the chase into a spectacle.
The reforms in Jammu and Kashmir cricket propels Mithun Manhas as the leading candidate for the BCCI president’s post
Former Delhi batsman Mithun Manhas has emerged as the frontrunner for the BCCI’s new president post. One key reason for Mithun’s rise is his role in reviving cricket in Jammu and Kashmir. As the Head of Cricket Operations at the JKCA, he implemented improvements in infrastructure development and made the selection processes more transparent. He also introduced youth development through talent hunts and provided essentials like uniforms and gear for players and coaches. Mithun’s efforts improved playing conditions by installing dome covers and increasing turf wickets. These changes led to Jammu and Kashmir’s impressive performances in national tournaments, such as the Ranji Trophy and the Syed Mustaq Ali Trophy. Manhas has played 157 first-class matches and scored 9,714 runs in a career spanning 18 years. Roger Binny, the former all-rounder, who was the BCCI president, has stepped down because of the 70-years age cap rule for office bearers. Sources state that the BCCI will keep Devajit Sakia as secretary and Rajeev Shukla as vice-president. Veteran politician Shukla has served for five years as vice-president.
ICC rejects Pakistan’s appeal; appoints Andy Pycroft as the match-referee for India-Pak Super-4 tie
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Pakistan’s appeal to remove Andy Pycroft from the ‘match-referee’ chair for the forthcoming Super-4 stage match on Sunday in the ongoing Asia Cup. According to a report from PTI, Andy Pycroft is going to be again the ‘match-referee’ for the forthcoming Super-4 stage match between India and Pakistan on Sunday. The handshake controversy in the India-Pakistan group league match on 14th September rocked the cricket fraternity as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made repeated appeals to the ICC to dismiss Pycroft from match-referee’s chair in the tournament and also urged for an investigation against Pycroft’s alleged violation of the Code of Conduct. The issue had started when the Indian team refused to shake hands with the Pakistani team after their clash on 14th September. Since then, a lot has been said. The PAK team threated to pull out from the UAE match if referee Andy Pycroft was not removed. Later, Pycroft was made to issue an apology. On Thursday, it had emerged that ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta had fired an email to the PCB, over the Andy Pycroft meeting. The Pakistan team manager had recorded the meeting, and ICC had cited PMOA violations for the same.
ICC not to remove Pycroft from Asia Cup: Will Pakistan withdraw from UAE match?
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has informed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that it will not accept PCB’s demand to remove match-referee Andy Pycroft from the ongoing Asia Cup. The controversy has escalated, as Cricbuzz reports that the PCB is considering instructing the Pakistan team to withdraw from their next match against UAE in protest over the ICC’s decision. Such a move would eliminate Pakistan from the tournament, as they and the UAE are vying for the second Super Four spot from Group A. India has already advanced by defeating both the UAE and Pakistan. The PCB complained to the ACC and ICC, stating that Pycroft had little to no involvement in the incident. According to the PCB, he only relayed the Indian team’s message to Pakistan captain, Salman Ali Agha, in order to avoid embarrassment at the toss for the India-Pakistan match. Salman didn’t look upset at toss time. But after Suryakumar Yadav and his mates refused to shake hands after the game, he refused to turn up for the post-match interview. “The PCB has lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding violations by the Match Referee of the ICC Code of Conduct and the MCC Laws pertaining to the Spirit of Cricket. The PCB has demanded an immediate removal of the Match Referee from the Asia Cup,” Naqvi had written to ICC. It will be fascinating to see whether PCB and Naqvi have the guts to pull out of what is a virtual knockout match. This would mean that Pakistan will be eliminated from the Asia Cup in the group stage itself.
Irfan Pathan slams Pakistan, says even a domestic team from India can beat them!
Irfan Pathan slammed Pakistan, saying even a domestic side from India could beat them. He went on to say teams like Mumbai and Punjab, which have become consistent in white-ball Indian domestic tournaments, could beat Pakistan. “If you ask which of our domestic teams can beat Pakistan, I know for sure Mumbai can beat them. Punjab can beat them,” said Irfan on Sony Sports Network. India were clinical in their approach, limiting Pakistan to 127/9 in 20 overs after being asked to bowl first. While chasing, the toothless Pakistani bowling attack was no match for the Indian batters either, as the Men in Blue chased down the modest target in 15.5 overs with seven wickets in hand. Former Mumbai cricketer Abhishek Nayar also agreed to Pathan’s notion, explaining that the match could have been a better preparatory match for India if it was India versus India! “We were thinking about how to build up the game. Pakistan came with spinners and did not have fast bowlers. Their bowling was different, but there was no actual difference. From the start to the end, after winning the toss and batting first to the chase, Pakistan were not in the competition at all. If India were playing versus India, and it was more of a practice match for the future,” said Nayar.
India to stick with ‘no handshake’ policy against Pakistan in Asia Cup
It is learnt that Indian cricket team have decided to carry on with the ‘no handshake’ policy with Pakistan even if both teams meet again in the Super-4 stage of the ongoing Asia Cup. India captain Suryakumar Yadav and his players showed a symbolic protest, leaving the ground directly without handshaking with the Pakistani cricketers after drubbing them in the group league match on Sunday. According to reports published in The Economic Times, it is believed that India will not shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts, both in the Super 4 stage and in the final, if they meet. According to the reports, the decision of not exchanging the sporting gesture through handshakes after the match was taken after Team India received an instruction from the BCCI. It is also believed that the BCCI and the team management were reportedly involved in a discussion over the recent demand from a section of fans and political parties to boycott the game against Pakistan. Defending the decision, a BCCI official explained while speaking to PTI, “Look, if you read the rule book, there is no specification about shaking hands with the opposition. It is a goodwill gesture and a sort of convention not law that is followed globally across the sporting spectrum. If there is no law, then the Indian cricket team is not bound to shake hands with an opposition with whom there is a history of strained relationship,” the BCCI official said. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has officially lodged a complaint to the Asian Cricket Council, mentioning India’s gesture as ‘unsporting’.
Shastri hails Samson’s form, says he is dangerous in top order
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri made a huge appreciation of Sanju Samson’s latest form in the T-20 format. He urged the team management to allow the batsman to play within the ‘top-three’. The Asia Cup T-20 will start on 9th September, as India begin their campaign against hosts UAE in Dubai on 10th September. Sanju Samson has been in inspiring form since he started playing as an opener in 2024, scoring 861 runs in 41 T20Is. The Indian wicketkeeper has scored three T20I hundreds in just 12 innings, maintaining a strike rate of 152.38. However, his performance drops significantly when batting in other positions, with a highest score of only 29 in nine innings. “Samson is most dangerous in the top three. That is where he can win matches. He should be left there. Samson has a strong record for India at the top in T20s, ” explained Shastri, who coached India from 2017 to 2021. “Samson should continue playing the way he has for India in T20s. He has been consistent at the top with big runs and hundreds,” Shastri added. Shastri, speaking on the bowling department, said he believes spin will play a crucial role in the upcoming tournament. “Given the conditions in Dubai and the heat, spin will definitely be the flavour of the month. Teams like Afghanistan might even play four spinners. Whether it’s two or three, it depends on balance, but spinners will certainly be in big demand in Dubai. You need both finger spin and wrist spin. India has that luxury, and they’ll all come into play depending on conditions,” the former spin-bowling all-rounder said.
Lalit Modi drops another IPL bombshell!
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi claimed that he broke broadcasting rules for the first match of the tournament back in 2008 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL encounter. Modi said that he was willing to ‘break every rule in the book’ given the magnitude of the occasion. Modi claimed that he was worried about the reach that Sony Network had at that moment and decided to override their exclusive broadcasting rights. Instead, he instructed other broadcasters as well as news channels to go live with the match at the same time. “Everything, everything was dependent on that one game. I broke every rule in the book that day. I signed the contract, an exclusive contract with Sony, but Sony didn’t have the reach. I said open the signal. Was it now available everywhere? And I told all the broadcasters who lost out, all of you, all news channels, go live,” Lalit told Michael Clarke during a recent podcast. Sony said, ‘I’ll sue you. ‘I said ‘Sue me later, forget about it? Ok, we are going live now because you don’t have the reach. I needed everybody to watch the first game. If the first game had flopped, I was dead.” Following his recent revelations about IPL broadcasting, Lalit Modi found himself embroiled in a major controversy once again after he released a video of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreeshanth during the IPL 2008. The ‘Slapgate’ row caused a huge stir at that time, but Harbhajan heavily criticized Lalit Modi for revealing the video after such a long time. “The way the video has been leaked it’s wrong. It shouldn’t have happened. They might have a selfish motive behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago, people have forgotten, and they are reminding people about it,” Harbhajan told Instant Bollywood.
Kieron Pollard Creates History
Legendary West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard entered his name in the history books on Saturday (August 30) by becoming the second cricketer in the world to score 14,000 runs in T20s. The 38-year-old all-rounder needed 19 runs on Saturday to complete 14,000 runs in T20s and join Chris Gayle in the elite list, and he achieved the objective by remaining unbeaten on 19 runs from nine balls for Trinbago Knight Riders in the 16th league match of Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 against Barbados Royals at Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad. Gayle finished his T20 career with 14,562 runs in 463 matches, whereas Pollard has 14,000 runs to his name in 712 matches. Kieron Pollard created a world record and he became the first player in the world to score 14000 runs and scalp 300 wickets in T20 cricket. Only one batsman – Chris Gayle – has managed to score more than 14000 runs in the shortest format. There are many bowlers with more than 300 wickets, but only Pollard has 14000 runs as well. The former West Indies T20I captain has 14000 runs and 332 wickets in 712 T20s he has played so far. Pollard played 101 T20Is before giving up international cricket. Gayle, T20 cricket’s highest run-scorer, has 14562 runs in the format. His tally includes 22 centuries and 88 fifties. Pollard is only 563 runs away from overtaking him and he can become the T20 cricket’s highest run-scorer in the next couple of years. Rashid Khan tops the wicket-taking list in T20s. The Afghanistan leg-spinner has 661 wickets in 488 matches. He can become the first bowler in the world to scalp 1000 T20 wickets. He is followed by Dwayne Bravo, who has dismissed 631 wickets. With 590 wickets, Sunil Narine sits in the third position. Throughout his T20 career spanning from 2006 to 2025, Pollard has represented 19 different teams, including the West Indies national team. His impressive statistics include one century and 64 half-centuries in the format, along with 876 fours and 942 sixes. In international cricket, Pollard scored 1,569 runs in 101 T20Is for the West Indies. His Indian Premier League career with Mumbai Indians has been particularly noteworthy, amassing 3,412 runs in 189 matches. Pollard’s contribution to T20 cricket extends beyond batting, as he has claimed 332 wickets as a bowler, making him one of the most versatile players in the format. His all-round capabilities have been displayed across various T20 leagues worldwide, including the Big Bash League and The Hundred.
