Sport
Salman Agha named Pakistan captain for T20 series and Asia Cup
Salman Agha has been handed the captaincy for the tri-series against Afghanistan and the UAE on August 29, followed by the Asia Cup starting September 9.
Pakistan will head into the upcoming Asia Cup and tri-nation T20 series in the UAE without star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday.
All-rounder Salman Agha has been handed the captaincy for the tournament, which begins with a tri-series against Afghanistan and the UAE on August 29, followed by the Asia Cup starting September 9.
Babar and Rizwan, who have been central to Pakistan’s T20 setup in recent years, have not featured in the format since December. Head coach Mike Hesson explained the decision, noting that while both remain key players, the current squad members have been delivering strong performances.
“We know what a fine player Babar is,” Hesson said at a press conference. “He has been asked to improve in certain areas, such as handling spin and increasing his strike rate. He is working hard on those aspects. For now, the players in the squad are making a positive impact, and we want to keep that momentum.”
Since Hesson took charge in May, Pakistan have enjoyed mixed results: a 3-0 home series win, a 2-1 loss away to Bangladesh, and a 2-1 victory against the West Indies in the United States. The coach said the current focus is on building towards success in the upcoming competitions.
“Our aim is to win the tri-series and the Asia Cup,” Hesson added. “We want the team to peak in these pinnacle events.”
The squad includes the return of fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza, with Mirza back after his seven-wicket haul in Bangladesh earlier this year. Fakhar Zaman also rejoins the team following an injury that kept him out of the recent ODI series in the West Indies, which Pakistan lost 2-1.
Pakistan squad: Salman Agha (captain), Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hussain Talat, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim.
Afghanistan has not yet named its squad for the series or the Asia Cup.
Arman FC suffered a 1-0 defeat against Abu Muslim Farah in the 83rd match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Wednesday.
Abu Muslim Farah found the back of the net once in the first half, taking a 1-0 lead into the break.
Despite efforts from both sides in the second half, neither team managed to score, and the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Arman FC will face Kabul Istiqlal on November 15 in their final match of the competition, while Abu Muslim Farah will take on Toofan Herat on November 14.
All matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are broadcast live on Ariana Television.
Sorkh Poshan Khafi have mathematically secured the sixth-season Roshan Afghanistan Champions League title after recording a commanding 7-0 victory over Khurasan Faryab in the competition’s 82nd match on Wednesday.
The Herat-based side moved to 47 points from 17 matches, putting the championship beyond the reach of their closest rivals with one fixture still remaining in their campaign.
The title was effectively decided by the result, rather than the conclusion of the competition, as other teams still have matches to play.
Before Wednesday’s encounter, Sorkh Poshan had 44 points, six ahead of second-placed Abu Muslim Farah. Even if Abu Muslim win both of their remaining matches, they can reach only 44 points, leaving Sorkh Poshan uncatchable.
Sorkh Poshan took a 1-0 lead into half-time in Wednesday’s match before producing a devastating second-half display, scoring six additional goals to complete the 7-0 rout.
The victory also confirmed the club’s outstanding consistency throughout the campaign, establishing them as the season’s dominant side.
Sorkh Poshan will play their final league fixture against Omar Zawak on November 15, giving the team an opportunity to finish their campaign on another high note.
Khurasan Faryab, meanwhile, are scheduled to face Sarsabz Yashlar on November 14 as the remaining league fixtures continue.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League features 10 clubs competing in a league format, with the title now decided ahead of the final round of matches.
Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) broadcasts all matches of the competition live on Ariana Television.
Sport
Historic first for Rahmat Shah after ICC rankings update
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill.
Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has created history by becoming the first player from his country to enter the top 10 in any category of the ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings.
Rahmat climbs six spots to seventh on the rankings for Test batters following his innings of 173 in the opening match of Afghanistan’s two-game series with Zimbabwe in Sharjah, with the in-form right-hander reaching a new career-high rating in the process.
It was Rahmat’s fifth Test century of his career and second this year and it helped the 33-year-old jump in front of the likes of India captain Shubman Gill, South Africa opener Aiden Markram and Sri Lanka left-hander Kamindu Mendis and earn a spot inside the top 10 for the very first time.
It caps off a good fortnight for Afghanistan, who earlier this month achieved their highest-ever spot on the ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings when they rose to sixth on the back of a tri-series triumph over Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.
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