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The matches – 34 in total – will be played across Rawalpindi, Karachi, Multan and Lahore

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-2025The tenth season of the six-team Pakistan Super League (PSL) will begin on April 11 with a fixture between defending champions Islamabad United and two-time champions Lahore Qalandars in Rawalpindi. The matches – 34 in total – will be played across Rawalpindi, Karachi, Multan and Lahore, with the playoffs slotted for Rawalpindi (May 13) and Lahore (May 14 and 16) and the final also in Lahore on May 18.The refurbished Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the most matches, 13, including two of the playoff fixtures and the final, while Rawalpindi will host 11, including the opener and the first qualifier, and Karachi and Multan will host five matches each. There will be a total of three double-headers: Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators in Rawalpindi and Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans in Karachi on April 12; Sultans vs Kings in Multan and Qalandars vs Gladiators on May 1; Sultans vs Gladiators in Multan and United vs Kings in Rawalpindi on May 10.”We are thrilled to officially announce the schedule for the historic 10th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League,” PSL chief executive Salman Naseer said in a PC statement. “Over the past decade, the HBL PSL has grown into a globally recognised tournament, showcasing the best of Pakistan’s cricketing talent.”Related

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This season, there will also be an exhibition match in Peshawar before the start of the tournament – the teams for it have not been announced yet, but it is scheduled for April 8, three days before the start of the tournament proper.”As part of our commitment to expanding the reach of the HBL PSL, we are delighted to host an exhibition match in Peshawar before the start of the tournament, which is a significant step in bringing top-tier cricket to Peshawar, a city with a deep-rooted love for the game,” Naseer said. “We remain dedicated to enhancing the experience for players, fans, and stakeholders, who have witnessed some breathtaking contests in the league over the years.”Starting this year, the PSL will be played in an April-May window, clashing with the IPL. This year, the schedule was changed to accommodate the ongoing Champions Trophy, which is being played in the traditional PSL window, but from next year, because the ILT20 and the SA20 have eaten into the PSL window, it will officially move to later dates.This edition will also be the last six-team PSL, with the PCB and the six existing franchises having agreed to add two new teams from 2026.Though the cities for the two new teams have not been announced yet, there could, potentially, be some changes around, since the ten-year lease ownership agreements the PSL had reached with franchise owners expire in 2025. All six owners have the right of first refusal, meaning ownership of a current franchise only goes up for sale in the event of an owner declining to match the franchise’s valuation.

“It was a brain fade moment,” he said as he rued Kerala’s missed chance of winning their maiden Ranji title

Shashank Kishore02-Mar-2025Thirty youngsters, part of the state under-14s and under-16s, had been flown into Nagpur by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) in anticipation of Sachin Baby’s team creating history by winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title. While they didn’t see their illustrious seniors win Indian domestic cricket’s biggest prize, some of them clicked pictures with the replica of the Ranji Trophy, perhaps dreaming of laying their hands on the main one in the years to come.Several members of the Kerala team, heartbroken and lost for words, recognised the presence of these young kids in the stands, posing for pictures even as Baby momentarily brought some comic relief at the presentation. “You guys have beaten us in all three knockout stages. Next time, guys, we’ll beat you. We’ll give you a tougher time,” Baby told the Vidarbha team in jest.In 2017-18, Kerala were beaten by Vidarbha in the quarter-final. In the following season, Kerala were ousted in the semi-final. In 2024-25, Kerala were vanquished in their maiden final. Baby was part of all the heartbreaks. This one may have been the toughest to take, because Baby was at the front and centre of their march. A lead was in touching distance when Baby let the temptation of a hundred in his 100th first-class game get to him.”Brain fade,” he said at the post-match press conference, of the slog he dragged to Karun Nair at deep midwicket on 98. The occasion couldn’t have been bigger; a century in his 100th first-class game may have well killed the game. But it wasn’t to be; it was as if they’d run out of luck in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, which they scraped through courtesy leads of one and two runs respectively.The Kerala side with the runners-up trophy•KCA

“As the leader, I’ll take the blame,” he said. “My shot changed the momentum of the game. I wanted to be there for the team, and we were six down. I wanted to be there till the end to get the lead. I wanted to have a lead of 100-plus if at all we got a lead. That would have made a difference.”Baby couldn’t quite explain why he played the slog – it was instinct more than a calculated risk, one that he will perhaps replay in his mind over and over again. “I was playing all along the ground till that moment, but then I don’t know what happened and why I played that shot. But that and the dropped catch of Karun [Nair] were important moments of the game.”And then he continued. “If I take credit for the success, I will take the blame for failure, too. Nobody plays a shot to get out. That shot was not on my mind, actually. Maybe, it was a brain fade moment. But on this wicket, you had to play shots. If I had played too defensively, there would have been pressure on the team and myself.”At 36, Baby is the oldest member of this side. He hates the use of the word ‘veteran’ to describe ageing stars. He says he’s never felt fitter – all possible signs of him wanting to continue. But without wanting to make it about him, he continued: “We have to improve still. I was telling the team about how Vidarbha came back from the defeat in last year’s final to win the trophy this year.”

Allrounder Michael Bracewell also unavailable for the two Tests in Zimbabwe

Deivarayan Muthu07-Jul-2025Fast bowler Matt Fisher has earned his maiden call-up to the New Zealand squad for the upcoming two-match Test series against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.Kane Williamson remains unavailable for New Zealand, having signed a deal with Middlesex, which will also include playing for London Spirit in the Hundred. Offspin-bowling allrounder Michael Bracewell, who is currently in action for MI New York in the MLC, was also unavailable for the Zimbabwe Test series, which will overlap with the Hundred. Bracewell was picked by Southern Brave for £200,000, a deal which was “agreed and factored into his NZC central contract”, according to a statement from the board.With the two Tests in Zimbabwe not part of the World Test Championship (WTC), New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said he respected the decision of both players. “Kane and Michael were up front with New Zealand Cricket about their availability for this tour during the contracting process,” Walter said.”While all Test matches are hugely special and important, the fact these Tests aren’t part of the ICC World Test Championship did influence the discussions on this occasion.”Fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Ben Sears were also unavailable for the Zimbabwe tour. While Jamieson is on a personal break, awaiting the birth of his first child, Sears is recovering from a side injury, sustained during the MLC, which will require another two-four weeks of rehab.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Fisher, 25, has played 14 first-class matches so far, taking 51 wickets at an average of 24.11. He also made an appearance for New Zealand A in India in 2022, when he claimed four wickets, including that of Rajat Patidar. Fisher had represented New Zealand in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup and has been contracted to Northern Districts since.In the absence of Sears, Fisher could provide New Zealand’s attack a point of difference with his ability to hit 140kph. Jacob Duffy is the only other uncapped player in the Test squad though he is now a familiar face in Black Caps’ white-ball sides. Duffy is currently ranked No.1 in the ICC’s rankings for T20I bowlers.”Matt’s someone we’re really excited about,” Walter said. “He’s one of the fastest bowlers in the country and we think he’s got an X-factor. We’re blessed to have a large number of strong fast bowlers in this country and we’re looking forward to adding Matt into that mix now, giving him a little bit of touring experience and a taste of what it means to be part of the Black Caps.”Ajaz Patel returns to New Zealand’s Test squad after recovering from injury•AFP/Getty Images

Will O’Rourke, Matt Henry, Nathan Smith will round out the seam attack as New Zealand build depth in the new era after Tim Southee and Trent Boult.Batter Henry Nicholls and left-arm fingerspinner Ajaz Patel returned to the Test squad. Nicholls had last played a Test match in December 2023 but has worked his way back after scoring 464 runs in six innings for Canterbury at an average of 116 in the 2024-25 Plunket Shield.As for Ajaz, he had last Test was the one at the Wankhede in Mumbai last year, when he bagged a match haul of 11 wickets to spin New Zealand to a 3-0 sweep of India. Ajaz then missed a huge chunk of the domestic season for Central Districts with a serious knee injury. After having completed a lengthy rehab, Ajaz will return to action in the Global Super League (GSL) in Guyana before linking up with the New Zealand side. Ajaz will be assisted by Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips in the spin attack.Devon Conway, who has dropped from the T20I squad for the tri-nation series against hosts Zimbabwe and South Africa, has been included in the Test squad. The likes of Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell and Phillips will link up with the New Zealand squad after completing their commitments in the MLC.Tom Latham, who had a county stint with Warwickshire during the winter, will return to captain New Zealand for their first Test tour of Zimbabwe since 2016. In all, New Zealand have played 17 Tests against Zimbabwe, winning 11 and drawing six.New Zealand’s Test squad will assemble in Bulawayo on July 27 after the T20I tri-series ends in Harare on July 26.

NZ Test squad

Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Will Young

Batter takes over from Roland-Jones and Eskinazi as club continues to undergo mid-season upheaval

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2025Leus du Plooy has been named as Middlesex’s captain for their County Championship and T20 Blast campaigns, in a continuation of the club’s mid-season upheaval that has also involved the departure of head coach Richard Johnson and batting consultant Mark Ramprakash.Du Plooy, 30, joined Middlesex from Derbyshire ahead of the 2024 season and has since made 1,601 runs in 36 appearances across both formats.He will take over as T20 captain from Stevie Eskinazi, who has stepped down for personal reasons, and his first match in charge will come against Hampshire at Merchant Taylors’ School on Wednesday.Du Plooy will also take over from Toby Roland-Jones as Middlesex’s red-ball captain, with the club currently second-from-bottom in Division Two, and a long way adrift of their pre-season hopes of an immediate return to the top flight. Though his own form has been decent, with 28 wickets at 27.92 and a best of 5 for 33, Roland-Jones has left the role by mutual consent.”I am extremely proud to have been asked to captain Middlesex in both formats and am very much looking forward to a strong finish to this season and to working with the leadership group ahead of 2026,” Du Plooy said in a statement on the club website.”I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the Middlesex playing squad since the start of last season and have high hopes for what this talented group of players can achieve.”Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, thanked Eskinazi and Roland-Jones for their efforts in leading the club through a difficult period that has included tight constraints in light of the club’s well-documented financial issues.He also welcomed du Plooy as captain, saying he had been a been a key voice in the senior playing group, a natural leader, and a “terrific influence on the young members in our squad”.”Appointing Leus as captain allows us to build for the long-term, as we look to develop this group of players and continue to build a successful and winning team in all formats.”

Jaydn Denly, Ekansh Singh star for Kent but can’t stem the tide

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Aug-2025Yorkshire 301 for 9 (Wharton 118, Imam-ul-Haq 70, Ekansh 3-42) beat Kent 225 (Jaydn Denly 77, Ekansh 71, Bess 4-43) by 76 runsYorkshire secured a home semi-final in the Metro Bank Cup after coasting to a 76-run victory over the Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.James Wharton hit a century as Yorkshire posted 301 for 9 and Dom Bess then took four for 43 as the Spitfires were dismissed for 225.Wharton hit 118 from 106 balls, while Imam-ul-Haq was the next highest scorer with 70, while Ekansh Singh took three for 42 before making 71 during the Kent reply.Jaydn Denly was the hosts’ top-scorer with 77 but they lost wickets too frequently to sustain a chase and were all out with 5.4 overs remaining.Yorkshire chose to bat and put on 71 for the opening wicket before Corey Flintoff sent Adam Lyth’s off stump flying, bowling him for 28.Mo Rizvi then bowled debutant Will Bennison for a fifth ball duck, but Wharton and Imam-ul-Haq put on 59 for the next wicket, Ekansh breaking the partnership when he had the latter lbw.Finlay Bean made a useful 39 before he was run out by Ollie Curtiss and George Hill made just seven when Klaassen had him caught by Jaydn Denly.Harry Duke hit Ekansh almost vertically and was caught by wicket-keeper Harry Finch for 3 and Ekansh struck again two overs later when he caught and bowled Bess for four.Dan Moriarty went in similar fashion to Klaassen and Wharton finally fell in the final over when Fred Klaassen had him caught behind, leaving Cliff to take the visitors past 300.The chase got off to a rough start when Ben Dawkins went for 1, chipping Ben Cliff to Lyth but Kent responded with a 97-run stand that only ended when Bess had Denly caught by Imam-ul-Haq.Chris Benjamin was then the victim of a brilliant rope-juggle catch by the sub fielder Noah Kelly, after he drove Bess and Joe Denly went for just two, miscuing Dan Moriarty straight to Fin Bean at long off. Curtiss went next ball, lbw for a golden duck on only his second appearance for the Spitfires.Ekansh also fell to Kelly when he skied Hill and Lyth got revenge on Flintoff when he bowled him for 13.Bess came back and bowled Finch for a run-a-ball for 32, then got Klaassen two balls later playing on, leaving Mattie Firbank to seal win when Rizvi pulled him to Lyth, his team mates mobbing him in celebration.

The defending champions suffered a warm-up defeat to England but coach Shelley Nitschke feels the team are well placed

Andrew McGlashan29-Sep-2025Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke is prepared to face some “tough” selection calls ahead of the team’s opening ODI World Cup match against New Zealand on Wednesday.The defending champions completed their preparations with a four-wicket defeat against England in Bengaluru, but Nitschke was not too concerned by the result as Australia utilised a rejigged batting order. At 127 for 2 in the 16th over, they were on course for a huge total. But when Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield, who raced to 71 off 48 balls, fell in the space of four balls to legspinner Sarah Glenn, the middle order stumbled.The match saw left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux in action for the first time since last December after she sat out the series against India to complete the final stages of her recovery from knee surgery. She made 5 off 10 balls and claimed 1 for 37, but prior to heading to India captain Alyssa Healy had indicated that Molineux would be a first-choice pick if she proved her fitness.Related

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That would leave a likely decision to be made between the two legspinners, Georgia Wareham and Alana King, when it comes to the final XI against New Zealand in Indore.”Just to see her [Molineux] out there was fantastic,” Nitschke said. “It’s been close on 12 months, but just to have her out there bowling again, that’s a really good thing for us and our squad.”I guess we’ll sit down in the next couple of days and assess everything and see how we line up. I think we’re going to be faced with some pretty tough calls throughout the whole tournament. We’ve got a really good squad here. You know, everyone’s sort of at some point played really well, so we’ve got some decisions to make for sure.”The selectors will also need to make a call on the make-up of the pace attack. Nitschke praised an “excellent” performance from Darcie Brown, who took 1 for 30 in six overs against England after returning from a back spasm, but Megan Schutt and Kim Garth would appear the first-choice pair.Georgia Voll, who is averaging 63.50 across her first five ODIs, appears likely to be the frontline batter to miss out. Allrounder Heather Graham, who has replaced the injured Grace Harris, neither batted or bowled against England.Georgia Voll might be the top-order batter to miss out•Getty Images

Nitschke conceded Australia had not played Glenn “particularly well” but that it was a question of shot selection rather than needing to temper the aggressive approach which has been a hallmark of the team’s recent ODI batting.Having faced India in three full ODIs earlier in the month, Nitschke believed Australia, who only opted for one extra warm-up match rather than the two they could have had, would go into the World Cup battle-hardened.”I think the bilateral series against India was a hard-fought series in some tough bowling conditions and a real challenge. So I thought that was excellent prep,” she said. “We come out here tonight, [in] slightly different conditions, a red-clay pitch as opposed to some black soil that we were playing on in the bilateral, so certainly have been exposed to some different conditions and learnt a lot and have to adapt to that.”I’d like to think that now we’re in a good place and had enough exposure. We’ve been here for long enough to acclimatise… and just looking forward to getting into it.”

[ad_pod ]Troy Parrott has become a keen figure of interest for Tottenham Hotspur supporters in recent weeks, with the injury to Harry Kane serving to increase intrigue surrounding his development.

What’s the word?

The 17-year-old attacker has been in electric form the U18 side this season, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists from just seven appearances in the U18 Premier League.

It’s the type of form which gets supporters talking, particularly during a period of time in which quality options beyond Kane are at a premium.

That Parrott only celebrated his 17th birthday earlier this week, the day when he also penned terms on a senior contract with the club, suggests that he has a long way to go before breaking in to the senior squad, but football.london’s Tottenham Hotspur correspondent, Alasdair Gold, has hinted that he has already made positive strides towards making the step up.

Indeed, Gold delivered his verdict on Parrott’s development at Spurs, as per football.london, and suggested that the teenager has made a huge impression in training this season.

‘Next season could see the talented striker make his breakthrough after impressingÂPochettinoÂand the first team players.’

Seeds planted for big Tottenham future

Ten days after Kane collected an ankle injury against Manchester United, Parrott was pictured in Spurs first-team training in January on the club’s official Twitter account – an image which stirred plenty of excitement amongst the supporters.

Aged 16 at the time, the step up to senior training was a huge statement of Pochettino’s faith in his ability, and the fact he impressed both his manager and the first team players suggests he has planted the seeds for a future breakthrough.

Exactly how soon that will be remains to be seen but his involvement with the senior squad hints that he is being prepared for a career at the top level.

Spurs fans will certainly be hoping Parrott can live up to his enormous potential in the coming years, and under a manger of Pochettino’s expertise it’s fair to say he is well placed to smash through his ceiling.

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Manuel Lanzini is nearing a return to full fitness at West Ham United.

Manuel Pellegrini confirmed in a press conference on Thursday, per West Ham United’s official website, that the Argentina international could make a long-awaited return against Fulham, and that in turn could be good news for Felipe Anderson.

On the chalkboard

Lanzini has been out all season, with the 25-year-old sustaining a heartbreaking knee injury prior to the 2018 World Cup.

After being called up by his country, Lanzini was subsequently ruled out of the tournament, and some feared he may miss the entirety of the 2018-19 season, too.

Instead, he is set to make a comeback in the upcoming London derby next week, and it will come as a major boost to those around him.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Lanzini enjoyed a successful 2017-18 campaign, making 27 appearances for the Hammers and providing seven assists, while scoring five goals.

His performances were such that he could have lined up alongside the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero in Russia but his injury robbed him of the chance.

Now he is nearing a return, Lanzini will be out to prove his worth all over again and can help lighten the load of responsibility on Anderson.

Freeing the winger

The Brazilian international has essentially been tasked with becoming West Ham’s creator-in-chief since his move to the club from Lazio.

He has performed admirably in the role, too, scoring eight goals and laying on three assists already this season.

But Lanzini’s return could well see Anderson granted a free role under Pellegrini.

And that would surely see him thrive.

The South American is a brilliant technical dribbler and knows that he can beat his man in any one-on-one situation.

With his load lightened, and with Lanzini pulling the strings, Anderson will be free to wreak havoc on opposition defences.

When you add a firing Marko Arnautovic into the mix, too, things look very rosy indeed for the Irons.

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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was sent off during the club’s Champions League defeat to PSG on Tuesday evening.

The France international, apparently in an attempt to shield the ball, stamped on Dani Alves and was shown a second yellow card, despite himself appealing for a foul.

Pogba will subsequently be ruled out of the second leg at Parc des Princes, as United attempt to overhaul a 2-0 aggregate deficit away from home.

The tackle drew attention as Pogba committed a similar foul on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli at Wembley in January.

United won that game 1-0 and referee Mike Dean only gave the Frenchman a yellow card. Pogba then kicked the ball away but received no further punishment by the official, to the bemusement of Spurs fans.

And Tottenham fans have insisted that Pogba should also have been sent off during their clash at Wembley after seeing United reduced to 10 men at Old Trafford. Here’s a look at what they’ve been saying on Twitter…

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

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Some of the leading clubs in world football have expressed an interest in signing Wilfried Zaha. Chelsea and Tottenham were credited with an interest in signing the Ivorian international back in the summer, whilst Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund were strongly linked with Zaha as recently as January, but is he really that good?

Of course, barring Eden Hazard, there is probably nobody as good as Zaha at taking on and beating his man in the entirety of the Premier League. But for the price tag being thrown around by the Eagles – they are said to want upwards of £50m – his end product and numbers this season simply won’t cut it at a bigger club than Palace.

The 26-year-old’s career best in terms of goal involvements came back in 2016/17, in which he bagged seven goals and recorded nine assists. In comparison, an 18-year-old in Jadon Sancho has already bettered those figures with eight goals and 11 assists in just his second season in senior football.

That isn’t to say that Zaha is a terrible footballer. Far from it. His skills are mesmeric at times and his ability to draw a number of defenders to him opens up a lot of space for his teammates.

Having said that, he receives a free pass in the Palace team for his God-like status at Selhurst Park, in which his past feats, such as scoring a play-off semi-final brace at The Amex against arch rivals Brighton, see him cut slack that he would not be afforded at a top-six club or a Champions League side like Dortmund.

Zaha’s five goals and two assists so far this season simply isn’t good enough for a player of his ability – perhaps he has become too comfortable in south London and needs a fresh challenge.

Whatever the reason, at this present moment in time, the Palace academy graduate isn’t justifying the price tag placed on his shoulders, or the hype he constantly receives from those inside and outside the club. In a nutshell, he just isn’t all that good.