SHARJAH: Pakistan head coach Mickey Arthur on Sunday praised an unnamed player for reporting a spot-fixing approach as “a real example to our team.”
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Saturday confirmed a player was approached with a fixing offer during the ongoing one-day series with Sri Lanka but he reported the matter to the Board’s anti-corruption unit.
Pakistani media named the player as skipper Sarfraz Ahmed.
“To be honest the player reacted unbelievably well,” Arthur told media at Sharjah stadium.
“He did everything required of him and we had a chat straight afterwards.
“It was handled brilliantly and I think that is a real example to our team and to the cricket world that a really important player was approached and acted to the letter of the law and did exceptionally well as a true ambassador of the game.”
PCB said the matter was also referred to the International Cricket Council.
Arthur was confident any of his players would act in the same manner in future.
“I am very comfortable with our players, they are outstanding and they are intelligent young men and individuals and I have no doubt that if anyone is approached they will do the same way as the individual did,” said Arthur.
As per the anti-corruption rules a player is required to instantly report a fixing offer, failing to which will result in a minimum of six months to a maximum life ban.
Pakistan cricket received a jolt in February when two of their players — Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif — were caught in a spot-fixing scandal which rocked their Twenty20 league held in the United Arab Emirates.
Sharjeel was banned for five years (two and a half years of which were suspended) while Khalid was banned for five years and fined one million rupees ($10,000).
The two played for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and were accused of arranging two dot balls in return for money in the opening match of the league.
Pacer Mohammad Irfan was banned for one year, six months of which were suspended, and fined one million rupees while spinning all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz was banned for two months (one suspended) and fined 200,000 rupees ($2,000) for failing to report fixing offers at various stages.
Arthur praises Pakistan player over spot fixing case
Arthur praises Pakistan player over spot fixing case
NBA superstar Kevin Durant partners with QSI and European champions Paris Saint-German
- The collaborations will focus on merchandise, media content, community programs and potential basketball expansion
PARIS: Qatar Sports Investments, majority owner of UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain, has signed an investment and strategic partnership agreement with Kevin Durant, one of the US’s most decorated basketball players and a leading investor in sports and entertainment properties.
The deal will see Durant, via his media and investment arm Boardroom with entrepreneur and long-time business partner Rich Kleiman, acquire a direct minority stake in the football club. The share purchase and strategic partnership agreement were signed earlier this week.
In August 2024, Durant — the two-time National Basketball Association champion, four-time Olympic gold medalist, Most Valued Player and 15-time NBA All-Star — partnered with Paris Saint-Germain through Arctos Partners, a minority shareholder in the club.
Durant said: “It is an honor to partner with QSI and be a shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain — a club and a city that is so close to my heart. This club has big plans ahead, and I can’t wait to be a part of the next phase of growth, and to explore new investment opportunities with QSI.”
As part of the relationship, Boardroom and Qatar Sports Investments will partner on a variety of commercial, investment and content initiatives. Durant will also support the club in its diversification and growth, including co-developing merchandise and original media content, advising on US and international market strategy, supporting PSG for Communities — the club’s charitable foundation and fundraising arm — and consulting on PSG’s multi-sport strategy including potential plans for basketball.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, chairman of QSI, said: “QSI is pleased to welcome Kevin Durant as a direct shareholder in Paris Saint-Germain and strategic partner of our group. We continually seek to elevate the club and our broader portfolio through high-impact partnerships that bring strategic value, innovation and global perspective. Together with Kevin, we look forward to developing ambitious initiatives that will drive the continued global growth of Paris Saint-Germain and QSI.”
Nour Al-Fliti looking to hand Hattan Alsaif first MMA loss
- Rising Lebanese star will take on the unbeaten Saudi fighter at PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh this summer
RIYADH: One of Saudi Arabia’s biggest mixed martial arts stars, Hattan Alsaif, will make her highly anticipated return to the Professional Fighters League SmartCage at PFL MENA 2 in Riyadh on July 4.
And while all eyes will be on the hometown hero, who is aiming for her third straight amateur MMA win, a rising star from Lebanon is preparing to step into enemy territory and hoping to steal the spotlight.
Standing across from Alsaif will be Nour Al-Fliti, a multiple Lebanese MMA champion and International Mixed Martial Arts Federation Asian Championship silver medalist who currently holds a 1-1 amateur record.
Before MMA, however, Al-Fliti lived a completely different life.
“Before MMA, I worked in the hospitality field as an operations manager,” she revealed. “I studied that field and I worked in it since 2019. I enjoyed it, but I felt that something was missing. If I hadn’t found MMA, I think I’d still be searching for that something to ignite the fire in me.”
With MMA, Al-Fliti discovered the outlet she had been searching for. Judging by her growing list of accomplishments, it has been a successful transition.
“I got into MMA because I felt a powerful energy inside me — it was something I needed to express,” Al-Fliti said. “I’ve always had a fighter’s spirit, but I didn’t know where it belonged until I stepped into the cage.”
MMA provided more than just competition, she added: “From my very first fight, I felt a deep connection. It wasn’t just about competition … it was about purpose. That moment made me realize this is where I’m meant to be.”
Al-Fliti believes her greatest achievement in MMA goes beyond medals and accolades — it is the personal transformation she has undergone.
“My biggest achievement so far is finding myself through this sport,” she explained. “Every fight, every camp, every challenge has shaped me, not just as a fighter, but as a person. Of course, winning and improving technically are important, but the real win is the growth I’ve experienced mentally and spiritually.”
While she acknowledges the support of her team and loved ones, Al-Fliti is clear about where her ultimate source of strength lies.
“My biggest supporter is Allah first,” she exclaimed. “I truly believe that my path is written, and I draw strength from that.
“And I’m also deeply grateful to my family and my team — the people who believe in me, push me, and never let me forget who I am, even during the toughest moments.”
On paper, it may seem like Al-Fliti has the odds stacked against her. Alsaif has more experience and will be fighting in front of a home crowd. Al-Fliti, however, doesn’t see it that way.
“Hattan is a determined fighter with her own style, and I respect anyone who steps into the cage, but I never see myself as the underdog,” she said. “I trust in my preparation, in my skills and, most importantly, in my belief in myself and in Allah. I’ve prepared with focus, discipline and a clear mindset.”
On July 4, Al-Fliti does not plan to simply walk into the SmartCage — she will make her presence felt: “I’m not just showing up — I’m coming to make a statement, inshallah.”
Tickets for PFL MENA 2 can be purchased at webook.com.
Pakistan to face New Zealand in FIH Nations Cup final today
- Pakistan defeated France 3-2 on penalty shootouts in the semifinal
- Pakistani goalkeeper Muneeb-ur-Rehman blocked three French chances
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will face New Zealand today, Saturday, in the final of the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Spirited Pakistan defeated France 3-2 on penalty shootouts to qualify for the Nations Cup final at the National Hockey Stadium on Friday.
Goalkeeper Muneeb-ur-Rehman blocked three French chances, while Rana Waheed Ashraf, Hannan Shahid and Afraz struck for Pakistan to clinch a highly-rewarding victory.
“Heartiest congratulations to our Green Shirts on reaching the Nations Cup final,” Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X.
“The team turned the match around with courage, skill and determination — a proud moment for the entire nation.”
Hockey is Pakistan’s national sport. The national team boasts a proud legacy with three Olympic gold medals in 1960, 1968 and 1984, along with four World Cup titles in 1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994.
But the sport has faced a sharp decline in Pakistan in recent decades due to administrative challenges, underinvestment and inadequate infrastructure. Renewed efforts are underway to revive the game with increased
government support, youth development initiatives and greater international engagement aimed at restoring Pakistan’s former glory in the sport.
The winner of Saturday’s final will earn promotion to the elite FIH Hockey Pro League 2025–26 season.
Jeeno Thitikul extends lead to three at Women’s PGA
- The 22-year-old star from Thailand followed a first-round 68 with a 2-under par 70 on Friday to reach 6-under 138 at the Fields Ranch East course
- Thitikul has five wins to her credit on the LPGA Tour and placed in the top 10 of seven majors
FRISCO, Texas: World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul is halfway home to her first major victory, as she will take a three-shot lead into the weekend at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Frisco, Texas.
The 22-year-old star from Thailand followed a first-round 68 with a 2-under par 70 on Friday to reach 6-under 138 at the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco.
She has a comfortable edge over Australia’s Minjee Lee, who shot even-par 72, and Japan’s Rio Takeda, who birdied her final hole (No. 9) and four of her last six for a 71.
Lexi Thompson also posted a 70 in the second round and holds fourth place at 2 under.
The course played even tougher than the day before, and only one player managed to break 70. England’s Charley Hull posted a 3-under 69 to move to 3 over and ensure she’ll make the cut after an opening-round 78 set her back.
Thitikul entered the day with a one-shot lead and spent most of her round hovering around even par. After beginning on the back nine, she had two birdies and two bogeys through 16 holes before a birdie-birdie finish. Thitikul made a 12 1/2-foot putt at the par-3 eighth before two-putting from 59 feet at the par-5 ninth.
Thitikul has five wins to her credit on the LPGA Tour and placed in the top 10 of seven majors. Now she will get to play from ahead and defend her lead in a high-pressure situation.
“I think it’s depend on the wind,” Thitikul said of the weekend to come. “If you can be committing with the wind you see and then calculating really good and putting yourself like tee-to-green really well and then making par, I think it’s good enough.”
Thompson had a bogey-free round nearly in the bag before stumbling at No. 18 when her approach found a bunker.
Thompson, 30, stopped competing full-time after 2024, but she is making her seventh start of 2025 and is in great form, having tied for fourth last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
“When I’m home I’m grinding and practicing and still working on my game,” Thompson said. “Any time I tee it up — even saying I was stepping away from a full-time schedule, any time I tee it up I want to come out here and compete and win.”
A win this weekend would give Thompson her second career major title, 11 years after her first.
The only American in red figures besides Thompson is Auston Kim, who shot 72 Friday and is tied for fifth at 1 under with South Korea’s Somi Lee (73) and Japan’s Chizato Iwai (72).
Kim would be a major upset story if she were to win on Sunday. She is ranked No. 98 in the world, has never won on tour and never finished better than tied for 30th at a major.
“My mindset today was just staying in it,” Kim said of her two-birdie, two-bogey round. “I didn’t really feel like I had hit any superhuman shots. I didn’t want to. I didn’t have to chop it out of the rough today like I did (Thursday). I think that’s just a testament to how smart I was playing.”
World No. 1 Nelly Korda turned in a 2-over 74 to slide to 2 over for the tournament, tied for 16th.
The projected cut line was 7 over par, meaning Rose Zhang (79 Friday) will squeak in on the number. Notable names to miss the cut included Allizen Corpuz (8 over), South Korea’s A Lim Kim (8 over), defending champion Amy Yang of South Korea (9 over) and two-time major winner Lilia Vu (9 over).
Former World No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea withdrew due to illness. She was on track to miss the cut after an opening-round 74.
Scheffler in 3-way tie for lead at Travelers with Fleetwood and Thomas
- All it took was the fate of the wind, good or bad, to shape the leaderboard going into the weekend at the TPC River Highlands, with 12 players separated by four shots
- The average score was 70.7, nearly two shots harder than the opening round
CROMWELL, Connecticut: Scottie Scheffler provided hope with a late double bogey. Tommy Fleetwood charged through with two eagles in three holes, and so did Justin Thomas with five straight birdies. They wound up tied for the lead on a blustery Friday at the Travelers Championship.
All it took was the fate of the wind, good or bad, to shape the leaderboard going into the weekend at the TPC River Highlands, with 12 players separated by four shots.
Scheffler was comfortably in front when the left-to-right wind his tee shot had been riding laid down, sending his ball into the fairway bunker on the par-4 17th. He put the next one in the water, barely reached the green with his fourth shot and made double bogey. He wound up with a 1-under 69.
Fleetwood felt the wind going right-to-left, then slightly hurting, then slightly helping on the par-5 13th. He had 240 yards to at least cover the water, 264 yards to the hole, and he felt his 9-wood would at least reach the green.
So much depended on the fickle wind that fooled so many players.
“I just sort of caught the right moment,” said Fleetwood, who also chipped in for eagle on the reachable 15th and shot 65. “Came off perfect and then beautiful putt.”
Thomas wished he could have hit the ball a little better off the tee, but he stayed out of trouble, stayed patient and cashed in on the back nine with his five straight birdies, two of them from the 25-foot range, that led to a 64.
They were at 9-under 131, one shot ahead of Jason Day (66).
Rory McIlroy was 3 over through four holes in gusts that topped 30 mph, at one point falling eight shots behind Scheffler, a daunting prospect. But he kept in the game, found hope when Scheffler dropped back to 9 under, and got a little luck on his own.
His second shot from a bunker on the 17th was so think that he took one hand off the club and waited for the worse, mainly a splash. It founded the water at such a low trajectory that it skipped out onto the fairway.
He failed to get up-and-down, taking bogey, but felt it could have been worse — the shot, and his position going into the weekend He batted for a 71, leaving him only four back.
“The conditions today definitely bunched the entire field together and should make for an exciting weekend,” McIlroy said
The conditions — mainly the wind strong that was blowing hats off of heads and sending unoccupied chairs tumbling away — was everything in the second round.
The average score was 70.7, nearly two shots harder than the opening round. It was the highest scoring average for a single round at the Travelers since the second round in 2017.
The toughest part for players was figuring out which way it was blowing. Scheffler experienced that on the 17th.
“The tee shot, I hit exactly the way I wanted to,” Scheffler said. “Somehow the wind either stops or goes back because the way my ball was flying it should have basically gotten to the middle of the fairway and I end up in the left bunker.
“Then I catch it a hair fat, and all of a sudden I’m dropping and hitting my fourth shot, and I hit the shot exactly the way we wanted to, and as the ball is flying, you get a gust into the wind, and all of a sudden the ball is not on the green,” he said. “You can’t get every one correct. You just do your best to manage your way around the golf course.”
Day had his own version of a hat trick on the front nine — three pars, three birdies, three bogeys — until hitting all the right shots for a 31 on the back to get in the hunt.
Denny McCarthy (64) and Austin Eckroat (71) were at 7-under 133, followed by Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley 70) and Nick Taylor (68).
Patrick Cantlay had a 68 with a double bogey on the par-5 13th and joined the large group at 135 that included McIlroy.
If the wind wasn’t bad enough, Luke Clanton showed remarkable patience in his second tournament as a pro. He had been playing with Jordan Spieth, who had to withdraw with soreness in his upper back on Thursday. Clanton was a single in the middle of the field, behind Scheffler and US Open champion J.J. Spaun, in front of Andrew Novak and Jacob Bridgeman.
He waited on every shot and did well to post a 72, leaving him in the middle of the pack.
