ISLAMABAD: Despite a humiliating first-round exit from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, the Pakistan cricket team have qualified for the next edition of the tournament to be held in 2026, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.
Pakistan crashed out of the T20 World Cup 2024 held last month in the United States and West Indies after successive losses to the United States and India. The green shirts’ victories over Group A teams Canada and Ireland were not enough to take it to the Super Eights stage of the tournament.
The 2026 edition in Sri Lanka and India will once again be a 55-match affair, with the tournament to be played in the same format, with four groups of five, before two Super Eights groups, semifinals and a final to crown the next champion.
“Despite missing out on the Super Eights, Babar Azam’s men meanwhile secured their place at the next edition thanks to their T20I ranking (7th), alongside New Zealand (6th) and Ireland (11th),” the ICC said on its website.
The global cricket governing body said Sri Lanka and India take up the first two spots for the next World Cup since they are hosts of the tournament. The next 10 spots were determined by Super Eight qualifiers at the 2024 edition, and ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings at the 30 June cut-off date.
Thanks to their strong first-round play and entry to the Super Eights, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies all secured 2026 T20 World Cup spots, ICC said.
The USA, who defeated Pakistan in a shock upset in the World Cup to steal a second-round spot in Group A, have also qualified for the next World Cup.
“The final eight teams for the 2026 edition will be decided by regional qualifiers, in a similar pathway to that of 2024 qualifying,” the ICC said.
The number of qualification spots per region is to be confirmed, though.
Pakistan qualify for T20 World Cup 2026 despite poor show in 2024 edition
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Pakistan qualify for T20 World Cup 2026 despite poor show in 2024 edition
- Pakistan qualify for T20 World Cup 2026 based on their number seven T20I ranking, says ICC
- The next World Cup will also be a 55-match affair to be played in India and Sri Lanka
Tickets for Champions Trophy final go on sale online and at Dubai International Stadium
- India pulled off a tense chase to beat Australia by four wickets in the first semifinal on Tuesday
- Cricket fans can avail an early bird offer on limited tickets starting from 250 dirhams, the ICC says
KARACHI: Tickets for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy final have gone on sale online and at the Dubai International Stadium, the ICC said on Tuesday.
India pulled off a tense chase to beat Australia by four wickets in the first semifinal of the Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday, with Virat Kohli hitting a polished 84 runs.
India will now play the final against winner of the New Zealand versus South Africa semifinal, which will be taking place in Lahore today.
“Tickets for the Sunday 9 March clash which starts at 13h00 local time will be available online here, whilst physical tickets will also be available at the Dubai International Stadium Box Office,” the ICC said in a statement.
“Fans can avail an early bird offer on limited tickets starting from 250 Dirhams.”
India have won all three of their games and are playing in Dubai after they refused to tour Champions Trophy hosts Pakistan for political reasons.
Captain Temba Bavuma said South Africa will not change their approach for Wednesday’s Champions Trophy semifinal against New Zealand despite the team’s poor record in knock-out matches.
South Africa have a history of coming up short on the global stage, losing their 2023 ODI World Cup semifinal to Australia and the T20 World Cup final to India last year. That continued a long trend of disappointing results at major tournaments, but Bavuma is keen not to dwell on the past.
“We will approach the semifinal as we normally would,” Bavuma, whose team topped Group B after big wins over England and Afghanistan, and a wash-out against Australia, said ahead of Wednesday’s clash.
“It’s just another game for us, yes it’s important but we definitely won’t be blowing it out of proportion that it’s a semifinal.”
Times Square boxing event in May promises to be big, with 3 fights and talk of half a million fans
- The fighters on the card are known: Ryan Garcia against Rolando “Rolly” Romero in the main event; Devin Haney against Jose Ramirez in the co-main; and Teofimo Lopez against Arnold Barboza Jr. in a title fight as the opener
- It’s the first card in the US for Ring Magazine, now owned by Turki Alalshikh, the head of Riyadh Season and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia
NEW YORK: Big boxing in New York for long meant Madison Square Garden, in recent years Barclays Center as well.
Fight night in Times Square promises to be a whole different scene.
“I think we’re expecting half a million people, for free,” said Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions has three fighters on the May 2 tripleheader.
The fighters on the card are known: Ryan Garcia against Rolando “Rolly” Romero in the main event; Devin Haney against Jose Ramirez in the co-main; and Teofimo Lopez against Arnold Barboza Jr. in a title fight as the opener.
Not disclosed yet is what the setup will look like, how fans can access it, and just how exactly organizers got permission to close down one of the busiest attractions in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world.
“It took a lot of money,” De La Hoya said with a laugh.
The card itself would be intriguing to boxing fans no matter where it was held. It’s headlined by Garcia returning from the one-year suspension he was given by the New York State Athletic Commission after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs when he fought Haney last April in Brooklyn.
Garcia knocked Haney down three times and won a majority decision that was eventually overturned and ruled a no-contest. Garcia wasn’t eligible to win Haney’s 140-pound title anyway, because he weighed in more than 3 pounds above the limit.
He has acknowledged problems with drinking and smoking and said he has put that behind him as he returns.
“I want to just show everybody that you could come back from anything and I want to show my dedication to the sport and just be a true professional,” Garcia said. “I admit my wrongs and I don’t want anybody to take my actions of drinking and smoking before the fight and try to think that’s a way to handle yourself as a professional.”
Neither Garcia nor Haney has fought since, and both are moving up to contest their fights at the welterweight limit of 147 pounds. Should both win, the plan is for a rematch between the two.
It’s the first card in the US for Ring Magazine, now owned by Turki Alalshikh, the head of Riyadh Season and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia.
“We could have staged this event anywhere. We could have put it in any venue in New York, any venue in LA, any venue in Las Vegas and it would have sold out,” Ring Magazine chief operating officer Rick Reeno said. “We wanted to do something special, something iconic, because if we put this in any other venue, any other location, it just would have been a really big event with three great fights. We wanted something that like 25 years from now, people will look back and say, ‘Oh my God, can you believe they staged that crazy event in the heart of Times Square?’”
It could present challenges. De La Hoya said there is always concern about doing outdoor events because of the weather, which isn’t guaranteed to be ideal in the Northeast in early May.
“I don’t know if you guys have been in New York in May but it’s a little cold, don’t you think?” Romero said. “So they might have some heaters walking through.”
But De La Hoya isn’t concerned about the ability to pull off an event that other organizers said contains plans unlike they have ever seen.
“No, I think New York has handled big events. I mean, look, Times Square, New Year’s Eve, millions of people,” De La Hoya said. “It’s going to be an epic event, man. I’m happy to be part of it.”
Alcaraz chases third straight Indian Wells title
- Alcaraz, coming off a quarterfinal defeat in the Qatar Open, is seeded second behind Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who finished runner-up at the Australian Open to Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner
- All 32 seeded players receive a first-round bye, and Djokovic could face a tricky second-round opener against Nick Kyrgios
INDIAN WELLS, California: Carlos Alcaraz will take a softly-softly approach as he vies to become just the third man to win three straight titles at Indian Wells, where he could find a member of that exclusive club, Novak Djokovic, standing in his way in the quarterfinals.
“I will try not to think about it,” Alcaraz said of his bid to match the treble feat achieved by Djokovic in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and Roger Federer in 2004, ‘05 and ‘06.
“I will try just to enjoy it,” Alcaraz told reporters Tuesday as he prepped for the elite ATP Masters 1000 tournament that starts Wednesday alongside a WTA 1000 tournament.
“This tournament, every time that I come here, I enjoy so much practicing, playing. Everything for me here is so easy.
“So I will try not to think about it, just flow and see how it’s going to be, the tournament. But it is something that for me would be great to achieve.”
Alcaraz, coming off a quarterfinal defeat in the Qatar Open, is seeded second behind Germany’s Alexander Zverev, who finished runner-up at the Australian Open to Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Sinner last month accepted a belated three-month ban after testing positive a year ago for traces of banned Clostebol.
The case initially saw him exonerated when authorities accepted his explanation that the drug entered his system when a physiotherapist using it to treat a wound gave him a massage.
The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed, the case dragging on through Sinner’s triumph at the Australian Open this year.
Alcaraz said Sinner’s absence doesn’t change his approach “at all.”
“I mean, Jannik’s not playing, but there are a lot of the best players in the world (that) are playing here,” he said. “I think the draw is really open.
“I’m just focused on my things, on myself, and I try to play good tennis here.”
The Spaniard could face a formidable quarterfinal test in Djokovic, who owns five Indian Wells titles overall.
Serbian superstar Djokovic leads their career head-to-head 5-3, including a quarterfinal triumph in four sets at the Australian Open.
All 32 seeded players receive a first-round bye, and Djokovic could face a tricky second-round opener against Nick Kyrgios.
The Australian, who fell to Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final, will open against a qualifier.
Top-seeded Zverev is chasing a first Indian Wells title while third-seeded American Taylor Fritz lifted the trophy in the California desert in 2022.
Norway’s Casper Ruud is seeded fourth and Russian Daniil Medvedev — runner-up to Alcaraz the past two years — is seeded fifth.
The first-round spotlight will be on wild card Joao Fonseca, the 18-year-old Brazilian who upset Andre Rublev at the Australian Open and lifted his first ATP title in Buenos Aires in February.
Fonseca will open his campaign against Britain’s Jacob Fearnley, who has climbed from outside the top 500 in he world rankings this time last year to 81st.
Diaz earns Real Madrid lead on Atletico in Champions League derby clash
- Atletico began to create danger of their own and Valverde hacked away Giuliano Simeone’s whipped ball from under his own crossbar under pressure from Samuel Lino
MADRID: Real Madrid claimed a small edge on city rivals Atletico Madrid with a tight 2-1 Champions League last 16 first-leg win on Tuesday.
Julian Alvarez levelled for Atletico after Rodrygo Goes sent the hosts ahead, but Brahim Diaz stroked home the winner for the record 15-time winners to delight the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico, who lost in the 2014 and 2016 finals against their bitter rivals, kept stars Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe quiet but still came up short.
The Rojiblancos played it safe in the final stages, seeming to accept their one-goal disadvantage for the second leg derby clash at home next week.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti opted for Morocco international Diaz in midfield to replace the suspended Jude Bellingham and selected Fede Valverde at right-back after he was passed fit to play.
The Italian had demanded his side show a better attitude and more commitment than during their La Liga defeat by Real Betis on Saturday and his charges delivered.
Rodrygo pounced after just four minutes, slipping inside Javi Galan to collect Valverde’s teasing pass before firing home with his left foot across Jan Oblak and inside the far post.
It was the Brazilian winger’s fifth strike of the tournament, habitually shining on the European stage for Madrid, where he boasts 25 goals in 61 appearances.
Rodrygo wanted a penalty when Galan appeared to hold him back in the area but his appeals were waved away.
His compatriot Vinicius came close to netting Madrid’s second as he surged into the box but Jose Gimenez blocked his shot well.
Atletico began to create danger of their own and Valverde hacked away Giuliano Simeone’s whipped ball from under his own crossbar under pressure from Samuel Lino.
Alvarez levelled with a brilliant individual goal, dancing away from Eduardo Camavinga on the left of the box and curling his shot past Thibaut Courtois into the top corner.
The former Manchester City striker has been in sublime form in the past few weeks, notching 10 goals in 14 matches and proving why Atletico made him their second most expensive signing of all-time last summer.
Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo De Paul helped Atletico keep control for long periods, with Madrid finding it hard to take the ball back from their rivals.
That made it all the more surprising when Diaz restored Los Blancos’ lead in the 55th minute.
The midfielder left Gimenez on the floor with some quick footwork and carved out the space for a tidy low finish, before leaping into the crowd to celebrate.
Griezmann fired wide and Gimenez over as Atletico looked for a response and Ancelotti brought on 39-year-old midfielder Luka Modric in search of more control.
The Croatian delivered just that and neither side threatened in the final half hour of the match until stoppage time, when Madrid might have secured a third.
Mbappe’s cut-back from the right was behind Vinicius who was waiting for a tap-in, and Oblak saved from Modric in the aftermath.
Atletico host Real Madrid next week at the Metropolitano stadium, with the winner facing Arsenal or PSV Eindhoven in the quarter-finals.
Al-Ahli take big step toward AFC Champions League quarter finals but Al-Hilal stumble
- Riyadh side, who have been in poor form of late, struggle to get going and fall to a 1-0 defeat by Pahktakor of Uzbekistan
- Better news for Saudi fans in Qatar, as Al-Ahli record an impressive 3-1 victory over Al-Rayyan
Al-Hilal lost 1-0 in Uzbekistan to Pahktakor on Tuesday in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Elite round-of-16 clash. Meanwhile, Saudi Pro League rivals Al-Ahli showed them how it should be done with an impressive victory over Qatari side Al-Rayyan.
A first-half goal was enough to give Pahktakor the advantage going into next week’s return leg, and the Riyadh club will have to improve if they hope to progress to the quarter-finals.
The four-time winners, beset by injuries, traveled to a freezing Tashkent in poor form, by their own high standards, with just one win in their past five league games. As a result, the Blues have slipped six points behind Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad, making success in Asia even more important.
Yet they never really got going in the first half and, despite finishing the group stage 14 points clear of their opponents, who won just one game out of eight, they were second-best from the start.
Coach Jorge Jesus will be particularly displeased about the goal, conceded just before the half-hour mark, which made this game the eighth out of the past 10 in which his players have failed to keep a clean sheet.
Brayan Riascos sent over a bouncing cross from the right and while it was a dangerous cross, there were three men in blue in place to deal with it. Instead, Brazilian forward Flamarion was able to get in front of the defenders and steer the ball home from just outside the six-yard box. The surprise was not that the Uzbeks had taken the lead but that it had taken so long for it to happen.
The second half began better for the visitors and they started to create chances. Just after the hour mark, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic headed over from close range when Moteb Al-Harbi found him with a cross. Abdullah Al-Hamdan came close to leveling for Al-Hilal but, overall, Pakhtakor deserved the victory and their advantage at the midway point of the tie.
There was better news for Saudi fans in Qatar, as Al-Ahli recorded a 3-1 victory over Al-Rayyan. Galeno grabbed the first for the visitors on the half-hour and Riyad Mahrez added a second just four minutes later. Both goals were created by Roberto Firmino.
The Jeddah side appeared to be taking a huge step towards the last eight but there were still some nerves on display when Roger Guedes fired the ball into the top corner of the net from the edge of the area to cut the deficit in half.
Firmino came close twice before Gabri Veiga appeared to have restored the two-goal advantage, with eight minutes remaining, only for the video assistant referee to intervene and rule the goal out for offside.
Deep into added time, however, Firas Al-Buraikan scored from close range to seal the win and give Al-Ahli a great chance to progress in the competition next week.
