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
Friends again: Norris, Verstappen make up after Spielberg drama
- The Red Bull driver said he and Norris had spoken last Monday, following their controversial collision in the Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg
- The 64th lap collision came with Norris attempting to pass the three-time world champion and series leader for the race lead and resulted in both cars suffering punctures
SILVERSTONE, United Kingdom: Max Verstappen on Thursday welcomed the restoration of his friendship with Lando Norris after the Briton had said he did not expect any apology from the three-time champion following their crash last Sunday.
The Red Bull driver said he and Norris had spoken last Monday, following their controversial collision in the Austrian Grand Prix at Spielberg, and had quickly agreed that they should continue to race each other hard in the same way.
“I said after the race that there’s no point in discussing it now because emotions are running high,” said the Dutchman.
“And then I woke up early and immediately because I wanted to talk to Lando, of course, but he had already texted me in the morning on Monday.
“So on the day afterwards, your emotions are a bit lower so actually I respected that a lot — and we are great friends and he’s a very nice guy, honestly.
“So I was really upset and disappointed that we had got together because on the track we race each other hard, but as a friend you are disappointed that this could happen.
“But we very quickly said that we had to race each other hard because that is what we like to do and we have always done that not only in Formula One but also on-line and stuff and that’s what we enjoy with each other — battling hard and that is what we will continue to do.”
The 64th lap collision came with Norris attempting to pass the three-time world champion and series leader for the race lead and resulted in both cars suffering punctures.
Verstappen rejoined after a pit-stop and finished fifth after being given a 10-second penalty for causing the crash while Norris pitted and retired.
McLaren’s Norris, who trails Verstappen by 81 points in the drivers’ title race, had taken the sting out of their argument by admitting he had over-reacted.
But, he said, he still held reservations about the incident and how it was managed by the race stewards.
“Honestly, I don’t think he needed to apologize,” the 24-year-old Briton conceded.
“Some of the things I said in the pen after the race were more because I was frustrated at the time.
“(There was) a lot of adrenaline and emotions and I probably said some things I didn’t necessarily believe, especially later on in the week. It was tough. It was a pretty pathetic incident, in terms of it ended both of our races.
“It wasn’t like a hit. It wasn’t like an obvious bit of contact. It was probably one of the smallest bits of contact you can have, but with a pretty terrible consequence for both of us, especially for myself.”
“I don’t expect an apology from him,” said Norris.
“I don’t think he should apologize. I thought it was, as a review, good racing. At times, maybe, very close to the edge, but like I said, we’ve spoken about it, we’ve talked about it and we’re both happy to go racing again.”
Verstappen, asked by Sky Sports F1 if he was concerned by the reaction to the incident, Verstappen added: “No, the only thing I care about in my life is that I am getting on well with Lando.”
“Naturally, I always said to Lando, when you go for moves up the inside, outside, you can trust me that I’m not there to try and crash you out of the way.
“Same the other way around because we spoke about that as well. There’s always a human reaction when someone dives up the inside or outside that you have a bit of a reaction to it, but I felt everything that I did was nothing massively over the top.
“Like how you design a car, you try to go to the edge of the rules, maybe you find some grey areas here and there as a car — and that’s the same how you race, otherwise you will never be a top driver and you will never succeed in life anyway.”
Asked if he felt it was possible to remain friends with a rival driver, he said: “It depends a bit on your personalities.
“I know Lando. He’s a great guy, a really nice person who loves F1, very passionate about it. You have to realize he’s fighting for his second potential win, I’m fighting for my 62nd.
“I think naturally your emotions are a little bit different. I know that from myself, when I was fighting for these first wins in F1, but that’s fine.”
India cricketers feted in victory parade in Mumbai after winning Twenty20 World Cup
- India defeated South Africa in a tight finish last weekend in Barbados for their first world cricket title in 13 years
- Fans danced, waved India flag, and flashed phone lights after waiting for hours to glimpse Sharma, Kohli and others
NEW DELHI: Tens of thousands of jubilant fans poured onto Mumbai’s Marine Drive to cheer India’s new world cricket champions when they returned home on Thursday.
India beat South Africa in a tight finish in the Twenty20 World Cup final last weekend in Barbados for their first world cricket title in 13 years.
Skipper Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya held the coveted trophy in an open bus convoy to Wankhede stadium, where they were to participate in celebrations organized by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Fans danced, waved the India flag, and flashed smartphone lights after waiting for hours to glimpse Sharma, Virat Kohli and the other cricket stars.
The victorious squad landed in New Delhi early Thursday on a charter flight from Barbados. They met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence and later left for Mumbai.
Hundreds of supporters were gathered at New Delhi International Airport, many of them chanting “India, India” as the players came out and boarded a bus.
There were hundreds more waiting at the hotel to continue the celebrations, which started on Saturday as soon as the final was won. Some of the players danced to drum beats when they reached their hotel.
The team’s return from the Caribbean was delayed because of a shutdown in Barbados forced by Hurricane Beryl.
“It’s a lifetime experience,” cricket official Arun Dhumal said.
The T20 triumph was India’s first World Cup title since 2011, when it won the 50-over version.
The BCCI has announced a cash bonus of 1.25 billion rupees ($15 million) for the winning squad.
Soon after winning the title, Sharma, Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja announced their retirement from T20 internationals.
Hayden Springer posts 14th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history with his eagle-birdie finish for a 59
- Springer became the fourth player on the PGA Tour with a 59 in the opening round
- The PGA Tour record is a 58 by Jim Furyk at the Travelers Championship in 2016
- Conditions were so conducive to scoring that 12 players from the morning wave were at 65 or lower
SILVIS, Illinois: Hayden Springer posted the 14th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history on Thursday, joining a rapidly expanding list with an eagle-birdie finish in the John Deere Classic for a 12-under 59.
All that got him was a two-shot lead over Sami Valimaki on a rain-softened TPC Deere Run so vulnerable to scoring that only 13 players in the 156-man field were over par.
Springer shot 27 on the front nine and tried to block out thoughts of a 59 or better. Then he made five straight pars and figured the chance had passed until he holed a 55-yard shot for eagle on the par-5 17th.
Needing a birdie for golf’s magic number, his approach caught the slope and left him 12 feet short, and the putt was true all the way.
“Kind of at a loss for words in terms of being able to do that,” Springer said. “I feel like that’s one of the rare things in golf, so to have that opportunity and pull it off, it feels pretty special.”
The PGA Tour record is a 58 by Jim Furyk at the Travelers Championship in 2016. Furyk also is among 13 players with a 59.
Any score that starts with a 5 remains special, although it is not quite as rare as it once was as players get better each year. Springer became the second player in three weeks to break 60. Cameron Young also had a 59 at the Travelers Championship.
On golf tours worldwide, it was the eighth sub-60 round. The lowest was a 57 by Cristobal del Solar of Chile in a Korn Ferry Tour event in Colombia.
Springer tied the record at the TPC Deere Run. Paul Goydos shot a 59 in the first round of the John Deere Classic in 2010. Goydos had only a one-shot lead that year — Steve Stricker shot 60 the same day and went on to win.
Valimaki, playing in the afternoon, noticed Springer’s 59 as he played the front nine.
“I think it was my seventh hole,” Valimaki said. “I was like, ‘OK, I need to keep shooting lower and lower.’ Didn’t catch it, but still a good round.”
Eric Cole had a 62, while the group at 63 included Florida State sophomore Luke Clanton, who tied for 10th last week in the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Lucas Glover, on the wrong side of the postseason bubble with five weeks to go before the FedEx Cup playoffs, shot 64.
Players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the short grass.
Still, Springer had reason to believe early on this might be a special day. He holed a 12-foot eagle putt on the second hole and chipped in from 60 feet for birdie on the next one. He birdied the next three holes, and then closed out the front nine with birdie putts of 3 feet and 7 feet.
It was the birdie putt from 15 feet on the fringe on the sixth hole that got him thinking how low he could go.
“I was like, ‘OK, I feel like I’m not missing today. I’m pretty much holing any putt I look at,’” he said. “So probably that putt going in was kind of the trigger of, ‘OK, we might be able to go super low.’”
Springer had missed five straight cuts, putting him in danger of losing his card. He played a Korn Ferry Tour event during the week of the US Open — he tied for 54th — and spent time with his longtime swing coach before registering a tie for 10th last week in Detroit.
If that was progress, then this was a giant leap.
But then, Springer already knows about handling the toughest of times. His infant daughter, Sage, was diagnosed in 2021 with Trisomy 18 — also known as Edwards Syndrome — in which babies are born with three copies of chromosome 18 instead of two.
Such infants typically don’t make it 72 hours. Sage was 3 when she died on Nov. 13, just a month before Springer faced Q-school. He had enough emotional capacity left to get his PGA Tour card, and now he’s in the record book with a sub-60 round.
“I don’t know if it gives me inner strength, but definitely tests you and you kind of have to find ways to work through it and to continue to move forward,” Springer said. “Most of that is our faith for us, just leaning into that and knowing that we’re secure in that.
“We’ve had some challenging things happen,” he said. “But at the end of the day I also want to compete and I love doing that.”
Kevin Chappell was among those at 64. Conditions were so conducive to scoring that 12 players from the morning wave were at 65 or lower. Jordan Spieth was not among them. He had to scramble for a 69, and his first step Friday will be making the cut.
As for Springer, he became the fourth player on the PGA Tour with a 59 in the opening round. Justin Thomas (Sony Open in 2017) and Brandt Snedeker (Wyndham Championship in 2018) went on to win. The exception was Goydos at the John Deere Classic.
Groenewegen wins Tour de France sprint as Philipsen relegated for swerve
- Groenewegen powered straight ahead with his head down but kept his run straight as he wore an unusual black aerodynamic nosefoil or ‘beak’
- Friday’s seventh stage is a 25km individual time-trial from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey Chambertin through open countryside and vineyards just to the south of Dijon
DIJON, France: Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen won stage six of the Tour de France on Thursday after an eye-catching run though Burgundy ended in a feisty mass dash for the finish line in Dijon.
Overnight leader Tadej Pogacar retains the yellow jersey by 45sec from Belgian Remco Evenepoel while defending champion Jonas Vingegaard is third at 50sec.
Rounding out the top five are Spaniard Juan Ayuso and Pogacar’s Slovenian compatriot Primoz Roglic.
Groenewegen powered straight ahead with his head down but kept his run straight as he wore an unusual black aerodynamic nosefoil or ‘beak’.
“I’ve lost some sprints like that, man-to-man, but I was just a bit better than Jasper Philipsen today,” Groenewegen said.
Philipsen was originally second at the line in Dijon, but was relegated for a swerve that almost took Wout van Aert out during the dash for the line.
“That’s a bad habit of his,” said Visma’s van Aert.
“I would be angry if there were no sanctions. He does not need to be thrown out of the race for me, but a declassification is appropriate.”
Ahead of Thursday’s race Bahrain-Victorious voiced discontent over Phil Bauhaus’s 13 point penalty in the green sprinters’ jersey race after he was judged to have deviated from his line dangerously on stage five.
They felt three other riders made similar deviations without being penalized and insisted on this point to the race commissioners outside their bus.
Thursday’s decision means green jersey wearer Biniam Girmay was promoted to second.
“It’s great that different sprinters win each time. I’m hoping to keep the jersey as long as possible and it makes it easier that way,” said Girmay.
The two previous sprints on the Tour were record breakers with the 39-year-old Mark Cavendish winning his 35th career stage on the Grand Boucle on Wednesday.
On stage three Eritrean Girmay became the first black African to win a stage on the race.
In 2020, Groenewegen, 31, was banned for nine months for his role in a near-fatal crash that sent Fabio Jakobsen over a safety barrier and into a metal post at the Tour of Poland.
Jayco-AlUla’s Groenewegen claimed his sixth Tour victory less than three weeks after winning the Dutch national road race title.
Intermittent showers with temperatures of around 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) spared the extreme heat of the opening days but Vingegaard’s team Visma frequently upped the tempo when the roads narrowed, causing stressful gaps in the peloton.
There was also a single hill on the 163km route, just outside of Macon, in a category four climb taken by polka dot climbers’ jersey wearer Jonas Abrahamsen.
Friday’s seventh stage is a 25km individual time-trial from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey Chambertin through open countryside and vineyards just to the south of Dijon.
Although those 25.3km are raced on largely flat terrain the nature of the excercize guarantees a shake up of the overall standings.
Mindful how draining media duties can be leader Pogacar failed to fulfil his full interview obligations, and instead fled back to his bus with Friday’s crucial time trial clearly in mind.
He did speak briefly at the finish line however.
“I checked out this time trial, it’s really physical, not really about aerodynamics,” said Pogacar.
“Remco is world champion and constantly shows why, so he’s favorite, not me.
“Today was stressful with the cross winds, I just tried to keep out of trouble,” he added.
‘I wish I could play forever’ says tearful Murray at Wimbledon farewell
LONDON: Andy Murray suffered a losing start in his farewell to Wimbledon on Thursday, weeping openly in front of his adoring fans before admitting: “I wish I could play forever.”
Murray, a two-time singles champion at Wimbledon, and brother Jamie were defeated 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 by Rinky Hijikata and John Peers of Australia in the first round of men’s doubles.
It was the first episode of a retirement three-parter — the 37-year-old is scheduled to play mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu at Wimbledon before he retires at the Paris Olympics.
After having a metal hip inserted in 2019, suffering ankle damage this year and undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his spine which ruled him out of singles at Wimbledon, Murray has reluctantly accepted the writing is on the wall.
His career has yielded three Grand Slam titles, two Olympic golds, a Davis Cup and the world number one ranking.
“Look it’s hard because I would love to keep playing but I can’t. Physically it is too tough now, all of the injuries, they have added up and they haven’t been insignificant,” he said.
“I want to play forever, I love the sport and it’s given me so much. It’s taught me loads of lessons over the years I can use for the rest of my life. I don’t want to stop so it is hard.”
Tears flowed when video tributes were paid to Murray by a number of stars including Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Career-long rival Novak Djokovic was courtside to witness Murray’s emotional evening in the spotlight.
“It was obviously really special to play with Jamie,” added Murray.
“We never got chance to do it before (at Wimbledon) and the way things worked out, there was a chance.
“It was a bit of a race to get out here. Physically it wasn’t easy but I am glad we did it.”
Murray received a standing ovation when he walked onto Center Court alongside his brother, older by 15 months and a winner of two Grand Slam men’s doubles titles.
Up in the players’ box, his family, including mother Judy, father William, wife Kim and two of his children joined in the applause.
The famous arena witnessed some of Murray’s most dramatic moments.
His tearful 2012 final loss to Roger Federer was followed by Olympic gold just weeks later.
“I’m not saying I’m the most outgoing or bubbly personality, but I think people probably saw how much I cared about the sport for the first time maybe,” said Murray of that loss to the Swiss great.
In 2013 Murray claimed his first Wimbledon title, ending a 77-year wait for a British male champion, and added another three years later.
On Thursday, the former world number one was treated to ecstatic cheers even when it was announced it was his turn to serve.
Hardly surprisingly, Murray appeared stiff in his movement, not helped by the chilly temperatures, which dipped to 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit).
The brothers had a set point in the opener, which they were unable to convert.
Hijikata made them pay with a drive forehand down the middle of the court when it came to his turn to capitalize on his team’s set point.
“Let’s go” shouted Andy Murray when he and Jamie staved off break points on his serve in the opening game of the second set.
Murray had grimaced as he struggled on serve — he defiantly punched the air when he prevailed.
Moments later, Murray treated his fans to his trademark, nerve-tingling roar that has regularly bounced around Center Court for the best part of two decades as he unleashed a winning forehand for a 2-0 lead in the second set.
The euphoria was brief as left-handed Jamie was broken.
Peers unintentionally speared a fierce forehand at the body of Andy Murray and immediately apologized.
Jamie dropped serve again as the Australian pair moved into a 4-3 lead, with Hijikata eventually sealing victory with a smart backhand down the center.
