Kai Sotto denies Jordan as Gilas Pilipinas gets World Cup bid back on track

Cricket fans in Multan are set for an exciting week of domestic action, with the Pakistan Cricket Board announcing free entry for spectators at the National Champions Cup 2026, which begins on August 11 at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The tournament will run until August 18 and will feature seven day-night matches, giving local supporters a chance to watch some of Pakistan’s leading domestic and international stars without paying an entry fee. Matches are scheduled to begin at 3pm local time. The new 50-over List-A competition will officially open Pakistan’s 2026-27 domestic cricket season. Four teams—Pakistan Greens, Pakistan Whites, Pakistan Blues and Pakistan Gold—will compete in a single round-robin league. At the end of the league stage, the two highest-ranked teams will qualify for the final, setting up a potentially decisive finish in Multan. The PCB has also confirmed the playing XIs for all four sides, along with a 13-player reserve pool. Reserve players will remain with their respective squads during training and match days and can be brought into the team if a player suffers an injury or concussion after the playing XI has been announced. The tournament features several prominent names. Fast-bowling star Shaheen Shah Afridi will captain Pakistan Gold, while all-rounder Shadab Khan will lead Pakistan Greens. Meanwhile, Pakistan Whites will be captained by Saim Ayub, with Sahibzada Farhan taking charge of Pakistan Blues. The leadership choices provide an interesting mix of international experience and emerging talent. Beyond the trophy itself, the competition carries added importance because the PCB is using the tournament as part of its wider preparations for the 2027 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. A 44-player pool has been assembled, supported by reserve players, giving selectors an opportunity to assess form, fitness and combinations ahead of future international assignments. For Multan’s cricket followers, the combination of free admission, day-night matches and a strong field makes the Champions Cup an appealing mid-August sporting attraction. With Shaheen and Shadab leading rival teams and several players competing for national recognition, the tournament could offer plenty of drama from the opening match to the final.

TORONTO: Russian tennis player Ekaterina Alexandrova produced a major upset at the WTA Toronto Masters by defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round. The 16th-seeded Alexandrova secured a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 victory over the four-time Grand Slam champion in a match lasting two hours and 29 minutes. The win booked Alexandrova’s place in the quarter-finals and improved her career record against Sabalenka to 5-5. Sabalenka made a strong start, breaking Alexandrova early in the opening set to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Russian responded by winning four consecutive games. The set remained closely contested, with both players exchanging breaks late in the set. Alexandrova eventually dominated the tie-break and took the opening set 7-6. Sabalenka fought back in the second set. She secured a crucial break to move 4-3 ahead before holding her next two service games to level the match. The deciding set again featured intense rallies and momentum shifts. Alexandrova broke Sabalenka early to establish a 3-1 advantage. Sabalenka managed to recover one break, but Alexandrova remained composed under pressure. The Russian created two match points in the 10th game after a series of errors from the top seed. Sabalenka saved the first two opportunities with a service winner and an ace. However, she then sent a backhand beyond the baseline before committing her sixth double fault of the match, handing Alexandrova victory. Alexandrova said she entered the contest without any particular expectations because she knew defeating Sabalenka would be extremely difficult. She explained that she deliberately played aggressively and took risks because she believed it was the best way to create opportunities against the powerful Belarusian. The victory sends Alexandrova into the Toronto quarter-finals, where she will face either American eighth seed Amanda Anisimova or Ukraine’s ninth seed Elina Svitolina.

The Pakistan Super League management met with all eight franchise owners this week and the purpose behind it was simple. They wanted to review how season 11 went, and to look ahead at what comes next. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi led the session. Several key officials joined him. These included PSL CEO Salman Naseer and PCB CFO Javed Murtaza. PSL Director Usman Wahla was also present. So were Senior Manager Hijab Zahid and Manager Operations Usman Tasleem, along with a few others. The meeting was not just about looking back. It also became a space for brainstorming. Officials discussed several off-season and pre-season activities. The goal is to keep fans engaged during the break. A big part of the discussion focused on what made season 11 special. Officials pointed to new additions in broadcast and fan engagement. They also praised the overall quality of cricket across all 44 matches. Viewership numbers came up too. The season saw strong engagement across social media, streaming platforms and television. More specific numbers are expected to be released soon. Planning for the future took up a large chunk of the meeting as well. Stakeholders discussed the playing window for PSL 12. They also touched on early scheduling ideas. However, full details will likely only be revealed after the PSL Governing Council meets in late August. The group also reflected on how far the league has come. Two new franchises joined this season. At the same time, three existing teams changed ownership. The tournament was held at just two venues this year, a decision made under unusual circumstances. It also ran in a new scheduling window for the second year running. Looking ahead, PSL confirmed a new initiative. It plans to launch a merchandise platform alongside the franchises. This will let fans, both at home and abroad, buy official gear. That includes merchandise from all eight participating teams. To keep the momentum going, more workshop sessions have now been planned. These will focus on finalising the schedule. Player retentions and direct signings will also be discussed. So will a fresh review of playing conditions for the next season. With season 11 now wrapped up, all eyes are already on what comes next. Officials say the goal is to build on this year’s success. The aim is to make PSL 12 an even bigger draw for fans everywhere.

Pakistan red-ball head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has hinted at possible changes to the playing XI for the second Test following the team’s 90-run defeat to the West Indies in the series opener. Speaking after the match, Sarfaraz admitted that Pakistan’s batting performance fell well below expectations, particularly in the second innings, where the side once again failed to build meaningful partnerships. He described the batting collapse as the biggest factor behind the defeat and stressed that the team must improve if it hopes to level the series. The coach said Pakistan had a valuable opportunity to take control of the match by securing a first-innings lead but failed to capitalize on the advantage. According to him, the missed opportunity shifted the momentum in favour of the hosts and made the chase in the fourth innings significantly more difficult. Sarfaraz also reflected on the dismissal of opener Imam-ul-Haq, saying the left-hander had looked comfortable at the crease and was batting well before losing his wicket. He believed that had Imam shown a little more patience, Pakistan could have built a stronger foundation and put themselves in a better position to challenge the target. The head coach also expressed disappointment with the team’s bowling effort on the third day of the Test. He pointed to the 61-run partnership for the eighth wicket by the West Indies, saying Pakistan should not have allowed the lower-order batters to add crucial runs. He noted that those extra runs eventually proved significant in the context of the match. Despite criticism over Pakistan’s team selection, Sarfaraz defended the decision to field five specialist bowlers. He said the management had carefully assessed the playing conditions before finalizing the combination and believed it was the right approach based on the nature of the pitch. “We selected the side after evaluating the conditions and felt that playing five bowlers gave us the best chance of taking 20 wickets,” he said, adding that the execution on the field ultimately mattered more than the team composition. Looking ahead to the second Test, Sarfaraz confirmed that changes remain a possibility as the coaching staff reviews the team’s performance. He revealed that middle-order batter Saud Shakeel and opener Abdullah Shafique are still under consideration for selection. However, he made it clear that no final decision has been taken regarding the playing XI. The coaching staff will assess the match situation, the expected pitch conditions and the overall balance of the side before naming the team for the second Test. Pakistan will now look to regroup quickly after the disappointing start to the series, with the second Test offering an opportunity to bounce back and keep the contest alive. Team management will be hoping that both the batting and bowling units respond positively after a below-par performance in the opening match.