“Fake news”: Pak national selector Aaqib Javed dismisses reports of r…

Lahore [Pakistan], September 16 (ANI): Pakistan national selector Aaqib Javed on Tuesday dismissed reports of his impending resignation or removal from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as “fake news", amid growing speculation of a major shake-up in the board’s cricket administration.

The comments came a day after multiple outlets, citing internal sources, reported that PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi was considering sweeping changes to arrest Pakistan’s recent decline. sportnewz.click

The reported measures included potentially removing Aaqib from his role as senior selector and replacing Wahab Riaz as mentor of the women’s team after the Asian Games in Japan.

“No resignation, it’s fake news," Aaqib wrote in a text-based correspondence with Dawn.

Pakistan’s horror run in the longest format continues, they earlier this month suffered a 3-0 series defeat against England, with the hosts winning the third Test at Edgbaston by eight wickets.

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The victory completed England’s 3-0 series sweep, following wins at Headingley and Lord’s.

Following Pakistan’s defeat in the second Test at Lord’s, the PCB sent seven players home and replaced head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling coach Umar Gul. Selection panel member Misbahul Haq subsequently resigned, while Aaqib had earlier made it clear that he had no intention of stepping down from his role.

Following the series, Pakistan’s Test skipper Babar Azam’s dip in form has seen him turn to domestic cricket after seven years.

The batter is set to represent Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) as a guest player in the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade 1 first-class tournament. (ANI)

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A brilliant spell from Nitish Reddy and a knock from Sanju Samson set up India to secure a 7-wicket victory against Afghanistan in Delhi.

Reddy returned with figures of 3/24 in his three-over spell, while Samson smashed a 57-run knock setting up a base for a win in the 2nd match of the series.

With this win, India secured a 2-0 unassailable lead in the series and will aim for a whitewash.

Choosing to bowl first, India was able to pick up the wicket of Rahmanullah Gurbaz for a duck. Arshdeep Singh bagged the wicket of Gurbaz as Afghanistan scored 41 runs in the powerplay.

Nitish Reddy bagged his first wicket, dismissing Ibrahim Zadran for 37 runs, while Bishnoi enjoyed his bowling by dismissing Sediqullah Atal for 12 runs.

With Naib and Omarzai adding 10 and 11 runs each, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan added 26, 20 and 28 respectively.

With Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb at the crease, Afghanistan went on to score 159 runs in their 20-over innings.

A bowling performance to cherish

Nitish Kumar Reddy is the Player of the Match for an impressive spell of 3⃣/24

Scorecard https://t.co/96e4nhbYLf#TeamIndia | #AFGvIND pic.twitter.com/LY4aTjLMv2

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 15, 2026

Nitish Reddy bagged three wickets while Arshdeep Singh completed his spell with 2 wickets. Other bowlers, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel, completed their spells with one wicket each.

Chasing the 160-run target, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened the innings, where the duo scored 82 runs in the powerplay.

Rashid Khan broke through the defences, dismissing Abhishek Sharma for 39 runs. He bagged his second wicket, dismissing Sanju Samson for 57 runs.

Rashid completed his three-wicket haul, dismissing Shreyas Iyer for 11 runs. With Ishan Kishan at the crease, India completed the chase on the 15th over.

Nitish Reddy was named player of the match. Speaking at the presentation, Reddy said, “It’s good. Right now I’m feeling great. We have done some great work at COE, and the body’s recovering well.”

Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 16 (ANI): Aligarh Sports Association defeated MDCA Meerut Blue by 26 runs, while DSA Moradabad defeated Cricket Association Lucknow by five wickets in two matches of the 17th Master Vaibhav T20 Championship at the Gandhi Bagh Cricket Stadium in Meerut.

Batting first, Aligarh Sports Association posted 180/6, with Raghav Chaudhary leading the way with an explosive 67 off 35 balls. In reply, MDCA Meerut Blue were bowled out for 154 in 19.1 overs, despite Sandeep Tomar’s 67 and Satyam Chauhan’s 43. Arnav Sharma was the pick of the Aligarh Sports Association bowlers with three wickets as his side secured a 26-run victory, as per a release.

Aligarh Sports Association beat MDCA Meerut Blue by 26 runs

Cricket Association Lucknow were bowled out for 113 in 18.4 overs, with Priyanshu (25) and Himanshu Singh (28) making valuable contributions. DSA Moradabad’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout, with Mohd Shoaib, Mohd Arbaz, Akshu Bajwa and Shivam Sharma claiming two wickets each.

In the chase, Yash Vays anchored the innings with an unbeaten 50 off 51 balls, guiding DSA Moradabad to 119/5 in 18.3 overs and a five-wicket win.

DSA Moradabad beat Cricket Association Lucknow by 5 wickets

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“It was another good day of competitive cricket at the 17th Master Vaibhav T20. Both Aligarh Sports Association and DSA Moradabad showed composure in their respective matches, and it is encouraging to see players step up and make an impact for their teams. This tournament continues to provide an important platform for cricketers from across Uttar Pradesh to test themselves in a competitive environment, and I wish all the teams the very best for the remainder of the league stage," Yudhvir Singh, Director, Meerut District Cricket Association, said. (ANI)

(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)

In the second T20I match against Afghanistan, Team India has reached the score of 117 runs for the loss of two wickets after the completion of 10 overs at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

With an aim of chasing the target of 160 runs, Team India's star opening batsman Abhishek Sharma garnered 39 runs in just 19 balls, with the help of two boundaries and four maximums. Wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson also smashed 57 runs off 22 deliveries, including seven boundaries and four maximums.

Ishan Kishan and skipper Shreyas Iyer are unbeaten at the crease.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan claimed two wickets. Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, and Noor Ahmad will continue the hunt for their first wicket.

IND vs AFG 2nd T20I: First innings' summary

Earlier, having been put to bat first, Afghanistan's wicketkeeper-batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz departed on a three-ball duck. Captain Ibrahim Zadran returned to the pavilion after scoring 37 runs off 33 deliveries, including six boundaries. Sediqullah Atal was also dismissed on 12 runs in 15 balls, including two boundaries.

Gulbadin Naib and Darwish Rasooli registered 10 and 26 runs, respectively. Facing eight balls, Naib smashed a boundary, whereas Rasooli smashed a boundary and two maximums in his 15-ball knock. Facing 10 balls, Azmatullah Omarzai accumulated 11 runs, with the help of two boundaries.

Mohammad Nabi also garnered 20 runs in 14 balls, including two boundaries and a maximum. Rashid Khan departed after scoring 28 runs in 16 balls, including three boundaries and a maximum. Noor Ahmad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman stayed unbeaten on seven and four runs, respectively. Facing three balls, Ahmad smashed a maximum, whereas Mujeeb faced three balls. With this, the Afghans posted a total of 159 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs.

Team India's Nitish Kumar Reddy returned with the figures of three wickets for 24 runs in three overs. Arshdeep Singh also bagged two wickets by conceding 35 runs in four overs. Jasprit Bumrah,. Axar Patel, and Ravi Bishnoi registered one wicket each. Shivam Dube went wicketless in the second T20I match against Afghanistan.

Buenos Aires [Argentina], September 16 (ANI): Argentina icon Lionel Messi has been included in the squad for the upcoming friendlies, giving him a chance to bid farewell to fans after he announced his international retirement.

The Argentina national side will play three friendlies in the country from September 21 to October 6, as per AFA’s official website.

Lionel Scaloni’s side will have a match on September 30 against Bolivia at Mario Alberto Kempes stadium in the province of Cordoba. The other two fixtures will be held at River Plate’s Stadium, one against Burkina Faso on October 3 and on October 6 against Benin.

Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso will attend the last friendly on October 6.

Lionel Scaloni’s squad list for the upcoming friendlies pic.twitter.com/lAnthh9tnQ

— Selección Argentina in English (@AFASeleccionEN) September 15, 2026

Messi will be getting a chance to say his final goodbye to the fans and international football on the home soil.

Messi announced his retirement from the national team earlier in September, bringing the curtain down on a decorated international career that began with his senior debut in 2005. He became Argentina’s most-capped player and all-time leading scorer, while guiding the country to three major international titles. He made 203 appearances and scored 203 goals for Argentina.

The 39-year-old’s Argentina journey included several years of disappointment before he finally delivered major silverware.

After losing the 2014 World Cup final to Germany and the 2016 Copa America final to Chile, Messi helped Argentina win the 2021 Copa America, ending a 28-year wait for a major trophy. He then led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022, scoring twice in the final against France before converting his penalty in the shootout as Argentina won 4-2 after the match ended 3-3 following extra time.

Argentina retained the Copa America title in 2024, adding another major trophy to Messi’s international honours.

His World Cup career spanned six editions from 2006 to 2026, with 21 goals in 34 appearances, ending as the second-highest goal-scorer of all time. At the 2026 World Cup, he scored eight goals and provided four assists, including his first World Cup hat-trick against Algeria.

Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, will continue his club career with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer despite stepping away from international football. (ANI)

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