Sports
Babar 68, Shaheen three-for headline Pakistan’s 2-1 series win
Finally, Pakistan’s crowd got what they wanted. Babar Azam struck an imperious 68 off 47 balls to take charge of a flagging Pakistani chase of 140, helping them ultimately cruise to the finish line with four wickets and one over to spare. It was his 37th T20I half-century overall, and his first since May 2024, helping Pakistan seal the series 2-1 against South Africa.
The game appeared far from certain despite a relatively modest chase after Saim Ayub holed out softly for a six-ball duck. Corbin Bosch was Pakistan’s usual tormentor with a tight pair of overs, with George Linde also typically miserly as the visitors began to squeeze. Sahibzada Farhan and Salman Agha both struggled for touch early, and by the eighth over, the asking rate was beginning to approach eight.
Babar, however, found a way to keep easing the pressure, recording nine fours through the innings, including three with the sweep. Busy running between the wickets in the interim turned the partnership with Agha into an ultimately match-winning one. The pair fell just short of the finish line within five runs of each other but by then, they had put together 76 in 52 balls.
It promised to be much more straightforward when Shaheen Shah Afridi burst through the defences of Quinton de Kock and Lhuan-dre Pretorius in an electric first over. South Africa rebuilt with a workmanlike rearguard from Reeza Hendricks, supported by cameos from Dewald Brevis and Donovan Ferriera. Faheem Ashraf struck through the middle to leave them wobbling at 95 for 7, but Bosch chipped in with an unbeaten 30 off 23 to leave himself, as well as his team-mates, something to bowl at. Babar ensured it would not quite be enough.
That Shaheen will pick up a wicket in his opening over is almost so regular as to be mundane. But how about two, and possibly three?
Utilising the swing that vaporises within a few overs of the innings, Shaheen got one to nip back into de Kock, whose tentative push only saw him deflect it off the inside edge onto his stumps. Shaheen would soon turn a successful opening over into an epic. Pretorius clipped one off the pads first up, only to pick out short fine leg perfectly, with debutant Usman Tariq completing a straightforward catch.
And still the drama wouldn’t end. A lovely delivery two balls later cut Dewald Brevis in half, seaming back in and crashing into his knee. Shaheen wouldn’t appeal, and the umpire didn’t need one, raising his finger immediately. It was only on review that DRS, somewhat surprisingly, showed it bouncing well over and denied the left-arm quick a third wicket in an incredible start that set the tone for Pakistan; they would keep South Africa to 22 in the powerplay, their third-lowest in T20I history.
Mohammad Nawaz has enjoyed some of the form of his career since he was reintroduced into the T20I side earlier this year. On Sunday, his introduction to the attack right after the powerplay came at a position of strength. But Brevis, who showed sparks of his devastating ability in the middle overs of the first T20I, smacked him over the sightscreen off his third ball, signing off the over with another one over midwicket.
Nawaz did snare Matthew Breetzke in his second over, but when he came back for his third, South African captain Ferreira was primed. Two sixes and a four saw him blown out of the attack for good as the visitors began to get their innings on track. The five overs immediately after the powerplay produced 55, with Nawaz’s three leaking 38. It laid the foundations for a defendable total.
Throughout this series, crowds in Islamabad and Lahore have cheered when the fall of a wicket brought Babar in to bat, and streamed out of grounds the moment he got out. In the decider, at the Gaddafi, there was no ungluing them from their seats. Ayub fell early, whipping the crowd into an excitement as Babar ambled up to the crease. Pakistan’s supporters have deluded themselves for a while now, thinking this might just be the innings that brings him back to his stratospheric height, often in vain. He began inconspicuously enough; it wasn’t until the ninth ball that he found his first boundary.
Babar began to do things differently. He swept – you read that right – Linde over fine leg for his third boundary, and the glimpses of an innings began to sketch themselves into existence. Farhan, and later Agha, struggled to make much of a dent in the strike rate, and so, in the sort of chase Babar is generally built for, he took control.
Time and again, he would punish South Africa for missing their lines and found sumptuous timing along the way. Like the top of a ketchup bottle finally being unscrewed, he denuded the match of its jeopardy with three successive boundaries off Ottniel Baartman, the third bringing up a 36-ball half-century.
Bosch had kept Pakistan to just six runs in his first two overs, but Babar caressed him for a boundary over mid-on before lashing one past cover for four more. A crowd that tends to clear out upon Babar’s dismissal was rooted as he got each of his 68 runs, only clearing out after a rare, poorly placed jab found deep square leg.
Brief scores:
Pakistan 140 for 6 in 19 overs (Shaibzada Farhan 19, Babar Azam 68, Salman Agha 3; Donovan Fereirra 1-30, Corbin , Bosch 2-24, Lizaad Williams 2-26, Andile Simelane 1-23) beat South Africa 139 for 9 in 20 overs (Reeza Hendricks 34, Dewald Brevis 21, Donovan Fereirra 29, Corbin Bosch 30*, Andile Simelane 13; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-26, Salman Miraz 1-16, Usman Tariq 2-26, Faheem Ashraf 2-28, Mohammed Nawaz 1-38) by four wickets
[Cricinfo]
The countdown for the sixth edition of the Lanka Premier League began on Monday with the player draft where participation of players from 12 countries was confirmed. The event kicked off with the platinum local round, with the four-time champions, Jaffna Kings, picking Avishka Fernando as their first pick, while other teams went for fast bowlers and spinners in the first round, including Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Maheesh Theekshana and Charith Asalanka.
With overseas rounds, the Afghan contingent grew, with Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz picked in the platinum round by Colombo Kaps, Dambulla Sixers, and Kandy Royals, respectively, while Ibrahim Zadran joined his countrymen in the league in the gold round after being picked by Jaffna Kings.
Colombo Kaps strengthened their batting further with the signings of Sadeera Samarawickrama and Janith Liyanage, joining the likes of Kusal Mendis, Kamindu Mendis and the Aussie Ben McDermott as the pre-signed players, strengthening their middle-order with the vision of their head coach and former Sri Lankan batter Chamara Kapugedera. They also snapped 20-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Sharujan Shanmuganathan in the emerging round.
Pakistan pacer Shahnawaz Dahani and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris were also picked by Kaps adding variety to their squad.
While Dambulla Sixers bolstered their fast bowling attack with two overseas signings in Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Wasim Jnr. and Shadley van Schalkwyk in platinum, gold and associate star rounds, respectively, joining Dushmantha Chameera from the pre-signed players, forming a fast-bowling trio to go along with the spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Akila Dananjaya, as well as Ramesh Mendis, featuring in the team coached by Rangana Herath.
The Sixers will also make use of the vast experience of Gulbadin Naib and the youthful batting talent of South African Dian Forrester, who has already made two trips to the subcontinent in the previous few months.
All-rounder Dasun Shanaka-led Galle Gallants centred their squad around all-rounders, with Chamika Karunaratne joining the skipper in their ranks. They also bought Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mohammad Nawaz as spin-bowling all-rounders, adding two exciting overseas options.
The Galle Gallants added some much-needed depth to their squad with UAE left-arm spinner Haider Ali, Pakistan left-arm pacer Akif Javed and Australia wicketkeeper batter Sam Harper.
While the pre-signed players of Jaffna Kings were mostly from the middle-order and bowling departments, their draft picks of Avishka Fernando, Kamil Mishara and Ibrahim Zadran ensured they could check all the boxes, including the top-order. Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichanne, South African pacer Lizaad Williams and exciting Nepal all-rounder Dipendra Singh Airee will call Jaffna their home for LPL 2026.
Kandy Royals, led by two iconic Sri Lankan all-rounders as the pre-signed local picks in Angelo Mathews and Wanindu Hasaranga, further added two overseas all-rounders in the pre-signings in the shape of Moeen Ali and Vijay Shankar, while focusing on specialists in the draft like Kusal Perera and Rahmanullah Gurbaz for the top order, with the likes of Nuwan Thushara and Asitha Fernando in the fast bowling department.
Royals’ overseas options also include Australian left-arm pacer Daniel Sams, Afghan wrist-spinner Zahir Khan and New Zealand middle-order batter Dale Phillips while Scottish all-rounder Brandon McMullen is their Associate Star.
Wesley College, Colombo and St. Anthony’s College, Katugastota registered convincing victories against their counterparts in the Under 17 Division I cricket encounters played on Tuesday.
While Wesley rattled Galahitiyawa Central for 36 runs in 26.3 overs before cruising to a ten-wicket win, St. Anthony’s amassed 359 for nine wickets before reducing Wayamba Royal College, Kurunegala to 90 runs. Yenula Hewavitharana was the cynosure of all eyes as he hammered 190 runs off 138 balls, inclusive of 25 fours and five sixes, to lead the home team to a commanding position after being asked to bat. Adeesha Rathnayaka took four wickets for just five runs as he produced outstanding figures of 6-4-5-4 to seal a 269-run win at Katugastota.
At Godagamuwa, Charana Malimbada (3/08), Adhyaan Zian (3/10) and Ramika Ediribandara (3/02) shared three wickets apiece for Wesley to rattle Galahitiyawa Central for 36 runs before the openers sealed the match within three overs.
Meanwhile, at Bambalapitiya, S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia pulled off a stunning victory against St. Peter’s College. Chasing 210 runs to win, they were 131 for seven at one stage before Kushen Perera (24 off 47 balls) and Tharul Jayasuriya, with an unbeaten 37 off 76 balls, helped the visitors seal victory.
(RF)
Sri Lanka’s young tennis players made an impressive start to the SSC ITF J30 Junior Circuit 2026 Week 2 tournament, recording dominant straight-set victories in their opening-round matches played at the SSC Courts.
Lithum Jayabandu produced a confident performance to defeat India’s Hridhay Hridhay 6-1, 6-2 in the boys’ singles first-round encounter. Jayabandu controlled the match from the outset, to secure a comfortable win.
Aahil Kaleel was equally impressive as he brushed aside India’s Tanish Dasari 6-1, 6-0. Kaleel dictated play throughout the contest, allowing his opponent little room to settle as he sealed one of the most convincing victories of the opening round.
Lithum Jayabandu / Ashlin de Silva
Meanwhile, Ashlin de Silva delivered the most emphatic performance of the day, overpowering India’s Arsh Walke 6-0, 6-0. De Silva was in complete command from the first point to the last, producing a flawless display to book his place in the second round without conceding a single game.
The victories ensured a strong Sri Lankan presence in the boys’ singles draw as the SSC ITF J30 Junior Circuit 2026 Week 2 tournament, which runs from June 1 to June 6 at the SSC Courts, gathered momentum. With three players advancing comfortably, local hopes remain high for another successful week on the international junior tennis circuit.
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