Iran says that the country’s institutions are fully prepared for its national football team’s participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

In a statement made to state broadcaster IRIB, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Wednesday that the Ministry of Youth and Sports ensured all necessary arrangements for the team’s effective participation in the tournament.

She also said the preparations were made under the directive of the sport minister, with a focus on providing the required facilities for a successful performance.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on April 16 that Iran is expected to participate in the upcoming World Cup, taking place from June 11 to July 19, noting that the team has qualified and expressed its willingness to compete despite the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.

“But Iran has to come, they represent their people, they have qualified, the players want to play,” he said of the Iranian team’s upcoming matches scheduled in the United States in June.

“Sports should be outside of politics,” Infantino said.

[Aljazeera]

The Olympic cricket stadium for LA 2028 could host Indian Premier League teams in the future as part of its global expansion plans, says Kolkata Knight Riders chief executive Venky Mysore.

Construction has now started on the site at the Fairgrounds, officially known as Fairplex, in the southern Californian city of Pomona in readiness for cricket’s return to the Games.

The stadium will become the home to KKR’s US franchise, Los Angeles Knight Riders and will host Major League Cricket (MLC) matches this July.

It will be a modular venue built in three phases with capacity for 5,000 fans this year, rising to 8,500 in 2027 and then up to 15,000 for the six-team T20 tournament for LA 2028.

Mysore also hopes the ground could eventually stage IPL exhibition fixtures as the competition looks to expand into the United States.

“Wouldn’t that be wonderful?” he told BBC Sport.

“The challenge is always player availability. Once the IPL season is over, everyone’s calendars are packed and they’re running in different directions.

“But the BCCI has talked about a couple of teams going out and playing exhibition games to grow cricket… so that’s always on the agenda.”

The USA is widely regarded as the world’s largest sports market and seen as a key growth area for cricket.

Mysore said there had been “concrete proposals” from both the US and Canada to host IPL teams in the past, although neither have come to fruition.

“This is my 16th season with the IPL and we’ve tried every year, but somehow it hasn’t happened,” he explained.

“There’s a real opportunity to piggyback on what’s happening with MLC to grow the market further.

“When viewership goes up, it has a positive effect on things like media rights. It makes a lot of sense. But first things first – we have to deliver what we’ve started here.”

[BBC]

UAE captain Muhammad Waseem has been fined 15% of his match fee and handed one demerit point for saying the umpiring was biased during the second T20I against Nepal in Kirtipur.

Waseem himself was given out lbw first ball of the match and immediately expressed his displeasure with the decision, indicating the ball was swinging down the leg side. He made the said statement at the presentation ceremony after UAE lost by eight wickets.

It was his first offence in a 24-month period. He was found guilty of a Level 1 breach pertaining to Article 2.7 of the ICC Code of Conduct. Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

On-field umpires Buddhi Pradhan and Vinay Kumar, third umpire Durga Subedi, and fourth umpire Sanjay Sigdel levelled the charge against the UAE skipper.

Waseem admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Wendell Labrooy, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

[Cricinfo]