Cricket

In a thrilling encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Lions emerged victorious over Markhors by 35 runs, snapping the latter's unbeaten streak in the Champions One-Day Cup.Lions' openers Abdullah Shafique and Imam-ul-Haq provided a solid foundation with a 110-run partnership. Omair Yousuf and Mohammad Taha continued the momentum, but their dismissals brought Irfan Khan and Khushdil Shah together.Irfan Khan played a blistering knock, reaching his century off just 56 deliveries. Khushdil Shah, known for his power-hitting, contributed with a quickfire 73 off 45 balls. The duo's 147-run stand propelled Lions to a formidable total of 367 for 6.Markhors' chase got off to a flying start with Fakhar Zaman scoring at a rapid pace. However, Ahmed Daniyal's double strike and Khushdil Shah's dismissal of Fakhar and Iftikhar Ahmed put the brakes on their progress.Despite valiant efforts from Abdul Samad and Salman Agha, Markhors fell short of the target. Aamer Yamin and Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up crucial wickets in the latter stages to seal the victory for Lions.Irfan Khan's unbeaten century and Khushdil Shah's all-round performance proved decisive in Lions' first win of the tournament. The result also marked the first time in the competition that a team batting second had failed to chase down the target.

Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad for 2024 has been announced, with Babar Azam once again leading the charge. The 15-member squad features a few surprises, including the omission of Hasan Ali, Irfan Khan, and Agha Salman.Abbas Afridi has made the final cut, giving Pakistan five specialist fast bowlers. Imad Wasim, who recently came out of retirement, will provide the left-arm spin option, while Abrar Ahmed is the lone specialist legspinner.The squad is as follows:* Babar Azam (captain)* Saim Ayub* Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper)* Fakhar Zaman* Azam Khan (wicket-keeper)* Usman Khan* Iftikhar Ahmed* Imad Wasim* Shaheen Shah Afridi* Shadab Khan* Mohammad Amir* Abbas Afridi* Naseem Shah* Haris Rauf* Abrar AhmedThe absence of Hasan Ali is a notable omission, as he has been a key member of Pakistan's bowling attack in recent years. However, his recent form has been poor, and he was released back to Warwickshire earlier this week.Irfan Khan and Agha Salman have also been left out, despite being part of the squad for the recent Asia Cup. Afridi's inclusion is a surprise, as he has not played for Pakistan since 2021.Pakistan will be hoping to improve on their performance at the 2022 T20 World Cup, where they were eliminated in the semi-finals by England. They will face a tough challenge in the 2024 tournament, which will be played in the USA and the Caribbean.