Two new franchises join World Padel League for upcoming third season

Islamabad, April 14 (IANS) Quetta Gladiators’ off-spinner Usman Tariq has once again come under scrutiny for a suspect bowling action during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 clash against Lahore Qalandars.

The incident occurred during Match 8 of the tournament at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, which saw Quetta suffer a heavy 79-run defeat. Tariq completed his full quota of four overs in the match, taking one wicket after conceding 31 runs.

According to a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the spinner will be allowed to continue bowling in PSL 2025 matches despite the latest report. However, a repeat offence will lead to immediate suspension from bowling duties.

“Quetta Gladiators spinner Usman Tariq was reported by on-field umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris Brown for a suspect bowling action during his side’s HBL PSL X match against Lahore Qalandars at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday evening.

“As per the rules, Usman can continue to bowl in future matches. However, if he is reported again, he will be suspended from bowling and will need to obtain clearance from an ICC-accredited lab before he can resume bowling,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a statement.

This is not the first time the 30-year-old has found himself in the spotlight for his bowling action. Tariq was previously reported for the same issue during PSL 2024 . At that time, Quetta Gladiators opted to voluntarily pull him out of the tournament, sending him for reassessment.

Following that report, Tariq underwent a detailed biomechanical assessment at an ICC-accredited laboratory in Lahore. He was eventually cleared in August 2024, which allowed him to resume bowling in domestic competitions without further concerns — until now.

–IANS

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Sharjah, Jan 25 (IANS) Alex Hales and Sam Curran powered the Desert Vipers to a commanding eight-wicket victory over the Sharjah Warriorz in the ILT20 Season 3, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here on Saturday. Hales and Curran shared a stunning 128-run partnership off just 65 balls, which turned a modest chase of 152 into a one-sided affair. Hales smashed a 36-ball half-century while Curran followed with a blistering 33-ball fifty. The duo ensured the Vipers sealed the win in 14.5 overs to inch closer to the play-offs stage.

Earlier, David Payne set the tone for the Vipers with a sharp spell of two wickets. UAE’s Khuzaima Tanveer then ripped through the middle and lower order with an excellent four-wicket haul while Jason Roy made a spirited contribution for the Warriorz with 55 runs in 38 balls.

Defending 151, early breakthroughs were crucial for the Warriorz, and Adam Milne delivered by removing Fakhar Zaman and Dan Lawrence within the first four overs, giving his side the ideal start. However, Alex Hales and Sam Curran seized control of the chase. Initially cautious, Hales shifted gears spectacularly, launching three consecutive sixes off Muhammad Jawadullah in the 13th over to bring up a 36-ball half-century. Hales finished the innings with seven fours and five sixes.

Sam Curran soon followed suit, unleashing a flurry of boundaries. He hammered Adam Zampa for six and two fours in the 14th over, while Tim Southee’s 15th over went for 19 runs, sealing the deal for the Vipers. Curran reached his 33-ball fifty on the back of two sixes and five fours as the Vipers comfortably chased down the target in just 14.5 overs.

In the first innings, David Payne gave the Vipers the first advantage, exploiting the new ball to remove Johnson Charles and the in-form Avishka Fernando within the first five overs. The early breakthroughs left the Warriorz searching for stability.

Skipper Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Jason Roy responded with intent as the pair found the gaps consistently, building a 50-run partnership in just 33 balls where Roy looked in excellent touch, contributing 24 runs off just 13 deliveries.

Kohler-Cadmore, batting at a measured pace, shifted gears with a towering six off Wanindu Hasaranga. However, the leg-spinner struck back in the same over, dismissing the batter for 42 runs off 36 balls. At the halfway mark, the Warriorz were 75/3. Jason Roy continued to lead the charge and brought up his half-century in just 35 balls. His dismissal in the 17th over, courtesy of Mohammed Amir, derailed the death overs.

Meanwhile, Khuzaima Tanveer was exceptional as he dismantled the middle and lower order with a decisive spell. He accounted for Tim Seifert for 16 runs, Rohan Mustafa, Luke Wood, and Tim Southee, finishing with figures of four wickets for 22 runs. Ashton Agar chipped in with a crucial late cameo. Remaining unbeaten on 15 runs, including two sixes, pushing the total to 151/8 in 20 overs.

Brief scores:

Sharjah Warriorz 151/8 in 20 overs (Jason Roy 55, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 42, Tim Seifert 16, Khuzaima Tanveer 4-22, David Payne 2-33) lost to Desert Vipers 152/2 in 14.5 overs (Alex Hales 77 not out, Sam Curran 54 not out, Adam Milne 2-17) by eight wickets.

–IANS

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New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) After Sunrisers Hyderabad lost to Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in IPL 2025, head coach Daniel Vettori said the side will take positives from the defeat and go with a slightly different plan when facing Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, LSG didn’t allow SRH’s famed batting line-up to go hammer and tongs, as they eventually made 190/9. In reply, LSG chased down the target with 23 balls to spare and got their first win of IPL 2025.

“We got to a score 190, which I think was competitive. But we also know that we go to Vizag, completely different conditions and ground size, and we’re going to have to build up maybe a slightly different plan from what we do here.

“Our style will still remain the same, but the questions we ask ourselves will just be a little bit different. So quick learnings from the game around the intent were perfect, and we just find a couple more ways with the ball and understand when a batsman’s in that form, we just have to jump into a few different things,” said Vettori in his address to SRH players in a video posted by the franchise on its X account on Friday.

Talking about the positives he saw from the match, Vettori lauded uncapped batter Aniket Verma for his 36 off 13 balls, and captain Pat Cummins hitting three sixes at the fag end of the innings. “Every team in the IPL could lose six odd games. We’ve just got one of them out of the way. But I think if you actually look at the performance, there’s a lot of very good stuff and a lot of stuff that we talked about.

“Particularly around the assessment of that wicket – I think we’ve come from a surface that was 280, and then the feedback early on was around 200-220. Bar a couple of unlucky dismissals in each class, we were well on our way.

“The way we went about it, particularly in that middle order, when we put ourselves under a little bit of pressure, Nitish soaked it up, Patty soaked it up, and then handed it on to Aniket with an amazing energy from the time you came in and to do what you did in that situation and to understand that you could still play your style of game, and still knew you could take those balls on – that was very commendable,” he elaborated.

Cummins, who picked 2-29, seemed to agree with Vettori’s assessment of the match. “I think that’s a really good summary. I think not a lot went right for us, but we still managed to get away and up to 190, and then, probably barring Pooran, we were probably well in the game.

“There’s going to be some nights where things go really well, some nights like here, where it doesn’t go particularly right to plan. But I think you can see we’re going to be competitive in the whole tournament so far,” Cummins concluded.

–IANS

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