International
Zak Crawley hits century as England give strong second-innings reply to West Indies

Zak Crawley scored his second century in Test cricket, while skipper Joe Root hit an unbeaten 84 as England made a strong comeback in the second innings of the opening Test against the West Indies, notching up 217/1 at stumps on Day 4 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Saturday.
England now lead the hosts by 153 runs, after the West Indies’ first innings folded up for 375, a lead of 64 runs after the tourists had scored 311 in the first innings.
The 24-year-old Crawley helped England into a comfortable position by the time rain brought play to a close on the fourth day, with the opening batter unbeaten on 117 off 200 deliveries. The England top-order batter had gone 21 innings without reaching triple figures since his amazing 257 against Pakistan in 2020. Crawley had only reached 50 in two of those 21 innings, one of a number of English players to struggle in the top-three over recent years.
But, after seeing off a difficult opening period against the new ball, Crawley dug his heels and worked his way to a deserved ton, forging a 193-run partnership with Root that has given England an outside chance of putting pressure on West Indies on the final day.
The home side added just two runs to their overnight score, with Jack Leach picking up the 10th West Indian wicket off just the third ball of the day. Jayden Seales reviewed, but DRS upheld the original lbw decision as West Indies were all out for 375, with Nkrumah Bonner top-scoring with his 123.
The new ball immediately caused problems for the two England opening batters, with Kemar Roach extracting copious movement in his first spell. And the pressure told for Alex Lees, who succumbed to a second low score of the match, trapped in-front by Roach, as he had been in the first innings, to be sent back for 6 off 27 balls.
Two single-figure scores in his first two outings in Test cricket was not the start the 28-year-old would have dreamt of, but England have backed the Durham batter for at least the remainder of this three-match series in the Caribbean, and he will be given a chance to bounce back from what has been a tough debut in the opening Test.
Crawley and Root survived the remainder of a tricky first session, overhauling the West Indies’ first-innings lead of 64 and reaching 72/1 at lunch. As the ball grew old and the threat subsided, Crawley and Root built a handsome score through the afternoon session, with the stand only interrupted by a scattering of rain showers that forced a handful of short rain delays.
Veerasammy Permaul thought he had burgled a wicket shortly before tea, appealing that a Crawley under-edge had bounced straight back up off his boot and into the hands of slip. But the soft signal was not out and the review supported the decision, with Crawley surviving.
And the youngster took advantage after the interval, bringing up his hundred with a flick into the leg side for two, reaching the milestone off 181 balls.
The run rate increased to well over three-an-over throughout the final session, but rain ensured that it was a stop-start affair in Antigua, with the players going on and off repeatedly before a heavy final shower brought the day to a close with England on 217/1.
England will resume on the final day 153 runs ahead, with Crawley unbeaten on 117 and Root 16-runs away from his 24th Test century.
Brief scores: England 311 and 217/1 (Zak Crawley 117 not out, Joe Root 84 not out) vs West Indies 375 (Kraigg Brathwaite 55, Nkrumah Bonner 123, Jason Holder 45; Jack Leach 2/79, Ben Stokes 2/42).
International
Champions Trophy: Pakistan’s dismal show likely to be discussed in cabinet and parliament

Islamabad, Feb 27: The Pakistan cricket team’s depressing, dismal, and cheerless performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, resulting in its early exit from the tournament, has not only broken the hearts of home fans but also knocked on the doors of the country’s Prime Minister.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has personally taken notice of the team’s early departure and the below-par performance and is likely to take up the issues related to the cricket team in the cabinet and the parliament. Pakistan’s final Group A fixture against Bangladesh was washed out in Rawalpindi due to rain on Thursday, which meant that they ended their campaign without a win. With only one point, thanks to a washout, Pakistan will finish at the bottom of the group.
Prime Minister’s aide on Political and Public Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, has said that PM Shehbaz will also take up the matter at the parliament. “The Prime Minister will personally take notice, and we will also ask him to raise these cricket-related issues in the cabinet as well as in the parliament,” said Rana Sanaullah.
It is pertinent to note that Pakistan is hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Special arrangements have been made to glorify the event, with Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi cricket stadiums renovated to increase audience capacity and further enhance the facilities. However, the team’s fans were left dejected after Pakistan lost both its matches and was knocked out of the tournament when their final league match with Bangladesh was rained off.
While anger persists among cricket fans, questions are being raised over the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), its chief Mohsin Naqvi, and the selection committee, which selected the squad. Aqib Javed, head coach of Pakistan, has tried to justify the team selection, stating that all players were selected on the basis of their recent performances.
On the other hand, internal issues within the PCB are also being linked with the team’s bad performance as many believe that the cricket board’s decision-making regarding playing eleven, the team, and the players has prompted foreign coaches like Jason Gillespie to part ways.
Rana Sanaullah said that he will also call on PM Sharif to address the ongoing issues within the PCB, emphasising that the cricket sport as a whole is in bad shape. “The sport at college and district levels is in a bad position, and the amount that has been spent on a professional level should be revealed before the public”, said Rana Sanaullah.
Rana Sanaullah also raised concerns over amounts being paid to mentors, who he highlighted admitted that they were unaware of their responsibilities and were being remunerated for doing nothing. “You will be surprised after hearing about the perks and privileges of other officer-bearers. You will be confused whether they are officials of a Pakistani institution or those belonging to a developed nation”, he said.
It would not be wrong to say that Pakistan’s performance on home grounds has certainly left fans heartbroken. In major ICC events, Pakistan’s performance in the past years has also not been mentionable.
In 2023, Pakistan only won four out of nine matches during the ODI World Cup in India and ended in fifth position on the points table. Pakistan also made an early exit from last year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA after losing to India and the USA in the preliminary stage.
International
Champions Trophy 2025: Pakistan’s Cricket Stadiums Far From Ready, Tournament Could Be Moved To Dubai, Claims Report

Problems seem to be mounting for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as they face a race against time to handover a proper stadium to the International Cricket Council (ICC) before the Champions Trophy gets underway. According to The Times Of India report, the construction and upgradation work is still underway at the National Stadium in Karachi, Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore and the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
A source following the developments said,”It is a very disappointing picture. All three stadiums are far from ready and it’s not renovation or refurbishment, but proper construction which is underway. There is so much work left with seats, floodlights, facilities and even the outfield and playing surfaces,”
The report further states there is not much time left for the venues to be handed over and it’s not a surprise that there are discussions about moving the entire tournament to the UAE.
The PCB has to hand over the tournament venues to ICC by February 12, however, the stadium work which was scheduled to be finished by December 31, is yet to be completed.
A team of from the ICC will leave for Pakistan towards the end of the week to do a status check and informal contingency discussions are underway in Dubai corridors.
What is the Current stadium of Champions Trophy venues?
Lahore and Karachi are the two centres where heavy construction work is underway and their multi-storied enclosures, which will have dressing rooms and hospitality boxes, are yet to enter the finishing stages. In addition to the new enclosures, there is fencing work, placement of floodlights and seats which is far from the finish line.
The source added, “The weather is not ideal for construction and finishing work to happen at a rapid pace. At Gadaffi, even the plaster work isn’t completed yet. And most of the time is taken by finishing work because we are talking about dressing rooms etc. They just can’t be random rooms/enclosures for an ICC event. ICC has a checklist which needs to be met. National Stadium has decided to not completely finish the new enclosure because there is no time,”
International
AFC Asian Cup 2027 to take place in Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar from Jan 7 to Feb 5

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 7: The AFC Asian Cup 2027 will take place from January 7 to February 5 across three cities – Riyadh, Jeddah and Al Khobar – in Saudi Arabia, the AFC announced on Tuesday.
A total of five stadiums in Riyadh will host the tournament’s matches; the King Fahd Sports City Stadium, the King Saud University Stadium, Imam Mohammed Ibn Saud University Stadium, Kingdom Arena and the Al Shabab Stadium.
Two stadiums have been confirmed for Jeddah – King Abdullah Sports City and Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium – with a new state-of-the-art venue to be built in Al Khobar, completing the world-class infrastructure set to provide the backdrop for Asia’s top 24 national teams.
Saudi Arabia was announced as the host nation for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in 2023. This will be the first time Suadi Arabia will host the tournament.
“Confirming the dates and selecting the stadiums for the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ is a strategic milestone in our journey to host the tournament. This announcement goes beyond simply identifying locations and schedules; it reflects the ongoing high-level collaboration between us and the AFC as we work towards delivering an exceptional tournament that fulfills the aspirations of the entire Asian continent,” Saudi Arabian Football Federation chief Yasser Al Misehal.
Eighteen teams have already sealed their places at the AFC Asian Cup 2027. The remaining berths will be decided via the Qualifiers Final Round, which is scheduled to commence from March 2025 and features six groups of four teams – confirmed at last month’s draw – with the winners of each group making up the final cast.
India, aiming for its fifth appearance at the AFC Asian Cup, has been placed in Group C alongside Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. The team will look to replicate or surpass its 2019 performance, where it showcased significant progress on the continental stage.
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