England | Pakistan

She is the most capped women's player in England history

Pundits and former players highlighted India’s struggles with the bat on Saturday after the Twenty20 World Cup champions suffered back-to-back series defeats by England and Ireland. England beat India by 56 runs in the fifth and final T20I at Southampton, the hosts sealing a 4-0 series win after the opener ended in a no result due to rain. That series defeat came after Ireland had completed a 2-0 T20 whitewash last month. Player-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik said India’s batting unit had looked out of rhythm throughout the tour. “I think India have a problem adapting to a little bit of extra bounce,” he told cricket news site Cricbuzz. “The middle order looks wobbly, not confident, and it is definitely not the Indian team that we saw during the World Cup or before it in bilateral series, where they took down opponents and actually imposed a lot of fear. Where has that gone?” India captain Shreyas Iyer said their failure to adapt to different conditions had cost them in the series. “We kept on going from o...

Julian Alvarez scored a breathtaking goal as Argentina battled past 10-man Switzerland 3-1 after extra-time on Sunday, setting up a mouthwatering World Cup semi-final against bitter rivals England. Fans of the South American team dominated the stands in Kansas City and were celebrating as early as the 10th minute when their hero Lionel Messi set up Alexis Mac Allister’s opener. Switzerland levelled midway through the second half through Dan Ndoye, but minutes later, disaster struck when Embolo was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for simulation. The match went to extra-time and Switzerland snuffed out wave after wave of attacks until Alvarez curled a breathtaking strike into the top corner in the 112th minute. Lautaro Martinez added gloss with a late third. The hard-fought victory for Lionel Scaloni’s men at the Arrowhead Stadium means the top four teams in the FIFA rankings will contest the semi-finals of the 2026 tournament. Argentina are now unbeaten in their past 12 World Cup matches as they...

Jude Bellingham scored twice, including the extra-time winner, as England ground out a 2-1 victory over a battling Norway side at Miami Stadium on Sunday to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the fourth time. The teams were locked up ​1-1 at the end of regulation time after Andreas Schjelderup had opened the scoring for Norway with a wonder strike in the 36th minute and Bellingham skipped ‌into the area to equalise just before halftime. Three minutes into extra time, though, Morgan Rogers fired a long-range shot at the Norwegian goal that Orjan Nyland could only parry and Bellingham stole in to bury the rebound, delighting the white-shirted fans in the crowd of 64,478. England will face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday in their fourth semi-final in their last five major championships, looking to stay on course for a repeat of their sole World ​Cup triumph of 1966. “The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance,” England coach Thomas Tuch...

England lock horns with Norway in a World Cup quarter-final in Miami on Saturday that pits Harry Kane against Erling Haaland in a mouthwatering battle of elite strikers. The teams are competing to face either reigning champions Argentina or surprise package Switzerland in the semi-finals. Kane has once again been England’s hero, dragging his teammates through an attritional last-16 meeting with Mexico at the Estadio Azteca that they won 3-2 despite having a man sent off. The Bayern Munich forward has scored six goals to fire the Three Lions to the quarter-finals. Haaland appears to have been enjoying himself ever since he touched down in the United States and began smashing in the seven goals that have carried Norway further than ever before. Their run, which included eliminating Brazil, has been accompanied by their fans’ joyous rowing celebration that has turned venues across the US into giant human Viking ships. A young Norwegian fan prepares to participate in the “Viking Row,” a cheer created by Norwegian...

Harry Kane rescued England from a seismic World Cup shock with two late goals to beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1 in Atlanta and secure a place in the last 16. Aiming to end a 60-year wait to win a major tournament, Thomas Tuchel’s men escaped humiliation and one of England’s worst ever World Cup exits thanks to their talismanic captain after Brian Cipenga’s goal gave Congo an early lead. But the Three Lions will need to improve for the daunting task of facing co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the last 16 on Sunday. Already England’s all-time top goalscorer in the competition, Kane now has 13 World Cup goals and moves onto five for the tournament to remain in the the star-studded battle for the Golden Boot. Defeat ended Congo’s fairytale run on their return to the World Cup for the first time in 52 years. The Leopards had never even won a point or scored a goal at the World Cup until a few weeks ago, but had one of the tournament favourites teetering on the brink of elimination. Tuchel made tw...

James Garner and Jason Steele received their first England call-ups

India clung on to beat England by seven runs in a thrilling T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday, despite Jacob Bethell’s superb 105. After Sanju Samson’s scintillating 89 laid the platform for India to pile up a massive 253-7, England fell just short in what would have been a record chase, finishing on 246-7. Phil Salt (5), Harry Brook (7) and Jos Buttler (25) fell early, but Bethell, aided by Will Jacks (35) kept England in the hunt. The left-hander hit seven sixes and eight fours in his 48-ball thrash before his run out in the final over finally allowed India to celebrate in front of 35,000 jubilant fans in Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium. India will face New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad as they attempt to become the first team to retain the trophy and the first to win it on home soil. The hosts, having been asked to bat by Brook, earlier flayed England’s attack to all parts of the ground, hitting 19 sixes and 18 fours. Samson signalled his intent with a four and six off Jofra Archer’s first ...

Harry Brook conceded on Wednesday that India were favourites to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, but warned them that England’s “perfect performance” was “just around the corner”. The previous two winners of the T20 World Cup — India won in 2024, England in 2022 — will go head-to-head in a blockbuster semi-final at Mumbai’s famed Wankhede stadium on Thursday night. The match will be played in a cauldron-like atmosphere — temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-30s Celsius with a capacity crowd of 35,000 Indian fans raising the roof. Hundreds of millions more will follow on TV and streaming sites across the cricket-obsessed nation. Asked if it gets any better than that, Brook said: “It’s up there for sure. “It’s a dream come true for most of us to play in a World Cup semi-final against the home nation on a very iconic ground,” the England captain told reporters at the Wankhede stadium, minutes before his side’s final training session ahead of the semi-final. “We’re obviously going into the game very conf...

England will go into their T20 World Cup semi-final against India with no fear, said all-rounder Sam Curran on Tuesday, adding that their first job would be to silence a raucous home crowd. England will take on the favourites and hosts in front of 35,000 fiercely partisan fans in Mumbai on Thursday, with a place in the final against South Africa or New Zealand at stake. The noise will be deafening at times in the cauldron-like confines of the Wankhede Stadium. But Curran said that because he and many of his England teammates — such as Will Jacks at the Mumbai Indians — play in the Indian Premier League (IPL), they will not be fazed. “It’s an experience as a young cricketer you dream of — playing India in the semi-final of a World Cup,” left-arm seamer Curran told reporters. Curran was in the international wilderness a year ago but forced his way back into the England squad with eye-catching performances in T20 franchise leagues, including the IPL. “India are a quality side but we’ve played a lot of cricket he...

Sanju Samson’s sparkling unbeaten 97 kept alive India’s dream of retaining the T20 World Cup at home as they knocked out the West Indies with a five-wicket win in Kolkata on Sunday to set up a semi-final against England. Samson hit 12 fours and four sixes in his superb 50-ball knock in the winner-takes-all final Super Eights match to thrill a capacity 67,000 fans at a pulsating Eden Gardens. After the West Indies smacked 70 off the last five overs to score 195-4 after being asked to bat, India lost two early wickets but were always up with the required rate. Samson, opening for the second match in succession, led the way. When India slipped to 41-2, he was joined by captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) and the pair added 58 for the third wicket. Tilak Varma was next to join Samson and scored 27 off 15 before departing in the 15th over with the score 141-4 and India still needing 55. Samson stood firm and though Hardik Pandya fell for 17, India reached the target with four balls to spare to spark celebrations and fir...

Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks smashed 44 off 16 balls to take England to a thrilling four-wicket T20 World Cup win in Colombo that denied New Zealand a guaranteed place in the semi-finals but kept Pakistan’s slender hopes alive. New Zealand would have joined England in the knockouts with a win in their final Super Eights match and they scored 159-6 after opting to bat. England lost wickets early and looked like they would be squeezed out at 117-6, needing 43 from the last three overs. But Ahmed and Jacks took 22 off the 18th over from Glenn Phillips to turn the match on its head. Ahmed blasted 19 off seven balls in his first T20 World Cup match alongside Jacks, who made an unbeaten 32 off 18, to see England to 161-6 with three balls to spare. England will move on to a semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday against either India or the West Indies, who clash on Sunday to decide the final semi-final berth. New Zealand now have to wait on the outcome of Saturday’s clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Kandy to know if t...

New Zealand’s “street-smart” cricketers can find a way to beat England and guarantee their semi-final place at the T20 World Cup, coach Rob Walters said on Thursday. A win for New Zealand in Friday’s Super Eights clash in Colombo will see them top Group 2 and join the already-qualified England in the final four. A defeat would leave the door ajar for Pakistan to beat eliminated Sri Lanka on Saturday with the second semi-final berth then being decided on net run rate. Mitchell Santner’s New Zealand were in trouble at 84-6 against Sri Lanka on Wednesday before the captain steered them to 168-7 and a thumping 61-run win which knocked out the co-hosts. “I think if you look historically at the Black Caps, you would probably say that they’re a team that have been great problem solvers,” Walters told reporters. “They are street smart; they find a way to understand the conditions quickly. “It’s certainly something that we pride ourselves on. We can adapt to conditions quickly and find a method.” England are the only ...

After England beat Pakistan in the T20 World Cup Super Eight clash by two wickets on Tuesday, Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi acknowledged that his side’s fate was not in its hands anymore. Pakistan have only one point from two Super Eight matches so now must win their final game and rely on other results going their way to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals. “We know our fate is not in our hands,” he admitted, “But we need to beat Sri Lanka in our last match on Saturday and then hope other results go our way.” “It’s not ideal, but it’s like this,” Shaheen said during a press conference after the match. He also hailed Harry Brook’s century in the match against England as a “world-class knock”. Brook reached his maiden T20 International hundred off 50 balls, with four sixes and 10 fours, as England went past their 165-run target with five balls to spare to win by two wickets. Afridi jolted the England top order with a burst of three wickets before Brook played the ultimate captain’s innings to steer...

Pakistan on Monday warned England’s inconsistent batting line-up to expect a trial by spin when the teams clash in the T20 World Cup Super Eights. Pakistan batsman Sahibzada Farhan told reporters that England struggled to 146-9 against Sri Lanka’s spinners on Sunday. Farhan said that England can expect more of the same from Pakistan’s spinners when they meet on the same Pallekele ground in Kandy on Tuesday night. Pakistan desperately need a win after their first match against New Zealand was washed out. A defeat would put England, who skittled Sri Lanka for 95 to win by 51 runs, through to the semi-finals with a game to spare. Pakistan would then need to beat Sri Lanka in their final Super Eights match and hope other results go their way to reach the last four. “What we saw in the Sri Lanka-England game was that the ball was gripping and England struggled against spin,” said the in-form opener Farhan on Monday. “Sri Lanka have one or two spinners but we have five in all so we will give England a tough time on...

England captain Harry Brook said on Saturday that it would be “a shame” if Pakistani players were shut out of England’s domestic white-ball Hundred competition by Indian-owned franchises. Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Friday urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “act fast” on BBC reports that Pakistani players will be “overlooked” in the player auction next month. Ahead of England’s opening Super Eights clash against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Sunday, Brook — who will play for Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in the Hundred this year — was asked about the issue. “Our main focus now is what’s coming up in the T20 World Cup. It’s not really any of our business, to be honest,” said Brook. “But what I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years.” Long-standing political tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the border rivals only playing each other in international cricket events. Their Colombo showdown at the ongoing T20 World Cup only went ahead after Pakistan...

England clung on to beat Nepal by four runs in a last-ball thriller in Mumbai on Sunday and avoid one of the biggest upsets in the history of the T20 World Cup. Chasing an imposing 185 to win, Nepal’s Lokesh Bam (39 not out) needed a six off the final delivery of the match bowled by Sam Curran but could only club the ball to deep cover for a single. It was an agonising end to a valiant run chase by the cricketing minnows, who put England’s premier bowlers Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid to the sword. Jacob Bethell (55) and Harry Brook (53) scored quick fifties for England but it was a late cameo by Will Jacks that took them to 184-7 in the Group C match, a total that proved just out of reach. Jacks smashed three spectacular sixes off the final over from Karan KC to finish 39 not out off 18 balls . Nepal fell just short at 180-6, despite being roared on by most of the spectators in a three-quarters full Wankhede stadium. They got off to a flying start in their chase, Kushal Bhurtel crunching 29 off 17 balls befor...

Pakistan’s ICC U19 Cricket World Cup campaign got off to a disappointing start on Tuesday as England dismantled the Green Shirts’ top order, taking six wickets for 86 runs to seal a 37-run victory. Winning the toss at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare, Pakistan U19 team captain Farhan Yousuf elected to field first — a decision that turned out to be in the team’s favour as it bowled out England for just 210 in a fifty-over match. English batter Caleb Falconer scored 66 runs, for which he also got the Man of the Match award later, aided by Ben Dawkins’ 33 and Ralphie Albert’s 25. With the help of the commanding spells by Pakistani bowler Ahmed Hussain, who took three wickets, and Ali Raza, Abdul Subhan, and Moshin Qamar, who grabbed two wickets each, Pakistan established their position, booming in the first innings. While chasing the target, howeve, Pakistan’s top order could not stand England’s Alex Green and James Minto’s bowling attack, as both took a couple of wickets each. Six of Pakistan’s batters were...

A fighting England won their first Test on Australian soil in 15 years Saturday, restoring their battered pride with a gutsy four-wicket victory to clinch a chaotic fourth Ashes clash that was all over inside two days. The pumped-up tourists dismissed Australia for 132 soon after lunch in front of a bumper 92,045 crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following the 20 wickets that tumbled on day one. It left them chasing 175 to win, with Harry Brook unbeaten on 18 and Jamie Smith on three seeing them home for the loss of six wickets to huge roars from their travelling “Barmy Army” of fans. Jacob Bethell contributed 40 and Zak Crawley 37. “A good feeling, a tough tour up to now,” said England skipper Ben Stokes. “After the build-up to the Test, a lot thrown our way, to put in a performance on the back of all that, and beat a very good Australian team, a lot of credit has to go to players, staff and management for keeping the focus on cricket. “Very proud. We showed bravery and were courageous.” England crashed...

Pat Cummins skittled England’s top order and Nathan Lyon spun out their soft underbelly to all but seal another Ashes series victory for Australia on day four of the third Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps, still 228 runs short of victory and having played no small part in their predicament through batting misadventure. Jamie Smith, on two, and Will Jacks, on 11, were left to try to salvage something from the wreckage of another demolition day for the tourists. With holders Australia 2-0 up in the five-test series after eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, they need only draw the match to retain the urn. View this post on Instagram But there is little prospect of a rousing comeback win from an England squad that have failed to live up to expectations. “Obviously very disappointing. Uphill battle from here,” England opener Zak Crawley told reporters. “We came here to win the Ashes and we’re staring down the barrel now …....