14/09/2025

theSun on Sunday SEPT 14, 2025

SPORTS 11

Salt smashes century … as England break records in huge T20 win over South Africa

Three India-Pakistan cricket skirmishes

leaking runs. When Gambhir hit him for a boundary, Shahid taunted him and off the next ball when the batsman was running a single they collided. Heated words ensued and English umpire Ian Gould intervened to separate the duo. Sri Lankan match referee Roshan Mahanama later fined Shahid 95% of his match fee while Gambhir’s fine was 65%. THE 2012 Pakistan tour of India was the last time the arch rivals met in a bilateral series. During a T20 international match in Bengaluru, tensions flared between Indian fast bowler Ishant Sharma and Pakistan wicketkeeper batsman Kamran Akmal. Kamran accused the Indian pacer of obstructing him while he was taking a quick single. When Sharma beat Kamran he mocked the Pakistan batter. It irked Kamran no end and there was a confrontation. Other Indian players and umpires intervened to avoid it escalating. Kamran said: “It was again aggression that nearly went out of hand.” AFP KAMRAN, SHARMA GET HEATED

‘GO HOME’ PAKISTAN, chasing a daunting target of 288 in the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal in Bangalore, made a quick start as Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar took the attack to the Indian bowlers. Aamir brought up his 50 at more than a run a ball and celebrated with a blistering four off Venkatesh Prasad. As the ball raced to the fence, Aamir mocked Prasad, pointing to the region with the bat as if to say, “Go fetch”. Aamir tried to repeat the slash off the next ball but was bowled. It was Prasad’s turn to hit back, with the bowler appearing to mouth “Go home, you (expletive) b*****d”. India won a match which was also controversial because Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram pulled out due to a shoulder injury a few hours before the toss. PAKISTAN all-rounder Shahid Afridi and Indian opener Gautam Gambhir were two colourful characters with short tempers. In a 2007 ODI in Kanpur, Shahid was frustrated at not getting a wicket and was GAMBHIR, SHAHID CLOSE TO BLOWS

OPENER Phil Salt smashed an unbeaten 141 from 60 balls in England’s mammoth total of 304 for two as the home side thrashed South Africa by 146 runs in the second Twenty20 international yesterday as records tumbled at Old Trafford. Having been sent into bat, the hosts attacked the bowling from the opening delivery as Salt posted a record T20 score for an England batsman, and his team scored the most runs ever by a full member nation in this format. South Africa were desperately poor

as he raced to 83 from 30 deliveries before he was out attempting a sweep off spinner Bjorn Fortuin. England had already broken their record for most runs in a T20 powerplay with 100 from six overs, and managed the highest score in all T20 internationals at the 10-over mark with 166 1. Salt got to 100 in 39 Liam Livingston’s previous England record of reaching three figures in 42 balls, and then beat his own record of 119 for the team. England easily surpassed their previous highest total of 267-2 against the West Indies in 2023 and kept going as a mixture of sublime batting and woeful bowling propelled them along. It is the most runs conceded by South Africa in T20s and ended up as their biggest loss in the format. England were much smarter with the ball and their change of pace and more disciplined lines meant South Africa, needing to go in sixth gear, were unable to build momentum with the bat. – Reuters deliveries, breaking folded for 67 in 16.4 overs. Hammad Mirza, top-scored with 27 off 23 balls which contained a six and three boundaries. Pakistan skipper Salman Agha admitted his batters were not up to the mark. “With the bat, we still need to work. But with the bowling, it was outstanding. The spinners bowled really well,” said Salman, who fell for a first-ball duck. Earlier, Oman’s spinner Aamir Kaleem (3-31) and pacer Shah Faisal grabbed (3-34) and kept Pakistan batters under control. It was Mohammad who helped Pakistan – who won the toss and batted – with his second score of over fifty in T20Is. – AFP

in Nottingham. “It was really good fun, a personal milestone but also the fact we got to 300 and won by such a big margin, you cannot ask for much more,” Salt said. “It is a really good wicket in the powerplay and we knew i t

m i g h t slow up a bit later on. It is my home ground and I knew the powerplay would be important, so I took it on.” Jos Buttler was the initial aggressor for the home side

with the ball and had to be perfect with the bat, but were never up with the rate and managed 158 all out in 16.1 overs as E n g l a n d levelled the series at 1-1 heading into today’s decider

Phil Salt. – AFPPIC

Mohammad and bowlers help Pakistan rout Oman MOHAMMAD HARIS hit a return to-form half century before

Jobs

302

Mohammad Haris. – AFPPIC

bowlers routed Oman as Pakistan opened their Asia Cup campaign with a 93-run win over Oman in Dubai yesterday. Mohammad anchored the innings with a 43-ball 66 spiced with seven boundaries and three sixes as Pakistan scored a below-par 160-7 against Asia Cup first-timers. But spinners Sufiyan Muqeem (2-7) and Saim Ayub (2-8) and seamer Faheem Ashraf (2-6) atoned for unimpressive batting as Oman – comprising of six expats from Pakistan –

MEDIA SALES - Specialist

Job Description t # VJMEJOH BOE TVTUBJOJOH TUSPOH XPSLJOH SFMBUJPOTIJQ XJUI BEWFSUJTJOH BHFODJFT BOE DMJFOUT t / FX CVTJOFTT EFWFMPQNFOU BOE CVTJOFTT SFUFOUJPO t $ PODFQUVBMJTF QMBO BOE FYFDVUF DSFBUJWF BOE JOOPWBUJWF NBSLFUJOH DBNQBJHOT UP FOIBODF CSBOE WJTJCJMJUZ BOE FOHBHFNFOU t $ SFBUF EFWFMPQ BOE DPOUJOVPVTMZ JNQSPWF NBSLFUJOH NBUFSJBM QSFTFOUBUJPOT BOE QSPQPTBMT UIBU TIPXDBTF PVS QSPEVDUT TFSWJDFT FGGFDUJWFMZ Requirements t 4 1. MFWFM XJUI BU MFBTU UXP ZFBST PG FYQFSJFODF t % JQMPNB PS #BDIFMPS T EFHSFF JO CVTJOFTT NBSLFUJOH PS PUIFS SFMBUFE GJFMET t 'SFTI HSBEVBUFT BSF FODPVSBHFE UP BQQMZ USBJOJOH XJMM CF QSPWJEFE t (PPE DPNNVOJDBUJPO QSFTFOUBUJPO QSPCMFN TPMWJOH BOE PSHBOJTBUJPOBM TLJMMT t 1 BTTJPOBUF JO DMJFOU TFSWJDJOH t 1 PTTFTT PXO USBOTQPSU BOE XJMMJOH UP USBWFM t "CMF UP TUBSU XPSL JNNFEJBUFMZ Office based in

Forget noise and ‘enjoy’ Asia Cup clash: Wasim PACE bowling great Wasim Akram has urged Pakistan and India’s cricketers to ignore the noise and enjoy the game when they meet in a highly charged Asia Cup T20 match tonight (10.30pm Malaysian time). The Group A match in Dubai is the first clash on the cricket field between the countries since a military conflict four months ago took relations between the nuclear armed neighbours to their lowest point in decades. countries in the T20 tournament. “Forget about everything other than cricket. One team will win, and one team will lose,” he said. “Just enjoy the moment if you win the game. Pressure will come, enjoy that and show discipline because this is just a game. It’s for both teams and for both sets of fans.” A full house of 25,000 is expected at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Wasim recalled how he thrived in such pressure situations during his 19-year international career. Wasim advised an inexperienced Pakistan team to think of the bigger picture and not get carried away by the hype of playing T20 world champions and arch-rivals India. “Pakistan have a chance as they won a tri-series last week,” said Wasim, referring to a T20 series with Afghanistan and the UAE. “They should not think that we just need to win against India, think of winning the Asia Cup,” he said. “You can lose to a big team but even then, stand up and play well in the tournament.

Petaling Jaya (Five-day week)

MEDIA SALES - Representative/Agent (Freelance)

Requirement t . JOJNVN POF ZFBS TBMFT FYQFSJFODF JO DMBTTJGJFE BE QSJOU BOE EJHJUBM BEWFSUJTJOH t 5IPTF XJUIPVU TBMFT FYQFSJFODF CVU XJUI NFEJB BEWFSUJTJOH LOPXMFEHF NBZ BMTP BQQMZ t "UUSBDUJWF DPNNJTTJPO QBDLBHF BOE JODFOUJWFT t "CMF UP TUBSU JNNFEJBUFMZ t $FOUSBM /PSUIFSO 4PVUIFSO &BTU $PBTU BOE 4BCBI 4BSBXBL

India resisted calls to boycott the match between the pair, who have not played in any bilateral series since deadly attacks in Mumbai 2008 were blamed on Pakistan militants. “Enjoy, it’s a game of cricket,” legendary left-armer Wasim told AFP of the match, which potentially could be the first of three high octane meetings between the

“I don’t think the match will be one-sided like India against UAE,” said Wasim of India’s opening romp on Wednesday where they needed just 4.3 overs to reach their target after dismissing the hosts for 57. “Anything can happen in this tournament.” – AFP

“I enjoyed every game against India, and so did players from the opposition,” said Wasim, who led a Pakistan touring team to India in 1999 despite threats from extremists. The 59-year-old was also part of Pakistan’s 1987 tour during which the two countries came close to war.

Send in your CV with your photo via email to : thesun.hr2@gmail.com