https://www.scmp.com/rss/328481/feed The latest Hong Kong and international cricket news, test matches, results and schedule. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters New Zealand will bid farewell to one of ⁠⁠its cricketing greats when ⁠⁠all-rounder Suzie Bates calls time on ⁠⁠her international career at the end of the White Ferns’ T20 World Cup campaign in England. The record-breaking 38-year-old confirmed on Friday she will retire following the summer tournament after 20 years at the highest level. If Bates has her way, she will bow out ‌‌with back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, having celebrated a long-awaited maiden championship in the United Arab Emirates... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3351252/new-zealand-cricket-great-suzie-bates-aiming-bow-out-world-cup-high?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3351252/new-zealand-cricket-great-suzie-bates-aiming-bow-out-world-cup-high?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:08:57 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The International Cricket Council said on Friday it is investigating Cricket Canada over allegations of match corruption, including the team’s loss to New Zealand at the recent T20 World Cup hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The game in Chennai – which Canada lost by eight wickets – is under scrutiny following allegations of corruption highlighted in a documentary aired by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) on Thursday. “The ACU [anti-corruption unit] is aware of the programme broadcast by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3350509/icc-investigate-canadas-t20-world-cup-loss-new-zealand-after-corruption-claim?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3350509/icc-investigate-canadas-t20-world-cup-loss-new-zealand-after-corruption-claim?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:30:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Japan’s new cricket venue, built for this year’s Asian Games, will host men’s T20 internationals for the first time next month, the International Cricket Council said. Baseball-mad Japan have constructed a cricket stadium for the Asian Games in Nagoya and the wider Aichi region from September 19 to October 4. The new ground in Nisshin, outside Nagoya, will stage the East Asia-Pacific (EAP) qualifiers for the 2028 men’s T20 World Cup from May 8-18. The biggest EAP qualifying tournament ever will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3349455/icc-confirms-japan-host-t20-world-cup-qualifiers-new-asian-games-cricket-stadium?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3349455/icc-confirms-japan-host-t20-world-cup-qualifiers-new-asian-games-cricket-stadium?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:52:57 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara City cricket chiefs have pledged to deliver a “bigger and better” Hong Kong Cricket Sixes after they confirmed the popular tournament will be staged at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground from October 30 to November 1 this year. The venue was filled to its 2,720 capacity on all three days last year, as Pakistan captured a record-breaking sixth title. Burji Shroff, the chairman of Cricket Hong Kong, China (CHKC), called the 2025 Sixes “the best we’ve had”, but he said that this year his organisation... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3349138/hong-kong-cricket-sixes-organisers-pledge-deliver-bigger-and-better-tournament-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3349138/hong-kong-cricket-sixes-organisers-pledge-deliver-bigger-and-better-tournament-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:05:01 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Barely a fortnight after playing for New Zealand in front of 87,000 people in the T20 World Cup final, Mark Chapman stepped off a long flight to Pakistan and into the line of eight local net bowlers “all steaming in and bowling faster than 140km an hour”. Pakistan Super League side Islamabad United have paid 70 million rupees (US$250,000) for the Hong Kong-born batsman’s services, and there was no time to settle in for the 31-year-old. Nor to dwell on the price tag, with Chapman acknowledging... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3349092/pakistan-latest-stop-ex-hong-kong-stars-cricketing-journey-after-cool-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3349092/pakistan-latest-stop-ex-hong-kong-stars-cricketing-journey-after-cool-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru begin the defence of their Indian Premier League (IPL) crown with muted enthusiasm against Ishan Kishan and Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. Bengaluru’s build-up to launching the latest IPL has been overshadowed since June by the deaths of 11 fans in a stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium during the team’s victory parade for their maiden IPL title win. It took months for Bengaluru to receive permission from state authorities to host IPL matches, and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3348231/ipl-virat-kohlis-bengaluru-begin-title-defence-against-ishan-kishans-hyderabad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3348231/ipl-virat-kohlis-bengaluru-begin-title-defence-against-ishan-kishans-hyderabad?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 06:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press American investors have made a big move into Indian cricket, with two separate billion-dollar deals struck on the same day for teams in the country’s most popular sports league. No team in the Indian Premier League – one of Asia’s most-watched sports events – had ever sold for more than US$1 billion until a consortium backed by United States businessmen Kal Somani and Rob Walton – the former Walmart chairman – agreed on Tuesday to buy the Rajasthan Royals in a deal that Indian media valued at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3348001/us-investors-bet-big-indian-cricket-separate-billion-dollar-deals-2-ipl-teams?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3348001/us-investors-bet-big-indian-cricket-separate-billion-dollar-deals-2-ipl-teams?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:57 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hailed by his coach and captain, respectively, as “an exceptional talent” and “a great prospect”, Shiv Mathur has targeted a statement performance in Hong Kong’s ongoing four-match T20 series with Kuwait. At a career crossroads, Mathur, who has a highest score of 39 from 11 T20 internationals, will decide this summer whether to leave the city for university. In purely cricket terms, the 18-year-old is aiming over the next week to shrug off a quiet start against Kuwait and “show I’m here to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3344878/exceptional-hong-kong-teen-cricketer-faces-crunch-choice-between-local-overseas-studies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3344878/exceptional-hong-kong-teen-cricketer-faces-crunch-choice-between-local-overseas-studies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 00:00:10 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Kaushal Silva said he had complete faith in Hong Kong’s inconsistent batsman after his team overcame a second mini-collapse in two days on Thursday to beat Kuwait and move 2-0 ahead in their four-match T20 series. Batting first, Hong Kong were indebted to a measured assault from captain Yasim Murtaza, who struck 60 from 30 balls to lift them from the rubble of 84 for seven to a challenging 171-9. After Murtaza trapped opener Clint Anto lbw in the first over of their reply at Tin Kwong Road... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3344767/silva-willing-keep-faith-hong-kong-batsman-despite-second-t20-collapse-2-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3344767/silva-willing-keep-faith-hong-kong-batsman-despite-second-t20-collapse-2-days?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 13:05:07 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Geopolitical tensions between India and Pakistan might be spilling over into English cricket. Four of the eight franchises in England’s newest cricket competition, The Hundred, are at least part-owned by Indian investors who also control teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL). No Pakistan player has featured in the IPL since the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008, and the BBC reported last week that the IPL-owned franchises in The Hundred – Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3344376/how-political-tensions-between-india-and-pakistan-might-make-their-way-english-cricket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3344376/how-political-tensions-between-india-and-pakistan-might-make-their-way-english-cricket?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Former champions Australia were knocked out of the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, with Zimbabwe qualifying for the Super Eights after their match against Ireland was washed out without a ball being bowled in Kandy. The no-result in Pallekelle meant Zimbabwe qualified for the second stage of the tournament for the first time. Zimbabwe joined Sri Lanka as qualifiers from Group B and will move on to Group One to face the West Indies, India and South Africa in the next phase. Ireland were also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343840/australia-ireland-out-cricket-t20-world-cup-zimbabwe-qualify-after-washout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343840/australia-ireland-out-cricket-t20-world-cup-zimbabwe-qualify-after-washout?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 13:29:43 +0000 Reuters Reuters ⁠India and Pakistan will clash in the Twenty20 World Cup in Colombo on Sunday, still feeling the aftershocks of a tumultuous fortnight in which Pakistan’s ultimately empty threat to boycott nearly blew a hole in the tournament’s marquee fixture. With bilateral cricket a casualty of their fraught relations, emotions run high whenever the bitter ‌neighbours lock horns in multi-team events at neutral venues. India’s strained relations with another neighbour, Bangladesh, have further tangled the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343574/boycott-averted-india-and-pakistan-set-t20-world-cup-blockbuster?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343574/boycott-averted-india-and-pakistan-set-t20-world-cup-blockbuster?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:00:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan’s government on Monday directed the country’s cricket team to play India in the T20 World Cup on February 15 in Colombo, ending a week-long stand-off. The decision came after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and was briefed on negotiations between Pakistan’s cricket board, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and other stakeholders. “In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343013/pakistan-play-india-colombo-t20-world-cup-after-boycott-called?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3343013/pakistan-play-india-colombo-t20-world-cup-after-boycott-called?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:18:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Faheem Ashraf’s late assault rescued Pakistan in a three-wicket win over the Netherlands and the USA gave India a huge scare in Mumbai as the tournament co-hosts won by 29 runs on an eventful opening day of cricket’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan needed Saturday’s win as they can ill afford to lose any Group A points after announcing they would boycott their February 15 match against India in Sri Lanka, a decision that shook the cricket world. In the afternoon match in Kolkata, West Indies eased to a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3342800/eventful-opening-day-t20-world-cup-sees-pakistan-beat-netherlands-india-survive-us-scare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3342800/eventful-opening-day-t20-world-cup-sees-pakistan-beat-netherlands-india-survive-us-scare?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 04:00:15 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Twenty20 World Cup gets under way in India and Sri Lanka on Saturday. The smash-and-bash nature of this cricket format makes it very likely to unearth a few stars of the future. Here are five names to watch out for: Abhishek Sharma, India The opening batsman is already setting T20 alight with his powerful hitting from ball one. Sharma has the highest strike rate in T20s – 194.74 – and is currently the No 1-ranked T20 batter in the world. Despite playing only cricket’s shortest, sharpest... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3342509/t20-world-cup-5-players-watch-out-crickets-smash-and-grab-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3342509/t20-world-cup-5-players-watch-out-crickets-smash-and-grab-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press India will be chasing a third Twenty20 World Cup title when the 2026 edition, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, gets under way on Saturday. Defending champions India will be in action on the opening day, taking on the United States team in Mumbai, while Sri Lanka play their opener against Ireland in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s capital, on Sunday. The tournament will feature 20 teams divided into four groups of five, with the group stage running until February 20. The playoffs will start with the Super... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3342535/t20-world-cup-indias-quest-historic-consecutive-titles-sri-lankas-strength-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3342535/t20-world-cup-indias-quest-historic-consecutive-titles-sri-lankas-strength-home?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 23:00:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Pakistan’s government says the national cricket team will be allowed to take part in the coming T20 World Cup but must boycott its group game against arch-rival India. India and Sri Lanka are co-hosts for the 20-team tournament, which starts on Saturday. Pakistan will play all its games in Sri Lanka – including any in the knockout stage – because of political tensions with India. The two teams are scheduled to meet in a Group A game in Colombo on February 15 in what is often a tournament... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342031/pakistan-play-t20-world-cup-will-boycott-india-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 01:52:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters The absence of Bangladesh from the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup is a “sad moment” for cricket and should serve as a call for stakeholders to work towards uniting the sport, ‍not dividing it, the international cricketers’ association has said. Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the 20-team showpiece on Saturday following their refusal to tour India over safety concerns in the wake of soured political relations between ⁠the Asian neighbours. The governing International Cricket Council (ICC)... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3341196/bangladesh-t20-world-cup-absence-amid-india-fall-out-sad-moment-cricket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3341196/bangladesh-t20-world-cup-absence-amid-india-fall-out-sad-moment-cricket?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Jan 2026 02:13:06 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bangladesh have been replaced by Scotland for next month’s Twenty20 World Cup after the South Asian side refused to travel to ‌co-hosts India, media reports said on Saturday, citing sources within the sport’s governing International ‍Cricket Council. The decision follows weeks of uncertainty, during which the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) repeatedly insisted it would not play its scheduled matches in India, citing safety concerns following soured political relations between the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3341122/bangladesh-replaced-scotland-t20-cricket-world-cup-next-month-reports-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3341122/bangladesh-replaced-scotland-t20-cricket-world-cup-next-month-reports-say?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bangladesh will not travel to India to play in next month’s T20 World Cup, their cricket board said on Thursday, effectively ruling the country out of the tournament. “Our only demand is to play the World Cup – but not in India,” Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul told reporters. The refusal came a day after cricket’s governing body rejected Bangladesh’s plea to play their games in Sri Lanka instead. “There is no scope for changing our decision,” said Asif Nazrul, an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3340883/bangladesh-stand-firm-refusal-go-india-cricket-t20-world-cup-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3340883/bangladesh-stand-firm-refusal-go-india-cricket-t20-world-cup-next-month?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:00:13 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Bangladesh have requested their matches at next month’s T20 World Cup be played in Sri Lanka, after India forced a Bangladeshi player to quit the Indian Premier League. Political relations between India and Bangladesh soured after a mass uprising in Dhaka in 2024 toppled then prime minister Sheikh Hasina, a close ally of New Delhi. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), after an emergency meeting on Sunday, said it had “formally requested” the International Cricket Council (ICC) shift their games... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3338693/bangladesh-will-not-play-t20-world-cup-matches-india-ask-sri-lanka-switch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3338693/bangladesh-will-not-play-t20-world-cup-matches-india-ask-sri-lanka-switch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Jan 2026 15:30:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Usman Khawaja will retire from international cricket after the fifth and final Ashes clash against England, he said on Friday, leaving a legacy as Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer while lashing out at perceived “racial stereotyping” during his 15-year career. The 39-year-old will pad up for the last time, should he be selected, when the Test gets under way in Sydney on Sunday, ending months of speculation about his future. It would be an 88th Test for the classy left-hander, culminating a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3338446/australias-usman-khawaja-retire-after-ashes-finale-slams-racial-stereotyping?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3338446/australias-usman-khawaja-retire-after-ashes-finale-slams-racial-stereotyping?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Jan 2026 01:38:14 +0000 Associated Press,Reuters Associated Press,Reuters England pace bowler Gus Atkinson has joined the tourists’ mounting injury toll after being ruled out for the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney with a hamstring injury, while Australian batsman Usman Khawaja will play in what could be his final appearance in the side. Atkinson pulled up lame during the second morning of the Boxing Day Test and was officially ruled out after scans on Monday confirmed the injury in his left leg. England have already lost star speedsters Mark Wood (knee) and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3337981/injured-atkinson-ruled-out-final-ashes-test-khawaja-set-play-sydney?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3337981/injured-atkinson-ruled-out-final-ashes-test-khawaja-set-play-sydney?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 04:36:33 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indonesia’s Gede Priandana became the first bowler to claim ‌five wickets in an over in a ‍Twenty20 International, in a game against Cambodia in Bali on Tuesday. The 28-year-old seamer single-handedly derailed Cambodia’s chase in a ⁠seven-ball over that included a wide, completing his hat-trick and securing his team’s victory by 60 runs in the series opener. Cambodia were 106 for five needing ‍168 for victory when Priandana was called on to ‍bowl the 16th over. The right-armer dismissed Shah... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3337536/indonesia-bowler-enters-record-books-five-wicket-over-t20-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3337536/indonesia-bowler-enters-record-books-five-wicket-over-t20-international?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 13:20:34 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Mamatha Maben has given her Hong Kong players a lengthy to-do list after their drawn four-match T20I series in Malaysia last week. On her first assignment as head coach of the city women’s team, Maben was encouraged by how her new charges “fought and came back harder” after losing the first and third matches to finish level at 2-2. But Maben, a former India all-rounder, said that there remained “quite a bit of work to do”, and that the team needed to adopt a more professional mindset as she... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3335495/4-tasks-hong-kong-womens-cricketers-coach-tells-them-get-serious?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3335495/4-tasks-hong-kong-womens-cricketers-coach-tells-them-get-serious?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Dec 2025 00:00:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Mamatha Maben said she wanted to oversee a “growth story” for Hong Kong cricket after upending her life to become head coach of the women’s city team. The former India international all-rounder, who has previously been in charge of China and Bangladesh, has signed a three-year deal to lead the world No 22 team. Maben said she had to “think carefully about moving”, with four dogs, two cats and a family to take into consideration. “But the offer was too good to let go because of the scope of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3334560/new-hong-kong-womens-cricket-coach-happy-sacrifice-india-life-growth-story?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3334560/new-hong-kong-womens-cricket-coach-happy-sacrifice-india-life-growth-story?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Nov 2025 01:00:49 +0000 Kyodo Kyodo A cricket ground that meets international standards and is located north of Tokyo is attracting visitors from Japan and abroad, raising hopes that it will serve as a hub for regional revitalisation and promote a sport that has remained relatively low profile in the country. Naoki Alex Miyaji, 47, a former Japan team player and current CEO of the Japan Cricket Association, connected the sport with Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, by establishing the organisation’s local office there in 2007. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3333791/japan-city-pins-hope-international-cricket-ground-revitalise-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3333791/japan-city-pins-hope-international-cricket-ground-revitalise-region?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Nov 2025 13:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Pakistan thumped Kuwait by 43 runs to win a “wonderful and extravagant” Hong Kong Cricket Sixes, but the city team’s Aizaz Khan stole the show after he creamed 30 off the final over to earn an improbable plate final victory for the hosts over distraught Bangladesh. Runners-up last year, Pakistan went one better this time after captain Abbas Afridi’s unbeaten 11-ball 52 helped them pile up 135 for three in the final. Kuwait began quickly in reply but after Muhammad Shahzad hurried a ball through... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3332107/pakistan-win-wonderful-hong-kong-cricket-sixes-explosive-aizaz-khan-steals-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3332107/pakistan-win-wonderful-hong-kong-cricket-sixes-explosive-aizaz-khan-steals-show?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 11:34:48 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The valuation of the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament, the Indian Premier League, eroded for a second year in a row, according to a report, marking a shift from years of ballooning growth on the back of competitive bidding for broadcast rights. The cricket league’s value dropped almost 11 per cent to US$8.8 billion in 2025, from US$9.9 billion in 2024, according to an October 15 report by consulting firm D&P Advisory. The coveted event was valued at a peak of US$11.2 billion in 2023, it... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3329117/indian-cricket-leagues-valuation-shrinks-second-year-row?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3329117/indian-cricket-leagues-valuation-shrinks-second-year-row?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 11:30:08 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Hong Kong will rely on the firepower of Babar Hayat and Nizakat Khan, and the wily spin of captain Yasim Murtaza, to keep them competitive in next month’s Cricket Sixes. Kaushal Silva, the city’s head coach, has opted for an experienced seven-man squad, also bringing in Anshuman Rath, Aizaz Khan, Eshan Khan and Nasarula Rana. The home side have been placed in Group D alongside holders Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, two teams expected to have several T20 internationals in their ranks. “The Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3328944/babar-hayat-nizakat-khan-spearhead-experienced-hong-kong-squad-cricket-sixes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3328944/babar-hayat-nizakat-khan-spearhead-experienced-hong-kong-squad-cricket-sixes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:30:25 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan captain Salman Agha said India had “disrespected cricket”, and Indian counterpart Suryakumar Yadav complained his side were denied the trophy after winning a fraught Asia Cup overshadowed by ill feeling on both sides. The two teams did not shake hands for the third Asia Cup match running as India won a thrilling final by five wickets in Dubai on Sunday. Suryakumar’s men then refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the president of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), who is also... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3327229/india-accused-disrespecting-cricket-after-asia-cup-trophy-debacle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3327229/india-accused-disrespecting-cricket-after-asia-cup-trophy-debacle?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:39:51 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has called on his players to focus on cricket when they face India in the Asia Cup final on Sunday, after the previous two meetings between the sides caused tensions to run high. Pakistan set up a first Asia Cup final against India with a hard-fought 11-run win over Bangladesh in a Super Four match in Dubai on Thursday. Hesson played down the bitterness that marred the past two India-Pakistan matches in this edition of the Asia Cup – their first meetings since... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326911/pakistan-coach-tells-side-focus-cricket-ahead-india-clash-asia-cup-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326911/pakistan-coach-tells-side-focus-cricket-ahead-india-clash-asia-cup-final?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Sep 2025 01:26:26 +0000 Reuters Reuters Former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin, who is set to play in the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes in November, has shattered a long-standing barrier by signing with Sydney Thunder on Thursday, becoming the first male Indian player to join Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). His deal comes after he retired from international cricket in December and ended his Indian Premier League career last month, freeing him from the Indian board’s restrictions that bar male players from taking part in global... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326876/hong-kong-bound-ravichandran-ashwin-becomes-first-indian-player-join-big-bash-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326876/hong-kong-bound-ravichandran-ashwin-becomes-first-indian-player-join-big-bash-league?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:00:15 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The International Cricket Council has suspended USA Cricket’s membership in the sport’s world governing body with immediate effect, but the country’s teams will still be able to play in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Officials agreed to the move after what they said was the American body’s “repeated and continued breaches of its obligations as an ICC member under the ICC’s constitution,” a statement issued late Tuesday said. “These include, but are not limited to, the failure to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326646/usa-cricket-suspended-icc-accused-causing-reputational-damage-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326646/usa-cricket-suspended-icc-accused-causing-reputational-damage-game?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 06:30:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Former Test umpire Harold “Dickie” Bird has died at the age of 92, Yorkshire County Cricket Club announced on Tuesday. Bird was one of the best-known and most respected officials in the game, standing in 66 Tests and 69 one-day internationals, including three World Cup finals. Yorkshire issued a statement on their website saying Bird, “one of cricket’s most beloved figures”, had died peacefully at home. “Dickie Bird enjoyed an illustrious career as an international umpire, writing his name into... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326580/former-cricket-umpire-harold-dickie-bird-dies-aged-92?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326580/former-cricket-umpire-harold-dickie-bird-dies-aged-92?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:06:49 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Dinesh Karthik will swap the commentary box for the playing field after he was appointed India captain for this year’s Hong Kong Cricket Sixes. A veteran of 26 Test matches and 154 limited overs internationals, former wicketkeeper-batsman Karthik spent the summer covering the exhilarating series between England and India for Sky Sports. He has joined 38-year-old spinning great Ravichandran Ashwin in the Indian side for the three-day tournament at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground from November... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326538/dinesh-karthik-delight-being-handed-india-captaincy-hong-kong-sixes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326538/dinesh-karthik-delight-being-handed-india-captaincy-hong-kong-sixes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 11:00:12 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Less than a month after announcing his retirement from the IPL, India cricket great Ravichandran Ashwin has signed up to play in this year’s Hong Kong Cricket Sixes. The T20 competition’s fifth-highest wicket-taker and second on India’s list of Test wickets, the 38-year-old spin bowler said last month that he would still be available to play in other events around the world. Ashwin began and ended his IPL career with his home team, Chennai Super Kings, and also represented Rising Pune... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326030/ashwin-play-india-hong-kong-cricket-sixes-weeks-after-announcing-ipl-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3326030/ashwin-play-india-hong-kong-cricket-sixes-weeks-after-announcing-ipl-retirement?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:35:07 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong captain Yasim Murtaza said that fielding errors had proved decisive for his team after they exited the Asia Cup in Dubai on Monday. Five spilled catches cost the Hongkongers dearly as they fell to a four-wicket defeat by Sri Lanka in their closing match of the tournament. Batting first, the city team posted 149 for four, Nizakat Khan top scoring with a breezy unbeaten 52. In reply, Sri Lankan opener Pathum Nissanka was reprieved three times on his way to a vital contribution of 68,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325723/hong-kong-blame-dropped-catches-after-going-close-shock-asia-cup-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325723/hong-kong-blame-dropped-catches-after-going-close-shock-asia-cup-breakthrough?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:15:17 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Kaushal Silva has backed captain Yasim Murtaza to lead Hong Kong’s cricketers “to the next level”, but said it was time for his players to convert potential into performances. The city team will finish their Asia Cup campaign against Silva’s native Sri Lanka in Dubai on Monday. They were soundly beaten by Afghanistan in their opening game, when they dropped five catches, before losing a closer contest with Bangladesh. The head coach, who is taking charge in a tournament for the first time, said... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325473/time-hong-kong-turn-potential-performances-asia-cup-head-coach-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325473/time-hong-kong-turn-potential-performances-asia-cup-head-coach-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 06:30:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Skipper Litton Das top-scored with 59 as Bangladesh beat a spirited Hong Kong by seven wickets in their first match of the Asia Cup on Thursday. Hong Kong posted 143-7 after Nizakat Khan made 42 in the T20 meeting in Abu Dhabi, where the minnows were invited to bat first. Bangladesh lost two early wickets in their chase to raise Hong Kong hopes of an upset, but Litton put on a stand of 95 with Towhid Hridoy, who made an unbeaten 35, to reach 144-3 in 17.4 overs. Litton reached his 50 in 33 balls... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325376/asia-cup-hong-kong-lose-second-match-litton-das-guides-bangladesh-t20-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325376/asia-cup-hong-kong-lose-second-match-litton-das-guides-bangladesh-t20-win?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:00:21 +0000 Reuters Reuters Shivam Dube impressed in India’s crushing nine-wicket win over the United Arab Emirates at the Asia Cup on Wednesday and the all-rounder credited bowling coach Morne Morkel with the tactical tweaks and advice that led to his three-wicket haul. UAE were skittled for 57 runs in the Twenty20 match, with Dube recording career-best figures of 3/4 and Kuldeep Yadav picking up four wickets, before India chased down their target in just 4.3 overs. “Morne has been working with me since I came back into... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325152/asia-cup-cricket-indias-shivam-dube-credits-coach-after-crucial-burst-uae-thrashing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325152/asia-cup-cricket-indias-shivam-dube-credits-coach-after-crucial-burst-uae-thrashing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Sep 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Reuters Reuters Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott has demanded improvement from his team after an unsteady batting performance in Tuesday’s Asia Cup victory over Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi. Afghanistan were 95-6 in 13 overs before dropped catches allowed them to post a match-winning total of 188-6 after electing to bat in the tournament opener. Opener Sediqullah Atal top-scored with 73 but was spilled three times, including in the very first over. “We were a bit fortunate with a few dropped catches that sort of let... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325053/asia-cup-afghanistan-cricket-coach-jonathan-trott-wants-improvement-despite-hong-kong-rout?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3325053/asia-cup-afghanistan-cricket-coach-jonathan-trott-wants-improvement-despite-hong-kong-rout?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:00:12 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Azmatullah Omarzai hammered a 20-ball half-century as Afghanistan thrashed Hong Kong by 94 runs in the opening match of the Asia Cup on Tuesday. Afghanistan elected to bat first in Abu Dhabi and posted 188 for six, with opener Sediqullah Atal playing the anchor role with an unbeaten 73. His fifth-wicket partnership of 82 with Omarzai, who hit 53 off 21 balls including two fours and five sixes, proved key for Afghanistan in the Group B fixture. Afghanistan’s bowlers then combined to keep Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3324965/azmatullah-omarzai-blitz-helps-afghanistan-thrash-hong-kong-asia-cup-opener?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3324965/azmatullah-omarzai-blitz-helps-afghanistan-thrash-hong-kong-asia-cup-opener?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Sep 2025 02:04:28 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Kaushal Silva has vowed to help Hong Kong’s underachieving cricketers “express and enjoy themselves”, and urged his squad to begin the long march back to international relevance at the forthcoming T20 Asia Cup. The city team have too often flattered to deceive over the past few years, showing flashes of individual and collective promise, only to wilt under pressure. But the former Sri Lanka test batsman, who was made the team’s new head coach in July, said it was pointless dwelling on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3324639/new-hong-kong-cricket-coach-aims-liberate-stifled-squad-tough-asia-cup-tests-loom?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3324639/new-hong-kong-cricket-coach-aims-liberate-stifled-squad-tough-asia-cup-tests-loom?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Sep 2025 07:00:08 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Hong Kong have named a 20-man squad for cricket’s ACC Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates and announced a preparation camp in the host country ahead of next month’s tournament. Captained by Yasim Murtaza and led by their newly appointed head coach, Kaushal Silva, the city’s team will head to the UAE on Sunday. The T20 tournament will take place from September 9 to September 28, with the preceding camp set to feature competitive preparation matches and training sessions. Hong Kong will take on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3322636/hong-kong-cricketers-prepare-asia-cup-tour-host-nation-uae?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3322636/hong-kong-cricketers-prepare-asia-cup-tour-host-nation-uae?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Aug 2025 07:43:29 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Former Sri Lanka wicketkeeper batsman Kaushal Silva has been appointed as the new head coach of Hong Kong’s cricket team, the sport’s governing body in the city said on Monday. The 39-year-old, who played 39 Tests and scored three hundreds between 2011 and 2018, is expected to start his new job sometime next month, once his visa has come through. After a short coaching stint in England, Silva has been working in Australia since 2019, most recently at the Superkings Cricket Academy, but will now... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3319693/hong-kong-turn-ex-sri-lanka-test-player-kaushal-silva-after-trio-malaysia-thrashings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3319693/hong-kong-turn-ex-sri-lanka-test-player-kaushal-silva-after-trio-malaysia-thrashings?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Jul 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Anshuman Rath said he had “still not fully got over” the collapse of his English county cricket dream eight years ago, and considered walking away from the game entirely when his time in India turned sour. Hong Kong will be happy he did not. The opening batsman has been a mainstay in the city side since his return, having rediscovered his joy in the game. And it is a very different Rath to the one who expected to join Middlesex in 2017, only to fall foul of visa regulations after five years... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3318690/hong-kong-cricketer-rath-lasting-england-regret-and-overcoming-india-rejection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3318690/hong-kong-cricketer-rath-lasting-england-regret-and-overcoming-india-rejection?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jul 2025 05:04:55 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press An audit report has found financial irregularities to the tune of more than 6 billion rupees (US$21 million) and governance issues within the Pakistan Cricket Board dating back two years. The Auditor General of Pakistan’s report for the 2023-24 financial year was published in The News and highlighted the non-recovery of outstanding sponsorship worth 5.3 billion rupees as the major discrepancy identified. PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi is the third person in four years to lead the sport’s national... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3318417/audit-finds-us21-million-financial-irregularities-pakistan-cricket-board?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3318417/audit-finds-us21-million-financial-irregularities-pakistan-cricket-board?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Jul 2025 07:50:11 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Ahead of the World Test Championship final this week, Australian great Steve Waugh said the five-day format remained “the pinnacle of the game”. Australia and South Africa will fight for global honours in the Lord’s showpiece from Wednesday, as Test cricket emerges from its four-month hibernation following the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Last year, Waugh said he feared the imminent “death of Test cricket”, after South Africa sent a second-string team to play two Tests in New... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3313834/australia-great-steve-waugh-sends-test-cricket-plea-ahead-world-championship-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3313834/australia-great-steve-waugh-sends-test-cricket-plea-ahead-world-championship-final?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Jun 2025 09:30:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Glamorgan all-rounder Dan Douthwaite was not alone among the foreign players in being unsure what to expect when he headed to the Himalayas to take part in the inaugural Nepal Premier League (NPL) late last year. Taking up a playing contract in the mountainous nation of 30 million was always going to be a novel challenge for the Englishman, not least because the Twenty20 league was staged at a ground some 1,350 metres (4,430 feet) above sea level. “I thought I was going to be constantly out of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3312319/nepal-premier-league-playing-mountains-takes-t20-cricket-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/cricket/article/3312319/nepal-premier-league-playing-mountains-takes-t20-cricket-new-heights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 May 2025 15:09:27 +0000