New Zealand win toss, opt to bowl in 5th and final T20 against Pakistan

Pakistan’s Saim Ayub, center front, walks off the field after losing his wicket during the fifth T20 international cricket match between Pakistan and New Zealand, in Lahore, Pakistan, Saturday, April 27, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 27 April 2024
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New Zealand win toss, opt to bowl in 5th and final T20 against Pakistan

  • Pakistan, looking to build-up for June’s T20 World Cup, are trailing 2-1 in the series
  • Pakistan have brought in their ace fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in place of Zaman Khan

LAHORE: New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and elected to field in the fifth and final Twenty20 against Pakistan on Saturday.
Pakistan, looking to build-up for June’s T20 World Cup, are trailing 2-1 in the series as they tested their bench strength against the understrength Black Caps.
Pakistan made just one change from the team that lost the fourth match by four runs, bringing in their ace fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in place of Zaman Khan.
New Zealand, touring Pakistan without their nine frontline T20 players who are in the Indian Premier League, made three changes.
Tim Seifert recovered from sore back and returns in place of Tim Robinson, who scored a half-century in the last game but was ruled out with a groin injury.
Cole McConchie and Zak Foulkes also made it to the playing XI replacing Dean Foxcroft and Jacob Duffy. Foxcroft was ruled out with a back injury.
The first game was abandoned because of rain before Pakistan bowled out New Zealand for 90 runs in the second game to win by seven wickets.
New Zealand made a comeback, winning the third match by seven wickets before edging out the home team in the last game at Qaddafi Stadium on Thursday.


Barcelona confirm exit from failed European Super League

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Barcelona confirm exit from failed European Super League

  • Barca president Joan Laporta said in October 2025 Barcelona wanted to reestablish links with UEFA
  • “We are in favor of peace because there is a way forward for the clubs in the Super League to return to UEFA,” said Laporta

BARCELONA: Spanish giants Barcelona confirmed their withdrawal from the failed breakaway European Super League project on Saturday, leaving Real Madrid as the only club still involved.
“Barcelona hereby announces that today it has formally notified the European Super League Company and the clubs involved of its withdrawal from the European Super League project,” said the Catalans in a statement.
Barca president Joan Laporta said in October 2025 Barcelona wanted to reestablish links with UEFA, moving away from the project launched by 12 clubs in 2021 which quickly collapsed under the weight of immense fan and institutional pressure.
Shortly after the semi-closed Super League project was announced five years ago, the six English clubs involved — Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea — withdrew.
Four other clubs, Atletico Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan and Juventus, followed by 2024, leaving only Barca and Real Madrid still involved in the project championed by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
“We are in favor of peace because there is a way forward for the clubs in the Super League to return to UEFA,” said Barca chief Laporta in October.
“We feel very close to UEFA and the EFC (European Football Clubs, a sole, independent body representing football clubs within Europe).”
In 2024, a Spanish court ruled opposition to the Super League from world and European football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA “prevented free competition,” and in 2025 an appeal from UEFA was rejected.
As a result, Real Madrid and the Super League, promoted by the A22 Sports Management group, were seeking more than $4 billion in damages from UEFA, a source told AFP.