Pakistan team arrives in Sri Lanka to take part in T20 series ahead of World Cup

Sri Lanka's Kamil Mishara (R) plays a shot during the Twenty20 international Tri-Series final cricket match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on November 29, 2025. (AFP/File)
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Updated 05 January 2026
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Pakistan team arrives in Sri Lanka to take part in T20 series ahead of World Cup

  • The Pakistani side will practice on Tuesday at 8pm local time
  • The three-match series will be played from Jan. 7 till Jan. 11

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's cricket team on Monday arrived in Sri Lanka to play a three-match Twenty20 International series ahead of the T20 World Cup in Feb., the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said.

Pakistani players Shadab Khan, Rana Faheem Ashraf, pacers Mohammad Wasim, Salman Mirza, and Naseem Shah, along with Fakhar Zaman and Usman Tariq, arrived in Colombo in two batches, according to the PCB.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson, bowling coach Ashley Noffke, the fielding coach, and other members of the support staff have also arrived to the tropical island nation.

"The Pakistani team will practice tomorrow night at 8pm local time," the PCB said, adding that captain Salman Ali Agha will hold a press conference ahead of the practice session.

Last week, Pakistan announced its 15-member squad for the Sri Lanka series, retaining Agha as captain. Khan was recalled to the squad after recovering from a shoulder injury, while uncapped batter Khawaja Nafay has also been selected.

Star Pakistani cricketers Haris Rauf, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Shah Afridi are not part of the squad. All three were playing in the Big Bash League, with Afridi returning mid-season after suffering an injury.

All three T20Is are scheduled to be played at the Rangiri Dambulla International Cricket Stadium (RDICS) in Dambulla on Jan. 7, 9, and 11.

“The series will provide Pakistan an opportunity to finalize their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, set to take place in India and Sri Lanka from 7 February to 8 March,” the PCB said last week.


Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Updated 16 February 2026
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Norway’s Carlsen wins first FIDE Freestyle World Chess Championship

Norway’s Magnus Carlsen added ‌another crown to his collection on Sunday by becoming the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess world champion after ​a comeback win over Fabiano Caruana in Germany.
The chess master secured the title with a cautious draw in the fourth and final game, clinching a 2.5–1.5 match victory against his 33-year-old American opponent in Weissenhaus.
Sunday’s turning point came in the thrilling third game, in ‌which Carlsen, ‌35, pulled off a stunning ​win ‌from ⁠a ​seemingly lost ⁠position, swinging the entire contest in his favor.
The world number one only needed a draw in the decisive fourth game, and that’s exactly what he got in an equal endgame, with Caruana missing late opportunities to mount a ⁠comeback.
Carlsen has now won 21 world ‌titles in various formats.

 

The ‌World Championship marked a breakthrough ​collaboration between FIDE and ‌private organizer Freestyle Chess, staging the first ‌officially recognized title in this format.
Carlsen had previously failed to capture the FIDE Fischer Random World Championship, making this victory particularly sweet for the chess great.
In ‌the bronze medal match, Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov beat Germany’s Vincent Keymer, securing ⁠his spot ⁠by drawing from a winning position in the final game.
Both finalists and Abdusattorov have qualified for next year’s championship.
The tournament’s lower placings saw Hans Niemann of the United States take fifth with a 2-0 victory over India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while Armenia’s Levon Aronian won his Armageddon game against Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Sindarov for seventh place.
In the women’s exhibition match, Kazakhstan’s ​Bibisara Assaubayeva prevailed over ​Switzerland’s Alexandra Kosteniuk after their final encounter ended in a draw.