In a positive development, Pakistani players registered significant improvements in the latest ICC Men’s T20I rankings, led by opener Saim Ayub’s return to the top of the all-rounders’ chart, just days before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Ayub has been rewarded for his excellent recent form by regaining the No 1 position on the ICC Men’s T20I all-rounder rankings, the International Cricket Council (ICC) stated in an official statement.

The star opener player returned to the top spot following a series of strong performances for Pakistan in their 3-0 home whitewash of Australia, replacing Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza at the summit of the rankings.

The development comes at a timely moment for Ayub and Pakistan, with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup set to begin on February 7, as the Asian side looks to claim its second title in the 20-over showpiece and its first since lifting the trophy in 2009.

Ayub scored 119 runs and picked up three wickets across the three-match series against Australia.

He was not the only Pakistan player to benefit from the latest rankings update following the Australia series.

Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed climbed two places to second on the T20I bowlers’ rankings and now sits just 28 rating points behind India’s Varun Chakravarthy, who remains the top-ranked bowler, after claiming six wickets in three matches against Australia.

Fellow Pakistan spinner Mohammad Nawaz also made major progress, jumping eight places to seventh on the T20I bowlers’ list after a five-wicket haul in the final match of the series.

Nawaz also rose one place to fourth on the T20I all-rounders’ rankings.

In the T20I batters’ rankings, Pakistan’s Saim Ayub moved up eight places to joint 27th, while captain Salman Ali Agha climbed 12 positions to 29th.

There was movement within the top 10 of the T20I batters’ rankings as India’s Abhishek Sharma retained a commanding lead at the top, while England’s Jos Buttler (third), Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka (fifth), India’s Suryakumar Yadav (sixth) and New Zealand’s Tim Seifert (ninth) each gained one place.

A total of seven different teams are represented inside the top 11 of the batters’ rankings, with the upcoming T20 World Cup expected to offer further opportunities for changes.

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green moved up 16 places to 14th, while South Africa’s Quinton de Kock advanced 15 spots to joint 22nd on the T20I batters’ list.

India’s Ishan Kishan registered one of the biggest jumps, climbing 32 places to 32nd, while South Africa left-hander Ryan Rickelton surged 42 positions to 40th.

On the T20I bowlers’ rankings, England’s Adil Rashid rose two places to fourth and New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner climbed eight spots to joint 23rd, with both players expected to play key roles for their sides during the World Cup.

Six franchises, including defending champions Lahore Qalandars, have unveiled their retentions for the HBL PSL season 11, while Multan Sultans have not retained any players from their previous squad, the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed on Wednesday.

All franchises except Islamabad United have retained four players each. United have kept hold of three players.

The two new franchises, Sialkot Stallionz and Hyderabad, are set to announce their retentions by February 7.

The only captain to win HBL PSL three times, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has been retained in the Platinum category, while Abdullah Shafique has been retained in the Diamond category by Lahore Qalandars.

Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza will also stay with Qalandars in the Gold category.

Emerging player of the HBL PSL X Mohammad Naeem has been retained by the reigning champions in the Silver category.

Quetta Gladiators have retained mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed in the Platinum category, Usman Tariq in Diamond, HBL PSL X player of the tournament Hasan Nawaz in Gold and left-handed batter Shamyl Hussain in the Emerging category.

Babar Azam, the leading run-getter of the HBL PSL history and one of the only two players to feature in 100 HBL PSL games, has been retained by 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi.

They have also kept left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim in Diamond, Abdul Samad in Gold and pacer Ali Raza in the Emerging category.

Shadab Khan’s nine-year long journey with Islamabad United will reach the decade-mark as he has been retained by the three-time HBL PSL champions in the Platinum category.

Fast bowler Salman Irshad in the Gold and USA wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous in the Silver categories are the other two retentions by Islamabad United.

Hasan Ali – the leading wicket-taker in HBL PSL history – will continue to star for Karachi Kings as he has been retained in the Platinum category.

Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah and Saad Baig have been retained in Diamond, Gold and Emerging, respectively, by the 2020 champions.

Full retentions:

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Platinum), Abdullah Shafique (Diamond), Sikandar Raza (Gold) and Mohammad Naeem (Silver)

Quetta Gladiators: Abrar Ahmed (Platinum), Usman Tariq (Diamond), Hasan Nawaz (Gold) and Shamyl Hussain (Emerging)

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan (Platinum), Salman Irshad (Gold) and Andries Gous (Silver)

Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (Platinum), Sufyan Moqim (Diamond), Abdul Samad (Gold) and Ali Raza (Emerging)

Karachi Kings: Hasan Ali (Platinum), Mohammad Abbas Afridi (Diamond), Khushdil Shah (Gold) and Saad Baig (Emerging)

Multan Sultans: Zero retentions.

NEW YORK — The dog was Penny. The win was priceless.

A Doberman pinscher named Penny won best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, netting U.S. show dogs’ most coveted prize — and giving veteran Andy Linton another win after nearly four decades. Linton got best in show in 1989 with another Doberman, named Indy.

Penny “is as great a Doberman as I have ever seen,” Linton told a supportive crowd. Despite ongoing health problems, he had guided the 4-year-old dog through a razor-crisp performance.

“I had some goals, and this was one of them,” Linton said.

Runner-up — and cheers just as loud — went to a Chesapeake Bay retriever named Cota. Though Dobermans have won five times including Tuesday, no retriever has ever won, and their fans applaud every encouraging sign.

Cota also seemed to enjoy the moment, particularly when his handler let him play with the ribbon.

Other finalists included an Afghan hound named Zaida, a Lhasa apso called JJ, a Maltese named Cookie, an old English sheepdog dubbed Graham and a smooth fox terrier called Wager.

Each dog is judged according to how closely it matches the ideal for its breed. The winner gets a trophy, ribbons, bragging rights and the distinction of winning the milestone 150th annual Westminster show.

A crowd favorite at the 2025 Westminster show, Penny has rocked show rings since. A throng of handlers and other dog folk cheered for her and the well-liked Linton in early-round action Tuesday afternoon.

Ringside afterward, Penny politely but pointedly nudged her nose into a visitor’s leg, looking for something — pets, as it turned out.

Co-owner Greg Chan of Toronto said Penny is “very demanding and very smart,” but she’s also “a pleaser — she’ll do anything for food.” (Her favorite snack? “Everything.”)

Penny came out on top after two days, 2,500 dogs and more than 200 breeds that strutted their stuff at the Westminster Kennel Club.

Lots of others scored meme-able moments or lightened up the crowd, even if they didn’t make the finals.

Over two nights of semifinals, spectators cheered extra loud for a Xoloitzcuintli named Calaco, a hairless dog who went around the ring like he had nothing to prove. A vizsla named Beamer charmed the crowd by hopping into a box set out for his handler’s tools, and Storm the Newfoundland got laughs when he jumped up on his handler, standing almost as tall as she. Spectators cheered so loud for a golden retriever named Oliver that they drowned out the arena’s announcer, and chants of “Lumpy! Lumpy!” resounded as Lumpy the Pekingese strolled before a judge.

One dog that made history in the semifinals was Millie, a Danish-Swedish farmdog. The small, spry breed just became eligible for the Westminster show this year, and Millie bested about 10 other farmdogs Tuesday afternoon to get to the evening round.

“It’s been a very exciting journey” to establish the breed in the U.S., said Brita Lemmon, who got her first farmdog in 2000 and competed Tuesday with one named Coyote.

Westminster wins often go to pooches with professional handlers or owners with decades or even generations of experience behind them. But just reaching the elite, champions-only show is a major accomplishment in dogdom, especially for first-timers such as Joseph Carrero and his Neapolitan mastiff, Dezi.

After yearning for a Neo since his teenage years, Carrero finally got one when he was 35. A heavy-equipment operator from Indian Springs, Nevada, he started showing the dog only because the breeder wanted him to. Now Carrero himself breeds and handles his Neos in the ring, while also working full time and then some.

“It’s really hard for us to do this, but we enjoy it, and he enjoys it,” Carrero said as visitors gathered around to greet the jowly, 190-pound dog.

Boerboels, which are formidable guard dogs originally from South Africa, played a major role in how Natalee Ridenhour met her late husband and why she eventually left metropolitan life for a farm in Royse City, Texas.

On Tuesday, Ridenhour and a Boerboel named Invictus did something else she once would never have pictured: compete at the Westminster show.

The dog didn’t advance past the first round. But as a visitor delightedly petted the 170-pound animal, Ridenhour said, “Honestly, the big win is: You’re about the 50th person who’s gotten down in his face and loved on him.”