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Brook says a ‘shame’ if Pakistan players snubbed for hundred | The Express Tribune

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Brook says a ‘shame’ if Pakistan players snubbed for hundred  | The Express Tribune


Ahead of England’s opening Super Eights clash against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Sunday, Brook — who will play for Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in the Hundred this year. PHOTO: REUTERS

England captain Harry Brook said on Saturday that it would be “a shame” if Pakistani players were shut out of England’s domestic white-ball Hundred competition by Indian-owned franchises.

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan on Friday urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to “act fast” on BBC reports that Pakistani players will be “overlooked” in the player auction next month.

Ahead of England’s opening Super Eights clash against Sri Lanka in Kandy on Sunday, Brook, who will play for Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in the Hundred this year, was asked about the issue.

“Our main focus now is what’s coming up in the T20 World Cup. It’s not really any of our business, to be honest,” Brook said.

“But what I would say is Pakistan have been a great cricket nation for many years.”

Long-standing political tensions between India and Pakistan have led to the border rivals only playing each other in international cricket events.

Their Colombo showdown at the ongoing T20 World Cup only went ahead after Pakistan called off a threatened boycott.

“I think there’s about 50, 60 players in the auction, and it would be a shame not to see some of them in there,” Brook said.

“There’s some amazing cricketers and, yeah, and they bring some great crowds as well.

“So it would be a shame not to see some of the Pakistan players in there and make the tournament and competition even better.”

Read More: Rain interrupts Super Eight opener after Pakistan opt to bat against New Zealand

The newly renamed Sunrisers Leeds is owned by Indian conglomerate Sun Group, one of the four of the eight Hundred franchises with connections to the Indian Premier League.

The others are Manchester Super Giants, Southern Brave and MI London.

It has been claimed that politics has also led to an effective ban on Pakistani players participating in the Indian Premier League since 2009.

The ECB has been unable to substantiate the BBC allegations, but former England captain Vaughan called for the governing body to investigate the issue thoroughly.

Vaughan referred to the ECB’s stated aim of cricket becoming the most inclusive sport in the country.

“The ECB need to act fast on this … they own the league and this should not be allowed to happen … the most inclusive sport in the country is not one that allows this to happen,” Vaughan posted on X.

An ECB spokesman said: “The Hundred welcomes men’s and women’s players from all over the world and we would expect the eight teams to reflect that.”

Only two Pakistan internationals, Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim, appeared in last year’s Hundred, the final edition before new investors became involved.



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Islamabad United ease past Lahore Qalandars in PSL 11 clash – SUCH TV

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Islamabad United ease past Lahore Qalandars in PSL 11 clash – SUCH TV



Islamabad United clinched a commanding victory over defending champions Lahore Qalandars in the 16th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Thursday.

Chasing a modest target of 101, United lost just one wicket by the 11th over, thanks to an outstanding batting display from Devon Conway.

Islamabad got off to a shaky start as opener Sameer Minhas was dismissed for five runs off eight balls, which included a boundary, by Shaheen Afridi on the first delivery of the third over.

Conway then combined with Mohammad Faiq to build a steady partnership, taking their side past the 50-run mark by the sixth over.

The pair batted sensibly, scoring at a healthy pace and dominating the Qalandars’ bowling attack, boosting their team’s morale and bringing up a half-century stand.

Conway was in scintillating form, striking boundaries at regular intervals to reach his maiden PSL fifty.

He finished unbeaten on 59 off 35 deliveries, including seven fours and three sixes, while Faiq contributed a brilliant 34 from 19 balls, hitting six fours, to guide Islamabad United to a comfortable win.

Batting first, Qalandars were bowled out for 100 in 18.3 overs, largely due to United’s dominant spin attack.

The innings suffered an early setback when Imad Wasim dismissed Mohammad Naeem for a first-ball duck on the second delivery of the opening over.

Haseebullah Khan and Abdullah Shafique steadied the innings with a 26-run partnership, but Imad struck again to remove Shafique for 10 off 12 deliveries, which included a six, leaving Qalandars at 27-2 in 4.3 overs.

Despite occasional runs, Lahore continued to lose wickets. Chris Green claimed his first wicket by clean bowling Haseebullah for 19 off 22 balls, which included two boundaries, on the final delivery of the eighth over.

In the very next over, Islamabad captain Shadab Khan dismissed Rubin Hermann for four off 14 deliveries, leaving Qalandars struggling at 41-4 in 8.1 overs.

Asif Ali and Sikandar Raza combined to rebuild the innings, taking the total past the 50-run mark. However, their 31-run stand was broken by Shadab, who removed Asif for 15 off 12 balls, which included a four and a six.

Debutant Ryan Burl was caught and bowled by Chris Green for two off six deliveries, leaving Qalandars at 76-6 in 13.3 overs.

Sikandar battled with the bat to take the team’s total to a defendable score, while Shaheen Afridi contributed from the other end.

Their efforts were cut short as Chris Green claimed his third wicket, dismissing Raza for 25 off 19 balls, which included three fours.

Richard Gleeson became the latest United bowler to take a wicket, clean bowling Haris Rauf for two off three deliveries.

He followed it up by dismissing Ubaid Shah for one, while Shaheen Afridi was the final wicket to fall, taken by Faheem Ashraf in the 19th over.

Chris Green bowled brilliantly for Islamabad United, taking three wickets for 19 runs in four overs. Imad Wasim, Richard Gleeson and Shadab Khan claimed two wickets each, while Faheem Ashraf contributed with one wicket.



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Documents: NC State trainer initiated ‘unwelcome,’ ‘sexual’ contact

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Documents: NC State trainer initiated ‘unwelcome,’ ‘sexual’ contact


Title IX investigators found a former North Carolina State University sports medicine director’s conduct while treating a male athlete for sports injuries was “unwelcome and of a sexual nature,” “pervasive” and “sufficiently severe,” according to redacted documents obtained by ESPN.

In addition, a senior athletic department official told investigators that sports medicine director Robert Murphy’s alleged behavior had raised concerns as early as 2014 or 2015, nearly eight years before NC State sought a Title IX probe, sources familiar with that investigation told ESPN.

And former men’s soccer coach Kelly Findley told investigators that he reported his concerns about Murphy’s behavior, including what he called grooming, to university administrators as early as 2016, the sources said.

The school launched a Title IX investigation in January 2022 after Ben Locke, a former men’s soccer player, filed a report with the NC State University Police Department, according to the documents.

Locke and 30 other former student athletes have since filed a civil lawsuit against Murphy and eight others who worked as university officials when the alleged abuses occurred. They claim in the lawsuit that the school repeatedly ignored multiple warnings starting as early as 2012 about Murphy’s questionable behavior.

The university announced Murphy’s hiring in December 2011. He left in 2022 following the launch of the investigation.

NC State did not respond to requests for comment but previously told ESPN that “the health and safety of students and student-athletes is paramount to NC State Athletics and the university.”

Murphy’s lawyer also did not respond to requests for comment, but in a March 12 court filing, he asserted that the defendant was acting “within the scope of his profession” and that the civil claims against him are beyond the state’s statute of limitations.

North Carolina enacted a law in 2018 making sexual contact under the guise of medical care a felony offense. The county district attorney’s office with jurisdiction over NC State says there is an ongoing criminal investigation into Murphy.

Kerry Sutton, an attorney for the plaintiffs, declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

NC State’s Equal Opportunity and Equity office conducted the six-month-long internal investigation that included interviews with approximately a dozen people, according to the documents obtained by ESPN. The investigation focused solely on Locke’s allegations and determined by a preponderance of the evidence that Murphy made repeated nonconsensual contact of a sexual nature with Locke’s genitals with his bare hands or fingers during therapeutic massage sessions.

Investigators noted in the documents that treatment of injuries near the groin and genitalia can “make it difficult to discern whether the conduct was severe in nature,” but they concluded that Murphy’s conduct was severe and pervasive enough to constitute sexual misconduct.

“Murphy’s physical contact with Locke’s genitalia, based on the treatment he was receiving, would not have been medically necessary,” one document states.

Locke, who was 17 when he first received treatments from Murphy, told investigators he felt like the “‘perfect target’ for Murphy’s “abuse” due to his age and repeated injuries, the documents state.

“Locke’s statements reflect his perception that he lacked the power to question how Murphy went about administering the treatments and his belief that his status as a student athlete would be compromised if he registered any complaint with Murphy,” one document states. “Accordingly, it is reasonable to conclude that Murphy’s conduct created an intimidating and abusive environment for Locke.”

Shortly after enrolling at NC State, Locke required surgery on both shins and received treatment from Murphy, according to the documents. The day after Locke’s surgery, he says Murphy drove the student-athlete from his apartment where he was recovering to the training facilities and instructed Locke to shower in the men’s locker room while Murphy stood nearby and observed, claiming the supervision was necessary as a safety precaution and for wound care.

Locke reported being impaired due to prescribed drugs for pain management and said he believed that Murphy assumed that he could “get away with showering with this kid who’s 17 years old, a freshman, and he’s not gonna say anything.”

Additionally, Locke reported that Murphy “touched, cupped, held, and flicked Locke’s penis” upward of 100 times over the course of a two-year period during various forms of medical treatment that often involved having Locke remove his underwear, according to the documents.

During an interview with investigators, Murphy denied the allegations that he “cupped or flicked” Locke’s penis but admitted to “touching Locke’s genitalia with the back of his hand,” according to the documents. The investigation could not determine the exact number of instances the unwanted touching occurred.

Murphy also told investigators that he never mandated Locke remove his underwear but “it likely became a thing” over time. Additionally, Murphy stated that “he may have requested Locke to not wear underwear during treatment … to have greater access to the affected tissue.”

Locke told investigators that Murphy regularly requested the former athlete undress from the waist down so that Murphy could apply a soft bandage wrap around the upper thigh and leg, known as hip spica wraps. Locke said the former director of sports medicine would kneel “in front of Locke with Murphy’s head being ‘face to face’ with Locke’s penis” during the wrapping process, according to the documents. He also reported that there were times when he was “completely naked during treatment with Murphy.”

Murphy told investigators that the wrap “doesn’t work as well in underwear” and that he had a “preference” for the wrap to be on bare skin.

Investigators interviewed other sports medicine experts to provide context for when a trainer might need to observe an athlete’s genitals for diagnosis or treatment. The documents noted that there are “‘limited circumstances’ when such observation was required such as traumatic injury to the genitalia.” The documents also noted that no such traumatic injury existed in Locke’s medical records.

Additionally, according to the documents, Murphy observed while a team doctor performed a prostate examination of Locke to rule out possible prostatitis, an inflammation of the prostate gland. Locke told investigators he thought it was “a little weird that [Murphy’s] sitting in here” in the room by his feet while Locke was positioned on a training table as the doctor performed the prostate exam. Locke said he did not object to Murphy’s presence in the exam room.

Locke said he did not realize the various requests from Murphy were unusual until he transferred to play at Lipscomb University and “was in shell shock” at how different things were after his new trainers told him they would not come “anywhere close to the [groin] region,” one document stated. Locke said he was never asked to remove his underwear during his time at his new school.

In addition to determining that Murphy’s behavior toward Locke was “unwelcome” and “of a sexual nature,” the investigation found the former soccer player was likely “intimidated by Murphy’s authority and position” and “concerned by potential repercussions” such as limited playing time.

Investigators acknowledged the “power imbalance” between Murphy as the director of sports medicine and Locke. As a result, the school determined that Murphy’s behavior “created an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment.”

According to the documents, Murphy participated in an initial interview with investigators but declined subsequent follow-up interview requests.

NC State placed Murphy on administrative leave when it launched the investigation and issued a letter of intent to terminate him in March 2022, according to letters reviewed by ESPN. He eventually resigned from his role before the investigation concluded in June 2022.

The university announced it hired Murphy in a December 2011 news release and touted his work at previous stops that included Mercer University and the Atlanta Falcons. Less than a year after he started, Findley — then the men’s soccer coach — informed a school administrator that Murphy’s conduct was inappropriate and “overly familiar,” according to the state lawsuit filed in North Carolina. The complaint alleges that Findley told athletic department leadership that he believed Murphy was “grooming” several male soccer players.

What the school knew and when it knew it is at the heart of the current civil court case. The lawsuit claims officials were alerted in 2015, 2016 and 2019, while also alleging that Findley warned school officials of Murphy’s conduct in 2012.

ESPN spoke with multiple former athletes who allege Murphy sexually abused or harassed them. Most of the men asked to be identified as John Doe, as they are identified in the state lawsuit. They played for NC State ranging in dates from 2013 to 2024.

The men described experiences similar to Locke’s, alleging that Murphy touched their genitals while he applied hip spica wraps or while performing therapeutic massages. Some described unnecessarily intrusive drug testing methods that required near nudity from the student athletes. Additionally, multiple athletes described Murphy regularly hanging out in the locker room and shower facility, something coaches and other trainers rarely did.

One former athlete told ESPN that Murphy’s reputation for touching athletes on their genitals was so widely known that they called it the “Rob Murphy special.”

“If somebody was gonna go see him for no matter what it was — back pain, arm pain, head pain, glute pain,” a plaintiff known as John Doe 9 said, “the joke was that whatever it was, he was going to find a way to touch your genitals.”

So far, 33 men have joined or said they plan to join the lawsuit.



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Bryson DeChambeau adds 3D-printed club to bag for Masters

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Bryson DeChambeau adds 3D-printed club to bag for Masters


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Bryson DeChambeau is putting together a solid season at LIV Golf, and is looking to carry some of that momentum into the Masters this week in search of the first green jacket of his career.

DeChambeau is second in the LIV Golf standings behind Jon Rahm. But he enters Augusta National with back-to-back wins in Singapore and South Africa. As he heads into the first major of the golf season, DeChambeau is carrying something new in his bag.

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Bryson DeChambeau warms up on the driving range before a practice round ahead of the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 7, 2026. (Ashley Landis/AP)

He will use a 5-iron made with a 3D printer. It’s a club he built himself.

“There’s this nature that I have about myself where innovation is a habit of mine, and I really find and take pride in that ability to learn — even through failure, even through making a bad decision or a good decision — what I can get from that,” he told ESPN.

“We’ll see where it goes. We’ll see where it takes me. All I could say now is, if I don’t put them in the bag, it’s my fault now.”

DeChambeau had manufacturing deals with LA Golf and Cobra. According to ESPN, his deal with Cobra ended in February.

Tinkering with his clubs isn’t a new strategy for DeChambeau. He said he had been tinkering with the idea of building his own clubs for a few years and tried a new wedge as he won in South Africa.

Bryson DeChambeau signing autographs at the Masters Tournament Par 3 Contest

Bryson DeChambeau signs autographs during the Par 3 Contest at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on Apr. 8, 2026. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU TALKS RYDER CUP, SQUASHING RIVALRIES WITH PGA PLAYERS AND LACK OF RESOLUTION WITH LIV

DeChambeau has had progressively better finishes at Augusta National since he made his first appearance in 2019. Since missing the cut in 2023, he finished tied for sixth in 2024 and tied for fifth in 2025. He missed the cut in 2022 and 2023.

“I feel like my game’s in the best place of its career, outside of maybe Greenbrier (in 2023) when I shot 58,” he said. “I’m excited to get the week going and see where I can put myself.”

He said his recent performances at the Masters were attributed to a more measured approach.

“More patience, like not as aggressive all the time. Knowing where to be aggressive and when not to be aggressive,” he said. “Making better decisions, having a caddie that reins me in sometimes.”

Bryson DeChambeau tees off on hole number 3 at Augusta National Golf Club

Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the third hole during a practice round for the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., on April 7, 2026. (Kyle Terada/Imagn Images)

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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