Sports
Naqvi meets national hockey team, assures support ‘until turmoil ends’ after Australia fiasco | The Express Tribune
‘I am not becoming Hockey Federation president, but we will assist players,’ says PCB chairman
PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi meeting with hockey team players. Photo: X
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi met players of the national hockey team in Lahore on Thursday to address concerns raised by them and assured them of full support following the Australia tour fiasco during the Pro Hockey League.
The development came after Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Chief Tariq Bugti stepped down following complaints by national team players during last week’s whitewash tour. It also followed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordering a formal inquiry and signalling possible management changes after the national team’s poor performance in the Pro Hockey League.
Pakistan captain Imad Shakeel Butt alleged serious shortcomings by PHF officials, saying players were not provided proper accommodation during the Australia tour.
لاہور۔ چیئرمین پاکستان کرکٹ بورڈ محسن نقوی سے پاکستان ہاکی پلئیرز کی ملاقات pic.twitter.com/DQ73aL0uaj
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) February 19, 2026
According to a PCB statement, during today’s meeting, the players informed Naqvi of the unpleasant incidents they encountered during the league. Naqvi expressed his regret over the mistreatment of the hockey players and reassured them that the board would take measures to ensure better treatment in the future.
In recognition of their efforts, Naqvi also presented cheques of Rs1 million each to the players for their runner-up finish in the Six-Nation Hockey Tournament. The players thanked Naqvi for his support and encouragemen.
He further promised to ensure that the players would be properly accommodated, saying, “We will provide full support and streamline hockey operations.”
The PCB said that Naqvi instructed the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to arrange tickets, kits and hotel accommodations for the players attending the World Cup qualifiers in Egypt. Naqvi also directed that all necessary arrangements for the camp be completed promptly.
A training camp for the hockey players will be set up in Lahore starting from tomorrow.
In addition, Naqvi took immediate action regarding injured player Hannan Shahid, directing the PCB to arrange for his medical treatment. “I want all players to focus solely on their game,” Naqvi emphasised during the meeting.
The PCB chairman also reiterated his commitment to the national team’s success, saying, “Pakistan’s honour comes first. We will not let anything harm the dignity of our country.” Naqvi added that foreign coach Roelant Oltmans would be brought in to assist the national team.
I am not becoming Hockey Federation President but we will Assist players till this turmoil ends
— Mohsin Naqvi (@MohsinnaqviC42) February 19, 2026
After meeting with the players, Naqvi said in a post on X, “I am not becoming Hockey Federation President, but we will assist players until this turmoil ends.”
Also Read: Pakistan hockey chief resigns after ‘shabby’ winless Australia tour
Earlier, the PSB rejected allegations made by the PHF, saying documentary evidence showed the board fulfilled all financial responsibilities related to the national team’s participation in FIH Pro League Season-7 Phase-2 in Hobart, Australia.
In a statement, the PSB said claims against it were misleading and contrary to the record, adding that administrative and operational shortcomings occurred at the federation level rather than within the government body.
The national team’s departure for the Australia tour was initially scheduled for Feb 2, 2026, but was cancelled after visa applications submitted by the PHF were delayed and contained incorrect information. The PSB said it intervened through diplomatic channels, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after which applications were resubmitted. The team departed on Feb 5 and arrived in Hobart on Feb 7.
According to the board, it paid Rs27.1 million for air tickets and covered an additional Rs9.7m in costs arising from visa-related issues. It added that the federation provided lists of players and officials with passports on Jan 26 and 27, after which a cheque for hotel payments was issued on Jan 28.
Read More: PM Shehbaz orders inquiry after hockey team’s poor results
The board also rejected claims that it was responsible for handling all operational arrangements for international events, saying under the national sports governance framework, it provides financial support, oversight and policy guidance, while logistics, bookings, visa processing and operational management fall under the mandate of the relevant federation.
It added that documents related to the national team’s participation in a World Cup qualifying event in Egypt, including player lists and no-objection certificates, had yet to be submitted by the federation.
“The Pakistan Sports Board will not compromise on the national team’s interests, transparency and accountability,” the statement said.
Sports
Yaxel Lendeborg not listed on Michigan’s availability report
INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan star forward Yaxel Lendeborg said he “absolutely” plans to play in the national title game against UConn on Monday night.
Lendeborg sprained his left MCL and left ankle in the first half against Arizona on Saturday night, and an MRI on the knee Sunday morning came back “very clear,” according to Michigan trainer Chris Williams.
Williams told ESPN on Sunday that Lendeborg’s injury is a “low-grade” MCL sprain in his knee, which also has a “small bone bruise.” The ankle sprain is also considered “low grade” and has minimal swelling.
“He’s still tender and walking around a little bit gingerly, but good,” Williams said.
On Sunday night, when availability reports for both teams were released, Lendeborg was not listed by the Wolverines.
Lendeborg played just 14 minutes on Saturday against Arizona, spending much of the first half getting treated in the locker room. Coach Dusty May said Sunday that the decision to play will be up to Lendeborg and the Michigan medical staff, which has indicated confidence that he will be available.
“I’m sure he’ll give it a go tomorrow,” May said.
Lendeborg’s knee loomed as a bigger concern than his injured ankle, and he clarified that’s what the MRI revealed. He returned to the court and played nine minutes in the second half, wearing a compression sleeve over the injured knee, but he appeared clearly limited.
“He played the second half like a 38-year-old at the YMCA,” May said. “And a really good 38-year-old at the YMCA.”
Williams told ESPN that he stayed in Lendeborg’s room until 4:30 a.m. after the Arizona game, giving him treatment on the knee. Williams said that his aim for Lendeborg’s agility for Monday is a much younger version than May’s description. “Hopefully 18,” Williams said.
Despite being hobbled, Lendeborg drained a pair of second-half 3-pointers, as he finished with 11 points on four shots.
Williams said he’s “very optimistic” about Lendeborg’s availability. Williams laid out the next 30 hours or so until tipoff: “It should be a lot of treatment still. I’m going to be in his room a lot. He’s going to be in my room a lot. So, we’ll be doing treatment around the clock and just trying to manage his pain the best we can.”
He said that the treatment will be on the knee and ankle, and he plans to use a Hivamat machine and a Class 4 laser.
Williams told ESPN on Saturday night that he’ll be spending a lot of time with Lndeborg.
“He might move into my room,” Williams said Saturday. “You’re laughing, but he might move into my room. We have two beds in there, so we might have to find another room for my wife and my son.”
Sports
College baseball Week 8: Top 25 rankings, best moments and what to watch
College baseball brought the heat the past week and a slew of home runs to go along with it. But while there was some fiery play on the diamond, this week’s top 25 rankings don’t look a whole lot different.
UCLA faced probably its toughest test yet in USC this past weekend, but the Bruins proved why they have been the No. 1 team in the country all season long and swept their crosstown rival in Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Alabama made another big jump this week, going from No. 16 to No. 8 to be ranked in the top 10 for the first time this season after winning its series against Oklahoma, but the week’s biggest riser was UCF as the Knights jumped up 11 spots to No. 12.
LSU is back in the rankings at No. 24 after taking two on the road against Tennessee. After beating Florida twice, Ole Miss has rejoined the top 25 and the Gators have exited. Also gone from the rankings this week is Kentucky after it lost its series to Missouri.
Here are the entire top 25 rankings as of April 4, plus our favorite moments and what we’re watching in the week to come.
Top moments
A big-time rally! Kansas hit four home runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off and beat Utah 14-12. The Jayhawks would go on to sweep the Utes, as well.
ICYMI, @SportsCenter will get you caught up 😏
4 HR in the bottom of the 9th on Thursday to walk it off‼️#RockChalk pic.twitter.com/pvp7y7lOCe
— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) April 4, 2026
And this play from Texas’ Casey Borba is incredible.
Casey Borba can do it all! 😮💨#NCAABaseball x 🎥 SECN+ / @TexasBaseball pic.twitter.com/HFpqzeZkvw
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) April 4, 2026
Player to watch
Cade Arrambide, C, LSU
We’re all-in on Arrambide. Against Tennessee in Knoxville, he hit four home runs in the series finale to help seal the series win for LSU.
0:55
Watch LSU’s Cade Arrambide make SEC history with four homers
Arrambide becomes the first player in program history to hit four home runs in a game for the Tigers as he also finishes with seven RBI against the Vols.
And let’s just watch that grand slam one more time for good measure, because even though that surely would have been electric in Alex Box Stadium, there has to be something even sweeter about doing that on the road in the SEC.
0:54
Cade Arrambide’s 12th inning grand slam caps off 4-HR day
LSU’s Cade Arrambide clubs a grand slam in the 12th inning for his fourth homer of the game in the Tigers’ win against Tennessee.
LSU has had its fair share of struggles throughout this season, going from the No. 2-ranked team in the country to falling out of the rankings completely last week. But with Arrambide getting hot — he has eight total home runs on the season to go along with 23 RBIs — the defending national champions are certainly bound to keep turning things around.
Series to watch
No. 2 Texas at No. 18 Texas A&M
Game 1: 8 p.m. Friday (SEC Network+)
Game 2: 3 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2)
Game 3: 2 p.m. Sunday (SEC Network+)
Jim Schlossnagle makes his first return to College Station, and we’re sure Aggies fans will have it out for their former coach. After leading Texas A&M to the Men’s College World Series in 2024, he left to become to the Texas head coach, as if an already-charged rivalry needed any more juice. But Schlossnagle has his Longhorns ranked at No. 2 in the country, and the Aggies have seemingly found their footing this year and are ranked at No. 18. Who’s to say what will actually happen between these two squads, but we’ll be watching every minute of it.
Updated top 25
Here are D1baseball.com’s latest rankings, plus information on each team’s next game.
All times Eastern.
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1. UCLA Bruins
Previous rank: 1
Record: 29-2
Next game: at Cal State Fullerton, 9 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
2. Texas Longhorns
Previous rank: 2
Record: 26-5
Next game: vs. Incarnate Word, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Previous rank: 3
Record: 26-5
Next game: vs. Kennesaw State, 6 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
4. Georgia Bulldogs
Previous rank: 5
Record: 27-6
Next game: vs. Presbyterian, 3 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
5. Florida State Seminoles
Previous rank: 7
Record: 24-7
Next game: vs. Florida, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN2)
6. North Carolina Tar Heels
Previous rank: 6
Record: 27-5
Next game: vs. Charlotte, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network)
7. Oregon State Beavers
Previous rank: 9
Record: 24-6
Next game: at Washington State, 7:05 p.m. Monday
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8. Alabama Crimson Tide
Previous rank: 16
Record: 25-8
Next game: vs. Samford, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
9. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Previous rank: 4
Record: 25-7
Next game: vs. UAB, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
10. Southern Miss Golden Eagles
Previous rank: 8
Record: 23-9
Next game: vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
11. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Previous rank: 14
Record: 23-8
Next game: vs. Wake Forest, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
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12. UCF Knights
Previous rank: 23
Record: 20-9
Next game: vs. Stetson, 6 p.m. Tuesday
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13. Virginia Cavaliers
Previous rank: 10
Record: 24-9
Next game: vs. James Madison, 6 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
14. USC Trojans
Previous rank: 12
Record: 27-6
Next game: at UC Santa Barbara, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
15. Auburn Tigers
Previous rank: 18
Record: 22-9
Next game: vs. Jacksonville State, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network)
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16. Oklahoma Sooners
Previous rank: 11
Record: 21-10
Next game: at Dallas Baptist, 7:30 p.m. Monday (ESPN+)
17. West Virginia Mountaineers
Previous rank: 13
Record: 21-7
Next game: vs. Marshall, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
18. Texas A&M Aggies
Previous rank: 20
Record: 25-6
Next game: at Texas State, 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+)
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19. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Previous rank: 19
Record: 26-6
Next game: vs. Kansas, 7 p.m. Tuesday
20. Arizona State Sun Devils
Previous rank: 25
Record: 23-9
Next game: at Grand Canyon, 8:05 p.m. Tuesday
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21. Oregon Ducks
Previous rank: 15
Record: 24-8
Next game: at Portland, 8 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN+)
22. Arkansas Razorbacks
Previous rank: 17
Record: 20-13
Next game: vs. Little Rock, 7 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
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23. Boston College Eagles
Previous rank: 22
Record: 22-11
Next game: vs. UMass, 3 p.m. Tuesday (ACC Network Extra)
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24. LSU Tigers
Previous rank: NR
Record: 22-11
Next game: vs. Bethune-Cookman, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
25. Ole Miss Rebels
Previous rank: NR
Record: 22-11
Next game: vs. Alcorn State, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday (SEC Network+)
Sports
PSL 11: Multan Sultans win toss, opt to bowl first against Rawalpindiz
Multan Sultans have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Rawalpindiz in the 14th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Monday.
This will be the first time both Sultans and Pindiz face each other in the PSL.
Playing XIs
Multan Sultans: Steven Smith, Sahibzada Farhan, Josh Philippe (wk), Shan Masood, Ashton Turner (c), Arafat Minhas, Mohammad Nawaz, Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Muhammad Ismail and Faisal Akram.
RawalPindiz: Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Yasir Khan, Kamran Ghulam, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings, Abdullah Fazal, Dian Forrester, Rishad Hossain, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Amir Khan and Asif Afridi.
This is a developing story and is being updated with further details.
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