Entertainment
Pakistan to take on India in Women’s World Cup encounter today
- Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana says focus solely on game.
- India enjoy unbeaten record against Pakistan in Women’s ODIs.
- No handshakes expected as BCCI hints at continuing policy.
COLOMBO: Pakistan and India are set to face off today in a much-anticipated match of the ongoing ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at the R Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka’s Colombo.
Pakistan suffered a massive defeat against Bangladesh in their first encounter of the tournament, while India managed to defeat Sri Lanka in the Women’s Cricket World Cup opener.
The match is likely to be affected by rain, with forecasts predicting intermittent showers throughout the day. Rain is expected before the match begins and may continue at varying intensities during the game.
Colombo has already seen heavy rainfall recently, and yesterday’s match between Sri Lanka and Australia was called off due to persistent showers.
Statistics show that Pakistan have never beaten India in women’s ODIs, with the two teams facing each other 11 times, where India has emerged victorious on all occasions.
The tournament is taking place from September 30 to November 2 in India and Sri Lanka, and Pakistan will play all their group-stage matches at the R Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
If Pakistan advance to the semi-final on October 29 and the final on November 2, both matches will also be held in Colombo.
‘No handshakes’
Earlier, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia said that the policy about Pakistan will remain unchanged in their upcoming clash in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025.
In an interview with BBC, the BCCI secretary stated that there was no assurance that Indian players will shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts during their upcoming game in Colombo on October 5.
“I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that country [Pakistan] is the same; there is no change in the last week,” said Saikia.
“India will play that match against Pakistan in Colombo, and all cricket protocols will be followed. I can only assure that whatever is in the MCC [Marylebone Cricket Club] regulations of cricket, that will be done.
“Whether there will be handshakes, whether there will be hugging, I cannot assure you of anything at this moment,” he added.
His comments come in the backdrop of India’s controversial and widely condemned conduct during the recently concluded Asia Cup 2025, where the men’s team refused to shake hands with Pakistan players and made political statements during post-match ceremonies and press conferences.
India also refused to collect the winners’ trophy from Asian Cricket Council (ACC) President Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
‘Focus solely on game’
Addressing a pre-match presser on Saturday, Pakistan women’s cricket captain Fatima Sana said that her team is solely focused on the game.
However, Fatima was still asked to share whether she would miss the spirit and camaraderie between the two teams, referencing their off-field interactions after their match at the 2022 edition of the mega event, when the Indian players surrounded then Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof and cooed over her six-month-old daughter.
Fatima, who was a part of the national team then, in response, reiterated Pakistan’s stance of fulfilling the spirit but stressed that their primary objective is to ‘stay focused’ on the game.
“Our main goal is to play well. Our relationship with the other teams is good. We will try to fulfil the spirit of the game,” said Fatima.
“What happened before, like with Bismah’s daughter, when everyone mingled and enjoyed together, as players, we all like such moments. But the main thing is to stay focused on what we have come here for,” she added.
The Pakistan captain also dismissed the notion of odds being against them as they trail India by 11-0 in their head-to-head record in the Women’s ODIs and instead stressed that her team has the potential to beat any top side, stating that the records are meant to be broken.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have reportedly rejected settlement talks over their civil case and are now moving forward to trial.
Last week, Judge Lewis J. Liman dismissed 10 of 13 claims in Lively’s lawsuit, including allegations of harassment and defamation, against her It Ends With Us co-star and director.
Baldoni denied all those allegations which were made against him and his film studio, Wayfarer.
Editors at MailOnline reported that both Lively and Baldoni remain at their different ways, even though Judge Liman asked them to update the court on any settlement.
No agreement was reached in pre-trial hearings and the trial is scheduled to start on 18 May.
The judge, however, ruled that Lively could not file a sexual harassment claim under federal law because she was an independent contractor on the film and she also could not bring a harassment claim under California law because the filming took place in New Jersey.
Only three claims are going forward and that are “breach of contract, retaliation and aiding and abetting in retaliation.”
A Simple Favor actress posted a long statement on Instagram saying that she will continue to fight to expose people and systems that harm, shame, silence or retaliate against victims.
Blake also added that she will not waste the privilege of being able to stand up and thanked supporters for keeping her going.
American hedge fund Pershing Square, led by the activist investor Bill Ackman, announced Tuesday that it had offered to buy Universal Music Group in a merger, saying it believed the world’s biggest music label was undervalued by stock markets.
Pershing Square said its offer to Universal shareholders included 9.4 billion euros ($10.9 billion) in cash plus 0.77 shares in the new entity for each UMG share. After a merger with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings, an acquisition company, the new entity would be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Universal currently trades on the Amsterdam Stock Exchange.
The Reuters news agency says Pershing Square’s cash-and-shares offer values Universal Music at around 30.40 euros ($35) per share, 78% over its last closing price of 17.10 euros and making the deal worth 55.75 billion euros ($64.31 billion).
The merged company would boast a stable of top artists including Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish and Drake.
Pershing Square hopes to close the deal by the end of 2026.
“UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said in a statement.
The company pointed to uncertainty about French conglomerate Bollore’s plans for its 18 percent stake in Universal, delay in listing on the U.S. stock market, and “underutilization of UMG’s balance sheet” among concerns that have held back the shares’ performance.
Lamar Odom offered his own perspective on the events surrounding his 2015 overdose, and it doesn’t fully align with Khloé Kardashian’s account.
In Netflix’s Untold: The Death & Life of Lamar Odom, Kardashian was portrayed as a central figure in his recovery.
She was shown to have stayed by his side throughout his four-month hospital stay.
But in a new appearance on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, the former NBA star downplayed the idea that she “saved” him.
“She stood by your side, she saved your life,” Jenna Bush Hager said.
“In some ways,” Odom replied. “God saved my life. My lord saved my life, honestly… Yeah, she took care of me, but God took care of me the most. What I came back from is like a medical miracle.”
The documentary also featured Kardashian’s claim that Odom’s father, Joe, urged doctors to remove him from life support until she intervened.
She alleged Joe agreed to back down after she gave him $100 and a pair of Nikes.
The 46-year-old rejected that version.
“You know, I was knocked out and asleep at that time,” he said.
“If you know Joe Odom, I don’t think that’s something he would ever come out of his mouth. He was my biggest fan. I don’t know where that got mistranslated.”
After leaving the hospital, Kardashian rented Odom a home near hers in Calabasas and arranged for a caretaker and chef.
But when she discovered him smoking crack, she admitted she “just punched him in the face” before cutting ties.
“I just put my life on hold to f—ing take care of you,” Kardashian said in the documentary.
“He was playing me so I can continue this lifestyle for him.”
The two didn’t reconnect until nearly a decade later, during a 2025 episode of The Kardashians, when Odom visited her home to collect keepsakes.
“It was awkward, and it wasn’t really good for me,” he admitted. “But once you’re family, you’re always family, so she ain’t going nowhere.”
Though he acknowledges the bond they once shared, Odom made it clear their relationship will never be romantic again.
“I will always have love for her, but being in love, no,” he said.
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