Entertainment
Sarfaraz Ahmed announces retirement from international cricket
Former Test captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to a distinguished career spanning around two decades, according to a press release issued by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Karachi-born wicketkeeper-batter, who made his ODI debut in 2007 before making his Test and T20I debuts in 2010, went on to represent Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs and 61 T20Is.
He scored 6,164 runs across formats, including six centuries and 35 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, he grabbed 315 catches and completed 56 stumpings during his international career.
Sarfaraz captained Pakistan in 100 international matches across formats, including 50 ODIs, 37 T20Is, 13 Tests, and led the side to the No 1 ranking in T20I cricket.
During his captaincy, Pakistan achieved a world-record streak of 11 consecutive T20I series victories and recorded six clean sweeps, which include against West Indies (2016 and 2018), Sri Lanka (2017), Australia (2018), New Zealand (2018) and Scotland (2018).
Sarfaraz’s leadership era also saw the emergence of several future stars, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan, whom he backed at the start of their international careers.
Sarfaraz led Pakistan to historic triumph in the ICC Champions Trophy, beating India by 180 runs in the final at the Oval in England.
With that victory, he became the first Pakistan captain to win the Champions Trophy and the only captain till date to win ICC titles at both junior and senior levels, having earlier led Pakistan to win in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in 2006 in Sri Lanka.
In recognition of his services and the Champions Trophy triumph, Sarfaraz was awarded the Pride of Performance in 2018, becoming the youngest Pakistan captain to receive the honour.
Talking about his individual records, Sarfaraz has the Pakistan record of 10 catches in a Test match, which he took against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2019. He is to date the only Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter to score an ODI century at Lord’s, which he scored against England in 2016.
Sarfaraz, who played his first international match (ODI) in 2007, made his last international appearance in an international match (Test) against Australia in Perth in 2023.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent Pakistan. From leading the U19 team to a world title in 2006 to lifting the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, every moment in Pakistan colours has been special. I am grateful to my teammates, coaches, family and the fans for their unwavering support throughout my career,” the former skipper said in a statement.
“Captaining Pakistan across all formats was a dream come true. I always tried to play fearless cricket and build a united team. Seeing players like Babar, Fakhar, Hasan, Shaheen, Shadab and others grow into match-winners during my captaincy is one of my proudest achievements,” he added.
He also thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board for the trust “they placed in me over the years”.
“Pakistan cricket has always been very close to my heart and I will continue to support the game in every possible way,” he concluded.
The nominations for the 79th Annual Tony Awards were announced Tuesday morning, May 5, 2026.
Several acclaimed stars, including John Lithgow, Daniel Radcliffe, Rose Byrne, Lesley Manville and Nathan Lane have received nominations for the 2025-2026 Broadway season.
Actors Uzo Aduba and Darren Criss announced the nominations live from Sofitel New York.
CBS Mornings first revealed the top categories even before the full list was read on the Tony Awards YouTube channel.
Where to watch the awards show?
The ceremony will air live on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 7. Singer-songwriter Pink will host. It will also stream on the Paramount+ premium tier.
Kelli O’Hara received her ninth career Tony nomination, for her role alongside Byrne in a revival of Fallen Angels. She has won the award once.
Bess Wohl’s Liberation is among the best new play nominees. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama just one day before the nominations were announced.
A total of 19 plays and 11 musicals are eligible for awards this season. Nominations were selected by a committee of 55 theater professionals with no financial stake in any of the eligible productions.
Full list of nominees in major categories:
Best New Musical
- Schmigadoon!
- Titaníque
- Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Best New Play
- The Balusters
- Giant
- Liberation
- Little Bear Ridge Road
Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
- Will Harrison — Punch
- Nathan Lane — Death of a Salesman
- John Lithgow — Giant
- Daniel Radcliffe — Every Brilliant Thing
- Mark Strong — Oedipus
Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
- Rose Byrne — Fallen Angels
- Carrie Coon — Bug
- Susannah Flood — Liberation
- Lesley Manville — Oedipus
- Kelli O’Hara — Fallen Angels
Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Nicholas Christopher — Chess
- Luke Evans — The Rocky Horror Show
- Joshua Henry — Ragtime
- Sam Tutty — Two Strangers
- Brandon Uranowitz — Ragtime
Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
- Sara Chase — Schmigadoon!
- Stephanie Hsu — The Rocky Horror Show
- Caissie Levy — Ragtime
- Marla Mindelle — Titaníque
- Christiani Pitts — Two Strangers
Director and playwright James Lapine, lighting designer Jules Fisher and theater executive Andre Bishop will receive the Lifetime Achievement Awards.
Last week’s State Visit saw Donald Trump and King Charles all smiles, getting warm compliments and easy laughter as they wrapped up their meeting at the White House.
Trump hailed the monarch as “the greatest King” and repeatedly described him as “fantastic,” capping off a surprisingly cordial encounter on the global stage.
During their first meeting back in 2019, Charles was still Prince of Wales, hosting Trump for tea at Clarence House reportedly fell flat.
According to former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham and detailed in Susan Page’s book The Queen and Her Presidents, Trump later complained the conversation had been “terrible,” saying it focused on “nothing but climate change.”
Even Melania Trump reportedly joked that her husband had been “very bored.”
Now King, Charles stepped onto the world stage with renewed authority during a high-profile State Visit that took in New York, Washington D.C., and Virginia, before continuing on to Bermuda solo.
The visit marked one of the most significant diplomatic moments of his reign so far and perhaps his most closely watched.
At the heart of it was a landmark address to the U.S. Congress, where the King received multiple standing ovations, earning praise for his message on global cooperation, sustainability, and shared values.
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