Sports
Warwickshire County announces partnership with Lahore Qalanders
Forming a joint global venture between the two professional cricket clubs, Warwickshire County Cricket Club [WCCC] announces a new partnership with Lahore Qalanders, demonstrating a shared commitment to develop a long-term strategic vision that will help to grow cricket across Birmingham and Warwickshire in the UK, and Lahore in Pakistan.
Officially launching in Autumn, the partnership includes the roll-out of mutually beneficial ventures for 2026 and beyond, which will focus on talent and performance development through player and coach exchanges, academies and scouting networks, community projects, support for grassroots cricket, and commercial opportunities.
The partnership, announced by WCCC, follows the milestone acquisition for the club of Birmingham Phoenix alongside partners, Knighthead LLP, last month.
Abraham Khan, Finance Director of WCCC, commented, “Collaborating with Lahore Qalanders is not only about cricket at the highest level, but is about creating opportunities that will further enhance the growth of the game.
“By working together, we can pave the way for youth pathways, bolster funding and support for grassroots cricket, launch community initiatives and pool shared resources for development across all levels of the club.
“Our commitment to a collaborative approach comes from a shared belief that cricket can be a powerful force for positive change. This is a new chapter for the club and places WCCC and Lahore Qalanders at the forefront of a global cricket partnership, and I’m excited to see the impact this will have for our fans, our cities, and the future of the game.”
Sameen Rana, Lahore Qalandars owner and COO, said, “This partnership with Warwickshire County Cricket Club is a landmark moment for Lahore Qalandars. Our philosophy has always been to think beyond boundaries, and this is another step in that journey. Together, we aim to elevate professional performance, unlock new avenues to identify and nurture talent, and use the power of cricket to inspire and connect our communities in Lahore and Birmingham.”
He further added: “This collaboration is not just about cricket, it is about building shared pathways for players, coaches and fans, while expanding our global reach and creating new opportunities for growth. We believe this joint venture will establish a sustainable model that strengthens both clubs on and off the field and the most importantly, leaves a lasting legacy for the future of the game.”
The partnership was brokered by the British Pakistan Initiative [BPI] following an Academy Tour to Lahore, organised by Raf Sabir, Finance Director for CVS, in March 2025, creating a cultural and sporting exchange that evolved into a comprehensive long-term strategic alliance, now set to reshape the cricketing landscape in both Birmingham and Lahore.
Lehigh baseball set a Division I record by scoring 20 runs in the first inning of a 38-6 win over Coppin State on Tuesday.
Eight Mountain Hawks players had reached base in the top of the first inning, five runs were scored, and the Eagles made a pitching change before recording the first out. The remaining 15 runs came across before out 2.
Runs 4 through 16 were all scored on walks, hit by pitches or wild pitches, and first baseman Owen Walewander closed out the mayhem with a grand slam to make it 20-0.
Lehigh had 23 plate appearances during the inning with 11 walks, six HBPs and just three hits.
The 20 runs broke the previous record for a first inning of 18 set by Princeton in March 1974 and tied by Air Force in April 1974. Lehigh did come up shy of the Division I record for runs in any inning, as George Mason scored 23 in the second inning of a 2025 game against Holy Cross.
Coppin State did manage to trim a run back in the bottom of the inning to trail 20-1 through the first.
Also among the firsts set in Tuesday’s seven-inning blowout: a new Patriot League mark for runs in a game and an NCAA record seven walks drawn by senior third baseman Aidan Quinn.
Lehigh finished the game with 12 hits (five extra-base hits), 25 walks and nine HBPs. Coppin State threw 11 wild pitches.
KARACHI: Muhammad Waseem and Khuzaima bin Tanveer have been released from the Karachi Kings squad for the remainder of PSL 11 due to national duty commitments.
According to the franchise, both players have been called up for national assignments, making them unavailable for the rest of the tournament.
To strengthen their squad, the 2020 champions have signed England’s explosive opener Jason Roy as United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Muhammad Waseem’s replacement.
Roy, known for his aggressive batting style and vast T20 experience around the world, is expected to add firepower to the Kings’ top order.
“Welcoming England’s destructive opener Jason Roy to the [Kings Squad]. He joins the squad as a replacement for Muhammad Waseem,” the Kings captioned the post.
The franchise added that a replacement for Khuzaima bin Tanveer will be announced in due course.
Meanwhile, Roy’s addition would bolster the Kings’ arsenal as the 35-year-old brings a wealth of experience from playing in the marquee league, having featured in 38 matches across six seasons for Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators.
In his glittering PSL career, Roy has 1260 runs at an encouraging average of 36.00 and a hefty strike rate of 146.51 with the help of two centuries and eight fifties.
He also holds the record of the highest individual score, 145 not out, ever recorded in the marquee league, which came for the Gladiators against Peshawar Zalmi in the 2023 edition.
Updated squad of Karachi Kings for PSL 11
David Warner (c), Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Khushdil Shah, Saad Baig, Moeen Ali, Azam Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shahid Aziz, Mir Hamza, Adam Zampa, Hamza Sohail, Aqib Ilyas, Jason Roy, Haroon Arshad, Reeza Hendricks, Ihsanullah and Rizwanullah.
Hugo Ekitike will miss the World Cup and be out for at least nine months after he ruptured his Achilles tendon against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday night, the France Football Federation confirmed on Wednesday.
The Liverpool forward left the pitch on a stretcher and in tears after just 22 minutes of the quarterfinal second leg at Anfield.
“Unfortunately, the severity of [Ekitike’s] injury will prevent him from finishing the season with Liverpool and taking part in the World Cup,” France national team manager Didier Deschamps said in a statement from FFF.
“This injury is a huge blow for him, of course, but also for the French national team.
“I wanted to express my full support for him, as well as that of the entire coaching staff.”
A source told ESPN that Ekitike said he heard his Achilles snap before collapsing on the ground in pain on Tuesday.
Scans on Wednesday were done to discover whether the rupture is full or partial.
The recovery time for a ruptured Achilles tendon is between nine and 12 months.
Liverpool are yet to confirm the information, but the Frenchman’s injury is a massive blow for the Reds in their final push toward a top-five finish in the Premier League, and for France, for whom Ekitike, 23, would have featured at the World Cup in the summer.
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Arne Slot said “it doesn’t look good” on Tuesday night, while Ibrahima Konaté said: “I think it is bad. I don’t know, I have heard many things, I have no word to talk about that because with the World Cup coming it is very, very hard for him and I send him my prayers.”
The club is already working on a plan for his surgery and then his rehabilitation process, the source said.
The former PSG striker arrived on Merseyside last summer and had an immediate impact with 17 goals and six assists in all competitions in his first season at the club.
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