Sports News

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has made history by becoming the first Pakistani woman cricketer selected to play in The Hundred.

Birmingham Phoenix picked the star all-rounder in the wildcard draft, adding her as their fourth overseas player. Sana’s selection comes after an impressive all-round display against South Africa, where she scored an unbeaten 55 and claimed 3 wickets.

She is set to earn the tournament’s minimum salary of £15,000, although her availability may be affected by Pakistan’s upcoming Sri Lanka tour. Her inclusion marks another milestone for Pakistan women’s cricket on the global stage.

Lionel Messi reminded the football world exactly why he is still Lionel Messi as Argentina opened their World Cup title defence with a 3-0 win over Algeria at Kansas City Stadium. The 38-year-old scored a stunning hat-trick in front of 69,045 fans, making history on a night where he also became the first player to feature in six World Cups.

Messi’s treble moved him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 career World Cup goals, making him the joint all-time leading scorer in the tournament’s history. It was also Messi’s first-ever World Cup hat-trick and came on his 200th appearance for Argentina.

After a nervy start, the defending champions found their spark through Messi’s brilliance, with goals in the 17th, 60th and 76th minutes. Argentina will now face Austria and Jordan in their remaining Group J matches.

Alhamdulillah, Pakistan won! We are ready for the 2027 World Cup! 🇵🇰🔥

Meeting the great Javed Miandad after a long time — a man whose legacy continues to inspire generations of cricketers 🇵🇰