"Regrettable": Afridi's Blunt Take On Pak's Refusal To Play Against India

Former Pakistan captain and cricketing legend Shahid Afridi shared quite an intriguing statement after his government confirmed a boycott of the Indian team at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan and India are scheduled to square off in Colombo on 15 February, but Salman Ali Agha's men have been asked not to take the field by their government as a mark of protest against the International Cricket Council (ICC). The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has been flirting with the idea of giving the India match a miss ever since the ICC booted Bangladesh out of the tournament.

Afridi, who has time and again advocated for sports and politics to be kept separate, expressed 'regret' over Pakistan's decision to not play against India in the T20 World Cup. However, he also stood behind his government's decision while asking the ICC to resolve the matter through impartial actions.

"I've always believed cricket can open doors when politics closes them. Regrettably, Pakistan won't play India at the #T20WorldCup, but I stand behind my government's decision. This is the moment for @ICC to lead and prove through decisions, not statements, that it is impartial, independent, and fair to every member," Afridi's post on X (formerly Twitter) read.

Afridi himself was at the centre of a controversy after India Legends pulled out of a match against Pakistan Legends in the World Championship of Legends at Edgbaston.

"Sports bring people closer, but if politics gets involved in everything, how will we move forward? ... Sometimes, there's one bad egg (or rotten egg) that spoils everything for everyone else," Afridi had said, in a dig at former India batter Shikhar Dhawan after he refused to play against Pakistan in the tournament.

It is rather bizarre that the same Afridi is now backing the political interference of his country's government, especially in an event of the stature of the T20 World Cup.

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Gambhir Asked About Pak's India Boycott At T20 World Cup. See His Reaction

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday ignored questions regarding Pakistan's decision to boycott the high-profile T20 World Cup match against their arch-rivals. While the Pakistan government has allowed the national team to participate in the tournament, it did not give them the green light to play against India. In a viral video, Gambhir was spotted leaving for Mumbai, where he was mobbed by the paparazzi. He thanked the reporters for their well-wishes but ignored their questions on Pakistan's stance before entering the airport.

#WATCH | Delhi: Indian Cricket Team Head Coach Gautam Gambhir leaves for Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/6fBlclolVO

— ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2026

India and Pakistan are in Group A alongside the United States of America (USA), the Netherlands, and Namibia.

While Pakistan will take on the Netherlands in the tournament opener in Colombo on February 7, co-hosts India will square off against the USA later in the day.

The Indian team was in terrific form ahead of the World Cup, winning the five-match T20I series against New Zealand 4-1. Similarly, Pakistan head into the tournament on the back of a T20I whitewash over Australia at home last week.

However, they have a terrible record against India in the ICC T20 World Cups. The two teams have played eight times, with the record standing at 7-1 in India's favour. 

In the Asia Cup last year, Pakistan were clean-swept by a clinical India in a trilogy of entertaining matches, including the final. 

Throughout these matches, young Indian stars Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma bullied Pakistan bowlers with their fiery knocks, with Tilak scoring a brilliant 69* during a tense 147-run chase in the final, showing his big-match temperament.

India squad for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.

Pakistan squad for ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.

(With IANS Inputs)

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No Sanction Likely For Pak After India Boycott: Ex-ICC Head. There's A Catch

Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani, who has formerly served as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), says the country may not face sanctions after its government announced that the team will boycott the February 15 T20 World Cup match against India. Although the Pakistan government did not give any clear reason for its decision to not play against India, it is largely being viewed as an act of solidarity after Bangladesh was barred from the marquee event. Bangladesh had demanded that its matches be shifted out of India, but the request was outrightly rejected by the ICC.

Mani, who served as ICC president from 2003 to 2006, cited the example of India not travelling to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.

"There can't be any sanctions against Pakistan if it follows government instructions. That was the basis on which India refused to play its 2025 Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan. You can't have double standards. So, unfortunately, again I come back to the fact that instead of dealing with the problem, the ICC just stood there as a bystander," Mani told Sportstar.

"You left the door open for any country to get its government involved - especially knowing that the chairman of the PCB is a serving minister of the government."

However, Mani's argument may not hold when the ICC decides on Pakistan's future regarding the boycott. During the Champions Trophy 2025 - where Pakistan was the designated host - India refused to travel to Pakistan but still played all its matches, including one against Pakistan, at a neutral venue in the UAE. Here, Pakistan is refusing to play India at a neutral venue - Sri Lanka - despite the schedule having been announced a long time ago.

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Epstein Accuser Spent Night With Ex-Prince, Was Given Palace Tour: New Claim

A second Jeffrey Epstein accuser has alleged the late US sex offender sent her to Britain for a sexual encounter with former prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the BBC reported.

A US lawyer for the woman told the broadcaster late Saturday the alleged encounter occurred at the ousted royal's residence on the Windsor estate, west of London, in 2010 when she was in her 20s.

The latest account emerged after the US Justice Department released a huge new batch of documents on the Epstein case, including photographs of Andrew kneeling over a woman lying on the floor. 

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the disgraced royal should accept requests to testify before the US Congress about Epstein's crimes.

Brad Edwards, from the Florida legal firm Edwards Henderson, said that after spending the night with Andrew, the woman said she was given a tour of Buckingham Palace.

He added there were communications between his client and the former prince before the alleged encounter and that he is now considering filing a civil lawsuit on her behalf.

The lawyer, who reportedly represents more than 200 survivors of Epstein abuse, did not immediately respond to AFP's request for comment. 

Andrew could not be reached for comment but has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing linked to Epstein.

The claim comes more than a decade after sexual assault accusations against the ex-Duke of York by another Epstein accuser, Virginia Giuffre, first emerged publicly.

Giuffre, a US and Australian citizen who took her own life last year, has alleged she was trafficked to have sex with Andrew three times, including twice when she was 17.

After she launched a lawsuit against him, he paid her a multi-million-pound settlement in 2022 without making any admission of guilt.

King Charles III stripped his brother of his royal titles and honours late last year after Giuffre recounted the claims in shocking detail in a posthumous memoir.

Andrew, 65, had already stepped back from royal duties in 2019 over the accusations and his Epstein ties.

The former prince maintained their friendship even after the disgraced American financier had pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution. 

Epstein died in 2019 by suicide in jail as he awaited trial for sex crimes against minors. 

The latest US Justice Department release again spotlighted the relationship between Epstein and former British ambassador to Washington and UK minister Peter Mandelson.

Mandelson resigned from the US post last year after emails emerged showing he had also maintained friendly contact with him after the American's 2008 conviction. 

On Sunday he told the BBC he does not remember receiving payments from Epstein in 2003 and 2004 which totalled $75,000, according to bank statements reportedly included in Friday's disclosures.

Mandelson, who was a Labour MP at the time, told the British broadcaster he had no record or recollection of receiving the money and did not know whether the documents were authentic.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Flipperachi Enters Guinness World Records After Dhurandhar Track Goes Viral

Bahraini rapper Flipperachi's 2024 song FA9LA has become a massive hit globally, thanks to its feature in the Bollywood film Dhurandhar. The song went viral after it was used in the movie, particularly during Akshaye Khanna's iconic entry scene. The track's energetic beats and catchy hooks made it a social media sensation. Now, FA9LA has broken the Guinness World Record for topping the most Billboard charts simultaneously. 

In a video shared on Instagram, the Arab Billboard team, along with Guinness World Records Arabia, surprised the rapper with the news. He broke the record for the most Billboard charts topped by a single song.

As of January 1, the track was dominating four different Arabic Billboard charts.

Flipperachi credited Dhurandhar for playing an important role in the song's success. The rapper said, "I was shocked the first time I saw it blowing up on social media. We suddenly got a deal from over there, and they said they wanted the song FA9LA because it would fit this scene in the movie. They placed it in a scene with an actor who has been off-screen for maybe ten years. Boom, he danced to it and boom."

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A post shared by Guinness World Records Arabia (@gwrarabia)

For the unversed, FA9LA was initially released in May 2024 but gained massive popularity after being featured in Dhurandhar.  The song's success skyrocketed after its inclusion in the movie, and it caught the attention of audiences worldwide. Following the song's success, Flipperachi has announced his highly anticipated India tour. It is set to kick off on March 14 at the UN40 Music Festival in Bengaluru.

Meanwhile, Dhurandhar debuted on Netflix on January 30 after having a spectacular run at the box office. The film earned over Rs 1300 worldwide. Directed by Aditya Dhar, the spy thriller features Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, Sara Arjun, Akshaye Khanna, and R Madhavan in key roles. A sequel, Dhurandhar 2, is set to release in theatres on March 19.

ALSO READ: Why Dhurandhar On Netflix Is 4 Minutes Shorter Than The New Cinema Version

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"Not Fair For People Like Me": Kapil Dev's Big Take On India-Pak Cricket

India great Kapil Dev believes the national team remains one of the strongest contenders in T20 cricket heading into the World Cup but stressed that Test cricket should continue to form the foundation of the sport. Reflecting on India's preparation, Kapil said while the shortest format has grown in popularity, equal attention must be paid to the longer formats to ensure the game's overall health. "I think there are two ways of looking at it. In T20 cricket, no doubt our team is one of the best—you can always have a bad day. But if you are talking about cricket, you have to talk about Test cricket," the 1983 World Cup-winning captain, told PTI Video.

"One-day cricket should also not be ignored. I understand that T20 is thrilling, but the base of the game is Test cricket, and we should be investing more time in it, along with one-day cricket as well.” Arch-rivals India and Pakistan are set to clash in Group A on February 15 in Colombo.

Asked if the two rivals should play given the political tension, Kapil said such decisions were best left to the authorities and reiterated his support for the country's stance.

"It's not fair for people like me to make statements on this. It is the government's call or the cricket board's call.

"Whatever decision they take, I will stand by it because I prefer to stand by my country and not make loose statements. Many cricketers across the border like to do that—I don't. I choose to stand with my country, and whatever policy they have, I am with them.” Asked if recent Test losses to New Zealand and South Africa warranted separate coaches for different formats, Kapil said it would be inappropriate for former players to weigh in, insisting that such calls should be left to the board's think tank.

"I think it's not fair for me to give an answer like that. Whatever decision is taken, it should lead to the best result. The people who are sitting there and making decisions about Test cricket, One-Day cricket, and T20, that is their job," Kapil said.

"For people like us, it's very easy to make statements out of the blue, but I don't like doing that. It is the responsibility of the cricket board and its think tank, whoever they may be, to decide what is best for Test cricket, One-Day cricket, and T20Is.

"If three coaches are required, they should appoint three. If two are required, appoint two. If one coach is good enough, then that's fine too. It all depends on what the think tank decides." 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Iran Plans Live Fire Drills Near US Warships. Why Focus Is On Strait Of Hormuz

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, again has become a focus of tensions as Iran prepares to launch a military drill that could see fire into a lane crucial for global shipping.

Iran has warned ships that it will conduct a live-fire drill Sunday and Monday in the strait, which sees a fifth of all oil traded pass through the tight corridor between the Islamic Republic and Oman.

The U.S. military's Central Command issued its own warning early Saturday, telling Tehran that any "unsafe and unprofessional behavior near U.S. forces, regional partners or commercial vessels increases risks of collision, escalation and destabilization."

Here's what to know about the drill, the U.S. warning, what caused the tensions and what might happen next in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz resembles a bend looking down from space. Its narrowest point is just 33 kilometers (21 miles) wide. It flows from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman. From there, ships can then travel to the rest of the world. While Iran and Oman have its territorial waters in the strait, its viewed as an international waterway all ships can ply. The United Arab Emirates, home to the skyscraper-studded city of Dubai, also sits near the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz through history has been important for trade, with ceramics, ivory, silk and textiles moving from China through the region. In the modern era of supertankers, the narrow strait proved deep and wide enough to allow for oil to pass through it. While there are pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the UAE that can avoid the passage, the U.S. Energy Information Administration says "most volumes that transit the strait have no alternative means of exiting the region." The vast majority of the oil and gas moving through the strait goes to markets in Asia. Threats to the route have spiked global energy prices in the past, including during the 12-day war Israel launched against Iran in June.

A notice to mariners sent Thursday by radio warned that Iran planned to conduct "naval shooting" in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday and Monday. The coordinates provided by the message put the drill potentially going into what is known as the Traffic Separation Scheme - a 3.2-kilometer- (2-mile-) wide, two-lane system in which ships coming into the Persian Gulf go north and ships exiting onto the Gulf of Oman go south. That northern lane is within the coordinates of the drill. While Iran has provided no other public details about the drills, it will likely involve the country's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The Guard operates a fleet of small fast-attack vessels in the strait that routinely has tense encounters with the U.S. Navy.

Early Saturday, the U.S. military's Central Command issued a strongly worded warning to Iran and the Revolutionary Guard over the drill. While acknowledging Iran's "right to operate professionally in international airspace and waters," it warned against interfering or threatening American warships or passing commercial vessels. The command, which oversees the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, said it "will not tolerate unsafe (Guard) actions" that could include its aircraft or vessels getting too close to American warships or pointing weapons toward them. The command added that "the U.S. military has the most highly trained and lethal force in the world."

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to launch a military strike against Iran after its bloody crackdown on nationwide protests. He has laid down two red lines - the killing of peaceful protesters and Iran launching a wave of mass executions of those held. In recent days, he's also included the fate of Iran's nuclear program. The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and supporting guided missile destroyers are now in the Arabian Sea where they could launch an attack if Trump calls for it. Iran has warned it could launch its own preemptive strike or target American interests across the Middle East and Israel. While the 12-day war saw Iran fire off ballistic missiles and Israel target its stockpile, Tehran maintains an arsenal of short- and medium-range missiles that could hit surrounding Gulf Arab states.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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