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ISLAMABAD: Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues, who powered India into the final of the Women&rsquo;s World Cup with a stunning unbeaten century against seven-time champions Australia, has become the latest target of online hate from Hindu right-wing accounts after publicly thanking Prophet Jesus in her post-match remarks. The 25-year-old batter, who was named Player of the Match, said in the presentation ceremony that she &ldquo;wanted to thank Jesus&rdquo; and &ldquo;could not do this on my own,&rdquo; describing how her faith helped her through anxiety and setbacks. &ldquo;Towards the end, I was just quoting a scripture from the Bible &mdash; to just stand still and that God will fight for me,&rdquo; she said. Her comments, however, triggered a wave of abuse from extremist social media users, who accused her of promoting Christianity and engaging in religious conversion, claims that have never been substantiated. Several right-wing accounts revived old videos of Rodrigues attending church events with her father, Ivan Rodrigues, who is reportedly involved in community outreach. Twitter user @Anshulspiritual wrote, &ldquo;I still stand by what I said. Jemimah Rodrigues used cricket as a tool for mass conversion. Show me one Indian who did such drama for religious conversion.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984214679091302681&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1631px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Another account, @Tushar_KN, said, &ldquo;Just a few cricket match wins and this country forgets cricketers doing shady things,&rdquo; while @cric05949840 mocked Rodrigues as &ldquo;Pakistan ka Muhammad Rizwan ki sasti copy,&rdquo; adding that Hindu players never invoked &ldquo;Bhagwan or Bhagavad Gita&rdquo; after victories.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984221824994119886&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 921px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>User @imarpitmi alleged that Rodrigues&rsquo;s father had been &ldquo;actively involved in Christian missionary work using Khar Gymkhana premises,&rdquo; while @PanipatIV claimed, &ldquo;Jemimah Rodrigues has made clear she&rsquo;s first and foremost an evangelist and cynically using cricket to entice Hindus to convert to Christianity.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984236095127871732&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>User @Ashutosh1274 shared an old video of Rodrigues at a Christian gathering, alleging she was &ldquo;mimicking spiritual possession,&rdquo; captioning it with the slur &ldquo;rice bag par convert hue log.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-4" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-4&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1984115439216300281&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=a4c48a7afdc9bb96e2b40ae5282ef97a063e419f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 650px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>The vitriol underlines a rising trend of religious intolerance on Indian social media, where expressions of Christian or Muslim faith by public figures often draw targeted harassment from nationalist users. Despite the online abuse, many fans and journalists have defended Rodrigues, praising her resilience and humility. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s shameful that a player who just took India to the World Cup final is being attacked for her beliefs,&rdquo; one supporter posted. Neither Rodrigues nor the Indian cricket board has commented publicly on the trolling.

Cricket

Right-wing accounts revived old videos of Rodrigues attending church events with her father, Ivan Rodrigues, who is reportedly involved in community outreach.

Rodrigues faces online abuse after dedicating match-winning knock to Prophet Jesus

ISLAMABAD: Former England cricketer and ICC match referee Chris Broad has claimed he was once pressured to &ldquo;go easy&rdquo; on India, alleging that cricket&rsquo;s governing body has become increasingly political under India&rsquo;s influence.&nbsp;In an interview with The Telegraph, Broad said the International Cricket Council (ICC) had changed significantly over the years, with India&rsquo;s financial and political weight influencing key decisions. He recalled an incident where he was urged to overlook India&rsquo;s slow over rate during a match.&nbsp;&ldquo;Yes, that happened,&rdquo; Broad said. &ldquo;India were three or four overs down at the end of a game, which meant a fine. I got a phone call saying, &lsquo;be lenient, find some time because it&rsquo;s India&rsquo;. So we did. The very next game, the same thing happened with Sourav Ganguly, and I was told, &lsquo;just do him&rsquo;. So, there were politics involved right from the start.&rdquo;&nbsp;Broad, who served as a match referee for more than two decades, said he feels &ldquo;fortunate&rdquo; to be out of the system now.&nbsp;&ldquo;India got all the money and have now taken over the ICC in many ways. I&rsquo;m pleased I&rsquo;m not around because it&rsquo;s a much more political position now than it ever has been,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He added that match officials today must either be &ldquo;politically savvy or keep their heads down&rdquo; due to the growing pressure within international cricket.

Former England cricketer Chris Broad reveals he was pressured to overlook India’s slow over rate, citing growing political influence of India within the ICC, making the governing body increasingly political and imbalanced.

ICC under India’s influence, says former match referee Chris Broad

COLOMBO: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her Pakistan counterpart Fatima Sana did not shake hands at the toss of Sunday&#39;s Women&#39;s World Cup cricket match, mirroring the actions of their men&#39;s teams.&nbsp;Sana won the toss and chose to field at Colombo&#39;s R. Premadasa Stadium, where there were also no formal greetings between the players of both teams before the national anthems.&nbsp;The neighbors faced off three times at the recent men&#39;s Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates and did not shake hands before or after.&nbsp;The Asia Cup, which concluded last Sunday with India beating their rivals, was notable for ill-feeling between the two teams and a series of on-field flashpoints.&nbsp;The tournament in the UAE was the first time the nuclear-armed neighbors had met since a deadly border conflict between them in May.&nbsp;India and Sri Lanka are co-hosting the Women&#39;s World Cup.&nbsp;As part of a compromise deal, Pakistan will play all their matches, including Sunday&#39;s group match in Sri Lanka, rather than travel to India.&nbsp;India and Pakistan only meet in cricket in international tournaments and on neutral territory. India were 86-2 after 20 overs.

Women's cricket World Cup, ICC, Pakistan vs India

Pakistan win the toss, opt to field first. India are 86-2 after 20 overs.

No handshakes again as India, Pakistan meet at Women's World Cup

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan have won the toss and opted to bat first against Bangladesh in the ICC Women&#39;s Cricket World Cup 2025 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Thursday. <div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1973679472093364680&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=f3721a91e4f5d15569ad3c1efaa6ac059cb94cfd&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 628px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1973679472093364680"></iframe></div></div></div> The Green Shirts had a shaky start to their batting, losing Sidra Amin and Omaima Sohail in the first over. Both departed for a first-ball duck. Muneeba Ali and Rameen Shamim rebuilt the innings, taking Pakistan to 41 after 10 overs. The two sides are meeting for the first time since their World Cup qualifiers encounter in April, where Pakistan secured a victory.&nbsp;Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, speaking at a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, expressed confidence in her side&rsquo;s preparations and team balance, particularly in spin-friendly Sri Lankan conditions.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have world-class spinners, and our team has played well in similar conditions. We&rsquo;ll look to use that to our advantage,&rdquo; Fatima said. She also emphasized the importance of momentum carried forward from the qualifiers and highlighted the team&rsquo;s depth.&nbsp;&ldquo;All-rounders are the backbone of a team. We&rsquo;ve got Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Natalia Pervaiz and myself, all capable of contributing in multiple departments,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;With experienced batters Sidra Amin and Aliya Riaz familiar with the conditions, and a pace duo of Diana Baig and Fatima herself, Pakistan will look to control the game through the middle overs. The team has also been working on utilizing reverse swing, which could play a role under Sri Lankan conditions.&nbsp;&ldquo;Captaincy is a challenge, especially at the World Cup level, but I&rsquo;m confident in the plans we&rsquo;ve made. We just need to stay calm and execute,&rdquo; Fatima said.&nbsp;Australia ease past New ZealandMeanwhile, in the second match of the tournament, defending champions Australia sent a strong message with a commanding 89-run victory over New Zealand in Indore.&nbsp;All-rounder Ashleigh Gardner powered Australia with a blistering 115 off 83 balls, lifting her team from 128-5 to a daunting 326. Her innings featured 16 boundaries and a six, blending elegance with power.&nbsp;&ldquo;It was special. We lost quick wickets, but we wanted to keep the intent high, and it paid off,&rdquo; Gardner said post-match.&nbsp;New Zealand&rsquo;s response faltered early, with both openers dismissed for ducks, including a diamond duck for Georgia Plimmer. Skipper Sophie Devine&rsquo;s fighting 111 was the only highlight in an otherwise one-sided affair, as Australia&rsquo;s sharp fielding and bowling wrapped up the match clinically.&nbsp;Devine, who crossed 4,000 ODI runs during her innings, admitted: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s bittersweet. I&rsquo;d trade it all for a win.&rdquo;&nbsp;Leg-spinner Amelia Kerr also reached a milestone with her 100th ODI wicket, finishing with impressive figures alongside her sister Jess Kerr.

Fatima Sana, Nigar Sultana, Pakistan vs Bangladesh

Muniba, Rameen rebuild the innings after Pakistan lose two wickets in the first over.

Pakistan Women opt to bat against Bangladesh in World Cup opener

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Saim Ayub has become the top T20I all-rounder in the latest ICC rankings, overtaking India&rsquo;s Hardik Pandya, in the latest update released by the International Cricket Council on Wednesday. Ayub, who picked up eight wickets and scored 37 runs in the recently concluded Asia Cup, climbed&nbsp;four spots to claim the No.1 position, following a string of consistent performances. Pandya, who had long held the top ranking, dropped to second. <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/8f9439db-ce72-44c7-a892-f0f721cb896b.jpg" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">&nbsp;Pakistan also saw gains from other players, with Mohammad Nawaz moving up four places to 13th among all-rounders, and Faheem Ashraf rising to 35th.&nbsp;India&rsquo;s Abhishek Sharma set a new benchmark in the batting charts, becoming the first player to reach 931 rating points in T20I history. He now leads the batting rankings.&nbsp;Pakistan&rsquo;s Sahibzada Farhan jumped 11 places to 13th, while Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan slipped to 37th and 41st, respectively. Fakhar Zaman climbed six positions to 60th.&nbsp;In the bowling rankings, India&rsquo;s Varun Chakaravarthy retained the top spot. Pakistan&rsquo;s Abrar Ahmed dropped three places to seventh, while Shaheen Shah Afridi surged 12 spots to 13th.&nbsp;The updated rankings reflect recent performances in bilateral series and the ongoing T20 calendar ahead of next year&rsquo;s ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup.

Ayub climbs four spots to claim the No.1 position, displacing India's Hardik Pandya, who had long held the top ranking.

Saim Ayub becomes top T20I all-rounder in latest ICC rankings

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has been found guilty by the International Cricket Council (ICC) of breaching the code of conduct for his comments that alluded to the military conflict between India and Pakistan, after their group match in the Asia Cup on September 14, Cricinfo reported on Friday. It is understood Suryakumar&#39;s not-guilty plea was rejected by ICC match referee Richie Richardson and that he was fined 30% of his match fee. India have appealed against the verdict. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has earlier lodged a complaint with the ICC regarding the Indian captain Yadav&rsquo;s &lsquo;political remarks&rsquo;, according to a PCB statement issued on Friday. Political remarks&nbsp; On September 14, Suryakumar dedicated his victory to the victims of the Pulwama incident. However, the ICC remained silent on the Indian captain&rsquo;s political statement. After the PCB&rsquo;s complaint, the ICC took action and summoned the Indian captain. During the hearing, the Indian captain could not justify his political statements. The PCB presented a strong case against Suryakumar during the hearing. The ICC completed the hearing after listening to both sides. To balance the matter, there is also a possibility of action against Pakistani players.&nbsp; The Indian board has already filed complaints against Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan, according to the PCB&#39;s statement. Verdict on the two Pakistani players is awaited, according to Cricinfo.

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has been found guilty by the ICC for breaching the code of conduct with political remarks about India-Pakistan conflict during the Asia Cup. He has been fined, and India has appealed the decision.

Indian cricket captain Suryakumar found guilty of breaching ICC code of conduct 

<span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LJUBLJANA: Slovenia on Thursday said it was banning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the European Union country to underscore its defense of international law. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The decision was linked to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against the Israeli prime minister, Foreign Ministry official Neva Grasic said, according to the official STA news agency. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The EU nation of some 2 million people, which recognized a Palestinian state last year, has been a vocal critic of Israeli actions in Gaza and Thursday&rsquo;s move against Netanyahu was apparently designed to underscore the country&rsquo;s policies. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slovenia had already barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country and imposed an arms embargo on Israel. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">&ldquo;All countries that are bound by the international court, including Slovenia, must not recognize the situation resulting from Israel&rsquo;s illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, and must not offer any support in maintaining this situation,&rdquo; she added. <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Slovenian government said on X that the decision sends &ldquo;a clear message to the state of Israel that Slovenia expects consistent respect for the decisions of international courts and international humanitarian law.&rdquo; <span style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">By doing so, Slovenia &ldquo;confirms its commitment to international law, universal values of human rights and a principled and consistent foreign policy,&rdquo; the government added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacts at a joint press conference with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (not pictured) at the Prime Minister's Office, in Jerusalem

Europe

Slovenia on Thursday said it was banning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the European Union country to underscore its defense of international law.

Slovenia bars Netanyahu entry over International Criminal Court warrant

ISLAMABAD: India has filed an official complaint with the International Cricket Council (ICC) against Pakistan cricketers Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan for their on-field gestures during the Asia Cup Super Four game last Sunday, Indian media reported on Thursday.&nbsp;&ldquo;It is reliably learnt that the BCCI filed the complaint against the duo on Wednesday, and ICC is in receipt of the e-mail,&rdquo; Press Trust of India reported.&nbsp;In case Farhan and Rauf deny allegations, they might have to appear before the ICC Elite Panel Referee Richie Richardson, for an official hearing.&nbsp;Farhan&#39;s animated celebration after his half-century and Haris Rauf&#39;s gestures toward fans at the boundary, believed to be incidents cited in a BCCI complaint, have gone viral on social media.&nbsp;India&rsquo;s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate addressed the issue, saying: &quot;The pressure on players in this environment is immense. While I saw what Haris did, it&rsquo;s not our concern. We&rsquo;re proud of how our players conducted themselves; they responded with the bat, not gestures. Other teams may have taken issue with us, too, but we&rsquo;re satisfied with our conduct.&quot;&nbsp;PCB complains against YadavAccording to PTI, the PCB has also filed a complaint with the ICC over India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who dedicated the September 14 win over Pakistan to &quot;the families of the Pahalgam terror attack victims.&quot; The PCB has labeled the remarks as &quot;political.&quot;&nbsp;Suryakumar had said during the post-match presentation: &quot;This win is for our armed forces, who showed great bravery. We hope to keep inspiring them.&quot;&nbsp;That match also drew attention for the lack of customary gestures, no handshake at the toss or after the game, sparking what&#39;s now dubbed &quot;Handshakegate&quot;.&nbsp;Sunday&rsquo;s Super Fours clash saw further heated exchanges, with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf involved in on-field spats with India&rsquo;s Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill.

PCB also reportedly complains about Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav's "political comments".

BCCI lodges complaint against Rauf, Sahibzada to ICC

ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended USA Cricket&rsquo;s membership with immediate effect, citing repeated governance failures and reputational damage to the sport.&nbsp;The decision was made during the ICC Board&rsquo;s recent meeting, following a year-long review and engagement with stakeholders. The global governing body said USA Cricket had failed to implement a functional governance structure and made little progress towards recognition as a National Governing Body by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).&nbsp;The ICC also said USA Cricket had breached its obligations under the ICC Constitution and undertaken actions that harmed the image of the sport both in the US and globally.&nbsp;The suspension comes just months after USA Cricket co-hosted the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup in 2024 alongside the West Indies &mdash; the first time the tournament was staged in the United States. The US team recorded a historic group-stage victory over Pakistan during the tournament, boosting the sport&rsquo;s visibility in the country.&nbsp;Despite the suspension, the ICC said US national teams will remain eligible to compete in ICC events, including preparations for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.&nbsp;The ICC and its appointed representatives will temporarily oversee team management and operations to ensure continuity and support for athletes.&nbsp;An ICC Normalization Committee will establish a roadmap for USA Cricket to regain its membership. Required steps will include specific changes to governance, operations, and compliance with ICC standards. The committee will also monitor progress and provide guidance.&nbsp;USA Cricket was placed &ldquo;on notice&rdquo; at the ICC&rsquo;s 2024 Annual General Meeting and given 12 months to address non-compliance issues. In July, the board opted against immediate suspension based on commitments made by USA Cricket. However, further violations prompted the latest action.&nbsp;The ICC said the suspension is a necessary measure to protect the long-term interests of the sport, while reaffirming its support for cricket&rsquo;s development in the United States.

ICC says USA Cricket has failed to implement a functional governance structure and made little progress towards recognition as a National Governing Body by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

ICC suspends USA Cricket’s membership over governance failures

Reuters

International Criminal Court in The Hague

Americas

The United States is considering sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court over its investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes, a move that could disrupt the court’s operations and deepen tensions with member states.

Articles tagged with "ICC"