PCB accuses pacer Naseem Shah of “central contract violation” following post aimed at Punjab CM Maryam

Naseem Shah has come under the scanner of the Pakistan Cricket Board after a now-deleted social media post from his official X account appeared to take a dig at Punjab (province of Pakistan) Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz during the opening game of the Pakistan Super League.What was the incident?The post, which quote-tweeted a PCB update from the opener between Quetta Gladiators and Hyderabad Kingsmen in Lahore, read: “Why is she treated like the Queen at Lord’s?” It was widely seen as a remark aimed at Maryam Nawaz’s high-profile arrival at Gaddafi Stadium, where she was escorted by a large security convoy and later interacted with players.The tweet was quickly deleted, with a follow-up message claiming the account had been hacked. However, as per The Daily Star, the explanation did not convince PCB officials. Within a day, the board served Naseem with a show-cause notice, citing a breach of his central contract and violation of media guidelines.The alleged offence is understood to fall under a clause barring players from publicly criticising board officials, sponsors, or associated entities. Despite the disciplinary action, Naseem remains available for selection and is likely to feature in his team’s next match.The controversy comes during a subdued PSL season, which began on March 26 under tight restrictions. After consultations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and franchise stakeholders, the PCB limited the tournament to Lahore and Karachi, with matches being held behind closed doors. Venues in Peshawar, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad were removed from the schedule to conserve fuel amid ongoing regional tensions linked to the Gulf conflict.Earlier, the Pakistan-based militant group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar had issued a warning to overseas players, urging them to withdraw from the league.“The current internal security and political landscape of the country is volatile and precarious. In a climate where military operations and civil unrest dominate significant portions of the territory, the safety of international athletes cannot be guaranteed.”The group added, “Given these dire circumstances, we strongly advise you to prioritise your personal security and withdraw from the tournament immediately. The environment is currently unfit for any peaceful sporting activity.”Despite the warnings and the security concerns, the PSL has gone ahead as planned, with several overseas players, including David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, continuing to take part.

Frank Bruno has given an honest assessment of how he would measure up against today’s leading heavyweights and who he would have liked to have faced.

The popular Londoner had three cracks at the whip – losing to Tim Witherspoon, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis – before claiming world honours against Oliver McCall in 1995.

It was a unanimous decision victory at Wembley Stadium that saw him capture the WBC title, before suffering a third-round stoppage defeat in his rematch with Tyson the following year.

Bruno had also been halted by Witherspoon, Lewis and James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith, while the first Tyson fight resulted in a brutal fifth-round finish in 1989.

But while Bruno was often accused of lacking sufficient durability to triumph at the highest level, he nonetheless showed lots of heart and commitment to eventually secure his WBC heavyweight title.

Now looking across the current heavyweight landscape, the 64-year-old has considered how a prime version of himself might fare against the likes of Fury and Joshua.

While speaking with Boxing Now, Bruno also highlighted Arslanbek Makhmudov, who will face Fury on April 11, as an opponent that would have potentially brought the best out of him.

“I think I’d be up there with them boys. I fancy me chances. I think [fights with] Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and [Makhmudov would interest me].

“When you go in there [with people who can] hit you, hurt you and knock you down, you’ve got to be on your toes.”

While Fury and Joshua represent accomplished former world champions in the four-belt era, it must be said that Oleksandr Usyk has cemented himself as the greatest heavyweight of this generation.

Bruno did not mention the Ukrainian but, by saying he would be “up there” with the top dogs, perhaps he would also fancy his chances against Usyk.

Ranked UFC middleweights battle when fourth-ranked Israel Adesanya faces 14th-ranked Joe Pyfer in the main event at UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. The preliminaries are set to begin at around 5 p.m. ET, with the main card at approximately 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Adesanya is coming off a loss by TKO to Nassourdine Imavov on Feb. 1, 2025. Pyfer, meanwhile, earned a submission win at 1:46 of the second round over Abusupiyan Magomedov at UFC 320 on Oct. 4, 2025.  

Adesanya is a -142 favorite (risk $142 to win $100), while Pyfer comes back at +120 in the latest UFC Fight Night odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The co-main event features a women’s flyweight bout between third-ranked Alexa Grasso (+160) and fifth-ranked Maycee Barber (-192). Before locking in any UFC Fight Night picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Kyle Marley.

Paramount+ is the only place to stream EVERY UFC numbered event and UFC Fight Night live, at no additional cost. A subscription also gives you access to other sports content, including the UEFA Champions League, college basketball, the NFL and Big Ten on CBS and countless movies and shows. Plans start at just $8.99 per month, so sign up right here.  

New users can claim a special offer by signing up for DraftKings Sportsbook. Visit our DraftKings promo code review right now to see their latest offers and get started.

Over the past three-plus years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up nearly $10,000, and since May 2018, he has returned well over $21,000. The accomplished MMA analyst has provided consistent winners for SportsLine members for the past five years. His accomplishments include hitting five consecutive main-event underdog winners in 2020 following the UFC’s brief pause in action because of the pandemic. He also went 11-3 on his picks at the last UFC card. Anyone who has followed Marley could be way up.

Now, Marley has studied Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. Head to SportsLine to see them.

Adesanya vs. Pyfer preview 

Adesanya, 36, looks to snap a three-bout losing streak. His last win came against Alex Pereira at UFC 287 on April 8, 2023. He knocked Pereira out to win the UFC middleweight championship and earned Performance of the Night honors. Adesanya began his professional career in 2012, and first joined UFC in February 2018. He won his first 20 professional bouts. 

In 29 career matches, he has compiled a 24-5 mark. He has 16 wins by knockout and eight by decision. His accomplishments have led him to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in the Fight Wing and is in the Class of 2025. He is a two-time middleweight champion and successfully defended his title five times. Check out SportsLine to see Marley’s picks and analysis.

Pyfer, 29, turned pro in 2018 and has been competing in UFC since making his debut on Sept. 17, 2022. He defeated Alen Amedovski by knockout in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song, where he earned Performance of the Night honors. Pyfer has won six of his seven UFC bouts. In 18 career matches, he has compiled a 15-3 record.

He has nine wins by knockout, four by submission and two by decision. He is a four-time Performance of the Night winner. He was a 2022 Fan’s Choice Debut of the Year nominee and a 2025 President’s Choice Performance of the Year nominee. Pyfer is a one-time Ring of Combat middleweight champion and a one-time Art of War Cage Fighting middleweight title holder. You can only see Marley’s picks and analysis at SportsLine. 

New to sports betting? Visit our FanDuel promo code review right now to see their latest offers and get started. 

UFC Fight Night predictions

One of of Marley’s UFC Fight Night picks: He is backing Chase Hooper (-325) to beat Lance Gibson Jr. via submission in a lightweight bout on the preliminary card.

“Gibson is the more well-rounded striker and wrestler, and he will be the stronger guy/better athlete,” Marley said. “He isn’t great anywhere, but he needs to keep this fight standing. Hooper is a dangerous submission grappler, and he knows he isn’t a good striker. He should sell out for takedowns, and I’ll take him to get a submission.” See who else to back here.

How to make UFC Fight Night picks 

Marley also has strong picks for Adesanya vs. Pyfer and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer card. He’s also backing a fighter who “will be much more active and dangerous,” to emerge with a big victory. He’s sharing who it is only at SportsLine.

Who wins Adesanya vs. Pyfer, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $21,000 on his UFC picks since May 19, 2018, and find out.

UFC Fight Night main fight card, odds 

See picks at SportsLine.
(Odds from DraftKings and subject to change)

Israel Adesanya (-142) vs. Joe Pyfer (+120)
Alexa Grasso (+160) vs. Maycee Barber (-192)
Michael Chiesa (-900) vs. Carlston Harris (+600)
Julian Erosa (+280) vs. Lerryan Douglas (-355)
Mansur Abdul-Malik (-135) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (+114)
Terrance McKinney (-185) vs. Kyle Nelson (+154)

A trip to the Final Four is on the line tonight when Arizona takes on Purdue in San Jose.

The entire season has led up to this moment. It’s the culmination of the Tommy Lloyd era in Tucson. Can he deliver the result and break the two-and-a-half-decade-long drought?

Or will this be another season that comes to a heartbreaking end in the Elite 8?

Here’s my preview of the matchup.

(Full disclosure: I’m a lifetime Arizona supporter. Be sure to read my bonus fan rant in the boxed section at the bottom.)

Standing in the way is the Purdue Boilermakers, a new-age blue blood built on elite coaching and loyalty.

Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, and Braden Smith were all on that 2023-24 squad that beat Arizona in Indianapolis and went on to the Final Four later that season.

Advertisement

They know what it takes to get there because they’ve done it before.

On the other hand, none of the Arizona players were even born the last time the Wildcats made it beyond this game.

The Final Four drought is the only thorn in the side of the fanbase’s psyche.

It’s the only chirp that hits home. Because it’s true.

Arizona hasn’t been to the Final Four in 25 years. A 25-year dry spell for one of the most storied programs in college basketball. Five consecutive losses. Five missed Final Fours.

Advertisement

But that streak ends tonight. It ends with this team.

Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, and Ivan Kharchenkov. The three freshmen who have put together one of the best seasons in program history have a chance to cement their legacy.

And it’s not just the freshmen. The Cats are led by a senior point guard, upperclassmen bigs, and a coaching staff that has found its sweet spot.

It’s a storybook synergy that deserves to break the drought.

Advertisement

So, how do they get it done?

You guessed it: defense and rebounding. Arizona is No. 9 in field goal percentage defense and No. 4 in rebounding margin.

KenPom has UA at No. 3 overall in defensive efficiency.

How can they take advantage of that? By pushing the tempo.

Purdue operates at a much slower pace than Arizona. Get them into a high-possession game, and empty trips down the court will happen.

Advertisement

The Boilermakers are awful in the fastbreak, coming into the matchup No. 303 nationally in fastbreak points per game. Speed them up, don’t allow them to grind the game down into the halfcourt, and play efficient on offense.

And for the love of God, do not let Loyer get hot from three. The senior can change the game and single-handedly beat Arizona if he gets going from deep.

The X-Factor, though, is Koa Peat.

Known as “Mr. Arizona,” Peat understands what this game means. He knows the weight that comes along with playing for UofA.

Advertisement

From the first game of his career, he has willed Arizona to this moment. Without him, this team wouldn’t be in this position.

If Peat can finish around the rim with efficiency and knock down his free throws, Arizona will be in a good position.

Go win it for the City, Koa.

Lord knows we deserve it.

Advertisement

Redemption? Or Am I Wrong About Purdue Again?

Opinion: Dane Miller

This one is personal.

Flashback to December 16, 2023.

Advertisement

Arizona is the No. 1 team in the country, matched up against No. 3 Purdue in downtown Indianapolis.

Trusted sources had informed me that the Boilermaker guards were not very good, and I sent a provocative pre-game tweet claiming they were outclassed.

Suffice it to say that the take was a major whiff.

I’ll do the honors: @OldTakesExposed

— Dane Miller (@DaneMiller_SWS) December 16, 2023

Advertisement

Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith combined for 53 points on 20-for-33 from the field, leading the Boilermakers to victory.

After the game, Purdue Twitter made it go viral and the Big Ten Network even posted a graphic of the tweet to troll me. A total of 270,000 views for what was easily the worst take of my career.

But this Arizona squad is nothing like that 2023-24 team. And the Boilermakers don’t have Zach Edey.

Am I supposed to be afraid of Trey Kaufman-Renn? Or should I be more worried about the dirty play reputation that the Boilermakers have?

Advertisement

But wait, I know what it is.

Arizona fans should be concerned about Oscar Cluff.

You know, the guy who went to junior college just outside of Tucson in an attempt to catch the attention of the Arizona staff.

The same guy that Tommy Lloyd refused to recruit because he wasn’t good enough.

The same guy who was held to three points on 1-for-5 shooting in his lone game at McKale Center.

Advertisement

Yes, that’s the guy that I should be worried about.

Please.

This Arizona team is destined for the Final Four. I don’t even need to get into the analytics, or the metrics, or any of the blah, blah, blah.

This team wants it more. This city needs it more.

Advertisement

F*#%k Purdue.

Another rare opportunity to reach a Final Four is within reach for the Arizona Wildcats, and this is their time.

With all the noise surrounding Tommy Lloyd, driven primarily by has-been North Carolina fans desperate to stay relevant, this is the time to take advantage.

You want more real analysis for how Arizona will win? Defense, rebounding, and forcing turnovers. All while keeping Loyer from killing you from three.

Play physical against Smith, keep elbows out against Kaufman-Renn, and bully Cluff whenever he gets the ball.

Advertisement

Arizona has the better players. Arizona has the better system. Arizona is deeper.

Go bring a Final Four banner back to McKale.

And send a message to Purdue while you’re at it.

Miller covers College Basketball and College Football as well as Formula 1 racing as a Senior Writer and Assistant Editor for SuperWest Sports.

Latest posts by Dane Miller (see all)

Veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh on Friday rubbished rumours of a fall-out with Hockey India supremo Dilip Tirkey, clarifying that the former India skipper has in fact encouraged him to surpass his record of being the most-capped player for the senior national team.

Tirkey currently holds the record of making 412 international appearances, the most by an Indian men’s hockey international and Manpreet, at 411, is just two matches shy of breaking his long-standing record.

While there were rumours that all was not well between Manpreet and Tirkey after the veteran midfielder was dropped from the list of core probables for the FIH Pro League earlier this year, the duo came out in public to clear the misunderstanding.

Manpreet on Friday expressed his desire to continue playing at least till the Asian Games and then will take a call on his future depending upon his fitness.

“At present my focus is on the Asian Games and I will continue to play till the Asian Games as I am fit and training daily. My body is responding to what I am asking it but after that I will take a call looking at my fitness,” Manpreet said on the sidelines of the eighth Hockey India Annual Awards here.

“Coach (Craig) Fulton’s idea is simple. He will pick the players who are fit. For me also, if I am not fit, I cannot play. In world hockey, fitness is the most important thing.

Manpreet said an unnecessary controversy was created after his ouster from the probables list and it he decided to sit out to spend time with his family..

“A lot of things happened. I have spoken to Dilip sir personally as well. He told me he does not have any problem if I play the 412th game. He wants me to break the record. He wants me to become the first Indian to play 500 games. That’s what he wants. He said that he would be very happy if I break the record,” Manpreet said.

Tirkey also cleared the air on his part, insisting that he never cared for his record.

“He (Manpreet) has played 411 matches, and I wish to clarify that it is absolutely not the case as has being suggested in the media and on social media that he is being prevented from playing simply to stop him from breaking a record.

“Had that been our intention, he could have been dropped immediately after the Pro League, when the team’s performance was lackluster. However, we have always prioritized treating our players with respect and encouraging them to perform well,” the HI president said.

Tirkey said looking at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics HI’s focus on development of young players..

“The roadmap for the future was established during the 2024 Paris Olympics cycle. Under this framework, a list of six or seven senior players was drawn up who would not be part of the Los Angeles Olympics squad. The objective was to groom new players for the upcoming Olympics.”.

At 33, Manpreet boasts of two consecutive Olympic bronze medals in 2020 and 2024, three Commonwealth Games medals including two silvers, and three Asian Games medals including two golds. He was also awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.

“The journey has been long and had many upsets. But I think it was good. I am very lucky to have reached here. My team has contributed a lot to this. In 2012, we finished at 12th, then we have got back-to-back bronze medals. It has been such a great journey.

“When I came as a teenager of 18-years of age and finished 12th in Olympics, it was a low point. But the bronze medals at Olympics are the high point,” he said.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) team will wear black armbands during their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign opener against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday to pay tribute to fans who tragically lost their lives in the stampede outside the venue following team’s historic title win last year. A statement from RCB said, “Royal Challengers Bengaluru will pay tribute to the eleven members of the RCB family who tragically lost their lives in the unfortunate incident on June 4.” “As a mark of respect, players will wear practice jerseys bearing the number 11 during the warm-up, followed by black armbands during the match.”

“In a lasting gesture of remembrance, eleven seats at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium will remain unoccupied, serving as a permanent tribute to the fans whose unwavering support will always be a part of the RCB family,” the statement concluded.

11 people died, and several were injured in the stampede outside the stadium during the victory celebrations last year. Cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium had been suspended since June 2025, when a stampede during RCB’s IPL title celebration resulted in 11 deaths and multiple injuries. Since then, high-profile tournaments, including the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, and the state’s KSCA Maharaja Trophy league, were relocated at short notice amid safety concerns. Also, the stadium did not get any T20 World Cup matches this year.

Following the recommendation from a govt-appointed expert committee, the Karnataka cabinet had given approval for the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to be held at the venue back in February.

In March, The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) successfully obtained permission from Home Minister G Parmeshwara to host the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 matches, including playoffs and finals, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Represented by Vice President Sujit Somsundar, KSCA completed all phase one safety and infrastructure improvements recommended by various departments, including the police, PWD, fire force, and medical authorities. These improvements involved widening gates, enhancing exit areas, and setting up medical emergencies.

An expert committee, led by Maheshwar Rao, inspected the stadium and approved the measures.The stadium is permitted to host matches at full capacity (33,000 spectators) due to the implemented safety measures.