From obscurity to smashing sixes: Pakistan's Razaullah rises to stardom

Karachi: A young Razaullah arrived in the northern Pakistani city of Mardan with his two elder brothers, dreaming to make it big in cricket with his thunderbolt deliveries and powerful hitting.

His brother Samiullah did not want his sibling to be a truck loader like him, and instead made sure the tall and strapping fast bowler went to the town's cricket academy on his way to play for his country.

Razaullah dismissed one of the world's best batters Joe Root with his fourth ball on his Test debut before smashing nine sixes in a sensational innings of 81 against England at Edgbaston. saltysenoritaaz.org

The 21-year-old's fearless batting brought Pakistan from the brink of an innings defeat on Friday as he added a fighting 121 runs for the ninth wicket with Mohammad Abbas, who scored 42.

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His sensational hits -- some landing in the under-construction hotel adjacent to the stadium -- caused a sensation from England's Midlands to Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa back home.

"This is the beauty of Pakistan's raw talent," said commentator Urooj Mumtaz, a former Pakistan women's captain. "He batted fearlessly and entertained all those who were watching. It was sensational."

Razaullah himself admitted he wanted to entertain others and enjoy himself.

"I just had to bat, you are the ones who get to enjoy it," he said in post-match comments on Sky.

Just like his sensational Edgbaston knock, Razaullah's induction to the Pakistan team was as much out of the blue.

Smarting from humiliating defeats in the first two Tests, Pakistan withdrew seven players in a shock reaction, drafting as many new ones -- with unheralded and uncapped Razaullah one of them.

Number 14

Razaullah's coming of age at the international level will inspire the next generation of players.

The unassuming young man left his remote village of Wari in the hilly parts of Upper Dir -- an area close to Lower Dir from where another fast bowler Naseem Shah emerged in 2019.

He endeared himself to everyone at the Mardan academy for his obsession to bowl as fast as Shoaib Akhtar -- the former Pakistan express pacer -- and ability to clear the boundary off many deliveries bowled to him.

"He (Razaullah) came for Under-19 trials in 2023 wearing spikes bigger than his size and with his first delivery he sent the batter staggering with his speed," Mardan and Abbottabad coach Ahmed Said told AFP earlier this year.

"I asked him not to bowl another delivery for fear of causing injury to any young and inexperienced batter."

Said recalled Razaullah always wanted the Number 14 shirt that Akhtar used to wear.

"Razaullah insisted he wanted a Number 14 shirt in the National Twenty20 Cup and was elated after he got it, albeit two sizes bigger, and we all started to call him Shobby."

Former Pakistan coach Abdul Rehman spotted Razaullah in a Twenty20 tournament in Quetta and recruited him for the Rawalpindi team in the Pakistan Super League, where he impressed with his speed.

Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed helped his growth in the High Performance Center in Lahore, from where he jetted to England.

Razaullah's idol Akhtar was impressed with his play.

"Look at his intent and fearless batting and this was the intent Pakistan players were missing in earlier matches," Akhtar said on television.

"He is a product of the Pakistan Cricket Board's pathway, and it's now the duty of the coaches to manage him properly so that he can progress further."

London: Hull held free-scoring Chelsea 2-2 at Stamford Bridge to go third in the Premier League as Liverpool failed to find a way past struggling Fulham in a 0-0 draw on Saturday.

It was a familiar tale for Chelsea as the front three of Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro and Cole Palmer dazzled, but the Blues were undone by an inability to defend.
In five games against top-flight opposition since Xabi Alonso took charge, Chelsea have scored 16 times and conceded 12.

Hull were the last side in the Premier League to concede, but after three clean sheets they were finally breached when Rogers drilled in at the near post on seven minutes.

Mohamed Belloumi took advantage of Chelsea's slackness at the back to blast home on the volley after Jorrel Hato got caught under a cross to the back post.

The Algerian winger then put Hull in front with a deflected strike after Emi Martinez failed to deal with a corner.

Pedro drilled a Palmer cross into the top corner to bring Chelsea level just after the hour mark.

But the home side could not find a winner as Hull's honeymoon back in the Premier League goes on with only defending champions Arsenal and Manchester City above them in the table.

"We have to be happy," said Hull boss Sergej Jakirovic. "It's a huge result for us."

Liverpool remain unbeaten under Andoni Iraola but there were boos at Anfield after Fulham picked up their first point under Alvaro Arbeloa.

Former Liverpool defender Arbeloa was reportedly fighting for his job after losing his first three league matches since arriving in west London from Real Madrid.

Yet a Liverpool forward line featuring three £100 million ($135 million) players in Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak failed to click against the Cottagers' leaky defence.

"When you draw, especially at home, you can't be happy," said Iraola, who blamed fatigue after his side's Champions League exertions against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

"Today we lacked a bit of freshness and we did not do enough offensively to make the difference."

It was Fulham who had the better chances to take all three points as Gonzalo Garcia missed a glorious opportunity in the first half and Alisson Becker produced a brilliant save to deny Josh King the winner.

Liverpool climb to sixth but could find themselves already six points off the top should Arsenal win at Sunderland later on Saturday.

Aston Villa are rooted in the relegation zone after Nottingham Forest exacted revenge with a 2-1 win at Villa Park.

Villa beat their Midlands rivals in the Europa League semi-finals last season on their way to lifting a first trophy for 30 years.

Eyebrows were raised at the club record reported £45 million Forest paid Chelsea for Liam Delap after failing to make the grade at Stamford Bridge.

But Delap proved his worth with a long-range strike into the bottom corner to open the scoring.

Alysson levelled with Villa's first league goal of the season, but Igor Jesus secured Oliver Glasner's first win as Forest boss.

Glasner's old club Crystal Palace's poor start to the campaign continued with a 3-2 home defeat to Ipswich.

The visitors were aided by Axel Disasi's first half red card as Zian Flemming's first goal for the Tractor Boys snatched all three points in stoppage time.

Brentford remain unbeaten thanks to Kevin Schade's double in a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

The Cherries, by contrast, are yet to win in the Premier League under Marco Rose despite leading in all four games.

Tottenham are aiming to kickstart their league season with a first goal and win at home to Everton later.

Manchester United host local rivals City in the pick of Sunday's action.

Doha, Qatar: Qatar won three gold medals on the final day of the 10th FISU World University Weightlifting Championship - Doha 2026, hosted by Qatar Foundation.

The championships brought together 116 male and female athletes from 21 countries in a global university sporting event that underscored Qatar's growing presence as a host of major international competitions.

The final day featured competition in four weight classes at the Education City Student Center: the women's 86-kilogram and over-86-kilogram categories and the men's 110-kilogram and over-110-kilogram categories.

In the women's over-86-kilogram category, Qatar's Wissal Yakhlef swept all three gold medals, winning the snatch with a 125-kilogram lift, the clean and jerk with 155 kilograms, and the overall title with a combined total of 280 kilograms.

South Korea's Yoo Hyo-bin won all three silver medals, lifting 103 kilograms in the snatch, 145 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 248 kilograms overall. Slovakia's Lenka Zembova took the three bronze medals, with lifts of 102 kilograms in the snatch and 127 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 229 kilograms.

Yakhlef said she was delighted to win three gold medals in the over-86-kilogram category, describing the achievement as an important milestone in her athletic career.

Speaking to reporters after the medal ceremony, she said her performance and place on the podium were the result of extensive preparation, concentration and sustained work rather than chance.

She said the competition had been far from easy and that the presence of several highly skilled lifters added to the technical quality of the championship. Winning gold in the snatch, clean and jerk and overall competition, she added, would provide a major incentive to continue working and preparing for upcoming competitions.

Yakhlef said the championship and her performance represented the final stage of her training program before she joins Qatar's national team delegation for the weightlifting competition at the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, which begin next week in Japan.

In the women's 86-kilogram category, Chinese Taipei's Yu-Lin Peng swept the gold medals, winning the snatch with 107 kilograms, the clean and jerk with 125 kilograms and the overall title with 232 kilograms.

South Korea's Yubin Hong won all three silver medals, lifting 100 kilograms in the snatch and 124 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 224 kilograms. Moldova's Anastasia Balici took the three bronze medals, with lifts of 93 kilograms in the snatch and 116 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 209 kilograms.

President of the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation and Chairman of the Championship Organizing Committee, HE Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Naimi, presented the medals to the top three finishers in the women's 86-kilogram and over-86-kilogram categories in a celebratory ceremony.

In the men's 110-kilogram category, American lifter George Upmeyer swept the gold medals, lifting 168 kilograms in the snatch and 201 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 369 kilograms.

Romania's Paul Ionita won two silver medals and one bronze, taking silver in the clean and jerk with 196 kilograms and in the overall competition with 359 kilograms, while winning bronze in the snatch with 163 kilograms.

American Caleb Wicklund won one silver and two bronze medals. He took silver in the snatch with 164 kilograms and bronze in the clean and jerk with 192 kilograms and overall with 356 kilograms.

In the men's over-110-kilogram category, Iraq's Mustafa Jabbar swept the gold medals, lifting 170 kilograms in the snatch and 212 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a total of 382 kilograms.

South Korea's Park Jin-ho won two silver medals, taking silver in the clean and jerk with 211 kilograms and in the overall competition with 363 kilograms. He lifted 152 kilograms in the snatch.

Moldova's Stanislav Oja won one silver and one bronze, taking silver in the snatch with 166 kilograms and bronze overall with a total of 357 kilograms.

Finland's Hannu Kiskitalo won bronze in the snatch with 165 kilograms, while South Korea's Kim Dong-hyun took bronze in the clean and jerk with 198 kilograms.

The final day of the FISU World University Championship Weightlifting showcased the advanced level of weightlifting in higher education institutions, with the competition marked by strength, excitement, and determination. The male and female lifters delivered impressive performances that reflected the extent of their preparation and ambition, in a competitive atmosphere embodying the values of university sport - excellence, discipline and a spirit of challenge.

Following the conclusion of the competition, a closing ceremony was held, combining a parade of flags of the participating countries with elements of Qatari culture in a welcoming message reflecting Doha's warm reception for the athletes and delegations. A short video also highlighted the events of the five days of competition.

The closing ceremony was attended by Secretary-General of the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation (QCSF) Rashid Saeed Adiba; FISU Technical Committee Chair, Dr. Milan Mihajlovic; FISU International Supervisory Committee member, Sarita Morales Brenes; and several sports and academic figures and members of the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation's board.

In remarks at the closing ceremony, QCSF Secretary-General, Rashid Saeed Adiba, expressed his thanks and gratitude to everyone who contributed to the major success of the World University Weightlifting Championships and to all those who contributed their efforts, time and expertise to the success of the global sporting event.

He praised all the participating delegations and the male and female lifters who traveled to Doha, the global sports capital, from around the world. The championships, he said, went beyond sporting competition to provide a platform for fair play, an opportunity to meet and exchange cultures, build friendships and strengthen understanding among young people from around the world.

FISU International Supervisory Committee member, Sarita Morales Brenes, expressed her appreciation and thanks to the Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation and to all the officials, guests, volunteers, coaches, technical officials, members of the media and athletes who contributed to the success of the championships.

The closing ceremony included the handover of the FISU flag to Morales Brenes. Albania will host the 11th edition of the championships in 2028.

The flag handover brought the curtain down on five days of competition involving about 116 male and female athletes from 21 countries, featuring strong technical performances and open competition across the various weight classes.

اقترب النجم الكرواتي مارسيلو بروزوفيتش من الانضمام لصفوف الزعيم السداوي في صفقة انتقال حر، بعد أن وصلت المفاوضات بين الطرفين إلى مراحلها النهائية.
وأكد مصدر مقرب ومطلع على سير المفاوضات أن الصفقة باتت في مراحلها النهائية، ويجري حاليا وضع اللمسات الأخيرة للتوقيع على العقود وأن السد اتفق مع بروزوفيتش على توقيع عقد يمتد لموسم واحد.
وكان الدولي الكرواتي قد رحل عن نادي النصر بعد نهاية عقده مع الفريق السعودي بنهاية الموسم المنقضي، ليصبح لاعبًا حرًا.