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Mexico coach confirms talks with U.S.'s Ledezma
Mexico national team head coach Javier Aguirre confirmed he contacted dual-national Richard Ledezma ahead of the March international window to discuss his future with El Tri.
Ledezma, born in Phoenix, Arizona, to Mexican parents, has exclusively featured for the United States men's national team, making his under-20 debut in March 2018 against France before going on to play for the U.S. youth squad on three other occasions.
He has made one appearance for the senior U.S. men's national team, in a friendly against Panama in November 2020.
"I spoke with Richard Ledezma. He will have to make his decision. He has the possibility of being Mexican. I didn't put him on the list of 60 because at the moment I wasn't so clear about him," Aguirre said during a media day for the Concacaf Nations League finals on Wednesday.
"Let's see what happens from here to the future. He is versatile, in New York he played as a striker, in Europe they play him as a winger. His versatility and competitive level make him valuable."
The PSV Eindhoven midfielder failed to make Mauricio Pochettino's 60-men preliminary roster for the upcoming Nations League matches in March. In order to represent Mexico in the future, Ledezma would need to file for the FIFA One Time Switch.
"A player may, only once, request to change the association for which he is eligible to play to the association of another country of which he holds the nationality," FIFA rules state.
Ledezma currently holds both U.S. and Mexico passports, making him eligible to feature for either national team.
Former United States players Julián Araujo and Obed Vargas recently filed the necessary paperwork to be eligible to represent the Mexico national team.
Red Bull's new head of global football Jürgen Klopp will have his own float at the Rose Monday carnival parade in Mainz but it may not be to the former Liverpool coach's liking.
The float, at a parade known for its political satire, shows Klopp, a former Mainz player and coach, with wings made of banknotes and holding a can of Red Bull's trademark energy drink along with a football.
"For Kloppo values he no longer cares about, used to matter. Because Red Bull lures with a lot of money, he is now falling off his pedestal with a crash," the float says on its side.
The Mainz great, who went on to have successful coaching spells at Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, joined Red Bull this year as head of their global football operations, with clubs in Brazil, United States, Austria, France and Germany.
That move came much to the disappointment of Mainz fans.
Some Mainz supporters are critical of Klopp's decision to join Red Bull, that owns Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, saying it was financially driven.
RB Leipzig's rapid rise through the divisions a decade ago to reach the Bundesliga thanks to the energy drinks maker's considerable investment was unpopular with many German fans.
Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho was handed a four-match ban and fined by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) on Thursday following his comments about Turkish referees after a match at Istanbul rivals Galatasaray.
The TFF fined the 62-year-old Portuguese 1,617,000 Turkish lira ($44,000) after he criticised the match officials in a news conference following the 0-0 Super Lig draw on Monday.
The penalties were due to "derogatory and offensive statements towards the Turkish referee" and accusations of chaos and disorder in Turkish football, the TFF said.
The TFF said Mourinho's remarks violated sports ethics, promoted violence and disorder and could incite fan incidents.
Monday's game was refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vincic after both clubs requested a foreign official take charge.
After the match, Mourinho made a point of praising the referee, highlighting the fact he was not from Turkey.
"The performance of the referee was a top performance," Mourinho said.
"Anyone, not just from this country but also abroad, watched a big football match. I think the man responsible for that was the referee.
Mourinho was also asked about an incident early in the game involving his 19-year-old defender Yusuf Akcicek, to which he said: "Again, I have to thank the referee because with a Turkish referee after the big dive and the first minute and their bench jumping like monkeys on top of the kids.
"A Turkish referee would have [given Akcicek] a yellow card after one minute, and after five minutes I would have to change him."
Galatasaray have said they will "initiate criminal proceedings" and report Mourinho to FIFA and UEFA over what they called "racist statements."
Fenerbahce issued a statement on Tuesday defending Mourinho, saying his comments were taken out of context and deliberately distorted. The club said it was planning to take a legal action "against this baseless accusation."
Former Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur manager Mourinho has previously been fined and suspended for his comments about Turkish match officials.
Information from Reuters contributed to this report.
Greenland just want to play soccer. Will Concacaf give them a spot?
NUUK, Greenland -- This weekend, Greenland's football team will travel over 6,000 miles for a game. They will swap the snow-covered playing fields of Nuuk, the territory's capital, for the Brazilian city of Curitiba and hope that their passion for the game will, for a short time at least, remove the distraction of politics and boost their hopes of playing more meaningful games closer to home.
A campaign by the Football Association of Greenland (KAK) to secure membership in Concacaf (Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football) was submitted in May 2024, followed by months of preparation by the KAK to get the application over the finish line. It had been due to reach a crucial, perhaps defining, moment this week, with senior KAK figures invited to Concacaf HQ in Miami to discuss Greenland's prospects of joining the confederation's 41 member associations.
After President Donald Trump suggested the U.S. could look to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, negotiations between Greenland and Concacaf (the confederation containing the U.S., Mexico and Canada -- next summer's World Cup hosts) were delayed.
The unexpected rhetoric from President Trump has become a distraction for both the KAK and Concacaf.
"People are asking is it Trump inviting you to the United States," KAK chief executive Kenneth Kleist told ESPN. "So no, we will meet [Concacaf] later. We are going to meet in London instead, maybe in a month or so, without me going deeper into it than that. It's become a little bit political, as you can imagine."
Concacaf declined to comment on Greenland's application when contacted by ESPN.
Greenland has become a political football at the worst possible time for the KAK. A territory with a population of around 56,000 wants to have a home for its football team. Participation in next week's Intercontinental Futsal Cup in Brazil -- Greenland's players keep in shape by playing futsal (5-on-5 soccer played indoors on a smaller court) because of the prolonged wintry climate -- is a huge moment for the Greenland squad, but what they really want is competitive football, home and away, with the chance, however small, to dream of playing at a World Cup.
"We want to be able to look forward to games, competitive games, in World Cup qualifiers," said team captain, Patrick Frederiksen. "That's why we want to join Concacaf."
Greenland captain Patrick Frederiksen joins "The Football Reporters" podcast to explain why he hopes to see his country welcomed into Concacaf.
As an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland is technically part of Europe. Although it was granted home rule by Denmark in 1979, Greenland's people are full citizens of Denmark, the Danish Kroner is the official currency and Danish is spoken alongside Greenlandic. But unlike the Faroe Islands, which is also an autonomous territory of Denmark with home rule of its own since 1948, Greenland's football association does not have a home.
A clause in UEFA's regulations stipulating that new member associations must be recognized as a sovereign country by the United Nations means that Greenland cannot join the European confederation. UEFA introduced the rule in 2007, after the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar became members. There is no such requirement with Concacaf. That may change, with an amendment proposed at FIFA's Congress in Bangkok last May that any new members must be recognized as an independent country by the UN, but the door into Concacaf is still ajar for Greenland.
"When Concacaf responded to our application and invited us for talks, it was like Christmas Day for us," Greenland coach Morten Rutkjaer told ESPN. "It's a totally crazy thing that now everyone wants to talk with us and everyone said, "Oh, it's about Trump.'
"No, no. We have worked on this for many years since I started in 2019. All I know is that we want to be a part of membership somewhere and the best thing for Greenland is to be a part of Concacaf, then the players have something to dream for and train for."
Karsten Moller Andersen has just gone down, clutching his knee. The Greenland-based members of the national team are training at Nuuk's indoor Inussivik sports arena, and Andersen is in a bad way. One of his teammates dashes off to seek help from arena staff, returning with a clear plastic bag full of snow. Andersen is moved to a bench and the snow is placed over his knee.
It is an image that sums up the uniqueness of Greenland. The players are training inside because the all-weather surface outside -- all-weather, but not Greenland weather -- is under three feet of snow. Who needs ice when you have an endless supply of snow to do the same job?
The Greenland players are training for the futsal tournament in Brazil, where they will face the hosts, Afghanistan and Iran. They play futsal for eight months of the year due to the adverse weather conditions outside and they are good: quick, impressive technique and aggressive. Andersen, a Manchester United supporter since Cristiano Ronaldo's first spell at Old Trafford, is their best player, so his injury is a concern ahead of the trip to Brazil.
"My knee is getting better," he told ESPN a week later. "I'm getting laser treatment at my physiotherapist, so all good for Brazil."
Andersen works at an orphanage in Nuuk, as does team captain Patrick Frederiksen. Other members of the team work in banking, fishing and for the Greenlandic government. Midfielder Soren Kreutzmann is a hairdresser. Other members of the team play in Denmark's second division, the Faroe Islands or Iceland.
"They're very good football players right now," Denmark based-coach Rutkjaer said. "And they will only become better when we have the competition to play in. It's a totally crazy football country. Everyone plays football everywhere. The children are playing on ice, on football fields inside, outside and they talk about football every hour they can."
To reflect Rutkjaer's point, while training is taking place at Inussivik, two teenagers sat watching Manchester City versus Real Madrid on their phones. One is an Arsenal supporter, the other a Liverpool fan. When Jude Bellingham scores a late first-leg winner for Real to seal a 3-2 victory in their Champions League playoff clash, there are cheers and laughter from the group that has since surrounded the two teenagers.
But it is the remoteness of Greenland that makes it so difficult for football to develop. There are only 53 miles of road on the island, which measures 2.1 million square kilometers, and just two international flights from Nuuk -- to Reykjavik, Iceland, and the Danish capital, Copenhagen -- although United Airlines will start a weekly service from Newark to Nuuk this summer. Flight cancellations are a regular occurrence due to high winds and ice on the runway. It's also not unusual for the flights from Reykjavik and Copenhagen to have to fly back to their destination without landing in Nuuk because of rapid changes in weather conditions.
"We don't plan too far ahead in Greenland," said Frederiksen. "We go day-by-day because the weather can change everything."
Icebergs float around the bay in Nuuk, snow drifts can cover one-story buildings and the weather means that for 8-10 months of the year, football training must be indoors.
"We are covered by snow," Frederiksen said. "It's really impossible to play practice football because there is too much snow. It is too deep and the ball will freeze."
The Greenlandic Football Championship lasts for just one week in August, when the weather cooperates. B-67 Nuuk claimed its 15th national title by winning the 15-game week-long tournament last year, with three teams withdrawing due to transportation difficulties.
It's clear there is talent and ambition among the Greenland players and senior figures at the KAK. They've played men's friendlies against Kosovo and Turkmenistan in recent years, and Greenland competes in the Island Games, a biennial tournament involving the likes of Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Saint Helena and several tiny European islands. They have also made plans for a friendly game against Tuvalu, the Polynesian island in the south Pacific, later this year to raise awareness of the environmental disaster facing the country.
"Tuvalu is expected to be one of the first islands that will be overflowed with water and Greenland is where the ice cap is melting," Rutkjaer said. "So the idea is a national match between the two teams to raise publicity about the situation."
But while futsal tournaments in Brazil and friendly games for the men's team help give Rutkjaer and his players a sense of purpose, they are nothing compared to the level of excitement that Concacaf would bring for men and women.
Lykke Eldevig, 18, is a star women's player in Greenland. Her father, Jon, played for B-67, but she has dreams of playing further afield.
"It has always been a dream [to play professionally], but I don't know if it's possible," she told ESPN.
"I train four times a week. Three times with this team and then one time with the regional team. Some youngsters have had to move to schools in Denmark to find teams there and hopefully get into the professional scene, but there's not many here because we don't have a lot of opportunities."
While Lykke speaks, Alice, one of the women training with the senior group, comes across to say how she has played in every women's Greenlandic Championship since 1988. Nuuk are the reigning champions, winning an 11th title in 2024, taking them to within two titles of the most successful women's team, I-69, from the city of Ilulissat. She's still playing football in her mid-50s, the chance of a professional career long gone.
"We really hope that Greenland can join Concacaf," Alice tells ESPN. "It would open up opportunities for boys and girls in Greenland and be really special for us."
One awkward thing about their Concacaf application: Greenland doesn't have a stadium that could host international football games. Nuuk Stadium, adjacent to the Inussivik arena, has an artificial turf pitch and is listed as having a capacity of 2,000, but one side is a rocky hill -- covered in snow during ESPN's visit -- and the other backs onto the arena, and the rest is surrounded by houses and apartments. But the application to join Concacaf is part of a plan to develop football and facilities for all sports in Greenland and inadvertently, this is where Trump's acquisition talk may play in Greenland's favor.
Investment is needed to build a series of air domes -- large, multipurpose sports venues with a roof -- that would allow Greenland to stage football fixtures year-round. "There's a lot of work to do," said Kleist, CEO of the KAK. "We have no real infrastructure, with cities not connected with the roads and there are a lot of difficulties to be managed, but we have to be positive because we have to do something big in this country. There's a lot of possibilities for air domes and we are [talking] with the government."
A snap general election was called earlier this month by Greenland's prime minister, Mute Bourup Egede, to be held on March 11. The primary issue is not the interest of the U.S. in the territory, but the possibility of reforms and greater investment from Denmark, including upgrades and updates to infrastructure, sporting facilities and health care. Due to a lack of hospitals in Greenland, many patients must be flown to Iceland -- a journey of three hours only if weather conditions allow.
There is also a growing independence movement in Greenland, with reports of a possible referendum after the election and a vote on breaking away from Denmark completely. Sources have told ESPN that Trump's interest in Greenland has put the Danish government under pressure to invest more in Greenlandic projects, including infrastructure and air domes, to avert the prospect of an independence referendum.
Links with Denmark run deep, however. The Danish sportswear manufacturer Hummel has produced Greenland's new playing strip with the home and away jerseys incorporating traditional Inuit patterns, while the light blue away shirt has been specially designed to match the color of the icebergs around Greenland. In a nod to the social problems on the island -- Greenland has a suicide rate six times higher than Nordic countries, according to one study -- Hummel has teamed up with UNICEF in a campaign to help deal with mental health issues in the territory.
The sense of change in Greenland is inescapable. Kleist is guarded when it comes to politics talk, making it clear that the KAK are respectful of Concacaf's process and have no desire to make their application anything but a football matter. But Coach Rutkjaer is clear on Greenland's ambitions and why Concacaf is the perfect home for Greenland's aspiring footballers.
"My hope is that we have a national stadium next year with a football field and a roof, then we can train all the year in Nuuk," Rutkjaer said. "And it's better that we become a member of Concacaf because our level is much more in line with the Caribbean islands.
"We could play Concacaf Nations League and World Cup qualification, at the preliminary stage, maybe over a period of 14 days, so it's much easier for Greenland instead of Europe.
"This isn't about Greenland playing the USA or Mexico, it's about having the chance to play competitively against nations of a similar level and giving the players a dream to live."
Van der Dussen: 'Don't have to be a rocket scientist' to know India have advantage
"It's definitely an advantage. I saw that Pakistan was commenting about it, but it's definitely an advantage. If you can stay in one place, stay in one hotel, practice in the same facilities, play in the same stadium, on the same pitches every time, it's definitely an advantage," van der Dussen said in Karachi, where South Africa will play their last group game against England. "I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to know that. The onus would be on them to use that advantage. In a sense, it puts more pressure on them because whoever is going to play them in the semi or potentially the final is going to go there and the conditions are going to be foreign, but they [India] are going to be used to it. The pressure would be on them to get it right because they have all that knowledge."
"See, they are in Dubai for a reason," Aaqib said. "If they are playing in Dubai for a reason, definitely if you play on the same pitch or ground, you will have an advantage. But we are not losing because they had the advantage of the same hotel and pitch (laughs). It's not just because of the pitch, and neither did they play some ten matches there."
One of the gains India have is the certainty that comes with knowing the venue of all their games, including the knockouts, while other teams will have to wait to confirm their arrangements. In this case, while the outcome of the Afghanistan vs Australia game on Friday could confirm Group B's semi-finalists, the positions in the group will only be known after South Africa's match against England on Saturday. Should South Africa qualify for the semi-finals, they will either play India in Dubai on Tuesday or New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday.
Asked which he would prefer, van der Dussen indicated the latter but said the team would be up for either task. "If it's a personal thing, I would say playing in Lahore because it's just good to bat there. The Dubai pitch is not as high-scoring as the Lahore [pitch], but no, I don't think it really matters," he said. "Probably logistically it will be easier to play in Lahore. You don't have to go through an international flight and go to Dubai and literally go to another country to play. Lahore is not too far from where we are at the moment [Karachi], so conditions are fairly similar. It's literally one of those things, we don't know what's going to happen until Saturday evening."
Though South Africa have been in Pakistan for almost three weeks, playing in a mini tri-series before the Champions Trophy, and have selected their squad accordingly, van der Dussen said they had the resources for any venue. "As a team, team-wise, conditions-wise, we've got everything in the locker to adapt to what's going to be in front of us. I'm not too worried as a team. There's no location that will suit us better or worse."
'Possible it's my last ICC tournament' - van der Dussen at peace with uncertainty over future
Van der Dussen turned 36 earlier this month and currently plays only one format for South Africa, though he has been capped in all three. As he gets older and a younger crop of batters start coming through, he has accepted that his time in the team might be nearing an end.
"It's definitely a possibility that it's my last ICC tournament. I'm not saying that with any preconceived ideas that I'll call time on it, or management will call time on my career. It's just the reality," van der Dussen said in Karachi, where South Africa are preparing for their last group stage match against England.
"I'm not blind to the possibility that if I don't perform that someone won't be there to take my place. I certainly don't expect any preferential treatment because I think in a healthy environment, guys push each other organically and that pushes everyone to be better."
Before his 52 against Afghanistan, van der Dussen had gone ten innings without a half-century and it has been 13 since the last time he scored a hundred. Though there is no suggestion of it - and him being at a press conference suggests also no danger of it - when Klaasen returns to full fitness, van der Dussen could be in the firing line if all of Bavuma, de Zorzi and Rickelton are retained. In the immediate term, it is more likely, de Zorzi will sit out and van der Dussen could get a shot at a title he has been working towards. "For me I always wanted to get to the Champions Trophy, which is now, and then we'll reassess after that," he said. "My national contract is coming up at the end of April.
"I'll have discussions with Rob [Walter, the white-ball coach] and with Enoch [Nkwe, director of national teams and high performance] and see where they see me and what my role is going forward. I feel like I'm playing well. Physically, I'm putting a lot of time into my body. If I'm still good enough in two years, I'd like to think that I'm in the mix. If not, if other guys are pushing me and I can't keep up with the youngsters, then that's also fine."
"My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas. People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don't know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I'll have that hunger to play in the leagues"
Rassie van der Dussen
Unlike some players in the twilight of their careers around the world - Trent Boult, Devon Conway and Tabraiz Shamsi are some examples - van der Dussen does not appear inclined to reject a national contract for league opportunities.
"My ultimate goal has always been to play for the Proteas," van der Dussen said. "People are asking me, are you going to play leagues afterwards? I don't know. I don't know if the prospect of not playing for the Proteas goes away, I'll have that hunger to play in the leagues. Representing my country has always been one of my big and only goals so if that falls away, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. If I'm offered another contract, I'll definitely take it and commit for that time period."
And even if that contract does not take him all the way to 2027, van der Dussen wants to play a part in helping South Africa's ODI side move towards their best ahead of the World Cup. "I would suspect that, from a management point of view, your 2027 World Cup side has to start playing more regularly and start playing together. But there's a lot of leagues happening in the next few months and everyone won't be available all the time, so even if it's in a transitional sort of role, I'll definitely commit to that. Being here is for me the ultimate thing. Leagues are nice, but that's not my be-all and end-all."
He confirmed that while he has not retired from red-ball cricket, in "the last year or two of my career, I can't see myself playing any more red-ball cricket", and that he turned down an offer to do so later this year. "I did have a county offer thrown my way, which I declined."
Instead, he is focusing on upskilling his short format game and seeing how far it takes him. "I've played in a few leagues and done well. Even leagues like T10 have taken my game forward. That's why I'm feeling now that I'm still hungry and I'm still playing well."
They take on England, who are already eliminated, but who van der Dussen believes could still be dangerous opposition. "We were always coming into this match saying that it will possibly be a quarter-final type of situation. Whoever wins that will go through. A little bit changes for them because they can't go through anymore but for us, it's a match against England. We don't need any extra motivation to play England."
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket
Bella James ruled out of Sri Lanka ODIs; Down named replacement
James sustained the injury during Otago's game against Central Districts in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, New Zealand's women's one-day competition. James made her ODI debut against Australia in Wellington last year and scored 51 runs in two games.
Head coach Ben Sawyer was disappointed that she won't be able to build on that "strong start" against Sri Lanka.
"We're all gutted for Bella," Sawyer said. "She had a strong start to her international cricket career in December so it's a shame she doesn't get the opportunity to back that up this series. But we're hopeful she'll be tracking to return for the T20s."
The three-match ODI series will begin on March 4 in Nelson before moving to Napier for the next two games, and will be followed by three T20Is from March 14 to March 18.
"Lauren brings plenty of experience to the group," Sawyer said. "She's been a key contributor for the [Auckland] Hearts this season and we're pleased she'll get the opportunity to take that form into this series."
McSweeney sets sights on ending South Australia's trophy drought
South Australia haven't won the one-day trophy since. But McSweeney hopes to end the state's drought when hosting Victoria at Adelaide Oval on Saturday for the freshly-named Dean Jones Trophy.
"We all know that it has been a long time since we have been able to win something," McSweeney told reporters on Friday. "So it would be special if we could do it. Our preparation this week has been elite so hopefully it translates to some good performances."
SA also hold top position with two rounds remaining in the Sheffield Shield. The state hasn't won the four-day competition since 1995-96.
"We haven't had the success we would have like over the last few years," McSweeney said. "But at the start of the year, this is exactly where we wanted to be, so everyone is super excited.
"And hopefully our best cricket is to come. We have got an obviously very important game tomorrow and hopefully a couple more shield games to finish the year."
In the one-day competition, both SA and Victoria won four games, with McSweeney's side banking three bonus point triumphs to secure hosting rights.
"He has been elite for us," McSweeney said of the 24-year-old. "He is batting beautifully, knows the bowlers really well being from Victoria - hopefully he has got another good knock in him."
The cup competition was this season re-named the Dean Jones Trophy after the batting legend who died in 2020.
The player of the final will be awarded the Michael Bevan medal for the first time. South Australia allrounder Liam Scott was named the tournament's player of the year earlier this week.
South Australia Nathan McSweeney (capt), Jordan Buckingham, Brendan Doggett, Daniel Drew, Mackenzie Harvey, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Nathan McAndrew, Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry Thornton
Victoria Will Sutherland (capt), Scott Boland, Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Ollie Peake, Tom Rogers, Peter Siddle
Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars to kick off PSL 2025 on April 11; final on May 18
The tenth season of the six-team Pakistan Super League (PSL) will begin on April 11 with a fixture between defending champions Islamabad United and two-time champions Lahore Qalandars in Rawalpindi. The matches - 34 in total - will be played across Rawalpindi, Karachi, Multan and Lahore, with the playoffs slotted for Rawalpindi (May 13) and Lahore (May 14 and 16) and the final also in Lahore on May 18.
The refurbished Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore will host the most matches, 13, including two of the playoff fixtures and the final, while Rawalpindi will host 11, including the opener and the first qualifier, and Karachi and Multan will host five matches each. There will be a total of three double-headers: Peshawar Zalmi vs Quetta Gladiators in Rawalpindi and Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans in Karachi on April 12; Sultans vs Kings in Multan and Qalandars vs Gladiators on May 1; Sultans vs Gladiators in Multan and United vs Kings in Rawalpindi on May 10.
"We are thrilled to officially announce the schedule for the historic 10th edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League," PSL chief executive Salman Naseer said in a PC statement. "Over the past decade, the HBL PSL has grown into a globally recognised tournament, showcasing the best of Pakistan's cricketing talent."
This season, there will also be an exhibition match in Peshawar before the start of the tournament - the teams for it have not been announced yet, but it is scheduled for April 8, three days before the start of the tournament proper.
"As part of our commitment to expanding the reach of the HBL PSL, we are delighted to host an exhibition match in Peshawar before the start of the tournament, which is a significant step in bringing top-tier cricket to Peshawar, a city with a deep-rooted love for the game," Naseer said. "We remain dedicated to enhancing the experience for players, fans, and stakeholders, who have witnessed some breathtaking contests in the league over the years."
Starting this year, the PSL will be played in an April-May window, clashing with the IPL. This year, the schedule was changed to accommodate the ongoing Champions Trophy, which is being played in the traditional PSL window, but from next year, because the ILT20 and the SA20 have eaten into the PSL window, it will officially move to later dates.
Though the cities for the two new teams have not been announced yet, there could, potentially, be some changes around, since the ten-year lease ownership agreements the PSL had reached with franchise owners expire in 2025. All six owners have the right of first refusal, meaning ownership of a current franchise only goes up for sale in the event of an owner declining to match the franchise's valuation.
No. 3 ND jolted by Florida St. for 2nd straight loss
SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Ta'Niya Latson scored 23 points, Makayla Timpson scored 22 and No. 24 Florida State handed No. 3 Notre Dame its second straight loss, 86-81 on Thursday night.
It was Florida State's second win over Notre Dame in 15 meetings between the teams and its first in South Bend.
O'Mariah Gordon scored 15 points for the Seminoles (23-6, 13-4 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won four in a row.
Sonia Citron scored 21 points to lead Notre Dame (24-4, 15-2) and Liatu King added 17 points. Hannah Hidalgo scored 16 points but was 4-of-17 shooting.
Notre Dame led by as many as 15 points and lost. That's tied for its largest blown lead since coach Niele Ivey took over in 2020-21, after having blown a 15-point advantage at Syracuse on Jan. 31, 2021, according to ESPN Research.
The Fighting Irish suffered a 104-95 double-overtime loss at NC State on Sunday and are tied with the Wolfpack for the ACC lead. If the Fighting Irish and the Wolfpack share the ACC title, N.C. State will be the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament because of its victory over Notre Dame.
According to ESPN Research, Notre Dame is the only team currently ranked in the AP top 10 that has lost consecutive games -- and it has done it twice this season. This latest skid may cost the Fighting Irish a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
After Florida State pulled out to a 67-57 lead at the end of the third quarter, Notre Dame closed to 67-66 in the opening minutes of the fourth. Florida State then regained a double-digit lead and held off Notre Dame.
Florida State shook off a 4-of-20 shooting performance in the first quarter and surged ahead for a 44-40 halftime lead, outscoring the Fighting Irish 30-17 in the second quarter.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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