ISLAMABAD: Local player Nadir Mirza set up a ITF World Juniors Tennis Championship final date with Japan’s Takaya Ishi after beating compatriot Abubakar Talha 7-5, 6-1 in the boys’ singles semi-final here at the PTF Tennis Complex on Thursday.

Ishi, in the other semi-final, got the better of Kazakhstan’s Rodion Likashov 6-1, 6-4.

In the girls’ singles semi-finals, Kazakhstan’s Alissa Korolyova overcame compatriot Yelizaveta Slepchenko 6-3, 5-7, 6-2. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Haniya Aman Minhas secured a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win against Turkey’s Serife Pelin Sari to book her spot in the final.

In the boys’ doubles quarter-finals, China’s Yuxuan Li and Haolin Liu defeated the Indonesian-Kazakh pair 6-3, 6-4. Abubakar and Singapore’s Luke Jie Xi Ho advanced with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over another Pakistan-Singapore duo.

In the girls’ doubles quarters, the Kazakh duo of Aruzhan Bayalina and Sofiya Malysheva won their match 6-0, 6-3, while Alissa Korolyova and Yelizaveta Slepchenko triumphed in a close match against Pakistan’s Amna Ali Qayum and Turkey’s Serife Pelin Sari, ending 4-6, 6-3 (10-5).

Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2025

Skipper Fatima Sana led the way as Pakistan women on Thursday went through to the Women’s World Cup after beating Thailand by 87 runs in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers.

Pakistan have booked their spot for the World Cup to be held later this year, courtesy their bowlers who once again stepped up to defend a below-par score of 205.

Earlier in the day, player of the match Fatima played a captain’s knock of 62 not out, supported by Veteran bat Sidra Amin.

The Pakistan skipper, speaking after the match, said, “Our main aim was that we want to play the World Cup — and the way our players were supporting each other, with our self-belief getting stronger after the camp, that really helped us achieve this win.”

She added that the way they practised in Faisalabad for more than a month before the tournament helped them out in the Qualifiers.

Sidra top-scored for Pakistan with 80 as the hosts set Thailand a target of 206 to win in the day-night encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Sidra and Fatima’s 97 partnership was crucial for the Green Team after being in trouble earlier in the innings.

Pakistan’s batting woes continued as the hosts lost regular wickets and could not up their scoring rate in the early half of their innings after opting to bat first. When Fatima joined Sidra at the crease, the score was at a dismal 85-4 in 32 overs.

The Green Team’s batting effort did not get off to the best of starts with the medium pace of Phannita Maya getting the better of Shawaal Zulfiqar, who was playing her first match of the tournament today.

The right-hander was playing in place of newcomer Gull Feroza. She fell while trying to break the shackles after Thailand were brilliant with their bowling discipline in the powerplay, hardly bowling a bad ball upfront.

Next to go was in-form top-order bat Muneeba, getting out in a tame manner to spinner Onnicha Kamchomphu’s off-spin. She got a top-edge while sweeping a straight forward delivery to get dismissed by an easy catch in the circle.

Player of the match for Pakistan in their encounter against Scotland — Aliya Riaz fell to a run out again. Her dismissal was reminiscent of the way she got out in the previous match against the West Indies — getting run out by miles after a mix-up in the middle with Sidra.

Right-handed batter Sidra, however, was again the player who stepped up during a moment of crisis for Pakistan. She scored her third 50 in four innings in this tournament to bring the hosts back into the match.

She scored 80 of 105 deliveries in an innings that held the Pakistani effort together. She scored eight boundaries as she proved her mettle as the veteran batter of the side.

Thailand dropped six catches, including the Pakistani skipper, in their bowling innings, giving the hosts plenty of chances to recover.

Fatima made the most of her luck, scoring an unbeaten 62 of 59 with 5 boundaries and a six and powering Pakistan past the 200 mark in the last over of the innings.

Thailand’s reply got off to a decent start with the visitors at 44-1 at one stage before Fatima got the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Nattaya Boochatham for 16.

However, once that wicket fell, Thailand continued to lose wickets regularly. They were outmatched by Pakistan’s spin trio of Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal and Rameen Shamim who made sure the score was never within reach for the visitors.

Pakistan’s bowling continued to be the saving grace for the Green Team as they made short work of their opponents.

Fatima lead the bowling attack by grabbing 3 wickets along with team mate Rameen and Nashra.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had won the toss and chose to bat against Thailand on a pitch that didn’t seem to be spin as much as the Green Team’s previous encounter against the Windies.

Pakistan were the favourites going into this encounter against Thailand, being the higher-ranked side, with the winning momentum of being unbeaten in their first three matches of the tournament going into this clash.

Thailand came into this match after a high-scoring encounter against Ireland, where they lost by 46 runs after being set a 306-run target by the Irish side.

The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — features a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.

The tournament will decide the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.

Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.

Teams

Pakistan: Shawaal Zulfiqar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.

Thailand: Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Suwanan Khiaoto (wicket-keeper) and Suleeporn Laomi.

Skipper Fatima Sana led the way as Pakistan women on Thursday went through to the Women’s World Cup after beating Thailand by 87 runs in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers.

Pakistan have booked their spot for the World Cup to be held later this year, courtesy their bowlers who once again stepped up to defend a below-par score of 205.

Earlier in the day, player of the match Fatima played a captain’s knock of 62 not out, supported by Veteran bat Sidra Amin.

The Pakistan skipper, speaking after the match, said, “Our main aim was that we want to play the World Cup — and the way our players were supporting each other, with our self-belief getting stronger after the camp, that really helped us achieve this win.”

She added that the way they practised in Faisalabad for more than a month before the tournament helped us out in this tournament.“

Sidra top-scored for Pakistan with 80 as the hosts set Thailand a target of 206 to win in the day-night encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Sidra and Fatima’s 97 partnership was crucial for the Green Team after being in trouble earlier in the innings.

Pakistan’s batting woes continued as the hosts lost regular wickets and could not up their scoring rate in the early half of their innings after opting to bat first. When Fatima joined Sidra at the crease, the score was at a dismal 85-4 in 32 overs.

The Green Team’s batting effort did not get off to the best of starts with the medium pace of Phannita Maya getting the better of Shawaal Zulfiqar, who was playing her first match of the tournament today.

The right-hander was playing in place of newcomer Gull Feroza. She fell while trying to break the shackles after Thailand were brilliant with their bowling discipline in the powerplay, hardly bowling a bad ball upfront.

Next to go was in-form top-order bat Muneeba, getting out in a tame manner to spinner Onnicha Kamchomphu’s off-spin. She got a top-edge while sweeping a straight forward delivery to get dismissed by an easy catch in the circle.

Player of the match for Pakistan in their encounter against Scotland — Aliya Riaz fell to a run out again. Her dismissal was reminiscent of the way she got out in the previous match against the West Indies — getting run out by miles after a mix-up in the middle with Sidra.

Right-handed batter Sidra, however, was again the player who stepped up during a moment of crisis for Pakistan. She scored her third 50 in four innings in this tournament to bring the hosts back into the match.

She scored 80 of 105 deliveries in an innings that held the Pakistani effort together. She scored eight boundaries as she proved her mettle as the veteran batter of the side.

Thailand dropped six catches, including the Pakistani skipper, in their bowling innings, giving the hosts plenty of chances to recover.

Fatima made the most of her luck, scoring an unbeaten 62 of 59 with 5 boundaries and a six and powering Pakistan past the 200 mark in the last over of the innings.

Thailand’s reply got off to a decent start with the visitors at 44-1 at one stage before Fatima got the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Nattaya Boochatham for 16.

However, once that wicket fell, Thailand continued to lose wickets regularly. They were outmatched by Pakistan’s spin trio of Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal and Rameen Shamim who made sure the score was never within reach for the visitors.

Pakistan’s bowling continued to be the saving grace for the Green Team as they made short work of their opponents.

Fatima lead the bowling attack by grabbing 3 wickets along with team mate Rameen and Nashra.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had won the toss and chose to bat against Thailand on a pitch that didn’t seem to be spin as much as the Green Team’s previous encounter against the Windies.

Pakistan were the favourites going into this encounter against Thailand, being the higher-ranked side, with the winning momentum of being unbeaten in their first three matches of the tournament going into this clash.

Thailand came into this match after a high-scoring encounter against Ireland, where they lost by 46 runs after being set a 306-run target by the Irish side.

The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — features a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.

The tournament will decide the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.

Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.

Teams

Pakistan: Shawaal Zulfiqar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.

Thailand: Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Suwanan Khiaoto (wicket-keeper) and Suleeporn Laomi.

Skipper Fatima Sana led the way as Pakistan women on Thursday went through to the Women’s World Cup after beating Thailand by 87 runs in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers.

Pakistan have booked their spot for the World Cup to be held later this year, courtesy their bowlers who once again stepped up to defend a below-par score of 205.

Earlier in the day, player of the match Fatima played a captain’s knock of 62 not out, supported by Veteran bat Sidra Amin.

Sidra top-scored for Pakistan with 80 as the hosts set Thailand a target of 206 to win in the day-night encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Sidra and Fatima’s 97 partnership was crucial for the Green Team after being in trouble earlier in the innings.

Pakistan’s batting woes continued as the hosts lost regular wickets and could not up their scoring rate in the early half of their innings after opting to bat first. When Fatima joined Sidra at the crease, the score was at a dismal 85-4 in 32 overs.

The Green Team’s batting effort did not get off to the best of starts with the medium pace of Phannita Maya getting the better of Shawaal Zulfiqar, who was playing her first match of the tournament today.

The right-hander was playing in place of newcomer Gull Feroza. She fell while trying to break the shackles after Thailand were brilliant with their bowling discipline in the powerplay, hardly bowling a bad ball upfront.

Next to go was in-form top-order bat Muneeba, getting out in a tame manner to spinner Onnicha Kamchomphu’s off-spin. She got a top-edge while sweeping a straight forward delivery to get dismissed by an easy catch in the circle.

Player of the match for Pakistan in their encounter against Scotland — Aliya Riaz fell to a run out again. Her dismissal was reminiscent of the way she got out in the previous match against the West Indies — getting run out by miles after a mix-up in the middle with Sidra.

Right-handed batter Sidra, however, was again the player who stepped up during a moment of crisis for Pakistan. She scored her third 50 in four innings in this tournament to bring the hosts back into the match.

She scored 80 of 105 deliveries in an innings that held the Pakistani effort together. She scored eight boundaries as she proved her mettle as the veteran batter of the side.

Thailand dropped six catches, including the Pakistani skipper, in their bowling innings, giving the hosts plenty of chances to recover.

Fatima made the most of her luck, scoring an unbeaten 62 of 59 with 5 boundaries and a six and powering Pakistan past the 200 mark in the last over of the innings.

Thailand’s reply got off to a decent start with the visitors at 44-1 at one stage before Fatima got the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Nattaya Boochatham for 16.

However, once that wicket fell, Thailand continued to lose wickets regularly. They were outmatched by Pakistan’s spin trio of Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal and Rameen Shamim who made sure the score was never within reach for the visitors.

Pakistan’s bowling continued to be the saving grace for the Green Team as they made short work of their opponents.

Fatima lead the bowling attack by grabbing 3 wickets along with team mate Rameen and Nashra.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had won the toss and chose to bat against Thailand on a pitch that didn’t seem to be spin as much as the Green Team’s previous encounter against the Windies.

Pakistan were the favourites going into this encounter against Thailand, being the higher-ranked side, with the winning momentum of being unbeaten in their first three matches of the tournament going into this clash.

Thailand came into this match after a high-scoring encounter against Ireland, where they lost by 46 runs after being set a 306-run target by the Irish side.

The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — features a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.

The tournament will decide the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.

Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.

Teams

Pakistan: Shawaal Zulfiqar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.

Thailand: Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Suwanan Khiaoto (wicket-keeper) and Suleeporn Laomi.

Skipper Fatima Sana was the headline act as Pakistan women go through to the Women’s World Cup after beating Thailand by 87 runs in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers on Thursday.

Pakistan have booked their spot for the World Cup to be held later this year, courtesy their bowlers who once again stepped up to defend a below-par score of 205.

Earlier in the day, player of the match Fatima played a captain’s knock of 62 not out, ably supported by Veteran bat Sidra Amin.

Sidra top-scored for Pakistan with 80 as the hosts set Thailand a target of 206 to win in the day-night encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Sidra and Fatima’s 97 partnership was crucial for the Green Team after being in trouble earlier in the innings.

Pakistan’s batting woes continued as the hosts lost regular wickets and could not up their scoring rate in the early half of their innings after opting to bat first. When Fatima joined Sidra at the crease, the score was at a dismal 85-4 in 32 overs.

The Green Team’s batting effort did not get off to the best of starts with the medium pace of Phannita Maya getting the better of Shawaal Zulfiqar, who was playing her first match of the tournament today.

The right-hander was playing in place of newcomer Gull Feroza. She fell while trying to break the shackles after Thailand were brilliant with their bowling discipline in the powerplay, hardly bowling a bad ball upfront.

Next to go was in-form top-order bat Muneeba, getting out in a tame manner to spinner Onnicha Kamchomphu’s off-spin. She got a top-edge while sweeping a straight forward delivery to get dismissed by an easy catch in the circle.

Player of the match for Pakistan in their encounter against Scotland — Aliya Riaz fell to a run out again. Her dismissal was reminiscent of the way she got out in the previous match against the West Indies — getting run out by miles after a mix-up in the middle with Sidra.

Right-handed batter Sidra, however, was again the player who stepped up during a moment of crisis for Pakistan. She scored her third 50 in four innings in this tournament to bring the hosts back into the match.

She scored 80 of 105 deliveries in an innings that held the Pakistani effort together. She scored eight boundaries as she proved her mettle as the veteran batter of the side.

Thailand dropped six catches, including the Pakistani skipper, in their bowling innings, giving the hosts plenty of chances to recover.

Fatima made the most of her luck, scoring an unbeaten 62 of 59 with 5 boundaries and a six and powering Pakistan past the 200 mark in the last over of the innings.

Thailand’s reply got off to a decent start with the visitors at 44-1 at one stage before Fatima got the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Nattaya Boochatham for 16.

However, once that wicket fell, Thailand continued to lose wickets regularly. They were outmatched by Pakistan’s spin trio of Nashra Sandhu, Sadia Iqbal and Rameen Shamim who made sure the score was never within reach for the visitors.

Pakistan’s bowling continued to be the saving grace for the Green Team as they made short work of their opponents.

Fatima lead the bowling attack by grabbing 3 wickets along with team mate Rameen and Nashra.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had won the toss and chose to bat against Thailand on a pitch that didn’t seem to be spin as much as the Green Team’s previous encounter against the Windies.

Pakistan were the favourites going into this encounter against Thailand, being the higher-ranked side, with the winning momentum of being unbeaten in their first three matches of the tournament going into this clash.

Thailand came into this match after a high-scoring encounter against Ireland, where they lost by 46 runs after being set a 306-run target by the Irish side.

The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — features a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.

The tournament will decide the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.

Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.

Teams

Pakistan: Shawaal Zulfiqar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.

Thailand: Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Suwanan Khiaoto (wicket-keeper) and Suleeporn Laomi.

Sidra Amin top-scored for Pakistan women again as the hosts set Thailand a fighting target of 206 in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers on Thursday.

In the day-night encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, a World Cup spot is up for grabs for the hosts if they get over the line in this all-important match. Sidra and skipper Fatima Sana’s partnership was crucial for the Green Team after being in trouble earlier in the innings.

Pakistan’s batting woes continued as the hosts lost regular wickets and could not up their scoring rate in the early half of their innings after opting to bat first. When Fatima joined Sidra at the crease, the score was at a dismal 85-4 in 32 overs.

The Green Team’s batting effort did not get off to the best of starts with the medium pace of Phannita Maya getting the better of Shawaal Zulfiqar, who was playing her first match of the tournament today.

The right-hander was playing in place of newcomer Gull Feroza. She fell while trying to break the shackles after Thailand were brilliant with their bowling discipline in the powerplay, hardly bowling a bad ball upfront.

Next to go was in-form top-order bat Muneeba, getting out in a tame manner to spinner Onnicha Kamchomphu’s off-spin. She got a top-edge while sweeping a straight forward delivery to get dismissed by an easy catch in the circle.

Player of the match for Pakistan in their encounter against Scotland — Aliya Riaz fell to a run out again. Her dismissal was reminiscent of the way she got out in the previous match against the West Indies — getting run out by miles after a mix-up in the middle with Sidra.

Veteran bat Sidra, however, was again the player who stepped up during a moment of crisis for Pakistan. She scored her third 50 in four innings in this tournament to bring the hosts back into the match.

She scored 80 of 105 deliveries in an innings that held the Pakistani effort together. She scored eight boundaries as she proved her mettle as the veteran batter of the side.

Thailand dropped six catches, including the Pakistani skipper, in their bowling innings, giving the hosts plenty of chances to recover.

Skipper Fatima made the most of her luck, scoring an unbeaten 62 of 59 with 5 boundaries and a six and powering Pakistan past the 200 mark in the last over of the innings.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had won the toss and chose to bat against Thailand on a pitch that didn’t seem to be spin as much as the Green Team’s previous encounter against the Windies.

The Green Team are looking to continue their winning streak in the tournament after the hosts spun their way to victory against the West Indies by 65 runs on Monday.

Pakistan went top of the table again after the win and continued their dream run in a bid to qualify for the World Cup scheduled for later this year in India. They won on the back of performances by Player of the match Sidra Amin and the bowlers in the clash against the Windies.

Pakistan were the favourites going into this encounter against Thailand, being the higher-ranked side, with the winning momentum of being unbeaten in their first three matches of the tournament going into this clash.

Thailand came into this match after a high-scoring encounter against Ireland, where they lost by 46 runs after being set a 306-run target by the Irish side.

The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — features a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.

The tournament will decide the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.

Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.

Teams

Pakistan: Shawaal Zulfiqar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.

Thailand: Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Suwanan Khiaoto (wicket-keeper) and Suleeporn Laomi.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk on Thursday committed his future to the Premier League club, signing a new two-year contract.

The Dutch defender follows Mohamed Salah in ending months of speculation by extending his stay at Anfield, with fans preparing to celebrate winning the English Premier League title.

“I’m very happy, very proud,” said Van Dijk who, like Salah, would have been out of contract at the end of the season.

“There are so many emotions obviously that go through my head right now speaking about it.

“It’s a proud feeling, it’s a feeling of joy. It’s just incredible. The journey I’ve had so far in my career, to be able to extend it with another two years at this club is amazing and I’m so happy.”

Van Dijk, who has made 314 appearances for Liverpool, said last month that he had “no idea” if he would remain at Anfield but on Sunday hinted that he was set to carry on.

The imposing centre-back, 33, had been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain but said his heart had been set on staying at Liverpool.

“It was always Liverpool,” he said. “That was the case. It was always in my head, it was always the plan and it was always Liverpool.

“There wasn’t any doubt in my head that this is the place to be for me and my family. I’m one of Liverpool. Someone called me the other day an adopted Scouser — I’m really proud to hear these things, it gives me a great feeling.”

Van Dijk, who arrived from Southampton in January 2018, has been instrumental in Liverpool’s rise back to the top of the English and European game.

He won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup under former manager Jurgen Klopp.

With new deals confirmed for Salah and Van Dijk, the future of England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold remains unresolved.

Alexander-Arnold, who returned to Liverpool training on Wednesday after a month out because of injury, is out of contract at the end of the season and has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Liverpool, in Arne Slot’s first season in charge, are on the brink of winning a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title.

The Reds are 13 points clear of Arsenal with just six games remaining and could wrap up the title this weekend if the Gunners lose.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat against Thailand on Thursday in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers, as the hosts look to grab a spot in this year’s World Cup.

In the day-night encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan will be looking to continue their winning streak in the tournament after the hosts spun their way to victory against the West Indies by 65 runs on Monday.

Pakistan went top of the table again after the win and continued their dream run in a bid to qualify for the World Cup scheduled for later this year in India. They won on the back of performances by Player of the match Sidra Amin and the bowlers in the clash against the Windies.

Pakistan are favorites to win this encounter against Thailand, being the higher ranked side, with the winning momentum of being unbeaten in their first three matches of the tournament going into this clash.

Thailand are coming into this match after a high-scoring encounter against Ireland, where they lost by 46 runs after being set a 306-run target by the Irish side.

The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — features a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.

The tournament will decide the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.

Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.

Teams

Pakistan: Shawaal Zulfiqar, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.

Thailand: Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Suwanan Khiaoto (wicket-keeper) and Suleeporn Laomi.

Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat against Thailand on Thursday in their fourth One-Day International (ODI) encounter of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Qualifiers, as the hosts look to grab a spot in this year’s World Cup.

In the day-night encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan will be looking to continue their winning streak in the tournament after the hosts spun their way to victory against the West Indies by 65 runs on Monday.

Pakistan went top of the table again after the win and continued their dream run in a bid to qualify for the World Cup scheduled for later this year in India. They won on the back of performances by Player of the match Sidra Amin and the bowlers in the clash against the Windies.

Pakistan are favorites to win this encounter against Thailand, being the higher ranked side, with the winning momentum of being unbeaten in their first three matches of the tournament going into this clash.

Thailand are coming into this match after a high-scoring encounter against Ireland, where they lost by 46 runs after being set a 306-run target by the Irish side.

The six-team ICC event — which includes Bangladesh, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and West Indies alongside hosts Pakistan — features a single-league round-robin format with the matches taking place at the Gaddafi Stadium and LCCA ground in Lahore.

The tournament will decide the two qualifiers for the 2025 Women’s World Cup to be held later this year in India.

Pakistan, however, will be playing their matches at a neutral venue after a “fusion” model was decided upon following India’s refusal to play its matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year.

Teams

Pakistan: Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Sidra Amin, Aliya Riaz, Natalia Pervaiz, Sidra Nawaz (wicket-keeper), Fatima Sana (captain), Rameen Shamim, Diana Baig, Sadia Iqbal and Nashra Sandhu.

Thailand: Nattaya Boochatham, Chanida Sutthiruang, Nannapat Koncharoenkai, Natthakan Chantham, Naruemol Chaiwai (captain), Phannita Maya, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Sunida Chaturongrattana, Suwanan Khiaoto (wicket-keeper) and Suleeporn Laomi.