The year 2025 began with great hope for the cricket fraternity in Pakistan; and why not?
COVER STORY
The year 2025 began with great hope for the cricket fraternity in Pakistan; and why not? Pakistan was hosting a major cricketing event, the ICC Champions Trophy, for the first time since the 2008 Asia Cup. It was also the first time in nearly three decades that the country would host a major global ICC event; Pakistan co-hosted the 1996 ICC Cricket World Cup with Sri Lanka and India.
The ICC Champions Trophy fiasco
The media outlets in Pakistan were hyping it up, and rightly so, and everyone in the country was excited. But there was a dark cloud hovering over the event: the participation of Pakistan’s neighbour, their arch-rivals, and the eventual winners of the tournament, India.
As usual, India began undermining the plan by stating their reluctance to travel to Pakistan. Hosting the event in a neutral country was also proposed, but Pakistan stood firm, refusing to forgo its right to host. Eventually, it was decided that India would play their matches in the UAE on the condition that, during the T20 World Cup planned for February 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, Pakistan would play their games in Sri Lanka.
The decision to allow India to play their matches in the UAE greatly benefited them and was one of the reasons they performed better, while other teams suffered from fatigue due to excessive travel, ultimately allowing India to take the cup home. There is no denying that the Indian team is among the best in the world, especially in white-ball cricket. Yet the way every other team had to compromise, seemingly to appease the darling of world cricket, turned the entire event into a farce.
If that was not enough to put the fans off, the way the Pakistan cricket team performed made it a tournament few in Pakistan will remember for long. The team’s performance was below par, and an event that everyone in the country had been eagerly anticipating ended early for the host nation. The Pakistan Cricket Board had renovated the stadiums set to host the matches, but all that preparation was for nothing; Pakistan was eliminated early, and the all-important final of the tournament was played in the UAE.
Pakistan and India were in the same group, as always, with New Zealand and Bangladesh as the other two teams. This is yet another blatantly obvious, farcical gimmick by the ICC; Pakistan and India always end up in the same group. Sponsors drive the events, I get it, but grouping in all sports is usually done on the basis of rankings, qualification, or some other logical system that gives weight to performance. But not in cricket, a game that often gives you the vibes of a Bollywood masala movie.
The ICC keeps throwing Pakistan and India in the same group, and it is absurd, with no sporting logic at all. India has had the upper hand over Pakistan for the last eight to ten years, so it does not really affect them. But when Pakistan used to dominate India, the two were conveniently placed in different groups. Not anymore. Pakistan lost their opening two games against New Zealand and India, and their match against Bangladesh was washed out, and that was that.
As mentioned earlier, India stayed in Dubai, played all their games at the same venue, and didn’t have to deal with the hassle of international travel like their opponents. After their last group match in Karachi, South Africa flew to Dubai while waiting to find out whether they would face India in the semifinal. Then, once that was confirmed, they had to fly back to Pakistan for their semifinal in Lahore. It was more of a logistical nightmare than any sort of sporting convenience. It’s hard to believe that this level of absurdity is happening in one of the most popular sports on the planet. India beat New Zealand in the final to lift the trophy. India also won the Asia Cup T20 by beating Pakistan in the final by 5 wickets. Prior to that Pakistan won a tri series against Afghanistan and the UAE in UAE.
The year did not start well for Pakistan, but they finished it on a high by winning limited-overs bilateral series against South Africa and Sri Lanka, as well as the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Pakistan Shaheens also lifted the Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025 trophy under the captaincy of Irfan Khan Niazi, defeating Bangladesh in a nail-biting final. They even thrashed India in a group match. Maaz Sadaqat, among others, was the shining star for the Shaheens; his batting was simply scintillating, and his bowling was not bad either. If he keeps his head down and focuses on honing his skills further, Pakistan surely have a future superstar in their ranks. Pakistan also played bilateral series against New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the West Indies in 2025. The 2025 Pakistan Super League was won by Lahore Qalandars.
The ICC Test Championship final was contested between Australia and Temba Bavuma’s South Africa, who surprisingly came out victorious against the mighty Aussies. In November, Bavuma led his side to a 2-0 whitewash against India in India. South Africa remain unbeaten in Tests under their mercurial captain, who holds the world record as the fastest to reach ten wins in Test history.
The captaincy merry-go-round continued for the Pakistan Cricket Team. Salman Ali Agha was appointed Pakistan’s T20I captain earlier this year, and later in the year Shaheen Afridi took charge of the ODI side. Both white-ball sides had previously been led by Mohammad Rizwan.
The rise of Alcaraz and Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner seem to have taken the baton from legends like Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer; they appear to have what it takes to keep the legacy of these icons alive. They are both dominating men’s tennis and are a treat to watch.
This year, Sinner captured the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while Alcaraz claimed the French Open and the US Open, rising back to the No. 1 spot in men’s tennis. If Sinner is Federer reborn, then Alcaraz is Nadal reincarnated. With the emergence of these two superstars, the future of tennis looks firmly in safe hands.
The top-ranked player in women’s tennis, Aryna Sabalenka, appeared in three of the four Grand Slam finals this year, losing to Madison Keys at the Australian Open and to Coco Gauff at Roland Garros, but capturing the US Open title. Iga Swiatek claimed the Wimbledon crown, defeating Amanda Anisimova in the final. Anisimova also reached the US Open final, finishing as runner-up there as well. Women’s tennis delivered drama at every turn this season, offering a true treat for tennis enthusiasts.
European football season recap: 2024-2025
In Europe’s top five leagues, Liverpool were crowned champions of England for the 20th time in their illustrious history. It was new coach Arne Slot’s first season at the club after taking over from Jürgen Klopp. Liverpool then spent around half a billion quid to strengthen their squad over the summer, but things have not turned out as planned. They are now struggling to defend their crown in the ongoing season, while Arsenal under Mikel Arteta look like the real deal.
The 2024–25 La Liga season was closely contested by Spain’s perennial powerhouses, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona eventually won the league with 88 points, while Real finished on 84. The league’s top scorer was Real Madrid’s electrifying forward Kylian Mbappé, who netted 31 goals.
Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga comfortably, thanks in part to Harry Kane’s 26 league goals. Serie A in 2024–25 was won by Napoli under Antonio Conte, their fourth Serie A title overall and their second in the last three seasons. Their previous titles came when a certain Argentine called Maradona played for the club, so this feels like a real reemergence for Napoli.
In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) clinched the 2024–25 title with six games to spare. With their attractive, attacking brand of football, they not only dominated the domestic league but also overpowered Inter Milan in a comprehensive display to lift this year’s UEFA Champions League. PSG were unplayable last season, winning almost everything they set their sights on, except the Club World Cup in the US, where they were surprisingly defeated by Chelsea in the final.
The UEFA Europa League final was contested between Manchester United and Spurs. The latter, under coach Ange Postecoglou, won the trophy after a tight 1-0 victory, securing qualification for the UEFA Champions League in the process. However, Postecoglou was later sacked due to the club’s dismal showing in the Premier League. Chelsea won the UEFA Conference League, defeating Real Betis 4-1 in the final.
On 8 June 2025, Portugal faced Spain at the Allianz Arena in the UEFA Nations League final. The match ended 2-2, and Portugal eventually won the title by converting all their penalties, while Spain missed two. With this victory, Portugal became the first team to win the Nations League twice. Portugal’s Nuno Mendes was named Player of the Finals.
Mendes had a stellar season, playing a key role in both his country’s triumph and PSG’s domestic and European successes. His club teammate Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 Ballon d’Or, while Mendes finished 10th in the final standings. Versatile and dynamic, Mendes contributed significantly both defensively and offensively, helping his teams achieve their remarkable successes.
2025 World Athletics Championships: Tokyo
The World Athletics Championships were held in Tokyo in the month of September this year. Pakistan’s Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem unfortunately couldn’t replicate his exploits from last year and finished 10th with his best throw reaching 82.75m. Keshorn Walcott’s (Trinidad and Tobago) 88.16m won him the gold.
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States obliterated the field in Women’s 100M and 200M. Her 100M sprint was clocked at 10.61s. In the Men’s 100M Oblique Seville became the first athlete after Usain Bolt (2015) to win the title for Jamaica.
The thrilling Formula One season
This year’s Formula 1 season ended with a thrilling finale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The Drivers’ Championship came down to a three-way battle between Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri. Norris began the race leading the championship by 12 points, but with Verstappen starting from pole position, the title hung in the balance until the very end. Verstappen won the race but ultimately, Lando Norris won the Drivers’ Championship. McLaren secured the Constructors’ Championship comprehensively.
Notable sports stars we lost in 2025
The international sports community was left devastated in July when renowned Portuguese and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother, André Silva, were killed in a fatal car accident near Zamora, Spain. Jota, 28, was in his prime and a key member of both the Portugal national team and Liverpool Football Club. His brother, André Silva, who played for the second-tier Portuguese side Penafiel, was just 25.
In 2025, the world of professional boxing lost one of its icons: the legendary George Foreman. His name evokes nostalgia among boxing fans; his rivalry with Muhammad Ali is the stuff of legends. Their 1974 showdown in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), famously publicised as the Rumble in the Jungle, was a defining moment in Foreman’s career. The fight was ultimately won by Ali.
Foreman was a two-time world heavyweight champion; his second title came in 1994 when he was 45 years old, setting the record as the oldest world heavyweight champion. He died on March 21, 2025, at the age of 76.
2026: the year of the world cups
Next year will feature two major global tournaments: the FIFA World Cup and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, during June and July. The 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup, scheduled from 7 February to 8 March, will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. The Pakistan cricket team, under coach Mike Hesson, is aiming to play more aggressive cricket. With promising spin options and a refreshed bowling line-up, they will hope to strike the right balance and leave a positive mark in the upcoming mega-event for their fans.
