No country, including India, raised any concerns about the proposed schedule for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan during the ICC Board meeting in Dubai last month, held alongside the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Minutes from the board meeting indicate that the schedule, also approved by ICC broadcasters, was shared with all participating teams, and no objections were raised, highly placed sources confirmed.

“A match schedule has been developed in conjunction with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The 15 matches are to be hosted across three venues in Pakistan: Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi.

“The match schedule has been approved by ICC’s main broadcast partner, Star, and each participating team has received a copy of their schedule for the event. No member has raised any concerns with the schedule as circulated,” it stated.

A source in Islamabad with knowledge of the matter suggested that recent developments, including India’s verbal communication to the cricket’s regulatory body about its inability to travel to Pakistan, may point to “mala fide intentions” aimed at creating disruption ahead of the Champions Trophy.

“There was no discussion of such concerns during the ICC Board meeting, the appropriate forum to address such matters. Yet, just as Pakistan was set to host an event marking 100 days to the tournament, the BCCI informed the ICC of its position verbally,” the source said.

The source further confirmed that a high-profile event was planned for November 11 to unveil the match schedule, event identity, and trophy tour.

During the October board meeting, the PCB had also provided updates on the progress of development work at the three venues.

The source added that the ICC had also green-signalled the PCB to host an international testing event at all three venues before the Champions Trophy which the PCB was planning to hold in January.

Before the October meeting, the PCB and ICC had jointly briefed security managers from all participating teams on the tournament’s master security plan. No objections were raised at any stage, the source added.

The PCB, meanwhile, is awaiting a response from the ICC to a questionnaire sent two days back following India’s verbal communication to the ICC about its inability to travel to Pakistan.

“The delay in ICC’s reply suggests there is no written communication from the BCCI. If such a document existed, it would have been shared with the PCB by now. It has been two days since PCB wrote to the ICC,” the source noted.

“Pakistan was announced as the host of the Champions Trophy long ago, and the host agreement was signed in December 2023. Why didn’t the BCCI consult its government about travelling to Pakistan when the event was announced? Why wait until the last minute?” the source questioned.

With less than 100 days to go before the ICC Champions Trophy, the uncertainty surrounding the schedule is not only frustrating cricket fans globally but also affecting stakeholders with commercial interests tied to the tournament.

“A lot of branding and brand activation activities are currently on hold due to this uncertainty,” another source said.

The final schedule, though already shared with participating teams and broadcasters, for the Champions Trophy 2025 is yet to be announced, officially.

• Pakistan could only scored 64 in pursuit of 94-run target.
• Men in Green lost six batters on single-digit scores.
• Australia’s Bartlett and Ellis claim three wickets each.

---

BRISBANE: In a rain-hit T20I series opener, a dominant Australia secured victory by 29 runs after the bowlers sparked a Pakistan batting collapse in the rain-hit first T20I of the three-match series against Pakistan at The Gabba on Thursday.

The Men in Green only managed to score 64/9 in pursuit of a daunting 94-run target in seven overs.

The visitors had a decent start as they amassed 12 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first over.

Pakistan then ran into a disastrous middle-order collapse, including the the dismissals of key batters Babar Azam (3) and captain Mohammad Rizwan (0), and were consequently reduced to 20/5 in three overs.

Xavier Bartlett, who picked up two wickets in his first over, dismissed Salman Ali Agha (4) to keep Pakistan under pressure. The right-arm pacer recorded brilliant bowling figures of 13/3 in his quota of two overs.

Coming out to bat at No.8 with the visitors reeling at 24/6 in 3.2 overs, Abbas Afridi offered a notable fightback against the momentum-filled Australian bowling attack with an unbeaten 20-run cameo.

His efforts, however, were not enough to steer his side over the line as Pakistan succumbed to a 29-run defeat in the series opener.

Nathan Ellis led the bowling charge for Australia with astounding figures of 3/9 in two overs, while Adam Zampa bagged two wickets.

Earlier, Glenn Maxwell’s blitzing powered Australia to a formidable total of 93 in first T20I.

In a match that was reduced to seven overs per side, Pakistan’s captain Rizwan won the toss and put Australia into bat.

The hosts came out all guns blazing with openers Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matthew Short scoring 16 runs off the first over, bowled by ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Naseem Shah drew first success for Pakistan by dismissing Fraser-McGurk, nine off five, on the first delivery of his spell.

But Maxwell, promoted to bat at No.3, dominated the proceedings despite Short’s departure in the third over.

The hard-hitting batter eventually fell victim to Mohammad Abbas in the penultimate over, which also saw the ouster of Tim David (9) as Australia slipped to 73/4 in six overs.

Maxwell remained the top-scorer for Australia with a 19-ball 43, laced with five fours and three sixes.

Marcus Stoinis then smashed Naseem for 20 runs in the final over and bolstered Australia’s total to 93/4 in the allotted seven overs.

The right-handed batter remained unbeaten with a seven-ball 21, which featured two fours and a six.

For Pakistan, Abbas bagged two wickets, while Shaheen and Naseem shared two between them.

Days earlier, the Men in Green celebrated a significant triumph after defeating the Kangaroos in the third and final ODI, clinching the three-match series 2-1.

With this win, the Green Shirts marked their first ODI series win on Australian soil in 22 years, with the previous 50-over series victory dating back to 2002.

Additionally, it is worth noting that Pakistan are playing their first match since their dismal ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign, which saw them crashing out from the group stage of the tournament for the first time due to their gut-wrenching defeats against the United States and arch-rivals India.

Australia, on the other hand, are fresh from a 3-0 routing of Scotland and a 1-1 stalemate against fierce rivals England.

Playing XI

Pakistan: Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan (c/wk), Sahibzada Farhan, Usman Khan, Salman Agha, Irfan Khan, Abbas Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haseebullah Khan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

Australia: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short, Josh Inglis (c/wk), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Aaron Hardie, Xavier Bartlett, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Spencer Johnson

Donald Trump’s second term will be a historic four years for sports. 

The entire world will turn its eyes to the U.S. as it hosts a World Cup and a Summer Olympics in a single presidential term. 

And for sports in America, Trump’s controversial standing among many of the country’s biggest stars and figures could burn even hotter than it did four years ago.

Here’s a look at all the sports history that will come under a political and global microscope with Trump in the White House over the next four years.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The first college football national champion White House visit of the expanded playoff era

The 2024 college football season is the first in history with a 12-team playoff, and the first with a massive realignment in the sport’s most prominent conferences after a mass exodus of programs from the Pac-12. 

The first official championship will technically take place just days before Trump is inaugurated in January, but the champions’ White House visit will be one of the first of Trump’s second term.

Trump should expect respect from the sport’s coaches and stars. During Trump’s first term, and even during his recent campaign, college football has been the sport to embrace Trump the most unanimously in the U.S. His appearances at games, including multiple Army-Navy games in his first term and a Georgia-Alabama game in September, were met with rousing applause.

No college football national champion skipped a White House visit during Trump’s first term. Meanwhile, Georgia skipped a visit to President Biden’s White House in 2023.

And no notable college football coach has spoken out against Trump publicly, while many have spoken positively about the next president.

With 12 teams now in the college football playoff, it’s possible that in the next three years Trump’s White House could host the lowest-ranked team to ever win the national title, a potential American underdog story. 

Four WNBA seasons at the dawn of the Caitlin Clark era

Trump infamously declined to invite several major women’s basketball championship teams to the White House during his first term, including every WNBA champion.

Among those were the 2017 women’s college basketball champion South Carolina Gamecocks, the 2017 WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx and the 2018 women’s college basketball champion Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 2018 WNBA champion Seattle Storm were not invited but made it clear they would not have attended the ceremony if they had.

The one time Trump’s White House ever hosted a women’s basketball team was the 2019 national champion Baylor Bears.

The reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty would be scheduled to visit Trump’s White House in May. However, it is possible they will not be invited or might not even attend if they are invited. Liberty star Breanna Stewart has been an activist for left-wing values and joined the protests against Trump’s travel ban in January 2017, shortly after he took office the first time. 

Meanwhile, 22-year-old superstar Caitlin Clark has brought a significant new spotlight to the sport since Trump was last in office, and Trump himself has complimented Clark and suggested she is underpaid during an interview on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. 

“She’s incredible, by the way,” Trump then said of Clark. “I’ve watched her. I think she’s incredible. The shot – I watch her shot go in, it’s like, could she shoot that way in the NBA? She’s unbelievable.”

It’s possible that Clark will lead the Indiana Fever to an WNBA title in the next three years, considering the rookie star led the team back to the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. If that happens, then whether Clark and her teammates attend a Trump White House visit will be a cornerstone moment in the history of the WNBA and the future of its audience.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup

Trump will present the 2026 World Cup trophy after the final at MetLife Stadium in 2026. It was Trump’s first administration that made the bid to host the 2026 World Cup, and now he will preside over it when it happens. 

However, that deal was initially agreed upon with the understanding that Trump wouldn’t be president when the event took place amid concerns over the controversy he stirred in the global community. In a meeting with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House in August 2018, Trump didn’t factor in the possibility of losing the 2020 election, which opened the door for him to run again four years later and thus return to office in time for the 2026 World Cup.

“2026, I won’t be here,” Trump said at the time, per the Associated Press.

Infantino nevertheless used his Instagram account to congratulate Trump even before his election victory early on Nov. 6. Infantino also recently moved to Miami, 70 miles south of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. FIFA even seems to have an open line of communication with Trump to talk through potential challenges, such as Iran’s probable qualification for the men’s World Cup and the political implications it may bring.

Whether the players on the field are as receptive to Trump in two years is a different question. But Trump may be spared an awkward trophy interaction with one of soccer’s biggest stars, based on past interactions, if one of the sport’s powerhouse countries prevails.

France superstar Kylian Mbappé, who led his country to the final for the second straight time in 2022 before losing to Lionel Messi and Argentina, once posed with Trump’s daughter and son-in-law; Mbappé posed for a photo with Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and the French star even put his arms around Trump’s grandchildren in the photo. 

However, Mbappé also went out of his way to speak out against his country’s right-wing presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, in France’s election this year. Mbappé criticized Le Pen for her anti-immigration stances. 

Mbappé may well be the biggest star in all of soccer in 2026 at his current pace.

Four Super Bowls that could involve Taylor Swift’s boyfriend after Trump said he hates her

The Kansas City Chiefs could be in the last leg of their quest for a third straight Super Bowl when Trump is inaugurated in January. The Chiefs are currently undefeated and have the best odds in the league to make the big game.

If they pull it off, it would also earn the team its first Trump White House visit. They couldn’t make it during the summer of 2020 thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their last two championships have resulted in trips to Biden’s White House, where all notable players except for kicker Harrison Butker attended.

But tight end Travis Kelce would have his own dilemma if his team gets the job done and gets invited to Trump’s White House. Kelce’s girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift, endorsed Trump’s Democrat opponent, Vice President Harris, in the recent election, and she has endorsed Democrats since 2018. But Swift’s endorsement of Harris prompted a hostile response from Trump himself when he wrote, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT” on his Truth Social platform in September.

Kelce has not spoken about politics or the election at all in this year’s cycle. He was previously criticized by Aaron Rodgers for endorsing a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile, family members of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes showed support for Trump in the recent election cycle. Mahomes’ mother officially endorsed Trump, and his wife, Brittany, liked multiple posts and comments on social media in support of Trump.

The Chiefs are the active dynasty of the NFL, and that could easily continue into Trump’s presidency, along with awkward White House invitations.

The only two NFL teams to get invitations to Trump’s White House during his first term were the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The Patriots accepted both invitations in 2017 and 2019. The Eagles’ visit was canceled, and the team released a statement saying it was in relation to Trump’s stance on players standing for the national anthem.

The Eagles are another team that could be in regular contention to win the Super Bowl throughout the rest of Trump’s second term, and if they do, a second White House invitation could incite a national controversy as it did the first time.

The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

Like the 2026 World Cup, Trump had an active hand in America’s bidding to host the 2028 Olympics. And now he is set to preside over it in the final year of his second term.

However, cooperation with Trump has not been publicly embraced the same way with the International Olympic Committee as it has with FIFA.

IOC President Thomas Bach made one visit to the White House in June 2017 that is part of Olympic lore for how badly it went.

“Pray for our world,” Bach was heard to say on a cellphone call later that day in Washington, D.C.

The IOC has not yet acknowledged Trump’s presidential victory. Asked why there was no formal acknowledgment of Trump’s win last week, the IOC cited its tradition of neutrality and not taking political sides, according to the AP.

TRANS GOLFER DISCUSSES DECISION TO STOP COMPETING AGAINST BIOLOGICAL FEMALES: ‘I’M NOT A WOMAN’

Potential conflict between Trump and the IOC could arise over the issue of gender eligibility for athletes in women’s sports. Trump has pledged to ban trans athletes in women’s sports as part of his presidency, and he spoke out against the inclusion of boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting. Both of those boxers failed gender eligibility tests for previous international competitions.

However, the IOC has defended the inclusion of the boxers. More cases could arise by 2028; the United Nations says nearly 900 biological females have fallen short of the podium because they were beaten out by trans athletes.

The NBA at the twilight of LeBron James and Steph Curry’s careers

Not a single NBA champion attended a Trump White House visit during his first term.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

LeBron James and Stephen Curry, the two players who dominated those four years, have lambasted Trump on multiple occasions while endorsing Democrat candidates. They both endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, Biden in 2020 and Harris in 2024.

But both players are now coming to the end of their careers, and whether they will even have the opportunity to decline a Trump White House visit is no guarantee.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The committee has released its second crack at the top 25, and it’s (almost) all Big Ten at the top.

That might seem a bit strange to the conference that boasts the most playoff-caliber teams and the most nonconference wins against other Power 4 leagues, and also has Paul Finebaum there to remind everyone just how angry they should be at this affront to good judgment.

With that, we’ll handle much of Finebaum’s homework for him. Here’s this week’s Anger Index.

1. The SEC

Eleven weeks into the 2024 season, and one thing seems abundantly clear: The SEC is the best conference in college football. Take a look at Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings, for example, where nine of the top 17 teams are from the SEC. Or use ESPN’s FPI metric, where the SEC has spots 1, 2, 4, 5 and 9. Consider that the team currently ninth in the SEC standings, South Carolina, has three wins over SP+ top-40 teams and losses to the committee’s No. 10 and 22 teams by a combined total of five points.

Yes, the SEC’s dominance and depth seem obvious.

So, of course, four of the top five teams in the committee’s rankings this week are from the SEC.

Wait, no, sorry about that. We’re getting late word here that, in fact, it’s the Big Ten with teams No. 1, 2, 4 and 5 in this week’s rankings.

It’s not that those four Big Ten teams aren’t any good. Oregon (No. 1) has chewed up and spit out nearly all comers this season. Ohio State (No. 2) is the best squad the gross domestic product of Estonia can buy. Penn State (No. 4), well, the Nittany Lions still haven’t beaten Ohio State, but we assume the rest of the résumé is OK. Indiana (No. 5) is blowing the doors off people.

But that’s it. The rest of the Big Ten is a mess. You need a magnifying glass to find Michigan‘s QB production. Iowa finally learned how to score and somehow has gotten worse. Minnesota looked like the next-best team in the conference, and the Gophers have losses to North Carolina and Rutgers.

A lack of depth does not inherently mean the teams at the top are not elite. Indeed, the other teams in any conference remain independent variables when addressing the ceiling for any one team. If the Kansas City Chiefs joined the Sun Belt, Patrick Mahomes would still be a magician and Andy Reid would still be saying “Bundle-a-rooskie-doo” in your nightmares.

But the cold, hard facts are these: Indiana’s best win came last week against Michigan (No. 40 in SP+) by 3. Penn State’s best win (by SP+) came by 3 against a below-.500 USC team that just benched its QB. Ohio State is absolutely elite on paper, but on the field, the Buckeyes’ success is entirely buoyed by a 20-13 win at Penn State, a team we also know very little about.

The SEC gets flack for boasting of its greatness routinely, and to be sure, that narrative has often bolstered less-than-elite teams. But this year, every reasonable metric suggests the SEC’s production actually matches its ego, and when Ole Miss (No. 11), Georgia (No. 12), Alabama (No. 10) and Texas A&M (No. 15) — all with two losses — are dogged as a result of playing in a league where every other team warrants a spot in the top 25, it undermines the entire point of having a committee that can use its judgment rather than simply look at the standings.

---

Let’s compare two teams with blind résumés.

Team A: 8-1 record, No. 14 in ESPN’s strength of record. Best win came vs. SP+ No. 20, loss came to a top-10 team by 3. Has four wins vs. Power 4 teams with a winning record, by an average of 14 points.

Team B: 8-1 record, No. 11 in ESPN’s strength of record. Best win came vs. SP+ No. 28, loss came to a top-15 team by 15. Has one win vs. a Power 4 team with a winning record, by 3.

So, which team has the better résumé?

This shouldn’t take too long to figure out. Team A looks better by almost every metric, right?

Well, Team A is SMU, who checks in at No. 14 in this week’s ranking.

Team B, though? That’d be the Mustangs’ old friends from the Southwest Conference, the Texas Longhorns. Texas checks in at No. 3.

Perhaps you’ve watched enough of both Texas and SMU to think the eye test favors the Longhorns. That’s fair. But should the eye test account for 11 spots in the rankings? At some point, the results have to matter more.

Or, perhaps it’s the brand that matters to the committee. If that same résumé belonged to a school that hadn’t just bought its way into the Power 4 this year, it’s hard to imagine they wouldn’t be in the top 10 with ease.

---

Let’s dig into three different teams still hoping for a playoff bid, even if the odds are against them at this point.

Team A: 7-2, 1 win over SP+ top 40. No. 28 in ESPN’s strength of record. Losses by a combined 18 points.

Team B: 7-2, 1 win over SP+ top 40. No. 25 in ESPN’s strength of record. Losses by a combined 10 points.

Team C: 7-2, no wins over SP+ top 40. No. 24 in ESPN’s strength of record. Losses by a combined 21 points.

You could split hairs here, but the bottom line is none has a particularly compelling résumé, and they’re all pretty similar.

So, who are they?

Team B is Iowa State, which plummeted from the rankings after losing two straight. But the committee isn’t supposed to care when you lost your games. Losing in September is not better than losing in November. At least that’s what they say.

Team A is Arizona State. Its 10-point loss to Cincinnati came without starting QB Sam Leavitt and was due, at least in part, to a kicking game so traumatic head coach Kenny Dillingham held an open tryout afterward. The Sun Devils and Cyclones are two of three two-loss Power 4 teams unranked this week (alongside Pitt), but unlike Iowa State and Pitt, Arizona State isn’t coming off back-to-back losses. The Sun Devils’ absence seems entirely correlated to the fact that no one believed this team would be any good entering the season, and so few people have looked closely enough to change their minds that the committee feels comfortable ignoring them.

The team the committee can’t ignore, however, is Team C. That would be Colorado. Coach Prime has convinced the world the Buffaloes are for real, even if nothing on their résumé — a No. 77 strength of schedule, worse than 7-2 Western Kentucky‘s — suggests that’s anything close to a certainty.

The Big 12 remains wide open, but it’s to the committee’s detriment that it has so eagerly dismissed two of the better teams just because they’re not as fun to talk about.

---

Has Missouri played with fire this year? You betcha. Just last week, the Tigers were on the verge of falling to Oklahoma before the Sooners’ woeful QB situation reared its ugly head again and the game ended in a 30-23 Tigers win.

But here’s the thing about playing with fire: So long as you don’t turn your living room into an inferno, it’s actually pretty impressive.

Missouri is 7-2 with wins against SP+ Nos. 26 and 28, and its only losses are to the committee’s No. 10 and No. 15 teams. SP+ has Missouri at No. 17, though we can chalk that up to Connelly’s hometown bias. But No. 23? After a top-10 season in 2023, don’t the Tigers deserve a little benefit of the doubt? They currently trail three three-loss teams (Louisville, South Carolina and LSU) and are behind Boise State, Colorado, Washington State and Clemson, who, combined, have exactly one win over SP+ top-40 teams.

There’s a good chance that, should Brady Cook not return to the lineup, Missouri will get waxed at South Carolina on Saturday, and then the argument is moot. But the committee isn’t supposed to look ahead and take guesses at what it believes might happen (Florida State’s snub last year notwithstanding). It’s supposed to judge based on what’s on the books so far, and putting Missouri this far down the rankings seems more than a tad harsh.

---

The committee threw a nice bone to the non-Power 4 schools this week, with four teams ranked, including No. 25 Tulane Green Wave. That seems deserved, given Tulane’s recent run. But what is it, exactly, that puts the Green Wave ahead of UNLV?

UNLV has the No. 31 strength of record. Tulane is No. 32.

UNLV has the No. 98 strength of schedule played. Tulane is No. 96.

Tulane has a one-possession loss to a top-20 team. UNLV has a one-possession loss to a top-20 team.

The key difference between the two is UNLV has wins against two Power 4 opponents — Houston and Kansas. Houston, by the way, just knocked off Kansas State, a team that beat Tulane.

So perhaps the committee should spread a bit more love outside the Power 4.

Also Angry: Pittsburgh Panthers (7-2, unranked), Duke Blue Devils (7-3, unranked), Georgia Bulldogs (7-2, No. 12), Utah Utes AD Mark Harlan (the Utes would be ranked if Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark hadn’t rigged the system!) and UConn Huskies (7-3, unranked and thus prohibiting us from Jim Mora Jr. giving a “You wanna talk about playoffs?!?” rant).

Germany players should stand for values as role models in society but are no political experts, new captain Joshua Kimmich said on Wednesday ahead of next month’s vote for Saudi Arabia to host the 2034 World Cup.

Asked about politics in sport with Saudi Arabia’s bid set to be picked for the World Cup amid human rights concerns, Kimmich said there was a limit to the scope of players’ influence.

“In general us players should stand for specific values, especially as the captain of the national team. But it is not our job to express ourselves politically all the time,” Kimmich told a news conference.

Kimmich was speaking ahead of Group A3 leaders Germany’s Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Saturday and Hungary three days later.

Kimmich, who took over the captaincy after this year’s European Championship, said Germany had not benefited from their political stance during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

“Look at the issue of Qatar. We did not present an overall good picture as a team and country. We expressed political opinions and it took a bit away from the joy of the tournament. It was an outstanding World Cup in terms of organisation,” he said.

Germany players placed their hands over their mouths during a team photo ahead of their group game against Japan at that World Cup following a row over world soccer body FIFA’s threat of sanctions over a “OneLove” armband.

FIFA had threatened seven European teams with sanctions if they wore the armband symbolising diversity and tolerance but only Germany publicly opposed that decision with that move. Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar.

“Western countries represent views which we think are universal and should be true everywhere. We as a country are feeling that we also have problems, our own building sites,” Kimmich said. “So it is maybe good to focus on that.”

“In the past we did not do everything right, you want to stand for values that are non-negotiable but we have people who should deal with politics and they are the experts. I am no political expert.”

Saudi Arabia is the only candidate for the 2034 World Cup ahead of the FIFA Congress vote next month. Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have opposed this over the country’s human rights record.

“I would wish that those lads who will take part in the tournament in 10 year time can focus on the competition. After all it is our duty to do our best when nominated because we are measured on results,” Kimmich said.

Saudi Arabia denies accusations of human rights abuses and says it protects its national security through its laws.

Former Duke star Kyle Singler’s cryptic Instagram post saying he fears for his life has drawn an outpouring of concern and support from former teammates and others.

Singler, 36, spoke slowly and was shirtless in the short video, which was posted Tuesday morning.

“I have been mistreated and abused, neglected, made into a mental example,” Singler said. “And I fear for my life every day. And people in my community make me look out as if I’m going to be someone that’s going to be a problem and make things difficult for people when I’m only trying to be helpful.

“I feel like I have a certain way about myself and strength and purpose that does not get valued or get treated properly.”

The video cut off abruptly after about 90 seconds. It was shared more than 1,200 times in the 12 hours after it was posted.

Several NBA players responded.

Kevin Love of the Miami Heat wrote, “I love you Kyle. Hit me whenever. Please.”

Veteran guard Isaiah Thomas said: “Here for you bro! Always and forever.”

Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond added, “You aren’t alone brother! I’m here for you.”

Many of those who responded included Duke men’s basketball and the NBA in their comments, hoping to get their attention.

The National Basketball Players Association said Wednesday it has connected with Singler’s family.

“We are in contact with Kyle’s family,” Sarah Houseknecht, a spokeswoman for the NBPA, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “As with all current and former members of the NBPA, we offer any and all support to players, whether through their biggest successes or times of challenge.”

Singler was on Duke’s 2010 national championship team and was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament.

He posted another video Tuesday afternoon. He repeated grievances from the first post but seemed more stable.

Singler was the 33rd pick in the 2011 draft and started his career overseas before playing in the NBA. He played three seasons for the Detroit Pistons, who drafted him, and was on the All-Rookie second team in 2013. He played parts of four seasons for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

 KARACHI: The International Cricket Council has revealed a new visual identity for the upcoming men’s and women’s Champions Trophy events, marking the return of the prestigious tournament after a six-year gap.

The new identity, showcased in a launch video, includes a new unconventional typographic logo and design elements, which, according to the ICC, is inspired by cricket’s unique language and culture.

The video also highlights the logo of ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan.

“The newly created visual identity is a digital-first vibrant expression, deliberately challenging the status quo, with an unconventional typographic logo which sets the tone for the look – bold and loud, confident and fun,” said an ICC statement.

“It has been designed to be agile, distinctive, and expressive, it’s inspired by the language of cricket; from the unique and integral words that describe the game, to the shouts when a wicket falls, to the name of each superstar that appears on the back of their kit. Both the verbal and written words are an integral part of the sport and that is celebrated through the brand,” the statement added.

It also features Pakistan’s iconic truck art, highlighting the country’s cultural heritage as it prepares to host the men’s event in 2025.

The men’s ICC Champions Trophy will take place in Pakistan next year, the first edition since 2017. The women’s Champions Trophy, in a T20 format, will debut in 2026, hosted by Sri Lanka.

The development came when the apex cricketing body is in a ‘catch-22’ situation after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sought explanations over the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) refusal to send its team to the host country.

Sources claimed that if India indeed refuses to send its cricket team to Pakistan and the ICC accepts this refusal, the PCB will categorically refuse to play any matches against the Indian cricket team during the Champions Trophy under any circumstances.

Meanwhile, contrary to the reports in the Indian media that suggested that the ICC could move the event outside of Pakistan, the sources said that there’s no such development.

Pakistan’s ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on Wednesday, soared to the summit of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s ODI Bowling Rankings.

Shaheen, who took eight wickets at an average of 12.62 in Pakistan’s historic ODI series victory over Australia, jumped three places to replace South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj – dropped two places to third – at the summit, while Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan remained second.

Afridi has previously held the top spot during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India.

His bowling partner, Haris Rauf, who was named the Player of the Series in Pakistan’s 2-1 routing of Australia, improved 14 places to 13th and achieved a career-high rating in the format, while compatriot Naseem also rose to a new-high as he jumped 14 plays to a joint 55th.

Following Afridi’s rise to the top, the top-ranked players in both batting and bowling rankings are now from Pakistan as star batter Babar Azam continued his dominance.

The right-handed batter extended his lead atop from India’s Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, respectively, courtesy of his 80 runs across three matches against Australia, in which he was dismissed only once.

Pakistan’s newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan also made gains as he jumped two spots to a joint 23rd in the ODI batting rankings following his 74 runs in three innings against Australia.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s veteran Mohammad Nabi, who is set to call time on his glittering ODI career, remained at the top of the all-rounders’ rankings. He is followed by Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza and compatriot Rashid in the list.

Can anyone stop the Kansas City Chiefs?

It’s become an age-old question that NFL fans are surely getting annoyed to hear week in and week out this season. The Chiefs were nearly broken by the Denver Broncos on Sunday, but a blocked field goal sent them and the faithful at Arrowhead Stadium into jubilation.

Kansas City hasn’t lost since Christmas Day last year. Since then, the team surged into first place in the AFC West, won the AFC Championship and another Super Bowl title. They’ve won every close game they’ve been in this season but might meet their match this weekend against the Buffalo Bills – just putting that out there so the ’72 Miami Dolphins could get their champagne ready.

In any case, it still appears to be the Chiefs’ league and everyone else gunning for them. The Detroit Lions are likely the best team in the NFC right now, but even they were slowed by a Houston Texans team that lost to the New York Jets.

Are the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers viable candidates to knock off the Chiefs? Sunday could determine that or whether they’re the third-best team in the AFC North.

The Chiefs hold the power again this week. Where does the rest go?

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

1. Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)

The Chiefs keep finding ways to win games. This time it was the special teams coming through as Leo Chenal blocked the Broncos game-winning kick as time expired to keep the Chiefs as the NFL’s last unbeaten team. The Chiefs faced their largest deficit of the season, 11 points, but did enough to win. The Chiefs’ offense had 300 yards of offense against a strong Broncos defense but struggled in the red zone, scoring just one touchdown and three field goals. The defense faltered early, giving up 14 first half points, but buckled down in the second half, shutting out the Broncos. The Chiefs will face their toughest test of the season next week when they take on the Bills on the road.

Last week: 1

2. Detroit Lions (8-1)

In recent weeks, the Lions have beaten opponents while also getting better together on the field. They’ve grown and matured as a unit so much to the point where they feel comfortable playing from behind against a good team like Houston, and making a comeback look routine.

Last week: 2

3. Buffalo Bills (8-2)

The Buffalo Bills rolled past the Indianapolis Colts with an expected 30-20 win on Sunday, but the real test of their season will come this week when they take on an old foe in the imperfectly perfect Kansas City Chiefs. 

Last week: 3

4. Baltimore Ravens (7-3)

They play the Steelers this week and that will help determine which team stakes a claim for postseason home-field advantage.

Last week: 4

5. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)

It was a beatdown in Dallas as the Eagles came into town and wiped out their division rival, 34-6, to continue their dominance since the bye week. At 7-2, the Eagles are in clear playoff contention as the Washington Commanders’ loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers puts them atop the NFC East throne. The Eagles and Commanders face off for a highly anticipated “Thursday Night Football” matchup this week when they will look to make it six wins in a row.

Last week: 5

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2)

Russell Wilson has George Pickens playing great, Mike Williams happy he escaped the Jets and the Steelers looking like a pretty complete team.  

Last week: 8

7. Washington Commanders (7-3)

It was a close one, but Russell Wilson and the Steelers were too much for Jayden Daniels in FedEx Field as they dropped their first game at home this season. Washington remains a top playoff contender out of the NFC, but they have a large test on Thursday night when they head to Philadelphia with the NFC East lead on the line against the Eagles.

Last week: 6

8. Minnesota Vikings (7-2)

A win is a win. Minnesota had to have a game against a hapless Jaguars team and, despite looking almost as bad as Jacksonville itself at times, it got the five points it needed to stay on track. The playoff berth no one saw coming is getting closer and closer in Minnesota.

Last week: 7

9. Green Bay Packers (6-3)

Their bye week came at a lucky time for the Packers. With big games against the 49ers and Bears over the next two weeks, the direction and ceiling of this Packers team will come into clearer focus.

Last week: 9

10. San Francisco 49ers (5-4)

San Francisco is getting healthy and can now work on jelling together as a complete team. With two more months till the playoffs, the Niners are right on time.

Last week: 12

11. Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)

The Chargers did what good teams are supposed to do, and that is beating the teams they are supposed to beat, taking down the Titans 27-17. The Chargers have now won three games in a row and look to be playoff bound in Jim Harbaugh’s first year at the helm as head coach. Running back Gus Edwards returned from injury reserve and had 10 carries for 55 yards in the win. With Edwards in the fold and JK Dobbins having a resurgent season, look for the Chargers to lean on their newfound 1-2 punch out of the backfield.

Last week: 13

12. Houston Texans (6-4)

Getting five interceptions and losing is difficult to do. The offense did not keep the foot on the gas pedal, but with Nico Collins very likely to return this week, they should be fine. They’ll have an extra day to learn what happened and then take advantage of a weak Cowboys team sans Dak Prescott.

Last week: 11

13. Arizona Cardinals (6-4)

Put this blurb down as an endorsement for Kyler Murray as an MVP candidate. There aren’t three players in the league having more of an impact on his team this season than Murray.

Last week: 14

14. Atlanta Falcons (6-4)

The Falcons suffered a brutal loss on Sunday against the Saints, which snapped a seven-game losing streak for New Orleans. The reality is that the Falcons are still the best team in the division, but the NFC South just isn’t very good.

Last week: 10

15. Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)

They keep saying, “We’re a good team, we’re a good team.” Well, good teams string victories together and the Bengals have done that only once this season. And that was almost a month ago.

Last week: 16

16. Denver Broncos (5-5)

The Denver Broncos offense has not exactly been prolific this season, but they have managed to win half of the 10 games they’ve played so far. The Broncos took the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs to the brink at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 10. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix avoided making big mistakes against the Chiefs and seems to be improving every week under the guidance of head coach Sean Payton. Denver’s defense continues to be a strong point, sacking Patrick Mahomes four times this past Sunday. This week’s game against the Falcons could prove to be a measuring stick for the Broncos.

Last week: 18

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6)

Tampa lost, yet again, to a very good team in the 49ers, though San Francisco needed a last-second field goal to do it. The schedule has been rough, but the Bucs have to take advantage of upcoming games against the Giants, Panthers and Raiders to get back into the NFC playoff picture.

Last week: 17

18. Los Angeles Rams (4-5)

The offensive woes were on full display on Monday night, but if Sean McVay’s unit can figure that out, L.A. is still feisty enough to impact the NFC West race.

Last week: 15

19. Seattle Seahawks (4-5)

Who are the Seahawks? Nine games into coach Mike MacDonald’s tenure, we don’t have an answer. Let’s see what this second half brings.

Last week: 20

20. Miami Dolphins (3-6)

Sometimes games aren’t won, they’re lost. That was mostly the case in the Dolphins’ 23-15 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. Miami’s playoff outlook still looks grim, but the Dolphins defense stepped up to keep the Rams touchdown-less.

Last week: 24

21. Chicago Bears (4-5)

Chicago looks like it has in recent years again. Losing to the Patriots pushed them further down the hierarchy and there weren’t even many bright spots to pick from either in regard to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

Last week: 19

22. Indianapolis Colts (4-6)

Perhaps this weekend can be a get-right game against the pitiful New York Jets, but there’s not much to be excited about. The fourth overall pick is on the bench for the foreseeable future, yet their replacement sure looks like a typical soon-to-be 40-year-old quarterback.

Last week: 22

23. New York Jets (3-7)

While mathematically it might still be possible, the Jets’ playoff aspirations took a tough hit this weekend with a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. While coaches and players individually want to shoulder the blame, it’s fair to point the finger across the board.

Last week: 21

24. New Orleans Saints (3-7)

Well, one week after everyone said the Saints should tank to improve their draft position, they go out and beat the NFC South-leading Falcons. New Orleans predictably got that first-game-with-a-new-head-coach bump, but their problems still run much deeper than that.

Last week: 29

25. Dallas Cowboys (3-6)

With Dak Prescott’s hamstring surgery confirmed, he is done for the remainder of the season, and it does not look like Cowboys fans will have a ton to cheer for after Cooper Rush struggled in the 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Trey Lance ended up coming in for Rush as this game got out of hand, and Micah Parsons is causing a stir with his comments about head coach Mike McCarthy. Turmoil isn’t the word just yet in Dallas, but it’s getting close as they’ve lost four straight games.

Last week: 23

26. New England Patriots (3-7)

Drake Maye and the Patriots’ defense earned a solid victory over the Chicago Bears – the loss shook the Bears so much they fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday – and while it won’t wash away their sins from a tough first half of the season, things are looking brighter in New England.

Last week: 30

27. Cleveland Browns (2-7)

Hey, they didn’t lose last week. Yes, they were on their bye.

Last week: 26

28. Carolina Panthers (3-7)

Two weeks and two wins for the Carolina Panthers, the first time in Bryce Young’s NFL career that he’s won back-to-back starts. Leave it to the Panthers to start winning after their season is already dead and now all they’re doing is hurting their draft position for 2025.

Last week: 32

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)

For some reason, their defense looked the best against the Minnesota Vikings, but even they’ve sputtered recently. Brian Thomas Jr. is a stud, but Trevor Lawrence needs to play better to get their rookie receiver to reach his full potential.

Last week: 25

30. Tennessee Titans (2-7)

Just about the only good things on this team are Calvin Ridley and a halfway decent running game. The tank seems to be on for a lot of teams, and maybe Will Levis can show some flashes to convince the front office for one more year, but that’s unlikely.

Last week: 28

31. Las Vegas Raiders (2-7)

The Raiders made headlines by parting ways with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy leading up to the team’s bye week. It remains to be seen if Scott Turner will be able to get Las Vegas’ offense heading in the right direction this season. But Turner will likely employ a run-first offense, which could mean more opportunities for Zamir White. The quarterback situation continues to be unsettled, and the franchise will likely have to make a move to solidify the position in the offseason. The good news is Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker appear to be players the Raiders can build around.

Last week: 31

32. New York Giants (2-8)

Turmoil is the word to use in East Rutherford, New Jersey, as the Giants enter the bye week in absolute shambles. Daniel Jones might be done for the year depending on how the team’s evaluation goes during the bye, as he struggled once again and this time it came on an international stage against the league’s statistically worst defense in the Carolina Panthers. The Giants managed to get the game to overtime, but a Tyrone Tracy Jr. fumble on the first play after winning the coin toss says it all about how it’s going for Big Blue. At 2-8, the playoffs seem like a pipe dream and big questions loom over the franchise yet again as they continue to get their rebuild on the right track.

Last week: 27

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Fox News Digital Sports college football winners and losers were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Even after a strong 2023 campaign and a training camp in which he was consistently one of the best players on the field, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was in no rush to sign a big-money contract extension until he could solidify himself as one of the league’s best at his position.

As it turned out, it took only nine more games for that to happen, as Lenoir and the 49ers reached agreement on a five-year, $92 million contract extension, a source told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.

The deal comes in the midst of a season when Lenoir has emerged as one of the Niners’ best — and most versatile — young players, even on a roster with plenty of star power. Through those nine contests, Lenoir has 53 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions. He has allowed a passer rating of just 66.5 when targeted as the nearest defender, according to Next Gen Stats.

Lenoir also recovered a blocked field goal and raced 61 yards for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.

He has done all of that despite bouncing between outside corner and playing in the slot when the Niners go into nickel packages. It’s a double duty he began taking on toward the end of the 2022 season before fully embracing last season, when he played 570 snaps at outside corner and 311 in the slot, allowing a minus-4.7 EPA (expected points added), 80.1 passer rating and just one touchdown when targeted.

Despite starting this season on the final year of his rookie contract and the Niners’ desire to sign him, Lenoir told ESPN in August he wasn’t in a hurry to sign an extension because he was “at the point where I’m trying to be one of the top guys in the NFL as far as the corner position, the nickel position, just somewhere in the top where a lot of people starting to recognize me and remember my name.”

When asked about the possibility of signing an extension before he would hit free agency, Lenoir didn’t dismiss the idea but made it clear he wanted to prove he deserved to be paid among the top corners in the league.

Lenoir’s new deal averages $18.4 million per season, which places him 12th among cornerbacks and represents a significant pay raise for the 2021 fifth-round pick out of Oregon. He is making $3.116 million in base salary this season with a cap charge of $3,187,217.

While the timing of Lenoir’s deal might be a surprise, there have been signs pointing toward the 49ers hoping to get something done before the offseason so they can clear the decks for a forthcoming payday for quarterback Brock Purdy.

Coach Kyle Shanahan even seemed to hint at the end of October that something might be brewing.

“He is exactly what you want a 49er to play like,” Shanahan said then of Lenoir. “He started out really well, made a couple mistakes early on as a rookie and lost his confidence just a little bit, I thought, his rookie year. Then that second season, the way he came back in the offseason, kind of just possessed to get that job back, and he’s kind of owned it ever since. He’s been a stud for a while to me, and he gets better each year. He’s having a hell of a year.”

Lenoir is the latest in a line of homegrown middle- to late-round draft picks to ink lucrative contracts to stay in San Francisco, including linebacker Fred Warner (third round) and tight end George Kittle and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (fifth-rounders), with Purdy presumably next up.

With Lenoir in the fold, the Niners still have plenty of other big-name players set to be unrestricted free agents in the offseason. It’s a list that includes fellow starting cornerback Charvarius Ward, safety Talanoa Hufanga, guard Aaron Banks and Greenlaw.

But the Niners made it clear Tuesday that keeping Lenoir was a top priority.