Last week, Bangladesh withdrew from the upcoming men’s T20 Cricket World Cup amid escalating political tensions with India.

Since then, the International Cricket Council has replaced Bangladesh with Scotland, and Pakistan has also flagged a potential boycott of its match with India (the two countries have a long-running dispute over the Kashmir region, which escalated into a short military conflict last year).

Iceland Cricket (yep, Iceland have a cricket team) has weighed in on the tense situation with a light-hearted statement.

Breaking the news that they’d be unable to step up if Pakistan does withdraw, an excerpt reads: “This news will be extremely disappointing to our fans…We were ready to give the Dutch the biggest shock they have experienced since William of Orange lost the Battle of Landen in 1693.”

I recommend reading the full statement.

🎾 The world’s number one-ranked women’s tennis player, Aryna Sabalenka, has advanced to her fourth straight Australian Open singles final. The Belarusian defeated Ukrainian Elina Svitolina in straight sets. Sabalenka will play Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, who beat American 6th seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets in the other semi-final last night. The final, set to be played on Saturday night in Melbourne, will be a rematch of the 2023 final, which Sabalenka won in three sets. 

⚽ The Women’s Asian Cup in Australia will offer no increase in prize money, as first reported by The Guardian, despite repeated calls from players for better pay and recognition. The Asian Football Confederation will again distribute $2.5 million across the top four teams, the same amount offered in 2022, even as women’s football booms globally. The tournament is the lowest-paying continental competition in the world. Shoko Tsuji, a representative of players’ union Fifpro, told The Guardian: “Our research indicates this year’s tournament is set to be the biggest Women’s Asian Cup ever from a commercial perspective. We believe the tournament should be treated with the respect its stature deserves, including respect for the players who make it possible.” The tournament begins in March.

🏏 Australia’s men’s T20 cricket team has lost to Pakistan for the first time in seven years, falling short by 22 runs in the first match of a warm-up series ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Australia bowled first and restricted Pakistan to just 168 runs after a brilliant performance from leg spinner Adam Zampa, who took four wickets. An Australian side captained by Travis Head but missing several first-choice players struggled with the bat and were only able to score 146 runs. The match was the first in a three-game series, which Pakistan now leads 1-0. The next will be played on Saturday from 10pm (AEDT).

🎾 Olivia Gadecki and John Peers have won a second straight mixed doubles title at the Australian Open. After losing the first set, the defending champions won the second set and went on to beat French duo Kristina Mladenovic and Manuel Guinard in a tiebreaker (4-6, 6-3, 10-8). Gadecki and Peers are the first mixed doubles pairing to defend their Australian Open title since 1989, and the first Aussie duo to do so in 62 years.

Talking points: Australia will look to square the series when they face Pakistan in the second T20 in Lahore on Saturday night, with the hosts holding a 1-0 lead after Thursday’s upset. It’s another quick turnaround in a three-game stretch that doubles as World Cup preparation and a chance for fringe players to push their case for selection. With several first-choice stars still rested, Australia are expected to keep experimenting, while Pakistan will aim to maintain their strong recent record in Lahore. Australia’s first match of the T20 World Cup will be in Sri Lanka on 11 February.

How to watch: First ball is at 10pm on Saturday (AEDT). You can watch the match on Foxtel and Kayo.

Talking points: We’re officially at the pointy end of the Australian Open — enjoy it while it lasts. Today, the men’s semi-finals begin with the tournament’s top four seeds in action. Carlos Alcaraz (1) will play Alexander Zverev (3) this afternoon, and Novak Djokovic (4) will take on Jannik Sinner (2) tonight. The winners will play in the men’s final on Sunday evening. The women’s singles final between Aryna Sabalenka (1) and Elena Rybakina (5) will be played tomorrow night as Sabalenka hopes to win a third title in four years. There will also be another pair of Aussies playing in a doubles final with Marc Polmans and Jason Kubler will shoot for a grand slam title on home soil in the men’s doubles on Saturday. 

How to watch: You can watch the Australian Open on Channel 9, 9Now, and Stan Sport. 

Talking points: Australia’s Alexander Volkanovski headlines UFC 325 in Sydney this weekend, defending his featherweight title against Brazil’s Diego Lopes. A rematch of their fight last April, it marks the first time Volkanovski has defended a world title on home soil and his first bout in Sydney in nearly a decade. The co-main event will see Dan Hooker, the New Zealand lightweight contender, taking on Benoît Saint Denis, a rising French lightweight, in the co-main event. Heavyweight fan favourite Tai Tuivasa also returns. 

How to watch: You can watch the full fight card from 1pm on Sunday (AEDT) on Kayo or Foxtel. It is pay-per-view.

Your Big Summer of Sport is here

From Super Bowl Monday on 9 Feb to NBA All-Star Weekend and March Madness, summer sport is stacked. 

Add in Aussies lighting up the NBA, the Tillies in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and the run home to the NBL Finals and WNBL Finals. 

Stream the Big Summer of Sport with ESPN on Disney+. 

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