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HARARE: Dhananjaya de Silva played a fighting 93-run knock before bowlers held their nerves calm to edge the spirited Netherlands by 21 runs to stay unbeaten in the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier. More to follow… The post Sri Lanka edge Netherlands to retain dominance in CWC Qualifiers appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/TLQWuP1

HARARE: Dominant Ireland put on an all-round show to register a resounding six-wicket victory over the United States of America (USA) in the seventh place playoff semi-final of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier. Put into bat first, USA could only post a meagre total of 196 before bundling in the 43rd over despite half-centuries by opener Sushant Modani and Saiteja Mukkamalla. The USA had a dismal start to their innings as the associate side was two down with just 33 runs on the scoreboard in the seventh after Steven Taylor (23) and skipper Monank Patel (0) perished on two successive deliveries. Following the early setback, Modani and Mukkamalla anchored the innings with a gutsy third-wicket partnership. The pair added 78 runs to the total before Ireland found a much-needed breakthrough in the 23rd over as Andy McBrine ran out Mukkamalla. He scored 55 off 46 deliveries with the help of five boundaries. Opener Modani, however, stood his ground firm and put on brief partnerships...

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia (CA) on Friday, confirmed that off-spinner Nathan Lyon’s participation in the Ashes remainder is in extreme doubt as he suffered a “significant strain” to his right calf which will require a “period of rehabilitation”. “Nathan Lyon has been diagnosed with a significant calf strain,” a Cricket Australia spokesman said on Friday. “He will require a period of rehabilitation after this match is concluded. A decision regarding his availability for the remainder of the series will be made at the conclusion of the game.” Earlier on Friday, veteran off-spinner arrived at the Lord’s on crutches for the third day of the ongoing second Ashes Test. Nathan Lyon, who limped off the field from the second session on Thursday after sustaining a calf injury while fielding, looked distraught as he got medical attention on the boundary while his teammate Steve Smith hinted the off-spinner could be out of action for “a while”. The incident happened after Nathan Lyon was s...

India’s experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on Friday, heaped praise on Pakistan’s bowling attack ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup, scheduled to commence on October 5. Ravichandran Ashwin, the top-ranked Test bowler, believes that Pakistan are equipped with a quality pace bowling attack and that the last previous clashes between the arch-rivals have been extraordinary. “Match between Pakistan and India in the World Cup will be a blockbuster,” said Ashwin. “The last few matches between the arch-rivals have been extraordinary.” “Pakistan have a quality pace attack and it is going to be a balanced match.” It is apropos to mention that the most anticipated clash of the upcoming World Cup between arch-rivals Pakistan and India will be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the largest cricket stadium in the world with a capacity of 132,000. Earlier this week, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the anticipated schedule of the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. As per the...

Ben Duckett insisted England had no regrets about their aggressive game-plan after the opener was one of several batters to fall into Australia’s short-ball trap on a dramatic day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. In reply to Australia’s first-innings total of 416, England had seized back the momentum as they raced to 188-1 during Thursday’s second day of the second Ashes Test. But Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Joe Root all perished playing needlessly attacking hook shots in response to a barrage of Australia bouncers. That reduced England to 222-4 before captain Ben Stokes restored order with a slightly more cautious approach alongside Harry Brook as the hosts reached 278-4 by the close of play. Despite handing Australia a lifeline, Ben Duckett was adamant there would be no recriminations in the England dressing room. “I don’t regret it at all. I would have been gutted with myself if I had gone into my shell and gloved one to the keeper,” Duckett said after he was caught in the d...

BULAWAYO: In-form Sean Williams struck a quickfire 142 before bowlers held their nerves calm and kept spirited Oman at bay in the first Super Six fixture of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier. More to follow… The post Ton-up Williams powers Zimbabwe to thump Oman in CWC Qualifier appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/YgIGcst

Manchester City on Tuesday announced they had completed the signing of Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea following the loss of captain Ilkay Gundogan. The treble winners said the 29-year-old had signed a four-year contract after the clubs reportedly agreed an initial fee of £25 million ($32 million), with a potential £5 million in add-ons. Mateo Kovacic joins Pep Guardiola’s side after five years at Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and Europa League and made 221 appearances. He is City’s first signing of the transfer window and his arrival compensates for the departure of Gundogan, who joined Barcelona on a free transfer on Monday after seven years at the club. “This is a brilliant move for me and I cannot wait to get started with City,” said Kovacic. “Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are. For me, they are the best in the world. “The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out...

BENGALURU: Skipper Hassan Maatouk’s first-half goal lifted Lebanon to edge Maldives 1-0 and stormed into the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship semi-finals on Wednesday. Maatouk gave Lebanon an early lead from a direct free-kick. He had luck in his favour as his attempt took a deflection off the defenders’ wall and caught the Maldives goalkeeper by surprise, who failed to stop the ball. Mohamad Sadek missed the goal from close range after goal scorer Maatouk delivered a flawless cross, costing Lebanon a crucial chance to momentarily extend their advantage. Having the scoreboard in their favour, Lebanon eased up a bit and allowed Maldives to make more threatening attempts but could not convert. Following the first half, Lebanon again decided to be more aggressive and made several efforts in search of the second but the scoreboard remained intact and thus, the middle-east side ran away with the victory. Click to watch SAFF Championship Live on  ARY ZAP The 1-0 ...

LONDON: England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow wrestled a protester to the ground as climate activists briefly interrupted play on the first day of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Wednesday. Just before Stuart Broad bowled the second over, two protesters from Just Stop Oil ran out of the Grandstand and onto the outfield, sprinkling the group’s trademark orange powder on the square but not on the pitch. Bairstow grabbed one of the demonstrators and carried them off the playing surface, with the other apprehended by stewards. A third demonstrator was tackled before making it onto the outfield at Lord’s, the spiritual ‘Home of Cricket’ in north-west London. Spectators booed the protesters as they were led away by stewards. Following a delay of several minutes while the orange powder was removed by ground staff, play resumed with Broad bowling from the Nursery End. This match was the latest British sports event to be disrupted by climate activists Just Stop Oil following similar prot...

LONDON: Left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc has been recalled to Australia’s Playing XI for the second Ashes Test against England. Experienced pacer Mitchell Starc was added back to the reigning World Test Champions Playing XI and replaced Scott Boland, who was targetted by the English batters in the first Ashes Test in Birmingham. Earlier in the first Test of the ongoing, Australia captain Pat Cummins opted to leave out Mitchell Starc, who went for aplenty in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India at the Oval and lost his spot to right-arm pacer Josh Hazlewood,  who returned to the side  after recovering from Achilles and side issue. However, at the commencement of the second Ashes Test on Wednesday the hosts England opted to bowl first. Australia’s Test captain Pat Cummins shared his team’s lineup which included Starc. Meanwhile, England had already unveiled their Playing XI for the second Test which marked the return of young pacer Josh Tongue and replaced...

LONDON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed confidence that the Pakistan cricket team will travel to India for playing the upcoming World Cup after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) subjected its participation to government clearance, ARY News reported on Tuesday. In a statement to an Indian news agency, an ICC spokesperson pointed out that Pakistan has a signed participation agreement to compete and the world governing body “100 percent expects them to be there”. “All members have to abide by the rules and the laws of their country and we respect that. But we’re confident Pakistan will be in India for the men’s ODI World Cup,” an ICC spokesperson said. However, a PCB official said, the country’s participation in the World Cup and playing in Ahmedabad on October 15 or in Mumbai “if we qualify for semi-finals will all be dependent on government clearance.” The PCB official said the government has not yet issued any NOC to the PCB to travel to India and since it was a s...

KARACHI: Pakistan great Wasim Akram shared a piece of advice regarding the national cricket team’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, scheduled to commence on October 5. Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, while speaking at a private ceremony here, opined that the national side should play their World Cup matches as scheduled on the announced venues. “Pakistan should play wherever their matches are scheduled. Playing at any venue should not be an issue,” opined Wasim Akram. He further backed his opinion by citing his experience of touring India as a player and as a commentator. “I have had a good experience as a commentator and a former player in India. Anyone who travels to India, be it an actor or a sportsperson, gets a good response,” shared Akram. Wasim Akram then once again expressed his belief in the current team’s ability to foster in the upcoming World Cup and claimed that the Indian conditions would also favour them. “Pakistan team is t...

BULAWAYO: Hard-hitting opener Paul Stirling played a swashbuckling 162-run knock before a combined effort from the bowlers powered Ireland to their only victory in the ongoing Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier. Ireland finally got their opener Paul Stirling yielding runs but it was too late as his best knock of the CWC Qualifier came when the side had already run out of the Super Sixes contention. Paul Stirling was at his very best against UAE in a Group B bottom clash as he fired Ireland to a mammoth total of 349/4 in 50 overs after they were put into bat first by the UAE captain Muhammad Waseem. The right-handed batter smoked 15 boundaries and eight sixes amid his astounding knock and top-scored for Ireland with a 134-ball 162. Besides him, Harry Tector scored a quickfire and further bolstered Ireland’s total while skipper Andy Balbirine played a cautious 66-run knock from 88 deliveries. Click to watch CWC Qualifier Live on  ARY ZAP Tector, on the other hand, smashed four b...

BULAWAYO: Sri Lankan bowlers put on a scintillating show and defended a modest total to muscle their side to a resounding 82-run victory over Scotland in the 19th match of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier on Tuesday. Put into bat first, the Sri Lankan batting lineup could not fire as anticipated and accumulated a modest 245 before being bowled out in the final over. Sri Lankan openers Dimuth Karunaratne and Kusal Mendis scripted a flying start by charging on the Scottish bowlers right from the start. Their domination, however, did not last long as Chris Sole castled Karunaratne in the fifth over, who could score just seven off nine deliveries. Sri Lanka then lost another wicket in the form of Kusal Mendis (one from 16) in the ninth over with just 43 runs on the scoreboard. Following two back-to-back blows, Sadeera Samarawickrama offered subtle support to opener Pathum Nissanka, who managed to remain firm at the crease. The pair anchored Sri Lanka’s innings before Samarawickr...

LONDON: Right-arm pacer Josh Tongue replaced veteran all-rounder Moeen Ali in England’s Playing XI for the second Ashes Test against Australia, scheduled to commence on June 28 at Lord’s. Moeen Ali, who returned from Test retirement, suffered a blister on his right hand’s index finger during the first Ashes Test which saw England succumbing to a narrow two-wicket defeat after Pat Cummins’s masterclass. Meanwhile, Josh Tongue was preferred over fellow seamer Chris Woakes and youngster Rehan Ahmed at the back of his magnificent five-wicket haul on his debut Test against Ireland last month. Furthermore, Tongue is being foreseen as a cover for right-arm speedster Mark Wood, who was given an extra week to prepare fully for the Headingley Test. “We needed to get to Lord’s first and see what conditions we were faced with,” England captain Ben Stokes said. “We wanted to play Mark Wood but we felt while he could definitely start the game, we felt an extra week of build-up and loading him w...

BANGALORE: Aashish Chaudhary struck late and powered Nepal to a narrow 1-0 victory over Pakistan in the ongoing South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship on Tuesday. More to follow… The post Aashish Chaudhary strikes as Nepal edge Pakistan in SAFF Championship appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/30k9NU7

Former Pakistan captain and legendary pacer Wasim Akram expressed his hope for a good show from the national cricket team in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup in India. Legendary pacer Wasim Akram lauded the national team’s abilities in the limited-over format and also praised Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam, terming him a modern great. “We have a good side…a very good one-day side and are led by one of the modern-day greats in Babar Azam,” Wasim told the ICC. “As long as they are fit and as long as they play according to the plan, they will have a chance of doing well in that World Cup because it is played in our type of conditions in India on the sub-continent. “I think he can [get better] as he is the best player we have. “The whole country follows him, everything he does. He gets people into the stadium and it doesn’t matter whether it is T20, one-dayers or Test cricket and, in my opinion, he has the most beautiful cover drive in the world.” It is worth mentioning her...

The fixtures list for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India has been released along with the 10 venues for the mega event that will span across 46 days, later this year. The event will kick off on October 5 with a repeat of the 2019 Final as England take on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. A total of 10 teams will participate in the event, the first eight having already qualified through the Cricket World Cup Super League. The final two spots will be determined at the end of the CWC Qualifier in Zimbabwe , which concludes on July 9. Each team plays the other nine in a round-robin format with the top four qualifying for the knockout stage and semi-finals. Pakistan vs India The much-awaited Pakistan vs India encounter will take place in Ahmedabad on Sunday, October 15 and will be the eighth meeting between the two sides at a men’s World Cup. India and Pakistan have faced each other seven times previously – in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2015 and 2019. The last time these teams m...

HARARE: Logan van Beek put on a scintillating all-round show in the Super Over and propelled the Netherlands to a narrow 22-run victory over West Indies after the 18th match of the CWC Qualifier ended as a tie. Put into bat first, West Indies piled up a massive 374/6 on the scoreboard in a must-win CWC Qualifier group stage clash against the Netherlands with Nicholas Pooran leading the charge with a quickfire century. West Indian openers Brandon King and Johnson Charles scripted a solid start with a quick 101-run partnership and both scored half-centuries. Charles scored a 55-ball 54 with the help of nine boundaries and a six before making his way back to the dugout in the 18th over. King, on the other hand, stood his ground firm and put on a brief partnership with Shamarh Brooks (25) before finally perishing in the 29th over, scoring 78. He faced 81 deliveries and smashed 11 boundaries. With West Indies slipped to 163/3 in 28.1 overs, skipper Shai Hope got the support of hard-hit...

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Monday, provided an update on his recovery from the knee injury ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 in India, expressing his hope to be back in time. Williamson ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament  of his right knee while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League match earlier this month and underwent surgery. Following the gruelling injury, Kane Williamson was seen walking on crutches after returning to New Zealand. However, the Kiwi captain is now on the road to recovery and is desperately hoping to make his way back to the national side at the earliest. “Very much just trying to keep it week-to-week at the moment,” Williamson said. “I haven’t had such a long-term injury before but talking to other people that have, the journey is a bit of a long one so if you look too far ahead, it probably can become a little bit daunting.” Typically, the injury takes around six-month rehabilitation and Kane Williamson acknowled...

Experienced midfielder Luka Modric will stay with Real Madrid for another season after signing a contract extension with the Spanish club. Modric, 37, remains an important player for Real Madrid and chose to stay at the club despite heavy interest from Saudi Arabia, trying to rope him in when his previous contract expired last month. The Croatian great followed the footsteps of Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos and Nacho Fernandez in extending his stay at the club this summer. “Real Madrid C. F. and Luka Modrić have agreed to extend the player’s contract, which sees him contracted to the club until 30 June 2024,” the club said in an official statement. “Luka Modrić joined Real Madrid in 2012. During his eleven seasons in our jersey he’s made 488 appearances and won 23 trophies: 5 Champions League, 5 Club World Cups, 4 European Super Cups, 3 LaLiga titles, 2 Copa del Rey and 4 Spanish Super Cups. “Modrić has won the ultimate individual awards during his career as a Real Madrid player, incl...

Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir on Sunday, revealed his current three favourite batters and bowlers during a Q&A session on his YouTube channel. Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam, who is currently the only batter to be ranked in the top five across formats was also included in Mohammad Amir’s current favourite batters. “Virat [Kohli], Babar is my favourite apart from T20s. He is my favourite in Tests and ODIs. Finally, Shubman Gill, as I feel he will be the next big thing for India in future if he maintains his current form,” shared Amir. While revealing his favourite bowlers, Mohammad Amir named New Zealand’s left-arm pacer Trent Boult as his top pick. “[Trent] Boult, he is number one for me, then Naseem Shah. These are bowlers, who I feel are complete bowlers and can play all formats. And the third would be Mitchell Starc,” he added. Mohammad Amir then declared former Pakistan head coach and current Director of the Pakistan men’s cricket team Mickey Arthur as his favouri...

KARACHI: Young Pakistan cueist Ahsan Ramzan on Monday returned to Pakistan after winning the U21 Asian Snooker Championship in Iran but received no welcome from the Pakistan Billiards & Snooker Association (PBSA) officials. The IBSF World Snooker Champion Ahsan Ramzan partook in the U21 Asian Snooker Championship, held in Tehran, Iran. He continued his rich vein of form in the continental event and remained unbeaten. In the final of the event, Ahsan Ramzan outclassed Iranian opponent Milad Pourali Darehchi with a score of 5-2 (48-46, 70-5(41), 61-6(52), 62-29, 30-71, 55-67, 101-27) to get his hands on the silverware. Despite making his nation proud, the young cueist received no welcome upon his arrival to the country, alongside fellow cueist Haris Tahir, via Jinnah International Airport here. “It is not a pity that no one came to welcome me,” said Ahsan Ramzan. “I have a trophy in my hand and a gold medal around my neck and I am delighted with this honour. “There is ...

Ashleigh Gardner left England in a spin to give Australia the advantage in the lone Women’s Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. Ashleigh Gardner captured three top-order wickets as England reached the close of Sunday’s fourth day on 116-5. That left England needing a further 152 to reach a victory target of 268 on Monday’s final day. Australia require just five more wickets having removed England’s top order, several of whom — including first-innings double-century maker Tammy Beaumont — succumbed to Gardner as the off-spinner returned  3-33 in nine overs. Ashleigh Gardner, 26, also dismissed star all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt and England captain Heather Knight before stumps. “Ash has been amazing. Her off-spin bowling has been great,” Australia opener Beth Mooney, who top-scored with 85 in the Ashes-holders second-innings 257, told the BBC. “She’s an absolute game-changer for us.” Earlier, England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone took her second five-wicket haul of the Test to fin...

HARARE: Dominant Sri Lanka crushed Ireland’s hopes of making it to the Super Sixes of the CWC Qualifier by handing a thumping 133-run defeat and paved the way for Scotland and Oman to progress. More to follow… The post Sri Lanka crush Ireland’s CWC Qualifier hopes as Scotland, Oman through appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/zFpaQlj

HARARE: Sikandar Raza put on a brilliant all-round show and propelled Zimbabwe to a stunning 35-run victory over West Indies in the 13th match of the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier on Saturday. In a hill-hill Group A clash, hosts Zimbabwe handed a 35-run thrashing to former champions West Indies and solidify their grasp on the top spot in the standings. Dynamic all-rounder Sikandar Raza was the star of the show as he backed his sensational 68-run knock with two wickets and earned the Player of the Match award for his brilliance. Put into bat first, Zimbabwe accumulated a par 268-run total before bundling out in the final over. The home side had a promising start to their innings as openers Joylord Gumbie and Craig Ervine raised 63 runs for the first wicket until the former perished in the 16th over. Gumbie could score 26 off 50 deliveries with the help of two boundaries and a six. His dismissal triggered a brief collapse and the hosts, consequently, slipped to 112/4 in the 25t...

Inter Miami announced on Friday they are signing former Spain and Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets to team up with Lionel Messi at the Major League Soccer club. Lionel Messi said earlier this month he was moving to Miami and he will now be reunited with his former Barca team-mate Sergio Busquets. Inter Miami posted a tweet heralding the arrival of the player. “Si, Busi” read the Twitter post, referring to Sergio Busquets’ nickname. The tweet included quotes praising Busquets from several people in the game including former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque. pic.twitter.com/Mil6KD4l7M — Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF) June 23, 2023 Sergio Busquets said in May that he would leave Barcelona in the summer at the end of his contract. The 34-year-old made 143 appearances for Spain before announcing his retirement from the team in December. Busquets has been a central part of Barcelona’s successes in the past 15 years, including nine Spanish league titles and three Champions Leag...

HARARE: Logan van Beek’s career-best bowling figures of 4-24 followed by a sensational 90-run knock by Max O’Dowd powered Netherlands into the Cricket World Cup (CWC) Qualifier. After sending Nepal to bat first, the Dutch bowlers trounced on their batting lineup and booked them for a skimpy 167 as van Beek led the attack with a four-for. The Asian side, after getting off to a poor start, lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually bundled out for 167 in the 45th over. Skipper Rohit Paudel offered brief retaliation with a cautious 33 off 55 deliveries but could not manage to get the behold of his side’s struggling batting. Opening batter Kushal Bhurtel and lower-order batter Sandeep Lamichhane were the other notable run-getters for the side as they scored 27 each. The rest of the Nepal batters made insignificant contributions with the bat as they seemed clueless against a disciplined Dutch bowling attack. Logan van Beek led the ruthless bowling charge of the Netherlands ...

BENGALURU: Mubarak Al Faneni scored twice and powered Kuwait to a dominant 4-0 victory over Pakistan in the ongoing South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship on Saturday. More to follow… The post Kuwait humble Pakistan in SAFF Championship appeared first on ASports.tv . from ASports.tv https://ift.tt/QI8UD2k

CARDIFF: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan played a match-winning 87-run knock in Sussex’s 20-run victory over Glamorgan in the ongoing T20 Blast on Friday. Coming out to bat at number six when Sussex were four down for just 44 runs inside the batting powerplay, Shadab Khan scripted an astounding recovery for his side with a sensational half-century. The all-rounder stopped the flow of wickets first with an anchoring 58-run partnership with wicketkeeper batter Michael Burgess, who perished in the 14th over after scoring 29 off 22 deliveries. Shadab Khan stood his ground firm and stitched another vital partnership for Sussex as he put on a brilliant 78-run partnership with James Coles, who fell on the penultimate delivery of the final over, scoring 20 off 15. Meanwhile, Shadab Khan carried his bat all the way through and remained unbeaten on 87 from 53 deliveries and bolstered Sussex to pile up 182/6 in their quota of 20 overs. His magnificent knock featured five boundaries and five...

Tammy Beaumont hit an unbeaten 100 as England reached 218-2 at the close of the second day’s play to leave the one-off women’s Test against Australia delicately poised at Trent Bridge on Friday. Earlier, Annabel Sutherland hit 137 not out as Australia were bowled out for 473. But the visitors hopes of taking a sizeable first innings lead were halted by Beaumont, who became just the fourth England player in either the men’s or women’s game to score an international century in Test, one day and T20 cricket. “I think it’s finely balanced. I think it’s a very good batting wicket, if two people get in it’s very hard to get them out,” said Beaumont. “I don’t think I batted my best, I was stubborn, which (captain) Heather Knight has called me for years.” Aussie all-rounder Sutherland continued her fine match with the ball as she took the wicket of Emma Lamb for 10. But after Knight departed for 57, a partnership of 67 between Natalie Sciver-Brunt (41 not out) and Beaumont kept the hosts...

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, stated that it is “evaluating all aspects” of the national team’s participation in the upcoming ICC Men’s World Cup in India this year. Following the conclusion of the Asia Cup tie, Pakistan’s participation in this year’s World Cup in India still remains uncertain after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) declared that it must abide by the federal government’s instructions. Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the foreign ministry Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan was of the view that “politics should not be mixed with sports”. “Pakistan is of the view that politics should not be mixed with sports. India’s policy of not playing cricket in Pakistan is disappointing,” said Baloch. “We are observing and evaluating all aspects relating to our participation in the World Cup including the security situation for Pakistani cricketers and we will offer our views to PCB in due course,” she added. The World Cup dates and locations are still...

Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris will captain Pakistan Shaheens in the eight-team 15-match ACC Men’s Emerging Asia Cup 2023, which is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka from 14 to 23 July. The squad will assemble at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore following the Eid Al Adha holidays on Monday, 3 July, for a week-long training camp before the team’s arrival in Colombo on 12 July. Pakistan Shaheens, who are the defending champions, are clubbed with India A, Nepal and Sri Lanka in Group A, while Group B includes Afghanistan A, Bangladesh A, Oman and United Arab Emirates. The top-two sides from each group will progress to the semifinals, followed by the final. Pakistan Shaheens will open their campaign against Nepal on 14 July, followed by matches against India A on 16 July and Sri Lanka A on 18 July. 22-year-old Haris has represented Pakistan in five ODIs and nine T20Is, and will lead Shaheens for the first time. Other international players in the squad are: Arshad Iqbal (1...

BRISTOL: Pakistan all-rounder Shadab Khan delivered an all-round masterclass in his T20 Blast return for Sussex on Thursday as he backed his four-for with a brisk 28-run knock against Gloucestershire. Shadab Khan, who was ruled out of Sussex’s T20 Blast fixture against Kent, made his comeback to the side a memorable one as he produced a match-winning all-round masterclass. After right-arm Sussex pacer, Aristides Karvelas dismantled Gloucestershire’s top order Shadab Khan added further to their misery by halting their recovery by dismissing opening batter Grant Roelofsen in the ninth over, who scored a counter-attacking 41. In his next two overs, Shadab Khan then further hurt Gloucestershire batting march by removing Oliver Price (19) and compatriot Zafar Gohar (10) and forced the opposition to slip to 89/6 in the 13th over. He then struck in the same over by getting rid of Tom Price and completed his four-wicket haul and returned with astounding figures of 4/27 in his quota of four...

Australia’s Ellyse Perry hit an eye-catching 99 before Sophie Ecclestone led England’s fightback on the first day of the women’s Ashes on Thursday. Ellyse Perry was Australia’s driving force as the tourists reached 328-7 at close of play in the lone Test of the multi-format series at Trent Bridge. In the biggest moment of a dramatic day, Perry overturned an lbw verdict off Lauren Filer’s first ball at the international level. Ellyse Perry, who had scored only 10 at the time, went on to reach her fifth 50-plus score in 10 Tests against England. Just as Australia looked set to take a stranglehold on the lone women’s Ashes Test, Ecclestone dismissed Jess Jonassen and Australia captain Alyssa Healy, for a duck, in the same over. Filer eventually claimed the prize scalp of Ellyse Perry as she eyed a century, while slow left-armer Ecclestone bowled Tahlia McGrath, who smashed 61 in a 119-run stand with Perry. The women’s Ashes Test is worth four points in t...

LAHORE: The election for the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be held on June 27 here, the cricket board announced on Thursday. According to the details, the PCB Chairman elections will now be held at the PCB headquarters here on July 27. Earlier, the cricket board announced holding the elections on June 28, however, following the announcement that 28 June will be a holiday, the Election Commissioner has confirmed the PCB Chairman’s elections will be held a day earlier. The Pakistan Cricket Board is in receipt of letter and notification dated 20 June from the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ministry that states: “ On completion of the tenure, the Management Committee of PCB stands dissolved, ceases to operate ”. Accordingly, the Election Commissioner, Mr Ahmed Shehzad Farooq Rana, who is also the Acting Chair of the PCB, has constituted the PCB Board of Governors in accordance with Para 10 of the PCB Constitution 2014 and in line with and pursuant to the above ...

HARARE: All-round Netherlands thrashed the USA by five wickets before Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran’s centuries propelled West Indies to a dominating victory over spirited Nepal in the CWC Qualifier on Thursday. In the ninth match of the CWC Qualifier, the tournament favourites and former champions blew Nepal with a massive 101-run margin at the back of sensational centuries by Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran. Put into bat first, West Indies piled up a massive 339/7 despite a horrible start. The former champions were three down for just 55 runs in the 16th over until Hope and Pooran did astounding recovery. The pair put on a mammoth 216-run partnership for the fourth wicket and both scored centuries. Nicholas Pooran was the core aggressor of the stand as he scored brisk 115 runs off just 94 deliveries, smashing 10 boundaries and four sixes before perishing in the 44th over. Following his departure, skipper Hope put on brief partnerships with Rovman Powell (29) and Jason Holder (16*...

BULAWAYO: A combined bowling and batting effort lifted Oman to a stunning five-wicket victory over the UAE before Scotland edged Ireland in a last-ball CWC Qualifier thriller on Wednesday. In the eighth match of the CWC Qualifier, spirited Oman continued their dream campaign as they thumped the UAE by five wickets and 24 balls to spare at the back of Jay Odedra’s three wickets and fifties from Shoaib Khan and Aqib Ilyas. Put into bat first, UAE batters coped with a tight bowling effort from Oman and could only accumulate 227 for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 50 overs. The UAE had a dismal start to their innings as the side slipped to 16/2 in the fourth over as both openers perished after scoring eight each. Wicketkeeper batter Vriitya Aravind and Rameez Shahzad anchored UAE’s innings with a gutsy 87-run partnership for the third wicket. The pair took their past the 100-run mark but remained a touch too slow as Oman bowlers gave no room to them to score freely. The dir...

Renowned Pakistan Javelin thrower and Olympian Arshad Nadeem has been ruled out of the Asian Athletics Championship, the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP)’s president Akram Sahi shared on Wednesday.  President Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) Akram Sahi, alongside the athlete, held a press conference here and announced that the latter will not be available for the Asian championship due to an injury to his left knee. “Arshad is not fit to participate in the Asian Athletics Championship,” shared Sahi. Sahi also held WAPDA accountable for Arshad Nadeem’s injury and alleged that the department forced him to participate in the recently-held National Games where he returned with a gold medal . “Arshad was forced to participate in the National Games. We had warned WAPDA from taking any risk in Arshad’s case as he just recovered from a knee injury,” Sahi said. Akram Sahi went on to assert that the track used during the National Games in Quetta was not up to the mark and pl...

TEHRAN: Pakistan’s young cueist Ahsan Ramzan continued his dominant show in the U21 Asian Snooker Championship and qualified for the final. According to the details, Ahsan Ramzan outclassed Iran’s Tirdad Azadipour 4-2 to make his way into the final. Ahsan started his semi-final clash on a high as he dominated Azadipour in the opening two frames with the scoreline of 76-8 and 102-1 respectively. Azadipour was quick to react as he notched up a 55-point break to cut Ahsan’s lead to 2-1 only for the latter to restore the advantage straight away in the fourth frame. The next two frames also followed the same pattern as Azadipour won the fifth frame to stay alive but Ahsan Ramzan won the sixth frame to seal his spot in the final. Ahsan Ramzan’s qualification in the final guarantees a medal for the 17-year-old cueist. In the early phase of the tournament, Ahsan contested two group matches against Iran’s Arshia Tehrani and Ali Lalegani and remained unbeaten to book his spot in the knocko...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday sanctioned both Australia and England for slow over rates during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. “Australia and England have lost two points from their World Test Championship tally after they were found guilty of maintaining slow over rates during the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston,” said ICC in a statement. The players from both sides were also fined 40 percent of their match fees. Andy Pycroft of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanctions after both teams were ruled to be two overs short of their targets after time allowances were taken into consideration. Australia captain Pat Cummins and England counterpart Ben Stokes accepted the sanctions, meaning there was no need for formal hearings. The sanctions see Australia lose two World Test Championship points, leaving Cummins’ side with a total of 10 points after their first Test of the new cycle. England are also deducted two points, meaning they are behind...