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Pep Guardiola rejected any suggestion that complacency was to blame for Manchester City’s shock 2-1 at Wolves on Saturday as the champions’ perfect start to their Premier League defence came to an end. Manchester City had won their opening six games in their quest to become the first side to ever win four consecutive English top-flight titles. Wolves had taken just four points from their first six games but stunned Manchester City at Molineux thanks to Hwang Hee-chan’s winner. Guardiola had dismissed talk of City cruising to victory on the eve of the game and said it was outsiders rather than his players that expected a comfortable afternoon. “You have to ask other people what they think about that (complacency),” said Guardiola. “When you win four Carabao (League) Cups in a row and the Premier League four years in five and a treble, it is not complacency. Sometimes the other players can do better than you and beat you.” The visitors missed the presence of the suspended Rodri as ...

Pakistan Shaheens’ captain Qasim Akram banked on his team’s recent performance in the ACC Emerging Asia Cup, heading into the Asian Games 2023. Qasim Akram-led Pakistan Shaheens will depart later tonight for China to feature in the 19 th  Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The T20 format will see Pakistan Shaheens starting their journey from the quarter-final stage, after having directly qualified by virtue of being one of the top four ICC-ranked sides in the continent. The quarter-finals are scheduled to take place on 3 and 4 October, with Pakistan playing their quarter-final on 3 October at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field in Hangzhou. The semi-finals will take place on 6 October, while the final and the bronze medal match are scheduled to take place on Saturday, 7 October. Pakistan Shaheens underwent a five-day camp at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore where players, under the guidance of coaches, engaged in training sessions and featured in match ...

HANGZHOU: Pakistan lost to arch-rivals India 2-1 on Saturday in the final of the men’s squash team event of the ongoing Asian Games 2023. Pakistan, who put on a dominant show throughout the tournament, came up short in the final against India and settled for a silver medal. The national squash team got off to a promising start to the blockbuster final, courtesy of Nasir Iqbal beating Mahesh Mangaonakar 3-0 in the first match of the three-match final. Nasir won the match with the scoreline of 11-8, 11-3 and 11-2. Saurav Ghosal then scripted India’s sensational comeback in the must-win game for his team as he crushed Mohammad Asim Khan after a one-sided affair. Ghosal brought Pakistan and India level on terms with a statement 11-5, 11-1 and 11-3 victory over Asim. Pakistan’s Noor Zaman and India’s Abhay Singh then competed in an intense five-set final of the Asian Games 2023 squash event which lasted for 65 minutes before India emerged triumphant. Singh won the first set in a comp...

South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma is set to miss warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand at ICC World Cup 2023 because he is flying back home for family reasons. Aiden Markram will fill in Bavuma’s shoes and will lead South Africa in the warm-up games with Afghanistan and New Zealand on September 29 and October 2, respectively. Both matches will be played at Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. #CWC23 TEAM UPDATE Proteas ODI Captain Temba Bavuma will travel back home due to family reasons Bavuma misses 2⃣ #CWC23 warm-up matches Afghanistan New Zealand Markram will captain in his absence #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/iC3PwcSPrY — Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) September 28, 2023 Temba Bavuma is set to join the team before South Africa’s first match at the ICC World Cup 2023 against Sri Lanka at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on October 7. South Africa are also without experienced fast bowlers Anrich Nortje and Sisanda Magala , who were ruled ...

Real Madrid registered a comfortable victory 2-0 over Las Palmas and moved to the second position, however, Girona jumped to the top of the La Liga 2023/24 points table after edging Villarreal 2-1 on Wednesday. Coming off the La Liga derby defeat, Real Madrid dominated visitors from the first whistle at Santiago Bernabeu and came close to opening the scoring after just eight minutes as Joselu picked out Rodrygo in the box, who made a fierce attempt but Alvaro Valles made the save. They kept the pressure on, but Las Palmas did not let them score throughout a thrilling first half until Brahim Diaz netted to give Los Blancos the lead in the stoppage time. Real Madrid doubled their lead early in the second half as Joselu scored off a header on Rodrygo’s cross, with the ball hitting the far corner of the net to make it 2-0. Meanwhile, in another La Liga fixture, Girona came from behind to win after being at a goal deficit early in the second half against Villarreal at Estadio de la Cerá...

Netherlands coach Ryan Cook believes his team can upset the odds and make it all the way to the ICC World Cup 2023 semi-finals, fully deserving their seat at cricket’s top table. Inspired by star all-rounder Bas de Leede, the Netherlands secured their place in the ICC World Cup 2023 in India with some eye-catching results. The most notable was beating West Indies in a super over after equalling a huge total of 374 at the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe in June. Cook also told AFP that his team are not going to the World Cup just to make up the numbers. “We hold high hopes going into this World Cup that we can put in a couple of really big performances and those can result in wins. We’ll be putting everything that we can in to get to those five or six wins to take us into the semi-finals,” he said. The Netherlands will open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 6 and recently spent eight days at a “spin camp” in India to prepare for the conditions and the bowling t...

Glenn Maxwell returned career-best figures of 4-40 to end Australia’s five-match losing streak with a consolation 66-run win over India in the third one-day international on Wednesday. Mitchell Marsh led the batting onslaught with his 96 as Australia posted 352-7, a total their bowlers defended by bowling out India for 286 in Rajkot. The hosts took the three-match series 2-1 but Australia finish on a high ahead of the ODI World Cup starting October 5 in India. Maxwell, who returned to the team alongside Mitchell Starc after the two players recovered from their injuries, scored just five with the bat but made an impact with his impressive off-spin. Glenn Maxwell got the first three wickets including skipper Rohit Sharma, for 81, and star batsman Virat Kohli, for 56, after a brisk start by India. Rohit raised his fifty in 31 balls and seemed to have the chase in control but Maxwell got the captain with a stunning caught and bowled in ...

HYDERABAD: Pakistan men’s cricket team landed in India on Wednesday evening to participate in the ICC World Cup 2023, which will be played from October 5 to November 19. Upon their arrival here, the Pakistan contingent, consisting of 18 players and 13-player support personnel, will be commuted to the team hotel under tight security. The Green Shirts departed from Lahore airport in the wee hours on Wednesday and after a brief layover in Dubai, reached here, where they will take on New Zealand in their first ICC World Cup 2023 warm-up fixture on Friday, which will be played behind closed doors due to security concerns. Pakistan will then take on Australia on October 3rd in their second warm-up fixture before kicking off their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on October 6. For the unversed, Pakistan cricket team players and officials received their Indian visas  for the ICC World Cup 2023, after experiencing a lengthy delay. This delay prompted the Pakistan Cricket Boar...

KABUL: Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq announced to retire from ODI cricket after the conclusion of the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, scheduled to commence on October 5. Naveen, 24, who made his ODI debut in 2016 and represented Afghanistan in seven matches, made the announcement on his Instagram account. “It has been an absolute honour to represent my country would like to announce my retirement from ODI format at end of this World Cup and will continue to wear this blue jersey in t20 cricket for my country,” wrote Naveen-ul-Haq. “It hasn’t been an easy decision to make but to prolong my playing career had to take this tough decision would like to thank [Afghanistan Cricket Board] and all my fans for their support and unwavering love,” he added.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Naveen ul haq Murid (@naveen_ul_haq) For the unversed, Naveen-ul-Haq last represented Afghanistan in an ODI game back in 2021 and was initia...

Less than six months after knee surgery threatened to rule him out of the ICC World Cup 2023, the goal of captaining New Zealand in India has been the key driver in getting Kane Williamson through his recovery. The 33-year-old batter tore the cruciate ligament in his right knee playing for Indian Premier League side Gujarat Titans in April, which looked to have scuppered his chances of making the showpiece tournament. However, intense rehab work has meant a speedy recovery. Kane Williamson hopes to be ready for the Black Caps opening game against defending champions England on October 5, a repeat of the 2019 final his side narrowly lost. “It would be great. Naturally, you want to be back playing when you are fit and ready, sooner rather than later,” he said. “You hope that ends up being around that World Cup time, but I’m still being very focused on the rehab day-to-day and not wanting those targets to stretch it to a point where you take a backward step.” Williamson is already ...

New Zealand wrap up preparations for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 hoping to achieve a rare series win in Bangladesh in their third and final one-day match on Tuesday. “When we came into the series, it was always a goal to win every match you play, and we certainly hope so,” Kiwi batsman Henry Nicholls told reporters in Dhaka on Monday. “It’s an exciting opportunity for the group to have an opportunity to win a series here”. The series is the last for both teams ahead of the ICC World Cup 2023 in India, which opens on October 5. The Kiwis lead the hosts by 1-0, and their 86-run win in the second match on Saturday was the side’s first win against Bangladesh in the country in nearly 15 years. The first match was washed out by rain. The Kiwis last beat Bangladesh in their own backyard in October 2008. They then lost the next two series in 2010 and 2013, respectively, by 4-0 and 3-0. Lockie Ferguson will lead the Kiwis in Bangladesh, where they brought only five members of the Worl...

LAHORE: Opening batter Abid Ali scored an unbeaten century for Lahore Whites in their third-round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) 2023/24 fixture against Multan, which ended as a draw. At stumps the previous day, Multan remained comfortably at 329 for the loss of six wickets with veteran Aamer Yamin and Ali Usman at the crease. They got to 346 after which they declared the innings, inviting Lahore to bat. Other than Abid Ali, none of the Lahore batters stuck on the crease long enough to stitch together any solid partnerships. Abid, who got a century, was crucial to Lahore Whites getting to 304 runs in the innings. The match was drawn, without either side getting to bat for the second time. Another third-round QEAT fixture between Faisalabad and Lahore Blues failed to produce a result as the game remained majorly affected by rain. Faisalabad after starting their day at 34/2 kept losing wickets periodically, which did not allow Faisalabad batters to sustain any solid partnerships. Moham...

HANGZHOU: India women’s team struck gold on their Asian Games cricket debut when they beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs in the final at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field on Monday. They had declined to enter any teams on the two previous occasions cricket had been played at the multi-sport event, at Guangzhou in 2010 and Incheon in 2014. Batting first after winning the toss at the Zhejiang University for Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field, the India women’s team reached 116-7 with Smriti Mandhana (46) and Jemimah Rodrigues (42) putting on 73 for the second wicket. Sri Lanka’s women’s team started the chase badly and they were reduced to 14-3 in the fifth over with right-arm seamer Titas Sadhu doing the damage with two wickets in her first four balls. She finished with the remarkable figures of three wickets for six runs from her four overs. Sri Lanka were always behind the run rate despite Hasini Perera looking to accelerate, hitting four fours and a six in a rap...

ABBOTTABAD: Peshawar Region registered their first victory of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QeAT) 2023/24 season with a margin of an innings and 93 runs over Rawalpindi Region on Day 3. Waqar Ahmed Snr and Abbas Ali started the day for Peshawar in the third round fixture of the ongoing QeAT, resuming from where they had left off the previous day. They batted together for 111 runs. Particularly, a brilliant 184 by Waqar was the highlight of the innings, until the side was bowled out for 317 runs. A five-wicket-haul by Kashif Ali was, however, a source of respite for the Rawalpindi bowling, which was otherwise battered by Waqar. Rawalpindi, already behind in the game owing to their tumultuous first innings, had a shaky start again as they lost three important wickets very early on. Specifically, Mohammad Ilyas removed Abdul Faseeh and Umer Waheed in successive balls, putting pressure on the Rawalpindi batting. Ilyas also registered a five-wicket haul. The side was bowled out for just 87 ...

LAHORE: Pakistan Shaheens’ training camp for the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China is set to commence on September 25, Monday (tomorrow). Pakistan Shaheens will participate in the brief four-day training camp at the National Cricket Academy Lahore, which will conclude on September 29, before the team’s departure for Hangzhou, China on September 30. Pakistan Shaheens’ squad will take part in the practice session at Bob Woolmer Indoor School tomorrow. Young all-rounder Qasim Akram will lead Pakistan Shaheens in the tournament, to be played in T20 format. 20-year-old Qasim, has till date featured in 20 first-class matches and 40 T20 matches and also captained Pakistan U19 in the ICC U19 World Cup in 2022. In the 15-member squad, there are eight players who have already represented the Pakistan men’s team at the international level. The players who have represented Pakistan at the international level are Aamir Jamal (2 T20Is), Arshad Iqbal (1 T20I), Asif Ali (21 ODIs, 55 T20Is), Hai...

Sri Lankan star all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga and fast bowler Dushmantha Chameera are likely to miss the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 in India, commencing on October 5. Wanindu Hasaranga suffered a hamstring injury during the Eliminator game between B-Love Kandy and Jaffna Kings in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) last month. He was then ruled out of the Asia Cup 2023, and now may require surgery, after aggravating his hamstring tear during rehab over the past few days. The chairman of Sri Lanka’s medical committee, Arjuna de Silva, hinted that it is highly unlikely for Hasaranga to participate in the ICC World Cup 2023. “He picked up a grade 2 tear in the LPL, but he re-aggravated it during rehab. It’s now a grade 3 tear. What also complicates the matter is that it is also a T-junction hamstring injury,” said Arjuna de Silva. “We are consulting foreign doctors to see whether he needs surgery or not. If he does, he will be out for at least three months. At the moment, the situation ...

HANGZHOU: Pakistan Women’s cricket team crashed out of the race to win gold at the Asian Games 2023 as they lost to Sri Lanka by six wickets in the semi-finals at Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field on Sunday. The Sri Lanka Women’s team opted to bowl first and struck early as Sidra Ameen departed in the third over with a mere 11 runs on the board. Shawaal Zulfiqar was the next one to go, after stitching a brief 31-ball 19-run partnership with Omaima Sohail. Shawaal Zulfiqar scored 16 off 27 and was followed by Omaima Sohail to the pavilion on the next ball leaving Pakistan reeling at 30-3 in 8.1 overs. Pakistan Women’s team never recovered and managed to add a meagre 45 runs with the loss of six more wickets, making a total of 75-9 in their allocated 20 overs. Shawaal Zulfiqar top scored with 16 runs and was one of the only three batters to reach double figures. Udeshika Prabodhani led the bowling for Sri Lanka with the figures of 3-21, while, Kavisha Dilhari ...

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said winger Vinicius Junior would be in the squad to face Atletico Madrid in the ongoing season of La Liga on Sunday. The Brazilian has been out since suffering a hamstring injury against Celta Vigo on August 25 but has recovered quicker than expected. Vinicius, 23, may start on the bench in the Madrid derby at the Metropolitano where league La Liga table-toppers Real Madrid are looking to maintain their 100 percent start to the ongoing season. “Vinicius trained yesterday with the team, he’s in good condition, the injury is forgotten, he trained today very well — he will be in the squad,” said Ancelotti. “Later, we’ll decide what role he has in the game tomorrow.” The Italian coach did insist the club would take no risks with Vinicius. “He trained yesterday because the risk was zero, he trained today because the risk was zero,” said Ancelotti. “If tomorrow there is one percent risk, we won’t play him. “The important thing is that Vinicius has r...

BARCELONA: Home side Barcelona on Saturday turned the tables tremendously in the last ten minutes to win 3-2 against Celta Vigo after being 2-0 down at the 80-minute mark in the ongoing La Liga season at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The Catalan stepped into their temporary home at Montjuic with four consecutive victories in La Liga, however, the visitors started the game on high as American midfielder Luca de la Torre set up Jorgen Strand Larsen, who picked up the ball and placed a composed finish past Marc Andre ter Stegen to make it 1-0 in the 19 th minute. Barcelona looked to score an equalizer in the 38th minute, courtesy of Marcos Alonso’s header from the centre of the box but was saved in the bottom left corner by the goalkeeper. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong got injured, adding to Barcelona’s miseries in the first half. Celta Vigo then extended their lead to 2-0 as Tasos Douvikas scored off a left-footed shot from the centre of the box following a fast break. However, what f...

RAWALPINDI: Right-arm pacer Ali Shafiq’s four-wicket haul powered Lahore Blues to restrict Faisalabad to 211/8 despite Mohammad Abubakar Khan and Ali Shan’s half-centuries on Day 2 of the third-round fixture of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QeAT) 2023/24. Faisalabad started their day at 53 for three. Mohammad Abubakar Khan and Ali Shan recovered the loss concurred by their side for losing their top three cheaply; the two batters scored 115 runs together. Both Abubakar and Ali got half-centuries to their name which lent the side some confidence and stability. However, once the partnership was broken, Faisalabad’s woes continued, as they lost three wickets after that. Lahore Blues’ bowlers had a proactive day; Ali Shafiq returned with four wickets while Kashif Bhatti and Nisar Ahmed had two wickets each. Faisalabad ended the day at 211 at the loss of eight wickets. In another QEAT fixture, Peshawar acquired a valuable 29-run lead against Rawalpindi, courtesy of a five-wicket haul by Niaz...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, confirmed the team management for the ICC World Cup 2023 that will be played in India in October and November.  For this year’s mega event, the PCB confirmed retaining the team management, led by the director of Pakistan men’s cricket Mickey Arthur and manager Rehan-ul-Haq. Additionally, the coaching staff for the Pakistan men’s cricket team was also retained with Andrew Puttick and Morne Morkel continuing in their roles as batting and bowling coaches, respectively, and Grant Bradburn serving as head coach with Abdul Rehman acting as his deputy. Pakistan’s ICC World Cup 2023 bound contingent is scheduled to depart for Hyderabad in the wee hours of Wednesday. Team director Mickey Arthur will join the side by 30 September. Pakistan squad for ICC World Cup 2023 Babar Azam (c), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, M Wasim Jnr, Ha...

KATHMANDU: Pakistan came from behind to hold Maldives for a 1-1 stalemate to qualify for the semi-finals of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) U19 Championship 2023. The Green Shirts started their second SAFF U19 Championship 2023 fixture on a high as he dominated the possession for a notable period but failed to convert into a goal. Pakistan’s error in conversion allowed the Maldives to capitalize on the situation and they successfully netted the opener in the 39th minute, courtesy of a brilliant outside-of-the-box finish. Maldives went into the break with a 1-0 lead over Pakistan. In the second half, Pakistan made numerous efforts but were denied the equalizer by the strong Maldives defence. Pakistan, however, finally got luck in their favour when Shah Jahan netted the equalizer late into the game before pulling off an animated celebration. Earlier this week, Pakistan scripted a triumphant start to their SAFF U19 Championship 2023 campaign with a thrilling 1-0 victory o...

Former Indian opening batter Gautam Gambhir picked Pakistan’s all-format captain and top-ranked ODI batter Babar Azam amongst the top batters, to watch out for in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 in India. Gautam Gambhir was asked to pick one out of the current top batters — David Warner, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith, Babar Azam, Joe Root and Rohit Sharma — whom he will have his eyes on at the ICC World Cup 2023. India’s World Cup-winning opener Gambhir replied: “Babar Azam”. “I think Babar Azam possesses all kinds of qualities that he can set this World Cup on fire,” Gautam Gambhir said. “I have not seen many players who have so much time to play. Yes, I believe that we have greats like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Joe Root, but Babar Azam has a different level of quality,” he added. . @GautamGambhir will eagerly watch out for @babarazam258 's performance this #CWC2023 . Will Babar prove to be the BEST against the rest on the BIGGEST stage? #W...

Laver Cup newcomers Ben Shelton and Francisco Cerundolo notched crisp victories and Felix Auger-Aliassime pulled off a testy triumph over Gael Monfils as Team World opened their title defence Friday with four victories. US Open semi-finalist Shelton of the United States put Team World on the path to a 4-0 lead with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 victory over Team Europe’s Arthur Fils of France. Argentina’s Cerundolo followed with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain — the first time that Team World had led after the opening session of the Laver Cup. Auger-Aliassime, whose Sunday singles win over Novak Djokovic was key to Team World’s win last year, opened the night session with a 6-4, 6-3 win over French veteran Monfils, whose lighthearted approach to the contest rubbed the Canadian the wrong way. Auger-Aliassime was irked when Monfils briefly took a seat near a line judge rather than preparing to receive serve, pointedly asking the umpire if he planned to enforce competi...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, announced an overall USD 10 million pot, including the prize money for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. The winners of the Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will receive USD 4 million of the USD 10 million total prize pool, ICC announced. The runners-up of the Final to be played on 19 November at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will take home USD 2 million. All 10 teams will play each other once in a round-robin format in the Group Stage, with the top four in the points table progressing to the semi-finals. At the end of the Group Stage, teams that fail to reach the knockouts will each get USD 100,000, out of the World Cup prize money, it added. The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will commence with defending champions England facing New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India on October 5. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Friday finally announced the 15-member squad. Babar Azam will lead the side...

Hosts India on Friday became the number one ODI side after beating Australia in the opening game of the three-match series.  India had headed into the ODI series against Australia on the back of their Asia Cup 2023 win. It was Australia’s fourth consecutive ODI. They headed in the series on the back of 2-3 series defeat to hosts South Africa. The visitors, sent to bat first, scored 276 in their 50 overs. Opener David Warner helped the cause with his half-centuries. He top-scored with 52 off 53 balls with six boundaries and two maximums to his name. Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis and Steve Smith – who returned to the side after recovering from wrist injury – scored 45 and 41 respectively.  Mohammed Shami was the pick of the pacers with his superb figures of 5-51 in 10 overs. India successfully chased the 277-run target in 48.4 overs. Opener Shubman Gill top-scored 74 from 63 balls with six fours and two maximums.  His opening partner scored 10 boundaries on his way to 77...

LAHORE: Inzamam-ul-Haq, the national chief selector announced a 15-member Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, the notable selection, however, was the returning pace-bowler Hasan Ali. Hasan Ali returned to the Pakistan ODI squad after one year, replacing injured fast bowler Naseem Shah , who injured his right shoulder during the Asia Cup 2023 match against India. He last played an ODI match against West Indies in June 2022, where he picked up two wickets. The head of national selection committee, Inzamam-ul-Haq justified Hasan Ali’s selection on the basis of experience and injuries to other pace bowlers. “We were forced to make one change [Hasan Ali] because of an unfortunate injury to Naseem Shah,” said Inzamam-ul-Haq. “Our fast bowlers are facing injuries, so Hasan Ali has been included in the team on the basis of experience.” He also explained the reason for Hasan Ali not replace Naseem Shah in Asia Cup 2023 instead of Zaman Khan. “Hasan Ali was suffering from ...

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has said that he is unsure about his participation in the next FIFA World Cup in 2026, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. “I don’t know if I will get there,” he told Argentine media personality Miguel Garrados in an interview broadcast on YouTube Thursday. “I don’t think about it yet because it is far away.” By the time of FIFA World Cup 2026, Messi will be 39 years of age. For now, he said he is only focused on the 2024 US-hosted Copa America tournament. “After the Copa America we’ll see, it will depend on how I feel,” he said. “There are still three years left.” Messi led Argentina to victory against France in the World Cup final in Qatar last December. In the interview, he reiterated his disappointment with not having received sufficient “recognition” at his former French club Paris Saint-Germain after holding aloft the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He claimed he was the only one of his Argentine team mates “who got n...

Defending champions South Korea became the first team into the Last 16 of the Asian Games 2023 men’s football event after a 4-0 cruise past Thailand on Thursday. Hosts China and North Korea also registered second successive wins and both need only a point from their final Asian Games 2023 group games on Sunday to guarantee a place in the knockout phase. South Korea raced into a 4-0 lead by half-time at the Jinhua Sports Centre stadium via a goal apiece for Hong Hyun-seok, An Jae-jun, Um Wong-san and Lee Jae-ik. It sparked thoughts that the gold medal winners from Asian Games 2018 might repeat their 9-0 opening game rout of Kuwait on Tuesday, but the Thais were more resolute in the second half. China had a sizeable crowd at the Huanglong Sports Centre Stadium rocking by half-time as they also went 4-0 up before the break against Myanmar. Two goals from Long Tan and one apiece from Dai Wenjun and Wang Zhenao put them into cruise control and though they peppered the Myanmar goal in t...

LAHORE: The much-anticipated Pakistan squad for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 will be announced on Friday morning, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed. In an official statement, the PCB revealed that the national men’s Chief Selector Inzamam-ul-Haq met PCB management committee chairman Zaka Ashraf on Thursday afternoon and finalized the 15-member squad for the ICC World Cup 2023. “Inzamam ul Haq, chief selector, who couldn’t make into the meeting yesterday due to a medical emergency but met Zaka Ashraf on Thursday afternoon to share his input,” PCB said in a statement . “After the completion of the review, Inzamam has finalised the Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup, which will be announced on Friday morning in a press conference scheduled to take place at 1115 am at Level 2, Far-End Building of Gaddafi Stadium,” the statement added. The PCB also reviewed the national men’s team’s performance in the recently concluded ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2023. The PCB high-ups under the ...