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JOHANNESBURG: Sunrisers Eastern Cape bowlers decimated Joburg Super Kings and powered them to a crushing nine-wicket victory, which sealed their spot in the SA20 knockouts. The defending champions after booking the hosts on a measly total, chased down the target in just 11 overs to earn a bonus point which propelled them to book their place in the knockout stage of SA20. Eastern Cape captain Aiden Markram’s decision to bowl first paid dividends for his side as his bowlers wreaked havoc to bundle the Super Kings on a mere 78. The home side had a disastrous start to their innings as they lost skipper Faf du Plessis and Reeza Hendricks – both duck – in the second over with just 10 runs on the board. Wayne Madsen then joined Leus du Plooy in the middle and attempted to settle things down with a cautious stand. Watch SA20 Live on  ARY ZAP The duo could put together 22 runs for the third wicket before Beyers Swanepoel removed du Plooy on the first delivery of the fifth over. He sco...

KARACHI: Pakistan all-rounder Iftikhar Ahmed apologized over his heated verbal exchange with senior batter Asad Shafique in the Sindh Premier League (SPL). Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Iftikhar issued an apologetic statement and admitted that he should not have behaved in such a way. “I am extremely apologetic for my behaviour in the field today. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did in the heat of the moment,” wrote Iftikhar. Iftikhar Ahmed further shared that he has apologized to Asad Shafique in person and have always held great regard for him. “I’ve apologised to [Asad Shafique] Bhai in person after the match & have always held great regards for him. We have played a lot of cricket together,” he concluded. The incident occurred when Karachi Ghazi’s Iftikhar dismissed Larkana Challengers’ Asad in the eighth over of the 161-run pursuit. In a video, making rounds on social media, Iftikhar was seen doing an animated celebration directed towards Asad which irked the batter,...

Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim finally broke the silence on the possibility of taking back his retirement from international cricket. In an interview with a local news outlet, Imad backed his decision to retire from international cricket but hinted at the possibility of coming back if Pakistan need him. “The decision I took, I was 100 % in it. But you never know when Pakistan needs you; you have to do something about it,” said Imad. Imad Wasim further insisted that he needs clarity from the team management about his role and the brand of cricket they want to go forward with. “What I want to know is about clarity — it’s about giving me responsibility, not as a captain but as a senior player, to take the team where I want to or where a group of senior players wants to take it. “I want Pakistan to play the right cricket, the right style, and the right combination. There is nothing wrong with taking retirement. I’m really happy; I’m still playing cricket all over the world,” h...

DUBAI: Shaheen Shah Afridi’s unbeaten 17-run cameo in the tense run chase propelled Desert Vipers to an enthralling two-wicket victory over MI Emirates in the 15th match of the ILT20 here on Tuesday. Put into bat first, MI Emirates could register 149/9 in the allotted 20 overs. The table-toppers had a dismal start to their innings as Mohammad Amir got Kusal Mendis (0) caught behind on the second delivery of the first over. Opening batter Muhammad Waseem (19) and Andre Fletcher (18) had brief stints as they both fell victim to Luke Wood inside the batting powerplay. Ambati Rayadu and Akeal Hosein played cautious knocks in the middle as the Vipers’ bowlers kept things tight. Tim David then bolstered MI Emirates’ total with a brisk cameo, which lasted in an eventful last over bowled by Mohammad Amir. Watch ILT20  Live on  ARY ZAP David top-scored for MI Emirates with a 14-ball 28, which featured two boundaries and two sixes. Amir led the bowling attack for the Vipers with...

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called for calm surrounding speculation over a number of the club’s star players following the news he will leave Anfield at the end of the season. Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold have 18 months left to run on their contracts and captain Van Dijk raised alarm bells when the Dutchman said he was “curious which direction the club will go” once Klopp leaves. “It’s completely normal,” said Klopp at his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea. “A week ago no one knew about my situation. There was still 18 months on their contracts and no one asked, so give us a break. No one has to worry. “Write what you want, the club is stable. Everything will be fine, I’m 100 percent sure. I would recommend to stay calm. Very often the fans’ concerns are not as big as you might think. You underestimate the intelligence of our supporters.” Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Jurgen K...

COX’s BAZAR: Sri Lanka thumped Pakistan by 31 runs in the fifth match of the U19 Women’s T20 Tri-series at the Sheikh Kamal International Cricket Stadium. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. Zaib-un-Nisa Niaz provided an early breakthrough, as she removed Dewmi Wijerathne for a second-ball duck. Nethmi Senarathna and Vishmi Gunarathna built a 66-run second-wicket stand to bring momentum to the innings. Maham Anees dismissed Senarathna (35, 45b, 3x4s) to break the partnership. Gunarathna remained unbeaten at 71 from 55, including 11 boundaries. Captain Manudi Dulansa Nanayakkara also chipped in with an unbeaten 17 off 18, with one boundary. Sri Lanka Women U19 finished at 134-2 in 20 overs. Maham and Zaib-un-Nisa were the only two wicket-takers for Pakistan Women U19. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Eyman Fatima and Samiya Afsar provided Pakistan Women U19 a solid start to the chase, courtesy of a 42-run opening stand. Rashmika Sewwandi brought an en...

YAMOUSSOUKRO: Hosts Ivory Coast put a disastrous group campaign behind them on Monday to beat holders Senegal 5-4 on penalties at Charles Konan Banny Stadium and book an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarter-final against Mali or Burkina Faso.  A last-16 thriller ended 1-1 after extra time with Habib Diallo scoring after four minutes for Senegal and Franck Kessie equalising off a penalty four minutes from the end of regular time in Yamoussoukro. Kessie was the shootout hero, converting the decisive kick after Moussa Niakhate had struck the post with the third Senegalese penalty. Senegal became the seventh consecutive holders to fall victim to a Cup of Nations curse — no team since Egypt in 2008 have been able to take a title defence beyond the round of 16. A humiliating 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea last Monday did not dampen support for the host nation with supporters queueing from the middle of the night to buy tickets in the central city. French coach Jean-Louis Gasset was ...

CAPE TOWN: Openers Leus du Plooy and Faf du Plessis came out all guns blazing and powered Joburg Super Kings to a sensational victory over MI Cape Town in the rain-affected clash of the SA20. Put into bat first, MI Cape Town registered a decent total of 80/3 in the reduced eight overs, courtesy of Kieron Pollard’s cameo after the rain delay. The all-rounder smashed 33 off 10 deliveries with the help of one boundary and four sixes and top-scored for his side. Earlier, MI Cape Town had a cautious start as they were 43/1 in six overs. Watch SA20 Live on  ARY ZAP Opening batters Rassie van der Dussen (16) and Ryan Rickelton (23) were the other significant contributors for the visitors. Imran Tahir led the bowling attack for the Super Kings with two wickets, followed by Lizaad Williams, who picked one. Set to chase a revised target of 98, the Super Kings’ openers straightaway went after MI Cape Town’s bowlers and comfortably chased down the total without losing a wicket and 14 ba...

SHARJAH: Maheesh Theekshana returned splendid figures of 4/20 and powered home side Sharjah Warriors to a thumping nine-wicket victory over Dubai Capitals in the 14th match of the ongoing ILT20 here on Monday. Dubai Capitals’ captain David Warner’s decision to bat first backfired as his side unfolded on a measly 104 in 18.2 overs. The visitors had an unwanted start to their innings as they lost their top-order – Rahmanullah Gurbaz (9), David Warner (16) and Ben Dunk (8) – inside the powerplay with just 39 runs on the board. Coming out to bat at number 4, all-rounder Sikandar Raza offered some retaliation but kept losing partners at the other end. He waged a lone battle with a gutsy 22 before falling victim to Daniel Sams in the 18th over. Watch ILT20  Live on  ARY ZAP Besides Raza, Roelof van der Merwe (21) was the other notable contributor to the Capitals’ total. Maheesh Theekshana led the bowling charge of the Warriors with a four-wicket haul, followed by Daniel Sams,...

England’s attacking “Bazball” style of play trumped India at home in the first Test but pundits and cricketers on Monday said the hosts remain favourites in the five-match series. Rohit Sharma’s India lost the nail-biting opener by 28 runs in Hyderabad on Sunday on day four of the Test, after being ahead in the match for most of the opening three days. England’s fearless “Bazball” brand of play devised by coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes has brought the team 14 victories in 19 Tests. It was India’s fourth loss in their last 47 Tests at home since 2013 — and their first-ever after leading by 190 runs in the first innings of a home game. “It’s just a wake-up call for India,” former England captain Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports. “England have shown that they’re not a side to be messed with,” he added. “This is a confident side; they have great self-belief in the way they are playing the game. They are fully behind their captain. They are fully behind their coach.” ...

BARCELONA: Atletico Madrid replaced holders Barcelona at the third position in La Liga standings after registering a 2-0 victory over Valencia at Civitas Metropolitan Stadium on Sunday. Barcelona succumbed to a 5-3 loss at the hands of Villarreal on Saturday at home after having a 3-2 lead in the 80 minutes, leaving them at same number of wins with Atletico Madrid. Atletico entered their home ground on Sunday with three points shy of Barcelona, however, the victory over Valencia placed them in the third position with more wins. Watch La Liga 2023/24 Live on ARY ZAP The home team spent the first half looking for the first goal, which they earned at the stroke of half-time as Samuel Lino hit from the centre of the box to the centre after an assist by Antoine Griezmann with a through ball. Memphis Depay doubled their advantage 10 minutes into the second half with a header from very close range to the centre of the goal after finding a cross by Nahuel Molina. Valencia made desperate...

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday that it had lifted its ban on Sri Lanka Cricket after Colombo promised to end political interference in the board’s administration. The controversy related to alleged corruption in Sri Lanka’s cricket board, the richest sporting body in a country still reeling from a crippling economic crisis. The ICC ban had prevented Sri Lanka from taking part in international events and it lost an opportunity to host the Under-19 World Cup. “The International Cricket Council (ICC) Board has today lifted the suspension of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) with immediate effect,” the sport’s world governing body said in a statement. The SLC was suspended in early November after the ICC accused it of failing to autonomously manage its affairs without political interference. The ICC said it was now “satisfied that SLC are no longer in breach of membership obligations”. Follow us on our Official...

SHARJAH: Captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore played a blistering knock in the first innings, which was followed by a combined bowling effort by Sharjah Warriors’ bowlers to sink Desert Viper s in the 13th ILT20 match here on Sunday. Desert Vipers opted to bowl first and Luke Wood proved the decision right as he removed opening batters Niroshan Dickwella (5) and Johnson Charles (6) in the second over. Martin Guptill and Tom Kohler-Cadmore joined hands to construct a blistering 101-run stand from 53 balls to push the team’s total to 120 in 10.3 overs. Wood came back to attack and dismissed Kohler-Cadmore, who was the chief contributor to the partnership, scoring 68 off 34. His innings was laced with two fours and eight sixes. Watch ILT20  Live on  ARY ZAP Guptill scored 39 off 32 before Shaheen Afridi ended his anchoring innings. Wanindu Hasaranga picked three wickets in the next over to reduce the Warriors to 147-7, however, Joe Denly and Chris Woakes’s 27-run stand helped them po...

BRISBANE: West Indies pulled off a historic eight-run win over Australia in the second Test at the Gabba, prompting an emotional reaction by legendary Brian Lara. Young West Indies pace bowler Shamar Joseph was adjudged man-of-match for his tremendous bowling as he helped the West Indies register their first win in Australia since 1997. Joseph went through scans after retiring hurt on Saturday night when he was hit on the toe by a Mitchell Starc yorker, however, he came back to the field on Sunday and took 7-68 as the West Indies bowled Australia out for 207. Brian Lara was sitting in the commentary box during the final moments of the historic victory and he failed to control his emotions as Joseph claimed the last wicket of Mitchell Starc to seal the victory. Inside the commentary box as Ian Smith and Brian Lara call one of West Indies' greatest Test victories (via @MarkHoward03 ) #AUSvWI pic.twitter.com/SgTXmyXSSf — ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) January 28, 2024 For th...

BARCELONA: Villarreal made a stunning comeback late in the game to register a thumping 5-3 victory over Barcelona in the La Liga 2023-24 fixture at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Saturday. Both teams made efforts early on to gain the advantage but to no avail, before Gerard Moreno opened the scoring for the visitors. Barcelona made two back-to-back attempts at the stroke of the first half, however, Villarreal’s goalkeeper did well to deny them, ending the first half at 1-0 for the visitors. Ilias Akhomach extended Villarreal’s lead ten minutes in the second half however, Ilkay Gündogan reduced the deficit for the hosts six minutes later. Watch La Liga 2023/24 Live on ARY ZAP Barcelona’s Pedri, who came off the bench after the first half, then squeezed a low effort into the bottom corner to level things up at 2-2 before Eric Bailly’s own goal handed the home side an unlikely 3-2 lead. Villarreal made a comeback with Gonçalo Guedes scoring in the 84th minute after a quick cou...

BRISBANE: Injured pace bowler Shamar Joseph produced a stunning spell to help West Indies pull off a remarkable eight-run win over Australia in the second Test at the Gabba on Sunday. Joseph, who needed scans after retiring hurt on Saturday night when he was hit on the toe by a Mitchell Starc yorker, took 7-68 on Sunday as the West Indies bowled Australia out for 207, giving the West Indies their first win in Australia since 1997. Australia began the fourth day’s play at 60-2, chasing 216 for victory and with Steve Smith and Cameron Green at the crease, they were overwhelming favourites. Opening bowlers Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph were not particularly threatening, so 45 minutes in captain Kraigg Brathwaite threw the ball to Joseph, with almost immediate results. Although proving expensive, Joseph’s extra pace caused trouble for all the batters and the more wickets he took, the more confident the West Indies became. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel He bowle...

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday, announced the composition of the Board of Governors (BoG) in accordance with Paragraph 10 of the PCB Constitution 2014. The Board of Governors now stands as follows: 1. Mr Mustafa Ramday (PCB Patron’s nominee) 2. Mr Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi (PCB Patron’s nominee) 3. Mr Sajjad Ali Khokhar, President Regional Cricket Association AJK 4. Mr Zafarullah Jadgal, President Regional Cricket Association Dera Murad Jamali 5. Mr Tanveer Ahmed, President Regional Cricket Association Larkana 6. Mr Tariq Sarwar, President Regional Cricket Association Bahawalpur 7. Representative of Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) 8. Representative of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) 9. Representative of Ghani Glass Limited 10. Representative of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) 11. Secretary to the Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination, or any other officer nominated by him as an ex-officio member (Non-voting member) Earlie...

SHARJAH: Akeal Hosein returned exceptional figures of 4/23 and powered MI Emirates to a thumping 106-run victory over Sharjah Warriors in the ninth match of the ILT20 here on Friday. Put into bat first, MI Emirates registered a commendable total of 180/7 on the board, courtesy of a combined effort from their batters. The Emirates had a contrasting start to their innings as their opener Muhammad Waseem (0) fell victim to Chris Woakes on the second delivery of the innings. Andre Fletcher then paired up with Kusal Perera and stitched a 93-run stand for the second wicket before both fell on consecutive deliveries, scoring 42 each. Watch ILT20 Live On  ARY ZAP Fletcher conceded 31 deliveries and smashed four boundaries and two sixes while Perera’s knock featured three boundaries and three sixes. Skipper Nicholas Pooran then took the reigns of MI Emirates’ batting charge and put together brief partnerships with Ambadi Rayadu (7) and Tim David (20) before finally perishing in the fi...

Jannik Sinner terminated Novak Djokovic’s bid for tennis immortality at the Australian Open on Friday, ending the Serb’s record 33-match winning run at Melbourne Park and his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title. The Italian fourth seed was unfazed by dropping his first set of the tournament against the king of Rod Laver Arena, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 to reach a first Grand Slam final. He will face either third-seed Daniil Medvedev or sixth-seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s title match. “It was a very, tough match,” said Jannik Sinner. “I started off really well. He missed in the first two sets. I felt like he was not feeling that great on court so I just tried to keep pushing.” Ten-time champion Novak Djokovic, who had not tasted defeat at the Australian Open since 2018, was gunning for a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title but Sinner ripped up the script in spectacular fashion. Novak Djokovic had no answer to his 22-year-old opponent early in the match but did not help...

Star batters Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra were named on Friday in the New Zealand squad for the two-match home Test series, starting next week, against an inexperienced South Africa side. Williamson returns to the Black Caps after a hamstring strain sidelined him during the recent home Twenty20 series win over Pakistan, which New Zealand took 4-1. Fresh from being named emerging player of the year by the International Cricket Council, rising star Ravindra will take the place of veteran Henry Nicholls, 32, in the middle order. “It was a very tough decision. Henry has been part of the squad for 56 Tests. Whenever you leave a player out, it weighs heavy, but we felt it’s time for Rachin,” said New Zealand head coach Gary Stead. “We know the talent he is and feel he will make a really good fist of it at this stage in his career.” Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Ravindra, 24, will be making only his fourth Test appearance since his debut against India in 2021. P...

CENTURION: Daryn Dupavillon displayed nerves of steel and successfully defended 11 runs in the final over to power Pretoria Capitals to a thrilling three-run victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the 18th match of the SA20 here on Thursday. Put into bat first, the Capitals could score 125 runs on a tricky surface and were bundled out in 18.5 overs. The Capitals, after getting off to a dismal start, lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually reduced to 52/5 inside the powerplay. Following the slump, James Neesham joined forces with Shane Dadswell and anchored the innings. The pair added a crucial 52 runs for the sixth wicket before both fell in quick succession. Neesham remained the top-scorer for the Capitals with a 26-ball 27 which featured two sixes. Dadswell, however, scored a cautious 24 off 26 deliveries with the help of one boundary and a six. Capitals’ skipper Wayne Parnell played a crucial 13-run cameo at the backend before Eastern Cape booked them on 125 in t...

DUBAI: Sam Billings scored a quickfire half-century in the run chase and powered Dubai Capitals to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the eighth match of the ILT20 here on Thursday. Put into bat first, Abu Dhabi Knight Riders could put up 183/4 on the board despite Sam Hain and Laurie Evans’s brisk half-centuries. The Knight Riders got off to a shaky start to their innings as they lost Andries Gous and Michael Pepper in the second over with just 111 runs on the board. Walking out to bat at number four, Hain then put together a brief 37-run partnership with Alishan Sharafu, who fell in the sixth over after scoring an 18-ball 15. Hain then joined forces with Evans and the pair launched an astounding recovery for the Knight Riders. They dominated the second half of the innings and added 131 runs to the total before Hain finally walked back in the final over. Watch ILT20 Live On  ARY ZAP Hain smashed eight boundaries and two sixes on his way to top...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced to reschedule the final of the President’s Trophy Grade I 2023-24. The President’s Trophy final between the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) will now take place from 6 to 10 February in Karachi. Meanwhile, the venue for the final will be confirmed in due course. “After careful consideration and in the spirit of fairness, we have decided to accommodate the request from one of the finalist teams to reschedule the President Trophy final,” said Nadeem Khan, the Director of Domestic Cricket Operations. “The return of the departments to domestic cricket has been a welcome change. This tournament has been a success with 21 matches taking place in seven rounds among seven departmental teams. “We are confident that the final will also be played with the same competitive spirit and we wish good luck to both the finalists,” he concluded. For the unversed, SNGPL t...

South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad insisted Thursday that a lack of Test experience was “galvanising” his Proteas side for the two-match series in New Zealand. South Africa have brought an inexperienced side to play the Black Caps, with many first-choice South African players committed to their domestic Twenty20 competition. Eight of the 15-man squad have yet to play Test cricket, including captain Neil Brand. Fast bowler Duanne Olivier has the most experience with 15 Test appearances. The 31-year-old is looking to restart a Test career stalled by injuries. “We are all aware of why the side is what it is,” Conrad told reporters in Christchurch before the two-Test series, which starts next week. “We have made peace with it a long time ago. “It’s a conversation which has been well ventilated and discussed. If anything, it’s been used as a galvanising agent.” He said his new-look South African team is desperate to defend their record of having never lost a Test series to New Zea...

JOHANNESBURG: Wihan Lubbe scored a gutsy half-century in the run chase and powered Paarl Royals to a narrow five-wicket victory over home side Joburg Super Kings in the 17th match of the SA20 here on Wednesday. Put into bat first, the Super Kings could score 168/3 in their quota of 20 overs despite Reeza Hendricks’ unbeaten 79-run knock. The home side had a dismal start to their innings as they lost their opener and skipper Faf du Plessis (17) with just 23 runs on the board in the fifth over. Leus du Plooy then joined Hendricks at the crease and the pair put together a brisk 41-run stand that lasted with the former walking back in the 10th over. He scored a quickfire 30 off just 16 deliveries, laced with four boundaries and a six. Hendricks was then involved in another cautious stand when he, alongside Sibonelo Makhanya, added 44 runs for the third wicket at the cost of 36 balls. Watch SA20 Live on  ARY ZAP Makhanya scored a scratchy 15 off 18 deliveries and could hit a singl...

DUBAI: Wanindu Hasaranga backed Shaheen Shah Afridi’s 3/22 with a quickfire 42 and powered Desert Vipers to their maiden victory in the ongoing ILT20 2024. The star-studded side registered a comfortable six-wicket victory over Gulf Giants in the seventh match. Put into bat first, the Giants struggled against the ruthless bowling attack of the Vipers and put up a modest total of 160/6 on the board. The Giants had a dismal start to their innings as Mohammad Amir and Shaheen Afridi struck in quick successions to leave them reeling at 7/2 in 2.2 overs. Following the slump, Chris Lynn and Jordan Cox anchored the innings with a counterattacking 89-run partnership. Lynn dominated the stand by dominating the Vipers’ bowlers and brought up his half-century in the process. The right-handed batter, however, failed to stretch his gutsy knock and fell victim to Tymal Mills in the 13th over. Watch ILT20 Live On  ARY ZAP He top-scored for the Giants with a 42-ball 63 which featured seven ...

Australia’s team has been hit by COVID-19 ahead of the second Test against the West Indies, with allrounder Cameron Green and coach Andrew McDonald the latest to come down with the virus on Wednesday. They fell ill after batter Travis Head contracted Covid at the end of the first Test in Adelaide last week, which the hosts won by 10 wickets. He has since tested negative and will play in Brisbane, where the second of the two-Test series — a day-night affair — gets underway on Thursday. Unless they feel too sick, Green and McDonald are also expected to be involved in the match. “Cameron Green and Andrew McDonald will be separated from the group until they return a negative test,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel “It will not hinder Green taking part in or McDonald attending the match in line with CA protocols.” Covid protocols allow players to compete even if they do not return negative results in the next 24 hours, but they mu...

CAPE TOWN: Marcus Stoinis and Noor Ahmad bagged three wickets each to script Durban’s Super Giants’ 36-run victory over home side MI Cape Town in the 16th match of the SA20 here on Tuesday. Put into bat first, the Super Giants registered a commendable total of 157/6 on the board on a tricky surface, courtesy of Matthew Breetzke’s 46, followed by Wiaan Mulder’s quickfire cameo. The visitors had a shaky start to their innings as they were reduced to 23/2 in 2.4 overs after Tony de Zorzi (20) and Quinton de Kock (11) fell victim to George Linde on the consequent deliveries. JJ Smuts then joined Breetzke in the middle and they soon anchored the innings with a cautious 46-run partnership which lasted in the 10th over with Thomas Kaber removing the former. Watch SA20 Live on  ARY ZAP Smuts scored 26 off 23 with the help of two boundaries and a six. The Super Giants then further slipped to 94/5 in 14.4 overs as Heinrich Klaasen (6) and Marcus Stoinis (11) walked back after modest co...

Palestine reached the Asian Cup knockout rounds for the first time after beating Hong Kong 3-0 on Tuesday for their maiden win in the history of the competition. They just missed out on the second spot in Group C but advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams, with Oday Dabbagh the hero for his two goals. United Arab Emirates went through in second place despite losing 2-1 to group winners Iran. The historic victory in Doha comes against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. “Thank you to the fans who are coming to support Palestine and the national team of Palestine. Thank you from our heart,” captain Musab Al-Battat told beIN SPORTS after the game. “We will do our best to put a smile for the people.” Palestinian players and staff have lost loved ones in the conflict and said before the tournament that they hoped to provide some comfort to those suffering back home. A pre-match moment’s silence was overrun by shouts of “Free Palesti...

ABU DHABI: MI Emirates bowlers ran through home side Abu Dhabi Knight Riders’ batting unit and powered their side to a thumping nine-wicket victory in the sixth match of the ILT20 here on Tuesday. Put into bat first, the Knight Riders batting lineup folded for a paltry total of 95 despite Andre Russell’s counterattacking 48-run knock. The home side failed to recover from a dismal start and kept losing wickets at an alarming rate to consequently slip to 59/9. West Indian all-rounder Russell played a counterpunching knock and went after the MI Emirates bowlers. Russell smashed three boundaries and four sixes on his way to top score for the Knight Riders with a 25-ball 48. Watch ILT20 Live On  ARY ZAP He also put together a one-sided 10th-wicket partnership with Josh Little (5) and added 36 runs to the total before finally perishing on the first delivery of the 15th over. Trent Boult and Muhammad Rohid led the bowling attack for MI Emirates with three wickets each, followed by ...

DUBAI: After failing to make a cut in the International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I Team of the Year 2023, no Pakistan player could make it into the recently unveiled ICC Men’s ODI and Test Teams of the Year 2023. The apex cricketing body on Tuesday, recognized 11 players each from across the globe, who impressed with either their batting, bowling or all-round exploits throughout 2023 in Tests and ODIs. Australia’s all-format captain Pat Cummins was named the skipper of the ICC Test Team of the Year 2023, majorly dominated by his compatriots. Follow us on our Official  WhatsApp channel Besides Cummins, four more members of the Australian squad, which won the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23, were included in the Test Team of the Year, namely Usman Khawaja, Travis Head, Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc. The lineup further features two Indians — Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin — and two Englishmen — Joe Root and Stuart Broad. Sri Lanka’s Dimuth Karunaratne and New Zeal...

DUBAI: Johnson Charles scored a match-winning 93 in the run chase and steered Sharjah Warriors to a five-wicket victory over home side Dubai Capitals in the fifth match of the International League (ILT20) here on Monday. Put into bat first, the Capitals registered 170/7 on the board at the back of an illustrious fourth-wicket partnership between Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza. The home side had a shaky first half to their innings as they were reduced to 51/3 in 8.3 overs after Rahmanullah Gurbaz (15), David Warner (20) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (14) perished cheaply. Raza then joined Billings in the middle and the pair launched an astounding recovery for the Capitals. The duo added 81 runs for the fourth wicket before Raza, who was the core aggressor of the stand, was cleaned up by Daniel Sams in the 16th over. The all-rounder smashed three boundaries and as many sixes on his way to a 23-ball 48. Watch ILT20 Live On  ARY ZAP Billings, on the other hand, carried his bat all the ...

GQEBERHA: Sunrisers Eastern Cape bowlers came out all guns blazing and propelled their side to a crushing nine-wicket victory over Paarl Capitals in the 15th match of the SA20 here on Monday. Put into bat first, the Capitals were humbled by Ottniel Baartman-led Sunrisers Easter Cape bowling attack which booked them for a paltry total of just 52. Capitals openers Phil Salt and Will Jacks scripted a rather decent start as they added 25 runs for the first wicket before the former perished on the final delivery of the third over. His partner Jacks followed his footsteps as he perished on the next delivery, bringing the Capitals down to 25/2 in 3.1 overs. Watch SA20 Live on  ARY ZAP Salt scored 10 off seven while Jacks scored a run-a-ball 12 and remained the top-scorer for his side. Their back-to-back dismissals resulted in the Capitals running into an astounding collapse. The side could add 27 runs to their total for the cost of their remaining eight wickets as none of their comi...