Pakistan News Club

Pakistan down India in Asiad volleyball but fall to arch-rivals in squash, tennis

HANGZHOU: Murad Khan starred as Pakistan crushed India in their Asian Games volleyball fifth-place match on Tuesday but that was the only discipline where they got joy against their arch-rivals.nIndia had the upper hand against Pakistan in squash and tennis on the third day of action at the Games when the national hockey team extended their winning start in the hockey competition.nMurad scored a game-high 20 points at the China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium as Pakistan secured fifth place with a 3-0 romp past India.nIn an utterly dominant performance, the Indians were routed 25-21, 25-20, 25-23 in an hour and 14 minutes.nThe tables were quicky turned on the tennis courts where India’s Yuki Bhambri and Ankita Raina delivered a double-bagel thrashing to Aqeel Khan and Sarah Ibrahim in their second-round mixed doubles match.nPakistan’s other team in the same event, comprising Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Ushna Sohail fared better but lost 4-6, 1-6 to Thais Pruchya Isaro and Peangtarn Plipuech.nPakistan’s journey in the men’s and women’s doubles competitions also ended in round two.nAqeel and Aisam lost 6-7 (3/7), 4-6 to Taiwan’s Jason Jung and Yu-Hsiou Hsu while Sarah suffered a second double-bagel hammering on the day when she and Ushna fell 0-6, 0-6 to Indonesia’s Jessy Priskila Rompies and Beatrice Gumulya,nThere were contrasting fortunes for Pakistan’s men and women squash teams. While the men won both their matches, their female counterparts lost both their Pool ‘B’ ties, opening with a 3-0 defeat against India.nSadia Gul was beaten by Anahat Singh 6-11, 6-11, 3-11, Noor-ul-Huda Sadiq lost to Joshana Chinappa 2-11, 5-11, 7-11 while Noor-ul-Ain Sadiq fell to a 3-11, 6-11, 2-11 loss to Tanvi Khanna.nThe women suffered another 3-0 loss against Malaysia in their second game later in the day.nNoor Zaman clinched the decisive point for Pakistan in their opening Pool ‘A’ tie against Qatar, securing a 2-1 win for the side when he overcame Syed Amjad 12-10, 11-7, 11-9.nNasir Iqbal had given Pakistan the lead when he dispatched Salem Almaki 11-5, 11-5, 11-6 but Qatar had levelled the tie through Abdulla Altamimi, who beat Mohammad Asim 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-6.nThe trio then cruised to a 3-0 win over Nepal in their second match.nWINNING STARTnHaving opened with a thumping 11-0 win over Singapore, Pakistan’s hockey team notched their second straight victory in Pool ‘A’ when they overwhelmed Bangladesh 5-2 at the Gongshu Canal Sports Park Stadium.nHaving fallen behind after Bangladesh converted a penalty corner in the 19th minute, Pakistan levelled the contest at the whistle of the second quarter when Afraz netted a field goal.nTwo goals in three minutes put Pakistan on top as Shahzeb Khan scored with a field goal in the 40th with Mohammad Imad getting on the scoresheet soon after.nMilon Hussain pulled one back for Bangladesh in the 46th only for Sufyan Khan to restore Pakistan’s two-goal advantage with a drag-flick two minutes later. Arbaaz Ahmed added more gloss to the scoreline with another penalty corner conversion with three minutes to play.nOver at the Hangzhou Gymnasium, Pakistan boxer Mohammad Qasim advanced to the last 16 of the men’s 51-57kg competition with a 5-0 points win against Nawwaf Alzahmi of the United Arab Emirates.nThere was no such luck for fencer Mujaded Awan who lost all his five pool matches of the men’s individual epee at the Dianzi University Gymnasium.nPakistan’s shooters fared better with Kishmala Talat in 12th place after the precision round of the women’s 25m pistol competition with a score of 289. The top eight will qualify for the final after Wednesday’s rapid round.nIn the men’s skeet competition, Usman Chand was placed 10th after the first stage with a score of 72. The top six after Wednesday’s second stage will make the final.nPublished in Dawn, September 27th, 2023

September 27, 2023

NZ skipper Williamson targets World Cup return

WELLINGTON: Less than six months after knee surgery threatened to rule him out of next month’s ODI World Cup, the goal of captaining New Zealand in India has been the key driver in getting Kane Williamson through his recovery.nnThe 33-year-old 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.nnHowever, intense rehab work has meant a speedy recovery.nnWilliamson 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. nn“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.” nnWilliamson is already batting in the nets again, which the injured knee can handle. nn“For running, it’s not quite 100 percent, but making good progress,” he added.nnBlack Caps coach Gary Stead said there was no fixed date for when Williamson will play again.nnBut his return will be a big boost. He was player of the 2019 tournament with centuries against South Africa and the West Indies in leading New Zealand to the cusp of lifting the trophy. nn‘LITTLE STEPS FORWARD’nnWilliamson, who has chalked up over 6,500 runs in ODI cricket, is desperate to appear in a fourth World Cup, admitting the prospect “keeps you in the gym every day and working hard”. nn“It’s been really pleasing to see the progress and keep taking those little steps forward,” he added.nnWhile New Zealand have warmed-up for the World Cup with tours of England and Bangladesh, Williamson’s injury has limited his preparations.nnBut he is not overly concerned. nn“Naturally, it isn’t ideal, but I didn’t get too much of a say in it. It’s the only option I have in front of me and the prospect of playing another World Cup is really, really exciting,” he said. nn“It’s something you always want to be a part of but I didn’t want that to dictate my rehab. At the same time, having a carrot at the back of your mind is helpful.” nnDespite a burning desire to play, the New Zealand skipper said he would have no problem withdrawing from the squad if the injury flared up. nn“I only want to be there if I can add some value and I’m fit and ready to go,” he said, Williamson already knows about spending time on the sidelines after returning last year from a lengthy spell out with an elbow injury. nn“Working through injuries are part of the job, so being ready for whatever’s next is the goal,” he said.nnPublished in Dawn, September 27th, 2023

Algeria withdraws from race to host Cup of Nations tournament

ALGIERS: Algeria has pulled out of the running to stage the Africa Cup of Nations in either 2025 or 2027, the Algerian Football Federation (FAF) said on Tuesday, a day before the announcement of the host nation for each of the two tournaments.nnThe FAF said in a statement that it had “sent a letter to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) informing it of its decision to withdraw its bids to host the Africa Cup of Nations” in 2025 and 2027.nnAlgeria was due to come up against its North African neighbour Morocco as well as Zambia and a joint Nigeria-Benin bid for the hosting of the 2025 tournament.nnIt had also entered the 2027 contest, up against Botswana, Egypt, Senegal and a combined Kenya-Tanzania-Uganda challenge.nn“This withdrawal can be explained by a new approach from the FAF related to its strategy for developing football in Algeria,” the federation added.nnThe announcement came on the same day as a new president, Walid Sadi, took over the running of the FAF.nnIt was understood that Algeria, like its political rival Morocco, would have preferred to host the 2025 AFCON.nnEarlier this year, leading Moroccan and CAF official Fouzi Lekjaa caused a stir when he told local politicians that the kingdom would be chosen for 2025.nnAlgeria had successfully staged the African Nations Championship, for which only domestically-based players are eligible, at the beginning of this year.nnCAF’s executive committee will meet in Cairo on Wednesday when it will announce the hosts of the two editions of the Cup of Nations in question.nnEarlier, CAF president and South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe has hailed the organisational abilities of both countries, who have each staged the Cup of Nations once with Morocco doing so in 1988 and Algeria two years later.nn“Morocco has often flawlessly hosted major competitions while the CHAN in Algeria this year was the best ever,” he said.nnDuring the CHAN, Motsepe said he wanted each region to host the Cup of Nations: “We cannot assign the organisation of the CAN successively to the same region.”nnHowever, several months later, CAF secretary general Veron Mosengo-Omba said regional rotation may not always be possible.nn“Today, only five or six countries out of the 54 CAF members are able to apply to host the African Cup. Consequently, it will not be possible to make this alternation,” he said.nnThe next AFCON will be held in the Ivory Coast in January and February 2024, after it was postponed from June and July this year in order to avoid the West African rainy season.nnPublished in Dawn, September 27th, 2023

Babar Azam says Pakistan focused on giving their best to all World Cup matches, not one

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on Tuesday said the national side was focused on winning all the matches during the World Cup and not just one.n“As a team, we play match-to-match and we are eying the World Cup … we have nine matches to win before we can win the World Cup,” he said.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxpsMG8o0pr/" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% – 2px); width:calc(100% – 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxpsMG8o0pr/" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CxpsMG8o0pr/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank"></a></div></blockquote><script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>n n </figure>nThe national squad is set to depart for India for the tournament tomorrow. The team is due to travel to Dubai from Lahore before flying to Hyderabad, India, to play two warm-up matches — against New Zealand on Sept 29 and Australia on Oct 3.nThe team’s World Cup campaign will officially kick off in Hyderabad on October 6 against The Netherlands. Their second match will be against Sri Lanka at the same venue on Oct 10.nThe national side’s third fixture will be the high-octane encounter against arch-rivals India at Ahmedabad on October 14 before they go on to play Australia next and the remaining matches against other sides, ending their league stage with the game against England in Kolkata on November 12.nDuring a press conference in Lahore today, Babar said the team’s morale was high and appealed to the nation to pray for them.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1706583466450813055"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe skipper admitted that Pakistan’s performance during two key Asia Cup matches were “not the best”. However, he said the team had learnt from its mistakes and would “give its best” during the World Cup.n“We will go, see the conditions and will opt for a combination that is best for the team,” he said. “I’m not worried about my performance. I always try to perform in a manner that suits the team.”nIn response to a question on the October 14 clash with India, Babar said: “I’m very excited to play in Ahmedabad. It is the biggest stadium in the world and will be jam-packed for the India-Pakistan clash.n“Although we have not played in India before, we are not taking too much pressure.”nBabar maintained that the squad was focused on winning all the nine matches and eventually picking up the trophy.nQuestioned about the performance of spinners in the squad, Babar said, “No player is ordinary … it is very difficult to play in the Pakistan team, that only happens with performance and their performance is good.”n“They will do good in the World Cup as well,” the skipper added.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–instagram media__item–relative'><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxpx9-coPKp/" data-instgrm-version="13" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; 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September 26, 2023

Pakistan women go down to Bangladesh in bronze medal playoff

HANGZHOU: Pakistan missed out on a first medal at the Asian Games on Monday when their women’s cricket team lost to Bangladesh in a low-scoring third-place match. nnElsewhere, Pakistan suffered losses in singles matches but won their doubles ties in tennis while shooter Ghulam Mustafa Bashir finished last in his final. nnAt the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field, Bangladesh took the bronze after restricting Pakistan to 64-9 and crawling to their target of 65 in 18.2 overs. nnIt meant Pakistan, who won the gold on both previous occasions that cricket was played in the Asian Games, return home empty-handed. nnAliya Riaz was the Pakistan’s top-scorer with 17 runs while the skipper Nida Dar got 14 as Bangladesh’s nnShorna Akter (3-16) ripped through the lower middle-order. Shorna’s 14 not out then got Bangladesh home despite Nashra Sandhu’s 3-10. nnOver at the HOC Tennis Centre, Pakistan’s Ushna Sohail and Sarah Ibrahim suffered double-bagel losses to China’s Lin Zhu and Eala Alex of the Philippines respectively in their women’s second-round matches. The duo, however, won their first-round doubles tie 6-1, 6-1 against Mongolia’s Yesugen Ganbaatar and Sonom-yanzum Enkhjargal. nnAqeel Khan and Aisam-ul-Haq advanced into the men’s doubles second round with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Timor-Leste’s Antonio Mendes and Agapito Guterres Ferreira.nnIn the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol, Mustafa became the first out of six shooters to be eliminated in the second round, exiting with a total of 13 hits. nnAt the LA Sports Centre, Pakistan’s Haroon Khan exited the men’s taekwondo -58kg competition in the last-16 stage after falling 2-1 to Kyrgyz Aidin Altybaev. Haroon won the opening round 10-5 but lost the last two 10-9 and 15-12. nnPakistan also suffered three defeats in the wushu sanda quarter-finals at the XSG Sports Centre. nnAbdul Rehman was knocked out by Kazakhstan’s Abdusamat Ashirov in the men’s 65kg contest, Abdul Khaliq was beaten on points by China’s Xuetao Wang in the men’s 60kg match while Maria Karamat also lost on points to Thuy Thu Thi Nguyen of Vietnam in their women’s 60kg clash.nnPublished in Dawn, September 26th, 2023

Hasaranga doubtful for World Cup

COLOMBO: All-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga is “highly unlikely” to play in the 50-overs World Cup in India despite Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) making every effort to aid his bid to recover from a hamstring injury, according to media reports citing a team doctor.nnThe spin-bowling all-rounder sustained the injury during the Lanka Premier League last month and missed the Asia Cup, where Sri Lanka finished runners-up behind India. nn“We are consulting foreign doctors to see whether he needs surgery or not,” SLC medical panel chief Arjuna de Silva told the Sunday Times newspaper. “If he does, he will be out for at least three months. nn“At the moment, the situation is not that great and its highly unlikely if he can play the World Cup.” nnHasaranga’s absence would be a major blow to the 1996 champions considering the 26-year-old was the leading wicket-taker in the last two T20 World Cups.nnSri Lanka have until Sept. 28 to announce their 15-member squad for the World Cup, which begins on Oct. 5.nnDe Silva said the SLC were doing everything possible to try to get Hasaranga fit to play some matches in the World Cup. nn“Since he is a key weapon in our attack, we are looking at other options to see how best we can get his services at least for important games. All that depends on the opinions of the consultant to whom we are trying to show his reports.” nnFast bowler Dushmantha Chameera also risks missing the World Cup with a pectoral muscle injury. nn“Chameera is bowling at the moment but still complains of pain,” de Silva said. “We have consulted a doctor in the United Kingdom to see how best we could treat him.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 26th, 2023

New Zealand eye Bangladesh series win ahead of World Cup

DHAKA: New Zealand wrap up preparations for the upcoming World Cup hoping to achieve a rare series win in Bangladesh in their third and final one-day match on Tuesday. nn“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”.nnThe series is the last for both teams ahead of the World Cup in India, which opens on October 5.nnThe 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.nnThe 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.nnLockie Ferguson will lead the Kiwis in Bangladesh, where they brought only five members of the World Cup squad, including the stand-in skipper, pacer Trent Boult, all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, spinner Ish Sodhi and batsman Will Young.nnBangladesh initially rested key players, but with the series at stake, they brought back stalwarts Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed and Shoriful Islam.nnNajmul was named captain of the side for the series decider, as regular captain Shakib Al Hasan took a break.nnLiton Das, who led in the first two matches, is being rested. nn“If we win this game, definitely it will give the team a good feeling,” Najmul said. “But in case of a bad result, I don’t think it will affect our World Cup form much”.nnBangladesh were unbeaten at home in ODI series for nearly seven years until they lost to England and Afghanistan this year.nnPublished in Dawn, September 26th, 2023

Haris sees &lsquo;Pakistan in the World Cup final&rsquo;

LAHORE: Pakistan paceman Haris Rauf, on the eve of the national team’s departure to India, has made a bold claim even before the showpiece, that he sees Pakistan in the final of the ICC World Cup.nn“I don’t know which teams will be the semi-finalists of the World Cup but I see Pakistan in the final,” Haris said while addressing a press conference arranged by the Pakistan Cricket Board ahead of the squad’s departure to India scheduled for Tuesday-Wednesday via Dubai. nnTwo other members of the World Cup squad, namely Abdullah Shafique and Salman Ali Agha, also addressed press conferences separately.nnIt may be mentioned here that earlier the PCB had announced that Imam-ul-Haq, Hasan Ali, Haris and Salman will address the pressers. However, neither Imam nor Hasan turned up as Haris, Abdullah and Salman came up to answer the questions.nnThe media personnel had to wait for more than an hour for the players who came late because of the shooting for the ICC in connection with the World Cup promotional campaign.nnHaris at the presser said there would be different playing conditions at various World Cup venues in India but added “nothing is a big change as far as cricket is concerned because all of it would be white-ball cricket”.nnHe said the team management would plan and strategise after watching the playing conditions in India.nnSaying that he had not set any individual target for the World Cup, the 29-year-old Haris insisted cricket was a team game and he would try to give his best at the global event.nnAccording to Haris, pacer Hasan, who has featured in just a few ODIs during the past couple of years and played his last ODI back in June 2022, would produce a good show.nn“He [Hasan] is an experienced bowler who in the past played cricket alongside the current pace attack [of Pakistan team], and so hopefully he will perform well.”nnTo a question, Haris dispelled the impression that the Pakistan bowlers were not performing well in big matches. nn“In cricket, performance can be up or down on a given day,” he said.nnMeanwhile right-handed batter Abdullah who was selected as third opener, said if he got a chance to play he would try to give his best.nn“The selection is not in my hands, but if I get a chance I will try to do my best for the team,” the 23-year-old Abdullah said.nnUnderlining that not just India but all the teams were Pakistan’s opponents at the showpiece, Abdullah said the green-shirts would have to play their best game in every match.nn“The team management will chalk out a plan [for the World Cup] and the boys will act according to it,” he stated.nnSpeaking on the occasion, Salman said Pakistan would have to look ahead after the Asia Cup disaster in Sri Lanka.nn“We have to move forward for the World Cup after ignoring that [Asia Cup failure],” the 29-year-old told reporters.nnThe all-rounder said competing in a World Cup was a dream for every cricketer nn“[For me] it is coming true and I am very happy.”nnHe said both batting and bowling in the middle overs were important phases during the World Cup.nn“I know the importance of this fact and will try not to disappoint the team,” Salman said.nn“In India, there is always extra pressure for players but I will control it in order to do well.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 26th, 2023

Qin breaks Asian Games record as North Koreans snub South on podium

HANGZHOU: Swimming sensation Qin Haiyang added another title to his name to inflate China’s already bulging gold-medal haul and North Koreans stirred up drama by snubbing their South Korean rivals on the podium on day two of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Monday. nnThe hosts enjoyed success in gymnastics, fencing, rowing, shooting, taekwondo and mountain biking to top the medals table in Hangzhou with 39 golds at the end of the second full day of action. South Korea and Japan are their closest competitors with a distant 10 and five golds respectively. nnIndia won their first golds while a nine-year-old skateboarder melted hearts at the Games in the eastern Chinese city, which were delayed by a year due to Covid-19 measures. nnChina romped to all seven titles on the opening day of swimming on Sunday in an ominous display ahead of next summer’s Paris Olympics, but they did not have it all their own way a day later. nnSouth Korea’s Ji Yu-chan set a new Asian Games record in the men’s 50m freestyle of 21.72secs in a shock win ahead of Hong Kong’s Ian Ho (21.87) and teenage Chinese star Pan Zhanle (21.92). nnOlympic silver medallist Siobhan Haughey clinched Hong Kong’s first Asian Games swimming gold ever with an emphatic victory in the 200m freestyle in a sizzling 1min 54.12sec, another Games record. nn“I guess I was hoping for a little faster time, but it’s not too far off my best time, so I’m still happy with it,” she said. nnSouth Korea’s night got even better when they took gold ahead of the hosts in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay in another surprise. nnThe other four races all went the way of China’s swimmers, with the hulking 24-year-old Qin adding Games 100m breaststroke gold to his recent world title. nnQin, also the 50m and 200m world champion, romped home in a new Games-record time of 57.76secs, a gaping 1.33sec ahead of team-mate Yan Zibei. nnBut don’t call him the “Breaststroke Prince”. “Maybe just call me a breaststroke swimmer,” he said modestly. nnThe hosts rounded off another dominant day with gold ahead of Japan in the women’s team event of the artistic gymnastics. nn“Whilst in the match we both cheered each other on and we respect each other,” Chinese gymnast Zhang Xinyi said of regional rivals Japan. nnIndia’s first gold came in the men’s 10 metre air rifle team before their women’s cricketers beat Sri Lanka by 19 runs to clinch a second gold, the country’s first in cricket since the sport joined the quadrennial Asian Games in Guangzhou in 2010. nn“It’s a gold medal for the whole of India,” said batter Richa Ghosh. nnCricket, which has hopes of becoming an Olympic sport, returned to the Asian Games this year after being omitted from the last edition in Indonesia in 2018. nnWorld records fell in shooting with India and China both displaying pinpoint precision. nnThe Indian trio of Divyansh Panwar, Rudrankksh Patil and Aishwary Tomar blew away the field with a new world best to win the team event. nnThree North Korean marksmen refused to join their South Korean rivals in a group photo of medal winners after narrowly missing out on gold in men’s team 10m running target competition. nnUzbekistan stole some of China’s thunder by pipping the hosts to gold in the men’s four and women’s single skulls. nnThe single skulls winner, Anna Prakaten, came into the event with some pedigree having won silver at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 whilst representing the Russian Olympic Committee. nnAnother who upset China’s party was Thailand’s Panipak Wongpattanakit who leapt for joy after beating local fighter Guo Qing 2-1 in a tight and dramatic contest in the women’s -49kg taekwondo final. It was Thailand’s first gold of the Games. nn“My dad and my whole family are very happy,” said Olympic and former world champion Wongpattanakit following a fight that included a delay in the final round whilst officials debated a points decision and a late comeback to snatch the victory. nnThe youngsters stole the show at the skate park, including nine-year-old Mazel Paris Alegado from the Philippines, who is reported to be the youngest athlete at the Games. nn“It was really fun,” she said after her seventh-placed finish in the women’s park. “I’m really proud that I got here.” nnJapan’s Hinano Kusaki, a comparative veteran at 15, won gold. China’s Chen Ye, who is the same age, won the men’s event. nnEsports, which is huge in China, is a medal event at the Asian Games for the first time and the participation of Lee Sang-hyeok — known by his gaming handle ‘Faker’ – has given the competition’s profile a big boost. nnThe South Korean did not disappoint his legions of fans on Monday, helping his Korean team beat Kazakhstan 1-0 in one of the preliminary matches in the ‘League of Legends’ category.nnPublished in Dawn, September 26th, 2023

Bezzecchi wins Indian MotoGP, Bagnaia crashes

GREATER NOIDA: Pole-starter Marco Bezzecchi won India’s inaugural MotoGP in a near-flawless race on Sunday, but world champion Francesco Bagnaia crashed out after slipping on a turn.nnJorge Martin, who won Saturday’s sprint race, just held on for second spot with Fabio Quartararo a close third at the Buddh International Circuit.nnItaly’s Bezzecchi, on a Ducati-VR46, won his third race of the season in 36 minutes, 59.157 seconds.nnBut it was heartbreak for Bagnaia, who lost control of his Ducati and the bike went for a somersault.nnThe Italian still leads the world championship with 292 points but saw his lead cut in the 13th race. Martin is on 279 points followed by Bezzecchi on 248.nnSpain’s Martin, Bagnaia’s nearest challenger in the title tussle, was given a scare by Quartararo in a dramatic last lap that had the number two and three fighting hard.nnMartin had a strong start to the race, jumping into the lead from his second position on the grid, with Bagnaia second and Bezzecchi third.nnBezzecchi soon went past Bagnaia with a clean overtake at a corner and kept up the pace to increase the gap to more than three seconds in the first five laps.nnMartin edged out Bagnaia as the competition for second and third spot remained tight. Bagnaia found space on lap 13 and squeezed past Martin, before his race met a premature and painful end.nnBut by then the race belonged to Bezzecchi, who came in as one of the favourites after he scorched the track in qualifying.nnPublished in Dawn, September 25th, 2023

September 25, 2023

Bangladesh name Najmul captain for third NZ ODI

DHAKA: Bangladesh on Sunday named batsman Najmul Hossain Shanto captain for the third One-day International against New Zealand and brought several senior players back.nnMushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, and Shoriful Islam would join Najmul for the must-win contest at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.nnNew Zealand are leading the three-match series 1-0 thanks to their 86-run win in the second match on Tuesday, the side’s first win against Bangladesh in the country in nearly 15 years.nnThe first match was washed out by rain.nnThe Kiwis last beat Bangladesh in their own backyard in October 2008.nnThey then lost the next two series in 2010 and 2013, respectively, by 4-0 and 3-0.nnOver that period, New Zealand’s only ODI victory in Bangladesh came against South Africa in the 2011 World Cup quarterfinal.nnBangladesh rested Liton Das, Tamim Iqbal, Khaled Ahmed, Soumya Sarkar, Mustafizur Rahman, and Tanzim Hasan, who all played in the second match against New Zealand.nnRegular captain Shakib Al Hasan did not play any part of the series.nnIn the absence of Shakib and Liton, Najmul is now set to become the 16th ODI captain for Bangladesh.nnThe series is the last for both teams ahead of the upcoming World Cup in India, which opens on October 5.nnSquad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (captain), Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Anamul Haque, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Rishad Hossain.nnPublished in Dawn, September 25th, 2023

Verstappen victory secures team title for Red Bull

SUZUKA: Formula One leader Max Verstappen ran away with the Japanese Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday as his dominant Red Bull team secured the constructors’ title for the second year in a row.nnThe victory at Suzuka was the Dutch driver’s 13th in 16 races this season and left him on the brink of a third world championship after team-mate Sergio Perez, his closest rival, failed to finish.nnMcLaren’s Lando Norris and Australian rookie Oscar Piastri, on a grand prix podium for the first time, finished second and third, respectively.nnVerstappen, who also took the fastest lap bonus and now leads Perez by a massive 177 points, can seal his third drivers’ title in a row with five rounds to spare at next month’s Qatar Grand Prix.nnVerstappen now has 400 points to the Mexican’s 223 while Red Bull have an unassailable lead of 318 points over Mercedes.nnConstructors’ title was Red Bull’s sixth since they entered the sport in 2005.nnVerstappen took the chequered flag 19.387 seconds ahead of Norris, whose second place was the Briton’s fourth in seven races.nnMcLaren’s first double podium of the season, with team orders ultimately deciding the positions on strategy, cemented their growing status as Red Bull’s closest challengers on track.nnFerrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth with Lewis Hamilton fifth in a bouncing, sliding Mercedes that he said left him exhausted.nnCarlos Sainz finished sixth in his Ferrari.nnGeorge Russell took seventh for Mercedes after letting Hamilton through, reluctantly, on team orders and then being passed by Sainz.nnAston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was eighth, ahead of Alpines Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.nnPublished in Dawn, September 25th, 2023

Indian govt grants Pakistan squad visas for World Cup, PCB confirms

After multiple delays, the Indian government on Monday issued visas for the Pakistan squad, enabling them to travel to the neighbouring country for the World Cup, Pakistan Cricket Board spokesperson Umar Farooq Kalson confirmed to Dawn.com.n“Finally received a call from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to collect the passports,” he said.nThe team is due to travel to Dubai from Lahore on Sept 27 before flying to Hyderabad, India, to play two warm-up matches — against New Zealand on Sept 29 and Australia on Oct 3.nToday’s development comes hours after the PCB approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) with concerns regarding “extraordinary delays” in the issuance of Indian visas.n“We have written to ICC raising our concerns about inequitable treatment towards Pakistan and reminding them of these obligations towards the World Cup,” Farooq said.n“It’s a matter of disappointment that the Pakistan team has to go through the uncertainty ahead of the major tournament.”nFarooq said the board had been reminding the ICC about obligations for the last three years but it had all come down to the last two days with the national team’s first warm-up game scheduled on September 29.n“We were forced to cancel our original plan to organise team-building exercises in Dubai on the way to India. We have had to rework our plan and book new flights, but these plans are subject issuance of visas,” the spokesperson added.nAccording to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-change-plans-pre-world-cup-dubai-trip-indian-visas-delay-1399636">ESPNcricinfo</a>, the application for visas was reportedly made over a week ago.nDue to visa delays, the team had <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777488">cancelled</a> its pre-World Cup team bonding event in Dubai.nEarlier, the team was scheduled to leave for Dubai on Sept 25 and stay there for two days. Pakistan will play their first match against the Netherlands on Oct 6.nFans and journalists who intended to attend the tournament had to apply for visas through the Indian High Commission’s website.nThe portal, however, remained inaccessible, leaving the aspirants dismayed. Expressing concerns over visa hiccups, a Lahore-based journalist said he and his fellow sports reporters had to get the online forms filled through agents and paid them for a simple process.nOwing to issues with the accessibility of the high commission’s website, visa seekers said they had been advised to use a VPN while accessing the site.nEarlier, the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Sports Journalists Association issued a statement, saying that even media persons accredited with the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the national governing body of cricket in India, and the ICC were facing difficulties.nThe association appealed to the Indian High Commission to accept hand-filled visa applications if the issue persisted. The media persons should be facilitated as limited time was left at the start of the mega event, the statement added.

Leather, willow and sunflowers: China gets to grip with cricket

There’s a reverential hush from the respectful crowd as Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal opens the bowling to Bangladesh’s Shathi Rani in the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777651/pakistan-women-knocked-out-of-asiad-cricket-by-sri-lanka">Asian Games women’s bronze medal match</a> in Hangzhou.nThe sound of leather on willow echoes around the purpose-built cricket ground, which until recently was full of sunflowers.nThe atmosphere is more village green than the fever pitch of, say, Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, but the few hundred spectators are fully engaged — even if many admit to never seeing the game before.nAlmost entirely Chinese, the crowd “oohs and aahs” and clap when a wicket falls, cheer every boundary and then look bewildered when a loud lbw appeal pierces the serenity of the Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT) Cricket Field.n“I didn’t ever see cricket before so I was interested to know more about this sport,” said spectator Huang Dapeng, who runs his own business in Hangzhou.n“I’m starting to understand it a little, but I am really enjoying it anyway.” A few have some knowledge of the game and seem captivated.n“I travelled to Sri Lanka before and a friend invited me to watch cricket, so I became interested,” said Liang Xiaoqian, a travel agent.n“When I heard it was in the Asian Games I wanted to learn more about this game,” she added, ahead of Monday afternoon’s final between India and Sri Lanka.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>.A general view of the Zhenjiang University of Technology Cricket Stadium is pictured during the 2022 Asian Games women’s third-place playoff cricket match between Bangladesh and Pakistan in Hangzhou, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province on September 25, 2023. — AFP</figcaption>n </figure>n“I am enjoying watching. I will be supporting Sri Lanka in the gold medal match.” Others are there just because it is the Asian Games and they want to watch sport, any sport.n“It’s the only Asian Games tickets we could get,” said a smiling Jeff Wang, an engineer who was sitting in the stand with his father Wang Hang.n“It’s my first time to watch cricket. It’s unknown to me before, I don’t really know what is going on.n“But I did hear this game is very famous in South Asia.”n<h2><a id="remain-forever" href="#remain-forever" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Remain forever’</h2>nLooking out over the near-circular ground, it is hard to believe that before the Asian Games the pristine mowed grass was a field of sunflowers.nIt won’t be getting overgrown after. The newest of the ZJUT campus’s sporting facilities will have life after the Asiad.n“It will remain forever,” venue manager Li Danlin told AFP. “There will always be cricket played here from now on.”nThe university has more than 20 colleges and 80,000 students. They will be taught about the game and encouraged to play, according to Li.n“We hope that cricket clubs will form and use the venue,” she added.nPakistan head coach Mohtashim Rasheed said it was vital to spread cricket to new territories.n“Very exciting to see the crowds here coming to watch, all Chinese people, that is a very healthy sign for developing cricket in China,” Mohtashim, the brother of Pakistan Test player Haroon Rasheed, told AFP.n“It is a complicated game so we have to develop in China and other countries. The most important thing is to get it into schools.n“I would love to do an exchange programme here to help boys and girls learn the game. They can start small, a shorter version like six-a-side,” added Mohtashim.n“If you could get under-10s playing, then in five years you would see a difference,” he added.n“For the older-age kids we could bring it with baseball. I think they like playing baseball and it is similar.n“Swing a bat and hit a ball. That’s a translation that could be made. “

India fires first world record of Asian Games as Japanese teen dazzles

India claimed the first world record of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Monday as hosts China snapped up more gold medals and 15-year-old skateboarder Hinano Kusaki triumphed for Japan.nThe Indian trio of Divyansh Panwar, Rudrankksh Patil and Aishwary Tomar blew away the field with a new world-best 1,893.7 points to win the men’s 10m air rifle team event on day two of the multi-sports extravaganza.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777494"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThey beat the previous mark of 1,893.3 set by China last month in Baku.nIn doing so they won India’s first gold of a Games where the hosts have <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777650/china-rule-in-pool-and-beyond-on-first-day-of-asian-games">swept</a> 28 of the 44 titles decided so far.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1706189235072725392"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“In the 10m event they are both perfect athletes,” Tomar said of his teammates.n“Playing with them is huge, it’s really good,” he added.nAnother shooting world record fell to China’s Sheng Lihao in the men’s 10m air rifle with his 253.3 points surpassing teammate Yu Haonan’s 252.8 from Rio four years ago.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/19thAGofficial/status/1706198433894482060"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“I had good luck in the final. I did quite well today, I was basically smooth,” said Sheng.nLike India, Macau clinched its first gold in Hangzhou, with wushu athlete Li Yi winning the changquan title to become the first woman in history from the Chinese territory to earn an Asian Games gold.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/19thAGofficial/status/1706150981136945638"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“I’m really proud. This one completes the process so I feel really fortunate,” said the 31-year-old.n“This maybe brings my 20 years as an athlete to a perfect end,” she said.nIn other early action on day two, Kusaki dazzled in skateboarding to easily win the women’s park final at Qiantang Roller Sports Centre.n“I am very happy with how everything went,” said the teenager.n<h2><a id="qin-targets-breaststroke-gold" href="#qin-targets-breaststroke-gold" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>Qin targets breaststroke gold</h2>nAfter winning all seven gold medals in the swimming pool on the opening day, China are primed to dominate again on Monday night, spearheaded by breaststroke world champion Qin Haiyang.nThe Chinese star caused a major upset at the world championships in Fukuoka in July when he won the 100m gold in 57.69 ahead of a stacked field and in the absence of British great Adam Peaty.nHe went on to complete an unprecedented clean sweep of the breaststroke titles, an achievement he is aiming to match at his home Asiad as he builds towards next year’s Paris Olympics.nQin, the second-fastest ever over 100m after Peaty, was in a class of his own in the heats, touching in 58.35 to better the previous Games best set by Japan’s Yasuhiro Koseki in 2018.nSouth Korea’s Choi Dong-yeol came in second — a gaping 1.55 seconds behind Qin.nHong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey could prevent another Chinese clean sweep when she lines up in the women’s 200m freestyle final.nHaughey did not compete at the 2018 Asiad due to a nagging foot injury but has since become one of the top freestyle swimmers in the world.nAfter earning silver behind Australian star Ariarne Titmus at the Tokyo Olympics, she narrowly missed the medals at the July world championships.nBut she reinforced her credentials with a silver in Fukuoka over 100m.nHaughey qualified fifth-fastest in 2:00.75 in the 200m freestyle, conserving energy while capable of swimming a lot faster. China’s Li Bingjie was quickest through the heats.

Gill, Iyer belt tons as India crush Australia to clinch ODI series

INDORE: India batsmen Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer scored centuries to lay the platform for a 99-run win over Australia in their rain-hit second One-day International in Indore on Sunday that sealed a 2-0 series victory ahead of the World Cup.nA revised victory target of 317 in 33 overs following a rain interruption left Australia facing a daunting task and they ran out of steam after David Warner’s departure for a defiant half-century, as India prevailed via the Duckworth-Lewis method.nSpinner Ravichandran Ashwin, playing in only his second ODI this year, got rid of Australia’s dangerous batsmen to end with 3-41 after pace bowler Prasidh Krishna’s early double strike.nAsked to bat first on a good Holkar Stadium wicket by stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith, top-ranked India posted a huge 399-5 in 50 overs as opener Gill continued his superb form with a fifth ton this year and sixth overall.nThe 24-year-old began cautiously but built momentum to make 104 off 97 balls, with six fours and four sixes, while Iyer gave him good company with 105 from 90 balls as the pair tore into the Australian attack without rested skipper Pat Cummins.nIyer missed much of India’s triumphant Asia Cup campaign with a back spasm but showed he was in fine fettle heading into the World Cup on home soil next month, with 11 fours and three sixes in a controlled 200-run second-wicket stand with Gill.nHome skipper KL Rahul made a steady 52 in the middle overs before Suryakumar Yadav heaped the misery on Australia, striking four consecutive sixes off Cameron Green in the 44th over en route to a 37-ball 72.nAustralia started shakily as Krishna removed Matthew Short and Smith off successive balls before rain briefly halted play with the tourists mounting a fightback at 56-2.nLeft-hander Warner went on the offensive after play resumed and displayed his ambidexterity by batting right-handed against Ashwin, but was trapped lbw for 53 as he looked to switch back and raise the scoring rate.nWarner bizarrely did not review the umpire’s decision as television replays showed he edged the ball onto his pad.nRavindra Jadeja (3-42) then got in on the act as Australia fizzled out for 217 after a battling 54 by Sean Abbott.nIndia, who rested several frontline players for the first two games, will eye a clean sweep when the teams meet in Rajkot on Wednesday.nSCOREBOARDnINDIA:nR. Gaikwad c Carey b Hazlewood8nS. Gill c Carey b Green104nS. Iyer c Short b Abbott105nK.L. Rahul b Green52nI. Kishan c Carey b Zampa31nS. Yadav not out72nR. Jadeja not out13nEXTRAS (NB-1, W-13)14nTOTAL (for five wickets, 50 overs)399nFALL OF WICKETS: 1-16 (Gaikwad), 2-216 (Iyer), 3-243 (Gill), 4-302 (Kishan), 5-355 (Rahul)nDID NOT BAT: R. Ashwin, S. Thakur, M. Shami, P. KrishnanBOWLING: Johnson 8-0-61-0 (1w, 1nb), Hazlewood 10-0-62-1 (2w), Abbott 10-0-91-1 (4w), Green 10-0-103-2 (2w), Zampa 10-0-67-1, Short 2-0-15-0nAUSTRALIA:nM. Short c Ashwin b Krishna9nD. Warner lbw Ashwin53nS. Smith c Gill b Krishna0nM. Labuschagne b Ashwin27nJ. Inglis lbw Ashwin6nA. Carey b Jadeja14nC. Green run out19nS. Abbott b Jadeja54nA. Zampa b Jadeja5nJ. Hazlewood b Shami23nEXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, W-3)7nTOTAL (all out, 28.2 overs)217nFALL OF WICKETS: 1-9 (Short), 2-9 (Smith), 3-89 (Labuschagne), 4-100 (Warner), 5-101 (Inglis), 6-128 (Carey), 7-135 (Green), 8-140 (Zampa), 9-217 (Hazlewood)nDID NOT BAT: S. JohnsonnBOWLING: Shami 6-0-39-1, Krishna 6-0-56-2 (2w), Ashwin 7-0-41-3, Thakur 4-0-35-0 (1w), Jadeja 5.2-0-42-3nRESULT: India won by 99 runs (DLS Method).nPublished in Dawn, September 25th, 2023

Son double holds Arsenal, Liverpool cut City&rsquo;s Premier League lead

LONDON: Son Heung-min’s double earned Tottenham Hotspur a point from a pulsating 2-2 draw against Arsenal, as Liverpool moved into second in the Premier League with a 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday.nnBrighton & Hove Albion climb up to third after beating Bournemouth 3-1, but Chelsea still cannot buy a goal as Mauricio Pochettino’s men lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa.nnSpurs have still won just once in their last 31 away league meetings with Arsenal, but the optimism garnered under Ange Postecoglou’s early weeks in charge was not punctured at the Emirates despite twice falling behind in the north London derby.nnArsenal’s bright start was rewarded when Bukayo Saka’s strike was deflected into his own net by Cristian Romero.nnBut for the fifth time in seven games under Postecoglou, Tottenham fought back from a goal down.nnDavid Raya has displaced Aaron Ramsdale as Arsenal’s number one goalkeeper as he was selected for the third consecutive game by Mikel Arteta.nnThe Spaniard justified that decision with a stunning save to deny Brennan Johnson his first Tottenham goal.nnHowever, the visitors were not denied for long as James Maddison’s cross was swept home by Son at the near post three minutes before half-time.nnRomero’s afternoon went from bad to worse when he was harshly penalised for handball and Saka stroked home the resulting penalty to restore Arsenal’s lead.nnBut the Gunners lost record signing Declan Rice at half-time to injury and that proved costly as an error from his replacement Jorginho gifted Tottenham an equaliser just a minute later.nnMaddison was again the creator as he robbed the Italian midfielder and teed up Son for a cool finish into the far corner.nnMeanwhile, Liverpool cut Manchester City’s lead at the top to two points as Jurgen Klopp’s men showed more promising signs of getting back to their best.nnThe Reds sank to fifth last season, but have the firepower that could make them the biggest threat to City’s throne as champions.nnMohamed Salah opened the scoring from the penalty spot after he was upended in the box by Nayef Aguerd.nnWest Ham’s only previous defeat this season came at home to City last weekend and they bounced back to fully merit their equaliser before half-time when Jarrod Bowen’s diving header found the far corner.nnHowever, the Hammers were undone by a moment of magic when Alexis Mac Allister’s inch-perfect chip picked out Darwin Nunez, who volleyed into the far corner.nnDiogo Jota then came off the bench to make it 3-1 five minutes from time.nnBrighton took advantage of dropped points for both north London sides to move up to third after coming from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-1.nnRoberto De Zerbi made nine changes from the side that started the Seagulls’ first ever European game in a 3-2 defeat by AEK Athens and paid the price in a slow start.nnDominic Solanke fired Bournemouth in front after a glaring error from Brighton ‘keeper Bart Verbruggen.nnMilos Kerkez’s own goal brought Brighton level in first-half stoppage time, but that did not stop De Zerbi sending on Kaoru Mitoma at the break.nnThe Japanese winger took just 16 seconds to put Brighton in front with a precise finish and Mitoma made sure of the points when he headed home Pervis Estupinan’s cross 14 minutes from time.nnIn Sunday’s other fixture, Chelsea’s disastrous start to Pochettino’s reign goes on as the toothless Blues failed to score for a third consecutive game.nnMalo Gusto’s straight red card for a lunge on Lucas Digne on the hour mark gave the home side a mountain to climb at Stamford Bridge.nnVilla made their man advantage count when Ollie Watkins’ powerful strike beat Robert Sanchez from a narrow angle.nnDespite spending more than any other Premier League club in the summer transfer window, Chelsea have taken just five points from Pochettino’s first six league games in charge.nnOn Saturday, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes struck a sublime volley to earn a 1-0 victory at Burnley as Erik ten Hag’s side ended a three-match losing streak in all competition while Everton registered their first league victory of the season, producing an impressive display to triumph 3-1 at Brentford whose home struggles continued.nnPublished in Dawn, September 25th, 2023

China rule in pool and beyond on first day of Asian Games

HANGZHOU: China won the first gold medal of the Hangzhou Asian Games and then cleaned up in the swimming events on Sunday, breaking several records in the process.nnBy the end of a highly successful day one for the hosts, they had pocketed 20 of 31 golds while their nearest challengers South Korea had five.nnChina’s medal rush began when Zou Jiaqi and Qiu Xiuping dominated the women’s lightweight double sculls rowing for the first gold of the Games, finishing almost 10 seconds ahead of Uzbekistan.nnIt was especially satisfying for Zou, who hails from Hangzhou.nn“I am very excited as it’s my first Asian Games,” she said, clutching her gold medal.nnThe home nation won six of the seven golds at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre rowing venue with only Hong Kong’s Lam San-tung and Wong Wai-chun getting in on the party by winning the men’s pairs.nnMore golds rolled in for China in shooting, modern pentathlon, wushu and artistic gymnastics, in which they triumphed in the men’s team event ahead of Japan.nnBut they saved the best for last in swimming, in what is always one of the most prestigious events at the Games and has extra significance with the Paris Olympics less than a year away.nnOlympic champion Zhang Yufei, China’s “Butterfly Queen”, was among the winners as the hosts romped home in all seven races on the opening night in the pool, smashing a slew of Asian records.nnZhang successfully defended her 200m butterfly crown, cruising to victory ahead of team-mate Yu Liyan in a new Games-record time of 2min 05.57sec.nnThat has been bettered this year only by Canadian star Summer McIntosh and Australia’s Lizzie Dekkers, then Zhang claimed a second gold of the night in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay.nn“I felt I could have gone even faster,” she warned.nn“My first mission was to take the gold for China. Next was to beat Jiao Liuyang’s Games record, and I also did that.nn“I actually felt the pool was a little slow for me and I told my coach that I wasn’t feeling in good form.”nnThe first official day of the 19th Asian Games also saw medals handed out in fencing, judo and taekwondo.nnHong Kong’s Edgar Cheung, already a hero to many in the southern Chinese city, added Asian Games gold to the one he won at the Tokyo Olympics two years ago in the men’s foil.nnTwo of South Korea’s five golds came in taekwondo, with Kang Wan-jin winning the men’s individual poomsae and Cha Yea-eun doing likewise in the women’s event.nnNorth Korea, returning to major international sport for the first time since the Covid pandemic, got on the medals table when Chae Kwang Jin took bronze in the men’s -60kg judo, which was won by Taiwan’s Yang Yung-wei.President Xi Jinping opened the Games on Saturday night after a delay of a year because of China’s now-abandoned zero-Covid policy.nnWith more than 12,000 competitors from 45 nations and territories, the Asian Games has more participants than the Olympics.nnThey will battle for medals in 40 sports across 54 venues.nnPublished in Dawn, September 25th, 2023

Husband-wife duo become first Pakistani couple to summit world&rsquo;s 8th highest peak Manaslu

Lahore-based Ahmed Uzair and Anum Uzair have become the first Pakistani couple to summit the world’s eighth-highest peak Mt Manaslu — 8,163 metres tall — in Nepal.nAccording to mountaineering company Seven Summit Treks, which spearheaded the climb, the husband-wife duo successfully climbed the peak today along with three Sherpas.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/sst8848/status/1705758989894758641"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nAlpine Club of Pakistan Secretary Karrar Haidri told Dawn.com that the couple “have created history” by becoming the first Pakistani couple to summit the peak.n“Pakistan feels incredibly proud of this outstanding accomplishment by Ahmed and Anum,” he said.nPakistani climber Shehroze Kashif, who himself <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776981/pakistan-climber-scales-manaslu-peak-in-nepal">summited Manaslu recently</a>, also congratulated the couple.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/Shehrozekashif2/status/1705763119132533104"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nOn Thursday, Pakistani climbers <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777222">Naila Kiani and Sirbaz Khan</a> had also successfully completed the ascent of Manaslu peak.nThe two climbers had commenced their summit attempt on Wednesday from camp 3.nKiani had achieved the milestone of becoming the first Pakistani woman to conquer nine out of the 14 highest mountains in the world with her Manaslu summit.

September 24, 2023

Asia Olympic council &lsquo;looking into&rsquo; Indian athletes&rsquo; China visa issue

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Asian Games organisers are examining the issue of three Indian athletes unable to join the games in China due to a visa problem, acting OCA President Raja Randhir Singh said on Sunday.n“OCA is looking into it, definitely,” as well as organisers and the government, Singh told a press conference in the eastern Chinese host city, Hangzhou.n“Since it’s a diplomatic issue, they’re looking into it. And hopefully, let’s see, (whether) something good comes out of it,” he said.nThe three wushu fighters from the state of Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas instead of stamped ones, India’s foreign ministry said. India does not accept stapled visas as valid.nWei Jizhong, chairman of the OCA’s ethics committee, told reporters last week that China did not refuse entry to the athletes.nThe practice of issuing visas on loose sheets of paper has been seen as China’s way of <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/219065/china-reiterates-its-claim-to-arunachal-pradesh">questioning</a> India’s sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh, a region near the China-India border that Beijing claims as part of Tibet.nNew Delhi <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772898">vociferously</a> rejects the claim, saying Arunachal Pradesh has always been part of India.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1705896028065726520"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nBeijing and New Delhi <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1726149">fought</a> a war over the disputed Himalayan frontier in 1962 and have been uneasy neighbours ever since. Relations nosedived in 2020 over a border clash in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed.nAt the Asian Games, delayed by a year due to COVID-19, some 12,400 athletes from 45 nations are competing for 481 gold medals across a huge programme of 40 sports.

Arthur to join Pakistan team in Hyderabad on Sept 30

LAHORE: Team director Mickey Arthur will join Pakistan cricket squad on Sept 30 in Hyderabad where the green-shirts will play their opening match of the ICC World Cup against the Netherlands on Oct 6.nnThe Babar Azam-led Pakistan are scheduled to play their first warm-up of the mega event in Hyderabad on Sept 29 against New Zealand.nnThe South Africa-born Arthur was appointed as team director in April this year. nnThe 55-year-old, who has functioned as Pakistan team director from England where is coaching Derbyshire, had agreed in his contract to remain with the Pakistan squad during the recent Asia Cup and the World Cup.nnArthur’s hand-picked coaching team led by head coach Grant Bradburn is looking after the coaching affairs of the Pakistan team.nnPlayer support personnel: Rehan-ul-Haq (team manager), Mickey Arthur (team director), Grant Bradburn (head coach), Andrew Puttick (batting coach), Morne Morkel (bowling coach), Aftab Khan (fielding coach), Abdul Rehman (assistant coach), Dr Sohail Saleem (team doctor), Drikus Saaiman (strength and conditioning coach), Cliffe Deacon (physio), Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (media and digital content manager), Usman Anwari (security manager), Maqbool Ahmad Babri (psychologist), Talha Ejaz (analyst), Malang Ali (masseur).nnPublished in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023

India reach top spot in all three formats

NEW DELHI: India have become only the second team in men’s cricket history to occupy the number one spot across all three formats after defeating Australia in the first ODI on Friday.nnThe Indian team moved past arch-rivals Pakistan to take the top position in the One-day International rankings as a result of their latest victory, just before they host the World Cup.nnThey were already number one in Tests and T20 Internationals.nnOnly South Africa in 2012 have previously achieved the feat, according to the International Cricket Council.nnIndia’s five-wicket victory over Australia in Mohali took them to 116 rating points, one ahead of Pakistan.nnBut the hosts could slip down the table if Australia — on 111 points — win the remaining two matches in the series, a warm-up for the World Cup.nnIf India win the series, they will head into the showpiece tournament as the world’s top-ranked ODI team.nnIndia, who last week won their eighth Asia Cup title by handing a 10-wicket thrashing to Sri Lanka in the final, were in top form as they registered a comfortable win over Pat Cummins’s team. nnMeanwhile, Indian seamer Mohammed Shami said the nnteam’s rotation policy is working well and will prevent players from being overloaded as they prepare for the World Cup on home soil next month.nnShami took career-best One-day International figures of 5-51 in Mohali on Friday but with India likely to pick Mohammed Siraj to partner pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and Shardul Thakur offering additional batting support, Shami knows he is not guaranteed a place in the team for every game.nn“When you build a team, the coach plays an important role in rotating the players depending on the conditions, the situations or the opposition,” Shami told reporters.nn“We’ve had good results in the last few series and the rotation policy is working well. I don’t think we need to take on a big load playing back-to-back games before the World Cup.nn“It’s good for us because rotating pace bowlers is key in such conditions. It’s more important for bowlers, not that it’s easier for batters but still. Rotation is important before ICC tournaments. It helps players who need to get into rhythm.”nnIndia begin their World Cup campaign on Oct 8 against Australia in Chennai.nnPublished in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023

Hi, Robot: machines take over at China&rsquo;s Asian Games

HANGZHOU: From autonomous bug zappers to android pianists and driverless ice-cream trucks, machines rule the world — at least at China’s Asian Games.nnThe Games after a one-year delay because of Covid with about 12,000 athletes and thousands of journalists, technical officials and spectators descending on Hangzhou.nnThe city is the unofficial home of China’s tech industry and robots and other mind-boggling gadgets are set to serve, amuse and police visitors.nnAn automated mosquito trapper roams the vast Games Village, zapping the pests after luring them in by mimicking a human’s body temperature and breathing.nnRobot “dogs” that can run, jump and flip over patrol power-supply facilities. Smaller versions dance while a bright-yellow android plays the piano. Driverless minibuses are set to shuttle visitors through the nearby city of Shaoxing, where baseball and softball venues are located. Athletes can put their reflexes to the test against a table-tennis playing “Pongbot”.nnAt the massive media centre, a blushing plastic-and-metal receptionist with a number pad and card slots built into its torso greets customers at a makeshift bank. Even venues were built with the help of construction robots which organisers say are “very cute, with unique skills”.nnSumming up how keen China is to push the theme at the Games, the mascots are three humanoid robots — Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen, whose smiling faces adorn massive signs across Hangzhou and other nearby host cities.Hangzhou, a city of 12 million people in China’s east, has built up a reputation as a home for tech startups. That includes a thriving robotics sector eager to close the gap on industry-leading rivals in countries such as the United States and Japan.nnAt a business park, staff from DEEP Robotics put some of their most advanced models through their paces, commanding one four-legged bot to walk through construction rubble and sending another up a nearby pedestrian bridge slick with rain.nnAt one point, a real dog turns up and sniffs its robotic equivalent curiously. Elsewhere, office workers pick up lunch from vending machines that can steam the food and, according to maker Kuaie Fresh, check the temperature so the meal is just right. The machine also collects data on customer preferences.nnIn some countries, that would give rise to concerns about where their personal information is going and how it will be used.nnPublished in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023

Sri Lanka beat Pakistan to set up women&rsquo;s cricket final with India at Asian Games

In-form Sri Lanka, fresh from a stunning Twenty20 series victory in England, beat Pakistan by six wickets on Sunday to reach the women’s cricket final at the Asian Games and set up a clash with India.nPakistan never got going on a difficult batting surface affected by days of rain at the Zhejiang University of Technology ground in Hangzhou, and could only muster a below-par 75-9 in their 20 overs.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1705870872152789118"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nLeft-arm medium pace bowler Udeshika Prabodhani led the Sri Lankan attack with three wickets and Kavisha Dilhari took two with her off-spin.nSri Lanka sauntered to their target with 21 balls to spare to spark wild celebrations as their players ran onto the field to high-five and hug each other.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialSLC/status/1705873587134169301"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nEarlier, the Indians routed Bangladesh for 51 on the same ground with all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar, only drafted into the squad as a last-minute replacement, taking four wickets.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://x.com/BCCIWomen/status/1705785525519736961?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThey wasted no time in racing to an eight-wicket victory with more than 11 overs remaining as Jemimah Rodrigues top-scored with an unbeaten 20.nRodrigues is yet to be dismissed in the Asian Games, scoring 47 not out in the quarter-final against Malaysia, which was later abandoned because of rain.nIt was the second time in just over a week that Sri Lankan cricketers had proven party-poopers by preventing a Pakistan-India major cricket final.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1777084"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nThe country’s men’s team <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775838">beat</a> Pakistan in the semi-final of the 50-over Asia Cup in Colombo to prevent a final showdown against their fierce rivals India.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1708747"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nEarlier this month, Sri Lanka’s women secured a historic first-ever white-ball series triumph over England, winning 2-1.nPakistan and Bangladesh will face off for bronze on Monday before India takes on Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match.

Sodhi&rsquo;s six-for spears NZ to victory over Bangladesh

<figure class='media sm:w-2/5 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">NEW ZEALAND spinner Ish Sodhi celebrates after taking the wicket of Bangladesh batter Soumya Sarkar during the second ODI at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Saturday.—AFP</figcaption>n </figure>n nnDHAKA: Ish Sodhi became the first New Zealand spinner to claim six wickets in a One-day International, guiding the Black Caps to an 86-run victory in the second match of their three-match series in Bangladesh.nnSodhi contributed a crucial 35 with the bat as well to go with his career-best 6-39 as New Zealand registered their first victory in Bangladesh since 2008 on Saturday.nnAfter the first match had been washed out, the Kiwis took the chance to get into winning ways with the World Cup looming.nnIn the 46th over, pace bowler Hasan Mahmud ran Sodhi out as he was backing up at the non-striker’s end when on 17, but Bangladesh captain Liton Das called him back.nnSodhi, who went on to help the side post 254 in 49.2 overs, then ran through Bangladesh’s top order in a superb display of leg-spin.nnWicket-keeper Tom Blundell made a team-high 68 off 66 balls, with six fours and one six, and Henry Nicholls scored 49. They put on a 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket to set the platform.nnBangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman had reduced New Zealand to 2-26 after the visitors opted to bat first. He removed Will Young, who made 58 in the first match, for a duck and then claimed the wicket of Finn Allen for 12.nnDebutant Syed Khaled Ahmed (3-60), got into the act with the wicket of Chad Bowes for 14, as New Zealand slumped to 3-36 before Nicholls and Blundell got them back on track.nnSodhi propelled the side past 250, hitting three sixes in his knock before being the last batter out.nnWith Tanzid Hasan finding the boundaries with ease, Bangladesh appeared to be the clear favourites until Sodhi sparked the collapse, doing most to reduce them to 92-5 from 60-1 in just eight overs.nnHe started with the wicket of Tanzid (16) and then got the key scalp of Tamim Iqbal, who was out for 44 when trying to sweep against a googly.nnSodhi also removed Soumya Sarkar, who played his first match in two years, for a duck and Towhid Hridoy for four.nnMahmudullah and Mahedi Hasan resisted, sharing a 42-run stand before Sodhi knocked out the latter for his maiden five-for. Offspinner Cole McConchie had Mahmudullah caught by Finn Allen at short fine leg after he made a team-best 49.nnNasum Ahmed scored 21 but that only reduced the margin of the defeat as the teams head for the third and final ODI on Tuesday.nnSCOREBOARDnnNEW ZEALAND:nnF. Allen c Sarkar b Mustafizur 12nnW. Young c Liton b Mustafizur 0nnC. Bowes c Towhid b Khaled 14nnH. Nicholls c Liton b Khaled 49nnT. Blundell b Hasan 68nnR. Ravindra lbw Mahedi 10nnC. McConchie lbw Nasum 20nnI. Sodhi c Liton b Khaled 35nnK. Jamieson c&b Mahedi 20nnL. Ferguson st Liton b Mahedi 13nnT. Boult not out 1nnEXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, NB-1, W-5) 12nnTOTAL (all out, 49.2 overs) 254nnFALL OF WICKETS: 1-15 (Young), 2-26 (Allen), 3-36 (Bowes), 4-131 (Nicholls), 5-157 (Ravindra), 6-166 (Blundell), 7-187 (McConchie), 8-219 (Jamieson), 9-240 (Ferguson)nnBOWLING: Mustafizur 10-1-53-2; Hasan 10-1-46-1 (5w, 1nb); Khaled 9.2-1-60-3; Mahedi 10-0-45-3; Nasum 10-0-44-1nnBANGLADESH:nnTamim Iqbal c Blundell b Sodhi 44nnLiton Das c Ravindra b Jamieson 6nnTanzid Hasan c Ferguson b Sodhi 16nnSoumya Sarkar c&b Sodhi 0nnTowhid Hridoy b Sodhi 4nnMahmudullah c Allen b McConchie 49nnMahedi Hasan b Sodhi 17nnNasum Ahmed c Boult b Jamieson 21nnHasan Mahmud b Sodhi 0nnMustafizur Rahman not out 2nnKhaled Ahmed b Ferguson 1nnEXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, NB-1, W-4) 8nnTOTAL (all out, 41.1 overs) 168nnFALL OF WICKETS: 1-19 (Liton), 2-60 (Tanzid), 3-60 (Sarkar), 4-70 (Towhid), 5-92 (Tamim), 6-134 (Mahedi), 7-149 (Mahmudullah), 8-153 (Hasan), 9-167 (Nasum)nnBOWLING: Boult 8-0-37-0 (1w); Jamieson 7-1-32-2 (3w); Sodhi 10-1-39-6; Ferguson 6.1-1-28-1 (1nb); Ravindra 8-0-26-0; McConchie 2-1-3-1nnRESULT: New Zealand won by 86 runs.nnMAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ish SodhinnSERIES: New Zealand lead three-match series 1-0.nnPublished in Dawn, September 24rd, 2023

China&rsquo;s President Xi declares biggest-ever Asian Games open

Chinese President Xi Jinping opened the 19th Asian Games in a colourful ceremony in Hangzhou on Saturday, launching a two-week sporting extravaganza that boasts more athletes than the Olympics.nAfter being delayed by a year because of China’s now-abandoned <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1725127/china-announces-nationwide-loosening-of-covid-19-restrictions">zero-Covid policy</a>, more than 12,000 competitors from 45 nations and territories will battle it out in 40 sports.nIn front of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and other visiting leaders, Xi officially opened the Games at the 80,000-capacity Hangzhou Olympic stadium, also known as the “Big Lotus”.nXi was given a rapturous reception by spectators waving mini Chinese flags.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1705573653226926218"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nAssad, on his <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777282">first visit</a> to ally China since the civil war erupted in Syria in 2011, stood up and applauded as his country’s team entered the arena and the crowd cheered when his image flashed up on a big screen.nInternational Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach was also among the dignitaries. Leaders from Cambodia, Kuwait and Nepal, among others, had all been expected to attend.n“Finally we can gather for the 19th Asian Games,” Raja Randhir Singh, acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), told the crowd to more cheers. “The one-year postponement was unprecedented in OCA history,” he added.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/XHNews/status/1705562043728966056"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe theme of the ceremony was water and it also celebrated Hangzhou’s ancient history and landscape, while giving a nod to the city’s reputation as the unofficial home of China’s tech industry.nA “digital torch bearer” strode into the stadium and was projected onto a large screen behind the Games cauldron at the climax.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonCHN/status/1705605557607141686"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/AsianGamesOCA/status/1705575194130039053"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“I feel very happy and excited,” a 35-year-old woman spectator surnamed Zhang said. “I feel it’s a great honour for the city.”nJung-Woo Lee, sport policy expert at the University of Edinburgh, told AFP that the Games were “China’s post-pandemic soft-power exercise”.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1688262"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nChina’s status as a sporting and business destination took a severe hit during the pandemic, when snap lockdowns and strict travel rules saw almost all international events <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1571050">cancelled</a> in the country.nThe event has been rocked by a row between New Delhi and China over three Indian martial arts fighters, with a trip to the city by India’s sports minister <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777288">cancelled</a> on Friday. China denied Indian claims that the trio had been barred from entering the country.n<h2><a id="open-to-all" href="#open-to-all" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Open to all’</h2>n <figure class='media sm:w-full w-full media–stretch '>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n <figcaption class='media__caption '>Members of Pakistan’s delegation take part in the athletes’ parade during the opening ceremony of the 2022 Asian Games at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium in Hangzhou, China on September 23. — AFP</figcaption>n </figure>nNorth Korean athletes, who like those from Taiwan were given loud cheers as they entered the ceremony, are contesting their first major international competition since the pandemic.nBut the biggest cheer of all was reserved for hosts China, who are overwhelming favourites to top the medals table, with Japan and South Korea battling for second.nGames athletes will fight for medals in Olympic staples such as athletics, swimming, football, gymnastics and cycling.n <figure class='media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–newskitlink '> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+'px';}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1745521"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nESports will make its debut as a medal event at the Games, in what is seen as a step towards inclusion in the Olympics. There will also be regional specialities, including dragon boat racing, the Chinese martial art wushu and kabaddi.nNine sports — among them boxing, break dancing and tennis — will serve as Asia qualifiers for next year’s Paris Olympics.nA sprinkling of world and Olympic champions adds some stardust, including <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772716">India’s javelin king Neeraj Chopra</a>, Qatari high jumper Mutaz Essa Barshim and Chinese swimming royalty Qin Haiyang and Zhang Yufei.nOlympic Council of Asia honorary life vice-president Wei Jizhong said having so many sporting disciplines was about giving opportunity to as many athletes as possible.n“We are open to all. This means our Games are not concentrated only for elite sportspeople,” he said.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1705598681595183196"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/zhang_heqing/status/1705565876496564673"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nAlthough the Games officially opened on Saturday, sports such as football, cricket, volleyball and table tennis had already begun.nA day ago, Pakistan had overwhelmed South Korea in straight sets to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777385/asian-games-pakistan-reach-volleyball-quarter-finals">advance to the quarter-finals</a> of the men’s volleyball competition.nIndia and Pakistan’s women’s cricket teams had on Thursday <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1777084/india-pakistan-women-reach-asian-games-cricket-semis-after-day-of-washouts">reached the cricket semis</a> of the Asian Games despite their matches being washed out in Hangzhou.nThe Games will be staged at 54 venues — 14 newly constructed — mostly in Hangzhou but also extending to cities as far afield as Wenzhou, 300 kilometres south.

September 23, 2023

Garcia, Kenin reach Guadalajara Open semis

<figure class='media sm:w-1/4 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch'>n <div class='media__item '><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">FRANCE’S Caroline Garcia competes during the Guadalajara Open quarter-final against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the Panamerican Tennis Center.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>n nnGUADALAJARA: France’s Caroline Garcia overpowered Victoria Azarenka in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Thursday.nnThird-seed Garcia was always in control against her 10th-seeded opponent from Belarus, winning 6-3, 6-4 in 1hr 37min.nnThe 29-year-old Frenchwoman will face Maria Sakkari in the last four on Friday after the second seed from Greece eased past Colombia’s Emiliana Arango 6-3, 6-4.nnGarcia, who is chasing the 12th title of her career, used her powerful serve to gain the upper hand on Azarenka, slamming down 10 aces during the match.nnGarcia was also able to save no fewer than 11 break points to deny Azarenka any chance of an opening.nn“It’s always tricky,” said Garcia. “She had a lot of break point opportunities, but I served really well at those points, so I guess I have to thank my serve.”nnThe win ensured that Garcia, the world number 11, will move into the top 10 at the end of this tournament.nnIn other quarter-final action on Thursday, former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin’s recent resurgence continued as she overpowered 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 to reach the last four.nnKenin, 24, has gradually worked her way back up the rankings after tumbling to 426th in the world last year following a slew of injuries and upheaval in her coaching set-up.nnShe has won 14 of her last 17 matches on the WTA Tour since July, and is poised to climb back into the top 30 after this tournament.nnOn Thursday, she secured her latest semi-final berth the hard way, advancing despite coughing up 14 double faults, with Fernandez racking up 15 aces.nnKenin, who also reached the semi-finals in San Diego last week, will face unseeded American Caroline Dolehide in the last four.nnDolehide defeated Italy’s Martina Trevisan 3-6, 7-6 (11-9) 6-3 in their quarter-final.nnThe American battled into her first WTA 1000 semi-final after saving four match points in the second set before winning the deciding set.nnPublished in Dawn, September 23th, 2023

Federer hopes to captain Team Europe in Laver Cup one day

BERN: Roger Federer said he enjoys being a part of the tennis community after his retirement last year and expressed an interest in captaining Team Europe at the Laver Cup, though the Swiss has no immediate plans to replace Bjorn Borg.nnFederer, who helped Team Europe claim three Laver Cup titles by beating Team World, will be present at this year’s edition in Vancouver where a celebration is planned on Friday to mark the first anniversary of his final competitive match.nnThe 42-year-old had played alongside his great rival Rafa Nadal in that clash, losing to Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe as Team World went on to capture the title.nn“There’s something in me that’s Team Europe,” Federer said. nn“I’m happy if World wins, don’t get me wrong, but somehow I can feel it deep inside, I want Europe to win.nn“I like being in the tennis sphere. Maybe one day I’ll be the captain of the team,” the 20-times Grand Slam champion said.nn“There’s no plans as of now, but I think that could be quite nice.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 22th, 2023

September 22, 2023

India cancels minister&rsquo;s trip to Asian Games in China&rsquo;s Hangzhou in visa row

New Delhi cancelled on Friday a trip by its sports minister to the Asian Games in Hangzhou, saying that Chinese authorities had denied accreditation and entry to Indian athletes from a region claimed by Beijing.nAccording to Indian media reports, three women martial arts fighters from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh were approved to take part in the sports extravaganza by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organising Committee.nBut the wushu fighters were unable to download their accreditation cards, which act as visas to enter China, the Hindustan Times <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/others/asian-games-arunachals-wushu-players-unable-to-travel-to-china-101695316129314.html">reported</a>.nThe northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh is claimed almost in full by Beijing, which calls it “South Tibet”.nChina had discriminated against some of the Indian athletes “in a targeted and pre-meditated manner”, India’s foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in a statement.n“China’s action violates both the spirit of the Asian Games and the rules governing their conduct, which explicitly prohibits discrimination against competitors from member states,” he added.nA “strong protest” had been lodged in both New Delhi and Beijing against “China’s deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersons”, he said, and a trip by the sports minister to the event had been cancelled.nWushu, or kung fu, is a multi-disciplinary martial art originating in China.nThe rest of the 10-member Indian squad along with the coaching staff left for the Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday, according to reports.nBefore the Indian foreign ministry statement, senior Olympic Council of Asia official Wei Jizhong had insisted that the trio had been issued visas and were not barred.n“I make it very clear: the Chinese government gave them a visa, they can enter China,” he told reporters. “But unfortunately these athletes didn’t accept the visa.”nAsked about the trio at a regular foreign ministry briefing in Beijing, spokeswoman Mao Ning said that China welcomed “athletes from all countries with legal documents” to take part in the Asian Games.n“The Chinese government does not recognise the so-called Arunachal region that you mentioned,” she added. “South Tibet is part of China.”nIndian spokesman Bagchi retorted: “Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”nIn a similar incident in July, the Indian wushu team did not travel to the Chinese city of Chengdu for the World University Games after the same three athletes were issued stapled, rather than pasted, visas — an indication that Beijing does not recognise India’s territorial claim over Arunachal Pradesh.nOn that occasion the foreign ministry in New Delhi called the move “unacceptable”.nArunachal Pradesh is on the other side of the Himalayas from Tibet and shares a common Buddhist cultural heritage with its northern neighbour.nThe Dalai Lama fled through the state in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in his homeland and has lived in India ever since.nChina briefly occupied most of the territory in a bloody conflict three years after the Buddhist leader’s flight.nEarlier this year, India reacted strongly after China renamed 11 places in the disputed region.

Top seed Jabeur crashes out of WTA Guadalajara Open

GUADALAJARA: Top seed Ons Jabeur was sent crashing out of the WTA 1000 Guadalajara Open on Wednesday, losing a grueling three-hour battle to Italy’s Martina Trevisan.nnTunisian star Jabeur, the losing finalist at Wimbledon for the past two years, was downed 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-3 by the unseeded Trevisan, currently ranked 54th in the world.nnJabeur looked to have taken a grip on the match after taking the first set on a tie-break and then surging into a 30-0 lead as she served for the match at 5-4 in the second set.nnBut the world number seven was left stunned after Trevisan battled back to break twice in quick succession to take the set and level the match.nnThe 29-year-old Italian, who is chasing only the second WTA title of her career this week in Mexico, then broke for a 5-3 lead in the decider before holding to clinch victory.nnTrevisan will face unseeded American Caroline Dolehide in the quarter-finals. Dolehide advanced with a 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of Russian eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.nnIn other matches on Wednesday, Sofia Kenin’s impressive return to form continued as the unseeded American upset sixth seed nnJelena Ostapenko to reach the last eight.nnFormer Australian Open champion Kenin, who last reached the quarter-finals of a WTA 1000 event in 2019, booked her place in the last eight with a 6-4, 7-5 win in 1hr 44min.nnThe Moscow-born Kenin, whose ranking plunged to 426th last year, will face Canada’s 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the last eight. nnFernandez defeated unseeded American Emma Navarro 6-2, 6-3 in her last 16 clash.nnThird seed Caroline Garcia of France sailed into the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Hailey Baptiste of the United States. Garcia will face 10th seed Victoria Azarenka in the last eight.nnAzarenka cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 defeat of seventh seed Veronika Kudermetova.nnSecond seed Maria Sakkari of Greece, meanwhile, romped into a quarter-final meeting with unseeded Colombian Emiliana Arango after a 6-2, 6-2 dismissal of Italy’s Camila Giorgi.nnPublished in Dawn, September 22th, 2023

Hasan Ali returns as Pakistan squad for World Cup 2023 announced

Cricket Chief Selector Inzamamul Haq on Friday announced the 15-member Pakistan squad for the ICC World Cup 2023 on Friday, which notably includes bowler Hasan Ali, and excludes star pacer Naseem Shah, who was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776219">injured</a> in the Asia Cup.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1705105237298847784"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe World Cup, hosted by arch-rivals India, will begin on October 5. Pakistan’s first match is on Oct 6, against Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in the Indian city of Hyderabad.nPakistan had a disappointing end to the Asia Cup with defeats to India and Sri Lanka. India went on to win the tournament.nAli was included in Shah’s stead after the latter injured his shoulder in the Asia Cup tie against India. Haris Rauf, who was also injured in the same match, is part of the squad. Shaheen Afridi the pace spearhead of the side is in the squad.nNotable exclusions are bowlers Faheem Ashraf, who was part of the Asia Cup squad, and Mohammad Hasnain.nWhile answering a question regarding the selection of Ali, who has not played an ODI <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/pakistan-world-cup-2023-squad-hasan-ali-replaces-naseem-shah-1399458">since June 2022</a>, Inzamam stated that the medium-paced bowler was picked because of his experience with a new ball.n“Since Naseem is out, we needed a bowler who could bowl with a new ball and I think Hasan Ali is a very good choice in that regard.”nHe added that Ali was a “team man” and his inclusion in the side would bring energy to the team.nShedding light on Shah’s injury, the chief selector said the reports received by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) so far indicated that Shah would be on the sidelines even after the World Cup, which is why the pacer could not be picked.nThe former skipper said the team composition is largely the same.n“I have not made any such changes. The team has been playing with this combination for the last two years and if I tried to disrupt the team within three weeks of my appointment that would not be okay,” Inzamam stated.nHe added that the selection committee tried to pick experienced players “who can handle the enormity of the event”.n“We were looking for a player who has performed at the highest level and has played international tournaments, on that basis we picked Hasan Ali,” he said.nHe stated that the board “has not shut the doors” for any player and anyone could be selected for the team given that they “perform well in the domestic circuit”.n“Pakistan’s domestic cricket performance is the main [criteria] for the selection,” Inzamam said.n“They played a test series there, then the Lankan Premier League, a series against Afghanistan and also Asia Cup matches. We wonder if spending such a long time in such conditions led to injuries to our bowlers as well as some batters,” Inzamam said.n“Pakistan was the number one ODI team before the World Cup. We have to keep our trust on these players.”nThe pacer, Naseem Shah, took to his X account to confirm that he would not represent Pakistan in the World Cup.n“With a heavy heart, I’m sharing that I will not be part of this amazing team that will be representing our beloved country,” Naseem said.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/iNaseemShah/status/1705111197408772492?s=20"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>n“While I’m disappointed, I believe everything is in Allah’s hands. Inshallah will be on the field very soon,” he added.nSquad:nBabar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imamul Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, (wicketkeeper) Mohammad Wasim, Agha Salman, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usama MirnReserve Squad:nMohammad Haris, Abrar Ahmed, Zaman Khann<hr />nAdditional input by Reuters

Naseem doubtful, Haris likely to be in Pakistan World Cup squad

LAHORE: Pakistan are highly likely to fly to India for the upcoming World Cup without pace sensation Naseem Shah, while fellow fast bowler Haris Rauf may make the cut when the team’s squad for the 50-over showpiece is announced on Friday.nNaseem picked up a shoulder injury during Pakistan’s Asia Cup Super Four match against India and Dawn has learnt that the 20-year-old’s medical reports have recommended him an extensive rest from cricket.nHaris, who complained of side strain also during the India clash, meanwhile, has regained full fitness and is set to be included in the Pakistan roster for the World Cup.nZaman Khan, who made his One-day International debut in Pakistan’s Asia Cup Super Four match against Sri Lanka, is being touted as Naseem’s replacement.nPakistan will go into the World Cup with a forgettable Asia Cup campaign, which saw the side — regarded as favourites to win the tournament — end up at the bottom of the Super Four standings after getting subjected to a 228-run drubbing by India and an agonising two-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka.nThe absence Naseem and Haris’ — who walked out midway during the India fixture — was dearly felt by Pakistan, whose title chances, as it turned out, were heavily dependent on their star-studded pace attack, spearheaded by Shaheen Shah Afridi.nThe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in a review of the team’s performance in the Asia Cup on Wednesday, concluded that Naseem and Haris’ injuries were a result of mismanaged workload, mainly due to the players featuring in franchise T20 leagues.nThe PCB, currently being led by its interim Management Committee chief Zaka Ashraf, blamed the board’s “previous management” for allowing that to happen.n“Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them to fatigued ahead of their national duty,” Zaka was quoted as saying in a PCB statement on Thursday. “But going forward we have agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority.”nThe review meeting was attended by Pakistan captain Babar Azam and head coach Grant Bradburn in person. Vice-captain Shadab Khan, team director Mickey Arthur, bowling coach Morne Morkel and batting coach Andrew Puttick joined on video link.nPakistan team doctor Sohail Saleem, who was rehired by the board earlier this year after being sacked two years ago, was also present along with former captains Misbah-ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez — who constitute the PCB’s Cricket Technical Committee (CTC).n“In a robust analysis, every aspect of recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans came into discussion with a view to bringing improvement to the side,” said the PCB statement. “There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players’ workload.n“The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasised.”nPakistan chief selector Inzamam ul Haq, who the PCB said couldn’t make into the meeting due to a “medical emergency”, met Zaka on Thursday afternoon to share his input.n“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,” said the board’s press release.nHAFEEZ RESIGNSnHours after Inzamam’s meeting with Zaka, Hafeez announced his resignation from the CTC, which was formed in July. Hafeez, along with Misbah, had been appointed as the members of the committee on honorary basis and were assigned to advise Zaka on cricketing affairs.nThe committee played a crucial role in restoring the departmental and regional domestic cricket structure according to the PCB’s 2014 constitution, which was brought back following the revoking of the 2019 charter earlier this year.n“I decided to quit from the Pakistan cricket technical committee,” Hafeez wrote on X on Thursday night. “I served as an honorary member. I would like to thank Zaka Ashraf for giving me this opportunity.n“My best wishes for Pakistan cricket as always. Pakistan Zindabad.”nPublished in Dawn, September 22th, 2023

Cummins sees India ODIs as key World Cup preparation

MOHALI: Australian captain Pat Cummins said on Thursday he had fully recovered from a wrist injury and hoped to play all three One-day Internationals against hosts India starting Friday.nnWhile Cummins returns, Australia still won’t have the services of pacer Mitchell Starc and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell for the first match in the northern Indian city of Mohali. nn“I am feeling pretty good, pretty much 100 per cent, and hope to play tomorrow and play all the games,” Cummins told journalists.nnBut the Australian pace spearhead said Starc, who is recovering from a groin injury, and Maxwell, from an ankle injury, won’t play “but will be available later in the series”.nnMost of Australia’s top players are also key members of different franchises in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament, and Cummins said they “have pretty good information” about the local conditions.nnHe said they hoped to try different team combinations and players against India to prepare for the all-important World Cup in India next month. “Hopefully we will get a few answers in the next few games,” Cummins said.nnAustralia, along with India and England, are seen as three top contenders going into the ODI World Cup.nnIndia have rested captain Rohit Sharma and batting superstar Virat Kohli for the first two ODIs and also hope to try different players before the tournament.nnIndia will be led by KL Rahul in the absence of Sharma, who returns with other key players for the final match of the series.nnPublished in Dawn, September 22th, 2023

Kohler-Cadmore called up for Ireland ODIs

LONDON: Joe Root is being rested for the remainder of England’s One-day International series against Ireland, with wicket-keeper-batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore replacing the former captain, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Thursday. nn“In preparation for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India starting next month, Yorkshire and England men’s batter Joe Root is to be rested for the remaining matches in the ODI series against Ireland,” ECB said in a statement. nn“The national selectors have added Somerset batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore to bolster the England ODI squad.” nnKohler-Cadmore, who plays for Somerset, will join the England set-up after the conclusion of the County Championship match against Kent, the ECB added.nnThe second ODI in the three-match series will be held at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday. The first match at Headingley on Wednesday was called off without a ball being bowled due to rain.nnPublished in Dawn, September 22th, 2023

Pakistan women eye third gold at Asiad

HANGZHOU: Pakistan will being eyeing their third women’s cricket Asian Games gold medal when they take on Indonesia in the event’s quarter-final on Thursday.nnThe Nida Dar-led side qualified directly for the last-four being one of the top four sides in the International Cricket Council’s T20 rankings.nnPakistan’s form in the format is exceptional and they go into the Games with the recent series sweep of T20 World Cup finalists South Africa on their back. nnDuring the series played at the National Bank Stadium here, right-handed opening batter Sidra Amin top-scored for the hosts, scoring 133 runs across the three matches at an average of 44.33. Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Nashra Sundhu topped the bowling charts alongside fellow left-armer Sadia Iqbal with four wickets apiece.nnThe national side have previously won gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 iterations of the Asian Games.nn“After practicing for two days here in Hangzhou, we are all set to play Indonesia tomorrow,” Nida said in a statement on the eve of their match. “The Asian Games hold a special place in our hearts, and we are determined to bring home another gold medal. nn“That we enter this tournament after having beaten South Africa comprehensively in the T20I series will certainly help us and we look forward on carrying that momentum. The players are up for showcasing their skills on the field again.”nnThe semi-finals will be played on September 24, while the final and the bronze medal fixture will take place on the next day. nnSquad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Anoosha Nasir, Diana Baig, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi, Nashra Sundhu, Nataliya Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah and Umm-e-Hani.nnPublished in Dawn, September 21st, 2023

September 21, 2023

Zaka Ashraf says previous PCB management responsible for players&rsquo; fatigue during Asia Cup

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Interim Management Committee head Zaka Ashraf on Thursday attributed the national team’s dismal show in the recently-concluded Asia Cup to the previous board management, accusing them of allowing players to participate in league cricket, which he said resulted in fatigue before national duty.n“Discussion revealed that the previous management had allowed a lot of players to play league cricket which caused them fatigue ahead of their national duty,” Ashraf told the important meeting ahead of the announcement of the national team’s squad for the World Cup.nThe meeting was convened to assess the team’s subpar performance, marked by significant losses to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775278">India</a> and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775838">Sri Lanka</a>, ultimately resulting in the national side’s <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775838">exit</a> from the tournament, according to a PCB statement.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1704862260709994649"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nOn Dec 20 last year, Ramiz Raja was the chairman. He was removed by then prime minister and PCB patron Shehbaz Sharif, who had named an 11-member IMC headed by Najam Sethi, which worked till June 20. Subsequently, another interim committee, a 10-member body, was <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1763276">formed</a> on July 5 with Zaka — a Pakistan People’s Party leader — as its chairman.nAshraf chaired a meeting today, attended by the national coaching staff under Mickey Arthur, captain Babar Azam, vice-captain Shadab Khan, and former captains Misbahul Haq and Mohammad Hafeez, to conduct a thorough review of the team’s performance in the 2023 Asia Cup.nThe discussion, according to the PCB, encompassed a wide range of topics, including recent team performance, player fitness, and future plans, all with the overarching goal of elevating the team’s overall capabilities.n“There was an agreement on making a better approach and strategy on players’ workload. The importance of strengthening the bench was also emphasised.”nAddressing the meeting, Ashraf said the philosophy behind the review was to create an atmosphere of open discussion and develop consensus.n“We have to debate strengths and weaknesses so that we are clear about what and where we need to invest for the betterment of our team.”nWhile placing blame on the previous management for burdening the players, he added that going forward the board had agreed to form a proactive approach to tackle players workload and give national duty a priority.n“I am glad we had a good positive review session and are on the same page. We are confident that the experience gained in the Asia Cup was a learning curve and will help prepare for the ICC Men’s World Cup,” he added.nAshraf said the Pakistan team had the capability to compete and win at the highest level.nWe have world-class batters and bowlers and are committed to providing them with the necessary support and resources to ensure they are well-equipped ahead of the mega event, the interim board chief said.n<h2><a id="world-cup-squad-to-be-announced-tomorrow" href="#world-cup-squad-to-be-announced-tomorrow" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>World Cup squad to be announced tomorrow</h2>nAccording to the PCB statement, chief selector Inzamamul Haq has finalised the Pakistan squad for the World Cup, which will be announced at a press conference at 11:15am on Friday in the Gaddafi Stadium.nIt said Inzamam also held a meeting with Ashraf earlier today wherein he shared his input on the matter. The statement added that the chief selector finalised the squad after discussion with the board chief.nThe World Cup is scheduled to take place from Oct 5 to Nov 19 in India. Pakistan’s opening match in the tournament is set for Oct 6 against the Netherlands in Hyderabad, while the highly anticipated match against arch-rivals India will take place in Ahmedabad on Oct 14.

India, Pakistan women reach Asian Games cricket semis after day of washouts

India and Pakistan’s women’s cricket teams both reached the last four of the Asian Games on Thursday despite their matches being washed out in Hangzhou.nIndia batted first in the Twenty20 encounter against Malaysia and piled up 173-2 in their rain-interrupted 15 overs.nMalaysia faced just two balls and were 1-0 in reply when the rain returned and the match was abandoned with no result.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCIWomen/status/1704725801915252842"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIndia progressed to the semi-final because of their higher world ranking.nThe incessant showers meant Pakistan went through for the same reason against Indonesia in the later game without a ball being bowled as the covers remained on at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB/status/1704769555929891229"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nIndia will face the winner of Friday’s quarter-final between Bangladesh and Hong Kong for a place in the final. Pakistan will play either Sri Lanka or Thailand in the last four.nJemimah Jessica Rodrigues scored an unbeaten 47 off 29 balls for India and star batter Shafali Verma smashed 67 off just 39 with five sixes and four fours as Malaysia were given the runaround in the field before the washout.n“The partnerships we had with everyone ticked off at the right time,” said Rodrigues.n“It gives us a lot of confidence. And we take it from here into the semi-finals. So it’s a big, big plus point for us,” she said.nMalaysia coach Thusara Kodikara said it was a shame that his batters did not get the chance to test themselves against India’s bowling attack.n“We are very disappointed because we wanted to play and give our best in this tournament,” said the Sri Lankan-born coach.n“We are here to learn a lot of things from this kind of team (but) we can’t do anything because of the rain. It was out of our control,” he said.nPakistan won gold on both previous occasions women’s cricket featured at the Asian Games, at <a href="https://www.dawn.com/2010/11/19/pakistan-beat-bangladesh-in-womens-cricket-for-first-asian-games-gold/">Guangzhou</a> 2010 and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1134491">Incheon</a> 2014. The sport was not played at the Jakarta Asiad five years ago.

Root denied World Cup prep as rain washes out Ireland ODI

LEEDS: England’s opening One-day International against Ireland was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Wednesday, denying Joe Root a World Cup warm-up.nnWith the rest of England’s first-choice squad rested ahead of next week’s departure for India, Root requested to be included for the first of a three-match series after a lean return with the bat in four matches against New Zealand.nnHowever, he never got on the field at his home ground as heavy rain prevented even the possibility of a 20-over-a-side game at Headingley.nnEven after the rain subsided, the umpires were concerned for the players’ safety on saturated areas of the outfield and the bowlers’ run-ups.nnThe sides will try again at Trent Bridge on Saturday.nnEngland begin their defence of the World Cup against New Zealand on Oct 5 in Ahmedabad.nnPublished in Dawn, September 21st, 2023

Pakistan-NZ World Cup warmup game in India to be played behind closed doors: reports

The warmup game for the cricket World Cup 2023 between Pakistan and New Zealand at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in the Indian city of Hyderabad on September 29 will be played behind closed doors, according to local media reports.nAccording to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/cricket/no-fans-to-be-allowed-for-pakistan-vs-new-zealand-world-cup-warm-up-game-hyderabad-8946667/">The Indian Express</a>, the match would be played with no fans in attendance after the police had asked the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) to postpone the tie due to security concerns because the police would focus on religious festivals that culminate on September 28.nWith the schedule being rigid, the officials decided barring the entry for the spectators, the publication reported.nThose who hold tickets for the match will be issued refunds, according to the Indian Express report published on Monday.n“The game will be played without spectators and those who have booked their tickets, their money will be refunded,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official told The Indian Express.n“Discussions have been going on for the last few days regarding the security arrangements for the warm-up match on September 29 as it is coming on the heels of the two festivals. The police have said that they will be hard-pressed to provide security for that game because of the Ganesh immersion. After much thought, it was decided to play the match behind closed doors,” Kode Durga Prasad, an official linked to the Hyderabad Cricket Association, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/icc-world-cup/pakistan-new-zealand-world-cup-warm-up-to-be-closed-door-game/articleshow/103788175.cms">told</a> The Times of India on Tuesday.nPrasad confirmed that Pakistan’s other warmup game against Australia will be played in front of spectators.nThe schedule for the World Cup has gone through <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1769296">many changes</a> after nine matches, including the high-voltage tie between India and Pakistan, were rescheduled by the ICC last month.n <figure class='media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven'>n <div class='media__item media__item–twitter '>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1689291533529313280"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nThe overhaul of the schedule came after the BCCI said foreign teams had requested changes.nIndian media <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/web-stories/india-pakistan-clash-among-9-odi-world-cup-2023-fixture-changes/etphotostory/102600514.cms?from=mdr">reports</a> said Ahmedabad officials had also raised concerns about their ability to provide adequate security because the match was originally scheduled at the start of a nine-day Hindu religious festival.nSecurity concerns were also reported on back-to-back matches on October 9 and 10 in Hyderabad by the police <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1767933">last month</a> after the rescheduling was announced.nThe match on October 9 will be played between Netherlands and New Zealand whereas Pakistan and Sri Lanka will go up against each other the following day after the tie was brought forward by two days.nThe tie between Pakistan and England was also rescheduled to November 11 from November 12 which coincided with the Kali Puja festival.

Pakistan down Chinese Taipei at Asian Games volleyball

HANGZHOU: Pakistan secured an impressive victory against Chinese Taipei in the second and final pool match of the Asian Games at the Linping Sports Centre Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China on Wednesday.nnPakistan won the match with set scores of 25-18, 25-20, and 25-19.nnIn their previous pool match, Pakistan had triumphed 3-0 against Mongolia.nnThe Chinese Taipei team, which held the second position in the 2018 Asian Games, faced a formidable challenge from Pakistan.nnThe Pakistan team, previously ranked eighth in the Asian Games, have shown tremendous improvement and determination in their recent outings.nnMeanwhile, Pakistan volleyball team’s manager Naseer Ahmed sounded optimistic and hoped that his players’ skills and unwavering determination would lead them to greater successes in the upcoming matches of the Asian Games.nnJAPAN LAUNCH BID FOR FOOTBALL GOLDnnMeanwhile, Japan began their bid for a first Asian Games men’s football gold since 2010 with a 3-1 win over Qatar, as Syria and Afghanistan pulled out.nnJapan were cruising 2-0 at half-time after goals by Teppei Yachida and Kotaro Uchino, before Qatar hit back in the 79th minute through substitute Abdulla Al Sulaiti.nnBut just as the Qataris threatened to grab a point in the group-round match, defender Taichi Yamasaki popped up to make the game safe for Japan in the closing minutes.nnThe Games in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou do not officially open until Saturday, but several sports are already under way.nnOn Tuesday, the first day of action, South Korea launched their quest for a third men’s football gold in a row with a 9-0 demolition of Kuwait.nnThe men’s football competition has been hit by withdrawals, however, with Afghanistan and Syria pulling out on Wednesday from Group ‘C’.nnThat means group opponents Hong Kong and Uzbekistan are into the last-16 without kicking a ball.nnIndia were thrashed 5-1 by China in football on Tuesday but coach Igor Stimac said he was just pleased to be able to field a team.nn“I’m happy because I see that some teams pulled out at the last minute [because] they couldn’t get enough players,” said the former international defender for Croatia.nn“It’s a big problem for the whole tournament now.”nnThe Asian Games are outside FIFA’s international window so clubs are not compelled to release players.nnAsian Games football teams are made up of under-23 squads but they can have three overage players.nnFootball, beach volleyball, cricket, modern pentathlon, rowing, sailing and volleyball will all take place at the Games on Thursday.nnPublished in Dawn, September 21st, 2023

Bangladesh, New Zealand rest key players ahead of World Cup

DHAKA: New Zealand and Bangladesh will both rest their captains and several other key players in their three-match One-day International series starting Thursday ahead of the World Cup.nnInstead of Kane Williamson, Lockie Ferguson will lead the Kiwis, who included only five members of their World Cup squad for the series at Dhaka’s Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.nnTim Southee — who is to have a thumb operation — and Tom Latham are the highest-profile other Kiwi absentees.nnBut pacer Trent Boult, all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, spinner Ish Sodhi, and batsman Will Young are included. nn“This is a big series for us and a very challenging one,” Ferguson, who is on his maiden tour of Bangladesh, said Wednesday. “From our point of view, it’s good build-up for a World Cup,” he added. nn“We know how strong Bangladesh are on their home conditions, so it’s a good challenge for us.” nnThe Kiwis will be looking to win their first ODI series in Bangladesh in 15 years, having lost all seven matches to the hosts in the previous two series respectively in 2010 and 2013.nnBangladesh spinners also tested New Zealand in a 3-2 win of a five-match series in 2021, but Ferguson said they were ready to face the challenge. nn“But our batters have been preparing,” he said. “They’re used to spinning tracks, having played around the world.” nnBangladesh have yet to name their World Cup squad but rested regular captain Shakib Al Hasan along with all-rounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz, batsman Mushfiqur Rahim, and pace trio Taskin Ahmed, Hasan Mahmud and Shoriful Islam.nnStand-in Bangladesh captain Liton Das said the series would be a great opportunity for his team-mates to stake a claim to the World Cup squad. nn“The players who will play have been out of international cricket for a long time,” he said. “Everyone has a chance.” nnBangladesh have recalled senior campaigner Mahmudullah Riyad for the series, with the right-hander last playing an ODI in March against England.nnVeteran opening batsman Tamim Iqbal also returned after his retirement U-turn and injury layoff that forced him to miss the recent Asia Cup.nnBangladesh failed to reach the Asia Cup final but defeated ultimate winners India in their last match to finish the tournament on a high.nnThe second and third ODIs will be held at the same ground on September 23 and 26.nnThe series will be the last for both teams before the World Cup starts in India on October 5.nnSquads:nnBANGLADESH: Liton Das (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Anamul Haque, Towhid Hridoy, Mahmudullah Riyad, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Mahedi Hasan, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Tanzid Hasan Tamim, Zakir Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Khaled AhmednnNEW ZEALAND: Lockie Ferguson (captain), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Chad Bowes, Dane Cleaver, Dean Foxcroft, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young.nnPublished in Dawn, September 21st, 2023

Sarfraz, Asad tons put Karachi Whites on top

KARACHI: Pakistan Test cricketers Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq smashed centuries on Tuesday to put Karachi Whites in a strong position against Faisalabad in their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in Rawalpindi.nnBuilding on their overnight score of 203-5 with both veterans at the crease on the third day of the second-round fixture, Asad accumulated an unbeaten 108 while Sarfraz hit 128 not out, carrying their team to a mammoth first-innings total of 434-5.nnThe scoreboard pressure on Faisalabad was perfectly utilised by the Karachi bowlers, who reduced their opponents to 63-6 by the close of play.nnPacer Aftab Ibrahim, who is on his first-class debut, snapped up three Faisalabad wickets while fellow fast bowlers Mir Hamza and Ghulam Mudassar claimed one and two victims, respectively.nnAt the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, a 107-run partnership between Rawalpindi openers Hasan Raza and Abdul Faseeh helped them make a decent start in response to Lahore Whites’ first-innings score of 407-3 (declared).nnWhile Hasan was the first to fall after contributing 43 runs, Faseeh went on to hit 113 and stayed unbeaten by the close of play — which was called after only 63 overs were bowled due to rain.nnFirst drop Ashfaq Ahmed at the crease with Faseeh with 51 not out against his name.nnIn the other match at Rawalpindi, Kamran Ghulam hit a century to help Peshawar post 263 in their first innings against Multan.nnThe Pakistan discard played a knock of 117 runs, which included 15 fours and six.nnKamran’s was the only major contribution coming from the Peshawar batters as pacer Sirajuddin took four wickets for Multan.nnIn Abbottabad, Lahore Blues began their day at 83-3 against Fata, with Qasim Akram and Hussain Talat at the crease. nnWhile Hussain was removed shortly after, Qasim’s half-century helped his side’s cause.nnA half-century by Waqas Ahmed and a 49 by Junaid Ali further helped Imran Butt’s men to post 314 on the board, getting a lead of 174 runs.nnFata, already behind in the game, lost four early wickets and found themselves in deep trouble.nnKhushdil Shah and Salman Khan Jr began the rebuilding job and by the end of the day, two had produced an unbeaten partnership of 79 runs as Fata posted 127-4. nnScores in brief:nnLahore Whites vs RawalpindinnLAHORE WHITES 407-3 declared in 100.3 overs (Ali Zaryab Asif 182, Ahmed Shahzad 102; Kashif Ali 2-88, Munir Riaz 1-75); RAWALPINDI 232-1 in 63 overs (Abdul Faseeh 113 not out, Ashfaq Ahmed 51 not out; Mohammad Irfan 1-74)nnKarachi Whites vs Faisalabad:nnKARACHI WHITES 434-5 declared in 114 overs (Sarfaraz Ahmed 128 not out, Asad Shafiq 108 not out; Mohammad Ali 2-82, Khurram Shahzad 2-124); FAISALABAD 63-6 in 27 overs (Mohammad Huraira 19; Aftab 3-14, Ghulam Mudassr 2-16) nnPeshawar vs Multan:nnPESHAWAR 263 in 82.3 overs (Kamran Ghulam 117, Abbas Ali 34; Sirajuddin 4-45, Majid Ali 3-41) nnFATA vs Lahore Blues:nnFATA 140 in 49.1 overs (Salman Khan Jnr 40, Mohammad Wasim Khan 23; Hunain Shah 3-22, Hussain Talat 2-28) and 127-4 in 34 overs (Salman Khan Jnr 66 not out, Khushdil Shah 37 not out; Waqas Ahmed 2-37); LAHORE BLUES 314 in 73.3 overs (Waqas Ahmed 53, Qasim Akram 51; Aimal Khan 3-82, Akif Javed 3-85).nnPublished in Dawn, September 19th, 2023

September 19, 2023

Last ever Champions League group stage starts as City defend title

PARIS: Manchester City begin their defence of the Champions League on Tuesday when the group stage kicks off in the last season in its current format as Europe’s elite club competition gets ready for a radical change. nnUnveiled by UEFA in 2021 at the height of the crisis which saw a group of 12 clubs announce a breakaway Super League before promptly abandoning the project, the new-look Champions League will begin next year. nnIt will see the number of clubs involved in the competition proper increase from 32 to 36, with all participants going into a single league in which teams will play eight games — up from the current six — in what is known as the “Swiss system”. nnThis is therefore the last campaign, after two decades, in which the Champions League will begin with a group stage featuring eight sections of four teams, with the top two in each advancing to the last 16. nnThe format that is on its way out was brought in for the 2003/04 season, ending an experiment with a second group stage. nnIn terms of symmetry and simplicity it cannot be bettered, with half the teams advancing from the group stage to the last 16. nnBut this is an era in which major club and international competitions keep expanding. In addition, there has been a recognition that the Champions League group stage has gone somewhat stale. nnThe financial gulf between the continent’s most powerful clubs and the rest is growing all the time, accentuated in particular by the decision to award a portion of prize money based on the position of teams in UEFA’s own club ranking. nnThat means the team placed at number one gets over 36 million euros ($38.4m) just for being the top-ranked side, with the amount dropping progressively so the lowest-ranked team receive only just over one million euros. nnEven at this elite level, there are plenty of teams who are doing little more than make up the numbers, albeit while being handsomely rewarded. nnIt is hard to imagine Swiss side Young Boys or Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade making a big impact alongside Pep Guardiola’s City and RB Leipzig in Group ‘G’. nnCity should stroll through to the last 16, racking up goals in the process, and they begin as favourites to retain a trophy they won in June by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final in Istanbul. nnThat success saw City finally win the competition they had been chasing since the Abu Dhabi-led takeover of 2008 that transformed the club. nn“For our club to win the Champions League is something incredible,” Guardiola told reporters on Monday. “But how many teams have won just one Champions League? A lot. But there are a lot to win two, three, four, five. In perspective we didn’t do anything special, just one. For us the club didn’t have it, to be part of that [makes me] proud.” nnAsked about City’s chances of retaining the title ahead of their opener at home to Red Star, Guardiola told reporters: “It’ll be easier. The most difficult to win is the first one. Tomorrow is the first step. We will try and get the first three points.” nnSo who can stop them? It surely will not be the champions of Switzerland or Serbia, or a Leipzig team who lost their star defender, Josko Gvardiol, to City during the close season. nnRecord 14-time winners Real Madrid are always contenders in the Champions League, although Carlo Ancelotti’s team find themselves in a difficult group alongside Napoli, Braga and newcomers Union Berlin. nnBayern Munich have reinforced in attack with the signing of Harry Kane, while Paris St Germain have lost Neymar and Lionel Messi but kept Kylian Mbappe and strengthened around him. nnBoth of their seasons will be defined, as ever, by their performances in the Champions League. nnArsenal will hope to make an impression on their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17, while Saudi ownership has propelled Newcastle United back into the competition after two decades away. nnHowever, they find themselves in a section along with PSG, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund. nnUEFA might have been less inclined to change the format of the Champions League format if their competition featured groups like that more often. nn“It’s hard and challenging but I think there’s some great European games for us to experience and great places to visit for our supporters,” said the Newcastle manager Eddie Howe after the draw. nnHis team begin away to seven-time European champions Milan on Tuesday. nnFixtures (kick-offs 1900 GMT unless stated): nnTuesday: nnGroup ‘E’: Feyenoord v Celtic, Lazio v Atletico Madrid. nnGroup ‘F’: AC Milan v Newcastle United (1645 GMT), Paris St Germain v Borussia Dortmund. nnGroup ‘G’: Young Boys v RB Leipzig (1645 GMT), Manchester City v Red Star Belgrade. nnGroup ‘H’: Barcelona v Antwerp, Shakhtar Donetsk v Porto. nnWednesday: nnGroup ‘A’: Galatasaray v Copenhagen (1645 GMT), Bayern Munich v Manchester United. nnGroup ‘B’: Sevilla v Lens, Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven. nnGroup ‘C’: Real Madrid v Union Berlin (1645 GMT), Braga v Napoli. nnGroup ‘D’: Real Sociedad v Inter Milan, Benfica v Salzburg.nnPublished in Dawn, September 19th, 2023

Bangladeshi bowler under fire over misogynist remarks

A Bangladeshi cricketer was embroiled in controversy on Monday over misogynistic social media posts condemning working women, just days after making a brilliant international debut.nBowler Tanzim Hasan Sakib took the wicket of India captain Rohit Sharma with only his fourth delivery in international cricket when the neighbours met in the Asia Cup on Friday, before holding his nerve in the final over to <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776038">secure victory for Bangladesh</a>.nThe resulting adulation for the 20-year-old, though, turned to scorn from women’s rights activists and feminists after his misogynist social media posts came to light.n“If the wife works, the husband’s rights are not ensured,” Tanzim posted on Facebook last year. “If the wife works, the child’s rights are not ensured. If the wife works, her elegance is damaged.n“If the wife works, the family is ruined. If the wife works, the veil is ruined. If the wife works, society is ruined.”nWomen form the vast majority of the workforce of the garment factories that have driven much of Bangladesh’s economic growth in recent years.nIn another post, Tanzim warned men that their sons would not have a “modest” mother if they married “a woman who is accustomed to free mixing with her male friends in a university”.nThe comments provoked a backlash, with Paris-based feminist writer Jannatun Nayeem Prity pointing out that the Bangladesh team jerseys were made in factories mostly staffed by women.n“I feel sorry for you that you don’t consider your mother a normal human being,” she added.nWriter Swakrito Noman described the comments as “deeply offensive” in a widely-shared Facebook post, demanding the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB question Tanzim and the player apologise.nJournalist Mejbaul Haque added on Monday: “The status of such a distorted form of misogyny is unacceptable. No matter how big a star he is!”nThe BCB said it was investigating.n“The issue came to our attention. We are looking into the matter,” its cricket operations chief Jalal Yunus told AFP.nTanzim has played 12 first-class matches in his short senior career, after helping Bangladesh win the Under-19 World Cup in 2020.

September 18, 2023

India celebrates World Cup &lsquo;booster shot&rsquo; after Sri Lanka &lsquo;battered&rsquo;

India celebrated the <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776386">10-wicket thrashing of Sri Lanka</a> in the Asia Cup final as “a booster shot” on Monday for the one-day World Cup starting on home soil in a fortnight.nPace bowler Mohammed Siraj got four wickets in one over to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 50 on Sunday, a total the Indian openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill surpassed in 6.1 overs.nIt was India’s eighth Asia Cup crown but first major tournament title since winning the same competition in 2018.n“Siraj’s dream spell ended India’s five-year title drought,” The Times of India <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://m.timesofindia.com/sports/cricket/asia-cup/asia-cup-final-how-sirajs-dream-spell-ended-indias-five-year-title-drought/amp_articleshow/103735830.cms">wrote</a>.nThe India Express called it a “Booster shot before World Cup” and praised what it called the team’s “clinical and ruthless” performance.n“Triumph lifts India’s morale… just in time for the mega-event,” it added, referring to the World Cup, which starts on October 5.nIn the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, where the final took place, the mood was gloomy.n“Abject surrender of Asia Cup by Sri Lanka,” <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.ft.lk/sports/Abject-surrender-of-Asia-Cup-by-Sri-Lanka/23-753098">said</a> a headline in the daily FT newspaper.nThe home team were bowled out in just 15.2 overs with Siraj ripping through the Sri Lankan batting with his 6-21.nSri Lanka were playing their 11th Asia Cup final but the 116-minute humiliation left fans disappointed and angry.nOne fan complained in a video post on social media that Sri Lanka were all out even before he could get to his seat at the 35,000-capacity Premadasa stadium.nAnother on social media said the Sri Lankan innings lasted less than the time taken to drink a bottle of arak, the island nation’s firewater spirit made from fermented coconut or sugarcane.nColombo’s Daily Mirror said the final was a “mismatch between two opponents in completely different weight classes.n“As heavyweights India completely battered, bruised, bloodied and bashed-in Sri Lanka’s flyweight batting line-up for an emphatic 10-wicket win. “

Pakistan down Indonesia 5-0 to qualify for Davis Cup playoffs

ISLAMABAD: Veterans Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan teamed up to ensure a dominant victory for Pakistan as they brushed aside Indonesia 5-0 in the Davis Cup World Group-II tie on Sunday.nnWith the victory, Pakistan have now qualified for the World Group-I playoff which will be held in the first quarter of 2024 with the draws scheduled to be held on Sept. 20.nnThe duo of Aisam and Aqeel defeated the pair of Indonesian brothers David and Anthony Susanto 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 here at the Pakistan Sports Complex.nnThe Indonesian duo were poised to register the first point for their country as they clinched the first set rather comfortably but it seemed that it awaken the experienced Pakistan pair. nnThe next set was David and Anthony’s for the taking as the second was tied at 5-5 but a brilliant display from 43-year-old Aqeel kept Pakistan in the competition and took the match to the decisive third set.nnThen it was all Aisam-Aqeel show as they dominated to secure Pakistan’s place in the Group-I playoffs. nnThe last match of the tie saw Pakistan’s Mohammad Shoaib showing great heart as he came from behind in both sets to beat Gunawan Trismuwantara 7-6(4), 6-4. nnEarlier, Aqeel got a walk-over in the fourth-match, a dead rubber, against David as he wasn’t fit enough to compete. nn“This victory is important for us. Let me appreciate my senior players Aisam and Aqeel along with promising Shoaib,” Pakistan head coach Mushaf Zia told Dawn. “Now we have moved into World Group playoff, which is a matter of pride.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 18th, 2023

&lsquo;Smooth operator&rsquo; Sainz ends Red Bull&rsquo;s winning streak

SINGAPORE: Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz won the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday to end Formula One leader Max Verstappen’s record run of 10 wins in a row and shatter Red Bull’s dream of going through the season unbeaten.nnMcLaren’s Lando Norris finished a close second and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took third place as Red Bull ended up off the podium for the first time since last November’s Brazilian Grand Prix.nnIn a strategic, slow-burning thriller of a race Sainz, nicknamed ‘smooth operator’, played his hand perfectly after starting on pole, slowing the field to close any safety car window and saving his tyres before helping former team-mate Norris stave off the chasing Mercedes pair.nnMercedes’ George Russell, pushing hard for the win on far fresher medium tyres than the leaders, crashed on the last lap while in third place.nn“We nailed the race,” said Sainz after his second career win for the Italian team. “We did everything we had to do. We did it perfect and we brought home a P1 that I’m sure all Italy and Ferrari is going to be proud and happy today.nn“A safety car forced us to pit even earlier than we wanted and I knew it was going to be a long stint and hard … it was just quite tight at the end but we gave Lando a bit of DRS (drag reduction) to help him and in the end we made it P1.”nnThe Spaniard eked out his hard tyres for 42 laps, winning at the slowest possible speed, for Ferrari’s first victory since Charles Leclerc triumphed in Austria in July last year.nnRed Bull had won 15 successive races until Sunday but that looked set to end from the moment they failed to qualify in the top 10.nnDouble world champion Verstappen started 11th and finished fifth, with team-mate and closest rival Sergio Perez, last year’s winner in Singapore, eighth.nnVerstappen still stretched his overall advantage to 151 points from a previous 145 with seven rounds remaining and Japan coming up next weekend.nnThe safety car came out on lap 20 when Logan Sargeant’s Williams hit the wall and left debris on the track, with the Ferraris pitting but the Red Bulls staying out.nnVerstappen, who started on the longer-lasting hard tyres, was second with Perez fourth but they were soon overhauled and then plunged down the field when they made their stops under normal conditions.nnPublished in Dawn, September 18th, 2023

Cummins, Smith and Starc return to Australia squad for India ODIs

MELBOURNE: Australia’s Pat Cummins, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will return to the One-day international squad for the three-match series in India after recovering from injury, the country’s cricket board said on Sunday.nnThe three ODIs, which will be played between Sept. 22-27 in Mohali, Indore and Rajkot, will serve as a tune-up for the 50-over World Cup which begins on Oct. 5.nnCummins has not played since the final Ashes Test in England in July as he nursed a fractured wrist while fellow fast bowler Starc has been recovering from a groin injury.nnSmith played the Ashes series with a wrist tendon injury while Maxwell is returning from an ankle injury. All four players skipped the current ODI series in South Africa, with Mitchell Marsh captaining the side against the Proteas.nnMatthew Short has also been called up as an extra batter while Travis Head recovers from a fracture to his left hand. Opening batter Head’s World Cup participation is in doubt after he broke his hand in Friday’s game against South Africa. nn“Head will undertake further medical review on return to Australia before a return to play schedule is determined,” the National Selection Panel said. Australia have until Sept. 28 to finalise their 15-man World Cup squad.nnSquad: Pat Cummins (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.nnPublished in Dawn, September 18th, 2023

Chelsea&rsquo;s woes mount after Bournemouth stalemate

BOURNEMOUTH: Chelsea’s much-vaunted attack failed to fire again as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday, the second Premier League game in a row in which the Blues have failed to score.nAfter losing 1-0 to Nottingham Forest in their last league game, Chelsea dominated possession in the first half with Nicolas Jackson striking the foot of the post in the 14th minute and Conor Gallagher wasting a glorious opportunity just after the half-hour mark.nDango Outtara enjoyed the best of Bournemouth’s rare first-half chances as he connected with a low ball across the box, but Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez dived to smother his close-range shot.nThe visitors had the ball in the net early in the second half as Raheem Sterling struck the angle of post and crossbar with a free kick and Levi Colwill blasted home the rebound, but the goal was ruled out for offside.nThe introduction of Justin Kluivert as a second-half substitute gave Bournemouth a much-needed attacking edge and he was fouled on the edge of the area in the 76th minute, but Philip Billing’s subsequent free kick was deflected wide for a corner.nBournemouth striker Dominic Solanke followed that up shortly afterwards with a fierce shot, and moments later he sent a looping header just wide as the home side enjoyed a rare spell of attacking pressure.nChelsea almost got the winner five minutes from the end of normal time as Sterling picked out Cole Palmer, but Cherries keeper Neto made a brilliant one-handed reflex save to keep out the substitute’s deft volley.nThe draw moves Bournemouth up to 15th spot on three points, two points and one place behind Chelsea whose coach Mauricio Pochettino could not hide his disappointment.n“What the numbers say in the end is that it wasn’t enough. It’s always about the game. We should win 1-0, 2-0 today easily because in the first 30 minutes we had the chances,” he told Sky Sports. “If we didn’t score and didn’t win the game, maybe you need to say to the people that it wasn’t enough,” he added.nBournemouth’s players felt they were unlucky not to win.n“Coming straight off the game, we’re disappointed not to take all three points. They had some chances but I think we played our best game of the season so far,” defender Max Aarons said.nIn Saturday’s late game, Newcastle beat Brentford 1-0 at St James’ Park to end a run of three successive defeats.nEddie Howe’s side won for the second time this season thanks to Callum Wilson, who netted a 64th minute penalty after Anthony Gordon was fouled by Mark Flekken.nPublished in Dawn, September 18th, 2023

Jansen destroys Australian top order as SA clinch ODI series

JOHANNESBURG: Left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen dismissed the first five Australian batsmen to clinch a come-from-behind series win for South Africa in the fifth one-day international at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday.nnJansen took five for 39 as Australia were bowled out for 193 in reply to South Africa’s 315 for nine.nnSouth African captain Temba Bavuma said the character of the team had shone through after they lost the first two matches of the series, which boded well for the World Cup in India next month.nn“There is a lot of confidence we can take, in that we had our backs against the wall and we showed we have ways of getting on top of the game. We will go to India in probably the best state we can be.” South Africa won each of the last three matches by more than 100 runs after they were sent in to bat by Australian captain Mitchell Marsh.nnMarsh admitted: “We were outplayed in the last three games but we have a one-day game in India on Friday, a lot of players coming back and a big World Cup coming up.” Several leading players, including regular captain Pat Cummins, fellow fast bowler Mitchell Starc, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and star batsman Steve Smith, will join the team for a pre-World Cup series against India starting in Mohali on Friday.nnMarsh’s decision to bowl first in the only day game of the series seemed justified on Sunday when his bowlers reduced South Africa to 103 for four in the 24th over on a pitch which offered sideways movement and bounce to the seamers.nnPlayer of the series Aiden Markram (93) and David Miller (63) put on 109 for the fifth wicket and lower order batsmen Jansen and Andile Phehlukwayo took the total past 300 with some big hitting towards the end.nnJansen hit three sixes in scoring 47 off 29 balls and Phehlukwayo cleared the boundary four times in his unbeaten 39 off 19 deliveries.nnMarsh and David Warner blasted 34 off the first three overs of the Australian innings but Jansen came into the attack and dismissed Warner and Inglis in a double-wicket maiden over.nnMarsh (71) and Marnus Labuschagne (44) put on 90 for the third wicket but Jansen dismissed both set batsmen and Alex Carey in a burst of three wickets off seven balls to put South Africa in command.nnSCOREBOARDnnSOUTH AFRICA:nnQ. de Kock c Green b Ellis27nnT. Bavuma run out Labuschagne0nnR. van der Dussen c Labuschagne b Abbott30nnA. Markram c Neser b David93nnH. Klaasen b Zampa6nnD. Miller c Inglis b Abbott63nnM. Jansen c Abbott b Green47nnA. Phehlukwayo not out38nnG. Coetzee lbw Zampa0nnK. Maharaj b Zampa0nnL. Ngidi not out0nnEXTRAS (LB-3, NB-1, W-7)11nnTOTAL (for nine wickets, 50 overs)315nnFALL OF WICKETS: 1-3 (Bavuma), 2-37 (de Kock), 3-80 (van der Dussen), 4-103 (Klaasen), 5-212 (Markram), 6-258 (Miller), 7-280 (Jansen), 8-281 (Coetzee), 9-281 (Maharaj)nnBOWLING: Neser 10-1-60-0 (1w), Abbott 10-1-54-2 (4w), Green 10-0-59-1 (2w), Ellis 8-0-49-1 (1nb), Zampa 10-1-70-3, David 2-0-20-1nnAUSTRALIA:nnM. Marsh c Ngidi b Jansen71nnD. Warner c Markram b Jansen10nnJ. Inglis b Jansen0nnM. Labuschagne c Phehlukwayo b Jansen44nnA. Carey c de Kock b Jansen2nnC. Green c&b Maharaj18nnT. David b Maharaj1nnS. Abbott c Ngidi b Maharaj23nnM. Neser lbw Phehlukwayo0nnN. Ellis not out9nnA. Zampa c Bavuma b Maharaj5nnEXTRAS (B-1, LB-6, NB-2, W-1)10nnTOTAL (all out, 34.1 overs)193nnFALL OF WICKETS: 1-34 (Warner), 2-34 (Inglis), 3-124 (Marsh), 4-135 (Labuschagne), 5-136 (Carey), 6-143 (David), 7-174 (Green), 8-175 (Neser), 9-181 AbbottnnBOWLING: Ngidi 5-0-23-0, Coetzee 6-0-47-0, Jansen 8-1-39-5 (1w, 2nb), Phehlukwayo 6-0-44-1, Maharaj 9.1-2-33-4nnRESULT: South Africa won by 123 runs.nnPublished in Dawn, September 18th, 2023

Aisamul Haq, Aqeel Khan give Pakistan 2-0 lead over Indonesia in Davis Cup World Group-II play-off

ISLAMABAD: Showing their class and experience, Aisam-ul-Haq and Aqeel Khan gave Pakistan a solid 2-0 lead against Indonesia in the Davis Cup World Group-II tie here at the Pakistan Sports Complex on Saturday.nnIn the first singles match, the 43-year-old Aisam outclassed David Agung Susanto 6-1, 6-4 on grasscourt of the Aisam-ul-Haq Tennis Pavilion.nnThen Pakistan No.1 Aqeel in the other singles match beat Gunawan Trismuwantara 7-5, 6-4 to put the hosts ahead.nnGunawan served for the first set at 5-4 but Aqeel fought back gallantly to take the next three games and the set 7-5. Aqeel broke his opponent early in the second set and kept control to win the set and with it the match.nnIn the doubles match on Sunday, Pakistan’s Mohammad Shoaib will team up with Mohammad Abid against the Indonesian pair of Gunawan Trismuwantara and Anthony Susanto.nnThis match will be followed by reverse singles clashes in which Aqeel faces David while Aisam takes on Gunawan.nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

September 17, 2023

Siraj stars as India rout Sri Lanka for eighth Asia Cup crown

Pace bowler Mohammed Siraj returned figures of 6-21 to lead India’s rout of Sri Lanka by 10 wickets as they clinched their eighth Asia Cup title on Sunday.nSiraj got four wickets in one over to help skittle Sri Lanka out for 50, a total the Indian openers Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill surpassed in 6.1 overs for an impressive victory ahead of next month’s one-day international (ODI) World Cup at home.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/status/1703387521785446910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1703387521785446910%7Ctwgr%5Ea67c1682b318b3df922c77716fa28bd9fcb3df75%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1776386"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nSri Lanka’s miserably low total in the 50-over contest left a nearly packed house disappointed after they witnessed just 116 minutes of play.nThe hosts elected to bat first following a delayed start due to rain and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah struck first with the wicket of Kusal Perera, caught behind for a duck in the first over.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialSLC/status/1703333825135383002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1703333825135383002%7Ctwgr%5Ea67c1682b318b3df922c77716fa28bd9fcb3df75%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dawn.com%2Fnews%2F1776386"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>nSiraj soon took over as he made the ball swing and seam in overcast conditions to easily surpass his previous ODI best of 4-32.nHe got Pathum Nissanka for two and then struck on successive balls to send back Sadeera Samarawickrama (0) and Charith Asalanka (0), but a hat-trick was averted.nDhananjaya de Silva hit a boundary but Siraj had him caught behind with the next ball, much to the delight of the Indian fans.nSiraj got his fifth with the wicket of Sri Lankan captain Dasun Shanaka, equalling an ODI record for the fastest five-wicket haul from his first 16 balls of the match.nKusal Mendis hit three boundaries before becoming Siraj’s sixth wicket, although Sri Lanka avoided the lowest-ever ODI total of 35 by Zimbabwe.nAfter Virat Kohli’s overthrow went for a boundary, and six more runs to the total, Sri Lanka pushed past their lowest ODI total of 43 scored against South Africa in 2012.nHardik Pandya took three wickets to wrap up the innings in just 90 minutes.nMendis’ 17 and an unbeaten 13 by Dushan Hemantha were the only double-digit scores in an innings that featured five ducks.nShubman Gill, a centurion in the previous match, began with a boundary in the opening over on his way to an unbeaten 27 and fellow opener Ishan Kishan (23) soon joined the party.nThe left-handed Ishan smashed fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana for two successive boundaries, and three more in a row from Gill gave India victory in the tournament’s shortest final.nRohit Sharma’s India dropped just one match in the tournament after they <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776038/bangladesh-stun-india-for-consolation-asia-cup-win">lost</a> an inconsequential Super Four contest against Bangladesh.nSri Lanka, who won the previous edition of the Asia Cup played in the T20 format, came in as underdogs and snuck into the Super Fours with a dramatic win over Afghanistan but went down without a fight in their 11th final.

Shabbir Iqbal holds nerve in epic finish to retain CNS Open crown

KARACHI: For a third straight edition, in yet another tantalisingly close finish, it was Shabbir Iqbal who prevailed.nnShabbir’s love affair with the Chief of Naval Staff Open Golf Championship continued when Pakistan’s top-ranked professional edged Ahmed Baig by one stroke in a tense final round to lift the title at the Karachi Golf Course on Saturday.nnIt’s now 14 titles in 27 editions of the CNS Open for Shabbir, who avenged his defeat to Ahmed in last week’s Pakistan Open by denying him a maiden title at the tournament.nnA stroke separated Shabbir from overnight leader Mohammad Shehzad with Ahmed a further shot adrift in third heading into the final 18 holes.nnAnd while Shehzad wilted, Shabbir and Ahmed battled for glory with the former seeing off the challenge with a birdie on the 17th hole for a final-round three-under 69 and a total of 12-under 274.nnAhmed also finished with a 69 and held on to second place by a stroke with Mohammad Ashfaq firing a six-under 66.nnMohammad Munir (68) and Matloob Ahmed (70), who led in the opening two rounds, shared fourth on 278 with Shehzad (75) a shot behind.nnThere was a narrower margin of victory in the two-round junior professionals event with Rashid Baig prevailing in a playoff against Abid Iqbal. Rashid (78) and Abid had ended tied at 153.nnMohammad Tariq, meanwhile, had a more comfortable victory in the senior professionals competition as he struck 73 in the second round to finish with 140 and still win by five shots over Mohammad Akhtar (71).nnOn a hot and sunny afternoon, all eyes though were on the professionals’ leader flight where Shabbir and Ahmed had a gruelling battle.nnThe duo had matched each other, birdie for birdie, on the front nine before Ahmed fired a birdie on the 10th to move level with Shabbir.nnShabbir hit back with a birdie of his own in the 14th to regain his advantage, only for Ahmed to reply with a birdie on the very next hole.nnIt set up a grandstand finish and when Shabbir birdied the penultimate hole, there was only going to be one winner.nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

&lsquo;Unsung heroes&rsquo;: $50,000 for rain-hit Asia Cup groundstaff

All too often ignored in favour of the big name sport stars, cricketing groundstaff who kept the rain-hit Asia Cup running were promised a $50,000 shared bonus by organisers on Sunday.nPace bowler Mohammed Siraj, who returned figures of 6-21 to lead <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776386/siraj-stars-as-india-rout-sri-lanka-for-eighth-asia-cup-crown">India’s rout of Sri Lanka</a> by 10 wickets as they clinched their eighth Asia Cup title, also vowed to donate his $5,000 man of the match prize winnings to those who looked after the pitches.nThe 50-over Asia Cup is a precursor to the upcoming one-day international (ODI) World Cup, and most of the matches were moved to Sri Lanka after India <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1715666">refused to tour Pakistan</a> due to political tensions.nBut rain played havoc and multiple matches in the six-nation tournament were delayed, and some <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773623">abandoned</a>.nThe nearly three-week-long event was only saved by an army of around 100 Sri Lankan groundstaff wearing orange tops, who sprinted out with the covers each time rain halted play.nThe team have been hailed the real stars by fans, commentators and players.n“Big shout out to the unsung heroes of cricket!” president of the Asian Cricket Council Jay Shah posted today on X, formerly Twitter, praising their “unwavering commitment and hard work”.nShah, who is also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, said the Asian Cricket Council and Sri Lanka Cricket were “proud to announce a well-deserved prize money of $50,000 for the dedicated curators and groundsmen.”nStaff at Sri Lanka’s grounds at Colombo and Kandy would get the bonus, he said.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1699179"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nWhile the cash will be split between scores of staff, it will be likely well received in a country which last year suffered an economic crash that sparked dire food, fuel and medicine shortages, with GDP per capita sinking to $3,354.n“From pitch perfection to lush outfields, they ensured the stage was set for thrilling cricket action,” Shah added.n“This recognition highlights the critical role these individuals play in cricket’s success”.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JayShah/status/1703356913264775482"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>

Shakib says Bangladesh &lsquo;dangerous&rsquo; for World Cup after India triumph

COLOMBO: Skipper Shakib Al Hasan on Friday said Bangladesh will be a “dangerous side” in the World Cup after they edged India by six runs for a consolation Asia Cup victory.nnIndia, who had already booked a meeting with Sri Lanka in Sunday’s final in Colombo, faltered in their chase of 266 despite a valiant 121 by opener Shubman Gill.nnMustafizur Rahman took three wickets while debutant Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mahedi Hasan claimed two each as Bangladesh bowled out India for 259 to end their tournament on a high ahead of the upcoming ODI World Cup.nn“I think we have got a very good team [for the World Cup],” man-of-the-match Shakib, who scored 80 in Bangladesh’s 265-8, said after the win.nn“Lot of injuries, and players coming in and going out didn’t help during this Asia Cup. I think we will be a dangerous side in the World Cup.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

Intikhab Alam surprised at Babar&rsquo;s decisions during Asia Cup

LAHORE: Amazed by a number of tactical decisions made by Babar Azam for the Asia Cup Super Four match against India, former captain Pakistan Intikhab Alam has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to appoint pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain for the forthcoming ICC World Cup.nn“I have already expressed my views about Babar’s role as captain. It is also unfair to make him lead the national team in all three formats,” Intikhab said while talking to Dawn on Saturday.nn“Against India [in the Asia Cup Super Four], the decisions of bowling first and picking [fast bowling all-rounder] Faheem Ashraf in place of [slow left-arm spinner] Mohammad Nawaz were surprising for me.”nnIn the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup, Pakistan could only win against Bangladesh while losing to both India and Sri Lanka. As a result, Babar and his men finished a poor fourth in the six-nation contest due to lower net run-rate (-1.283) than that of Bangladesh (-0.463).nn“Look, the selection committee is not at fault here as picking the team [playing eleven] on the tour is the responsibility of captain and coach. I want to know if it was Babar’s decision to bowl first against India or a joint call. Seeing the [Colombo] pitch even on a TV screen indicated it was batting-friendly and when you have one reserve day too there was no wisdom in offering batting to the opponent team,” Intikhab said of the Super Four match between the arch-rivals which Pakistan lost by a whopping 228 runs after India posted a mammoth 356-2.nn“How can Faheem replace Nawaz with a speed of just 125kph whereas a spinner could play a better role against India,” he wondered.nnThe former Test captain thought changing the captain would benefit the team ahead of the World Cup starting in India on Oct 5.nn“I will not blame Babar, rather I will blame those who made him captain for three formats. Still we have time to change a captain for the World Cup and [to me] Shaheen is the best available choice,” reckoned Intikhab.nnIntikhab also endorsed former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga’s criticism over holding the Asia Cup matches in Colombo, where persistent rainy weather marred the action, and not staging the games in Hambantota.nnTo a question, he said it was highly surprising that Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur was commanding the squad from London.nn“It is totally unfair, and never happened in the past with any cricket country,” Intikhab emphasised.nn“His hand-picked coaching team carries no profile. Morne Morkel has been appointed as Pakistan team’s bowling coach with no impressive coaching profile.”nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

Brighton thump United as City come from behind to win

LONDON: Manchester United’s crisis deepened on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck scored in a 3-1 win against his old club while Manchester City beat West Ham United to stay perfect in the Premier League.nnLiverpool had a brief taste of life at the top, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in the early kick-off, while Tottenham Hotspur scored two goals in stoppage time to beat Sheffield United.nnThe season is spiralling out of control for Erik ten Hag’s United, who started the campaign in buoyant mood after ending their trophy drought and finishing third in the league last season.nnSome fans dreamed of a long-overdue title challenge but instead they find themselves trailing leaders City by nine points after a third chastening defeat in five matches.nnUnited started brightly at Old Trafford, desperate to put their nightmare start to the season behind them but former youth player Welbeck silenced the home fans in the 20th minute.nnA 53rd-minute goal by Pascal Gross gave United a mountain to climb and substitute Joao Pedro made it 3-0 before a consolation for Hannibal Mejbri.nnBrighton’s fourth straight league win against United lifted them to third in the table.nnTen Hag, in his second season at Old Trafford, now has a huge job on his hands to save United’s season, besieged by problems on and off the pitch.nnJadon Sancho has been exiled from first-team training after a public spat with the manager while fellow forward Antony has been given a leave of absence to address domestic abuse allegations, which he denies.nn<figure class=’media sm:w-11/12 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">MANCHESTER: Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross (L) shoots to score during the Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>n nnProtests continue in the stands against unpopular owners the Glazer family, who appear to have put their attempt to sell the club on hold.nnChampions City continue to churn out the wins, even though Pep Guardiola’s men did not have it all their own way at the London Stadium, trailing to a James Ward-Prowse goal in the first half.nnJeremy Doku equalised early in the second period and Bernardo Silva put City 2-1 before Erling Haaland’s seventh goal of the season guaranteed a fifth win in five games.nnCity’s win lifts them to 15 points, two clear of Liverpool at the top of the table.nnEarlier, Jurgen Klopp’s men roused themselves after an anaemic first-half display against Wolves, recovering from a goal down following a first period that Wolves dominated.nnCody Gakpo scored 10 minutes into the second period and Andy Robertson finished neatly in the 85th minute before an own goal from Hugo Bueno added gloss to the scoreline.nnIt was the third time this season that Liverpool have come from behind to win.nnKlopp said his team deserved to win the game after their powerful second-half performance but stressed that they could not afford to keep falling behind.nn“Turning games around is helpful in a season but we cannot rely on it, we cannot,” he told the BBC. “We have to play better in the first half of games generally. We are not stable yet, that is not possible. Too many things are new.”nnSheffield looked to be on track for their first win of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.nnBut Spurs grabbed an equaliser in the 98th minute when Richarlison headed home Ivan Perisic’s corner to set up a grandstand finish, with 12 minutes of additional time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Dejan Kulusevski scored the winner.nnAston Villa scored three late goals to beat Crystal Palace 3-1.nnThe London side led 1-0 courtesy of Odsonne Edouard’s first-half goal but Jhon Duran equalised in the 87th minute.nnDouglas Luiz scored a penalty deep into stoppage time to put Villa in front and Leon Bailey made it 3-1.nnFulham’s Carlos Vinicius condemned Premier League new boys Luton Town to a fourth consecutive defeat.nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

&lsquo;Unsung heroes&rsquo;: $50,000 for rain-hit Asia Cup groundstaff

All too often ignored in favour of the big name sport stars, cricketing groundstaff who kept the rain-hit Asia Cup running were promised a $50,000 shared bonus by organisers on Sunday.nPace bowler Mohammed Siraj, who returned figures of 6-21 to lead <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776386/siraj-stars-as-india-rout-sri-lanka-for-eighth-asia-cup-crown">India’s rout of Sri Lanka</a> by 10 wickets as they clinched their eighth Asia Cup title, also vowed to donate his $5,000 man of the match prize winnings to those who looked after the pitches.nThe 50-over Asia Cup is a precursor to the upcoming one-day international (ODI) World Cup, and most of the matches were moved to Sri Lanka after India <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1715666">refused to tour Pakistan</a> due to political tensions.nBut rain played havoc and multiple matches in the six-nation tournament were delayed, and some <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773623">abandoned</a>.nThe nearly three-week-long event was only saved by an army of around 100 Sri Lankan groundstaff wearing orange tops, who sprinted out with the covers each time rain halted play.nThe team have been hailed the real stars by fans, commentators and players.n“Big shout out to the unsung heroes of cricket!” president of the Asian Cricket Council Jay Shah posted today on X, formerly Twitter, praising their “unwavering commitment and hard work”.nShah, who is also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, said the Asian Cricket Council and Sri Lanka Cricket were “proud to announce a well-deserved prize money of $50,000 for the dedicated curators and groundsmen.”nStaff at Sri Lanka’s grounds at Colombo and Kandy would get the bonus, he said.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1699179"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nWhile the cash will be split between scores of staff, it will be likely well received in a country which last year suffered an economic crash that sparked dire food, fuel and medicine shortages, with GDP per capita sinking to $3,354.n“From pitch perfection to lush outfields, they ensured the stage was set for thrilling cricket action,” Shah added.n“This recognition highlights the critical role these individuals play in cricket’s success”.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JayShah/status/1703356913264775482"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>

Brighton thump United as City come from behind to win

LONDON: Manchester United’s crisis deepened on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck scored in a 3-1 win against his old club while Manchester City beat West Ham United to stay perfect in the Premier League.nnLiverpool had a brief taste of life at the top, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in the early kick-off, while Tottenham Hotspur scored two goals in stoppage time to beat Sheffield United.nnThe season is spiralling out of control for Erik ten Hag’s United, who started the campaign in buoyant mood after ending their trophy drought and finishing third in the league last season.nnSome fans dreamed of a long-overdue title challenge but instead they find themselves trailing leaders City by nine points after a third chastening defeat in five matches.nnUnited started brightly at Old Trafford, desperate to put their nightmare start to the season behind them but former youth player Welbeck silenced the home fans in the 20th minute.nnA 53rd-minute goal by Pascal Gross gave United a mountain to climb and substitute Joao Pedro made it 3-0 before a consolation for Hannibal Mejbri.nnBrighton’s fourth straight league win against United lifted them to third in the table.nnTen Hag, in his second season at Old Trafford, now has a huge job on his hands to save United’s season, besieged by problems on and off the pitch.nnJadon Sancho has been exiled from first-team training after a public spat with the manager while fellow forward Antony has been given a leave of absence to address domestic abuse allegations, which he denies.nn<figure class=’media sm:w-11/12 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">MANCHESTER: Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross (L) shoots to score during the Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>n nnProtests continue in the stands against unpopular owners the Glazer family, who appear to have put their attempt to sell the club on hold.nnChampions City continue to churn out the wins, even though Pep Guardiola’s men did not have it all their own way at the London Stadium, trailing to a James Ward-Prowse goal in the first half.nnJeremy Doku equalised early in the second period and Bernardo Silva put City 2-1 before Erling Haaland’s seventh goal of the season guaranteed a fifth win in five games.nnCity’s win lifts them to 15 points, two clear of Liverpool at the top of the table.nnEarlier, Jurgen Klopp’s men roused themselves after an anaemic first-half display against Wolves, recovering from a goal down following a first period that Wolves dominated.nnCody Gakpo scored 10 minutes into the second period and Andy Robertson finished neatly in the 85th minute before an own goal from Hugo Bueno added gloss to the scoreline.nnIt was the third time this season that Liverpool have come from behind to win.nnKlopp said his team deserved to win the game after their powerful second-half performance but stressed that they could not afford to keep falling behind.nn“Turning games around is helpful in a season but we cannot rely on it, we cannot,” he told the BBC. “We have to play better in the first half of games generally. We are not stable yet, that is not possible. Too many things are new.”nnSheffield looked to be on track for their first win of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.nnBut Spurs grabbed an equaliser in the 98th minute when Richarlison headed home Ivan Perisic’s corner to set up a grandstand finish, with 12 minutes of additional time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Dejan Kulusevski scored the winner.nnAston Villa scored three late goals to beat Crystal Palace 3-1.nnThe London side led 1-0 courtesy of Odsonne Edouard’s first-half goal but Jhon Duran equalised in the 87th minute.nnDouglas Luiz scored a penalty deep into stoppage time to put Villa in front and Leon Bailey made it 3-1.nnFulham’s Carlos Vinicius condemned Premier League new boys Luton Town to a fourth consecutive defeat.nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

&lsquo;Unsung heroes&rsquo;: $50,000 for rain-hit Asia Cup groundstaff

All too often ignored in favour of the big name sport stars, cricketing groundstaff who kept the rain-hit Asia Cup running were promised a $50,000 shared bonus by organisers on Sunday.nPace bowler Mohammed Siraj, who returned figures of 6-21 to lead <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776386/siraj-stars-as-india-rout-sri-lanka-for-eighth-asia-cup-crown">India’s rout of Sri Lanka</a> by 10 wickets as they clinched their eighth Asia Cup title, also vowed to donate his $5,000 man of the match prize winnings to those who looked after the pitches.nThe 50-over Asia Cup is a precursor to the upcoming one-day international (ODI) World Cup, and most of the matches were moved to Sri Lanka after India <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1715666">refused to tour Pakistan</a> due to political tensions.nBut rain played havoc and multiple matches in the six-nation tournament were delayed, and some <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773623">abandoned</a>.nThe nearly three-week-long event was only saved by an army of around 100 Sri Lankan groundstaff wearing orange tops, who sprinted out with the covers each time rain halted play.nThe team have been hailed the real stars by fans, commentators and players.n“Big shout out to the unsung heroes of cricket!” president of the Asian Cricket Council Jay Shah posted today on X, formerly Twitter, praising their “unwavering commitment and hard work”.nShah, who is also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, said the Asian Cricket Council and Sri Lanka Cricket were “proud to announce a well-deserved prize money of $50,000 for the dedicated curators and groundsmen.”nStaff at Sri Lanka’s grounds at Colombo and Kandy would get the bonus, he said.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1699179"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nWhile the cash will be split between scores of staff, it will be likely well received in a country which last year suffered an economic crash that sparked dire food, fuel and medicine shortages, with GDP per capita sinking to $3,354.n“From pitch perfection to lush outfields, they ensured the stage was set for thrilling cricket action,” Shah added.n“This recognition highlights the critical role these individuals play in cricket’s success”.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JayShah/status/1703356913264775482"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>

Brighton thump United as City come from behind to win

LONDON: Manchester United’s crisis deepened on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck scored in a 3-1 win against his old club while Manchester City beat West Ham United to stay perfect in the Premier League.nnLiverpool had a brief taste of life at the top, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in the early kick-off, while Tottenham Hotspur scored two goals in stoppage time to beat Sheffield United.nnThe season is spiralling out of control for Erik ten Hag’s United, who started the campaign in buoyant mood after ending their trophy drought and finishing third in the league last season.nnSome fans dreamed of a long-overdue title challenge but instead they find themselves trailing leaders City by nine points after a third chastening defeat in five matches.nnUnited started brightly at Old Trafford, desperate to put their nightmare start to the season behind them but former youth player Welbeck silenced the home fans in the 20th minute.nnA 53rd-minute goal by Pascal Gross gave United a mountain to climb and substitute Joao Pedro made it 3-0 before a consolation for Hannibal Mejbri.nnBrighton’s fourth straight league win against United lifted them to third in the table.nnTen Hag, in his second season at Old Trafford, now has a huge job on his hands to save United’s season, besieged by problems on and off the pitch.nnJadon Sancho has been exiled from first-team training after a public spat with the manager while fellow forward Antony has been given a leave of absence to address domestic abuse allegations, which he denies.nn<figure class=’media sm:w-11/12 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">MANCHESTER: Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross (L) shoots to score during the Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>n nnProtests continue in the stands against unpopular owners the Glazer family, who appear to have put their attempt to sell the club on hold.nnChampions City continue to churn out the wins, even though Pep Guardiola’s men did not have it all their own way at the London Stadium, trailing to a James Ward-Prowse goal in the first half.nnJeremy Doku equalised early in the second period and Bernardo Silva put City 2-1 before Erling Haaland’s seventh goal of the season guaranteed a fifth win in five games.nnCity’s win lifts them to 15 points, two clear of Liverpool at the top of the table.nnEarlier, Jurgen Klopp’s men roused themselves after an anaemic first-half display against Wolves, recovering from a goal down following a first period that Wolves dominated.nnCody Gakpo scored 10 minutes into the second period and Andy Robertson finished neatly in the 85th minute before an own goal from Hugo Bueno added gloss to the scoreline.nnIt was the third time this season that Liverpool have come from behind to win.nnKlopp said his team deserved to win the game after their powerful second-half performance but stressed that they could not afford to keep falling behind.nn“Turning games around is helpful in a season but we cannot rely on it, we cannot,” he told the BBC. “We have to play better in the first half of games generally. We are not stable yet, that is not possible. Too many things are new.”nnSheffield looked to be on track for their first win of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.nnBut Spurs grabbed an equaliser in the 98th minute when Richarlison headed home Ivan Perisic’s corner to set up a grandstand finish, with 12 minutes of additional time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Dejan Kulusevski scored the winner.nnAston Villa scored three late goals to beat Crystal Palace 3-1.nnThe London side led 1-0 courtesy of Odsonne Edouard’s first-half goal but Jhon Duran equalised in the 87th minute.nnDouglas Luiz scored a penalty deep into stoppage time to put Villa in front and Leon Bailey made it 3-1.nnFulham’s Carlos Vinicius condemned Premier League new boys Luton Town to a fourth consecutive defeat.nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

&lsquo;Unsung heroes&rsquo;: $50,000 for rain-hit Asia Cup groundstaff

All too often ignored in favour of the big name sport stars, cricketing groundstaff who kept the rain-hit Asia Cup running were promised a $50,000 shared bonus by organisers on Sunday.nPace bowler Mohammed Siraj, who returned figures of 6-21 to lead <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776386/siraj-stars-as-india-rout-sri-lanka-for-eighth-asia-cup-crown">India’s rout of Sri Lanka</a> by 10 wickets as they clinched their eighth Asia Cup title, also vowed to donate his $5,000 man of the match prize winnings to those who looked after the pitches.nThe 50-over Asia Cup is a precursor to the upcoming one-day international (ODI) World Cup, and most of the matches were moved to Sri Lanka after India <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1715666">refused to tour Pakistan</a> due to political tensions.nBut rain played havoc and multiple matches in the six-nation tournament were delayed, and some <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773623">abandoned</a>.nThe nearly three-week-long event was only saved by an army of around 100 Sri Lankan groundstaff wearing orange tops, who sprinted out with the covers each time rain halted play.nThe team have been hailed the real stars by fans, commentators and players.n“Big shout out to the unsung heroes of cricket!” president of the Asian Cricket Council Jay Shah posted today on X, formerly Twitter, praising their “unwavering commitment and hard work”.nShah, who is also the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief, said the Asian Cricket Council and Sri Lanka Cricket were “proud to announce a well-deserved prize money of $50,000 for the dedicated curators and groundsmen.”nStaff at Sri Lanka’s grounds at Colombo and Kandy would get the bonus, he said.n <figure class=’media sm:w-1/2 w-full media–right media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–newskitlink ‘> <iframen class="nk-iframe" onload="setInterval(()=>{try{this.style.height=this.contentWindow.document.body.scrollHeight+’px’;}catch{}}, 100)"n width="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="height:400px;position:relative"n src="https://www.dawn.com/news/card/1699179"n sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-popups allow-modals allow-forms"></iframe></div>n n </figure>nWhile the cash will be split between scores of staff, it will be likely well received in a country which last year suffered an economic crash that sparked dire food, fuel and medicine shortages, with GDP per capita sinking to $3,354.n“From pitch perfection to lush outfields, they ensured the stage was set for thrilling cricket action,” Shah added.n“This recognition highlights the critical role these individuals play in cricket’s success”.n <figure class=’media w-full w-full media–stretch media–embed media–uneven’>n <div class=’media__item media__item–twitter ‘>n <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">n <a href="https://twitter.com/JayShah/status/1703356913264775482"></a>n </blockquote>n</div>n n </figure>

Brighton thump United as City come from behind to win

LONDON: Manchester United’s crisis deepened on Saturday as Brighton & Hove Albion’s Danny Welbeck scored in a 3-1 win against his old club while Manchester City beat West Ham United to stay perfect in the Premier League.nnLiverpool had a brief taste of life at the top, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 in the early kick-off, while Tottenham Hotspur scored two goals in stoppage time to beat Sheffield United.nnThe season is spiralling out of control for Erik ten Hag’s United, who started the campaign in buoyant mood after ending their trophy drought and finishing third in the league last season.nnSome fans dreamed of a long-overdue title challenge but instead they find themselves trailing leaders City by nine points after a third chastening defeat in five matches.nnUnited started brightly at Old Trafford, desperate to put their nightmare start to the season behind them but former youth player Welbeck silenced the home fans in the 20th minute.nnA 53rd-minute goal by Pascal Gross gave United a mountain to climb and substitute Joao Pedro made it 3-0 before a consolation for Hannibal Mejbri.nnBrighton’s fourth straight league win against United lifted them to third in the table.nnTen Hag, in his second season at Old Trafford, now has a huge job on his hands to save United’s season, besieged by problems on and off the pitch.nnJadon Sancho has been exiled from first-team training after a public spat with the manager while fellow forward Antony has been given a leave of absence to address domestic abuse allegations, which he denies.nn<figure class=’media sm:w-11/12 w-full media–center media–uneven media–stretch’>n <div class=’media__item ‘><picture></picture></div>n n <figcaption class="media__caption ">MANCHESTER: Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross (L) shoots to score during the Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.—Reuters</figcaption>n </figure>n nnProtests continue in the stands against unpopular owners the Glazer family, who appear to have put their attempt to sell the club on hold.nnChampions City continue to churn out the wins, even though Pep Guardiola’s men did not have it all their own way at the London Stadium, trailing to a James Ward-Prowse goal in the first half.nnJeremy Doku equalised early in the second period and Bernardo Silva put City 2-1 before Erling Haaland’s seventh goal of the season guaranteed a fifth win in five games.nnCity’s win lifts them to 15 points, two clear of Liverpool at the top of the table.nnEarlier, Jurgen Klopp’s men roused themselves after an anaemic first-half display against Wolves, recovering from a goal down following a first period that Wolves dominated.nnCody Gakpo scored 10 minutes into the second period and Andy Robertson finished neatly in the 85th minute before an own goal from Hugo Bueno added gloss to the scoreline.nnIt was the third time this season that Liverpool have come from behind to win.nnKlopp said his team deserved to win the game after their powerful second-half performance but stressed that they could not afford to keep falling behind.nn“Turning games around is helpful in a season but we cannot rely on it, we cannot,” he told the BBC. “We have to play better in the first half of games generally. We are not stable yet, that is not possible. Too many things are new.”nnSheffield looked to be on track for their first win of the season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.nnBut Spurs grabbed an equaliser in the 98th minute when Richarlison headed home Ivan Perisic’s corner to set up a grandstand finish, with 12 minutes of additional time at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Dejan Kulusevski scored the winner.nnAston Villa scored three late goals to beat Crystal Palace 3-1.nnThe London side led 1-0 courtesy of Odsonne Edouard’s first-half goal but Jhon Duran equalised in the 87th minute.nnDouglas Luiz scored a penalty deep into stoppage time to put Villa in front and Leon Bailey made it 3-1.nnFulham’s Carlos Vinicius condemned Premier League new boys Luton Town to a fourth consecutive defeat.nnPublished in Dawn, September 17th, 2023

Pakistan sweat on pacer Naseem Shah&rsquo;s fitness ahead of World Cup

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah is doubtful for next month’s World Cup due to a shoulder injury, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) awaiting medical reports before making a final call on his fitness and participation.nNaseem was ruled out of the Asia Cup after <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775278">suffering the injury</a> during a tournament match against India in Colombo last Sunday.nA <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/naseem-shah-likely-to-miss-2023-world-cup-with-injured-shoulder-1398705">report</a> by ESPNcricinfo said today “scans revealed an injury to his right shoulder that is worse than was initially suspected”, which increased his chances of missing the World Cup.nThe report, without attributing the information to anyone, said the PCB had been pursuing a second opinion, yet the scans from tests conducted in Dubai seemed to indicate that the injury might sideline Naseem for the remainder of the year.nMeanwhile, the PCB said Naseem was still being monitored.n“The PCB medical team has been monitoring the status of Naseem’s shoulder injury,” the board said.n“Medical consultations with the experts are underway to provide the best possible care to Naseem. The medical panel will decide on fast bowler’s return to cricket based on further assessments.”nThe 20-year-old has been part of Pakistan’s pace trio along with Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf.nRauf also suffered an injury to his flank and had to miss the Sri Lanka game in the Asia Cup.nNaseem’s absence will hit Pakistan’s chances in the World Cup which starts in India on October 5 in India.nThey also failed to reach the final of the Asia Cup after suffering a crushing a 228-run defeat against India and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775838">by two wickets against Sri Lanka</a>.nIndia and Sri Lanka meet in the Asia Cup final in Colombo on Sunday.

September 16, 2023

India, Sri Lanka eye Asia crown for World Cup momentum

Rohit Sharma’s India faces underdogs Sri Lanka in Sunday’s Asia Cup final, a crucial momentum-builder heading into next month’s ODI World Cup.nThe cricketing giants have 13 Asian titles between them and Sri Lanka have a history of sneaking into the tournament’s final — to the consternation of fans keen for any showdown between arch-rivals India and Pakistan.nBangladesh <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1776038">ended</a> India’s unbeaten run in the 50-over tournament after edging them out by six runs in Friday’s last Super Four match.nShubman Gill hit 121 but his knock went in vain after India faltered in their chase of 266 in Colombo, where Sunday’s final will also be held.n“I don’t think it has broken our momentum,” Gill told reporters after the narrow defeat.n“We have played good cricket. Sometimes it happens on these wickets. I was set and should have finished off the game.” Gill said clinching India’s eighth Asia Cup title would give them “confidence” ahead of the World Cup starting back home on October 5.nIndia began with a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1773623">washed-out</a> match in Pallekele against Pakistan, whose fast bowlers rattled their top order and bowled them out for 266 in the only innings possible due to rain.nBig guns Virat Kohli and returning batsman KL Rahul hit back with centuries in their next outing against Babar Azam’s team to rack up 356-2 and <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775278">crush</a> Pakistan by 228 runs.nIndia then <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775518">prevented</a> a gutsy Sri Lankan chase to book their place in the final, but Gill said their opponents were still a threat.n“We will have to pull up our socks and be at our 100 percent to beat them,” he said.n<h2><a id="without-our-key-players" href="#without-our-key-players" class="heading-permalink" aria-hidden="true" title="Permalink"></a>‘Without our key players’</h2>nSri Lanka, who won the previous edition of the Asia Cup played in the T20 format, came in as underdogs and snuck into the Super Fours with a dramatic win over Afghanistan.nThey soon got into their groove on home soil and, despite going down to India, <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775911/sri-lanka-edge-pakistan-in-thriller-to-reach-asia-cup-final-against-india">edged out</a> Pakistan in a knockout match for their 11th Asia Cup final.n“We came without our key players, but still we managed to make the finals,” skipper Dasun Shanaka said.nInjuries sidelined Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga, but others stood up at crucial junctures.nKusal Mendis and Charith Asalanka both hit match-winning knocks to take the team over the line in a rain-shortened match and push a much-favoured Pakistan out of the tournament.nUp-and-coming fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana and left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage have impressed and lead the tournament’s bowling chart with 11 and 10 wickets respectively.nWellalage rattled India’s batting with five wickets including the prized scalps of Kohli and Rohit in their Super Four match.nTwice before in the Asia Cup Sri Lanka has lost to India in the Super Four stage only to beat them in the finals, in 2004 and 2008.

Neymar makes debut as Al-Hilal hand Al-Riyadh 6-1 thrashing

Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorer Neymar made his Saudi Pro League debut for Al-Hilal on Friday, coming off the bench to feature for the final 26 minutes of his new club’s 6-1 demolition of Al-Riyadh.nThe 31-year-old, who last month <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1770487">joined</a> the former Asian champions for 90 million euros from Paris Saint-Germain, was introduced in the 64th minute for fellow Brazilian Michael and set up Malcom to score Al-Hilal’s fourth in the 83rd minute.nAleksandar Mitrovic had put Al-Hilal in front with a 30th minute penalty before goals from Yassir Al-Shahrani and Nasser Al-Dawsari gave the league leaders a comfortable advantage.nNeymar, who <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774952#:~:text=MONTEVIDEO%3A%20Brazil%20lived%20up%20to,country’s%20all%2Dtime%20top%20scorer.">surpassed Pele’s record</a> as Brazil’s leading scorer when he netted twice in last Friday’s 5-1 win over Bolivia, had not played for Al-Hilal since moving to Saudi Arabia due to an ankle injury.nFans jeered as Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari opted to take an 87th minute penalty as Neymar watched on, the Saudi Arabia winger converting before adding his side’s sixth goal in injury time.

Ranatunga lashes out at &lsquo;toothless tiger&rsquo; ICC, fears disaster

COLOMBO: Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga has lashed out at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) silence over the addition of a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1774739">reserve day</a> for the recent Asia Cup Super 4 <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775193">match</a> between India and Pakistan.nThe decision was made by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and the tournament’s official hosts Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) due to fears of the high-profile match being washed out given the inclement weather in Colombo.nSuch situation did arrive and the clash was played over two days. However, no such adjustments were made for other matches of the tournament’s stage.nAccording to Ranatunga, the International Cricket Council should have jumped into call out the decision, which he believed was unfair.n“I think they are the ones who should protect cricket,” Ranatunga was quoted as saying by the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="link–external" href="https://www.ptinews.com/news/sports/650544.html">Press Trust of India</a> news agency on Friday. “Ultimately cricket should be controlled by the International Cricket Council and not by a country.n“In Asia Cup, you had rules and you changed rules for one game. So where is the Asian Cricket Council? Where is the International Cricket Council?”nTaking another dig at the sport’s global governing body, which he called a “toothless tiger”, the former batter said he feared the ICC will bend rules for the India-Pakistan game at the upcoming World Cup.nRanatunga was of the view that the ICC was helpless before the Indian cricket board and its higher officials.n“So I will not be surprised if for World Cup, they have a separate rule for Indo-Pak game,” he said. “India is powerful no doubt but then International Cricket Council officials are quite comfortable, happy putting coat and tie and hanky and going to meetings.”nRanatunga feared what happened at the ongoing Asia Cup will bring eventual destruction for cricket and expressed disappointment over former players staying silent for “bucks”.n“I am not very comfortable when you have a tournament, where you change rules for one team. You are looking at a disaster in the future,” the World Cup winning skipper fumed.nThere were predictions for rain in Colombo during the Asia Cup, and Ranatunga criticised the ACC for not exploring venues outside the city such as Hambantota to conduct the Super 4 and final matches.n“Why did they play in Colombo when you have places like Hambantota? That ground was built to play cricket during the rainy season. And you come to Colombo to play in the Asia Cup. What is the ACC doing?” said Ranatunga.nRanatunga said world cricket should not be governed by one board or individual, and cited the Asia Cup scheduling issue as a case in point.n“Why do the other countries allow that [poor scheduling] to happen? Because the BCCI is powerful, or one particular person is powerful. No, it can’t happen like that. They should have given an extra day for all the games if that was the case.”nPublished in Dawn, September 16th, 2023

Restraining order imposed on Rubiales as he testifies in assault probe

MADRID: Spain’s High Court on Friday imposed a restraining order to prevent former football chief Luis Rubiales approaching national team player Jenni Hermoso, as he appeared in court to be investigated for sexual assault for kissing her on the lips.nThe <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771365">incident</a>, which occurred at the medal ceremony after Spain’s women’s team <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1771325/spain-reign-over-england-to-win-maiden-womens-world-cup-title">won the World Cup</a> in Sydney, Australia, on Aug 20, has triggered a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1772156">furore</a> over sexism in Spanish sport and society and prompted protests similar to the “Me Too” movement.nRubiales, 46, insists the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso says it was forced on her.nThe order prevents Rubiales trying to contact Hermoso or coming within 200 metres of her, according to a court statement. Judge Francisco de Jorge rejected a request by the prosecution that Rubiales should report to the court every two weeks.nDressed in a black suit over a white shirt, Rubiales left the High Court in Madrid with his lawyer Olga Tubau following a closed-door investigative hearing that lasted about an hour. He did not speak to the media waiting outside.nDuring the testimony, Rubiales denied the accusations, according to a statement by the prosecutor’s office.nAfter weeks of resisting calls from players, politicians and women’s groups to step down as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rubiales <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1775281">finally quit</a> on Sept 10.nBut he remains unrepentant, saying he acted with consent in a moment of celebration and joy.nAs he went to court, local media reported that female players, including the World Cup-wining squad, planned to continue their boycott of the national side until there were further changes in the federation set-up.nAfter Hermoso told prosecutors that Rubiales kissed her on the mouth without her consent while holding her head with both hands — a moment seen by millions on television — state prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil filed a judicial complaint.nShe added a possible crime of coercion after Hermoso said she and her relatives had been put under pressure by Rubiales and his entourage to say that she had approved what happened.nCONSENT CRUCIALnOn Friday, the players told the RFEF they would continue with their boycott despite Rubiales’ resignation and the replacement of team coach Jorge Vilda with his assistant Montse Tome.nDe Jorge leads the investigation, which must precede any formal charges under Spanish law and will decide whether the case goes to trial. If it does, he could be jailed for between one and four years.n“In criminal proceedings, being able to prove consent becomes crucial,” said legal expert Gonzalo Jimenez, partner at law firm Martinez Echevarria.nHe said it was important to prove malice or intentionality to make a sexual action punishable as assault.nDe Jorge has ordered media, including state broadcaster TVE, to send him footage of the incident and subsequent videos such as one with the players celebrating on a bus with Rubiales and referring to the kiss in what appeared to be a light-hearted manner. The investigation could take several months.n“We can stand up what we said from the beginning. It was a kiss without consent, everyone saw the images,” Hermoso’s lawyer Carla Vall told reporters after the hearing.nThe legal case will also be a public test of the leftist coalition government’s flagship “Solo s es s” (Only yes is yes) law, which puts consent at the heart of sexual relations.nMany players, sports bodies and politicians have backed Hermoso in a campaign coalescing around the hashtag <a href="/trends/SeAcab">#SeAcab</a> (Its Over) on social media.nMore than 80 of Spain’s top female players, including the 23 world champions, have refused to play for the national team until there are changes in the RFEF management line-up and style.nOn Friday, the players told the RFEF they would continue with their boycott despite Rubiales’ resignation and the replacement of team coach Jorge Vilda with his assistant Montse Tome.nPublished in Dawn, September 16th, 2023

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