Kevin Pietersen has insisted he was happy to have paved the way for current England stars to play in Twenty20 franchise cricket even if it helped curtail his own international career and saw him labelled the 'bad guy'.
     Pietersen, one of the outstanding batsmen of his generation, has not played for England since being frozen out following the team's return from a 5-0 Ashes thrashing in Australia in 2014.
     Having once held out some hope of a return to England duty, Pietersen has spent most of the intervening period playing in the growing number of Twenty20 franchises around the world, having been a early overseas star in the Indian Premier League.
     Monday saw Pietersen announced as one of eight international marquee players for South Africa's T20 Global League that is due to start later this year.
     The England and Wales Cricket Board once had little time for events such as the IPL but has recently softened its stance, with the likes of all-rounder Ben Stokes named ...

Pietersen has no regrets over T20 pioneer role

PTI Automatic

Commonwealth Games champion shuttler P Kashyap set up a clash with World No. 1 Korean Son Wan Ho in the main draw of the Australian Super Series here today after coming through qualifiers with two wins on the trot.
     Kashyap, who is trying to comeback after losing a lot of time due to a series of injuries, saw off China's Zhao Junpeng 21-15 21-18 in the opening round before disposing Indonesia Super Series Premier runners-up Japan's Kazumasa Sakai 21-5 21-16 in the second men's singles match.
     In the main draw, Indonesia Open champion K Srikanth will face Kan Chao Yu in the opening round after the shuttler from Chinese Taipei defeated Australia's Jacob Schueler 21-15 21-8 and Chinese Taipei's Chun-Wei Chen 21-15 23-21.
     HS Prannoy, who defeated Olympic silver medallist Lee Chong Wei and Rio gold medallist Chen Long in Indonesia Open last week, got a direct entry into the main draw and he will take on England's Rajiv Ouseph.
     Young Siril Verma also made it to the main ...

Kashyap draws world number one after qualifying for Aus Open

: The Chennai franchise which is set to make it's debut in the fifth season of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), has been named "Tamil Thalaivas."
      This was revealed by legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who is the co-owner of the franchise via a Twitter post.
     "Another powerful addition to @ProKabaddi. Proud to announce our new team, @tamilthalaivas. Looking to an amazing season 5," he wrote on his Twitter feed.
     Season five of PKL is scheduled to get underway on July 28 and the team would be coached by K Baskaran.
     Amit Hooda (the franchise's costliest pick at Rs 63 lakh) and Ajay Thakur along with C Arun, a Tamil Nadu player, are expected to lead the team's challenge.

PKL: Chennai franchise named "Tamil Thalaivas"

Yuki Bhambri saved a match point in a gruelling battle against Peter Polansky before securing a place in the second round of the Aegon Challenger event, here.
     The unseeded Indian, playing with Protected Ranking, edged past the Canadian 6-7 (4) 7-6(7) 6-3 in the opening round of the Euro 127,000 grass court event.
     Yuki was down a match point at 6-7 in the second set tie-breaker before he forced a third set and finally prevailed in the contest after two hours and 35 minutes.
     Yuki had as many as seven break chances in the opening set against Polansky but could convert none.
     With this win, Yuki avenged his defeat against the Canadian in the opening round of the French Open qualifiers.
     "It was another battle. I had chances to break him in the first set but could not, then I was down in the second set too and saved a match point, so it was up and down. I am happy to be able to pull it off in the end. It was important as I lost a close match to him in the French ...

Yuki saves match point against Polansky, moves to 2nd round

West Indies have named an unchanged 13-man squad, which played a 1-1 draw against Afghanistan early this month, for the first two ODIs of the five-match series against India starting June 23.
     The hosts will be without their premier fast bowler Shannon Gabriel since he is still rehabilitating from an injury that forced him out of the Afghanistan series.
     It is an important series for the ninth-ranked West Indies, to be led by fast bowler Jason Holder, as only the top eight teams in the ICC rankings get direct entry into the 2019 World Cup.
     If they do not perform well and get points, they will have to go through the qualifiers to make it to the showpiece event of the ICC.
     India are world No.3 and they come into this series after a runner-up finish at the Champions Trophy.
     The five-match series will begin on Friday at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago. The one-dayers would be a followed by a lone Twenty20 on July 9, marking the end of the short trip for ...

Windies name unchanged side for first two ODIs against India

Argentinian footballing legend Maradona said that he preferred compatriot Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo all the while dubbing the Portugal captain an "incredible" player.
     "I can't remember having seen Lionel Messi play badly," Maradona told TyCSports.
     "I prefer Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo but I acknowledge that the latter is an animal. He's incredible," said the 1986 World Cup winner.
     Speaking from Dubai, where he now lives, Maradona added that he'd wished Ronaldo, who is Portuguese, was Argentinian.
     "He makes me think of Gabriel Batistuta," the Argentina striker who starred at three World Cup finals. "As soon as he touched the ball, it was a goal."
     Turning back to Messi, Maradona said the Barcelona player was still the world's best despite not having won a World Cup.
     "Alone, he will not be able to win the World Cup. You need a solid team for that.
     "Football history will remember Messi," said Maradona.
     "Football has given him a lot, as much ..

Maradona prefers Messi, but dubs Ronaldo 'incredible'

There has been no interest from any club in Real Madrid's star player Cristiano Ronaldo, who has threatened to leave Spain after running into problems with tax authorities, according to club president Florentino Perez.
     "No one has sent us an offer for either Cristiano or anyone else," Perez told Onda Cero radio station.
     "Ronaldo is a lot more powerful and more important than all of us who are here," he added.
     Perez's first task after being reelected unopposed as Real Madrid president on Monday will be to appease Ronaldo amid speculation the four-time world player of the year wants to leave.
     "As no other candidature was put forward to the board ... it is proclaimed that Mr Florentino Perez Rodriguez is president of Real Madrid," the Spanish and European champions said in a statement.
     The 70-year-old construction magnate's third term in charge of Europe's most successful club spanning 15 years -- 2000-2006 and since 2009 -- will be rubber stamped at a ceremony ..

No offer received for Ronaldo, says Real boss

Tiger Woods, arrested three weeks ago for impaired driving, said today he is receiving "professional help" to manage his medications and help cope with back pain and a sleep disorder.
     Woods, a 14-time major golf champion who has not won a PGA Tour title since 2013, was arrested May 29 when police in Jupiter, Florida, found him asleep at the wheel of his car on a road.
     A police report uncovered by The Golf Channel said Woods told authorities he had not been drinking but had a reaction to several prescription drugs, including Xanax, which can be used to treat insomnia.
     Woods, 41, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, although he did not show any sign of alcohol in a breathalyzer test.
     His arraignment on those charges has been set for August 9.
     In his first comments since the release of police video footage showing him struggling to pass a sobriety test, Woods said he has sought aid in fighting medicating issues.
     "I'm .

Tiger says he's getting 'professional help'

Shah Rukh Khan and the co-owners of Kolkata Knight Riders and Trinbago Knight Riders today came together to own Cape Town Franchisee of T20 Global League, a Cricket South Africa (CSA) initiative.
     The new franchise will be called Cape Town Knight Riders, CSA President Chris Nenzai and CEO Haroon Lorgat made the announcement at a London five-star hotel today.
     South African batsman J P Duminy has been allotted as the marquee player for the Cape Town Knight Riders.
     The tournament, which will feature eight teams, will be played in November-December.
     "On behalf of all of us from Knight Riders, congratulations to Cricket South Africa for the launch of exciting new T20 Global League. We are delighted and thankful that you have made Knight Riders part of the new Global League. South Africa is a beautiful country with beautiful people and I really look forward to be part of the exciting new journey and building something special together. We are particularly thrilled to make 

Shah Rukh acquires Cape Town franchisee in T20 Global League

Aditi Ashok did manage her best finish of the season but, at tied 32, the Indian remained far away from the Top-10 she targeted in the Meijer LPGA Classic here.
     Aditi shot one-over 70, as the par for the course for the second straight day was 69 with the par-5 fifth having been reduced to par-3 because of standing water in the fairway.
     Aditi finished T-32 and is now 96th, up from previous week's 115th, in the Race to CME Globe standings on the LPGA.
     Meanwhile, Brooke Henderson managed to hold off all challengers as she captured her fourth LPGA Tour title.
     Henderson, who had some of the biggest names on the LPGA Tour chasing her all day including Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson, fired a bogey-free 3-under-par 66.
     Henderson was close to perfect tee-to-green yesterday, hitting 11 of 12 fairways and missing only two greens all day.
     The 19-year-old celebrated Father's Day with her sister Brittany (her full-time caddy) and parents Dave and Darlene Henderson who .

Aditi finishes T-32 in Meijer Classic on LPGA

The Indian basketball team lost to China 57-97 despite a strong performance from star player Amjyot Singh Gill on the opening day of the BRICS Games 2017 in Guangzhou, China.
     The game was fairly competitive in the first half but a 9-0 run allowed the Chinese to take a 38-28 lead at half time.
     The hosts carried that momentum into the second half, scoring 33 and 26 points in the third and fourth quarters respectively.
     Gill led the Indian team with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. But as a unit, the team struggled to find its scoring touch, only managing a field goal percentage of 36 from two-point range.
     To complicate matters, Indian shooting guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi went down early in the second half, losing his footing while driving to the basket. He has been diagnosed with an ACL injury and is likely to miss the rest of the tournament.

India fall to China on Day 1 of BRICS Games

India hoopster Amritpal Singh has been invited to join the Sydney Kings for a tournament called the Atlas Challenge 2017 to be played in Suzhou, China.
     This invitation brings him one step closer towards joining the Sydney Kings roster and becoming the first Indian national to play in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL).
     The six feet 10 inch Singh had impressed several teams at the NBL Draft Combine earlier this year, after which he received this invite.
     The Atlas Challenge 2017 consists of eight teams from various countries, and will be played from July 16 to 25.
     The Sydney Kings are approaching the tournament as an opportunity to evaluate prospective players who may make the Sydney Kings roster at a later stage.
     Asked about the invite, the 26-year-old said, "I am thrilled to have received this great opportunity. I am entirely focused on preparing for the tournament and intend to put in every effort to doing well.

Indian invited to play for Sydney Kings in China

Two IPL team owners -- GMR and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan -- have bought franchises in the Cricket South Africa (CSA)'s eight-team T20 Global League.
     GMR owns Delhi Daredevils and Shah Rukh Khan is co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders in the hugely popular Indian Premier League.
     GMR's team will be based in Johannesburg with young Protea paceman Kagiso Rabada as its marquee player while Khan's outfit will be based in Cape Town with left-handed batsman JP Duminy as the marquee player.
     "EY (previously known as Ernst & Young) ran the team owner selection process to ensure integrity, compliance and due diligence was followed throughout the process by both CSA and potential owners," a release said.
     "Competition was stiff, with more than 150 Expressions of Interest (EOI) received from around the world and a shortlist of heavy hitters to consider, but after rigorous discussions and engagement with each of the potential owners, we are certain that our final eight owners ...

GMR and King Khan buy franchisees in CSA's Global T20 League

Star India hockey player Sardar Singh was today called for questioning by the police reportedly in connection with a year-old sexual assault case, barely hours after his side thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan 7-1 in the Hockey World League Semi-Finals in London.
     The team management in London was told that Sardar should come to Leeds for questioning by the Yorkshire police.
     Sardar, a former captain, was last year accused by British-Indian hockey player Ashpal Bhogal, who had claimed to be his fiancee, of rape and assault both in India and UK.
     Understandably, the team management is upset about the fact that Sardar was called up for questioning in the middle of a big international tournament without any prior information.
     Former Hockey India chief and current International Hockey Federation president Narinder Batra slammed the move by the UK authorities to question Sardar in such a manner and termed it "uncalled for".
     "As an FIH chief I have no comments. But as an ...

Sardar questioned by UK police, Batra vents his ire

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials are confident of finalising an agreement this week with the ICC to have a World XI team playing three T20 matches in Lahore in September.
     With the ICC meetings being held this week in London after the Champions Trophy, PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan is hoping to ink an agreement with the apex body's special task force on Pakistan cricket for the World XI tour.
     "Some issues have to be worked out but Shaharyar Khan has had discussions on them with Giles Clarke, who heads the ICC special task force and who is talking to other cricket boards to send players for the World XI tour," a PCB official told PTI.
     He said that financial aspect of the tour and the players involved were the main issues that were yet to be sorted out.
     "The PCB does not want a situation where it loses lot of money on the World XI series. But at the same time, with the team having won the Champions Trophy, Shaharyar knows this is the best time to start the process 

PCB optimistic about hosting World XI in September

Top woman wrestler Babita Kumari Phogat today said she would like to set up an academy to train young wrestlers.
     "I would like to start an academy wherever we get the facilities. If it is in Haryana, there are so many sportspersons. I think you will get one wrestler from every household," she told reporters here.
     Phogat, who won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, said she would participate at the CWG and Asian Games next year and also the coming World Championships.
     The 27-year-old, who was here to speak at an event of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), said women can achieve any goal if they have "madness".
     Phogat, whose sister Geeta Phogat and cousin Vinesh are also wrestlers, said more international exposure would help them in achieving better results.
     Phogat, who was on her maiden visit to Hyderabad, said she would like to continue in the 53 kg category.
     She said international wrestlers now take Indian sportswomen more seriously.

Babita wants to start academy for young wrestlers

Pakistan's run-machine Younis Khan had a curt message for those announcing cash prizes and gifts after the team's triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy: "kindly fulfil the promises you are making".
     "When you make promises kindly fulfil them. Just don't do this to get publicity," the just-retired batsman said today.
     Younis was on a television channel after the final when it was revealed that Riaz Malik, a famous builder, had announced a plot for opener Fakhar Zaman and cash prizes of one million rupees each and smaller plots for other players.
     "It is good players are being rewarded. But I would like to remind Mr Riaz Malik that similar awards were also announced when we won the 2009 World T20 in England. Some of those promises have still not been fulfilled," Younis said.
     "I would request Mr Riaz Malik and Bahria Town (projects) to kindly ensure the awards they promise are given to the players," he added.
     Younis said announcements of cash prizes, plots or gifts ...

Kindly fulfil the promises you are making: Younis

Three Indians, including skipper Virat Kohli, were today named in the ICC Team of the Champions Trophy 2017, with Pakistan's Sarfraz Ahmed named its captain, a day after his side's triumphant campaign.
     The side includes seven players from the two finalists - India and Pakistan. All in all, it includes players from five of the eight participating sides.
     The side includes four Pakistanis, three Indians, three Englishmen and one Bangladeshi, with Kane Williamson of New Zealand as 12th man.
     India opener Shikhar Dhawan and Pakistan's Hassan Ali had already won the Golden Bat and Gold Ball trophies for finishing as the most successful batsman and bowler, respectively, while Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh was selected after driving Bangladesh to their maiden semi-final in a major ICC event.
     Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman was picked as Dhawan's opening partner after he aggregated 252 runs in four matches at a strike-rate of 113, following scores of 31 against South Africa, 50 against .

Sarfraz named captain of ICC Team of Champions Trophy

In a bid to promote sports in the state, the Himachal Pradesh Olympics Association will conduct a "State Olympics" from June 22 to 25.
     To set the ball rolling, HP Olympic Torch Run was organised here.
     The Governor of Himachal Pradesh Acharya Devvrat was joined by over 2000 students during the flag off ceremony in the presence of Olympians and Arjuna awardee boxers Shiva Thapa and Manoj Kumar, and Asian silver-medallist Sumit Sangwan.
     The torch will be taken to key districts in Himachal Pradesh including Solan, Ponta Sahib, Una, Nurpur, Kangra, Joginder Nagar, Kullu, Mandi, Bilaspur and conclude in Hamirpur, the venue for the state Olympics scheduled from June 22 to 25.
     As part of the torch run, 2000 youth will participate at each location.
     The state Olympics will feature 11 sports such as Hockey, Athletics, Boxing, Basketball, Judo, Kabaddi, Volleyball, Wrestling, Kho-Kho, Weight Lifting and Shooting at Hamirpur. The Games are expected to engage about 50,000 ..

Himachal to hold "State Olympics" from June 22

World Cup winning captain Imran Khan says the current Pakistan team has the potential to become a force in international cricket even as he lamented the country lacks system to polish raw talent.
     "Our team was a super power in world cricket than. But this team has the potential to be even better than a super power," Imran, who led Pakistan to 1992 World Cup win, told reporters.
     Lauding the team, led by Sarfraz Ahmed, for winning the Champions Trophy title, Imran said he was very happy to see that Pakistan cricket was still producing laudable young talent.
     "The problem is that we don't have the system to polish this young and raw talent properly and professionally. Yet it keeps coming through."
     Imran, who is now a seasoned politician, felt that the captain and the management should now build on the Champions Trophy win and start preparing for the 2019 World Cup.
     The former captain said he was highly impressed with the way the team bounced back to win the trophy 

This team can be more than a super power: Imran

Physically-challenged mountaineer Arunima Sinha today said disabled athletes are not getting a proper platform to showcase their talent.
     She accused sports officials of not making public dates of national para-athletics championship and leaking information to a selected few players.
	"Whenever the national para-athletic games are held, information does not reach the athletes. Whether the physically-challenged athletes participate or not, is a different question. But, we should be informed at least by emails," she told PTI.
     Arunima had scaled the Mt Everest on May 21, 2013, becoming the first female amputee to reach the highest peak of the world.
     Citing an example, the mountaineer, who was awarded Padma Shri in 2015, said, "In March-April this year Jaipur hosted the national para-athletics championship. But, I came to know about it very recently. With great difficulty, I came to know that the next such championship will be held in October-November.
     "Similarly, the ..

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