Page 102 - Sports
Archer puts friendship with Smith on hold for England-Australia clash
As England and Australia are gearing up to face each other in the ongoing World Cup, former's pacer Jofra Archer, who played with Australia's Steve Smith in the Indian Premier League (IPL), revealed that until the game is over, there will be nothing friendly in the match."Cricket is cricket and I guess there's time to be friends after. But until the game is over, there will be nothing friendly about it," Cricket.com.au quoted Archer as saying.However, when Archer was asked if he would consider Smith as a friend after their season together, he said: "Yes. I'd like to consider he thinks of me the same way as well. He's a really good guy."Both Archer and Smith played for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. Apart from them, Jonny Bairstow and David Warner also played together for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL.Archer, who does not have any prior experience against the Australian side, feels that entering the game without prior exposure could be an advantage for him."It is a pretty intense game ..
It's embarrassing, says Faf du Plessis after SA's semi-finals hopes comes to end
After Pakistan shattered South Africa's hopes to enter semi-finals, Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis admitted that their efforts were 'just not good enough' and called it 'embarrassing.'"Yes, definitely [it is the lowest point]. I'm a very proud player and captain, and playing for South Africa means a lot for me, and the fact that the results we're dishing out at the moment - you know, it's really, really tough, and borderline... today, it's a little bit embarrassing. We're trying but it's just not good enough. Obviously, I'm human as well, so it will keep chipping at me," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Du Plessis as saying.South Africa faced a 49-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan on Sunday after they failed to chase the target of 309 runs, set by Pakistan.Du Plessis said that they are repeating their mistakes but praised the spinner Imran Tahir, who took two wickets while giving away just 41 runs from his 10 overs against Pakistan."You know, I feel we keep making the same mistakes over and ...
Loss to Pak borderline embarrassing; our show in WC mediocre: Du Plessis
Describing the loss against Pakistan as "borderline embarrassing", a furious South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis said his team's performance in the World Cup has been "mediocre". South Africa were knocked out of the World Cup with a 49-run loss to Pakistan here on Sunday. "The results we are dishing out at the moment, it's tough. The way we played today is borderline embarrassing," Du Plessis said after the match. Du Plessis was left red-faced as South Africa struggled to 259 for 9, chasing 309 against Pakistan. He blasted both his bowlers and the batsmen for their disappointing campaign at the 50-over showpiece. "It started with our bowling. There were a lot of bad balls on a wicket where if you just bowled line and length it was going to be hard for them. "It was a five out of 10 performance with the ball, then the same batting. We started nicely, got a partnership going, then wickets fall," he said. "We are a mediocre team at the moment because we are making the same mistakes. One .
Hosts through at women's World Cup as England advance amid controversy
Hosts France won through to the quarter-finals of the women's World Cup on Sunday as Amandine Henry's extra-time strike secured a tense victory over Brazil to see them progress alongside England, who defeated Cameroon in a bad-tempered affair earlier. France are desperate to follow in the footsteps of their male counterparts and win a first World Cup as hosts, and they edged out Brazil 2-1 after extra time in their last-16 clash in Le Havre thanks to captain Henry, who turned in Amel Majri's free-kick in the 106th minute at the Stade Oceane. Les Bleues progress to a last-eight tie back in Paris next weekend, which will be a heavyweight showdown with holders the United States, provided they get the better of Spain on Monday. "It was tense, really, really tense, against a great side. We put everything into it and never gave up," said the France coach, Corinne Diacre. France had been denied a first-half opener when Valerie Gauvin's headed effort was disallowed following a VAR review for .
'Cry at beginning, smile at end': Marta makes emotional Brazil plea
Brazil star Marta issued an emotional appeal to her heirs on Sunday, telling them they are responsible for the survival of the women's game in her football-obsessed country. The 33-year-old Marta, nicknamed 'Pele in a skirt' by the Brazil great, is widely considered to be the best female player of all time. However, her dream of winning a World Cup for the first time died again on Sunday in a 2-1 defeat to hosts France in the last 16 of this year's global showpiece. "We're asking for support, you have to cry at the beginning and smile at the end," said Marta, the record World Cup scorer with 17 goals. "You have to want more, train more, to be ready to play 90 minutes, plus 30 minutes extra-time and every minute. "This is what I ask the girls," she added before hailing fellow veterans Formiga and Cristiane who are also likely to have played in their last World Cups. "Formiga is not forever, neither is Marta, neither is Cristiane. Women's football depends on you to survive. Think about .
Japan coach mulls Kubo recall for Copa decider
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said on Sunday he is considering recalling teenage star Takefusa Kubo for Monday's must-win Copa America clash with Ecuador. Kubo played in Japan's humbling 4-0 thrashing by Chile in their Group C opener in Brazil before coming off the bench in Thursday's 2-2 draw with Uruguay. The 18-year-old, nicknamed the "Japanese Messi" and who was signed by Real Madrid just before the tournament began, had only made one appearance for the national team before that, in a pre-tournament friendly last month. "Our aim is to reach the quarter-finals and we're going to decide whether or not we start (Kubo) based on the training session we're about to have," said Moriyasu on Sunday afternoon. "He has the ability, as you've seen, to play from the start." Moriyasu, who has brought a mostly under-23 squad to Brazil, gave seven players their debut against Chile. He recalled a number of experienced campaigners, including Leicester City veteran Shinji Okazaki, for the Uruguay ...
Copa America starts anew in quarters, says Argentina's Messi
Argentina will start from afresh in the Copa America after averting disaster with Sunday's 2-0 victory over Qatar that sent them into the knock-out stages, star Lionel Messi said. Goals from the Barcelona icon's forward partners Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero were enough to propel Argentina from bottom of Group B to second and into a quarter-final meeting with Venezuela on Friday at Rio's Maracana stadium. "The important thing was to win to keep going in the Copa, to get through the group stage," said Messi, who will turn 32 on Monday. "This will be an important boost for what's to come ... another Copa begins now. "This victory must give us strength and make us grow as a team." Argentina's performance was far from pitch-perfect, but they were good enough to beat a limited Qatar side, who gifted them the opening goal after four minutes when Bassam Hicham played a suicidal ball across his own box straight to Martinez. Messi admitted, though, that there were nerves in the Argentina .
Argentina, Uruguay, Peru through to Copa America quarter-finals
An early goal by Lautaro Martinez and Sergio Aguero's late second gave Argentina a 2-0 win over Qatar on Sunday that qualified them for the Copa America quarter-finals. Already-qualified Colombia beat Paraguay 1-0 in the other Group B match to secure a place in the last eight for both Peru, who finished third in Group A, and Uruguay, currently second in Group C. Argentina, who finish second in Group B behind Colombia, will play Venezuela at Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium in the quarter-finals, while tournament debutants and guests Qatar are out. Paraguay, on two points, must wait and see what happens in Monday's Group C clash between Japan and Ecuador before finding out if they qualify as one of the two best third-place finishers. Peru, with four points, are sure of that while only a draw between Japan and Ecuador would see Paraguay progress. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni recalled Manchester City forward Aguero for the crunch tie while Martinez kept his place at the expense
Murray mulls over US Open singles return after Queen's doubles triumph
Former world number one Andy Murray says he could resurrect his singles career at this year's US Open following a remarkable return to tennis with victory in the men's doubles at the Queen's Club tournament on Sunday. The 32-year-old Scotsman teamed up with Spanish partner Feliciano Lopez to take a 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 10-5 win over Britain's Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram of the United States. The three-time Grand Slam champion's triumph comes after what he described as "life-changing" hip surgery earlier this year. Murray said that while he had not made up his mind about a return to singles, the US Open would be the tournament where it could happen. If so, it would be a remarkable turnaround for a man who was tearfully pondering retirement in January and has seen his singles ranking tumble to 215 in the world. "I mean, potentially, yeah," he said when pressed as to whether the US Open -- where he won his first Grand Slam title in 2012 -- could be the place to resume his singles ...
England's World Cup nerve faces Australia test
Are England just a bunch of "flat-track bullies" That's the uncomfortable question facing Eoin Morgan's side as they look to get their World Cup campaign back on track against arch-rivals Australia. Tuesday's match at Lord's was always going to be a showpiece occasion, but it has been given added spice by England's 20-run loss to Sri Lanka. Faced with a relatively modest target of 233 on a tricky Headingley pitch, England slumped to 212 all out. Despite their second defeat of the pool phase following an earlier loss to Pakistan, the tournament hosts remained in the top four and on course for a semi-final spot. But England, bidding to win the World Cup for the first time, cannot afford many more slip-ups in their remaining pool fixtures against fellow title contenders Australia, India and New Zealand -- teams they have not defeated at a World Cup since 1992. England's rise to the top of the one-day international rankings since their woeful first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup has ...
Over 1,000 participants in Maharashtra Athletics Championship
Over 1,100 track and field athletes from 34 districts will compete in the 69th Maharashtra State Senior Athletics Championship which begins here on Tuesday. For the first time, the athletes will be subjected to dope tests by NADA at the state championship. The two-day competition will seeinternational athletes like Chaitrali Gujar (100m and 200m), Nidhi Singh (400m and 400m hurdles), Abhishek Ubhe (110m hurdles) and Akshay Khot (200m and 400m), among others, in action. Total 1,116entries have been received for the event. The Pune district will be sending the largest contingent of 95 athletes, including 53 men, for the event being hosted by Mumbai after 10 years on synthetic track at the University Stadium, located adjacent to the Wankhede Stadium. The competition is expected to be fierce in a bid to book berths in the Maharashtra squad for the National Senior Inter-State Championship to be held in Lucknow in August.
Pakistan Sarfaraz praises Haris for Buttler-style show
Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed likened Haris Sohail to England master blaster Jos Buttler on Sunday, saying his innings was the turning point in Pakistan's win over South Africa at Lord's. Pakistan revived their chances of reaching the last four of the World Cup by beating South Africa by 49 runs. Sohail smashed nine fours and three sixes during his knock of 89 in 59 balls, putting on 81 for the fourth wicket with Babar Azam (69) and 71 for the fifth wicket with Imad Wasim (23). That lifted Pakistan to an impressive 308-7 before Wahab Riaz (3-46), Shadab Khan (3-50) and Mohammad Amir (2-49) restricted South Africa to 259-9 in their 50 overs. The defeat for the Proteas means they can no longer reach the World Cup semi-finals. "Haris was hungry to play in this game," said Sarfaraz of the left-hander, who was dropped after scoring just eight in Pakistan's opening defeat against the West Indies. "He's the main factor, the turning point, the way he batted in the last 15 overs, it was like
I-League clubs to meet Monday, discuss future course of action
Miffed at the "step-motherly" treatment meted out to them by the All India Football Federation (AIFF), all the I-League clubs are meeting Monday to discuss their future course of action. The I-League clubs have been fuming ever since it emerged that the AIFF is planning to make the Indian Super League the country's top league as per an agreement signed years before the ISL's inaugural edition. "All I-League clubs are meeting on Monday and we will see what can be done," an owner of a top club told PTI on the condition of anonymity. He also said that if the AIFF goes ahead with its decision to make the ISL India's top league, the I-League clubs will challenge it in the court. It is learnt that the clubs will also approach the AIFF's Appeals Committee on Monday to discuss the fines imposed on them for pulling out of the Super Cup earlier this year. The AIFF has called for a meeting of its Executive Committee on July 3 to find ways to end the uncertainty surrounding the future of Indian ..
CWC'19: Pakistan knock South Africa out of semi-final race
Pakistan displayed an all-round performance to defeat South Africa by 49 runs in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup at the Lord's Cricket Ground on Sunday.With this win, Pakistan have maintained their hopes of reaching the semi-finals stages of the World Cup whereas the door for the semi-finals has been closed on South Africa's face.Chasing 309, South Africa got off to a bad start as they lost their opener Hashim Amla (2) in the second over. Mohammad Amir had the right-hander plum in front and Amla was adjudged LBW. Quinton de Kock and skipper Faf du Plessis retrieved the innings for South Africa.The duo mixed caution with aggression and they stitched together a partnership of 89-runs.But as soon as South Africa were starting to gain an upper hand in the match, Pakistan got the breakthroughs of de Kock (47) and Aiden Markram (7). Both were dismissed by spinner Shadab Khan, reducing South Africa to 103/3 in the 24th over.Rassie van der Dussen, came out to bat next and he along with ...
Lewis Hamilton triumphs in French Grand Prix
The reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton on Sunday continued his run of form as he came out victorious in the 2019 French Grand Prix at Circuit Paul Ricard.The win also marked Hamilton's sixth triumph in eight races this season.The Mercedes driver Hamilton, who achieved pole position on Saturday, took advantage of the jump start and he was able to convert it into something substantial as he crossed the line 18 seconds early of his teammate Valtteri Bottas. This resulted in Mercedes' eighth consecutive win of 2019.Meanwhile, Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc fought a lone battle but settled for the third position. He gave a tough fight to Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas in the final two laps but the latter outclassed Leclerc to finish at the second position.Another Ferrari driver and Leclerc's teammate Sebastian Vettel has a poor qualifying session on Saturday. As a result, he finished fifth. However, Vettel secured the fastest lap and the bonus point that comes with it. Max Verstappen and ...
Pakistan knock out South Africa with 49-run win, stay alive in World Cup
Pakistan kept alive their slender hopes of making the semifinals while knocking South Africa out of the ICC World Cup with a 49-run win here Sunday. Batting first, the 1992 champions posted 308 for seven with Haris Sohail's 59-ball 89 being the highlight of their innings. In reply, South Africa were stopped at 259 for nine in 50 overs. With just three points from seven outings, South Africa are out of the tournament while Pakistan could still sneak into the semifinals, provided they win their remaining matches and other results go in their favour. Chasing 309, South Africa began on a poor note, losing Hashim Amla (2) in the second over. There was swing straightaway for Mohammad Amir and even though the Pakistan pace spearhead's big appeal for an LBW could not impress the umpire, Hawkeye showed the ball would have hit the stumps, giving him a wicket off his first ball. Skipper Faf du Plessis (63 off 79 balls) joined Quinton de Kock (47 off 60) early and the duo shared 87 runs for the ..
Mohun Bagan, East Bengal U-19 final abandoned after crowd unrest
The Under-19 Football League final between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal here Sunday was abandoned due to crowd unrest, which saw spectators hurling bottles. All hell broke loose after Mohun Bagan's Koushik Santra converted from the spot to help his side come back from behind and gain a 2-1 lead in the 52nd minute of the match. The home fans were furious at the referee's decision of awarding a penalty after East Bengal goalkeeper Ayon Roy committed a foul on Mohun Bagan's Deep Saha inside the box. Many spectators were seen abusing and then threw bottles into the ground, targeting the match officials, as the situation went out of control. Despite repeated efforts to calm the situation down, the crowd remained violent, forcing the referee and the match commissioner to abandon the game. A final decision on the match will be taken by a committee comprising representatives from IFA and promoters Zee TV, an official of the organising committee told PTI. Terming it unfortunate, IFA secretary ..
Archer puts Smith friendship on hold for England-Australia World Cup clash
England fast bowler Jofra Archer has told his Australian Indian Premier League teammate Steve Smith there will be "nothing friendly" when the teams meet in the World Cup on Tuesday. Archer, together with England colleagues Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes, played in the same Rajasthan Royals side as Smith during this year's IPL. But the England trio and Smith will be on opposite sides for the rest of the season, starting at Lord's this week -- a fixture that takes place ahead of an Ashes series. Tuesday's game has added significance for England after a surprise loss to Sri Lanka left them with little wiggle room in their quest to reach the semi-finals following an earlier surprise defeat to Pakistan. Asked if he thought of Smith as a friend, Archer said Sunday: "Yes, and I'd like to think he considers me the same way as well. "He's a really good guy. But cricket is cricket and I guess it's time to be friends after. Until the game is over, there will be nothing friendly about it." Smith and .
We are drowned, but we'll take you with us: Gulbadin warns Bangladesh
"We are already drowned darling, but we'll take you with us," Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib said, cheekily warning Bangladesh ahead of their World Cup clash here Monday. Afghanistan are already out of the tournament after losing all their six matches so far while Bangladesh are still in the reckoning with five points from six matches. The Tigers will need to win against Afghanistan to remain in contention for a semifinal berth. "Hum to doobe hai sanam, tumko lekar doobenge (We are already drowed darling, but we'll take you with us)," a smiling Gulbadin said when asked about the match against Bangladesh. Afghanistan have improved steadily over the past couple of matches and Gulbadin believed his team, which has some highly-rated spinners, have what it takes to topple the world's best. Although yet to win a match, Afghanistan sparked over the past week, losing by just 11 runs to fancied India in Southampton on Saturday. Boasting the top-ranked T20 bowler in the world in the form of .
Relentless Hamilton wins French GP to extend Mercedes' unbeaten run to 10
Lewis Hamilton extended his championship lead and continued his relentless run of success when he scorched to an emphatic victory ahead of Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas at the French Grand Prix on Sunday. The defending five-time champion repeated his pole-to-flag triumph of 2018 with a flawless drive to his fourth win in succession, sixth this season and 79th of his career. His victory extended Mercedes' unbeaten start to the 2019 season to eight races and their overall winning streak to 10, the Silver Arrows leaving their main rivals trailing in their wake again. After eight of this season's 21 races, Hamilton leads the championship with 187 points ahead of Bottas on 151. "It's definitely been a really good weekend," said the Briton. "It's such a challenge out there and I live that, really trying to find the edge." "I couldn't do it without this incredible team and we are creating history -- and I am so proud to be part of it," Hamilton reflected. In sweltering conditions, he ...