Page 1306 - Sports
Tuchel blindsided by Cavani report after first PSG win
Thomas Tuchel said it was his "biggest wish" for Edinson Cavani to stay at Paris Saint-Germain today after reports linking the Uruguay striker to Real Madrid. Tuchel appeared surprised by Real's interest in Cavani, as reported by Spanish media, when he heard about it after a 3-2 friendly win over Atletico Madrid in Singapore. "This is my feeling and my biggest wish and I have not heard such a thing," Tuchel said, when asked if he would like to keep Cavani at PSG. "I talked to Edinson some days ago, he didn't mention anything. He said he was looking forward to coming back, he said he's looking forward to joining us to achieve all his goals with us and our team. "He's a key player for us and there's no thought about giving him away." Unconfirmed reports say European champions Real are interested in Cavani as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, who has joined Juventus on a 100-million-euro deal. The elegant forward, a member of PSG's 'MCN' strike force along with Kylian Mbappe and ...
Mahrez given all-clear after ankle knock during Man City friendly
Manchester City's record signing Riyad Mahrez could play in Sunday's Community Shield against Chelsea after a scan showed he had suffered no significant damage to his left ankle in a friendly with Bayern Munich. The 27-year-old Algerian international forward -- for whom City paid Leicester ?60 million ($79 million) earlier this month -- had to leave the pitch in Miami on Saturday after being fouled by Bayern's Chris Richards. However, City said in a statement on Monday that a scan had showed nothing alarming. "Riyad Mahrez has been given the all-clear to return to training later this week after picking up an ankle knock," read the statement. "City's new signing was withdrawn from the action after being fouled by Bayern Munich's Chris Richards during the first half of Saturday's 3-2 win over Bayern Munich. "Subsequent pictures emerged showing Mahrez wearing a protective boot on his left foot upon his return to Manchester. "However, a scan today (Monday) has revealed no significant ...
Mourinho confirms Matic injury while criticising Martial absence
Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho has confirmed the club will be without Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic for the start of the new English Premier League season.
County chiefs blame cramped England-India schedule for slow ticket sales
County chief executives are blaming the India series' cramped schedule for for sluggish ticket sales that could see up to 10,000 empty seats on the first two days of the Edgbaston Test. The first match starts on a Wednesday while the third at Trent Bridge begins on a Saturday and the fifth at the Oval on a Friday. Counties prefer the regular Thursday start. As India are due to play in the Asia Cup days after the fifth Test this series has been squeezed into six weeks. Neil Snowball, the chief executive, was quoted as saying in the 'Daily Telegraph', "We have been impacted by the Wednesday start and this series will throw up the whole debate about regularity of scheduling. "Overall we will do around 70,000 tickets altogether. It is just days one and two that sales are not what we would normally expect.
Lemar targets Champions League triumph with Atletico
France midfielder Thomas Lemar wants to lift the Champions League trophy in his debut season at Atletico Madrid with the Spanish club set to host next year's final. "I'm going to give everything possible to go the furthest and win this Champions League," Lemar said today as he was unveiled by Atletico following his arrival from Monaco. The 22-year-old, who was part of the France squad that won the World Cup, joined Atletico in a deal worth 72 million euros ($84 million) after three seasons at Monaco. Lemar said the presence of international team-mates Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez at the Wanda Metropolitano had played a key role in his decision to move to Atletico. "Antoine and Lucas have told me lots about the club. I'm very happy with the decision I made," said Lemar, who will wear the number 11 shirt for Diego Simeone's side. "I know this team demands hard work and I'll give it my all for the team. If I need to run more, I'll do it without a problem." Lemar played just one .
Man City say Mahrez fit to play Chelsea in Community Shield match
English football champions Manchester City said on Monday that winger Riyad Mahrez's ankle injury was not serious and he is fit to play against FA Cup winners Chelsea in the upcoming FA Community Shield match on August 5.
Adil Rashid is an obvious selection, it was a brave call: Cook
Former England skipper Alastair Cook today dismissed the furore over Adil Rashid, calling it an "obvious selection" and said the selectors made a "brave call" in picking him for the first Test against India. Rashid was selected for the first of five Tests against India despite quitting red-ball cricket ahead of the 2018 county season and having not played a first-class game since September. The decision has led to widespread debate over the last five days with former skipper Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussian criticising the selectors' decision. "The way Adil has been playing and bowling for the one-dayers, it seemed quite an obvious selection. He has been bowling brilliantly but I know in a different format. In one sense, I feel a little bit sorry for Adil with all the political side of the selection, rather than looking at him," said Cook. "He's gone away and worked really hard on his one-day skills and has been bowling brilliantly in the last two series. He's been selected to play .
PSG tops Atletico 3-2 in International Champions Cup thriller
Ligue 1 champion Paris Saint German (PSG) on Monday survived Atletico Madrid's late revival to win 3-2 in a thrilling International Champions Cup match, a friendly pre-season football tournament here.
England Test series a test of mind & character: Rahane
India's vice captain Ajinkya Rahane on Monday said the upcoming Test match rubber against England will be a test of mind and character, adding that making quick adjustments according to the demands will be key.
India an outstanding Test match team: Buttler
England's wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler has called India an "outstanding Test match team", as the two sides inched closer to Wednesday's much-anticipated series opener at Edgbaston. India and England are set to lock horns in a five-match Test series. "It's a great group and India are an outstanding Test match team so it is going to be a huge series for everyone involved, there are some great match-ups," Buttler wrote in 'Sky Sports'. "We'll prepare well and have plans for individual players in the opposition but it also comes back to what we do well as a side and, especially in home conditions, what works for us. That's what the guys will be focusing on." Buttler's highest Test score is 85, which he made on debut against India four years ago and he would look to reach his maiden three-digit figure in this series. "We've had an incredible summer and I don't think we should moan about it too much but the pitches might be a bit drier. I'm sure English conditions - cloud cover and ...
Telangana questions manner of NE states' inclusion in Ranji
The Telangana Cricket Association, which has earned full membership status from the BCCI, today hit out at the parent body and CoA, questioning the manner of inducting the northeastern states in this year's Ranji Trophy. In another development, the Cricket Operations team led by Saba Karim, might have to arrange for alternate home venues for Tripura's age-group teams as the association has intimated BCCI that it won't be able to get the ground ready before the end of October due to prevailing monsoon. Telangana CA expressed massive displeasure in the manner in which states like Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur are being allowed to play in the country's premier domestic tournament. "There should be a few cricketing parameters as qualification criterion that would help increase the competence and considerable standard for any regional team to play first class cricket. "Otherwise, it would be disastrous in operating first class standard cricket by calling all four categories as Ranji Trophy
This Indian pace battery has unusual variety and depth: Cook
Former England skipper Alastair Cook feels India's pace battery has variety and depth, something that they have lacked as a touring side all these years. "India seem to have got a good variety of bowlers, especially pace bowlers, which is probably unusual. They have strength in depth in their pace bowling," said cook ahead of the first Test beginning here on Wednesday. "Over the last couple of years - certainly in the last 10 years I've played them - they haven't had the option of playing five or six different types of seamers. That's different to what I have experienced in the past but we'll see over the next six weeks." The form of the India's top order seems to be a cause of concern for the visitors but Cook today backed struggling Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara to come good in the series. "With very good players, form is certainly temporary. The reason they're very good players is the number of runs they've scored in the past over a sustained period of time," he ...
Constantine says sorry after U-17 team criticism
Indian football coach Stephen Constantine today "apologised" for his unsavoury comments on the youth team's performance in the FIFA U-17 World Cup last year. "I just wanted to apologise to everyone for my recent comments on the U17s. I am here in India for the best part of 7 years and the last thing I want to do is offend anyone," Constantine wrote on his twitter handle. He added, "I have the greatest respect for the AIFF and football in India and always give them my 100%." During a media interaction yesterday, national coach Constantine said the Indian team's performance at the U-17 World Cup was mediocre and the hype surrounding it was unjustified. His out-of-the-blue comments ruffled feathers in the All India Football Federation (AIFF) whose president Praful Patel had praised the national U-17 team for its gutsy performance in FIFA's youth showpiece event. "There was a lot of hype in the U-17 team's performance. They did not win any game in the U-17 World Cup and I am not quite ...
Patience could be key in fickle English weather: Rahane
India's attack will have to show patience to take 20 wickets and in the fickle English weather, it could be a virtue for the batsmen as well, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane said today. The five-Test series starts with the first match in Birmingham on Wednesday. "There is always help for bowlers in England, but that doesn't mean it is easier for the bowlers. They need to be patient and bowl in the good areas. They have to back their own skills instead of trying to take wickets from both ends" Rahane said. During a media interaction two days prior to the series opener, the batsman added, "If one bowler can play the support role well then it will lead to wickets. To bowl patiently and on spot is crucial to success. "It is a great opportunity for the bowlers to prove that we can take 20 wickets in a Test match consistently, like we had done in South Africa. Nobody expected us to take 20 wickets in all three Test matches. "At the same time they should not put extra pressure on themselves and .
Erwee, Hamza helps S. Africa post 389/2 on day 1 vs IBPXI
Sarel Erwee (117) and Zubayr Hamza's (104 not out) clinical innings helped South Africa A post 389/2 in their first innings against Indian Board Presidents XI (IBPXI)on the opening day of the three-day practice match at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.
Karman cracks top-200, sets new target of 150 by year-end
Karman Kaur Thandi today became only the sixth Indian woman tennis player to crack the top-200 rankings in singles, jumping 32 places in the WTA chart. Karman is now ranked exactly 200 in the WTA list. The 20-year-old Delhi girl, backed by Mahesh Bhupathi, has been in good form in the past few weeks, winning her maiden ITF singles title in Hong Kong and making the semi-finals in two others in China. In April, the country's top singles player Ankita Raina had broken into the top-200 and is now ranked 195 (-4). Before these two girls, Sania Mirza, Nirupama Vaidyanathan, Shikha Uberoi and Sunitha Rao had made it to the top-200. While Sania, winner of six Grand Slam titles in doubles, touched a career-high of 27 in singles in 2007, Nirupama's best rank was 134 in 1997. Shikha's highest ranking was 122 and Sunita reached 144. Both these players were US citizens even though they represented India on tour. "I am happy to climb to top-200. Step by step, I will try to reach my goal of getting .
Stern test awaits golfers at Louis Philippe Cup
A stern test awaits the 132 golfers when the Louis Philippe Cup, an Asian Development Tour (ADT) and Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) co-sanctioned event, gets underway at the Prestige Golfshire Club here on Tuesday.
I fell apart during the World Cup: Neymar
Brazil's star forward Neymar has declared himself a "new man", saying he has accepted criticism of his behaviour during the FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Atletico's new winger Lemar has Champions League title in his sights
Atletico Madrid's newest acquisition, French winger Thomas Lemar, said on Monday that he has his sights set on winning the UEFA Champions League title.
Dortmund begin week-long training camp, prepare for friendlies
Footballers from Borussia Dortmund kicked off a week-long training camp on Monday, with six open sessions scheduled amid a week expected to be marked by temperatures that wouldn't stop climbing.