Page 134 - Sports
Buttler ready to answer England World Cup captain call
Jos Buttler says he is ready to step up and captain England in the World Cup if injured skipper Eoin Morgan fails to recover in time to face Afghanistan on Tuesday. Morgan had to leave the field with a back spasm during the West Indies innings in Southampton on Friday, with opening batsman Jason Roy also forced off the field due to a tight hamstring. Vice-captain Buttler himself was unable to keep wicket in the team's previous match against Bangladesh but said he was fully fit as he contemplates leading the side. "I'd rather Eoin plays," said Buttler. "He'll have a scan and Jason the same and see how their injuries are but obviously we hope for the best." But he said England's approach would not change much if Morgan did not make it in time. "We've played under Eoin for a long time," he said. "I think he's a fantastic captain. He's someone I've tried to learn from, being vice-captain. I've talked to him a lot about the game. We've got some quite similar views so I think it would be ...
SL snub media duties after defeat, ICC may impose sanctions
The ICC is likely to impose sanction on Sri Lanka for not fulfilling their media duties after suffering a humiliating 87-run defeat to Australia here. Disheartened by their loss to the defending champions here on Saturday, skipper Dimuth Karunaratne and other Sri Lankan players decided to skip the mandatory media conference and the 'mixed zone'. As a result, Sri Lanka, in all probability would face action from the International Cricket Council. "Yes. Sri Lanka have told us they don't want to do it. The ICC will be speaking to them," an ICC spokesman told reporters when asked if Sri Lanka would face any sanction for skipping the press briefing. Before the match against Australia, Sri Lanka team manager Ashantha de Mel had slammed the ICC for "step-motherly" treatment. De Mel complained on the types of pitches provided to the Sri Lankan team, inadequate training and transport facilities apart from below-par accommodation at ongoing the World Cup. "This is a World Cup where the top 10 ...
We have been improving with each game: Finch
Defending champions Australia are leading the World Cup 2019 points-table after their 87-run victory over Sri Lanka and skipper Aaron Finch feels his side is improving with each game and performing well in the middle overs.
Pressure will be on Pakistan, says Gavaskar
Ahead of the highly anticipated World Cup clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, cricketing great Sunil Gavaskar feels the pressure will be on the Green Brigade when the two sides square-off here.
Tahir single-handedly made us strong: Du Plessis
South Africa finally tasted a win in their World Cup 2019 campaign as after three losses and a match being abandoned due to rain, the Proteas hammered minnows Afghanistan by nine wickets at the Sophia Gardens and skipper Faf du Plessis credited his bowlers, especially Imran Tahir for the much-needed win.
Norway Chess: Anand joint seventh after losing to Aronian
Five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand failed to capitalise on his chances and went down to Levon Aronian of Armenia in the ninth and final round Armageddon game to finish joint seventh in the Altibox Norway chess tournament here. Anand, going to be 50 later this year, has had a mixed year so far and the trend continues here with a mediocre finish in the 10-player round-robin tournament. The 'novelty' of having decisive games in every round might have gone well with the chess buffs but for Anand it turned out to be four wins, and five losses in all including a loss in the Classical game against Shakhriyar Mamedyarov of Azerbaijan early in the event. However, Anand did not have many problems against Aronian in the Armageddon and he enjoyed better prospects out of a King pawn game with white. Aronian had to part with two pieces for a rook and he got a couple of pawns too in the bargain. But the position still favoured the Indian ace when he simply blundered a piece and landed in a ..
Karunaratne blame middle-order for loss against Oz
After their World Cup 2019 group stage clash by a massive 87 runs against Australia, Sri Lanka skipper Dimuth Karunaratne felt his team's middle-order failed to click despite getting a good start which resulted in their second loss from five games.
Messi 'bitter' as Colombia stun Argentina
Lionel Messi said his team was feeling bitter after Argentina lost their opening Copa America match 2-0 to Colombia despite dominating the second half. Goals from Roger Martinez and Duvan Zapata in the final 20 minutes gave Colombia their first tournament victory over Argentina in 20 years as Messi's hopes of finally landing a major international tournament after losing in four finals suffered a serious blow. "We leave here feeling bitter," said Messi following the Group B clash in Salvador. "In the second half we had our chances." One of the best of those fell to the 31-year-old Barcelona icon but he headed wide after Colombia's goalkeeper David Ospina got down quickly to push out a header from center-back Nicolas Otamendi. But although Argentina dominated possession and created more chances in the second period, they rarely caused Ospina any serious concerns. "We didn't want to start this way, obviously, but now we have to lift our heads and keep going," said the five-time Ballon ...
Colombia's Martinez and Zapata stun Messi's Argentina at Copa
Roger Martinez and Duvan Zapata put a dent in Lionel Messi's hopes of finally landing a major international title as Colombia began their Copa America campaign with a 2-0 win over Argentina on Saturday. Martinez struck a stunning opener on 72 minutes and fellow substitute Zapata sealed the win three minutes from the end after Argentina had dominated the second half of this Group B encounter in Salvador. It had been 20 years since Colombia last beat Argentina at the Copa America. "We knew it had been many years, I'm delighted but the Copa isn't finished," said Zapata. "We're going to enjoy this win." This was supposed to be World Cup quarter-finalists Colombia's hardest group test with matches against Paraguay and Asian champions Qatar to come. Argentina haven't won a major tournament in 26 years and were beaten finalists in the last two editions of the South American showpiece, as well as the 2014 World Cup. "The players know there is a long way to go and we have two matches left," ...
Blue Samurai to unleash 'Japanese Messi' on Copa America
On a continent where "imitation" Galacticos are a dime a dozen, Japan's Takefusa Kubo could just be the real deal. Snapped up by Real Madrid on Friday from under the noses of some of the world's other top clubs, the teenage sensation is about to demonstrate why he is known as the "Japanese Messi" at the tender age of 18. The youngster, described by Real as one of the most promising players in world football, is set to create a buzz at this month's Copa America in Brazil after earning his first senior call-up for the Blue Samurai. Rarely an Asian football tournament goes by without a "Thai Zico," an "Iraqi Cristiano Ronaldo" or even a "North Korean Wayne Rooney" among the team rosters. But it was Kubo who was invited to Barcelona's youth academy as a scrawny nine-year-old where he earned his nickname for his mazy dribbling skills. Though the Catalan giants were keen to retain him, Real Madrid took the plunge, heading off interest from Manchester City, Manchester United and Paris ...
Canada beat New Zealand to reach women's World Cup second round
Canada beat New Zealand 2-0 in a women's World Cup Group E game in Grenoble on Saturday to cement a place in the second round and leave the Kiwis on the brink of elimination. Earlier in Valenciennes, the Netherlands saw off a spirited Cameroon 3-1 to also move to six points in the group and secure their place in the last 16. Canada had beaten Cameroon 1-0 in their opening game while New Zealand had battled hard before losing to an injury-time Dutch goal. On Saturday, Canada again dominated and bombarded the New Zealand goal with 22 total strikes, 11 of them on target. The Canadians took the lead after 48 minutes. Nichelle Prince raced down the left wing, where the New Zealand defence had struggled even before right back C.J. Bott went off injured in the 17th minute. Prince cut in along the goal line and then pulled a precise pass back to Jessie Fleming who side-footed the ball inside the far post. Prince added a second after 78 minutes, poking home a rebound from close range after ...
CWC'19: Mitchell Starc wants to play every match for Australia
Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc wants to play every match for Australia in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup, after his brilliant performance against Sri Lanka on Saturday as he clinched four wickets."If I'm fit, I'd like to play every game. Ultimately, it's not up to me, but it's a World Cup. I think you've got to play your best XI, depending on conditions and the team we play," Cricket.com.au quoted Starc as saying.Just after the conclusion of World Cup, Aussies will play the rivalry Ashes against England and the team wants star bowler Starc to be fit ahead of the series.The left-arm pacer is leading Australian fast-bowling attack and currently holds the most number of wickets in the tournament. He had 13 wickets in five matches so far."I just try to keep my one-day bowling very simple. I don't try to have all these different variations, I'm pretty focused on what I want to do. But I definitely won't be putting up my hand to rest," he added.The 29-year-old is a ...
Very relieved, says Faf du Plessis after first win in WC
South Africa finally managed to win their first match in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and the victory came as a sense of relief for the Proteas captain Faf du Plessis."Very relieved and a little bit lighter," Sport24.co.za quoted Du Plessis as saying.After losing three consecutive matches and one match being abandoned, South Africa made a solid comeback against the bottom-placed team Afghanistan over whom they registered a massive nine-wicket victory.Imran Tahir took four wickets while Chris Morris got hold of three wickets as they restricted Afghanistan to just 125 runs. Andile Phehlukwayo also played brilliantly as he took two wickets and conceded just 18 runs in his eight over whereas with the bat, he played an unbeaten knock of 17 runs.However, due to rain, the match was reduced to 48 overs and the target went up by one run. South Africa easily chased the target, with the help of Quinton de Kock's 68-run inning.Du Plessis is exhilarated with his team's all-around ...
CWC'19: Key players to watch in India vs Pakistan clash
The highly-anticipated match between India and Pakistan is inching closer and exuberant fans from both sides of the border are ready to witness this gripping clash of the two rivals.This once in a blue moon clash is an ineluctable clash for the ardent fans. The fact that India have never lost to Pakistan in the World Cup, makes it even more compelling.India have been in a sublime form in this premier tournament while Pakistan struggling to ameliorate their form. India have not lost any of its matches in this edition of the quadrennial tournament while Pakistan have only managed to win one match and sits on the second last position of the points table.However, both the teams possess remarkable players, who have the ability to get their team over the line single-handedly.Here are the key players to look out for in India vs Pakistan match:Virat Kohli:India skipper Virat Kohli atop the ICC Men's ODI batting ranking and has good figures against the upcoming opponent. Kohli has an average ..
Jyothi Surekha wins two bronze medal at World Archery Championships
Vijayawada-based archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam made India proud, winning two bronze medals at the ongoing World Archery Championships in the Netherlands on Saturday."I am very happy to share it with you all that V Jyothi Surekha, Arjuna Awardee from Vijayawada has won two bronze medals at the 50th World Championships being held at the Netherlands from June 10 to 16," Vennam's father Surendra said in a communication to the press.Vennam won the bronze in the individual compound and compound women's categories. She beat Yesim Bostan of turkey in the 145-145 shoot off by shooting 10-9 in individual compound women's category."Jyothi Surekha Vennam upset world number two Yesim Bostan in a one-arrow shoot-off to win bronze at WAC 2019. Jyothi scored a 10 over Yesim's 9," World Archery said in a tweet.In compound women's team event, Vennam along with Muskan Kirar and Raj Kaur beat Turkey to 229-226.
Andy Robertson strives for improvement
Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson is satisfied by his performance but is seeking to further improve himself as he feels that there is always a scope for improvement."I think I've been good but I can always be better, That's the way I've always worked. I'll never praise myself because I think there's always improvement to be made," the club's official website quoted Robertson as saying.Robertson had been an important player for Liverpool, who ended up winning the Champions League. Robertson registered 13 assists across Premier League and European competition.After the conclusion of the season, Robertson is looking forward to the next season where he is hoping to perform even better."Even when I have a good game, you can still do things better. I've had a good season but I still have a lot of improvement to make and hopefully I can show that in the following seasons," he said.Robertson also praised Virgil van Dijk as he said: "He brings everything, in my opinion. He is one of the ...
CWC'19: South Africa halt winless streak, beat Afghanistan
South Africa managed to register their first win in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup after they defeated Afghanistan by nine wickets at Sophia Garden here on Sunday.Chasing a low total of 127 runs, South Africa got off to a brilliant start. Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla opened the inning the Proteas and played steadily. Both kept the scoreboard running and De Kock scored his half-century while chasing the target.Both formed a 104-run partnership before De Kock got out in the 23rd over bowled by Gulbadin Naib which ended De Kock's 68-run inning. Amla was then accompanied by Andile Phehlukwayo when the team needed just 23 runs from 25 overs.Both Amla (41*) and Phehlukwayo (17*) played some impeccable shots and the latter finished the match in style as he smashed a six when the team needed just two runs to win. With this, South Africa secured a massive nine-wicket victory and interestingly, registered their first victory in the World Cup.Earlier, Afghanistan, who were sent to ...
FIH Series Finals: India trounce South Africa in final
India thrashed South Africa by 5-1 in the final of FIH Series Finals at the Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday.India dominated South Africa throughout as the former did not take much time to score the opening goal of the match. India's Varun Kumar scored the first goal of the match from a penalty corner and helped India take a lead over South Africa.However, India did not stop there as they added another goal which put immense pressure on the opponents. The second goal was scored by Harmanpreet Singh and he too scored the goal from a penalty corner.Singh, who was later named as the man of the match, displayed a scintillating form in the match as he added another goal to India's tally through a penalty stroke. Consequently, India shined in the first half as it concluded on a score of 3-0.The second half also started in a similar manner as India scored another goal, taking a massive four-goal lead over South Africa. Kumar then scored the fifth goal for the Indian side from a penalty ...
Aaron Finch breaks Ricky Ponting's record
Australia skipper Aaron Finch on Saturday did not just play a match-winning knock of 153 runs against Sri Lanka but his impeccable inning shattered some records.Finch surpassed former captain Ricky Ponting's record of highest score by an Australian captain in the premier tournament. Ponting, who previously held the record, scored 140 runs in the 2003 World Cup against India but now Finch got this record to his name after scoring 153 runs.Finch has even bettered his record in the one-day international cricket as he has now eight fifty-plus scores in the format this year which is the most he has ever had in a year.Moreover, Finch is now the highest run-getter in this edition of World Cup as he has amassed 343 runs in the tournament so far. Interestingly, the second positioned batsman is his opening partner, David Warner, who has 281 runs under his belt.Apart from Finch's inning, it was Mitchell Starc's astounding performance which helped Australia secure a dominating victory. Starc took
South Africa beat Afghanistan by 9-wickets
South Africa beat Afghanistan by nine wickets here to claim their first victory of the 2019 ICC World Cup on Saturday.