Page 170 - Sports
De Villiers chose money over country: Akhtar
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has slammed AB de Villiers for "putting finances over country" in a video that was put up on Youtube.
Indian diplomats at UN turn star cricketers at rare match amid Cricket World Cup fervor
India's diplomats, including women, at the UN turned into star cricketers as they joined forces with their counterparts from the Permanent Missions of Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh and won a match against a team of British diplomats, as the excitement of the ongoing Cricket World Cup reached the world organisation's headquarters here. The UK Mission to the UN hosted a cricket match Friday evening in the sprawling North Lawn at the UN Headquarters, a rare occurrence that brought diplomats from the cricket-playing nations of the Commonwealth together for a "UK Vs Rest" match. With England and Wales hosting the 2019 Cricket World Cup, the UK Mission sought to bring the excitement and fervor of cricket's greatest tournament to the United Nations. The UK Mission's team played against a team that comprised diplomats from the Permanent Missions of India, Pakistan, Australia and Bangladesh. India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K. Nagaraj Naidu, First ...
We need middle-order contributions, that's the key: Karunaratne
Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne feels the middle-order has to take more responsibility in the remaining games of the World Cup after suffering heavy collapses in their opening two matches. Sri Lanka suffered a thumping 10-wicket loss to New Zealand in their opening match of World Cup before they managed to prevail over Afghanistan by 34 runs in their second outing. However, the Sri Lankan middle-order failed to fire in both the games. "If we make a good start to the innings then we can keep that momentum going. If you take the last couple of games, we couldn't capitalise on the starts we made. Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 136 against the Black Caps despite Karunaratne's unbeaten 52, and then they crumbled from 144/1 to 201 all out against Afghanistan on the same pitch. "We need those middle order contributions and I think that's the key for us as a batting line-up. Other than that, I think as a group we're doing really good," Karunaratne was quoted as saying by ICC ...
Sarfaraz backs Pakistan to maintain momentum after washout in Bristol
The "unfortunate" washout against Sri Lanka will not disturb the momentum generated by their stunning win over tournament favourites England, Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has said. Sarfaraz said they will pick up next week from where they left against England. Attempting to emulate their success under Imran Khan in 1992, Pakistan bounced back from defeat against West Indies in their opening fixture to triumph over England at Trent Bridge in the highest-scoring game of the current competition. "As a team we really wanted to play this match especially after gaining momentum with the win against England," Sarfaraz was quoted as saying by ICC media. "It is unfortunate that we were not able to play. We have great team spirit and our confidence is on a high after beating England. We would want to carry the momentum into the remaining games. We won't relax in our remaining six matches." Pakistan's next encounter is against five-time defending champions Australia at Taunton, a venue that ..
Morgan feels that Bangladesh have lot of potential
England are all set to take on Bangladesh for their third match in the ongoing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and skipper Eoin Morgan is in no way under-estimating the Bangladesh side saying that they have 'huge amount of potential'."Bangladesh are a side with a huge amount of potential. It is going to be a difficult game because they're a good side. I think people under-estimate them," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Morgan as saying.England registered a massive 104-run victory in the opening match of the World Cup against South Africa but faced a 14-run defeat against Pakistan. Moreover, in 2015 edition of the World Cup, their upcoming opponents Bangladesh had ousted them from the 2015 edition of the World Cup.Although admitting that their clash against Bangladesh will be a 'difficult' one, Morgan said that for the last couple of days they had some time off from the game."The last couple of days for us has been a case of getting away from the game. I watch a lot of horse racing and speak to ...
Ponting seeks answers from batsmen after Australia's top-order failed against West Indies
Despite Australia registering a 15-run win, there was no doubt that the West Indies dismantled the Australian batsmen with their brutal bouncers. After looking at the way batsmen tackled Windies bowling attack, Australia assistant coach Ricky Ponting is looking forward to seeking answers.Usman Khawaja, who was forced to retire hurt during the practice match after West Indies' all-rounder Andre Russell's bouncer hit his helmet, continued to flounder as he was again struck and later Russell sent him back to the pavilion."I've got some notes written in my book about that exact thing. I just want to know what's going through his mind. For me, being back involved in the team now, I want to understand what they are thinking about at different times. It's not always just about the execution, it's about what's going inside your mind that causes the poor shots," Cricket.com.au quoted Ponting as saying.West Indies dangerous bowling attack brought the game to a point where Australia was at 38 ...
Brazil's Marta goes in search of a crown in twilight of career
Nicknamed "Pele in a skirt" by the football great, the Brazilian star better known to her fans as "Queen" Marta will play in what could be her last women's World Cup in France. But the chances of winning the world crown that has eluded the 33-year-old veteran and her compatriots are slim, with Brazil not tipped to lift the trophy. Widely considered to be the best female player of all time, Marta has come close to international glory with the Selecao, making it to the World Cup final in 2007 and picking up silver medals in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. But the Brazilian captain freely admits that this year's World Cup will be challenging, at the very least, for the national team. "It's hard to think about the title," Marta told a Swedish newspaper recently. "At the moment the situation of the Selecao is far from ideal, it's the worst since I've been there." The Brazilian women's side -- a mixture of young hopefuls and old-hands such as Marta, Cristiane and Formiga -- have had a tough ...
Messi scores twice as Argentina routs Nicaragua 5-1
Lionel Messi scored a first-half double as Argentina warmed up for the Copa America with a comprehensive 5-1 win over Nicaragua on Friday in San Juan. The Central Americans, who will participate in this month's Gold Cup tournament while Argentina battle it out in Brazil, frustrated the home side initially. But it was left to captain Messi to spark his side into action in their only warm-up match ahead of the tournament, expertly opening the scoring on 37 minutes before grabbing another just 96 seconds later. Lautaro Martinez, the Inter Milan forward, also scored twice, coming off the substitutes bench at half-time to give coach Lionel Scaloni food for thought ahead of the opening match with Colombia on June 15. Scaloni, brought in after Jorge Sampaoli was sacked following a disastrous showing at the World Cup last summer, is aiming to build a younger team and end Argentina's 26-year wait for a trophy. Indeed, in Scaloni's Copa America squad only Messi, Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria
India on the move at the World Cup (Column: Close-in)
The start of the 2019 World Cup campaign for India against South Africa was perfect. The first match in any tournament is a crucial encounter because although one is mentally ready to a large extent, there is always a slight bit of doubt about ones and the team's performance.
Neville's excitement for women's World Cup wins over doubters
Phil Neville lifted six Premier League titles and the Champions League in a decorated playing career, but has described the chance to lead England's women into a World Cup as "the biggest and best thing" in his career to date. World Cups had eluded Neville until now. An 11-year international career reaped 59 caps and he played in three European Championships, but he missed out on making a World Cup squad on three different occasions. "England to me has always felt like unfinished business," Neville told The Times. "The biggest disappointment of my career, with so many incredible players, was that we didn't get a trophy or even a final. I want to have success with England. I've wanted it all my life. And with these players, we've got a great chance." Prior to Neville's arrival in the women's game to take charge of his country last year, England had already laid the foundations for great expectations this summer by reaching the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup and Euro 2017. That ...
Eden Hazard completes move to Real Madrid
Real Madrid has announced the signing of forward Eden Hazard, who leaves Chelsea after seven seasons that saw him win six trophies and a slew of individual honours, including the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year award for 2014-2015.
Hosts France enjoy winning start as women's World Cup kicks off
Hosts France laid down a marker in the opening game of the women's World Cup as towering defender Wendie Renard scored twice in a convincing 4-0 win over South Korea to kick off the tournament in style in Paris on Friday. A sell-out crowd of 45,261 filled the Parc des Princes to watch the start of what is billed as the biggest women's World Cup yet, but there was no sign of the pressure getting to the French. Les Bleues are among the favourites to win the trophy on home soil and they showed no mercy to the Koreans, with the prolific Eugenie Le Sommer giving them an early lead and Renard -- the tallest player at the tournament -- twice heading home before the interval. Captain Amandine Henry, impressive throughout, wrapped up the win in this Group A encounter, a goal she said was "the realisation of a dream I had as a little girl". "We went into the match the right way," Henry told broadcaster TF1, revealing her team had become emotional during the national anthem. "We were close to ...
Minor boys caught performing stunts on Mumbai local train; 2 nabbed
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) took into custody two minor boys after a video of them performing daredevil stunts went viral.The incident took place on June 6. Around five-six boys boarded the train from Mankhurd railway station and started performing stunts as soon as the train left the station for Kurla.A person sitting in the back coach made the video of these boys and sent it to Kurla RPF. As soon as the train reached Kurla railway station, the RPF team started looking for the boys.While three-four boys managed to run away, the police managed to catch two of them.Later on, the police released them after counseling and handed them over to their respective parents.
Bangladesh have strong squad, says Plunkett ahead of clash
Bangladesh overpowering South Africa has not shocked England pacer Liam Plunkett as he believes that Bangladesh have a 'strong squad'.Back in 2015, Bangladesh had ousted England from the 2015 edition of the World Cup. Plunkett feels that was a shock defeat but in this editions, there are no 'shock defeats'."We saw Bangladesh beat South Africa and it wasn't a shock defeat. I remember when they beat England way back when and it was a shock defeat. But there are no real shock defeats in this competition. They're a strong squad," ICC quoted Plunkett as saying.After thrashing South Africa in the opening match of the premier tournament, England faced a 14-run defeat in their second match at the hands of Pakistan, who received a good amount of support from the crowd.However, Plunkett remains optimistic as he said they have experience of playing Indian Premier League and Big Bash League in front of big crowds."But we've played in big competitions, guys have played around the world - at the ...
Two men arrested for running betting racket in Delhi
Two men who allegedly ran a betting racket on cricket World Cup in North Delhi's Timarpur area were arrested by Delhi police on Thursday night. The accused ran the racket with the help of a betting software installed in their laptop, the police said.
Indian cricket team meets High Commissioner in London
The Indian cricket team met India's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ruchi Ghanashyam, at her residence here on Friday.During the interaction, the High Commissioner congratulated the team for winning their first ICC Men's Cricket World Cup match against South Africa and wished them all the best for the remaining games in the ongoing tournament.The squad was accompanied by head coach and former cricketer Ravi Shastri as well as other team officials."We are happy that the Indian team visited us today. I congratulated them for winning the first match. The hopes of all Indians are on the team. We are all excited about the World Cup. We hope they continue playing their best in the remaining games," Ghanashyam told ANI.On June 5, India displayed an astonishing performance during their World Cup opener as they restricted South Africa to just 229 runs and later chased down the target to register a comfortable six-wicket victory, courtesy Rohit Sharma's brilliant hundred and Yuzvendra .
Ozil marries in Istanbul, with Erdogan as best man
Former German international footballer Mesut Ozil was married in Istanbul on Friday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as his best man. The 30-year-old Ozil, who has Turkish family roots, sparked controversy last year when he was photographed with Erdogan, raising questions about the footballer's loyalty to Germany on the eve of their disastrous 2018 World Cup campaign. The Turkish leader arrived in the early evening for Friday's ceremony at a luxury hotel on the banks of the Bosphorus to see the former Arsenal midfielder marry his fiancee, former Miss Turkey Amine Gulse. A smiling Erdogan and his wife Emine were seen standing next to the young couple as their marriage was formalised. After 92 appearances for Germany, including a key role in the 2014 World Cup victory, Ozil suddenly quit the national squad last July, accusing German football officials of racism. Ozil announced in March that he had asked Erdogan to be his best man. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's chief of ...
Djokovic, Thiem to resume Saturday after play called off
Novak Djokovic's Roland Garros semi-final clash with Dominic Thiem was halted for the day in the third set on Friday due to deteriorating weather conditions. Austrian fourth seed Thiem led 6-2, 3-6, 3-1 against the world number one when the players left Court Philippe Chatrier. The semi-final will resume at 1000GMT (12:00) on Saturday, organisers said. The winner will play Rafael Nadal in Sunday's final, after the 11-time champion beat old rival Roger Federer 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 earlier on Friday.
Honda riders set tone in CBR150R qualifier & PS165cc practice
Auto giant Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India on Friday began the new era of racing in the country with round 1 of the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Cup and the Indian National Motorcycle Racing Championship (INMRC) being held at the Kari Motor Speedway (KMS) here.
India drub Poland 3-1 in FIH Series Finals
Skipper Manpreet Singh scored a brace as India beat Poland 3-1 in the ongoing FIH Series Finals hockey tournament, here on Friday.