Page 357 - Sports
Jurgen Klopp not thinking about Lionel Messi yet
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has stated that he is not yet thinking about how to deal with the Argentina superstar, Lionel Messi, as they prepare to compete with Barcelona in the semi-finals of Champions League."Thank God I don't have to think about that and I have a few more nights," Goal.com quoted Klopp, as saying."We'll find things we think we could use but on the other hand, I don't care. We're in the semi-final, on Sunday we play against Cardiff [City], that's in my mind when I wake up tomorrow [Thursday]," he added.Messi has scored 45 goals in this season and Klopp said that Messi has been impossible to stop so far this campaign."Everybody tried it so far and nobody can do it, but we're looking forward to it. So many jobs to do before we meet Barcelona. We will see," he said.Liverpool handed a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Porto in the second leg of the quarter-final to enter in the Champions League semi-finals.Klopp also expressed his happiness on entering the ...
Stiaan van Zyl extends his contract with Sussex
South African player Stiaan van Zyl's contract with the English county club Sussex has got an extension."I am extremely grateful to sign an extension with Sussex," Sussex's website, on Thursday, quoted Van Zyl as saying.The 31-year old joined Sussex ahead of the 2017 season and since then scored over 1500 first-class runs for the club at an average of over 44."Since starting in 2017, I've enjoyed every second at the club and with my team-mates. I'm looking forward to many more games with this wonderful club," he said.Sussex head coach, Jason Gillespie praised Van Zyl and said "We're delighted that Stiaan has agreed to continue his career at the club. He's a senior batsman of international quality who contributes significantly with his performances and he's a great lad on top of that.""We like to make sure our players are learning from each other and Stiaan sets a great example in terms of his approach to his preparation as well as how he goes about things out in the middle," he added.
ICC pays tribute to Patrick Rousseau
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday paid homage to Patrick Rousseau, the former West Indies cricket chief, who died at the age of 85.Rousseau was at the helm of West Indies Cricket Board for a long time. He was the president of the cricket board from 1996 to 2001 and was also a member of the ICC Board and was credited with the Caribbean hosting the Men's Cricket World Cup in 2007."The death of Mr. Rousseau is sad news for the cricket world. His contribution to the game's management has been widely acknowledged. He led cricket administration in the West Indies very capably and was a respected member of the ICC Board," ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said in an official statement."It was with great sadness that we learnt of his death. On behalf of the ICC, I would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family and to our colleagues at the CWI," he further said.Rousseau has also been credited with launching the first professional cricket academy in ...
Can't plan to dismiss greats like Kohli, ABD: Gopal
April 2 will always be etched in the memory of leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal. Playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he picked three wickets against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to help his team register a 7-wicket win. More than the win, it was the wickets that he scalped that will stay with him forever -- Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and upcoming Windies talent Shimron Hetmyer.
Sacked from captaincy, Malinga makes Sri Lanka's World Cup squad
Sacked as skipper, pacer Lasith Malinga was Thursday named in Sri Lanka's 15-strong World Cup squad and the country's embattled cricket board hoped that the veteran will put behind the disappointment to show up for the team. The 25-year-old Malinga was replaced as captain Dimuth Karunaratne, who leads the Test team but hasn't played an ODI since the 2015 World Cup. The surprising move continued the ongoing turmoil in Sri Lankan cricket, which is also being investigated for large-scale corruption by the ICC. "We hope he would play for the country," Sri Lanka Cricket chief Shammi Silva said while announcing the squad amid speculation that Malinga, who is currently with IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, will quit. "I spoke to him on the telephone and explained to him the reasons," added Asantha de Mel, the Chairman of selectors. The team was most recently hammered by South Africa in an away limited-overs series. Sri Lanka start their World Cup campaign on June 1 at Cardiff against New ...
India World Cup squad to be announced on April 15
India's World Cup squad will be announced on April 15 in Mumbai, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Monday.According to the guidelines issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the World Cup, "every team has to announce their final squad on or before April 23. The teams, however, can make any changes to the final squad of 15 at least seven days prior to the tournament."Earlier, teams used to announce a 30-players probable list two months before the tournament, but under the new members playing agreement which came into effect in 2016, the teams do not need to follow this practice.Cricket World Cup 2019 will be played from May to July this year in England and Wales.England and South Africa will lock horns with each other in the opening game of the tournament.India takes on South Africa in their opening game of the tournament on June 5.
Kane Williamson's miserable IPL run continues
Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Kane Williamson's woes in the ongoing 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) seem never-ending.Williamson could only score three runs as the Hyderabad-franchise snapped its three-game losing streak with a six-wicket win over the table topper Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Wednesday in Hyderabad.The 28-year-old's game has been hampered by the injury which ruled him out of the third Test against Bangladesh, which was later abandoned due to Christchurch shooting in March.In this IPL season, Williamson has scored just 20 runs at an average of 6.66 in three of Hyderabad's eight games so far.Meanwhile, returning Australian batsman David Warner is in smashing form for Hyderabad. He has amassed 450 runs from eight games at an average of 75 and strike rate of 145. England opener Jonny Bairstow has scored 365 runs at an average of 52.14 so far.Sunrisers Hyderabad will next play against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on April 21 at Hyderabad.
Dinesh Chandimal not named in Sri Lanka's 15-member WC squad
Milinda Siriwardana, Jeffrey Vandersay and Jeevan Mendis made a comeback to the Sri Lanka team while it decided to go without Dinesh Chandimal in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019.The Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka side will have experienced players like Lasith Malinga, Angelo Mathews and Kusal Perera. However, Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Dinesh Chandimal, Upul Tharanga and Akila Dananjaya did not find a spot in the team announced on Thursday.Interestingly, Karunaratne, who has not played a single ODI since the last World Cup, now finds himself leading the team for the premier event.Also, Sri Lanka have not announced their vice-captain and said that it will vary from 'match-to-match'.Squad: Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Avishka Fernando, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Perera, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya de Silva, Jeffery Vandersay, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana, Lasith Malinga, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Jeevan Mendis, Milinda Siriwardana.
ICC pays tributes to former West Indies cricket chief Rosseau
The International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed condolences on demise of former West Indies Cricket Board chief Patrick Rousseau. Rosseau was 85 and was the Caribbean cricket chief from 1996 to 2001. He was also a member of the ICC Board and is credited with the Caribbean hosting the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in 2007. In a statement, ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney said: "The death of Rousseau is sad news for the cricket world. His contribution in the game's management has been widely acknowledged. He led cricket administration in the West Indies very capably and was a respected member of the ICC Board. "It was with great sadness that we learnt of his death. On behalf of the ICC, I would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to his friends and family and to our colleagues at the CWI.
Dhoni chills with Warner & Co post Hyderabad game
Despite missing the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) due to back spasm, Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was seen involved in post-match activities with the Hyderabad boys.
Tottenham in Champions League semis
Manchester City defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 in a wild Champions League quarterfinal second leg that left the sides knotted 4-4 on aggregate with the visitors bound for the semi-finals thanks to their three away goals.
Liverpool crush Porto, reach Champions League semis
Liverpool reached the Champions League semi-finals after comfortably beating Porto 4-1, with the attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino grabbing a goal each.
Not going to get upset: Jofra Archer on World Cup exclusion
Barbados-born uncapped Jofra Archer is "not going to get upset" for missing out from England's preliminary 15-man World Cup squad. Rather, the all-rounder is "excited to play against Pakistan" as he is in contention to make his ODI debut ahead of the marquee event.Born to a British father, the 24-year-old qualified to play for England on residence last month. Archer has been named to play against Ireland and Pakistan in seven games, beginning May 3."It is not all about the World Cup for me right now; it is about playing against Pakistan which is what I have been selected for. It will still be the highlight of my career to play for England in the series against Pakistan. Of course, I want to play in the World Cup, but if it does not happen for me I am not going to get upset. I am just so excited to play against Pakistan and this is a position I did not imagine I would be in at this stage," ecb.co.uk quoted Archer, as saying.Archer, who did not expect to "ever be good enough to play for
Dhoni chills with Sunrisers Hyderabad post match
Despite missing the game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad here due to a back injury, Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was seen involved in post-match activities.
Takeaways from England's World Cup squad
England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced its national preliminary squad for the ICC Men's World Cup. However, the exclusion of some players by the host nation England turned out to be a talking point among critics and fans.Jofra ArcherThe uncapped Barbados-born all-rounder has starred in T20 leagues around the world but could not make it to the 15-man squad. Rather, Archer has been picked up to play Ireland and Pakistan in seven ODI games, beginning May 3 which precede the cut-off date for finalising the World Cup squad. If Archer makes the most of his opportunity, there are chances he could be in contention for the marquee event.Chris JordanAnother Barbados-born, yorker specialist Jordan is out of the squad but in contention. The 30-year-old has not played an ODI since 2016 and turned into a T20 specialist. His performance against West Indies in the shortest format earned him a recall for series against Ireland and Pakistan.Joe Denly over Liam DawsonBatsman Denly, who ...
Ponting surprised over Pant's exclusion
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is surprised that Rishabh Pant was not included in India's 15-member squad for the forthcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Cricket World Cup."I was surprised when he was left out of the squad. I thought he'll be in and I thought he'll actually play in the starting eleven. I thought that someone like him batting at No. 4 or 5 in their side would have just been that sort of player who could have had that X-factor about him that could have been the difference between India and some other teams in the World Cup," ICC quoted Ponting as saying.Ponting further added that he will be surprised if Pant does not play at least three World Cups before he concludes his career."One thing that we know about Indian cricket is that there is a lot of depth around, particularly around the batting side. Unfortunately, this time, Rishabh is the one that has missed out, but as I said, I think knowing what he's like and the talent he's got, I'll be ...
Tokyo 2020 launches ticketing process
Tokyo 2020 organisers on Thursday launched a portal detailing prices and timings for Olympic events, as they prepare to throw open ticket applications via lottery for Japanese residents. The new website lists prices for the record 339 events in 33 sports -- ranging from the cheapest general tickets at 2,500 yen ($22) to an eye-watering 300,000 yen for the best seats at the opening ceremony. Those lucky enough to score the best seats for the showcase men's 100-metre final will pay 130,000 yen. But half of all tickets will be priced at 8,000 yen or less, organisers stressed and special tickets priced at 2,020 yen are available for families resident in Japan with children, senior citizens or people with impairments. However, the website is currently for planning purposes only as the ticket lottery for Japanese residents runs from May 9 to 28. Overseas fans will be able to snap up tickets from June 15 via special "Authorised Ticket Resellers" in each country. They can however access the ..
T20 Mumbai League from May 14
Two new teams will be added to the second edition of the T20 Mumbai League to make it an eight team event which is to be held from May 14 to 24 at the Wankhede Stadium. Adding to the current squad of six teams, the newly introduced teams will represent the constituencies of Mumbai Western Suburbs and Mumbai Eastern Suburbs, respectively, a media release issued on behalf of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) said on Thursday. The MCA has invited bids from interested parties as per the criteria put down in the 'Invitation to Bid' (ITB) document. Triumph Knights Mumbai North East emerged as the champions in edition One and Mumbai Ranji team all rounder Shivam Dubey was crowned player of the series.
CSK exposed for the first time: Fleming on loss to SRH
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming says his team was "exposed" for the first time this IPL in the six-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad and it would be interesting to see how the side, which doesn't believe in over-analysing, responds to the setback. Chennai suffered only their second loss of the season on Wednesday and Fleming said the defending champions would work together to iron out the flaws. "This is the first time in a while we were exposed like that and will be interesting to see how the players respond," Fleming said at the post-match press conference. "We don't over-analyse our defeats. We identify the areas to work on and we work on those. You have to have some kind of resilience. We played eight and won seven and the ninth one we got to keep motivated," he explained. Asked if anything would change in training sessions, Fleming said it will be business as usual. "...except for us focusing more on the things we should have done better. I don't know if there is ...
Post DK-boost, KKR aim to push RCB to brink (Preview)
Rejuvenated by a World Cup call-up, Dinesh Karthik would be eager to impress India captain Virat Kohli and also arrest the Kolkata Knight Riders' three game losing streak, when they lock horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League clash here on Friday.