Page 482 - Sports
Series win in India is special, says Aaron Finch
Australian limited-overs captain Aaron Finch dubbed their 3-2 ODI series win over India as "unbelievable" and praised the fight shown by the team to bounce back from 0-2 deficit."The resilience and fight that we showed being down 0-2, it would have been easy to roll over in those small moments in the game, just let them drift away and India win the series," International Cricket Council (ICC) quoted Finch as saying."But the fight that we showed, we have had our backs against the walls for quite a while now, so I am really proud of the group. From 2-0 down to win 3-2 is pretty special. I have been coming here for a while now trying to win and have not, so have a lot of Australian players, so it is a special moment," he added.Australia defeated India in the final ODI in Delhi by 35 runs on Wednesday, thus becoming the fifth team in history to win a series after having lost the first two games.Usman Khawaja was declared the player of the series as he put up dominant batting performances,
Mohammad Naveed to remain UAE captain for series against USA
Fast bowler Mohammad Naveed will continue to lead United Arab Emirates (UAE) T20I team for their two-match series against the United States of America (USA). Naveed had been made in charge for UAE's 2-1 series loss defeat to Nepal in the month of January. Rohan Mustafa, the regular captain of UAE was suspended for eight weeks along with Ahmed Raza and Rameez Shahzad, following tweets that were critical of facilities in Pakistan during UAE's tour there last year in December for the ACC Emerging Teams Cup.All these three players have returned to the squad to play against the US, however, Naveed will still remain in charge of the team.Amjad Gul has also been recalled to the 14-man UAE squad for the series against the US.Following the conclusion of the T20I's, a UAE developmental XI will play the USA in a series of 50-over matches.The first T20I between UAE and USA will be played on March 15 at the ICC Academy in Dubai.
Barcelona beats Lyon 5-1, enters quarter-finals of Champions League
Lionel Messi starred for Barcelona as they defeated Lyon 5-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday (local time).Messi scored twice at Camp Nou stadium and he helped in setting up two more goals for the team.Apart from Messi, Philippe Coutinho, Gerad Pique and Ousmane Dembele scored for Barca. On the other hand, the only goal for Lyon came from Lucas Tousart early in the second half, but in the end, Barca ran away with the match.Barcelona wasted no time and quickly pinned Lyon down with their attacking mindset. The club continued to pile on the pressure on Lyon and the first goal was scored by Messi in the 17th minute of the game when he converted a penalty which was given when Luis Suarez was brought down by Jason Denayer.Coutinho scored the second goal for Barca in the 31st minute of the game and the club was sitting pretty at the half time mark with a 2-0 lead.Lyon fired one goal back in the 58th minute of the match to raise their hopes of a come-back.But, Barca .
Wood can be the X-factor for England in World Cup, says Rainford Brent
Ebony Rainford Brent, the former England women's cricketer believes that Mark Wood could possibly bring X-factor to England Men's team in the World Cup. The cricketer believes that his pace will bring something fresh to the team."Mark Wood has just put in a fantastic performance in the West Indies and I think that extra pace that he could bring could be vital," International Cricket Council quoted Brent as saying."Some of the guys usually operate in the low 80s (mph) and therefore Wood could be useful.""There is no doubt in my mind that he will be brought in at some point because he is kind of Simon Jones-like and could bring a bit of extra oomph," Brent added.Wood has breathed new life into England's bowling unit in both the Test and ODI format, he was sensational in blowing the Windies away with his out-and-out pace in the recently concluded series.Brent also believes that this is the best chance for England to lift the World Cup as the team has been exceptional in changing their ...
Series Overview: Plan A in place but what about Plan B?
India captain Virat Kohli made it clear that he has his Plan A in place but what also became clear in the just-concluded ODI series against Australia was the lack of an effective Plan B ahead of the World Cup starting May 30. Who is the No.4? Who is the third opener if Shikhar Dhawan continues to fail? Will there be a fourth specialist pace bowling option? Who is the second wicketkeeper? Has Ravindra Jadeja done enough? These five questions did not find any answers during the 2-3 series defeat. However, the format of World Cup (round robin) is such that India will have to be at their worst in order to not qualify for the semi-finals. All they need to do is win six out of nine games and take it forward from there. Then, it's the matter of two good days in office and hence Kohli has less issues to deal with despite a patchy series for his team. Save the skipper himself (310 runs with two hundreds) and his deputy Rohit Sharma (202 runs with two fifties), the batting didn't come together .
World Cup is still far, now it's time to savour this massive win: Khawaja
Vanquishing India on their home turf is huge for this Australian side and it's time to relish the victory than thinking about the World Cup which is still far away, says opener Usman Khawaja. The left-handed opener was one of the main architects of Australia's 3-2 series win over India after going down 0-2. He scored 50, 38, 104, 91, 100 in five matches. "It's huge. Just winning a series in India is huge. It's a tough place to come and play cricket, against a very good side. They beat us in Australia, so to come back from those first couple of losses and win three in a row to win the series is a great feeling, said Khawaja after being adjudged the man-of-the-series. "We're playing well right now. We are just going to enjoy this series win at the moment. We've still got another five one-dayers to come against Pakistan, who are also a decent side. For us now it's not to look too far ahead, we want to enjoy this win first." Asked if the stunning performance makes Australia favourite to ..
Responsibility is on players to manage workload in IPL: Kohli
The Indian players will have to smartly manage their workload during the upcoming IPL since it will be their responsibility to stay fit and fresh for the ICC World Cup, says skipper Virat Kohli. The upcoming edition of the popular Indian Premier League (IPL) will begin on March 23 and culminate days before the World Cup, starting on May 30. Many cricket boards have been cautious in releasing their players for their respective IPL franchisees, putting national duty above league commitments. Kohli said it's not that he is asking the Indian players not to be committed to their IPL teams but to be smart and aware during the course of the tournament. "All the workload will be monitored and given a window, the guys can afford to rest. The World Cup comes every four years and we play IPL every year," said Kohli after India lost the decisive fifth ODI by 35 runs on Wednesday to concede the series 2-3 to Australia. "Not to say we won't be committed to the IPL but we've got to be smart. We have
200 delegations to participate in SOG 2019
Two-hundred delegations will participate in the upcoming Special Olympic Games (SOG) Abu Dhabi 2019.
Argentina, Colombia set to be co-hosts of 2020 Copa America
Argentina and Colombia are poised to co-host the 2020 Copa America after South America's ruling body CONMEBOL once again ruled out a US proposal to host the tournament. CONMEBOL's ruling council met in Miami on Wednesday to discuss the issue ahead of a FIFA Council meeting in the city on Friday. "Argentina and Colombia are shaping up as joint venues of the Copa America-2020," CONMEBOL said after rejecting the US offer to host the tournament. CONMEBOL, which comprises the 10 member federations in South America, said in a statement it had accepted "the nomination of Argentina and Colombia as joint venues for the 2020 edition of the Copa America." The decision marks the first time in the modern Copa America era that the tournament will be split between two countries. A tournament co-hosted by Argentina and Colombia also presents logistical hurdles, with the two countries separated by some 4,350 miles (7,000 kilometers). CONMEBOL noted that the co-hosting was "subject to the presentation .
Doping watchdog WADA mulling 3 presidential candidates
After the extreme stress test of a years-long Russian doping scandal, the World Anti-Doping Agency will get a new leader this year while still rebuilding trust with athletes. The six-year presidency of IOC member Craig Reedie began with the steroid-tainted Sochi Olympics and will end in November with likely dozens of Russian doping cases unresolved in the ongoing fallout. "This has been a complicated period," Reedie acknowledged Wednesday on the sidelines of WADA's annual hosting of anti-doping experts in the Olympic family's home city. WADA has been hit from all sides during what the Scottish official described as "one of the biggest political stand-offs in world political affairs" of recent years. Still, Reedie believes he hands over an organization that "comes out of it with very substantial credit, and if some of that bounces back on me then I will be happy to take it." The next WADA president will be picked by the public authorities, which jointly fund the global anti-doping ...
Mane double breaks Bayern to send Liverpool through
Sadio Mane scored twice to steer Liverpool into the Champions League quarter-finals after a superb 3-1 win at Bayern Munich dumped out the German giants. Having missed the goalless first leg at Anfield three weeks ago through suspension, Virgil van Dijk's long pass led to Mane's excellent first-half goal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. "His first goal was ridiculous, the calmness with how he's finished it off," Liverpool midfielder James Milner told BT Sport. "He's on fire at the minute and let's hope it continues for the rest of the season." Dutch centre-back Van Dijk then headed last season's runners-up Liverpool into a 2-1 lead from a Milner corner on 69 minutes after Joel Matip's own goal had handed Bayern a first-half equaliser. Mane made absolutely sure of Liverpool's place in the quarter-final draw by nodding in six minutes from time. Liverpool's 3-1 aggregate victory means they join Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Manchester United in the quarter-finals, completing a
Messi proves too much for Lyon as Barcelona reach Champions League quarters
Lionel Messi came up just short of matching Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick a day earlier but still scored twice and set up two more as Barcelona beat Lyon 5-1 to reach the Champions League quarter-finals. After Ronaldo's treble on Tuesday for Juventus sent Atletico Madrid packing in Turin, Messi delivered his own symphony on Wednesday at the Camp Nou, where Lyon were outplayed save for a very brief period in the second half when they threatened a comeback in this last-16 tie. "Cristiano yesterday was impressive," Messi said afterwards. "It was a big surprise because I thought Atletico would be stronger but Cristiano had a magical night." A 0-0 draw in France in the first leg last month meant Lyon always had a chance to make Barca nervous, but Messi's sumptuously chipped penalty and a simple finish from Philippe Coutinho looked to have finished them off before half-time. Yet Lucas Tousart's volley left Lyon one goal away from putting Barcelona out, only for Messi to take charge again. ..
Barca hammer Lyon, enter Champions League quarters
FC Barcelona recorded a 5-1 victory on aggregate over Lyon in the Champions League round-of-16 action.
World Cup expansion to dominate FIFA agenda in Miami
The possible expansion of the 2022 World Cup is poised to dominate discussions when FIFA's ruling council meets here on Friday. FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants to increase the number of teams due to take part in the footballing showpiece from 32 to 48, bringing forward by four years an expansion which has already been set for the 2026 finals. Details of an internal feasibility study by FIFA which emerged this week gave broad support to expanding the 2022 finals in Qatar. But while the study found that the increase would deliver a financial windfall for FIFA of between USD 300-USD 400 million, several logistical and political obstacles to expansion remain. The Qatar World Cup, the first to take place in the Middle East, is due to be held over 28 days in November and December 2022 instead of the usual 32. Officials have said previously that it is not possible for Qatar to change the number of days of the tournament, meaning games would have to be held in neighbouring states. If ...
Federer, Nadal, steam into Indian Wells quarter-finals
- Former champions Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal edged closer to a blockbuster semi-final showdown at the ATP Indian Wells Masters with brisk fourth-round wins. World number two Nadal on Wednesday overpowered Serbian qualifier Filip Krajinovic 6-3 6-4 to book his quarter-final berth in one hour and 26 minutes. Federer, seeking a record sixth title in the California desert, needed just 64 minutes to get past Britain's Kyle Edmund 6-1 6-4. Nadal said his performance on a windy stadium court wasn't as good as his 6-3, 6-1 third-round win over Argentine Diego Schwartzman. But he was more than a match for 113th-ranked Krajinovic, breaking him early in each set and saving the only break point he faced. Nadal, who lifted the Indian Wells trophy in 2007, 2008 and 2013, is in the last eight for the first time in three years after missing last year's edition, skipping both Indian Wells and the Miami Masters with a hip injury. He next will take on 13th-ranked Russian Karen Khachanov, who beat ..
Indian Wells: Federer, Nadal in quarters
Swiss Roger Federer, a five times Indian Wells champion, has qualified for the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells tournament, the first Masters 1000 of the season, by defeating the UK's Kyle Edmund 6-1 and 6-4 in 64 minutes.
Liverpool beat Bayern, advance in Champions League
Sadio Mane had a brace as Liverpool defeated Bayern Munich 3-1 to claim a berth in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Kohli wants boys to enjoy IPL ahead of WC
The last ODI series before the World Cup might not have gone as planned for the Indians. They lost to Australia 3-2. However, skipper Virat Kohli is happy with the experimentation the team did ahead of the World Cup in England.
Former Indian pacer VRV Singh retires
VRV Singh, the Indian pacer who just played five Test matches in 2006-07, has announced his retirement after a career constantly hampered by injury.The 34-year-old also played two ODI matches for India along with five Tests as part of a new-look Indian pace attack. The bowler was just able to take eight wickets in five Tests and he did not take any wicket in the ODI format."I kept trying to make a comeback, but if it was not my ankle, it was my back. You cannot fool around with your body. I had surgeries, rehab … After 2014, I did not play at all for a few years, but I trained and tried to play in 2018. But I could not make it, so I started thinking about the future," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Singh as saying."It is not an overnight decision, but once I could not get fit for the 2018-19 season, I thought it made sense to leave. Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) encouraged me a lot, the PCA (Punjab Cricket Association) also backed me, and I gave it my best. But, unfortunately, it didn't happen. So I ...
FIFA wants 24-team Club World Cup in 2021
FIFA Council members will be asked on Friday to approve a pilot tournament for an expanded 24-team Club World Cup in June-July 2021 featuring eight European participants, but plans for a worldwide Nations League are on hold, The Associated Press has learned. An overhaul of the current seven-team annual Club World Cup, normally in December, is being pursued by FIFA President Gianni Infantino to generate new interest and greater revenue despite ongoing opposition from Europe, with the long-term vision of the bigger tournament being staged every four years. A 17-page FIFA report on the future of competitions does not specifically mention the financing plans which sparked concern among members of the FIFA Council last year, only that the governing body wants to "ensure that the generated revenues stay within football and do not go to third parties." Infantino informed council members last March of a $25 billion offer from investors, led by Japan's SoftBank, to guarantee funding to ...