Page 506 - Sports

Darren Lehmann to coach Brisbane Heat in Big Bash

Darren Lehmann has been confirmed as the new head coach of the Brisbane Heat for the upcoming season of Big Bash."It was a wonderful experience at the time to be involved with building the Brisbane Heat at the start of the BBL, and we had plenty of fun along the way," cricket.com.au quoted Lehmann as saying."I enjoyed watching the BBL, and the Heat, during the season and as a coach, I am pretty excited to be working with the Heat players, who I know are as talented and determined as anyone going around.""I am looking forward to getting to work and helping the Heat play some outstanding cricket, have some fun, and provide our fans with a great experience," cricket.com.au quoted Lehmann as saying.This will be the first coaching role for former Australian player Lehmann since resigning as Aussie head coach over last year's ball-tampering scandal.Brisbane heat manager Andrew Mcshea has said that Lehmann can bring in innovation for the team and lead them to glory in the tournament."Darren .

Shane Watson to play in Pakistan leg of PSL

Former Australia's Test allrounder Shane Watson has confirmed that he will take part in the Pakistan leg of the Pakistan Super League(PSL)."It has been a tough decision, more so from my family's point of view and it all comes down to the support that my wife and my family has given me," cricket.com.au quoted Watson as saying."I am very excited as it has been 14 years since I was in Pakistan last."Watson was one of the numerous overseas stars who has not travelled to Pakistan in previous editions of the tournament, opting only to play in the UAE leg of the tournament.The 37-year-old has already scored 332 runs for Quetta Gladiators in PSL, who have already qualified for the playoffs winning seven of its nine games.This decision by Watson will give Quetta a boost going into the playoffs as the Aussie has been a match-winner for them.Karachi will host eight matches in the Pakistan leg of the PSL as Pakistan Cricket Board(PCB) earlier decided to shift three matches from Lahore after ...

Sri Lanka collapse to hand South Africa 2-0 lead in ODI series

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 138 in the chase of 251 to give South Africa a win by 113 runs in the second ODI of the five-match series to give South Africa a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. The Proteas bowling lineup proved to be too much to handle for Sri Lanka as they went from 92 for four to 138 all out. Kagiso Rabada was the pick of the South African bowlers as he picked up three wickets in the match.Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir and Anrich Nortje picked up two wickets each.Earlier, in the match, Sri Lanka had won the toss and they had opted to bowl first. Both Quinton de Kock(94) and Faf du Plessis(57) played crucial knocks to enable the team to post 251 runs on the board.Quinton de Kock has now passed 80 in five of his last seven international knocks without going onto a century.But South Africa suffered a collapse as well. They went from 220 for four to 250 all out. No other batsman was able to stay on the crease for a long period of time and take the innings deep.Sri Lanka ...

Rabada hits 150 km/h to steer South Africa to victory over Sri Lanka

Kagiso Rabada led a pace assault as South Africa defended a below-par total in the second one-day international against Sri Lanka at SuperSport Park on Wednesday. Rabada, bowling at more than 150 km/h at times, took three for 43 as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 138 in reply to South Africa's 251. Rabada was backed up by fellow fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi (two for 14) and Anrich Nortje (two for 25), while veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir picked up two for 39. "The way we responded in the field was exactly what we wanted," said South Africa captain Faf du Plessis after what he said was a disappointing batting performance. Man of the match Quinton de Kock hit a dazzling 94 off 70 balls, with 17 fours and a six, but the South African batting fell away after it looked as though they were set to make more than 300 on a ground which frequently yields high totals. Thisara Perera dismissed De Kock and took three for 26 as the Sri Lankan bowlers fought back. The last six South African wickets fell .

Morgan applauds Rashid after England take early lead against Windies

England skipper Eoin Morgan heaped praises on Adil Rashid, saying the leg-spinner did an incredible job against West Indies in the first T20I in St Lucia.England clinched a four-wicket win after the bowlers restricted the Caribbean side on 160 for eight. Nicholas Pooran top-scored with 58 off 37 balls, but no other West Indies batsman crossed the 30-run mark."I thought our seam bowlers did an incredible job and were then followed up by a fine spell of bowling from Adil Rashid. Obviously, Chris Jordan came back in and bowled really well and Tom Curran ended up with four wickets but I really thought Adil did an incredible job," ICC quoted Morgan, as saying.Rashid returned 1/15, helping England restrict the scoring rate and dismissing Carlos Brathwaite for a six-ball duck."I think he's (Rashid) right up there. I think he's proven over the last three or four years that he's the ability to come on at any stage of a 50-over game or a T20I game and threaten both sides of the bat, which makes

Sindhu crashes out of All England Open

Indian star P.V. Sindhu crashed out of the All England Open badminton championships following a hard fought defeat to Sung Ji-Hyun of South Korea in the first round of the women's singles category, here on Wednesday.

Thisara Perera sparks turnaround for Sri Lanka

All-rounder Thisara Perera sparked a turnaround for Sri Lanka in the second one-day international against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Wednesday. Perera took three for 26 as South Africa were bowled out for 251 after being sent in. South Africa seemed set for a huge total when Quinton de Kock gave them a blazing start, hitting 94 off 70 balls. But the innings changed dramatically when Perera, playing in his 150th one-day international, had De Kock caught behind when the batsman tried to flick a ball outside his leg stump and the ball looped off a leading edge to wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella. De Kock, who made 83 and 81 in his previous two one-day internationals, and had innings of 86 and 80 in two Tests against Sri Lanka, hung his head in disappointment after missing another chance of making a century. At that stage South Africa were 131 for two in the 21st over, scoring at better than six runs an over. De Kock was in sublime form, striking 17 fours and a six. As Perera said .

Vinicius tears ankle ligaments in Madrid defeat by Ajax

Real Madrid have confirmed Vinicius Junior has ruptured ligaments in his right ankle, with the striker expected out for around two months. Vinicius left the field in tears after sustaining the injury in the first half of Madrid's 4-1 defeat by Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday. A Real Madrid statement on Wednesday read: "Vinicius has been diagnosed with a ligament rupture of the right ankle." The club did not include a timeframe for recovery but reports in the Spanish press suggested Vinicius, who has enjoyed an impressive debut season, could be sidelined for two months. The injury will likely mean Vinicius is unable to play for Brazil against Panama and the Czech Republic later this month, after he had received his first call-up to the national squad. It could also mean the 18-year-old misses the rest of the campaign for Madrid, although they have little to play for after their shock Champions League exit followed defeats to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey and La Liga. Madrid ...

Manjit Singh, Lili Das star at final leg of Indian Grand Prix

Asian Games gold medallist Manjit Singh Chahal clinched the gold in men's 1500m race to grab the spotlight in the fourth and final leg of the Indian Grand Prix series at Tau Devi Lal Stadium here on Wednesday. Haryana's Manjit, who won a gold in 800m in the 2018 Asian Games, crossed the finish line in a time of 3.45.37, going under the qualification guideline of Athletics Federation of India which stood at 3.46.00. Ajay Kumar Saroj won the silver in a time of 3.45.75, also under the qualification guideline. Uttar Pradesh's Rahul took the bronze in 3.48.63. In the women's competition over the same distance, Lili Das and P U Chithra went under the AFI's guideline of 4.15.00. The 21-year-old Das, representing West Bengal, clocked a time of 4.13.53 to edge out Kerala's Chithra who clocked 4.13.58. Haryana's Usha Sharma came third with a time of 5.03.00. Despite their strong performances, the awards for the best athletes of the day went to V K Vismaya of Kerala and Arokia Rajiv of Tamil ...

Real Kashmir FC insist on playing re-match against Punjab in Srinagar only

Real Kashmir FC on Wednesday asserted that they will play their I League re-match against Minerva Punjab only if it is held in Srinagar even as speculation was rife that the contest could be shifted to a neutral venue. The match was to be played on February 18 in Srinagar but was cancelled after Minerva pulled out, citing security fears in the wake of Pulwama terror attack which claimed lives of more than 40 CRPF personnel. The All India Football Federation's Emergency Committee had ruled on Monday to reschedule the match at a time and location feasible for AIFF and the participating teams. Real Kashmir co-owner Sandeep Chattoo said that his club will officially inform the AIFF in a day or two on their preferred date of the re-match but made it clear that the venue will have to be Srinagar. "It's our home game and the re-match will have to be in Srinagar only. The date can be worked out," Chattoo told PTI from Srinagar. Since it was to be Real Kashmir's home match, the AIFF had asked .

BFL Brand Folio brings American tennis footwear brand K-Swiss into India

American tennis shoe brand K-Swiss has made a foray into the Indian market through its brand licensee partner BFL Brand Folio, which plans to open five exclusive stores by the end of this year. Founded in 1966, K-Swiss is a heritage American tennis brand. K-Swiss became a style statement both on and off the court. BFL Brand Folio CEO Kamal Gupta said: "We are planning to expand rapidly in India by opening exclusive brand stores, shop-in-shop formats with all the potential Key accounts and online portals in 2019." Incorporated in 2018, BFL Brand Folio is licensee for K-Swiss Brand for India. He further said: "We are planning to open 5 exclusive K-Swiss Brand Stores by the end of December 2019 and also start K-Swiss Business with all potential key accounts by starting 100 shop-in-shops within the same timeline." It would focus on K-Swiss Tennis Performance range, premium dress sneakers and Gen-K Collection positioning K-Swiss brand as a leading brand in India for young aspirational ...

Real Madrid's shock Champions League exit spurs anguish in Spain

Real Madrids shock exit from the Champions League after a 5-3 thrashing on aggregate in the round-of-16 at the hands of Ajax left Spains sports media struggling on Wednesday to find words to express the anguish caused by defeat.

Gaurika in lead at Women's Pro Golf 5th leg

Gaurika Bishnoi opened up a two-shot lead despite a bogey finish in the first round of the sixth leg of the Womens Pro Golf Tour, here on Wednesday.

We have depth in fast bowling unit insists Mandhana

India's Twenty20 skipper Smriti Mandhana on Tuesday put her weight behind team's new seam bowlers, saying they will develop into match-winners with time and exposure. While Shikha Pandey put up a reasonable show in the series-opener, giving away 18 runs in her four-over quota, Arundhati Reddy ended up bleeding 45 runs as India lost the match by 41 runs. India's is a spin-heavy attack but Mandhana said that does not mean, there is no depth in the fast bowling unit. India had unleashed the spin-troika of Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav and Poonam Yadav in the first match of the series. "I do not think we lack in the fast bowling department. Jhulan 'di' has a lot of experience and it is unfair to expect a pace bowler to come in her second match and do the same thing Jhulan di does for us," Mandhana told reporters on the eve of the second T20 against England. "I think looking at the pace bowlers, I do not think depth is not there, we just have to give them enough chances and I am sure they ...

CSK to begin full fledged preparations for IPL from March 16

Defending champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will begin full-fledged preparations for the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League at the M A Chidambaram stadium here from March 16, a senior official of the franchise said. Meanwhile, the domestic players in the CSK took part in a preparatory camp which began with a fitness session on Wednesday. The rest of the players, including those busy with national commitments,. would join the squad on March 16, the official said. Leg-spinner Karn Sharma, Tamil Nadu's wicket keeper- batsman N Jagadeesan, K M Asif and Chaitanya Bishnoi, among others, took part in today's session. "Feels great to be in Chennai," Karn Sharma was quoted as saying on the CSK website. "Last year we only played one match, so very excited to be playing more matches here this time around. I'm really looking forward to it," the leg-spinner, who turns out for Andhra in the domestic circuit, said. He also thanked the CSK management and captain Mahendra Singh ..

Chennaiyin FC held to goalless draw on AFC Cup debut

Indian Super League side Chennaiyin FC played out a 0-0 draw with Sri Lanka's Colombo FC in their AFC Cup debut in the 2019 edition's qualifying playoff first leg at the Race Course Ground, here on Wednesday.

Rummenigge 'irritated' after Loew ditches Bayern trio

Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has slammed Germany head coach Joachim Loew for the timing of his decision to cut Thomas Mueller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels from his plans. Rummenigge is "irritated" that Loew dropped the bombshell on Tuesday - a week before Bayern's crunch Champions League home game against Liverpool and in the midst of the Bundesliga title race. "We consider the timing and circumstances of the announcement, both to the players and public, as questionable", wrote Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in a joint statement with sport director Hasan Salihamidzic. "The last international match of the German national team took place on 19 November 2018" - three and a half months ago. Loew flew to Munich on Tuesday to tell Mueller, 29, Boateng and Hummels, both 30, who have 246 appearances for Germany between them, that their international careers are over. Loew made the announcement with Germany to host Serbia on March 20 in a friendly, then play a Euro 2020

When 'humble' Dhoni declined to inaugurate the Dhoni Pavilion'

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is quintessentially a modest man and no wonder he has politely declined to inaugurate the pavilion named after him at the JSCA Stadium, ahead of India's third ODI against Australia. Just like the Sunil Gavaskar stand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai or the Virender Sehwag gate at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the swanky Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) stadium will have its very own 'Mahendra Singh Dhoni Pavilion'. "At the AGM last year, the decision was taken that the North Block stand that comprises media enclosure as well as VIP boxes would be named after Dhoni," Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) secretary Debashis Chakraborty told PTI on Wednesday. However, Dhoni didn't agree to inaugurate the stand, said Chakraborty. "We requested him but he said 'Dada apne hi ghar mein kya inaugurate karna.' (What's there to inaugurate in my own house). He is still so humble and down to earth, Chakraborty said. The third ODI against Australia on Friday ..

ISL: NorthEast must defy odds in first semi-final show (Preview)

NorthEast United FC will want to make their historic appearance in the semi-final of the Indian Super League (ISL) count when they take on favourites Bengaluru FC, here on Thursday.

Mumbai schoolboy Shahyan Razmi shines in CCI snooker

Schoolboy Shahyan Razmi stole the thunder with a break of 70 during his first round 3-1 win against Surat's Vismay Gadhiya in the Rs 12.9 lakhs prize- money CCI All India Open Snooker Championship 2019 here Wednesday. Shahyan's commendable break is presently the best in the competition so far and also his personal best in the tournament. The 13-year-old Shahyan, who represents the local Elphinstone Cricket Club, took off on the wrong foot as the Surat cueist grabbed the opening frame. But the resilient Shahyan bounced back in style and, with some small breaks, won a close second frame to level scores at 1-all. That win proved to be the perfect boost for Shahyan, who went on to construct the superb effort to win the frame. Shahyan stayed in control and pocketed the fourth to complete a deserving 35-72, 69-38, 75-22 and 57-28 victory. Later, Shahyan's elder brother Rayaan was not at his best, but still managed to overcome seasoned campaigner Kankan Shamsi of Uttar Pradesh .