Page 534 - Sports
Joe Root gears up for Windies T20Is
England Test and ODI specialist Joe Root wants to make the most of his opportunities in the shortest format following an "eye-opening" experience in the Big Bash League (BBL).The 28-year-old, who has not enjoyed an extended run in the shortest format, is ready to have a crack in the T20I leg of the ongoing tour in the Caribbean.Root will not play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). So with a well managed workload, he is pumped to be part of the England squad for the T20I series against West Indies."Why did I not want to miss the T20 games? Because I love playing cricket for England, simple as that. I've not had much opportunity to play T20 cricket in the last couple of years," ICC quoted Root, as saying."I don't want to miss out on opportunities to play when I'm fit and I feel I'm in a good place to help the side to win and be part of a squad that has a very exciting couple of years ahead of it," he said.Ranked 23rd on the ICC T20I batting list, the English player has played only 28 ..
'Anybody can beat anybody': Test upsets keep Black Caps wary
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson said Wednesday recent Test upsets mean "anybody can beat anybody" and the world number two ranked side can have no room for complacency against minnows Bangladesh. The Black Caps made history this week when they were elevated to second in the ICC Test team rankings for the first time following South Africa's shock 2-0 defeat at home to Sri Lanka, the only time an Asian team has won a series in South Africa. It came hot on the heels of the eighth-ranked West Indies also enjoying a stunning result at home by winning a Test series against England for the first time since 2009. "Sri Lanka over in South Africa was a fantastic effort," said Williamson when naming his team for the opening match of a three-match Test series against Bangladesh which begins in Hamilton on Thursday. "It's so hard to beat a side like South Africa anywhere, let alone in their backyard, but anybody can beat anybody." Ninth-ranked Bangladesh, who have enjoyed home Test wins ...
Fury to fight before Wilder rematch: WBC
Tyson Fury has informed the World Boxing Council he plans to fight an as-yet-unnamed opponent before any rematch with reigning heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, the WBC said. The WBC said on Twitter on Tuesday that it had been notified by Fury's camp that the British fighter was planning another fight before climbing back into the ring with Wilder. Wilder and Fury fought to a draw in Los Angeles in December after an epic 12-round battle at the Staples Center. Their rematch is likely to be one of the most anticipated fights of the year following a first meeting which reignited interest in the heavyweight division. However, doubts over a possible rematch emerged last week when Fury signed a deal with US promoter Top Rank and ESPN, potentially complicating negotiations with Wilder. On Tuesday, the WBC confirmed that Fury's team had notified them that they planned to fight at least once more before scheduling a rematch. Wilder "vs @Tyson_Fury is officially not happening next," the WBC .
Leicester welcome Rodgers with win, Newcastle end Burnley run
New Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers watched on from the stands as the Foxes beat Brighton 2-1, while Newcastle pulled further clear of the relegation battle by defeating Burnley. Rodgers was confirmed as Claude Puel's successor just before kick-off at the King Power after dramatically leaving Celtic despite being on course for a third straight domestic treble in Scotland. The Northern Irishman saw what his new side are capable of as Demarai Gray and Jamie Vardy put the hosts into a 2-0 lead before Davy Propper pulled a goal back. "I spoke to them about the incoming manager and just said we had to concentrate on the game. He's given the players a boost. He said he's excited to get started," said Leicester's caretaker manager Mike Stowell. "It's been a difficult season on and off the pitch but I think we should be seventh for the quality we have. "Today's win broke four defeats on the spin so hopefully the shackles are off because there's still plenty of games to play -- let's look ...
Fun in Acapulco as Nadal eases into second round
Rafael Nadal powered into the second rounds at the Mexican Open, breezing past Germany's Mischa Zverev in straight sets to advance to a meeting with Australia's Nick Kyrgios. World number two Nadal, playing in his first event since being thrashed by Novak Djokovic in last month's Australian Open final, was always in control during a 6-3, 6-3 victory. The 17-time Grand Slam champion completed victory in 1hr 20min at Acapulco's Princess Mundo Imperial venue, defeating his 76th ranked opponent with ease. The tournament top seed seized the advantage in the opening set, scoring a break to go 3-1 ahead with a delicate lob that left Zverev floundering. With Nadal's superior variety proving too much for Zverev, the Spaniard quickly wrapped up the opening set for a 1-0 lead. The second set went with serve until the seventh game, when a wild forehand from Zverev sailed wide to give Nadal the break for a 4-3 lead. Zverev's hung his head following the miscue, seemingly realising there was no way .
Boundless energy and 'Uncle Park' - why Vietnam is dreaming of the World Cup
An escalating series of successes has got Vietnam dreaming of a maiden appearance at the World Cup -- and it's an ambition that suddenly doesn't seem all that far-fetched. Nationwide street parties broke out last year when Vietnam reached the final of the Asia U23 Championships and won the Southeast Asian title, but that would be nothing if they qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It is not out of the question for the country of 95 million, who have never previously come close to appearing on the world stage but can now count themselves among Asia's best. Vietnam followed up a successful 2018 by reaching the last eight of the Asian Cup in January, losing narrowly to eventual finalists Japan and breaking into the top 100 of FIFA's world rankings. Qualification starts in September for the Qatar World Cup, which FIFA hopes to expand to a record 48 teams, and star forward Cong Phuong says Vietnam are ready to take the next step. "I do believe it is possible if we have boundless ...
Aussie surfer Gilmore hopes to ride Olympic waves of success
Cathy Freeman's memorable run to Olympic gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics is a moment her compatriot Stephanie Gilmore wants to emulate in Tokyo next year, she has told AFP. The 31-year-old will bid to become the first women's Olympic surfing champion, and with seven world titles to her name, the odds are in her favour. Gilmore, who began surfing aged 10 and first competed on the world circuit seven years later, says Freeman storming down the straight in Sydney to secure 400 metres gold was etched in the memory of the then-13-year-old. "Watching her (Freeman) win blew my mind," Gilmore told AFP at the Laureus Awards. "I was so inspired thinking she was a super hero, the suit she had on with the hood and everything. "Imagine the pressure of the entire world, not just Australia, on her shoulders. She did it so cool, calm and collected, incredible. "So when I heard surfing was in the Olympics, I said to myself, 'Great I want to try and have a moment like that'." Gilmore, though, is not ..
Shoaib Malik to lead Pak ODI squad against Aussies
Shoaib Malik will lead Pakistan during the five-match ODI series against Australia, beginning March 22 as captain Sarfaraz Ahmed is likely to be rested.Wicket-keeper batsman Umar Akmal may be recalled as selection panel tries to find replacement for the injured all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, ESPNcricinfo quoted chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq, as saying.Inzamam said that these changes would take place to ensure key players do not break down in the run-up to the 50-over World Cup 2019."This is my idea [to rest Sarfaraz] and a few others. Our players have been playing for quite long time. I don't think players should play for that long. So I am resting those who are under a lot of stress from last five months and playing in all three formats," he said."If you enter in any event, I have strong belief that you should go [in] with fresh legs, fresh minds, instead of having injuries like stiff backs, shoulder injury, elbow problem or hamstring injury. I don't think we should enter into such a .
Visakhapatnam to host Beach Volleyball World Tour
Visakhapatnam will soon be playing host to the first-ever Federation International De Volleyball (FIVB), a Beach Volleyball World Tour that will be held at RK Beach from February 28 to March 3.The event will be witnessing participation of 56 leading teams; 28 each from the men's and women's categories across the world, informed President of Andhra Pradesh Volleyball Association and Visakhapatnam West MLA Ganababu.Addressing the media after launching the logo at a function here, Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) Secretary General Ramavtar Singh Jakhar said that this was the first time the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has allotted the game to India.The federation has decided to conduct the event in Visakhapatnam as the city has the necessary infrastructure and beautiful sea coast. "Volleyball as a team game is getting popular day by day, especially after the successful launch of Pro-volleyball league and now we want to introduce the beach version which is extremely ...
ISSF to reimburse medal Winners of 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event for non-availability of quotas
The organizing committee of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup Rifle/Pistol, has decided to reimburse all expenses of the medal winners of men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event.The decision is a goodwill gesture by the committee and is taken after considering the withdrawal of two Olympic quotas in the Men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol."Bearing in mind the withdrawal of two Olympic quotas in the Men's 25m Rapid Fire Pistol event as per an IOC decision; the organising committee of the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol New Delhi 2019 has decided as a gesture of goodwill and equity to reimburse 100 per cent of the expenses incurred by the medalists of the event i.e Christian Reitz of Germany, Lin Junmin of China and Kim Junghong of Korea," Raninder Singh, Chairman of Organizing Committee of the ISSF World Cup, said.International Olympic Committee (IOC) had revoked the Olympic qualification status of the men's 25m Rapid Fire pistol event of the ISSF World Cup after the Indian ...
Messi, Bale on divergent path ahead of Clasicos
Barcelona's star forward Lionel Messi is set for a face-off with his Real Madrid counterpart Gareth Bale in this week's back-to-back Clasicos.
PCB ready to counter India at ICC Meet, claims official
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has "prepared a counter" in case the BCCI decides to boycott the June 16 World Cup game in Manchester in the wake of Pulwama terror attack which killed 40 CRPF personnel. The matter will come up for discussion at the ICC Quarterly meet in Dubai, starting Wednesday. PCB Chairman, Ehsan Mani, MD Wasim Khan and COO Subhan Ahmad are in Dubai to attend the various meetings and workshops. The very important Executive Board meeting is scheduled on Friday and Saturday in which the Indian delegation is expected to push for discussion on a letter it has sent to the ICC asking member countries to oust any member country which supporters terrorism. Although it has not been named in the letter, BCCI wants other cricket boards to "sever ties with nation from which terrorism emanates". Some of India's former players and captains have also called for India not to play Pakistan in the World Cup match on June 16. "Pakistan's stance is that if India wants to give a ...
Moeen Ali rested ahead of IPL, Sam Curran returns for Windies T20I series
All-rounder Moeen Ali has been rested from England's upcoming three-match T20I series against West Indies ahead of the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL).Moeen has joined the likes of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler who are also not a part of England's T20I schedule against the Windies.Consequently, bowling all-rounder Sam Curran has been included in England's T20 squad, ESPNcricinfo reported.This winter, Moeen had finished as the highest wicket-taker for England in Test cricket after making a comeback to the team during their India series.The cricketer has been retained by the Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) for the 2019 edition of the IPL. Stokes and Buttler, on the other hand, will be playing for Rajasthan Royals in the T20I tournament which is slated to begin from March 23.
Indian archers bag four golds in Dhaka youth meet
India bagged a rich haul of four gold, three silver and three bronze medals at the third ISSF International Solidarity Archery Championship in Dhaka on Tuesday. In the compound individual girls event, Pragati won the gold while Isha Pawar settled for a bronze. Pragati also returned with two silver medals from the team and mixed pair events. India got a second gold when recurve boys team of Paras Hooda, Bishal Changmai and Karni Singh Chouhan secured the top spot, defeating hosts Bangladesh. Recurve mixed pair of Paras Hooda and Komalika Bari earned India a third gold by beating Iran in a one-sided final. Bishal Changmai (recurve boys) and Kamolika Bari (recurve girls) also bagged individual bronze medals. Recurve girls' team of R Kamolika Bari, Amanpreet Kaur and Ridhi lost to Iran to bag a silver. Compound boys team consisting of Ritik Chahal, Prathamesh Smadhan Jawkar and Chirag Vidyarthi defeated Bangladesh in the final to bag one more gold for India. Compound girls team of Isha ..
EB's Jobby, Aizawl's Kareem suspended for ugly spats
East Bengal received a severe jolt when their striker Jobby Justin was on Tuesday handed interim suspension along with Aizawl FC's Kareem Omolaja for their ugly spats during Monday's I-League clash here. The Red-and-Gold brigade's title aspiration virtually went up in smoke after their back-to-back draws against Churchill Brothers and Aizawl FC, which also concluded their home stretch. The interim suspension will last till March 3 when the AIFF disciplinary committee meets. East Bengal's top-scorer will miss at least two matches -- against Real Kashmir and Minerva Punjab. Jobby was found spitting on Kareem after an ugly second-half tackle, while the Nigerian was involved in a fight with East Bengal top defender Borja Gomez. East Bengal are seven points behind leaders Chennai City FC with a match in hand.
I-League: East Bengal's Jobby, Aizawl's Kareem suspended for spat
East Bengal striker Jobby Justin and Aizawl FC defender Kareem Omolaja were on Tuesday handed interim suspensions till at least March 3 for an ugly spat during the 1-1 draw in an I-League clash here.
World Cup organisers to reimburse men's 25m rapid fire medallists
The organising committee of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup has decided to reimburse all expenses of the medal winners of the Mens 25m rapid fire pistol event.
Injured England all-rounder Ecclestone to fly home
The struggling England women's team suffered a big blow to their hopes of preventing a clean sweep by India in the ODI series after all-rounder Sophie Ecclestone was ruled out of the last match due to a fractured hand. The third and final ODI is to be held here at the Wankhede Stadium Thursday. Nineteen-year-old Ecclestone, a right-handed batter and slow left-arm orthodox bowler, sustained the injury during warm-up ahead of the second ODI played here Monday. "Sophie Ecclestone has fractured the fifth metacarpal on her right hand and will fly home from England women's tour of India. "Ecclestone sustained the injury in the warm-up ahead of Monday's second ODI," England team management said in a media statement Tuesday. In the first ODI, she had contributed with the ball picking two wickets and conceding 27 runs, while she remained wicket-less in the second match. She was able to score just 5 runs from both the games. "Scans after the match revealed the extent of the ...
Injured Sophie Ecclestone ruled out of final ODI against India
England spinner Sophie Ecclestone has been ruled out of the final ODI of the ongoing three-match series against India due to a fracture in her right hand.The 19-year-old sustained the injury during a warm-up session ahead of England's second ODI against India.The scans revealed that Sophie has fractured the fifth metacarpal on her right hand, which ruled her out of England's upcoming Sri Lanka tour, as well."Sophie Ecclestone has fractured the fifth metacarpal on her right hand and will fly home from England Women's tour of India. Scans after the match revealed the extent of the injury, which will also rule her out of the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka," England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement.Sophie's replacement for the Sri Lanka tour will be announced after England's final ODI against India which is slated to be held on February 28 in Mumbai.
Duanne Oliver to quit South Africa post Kolpak deal with Yorkshire
South African pacer Duanne Oliver has turned his back to the international cricket as he signed a three-year deal with the Yorkshire County Cricket Club which is subject to clearance through Kolpak regulations.Terming the decision as the "most difficult" one of his life, the 26-year-old said that being a professional cricketer, his career will be short lived and that he needs to make most of the opportunities that comes across his way."Today I'm announcing possibly the most difficult decision I've ever had to make. I have decided to sigh with Yorkshire County Cricket Club on a 3 year deal as a local player," Oliver said in an Instagram post."My decision might be difficult for some to understand but being a professional cricket player is a short lived career and in order for me to make the most of all my opportunities, I had to consider all my options," he added.Duanne said that he decided to join the county cricket club after being dropped from the South African Test team post their ..