Page 707 - Sports
Pucovski gets shock Australia call-up as Marsh brothers dumped
Young batting prodigy Will Pucovski was parachuted into the Australia squad for two Tests against Sri Lanka in a shock call-up Wednesday, with veteran Shaun Marsh and his brother Mitch dumped. Also axed from the 13-man squad after their humbling 2-1 series defeat to India were underperforming opener Aaron Finch and middle-order batsman Peter Handscomb. In-form Joe Burns was recalled for the first time since the South Africa tour early last year and could open the innings with rookie Marcus Harris, who did enough against India to keep his place. But they face competition from Matt Renshaw, who has been handed another opportunity despite misfiring in the domestic Sheffield Shield this season. Off-spinning allrounder Marnus Labuschagne was retained from the team that played the rain-affected drawn Test in Sydney this week, as was Travis Head. Selectors kept faith with their pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, with veteran Peter Siddle also included. National ...
Higuain needs to knuckle down, warns AC Milan sporting director
AC Milan striker Gonzalo Higuain needs to knuckle down and start working, sporting director Leonardo said on Tuesday, amid reports linking the unsettled Argentine international with Chelsea. Higuain, 31, joined Milan on a season-long loan from Juventus in July following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin but has struggled to settle at the San Siro. The former Napoli player ended his two-month goal-scoring drought before the winter break with the winner against SPAL, bringing his tally to six goals in 15 Serie A games -- below his rate at his previous clubs. "A goal can change things, but if he is to continue here, he needs to take on responsibility," warned Leonardo. "He had a tough moment, he has to put it behind him and get to work." Milan have an option to buy Higuain who has also been linked with a possible move to join former Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea. "There's no point following rumours and gossip," said Leonardo. "He is here right now. Seeing as he is here, .
Ronaldinho leaves footprints in Maracana Hall of Fame
Brazil's former football star Ronaldinho left his footprints in the Hall of Fame in Rio's legendary Maracana Stadium, one year after retiring from the sport. "This is one of the biggest trophies of my career," the 38-year-old -- full name Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira -- told reporters as he was hailed by dozens of tourists visiting the stadium built to host the 1950 World Cup final match. His footprints will now be displayed alongside those of other Brazilian greats such as Pele and Zico. Ronaldinho first received an invitation to leave his prints in 2011, but put it off because of his busy agenda, he said. The former Barcelona forward won the 2002 World Cup with Brazil alongside Ronaldo and Rivaldo, scoring a memorable long-range free-kick against England. He was awarded the Ballon d'Or as Europe's best player in 2005 and finally hung up his boots in January 2018, seven years after returning to Brazil. Since then, he said he has had "a very active life", though he still misses his ...
Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Handscomb, Finch axed from SL series
Aaron Finch, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb have been dropped from the Australian squad for the Test series against Sri Lanka, starting from January 24.The omission of all four players come after Australia's first-ever home Test series loss to India."Ultimately Aaron, Peter, Shaun and Mitch have not produced the performances expected of them with the bat at the Test level. They have been given good opportunity, but have not produced the scores we need," Cricket Australia quoted national selection panel chair Trevor Hohns, as saying on Wednesday."All four are very good players, and the door is by no means closed for them to return to play Test cricket for Australia. They will all feature in the ODI series against India, and each of them forms an integral part of our white-ball strategy and set-up at the moment as we also focus on our journey to the 2019 Cricket World Cup," Hohns added.Australia have, however, opted for the same pace attack of Pat Cummins, Mitchell ...
USA Cricket announced as ICC's 105th member
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday welcomed USA Cricket as its 105th Member.The move is considered as a historical milestone for USA cricket, which was established in 2017 to unify and develop the cricket community in the United States.ICC chief executive David Richardson congratulated USA Cricket on the development. "This is the culmination of a great deal of hard work and I would like to congratulate the Chair of USA Cricket, Paraag Marathe, and the Board, on this important milestone and wish them all the very best for the future," he said.USA Cricket board chair Paraag Marathe also welcomed the development and said that it is a significant move in their endeavour to bring together the cricket community in the United States.The board chair further thanked the ICC for showing faith in the board and pledged to take the game forward with integrity."USA Cricket was established to bring together the cricket community in the United States, develop the game and unlock the ..
Day-night cricket match organised in Naxal-infested Sukma
A day-night cricket match was organised by security personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Zila force and other local forces in Naxal-infested Sukma district.The event holds significance for the residents of the area, especially children, as the area is considered highly unsafe to get out of their homes during night time. More than 150 security forces have lost their lives while fighting Naxals.Most of the children participating in the tournament were playing a night match for the first time in their life. The energy level that they showed on the field was a reflection of their hopes of building a bright future for themselves.Cobra 206 deputy commandant Ramesh Yadav expressed delight over the development and asserted that such events should be organised more frequently.Speaking to ANI, Yadav said, "This is for the first time that such an event has been organised here. All the kids, school staff and villagers are very. We should organise such events more frequently. I ...
Sydney International: Angelique Kerber survives Camila Giorgi scare in opener
World number two Angelique Kerber edged past Camila Giorgi of Italy in their closely-contested opening match of the ongoing Sydney International tournament here at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre on Tuesday.The 30-year-old registered a 7-6(3), 6-2 win over her Italian opponent to advance further in the tournament.With a better first serve percentage in the opening set, Giorgi cracked 22 winning points taking a 3-1 lead in the first set. Making a smashing comeback, Kerber whacked four consecutive backhand shots and nullified the advantage of the Italian player.As the set headed towards a tie-breaker, Kerber began to strengthen her grip on the match. Her experience came to fore in the match as she defeated Giorgi 5-0 in the tie-break round to clinch the first set 7-6 (3).The second set saw the German player not breaking much sweat as she registered an easy 6-2 win. The Italian player took an initial lead of two pints but once Kerber's firing forehand came into play, the German ...
Khelo India begins Wednesday, young stars in fray
The Khelo India Youth Games 2019, which will see a host of athletes in action, is set to officially kick off here Wednesday. Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathoreand Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will attend a virtual torch ceremony at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Wednesday evening, a media release said Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the event through a video message. Among those in action will be world cadet champion wrestlers Anshu and Sonam, Olympian athlete Jisna Mathew, Youth Olympics gold medallist weight-lifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga, budding tennis player Mahak Jain and swimming star Srihari Nataraj. The athletes will compete in 18 different disciplines, of which six are team sports, it added. The Balewadi complex, which will be the main venue, has been refurbished with funds from the Centre and the Maharashtra government. Archery will be held at the Army Sports Institute and girls hockey matches will be ...
Late Iraqi free-kick breaks Vietnamese hearts at Asian Cup
Ali Adnan swept home a brilliant, last-minute free-kick as former champions Iraq twice hit back to beat Vietnam 3-2 in the Asian Cup on Tuesday. It was a heart-breaking way for Vietnam to lose in Abu Dhabi, but no more than Iraq deserved for going for the jugular after Humam Tareq had hauled them level on the hour mark. "The first half was horrible," said Iraq coach Srecko Katanec. "We showed nothing that we did in training -- no power, no personality at all. Maybe it was first-game emotions, the players felt the pressure a little bit." "I knew it would be a tough game," added the Slovenian. "But the most important thing was the three points." Vietnam's Golden Dragons took a shock lead after 24 minutes in the Group D clash in Abu Dhabi, defender Ali Faez panicking under pressure from Nguyen Cong Phuong and clumsily backheeling the ball past goalkeeper Jalal Hassan Hachim. Iraq, who defied the odds to win an emotional Asian Cup title in 2007, levelled 10 minutes later through striker ..
USA Cricket becomes ICC's 105th member
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Tuesday announced USA Cricket as its 105th member. The development is a historical milestone for the governing body established in 2017 to unify and develop the cricket community in the United States following the expulsion of USACA, the ICC said. USA Cricket's application to become the 93rd Associate Member in accordance with the ICC Constitution was approved by ICC Members following the Membership Committee's recommendation to the ICC Board late last year and is implemented with immediate effect. As a Member of the ICC, USA Cricket is now eligible to receive funding in accordance with the ICC Development Funding Policy and can sanction domestic and international cricket in the United States. A transition plan has been agreed for the governing body, which has, to date, been managed by the ICC Americas regional support programme. This will see all governing body obligations transferred to USA Cricket under the auspices of the USA Cricket Board ..
Srikanth keeps Bengaluru Raptors in hunt for semi-final berth at PBL
Bengaluru Raptors' skipper Kidambi Srikanth led from the front against Mumbai Rockets to keep his team in the hunt for a semi-final berth at the Premier Badminton League Season 4 here on Tuesday. Bengaluru needed a minimum of four points to move into the top 4 and they were successful in their attempt as they won the first three matches, including a Trump, to knock the Pune 7 Aces out at the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium. World No. 18 Anders Antonsen of Mumbai put up a brilliant performance against an unbeaten Srikanth but fell short at the end in each game as the former World No. 1 sealed a narrow 15-14, 15-13 victory. Ten ranking places separate World No. 8 Srikanth and the Dane but Antonsen refused to let that matter. With an array of body smashes, Srikanth went up to 8-5 but Antonsen came storming back to 9-9. With the two tied at 13-13, the Dane made it 14-13 and had a game point which Srikanth erased with aplomb by taking the next two points. The second game turned out to be as ...
Sri Lanka recalls Perera for Australia Tests
Sri Lanka Tuesday recalled batsman Kusal Perera to a 16-member squad for the two-match Test series against Australia starting later this month. Injuries kept Perera out of the New Zealand Test series which Sri Lanka lost 1-0, but he was included in the shorter formats of the game. He takes his place back in the Test squad for Australia as selectors dropped Dhanushka Gunathilaka over his poor form in New Zealand. Following the Test defeat, Sri Lanka also lost the just concluded three-match one-day international series to New Zealand 3-0. A one-off T20 match is due to be played on Friday in Auckland. The first Test against Australia opens on January 24 in Brisbane and the second starts on February 1 in Canberra. Sri Lanka Test squad for Australia: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Lahiru Thirimanne, Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Perera, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, ...
Harrington tasked with masterminding Europe's Ryder Cup defence
Padraig Harrington has been handed the task of defending Europe's Ryder Cup title in the United States in 2020 after being named team captain on Tuesday. The three-time major winner succeeds Dane Thomas Bjorn and becomes just the second golfer from the Republic of Ireland to take the reins for the tournament after Paul McGinley, who was victorious in 2014. Harrington -- who has won 30 titles worldwide -- was selected by a five man panel, which included McGinley, Bjorn and the losing 2016 skipper Darren Clarke. "I'm thrilled to be named as Ryder Cup captain for 2020, it's not something I went into lightly," he said. "I'm putting it on the line -- we know when you're a successful Ryder Cup captain it's great and a losing captain -- it's his fault." Harrington was clear favourite for the role after receiving high profile support for his nomination from the likes of Northern Irish superstar Rory McIlroy. Meanwhile his main rival Lee Westwood had expressed his desire to try and qualify as .
Mumbai: 4 held for betting on Australia's Big Bash League game
Four people were arrested in Mumbai for allegedly placing bets on a match of the Big Bash League, an Australian domestic T20 tournament, police said Tuesday. Senior inspector Shriram Koregoankar of Santa Cruz police station had received a tip off that cricket betting was underway in a flat on Link-Road in the area, an official said. Based on the information, a police team raided the flat at around 3 PM Monday and found the accused taking bets on a Big Bash League match underway, he added. The official identified the accused as Bipin Shah(48), Jeetendra Jadhav (38) Narayan Rabari (24) and Devilal Jaat (40) and said dozen of mobile phones, a laptop and other materials worth over Rs 1 lakh were recovered from the flat. They have been booked under the relevant sections of Indian Telegram Act, Indian Penal Code and The Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act and remanded in police custody till January 11, the official said.
Embattled Qatar out to prove point at Asian Cup
Qatar are out to prove a point on the pitch as they begin their Asian Cup campaign under the cloud of the Gulf crisis and with the added scrutiny of hosting the next World Cup. Coach Felix Sanchez said his players were determined to stay focused on the job at hand in the United Arab Emirates, one of the countries enforcing a damaging blockade on the 2022 World Cup hosts, ahead of Wednesday's Group E opener against Lebanon. "We've done the same that we are doing in any competition. We are here, we arrived, we are doing our training sessions," he told reporters in Al Ain. The diplomatic chill could make for a fraught atmosphere for Qatar, especially when they face arch-political rivals Saudi Arabia in Abu Dhabi on January 17. "Once we are on the pitch, we are going to focus only on what happens inside," he insisted. "As for crowd, of course they have to enjoy the game and to do what they think they have to do. "From our side we're going to be only focused on the game." The Asian Cup ...
Maharashtra women quell TN challenge
Maharashtra put paid to the hopes of Tamil Nadu women, posting a 3-1 win in the quarterfinals of the 67th National Volleyball Championship at the Nehru indoor stadium here Tuesday. Tamil Nadu won the first set 25-21 only to see its rival bounce back and take the second easily at 25-15. The third set saw an intense battle between the two teams and Maharashtra took it on extra points, at 27-25. The Tamil Nadu women fought hard in the fourth set too, but the rival team raised its level of play to take it 25-20 to book a spot in the last four. Joining Maharashtra in the semifinal was West Bengal, a 3-0 winner over Karnataka. In the first men's quarterfinal of the day, Karnataka recovered after losing the opening set to beat Haryana 3-1. Yesterday, the following teams booked semifinal berths - Men: Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Women: Railways and Kerala. Results (Quarterfinals): Men: Karnataka beat Haryana 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20), Women: West Bengal beat Karnataka 3-0 ...
ICC welcomes USA Cricket as its latest member
Following the expulsion of USACA a couple of years ago, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday welcomed USA Cricket as its newest member.
Barca confirm first signing for next season
Spanish football giants FC Barcelona on Tuesday confirmed the signing of 19-year-old French defender Jean-Clair Todibo.
Portugal defender Pepe joins FC Porto
Portugal's veteran defender Kepler Laveran Lima Ferreira, best known as Pepe, returned to FC Porto, the Portuguese football side announced on Tuesday.
Gianluca Simeone, son of Atleti manager, signs with Argentine club
Gianluca Simeone, son of Atletico Madrid manager Diego "El Cholo" Simeone, has parted ways with Chile's Union La Calera and signed with Superliga Argentina football club Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.