ROTTERDAM, August 16(ABC): Two Pakistani players — pacer Naseem Shah and all-rounder Salman Ali Agha — are set to make their one-day international (ODI) debut during the Green Shirts’ match against the Netherlands. Babar Azam-led Pakistan ODI squad is all set to feature in the first-ever bilateral series against the Netherlands, scheduled to begin today (Tuesday) in Rotterdam. Pakistan, who …

LAHORE, August 16(ABC): Pakistan’s star athlete, Arshad Nadeem, who won gold medals for Pakistan in the javelin throw events at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and the Islamic Solidarity Games in the Turkish city of Konya, has returned home, reported on Tuesday. Arshad Nadeem arrived in Lahore late at night from Istanbul on board a foreign airline flight. At the …

KINGSTON, August 15(ABC): West Indies handed New Zealand their first limited-overs defeat of the year in cruising to a consolation eight-wicket win in the third and final T20 International at Sabina Park on Sunday. Odean Smith improved on his career-best T20I bowling figures for the third time in four matches as the fast bowling all-rounder claimed three for 29. That …

WEB DESK, August 15(ABC): On the occassion of the country’s diamond jubilee, Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Rizwan sent a meaningful message out to his fans, urging them to practice some self-reflection before pointing fingers at others. Speaking during a Twitter Space hosted by the  Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the star wicketkeeper-batter said: “We should look at ourselves first and what we’re …

KARACHI, August 15(ABC): Pakistan’s men’s football team may finally get some international matches as the governing body of the game has started discussions about the option with multiple Asian countries to organise friendlies in Islamabad next month. According to a source, the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) is eyeing to organise these matches during the FIFA window available between September 19-27. …

LAHORE, August 15(ABC): Unhappy with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) new central contracts, Pakistan’s leading cricketers, including Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Rizwan, have asked the board to amend their contracts. Though the key players agreed to sign the PCB’s central contracts after successfully negotiating changes in several clauses, ESPNcricinfo, in its report, said that they probably signed on the …

AMSTERDAM, August 15(ABC): Dutch cricket board Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond (KNCB) has announced its 15-member squad for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League fixtures against Pakistan. The three-match One-day International (ODI) series between Pakistan and Netherlands is scheduled to be kicked off from August 16. According to the Dutch cricket board, “The Netherlands will play three World Cup …

LAHORE, August 11(ABC): By Sohail Ali Pakistans all formats skipper Babar Azam has said that his main target is not to make records but help his side strike victory in every given match. Addressing a press conference here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday, Babar Azam said: “I am grateful to Allah Almighty for the feats I have been earning …

CHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM, August 11(ABC): Manchester City and France footballer Benjamin Mendy on Wednesday began his trial for the alleged rape and assault of seven women, which could see his playing career end in jail if convicted. Mendy, 28, arrived at Chester Crown Court in northwest England wearing a dark blue suit and tie to face eight counts of rape, …

DOHA, August 11(ABC): The opening match for this year’s World Cup, between hosts Qatar and Ecuador, will be brought forward by one day to November 20, World Cup sources told on Wednesday. The move, which should be approved by the FIFA Council before the 100-day countdown starts this week, will retain the tradition of the first match featuring the host …

KARACHI, August 11(ABC): Aiming to develop future starts, the winners of the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League and most active franchise Lahore Qalandars will participate in a triangular T20 tournament in Namibia next month. The tournament was officially confirmed on Wednesday by the organisers. Earlier, it was expected to be a quadrangular tournament but India’s Bengal T20 side …

WEB DESK, August 10(ABC): World-class fast bowler Trent Boult was released from his central contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) at his own request on Wednesday so he can spend less time travelling and more time at home with his family. The 33-year-old, who has played 70 Tests and 137 limited overs internationals since 2011, will continue to play for …

WEB DESK, August 10(ABC): Pakistan’s tally of medals in the Commonwealth Games 2022 mounted to eight, mainly thanks to the five medals won by wrestlers. Arshad Nadeem is the latest on the bandwagon to bag his Gold in the javelin throw. On August 8, Nadeem won the Gold medal — the country’s second gold in the ongoing Commonwealth Games in …

CAPE TOWN, August 10(ABC): Former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, labelled the ‘slow finger of death’ by the media, has died in a car accident, a family member confirmed on Tuesday. He was 73. Koertzen got into a car accident while he was travelling back to his hometown along with his friends. “Rudi suffered fatal injuries after an accident near …

NEW YORK, August 10(ABC): American great Serena Williams said on Tuesday she was “evolving away from tennis” and planned to retire from the sport she dominated with 23 Grand Slam titles following the US Open tournament, which begins later this month. On Monday, Williams played only her second singles match since she returned to action at Wimbledon in June after …

BIRMINGHAM, August 5(ABC): Pakistan are out of the medal race in the hockey competition in the Commonwealth Games 2022. The invincible Australians showed Pakistan the door in their pool-A match on Thursday. The Pakistani players looked helpless in their efforts to make a comeback as their rivals dominated the game from the very beginning of the faceoff. The Pool-A toppers, …

KARACHI, August 4(ABC): Pakistan’s Olympian Arshad Nadeem is optimistic to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 despite complications related to an elbow injury. Arshad, who will directly contest in the final of the Javelin Throw event in CWG 2022 on August 7, while speaking to  over the phone from Birmingham, expressed full confidence in dominating the multi-sports event. …

BRISTOL, August 4(ABC): Reeza Hendricks hit his fourth successive Twenty20 fifty as South Africa defeated Ireland by 21 runs in their series opener at Bristol on Wednesday. Hendricks, who hit three half-centuries in the Proteas  recent 2-1 series win over England, top-scored with 74 in a total of 211-5 and shared a third-wicket partnership of 112 with Aiden Markram (56). …

LAHORE, August 4(ABC): Pakistan’s left-handed batter Shan Masood, despite being in the form of his life, was not part of the squads announced for the ODI series against the Netherlands and Asia Cup 2022. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) unveiled squads earlier today which had few changes. Pacer Hasan was replaced by Naseem Shah while Salman Ali Agha returned to the …

BIRMINGHAM, August 4(ABC): It is a very good day for Pakistan from the Commonwealth Games 2022 currently underway in Birmingham. Pakistan hockey team thrashed Scotland by 3-2 in their third game on Wednesday. Pakistan bounced back with an impressive performance after being trounced 4-1 by New Zealand in their last faceoff. At the beginning of the match in the first …

BIRMINGHAM, August 4(ABC): Pakistani badminton players have so far presented good performance in their respective matches in the Commonwealth Games 2022 on Wednesday. Playing in Women’s Singles on Wednesday, Ghazala Siddique defeated Vicky Chater of Falkland Island in the round of 64 match in two straight sets by 4-21 and 3-21. Another Pakistani player, Irfan Bhatti won his match against …

BIRMINGHAM, August 4(ABC): Weightlifter Nooh Dastagir Butt has won the gold medal for Pakistan in the Commonwealth Games 2022 with a record lift of 405kg. This is the first gold for Pakistan in any category in the ongoing games in the United Kingdom city of Birmingham. Earlier Hussain Shah won a bronze medal which is the first medal in the games. …

LONDON, August 2(ABC): England have recalled Ollie Robinson into a 14-man squad for this month’s first two Tests of a three-match series against South Africa. Robinson has not played for England since the Ashes ended in January due to several fitness issues, mainly surrounding his back. But the 28-year-old seamer took nine wickets in Sussex’s recent County Championship match against …

ISLAMABAD, August 2(ABC): Former Pakistan T20 World Cup-winning captain Younis Khan has claimed that Babar Azam and team management should back Azhar Ali and Fawad Alam despite their slump in form. While speaking to a local media outlet, Khan claimed that support should be extended to players who have a good track record but are struggling with their form. “We …

KABUL, August 2(ABC): Ace spinner Rashid Khan was Monday named in a strong Afghanistan squad for the five-match Twenty20 international series in Ireland starting next week. The 23-year-old is a key for Afghanistan in Ireland as well as in the Asia Cup (August-September) in United Arab Emirates and Twenty20 World Cup (October-November) in Australia. Rashid took four wickets in Afghanistan s …

BASSETERRE, August 2(ABC): A record-breaking six-wicket haul by Obed McCoy paved the way for a nervy series-levelling five-wicket win for the West Indies over India in the second T20 International of the five-match series at Warner Park in St Kitts on Monday. Comfortable winners of the opening encounter in Trinidad three days earlier, India were dismissed for 138 off 19.4 …

LONDON, August 2(ABC): Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah pledged Tuesday to work her way “back up to the top” after a disappointing world championships as she launched her bid for 100m glory at the Commonwealth Games. Thompson-Herah finished third behind fellow Jamaican sprint stars Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Shericka Jackson in the 100m at last month’s world championships in Eugene, Oregon. It …

WEB DESK, August 2(ABC): Tiger Woods turned down a sum in the region of $700-800 million to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, the breakaway circuit s CEO Greg Norman told Fox News. Norman said the offer was made before the Australian was named chief of the controversial series, which is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia s Public Investment Fund. “That …

SAN JOS, August 2(ABC): Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan lost to seventh seed Daria Kasatkina on Monday in a first-round match at the WTA San Jose hardcourt tournament. World number 12 Kasatkina won 11 of the last 12 games to win 1-6, 6-2, 6-0 in Rybakina’s debut match since winning her first major title. Kasatkina will next play …

DUBAI, August 2(ABC): Pakistan and India will face each other on August 28 as the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced the schedule for the Asia Cup 2022 (T20 format). Hosts Sri Lanka will play against Afghanistan in the opening match of the Asian event. Meanwhile, Sharjah and Dubai will host the multi-nation event. The much-awaited contest between Pakistan and India …

LAHORE, August 2(ABC): England will tour Pakistan in September for the first time in 17 years to play seven Twenty20, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Tuesday, while they will go against the Men In Green in three Test matches in December. England pulled out of their Pakistan tour last year soon after New Zealand had abandoned their tour …

BYRON BAY, August 1(ABC): Australian Test skipper Pat Cummins tied the knot with his fiancé Becky Boston here on Saturday. On Monday, Cummins shared the news of his marriage with his fans on Twitter and wrote: “Just Married.” Cummins and Becky have a nine-month-old baby boy named Albie, who was born in October last year, just before the T20 World …

TEL AVIV, August 1(ABC):Paris St Germain’s Neymar scored twice with Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos contributing the other two goals as they romped to a 4-0 victory over Nantes in the French Super Cup at the Bloomfield Stadium on Sunday. It was the ninth time in 10 years that the Parisians had won the traditional season-opening clash between the Ligue …

EDINBURGH, August 1(ABC): Mark Chapman completed a memorable few days in Edinburgh with an unbeaten hundred as New Zealand comfortably defeated Scotland by seven wickets in a lone one-day international on Sunday. Chapman followed his T20-best 83 in a 102-run thrashing of the Scots on Friday with 101 not out as New Zealand, beaten finalists in the last two 50-over …

SOUTHAMPTON, August 1(ABC): South Africa spinner Tabraiz Shamsi took five wickets to help his team bowl out England for 101 to win their decisive Twenty20 international by 90 runs at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday and take the three-match series 2-1. South Africa were put into bat and scored 191-5 off their 20 overs to set England an imposing target …

BIRMINGHAM, August 1(ABC): India women defeated Pakistan Sunday in their rain-curtailed Group A show at the Edgbaston Stadium, crashing them out of the Commonwealth Games. After the game was reduced to 18 overs a side due to a delayed start, Pakistan won a crucial toss and decided to bat first. However, the Pakistani batters failed to show their potential and …

ISLAMABAD, July 31(ABC): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will announce men’s national squad for Netherlands series this week, it emerged. Led by Babar Azam, Pakistan will face the Netherlands in a three-match ODI series in home conditions on August 16, 18, and 21. The national team selection committee is expected to make rotations in the squad and new faces are …

HARARE, July 31(ABC): Liton Das and Mosaddek Hossain played key roles on Sunday as Bangladesh levelled a three-match Twenty20 international series in Zimbabwe with a seven-wicket victory. Spin-bowling all-rounder Mosaddek took five wickets for the first time in his T20 international career as the tourists restricted Zimbabwe to 135-8 at Harare Sports Club. Faced with the modest target, Bangladesh were …

NEW DELHI, July 31(ABC): Seamer Deepak Chahar and spinner Kuldeep Yadav recovered from injuries to feature in India’s one-day squad for the three-match one-day international (ODI) series scheduled to take place in Zimbabwe this month. India rested several frontline players, including captain Rohit Sharma and batsman Virat Kohli for the matches which will be played in Harare on Aug. 18, …

LONDON, July 31(ABC): Liam Livingstone is desperate to be known for more than “cameo” innings as England head into their final white-ball match of the 2022 home season. The 28-year-old Lancashire batsman has a well-deserved reputation as a brilliant ball-striker capable of hitting huge sixes. But his 34 international appearances in both limited-overs formats have yielded just one hundred and …