DUBAI, July 8(ABC): The hallowed turf of the MCG was dropped into Melbourne’s city centre, as excitement builds for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, starting in just 100 days. The upcoming tournament was launched with the Yarra River as the backdrop, blessed by former and current international stars and a number of eager fans who will no doubt …

LONDON, July 8(ABC): Novak Djokovic is preparing for Friday’s Wimbledon semi-final against Cameron Norrie safe in the knowledge that his greatest rival Rafael Nadal no longer stands in the way of a 21st Grand Slam triumph. The Spanish second seed was Thursday forced to pull out before his last-four match against Nick Kyrgios with an abdominal injury, admitting defeat in …

PROVIDENCE, July 8(ABC): Captain Nicholas Pooran was at his devastating best in blazing the West Indies to a comfortable five-wicket win over Bangladesh in the third and final T20 International at the Guyana National Stadium on Thursday. Pooran s unbeaten 74, and 55 from opening batsman Kyle Mayers anchored the home side s pursuit of the visitors  total of 163 for five. …

SOUTHAMPTON, July 8(ABC): Hardik Pandya blasted his maiden Twenty20 international half-century and took four wickets as India beat England by 50 runs in Southampton on Thursday. In the opening game of the three-match series, Pandya powered to his 50 off 30 balls as India scored 198-8. The 28-year-old hit six fours and one towering six, off Matt Parkinson, before being …

LAHORE, July 7(ABC): The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on Thursday while declaring the presence of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) President Khalid Sajjad Khokhar, Secretary Asif Bajwa and Treasurer Muhammad Ikhlaq unconstitutional de-notified them from their posts. According to a notification issued by the Sports Board, the four-year constitutional term of the Hockey Federation officials expired on May 14. While, after …

LONDON, July 7(ABC): Rafael Nadal admits he does not know whether he will be fit to face Nick Kyrgios in Friday s Wimbledon semi-finals after an abdominal injury nearly forced him to quit against Taylor Fritz. The second seed had to take a medical time-out in the second set but battled through to win 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/4) …

COLOMBO, July 7(ABC): A member of the player support personnel of the Pakistan Test squad has tested positive for COVID-19 and sent into five days isolation, the spokesperson for the Pakistan cricket team said Thursday, as the green shirts gear up for the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka. The spokesperson said that Masseur Malang Ali’s test came back positive …

WEB DESK, July 7(ABC): Historic rivals Pakistan and India will take on each other next month in the Asia Cup, slated for August in Sri Lanka, Indian media outlets reported. The Men in Blue, who will take on the Men In Green on August 28, are the defending champions of the tournament. No hurdles are expected as the Board of …

KARACHI, July 7(ABC): Former Pakistani skipper Shahid Afridi, who often raises his voice for Kashmir, gave a clear message to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that the Kashmir Premier League (KPL) will happen to take place this year. Speaking to the press, after being signed as the brand ambassador of KPL 2 at a local hotel …

COLOMBO, July 7(ABC): Pakistan’s fast bowling coach Shaun Tait expects no spinning wickets during Pakistan versus Sri Lanka Test series, as the hosts would avoid preparing spinning tracks amidst Pakistan’s quality spin attack. “There are talks around spin, obviously, for obvious reasons,” Tait said in an interview. “But I think, you know, you [Pakistan] might be the team that changes …

COLOMBO, July 7(ABC): Sri Lanka faced a big blow Thursday as three players tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the second Test against Australia, scheduled to start in Galle tomorrow (Friday). The affected cricketers include Dhananjaya de Silva, Asitha Fernando, and Jeffrey Vandersay, who have been ruled out of the squad. The COVID-19 tests for the rest of the squad …

BEIJING, July 6(ABC): China’s four national football teams will train abroad over the next three months, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) announced here on Wednesday. China’s women’s team will train in the United States after the East Asian Cup, while the men’s U21, men’s U19 and women’s U17 teams will head to Europe. The women’s team will depart on July …

LAHORE, July 6(ABC): Pakistan Test opener Shan Masood won second second PCA Player of the Month in three months. The Professional Cricketers Association (PCA) announced on Tuesday that Shan was identified as one of the top four performers in domestic men’s cricket in June according to the PCA’s Most Valuable Player Rankings. He joined Will Jacks, James Vince, and Wayne …

BIRMINGHAM, July 6(ABC): Everything you know about Test cricket is wrong. Well that might be the conclusion of some fans who watched a resurgent England make light of a chase of 378 in the Covid-delayed fifth Test against India. It was the latest example of  Bazball  in action, with a seven-wicket win in Birmingham England s fourth successful chase in as …

CHRISTCHURCH, July 6(ABC): New Zealand’s men and women cricketers will be paid the same after a “landmark agreement” was reached to close the gender pay gap across all formats and competitions, reported. As part of a five-year deal struck between New Zealand Cricket (NZC), the six major associations and the players’ union, the women’s national team and domestic women’s players will receive …

WEB DESK, July 6(ABC): Pakistani mountaineer Shehroze Kashif’s father Salman Kashif on Wednesday said that his son and Fazal Ali, who had gone missing while descending the summit of Nanga Parbat, have been traced. The mountaineer duo had separately summited the Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest peak in the world, on Tuesday. Shehroze claimed the title of the world’s youngest …

LONDON, July 5(ABC): Rafael Nadal swept into the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday, staying on course for a crunch meeting with Nick Kyrgios, who was on his best behaviour in a battling five-set win. In the women s competition, 2019 champion Simona Halep demolished Spanish fourth seed Paula Badosa in just 60 minutes to set up a meeting with Amanda Anisimova. Nadal, …

GILGIT, July 5(ABC): Young Pakistan mountaineer Shehroze Kashish on Tuesday became the youngest climber to summit Nanga Parbat, located in Gilgit-Baltistan. Nanga Parbat is 8126 meters long while it is the eighth highest peak in the world. The 20-year-old climber achieved this feat on Tuesday morning. Shehroze, who already holds the record for being the youngest mountaineer to reach the …

BIRMINGHAM, July 5(ABC): England rode unbeaten hundreds by Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to pull off their highest successful chase, coasting to a series-levelling seven-wicket victory in the rearranged fifth test against India at Edgbaston on Tuesday. Chasing 378 for victory, England went into the final day needing 119 runs with seven wickets in hand. Root went on to smash …

LONDON, July 5 (ABC): Novak Djokovic has said the late start times on the All England Club’s two main showcourts is effectively turning Wimbledon into an indoor tournament for the players scheduled to contest the day s final matches in those arenas. The reigning champion beat wildcard Tim van Rijthoven in four sets under the Centre Court lights on Sunday, …

ISLAMABAD, July 4(ABC): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja said on Monday that he had to purchase bulletproof car due to threats to his life. While briefing National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination, Ramiz Raja claimed that he has been facing life threats due to which he had to undertake safety measures. “If I come in a bullet-proof …

LAHORE, July (ABC): Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam on Monday said that the national team is well aware of the Sri Lankan conditions. While talking to media ahead of the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, Babar Azam said, “We have prepared hard, we have trained very well.” Babar revealed that the side practised at special pitches for the spin challenge. …

PESHAWAR, July 4(ABC): Pakistan National Team fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi on Monday awarded honorary post of DSP by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police. In a ceremony that took place on Monday, KPK police chief Muazzam Ansari announced Afridi as their goodwill ambassador. Talking at the juncture, Afridi thanked the police for their services to citizens. While talking about his links …

LAHORE, July 4(ABC): After a huge success of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), an event for junior cricketers, Pakistan Junior League (PJL) has been introduced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja and the official Twitter page of the tournament on Sunday shared a promo for one of the most-anticipated projects. The teaser is full of …

ROSEAU, July 4(ABC): Contrasting half-centuries by Rovman Powell and Brandon King highlighted a formidable West Indies batting effort on the way to a 35-run victory over Bangladesh in the second T20 international in Dominica on Sunday. Powell s blistering 61 not out off 28 balls and opener King s more measured 57 from 43 deliveries paced the home side to 193 for …

WEB DESK, July 4(ABC): With the football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo planning to leave Manchester United, Chelsea Football Club — an English professional football club — is among the favourites to sign the star player, reported. Citing various reports, the publication noted that the 37-year-old would accept the offer of Manchester United if they pay him a hefty amount. New manager, Erik …

ISLAMABAD, July 4(ABC): A three-member security-cum-vigilance team of the England Cricket Board (ECB) will arrive in the country within the next three weeks to inspect three centres for the seven-match T20I series, which will take place from September 15, reported Monday. A Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) source has told that the security team — which will also include an ECB …

SHANDUR, Jul 03 (ABC): Known as the ‘Games of Kings’, the annual internationally famed Shandur Polo Festival — a unique historical sports played in the world’s highest polo ground between Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan teams since 1937 — was successfully concluded here on Sunday. Chitral A polo team clinched Shandur polo trophy by scoring 10 goals against 9 goals by …

KARACHI, July 3(ABC): The second edition of Kashmir Premier League T20 is all set to begin next month as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued a provisional NOC (no objection certificate) to the league management. An official of KPL confirmed that the NOC has been granted by PCB. According to sources, the PCB has informed KPL management about the …

KARACHI, July 3(ABC): Pakistan’s top-order batter Shan Masood said that he has never limited himself as a batsman of a certain format or position and has always tried to learn how to be improve his game. “It is a good sign, in fact, that Pakistan is producing such top quality players at top order — an area where we used …

MANCHESTER, July 2(ABC): England will play host to the women’s European Championship over the next month with record crowds raising hopes the tournament will take the female game’s rising profile to an even higher level. Nearly half a million tickets have been sold to fans in 100 countries, including sell-outs for the opening game at Old Trafford when England face …

BIRMINGHAM, July 2(ABC): England great Stuart Broad set a new if unwanted record by conceding 35 runs in a Test over, against India at Edgbaston on Saturday. Stand-in India captain Jasprit Bumrah did the bulk of the damage by hitting 29 runs off the bat in an over from Broad that also featured five wides and a no-ball struck for …

BUDAPEST, July 2 (ABC): Ren Qian and Duan Yu claimed the 10th gold for the Chinese diving team at the FINA World Championships here on Friday as the pair cruised to the title in the mixed 10m synchronized. In the only diving final of the day, Ren and Duan collected a total of 341.16 points from the five dives, while …

BIRMINGHAM, July 2(ABC): Jos Buttler said on Friday his appointment as England s new white-ball captain could spell the end of his Test career. Buttler succeeded Eoin Morgan as England skipper in the one-day international and Twenty20 formats after the 2019 50-over World Cup-winning captain announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday. The dynamic 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman had been vice-captain …

BIRMINGHAM, July 2(ABC): Rishabh Pant gave Ben Stokes  England a taste of their own medicine with a superb counter-attacking century as India recovered from a top-order collapse to 338-7 at stumps on Friday s opening day of the Covid-delayed fifth Test. Recalled England great James Anderson and fledgling quick Matthew Potts reduced India to 98-5 at Edgbaston after Stokes won …

LONDON, July 2(ABC): Venus Williams made a winning return to Wimbledon on Friday when the 42-year-old American teamed with Britain s Jamie Murray in the mixed doubles. Williams, playing her first event since Chicago in August last year, and Murray defeated Michael Venus and Alicja Rosolska 6-3, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 in their first round clash. The pair said their decision …

KARACHI, July 1(ABC): Pakistan’s national football team is 200th out of 211 teams in the FIFA world rankings, but the country’s more than 200 million people will still be feeling part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals to be played in Doha this winter. Together with China, Pakistan is supplying the soccer balls to be used in the forthcoming …

LONDON, June 29(ABC): Serena Williams was defeated in her first singles match for a year on Tuesday, going down 7-5, 1-6, 7/6 (10/7) to unseeded Harmony Tan in the first round of Wimbledon. “For my first Wimbledon it s wow — just wow,” said Tan. Seven-time champion Williams was cheered as she walked onto Centre Court for the evening match, but …

GALLE, June 29(ABC): Australia s Mitchell Swepson will play the opening Test against Sri Lanka, with touring skipper Pat Cummins on Tuesday calling the leg-spinner an “important cog” in their bowling attack. The 28-year-old Swepson will partner premier spinner Nathan Lyon at the start of the two-match series on Wednesday in Galle, where the pitch is expected to be a …

LONDON, June 28(ABC): Title contender Matteo Berrettini was forced to pull out of Wimbledon on Tuesday after testing positive for coronavirus as women s top seed Iga Swiatek extended her winning streak to 36 matches. Elsewhere on day two of the Championships, Serena Williams prepared to return to singles tennis after a year away and Rafael Nadal was due to …