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 …

LORDS, June 28(ABC): England Men’s white-ball Captain Eoin Morgan Tuesday retired from international cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed. According to a statement released by the ECB in this regard, Morgan is the all-time leading run-scorer and most-capped player for England Men in both ODI and T20I matches. “During his 13-year international career with England, the 35-year-old …

LONDON, June 28 (ABC): Andy Murray recovered from dropping the first set to beat James Duckworth and reach the second round at Wimbledon. Playing for the first time since suffering an abdominal injury in the final of the Stuttgart Open earlier this month, Murray came through 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 in two hours and 43 minutes under a closed roof …

LEEDS, June 28(ABC): An England team transformed by new leadership and a new attitude will face India in the rearranged test at Edgbaston this week convinced of success after sweeping the series against New Zealand on Monday in style. England took only 65 minutes on the last day at Headingley to knock off the 113 remaining runs and achieve its …

GROS-ISLET, June 28(ABC): West Indies wasted no time on a day when more than five hours were lost to the elements to complete a 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh on the fourth day of the second and final Test in St Lucia on Monday. Frustrated by torrential overnight showers which left a sodden outfield and prevented play until mid-afternoon, the home …

ISLAMABAD, June 28(ABC): In the intra-squad practice match at Pindi Stadium on Monday, Babar Azam (111 not out) and Fawad Alam (73 not out) were on fire. As the bowlers toiled all day, both players were seen putting on 193 runs for the unbroken fourth wicket. Yasir Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Agha Salman each took a wicket as the batting …

KARACHI, June 28(ABC): The Pakistan cricket team will tour New Zealand to play a T20 triangular series also featuring Bangladesh and hosts New Zealand, ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia. According to the schedule announced and confirmed by New Zealand Cricket, the series will be played between October 7 and 14, 2022 in Christchurch. Pakistan will face Bangladesh …

LEEDS, June 27(ABC): England s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan is set to retire from international cricket, with an official announcement expected as soon as Tuesday, according to the BBC. Under Morgan, England won the 2019 50-over World Cup — their first major global limited overs title — and reached the top of the one-day and Twenty20 rankings. But the …

LAHORE, June 27(ABC): Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises have denied Ramiz Raja’s claim that each side has earned PKR 810 million through profit. Franchises have termed the claim wrong and opined that PKR 400-500 million expenditure was not even deducted. According to details, Ramiz Raja announced a profit of PKR 900 million to each franchise from PSL 7 just before …

WEB DESK, June 27(ABC): The “baggy green” cap awarded to Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell on his test debut has completely fallen apart after an extended spell in his closet, the all-rounder said ahead of a potential test return in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. The 33-year-old, who played the last of his seven tests against Bangladesh five years ago, …

LAHORE, June 27(ABC): Pakistan opening batter Shan Masood on Sunday became the first player this season to reach 1,000 first-class runs in the ongoing season of County Championship. The 32-year-old achieved this feat during Derbyshire s first innings against Sussex. The left-hander become the quickest Derbyshire batter to reach 1,000 in just 12 innings, beating the previous record by Peter Kirsten …

GROS-ISLET, June 27(ABC): Kemar Roach became just the sixth West Indian to claim 250 Test wickets as the senior pacer swept through the top order of the Bangladesh second innings to put his team on course for victory on the third day of the second and final Test at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Sunday. Roach s three …

LEEDS, June 27(ABC): New Zealand s Daryl Mitchell and Tom Blundell joined a select group of players when they posted their fourth century partnership of a Test series on Sunday. Only four other pairs have performed a similar feat, with Australia s David Boon and Mark Waugh sharing five hundred stands during the 1993 Ashes series in England. New Zealand s sixth-wicket …

LONDON, June 27(ABC): Novak Djokovic begins his bid to match Pete Sampras as a seven-time Wimbledon champion on Monday with British Grand Slam title winners Andy Murray and Emma Raducanu also on the Centre Court agenda. In the absence of the banned Daniil Medvedev and injured Alexander Zverev, 20-time major winner Djokovic takes top seeding. The 35-year-old defending champion starts …

EASTBOURNE, June 26(ABC): Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova tuned up for the Grand Slam tournament by overpowering Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 to win the Eastbourne title on Saturday. Also, Taylor Fritz outlasted Maxime Cressy 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) in an all-American men’s final for his second Eastbourne title. Kvitova earned her first grass-court title in four years — and …