Sciver-Brunt named England women's captain
All-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt has succeeded Heather Knight as England captain, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Tuesday.
Australia Sport News
Inter looking to power back up ahead of Champions League match at Barcelona
MILAN: Strange things happen when Inter Milan plays Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals. The last time the two teams met in the final four of Europe’s elite club competition, in 2010, Barcelona had to make a 15-hour journey by bus to Milan after an ash cloud caused by the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull shut down air space. Barcelona lost that first leg 3-1 and a stout defensive performance by Inter in the return match saw it advance to the final 3-2 on aggregate — where it beat Bayern Munich to clinch a historic treble under Jose Mourinho. Inter is hoping it won’t have to make a similarly arduous journey after an unprecedented blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill Monday. Power had almost fully returned to Spain early Tuesday morning and Inter’s charter flight was still scheduled to take off for Barcelona at 5 p.m.
Real Madrid defender Rüdiger expected to miss the rest of the season after knee surgery
MADRID: Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Madrid said Rüdiger successfully underwent surgery on a meniscus tear in his left knee and will begin “his recovery process shortly.” The club did not give a timeline for his return. Rüdiger had to be replaced in extra time of Madrid 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. He made headlines for shouting at the referee from the bench and for apparently throwing a small bag of ice onto the field. Rüdiger apologized for his behavior but the incident prompted former Germany player Dietmar Hamann to call for the defender to be left out of Germany’s squad for the Nations League final four in June. German national team sporting director Rudi Völler also criticized Rüdiger, saying he needed to show “class” and respect for others. Germany plays Portugal in the Nations League semifinals in Munich on June 4.
Australian doubles player Purcell accepts 18-month doping ban
SYDNEY: Australia’s two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month doping ban, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Tuesday. The 27-year-old in December took a voluntary suspension, describing himself at the time as “devastated” and saying he had not intended to break anti-doping rules. Purcell has admitted receiving intravenous vitamin infusions of more than 500ml on December 16 and 20, 2023.
Coach Stefano Pioli confident as Al-Nassr prepare for AFC Champions League Elite semi showdown
JEDDAH: Al-Nassr coach Stefano Pioli declared his side injury-free ahead of Wednesday’s Asian Champions League Elite semifinal against Kawasaki Frontale in Jeddah as the Saudi Pro League side look to reach the final for the first time in almost 30 years.The Riyadh-based outfit last made the decider in 1995, but a brace from Jhon Duran and strikes by Sadio Mane and Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 4-1 win over Yokohama F Marinos on Saturday to move the Saudi side to the cusp of a first title.“We are ready for the match, but in training we will decide which group is going to play,” Pioli said. “The team is ready to play the game with great spirit, high performance.”Al-Nassr are one of three Saudi Pro League sides in the semifinals, the first time a single nation has dominated the latter stages of the competition to such an extent.The huge injection of cash into the country’s leading clubs by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2023 which prompted the signing of numerous high-profile players from around the world is having a major impact on this year’s competition.Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli have also advanced to the last four and will meet on Tuesday.Japan’s Kawasaki are the only team from their half of the confederation left in the competition after their win over Qatar’s Al-Sadd, and the J-League side have been further disadvantaged by having one day less to recover than Al-Nassr.Frontale needed extra-time to defeat Felix Sanchez’s side and coach Shigetoshi Hasebe admitted he was concerned about his players’ lack of freshness ahead of the Al-Nassr clash.“All the players are tired because they played for 120 minutes, which is very difficult for us,” he said.
'Greatest-Ever IPL Performance': 14-Year-Old Vaibhav Suryavanshi Given Ultimate Praise After 38-Ball 101
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, at the age of 14 years and 32 days, produced one of the all-time great knocks in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), smashing 101 off just 38 balls to help Rajasthan Royals (RR) pull off a chase of 210 against Gujarat Titans in just 15.5 overs in IPL 2025. Suryavanshi broke several world records, including becoming the youngest-ever centurion in T20 cricket and the fastest-ever Indian centurion in IPL history. South Africa great Shaun Pollock has labelled Suryavanshi's knock as the "greatest performance" in IPL history.
Chelsea's Kerr working hard on recovery but return date unclear
Chelsea striker Sam Kerr is doing all she can to get back on the pitch as she recovers from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury but it is unclear whether she can return before the end of the season, manager Sonia Bompastor said.
Australia's Purcell gets 18-month doping suspension
Australia's two-times Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month ban after breaching anti-doping rules, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said on Tuesday.