Pakistan coach says fast bowlers key in India clash
DUBAI: Pakistan coach Aaqib Javed on Saturday said his fast bowlers are “match-winners” and will pull out something special against arch-rivals India in their pivotal Champions Trophy clash.
Shaheen Shah Afridi Sport News
Pakistan’s hopes dashed by New Zealand in ICC Champions Trophy opener
KARACHI: Pakistan’s 29-year wait to host an International Cricket Council ended in disappointment when New Zealand handed the hosts a comprehensive 60-run defeat at Karachi's National Bank Stadium.
Bayern’s Kane says injury could keep him out against Frankfurt
PARIS: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane said he was likely to miss Sunday’s Bundesliga game at home to Eintracht Frankfurt after he was replaced at half time in Bayern’s 3-2 aggregate Champions League victory over Celtic. Kane hit the bar in an otherwise quiet 45 minutes against the Scottish side. He later told reporters that he had suffered a calf problem. “We’ll have a scan tonight and then we’ll see.
De Minaur, Medvedev and Rublev advance to Qatar Open quarterfinals
DOHA: Four of the top-seeded players of the Qatar Open advanced on Wednesday to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Alex de Minaur, Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, and Jack Draper won their matches in straight sets. Top-seeded player Carlos Alcaraz can join them among the last eight later if he beats Italy’s Luca Nardi. Second-seeded De Minaur beat Botic van de Zandschulp by a double 6-4.
Sabalenka thrashed in Dubai as Paolini’s title defense ends
DUBAI: World number one Aryna Sabalenka slumped to a 6-3, 6-2 loss against Denmark’s Clara Tauson in the last 16 of the Dubai Championships on Wednesday, as Jasmine Paolini’s title defense came to a painful end. Sabalenka, who beat the 38th-ranked Tauson on her way to last month’s Australian Open final, suffered a second straight premature exit after losing in her opening match in Qatar a week ago. Tauson broke Sabalenka’s serve six times and the Dane will go on to play Czech youngster Linda Noskova, who knocked out fifth seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets to reach the quarter-finals. The 22-year-old Tauson beat Noskova in the first round of the Australian Open.
Real Madrid’s Bellingham banned for two matches after dissent
MADRID: Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham was hit with a two-match La Liga ban on Wednesday by the Spanish football federation’s disciplinary committee after he was sent off for dissent. The England international was dismissed during the champions’ 1-1 draw at Osasuna on Saturday by referee Jose Munuera Montero. Bellingham, who insisted he had been expressing his frustration and not insulting the referee, will miss league matches against Girona and Real Betis on February 23 and March 2 respectively. The disciplinary committee said Madrid’s attempts to show that Bellingham had not insulted the official were “insufficient” to remove “the presumption of veracity of the referee’s report.” Bellingham had said his dismissal was due to a misunderstanding.
Kane Williamson's Incredible 6-Year Streak Ends After Flopping In Champions Trophy Opener vs Pakistan
New Zealand batter Kane Williamson broke his six-year streak of not registering a single-digit score in ODIs on Wednesday. The ace batter broke this record during the ICC Champions Trophy opener against Pakistan on Wednesday. Coming to bat at 39/1, Williamson could not put down the anchor, being caught behind on a Naseem Shah delivery by wicketkeeper Mohammed Rizwan for just one run in two balls. This is Kane's first single-digit score in ODIs since January 5, 2019, against Sri Lanka, where he scored just one run in nine balls.
"You Are Trying To Break Our Feet": Rohit Sharma's Epic Chat With Net Bowler In Dubai
The Indian cricket team's preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy began with a few net sessions after the team landed in Dubai. The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Shara, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, etc. all put in the hard yards to get accustomed to the conditions ahead of the start of the tournament. India captain Rohit faced a local left-arm pacer Awais Ahmad in the nets as he looked to prepare himself for pacers like Shaheen Shah Afridi and Trent Boult in the marquee ICC event.