arabnews.com - Pakistan moves T20 league, India’s IPL awaits government advice

Pakistan moves T20 league, India’s IPL awaits government advice

NEW DELHI: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) will move its remaining matches to the United Arab Emirates in the wake of Pakistan’s ongoing conflict with India, the country’s cricket board chief Mohsin Naqvi said on Friday. Thursday’s PSL match in Rawalpindi was postponed amid escalating hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbors, and Naqvi said the decision to move the last eight games was made to ensure players avoid “possible reckless targeting.” Across the border, India’s cricket board is considering suspending the Indian Premier League (IPL) amid the rising tensions, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. IPL organizers have said they are awaiting government advice before determining the fate of the remainder of the hugely popular Twenty20 tournament. “The PCB has always stood by the position that politics and sports need to be kept apart,” Naqvi, also Pakistan’s interior minister, said in a statement. “As a responsible organization that has overcome adversities repeatedly and ensured that the game of cricket flourishes, it was important for us to ensure the mental well-being of all players participating in the PSL.” India’s cricket board (BCCI) has moved Sunday’s IPL match in Dharamsala near the Pakistan border to Ahmedabad in the west. A match at the same venue in the northern city was abandoned midway due to what officials said was a power failure. Vice president Rajeev Shukla said they were waiting for government advice on Friday. “The situation is changing day by day,” Shukla told the Indian Express newspaper. “We will do whatever we are told and inform all stakeholders.

Stephen Curry says he knows patience will be required when dealing with hamstring injury

Stephen Curry sat down after the Golden State Warriors went through their shootaround practice in Minneapolis on Thursday, quickly announcing that he’s feeling great. He was not telling the truth. “Sarcasm,” the four-time NBA champion with the Warriors quickly clarified, just in case anyone missed the joke. Curry is going to be a postseason spectator for at least a few games, his Grade 1 hamstring strain bad enough that it forced him out in the second quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series at Minnesota on Tuesday night. He missed the lopsided Game 2 loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday night that evened the series and will likely be sidelined for at least Games 3 and 4 in San Francisco, too. Curry — who is with the team but isn’t allowed to do anything basketball-related yet, even stationary shooting — isn’t exactly sure how or why the injury happened.

Timberwolves overpower Warriors to level series

LOS ANGELES: The Minnesota Timberwolves exploited the injury absence of Stephen Curry to defeat the Golden State Warriors 117-93 and level their NBA Western Conference semifinal series on Thursday. A fired-up Timberwolves line-up, who had been stunned by the Warriors in game one on Tuesday, were always in control as they powered to a wire-to-wire victory in Minneapolis that squares the series at 1-1. Julius Randle led the scoring for Minnesota with 24 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds while Anthony Edwards finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added an eye-catching 20 points off the bench, including four three-pointers, on a night when five Timberwolves players finished in double figures. Jonathan Kuminga led the Warriors scoring with 18 points from the bench, Jimmy Butler finishing with 17. Edwards said an improved defensive effort led to Minnesota’s win after a dismal offensive display in their game one loss. “We watched film yesterday and we saw it wasn’t just that we didn’t make our shots — it was more so our defensive effort and intensity.

Belal Muhammad confident vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315

The UFC is back in Montreal for the first time in a decade on Saturday night with a pair of title fights, which includes welterweight champion Belal Muhammad and No. 5-ranked Australian challenger Jack Della Maddalena topping the 12-fight card for UFC 315. Muhammad is making his first title defense after suffering an injury late last year.

Keith Mitchell opens with 61, leads Truist Championship

FLOURTOWN, Pennsylvania: Keith Mitchell used a late birdie run to shoot a 9-under-par 61 and take the early lead at the Truist Championship on Thursday in Flourtown, Pennsylvania.

Jeeno Thitikul happy to see putts go in and lead at Liberty National with a 64

JERSEY CITY, N.J.: Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand feels so much better when she sees putts going in, and Thursday was a happy occasion at the Mizuho Americas Open. She took only 26 putts, eight of them for birdie, in a clean start of 8-under 64 to lead by two shots.

Clasico the last chance saloon for Ancelotti’s Real Madrid

BARCELONA: Real Madrid’s season appeared disastrous a few weeks ago but if Carlo Ancelotti’s side can finally beat rivals Barcelona in Sunday’s La Liga Clasico, their title defense will be resuscitated. Madrid were left licking their wounds after a Champions League quarter-final thrashing by Arsenal, and coach Ancelotti is poised to depart at the end of the season, but it could yet be with a major trophy in his hands. Barcelona’s European exit at the hands of Inter Milan on Tuesday brightened spirits in the Spanish capital and if Madrid can overhaul the Catalans at the top of the table, they could transform their season. The nature of Madrid’s rivalry with Barcelona means winning La Liga could either feel great or underwhelming, depending on how their nemesis fares in Europe. With Barcelona’s quadruple dream crushed by Inter, should Madrid defend their title they could even classify their season as a success. The Catalans, who currently lead by four points with four matches remaining, would be left with only the Copa del Rey and Spanish Super Cup, both of which they won by beating Real Madrid in the final. To do that Madrid must manage something they have not been able to pull off all season — winning a Clasico. “We will have a great opportunity, we have to prepare well — it’s an almost decisive match,” said Ancelotti. The teams have faced off three times and Barcelona triumphed on each occasion, in the two aforementioned finals and in the first league clash at the Santiago Bernabeu in October. Barcelona netted 12 goals across the four games, conceding four, with Hansi Flick’s side outplaying Madrid on each occasion. However their meeting in Seville in April in the Copa del Rey final was the closest Ancelotti’s team

Chelsea ease past Djurgarden to reach Conference League final

LONDON: Chelsea advanced to the final of the UEFA Conference League after a 1-0 win over Swedish side Djurgarden on Thursday sealed a 5-1 aggregate victory in their last-four tie. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall struck the only goal at Stamford Bridge late in the first half on a night 16-year-old Reggie Walsh became the youngest player to start a European game for Chelsea. The Blues can become the first club to win all three of UEFA’s current competitions if they beat either two-time runners-up Fiorentina or Real Betis in Wroclaw on May 28. Defender Marc Cucurella was the only player retained from the team that beat Liverpool in the Premier League last weekend as manager Enzo Maresca made sweeping changes to his line-up with an eye on Sunday’s crucial game at Newcastle. The Italian has been criticized for his cautious tactics but he has fifth-placed Chelsea on course to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five finish in England. Teenage midfielder Walsh made his debut off the bench in the 4-1 win in Stockholm a week ago as Chelsea seized control of the tie, but that result didn’t deter some 6,000 Djurgarden fans from making the trip to London for the second leg. Dewsbury-Hall and Tyrique George forced saves from Djurgarden goalkeeper Jacob Rinne before the two Chelsea players combined to put the hosts in front in the 38th minute. George threaded a pass through for Dewsbury-Hall who accelerated past a couple of defenders before sweeping in a crisp finish via the base of the post. That goal killed off any remote hopes for Djurgarden, the first Swedish club to appear in a European semifinal since Gothenburg won the 1986-87 UEFA Cup. Dewsbury-Hall had a chance to double his tally when he headed Malo Gusto’s cross straight at

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Pakistan moves T20 league, India’s IPL awaits government advice

Stephen Curry says he knows patience will be required when dealing with hamstring injury

Timberwolves overpower Warriors to level series

Belal Muhammad confident vs. Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315

Keith Mitchell opens with 61, leads Truist Championship

Jeeno Thitikul happy to see putts go in and lead at Liberty National with a 64

Clasico the last chance saloon for Ancelotti’s Real Madrid

Chelsea ease past Djurgarden to reach Conference League final