Sports

There is nothing usual about the Pakistan cricket team thrashing India in a World Cup match, starting a major tournament with five straight wins and generally appear invincible. Surely, something must have been done differently this time that’s a departure from the team’s established practices. Some bad habits have likely been shed and some new ones have been adopted. Below, …

BERLIN: Germany defender Niklas Suele has tested positive for the coronavirus and four more players are in quarantine as a precaution ahead of World Cup qualifying games against Liechtenstein and Armenia. Team director Oliver Bierhoff said on Tuesday that Suele was fully vaccinated and does not have any symptoms. Suele also tested positive for Covid-19 a year ago. Germany have …

ABU DHABI: New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson on Tuesday lauded England’s depth as a Twenty20 side and said they would be strong opponents in the World Cup semi-final despite injuries to key players. Both teams have won four games each of their five in the Super 12 stage and fight for a final spot in a game that brings back …

ABU DHABI: Two years since going toe-to-toe in a thrilling 50-overs World Cup final, England and New Zealand will again seek to deliver a knockout blow when they face each other in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 global showpiece in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The clash pits contemporary cricket’s most dominant white-ball team England against arguably the most consistent cross-format …

Australia skipper Aaron Finch on Wednesday said dealing with Pakistan pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi will be key to success in the Twenty20 World Cup semi-final. The Aussies have depended on blazing starts by swashbuckling opener David Warner and Finch to get past opponents in the Super 12 stage. But Shaheen stands in Australia’s way with his ability to pick early wickets rattling …

Australia are looking to their top-order batting led by the explosive David Warner as well as Adam Zampa’s bag of leg-spin tricks to get past a red-hot Pakistan in Thursday’s second semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup. The Aussies made their first semi-final of the tournament since 2012 with four wins and a better run-rate than South Africa. But they …

ABU DHABI: England opener Jason Roy has been ruled out of the remainder of the Twenty20 World Cup due to a torn calf muscle, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on Monday. James Vince, a travelling reserve, will replace Roy in the squad ahead of England’s last-four match against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on …

LAHORE: In-form Iftikhar Ahmed has been included in place of veteran all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez as the national selection committee on Monday announced an 18-member Pakistan squad for the tour of Bangladesh where a three-match T20 International series will be staged on Nov 19, 20 and 22 in Dhaka. The 31-year-old Iftikhar who has played 13 T20 Internationals, so far is …

DUBAI: Australia all-rounder Mitchell Marsh says his team were always confident of doing well at the Twenty20 World Cup despite going into the tournament on the back of a poor run of form. The Australians, who struggled on tours of the West Indies and Bangladesh ahead of the competition, finished second in their group and play Pakistan in the semi-finals on Thursday. …

LAHORE: A month ago, international cricket in Pakistan faced an uncertain future. Not anymore. Things have changed quickly as the Pakistan team has performed at the Twenty20 World Cup, reaching the semi-finals with a perfect record in the Super 12 stage. The cancelled tours of New Zealand and England now seem a thing of the past. On Monday, Australia — Pakistan’s opponents in the …