KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed expressed high hopes for his franchise on Thursday and said that the squad under his command is potentially capable of annexing the HBL Pakistan Super League title this year. After failing miserably in PSL V with an unceremonious exit after the league phase when the Sarfaraz-led side ended in fifth spot, Quetta Gladiators — …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded 40 more coronavirus-related deaths in past 24 hours, surging the overall death toll to 12,527. According to the latest statistics of the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), the COVID-19 has claimed 40 more lives and 1,245 fresh infections were reported. The total count of active cases is 24,139. In the past 24 hours, as many …

PARIS: Health authorities in some European countries are facing resistance to AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after side-effects led hospital staff and other front-line workers to call in sick, putting extra strain on already-stretched services. Such symptoms, as reported in clinical trials for the AstraZeneca shot, can include a high temperature or headache and are a normal sign that the body is …

TOKYO: Japanese athlete-turned-politician Seiko Hashimoto has been chosen as president of the Tokyo 2020 Organising committee, replacing a man who resigned after setting off a furore with sexist remarks. Hashimoto, who competed in seven Summer and Winter Olympics as a cyclist and a skater, now faces a raft of tough issues at the helm of one of the world’s biggest …

MELBOURNE: Defending champion Novak Djokovic declared himself fighting fit for the Australian Open final after ending the incredible run of Russian qualifier Aslan Karatsev to ease into his ninth decider at Melbourne Park on Thursday with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win under the lights at Rod Laver Arena and will battle either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Daniil Medvedev for the title. …

KARACHI: No HBL Pakistan Super League champions had ever managed to retain their crown but Karachi Kings are determined to change that around under their new head coach Herschelle Gibbs with Babar Azam — arguably one of the best batsmen in present world cricket — set to play a pivotal role. But if Karachi Kings do lose their grip of …

AHMEDABAD: England head coach Chris Silverwood has apologised for the confusion surrounding Moeen Ali’s departure from the India tour midway through the Test series after skipper Joe Root said the spinner had ‘chosen to go home’. Moeen played in the second Test against India in Chennai where he picked up eight wickets while he was also England’s top scorer in …

It is the hallmark of sports media to talk up their own athletes, their own sports and their own leagues in a bid to project an image far greater than reality. It is this hyperbole that sees American media declare Super Bowl winners as “world champions” even though the National Football League (NFL) is a local event at best; not …

Gwadar Cricket Stadium, being dubbed as the “world’s most beautiful cricket stadium” by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (HRD), held an exhibition match on Friday. An aerial view of the Gwadar Cricket Stadium. — Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and HRD Twitter account The match was held between Gwadar Dolphins, captained by PM’s aide Zulfiqar Bukhari, and …