Australia’s batting mainstay Steve Smith is confident the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand will be played on a safe, quality pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and does not want the venue to lose the marquee fixture over surface concerns. A Sheffield Shield match at the MCG was abandoned on Sunday because of a dangerous pitch with several …

For someone who often leads by example, India captain Virat Kohli is appalled by the team’s sloppy fielding against West Indies and wants them to fix the problem in the build-up to next year’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia. India, who had dropped five catches in the series opener on Friday, spilled three more on Sunday to allow West Indies …

KATHMANDU: Star wrestler Inam Butt, squash player Tayyab Aslam, weightlifters Nooh Datagir Butt and his brother Hanzala, and the handball team won gold medals at the South Asian Games on Sunday, taking Pakistan’s tally up to 29. Inam overcame Nepal’s Summit Kumar in the 92kg final, having been down 4-6 in the first round. “I used the double leg technique …

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opener Lendl Simmons struck an unbeaten 67 as West Indies beat India by eight wickets in the second Twenty20 International on Sunday to level the three-match series at 1-1. Simmons put on crucial partnerships including a 73-run opening stand with Evin Lewis, who made 40, as West Indies chased down their target of 171 with nine balls to spare …

LONDON: Leicester City closed the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool as Jamie Vardy extended his red-hot streak with a brace in Sunday’s record-breaking 4-1 rout of Aston Villa. Brendan Rodgers’ second-placed side moved within eight points of Liverpool thanks to goals from Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jonny Evans at Villa Park. Jack Grealish had reduced the deficit to 2-1 …

Sri Lanka’s cricket team arrived in Islamabad on Monday ahead of their Test series against Pakistan starting on December 11. Test cricket is returning to Pakistan after over a decade as the Sri Lankan team plays its World Test Championship matches in the country. The first Test will start on Wednesday at Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi followed by a …

LOS ANGELES: Disney blockbuster “Frozen 2 was among the  top five films in North American theaters which remained  unchanged this weekend from last. The animated musical earned  an estimated $34.7 million for the Friday-through-Sunday period, taking its domestic total to $337 million and its global take to $920 million. According to media reports, it  lifted Disney’s global ticket sales for 2019 past …

American model and media personality, Khloe Kardashian revelaed that she did not have any negative feelings towards ex-boyfriend Tristan Thompson and Jordan Woods. Turning to her Instagram stories to talk about her relationship with Thompson, 28, and Woods, 22, Kardashian said that she was disappointed some people were trying to create something that wasn’t there. “I’ve been watching a lot …

LOS ANGELES: The much-awaited “Wonder Woman 1984” trailer debuted on Saturday, showing Gal Gadot in her role as the iconic character known as Diana Prince. The highly-anticipated adventure returning for the sequel is on-screen love Chris Pine, who plays as Steve Trevor, an intelligence officer in the military. In the first trailer audience will have a few glimpses of Chris …

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood star and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine   actor Rene Auberjonois died in Los Angeles on Sunday after a battle with lung cancer. He was 79. “We are heartbroken to confirm that Rene passed away today,” a statement on the actor´s website said. In his official biography, the cause given was metastatic lung cancer. Auberjonois earned legions of fans for …