Sports

COLOMBO: Former spin bowler Sachithra Senanayake was on Wednesday arrested on allegations of match-fixing under a Sri Lankan law aimed at stamping out corruption in cricket in the country. The 38-year-old was taken into custody by a police unit investigating sports-related crimes, a police spokesman told AFP. Formal charges were yet to be filed, but the spokesman said the arrest was …

BLOEMFONTEIN: Australia have set winning the five-match One-day International series in South Africa as their primary task as they use the games to hone their preparations for next month’s World Cup in India, said captain Mitchell Marsh on Wednesday. Australia take on their hosts in the first ODI in Bloemfontein on Thursday where the wicket is expected to be flat …

Fans could be facing disappointment once again as the Pakistan-India one-day match in the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup on Sunday is likely to be hampered by rain, according to multiple weather forecasts. Rain washed out the highly anticipated Pakistan-India match at the Pallakele Stadium in Sri Lanka on Sep 2 and brought about an anticlimactic end as the Green …

MADRID: A Spanish court said that football giants Barcelona may have benefited for almost two decades from “possible systemic corruption” within the country’s refereeing committee, court documents seen by Reuters showed on Tuesday. Investigating judge Joaquin Aguirre Lopez said he believed that any other La Liga team that competed against Barcelona between 2001 and 2018 — when the club made alleged payments …

Title-holders Sri Lanka outlasted a rampaging Afghanistan by just two runs in a dramatic finish to reach the Asia Cup Super Four stage on Tuesday. Needing to overhaul a target of 292 in 37.1 overs to oust Sri Lanka on net run-rate, Afghanistan fell agonisingly short as Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out with three needed from the first ball of …

LAHORE: Afghanistan were once cruising towards achieving the impossible, only to eventually fall out of the Asia Cup and also heartbreakingly missing out on registering at least one victory in the tournament. After Sri Lanka had fought their way to 291-8 in the final Group ‘B’ fixture here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday, Afghanistan, who had lost their opening …

NEW DELHI: Asian Cricket Council president Jay Shah on Tuesday attributed the body’s decision to host Asia Cup matches in Sri Lanka on teams’ reluctance to play ODIs in the UAE heat and abrupt changes at the top of Pakistan Cricket Board. Shah defended the move after former PCB president Najam Sethi’s recent comments in which he mentioned that during …

Pakistan are 88/2 at the end of the 18th over against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup Super 4’s match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday. Pakistan are chasing a target of 194. Tap refresh to see fresh updates Pakistan innings Pakistan’s chase continues into the 16th over but without Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam, who was unceremoniously bowled out by …

THIMPU (Bhutan): A dominant Pakistan cruised to a 3-0 win over the Maldives on Monday to seal top spot in Group ‘B’ of the SAFF Under-16 Championship and a place in the semi-finals. Pakistan, who last won the tournament back in 2011, came into the game after a 2-1 win over hosts Bhutan on Saturday and started in top gear …

WELLINGTON: Kane Williamson will captain New Zealand at next month’s World Cup after making “sufficient progress” in his recovery from a knee injury, the country’s cricket board said on Monday. Williamson underwent surgery after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the Indian Premier League in early April, which had cast doubt over his participation in the tournament. The 33-year-old had …