Sports

BRASILIA: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticised the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the new Brazil football coach, claiming he would be better off sorting out the Italian national team’s problems. Italian Ancelotti, who has won the Champions League a record four times as a coach, will take charge prior to the Copa America in the United States …

HARARE: Sri Lanka maintained their unbeaten record at the Cricket World Cup Qualifier as Pathum Nissanka’s hundred helped secure an eight-wicket victory over the West Indies on Friday. The Sri Lankans, who had already qualified for the tournament to be played later this year in India, bowled out the already-eliminated Windies for 243 before chasing down the target with 5.4 …

LEEDS: Moeen Ali struck twice in quick succession in the third Test against Australia at Headingley on Friday after England captain Ben Stokes’s dynamic 80, his latest dashing innings, had kept the hosts’ Ashes hopes alive. Australia were 116-4 in their second innings at stumps on the second day, a lead of 142 runs, as they looked to go 3-0 …

CHITTAGONG: Bangla­desh cricketer Tamim Iqbal withdrew his retirement from international cricket Friday — a day after shocking team-mates with his sudden resignation — saying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had ordered him to change his mind. The veteran opener, 34, broke down crying while announcing the immediate end to his international career after leading his side to Wednesday’s 17-run defeat in …

Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Ehsanur Rehman Mazari on Saturday confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a committee to deliberate on the Pakistan cricket team’s participation in the World Cup in India later this year. “I received the letter about its formation last night,” he told Dawn.com over the phone, adding that Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi had been …

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) welcomed its third chief in the past six and a half months on Thursday when Zaka Ashraf took charge of the Interim Management Committee (IMC). On Dec 20 last year, Ramiz Raja was the chairman. He was removed by Prime Minister and PCB patron Shehbaz Sharif, who named an 11-member IMC headed by Najam …

LEEDS: Mitchell Marsh’s run-a-ball 118 was the cornerstone of Australia’s 263 all out on the first day of the third Ashes Test at Headingley on Thursday after the tourists collapsed either side of his blistering century. England fast bowler Mark Wood took 5-34 as the hosts backed up captain Ben Stokes’ decision to send Australia into bat on a green-tinged …

Cricketer Haris Rauf and Muzna Masood Malik’s wedding festivities have begun but there are some very important and close people who won’t be there — the rest of his teammates! Haris and Muzna tied the knot in December and their wedding festivities were scheduled for July. Well, it’s July and the party has started! He had a beautiful wedding event in Lahore …

CHITTAGONG: Bangladesh’s One-day Interna­tional captain Tamim Iqbal on Thursday announced his immediate retirement from all forms of international cricket, a sudden development coming in the middle of a series against Afghanistan. “Yesterday against Afghanistan was my last international game, I am retiring from international cricket effective right now,” Tamim told reporters. He broke into tears as he made the announcement, …

RIO DE JANEIRO: The new coach of the Brazilian national team, Fernando Diniz, said on Wednesday he will have autonomy to work and will not suffer any interference from Italian Carlo Ancelotti, who will replace him in the position in the second half of next year. “I will have autonomy and freedom to do it and there will be no …