Sports

LAHORE: Saim Ayub has watched the world’s best southpaws in videos but doesn’t idolise any. The upcoming Pakistan opener wants to create his own legacy instead. The left-hander has only dazzled onlookers since emerging onto the domestic cricket scene hardly two years ago. After finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in the National T20 Cup last year, Saim showed he was …

KARACHI: Grant Bradburn was named Pakistan head coach in an extremely inconspicuous announcement by the country’s cricket board on Friday, while former gaffer Mickey Arthur’s return remained a mystery. Arthur was all but set to assume duties as the national side’s “consultant team director” according to reports that emerged within the last few weeks, and the pursuit of his appointment …

WELLINGTON: New Zea­land captain Kane Williamson looks set to miss the one-day World Cup in India later this year after rupturing a knee ligament, it was announced on Thursday. The star batsman needs surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while fielding for Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, New Zealand Cricket say. Black Caps …

BARCELONA: Karim Benzema struck a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed arch-rivals and league leaders Barcelona 4-0 to reach the Copa del Rey final in stunning fashion on Wednesday. Barca, bidding for a fourth successive Clasico victory this season, looked set for the final having edged a 1-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final in Madrid last month. But …

MELBOURNE: Australia opener David Warner is in the frame for the World Test Championship final against India but selectors’ boss George Bailey declined to back him as an automatic inclusion for the Ashes squad. Selectors will pick a wider squad in about two weeks for the WTC decider at The Oval from June 7-11 and for the first two Tests …

KARACHI: Football coaches across Pakistan had tuned in to the livestream of the 2024 Paris Olympics qualifying tournament match between the national women’s team and the Philippines on Wednesday. As much as the whole exercise was to watch the side in action, it was more to see who was on the bench as head coach. The Pakistan Football Federa­tion Normalisation …

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday appointed all-rounder Nida Dar as captain of the women’s national team and brought back New Zealander Mark Coles as head coach ahead of a hectic year-long programme. Nida, 36, replaces Bismah Maroof, who stepped down after Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in February, where the team lost three …

LONDON: Chelsea were held to yet another 0-0 draw by Liverpool on Tuesday in their first match since sacking coach Graham Potter with both sides displaying the same problems that have left them miles off the pace in this season’s Premier League. The goalless stalemate was the fourth in a row between the two teams — including last season’s FA …

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s left-arm spin duo Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam made quick work of Ireland’s top order on Wednesday to leave the tourists flailing at 27-4 on day two of their one-off Test in Dhaka. Mushfiqur Rahim’s knock of 126 put the hosts on the front foot after early wobbles in the first innings and Bangladesh were still 128 …

LAHORE: Emphasising the national ODI and T20 squads were finalised after developing complete consensus with stakeholders including captain Babar Azam, chief selector Haroon Rasheed on Wednesday hinted there would not be any big experiments with not much time left in this year’s Asia Cup and the ICC World Cup. Pakistan are set to host the Asia Cup in September before …