Sports

LAHORE: Multan Sult­ans’ team manager Haider Azhar has been handed a one-match suspension for a Level 3 breach he committed during the final of the the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) final at the Gaddafi Stadium last Saturday. The breach relates to the Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. “I hope this sanction will act as a …

SHARJAH: Pakistan skipper Shadab Khan vowed his new-look side will put up a good fight against a formidable Afghanistan side in the three-match T20 International series starting in Sharjah on Friday. Shadab replaced Babar Azam for the series as Pakistan decided to rest their regular skipper along with seniors Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf. Instead, …

KARACHI: Pakistan will not participate in this year’s Asia Cup if it is deprived of the hosting rights of the tournament owing to India’s concerns over touring the neighbouring country due to security issues. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting on Monday, Dawn understands, was not enough to break the deadlock between the body and the Pakistan Cricket Board over the matter, …

WELLINGTON: New Zealand middle and long-distance runner Zane Robertson, who competed at the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, has been banned for eight years for doping and interfering with the testing process, the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand said on Wednesday. The 33-year-old, a bronze medallist in the 5,000 metres at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, received one four-year ban for testing …

BUENOS AIRES: Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates will make a triumphant return to their homeland on Thursday when they play their first match since winning the World Cup in Qatar. More than 1.5 million fans applied for 63,000 available tickets for the match against Central American minnows Panama at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires. Football-mad Argentines were out …

DHAKA: Uncapped Bangladeshi cricketers Rishad Hossain and Jaker Ali Anik were named to the Bangladesh squad Wednesday for next week’s three-match T20 International series against Ireland. Leg-spinner Rishad, 20, has shown promise in domestic matches, while 25-year-old wicket-keeper/batsman Anik was a crucial member of the Comilla Victorians’ title-winning team this year. Batsman Afif Hossain, left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam and wicketkeeper-batsman …

CHENNAI: Leg-spinner Adam Zampa took four wickets as Australia beat India by 21 runs to clinch the three-match One-day International series 2-1 on Wednesday. Electing to bat, Australia could not capitalise on a strong start and were bowled out for 269 in 49 overs on a slow track at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Their bowlers, led by Zampa, did an …

LAHORE: The Pakis­tan cricket squad left on Wednesday for Sharjah, without batting coach Mohammad Yousuf, to play a three-match T20 International series agai­nst Afghanistan. According to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official, the 48-year-old Yousuf cited some personal reasons for not going to Sharjah for the March 24-27 series. In place of Yousuf, interim head coach Abdul Rehman will take …

ISTANBUL: World Cup winner Mesut Ozil announced his retirement from football on Wednesday after an illustrious international career with Germany and club spells with Real Madrid and Arsenal. The 34-year-old helped Germany to glory in Brazil in 2014 but bitterly quit the international scene after the Germans crashed out of the 2018 tournament in Russia. “After thoughtful consideration, I’m announcing my immediate …

PARIS: Paris St Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has been named France captain to succeed Hugo Lloris, the French football federation (FFF) said on Monday. French sports daily L’Equipe reported that Mbappe had accepted the captaincy after speaking with coach Didier Deschamps. “Didier Deschamps has named Kylian Mbappe the new captain of Les Bleus. Antoine Griezmann if the vice-captain,” the FFF said on …