Sports

GENEVA: Tributes poured in from across Brazil and beyond on Friday for football legend Pele, as the country held three days of mourning for the player widely regarded as the greatest of all time after his death at age 82. Pele, a prolific goal-scorer who won the World Cup an unprecedented three times as a player in 1958, 1962 and …

KARACHI: It was always going to be draw but, since Pakistan were involved, such a take was a naive one. The hosts did come up to what was expected from them as their first Test against New Zealand saw an absorbing conclusion here at the National Stadium on Friday. In the space of less than three sessions, Pakistan went from …

IT’S the stuff of folklore; one that’s been passed on from one generation to another in Pakistan. It speaks of a legendary footballer, so good at his sport, a magician with the ball, of once asking to check the height of the cross bar after his shot came off it. The legend goes that the height of the frame wasn’t …

LAHORE: Pakistan discard Mohammad Amir made a surprise return to the National High Per­formance Centre here on Friday, fueling speculations of his potential comeback to the national side. Amir’s appearance at the facility was the first after he fell apart with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s administration under former chairman Ehsan Mani.   He had also failed to get along with …

Shahid Afridi on Saturday indicated that his association with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) as the interim head of the selection committee may not last long due to his “commitments” with his charity foundation. Speaking to reporters in Karachi, the former captain said that it will be “a bit difficult” for him to continue with his new responsibility [post-New Zealand …

ISLAMABAD: Telecom operator Zong became the latest entrant to the digital payment-solutions market with the launch of ‘PayMax’, on Friday. PayMax has been launched by Electronic Commerce Company Limited (ECCL), a fully-owned subsidiary of China Mobile Pakistan (CMPAK), the parent company of Zong. The service — which is Zong’s answer to services such as JazzCash and EasyPaisa offered by other …

ADELAIDE: Novak Djokovic will never forget how it felt to be deported from Australia earlier this year but the Serb said his willingness to return for next month’s Grand Slam at Melbourne Park shows the depth of feeling he has for the country. Djokovic was deported on the eve of the 2022 Australian Open in January for not being vaccinated …

KABUL: Rashid Khan will captain Afgha­nistan in Twenty20 internationals after being named as the replacement for Mohammad Nabi by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Thursday. Nabi stepped down as captain in November, after Afghanistan were eliminated from the T20 World Cup without winning a match. This will be Rashid’s second stint as captain. The spinner resigned immediately after Afghanistan’s …

SAO PAULO: Brazilian football icon Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player of all time and a three-time World Cup winner who masterminded the “beautiful game”, died on Thursday at the age of 82, his family said. “Everything we are is thanks to you. We love you infinitely. Rest in peace,” daughter Kely Nascimento wrote on Instagram. Via Kely Nascimento/Instagram. …

LAHORE: Almost all top-level officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board, particularly those who are drawing hefty salaries, have been conveyed the message by high authorities that the PCB cannot afford huge remunerations, and the Board in this regard has given them time to decide about their future with the organisation. “The message has been conveyed to all [officials] that the …