Sports

GALLE: Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a knee injury, the team said Thursday. Shaheen, a left-arm quick, played a key part in the tourists’ opening win on Wednesday in Galle as he took four wickets in the first innings. Shaheen, key for Pakistan in all three formats, …

Australia batsman Usman Khawaja says the nation’s Big Bash League (BBL) needs to open up to private ownership if it is to survive in an increasingly crowded market for T20 cricket content. The BBL, which runs from December to early-February 2023, will clash with South Africa’s new six-team T20 tournament starting in January. Indian Premier League (IPL) team owners bought …

NEW YORK: Serena Williams was included on the entry list for the US Open on Wednesday along with fellow former champion Novak Djokovic, who will not be able to compete due to his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Serena, who returned to competition last month after a year-long absence, was added to the entry list for the Aug. 29-Sept. …

KARACHI: For all that he’s achieved in his storied career, Inam Butt doesn’t make any attempt to hide what Olympic glory would mean to him. Having risen from the dusty ‘akharas’ of Gujranwala to become a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Pakistan’s star wrestler has never been to the Olympics. There was heartbreak last time out for the 2020 Tokyo …

GILGIT: Sixteen International climbers summited Broad Peak (8,050m) on Wednesday while high speed winds hampered 170 mountaineers push to K2 (8611m), the second highest peak in the world. The K-2 expedition including 13 Pakistani climbers divided into three groups to conquer the peak reached camp 2, camp 3 and camp 4. The first group of the climbers are waiting at …

GALLE: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam on Wednesday said that Abdullah Shafique can become one of the world’s best Test openers after his epic century against Sri Lanka in Galle. Abdullah hit an unbeaten 160 to steer Pakistan home in a record chase of 342 at the picturesque venue as Pakistan won a tense opening Test in the final session on …

Abdullah Shafique hit an unbeaten 160 as Pakistan chased down a record target of 342 in Galle on Wednesday to beat Sri Lanka by four wickets in the first Test. The tourists achieved the win in the final session of the fifth day’s play to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series. The previous highest successful fourth-innings chase at …

GALLE: A Yasir Shah delivery was drawing comparisons with Shane Warne’s “ball of the century” on Tuesday, the day after the Pakistan leg-spinner ripped out Kusal Mendis. Sri Lanka’s Mendis had reached 76 on the third day in Galle when Yasir pitched one outside leg stump only for it to take huge turn and hit the top of the shell-shocked …

KUWAIT CITY: China will host the 2022 Asian Games in 2023, organisers said on Tuesday, after postponing the event in Hangzhou because of Covid-19. The Games will now be held in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8 2023, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said. The event was originally scheduled to be held in September this year, but organisers …

FOIX: Tadej Pogacar went on the offensive as promised but was never in a position to unsettle the Tour de France overall leader Jonas Vingegaard in the first of three key mountain stages on Tuesday. The defending champion attacked twice on the ascent to the Port de Lers (11.4km at 7%) and once in the descent but yellow jersey holder …