Sports

DURBAN: Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque believes his team are well prepared ahead of the first Test against South Africa starting here at Kingsmead on Thursday. “South Africa are playing at home and that is always an advantage. However, we have been here for nearly three weeks and the boys have adjusted to conditions,” Mominul said while speaking at a pre-match …

DOHA: As the officials of the Pakistan Football Federation Normalisation Committee arrived at the swanky Four Seasons hotel here on Wednesday, former PFF chief Faisal Saleh Hayat made his way out. Hayat’s involvement in the Qatari capital came to an end as soon as the Executive Committee meeting of the Asian Football Confederation, where he remains a vice-president, finished. For …

PORTO: There will be at least one more World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo. The all-time top scorer in men’s international football will get to play in his fifth World Cup after Portugal defeated North Macedonia 2-0 in the European qualifying playoffs on Tuesday. “Goal accomplished,” Ronaldo said on Instagram after the match. “We made it to the World Cup in …

WELLINGTON: Alyssa Healy struck 126 from 107 balls and shared a 216-run opening partnership with Rachael Haynes as six-time champions Australia beat the West Indies by 157 runs on Wednesday to reach the final of the Women’s World Cup. Haynes made 85 as Australia posted 305-3, batting first in a match reduced to 45 overs per side. West Indies’ reply …

LAHORE: Cornered by Australia, Pakistan once again face a mighty task at the Gaddafi Stadium. Having lost the three-Test series 1-0 at the same venue, Babar Azam and his men on Thursday meet a largely inexperienced yet professional Australian side in the second ODI that would decide the fate of the three-game rubber. Tuesday’s 88-run loss was Pakistan’s tenth consecutive …

Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and sent Australia in to bat in the second one-day international (ODI) in Lahore on Thursday. Australia are unchanged from the side that won Tuesday’s first of three matches by 88 runs. Pakistan brought back pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, who has recovered from a knee injury, dropping Hasan Ali. The final ODI will be …

Travis Head capped a remarkable return to limited over cricket with a fiery century before taking two wickets to anchor Australia’s thumping 88-run victory over Pakistan in the first day-night international in Lahore on Tuesday. Head’s 72-ball 101 guided Australia to a challenging 313-7 before the 28-year-old turned his arm over for 2-35 to bowl Pakistan out for 225 in …

KABUL: Former England batsman Graham Thorpe has been named head coach of the Afghanistan senior men’s team, the country’s cricket board (ACB) announced on Tuesday. Thorpe, who played 100 test matches for England between 1993-2005, stepped down as England batting coach in February, following their 4-0 Ashes defeat by Australia. The 52-year-old was among a number of departures from the …

WELLINGTON: Tournament favourites Australia suffered a major setback on Tuesday on the eve of their Women’s World Cup semi-final against the West Indies, losing all-rounder Ellyse Perry to injury. Captain Meg Lanning confirmed the six-time champions Australia would be without Perry, who suffered back spasms during the group stage win over South Africa last week. Twenty-year-old all-rounder Annabel Sutherland is …

LONDON: Joe Root should step down as England Test captain following his side’s series loss to the West Indies, former skipper Michael Vaughan told the BBC. Root’s position is under the spotlight after a 1-0 series defeat which came on the back of a woeful 4-0 Ashes thrashing by Australia. That extended England’s poor run to four successive Test series defeats. …