Sports

DHAKA: Left-arm spinner Nasum Ahmed and batsman Liton Das helped Bangladesh halt an eight-match losing streak in Twenty20 Internationals with a resounding 61-run win over Afghanistan here at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday. Nasum returned with career-best figures of 4 for 10 as Bangladesh bowled out Afghanistan for 94 runs in 17.4 overs after Liton’s 60 off 44 balls …

ISLAMABAD: While the historic Test series between Pakistan and Australia opens on Friday in Rawalpindi, its twin capital city Islamabad hosts the country’s Davis Cup Group I tie against Lithuania the same day. Pakistan veteran Aqeel Khan, 42, faces Lithuania’s Laurynas Grigelis in the opening singles match of the tie here at the grasscourt of the Pakistan Sports Complex today. …

LAHORE: For former great Zaheer Abbas, Australia’s tour to Pakistan will not only benefit the local fans but also the cricket as a sport globally. Pakistani fans have waited for more than a decade for full fledge cricket to return to the country after an attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore back in 2009. The Australian team’s tour, which …

LAHORE: Batting great Greg Chappell while welcoming Australia returning to Pakistan for a full series after 24 years, reckons both the teams will need to bat well noting the strength of each side is bowling in the three-Test series starting on Friday. “It is good to see Australian team back in Pakistan again. I am looking forward to this series,” …

Opener Imamul Haq cracked a maiden Test century Friday to lead Pakistan’s solid start in the first match of the series against Australia in Rawalpindi. The 26-year-old left-hander struck Australian paceman Mitchell Starc through the covers to the boundary to reach three figures in the final session of play on the opening day after Pakistan won the toss and opted …

Ashes-winning Australia will face unfamiliar conditions, heavy security and unpredictable, but talented, opponents when they begin their first Test in Pakistan for 24 years on Friday. Having landed in Islamabad just three days ago to be immediately engulfed in “head of state-level security”, the Australians have had little time to acclimatise to conditions in Rawalpindi, where the first Test will be played. …

MONTERREY: Elina Svitolina put on the yellow and blue colors of Ukraine and beat Anastasia Potapova of Russia 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday in the opening round of the Monterrey Open, deciding she could do more for her country by playing than boycotting the match. Top-seeded Svitolina earlier said she wouldn’t play against Potapova in Mexico or against any Russian or …

LAHORE: Khalid Mahmood, who was heading the Pakistan Cricket Board in 1998 when Australia last toured Pakistan, on Wednesday said many things have changed during the past 24 years. “I joined the PCB as chairman at a time when a number of [Pakistan] cricketers were not available for different reasons and match-fixing allegations were being levelled on some cricketers. Amid …

LONDON: Russia continued to attract sporting sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine but Russian and Belarusian athletes who have gathered in Beijing for the Winter Paralympics earned a reprieve on Wednesday as they have been allowed to compete — albeit as neutrals. The Winter Paralympics begin on Friday and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) decided that Russian and Belarusians will …

ISLAMABAD: The winners of Australia’s first Test series in Pakistan in nearly a quarter of a century will lift the trophy named after two legendary leg-spinners from both countries: Richie Benaud and Abdul Qadir. Pakistan captain Babar Azam and his Australian counterpart Pat Cummins unveiled the Benaud-Qadir Trophy at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, two days ahead of the …