Sports

LAHORE: Marking his return as a replacement, Will Smeed made instant impact. But his heroic 99 couldn’t get Quetta Gladiators past the line. Instead, it was Peshawar Zalmi who recorded a 24-run victory at the Gaddafi Stadium to move two points clear of the Gladiators in the HBL Pakistan Super League standings — leapfrogging their opponents into the final playoff …

Australia fast bowler Michael Neser has been all but ruled out of next month’s tour of Pakistan after his domestic team Queensland said on Wednesday that the 31-year-old had suffered a side strain, with no date set for his return. Queensland said Neser picked up the injury in their Marsh One-Day Cup loss to New South Wales on Monday and underwent scans …

Ben Cutting and Sohail Tanveer have been fined 15 per cent of their match fees for “using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting” in separate incidents during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between their respective sides on Tuesday. “Ben Cutting of Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators’ Sohail Tanvir have both been fined 15 per cent of their …

NEW DELHI: India’s batting coach played down concerns on Monday about the recent poor batting form of Virat Kohli, saying he was on the brink of scoring some “big runs”. Kohli, 33, last scored an international century in August 2019, and made eight, 18 and nought in India’s recent 3-0 whitewash of the West Indies in ODIs at home. The …

LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators’ opener Jason Roy has been fined five per cent of his match fee for breaching the code of conduct after being given out during the Pakistan Super League match against Lahore Qalandars here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. Roy misjudged a fast uppish delivery from Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi as the ball had kissed his …

BEIJING: Teen sensation Kamila Valieva has been cleared for takeoff in women’s figure skating in a ruling in a Russian doping case that has caused havoc with one of the marquee events of the Beijing Olympics. Valieva will have a chance for a second gold medal at this year’s Olympics after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Monday she …

LAHORE: The training programme of Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s top javelin thrower, and his junior compatriot Mohammad Yasir in South Africa is yet to start as the athletes are still waiting for the issuance of the visa to travel to the country. The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) had made all the payments for Arshad and Yasir’s training to Northwest University …

LAHORE: Islamabad United needed a hero. Up stepped Waqas Maqsood. In an enthralling finish at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday night, the 34-year-old picked two wickets and ran out Chris Jordan on the final delivery to seal a one-run victory for his side and put winless Karachi Kings out of the playoffs race. Stunning half-centuries by Imad Wasim (55) and …

World number one Novak Djokovic has claimed he is not anti-vaccination but would rather skip Grand Slams than be forced to get a Covid jab. The Serbian was deported in extraordinary circumstances on the eve of last month’s Australian Open where Rafael Nadal won a record 21st Grand Slam trophy to move ahead of Djokovic and Roger Federer on the all-time men’s list. Djokovic …

SYDNEY: Josh Hazlewood conceded just five runs in the Super Over as Twenty20 World Cup champions Australia edged Sri Lanka on Sunday after the second game of their series finished in a tie. Australia were sent in to bat and posted 164 for 6, with Josh Inglis scoring 48 from 32 balls to lead the scoring. Dushmantha Chameera took 2-30, …