Sports

New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive David White has said that he had “no option” but abandon the tour of Pakistan after receiving advice from the New Zealand government of a ‘specific, credible threat’. The Black Caps devastated Pakistan’s cricket fraternity on Friday after opting out of their tour of Pakistan minutes before the first ODI was to be played. They had cited …

LONDON: Martin Odegaard scored his first goal since his permanent switch to Arsenal on Saturday to further ease the pressure on Mikel Arteta as Sadio Mane helped fire Liverpool to the top of the Premier League. Defending champions Manchester City dropped two points at home to Southampton after a 0-0 stalemate while struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers lost their fourth match in …

LAHORE: While Murad Ali faces Muqeet Tahir in the men’s singles final while Mahoor Shahzad meets Palwasha Bashir in the women’s singles decider after winning their respective semi-finals of the All Paki­stan National Ranking Bad­m­inton Tournament at Ayub Stadium, Quetta on Saturday. In the men’s doubles final, NBP’s Raja Mohammad Hasnain partnering Raja Zulqarnain Haider of Wapda will compete with …

NEW DELHI: India head coach Ravi Shastri said he will not seek an extension of his contract after his tenure ends at the conclusion of the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Since replacing Anil Kumble in mid-2017, Shastri, 59, has overseen two test series victories in Australia, although the side crashed out in the semi-finals …

MISANO ADRIATICO: Duc­ati’s Francesco Bagnaia claimed a second consecutive MotoGP pole position when he set the all-time lap record in qualifying at the San Marino Grand Prix on Saturday. Bagnaia, who claimed his maiden premier class victory last weekend at the Aragon Grand Prix, set a lap time of 1:31.065 to lead a Ducati one-two with team-mate Jack Miller in …

NEW DELHI: Opener Rohit Sharma has demonstrated his leadership qualities in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and is an obvious choice to succeed Virat Kohli as India’s Twenty20 captain, according to several former players. Kohli, who has led India across formats, has decided to relinquish Twenty20 captaincy after the 20-overs World Cup scheduled in the United Arab Emirates and Oman …

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has slammed New Zealand after they unilaterally postponed the series due to a security alert. The 59-year-old Ramiz, in a tweet, felt sorry for the fans and asked New Zealand to tell on what grounds they made this decision. Ramiz affirmed that Blackcaps will hear us from Pakistan at the forum of the …

SYDNEY: Australian Test captain Tim Paine Friday said he was “extremely confident” of being ready for the Ashes against England after invasive neck surgery. The 36-year-old went under the knife on Tuesday after suffering severe pain in his neck and left arm due to a bulging disc which was hampering his ability to train at full intensity. Paine said the …

Islamabad: New Zealand men’s cricket team have reached Islamabad Airport under presidential security as they prepare to leave Pakistan after unilaterally postponing Pakistan tour on a security alert. According to details, Blackcaps has been seated in the guest lounge and they underwent mandatory PCR tests. They will depart to New Zealand via UAE through charter flight at 6 pm PST. …

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board will suffer financial losses in millions as a result of New Zealand abruptly calling off their tour just before the first of three One-day Internationals was to begin in Rawalpindi due to a security threat on Friday. “Apart from the security losses,” a PCB official told Dawn on the condition of anonymity, “this is a blow to …