Sports

MELBOURNE: Former Australia all-rounder Cameron White ended his nearly two-decade-long professional cricket career on Friday, saying he wants to focus on coaching. “I’ve definitely finished up playing, that’s for sure,” White, who turned 37 this week, told Cricket Australia website. “To be totally honest, I’m pretty content. I think my time is definitely up, I’ve had enough from a playing …

SOUTHAMPTON: Teena­ged pace sensation Naseem Shah and young batsman Haider Ali were named in the shortlisted 17-man Pakis­tan squad named on Friday for the upcoming three-match Twenty20 Inter­nat­ional series against England. The 17-year-old Naseem has been a regular feature in Test cricket since making his debut against Australia last November, while 19-year-old Haider has been included by chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq …

BARCELONA: Lionel Messi still wishes to leave Barcelona after meeting new coach Ronald Koeman, according to reports in the Spanish media on Friday, as all four sports newspapers dedicated their front covers to the Argentine’s uncertain future. Marca — Spain’s biggest selling daily — said the Argentine told Koeman that he was more likely to leave the club than to stay, …

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has a tentative plan to hold the remaining four matches of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) soon after the end of the proposed Zimbabwe tour to the country in October. It is learnt that as the broadcasters’ staff will also be in Pakistan, covering the white-ball internationals against Zimbabwe and most of the foreign …

MELBOURNE: Australia will pick their best XI against England during the white-ball tour next month but fringe players can win selection by impressing in intra-squad warm-up matches, head coach Justin Langer said on Thursday. Australia will bring a bumper 21-man squad for the T20 and one-day series in Southampton and Manchester due to the logistical difficulties of flying in reinforcements …

LAHORE: Despite facing a storm of criticism over the team’s poor show and his own dismal batting form, Pakistan captain Azhar Ali sounded highly optimistic on Thursday, backed his misfiring players and hoped for a series-levelling victory against England in the third and final Test starting at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Friday. “Our batsmen are defying the tough …

Olympia Valance on Wednesday took social media by storm by revealing that she has been the victim of a cybercrime. According to the actress, her private pictures were shared online after her phone was hacked in what she described as a “traumatising” cybercrime. The Neighbours actress wrote she had been dealing with the “profound violation” for over a year, which …

ISLAMABAD: After criticism over the amount of time lost during the drawn second Test between Pakistan and England in Southampton, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is considering more flexible start times to make up for lost play due to poor weather and bad light during the third and final Test of the series. The third Test, also being …

SHANGHAI: Football fans in China may return to the stadiums after the coronavirus pandemic since the Chinese Super League started working towards allowing a very limited number of spectators into a high-profile match on Saturday. It is a major step towards normalising football in China, where the virus was first detected last year, and could pave the way for some …

WHETHER it was because of the anger of being perceived as enemy at the gates; or annoyance at being asked to play the waiting game; or a reporter’s statement of good intentions inadvertently touching a nerve, Salim Malik — remembered still for his calm, calculating captaincy, for his nimble footwork and for being an artisan with the bat — was …