Sports

Nathan Lyon took his 500th Test wicket on Sunday as Australia dismissed a rattled Pakistan for just 89 to post a thumping 360-run win in the opening Test at Perth. Pakistan’s unlikely bid to win their first Test in Australia since 1995 was left in tatters by the spin king and the home side’s formidable pace attack, who wrapped up …

JOHANNESBURG: Surya­kumar Yadav hit a dazzling century as India levelled their series against South Africa with a crushing 106-run win in the third and final Twenty20 International here at the Wanderers on Thursday. Suryakumar made 100 in a total of 201 for seven after India were sent in to bat. South Africa crashed to 95 all out with left-arm wrist …

ST GEORGE’S: Bran­don King scored an unbeaten 82 and skipper Rovman Powell blasted a quickfire 50 as West Indies defeated England by 10 runs to take a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-five Twenty20 International series in St George’s on Thursday. West Indies opener King produced a superb knock which included eight fours and five sixes from 52 balls as …

WELLINGTON: New Zealand will blood fresh talent in their home one-day series against Bangladesh starting on Sunday, giving several veteran stars a rest. The teams will meet in Dunedin for the first of three ODIs, following a drawn Test series in Bangladesh last week. Senior players including Kane William­son and Tim Southee will be rested. All-rounder Joshua Clarkson, 26, and …

LONDON: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) named Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka as its ‘world champions’ of 2023 after their performances at this year’s Grand Slams. Djokovic was given the men’s singles award for a record-extending eighth time after winning three out of the four majors, the game’s global governing body said in a news release. The 36-year-old Serb took …

LAHORE: Pakistan moved a step closer to holding the ICC Champions Trophy on Friday when the Pakistan Cricket Board signed the hosting rights agreement with the International Cricket Council. There had been doubts whether Pakistan will stay as the host country for the Champions Trophy after India had forced the PCB into hosting most of the matches of September’s Asia …

PARIS: Former Grand Slam winner Yannick Noah described his appointment on Thursday as captain of France’s men’s wheelchair tennis team at the 2024 Paris Paralympics as “a fantastic adventure”. The 63-year-old, who won the 1983 French Open before helping his country to Fed Cup and Davis Cup successes as skipper, was handed the role for his home Games by the …

ZURICH: Football clubs paid a record $888.1 million in agent service fees in 2023, an increase of 42.5% on the previous year, world governing body FIFA said in its annual “Football Agents in International Transfers” report released on Thursday. The previous record was in 2019 when worldwide spending on commissions to agents involved in the international transfer of players was …

ZURICH: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are the three finalists for the FIFA 2023 Best Men’s Player award, world football’s governing body said on Thursday. Norwegian Haaland helped Manchester City win three major trophies, the Champions League, English Premier League and FA Cup last season. Messi secured the award in 2022 after guiding Argentina to World Cup victory …

PERTH: Australia’s opener David Warner brushed aside any doubts about his Test match pedigree with a brutal 164-run assault on Pakistan’s bowlers as the hosts glided to 346-5 after 84 overs at stumps on day one of the series opener in Perth on Thursday. The 37-year-old, who intends to retire from Tests after the third and final game in Sydney, …