Sports

LEEDS: West Indies should follow England’s example to return stronger in the next World Cup, all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite said after the two-time champions exited the tournament with only two victories from nine matches. Jason Holder and his men entered the tournament as a potential dark horse but blew hot and cold in between wins in their opener against Pakistan and …

LEEDS: Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib apologised to his team’s fans after their winless campaign in the World Cup, saying the side’s big guns had let them down. Few had expected Afghanistan to make it through to the semi-final stage in only their second World Cup appearance, and the team may also have been unsettled by a late leadership change, with …

LEEDS: Dinesh Karthik insists India won’t take it easy in their last World Cup league-round match against Sri Lanka on Saturday because the title contenders want to go into the semi-finals on a high. Virat Kohli’s side has won six of their eight games after beating Bangladesh in their previous outing to seal a semi-final berth. Rather than rest on …

MANCHESTER: South Africa captain Faf du Plessis says Australia’s David Warner and Steve Smith would go a long way to restoring their reputations if they win the World Cup as he prepares to face them for the first time since the ball-tampering incident in Cape Town last year. South Africa will end their dismal campaign against Australia at Old Trafford …

KARACHI: That South Africa have never defeated Australia in a World Cup fixture for 27 years is attributed to their infamous tag of ‘chokers’. Upon their return to international cricket, they made an immediate impact with an emphatic nine-wicket victory of the 1992 tournament co-hosts in Sydney. But since that day in February, the Aussies have called the shots. In …

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur admitted his side’s failed World Cup campaign left him with mixed feeling as they crashed out despite beating Bangladesh by 94 runs on Friday. To reach the semi-finals, Pakistan needed to rewrite the record books with the biggest margin of victory in a one-day international. But they came up short as their 315-9 meant Bangladesh had …

CHESTER-LE-STREET: New Zealand sorely missed Lockie Ferguson in Wedne­sday’s comprehensive defeat by England and need the right-arm quick back to lift their bowling in the semi-finals of the World Cup, former captain Daniel Vettori has said. England got off to a flying start and were 194 for one in 30 overs before a New Zealand attack minus Ferguson, who sat …

WITH almost all routes closed for Pakistan to get into the last four and qualify for the semi-finals, the game at Lord’s today against Bangladesh would be a case of saving grace for Sarfraz Ahmed and his men it they win the contest. With England’s victory against New Zealand the other day, it is highly unlikely that Pakistan would beat …

MANCHESTER: Austr­alia may have already booked their place in the semi-finals of the World Cup ahead of Saturday’s round-robin finale against South Africa but the match still matters to coach Justin Langer. Victory over the Proteas at Old Trafford would ensure the defending champions remain top of the standings. That would mean they stayed in Manchester for a semi-final on …

Win the toss, start Asif Ali from ball one, aim for 500, bowl out Bangladesh for 100, and restart the it-also-happened-in-1992 drumbeat. It’s crazy how some super optimists are still plotting ways to semi-finals which do not exist. Or exist only in mathematical possibilities and fantasies. Pakistan are out of World Cup 2019, and so are Bangladesh. Today’s game will …