Sports

MUMBAI: India’s cricket board on Wednesday said fireworks at the ongoing ICC World Cup matches in Mumbai and New Delhi will be banned due to hazardous pollution levels. The hosts will take on Sri Lanka at Mum­bai’s Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. But concerns about air quality dominated news in the commercial capital of India, forcing the Board of Control for …

AHMEDABAD: Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell will miss their World Cup match with England due to concussion after falling off a golf cart this week, but head coach Andrew McDonald said on Wednesday he expects the player to make a full recovery. Maxwell was riding on the buggy following playing a round of golf ahead of their contest against the defending …

Pakistan’s World Cup campaign has taken a hit with four consecutive losses following their initial two victories, putting them on the brink of elimination from semi-final contention. Now, the outcomes of other matches are as crucial as Pakistan’s own victories in the remaining two games if they want to to secure a top-four spot. The race for the semi-finals is in full …

PARIS: Andy Murray continued his losing streak against Alex de Minaur, as the Australian rallied back in the final set to advance to the second round at the Paris Masters on Monday. De Minaur keeps alive his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin, as the 13th seed won five consecutive games in the last set in a …

PUNE: New Zealand captain Tom Latham hopes to summon the fighting spirit of the All Blacks when his side face fellow ICC World Cup semi-final contenders South Africa in Pune on Wednesday. The match comes just days after South Africa edged New Zealand by a point in a dramatic Rugby World Cup final in Paris, where the beaten All Blacks …

DHARAMSALA: Aus­tralia opener David Warner says his World Cup form is making doubters “look stupid” and hopes to add to his mountain of runs in the next match against ailing England. Warner, who has scored two centuries in his past three matches, is second on the runs list at the tournament with 413 at an average of 68.83, behind Quinton …

LAHORE: The five-member fact-finding committee formed by the Pakistan Cricket Board to investigate the allegations of conflict of interest regarding the role of Inzamam-ul-Haq as chief selector, with several players in the Pakistan cricket team on the roster of the same agency, held its first meeting on Tuesday where it collected details of the players’ agents approved by the PCB. …

ZURICH: Saudi Arabia is in line to host the 2034 World Cup after FIFA announced on Tuesday that the kingdom was the only bidder for the tournament. The decision, to be ratified officially at the end of the year providing all of the technical criteria are met, came after Australia decided against bidding for the 2034 men’s football World Cup, …

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman has no regrets about missing out on a World Cup hundred, for he knows how important it was to try and boost their net run-rate in Tuesday’s comprehensive win against Bangladesh. Pakistan began their campaign with back-to-back wins but went into the match at the Eden Gardens with their semi-final hopes hanging in balance after four defeats in …

Pakistan spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has become cricket’s top-ranked bowler but his prime concern is keeping the Green Shirts in the World Cup. The 23-year-old, who has 16 wickets at the tournament, has displaced Australian quick Josh Hazlewood at the top of the pile, taking the honour for the first time since making his international debut in 2018. Skipper Babar …