Sports

DHAKA: Disgraced Australian cricketer David Warner said on Thursday that his one-year suspension for ball-tampering allowed him to ‘grow as a human being’ and spend more time with family. “Life has been good for me. I have been spending time with the family. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I wasn’t sitting in the sidelines,” Warner told reporters …

IT is not unusual for Pakistan batting in recent times to fall in disgrace against pace and bounce and it wasn’t any different here at Newlands for them to be bowled out once again without reaching a respectable score and make a case for their defense of the series. For our batsmen, whether they bat first or at the end, …

SYDNEY: Test skipper Tim Paine on Wednesday urged Australia’s public to give the disgraced Steve Smith and David Warner a second chance, saying he hoped ‘they’re welcomed back’ into the national team. The pair’s year-long ban for ball-tampering is due to expire at the end of March and they are widely expected to be rushed back into a side that …

LAHORE: While declaring that blunders were committed in running Pakistan hockey during the past 15 years, newly-appointed associate secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation Ayaz Mahmood on Wednesday said with improved strategy and planning the country could regain its position in world hockey. Former Olympian Ayaz has been appointed as PHF associate secretary on ad hoc basis to run the …

SYDNEY: India reversed their decision on Wednesday to rule out top spinner Ravichandran Ashwin from the fourth Test against Australia, while pace spearhead Ishant Sharma was mysteriously missing from their 13-man squad. Indian officials had earlier told reporters Ashwin had not recovered from an abdominal strain that has kept him out of the last two Tests, and skipper Virat Kohli …

CAPE TOWN: South Africa are to keep up their pace barrage of Pakistan’s frail batting line-up as captain Faf du Plessis said that fast bowler Duanne Olivier will be retained for the second Test at Newlands starting here on Thursday. Pakistan, meanwhile, will have their premier seamer Mohammed Abbas back from injury and playing one batsman short against a touring …

TO be at Newlands in Cape Town is an experience of a lifetime and when a Test is on like the one starting today it is an occasion to savour even more. I only wish, though, that Pakistan after being beaten at Centurion by a humiliating margin of six wickets, make a fight of it here and stand up to …

Pakistan struggled against South Africa’s all-out pace attack to slip to 75-5 at lunch on Thursday on the opening day of the second Test. South Africa’s four fast bowlers all had wickets, with Duanne Olivier taking two and Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada one each to leave Pakistan reeling at Newlands. South Africa won the first Test by six …

South Africa and Pakistan must resolve selection headaches ahead of the second Test starting at Newlands on Thursday. South Africa’s six-wicket win in the first Test at Centurion was set up by the bowling of Duanne Olivier, who had match figures of 11 for 96. Olivier got his chance because of an injury to Vernon Philander, who is fit again …

LAHORE: A 20-member Iranian kabaddi team has arrived here on Tuesday to take part in the three-nation series being held at different cities from January 8 to 14 also involving India and hosts Pakistan. The Indian team is likely to arrive via Wagah Border this week with matches to be held in Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Sargodha and Lahore. Iran captain Hamid …