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BARCELONA’S Lamine Yamal poses with his new jersey. —Reuters BARCELONA: Three days after turning 18, Lamine Yamal received the most special gift of all — Barcelona’s iconic number 10 shirt, capping a remarkable breakthrough season for the youngster. Although the electric winger has eschewed comparisons to all-time Barca great Lionel Messi, he has followed in the Argentine’s footsteps by taking the number 10, also worn by Diego Maradona and Ronaldinho among other historic Barca stars. “I will try to continue this legacy,” said Yamal told reporters on Wednesday, undaunted by the shirt’s history. “Messi paved the way with the number…
TUNIS: Three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur is taking a break from competitive tennis, the 30-year-old said in a social media post on Thursday. Tunisia’s Jabeur, the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final, has struggled with her form in recent months, failing to get past the third round of a major this year. The two-time Wimbledon finalist’s campaign came to a disappointing end at the All England Club last month as she retired from her first-round clash against Viktoriya Tomova, unable to continue after a long medical timeout. The former world number two suffers from asthma and…
A reduction in County Championship matches from 14 to 12 is “the only reasonable option” to try to protect the physical and mental wellbeing of domestic cricketers, according to the players’ union.A Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) survey showed 83 per cent of its members held concerns about the physical impact of the schedule and two-thirds had worries from a mental-health standpoint. Counties have held discussions about changes to the calendar for next year, with Warwickshire seamer and PCA chair Olly Hannon-Dalby urging a reduction in the amount of red-ball cricket.”We are at a critical moment regarding the future of professional cricketers in…
INDIA TOUR OF ENGLAND, 2025 Ryan ten Doeschate also spoke about the fitness of Rishabh Pant heading to Manchester © Getty India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has hinted that Jasprit Bumrah is likely to play the fourth Test at Manchester. Speaking to the press, he said “We’ll make that call in Manchester still. We know we’ve got him for one of the last two Tests. I think it’s pretty obvious the series is on the line in Manchester, so there will be a leaning towards playing him. “But again, we’ve look at all the factors, how many days of…
JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL The International Cricket Council (ICC) has begun its Annual General Meetings (AGM) in Singapore today, July 17, where key decisions about the future of the game will be discussed. One of the most important topics on the agenda is the qualification pathway for cricket’s return to the Olympics in 2028. The sport will be part of the Los Angeles Games for the first time since 1900, with six teams each in the men’s and women’s competitions. However, the method for selecting these teams is yet to be finalised. While earlier reports suggested that qualification might be…
CNN — For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, for birdie or for bogey: Lee Westwood and his wife Helen are living every golf couple’s dream at The Open Championship. The former world No. 1 rolled back the years to make an impressive start in the 153rd edition of the sport’s oldest tournament at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland on Thursday, with his spouse caddying every step of his two-under 69 opening round on a rain-soaked Dunluce Links course. It may be considered an unconventional – but not unheard of – arrangement for most players, but Westwood never…
JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has announced an unchanged squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Pakistan, set to begin on July 20 in Dhaka. The selectors have decided to retain the same squad that recently secured a 2-1 series win over Sri Lanka in Colombo. Bangladesh lifted the trophy on July 16 after winning the final match of the series. Explaining the decision, BCB’s Chairman of Cricket Operations, Najmul Abedeen Fahim, said the focus is on consistency ahead of the T20 World Cup. “It’s a different matter if changes are necessary, but till the…
BENGALURU STAMPEDE The Karnataka government has held RCB management responsible for the stampede © Getty The Karnataka government has held Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) management responsible for the stampede that occurred outside M Chinnaswamy Stadium on June 4, which left 11 people dead and over 50 injured. The findings were revealed in a status report made public on Thursday (July 17), two days after the Karnataka High Court directed its release. The report also names DNA Networks, RCB’s event partner, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for their role in organising the event without proper clearances and pointed out…
CNN — Italian cyclist Samuele Privitera has died aged 19 following a crash at the Giro della Valle d’Aosta, his team announced. Privitera was competing in the first stage of the under-23 race in Pontey in the northwest of Italy when the crash took place. “Samuele was and always will be the life and personality of this team,” Axel Merckx, owner and general manager of Hagens Berman Jayco, said in a statement on the team’s Instagram page. “This team has always been a small family, and moments like this are unimaginable. “He was irreplaceable. His joy, his spirit, his kindness,…
CNN — Super Bowl-winning linebacker Bryan Braman, who played for two teams across seven seasons in the NFL, has died aged 38 after a battle with a “very rare form of cancer,” his agent confirmed to CNN Sports on Thursday. “Bryan Braman was a warrior in every sense – on the field and in life – facing every battle with unshakable grit and heart,” Sean Stellato said. “His passing leaves a void not just in football, but in the spirit of every underdog who ever dared to fight.” According to a GoFundMe page which was organized to help fund his…