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Left-arm firebrand heads Pakistani influx as quiet international window coincides with BBL|15 Pakistan’s left-arm speedster Shaheen Afridi is set for KFC BBL|15 as he headlines the list of nominations for this year’s Big Bash Draft. The 25-year-old rated one of the best new-ball bowlers on the planet will be available for the entire season and finals campaign, making him an instant target for the Brisbane Heat who hold the No.1 pick at this year’s draft, to be held on June 19. But the Heat boast a left-arm quick, Spencer Johnson, in their squad already and could be tied up with…
A quartet of England superstars are among the first 10 names unveiled for this month’s WBBL|11 draft Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell and Jemimah Rodrigues are among the stars in the mix with the first batch of nominees revealed for the upcoming Weber WBBL|11 overseas draft. The league has today confirmed the first 10 women’s nominees for this year’s overseas player draft, which will be held on June 19. Among that cohort is one player yet to feature in the WBBL – Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, an exciting pace-bowling allrounder hoping to become just the second Pakistan woman to feature in…
LONDON: Reigning champions Australia face South Africa in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s from Wednesday amid a chorus of criticism over the competition’s format. Wisden, cricket’s ‘bible’, was scathing in its assessment, with editor Lawrence Booth writing in this year’s edition that the WTC is a “shambles masquerading as a showpiece”. Former England captain Michael Atherton said “everyone knows the WTC in its present guise is flawed”. One fundamental problem is that political tensions mean India and Pakistan, two of cricket’s leading nations, have not played a Test against each other since 2007. The nine-nation WTC is further…
COCO Gauff of the US poses with the French Open trophy at Place de la Concorde.—Reuters PARIS: Coco Gauff said a maiden French Open trophy was “one I really wanted” after securing the title with victory over Aryna Sabalenka on Saturday. The 21-year-old secured a hard-fought 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4 win over the world number one in difficult, windy conditions at Roland Garros. “I felt like this is one I really wanted, because I do think this was one of the tournaments that when I was younger that I felt I had the best shot of winning,” said American star…
ADELAIDE: World record holder Kaylee McKeown survived a huge fright before winning the 50m backstroke at the Australian world championship trials on Monday after being disqualified from her heat and then reinstated. The reigning Olympic 100m and 200m backstroke gold medallist hit the wall in 27.33 seconds to edge Mollie O’Callaghan (27.39) in the final and book her ticket to the championships in Singapore next month. It came after a nerve-racking day for the 23-year-old, who won her morning heat convincingly but was disqualified over a slight head movement on the blocks, where competitors must be absolutely still. The distraught…
ISLAMABAD: Highlighting women-centric metrics, the Economic Survey noted that 250 women have been registered for training as boxers under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme. A total of 2,981 women have been registered for onward activities in FY2025, which include 250 for boxing and 2,731 for cricket. Young female athletes have also been encouraged register for other sports, including handball and judo. The Economic Survey 2024-25 also highlights that a lack of autonomy and opportunities for women were among the key drivers of high fertility and population growth rates. Economic Survey says 20m active bank accounts held by women; 12,000 female…
We’ve broken down the most tantalising individual bat versus ball contests set to play out at Lord’s over the next five days Pat Cummins v Aiden Markram Aiden Markram didn’t play on South Africa’s last tour of Australia in 2022-23 but in their previous encounter in 2018, the Aussie skipper Pat Cummins got him out four times. But during that series, which the Proteas won 3-1 amid the ball tampering scandal that engulfed Australia, Markram opened alongside Dean Elgar and was the leading run-scorer with two centuries. After a horrid 2022 where he averaged just 15, the right-hander returned to…
After more than 100 matches wearing maroon, West Indies’ T20 run-scoring record-holder Nicholas Pooran has announced his retirement from international cricket Nicholas Pooran, West Indies’ Twenty20 record-holder for runs and appearances, has announced his retirement from international cricket ahead of Australia’s tour of the Caribbean later this month. The 29-year-old played 106 T20s for 2275 runs at an average of 26.14. He also played 61 one-day internationals, including three centuries and one World Cup. “Wearing that maroon, standing for the anthem, and giving everything I had each time I stepped on the field … it’s hard to put into words…
Australia batting great Steve Smith is expecting a tough examination from South Africa’s impressive pace attack in this week’s World Test Championship final at Lord’s. Reigning champions Australia, who beat India in the WTC final in 2023, are favourites against the Proteas in the five-day match, which starts on Wednesday. “South Africa have a particularly good bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada, his record speaks for itself. Marco Jansen — they are a good side, they are here for a reason,” Smith said on Monday. Rabada, 30, has taken 327 wickets at an average of 22 while Jansen, 25, has…
Underrated and imposing: Hayden enters ICC Hall of Fame It’s a little over 25 years since the second coming of Matthew Hayden – an arrival that set him upon the path to today’s ICC Hall of Fame induction – found its inauspicious beginnings in the quiet New Zealand town of Hamilton. Autumn had dawned on the North Island, there was a chill in the air, and Steve Waugh’s Australians led a three-Test series against the Kiwis two-nil when Hayden replaced an out-of-form Greg Blewett to partner Michael Slater at the top of the order. The visitors won the match, extending…