Marcus Stoinis says Australia must embrace pressure after defeat

Marcus Stoinis says Australia must embrace pressure after defeat

Australia all-rounder Marcus Stoinis said the Twenty20 world champions were hurting after an 89-run humbling by New Zealand in their Super 12 stage clash on Saturday, but he backed the hosts to feed off the pressure and reach the semi-finals. The result at Sydney Cricket Ground hammered Australia’s net run rate, which will be used … Read more

Acrobatic England outclass Afghanistan in five-wicket victory

England kicked off their Twenty20 World Cup campaign with a five-wicket win over Afghanistan thanks to seamer Sam Curran’s haul of 5-10 and a sublime effort in the field. Afghanistan crumbled to 112 all out in 19.4 overs after being sent in to bat. Ibrahim Zadran (32) and Usman Ghani (30) provided the only resistance … Read more

New Zealand stun champions Australia in Super 12 opener

Doug Conway scored a brilliant unbeaten 92 as New Zealand thrashed reigning champions Australia by 89 runs in a rematch of last year’s final, opening the Super 12 stage with a bang at the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday. Expatriate New Zealanders turned out in numbers at a packed Sydney Cricket Ground and were treated … Read more

Costa Rica’s Orlando Galo positive for steroid

Four weeks before the World Cup, Costa Rica defender Orlando Galo has been suspended by FIFA after testing positive for an anabolic steroid and is set to miss the tournament. FIFA said on Saturday that Galo “has been provisionally suspended and the usual procedure has been opened.” FIFA gave no timetable to prosecute the disciplinary … Read more

Taylor Fritz reaches top 10, seeks more in breakthrough year

Taylor Fritz is in the midst of a breakthrough season, reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, winning three tour titles and recently becoming the first US man to make his debut in the top 10 of the ATP rankings since 2017. A son of two ex-pros, Fritz first picked up a racket at age 2, … Read more

World Cup fans could bring political tensions to quiet Qatar

Qatar is a devoutly apolitical place, with speech and assembly heavily restricted and a large population of foreign workers who could lose their livelihoods if they cause a stir. But that could change next month when an estimated 1.2 million soccer fans descend on the tiny Gulf Arab nation for the World Cup. Authorities may … Read more

Pakistan batter Shan Masood ‘normal’ after blow to head

Pakistan top-order batter Shan Masood, who was hit on the head during a practice session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here ahead of their T20 World Cup opener against India on Sunday, is “normal” and his CT scan revealed superficial bruising. The latest update from the PCB team in Australia is that Masood’s neurological observations … Read more

Manchester United’s Fred hails partnership with Casemiro

Manchester United’s Fred said the level of his football has improved as a result of his partnership with compatriot Casemiro after the Brazilian midfielders impressed in a 2-0 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Bruno Fernandes and Fred scored as United clinched victory after dominating the game from start to finish. The midweek … Read more

UAE knock Namibia out of T20 WC with historic win

Muhammad Waseem came up with an all-round show as UAE scripted their first-ever T20 World Cup win, defeating Namibia by seven runs in the concluding group A match. Courtesy UAE’s win, the Netherlands qualified for the Super 12 from Group A, along with Sri Lanka, while Namibia, who were in the reckoning before the match, … Read more

Aimchess Rapid: Indian challenge ends in quarterfinals

India’s challenge ended at the Aimchess Rapid online chess tournament with the trio of D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and Vidit Santosh Gujrathi bowing out in the quarterfinals. Gukesh, who had beaten world champion, Magnus Carlsen, during the preliminary phase, went down 1.5-2.5 to Richard Rapport after having taken the lead with a win in the … Read more