Category: Sports

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  • Naomi Osaka might take another break after shocking defeat at US Open

    Naomi Osaka might take another break after shocking defeat at US Open

    “I honestly don’t know when I am going to play my next tennis match,” announced defending US Champion Naomi Osaka at her news conference after a shocking loss to 18-year-old Leylah Fernandez from Canada. Osaka broke down during the news conference after making this announcement.

    “I think I am gonna take a break from playing for a while,” added Osaka.

    “I feel like for me, recently, like when I win, I don’t feel happy. I feel more like a relief. And then when I lose, I feel very sad,” Osaka said earlier in the post-match news conference. “I don’t think that’s normal.”

    Just a few months ago, Osaka withdrew from the French Open after revealing she has struggled with her mental health since first becoming a Grand Slam champion in 2018. Osaka announced her withdrawal from Roland Garros a day after she was fined $15,000 by the French Open and warned that she could face expulsion from the tournament, following her decision not to speak with the press during the tournament.

    The 23-year-old World Number 3 also missed Wimbledon before returning to tennis at the Tokyo Olympics, where she lit the flame at the opening ceremony.

  • Pakistan squad for New Zealand, England and ICC T20 World Cup announced

    Pakistan squad for New Zealand, England and ICC T20 World Cup announced

    Pakistan cricket selectors have named the 15-player squad for the upcoming Twenty20 Internationals (T20I) against New Zealand and England, and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021.

    The seven home T20Is in Lahore and Rawalpindi will be played from September 26 to October 14, while Pakistan will proceed to take on India in a battle of former champions in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup opener in Dubai on October 24.

    Domestic performers Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah have been drafted into the side to provide more firepower in the middle-order.

    The 15-player squad includes five batters (Asif Ali, Babar Azam, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez and Sohaib Maqsood), two wicketkeeper-batters (Azam Khan and Mohammad Rizwan), four all-rounders (Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr and Shadab Khan) and four fast bowlers (Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Hasnain and Shaheen Shah Afridi).

    Travelling reserves are Fakhar Zaman, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.

    Announcing the squad at a presser, Chief Selector Muhammad Wasim said: “While selecting the squad, we have tried to cover all our bases by catering for the modern day brand of T20 cricket that will be required to perform impressively in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. This includes trusting the abilities, skills and experience of the players to perform in a high-pressure global tournament in conditions that are familiar to us, as well as looking at the teams we will play in Group-2 matches.”

  • VIDEO: Wasim Akram reunites with daughter after 10 months

    VIDEO: Wasim Akram reunites with daughter after 10 months

    Former cricket legend Wasim Akram finally reunited iwith his wife Shaniera Akram and daughter Aiyla after 10 long months in Melbourne, Australia.

    Wasim shared a beautiful video clip on Twitter of the reunion with his daughter and we can’t stop thinking about how cute it is.

    In the video, Aiyla can be seen rushing towards the door to meet her father. She opens it and joyfully jumps into her father’s arms for a long hug.

    “Finally seeing my daughter after 10 months apart! Thank you @iamshaniera for raising such a beautiful little princess while we have been apart #HappyDays #Australia,” the former cricketer captioned the emotional reunion video.

    Wasim can be heard saying he missed her very much.

    Pakistan-based Australian Shaniera Akram retweeted her husband’s post, captioning it, “MashAllah”.

    Shaniera also shared the clip on her Instagram stories, saying: “In each other’s arms after 10 months apart. Excuse my emotional scream.”

    While she also shared a heartwarming picture of the father daughter duo.

    Shaniera and daughter Aiyla have been stranded in Australia for the last 11 months, while Wasim was in Pakistan. The former cricketer, however, is now in Melbourne with his family.

  • Haider Ali bags first-ever Paralympics gold for Pakistan

    Haider Ali bags first-ever Paralympics gold for Pakistan

    Paralympian Haider Ali made the country proud by winning the first-ever gold medal for Pakistan in Paralympics discus throw competition, with a top podium finish in the discus throw event at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics on Friday.

    Haider threw a 55.26 metres throw in his fifth attempt out of the total six he made to score the best distance.

    The silver medal was bagged by Ukraine’s Zhabnyak with a 52.43 metres throw, while Brazilian Teixeira de Souza won bronze with a 51.86 throw.

    Earlier, Haider had won two medals, a silver in Beijing and a Bronze in Rio in the long jump event for Pakistan.

    While talking to a local news publication, Ali said that having the uncertainty in training was tough, but then the second set of problems arose with having no support from the government of Pakistan in helping the para-athletes’ travel to Tokyo.

    Earlier the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) Media Director Huma Beg had shared that the tickets for the athletes were also bought just a few days before their scheduled arrival in Tokyo. The committee did not have any backing from the government in sending the athletes to the Games, but then the Government of Punjab helped in the end in facilitating the tickets, and most of the preparation was done on self-help basis.

    Ali is acutely aware of the fact that Pakistan Government has not played the part that it should have.

    Along with Government of Pakistan and Paralympic Pakistan, many congratulated the athlete for his accomplishment.

    Soon after his win, Congratulations Pakistan started trending on Twitter and thousands of fans started congratulating him on Pakistani Twitter. Paralympics Pakistan shared a video of Pakistani Hero Ali thanking the people for their wishes.

  • Dale Steyn announces retirement from cricket

    Dale Steyn announces retirement from cricket

    South African fast bowler Dale Steyn announced his retirement from all formats of cricket on Tuesday.

    He told ESPNcricinfo that his decision was prompted partly by the Covid-19 pandemic, and partly because, at 38, he is looking forward to “life starting again” after 18 years of professional cricket.

    “I guess Covid-19 kind of made me see things differently, it wasn’t fun anymore. And if it’s not fun then it’s not worth doing,” Steyn said.

    “Bittersweet but grateful,” he wrote in his social media post, as he thanked his family and teammates as well as journalists, fans.

    “It’s been 20 years of training, matches, travel, wins, losses, strapped feet, jet lag, joy, and brotherhood. There are too many stories to tell. Too many faces to thank.”

    “It’s been an incredible journey together,” he added.

    Replying to the speedster, South African goat Ab Devilliars said: “Great player, great man, amazing memories! You picked a good song to sign off my bud. Legend forever!”

    Steyn, South Africa’s highest Test wicket-taker with 439 strikes in 93 games, made his professional debut in 2003 in a first-class game for Northerns. He stepped away from the longest format two years ago, to concentrate on white-ball cricket. Since then, he has not played in any ODIs and only three T20Is, though he did have plans of playing in one more T20 World Cup.

    Many cricketers and notables related with cricket wrote comments for the South African great.

  • Kohli gets angry at a presser after a pricking question from a journalist

    Kohli gets angry at a presser after a pricking question from a journalist

    After a humiliating defeat by an innings and 76 runs in the third Test against England, Indian captain Virat Kohli was being asked sharp questions in the press conference and he got angry and ignored a pricking question by a reporter.

    In a viral video, a reporter questioned Kohli about playing on the backfoot. To this, Kohli replied: “I don’t know how to answer this question? How can you play every ball on the backfoot? Unless it is according to his length.”

    Even before Kohli could complete his point, the journalist started saying: “Due to playing less on the back foot, Team India missed the opportunity to score more runs.” There was a bit of anger on Kohli’s face here, but he answered while calmly handling himself: “Yes, thank you!” The video of this moment is going viral on Twitter.

    In the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli said: “When you get out within 80 runs (in the first innings) then it is the pressure of the scoreboard and after that the opponent team makes such a big score.” The Indian team had scored 215 runs for two wickets on the third day, due to which it was in good condition. Kohli said, “But we played well yesterday to stay in the match, we tried as much as we could and also gave ourselves a chance.”

    Regarding the England bowlers, he said: “But today the England bowlers put a lot of pressure and in the end got the result they wanted.” Kohli said: “The first innings score was very bad, it can happen in this country, the whole innings collapses like a pack of cards.”

    On the fourth day’s play, he said: “We thought the pitch was good for batting. But the disciplined bowling forced them to commit mistakes and the pressure was too much. When you are not scoring runs, it is very difficult to get over the pressure. Due to this the batting collapsed.”

    After third Test, the series delicately poised at 1-1, the action now moves to The Oval in London for the fourth Test.

  • India suffers defeat by innings and 76 runs in Headingley

    India suffers defeat by innings and 76 runs in Headingley

    India suffered a humiliating defeat by an innings and 76 runs in the third Test match against England at the Headingley Cricket ground on Saturday.

    “Basically down to scoreboard pressure. Always up against it when you get out for under 80, and the opposition puts up such a big score. But we did well to stay in the game yesterday, fight back as much as we could, and gave ourselves a chance. But the pressure today was outstanding from the England bowlers and eventually they got the results they wanted,” said Virat Kohli in the post-match presentation ceremony.

    India were skittled out of 278 after resuming the day at 215/2. In what was expected to be easy batting conditions on a sunny day at Headingley, England bowlers were ruthless in their approach and finished the match in the first session of the day to jump to 14 points on the ICC World Test Championship 2021-23 table.

    With a clinical five-for England bowler Ollie Robinson bagged Player of the Match Award, taking seven wickets overall.

    With the series delicately poised at 1-1, the action now moves to The Oval in London for the fourth Test.

  • ‘That moustache is not coming home’: Shaniera warns Wasim

    ‘That moustache is not coming home’: Shaniera warns Wasim

    Shaniera Akram, who is currently stuck in Australia due to Covid-19 restrictions, has warned her husband to remove his moustache before going there.

    Taking to Instagram, Wasim Akram, who is quarantining in Melbourne, posted a video of himself and shared that it’s his eighth day in quarantine and he has grown a moustache.

    While commenting on his post, Shaniera said: “That moustache is not coming home with you.”

    The former cricketer reached Autralia last weak and posted, saying: “Day 6th in quarantine 8 more days to go . I look and feel like total junglee and before you ask I am in Melbourne to be with my wife and little princess.”

    Replying to her husband, Shaniera said: “We love you and can’t wait to see you! Countdown is on. Aiyla and I are waiting for you. You are our absolute Hero.”

    Earlier, Shaniera posted an emotional note for Akram on being away for 145 days. Shaniera, who is originally from Melbourne, Australia, went to her home city in January and due to the coronavirus pandemic, she could not return to Karachi where she lives with her husband and children.

  • PM Khan thanks Ehsan Mani for his ‘contribution to cricket’

    PM Khan thanks Ehsan Mani for his ‘contribution to cricket’

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has thanked Ehsan Mani for his contribution to cricket in Pakistan during his three-year tenure as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman.

    Taking to Twitter, PM Imran Khan said: “I especially appreciate his setting up, for the first time, a regional domestic cricket structure in Pakistan and his role in bringing back international cricket teams to Pakistan.”

    Earlier, PM Khan approved a framework for the promotion of School Cricket in particular and Domestic Cricket in general, advising the Central Punjab Cricket Association for implementing the model in its entirety.

    The prime minister took a presentation on Domestic Cricket in Pakistan, with a special focus on School Cricket. The presentation was made by the Chairman of Central Punjab Cricket Association (CPCA), Abdullah Khan Sumbal.

    As per details, the prime minister appreciated the model developed by CPCA, an organisation that works under the PCB, and called for its replication all over Pakistan strategically.

    He asserted his total support to the School Cricket Championship beginning in Central Punjab from September 15 and stated that School Cricket had immense potential to generate and groom real cricketing talent.

    “Pleased to review efforts of Punjab for revival of school cricket, especially role of Central Punjab Cricket Association,” he said in a tweet.

    “870 schools and 231 college grounds, 355 sports facilities developed across Punjab. I urge all provinces to focus on reviving sports & providing sports facilities for our youth,” he added.

    Chief Secretary Punjab highlighted the significant role of the Punjab Government in this major initiative.

    The meeting was also attended by Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Dr Fehmida Mirza, Special Assistant to PM Dr Shahbaz Gill, CEO PCB Wasim Khan and CEO CPCA Khurram Niazi.

    Meanwhile, Mani resigned on Thursday and PCB will elect its 36th chairman on September 13 in Lahore.

  • Shahid Afridi advises girls to live life according to the teachings of Islam

    Shahid Afridi advises girls to live life according to the teachings of Islam

    Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has advised girls to live their lives according to the principles of Islam.

    According to a local news agency, this was said by the all-rounder as he visited the Bakhtawar Girls Cadet College in Nawabshah on Wednesday. Afridi was invited to visit the college by its principal Brigadier (Retd) Dr Muhammad Amin, reported Geo News.

    Afridi was accompanied by members of the Tableeghi Jamaat as well during his trip to the college.

    During his visit to the college, Afridi lectured the female cadets on women’s rights in Islam and urged them to adopt Islamic principles in life. He spoke at length about his life as a cricketer and then how he turned towards preaching religion.

    He urged female cadets to study hard but also partake in sports at the same time.

    “Focus on your studies, social media and mobile phones are time wasting tools,” he said.

    Speaking about his life as a cricketer, Afridi said at one point during his career, he thought about leaving the sport as certain captains wanted to end his career.

    “However, I got a lot of help from Islam and Tableegh,” he said.

    While sharing his thoughts on the appointment of the new Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Afridi said he expected Ramiz Raja to lead Pakistan cricket in a positive direction.

    Earlier, Geo News reported that Raja has accepted the post of Chairman PCB.

    PCB will elect its 36th chairman on September 13 in Lahore.