KARACHI: – Middle-order batsman Fawad Alam awaits selectors’ attention despite performing up to par in domestic cricket. Selectors’ continued inattention towards a capable middle-order wicket-saver has raised quite a few eyebrows. Cricket pundits have expressed concern over his non-selection in the team despite chief selector Inzimam-ul-Haq’s vow that there is no other criteria of selection other than merit.

Lahore:– Pakistan has managed to retain seventh position in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) test ranking. According to the ranking, India stands at the top of the list while South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Bangladesh bagged second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth and ninth positions respectively.

PYEONGCHANG: Japanese short track speed skater Kei Saito failed an out-of-competition doping test on the day of his arrival in Pyeongchang and has been expelled from the Winter Olympics, Japan team officials said on Tuesday. Saito, a reserve athlete who had not yet competed in South Korea, was provisionally suspended after testing positive for masking agent acetalozamide and a final ...

DOHA: Five-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova suffered a shock defeat in the first round of the Qatar Open on Monday, dumped out in three sets by outsider Monica Niculescu. The Romanian, ranked number 92 in the world, 51 places behind the Russian, won 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. In a match lasting more than two and a half hours, Sharapova hit ...

WELLINGTON: Trent Boult grabbed two wickets on successive balls to help New Zealand to a 12-run win over England in their Twenty20 tri-series match at Wellington Regional Stadium on Tuesday. Left-arm seamer Boult bowled Chris Jordan and then Liam Plunkett on the final two deliveries of the 18th over to reduce the visitors to 168 for eight in their pursuit ...

Umar Akmal, Fakhar Zaman and other players at Data Darbar in Lahore  LAHORE: Seeking divine inspiration ahead of the upcoming Pakistan Super League edition, Lahore Qalandars players visited the shrine of renowned Sufi scholar Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh on Tuesday. Yasir Shah, Umar Akmal, Fakhar Zaman along with other members of the squad paid their respects at the shrine, popularly ...

 KARACHI: Lahore Qalandars on Tuesday signed a new sponsorship deal with Bank of Punjab (BoP) ahead of the third season of Pakistan Super League (PSL). The sponsorship signing ceremony was held in Lahore during which Rana Fawad, chairman of Lahore Qalandars and Taimoor Afzal, group chairman Bank of Punjab, inked the deal. According to the deal, BoP will be Qalandars’ ...

KUALA LUMPUR – Defending champions Indonesia defeated favourites China 3-1 in dramatic fashion to claim the Asia Team Championship badminton title on Sunday in Malaysia. It was a remarkable but deserved victory for the Indonesians, who demonstrated consistency and discipline to win all their matches from the group stages. Badminton powerhouse China came to the regional tournament minus their superstars ...

ASHEVILLE – Serena Williams made her long-awaited comeback to tennis on Sunday but the 23-time Grand Slam title winner and former world number one suffered defeat, playing alongside big sister Venus in a Fed Cup dead rubber. They lost 6-2, 6-3 to the Dutch pairing of Lesley Kerkhove and Demi Schuurs, with 36-year-old Serena appearing particularly slow on her feet ...

MADRID  – A disallowed Luis Suarez goal summed up a frustrating afternoon for Barcelona as the leaders of La Liga dropped points for the second week running after a 0-0 stalemate with Getafe on Sunday. After needing a late equaliser to grab a point in the Catalan derby at Espanyol last weekend, Barca could not break down a well-organised Getafe ...