LONDON: Pakistan pacemen Mohammad Abbas and Hasan Ali took four wickets apiece as England suffered yet another top-order collapse at Lord´s on Thursday. Hopes that a return home and a rejigged top-order picked by new national selector Ed Smith would help rid England of the batting slumps that plagued them during a run of seven straight Tests without a victory ...

LAHORE: Pakistan women hockey player Afshah Noreen has signed to play hockey for Queensland-based, Cairns hockey club in Australia. The forward who has been in and out of the national team has managed to sign a three-month contract with the club down under. Speaking to the media before her departure, Afshah said that she is looking forward to representing the ...

TOKYO: Barcelona legend Andres Iniesta joined Japan’s Vissel Kobe on Thursday, the club’s owner Hiroshi Mikitani said, describing him as a “world-class” player. “I am pleased to announce today that Andres Iniesta will be signing up to play with Vissel Kobe after his historic career at FC Barcelona,” Mikitani told reporters in Tokyo. The 34-year-old Spanish World Cup winner, who ...

PARIS: When Maria Sharapova last played the French Open in 2015, she did so as defending champion. Denied a wildcard by Roland Garros organisers last year on her return from a 15-month doping ban, the Russian was dogged by injury and controversy as she tried to get her career back on track. Now 31, it would have been understandable had ...

KIEV: Istanbul’s Ataturk Olympic Stadium will host the 2020 Champions League final, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin confirmed in Kiev on Thursday. The 76,000-capacity ground played host to Liverpool’s famous comeback from 3-0 down to win the Champions League on penalties over AC Milan in 2005. UEFA have been under pressure to ensure future final host cities have the hotel and ...

Virat Kohli’s much-anticipated county stint has been cancelled with a neck injury suffered during his penultimate IPL on May 17. The India captain will not be training for the next three weeks with a BCCI press release saying he will only resume on June 15 at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. He will then undergo a fitness test before ...