Steven Smith will need to bat against top pace within the next three days and show no further signs of discomfort in order to be passed fit for the third Test at Headingley on Thursday. He said that he did not want to return unless he was “100% fit” to play in the next chapter of this Ashes series. While ...

Steven Smith has leapfrogged Kane Williamson to second place on the ICC Test rankings for batsmen after amassing 378 runs in three innings at an average of 126 in the ongoing Ashes series. Pat Cummins, meanwhile, has consolidated his place at the top of the bowlers rankings to such an extent that only four men have ever accumulated more rating ...

LONDON: England named an unchanged squad on Monday for this week’s third Test against Australia at Headingley. The injured James Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, will continue his bid to return later in the series by playing in a county 2nd XI match starting Tuesday. England’s selectors kept faith with the XI that drew the rain-affected second Ashes Test ...

ISLAMABAD: Olympian Zakir Hussain, former goalkeeper for Pakistan’s national hockey team, passed away on Monday. He was 85. Zakir Hussain’s funeral prayer will be held at his home town Gulshen Anwar Masjid, Jinnah Colony, Wah Cantt. Zakir Hussain won a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico and a silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. ...

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Monday met with Sharjeel Khan and agreed with him for his re-entry into competitive cricket. According to a PCB statement, Sharjeel Khan will complete rehabilitation designed by the board’s Security and Anti-Corruption Department, before the end of the year and then be reintegrated into top-level cricket. Part of the rehabilitation will include Sharjeel ...

The President Pakistan Hockey Federation, Brig. (Retd) Muhammad Khalid Sajjad Khokhar has appointed former great Olympian Kaleem Ullah and Olympian Nasir Ali in the selection committee, both Olympians have been included because the PHF has ambitions plan to find talent through “PHF’s Talent Hunt Program” all over the Pakistan, these two members are appointed with the consultation of chairman selection ...

Jofra Archer’s reaction after hitting Steve Smith with a bouncer was criticised by former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Sunday. Steve Smith was struck by a short ball from Jofra Archer, timed at 92.4 mph (148.7 kph), on an unprotected part of his neck on day four of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s. The right-hander fell on the ...

Australia held out for a draw after Jofra Archer and Jack Leach nearly bowled England to an improbable win in the second Ashes Test at Lord’s on Sunday. Australia were 154/6 at the close, having been set a stiff target of 267 in 48 overs when England captain Joe Root declared after lunch on the back of Ben Stokes’s unbeaten ...

MADRID: Barcelona made a nightmare start to the defence of their La Liga title on Friday by losing Luis Suarez to injury and then losing 1-0 to Athletic Bilbao, after a sensational late volley from substitute Aritz Aduriz. Suarez hobbled off in the 37th minute with what looked like a calf injury before Aduriz came on in the 88th, the ...

Manchester City were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw against Tottenham after the Premier League champions were denied a dramatic winner by VAR, while Liverpool extended their perfect start to the title race with a 2-1 win at Southampton on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s side failed to win for the first time in 16 Premier League matches dating back to ...