England have awarded central contracts to fast bowler Jofra Archer and Test opener Rory Burns for the first time. Sussex’s Archer is handed a contract in both Test and limited-overs cricket, while Surrey’s Burns earns a Test deal. Also joining the list of contracts for the 2019-20 season is Kent batsman Joe Denly, who has a white-ball deal. However, bowler ...

Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia chief executive, remains cautious about the prospect of Australia resuming tours to Pakistan but said “things are heading in the right direction” following a brief visit to the country this week. Australia haven’t played in Pakistan since 1998 (although current Test captain Tim Paine was part of the World XI which travelled for T20Is in ...

Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan will go ahead after SLC confirmed that the Pakistan government had “reaffirmed” its desire to provide the Sri Lanka team with the same level of security afforded to visiting heads of state. “The Pakistan High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, on behalf of the Pakistan Government, has reaffirmed to the Sri Lankan government Pakistan’s desire to ...

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan off-spinner Akila Dananjaya was banned from bowling in international matches for a year after his bowling action was found to be illegal, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Thursday. The 25-year-old was subjected to an independent assessment of his bowling action after umpires questioned his style in the first Test against New Zealand at Galle in August, ...

Last season’s runners-up Arsenal romped to an impressive 3-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in their Europa League opener on Thursday as Mason Greenwood spared Manchester United’s blushes and Rangers got the better of Feyenoord. On a night which featured five British clubs in action, Unai Emery’s much-changed side enjoyed the best result of all with youngsters Joe Willock and Bukayo ...

Syed Fakhar Ali Shah President Pakistan Federation Baseball met Mr. Akbar Hussain Durrani, Secretary of the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination, in his office. Mr. Tahir Mahmood Secretary Finance Pakistan Federation Baseball was also present on the occasion. At the meeting, Syed Fakhar Ali Shah presented to the Secretary the report of the International Baseball Tournaments played this year. Pakistan won ...

Kim Clijsters is to make her tennis comeback at the age of 36 with a return to the WTA Tour in 2020. The Belgian, who first retired in 2007 to start a family, says she has been “inspired” by other mothers such as Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. The ex-world number one returned in 2009 and won three more Grand ...

Johanna Konta will not play any tournaments in Asia this autumn and so will not be able to qualify for the season-ending WTA Championships. The British number one has withdrawn from the China Open in Beijing because of “slight knee pain” and did not enter next week’s lucrative tournament in Wuhan in China. She is next expected to play in ...

World number one Novak Djokovic will begin his 2020 season in Brisbane, Rafael Nadal in Perth and Roger Federer in Sydney after Monday’s draw for the ATP Cup, the new world tennis team event. The championship, which will take place from January 3-12 in the lead-up to the year’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne, will feature 24 ...

Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have been no match for Afghanistan in the T20I tri-series so far, so the game on Wednesday is one neither side can afford to slip up in. Both teams have failed to produce noteworthy moments so far, and both sets of senior players have gone through a rough time, though Bangladesh hold the advantage after having won ...