Birmingham: Rohit Sharma admitted there were "lessons" to be learnt from England’s bowlers after India suffered their first defeat of this World Cup against the hosts on Sunday.Sharma hit 102 -- his third century of the tournament -- but India fell short of their 338-run target in 31-run loss at Edgbaston.Jonny Bairstow led England’s charge with his 111 off 109 balls to set up an England victory that got them a step closer to booking a semi-finals berth.Bowlers led by Chris Woakes then bowled a disciplined line to choke India in the final overs despite a 138-run second-wicket stand between Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli."They played better cricket throughout this match. While batting they had not one but three partnerships. On the other side we had only one big partnership," Sharma told reporters after India’s first loss in seven matches."They mixed the short ball and the slower ball and forced us to hit at the longer boundaries which was a lesson for us for our next game."India need to win one of their remaining two group matches to clinch their semi-final berth, with their next clash against Bangladesh slated for Tuesday back in Birmingham.Virat Kohli’s side looked capable of making a record World Cup run chase at 198 for two from 36 overs, only to lose the plot in the last 10 overs.England paceman Liam Plunkett took three key wickets, including the prized scalp of Kohli for 66.Woakes struck early to send back KL Rahul trudging back to the pavilion for nought and later cut short Sharma’s innings in the 37th over."Losing an early wicket always puts you under pressure, and we lost KL right at the start, and they bowled pretty well in the first 10 overs," said Sharma.- Boos and short boundaries -MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were criticised for their lack of intent in the final five overs when the duo managed just 39 runs.It is not the first time that Dhoni, who remained unbeaten on 42 off 31 deliveries, and Jadhav, who made 12 not out, have got flak for batting slowly.But Sharma defended his batsmen while stressing the England bowlers made it hard for both Dhoni and Jadhav, who were both booed by a large Indian crowd in Birmingham."When MS and Kedar were batting, I think they were trying to hit, but they were not able to because of the slowness of the pitch," said the Indian vice-captain."You’ve got to give credit to English team because they used the conditions really well. They used the longer boundary really well."But Kohli was not too pleased with the ground in Birmingham having a very short boundary on one side, saying the toss became crucial due to this factor."The toss was vital, especially since the boundary was that short. It is a coincidence that it just falls under the limitations of the shortest boundary you can have," Kohli said in the post-match presentation."It is quite bizarre on a flat pitch. It is crazy things fall in place like that randomly."If the batsmen are able to reverse sweep you for six on a 59 metre boundary there is not much you can do. And one side was 82 metres."
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Sunday, June 30, 2019
Morgan says England ´A game´ can take them to World Cup glory
BIRMINGHAM: Eoin Morgan insists England can achieve their dreams of World Cup glory so long as they stick to their "A-game" after a win over India revived the hosts´ prospects of reaching the semi-finals.Morgan´s men came into Sunday´s match at Edgbaston on the back of successive defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia.But they were far more like the team that started this World Cup as the top-ranked one-day international side during a 31-run win that ended new number one India´s unbeaten start to the tournament.Jonny Bairstow scored 111 and together with Jason Roy, who made 66 on his return from a torn hamstring, shared a first-wicket stand of 160 -- the highest opening partnership of this World Cup.Ben Stokes then added a brisk 79 as England piled up 337-7 after Morgan won the toss on a good pitch. India´s reply saw Chris Woakes strike early for England on his Warwickshire home ground, while recalled paceman Liam Plunkett took wickets in the middle of the innings. "I´m delighted," said Morgan, whose side will book a place in the last four if they beat New Zealand in their final group match in Durham on Wednesday."The manner in which we played today was outstanding and resonates with everyone in the dressing room. It´s come at a good time against a really good team."England have yet to win the World Cup but Morgan said: "Having played how we did today is very encouraging for us. "The closer we get to playing our A-game, the more chance we have of going all the way. "If we were scraping along I wouldn´t be as confident."Bairstow´s hundred followed a row with Michael Vaughan.The former England captain accused Bairstow of being "negative" and "pathetic" for saying "people were waiting for us to fail".'Fire in Bairstow´s belly'A smiling Morgan said of Bairstow: "He does tend to get fired up and that suits him, regardless of what´s happened in the week. "He likes a bit of fire in his belly and I don´t mind that when he comes out and plays like that."Meanwhile, Bairstow insisted: "Look, I´m not saying I want everyone to come out and abuse me! By no means am I saying that."There´s different ways you can look at it. Along the way people have questioned technique, people have questioned conditions, everything like that.""You´re going out every time to try to score a hundred. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes you nick one, sometimes it misses the stumps and goes for four and off you pop, you´re away and running."As for Roy´s return, Morgan said: "Having him back is a big confidence booster - he´s very intimidating, hard to bowl to and he´s a gun player."Morgan also hailed the modest Woakes´ often unsung work by saying: "He is a guy who goes unnoticed but he´s an extremely valuable player for us and a great asset in the first 10 overs."Plunkett vindicated his recall with 3-55, a return Morgan said was "an outstanding effort from a very experienced player".England may have been the home team but the overwhelming majority of a 24,000 capacity crowd were wearing India colours and cheering for Virat Kohli´s side. "It was a fantastic atmosphere," said Bairstow. "We know the fanatical support the India team have. "There are two ways you can go about it -- you can either be intimidated by it or you can go and relish it and enjoy it."I think the experience of guys now playing around the world in different competitions, especially in the IPL (Indian Premier League), allows people to get used to the noise, definitely the noise, and enjoy how fanatical the Indian public are about our great game."
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Waqar Younis' meaningful note after India's defeat against England
LONDON: Pakistan's legendary cricketer Waqar Younis shared a meaningful note to define the sportsmanship of the champions after India suffered their first defeat of this World Cup against the hosts on Sunday.Taking to his Twitter account, the commentator and former coach of Pakistan cricket team said: "It's not who you are.. What you do in life defines who you are.. Me not bothered if Pakistan gets to the semis or not but one thing is for sure.. Sportsmanship of few Champions got tested and they failed badly."The cricket lovers, including the Indian fans, from all over the world slammed India's dismal performance and unnatural display of game against England as they fell short of their 338-run target in 31-run loss despite a 138-run second-wicket stand between Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli at Edgbaston.India's hard-hitter Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who's also called finisher, apparently failed to do justice to his reputation in final overs when India needed 71 runs from the five overs to maintain their unbeaten run in the tournament .Boos and short boundaries - MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were flayed for their lack of intent in the final five overs when the duo managed just 39 runs.But some of Indian players supported them and said the England bowlers made it hard for both Dhoni and Jadhav, who were both booed by a large Indian crowd in Birmingham.Defending his batsmen, Rohit Sharma said there were "lessons" to be learnt from England's bowlers: "They mixed the short ball and the slower ball and forced us to hit at the longer boundaries.""When MS and Kedar were batting, I think they were trying to hit, but they were not able to because of the slowness of the pitch," said the Indian vice-captain.India need to win one of their remaining two group matches to clinch their semi-final berth, with their next clash against Bangladesh slated for Tuesday back in Birmingham.
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Morgan says England ´A game´ can take them to World Cup glory
BIRMINGHAM: Eoin Morgan insists England can achieve their dreams of World Cup glory so long as they stick to their "A-game" after a win over India revived the hosts´ prospects of reaching the semi-finals.Morgan´s men came into Sunday´s match at Edgbaston on the back of successive defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia.But they were far more like the team that started this World Cup as the top-ranked one-day international side during a 31-run win that ended new number one India´s unbeaten start to the tournament.Jonny Bairstow scored 111 and together with Jason Roy, who made 66 on his return from a torn hamstring, shared a first-wicket stand of 160 -- the highest opening partnership of this World Cup.Ben Stokes then added a brisk 79 as England piled up 337-7 after Morgan won the toss on a good pitch. India´s reply saw Chris Woakes strike early for England on his Warwickshire home ground, while recalled paceman Liam Plunkett took wickets in the middle of the innings. "I´m delighted," said Morgan, whose side will book a place in the last four if they beat New Zealand in their final group match in Durham on Wednesday."The manner in which we played today was outstanding and resonates with everyone in the dressing room. It´s come at a good time against a really good team."England have yet to win the World Cup but Morgan said: "Having played how we did today is very encouraging for us. "The closer we get to playing our A-game, the more chance we have of going all the way. "If we were scraping along I wouldn´t be as confident."Bairstow´s hundred followed a row with Michael Vaughan.The former England captain accused Bairstow of being "negative" and "pathetic" for saying "people were waiting for us to fail".'Fire in Bairstow´s belly'A smiling Morgan said of Bairstow: "He does tend to get fired up and that suits him, regardless of what´s happened in the week. "He likes a bit of fire in his belly and I don´t mind that when he comes out and plays like that."Meanwhile, Bairstow insisted: "Look, I´m not saying I want everyone to come out and abuse me! By no means am I saying that."There´s different ways you can look at it. Along the way people have questioned technique, people have questioned conditions, everything like that.""You´re going out every time to try to score a hundred. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes you nick one, sometimes it misses the stumps and goes for four and off you pop, you´re away and running."As for Roy´s return, Morgan said: "Having him back is a big confidence booster - he´s very intimidating, hard to bowl to and he´s a gun player."Morgan also hailed the modest Woakes´ often unsung work by saying: "He is a guy who goes unnoticed but he´s an extremely valuable player for us and a great asset in the first 10 overs."Plunkett vindicated his recall with 3-55, a return Morgan said was "an outstanding effort from a very experienced player".England may have been the home team but the overwhelming majority of a 24,000 capacity crowd were wearing India colours and cheering for Virat Kohli´s side. "It was a fantastic atmosphere," said Bairstow. "We know the fanatical support the India team have. "There are two ways you can go about it -- you can either be intimidated by it or you can go and relish it and enjoy it."I think the experience of guys now playing around the world in different competitions, especially in the IPL (Indian Premier League), allows people to get used to the noise, definitely the noise, and enjoy how fanatical the Indian public are about our great game."
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Waqar wants Pakistan to raise game for must-win BD clash
LEEDS, ENGLAND: Having seen Pakistan almost suffering a shock defeat against Afghanistan, Waqar Younis urged the national team to raise their game for the do-or-die World Cup game against Bangladesh at Lord’s on June 5.“It’s still hard to know what to think about this Pakistan team,” wrote Waqar in his column for the official World Cup website.“The win over Afghanistan on Sunday was not the performance of champions and yet, somehow and some way, they are still in contention for a semi-final spot and you can never write them off,” wrote Waqar about Pakistan’s narrow three-wicket win against the Afghans at Edgbaston on Wednesday.“Look at the history of our team and it has always been like this.“Two years ago in the Champions Trophy we scratched and scrounged, got smashed by India and could have lost to Sri Lanka and then went on to win it all.“This past year has been a poor one for Pakistan as well, and yet here we are.“Even back in 1992, the best year Pakistan cricket has ever known, they started badly before they turned it around.“These parallels with 27 years ago are almost impossible to ignore at this point.“It is actually becoming quite scary at this point! Is history repeating itself? I have no idea but if Pakistan do make the semi-finals then they are going to be such a dangerous side.“For that to happen they will need some results to go their way, but most importantly of all they will have to beat Bangladesh.“To beat Bangladesh they will have to play better than they managed against Afghanistan. “That was a pretty poor showing and, to be brutally honest, you have to say that Afghanistan lost that game with some silly mistakes. “But what a rollercoaster ride it is to be a Pakistan supporter and a win at a World Cup is still a win. You can’t worry too much about the manner of the victory – the win is all that matters.“Unfortunately it has always been this way for Pakistan, we don’t seem to be able to find that collective consistency. “But there is no doubting the individual pure talent in our country, look at a guy like Imad who won us that game. “We have got the players to beat anyone in this tournament. Just ask England, or New Zealand who have already been sent packing.”Waqar doesn’t believe that Pakistan should tinker with their winning combination.“We appear to have found a perfect XI at last, and I hope they don’t tinker with it anymore. Fakhar Zaman has had a poor tournament but I don’t think it would be right to drop him now.“He should be given every chance to come good, and at the same time, just think how much pressure that would put on the player coming into the side at such an important time.“Look at the other teams doing well in this World Cup and they are making very few changes.“Pakistan have found a winning formula now and by the time they face Bangladesh, they will know what the top-four equation looks like. “It’s a fascinating finale and how can you bet against a side with such talent and history on their side? It is do or die and that is when Pakistan produce their best.”
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Afghanistan´s Hamid Hassan emotional after ending career with injury
Afghanistan´s Hamid Hassan felt he could have stopped Pakistan from getting over the line in a thrilling World Cup match if his one-day career hadn´t come to an end with a painful injury.Paceman Hassan, 32, could only bowl two overs before injuring his hamstring as Pakistan overcame a tense chase to beat the minnows on Saturday.Gulbadin Naib´s side, playing in their second World Cup, are winless in the 10-team group stage with one match to play.But Hassan, who is slated to sign off his ODI career after the World Cup, said it was disappointing to hobble off the field and see his team lose again."Of course I was looking forward to winning the game for the team. I was playing my last ODI and in a very good mood," he said."I bowled very well in the first over and wanted to keep going but. I feel like it´s something broken inside of my hamstring. I was very excited and pumped up."With Hassan out of the attack, Naib decided to bring himself on in the final stages, only to give away 18 runs to Pakistan batsman Imad Wasim."I felt very emotional because the team missed me a lot and the ball was also reversing. The situation would have changed," said Hassan, who also played in the 2015 World Cup.Right-arm seamer Hassan, who has claimed 59 wickets in 38 ODI matches since making his debut in 2009 for the war-torn nation, said he will continue to play Twenty20 cricket for another two years.Afghanistan end their World Cup campaign against West Indies on July 4 in Leeds.
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Mexico advances to Gold Cup semis, Haiti shock Canada
Goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa saved a sudden death penalty as Mexico edged Costa Rica 5-4 on penalties to reach the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals in Houston, Texas on Saturday.Ochoa stopped Costa Rica´s Keysher Fuller after the teams played to a 1-1 draw following extra time in front of 70,788 fans at NRG Stadium.Mexico will now face Haiti in the semi-finals on Tuesday in Glendale, Arizona.Costa Rica goalkeeper Leonel Moreira saved Raul Jimenez´s first penalty in the shoot-out, but Randall Leal smashed Costa Rica´s third penalty wide, setting the stage for Ochoa to send Mexico through by stopping Fuller.Jimenez handed Mexico the lead in the 44th minute, with Bryan Ruiz levelling from the spot for Costa Rica eight minutes later after Joel Campbell was judged to have been brought down by Luis Rodriguez inside the area.Television replays later showed that the foul was outside the box.Mexico manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino will be suspended from the touchlines for the semis against Haiti after he was slapped with his second yellow card of the tournament.In the other fixture, Haiti -- one of the biggest surprises of the tournament after winning all its games in the group stage -- scored three second-half goals to stun former champions Canada 3-2 and advance to the last four for the first time.Duckens Nazon got the comeback started by scoring in the 50th minute and Herve Bazile brought the sides level from the penalty spot in the 70th, with both goals coming courtesy of some sloppy defensive play by Canadian defender Marcus Godinho.And six minutes later Wilde-Donald Guerrier sealed victory for Haiti with a spectacular individual effort, sneaking past the Canadian defence then bouncing the ball twice in the air before tapping it past goalkeeper Milan Borjan.Jonathan David and Lucas Cavallini scored for Canada, who were guilty of complacency once they had built up their lead. It was a gut-wrenching loss for the Canadians who won this tournament in 2000 but haven´t made it to the semis since 2007.
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Edgbaston turns blue as ICC delivers 'One Day for Children' campaign
BIRMINGHAM: Edgbaston turned blue today as ICC Cricket for Good, in partnership with UNICEF, delivered the pinnacle event of the tournament wide ‘One Day for Children’ campaign with a special celebration at the England vs India match in Birmingham.The sell-out fixture will see players from both the world’s top ranked one-day sides in special #OneDay4Children branded kit, celebrities and legends of the game participating in unique activation, and fundraising both in stadium and across the live broadcast, while over 24,000 spectators join in the action at Edgbaston. The match promises to be a defining moment of the tournament for all the fans watching at Edgbaston and around the world.The money raised throughout the campaign will support UNICEF’s work for children in cricket playing nations across the world, as the sport’s one billion fans unite to ensure children have the chance to learn, play, and be healthy. A core focus of activities on the 30th June will be to maximise fundraising from the in-venue and broadcast audience.Tournament broadcasters Sky and Star Sports will ensure that the #OneDay4Children experience reaches television audiences around the globe, while ICC Commercial Partners are supporting the event with in-match donations. Uber pledging $500 for every 4 scored during the match and Booking.com donating £500 for every wicket taken. In addition, Gray Nicolls has created a limited edition light blue bat for the day, with 25% of proceeds going to UNICEF.David Richardson of the ICC said: “ICC Cricket for Good have enjoyed a long relationship with UNICEF, and we are thrilled to deliver ‘One Day for Children’ alongside them today. We hope that fans in the ground, across the UK and around the world get involved and donate and show the power of the global cricket community to help children play, learn and be healthy.”Mike Penrose, Executive Director at UNICEF UK, said: “Partnering with ICC Cricket for Good to deliver ‘One Day for Children’ has allowed us to raise vital funds for children worldwide and show the true power of sport for social good. The money raised through this campaign will continue to help children in cricket playing nations, with many projects using the unique power of cricket to deliver these objectives.”Steve Elworthy, Managing Director at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, added: “The experience at Edgbaston today will be unlike any other Cricket World Cup match fans have seen this summer, as we celebrate the #OneDay4Children campaign. With a sell-out ground and potentially hundreds of millions watching around the world, we can tap into the unparalleled power of the tournament’s audience to make a marked difference in children’s lives.”
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Daniel Vettori urges New Zealand not to panic after World Cup blow
Former New Zealand star Daniel Vettori insists his country are still World Cup contenders despite their recent stumbles.New Zealand suffered their second defeat of the tournament against Australia at Lord´s on Saturday, losing by 86 runs against the holders after a defeat to Pakistan in their previous game.The Black Caps are not assured of a semi-final berth with one game left against title rivals England next week.But Vettori remains confident the 2015 World Cup runners-up will stay calm ahead of the England clash and should be capable of advancing to the knockout stages."I still definitely feel that this New Zealand side can make history and win it all," Vettori said in an ICC Media column."Two losses at this stage will be tough to take but they have been so good for so long and have so many experienced players that I am sure they will pull through."It is a bit tighter now, but I still think they will feel pretty confident. Even if every result goes against them, their net run rate should still put them into the semi-finals."The nature of this New Zealand team for an extended period of time now has been to stay pretty constant, to not panic."Vettori says New Zealand have been playing well enough not to lose faith in their game-plan."They will understand that they have played some really good cricket in this tournament," he said. "They will need to call on all their nous to get through against the hosts."But even if they don´t win against England and go through via net run rate, or other results going their way, I still think they will walk into the semi-finals thinking they can beat anyone on their day."Vettori´s main concern is New Zealand´s ability to score enough runs to put opponents in trouble on slow pitches, with the Black Caps yet to reach 300 in the tournament."The only question mark for them will be the surfaces they were playing on. It looks like across the board the surfaces are getting lower and slower," he said."That makes it more difficult for batting and those partnerships are going to become more important, I am sure that will be a big focus against England."
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ICC chief happy with ´sporting´ World Cup pitches
BIRMINGHAM: International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson on Sunday said he is happy with the World Cup´s "sporting pitches", insisting they have provided good balance between bat and ball.Hosts England posted a tournament high of 397 for six against Afghanistan on June 18, but teams have struggled to get past 250 in the second innings of matches.The 10-team competition has seen sublime hundreds by the world´s top batsmen including Australia´s David Warner, New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson and Joe Root of England.But the bowlers have made their presence felt with Australia paceman Mitchell Starc leading the wicket-takers chart with 24 scalps in eight matches.Richardson said the ICC´s only direction to the pitch curators was to prepare sporting tracks."During our playing days a score of between 220 and 260 was a good score but not now. So our only direction to the curators was to prepare sporting tracks," the former South African wicketkeeper-batsman told reporters in Edgbaston."And what´s heartening to see in this tournament is how the bowlers have had a say and we have seen some exciting cricket."Of course in ODIs you will not see as many close games as in Twenty20 cricket but the matches have gone deep and that´s important."Defending champions Australia were the first team to book their semi-finals berth and now have seven wins from their eight league matches.The semi-final race opened up after England´s shock loss to Sri Lanka last week, with six of the 10 teams fighting for the remaining three spots."Even during the South Africa-India game, I believed for a while the Proteas will get a few more wickets but it didn´t happen," he said."So that´s what I mean when I say that the tournament has lived up to expectations and only improved over the years."Fan violence in Leeds on Saturday marred a World Cup match between Pakistan and Afghanistan as police were forced to intervene after fighting broke out between supporters of the two teams.Richardson said that incidents like these only make the ICC more "aware" and "prepared".Meanwhile, Richardson lauded the ICC´s work in spreading the game to different parts of the world and also contributing to society as they partnered with UNICEF to raise money for children.ICC and UNICEF got together for the ´One Day for Children´ campaign in Birmingham with a special celebration at the England against India match.The money raised will support UNICEF´s work for children in cricket-playing nations across the world.
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Sarfaraz commends star players Imad, Wahab, Shaheen for win against Afghanistan
Captain of the Pakistan team Sarfaraz Ahmed was all praises for the star players of yesterday’s match who led the team to victory against Afghanistan at Leeds, on Saturday.In a video message revealed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the wicketkeeper-batsman hailed Shaheen Shah Afridi, Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz for their remarkable performances. “It was an important event and a crucial match for us and the way that the boys handled the match was astounding,” he started off. “I’ll have to give my praise to first of all, Shaheen Shah Afridi who bowled remarkably and then of course the way Imad finished the match obviously in the middle brief innings from Babar and Imam were also good, but the way Imad handled the pressure was impresive."While he praised the bowling attack of the Green Shirts, he observed that the batting could have improved but nonetheless was full of praise for the overs batted by Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz who played a significant part in the win. Moreover, he also spoke of the qualms he had regarding Wahab’s injury on his finger and how dropping him could have been a loss for the team but he gave his 100 percent even so. Furthermore, about the upcoming crucial match against Bangladesh on Friday, the captain said while the clash remains at the very end, the players would be putting their sole focus on the game and coming out victorious regardless of what the situation turns out to be on the outside with other teams’ performances. Expressing his gratitude towards the fans who have been standing in support of the team despite the shabby performances earlier, Sarfaraz said: “You have supported us when we were in need of it the most and its only because of your prayers that Pakistan currently stands at number four.”
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Pakistani fans root for India against England
As the entire subcontinent seems to be uniting to support India in their fiery clash against England, Pakistani fans on Twitter are on a roll once again. Virat Kohli-led team’s victory today would largely write the fate of Pakistan in the World Cup. Soon after the match kicked off, Pakistan supporters once again put their best meme game forward but this time, not for the Green Shirts but their arch-rivals, India. Here are some of the best responses found on Twitter:
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We allow others to do well against us: Azhar Mahmood
LEEDS, England: So nerve-wracking was Pakistan’s three-wicket win against Afghanistan that a seasoned journalist started having chest pains while working at Edgbaston’s Press Box.The situation wasn’t much different in Pakistan’s dressing room downstairs as the team stumbled time and again before finally chasing down Afghanistan’s 227 to stay alive in the World Cup on Wednesday.Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan’s bowling coach, was sitting there helplessly watching batsmen falling one after the other to the Afghan spinners. Azhar’s palms were sweaty and his heart was sinking before Imad Wasim changed the mood with a match-winning 49.“Throughout my whole career, I think this was the worst moment for me in a dressing room,” Azhar told reporters during an interaction in the Mixed Zone after the game.“I was very nervy. Afghanistan wanted to win and we didn’t want to lose to them in a crucial game so it was quite nerve-wracking because you can’t control anything when you are in the coaching staff.“When you have to bat next, you are ready for that. But sitting in the dugout, it’s definitely very nerve-wracking.”Azhar praised his charges for the much-needed win but was quick to add that Pakistan will need to shed the habit of allowing their opponents to take the upper hand.“We allow others to do well against us. We give them a sniff. We will need to make sure that we don’t do that again,” he said.Pakistan almost didn’t win what was their easiest game of the tournament. Azhar underlined the fact that Pakistan made it difficult for them through some poor shots.“It shouldn’t have been this tough. We played some rash shots. We gave them an opportunity. When Imam and Babar were batting things were quite good. This is a world cup and what’s important is how you deal with tough situations.”Azhar, who played 21 Tests and 143 ODIs for Pakistan, heaped praise on Imad and Wahab Riaz.“We have taken another step towards the semi-finals. All credit goes to the boys. Imad was really good. Icing on the cake was Wahab.”Shaheen Afridi was one of the star performers for Pakistan as he took 4-47 to help restrict Afghanistan to 227-9“He’s got potential, he’s a very good bowler, but he’s very young,” Azhar said. “Sometimes he needs to control his emotions and, when he bowls, the delivery stride is a main concern for me when he lands on the crease.“Sometimes it’s quite a big stride so when he shortens it, that is when he’s most consistent. He also needs more balance at the crease, and the other thing is his wrist position. But we are working on all that.“Since he joined the Pakistan team, he’s the guy who has been taking the wickets for us.”Azhar pointed out that bowling alongside the seasoned pace duo of Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz was a massive help for Shaheen.“The young guy gets a lot of encouragement from the other two,” he said. “All three of them are left-armers, so that’s very helpful.“If we have to restrict the opposition to less runs, these guys are very important for us. That’s the difference because when we don’t take wickets, other teams get 300. Now these guys are taking wickets, we can restrict sides,” he said.
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Injured Wahab Riaz grateful over divine help
LEEDS, England: With a fractured hand, Wahab Riaz walked towards the wicket with Pakistan still needing 22 from 20 balls to keep their World Cup semi-final hopes alive.Pakistan had lost skipper Sarfaraz Ahmad and Shadab Khan to two needless run-out dismissals and were dangerously close to an upset defeat against Afghanistan that would have almost ended their title hopes.Though in a lot of pain, Wahab knew he had to finish off the job with Imad Wasim.“The dressing room went all quiet (after Shadab got out),” Wahab said after the game.“But then everyone started saying that we can do it. Sarfaraz came up to me and told me it could be done,” Wahab said.So what was on Wahab’s mind as he walked out of the dressing to play perhaps the most important innings of his international career?He was just pleading for divine help.“I was in a lot of pain. I just looked up and hoped Allah will help me. I left it to Him. And he helped me.”Wahab hit a six and a four in his 9-ball 15 as Pakistan managed to win the game by three wickets thanks to an unbeaten 49 by Imad Wasim.Wahab almost didn’t play on Wednesday after fracturing his non-bowling hand during a pre-match training session.“I was asked in the morning as to how much pain I could cope with. I told them that I can bowl but might not be able to give my best in batting and fielding. The captain asked me whether I was sure of giving my hundred percent with the ball. I assured him that I will. He told me that I’m playing. That gave me a lot of confidence,” said Wahab, who bowled eight impressive overs, picking up 2-29.So can Wahab play in Pakistan’s last group game against Bangladesh? It will be yet another do-or-die match for the Pakistan in which they would need Wahab’s experience to stay in the hunt for a place in World Cup semi-finals.“I was in a lot of pain today. But if I managed to play today then I can play against Bangladesh as well,” said Wahab about the July 5 game to be held at Lord’s.There were a lot of clashes among fans in the stands at Edgbaston during the match. But Wahab said that such things can happen in high-pressure encounters.“There were people from different countries sitting there watching a very high-intensity, high-pressure match,” he said.Wednesday’s narrow defeat was Afghanistan’s eight consecutive loss in the World Cup. But despite their losing spree, Wahab believes that the Afghans were a dangerous team.“They are a tough team,” he said. “Afghanistan have a very good bowling line. They have some of the best spinners in the world. I think in the future, Afghanistan will be one of the best teams in the world,” he said.
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India’s Virat Kohli feels the love of Pakistan fans
As the undefeated India cross swords with England in Birmingham on Sunday, the streets of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all echo with support for India, hoping for them to come out victorious. As the arch-rivals Pakistan stand united with neighboring India today, captain Virat Kohli acknowledged the colossal support coming from across the border.After losing the toss to England, Kohli spoke about the mega clash and the Playing XI while also giving a shout out to Pakistan fans who are depending on India’s win to get the odds in their favor. Asked if he was feeling the love from Pakistan fans, he stated: “Crunch result on the outside as well, so I'm sure the fans of the Pakistan team will be supporting us today which is quite a rare thing, yeah but we have to focus on what we need to do as a team.”The unity of India and Pakistan fans during today’s clash has brought out the beauty of cricket, as observed by numerous critics with some commenting that the two countries were divided by England in 1947 and are getting reunited by England in 2019.
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Shoaib Akhtar wants Pakistani fans to back India against England
Former cricketer and TV analyst Shoaib Akhtar has urged Pakistani fans here and in England to support India in a crunch match today against tournament favourites England.In a vlog on his official YouTube channel, Akhtar commented on Pakistan’s performance in Afghanistan match on Saturday at Headingley, Leeds where Green Shirts defeated Afghanistan in a thriller.“My heart is still pumping,” he said in the video released after the match, which Pakistan won in the last over."This is how Pakistan plays and you can’t do much about it", Akhtar added.He was critical of both the openers who are not performing in the mega event and in fact putting burden on the batting line up. "That was a terrible performance by our batsmen.""I think either Imam should improve himself or leave", Akhtar lamented."Had Imad [Wasim] not batted responsibly today, we would have been routed by the team we coached."Akhtar also gave some tips to Afghan cricket team to improve their game at the international level, for which, he said ‘they need to enhance their local cricketing infrastructure’. “This World Cup is an opportunity for them to get the international exposure and it should help them step up. Pakistan has helped you earlier and ready to do more.”
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India vs England Live Score: ICC World Cup 2019
Birmingham: England captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to bat first against India as his struggling team will spare no effort to rout the undefeated India to keep their hopes alive as the two teams cross swords in the 38th match of the ICC World Cup 2019 at Edgbaston on Sunday.England captain Eoin Morgan has urged his side to be flexible now that their World Cup hopes are in the balance.An England team widely tipped to end their World Cup drought will be on the verge of a first-round exit if they lose to unbeaten India at Edgbaston on Sunday before their concluding round-robin match with New Zealand.Despite coming into the World Cup as the top-ranked side in one-day internationals, England have lost three pool matches, including their last two against Sri Lanka and reigning champions Australia.To make matters worse for the home side, opener Jonny Bairstow has found himself involved in a public row with former England captain Michael Vaughan, who labelled his fellow Yorkshire cricketer´s claim that people are waiting for the hosts to fail at the World Cup "negative" and "pathetic".England´s white-ball revival from the depths of their first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup was built on aggressive top-order batting that saw them compile huge totals.But they have been unable to adjust their game on the more bowler-friendly surfaces at this World Cup.- ´Bigger challenge´ -"I can´t fault the commitment or application that the guys have produced in every single game. Where we´ve let ourselves down as a group is adapting to conditions," Morgan said Saturday."It´s been a bigger challenge in this World Cup than previous bilateral series. We´re going to have to adapt to conditions, adapt to playing against a strong side in India."England´s two most recent defeats have coincided with the absence through a hamstring injury of Jason Roy, with replacement James Vince struggling to fill the gap left by the Surrey opener.Morgan said Roy, who smashed 153 against Bangladesh, was "preparing to play tomorrow".He gave a similar response in relation to fast bowler Jofra Archer, who has a side strain."Jofra is going to see how it is. It is the same thing he has been playing with the last three games. We will see how he comes through," Morgan said."The exact same rule applies. If it is going to rule him out long-term then we won´t play him. If it risks him short-term, then yes."England´s dilemma was summed up by Ben Stokes after his 89 failed to prevent a 64-run defeat by Australia at Lord´s on Tuesday."We just need to adjust to situations and then conditions, but we are not for one minute going to take a backward step," he said.Sunday´s match may well feel like an away game as India fans could constitute the majority of the Edgbaston crowd.Two-time champions India will guarantee a place in the semi-finals if they win, although there are concerns they are too reliant on captain Virat Kohli for runs.Kohli, the world´s top-ranked Test and ODI batsman, has hit four consecutive half-centuries and on Thursday became the fastest batsmen to 20,000 international runs across all formats."I would say that´s a lie if I say I´m not under pressure," Kohli told reporters on Saturday. "That is the excitement that all of us carry as international cricketers -- to walk into a pressure situation and come out on top."Kohli, whose side have replaced England at the top of the ODI rankings, said he was taken aback by the hosts´ form."Look, everyone is a bit surprised. We thought England is probably going to dominate in their own conditions."But as I said at the beginning of the tournament in the press conference, that pressure is going to be a massive factor to handle and low scores are going to be defended," he added.Make cricket more fun with predictions and prizes! Play CricFun - Predict & WinLive Ball to Ball Commentary will begin at 2:30pm [PST]
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Saturday, June 29, 2019
‘Passion powers Pakistan forward’: Ramiz Raja discusses Pakistan’s revival and trophy hopes in World Cup 2019
Memories of their 1992 ICC Men's World Cup triumph are vivid for Pakistan's fans following victory over Afghanistan. Ramiz Raja discusses their revival and trophy hopes with Matt Sherry.Fever pitch hit an hour before the game. It was Leeds, but just as easily could have been Lahore, the streets awash with green and skies filed with flags waving hypnotically in the air. Supporters holding signs ranging from ‘Déjà vu it’s 92’ to ‘Sarfraz’s cornered tigers’ roared loudly: ‘Pakistan, Pakistan’. Then came the horn, echoing from an open-top bus filled with supporters whose vuvuzelas poked from every space and could be heard all the way from Headingley to the city centre, escalating the already deafening noise.Among the crowd, five Afghanistan supporters waved their own flags, heralding a spirited contest with their Pakistani counterparts. It confirmed World Cup fever had officially hit. “It’s quite amazing,” former Pakistan skipper Rameez Raja tells ICC. “The fans had almost disowned the team after the India loss, but have rallied behind them. They can sense this rhythm and urgency from the last couple of matches.“You get the best from Pakistan when their backs are against the wall, and I hope the momentum carries on. It’s like playing at home; it felt great in Birmingham and has been the same in Leeds." By the conclusion of the toss, the party moved inside. The quiet roars of some early Afghanistan boundaries countering chants of ‘Amir, Amir’ as Pakistan’s pace ace steamed in from the Kirkstall Lane End. Amid the fire, the underdogs – who belied such a status to win this contest in the warm-ups – were justifying their decision to bat first with some beautifully timed drives.Shaheen Afridi, introduced after Afghanistan milked two Imad Wasim overs for nine, illustrated the mounting frustration among Pakistan by throwing down the stumps after Gulbadin Naib drove back to him. Annoyed as he was when the two overthrows were sandwiched by boundaries, he was positively furious next ball, his wild celebrations cut short by umpire Nigel Llong’s decision not to raise the finger.Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed, showing the cool head that has led a very typical Pakistan revival in this tournament following a hammering at the hands of West Indies to kick off their campaign, took his time and, with five seconds left, motioned for a review.The process was a calm one until, of course, Snicko showed the faintest spike mark. The crowd erupted once more and Naib, having nicked off attempting an expansive drive, was marching off. Quickly followed by Hashmatullah Shahidi, who – next ball – attempted to turn one to leg and saw his leading edge spoon to Imad at mid-off.Shaheen’s hat-trick ball was a damp squib, too far down leg, but the same couldn’t be said of a match that captured the imagination like few ever have. Afghanistan were every bit a match for their illustrious opponents throughout, scratching and clawing to their 227/9 before unleashing a battery of spinners.When Mohammad Nabi followed up Mujeeb Ur Rahman’s wicket off the reply’s first ball by removing Imam-ul-Haq and in-form Babar Azam, Afghanistan were scenting an upset. Their spinners – Rashid Khan, Nabi, Rahman and Samiullah Shinwari – continued to wheel away, and Pakistan’s case looked hopeless when they slipped to 156/6 with the required run-rate mounting.But the kings of lost causes rallied once more, Imad Wasim striking 49 not out and Wahab Riaz delivering a cameo of 15 to see Pakistan home by three wickets.The spirit of 1992? You betcha. Raja, a member of that title-winning team, adds: “I sort of called it during the Champions Trophy two years ago too. Once they get into that mindset, they’re difficult to defeat. I am feeling that same sense of drama. Once they're on track, it’s tough to knock them out.“It’s like 1992 in the sense we’re finding new heroes too. In that tournament, it was Wasim Akram; now it’s the likes of Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. It’s all looking in good shape. They have the combination of that spirit, talent and the fans behind them. They have to just express themselves.” From here, the supporters’ bus rolls on to Lord’s for a meeting with Bangladesh, following the runaway train supporters hope with roll through to the Home of Cricket once again on July 14. “I’m getting that feeling of invincibility with this team,” concludes Raja. “And that’s bad news for the other teams.” Pakistan must pray other results go their way prior to meeting Bangladesh but, should that happen, few would bet against international cricket’s most unpredictable team giving their electric supporters a couple more glorious days out.
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England v India preview, World Cup 2019 Match 36, Weather Report, Pitch Report, Match Details
England’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019 hopes are hanging in the balance ahead of their clash with India, at Edgbaston, on 30 June.Match detailsMatch 38: England v IndiaEdgbaston, BirminghamVenue: Sunday, 30 JuneTime: 02:30pm PST, 9:30 am GMTPre-tournament favourites England started their campaign on a high, winning four out of their first five games. However, successive defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia have left the hosts needing to win at least one – and potentially both – of their final two matches to reach the semi-finals. Their task, against an India side who recently usurped Eoin Morgan’s men to reach the summit of the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings, is daunting.Virat Kohli’s side are unbeaten in the competition so far, having overcome South Africa, Australia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and West Indies, while seeing their contest with New Zealand abandoned due to rain. What’s more, they boast happy memories of facing England at Edgbaston, having triumphed in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy six years ago. Weather reportThe weather is set fair, with temperatures reaching as high as 25 degrees Celsius.Pitch reportIf Pakistan's game against New Zealand offers any indication, the pitch should provide plenty of assistance for spin and make a score around 270 competitive.
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Djokovic, Federer, Nadal primed to tighten Wimbledon grip
LONDON: Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are set to tighten their private stranglehold on Wimbledon as rivals struggle to keep afloat as they bid to dethrone the sport's A-list stars.World number one Djokovic is the defending champion and chasing a fifth title at the All England Club.Federer, promoted to second seed, can win a ninth crown while two-time champion Nadal is seeking to complete a rare back-to-back Roland Garros-Wimbledon double.Twelve months ago, Djokovic arrived at Wimbledon with his career threatening to spiral into decline.Unable to shake off the effects of right elbow surgery, the Serb was ranked at 21, his lowest position for over a decade.But two weeks later, Djokovic had captured the 2018 title to add to his 2011, 2014 and 2015 wins, becoming the lowest-seeded player to take the Wimbledon trophy since Andre Agassi in 1992.Since then, he has been rejuvenated, going on to claim a third US Open and seventh Australian Open title.The only blip was a rain-hit semi-final exit to Dominic Thiem at Roland Garros, a loss which ended his attempt to become just the second man to hold all four Slams at the same time twice."Coming off from the surgery, being unable to have consistency with results, this was a huge springboard for me, the win at Wimbledon last year," said Djokovic, who will take a 10-2 career record over Philipp Kohlschreiber into their first-round clash on Monday.Federer, chasing a 21st major, first played Wimbledon in 1999.Pushing 38, he would be the oldest ever Grand Slam champion if he were to lift a ninth title.The Swiss star is also just five wins from becoming the first man to register 100 victories at the same Slam.'Better because of each other' But Federer is quick to praise the influence of Djokovic and Nadal -- between them, the trio have won 53 of the last 64 Slams."I think we definitely became better because of one another," he said.Federer starts on Tuesday against South Africa's Lloyd Harris, who is making his Wimbledon debut.Nadal, meanwhile, arrives in London on the back of a 12th Roland Garros title.His 18th career major also meant he moved within two Slams of Federer's all-time mark for the first time.The Spaniard, ranked two but -- much to his irritation -- seeded three was champion in 2008 and 2010.He is now trying to join Bjorn Borg by achieving the Roland Garros-Wimbledon double for the third time.Nadal was desperately close to a third title in 2018.Having failed to get past the last-eight since 2011, the Spaniard was only defeated in an epic semi-final by Djokovic, 10-8 in the final set."I won here in 2010 after a very, very tough first couple of rounds. Sometimes that helps, especially in this event, that you arrive here without playing much on this surface," said Nadal, who starts his campaign against Japan's world number 258 Yuichi Sugita.After that looms a possible titanic clash with Nick Kyrgios, who shocked him in 2014, in the second round.It's been 17 years since anybody not named Djokovic, Federer, Nadal or Andy Murray captured the Wimbledon title.That long-distant honour went to Lleyton Hewitt in 2002.The problem for the chasing pack in 2019 is their record at the tournament as well as various frailties in body and spirit.Thiem, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who occupy the next three spots in the world rankings, have yet to get past the last 16 on Wimbledon's grass.Kei Nishikori, the world number seven, was a quarter-finalist in 2018 while eighth-ranked Kevin Anderson, seeded fourth this year, was runner-up 12 months ago.Anderson saved a match point to beat Federer in the quarter-finals.His challenge to Djokovic in the final, however, was compromised by playing a six-hour 36-minute semi-final to beat John Isner.It was the second longest match in the history of Wimbledon and decided by a 26-24 final set.There will be no repeat of such lung-busting epics this year as Wimbledon has introduced a final set tiebreaker -- at 12-12 -- for the first time.
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Djokovic prepares for Wimbledon with seven-hour meeting
LONDON: Novak Djokovic warmed up for the defence of his Wimbledon title not on the practice courts, but locked away for seven hours in a stuffy meeting room discussing the politics of tennis.As well as being the world number one and the holder of 15 Grand Slam titles, the 32-year-old is president of the ATP Player Council.It's a powerful representative body which also occasionally pits player against player."I think in any industry, having seven-hour meetings regularly is unacceptable because it's not efficient," said Djokovic on Saturday."There was one that happened last night, which went on post-midnight and started 5:00pm."Djokovic has been at odds with fellow stars such as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the future direction of the sport.Disagreements have recently centred on the decision to dispense with the services of the ATP's chief executive Chris Kermode, a popular figure in tennis."I've obviously considered various options. I did consider also stepping down. I think my team wants me to step down, honestly. It's obvious," added Djokovic.His mood was not improved on Saturday when players Jamie Murray and Robin Haase as well as coach Dani Vallverdu stepped down from the body.He may be frustrated with the politics, but Djokovic arrives at Wimbledon this year in a better frame of mind than 12 months ago.Ranked outside the top 20 for the first time in a decade and struggling with the aftermath of elbow surgery, few gave him any realistic chance of lifting a fourth Wimbledon trophy.However, he blitzed through the field, defeating Nadal in a five-hour 16-minute semi-final before easing past Kevin Anderson in the championship match."There is quite a difference. Obviously I'm approaching this year's Wimbledon as defending champion, No. 1 of the world," he said."Last year I did drop out of top 20 after French Open. Coming off from the surgery, being unable to have a consistency with the results, this was a huge springboard for me, the win at Wimbledon last year."That's what kind of gave me that push. After that, it was all upwards, winning Cincinnati for first time, US Open. One Grand Slam can definitely change anyone's career in a few weeks."
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We can beat any team, says Imad Wasim
LEEDS, England: Pakistan’s roller-coaster World Cup campaign is alive due to a series of heroic efforts.Against South Africa it was Haris Sohail, while Babar Azam lifted them at Edgbaston just when New Zealand were beginning to look threatening.On Saturday here at Headingley, it was Imad Wasim’s turn to wear the cap of a superhero.Pakistan were looking in clear and present danger when skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed departed after a suicidal attempt for a double. Pakistan were six down and still needed 72 more on a tricky wicket against a dangerous spin attack.Imad, who had taken two wickets to help Pakistan restrict Afghanistan to 227-9, played perhaps the most important innings of his career – an unbeaten 49 from 54 balls to help Pakistan survive in the do-or-die match.“I was disappointed at myself previously for not helping the team finish games but thankfully I managed to do it today,” Imad said after Pakistan’s three-wicket win.Imad paid due credit to the duo of Shadab Khan and Wahab Riaz for their supporting roles in the death overs.“Shadab was really good. I must say that Wahab Bhai played a very important role. He bowled with a broken finger and batted in pain. His six and four were very important for us,” he said.Pakistan had taken the field against Afghanistan following impressive wins against South Africa and New Zealand. With momentum on their side, Pakistan were supposed to comfortably beat the bottom-placed Afghans but it turned out to be a different story.So did the Pakistanis allowed complacency to creep in?Imad doesn’t think so.“We weren’t complacent, no way. Afghanistan are very tough side. Especially in conditions that suit them. Today’s wicket was very good for their spinners. It was a very tense chase for us. Playing against Rashid Khan and Mujeeb on this wicket was tough. They are world class spinners.”Imad must have been under great pressure especially after the dismissal of Sarfaraz.“Not really. I never really think about it. Cricket is not a matter of life and death for me. I love my country and I go there thinking about giving my best.”Imad believes Pakistan’s biggest loss in the second half of their run-chase was the departure of Sarfaraz.Pakistan have to beat Bangladesh in their last group game to keep their semi-final hopes alive.Will the Headingley scare serve as a wake-up call for Pakistan?Imad is confident that Pakistan will beat Bangladesh and make it to the last four.“Such results give us confidence. We are not scared of any team. I believe that if we give our 100 percent we can beat any team in this competition.”
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Sarfaraz showers praise on Imad, Shaheen
LEEDS, England: Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed hailed Imad Wasim for his match-winning performance in a tense run-chase against Afghanistan here at Headingley on Wednesday.Sarfaraz, who was run out when Pakistan were still in hot waters, saw with great satisfaction how Imad farmed the strike with tail-enders to seal a much-needed three-wicket win in the do-or-die World Cup match. Imad’s unbeatan 49 from 54 balls helped Pakistan counter Afghanistan’s potent spin attack.“It is a great win for us. Not an easy pitch to bat on, but credit goes to Imad - the way he batted, the way he handled pressure, hats off to him.“We knew it was not an easy chase, their bowlers used the conditions very well. Babar (Azam) and Imam (ul-Haq) played very well, we needed a partnership in the middle that didn't happen, but we got it in the end. A full team effort.Sarfaraz also heaped praise on Shaheen Afridi, who followed his three-wicket haul against New Zealand with impressive figures of 4-47.“Shaheen Afridi is improving day-by-day, he's working very hard. The other bowlers also bowled really well. All are in good nick. (On India vs England) Obviously we'll all watch, hopefully the better team will win,” Sarfaraz said.Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib was appreciative of his team’s effort despite losing his eighth World Cup game in a row."We fought very well and gave 100% but in the end we missed an opportunity to win the match,” he said.Gulbadin gave credit to Pakistan for overcoming anxious moments in the run-chase.“But credit goes to Pakistan. Imad played really well and Shadab (Khan) gave him the strike well. We're playing these kind of teams, so you'll face these situations. But if you win the match... as you saw we lost at the end of the innings. Bad luck for us today, Hamid Hasan was injured. The wicket was slow and turning, credit to Nabi, Mujeeb, Rashid and Sami also. But we missed Hamid. I said at the start of the tournament 30-40 is not enough, you need 60-70 or 100, then you can put a good total. But each batsman, including me, should go one step forward. We are learning a lot, so hopefully we'll do well in the future.”
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Shaheen shines at sizzling Headingley
LEEDS, England: For the second match in a row, Mohammad Amir wasn’t among the wicket-takers for Pakistan. And for second time in a row, it was the 19-year-old Shaheen Shah Afridi, who ripped through the opposition’s batting line-up to keep the national team in the hunt for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.Shaheen became the youngest player in World Cup history to take a four-wicket haul as his 4-47 helped Pakistan restrict Afghanistan to 227-9 in another do-or-die World Cup match here at Headingley on Wednesday.While Amir wasn’t rewarded with any wicket, finishing with figures of 10-1-41-0 – his first wicketless outing in this World Cup – Shaheen was in full flow as he followed his three-wicket haul against New Zealand with another impressive showing.The Afghans were never in the hunt for a big total after opting to bat first on a bright sunny morning on a wicket that seemed to have been imported from Asia.With Shaheen in top gear and Imad Wasim (2-48) and Wahab Riaz (2-29) also chipping, the Afghans were never really able to put up any worthwhile partnerships. Asghar Afghan (42 from 35 balls) and Najibullah Zardan (42 from 54 balls) were the top scorers while opener Rahmat Shah (35 from 43 balls) was the only other batsman with any substantial contribution.Afghanistan were off to a flying start as openers Rahmat Shah and Gulbadin Naib put on 27 from 27 balls before Shaheen got into action. The left-armer was greeted by Gulbadin with two fours when he replaced Imad Wasim but he responded with two wickets of successive deliveries. The Afghan captain was the first to go as he edged one to Sarfaraz Ahmed behind the stumps. But umpire Nigel Llong turned down the appeal. Next ball it was the prolific Hashmatullah Shahidi who fell trying to hit an angling delivery through the leg side only to balloon it towards where Imad Wasim took a comfortable catch.Shaheen’s third victim was Najibullah Zardan, Afghanistan’s top-scorer. Just when the Afghans were bringing their innings on track, Najibullah tried to hit Shaheen through extra cover only to drag the ball onto off stump.Shaheen’s party continued when he dismissed Rashid Khan with a slower ball. He bowled almost an offcutter beating Rashid all end up and Fakhar Zaman made it 210-8 by taking a simple catch at mid-off.Pakistan wrapped up the Afghan innings by taking their last four wickets within a span of 25 runs to keep the target under 230 on a tricky wicket.
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New Zealand’s Boult takes World Cup hat-trick against Australia
London: New Zealand paceman Trent Boult took a hat-trick against Australia in a World Cup match at Lord´s on Saturday.The left-arm quick struck in the last over of Australia´s innings, dismissing Usman Khawaja for a top-score of 88 before he bowled tailender Mitchell Starc and then had Jason Behrendorff lbw, despite the batsman´s review.It was the first hat-trick by a New Zealander at a World Cup and the second of the tournament after India paceman Mohammed Shami achieved the feat against Afghanistan.Nathan Lyon then survived the last ball of the innings, with Australia finishing on 243-9.
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Pliskova dominates Kerber to take Eastbourne title
EASTBOURNE, United Kingdom: World number three Karolina Pliskova cruised to her second Eastbourne International title with a 6-1, 6-4 destruction of Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber on Saturday.The Czech did not drop a set all week and raced through the final in little over an hour on court to claim her third title of the year."All week I was playing quite perfect," said Pliskova. "But not all the matches were as easy the score says, especially today."Kerber will head to London for the defence of her Wimbledon title next week as one of the favourites, but on this form it is Pliskova who looks capable of ending her long wait for a Grand Slam victory."I tried my best but you deserved to win today," said Kerber."Going back as a defending champion it will be a special moment stepping onto centre court again."I´m feeling good, I´m playing good at the moment and hopefully I can continue on my play from last year."Pliskova raced into an early 4-0 lead as the Kerber serve was broken three times in a rapid opening set.The German was broken again in the opening game of the second and that proved decisive as Pliskova served out the match in dominant fashion to close her head-to-head deficit against Kerber to 7-5.
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Retiring Hamid limps out of Headingley
LEEDS, ENGLAND: Afghanistan pacer Hamid Hassan limped out of the ground at Headingley on Wednesday after bowling just two overs in what was his last international match for his country.Hamid, 32, who had announced his international retirement after Saturday’s World Cup match against Pakistan, apparently pulled his hamstring and left the field after giving away 13 from two overs as Pakistan chased a victory target of 228.Hamid is regarded as one of the architects of Afghanistan’s rise from a second string associate member team to one of the frontline sides in international cricket in recent years.One of the leading ODI wicket-takers for Afghanistan with 59 wickets from 37 matches, Hamid was one of the several disappointments for Afghanistan at the ongoing World Cup. He took only one wicket from five appearances in the tournament.
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Wahab Riaz impresses despite playing with injured hand
LEEDS, England: Wahab Riaz played Wednesday’s World Cup encounter with a fractured hand.But if the left-arm pacer was in any kind of pain he didn’t show it.Wahab, 34, took the wickets of Mohammad Nabi and Hamid Hasan, finishing with 2-29 from eight overs as Pakistan restricted Afghanistan to 227-9 in their must-win World Cup game against Afghanistan.Earlier, Pakistan had opted to field Wahab despite the fact that the seasoned pacer had injured his non-bowling hand during training on Tuesday.Raza Kitchlew, the team’s media manager, told reporters on Wednesday that Wahab injured his hand while training during the pre-match training session. He stressed that the injury wasn’t a serious one.“Wahab had an injury on his right hand while he was fielding in the training session here yesterday. Two of his fingers got hit and now he has swelling on the side of his hand,” he said.But despite the injury, Pakistan decided to keep Wahab in an unchanged playing eleven for the game against Afghanistan.Well-placed sources told ‘The News’ that x-rays have revealed that Wahab has fractured his right hand. There are fears that he could be forced to miss Pakistan’s last group game against Bangladesh at Lord’s on July 5. It is also a do-or-die encounter for the Pakistanis as they continue pushing for a place in the World Cup semi-finals.However, Raza played it down saying that the experienced Wahab should be fit by next Friday when Pakistan will meet Bangladesh.“Even if there is a hairline fracture it would be a very minor one. Wahab’s injury has been examined by experts and they have given him the go-ahead to play today’s game. We are hopeful that he will be fit for the future games,” he said.Wahab who had to put two of his fingers in a plaster took the wickets of Mohammad Nabi and Hamid Hasan in the match, bowling a series of tight overs.Though Wahab is a key cog in Pakistan’s pace arsenal, he is yet to deliver a match-winning performance apart from his three-wicket hauls against England (3-82) and South Africa (3-46).Pakistan had the option of handing teenage pacer Mohammad Hasnain his World Cup debut but chose against it. Hasnain, who is the fastest bowler in the national team’s line-up, was drafted in the 15-man World Cup squad primarily on the basis of his impressive performances for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League earlier this year.The Pakistan team’s think-tank has been criticised time and again for selecting him in the squad when they had little trust in the youngster’s abilities.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2XgMI8J
Sri Lanka's Nuwan Pradeep out of World Cup with chicken pox
Sri Lanka´s faltering World Cup campaign suffered a fresh blow on Saturday as paceman Nuwan Pradeep was ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with chickenpox.Seamer Kasun Rajitha will take the place of Pradeep, who took five wickets in his three outings, including one in his team´s surprise win over England. "Fast bowler Pradeep has been infected with chickenpox, which has ruled him out of further participation in the event," the International Cricket Council said in a statement.The 1996 champions, who lost heavily to South Africa on Friday, need to win their remaining two matches and hope other results go in their favour to make the semi-finals of the 10-team competition.Sri Lanka play West Indies in Chester-le-Street on Monday and India in Leeds on July 6.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2Je3Y4Q
India's Kohli thriving under World Cup pressure
Birmingham: India captain Virat Kohli says he relishes the intense pressure at the World Cup as he targets a win against England on Sunday that would seal a place in the semi-finals.The two-time champions have won five of their six league games, with one washout, and need to win just one of their last three matches to guarantee progress from the group phase.Kohli, the world´s top-ranked Test and one-day international batsman, has hit four consecutive half-centuries and on Thursday became the fastest batsmen to score 20,000 international runs across all formats."I would say that´s a lie if I say I´m not under pressure," said Kohli on the eve of the match at Edgbaston."I´m probably good at hiding it. If I don´t (feel pressure) then probably I don´t have enough motivation to play any more."That is the excitement that all of us carry as international cricketers -- to walk into a pressure situation and come out on top."England are wobbling badly after two straight defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia and they need to beat both India and New Zealand to guarantee a place in the semi-finals.Kohli said he did not know why Eoin Morgan´s side, who started the tournament as favourites, had stumbled so badly."Look, everyone is a bit surprised. We thought England is probably going to dominate in their own conditions," said Kohli."But as I said at the beginning of the tournament in the press conference, that pressure is going to be a massive factor to handle and low scores are going to be defended."India have impressed at the tournament in England and Wales but their middle-order batting has been a concern, with M.S. Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav questioned over slow scoring in the middle overs.Dhoni was criticised for his 52-ball 28 against Afghanistan, a game that India won by 11 runs, but Kohli defended the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman and the other players."That discussion is always going to go on because we´ve had such a strong top order that these guys have hardly had a chance to bat," said Kohli."We´re not looking too much into it. He (Dhoni) knows exactly what he needs to do."
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2ZYtxxg
Indiana Pacers' guard Darren Collison announces retirement from the NBA
Veteran point guard Darren Collison bid adieu on to National Basketball Association (NBA) after a journey spanning over 10 years as he looks to put all his focus on his faith and family. Writing a letter to ESPN’s The Undefeated, the 31-year-old player who has played 10 seasons in the NBA revealed that he is now shifting his focus to something more significant for him: family and faith. "While I still love basketball, I know there is something more important, which is my family and my faith," he said. "I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and my faith means everything to me. I receive so much joy from volunteering to help others and participate in a worldwide ministry. The joy I feel is unmatched. With that being said, I have decided to retire from the NBA,” he added.Apart from the Indiana Pacers, Collison who was drafted out of UCLA in 2009 has played for the New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers and Sacramento Kings.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2FG0MxT
Australia vs New Zealand, Live Score Updates: ICC World Cup 2019
LONDON: Australia have won the toss and will bat against New Zealand in the 37th match of the ICC World Cup 2019 here at Lord's on Saturday.TeamsAustralia: Finch (captain), Warner, Khawaja, Smith, Maxwell, Stoinis, Carey (wk), Cummins, Starc, Lyon, BehrendorffNew Zealand: Guptill. Nicholls, Williamson (captain), Taylor, Latham (wk), Neesham, de Grandhomme, Santner, Sodhi, Ferguson, BoultBoth teams have played so far seven matches each in the tournament. Australia have won six and lost one, securing 12 points with an NRR of 0.906. They are on top of the points table.New Zealand have won five matches and lost one, obtaining 11 points with an NRR of 1.028. They are placed third on the table.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2IVoOHg
Rowdy fans create ugly scenes at Headingley
LEEDS, England: It began with shouting and ended with scuffles. There were ugly scenes at the gates of Headingley as Pakistan and Afghanistan fans clashed with each other.Even media persons covering the scene outside the stadium before and during the World Cup game between Pakistan and Afghanistan were harassed by Afghanistan fans.There was a major incident inside the ground during the match when some Afghan supporters tried to switch stands. There were fist fights and later the scuffling Afghan fans were forcefully taken out of the stadium.The rivalry between Pakistan and India fans is legendary. It is by far the fiercest of all rivalries in international cricket.But what happened at Headingley on Wednesday underlined the fact that another one is growing. And not very quietly.There was plenty of evidence that Afghan fans are emerging as major rivals for their Pakistani counterparts here at Headingley on Wednesday. Though outnumbered by the fans in green, the Afghans didn’t lack in intensity creating a Pakistan-India kind of atmosphere both outside and inside the stadium.Fans had gathered in front of Headingley hours before the game. Though Leeds doesn’t have a big Pakistani population, its neighboring Bradford is a different story. Known as little Pakistan, Bradford has a huge desi population and it was from there that most Pakistani fans had come from to watch Wednesday’s game. Then, as usual, there were supporters who had come from all over the world to back their team, which has given a new lease of life to its World Cup campaign by winning back-to-back matches against South Africa and New Zealand.While Pakistan had everything for play at Headingley, Afghanistan only had a point to prove. Though their team is already out of contention after seven losses in a row, the Afghan fans were as loud and vocal as the Pakistanis.“There were a lot of them today,” said Waqar Younis, the former Pakistan captain, who is in England as a commentator and ICC ambassador.“We are here to support our team. It might be losing here but it’s going to be a major team soon,” said Shehzad, a Kabul-born Afghan who lives in England.But fans like Shehzad were fewer in numbers, as it later turned out.Some of the Afghan fans became rowdy and were involved in altercations with Pakistani fans. The atmosphere became really tense and even journalists were targeted by some fans. “If it’s so tense now, imagine what it would be like once the match is over,” remarked a journalist.Sources said that the World Cup organsires had taken serious notice of the untoward incidents and local authorities were informed about it. There is a possibility that more police officials could be deployed outside the stadium to keep the situation under control after the game.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2XcZWyo
India's Kohli unveils World Cup 'away' kit for England match
Birmingham: India skipper Virat Kohli on Saturday unveiled the orange-and-dark-blue jersey that the team will wear in their World Cup match against England in Birmingham.Blue has been Indian cricket´s dominant colour since the advent of coloured clothing but Kohli, known for his fashion sense, was impressed by the new kit for Sunday´s match at Edgbaston."I quite like it. I think it´s right up there. For me it will be a eight (out of 10). Honestly, I am not saying that for the sake of it," Kohli said at his pre-match press conference."The contrast is good, the fit is great. For one game it´s fine. But I don´t think permanently we will be heading in that direction because blue is our colour and we are very proud to wear that."Eight of the 10 nations at the World Cup have an alternate kit in case of a colour clash and England also wear light blue, hence the switch.But the colour of the kit has stirred controversy in India.Members of the opposition accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi´s right-wing Hindu nationalist party of pushing its trademark saffron colour on the team.Sri Lanka changed to yellow shirts against England and decided to keep them for the rest of the tournament as a lucky charm after their shock win against the hosts.India, unbeaten in their six games, need just one win from their remaining three games to book a semi-final berth while Eoin Morgan´s England must win both of their final games to guarantee progress.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2XgrOGU
Pakistan opt to retain injured Wahab in playing eleven at Headingley
LEED, England: Pakistan have opted to field Wahab Riaz in the must-win World Cup game against Afghanistan here at Headingley on Wednesday despite the fact that the seasoned left-armer injured his non-bowling hand during training on Tuesday, a team official has confirmed.Raza Kitchlew, the team’s media manager, told reporters on Wednesday that Wahab injured his hand while training during the pre-match training session. He stressed that the injury wasn’t a serious one.“Wahab had an injury on his right hand. Two of his fingers got hit and now he has swelling on the side of his hand,” he said.But despite the injury, Pakistan decided to keep Wahab in an unchanged playing eleven for the game against Afghanistan.There are fears that Wahab has a hairline fracture on one of his fingers but Raza said that it wasn’t confirmed yet.“Even if there is a hairline fracture it would be a very minor one. Wahab’s injury has been examined by experts and they have given him the go-ahead to play today’s game,” he said.Pakistan have taken a risk by playing Wahab as his injury could aggravate and might make him unavailable for the more challenging game against Bangladesh at Lord’s on July 5.But Raza said that there is still a week to go before that match and Pakistan expect that Wahab would be fully fit by then.Though Wahab is a key cog in Pakistan’s pace arsenal, he is yet to deliver a match-winning performance apart from his three-wicket hauls against England (3-82) and South Africa (3-46). He has mostly played second fiddle to Mohammad Amir, one of the most successful bowlers at this World Cup so far.Pakistan had the option of handing teenage pacer Mohammad Hasnain his World Cup debut but chose against it. Hasnain, who is the fastest bowler in the national team’s line-up, was drafted in the 15-man World Cup squad primarily on the basis of his impressive performances for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League earlier this year.The Pakistan team’s think-tank has been criticised time and again for selecting him in the squad when they had little trust in the youngster’s abilities.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2XBEPdE
Pakistan fans lauded for cleaning the stadium after win against New Zealand
Some Pakistan fans may have brought a bad name to the nation by abusing and heavily criticizing the players but the sportsman spirit showed by a majority has set them apart from supporters of the other nine teams.Donning green shirts and chanting slogans of ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ the fans after celebrating the victory of their team against New Zealand on Wednesday garnered ample appreciation from all around as they stayed back at the stadium collecting trash from the Edgbaston stands. The video that started making rounds on the internet showed fans on the vacant and littered bleachers, collecting the trash and setting an example for the rest of fans.Earlier, Egyptians supporters had also received applause for doing the same after their African Cup of Nations fixture, while Japan and Senegal fans had also same during the FIFA World Cup match 2018.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2ZUPRrM
Pakistan vs Afghanistan, Live Score Updates: ICC World Cup 2019
LEEDS: Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib won the toss and put the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Pakistan to bowl first as they face the sinking Afghanistan in another do-or-die clash to keep their World Cup dreams afloat as they stand on the verge of elimination despite the exemplary performance since the past two games in the 36th match of the ICC World Cup at Headingly on Saturday.The Greens Shirts will look to sustain their winning momentum to get closer to securing a spot for themselves in the semi-finals. Playing XI:Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfaraz Ahmed(Captain), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Haris Sohail, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain. Afghanistan: Mohammad Shahzad , Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib(Captain), Rashid Khan, Dawlat Zadran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ali Zadran, Samiullah Shenwari, Aftab Alam, Hamid Hassan.Match Details:Date: 29 June, 2019Time: 2:30PM [PST]Venue: Hedingley, Leeds. Match: 36Teams: Pakistan vs AfghanistanMake cricket more fun with predictions and prizes! Play CricFun - Predict & Win.Live Ball to Ball Commentary will begin at 2:30pm
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Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Top 5 formidable player battles to watch out for
With the Pakistan team now on track after back-to-back thumping wins, it will be interesting to see if the team can continue their winning streak in the next match against the already eliminated Afghanistan on Saturday.Pakistan's rousing triumph over the unbeaten New Zealand on Wednesday at Edgbaston rekindled the hopes of their fans who had already geared up for their favourite team getting knocked out. Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Sohail's staggering performances took Pakistan to victory. The team now faces Afghanistan that are thought to take on the battle with all guns blazing. Let's take a look at five key player battles between Pakistan and Afghanistan:Babar Azam vs Rashid Khan Babar Azam has been the most consistent batsman for Pakistan at this year's World Cup. The ace player has scored 333 runs in 6 matches at an average of 66.60 at a strike rate of 85.17. His match-winning ton against the Kiwis further has raised his stature as a threatening opposition to deal with.However, Azam's weak side is his spin bowling, something that Rashid Khan has to perfection. Azam has faced 11 deliveries from Khan in the ODIs last year and he was dismissed once in them, scoring just 7 runs. Fakhar Zaman vs Mujeeb ur Rahman Mujeeb ur Rahman has lately started off with the attack for Afghanistan with the new ball. In the Asia cup fixture between the two teams, Rahman had dismissed the left-handed batsman in just six balls for a duck. It is being said this one of the key player battles to look out for as Zaman has been unable to convert starts into big totals and his confidence will be low too.Haris Sohail vs Mohammad Nabi With consecutive fifties in his bag in the last two matches, Haris Sohail has solidified Pakistan's shaky middle-order. Mohammad Nabi, who has been the best all-rounder figure for Afghanistan, would enjoy the contest in the middle overs, against Sohail, who has scored quick fire runs in the previous two games.Gulbadin Naib vs Shaheen Afridi Shaheen Afridi's fierce bowling completely toppled New Zealand's top order with an astounding first-over in the previous match. Afridi's opening spell has uplifted his position in the tournament. On the other hand, skipper Gulbadin Naib's decision to promote himself up the top has turned around the fate of Afghanistan. It will be interesting to see the duo clash against each other in today's match. Asghar Afghan vs Mohammad Amir Asghar Afghan will have to encounter the formidable swinging ace Mohammad Amir who has been in the best form at the World Cup. Amir will enjoy aiming to take down the former skipper who has been struggling to regain his form.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2Yuf2Ru
Indians trolled by West Indian fans with 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogan
India on Thursday defeated West Indies by 125 runs in their World Cup 2019 match. The defeat against India ended West Indies's World Cup hopes in Old Trafford, Manchester.Thousands of Indians had thronged cricket stadium outnumbering West Indian fans.As the India team started dominating the match, crowd became louder and noisy to the chagrin of some West Indian fans.While Indian team proved to be more than a match for the opposition, some West Indian fans refused to be silenced by booing Indian supporters and came up with something that left Indian fans speechless.It was the "Pakistan Zindabad (Long Live Pakistan)" slogan that West Indians fans used in order to silence the Indian crowd. A video of a West Indian fan doing the aforementioned has also gone viral on social media with fans sharing it with their own humorous takes on it.
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from The News International - Sports https://ift.tt/2FSvHav
Friday, June 28, 2019
Pakistan vs Afghanistan: Head to head
The 36th match of the ICC World Cup 2019 is being played today (Saturday, June 29) at Leeds between Pakistan and Afghanistan.The two Asian neighbouring countries have vast cricketing differences as Pakistan are placed sixth on the points table with a net run rate of -1.265 whereas minnows Afghanistan are at the bottom (tenth) with an NRR of -1.634.Pakistan have played seven matches, winning three and losing three with an NR match. They have earned seven points while Afghanistan could not get any point as they lost all the seven matches they have played so far in the tournament. Their NRR is -1.634.Match Results:Pakistan lost their first match to West indies by seven wickets at Nottingham on May 31 and then defeated hosts England by 14 runs at the same venue on June 3. Their third match against Sri Lanka had no result as it was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain at Bristol on June 7.Later, they lost two successive matches, to Australia by 41 runs at Taunton on June 12, and to India by 89 runs (D/L method) at Manchester on June 16. They however have recorded two consecutive victories, against South Africa by 49 runs at Lord's (London) on June 23, and against New Zealand by six wickets at Birmingham on June 26.Afghanistan have played seven matches so far and lost all of them. They lost to Australia by seven wickets at Bristol on June 1, Sri Lanka by 34 runs at Cardiff on June 4, New Zealand by seven wickets at Taunton on June 8, South Africa by nine wickets at Cardiff on June 15, England by by 150 runs at Manchester on June 18, India by 11 runs at Southampton on June 22, and Bangladesh by 62 runs at Southampton on June 24.ODI Record:Pakistan are playing one-day international cricket since 1973 and have so far appeared in 923 matches. They won 482, lost 413 and tied eight matches while 20 had no result. Their success percentage is 53.82.Afghanistan are playing ODI cricket since 2009 and have so far appeared in 121 matches. They won 59 and lost 58 matches with one tied and three NR matchesSuccess percentage is 50.42.Both have played together three matches, all won by Pakistan.World Cup Record:Pakistan have so far played 77 matches in World Cup -- winning 43 and losing 32 while two were NR matches. Success% is 57.33.Afghanistan are participating in World Cup since 2015 and have so far played 13 matches, winning only one and losing 12 with a success percentage of just 7.69.Both have never played together in World Cup and today they will clash for the first time. A win is must for Pakistan whereas it will make no difference to Afghanistan, who are already out of the mega event.
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Australia vs New Zealand Head to Head: ICC World Cup 2019
LONDON: Today's second match, a day/night, will be the 37th match of the ICC World Cup 2019. This is also being played between two neighbouring countries -- Australia and New Zealand -- at Lord's.Both have played so far seven matches each. Australia have won six and lost one, securing 12 points with an NRR of 0.906. They are on top of the points table.New Zealand have won five matches and lost one, obtaining 11 points with an NRR of 1.028. They are placed third on the table.Match Results:Australia beat Afghanistan by seven wickets at Bristol on June 1; and West Indies by 15 runs at Nottingham on June 6. Then they lost to India by 36 runs at The Oval (London) on June 9.Later, they recorded four consecutive wins -- against Pakistan by 41 runs at Taunton on June 12; against Sri Lanka by 87 runs at The Oval (London) on June 15; against Bangladesh by 48 runs at Nottingham on June 20; and England by 64 runs at London on June 25.New Zealand won their first three matches -- against Sri Lanka by 10 wickets at Cardiff on June 1; Bangladesh by two wickets at London on June 5; Afghanistan by seven wickets at Taunton on June 8.Their third match was an NR -- abandoned without a ball bowled -- against India at Nottingham on June 13.Then they beat South Africa by four wickets at Birmingham on June 19; and West Indies by five runs at Manchester on June 22. They suffered from their first defeat at the hands of Pakistan by six wickets at Birmingham on June 26ODI Record:Australia are playing one-day international cricket since its introduction in 1971 and have played 939 matches, the second most by any country. They won 572, lost 324 and tied nine matches with 34 NR matches. Success percentage is 63.70.New Zealand are playing ODI cricket since 1973 and have so far played 764 matches. They won 347, lost 371 and tied six games with 40 NR matches. Success% is 48.34.Both played together 136 matches since 1974. Australia won 90 and New Zealand won 39 while seven matches had no result.World Cup Record:Australia have so far played 91 matches since 1975. They won 68 and lost 21 while one was tied and one had no result. Their success percentage is 76.11.New Zealand have played 85 matches since 1975. They won 53 and lost 31 matches with one NR match. Success percentage is 63.09.Both have played together 10 matches. Australia won seven and New Zealand won three.Today's match will decide who are the superiors.
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Rapinoe shows pride after coming up Trumps in World Cup thriller
PARIS: Megan Rapinoe basked in the limelight as her brace downed France at the women's World Cup on Friday and sent the United States into a huge semi-final showdown with England two days after her public spat with Donald Trump.The timing was perfect for the 33-year-old after she dominated the headlines in the build-up to this match, but also because her two goals that gave the Americans a 2-1 win in an intense quarter-final at the Parc des Princes came the day before the Gay Pride march in the French capital."Go gays! You can't win a championship without gays on your team, it's pretty much never been done before," joked Rapinoe to reporters after the win. She came out as gay shortly before helping the US win the 2012 Olympics.The spotlight was on Rapinoe after Trump lambasted her on Wednesday for saying she wouldn't visit the White House if the US team were invited, and she responded by netting a brace which saw her join teammate Alex Morgan, Australia's Sam Kerr and England's Ellen White as the tournament's leading scorers with five goals.However, she insisted that she felt no particular satisfaction in emphasising her own importance to the USA team with a second match-winning performance in a row after her penalty double against Spain in the previous round."I think I'm motivated by people who like me and people who are fighting for the same things, and I take more energy from that than from trying to prove everyone wrong all the time," she said."So yeah, to be gay and fabulous during pride month at the World Cup is nice."Rapinoe was not wearing the captain's armband like she was against Spain, but she took the lead from the start in her position wide on the left of the attack.- 'Bravest' -She was involved almost straight from kick-off, charging down her flank and skipping past two defenders before laying on Julie Ertz to test Sarah Bouhaddi.With five minutes on the clock she flashed a powerful free-kick through a sea of bodies and past a bamboozled Bouhaddi, giving her side the lead and a basis from which to hold off the hosts.She scored her 49th international goal in the 65th minute, charging onto Tobin Heath's smart pull-back to finish expertly -- a goal that turned out to be crucial thanks to a stirring final 10 minutes from France following Wendie Renard's thumping header to make it 2-1."'Pino' is probably the bravest person I know. She's fighting for everything she believes in and then she's backing it up on the field," said teammate Samantha Mewis."It's such an honour to be her teammate. I back her 10 percent and I think that a World Cup is about coming up big in a big moment and that's exactly what she's doing."As they aim to retain their title and win a fourth World Cup, the USA now go to Lyon to face an England side who reached the last four after thumping Norway 3-0 on Thursday.England made the semi-finals four years ago only to lose 2-1 to Japan because of a Laura Bassett own goal in the 92nd minute. However, Phil Neville's team are in good form heading into Tuesday's showdown."I think that as a federation they (England) have put a lot of money behind that programme and they've been on the rise," said Rapinoe, who has been a key voice in the US women's team's fight for pay equality that has seen them file a lawsuit against their own federation for gender discrimination."They've been right there, they're such a strong squad and have had really good young players coming up for four years now so it's no surprise that team is there."
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British women qualify for 2020 Olympics after France World Cup defeat
PARIS: France's elimination from their own World Cup against the United States on Friday -- 24 hours after England made the semi-finals -- had the knock-on effect of qualifying Great Britain's women for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.Of the 12 qualifiers for the women's football competition at next year's Games, three come from the three best performing European sides at this World Cup.The United States were the only nation from outside Europe to make it into the quarter-finals, and their 2-1 win over France in Paris means the other three semi-finalists will all go to the Olympics.England beat Norway 3-0 in the last eight on Thursday and will play the USA in the semis this coming Tuesday.That means they will go to the Games under the banner of "Team GB", with the other European qualifiers coming from the winners of Saturday's remaining World Cup quarter-finals.Italy play the Netherlands in the first of those before Germany take on Sweden in what is a repeat of the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medal match won by the Germans.Britain's women made the quarter-finals at the 2012 Games in London.There will be no British men's team in Japan next year.
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Top 10 Interabled Couple Youtube Channels to Follow in 2019
Interabled Couple Youtube Channels List.
The Best Interabled Couple Youtube Channels in our index using search and social metrics. Subscribe to these youtubers because they are actively working to educate, inspire, and empower their audience with frequent updates and high-quality videos.
These Youtube Channels are ranked based on following criteria
- Total youtube channels subscribers, video views, and video uploads
- Quality and consistency of videos
- Youtube search ranking
- Feedspot editorial team’ objective and subjective review
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Contents [show]
Interabled Couple Youtube Channels
1. Squirmy and Grubs
United States About Youtuber We are Shane and Hannah. We've been dating for over two years, and we've discovered that people find our relationship to be pretty peculiar. One of us has a severe muscle wasting disease, and uses a wheelchair. The other one of us...doesn't. Shane's disability plays a huge role in our relationship, but not in the way that most people expect. Watch us navigate our life together and laugh with us along the way.
Since Jun 2018
Channel youtube.com/channel/UCdom..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 408,862 . Views Count- 39,512,161 . Video Count - 122
2. Roll with Cole & Charisma
United States About Youtuber We started this vlog to bring people into our lives, our relationship, to answer some questions about how we navigate the world with some of the behind-the-scenes stuff people typically don't see, and hopefully raise awareness surrounding accessibility and dating in a wheelchair. You'll quickly see in our episodes that we're all about positivity, inclusion, and keeping a great attitude no matter your circumstances, so if that's what you're into, you're in the right place!
Since May 2018
Channel youtube.com/channel/UCA5Z..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 160,793 . Views Count- 10,738,387 . Video Count - 108
3. PARALIFE
United Kingdom About Youtuber We are Craig and Claire an integrated couple attempting to go back to normal life 6 months after a cycling accident that left Craig paralysed from the chest down and reliant on a wheelchair. Join us as we learn what it's like to live with a spinal cord injury, discover the challenges wheelchair users have to face and overcome and search for wheelchair accessible hotspots. We want to show you how much paraplegics can still do and that there is definitely life after paralysis!
Since Jan 2019
Channel youtube.com/channel/UCyjj..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 201 . Views Count- 12,604 . Video Count - 12
4. Live Your Someday Now
United States About Youtuber Hi, We're Brian & Diane plus our 3 kids & 2 rescue dogs & we're inviting you along on our fun family RV adventure across the US. We often get questions related to Brian being in a wheelchair & how we live this lifestyle despite his paralysis. Our hope is to raise wheelchair awareness as well as to entertain, inform & inspire you to not wait for someday to start living your dreams.
Since Dec 2018
Channel youtube.com/channel/UCNBi..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 706 . Views Count- 34,770 . Video Count - 93
5. Raw Ability Life
England, United Kingdom About Youtuber Welcome to our Crazy world! Where nothing is as it seams and daily life can change from minute to minute! If it's not fighting health its fighting barriers and discrimination. But one thing is always guaranteed. We will always find the positives in the negatives, we will always fight back against what's wrong and we will always remember to laugh, smile and love each day!
Since Jan 2018
Channel youtube.com/channel/UCFlJ..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 170 . Views Count- 42,932 . Video Count - 458
6. Our Wheel Life Stories
United States About Youtuber Welcome to our channel! After starting an Instagram page which highlights wheelchair ability, people wanted to know our story. We tell it here through a variety of video formats. The good, the bad and everything in between. We hope you enjoy what we create!
Since Nov 2018
Channel youtube.com/channel/UCvrb..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 160 . Views Count- 5,815 . Video Count - 12
7. It's That Wheel Kind of Love
About Youtuber Rey and I welcome you into our lives as a paraplegic couple. Our situations brought us together and our love keeps us together. Just because we are on wheels does not mean life stops, we just 'roll' with the punches and do everything we did prior to our injuries. We just do things differently now! Welcome to It's That Wheel Kind of Love!
Since Feb 2011
Channel youtube.com/user/KattJess1/v..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 151 . Views Count- 35,016 . Video Count - 135
8. Carlos Loves Mandy
About Youtuber You can not tell a true love story without tragedy. Mandy is someone I have known nearly my whole life. We never dated throughout our school days. Many years passed and we reconnected on facebook. Somehow I gained her attention this time. We fell in love, our families blended and we became fully part of each other's lives. We were at the pinnacle of our lives together, and then it suddenly came crashing down. Come walk with us on our journey to learn how to live a joyful life.
Since Feb 2019
Channel youtube.com/channel/UCJpk..+ Follow
Youtube Followers- 61 . Views Count- 1,153 . Video Count - 5
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