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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s hopes of making it to the semifinals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup remain alive despite its back-to-back losses to heavyweights India and Australia, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday.
Pakistan began the tournament on a high note, beating Sri Lanka by 31 runs on Oct. 3 before losing to arch-rivals India by six wickets last Sunday. Pakistan suffered their worst defeat of the tournament so far on Friday, losing to heavyweights Australia by nine wickets.
The South Asian country will now face a strong New Zealand side on Monday which has already defeated India in the tournament.
“Pakistan are still in contention for the semifinals but will need to beat New Zealand by a significant margin to stand a chance,” the ICC said in a report.
Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, who missed the previous game after her father passed away, will return to lead the team for the New Zealand fixture.
However, the green shirts will have to do without pacer Diana Baig, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament after a calf muscle injury that she sustained during the clash against Sri Lanka.
“Najiha Alvi will replace Baig in the squad ahead of the final Group clash against New Zealand on Monday,” the ICC said.
Pakistan squad:
Fatima Sana (captain), Aliya Riaz, Gull Feroza, Iram Javed, Muneeba Ali, Nashra Sundhu, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah, Tasmia Rubab, Tuba Hassan, Najiha Alvi.
MULTAN: Australia pace legend Dennis Lillee denounced a pitch in Pakistan as a “graveyard for bowlers” in 1980, but more than 40 years later little has changed.
Lillee vented his anger after toiling for 21 wicketless overs in Faisalabad in a turgid draw.
All 11 Australian players, even wicketkeeper Rod Marsh, had a turn bowling in Pakistan’s second innings of 382-2 in reply to Australia’s 617 all out as the game petered out into near farce.
Last week, on a wicket described as “a road” by former captain Michael Vaughan, England rewrote the record books as they piled up 823-7 declared in reply to Pakistan’s 556 in the first Test in Multan.
The total was the fourth highest single innings in Test history.
Harry Brook plundered 317 at almost a run a ball and Joe Root became England’s highest Test run scorer during his career-best 262.
Their stand of 454 for the fourth wicket was an England record, the fourth highest in history and the most by any pair playing overseas.
Despite the lifeless pitch, England’s bowlers pulled off an innings and 47 run victory after Pakistan crumbled to 220 all out in their second innings.
It gave Pakistan an unwanted record — the first team to score 500 or more and lose a Test by an innings.
England batting great Kevin Pietersen said on X that the lack of help for bowlers in Multan, where the second Test begins on Tuesday, was “helping destroy Test cricket.”
It is a “perennial problem,” former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram told AFP. “For years it has been the same old story. Very rarely we used to get green and lively pitches in the 1990s and had to bowl long spell for wickets.”
Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan captain who has studied pitch preparation, said there was no need for the pitches to be curated so overwhelmingly in the batsmen’s favor.
“We can prepare good pitches but our mindset is negative,” Latif told AFP.
“There was good grass on the Multan pitch but it was shaved off, I don’t know on whose wishes.”
Former spinner and ex-selector Tauseef Ahmed, a member of Pakistan team who played in the infamous 1980 Faisalabad Test, said: “Our batters want a flat pitch to score runs.
“Even in domestic matches we have such pitches so that players score big and get prominence.”
The last two years has seen Pakistan pitches get even more docile. Each Test wicket there now costs an average of 42.13 runs, the highest anywhere in the world.
Pitch preparation is a science, with experts saying the ideal soil mix is around 60 percent clay with less sand, such as that found in Australia.
It produces firm and bouncy tracks which begin to take more spin over five days, providing a balance between ball and bat.
One local groundsman said pitches were a big problem in Pakistan.
“There are multiple factors from weather to interference from the team management who want it to suit them,” said the curator, who did not want to be named.
“That makes the process complex. A good pitch needs sun to bake it but in some weather we do not get that,” he said.
“A Test pitch needed to be cared for six months or a year but our pitches are over-used so they become flat.”
Latif said serious work was needed to lift the standard of pitches.
“There should be a research department under a good geologist to ascertain how a good pitch can be prepared,” said Latif.
He also wanted to see Australian Kookaburra balls used in Pakistan ditched for those with a more prominent seam to help bowlers.
“We need to have Grays, Duke or SG balls for our type of clay, which are hand-stitched,” said Latif.
Two years ago, Pakistan and Australia scored 1,187 runs with just 14 wickets taken in a soporific draw in Rawalpindi.
The then Pakistan cricket chief Ramiz Raja blasted the playing surface: “We live in the dark ages of pitches in Pakistan. This is not a good advert for Test cricket.”
With the second Test starting in Multan Tuesday and the third in Rawalpindi next week, it seems unlikely the bowlers will get any respite soon.
FUJAIRAH: The fighters of MOD UAE continued their impressive performances on the second day of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship — Round 4 (Gi), taking first place at the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah and maintaining their lead for a second straight day.
Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club secured second place, while Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club finished third.
With competitions across the youth and children’s categories, the event drew about 850 male and female competitors from clubs and academies throughout the UAE on Saturday. The competitions for the boys U-14 and U-16 will be held on Sunday.
Sheikha Al-Kaabi, a member of the Federal National Council, expressed her pleasure at attending the championship and participating in crowning the champions.
“Jiu-jitsu has become a part of every household in the UAE, and is increasingly popular among children and families. We are confident that the future holds even greater success for Emirati jiu-jitsu athletes,” she said.
Ibrahim Al-Hosani, technical director of jiu-jitsu at Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club, said: “Our club had a strong presence today, with 135 male and female athletes from our team, all of whom performed exceptionally.
“The level of talent displayed by these young athletes at such an early age is remarkable. Their precision, skill, and execution are outstanding, reflecting the efforts of our clubs and academies. They have not only promoted the sport but have also developed a new generation of champions,” he said.
RIYADH: The 2024 Saudi Games’ CEO Princess Dilayl bint Nahar on Saturday crowned the male and female winners of the triathlon competition held at the Prince Faisal bin Fahd Olympic Complex.
Ali Maqbool, president of the Saudi Triathlon Federation attended the competition.
Jessica Arnzen won gold in the women’s competition with a time of 58 minutes and 41 seconds, while Sarah Kennedy bagged silver in 61:19. The bronze medal went to Kerma Al-Jaroudi with a time of 64:33.
In the men’s competition, Oscar Rodriguez won the gold medal in 49:37, ahead of Ryan Al-Khuwaitir with a time of 50:43 and Ibrahim Al-Zaidi who clocked 51:59.
WASHINGTON: Lane Thomas smashed a grand slam and the Cleveland Guardians beat Detroit 7-3 on Saturday to advance in the Major League Baseball playoffs.
Cleveland captured the winner-take-all showdown to seal the American League division series 3-2 and reach a best-of-seven AL Championship Series (ALCS) matchup with the New York Yankees that starts on Monday in New York.
The AL champion will face the National League champion, the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers, in the World Series.
Cleveland, into the ALCS for the first time since 2016, have not captured the MLB crown since 1948 and have not reached the World Series since 2016.
Thomas blasted his bases-loaded home run in the fifth inning and drove in another run in the seventh to power the Guardians.
“It’s incredible,” Thomas said. “You just love coming through for your teammates in that situation. Our bullpen has been grinding this whole series and to make all those innings worth it, it feels awesome.”
Cleveland used eight pitchers to frustrate Detroit batters, combining to strike out 16 while scattering seven hits and six walks as closer Emmanuel Clase retired the last six Tiger batters over the final two innings.
“Watching him all year has been incredible,” Thomas said of Clase. “It was cool to see him get those last outs.”
Detroit’s left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal — the Game 2 winner who led the AL this year with 18 wins, 228 strikeouts and a 2.39 earned-run average — struck out six over six innings but surrendered the pivotal grand slam to Thomas.
“He threw me a good pitch to hit,” Thomas said of the grand slam offering. “He threw one pitch over the middle and I happened to put a good swing on it, simple as that.
“It was good to come through.”
The Tigers escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning when Thomas popped out to first base.
The game was scoreless until the fifth, when Detroit’s Trey Sweeney walked and scored on Kerry Carpenter’s single off the right-field wall.
The Guardians loaded the bases again in their half of the fifth on singles by Andres Gimenez, Steven Kwan and David Fry and then Skubal hit Jose Ramirez in the left forearm to force in the tying run.
It was the first run allowed by Skubal after 28 2/3 scoreless innings since Sept. 18.
Thomas then followed with his bases-clearing grand slam to give Cleveland a 5-1 advantage.
“I don’t know how many scoreless innings he threw,” Thomas said. “But it only takes one (pitch).”
Detroit answered in the sixth when Spencer Torkelson doubled, took third on a wild pitch by Tim Herrin and scored on a Jake Rogers single, but the Tigers left the bases loaded when Carpenter struck out.
The Tigers, who last won the World Series in 1984, pulled within 5-3 in the seventh when Riley Greene singled and scored on a double by Colt Keith.
Cleveland responded in the seventh when Kwan singled, took third on a Ramirez single and scored when Thomas singled for a 6-3 advantage.
The Guardians added another insurance run in the eighth when Gimenez doubled and scored on Brayan Rocchio’s single.
Clase entered for the Guardians in the eighth and the 26-year-old Dominican right-hander sent down the Tigers’ final batters in order for the victory.
Riyadh: Artur Beterbiev made a triumphant return to the ring at the IV Crown Showdown to beat Dmitry Bivol by majority decision and underline his status as one of the light heavyweight greats.
Despite recent knee surgery, Beterbiev showed his resilience and skill, sending a clear message to the boxing world that he remains a formidable force at 39 years of age.
The IV Crown Showdown, which took place during the grand opening of Riyadh Season 2024, featured some of the sport’s biggest names in a series of compelling bouts in which champions were crowned and new talents made their mark.
Headlining the night was Beterbiev, who solidified his reputation as one of boxing’s toughest competitors and showed that his dominance in the light heavyweight division remains unquestioned.
In another major highlight, Australian featherweight sensation Skye Nicolson delivered a commanding performance, defeating Raven Chapman in a thrilling contest. Nicolson, known for her sharp technique and quick movement, used her superior footwork to neutralize Chapman’s attempts to pressure her. The victory is another step forward in Nicolson’s rapidly rising career as she continues to establish herself as a force in women’s boxing.
The local crowd also had much to celebrate, as Saudi boxer Mohammed AlAkel earned an impressive victory over Jesus Gonzalez in a welterweight showdown. AlAkel was cheered on by an enthusiastic Riyadh audience as his aggressive approach and tactical precision overwhelmed Gonzalez, securing him a well-deserved win and further fueling Saudi Arabia’s growing presence on the international boxing stage.
Throughout the evening, fans were treated to a range of matchups in several weight divisions, with each fight contributing to the atmosphere. The IV Crown Showdown successfully blended high-level competition with the excitement of Riyadh Season, making it a landmark event in Saudi Arabia’s sports and entertainment calendar.
With boxing stars from around the world converging on Riyadh and a passionate fanbase in attendance, the IV Crown Showdown set a powerful tone for the season ahead. The event not only highlighted top-tier boxing talent but also confirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to hosting premier sporting events on the global stage.
As Riyadh Season continues, the event will be remembered as a night when champions were made, careers were advanced, and the spirit of competition took center stage in the heart of the desert.
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