Pakistan needs to sweep Bangladesh to keep No. 1 T20 ranking

Captains of Pakistan and Bangladesh cricket teams during unveiling ceremony of T20 series trophy in Pakistan on January 23, 2020. (Photo by PCB)
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Updated 23 January 2020
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Pakistan needs to sweep Bangladesh to keep No. 1 T20 ranking

  • Pakistan has been at the top of rankings since January 2018
  • This is Bangladesh’s first tour to Pakistan in 12 years

LAHORE: Pakistan captain Babar Azam knows very well that only a clean sweep against Bangladesh can help his country retain the No. 1 ranking in Twenty20s when they meet in the first of the three-match series on Friday.
“When you think that you have to retain the No. 1 spot, every match is do or die for us,” Babar said Thursday. “We have planned accordingly, we have talked to the players that they should give 110% to retain this No. 1 ranking.”
Pakistan has been at the top of rankings since January 2018 with 270 points despite winning only one out of nine completed T20s last year. A 3-0 rout at the hands of second-string Sri Lanka — also in Lahore late last year — saw Babar take over the captaincy from Sarfaraz Ahmed. But Babar, the No. 1-ranked batsman in T20s, struggled in his debut series as captain when Australia beat Pakistan 2-0.
Pakistan will lose its No. 1 ranking if it doesn’t beat Bangladesh 3-0. Even a 2-1 victory will see Australia pushing Pakistan to second.
Chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq, who is also the head coach, has recalled aging allrounders Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez after Babar suggested that he needed the experience of both players.
Hafeez has been out of the T20 team since playing his last match in November 2018, while Malik, who has played 111 T20s, hasn’t played in the shortest format for Pakistan for almost one year.
“They are senior players and their presence in the team will help me,” Babar said.
Pakistan dropped experienced bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz and brought in uncapped pace sensation Haris Rauf, who took 16 wickets in the Big Bash League in Australia. Shaheen Afridi, with 14 wickets in T20s, is the most experienced pace bowler. There are also two other young fast bowlers, Mohammad Hasnain and Mohammad Musa.
The tour was only finalized last week when Bangladesh agreed to split the Twenty20 series and the two ICC World Test Championship matches in three phases after the national cricket boards reached consensus in Dubai in a meeting facilitated by International Cricket Council chairman Shashank Manohar.
Bangladesh will return for the first test in Rawalpindi from Feb. 7-11. After a break of almost two months, Bangladesh will play an ODI and the second test in Karachi on April 3-9.
Late last year, Sri Lanka also split its tour to Pakistan in two phases when it played a Twenty20 series in Lahore and then returned in December for two test matches in Rawalpindi and Karachi.
Bangladesh’s experienced wicketkeeper-batsman, Mushfiqur Rahim, is the only notable absentee from the tour after he pulled out of both Twenty20s and the two test matches because of security concerns. But captain Mahmudullah said is focused on playing.
“We left it (security concerns) when we boarded the plane,” Mahmudullah said. “We are just thinking about playing good cricket in Pakistan, it’s good to be back here and we are looking forward to a good show here.”
Mahmudullah said he doesn’t believe in the rankings and hoped all his players are in good form after competing in the recent Bangladesh Premier League.
“If you think about those ratings, probably it might affect your game so we’re not thinking about those things,” Mahmudullah said. “We know that Pakistan is a very good strong team ... but if you see our T20 performance graph, it’s been going good for the last few series.”
Bangladesh recalled experienced opening batsman Tamim Iqbal and also has the bowling experience of Mustafizur Rahim and Robel Hossain to combat Pakistan’s strong batting line up.
“It’s a mix of youth and experience players,” Mahmudullah said. “We need to think about our games individually and team-wise so that we can perform really well.”


Let the games begin! Riyadh opens Esports World Cup

Updated 51 min 24 sec ago
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Let the games begin! Riyadh opens Esports World Cup

RIYADH: The Esports World Cup kicks off in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday as the world’s largest esports and gaming festival comes to Riyadh.

Running until August 24, the event features more than 2,000 elite players, 25 tournaments across 24 leading titles, and a record-breaking prize pool of over $70 million, cementing its status as the biggest and most significant esports event ever staged.

The event will bring together the world’s top 200 clubs to compete in a new format.

At the heart of the competition is the Club Championship, where teams accumulate points across multiple games to become the EWC Club Champion, claim a $7 million grand prize and hoist the coveted EWC Club Championship trophy.

The $70+ million prize pool also includes $38+ million for individual Game Championships, $5 million in global qualifier rewards, and $450,000 in MVP bonuses.

Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan, the chairman of the Saudi Esports Federation, praised the Saudi leadership for their support and said: “The Kingdom is cementing its position as a global leader in gaming and esports. The Esports World Cup is a clear reflection of that progress.”

The event, run by the Esport World Cup Foundation, was first held in Riyadh last year with a purse of $62.5 million. 

The team competition was won by Team Falcons, a Saudi esports team, in 2024. 

“This event stands as a global milestone for esports by showcasing the scale, ambition, and future of competitive gaming,” Prince Faisal said. “It is a moment that will shape the direction of the industry for years to come.” 

Faisal bin Homran, chief product officer of Esports World Cup Foundation, added: “The Esports World Cup is redefining what’s possible in esports. It brings together the world’s top teams to compete in the most iconic and advanced arenas, delivering a level of excitement that is unmatched across the industry.


Djokovic reaches record 14th Wimbledon semifinal

Updated 10 July 2025
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Djokovic reaches record 14th Wimbledon semifinal

  • The Serb, chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam singles crown, was given the royal seal of approval by Britain’s Queen Camilla before his 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win on Center Court

LONDON: Novak Djokovic won a testing battle against Flavio Cobolli on Wednesday to reach a record 14th men’s Wimbledon semifinal, which will be a blockbuster clash against world number one Jannik Sinner.
The Serb, chasing a historic 25th Grand Slam singles crown, was given the royal seal of approval by Britain’s Queen Camilla before his 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 win on Center Court.
The seven-time champion was pushed hard by the Italian 22nd seed but ultimately had too much for the 23-year-old, who had never previously been beyond the third round of a major.
Djokovic said Wimbledon was the “most special tournament” in the sport as he was cheered by the crowd.
“And of course, it means the world to me that I’m still able at 38 to play the final stages of Wimbledon,” he said.
“Thank you for cheering for my age. I really appreciate it. It’s beautiful. Makes me feel very young.
“And I guess another thing that makes me feel very young is competing with youngsters, you know, like Cobolli today — he’s who knows how many years younger than me.”
The sixth seed prepared for the contest by meeting Camilla, the wife of King Charles III, who said she was keeping her “fingers crossed” for his match.
She watched Djokovic from the Royal Box, along with British actor Hugh Grant.
Cobolli showed early intent, mixing up his play with drop shots and heavy groundstrokes from his flashing orange racquet and unsettling his illustrious opponent.
Djokovic, who has reached every Wimbledon final since 2018, served for the first set at 5-3 but the Italian broke back and won the ensuing tie-break.
Cobolli, who has claimed titles in Bucharest and Hamburg this year, next had to answer the question of whether he could sustain his level against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
But it was a different story in the second set as Djokovic broke twice to level the match in the evening sunshine.
The pair swapped service breaks early in the third set but Djokovic pounced again in the 11th game and thundered an ace as he took control of the match.
The fourth set was tight but Cobolli failed to put away a simple winner at the net in the ninth game.
Djokovic slipped and fell awkwardly when serving for the match, grimacing in pain, but got up to finish the job.
He played down the incident in his on-court interview.
“I had a nasty slip, but that’s what happens when you play on the grass,” he said.
“It did come at an awkward moment, but somehow I managed to find a good serve and close it out. Obviously, I’m going to visit this subject now with my physio and hopefully I’ll be well in two days.”
The Serb now owns the all-time record for most Wimbledon men’s singles semifinal appearances, moving one clear of eight-time champion Roger Federer, who reached the last four 13 times.
He has also reached a 52nd Grand Slam semifinal, extending his all-time record in the men’s game.
Djokovic is now within two wins of breaking his tie with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles for any player, man or woman.
If he reaches and wins Sunday’s final he will also equal Federer’s record of eight men’s titles at the All England Club.
Sinner, who beat 10th seed Ben Shelton earlier Wednesday, will offer a different level of challenge.
The top seed has won his past four matches against Djokovic, beating him in straight sets in the semifinals of the recent French Open.
Carlos Alcaraz, who has beaten Djokovic in the past two finals at Wimbledon, takes on US fifth seed Taylor Fritz in the other semifinal on Friday.


Dominant France thrash Wales 4-1 at Euro 2025 to go top of group

Updated 10 July 2025
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Dominant France thrash Wales 4-1 at Euro 2025 to go top of group

  • After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win

ST. GALLEN, Switzerland: France produced a dominant display to thrash Wales 4-1 and go top of Group D at Euro 2025 on Wednesday, outclassing their opponents who scored their first goal at a major championship.
After England beat the Netherlands 4-0 earlier in the day, France went top of the group on six points, followed by the English and the Dutch on three points each.
Wales, who face England in their final group game on Sunday, have yet to register a point but still have a mathematical chance of going through to the knockouts. France face the Netherlands in their last group game.
Clara Mateo was at the center of much of France’s attacking play and lashed them into an early lead, controlling a flick-on from a corner on her chest and firing a volley into the net in the eighth minute.
The moment thousands of Wales fans had been waiting for came five minutes later when Ceri Holland broke down the left and though her first attempt to find Jess Fishlock was blocked, she managed to steer the ball to the 38-year-old, who poked home Wales’ maiden goal at the women’s European Championship finals.
That was as good as it got for Wales, who looked set to go into the break level only for Holland to chop down Mateo in the box and Kadidiatou Diani’s spot kick crept over the line after striking the foot of keeper Safia Middleton-Patel.
Middleton-Patel was at fault just after the break as she lost control of the ball in the box, allowing Mateo to tee up Amel Majri, who thumped it into the net.
After that the Welsh wilted as the French dominated, with Grace Geyoro scoring their fourth in the 63rd minute, steering home a ball from the right following an extended period of possession to crown a convincing win.
“We’ve got six points after two matches and that’s what we need to remember. It won’t be an easy (next) game because the Netherlands will have no choice but to attack and score goals,” France coach Laurent Bonadei said.
Mateo was impressed with how her side bounced back from Fishlock’s equalising goal and how they went on to dominate.
“We had a bit of a scare at the start of the game but we had confidence in ourselves. It was a great evening, there are different strikers and that’s important for everyone’s confidence,” she said.


PSG inflict humiliating defeat on Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

Updated 10 July 2025
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PSG inflict humiliating defeat on Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

  • Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semifinals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.
Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside the opening nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.
The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.
Victory against Chelsea on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.
After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid and the ease with which they disposed of Real here was striking.
PSG’s fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso. Meanwhile Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club a year ago.
The France captain was hoping for a different outcome against the team for whom he scored a club record 256 goals, and the defeat is a real blow to Real as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.
But PSG have improved without Mbappe and are now such a well-oiled machine that they appear unstoppable — it would be a big surprise if they failed to beat Chelsea.
Luis Enrique was without imposing center-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.
Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defense with ease, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice line-up was there.
Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.
The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.
But the Spanish giants’ front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG’s domination.
Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.
Yet Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real ‘keeper saved at the forward’s feet but Ruiz converted the loose ball.
Three minutes later and the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.
Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time at the competition having been injured. That was a 34th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.
A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their own net a minute later.
Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed for offside early in the second half.
But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.
PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.


Swiatek in first semifinal at All England Club, faces Bencic next

Updated 09 July 2025
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Swiatek in first semifinal at All England Club, faces Bencic next

  • The five-time major champion beat 19th-seeded Samsonova

LONDON: Iga Swiatek reached the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over 19th-seeded Liudmila Samsonova that went from a stroll to a bit of a struggle in the late stages Wednesday.

“Even though I’m in the middle of the tournament, I already got goosebumps after this win,” said Swiatek, who will face unseeded Belinda Bencic on Thursday for a spot in the final. “I’m super happy and super proud of myself.”

Bencic beat No. 7 Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (3), 7-6 (2) to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal since the 2019 US Open. The other semifinal is No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka against No. 13 Amanda Anisimova; they advanced with wins Tuesday.

Swiatek is a five-time major champion, with four of those titles on the red clay of the French Open, and the other on the hard courts of the US Open. She’s also twice been a semifinalist at the hard-court Australian Open.

The grass courts of the All England Club always had given her the most trouble as a pro, even though she did claim a junior championship there in 2018. In her five appearances in the Wimbledon women’s bracket before this year, she had made it as far as the quarterfinals just once, exiting in that round in 2023.

But the 24-year-old from Poland is enjoying a career-best run on the slick surface, thanks in part to being more comfortable with the footing required.

“I, for sure, feel like I really worked hard to progress here on this surface,” Swiatek said. “So this year, I feel like I can just work with it and work with myself. I’ll just keep doing that.”

Before the start of Wimbledon, Swiatek was the runner-up in Bad Homburg, Germany, her first final at a tournament played on grass — and her first final at any event in more than a year, a drought that resulted in her falling from the No. 1 ranking and being seeded No. 8 at the All England Club.

Her rough stretch included a one-month ban last season in a doping case after an investigation determined a failed out-of-competition drug test was caused by an unintentional contamination of non-prescription medication for issues with jet lag and sleeping. On the court, a semifinal loss to Sabalenka at Roland-Garros last month ended Swiatek’s 26-match French Open winning streak.

Swiatek led by a set and 3-0 in the second against Samsonova, who was appearing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

Soon, though, it was 4-all, then 5-all. But Swiatek held for a 6-5 lead, then broke to end it, and a smile spread across her face.

“I’ll just recover today, try not to celebrate too much, but already focus on the next one,” Swiatek said. “Prepare in the evening, and I’ll be ready tomorrow.”

Bencic, who at 28 is a decade older than Andreeva, is competing in her second major tournament since returning to the tour after giving birth to a daughter, Bella, in April 2024.

“I’m very proud, actually. All my career, I didn’t say it a lot to myself, but after having Bella, I really say it to myself every day,” Bencic said. “We are just enjoying life on tour with Bella, traveling. It’s been beautiful to create these memories together.”

 “ And obviously, to play great is so amazing, but for me, it’s a bonus. I’m generally just really happy to be able to play again.”