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Australia and South Africa in battle to top the group
Big picture: Expect a hard-fought contest
All that, combined with expectations of a batter-friendly pitch in Rawalpindi, means the bowling attacks can expect a tough day out after already being challenged by absences in personnel. Australia are missing more than South Africa with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all out of the tournament. But with Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee also ruled out, South Africa had to look elsewhere for express pace. Still, they have five seamers and three spinners (if you include Aiden Markram) to choose from. Australia's squad make-up is similar, and with Marnus Labuschagne turning his arm over, they have additional options. So the real point of difference may lie in selection and how the captains allocate overs to exert pressure on each other.
Whatever happens, given these two sides routinely bring out the most competitive streaks in each other, this will be one of the tournament's showpiece matches in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd.
Form guide
Australia: WLLLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa: WLLLL
In the spotlight: Nathan Ellis and Rassie van der Dussen
Team news: Heinrich Klassen to have fitness test
Australia don't have reason to change things and Alex Carey suggested the XI would remain as is. They may consider a switch in their attack, and swap out one of their two left-arm quicks - Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis - for Sean Abbott.
Australia: (possible): 1 Matthew Short, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Alex Carey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer Johnson
South Africa (possible): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi
Pitch and conditions
Before this tournament, Rawalpindi had not hosted ODIs since April 2023, when Pakistan and New Zealand made scores of 288, 291, 336 and 337 in two matches. South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma and Carey said they expected another high-scoring encounter on what should be a flat surface. Bavuma also revealed that South Africa noted significant dew during a training session at the venue over the weekend and both he and Carey expected chasing to be easier than defending a target. The weather will be cooler than in Karachi or Lahore with a high of just 17 degrees, and there is some drizzle forecast in the afternoon which could impact the match.
Stats and trivia
- Australia's chase of 352 against England was their second-highest successful chase in ODIs.
- In that game, Josh Inglis became the fourth Australian men's cricketer to complete a hundred in all formats, after Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner.
- Since 2016, South Africa have batted first 12 times against Australia in ODIs and lost only two of those matches. The most recent of these defeats was the semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup.
- Travis Head has scored 62 runs off 55 balls off Kagiso Rabada in ODIs and been dismissed by him three times. Against Lungi Ngidi, however, he's scored only 15 off 25 balls for two dismissals.
- Klaasen has scored 121 runs off 89 balls from Adam Zampa in ODIs and been dismissed twice by him.
Quotes
"We probably don't want to chase 350 too many more times but our bowlers will learn a lot from that hit out."
Australia batter Alex Carey reflects on the game against England
"We're quite bullish about our chances. Even though in the [preceding] tri-series, we didn't have all our guys, it still was an opportunity for us to get whatever intel that we can on the conditions and share that information with all the other guys who came in. Confidence is good. We're quite optimistic about our chances and how far we can go in this competition."
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket
Jaffer: Senior Bangladesh players 'just don't turn up' in ICC events
Mahmudullah has history in performing well at ICC events, he made back-to-back hundreds in the 2015 ODI World Cup and a hundred when Bangladesh beat New Zealand in the 2017 Champions Trophy. But here, he missed their first match with injury and self-destructed in the second.
"Even the shot selection we've seen today was very disappointing," Jaffer said. "Mushfiq [Mushfiqur] playing that shot, Mahmudullah playing that wild shot. And this is a must-win game. You want them to step up in these kinds of games and make themselves count. So that's been the story in the ICC events, unfortunately."
Jaffer also felt that Bangladesh were at least "50 to 60 runs short" on a Rawalpindi surface which wasn't offering much help for the bowlers.
"They could have easily put 300-plus on that pitch," he said. "They have got themselves to blame. It is too much to ask from the bowling unit to get a team New Zealand all out for below 240."
"I like the look of their bowling attack," Bond said. "They have got the heat, they have got the left-armer [Mustafizur Rahman] which New Zealand and a team like England doesn't have. The spinners are good.
"Also the fine margins they missed chances. If you miss those run-out chances or those dropped catches, they are the difference between winning or losing a game. If they had taken those chances, this game could have been completely different. There is a lot to work with with their bowling attack. I think their batting in the end was the problem."
Bond, who coaches extensively in the franchise T20 circuit, also felt that any coach would "feel a bit grumpy" after the kind of performance Bangladesh put in as their Champions Trophy 2025 journey came to an end.
"I think it's the natural inclination as a coach to feel that way," Bond said. "If you start talking about what you shouldn't do and let emotion pour out as a coach, it's a dangerous place to go. So you're still trying to create an environment where you want guys to come out and play positively, you want them to be really clear about how you're going to play.
"And at the end of the day, if they go out and try to execute their game plans and play the way that you want and they lose, then that's okay. If they don't, then it makes it very difficult. So that's what you're looking for as a player.
"You want, 'this is how the coach wants me to play my role in the team. If I go and do that to the best of my ability, then it's okay.' You know, some days it's not going to work and we're not a fly on the wall in the Bangladesh camp, so we don't know what those conversations are and it's difficult to make judgments on that stuff."
Ant caps furious Wolves rally with block on SGA
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Anthony Edwards blocked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's go-ahead shot attempt, capping a 25-point second-half comeback as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder 131-128 in overtime on Monday night.
Jaden McDaniels scored 27 points, Naz Reid had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 21 points for the Timberwolves. Edwards had 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for Minnesota, which lost 130-123 to the Thunder on Sunday night.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 39 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, but Edwards blocked him at the rim with 13.2 seconds remaining in overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander also missed a 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left in the extra period that would have tied the game.
The Timberwolves were trailing by as much as 16 points in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter. They are just the second team in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to win after trailing by at least that much with that little time left in regulation, according to ESPN Research. The Bucks did it against the Raptors on Jan. 4, 2023 after trailing by 21 in the final four minutes.
Jalen Williams scored 27 points and Aaron Wiggins added 19 for the Thunder, who still lead the Western Conference at 46-11.
Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, who missed three months with a pelvic fracture before recently returning, rested. Center Isaiah Hartenstein left the game in the second quarter and did not return with what Thunder coach Mark Daigneault called a facial contusion.
Oklahoma City led 82-57 in the third quarter and was ahead 102-80 going to the fourth. But rookie reserve Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 11 of his 17 points in the period and the Timberwolves outscored the Thunder 41-19.
Minnesota's rally happened mostly without Edwards, who played less than four minutes in the fourth quarter. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Edwards' leg was bothering him in the fourth, which is why he was on the bench. But with the game back in reach late, Finch said he was told Edwards was good to return.
The Timberwolves also won without center Rudy Gobert, who was out with lower back spasms.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Cubs ship outfielder Canario, 24, to hobbled Mets
NEW YORK -- Hit hard by injuries early in spring training, the New York Mets added some depth Monday night when they acquired outfielder Alexander Canario from the Chicago Cubs for cash.
Canario, who turns 25 in May, made his major league debut for the Cubs in September 2023. He is 12-for-42 (.286) with 2 homers, 8 RBIs and an .857 OPS in 21 career games over the past two seasons.
The right-handed hitter was designated for assignment last Thursday when Chicago signed veteran infielder Justin Turner. Canario came to the Cubs in the July 2021 trade that sent four-time All-Star Kris Bryant to the San Francisco Giants.
In a corresponding move Monday, the Mets placed infielder Nick Madrigal on the 60-day injured list with a broken left shoulder.
The 27-year-old Madrigal, who was competing for a bench spot, was injured in a spring training game Sunday.
On Monday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Madrigal would be out "a long time."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Former world number one Venus Williams has turned down a wildcard for next month's Indian Wells tournament.
Organisers said last week the 44-year-old had been invited but the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion has not taken it up.
"Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wildcard this year," the event posted on X in a statement attributed to tournament director Tommy Haas.
"We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future."
Williams has dropped to 974th in the world and has not played a WTA Tour-level match since losing in the first round of the Miami Open last March.
She earlier told the TennisWeekly podcast she would not be making her return at the Indian Wells tournament, which runs from 2-16 March.
"I'm not playing - I'm going to be overseas. I'm not going to be here," she said.
Britain's Dan Evans lost to Russian Karen Khachanov in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship.
Evans, who received a wildcard for the tournament, had won all five of their previous meetings, including a five-and-a-half-hour classic at last year's US Open.
However, world number 24 Khachanov triumphed 6-1 6-3 in one hour 20 minutes.
He will face Greek fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Lorenzo Sonego of Italy in the second round.
Final Continental Cup Spots Up for Grabs in Africa on Road to Macao
The ITTF-African Cup kicks off on 25 February at the Palais des Sports dEl Menzah in Tunis, Tunisia. This 3-day event, running from 25-27 February 2025, serves as the final crucial stepping stone for African players to qualify for the mega event. The tournament offers an opportunity for top African paddlers to showcase their skills, fight for bragging rights, and compete for a $25,000 prize pool.
With 29 men and 21 women competing, four qualification spots are up for grabs in both Mens and Womens singles events.
World No.18 and multiple-time African Cup winner, Egyptian Omar Assar leads the pack in the Mens singles as the top seed, followed closely by defending champion and Nigerian legend Aruna Quadri. The field also comprises young stars like Matthew Kuti (Nigeria) and home favorite Wassim Essid.
Egypt dominates the womens singles seedings with young superstar Hana Goda leading the charge with a world ranking of 27. She is followed closely by experienced compatriot and defending champion Dina Meshref, a 6-time winner of the event. World No. 64 Mariam Alhodaby, last years runner-up, is also in the fray.
The tournament will begin with a round-robin format, with players split into groups. The top 2 players from each group will qualify for the knockout stages, with all 4 semifinalists in both Mens and Womens singles earning a spot to compete at the ITTF World Cup Macao 2025.
The ITTF African Cup 2025 represents the final chapter in the continental qualification journey. With established champions defending their titles and emerging talents eager to make their mark, the competition promises to be fierce. As the last continental tournament in the Road to Macao, Africas table tennis stars will be looking to write an exciting new chapter in the sports history.
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'Monster' kicks, singing & plenty of tries - best of Six Nations round three
Watch the best moments from week three of the Six Nations, including a rousing choir in Cardiff, Fin Smith's "monster" kick for England and France's multiple tries against Italy.
READ MORE: Five talking points from Six Nations round three
WATCH MORE: Singing Adele & cracking jokes - Marler's BBC Sport debut
Watch highlights on Six Nations Rugby Special on BBC iPlayer.
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"It's a real honour to be signing with the Ospreys," said Nayacalevu.
"There's some world-class talent here and I'm looking forward to playing alongside them.
"Stepping into a team where quality experience is combined with exciting potential is ideal for me at this stage of my career.
"I believe I can contribute heavily to the squad this season, both on and off the field."
Ospreys are 13th in the United Rugby Championship (URC) and have not given up hope of reaching the play-offs by finishing in the top eight, while they also face Scarlets in Europe's Challenge Cup last 16 in early April.
Watkin suffered a serious knee injury playing for Wales against France in the Six Nations opener in January and will miss the rest of the season.
"It's not often a player of Waisea's calibre becomes available in the season," said Ospreys head coach Mark Jones.
"He brings a wealth of experience and leadership credentials with him, which can only be a good thing for our youngsters coming through.
"We feel Waisea can make an instant impact and be a real difference for us in Owen's absence.
"It stands us in good stead in a season where we still have a lot to play for."
For the second game in this championship, Ireland were behind at half-time against Wales before scoring 17 unanswered points to secure their 19th Six Nations victory from their past 21 games.
The hosts were certainly better than advertised throughout their 15th consecutive loss - Easterby called commentary around Wales in the build-up "unnecessary" - but the head coach feels his side will need to improve against France.
"Yeah, we'll need to be better. There's things we weren't good enough at [on Saturday] and we gave Wales the opportunity to get into the game, but also they played well.
"They did things which we expected and we certainly weren't coming into the game underestimating what they could achieve with a different mentality, different coaching group. They were always going to get a bounce and we saw that."
Ireland have won their past two meetings with France but lost the three before that.
In recent seasons, it has come to be billed as the championship's key fixture with the winner going on to claim the title in each of the past three years.
"It's exciting that we get a chance after two away games to go home and play in the Aviva," added Easterby.
"I think we're really looking forward to that and I'd say it will be a cracking atmosphere. They will be challenging, of course they will.
"We'll feel like we've had a couple of good wins against them recently but we also know they've got great strengths and we need to get better ourselves."
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