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Human Rights Watch asks ICC to suspend Afghanistan's membership
Human Rights Watch has called on the ICC to suspend Afghanistan's membership and ban the Taliban-run nation from competing in international cricket. The request came via an email addressed to ICC chair Jay Shah, dated February 3 and made public on March 7, with the subject line: "Suspending the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Implementing a Human Rights Policy".
Human Rights Watch describes itself as an independent, international, non-governmental organisation that conducts research and advocacy on human rights abuses by states and non-state actors around the world.
"We are writing at this time to urge the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Taliban-run Afghanistan from ICC membership, and from participating in international cricket, until women and girls can once again participate in education and sport in the country," the email said.
"We also urge the ICC to implement a human rights policy based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
"We note that you have pledged 'to allocate more resources to women's cricket' during your tenure at the helm of global cricket and 'champion the ICC's mission further by allocating more resources and attention to women's cricket'.
"However, since retaking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed a long and growing list of rules and policies that bars women and girls from exercising their fundamental rights, including to freedom of expression and movement, many forms of employment, and education beyond sixth grade. These affect virtually all their rights, including to life, livelihood, shelter, health care, food, and water."
The email went on to say that the ICC's anti-discrimination policy for international cricket states that it is committed to ensuring that wherever cricket is played, it can be enjoyed by all participants regardless of their respective backgrounds. It pointed out that the policy also strives to ensure all participants can enjoy sport without being subjected to intimidating conduct on the basis of - among other factors - sex, gender, marital status and/or maternity status.
The email also argued that while payments to Afghanistan's Women's team were suspended in 2021, the country's men's team continues to receive financial and logistical support, apparently in contravention of the ICC's own anti-discrimination rules.
"By not allowing women and girls to play cricket, and not allowing a national team for women and girls to compete internationally, the Afghanistan Cricket Board is failing to abide by this Anti-Discrimination Policy," Human Rights Watch said.
Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021, women have been forced to adhere to an increasingly restrictive range of laws barring them from most areas of public life, including sport. Shortly before that, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had agreed to contract 25 women's players, most of whom now live in exile in Australia.
In July last year, former members of the Afghanistan women's national team, no longer recognised as such by the country's Taliban rulers, wrote to the ICC asking to be recognised as a refugee team.
England and Australia have opted not to play Afghanistan in bilateral games, while agreeing to face them at ICC events, with ECB chief executive Richard Gould calling for a "co-ordinated, ICC-led, response" rather than unilateral action from individual countries.
Human Rights Watch asked for a timely response from the ICC to a number of questions, including what steps the governing body is taking towards developing a human rights policy, why it hasn't suspended the ACB from playing international cricket until women and girls have access to education and sport and, would it be prepared to recognise the Afghanistan women's national team in exile, allowing it to train, compete and receive ICC financial support.
It also asks what steps the ICC has taken or plans to take to "pressure the Afghanistan Cricket Board to include women and girl players in their competitions" and what funding or other support has been or will be provided to the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
"The International Cricket Council should follow in the steps of other sport governing bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, by calling on the Taliban to include Afghan women and girls in sport, and committing to a human rights frame work," the email concluded.
The ICC has been contacted for comment.
MI survive Fulmali scare to get closer to final, go up 6-0 against Gujarat Giants
Mumbai Indians 179 for 6 (Harmanpreet 54, Sciver-Brunt 38, Mishra 1-23, Gardner 1-27) beat Gujarat Giants 170 for 9 (Fulmali 61, Kerr 3-34, Matthews 3038) by nine runs
The win took MI to ten points, on par with Delhi Capitals, with a net run rate of 0.298 (just below DC's 0.396) and a game to spare. They play Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday in under 24 hours to round off the league stage. MI need to win that match to top the table and get a direct entry into the final, while the team that finishes second will play GG in the eliminator.
Soon after GG fell just short, coach Michael Klinger said at the press conference that they tried to chase the target down in 18 overs, which would have taken them to the top of the table.
Fulmali blitz gives MIghty scare
GG were 70 for 5 in the 11th over and Deandra Dottin had survived a dropped chance just before Fulmali walked out. She got to her task by taking Sciver-Brunt for three fours in an over - one square through the off side, one over cover and then through square leg. It is not often that a batter outshines Dottin and causes headache to the opposition but such was Fulmali's assault. Soon Kerr bowled Dottin to leave GG's equation down to 88 off 41.
Opening troubles continue for MI
For the second game in a row, MI opened the batting with Kerr after being inserted. She faced the left-arm spin of Kanwar for starters before clipping Kashvee Gautam for a four. But she found it tough to rotate strike and was run-out after pushing one straight to Gardner at mid-on and setting off.
It was Matthews and Sciver-Brunt who provided MI the momentum in the powerplay. They exploited the short boundary - the square boundaries measured 58m and 52m - by moving around the crease. Matthews pulled her West Indies team-mate Dottin over deep square leg for a six in the opening over before aerially sweeping Kanwar in the same region for another. Sciver-Brunt also swept Kanwar through short fine leg as MI were 44 for 1 after six overs.
The Kaurs set MI for a strong finish
Legspinner Priya Mishra had Matthews caught behind soon after the powerplay. Like she has been doing this season, Harmanpreet started off swiftly - she reversed Mishra through short third with the back of her bat and then attacked Meghna Singh in the only over she bowled. MI's run rate hovered in the early sevens and she, in the company of Sciver-Brunt, ensured it never dipped. They added 59 off 40 before Gardner broke through.
That brought Amanjot to the crease at No. 5 for only the second time in the WPL. She drove Dottin through the covers and then meted out special treatment to Gautam, with whom she has trained with for over a decade now, hitting her for a sequence of 4, 4, 6 to help MI take 15 off the 17th over. Gautam did have the last laugh by having Amanjot caught at long-on for a 15-ball 27 to end the 19-ball 33-run stand. Harmanpreet then completed her half-century off just 31 balls as MI scored 55 off the last four overs, the exact equation GG needed in the chase.
Early strikes cost Giants
Having benched the misfiring Hemalatha, GG opted to use Gautam as the opener alongside Beth Mooney, who popped a catch to cover on the first ball of Matthews' spell. While Gautam does possess the ability to hit big shots down the order, she was like a deer caught in headlights against the high-pace and swing of Ismail. Gautam was on 9 off 12 balls with nine dots at the end of the fifth over when GG were 34 for 1. She just managed to get away from a 120kph short ball Ismail hurled at her. Gautam fell in the last over of the powerplay, stumped off Sanskriti Gupta's offspin.
Two balls later, Ismail had Gardner caught low at slip for a two-ball duck, that was a body blow for GG. While Harleen Deol hit five fours against spin - three of them in successive balls off Matthews - she missed a googly from Kerr to be trapped lbw. GG could have lost steam and finished much lower than what they did, if not for Fulmali.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7
LSG fast bowler Mayank Yadav set to miss first half of IPL 2025 with back injury
There is no firm date set by the BCCI for Mayank's return yet, but if he meets all the fitness parameters alongside increasing his bowling workload, he could feature in the latter half of the IPL.
Mayank's unavailability in the first half of the tournament is a setback for LSG, who had retained him for INR 11 crore ($1.31 million approx.) ahead of the mega auction. It was an astronomical leap monetarily for Mayank who had been bought for INR 20 lakh ahead of the 2024 season as an uncapped fast bowler.
Mayank commanded such a huge salary primarily because of his ability to bowl at breakneck speeds, crossing 150kph-plus consistently, which earned him back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two matches in the IPL. Encouraged by his potential talent, the national selectors added Mayank to the pool of quicks given fast-bowling contracts.
Mayank's time in IPL 2024 was limited to just four matches due to a lingering side strain in the last two matches he played. During rehab, Mayank picked a separate injury which delayed his comeback but he eventually played the Bangladesh T20Is. However, he picked up another injury immediately after which forced him to return to rehab. While the BCCI has not officially shared details on Mayank's injury, it is understood that Mayank has a stress-related injury in his lower back on the left-hand side.
In February, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who has taken over as LSG's team director, said that the franchise was working closely with the BCCI's medical team to chart a roadmap for Mayank's return. However, Zaheer stressed he would only want a totally fit Mayank back in the saddle. "As much as we are keen on having him [play IPL 2025], we want him 150% fit not just 100% fit so we'll do everything possible to get him there," he had said.
LSG are set to play their first match of the season against Delhi Capitals on March 24 in Visakhapatnam, under new captain Rishabh Pant.
Wounded RCB look to keep MI from top-of-the-table finish
Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 11, 2025
What to expect: RCB look to end on high
Though the move to make Amelia Kerr open hasn't made much of a difference with the allrounder falling cheaply in both games, MI will be happy Nat Sciver-Brunt did not have to do the heavy lifting once again. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur made a fifty and there were handy contributions from the middle order. Their bowlers were excellent up front and even though they lost the plot in the second half of the chase, they kept their cool to defend 179 on a batting-friendly surface.
RCB also had similar issues from start to finish, including playing this season with a weakened bowling attack and depending on a couple of players to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. In their previous match, it was the out-of-contention Warriorz who took RCB down with them, and now RCB will look to ruin MI's chances of wanting to finish on top.
MI WWLWW (last five matches, most recent first) RCB LLLLL
MI are unlikely to change their winning combination.
Mumbai Indians (probable XI): 1 Hayley Matthews, 2 Amelia Kerr, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amanjot Kaur, 6 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 7 G Kamalini, 8 S Sajana, 9 Sanskriti Gupta, 10 Shabnim Ismail, 11 Parunika Sisodia
RCB made two changes for the previous match, bringing in Charlie Dean for Danni Wyatt-Hodge and opener S Meghana for left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht. While Dean had a tough outing, conceding 47 in her four overs of offspin, Meghana got off to a rapid start.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable XI): 1 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 2 S Meghana, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Raghvi Bisht, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Kanika Ahuja, 7 Georgia Wareham, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Charlie Dean, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Renuka Singh
Players to watch: Harmanpreet Kaur and Sneh Rana
The Seattle Seahawks have found their replacement for Geno Smith, agreeing to a three-year, $100.5 million deal with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The deal includes $55 million guaranteed, sources told Schefter.
The Seahawks added Darnold three days after agreeing to trade Smith, their starting quarterback for the past three seasons, to the Las Vegas Raiders for a third-round draft pick.
Darnold's deal is the latest move in what has been a busy stretch for the Seahawks, who agreed to trade star receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday and released receiver Tyler Lockett and four other veteran players last week.
The Seahawks traded Smith after attempting to negotiate an extension with the veteran quarterback after last month's NFL scouting combine. Seattle then turned its focus to Darnold, widely considered the top quarterback on the free-agent market.
Darnold reunites in Seattle with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was the San Francisco 49ers' passing game coordinator in 2023 when Darnold backed up Brock Purdy.
Darnold, 27, blossomed in the Vikings' scheme last season, with coach Kevin O'Connell's careful guidance, leading Minnesota to 14 wins after winning a total of 21 games in his previous six seasons. He ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards (4,319) and touchdown passes (35) while earning his first career Pro Bowl invitation.
Three of Darnold's 35 touchdown passes last season came during the Vikings' 27-24 victory over the Seahawks in December.
Darnold, however, appeared to hit his ceiling as the end of the season. His final two starts were his worst, as he threw a combined 23 off-target throws and took 11 sacks as the Vikings lost games to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams by a combined score of 58-18.
The Vikings signed Darnold in 2024 as insurance for their plan to draft their quarterback of the future. His primary job was to give the team an option good enough that it would not be forced to play that quarterback, who turned out to be J.J. McCarthy, until he was ready.
Darnold, however, had a strong training camp and was in line to be the Vikings' Week 1 starter even before McCarthy suffered a season-ending torn meniscus in his right knee during the preseason opener.
The No. 3 pick of the 2018 draft, Darnold spent three seasons with the New York Jets, two with the Carolina Panthers and one as a backup with the 49ers before signing with the Vikings in what was widely viewed as his final opportunity to prove he could be an NFL starter.
ESPN's Kevin Seifert contributed to this report.
Bueckers lifts UConn to 23rd Big East tourney title
UNCASVILLE, Conn. -- Paige Bueckers scored 24 points and Azzi Fudd added 13 to help No. 3 UConn beat 22nd-ranked Creighton 70-50 to win the Big East championship Monday night.
It's the 23rd Big East title and fifth consecutive one for the Huskies (31-3) since they returned to the conference in 2021. This was Creighton's first time in the championship game since 2016, when the Bluejays lost to St. John's.
Overall, it is the Huskies' 30th conference tournament title, making them the first team to have 30 conference tournament titles in Division I history.
Sarah Strong had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 6 steals for the Huskies, who scored the game's first 11 points. The Bluejays then scored seven straight but could get no closer as the Huskies answered with a 16-4 run to end the quarter up 27-11.
Strong joins Aaliyah Edwards (2023) and Napheesa Collier (2019) as the only UConn players with three double-doubles in a single conference tournament since 2000, according to ESPN Research.
Since losing to Tennessee on Feb. 6, the Huskies have looked unbeatable. They have won every game by at least 19 points, including a 29-point win at South Carolina. UConn enters the NCAA tournament on a 10-game win streak, tied with TCU for the longest active win streak by a major conference team, according to ESPN Research.
Lauren Jensen scored 13 points to lead Creighton (26-6). The Bluejays came into the game averaging more than nine 3-pointers a game and shooting 37% from behind the arc. They were just 6-for-23 against UConn, with five of the makes coming in the second half.
The Bluejays have an impressive résumé, with their only losses this season coming to UConn (three times), UCLA, South Dakota State and Kansas State. They could be a tough out in the NCAA tournament no matter where they are seeded.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Sources: Rams to release Kupp if no trade made
The Los Angeles Rams plan to release wide receiver Cooper Kupp when the NFL's new season starts March 12 if they can't find a trade partner, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday.
The news came a day after the team announced they agreed to sign six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Davante Adams on a two-year deal. Adams arrives as the Rams now prepare to move on from Kupp.
The news also comes after Kupp said on social media in early February that the Rams were attempting to trade him after eight seasons with the club, and that he didn't like the decision.
"I was informed that the team will be seeking a trade immediately and will be working with me and my family to find the right place to continue competing for championships," Kupp, who was named Super Bowl 56 MVP, said at the time.
After a record-breaking 2021 season during which he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, Kupp signed a three-year contract extension worth $80.1 million. He just completed the first season of that contract, which is scheduled to count $29.8 million against the cap next season and $27.3 million in 2026.
Kupp's guaranteed salary next season is only $5 million, and he has no guaranteed money on the final year of the contract in 2026. If the Rams trade Kupp in a deal designated post-June 1, they will save $20 million toward their 2025 salary cap.
If the Rams cut Kupp this offseason, they will save $15 million in cash and $7.52 million against the salary cap. If the Rams release him without a post-June 1 designation, they will absorb $22.2 million in dead money due to the remaining prorated portions of his signing bonus and $5 million of his roster bonus.
Kupp has been a prolific receiver whenever healthy for the Rams, who drafted him in the third round out of Eastern Washington a few months after hiring Sean McVay as their head coach.
Kupp has been a centerpiece of McVay's offensive game plans throughout his career, catching 634 passes for 7,776 yards and 57 touchdowns.
ESPN's Sarah Barshop and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: 49ers to release Juszczyk after 8 seasons
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As Kyle Juszczyk walked to the bus to leave State Farm Stadium after the San Francisco 49ers' 2024 season ended, he was uncertain about what was next.
Juszczyk's suspicion that he might have played his final game as a Niner was correct. The 49ers informed Juszczyk on Monday night that he is being released, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Juszczyk, 33, told ESPN after that season-ending loss to the Arizona Cardinals that he plans to play in 2025 no matter the team, a sentiment also shared by Schefter's source.
"I know I'm not done," Juszczyk said Jan. 5. "I'm definitely not done playing. I've seen zero regression. I think especially, I mean, you can turn on the last two games and please show me where I've regressed, so I have no plans of stopping."
Juszczyk and the 49ers nearly parted ways last offseason before Juszczyk agreed to a pay cut to stay with the team. It seemed a similar agreement would be needed this offseason for Juszczyk to play a ninth season in San Francisco, though that did not materialize.
Juszczyk was due to count $6,496,750 on the 2025 salary cap and has void years on the deal through 2028 that would cost an additional $1,674,00 against the cap in 2026 after his contract was set to expire. Juszczyk's release means the Niners will save $2,926,000 against this year's cap with an immediate dead money charge of $3,570,750.
Juszczyk was one of the first free agents 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch signed after taking over in 2017.
Juszczyk was named to the Pro Bowl after each of his eight seasons in San Francisco and was first-team All-Pro in 2023 and second-team All-Pro in 2024. He ran for 212 yards and 5 touchdowns on 60 carries and added 184 catches for 1,895 receiving yards and 13 scores in his time with the team.
At the NFL scouting combine in February, Lynch hinted that Juszczyk might be moving on and that seemed more realistic when the team agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $20.3 million with tight end Luke Farrell on Monday. Farrell could handle some of Juszczyk's former blocking duties.
"We're trying to make everything work and [with] some tighter constraints than we've had in the past," Lynch said then.
Juszczyk will also come up just short of landing a spot on the Niners' 10-year club, which honors players who have played at least 10 consecutive seasons in San Francisco. The team hasn't added any new members since Joe Staley in 2017.
Perhaps more bothersome for Juszczyk is that he came close to winning the Super Bowl on multiple occasions with the 49ers -- including two losses in the big game.
"I want to win a ring," Juszczyk said in January. "I want to win a ring here. But again, if I'm forced to do it somewhere else, I've still got so much football left in me. I still love the game so much. I'm still playing at a high level and I know there's teams out there that can use me."
CHICAGO -- Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed his third game in a row Monday night because of a left hip flexor strain.
The two-time All-Star sat out Indiana's 121-103 loss at Chicago after also missing back-to-back games against Atlanta on Thursday and Saturday. He had missed only one of Indiana's first 60 games before that.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before the latest game that Haliburton was getting closer, but wasn't ready to play yet. Carlisle had said last week that the fifth-year pro was day-to-day.
Haliburton hasn't played since scoring 28 points and having 15 assists in a 115-102 win over Houston last Tuesday night. He averaging 18.5 points and 8.9 assists in his 59 games this season, with 23.9 points and 12 assists a game in his seven games played since the All-Star break.
Free agent center Mo Bamba has agreed to a 10-day contract with the New Orleans Pelicans, Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports and Greer Love told ESPN.
Bamba, 26, signed a one-year deal with the LA Clippers before the season and appeared in 28 games (two starts) before he was traded to the Utah Jazz along with P.J. Tucker.
Bamba shot a career-high 62% on two-pointers this season. He averaged 1.3 blocks and 36% shooting on 3s in his career.
After the Jazz waived Bamba, he played three games for the Pelicans' G League affiliate, averaging 20 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
The former No. 6 pick in the 2018 draft, Bamba has spent time with the Magic, Lakers, 76ers and Clippers across his seven seasons in the NBA.
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