Representing Pakistan on the biggest stage is an honour and dream of every cricketer in this country. I have been privileged enough to represent Pakistan multiple times with pride. Unfortunately I'm now out of ICC Champions Trophy 2025 but surely Allah is the best planner. pic.twitter.com/MQKmOI4rQU
Fakhar Zaman (@FakharZamanLive) February 20, 2025
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'He's just the guy that helps you win': How Jaccob Slavin has been the quiet hero of Team USA
Published in
Hockey
Thursday, 20 February 2025 03:06
BOSTON -- What makes Team USA a team -- and not just a collection of All-Stars -- is having Jaccob Slavin on the roster.
That's not conjecture. That's what Team USA coach Mike Sullivan said when asked what the Carolina Hurricanes defenseman means to the men's national team at the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Practically everything about Team USA is a spectacle. The way they win is a spectacle. Their personalities are spectacles upon spectacles. Even hearing the song "Free Bird" after each goal is a spectacle; the reaction it draws from Team USA's fans comes with the expectation that a bald eagle is going to soar throughout the arena to the backdrop of fireworks.
And while Slavin is the antithesis of that spectacle, what he does for the team is one of the main reasons the spectacle exists in the first place. Goals and those who score those goals receive the bulk of the attention. Goal prevention is not always guaranteed acclaim.
But this is what defines Slavin. It's also what could help America sit atop the hockey world with another win over Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off final (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+/Disney+).
"He's so underrated and he's honestly one of my favorite players to watch," Team USA defenseman Jake Sanderson said. "He just flies under the radar and makes great plays. He's so solid defensively and such a great skater. It's the sort of attribute I want in my game someday."
LEADING INTO THE TOURNAMENT, a big talking point was what Team USA's defensive structure would look like. While Connor Hellebuyck was long believed to be the starting goalie, there was a thought that whoever would be in front of America's goalies was going to give opponents fits.
The U.S. created a defensive corps featuring Brock Faber, Adam Fox, Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, Noah Hanifin and Sanderson. Those six skaters are part of a larger wave of puck-moving defensemen who've helped define the NHL's newest glamour position.
It's a group that initially included the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Quinn Hughes, who was ruled out because of an injury.
But that also comes with the caveat that the rise of those puck-moving defensemen has led to defensive-minded defensemen receiving less attention.
Or to view it another way: The NHL's affinity for two-way quarterbacks has come at the cost of those shutdown defensemen. And if his Team USA teammates are quarterbacks for what they do in the offensive zone, that in turn makes Slavin a shutdown cornerback.
"Jaccob's a guy that, in my mind, is one of the best defenders and one of the best defending defensemen in the league," Sullivan said. "His size, his mobility, his reach, his ability to read plays, he closes on people, how strong he is in the battle areas. I don't know if there's a defenseman in the league who defends the rush more aggressively or better than Jaccob does."
MANY THINGS HAVE CONTRIBUTED to why Team USA has looked like the most consistently complete team throughout the 4 Nations tournament. One of those is a restrictive defensive structure that, if all else fails, can rely on Hellebuyck, one of the greatest goaltenders America has ever produced, to contain the situation.
Actually getting to that point against Team USA has been rare for opponents. Finland scored only once, as did Canada. The U.S. won both of those games, which made Monday's 2-1 loss to Sweden irrelevant because it had already qualified for the title game.
The most surprising part of Sweden's two goals? Slavin was on the ice for both.
Before that, he had logged more than 45 combined 5-on-5 and short-handed minutes without a goal being scored. He leads Team USA's skaters with an average ice time of 21:31 per game, while anchoring a penalty kill that hasn't allowed a power-play goal against.
"He's super tough to play against. I'm a D and I don't go against him a lot," Sweden and Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said. "The way he is in the way, the way he breaks pucks up and is such a great skater."
Much of what Slavin does is in the details, but there are times when it becomes large enough for all to see. That was the case in the win over Canada, when Colorado Avalanche superstar center and reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon was speeding in for a zone entry, as he has done so often in his NHL career.
Just when it appeared MacKinnon found an opening, Slavin was right there -- forcing one of the game's most dangerous players to rethink his approach.
"Yeah, he's incredible defensively and does a lot of little things that are hard to notice," said Hanifin, who was teammates with Slavin for three seasons in Carolina. "Just his stick. He breaks up so many plays that are hard to break up.
"He's a great skater; he's always gapping up and limiting an opponent's time and space. He's one of the best in the game at it."
1:58
Will Canada vs. USA live up to the intensity of their last game?
Mark Messier previews the high-stakes rematch as USA faces Canada in a winner-takes-all showdown for the 4 Nations Face-Off crown.
TEAM USA AND Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger said that he always knew that Slavin was underrated, but actually playing with him at the 4 Nations gave him a greater appreciation for what he does.
"He takes away stuff before it ever happens," Oettinger said. "It never has time to develop, and he just reads the game so well and is so smart. I'm sure those goalies in Carolina love playing for him."
Slavin does have an offensive presence. He has had seven seasons of more than 30 points, and is flirting with what would be an eighth season, with 20 points through 56 games this NHL season. In total, he's had 292 points in 721 career games. For comparison, Hughes has scored 392 points in just 412 games.
But another detail that speaks to Slavin's effectiveness is how he's low-risk for penalties, despite consistently playing in high-risk situations (for copious minutes) on a nightly basis.
The 30-year-old Slavin is averaging more than 22 minutes per game for his career, yet he has accrued only 94 total penalty minutes in those 721 games. Another comparison: Team USA forward Brady Tkachuk finished second in the NHL with 134 penalty minutes last season.
Sullivan explained that Team USA wanted to build the sort of well-rounded team that could thrive in whatever situation was presented.
By adding Slavin to its roster, Team USA has done more than thrive in all situations at the 4 Nations Face-Off. And now, he has put them in position to win it all.
"He's been a big part of our group's ability to be stingy defensively," Sullivan said. "He's a huge part of our penalty kill. He helps us at our net front. Those are the types of skill sets or complementary skill sets we were looking for when we were putting this group together.
"He may not be the guy that ends up on the scoring sheet or on ['SportsCenter'], he's just the guy that helps you win."
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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said Kylian Mbappé has the potential to reach the same level as club great Cristiano Ronaldo after he scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win over Manchester City on Wednesday that took the Champions League holders into the round of 16.
Ronaldo is Madrid's all-time leading scorer with 451 goals in 438 games for the 15-times Champions League winners.
"He has the quality to reach his numbers, but he has to work, because Cristiano set the bar very high, but he is so excited to play here, he can reach Cristiano's level," Ancelotti told a news conference.
"Everyone was waiting for this hat trick from him and it has finally arrived. But Mbappé is not the only one, we have many players who make a difference. And they make a difference with their collective work above their individual quality which is remarkable."
Mbappé, who scored 256 goals in 308 appearances over six years at Paris Saint-Germain, said he did not care about being the top scorer if it did not lead to silverware.
"I was the Champions League's top scorer last year, but did I win it? No," Mbappe told reporters.
"I don't care about being the leading scorer, in my career, I have scored many goals. If with these goals we win titles I will sign with my blood. If I can score 50, all the better, but all I want is to win titles," he added.
Ancelotti lamented that his side had to go through the pain of the knockout round but said that they were to blame after a slow start to the campaign that caused them to finish outside the top eight in the league standings
The holders will face Bayer Leverkusen or city rivals Atlético Madrid, depending on Friday's draw, as they seek a record-extending 16th title.
"It's not positive at all having to go through the knock-out because we had to play 10 games to get to the last 16," Ancelotti said.
"We're not coming out of a difficult period, we're entering one because this is when the real season starts. There is no way to stop, to rest. But on an emotional level, sure, this tie has been good for us. Let's keep rolling."
Mbappe said he would prefer to play local rivals Atlético in the next round.
"For me it is better to play against Atlético because we don't have to travel, because we travel a lot. They would be two very difficult games but one without traveling."
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Vinícius Júnior had the last laugh in his fd with Manchester City fans with a pointed post on X after Real Madrid knocked Pep Guardiola's side out of the Champions League on Wednesday.
Ahead of the first leg at Etihad Stadium in the playoff clash, City fans had unveiled a banner that showed Rodri kissing the Ballon d'Or trophy with Oasis lyric "Stop Crying Your Heart Out" written alongside it.
The banner was in reference to Rodri beating the Madrid forward to the prestigious individual award conferred by France Football in October last year. The snub saw Vinícius and the entire Madrid delegation skip the ceremony in Paris.
Following Madrid's 3-1 win at the Bernabéu that saw them go through to the round of 16, Vinícius posted "Okat, okay, okay" on X accompanied with a crying emoji.
Okay okay okay!!!!!!!
Vini Jr. (@vinijr) February 19, 2025
The Brazi international made a key contribution in the first-leg of the tie, setting up Jude Bellingham's last-gasp winner at the Etihad to give the reigning champions a 2-1 lead going into the clash at the Bernabéu.
"I saw it [the banner]. But when opposition fans do things, it always gives me more strength to play a great game, and here I did that," Vinícius told Movistar after last week's game. "They know our history and everything we've done in this competition."
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Grading Ineos' first year at Man United: Squad, budget, fans, success and more
Published in
Soccer
Thursday, 20 February 2025 01:53
Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's 27.7% purchase of a minority stake in Manchester United -- a deal that gave Britain's richest person control of football operations at the Premier League's most successful club -- but it has been a turbulent 12 months for the club since his arrival. Erik ten Hag ended last season by winning the FA Cup and was rewarded with a new contract as manager only to be fired four months later, while over 250 job cuts -- and the prospect of more -- have left morale at rock bottom within Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe's Ineos Group has made changes behind the scenes, hiring and firing senior staff, but on the pitch, new head coach Ruben Amorim has endured a nightmarish start that has even prompted the former Sporting CP coach to say that relegation is a possibility for the 20-time title winners. United are also struggling to comply with the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR), which threatens a summer of low spending in the transfer market.
So with the first year under Ineos proving to be tough for United, Mark Ogden and Rob Dawson have assessed the group's impact so far -- and whether the club can look forward to a brighter future.
(Editor's note: The grades are assessing the gap between expectations when Ineos arrived in town a year ago, complete with big ideas and ambitious plans, and the reality of where Man United find themselves right now.)
On-pitch success: Is the team winning games? Trophies? Competitive in general?
Ogden: A quick look at the Premier League table gives you an instant answer. United are on course for their worst-ever Premier League season -- by some distance -- and the team, under both Ruben Amorim and his predecessor Erik ten Hag, has set all kinds of unwanted records in terms of results. Amorim has already broken records dating back over a century in relation to his team's woeful record at Old Trafford.
In isolation, United have had some good results under Ineos, including last season's FA Cup final win against champions Manchester City. They have also won at City in the league season, drawn at Liverpool and beat Arsenal on penalties in the FA Cup after a third-round draw at the Emirates. But United haven't built on those results, and there have been no signs of prolonged progress under either manager.
Many seasoned United watchers reckon things haven't been this bad since the early 1970s, when the club was relegated. It's hard to argue that those old-timers are wrong.
Dawson: It's been an unmitigated disaster. The FA Cup was won in May, but Ineos can't take much credit for it because it wasn't able to make meaningful on-pitch decisions before the summer. It's what has happened since that's raised eyebrows.
Ineos dithered over the decision to keep Erik ten Hag. And then, having chosen to stick with him, gave him influence over more than 200 million in new signings that included two of his former players: defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui. It was investment made to suit Ten Hag's 4-3-3 system, but a matter of months later, he was gone and replaced with Ruben Amorim, who insists upon a completely different tactical setup with three at the back. At best, it's muddled thinking; at worst, it's mismanagement.
United won't get relegated because four teams -- Southampton, Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Wolverhampton Wanderers -- are in demonstrably worse shape. Defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Feb. 16 left Amorim's team 15th in the table, just two points above West Ham. United have never finished in the bottom half in the Premier League era.
The situation Amorim has inherited is so dire that you can't begin to judge him. If it turns out the Portuguese coach isn't up to the job, Ineos will be faced with making another managerial change and building a squad that needs a different profile of player. United are in a hole, and they haven't got the time or the money to be chasing their tail.
GRADES:
- Ogden: D
- Dawson: F
Club finances
Ogden: United are doing nothing to put a positive spin on the bleak financial reality at the club. They announced losses of 113m in the most recent annual accounts last September and have repeatedly stated that they have no financial headroom in terms of PSR. Within those accounts, United also revealed outstanding transfer payments of 319m -- a common issue at clubs throughout football due to fees being paid over the course of a player's contract -- and an overall debt of 714m.
This is why, people at the club would argue, Ineos has overseen drastic job cuts at all levels in the past 12 months, with more likely to come. It is also why United were encouraging offers for homegrown players Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo during the January window, as any fee for those would be classed as pure profit on the balance sheet.
The big question about Ineos, though, is whether it is simply dealing with a problem that the Glazer family (the majority owners) ignored for years and is attempting to put United on a sound financial footing, or if it's clearing the decks and reducing staffing levels to reduce its own costs and make United a less expensive club to run. The message from Ineos has been that all financial decisions, including the most painful ones, have been taken with the ultimate objective of making the team better and successful again. However, for a club that was ranked fourth in Deloitte's 2025 Football Money League in terms of revenue generated -- United banked 770.6m, behind only Real Madrid, Man City and Paris Saint-Germain -- it's hard to see how Ineos is making the numbers stack up.
Dawson: This is Ineos' big problem. United have lost more than 300m over the past three years and their costs remain high. In a recent letter to fans, they warned there was a danger they could fall foul of PSR, which could lead to big fines or points deductions. Only United know how close they are to their PSR limit, because the numbers submitted to the league are different from those disclosed in statements to the New York Stock Exchange. But as one source told ESPN, the club is facing "a challenging long-term financial picture."
Ratcliffe has invested around 240m since his arrival -- part of which is being used to redevelop Carrington, the club's training facility -- but it's a drop in the ocean. There's a feeling within Ineos that supporters do not fully understand just how bad things are and that there is a scenario -- as unthinkable as it sounds -- in which United could go bust if drastic cost-cutting measures aren't implemented.
GRADES:
- Ogden: F
- Dawson: C (it's not all Ineos' fault)
Let's look at the squad: Is it getting better or worse?
Ogden: United ended the 2024 summer window with a 101m net spend having traded players in and out after winning the FA Cup, but the squad is still nowhere near having the depth or quality expected at a club of its stature. United have two unproven, and frankly not good enough, young forwards in Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee whose transfer fees cost a combined 100m. Defensively, there is a lack of quality at full-back, no central defender who can bring the ball forward and no world-class midfielder.
Very few United players would get in teams above them in the Premier League table -- an indictment of the club's woeful recent recruitment -- but Ineos has now had two full windows to improve the squad and has failed to do so. The squad is no better than when Ineos arrived; if anything, it's worse.
Dawson: More than 200m has been spent on signing new players since the takeover, and you could argue the squad is no better. In fact, plenty of fans would agree it's worse. The jury is still out on summer signings De Ligt, Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, Leny Yoro and Zirkzee. The same can be said for Patrick Dorgu, January's one significant arrival. In terms of outgoings, United have Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa), Antony (Real Betis), Jadon Sancho (Chelsea) and Tyrell Malacia (PSV Eindhoven) -- with a combined market value of more than 200m -- playing for other clubs on loan.
United have struggled to score goals since Ten Hag's time in charge, but in January both Rashford and Antony were allowed to leave without replacements coming in. United have scored 28 goals in 25 league games this season with only Ipswich, Southampton, Leicester and Everton scoring fewer.
The injury list is getting longer, too, after Amad Diallo, Mainoo and Ugarte all picked up problems last week. Still, the state of the squad was summed up at Spurs when Amorim was able to name only one substitute over the age of 19. That was Victor Lindelöf, who hasn't played in the league for more than two months and is set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
GRADES:
- Ogden: D
- Dawson: D
Moves made with senior management
Ogden: The jury is out on this one because virtually all of the senior executives pre-Ineos were cleared out by the new regime.
The Glazers oversaw a decade of drift and decline by promoting from within, resulting in the likes of Ed Woodward (executive vice chairman), Richard Arnold (CEO), John Murtough (football director) and Darren Fletcher (technical director) assuming consequential roles and not meeting expectations. Ineos has since hired Omar Berrada (CEO), Jason Wilcox (technical director) and Dan Ashworth (sporting director), but former Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion sporting director Ashworth was fired after less than five months in the job. Ashworth failed to impress Ineos boss Ratcliffe, but he was expected to perform a role that was different from his previous experience working with more autonomy at Newcastle, so Ratcliffe and Ineos cannot escape blame for that failed appointment.
Sir Dave Brailsford, the Ineos director of sport, has an influential role behind the scenes at United, and they now have a coherent leadership structure tasked with plotting a course forward.
0:57
Ogden questions what the 'cult of Jim' are adding to Man United
On "The Football Reporters" podcast, Mark Ogden wonders what Dave Brailsford can bring to Manchester United with a background in cycling.
Dawson: It's probably the one area where Ineos has made some kind of progress. Ratcliffe identified very early that the club's structure wasn't set up for success, and he has tried to fix it.
Berrada is a clever appointment as CEO after helping Manchester City to become the dominant force in English football. He has an astute business mind, knows football and has contacts across Europe -- really the perfect candidate to lead a rebuild.
Ashworth also seemed like a smart hire as director of football given his longtime friendship with Brailsford, but it quickly turned into an embarrassment. Ratcliffe should have made sure his team and Ashworth were completely aligned on key issues -- such as possible managerial candidates -- before spending so much time and money appointing him from Newcastle. Having to sack Ashworth so quickly suggests Ratcliffe didn't do his homework, which doesn't bode well for the rest of his decision-making.
GRADES:
- Ogden: D
- Dawson: C
Fan relations
Ogden: The optics of the Ineos era so far have been really bad. Beyond issues with cost-cutting and infrastructure that have caused embarrassment, fans have felt the tangible effects of the new regime.
Ticket prices have gone up, despite the woeful football and results, a decision that Ratcliffe justified by saying it shouldn't cost more to watch Fulham than Manchester United -- a remark that went down badly with fans. They directed derogatory chants toward Ratcliffe during the recent game at Fulham, so in a year, he has achieved the remarkable feat of becoming as unpopular as the Glazers.
Dawson: The message from Ineos at every turn has been that each decision -- popular or not -- has been taken to benefit the men's first team. In short, it's prepared to do anything and everything to make the club more competitive on the pitch.
It probably felt like an easy PR win considering how things had been under the Glazers, with former executive vice chairman Ed Woodward never able to forget his infamous quote: "Playing performance doesn't really have a meaningful impact on what we can do on the commercial side of the business." But by being so clear about its reasoning, Ineos has opened a debate about what a football club is.
It's true that many supporters only want to see United win the Premier League and Champions League, not caring how they get there. But there are other fans who believe a football club should stand for more: that ticket prices should always be affordable, particularly for children and teenagers; that there should be a thriving women's team; that there should be a charitable foundation to improve lives in Manchester; that former players who had careers during a time of more modest salaries should be supported.
Fans already feel like they are being forced to pay the price for poor decision-making by the Glazers, and many believe it's being continued by Ratcliffe. There has already been scattered discontent aimed at Ratcliffe and Ineos, and there's a larger protest planned ahead of the Arsenal game on March 9. There's real concern among season-ticket holders that they will be hit with a major price hike ahead of next season.
GRADES:
- Ogden: F
- Dawson: D
How does the future look?
Ogden: Right now, the future doesn't look great at all, but perhaps Ineos is making the tough, unpopular decisions to clear the way for progress. Sometimes you have to rip off the bandage, and Ineos is certainly doing that.
We shouldn't forget that Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, had plenty of early missteps at Anfield including clashes with fans over ticket prices, clumsy handling of managerial changes and recruitment mistakes including Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke. Nobody remembers those mistakes now, largely because Jürgen Klopp was an inspired managerial appointment and the club's recruitment team worked in tandem with him to turn Liverpool into world-beaters again.
1:43
Dawson: Players uncomfortable benefitting from Man United redundancies
On "The Football Reporters" podcast, Rob Dawson says morale amongst Manchester United staff is as low as he's ever seen it.
United desperately need clear leadership and a strategic plan to move forward, and they had neither under the Glazers, so Ineos might just be in the first, chaotic stages of getting it right. But that's the positive outlook. The flip side is that the new decision-makers aren't as smart as some of them believe themselves to be, and football is a much tougher business to crack than anything they have worked in before.
Much will depend on the summer. If Ineos clears out the deadwood and makes smart signings, then Amorim could be the coach to put United back on top. Amorim needs Ineos to deliver if he is to deliver for them.
Dawson: It's easy to be very pessimistic about the future. Clubs need money to be competitive, and United are openly saying there isn't any. On top of that, Ratcliffe and Ineos want to build a new stadium at a possible cost of 2 billion, though there has been little concrete information about how they plan to pay for it. The danger is that if the club foots the bill, there will be an even smaller budget to reshape the squad. Amorim has already said that funds for next summer will depend on whether United can get players out.
In the short term, the biggest worry is Amorim. It's not yet clear whether he's the right man for the job. He has been dealt a tough hand, and he has been fighting fire after fire since his arrival in November. If it turns out he was the wrong appointment, it will be a huge setback for Ratcliffe and Ineos.
The hope is that Amorim's appointment works out, high earners like Rashford and Casemiro leave in the summer, some money is freed up to reinvest and, next season, United begin to take small steps forward. It's not certain by any means, and most fans are in the position of wanting to see it to believe it.
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Shami on long rehab: 'Felt like a toddler learning how to walk'
Published in
Cricket
Thursday, 20 February 2025 01:26
Mohammed Shami feared that his career was over when a lengthy rehabilitation kept him out of cricket throughout 2024. Now leading India's pace attack in the Champions Trophy, Shami compared his comeback to "a toddler learning how to walk".
"I always wondered when I would be able to put my feet on the ground again, as someone who is used to running on the field constantly was now in crutches," Shami, 34, told icc.tv. "A lot of thoughts used to run through my mind. Will I be able to do it again? Will I be able to walk without a limp? For the first two months, I often doubted whether I would be able to play again as an injury like this followed by a 14-month break can pull you down.
"My first question to the doctor was 'how many days until I can be back on the field'. He said, 'my priority is to get you to walk, then jog, and then run and thinking about playing competitive cricket is still a distant goal'.
"After 60 days, when they asked me to put my feet on the ground, you won't believe me, but I have never been more scared to put my foot on the ground. It felt like I was starting over, like a toddler learning how to walk, and I was worried about any complications."
After overcoming an ankle injury, Shami underwent surgery in March 2024. He subsequently faced issues in his knee, further delaying his return. After returning to the Bengal team for the domestic season, Shami rejoined India's white-ball squad during the home series against England, and proved his fitness for the Champions Trophy.
Shami was the highest wicket-taker of the last ICC tournament he played - the 2023 ODI World Cup - despite being on the field for only seven fixtures. He now finds himself needing to play another big role with Jasprit Bumrah out with an injury.
"The desire to wear the India badge on my chest kept me going," he said. "You endure the pain and take it one step at a time without complaints or bitterness. It was tough and there was pain, but with resilience and patience I made it through. My motivation has always been to serve my country for as long as possible. Because once you step away, you're just like anyone else."
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Injured Fakhar Zaman ruled out of Champions Trophy; Pakistan call up Imam-ul-Haq
Published in
Cricket
Thursday, 20 February 2025 01:54
Pakistan's hopes of defending their Champions Trophy title have taken a significant dent with opener Fakhar Zaman ruled out of the remainder of the tournament with an oblique injury. Imam-ul-Haq has been approved by the ICC as Fakhar's replacement.
Fakhar picked up the injury off just the second ball of the tournament, when he hared off in pursuit of a cover drive from Will Young off Shaheen Shah Afridi. When he collected the ball, he appeared to be in some discomfort. After treatment on the field, he was take off, and remained out for more than two hours.
That meant he could not open the Pakistan batting, and when he did come in at No. 4, he was visibly discomfited. He received multiple visits from the team doctor and physio, and took painkillers on the field throughout his 41-ball stay at the crease. It was something of a tortured innings, with his movements restricted, and he didn't look like he would have a serious impact on Pakistan's pursuit of the 320 New Zealand had scored. He scored 24 before he was dismissed.
The injury is especially unfortunate for Fakhar and Pakistan. He only returned to the side when Saim Ayub, Pakistan's standout opener in their three away series wins at the tail-end of last year, was struck down in similar circumstances. He went in pursuit of a ball down to the boundary in the second Test against South Africa in January, only to twist his ankle, which was later confirmed to be a fractured. It has ruled him out until at least March.
Fakhar's most famous contribution to Pakistan cricket has come in this tournament. He was the star batter in the final of the last Champions Trophy, in 2017, where he scored 114 against India as Pakistan won the tournament.
Imam, who comes into the side, does not have the same pedigree as Fakhar in terms of belligerence, and has not played international cricket since 2023. He does, however, have a stellar record as opener, averaging 48.27 with nine ODI centuries from 72 ODIs.
Pakistan are on the ropes in their defence of the trophy already, having succumbed to a 60-run defeat in the tournament opener against New Zealand. Their next game is on February 23, against India in Dubai.
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Bird joins 400 club to put NSW in mix for Shield final
Published in
Cricket
Wednesday, 19 February 2025 22:58
New South Wales 238 (Davies 89, Boland 4-56) and 174 (Gilkes 49, Boland 6-46) beat Victoria 182 (Bird 3-24) and 154 (Murphy 40, Bird 5-68) by 76 runs
Bird claimed 5 for 68 on the third day, making full use of a surface that was getting tougher to bat on, as Victoria were bowled out for 154 chasing 230, the margin only narrowed by a late dip from Todd Murphy who flayed 40 off 32 balls.
Scott Boland had earlier finished with 6 for 46 and a match haul of 10 for 102 as NSW lost their last six wickets for 31 but a fourth-innings chase was always going to be a tall order for the visitors.
Bird's first wicket of the final innings, finding the edge of Marcus Harris, took him to his milestone as he joined Clarrie Grimmett, Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel and Jo Angel as the only bowlers in the 400-club.
"It probably means I've been around a long time," Bird said. "It's nice to tick off the milestones along the way, but when you have a good win like that with a team, it makes it more special. So it's a great team effort.
"It's nice to be in that [400] group. But the goal of mine now is to win a Sheffield Shield. I've never won a Sheffield Shield, so that's more important to me at the moment and it's what's driving me to keep playing at my age."
Bird, 38, indicated that any decision on whether he would continue his career would be made at the end of the season. "I'm just taking it game by game at the moment," he said. "I didn't have much left in the tank after this afternoon. I don't want to hang on too long. Whether I can mentally do another pre-season. If I do play next year, it'll probably look different in terms of my availability."
None of Victoria's top five reached double figures as they slid to 31 for 5 which effectively decided the contest. Bird had Tom Rogers taken at first slip, Harry Dixon miscuing a pull and forced Peter Handscomb to fend a viciously rising delivery into the cordon. He later returned to remove Fergus O'Neill for his fifth wicket and finished the game with a season's tally of 30 at 13.96.
Captain Jack Edwards was again impressive with the ball while Liam Hatcher chipped in with a brace.
The victory pushed NSW into second place in what looks like a race to play South Australia in the final. It was Victoria's third consecutive loss leaving them a tough route to the final with games against the leaders, SA, and an away trip to Western Australia.
"Dropping Ollie Davies in the first innings cost us quite a bit," coach Chris Rogers said. "With our batting we lost a number of wickets in and around breaks and just probably not up to the standard we needed to be if we're going to win games of cricket. We've got a lot of questions we need to answer.
"Playing our last Shield game against Queensland before the BBL break I didn't imagine us being in this position. We've only got ourselves to blame. It's frustrating and shows how competitive this league is. We've let too many moments slip and we need to question why that's happening."
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Morris turns up to the heat as WA thrash Queensland
Published in
Cricket
Wednesday, 19 February 2025 23:45
Western Australia 312 (Fanning 95, Whiteman 67, Neser 4-34) beat Queensland 147 (Rocchiccioli 7-52) and 153 (Morris 3-35) by an innings and 12 runs
Reigning champions Western Australia have revived their quest for Sheffield Shield history, trouncing Queensland by an innings and 12 runs to rise from last to third on the ladder.
WA paceman Lance Morris claimed three wickets as Queensland were bowled out for 153 in their second innings on day three at the Gabba on Thursday.
WA, seeking to become the first state to win four consecutive shields since Tasmania entered the competition in 1977-78, started the fixture at the foot of the ladder. But they rose to third with NSW (32.87) taking second spot after defeating Victoria, while Queensland (28.45) slid from third to fifth.
WA's victory came only 11 days after being humiliated on home turf by SA when they posted scores of 120 and 66 in a six-wicket loss.
"We had a good little reflection ... but you can only talk so much," captain Sam Whiteman said. "To put some actions into place and perform really well with both the ball and the bat is pleasing - it's a tough spot to win at, the Gabba. It gives us the best chance heading back home for the two final games."
Morris tore through Queensland's tail and was on a hat-trick after dismissing Xavier Bartlett and bowling Mark Steketee for a golden duck. He sprayed his hat-trick attempt, sending a delivery to Mitch Swepson wildly down the legside to miss the milestone.
Queensland made 147 in their first innings when offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli took a career-best 7 for 52. WA, with Sam Fanning (95) falling just shy of his maiden first-class century, replied with 312 to take a stranglehold on the fixture.
Queensland's batters struggled again in their second innings with Ben McDermott and Lachlan Hearne top-scoring - both made 33. Angus Lovell, his opening partner Matt Renshaw and Michael Neser were the only other batsmen to reach double-figures.
WA's Morris collected 3 for 35 from 13 overs - he also removed McDermott with a brute of a short ball which reared at the batter, who edged to wicketkeeper Joel Curtis.
Rocchiccioli finished with his best first-class match figures of 9 for 79 while paceman Joel Paris and Cameron Gannon also took multiple second-innings wickets.
"Awesome reward for him to get his first 5-for," Whiteman said. "He has taken over 100 Shield wickets without a five-for, so to finish with nine for the match is amazing. He's such a weapon for us on day one when it's spinning."
After this round, all states have two games remaining before the final. WA host NSW from March 6 and Victoria from March 15 at the WACA Ground in Perth.
Queensland will be on the road for their remaining fixtures, against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval and South Australia at Karen Rolton Oval on the same dates.
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Radhakrishnan digs in to give Tasmania hope in big chase
Published in
Cricket
Thursday, 20 February 2025 00:04
Tasmania 101 and 164 for 3 (Radhakrishnan 53*) need 217 more runs to beat South Australia 93 and 388 (Sangha 75, Scott 69, McInerney 61)
Precocious talent Nivethan Radhakrishnan posted a half-century as Tasmania faced a final-day fight for 217 more runs to defeat Sheffield Shield leaders South Australia.
Set 381 runs to win, Tasmania were 164 for 3 at stumps on the third day at Adelaide Oval. Radhakrishnan, an Indian-born 22-year-old who can bowl spinners with right and left arms, has underpinned the chase with an unbeaten 53. He will resume on the last day with Jake Doran, who was 19 not out.
Tasmania lost Jake Weatherald early when the left hander didn't play a shot to a Nathan McAndrew delivery which cut back to clip off stump.
Radhakrishnan and Tim Ward took the score to 70 but the latter fell just after tea. Like Weatherald, the left-handed Ward failed to offer a shot to McAndrew bowling around the wicket but was unlucky to be adjudged lbw, given the ball hit his thigh pad and appeared to be tracking over the stumps.
Radhakrishnan, who has represented Australia in Under-16 and Under-19 ranks, then featured in a 66-run partnership dominated by stalwart Jordan Silk. Silk made 43 from 66 balls but was bowled by legspinner Lloyd Pope - he chopped on attempting a drive through the off-side an hour before stumps.
Earlier, SA were all out for 388 in their second innings. After resuming at 272 for 6, McAndrew and Ben Manenti quickly prospered as they struck five boundaries each and featured in a 78-run partnership.
Allrounder Liam Scott returned to the crease after retiring hurt on 43 because of a migraine late on day two, pushing his score to 69 not out. Tasmania quick Riley Meredith was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 81.
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LeBron, Luka say roles in clutch go 'both ways'
Published in
Basketball
Wednesday, 19 February 2025 23:49
LOS ANGELES -- It took only three games with LeBron James and Luka Doncic as teammates before the Los Angeles Lakers had to answer the question: Who gets the last shot?
Wednesday, it was James. The 22-year veteran missed two potential game-tying 3-pointers in the waning seconds of L.A.'s 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Doncic, who threw the inbounds pass to James with 6.3 seconds left, setting up the first shot, said their roles are interchangeable.
"He had it going, so obviously we're going to go to him," Doncic said. "I think it will go both ways. One time it's going to be him, one time me. So, I think it depends how the game is going."
Before his final two misses -- the last falling short at the buzzer after Gabe Vincent grabbed the offensive rebound followed James' first missed 3 and fed him again -- James had scored 16 points in the fourth quarter on 6-for-8 shooting, including 2-for-3 from 3. Doncic, meanwhile, had scored five points in the fourth on 2-for-5 shooting.
"As a coach, you're excited that you have two guys that can be the passer and be the guy who gets the pass," Lakers coach JJ Redick said of the late-game dynamic between James and Doncic. "But it felt like LeBron, particularly in the fourth, just found a nice rhythm and I felt really comfortable with that. And we got two good looks."
James said that he "felt pretty good" with the play call to get him the ball for a 3 above the break. He had just made one with 6.8 seconds remaining to cut the Hornets lead from four to one at 98-97.
"We run the set that JJ draws up," James said of being the guy to take the last shot Wednesday. "You execute it. And we executed it. We just didn't make it."
James finished with his typical production -- 26 points on 10-for-22 shooting, 11 assists, seven rebounds and two blocks -- but the Lakers struggled overall against the Hornets.
Doncic nearly posted a triple-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, but he shot just 5-for-18 with six turnovers. Austin Reaves shot 3-for-9 before being ejected late in the third quarter for picking up two quick technical fouls in succession from referee Rodney Mott. Rui Hachimura scored 17 points but shot 1-for-8 from 3 and missed two free throws with 37.7 seconds left that could have tied the score.
"Obviously, it's going to take a little time," Doncic said. "Today, a lot of rustiness for my part. Started the game with like four or five turnovers. That can't happen. So, just got to play basketball the right way."
L.A. shot a season-high 51 times from beyond the 3-point arc and made just 15 (29.4%).
"I thought, our effort and competitive spirit was good enough to win," Redick said. "Just, we were really poor offensively for 90% of the game."
James, playing on a left ankle injury that held him out of the All-Star game, pointed out that Doncic was only playing in his third game since Christmas because of a strained left calf injury of his own.
"He still doesn't know all the plays, he doesn't know all the defensive coverages, all the signals, and things that we've built since September," James said. "So obviously, we're trying to fast-track it on the fly. He's coming back from his injury. He's getting back into form. So, we're all working through it together."
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