Get ready, Pakistan!
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 trophy tour kicks off in Islamabad on 16 November, also visiting scenic travel destinations like Skardu, Murree, Hunza and Muzaffarabad. Catch a glimpse of the trophy which Sarfaraz Ahmed lifted in 2017 at The Oval, from 16-24 pic.twitter.com/SmsV5uyzlL
Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 14, 2024
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'It was for the better': How Ja Morant and the Grizzlies turned last season's woes into success
Published in
Basketball
Friday, 15 November 2024 09:17
JA MORANT DROVE the length of the court, kissed a hanging floater off the glass over a couple of Los Angeles Lakers defenders and saw an opportunity to make a statement.
It was in the final minute of a testy second quarter on Nov. 6 at FedExForum, a home game for the Memphis Grizzlies that felt too much like a neutral site for Morant's taste because of the presence of so many Lakers fans.
Morant and LeBron James had exchanged buckets and "too small" gestures in the preceding minute. Morant had an up-close view when James smacked the teal paint in the lane with his right hand, as the Grizzlies superstar landed flat on his back after the league's all-time leading scorer muscled him before hitting a turnaround.
Morant wanted to send a message: Nobody bullies the Memphis Grizzlies, not even a legend who outweighs him by 100 pounds or so. After hitting the floater and backpedaling a few steps, Morant spotted James standing in the lane awaiting an inbounds pass. Morant approached from behind and bumped James forcefully enough to move him several inches, earning a technical foul. It was worth giving up a point for Morant to make his point.
"I don't like them," Morant told reporters after the Grizzlies rolled to a 131-114 win that night. "They knocked me out of the playoffs. And then last year we had a game, and they came here and popped it on our home floor when I was in street clothes. I wasn't [on the bench] tonight."
A month earlier, inside the gym at a tony private school in Nashville, after a bitterly disappointing, injury-ravaged 27-55 campaign, Morant and the Grizzlies tried to wash away the lingering aftertaste of the past two seasons.
It was Oct. 1, and with a roster that still features several holdovers from teams that won 50-plus games and earned the Western Conference's No. 2 seed the two previous years, Morant summed up the mood.
"We all feel like we ain't done s--- yet," he said.
Two years earlier, Morant sat for an interview in Denver with ESPN's Malika Andrews. His team was 19-10, atop the West standings and had been anointed by many teams as the best young team in basketball. And they believed it.
"I'm fine in the West," Morant famously said.
A lot has happened with the Grizzlies since then -- mostly negative -- two league suspensions for Morant, a first-round flameout against the Lakers and the superstar guard's inclusion on the lengthy, record-breaking list of Grizzlies players who suffered serious injuries.
"It was a humbling experience last season," said Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, whose staff underwent several changes over the summer. "It was miserable not being a part of playoff basketball."
Still, the Grizzlies' internal expectations weren't dimmed by last season's disappointment.
"I mean, if you don't win a championship, what the f--- did you do?" Morant said during the preseason. "Honestly, championship is the goal. Until then, we ain't done nothing. My goal is to get there and do whatever it takes to get there."
Morant didn't want a 10-month layoff, but he saw some benefit in having such a long stretch away from the spotlight. He reported to camp with a sense of calm determination.
"I'd say it was for the better," Morant said. "It allowed me to lock in mentally, focus more. I was able to be around my family a lot during my recovery process, being able to travel, feel human again, go to my AAU teams' games, watch them win, watch the joy that they have being out there playing. It had me itching to get back on the floor."
That's one silver lining. But inside the organization, they feel there were several more that could fuel an expeditious rise back to the top of the West.
Such as the presence of lottery pick Zach Edey, the offensive development of power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and the discovery of solid backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. -- all are among the benefits from the 2023-24 campaign that have helped the Grizzlies get off to a 7-5 start with the third-best point differential (plus-8.2) in the Western Conference entering Friday night's road game against the Golden State Warriors (10 p.m. ET, ESPN).
EDEY WAS A polarizing prospect despite winning back-to-back NCAA Player of the Year honors for Purdue, which he led to the national championship game last season. There were widespread doubts about how well a lumbering post player would fit in the modern NBA that is all about pace and space. Some teams did not have him in the first round on their draft boards, according to league sources.
But the Grizzlies pounced on the chance to pick Edey at No. 9 and immediately plugged the 7-foot-4 big man into the hole at center in their starting lineup. The early results have been mixed, as Edey played fewer than 15 minutes in four of Memphis' first nine games. He has been used in a reserve role the past three games, a decision Jenkins said was made to evaluate different lineup combinations, not intended as a demotion.
Edey, who slimmed down to 290 pounds in preparation for the up-tempo NBA, has averaged 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 62.2% from the floor, including 70.0% in the restricted area.
"He's not in the Big Ten anymore, and there are times the game looks too fast for him," said an Eastern Conference scout who saw the Grizzlies recently. "But he's a force in the paint. They need to pass him the ball more."
The latter statement isn't a consensus opinion among scouts. A scout who attended the best performance of Edey's young career -- 25 points on 11-of-12 shooting and 12 rebounds on Nov. 4 in Brooklyn -- noted that the Grizzlies lost that game.
"I don't think that's their way of playing -- just pass the ball inside and wait," that scout said.
Culturally, Edey has fit extremely well with the Grizzlies. He's not nearly as animated as Morant, but he has a similar combative competitiveness and refusal to be intimidated. Case in point: Edey exchanged shoves and stares with veteran center Jonas Valanciunas, one of the NBA's most bruising big men, during the Grizzlies' Nov. 8 win over the Washington Wizards.
After scoring 12 points and grabbing eight rebounds in Wednesday's loss against the Lakers, a game in which he held his own against perennial All-Star Anthony Davis, Jenkins complimented his young big man.
"There's this chip on his shoulder from coming up," he said, "starting basketball late and everyone doubting him."
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Jaren Jackson Jr. heats up for 39 points in Grizzlies' big win
Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the Grizzlies with 39 points on 50% shooting from the field in the Grizzlies' win over the Wizards.
FOR MUCH OF last season, Jackson stood alone. He was the lone Grizzlies starter to avoid major injury, and led Memphis in minutes and games played.
The circumstances required Jackson to carry a much bigger offensive burden than he ever had before, resulting in a career-best scoring average (22.5 points per game) but poor efficiency (49.4 effective field goal percentage).
But it gave Jackson chances to spread his wings offensively against NBA competition, allowing him to experiment with ways to expand his game.
"It was just a huge opportunity," Jackson told ESPN. "I haven't ever been put in a position to be that offensively free in probably my life. Just getting those experiences, I can take that to any year that I have going forward.
"But it's more fun to have everybody around you, for sure."
Jackson, 25, the Defensive Player of the Year two seasons ago, is off to the best offensive start of his career, despite missing all of preseason and the first two games of the regular season with a hamstring strain. He's averaging 22.5 points per game -- a team high -- while shooting 54.7% from the floor and 39.2% from 3-point range.
The sample sizes are small, but Jackson has displayed the ability to score in a variety of ways this season. According to Second Spectrum data, he has averaged 1.19 points per transition opportunity, 1.35 points per isolation and 1.18 on post-ups, all of which rank well above the league average.
"Last year was a huge boost in his growth offensively," Jenkins said this week. "It was definitely an unintended opportunity, obviously as unfortunate as last season was, but his development was one of the brightest spots I could see."
Other bright spots include a trio of young players on two-way deals who parlayed larger than anticipated roles into four-year, standard contracts, providing hope they could play significant roles in the franchise's near future.
Vince Williams Jr., a mid-second-round pick in the 2022 draft, ended up starting 33 games and usually taking the toughest defensive assignment. Opposing stars such as Luka Doncic credited Williams for his toughness and tenaciousness. Williams also shot 37.8% from 3-point range, showing drastic development in what had been an area of weakness, to emerge as the type of role player all good teams need. The Grizzlies locked him up, signing Williams to a four-year, $9.1 million deal in January.
GG Jackson II, a mid-second-rounder in the 2023 draft, spent most of the first few months of his rookie year in the G League before cracking the injury-ravaged Grizzlies' rotation in mid-January. He earned second-round All-Rookie status, averaging 14.6 points per game as the league's youngest player. He signed a four-year, $8.5 million contract in February.
The Grizzlies used the open two-way slot created by converting Williams to a standard contract to sign Pippen. He was one of many midseason additions as the Grizzlies had an NBA-record 33 players appear in games, but Pippen proved worthy of keeping around, averaging 12.9 points and 4.7 assists in 21 games. He played so well in the Las Vegas summer league that Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman openly wondered how he wasn't selected as the MVP. Pippen signed a four-year, $9.6 million deal in October and has been a steady backup to Morant.
Unfortunately, GG Jackson (broken right foot) and Williams (stress reaction in left tibia) had to undergo offseason surgeries that have prevented them from playing yet this season.
"I gotta hold 'em to that standard of how they were playing -- continue playing like that no matter who's on the floor," Morant said of the young players who seized opportunities last season.
MORANT SOARED TO catch an alley-oop on a fast break, the sort of moment that makes him one of the league's most exciting stars, with the Grizzlies leading by 15 late in the third quarter of their home win over the Lakers. But the highlight didn't happen this time.
Morant was undercut in midair by Lakers reserve big man Christian Koloko, preventing Morant from cleanly catching the pass and causing him to land awkwardly in a long fall to the floor. Seconds later, the Grizzlies called for a timeout so Morant could exit. As he limped to the Memphis bench, he barked at a referee for not blowing his whistle on the play.
Morant didn't return to the game, but he downplayed concerns postgame, when he expressed his disdain for the Lakers. He sat out a couple of nights later, when the Grizzlies listed right hip tightness on the injury report.
Four of the most ominous words in the NBA -- "MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES MEDICAL UPDATE" -- hit email inboxes the next afternoon. An MRI had revealed the extent of Morant's injuries: a posterior hip subluxation (without dislocation) along with multiple associated Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains.
Morant is officially considered week-to-week. A week later, he was still using crutches.
It has already been a rough start for those who figured that Memphis' medical misfortunes had to improve after last season's misery.
Each of the Grizzlies' four veteran starters has missed multiple games with injury. Morant vented some frustration after an Oct. 30 home loss to the Brooklyn Nets, when he came back after sitting out a game with right thigh soreness, only to see two other starters go down. Desmond Bane (oblique strain) hasn't played since and is also considered week-to-week. Marcus Smart (ankle sprain) missed six games before returning Wednesday night.
"Every time I play a game and I sit the next, people say, 'Oh, you soft or you ain't this, or ain't this," Morant said to Memphis media that night. "And then y'all got guys sitting out for longer than you want them to and it's like, 'Oh, he should have sat out.' You got guys out here battling and that's what you get for it.
"Y'all want me to play every game? Alright, see you tomorrow."
Morant indeed showed up the next night. He put a highlight reel together while producing a 26-point triple-double to lead the short-handed Grizzlies to a blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks, a performance that provided a reminder:
If Morant is at his best, the Grizzlies have good reason to believe.
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FanDuel, MLBPA settle player likenesses lawsuit
Published in
Baseball
Friday, 15 November 2024 09:59
Major League Baseball's players union settled a lawsuit that accused sports betting giant FanDuel of using the names and likenesses of hundreds of MLB players on its betting platform without permission.
A FanDuel spokesperson said on Friday that the company and the union signed a confidential licensing agreement. The players said in a New York federal court filing that they agreed to dismiss their claims with prejudice, meaning they cannot be refiled.
Spokespeople and attorneys for the union did not immediately respond to a request for comment and more information.
The union has also brought similar complaints against FanDuel rival DraftKings and other sports betting companies. Those cases are still ongoing.
The lawsuits, filed in September, alleged the companies "flagrantly" violated the rights of nearly every active MLB player by using their names, images and likenesses on their platforms without a license.
"For professional athletes, the ability to control the commercial use of their names, images, and likenesses is a crucial return on their substantial career investment," the players said.
FanDuel had not responded to the allegations in court.
The National Football League's players union filed its own ongoing lawsuit against DraftKings in August for allegedly misusing NFL player likenesses on non-fungible tokens.
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Swiatek leads Poland into BJK Cup Finals last eight
Published in
Tennis
Friday, 15 November 2024 08:52
Iga Swiatek wrapped up a 2-0 victory for Poland over five-time champions Spain to seal their place in the last eight of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga.
World number two Swiatek beat Spain's Paula Badosa 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-1 in the second singles match.
Magda Linette had earlier put Poland in front by beating Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 6-4 in a thriller lasting three hours and 51 minutes.
"I wouldn't say that I pushed us to the quarter-finals, because Magda pushed us to the quarter-finals, so we did it together," said five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek.
"I'm glad that we won a match as Team Poland. I felt like it was my best match since the US Open.
"I knew that I could come back in the third set and try to win it for Poland."
The tie was initially due to take place on Wednesday but was postponed because of a severe weather alert in Malaga.
Poland have not won the BJK Cup in its 61-year history and this is the first time they have reached the quarter-finals in its current format.
They will play 11-time champions the Czech Republic in the last eight.
Great Britain start their campaign against Germany later on Friday.
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Steward relishing England return against South Africa
Published in
Rugby
Friday, 15 November 2024 08:57
England full-back Freddie Steward is relishing his return to the side against South Africa and says new laws intended to create more contestable kicks "are brilliant for the game".
Steward's aerial prowess is thought to be key if England are to end their four-game losing run in Saturday's Autumn Nations Series meeting with the double world champions at Allianz Stadium.
The 23-year-old was England's first-choice number 15 at the start of the year before losing his place during the Six Nations to George Furbank, who started both England's autumn defeats by New Zealand and Australia.
"It was one of the hardest things I've had to deal with," Steward told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"When you have something for a while and then you lose it, it puts into perspective how important that thing is to you.
"Not having that over the last couple months has been really challenging.
"Emotionally it has been tough, but I've had to use that as fuel to keep pushing and wanting to get better and win that place back.
"It can be a kick in the teeth but you have to use those experiences, and I'm sat here now as a better rugby player and a stronger person."
The hosts will be relying on the 6ft 5in Steward to command the sky in defence and attack as they look to avenge last year's World Cup semi-final defeat by the Springboks.
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BCCI objects to PCB's Champions Trophy tour to Muzaffarabad
Published in
Cricket
Friday, 15 November 2024 09:10
A fresh twist in the 2025 Champions Trophy has thrown the ICC's trophy tour into confusion a day before it was supposed to begin in Pakistan, after the BCCI objected to the PCB's plan of taking the tour to Muzaffarabad, which is the capital of Pakistan Administered Kashmir, a disputed territory that is called PoK in India and Azad Kashmir in Pakistan.
ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI notified the ICC about its objection on Friday, a day after the PCB put out a post on X (formerly Twitter) announcing the dates and venues for the tour would be heading to.
It could not be confirmed if the BCCI lodged its objection in writing or verbally. It is understood that no approval or rejection has been made yet and that the ICC is still in discussions on the final plan of the trophy tour.
The PCB's post did catch the ICC by surprise given that it is an ICC event, and such communication is usually announced through its channels.
According to the PCB's post, the tour is scheduled to start from November 16 but given the BCCI's objection, it wasn't clear at the time of writing whether it will now go ahead on that day. On their X post, the PCB said the trophy tour would also take in other popular tourist destinations including Skardu, Murree and Hunza.
There is a possibility that the tour may begin in an initial phase by taking the trophy - of which Pakistan are the defending champions - to the venues that are to be used in the tournament - Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi - and then take in the other venues during a second phase of the tour.
This latest development adds to growing uncertainty about the tournament itself, after it emerged last week that the BCCI wrote to ICC stating the Indian government had denied permission for India to travel to Pakistan for the tournament. The ICC conveyed that decision to the PCB. In response, the PCB, which is currently readying its three venues in preparation, has said it would not agree to a hybrid model, a solution BCCI prefers which will allow India to play their matches outside Pakistan.
The PCB responded to the ICC earlier this week asking them several questions about the BCCI's communication, including when exactly it was conveyed to the ICC and what the specific reasons are for India's inability to travel. They have also asked the ICC to provide to them formal communication from the BCCI explaining the decision and the reasons behind it.
Communication between the PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and the ICC leadership is believed to have taken place since on the matter, in a bid to resolve the issue. But the PCB is insisting on responses to the queries it has put to the ICC.
The PCB has pencilled in February 19-March 9 as dates for the eight-team Champions Trophy, but the ICC has still not formally released the tournament dates and schedule.
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Alcaraz near ATP Finals exit after losing to Zverev
Published in
Tennis
Friday, 15 November 2024 07:46
Zverev continued his impressive form against Alcaraz, who has struggled with a chest complaint during this tournament and once again wore a pink nasal strip to aid his breathing.
Seemingly still feeling the effects of that illness, Alcaraz was again off form but showed some fighting spirit to save seven break points in the first set, then two set points before Zverev superbly converted the third.
Zverev had four of those break points saved in the fourth game of the match, then had set point on Alcaraz's serve when leading 6-5, but hit a cross-court forehand long following an extensive rally. The Spaniard forced the tie-break but Zverev was once again able to get his nose in front.
After both produced superb shots during the tie-break including a terrific cross-court lob from Alcaraz Zverev managed the best to finally secure the set.
His third set point saw the German dig out an attempted Alcaraz winner with a brilliant half-volleyed pick-up near the net. Alcaraz spooned the returning volley wide and Zverev roared in celebration.
Zverev only needed to win that first set to guarantee his spot in the last four but he was determined to secure the win to get the top spot in the John Newcombe Group.
The break in the second set was easier to come by, as Alcaraz fired a straightforward volley into the net to give up the immediate advantage.
Wimbledon and French Open champion Alcaraz was clearly unhappy, the third seed loudly complaining to his team after falling 3-1 behind in the second set.
He psyched himself up enough to force two break points against Zverev at 3-2 the first the German had faced in the entire tournament but was unable to convert before Zverev saw out the match.
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Ex-England union internationals Danny Cipriani, Billy Twelvetrees and Tom Youngs, and league players Keith Senior, Adrian Morley and Danny McGuire, are among those taking part in the match.
It will include unlimited tackles in your own half but six after halfway, uncontested scrums and line-outs, with five points awarded for a try, and two each for a conversion and a drop-goal.
Gale, who retired from playing at the end of the 2024 season after helping Wakefield to the Championship title, is looking forward to the challenge.
"I'm coaching the Wakefield academy now so I might jump in with their session later to crisp up my skills," the 36-year-old said.
"I'm a big fan of Cipriani. I think he could have been a gun in rugby league because he has a rarely seen skillset. I'm excited to go up against him."
He added: "It's win at all costs. It'll be good craic but as soon as we play a game, it could be chess or tiddlywinks, winning is the name of the game."
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Former Barcelona and Spain midfielder Andrés Iniesta has become the co-owner of Danish third-division side Helsingør, the club announced on Thursday.
It is Iniesta's first major off-field venture since he announced his retirement from football last month.
The 40-year-old is also undertaking his coaching badges in the United Arab Emirates and has expressed a desire to become a manager one day.
Iniesta's involvement with Helsingør comes through NSN, the sports management and consulting company he jointly founded, who take control of the club alongside the Swiss investment group Stoneweg.
"It's a fantastic opportunity to get to know football in a different way," Iniesta told Helsingør's official website.
In an interview with Helsingør Dagblad, he added: "It's an incredibly exciting club with really good facilities, a lot of good people in and around the club and a potential in the city to become an important part of Danish football."
Helsingør are seventh in their 12-team division. They are coached by Spaniard Pep Alomar, while the sporting director, Quim Ramón, has previously worked within Barça's youth academy.
Iniesta is in Denmark this week and was pictured at training on Thursday. He will attend this weekend's match against Ishøj.
As a player, Iniesta won multiple trophies, including numerous LaLigas and Champions Leagues with Barça, and famously scored the winning goal as Spain won the World Cup in 2010.
As well as Barça and the Spanish national team, he also played for Japanese side Vissel Kobe before finishing his career with Emirates in the UAE, where he currently resides.
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Rúben Amorim has said he doesn't feel "the weight" of Manchester United's history as he prepares to start his reign as the club's new head coach.
Amorim arrived in Manchester on Monday after being appointed as Erik ten Hag's successor on a two-and-a-half year contract.
The 39-year-old and his staff are still awaiting their visas before formally starting work. But ahead of his first game in charge -- set to be against Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Nov. 24 -- he has insisted he's calm about the challenge ahead.
"I feel very relaxed," Amorim told United's in-house TV channel MUTV.
"Maybe because it's not game day. When we have a game I'm a different guy. But I really don't feel the weight. I'm really excited and I'm quite relaxed. I think I'm where I'm supposed to be. That's the feeling."
Amorim left Sporting CP to take the job following a successful stint in Portugal which saw him lift two Primeira Liga titles.
Sporting had not won the Portuguese title since 2002 when he won it for the first time in 2021. He's facing a similar task at United, who have gone 11 years without winning the Premier League.
"You can feel the history," said Amorim. "I'm really, really proud to be a Manchester United coach. It's amazing, it's a real honour."
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India bat with series win up for grabs; both sides unchanged
Published in
Cricket
Friday, 15 November 2024 07:09
India chose to bat vs South Africa
Suryakumar Yadav won the toss for the first time in the four-match T20I series against South Africa and stuck to what has worked for them in their two wins so far. They will make South Africa chase at the Wanderers, in what is a must-win game for the hosts to avoid losing the series.
Both teams went in with the same XIs they fielded at SuperSport Park, which demonstrated India's confidence in their specialist spinners even in conditions which suit seamers more. Varun Chakravarthy leads the wicket-takers' list with 10 to his name, double that of his nearest rival, Arshdeep Singh. Ravi Bishnoi and Gerald Coetzee are next with four wickets each.
South Africa have not had consistent performers with ball in hand but have kept faith in a four-seam attack. Gerald Coetzee and Lutho Sipamla were particularly expensive on Friday evening, but Sipamla, on his home ground, may feel confident of his ability at the place where he put in a player-of-the-match performance in a domestic final just 10 days ago. Keshav Maharaj remains the sole specialist spinner. There has been no room for Donovan Ferreira, Patrick Kruger, Ottneil Baartman or uncapped allrounder Mihlali Mpongwana.
India have not needed reserve wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma, or uncapped left-arm seamer Yash Dayal, and right-arm seamer Vijaykumar Vyshak. India cannot lose the series but a win will give them a fifth-successive bilateral-series win this year. They have won 23 out of 25 matches in the format in 2024.
South Africa: 1 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Aiden Markram (capt), 4 Tristan Stubbs, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Andile Simelane, 10 Keshav Maharaj, 11 Lutho Sipamla
India: 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Ramandeep Singh, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Arshdeep Singh, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Varun Chakravarthy
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