ISLAMABAD: Pakistan organizers view the remainder of the country’s premier limited-overs league being staged in the United Arab Emirates as a perfect rehearsal for the International Cricket Council in case the Twenty20 World Cup has to be moved out of India because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Wasim Khan said the PSL is an ideal precursor in terms of logistics and planning.
The ICC has already lined up the United Arab Emirates as the backup venue for the Twenty20 World Cup if India can’t stage it on home soil starting in mid-October.
India has asked for a month to weigh its options before letting cricket’s international governing body know whether it is viable to host the event in India in less than five months.
The lucrative Indian Premier League had to be suspended last month when players inside the so-called bio-secure bubble started testing positive for COVID-19 and infection rates soared in parts of the country.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India plans to finish off the IPL in the UAE prior to the Twenty20 World Cup, and recently sent top officials to the Emirates to make preparations.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had to overcome logistical and operational obstacles to get the Pakistan Super League’s remaining 20 matches going. The tournament has been relocated to Abu Dhabi and will restart from June 9. The final is scheduled for June 24 before the Pakistan squad flies to England for limited-overs series.
The PSL was postponed in March after several players and support staff tested positive for the coronavirus.
The tournament was scheduled to resume on June 5 but some operational hurdles, including strict quarantines rules in Abu Dhabi and a delay in securing visas for its production crew, mostly flown from India, pushed it back another few days.
But Khan said all those obstacles were overcome after the PCB worked closely with the Emirates Cricket Board, and it could help ICC to plan the Twenty20 World Cup in the UAE.
“The logistical challenges that we found will be similar challenges, bringing more countries over from different parts of the world for the World Cup in the UAE,” Khan told the Associated Press. The PSL “is a perfect precursor leading into the ICC decision, which is strongly considering UAE as the venue,” for the T20 World Cup.
The top PCB official said most of the ICC member nations would be comfortable playing the event in the UAE.
“Ultimately it’s a decision for the ICC, but right now, if you ask me, I would say that it’s likely to probably take place in the UAE,” Khan said.
Cricket officials are hopeful the coronavirus situation will improve in Pakistan in coming months ahead of scheduled tours by New Zealand, England and West Indies. Australia is also due to tour Pakistan next February for the first time in 22 years.
“Certainly in 4 or 5 months’ time, we expect everything to be better in Pakistan from a COVID perspective,” Khan said. “We’ve got a huge amount of cricket coming up … and all the countries are relishing the opportunity of coming over.”
Security concerns that prevented foreign teams touring Pakistan have subsided, with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and South Africa playing limited-overs and test matches in Pakistan in recent seasons. Visiting teams are now more focused on secure bio-security bubbles in the pandemic.
“Security is no longer the No. 1 issue that people are asking about,” Khan said. “When South Africa were due to come and Zimbabwe, the question they were asking about was the (coronavirus) protocols — no longer about security.”
While Pakistan successfully hosted South Africa and Zimbabwe during the pandemic, it couldn’t maintain the impenetrable bio-secure bubble in Karachi during the PSL in March.
Khan said a PCB investigation later found “some holes or gaps that were created within the implementation of the actual bio-security that we’d created.”
But he added that similar breaches were found in other international events, including the Australian Open tennis tournament and English Premier League.
“This is a global phenomenon and cricket is not exempt from that,” Khan said.
The Pakistan board has hired an international firm with experience in the IPL and with the English Cricket Board to manage the bio-secure bubble for the remainder of the PSL.
“We know we’re in safe hands with them,” he said. “We are doing everything we can from a bio-bubble perspective, both at the ground and also at the hotels … and make sure that we make this as watertight as possible.”
Pakistan sees PSL in Abu Dhabi as precursor to T20 World Cup
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Pakistan sees PSL in Abu Dhabi as precursor to T20 World Cup
- The International Cricket Council has lined up the United Arab Emirates as the backup venue for the world tournament if India can’t stage it on home soil
- The Pakistan Super League Twenty20 contest has been relocated to Abu Dhabi and will restart from June 9
Saudi Arabia beat Thailand to edge closer to AFC U-23 Asian Cup quarterfinals
- The 5-0 win leaves the Green Falcons top of Group C of the tournament, which acts as qualification for this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris
DOHA: Saudi Arabia on Friday night thrashed Thailand 5-0 to edge closer to the quarterfinals of the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup.
The win at Khalifa International Stadium leaves the Green falcons top of Group C with a maximum of six points from three two matches.
Iraq, who defeated Tajikistan 4-2 later on Friday, sit in second with three points, with Thailand third on goal difference. Tajikistan, with two defeats, are bottom of the group with no points.
A win or draw for Saudi Arabia against Iraq on Monday will secure top spot in the group and progress to the last eight.
Saudi took the lead against Thailand after four minutes through Ayman Yahoo’s third goal of the tournament, before Ahmed Al-Ghamdi and Abdullah Radif scored in first-half stoppage time to all but end the match as content.
Radif went on to complete his hat trick with strikes in the 52nd and 73rd minutes.
The U-23 Asian Cup, which runs until May 3, also provides a pathway to the men’s football competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The tournament sees 16 nations split into four groups of four teams, with the top two from each progressing to the quarterfinals. The competition also serves as a route to the Olympic Games in Paris this summer, with the winners of the two semifinals both securing automatic qualification.
The two losing semifinalists will contest third place, with the winners also booking a place in Paris, while the fourth-place finishers have a final chance with a play-off against an African qualifier.
Loughnane tops 2024 PFL featherweight stands after first-round win in Chicago
- Umalatov, Musaev, Braga, Yamauchi, Khizriev, Borics, Kamaka, Ramazanov, Madge also earn 2024 PFL Global Season victories
CHICAGO: The Professional Fighters League on Friday returned for its third Global Season event of 2024 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, with Brendan Loughnane emerging the big winner of the night to top the featherweight standings.
The 12-fight card, featuring combatants in the welterweight and featherweight divisions, was the final event of the first half of the 2024 PFL Global Season.
Loughnane, the “Pride of Manchester,” stepped into the PFL SmartCage on a mission. The 2022 PFL featherweight champion secured a first-round TKO victory over Pedro Carvalho. The victory gives Loughnane six points in the featherweight standings and the 15th knockout of his career, and he is now one step closer to a return to the PFL Playoffs.
The evening’s main event featured a strategic battle between Andrey Koreshkov and Magomed Umalatov in a highly anticipated welterweight bout. Both combatants showed their technical prowess, with Umalatov pulling away and securing a unanimous decision, keeping his perfect record intact.
Logan Storley matched up with Shamil Musaev in more welterweight action. Musaev put on an impressive display and dispatched Storley in the second round via KO. The result improved Musaev’s record to 17-0-1 with 10 wins by KO, and earned five points in the division.
2023 PFL featherweight runner-up Gabrial Braga unleashed a flurry of strikes against Justin Gonzalez, resulting in an emotional first-round knockout and a gain of six points. Braga dedicated the victory to his father, Diego, whom he lost in January.
“Tonight was a fitting end to the first half of the 2024 PFL Global Season, the toughest test in MMA, with the best welterweights and featherweights providing unrivaled action to fans worldwide,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “As we head into the second half of the 2024 PFL Global Season, fighters and fans alike know what it will take to clinch a PFL Playoff berth and continue the million-dollar journey. It is time to win or go home.”
“The PFL athletes provided another spectacular night of fights as we wrap up the first half of the 2024 PFL Global Season,” said Ray Sefo, president of fighter operations at PFL. “The PFL’s season format provides the best action and highest stakes in all MMA.”
Goiti Yamauchi and Neiman Gracie went toe-to-toe for three rounds in other welterweight action. Yamauchi won a hard-fought unanimous decision, improving his career record to 29-6 and earning three points in the standings.
Kai Kamaka and Bubba Jenkins showcased skill and determination in the featherweight division. Kamaka topped Jenkins via a unanimous-decision victory and earned three points, bringing his winning streak to four.
Adam Borics and Enrique Barzola duked it out in featherweight division action with the bout going the three-round distance. The judges awarded Borics the unanimous decision and three points in the PFL Global Season standings.
In other PFL Global Season featherweight action, Timur Khizriev and Brett Johns stepped into the PFL SmartCage. Both men traded blows for three rounds, but it was Khizriev who earned the unanimous decision and three points in the division.
Welterweight action continued with Laureano Staropoli facing Murad Ramazanov. After a brief back-and-forth exchange, Ramazanov submitted Staropoli with a rear naked choke in the first round and was awarded six points.
The first PFL Global Season welterweight bout featured Don Madge and Brennan Ward. Madge used his exceptional wrestling technique to secure the win by submitting Ward in the first round and earned six points.
In a PFL featherweight alternate bout, Tyler Diamond collided with Otto Rodrigues. Both men left it all in the PFL SmartCage, but ultimately Diamond came away victorious via a unanimous decision.
Starting the night was a PFL welterweight showcase bout between Romain Debienne and Thad Jean. Jean ended the fight quickly, knocking out Debienne at 2:07 in the first round.
Indian walks from Dubai to Riyadh hoping to meet hero Ronaldo
- “I pray to God to make this dream come true and meet Ronaldo”
JEDDAH: A Cristiano Ronaldo superfan has arrived in Riyadh after a grueling walk from Dubai hoping to meet the Al-Nassr star.
After 1,200 km and 36 days of travel mostly across the arid landscape separating the cities, Civin KP arrived in the Saudi capital.
“Finally, I am here in front of Al-Awal Park where Al-Nassr plays (their) official games and I hope I can meet Ronaldo,” he said.
He posted images of himself on Instagram at the stadium where he managed to take a seat at the home team’s bench and walked pitch-side at the 25,000-capacity venue.
“I came all the way from Dubai on foot and crossed all this distance just to pay respect and show my love to the best player in the world,” said Civin, who is originally from the state of Kerala in India.
Ronaldo is one of the most recognizable faces of international football and has fans across the world who enjoy his skills and passion for the game. He signed for the Riyadh club in 2022 after years of playing in Europe’s top leagues.
Civin feels proud to have completed the journey but still awaits the biggest prize.
“The unexpected moment is always sweeter,” he wrote, “hopefully waiting for more.”
A photo with the Portuguese great and an autograph would be a moment of a lifetime, Civin told MBC as he visited the ground.
“I pray to God to make this dream come true and meet Ronaldo,” he said. “I will cherish this moment, if it happens, for the rest of my life.”
On Friday, Civin was able to secure a ticket to watch Al-Nassr beat Al-Fayha 3-1, but unfortunately his hero did not feature as he is serving a suspension.
KL Rahul shines as Lucknow Super Giants beat Chennai Super Kings in IPL
- Innings played key role in pushing Lucknow past Chennai’s 176-6 with six balls to spare.
LUCKNOW: KL Rahul’s solid 82 runs off 53 balls helped Lucknow Super Giants comfortably beat Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in the IPL on Friday.
Rahul’s time at the crease, which saw him smash nine fours and three sixes, played a key role in pushing Lucknow past Chennai’s 176-6 with six balls to spare.
“I felt that if we bat well, we could chase it down... when your partnership goes on, you can take a few more chances. Glad that it happened,” said Rahul.
Chennai got off to a slightly jittery start after being invited to bat first, losing Rachin Ravindra (zero) and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) in the first five overs. Ajinkya Rahane looked to steady the side, with the help of Ravindra Jadeja, but fell in the ninth over after racking up a respectable 36 runs off 24 balls.
Lucknow’s clinical bowling restricted Chennai in the middle overs, with Shivam Dube (three) not being able to pop off.
But Jadeja soldiered on for the rest of the game, getting his half-century in the seventeenth over.
Reliable warhorse M.S. Dhoni, who smacked 28 runs off 9 balls, helped Chennai turn up the heat in the last three overs and pushed the team to 176-6.
Lucknow openers Quinton de Kock and KL Rahul set up the chase with a superb 134-run partnership, before de Kock, who hit five fours in his 43-ball 54, fell in the fifteenth over.
Rahul went onto smash an incredible 82 runs off 53 balls before being dismissed in the eighteenth over. A final push by Nicholas Pooran (23) helped seal the victory for Lucknow.
“We lost wickets regularly and were 10-15 short,” said Gaikwad.
“Good to play them again soon, will come back with homework done.”
Saudi Arabia’s PIF signs sponsorship deal with Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament
- Agreement is latest in wider partnership with the ATP
LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund announced on Friday it had agreed a multi-year deal to sponsor the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament.
The deal is the latest in PIF’s wider tennis partnership with the Association of Tennis Professionals as a Platinum Partner and as the official naming partner of the PIF ATP Rankings.
The fund said the agreement marked its continued investment in growing tennis globally, along with a wider focus on its four sponsorship pillars: inclusivity, sustainability, youth, and technology.
As part of the partnership, PIF will develop a platform to allow tennis fans new and old to engage and train with legendary players and coaches on the ground in Madrid, and youth-focused fan zones.
A statement said: “PIF is committed to providing opportunities for young players across all levels of the game, inspiring participation, enhancing talent discovery and developing new pathways for future generations of tennis players around the world.
“As part of this priority, PIF is engaging local tennis academies in Spain and supporting future players through the PIF tennis bootcamp.”
PIF has also partnered with ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Miami and the Nitto ATP Finals, in addition to the Beijing ATP 500 event, and the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF, to be hosted in Jeddah until 2027.
