TEL AVIV, Sep 30(ABC): Novak Djokovic, playing a singles tournament for the first time since winning Wimbledon in July, reached the Tel Aviv quarter-finals on Thursday with a straight-sets victory over Spain s Pablo Andujar. Djokovic eased to a 6-0, 6-3 win over his 115th-ranked opponent in 86 minutes, firing 30 winners and breaking Andujar four times. It was the …

MELBOURNE, Sep 30(ABC): Australia’s domestic cricket league Big Bash League (BBL) and its women’s version will finally have the Decision Review System (DRS), cricket website Cricinfo reported. Cricket Australia announced a raft of changes to the BBL and WBBL competitions on Thursday with an innings clock also to be introduced for the BBL only. The teams will need to bowl …

NEW YORK, Sep 30(ABC): The former president of El Salvador s soccer federation was sentenced on Thursday to 16 months in US prison after pleading guilty to a charge arising from a global soccer corruption probe involving the payment of bribes to stage and broadcast matches. Reynaldo Vasquez, 66, the former president of the Federacion Salvadorena de Futbol (FESFUT), or …

FRANCE, Sep 30(ABC):The presence of three female referees at the World Cup in Qatar will send “a strong sign”, said one of those women selected on Thursday. “It’s a strong sign from FIFA and the authorities to have women referees in that country. I’m not a feminist spokesperson, but if this can make things happen…” said trailblazing French referee Stephanie Frappart. …

NEW DELHI, Sep 30(ABC): Indian quick bowler Arshdeep Singh is stronger, fitter and riding high after answering his critics with a match-winning attack on South Africa’s top order ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup. The cricketer weathered a torrent of online abuse this month after dropping a catch in the Asia Cup against arch-rivals Pakistan and was rested for the following …

Sep 30(ABC): The Pakistan Cricket Board has sent home fast bowler Naseem Shah, who has tested positive for Covid-19, for self-isolation. On September 29, the PCB said the pacer contracted Coronavirus hours after the board confirmed that he had been diagnosed with pneumonia. On September 28, the Pakistan team’s key fast bowler was admitted to a hospital. He later joined the national team …

ISLAMABAD, Sep 29(ABC): Pakistan’s Usman Wazeer on Wednesday made the nation proud as he knocked out Thailand’s Somphot Seesa to claim the vacant WBO Youth 147lbs world title in the Highland Boxing Show in Bangkok. The 22-year-old Usman, who previously won all of his eight professional bouts, was top of the bill in the show as he started confidently in …

LAHORE, Sep 29(ABC): Star batter Fakhar Zaman has been reportedly ruled out of Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming tri-series in alongside New Zealand and Bangladesh. Fakhar, who is currently in London for rehabilitation of his right injured knee, will join the national squad in Brisbane in October for the Twenty20 World Cup alongside Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. The T20 …

NEW DELHI, Sep 29(ABC): Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has reacted to the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) offer to host an Indo-Pak test series at the English venues. Recently, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) offered Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to be the hosts if India and Pakistan plan to play a bilateral Test series. …

Sep 29(ABC): Pakistan’s Shan Masood will be appointed as Yorkshire’s new captain for 2023, the county’s coach Ottis Gibson said Wednesday as he revealed future plans about the batter — the county’s new overseas signing. In a conversation with journalists at Headingley, Gibson said that the Pakistan batter — arriving from Derbyshire on a two-year contract — will lead the county in all …