PARIS, Oct 26 (ONLINE): Kylian Mbappé helped France win the World Cup four years ago, becoming a superstar in the process. This time, the tournament could serve as a welcome escape from the pressures of Paris Saint-Germain, and also a chance to play in his favorite position. For Karim Benzema, it’s an opportunity to showcase the talent that led …

  Rafael Nadal will return to competition at next week’s Paris Masters before taking his place at the season-ending ATP Finals, coach Carlos Moya said. Nadal has struggled with injuries this year, capturing his 14th French Open title while playing with pain-killing injections to deal with a chronic foot injury and pulling out of Wimbledon due to an abdominal problem. …

  MELBOURNE,  Oct 24 (FD): The partnership of Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya sailed India to victory against Pakistan by four wickets Sunday in the opening match of the T20 World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). In their chase of 160, India suffered early blows as they lost four wickets. But when Kohli and Pandya stepped in, they …

ISLAMABAD, Oct 24 (FD): Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday appreciated the performance of Pakistan’s cricket team against India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup being played in Australia. On his Twitter handle the prime minister posted, “Brilliant effort, Team Pakistan. Great game!” Similar sentiments were echoed by PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, who appreciated the team for …

NEW DELHI, October 18 (FD): Indian cricket board’s Secretary Jay Shah ruled out the possibility of the Indian cricket team visiting Pakistan for the 50-over Asia Cup next year, saying that they had decided to hold the tournament at a neutral venue, local media reported on Tuesday. “Neutral venue for the Asia Cup is not unprecedented, and we have decided …

Muslim fans with tickets to the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be eligible for a free visa to perform Umrah, as per an announcement by Saudi Arabia. Authorities have said that the visa for Hayya card holders is free, with the state incurring all e-visa expenses. But it is mandatory to get medical insurance from the visa platform, the Saudi Gazette reported, …

DHAKA, Oct 15(ABC): Bangladesh have brought in Soumya Sarkar and Shoriful Islam to replace Mohammad Saifuddin and Sabbir Rahman in their T20 World Cup squad. All four members were part of the team that played the recently concluded tri-series in New Zealand, and although Bangladesh lost all four matches, their technical consultant Sridharan Sriram insisted that there were positives. Soumya …

NEW DELHI, Oct 14(ABC): Indian red ball specialist Mohammad Shami will replace injured pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the looming T20 World Cup in Australia, the country’s cricket board said on Friday. Bumrah was ruled out with a back injury earlier this month, a big blow to cricket powerhouse India’s chances in the marquee tournament. Standby seamer Mohammed Shami has …

DEHLI, Oct 14(ABC): The Indian cricket team might travel to Pakistan to participate in the Asia Cup 2023, officials of the sport’s governing body in India told the country’s media. According to reports, the Pakistan tour is on the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) agenda. The Indian board sent a note to state associations on Thursday ahead …

LAHORE, Oct 14(ABC):Pakistan have made one change in their squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022 with Fakhar Zaman and Usman Qadir swapping places. Fakhar has been included in the 15-player squad and Usman has been moved to the travelling reserves. Confirming the news, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that the change was necessary as Qadir …