Babar Azam dethrones India’s Shubman Gill to reclaim top ODI spot

Pakistan's Babar Azam plays a shot during day three of the first Test cricket match between Australia and Pakistan in Perth on December 16, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 20 December 2023
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Babar Azam dethrones India’s Shubman Gill to reclaim top ODI spot

  • Former Pakistan skipper now has 824 points, 14 more than Gill
  • Babar last month stepped down as cricket captain in all formats

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former skipper for all formats, Babar Azam, has reclaimed the number one position in the ICC ODI rankings for batsmen, dethroning India’s Shubman Gill.
As per ICC rankings, Babar has 824 points, 14 more than the Indian opener’s 810.
“Babar Azam reclaims the No. 1 spot in the ICC ODI batting rankings,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said on X.

Babar climbed the top slot following more than a month of Gill’s rule and after the latter was rested for the ongoing Proteas series.
Babar last month stepped down as cricket captain in all formats of the game, days after the Green Shirts crashed out of the World Cup in India.
The announcement came after days of speculation in media and cricketing circles that he would either resign or be sacked following the team’s failure to reach the semifinals with five defeats — including a seven-wicket mauling by India in front of more than 100,000 fans — and four wins. The team also lost to Afghanistan for the first time.
Babar was particularly under fire for the poor show of a team that was ranked the world’s top ODI side before the tournament.
This was the fifth time in the last six World Cups that Pakistan failed to reach the semifinals.
“Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in the cricket world,” Babar wrote on X, saying he had reached the number 1 spot in the white-ball format due to the “collective” efforts of players, coaches, management and passionate Pakistan cricket fans.
Babar was appointed T20I and ODI captain in 2019 before eventually captaining the Test side since 2020.
“Today, I am stepping down as the captain of Pakistan in all formats. It’s a difficult decision but I feel it is a right time for this call,” the batter said.
“I will continue to represent Pakistan as a player in all three formats. I am here to support the new captain and the team with my experience and dedication.”

Babar is widely regarded as one of the finest batters in contemporary world cricket and until recently was the only cricketer in the world to be in the top five rankings across all formats.
With 42 wins, he is the joint most successful T20I captain of all time.


Bivol takes Beterbiev’s light-heavyweight crown in Riyadh classic

Updated 56 min 30 sec ago
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Bivol takes Beterbiev’s light-heavyweight crown in Riyadh classic

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Dmitry Bivol dethroned Artur Beterbiev as undisputed light-heavyweight champion in a thrilling contest in Riyadh in the early hours of Sunday.
Four months after their first classic encounter, 34-year-old Bivol won a majority points decision against his Russian compatriot, six years his senior.
It was Beterbiev’s first defeat in 22 pro fights but Bivol was a worthy winner after two judges gave him the decision by 116-112 and 115-113 with the third seeing it as a 114-114 draw.
“I didn’t have as much pressure like last time. I just wanted to work from the first round until the end of the 12th. I did enough,” said Bivol who never looked back after dominating the early rounds.
“I was better, I was pushing myself more, I was more confident, I was lighter, I was just wanted to win so much today.
“I just told myself he could start from the beginning to destroy me and disturb me, it was hard to keep him distanced over the first four rounds. I was tired but he was tired also.”
Meanwhile Congo fighter Martin Bakole’s dream of pulling off a stunning heavyweight victory over New Zealand’s Joseph Parker on just two days’ notice were shattered.
Bakole only received the call to replace IBF champion Daniel Dubois for the fight in the Saudi capital on Thursday.
The 31-year-old arrived in the early hours of Saturday morning and the lumbering heavyweight quickly discovered the perils of not having time to adequately prepare or train.
The African was dropped in the second round from a sharp right from Parker before the mismatch was stopped.
Dubois withdrew from facing Parker on Thursday through illness.
At that time, Bakole was in the Congo working to close a deal on a new home.
Once financial terms were agreed, he grabbed a flight to Ethiopia and then on to the Gulf.
“I want to thank the people of Saudi Arabia and my team. Martin Bakole, thank you very much for accepting the invitation and for giving me a good fight,” Parker told DAZN.
Bakole wasn’t the only fighter climbing into the Riyadh ring at short notice.
Four days ago, Josh Padley, electrician by day, boxer by night, was fitting solar panels on a house in Sheffield in northern England.
But after Floyd Schofield was forced to withdraw from his WBC world light heavyweight clash with Shakur Stevenson, the call went out to 29-year-old Padley.
“Monday and Tuesday I was trawling through lofts in Sheffield installing solar panels,” Padley told a BBC podcast.
“I went home that night from my day job and the call was there. We rang our nutritionist to make sure we could to the weight safely on such short notice and then we had to do a check weight before we even booked the flight.
“We jumped in my little Ford Transit with 120,000 miles on the clock and headed out to Manchester airport to jump on a plane.”
American fighter Stevenson went into Saturday’s bout undefeated with 22 wins, having won world titles at super-featherweight, featherweight and lightweight.
Padley fought gamely but the fight was stopped in the ninth round after the Englishman was dropped to the canvas for a third time.


Olmo helps Barcelona grind out win at Las Palmas and keep La Liga league

Updated 23 February 2025
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Olmo helps Barcelona grind out win at Las Palmas and keep La Liga league

  • Barcelona avenged a shock home loss to the Canary Islands club in November as it ensured it will spend another week atop the standings

BARCELONA, Spain: Dani Olmo scored after coming off the bench to help Barcelona win 2-0 at Las Palmas on Saturday and stay top of the Spanish league.
Lamine Yamal linked up with Olmo to find a seam in the hosts’ defense in the 62nd minute. Olmo took Yamal’s threaded pass, shifted the ball to his left foot to open an angle around a defender, and fired the ball in off the underside of the bar.
While Olmo went on at halftime, Ferran Torres only played the final minutes and drilled in a second goal from angle in stoppage time.
Barcelona avenged a shock home loss to the Canary Islands club in November as it ensured it will spend another week atop the standings.
The team coached by Hansi Flick is one point ahead of Atletico Madrid, which won 3-0 at Valencia earlier on Saturday. Real Madrid is three points back before facing Girona on Sunday without the suspended Jude Bellingham.
Barcelona plays the first leg of its Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico on Tuesday.
Álvarez nets double
Julián Álvarez scored twice to lead Atletico to a comfortable win at Mestalla Stadium.
Antoine Griezmann played a part in both of Álvarez’s first-half goals with a pair of finely placed lobs inside Valencia’s box.
Álvarez finished off a move in the 12th inside Valencia’s area that started with a lifted pass from Griezmann that Samuel Lino volleyed off the bar. Guiliano Simeone was first to the rebound and tapped it to Álvarez to ram into the net.
Griezmann was again left with space and time to think inside the area before he landed a perfectly placed pass between Valencia’s center backs for Álvarez to gently nod off the turf and inside the post on the half-hour mark.
Ángel Correa completed the scoring with four minutes remaining.
“We are still in the fight,” Álvarez said.
Valencia remained in the relegation zone.
Villarreal stays in the fight for fourth
Villarreal striker Ayoze Pérez netted his 11th league goal of the campaign in a 1-0 victory at 10-man Rayo Vallecano.
The result kept Villarreal in fifth place and challenging for a Champions League berth that go to the top four finishers. Athletic Bilbao is fourth and just one point ahead.
Rayo played with 10 men after Jorge de Frutos saw a red card for a studs-first foul just before halftime. The Madrid-based club also lost top midfielder Isi Palazón early in the game to an apparent leg injury. Pérez scored in the 66th.
First away win
Espanyol won its first away game of the season thanks to a header by Fernando Calero and the goalkeeping of Joan García to beat Alaves 1-0 on the road.
The loss left Alaves coach Eduardo Coudet under added pressure with his team in danger of the drop.


Ittihad stroll past Hilal in top of the table showdown

Updated 23 February 2025
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Ittihad stroll past Hilal in top of the table showdown

  • The victory in Jeddah puts the Tigers seven points clear of their Riyadh rivals
  • João Cancelo whipped over a wicked ball from the right

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad took a big step toward the Saudi Pro League (SPL) title on Saturday with a 4-1 win over Al-Hilal in the long-awaited top of the table clash.
The victory in Jeddah puts the Tigers seven points clear of their Riyadh rivals with 13 games of the season remaining.
The defeat means that Al-Hilal, who strolled to a record 19th championship in 2024, have won just once in their last five games and are struggling to keep pace with Ittihad who have tasted victory in 15 of their last 17 league games.
Despite the convincing defeat that came in the end, Al-Hilal took the lead midway through the first half. João Cancelo whipped over a wicked ball from the right and there was Marcos Leonardo to poke it home at the near post for a real poacher’s goal.


On the half hour however, Al-Ittihad were back on level terms. Moussa Diaby, who continued his great form of late, swung over a corner kick from the right for Hassan Kadesh to head home.
It got better for the Jeddah giants just before the break as Steven Bergwijn put them ahead. Karim Benzema slipped a pass wide for Diaby and the former Aston Villa star sent over a perfect cross for Bergwijn to head home at the second attempt after Yassine Bounou in goal had blocked the first.
The Dutchman was on target once more six minutes after the restart. N’Golo Kante broke down the right and the former Chelsea midfielder pulled the ball back for Bergwijn to bundle home from close range.
Al-Hilal pushed forward but fell further behind four minutes from the end and in spectacular fashion too. Diaby’s corner from the right landed in the left side of the box and there was Karim Benzema to volley his 16th goal of the league season to move level with Cristiano Ronaldo on the top of the individual rankings.
The bigger prize is, however, that Al-Ittihad now have a comfortable cushion over their title rivals and are looking very good indeed.


Japan’s Forever Young wins $20m Saudi Cup

Updated 22 February 2025
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Japan’s Forever Young wins $20m Saudi Cup

  • Japanese hope passed favorite Romantic Warrior 50 meters from the post

RIYADH: Japan’s Forever Young hunted down Hong Kong racing royalty Romantic Warrior to land the world’s richest race, the $20 million Saudi Cup in Riyadh on Saturday.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the event and handed the trophy and additional prizes to the winning team.

During his attendance at the event at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse in the capital, the crown prince also met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Al-Nassr and Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Romantic Warrior is the highest-earning racehorse of all time, turning up at the Saudi capital with almost $23 million (22m euros) in the bank.

The seven-year-old gelding looked destined to add significantly to his prize pot when he went well clear round the home turn in this his first ever outing on dirt.

Under his regular New Zealand jockey James McDonald, Romantic Warrior set sail for home, dollar signs flashing.

But Ryusei Sakai on board Forever Young went in hot pursuit.

The pair relentlessly closed the three length-gap, passing Romantic Warrior 50 meters from the post.

“Unbelievable,” beamed winning trainer Yoshito Yahagi.

“Romantic Warrior is such a strong horse, we respected him but our horse was better today. When Romantic Warrior passed us, I thought we could still come back,” he added.

Chairman of the Equestrian Authority and the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA), Prince Bandar bin Khalid bin Faisal, thanked the Saudi leadership for its patronage and support of the event.

“I extend my highest gratitude and appreciation to King Salman, honorary president of the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia, and to the crown prince, for their great and continuous support of this global event,” he said.

“This event receives the keen attention of the crown prince, who has dedicated all resources to ensuring its continued success and its prominent position on the global stage of horse racing. This has contributed to its international recognition and follow-up from various tracks and federations worldwide.

“On my behalf and on behalf of the members of the JCSA and the entire equestrian community, I extend my renewed gratitude to the wise leadership for the attention and support we receive in the Kingdom, which contribute to the advancement of this unique event,” he added.

* With AFP


Pakistan coach says fast bowlers key in India clash

Updated 22 February 2025
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Pakistan coach says fast bowlers key in India clash

  • When you play against India it is a special feeling, Aaqib Javed says

DUBAI: Pakistan coach Aaqib Javed on Saturday said his fast bowlers are “match-winners” and will pull out something special against arch-rivals India in their pivotal Champions Trophy clash.

Hosts and defending champions Pakistan need to win the blockbuster showdown with India on Sunday in Dubai to keep their chances of making the semifinals in their own hands.

Pakistan lost the opening match of the 50-over tournament to New Zealand and are bottom of Group A. India beat Bangladesh in their first match.

Pakistan fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf leaked 214 runs in their 30 overs combined in New Zealand’s total of 320.

But Aaqib said the trio will rise to the occasion.

“We have three specialists and I would say one of the best pace bowling options in the game with Shaheen, Naseem and Haris,” Aaqib told reporters.

The former seam bowler said the current attack reminds him of that from the 1990s, when Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aaqib stepped up after the retirement of the great Imran Khan.

“They still have time to reach that level, but they have all the ability to repeat those sort of performances,” said Aaqib.

“When you play against India it is a special feeling and I think they will bring something special tomorrow.”

He added: “Our fast bowling options are good and they are match-winners.”

Bilateral cricket ties are frozen between the two rival nations due to political tensions and they only play each other in multi-nation events.

India refused to tour Pakistan for this eight-nation tournament and will play all their matches at the Dubai International Stadium, which is expected to be full for the high-profile game.

Pakistan, who hammered India in the last Champions Trophy final in 2017, have flown in from Karachi for their must-win clash and Aaqib says pressure produces champions.

“There is no game you play without pressure,” said Aaqib. “Between India and Pakistan it doesn’t matter it’s a knock-out or whatever. It is beyond the game.”

Aaqib said: “If you look at the positive, it’s the best time and best chance for any individual or a team to make a mark. Passion and pressure is what a player needs to showcase his game.”

The top two teams from each of the two groups make the semifinals.

The rivals last met in a one-day game at the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad, with hosts India winning by seven wickets.