MULTAN: Joe Root became England’s highest-run scorer in tests as the tourists continued to score at a rapid pace on the third day of the first test against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Root surpassed Alastair Cook’s 12,472 runs with a straight-driven boundary before lunch to reach 72 at the break and guided England to a brisk 232-2 in 45 overs.
Root is now fifth on the all-time list of test run-scorers behind Sachin Tendulkar’s leading 15,921.
Ben Duckett recovered from a thumb injury which denied him opening England’s first innings on Tuesday afternoon and was unbeaten on 80 off 67 balls as the tourists smashed 136 runs in the first session after resuming on 96-1.
England still trails Pakistan by 324 runs after the home team was bowled out for 556 on a placid wicket of Multan Cricket Stadium.
England lost the wicket of Zak Crawley (78) inside the first half-hour when he chipped a catch of Shaheen Shah Afridi (1-44) after adding 14 runs to his overnight score of 64. Jamal pounced on the opportunity on second attempt at short mid-wicket as Crawley tried to whip the fast bowler on the on-side.
But England continued to exhibit its ‘Bazball’ approach against both pace and spin on a benign wicket. Duckett and Root decoded the mystery spin of Abrar Ahmed with lot of aggression on an unresponsive wicket for the bowlers as the leg-spinner has so far conceded 79 runs off his 12 overs.
In an England-dominated session, Pakistan also lost two of its reviews when it went for a shocking caught behind referral against Duckett soon after the left-hander had completed his half century, but the television replays suggested the bat was nowhere near the ball.
Captain Shan Masood then went for a second referral against Root off the same bowler, but the TV replays showed the ball was missing the leg stump.
Root surpasses Cook’s 12,472 test runs as England reaches 232-2 in first test against Pakistan
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Root surpasses Cook’s 12,472 test runs as England reaches 232-2 in first test against Pakistan
- Root is now fifth on the all-time list of test run-scorers behind Sachin Tendulkar’s leading 15,921
- England lost Zak Crawley’s wicket in the first half-hour when he chipped a catch of Shaheen Afridi
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson set for six weeks out
LONDON:Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks with a hamstring injury, which would rule him out of matches against Chelsea and Arsenal.
The 32-year-old Brazil international was hurt during last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace and went off late in the second half.
Reports in the British press say tests have shown Alisson is not likely to be fit to play until after next month’s international break.
That would mean the first match he would potentially be available for would be the trip to Southampton on November 24.
Arne Slot’s Premier League leaders face Chelsea on October 20 and Arsenal a week later, while their next two Champions League fixtures pit them against RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen.
Caoimhin Kelleher, who missed the Palace match through illness, will be expected to deputise, as he did last season when Alisson was ruled out with another hamstring injury.
Speaking after the victory at Crystal Palace, Slot predicted a lengthy lay-off for his number one goalkeeper.
“We have to wait and see but it will be a few weeks for him to be back. I think it is, yes (his hamstring),” he said.
“He’s clearly our number one, he’s the best goalkeeper in the world. It’s always a blow when he gets injured, not only for him but us as a team.”
Liverpool have 18 points from seven Premier League matches — one more than defending champions Manchester City and Arsenal.
Saudi Arabia pays for naming rights to Atletico Madrid's stadium for 9 years
MADRID: Saudi Arabia has consolidated its branding push with Atletico Madrid by paying for naming rights to the Spanish club’s stadium for the next nine years.
Atletico, which has been sponsored by Riyadh Air since last season, said Wednesday that its Metropolitano stadium will be known as the Riyadh Air Metropolitano henceforth until 2033.
Atletico did not say how much it was receiving for the new agreement “which makes the Saudi Arabian company the most important sponsor in the club’s history.”
The deal for shirt sponsorship from 2023-27 was already worth a reported 40 million euros a season to the club.
“The final installation of the new name of the stadium on the main, northeast and southeast facades will take place in the next few weeks,” Atletico said.
The establishment of Riyadh Air was announced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March 2023. It is yet to begin commercial operations.
Top tennis player Sinner to face Medvedev in Shanghai Masters quarter-finals
- Jannik Sinner put some old demons to rest in overcoming American Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6 (7/1)
- Medvedev and Sinner have met four times this year already in the final stages of tournaments
SHANGHAI: World number one Jannik Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals, after both had straight sets victories on Wednesday.
Sinner put some old demons to rest in overcoming American Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), while Medvedev took out Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
Shelton, ranked 16, knocked Sinner out at the same stage last year, but on Wednesday the Italian looked confident from the start as he won in 88 minutes.
The US Open champion pulled ahead in the ninth game of the first set, breaking when Shelton hit long, then dominated the second set tiebreak.
“It was very tough, you don’t have so much control when you play against him... I just tried to stay strong mentally,” said Sinner.
World number five Medvedev and Tsitsipas were meeting for the 14th time.
Tsitsipas started the second set strongly, breaking in the first game, but Medvedev broke in the fourth and eighth to progress.
Medvedev and Sinner have met four times this year already in the final stages of tournaments.
Sinner beat Medvedev in the semifinals at Miami, the quarter-finals at the US Open and in the Australian Open final, but the Russian ended the Italian’s hopes in the last eight at Wimbledon in an epic five-set battle.
Also in action on Wednesday are world number two Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Sinner in the China Open final a week ago, four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic and world number three Alexander Zverev.
Man City’s Rico Lewis eyes ‘dream’ of playing for England in an international tournament
- The 19-year-old is in the Three Lions squad for the Nations League B games against Greece on Thursday and Finland on Sunday
MANCHESTER: It was 10 years ago when Rico Lewis had his first experience of a World Cup.
Aged 9, he was banking on Brazil to win the trophy on home soil so he could earn a prize in the shape of a packet of sweets.
With Neymar and Thiago Silva out injured, the Selecao could not deliver. They fell 7-1 in the semifinal against Germany, who would go on to beat Argentina and claim international football’s biggest honor for a fourth time.
England won their only World Cup in 1966, but Lewis wants to be a part of their bid to end a 60-year wait when the US, Canada and Mexico stage the tournament in two years’ time.
“Of course it’s everyone’s dream to play in an international competition with your country,” Lewis told Arab News exclusively.
“It would be amazing to play in that kind of environment and see how different it is, and also try to win something.
“Watching the World Cup, it makes you strive to do as best as you can and get picked for these squads to get to play in that.
“I think that’s what everyone wants to do, and to go and win a tournament with your national team.
“My earliest memories of a World Cup were in 2014, I remember being in a sweepstake for it.
“I had Brazil and they got beat by Germany 7-1 in the semifinals. I’d have probably won a bag of Haribo’s or something like that if they had won it.”
The 19-year-old, who made his international debut under Gareth Southgate against North Macedonia last November, added: “It was amazing to be called up for England, a unique feeling.
“It’s something you dream of and not many professional footballers get there. You’ve got to be very lucky and I was very lucky to get to that position.
“But once you are there you just enjoy it. It almost makes it easier because you can enjoy it.”
Lewis is certainly enjoying himself this season. And an ability to play confidently in a multitude of roles at such a tender age is not just down to luck.
Having established himself as a key component in Manchester City’s title-winning machine, whether at right-back or in midfield, he has been given an opportunity to transfer his talents to the international stage.
He can do so with Nations League B games against Greece on Thursday and Finland on Sunday.
England’s interim boss Lee Carsley, who replaced Southgate after the Three Lions lost the Euro 2024 final to Spain, turned to Lewis to help solve the side’s troublesome left-back position, where there has been no regular starter.
The youngster impressed in the 2-0 win over Finland last month and has settled well with a squad featuring current City team-mates Kyle Walker, John Stones, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish, and an old one in Chelsea forward Cole Palmer.
“Of course I feel comfortable now,” said Lewis. “When you’ve been with people like that for so long — and this is my third year with the City first-team now — I feel a lot closer with everyone and that makes it easier to play with them and at this level.
“I just want to play football and if that means I play in a different position to get more game time then that’s fine with me.
“I like playing fullback and like playing in midfield, but I don’t really mind where I play.”
That approach has typified Lewis’ amazing rise since his City debut two years ago at the age of 17.
His first season in the first-team ranks saw him lift a historic Treble as the Etihad outfit memorably won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
That was followed by the UEFA Super Cup and then the Club World Cup, with City beating Fluminense in Saudi Arabia.
Lewis also helped City lift the English title for a fourth successive time last season and admitted: “I want as many trophies as I can get. It’s everything I’ve dreamed of. When you break it down, it’s difficult to put into words what I’ve done.
“So that’s what I don’t really do, I don’t really think about it too much. That will probably come later on in life when I look back in my career.
“Right now I just want to focus on putting out consistent performances and being the best I can be.”
He added: “Of course there’s extra pressure. Once you’ve done it, then comes the expectation to do it again.
“When you are playing in a squad like at City you can stick out like a sore thumb if you don’t perform because of how many good players there are. Yes there’s pressure, but that comes with being at a club like this,” Lewis said.
“I think I enjoy it. I think everyone enjoys a little bit of pressure, being able to prove people wrong, stuff like that, but that comes with being a footballer.”
Jurgen Klopp to be head of Red Bull football operations
BERLIN: Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has a new role as head of football operations at Red Bull, which owns the Leipzig, Salzburg and New York clubs, the company said Wednesday.
Klopp left Liverpool at the end of last season after nine years in charge, during which he breathed new life into the club and won the Premier League and Champions League.
His announcement in January that he was leaving came as a shock to the club's fans but Klopp said he was exhausted by the role.
The 57-year-old's new job with the Austrian energy drinks giant does not involve hands-on coaching.
According to a statement released by the company, "Klopp will not interfere in the day-to-day business of the clubs, but rather take on a higher-level strategic position."
Klopp himself said: "I see my role primarily as a mentor for the coaches and management of the Red Bull clubs.
"After nearly 25 years on the sidelines, I couldn't be more excited to be involved in a project like this."
The 57-year-old will start his tenure on January 1, 2025.
Sky Germany reports Klopp's contract includes an exit clause which allows him to take over as manager of the German national side should he be approached.
Klopp spends much of his time at his home on the Spanish island of Majorca and retains a sponsorship role with German sportswear maker Adidas.
Hans-Joachim Watzke, the managing director of Klopp's former club Borussia Dortmund, told AFP's German sports subsidiary on Wednesday he had discussed the Red Bull role with him.
"As always, I wish Jurgen good luck in his new job," Watzke said.
"It was no surprise to me because we talked about it personally," he added.
Earlier this month, Klopp was presented with Germany's Federal Cross of Merit.
In addition to their extensive football interests, Red Bull are the principal sponsor of the reigning Formula One champion team of Max Verstappen.
