MULTAN: Babar Azam was on top of the world two years ago — Pakistan captain and top-rated batsman in all three formats — but he will celebrate his 30th birthday at home on Tuesday when the second Test against England begins in Multan.
Pakistan on Sunday left out Azam from the second Test squad after a poor run of form where he has failed to pass fifty in his last 18 Test innings.
It is the first time Azam has been dropped from the Pakistan team since his white-ball debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015 and Test baptism against the West Indies a year later.
Azam shot to prominence with three successive hundreds in an ODI series against the West Indies in 2016.
He replaced India great Virat Kohli as world number one ODI batsman five years later, a place he still occupies having been briefly deposed in between.
He is still ranked fourth among Twenty20 batsmen but it is the long format where his form has suffered the most and his slump has seen him fall outside the world’s top 10.
A 13-year-old Azam was a ball boy in Pakistan’s Test against South Africa in Lahore in 2007, where he could watch his childhood idol AB de Villiers.
From the streets of Lahore he rose to play in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, topping the batting charts for Pakistan with 298 runs in six games.
Two years in at the U19 World Cup in Australia he was captain and again leading run-scorer, with 287.
In 2015 he was picked for the senior side and after thrilling in the white-ball game developed into a modern-day great in all three formats, often drawing comparison with Kohli.
His opening partnership with Mohammad Rizwan in Twenty20s has realized 3,268 runs in 70 innings — the most by a pair in the format.
He anchored Pakistan’s only T20 World Cup win over arch-rivals India in 2021 in Dubai.
He hit an epic 196 against the famed Australian pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon to draw a Test in Karachi in 2022 — hailed as one of the greatest innings in Pakistan.
But the pressure of captaining a struggling Pakistan took its toll and began to affect Azam’s form with the bat.
Following Pakistan’s first round exit from the 50-over World Cup in India last November, where his side lost to Afghanistan for the first time, Azam stepped down from the captaincy in all three formats.
When the Pakistan Cricket Board hierarchy changed in April this year he was reinstated as white-ball skipper.
But it proved to be a short-lived tenure as Pakistan lost a T20 to Ireland before crashing out of the T20 World Cup in June after being stunned by the USA and losing to India.
He resigned as white ball captain for a second time earlier this month.
But it was in Tests where his form deserted him the most and a poor run in the series defeat against Bangladesh last month saw him score just 64 in four innings.
His 30 and five on a faultless Multan batting wicket in the first Test defeat against England, coupled with the formation of a new selection panel straight after, saw him left out for the second Test despite a vote of confidence from captain Shan Masood and his coach Jason Gillespie
He was seen in an emotional discussion with Gillespie on Sunday at Multan stadium before leaving the squad for the journey home to Lahore.
The break from cricket will give a tired Azam time to rest, reflect and recuperate, after two years of mental, emotional and physical toil on the front line of a struggling side.
“We are confident that this break from international cricket will help these players, especially Azam, regain their confidence,” said selector Aaqib Javed.
Dropped: The rise and fall of Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam
https://arab.news/z7d5y
Dropped: The rise and fall of Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam
- Pakistan on Sunday left out Azam from the second England Test squad after he failed to pass 50 in his last 18 Test innings
- It is the first time Azam has been dropped from the Pakistan team since his white-ball debut against Zimbabwe in Lahore in 2015
Barca overturn Man City to top Women’s Champions League group
BARCELONA: Holders Barcelona beat Manchester City 3-0 in the Women’s Champions League on Wednesday to pip their opponents to top spot in their group.
Claudia Pina opened the scoring for the dominant three-time champions late in the first half, before double Ballon d’Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas assured Barcelona of first place in Group D.
Both sides had already qualified for the quarter-finals but the question of who would claim the kinder draw in the knockouts was still to be decided when the teams met in Catalonia.
The hosts dominated from the get-go with Salma Paralluelo, Ewa Pajor and Esmee Brugts going close.
Bonmati nearly caught out Khiara Keating on 27 minutes with a chipped effort from distance, but the ball just skipped wide of the far post with the goalkeeper stranded.
Keating was on form and kept City level with a fine save to tip over Brugts’ curling effort just after the half-hour.
The visitors nearly caught Barcelona with a sucker-punch when Jill Roord found space 30 yards out and rattled the crossbar.
But Keating was again soon called into action to deny Pajor one-on-one as City tried desperately to keep the hosts at bay going into half-time.
Pina finally made the breakthrough with a clinical finish after the ball ricocheted to her in the box one minute before the break.
Even at 1-0 down, the English side were still set to go through as group winners thanks to their 2-0 victory in the reverse fixture at the start of October.
Bonmati, a day after claiming her second FIFA Best award, showed her class in the 57th minute as she raced clear, held off a defender and slotted through the legs of Keating to send Barcelona top of the group on goal difference.
Substitute Putellas made the victory safe for the Catalans shortly after coming off the bench with a deflected strike from outside the box on 69 minutes.
In Vienna, Hammarby of Sweden beat Austrians St. Poelten 2-1 to finish third in the pool.
Later, Arsenal host Bayern Munich with top spot in Group C at stake.
South Africa call up two uncapped fast bowlers for Pakistan Test series
- South Africa will be in next year’s World Test Championship final if they win one Test against Pakistan
- The Proteas are faced with serious depletion of bowling resources, with several injured players
JOHANNESBURG: South Africa named two uncapped fast bowlers in a 16-man squad for a two-match Test series against Pakistan starting in Centurion on December 26.
With an entire battery of fast bowlers unavailable, left-armer Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch were added to the team that beat Sri Lanka in Gqeberha this month.
Maphaka is an 18-year-old prodigy who has already been capped at Twenty20 international level while Bosch, the 30-year-old son of former Test fast bowler Tertius, has yet to play for the senior national team.
South Africa included all-rounder Wiaan Mulder and left-arm spin bowler Keshav Maharaj in the squad, but both selections are subject to fitness.
Mulder suffered a broken right middle finger in the first Test against Sri Lanka while Maharaj suffered what Cricket South Africa described as “an acute groin strain” while warming up for the first one-day international against Pakistan in Paarl on Tuesday.
Maharaj was due to have a scan on Wednesday to assess the severity of the injury.
Bosch, who has a first-class batting average above 40, could come into contention if Muller is unfit, while Senuran Muthusamy, also a left-armer, is the only other spin bowler in the squad if Maharaj is ruled out.
South Africa will be assured of a place in next year’s World Test Championship final if they win at least one Test against Pakistan — but their bowling resources have been seriously depleted.
Fast bowlers Anrich Nortje, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee and Lizaad Williams have all been sidelined. It will be a blow if Maharaj, South Africa’s premier spin bowler, cannot play.
“We head into this series with a clear focus, with a spot in the World Test Championship final being the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” South African coach Shukri Conrad said in a CSA statement.
Squad: Temba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne (wkt).
Fixtures:
December 26-30, Centurion
January 3-7, Cape Town
Esports World Cup introduces $1.5m chess competition to 2025 Games in Riyadh
- Joining the world’s largest gaming and esports festival will bring competitive chess to new online audiences
RIYADH: The Esports World Cup Foundation and Chess.com have announced a multi-year partnership that will bring competitive online chess to the 2025 Esports World Cup.
The world’s largest esports and gaming festival is set to return to Riyadh next summer.
Chess is one of the most popular games on the planet, with more than 600 million players, and Chess.com is a leading website for playing and learning the game, with almost 200 million members.
Additionally, grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will join Chess.com at the Esports World Cup as a global ambassador.
As part of the partnership, the Champions Chess Tour, a fast Chess.com tournament circuit, will become the primary path for the world’s best chess players to qualify for the EWC championship event.
In 2025, there will be two online tour events, in February and May, with a combined $300,000 prize pool, offering players the chance to compete on the world’s biggest esports stage.
“Bringing chess, a game that has been played for 1,500 years, to the Esports World Cup is a truly exciting moment,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation.
“It’s the perfect example of how games evolve: from boards to screens, the core competition stays the same. Chess’ rich history, global appeal, and thriving competitive scene make it a perfect fit for our mission to unite the world’s most popular games and their passionate communities under one competitive umbrella.”
Reichert said the partnership with Chess.com and appointment of Carlsen as the game’s ambassador “allows us to not only showcase chess on a massive stage but also drive innovation and growth within its already vibrant ecosystem.”
Carlsen said that he was thrilled to see chess join some of the biggest games in the world at the Esports World Cup.
“This partnership is an incredible opportunity to grow the game, by introducing chess to new audiences and inspiring the next generation of players. Being part of the esports family is an amazing opportunity for chess to broaden its reach to a massive group of esports fans,” he said.
The top 12 players from the CCT will be invited to the EWC Chess tournament, which will take place between July 31 and Aug. 3, 2025, in Riyadh. A Last Chance Qualifier, open to both amateur and professional players, will be held in Riyadh and will determine four remaining spots to round out the field of competitors. Players will compete for a share of the $1.5 million prize pool, and valuable Esports World Cup Club Championship points.
Chess’ transition to online platforms began in the late 1990s, but the sport’s popularity exploded in the 2010s with platforms like Chess.com. This shift was further accelerated during the global pandemic, and the increasing popularity of streaming platforms and influencers, alongside viewing favorites such as “The Queen’s Gambit,” have cemented chess as a widely celebrated digital sport.
The Champions Chess Tour will bring the world’s top players together in a series of rapid-format tournaments. Launched in 2020, the tour revolutionized the sport by offering a fully digital, viewer-friendly experience, together with live commentary and interactive features.
The 2024 tour will conclude in Oslo this week, as eight finalists battle for the final $500,000 out of a total season prize pool of $1.7 million.
Saudi’s Nada, UAE duo to feature in PFL’s Road to Dubai Champions Series
- Event will take place at Coca-Cola Arena on Jan. 25 with main fight pitting Usman Nurmagomedov against Paul Hughes
DUBAI: The undercard for the Professional Fighters League’s inaugural Road to Dubai Champions Series event on Jan. 25 has been released and features Saudi Arabia’s Mostafa Nada as well as UAE duo Hadi Al-Hussaini and Youssef Al-Housani.
The main event at Coca-Cola Arena will pit undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion Usman Nurmagomedov against rising Irish contender Paul Hughes.
The undercard will now also feature Dubai-based Uzbek fighter, the undefeated Mirafzal “Mirko” Akhtamov (7-0-1), who has an impressive six finishes in his career. He will take on England’s knockout specialist, Mike “Lefty” Thompson (7-2), whose five of his seven victories came by way of KO/TKO.
Nada (9-3), riding a five-fight win streak, will face the British Pakistani PFL debutant Haider “Darth” Khan (8-1), who has won his last four bouts.
Al-Housani (4-1) will face off against Egypt’s undefeated Assem Ghanem (4-0), while Dubai’s 971 Academy product John Mitchell (9-2), a five-time Irish MMA champion, will enter the SmartCage against PFL MENA’s Algerian competitor Souhil Tairi (7-5-1).
Another Dubai-based fighter, Yakub Sulimanov (7-0) will put his unblemished record on the line against Jordan’s experienced Jarrah “Jordanian Lion” Al-Selawe (20-7).
The second Emirati fighter, Al-Hussaini (5-1-1), will be looking to get back to winning ways after losing his undefeated record in his PFL debut this past July, as he fights in front of a home crowd against former RSF champion Ruel “Bagsik” Panales (5-2).
The marquee preliminary bout of the night will see Tarek Suleiman (13-8) square off against Ahmed “Lee” Samy (11-4).
The Champions Series event is the inaugural Road to Dubai showing following the signing of a groundbreaking multi-year partnership between the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Dubai Sports Council and the Professional Fighters League.
Headlining the event will be the returning “Pride of Dagestan,” undefeated Bellator Lightweight World Champion Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0). He will look to defend his title against Ireland’s Paul “Big News” Hughes (13-1) who is coming off the biggest victory of his MMA career at PFL “Battle of the Giants” in Riyadh, where he defeated AJ McKee.
The first-of-its-kind partnership will see MMA world champions and the sport’s biggest stars from the PFL compete in title fights as Dubai becomes a new marquee destination for the best of MMA. All other Champions Series events will now be co-branded as Road to Dubai, as each show culminates to the finale set in the new fight capital. As part of the PFL’s commitment to developing the sport of MMA in Dubai, rising Emirati fighters will now have an opportunity to become future PFL Champions.
Road to Dubai Champions Series Main Card:
Lightweight World Title Bout: Usman Nurmagomedov (18-0) vs. Paul Hughes (13-1)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Khasan Magomedsharipov (10-0) vs. Nathan Kelly (11-2)
Featherweight Main Card Bout: Ibragim Ibragimov (8-0) vs. Kenny Mokhonoana (5-1)
Bantamweight Main Card Bout: Renat Khavalov (8-0) vs. Cleiver Fernandes (9-1)
Road to Dubai Champions Series Preliminary Card:
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Tarek Suleiman (13-8) vs. Ahmed Samy (11-4)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Hadi Omar Al-Hussaini (5-1-1) vs. Ruel Pañales (5-2)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Yakub Sulimanov (7-0) vs. Jarrah Al-Selawe (20-7)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: John Mitchell (9-2) vs. Souhil Tairi (7-5-1)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: Youssef Al-Housani (4-1) vs. Assem Ghanem (4-0)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Mostafa Nada (9-3) vs. Haider Khan (8-1)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Mirafzal Akhtamov (7-0-1) vs. Mike Thompson (7-2)
Giannis, Bucks use 3-point barrage to beat Thunder 97-81 for NBA Cup title
- Tournament MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points to go along with 19 rebounds and 10 assists
- Damian Lillard added 23 points and the Bucks connected on 17 3-pointers
LAS VEGAS: Everyone has a lucky number in Las Vegas. For the Milwaukee Bucks, it was 3.
And the NBA Cup was their prize.
Tournament MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 26 points to go along with 19 rebounds and 10 assists, Damian Lillard added 23 points and the Bucks connected on 17 3-pointers on the way to beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 in the NBA Cup title game Tuesday night.
Brook Lopez and Gary Trent Jr. each scored 13 for the Bucks, who joined the Los Angeles Lakers as the only champions of the 2-year-old event. A 19-5 Milwaukee run in the second half turned what was a five-point game into a 19-point game early in the fourth, and the Bucks kept control the rest of the way.
“It’s great, it’s great for our team,” Antetokounmpo said. “We’re getting better. ... We know we’re leaving Vegas as a better team. I’m so proud of this group. Man, I’m so proud of this group.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 and Jalen Williams added 18 for the Thunder, who had scored at least 99 points in every game this season. But they sputtered in plenty of ways Tuesday, getting outscored 51-15 from beyond the arc and shooting only 34 percent.
Isaiah Hartenstein had 16 points and 12 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which was held to 31 points after halftime.
“We did some good things. We outscored them in the paint so obviously we did the job defensively on that end,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “But obviously a tough night offensively all the way around for us. We didn’t score nearly enough points, especially in the second half, to give ourselves a chance to win. But we can learn from it, move forward here.”
It’s a game that only counted for tournament purposes. There was about $300,000 in additional bonus money for Bucks players — they got $514,971 apiece, while the Thunder players got $205,988 each — but the win, the loss and the statistics from the game won’t count toward the regular season.
Mired toward the bottom of the NBA after a 2-8 start, the Bucks have been on a tear since. This was their 13th win in their last 16 games, even though it won’t be part of the official record.
No matter: When the Bucks emptied their bench with 1:37 left, Antetokounmpo pumped his fists like it was a true championship moment.
He’s won bigger games — he and the Bucks captured the 2021 NBA title, after all. But they said from the outset of this tournament that the NBA Cup was a priority.
And they left no doubt in the end.
“We struggled coming out of the gates,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “No one here doubted what we can be and who we can be and we just hung in there. We stuck together and this is the byproduct of a team sticking together. But we still have work to do.”
Antetokounmpo was even more succinct: “Job’s not done,” he said.
His point was clear: There’s another title to chase. But this was still a trophy moment to celebrate.
Takeaways
Bucks: Milwaukee played without guard Khris Middleton (non-COVID illness) and still improved to an NBA-best 12-1 all-time in NBA Cup games, including a perfect 7-0 this season. The Bucks’ only in-season tournament loss was to Indiana in last year’s semifinals.
Thunder: It was a rare night of playing uphill for Oklahoma City, which trailed by as many as 20. The Thunder trailed by more than 14 points in only two of their 25 games so far in the regular season — getting down by 30 against Golden State and by 21 to San Antonio.
Key moment
No fewer than five players ended up on the floor, all scrapping for a loose ball with 9:12 left in the third quarter. Thunder forward Lu Dort was hit with a technical, Daigneault got another a few seconds later and Lillard ended up with a five-point possession — two free throws for the techs, followed by a 3-pointer.
Key stat
The Thunder are 20-1 this season when leading after three quarters. They’re now 0-5 when tied or trailing going into the final quarter (even though it will officially be 0-4 since this game won’t be counted).
Up next
The Thunder visit Orlando on Thursday and Miami on Friday. The Bucks visit Cleveland on Friday and host Washington on Saturday.
