Sport
Samarawickrama helps Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in Asia Cup
Sadeera Samarawickrama smashed 93 to set up a 21-run win for Sri Lanka in their opening Super Four clash of the Asia Cup against Bangladesh on Saturday.
Samarawickrama's knock steered Sri Lanka to 257-9, a total their bowlers defended to put Bangladesh on the brink of elimination in the 50-over tournament, a precursor to the upcoming World Cup in India, AFP reported.
Bangladesh were bowled out for 236 in 48.1 overs despite a valiant 82 by Towhid Hridoy and suffered their second loss in the Super Four stage.
With one match to go, Bangladesh need a mathematical miracle for a place in the final on September 17.
Dasun Shanaka, who turned 32 on Saturday, played a captain's role with his 24 and three wickets from his medium-pace bowling.
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana and fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana also took three wickets each.
"When there's no frontline bowlers someone needs to chip in and today was my day," Shanaka said on the absence of injured bowlers including Dushmantha Chameera and Wanindu Hasaranga.
"Maheesh bowled and in the end the result matters. Our players, specially Kusal Mendis and Sadeera Samarawickrama played really well, read the wicket very well."
Sri Lanka, who co-host the tournament with Pakistan, faltered after being invited to bat first with Bangladesh fast bowlers getting regular breakthroughs.
However, Kusal Mendis (50) and then Samarawickrama, who was named man of the match, made sure they reach a competitive and eventually a winning total on an inconsistent pitch.
Samarawickrama reached his 50 in 45 balls and accelerated in a 60-run partnership with Shanaka to rouse the home fans at a largely empty ground.
Turned the tide
Sri Lanka slipped after a brisk start before Pathum Nissanka and Mendis put on 74 runs with some sensible batting, forcing Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan to rotate his bowlers.
Shoriful Islam was brought into the attack and he delivered with the wicket of Nissanka, trapped lbw for 40.
Mendis reached his fifty with a boundary off Shoriful in the next over but the fast bowler had his revenge four balls later to have him caught out.
The bowlers kept up the charge, but Samarawickrama turned the tide with a string of boundaries and finished off well as he surpassed his previous ODI best of 82. He was dismissed on the final ball.
Bangladesh started strongly with Mehidy Hasan Miraz hitting a few boundaries to take on the Sri Lankan attack alongside fellow opener Mohammed Naim.
Shanaka hit back with his medium-pace bowling to send back Miraz for 28.
Pathirana got the big wicket of Shakib, caught behind for three and with Liton Das' departure Bangladesh slipped to 83-4.
Mushfiqur Rahim and Towhid attempted to raise hopes of a fightback in a stand of 72 before Dunith Wellalage broke through with the wicket of Mushfiqur, who made 29.
"He batted really well. He played LPL (Lanka Premier League) here so he brought that confidence," Shakib said of Towhid.
"If he could have batted a little longer, but then there are always a lot of ifs and buts. But Sri Lanka played better which is why they won."
The rest of the batting fell apart in trying to match the rising run-rate and Hridoy's lbw off Theekshana spelt the end.
Sport
FIFA unveils Innovative Club World Cup Trophy ahead of new tournament in 2025
The tournament will kick off from Sunday 15 June and run through to Sunday 13 July.
FIFA has unveiled the official Innovative FIFA Club World Cup Trophy that will be lifted for the first time at next year’s tournament, set to be staged across 11 host cities in the United States.
The tournament will kick off from Sunday 15 June and run through to Sunday 13 July.
The new trophy, designed by FIFA and crafted in collaboration with global luxury jeweller Tiffany & Co., will be presented to the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup winners, who will be crowned after the final at the MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “Innovative, inclusive, groundbreaking and truly global, the new 32-team FIFA Club World Cup deserves a trophy that represents all of this. It is both prestigious and timeless – a golden trophy that is a symbol of the future and inspired by the past.”
“The team who lift this trophy will hold the world of club football in their hands. To the players who win it, history belongs to you! Let’s take it to the world and celebrate it as we look forward to the start of a new era for football when the one and only FIFA club world champions lift the FIFA Club World Cup Trophy in New York New Jersey on 13 July 2025.”
The President and Chief Executive Officer of Tiffany & Co., Anthony Ledru, added: “With a legacy dating back 160 years, Tiffany & Co. has crafted some of the most iconic championship trophies in history, setting the standard for craft and design.
“The FIFA Club World Cup Trophy is the next chapter in our long history of creating the world’s most revered symbols of athletic achievement.”
The trophy meanwhile boasts a 24-carat gold-plated finish and features intricate laser-engraved inscriptions on both sides, showcasing text and imagery that portray football’s rich history.
The inscriptions include a world map and the names of all 211 FIFA Member Associations and the six confederations, representing the geographical and cultural diversity of the game.
The trophy’s central disc displays an array of icons that capture football’s traditions, including symbols of stadiums and equipment and a world map.
The trophy also features engravings in 13 languages and Braille.
Space is available to laser-engrave the emblems of the winning clubs for 24 editions of the tournament.
In addition, the trophy can transform from a shield into a multifaceted and orbital structure – an adaptable design that establishes a powerful visual structure.
An inspiring message to the champions is engraved on the trophy, including the following: “To those who hold this trophy, history belongs to you! You are witness to a moment in time that represents the pinnacle of club football, bestowed upon few but celebrated by many.”
These words reflect the trophy’s status as a symbol of greatness, honoring the legends of the past while inspiring clubs globally.
A trophy for champions
Meanwhile, the winning team at each edition will receive a replica of the FIFA Club World Cup Trophy featuring engravings that mark their triumph after the final.
The FIFA Club World Cup Trophy will be presented to the world in its physical form on Thursday, 5 December 2024, when FIFA hosts the tournament’s draw in Miami, USA.
Sport
Eighteen Afghan players shortlisted for IPL auction
Eighteen Afghan players have been shortlisted for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) auction scheduled in Saudi Arabia on November 24 and 25.
A total of 29 Afghan cricketers had registered for the auction.
On Friday, the IPL governing body unveiled the shortlist of 574 players, which includes 18 Afghans.
Out of the 574 Players, 366 are Indian and 208 are overseas, including 3 players from associate nations. The auction will include 318 Indian uncapped players and 12 uncapped overseas players.
204 slots will be up for grabs with 70 available slots for overseas players.
Full list of Afghan players shortlisted for the auction:
- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
- Noor Ahmad
- Waqar Salamkheil
- Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar
- Mujeeb-ur-Rahman
- Azmatullah Omarzai
- Naveen-ul-haq
- Zahir Khan Pakten
- Sediqullah Atal
- Mohammad Nabi
- Gulbadin Naib
- Fazalhaq Farooqi
- Najibullah Zadran
- Ibrahim Zadran
- Qais Ahmad
- Karim Janat
- Faridoon Dawoodzai
- Nangyal Kharote
Sport
Paul beats Tyson as former heavyweight champ can’t turn back clock
Tyson, who wore a knee brace, never mounted much of a challenge after being wobbled by some left hands in the third round but did enough defensively to avoid taking any serious damage.
Jake Paul beat boxing legend Mike Tyson by unanimous decision to win an intergenerational heavyweight battle in Texas on Friday that failed to live up to its enormous hype.
The bout between the 27-year-old social media influencer-turned-prizefighter Paul and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion Tyson was streamed live on Netflix and played out in front of a sold-out crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Reuters reported.
Those fans were left largely disappointed as Tyson showed his age and was never able to generate any offense against his younger opponent, landing just 18 punches to Paul's 78.
"First and foremost, Mike Tyson - it's an honor to be able to fight him," said Paul.
"It was as tough and hard as I thought it would be."
Tyson, who wore a knee brace, never mounted much of a challenge after being wobbled by some left hands in the third round but did enough defensively to avoid taking any serious damage.
He admitted after the contest to fighting through a leg injury.
"Yeah, but I can't use that as an excuse. If I did, I wouldn't be in here," Tyson said.
"I knew he was a good fighter. He was prepared, I came to fight. I didn't prove nothing to anybody, only to myself. I'm not one of those guys that live to please the world. I'm just happy with what I can do."
Tyson, one of the most fearsome heavyweight champions of all time during his heyday in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was in his first professional fight in nearly 20 years. He was non-committal when asked if he would return to the ring again.
"I don't know. It depends on the situation," he said.
Paul (11-1) said he can now fight anyone he wants, possibly even Mexican Canelo Alvarez, after being the main attraction in the mega event that brought out a star-studded crowd and 72,300 fight fans to the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys.
"This is the biggest event, over 120 million people on Netflix. We crashed the site, The biggest U.S. boxing gate, $20 million, in U.S. history, and everyone is next on the list."
TAYLOR BEATS SERRANO
In the co-main event earlier in the evening, Ireland's Katie Taylor retained her super lightweight title by beating Puerto Rico's Amanda Serrano in a controversial unanimous decision after a violent affair.
Serrano came forward throughout the fight but their heads crashed together hard in the early stages, resulting in a deep cut over Serrano's right eye. The referee later took a point off Taylor for head butts.
In the end all three judges scored it 95-94 for Taylor, who denied accusations from Serrano's corner that she was fighting dirty.
Taylor won the pair's previous meeting at New York's Madison Square Garden in April 2022 and said there would be a third meeting.
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