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READ MORE Shahid Afridi sends one down © Getty Images Former Pakistan allrounder Shahid Afridi has put his weight behind T10 cricket, saying the new format could be cricket’s gateway into the Olympics. Afridi, playing in his second season of the T10 League with the Pakhtoons, said he has been greatly encouraged by the league’s growth and sees ten-over cricket as the perfect format for introducing a wider audience to the game. “I think this is the best cricket you can introduce in the Olympic Games,” Afridi told ESPNcricinfo. “I think you can take the game there and show the world what cricket is all about. I think this is the perfect format to introduce cricket and we are all enjoying it, which is the main thing.” England’s Eoin Morgan had endorsed a similar view during the inaugural season of the T10 League last year, stating that T10 cricket was easiest on the eye. “I think T10 could be something you could potentially propose...

READ MORE Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print Lunch Bangladesh 387 for 6 (Mahmudullah 75*, Liton 53*) v West Indies Shakib Al Hasan and Liton Das put Bangladesh in a strong position at lunch on the second day, as the home side rapidly added 128 runs in 25 overs in the morning to reach 387 for 6 at lunch. Shakib hammered five fours within a short span before being dismissed for 80, while Liton went to lunch unbeaten on 53 off 54 balls. Mahmudullah , meanwhile, fought hard to support both batsmen, and remained 75 not out. Liton took advantage of anything too full, driving Shermon Lewis serenely through the leg side, before sweeping Jomel Warrican for two fours in one over. He pulled Devendra Bishoo for two fours too, while also hammering Lewis for a cut over point. Towards the end of the session, Liton lifted Roston Chase over long-on for a six and then carved one past extra-cover to reach his fifty. The seventh-wicket pair have so far added 86 runs, batting at ...

READ MORE Belgium remain top of the latest FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, although the gap between the Red Devils, France (2nd, unchanged) and Brazil (3rd, unchanged) has narrowed over the past month. Defeats for the leading duo in the UEFA Nations League resulted in both dropping six Ranking points, while Brazil – even though they are still 50 points behind France – added seven after wins over Uruguay (7th, down 1) and Cameroon (55th, down 4). Portugal (6th, up 1) were the team to profit from Uruguay’s slide down the table, while the Nations League successes of group winners Sweden and the Netherlands (joint-14th, up 3 and 1 respectively) are reflected in their improved positions. Back-to-back wins in the same competition also propelled Serbia (29th, up 6) and Czech Republic (42nd, up 6) to significant gains, although Morocco (40th, up 7) were the top 50’s biggest climbers after morale-boosting victories over Tunisia (26th, down 4) and the aforementioned Cameroon...

READ MORE FIFA.com speaks with Mexico midfielder Silvana Flores She was born in Canada and lives in England “We’ve formed a family, and that shows out on the pitch” “Let’s do the interview in Spanish,” said Silvana Flores to FIFA.com . “I play for Mexico, and I’m in the U-17 World Cup final!” Flores, the daughter of a Mexican ex-footballer, speaks Spanish clearly and fluently, but she has a distinct accent, the result of spending 14 years growing up in Canada, the country of her birth and her mother’s homeland. She subsequently moved to England, where she currently resides. Along this intriguing path, the central midfielder got the opportunity to train with the youth teams of Canada, Cayman Islands and England, before nailing her colours to the Mexican mast. “My dad is a professional coach, and he was put in charge of the Cayman Islands’ U-15 girls’ side. I was 11-years-old, and as there weren’t very man...

READ MORE Image Source : PTI BCCI invites application for women’s team coach, eyes experienced candidates The BCCI on Friday invited applications, eyeing men of international stature, for the position of the Indian women’s team head coach, left vacant after a bitter public spat between the outgoing Ramesh Powar and senior player Mithali Raj. Proven names such as Tom Moody, Dav Whatmore and Venkatesh Prasad are some of the options the Indian Cricket Board has at the moment, it is learnt from reliable sources in the Board. It is understood that the BCCI doesn’t want a repeat of the kind of bickering witnessed between Powar and star player Mithali following the Indian team’s semifinal exit from the ICC Women’s World T20 in the West Indies. The Indian women’s team has had its fair share of controversies, and the latest one was triggered after Mithali was dropped from the playing XI for the World T20 semifinal, which the side lost to England by eight...

READ MORE Related News Argentina coach Germán Orozco (R) overcame Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The defender was part of the national team for the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. The sudden weight loss and constant, severe fatigue finally had an explanation: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Germán Orozco, just 23 back then, did not immediately fear for his life. He was, instead, afraid of what he will do with his life if he survived. That was almost two decades ago, which may seem a long time now. But for Orozco, here as the coach Argentina, it was just the start of his biggest fight. He survived the most critical battle of his life but there was collateral — the most devastating was when he was told he wouldn’t be able to have children. Orozco, a defender, overcame that pain and went on to represent Los Leones, the Argentine men’s hockey team, in two Olympics (Sydney and Athens) and two World Cups (2002 and 2006) while also leading the natio...

READ MORE Related News Naomi Osaka won the US Open by beating Serena Williams in straight sets. (AP Photo/File) US Open champion Naomi Osaka said her breakthrough victory in New York last month still felt “bittersweet” and is hoping that a strong end to the season could help her to feel better. The Japanese player’s win in the U.S. Open final was overshadowed by a row between her opponent Serena Williams and chair umpire Carlos Ramos, which resulted in the 23-times Grand Slam champion being docked a game and fined $17,000. The 20-year-old Osaka was reduced to tears as she waited to be handed her maiden major trophy and an angry crowd at Flushing Meadows took out their frustration on Ramos. “The memory of the U.S. Open is a little bittersweet,” Osaka said after a routine 6-4 6-3 win over Zarina Diyas in the China Open on Monday. “The day after, I didn’t want to think about it because it wasn’t necessarily the ...