Sports
Australia withdraw from ODI series against Afghanistan
Australia have withdrawn from the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan scheduled to be played in the UAE in March. Cricket Australia released a statement about the call off on Thursday (January 12) after discussions with key stakeholders including the government. In its statement, CA revealed that the decision was arrived at following the ruling Taliban’s announcement about further curbs on women and girls’ education and employment in Afghanistan
“CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan, and will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country. We thank the Australian Government for its support on this matter,” ,” the CA statement read.
This is not the first time Cricket Australia have taken a strong stance against the policies of the Afghanistan government. The Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in September 2021 and soon after, placed restrictions on female participation in sport, which the CA condemned. The board then subsequently called off the one-off Test scheduled to be played in Hobart in November of that year.
Incidentally, Afghanistan is the only full member nation without a women’s team and without a representative participating team at the inaugural Women’s Under-19 World Cup, starting later this week. ICC CEO Geoff Allardice acknowledged that recent developments were “concerning”, and said the topic would be raised at the ICC’s next meeting.
“Our board has been monitoring progress since the change of regime,” Allardice said. “It is a concern that progress is not being made in Afghanistan and it’s something our board will consider at its next meeting in March. As far as we are aware, there isn’t any activity at the moment.”
By withdrawing from the series, Australia will concede 30 ODI Super League points to Afghanistan that were on offer in Australia’s last assignment of the cycle. But the five-time champions will not be affected by the loss of points, having already secured qualification to the 50-over World Cup, that’ll be held in India in October-November this year.
(Cricbuzz)
Morocco’s plans for their World Cup quarterfinal against France have been shaken up after it was confirmed that star forward Ismael Saibari will miss the match.
Saibari sustained a hamstring injury in the last-16 match against Canada and has not recovered in time for the crucial knockout match, coach Mohamed Ouahbi said on Wednesday.
“Everyone is 100 percent fit except Saibari. This game comes too soon for him, but I hope he is not out for the rest of the competition,” Ouahbi told reporters ahead of Thursday’s last-eight showdown in Boston.
Saibari, who has just joined Bayern Munich from Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven on a five-year deal for a reported fee of 50 million euros ($57m), has been one of the standout players at this year’s World Cup.
He scored in each of his team’s three group games and converted the winning penalty in the shootout as Morocco beat the Netherlands in the last 32.
However, the attacking midfielder came off early with a hamstring problem in the 3-0 win against Canada in the last 16 last Saturday.
Should Morocco progress, Saibari might make a comeback in the semifinals.
“He’s not ready, but I hope it’s not the end of the tournament for him,” Ouahbi said.
Saibari went off the pitch to receive medical attention after sustaining an injury against Canada [Aljazeera]
Soufiane Rahimi, who is an out-and-out striker, came on for Saibari in that game and scored Morocco’s third goal.
The Atlas Lions are seeking to avenge their 2-0 defeat against France in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup.
That was the first time any African or Arab team had reached the last four of the tournament, and their incentive this time is to match that run.
Ouahbi dismissed suggestions that his team can say they have already had a successful tournament by getting to the quarterfinals.
“We absolutely want to win the game tomorrow, so we will not listen to people who say it doesn’t matter if we go out now,” said the coach, who took over from Walid Regragui in March.
“Tomorrow, we will try to get to the semifinals. I don’t like this sentiment that we have already done well and anything else is a bonus,” added Ouahbi, who said he had watched the 2022 meeting of the sides as a fan, on television.
Meanwhile, Morocco’s Real Madrid star Brahim Diaz insisted his side can compete with the much-fancied France as he prepares to come up against Kylian Mbappe, his colleague at club level.
“Tomorrow, we are playing one of the favourites, but we have shown we can compete, and that is why we are here. I have full faith and full confidence in the team.”
[Aljazeera]
West Indies have been fined ten percent of their match fee and penalised two World Test Championship (WTC) points for maintaining a slow over-rate in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Antigua.
Match referee Javagal Srinath imposed the sanction after the hosts were found to be two overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
As per to the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, players are fined five percent of their match fee for each over their team fails to bowl within the allotted time, with the maximum penalty capped at 50 percent of the match fee. Additionally, a side is penalised one point in the WTC points table for each over short as per the ICC WTC playing conditions.
Captain Roston Chase pled guilty to the offence and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
West Indies bowled 188.3 overs across both innings and secured a draw after conceding a 50-run deficit in the first innings. Having won the first Test at the same venue, by an innings and 217 runs, the result was enough to complete a 1-0 series win. They stand ninth on the WTC table with 18 points, after the deduction, with one win, two draws and seven losses in ten games.
[Cricinfo]
Cabinet Subcommittee on the Development of 25 Technical and Vocational Colleges meets under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister
Representatives of the Organization of Professional Associations (OPA) of Sri Lanka meet the Prime Minister
District Secretaries’ Conference Chaired by the President
ICC contacts ECB over Stokes retirement video
Greater focus must be placed on strengthening primary healthcare
Morocco dealt huge blow as injured Saibari out of World Cup quarterfinal
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News5 days agoSingapore-based Buddhist monk marks nearly four decades of humanitarian service
-
News7 days agoCIABOC to question Harak Kata on Rs. 200 mn bribery allegation
-
News6 days agoFreedom 250: US Embassy celebrates America’s 250th Independence Day through magic of American cinema
-
Business7 days ago‘Dialog Air Fibre powers a new era of Ultra Fast Home WiFi’
-
News7 days agoSLAF conducts successful rescue mission under UN command in Central African Republic
-
News4 days agoAI concerned over proposed SL military deployment in Haiti
-
News7 days agoUNEP support pledged to strengthen Sri Lanka’s Environmental Priorities
-
Midweek Review2 days agoUnexpected focus on ‘pieces of tin’ worn by military men