Shane Warne, an ex-Australian spinner, and Michael Vaughan, a former England captain, agree that Australia’s tour of Pakistan is “vital” and that it must go ahead in order to promote cricket. In an interview with Fox Cricket, the two former cricketers emphasised the need of larger cricketing nations touring lesser-known countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, … Read more
BEIJING: The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world’s largest free trade agreement, entered into force on Saturday, injecting vitality into multilateralism and free trade amid the Covid-19 pandemic and global economic recovery. After the agreement takes effect, more than 90 per cent of merchandise trade among members that have approved the agreement will … Read more
MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal stepped up his return from Covid and injury with a patchy win over qualifier Ricardas Berankis at the Melbourne Summer Set tournament on Thursday. The 20-time Grand Slam champion launched his Australian Open preparations with a 6-2, 7-5 win in the second round, his first singles match on the ATP Tour since August. The … Read more
ADELAIDE: Iga Swiatek showcased her Australian Open credentials with a 6-1, 6-2 demolition of US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez at the Adelaide International on Thursday. The Pole, who won the 2020 French Open as a 19-year-old, took just 77 minutes to dispose of the Canadian and set up a quarter-final clash against former world number one Victoria … Read more
CANBERRA – Australia has set a new record for COVID-19 booster vaccines amid successive record days of surging infections across the country. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday that a new record 222,565 booster vaccines were administered on Wednesday, two days after the minimum recommended interval between second and third jabs for the population … Read more
SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja scored a memorable century on his return to Test cricket to strengthen Australia’s position in the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney after a double wicket breakthrough by Stuart Broad on Thursday. The Pakistan-born Khawaja, playing his first Test since the 2019 Ashes series in England in place of Covid-isolated Travis Head, was at his … Read more
COLOMBO: Sri Lankan top-order batsman Bhanuka Rajapaksa quit international cricket Wednesday just days before the start of a one-day international series against Zimbabwe at home. The 30-year-old left-hander resigned due to family obligations, Sri Lanka Cricket said in a statement. “I have very carefully considered my position as a player, husband and am taking this decision looking … Read more
MELBOURNE: Novak Djokovic received “no special” favours to be granted a Covid vaccine exemption to play at the Australian Open, said tournament chief Craig Tiley on Wednesday, as the move sparked a furious backlash. The nine-time Australian Open champion Djokovic announced late Tuesday he was en route to Melbourne with “an exemption permission”, ending the drawn-out saga over whether … Read more
SYDNEY: England paceman Stuart Broad again proved David Warner’s nemesis as rain dogged the opening day of the fourth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday. Broad provided the only relief for beleaguered England as rain restricted the two opening sessions to just 21.4 overs. After a third rain delay, an early tea was taken … Read more
SYDNEY: Melbourne Test hero Scott Boland held his place as Australia made only one change to their winning side for the fourth Ashes Test against England in Sydney which begins on Wednesday. Batsman Usman Khawaja was confirmed in the team announced Tuesday as a replacement for Covid victim Travis Head. Khawaja last played for Australia in the … Read more
CANBERRA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) — Australia’s COVID-19 case number surpassed 500,000 on Tuesday. Chris Moy, vice president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA), said the government has failed to come up with a plan for rapid antigen tests (RATs) amid reports of supply shortfalls and price gouging. “There is an inability to supply at the … Read more
SYDNEY: Joe Root said Monday that he has “questions to answer” and will assess his future as England captain after the losing Ashes tour, as Ben Stokes insisted he has no ambition to take over. Root will become his country’s longest-serving Test skipper at the fourth Test in Sydney on Wednesday, surpassing predecessor Alastair Cook’s 59 matches in … Read more
SYDNEY: Veteran Roberto Bautista Agut upset world number eight Casper Ruud on Monday to give Spain their second straight win at the ATP Cup, a record matched by Hubert Hurkacz’s Poland. The 33-year-old Bautista Agut is the lead singles player for his country in the absence of 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal and has stepped up … Read more
BEIJING: The Beijing Winter Olympics begin one month on Tuesday with diplomatic boycotts, the coronavirus and the fate of Peng Shuai all hanging heavy over the Games. The Chinese capital on February 4-20 will become the first host of a Winter and Summer Olympics, having staged the Games in 2008, seen then as a coming-out party for … Read more
SYDNEY: Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley on Monday became the latest person to contract Covid-19 during the Ashes series against England. Hockley, who is fully vaccinated, developed mild symptoms and immediately got tested and isolated, with a positive PCR result confirmed. “I am isolating at home with my family, who have returned negative results,” he said. Hockley … Read more
Australia demolished England by an innings and 14 runs in the third Test in Melbourne on Tuesday to retain the Ashes. Earlier, Joe Root’s men were also beaten comprehensively in the Tests in Brisbane and Adelaide. Let’s take a look at how poorly the visitors have played Down Under Most defeats The tourists’ defeat at … Read more
JAKARTA: The entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement will open up opportunities to catalyse the expansion of regional trade and investment much needed for economic recovery, amid Covid-19, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) secretary general Dato Lim Jock Hoi said. The Asean Secretariat announced in November that the RCEP … Read more
SYDNEY: England’s beleaguered Ashes tour went from bad to worse Thursday with under-pressure coach Chris Silverwood to miss the fourth Test in Sydney after a family member tested positive for the coronavirus. Silverwood and his family have to isolate in Melbourne for 10 days while the rest of the team head to Sydney for the … Read more
BBL 11: Pakistan white-ball vice-captain Shadab Khan is all set to make his Big Bash League (BBL) debut for Sydney Sixers, But have to follow special BBL protocols during the match. He was unable to join his fellow player as he has been in Australia for a week. The leg spinner has passed several PCR … Read more
SYDNEY: Novak Djokovic has pulled out of this week’s ATP Cup in Sydney, organisers said on Wednesday, heightening doubts over whether he will defend his Australian Open title. There has been intense speculation as to whether he will travel to Australia, having refused to confirm if he has been inoculated against the coronavirus. “World No.1 … Read more
MELBOURNE: David Warner has hinted he is keen for one last Ashes tour in 2023 to make amends for his failed campaign in England two years ago, drawing inspiration from veteran seamer Jimmy Anderson. The explosive Australian opener would be approaching 37 should he retain his place that long and in all likelihood would have … Read more
MELBOURNE: England lost the Ashes in humiliating style on Tuesday but for Joe Root, it has been an incredible 2021 with the bat, the skipper ending the calendar year with the third-most Test runs in history. His dismissal on day three of the third Test in Melbourne for 28 left him with 1,708 runs for … Read more
MELBOURNE: Skipper Pat Cummins said the way his team ripped England apart to retain the Ashes on Tuesday showed the strength of Australian cricket — and warned they were only just getting started. The Australian attack destroyed tourists England for 68 in their second innings of the third Test, with Scott Boland taking an incredible 6-7 off … Read more
MELBOURNE: England were nervously awaiting results of PCR tests after four Covid cases in the camp but veteran Jimmy Anderson said Monday they are keen to finish the Ashes series in Australia. Four members of the England party — two support staff and two family members — tested positive for coronavirus just hours before the … Read more
Australia’s sensational spinner Lloyd Pope is eager to learn from the Pakistani leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who has been signed up by the Sydney Sixers for the remaining Big Bash league. Pope bagged two wickets for 33 runs on Sunday night against Sydney Thunders, leading the Sixers to a 30-rn win despite the rain. Shadab was … Read more
MELBOURNE: England was rocked by a major Covid scare ahead of day two of the third Ashes Test Monday with four members of the team camp — two support staff and two family members — testing positive for coronavirus. The team and management were forced to undergo urgent rapid antigen tests just as they were … Read more
Since Narendra Modi began his second term as India’s prime minister in 2019, one of the defining features of India’s foreign strategy has been upgrading relations with the US, Japan and Australia as well as promoting the “Indo-Pacific” strategy to balance China. Due to excessively close relations between India and the US, the India-Russia relationship … Read more
Portugal next year could approve lithium mining that will reduce Europe’s dependence on outside sources for a key ingredient in the frenetic global race to decarbonise the auto industry. The southern European nation is thought to have the continent’s largest lithium reserves. Alongside nickel and cobalt, lithium has become a prized raw material as it … Read more
