New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Former Australia cricketer and selector David Boon has left out Marnus Labuschagne from his preferred Australia squad for the all-important Ashes series, starting on November 21 in Perth. The five-match Test series will also be held in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.Boon, who finished being an ICC Match Referee earlier this year, has backed the under-fire opening pair of Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja to open in Perth despite their lean returns in the series aga…

Liverpool, Aug 15 (IANS) Arne Slot has challenged Florian Wirtz to meet the high standards set by Mohamed Salah if he is to live up to Liverpool’s expectations as their new record signing. Wirtz is set to make his Premier League debut when the reigning champions kick off their campaign at home against Bournemouth on Friday. While Slot praised the German international’s smooth adaptation – saying it “went better than expected, and we already expected a lot” – he acknowledged that a true m…

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) England women’s team head coach Charlotte Edwards believes that her side’s white-ball series defeats against India weren’t a ‘reality check’ and they are prepared to beat any team ahead of next month’s ODI World Cup. After a dominant start to the summer with a convincing series win over a weakened West Indies in her debut as head coach, England stumbled against India, losing the T20I series 3-2 and the ODIs 2-1. India, co-hosts of the upcoming World Cup with Sri Lanka, e…

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of sports in India’s development during his Independence Day speech here on Friday and said the recently approved National Sports Policy 2025 will help in promoting sports in far-flung areas. In his address to the nation, PM Modi noted how there was a time when parents were hesitant to let their children take up sports seriously, but today that mindset has undergone a significant shift.”Sports play an important role…

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) English goalkeeper James Trafford, while reflecting on his return to Manchester City, said that he always believed he would come back to City, as he worked hard to make it happen.The 22-year-old goalkeeper, who spent almost eight years at Man City as part of their Academy before moving to Turf Moor in 2023, has completed a move to the Etihad Stadium, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal until June 2030, from Burnley.”It’s brilliant for me. Since I joined at 12, pla…

Cincinnati, Aug 15 (IANS) Ben Shelton continued his red-hot streak at the Cincinnati Open, where he ousted Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals.The 22-year-old became the first American man to reach the last eight in Canada and Cincinnati in the same season since Mardy Fish in 2012.In a warm conditions in Cincy, Shelton’s booming serve raced through the court. The lefty dropped just six points behind his first delivery, including a 141 mph ace when serving out the match. He c…

Cincinnati, Aug 15 (IANS) World No. 1 Jannik Sinner earned a a dominant 6-0, 6-2 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime to reach the semifinals at the Cincinnati Open.Auger-Aliassime struggled to hang with Sinner in the opening set, committing 13 unforced errors. The 23rd seed did lead 2-0 at the start of the second but quickly faded. He struck eight double faults and could not find his rhythm from the baseline, with the 23-year-old too consistent to storm to victory, ATP reports.With his triumph, S…

Wellington, Aug 15 (IANS) New Zealand men’s cricket team selector Sam Wells will step down from his role to concentrate on his work commitments, NZC said on Friday.NZC said that Wells, who is a dispute resolution specialist, was made partner of Dunedin law firm Gallaway Cook Allan late last year, a responsibility that has prompted him to step down from the selection position he’s filled since September 2023.Wells oversaw a successful period of transition for the BlackCaps, as players such as R…

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has finally agreed to convey to the Supreme Court the concerns of the Indian Super League (ISL) clubs and players regarding the delay in commencement of the 2025-26 season of the league because of a dispute over renewal of the Master Rights Agreement (MRA) with Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL).With the matter being heard by the country’s top court, the AIFF has delayed the signing of the MRA, citing observations by the S…

Mysore, Aug 14 (IANS) The Bengaluru Blasters put aside the emotions from their previous game and played with panache to overcome the Gulbarga Mystics for a five-wicket win in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 at the Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar Stadium here on Thursday.Having won the toss, the Bengaluru Blasters bowled with precision, striking from the get-go, before a brilliant last-wicket 45-run partnership gave the Gulbarga Mystics something to defend. Once the bowlers were done, LR Chethan…