The Press Editor

Birmingham: Australia international Phoebe Litchfield broke Shafali Verma’s record for fastest half-century in Women’s Hundred history. Representing Sunrisers Leeds, Phoebe smacked a 20-ball half-century, helping her team register a comfortable nine-wicket win at Edgbaston. With that, she also surpassed Shafali’s feat, smacking a 22-ball half-century in the match between Birmingham Phoenix and Welsh Fire in 2021. Litchfield finished unbeaten on 71 from 33 balls, hitting 13 fours and a six at a strike rate of 215.15. Chasing only 108 runs, she set the tone right from the start as Leeds won the game with 31 balls to spare. Even though…

New Delhi: FIFA president Gianni Infantino is facing renewed scrutiny over his time at UEFA. On Friday, August 7, Europe’s governing body confirmed that a departure payment was made to a woman who was alleged to have had a relationship with the current FIFA president. The payment was described as a six-figure sum.  The report further adds that the woman had worked at UEFA while Infantino was the organisation’s general secretary, a position he held from 2009 until 2016. In the meantime, Infantino, who is married, has rejected the allegations. A spokesman for the FIFA president told the Daily Telegraph…

London: England's preparations for the Test series against Pakistan have been hit by uncertainty after opener Emilio Gay suffered a right shoulder injury while playing for Durham in the One-Day Cup clash against Middlesex. His injury has now left the national selectors facing a possible search for backup at the top of the order. The youngster was forced to leave the field after aggravating the injury while batting. The southpaw initially experienced discomfort in the sixth over before the problem worsened when he played a straight drive against Toby Roland-Jones in the following over. A Durham medical staff member attended…

New Delhi: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended young all-rounder Hamza Nazar for two years after an inquiry found that he provided misleading information and failed to disclose important details during a visa application process. The ban prevents Hamza from taking part in all domestic and international cricket activities during the suspension period. Along with the two-year cricketing ban, the PCB has also imposed a fine of PKR one million on the player for violating its disciplinary regulations. Notably, the action followed an investigation into details submitted by Hamza in a visa application handled through the PCB. The board determined…

Galle: Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has announced free tickets to selected sections for the upcoming two-Test World Test Championship series against India. The first Test will be played at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from August 15 to 19, while the second is scheduled at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo from August 23 to 27. Free entry will be available only through Gate 4 at Galle and Gates 3, 4, 5 and 7 at the SSC, with access restricted to the grass embankment areas. “Sri Lanka Cricket wishes to announce that public admission to the upcoming Test Series between…

Antigua: The 2026 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is set to begin on September 8, as per Indian Standard Time, with an expanded seven-team competition. The 14th edition of the tournament will run until September 20, featuring 39 matches across the Caribbean, which includes the playoffs and final in Barbados. The addition of Jamaica Kingsmen is the biggest structural change to the league. The franchise restores Jamaica's presence in the CPL after the country went without a team in the 2024 and 2025 editions following the exit of the Jamaica Tallawahs. The Kingsmen are the league's seventh franchise, expanding the tournament…

Kolkata: Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested that Mumbai Indians should seek a major return if they decide to trade captain Hardik Pandya. It is not being understood that three franchises, including Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings are heavily interested in the all-rounder, but the three-time champions could be slightly ahead in the negotiations.  Meanwhile, Pandya's future with Mumbai Indians has come under scrutiny after the franchise endured another disappointing IPL campaign in 2026. The five-time champions finished ninth in the 10-team standings, with the team reaching the playoffs only once in three seasons under Pandya's leadership.…