Sports

CARDIFF (Reuters): The World Cup warm-up match between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Cardiff on Sunday was called off without a ball being bowled due to rain. Bangladesh play one more warm-up game against India on Tuesday while Pakistan have no more warm-up matches to play, kicking off their World Cup campaign against West Indies on…

PARIS (Agencies): Angelique Kerber won’t complete a career Grand Slam this year. Still hampered by a right ankle injury, the three-time Grand Slam winner lost in the first round of the French Open on Sunday as the clay-court major began with an upset. The fifth-seeded German lost 6-4, 6-2 to an 18-year-old Roland Garros beginner,…

SEVILLE, Spain (AP): There was no lifting of a winner’s trophy this time for Lionel Messi. The Barcelona star had to settle on receiving the runner-up plate from Spanish King Felipe VI after Valencia beat his side 2-1 in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday. The defeat ruined Barcelona’s chance to earn a second…

PARIS (AP): Roger Federer is in action on the opening day of the French Open. Returning to play at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015, Federer opens against 73rd-ranked Lorenzo Sonego in the third match on Court Philippe Chatrier. Also Sunday, 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza faces 96th-ranked American Taylor Townsend in the first…

TORONTO  (AFP): Kawhi Leonard finished with 27 points and a career high 17 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors advanced to their first NBA final with a 100-94 win over the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors won the series 4-2 as Saturday’s contest at Scotiabank Arena was a mirror image of game five, featuring a strong…

SOUTHAMPTON (Reuters): Defending champions Australia rode on Steve Smith’s century to beat England by 12 runs in a closely-fought World Cup warm-up match in Southampton on Saturday. Chasing a target of 298 to win, England were bowled out for 285 in the final over but the tournament hosts will be more concerned about injuries than…

THE OVAL (Agencies): Trent Boult starred with the ball as New Zealand thrashed India in a World Cup warm-up match at the Oval on Saturday. The left-arm seamer exploited overcast conditions and a pitch with plenty of grass cover to finish with four for 33 as India were skittled out for just 179 in 39.2…

LAHORE (Monitoring Desk): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday allowed players to take their families to the World Cup after their fourth match of the campaign against Australia (June 12). The PCB said that it revised its earlier decision to not allow families to accompany players after taking into consideration the policies adopted by…

WALSALL (Agencies): England beat Denmark 2-0 in their penultimate warm-up match before the women’s World Cup, with goals from Nikita Parris and Jill Scott in either half giving the Lionesses the win in Walsall on Saturday. Phil Neville’s side initially struggled to keep the ball but had the chance to take the lead in the…

KARACHI (Monitoring Desk): Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan believes that the selection committee performed an admirable job by selecting the squad for the 2019 International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup. In an exclusive interview with Cricket Pakistan, the former wicketkeeper-batsman admitted that the bowling department had not been in top form. He was, however, hopeful…