SPORTS NEWS

 NEW YORK, 24 August, 2026 (News Desk): World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open due to a right knee injury, the Italian tennis star announced on Friday.  Sinner said that despite working hard with his team and medical staff, he had been forced to make the difficult decision to miss this year’s tournament.The four-time Grand Slam champion said he had returned to the court in Monte Carlo over the past few days but realised that he needed more time to recover from his right knee problem. Sinner expressed his disappointment at missing the US Open, saying New York holds a special place in his heart and that he had been looking forward to competing in front of the tournament’s passionate fans.The withdrawal is a major setback for Sinner, who had been among the leading c...

 WAVRE, 23 August, 2026 (News Desk): Spain moved closer to securing a place in the semi-finals of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 after defeating defending champions Germany 2-1 in the 28th match at the Belfius Hockey Arena on Friday. The Spanish side, known as the Red Sticks, secured three crucial points with a hard-fought victory. Jose Basterra was the star of the match, scoring twice, while Justus Weigand netted Germany’s only goal. Neither team managed to break the deadlock during the opening quarter as both sides remained scoreless. Germany took the lead in the second quarter when Justus Weigand found the net in the 25th minute. Spain responded quickly, with Jose Basterra converting a penalty stroke four minutes later to level the score at 1-1. The score remained tied at th...

 LONDON, 23 August, 2026 (Nosheen): Pakistan captain Babar Azam is likely to return to the playing XI for the second Test against England at Lord’s, scheduled to begin on August 27, according to reports. Babar, 31, missed the opening Test after suffering an injury during Pakistan’s practice match against the PCC Select XI. According to reports, the team management is considering a couple of changes to the lineup and is hopeful that Babar will be fit to play in the Lord’s Test. If declared fit, the right-handed batter is expected to replace Azan Awais in the playing XI. However, the final team selection will be made after the management assesses the playing conditions at Lord’s. Another change under consideration is the possible rest of wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan.The Pakis...

AMSTERDAM, 23 August, 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan ended a 16-year wait for a victory in the Hockey World Cup after defeating Japan 4-3 in a classification match at the FIH Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands. The victory marked Pakistan’s first win in a Hockey World Cup match since 2010, when the national team defeated Spain 2-1. Pakistan failed to qualify for the 2014 Hockey World Cup, while the team could not secure a single victory at the 2018 edition. In the match against Japan, Rana Waheed scored twice for Pakistan, while Hannan Shahid and Hammad also found the net once each. Pakistan held on to its 4-3 lead until the final whistle to secure a much-needed victory and boost its campaign at the ongoing Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands. The win is expected to provide renewed confidence t...

 BANGKOK, 23August, 2026 (Kamran Raja): Candidates backed by Pakistan secured all three available seats in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) board elections, defeating a panel supported by India at the council’s annual general meeting in Bangkok on Sunday. According to sources, the three Pakistan-backed candidates emerged victorious in a closely contested election for director positions on the ACC board. The panel, led by  ACC President Mohsin Naqvi, included representatives from Qatar, Singapore and the Maldives. All three candidates won their respective seats, marking the first time since the formation of the ACC that a Pakistan-backed panel has secured all three available positions. India was represented at the meeting by Rajiv Shukla, while the Indian-backed panel contested th...

LONDON, 23 August, 2026 (News Desk): The Pakistan cricket team is expected to meet King Charles during its ongoing tour of the United Kingdom, according to sources. The sources said the national team is scheduled to meet the British monarch on September 2, following the conclusion of the second Test against England at Lord’s. The Pakistani delegation will reportedly be led by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, while members of the national squad are also expected to attend the meeting and be hosted by King Charles.The Pakistan cricket team is currently touring England for a three-match Test series against the hosts. The second Test between Pakistan and England is scheduled to begin at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground on August 27. The expected meeting with King Charles w...

MACKAY, 22 August, 2026 (News Desk): Australia secured a 101-run first-innings lead over Bangladesh on the opening day of the second Test in Mackay on Saturday, with 18 wickets falling in a dramatic day dominated by fast bowling. Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bowl, with his pace attack making an immediate impact as the hosts looked to bounce back from their shock nine-wicket defeat in the first Test in Darwin. Mitchell Starc produced a remarkable spell of swing and seam bowling, claiming five wickets in just 22 balls during the morning session. He finished with outstanding figures of 6-12 from 10 overs as Bangladesh were bowled out for only 64. Bangladesh avoided their lowest-ever Test total of 43, recorded against the West Indies in 2018, thanks to a 25-run las...

 LEEDS, 22 August, 2026 (Ghufran): Pakistan endured a forgettable outing at Headingley as they suffered a 103-run defeat to England in the first Test of the three-match series on Friday, with their batting collapse producing several unwanted records. The defeat came after Pakistan had drawn their previous two-Test series against the West Indies 1-1. However, they struggled to cope with England’s pace attack throughout the Headingley Test. Pakistan were bowled out for just 171 in their first innings, with Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue claiming five wickets apiece to dismantle the visitors’ batting lineup. England responded strongly, posting 409 and securing a commanding 238-run first-innings lead. Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence all contributed valuable half-cen...

NEW YORK, 21 August 2026 (News Desk) — World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the season, due to a persistent injury to his right knee. The five-time Grand Slam champion confirmed his withdrawal on Friday, saying he had made the difficult decision after determining that he needed more time to recover. “Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” Sinner said in a statement.The Italian added that he had returned to on-court training in Monte Carlo over the past few days but realized that he was not yet fully recovered from his right knee problem. Sinner has not played competitively since winning Wim...

ISLAMABAD, 21 August 2026 (News Desk) — Former Pakistan captain and commentator Ramiz Raja has urged the national team to respond strongly to criticism by putting up an impressive performance during their ongoing tour of England. Ramiz’s remarks came after former England captain Michael Vaughan described Pakistan as the weakest team to have ever toured England and predicted a comprehensive series victory for the hosts. “This is the weakest team to have ever toured England. I don’t see how they can challenge this England side in these conditions. From what we’ve seen, England should be winning this series 3-0 without breaking much of a sweat,” Vaughan said on the BBC. Vaughan’s comments came after Pakistan’s difficult start to the Test series, with the visitors struggling to match England i...