Yuvraj bats for Ind-Pak series
New Delhi: Flamboyant former India all-rounder Yuvraj Singh feels the more the team plays its arch-rival Pakistan in bilateral cricket series, the better it is for the sport. Yuvraj and Pakistan’s former all-rounder Shahid Afridi believe that the two countries playing each other will be good for the sport. “I remember playing against Pakistan in 2004, 2006 and 2008 in bilateral series. These days yeah, there has not been enough of that. But these things are not in our hands,” Yuvraj told Sports360. “We play cricket for the love of the sport. We cannot choose which country to play against ourselves. But what I can say is that the more India versus Pakistan cricket there is, the better it is for the sport,” he said. Afridi also batted for resumption of bilateral ties between the two countries. Both Yuvraj and Afridi still play in franchise-based T20 leagues after retiring from international cricket. “I think, if India and Pakistan were to have a series, it will be something bigger than the Ashes. However, we don’t seem to get it. We are letting politics get in the way of people’s love for this sport and their wish to come together,” Afridi said. “I think we need to put a few things behind us as well and so does India. We need to sit down together at a table and talk things out,” he added. The two countries run into each other occasionally in ICC tournaments but have not played a bilateral series since 2013. (PTI)
FIFA offers help to unpaid players
Lausanne: World football administrators on Tuesday unveiled plans to help players left in difficulty by clubs who fail to pay their wages. Several recent reports have highlighted the gravity of the problem caused by clubs failing to pay their players, notably after shutting down. The USD 16 million fund agreed by players union FIFPRO and FIFA, world football’s governing body, will offer income support worth USD 11 million over the next three years with the rest set aside for retroactive protection from July 2015 and June 2020. “More than 50 clubs in 20 countries have shut in the last five years, plunging hundreds of footballers into uncertainty and hardship,” said FIFPRO president Philippe Piat. (AFP)
Sharan-Sitak in NY Open quarters
New York: India’s second ranked doubles player Divij Sharan and Kiwi partner Artem Sitak defeated the top-seeded American-Croat duo of Austin Krajicek and Franko Skugor in the first round to advance to the quarter finals of the New York Open. One of the longest running tennis tournaments in the United States, the New York Open 2020 is being played at the NYCB Live on Long Island. The pair won impressively against the top seeded Austin and Franko in straight sets, churning out a hard-fought and evenly contested first set of 7-6 before sailing to a 6-3 victory in the second set. (IANS)
