Dubai [UAE], March 8 (ANI): On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced the expansion of women’s cricket events post the 2023 cycle.
More teams will compete in both the Women’s World Cup and the Women’s T20 World Cup from 2026 onwards as part of the ICC’s long-term commitment to growing the game globally and in a sustainable fashion, ICC stated in a media release.
The revised formats will give more teams the chance to compete on the global stage and importantly provides members with a window to grow the game domestically to challenge internationally as the changes take place.
Two 50-over World Cups will be played in 2025 and 2029 while four T20 World Cups have been scheduled for 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030.
The sport’s governing body has also announced the advent of a new tournament, called Women’s T20 Champions Cup and it will be played in 2027 and 2031.
Manu Sawhney, ICC Chief Executive said, “We have a clear focus and commitment to an ambitious long-term growth plan for the women’s game. We have been building momentum around the women’s game for the last four years investing in global broadcast coverage and marketing to drive fan engagement.
“The results speak for themselves with the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 attracting record numbers, 1.1 billion video views, making it the most-watched women’s cricket event of all time and having 86,174 fans attending the final at the MCG, a record attendance for a women’s cricket event.
“This decision to expand our women’s events builds on these foundations and allows us to give more member countries greater opportunities to compete on a global stage. This means that more teams will also get the opportunity to compete in the qualification pathways for the respective ICC events over the coming years. I am sure these initiatives will go a long way in helping us achieve our strategic goal of continuing to build strength and depth in the women’s game,” he added.
In 2020, the Women’s T20 World Cup final was contested between Australia and India in front of a record audience at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). More than 80,000 people turned up to watch Australia lift the title. (ANI)

Madrid [Spain], March 8 (ANI): After playing out a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has not given up on the LaLiga title hopes, saying that the side would “fight until the end”.
Karim Benzema struck late in the second half to cancel out Luis Suarez’s early opener, ensuring the spoils were shared in El Derbi at Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday.
“The objective is this, to continue. We know there is a lot left [but] we are going to fight until the end. Everything can always change. We are doing things well, we can improve. It is what we are going to do,” Goal.com quoted Zidane as saying.
“I am very proud of all my players. We are in the same boat and we are going to fight to the end,” he added.
Madrid were perhaps unlucky to not pull level earlier after they were turned down for a penalty call against Felipe, with the Atletico man appearing to handle the ball with his forearm and elbow.
Zidane, however, declined to criticise the decision in his post-match press conference, stating: “I don’t mess around [with the referee], his job is difficult. He made that decision to watch the play and not whistle, and we respect him. That’s it. We know it’s complicated. We can’t get into that. We have to respect that. It will not change.”
Real Madrid are at the third spot with 54 points in 26 games, five points shy from front-runner Atletico Madrid, who have played one game less. (ANI)

Manchester [UK], March 8 (ANI): Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed that striker Marcus Rashford will have a scan on his injured ankle after he was forced off during a derby win against Manchester City in their recent clash in the Premier League.
Solskjaer confirmed after their 2-0 win on Sunday that Rashford had picked up an ankle knock after sprinting back to make a vital tackle as City broke forward, as per the official United website.
The forward had to leave the field after 73 minutes and was replaced by Mason Greenwood midway through the second half.
“It is one of them. It was a great recovery run, a recovery sprint, he saved maybe a goal, so he sacrificed himself for the team,” Solskjaer told club media.
“It is something with his ankle I think. I am not a doctor but hopefully, it is not too bad. We will have to scan him in the morning,” he added.
The Reds were already without Edinson Cavani, who had to come off during United’s final training session before the derby on Saturday.
With 54 points, United are placed at the second spot in the Premier League standings and will next take on AC Milan in the first leg of the Round of 16 clash in the Europa League. (ANI)

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 8 (ANI): England pacer Jofra Archer is a doubtful starter for the T20I series against India after suffering a recurrence of an elbow problem.
Archer had missed the fourth and final Test against India in Ahmedabad due to an elbow problem. England head coach Chris Silverwood has now said that the side’s medical team will monitor the situation and a decision would be taken accordingly.
“Jofra’s elbow did flare up a little bit and the medical staff are managing that at the moment. Obviously, we’ll monitor his progress. The medical staff are talking about how we deal with this long term,” Silverwood said during a virtual press conference.
“He’s trained today (Sunday) with the white-ball squad. We’ll be monitoring his situation but he got through training today,” he added.
Archer had also missed the second Test of the four-match series against India due to the same elbow issue.
When asked about the workload management of Archer, Silverwood replied: “I’ll be guided by the medics. We’ll see where we end up with him. I want Jofra to be fit for all forms of cricket. I want him to have a long, successful Test career. Could we limit the number of overs he bowls? It’s not something I would go out and predict but we’ll find out in the course of time.”
“The important thing for me at the moment is that Jofra gets every resource we can provide to make sure he does have a long and successful Test career. I’m not sure surgery has come up yet. I’ll be guided by the medics on that. I wouldn’t say I’m concerned, no,” he added.
India and England would be locking in the five-match T20I series, beginning Friday. The Virat Kohli-led India qualified for the World Test Championship (WTC) final after winning the Test series against England.
India won the fourth Test by an innings and 25 runs to win the four-match series 3-1. (ANI)

London [UK], March 8 (ANI): Harry Kane and Gareth Bale scored two goals each to register a fourth straight win as Tottenham Hotspur defeated Crystal Palace 4-1 on Sunday (local time).
Bale put Tottenham in front before the visitors equalised through Christian Benteke on the stroke of half-time, but Spurs quickly opened up a 3-1 lead early in the second period through Bale and Kane. Kane also assisted both of Bale’s goals.
Spurs were on the front foot right from the start and deservedly went ahead in the 25th minute. Lucas Moura did superbly well to win the ball from Luka Milivojevic 30 yards from the Palace goal and find Kane down the left who rolled the ball across the six-yard box for Bale to tap home at the far post.
It was a commanding first-half display although the Eagles had a spell of pressure late in the half and looked to have seen out the danger only for the visitors to score with 10 seconds of the period remaining when Benteke powered a header past Hugo Lloris. It was their first attempt on target and only the second touch in the box during the first period.
Tottenham made a great start to the second half with two goals inside the opening seven minutes. Bale put the side back in front on 49 minutes, beating Cheikhou Kouyate in the air to head past Guaita for his sixth goal in six games. And it got even better three minutes later with a fabulous Kane goal, hitting Matt Doherty’s pass with a first-time right-foot curler from 25 yards to the right of the area which dipped over the Palace goalkeeper and into the top corner.
The visitors almost reduced the deficit in the 69th minute when Wilfried Zaha struck the post with a low 20-yard drive but the home side wrapped up the points six minutes later when Heung-Min Son squared for Kane to nod into an empty net.
It was a significant goal as it marked the 14th time the two players have combined for a Premier League goal this campaign, a new record for a single season in the competition.
Tottenham sits at sixth place with 45 points and will next take on Arsenal in the Premier League on March 14. (ANI)

Karachi [Pakistan], March 8 (ANI): The scrutiny around Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) bio-secure protocols is increasing by the minute as it has now surfaced that a non-playing member of one of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises who tested positive for Covid-19 was allowed to exit the bubble and fly back to Lahore.
As per rules and regulations, if someone tests positive for Covid-19 within the bubble, then that person has to quarantine himself until he returns two negative tests.
However, as per a report in ESPNcricinfo, the non-playing member of the PSL franchise returned a positive test near the start of the season and left for Karachi from Lahore on the second day after that result.
The official had joined up with his franchise before the tournament began. He returned with a positive Covid-19 test on the day the tournament began and he was then put in isolation in the hotel for the following day.
The decision to let him leave appears to have been the result of a communication gap between the medical team and the security team who is in charge of the tournament, reported ESPNcricinfo.
PCB on Sunday had named an independent fact-finding panel that will review the bio-secure protocols that were put in place during the PSL 6.
PCB on Thursday had announced that the PSL season 6 will be postponed with immediate effect following a string of positive COVID-19 cases. PCB had said the decision was made after seven cases were reported in the competition, which had started on February 20.
“Distinguished infectious disease experts Dr Syed Faisal Mahmood and Dr Salma Muhammad Abbas have been appointed as independent members of the two-person fact-finding panel that will review the bio-secure protocols as well as the bylaws that were put in place during the Pakistan Super League 6,” PCB said in a statement. (ANI)