The first Muslim to play for Australia has been an inspiration for many in the way he has broken down barriers during his career More than half an hour into the press conference, with his retirement from Test cricket confirmed, Usman Khawaja was asked about the role of opening the...
Gian van Veen denies Gary Anderson in epic to set up final against Luke Littler
Van Veen wins classic against Gary Anderson 6-3 World No 1 Littler swats aside Ryan Searle 6-1 It’s barely a couple of years since a 16-year-old Luke Littler and a 21-year-old Gian van Veen came through a 96-player field at Milton Keynes to qualify for the final of the world...
Will Carlos Alcaraz prosper after split with coach as new tennis season looms?
Spaniard resumes intense rivalry with Jannik Sinner, while Sabalenka and Swiatek remain at the top of women’s game Amid the endless flood of Instagram photo dumps and gushy captions from social media users around the world saluting another year gone by, Carlos Alcaraz’s efforts were particularly interesting. The candid photos...
Green shoots no laughing matter as Ben Stokes insists fifth Ashes Test is ‘big game’
England yet to settle on XI to play at SCG amid uncertainty over pitch Captain concedes Australia bowlers ‘put us under heaps of pressure’ “I don’t think a groundsman has ever been under as much pressure as the guy here this week.” Ben Stokes had a smile on his face...
I’m the ‘miracle’ woken from a coma by Kenny Dalglish after Hillsborough. And now I’ve met him again
It’s said that you should never meet your heroes, but 36 years after the Liverpool manager sat by my hospital bed, I got to thank our greatest ally Born to a son of Anfield in a Warwickshire village, I grew up geographically remote from my spiritual football home. Emotionally, though,...
What a 14-year-old Instagram sensation and six-hitting superstar tells us about life and cricket | Barney Ronay
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inexorable rise will continue in the Indian Premier League this year, but it is unlikely to stop there It’s that time of year again, a time of lists and countdowns, of soul-crushing AI brain-vomit ringed by adverts for miracle dental implants. In the spirit of the season the...
Chess: Magnus Carlsen wins two more world speed crowns despite mishaps
The Norwegian, 35, overcame elite fields despite time forfeits after knocking over pieces in critical games The world No 1, Magnus Carlsen, recovered from a series of mishaps to win both the World Rapid and Blitz crowns at Doha, Qatar, last weekend. The global victories were the 19th and 20th...
Venus Williams, 45, gets wild card to play first Australian Open in five years
Williams to return to Melbourne Park at age 45 Seven-time major champion earns wild-card entry Set to become oldest woman in Open main draw Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open beginning 18 January in Melbourne. The tournament said Friday that...
Our readers’ favourite Ashes cricketers: from Bradman and Botham to Warne and Waugh
We picked our top 100 and now our readers have selected their favourites from men’s series down the years With the emphasis on favourite rather than best, Jonny Bairstow. The Ashes sums up the ups and downs of his England career, starting with the 2013 series when he sacrificed his...
Thomas Frank’s Spurs booed off after toiling to point on his Brentford return
There was an extraordinary moment just before kick-off here when Thomas Frank strode 20 yards on to the pitch and applauded all four corners of the stadium. The Tottenham head coach was applauded back by the Brentford fans because he will always be a hero to them. His work over...