FIFA will carry out a feasibility study on holding the World Cup and the women's World Cup every two years after backing a proposal at its annual congress on Friday.

The two competitions are currently held every four years but the Saudi Arabian&nbsp;Football&nbsp;Federation (SAFF) put forward a proposal for a study of the impact of switching to every two years.

"We believe the future of&nbsp;football&nbsp;is at a critical juncture. The many issues that&nbsp;football&nbsp;has faced have now been further exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic," said SAFF president Yasser Al-Misehal.

"It is time to review how the global game is structured and to consider what is best for the future of our sport. This should include whether the current four-year cycle remains the optimum basis for how&nbsp;football&nbsp;is managed both from a competition and commercial perspective," he added.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino called it an "eloquent and detailed proposal" with 166 national federations voting in favor with 22 votes against.

Speaking after the congress, Infantino told reporters that the study would look at the competitions within the context of the review of the overall international match calendar.

"It doesn't matter right now what I think, it matters what results in the study is coming up with," he said.

"We have to go into this study with an open mind... we know about the value of the World Cup, believe me, we know as well about the impact that the World Cup can have."

But Infantino questioned whether the current system of regular qualifiers throughout a year ahead of continental championships and World Cups was the best model.

"Do we really think this is the right way for&nbsp;football&nbsp;when we are hearing that fans say they want more meaningful games, less meaningless games, all of these points have to be considered?"

"We will discuss it, we will analyze it but we will, in all discussions, put the sporting element as a priority not the commercial element," he said, saying he knew that holding twice as many World Cups would not mean doubling the revenue.

FIFA will carry out a feasibility study on holding the World Cup and the women's World Cup every two years after backing a proposal at its annual congress on Friday.

FIFA will carry out a feasibility study on holding the World Cup and the women's World Cup every two years after backing a proposal at its annual congress on Friday. The two competitions are currently held every four years but the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) put forward a proposal for a study of the impact of switching to every two years. "We believe the future of football is at a critical juncture. The many issues that football has faced have now been further exacerbated by the ongoing pandemic," said SAFF president Yasser Al-Misehal. "It is time to review how the global game is structured and to consider what is best for the future of our sport. This should include whether the current four-year cycle remains the optimum basis for how football is managed both from a competition and commercial perspective," he added. FIFA president Gianni Infantino called it an "eloquent and detailed proposal" with 166 national federations voting in favor with 22 votes against. Speaking after the congress, Infantino told reporters that the study would look at the competitions within the context of the review of the overall international match calendar. "It doesn't matter right now what I think, it matters what results in the study is coming up with," he said. "We have to go into this study with an open mind... we know about the value of the World Cup, believe me, we know as well about the impact that the World Cup can have." But Infantino questioned whether the current system of regular qualifiers throughout a year ahead of continental championships and World Cups was the best model. "Do we really think this is the right way for football when we are hearing that fans say they want more meaningful games, less meaningless games, all of these points have to be considered?" "We will discuss it, we will analyze it but we will, in all discussions, put the sporting element as a priority not the commercial element," he said, saying he knew that holding twice as many World Cups would not mean doubling the revenue.

Football: FIFA to carry out study on holding World Cup every two years

Former cricketer Curtly Ambrose feels that it very well may be hard for West Indies to recover their brilliance days in light of the fact that the current crop of players likely don’t exactly comprehend what cricket means to the Caribbean public.&nbsp;

The West Indies ruled world cricket from the 70s to the mid-90s, caught hold of the initial two versions of the World Cup during this period. Be that as it may, their fortunes plunged definitely from the mid-90s, and they have not been a similar amazing powerhouse from that point forward.&nbsp;

Talking on Talk Sports Live, Curtly Ambrose bemoaned the absence of appreciation for the tradition of West Indies cricket among the current players.

“Most of the youngsters we have now probably don’t quite understand what cricket means to West Indians in the West Indies and abroad because cricket is the only sport that really unites Caribbean people.”

Explaining why he doesn't really accept that West Indies could be an extraordinary team once more, Curtly Ambrose said: “This is no disrespect to the players we have now because we have a couple of guys who have some quality in them and can become great, but what we have to understand is that I don’t think we will ever see those great, exceptional glory days again.”

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-have-very-good-chance-rahul-dravid-predicts-the-scoreline-of-england-vs-india-test-series-383930" hreflang="en">'India have very good chance': Rahul Dravid predicts the scoreline of England vs India Test series</a>

He further added that West Indies could think that it's hard to create legends like Viv Richards or Michael Holding later on.

“It’s going to be difficult to find another Viv Richards or a Haynes and Greenidge, a Brian Lara, Richie Richardson, you know, a Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, and the list goes on and on, Clive Lloyd. It’s going to be extremely difficult to find those quality players again.”

“When we were the best team in the word, West Indians all over the globe could walk and boast about how good we were because we were the best, so it’s going to be difficult to see those glory days again. Yes, we can be competitive and climb up the ICC rankings and be a force to be reckoned with again, but those glory days, I don’t think we will see them again.”

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-expresses-his-gratitude-towards-frontline-workers-amidst-covid-19-crisis-383915" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli expresses his 'gratitude' towards frontline workers amidst COVID-19 crisis</a>

West Indies are the reigning champs in the T20 World Cup; they additionally won the tournament in 2012. Be that as it may, they have battled to have an effect in ODIs and Tests over the most recent twenty years. 
&nbsp;

Former cricketer Curtly Ambrose feels that it very well may be hard for West Indies to recover their brilliance days in light of the fact that the current crop of players likely don’t exactly comprehend what cricket means to the Caribbean public.

Former cricketer Curtly Ambrose feels that it very well may be hard for West Indies to recover their brilliance days in light of the fact that the current crop of players likely don’t exactly comprehend what cricket means to the Caribbean public. The West Indies ruled world cricket from the 70s to the mid-90s, caught hold of the initial two versions of the World Cup during this period. Be that as it may, their fortunes plunged definitely from the mid-90s, and they have not been a similar amazing powerhouse from that point forward. Talking on Talk Sports Live, Curtly Ambrose bemoaned the absence of appreciation for the tradition of West Indies cricket among the current players. “Most of the youngsters we have now probably don’t quite understand what cricket means to West Indians in the West Indies and abroad because cricket is the only sport that really unites Caribbean people.” Explaining why he doesn't really accept that West Indies could be an extraordinary team once more, Curtly Ambrose said: “This is no disrespect to the players we have now because we have a couple of guys who have some quality in them and can become great, but what we have to understand is that I don’t think we will ever see those great, exceptional glory days again.” ALSO READ: 'India have very good chance': Rahul Dravid predicts the scoreline of England vs India Test series He further added that West Indies could think that it's hard to create legends like Viv Richards or Michael Holding later on. “It’s going to be difficult to find another Viv Richards or a Haynes and Greenidge, a Brian Lara, Richie Richardson, you know, a Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, and the list goes on and on, Clive Lloyd. It’s going to be extremely difficult to find those quality players again.” “When we were the best team in the word, West Indians all over the globe could walk and boast about how good we were because we were the best, so it’s going to be difficult to see those glory days again. Yes, we can be competitive and climb up the ICC rankings and be a force to be reckoned with again, but those glory days, I don’t think we will see them again.” ALSO READ: Virat Kohli expresses his 'gratitude' towards frontline workers amidst COVID-19 crisis West Indies are the reigning champs in the T20 World Cup; they additionally won the tournament in 2012. Be that as it may, they have battled to have an effect in ODIs and Tests over the most recent twenty years.

'I don’t think we will ever see those glory days again', says Curtly Ambrose

The T20 World Cup planned for India between October 18-November 15 could move to the United Arab Emirates if the Covid-19 circumstance in the nation doesn't improve. Albeit the Indian cricket board, BCCI hasn't surrendered any expectations of facilitating it, taking the Cup to the UAE is the alternate course of action, and not a trade with Australia, who will have the 2022 T20 World Cup.

“It’s too early to say what will happen. But the contingency plan is that it would go to UAE with the hosting rights staying with BCCI,” said Dhiraj Malhotra - BCCI and the tournament director of the World Cup.

Before the most recent flood in Covid contaminations in the country, BCCI had shortlisted Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dharamsala, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow as the nine host venues. In any case, the seriousness of the second influx of contaminations has caused colossal worry with India's wellbeing foundation going under a ton of strain.

The Indian board has no alternative except to trust that the wellbeing circumstance will improve and travel boycotts forced by a few nations to be lifted before they would like to arrange the world occasion. It is perceived that occurs, keeping the World Cup in India without spectators would be the favored alternative before they settle on the emergency course of action.&nbsp;

The T20 World Cup this year will be a 16-team affair with teams to declare their squads one month before the tournament. There are four grounds in the UAE where global matches can be facilitated, and should the need emerge that choice will be actuated. The eight-team IPL was effectively arranged in the UAE a year ago.

The T20 World Cup planned for India between October 18-November 15 could move to the United Arab Emirates if the Covid-19 circumstance in the nation doesn't improve.

The T20 World Cup planned for India between October 18-November 15 could move to the United Arab Emirates if the Covid-19 circumstance in the nation doesn't improve. Albeit the Indian cricket board, BCCI hasn't surrendered any expectations of facilitating it, taking the Cup to the UAE is the alternate course of action, and not a trade with Australia, who will have the 2022 T20 World Cup. “It’s too early to say what will happen. But the contingency plan is that it would go to UAE with the hosting rights staying with BCCI,” said Dhiraj Malhotra - BCCI and the tournament director of the World Cup. Before the most recent flood in Covid contaminations in the country, BCCI had shortlisted Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Dharamsala, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow as the nine host venues. In any case, the seriousness of the second influx of contaminations has caused colossal worry with India's wellbeing foundation going under a ton of strain. The Indian board has no alternative except to trust that the wellbeing circumstance will improve and travel boycotts forced by a few nations to be lifted before they would like to arrange the world occasion. It is perceived that occurs, keeping the World Cup in India without spectators would be the favored alternative before they settle on the emergency course of action. The T20 World Cup this year will be a 16-team affair with teams to declare their squads one month before the tournament. There are four grounds in the UAE where global matches can be facilitated, and should the need emerge that choice will be actuated. The eight-team IPL was effectively arranged in the UAE a year ago.

BCCI to retain the hosting rights even if T20 World Cup is held in UAE

A never-seen-before ‘angry’ avatar of legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid has taken social media by storm. Appearing in an advertisement, Dravid was seen showing his angry side while stuck in traffic in Bengaluru.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indiranagarkagunda-rahul-dravids-angry-avatar-takes-twitter-by-storm-check-best-reactions-376624" hreflang="en">#IndiraNagarKaGunda: Rahul Dravid's 'angry' avatar takes Twitter by storm - Check best reactions</a>

In an advertisement that hit the screens on Friday afternoon, just before the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Dravid has managed to leave everyone shocked with his new avatar while becoming the talk of the town. The ad has gone viral like a wildfire with the 48-year-old former cricketer becoming the top-ranked trending topic on social media platform Twitter.

Dravid's former India and Karnataka teammate Venkatesh Prasad took to social media to post his own version of the 'Indiranagar Ka Gunda' moment. He recalled the famous incident that took place during the 1996 ICC World Cup.&nbsp;

Prasad's gesture to Sohail, who was batting at 51, during the 15th over. &nbsp;After smacking Prasad for a boundary, Sohail pointed at him suggesting him to go pick the ball from the boundary. However, in the very next ball, Prasad cleaned him up and gave him a roaring send-off.&nbsp;

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Me to Aamir Sohail in Bangalore at 14.5- <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiraNagarkaGunda?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiraNagarkaGunda</a> hoon main 😊 <a href="https://t.co/uF7xaPeTPl">pic.twitter.com/uF7xaPeTPl</a>
— Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) <a href="https://twitter.com/venkateshprasad/status/1381098756045611009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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India went on to stage a comeback and defend the target of 287 runs to go into the semifinals of the World Cup.&nbsp;

The ad has resulted in memes flooding the internet as love and admiration for Dravid was seen all over social media platforms. The fact that Dravid doesn't do many ads caught everyone by surprise and his new avatar was the icing on the cake for everyone.

A never-seen-before ‘angry’ avatar of legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid has taken social media by storm. Appearing in an advertisement, Dravid was seen showing his angry side while stuck in traffic in Bengaluru.

A never-seen-before ‘angry’ avatar of legendary Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid has taken social media by storm. Appearing in an advertisement, Dravid was seen showing his angry side while stuck in traffic in Bengaluru. ALSO READ: #IndiraNagarKaGunda: Rahul Dravid's 'angry' avatar takes Twitter by storm - Check best reactions In an advertisement that hit the screens on Friday afternoon, just before the start of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, Dravid has managed to leave everyone shocked with his new avatar while becoming the talk of the town. The ad has gone viral like a wildfire with the 48-year-old former cricketer becoming the top-ranked trending topic on social media platform Twitter. Dravid's former India and Karnataka teammate Venkatesh Prasad took to social media to post his own version of the 'Indiranagar Ka Gunda' moment. He recalled the famous incident that took place during the 1996 ICC World Cup. Prasad's gesture to Sohail, who was batting at 51, during the 15th over. After smacking Prasad for a boundary, Sohail pointed at him suggesting him to go pick the ball from the boundary. However, in the very next ball, Prasad cleaned him up and gave him a roaring send-off. Me to Aamir Sohail in Bangalore at 14.5- #IndiraNagarkaGunda hoon main 😊 pic.twitter.com/uF7xaPeTPl — Venkatesh Prasad (@venkateshprasad) April 11, 2021 × India went on to stage a comeback and defend the target of 287 runs to go into the semifinals of the World Cup. The ad has resulted in memes flooding the internet as love and admiration for Dravid was seen all over social media platforms. The fact that Dravid doesn't do many ads caught everyone by surprise and his new avatar was the icing on the cake for everyone.

Former pacer Venkatesh Prasad shares his #IndiraNagarKaGunda moment

The Dutch government has postponed a trade mission to Qatar this month, citing concern over living conditions of migrant workers helping the tiny Gulf state to prepare for next year`s soccer World Cup. 
 
Britain`s Guardian newspaper last week reported that its calculations showed that at least 6,500 migrant workers who worked on the stadiums and other infrastructure for the World Cup have died in Qatar in the past 10 years. 
 
"This report has led to a broad discussion in Dutch society and in parliament," said Dutch foreign ministry spokesman Jeroen van Dommelen. 
 
"We have talked before with Qatar about the poor conditions for these workers, but these numbers give the discussion a new meaning. We want to hear Qatar`s response before we can think of a new date for the mission." 
 
The trade mission, which was to be held as a video conference due to coronavirus related travel restrictions, was scheduled for March 22 to April 1. 
 
Qatar had not responded yet to the Dutch government`s decision, Van Dommelen said. 
 
A majority of parties in Dutch parliament last week called on the government and King Willem-Alexander to stay away from the World Cup next year in protest against the treatment of migrant workers. 
 
Human rights group Amnesty International has repeatedly said the tournament organiser`s worker welfare standards were inadequate to prevent abuses and provide timely remedies. It has also accused soccer governing body FIFA of failing to take seriously alleged human rights abuses linked to the event. 
 
Qatar announced changes to its labour laws last August, raising the minimum wage by 25% to 1,000 riyals ($275) a month and scrapping a requirement for workers to obtain permission from their employers to change jobs. 
 
Dutch trade minister Sigrid Kaag, who is running as leader of the medium-sized centre-left D66 party in Dutch elections this month, last week said she wanted the Netherlands to boycott the World Cup, though foreign minister Stef Blok said he preferred to keep an open dialogue with Qatar. 
 
 
 
(Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by David Goodman) 
&nbsp;

The Dutch government has postponed a trade mission to Qatar this month, citing concern over living conditions of migrant workers helping the tiny Gulf state to prepare for next year`s soccer World Cup.

The Dutch government has postponed a trade mission to Qatar this month, citing concern over living conditions of migrant workers helping the tiny Gulf state to prepare for next year`s soccer World Cup. Britain`s Guardian newspaper last week reported that its calculations showed that at least 6,500 migrant workers who worked on the stadiums and other infrastructure for the World Cup have died in Qatar in the past 10 years. "This report has led to a broad discussion in Dutch society and in parliament," said Dutch foreign ministry spokesman Jeroen van Dommelen. "We have talked before with Qatar about the poor conditions for these workers, but these numbers give the discussion a new meaning. We want to hear Qatar`s response before we can think of a new date for the mission." The trade mission, which was to be held as a video conference due to coronavirus related travel restrictions, was scheduled for March 22 to April 1. Qatar had not responded yet to the Dutch government`s decision, Van Dommelen said. A majority of parties in Dutch parliament last week called on the government and King Willem-Alexander to stay away from the World Cup next year in protest against the treatment of migrant workers. Human rights group Amnesty International has repeatedly said the tournament organiser`s worker welfare standards were inadequate to prevent abuses and provide timely remedies. It has also accused soccer governing body FIFA of failing to take seriously alleged human rights abuses linked to the event. Qatar announced changes to its labour laws last August, raising the minimum wage by 25% to 1,000 riyals ($275) a month and scrapping a requirement for workers to obtain permission from their employers to change jobs. Dutch trade minister Sigrid Kaag, who is running as leader of the medium-sized centre-left D66 party in Dutch elections this month, last week said she wanted the Netherlands to boycott the World Cup, though foreign minister Stef Blok said he preferred to keep an open dialogue with Qatar. (Reporting by Bart Meijer; Editing by David Goodman)

Dutch postpone Qatar trade mission over World Cup worker concerns

The southern Japanese city of Kitakyushu will host the 2021 Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) announced on Sunday, the first time a city has hosted both in the same year.

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The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships will take place from October&nbsp;17 to 24, followed by the rhythmic competition starting two days later.

There have been questions over where next year's world championships were to be held, after Denmark withdrew from hosting the artistic competition in July.

The championships take place annually, except during Olympic years.

The FIG made the announcement at a friendly gymnastics event in Tokyo, where athletes from Russia, China, Japan and the United States competed in what has been seen as a major trial run ahead of next year's postponed Olympics in the city.

Japan has hosted gymnastics world championships on many occasions previously, most recently the 2011 artistic competition in Tokyo.

The southern Japanese city of Kitakyushu will host the 2021 Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) announced on Sunday, the first time a city has hosted both in the same year.

The southern Japanese city of Kitakyushu will host the 2021 Artistic and Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) announced on Sunday, the first time a city has hosted both in the same year. Also read: No place for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma as Sanjay Manjrekar picks his IPL 2020 XI The Artistic Gymnastics World Championships will take place from October 17 to 24, followed by the rhythmic competition starting two days later. There have been questions over where next year's world championships were to be held, after Denmark withdrew from hosting the artistic competition in July. The championships take place annually, except during Olympic years. The FIG made the announcement at a friendly gymnastics event in Tokyo, where athletes from Russia, China, Japan and the United States competed in what has been seen as a major trial run ahead of next year's postponed Olympics in the city. Japan has hosted gymnastics world championships on many occasions previously, most recently the 2011 artistic competition in Tokyo.

Japan's Kitakyushu to host both 2021 Gymnastics World Champs - FIG

The women's T20 World Cup begins this week in Australia, and it could be the most competitive tournament yet according to the host's skipper Meg Lanning.

Captains pose with T20 World Cup trophy, Lanning predicts competitive tournament

Football in 2019: Liverpool rules | US women's team wins World Cup | Lionel Messi takes Ballon d'Or

Serie A strugglers Brescia named Italian 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Grosso as their new coach on Tuesday.

The club confirmed in a statement on their website that the 41-year-old would replace Eugenio Corini, who led Brescia out of Serie B last season but was sacked on Sunday after only 10 games of the present campaign following a 2-1 defeat at Verona.

Grosso, who has previously coached Bari and Verona, is best known for scoring a dramatic goal deep into extra-time as Italy beat hosts Germany 2-0 in the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.

He also converted the winning kick as Italy beat France on penalties in the final following a 1-1 draw.

Brescia, who are second-bottom in the 20-team table with seven points from 10 games, are the fifth Serie A club to change coach this season following Sampdoria, Genoa, AC Milan and Udinese.

Serie A strugglers Brescia named Italian 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Grosso as their new coach on Tuesday. The club confirmed in a statement on their website that the 41-year-old would replace Eugenio Corini, who led Brescia out of Serie B last season but was sacked on Sunday after only 10 games of the present campaign following a 2-1 defeat at Verona.

Serie A strugglers Brescia named Italian 2006 World Cup winner Fabio Grosso as their new coach on Tuesday. The club confirmed in a statement on their website that the 41-year-old would replace Eugenio Corini, who led Brescia out of Serie B last season but was sacked on Sunday after only 10 games of the present campaign following a 2-1 defeat at Verona. Grosso, who has previously coached Bari and Verona, is best known for scoring a dramatic goal deep into extra-time as Italy beat hosts Germany 2-0 in the 2006 World Cup semi-finals. He also converted the winning kick as Italy beat France on penalties in the final following a 1-1 draw. Brescia, who are second-bottom in the 20-team table with seven points from 10 games, are the fifth Serie A club to change coach this season following Sampdoria, Genoa, AC Milan and Udinese.

Football: Italian World Cup winner Grosso to coach struggling Brescia

Harry Kane said that England's defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic on Saturday in the Euro 2020 qualifiers is a wakeup call for the team.

Kane took to Twitter and wrote, "Last night is a wake-up call for us. We have to be better and improve. Bulgaria next."

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Last night is a wake up call for us. We have to be better and improve. Bulgaria next. <a href="https://t.co/qGVGnfUD2e">pic.twitter.com/qGVGnfUD2e</a>
— Harry Kane (@HKane) <a href="https://twitter.com/HKane/status/1182937516099416064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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England had not lost either a World Cup or European Championship qualifier since 2009.

England was able to register an early goal. Kane converted the penalty in the fifth minute to give the Three Lions a 1-0 lead.

The Czech Republic did not have to wait a long time for the equalising goal as Jakub Brabec netted the ball in the 9th minute, bringing the scoreline to 1-1.

Both teams kept on making attacking moves in the first half, but they did not manage to register more goals and as a result, at the half-time mark, the scoreline remained 1-1.

In the second half, England got a chance in the 57th minute to take the lead but Sterling was denied by Czech Republic's goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.

Zdenek Ondrasek defied the odds and registered a goal for the Czech Republic in the 85th minute to give the side a 2-1 lead.

England did not manage to score more goals and as a result, they had to suffer a loss.

Before this match, England had a perfect record in their group.

On the other hand, with four wins from their last five qualifiers, the Czech Republic is in good shape to finish in the top two.

Harry Kane said that England's defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic on Saturday in the Euro 2020 qualifiers is a wakeup call for the team. Kane took to Twitter and wrote, "Last night is a wake-up call for us.

Harry Kane said that England's defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic on Saturday in the Euro 2020 qualifiers is a wakeup call for the team. Kane took to Twitter and wrote, "Last night is a wake-up call for us. We have to be better and improve. Bulgaria next." Last night is a wake up call for us. We have to be better and improve. Bulgaria next. pic.twitter.com/qGVGnfUD2e — Harry Kane (@HKane) October 12, 2019 × England had not lost either a World Cup or European Championship qualifier since 2009. England was able to register an early goal. Kane converted the penalty in the fifth minute to give the Three Lions a 1-0 lead. The Czech Republic did not have to wait a long time for the equalising goal as Jakub Brabec netted the ball in the 9th minute, bringing the scoreline to 1-1. Both teams kept on making attacking moves in the first half, but they did not manage to register more goals and as a result, at the half-time mark, the scoreline remained 1-1. In the second half, England got a chance in the 57th minute to take the lead but Sterling was denied by Czech Republic's goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik. Zdenek Ondrasek defied the odds and registered a goal for the Czech Republic in the 85th minute to give the side a 2-1 lead. England did not manage to score more goals and as a result, they had to suffer a loss. Before this match, England had a perfect record in their group. On the other hand, with four wins from their last five qualifiers, the Czech Republic is in good shape to finish in the top two.

Harry Kane says England's defeat to Czech Republic is a 'wakeup call'

Diego Forlan set the World Cup alight with Uruguay in 2010, winning the prestigious Golden ball award and played for the likes of Atletico Madrid, Manchester united and Inter Milan in a glittering club career. He won the European Golden Shoe twice, making him one of South American Football's most prominent exports. Forlan traveled to India as a brand ambassador for the Spanish League and spoke exclusively to Wion Sports about his favourite career memories and the prospect's of La Liga's big-three this season.

WION Sports Exclusive: Diego Forlan On His Glittering Career

England are awaiting the outcome of tests on Billy Vunipola's injured ankle ahead of their final World Cup pool clash with France on Saturday but are comfortable that others can step into the ball-carrying void should the number eight not make it, said scrum coach Neal Hatley.

England chilled over Vunipola fitness for France clash

Less than 40 kilometres from where England beat Argentina at Tokyo Stadium in the Rugby World Cup on Saturday (October 5), another unique rugby match was taking place.

Inclusion and 'unique comraderie' at Tokyo's gay rugby tournament

Qatar will inaugurate the third of its eight World Cup stadiums when the Education City ground hosts the Club World Cup semi-final tie on December 18, FIFA said on Monday.

The 40,000-seat venue seven kilometres (four miles) outside central Doha will also host the third-place play-off and the final of the tournament which gets underway on December 11.

The inaugural game will see Liverpool, as European champions, face either CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey, Al Sadd of Qatar or minnows Hienghene Sport of New Caledonia who are Oceania champions.

The 2022 hosts have so far inaugurated the newly-built al-Janoub stadium in May, as well as the Khalifa International stadium which opened in 1976 and was relaunched in 2017 after a full refurbishment.

"With all three venues located a maximum of 12 kilometres from central Doha, the FIFA Club World Cup 2019 will provide a glimpse of Qatar's compact nature ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022," FIFA said in a statement.

"Taking place around the same time of the year and with matches kicking off from 17:00 local time, this year's tournament will also give teams and fans alike the chance to experience Qatar's mild winter."

Average temperatures are expected to range between 15 and 24 Celsius, it added.

Hassan al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said following Al-Janoub's opening in May that two further new stadiums would be ready "by the end of this year (or) first-quarter" 2020.

The exact date would depend on the timing of events to launch the two venues, he added.

"By 2021 all our stadiums will be ready," he said.

Qatar will inaugurate the third of its eight World Cup stadiums when the Education City ground hosts the Club World Cup semi-final tie on December 18, FIFA said on Monday.

Qatar will inaugurate the third of its eight World Cup stadiums when the Education City ground hosts the Club World Cup semi-final tie on December 18, FIFA said on Monday. The 40,000-seat venue seven kilometres (four miles) outside central Doha will also host the third-place play-off and the final of the tournament which gets underway on December 11. The inaugural game will see Liverpool, as European champions, face either CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey, Al Sadd of Qatar or minnows Hienghene Sport of New Caledonia who are Oceania champions. The 2022 hosts have so far inaugurated the newly-built al-Janoub stadium in May, as well as the Khalifa International stadium which opened in 1976 and was relaunched in 2017 after a full refurbishment. "With all three venues located a maximum of 12 kilometres from central Doha, the FIFA Club World Cup 2019 will provide a glimpse of Qatar's compact nature ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022," FIFA said in a statement. "Taking place around the same time of the year and with matches kicking off from 17:00 local time, this year's tournament will also give teams and fans alike the chance to experience Qatar's mild winter." Average temperatures are expected to range between 15 and 24 Celsius, it added. Hassan al-Thawadi, the secretary-general of Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, said following Al-Janoub's opening in May that two further new stadiums would be ready "by the end of this year (or) first-quarter" 2020. The exact date would depend on the timing of events to launch the two venues, he added. "By 2021 all our stadiums will be ready," he said.

Qatar to inaugurate new 2022 stadium during Club World Cup

European football's governing body (UEFA) said on Tuesday it would tell member clubs and national teams not to play games in countries where women do not have full access to stadiums.

UEFA's ruling executive committee agreed that it would "recommend to its 55 national associations and all European clubs not to play matches in countries where women have restricted access to stadiums".

UEFA did not specify which countries the action would affect.

Iran, however, has been the focus of attention since a female fan died earlier this month, after setting herself on fire to protest against her arrest for attending a match.

Soccer's world governing body FIFA says it has been given assurances by Iranian authorities that their World Cup qualifier against Cambodia in Tehran on Oct. 10 will be open to women.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said his body did not have the power to punish European teams who might play in countries that do not allow unrestricted access to women, but stressed that there was wide support in his organisation for the approach and for not playing teams from those countries.

"We cannot punish anyone if they play (in these countries) because it is out of our jurisdiction but that doesn't mean we should be quiet and say we can't do anything and we (just) develop European football," said the Slovene.

"Our advice to 55 associations and all the clubs... will be not to play there or with the teams from those countries where the basic rights of women are not respected.

"The representatives of the clubs and the leagues agreed with us".

European football's governing body (UEFA) said on Tuesday it would tell member clubs and national teams not to play games in countries where women do not have full access to stadiums.

European football's governing body (UEFA) said on Tuesday it would tell member clubs and national teams not to play games in countries where women do not have full access to stadiums. UEFA's ruling executive committee agreed that it would "recommend to its 55 national associations and all European clubs not to play matches in countries where women have restricted access to stadiums". UEFA did not specify which countries the action would affect. Iran, however, has been the focus of attention since a female fan died earlier this month, after setting herself on fire to protest against her arrest for attending a match. Soccer's world governing body FIFA says it has been given assurances by Iranian authorities that their World Cup qualifier against Cambodia in Tehran on Oct. 10 will be open to women. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said his body did not have the power to punish European teams who might play in countries that do not allow unrestricted access to women, but stressed that there was wide support in his organisation for the approach and for not playing teams from those countries. "We cannot punish anyone if they play (in these countries) because it is out of our jurisdiction but that doesn't mean we should be quiet and say we can't do anything and we (just) develop European football," said the Slovene. "Our advice to 55 associations and all the clubs... will be not to play there or with the teams from those countries where the basic rights of women are not respected. "The representatives of the clubs and the leagues agreed with us".

UEFA tells teams not to play where women can't watch

Spain brushed aside Argentina 95-75 in China on Sunday to win the&nbsp;Basketball&nbsp;World Cup.

Three-time All-Star Marc Gasol became only the second man to win an NBA crown and the World Cup in the same year.

The champions, who survived double overtime against Australia to reach the final, led throughout in Beijing to win international&nbsp;basketball's biggest prize for a second time.

The only previous occasion was in 2006 with the two Gasol brothers, Marc and older sibling Pau, on the team.

Pau did not feature in China because of injury.

The latest triumph was particularly sweet for the 34-year-old centre Gasol, who three months ago also played a key part in the Toronto Raptors' run to the NBA title.

Gasol, who had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, joins Lamar Odom, a double winner in 2010 with the United States and Los Angeles Lakers.

Surprise finalists Argentina had not triumphed since they hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1950.&nbsp;

As a contest, the final was over by the fourth quarter -- although the Argentines did rally belatedly to reduce Spain's previously mighty lead. &nbsp;

Fans of both teams had made it feel more like a football match, decked out in their national colours, chanting loudly and refusing to sit down.

Spain, for whom Ricky Rubio of the Phoenix Suns has been one of the leading players of the tournament in China, surged into a 14-2 lead.

In front of a capacity crowd, Argentina's 39-year-old talisman Luis Scola could not escape the attentions of Pierre Oriola. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Led by their slick-haired Italian coach Sergio Scariolo, Spain were up 21-14 going into the second quarter and increased their advantage to 43-31 at half-time.

With Rubio prominent, drilling 20 points, Spain never looked like surrendering their lead, repeatedly thwarting Argentina's suffocated offence.

- Australia wait goes on - 
France roared back after half-time to defeat Australia 67-59 and claim a second World Cup bronze in a row -- and extend the Boomers' long wait for a major medal.

Turkish-based guard Nando De Colo led all scorers with 19 points for France and Nicolas Batum had nine points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals.

The French, one of the tallest teams at the tournament, defeated reigning two-time holders the United States in the quarter-finals, but then lost heavily to Argentina.

"For us it's something very, very special and important we did it after a very difficult first half," French coach Vincent Collet said.

"Many teams could have given up, even easy shots we were missing in the first half.

"We started to move the ball better in the second half and that's why we won this game."

It was hard on Australia, who similarly led for long periods in their semi-final against Spain.

It is still the best finish for the Boomers, who had never gone beyond the quarter-finals at 11 previous World Cups, but they are yet to claim a medal at the worlds or Olympics.

Deposed champions the United States, who were missing their elite names, finished seventh, their lowest position in tournament history.

They did, at least, qualify to defend their Olympic title in Tokyo next summer.

With 32 teams, this was the biggest Basketball World Cup ever.

The next one will be in 2023 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.&nbsp;

Spain brushed aside Argentina 95-75 in China on Sunday to win the Basketball World Cup. Three-time All-Star Marc Gasol became only the second man to win an NBA crown and the World Cup in the same year.

Spain brushed aside Argentina 95-75 in China on Sunday to win the Basketball World Cup. Three-time All-Star Marc Gasol became only the second man to win an NBA crown and the World Cup in the same year. The champions, who survived double overtime against Australia to reach the final, led throughout in Beijing to win international basketball's biggest prize for a second time. The only previous occasion was in 2006 with the two Gasol brothers, Marc and older sibling Pau, on the team. Pau did not feature in China because of injury. The latest triumph was particularly sweet for the 34-year-old centre Gasol, who three months ago also played a key part in the Toronto Raptors' run to the NBA title. Gasol, who had 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, joins Lamar Odom, a double winner in 2010 with the United States and Los Angeles Lakers. Surprise finalists Argentina had not triumphed since they hosted the inaugural World Cup in 1950. As a contest, the final was over by the fourth quarter -- although the Argentines did rally belatedly to reduce Spain's previously mighty lead. Fans of both teams had made it feel more like a football match, decked out in their national colours, chanting loudly and refusing to sit down. Spain, for whom Ricky Rubio of the Phoenix Suns has been one of the leading players of the tournament in China, surged into a 14-2 lead. In front of a capacity crowd, Argentina's 39-year-old talisman Luis Scola could not escape the attentions of Pierre Oriola. Led by their slick-haired Italian coach Sergio Scariolo, Spain were up 21-14 going into the second quarter and increased their advantage to 43-31 at half-time. With Rubio prominent, drilling 20 points, Spain never looked like surrendering their lead, repeatedly thwarting Argentina's suffocated offence. - Australia wait goes on - France roared back after half-time to defeat Australia 67-59 and claim a second World Cup bronze in a row -- and extend the Boomers' long wait for a major medal. Turkish-based guard Nando De Colo led all scorers with 19 points for France and Nicolas Batum had nine points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals. The French, one of the tallest teams at the tournament, defeated reigning two-time holders the United States in the quarter-finals, but then lost heavily to Argentina. "For us it's something very, very special and important we did it after a very difficult first half," French coach Vincent Collet said. "Many teams could have given up, even easy shots we were missing in the first half. "We started to move the ball better in the second half and that's why we won this game." It was hard on Australia, who similarly led for long periods in their semi-final against Spain. It is still the best finish for the Boomers, who had never gone beyond the quarter-finals at 11 previous World Cups, but they are yet to claim a medal at the worlds or Olympics. Deposed champions the United States, who were missing their elite names, finished seventh, their lowest position in tournament history. They did, at least, qualify to defend their Olympic title in Tokyo next summer. With 32 teams, this was the biggest Basketball World Cup ever. The next one will be in 2023 in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Spain beat Argentina 95-75 to win Basketball World Cup

Eight member associations will continue their bid to host the expanded women's World Cup in 2023, soccer's world governing body FIFA confirmed on Tuesday.

FIFA agreed to increase the number of participating teams for the 2023 event from 24 to 32 following this year's edition in France, and it subsequently reopened the bidding process.

Bidding member associations include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea, which is interested in a joint bid together with North Korea.

Belgium, which registered its interest last month, as well as Bolivia were not on the latest list.

"FIFA has dispatched updated bidding and hosting documents to all eight member associations, which will have until Dec. 13 to submit their bid book, the signed hosting agreement and all other hosting and bidding documents," FIFA said in a statement https://www.fifa.com/womens-football/news/bidding-process-for-fifa-women-s-world-cup-2023tm-continues-with-eight-member-as.

"Up until the deadline for bid submissions, any member association wishing to join an existing bid will be permitted to do so provided it also submits a bidding registration to FIFA."

The tournament's expansion was pledged by FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the end of this year's World Cup, which was won for a record-extending fourth time by the United States.

Interest in the women's game has arguably never been higher, with broadcast records broken all over the world in the June-July showpiece.

Almost 59 million people watched France beat potential 2023 hosts Brazil in the last 16, becoming the most viewed women's soccer match of all time.

FIFA will conduct official inspections for relevant member associations in January and February 2020, and the hosts are expected to be named in May.

Eight member associations will continue their bid to host the expanded women's World Cup in 2023, soccer's world governing body FIFA confirmed on Tuesday. FIFA agreed to increase the number of participating teams for the 2023 event from 24 to 32 following this year's edition in France, and it subsequently reopened the bidding process.

Eight member associations will continue their bid to host the expanded women's World Cup in 2023, soccer's world governing body FIFA confirmed on Tuesday. FIFA agreed to increase the number of participating teams for the 2023 event from 24 to 32 following this year's edition in France, and it subsequently reopened the bidding process. Bidding member associations include Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and South Korea, which is interested in a joint bid together with North Korea. Belgium, which registered its interest last month, as well as Bolivia were not on the latest list. "FIFA has dispatched updated bidding and hosting documents to all eight member associations, which will have until Dec. 13 to submit their bid book, the signed hosting agreement and all other hosting and bidding documents," FIFA said in a statement https://www.fifa.com/womens-football/news/bidding-process-for-fifa-women-s-world-cup-2023tm-continues-with-eight-member-as. "Up until the deadline for bid submissions, any member association wishing to join an existing bid will be permitted to do so provided it also submits a bidding registration to FIFA." The tournament's expansion was pledged by FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the end of this year's World Cup, which was won for a record-extending fourth time by the United States. Interest in the women's game has arguably never been higher, with broadcast records broken all over the world in the June-July showpiece. Almost 59 million people watched France beat potential 2023 hosts Brazil in the last 16, becoming the most viewed women's soccer match of all time. FIFA will conduct official inspections for relevant member associations in January and February 2020, and the hosts are expected to be named in May.

Eight member associations in race to host 2023 women's World Cup

India batsman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/indias-ambati-rayudu-announces-retirement-from-all-forms-of-cricket-232677">Ambati Rayudu</a> has made a volte-face on his decision to retire and made himself available for Hyderabad in domestic cricket, a senior official told Reuters on Friday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sehwag-laxman-kaif-sympathise-with-ambati-rayudu-after-his-retirement-232805">Rayudu</a>, 33, was not picked in India's squad for the 50-over World Cup in England after being tipped as the team's top choice for a middle-order batting spot.

He was not considered as a replacement even when India lost opener Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar to injuries, with Rishabh Pant and Mayank Agarwal called up instead, despite being named as one of the five stand-bys for the tournament.

A smarting Rayudu, who quit first-class cricket in 2018 to focus on his limited-overs career, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/heres-what-ambati-rayudu-wrote-in-retirement-letter-to-bcci-232763">announced last month</a> he has retired from all forms of the game.

He has now informed the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) of his availability.

"He has withdrawn his retirement letter that he gave and said he's available to play for HCA," Ratnakar Shetty, a member of the committee in charge of the HCA administration, said.

Rayudu will be available to play the full season for Hyderabad and it was a "good" news for the team, Shetty added.

The middle-order batsman has played 55 one-day internationals for India, the last of them in March against Australia, and was part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the 2019 Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

"It is great news for us. I still believe he still has five years of cricket and groom youngsters which is more important for us. Last year without him, we struggled in Ranji Trophy," HCA chief selector Noel David told Sportstar.

"Rayudu's class and experience will prove to be very handy for Hyderabad and will surely have a major positive influence on the other players as he will be playing in all the formats.

"Hopefully he carries on the good work and leads from the front and I am confident of Rayudu getting support from all quarters."

India batsman Ambati Rayudu has made a volte-face on his decision to retire and made himself available for Hyderabad in domestic cricket, a senior official told Reuters on Friday.

India batsman Ambati Rayudu has made a volte-face on his decision to retire and made himself available for Hyderabad in domestic cricket, a senior official told Reuters on Friday. Rayudu, 33, was not picked in India's squad for the 50-over World Cup in England after being tipped as the team's top choice for a middle-order batting spot. He was not considered as a replacement even when India lost opener Shikhar Dhawan and Vijay Shankar to injuries, with Rishabh Pant and Mayank Agarwal called up instead, despite being named as one of the five stand-bys for the tournament. A smarting Rayudu, who quit first-class cricket in 2018 to focus on his limited-overs career, announced last month he has retired from all forms of the game. He has now informed the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) of his availability. "He has withdrawn his retirement letter that he gave and said he's available to play for HCA," Ratnakar Shetty, a member of the committee in charge of the HCA administration, said. Rayudu will be available to play the full season for Hyderabad and it was a "good" news for the team, Shetty added. The middle-order batsman has played 55 one-day internationals for India, the last of them in March against Australia, and was part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise in the 2019 Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament. "It is great news for us. I still believe he still has five years of cricket and groom youngsters which is more important for us. Last year without him, we struggled in Ranji Trophy," HCA chief selector Noel David told Sportstar. "Rayudu's class and experience will prove to be very handy for Hyderabad and will surely have a major positive influence on the other players as he will be playing in all the formats. "Hopefully he carries on the good work and leads from the front and I am confident of Rayudu getting support from all quarters."

Indian cricketer Ambati Rayudu does retirement U-turn, available for shorter formats

Women fans will be allowed into the stadium for Iran's next football World Cup qualifier in October, a sports ministry official said Sunday, ahead of a deadline to allow their attendance.

FIFA has been stepping up pressure on Iran to ensure women are allowed to attend qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, reportedly giving it until Saturday to comply or else face consequences.

An official at the sports ministry said on Sunday that women would be able to watch Team Melli —&nbsp;as the national team are known — at their next home game in Tehran's Azadi stadium.

"Women can go to the Azadi stadium on October 10, 2019 to watch the match between the Iranian national team and Cambodia for the Qatar World Cup qualifier," said Jamshid Taghizadeh, the sports ministry's deputy for legal and provincial affairs.

"There is no legal ban (on the presence of women in stadiums] and we must activate the infrastructure, which is underway," he said, quoted by state news agency IRNA.

"Our view on women, at all levels, is to prepare the necessary conditions for women's success."

Iran has barred Iranian women spectators at matches since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with clerics arguing they must be protected from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men.

The authorities have allowed foreign women to go to matches in the country in the past.

And while a small number of Iranian women have attended select international matches on previous occasions, others have faced prosecution for entering stadiums at other times.

Four women were recently detained at Azadi stadium before being released, according to a report by the semi-official ISNA news agency on August 18.

Women fans will be allowed into the stadium for Iran's next football World Cup qualifier in October, a sports ministry official said Sunday, ahead of a deadline to allow their attendance.

Women fans will be allowed into the stadium for Iran's next football World Cup qualifier in October, a sports ministry official said Sunday, ahead of a deadline to allow their attendance. FIFA has been stepping up pressure on Iran to ensure women are allowed to attend qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, reportedly giving it until Saturday to comply or else face consequences. An official at the sports ministry said on Sunday that women would be able to watch Team Melli — as the national team are known — at their next home game in Tehran's Azadi stadium. "Women can go to the Azadi stadium on October 10, 2019 to watch the match between the Iranian national team and Cambodia for the Qatar World Cup qualifier," said Jamshid Taghizadeh, the sports ministry's deputy for legal and provincial affairs. "There is no legal ban (on the presence of women in stadiums] and we must activate the infrastructure, which is underway," he said, quoted by state news agency IRNA. "Our view on women, at all levels, is to prepare the necessary conditions for women's success." Iran has barred Iranian women spectators at matches since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with clerics arguing they must be protected from the masculine atmosphere and sight of semi-clad men. The authorities have allowed foreign women to go to matches in the country in the past. And while a small number of Iranian women have attended select international matches on previous occasions, others have faced prosecution for entering stadiums at other times. Four women were recently detained at Azadi stadium before being released, according to a report by the semi-official ISNA news agency on August 18.

Iran to let women attend football World Cup qualifier: Ministry

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe led a chorus of criticism Friday of the seating arrangements at a basketball clash between the United States and Australia, with many fans paying big money to see very little.

The pre-World Cup showdown, on Thursday evening at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, was played in front of 51,000 fans — the biggest crowd ever to watch a game of hoops in Australia.

But in a venue that usually hosts Australian Rules and football, a raised basketball court was dropped in meaning those on white plastic seats at ground level had restricted viewing, including Crowe.

"$1500 a ticket for this view. AUS v USA. Jokes on me," tweeted the Hollywood star after Australia were beaten 102-86. "If you weren't among 50,000 there and you chose to watch it on tv at home, good decision."

He later added, "The only thing achieved by @BasketballAus was enjoining with the promoters in ripping off well-meaning lovers of the sport. It was a farce."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
$1500 a ticket for this view. AUS v USA . 
Jokes on me. 
If you weren’t among 50,000 there and you chose to watch it on tv at home, good decision . <a href="https://t.co/VlNuXWp6iI">pic.twitter.com/VlNuXWp6iI</a>
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1164514917241651200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The only thing achieved tonight by <a href="https://twitter.com/BasketballAus?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BasketballAus</a> was enjoining with the promoters in ripping off well meaning lovers of the sport. It was a farce. <a href="https://t.co/M04iiL26Xm">https://t.co/M04iiL26Xm</a>
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) <a href="https://twitter.com/russellcrowe/status/1164535345095958529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Lots of talk already about the view from ground level at Marvel Stadium where ticket holders paid hundreds of dollars to see <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoomersUSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoomersUSA</a>. This is the view... <a href="https://t.co/KUpXuYFahM">https://t.co/KUpXuYFahM</a> <a href="https://t.co/m8Zh3mMPxa">pic.twitter.com/m8Zh3mMPxa</a>
— Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ro_Smith/status/1164429343155576833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Plenty of other fans agreed.

"It's called greed! There is a stadium across town which is purpose built for this kind of event called Rod Laver Arena capacity of 15,000. Play 2-3 games there everyone goes home happy," said one Twitter user.

The visit of Team USA was already embroiled in controversy, with Australia's consumer watchdog launching a probe into the use of absent NBA superstars to promote their exhibition games.

While the USA boast a host of top young talent guided by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, they lack top names used to sell the event after a series of player withdrawals.

A change.org petition for refunds attracted more than 2,700 supporters claiming they had been ripped off, with a fresh flood of complaints about the seating fiasco.

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chief Rod Sims said it was investigating whether people had been misled.

"We did&nbsp;have discussions with the promoters,&nbsp;and out of those discussions there&nbsp;was a suggestion from them of&nbsp;refunds," he told reporters, referring to the pre-game advertising.

"We've now added to that&nbsp;investigation whether or not&nbsp;consumers have been misled over the seating and the quality of the&nbsp;seating."

He added that the commission takes such allegations "very seriously" with the potential penalties "significant".

The promoters, TEG Live, and Basketball Australia had no immediate comment.

Australia and the United States play a second game at the same venue on Saturday.

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe led a chorus of criticism Friday of the seating arrangements at a basketball clash between the United States and Australia, with many fans paying big money to see very little.

Oscar-winner Russell Crowe led a chorus of criticism Friday of the seating arrangements at a basketball clash between the United States and Australia, with many fans paying big money to see very little. The pre-World Cup showdown, on Thursday evening at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, was played in front of 51,000 fans — the biggest crowd ever to watch a game of hoops in Australia. But in a venue that usually hosts Australian Rules and football, a raised basketball court was dropped in meaning those on white plastic seats at ground level had restricted viewing, including Crowe. "$1500 a ticket for this view. AUS v USA. Jokes on me," tweeted the Hollywood star after Australia were beaten 102-86. "If you weren't among 50,000 there and you chose to watch it on tv at home, good decision." He later added, "The only thing achieved by @BasketballAus was enjoining with the promoters in ripping off well-meaning lovers of the sport. It was a farce." $1500 a ticket for this view. AUS v USA . Jokes on me. If you weren’t among 50,000 there and you chose to watch it on tv at home, good decision . pic.twitter.com/VlNuXWp6iI — Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) August 22, 2019 × The only thing achieved tonight by @BasketballAus was enjoining with the promoters in ripping off well meaning lovers of the sport. It was a farce. https://t.co/M04iiL26Xm — Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) August 22, 2019 × Lots of talk already about the view from ground level at Marvel Stadium where ticket holders paid hundreds of dollars to see #BoomersUSA. This is the view... https://t.co/KUpXuYFahM pic.twitter.com/m8Zh3mMPxa — Rohan Smith (@Ro_Smith) August 22, 2019 × Plenty of other fans agreed. "It's called greed! There is a stadium across town which is purpose built for this kind of event called Rod Laver Arena capacity of 15,000. Play 2-3 games there everyone goes home happy," said one Twitter user. The visit of Team USA was already embroiled in controversy, with Australia's consumer watchdog launching a probe into the use of absent NBA superstars to promote their exhibition games. While the USA boast a host of top young talent guided by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, they lack top names used to sell the event after a series of player withdrawals. A change.org petition for refunds attracted more than 2,700 supporters claiming they had been ripped off, with a fresh flood of complaints about the seating fiasco. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission chief Rod Sims said it was investigating whether people had been misled. "We did have discussions with the promoters, and out of those discussions there was a suggestion from them of refunds," he told reporters, referring to the pre-game advertising. "We've now added to that investigation whether or not consumers have been misled over the seating and the quality of the seating." He added that the commission takes such allegations "very seriously" with the potential penalties "significant". The promoters, TEG Live, and Basketball Australia had no immediate comment. Australia and the United States play a second game at the same venue on Saturday.

Russell Crowe slams 'joke' seating at USA-Australia basketball

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced that the overthrow incident involving Ben Stokes and Martin Guptill in the World Cup final will be reviewed in September this year.

"The WCC (World Cricket Committee) discussed Law 19.8 in relation to overthrows, in the context of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final. WCC felt that the Law was clear but the matter will be reviewed by the laws sub-committee in September 2019," the MCC said in an official statement.

England had scripted history as it claimed its first-ever World Cup title on July 14. The final will be remembered for ages as it did not have a winner after the 50-over and super over action, as both were tied.

In the end, England were announced as the winner as they had hit more boundaries (26) as compared to New Zealand (17) in the match.

New Zealand had set up 242 for England. As the hosts needed nine runs off three balls, all-rounder Ben Stokes hit the ball into the deep and ran for a double. New Zealand's Martin Guptill threw the ball in an attempt to run out Stokes but the ball bounced off Stokes'&nbsp;bat and reached the boundary.

As a result of the overthrow, England were awarded six runs - two for a double and four for an overthrow.

Taufel, who had umpired during the 2011 World Cup final, had confirmed that the officiating umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus made a mistake.

"There was a judgment error on the overthrow. The judgment error was the timing of when the fielder threw the ball. The act of the overthrow starts when the fielder releases the ball. That's the act. It becomes an overthrow from the instant of the throw," Taufel had said.

Law 19.8 related to an "overthrow or wilful act of fielder", states: "If the boundary results from an overthrow or from the willful act of a fielder, the runs scored shall be any runs for penalties awarded to either side, and the allowance for the boundary, and the runs completed by the batsmen, together with the run in progress if they had already crossed at the instant of the throw or act."&nbsp;

However, Taufel also defended the officiating umpires, saying they have to consider a number of things while examining every ball.

"In this particular case, the umpires have got a lot on their plate, because like every ball, they've had to watch the batsmen complete the first run, they've had to watch the ball being fielded, to understand how it's in play, whether the fielder's done the right thing. Then they've got to look to see when the ball is released, in case there is an overthrow. And that happens every delivery of the game. And then they've got to back to see where the two batsmen are," he had said.

The retired Australian umpire had said that there was a judgment of error as Stokes and Adil Rashid had not crossed for the second run. The replays showed that the England batsmen had not crossed at the time of the throw.

As a result, five runs should have been awarded to England and Stokes should have been at the non-striker's end for the next ball.

"So it's unfortunate that there was a judgment error on the timing of the release of the ball and where the batsmen were. They did not cross on their second run, at the instant of the throw. So given that scenario, five runs should have been the correct allocation of runs, and Ben Stokes should have been at the non-striker`s end for the next delivery," he had said.&nbsp;

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced that the overthrow incident involving Ben Stokes and Martin Guptill in the World Cup final will be reviewed in September this year.

The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has announced that the overthrow incident involving Ben Stokes and Martin Guptill in the World Cup final will be reviewed in September this year. "The WCC (World Cricket Committee) discussed Law 19.8 in relation to overthrows, in the context of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Final. WCC felt that the Law was clear but the matter will be reviewed by the laws sub-committee in September 2019," the MCC said in an official statement. England had scripted history as it claimed its first-ever World Cup title on July 14. The final will be remembered for ages as it did not have a winner after the 50-over and super over action, as both were tied. In the end, England were announced as the winner as they had hit more boundaries (26) as compared to New Zealand (17) in the match. New Zealand had set up 242 for England. As the hosts needed nine runs off three balls, all-rounder Ben Stokes hit the ball into the deep and ran for a double. New Zealand's Martin Guptill threw the ball in an attempt to run out Stokes but the ball bounced off Stokes' bat and reached the boundary. As a result of the overthrow, England were awarded six runs - two for a double and four for an overthrow. Taufel, who had umpired during the 2011 World Cup final, had confirmed that the officiating umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus made a mistake. "There was a judgment error on the overthrow. The judgment error was the timing of when the fielder threw the ball. The act of the overthrow starts when the fielder releases the ball. That's the act. It becomes an overthrow from the instant of the throw," Taufel had said. Law 19.8 related to an "overthrow or wilful act of fielder", states: "If the boundary results from an overthrow or from the willful act of a fielder, the runs scored shall be any runs for penalties awarded to either side, and the allowance for the boundary, and the runs completed by the batsmen, together with the run in progress if they had already crossed at the instant of the throw or act." However, Taufel also defended the officiating umpires, saying they have to consider a number of things while examining every ball. "In this particular case, the umpires have got a lot on their plate, because like every ball, they've had to watch the batsmen complete the first run, they've had to watch the ball being fielded, to understand how it's in play, whether the fielder's done the right thing. Then they've got to look to see when the ball is released, in case there is an overthrow. And that happens every delivery of the game. And then they've got to back to see where the two batsmen are," he had said. The retired Australian umpire had said that there was a judgment of error as Stokes and Adil Rashid had not crossed for the second run. The replays showed that the England batsmen had not crossed at the time of the throw. As a result, five runs should have been awarded to England and Stokes should have been at the non-striker's end for the next ball. "So it's unfortunate that there was a judgment error on the timing of the release of the ball and where the batsmen were. They did not cross on their second run, at the instant of the throw. So given that scenario, five runs should have been the correct allocation of runs, and Ben Stokes should have been at the non-striker`s end for the next delivery," he had said.

CWC 2019 final: Overthrow incident to be reviewed in September

Indian skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-eggs-on-rishabh-pant-to-unleash-potential-in-ms-dhonis-absence-240379">Virat Kohli</a> said after World Cup ouster, the first few days were difficult but like professionals, the team moved on and recovered from the shock World Cup semi-final defeat by New Zealand last month.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli-led T20 side is all set to take on West Indies in a three-match series, starting in the United States on August 3.&nbsp;

During the pre-match media conference, Kohli reflected on Team India's World Cup exit. He said, "Obviously the first few days after we exited the World Cup were quite difficult."

"Every time we woke up it was the worst feeling in the morning and through the day you do things and you know sort of get on with your life. But now look, we're professionals, we move ahead, every team has to move on so we're quite ok with what happened in the World Cup, Kohli added.&nbsp;

Ms Dhoni has opted out and India will also miss the services of all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the trip to the Caribbean, where India will play three T20s, three ODIs and two Tests.&nbsp;

"Yesterday the fielding session and a little bit of time we spent on the field was really good, everyone was excited, looking forward to just playing, just being on the field again. Everyone's looking forward to these games which I think is the most important thing."

Kohli also said it was a chance for the fringe players to make their case ahead of next year's World T20 in Australia.

"It will just give us an opportunity to have some fun together, understand why we've been so successful as a team and really focus on the things that matter, rather than focusing on the things that are not in our control," Kohli added.&nbsp;

Indian skipper Virat Kohli said after World Cup ouster, the first few days were difficult but like professionals, the team moved on and recovered from the shock World Cup semi-final defeat by New Zealand last month.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli said after World Cup ouster, the first few days were difficult but like professionals, the team moved on and recovered from the shock World Cup semi-final defeat by New Zealand last month. Virat Kohli-led T20 side is all set to take on West Indies in a three-match series, starting in the United States on August 3. During the pre-match media conference, Kohli reflected on Team India's World Cup exit. He said, "Obviously the first few days after we exited the World Cup were quite difficult." "Every time we woke up it was the worst feeling in the morning and through the day you do things and you know sort of get on with your life. But now look, we're professionals, we move ahead, every team has to move on so we're quite ok with what happened in the World Cup, Kohli added. Ms Dhoni has opted out and India will also miss the services of all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the trip to the Caribbean, where India will play three T20s, three ODIs and two Tests. "Yesterday the fielding session and a little bit of time we spent on the field was really good, everyone was excited, looking forward to just playing, just being on the field again. Everyone's looking forward to these games which I think is the most important thing." Kohli also said it was a chance for the fringe players to make their case ahead of next year's World T20 in Australia. "It will just give us an opportunity to have some fun together, understand why we've been so successful as a team and really focus on the things that matter, rather than focusing on the things that are not in our control," Kohli added.

Team moved on from disappointing World Cup semi-final defeat, says Virat Kohli

England captain Joe Root is looking forward to having "natural leader" Ben Stokes back alongside him as his Test deputy during the Ashes.

The pair have been friends since their days playing youth cricket, with Root lobbying for Stokes's return to a position the all rounder held until he was involved in a street brawl in Bristol in 2017.

Stokes missed five months of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/international-cricket-council-officially-launches-world-test-championship-239182">international cricket</a>, including England's 4-0 Ashes series loss in Australia under Root, before being cleared of affray in a court case in August 2018.

But the 28-year-old was one of the stars of England's triumphant World Cup campaign earlier this season and Root, also involved in that success, is eager to have Stokes back as his Test vice captain after Jos Buttler took over the role.

"I have asked for a long time (to have Stokes back as vice-captain) but he was made available at the end of the World Cup," Root said during his pre match press conference at Edgbaston on Wednesday, on the eve of the series opener.&nbsp;

"It is fantastic to have Ben back, not just playing and playing back somewhere near his best -- it has been coming a long time. &nbsp;

"The way he stepped up in big moments in that World Cup was just him down to a tee. It is what he does -- he responds well to responsibility and to the big moments.

"He offers with all three departments -- he bowls, bats and he is one of the best fielders and he drags people with him as a natural leader on the field and in the dressing room."

Root praised Buttler but said Buttler was aware Stokes would be brought back as vice-captain when there was an opportunity to do so.

England's World Cup win under the leadership of one day specialist Eoin Morgan achieved a long held goal but Root rejected suggestions that meant the pressure to regain the Ashes had eased as a result.

- 'All-time high' - 
"I think if you speak to anyone who has captained England and is on the verge of an Ashes series, to say it doesn't mean as much as any other event, I don't think any of them would agree," he said.&nbsp;

"It's huge. It's a great opportunity. Cricket in this country is probably at an all time high, it's got interest it probably hasn't had for a long time and we've got an opportunity as a team to make this summer a very memorable one."

Root is going back up to number three in the batting order and Joe Denly dropping down to four as England look to shore up their struggling line up.

"I think it's important to spread the experience out and it gives me an opportunity to lead from the front as well," said Root, England's best batsman.

"I also feel I'm in a place where I've got my head around the captaincy and my batting and I'm able to separate the two."

World Cup winner <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-winner-jofra-archer-in-england-squad-for-ashes-opener-238826">Jofra Archer</a> will have to wait for his Test debut after the fast bowler was left out of England's team announced on Wednesday following his struggles with a side injury.

"Jofra is obviously coming back from a very serious injury," said Root. "We looked at conditions, what we thought was best... and it also allows him time to get absolutely ready and fit." 
&nbsp;

England captain Joe Root is looking forward to having "natural leader" Ben Stokes back alongside him as his Test deputy during the Ashes. The pair have been friends since their days playing youth cricket, with Root lobbying for Stokes's return to a position the all rounder held until he was involved in a street brawl in Bristol in 2017.

England captain Joe Root is looking forward to having "natural leader" Ben Stokes back alongside him as his Test deputy during the Ashes. The pair have been friends since their days playing youth cricket, with Root lobbying for Stokes's return to a position the all rounder held until he was involved in a street brawl in Bristol in 2017. Stokes missed five months of international cricket, including England's 4-0 Ashes series loss in Australia under Root, before being cleared of affray in a court case in August 2018. But the 28-year-old was one of the stars of England's triumphant World Cup campaign earlier this season and Root, also involved in that success, is eager to have Stokes back as his Test vice captain after Jos Buttler took over the role. "I have asked for a long time (to have Stokes back as vice-captain) but he was made available at the end of the World Cup," Root said during his pre match press conference at Edgbaston on Wednesday, on the eve of the series opener. "It is fantastic to have Ben back, not just playing and playing back somewhere near his best -- it has been coming a long time. "The way he stepped up in big moments in that World Cup was just him down to a tee. It is what he does -- he responds well to responsibility and to the big moments. "He offers with all three departments -- he bowls, bats and he is one of the best fielders and he drags people with him as a natural leader on the field and in the dressing room." Root praised Buttler but said Buttler was aware Stokes would be brought back as vice-captain when there was an opportunity to do so. England's World Cup win under the leadership of one day specialist Eoin Morgan achieved a long held goal but Root rejected suggestions that meant the pressure to regain the Ashes had eased as a result. - 'All-time high' - "I think if you speak to anyone who has captained England and is on the verge of an Ashes series, to say it doesn't mean as much as any other event, I don't think any of them would agree," he said. "It's huge. It's a great opportunity. Cricket in this country is probably at an all time high, it's got interest it probably hasn't had for a long time and we've got an opportunity as a team to make this summer a very memorable one." Root is going back up to number three in the batting order and Joe Denly dropping down to four as England look to shore up their struggling line up. "I think it's important to spread the experience out and it gives me an opportunity to lead from the front as well," said Root, England's best batsman. "I also feel I'm in a place where I've got my head around the captaincy and my batting and I'm able to separate the two." World Cup winner Jofra Archer will have to wait for his Test debut after the fast bowler was left out of England's team announced on Wednesday following his struggles with a side injury. "Jofra is obviously coming back from a very serious injury," said Root. "We looked at conditions, what we thought was best... and it also allows him time to get absolutely ready and fit."

England captain Root glad to have Stokes as his Ashes deputy

MS Dhoni sets out to discharge his duties as lieutenant colonel in territorial army in J&K

Fortnite World Cup success: How women, teenagers are changing the billion dollar worldwide gaming industry

The apex cricketing body, International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC).

"The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world's best teams to go head-to-head. The World Test Championship will bring relevance and context to bilateral Test cricket over the next two years, creating a pinnacle event for the five-day format, just as the World Cups for men and women do in the ODI and T20I formats," Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager - Cricket Operations said in an official statement.

"We are awaiting the ICC World Test Championship with great enthusiasm as it adds context to the longest format of the game. Test cricket is very challenging and coming out on top in the traditional form is always highly satisfying. The Indian team has done really well in recent years and will be fancying its chances in the championship," Indian skipper Virat Kohli said.

The championship will begin from August 1 as Australia and England will face each other in the Ashes. WTC will comprise of the top nine Test teams in the world (Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies).

"Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport. It is the very essence of cricket and the majority of players want to strive to play the purest form of the game. The ICC World Test Championship is another brilliant initiative for the sport, adding context and relevance to every Test series. Every Test matters, but even more so now," England pacer James Anderson said.

"The World Test Championship is a fantastic initiative. We love playing Test cricket, it's the pinnacle for us, remains hugely popular in Australia and we're fortunate that it enjoys great support at home among players, the media and the public. To wear the baggy green is the ultimate for all Australian cricketers and if the World Test Championship helps to ensure that all countries make Tests a high priority then that has to be good news for the game in general and the continuing health of the format in particular," Australian skipper Tim Paine said.

In the championship, a total of 71 Test matches will be played across 27 series over two years. The top two teams will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021 in the UK.

Points will be up for grabs during each match and each team will play three home and three away series. Each series will count for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series.

For example, a two-match series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match. A tie will be 50 per cent of the points available, whereas a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio.

The matches will be played in the same format as bilateral series but with the added context of a competition and one champion team. The number of matches in each series can vary between a minimum of two matches, to a maximum of five matches.

The first cycle of the WTC consists of only five-day matches and will include day-night matches. Only matches identified as part of the WTC will count towards the championship.

The apex cricketing body, International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC). "The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world's best teams to go head-to-head.

The apex cricketing body, International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday officially launched the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC). "The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup this summer showed just how important it is for every game to count and for the world's best teams to go head-to-head. The World Test Championship will bring relevance and context to bilateral Test cricket over the next two years, creating a pinnacle event for the five-day format, just as the World Cups for men and women do in the ODI and T20I formats," Geoff Allardice, ICC General Manager - Cricket Operations said in an official statement. "We are awaiting the ICC World Test Championship with great enthusiasm as it adds context to the longest format of the game. Test cricket is very challenging and coming out on top in the traditional form is always highly satisfying. The Indian team has done really well in recent years and will be fancying its chances in the championship," Indian skipper Virat Kohli said. The championship will begin from August 1 as Australia and England will face each other in the Ashes. WTC will comprise of the top nine Test teams in the world (Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies). "Test cricket is the pinnacle of our sport. It is the very essence of cricket and the majority of players want to strive to play the purest form of the game. The ICC World Test Championship is another brilliant initiative for the sport, adding context and relevance to every Test series. Every Test matters, but even more so now," England pacer James Anderson said. "The World Test Championship is a fantastic initiative. We love playing Test cricket, it's the pinnacle for us, remains hugely popular in Australia and we're fortunate that it enjoys great support at home among players, the media and the public. To wear the baggy green is the ultimate for all Australian cricketers and if the World Test Championship helps to ensure that all countries make Tests a high priority then that has to be good news for the game in general and the continuing health of the format in particular," Australian skipper Tim Paine said. In the championship, a total of 71 Test matches will be played across 27 series over two years. The top two teams will then contest in the ICC World Test Championship final in June 2021 in the UK. Points will be up for grabs during each match and each team will play three home and three away series. Each series will count for 120 points, distributed over the number of matches in a series. For example, a two-match series will mean 60 points for each Test while a three-match series will give 40 points to each Test match. A tie will be 50 per cent of the points available, whereas a draw will be a 3:1 points ratio. The matches will be played in the same format as bilateral series but with the added context of a competition and one champion team. The number of matches in each series can vary between a minimum of two matches, to a maximum of five matches. The first cycle of the WTC consists of only five-day matches and will include day-night matches. Only matches identified as part of the WTC will count towards the championship.

International Cricket Council officially launches World Test Championship

Nearly one year after the election that brought<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-will-not-allow-armed-militia-in-the-country-imran-khan-238076"> Imran Khan</a> to power in Pakistan, the cricket-hero-turned-prime-minister faces growing anger as he chases an elusive target, how to right the South Asian nation's teetering economy.

Pakistan has been staring down the barrel of a balance of payments crisis since before last year's July 25 vote, and analysts have long warned that the new government must act quickly.

In one of his earliest speeches, Khan -- who led the cricket-mad country to World Cup victory in 1992, and campaigned on vows to build an Islamic welfare state -- tried to reassure voters, telling them repeatedly, "Do not panic."

But since then the rupee has lost nearly 30 per cent of its value and inflation is running at nearly nine per cent, and likely to continue rising.

"The price of tomatoes is touching the skies," 30-year-old Shama Parveen, who walked several kilometres through Karachi's sweltering heat to find cheaper produce, told AFP. "Life has become hard."

Watch: Imran Khan supporters clash against Pakistan minority groups protestors in US

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"I need to earn at least 1,000 rupees ($6.30) daily to meet my expenses," said 60-year-old Mohammad Ashraf, who sells henna dye.

"Nowadays I can hardly save 500 or 600 rupees... I sometimes think if I fall ill, how could I afford the medicines and treatment? I would die, I think."

Analysts warn that with Pakistan's galloping population increase far outstripping growth -- set to slow to 2.4 per cent this year -- the country will find no short-term relief, even after the International Monetary Fund approved its latest $6 billion loans.

Pakistan has a rocky relationship with the IMF, which has bailed it out many times before, and Khan secured billions in loans and investment from "friendly countries" including China and Saudi Arabia before going to the Fund.

But it was not enough.

Pakistanis are facing the grimmest part of a seemingly endless economic cycle, austerity imposed on millions of poor people, and futile demands for deep-rooted structural reform.

Traders held a one-day strike earlier this month, and on Friday about 8,000 people marched through the city of Rawalpindi to protest against rising prices.

"This government has completely failed ... they are making the country poorer with each passing day," Ayaz Ahmed, a 32-year-old university graduate, told AFP at the protest.

Mass demonstrations organised by opposition parties are planned for Thursday to mark Khan's one-year anniversary in office.

Worse than nuclear sanctions?

But while discontent is rising on social media, where viral TikTok videos mock Khan's promises, street protests remain a luxury for many.

"I cannot afford to lose even one day of earnings," said Karachi spice vendor Naseem Akhtar.

Asghar Ali, an associate economics professor at the University of Karachi, estimates that up to eight million people could slip beneath the poverty line in the coming days.

He singled out Khan's anti-corruption drive -- which has seen opposition leaders jailed and businesses "harassed" -- as causing "havoc".&nbsp;

For Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, chairman of the Research Institute of Islamic Banking, the situation is "worse than 1998, when the country survived international sanctions after nuclear tests".

Taxes are the issue, he argued.

Just one per cent of Pakistan's adult population is estimated to pay taxes. Khan's government is pushing hard to broaden the tax base but it remains to be seen whether the latest schemes rolled out by officials will make a difference.

But a tax amnesty by Khan "allows the rich to get their black money whitened by paying a mere 1.5 per cent tax", Siddiqui said.&nbsp;

"On the contrary, every poor man who buys essentials pay 17 per cent in (sales) tax."&nbsp;

Rarely do the poor "get to see the inside of a hospital or the schools built with those taxes", agreed Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif in a scathing New York Times opinion piece excoriating Khan's Pakistan recently.

Umer Farooq, an investment analyst at AKD Securities, said the policies are "largely fair", however.

"The real challenge for the government is how they will implement them," he said.

In the meantime, despair is growing.

Mohammad Imran, a 35-year-old vegetable seller in Karachi, said he can no longer pay his debts.

"What should I do? I would commit suicide someday."

Nearly one year after the election that brought Imran Khan to power in Pakistan, the cricket-hero-turned-prime-minister faces growing anger as he chases an elusive target, how to right the South Asian nation's teetering economy.

Nearly one year after the election that brought Imran Khan to power in Pakistan, the cricket-hero-turned-prime-minister faces growing anger as he chases an elusive target, how to right the South Asian nation's teetering economy. Pakistan has been staring down the barrel of a balance of payments crisis since before last year's July 25 vote, and analysts have long warned that the new government must act quickly. In one of his earliest speeches, Khan -- who led the cricket-mad country to World Cup victory in 1992, and campaigned on vows to build an Islamic welfare state -- tried to reassure voters, telling them repeatedly, "Do not panic." But since then the rupee has lost nearly 30 per cent of its value and inflation is running at nearly nine per cent, and likely to continue rising. "The price of tomatoes is touching the skies," 30-year-old Shama Parveen, who walked several kilometres through Karachi's sweltering heat to find cheaper produce, told AFP. "Life has become hard." Watch: Imran Khan supporters clash against Pakistan minority groups protestors in US × "I need to earn at least 1,000 rupees ($6.30) daily to meet my expenses," said 60-year-old Mohammad Ashraf, who sells henna dye. "Nowadays I can hardly save 500 or 600 rupees... I sometimes think if I fall ill, how could I afford the medicines and treatment? I would die, I think." Analysts warn that with Pakistan's galloping population increase far outstripping growth -- set to slow to 2.4 per cent this year -- the country will find no short-term relief, even after the International Monetary Fund approved its latest $6 billion loans. Pakistan has a rocky relationship with the IMF, which has bailed it out many times before, and Khan secured billions in loans and investment from "friendly countries" including China and Saudi Arabia before going to the Fund. But it was not enough. Pakistanis are facing the grimmest part of a seemingly endless economic cycle, austerity imposed on millions of poor people, and futile demands for deep-rooted structural reform. Traders held a one-day strike earlier this month, and on Friday about 8,000 people marched through the city of Rawalpindi to protest against rising prices. "This government has completely failed ... they are making the country poorer with each passing day," Ayaz Ahmed, a 32-year-old university graduate, told AFP at the protest. Mass demonstrations organised by opposition parties are planned for Thursday to mark Khan's one-year anniversary in office. Worse than nuclear sanctions? But while discontent is rising on social media, where viral TikTok videos mock Khan's promises, street protests remain a luxury for many. "I cannot afford to lose even one day of earnings," said Karachi spice vendor Naseem Akhtar. Asghar Ali, an associate economics professor at the University of Karachi, estimates that up to eight million people could slip beneath the poverty line in the coming days. He singled out Khan's anti-corruption drive -- which has seen opposition leaders jailed and businesses "harassed" -- as causing "havoc". For Shahid Hasan Siddiqui, chairman of the Research Institute of Islamic Banking, the situation is "worse than 1998, when the country survived international sanctions after nuclear tests". Taxes are the issue, he argued. Just one per cent of Pakistan's adult population is estimated to pay taxes. Khan's government is pushing hard to broaden the tax base but it remains to be seen whether the latest schemes rolled out by officials will make a difference. But a tax amnesty by Khan "allows the rich to get their black money whitened by paying a mere 1.5 per cent tax", Siddiqui said. "On the contrary, every poor man who buys essentials pay 17 per cent in (sales) tax." Rarely do the poor "get to see the inside of a hospital or the schools built with those taxes", agreed Pakistani author Mohammed Hanif in a scathing New York Times opinion piece excoriating Khan's Pakistan recently. Umer Farooq, an investment analyst at AKD Securities, said the policies are "largely fair", however. "The real challenge for the government is how they will implement them," he said. In the meantime, despair is growing. Mohammad Imran, a 35-year-old vegetable seller in Karachi, said he can no longer pay his debts. "What should I do? I would commit suicide someday."

Soaring prices, rising anger in Imran Khan's Pakistan

After coming out as the losing side in the ICC Men's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-world-cup-final-umpire-admits-error-report-237434">Cricket World Cup final</a>, New Zealand's opening batsman Martin Guptill posted an emotional message on Instagram saying it was the best and worst day of his cricketing life.

"Hard to believe it's been a week since that incredible Final at Lords. I think it was both the best and worst day of my cricketing life! So many different emotions, but mainly proud to represent New Zealand and play for the @blackcapsnz alongside a great group of mates. Thank you to everyone for all your support, it has been amazing," Guptill wrote on Instagram.

In another post, Guptill thanked his family for always being with him through thick and thin.

"I couldn't have been more proud to have my 2 best supporters with me for the ride. @lauramcgoldrick13 you are my rock. Thank you and Harley for being there through the good times and the tough. Love my girls more than anything," Guptill posted.

The final between New Zealand and England at the Lord's Cricket Ground on July 14 could not separate the two sides despite the 50-over match and subsequent super over as both ended in a tie.

England have finally declared the champions on the basis of boundary countback rule.

New Zealand had set up a target of 242 for England to win the World Cup.

As the hosts needed nine runs off three balls, Ben Stokes hit the ball into the deep and ran for a double. Guptill had thrown the ball in an attempt to run out Stokes but the ball bounced off Stokes'&nbsp;bat and reached the boundary giving England six runs.&nbsp;

Former ICC Elite umpire Simon Taufel had said that there was a judgement error by the on-field umpires and the six runs should not have been awarded."There was a judgment error on the overthrow.

The judgment error was the timing of when the fielder threw the ball. The act of the overthrow starts when the fielder releases the ball.

That's the act. It becomes an overthrow from the instant of the throw," Taufel had said.

In the super over, New Zealand needed two runs of the final ball for the win, but Guptill was run-out, ending the over in a tie and leaving the batsman distraught.

Many former cricketers had criticised the ICC for deciding the World Cup winner on the basis of boundary countback.&nbsp;

After coming out as the losing side in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final, New Zealand's opening batsman Martin Guptill posted an emotional message on Instagram saying it was the best and worst day of his cricketing life.

After coming out as the losing side in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final, New Zealand's opening batsman Martin Guptill posted an emotional message on Instagram saying it was the best and worst day of his cricketing life. "Hard to believe it's been a week since that incredible Final at Lords. I think it was both the best and worst day of my cricketing life! So many different emotions, but mainly proud to represent New Zealand and play for the @blackcapsnz alongside a great group of mates. Thank you to everyone for all your support, it has been amazing," Guptill wrote on Instagram. In another post, Guptill thanked his family for always being with him through thick and thin. "I couldn't have been more proud to have my 2 best supporters with me for the ride. @lauramcgoldrick13 you are my rock. Thank you and Harley for being there through the good times and the tough. Love my girls more than anything," Guptill posted. The final between New Zealand and England at the Lord's Cricket Ground on July 14 could not separate the two sides despite the 50-over match and subsequent super over as both ended in a tie. England have finally declared the champions on the basis of boundary countback rule. New Zealand had set up a target of 242 for England to win the World Cup. As the hosts needed nine runs off three balls, Ben Stokes hit the ball into the deep and ran for a double. Guptill had thrown the ball in an attempt to run out Stokes but the ball bounced off Stokes' bat and reached the boundary giving England six runs. Former ICC Elite umpire Simon Taufel had said that there was a judgement error by the on-field umpires and the six runs should not have been awarded."There was a judgment error on the overthrow. The judgment error was the timing of when the fielder threw the ball. The act of the overthrow starts when the fielder releases the ball. That's the act. It becomes an overthrow from the instant of the throw," Taufel had said. In the super over, New Zealand needed two runs of the final ball for the win, but Guptill was run-out, ending the over in a tie and leaving the batsman distraught. Many former cricketers had criticised the ICC for deciding the World Cup winner on the basis of boundary countback.

World Cup final was the best and worst day of my cricketing life: Martin Guptill

A Wimbledon Final Going Into A 5th Set Tie-Breaker, A Cricket World Cup Final That Ended In A Tie. The sunday (July 14, 2019) will stay in the memory of sports fans for ages to come. An epic Wimbledon final saw Djokovic defend the title by the most slender of margins even as Federer rolled back the years. 17 kilometres away, England won the final against New Zealand in a super over. What's more? It was the New Zealand-born English allrounder who won it for England. Palki sums up the two iconic events and adds some trivia too.

Gravitas: The Sunday sports' fans will never forget

England pacer Liam Plunkett is hopeful that the hosts can chase down the target given by the New Zealand team in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-cricket-world-cup-2019-final-england-vs-new-zealand-235710">final match of Cricket World Cup&nbsp;2019</a> on Sunday at Lord's.&nbsp;

Opting to bat first, New Zealand posted 241 for a loss of eight wickets in their bid to win the title for the first time.&nbsp;

Plunkett took three key wickets as England restricted the Black Caps to a modest total.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Sometimes it doesn't feel real," said Plunkett during the innings break.&nbsp;

"It's a good pitch, we bowled tight lines and restricted New Zealand. It's nice to know my role," he added.&nbsp;

"I tried to smash the pitch, use my variations and hope for the batsman to make a mistake," said Plunkett.&nbsp;

"I look to use cross-seamed deliveries a lot and the seam up is more of a variation for me. It's something that has worked for me for the last four years so I'm not going to change that," said the pacer on his bowling technique.&nbsp;

"New Zealand are a good batting team and hopefully we can chase that down now," he concluded his chat.&nbsp;

Both sides, desperate to win the tournament for the first time, retained the same XI from their contrasting semi-final victories.&nbsp;

England pacer Liam Plunkett is hopeful that the hosts can chase down the target given by the New Zealand team in the final match of Cricket World Cup 2019 on Sunday at Lord's.

England pacer Liam Plunkett is hopeful that the hosts can chase down the target given by the New Zealand team in the final match of Cricket World Cup 2019 on Sunday at Lord's. Opting to bat first, New Zealand posted 241 for a loss of eight wickets in their bid to win the title for the first time. Plunkett took three key wickets as England restricted the Black Caps to a modest total. "Sometimes it doesn't feel real," said Plunkett during the innings break. "It's a good pitch, we bowled tight lines and restricted New Zealand. It's nice to know my role," he added. "I tried to smash the pitch, use my variations and hope for the batsman to make a mistake," said Plunkett. "I look to use cross-seamed deliveries a lot and the seam up is more of a variation for me. It's something that has worked for me for the last four years so I'm not going to change that," said the pacer on his bowling technique. "New Zealand are a good batting team and hopefully we can chase that down now," he concluded his chat. Both sides, desperate to win the tournament for the first time, retained the same XI from their contrasting semi-final victories.

World Cup final: 'Hopefully we can chase that down,' says Liam Plunkett during innings break

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/england-defeat-new-zealand-to-win-the-cricket-world-cup-2019-title-235973">England won</a> the Cricket World Cup 2019 title after edging New Zealand in a Super Over on July 14&nbsp;at the Lord's Cricket Ground.&nbsp;

After the match was tied, it was forced into the Super Over, which was also tied and England won the match on an account of scoring more boundaries.&nbsp;

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was announced as the player of the tournament. With this feat, Williamson became the second skipper to win the player of the tournament in the history of World Cup.&nbsp;

New Zealand's Martin Crowe had achieved the feat in 1992 World Cup.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes won Man of the Match award for his match-winning knock in final match.&nbsp;

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Thrill. 
Excitement. 
Jubilation. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EoinMorgan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EoinMorgan</a> and his team are world champions! 🙌 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19FINAL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19FINAL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeAreEngland?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeAreEngland</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWC19?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWC19</a> <a href="https://t.co/8qbv446AEm">pic.twitter.com/8qbv446AEm</a>
— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) <a href="https://twitter.com/cricketworldcup/status/1150481430939615232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The seven-week long tournament came to an end after a dramatic finish at the "home of cricket" and here is a summarization of the entire tournament in stats and number.&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Man of the Cricket World Cup 2019 final Match - England's&nbsp;Ben Stokes</li>
	<li>Player of the tournament - New Zealand skipper&nbsp;Kane Williamson&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Highest individual score by Australian&nbsp;David Warner (166)</li>
	<li>Most runs scored in the tournament by Indian opener&nbsp;Rohit Sharma (648)&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Rohit also scored the most number of boundaries in the tournament (67)</li>
	<li>Best batting average by Bangladesh's&nbsp;Shakib al Hasan (86.5)</li>
	<li>Most half-centuries - Shakib (5 fifties in 8 innings)</li>
	<li>Fastest fifty by Australia's&nbsp;Alex Carey. He scored the half-century in 25 deliveries against India&nbsp;</li>
	<li>England captain Eoin Morgan scored the fastest century. He smashed the ton in 57 deliveries against Afghanistan&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Morgan struck most sixes in the tournament (22)</li>
	<li>Most centuries - Rohit Sharma (5)</li>
	<li>Most wickets by Australian pacer&nbsp;Mitchell Starc (27)&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Highest innings score by England (397/6)&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Largest margin of defeat suffered by Afghanistan against England&nbsp;</li>
	<li>New Zealand had the best win percentage in the tournament&nbsp;- 75 per cent (India's win per cent was also 75)</li>
	<li>714 —&nbsp;most runs scored in one match between. The match was between&nbsp;Australia and&nbsp;Bangladesh</li>
	<li>Total sixes smashed in the tournament - 359&nbsp;</li>
	<li>Total wickets taken in the tournament - 675</li>
	<li>Best bowling figure by&nbsp;Pakistan's young bowler&nbsp;Shaheen Shah Afridi - 6/35</li>
	<li>Best bowling economy by Sri Lanka&nbsp;Angelo Mathews - 3.00</li>
	<li>Most wins by a team in the tournament - Australia (7)</li>
	<li>Most losses by a team in the tournament - Afghanistan (9)</li>
	<li>Indian star pacer Jasprit Bumrah bowled the most number of maiden overs (9 overs)</li>
	<li>England's Jofra Archer bowled the highest number of&nbsp;dot balls (372 dot balls)</li>
</ul>

England won the Cricket World Cup 2019 title after edging New Zealand in a Super Over on July 14 at the Lord's Cricket Ground. After the match was tied, it was forced into the Super Over, which was also tied and England won the match on an account of scoring more boundaries.

England won the Cricket World Cup 2019 title after edging New Zealand in a Super Over on July 14 at the Lord's Cricket Ground. After the match was tied, it was forced into the Super Over, which was also tied and England won the match on an account of scoring more boundaries. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson was announced as the player of the tournament. With this feat, Williamson became the second skipper to win the player of the tournament in the history of World Cup. New Zealand's Martin Crowe had achieved the feat in 1992 World Cup. England all-rounder Ben Stokes won Man of the Match award for his match-winning knock in final match. Thrill. Excitement. Jubilation. #EoinMorgan and his team are world champions! 🙌 #CWC19FINAL | #WeAreEngland | #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/8qbv446AEm — Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 14, 2019 × The seven-week long tournament came to an end after a dramatic finish at the "home of cricket" and here is a summarization of the entire tournament in stats and number. Man of the Cricket World Cup 2019 final Match - England's Ben Stokes Player of the tournament - New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson Highest individual score by Australian David Warner (166) Most runs scored in the tournament by Indian opener Rohit Sharma (648) Rohit also scored the most number of boundaries in the tournament (67) Best batting average by Bangladesh's Shakib al Hasan (86.5) Most half-centuries - Shakib (5 fifties in 8 innings) Fastest fifty by Australia's Alex Carey. He scored the half-century in 25 deliveries against India England captain Eoin Morgan scored the fastest century. He smashed the ton in 57 deliveries against Afghanistan Morgan struck most sixes in the tournament (22) Most centuries - Rohit Sharma (5) Most wickets by Australian pacer Mitchell Starc (27) Highest innings score by England (397/6) Largest margin of defeat suffered by Afghanistan against England New Zealand had the best win percentage in the tournament - 75 per cent (India's win per cent was also 75) 714 — most runs scored in one match between. The match was between Australia and Bangladesh Total sixes smashed in the tournament - 359 Total wickets taken in the tournament - 675 Best bowling figure by Pakistan's young bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi - 6/35 Best bowling economy by Sri Lanka Angelo Mathews - 3.00 Most wins by a team in the tournament - Australia (7) Most losses by a team in the tournament - Afghanistan (9) Indian star pacer Jasprit Bumrah bowled the most number of maiden overs (9 overs) England's Jofra Archer bowled the highest number of dot balls (372 dot balls)

From most runs to best average, Cricket World Cup 2019 in stats and numbers

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