Australia’s Warner and Agar heading back to India for ODI series

The second All-Pakistan Veteran Football League kicked off here at Tahmas Khan Football Stadium on Thursday DG Sports Khyber

Pakhtunkhwa Khalid Khan was the chief guest on this occasion Director Operations Azizullah, DSO Peshawar Gul Rukh Patron in Chief Hussain Ahmed, DSO Chitral Ameer Zaman and other guests participated in large numbers Eight football teams from Pakistan are participating in the league The matches are being played on the basis of the single league basis The tournament will continue till February 26 Peshawar Club and Veteran Football Club Kohat played an interesting match wherein a large number of spectators enjoyed the thrilling matches In the first half, both teams scored one goal each, while in the second half, Kohat scored on a penalty Peshawar on the other hands scored two quick goals in the second half and marched into victory against the strong Kohat team With this victory Peshawar team managed to get two points During the match, former captain of Pakistan team Arshad Khan scored one goal Former Pakistan team player Adil scored two goals while Siraj scored one goal Naveed scored the only goal from the Kohat Veteran team in the first half Hussain Ahmed appreciated the cooperation of Deputy Commissioner, Lower Chitral, Muhammad Ali Khan for organizing the league and expressed the hope that he would continue to support such activities in the future

Untroubled Swiatek into Dubai semi-finals

DUBAI

Ag e n c e s

World number one Iga Swiatek swept past Liudmila Samsonova for the loss of just one game in the last 16 of the Dubai WTA tournament on Wednesday, earning praise from fellow threetime major winner Andy Murray The 21-yearold Pole was then handed a walkover into the semi-finals when scheduled quarter-final opponent Karolina Pliskova pulled out with an injury

On Wednesday, Swiatek triumphed 6-1, 6-0 over Samsonova to follow her opening 6-1, 6-1 win over Leylah Fernandez Swiatek has dropped only eight games in her last six matches, a stretch which saw her lift the Doha title last weekend She is different tweeted men s former world number one Murray in appreciation

Reigning French and US Open champion Swiatek was to have faced former Dubai finalist Pliskova in Thursday’s quarter-finals but the Czech said a virus would force her withdrawal

After playing the finals here a few years ago and doing very well this year, it’s very disappointing for me,” tweeted Pliskova “But after struggling with a virus and cramps for a couple hours right after my match, I’m not able to continue ” Pliskova had booked her last-eight spot with a 7-5 6-7 (6/8) 6-2 victory over Ukraine s

Anhelina Kalinina Australian Open champion

Aryna Sabalenka made it 13 wins in 13 matches in 2023 by dethroning defending champion Jelena Ostapenko 2-6, 6-1, 6-1

SYDNEY R e u t e R s

David Warner and Ashton Agar were included in Australia’s squad for next month’s one-day international series in India on Thursday despite being sent home from the test tour this week

Recently injured all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Glenn Maxwell were also included in the squad for the three-match series, which starts in Mumbai on March 17 and continues with matches in Vizag and Chennai

Opener Warner was concussed and suffered an elbow fracture when batting in the second test, while Agar was sent home to play domestic cricket after being nudged down the pecking order of spinners by Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann

Pat Cummins, who also flew home from India after the drubbing in Delhi because of a family illness, will captain the team in a series that will help Australia prepare for the World Cup in India later this year

All-rounder Cameron Green and left-armpaceman Mitchell Starc were also included in the squad in anticipation of their recovery from the broken fingers which prevented them from playing in the first two tests

Paceman Josh Hazlewood was left out to allow him to recover from an Achilles injury that also prevented him from playing any part in the test series

“It would be great for Josh to be part of this series but we have taken a conser-