Rugby-Tandy appointed as Wales coach
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The Star
a few seconds ago
- The Star
Cricket-From sidekick to showstopper, Siraj reinvents himself in England
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - International Test Match Series - Fifth Test - England v India - Kia Oval, London, Britain - August 4, 2025 India's Mohammed Siraj poses after winning the player of the match award after India won the match to draw the test series Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs/File Photo (Reuters) -Mohammed Siraj landed in England as Jasprit Bumrah's trusted sidekick and then produced a stellar display across five gruelling tests to prove that he possesses both the heart and the craft to lead India's pace battery. India arrived with a depleted attack after veteran seamer Mohammed Shami was deemed unfit for the tour and pace spearhead Bumrah available only for three of the five tests as part of his workload management. It meant Siraj had to shoulder a bigger responsibility and the 31-year-old responded with a lion-hearted effort - playing all five tests and finishing the series as its highest wicket-taker. Thanks largely to his never-say-die attitude, India drew the series 2-2, winning in Birmingham and at the Oval - incidentally matches that Bumrah sat out. Siraj bowled a staggering 185-odd overs in the series claiming 23 wickets and drawing 283 false shots - edges or misses - according to data and analytics provider CricViz. England coach Brendon McCullum was among those impressed by Siraj's tireless aggression. "You got to tip your cap sometimes," McCullum told Test Match Special after Siraj fashioned India's thrilling six-run win in the series finale on Monday. "A guy playing his fifth test match (of the series), bowling 30 overs, bowling 90 miles-an-hour in the 30th over to take five wickets to get the job done - fair play." Siraj not only survived the rigour of playing five tests in a row but was also unrelenting whenever he had the ball in his hand, regardless of the stage of the match. It prompted England batting mainstay Joe Root to call Siraj a "real warrior" while former India captain Virat Kohli singled out the bowler for his relentless aggression. "Special mention to Siraj who will put everything on the line for the team. Extremely happy for him," Kohli wrote on X. Siraj, who won the player of the match award at The Oval, did not fuss about his workload and said his "body is fine". "(Whether) you bowl the sixth over or the ninth over, I don't care," he told reporters on Monday. "I believe you bowl every ball for your country, not for yourself. (When) you play for the country, give it everything." (Reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; Editing by Alison Williams)
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Rugby-Porecki makes surprise call to retire after breaking back into Wallabies
MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australia hooker Dave Porecki has retired from professional rugby only weeks after reviving his test career. The New South Wales Waratah battled injuries in recent seasons but made his first Australia appearance under coach Joe Schmidt against Fiji last month after nearly two years out of the Wallabies. After suffering a concussion against Fiji and missing the first British & Irish Lions test in Brisbane, Porecki was recalled for the second clash in Melbourne before being sidelined for the third and final test in Sydney due to a cut heel at training. Capped 21 times for the Wallabies, Porecki said it was the right time to start a new chapter in his life. "Rugby has given me so much to be thankful for and has been such a massive part of my life for so long but it feels like the right time for me to turn the page," he said in a statement on Tuesday. "There's a lot of people who have supported me in my journey, and to them I'll be forever grateful. "I'm especially looking forward to spending more time with my wife Shani and kids Luca, Charlie and Billie. "I look forward to continuing to support the game away from the field in this next stage of my life." Porecki was part of Australia's 2023 World Cup squad and became the 88th Wallabies captain after injury to Will Skelton, leading the side in three of their four pool matches at the tournament. Schmidt praised Porecki as the "the ultimate professional and quiet achiever." "He doesn't say a lot, preferring to get on with the job and to lead by example, and he's done that really well for the time that I've known him," he said. (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Kim Coghill)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-Chinese club Shandong given 2-year ban from Asian club competition after no-show
(Reuters) -Chinese club Shandong Taishan has been banned from Asian club competition for two years for its no-show against South Korean side Ulsan HD in the Asian Champions League (ACL) Elite in February. The Chinese Super League side pulled out hours before the February 19 match, blaming "serious physical discomfort" of players and saying they were unable to form a team. The Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Disciplinary and Ethics Commission said Shandong would not be able to play in the AFC's club competitions up to and including the 2026/27 season editions, and fined the club $50,000. It also ordered Shandong to return a participation fee of $600,000 and a performance bonus of $200,000 to the AFC along with compensation of $40,000 to Ulsan "in respect of damages and losses claimed" by the South Korean club. Shandong's pull-out came days after the club said it had banned supporters for "inappropriate behaviour" during a home ACL match against South Korean team Gwangju after fans in the crowd displayed images of South Korea's last military dictator Chun Doo-hwan. Hundreds of people are estimated to have died or gone missing when the South Korean government violently put down the Gwangju uprising by pro-democracy protesters in May 1980, when Chun was the de facto leader of the country after leading a military coup. (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Jamie Freed)
