Babar Azam lauded a much-needed T20 World Cup victory for Pakistan against Canada on Tuesday, though still regretted his side not wrapping up the win sooner.
Pakistan made light work of their 107-run target in New York, easing to their first win at this year's competition with 15 balls to spare and still boasting seven wickets in hand.
Mohammad Rizwan made a run-a-ball 53 in the chase, while captain Babar added 33 in what proved to be a routine victory.
Yet having already suffered a shock opening defeat to the United States and a low-scoring loss to rivals India, Babar was frustrated Pakistan could not finish the task sooner against Canada.
"Good for us, we need this win," Babar said during his post-match interview. "We started well with the bowling, in the first six overs we knew we had to be up to the mark.
"[Net run-rate] was in our mind, to win before 14 overs but the pitch made it difficult."
Mohammad Amir managed an economical 2-13 from his four-over spell as Canada's batters failed to get going against Pakistan.
The Pakistan bowler was named Player of the Match for his efforts, referencing a need for adaptability in the USA and West Indies.
"As a bowler you have to adopt the conditions, what the conditions are demanding," Amir said. "My role is very clear, what I'm going to do with the new ball and at the death.
"That's why I'm getting that success. That was a very important win. One more, who knows..."
Canada captain Saad Bin Zafar, meanwhile, was left frustrated.
"Definitely, it was a bit disappointing," he said. "We wanted to play a positive brand of cricket and I think the wicket was not very helpful.
"It was difficult to bat early on; not a good toss to lose. We were about 25 to 30 runs short."
Ukraine completed their Euro 2024 preparations with a commanding 4-0 victory over Moldova in Chisinau.
Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk were on target for Serhiy Rebrov's side, who begin their Group E campaign against Romania next Monday.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Andrii Lunin returned between the sticks for Ukraine, were seeking a response to Friday's 2-1 loss against Poland - and only their second defeat under Rebrov.
Just two minutes were on the clock when Yaremchuk broke the deadlock on his 50th cap and, though Vitalii Mykolenko limped off in the 30th minute, Viktor Tsyhankov doubled the lead before half-time.
Girona striker Dovbyk - LaLiga's top scorer for 2023-24 with 24 goals - got in on the act four minutes after the restart, before Heorhii Sudakov's strike in the 54th minute completed a comfortable win.
Ukraine completed their Euro 2024 preparations with a commanding 4-0 victory over Moldova in Chisinau on Tuesday.
Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk were on target for Serhiy Rebrov's side, who begin their Group E campaign against Romania next Monday.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Andrii Lunin returned between the sticks for Ukraine, who were seeking a response to Friday's 2-1 loss against Poland.
Just two minutes were on the clock when Yaremchuk broke the deadlock on his 50th cap and, though Vitalii Mykolenko limped off in the 30th minute, Viktor Tsyhankov doubled the lead before half-time.
Girona striker Dovbyk – LaLiga's top scorer for 2023-24 with 24 goals – got in on the act four minutes after the restart, before Heorhii Sudakov's strike in the 54th minute completed a comfortable win.
Data Debrief: Yaremchuk moves level with Rebrov
Ukraine will head to Euro 2024 in a confident mood, having lost just two of their 13 matches since Rebrov took charge last June.
Yaremchuk got the ball rolling with his 15th international goal, moving him level with his head coach and joint-fourth on the Blue and Yellow's all-time list behind Andriy Shevchenko (48), Andriy Yarmolenko (46) and Yevhen Konoplyanka (21).
Rory McIlroy still harbours hopes of an elusive fifth major title as the US Open awaits at Pinehurst's famed Number Two course in North Carolina.
The Northern Irishman will start the tournament on Friday aiming to end a decade-long wait for another major crown.
McIlroy has won three times this year, defending his Hero Dubai Desert Classic title on the DP World Tour before consecutive PGA Tour victories at the Zurich Classic and Wells Fargo Championship.
The world number three has not tasted major success since his PGA Championship glory back in 2014, but McIlroy believes further joy on the biggest golfing stage could be on the cards this week.
"I've always said I still feel like being the most successful European in the game is within my reach," McIlroy said in his pre-tournament press conference.
"I've got obviously Seve [Ballesteros] and Nick Faldo to pass there in terms of major wins.
"I'm really proud of my body of work over the past 15 years and everything that I have achieved, whether it be season-long titles or individual tournaments or majors.
"Getting my hands on a fifth major has taken quite a while, but I'm more confident than ever that I'm right there, that I'm as close as I've ever been."
Despite enjoying consistent success in various PGA Tour and DP World Tour competitions, major success has remained a challenge for the 35-year-old since his one-shot victory at Valhalla 10 years ago.
McIlroy finished tied for 22nd and 12th at the first two majors this year, The Masters and PGA Championship respectively.
Therefore, the four-time major winner refused to put a target on how many such victories he continues to aim for.
"I wouldn't say I have a particular number of wins [as a target]," he added. "I think the only thing about trying to pick a number is that you're setting yourself up for failure or disappointment.
"Tiger [Woods] wanted to surpass Jack [Nicklaus]. It looks like he might not get there, but are we going to call Tiger's career a failure? Absolutely not. It's arguably the best. He's played the best golf anyone's ever seen.
"There's always going to be that tinge of what could have been. I don't want to do that to myself. If someone had told me at 20 years old I'd be sitting here at 35 and this is the career I've had, I would not have believed them and I would have been ecstatic.
"I still have a good little bit of time here, hopefully for the next 10 years. I still like to think I've got a good run ahead of me.
"Whatever those numbers are, whatever the totals add up to, I'll accept that and feel like I've done pretty well for a little boy from Northern Ireland who dreamed of playing golf for a living one day."
Pakistan boosted their slim hopes of qualifying for the T20 World Cup Super 8s with a seven-wicket victory over Canada.
Muhammad Rizwan made an unbeaten half-century to give the Green Shirts a much-needed win in New York, having started their campaign with back-to-back defeats against the United States and India.
Aaron Johnson top-scored for Canada with an impressive 52 off 44 balls - including four sixes - as the Maple Leafers finished at 106-7.
Rizwan and Babar Azam led Pakistan's charge with a stand of 63.
Azam fell on 33 as he was caught off Dilon Heyliger, but Rizwan kept things ticking over before Usman Khan wrapped up the victory with 15 balls to spare.
Data Debrief: Ton up for Rauf
Pakistan are still in the hunt for a Super 8s spot, though they must comfortably beat Ireland in the final Group A game and hope for favourable results from elsewhere to secure a top-two finish.
On a brighter note, Haris Rauf's figure of 2-26 saw him notch up his 100th wicket in T20Is, becoming only the second player from his nation to hit triple figures after Shadab Khan.
England must "earn the right" to start thinking about T20 World Cup permutations, says Jos Buttler, whose side face a humiliating early exit in the group stage.
Matthew Mott's white-ball were defeated by Australia on Saturday, with their 36-run loss leaving them staring at a group-stage elimination in their T20I title defence.
That result was compounded by Scotland's thrashing of Oman with 41 balls to spare as England suffered another blow to their hopes of progressing via net run-rate.
Another must-win match against Oman looms on Thursday, where England have to triumph before any other calculations of permutations can begin, says captain Buttler.
"I don't think it's s**t or bust quite yet," Buttler told reporters in Antigua. "I think it's quite clear what we need to do and how we need to play.
"First and foremost, we need to win the game against Oman to have any chance going forward into the next one.
"So we have to earn the right to try and win the game. And if we can get ourselves in a position to affect our net run-rate, obviously that's what we need to do."
England then face Namibia on Saturday to round off their group-stage campaign, though two victories for Buttler's side may still not be enough.
Scotland could still knock them out by beating Australia in their final match after England meet Namibia, when the Scots will have an advantage of a clear picture of what is required.
"We've looked at a few little bits but it's going to be ever-changing throughout the game," Buttler added.
"I don't think we need to consume too much energy today and tomorrow saying 'we need to score 'X' amount of runs or win by this much'. I think those kinds of things will develop on the day.
"That's the situation we find ourselves in, so we have to be aware of that, but not be consumed by that.
"If we try and do that bit first and forget about trying to win the game and lose, then you've got no chance anyway.
"So I'd rather have some kind of chance going into the last game, and know exactly what we need to."
England's white-ball struggles at the tournament have raised questions about Buttler's captaincy and coach Mott's tenure.
Buttler has no interest in the speculation surrounding his stewardship, however.
"I care more about the team than the media and the outside noise," he added. "That's always there, it's part of international sport. If you get to this level, you have to be able to deal with it, the job you guys do, that's the job TV does.
"It's probably harder to completely ignore it in this day and age, but there's a level of acceptance. Our focus has to be on what we can do with our performance.
"I've played the game long enough now to know that it's very good at building people up and pretty good at criticising when it doesn't go right, especially in England.
"I do the same thing when I'm watching a game of football or rugby – 'how's he missed that from there?' 'How did he miss from one-yard out', or 'someone's dropped the ball over the line'. Simple things like that.
"People care. That's why we're able to do what we do because people care and they want to watch. We're a proud team, we want to perform really well for all the fans.
"But to be honest, all the focus is on us and how well we can play. If we play as well as we can, we'll make our fans happy."
Nicolo Barella has ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a new deal with Inter.
The Italy midfielder, whose existing contract was due to expire in June 2026, has put pen to paper on fresh terms, keeping him with the Nerazzurri until 2029.
Barella had been linked with a move away from San Siro, with Premier League sides Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United reportedly interested in securing his services.
The 27-year-old has made 235 appearances for Inter since arriving from Cagliari on an initial loan deal in July 2019, helping the club win two Serie A and Coppa Italia titles, and the 2019-20 Europa League and 2022-23 Champions League finals.
"Today, I am extremely happy and moved to extend my contract with Inter for a number of years," he told the club's official website.
"I have never had any doubts. I believe in this project and, most of all, I wanted to sign before the European tournament. I am truly proud to be able to keep fighting for the colours of this great club for years to come.
"My wish is to continue on the successful journey that the squad and coach have experienced in recent years. We want to keep growing and bring more joy to our fans.
"We have had unforgettable moments with them, and I am sure there will be many more. I cannot wait to go again in front of the wonderful Nerazzurri fans, all of us together for Inter."
Barella is currently on international duty with Italy, and is in a race to be fit for the reigning champions' Euro 2024 opener against Albania in Group B on Saturday.
The midfielder, who missed the Azzurri's final warm-up matches against Turkiye and Bosnia-Herzegovina with a muscle injury, trained separately from the rest of his team-mates on Tuesday.
However, head coach Luciano Spalletti expects him to be fit for Italy's European Championship bow in Dortmund.
The New York Jets opened mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday, but neither quarterback Aaron Rodgers nor edge rusher Haason Reddick were present.
Coach Robert Saleh said neither player was excused, meaning both are subject to fines.
Players who miss camp without an excused absence can be fined $16,953 for missing the first day, and $33,908 for the second day for a total of $50,861.
Saleh told reporters Rodgers' absence for the first day of camp is because he's attending something that is "very important to him."
Reddick is seeking a new contract, but after he skipped last week's voluntary workouts, Saleh said he expected him to be present for the start of the team's mandatory camp.
Rodgers, however, attended last week's workouts, as well as organised team activities throughout the off-season.
"Aaron and I spoke before OTAs started," Saleh said. "He's been very good with communication. He's been here the entire time. It's inexcused, but he had an event that was very important to him - which he communicated."
The four-time league MVP also told Saleh he would not attend Wednesday's work-out.
Rodgers is returning from a torn left Achilles tendon that was sustained in the 2023 opener, ending his season just four snaps into his Jets tenure.
Reddick was acquired by the Jets in a March trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. A two-time Pro Bowler, he had 11 sacks last season and 58 in his seven-year pro career.
Andy Murray suffered a third successive first-round defeat, as he was beaten in straight sets by Marcos Giron at the BOSS Open.
The three-time major champion fell at the first hurdle for the seventh time this season, with Giron prevailing 6-3 6-4 after 75 minutes in Stuttgart.
Giron, who was runner-up to compatriot Tommy Paul in Dallas in February, broke in game six as he won nine out of 10 points, before going on to take the opening set.
Murray - a Stuttgart finalist in 2022 - looked to respond as he won eight of the opening nine points at the start of the second.
However, he saw two break points go begging as Giron held before breaking to 15 in game three.
It proved decisive for the American, who clinched victory with a love hold to set up a last-16 clash with Jack Draper.
Data Debrief: Murray set to drop out of world's top 100
Giron hit seven aces and won 80 per cent (33 out of 41) of his first-serve points on the way to claiming his first ATP win over a current or former world number one.
The 999th singles match of Murray's career ended in an 11th defeat of 2024. Having not won a completed match since beating Tomas Etcheverry at the Miami Open, the 37-year-old will drop out of the world's top 100 next week for the first time since January 2022.
Jon Rahm has admitted that he is unsure whether he will be fit enough to feature in this week's 124th US Open at Pinehurst.
The Spaniard, who won the title in 2021, turned up with an injured foot on Tuesday having withdrawn from the second round of LIV Houston last week with an infection.
Upon his arrival in North Carolina, Rahm revealed that his foot was a concern ahead of the competition.
"It is doing better, but the pain is high," said the 29-year-old, "I have a little hole between my pinky toe and next one and it got infected.
"I got a shot to numb the pain [before the second round in Houston] that was supposed to last all round and it lasted two holes."
The world number eight has not won since making the move to LIV Golf from the PGA Tour last December. He shared 45th at the Masters and missed the cut at last month's PGA Championship.
When asked if there was a good chance he might not play this week, he replied: "I don’t know. The infection is now controlled, but there's still swelling and there's still pain.
"There's a reason I walked out here in a shoe and a flip-flop, trying to keep the area dry and trying to get that to heal as soon as possible. But I can only do what I can do. The human body can only work so fast."
Ons Jabeur eased past Camila Osorio in straight sets to progress to the next round of the Nottingham Open.
The three-time grand slam champion returned to the East Midlands for the first team since 2014, and got her grass court season off to a winning start with a 6-2 6-3 win over the Colombian.
It was the perfect start for the world number 10, who earned a break point in the opening game before going on to win the first set, but the Tunisian was made to work to secure her triumph.
Osorio matched Jabeur early on, but the top seed at the tournament showcased her class to come through the encounter, building on her quarter-final run at the French Open as her preparations for Wimbledon continue.
Jabeur will face Linda Fruhvirtova in the next round of the competition.
Data Debrief: Top seed Jabeur through to next round
The world number 10 was at her clinical best, winning 84 per cent of her first serve points.
Jabeur's win saw her unbeaten record continue against Osorio, having last prevailed at Roland-Garros in May.
Aston Villa owner Nassef Sawiris says he is considering legal action against the Premier League over its Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Sawiris, Egypt's richest man, claims the rules, which place a limit on the amount clubs are able to lose across a three-year period, "do not make sense".
At the Premier League's annual general meeting last Thursday, Villa had a proposal to raise the maximum permitted losses from £105million to £135million rejected.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Sawiris claimed he was seeking advice over the prospect of taking legal action against them.
He said: "Some of the rules have actually resulted in cementing the status quo more than creating upward mobility and fluidity in the sport.
"The rules do not make sense and are not good for football.
"Managing a sports team has become more like being a treasurer or a bean counter rather than looking at what your team needs.
"It's more about creating paper profits, not real profits. It becomes a financial game, not a sporting game."
Premier League clubs did, however, agree to trial new financial systems next season at the meeting, including a cap on spending which would replace PSR from the 2025-26 campaign.
Both Everton and Nottingham Forest received point deductions for breaching the PSR limit in the 2023-24 season. In March, Villa reported a loss of £119.6million up to May 31, 2023.
Meanwhile, a hearing began on Monday after Manchester City took legal action against the Premier League's Associated Party Transaction rules (APT), which are designed to regulate clubs signing sponsorship deals with companies linked to their owners.
Toni Kroos urged Germany to embrace the "special" pressure of hosting Euro 2024, as Julian Nagelsmann's side prepare to launch the tournament on Friday.
DFB will host their first major international tournament since the 2006 World Cup, where they finished third after losing to eventual champions Italy in the semi-finals.
Germany launch their campaign against Scotland at Munich Football Arena on Friday, while also facing Hungary and Switzerland in Group A.
And Kroos, who will retire from football after the tournament, wants his team-mates to enjoy the "great honour" of playing in their home event.
"At every tournament on home soil [there is pressure]. It is even more special," the midfielder told reporters during a press conference.
"We know the pressure is there, we don't want to brush it aside, but we have to enjoy this pressure. We want to influence the atmosphere positively, and we have to make amends for past tournaments.
"We know what this is about, but it is also a great honour and joy to play this tournament. How many players do get to play a home tournament?"
Germany are hoping for an upturn in fortunes in major tournaments after suffering back-to-back World Cup group-stage exits, while they were beaten by England in the round of 16 at Euro 2020.
Nagelsmann's side have also endured mixed form in the lead-up to this tournament. Their final warm-up matches brought a goalless draw with Ukraine, and a narrow 2-1 victory over Greece.
Kroos knows the hosts need to up their game, but feels they have the perfect stage on which to address their form.
"You know what is possible when you see the squad quality we have," he added. "But we also see that during some phases in matches, there is room for improvement.
"There is no better opportunity to show in a tournament that we can play well. That is the task.
"If we want to play a good role then it is inevitable that we must minimise these phases when we don't play well as a team. There are teams coming [in the tournament] that will punish us and then the tournament is over."
Emma Raducanu made a successful return from injury at the Nottingham Open with a straight-sets victory over Ena Shibahara.
The 21-year-old opted to miss Roland Garros and focus on her grass season, with the decision paying off as she earned a 6-1, 6-4 win on Tuesday.
Raducanu cruised through the first set and looked set to race through the second as well when she took a commanding 5-1 lead.
Shibahara upped her level and got a double break as errors crept into the Briton's game to force a nervy ending to the set, but Raducanu held out to get her first win on grass since Wimbledon in 2022.
She will now face Daria Snigur in the next round.
Data Debrief: Raducanu all smiles on injury return
Raducanu has been out of action since exiting the Madrid Open in April, but she impressed in her opener in Nottingham.
Despite the nervy end to the game when Shibahara showed some fight, Raducanu was in full control, winning seven games in a row, while also converting six of her eight break points.
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