New Zealand, Pakistan face-off
MELBOURNE - New Zealand, cricket’s quiet achievers, and Pakistan, the game’s most unpredictable side, clash in the opening Twenty20 World Cup semi-final today after making their way to the knockout rounds by starkly contrasting paths.
The Black Caps hammered hosts and champions Australia in their tournament opener, had a match washed out and lost a high-quality contest to England before reaching a fifth successive white-ball World Cup semi-final as group winners.
Pakistan’s journey started with a remarkable loss to India in front of 92 000 fans at Melbourne Cricket Ground which was followed by an equally dramatic upset at the hands of Zimbabwe and a rain-disrupted win over South Africa.
Upset
They scraped into the last four by beating Bangladesh but only after a stunning upset of South Africa by the Dutch in the final round of group matches had cleared the path. You get the impression, however, that that is pretty much the way Pakistan like it.
If Pakistan will be looking to ride the momentum of their great escape from the group, New Zealand will be relying on a tried and tested philosophy as they seek to reach the final against India or England.
Blue skies are forecast for the Sydney Cricket Ground today for what could be an intriguing contrast between two well-balanced teams boasting some fine pace bowling.
For some, the match has echoes of the 1992 50-overs World Cup in Australia, where Pakistan scraped into the last four before beating tournament favourites New Zealand in the semis and England in the final.
Nyon - UEFA met with A22 Sports, the company backing a proposed European Super League (ESL), in Nyon, Switzerland yesterday and once again rejected the idea of a breakaway league, the governing body said.
The meeting involved UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and officials from Europe’s top leagues as they met with A22 Sports’ new CEO Bernd Reichart and its founders Anas Laghrari and John Hahn.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi, European Club Association (ECA) Chairman and Paris Saint-Germain President, also attended the meeting along with the CEOs of several clubs and representatives from supporters’ associations. “In line with the unity of European football, UEFA and the participating football stakeholders once again unanimously rejected the rationale underpinning projects such as ESL during today’s discussion,” UEFA said in a statement.
“The participants took note, with surprise, the claims of A22 Sports CEO that this company is not representing any clubs in any capacity, including the three clubs who continue to openly support the project.”
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus were among 12 clubs to announce a breakaway Super League in April last year but, after a hostile reaction from across the game including fans and governments alike, the move promptly collapsed.
All six English clubs - Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur - plus Inter Milan, AC Milan and Atletico Madrid withdrew from the project.