Category: 6. Sports

Pakistan’s premier batter Babar Azam has once again attracted interest from England, with County Cricket clubs approaching him to feature in the final stages of their season.

Babar, who has previously represented Somerset, was approached by County teams, with Yorkshire and Warwickshire reportedly the teams asking him to participate in the rest of the tournament. While there is no official word, reports from journalist Saj Sadiq suggest the star batter is unlikely to accept the offers at this time.

The short remaining window of the English County Championship season, coupled with the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) policy on issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs), has tilted his decision towards staying back. The policy allows centrally contracted players to participate in a limited number of overseas leagues per year. Accepting the County stint now would mean using one of those NOCs, leaving Babar with fewer options to explore in high-profile global tournaments later in the season. He is expected to use one of his NOCs to play in the Big Bash League in December.

Babar Azam has previously enjoyed successful stints in England, representing Somerset in the T20 Blast and gaining praise for his ability to adapt to seaming conditions, but hasn’t donned the County Cricket whites. His absence this time, however, is more about strategy than opportunity. The right-hander currently has a spot open in his calendar after being left out of Pakistan’s Asia Cup squad.

County cricket officials, meanwhile, are believed to have made late approaches, hoping to secure Babar’s services for their final push. While his decision not to join may disappoint English fans, it signals his intent to preserve flexibility for bigger assignments.

For now, Babar Azam seems content letting this County season pass by, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the bigger picture.

Lachlan Kennedy will miss the 2025 World Athletics Championships (13-21 September), he announced on social media.

The Australian sprinter competed earlier this year at the Indoor Championships in Nanjing, People’s Republic of China, where he won the silver medal in the men’s 60m.

But Kennedy will be forced to skip the World Championships with a growing back issue, having suffered a stress facture that the 21-year-old does not want to risk aggravating by going out to Japan next month.

“It’s with a heavy heart I have to announce that I will not be competing at this year’s World Championships in Tokyo due to a progressing injury,” Kennedy wrote on social media. “Grateful for the year and the support I’ve received, I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ll use this time to heal, grow and comeback stronger than ever.”

The Olympian holds the national record in the 60m and the 4x100m, the latter of which he and his teammates achieved at Paris 2024. Kennedy had come in as a last-minute replacement on the opening leg, contributing to the Australian and Oceanian record.

On the injury keeping Kennedy out of the World Championships, his manager Nic Bideau told news.com.au, “He’s been dealing with a sore back for a while and it’s not good enough for him to run,”

“He hasn’t been able to train, and he just doesn’t want to go [to Tokyo] to pick up a tracksuit, he’s the sort of guy who knows he can compete as he got a medal at the world indoors. He’s only 21 and there is no reason to push on and take the risk. He wants to get himself right so it’s not a problem which lingers for the next few years.”

Australia will announce their final team for the athletics meet next week, which will include 17-year-old sensation Gout Gout, who has qualified for the 200m.

The 2025 Diamond League final takes place in Zurich from 27-28 August, starting with the women’s pole vault competition and ending a day later with the men’s 200m.

Many of the world’s top track & field stars will compete for glory at the two-day athletics extravaganza, including Olympic men’s 100m champion Noah Lyles, women’s 100m champion Julien Alfred, men’s pole vault world record holder Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis and women’s 800m Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson.

The first day of competition takes place on the streets of Zurich at Sechseläutenplatz, with athletes in men’s and women’s pole vault, women’s high jump, men’s long jump and men’s and women’s shot put competing for Diamond League titles. Thursday’s action then moves to the Letzigrund Stadium, where 26 more champions will be crowned for the 2025 season.

The format is simple: the winner in each event during the final will earn the title of 2025 Diamond League champion, with the added bonus of a wild card to September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Read on to discover every winner of the 2025 Diamond League final in Zurich.

Coco Gauff is finding herself become obsessed with her serve.

Ahead of the 2025 US Open, Gauff hired biomechanic specialist coach Gavin MacMillan, who previously helped now world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka fix her serve. The 2023 Flushing Meadows champion began her campaign with a hard-fought win, defeating Ajla Tomljanović 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 7-5 in two hours, 57 minutes.

“The practice week was tough, because I was spending a lot of time on court last week literally serving until my shoulder was hurting,” Gauff said in her post-match press conference on Tuesday (26 August). “I feel like it’s [going] in the right direction and I think for me, it’s trying not to go back to old habits in those tighter moments.

“I know when I did this, I was not going to serve the best. But I just felt like that I don’t want to waste any more time. If I could have worked with Gavin earlier, I would have, but obviously he was on the team of another player [Sabalenka]…hopefully this time next year, I’ll be serving much better.”

Gauff’s service game against Tomljanović saw the 21-year-old commit 10 double faults, broken six times and recording a 61 per cent first serve percentage at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She did record a higher percentage of first serve points won (66 per cent vs 58 per cent) and second serve points won (44 per cent vs 42 per cent) than her Australian opponent.

Not many players in Pakistan’s recent cricketing history have polarized the fans as much as Azam Khan. The wicket-keeper batter possesses every attribute of a modern cricketer except for the most crucial one: fitness.

Since making his debut in 2021, the only debate surrounding Azam has been about his weight issues, and the 27-year-old has finally opened up about what has been the main reason behind his slow progress.

Speaking in an interview with PakPassion, Azam Khan was forthright about the challenges of managing weight and performance.

“Right now, I am in Lahore and trying to work on my fitness and game at the NCA. My weight loss won’t happen in a couple of weeks or days—it needs time,” Azam said. He then went on to explain what has been keeping him from getting on the right track.

“For the past four or five years, I have been playing a lot of cricket, so I didn’t have the chance to properly focus on my fitness.”

Despite not finding a consistent place in Pakistan’s international team, Azam Khan has become a regular feature in T20 leagues across the world. With world-class talent around him, Azam’s sub-par fitness has been shielded from scrutiny, which seemingly dissuaded him from taking his fitness journey seriously.

“I had some bad eating habits, but that’s not an excuse anymore,” he admitted.

Azam Khan, who last represented Pakistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup, remains hopeful of a return to the national fold after overcoming his weight issues. He believes only consistent hard work will allow him to sustain a career at the top.

“The plan is to play at the highest level, and for that, you have to train to be the best. Many players have played internationally but then disappeared. If I want to sustain myself, I need to work twice as hard as I am now,” Azam stressed.

Pakistan’s head coach Mike Hesson has made his standards clear, and if Azam hopes to get back into national selection, he has his work cut out for him.

Despite the setbacks, Azam Khan insists the journey is far from over. His newfound commitment to fitness suggests a player eager to rewrite his narrative. If he can turn things around, the hard-hitting batter is the perfect player for the new-look Pakistan team who wish to enter the modern era as well.

Formula 1 resumes after the summer break, heading for the Netherlands and the Zandvoort track on the shores of the North Sea. The Dutch Grand Prix is the 15th round of the season and the 34 editions held to date have all taken place at this historic track, which returned to the calendar a few years ago, having undergone extensive renovation.

An unusual circuit. Zandvoort is a quirky track and demanding for the drivers who have to tackle its 4.259 kilometres 72 times in the race. It is literally built on sand, which is often blown onto the track surface by the coastal winds, thus reducing grip levels. Among its most outstanding corners are the two banked turns: Hugenholtzbocht (turn 3) and Arie Luyendykbocht (turn 14), with an angle of around 16 degrees which means they can be taken at very high speeds. Then there’s the famous Tarzanbocht, a tight righthand hairpin at the end of the main straight, which is one of the few real passing opportunities, thanks to DRS.

Set-up and strategy. Cars run a medium to high aerodynamic downforce level at Zandvoort and accurate tyre management is an important factor, as the track surface is particularly demanding. The layout is twisty and the track itself is narrow, so overtaking is a complex operation, therefore qualifying well is vital. There are two DRS zones, one on the main straight, where the cars run with the wing open all the way to the final parabolic corner. The other is between turns 10 and 11. 

Programme. The weekend runs to the standard format: the first two free practice sessions are on Friday, starting at 12.30 and 16.00. Final free practice is on Saturday at 11.00 followed by qualifying at 15.00. The Dutch Grand Prix gets underway at 15.00 on Sunday, run over a distance of 306.587 km

Fred Vasseur – Team Principal

We’re back on track after the summer break, which gave the team and the drivers a chance to recharge, ready to face a very busy final part of the season. In the Netherlands, we want to maintain the positive momentum built up over the past few races, where we made progress in terms of competitiveness. Charles and Lewis are ready, and the team is fully focused, determined to put them in the best possible position to get some good results. This weekend, that means starting right from qualifying, which is particularly crucial at Zandvoort, given how difficult overtaking can be at this track.

Ferrari Stats

GP Contested: 1112

Seasons in F1: 76

Debut: Monaco 1950 (A. Ascari 2nd; R. Sommer 4th; L. Villoresi ret.)

Wins: 248 (22.30%)

Pole positions: 254 (22.84%)

Fastest laps: 263 (23.65%)

Podiums: 834 (25.00%)

Ferrari Stats Dutch GP

GP Contested: 33

Debut: 1952 (A. Ascari 1st; G. Farina 2nd; L. Villoresi 3rd; C. de Tornaco ret.)

Wins: 8 (24.24%)

Pole positions: 7 (21.21%)

Fastest laps: 10 (30.30%)

Podiums: 26 (26.26%)

Three questions to…

Maya Weug

Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, Driver

1. Zandvoort is the most famous car racing track in the Netherlands. What is your favourite section and corner and why?

Zandvoort is a very special track for me, but I think it’s also unique for everyone, with some unmistakeable features. My favourite part is the first sector, especially turn 3, the parabolic corner with several possible racing lines. It’s important to get it right as it leads you into a section where, especially on a qualifying lap, it’s important to carry as much speed as possible.

2. The Zandvoort race kicks off the second part of the season for the F1 Academy Series. How did you prepare for the final three rounds?

We have prepared thoroughly for the second part of the season. We had a test session actually at Zandvoort and the team feels ready, confident that we can do well and bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Montreal, where we failed to pick up the points we were capable of, through no fault of our own.

3. This weekend you are competing in one of your home races, in front of your fans with a Dutch team. How special is this race for you and how is it going with MP Motorsport?

Racing at home is always special for every driver. I’m lucky enough to feel at home in Spain as well as here, but I race under the Dutch flag, so Zandvoort is a special race for me. Last year, the atmosphere was amazing thanks to the local fans. The grandstands are very close to the track and so you can hear the crowd cheering, which makes driving here even more exciting. On top of that, this year, it will also be a home race for my team. We are working very well together and we are determined to do our best. It’s been a very long break for the F1 Academy, so I can’t wait to get back in the car!

Profile

Maya Weug

Born: 01/06/2004

In: Costa Blanca (Spain)

Dutch Grand Prix: facts & figures

12. The number of times per year alarm systems are tested in cities throughout the Netherlands. This tradition dates back to the Second World War, when from 1939 onwards, 3800 sirens were installed across the country. The tests are carried out on the first Monday of every month at noon precisely. The Dutch reckon it’s the best way to find out if someone is local or not, as the siren is very loud and tends to catch tourists and expats by surprise.

36. The maximum weight in kilos of a wheel of Edam, the Netherlands’ most famous cheese. Produced from raw cow’s milk, it is first cooled to 6°C in special forms and then coagulated at 30°C. The curd is then broken up and pressed in moulds of various shapes and weights, starting from half a kilo. Edam accounts for 60% of Dutch cheese production and is exported throughout Europe and America.

40. The number of houses in the village of Zaanse Schans, one of the most picturesque in all of the Netherlands. A short distance from Amsterdam, it is home to many typical Dutch windmills. In fact, there are more of these than there are houses, which are open to the public who can step back in time, as the interiors are still the way they were at the start of the last century.

100. The varieties of tulip that can be seen at Keukenhof, the biggest flower garden in the world, as well as one of the most photographed attractions in the Netherlands. Seven million bulbs are planted by hand across an area of 32 hectares. In addition to 4.5 million tulips, there are also large numbers of daffodils, hyacinths and grape hyacinths. Keukenhof is also home to 2,500 trees of 87 different species, a lake, canals and water fountains, along with a windmill and several sculptures making it one of the biggest attractions in the country.

503. The number of Olympic medals won by athletes from the Netherlands, which hosted the Games in Amsterdam in 1928. The country heads the medal table in two sports: speed skating, with 48 gold medals, 44 silver and 41 bronze and field hockey, with eight gold, six silver and six bronze. Dutch athletes have also done well in cycling (26, 25, 17), swimming (23, 21, 21) and rowing (11, 17, 15)

Ravichandran Ashwin is the IPL’s fifth-highest wicket-taker and is second on India’s list of Test wickets.

Spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has ended his Indian Premier League (IPL) career but says he will be available to play other competitions of franchise cricket around the world.

The 38-year-old began and ended his IPL career with his home team, Chennai Super Kings, and also represented Rising Pune Supergiant, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab in between.

“They say every ending will have a new start, my time as an IPL cricketer comes to a close today, but my time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today,” the 38-year-old posted on X on Wednesday.

“Look forward to enjoying and making the most of what’s ahead of me,” he added.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not allow any current player in Indian international or domestic cricket to feature in overseas leagues.

Ashwin is the IPL’s fifth-highest wicket-taker with 187 wickets from 221 matches with an economy rate of 7.2.

The off-spinner quit international cricket in December 2024, having taken 537 Test wickets, 156 one-day international wickets and 72 wickets in T20 internationals.

Only Anil Kumble’s 619 wickets stood ahead of Ashwin in Test cricket for India.

Ashwin made his Test debut in 2011 against West Indies and was named Player of the Match, with match figures of 9-128 across the game.

The Chennai-born bowling all-rounder would go on to take eight 10-wicket match hauls, while hitting six centuries in his 106 Tests.

The final Test was in the second match of a five-Test tour of Australia, which resulted in a 3-1 series defeat for India. Ashwin’s last T20 international was in November 2022.