NEW YORK: Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi became the first to win MLS’ Golden Boot in back-to-back seasons, the league said on Saturday, the final day of the regular season.
Messi scored a league-high 26 goals across 31 matches, while FC Dallas forward Petar Musa followed with 22 goals and Nashville SC’s Sam Surridge recorded 21.
He had 29 goals the previous season, becoming the second in league history to score at least 25 times in back-to-back years.
The 39-year-old Argentine retired from international football earlier this year after 21 years but signed a contract extension with the MLS club through 2028 in October.
Pakistan’s bowlers restricted India to 208 runs in 46.3 overs in their Group A match of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Under-19 Asia Cup at Al Amerat on Sunday.
India, who elected to bat first, were bowled out after a century from Arjun Rajput, who scored 107 off 85 balls, including 11 fours and five sixes.
Pakistan made an early breakthrough as captain Lakshya Raichandani was dismissed for a duck by Ali Raza in the first over.
Aaryavir Sehwag scored 22 off 40 deliveries, while VK Vineeth managed eight as India slipped to 22-3 in 11.4 overs.
Rajput then led India’s recovery, adding crucial runs to keep the innings together. He found support from Anvay Dravid (10) and Manal Chauhan (11), while Kavya Paresh Patel contributed 23 off 45 balls.
Rajput’s dismissal at 170 in the 35.2nd over triggered another collapse, with India losing their remaining five wickets for 38 runs.
Ali Raza, Rizwanullah and Niqab Shafiq claimed three wickets each for Pakistan. Mohammad Sayyam picked up one wicket, while Rizwanullah returned economical figures of 3-24 in seven overs.
Sayyam finished with 1-27 in 8.3 overs, while Ali Raza took 3-37 from his 10 overs.
India posted 208 runs, including 13 extras, setting Pakistan a target of 209 runs to win.
Elena Rybakina’swithdrawal from the WTA Finals on the eve of the season-ending championships is disappointing, but the world number one needs time to recover from the physical toll of a demanding year, tournament director Garbine Muguruza said.
Defending champion Rybakina pulled out of the tournament on Saturday, saying she was not physically ready to compete, leaving Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk to take her place in the eight-player field at Indian Wells. Tournament organizers later said a viral illness was the official reason for the withdrawal.
Muguruza, the former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion, said she had spoken with Rybakina and that the Kazakh had been unable to recover in time after struggling with physical problems late in the season.
“We love Elena and we know that she was feeling so-so in Tokyo as well,” Muguruza told Reuters. “I spoke to her today and she really couldn’t recover on time.
“What we want is for her to feel good, to go rest, to recover. We don’t want her to feel like she has to play — only if she’s ready to.”
Rybakina, who won two Grand Slam titles this year, also withdrew from the Tokyo quarter-finals last month because of a neck injury.
‘Amazing field’
Rybakina’s absence deprives the event of some star power, but Muguruza said the round-robin format and depth of the field would ensure a high-quality tournament.
“We have the best players,” said Muguruza, who triumphed at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara in 2021.
“I know our world number one is not going to be able to play, but we have an amazing field, the very best.
“Every match could be a Grand Slam final. You really need to be ready. You cannot give one inch.”
Kostyuk, who is making her WTA Finals debut after a breakthrough season that included the Madrid title and a rise into the top 10, was already in Indian Wells as an alternate and practicing when Rybakina withdrew.
Muguruza said the Ukrainian, known for her signature post-match backflip celebrations, had earned her opportunity.
“Marta is great. She’s had a breakthrough year,” Muguruza said. “With this year, we have many first-time players in the Finals, and that’s very exciting. It’s very hard to qualify.”
Kostyuk has been outspoken about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and does not shake hands with Russian or Belarusian opponents. Muguruza said the tournament would support players in making their own decisions.
“They’re free to do whatever they feel,” she said. “We are open and supporting them.”
Opportunity for sabalenka
Rybakina’s withdrawal could create an opening for world number two Aryna Sabalenka to make inroads in the rankings.
Sabalenka, who won the Indian Wells title earlier this year, has the chance to reduce the gap with Rybakina at the top of the rankings, Muguruza said, while also highlighting Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva as a player comfortable in the California desert.
“Of course, Aryna might be thinking that this can be a good opportunity,” Muguruza said.
The WTA moved the Finals to Indian Wells from Riyadh, with Muguruza saying player safety had been the decisive consideration amid conflict in the region.
“It clearly felt no longer safe to be in a region where there is conflict,” she said. “Taking care of the players and looking ahead to what could be safe, comfortable and secure, relocating felt the best decision.”
Muguruza said players had responded positively to the switch to Indian Wells, where she competed regularly during her career.
“When we knew that Indian Wells could be the next venue, it was just a joy,” she said, adding that ticket sales have been strong. “The whole thing is just perfect.”
Pakistan captain Babar Azam says team selection is the responsibility of the selectors and coach, adding that his role is to get the best out of the players available to him as a youthful Pakistan side prepares to face Sri Lanka in the opening Test of a two-match series on Monday.
Responding to questions about the omission of certain players despite their not having featured in recent matches, Babar said the squad had been selected after consultations between the selectors and team management.
“When we came back from England the scenario was in front of everyone. After that, when we sat down for this team, the selectors and the coach selected the side. I have been given 15 players. My job is to field them, get performances out of them and make them compete,” he said at his pre-series press conference on Sunday.
“The other things are not in my hands. Selection is their job. Wherever my input is required I give it, and we sit together with the selectors and coach to decide what is best possible. But not everything needs to be explained here about where my job begins and ends,” he added.
Babar’s remarks come as Pakistan prepare to field a considerably revamped side following their disappointing performance in the previous phase of the World Test Championship (WTC).
The captain said the team had decided to shift its focus towards the next cycle after the recent tour of England.
“We are almost out of this year’s Test Championship, so we are looking forward to the next one and preparing for it. We have taken a different step and injected different players.
“We are trying to apply a combination of seniors and juniors so that we get a good mix and give the youngsters the opportunity to express themselves and perform well. InshaAllah, you will see a different team,” he said.
Pakistan are ninth and last in the 2025-27 WTC standings, with a points percentage of 4.63 after nine matches, having won two and lost seven.
Deductions of 19 points for slow over-rates have further compounded their difficulties.
Even a 2-0 series victory against Sri Lanka would do little to revive their chances of reaching the final, although the remaining matches provide an opportunity to build a combination for the future.
Sri Lanka are seventh with a points percentage of 33.33 from six Tests, having won one, lost two and drawn three.
They include Sameer Minhas, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Suleman, Azan Awais and Arafat Minhas, while recent additions Aamir Jamal, Ali Shabbir, Saqib Khan and Mohammad Tayyab Arif have further strengthened the youthful contingent.
Experienced players Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha and Mohammad Abbas are expected to provide guidance to the newcomers.
The changes follow Pakistan’s 3-0 defeat in England, a result that left their WTC campaign in serious difficulty. Babar, however, said the team would take lessons from the tour rather than dwell on the outcome.
“What has gone is gone. We will learn from it and inject those lessons into the message we give the players about how we need to move forward. Our plan is positive,” he said.
Pakistan’s recent success in white-ball cricket has also provided encouragement ahead of the Test series.
The hosts defeated Sri Lanka in the final of the ODI tri-series towards the end of October, and Babar believes the result has helped lift the team’s confidence.
“Any series or match you win gives you confidence, and we have brought that vibe into the Test matches. When young blood comes into a team it gives a different energy, and I think that is present in this side,” he said.
The captain will also be looking to rediscover his form in the longer format. His last Test century came against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022, and his prolonged wait for another three-figure score has attracted considerable attention.
Babar said he remained focused on improving his game through hard work and learning from his mistakes.
“My thinking is always positive. As a player and senior player you try to give your best in every match. The more I play and stay on the ground, the more I try to improve. You learn from mistakes; no one is perfect. I figure out where I am going wrong and work on it with the coaches,” he said.
The right-handed batter has enjoyed success against Sri Lanka in the past, scoring two centuries in Pakistan’s 2019 home series against them and another hundred in Galle in 2022.
The upcoming series will provide him with an opportunity to regain his touch while leading Pakistan in home Tests.
Pakistan hold a 23-17 advantage over Sri Lanka in 59 previous Test meetings, with 19 matches ending in draws.
Sri Lanka’s last series victory against Pakistan came in the UAE in 2017, while Pakistan won their most recent encounter 2-0 in Sri Lanka in 2023.
The opening Test will be played at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from November 9 to 13, with the second scheduled at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from November 17 to 21.
Babar said the senior members of the squad would have an important role in helping the younger players handle pressure and adjust to international cricket.
“All the youngsters have a spark and confidence. We seniors try to guide them and share our experience, especially in pressure situations. They believe in themselves because of their performances coming into the side,” he said.
For Pakistan, the series represents an opportunity to rebuild after a difficult WTC campaign while assessing the potential of a new generation of players.
Babar, meanwhile, will be expected to translate the team’s fresh approach into performances on the field, beginning with the opening Test in Rawalpindi.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday extended greetings to the Hindu community in Pakistan and worldwide on the occasion of Diwali, reaffirming their commitment to minority rights.
They underscored the government’s commitment to “safeguarding the rights, dignity and religious freedoms of all citizens, irrespective of religion, faith, colour or ethnicity”.
Diwali is a colourful festival involving lighting candles, worship, celebrations and prayers. It is celebrated to mark the day when Lord Rama returned home after his 14-year exile. It is a five-day festival and during this time, houses are cleaned and windows are opened to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
’Pakistan belongs equally to all its citizens’
In his message, President Zardari said, “The festival of lights celebrates the symbolism of triumph of good over evil, light over darkness and hope over despair. Its message of compassion and renewal reminds us that each of us can bring light into the lives of others through kindness, understanding, compassion and care.”
He added that Pakistan’s Hindu community is “an integral part of our national life”, highlighting its contributions to education, healthcare, business, public service, social welfare, arts and culture.
He reaffirmed that “Pakistan belongs equally to all its citizens”.
The president added that “Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah envisioned a country where faith, caste or creed would be no barrier to equal citizenship and equal rights”.
“We must honour that vision by ensuring that every citizen can practise their faith freely, live in dignity and enjoy equal protection under the law.
“For me, Quaid-i-Azam’s promise of equal citizenship is a sacred national commitment.”
President Zardari further said that his political party PPP’s tradition was in line with Jinnah’s vision.
He reiterated, “No Pakistani should ever have to prove their belonging because of their faith. This country is their home, its freedoms are their right, and its future is theirs to shape.”
He called on the nation to reject prejudice and discrimination by sharing in each other’s celebrations. “Our diversity is not our weakness but a great strength.”
“It should be clear to all of us that protecting the rights of religious minorities is our shared responsibility.”
PM Shehbaz calls for interfaith harmony
In his message, PM Shehbaz said, “The festival of lights conveys a profound message of promoting peaceful coexistence in human relations and social life.
“The enduring belief in a bright, prosperous and hopeful future is one of the most cherished attributes of Diwali.”
Similar to President Zardari, PM Shehbaz reiterated that the Hindu community is “a valued and integral part of our national fabric”.
“The diverse cultural and religious traditions within our society constitute a valuable social asset. Pakistan takes immense pride in its religious and cultural diversity,” he added.
The premier reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting the religious and civil rights of minorities, as guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.
“Promoting religious harmony, mutual unity and respect is our shared responsibility,” he said.
“A society that embraces diverse cultures and traditions and upholds the principles of peaceful coexistence is one that ensures equal educational and economic opportunities for all its citizens.”
He called on the nation to foster interfaith harmony, strengthen bonds of fraternity and brotherhood and work together towards a future founded on peace, tolerance and mutual understanding.
President Donald Trump ordered the US Justice Department on Saturday to look into Democrats for “threatening a lot of people” with impeachment and other forms of punishment, saying in a social media post that their actions amount to a “criminal act”, without providing evidence.
Democratic candidates routed Trump’s Republicans in midterm elections on Tuesday, giving them control of Congress starting in January. Party leaders have promised to reassert Congress’ oversight of the executive branch once they are in power by holding hearings and conducting investigations into Trump administration actions.
In his post, Trump accused Democrats of sending “threatening letters to many people, all innocent”.
Members of Congress have released copies of letters seeking documents on matters such as tech company donations for the large ballroom Trump is building at the White House.
Trump’s post also referred to Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, who suggested in remarks last month at the University of Chicago that Congress should investigate people who have enabled Trump’s policies.
“I want young people coming out of school to say, ‘Should I go work for the Trump administration?’… I want them to be like, ‘Lord, that might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want. And so I might avoid participating in that,’” Slotkin said. “I want that deterrence message sent.”
Her comments, within weeks of the midterm elections, were criticised by some Republicans. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah wrote on social media that Slotkin was threatening young people who wanted to go into politics. Slotkin responded that Lee had lied about her comments and wrote, “Spare us the manufactured outrage”.
Trump’s Justice Department has investigated Slotkin before. A former CIA analyst, she was among a group of Democratic lawmakers with national security backgrounds whom the department investigated after they posted a video urging service members and intelligence officials to disobey illegal orders from the administration.
A grand jury rejected the attempt to indict them.
Slotkin said in a social media post on Saturday that the issue should not be controversial. “If you break the law or use taxpayer dollars to enrich yourself, you should be held accountable. If you didn’t break the law, then it’s all good,” she said.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
PERTH: England white-ball coach Brendon McCullum is confident his batsmen will negate any short-ball challenge Australia present in the first one-dayer at Perth Stadium, having acclimatised to conditions with a warm-up game at the WACA Ground on Saturday.
England defeated Western Australia by 92 runs in their only hit-out before the three-match one-day international series begins on Friday.
“When you come here with the bigger boundaries, the short ball is always a weapon for a bowler. You’ve still got to find ways to score off it, you can’t just keep going under it,” McCullum told reporters.
“Our boys are all very good players of the short ball.”
England had been criticised last year for playing an intra-club practice match at the slow-and-low Lilac Hill, a suburban ground which bore no resemblance to the fast-and-bouncy Perth Stadium where they lost the Ashes opener inside two days.
The WACA Ground – now a boutique venue with grassy banks, community pools and gymnasiums – has retained its traditional seam-friendly characteristics though, and paceman Jofra Archer looked particularly menacing for the tourists with 3-34.
“He looked like he was charging in nicely… he’s got skills at the top, in the middle and at the death so it was nice for him to get through some overs,” said McCullum, who has lost seamer Josh Tongue to a left big toe injury.
“We love coming out here and playing against Australia. It’s always a great contest, albeit their side looks slightly different than it normally does, there’s never a weak Australian side.”
Australia are looking to bounce back from a multiformat drubbing in South Africa, while fresh debate over “Sandpapergate” comes as an unwelcome distraction after former opener Usman Khawaja claimed that knowledge of the 2018 ball-tampering incident extended beyond those sanctioned.
The hosts are resting veteran pace trio Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
ODI squad member Mahli Beardman went wicketless in the tour match while fellow seamer Lance Morris marked his return from a 20-month back injury with 3-29, at times hitting 145 kph.
Opener Ben Duckett top-scored with 59 for England, who were bowled out for 251, but the match highlight belonged to captain Harry Brook who landed a six in the WACA swimming pool. Spinner Adil Rashid took 4-35 as WA collapsed to 159 all out in reply.
The ODI series will be followed by five Twenty20 internationals.
Usman Khawaja on Sunday denied that he had “thrown anyone under the bus”, a day after an excerpt from the former Australian cricketer’s autobiography claimed the entire team had been aware of ball-tampering during a 2018 tour of South Africa.
The scandal, dubbed “Sandpapergate” over Australia’s scuffing of the ball with sandpaper in the March 2018 test in Cape Town, sparked a major integrity crisis for Cricket Australia.
However, only captain Steve Smith and batsmen David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, who was caught with the sandpaper in his pocket, were banned for their part in the scandal.
In a video posted on Instagram, Khawaja, who released the excerpt of his autobiography on Saturday, said he had wanted to “come clean” about the incident since 2018.
“I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus,” added the 39-year-old, who retired from international cricket in January.
“The guys that are currently in the team right now and the other people that were there on the South African tour, including me, we’re not the victims.
“These three guys (Bancroft, Warner and Smith) took the blame for all of us, and they’re the victims.”
Khawaja said he had spoken with the three players involved in “Sandpapergate”, and that he had promised Warner he would share his side of the story.
“These three guys deserve justice. And I haven’t pointed fingers at anyone,” he added.
“I’m still searching for what I was searching all those years ago for us — me included — to take the blame together as a team so we can all move on from this once and for all.”
Australia’s test side returned to South Africa for the first time since 2018 last month and were beaten 2-1 by the hosts in the three-match series, which was overshadowed in part by discussions of the scandal and the upcoming release of Khawaja’s book.
At least 33 people were killed and 39 wounded in what the Houthi-run Saba news agency said were Saudi airstrikes on a village near Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Saturday, in one of the deadliest reported attacks since fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned group resumed in July.
Reuters could not independently verify the account. Saudi Arabia’s Center for International Communication said it was investigating the report.
The renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has shattered a 2022 UN-brokered truce that largely halted attacks between the Saudi-led coalition and the group, which controls Sanaa.
The Houthis have since launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, while Riyadh has carried out airstrikes in Yemen in support of its Yemeni allies.
The ministry said the strikes hit homes in the town of Bani Hushaysh, a Houthi stronghold east of Sanaa, and that most of those killed were women and children.
Abdul-Aziz al-Dailami, director of Sehatuna Hospital in Sanaa, said many victims remained trapped under the rubble, including first responders.
“The strikes keep coming. Just as rescuers arrive, another strike hits. We have even lost some of our own medical responders, who have been martyred,” he told Reuters.
“We received a number of wounded individuals in very critical condition, with injuries to the head, chest and legs, as well as fractures,” al-Dailami added.
The fighting, a spillover from the wider US-Iran conflict, has revived a complex 12-year war in Yemen that has caused one of the worst humanitarian crises globally and fragmented the Arab world’s most impoverished country.
The number of people displaced since the latest round of fighting began has climbed to more than 200,000, the International Organization for Migration said in October.
Usman Khawaja insisted on Sunday he did not “throw anyone under the bus” by claiming the entire Australian team was in on the 2018 “Sandpapergate” plot and defended taking eight years to go public.
The retired batsman re-ignited the infamous ball-tampering scandal in Cape Town on Saturday ahead of the release of his autobiography this week, where a chapter is dedicated to the issue.
He alleged that it was not just Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft — who were all subsequently banned— who were responsible.
“It was all of us. Not the batters, not the bowlers, not the staff. All of us,” he said.
Khawaja claimed Australia also employed the tactic during the previous Test at Port Elizabeth.
In response Darren Lehmann, who was head coach at the time, denied there was widespread knowledge of the plot while Cricket Australia said it was “comfortable” with the findings of its original investigation.
That probe found only Smith, Warner and Bancroft were in the know.
“When I mentioned it was all of us, that’s implying that whether we like it or not, we’re all responsible for what happened together as a team,” Khawaja said in a lengthy Instagram post on Sunday.
“We need to take that collectively. That is all.” He added: “I haven’t thrown anyone under the bus.
“The guys that are currently in the team right now and the other people that were there on the South African tour, including me, we’re not the victims.
“These three guys (Smith, Warner and Bancroft) took the blame for all of us.
“They’re the victims … people telling them that they’re cheats, getting nailed by the crowd. Public humiliation.”
Khawaja, who retired this year after 88 Tests, defended waiting so long to make the claims, denying it was a marketing ploy to sell his book.
He said he wanted to go public in 2018 once Smith, Warner and Bancroft were suspended.
“But Smudge (Smith) being the man and leader he was, he talked me out of it.
“He wanted to take the blame. I argued with him, but he was having none of it. That’s the first time I tried to come out.”
Khawaja said he again almost spoke up in 2021 when bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all denied publicly that they knew about the ball-tampering.
But after extensive talks with then-coach Justin Langer he decided not to.
The 39-year-old said he never felt comfortable talking after that while back in the Australian team from 2022.
“Call me a chicken or whatever you want. I didn’t know how to do it because I was still in the team,” Khawaja said. “I was always conscious of putting my team first, but I’m not in that team anymore.”
