Reuters, June 2, 2022
Pakistan women’s team captain Bismah Maroof and her family will be accommodated at the Commonwealth Games village in Birmingham in July so that she can be with her infant daughter during the event.
The Commonwealth Games Federation drew flak after media reports said that Maroof’s daughter had been denied accreditation, which would require the Pakistan batter to stay outside the Games village during the tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed that such a situation has been averted and named an 18-member squad under Maroof for a tri-series in Belfast followed by the Games.
Pakistan faces T20 world champions Australia and hosts Ireland from July 16-24 and plays Barbados, India and Australia at the Games on July 29 and 31 and Aug. 3 respectively.
The PCB’s parental policy allows Maroof to travel with her daughter and her mother as the caregiver. The 30-year-old had her family with her during this year’s Women’s World Cup in New Zealand where Pakistan finished last among eight teams.
Cricket is returning to the Commonwealth Games after a 24-year absence with a women’s Twenty20 tournament.
Walsh second in Europe
New Zealand shot putter Tom Walsh has finished second at a Continental Tour event in the Czech Republic.
Walsh threw the best distance of 21.68 metres, just over half a metre behind American Joe Kovacs.
Walsh and Kovacs arrived in Ostrava just ten hours before the competition, after taking 37 hours to travel from the US because of flight delays.
The Cantabrian threw 21.96 m in finishing third behind Ryan Crouser and Kovacs at the Diamond League meeting in Oregon at the weekend.
Red Bull extends Perez’s contract
Monaco Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez had more to celebrate today when Red Bull announced a contract extension keeping the Mexican alongside Formula One world champion Max Verstappen until 2024.
Championship leader Verstappen’s deal runs to the end of 2028 after the Dutch driver signed a five-year extension in March.
Perez, 32, triumphed on the streets of Monaco on May 30, 2022, becoming the most successful Mexican Formula One driver of all time and also his country’s first winner of the showcase race.
He took his first F1 pole position in Saudi Arabia in March and has had four podium finishes in seven races so far this year. That win was the third of Perez’s F1 career, and second since he joined Red Bull for the 2021 season.
Perez, third overall and 15 points behind Verstappen, came close to being out of a job in 2020 before Red Bull threw him a lifeline.
Karim Benzema honoured
Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been named the Champions League Player of the Season after a stellar 2021-22 campaign where he finished as the top scorer.
France international Benzema, 34, won the competition for the fifth time as Real beat Liverpool 1-0 in the final, having netted 15 goals in 12 games including hat-tricks against Paris St Germain and Chelsea in the knockout stages.
Benzema’s teammate Vinicius Junior, who scored the only goal in the final in Paris, was named the tournament’s Young Player of the Season.
The duo was also named in the Team of the Season alongside Real midfielder Luka Modric and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who played a starring role in the showdown at Stade de France.
Runner-up Liverpool was represented by defenders Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson as well as midfielder Fabinho.
PSG striker Kylian Mbappe, Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne completed the line-up.
Team of the season: Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid); Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Andy Robertson (Liverpool); Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Fabinho (Liverpool), Luka Modric (Real Madrid); Forwards: Kylian Mbappe (Paris St Germain), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
