Ajit Vijaykumar

The football season is over and most fans have already switched their attention to the next campaign, apart from those following international teams. The 2023-23 season concluded on the perfect note for Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola as the team completed an incredible treble by clinching the Champions League title to go with the Premier League crown and FA Cup trophy. Guardiola thus established himself as one of the greatest managers of all time.

The ODI World Cup in India is less than four months away but there is still a lack of clarity over many crucial aspects, causing anxiety among cricket fans. For starters, the schedule of the tournament has yet to be announced, which in itself is a significant matter. The schedules for previous two World Cups were announced over a year in advance, allowing fans to sort out travel plans. That's not going to happen this time. Also, there is the bigger issue of Pakistan visiting India for the World Cup.

Experienced Pakistan players were in demand during the player auction for the Lanka Premier League on Wednesday, with veteran Shoaib Malik getting the top bid. The fourth edition of the T20 tournament in Sri Lanka will take place from July 30 to August 20 and more than 500 players had registered for the auction. Pakistan captain Babar Azam (Colombo Strikers), fast bowler Naseem Shah (Colombo) and batsman Fakhar Zaman (Kandy) had been snapped up by teams before the auction.