1XBet’s Review of the Best American Sports Athletes of All Time

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reduce Babar Azam’s media commitments during the upcoming Test tour of England, warning that the Pakistan skipper could face intense scrutiny from the English press. Pakistan have arrived in England for a three-match Test series, with Babar returning to the leadership role in red-ball cricket. The series begins at Headingley in Leeds on August 19 and will continue at Lord’s before concluding at Edgbaston in September. Speaking on a television programme, Latif described an England tour as a challenging assignment and suggested that the PCB should carefully manage Babar’s interactions with the local media. According to the former wicketkeeper-batter, the English press can generate considerable attention around visiting teams, potentially creating distractions away from the cricket. “An England tour is a difficult assignment,” Latif said, adding that the PCB should consider keeping Babar away from frequent media appearances. His suggestion is not to isolate the captain completely, but rather to share the responsibility of representing the team with other experienced players. Latif specifically recommended Shan Masood, who previously led Pakistan in Test cricket and has considerable experience of playing in England. He believes Masood is well equipped to handle difficult questions and media pressure. The former captain also identified Imam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Abbas as players who could take on media duties during the tour. Babar was reappointed Pakistan’s Test captain in July, replacing Shan Masood after his stint in charge. The PCB confirmed Babar as captain for both the West Indies and England Test tours. Pakistan’s immediate challenge will be to carry the momentum from their recent Test victory over the West Indies, where they secured an eight-wicket win in Port of Spain to level the two-match series 1-1. The England assignment will test Babar both as a batter and captain. With the spotlight likely to remain firmly on him, Latif’s advice raises an interesting question: could fewer media commitments help Babar focus more sharply on Pakistan’s battle in English conditions? The first Test will be played in Leeds from August 19–23, followed by Lord’s from August 27–31 and Birmingham from September 9–13. Pakistan squad for England Tests Babar Azam (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah.

TORONTO: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is aiming to rediscover her best form as she begins her campaign at the WTA 1000 Canadian Open in Toronto, with the top ranking and momentum ahead of the US Open at stake. The Belarusian has enjoyed an outstanding hard-court season, winning 23 of her 24 matches on the surface in 2026. Her only defeat came against Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open final. Despite her dominance on hard courts, Sabalenka struggled to produce similar results during the clay and grass-court seasons. She was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the French Open before suffering a fourth-round exit at Wimbledon against Japan’s Naomi Osaka. The Toronto tournament could have a significant impact on the WTA rankings. Sabalenka risks losing the world No. 1 position if she fails to reach the round of 16 and Rybakina goes on to win the title. Although Sabalenka has never progressed beyond the semi-finals at the Canadian event, she believes she is mentally refreshed after taking a short break following Wimbledon. The 27-year-old spent several days on the Greek island of Mykonos before returning to training with renewed motivation. Speaking ahead of the tournament, Sabalenka said the time away from tennis allowed her to recover physically and mentally. She admitted that some adjustments made during the clay and grass seasons did not deliver the desired results but expressed confidence that returning to her usual approach would help her regain consistency. The tournament draw presents another tough challenge for the top seed. Sabalenka leads the upper half, which also features two-time champion Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova and Poland’s Iga Swiatek, who is looking to bounce back after an early Wimbledon exit. Meanwhile, Elena Rybakina heads the bottom half of the draw alongside Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka and newly crowned Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova. Noskova, who recently captured her maiden Grand Slam title, enters the tournament with growing confidence and could face rising Philippine star Alexandra Eala in the third round. Several notable players will miss the tournament. Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova remains unavailable while recovering from minor surgery, while defending champion Victoria Mboko is also sidelined with the knee injury that forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon.

Jos Buttler has etched his name into cricket history after becoming the highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, surpassing West Indies great Kieron Pollard during a stunning innings in The Hundred. The England white-ball star achieved the remarkable milestone while representing Manchester Super Giants against Welsh Fire, producing a blistering knock filled with powerful sixes. Since innings in The Hundred are officially considered equivalent to 20-over matches for career statistical purposes, Buttler’s runs count toward T20 records. Speaking after the match, Buttler described the achievement as one of the proudest moments of his career. “To become the highest run-scorer in the history of T20 cricket is a fantastic and proud moment,” he said. “Records are made to be broken, and one day someone else will surely surpass this one.” The England batter also reflected on his recent struggles, recalling the criticism he faced following a lean run of form and an underwhelming T20 World Cup campaign. “Cricket changes very quickly,” Buttler said. “A few months ago I was searching for form, and today I’m probably playing some of my best cricket. When you’re out of form, you have two choices—you either give up or fight your way back.” Buttler’s rise to the top is even more impressive considering the number of matches he required. The 35-year-old broke Pollard’s long-standing record after playing 521 T20 matches, while the former West Indies all-rounder had amassed 14,803 runs in 746 matches. The all-time T20 run-scoring list now sees Chris Gayle in third place with 14,562 runs, followed by England’s James Vince, who has accumulated 14,449 runs. Among Pakistani players, veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik remains the country’s leading T20 run-scorer with 13,571 runs in 557 matches, underlining his remarkable consistency across franchise and international cricket. Buttler’s latest feat reinforces his status as one of the finest white-ball batters of his generation, adding another landmark to an already glittering career and proving that determination and resilience can rewrite cricket history.

England have unveiled their 16-member squad for the first two Tests of their three-match series against Pakistan, with Joe Root set to lead the side after Ben Stokes’ retirement. The first Test will begin on August 19 at Headingley in Leeds, marking the start of what promises to be a closely watched series between the two sides. Root has been handed the captaincy once again following Stokes’ retirement, placing the experienced batter at the centre of England’s plans against Pakistan. England have also welcomed back several familiar faces. Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Brydon Carse and Sam Cook have returned to the squad, adding experience and depth to the team. However, England will be without Jacob Bethell, who has been ruled out of the Pakistan series because of a right knee injury. With Root back in charge and several key players returning, England will look to make a strong start at Leeds before the teams move on to the second Test. Pakistan will be hoping to challenge England’s home advantage and seize an early lead in the three-match contest. England Squad Joe Root (C), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith and Josh Tongue.