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Usman Tariq backs Babar and Shaheen ahead of do-or-die Namibia clash

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Usman Tariq backs Babar and Shaheen ahead of do-or-die Namibia clash


Collage shows Pakistan cricketers Shaeen Shah Afridi, Usman Tariq, and Babar Azam. — PCB

Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq has defended senior duo Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi despite their recent poor form, ahead of Pakistan’s must-win clash against Namibia on Wednesday at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Tariq praised the contributions of Pakistan’s senior players and outlined the team’s mindset, stressing the importance of experience while noting cricket’s unpredictability.

“Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi have won many matches for us. Winning and losing are part of the game. Going forward, you will see us play well,” Tariq said.

He further addressed the team’s approach to setbacks and the learning process after a defeat, highlighting the importance of reflection and moving forward.

“After the match, the discussion is always about what mistakes we made. If one match doesn’t go well, that’s part of the game,” he stated.

The right-arm spinner reflected on the team’s recent struggles and the importance of learning from past errors. He emphasised the proactive steps they have taken to address shortcomings.

“Problems arise when you don’t work on your mistakes. We have worked on our mistakes. If we don’t repeat them, there won’t be any problem,” he said.

He also spoke about handling high-pressure situations on the field, explaining that staying composed is crucial for performance.

“Feeling pressure is normal. Controlling pressure is part of the job, and we have worked on that. But right now, there is no pressure. I didn’t feel that the team was under pressure,” he concluded.

In their previous outing, the 2009 champions opted for a spin-heavy attack after winning the toss and electing to field.

However, the strategy backfired as India’s batting, led by a blistering half-century from Ishan Kishan, propelled them to 175/5 in 20 overs.

Pakistan’s spin duo, Abrar Ahmed and experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan, struggled. Abrar conceded 38 runs in three overs, while Shadab leaked 17 runs in a single over, with neither claiming a wicket.

Among the pacers, Shaheen Afridi was the only one to make a notable impact, returning figures of 1/31 in two overs. Captain Salman Ali Agha later described it as an “off-day.”

The Green Shirts’ batting also faltered under pressure, being bowled out for 114 in 18 overs after a disastrous start to the chase.

Earlier in the tournament, Salman Mirza impressed in Pakistan’s opening match against the Netherlands, picking up 3/24 in four overs. In 14 T20Is for Pakistan, he has taken 22 wickets at an economy rate of 6.36.

Currently, Pakistan sits third in the Group A points table with two wins and one defeat from three matches, with a net run rate of -0.403.

A win against Namibia would secure six points, putting them in the second spot and overtaking the USA, who have two wins and two losses with four points and a net run rate of 0.788, ensuring progression to the Super Eight stage.





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Lindsey Vonn shares she hasn’t been able to stand for ‘over a week’ after Olympic crash

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Lindsey Vonn shares she hasn’t been able to stand for ‘over a week’ after Olympic crash


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American Olympian Lindsey Vonn shared Monday that she hasn’t been able to stand on her own two feet in over a week, but was glad to be back in the United States.

Vonn suffered immense Olympic heartbreak on Feb. 8 when she broke her leg in a hard crash in alpine skiing women’s downhill earlier in the 2026 Milan Cortina Games. She attempted to power through a ruptured ACL to make the podium, but the latest injury set her farther back.

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US’ Lindsey Vonn (R) speaks to her Norwegian coach Aksel Lund Svindal (L) ahead of an official training for the women’s downhill event during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Feb. 7, 2026. (Marco BERTORELLO / AFP via Getty Images)

She had since revealed that she underwent multiple surgeries to repair the leg. She said she’ll likely need more surgery back in the U.S.

“Haven’t stood on my feet in over a week… been in a hospital bed immobile since my race. And although I’m not yet able to stand, being back on home soil feels amazing,” she wrote in a post on X.

“Huge thank you to everyone in Italy for taking good care of me.”

Vonn, 41, needed to be airlifted off an Italian mountain in a scary scene during her downhill competition.

AMERICAN FIGURE SKATER ISABEAU LEVITO HAVING BLAST AT OLYMPIC VILLAGE: ‘YOU CAN’T EVICT ME’

Lindsey Vonn in action

Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during alpine skiing women’s downhill official training at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati))

Officials at an Italian hospital where Vonn was rushed after the crash said she underwent surgery to “stabilize a fracture reported in her left leg.” Vonn had said she suffered a “complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.”

Before the Games began, many wondered how Vonn would ski on her ruptured ACL, but she was determined to attempt to medal in her signature event. Her runs on Friday and Saturday went fine, but she lost control a few seconds into her run, and things got very serious afterward.

Vonn said last week she had no regrets about her decision to race.

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“While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets. Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget,” she wrote in a separate Instagram post. “Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport.

“And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is also the beauty of life; we can try.

Lindsey Vonn crashes on the hill

United States’ Lindsey Vonn crashes during an alpine ski women’s downhill race, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026.  (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

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“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”

Fox News’ Scott Thompson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.





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Coventry 3-1 Boro (Feb 16, 2026) Game Analysis – ESPN

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Coventry 3-1 Boro (Feb 16, 2026) Game Analysis – ESPN


Haji Wright hit a hat trick as Coventry returned to the top of the Sky Bet Championship with a 3-1 home victory over in-form promotion rivals Middlesbrough.

Coventry had relinquished a 10-point lead at the top of the table to their opponents, but a dominant performance at the Coventry Building Society Arena saw Frank Lampard’s side go back to the summit and move one step closer to the Premier League.

Following three games without a win, the Sky Blues reignited their title bid and ended Middlesbrough’s six-match winning run.

Wright made it to 13 goals for the season with his hat trick and his coach Frank Lampard was full of praise for the USMNT forward.

“Haji keeps his head down, he’s been working hard and we know what Haji can be like when he’s in that form. Really pleased for him and he has to take that forward.

“Especially with a high-level game, you have to score in critical moments and we did today. Everybody worked and Haji did the business.”

Wright struck a post with the first action of the game but was not to be denied a second time when he tapped in just his third goal since October to settle any home nerves.

Middlesbrough put in a rare lacklustre attacking display as they failed to register a shot on target in the first period.

Wright doubled the hosts’ advantage 10 minutes after the break before Riley McGree got Boro back in the contest, but the United States international completed his treble with his 13th goal of the season from the penalty spot after Matt Targett handled inside the area.

Coventry’s fast start almost brought instant rewards as Tatsuhiro Sakamoto curled a cross on to the head of Wright, who guided the ball against a post.

Boro players threw themselves in front of further efforts from Frank Onyeka and Jack Rudoni, but the visitors began to settle down, Morgan Whittaker firing over with their first sight of goal after a chaotic opening.

Haji Wright celebrates after scoring a goal for Coventry City against Middlesbrough in the Championship.

But the hosts hit the front in the 21st minute.

Rudoni tiptoed his way into the area and flashed a teasing ball across the face of goal and Wright was on hand to poke it past Sol Brynn.

The Sky Blues went in search of a second when Ephron Mason-Clark darted into the area, but he guided his effort the wrong side of a post.

It took 40 minutes but the Teesiders finally woke up and started to test Coventry for the first time.

Targett whipped a searching ball beyond the back line, but Whittaker could only head it against Jay Dasilva and behind.

Chances were beginning to come at each end, Mason-Clark timing his run perfectly to break the offside trap but shooting straight at Brynn minutes before the break.

Twenty seconds after Hayden Hackney had forced Carl Rushworth into his first save, the keeper sent a high kick over the top for Wright, who latched on to the long ball and finished past Brynn.

Coventry were seemingly comfortable, but Boro served a reminder they still carried a threat as Aidan Morris fired against a post from distance.

And Middlesbrough did get themselves back in the match, Callum Brittain breaching the back line and sending in a cross which McGree diverted home to set up a nervy last quarter for Coventry.

But those nerves were soon settled as Josh Eccles’ cross hit Targett’s hand and Wright stepped up to seal his hat trick and the points from the spot.

“There’s so many points to fight for. We’ve got ourselves in this position, it’s game on,” Lampard added.

“There is so much to play for and we absolutely can’t get carried away. We have to focus on ourselves. No one can rest. It’s about action, but we have to recognise the effort we put into this game to stick to a plan and deliver that. West Brom will be a different challenge.”



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Lose UCL playoff, and Simeone’s Atlético reign could be over

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Lose UCL playoff, and Simeone’s Atlético reign could be over


The last time Diego Simeone lined up an Atlético Madrid side in the Champions League, he was in touching distance of that coveted top-eight finish which would have earned his club a succulent €18.2 million bonus and saved them two deeply unwelcome and risky extra knockout matches.

Exactly three weeks later, when the Argentine coach lines Atleti up against Club Brugge on Wednesday for the first leg of their playoff to reach to round of 16, it’s arguable that the future of the most successful coach in Los Rojiblancos’ history is in real jeopardy.

Here’s why: Atleti have stunk the house out in 2026.

Evidence? Two wins out of six in LaLiga, the last three without scoring — two of which were against relegation teams. Now Atleti are 15 points behind the leaders Real Madrid.


Stream every LaLiga match LIVE on ESPN+ (U.S.)
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In the Champions League, that top-eight finish was begging them to gobble it up, earn the aforementioned €18.2 million bonus and avoid dangerous knockout matches — but Atleti fluffed their lines, took one point from six, and were left with their noses pressed against the window marked “Elite.”

Worse, the embodiment of that embarrassment was one of their most humiliating European performances, losing 2-1 to Bodø/Glimt in Madrid.

Had they beaten the novice Norwegians 4-0, Atleti would have finished in the top eight and barged Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City off the high table in the process. It would have been a huge boost; invaluable to club coffers and allowed vital respite for tired players. But, despite leading 1-0, Atleti collapsed against Bodø/Glimt — humbled by a club from a 48,000-population city in its debut Champions League campaign.

Set against that is Simeone’s team winning 5-0 and 4-0 against Real Betis and Barcelona, respectively, in the Copa del Rey. Results that grab your attention and, temporarily, demand respect. But Atleti, with the consistency of their competitive mentality about as strong as a wet paper bag, backed up their thrashing of Betis in Seville by losing 1-0 at home to the very same team three days later for the equivalent LaLiga fixture.

And that stirring dismantling of Hansi Flick’s Spanish champions in the Copa semifinal first leg? That was immediately followed by a performance of craven surrender when Atleti faced third-bottom Rayo Vallecano (15 places and 23 points lower than Simeone’s team) but slumped to a 3-0 defeat — registering their worst loss to Rayo since 1981.

tournament visualization

It’s revealing when most the damning words for such Jekyll-and-Hyde performances, which would make any team, not just Atleti, look extremely badly coached and inefficiently led, come from your own goalkeeper. But Jan Oblak, clearly still stunned and fuming at the quality of his teammates’ display against previously hopeless Rayo (in the relegation zone before kick-off) didn’t hold back on Spanish TV on Sunday afternoon.

“After this, it looks like we’ve tossed any chances of winning the league away,” he said. “You can’t lose matches in this manner.

“You can’t put in that kind of match display. Performing like this it’ll be difficult for us to be competitive.

“You can’t pick and choose matches in which to perform. You need to play to your maximum all the time and we haven’t done that here. Congratulations to Rayo — they were much better than us — we deserved to lose.”

Note the “will be extremely difficult for us to be competitive.” Oblak was referring to challenges to come in the Champions League and Copa del Rey semifinal second leg. They are some deeply pessimistic words from a guy who is playing his 102nd Champions League match on Wednesday.

What made matters worse was that his coach, Simeone, immediately argued that the big Slovenian was talking rubbish: “I don’t agree with what Oblak said. The team doesn’t choose matches; we played poorly, and when the rival plays better, and is superior they beat you.”

Well, that’s alright then Diego! It’s only that your team plays poorly and the rivals are better. Phew! No problems there. What a chancer.

Somehow, Simeone still gets away with trotting out that kind of banal nonsense. It’s a great mass-hypnosis act to argue that the only problem you have is playing poorly and being out-done by your opponent and, using that tactic, somehow turn attention elsewhere. Those are the very pieces of evidence which, at any other club, gets you sacked.

To put things in context, particularly given that Atleti are alive and kicking in two knockout competitions, let’s look at where Simeone’s team is currently, compared to the last decade in LaLiga. Only twice in the last 10 years have Atleti been worse statistically than they are right now.

Those were after Matchday 24 in 2020 and Matchday 24 in 2022 — the first just as the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, and the second at a time when Simeone subsequently admitted that he began to believe that his time was up.

A few months after that 2022 trough, the Argentine was asked by Diario AS: “In those weeks before the last World Cup, did you feel like the cycle was ending?”

Simeone responded: “Without a doubt, it was the worst part of all my years at the club. I’m not stupid. I saw, just like you, that the team was playing badly, that it lacked identity, commitment, effort, and that its passing didn’t inspire confidence.”

Rather like now, in fact. Reliable word has it that, ath the time, the Atleti directors were getting ready to say: “Thanks for the memories!” and “Adiós!” to Simeone until his team revolutionised itself, upped its performance level and started surging up the table.

Fast-forward to today, and Simeone remains a hot topic around Atleti’s ownership, media and fans.

He’s the longest-serving coach of a Spanish club in history but — after a blitz of trophies when he arrived, when the side was buzzing with vitality, standards were higher, and Simeone was able to coach his defence into extreme stinginess — the club’s habit of lifting silverware has been traded for settling for being a cash-cow.

No trophies in the last five years, just one in the last eight — but, for example, €85 million filling the coffers from the revamped Champions League cash-printing machine last season when Atleti made it to the last 16.

It was after that otherwise disappointing season finished that Simeone admitted to Spanish radio in June 2025: “One or two friends advised me that this was the time to leave Atlético.”

Why? Well, there’s a new broom coming at the club. Atlético Madrid are in the process of drastic ownership change, thanks to share purchase from US investment company Apollo Sports Capital — and their financial stake will have been based on actuarial calculations about the future, not on Simeone’s once-glorious past.

Simeone has a new, sceptical, boss in the shape of Mateu Alemany, who’s widely understood to be weighing up the candidacy of both Villarreal‘s Marcelino and Atleti legend Fernando Torres, who is currently in charge of their B-team.

What hasn’t changed, what never changes, is that the club feeds off Champions League progression and the vast financial injection they require that to bring them.

Maybe this season brings a trophy-lift for Simeone; someone, who so often “Houdinis” his way out of a bind.

Alternatively, should Simeone’s team “play badly” and be “out-performed by their rival” in Bruges this midweek, it’ll be treated far more seriously than the unpalatable but oh-so “seen-it-all-before” defeats to Bodø/Glimt, Betis and Rayo these past few weeks.

Simeone’s reputation and job are on the line.



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