Real Oviedo captain Santi Cazorla has taken a swipe at LaLiga after his team’s league game at Rayo Vallecano on Saturday afternoon was postponed just hours before kickoff.

Safety concerns over the pitch at Vallecas Stadium was the reason for LaLiga’s decision.

Oviedo criticised the short notice, with the team and its fans already in Madrid.

The club said in a statement it would consider legal action.

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Former Arsenal midfielder Cazorla expressed his discontent on X: “The reality is that LaLiga is light years away from the Premier League in every sense.”

Cazorla, 41, played six years at Arsenal and won two FA Cups with the North London club.

He rejoined boyhood club Oviedo in August 2023 and helped it gain promotion to LaLiga last season.

Oviedo are at the foot of the standings with just three wins, seven draws and 12 defeats in 22 league games.

South Africa posted a massive 214-run target for Canada after being invited to bat first in the ninth match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Monday.

Proteas smashed 47 off the last three overs to pile up 213-4, the highest total so far in this year’s T20 World Cup.

David Miller hit an unbeaten 39 off 23 balls and Tristan Stubbs was not out 34 off 19 as they finished the innings in the Group D encounter with an unbroken stand of 75 in 6.1 overs.

After Canada won the toss and elected to field, Quinton de Kock and captain Aiden Markram got South Africa off to a flying start, putting on an opening stand of 70 in 6.5 overs.

De Kock was first to fall, for 25, bowled by a dipping off-spinner from Dilpreet Bajwa.

Markram sailed on and reached his fifty off 28 balls before falling for 59, caught in the deep after hitting 10 fours and a six.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Anish Patel was the successful bowler and he enjoyed a fine spell, also removing Ryan Rickelton for a brisk 33 off 21 balls and Dewald Brevis for six.

Patel finished with 3-31 off his four overs after reducing South Africa from 125-1 to 138-4 before Miller and Stubbs took over for the side that were runners-up to India in the last edition of the tournament in 2024.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Monday said that talks were ongoing between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Bangladesh on the situation regarding the T20 World Cup.

The World Cup, featuring 20 teams divided into four groups, began on Saturday. Pakistan opened its campaign with a victory over the Netherlands in a Group A fixture on February 7. Originally, Bangladesh had been included in the slate but requested the ICC to shift its matches from India to Sri Lanka after its star player, Mustafeezur Rehman, was released from the Indian Premier League following objections from ruling party activists. The ICC declined the request and replaced Bangladesh with Scotland.

Pakistan took a principled stand in support of Bangladesh and protested the ICC’s decision, a move that further strained relations with the governing body. The federal government also ordered the team not to play the match against India in Colombo.

Naqvi held prolonged discussions with Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Aminul Islam and an ICC delegation, including Deputy Chairman Imran Khawaja, at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday over the Pakistan–India T20 World Cup row. The ICC is expected to inform the PCB within the next couple of days of its response to Pakistan’s conditions and proposals. In the next phase, Naqvi is set to brief Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the matters discussed. He made it clear during the talks that the final decision rests with the Government of Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore after the auction for the Pakistan Super League’s Multan team, Naqvi said: “The issue was one between the ICC and Bangladesh. We could not allow Bangladesh’s point of view to let go of [unheard]; they are our brothers. Matters are underway and the ICC and Bangladesh board are in that phase where it won’t be appropriate if I say more so I myself am waiting for information from them and then we will tell you.”

Questioned about reports of a restriction or fine on Pakistan for its decision, the PCB chief said: “I am not afraid of a threat, nor the government and you know about the field marshal so that is why there is no issue.”

On reports about Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates trying to mediate in the matter, Naqvi confirmed that several countries, including allied nations, were involved in the matter and briefed on Pakistan’s perspective.

“Let’s see what happens. You will have an idea soon.”