New Zealand | Pakistan

A white supremacist who shot and killed 51 worshippers at two New Zealand mosques in 2019 launched an appeal Monday seeking to overturn his conviction. Brenton Tarrant, an Australian former gym instructor, admitted carrying out New Zealand’s deadliest modern-day mass shooting before being sentenced to life in jail in August 2020. Now, the convicted killer argues that his “torturous and inhumane” detention conditions during his trial made him incapable of making rational decisions when he pleaded guilty, according to a court synopsis of the case. Tarrant is being held in a specialist unit for prisoners of extreme risk at Auckland Prison, seldom interacting with inmates or other people. “I did not have the mind frame or mental health required to be making informed decisions at that time,” Tarrant told the court, according to the New Zealand Herald. Tarrant said his state of mind was such that he had considered trying to implicate President Donald Trump in the crime. Life without parole “What I said at the time ...

Opener Tim Seifert struck a blistering 65 off 42 balls to lead New Zealand’s highest-ever run in a T20 World Cup as they beat Afghanistan by five wickets on Sunday. After Afghanistan made 182-6, New Zealand were driven by Seifert’s 42-ball knock and 42 by Glenn Phillips to achieve their target with 13 balls to spare in Chennai. New Zealand’s previous best chase in the T20 World Cup was their 167 against England in the 2021 semi-final. Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman had New Zealand in early trouble when he struck on successive balls in the second over of the chase to dismiss Finn Allen, for one, and Rachin Ravindra, for a duck. The hat-trick was avoided by Phillips, who then got going with wicketkeeper Seifert in a partnership of 74 for the third wicket to thwart Afghanistan’s spin-heavy attack. Captain Rashid Khan let out a roar as he broke through to dismiss Phillips, who inside-edged onto his stumps. Leg-spinner Rashid dropped Seifert on 48 off his own bowling, and the batsman reached his fifty with a...

India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the first one-day international in Vadodara on Sunday, where the in-form Virat Kohli fell agonisingly short of his 54th ODI hundred. The 37-year-old batting maestro, who had scored 376 in his last four ODI innings, anchored India’s chase of 301 with a sublime knock of 93 featuring eight boundaries and a six, but he was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson when a landmark century was within reach. The Vadodara crowd’s disappointment was palpable as their hero departed, but they rose to applaud Kohli, who achieved another milestone by becoming the second-highest run scorer in international cricket across all formats. With his 77th ODI fifty, Kohli moved on to 28,068 runs and surpassed Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) to sit behind only Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar’s 34,357. “If I look back at my whole journey, it’s nothing short of a dream come true for me,” Kohli said on moving one step closer to his mentor Tendulkar. “I’ve always known my abilities, how much ability I...

New Zealand overcame a blitz from centurion Harry Brook to beat England by four wickets on Sunday in the opening game of their three-match one-day international series, with Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell scoring half-centuries. The hosts wobbled chasing 224, losing four quick wickets, including former captain Kane Williamson for a first-ball duck in his first match for the side since March, but Mitchell took them home with an unbeaten 78 after being dropped on 33. Bracewell also earned a reprieve early on and ran himself out for 51 to open the door for England after the initial burst from Brydon Carse (3-45), but New Zealand got back on track thanks to Mitch Santner’s 27 and prevailed in 36.4 overs. “There was still a lot in the wicket,” skipper Santner said. “We lost a couple more than we would have liked in the chase but the intent was great … Daryl and Michael’s partnership was massive for us.” England recovered from a disastrous start as captain Brook bludgeoned 135 from 101 balls and Jamie Overton...

Three teams are chasing the last vacant spot in the ICC Women’s World Cup semi-final after South Africa, Australia and England booked their place during the knockout stage and finished top three in the league’s standings. India, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are chasing the coveted spot with four points each; Bangladesh and Pakistan are out of contention and at the bottom of the standings with two points each, with the latter crashing out of contention after a crushing defeat by South Africa on Tuesday. How India can qualify (currently in fourth position; +0.526 NRR) India have two remaining matches against New Zealand on Thursday and Bangladesh on Sunday. If they win both, they progress to the semi-finals. Even if they win against New Zealand but not Bangladesh — which gives them six points and a total of three victories, they can still qualify for the semis. If India lose to New Zealand but defeat Bangladesh, they will be relying on England defeating the White Ferns on Sunday in order to make the semis. Losing ...

Fast bowler Will O’Rourke will be out for at least three months with a stress fracture in his lower back, New Zealand Cricket said onb Tuesday, adding to a mounting injury list. The 24-year-old was injured while bowling in the first Test against Zimbabwe this month and returned home, where scans revealed the extent of the damage. “We’re really feeling for Will at the moment and wishing him speedy recovery,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said. O’Rourke will miss the home white-ball series against Australia in early October, England later that month and the West Indies in November. All-rounder Glenn Phillips was also ruled out of the Australia series as he recovers from the groin injury that saw him miss the Zimbabwe tour. And opening batsman Finn Allen will be out for a minimum of three months after having surgery on his right foot. “It’s disappointing to lose the services of Glenn and Finn, who have played important batting roles in our T20 set-up in recent times,” said Walter. White-ball captain Mitchell...

New Zealand beat Pakistan 6-2 in the final of the FIH Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Saturday to retain their title. New Zealand launched a blitz early on in the match with five goals in the first half. View this post on Instagram New Zealand’s hockey federation said “a statement had been made” with the win. “The Vantage Black Sticks men have claimed the victory at the 2025 FIH Nations Cup Grand final. “An electrifying match and a huge effort from the team to secure the win and become back-to-back champions!” View this post on Instagram “A tough end to a spirited campaign. Pakistan fought bravely in the final of the Nations Cup but New Zealand came out on top with a 6-2 win,” the Pakistan Hockey Federation said in a post on Facebook. “Despite the scoreline, Pakistan showed heart, hustle, and moments of brilliance throughout the match — including various attacking opportunities, a strong goal, and resilience under pressure. The Green Shirts also had to endure controversial decisions early on, yet the...