Pakistan cricket team (AP/PTI)

Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign has reached a critical juncture. A win against Namibia in their final league fixture on Wednesday is non-negotiable if Salman Agha’s men are to keep their Super 8 hopes alive. Anything less, and their tournament ends prematurely.The pressure has mounted quickly. After bold claims that this was a stronger outfit than the one that faltered against India in the Asia Cup, Pakistan suffered a familiar 61-run defeat on Sunday. While their clashes with India in the 2022 and 2024 T20 World Cups were tight, they still fell short. Since the Asia Cup, India have now registered four comfortable wins on the trot, reinforcing Pakistan’s struggles in marquee encounters.

Scrutiny has intensified around senior players Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. Shaheen failed to control the game in the PowerPlay or at the death, returning figures of 1 for 31 in two overs. Babar’s issues against spin continue to surface — his strike-rate against spin since returning to the T20I side stands at 101.70 — raising questions about balance and intent in the middle order.Selection dilemmas loom. Salman Mirza and Fakhar Zaman are in contention should the management opt for changes. Pakistan’s heavy reliance on spin — 13, 16 and 18 overs across three games — also reflects a side still searching for the right combination.Namibia, though eliminated, are not without motivation. With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon as co-hosts, they are keen to gather momentum. For Pakistan, though, the equation is simple: win or go home.In the other fixture, India face the Netherlands in the night game. Having already secured qualification for the Super 8s with three wins from three matches, India will view this contest as an opportunity to fine-tune combinations and tick a few remaining boxes.Abhishek Sharma is yet to get going in this T20 World Cup, and the team management will be keen for their No. 1 batter to spend valuable time at the crease ahead of the knockout stage. Getting runs under his belt could prove crucial in the business end of the tournament.There could also be changes in the bowling department. Kuldeep Yadav might make way for Arshdeep Singh, who was included as an extra spinner against Pakistan. With qualification already secured, India may use this match to test their bench strength and settle on the most balanced XI for the Super 8s.

Today T20 World Cup matches – Tuesday, 18 February

Venn Healthcare is distributing a system which can reset the central nervous system

The Nesa XSignal stimulates the nerve pathways with microcurrents that are imperceptible to the user

Trials show benefits to sleep quality, digestive issues, chronic pain and overactive bladders

It is being offered by many health providers and The Lanserhof at the Arts Club

With increasing conversation around the negative health impact of a dysregulated nervous system the Nesa XSignal is providing a solution that is fast gaining traction in clinics.

A number of consumer devices are now coming to market which work on stimulating the vagus nerve via an ear clip, including Yoyo, Sona and Nurosym.  However a solution is now available from Venn Healthcare, the Nesa XSignal, which can deliver a full nervous system reset, bringing the two sides of the nervous system – the parasympathetic and sympathetic – into balance offering significant health benefits.

Low-frequency microcurrents stimulate nerve pathways of the peripheral autonomic nervous system, to reboot the central nervous system. Imperceptible to the user, the treatment has no side effects. It is delivered via a few electrodes which are attached to gloves and socks. A course of 10 to 12 treatments is recommended and delivered over a few weeks for the best results. 

Trials show the treatment can improve sleep quality by 40 per cent; reduce pain perception by 60 per cent; improve quality of life by 66 per cent; improve intestinal problems by 30 per cent and cognitive function by 35 per cent. It can also address an overactive bladder and reduce episodes of urinary incontinence by 60 per cent.

The UK distributor is Venn Healthcare and spokesperson, Jenny Torney, says the company is receiving interest from many types of health providers – physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, sports therapists and MSK clinicians. “If you’ve got a problem with your Achilles tendon and your body’s in fight or flight, you’re not going to be able to respond to treatment unless the nervous system overdrive is addressed,” she says.

The treatment has been embraced by premiership football clubs in the UK and Spain to help athletes focus before matches and to sleep after coming off the pitch late at night. The Lanserhof at the Arts Club in London is also using it to help their high-achieving clients who frequently suffer from burnout. 

Cornwall Physio in St Austell is the first place in the south west to offer the Nesa XSignal. “It ties in perfectly with our functional medicine and longevity-focused offering,” says owner, Lou Nicholettos. “It is appealing to a lot of our clients who are coming because of chronic pain, as well as people who just want to take control of their own health from a longevity point of view.”

Alyssa Liu is Team USA’s last hope for an individual gold medal in figure skating at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. 

Liu, the reigning world champion, was the only one of America’s women’s figure skating stars to put herself in contention for gold after the short program on Tuesday night. 

Liu landed a triple Lutz-triple loop, the hardest combination that any woman attempted, and sat only two points back of leader Ami Nakai and right behind her Japanese teammate Kaori Sakamoto on the leaderboard.

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Alysa Liu of the United States performs her routine during the Figure Skating, Women’s Singles Skating, Short Program at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 on February 17th, 2026 in Milan, Italy.   (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

“I am really happy about how I skated,” Liu said after the competition. “And my siblings, my best friends and a ton of my family is out there. And I saw them on the warmup. I also saw them during my program, so, I don’t know. It was a really cool moment, because they never come to watch like this. I’m really glad I did super well. I felt super grounded and I connected with my program on another level.”

Fellow American women’s skater Amber Glenn finished 13th, falling just one spot short of advancing. Glenn was seen walking off the ice in tears. 

ILIA MALININ HINTS AT INTENSE OLYMPIC PRESSURE DAYS AFTER UNEXPECTED RESULT

Alysa Liu poses for a photo following the 2026 Milan Olympics figure skating team announcement show at Enterprise Center on Jan. 11, 2026. (Jeff Curry/Imagn Images)

Isabeau Levito was dinged for under-rotating her triple loop and got leveled down for her step sequence, which is where she tends to pick up points on the competition. It left her in eighth place and a long shot to climb her way onto the podium Thursday night.

Other American skating stars have seen similar disappointing individual results in Milan Cortina after the U.S. took team gold last week.

Alysa Liu of Team United States competes during the Women’s Single Skating – Short Program on day eleven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on February 17, 2026 in Milan, Italy.  (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Skating power couple Madison Chock and Evan Bates were left with silver in ice dance thanks in part to some questionable scoring by a French judge. Meanwhile two-time world champion and Olympic favorite Ilia Malinin shockingly crashed out of the men’s free skate after falling twice during the men’s final on Friday, finishing in eighth place. 

Now, all the pressure is on Liu to ensure Team USA doesn’t have to head home without an individual gold in figure skating. 

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“I don’t think about stuff like that,” Liu said when asked if she can beat the Japanese rivals. “Whether I beat them or not is not my goal. My goal is just to do my programs and share my story and I don’t need to be over or under anyone to do that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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On Saturday night, Ryan Garcia attempts to finally get his hands on a world title as he challenges Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight crown. Ahead of the action, four-division world champion Shakur Stevenson has revealed his prediction.

Garcia was set to challenge Devin Haney for the WBC super-lightweight title back in 2024 until he missed the weight and consequently, the opportunity to win the belt, but he still went ahead with the fight.

To the surprise of many, ‘King Ry’ went on to pull off the upset win and hand Devin Haney a first career defeat, but only temporarily.

During the aftermath, it was revealed that Garicia had tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, Ostarine, and the result was overturned to a no-contest, whilst Garcia was handed a one-year ban from the sport.

Controversially, upon his return, Garcia was granted an immediate world title shot for the WBA regular welterweight belt against Rolando Romero, but once again the Californian was unable to get his hands on the title – this time losing via unanimous decision.

This weekend, Garcia gets another opportunity to claim world honours, tasked with what some fans believe to be low-hanging fruit in Barrios and, on ‘Inside The Ring’, Stevenson predicted a win for the challenger.

“Ryan. Decision”

Stevenson also welcomed a possible meeting with Garcia down the line, accepting Garcia’s offer of a proposed 144lb catchweight contest.

“I love the fight, I think that is perfect. There would be a lot of excitement for that fight, it’s a big money fight. Ryan Garcia is somebody that comes in there and you never know which version of him is going to show up.

“If the good version of him shows up, he gets spanked. If the bad version of him shows up, he gets spanked. Either way, he don’t stand a chance.”

However, despite making the offer, it is unlikely that ‘King Ry’ will be able to make 144lbs, with Stevenson likely needing to move up to welterweight in order to make that fight happen.

Trainer Grant Kluske believes advantages exist in contesting a tougher race with Gold Spirit at Morphettville this Saturday, despite the sprinter’s qualification for milder options.

The progressive four-year-old lines up for start two of the campaign in the $55,000 Sportsbet Same Race Multi BM72 Handicap at 1000 metres on the Parks surface.

Kluske bypassed the post-race 0-62 over 1000m where Gold Spirit qualified, opting for this setup notwithstanding the wide-ish draw from gate nine of 10.

“I decided to go with the higher-class race mainly because the horses in it,” Kluske said.

“He likes it up forward, but I think it’s going to be a bit of a fight up front and will take a sit.

“He doesn’t have to be up there (leading), so I’m more than happy going into it.”

Rather than co-topweight in the lower grade, the Turffontein progeny meets the BM72 at 54kg with 3kg off for jockey Brooke King.

King steered him to a solid fourth on January 31 first-up at Morphettville, going down by little more than one length.

Previously in 0-70 ranks, this BM72 features 68-calibre Been Our Angel, Mintulee and Nextonixs atop the ratings, which Kluske considers not overly deep, aiming to inform subsequent targets.

“This will only be his second start this time in, but he’s got to step up the mark in this one,” Kluske said.

“It’s a benchmark 72, but there’s nothing in it rated 69 (or above), so we’re more than happy.

“He’s a very good horse, very professional in everything he does and I’m feeling really happy with him.”

The racing betting markets offer value for the Sportsbet Same Race Multi BM72 Handicap at racing betting markets.

The post Grant Kluske chasing gold at Morphettville first appeared on Just Horse Racing.

India’s Ishan Kishan (ANI Photo)

Ishan Kishan has emerged as India’s standout performer with the bat in the ongoing T20 World Cup, playing a pivotal role in the team’s smooth progression to the Super 8s. The left-hander has struck consecutive half-centuries, underlining a dramatic resurgence in his career. Just six months ago, he was out of the national reckoning and far from selection discussions. Since making his return, however, Kishan has made every opportunity count.His defining contribution came in the high-pressure clash against Pakistan. On a challenging surface where stroke-making was far from easy, Kishan delivered a commanding 77 off 40 balls, laced with 10 fours and three sixes. His innings proved decisive, allowing India to seize control at a crucial juncture of the tournament.

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar attributed the knock to Kishan’s fearless mindset and clearly defined role at the top of the order.“To bat like Ishan Kishan, the way he did against Pakistan, I believe there have to be a couple of factors that have to be your advantage. Number one, he is batting at the top of the order. He has the backing of the team to go out and play by taking a lot of risks, which, at the moment, are coming off,” Bangar said on Star Sports.Bangar emphasised that Kishan’s success is rooted in form and method rather than reckless strokeplay.“Number two, he is the man in form, and T20 cricket is basically for form players. So he is maximising whatever form that he has. There is a method in which he dominated. It isn’t that he was targeting each and every bowler,” Bangar observed.He further analysed the innings, noting how Kishan strategically attacked specific bowlers.“Even till the fourth over, he first attacked Shaheen Shah Afridi in the second over, then gave respect to the off-spinners, and when the leg-spinners came, he took them to the cleaners. So all in all, a very calculative innings. I must say that even though he was getting the majority of the strike, he was farming the strike pretty well and made those 77 possible out of the 88 runs that were there on the scoreboard,” he elaborated.

• Home advantage smaller than ever before, but still a factor
• Italian women playing a huge role in host’s success
• Familiarity with facilities the main reason for Italy’s strong display
• History shows negative spillover possible

From Francesca Lollobrigida setting an Olympic record in the women’s 3,000-meter speed skating for Italy’s first gold to alpine skier Federica Brignone winning her second gold medal in three days, this has been Italy’s Winter Olympics in more ways than one. Their haul of 24 medals* is their best ever at the Winter Olympics, with their previous best of 20 coming in Lillehammer over 30 years ago.

But how much of Italy’s success is because they are at home?

Both the US and Canada enjoyed very successful Games when they hosted in 2002 and 2010 respectively. South Korea and China won more medals as hosts than ever before, but historically speaking the concept of home advantage is more complicated.

Carl Singleton is a senior lecturer in economics at the University of Stirling, Scotland, and has written multiple papers analyzing the idea of home advantage at the Olympics. In 2021, he co-authored one looking at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games between 1896 and 2021 and his findings revealed that over the span of the Olympics, home advantage has gradually reduced.

This is logical given the diversity of sports and events has increased, as has competition and participation. There are over 90 countries competing in Italy this month, whereas there were just 16 at the first Winter Olympics back in 1924.

“If you just look at that long history of the Olympic Games, home advantage now is possibly as small as it’s ever been, even though it’s still obviously quite there and substantial,” Singleton told DW.

Women playing a major role

Italy collected 17 medals in total in Beijing, with two of those being gold. In 2026, on home snow and ice, the Games are not even finished and they have already won 24, including eight golds. The most striking part of their success is the major role played by women.

Singleton’s data shows that in the Winter Olympics, the home advantage between 1988 and 2016 was “around 50% larger in men’s events but non-existent in women’s events.”

Italy’s women have changed all that, both this year and last. They have already medaled, either as a single athlete or as part of a team, in 16 events this year (four more than at the last Games).

“Women’s sports have become much more competitive, more funding, more access,” Singleton said.

“So now you’re maybe seeing the home advantage amplified through the women’s sports matching the home advantage that you might have always or more commonly seen in men’s sports.”

Facility familiarity the major factor

Singleton’s research points to four major factors that influence home advantage – a supportive home crowd, no travel, familiarity with conditions/tracks and favorable refereeing/umpiring bias. And, in 2026, Italy’s marginal gains have most likely been found in their familiarity with the facilities.

Italy have added just two new venues for these Games, the sliding center and the much discussed Santagiulia ice arena.

“So they’ve got familiarity with everything else, which is great,” said Singleton, highlighting that Italians likely had a chance to practice at the other facilities before any other athletes.

Growing up on this snow combined with being some of the top athletes in the world has been the perfect nudge for these athletes to get onto the podium.

“They’ve maximized the familiarity factor at these Games,” Singleton said.

How long-lasting is this success?

While some things are meant to be enjoyed in the moment, there will always be questions asked about the longevity and legacy of such events, especially when such a large amount has been invested. In other words, will there be a spillover performance at the 2030 Winter Olympics in France?

Singleton’s data reveals significant evidence that in the Summer Games, spillovers are real but on average there wasn’t a spillover for the Winter Games.

In fact, looking at recent hosts more than anything, there appears to be a tendency towards a sharp decline. After China won 15 medals at home in 2022, they have won just five in Milan and Cortina. South Korea went from 17 at home in 2018 to nine in 2022, and have just six this time around. While medals are not necessarily a barometer of whether a country’s sporting development pathways are healthy, they clearly matter to hosts.

The hope is, as always with major sporting events, that both the act of hosting and the success of home athletes will inspire the next generation. However, Singleton believes there isn’t a lot of strong evidence that the Olympics lead to long-lasting participation changes. Indeed, the cost is a big problem for many. It can though, make a difference beyond the numbers.

“I’m a macro economist by trade, and I tell my students all the time, there are many things that we can’t quantify in GDP, that don’t show up in national accounts, and I think these things are valuable,” Singleton said.

“Maybe, you can’t say that it was worth the initial money because it’s hard to make that comparison, but the memories, the experiences and the sense of national pride are important things which don’t show up in a country’s balance sheet. And that’s, to some extent, a big factor as to why certain nations bid for these things as well, because there are intangible benefits of hosting these events,” Singleton said.

“I think if every country can lose itself for three weeks and sport can develop a shared memory, then that is what is important.”

Italy’s athletes at these Winter Olympics have shown that even if home advantage is smaller than ever, it can be turned into special and memorable performances.

* As of 16:45 CET on February 17, 2026
Edited by: Chuck Penfold