Saad Bin Zafar has had an inspiring journey (Photos from Instagram)

NEW DELHI: In 2004, T20 cricket was still an idea waiting to happen. The shortest format, which today commands prime-time slots, billions in franchise cricket, biennial World Cup events, and the ICC’s most-reliable route to globalise the game, had not yet been played at the international level.That same year, a 17-year-old Saad Bin Zafar moved from Gujranwala in Pakistan to Canada. Cricket was not the reason for the move. Education was.“When we moved to Canada in the beginning, the sole reason was for me to get a good education,” Saad told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction. “My parents, especially my dad, used to tell me to focus on my studies, ‘play cricket but don’t let your studies affect you. That’s the sole reason we decided to move you to Canada.’ So, there was some pressure from my family.”

Two decades later, Saad is Canada’s most experienced campaigner in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 and their leading wicket-taker with four wickets.And as his team prepares to play Afghanistan in their final match of the tournament on Thursday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the 39-year-old has just one ambition: “To give our best and show our potential.”A late start to ‘serious’ cricketFor the 1989-born, cricket was a pastime in Pakistan, rather than a serious pursuit.“I didn’t play a lot of club cricket in Pakistan. I played school cricket. I didn’t have in mind that I would take up cricket as a career,” he said.After moving to Canada, he joined the University of Toronto and completed a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration there.

Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar, left, celebrates the wicket of New Zealand’s Tim Seifert (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Cricket initially fit around his studies. He would play club cricket in Toronto’s Super 9 league before making his debut for Canada in 2008.However, the early years were filled with inconsistency.“From 2008 to 2015, I was on and off in the team. I used to be picked and then dropped,” he added. “I was a youngster. I was new in the team. I was trying to make my place.”That changed in 2015. He gradually made his mark as a regular in the national side and became one of the team’s most trusted assets.A leader in the roomSaad played an integral part in leading Canada through the qualifiers into the T20 World Cup, later becoming the country’s first captain in the tournament’s history. Under his leadership, Canada regained ODI status in 2023.Although he doesn’t hold the captain’s armband anymore, the responsibilities have only got bigger.“I play my role as a bowling all-rounder, left-arm spinner, left-hand batsman, lower-middle order. I want to win matches for Canada through good performances. And I want to share my experience with the youngsters and groom them,” he said.

Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar, smiling, and Shreyas Movva celebrate the wicket of United Arab Emirates’ Mayank Kumar (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

He has also had experience of playing foreign franchise cricket, including the Caribbean Premier League for St Lucia Zouks.In November 2021, he recorded a rare feat in T20Is: becoming the first man to concede no runs in a four-over spell and finishing with figures of 4-4-0-2 against Panama.Cricket became full-time over timeFor most of his career, cricket was not a full-time profession in Canada. Saad worked as a procurement analyst in an insurance company while playing international cricket.“It was very difficult at the start. After all, cricket was not a full-time profession in Canada,” he revealed. “Even when you play for Canada, you have to work together.”He negotiated leave for tours and sometimes worked remotely while travelling. But employers were not always welcoming. “There was a point when they said that we can’t accommodate you that much. So, you have to either work or play cricket,” he recalled.“When a company would start bothering me, I used to find another job. But I didn’t leave cricket.”In 2018, after becoming Player of the Match in the GT20 final and receiving opportunities in other franchise leagues, he made the decision to quit his job and focus fully on cricket.‘My parents started believing that I am talented’Saad moved to Canada with his family as the eldest son. The move was primarily for his university education. After three years, his family returned to Pakistan while he stayed back to complete his studies. However, eventually, his other four siblings also moved to Canada. Also, his father’s stance changed.ALSO READ: From ice hockey to T20 World Cup 2026’s youngest talents: Ajayveer Hundal finds ‘great feeling’ in Delhi“Eventually, when I got a call-up in the national team and started playing for Canada, my parents started believing that I am talented enough to represent Canada. After that, my dad started supporting me,” he added with a smile.“He then stopped telling me to give up cricket and focus on my studies. They now feel proud.”

Teddy Atlas has delivered his verdict on Mario Barrios vs Ryan Garcia, insisting that the outcome should ultimately be determined by Garcia’s psychological state.

The pair will square off this Saturday at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, with Barrios gearing up for the third defence of his WBC world title.

His last two outings both resulted in a draw, against Abel Ramos and a 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao, though the 30-year-old is nonetheless considered a solid test for Garcia.

Entering his second world title challenge, Garcia has had just one outing at 147lbs, a unanimous decision defeat to Rolando Romero in May, since moving up from super-lightweight.

Prior to that, the American claimed a majority decision victory over Devin Haney in April 2024 which, due to him testing positive for banned substance ostarine, was later over-turned to a no-contest.

Not only that, but Garcia was also handed a year-long ban by the New York State Athletic Commission, during which time he has openly admitted to ‘drinking and partying’.

As a result of such antics, many have questioned the 27-year-old’s dedication to the sport, which appeared particularly problematic throughout the build-up to his showdown with Haney.

During that time, Garcia’s erratic behaviour led many to express concern over his psychological state in general, let alone any perceived lack of application to his craft.

And those same questions, it seems, are still lingering ahead of his clash with Barrios, though Hall of Fame trainer Atlas has opined on his YouTube channel that Garcia’s relative silence could be taken as an encouraging sign.

“At this point in Barrios’ career – Garcia being younger; Garcia being faster with his hands, a little more explosive – I think that you’d favour Garcia.

“But again… is he okay, mentally? Where is he at? You’ve got to take a gamble: Is he right, mentally?

“It’s been quiet on the western front [and], if it’s quiet on the western front with Garcia, that’s good news. If there’s no noise, then maybe things are good … And if I’m going to go with that, I’m gonna say I favour Garcia. Where you’ve got to favour Barrios is you know what you’re gonna get. With Garcia, you don’t know for sure what you’re gonna get.

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“At the end of the day, I’ll guess that Garcia will be together.”

Many others would likely agree with Atlas’ assessment of the situation, believing that a mentally-focused Garcia has the beating of Barrios.

To the list of famous trees in golf — the Eisenhower Tree, the Lone Cypress, the Ghost Tree — we can now add two more: the Hovland Trees.

A pair of sycamores, to be precise, now planted hard along the right side of Riviera’s 487-yard dogleg-right par-4 15th, a hole that ranks second-toughest on the scorecard and typically rates among the nastiest in the Genesis Invitational, too.

The trees weren’t added for aesthetics. They were installed as a defense against their namesake, Viktor Hovland, who in past Genesis starts has attacked the 15th unconventionally, launching his drive to the right, up the neighboring 17th fairway. It’s not the route Riviera’s designer, George Thomas, had in mind, but it opens up a wider landing area and a clean view of the 15th green. (Several other players have taken the same alternate route, but none has done so as frequently as Hovland).

Last year, of course, Riviera never got the chance to defend itself. Wildfires forced the Genesis to Torrey Pines. But in Hovland’s last appearance in the event at Riviera, he played the 15th in even par for the week — two pars, a birdie and a bogey. How much of an advantage that detour provided is impossible to say without having access to the alternate reality where he played the hole conventionally.

Regardless, this year, Riviera closed the loophole. In practice rounds, the trees appear to have served their purpose.

But if they’ve stymied Hovland, they haven’t silenced him. On Instagram, Hovland posted photos (above) of the new look with a caption that required no translation: SMH.

Hovland is hardly the first Tour pro to take a creative line in search of a competitive edge. At the Sony Open in Hawaii, Charley Hoffman has taken his drive on the par-5 18th down the 11th fairway. At the now-defunct Dell Technologies Championship, Justin Thomas and several others played the par-4 12th up the adjacent 13th.

Just as players get creative, so do courses and tournament committees, whether by planting trees or installing internal out-of-bounds. In 2023, Riviera tried a different kind of deterrent, positioning a tournament scoreboard in Hovland’s alternate line.

Hovland simply hit over it.

Good luck trying that this week.

Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe (Agency Image)

Although qualification permutations are no longer in play with the Super Eights line-up already confirmed, there is still plenty at stake when Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe face off in Colombo. Both sides remain unbeaten in the group stage, and this fixture offers a timely dress rehearsal before the next phase of the tournament.For context, one of these teams failed to progress to the Super Eights in the 2024 edition, while the other did not even make it to that tournament. By that measure alone, this campaign marks clear progress for both outfits. However, Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza made it clear after the washed-out clash against Ireland that merely reaching the Super Eights will not satisfy his team.Zimbabwe have already made headlines by knocking Australia out early and will aim to carry that momentum forward when they travel to India for the next round. With two strong victories built on collective performances across batting, bowling and fielding, another win — especially against the co-hosts — would significantly boost their confidence and potentially secure a top finish in Group B.Standing in their way is a Sri Lankan side brimming with form. They are coming off one of their most dominant T20 World Cup victories in recent memory. Pathum Nissanka delivered what many consider the innings of the tournament so far, Kusal Mendis has been in outstanding touch, and Pavan Rathnayake has emerged as an unexpected but effective presence at No. 4.Injuries, however, have tested Sri Lanka’s depth. Matheesha Pathirana has been ruled out of the competition, adding to the earlier loss of Wanindu Hasaranga. As co-hosts, they will be eager to avoid further setbacks while maintaining their rhythm heading into the Super Eights.

Today T20 World Cup matches – Thursday, 19 February

The men’s ice hockey is into the knockout rounds at the 2026 Winter Olympics, after Canada and the USA both topped their groups.

The past three winners of the gold medal have been Finland, Olympic Athletes from Russia (OAR) and Canada, in 2014. Four years before that, in 2010, Canada took home the gold once more, after beating the US in the final in Vancouver.

The USA has 11 medals in total for competition in ice hockey but has not taken home the gold medal since 1980, over 45 years ago. Their only other gold medal came in 1960.

But 2026 will mark the first time since 2014 where NHL players have participated in Olympic ice hockey. Historically the NHL and International Olympic Committee have failed to reach an agreement on allowing NHL players to participate. In both 2018 and 2022 this was the case, affecting the USA, Canada and many other countries.

With the inclusion of the NHL once more, Canada are the favourites for the gold medal in Milan. The USA are behind Canada as the second favourites but the USA are touted as the team to beat in the women’s ice hockey.

Men’s winter Olympics ice hockey schedule

Play-off round

February 17

Czech Republic 3-2 Denmark

Sweden 5-1 Latvia

Germany 5-1 France

Switzerland 3-0 Italy

Quarter-finals

February 18

Czech Republic 3-4 Canada

Sweden 1-2 USA

Germany 2-6 Slovakia

Switzerland 2-3 Finland

Semi-finals

February 20

Canada vs Finland

USA vs Slovakia

Final

February 22

TBD

Bronze medal match

February 21

TBD

USA Group C results

February 12: Latvia 1-5 USA

February 14: USA 6-3 Denmark

February 15: USA 5-1 Germany

Canada Group A results

February 12: Czech Republic 0-5 Canada

February 13: Switzerland 1-5 Canada

February 15: Canada 10-2 France

All games will either be played at the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena or the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena.

Hoops 360 hosts Caroline Fenton and Cassandra Negley break down the ins and outs of how the NCAAW March Madness selection process work. Cass highlights key factors that you may not have expected to be part of the process.

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Plus, WNBPA Vice President and co-founder of Unrivaled Napheesa Collier joins the show to talk about Unrivaled’s rapid rise and give her perspective on where things stand with WNBA CBA negotiations right now.

Got questions or topics you want covered? Drop them in the comments and we’ll hit them on a future episode.

01:07 – What does the new WNBPA CBA counterproposal mean?

05:28 – Napheesa Collier joins Hoops 360!

08:51 – What goes into NCAAW March Madness selections?

29:15 – What do you make of the March Madness selection process now that you’ve experienced it?

42:40 – Spotlight Players of the Week

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United States figure skater Ilia Malinin may have been favorited to take home medals entering the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, but he admitted not being well prepared to do so.

Malinin, nicknamed the “Quad God” for his special quadruple axel that he could perform in his routine, shockingly fell multiple times in the men’s free skate final, finishing eighth in the event. The result was surprising to fans and pundits alike, but this Malinin has since had time to reflect on what went wrong in Milan.

During an appearance on the “Today” show on Tuesday, he was candid with his response. It wasn’t that he wasn’t technically prepared to perform in Milan — it was the pressure from the fans in the stands and the millions watching around the world.

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Ilia Malinin of the United States reacts to his disastrous routine, in which he fell twice, during the Figure Skating, Men’s Singles Skating-Free Skating competition at the Milano Ice Skating Arena at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games 2026 on Feb. 13, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (Tim Clayton/Getty Images)

“Honestly, it’s not a pleasant feeling,” Malinin said about the free skate blunders. “The most honest way to say it is it’s just a lot of on you, just so many eyes, so much attention. It really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it, so I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate was I was not ready to handle that to a full extent.”

Heading into the Olympics, it was expected that Malinin would be on the podium in some capacity after the men’s free skate came to close. He had four competitions leading up to the Games, where his scores ranged between 209-238.

ILIA MALININ POSTPONES PRESS CONFERENCE A DAY AFTER EIGHTH-PLACE OLYMPIC FINISH

However, the falls led to a final score of 156.33, and Malinin hung his head after the event knowing that he wasn’t going to be securing an Olympic medal this time around.

Ilia Malinin of Team United States falls during the Men Single Skating on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

“Of course, it didn’t go the way I wanted it to. … All I have to do is just learn from my mistakes there and push to see how I can improve in the future. I can take a different approach leading up to the next Games, hopefully,” he said.

But it hasn’t been all bad for Malinin in Milan, as he helped the United States achieve team gold earlier in the Games with a 200.03 free skate.

Ilia Malinin of Team United States leaves the ice after competing in the Men Single Skating on day seven of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic games at Milano Ice Skating Arena on Feb. 13, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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Malinin will be 25 at the next Winter Olympics in 2030, which will be held in the French Alps.

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