SPORTS Monday, 16 April, 2018
KinGs Xi prevent a heist DHONI FALLS SHORT IN FINAL OVER
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Commonwealth Games 2018 come to end PAKISTAN FINISHES WITH 1 GOLD, 4 BRONZES
CHANDIGARH
QUEENSLAND
Agencies
APP
RIOR to the start of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab captain R Ashwin promised unpredictability. One of those unpredictable decisions was bringing in Chris Gayle against a team he has struggled against. That move paid rich dividends immediately: Gayle hammered a 33-ball 63, Kings XI blazed a 75-run Powerplay and a total of 197 proved four runs beyond Chennai Super Kings in their third final-over finish this season. A steady approach early in Super Kings’ chase left them with 67 runs to get off the last four overs. But that strategy also meant they conserved resources for later, including MS Dhoni himself. Full and wide doesn’T work: Gayle’s hitting arc is in the arc between long-on and square leg. So, Super Kings’ tactics were clear: hang the ball wider to force Gayle to drag the ball into that arc. Gayle’s strong shoulders, though, opens up areas on the off side. Super Kings’ bowlers stuck to their plans and Gayle his. He bludgeoned three sixes and four fours through long-off and cover, scoring 39 of his 63 in that area and only venturing into leg-side heaves if the bowlers with their original plans. an eFFicienT middle: In T20s, with one batsman in terrific hitting form, other batsmen tend to bat cautiously, biding their time to keep wickets. In recent T20s, though, teams maximise their score by attacking bowlers from both ends. KL Rahul hit seven fours in a 22-
KINGS XI PUNJAB 197 FOR 7 (GAYLE 63, RAHUL 37) BEAT CHENNAI SUPER KINGS 193 FOR 5 (DHONI 79, RAYUDU 49) BY FOUR RUNS ball 37. Mayank Agarwal scored 30 off 19 balls, and Yuvraj Singh struck 20 off 13 balls. Effectively, those three batsmen combined to score 87 off 54 balls, which equates to close to 10 runs an over over nine overs. Combined with Gayle’s innings, those three cameos
ensured that even with a sub-par finish, Kings XI had an above-par total. Chennai Super Kings: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, M Vijay, MS Dhoni (capt, wk), Sam Billings, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Harbhajan Singh,
Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Karun Nair, R Ashwin (capt), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman
PCB announces 16-member squad for England, Ireland series LAHORE Agencies
Chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq announced the sixteen-member squad for Pakistan's tour of England and Ireland here on Sunday. Nine batsmen have been included in the squad to counter the difficult playing position in England. Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Sami Aslam have been included in the squad as opening batsmen. Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Babar Azam, Saad Ali, Usman Salahuddin have been added as middle order batsmen.
Faheem Ashraf finds his place as an all-rounder in the squad while Shadab Khan has been included as a spinner. The squad is expected to depart at the end of this month. Pakistan will begin their tour with a four-day warm-up match against county side Kent before taking on Ireland in a one-off test match on May 11: the first-ever played by the Irish. The PakisTan squad: Sarfaraz Ahmed, Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Haris Sohail, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Inam-ul-Haq, Asad Shafiq, Usman Salahuddin, Shadab Khan, Muhammad Amir, Muhammad Abbas, Saad Ali, Hasan Ali, Faheem Ashraf and Rahat Ali.
The colourful closing ceremony of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games was held on Sunday with host country, Australia, being on the top of the table with 198 medals including 80 gold medals, 59 silver and as many bronze medals while Pakistan finished at 24th with one gold and four bronze medals. England got second position with 45 gold medal, 45 silver medals and 46 bronze medals with an aggregated total of 136 medals, followed India with 66 medals including 26 gold, 20 silver and as many bronze medals while Canada got fourth position with 82 medals including 15 gold, 40 silver and 27 bronze medals. The Games provided sensational competitions that reflect the true spirit of the 6,600 athletes from 71 countries and territories of the world in 18 different disciplines. The people around the world just witnessed fabulous competitions and spectacular achievements across eighteen different sports. They have seen athletes strive to exceed expectations and, in giving their best performances, they have made their home countries proud. The XXI Commonwealth Games has, once again, been a great celebration of the Commonwealth touching 1.5 billion populations. It has not only been a festival of sport, but also shared cultures and arts of the participating athletes from 71 different countries and territories. In both, the Gold Coast and the people of Australia have been wonderful hosts and have generated a fantastic atmosphere from the start of the Queen’s Baton Relay to this, the closing c ceremony. Then England will host the XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022 and the flag of the Commonwealth Games was also handed over to them during this stunning extravaganza with millions of people enjoyed the enthusiasms showed by the athletes from around the world including Pakistan. The Gold Coast provided opportunities to the athletes, officials, volunteers, spectators and the media have shared in the triumphs and challenges alongside the athletes across 275 events. The Gold Coast also broken new ground with Women’s Rugby Sevens, Beach Volleyball and Para Triathlon medals awarded for the first time, as part of the largest integrated sports program in Commonwealth Games history. The calibre of athletes has been unparalleled, showcasing world record holders, sporting greats, and breakthrough performances from young athletes. While the Games is coming to a close, the future of sport in theCommonwealth is very bright indeed. In fact, in 2018, the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Sport are more relevant than ever before. The success of Games relies heavily upon its 15000 volunteers. The action, drama, sportsmanship and excitement that has defined the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games continued right up until the last second. The final day of GC2018 started with the Marathon, ended with the Rugby Sevens and included gold medal moments in Netball, Basketball, Squash, Table Tennis and Badminton.
How good is Fawad Alam really? LAHORE ABDULLAH niAZi
“Why not Fawad Alam? Something is seriously wrong with Inzamam-ul-Haq. Fawad Alam's case should now be taken in by the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar.” Those were the sentiments expressed by a reader on the Facebook page of Pakistan Today underneath a news item about the selection of a 16-man squad which had excluded Fawad Alam. The sentiment is, of course, widespread. The name Fawad Alam draws instant indignation from the famously fickle fans of Pakistan. Even Pakistan Today’s satirical publication The Dependent, perhaps inspired by the angry commenter, couldn’t help but take a swipe at yet another snub, writing a piece titled “Courts summon Inzamam-ul-Haq to ask ‘Faadi ko kyun nahi khilatay?’” But how good
is Fawad Alam, exactly? What makes fans so riled up as to cry havoc every time he is given the cold shoulder by selectors? And if he is all that, then what good is it doing to the current chief selector or those before him to exclude him from a team riddled with injuries? Thoroughly devoid of natural talent with an ugly sort of batting technique, Fawad Alam really isn’t the sort of player that ticks. He shifts balance badly and scrunches his face up unpleasantly when exerting force. Unattractive stroke play combined with a small stature and an inability to hit anything big makes him a surprising crowd favourite. Yet with a first-class average of 55.37, and List-A average of 49, nobody can deny he is Pakistan’s most prolific domestic cricketer. But maybe he just isn’t cut out of the mold that is required for the international format? Of course, his international numbers also indicate that he is a correct fit for the squad. He
has an average of over 40 in tests, admittedly due to a single inning of 168 on debut, but he has only played three tests, and those too way back in 2009, long before he matured into the sensible player he has now become. Back in 2015, he showed his steel in a tour game against England XI, and his ODI figures fare even better. With an average of 40.25, players with numbers much worse than him are mainstays in the Pakistan set-up. Admittedly, his strike rate is on the lower side at 74. The only explanation one can think of for his exclusion is that there is no clear role for him in the current set up under Sarfraz Ahmed. What he does very well is oft done better by the likes of say, Harris Sohail. But then there is nothing for a room in the test team right now. With an opener out and the team still trying to rebalance after the dual exist of Misbah and Younis, why doesn’t Fawad Alam get his chance ahead of the three debutants? For a man
quietly biding his time without any complaint continuing the drudgery of firstclass cricket, is it any wonder that there is so much outcry? Meanwhile, loudmouths like Umar Akmal have been given chance
Published by Arif Nizami at Plot No 79, Sector 24, Korangi Industrial Area Karachi. Ph: 021-35381208-9. Email: newsroom@pakistantoday.com.pk
CMYK
after chance to no avail and continue to hark on about their wasted talent. The only reason one can think of is his lack of style and charisma. And if that is indeed the criteria, then it really is a bad one.