SPORTS Tuesday, 20 February, 2018
Dhoni breaks recorD of most catches in t20 matches
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NDIA’s MS Dhoni on Sunday surpassed former Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara to record most catches in T20 cricket during the first match against South Africa at the Wanderers on Sunday. The India wicketkeeper achieved the feat after collecting a mis-hit from South Africa batsman Reeza Hendricks off Bhuvneshwar Kumar as India went on to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. MS Dhoni now has a total of 134 catches in T20 cricket as he went past Sangakkara’s earlier record of 133 in 254 matches. Sangakkara also had 59 stumpings to take his overall tally to 192 dismissals in T20s. The former India captain has so far played 275 T20 matches, which includes franchise cricket as well as Twenty20 Internationals, effecting a grand total of 204 dismissals which includes 134 catches and 70 stumpings. Dhoni is only three dismissals behind the overall world record currently held by former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal. He played 211 matches and effected an overall 207 dismissals (115 catches and 92 stumpings). As far as taking most catches in the T20 format is concerned, Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh
bhuvneshwar kumar’s pace change shows south africa’s short-ball tactics flawed SpoRTS DESk
Karthik is at third spot with 123 catches in 211 matches. Karthik also has 48 stumpings to his credit, which takes his overall total to 171 dismissals. With 77 dismissals in 87 T20 Internationals, Dhoni is far ahead of the competition. He has
taken a record 48 catches but is still behind Kamran (32), having affected 29 stumpings. The Indian cricket team, meanwhile, claimed victory in the first T20 at Johannesburg as they defeated South Africa by 28 runs.
Roger Federer revels in ‘fantastic week’ after winning 97th title in Rotterdam NETHERLANDS Agencies
Roger Federer celebrated his return to the top of the world rankings by winning the Rotterdam Open on Sunday, his 97th career title, and declared it “one of the best weeks of my life”. The 36-year-old, the oldest No.1 in history, thrashed ailing Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-2, 6-2 in a onesided final. In the Open era, only American Jimmy Connors has won more titles with 109. “What a fantastic week,” top seed Federer said. “The goal at start of week was to make it to the semifinals. This is absolutely amazing, I’m really pleased.” “It’s unbelievable to be number one again after all these (six) years -- this is one of the best weeks of my life.” Federer, the record 20-time Grand Slam winner, will officially reclaim the number one ranking he last held in October 2012 when the new ATP rankings are published on Monday. He has played two tournaments this year and won both -- the other being January’s Australian Open which he won for the sixth time. “I saved the best for last,” added
Federer, who has a 12-0 record on the season, before jetting home to his family. “I had a great first match and a great last match. In between it was a battle, it was nerve-wracking getting back to number one. But I was able to manage my nerves and the expectations. “I was able to handle that pressure, today I played great from the beginning.” Federer is three years
older than American Andre Agassi was when previously holding the record for oldest No.1 back in 2003. As for chasing down Connors’s record of 109 titles, Federer said his first objective was to get to 100. “97 is not 100 yet, you’ve got to stay healthy if you want to get close to finals. Things can evaporate quickly,” warned Federer.
Sunday was Federer’ third title in Rotterdam following successes in 2005 and 2012 and he now stands 12-0 for the season. The iconic Swiss star needed just 55 minutes to dispatch Dimitrov who looked to be under-cooked in the quickfire final. Federer now stands a perfect 70 over the Bulgarian in their head-tohead series. “I was expecting a tough final, but I could see that Grigor was not at his best midway through. He’s a great player and a great athlete and has been playing well recently. “I was able to improve my tennis today when I needed to, I was able to take advantage. I’m very, very happy.” Dimitrov refused to blame any kind of physical or fitness problem for his weak showing although tournament director Richard Krajicek said that the player had been sick. “Overall, it was a good week, I just came up short today. Anything can happen out there, all credit to Roger. He’s back to number one, played well all week and kept raising the bar,” he said. Federer will now decide within a few days whether or not to travel to Dubai for the ATP event starting a week from Monday.
There is probably something about the white cricket balls rolling out of the manufacturers’ these days or perhaps the placidity of surfaces that is making life miserable for the seamers, who like to strike first up by moving the ball. Bowlers like Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Mohammad Amir aren’t getting the prodigious swing they have been known for - at least beyond their first couple of overs. On flat decks, these swing bowlers have been blunted even if they haven’t yet become fodder for the batsmen. If numbers are any indication, over the past two years – since January 1, 2016 – these four bowlers have taken 54% of their wickets in ODI cricket only after 10 overs. If you remove Amir and Bhuvneshwar, who have almost an equal number of wickets pre-10 and post-10, then the percentages become even more skewed. Especially in the case of New Zealand swing bowler Boult, who, with the red cherry has troubled even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar. He is considered the best among the lot, getting to bowl in seam-friendly home conditions where he has got most wickets. But over the period mentioned above he has got only 42% of his wickets in the first 10 overs. There have been instances when the Kiwis have brought either Boult or Southee as first or second change. In fact, many of Amir’s early wickets, even Bhuvi’s sometimes, have come only in the first couple of overs, when the ball still swings a bit. So, when the ball isn’t doing anything or the tracks have been turned into sheets of glass, what do bowlers do? While the Proteas struggled throughout the ODI series and in Sunday’s T20, trying to unnerve India with shortpitched deliveries, the India pacers have been better in understanding the requirements. According to India skipper Virat Kohli, the surface at Wanderers on Sunday was a gun of a wicket. India ended with a target SA skipper JP Duminy thought could still have been chased on that surface. But Bhuvneshwar had some skills up his sleeve for the flat bed. “The important thing is how you mix your deliveries according to the wicket. For instance, today we bowled a lot of slow balls. It was part of our strategy on this wicket, to do away with pace and make it difficult for the batsmen to score,” he said. South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks, who made 70, found Bhuvneshwar the most difficult bowler to face. “He (Bhuvneshwar) was just consistent in his areas which was pretty much giving us nothing to score off. So, we had to be happy with ones and twos at that time,” Hendricks said. Though Duminy thinks he could counter the Indian batsmen with short-pitched deliveries and Hendricks said it was the captain’s suggestion and they all bought into it, there were suggestions from other quarters that the Proteas have been bowling without any thought and banking on India’s old reputation of being suspect against short balls.
Sports should be used to improve Pak-India relations: Shahid Afridi GENEVA Agencies
Shahid Afridi has called for sports to be used as a tool to improve relations between India and Pakistan. Cricket has been one of the causalities of the volatile relations between the neighbouring countries, who have not engaged in a full bilateral series since 2007. Afridi drew on his recent experience of playing alongside Indians in an exhibition Ice Cricket tournament in Switzerland, suggesting that cricket could play a role in melting the ice. “Due to lack of international cricket between the two countries, we now play either in the ICC tournaments or the events such as Ice Cricket,” Afridi told Wisden India. “I believe politics should be kept away from sports. It should rather be used as a tool to improve relations between the countries. Sport is something which can play a big role in bringing peace.” Afridi captained the Royals in a series of two 20-over matches played at 1800 metres above sea level and in below zero degrees Celsius temperatures in St Moritz, Switzerland. The Indian players who featured in the event were Virender
Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Zaheer Khan, Joginder Sharma, Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar. Afridi and Sehwag also brought back memories of Indo-Pak cricket when they squared off in a T10 tournament in Sharjah in December last year. “It was nice to meet and play with players from India after a long time,” Afridi reminisced. “That was something very positive about the tournament and I think it should continue. Both countries should also be playing international cricket against each other. “The overall experience of ice cricket was quite interesting. It was very cold. Initially, we didn’t even feel the touch of bat and ball on our hands but later we got used to with it.” While India and Pakistan continue to meet in ICC and Asia Cup events, they have not had a full bilateral series since Pakistan’s tour to India for three Tests and five One-Day Internationals at the end of 2007. There was another short limitedovers series in India in 2012-13 but in the following five years, the teams have not met outside of World Cups, World T20s or Asia Cups. The subcontinental giants are unlikely to play against each other anytime soon
outside of such tournaments. However, there is the possibility that players from the two nations will turn out for the same side in an international match at Lord’s on May 31 when Windies take on a Rest of the World XI in a fundraiser T20 game. The match, to be played to generate funds for the restoration of cricket grounds in the Caribbean that were damaged by hurricanes last year, has been granted inter-
national status by cricket’s apex body. Since Pakistan will be busy in a Test series in the UK at that time, non-Test players such as Shadab Khan and Fakhar Zaman could get a call-up. Even though he is retired from international cricket, Afridi might make an unexpected comeback to international cricket if picked for the one-off T20I at Lord’s. “I don’t have details about the match
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but if there is an offer, I will consider it,” he said. The flamboyant batsman is gearing up for the third edition of the Pakistan Super League, where he will be representing Karachi Kings for the first time. Even two years after his retirement from international cricket, Afridi continues to dazzle in domestic leagues. As recently as in December last year, he took 15 wickets in eight games for Dhaka Dynamites in the Bangladesh Premier League. Prior to that, he scored his maiden T20 hundred, off just 42 balls, for Hampshire in the quarterfinal of England’s domestic 20-over competition at Hove. “The last couple of seasons in the leagues have been good for me. Sometimes I go months without cricket, therefore before an event, I have to put in the extra yards to get myself ready for cricket. “I have started to practice for the PSL. I have reduced my other activities and am focusing more on the PSL. Hopefully, the upcoming season will be good for me.” PSL 2018 will start on February 22 in the UAE and finish off on March 25 in Pakistan. The two eliminators and the final of the tournament will be played in Lahore and Karachi respectively.