DT
Sport 27
SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2015
Rain continues to haunt Fatullah Test n Mazhar Uddin
QUICK BYTES Interpol ditches FIFA deal Interpol suspended a 20-million-euro ($22 million) sports “integrity” agreement with FIFA on Friday, at the end of testing week for soccer’s scandal-hit ruling body that saw its chief spokesman quit, bidding for the 2026 World Cup shelved and records seized from its Zurich headquarters. FIFA also faced growing calls -- this time from the European parliament -- for its outgoing president, Sepp Blatter, to step aside at once, while plans by Germany to reform the way the organisation is run were roundly rejected by soccer chiefs in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. –Reuters
Bolt focused on Beijing, not Gatlin World and Olympic sprint champion Usain Bolt isn’t worried about the fast times being run by American rival Justin Gatlin, preferring to keep his focus on the August World Championships. The six-time Olympic gold medallist and double world record-holder said Friday he knows he’ll be ready to run fast and defend his 100m and 200m titles in Beijing. Until then, he won’t be sidetracked into any kind of showdown with an in-form Gatlin. –AFP
Cavani apologises for Jamaica ‘Africa’ gaffe Uruguay star Edinson Cavani has apologized to Copa America opponents Jamaica after describing the Reggae Boyz as an African team. Cavani caused a stir in the build-up to Saturday’s match after stating that like “any other African team, Jamaica are going to be strong.”Cavani swiftly apologised for the gaffe on Twitter. “First of all, I want to apologise to Jamaica and its people,” he wrote. –AFP
Depay wants to follow United legends Manchester United winger Memphis Depay has set his sights on becoming an Old Trafford icon after completing his transfer from PSV Eindhoven on Friday. Depay’s impending £31 million ($48 million) move was announced last month and the Netherlands international has finally been officially confirmed as a United player. –AFP
Holders Japan advance, USA held in Women’s WC
Uncapped Liton, Mustafizur named in Tigers ODI squad n Reazur Rahman Rohan Uncapped left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman and wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Kumar were the new names drafted in the 14man Bangladesh one-day international squad for the three-match series against India starting on June 18. 19-year old Mustafizur was impressive with his left-arm swing on his Twenty20 debut against Pakistan as he returned with figures of 2-20 off four overs. Abul Hasan Raju can call himself unlucky once again as Mustafizur replaced the pace bowling all-rounder who hardly made any impact after his recall in the Pakistan series last month. Hasan played just one ODI in the Pakistan series that too because Mashrafe bin Mortaza was suspended. He gave away 42 runs in five overs. Since then Hasan, also a part of the current Test squad,
has not been considered for the playing XI. Liton, on the other hand, became lucky as he replaced the injured Mahmudullah in the line-up. An aggressive top-order batsman, Liton made his Test debut in the ongoing match against India. Rony Talukder, who is yet to make his international debut, retained his place in the squad as Anamul Haque, who claims to be fully fit from the shoulder injury he suffered during Bangladesh’s World Cup campaign, was overlooked once again. l
Kohli is a very good captain: Dhawan n Minhaz Uddin Khan Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, who blasted a fine 195-ball 173 in the first innings, talked with the media in the post-day press conference following the fourth and penultimate day’s play of the solitary Test against Bangladesh yesterday. Here are the excerpts:
Defending champions Japan became the first team to advance to the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup on Friday as the United States’ progress was stalled by a goalless draw with Sweden. Aya Sameshima and Yuika Sugasawa sealed Japan’s 2-1 win over Group C rivals Cameroon in Vancouver, seeing the Nadeshiko through to the knockout stage with a game to spare. –AFP
Satisfied to have played such a fluent innings?
Windies collapse as Smith just misses double ton
It is very disappointing. Of course we get up very early to come to the ground and we always look forward to playing cricket. And when it doesn’t happen, we feel sad. But it’s not in our hands so we have to accept it and move on.
West Indies slumped to 143 for eight in reply to Australia’s first innings total of 399 following an eventful second day of the second and final Test, highlighted by Steve Smith missing out on a double-century by just one run. –AFP
SQUAD Mashrafe bin Mortaza (capt), Shakib al Hasan (vicecapt), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sabbir Rahaman, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Taskin Ahmed, Rubel Hossain, Rony Talukdar, Mustafizur Rahman, Liton Kumar
Rain played spoilsport for the fourth consecutive day of the solitary Test between Bangladesh and India at Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah yesterday as a draw seems to be the most likely result ahead of the fifth and final day’s play today. The Fatullah Test, coinciding with the tropical monsoon, saw more than half of its allotted overs lost to rain. Near-perfect weather at the start of yesterday’s play proved to be nothing other than a false dawn with only 30.1 overs played in the penultimate day. Bangladesh, in reply to India’s first innings tally of 462/6 declared, ended the day on 111/3 with opener Imrul Kayes remaining unbeaten on 59 while Shakib al Hasan was undefeated on nought. Imrul, alongside Tamim Iqbal, made a promising start to the Tigers’ first innings. All the spotlight however, was on Tamim who began the day just six runs shy of Habibul Bashar’s record as the highest Bangladesh run-scorer in Tests. The Chittagong cricketer duly reached the milestone, surpassing Bashar’s tally in 10 fewer Tests, before departing for a 21-ball 19. Imrul on the other end appeared steady and reached his third Test fifty with the help of 10 boundaries. Mominul Haque, bidding to equal South African AB de Villiers’ record for the most number of consecutive Test fifties, struck successive fours off fast bowler Umesh Yadav but paid for playing one shot too many as he was dismissed for 30 having presented an easy caught-and-bowled opportunity to off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Tigers skipper Mushfiqur Rahim continued his poor run of form with the bat in the longer-version, scoring only two runs before becoming Ravichandran Ashwin’s second victim. l
the middle. I talk a lot and make jokes and laugh, which is how I am outside [the field]. Vijay stays a lot more calm. I guess it’s very important when you are different characters that you enjoy your time in the middle. It felt really good to have a long partnership with Vijay after a long time. We weren’t getting those in our opening stands so to have a big partnership now felt very nice.
Your observation on Virat Kohli’s captaincy?
He’s a very good captain. He always has that fire that we should win and always plays to win a match. It doesn’t matter what the result is, but our efforts should come from positive intent. That’s his philosophy, and the good thing is he leads from the front. And all of us always give our all too.l
Shikhar Dhawan: Yes, I am very satisfied with the way I have played in this match. I haven’t been performing that well in Test matches earlier, so it felt really good scoring big runs. And I felt it came at the right time.
Disappointed with the lack of playing time due to rain?
How do you and Murali Vijay enjoy each other’s company?
I’m always having fun and I enjoy myself in
The Indian team celebrate one of the three Bangladesh wickets on the fourth day of their Test at Fatullah yesterday MAINOOR ISLAM MANIK