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DT
Sport
SUNDAY, MAY 8, 2016
QUICK BYTES Four Russian gold medallists in Sochi reportedly doped Four Russian gold medallists at the 2014 Sochi Olympics were drug cheats, doping whistleblower Vitaly Stepanov alleges in an interview for an upcoming edition of CBS television’s “60 Minutes”. In an interview to air in full today, Stepanov, a former official with the Russian Anti-Doping Agency, cites Grigor Rodchenkov, former head of Russia’s now-discredited drug testing lab, as telling him that FSB state security service officers “tried to control every single step of the anti-doping process in Sochi”. Hosts Russia won 13 gold medals at the Sochi Winter Olympics. –AFP
Cagliari promoted to Serie A Italian club Cagliari were on Friday promoted to Serie A after a 3-0 win at Bari. The Sardinian club joins Crotone as the second Serie B side to play in the Italian top flight next season with two games to play. The third ticket will be attributed during a play-off. Cagliari returns to Serie A after just one season in the second division. Coached by Rastelli the club were Italian league champions in 1970. –AFP
Italy Euro 2016 blow as Verratti ruled out Italian midfielder Marco Verratti was Friday ruled out of Euro 2016 after his Paris Saint-Germain club revealed he will undergo groin surgery on May 16. Verratti’s absence from the June 10-July 10 tournament in France is a major blow for Italy coach Antonio Conte with the 23-year-old joining Juventus’s Claudio Marchisio on the sidelines. Marchisio was ruled out of the Euros with a left knee injury. –AFP
Spurs player Dembele banned for six matches Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele has been handed a six-match ban for violent conduct that went unseen by the referee but was caught on video, the Football Association said on Friday. Dembele, who had accepted the charge, will see his suspension extend into next season. Tottenham have two matches remaining. Television replays appeared to show the Belgian international trying to gouge Chelsea striker Diego Costa’s eye during a heated 2-2 league draw at Stamford Bridge on Monday. –REUTERS
Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli plays a shot against Rising Pune Supergiants during their Vivo Indian Premier League match at The M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore yesterday. Kohli scored an unbeaten century off 58 balls and helped his side successfully chase down the target of 192 BCCI
Mathews hopes to gain from Jayawardene’s England knowledge n AFP, London Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews hopes to utilise Mahela Jayawardene’s inside knowledge of the England set-up when the two teams meet in a Test series later this month. Jayawardene, one of Sri Lanka’s greatest batsman but retired from international cricket since last year’s 50-over World Cup, recently acted as a batting consultant to England including at the World Twenty20 in India where his "adopted" team reached the final. Jayawardene, who is due to have a stint playing for county side Somerset in English domestic cricket’s T20 competition later this season, no longer has any official role with the England set-up ahead of the start of a three-Test series at Headingley on May 19. But according to Mathews, he will be close at hand for advice in his new role as a television commentator. Mathews could also tap into the experience of another Sri Lankan batting star in Kumar Sangakkara, no longer on the international scene but now playing for London-based county side Surrey. “When it comes to internation-
al cricket there are no secrets to be honest,” Mathews told reporters at Lord’s, where Sri Lanka were training ahead of this weekend’s tour opener against Essex. “I think we have a lot of video footage, they have video footage of us as well, so there are no real secrets. When you get on the park you know what they are up to and the plan for this, and we get to know it. “But there might be a couple of
tactical ideas that Mahela can predict. I’m pretty sure that guys like Mahela and Sangakkara will always come and help us.” Earlier this year, Sri Lanka Cricket president Thilanga Sumathipala criticised Jayawardene when he started his second stint with England at the World T20. But Mathews was far more relaxed about his former team-mate working with a rival nation. l
Sri Lanka head coach Graham Ford and captain Angelo Mathews talk to the media during a press conference on Friday REUTERS
Spinner Shamsi handed South Africa call-up for Caribbean series n Reuters, Cape Town Left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi has been handed a first callup by South Africa’s One Day International squad for next month’s triangular series against the West Indies and Australia. The 26-year-old is one of three specialist spinners named on Friday, as South Africa anticipate slow pitches in the Caribbean. Injury-plagued fast bowler Dale Steyn is being rested for the six matches in Guyana, St Kitts and Barbados with an eye on his fitness for the Test series against New Zealand in August plus Australia and Sri Lanka later in the year. He is replaced in the ODI squad by Wayne Parnell. Squad: AB de Villiers (Titans, captain), Kyle Abbott (Warriors), Hashim Amla (Cape Cobras), Farhaan Behardien (Titans), Quinton de Kock (Titans), JP Duminy (Cape Cobras), Faf du Plessis (Titans), Imran Tahir (Dolphins), Morne Morkel, Chris Morris (both Titans), Wayne Parnell (Cape Cobras), Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada (both Highveld Lions), Rilee Rossouw (Knights), Tabraiz Shamsi (Titans). l