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DT
Sport
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2016
QUICK BYTES Arsenal-target Draxler wants out of Wolfsburg Arsenal-target Julian Draxler says he wants to leave Wolfsburg, just 12 months into his five-year contract - slamming the Bundesliga club’s coach and sports director in the process. The 22-year-old Germany winger joined to much fanfare last August for 35 million euros ($39m) from Schalke, the club which nurtured him through their academy to become a Germany international. –AFP
Bayern open door to possible Schweini return Bastian Schweinsteiger has been told there could be a place for him back at Bayern Munich in the wake of his fall from grace at Manchester United. Schweinsteiger turned 32 on Monday, the same day his locker in United’s first-team dressing room was cleared out and he was ordered to train with the reserves by new United boss Jose Mourinho. –AFP
Midfielder Boateng joins Las Palmas Midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng has joined La Liga club Las Palmas on a one-year deal after being released by AC Milan at the end of last season, the Spanish side said in a statement. The 29-year-old made 11 league appearances for Milan in his second spell at the club after joining on a free transfer in January. Boateng was released by Schalke 04 in May, 2015 for what the Bundesliga side said was a breakdown in trust between club and player. –REUTERS
Sohail claims 4 wickets to give Pakistan the edge Pakistan fast bowler Sohail Khan took four wickets as England moved on to 184 for five at tea on the first day of the third test in Birmingham on Wednesday. Sohail, recalled to the side, removed Alex Hales, Joe Root, James Vince and Jonny Bairstow after Pakistan had won the toss in overcast conditions at Edgbaston. England captain Alastair Cook made 45 and Gary Ballance was unbeaten on 49 at the interval with Moeen Ali on 15. –REUTERS
DAY’S WATCH CRICKET TEN 3 10:30AM Australia Tour of Sri Lanka 2nd Test, Day 1
SONY SIX 4:30AM CPL T20: Eliminator St Lucia vs Trinbago
ECB security team due Aug 15 to 20, says board president n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh Cricket Board president Nazmul Hasan said the England’s security inspection tour will take place later this month. England are schedule to lock horns with Bangladesh in two Tests and three one-day internationals after their scheduled arrival on September 30. But the bilateral series was pushed into uncertainty following the Dhaka terror attack on July 1. ECB then in a prompt statement said that they will “closely observe the situation”. Hasan said that England’s dele-
gation ahead of the tour could arrive between “August 15 to 20”. “We sent the ECB the security proposal but they haven’t given us a feedback. What we are guessing is that since the security insepction team will be traveling to India in mid-August, they will visit Bangladesh too during that trip,” said Hasan yesterday. “They said that they would give the feedback to our proposal when they are here, possibly between August 15-20,” he added. Meanwhile, injured Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman will meet doctors suggested by the ECB. Naz-
Tamim to play in Oslo on Aug 19 n Minhaz Uddin Khan Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal is set to appear in the ‘Play for Peace’ Twenty20 game in Norway’s capital Oslo scheduled to be held on August 19. The left-handed opener will play for the World Stars team. Tamim has already obtained permission from the Bangladesh Cricket Board to participate. Play for Peace is part of the culture and sports festival being held for the past few years in Oslo. Christiania cricket club is the main organiser of the event. Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhter, India’s Pathan brothers Yousuf and Irfan, Sri Lanka legend Sanath Jayasuriya are the other members of the team World Stars team which will take on Pakistan Stars at the Bislett Stadium later this month. Pakistan Stars is likely to be led by Pakistan skipper Misbah Ul Haq. l
‘BCCI against two tier Test system’ n Cricinfo BCCI president Anurag Thakur has said his board will oppose the proposed two-tier Test system to “protect the interests” of smaller member nations. As the head of the powerful BCCI, Thakur’s statement lends heft to the criticism of the proposal by Sri Lanka Cricket and the Bangladesh Cricket Board, even as the boards of Australian and New Zealand have welcomed the move. “The BCCI is against the two-tier Test system because the smaller countries will lose out and the BCCI wants to take care of them,” Thakur told the New Indian Express. “It is necessary to protect their interests.” The proposal to split Test cricket into two tiers - with seven nations in tier one, and five, including two new Test nations, in the second tier - was mooted at the ICC’s annual conference, in Edinburgh, where ICC chief executive David Richardson advocated a “proper competition structure”, with promotion and relegation, for Test cricket to have greater context. “Unless we can give some meaning to these series beyond the rankings and a trophy, then interest in Test cricket will continue to waver,” Richardson said. l
mul said that they suggested two doctors, one of whom (Dr Lennart Funk) is on holiday. “Dr Lennart Funk is going on holiday and won’t be back before August 22. So since the ECB suggested two names, we will look into the other doctor, whose name is Andrew Wallace of London’s Fortis Hospital. We will see who is our best option and that can even be in Australia,” he said. On the other, Hasan said he is upset with the irregular players’ payment in the Dhaka Premier League 2016 which concluded in June. Players of Brothers Union,
which finished 10th this season, are the latest to have complained of irregularity to the BCB CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury on Tuesday. “It is very unfortunate that players went to meet the CEO despite being given a deadline. The board will pay even if the club doesn’t. It shouldn’t have been so delayed. The board will deal with the legal procedure with the clubs later. Players shouldn’t suffer, because the system we have used this time, the board has taken responsibility. It was our mistake, we must pay them immediately,” said Hasan. l