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THURSDAY, JANUARY 7, 2016
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Starc rules out World Twenty20 appearance
RARE BREED
The 25-year-old left-arm quick had
I’ve played probably nonstop for two years and the silver lining is I get to give the body a bit of a break and rebuild that strength. Make sure everything is 100 percent before I go again
surgery on ankle spurs after sustaining a stress fracture in his foot during the inaugural day-night test against New Zealand in November
Mitchell Starc Australia fast bowler
SYDNEY: Fast bowler Mitchell Starc has all but written off his chances of making a fasterthan-expected recovery from ankle surgery and playing a part in Australia’s bid for a first World Twenty20 title. The 25-year-old left-arm quick had surgery on ankle spurs after sustaining a stress fracture in his foot during the inaugural daynight Test against New Zealand in November. Starc, the player of the tournament at last year’s 50-overs World Cup, was always an outside shot to make the March 11-April 3 World Twenty20 in India due to the estimated recuperation period and he was unable to offer a better prognosis on Wednesday. “It’s very unlikely,” he told reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground. “Everything would have to go perfectly to be any chance. I won’t know until I can start doing some stuff on it. “I don’t want to rush it. I want to make sure it’s 100 percent because I’ve rushed back before and been dropped after a game. “I’ve played probably non-stop for two years and the silver lining
NO HOPE: This photo taken on November 29, 2015 show Australia’s pace spearhead Mitchell Starc walking onto the field with crutches at the end of first day-night cricket Test match against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval. – AFP
is I get to give the body a bit of a break and rebuild that strength. Make sure everything is 100 percent before I go again.” Starc said the operation had gone well but it would be a while before he was bowling in excess of 150 kilometres per hour as he
did in the second Test against New Zealand in Perth in November, when one delivery was clocked at 160 kph. “Everything had felt great on that day, so I think it just comes back to the rhythm and smoothness in my action on any given
day,” said Starc, sporting a ‘moon boot’ to stabilise the injured joint. “It’s going to take a while to get back to my bowling workload and get that rhythm back after spending some time out. “It always takes some time to get that pace back. You obviously are not going to bowl at full pace soon as you come back, it takes a bit of time, so I’m not sure how it’s going to go.” Starc will miss Australia’s oneday series against India, February’s two-Test series in New Zealand and is not even certain he will be fit to play in the Indian Premier League in April and May. It was probably modesty, however, that led him to question whether Australia’s main strike bowler would not ease straight back into the national side once he was fit again. “I don’t think you can ever say 100 percent that you’ve cemented a spot,” he said. “I’m still going to have to work my butt off when I get back to bowling to get my spot back. But I’d like to think in the last 10-12 months I’ve come a long way in all forms of cricket.” - Reuters
Bowling fast remains priority for India’s Yadav MUMBAI: Umesh Yadav belongs to the rare breed of Indian bowlers who can bowl consistently quick and the 28-year-old is not ready to sacrifice pace to gain more control on his line and length. The right-arm fast bowler has failed to cement his place in the Indian bowling line-up since making his debut in an one-day international against Zimbabwe in May, 2010. Yadav, who has an economy of 5.84 in the 50-over format, has played 17 Tests and 52 ODIs for India but has often been panned for being wayward while striving for extra pace. “I am here because of my pace,” Yadav told reporters on the eve of the team’s departure for a limited-overs series in Australia. “Whenever I come on to the ground or the pitch (to bowl) I always think about my pace. I do not think about my line and length.” Yadav’s words would delight cricket fans in the country who often bemoan the tendency among the Indian pacemen to
drop pace once they have made the team, apparently to prolong their career. Yadav has often lost his place in the team to fellow right-arm fast bowler Varun Aaron and with India slated to play a lot of cricket this year on spin-friendly tracks at home, they are likely to vie with each other for a spot. The fast bowler accepts it is difficult to bowl fast while also sticking to the line and length to keep the runs down. While Yadav is working with the support staff on identifying the best spot to land his deliveries, he is also keen to bowl even faster. “I have just been focussing on keeping my line and length closer to the off-stump,” he said. “I also try to swing the ball. I know if my wrist position is good, I can swing the ball easily. “Sometimes you will have bad days and you miss your length and give away easy scoring opportunities. But I am trying to build more pace in my bowling.” - Reuters
CRICKET
Waqar to remain Pakistan coach till end of England Tour: PCB
EXTENDED TENURE: Waqar Younis.
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to retain Waqar Younis as head coach for the full tour of England this year although his two-year coaching contract expires in June. PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said that Waqar would continue as head coach for the full England tour, which begins in early July and continues till September. “There is no reason to change Waqar or the coaching staff and we will only review their performances and contracts after the England tour,” Shaharyar Khan said. Waqar joined the Pakistan team for a second stint as coach in June 2014 after earlier having stepped down from his post in 2011 after an 18-month stint. Shaharyar Khan said that although Waqar’s contract expires in
The England tour is an important one for us especially since we will be going there for the first time after the infamous 2010 spot-fixing scandal Shaharyar Khan, PCB Chairman June but he had been told he would continue for the full England tour which includes Tests, ODIs and T20 matches. “The England tour is an important one for us especially since we will be going there for the first time after the infamous 2010 spot-fix-
ing scandal,” he said. He said this is why he had asked Misbah-ul Haq to continue as captain for the tour. “I had a chat with him and he indicated he would not retire now. But he is yet to agree formally,” he added. Misbah retired from ODIs after
S PAT W I T H R E P O R T E R
ZIMBABWE TOUR
Bangladesh name rookies Rony and Nurul in T20 squad DHAKA: The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has called up young revelations Abu Haider Rony and Nurul Hasan for the T20 International series against Zimbabwe. The board announced a 14-man squad for the first two matches of the series on Tuesday, reports bdnews24.com. The youngsters were selected on the back of some fine performances in Bangladesh Premier League last month. Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, who is yet to play an international T20 match, is in the squad as well. BCB made five changes to the squad that played T20Is against Zimbabwe in November last year. The selectors have left out Nasir Hossain, Litton Kumer Das, Jubair Hossain, Kamrul Islam Rabbi and Anamul Haque for the first two matches of the four-match series. Left-handed opener Soumya Sarkar returned to the fold after recovering from an injury while
last year’s World Cup and has indicated he wants to retire from Tests as well but stalled the decision after the series against England. “We want Misbah to continue as captain because he is a dependable, stable and sensible captain and he can handle pressure and maintain discipline in team. We know the tour to England will not be easy because of the spot fixing scandal. And with Amir back in the side this is why we want Misbah to continue as captain.” Khan said that he had already informed Mohammed Amir and other players they should be prepared for a hard time when they go on tour. “But with time we are sure things will die down and people and media will then focus on the team’s performance,” he added. - PTI
Shakib Al Hasan, too, made his way back after spending some time with his family. The inclusion of left-arm seamer Rony, who grabbed 21 wickets in the BPL, was somewhat certain but the addition of wicketkeeper-batsman Nurul came as a surprise. Bangladesh have been in search of a batsman to play at No. 7 in T20s for some time. The team management is likely to thrust Nurul into the role with the World T20 coming a couple of months later. Zimbabwe will reach Bangladesh on January 11. The matches are scheduled to be played on January 15, 17, 20 and 22 in Khulna. Squad: Mashrafe bin Mortaza (capt), Shakib Al Hasan (vice-captain), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Arafat Sunny, Quazi Nurul Hasan, Shuvagata Hom Chowdhury, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Haider Rony, Al Amin Hossain. - IANS
Miffed Afridi leaves press conference KARACHI: A miffed Pakistan Twenty20 captain Shahid Afridi on Wednesday abandoned a press conference midway in Lahore after he had a verbal spat with a reporter leading to a partial protest by the media demanding an apology from the flamboyant all-rounder. The mediapersons raised slogans against Afridi outside the dressing room at the Gaddafi stadium before a practice match after the spat took place earlier in a press conference addressed by the senior cricketer. The ugly incident sparked off after a reporter of a television channel asked Afridi what he planned to do as a captain to win the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 since his record as a leader was very poor. “Your record has not been as impressive as previous Pakistan Twenty20 captains, do you think there is a need to change the way you are leading the side?” the reporter asked Afridi. — PTI