C2
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2016
SPORTS SQUAD
Zimbabwe call up uncapped duo for Sri Lanka series
Stay ahead of the curve with WhatsNews
Ajmal will be considered if he performs well: Inzy Ajmal has called on
HARARE: Zimbabwe have called up uncapped seamer Carl Mumba and batsman Tarisai Musakanda for the two-test home series against Sri Lanka starting in Harare on Saturday. There is also a recall after five years for seamer Chris Mpofu, while all-rounder Malcolm Waller is back in the squad for the first time since 2014 having recently scored four half-centuries against a touring Pakistan A side. Mumba and batsman Tarisai Musakanda, who also turns 21 this month, have been rewarded for good form in domestic cricket. Mumba has 59 wickets in 16 first class matches at an average of less than 18, while Musakanda has played four fewer matches and already scored over 600 runs. Squad: Regis Chakabva, Brian Chari, Michael Chinouya, Graeme Cremer (captain), Craig Ervine, Hamilton Masakadza, Tino Mawoyo, Peter Moor, Chris Mpofu, Carl Mumba, Tarisai Musakanda, Taurai Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, Donald Tiripano, Malcolm Waller, Sean Williams. - Reuters
SCAN THIS TO INSTANTLY INSTALL WHATSNEWS
the national selectors to reward him for his good performances in domestic cricket by giving him a chance to play for the country again KNOCKING DOOR AGAIN: Saeed Ajmal has no plans to retire.
KARACHI: Pakistan’s chief selector Inzamam-ul Haq has offered a lifeline to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, insisting that the national selectors had not discarded him from future plans. Ajmal has called on the national selectors to reward him for his good performances in domestic cricket by giving him a chance to play for the country again. “Saeed has been a great bowler for Pakistan and it is a fact he performed well in the national T20 championship. We are watching his performances in domestic first class matches. If he continues his
form he will be considered for selection,” Inzamam said. Ajmal was once Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker in all three formats before the ICC banned him from bowling due to an illegal bowling action in 2014. But he returned to competitive cricket with a modified action. However, the national selectors have ignored Ajmal since he last appeared in a couple of limited over games in Bangladesh in April 2015. “It is never easy for a bowler to comeback with a modified bowling action and do well. Saeed has
shown lot of resilience and he can be rewarded,” Inzamam said. Ajmal, who turned 39 this month, made it clear that despite what his critics said he had no plans to retire in the near future. “No matter what anyone says. No matter what anyone thinks. I have confidence in my abilities and I know I deserve another shot at international cricket,” Ajmal said. Inzamam, however, made it clear that while the selectors were watching Ajmal and other players performances, the selection would be done according to the national
team requirements. “If Saeed is required at anytime for the Pakistan team he will be selected. There is no question of ruling him out. But we are now following a policy of picking players according to team requirements,” he said. Inzamam admitted that Pakistan was facing a drought of quality off-spinners with no action problems. “Since Saeed and Hafeez encountered problems we have not had any off-spinner worthy of a second look. I have asked our selector Tauseef Ahmed to hold a camp for promising off-break bowlers soon and see what can be done,” he said. Inzamam said that finding a quality off-spinner was as important for Pakistan as having legspinner Yasir Shah and other good left-arm spinners on the circuit. The chief selector also said that Azhar Ali would continue to open the innings for Pakistan in Tests and One-day Internationals. “We are no longer considering him as a middle order batsman. He can bat equally well as an opener and at number three. “So we are now considering him as our regular opener. But we will be taking a reserve opener as well to New Zealand and Australia,” he said. - PTI
UNCHANGED TEAM
Anderson to miss start of India tour LONDON: England have announced a 16-member unchanged squad for the five-Test series against India with fast bowler James Anderson set to miss the start of the team’s tour after failing to recover from a shoulder injury. The squad is the same as the one currently touring Bangladesh. Anderson, who was forced to miss England’s ongoing series in Bangladesh, has already been ruled out of next month’s opening Test in Rajkot, starting on November 9. But the 34-year-old pacer, who has taken a record 473 Test wickets for England, could join the squad for the remaining four Test matches against India. Squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, Zafar Ansari, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Gareth Batty, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Ben Duckett, Steven Finn, Haseeb Hameed, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes. - PTI I C C S TAT U S
Team India, Ashwin head Test rankings
CRICKET
‘Big Show’ turns no-show as Maxwell ignored MELBOURNE: Glenn Maxwell’s stock in international cricket has continued its slide, with the enigmatic talent left to carry the drinks for Victoria in Australia’s domestic Sheffield Shield. The shock omission for the match against Tasmania at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this week follows his exclusion from the One-day International (ODI) team for tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa. The 28-year-old all-rounder had hoped to add to his three Tests in upcoming home series against South Africa and Pakistan, or on the tour of India next year. But he has little chance of convincing national selectors of his worth if unable to sway those at
SHOCK OMISSION: Glenn Maxwell was dropped by Victoria and also ignored for tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa.
state level. “It’s just a matter of balance,” Victoria coach Andrew McDonald told local media of his omission. “There will be some unlucky players,” he said. “We’ve got nearly the full list available and
we’ve selected the team we think can beat Tasmania.” As a buccaneering batsman, a brilliant fielder and a handy spin bowler, Maxwell has long been seen as a player for all formats but
has blown hot and cold since his international debut in 2012. His hard hitting and array of unconventional shots in limited overs cricket saddled him with the unwanted nickname of ‘The Big Show’, while also opening him up to criticism for being too flashy during form slumps. Maxwell played a starring role in Australia’s World Cup win on home soil last year but he has pined for another chance at Test level after failing to make an impression in three matches against India and Pakistan from 2013-14. Although enjoying a fine season with the bat for Victoria during the last home summer, his Test hopes were thwarted by the stability of
Australia’s top six batsmen during dominant series wins over New Zealand and West Indies. Few would have seen his steep drop in form in one-day cricket, however, when he scored a total of nine runs in five matches on tour in New Zealand and West Indies earlier this year. The all-rounder’s response to being dropped from the ODI team was classically Maxwell, blasting an unbeaten, match-winning 145 in a Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka, the second highest score in the format. Following that performance, Maxwell remarked that 2016 was the year he thought he would “break open world cricket”. - Reuters
DUBAI: The Indian cricket team and its premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin held on to their Numero Uno status in the latest ICC Test rankings for teams and bowlers. India led the team’s table with 115 points ahead of arch rivals Pakistan (111) and Australia (108). England were at fourth place followed by South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, West Indies with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe completing the list. Off-spinner Ashwin, who became the second fastest to 200 wickets during the Test series against New Zealand, maintained his position with 900 points, with South African pace spearhead Dale Steyn (878) and England’s James Anderson (861) completing the top 3. Ashwin’s spin partner Ravindra Jadeja was at seventh place with 805 points. — PTI