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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday March 24, 2016
Formula One drivers call for change of governance By Alan Baldwin LONDON, England (Reuters) - Grand Prix drivers called yesterday for Formula One to change the way it is run and abandon ‘obsolete and ill-structured’ decision-making processes that they said could affect the sport’s popularity. The Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA) set out their views in a strongly-worded open letter, signed by champions Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel as well as chairman Alex Wurz, to stakeholders and fans. It called for Formula One’s owners to “consider restructuring its own governance” and said the sport needed to base its decisions on a “clear master plan” reflecting core values. “We feel that some recent rule changes - on both the sporting and technical side, and including some business
Drivers want a ‘clear masterplan’ for the future of Formula 1. vention by the drivers who directions - are disruptive, do normally focus on specifnot address the bigger issues ic racing issues, said the our sport is facing and in sport was “challenged” by some cases could jeopardise a difficult global economic environment, changing conits future success,” it said. “The drivers have come sumer behaviour and a shift to the conclusion that the in the television and media decision-making process landscape. It added that the deciin the sport is obsolete and ill-structured and prevents sion-making process reflectprogress being made,” the ed negatively on the sport, compromising global growth drivers added “Indeed, it can some- and preventing it being fit times lead to just the oppo- “for the next generation of fans”. site, a gridlock.” The GPDA represents The letter, a rare inter-
Nervous England survive Afghanistan scare By Amlan Chakraborty
NEW DELHI, India (Reuters) - England flirted with danger before overcoming a spirited Afghanistan by 15 runs in a World Twenty20 Group One match yesterday to boost their semi-final hopes with a second successive victory. In a potential banana-skin match against the Afghans, Eoin Morgan’s team were in dire straits at 57-6 halfway through their innings before a half-century stand between Moeen Ali (41 not out) and David Willey (20 not out) lifted them to a 142-7. The 2010 winners looked more convincing with the ball, however, restricting Afghanistan to 127-9 to consign the associate team to their third consecutive defeat in the tournament. England are second in the group standings behind West Indies, who have won both their opening games and enjoy a superior net run-rate. Relieved after the scrappy win, Morgan was magnanimous in his praise of his opponents who have impressed with their fearless brand of play. “They continue to play in the right way to try and
improve their cricket,” the England captain said. “I said before they are probably the best associate nation at the moment and I think that’s a huge honour,” he added. “If they continue playing in that fashion, they will improve their cricket a lot more quickly.” The Afghans proved how much they have improved as a bowling unit, as their slow bowlers claimed six of the seven English wickets.
NABI WRECKS Morgan was left to rue his decision to bat after three wickets fell in off-spinner Mohammad Nabi’s first over, including that of the England captain for nought. Jason Roy’s dismissal in the third over meant England did not get a 50plus opening stand for the 16th consecutive Twenty20 International but bigger shocks awaited. Nabi (2-17) effected three dismissals in one over and held a brilliant catch to rip the heart out of England’s vaunted batting order which had chased down a massive 230 to win a thriller against South Africa in their last game.
The 31-year-old caught James Vince (22) off his own bowling and castled Morgan for a golden duck. Nabi did not get a hattrick as his lbw appeal against Ben Stokes was turned down but the Afghan spinner ranout talismanic Englishman Joe Root after an almighty mix-up. Nabi also dived to his left to scoop up a stunning catch to send back Jos Buttler and England had lost their top order soon after they reached 50 in the eighth over. Moeen and Willey came up with some lusty hits towards the end to plunder 57 runs in 5.3 overs which made all the difference. Moeen, who also claimed a wicket, was adjudged manof-the-match. Afghanistan made a poor start with the bat when Willey’s double strike reduced them to 13-3 inside three overs. The Afghan batsmen struck a few boundaries amid the tumble of wickets and Shafiqullah Shafaq blasted a belligerent 35 not out but his team could get only eight of the 24 runs they needed from the final over bowled by Stokes.
most of the Formula One grid, with some exceptions, and serves as a common voice and negotiating body with the commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone and governing International Automobile Federation (FIA). While the opening race of the season in Australia last weekend served up plenty of excitement, a new qualifying format that was rushed through only weeks earlier came in for widespread criticism. The final eight-car elim-
ination phase saw little track action with cars parked up long before the finish instead of producing a battle to the final seconds. The same team bosses who had agreed the new format, with the FIA and Ecclestone, said on Sunday that it had not worked and the sport should go back to the old system before the next race in Bahrain. Formula One also endured in controversy in 2014 when double points were awarded for the season’s final race in Abu Dhabi - a move
that was abandoned for 2015 after a backlash from fans. Talks on changes for 2017 have also been kicked further down the road, with the core Strategy Group that includes the top six teams, the FIA and Ecclestone, failing to agree any substantive measures in March. The way in which the sport’s revenues are distributed is another sore point, with the struggling smaller independent outfits unhappy that the big teams take far more.