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GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, January 19, 2017
AB de Villiers further delays Test return … rules himself out of England tour CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) - AB de Villiers has ruled himself out of South Africa’s tour to England later this year, having already said he would not be available for the Test series in New Zealand in March, as he focuses on limited overs cricket. The former world number one Test batsman will also sit out the two-Test home series against Bangladesh starting in August, meaning he will have missed five series in a row for his country since
suffering an elbow injury last June. South Africa visit England for four Tests in July and August without one of their premier batsmen, who has recovered from injury but is reluctant to overload his schedule, having targeted a place at the 50-over World Cup in England and Wales in 2019. The 32-year-old de Villiers will play in the Indian Premier League and South Africa’s Twenty20 competition, but will not be available
for other domestic tournaments around the world. “I’m just not ready yet. I’m aware of my elbow. The surgeon said it will be normal. I’m feeling really confident,” he told reporters yesterday. “There is a lot of cricket but the situation has changed for me, my priorities have changed. Playing three formats felt like the world is on my shoulder.” de Villiers, who has played 106 Tests averaging 50.46, said he hoped to restart
Pollard springs to life as Strikers silence Thunder SYDNEY Thunder needed a win to remain alive in the Big Bash League, but a crushing 77-run defeat to Adelaide Strikers ended their hopes. Kieron Pollard smashed five sixes in a 22-ball 47 as the Adelaide Strikers ended Sydney Thunder’s hopes of reaching the Big Bash League semi-finals with a 77-run victory yesterday. The Strikers came into this meeting at the Sydney Showground Stadium bottom of the table, with their own last-four ambitions already over, while the defending champions needed a victory from their final fixture to stay alive in the tournament. But New Zealand leg-spinner Ish Sodhi returned 6-11 - the second best BBL figures behind Lasith Malinga’s 6-7 in 2012 - as
Ish Sodhi’s 6 for 11 is the best figures by an Adelaide Strikers bowler in BBL history.
the Thunder collapsed to 101 all out after the Strikers had posted 178-5. Ben Dunk became this season’s top run-scorer, overtaking Chris Lynn as the Strikers opener plundered 65 from 40 deliveries, including five fours and three maximums. He had good support from the evergreen Brad Hodge (39 from 32), before Pollard clubbed in his 22-ball 47. Only Shane Watson (39) and Kurtis Patterson (29) reached double figures in reply for the Thunder, as the Strikers gained a consolation win to send the holders to the bottom of the table. West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite on the other hand had an evening to forget. The Twenty20 captain,
(REUTERS) - British police investigating allegations of widespread child sex abuse at soccer clubs dating back to the 1970s said yesterday they had now identified 184 potential suspects and 526 victims, adding other sports had also been implicated in the scandal. Police forces across the country launched inquiries after former player Andy Woodward revealed in November he had been abused as a boy by a youth team coach, prompting other ex-professionals to come forward with allegations. The soccer abuse revelations are the latest in a series of paedophile scandals to have hit Britain in recent years. Victims say the scale of wrongdoing is likely to
be worse than in the case of TV star Jimmy Savile, a cigar-chomping BBC television host who abused hundreds of youngsters over six decades until his death in 2011. So far 1 016 referrals of sports abuse have been passed to specialist detectives from a child protection charity and police. The number of possible victims is now 526, up from about 350 last month, with 126 suspects. The National Police Chiefs Council said 248 soccer clubs had been impacted. Police said 22 of the referrals related to other sports including rugby, gymnastics, martial arts, tennis, wrestling, golf, sailing, athletics, cricket, and swimming. “Allegations of non-re-
cent child sexual abuse are complex, often require specialist skills and knowledge, and can take time to progress,” said Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the national police lead on child protection. “ H o w e v e r, a l l a l l e gations and information received by police forces across the country are being acted upon,” he added. Last month, the Premier League cleared Chelsea of breaking its rules in failing to report allegations of historical sex abuse made by their former player Gary Johnson in 2014. Johnson, 57, said he had been abused by former Chelsea chief scout Eddie Heath in the 1970s and received a £50 000 ($61 550) settlement from the club in 2015.
Police say 526 possible victims in UK soccer abuse scandal, 184 suspects
his five-day career at the end of the year when India tour South Africa, followed by a home series against Australia. He denied speculation on Tuesday that he was about to give up the longest form of the game altogether. “I’m not retiring out of any format, that’s for sure. I am not prepared to do that,” he told South Africa’s Radio 702. “My main aim is to get to that 2019 World Cup and I am going to do everything
possible to get there. “It’s important to play the other formats but mentally and physically I need to be in a good space come the 2019 World Cup and that’s what I am aiming for.” de Villiers is listed to play in the third Twenty20 international against Sri Lanka in Cape Town on January 25 and then captain the side in the five-match one-day international series that starts three days later.
AB de Villiers is scheduled to play in IPL and SA T20 competitions.
with lime green bat in hand lasted only two deliveries as Sodhi ripped through the Thunder batting line-up.
Brathwaite had also dropped Dunk when the opener was on eight - the missed chance seeming to spark the electric
opener into gear, hitting his first six two balls later and then accelerating to his 50. (Sportsmax.com)