20
guyanatimesGY.com
tuesday, FEBRUARY 11, 2014
demolish Afghanistan Eoin Morgan withdraws U-19s in warm-up game from Indian Premier W League auction E oin Morgan has confirmed he will not be playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) this season. Morgan was named as Middlesex’s one-day captain last week despite doubts whether he would be available for the start of the season, which he would have missed had he participated in the Twenty20 competition in India. The left-hander and Ian Bell were the only two centrally contracted players in the IPL auction on Wednesday. Morgan’s decision could indicate a push to get his place in England’s Test side back - he has not been part of their five-day plans since the Dubai matches against Pakistan in early 2012. He said on Twitter: “I would like to thank @IPL for accepting my request to withdraw from this year’s auction. Good luck with the tournament.” The auction takes place on Wednesday and Thursday in Bangalore and axed England star Kevin Pietersen is likely to draw plenty of interest. Pietersen has played IPL cricket for the Bangalore Royal Challengers and Delhi Daredevils and both are likely to be in the bidding for the
est Indies Under 19s scored a comprehensive nine wicket victory over Afghanistan Under 19s on Monday in a warm-up game ahead of the ICC under 19 World Cup here. Afghanistan were bowled out for 84 runs in 39.4 of the allotted 50 overs while the Caribbean side surpassed the target in 18.4 overs losing one wicket at ICC Academy Ground No.2. Captain Ramaal Lewis, Ray Jordan and Jerome Jones grabbed three wickets each as the young Afghans crumbled without much of a fight. Opener Usman Ghani top scored with 27, tailender Muslim Musa chipped in with 24 while
Shimron Hetmyer
the only other player to pass single digits was Nasir Ahmadzai with 12.
A solid opening partnership between Shimron Hetmyer and Tagenarine Chanderpaul yielded 50 runs and carried West Indies within sight of victory. It ended when Chanderpaul was caught on 19 after facing 32 balls and hitting three fours. Jeremy Solozano joined Hetmyer and in a 35-run stand carried West Indies to victory with 188 balls remaining. Hetmyer was not out on 46 which included six fours and Solozano who struck a boundary was unbeaten on 13. West Indies begin their campaign in the ICC Under 19 World Cup against South Africa in Dubai on Friday. (WICB Media Release)
South Africa considers bid to host 2022 Commonwealth Games Eoin Morgan
destructive batsman who has a reserve price of 20 million rupees. Mitchell Johnson, if he is not retained by Mumbai under the Right To Match rule, could also be subject of a number of bids while Australia team-mate David Warner and India legend Virender Sehwag are also
available. But Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has pulled out of the auction citing family reasons, while paceman Ryan Harris has made himself unavailable. South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris is also out of the running due to injury. (Sky
Sports)
Chelsea manager questions Manuel Pellegrini's maths
M
anchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini got his calculations wrong on Chelsea's spending during the January transfer window, according to Blues boss Jose Mourinho. Mourinho described his team as a "little horse" in the Premier League title race, while Pellegrini said Chelsea were a "rich little horse". "Mata was sold for £37m and De Bruyne for £18m that's £55m," said Mourinho. "Matic bought for £21m and Salah £11m. In this window, we are plus £23m." Mourinho added: "We are building a team for the next decade and City have a team to win now. "They have experience, potential, power and no worries about [Uefa cost control protocol] Financial Fair Play, because in summer they just spent. We don't need a calculator for this." Chelsea lead the Premier League by a point following Saturday's 3-0 win over Newcastle. Arsenal are second and City third, two points behind Chelsea. Mourinho has played down Chelsea's title chances in recent weeks and on Saturday, he described City
Jose Mourinho
as "a Jaguar" and said they are favourites for the title. He added that his concern was the gap between Chelsea and fifth place. Former Malaga boss Pellegrini, who faced the Portuguese when Mourinho was coach of Real Madrid, questioned Mourinho's view and drew reference to Chelsea's spending over the last decade, since Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the club. The Chilean said last week: "Maybe it is a small horse if the manager thinks like that. "It can be a little horse but very rich. This is the
team that spends most money in the last 10 years, it is the team that spends most money this year and the team that spends the most money in the transfer window, so [it is a] little bit rich." Chelsea's net spend during the previous two summer and winter transfer windows was approximately £49m. In January, they bought Nemanja Matic, Mohamed Salah and a player Mourinho did not mention, Kurt Zouma (£12m), for a total of £54m. But they made £55m from the sales of Juan Mata and Kevin de Bruyne. City, on the other hand, did not change their squad during the winter window, but had a net spend of about £80m last summer. Mourinho said of Pellegrini: "He has been speaking about winning four competitions, so there's no reason to change the speech. "But the only thing that is funny [is] that he keeps saying he never responds to Mourinho; he never comments about Mourinho. He said that in Spain, too. So he's changed." Chelsea travel to West Brom on Tuesday and Manchester City host Sunderland on Wednesday. (BBC Sport)
South Africa is to consider a proposal to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. "The time is right for them [Africa] to host the Commonwealth Games," said president of the SASCOC Gideon Sam
T
he South African government is to consider a proposal to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Gideon Sam, president of the South African Sports Confederation & Olympic Committee (SASCOC), hopes to bring the Games to Africa for the first time. "I do believe it is Africa's turn," Sam told the BBC. A spokesperson from the South African department of sport and recreation said sports minister Fikile Mbalula had received the application and backs it. Speaking with the BBC's Queen's Baton Relay reporter Mark Beaumont, Sam added: "The time is right for them [Africa] to host the Commonwealth Games. "In South Africa, we can host these games easily. Infrastructure is there. The know-how is there after hosting so many international competitions. "We have already submitted our documentation. Once they give the go ahead, it is all systems go." The sports ministry will
now work with SASCOC before making a presentation to the South African cabinet, who will make the final decision. Sam said an internal bidding process would determine which city is put forward, with Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg in the running. Sam is also the vice president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), the body with overall responsibility for running the Games. In January, the CGF said it was concerned that no nation had registered a serious interest to host the 2022 Games yet, with an initial deadline in March. A spokesman stressed the March date is for "expressions of interest", with submissions after this date also considered until the final deadline of March 2015. Mike Hooper, the chief executive officer of the CGF, told the BBC: "We are confident that we'll see a candidate or candidates for the 2022 Games and it is encouraging to see the level of
interest at this stage." Sam said the event should be held in Africa in 2022 even if the South Africans are unsuccessful, proposing Nigeria or Kenya as potential venues. If South Africa was to host, it would be the biggest sporting event to be staged there since the football World Cup in 2010. Glasgow hosts this year's Games after it defeated a bid from Abuja in Nigeria. In 2018, the event will be held in Gold Coast the fifth time Australia has held the event. Canada, New Zealand, England, Wales, Jamaica, Malaysia and India are the other countries to have hosted the Games. News of South Africa's possible bid was timed with the arrival of the Queen's Baton Relay in the country. The baton contains a message written by Queen Elizabeth II. It is travelling around the 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth before it takes a lead role in the opening ceremony in Glasgow on 23 July. (BBC Sport)