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Afghanistan hopes to defeat America — in cricket DUBAI: In Afghanistan, the United States is preparing for the biggest military offensive in nine years of war. But on a field in Dubai, it’s the Afghans who appear to be the superior force — in a rare cricket match between the two countries. Afghanistan has been grouped with the United States in the qualifying tournament for the Twenty20 World Cup and the two sides will meet at Dubai Sports City tomorrow. Both teams are trying hard to downplay the obvious political overtones. “We are not even thinking about it,” US team captain Steve Massiah said. “It’s politics, but we are here to win the match and the entire tournament. That’s our objective.” A victory by Afghanistan would offer a moment of pride — and a welcome diversion — in a country being dragged deeper
into war between the Taliban and US and allied forces. As hundreds of US marines wait for the battle of Marjah, the biggest community in southern Afghanistan under Taliban control, Raees Ahmadzai, a 25-yearold middle-order batsman is confident of a victory that would moved his team closer to joining the elite nations at the World Cup in the West Indies in May. “We will beat them, but our goal is not just to defeat the Americans, but to qualify for the World Cup,” said Ahmadzai, who comes from Logar province, southeast of the capital Kabul. Cricket is an alien sport to the US, but it has been part of Afghanistan’s sporting landscape for decades. More recently, the passion for the game developed among Afghan refugees in neighboring Pakistan. Like all sports, cricket was banned dur-
ing the Taliban rule. In 2000 it became the only sport, and was sanctioned by the hardline Islamic movement. A year later the national team was formed and Afghanistan became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council, the game’s Dubai-based governing body. With no sports infrastructure and continued instability, the Afghan team meets on improvised cricket grounds and plays for spectators on makeshift soccer fields. The players often travel to Pakistan for training, said Seed Shah, the team’s manager. Despite a lack of security, the number of cricket fans is growing and the game has the support of “many factions,” including the Taliban and the country’s president Hamid Karzai, Shah said. “There are groups trying to sabotage sports events in Afghanistan, but the inter-
est in cricket has rapidly picked up and luckily the players have not been threatened,” Shah said. While the American team’s circumstances don’t compare to a life on a front line, cricket in the US is plagued with logistical problems. The national team rarely practices together since players — mostly of immigrant background and with regular jobs — live far away from each other. The game is underfunded since sponsors pour money into popular sports like baseball and football. And unlike international cricket matches, played on the turf wicket, most cricket in the US is played on a synthetic surface. “We are the underdogs,” said Sushail Nadkarni, a US player. The team’s expectations in confronting Afghanistan are realistic, he said, but hopes to qualify for the World Cup are high. “Will
take it one game at a time.” Imran Khan Suddahazai, the US team manager, said American cricketers have distanced themselves from politics ahead of the match, but won’t deny the rival team’s difficult political reality. “There’s conflict in Afghanistan and the US government is involved, but we’d like to dissociate ourselves from that,” Suddahazai said. “Cricket is sport, a healthy way of competition.” The Afghan team is made of “a great bunch of guys,” Suddahazai said. He praised their achievements, their dedication to cricket and hailed their “remarkable spirit.” “We represent the world power in politics, but in cricket we have a lot to learn from Afghanistan,” Suddahazai said. “We’d like to emulate their success, qualify for the World Cup and enhance cricket in the US” A spot in the World Cup
is what is expected of the Afghan team, its manager Shah said, but he acknowledged that the “enthusiasm is focused on at least beating the US”. “We want to show that Afghanistan is not worth less than any other country if only given a fair chance,” Shah said. Joining Afghanistan and the US in Group A are Ireland and Scotland. Group B is made up by the Netherlands, Kenya, Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The two finalists from the qualifying competition, which will include a playoff stage among the top two sides from each group, will be in May’s main event. The winner of the qualifying tournament will join South Africa and India in Group C, while the losing finalist will be placed with West Indies and England in Group D. — AP
City keep pressure on Reds in race to Europe Man City 2
Bolton 0
LONDON: Manchester City’s Patrick Vieira (center) competes for the ball with Bolton Wanderers’ Tamir Cohen (right) during their English Premier League soccer match. — AP
Dindane gives Pompey fans something to cheer at last Portsmouth 1
Sunderland 1 PORTSMOUTH: Arunda Dindane’s header in the sixth minute of stoppage time earned Portsmouth a 1-1 draw with Sunderland and finally gave the beleaguered club’s long-suffering supporters something to cheer about. Darren Bent’s 12th-minute penalty had put Sunderland on course for their first win since November but Steve Bruce’s side, reduced to nine men by the end, buckled under a late onslaught from the Premier League’s basement club. Portsmouth had made five changes from the side thrashed 5-0 by Manchester United at the weekend. But it was to no avail as Bent fired Sunderland into the lead from the penalty spot with only 11 minutes gone. The England striker had
earned the spot-kick himself by running on to Kenwyne Jones’s backheel into the box only to be sent sprawling by Ricardo Rocha’s challenge. Referee Kevin Friend initially waved his red card at Hassan Yebda and the Algerian was on his way to the dressing room before Rocha called him back and accepted responsibility for his misdemeanour. Bent’s spot-kick left his England team-mate David James with no chance as it found the net off the inside of the post. The home side might have equalised midway through the opening period after Frederic Piquionne’s header put Dindane into a one-on-one with Craig Gordon, the Sunderland goalkeeper. It was Gordon who came out top in the duel with the Scotland goalkeeper sticking out a leg to frustrate the striker. Jamie O’Hara, the on loan Tottenham midfielder, was Portsmouth’s most lively player and he was narrowly off target with a long range effort. Pompey boss Avram Grant was forced to watch
the second half from the directors’ box following a robust exchange of views with the referee at half-time. The official levelled things up on the numbers front by handing Lee Cattermole two yellow cards in quick succession, but he infuriated Grant once more when he failed to award a penalty after George McCartney appeared to bring down Piquionne. With the hosts throwing everyone forward, Sunderland had chances to add to their score on the break. The best of them fell to Bent but he was denied by a fine stop from James and, from the resulting corner, Matt Kilgallon struck the inside of the post with a volley from the edge of the penalty area. Sunderland were reduced to nine men when substitute David Meyler was given a straight red card following a clash with Steve Finnan two minutes after coming off the bench. There was still more drama to come however with Dindane heading home from O’Hara’s cross to secure a point and leave Sunderland deflated. — AFP
LONDON: Portsmouth’s Frederic Piquionne (right) is tackled by Sunderland’s George McCartney during their English Premier League soccer match at the Fratton Park Stadium. — AP
MANCHESTER: Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor ensured that Manchester City remain slight favorites to finish fourth in the Premier League with the goals in a 2-0 victory over Bolton yesterday. With manager Roberto Mancini left in little doubt that his failure to deliver Champions League football will jeopardise his job security come season’s end, these are relatively anxious times for City following three league and cup defeats since the start of 2010. But the goal-scoring form of Tevez and Adebayor, looking back to close to his sharpest after his tragic ordeal with the Togo national team last month, suggests Mancini could yet deliver the demands of his billionaire employers. Tevez converted his 19th goal of the season from the spot on the half hour after Bolton full-back Paul Robinson had needlessly given away the penalty for a trip on impressive new City winger Adam Johnson. Tevez was almost denied by Jussi Jaaskelainen, who managed to get a strong hand to the ball but the power of the strike carried it home and provided instant relief for a City side which had opened the game in edgy fashion. While City handed full league debuts to Patrick Vieira and Johnson, Bolton handed a first career Premier League start to Jack Wilshere, the promising 18year-old midfielder on loan from Arsenal, and he was instrumental in an enterprising first half display from the struggling visitors. City might have been made to pay for wasting so much early possession when Bolton’s 16th minute counter-attack ended with Johan Elmander firing wide from the edge of the area. In the 37th minute, the City defence reacted slowly and allowed Fabrice Muamba to connect with a powerful 25-yard shot, which took a deflection and forced Shay Given into a magnificent diving stop. Adebayor wasted a glorious chance to put Bolton away before the break when Sam Ricketts misjudged a cross to leave the City man clean through only for him to screw his shot wide, although yet more uncertainty in the home defence might have seen the scores level at the interval. Wilshere shot at Given from 15 yards and Gareth Barry’s handball presented Bolton with a free-kick on the edge of the area, which Tamir Cohen powered directly into the wall. An early second half injury to Kolo Toure forced City into a defensive change, with the 24million-pound substitute Joleon Lescott brought on. With Lescott warming up, City almost doubled their lead when Cohen handled 20 yards from his goal and Tevez sent a terrific free- kick sailing against the Bolton bar with Jaaskelainen rooted to his line. There were reminders that City might yet need a second goal, Cohen’s touch played in Elmander whose shot on the turn flew just inches wide. — AFP
LONDON: Fulham’s Damien Duff (left) competes with Burnley’s Daniel Fox during their English Premier League soccer match at Craven Cottage.— AP
Fulham crush struggling Burnley Fulham 3
Burnley 0 LONDON: Fulham boosted their bid for a Europa League place with an emphatic 3-0 win over struggling Burnley at Craven Cottage yesterday. Roy Hodgsonís team earned a place in the Europeís second tier competition last season and the west London club could repeat the trick this term if they can maintain their impressive form on home turf. Cottagers captain Danny Murphy opened the scoring and David Elm added a second for
the hosts before half-time. Bobby Zamora wrapped up the points after the interval. Brian Lawsís visitors had claimed a crucial win over fellow strugglers West Ham on Saturday to climb out of the bottom three. But the Clarets are just two points above the relegation zone after another dismal away-day. Burnley were still looking for their first away win of the season and any belief that they could end that run here were dashed before half-time. The Cottagers didnít have to wait long for the opening goal as Murphy broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute. On-loan Aston Villa defender Nicky Shorey crossed from the left and Elm, taking advantage of the linesmanís debatable
decision not to flag him offside, headed down for Murphy to stroke home from close-range. Burnley briefly sparked into life when Steven Fletcherís fierce, angled drive skimmed past Australia goalkeeper Mark Schwarzerís far post. Dickson Etuhu came close to increasing Fulhamís lead with a powerful long-range effort which Brian Jensen pushed away at full-stretch. With Burnley creaking under the weight of Fulhamís pressure it was no surprise that Elm put the hosts in complete control in the 31st minute. Zamora surged past Leon Cort and his shot parried by Jensen to Elm, who calmly slotted home his first goal for the club. Laws responded by sending
on Chris Eagles for Cort and Burnley almost got one back just before the break when defender Tyrone Mears hit the angle of crossbar and post with a superb free-kick. That close-shave proved a false dawn for Burnley. The visitors have taken just one point on their travels and Zamora ensured that would remain the case in the 54th minute. Zamora was fouled by David Edgar on the edge of the Fulham penalty area and the former West Ham star picked himself up to curl a low free-kick past Jensenís weak attempted save. Substitute Stefano Okaka, on loan from Roma, twice went close to increasing Fulhamís margin of victory in the closing stages but the damage had already been done. — AFP
Stoke unbeaten in 2010 after draw with Wigan Wigan 1
Stoke 1 WIGAN: Stoke City held on to their unbeaten record this year against relegation-threatened Wigan at home yesterday after the Latics blew the lead to draw 1-1. Roberto Martinez’s men badly needed a win after going into the game hovering two places above the drop zone and having picked up a meagre six points from their previous nine games. Stoke, meanwhile, stretched their unbeaten run to five and are still to be defeated in 2010 following their 3-0 demolition of Blackburn Rovers at the weekend. Latics’ new teenage sensation Victor Moses had to make do with a place on the bench, while Stoke were still without skipper Abdoulaye Faye after he failed to recover from the back spasm that forced him to miss Saturday’s game. Wigan started the match brightly with winger Charles N’Zogbia at the centre of much of his side’s attacking play.
Stoke’s Matthew Etherington fouled the former Newcastle man on 13 minutes and N’Zogbia took the resulting free kick to dispatch an inch-perfect cross for Austrian international defender Paul Scharner to head past Thomas Sorensen for the opening goal. Both sides pressed hard but their combative midfield tactics cancelled each other out in the first half. Wigan’s James McCarthy was left hurting after a tussle with Stoke’s Irish midfielder Glenn Whelan on 52 minutes, limping from the field two minutes later to be replaced by Hendry Thomas. — AFP
LONDON: Stoke City’s Robert Huth (left) vies for the ball against Wigan Athletic’s Jason Scotland during their soccer match..— AP
EPL results/standings Fulham 3 (Murphy 23, Elm 31, Zamora 54) Burnley 0; Manchester City 2 (Tevez 31-pen, Adebayor 73) Bolton 0; Portsmouth 1 (Dindane 90) Sunderland 1 (Bent 12-pen); Wigan 1 (Scharner 14) Stoke 1 (Sanli 74). English Premier League table after yesterday’s matches (played, won, drawn, lost, goals for, goals against, points): Chelsea Man Utd Arsenal Liverpool Man City Tottenham Aston Villa Birmingham Fulham Everton
25 25 25 25 24 25 24 24 26 24
18 18 15 13 12 12 11 10 9 8
4 2 4 5 8 7 8 7 7 8
3 5 6 7 4 6 5 7 10 8
60 61 60 43 47 45 31 24 30 33
20 20 30 26 32 25 18 24 28 35
58 56 49 44 44 43 41 37 34 32
Stoke Blackburn Sunderland Wigan Hull Burnley Bolton West Ham W’hampton Portsmouth
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7 7 6 6 5 6 5 4 5 4
9 7 8 6 9 5 7 9 6 4
8 11 11 12 11 14 12 11 13 17
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27 43 42 49 50 50 46 40 42 42
30 28 26 24 24 23 22 21 21 16