Sana’s heroics in vain as India win Women’s T-20 Asia Cup K ARACHI —Captain Sana Mir produced a splendid allround display but her efforts went in vain as India defeated Pakistan by 18 runs in the final to win the Women’s Twenty-20 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament in Guangzhou (China) on Wednesday.
Experienced Sana captured four wickets for 13 runs with four overs of her legbreaks and scored a fine 11 runs to emerge as the star of the day for Pakistan. Poonam Rout hit a promising 25 in 28 balls with three boundaries and Harmanpreet
India Women innings: S Naik b Qanita Jalil ........ 2 Patil c Sana Mir b Sadia . 0 PG Raut c Marina Iqbal b Bismah Maroof .......... 25 H Kaur b Sana Mir 20Sharma lbw b Mariam . 2 Malhotra lbw b Sana .... 18 N Niranjana c Nain Abidi b Bismah Maroof ............ 3 Sharma lbw b Mariam ..... 1 MR Meshram c Bismah Maroof b Sana Mir ......... 3 Das c Nida Dar b Sana ... 1 E Bisht not out ................ 0 Extras: (b 2, w 1, nb 3) ..... 6 Total: (all out) ................ 81 Fall of wickets 1-1, 2-4, 3-36, 4-44, 5-62, 6-67, 7-70, 8-77, 9-79, 10-81 Bowling: ........... O-M-R-W Sadia Yousuf ........ 4-0-15-1 Qanita Jalil .............. 2-0-8-1 Asmavia Iqbal ..... 1-0-10-0 Sana Mir ............... 4-0-13-4 Bismah Maroof .... 4-0-14-2 Nida Dar ............... 2-0-11-0 Mariam Hasan ....... 3-0-8-2
Pakistan Women innings: Qanita Jalil c A Sharma b S Sharma ....................... 2 Bismah c Malhotra b Patil18 Sana c Patil b Niranjana 11 Nida Dar run out (Raut) . 1 Javeria Khan c Naik b Niranjana ....................... 4 Nain Abidi st Naik b Das ............................... 13 Marina Iqbal st Naik b Malhotra ....................... 2 Asmavia c Raut b Das .... 1 Mariam Hasan not out ... 8 Batool c Naik b Bisht ...... 1 Sadia Yousuf run out ...... 0 Extras: (w 2) ...................... 2 Total: (all out) ................ 63 Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-31, 332), 4-33, 5-40, 6-44, 7-48, 860, 9-63, 10-63 Bowling: ........... O-M-R-W S Sharma ............... 4-0-12-1 A Das .................... 4-0-12-2 E Bisht .................... 4-0-9-1 AA Patil .................. 2-0-5-1 N Niranjana ....... 3.1-0-15-2 R Malhotra ........... 2-0-10-1
Kaur contributed a steady 20 in 33 balls without hitting a boundary as Indian women were bowled out for 81 on the last ball of 20 overs after electing to bat first. Sana Mir got support from Mariam Hasan and Bismah Maroof grabbed two wickets apiece. Pakistan team in reply crashed 61 all out on the first delivery of the 20th over. Opener Bismah Maroof topscored with 18 in 32 balls with two fours. Nain Abidi (13) and Sana Mir (11) were other women to reach double figures. Pakistan got the consolation when Bismah Maroof was named the player of the tournament. The event was held under the auspices of Asian Cricket Council. Earlier, India has set a target of 82 runs for Pakistan to win in the final of Women’s Asia Cup being played on Wednesday here, Geo news reported. Indian team winning the toss opted to bat. They were all out for 81 runs in 20 overs. Indian batswomen were nervy at the start and early wickets compounded the pressure and Pakistan took full advantage of the situation. B.G. Poonum Raut scoring 25, Reema Malhotra 22 and Harmanpreet Kaur 20 remained prominent from Indian side. A good show by the Pakistan women bowlers and they were backed-up well by the fielders. They were at the top of their game today, held on to all the catches that came their way and its advantage Pakistan here. Sana Mir excelling took 4 wickets, while Bisma Maroof and Maryam Hassan plucked 2 wickets each.—APP
Ferrer beats Granollers in Paris Masters 2nd round PARIS—Fourth-seeded David 6 (2) win over Julien Benneteau don next week are two very imFerrer beat Marcel Granollers 61, 6-3 in an all-Spanish match in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday. Ferrer, who is tied with Roger Federer for the most tour titles this year with six, converted five of six break points while dropping serve only once. He faces 16th-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzer-
on Tuesday. The 2008 champion was forced into a final-set tiebreaker after failing to serve out the match. Benneteau only converted three of his 11 break-point chances against the hard-serving Tsonga, who hit a total of 15 aces - five in each set. Novak Djokovic is among the favorites for the tourna-
portant tournaments and I want to try and focus on them.’’ Djokovic said he came into the 2012 season conscious of his schedule and trying to avoid the same kind of injuries which forced him out of tournaments late last year. ‘’Aside from the Olympic Games, the scheduling has been terrific for me,’’ he said. ‘’I haven’t played that many tour-
PELLEKELE: BJ Watling of New Zealand dives to take a catch during practice on Wednesday.
Hockey stadium to open at Johar Town today SPORTS REPORTER
Kaneria appeal Afghan pugilist triumphs in against life ban to country’s first pro boxing bout be heard in Dec K ABUL —A joyous Kabul hibited strikes to the face.
Tuesday’s contest, durL AHORE —Chief Minister crowd invaded the ring to cel- ing which Rahimi’s every ebrate a local victory in Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif will inaugurate the newlyconstructed Hockey Stadium at Johar Town on Thursday and an exhibition hockey match between Pakistan Whites and Greens will mark the formal opening of the 1500-capacity most modern hockey arena. Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday at the National Hockey Stadium, Chief organiserr Punjab Youth festival and deputy speaker Punjab assembly, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan said the new hockey facility will supplement the ongoing efforts to lift hockey out of gloom. Also present on the occasion were Director General Sports and Youth Affairs Usman Anwar and Chairman of the managing committee of the new hockey stadium former Olympian Chaudhary Akhtar Rasool. He said last year when several venues and grounds were cleaned to prevent the dengue attack, the Punjab government and Sports Board Punjab identified around 4500 grounds in the province and similarly several places were also spotted in Lahore.
Afghanistan’s first professional men’s boxing match, after Hamid Rahimi beat Tanzanian Said Mbelwa in seven rounds. Afghan fighter Rahimi overcame Mbelwa on Tuesday evening to take the World Boxing Organization Intercontinental middleweight belt in the “Fight 4 Peace” in a city better known for gunfire and insurgent attacks than uppercuts and jabs. Organisers hope to use the event, which drew around 1,500 people paying at least $100 for a ticket - more than a month’s salary for most Afghans - to promote sport as a unifying force in Afghanistan after decades of conflict. “This bout will give a lesson to the Taliban and other opposition of the government to stop fighting with weapons and that they can start fighting for power without violence,” said 28-year-old Mohammad Asif Sahibi as he watched. During their five years of rule in Afghanistan the Taliban, bitterly opposed to sport and entertainment, outlawed boxing as un-Islamic, but later allowed limitedcontact fighting which pro-
Pak Kabaddi team named for Asia Cup L A H O R E — M u h a m m a d a much fancied rival . “We
PARIS: David Ferrer of Spain returns the ball to Spain’s Marcel Granollers during their match at the Tennis Masters tournament. land in the third round. Eighth-seeded Janko Tipsarevic also advanced to the third round, beating Igor Sijsling 6-4, 7-6 (0), and maintaining his slim chance of qualifying for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. Later, second-seeded Novak Djokovic will play American Sam Querrey, and No. 3 Andy Murray was up against Paul-Henri Mathieu. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached the third round of the Paris Masters with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-
ment, which is missing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Djokovic, who has clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking, will face Sam Querrey of the United States on Wednesday. ‘’It’s obviously really satisfying and I’m delighted,’’ Djokovic said of finishing No. 1 for a second year in a row. ‘’This shows how good my season has been. I’m proud of what I’ve done because it wasn’t easy to repeat after the incredible season I had in 2011. But it’s not over, Paris and Lon-
naments and I’ve tried to focus to always perform my best at the major events.’’ In other second-round matches, fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic beat Andreas Seppi 7-6 (8), 6-2, No. 13 Marin Cilic lost to qualifier Jerzy Janowicz of Poland 7-6 (6), 6-2, No. 15 Kei Nishikori of Japan had a 7-6 (2), 6-2 win over Frenchman Benoit Paire and No. 16 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland defeated Carlos Berlocq of Argentina 6-3, 6-2.—AP
Javed will lead 15-member Pakistan kabaddi team which will take part in the 2nd Asia Cup being played here from tomorrow,Thursday at Punjab stadium. “Our team is balanced in all aspects and it is a combination of experience and youth, and we hope to fetch encouraging results in the event “,said Javed while talking to APP on the eve of the event on Wednesday. He termed Asia Cup a tough event as Asia’s top notch kabaddi teams are taking part in it. “It is going to be a challenging event as we will be facing a strong chllenge from our arch rivals India and other teams which include Iran and Afghanistan “,he asserted. To a question he said Pak team has been dubbed as favourites in the event and urged the team members not to undermine the strength of any opponent as any weaker opponent can upset
will be doing our best in the field and we are looking forward to an exciting event which will produce high quality kabaddi “,said the home captain. Following are the other members of the team, Afzal Butt, Obaidullah, Babar Waseem, Mohammad Irfan, Akmal Dogar, Mohammad Shafique, Kashif Riaz, Shafique Butt, Sajjad Gujjar, Rashid Ismail, Mohammad Mansha, Mohammad Maltloob, Asif Ali, Mohammad Aslam Dogar and Khalil Ahmed. The team officials are Tahir Whaeed Jutt (Coach), Chaudhary Mohammad Asghar (Manager). Meanwhile Indian kabaddi team also arrived Lahore via Wagha border to take part in the event . Teams from India, Iran, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal and hosts Pakistan are featuring the premier Asian activity.—APP
swing was roared by a partisan, flag-waving crowd, began after a mullah recited
Yousufzai, a finance manager for a logistics company in Kabul. “It aims to show them how to fight and still love each other.”
K ARACHI —Pakistan leg-
spinner Danish Kaneria will have his appeal against a life ban for corruption in English county cricket heard in Britain in early December, a source close to the former test player told Reuters. Kaneria, 31, was banned for life from playing in Britain after an England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) disciplinary panel ruled last June that he had been involved in spotfixing. Tafazzul Rizvi, a legal advisor to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said the board had been informed of the hearing. “Basically under ECB rules it will be a fresh trial and hearing in which there will be a reappraisal of witnesses and Danish can produce fresh witnesses as well,” he said. The PCB has suspended Kaneria from domestic cricket pending his appeal hearing.—Agencies
Basketball Tourney KARACHI—The sixth edition verses from the Holy Quran, a solo footballer showed off ball trickery, and martial artists staged a display of Thai boxing. “Its aim is to change people’s minds in order to keep them away from war and enmity,” said Rahimi’s supporter Attah Mohammad
Rahimi took the belt on a technical knockout which ended a contest of few cleanlylanded punches, staged in a huge tent normally used for national gatherings of tribal elders but rigged with Las Vegas-style lights and a technopumping sound system for the bout.—APP
of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) All Sindh Basketball Tournament will be played here at the Arambgh Court from November 2 to 8,Organizers announced on Wednesday. 12 teams from five divisions of Sindh will be taking part in the event. Secretary Arts Council Prof. Ejaz Ahmed Faruqi will inaugurate the event.—APP
India not enthused by day-night Tests M UMBAI —India are un- periment with this and our worsened by fielders unlikely to embrace the concept of day-night Test matches, a top official said on Wednesday, because a previous experiment in firstclass cricket fell flat. The International Cricket Council announced this week that Tests can now be played under lights, with rival teams deciding on the hours of play and the colour of the ball to be used. Cricket Australia applauded the move, but the powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was lukewarm towards the idea despite having tried the concept in a domestic final in 1997. “We were the first to ex-
experience was not so great,” said the BCCI’s chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty. “At this stage we have no such proposal.” The BCCI held the fiveday Ranji Trophy final between Mumbai and Delhi under lights in Gwalior in April 1997. Bowlers struggled due to the heavy evening dew and frequent changes of the white ball. Just two innings were completed in five days. Mumbai, who made 630 after batting first, were declared winners after Delhi were dismissed for 559 on the last day. Four bowlers from each sides conceded more than 100 runs apiece, their plight
able to spot the ball both in the air and on the ground, especially in the outfield. Crowds are dwindling at Test matches in India even as one-day and Twenty20 cricket enjoys wide interest. Cricket Australia conceded on Tuesday that day-night Tests were not imminent, since an ideal ball had yet to be found. Red balls used in Tests were not easily visible at night, while white balls used in limited-overs matches were found not durable enough for Tests. Experiments have included playing with pink, orange and yellow balls.—AFP