Injured Faulkner out of New Zealand tour A U C K L A N D —Australia allrounder James Faulkner w i l l miss the remaining two one-day internationals against N e w Zealand after injuring his right hamstring in Wednesday’s series opener in Auckland, the team said. Marcus Stoinis, who made his ODI debut against England in September, will replace Faulkner whose injury comes six weeks before Australia begin their campaign for an elusive Twenty20 World Cup title in India. “James reported increased stiffness in his right hamstring during the first innings tonight and found it difficult running during our batting innings,” Cricket Australia’s sports science and sport medicine manager Alex Kountouris said in a statement. “Unfortunately, with the short turnaround between games we do not believe he will recover in time to take any further part in the series.” Faulkner, with 36, was Australia’s second-highest scorer as they crumbled to a 159-run defeat at Eden Park. Wellington is the venue for the next match on Saturday.—AFP
Wiggins suspects history of mechanical doping P ARIS —Former Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins has suggested mechanic a l doping is not a n e w problem for c y cling. Bradl e y Wiggins believes mechanical doping has been part of cycling for some time and those found guilty should face life bans. Fabian Cancellara was accused of having a motor inside his frame in 2010 during the Tour of Flanders and ParisRoubaix, but the International Cycling Union (UCI) ruled there was no case against him. The UCI has conducted checks since then and, after Femke van den Driessche’s bike was found to have a hidden motor at the Cyclo-Cross World Championships, the debate has reignited. Speaking ahead of the Dubai Tour, Wiggins says the problem could have been hidden within the sport for some time without being detected. “I think it’s probably been around for a while,” the 2012 Tour de France winner is quoted as saying by Cyclingnews.—AFP
I need more time to calm down: Klopp LONDON—Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says he needs more time to calm down aft e r watching his side go down to a poor 20 defeat at t h e hands of Premier League leaders Leicester City on Tuesday. Jamie Vardy scored twice, including a brilliant volley to open the scoring, as the Reds dropped to eighth in the table. Liverpool have won only one of their last five league games and conceded 12 goals in the process, with Klopp frustrated by a performance that rarely saw them threaten the home goal at the King Power Stadium.—AFP
First edition of PSL starts today ISLAMABAD —The first edition of the most-awaited Pakistan Super League (PSL) will starts in Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Thursday. In the inaugural match Islamabad United led by Misbah-ul Haq’s will take on Quetta Gladiators. Sarfraz Ahmed will lead Quetta Gladiators.The fixtures will commence at 9pm PST at Dubai. According to PSL chairman Najam Sethi, the cricket fans would be able to watch PSL Live on YouTube.
Azhar further said that,”the young players’ interaction with top stars would be invaluable. There was no dearth of talent in Pakistan and it would be a great opportunity for young and emerging players.” It is the best chance for them to hone their skills and impress selectors ahead of the T20 World Cup, he added. He maintained, “these are still early days but I am sure we have got a bunch of players who will perform well in the tour-
A total of 5 teams will be fighting in the event for supremacy. Each team will have 16 players to pick its 11 from. This will include the allowed quota of 5 international players. Since there will just be 20 round robin matches and 4 playoffs; players are expected to retain their fitness in the main and justify the money poured on them. Meanwhile, Pakistani ODI skipper Azhar Ali has said that PSL was an ideal ground for emerging players to prepare for the T20 World Cup. Talking to a private news channel he said,”Our young players have got a chance to grab the opportunity and it was important for the youngsters to enhance their skills according to the needs.” Replying to a question he said almost all the Pakistan Super League teams have hired foreign coaching staff and it would also work wonders for Lahore Qalandars. “We will try to benefit from Paddy Upton’s experience. His stint with IPL and Big Bash is going to help us a lot”, he said. He said they had got world class coaching staff and it was going to play an important role in the team’s performance.
nament. The boys look eager to learn and hope a great tournament ahead.” Replying to another question he said it was his responsibility to give confidence to boys who were just entering the international arena. The tournament would provide them a chance to prove their skills. PSL Teams and squad players: Islamabad United: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Shane Watson, Andre Russell, Samuel B a d r e e , Mohammad Irfan, Brad Haddin, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Sami, Khalid Latif, Babar Azam, Imran Khalid, Kamran Ghulam, Umar Amin, Sam Billings, Ruman Raees, Amad Butt, Ashar Zaidi, Saeed Ajmal, Hussain Talat, Umar Siddiq Karachi Kings:
Shoaib Malik (captain), Shakib Al Hasan, Sohail Tanvir, Imad Wasim, Ravi Bopara, Lendl Simmons, Mohammad Amir, Bilawal Bhatti, James Vince, Iftikhar Ahmed, Nauman Anwar, Mushfiqur Rahim, Usama Mir, Sohail Khan, Mir Hamza, Safiullah Bangash, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shazaib Hasan, Fawad Alam Peshawar Zalmi: Shahid Afridi (captain), Wahab Riaz, Darren Sammy, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Hafeez, Shaun Tait, Tamim Iqbal, Junaid Khan, Jim Allenby, Aamer Yamin, Dawid Malan, Imran Khan jnr, Shahid Yousuf, Abdur Rehman, Musadiq Ahmed Ali, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Asghar, Brad Hodge, Irsarullah, Taj Wali Quetta Gladiators: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Kevin Pietersen, Ahmed Shehzad, Anwar Ali, Jason Holder, Luke Wright, Zulfiqar Babar, Umar Gul, Elton Chigumbura, Bilal Asif, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Nawaz, Saad Nasim, Mohammad Nabi, Akbar ur Rehman, Bismillah Khan, Kumar Sangakkara, Aizaz Cheema, Ramiz Raja jnr Lahore Qalandars: Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Shoaib Maqsood, Mustafizur Rahman, Kevon Cooper, Cameron Delport, Zafar Gohar, Hammad Azam, Zia-ul-Haq, Zohaib Khan, Azhar Ali,
Naved Yasin, Adnan Rasool, Abdur Razzaq, Mukhtar Ahmed, Ehsan Adil, Imran Butt.—APP
Day .......... Date ........... Match ............. Teams ........................................................ Venue Thu ........... Feb 4 .......... 1st T20 ............ Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators ...... Dubai International Cricket Stadium Fri ............ Feb 5 .......... 2nd T20 ........... Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars ........... Dubai International Cricket Stadium Fri ............ Feb 5 .......... 3rd T20 ............ Peshawar Zalmi v Islamabad United ........ Dubai International Cricket Stadium Sat ............. Feb 6 ........... 4th T20 ............. Quetta Gladiators v Karachi Kings .............. Dubai International Cricket Stadium Sat ............. Feb 6 ........... 5th T20 ............. Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi ............ Dubai International Cricket Stadium Sun ............ Feb 7 ........... 7th T20 ............. Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi ............ Dubai International Cricket Stadium Mon ........... Feb 8 ........... 8th T20 ............. Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators ......... Dubai International Cricket Stadium Wed ........... Feb 10 ......... 9th T20 ............. Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars ......... Sharjah Cricket Stadium Thu ............ Feb 11 ......... 10th T20 ........... Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi ................. Sharjah Cricket Stadium Thu ............ Feb 11 ......... 11th T20 ........... Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators ......... Sharjah Cricket Stadium Fri ............. Feb 12 ......... 12th T20 ........... Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars .............. Sharjah Cricket Stadium Fri ............. Feb 12 ......... 13th T20 ........... Islamabad United v Peshawar Zalmi ............ Sharjah Cricket Stadium Sat ............. Feb 13 ......... 14th T20 ........... Karachi Kings v Quetta Gladiators .............. Sharjah Cricket Stadium Sat ............. Feb 13 ......... 15th T20 ........... Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi ............ Sharjah Cricket Stadium Sun ............ Feb 14 ......... 16th T20 ........... Islamabad United v Karachi Kings .............. Sharjah Cricket Stadium Sun ............ Feb 14 ......... 17th T20 ........... Quetta Gladiators v Peshawar Zalmi ............ Sharjah Cricket Stadium Tue ............ Feb 16 ......... 18th T20 ........... Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators ......... Dubai International Cricket Stadium Wed ........... Feb 17 ......... 19th T20 ........... Karachi Kings v Peshawar Zalmi ................. Dubai International Cricket Stadium Wed ........... Feb 17 ......... 20th T20 ........... Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars ......... Dubai International Cricket Stadium Fri ............. Feb 19 ......... 1st Playoff ........ 1st Place vs 2nd Place .................................. Dubai International Cricket Stadium Sat ............. Feb 20 ......... 2nd Playoff ....... 3rd Place vs 4th Place ................................... Dubai International Cricket Stadium Sat ............. Feb 20 ......... 3rd Playoff ....... Playoff 2 Winner vs Playoff 1 Loser ............ Dubai International Cricket Stadium Tue ............ Feb 23 ......... Finals ................ TBD vs TBD ................................................ Dubai International Cricket Stadium
Martinez joins Evergrande in record China deal B EIJING —Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande smashed China’s transfer fee record Wednesday when they announced a deal to secure Atletico Madrid’s unsettled Colombian striker Jackson Martinez for 42 million euros ($46 million). Martinez, 29, is the latest Europe-based player to move to the cashed-up Chinese Super League and was described as a “goal poacher” and “fox in the box” in a Chinese-language statement on the club’s website. “The moment has arrived to start a new stage in my career,” Martinez told Atletico’s website. “The club and I have spoken in the last few days and we are agreed this is the best thing for everyone.” The purchase broke the week-old Chinese record fee of 28 million euros, paid by Jiangsu Suning to acquire Brazilian midfielder Ramires from Chelsea. It lifted the Chinese Super League’s total spending during the current transfer window to 203.9 million euros, according to website transfermarkt which tracks commercial dealings in the sport — second only to the English Premier League. Atletico bought Martinez last year for 35 million euros from FC Porto where he had scored an impressive 92 goals in 133 games. But he struggled to establish himself in Spain, scoring just two goals in 15 La Liga appearances. Chinese businesses have invested huge sums in football since President Xi Jinping, an avowed fan of the sport, declared that hosting, qualifying, and winning a World Cup were national goals. In the past the highest-profile international signings by Chinese clubs tended to be ageing stars in their 30s nearing the end of their playing days. But many of those bought in the current transfer window have been in their late 20s. Questions have been asked about whether some are past their prime. But David Hornby, sports business director of the Mailman brand management group in Shanghai, said: “These are not guys at the end of their career just looking for a payout.”
In 2015 a powerful political committee headed by Xi released a 50-point plan to achieve his goal, including establishing tens of thousands of soccer schools and making the game compulsory for some elementary and middleschool students.
Investors have since ploughed more money into football in “an attempt to be looked favourably on by the government”, said Tom Elsden, sports strategy manager at Mailman. “This has stimulated the growth of football immensely. It’s really that government mandate that’s pushing it.” Factoring in the top two levels of the sport, Chinese clubs have so far spent 252.7 million euros in the current transfer period — which runs until February 26 in China — while English clubs splashed out 295.1 million euros before the European window closed on Monday, according to transfermarkt. The second-tier China League One ranked ahead of the Bundesliga in Germany, Spain’s Primera Division and France’s Ligue 1 for spending. On Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media service, many criticised the high cost of signing Martinez but the most popular comments were from fans who defended Evergrande’s move. “Seeing some people saying it’s not worth it, I think it’s overdone,” wrote one user. “I wonder if you guys watch football at all? You’re all displeased with Martinez? China football fans’ demands are really high now!”—AFP
Kiwi bowler Mithcel Santner misses hat-trick opportunity B IPIN D ANI O BSERVER CORRESPONDENT MUMBAI—Two days before his 24th birthday, the Kiwi spinner Mithcel Santner bowled just balls in the international match against Australia on Wednesday and finished Australian tail to register a 159-run victory in the opening ODI of the Chappell-Hadlee Tophy at Auckland’s Eden Park. However, the Slow-left arm orthodox bowler would not get the credit of the hat-rick even if he takes wicket with his very first delivery in the next match. “There have been many such instances when the bowler has finished the match with two successive deliveries”, Bharath Seervi, the
Cricket Statistician at ESPNCricinfo says. A hat-trick occurs in cricket when a bowler dismisses three batsmen with three consecutive deliveries. The deliveries may be interrupted by an over bowled by another bowler from the other end of the pitch or the other team’s innings, but must be three consecutive deliveries by the individual bowler in the same match. “The only known case of a bowler also taking a wicket with his first ball in the next match was George Lohmann in 1895/96. Lohmann had finished a match with a hat-trick and took a wicket with his first ball of the next Test, so taking four wickets in four balls”, another cricket statistician Charles Davis says on Ask Steven’s popular FaceBook page.
Henry, Guptill superb as NZ thrash Australia in 1st ODI AUCKLAND—At Eden Park last February, New Zealand secured the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a tense one-wicket victory in a low-scoring contest, one of the most thrilling matches of the World Cup. At Eden Park this February, New Zealand have gone one step towards retaining the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a much more comfortable win. This time only half the match was low-scoring: Australia were bundled out for 148 inside 25 overs. They were only 160 short of their target. It was New Zealand’s second-biggest ODI win over Australia in terms of runs; the only larger victory was the 206-run margin secured at Adelaide Oval in 1986, when Richard Hadlee and Ewen Chatfield ran through the Australian top order. This time it was Trent Boult and Matt Henry who reduced Australia to 41 for 6. From there, Australia’s all-time ODI low total of 70 was in danger, until James Faulkner and Matthew Wade nudged them into triple figures. Chasing scores around 300 might have proved simple for the Australians against India last month on the flat pitches of home, but on a slowish Eden Park surface and against a quality pace attack, it was not so easy. In fact, Australia had done well to even drag New Zealand’s total back to 307 for 8, after Martin Guptill started the innings off with 90 before the 25-over mark. But Australia’s attack, missing New Zealand’s Martin Guptill bats on his way to 90 against Australia in the first one-day Mitchell Starc who had taken six wickets in last year’s game, lacked penetration. international cricket match at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday.
Their chase was doomed from the first to read as it to happen. It meant that few overs. Henry and Boult found just Faulkner, Australia’s designated finisher, enough movement to cause trouble and hit was at the crease inside ten overs. the right lengths, whereas Australia’s A 79-run partnership between bowlers had taken too long to find the Faulkner and Wade followed, but it was clichéd “good areas”. Henry had Shaun all academic, and served only to push Marsh caught at slip for 5 in the second Australia’s total up to almost exactly what over, a dismissal that may serve to con- they had made in the World Cup game at vince Australia’s selectors at last that Usman Khawaja is a necessary incluNew Zealand innings: Australia innings: sion for the second Guptill run out ............... 90 Marsh c Guptill b Henry .. 5 match in McCullum b Faulkner .... 44 Warner lbw b Boult ........ 12 Wellington. Williamson b Hazlewood . 0 Smith b Henry ................ 18 Steven Smith Nicholls c Wade b Marsh 61 Bailey b Henry ................. 2 played on to Henry Elliott c Hastings Maxwell c Williamson b Boult0 for 18, David b Marsh .......................... 21 Marsh c McCullum b Boult0 Warner was lbw to Anderson b Hastings ...... 10 Wade c Nicholls b Anderson37 a Boult ball that L Ronchi b Hazlewood .. 16 Faulkner b Milne ........... 36 would have cleared MJ Santner not out ......... 35 Hastings b Santner ........... 8 the bails for 12, Milne c & b Faulkner ..... 14 Richardson b Santner ..... 19 George Bailey Henry not out ................... 5 Hazlewood not out ........... 0 flicked Henry to Extras: (b 1, lb 3, w 7) .... 11 Extra: (lb 2, w 9) ............. 11 midwicket for 2, Total: (8 wickets) ......... 307 Total: (all out) .............. 148 Glenn Maxwell was Fall of wickets: 1-79, 2-81, 3- Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-33, 3brilliantly taken by 181, 4-205, 5-231, 6-234, 7- 39, 4-40, 5-40, 6-41, 7-120, 8Kane Williamson at 121, 9-148, 10-148 263, 8-290 mid-off off Boult Bowling: ............ O-M-R-W Bowling: ............ O-M-R-W for a duck, and Hazlewood .......... 10-1-68-2 TA Boult ............... 7-0-38-3 Mitchell Marsh was Richardson .......... 10-1-64-0 Henry .................... 6-0-41-3 snapped up at secHastings .............. 10-0-39-1 AF Milne .............. 6-0-46-1 ond slip off Boult, Faulkner .............. 10-0-67-2 Anderson ............... 4-1-14-1 also without scorMaxwell ................ 3-0-30-0 Elliott ....................1-0-7-0 ing. That probably Marsh .................... 7-0-35-2 Santner ...............0.2-0-0-2 took about as long