Malik, Irfan included in Pakistan ODI squad
Weather holds key in India, Pakistan series opener C H E N N A I —India’s win in be playing a one-dayer at position seemed to work for T20 against England in squad after the axe for the the second T20 in Ahmedabad is good for the context of the tour; the 1-1 scoreline sets up the threematch one-day series nicely. The T20 was closely fought, but some improved death bowling helped India save face after two consecutive T20 losses. The two teams haven’t seen much of each other in the last two years, with India winning all three onedayers in that period - their most recent meeting was in Mirpur this March for the Asia Cup. This short one-day series promises to be just as competitive, provided the weather doesn’t stand in the way. It has been raining in Chennai since Friday and more rain is forecast for Sunday. A 9am start means there’s less time for the outfield to dry up. Bizarrely, this is the first time India will
home in 2012, having played games in Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. If the wet weather persists, there’s a chance this series may only properly start in 2013, which is just a few days away. Pakistan have fond memories of Chepauk, where Saeed Anwar scored his iconic unbeaten 194 in a one-dayer in 1997 and where they staged one of Test cricket’s most remarkable comebacks. Pakistan can do with the happy vibes, because despite the Asia Cup win they haven’t had the happiest year in one-day internationals, winning six and losing ten. The series defeats to Sri Lanka and Australia, following the Asia Cup, would have hurt.
him in the T20s. In both games, he compiled halfcenturies, playing a crucial role in Pakistan’s successful chase in the first T20 and nearly repeating it in the second. It was the quality of his shots that stood out. In Ahmedabad, his first scoring shot was an audacious scoop that nearly carried over the fineleg rope. His knock featured late cuts, the drive over extra cover, consecutive slogged sixes over deep midwicket and a booming straight drive to bring up his fifty. In his last three ODIs, Hafeez has scores of 78, 23 and 4 - all as an opener - and with Ahmed Shehzad not in the one-day squad it remains to be seen if he will open with Nasir Jamshed.
Mumbai with 3 for 36 in Ahmedabad against Pakistan. Death bowling has been an issue for India of late, and Dinda’s late spell set a good example. A slower ball, bowled from the back of the hand, knocked down Umar Akmal’s middle stump, and his final two overs went for just six runs each. His wickets of Hafeez and Kamran Akmal, both caught in the deep, ensured the game was India’s.
Team news: Pakistan have retained the allrounder Shoaib Malik and left-arm seamer Mohammad Irfan for the one-dayers, in recognition of their good performances in the T20s. There was talk of retaining Shahid Afridi as well, but he hadn’t done enough to merit selection, thereby Players to watch: putting his one-day future Mohammad Hafeez’s Ashok Dinda shrugged demotion from the opening off a horror final over in the in doubt. Younis Khan and Umar Gul return to the
series against Australia in August. Pakistan (likely): 1 Nasir Jamshed, 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), 5 Younis Khan, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shoaib Malik, 8 Kamran Akmal (wk), 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid Khan/Mohammad Irfan Virender Sehwag returns to the ODI squad after being dropped for the T20s. Yuvraj Singh will play his first one-dayer since returning from illness while Bhuvneshwar Kumar could be in line for an ODI debut after an impressive performance in Bangalore. India (likely): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Rohit Sharma/ Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt. & wk), 8 R Ashwin, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashok Dinda
Stats and Trivia: Virat Kohli, with 1026 runs in 2012, needs to score another 159 to beat Kumar Sangakkara’s tally of 1184 runs. Kohli is currently placed third, behind Sangakkara and Tillakaratne Dilshan (1119). Kohli has only one match to try to move up the list. India have won nine ODIs and lost six in 2012. India last played a day ODI at home two years ago, in Vadodara against New Zealand.
Quotes: “Even before the series we were banking on our pacers to put pressure on the Indian batsmen and they succeeded in doing this in the first T20. I hope they continue in the same spirit and rhythm for the one-day series as well.” Pakistan one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq “A lot depends on the youngsters bowling the last overs. I think they held their nerve nicely. They were feeling the pressure, but they responded really well and executed the yorkers. When they wanted to bowl slower ones, they did that.” MS Dhoni.—Agencies
Li sees off World No. 1 Azarenka in Thailand
HEC sports team Former England greeted for securing captain Tony Greig dies 2nd position in
HUA HIN, Thailand—China’s S YDNEY —Former England commentary team, of which Li Na beat World Number 1 Victoria Azarenka Saturday 106 in a play-off after the pair shared a set each in a see-sawing invitation match in the Thai resort of Hua Hin. Li, who became China’s first superstar tennis player after winning the 2011 French Open, took the first set 3-6, dominating the World Number One Azarenka on the hard court with her serving and groundstrokes. Azarenka sprung to life as the hot Thai sun faded and the flood lights came on, belting a series of winners as she claimed the second set at a canter 6-2. But the Australian Open champion, who secured the top ranking when she beat Li in October at the WTA Championships in Istanbul, stumbled in the play-off making a costly series of unforced errors while Li plugged away, probing from the baseline. Azarenka has experienced a huge reversal of fortunes in the last year or so, banishing doubts over her future in the sport with a crushing win over Maria Sharapova in Australia to kick-start a season in which she topped the world rankings. Li has struggled with consistency since becoming Asia’s first Grand Slam-winner at the French Open last year, but finished the season strongly after changing coaches following a disappointing first-round exit at the London Olympics.—AFP
captain and television com- he was a member, during mentator Tony Greig has their coverage of the first died at the age of 66 after Test between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane. “It’s not good. The truth is I’ve got lung cancer. Now it’s a case of what they can do,” he said at the time. He had an operation later that month. South African-born Greig played 58 Tests for England between 1972 and 1977, scoring 3,599 runs with eight centuries at 40.43 and captured 141 wickets at 32.20. He captained England in 14 Tests. He also played 22 oneday internationals for England. Greig was instrumental in the formation of late Australian media tycoon being diagnosed with lung Kerry Packer ’s breakaway cancer, Australia’s Nine World Series Cricket conNetwork said Saturday. test staged from 1977-79 Greig, who worked for the which sent shockwaves broadcaster, first became through the sport. He helped secure the aware of his illness during Australia’s one-day series signings of a number of Enagainst Pakistan in Dubai in glish and other foreign players to the rebel cricket August and September. On his return to Austra- series, launched in relia, he had fluid removed sponse to the Australian from the right lung and test- Cricket Board’s refusal to ing revealed he had cancer, give Packer’s Nine Network exclusive Test broadcast the network said. “Beloved Tony Greig rights. The World Series feahas passed away today, tured stars such as Dennis aged 66. To his family and Lillee, Imran Khan, Greg and friends we pass on our best Ian Chappell, Viv Richards wishes,” Channel Nine and Clive Lloyd and left a lasting legacy on the game, tweeted. Last month, Grieg spoke including improved rewards to the network’s cricket for players.—AFP
National Games
I SLAMABAD —Chairperson Higher Education Commission Dr. Javaid Laghari has congratulated HEC sport team for securing second position in 32nd National Games held at Lahore. HEC grabbed the second position with 29 gold, 62 silver 74 bronze with total 165 medals and 2935 points during mega national event which continued for the consecutive seven days in the various venues of Lahore city. The HEC players played comparatively much better and helped their department to gain positions in the national event. The Chairperson HEC said that HEC team includes best sport players from universities and set a new record of success by securing second position. It is proof that in addition to improvement of quality of higher education and research, HEC is also focusing on extra-curricular activities including debates, sports etc. It is also outcome of HEC sport friendly initiatives and support of vice chancellors and university administration. Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Arif Hassan and Member international Olympic Committee (IOC) in Pakistan Syed Shahid Ali also lauded the excellent performance of HEC players.—APP
Australia’s Hussey to retire from Test cricket S YDNEY —Australian veteran Mike Hussey announced Saturday he will retire from Test cricket after next week’s third and final match against Sri Lanka in Sydney. The evergreen Hussey, who continues to flourish at 37, just months younger than Ricky Ponting who called it quits earlier this month, said he wanted to spend more time with his four young children, who are all aged under eight. “The Sydney Test against Sri Lanka will be my last Test match for Australia and I’m going to retire from international cricket at the end of the Australian summer,” he told the Nine Network. Hussey’s retirement will leave a huge hole in Australia’s lower batting order ahead of next year’s backto-back Ashes away and home series against England preceded by a tour to India in February-March. Hussey has scored 19 hundreds in 78 Tests and averages 51.52. Hussey’s recent form has been outstanding and he has been averaging 180.00 after two Tests in the current series against Sri Lanka. Australia have already clinched the three-match series against Sri Lanka with huge wins in Hobart and Melbourne. Hussey, who made his Test debut at the late age of 30 in 2005, has become Australia’s 12th-lead-
ing runscorer with 6183 runs at 51.52. Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said Hussey would be a huge loss on and off the field for Australia. Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) president and former Australian fast bowling great Dennis Lillee said Hussey was
an ornament to the game. “He is a great exponent of all forms of the game, but it is his Test cricket skills that excited me as he could play with his back to the wall and be aggressive or a combination of both at the flick of a switch. He will go down as one of the all-time greats for WA and Australia.”—Agencies
Dedicating knock or MoM award to gang-rape victim not enough: Yuvi’s dad BIPIN DANI OBSERVER CORRESPONDENT M UMBAI —Several members of the Indian team have come forward to show sympathy towards the family of gang-rape victim, who died in Singapre hospital early morning on Saturday. The team members have been using social netowrking sites and posting their messages on their twitter pages. Indian all-rounder, Yuvraj Singh even had dedicated his Man-of-theMatch award (won against England in Twenty20 played at Pune on Dec. 20)
to the victim girl. Yuvraj’s father, Yograj Singh believes it is a wake up call for every one. “Be it my son or anyone, dedicating the knock or MoM award to the victim is not enough. The nation should be ashamed of with such incidents. It is a wake up call for politicians and everyone. We must protect the women of this country. The attitude towards the women should change and we should respect them and everyone should after themselves to avoid such incidents”. Yograj Singh was neither present at Pune, nor at Ahmedabad, where Yuvi again, claimed the Man of the
Match against Pakistan on Friday night. “It is not the first time my son has played the super innings for the nation. He has played many match winnings games and I don’t go to watch his all matches. He is wise enough to look after himself. I am busy in my own shooting career”, he signed off. Incidentally, Yuvraj Singh’s mother, Shabnam, who has been his backbone to fight against cancer, was not present at Ahmedabad. She has been with Yuvraj at most centres, especially after the 31-yearold all-rounder has won the battle against cancer. Sadly, the parents have separated.
Tennis: Spain win opener at Hopman Cup P ERTH —The Spanish pair- bers were split in the Group eight-nation ing of Anabel Medina Garrigues and Fernando Verdasco won their opening tie at the $1 million mixed teams Hopman Cup with a 21 win over South Africa in sweltering heat in Perth on Saturday. The singles rub-
B tie, with Medina Garrigues beating Chanelle Scheepers and Kevin Anderson upsetting Verdasco before the Spaniards proved too strong in the deciding mixed doubles. The fourth seeds for the
tournament, Verdasco and Medina Garrigues won the doubles in a match tiebreak, 6-4, 6-7 (3/ 7), 10-8 on a day where the mercury reached 40C (104F). The South Africans were just two points from an upset win when they led 8-5 in
the match tiebreak before the Spaniards reeled off the last five points of the match. Anderson notched his first win over Verdasco in three attempts in the opening men’s singles match, despite being ranked 13 places below the Spaniard at 37.—AFP
BHITSHAH: players of traditional wrestling ‘MALH’ compete on second day of 269th Urs celebrations of Hazrat Shah Abdul Lateef Bhatai (RA) at Malh ground.