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Home , Dimuth Karunaratne, Glenn Maxwell, Lakshan Sandakan, Mosaddek Hossain, Pat Cummins, Shahzaib Hasan

SPORTS SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017

Shakib gives healthy lead

COLOMBO: struck his fifth hun- innings at stumps, reducing the deficit to 75, with a lead with their resolute . After dred and combined in a seventh- stand of openers and Shakib fell to Lakshan Sandakan, Mosaddek and 131 with debutant Mosaddek Hossain to give both unbeaten on 25 each. After resuming on 214- Mehedi Hasan Miraz continued to frustrate the Bangladesh a handy first-innings lead on the third 5, all-rounder Shakib, who made 116, and hosts, who lead the two-match series 1-0, with day of the second and final test against steadied the innings for another stand of 33. Sri Lanka captain and spinner yesterday. Playing their 100th test, Bangladesh, Bangladesh with a stand of 92 before the latter , 38, then restricted the lead with were bowled out for 467 in the final session, leading was bowled by paceman with the two in as many balls to finish with 4-82, Sri Lanka by 129 runs, after the 21-year-old new ball for 52. which also saw the left-arm spinner bring up Mosaddek became the final wicket to fall for 75. That brought Shakib and Mosaddek together 1,000 first-class wickets. Sandakan picked up four Sri Lanka reached 54 without loss in their second and the duo stubbed out Sri Lanka hopes of getting wickets for 140. — Reuters

Pakistan suspend another player in spot-fixing case

KARACHI: authorities yesterday charged and suspended international player Shahzaib Hasan in an ongoing case over spotfixing during a recent league. The widening scandal, which has so far ensnared four other current or former national stars, has tainted the recently completed (PSL), hailed as a step towards restoring international cricket in the militancy-plagued country after the final in Lahore passed without incident. A guilty verdict for the players would prove disastrous for Pakistan cricket, which was last rocked by a match-fixing scan- dal in 2010 that deprived it of three top players including pace- man , who has since made a comeback. The (PCB) said Hasan was charged on three counts from during the PSL. “Hasan is given notice of charge and provisionally suspended with immediate effect from partic- ipating in all forms of cricket. He has 14 days to respond to (the) charges,” said a PCB release. The scandal surfaced on February 10 when players Sharjeel Khan and were suspended and expelled from the PSL on charges of receiving offers from a suspicious man linked to an international betting syndicate. A third Islamabad United player, Mohammad Irfan, was also sus- pended on Tuesday for not reporting offers from bookmakers. While former Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed was also provi- sionally suspended on charges of being a “go between” in the spot-fixing incident. Jamshed and another unnamed person were arrested in Britain last month but were bailed until April. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar said Thursday the players could face jail terms. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s one-day and RANCHI: ’s captain Steven Smith, right, plays a shot during the second day of their third match Twenty20 captain Sarfraz Ahmed said fast-rising Sharjeel will be against India. — AP missed on the team’s tour of West Indies. They are set to fly out Monday. “Sharjeel was not only settled in the team but was exactly the one who we needed in opening slot,” said Ahmed India responds well after of the dashing left-handed opener who has played one Test, 25 one-day and 15 Twenty20 internationals. Sharjeel hit three consecutive half centuries in the one-day Smith and Maxwell tons series in Australia earlier this year and was also contracted by Leicestershire to play in England in July. The county has now replaced him with New Zealand’s . “Sharjeel was RANCHI: India mounted a positive reply after ’s than two years to build a series-high 191-run partnership with the kind of batsman who was matching the modern-day crick- unbeaten 178 and ’s maiden powered his skipper. et. His ouster will affect but whoever comes in as replacement Australia to a series-high 451 on day two of the third test yes- Smith, who crossed 5,000 test runs in Australia’s 800th test, will also be outstanding and can also put up his best,” Ahmed terday. Lokesh Rahul made an elegant 67, his fourth half-centu- the first ever at the Jharkhand State Cricket Association continued. Pakistan play the first of four in Barbados ry in five innings, before dismissed him in the Stadium, was in complete control at the other end. His 19th on March 26. The Twenty20s will be followed by three one-day paceman’s first test after more than five years in the wilderness. test century, which contained 17 boundaries, is the highest internationals and as many Tests. — AFP India were 120 for one at close, still 331 behind, with Murali score by an Australia captain in India, eclipsing predecessor Vijay unbeaten on 42 and on 10. Home skip- Michael Clarke’s 130 in Chennai four years ago. per , who did not take the field since sustaining a shoulder injury in Thursday’s second session, is expected to Easy singles bat. Earlier, lion-hearted left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja Yadav admitted to Smith was quite a challenge on bowled the bulk of the overs to claim 5-124 and effected a a -friendly wicket. “Singles are coming easily and the spectacular run-out to wrap up Australia’s first innings. outfield is so fast that you just need to place it in the gap and it After Australia had resumed on 299-4, paceman Umesh would race to the ,” he said. The paceman also Yadav broke Maxwell’s bat in two with the very first expected his team to benefit from the track. “It’s a 100-run-a- but could not really unsettle the batsman. The normally swash- session wicket. We also made 120 today. Plus minus 20-30 runs, buckling Maxwell assiduously inched his way to become the but we’ll try to get there.” second Australian cricketer after to score a cen- Jadeja, who bowled more than a third of the overs in the tury in all three formats. After reaching his hundred with a Australia innings, kept India in the game, dismissing Matthew fierce cut that flew through the slips for his ninth boundary, Wade for 37 and the scoreless Cummins in the same over. Maxwell looked quite overwhelmed by the achievement as he Smith missed his double century when he sprinted for a risky embraced Smith with a huge bear hug, took off his helmet and second run and bowler Jadeja, his back to the stumps, collect- kissed the badge. ed a throw and flicked the ball onto the wickets to run out Josh He added four more runs to his score before edging Jadeja Hazlewood. Maxwell predicted Cummins would trouble India to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha for 104. Maxwell also hit when the third day’s play resumes. “He’s a guy who can get two sixes and faced 185 balls in his four-hour vigil, the that variable bounce with the way he digs the ball into the LAHORE: In this photograph taken on March 15, 2017, longest he has spent at the crease in an international match. wicket,” he said of his team mate. “Hopefully, he’s extremely Pakistani cricketer Shahzaib Hasan (L) arrives at Pakistan Better known for his exploits in the shorter formats, the 28- effective for us tomorrow. That extra pace is hard to adjust...” Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters. — AFP year-old grasped his chance in his first test outing in more The four-test series is all square at 1-1. — Reuters