18 Established 1961 Sports Monday, May 4, 2020

Photo of the day Khawaja vows to bounce back after contract snub SYDNEY: Usman Khawaja believes he is still among Australia’s top six batsmen and can force his way back into the squad after being dropped a few days ago from the list of con- tracted players. The top order batsman was omitted from Australia’s annual list of 20 elite, contracted players in 2020, announced on Thursday, after falling out of favour with selectors midway through last year’s Ashes. “Without sounding arrogant, I still feel like I’m one of the top six batsmen in the country,” the 33-year-old lefthander told Fox Sports yes- terday. “If you’re performing, you’re perform- ing; it’s not like I’m 37 or 38 and coming into right at the end of my career,” said the batsman who played the last of his 44 tests against England in Leeds last August. There are whispers about Khawaja’s vulnera- bility against spin bowling but the Islamabad- born player said he second only to Steve Smith played when it came to negotiating the slow bowlers. “My playing against spin has been right up there as some of the best in the county. Bar maybe Steve Smith, who is an absolute genius,” he said. “But the most important thing is to score runs.” Former Australia Allan Border has termed Khawaja’s omission from the list of con- tracted players “strange”, while former test MELBOURNE: Julian Wilson Project at Urban Surf Wavepark in Melbourne, Australia. —Photo taken from www.redbullcontentpool.com player Mark Waugh expects the batsman to force his way back into the squad. —Reuters England’s Roy desperate to return to , even behind closed doors ‘I’m shadow- in the mirror, I’m looking pretty good’

LONDON: England opener Jason Roy is desper- pretty good,” he joked. “So that’s all I can do, to ate to get back to playing cricket, even if matches be honest, hitting a tennis ball against my wall have to take place behind closed doors due to the here at home, going a bit stir crazy.” coronavirus pandemic. Roy, who was part of Roy said the ongoing disruption meant it could England’s World-Cup winning team last year, had make sense to postpone the T20 World Cup, a taste of playing in an empty stadium in the scheduled for Australia in October, but he said Pakistan Super League (PSL) earlier this year and the players would make sure they were ready if it said it was a bizarre experience. went ahead. “No atmosphere,” said the 29-year-old. He said he was happy to start playing again “Simple as that to be honest. It was a very when asked to by his bosses because he trusted strange feeling. their judgement, describing himself as a “pawn in “You’re used to, as a batsman, with the bowler the sporting world”. Roy was asked about com- running in, it being relatively quiet. You learn to ments made by Barcelona footballer Ivan Rakitic, block out the crowd but who told the Spanish then as soon as that press he was ready to ball’s done you hear the take the risk of return- crowd going absolutely ing to action despite berserk and over there the virus. when that was the case Simple as Roy said: “If an indi- it was dead silence, it vidual wants to go was the strangest thing.” that to onto the front line and The PSL, a Twenty20 put himself at risk then competition, closed its be honest good on him but if doors to spectators in someone doesn’t want March before suspend- to, then I don’t think ing the competition they should be days later due to coro- ashamed of it either. LONDON: File photo taken on July 14, 2019 England’s Jason Roy plays a shot during the 2019 Cricket World Cup final between England and New Zealand. Roy is desperate to get back to playing cricket, even if navirus. Despite that experience, Roy, a destruc- “Whatever’s right in that situation. If the coun- matches have to take place behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. —AFP tive opening batsman, wants to get back to play- try desperately needs us to play cricket to make ing, with the start of the English season delayed themselves feel better... but I’m not sure that’s the until July 1 at the earliest. case.” Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reported Holder have now been involved in talks over the ical officers from the respective boards. “I’m more than happy to play behind closed that England could begin their rescheduled three- rescheduling. “Discussions were wide-ranging including dia- doors,” he said. “I think it would be nice just to Test series against the West Indies on July 8. “Positive ongoing discussions with the ECB logue around revised schedules and COVID-19 get out there.” The Surrey player said the British The series was originally due to start on June 4 and CWI continued on Friday,” a spokesperson medical and biosecurity planning. government’s lockdown meant he was severely at . However, the spread of the coron- for the England and Wales Cricket Board said. “Meetings will be ongoing over the next few limited in his ability to practise. avirus scuppered the plans. England captain Joe “Both boards were represented including cap- months to reach an outcome of when internation- “I’m shadow-batting in the mirror, I’m looking Root and his West Indies counterpart Jason tains, coaches, administrators and the chief med- al cricket could potentially return.” —AFP

stunning results came in the first sets of hit it right now,” Happ quipped back. the dates have not been Snell, Giolito games. Gallo, who finished the regular sea- “It’s crazy,” Giolito told MLB.com about England’s finalised. son 23-6, opened play Saturday with a 3-2 advancing to the final. “I never thought I “At the same time we are win over Happ but dropped the next two would be playing video games on ESPN. S Lanka tour also looking at exploring the advance to MLB games, 4-3 and then a 7-0 blowout in the I’ve always been a big video game fan, and possibility of rescheduling deciding game. whenever I would turn to ESPN and see postponed tours and looking at The Show final It was a similar story for a player tied for esports, I would think, ‘Oh that’s pretty rescheduled the windows which are avail- the third-best record in the regular season cool,’ and now it’s crazy that I’m actually able and alternatives too. TEXAS: The best player since the start of (21-8), as budding Toronto Blue Jays star Bo doing it.” LONDON: England’s two- “ is one of the match test series in Sri Lanka, the MLB The Show Players League is onto Bichette hung with Giolito in three tight In the other semifinal, McNeil took on tours which we are looking at which has been postponed due the championship series. Stunningly, the contests. But after losing the opener 3-2 Snell in a matchup of Friday’s quarterfinal rescheduling. We are engaged to the COVID-19 pandemic, same cannot be said of the second-best and winning 1-0 with a run in the third winners. in discussions with the member has been rescheduled for player. Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Blake Snell inning in Game 2, Bichette dropped the rub- McNeil took Game 1 from Snell 4-1 and countries and see how it can be January next year, Sri Lanka and Texas Rangers slugger Joey Gallo, the ber match. Giolito rode a Nomar Mazara appeared poised to take the series with planned out.” Cricket (SLC) CEO Ashley de only two players to record at least 23 regu- three-run home run to a 5-3 win in the Noah Syndergaard on the mound in Game South Africa’s limited-overs Silva has said. lar-season wins, were both in action deciding game and a berth in the semis. 2. But the tall right-hander — who in real tour of Sri Lanka — three one- England were scheduled to Saturday as the playoff weekend continued In the all-Chicago semifinal, Giolito life is out at least all of 2020 after undergo- day internationals and three play tests in Galle and in the tournament. opened with an 8-4 win. Happ took Game ing Tommy John surgery — took a line Twenty20 games — was sched- Colombo in March before the Snell, who had a league-best 24-5 record 2 by a 1-0 score, but Giolito — who said drive off the head early in the game and had uled to take place in June in the regular season, advanced to yester- coronavirus outbreak shut before it was postponed. he had played very little of MLB The Show to exit. down sport worldwide as day’s championship series, coming from 20 prior to this event — booked his spot in It was all Rays from there, as Snell took “There are also two other tours behind to top New York Mets infielder Jeff countries introduced lockdown which are scheduled to take the championship with a 3-1 win in the the game 8-0 and then used home runs measures to prevent the McNeil two games to one in the semifinals. third game. from Hunter Renfroe and Willy Adames to place with India and He will face Chicago White Sox starting spread of the virus. Bangladesh due to tour Sri The highlight of the final game was an win 7-0 in Game 3 and take the series. “We are in the process of pitcher Lucas Giolito, who topped Cubs insurance home run by White Sox outfielder “I just stopped talking,” Snell said after- Lanka in June-July and July- utility man Ian Happ in three games in an rescheduling the tours that have August respectively,” De Silva Luis Robert, one of the most-hyped ward on the FS1 broadcast of the difference been postponed,” De Silva told all-Windy City semifinal on the other side prospects in baseball who has yet to make between the first game the next two. “That added. of the bracket. Sri Lankan newspaper Daily “We will explore the pos- his MLB debut. was my key. Don’t talk and just focus on the News. “England has been First pitch for the best-of-five champi- “That’s his first homer,” Giolito said of game. As I did that, I started squaring it up sibility of playing those two onship series is set for today at 2:30 p.m. already rescheduled for the tours in another week or the 22-year-old Robert. “That’s his first and was on it more often and was able to month of January next year but ET on ESPN. As for Saturday, the most career homer right there.” “I’m so glad you put good swings on the ball.” —Reuters two.” — Reuters