MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015 SPORTS Strauss faces biggest test as Ashes loom LONDON: England cricket director Andrew have many other decisions to make to find Strauss faces a frenetic start to his reign as a team capable of mixing it with the pow- he looks to appoint a new coach to gal- erful Australians. vanise a struggling team for the home Strauss may be tempted to appoint an Ashes series against Australia. Australian coach with Jason Gillespie and The highly respected former captain Justin Langer among the favourites for the moved quickly to end Peter Moore’s unhap- role. py year in charge of the side and the identi- Former fast bowler Gillespie, 40, has ty of his replacement will dominate enjoyed success as coach of English county Strauss’s agenda in the coming weeks. Yorkshire and is reportedly keen to step up Whether or not Moores was badly treat- to international level. ed by the England and Wales Cricket Board The 44-year-old Langer formed a prolific will be debated long and hard but the cold opening partnership with Matthew Hayden reality is that, having taken over following and knows Strauss well after they played the humbling 5-0 defeat in the last Ashes together for Middlesex but he has strong series, he failed to improve the team. family ties to his native Western Australia. A depressing World Cup this year in Langer famously once said that he took which England were eliminated at the his baggy green cap to bed with him group stage after playing a turgid and out- because he loved it so much and it is hard dated style of cricket was followed by a to envisage such a proud Australian trying frustrating drawn test series against a mod- to plot the downfall of his beloved fellow est West Indies side. countrymen. Paul Farbrace will lead Moores decided to recall Jonathan Trott England in the two-match series against as an opener and the experiment was an New Zealand starting on May 21, giving unmitigated failure, the 34-year-old retiring Strauss a short window in which to find the from international cricket after admitting right man for the job long-term. he was no longer up to coping with the As captain of two Ashes-winning teams, demands of test cricket. Strauss knows what it takes to beat the old Trott followed Graeme Swann, Kevin enemy and he may care to think back to a Pietersen and Matt Prior out of the England famous day in Brisbane in November, 2010 fold, leaving captain Alastair Cook with just to find inspiration. FLORIDA: John Senden of Australia plays a shot from a bunker on the second hole during the final round of The Players Championship at the four other players who have experienced Having scored a typically compact and TPC Sawgrass Stadium course. —AFP Ashes success. stylish 110 in the first test, Strauss watched James Anderson and Stuart Broad Cook and Trott share an unbroken second- should still form a potent opening bowling wicket partnership of 329 to lift the touring Kirk nudges in front at Players partnership, particularly in home condi- side to an extraordinary total of 517 for one tions, and Ian Bell and Joe Root are proven declared. FLORIDA: Kevin Na dropped his club and Maltbie of NBC, who said to him, “You gave up 68, leaving him one shot behind along with test batsman. Surveying that surreal scorecard at the placed his hands on his hips as he watched his on it.” “No I didn’t,” Na said. “I hit it fat. And then I Kevin Kisner (67) and Bill Haas (68). Justin With Gary Ballance established at num- close of play, Strauss could little have imag- tee shot, certain that it was going to come up saw it fly and thought, ‘You know, this might get Thomas was tied for the lead, but that was ber three in the order, the batting looks in ined the situation he finds himself in less short of the island. Disappointment gave way to there.’” “Never let them see you sweat, pal,” before the leaders teed off. The 22-year-old reasonable shape, but the new coach will than five years later. —Reuters an embarrassed smile when he saw the ball set- Maltbie replied. rookie set a Stadium Course record with 10 tle 6 feet next to the flag. There could be plenty of sweating late yes- birdies in his round of 65 and was two behind, That one shot summed up a warm and wild terday in a championship that is up for grabs. “It along with Sergio Garcia (67), Scott Brown (69), Pakistan proposes India afternoon Saturday at The Players seems like half the tour has a chance to win this David Heard (70), Jerry Kelly (72) and Na. Woods Championship. For most players, nothing was thing,” McIlroy said after a 70 put him four shots at least was in good company. ever as bad as it seemed. behind. He was part of an All-Star cast at the bottom Test series in December Or as good. Chris Kirk felt his round slipping Tiger Woods was part of the other half. He of the leaderboard. The last 10 players have away when he missed a short birdie putt and made the wrong kind of history Saturday by combined for 153 wins on the PGA Tour and 27 NEW DELHI: Pakistan wants to host the But they continue to meet in multi- followed that with two straight bogeys to fall making two double bogeys on par 5s for the majors. The top 10 have combined for 23 tour first bilateral Test tour by India in eight nation tournaments like the World Cup or out of the top 10. Three consecutive birdies lat- first time in his career, leading to a 75 that wins and no majors. Adding to the dynamic is years in the United Arab Emirates in the Champions Trophy. Dalmiya said he er, he was on his way to a 4-under 68 and a one- matched his worst score at the TPC Sawgrass. that three players within two shots of the lead December, the country’s cricket chief was hopeful the series will go ahead-pro- shot lead going into the final round. Woods was 13 shots behind and chose not to are at The Players for the first time. “We had a Shaharyar Khan said yesterday. vided the government gave the green sig- But that’s like having no lead at all. Not with share his thoughts on the day. little survey of the first-timers - ‘Who do you The tour, comprising three Tests, five nal. two dozen players - Rory McIlroy, among them - Na missed the birdie putt on 17, and then he pick besides yourself to win?’ - and I picked Ben one-dayers and two Twenty20 games is “We are very hopeful of reviving the within four shots of the lead. three-putted for a double bogey on No. 18 for a Martin,” Kisner said. part of a Memorandum of Understanding series,” he said. “But a few things need to be Na was never too far from the lead, and he 72 that dropped him from a tie for the lead to a “No, man, everybody talks about pressure (MOU) signed between the two boards last sorted out. Without the support of the fed- was tied when he was on the tee at the par-3 tie for fifth, another example of how volatile in and nerves and all that, but we’ve been through year to play five series in the next eight eral home ministry and the government, 17th and hit slightly behind the ball, took up the leaderboard looked all day. it all. If we’ve gotten here, we’ve done tour years. “We want to resume India-Pakistan we can’t go forward.” more of the earth than he intended and What made Saturday so unpredictable was school, we’ve won tournaments. Just because series in the UAE,” Khan, the chairman of The Board of Control for Cricket in India thought to himself, “Oh, boy.” neither the Stadium Course nor the variety of it’s a bigger stage doesn’t mean we’re going to the Pakistan Cricket Board, told reporters said in a statement that it was “desirable to He was waiting for a splash. Instead, he shots, rather a leaderboard crammed with so (stink) all of a sudden. We’ll see what happens after a meeting with Indian cricket chief recommence cricket contact” with Pakistan. heard a cheer. And then he gave what was many players that it was hard to keep track who tomorrow.” It starts with Kirk because he’s the Jagmohan Dalmiya in Kolkata yesterday. “After proactive discussions, since there believed to be the first interview while going to was coming and who was going. Ben Martin fell 54-hole leader at 10-under 206. Then again, it “Preparations are in full swing. We have to are certain matters that need to be the island green. He chased down Roger out of the lead with a bogey on the 18th for a might not. —AP overcome the final hurdle because an addressed and considered, it was decided to India-Pakistan series is more important take appropriate steps,” the statement said. than any series in world cricket.” “The two boards would be in regular touch The reluctance of the Indian govern- and review the situation.” No Test-playing Widnes beat ment to clear bilateral cricket matches team has toured Pakistan since militants against Pakistan due to political tensions attacked the Sri Lankan team bus in Lahore has meant the two nations have not con- in March 2009, leaving eight people dead leaders Leeds tested a Test series since 2007.