Thursday 16th July, 2009 skip 2011 Cup meeting Critics savage Pakistan KARACHI: Pakistan on Tuesday boy- cotted a meeting of the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai as a mark of protest against the International Cricket Council (ICC) deci- sion to strip it of its right as a tourna- ment venue. The Central Organising Committee after series loss (COC) for the ICC Cricket 2011 World Cup ISLAMABAD (AP) - The enced batsmen are continuously “One good over or one good 2011 met in Mumbai to continue prepara- nation may have just won the letting us down in test matches?” knock can change the Twenty20 tions for the tournament. Twenty20 World Cup, but questioned ex-test fast bowler game because there’s virtually The meeting, under the chairmanship Pakistan’s test series defeat in Sarfraz Nawaz. no time to recover in this form of of ICC Vice-President Sharad Pawar, was Sri Lanka has the country’s for- blamed the game,” Nawaz said. attended by ICC Chief Executive Haroon mer stars calling for an overhaul the series loss on lack of Tests, “The real test of a cricketer Lorgat and representatives of the three of the team. having played only three in the comes in test matches in which countries set to stage the event, Pakistan suffered some spec- past 20 months. despite so many experienced Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. tacular batting collapses to suf- But Nawaz said that was batsmen we are badly strug- “Pakistan, the tournament’s fourth host fer its first ever series defeat in “face saving”, and did not gling.” nation, was invited to the meeting but no Sri Lanka. explain how experienced bats- The Pakistan Cricket Board Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) representa- The visitors lost eight wick- men Mohammad Yousuf, said the team needed time to tive attended,” said an ICC media release ets for a paltry 47 runs in the Misbahul Haq, and adjust to the five-day format. The PCB had sent one of its officials to Kamran Akmal failed “First of all it’s not a joke to attend the World Cup logo ceremony in in three successive change captain again and again Mumbai but decided against asking him innings. and furthermore Younis is doing to take part in the COC meeting. “They are all expe- quite well,” PCB chairman Ijaz The meeting was called to provide the rienced enough and Butt was quote in Daily Dawn. ICC Board with a recommendation as to lack of Test matches is Former Test player Ijaz where, within Bangladesh, India and Sri not an excuse,” Nawaz Ahmed, who is now a member of Lanka, the 14 matches originally allocat- said. the selection committee, called ed to Pakistan should be staged and “Cricket is a pro- for a batting coach to be appoint- where the tournament secretariat would fessional sport and its ed. be based. up to experienced play- On Wednesday, other ex-Test The ICC Board agreed in April that ers to quickly get cricketers and those matches could not take place in adjusted in all three agreed. formats of the game.” Pakistan because of the uncertainty sur- “A batting coach can teach Young Fawad rounding the security situation within our batsmen how to play accord- Alam was the only sil- the country and that the tournament sec- ing to the situation in test match- retariat should not be in , as origi- first Test and went down by 50 ver lining to Pakistan’s shocking runs. In the second Test ending defeat in the second Test. The es,” Abbas told Daily Express. nally planned. “The PCB should seriously The decisions left senior PCB officials Tuesday, they were bowled out left-hander became the 10th for 90 in the first innings and Pakistani to score a century on Captain Younis Khan blamed the series loss on lack of Tests (AP) think on hiring a batting coach,” fuming and later the Board announced then lost eight for 26 debut and made 168 in the sec- “If Alam can stay at the received cash rewards for win- Khan told the newspaper. that it would resume its legal battle runs in the second innings to ond innings. crease and play such a fabulous ning the Twenty20 World Cup “Had our batsmen got a lead against the verdict. lose by seven wickets. “It’s a classic example that a knock what can’t experienced from both Prime Minister Yousuf of 350-400 runs and lost the Of the 49 matches due to take place in “Why not try out those youngster will always fight for batsmen could do the same.” Raza Gillani and President Asif match it won’t be disappointing the tournament, 29 will be played in India youngsters who are performing his place in the side,” Nawaz It was a dramatic reversal Ali Zardari, who is also patron of but we lost the second Test with and 12 in Sri Lanka. well for Pakistan A when experi- said. for Pakistan’s team, which the PCB. two days to spare.” Flintoff retires from LONDON (AP) - England all-rounder Andrew five-day cricket to try to ensure his fitness for the 50-over er rather than later with the injuries he’s had over the Flintoff announced Wednesday that he will retire from and Twenty20 international matches. He has played Test last couple of years,” Strauss said. “Test match Test cricket after the Ashes series against Australia cricket for 11 years. puts so much pressure on his body that this seemed the because of his ongoing struggle with injuries. “I’ve been through four ankle operations, I had knee logical thing to do. The 31-year-old Flintoff is still determined to feature surgery just a couple of months ago and had three jabs in “It’s sad that he’s made this decision at this age but in the four remaining Tests of the current series - despite my knee on Monday just to get me right for this Test so I maybe it will make him more motivated for the next four aggravating a knee injury during the drawn first Test took that as my body telling me that I can’t cope with the tests. He wants to go out with a bang.” against Australia which ended on Sunday. rigors of Test cricket,” he said. Strauss was confident that Flintoff would be fit “My body has told me it’s time to stop,” the former “Since 2005 I’ve done two years when I’ve done noth- England captain said. “For the next four Test matches I’ll ing but rehab from one injury or another. Two of the last enough to get through the Lord’s Test that starts do everything I need to do to get on a cricket field and I’m four years I’ve spent just in rehabilitation and I just can’t Thursday and also the rest of the series. desperate to make my mark. keep doing it for myself, my own sanity, my family and “We spoke to the medical staff and we would never “I want to finish playing for England on a high and if also for the team - because they need to move on as well.” play a guy in a Test if we didn’t have a huge amount of you look at the fixtures going forward, the way my body England captain Andrew Strauss revealed that confidence that he could get through,” he said. “He feels is suggests I won’t be able to get through that.” although he had prior knowledge, Flintoff made the better the news is out there and with the injury sur- Flintoff has struggled with injuries since being at announcement to the team on Wednesday morning. rounding this game he felt it was the right time.” the heart of the 2005 Ashes triumph and is sacrificing “As players we’ve had a feeling this was coming soon- SL rugby officials praise duration Lanka contest beach change at school matches volleyball today by Ravi Nagahawatte we wouldn’t have given our rugby players the new preparation plan coaches imple- schools will be able to play this extra 10 Indrajith Subasinghe in Portugal Sri Lanka has embraced the change of time to adapt. There are complaints about ment of playing all 22 members of the minutes in rugby with a purpose by next Sri Lanka will feature in two events playing extra ten minutes at school rugby playing the extra ten minutes but if we team during a game. year. What’s important now is to plan today at the ongoing Lusofonia Games in matches this season with a lot of enthusi- are to compete at international level we “Those extra 10 minutes (Five extra with this saying in mind; play like prac- Lisbon, Portugal. asm. have to comply with IRB rules,” said minutes in each half) is a lifetime in tice and practice like play. Playing the The Sri Lankans are expected to field Schoolboys are now not behind com- Fernando who officiated in many of the rugby. I believe the ideal change has been extra ten minutes has had a positive effect teams for the beach volleyball (two male pared to schoolboy rugby players of other top school games this season. made thinking of rugby development and on Sri Lanka rugby and I believe it has teams and two female teams) and taek- countries unlike in the past and play 40 Fernando also observed the extra ten taking the game forward,” said helped those who have trained to meet wondo championships. Sri Lanka has placed its hopes on the minutes each half, at inter-school match- minutes benefiting schoolboy rugby play- Gunatileke whose team S.Thomas’ has this change raise their work rate at beach volleyball events. Sri Lanka did es. ers to stage comebacks in games where made it to the final of the Milo Schools matches,” said Jayatilake. well in the first Lusofonia Games at this Dilroy Fernando President Society of they were outplayed in the first half. “The Rugby Knockout Championships. Sri Lanka’s youth team is expected to event. The men’s team is expected to Rugby Referees in Sri Lanka (SRRSL) told Royal-Thomian rugby match was a classic Mohottilal Jayatilake a reputed fitness contest this year’s Under 20 Asian carry Sri Lanka’s challenge this year hav- The island that it was a good move to start example where the Thomians made a trainer in rugby is of the opinion that Championships in Hong Kong and rugby ing made it to the semi finals of the tour- the season playing 40 minutes each half. memorable comeback in the second half. rugby playing schools should do a lot of analysts believe the country’s best players nament at the previous edition of the “The change made to the duration of the The change in the duration of the game preparation to raise fitness levels to meet have benefited by the change made to the games. Two members of that Sri Lanka team, game early this season is good because we has helped players to dig deep into their the challenge of playing extra ten min- duration of the game. Mahesh Perera and Dhammika Silva, are will field a team for the upcoming Asian reserves in terms of stamina,” he said. utes at rugby matches. “Most schools are Rugby analysts also say that the available for national duty this year as Under 20 championships, where matches Jivan Gunatilake coach S.Thomas’ geared to meet this challenge but there change in the duration of a school match well. Dhammika will feature in Sri being played 40 minutes each half. If we College Mount Lavinia said that the are schools which found it tough to play has helped schoolboys make a comfort- Lanka’s first team along with Pubudu delayed implementing this new rugby law change in the duration of the game suits the extra duration at rugby. I think all able transition from school to club rugby. Ekanayake.

Published by Upali Newspapers (Private) Limited, 223, Bloemendhal Road, Colombo 13 and Printed at 195/187, High Level Road, Homagama on Thursday 16th July, 2009