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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015 SPORTS

SPAIN: Ferrari’s Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen drives on the fourth day of the Formula One pre-season tests at Jerez racetrack. —AFP Raikkonen clocks fastest Campese looks to follow family lead in SPAIN: Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen was fastest on the It is also been a promising few days for the Referring to Germany’s two F1 circuits, MANCHESTER: final day of the first pre-season test in Jerez yester- perennial minnows Sauber and Toro Rosso. Ericsson Hockenheim and Nurburgring, Ecclestone, chief Australia’s David “It’s definitely every team’s goal to day as McLaren’s hopes for a problem free day were and rookie Brazilian teammate Felipe Nasr were in executive of the Formula One group, said: “Basically Campese enjoyed plenty of success make that top eight. We’ve got to dashed. the top two across all four days. we haven’t a contract with either venue. in England, including winning the start the season well, you don’t want The Finn set the fastest time of the week with a Meanwhile, the youngest ever driver in Formula “We are trying to get something done, we are Rugby Union World Cup in 1991, and to fall behind so you’ve got to get as lap of 1min 20.841 followed by Sauber’s Marcus One, Max Verstappen, got some more experience trying to help them. In the end, and God only now the Wallaby great’s nephew many wins as you can in that first Ericsson and world champion Lewis Hamilton with under his belt in the Toro Rosso as he was fourth knows why, the audience in Germany is lousy. “I’ve hopes the country will prove a happy month. “We’ve got a young side at all three completing over 100 laps on the day. There fastest in a 97-lap effort. There was also plenty of no idea why it should be, because they’ve a hunting ground for him as well, albeit Hull KR and I’ll try and pass on as was no such luck for Jenson Button as a difficult news off the track as Force India announced that German manufacturer in Mercedes who are con- in a different code. much as possible.” week for the new McLaren-Honda partnership con- their new VJM08 car is unlikely to be ready in time structors’ champions, they had a driver in Sebastian Terry Campese has certainly had a Elsewhere in the opening round, tinued. for the next test in Barcelona, so they will run their (Vettel) who won four successive drivers’ champi- lot to get his head around since arriv- last year’s runners-up Wigan take on Button failed to get beyond the pit lane in two 2014 car in the Catalan capital later this month. onships. ing as ’ star new a Widnes side coached by one of attempts early on before a fuel pump issue cut Meanwhile, there were reports that the financial- “But they have not been selling enough tickets signing for the 2015 their former players, Denis Betts, in short his afternoon having completed just 35 laps. ly stricken Marussia team could come out of admin- to make it work. It’s purely commercial, so I’m trying season, which kicks off on Thursday. the first match of the new season on That took the Woking-based team’s tally to just istration in the coming weeks with the hope of still to be a little bit helpful to them. The former Canberra Raider has to Thursday. 79 laps for the week. McLaren racing director Eric making it to the first Grand Prix of the season in “We’re trying to rescue it, but I can’t guarantee get to grips with a whole new style of The Vikings have been boosted by Boullier warned on Tuesday that any more setbacks Melbourne on March 15. we will. We are doing our best, and maybe by this play in the UK and a raft of structural the signings of experienced duo in testing would delay their chances of being com- Meanwhile, Formula One supremo Bernie weekend we’ll have an answer. I hope so.” league changes implemented this Aaron Heremaia and Manase petitive once the season gets underway in Australia Ecclestone hopes to keep the German Grand Prix The German Grand Prix traditionally alternates year, as well as the responsibility of Manuokafoa. Heremaia, formerly a in six weeks’ time. on this season’s calendar, he said in an interview between Hockenheim and Nurburgring and was captaining his new side. The 30-year- New Zealand Warrior, has joined from Red Bull have also had problems in the southern published by Britain’s Press Association on Tuesday. due to take place at the latter this year, but the ven- old stand-off left Australia’s NRL at Super League rivals Hull FC and Betts Spanish city, but they recovered from a power unit The 84-year-old British business magnate ue has been beset by financial difficulties. the end of the last campaign and he was confident the Kiwi could make problem in the morning as Daniil Kyvat managed appeared to rule out the possibility of the race hap- “If we do something, it is looking like has been tasked with leading a an immediate impact. 62 laps, albeit only ahead of Button on time. pening in an email sent to a German newspaper on Hockenheim will probably be the most-likely ven- youthful looking Hull KR side “We’re looking forward to the new Double world champions Mercedes enjoyed Monday in which he said it would not be “commer- ue,” Ecclestone added. “The bottom line is there is coached by Chris Chester. season, we’ve had a lot of stability in another marathon day on the mileage front as cially viable”. But he subsequently backtracked and still a chance and we hope to know more by the The likes of Travis Burns and Josh the last two or three years and we’ve Hamilton’s 117 laps took them past the 500 mark said he would know by this weekend whether the weekend.” This year’s race is scheduled to take place Hodgson have moved on from last got a strong squad and we’ve for the week. race will take place or not. on July 17-19.—AFP year making Campese, with all his brought in some quality with NRL experience, the natural heir to Manuokafoa and also Heremaia to lead the side. give us some experience,” said Betts. First and foremost the Robins will “What I hope to get from Aaron is be targeting getting into the top some experience and leadership. He’s eight after the first 23 games of the played in Aussie grand finals and he’s Pakistan fired up by season. After that point the league is just got a real good temperament frozen and split between the Super about him.” 8s-who play for the league crown- Meanwhile, defending champions and the qualifiers - which is com- St Helens face a daunting trip to Todd Misbah and Afridi prised of the bottom four Super Carney’s on the League sides, playing off against the first weekend and new skipper Jon top four from the second-tier Wilkin insisted his side would have to KARACHI: Pakistan one-day skipper Misbah-ul “If he ever sits in my cab I will ask him why he and Afridi are poles apart. Despite becoming Championship for the right to say in lift their game despite taking the title Haq and predecessor Shahid Afridi play for the bats so slowly,” said bemused Abu Dhabi taxi Pakistan’s most successful Test captain last year, the top flight. last year. “As champions there’s an same team, but come from different worlds. driver Kamal Khan during a recent series in the Misbah is criticized for being defensive. And, with Hull KR having finished added pressure because teams are If the unpredictable Pakistanis are to secure a Gulf, Pakistan’s home-from-home in recent years. “Misbah is overly defensive as captain while ninth last season. Campese said he going to come for us,” said Wilkin. and his new team-mates would need “We set a bit of a standard last second World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, “Misbah is disliked for his slow batting while Afridi attacks and is very aggressive,” former cap- a fast start when they host Leeds this year, and my belief is that standard they need the two heavyweight talents to forge Afridi rules hearts because of his aggressive tain Mohammad Yousuf said. Misbah took over weekend if they are to challenge at won’t be good enough this year so a united front. fours and sixes.” Afridi tends to throw his bat from Afridi as one-day skipper in 2011. the top. we need to have improved substan- But when Misbah withdrew from the third Misbah is conservative, careful; Afridi is brash, from the get-go, seemingly caring little for the “I can’t wait for the new season, tially to get the honors we did last belligerent. Misbah takes time to settle and plays nature of the pitch, the strength of the bowler or and final one-dayer against Australia in Abu it’s going to be my first time at home year.”—AFP with a straight bat, characteristics which are the situation of the match. Dhabi last year over poor batting form, Afridi on Sunday against Leeds,” he said. alien to most fans of the game in Pakistan who “Once I went to bat and asked Afridi about the grabbed his new opportunity with both hands. have still not forgiven him for failing to guide the pitch and he replied: ‘I don’t know, but I am But Misbah returned with a bang, equalling country to victory over arch-rivals India in the enjoying it as the ball is coming onto the bat’,” the fastest Test century off just 56 balls thus end- World Twenty20 final in Johannesburg in 2007. recalled former captain Ramiz Raja. ing speculation that Afridi might replace him as Minnows take heart from His ill-advised paddle-sweep with just five Afridi’s strength is his lusty hitting-he hit two captain for the World Cup. runs needed for victory still rankles. Then at last-over sixes to help Pakistan pull off an incred- Both men will quit one-day cricket after the shock-laden World Cup Mohali in the 2011 World Cup semi-finals, ible win over India in last year’s Asia Cup in World Cup but Misbah will continue to play Tests Misbah batted out crucial deliveries before scor- Dhaka. while Afridi will continue to enjoy the brasher SYDNEY: 8.2-6-7-3. Those were not Centurion in 2003. ing 56 off 76 balls as Pakistan again lost to India. When it comes to captaining the side, Misbah Twenty20.—AFP the World Cup bowling figures of New Zealand were to suffer next Australian leg-spin wizard Shane from Davison’s punishing blade as Warne or Pakistani fast bowling great the Canadian hammered a half-cen- Wasim Akram, but of a one-time ten- tury off just 25 balls against an attack nis player. containing quality pacemen Shane Kenyan left-arm spinner Aasif Bond and Jacob Oram. Ireland’s part- Karim, who also represented his timers made history on St Patrick’s country in the Davis Cup, was 39 Day in 2007 when they knocked out when he caught the eye with those former champions Pakistan in the 50 magical deliveries, tying famed first round with a three-wicket win, Australian batsmen into knots in their stars being paceman Boyd Durban in 2003. Rankin (3-32) and Niall O’Brien (72). He had quit cricket after the 1999 In another famous shock, when World Cup in England but returned Kenyan Rajab Ali shared the new ball for the next edition in South Africa, with Martin Suji in a 1996 World Cup showing what players from non-Test match at Pune, two-time champions playing nations were capable of at West Indies did not expect they cricket’s showpiece event. Karim’s vic- would struggle to chase a modest tims included Australian captain 167-run target. Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann and But Ali rocked the top order with Brad Hogg. He did not taste success two wickets, including that of Brian after his heroics, going wicketless Lara, while off-spinner Odumbe (3- against India in the next game, which 15) kept pressure on the middle turned out to be his last one-day order as their team pulled off a sensa- match. tional 73-run victory. England were Players from so-called minnows surprised by Zimbabwean chicken may quake at the prospect of facing farmer Eddo Brandes, who finished pacemen Dale Steyn and Mitchell with 4-21 off 10 dream overs in his Johnson or bowling to Rohit Sharma team’s nine-run victory in a 1992 and Chris Gayle. World Cup game at Albury, before But the giants of the game should the African side played their first Test. under-estimate the minnows-repre- Zimbabwe had pulled off a major sented in Australia and New Zealand shock nine years earlier when by the likes of Afghanistan, Scotland Duncan Fletcher (69 not out and 4- and the UAE at their peril. 42) masterminded Australia’s down- Previous World Cups are full of fall with a brilliant all-round show. examples of players from smaller Dave Houghton managed to win sides who have enjoyed a rare two man-of-the-match awards even moment in the sun such as Canadian in Zimbabwe’s defeats, cracking 84 John Davison, Kenyan Maurice against Australia at Southampton in Odumbe and Irish brothers Niall and 1983 and 142 against New Zealand at Kevin O’Brien. Hyderabad in India in 1987. Four Davison overshadowed batting years ago in Bangalore, Kevin O’Brien greats for a day when he smashed hit the fastest World Cup century off the then fastest World Cup hundred, just 50 balls as Ireland stunned NEW ZEALAND: Misbah-ul-Haq (left) captain of Pakistan plays a shot in this file photo. —AFP off 67 balls, against the West Indies at England.—AFP