17 SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2018 sports Stokes returns to England line-up

Reuters | London Yet in his absence due to the spotlight after an 11-month saga court hearing, England were ended when he was found not en Stokes will start the much more dominant in their guilty of affray following the third test for England second test innings victory at late-night street brawl in Bris- Bagainst India at Trent It was one of the Lord’s with , the tol last September after England Bridge on Saturday just four most difficult replacement for Stokes, winning had won a days after being cleared of affray. decisions I’ve had to the man-of-the-match award for against West Indies. England his century and four . Coach Trevor Bayliss has confirmed on Friday that the make as captain. It’s Curran had won the same backed Stokes’ return, saying all-rounder would be back in the about us as a squad award in the Edgbaston contest it was “for his own well-being”. starting eleven at the expense delivering over five for his crucial half-century and India’s head coach Ravi Shas- of the unfortunate Sam Curran, games and on this five wickets, making it difficult tri faces a very different prob- who was man of the match in the occasion Sam is for either him or Woakes to be lem of how to raise spirits with opening test at Edgbaston. unfortunate to miss dropped but it was the 20-year- his team, the world’s number “It was one of the most diffi- out old Surrey prospect who misses one ranked test side, staring at cult decisions I’ve had to make out. the indignity of losing the five- as captain. It’s about us as a JOE ROOT “What Sam has done so far match series after just three squad delivering over five games England’s during nets has been nothing short of high tests. and on this occasion Sam is un- class,” said Root. In the first test to start on a fortunate to miss out,” said Root. Woakes is retained after his Saturday in England since they “Ben is desperate to get back really quite young and I feel very all-rounders in the squad play- ranks after his acquittal in the magnificent effort as is batsman played South Africa at the Oval playing . He’s desperate confident he will be able to go ing so well. high-profile case. Ollie Pope who made a decent in 1955, India have to improve to get out there, put in perfor- out and put in a performance.” After the second test win, Root Stokes had played a big part in debut with his 28 at Lord’s. their batting urgently and will mances and concentrate on his Stokes’ return for the third had described the selection di- providing a winning start with be grateful that captain Kohli, cricket now. He feels ready to test, with England leading 2-0, lemma as a “great headache” his six wickets, including the Spotlight the only one to shine amid the play. was always going to be a diffi- for him but Stokes has been prize one of Virat Kohli, in the The 27-year-old Stokes is ruins, is fit after suffering back “I have known Ben from being cult call for Root with two other welcomed back into the team’s tight opening test at Edgbaston. plunged straight back into the spasms at Lord’s.

Kohli urges India to embrace Hanan Redha and Salma Rachid ‘backs to the wall’ mentality to perform at Brave 14 AFP | Nottingham, United Kingdom ndia captain Virat Kohli said “the TDT | Manama Ionly option is to win this game” as he urged his side to make a virtue of rave 14 hosted in Tangier, Mo - their dire position heading into the Brocco on 18th August will feature third Test against England. Arab music sensations Salma Rachid The tourists will start Saturday’s and Hanan Redha performing for the fixture at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge audience. 2-0 down in a five-match series after a Brave Combat Federation is among narrow loss at Edgbaston was followed the pioneers in the sport of mixed by a thumping innings and 159-run martial arts to bring together art defeat at Lord’s last week. and entertainment alongside the Only once in Test history have a sport. side come from 2-0 down to win a Brave 14 is the first mixed martial five-match series and that was when a Virat Kohli arts event hosted in Morocco. Don Bradman-inspired Australia beat The event is held under the patron- England in 1936/37. that the only option is to win this game age of His Majesty King Mohammed But Kohli, speaking to reporters at and nothing else. Hanan Redha Salma Rachid with Ottman Azaitar VI, of Morocco. Trent Bridge on Friday, was in defiant “As I have mentioned in the past, Artists who were a part of Brave mood. (it’s) up to the individuals to stand up Combat Federation events in the past featuring fighters from12 nations. The event will be broadcasted live “The only thing that is spoken about and say ‘I’m going to go out there and include Hanan Redha, Hala Al Turk, Brave Combat Federation brings across the world through Brave TV, it to focus on what the team requires at make a difference’.” Jack Lukeman, Suniel Shetty and together aspects of sport, arts and Abu Dhabi Sports, Fite TV, FloCom- all times, in this Test match,” he said. more. culture of nations together through bat, StarSat, VodaCom, B1B TV and “You know when your back is against ‘Feeling fine’ The fight night will have nine bouts the platform of sports. Combate. the wall, that is the time for you not to Kohli’s own back was a concern for think about anything else.” India after he was clearly in pain at “If you look at it from another point Lord’s, where he managed scores of of view, it’s actually a good situation just 23 and 17 after his impressive tally to be in because you literally have no of 200 runs at Edgbaston, which in- room for thinking about anything else cluded an innings of 149 -- the 29-year- Pakistan ban batsman Jamshed apart from what the team requires old’s maiden Test century in England. at that particular moment from you But Kohli insisted he was fit to play throughout the course of the Test at Trent Bridge. for 10 years for corruption match,” the star batsman added. “I’m feeling absolutely fine. It’s been “The only conversation we’ve had is an issue that’s coming on and off again.

Reuters | Islamabad dict that the PCB’s multiple charg- es against Nasir Jamshed have been ormer Pakistan batsman Nasir proved and he was banned for 10 FJamshed has been banned for 10 years,” Rizvi told reporters. years by an anti-corruption tribunal “He will not be allowed to be in - for his part in the spot-fixing scan- volved with cricket or cricket admin- dal that engulfed the Pakistan Super istration even after his period of ban League in 2017, the country’s cricket is over.” board (PCB) said on Friday. Jamshed did not participate in Jamshed, who played 48 one-day the first two editions of the PSL but internationals and two tests, was sus- was alleged to have played a major pended from all forms of cricket in role in the spot-fixing scandal that February 2017 for violating the PCB’s engulfed the tournament at Seef District too anti-corruption code and handed a last year. one-year ban in December for failing Batsmen Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Um al Hassan +973 17728699 to co-operate with the ACU’s investi- Latif were handed five-year bans for Seef District +973 17364999 gation. their role in the scandal, while pace- PCB’s legal advisor Taffazul Rizvi man and all-round- said Jamshed was the “lynchpin” in er Mohammad Nawaz received re- the scandal. spective suspensions for 12 and two “The tribunal has reached the ver- Nasir Jamshed months.