WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017 SPORTS

Morgan drops Bairstow hint ahead of Pakistan semi-final

CARDIFF: England nament...he’ll definitely play.” However, ODI innings when standing in for others at Durham two years ago sums him up,” wouldn’t be too bad.” But the South said yesterday there was a “chance” that backing has softened in the light of in England’s top order. Although he’s yet Middlesex left-hander Morgan said. African, who denied using “mind games”, Jonny Bairstow could replace the strug- Roy’s repeated failures and Morgan, to open in ODI , Test wicket-keep- “He came from playing for , was well aware of Bairstow’s quality, hav- gling for the Champions fresh from his impressive 87 in England’s er Bairstow’s highest List A score of 174, straight into the squad having played no ing seen him score an unbeaten 61 on Trophy semi-final against Pakistan in group win over Australia, indicated for Yorkshire against Durham last month, part in the series, and he produces a his Headingley home ground in a four- Cardiff today. And Morgan insisted he Tuesday the team could not afford to at the top of the order. match-winning knock. So I think his all- wicket ODI victory against Pakistan last would have “no worries” about Bairstow ‘carry’ anyone as they went in search of a “Jonny’s qualities are that he’s a fan- round ability is as good as we have in the year. Bairstow was only called into the opening-something he has yet to do in first major ODI tournament triumph. tastic batsman,” Morgan said. “I think his squad. “But, like I’ve mentioned before, England side shortly before the start international cricket. Morgan would not best attribute, certainly in white-ball it’s a very difficult team to get into and after suffered a hamstring confirm his XI at yesterday’s pre-match ‘BUSINESS END’ cricket over the last year and a half, has you’ve just got to wait for your chance,” injury in the warm-up. press conference in Cardiff but said there “I mentioned after the last game been his relentless attitude to score runs he added. “I’d have no worries if he has “He wasn’t supposed to play half an was “a chance we could make a change”. that we’re getting to the business end of regardless of the situation.” to open the ...If Jonny does get hour before the game, got roped in for Surrey opener Roy has averaged just 6.37 the tournament and we need to produce Morgan cited Bairstow’s unbeaten 83 the opportunity, I’m sure he’ll take it with Buttler, and got man-of-the-match, from eight ODI innings this season, with results, so it’s important that we get in England’s ODI series-clinching win both hands.” Pakistan coach Mickey recalled Arthur. “So that was an incredi- a mere two double-figure scores. what we feel is our best XI to win the over New Zealand at Chester-le-Street in Arthur said he would be glad if Roy was ble performance. “The only thing I will Morgan had been staunch in his sup- tournament out tomorrow (Wednesday) 2015 as proof of the 27-year-old’s ability left out. “I was particularly worried that say, I know that Bairstow has opened at port of Roy before the Champions in order to win the game,” said Morgan. to rise to the occasion. “One innings he Roy hadn’t fired yet because I think he’s county level, he’s never done it interna- Trophy started, saying: “The decision Bairstow, in marked contrast to Roy, did play for us won us a series, against very close to something quite good,” said tionally, and I think that’s a different ball remains the same throughout the tour- has scored three fifties in his last four New Zealand, a match-winning knock up Arthur. “So if he’s not playing, that game.” —AFP

CRICKET Sarfraz hopes Cardiff run continues in England s-final

CARDIFF: Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed They’ve won 11 of their last 12 matches at holders India in their tournament opener before hopes the team’s “high confidence” in Cardiff will this level, a far cry from their woeful first-round defeating top-ranked South Africa. stand them in good stead when they return to exit at the 2015 World Cup, and Eoin Morgan’s the Welsh capital to face England in a men were the only side to exit the group stage ROY WORRY Champions Trophy semi-final today. of the Champions Trophy with a perfect played If Pakistan have middle-order concerns, It will be Pakistan’s second key match at three, won three, record. the big decision facing England is whether to Sophia Gardens in a matter of days after a tense “England is a very good team, a very, very drop opener Jason Roy, whose latest low three-wicket victory over Sri Lanka there on good team,” said Sarfraz of the tournament score against Australia means he has now Monday saw them into the last four of a tourna- hosts. “If you are playing a world-class team, managed just 51 runs in eight ODI innings ment featuring the world’s top eight one-day definitely, you play more positive cricket, so we this season. Morgan, previously unstinting in international (ODI) sides. will do so against England,” he added. But Sri his praise of Surrey batsman Roy, was not Pakistan, chasing a seemingly modest 237 for Lanka might well have won had they dismissed quite so effusive after a win at Edgbaston on victory, were on the brink of defeat at 137 for Sarfraz, with Thisara Perera guilty of dropping a Sunday where England slumped to 35 for six. But Sarfraz made Sri Lanka pay for dropping simple catch at mid-on when he had made 38. three before their captain’s 87 and Ben him twice with a superb 61 and received “If we had held those catches, it would have Stokes’s 102 not out bailed them out, with the excellent support from Mohammad Amir (28 not been a different story,” said Sri Lanka captain duo sharing a stand of 159. out) in a decisive and unbroken eighth-wicket Angelo Mathews. “It’s unfortunate that Jason didn’t get runs,” stand of 75. It was Sarfraz’s second impressive Pakistan certainly made far harder work than said Morgan. “We revisit it every game, every- CARDIFF: This is a Friday June 9, 2017 file photo of Bangladesh’s Mosaddek Hossain, innings at Cardiff after the wicket-keeper’s 90 on they ought to have done of getting to the body’s position, whether it can be changed center, as he celebrates with his teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand’s the same ground last year saw Pakistan chase knockout stage in a winner-takes-all clash given around, can we do anything better?” James Neesham during the ICC Champions Trophy, Group A cricket match between down a target of 303 against England in a four- they held Sri Lanka to 236 all out, with pacemen England do have the in-form Jonny Bairstow New Zealand and Bangladesh, at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales, The cricket-mad wicket win that prevented a 5-0 ODI series Junaid Khan (three for 40) and Hasan Ali (three waiting in the wings. Although he has never country of Bangladesh will play its biggest ever game when the team takes on India whitewash. for 43) doing the bulk of the damage. opened in ODIs, Bairstow did make 174 at the in the Champions Trophy semifinals tomorrow. — AP “We played the last ODI here. We win that “I think it’s a great win today, and credit goes top of the order for Yorkshire against Durham in time, we chased 300, so definitely our confi- to the bowlers, who bowled really well at a cru- a domestic 50-over match this season. dence is very high playing in Cardiff,” Sarfraz told cial time,” said Sarfraz. “Yes, there is a little bit of Roy apart, England appear to have all bases Cricket fever reporters after Monday’s nailbiting triumph. concern about the middle order batting, but we covered as they go in search of their first major will sort out the problems.” ODI tournament title, with key fast bowler ‘POSITIVE CRICKET’ A two-day turnaround does not leave much summing up their mood by saying: grips Bangladesh England, however, have arguably time to address such issues but, then again, “It’s great to be part of a team with so many DHAKA: As the city’s 18 million inhabitants body, in 2000, which allowed the country improved their white-ball game even more Pakistan only needed three days to bounce back game-changers ... so many match-winners, will attest, Dhaka - the densely populated to play matches against the world’s top since that series. from a 124-run thrashing by arch-rivals and title- with bat or ball.” — AFP capital of Bangladesh - is known as the “traf- teams on a more regular basis. fic capital of the world” for good reason. There have been some dark days since Expect roads there to be deserted at then: They went nearly five years (May about 3:30 pm local time tomorrow, 1999-March 2004) without a victory in one- though. “A journey that would take one day cricket, a run that took in 45 losses and hour to get to your destination, will take two no results because of washouts. But five minutes,” predicted Habibul Bashar, being exposed to the game’s best players, one of Dhaka’s more famous residents. combined with improved domestic struc- Bashar is the former captain and cur- tures and coaching, saw Bangladesh gradu- rently a national selector of Bangladesh’s ally pick up significant wins here and there. cricket team, which will be taking part in An ODI win over Australia in Cardiff in the biggest game in its history tomorrow. 2005, when Bashar was captain; a group- “The Tigers” - as the team is also known - stage victory over India - under the leader- play India in Birmingham, England, in a ship of Bashar - at the 2007 Cricket World semifinal match in the ICC Champions Cup that helped the team reach the Super Trophy, one of the world’s leading cricket Eights; a first overseas Test series success tournaments. over a top-tier team, against West Indies in “This is big, very big,” Bashar said. “The 2009; the famous group-stage win over most important day of Bangladeshi cricket England at the 2015 Cricket World Cup as ever. This is what we have been dreaming the Tigers reached the quarterfinals. for.” Once regarded as the minnows of high- On Friday, Bangladesh beat New level cricket, Bangladesh’s players are on a Zealand in Cardiff, Wales, to give itself a remarkable journey to the top of the game. chance of qualification to the last four of At the Champions Trophy, they managed to the Champions Trophy and progress was finish - partly by luck, partly by skill - above sealed by Australia losing to England in 2015 World Cup finalists Australia and New Birmingham the following day. Zealand in group play to qualify for the semi- “I think everyone has contributed to finals of an ICC tournament for the first time. what we are today,” Bangladesh captain Cricket is Bangladesh’s most important Mashrafe Mortaza said. “The whole nation sport - “the people, they eat and sleep will be with us, as they were in our desper- cricket; they do everything for cricket,” ate times and good times.” Bashar says - so the country with a popula- These days, players like , tion of 160 million cannot wait for tomor- Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, row. “Literally, when a cricket match is hap- Mahmudullah and Mortaza are established pening, there’s nothing else in Bangladesh,” names even to the average cricket fan - and Bashar said in a phone interview from icons to kids in Bangladesh. Shakib and Dhaka after returning from the Champions Mahmudullah put on a national-record Trophy. “I think no one will miss this. Each of 224 in the win over New and everyone will see this game.” Zealand. “This is one of the big things; in Bangladesh was only granted full mem- Bangladesh, everyone wants to play cricket bership of the ICC, cricket’s governing now,” Bashar said. — AP CARDIFF: Pakistan’s Sarfraz Ahmed plays a shot during the ICC Champions Trophy match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Cardiff on Monday. — AFP De Villiers to lead SA Anil Kumble set to remain in England T20 series LONDON: AB de Villiers will captain Test players Hashim Amla, Quinton de South Africa in their three-match Kock, JP Duminy and Kagiso Rabada have India coach for Windies tour series against England, team all been rested for the Twenty20 series as officials announced yesterday. South Africa try to make sure their key NEW DELHI: Anil Kumble’s term Committee of Administrators, told dogged by controversy. One of its earVlier this month, citing the De Villiers takes over from Faf du players remain fresh on a lengthy three- as India coach looks set to be reporters on Monday. high-profile members, historian committee’s mishandling of the Plessis, who has returned home, follow- month tour of England. extended until the end of the India will play five one-day inter- Ramachandra Guha, resigned Kumble situation. —AFP ing South Africa’s group-stage exit from “We have also been impressed as a West Indies tour next month, a nationals in the Caribbean starting the Champions Trophy, to attend the panel by the quality of players coming top official said Monday. The June 23, with a Twenty20 interna- birth of his first child. through our franchise and South Africa A Board of Control for Cricket in tional wrapping up the trip on July 9. However, the senior batsman is system and we are ready to give further India (BCCI) advertised for a head Rumours of a rift between expected back in time for the first of four opportunities to Andile Phehlukwayo, coach in May with Kumble’s one- Indian skipper and Tests against England at Lord’s starting Mangaliso Mosehle, Jon-Jon Smuts and year deal due to expire at the end Kumble were reported to be on July 6 — a series de Villiers is set to Dane Paterson-who all made their debuts of the Champions Trophy in behind the BCCI throwing open miss as he takes a break from the longest in the recent series against Sri Lanka,” England this week. the position. Former India greats international format. Zondi added. The first one-day international Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly De Villiers, South Africa’s one-day inter- South Africa Twenty20 squad to play in the West Indies just 10 days and VVS Laxman have been tasked national captain, will skipper the Proteas in England AB de Villiers (capt), Farhaan away with Kumble in the mix for with selecting the next coach. three T20s against England in Behardien, Reeza Hendricks, , the post along with former India Rai, whose special committee Southampton, Taunton and Cardiff starting David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, opening batsman Virender was assigned by the Supreme on July 21. He will be in charge of a 14- Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Wayne Parnell, Sehwag and Australian coach Tom Court to oversee the scandal-rid- man squad, without several Proteas regu- Dane Paterson, Andile Phehlukwayo, Moody, according to media den cricket board, dismissed alle- lars and one man yet to make his T20 Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jon- reports. gations of a spat between Kumble international debut in all-rounder Dwaine Jon Smuts. But BCCI official Vinod Rai said and Kohli. Pretorius. a special panel overseeing the “There is no question of any Cricket South Africa selector Linda Fixtures selection was yet to decide if controversy... We discussed with Zondi said: “I would like to thank Farhaan June 21: 1st T20 International, someone else will take the reins. Kohli, we discussed with Kumble Behardien for leading the side so ably in Southampton (1730 GMT) “Since it has got delayed, Anil and neither of them confirmed to the recent series against Sri Lanka. June 23: 2nd T20 International, Kumble, subject to his acceptance, what has come out of media “We are indeed fortunate in the quali- Taunton (1600 GMT) will be there till the West Indies reports,” said Rai. ty of our team leaders, and Farhaan June 25: 3rd T20 International, Cardiff remains very much part of this group.” (1330 GMT). — AFP tour,” Rai, who is chairman of the Rai’s committee has also been Anil Kumble