Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017 Stokes suspended from England duty LONDON: Ben Stokes will not be considered for England international matches “until further notice” after a video emerged apparently showing him fighting outside a night- club, the England and Wales Board said yesterday. Test vice- Stokes was included in England’s Ashes squad announced Wednesday, despite injuring his hand in the inci- dent that led to his arrest on suspicion of causing actual bodi- ly harm. The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder was released without charge on Monday but remains under investigation. The Sun newspaper published the footage from outside a nightclub in the southwest city of Bristol late on Wednesday. Opening batsman Alex Hales, who was with Stokes late on Sunday after playing alongside him during England’s win over West Indies in the third one-day international in Bristol, has also been sus- pended from international selection. “Ben Stokes and Alex Hales will not be considered for selec- tion for England international matches until further notice,” said an ECB statement. “Each remains on full pay pending fur- ther ECB investigation and the ongoing police investigation into an incident in Bristol in the early hours of Monday 25 September. “Andrew Strauss, director of England cricket, will today refer the internal disciplinary procedure for these two players to the Cricket Discipline Commission, chaired by Tim O’Gorman.” The statement added: “These decisions, fully supported by ECB chairman Colin Graves, were made following the release of footage viewed by ECB for the first time on Wednesday ABU DHABI: ’s batsman plays a shot during their 1st match against . — AP night.” Neither Hales, who returned voluntarily to Bristol on Tuesday to give further evidence to police about the incident, nor Stokes were selected for Wednesday’s six-run win over Karunaratne leads Sri Lanka West Indies in the fourth one-day international at in London that gave England an unbeatable 3-0 series lead. Stokes’s hand injury may well have meant he was physical- fight back on opening day ly unfit for selection in any case. England have one more inter- national fixture-the fifth ODI against West Indies in ABU DHABI: Opener Lanka back into it in the last two ses- Thirimanne for his 150th Test . Southampton on Friday-before the end of their home season. fell seven runs short of a deserved century sions. He batted for four hours and 40 Shah matched fellow countryman Waqar Their next international match will be when they start their as he anchored Sri Lanka’s fightback on minutes during an obdurate stay at the Younis as the joint second fastest to 150 Ashes defense with the first Test against Australia in Brisbane the opening day of the first Test against crease, recording his fourth half-century -both achieving the milestone in commencing on November 23, although they do have three Pakistan in Abu Dhabi yesterday. The left- against Pakistan and sixth overall. But he their 27th Test. Australia’s warm-up tour games prior to that fixture. Hales was not hander was run out for 93 but helped his was run out in the last session as he holds the record after reaching the land- included in squad. —AFP team recover from a precarious 61-3 to attempted a quick single only to be left mark in just 24 Tests. reach 227-4 at close after Sri Lanka won stranded after Chandimal at the non- At the start, Karunaratne had a solid the toss and batted on a greenish Sheikh striker’s end sent him back. opening stand of 34 with Zayed Stadium pitch. Karunaratne said the pitch had made before Hasan provided Pakistan with the Karunaratne added an invaluable life challenging for the batsmen. “We did breakthrough. Hasan bowled Silva for 12 100-run partnership with skipper quite well in the first hour, but lost two as the batsman played on to an inswing- , who was 60 wickets after that. But then we managed ing . Shah then had Thirimanne at stumps, as Pakistan failed to break to pull things back. It’s not an easy wicket trapped leg before for a duck and Kusal through with the second new ball. to bat on. Not easy to get runs quickly and Mendis caught behind for 10 to leave Sri Niroshan Dickwella was unbeaten on you’ve got to wait for those loose balls,” Lanka reeling. The Test is Pakistan’s first 42, having added 66 runs for the unbro- he said. Karunaratne refused to lay the since the retirement of legendary bats- ken fifth-wicket stand alongside his blame for his run out solely on his skipper. man and their most success- captain. Chandimal was given leg “It’s part of the game and it happens ful Test skipper, Misbah-ul-Haq. before to on 42, a decision when you play cricket. Can’t say entirely Pakistan handed a Test cap to bats- which was overturned on review. His his fault, partly mine too,” said man , while Sri Lanka went innings has included six boundaries Karunaratne, adding, “a total of 350 or into the game with three spinners and while Dickwella hit five fours and a six 400 would be great”. two seamers. English umpire during his aggressive knock. became an early morning casualty as LONDON: This file photo taken on July 28, 2017 shows Shah returned figures of 2-59 but Shah equals Waqar mark the 60-year-old succumbed to an upset England’s Ben Stokes on the second day of the didn’t get much turn from the pitch while Pakistan had the advantage in the first stomach and was replaced by Richard third Test match between England and South Africa at The seamer took 1-58. It was session with leg-spinner Shah taking two Kettleborough, originally the television Oval cricket ground. —AFP Karunaratne’s knock that brought Sri wickets, dismissing left-hander Lahiru umpire. —AFP Holder laments WI win that got away SCOREBOARD LONDON: West Indies captain Jason Holder hairline fracture, an injury he suffered in bizarre ABU DHABI: Scores at close on the opening day of the first Test between was left trying to work out how his side had fashion when he deflected a Jake Ball delivery Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi yesterday: lost the fourth one-day international against onto his right ankle. England despite two fine solo efforts with bat For all Lewis and Joseph’s excellent work, an Sri Lanka 1st innings Fall of wickets: 1-34 (Silva), 2-35 and ball. England triumphed by six runs under unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 77 D. Karunaratne run out 93 (Thirimanne), 3-61 (Mendis), 4-161 the Duckworth/Lewis method for rain-affected between Moeen Ali and Jos Buttler got England K. Silva b Hasan 12 (Karunaratne) fixtures at The Oval on Wednesday in a series- above the required rate to 258 for five when L. Thirimanne lbw b Shah 0 : Amir 17-2-39-0, Abbas 16-0- clinching success that left them 3-0 up with rain stopped play in the 36th over.”It’s really 43-0 (1nb), Shah 34-8-59-2, Hasan 17- K. Mendis c Ahmed b Shah 10 one to play in a five-match contest. hard to take... I thought, had the rain not come, 3-58-1 (1nb), Masood 1-1-0-0, Sohail 4- Defeat, West Indies’ 16th in 17 completed it would have been a really close finish-and we D. Chandimal not out 60 0-14-0, Shafiq 1-0-6-0. ODIs against England, was tough on Evin Lewis were backing ourselves to win it,” said all- N. Dickwella not out 42 Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed, , who made a career-best 176 before retiring rounder Holder, who made 77 as he and Lewis Extras: (lb8, nb2) 10 Shan Masood, Sami Aslam, Babar hurt, while recalled paceman Alzarri Joseph put on 168. Total: (for four wkts, 90 overs) 227 Azam, Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Yasir took five for 56, his maiden five-wicket haul at “It’s hard when a guy scores 170 and anoth- To bat: D. Perera, R. Herath, S. Shah, , Hasan Ali, his level. To make matters worse, opener Lewis er guy takes five wickets, and you end up losing Mohammad Abbas. will miss Friday’s finale in Southampton with a the game,” he added. —AFP Lakmal, L. Sundakan, N. Pradeep