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Home , Al Avila, Mike Ilitch, Sanjay Bangar

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2017 SPORTS

Proteas have ‘unfinished business’ in New Zealand

CENTURION: South Africa’s cricketers Philander for fellow fast bowler Kyle De Villiers said the number one rank- “We’ve got a bit of unfinished business we have played really good .” have “unfinished business” in New Abbott in that game, a decision made, it ing gave the team confidence but also there from the 2015 World Cup and Faf du Plessis, who will the Zealand, according to one-day captain was claimed, to ensure four players of put pressure on the players. “Being the we’re very keen to play good cricket team in the T20 international as well as a AB de Villiers. colour in the starting XI. number one team in the world people against a team that has also been play- three-match Test series which follows Speaking ahead of the team’s depar- South Africa will travel as the world’s expect you to play a certain level of ing well. “I think we deserve to be num- the one-day games, said overcoming jet ture for New Zealand yesterday, De leading one-day team after completing cricket all the time,” he said. ber one and we want to carry on playing lag would be the immediate challenge Villiers said South Africa were keen to a 5-0 clean sweep against Sri Lanka at “But with the team ethic we have at the way we have been.” for the squad. “Normally we go there avenge their defeat by the Black Caps in SuperSport Park on Friday. In less than a the moment I think we’ll thrive under De Villiers said he expected a tough and we’ve got about a week to ten days a dramatic 2015 World Cup semi-final week they will play a one-off Twenty20 that kind of pressure. It definitely gives challenge. “New Zealand are a street- to get over jet lag. We rested a lot of which was marked by controversy over international in Auckland next Friday, you confidence as well. There’s a reason smart team and they find ways to com- players from our (losing) T20 series South Africa’s team selection. with the first of five one-day internation- why we’re number one and that’s pete but we have a decent record there. against Sri Lanka but we still should The Proteas brought in Vernon als in Hamilton two days later. because we’re playing good cricket. The last few tours we have been there have won.— AFP

Detroit Tigers, Red Wings owner dies at 87

DETROIT: Billionaire businessman Mike food service distribution companies in the Ilitch, who founded the pizza US. empire before buying the Detroit Red Inc. was established in Wings and , won praise for 1999 to manage the family’s interests in keeping the professional sports teams in food, sports and entertainment, and the the city as others relocated to new subur- company remained family focused. His ban stadiums. son, Christopher, is president and CEO, Ilitch’s family said in a statement that he while his wife, Marian, was vice chair- died Friday at a local hospital. He was 87. woman as well as sole owner of MotorCity No other details were provided by family Casino Hotel, one of Detroit’s three casi- spokesman Doug Kuiper. Known simply as nos. “Mr. I” to most in , his family Ilitch broke into sports ownership in called him a visionary who set the tone for 1982, when he paid a reported $8 million them and his company. for the struggling Red Wings. Once a “He was a strong businessman, an inno- powerhouse, the vative leader and a loving family man,” team had bottomed out to mediocrity, but Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder said Friday. “He it began winning again under Ilitch. The was passionate about the city of took home the in and served a critical role in the city’s come- 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008. back, investing time, effort and resources Ilitch was inducted into the NHL Hockey to help craft a better vision for Detroit.” Hall of Fame in 2003, and into the U.S. Former President George W. Bush said and Michigan Sports in a statement that Ilitch was “a self-made Hall of Fame a year later. “Mr. and Mrs. Ilitch man with talent, drive, and a huge heart.” are incredibly passionate about Detroit “He generously gave back to his city and their teams,” Red Wings general man- and made it a better place,” Bush said. Ilitch ager Ken Holland told The Associated Press founded Little Caesars in 1959 in suburban in a 2010 interview. “They create a family Detroit with his wife, Marian. The business atmosphere with stability, loyalty and a - later known for its “Pizza! Pizza!” ads fea- personal touch. But we all understand we HYDERABAD: Bangladesh’s Mehedi Hasan bats during the third day of the cricket Test match against India in Hyderabad, India, yesterday. —AP turing an animated “Little Caesar” - eventu- have to produce to be around for a long ally grew into one of the world’s largest time.” As part of his long-term plan to build carry-out pizza chains with several spin-off a Detroit-based business empire, Ilitch also CRICKET companies that now employ 23,000 peo- bought , which ple worldwide and posted revenues last manages sports and entertainment ven- year of $3.4 billion. ues, in 1982. Husband and wife bought the “Whether he was making pizza, build- downtown five years later and ing successful sports and entertainment started a massive, $12 million restoration. Rahim, Shakib keep franchises or supporting youth organiza- It reopened a year later and became a tions in our city, Mr. I helped to bring thou- lucrative venue for musicals, plays and oth- sands of jobs and opportunities to our city er productions. The Little Caesars world and attract millions of dollars of invest- headquarters also was moved downtown. ment,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said. Then, in 1992, the man who once Bangladesh afloat dreamed of playing for the Detroit Tigers TRANSFORMATION bought the team for $85 million. He Ilitch’s investments in Detroit spear- moved it in 2000 from the storied but fad- HYDERABAD: Skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and headed the current flurry of development ing to , across Mehedi Hasan made gritty half-centuries as SCOREBOARD from downtown to Midtown. “Mike Ilitch from the Fox Theatre. Bangladesh try to prevent a follow-on against a saw the bright possibilities of Detroit’s dominant India on the third day of their one-off HYDERABAD, India: Scoreboard at stumps on the third day of the one-off Test between India Woodward Corridor at a time that other SUCCESS Test yesterday. and Bangladesh in Hyderabad yesterday. investors had fully turned their backs on Unlike previous owners of both sports Rahim (81 not out) shared a 107-run fifth- the city,” said Rip Rapson, president and franchises, Ilitch opened his checkbook to stand with Shakib Al Hasan (82) before putting on India 1st innings 687-6 dec (V. Kohli 204, W. Saha S. Rahman lbw b Jadeja 16 chief executive of the Troy, Michigan- sign top players - finding solid success in an unbeaten partnership with young Hasan to frus- 106 not out; T. Islam 3-156, M. Hasan 2-165) M. Hasan not out 51 based Kresge Foundation. hockey, and a roller coaster in . trate the hosts. Hasan was batting on 51. The visi- Extras (lb 13) 13 “Revitalizing the historic Fox Theatre The Tigers lost an tors were 322 for six at stumps, needing another Bangladesh 1st innings (overnight 41-1) Total (6 ; 104 overs) 322 and relocating his business headquarters record 119 games in 2003, but advanced 166 runs to avoid the follow-on against the world’s T. Iqbal run out (Yadav/Kumar) 24 Fall of wickets: 1-38 (Sarkar), 2-44 (Iqbal), 3-64 to the city were bold moves, but ones that to the World Series three years later, losing number one Test side. “We will want them (Rahim S. Sarkar c Saha b Yadav 15 (Haque), 4-109 (Mahmudullah), 5-216 (Shakib), 6-235 ultimately set downtown on a course for in five games to the St. Louis Cardinals. and Hasan) to play the first session and maybe we M. Haque lbw b Yadav 12 (Rahman) incredible investment and remarkable Near the end of a disappointing 2008 sea- can score 100-120 runs that can take us close to the Mahmudullah lbw b Sharma 28 Bowling: Kumar 17-6-46-0, Sharma 16-5-54-1, transformation,” Rapson said. son, Ilitch said he and the team would follow-on saving, which is our first target as of Shakib Al Hasan c Yadav b Ashwin 82 Ashwin 24-6-77-1, Yadav 18-3-72-2, Jadeja 29-8-60-1. Ilitch was as much a fan of the often- review everything done to put the roster now,” Shakib told reporters. “Obviously India is in M. Rahim not out 81 Still to bat: T. Islam, T. Ahmed, K.I. Rabbi struggling Detroit as he was of sports. together but focusing on the $138 million front foot...at this moment we are still a long way When approached in 2009 by organizers of payroll wasn’t the priority. from the match.” The wicketkeeper-batsman the Motor City Bowl in Detroit, Ilitch “I’m not afraid to go out and spend Rahim, who took 35 balls to move from 46 to 50, agreed to sponsor the annual college foot- money,” Ilitch said. “It’s been very costly, tackled the Indian bowlers with patience on a pitch ball bowl game despite a poor local econo- but I’m not going to change my ways.” that still looked good for batting. Koivu gives Wild my. The game was renamed the Little But Ilitch never got the chance to see Rahim took a nasty blow on his finger from Caesars Pizza Bowl. “It’s a sporting event, his team win a World Series as its owner, pacer Ishant Sharma in the final over of the day, and we need sporting events,” Ilitch said at despite spending millions of dollars on only to hit the bowler for a boundary off the very win over Lightning the time. “It picks our community up to no contracts for stars like , next . end, with all the great colleges we have in , Victor Martinez, Ivan “When the situation is tough he likes to stand ST PAUL: The Minnesota Wild are all but a defenseman in the NHL for more than this state and the professional teams that Rodriguez and . up and do the hard work for the team and that lock for the playoffs, while the Tampa Bay a decade but it was his goaltending we have. Thank God for ‘em, especially at “I’ve never seen a man more dedicated character obviously helped him playing for so long Lightning are a long shot currently. So the skills that were front and center as the times that are rough right now.” to this community and to baseball than Mr. and doing well for Bangladesh,” Shakib said of his point the Lightning earned in a shootout defeated the The son of Macedonian immigrants, I,” Tigers Executive Vice President and captain. Rahim found a perfect partner in Hasan to loss Friday may have been more important Winnipeg Jets 5-2 on Friday at the MTS Ilitch was born on July 20, 1929. He played said Friday. stage a fightback after the visitors were left reeling in the long run than the two points Centre. With the visitors (34-17-5) baseball at Detroit’s “What he has done for this franchise, and at 235 for six in the afternoon session. Hasan, who Minnesota got for winning. Wild captain clinging to a 2-1 lead late in the sec- and was signed by his hometown Tigers for Detroit, is immeasurable. He was always claimed two wickets in the Indian innings with his Mikko Koivu scored the only goal in the ond period, the Jets (25-28-4) looked after his four-year stint in the US Marines, there to give us whatever we needed off-spin, showed great batting temperament to shootout, as Minnesota overcame a stiff to be about to tie it as a deflected shot spending three years in the team’s farm because he wanted greatness and happi- register his maiden Test fifty in just his fifth outing. challenge by the Lighting, winning 2-1. off the stick of captain Blake Wheeler system before a knee injury ended his ness for all of us - especially the fans.” The 19-year-old all-rounder, who made his Test squeaked through Corey Crawford’s playing career. But he found his niche in The Tigers made the American League debut against England in Chittagong last year, has BLACKHAWKS 5, JETS 2 legs and dribbled agonizingly toward business. It started with that first Little playoffs in 2011, a return to winning that struck 10 boundaries during his 103-ball knock so Brent Seabrook has been an elite the goal line. — Reuters Caesars restaurant in Garden City, a work- brought more fans to Comerica Park. The far. Rahim’s crucial stand with Shakib, who regis- ing-class suburb west of Detroit. A food team last made the playoffs in 2014, losing tered his 21st Test half-century, helped Bangladesh service distribution company soon fol- to the Baltimore Orioles. recover against a formidable bowling attack. lowed to supply ingredients and other “We won a lot. I wish we would have products for the growing number of won the ultimate world championship for TESTING SPELL restaurants. Blue Line Foodservice grew him,” former Tigers General Manager Dave The left-handed Shakib played some attacking into one of the largest program account Dombrowski told the AP on Friday.—AP cricket during a brisk knock laced with 14 bound- aries, but admitted to having faced a testing spell from Indian seamer Umesh Yadav, who claimed two wickets. “Well obviously he was bowling really well probably the best spell I faced in my career the way he was moving the ball both ways it was tremendous, all credit goes to him,” Shakib said of his (IPL)teammate Yadav. Shakib eventually ran out of steam, losing his wicket to India’s premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin after mistiming a drive to mid-on. Starting the day on 41 for one, the visitors made their way to 125-4 at lunch with Indian pacers compounding Bangladesh’s woes in their first-ever Test on Indian soil. India’s batting coach Sanjay Bangar praised skipper ’s five-bowler theory that accord- ing to him helped India succeed in recent times. “I think our bowling has been doing really well...It also leads to number of victories you got because of the five bowler combination. Virat backs (harps) quite a lot on that,” Bangar said. “It’s very important that the bowling unit is developed in such a fashion that even when India tours overseas, spinners will have to play a particu- lar role, and role reverses for seamers when they play in India,” said the former India batsman. The hosts had put themselves in a commanding posi- tion after Kohli smashed 204, steering the team to WINNIPEG: Winnipeg Jets center Mathieu Perreault (85) misses the open net against DETROIT: In this June 17 1998, file photo, Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, center, a record total of 687-6 declared against Bangladesh. India have won six and drawn two Chicago Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford (50) during the first period of an NHL hockey hoists the Stanley Cup in Washington after the Red Wings won their second consecu- game Friday, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. — AP tive NHL championship. Igor Larionov is at left. Ilitch, founder of the Little Caesars matches against Bangladesh, who gained Test sta- Pizza empire and owner of the Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers, has died. —AP tus only in 2000. — AFP