Sports Wednesday, February 3, 2021 15

Australia postpone First Test at Chittagong from today SA tour due to Covid situation

Agencies Kiwis qualify for World Melbourne Test Championship final The postponement of the Test The proposed three-match series between South Africa Test series between South and Australia means New Zea- Africa and Australia, part of land have become the first the ICC World Test Champi- team to qualify for the inaugu- onship, has been postponed, ral ICC World Test Champion- with Australia citing ship final to be held in England the COVID-19 situation in from June 18 to 22, with June South Africa as a deterrent. 23 as the reserve day. In a statement, Nick New Zealand are current- Hockley, the CA interim CEO, ly ranked second on the ICC said the three-match tour had WTC table with a points per- been postponed due to the centage of 70 per cent, which “unacceptable level of health has secured them a place in and safety risk” in South Af- the final. They will be joined rica, which is battling a sec- by either India, England, or ond wave of the coronavirus Australia with the second spot pandemic. being determined by the out- “Due to the public health come of the India v England situation in South Africa, four-match Test series due to which includes a second start on Friday. wave and new variant of the After 2-0 home series wins virus, and following exten- over West Indies and Pakistan, sive due diligence with medi- New Zealand moved to 70 per cal experts, it has become cent of total points contested clear that traveling from under the revised scoring sys- Australia to South Africa at tem amid the pandemic. this current time poses an After their loss to India in West Indies’ cricketers stretch during a training session at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Cricket Stadium in Chittagong on Tuesday on the eve of their first Test against Bangladesh. (AFP) unacceptable level of health Brisbane, Australia sit third and safety risk to our play- on 69.2 per cent while India ers, support staff and the lead on 71.7. community,” he said in a New Zealand are sched- statement on Tuesday. uled to play two tests in Eng- Windies chase redemption “We acknowledge the sig- land before the WTC final, at nificant amount of work by Lord’s and Edgbaston in the CSA in planning for the tour, first fortnight of June. during which we made it clear To book their place, In- that CA was prepared to take dia will have to win the series against red-hot Bangladesh on additional cost and effort to against England by 2-1, 2-0, 3-1, make the series happen. 3-0 or 4-0, margin. For England Agencies at home, with two of those Roston Chase, Darren Bravo also posted scores of note in before they bowled the West “This decision has not to qualify and join New Zealand, Chittagong victories coming against the and due to both innings. Indies out for 246 in reply. been made lightly and we are they will have to win the series West Indies in 2018. concerns over the coronavi- -keeper Joshua Da Things happened quickly extremely disappointed, es- against India by 3-1, 3-0 or 4-0 Whitewashed 3-0 in the In a major boost to their rus pandemic. Silva (20 and 46) impressed from there as Bangladesh pecially given the importance margin. Australia can still quali- ODI series, the West In- hopes, Bangladesh look set Holder’s sizable presence in the second innings, while were bowled out for 125 in of continuing international fy for the much-anticipated ICC dies are looking to bounce to have the services of Shak- will be missed by the tour- all-rounder Raymon Reifer their second innings and had cricket at this time, our valued WTC final if the series between back in this month’s two- ib Al Hasan. The all-rounder ists. Sitting second on the bolstered his hopes of selec- the West Indies teetering at relationship with CSA, and India and England ends up as a Test campaign against suffered a groin injury in the Test all-rounder rankings, tion with contributions of 49 75/8 in a chase of 204 on day our aspirations to compete in drawn series, or if India win the Bangladesh with the first final ODI against the West he has averaged 37.37 with with the bat and 2/7 three. A 63-run ninth-wicket the inaugural ICC World Test series 1-0 or England win it by Test starting at the Za- Indies but was still named the bat and 19.04 with the with the ball. stand gave the tourists hopes Championship. 1-0, 2-1 or a 2-1 margin. hur Ahmed Chowdhury in their 18-man Test squad. ball since the start of 2018. Crucially, spinners Rah- of a miracle victory but ulti- Stadium from Wednesday. If he plays, it will be his first Suffice to say, stand-in keem Cornwall (5/47) and mately Sunil Ambris’ 43 and With the pandemic forc- Test since September 2019. Jomel Warrican (3/25) were No.10 Warrican’s 41 went ing fixtures across all sports Among the game’s finest has big shoes to fill. both in the thick of the action, in vain as the West Indies to be shuffled last year, all-rounders, Shakib aver- The good news for the sharing eight to helps crumbled to a 64-run loss. Wednesday’s series opener ages 39.40 with the bat and West Indies is that Brath- the West Indians bowl BCB XI The second Test was a far will be the first Test Bangla- 31.12 with the ball. waite was among several out for 160 in their first innings. more comprehensive victory for desh have played since Feb- He goes into this series in key men to impress in a Bangladesh hosted the Bangladesh, with a Mahmudul- ruary 2020 – a match they strong form as well, having warm-up match against the West Indies in a two-Test lah ton (136) taking them to a won by an innings and 106 taken out Player-of-the-Series Bangladesh Cricket Board series in late 2018 and won first-innings total of 508. They runs against Zimbabwe. honours in the ODI campaign XI (BCB XI) that finished on both matches. would only need to bat once as Despite the lack of match against the West Indies. Sunday (31 January). The hosts were in the as- the West Indies were knocked practice, as the home side, The touring side is with- Brathwaite scored a first- cendancy early in the first over for 111 in their first innings they have reason to be confi- out regular captain Jason innings 85 in a total of 257 match at Chattogram, as a and 213 in their second, with dent going into the first Test Holder, with the all-round- before sitting out the second dashing from Momi- Mehidy Hasan taking match in Chittagong. They have won er opting out of the series innings. Opening partner nul Haque (120) took them figures of 12/117. four of their past five Tests alongside Test incumbents John Campbell (44 and 68) to a first-innings total of 324 (ICC-cricket.com) ICSS and EU partner to launch ‘BITEFIX’

Academy (IACA) to ensure the Project to build highest possible impact of the envisaged activities and dis- and support semination of outcomes. During the launch meet- innovative actions ing, Diogo Guia, Director, to counter Sports Public Policy & Chief Operating Officer,I CSS IN- match-fixing SIGHT said: “The exchange of informa- and corruption tion to combat the manipula- tion of sport is a systematic in sport problem for sporting governing bodies, regulators, law enforce- Tribune News Network ment authorities, as to other Doha key-actors of civil society. “While the Council of Recognising the need for Europe’s Macolin Conven- enhanced cooperation be- tion offers a concrete legal tween stakeholders and inno- framework to combat match- vative practical tools to com- fixing, there is a pressing bat corruption in sport and need to enhanced coopera- Aspire Speakers Series: AZF tackle match-fixing and bet- BITEFIX Project’s virtual kick-off meeting. tion, promote the exchange ting fraud, the ICSS, through of best practices and set up and QF invite community to its ICSS INSIGHT, and 7 or- The transnational multisector initiative was launched in January 2021 comprehensive practical in- ganisations from 6 EU coun- to assist key-stakeholders in tackling match-fixing and strengthening their capacity struments and training and focus on sport & mental health tries, joined forces in a col- through sharing of best practices and implementation of comprehensive and education programs to en- laborative partnership under sure greater awareness by Tribune News Network sport and mental wellbeing. the EU ERASMUS+ sport pro- innovative tools and capacity building programmes. all stakeholders and overall Doha The first episode of the As- gram to launch ‘Building inno- resilience of the system.” pire Speakers Series, entitled vative tools for the exchange strengthening the resilience Therefore, continuous de- from different sectors which In accordance, the pro- The Aspire Zone Foundation ‘Be Part of the Conversation’, of information and awareness of the system in countering velopment and improvement includes: International Cen- ject’s main deliverables (AZF) is to host a series of lec- will be held in collaboration raising against match-fixing in match-fixing and encouraging of innovative tools are critical tre for Sport Security – ICSS marked as milestones during tures that focus the relation- with Qatar Foundation (QF) sport’ (BITEFIX) project. capacity building. to enabling key-stakeholders INSIGHT (UK); Paris 1 Pan- the 30 months’ implementa- ship between sport and health and screened live at aspir- Led by ICSS INSIGHT and During the kick-off meet- (law enforcement authorities, théon-Sorbonne University tion of BITEFIX are: Guide and promote a healthy lifestyle ezone.qa/series on Monday, made possible by the financial ing, the transnational multi- betting regulators, betting op- (France); Associaçao ISCTE on best practices in the fight among individuals, provid- February 8, 2021 at 11am support of the European Un- sector partnership addressed erators, government agencies, Conhecimento e Inovação against match-fixing anding a platform for ideas and Doha time. ion, the BITEFIX project aims the pressing issue of how and sport governing bodies) to (Portugal); Sevilla Futbol Club betting-fraud; Educational discussions that will attract The speaker will be in- to create and offer tools to en- match-fixing has becomework together against match- Foundation (Spain); Calcio package on the exchange of sports experts from around ternationally renowned able committed stakeholders more prevalent today than fixing and betting-fraud in Servizi Lega Pro Srl / Lega information and data protec- the world. neuropsychiatrist Dr. John to work together, contribut- ever and, how due to the sport through the exchange Italiana Calcio Professionisti- tion to fight against match- Against the backdrop of J. Ratey, author of Spark – ing to greater efficiency of the lack of quality information of timely, secure, and reliable co (Italy); Starlizard Integrity fixing and betting-fraud in COVID-19 , the impact of which examines the links be- existing exchange of informa- exchange systems, proper information, while raising Services (UK); haŠK Mla- sport; BITEFIX e-Community, the pandemic on the mental tween sport and physical exer- tion mechanisms, particularly awareness of key-stakehold- awareness to the importance dost (Croatia); Grupo Despor- an international network of health of people around the cise, and our brains – with the in support of the national ers, and shortage of efficient of safeguarding the integrity of tivo Estoril Praia (Portugal). experts on match-fixing and world has been placed in the event being hosted by beIN platforms under the Council capacity building programs to sport and its irreplaceable role The project will be devel- betting-fraud in sport’; spotlight. The Aspire Speakers Sports presenter Andy Kerr. of Europe Convention on the sport organisations and other across society. oped and executed in coordina- Policy recommendations on Series has been launched to Viewers are invited to par- Manipulation of Sports Com- stakeholders, enables an in- The BITEFIX project is tion with other relevant ICSS’ the exchange of information bring together thought leaders ticipate by asking questions petitions, also known as the creasingly damaging criminal designed and implemented strategic partners, such as the to combat the manipulation of and promote social awareness directly to the speaker via Macolin Convention, while infiltration in sports. by a coalition of organizations International Anti-Corruption sports competitions. of the connection between AZF’s social media platforms.