S45 p o r t s FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016

Kuwait meets Malaysia in Davis Cup today

By Abdellatif Sharaa The tournament will be held at Yarmouk Mohammad Ashaari bin Zainalabideen and years. This honoring is the first of its kind to a Sports Club, and Kuwait team will include Hao Shing Kuai, while the team is Kuwaiti, Gulf or an Arab player. It will be in the KUWAIT: Davis Cup competition will start Abdallah Muqaddas, Mohammad Al-Ghareeb, Moulidai bin Jama. ITF sent its international ref- presence of Kuwait Tennis Association board today between Kuwait and Malaysia, which is Abdelrahman Al-Awadhi and Hamid Al- eree Khalid Al-Sarjani to supervise event activi- members, coaches and supervisors in Kuwait hosted by Kuwait and will last until Sunday, Sulaiteen. The team captain is Adel Al-Shatti. ties. Meanwhile, ITF will honor Kuwait’s clubs. Kuwaiti Tennis Federation held a dinner under the supervision of the International Malaysian team includes Mohammad Mohammad Al-Ghareeb in appreciation of his in honor of the Malaysian delegation in the Tennis Federation, under the Kuwait flag. Marzouqi, Sayyed Mohammad Najeeb, efforts representing Kuwait in Davis Cup for 20 presence of ITF representative Khalid Al-Sarjani.

Misbah holds firm as Pakistan struggle Murali heads to rival Australia LONDON: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq survived as top-order fell around him camp to plot on the first day of the first Test against England at Lord’s yesterday. At tea, Pakistan were 158 against S Lanka for four with number five Misbah, who won the COLOMBO: Keen to beat in toss, 48 after all the top four had their own spin game, Australia have returned to the Pavilion. roped in local spin great Muttiah Asad Shafiq was unbeaten on 12 as Muralitharan to help their slow bowlers Mohammad Amir, listed to come in at number eight, waited to make his return to Test ahead of the three-test series beginning at Lord’s-the scene of his spot-fixing crime. at Pallekele later this month. Misbah won the toss on a sunny day, with the The 44-year-old former off-spinner, pitch at Lord’s a notoriously good surface for still the highest -taker in test crick- batsmen. et with 800 scalps, had a similar short- , given a debut in place of James term consulting stint with Australia in Anderson after the selectors decided against 2014. “Murali’s got a lot of experience in risking England’s all-time leading wicket-taker Sri Lanka,” Australia captain Steve Smith following a shoulder injury, appealed for leg said. “He took a truckload of wickets. before against Masood with his second deliv- “It’s great to have someone like that ery in . helping our spinners in this series - to Kumar Dharmasena said not out give us that insight. He’s been really and and an unsuccessful England review con- good around the group so far, and he’s firmed the ball had pitched outside leg stump. enjoying his time with us.” Muralitharan, Hafeez was lucky on 11 when an edge off who has been seen working with , forming an all-Nottinghamshire Australian spinners and new-ball pairing with Ball, was dropped by Steve O’Keefe in the nets, said he was third slip , who couldn’t hold a low looking for such short-term jobs and had chance to his left. no problems helping the visitors plot against his own country. WOAKES DOUBLE “I’m not involved in Sri Lankan cricket But first-change Chris Woakes removed LONDON: England’s Jake Ball (L) celebrates taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Azhar Ali for at all because there are (other) people both openers with a burst of two wickets for seven runs on the first day of the first Test cricket match between England and Pakistan at who are involved,” Muralitharan, a five runs in 16 balls. A rising had left- Lord’s cricket ground in London, yesterday.— AFP perennial thorn in Australia’s flesh dur- hander Masood, playing away from his body, ing his playing days, told Cricket caught behind by Jonny Bairstow for seven. , the former England wicket-keep- that had taken Pakistan to 134 for four. Australia website. The same combination then dismissed er, had a nervous wait for his first Test wicket. Misbah, playing in his first Test at Lord’s at “Then, on and off, Australia offered Hafeez for 40. Hafeez’s 59-ball innings, includ- But this time, thanks to a tight ‘umpire’s call’ the advanced age if 42, was not in control of a me twice so I said ‘why not’ because you ing eight fours, ended when he tried to work verdict showing the ball clipping leg stump, gloved hook off Broad but looked much better are passing on the knowledge to other to leg a short ball from the Warwickshire all- technology worked in Ball’s favour. in forcing him through point for four. people. It doesn’t matter whether it’s rounder that swung away a touch only to get a Pakistan were now 77 for three but veterans Earlier, as expected, left-arm quick Amir was your country or other people. “I think top edge, with Bairstow holding the skyed Younis and Misbah, as they had done so often selected for his first Test appearance since the giving quality time to my family is most chance. Pakistan were now 51 for two. They before, steadied the innings. infamous ‘spot-fixing’ clash against England at important, that’s why I take smaller jobs - had moved on to 76 for two at lunch but Azhar Their cause was helped when Misbah was Lord’s in 2010. two weeks, three weeks... those sort of Ali had failed to add to his interval score of sev- dropped on 16 by Joe Root, who grassed a That match saw Amir and Pakistan new-ball jobs are not available in Sri Lanka.” en not out when he was literally knocked off tough slip chance off fast bowler Steven Finn. partner Mohammad Asif deliberately bowl no- Australia were confident opener his feet by a Ball yorker and given out lbw by Younis struck several elegant drives in his balls on the instructions of then captain David Warner, recovering from a broken Dharmasena. innings but he gave his wicket away on 33 Salman Butt as part of a newspaper ‘sting’ left index finger, will be fit for the series The batsman reviewed and Ball, presented when he clipped Broad straight to at operation. All three received five-year bans opener at Pallekele.—Reuters with his England cap before play by his uncle square leg to end a stand of 57 with Misbah from cricket and jail terms. — AFP