S43 p o r t s FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 2016

Windies, enters new world in the US FORT LAUDERDALE: West Indies face India in two Twenty20 internationals in Florida at the weekend in a litmus test for both ’s future in the US and Carlos Brathwaite’s credentials as Caribbean skipper. After India cruised to victory in the Test series and in the aftermath of the Caribbean squad’s latest round of blood-letting, the sides head for the sport’s newest outpost, the Central Broward Regional Park, the only purpose-built cricket sta- dium in the US. Six matches in the recent franchise-based Caribbean Premier League were played at the $10 million arena while the first full international matches, two Twenty20 games between and , were staged there in 2010. Saturday and Sunday’s back-to-back fixtures come at a crucial time for the West Indies. They may be the reigning world champions in the format having triumphed in India earlier this year, but that didn’t save Darren Sammy’s job as skipper. He was sacked in what he claimed was a “30-second phone call” and replaced by Brathwaite who etched his name into West Indies cricket folklore by smashing four sixes in the final over against to win this year’s World T20 final in . “I think a team like this will be pretty easy to lead, from the point of view that the dressing room is a fun place to be,” said Brathwaite. “I don’t think it’s a case where I have to negotiate too many egos.” His first job will be to introduce stability into the engaging but often frustrating nature of West Indies’ short-form cricket-before they won their second World T20 in four years, they lost to Afghanistan in the qualifying round. Despite his heroics in Mumbai, 28-year-old Brathwaite is a lightweight when it comes to international experience, having played just three Tests, 14 ODIs and eight Twenty 20s. In contrast, the team’s superstar has 103 Tests, 269 ODIs and 50 T20s to his name as well as a host of records. — AFP Dilshan ready to retire after series COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan will quit international cricket after the ongoing limited overs series against Australia, the swashbuckling opener announced yesterday. “I have decided to retire from the ODIs after the third match in Dambulla (on Sunday) and will play the two Twenty20s and then retire com- pletely,” Dilshan told local media. SOUTHAMPTON: England’s Jason Roy bats during the first (ODI) cricket match between England After the conclusion of the five-match ODI series, Sri Lanka and at The Ageas Bowl cricket ground. — AFP and Australia will play two Twenty20 matches on Sept. 6 and Sept 9. Inventor of the famous “Dilscoop” ramp shot, Dilshan played the last of his 87 tests in 2013 before quitting the longer Dizzy Roy spell leads England format with 5492 runs and 39 . A wily off-spinner and one of the most agile Sri Lankan fielders even at the age of 39, Dilshan scored 22 and 10 in the first two one-dayers of the ongoing five- win over Pakistan in 1st ODI match series against world champions Australia. “I together with my committee wish to extend our sincere appreciation and wish SOUTHAMPTON: Jason Roy overcame a able to get my bearings, settle and re- caught just inside the boundary by him the very best in his future endeavours,” Sri Lanka Cricket dizzy spell to lead England’s charge to a set myself and just go again,” he added. Babar, running round from long-off. president Thilanga Sumathipala said in a statement. 44- win under the Duckworth/Lewis Meanwhile opening partner Alex Hales, Root, England’s star batsman in all three According to media reports, the former was persuad- method in a rain-marred first one-day who managed just 145 runs during the formats, was untroubled while hitting ed to retire as Sri Lanka build a new team under international against Pakistan in preceding 2-2 drawn Test series against six fours in 72 balls. with an eye on the 2019 World Cup. Dilshan made his one-day Southampton on Wednesday. Surrey Pakistan, again fell cheaply. Hales was But when Morgan dropped the ball debut against in 1999 and went on to play 329 ODIs, opener Roy’s quickfire 65 fired England out for seven when he guided Gul into the offside and set off, Root failed amassing 10248 runs that included 22 hundreds, with an 86-plus towards an initial victory target of 261 straight to Mohammad Hafeez at slip. to beat Azhar’s direct hit. Earlier, Azhar strike rate. He has also scored 1884 runs in 78 Twenty20 after Pakistan had made 260 for six, cap- won the toss and led from the front in Internationals and was Sri Lanka’s top scorer in this year’s World tain Azhar Ali top-scoring with 82. But More Amir misfortune an innings where Ahmed made 55 and Twenty20 in India. — Reuters following a third and final rain interrup- had had five catch- Azam was unluckily lbw for 40. Pakistan tion of this day/night fixture at 9:37 pm es dropped off his bowling during the were going well at 173 for three after 35 local time (2037 GMT), the umpires Test series and the Pakistan paceman’s overs but then lost Azhar before a rain eventually called the game off with bad luck continued Wednesday. Roy, on stoppage put a further break on their England 194 for three. 24, skied left-arm quick Amir high on the run-scoring. Azhar, however, was twice Eoin Morgan, the England captain, legside. The ball appeared to be head- dropped on nine. was 33 and Ben Stokes 15 not ing straight to Gul at square leg. Hales floored a relatively routine out. Roy and Joe Root (61) took England However, -keeper Sarfraz Ahmed chance in the gully before wicket-keep- to the brink of victory with a second- called for the catch, only to make insuffi- er Jos Buttler could not hold a more dif- wicket stand of 89 in 14 overs. The 26- cient ground and drop the chance ficult left-handed catch down the leg- year-old Roy sparked England’s chase despite getting both gloves to the ball. side. Babar was given out lbw to leg- with three fours in four balls off Umar Pakistan may have recently climbed to spinner Adil Rashid by Australian umpire Gul in the third over of the hosts’ the top of the Test rankings, but this was Simon Fry, even though replays clearly innings. But there was a worrying the kind of error which had showed an inside edge. But by that moment when Roy, on 20, needed sev- helped leave them languishing in ninth stage Pakistan had used up their lone eral minutes’ on-field treatment for a place in the equivalent ODI standings. review of the innings. Azhar pressed on dizzy spell. “It was a case of not having Roy swept left-arm spinner Imad to a relatively sedate 84-ball fifty before enough sugar on me apparently, that’s it Wasim for the first six of the match upping his tempo. But he fell when top- COLOMBO: In this photograph taken on August 23, 2016, plain and simple,” Roy told reporters. “I before completing a 43-ball fifty also edging a slog-sweep off Rashid (two for Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan walks with his equipment had a headache, felt a bit dizzy, they got featuring five fours. But his innings end- 51) to Moeen Ali at short third man. The during a practice session at the R Premadasa International the physio and the doctor on, they told ed when a lofted drive off spinner five-match series continues at Lord’s on Cricket Stadium. — AFP me to get some sugar on board. “I was Mohammad Nawaz was brilliantly Saturday. — AFP