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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015 SPORTS England face tough task to end World Cup jinx LONDON: England have never won the World Cup, despite hosting four tournaments, including the first three editions, while it is nearly 25 years since they last appeared in a final. They certainly won’t be among the favorites in Australia and New Zealand, where they will have to conquer longstanding prob- lems of a lack of penetration with the ball and an inability to up the run-rate in the final stages of an innings if they are to beat the world’s top one-day sides repeatedly. But thus far England’s decision to ditch Test captain Alastair Cook, who had scored just one fifty in his last 22 one-day innings, from the World Cup squad on the eve of the team’s departure for Australia, and replace him as skipper with Eoin Morgan, appears to be working out. Ian Bell, who made a superb 141 in a three- wicket defeat by Australia in Hobart last week, and Moeen Ali have formed a sound opening partnership in Cook’s absence. Meanwhile the new captain neatly evaded a verbal bouncer from Kevin Pietersen when the axed England batsman-playing in Australia’s domestic Big Bash Twenty20 tour- nament-said Morgan would “love to have me in the England team”. But if Pietersen’s com- ments about England have a certain pre- dictable quality, recent revelations that Morgan had been the subject of a blackmail attempt by the current partner of his former Mashrafe Mortaza girlfriend were bizarre. The England and Wales Cricket Board fol- Tamed Tigers hope lowing talks with British police, contacted the potential blackmailer, who they said had “apologised”, with ECB managing director Paul to bite at World Cup Downton insisting the issue had been “brought to a swift conclusion”. NEW DELHI: Bangladesh will need a dramatic Rahim as one-day captain last year, told AFP. Quite what it did for Morgan’s peace of turn in fortunes to ensure another World Cup Former captain and current selector mind is another matter, with the former does not cause more misery after the Tigers Habibur Bashar wanted Bangladesh to aim Ireland batsman insisting it had no bearing on endured a morale-sapping year in which they big, saying it was not enough to target just his duck in Hobart. On the field, it appears slumped from one defeat to another. Afghanistan and Scotland. “We should aim for England are content to keep the big-hitting Bangladesh failed to register wins for most winning at least three to four matches,” Alex Hales in reserve for the time being. With of 2014 till fellow wooden-spooners Bashar told AFP. Bell and Ali putting on 113 for the first wicket Zimbabwe came calling at the end of the year “The players should believe they can in 18 overs in Hobart, before Joe Root helped and were duly thrashed 3-0 in Tests and 5-0 in defeat any team in the group. On those true Bell add 121 in 19 for the third wicket, the top the one-dayers. It was only Zimbabwe the pitches Down Under, any total can be chased Tigers had beaten, but fanatical fans in the down.” The focal point of Bangladesh’s cam- order looks in reasonable shape. South Asian nation celebrated as if the World paign will be the skillful 27-year-old all- However, the final 10 overs yielded only 59 Cup itself had been won. rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who has been the runs and it was in this instance that Pietersen’s absence left some England fans thinking of Bangladesh have struggled at Test level- team’s mainstay ever since his international Eoin Morgan winning just seven of their 88 Tests since their debut eight years ago. what might have been. debut in 2000 — but have always appeared The left-hand batsman and left-arm spin- “We played good cricket in stages...the last sharp spin, although fast bowler Steven Finn total of over 300 against Australia in Hobart more suited to the shorter format where they ner goes into his third World Cup as the top- 10 overs let us down a little bit,” said Morgan showed signs of a return to form with five was a concern, especially as senior pacemen have recorded creditable wins. A five-wicket ranked all-rounder in all three formats, a trib- afterwards in words that could be applied to wickets in the recent Tri-Series win over world James Anderson and Stuart Broad, both win over Australia at Cardiff in 2005 was their ute to his consistency with both bat and ball so many of England’s one-day performances. champions India. returning from injury, had a combined return moment of glory till they knocked India out over the years. Shakib is the only player in the England’s attack lacks extreme speed or But that England were unable to defend a of none for 117 in 19 overs.—AFP of the 2007 World Cup to move beyond the team who has experienced Australian condi- first round for the only time in the tourna- tions recently, having turned out for ment. Bangladesh must beat at least one of Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash the big four in pool A-co-hosts Australia and Twenty20 tournament. Lanka bank on Sangakkara New Zealand, Sri Lanka and England-and also Another player to watch is 22-year-old win against both Afghanistan and Scotland to left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who grabbed keep their quarter-final hopes alive. A must- eight for 39 against Zimbabwe in Dhaka in and Jayawardene hit show win scenario awaits them in the first match only his third Test to record the best Test fig- itself-against Afghanistan in Canberra on ures ever by a Bangladeshi bowler. February 18 — because a loss like the one Soon after, he became the first bowler in NEW DELHI: Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela they suffered against the same rivals at the history to claim a hat-trick on his one-day Jayawardene will join hands for the last time Asia Cup at home a year ago could prove debut, against the same opponents at the costly. “The kind of squad we have, I am confi- same venue. Competition will be tougher at in their brilliant careers to plot Sri Lanka’s dent we can reach the quarter-finals,” the World Cup, but the exciting young talent World Cup campaign, hoping to make Mashrafe Mortaza, who replaced Mushfiqur could spring a few surprises. — AFP amends for two successive heartbreaks. The missing link in the enduring partnership between the two 37-year-olds that started at the turn of the century is the absence of a World Cup triumph despite coming so near. Jayawardene was captain when Sri Lanka reached the final of the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, only to see Australia cruise to a 53- run win in near-darkness in Barbados. Four years later in India, Sangakkara was at the helm in the title clash when Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s home team inflicted a six-wick- et defeat despite a magnificent 103 off 88 balls by Jayawardene. The two veterans, who go into the World Cup as the leading run-getters in one-day cricket among those still playing, took the set- backs in their stride and looked positively ahead at the future. “We may not have won those two tourna- ments, but reaching two successive finals Mohammed Tauqir showed we played consistently well,” said Jayawardene. “Hopefully we can cross the line this time.” Jayawardene will hang his boots Kumar Sangakkara UAE old guard seek after the World Cup, having already retired pace spearhead Lasith Malinga, who was history to claim three hat-tricks in one-day from Test and Twenty20 cricket last year to picked for the World Cup in a gamble by the internationals, is expected to be fit by the concentrate on his fifth appearance in the selectors despite being sidelined following tournament opener against New Zealand on new breakthrough showpiece event. an ankle surgery in September. The devastat- February 14, but is not guaranteed a place in Sangakkara will also bid farewell to limited- ing sling-armer, 31, who is the only bowler in the side yet. — AFP DUBAI: Skippered by a 43-year-old and with played on concrete wickets on waste ground overs cricket after the World Cup, but remains a 15-man squad featuring nine players over to international arenas in Dubai, Abu Dhabi undecided about prolonging his Test career 30, the United Arab Emirates believe their sta- and Sharjah. after enjoying a tremendous run with the bat Pakistan cricketer plagued tus as no-hopers could work in their favor at “We are also targeting one or two wins. It’s in recent months. the World Cup. a challenging but a realistic target. These The World Cup gives both a last chance to by ghost at team hotel The last of the 14 finalists to book their players are capable of causing an upset.” bow out in a blaze of glory and the signs are place at the showpiece event, the Gulf side Khurram Khan, who hails from Punjab and already encouraging that this could be Sri WELLINGTON: Pakistan team management President’s XI. are playing in just their second World Cup was born on the same day in 1971 as the cap- Lanka’s year in Australia and New Zealand. says cricketer Haris Sohail was left “visibly Sohail took the field in a second warmup and first since 1996.