SPORTS SATURDAY, MAY 27, 2017 Jayawardene new coach of B’desh league team DHAKA: Former Mahela Jayawardene was yesterday named as the head coach of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) side Khulna Titans for the next two sea- sons of the tournament. Jayawardene, who has plied his trade across the globe after taking international retirement in 2015, played for BPL franchise Dhaka Dynamites last season. This will be the second stint for the Sri Lankan great as a head coach of a team, following his success with current (IPL) champions . Jayawardene, who succeeded former Australian captain as coach of Mumbai, helped the Indian side to a land- mark third IPL title in the 10th edition of the cash-rich league. “We are excited to have Mahela Jayawardene join the Titans as head coach for the next two editions of BPL,” Khulna Titans Managing Director Kazi Inam Ahmed said in a state- ment. “We were thrilled to see him win the IPL recently as the coach of the Mumbai Indians. I am sure all of us Titans will learn a lot from him and the tournament will be enriched by his presence” Ahmed added. Jayawardene, 39, will replace former Australia batsman , who has become the head coach of the West Indies national team. “I enjoyed playing in the BPL last year NEW DELHI: Former Indian cricketer (C) - an honorary Indian Air Force Group Captain - looks on after and that has given me a great insight into what will be the preview of the film ‘Sachin A Billon Dreams’ at The Indian Air Force Auditorium Subroto Park. — AFP required to be successful in the 2017 tournament,” said Jayawardene. The fifth edition of the BPL is set to begin November 4 with the organizers announcing the inclusion of an eighth team for the lucrative meet. — AFP Big excitement for Tendulkar movie despite mixed reviews ICC panel backs NEW DELHI: Critics called the new slammed what it called the “hagio- wrote on his twitter account Test championship Sachin Tendulkar biopic “hagiographic” graphic narrative”. “Most controversies after watching the film in Mumbai. but fans of the Indian legend around the cricketing God are glossed Indian batsman Lokesh Rahul, Shikhar LONDON: A top international cricket committee on loved the work that hit screens amid over. Many of us (me included) die-hard Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and fast Thursday called for TV referrals to be used in T20 interna- nationwide fanfare yesterday. “Sachin: A Sachin fans are ready to face the fact bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar also tweet- tionals and gave high level backing to a Test world cham- Billion Dreams”, directed by Emmy-nom- that our icon may have displayed feet of ed their support. “A BILLION Dreams! A pionship. In addition, umpires will be allowed to send off inated British filmmaker James Erskine, clay on occasion,” the review said. truly inspiring movie. thank you Sachin players for misconduct, bat sizes will be restricted for the brought out throngs of fans from the “However, the film doesn’t take Sir for inspiring everyone Indian,” first time and run out rules changed from October 1 if the first day. It has real footage of the right- chances ... The hagiographic narrative Rahane tweeted. recommendations are approved by the International handed batsman who made his debut continues with commentators, critics The film is really aimed at Sachin fans Cricket Council (ICC) chief executives committee. for India in 1989 aged just 16, but its and colleagues-Dhoni, Kohli, Ganguly, who would not be influenced by critics The ICC cricket committee, headed by outgoing India claims to reveal the more intimate side Sehwag and Harbhajan are (sigh!) only when they saw a 9.30am screening in coach Anil Kumble and several former star players made of the icon did not impress reviewers. eulogizing the Little Master.” south Mumbai. “It was an awesome the recommendations after a two-day meeting at Lord’s in “Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a well- Tendulkar’s autobiography released in movie. It told us about his whole life and London on Tuesday and Wednesday. The so-called made effort, looks good, but when you 2014 got a similar response from critics what he has done. We learned about his Decision Review System (DRS) — where a TV umpire reach out for something insightful, your who wanted a more open account. social work,” said 16-year-old Rayan makes a call on decisions taken on the field-is already used hand closes on air,” Indian Express sports Tendulkar, 44, who retired in Kothari. “My favorite part was when the in Tests and one-day internationals. The cricket committee journalist Sriram Veera wrote. “It’s the November 2013, admits he is a private World Cup that was held in India in said it should be extended to T20 internationals. The com- dumbing down that makes you sigh. It’s person who has struggled to expose 2011. That was a proud moment for mittee said teams will not lose a review, in any game, a movie (docu-feature) that you would himself to the media. He has been criti- India and him also. I want to watch it when an lbw decision comes back from the TV umpire. take your kids to ... The real disappoint- cised for not speaking enough on major again.” Arpit Jain, 19, said “it was really At the moment, teams can call for one review in each ment lies in the absence of any insights,” cricketing issues. However a review by great movie, very inspiring, motivating innings in one day games and two for every 80 overs Veera added. Tendulkar, recipient of British daily The Guardian praised and emotional as well. My favorite bit bowled in Test matches. The committee said that if the India’s highest civilian honour, the Erskine’s effort to bring together the life was when Dhoni hit that last six (at the new lbw measure is applied, the 80 over rule would be Bharat Ratna, is the only cricketer to have of person who was “the closest thing 2011 World Cup final) and Sachin’s ended for Tests. The committee gave strong backing to scored 100 international centuries and Indian cricket has to a living deity”. dream came true. the five-day game, expressing unanimous support for a the highest run scorer in international Cricketers also gave their thumbs up to “Practice makes perfect is the main Test world championship, and called it “crucial for the cricket with more than 34,000 runs. the epic which was screened for the motto of the film. He struggled really future of international cricket”. It also reiterated its sup- Indian team before they left for hard for it (his success). Training and port for the game getting an Olympic place. Private Tendulkar to defend the Champions Trophy. practicing for a thousand hours was Giving more authority to umpires to battle miscon- But The Times of India gave the “Thank you @sachin_rt Paaji for really unforgettable. “I’m really proud of duct, the committee said football-style sendings off movie three stars out of five and arranging the perfect send-off,” skipper him, he’s the god of cricket.” — AFP should be used for serious violence and other offences during play. It recommended the use of instant replays to help umpires signal no balls. The panel suggested intro- ducing restrictions on the thickness and depth of bats Moeen seeks improvement and said a batsman will be deemed to have made his or LONDON: her ground “when a bat bounces after being grounded The balance of the England’s one-day team means played first for England I opened the . I can beat the behind the crease by a running or diving batsman”. Moeen Ali is required to bat at number seven and the bearded field in the first few overs and then later on I can play a few It also backed a two-year trial of concussion substitutes all-rounder, who prefers to ply his trade earlier in the innings, is more shots. “When I’m in, I feel I can hit decent-sized sixes... But after Australia urged the ICC to introduce them after open- working hard to hone his skills at a tricky position in the order. it’s not easy for someone like me, who probably can’t hit sixes ing batsman Matt Renshaw was ruled out of the Not a power-hitter in the mould of Ben Stokes or Jos Buttler, like Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and hit the gas like those guys.” Test in January, suffering twin blows on his helmet while Moeen’s unbeaten 77, along with the couple of he Moeen, however, has no plans to copy his muscular team fielding close-in. The panel includes former stars like India’s claimed with his off-spinners, earned him the man-of-the- mates. “I find if I work on power-hitting I lose my rhythm,” he , former England captain Andrew Strauss, Sri match award in Wednesday’s first ODI against . said. “I just try to keep it as natural as possible. Even towards Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene and current Australia coach Moeen smashed five sixes in his 51-ball blitz at Headlingley to the end of my innings (in Leeds) there were a couple I tried to Darren Lehmann. The meeting was held ahead of the help England take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series but the slog and I lost my shape.” Moeen has also come to terms with Champions Trophy which begins on June 1 with hosts 29-year-old admits it is not an easy position to bat. the reality that his position in the lower middle-order becomes England taking on Bangladesh in the opener. —AFP “I find batting at number seven tough,” he told reporters. untenable when England are deprived of Stokes’ all-round “But I’m trying to get better at it. “In county cricket and when I service through injury. —Reuters