SATURDAY-APRIL 10, 2021 Sport 05 Rashid discusses local cricket and Mason Mount and Ben ‘dreams’ of playing for a home crowd Chilwell secure huge According to him, playing in such tournaments is good for Af- ghanistan as a cricket nation and Champions League win for the players. “We are fully prepared and we know we are a very good team in the 20-over format as we have the bowling skills and the big-hitting batsmen. We just need to have the self-belief that we can beat any side as long as we play good crick- et,” he said. He said that at the 2016 Twen- ty20 World Cup, the Afghan team had a good tournament where they had a few opportunities to win matches but the team’s lack of ex- perience showed in the end and they were not able to finish off matches. He said “this time around we will go into the tournament as a much more experienced squad. I firmly believe that we will deliver KABUL: Afghanistan’s star for a sportsman and at the moment “By playing more Test crick- in this tournament.” cricketers, Rashid Khan, said this some of our cricketers are not able et, our batsmen will realise what Rashid also said it is one of his week that despite the national to prepare properly due to a lack improvements are needed by them dreams however to play an inter- team’s success on the internation- of facilities and coaches. Natural for five-day cricket, they will learn national match in Afghanistan in al circuit, local cricket would ben- talent is a great thing to have, but to be patient, our bowlers will learn front of a home crowd. efit from more academies, more it can only take you so far,” he the art of bowling in Test cricket “That’s the dream. You can standardized grounds and more said. and our fielding will definitely im- play all over the world, but play- qualified coaches. He said once facilities and op- prove too. ing in front of your own people, in Speaking to The Cricketer on portunities improve in Afghani- “It’s all about opportunities front of your own beautiful crowd, his rise to fame as one of the stan, the world will see “some fan- and chances to play Test cricket, in your own conditions, at your world’s best bowlers, Rashid said: tastic classical batsmen, even more the more chances we get, the bet- own venues is just something com- “Currently, our cricket relies main- spinners, improved fast-bowlers ter we will become,” he said. pletely different. “This is the ad- ly on natural talent. and better-prepared cricketers Regarding the T20 World Cup vantage we are missing as we aren’t “Our cricketers have a lot of coming through”. later this year, Rashid said he playing any of our international Mason Mount and Ben Chil- in the second period to prevent thrashing by West Brom, then skill and natural flair, but the op- “We have so much talent thinks the national team will be well matches at home.” he said. “I dream well's first Champions League Moussa Marega from punishing there was a "serious" training portunities aren’t always there to amongst our cricketers and once prepared for the tournament. for the day when this happens and goals saw Chelsea beat Porto 2-0 a defensive lapse from Antonio ground row between Antonio Ru- go out there and express them- these areas are improved, there will “We are known as being hard- it will be a huge achievement when to seize control of their quarter- Rudiger, and it was all hands to diger and Kepa Arrizabalaga. selves. We would benefit from be a lot more cricketers who are hitting batsmen and I think we have this occurs. It will be a day to re- final first leg in Seville. the pump for Chelsea as Porto But after a difficult few days, more academies, more proper well-prepared for international great skills for the 20-over format. member for the nation of Afghani- Chelsea travelled to the Ra- piled on the pressure in search of normal service resumed at the grounds and a greater number of cricket coming through,” he said. “It will be a great opportunity stan, it’s cricketers and all the peo- mon Sanchez-Pizjuan in desper- an equaliser. Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. A victo- qualified coaches or trainers, so our Rashid also stated that the Af- for our youngsters to show the ple of Afghanistan and I hope that ate need of a response to Satur- Porto had the ball in the ry and a clean sheet. It is what we young cricketers get the right ad- ghan national team needs more world what they are capable of and day is not too far away, and I wish day's drubbing at the hands of Chelsea net on 56 minutes, but have come to expect from Chelsea vice on preparing for matches. opportunities to play Test cricket will be a boost for the careers of that I am a part of that wonderful West Brom, and Thomas Tuch- Pepe's effort was ruled out after under Thomas Tuchel. “To me, preparation is the key and play against the best teams. many of our cricketers,” he said. day.” The Kabul Times el's side delivered. Chancel Mbemba was caught off- This was another profession- Mount opened the scoring side, moments before Diaz whis- al and assured European perfor- shortly after the half-hour mark, tled a shot a whisker wide of the mance to follow the ones Chelsea Japan looking exquisitely controlling Jorginho's post. produced in both legs of their last- pass before finishing into the far Cesar Azpilicueta squandered 16 tie against Atletico Madrid. into prioritising Tiger Woods may have hit corner to open his account in Eu- a glorious chance to give Chelsea Porto threatened at times, rope's elite-club competition at some breathing space when he most notably from set-pieces, but vaccine for the 15th attempt. headed Reece James' cross over Chelsea made it difficult for them On a night of firsts, Chilwell from six yards, before substitute to create clear chances, their back Olympic accelerator instead of followed in Mount's footsteps Christian Pulisic went even clos- three of Cesar Azpilicueta, An- with a stunning first Champions er when he rattled the underside dreas Christensen and Rudiger League goal as he intercepted a of the bar six minutes from time. athletes: report performing superbly, and when stray pass, drove into the area, An advantage of any kind they were breached, Eduoard TOKYO: The Japanese gov- brake in high-speed crash and rounded the Porto goalkeeper would have represented a job well Mendy provided another barrier ernment is thinking of prioritis- five minutes from time. done for Chelsea but there was ing COVID-19 vaccines for ath- Tiger Woods was traveling kph) when it hit a tree, Villanueva accelerator,” Powers said. The victory and two away more to come from their impres- behind them. letes taking part in the Olym- more than 40 miles per hour (64 said. There was no evidence that The one-car crash left the 82- goals leave Chelsea in complete sive performance as Chilwell in- Chelsea head coach Thomas pics and Paralympics, which km per hour) above the speed limit Woods, 45, was impaired or that time PGA Tour winner with a frac- control of the tie ahead of next tercepted Jesus Corona's stray Tuchel says the win against Por- start at the end of July, Kyodo when he lost control of his car, he had consumed drugs or alco- tured right leg and shattered an- week's return leg at the same ven- pass, strode into the Porto area to was important but they are not news agency said. causing the crash that severely hol, the sheriff added. kle, and stunned the world of ue, where they aim to reach the and coolly rounded the goalkeep- getting carried away ahead of the Japan’s vaccination drive is injured him in February, the Los The car’s so-called “black sport and beyond, with former semi-finals for the first time since er to put the seal on a morale- second leg next Tuesday. far behind that of most major Angeles County Sheriff’s Depart- box” data recorder showed that Presidents Donald Trump and 2014. boosting victory which puts the This was Chelsea's 13th shut- economies, with only one vac- ment said on Wednesday. Woods engaged the accelerator and Barack Obama among those who Porto were without their two semi-finals in sight for Tuchel's out in 16 games under Tuchel and cine approved and roughly 1 Heading down a notoriously never applied the brake during the offered support. Woods was highest scorers Sergio Oliveira and side. it ensures the chaotic events from million people having received a dangerous stretch of road in the incident, said LASD Captain treated at Harbor-UCLA Medical Medhi Taremi through suspension Chelsea's preparation to face Saturday will not linger too long first dose since February, even Rolling Hills Estates community James Powers. Center as well as Cedars-Sinai but fashioned the early chances in Porto was less than ideal. in the memory. Certainly, there as the country struggles with a in Los Angeles County, Woods’ That could indicate that he Medical Center. Seville and should have had some- Their unbeaten run came to an was little evidence of a hangover rising number of new cases. Vac- car reached speeds of 84 to 87 mph may have mistakenly hit the Woods was not cited for driv- thing to show for it. abrupt end with Saturday's 5-2 among the players. cinations for the elderly are set (135-140 kph) when he lost con- wrong pedal while trying to con- ing at excessive speeds because Luis Diaz forced a block from to start next week. According to trol along a curve that has been trol the car, Powers said. there were no witnesses to the Andreas Christensen in the government officials quoted by the site of 14 other accidents, Sher- “It’s believed that when you incident, which involved only his Chelsea goal mouth before Mateus Euro 2020: Host nations Kyodo late on Wednesday, how- iff Alex Villanueva said at a news panic or you have some sort of car, Villanueva said. Uribe's brilliant control and vol- ever, the government has begun conference. The speed limit was sudden interruption while you’re “The decision not to issue a ley sent the ball looping onto the looking into the possibility of 45 mph (72 kph). driving, your initial thought is to citation will be the exact same roof of the Chelsea net. announce positions on fans making sure its Olympic and The sport utility vehicle hit the brake and it’s believed he thing for anyone in this room who Porto went even closer mid- The deadline for the 12 host cities of Euro 2020 to announce their Paralympic athletes are all vac- (SUV) was going 75 mph (120 may have done that but hit the went through the same situation - way through the half when Pepe plans for fan attendance has passed - so what is each country's posi- cinated by the end of June. The a solo traffic collision, there’s no headed the ball back into the six- tion? report provoked outrage on so- witnesses, (it’s) infraction only, yard box moments after Chelsea The tournament, delayed a year because of the coronavirus pan- cial media, with many commen- and we’re not going to issue a ci- goalkeeper Edouard Mendy demic, will take place between 11 June and 11 July. tors noting that the original gov- tation on an infraction not com- hooked Otavio's direct corner Host associations had been asked to submit plans to accept fans ernment plans for vaccinations mitted in a peace officer’s pres- from under his bar, but Zaidu Sa- by 7 April. gave priority to medical work- ence or independent witnesses,” nusi blazed wildly over from close ers, the elderly and those with London, Glasgow, Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, St Peters- he said. range with the goal at his mercy. chronic conditions, with ordi- burg, Bilbao, Munich, Budapest, Baku, Rome and Bucharest are all On Twitter, Woods said on Porto were left to rue the cat- nary citizens unlikely to get due to host matches. Wednesday that he had been in- alogue of misses just after the half- theirs before the summer. With Uefa expected to make a final decision on host cities at an formed by the sheriff’s depart- hour mark as Chelsea scored a cru- “This is really weird. Given executive committee meeting on 19 April, and all host cities required ment that it had closed the inves- cial away goal. that we have no idea if even all to guarantee fan presence, BBC Sport takes a look at the proposals tigation. The golfer expressed grat- A first concerted spell of the elderly will have received of each. itude to those who had helped Chelsea possession ended with their vaccines by mid-June, Wembley, with a capacity of 90,000, is set to host the final on 11 him, including passersby who Jorginho firing a perfectly- you’re going to have all the ath- July among its seven games - along with both semi-finals, one last-16 called the 911 emergency service, weighed ball into Mount, who game, and all three of England's group games . letes have theirs?” wrote “Ao- and paramedics who rushed him iumi2.” Though a vast majority pirouetted brilliantly in behind The British government has said up to 10,000 spectators will be to the hospital. before firing his maiden Champi- permitted inside English grounds from mid-May, and unlimited num- of Japanese want the Olympics, “I will continue to focus on already postponed once, to be ons League goal into the far cor- bers from 21 June. my recovery and family, and ner. The English FA also says it is prepared to host any additional cancelled or postponed again, thank everyone for the over- the government says they will There was still time before the games that cannot take place elsewhere, having already picked up whelming support and encourage- interval for Porto to create anoth- extra matches originally allocated to Brussels. be carried out as planned from ment I’ve received throughout this July 23 - prompting some com- er opening, but Mendy preserved There were concerns that a failure to confirm fan numbers may very difficult time,” said Woods, Chelsea's lead through to the result in Glasgow being removed as a host city, though First Minister mentators to say: “They must who will miss this week’s Mas- really want the Olympics to go break with a fine save from Pepe's Nicola Sturgeon said last month she remained hopeful Hampden Park ters while recovering from the near-post header. would stage Euro 2020 matches this summer. bbc ahead, if they’re coming up with crash. plans like this.” Reuters Mendy had to be alert early