42 Friday Sports Friday, October 20, 2017 De Villiers finds sweet spot on return

It’s a huge privilege to play for my team

PAARL: AB de Villiers feels he is hitting the watched all the games the guys played and ball as sweetly as he ever following his recent I’ve been in contact with them. It felt like I break from the South African side, an omi- never really left, but I did miss being on the nous sign for bowlers ahead of a busy season park and playing. “It’s great to be back. It’s a across all three formats. huge privilege to play for my team and my South Africa were given a glimpse of what country. For the last few months, I’ve been they have been missing as De Villiers flayed working really hard on my game and all I Bangladesh’s attack with stunning ease on his wanted to do was get back into the side.” De way to a career-best one-day international Villiers hinted in the past that he may retire score on Wednesday. from test to He smashed 176 concentrate on the from 104 balls, includ- limited-overs game, ing seven towering but appears to have sixes, as South Africa I’m hitting performed an about- sealed the three- turn and is now hope- match series with a the ball as ful of a return to the game to spare follow- well as ever longest format for the ing a 104- victory. first time since January “I’m hitting the ball as 2016. “If selected, I well as ever and it felt will be there but I that way out there, I can’t accept that I am could feel the ball coming off really well,” he going to be in the squad,” he said. “I have told reporters. “It’s just nice to contribute.” been out of the squad for a while and guys De Villiers had been on a self-imposed that have come in have done well. exile from the side, but announced last month “You don’t just walk into the test team. I he would be available again in all three for- am going to have to work my way back. I am mats as South Africa prepare to welcome prepared to do the hard work.” South Africa India and for respective test series host Zimbabwe in an inaugural four-day test PAARL: South Africa’s AB de Villiers plays a shot during the second one day inter- in the coming months. starting on Boxing Day, before three matches national (ODI) cricket match between South Africa and Bangladesh at Park “I just needed a couple of months away against India in January and four versus tour- in Paarl.— AFP with the family, which I got,” he said. “I ing Australia in March. — Reuters

Spinner Hafeez plot revenge reported for in women’s Ashes bowling action MELBOURNE: England’s women will hope to build on the DUBAI: Pakistan off-spinner success of their World Cup triumph and wrest back the Mohammad Hafeez has been reported Ashes from an Australian side shorn of talismanic for a suspect bowling action during the . third one-day international against Sri The all-formats tournament kicks off with a one-day Lanka in Abu Dhabi, the International international in Brisbane on Sunday and promises to be Cricket Council said yesterday. more than a curtain-raiser for the five-test men’s series The ICC said the match officials’ that begins in November. report, which was handed over to the England, captained by Heather Knight, are seeking Pakistan team management, cited con- revenge after being humbled on home soil in the previous cerns about the legality of the 37-year- series in 2015, while Australia are desperate to make old’s bowling action during the match on amends for their surprise World Cup semi-final exit in July. Wednesday. “We’ve got over (the World Cup) now,” Australia pace “Hafeez’s bowling action will now be bowler told reporters this week. “We’ve scrutinised further under the ICC illegal Mohammad Hafeez learnt from the mistakes that were made over there and bowling action regulations. He is dealt with the personal issues that came with that. required to undergo testing within 14 “We’ve really worked hard at getting over that speed days, and, during this period, Hafeez is July 2015. Shabbir Ahmed, as well as spinners bump.” has been named skipper of permitted to continue bowling in inter- On 17 November 2016, Hafeez Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Bilal Asif Australia in place of Lanning and will be under pressure to national cricket until the results of the underwent a reassessment of his bowl- all reported in the past. Ajmal’s career get the better of Knight, who replaced assessments are known,” said an ICC ing action at the National Cricket ended after he failed to achieve the last year and was a cool head during the World Cup on release. This is the third time that his Centre in Brisbane and was allowed to same success with a remodelled action home soil. Australia all-rounder again looms as action has been reported as suspect. He resume bowling after his action was in 2015 while Bilal’s action was cleared a huge threat to England’s hopes of victory after being was first suspended from bowling in found to be legal. after reassessment. Under the new ICC player of the series in the past two Ashes campaigns. December 2014 before he was cleared Hafeez eight overs and took regulations, all bowlers are allowed to She enters the tournament off the back of an outstand- the following April. His action was one for 39 in the match which Pakistan bend their arm by 15 degrees-beyond ing World Cup where she amassed 404 runs and took nine reported for a second time in June 2015 won by seven to secure an which the action is deemed illegal. wickets. England will lean on their formidable attack of and as this was his second suspension unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match Hafeez has claimed 136 wickets in 193 seamers , and young spin- within 24 months of the initial suspen- series. Pakistan has a history of prob- one-day internationals, also taking 52 ner Sophie Ecclestone to thwart Perry and the Australian sion, he was suspended from bowling in lems with illegal bowling actions with Test scalps and 46 wickets in Twenty20 batswomen.—Reuters international cricket for 12 months from quick bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and internationals. —AFP