WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017 SPORTS Rename ‘Mankad’, fumes Gavaskar

NEW DELHI: Batting great Sunil Gavaskar grave objections to that because it’s put- wants the term “Mankad” dropped from ting one of India’s cricketing legends in a cricketing parlance, saying linking the bad light,” Gavaskar said on the Sony Max famously controversial dismissal to Indian TV channel during an Indian Premier all-rounder Vinoo Mankad smears the leg- League Twenty20 match. end’s name. The term-used when a bowler “He has been one of India’s all-time runs out a non-striker before delivery-was great cricketers. Our legend’s name should coined 70 years ago when Mankad twice not be spoiled. If you want to call it any- ran out Bill Brown at the bowler’s end dur- thing, just say the batsman was ‘Browned’, ing India’s tour of Australia in 1947. Mankad not ‘Mankaded’.” His comments come just a was widely criticized for unsporting play, fortnight after the Marylebone Cricket despite warning Brown several times that Club, which oversees administration of the he was straying from his crease. sport, declared it was updating the rule Australian skipper Donald Bradman and governing the dismissal to “put the onus on Brown himself also defended the Indian the non-striker to remain in his/her bowler but the term-loaded with negative ground”. Dismissing a batsman at the non- connotations of bad sportsmanship-stuck striking end remains contentious in the for generations. But 70 years down the world of cricket. Sri Lanka’s Sachithra track, former Indian captain Gavaskar Senanayake was widely criticized by the wants the term amended, arguing it English press in 2014 after he dismissed Jos should be renamed “Browned” after the Buttler in this fashion during a one-day Australian player who was at fault. “I have international in 2014. — AFP

NASHVILLE: The Nashville Predators charge the ice after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on April 17, 2017. — AFP NHL plays 4 OT playoff games in crazy night Predators push Hawks to brink of elimination

WASHINGTON: Tyler Bozak scored a power-play zone that was close to being offside. Turris got and take a 3-0 lead in their Western Conference goal at 1:37 of overtime, and the Toronto Maple the puck to Ryan, who tipped it past Tuukka first-round playoff series. Perry’s shot from a bad Leafs defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 on Rask as Ottawa overcame blowing a 3-0 lead to angle hit Calgary goalie Brian Elliott and then Monday night to take a 2-1 lead in a first-round reclaim home-ice advantage in the best-of-sev- deflected off defenseman Michael Stone’s back- Eastern Conference playoff series. All three en series. Mike Hoffman scored twice and Derick side and in to lead the Ducks to a come-from- games have gone to overtime. Auston Matthews, Brassard had a goal for Ottawa. Noel Acciari, behind victory. Shea Theodore scored his first DHARAMSALA: In this file photo, India’s cricket captain Virat Kohli (left) and Ajinkya Nazem Kadri and William Nylander also scored David Backes and David Pastrnak answered for two NHL playoff goals for the Ducks. In relief of Rahane (right) receive the Border-Gavaskar trophy from Sunil Gavaskar during the fourth for the Maple Leafs, and Matthews added an the Bruins in their second straight three-goal Anaheim starting goalie John Gibson, Jonathan day of the fourth and final cricket Test match between India and Australia at The assist. Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin and second period. Bernier stopped all 16 shots he faced to pick up Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. Batting great Sunil Evgeny Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals, who the win. Gibson gave up four goals on 16 shots Gavaskar has slammed the use of the term ‘Mankad’ when a bowler runs out a non-striker twice had two-goal leads. The Maple Leafs scored DUCKS 5, FLAMES 4 (OT) before being relieved by Bernier at 8:33 of the before his delivery, saying the onus in such dismissals is on the batsman. — AFP the final two goals of the second period to send Corey Perry scored at 1:30 of overtime as second period. Sean Monahan had a goal and an the game to the third period tied at 3. It stayed Anaheim overcame a 4-1 deficit to win the game assist for the Flames. — Agencies CRICKET that way through the third. But when Washington’s Lars Eller took a high-sticking penalty at 19:44, Toronto opened the overtime Australia’s pace attack on the power play and took advantage. could decide Ashes: Lee PREDATORS 3, BLACKHAWKS 2 (OT) The Chicago Blackhawks were left staring down the barrel of a shock early playoff exit after MUMBAI: Australia’s pace attack, embold- “Two completely different bowlers but Kevin Fiala’s overtime winner handed the ened by the return of “once in a generation” complementing each other because they are Nashville Predators a 3-0 series lead on Monday. bowler Pat Cummins, could prove the differ- building pressure from each end. Then you Fiala slipped a backhander past Corey Crawford as ence between the sides in this year’s Ashes throw in someone like a Pat Cummins. It’s a Nashville fought back from 2-0 down to seal a dra- series against England, former paceman Brett pretty handy attack.” Less than six months matic 3-2 victory in Nashville. The win means the Lee said. Steve Smith’s side already boast tear- ago, Australia were still reeling from their 3-0 Predators are just one victory away from sending away paceman Mitchell Starc along with the whitewash in Sri Lanka when they were beat- Chicago crashing out of the playoffs in what precision of Josh Hazlewood. Cummins en in the home series by South Africa with a would be a stunning end to the postseason for the returned to test cricket in India after more match to spare. The axe fell on some players Western Conference top seeds. Fiala’s winner than five years in the wilderness, replacing and a revamped side gained a consolation came after he had missed two golden chances in injured spearhead Starc and taking eight win at Adelaide Oval before going on to overtime. Crawford had seemed determined to wickets from the final two matches in Ranchi blank Pakistan 3-0 in the following series. keep Chicago alive, making 46 stops in the defeat. and Dharamsala. They impressed one and all in India, going Pekka Rinne made 34 saves for Nashville. Chicago His successful comeback has only bol- down 2-1 after a closely-fought four-match now face the Predators on Thursday in Game 4, stered Australia’s already formidable pace series against the world’s top ranked test side. aiming to avoid a series sweep. resources. “What Pat Cummins can bring is Lee said Smith now had the players to build a pace, aggression, control and anything team around for the long-term. SENATORS 4, BRUINS 3 (OT) between that. He is a once in a generation “After (former captain) Michael Clarke, you Bobby Ryan tipped home a pass from Kyle bowler and you have got to harness that got Steve Smith taking over, and I think he’s Turris for a power-play goal 5:43 into overtime, amazing talent,” Lee said in an interview at a building his own team, which is a terrific giving Ottawa a road win and a 2-1 lead in the Mumbai hotel overlooking the Arabian Sea. team,” said the 40-year-old. first-round Eastern Conference playoff series. CALGARY: Alex Chiasson #39 of the Calgary Flames fights Patrick Eaves #18 of the Anaheim The 23-year-old right-armer showed good “It’s a team that are very close and a team Riley Nash was in the penalty box when Erik Ducks for the puck in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round during the 2017 NHL control and generated enough pace even on that’s going to be around for a long time now. Karlsson hit a flying Turris with a pass into the Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Saddledome on April 17, 2017. — AFP the docile surfaces in India to trouble the You have got some young guys coming. hosts’ batsmen. (Matt) Renshaw is just 21 years old. (Peter) James Pattinson has also been in stellar Handscomb has come on and just taken to form in domestic cricket since returning from test cricket like a duck to water. Gatland ready to reveal Lions squad a 12-month injury layoff in February and the “You throw in Pat Cummins, he’s back in 26-year-old could complete a dream pace the mix after five and half years in absence of LONDON: Warren Gatland will reveal his British provincial teams and the desperately limited said, factoring in the tough tour games against quartet for the five-match Ashes series start- not playing test cricket. You got some people and Irish Lions squad for the daunting tour of preparation time. The Lions kick off with the only the country’s dominant sides. ing in November. Lee, an ambassador for that are injecting in some youth, some experi- New Zealand today, when talk in rugby clubs easy-looking fixture of the 10-match tour, The Lions have won only one series in New Bowling Master, said he would struggle to ence. Australia is in a very good spot.” Lee across the region will quickly switch from who against Provincial Barbarians on June 3. Zealand, in 1971, and since they started touring summon the courage to face such a pace bat- was also looking forward to seeing how Joe will be on the plane to who is likely to be in the That is just one week after the English there in 1904 have won six of the 38 tests - with tery. “I would be (scared), absolutely,” Lee said Root, who replaced long-serving Alastair test team. Gatland, who oversaw the 2-1 series Premiership and Pro-12 finals, and with Gatland three draws. They were hammered 3-0 on their after launching the cricket training kit which Cook as test captain, would lead England victory over Australia four years ago, is tipped to having said previously that anyone featuring in last visit 12 years ago, when was in will be sold on Amazon’s India portal. “It’s a Down Under. “He’s a class act ... His stats back select Welsh flanker Sam Warburton as captain those matches will not play in the tour opener, his pomp, but if Lions fans think the retirement pretty serious pace barrage that you’ve got. it up and proved that he is such an amazing for the second time, an honor previously his opening options look squeezed. Former of the superstar flyhalf will have weakened the Australian bowling stocks now are pretty talent,” Lee said. “He’s ranked among the top bestowed only on England’s Martin Johnson. England flyhalf Stuart Barnes, who toured New All Blacks, they have not been watching healthy. “Hazlewood is more of hitting the four-five batsmen in the world. And you Warburton captained the team in the first two Zealand with the Lions in 1993 without playing a Beauden Barrett, who is operating at arguably good length, day in and day out. With Starc throw in the captaincy with that. I am actually tests against Australia in 2013 but missed the test, described this year’s tour as “attempting to even higher levels this season. His, and possibly you will be full, short, good length, yorkers, looking forward to seeing how he goes on decisive third through injury, with fellow conquer rugby’s Mount Everest without oxygen, New Zealand’s only relative weakness is in goal- the whole thing. the Australian wickets.”— Reuters Welshman Alun Wyn Jones stepping in. with a storm gathering on the horizon. kicking, where the Lions have real strength in Jones has taken on the captaincy duties for “To win the series would be the greatest depth, but the tourists are almost certainly RUGBY Wales this season while Warburton has played Lions triumph of all. To win more than 50 per- going to need to find more than a few penalties superbly, adding to the conundrum for Gatland, cent of their games will be a decent effort,” he to conquer that sporting Everest. — Reuters who will return to his day job as Wales coach Former All Black after the tour. There will no doubt be the usual surprises - experienced Six Nations men missing out and the odd young “bolter” being given their Evans to retire chance. Media speculation over the weekend has already suggested that Joe Launchbury, LONDON: Harlequins’ former New Zealand showed me things I could never imagine and George Ford and Jamie Joseph can start prepar- fly-half Nick Evans is to retire from rugby introduced me to people that are not team- ing for England’s tour of Argentina instead. union at the end of the northern hemi- mates, but family.” Evans, widely regarded as The heart of the squad oozes quality, with fly- sphere season, the English Premiership club one of the best overseas signings in halves Jonathan Sexton and Owen Farrell, announced yesterday. The 36-year-old Premiership history, added: “I need to thank scrumhalf Conor Murray, winger George North joined the Twickenham-based side in 2008 the clubs I have represented, the coaches and key forwards Billy Vunipola, Peter O’Mahony, and has since made more than 200 appear- who have helped shape the player I am today, Taulupe Faletau and Sean O’Brien on just about ances and scored a club record 2,217 and the fans, both in New Zealand where it all every pundit’s short list. Gatland also looks points. But by signing for Quins, Evans started, and here in the UK, for their support. spoiled for choice at lock and in the back row, effectively called time on an All Blacks’ “I couldn’t think of a better shirt and place to where some high-class operators will have to career that yielded 16 caps from 2004 to finish my career at than Harlequins, I want to miss out. On the other hand, other areas will 2007, although by that stage he was being thank the club and fans for making myself have given him sleepless nights, with a group of eclipsed at international level by fly-half and my family feel unbelievably welcome. It similarly matched contenders of a good stan- great Dan Carter. has made our time so special.” dard but who are unlikely to strike fear into New Evans, who began his career with Otago Harlequins director of rugby John Zealand coach Steve Hansen. and played for the Highlanders and the Kingston paid tribute to the stand-off by Key among those is probably hooker, where in Super Rugby, was a central figure as saying: “The word ‘legendary’ is really over- the captains of the best two teams in Europe - Quins won the second-tier European used within the modern sporting world, England’s Dylan Hartley and Ireland’s Rory Best - Challenge Cup in 2011 and took the but in the case of Nick Evans and his rugby will probably travel but with neither in the box Premiership title the following year. “I playing career at Harlequins, it is the per- seat - and Wales’ impressive Ken Owens in with a thought leaving New Zealand was hard, but fect description. “From the moment he shout. For all those who make the squad, and leaving the game I’ve played since I was arrived in the summer of 2008, he has been however well they bed down in their short time LONDON: In this file photo, Australia’s Sitaleki Timani (right) is tackled by England’s Joe eight years old-and professionally for 17 at the forefront of taking the club to together, they face a monumentally difficult Launchbury (top) and during their autumn international rugby match at years-is tough. But when you know, you heights never experienced before, includ- task. Many observers are describing this year’s Twickenham Stadium in London. Team coach Warren Gatland met with staff yesterday, to final- know,” said Evans in a Harlequins statement. ing being crowned Premiership champions tour as the Lions’ toughest, not just because of ize a squad of English, Irish, Welsh and Scottish players, with a month to form the former rivals “This game has taught me everything, in 2012.” — AFP the supreme quality of the world champion All into a squad of British and Irish Lions comrades ready to face New Zealand. Launchbury could Blacks, but because of the strength too of the miss out in the face of intense competition in the second row position. — AP