SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2020 16 National basketball team set for Amman camp TDT | Manama

ahrain’s national basket- BETTER ball team depart today for BAmman where they will hold a training camp in prepa- KNOW ration for their upcoming quali- fiers for the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup. The Bahrainis are in Group D of the qualification process Bahrain will be taking along with India, Lebanon and part in an international Iraq. They open their campaign friendly tournament against their Indian counter- while in Jordan parts at home on February 21, and then travel directly to Beirut to play their Lebanese counter- parts just three days later on before the Bahrainis’ next game February 24. on November 26, which is away Bahrain will be taking part in against Iraq. They then play an international friendly tour- away once again against India nament while in Jordan. There, on November 29. they will be facing qualifying Their final two qualifiers will rivals Iraq and Lebanon, as well be held in February of next year, as Syria and hosts Jordan, which both at home against Lebanon would give them the ideal tune- and then Iraq. up games ahead of the qualifiers. The top two teams from each Bahrain head coach Sam Vin- of the six qualification groups cent has named 13 players to Bahrain national team players and officials in a local practice book their tickets to the Fiba travel with the team to Amman. Buallay; two from Khalifa bin ban, Maytham Jameel and Hesh- zamel; and Al Najma’s natural- in Isa Town. Asia Cup, while the third-placed They include three from defend- Salman Cup holders Riffa, in- am Sarhan; four from Manama, ised big man CJ Giles. Vincent’s assistant coach on teams go to another stage of ing league champions Muhar- cluding Subah Hussain and Mo- namely Mohammed Hussain, The team have already been the national team is Ayoob Haji. qualification, where another raq, namely Ahmed Aldurazi, hammed Salman; three from Al Ahmed Abdulaziz and Ameer practising locally under Vincent Following this month’s quali- four final spots will be up for Ali Shukrallah and Mohammed Ahli including Mohammed Qur- brothers Mohammed and Mu- at the Khalifa Sports City arena fiers, there will be a long break grabs. Taylor’s ‘simple’ approach leads Cleiton “Predator” looking New Zealand to ODI series win to dominate BRAVE CF’s AFP | Auckland Lightweight division “for years” ew Zealand wrapped up TDT | Manama Nthe one-day series against India with veteran Ross Taylor leiton “Predator” Silva is and debutant Kyle Jamieson Cin the middle of training combining to set up a 22-run camp for his much-anticipated win in game two in Auckland return to the BRAVE CF Arena. yesterday. The Lightweight world cham- Taylor, who was also New pion will make his first title Zealand’s hero with a century defense in his home country, in the four- victory in as he hosts Sweden’s Guram game one, set up the second Kutateladze in the main event success with 73 and an of BRAVE CF 35, set for Balneário unbeaten 76-run partnership Camboriú, Brazil.The Bah- with the novice Jamieson. raini-born, worldwide brand Jamieson went to the middle will land in the South of Brazil with New Zealand 197 for eight Ross Taylor plays a shot for yet another huge event on and almost nine overs remain- “One-day cricket in this cal- March 28th. ing following a spectacular col- endar year is not as relevant if And if Cleiton has anything to lapse in which they lost seven you look at the T20s and the do with it, the fight against Ku- Cleiton ‘Predator’ Silva celebrates a victory for 55 runs. Tests, but having said that, to tateladze is just the beginning He said Taylor, in his 231st show that kind of fight and see of a long road of dominance for is coming to my house to take BRAVE CF 35 marks the fifth ODI, had a “pretty simple” mes- 73 who are the guys who can play the champ. In an impromptu that from me. I will be champi- time the fastest-growing MMA sage to try to bat out the overs. runs were scored by Ross under pressure is a big revela- Q&A answer with his social me- on for many years, and I want promotion in the world lands “It was about trying to stay Taylor as he led New tion for us,” Kohli said. dia followers, “The Predator” to keep defending this belt for in Brazil, who becomes the there and stick with Ross and Zealand to victory New Zealand made a strong claimed he wishes for “many a long time”, said the Brazil- country that hosts the biggest get to a score that we could de- start in Auckland with Martin years at the top” of BRAVE CF’s ian striker, who also welcomed number of BRAVE CF shows, fend in the end.” Guptill (69) and Henry Nicholls Lightweight division. new challengers from other alongside the Kingdom of Bah- Tom Latham called (41) putting on 93 for the first “This division is great, full divisions. rain. The organization expects their partnership “vital” and balls remaining in their innings, wicket. of amazing fighters. But I just “It would be cool to fight to confirm top names for the said he knew once India lost but captain Virat Kohli was not Following Nicholl’s dismissal, have one goal right now. To beat against other champions, I’m fight card in the coming days as early wickets that 273 was a too despondent having already Tom Blundell joined Guptill to Guram, to beat him up badly. not going to lie. Let’s see what some of the best fighters in Bra- satisfactory total. India were beaten New Zealand 5-0 n the get the total to 142 before the I want to show everyone that the future holds, but right now zil and the world are expected dismissed for 251 with nine Twenty20 series. seven-wicket collapse. I’m the champion and no one my focus is on Guram”. to feature. Sublime Babar, Masood help Pakistan dominate Bangladesh AFP | Rawalpindi, Pakistan Masood said he and Azam have done out and 100 not out against Sri Lanka for Azam had Ebadot Hossain not their jobs. in two Tests -- making this his fourth dropped him off Islam at long-off when parkling hundreds from Babar Azam “We have batted our way to take the hundred in five Tests. his score was only two. Sand Shan Masood put Pakistan in team in a strong position and hope that In between he missed a hundred at That lapse cost Bangladesh dearly as command against Bangladesh on the the remaining batsmen come and score Adelaide by a mere three runs. Azam added an invaluable 112 for the second day of the first Test at Rawal- so that we can build a good lead,” said Azam steered spinner Taijul Islam to third wicket with Masood, who also pindi yesterday. Masood, who hailed Azam as world short third man boundary for his 15th knocked his third Test century -- sec- Azam scored a career best unbeaten class. four to complete three-figure mark off ond in successive Tests. 143 for his third successive hundred in “When Babar was coming out to bat just 134 balls. Masood -- who was finally bowled as many Tests -- fifth of a burgeoning the crowd chanted ‘Babar, Babar’ and He has so far batted for 276 minutes, out by Islam -- reached his hundred career -- while opener Shan Masood that is the sign of a great batsman who smashing 18 boundaries and a six. His by hooking pacer Rubel Hossain for made 100 as they pulverised a hap - is so popular.” previous best score was 127 against his 12th boundary. He reached three less Bangladesh attack at Rawalpindi Pakistan lead Bangladesh’s first in- New Zealand in Dubai in November figures off 157 balls in 226 minutes of stadium. nings total of 233 by 109 runs with six 2018. . At close, Azam was still batting with wickets intact. Shafiq also batted with confidence, Islam (1-111) toiled hard as he bowled on 60, piling agony on the Since his fighting century against having so far hit eight boundaries in his 27 overs on the trot since start. The only visitors during their unbroken 137-run Australia at Brisbane (104) in Novem- 111-ball knock. other successful bowler was paceman stand for the fourth wicket. ber last year, Azam has notched 102 not Babar Azam plays a shot But it could have been an early exit Abu Jayed whose figure read 2-66.