Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2015

Waugh backs Ponting, Holding call to dump Test toss

SYDNEY: Steve Waugh has backed calls such a bad thing,” Australian Associated no more tosses,” he said in a column for visiting captain should be allowed to decide from fellow former Australia captain Ricky Press quoted him as saying late Wednesday. Wisden India last week. what he wants to do after inspecting the Ponting and West Indies great Michael “At the end of the day I think there’s proba- “The minor setback there in my opinion, pitch.” Despite backing Ponting, Waugh said Holding for cricket chiefs to rid Test cricket of bly too much emphasis placed on the toss is that tosses are big for television. It makes losing the toss was not entirely to blame for the toss. Under Ponting’s proposal, suggest- and the conditions away from home. I don’t for good tension, everyone is focused on Australia’s Ashes series defeat, rather their ed during the recent Ashes series in England, mind the authorities looking at some other that coin when it’s in the air and the winning failure to adapt to English conditions had the away side would choose who bats first in options.” Holding also favours change after captain’s decision and so on. “But that isn’t cost them dearly. order to counteract any advantage the hosts suggestions during the Ashes that grounds- relevant now, times have changed and inter- “They played poorly. Their batting tech- may gain from preparing a pitch that suits men had been told to prepare deliberately est is waning in Test match cricket. What you nique was astray from players of that cali- them best. flat pitches in order to neuter Australia’s need to do now is to make sure you have bre,” Waugh said, adding that modern crick- Waugh said he was open to the radical pace attack. “The concerned authorities even contests between bat and ball. eters should be able to perform in any condi- idea. “I don’t mind that, I think that’s not must look at what Ricky Ponting suggested- “For that, there should be no toss and the tions. — AFP

Johnson, Hazlewood may miss Bangladesh Tests

SYDNEY: Australian pace bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood could miss next month’s Test series in Bangladesh so they can rest ahead of a busy summer schedule. The Sydney Morning Herald Thursday said Cricket Australia was intent on care- fully managing their key quicks with a home series against New Zealand and the West Indies to come from November. Australia also play a one-day series against India and two more Tests in New Zealand in the new year with selectors meeting to discuss the tour of Bangladesh within the next few weeks. “There’s some important consideration that needs to be given to managing our fast bowlers, not just in Bangladesh, but the full 10-Test season, and that will be part of the discussion,” CA’s team performance manager Pat Howard told the newspaper. “Mitchell Johnson and Josh Hazlewood are two players that have had heavy workloads and need to be managed carefully if we are to give them the best chance of success throughout that entire period. “Neither player has had a pre-season to prepare for the Australian summer and we think that’s particularly important.” If Johnson and Hazlewood are rested it would open the door for Peter Siddle to continue his renaissance after bowling impressively in the final Ashes Test against England at The Oval last month. It could also see the recall of either Pat Cummins or James Pattinson CHICAGO: This is a Wednesday, July 29, 2015 file photo of Manchester United’s goalkeeper David de Gea as he warms up to partner Mitchell Starc, although the selection of two spinners is before an International Champions Cup soccer match against Paris Saint-Germain in Chicago. In a surreal ending to the possible given sub-continental conditions. The first Test against Monday transfer window in Spain, the much-anticipated move of Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea to Real Bangladesh starts in Chittagong on October 9, with the second in Madrid never materialized. — AP Mirpur from October 17. — AFP

England a magnet for players S Lanka coach quits as clubs flex financial muscle after losing Tests

LONDON: For the final months of 2015, clubs GERMANY (Newcastle) and (West Ham), Lyon COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s coach Marvan Atapattu has quit in continental Europe can relax: English clubs The figure for QPR compares with around sold Clinton Njie (Tottenham) and Paris Saint- following the team’s defeat by India which recorded its cannot plunder their top talent until January. $80 million that Bayern Munich, which has won Germain sold Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace). first Test series win on the island after 22 years, it was By the time the summer transfer window the last three German titles, expects to earn in Highly-rated Caen N’Golo Kante announced yestersday. closed on Tuesday, English topflight clubs had Bundesliga TV cash this season. “It will be very also crossed the English Channel to join Atapattu, 44, the seventh Sri Lanka head coach in the blown 870 million pounds ($1.3 billion) on difficult, apart from Bayern Munich, to compete Leicester for $9 million. “I would have been past five years, had tendered his resignation which was players - more than double any other with the in the future,” pleased to see him continue his career in accepted, the cricket board said in a statement. “Sri Lanka European league. And 585 million pounds Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs said. France,” Caen president Jean Francois Fortin Cricket thanks Mr. Atapattu for his efforts as Head Coach ($896 million) of that lavish English outlay was Wolfsburg has just received around $75 mil- said. “But for economic reasons it’s not possible. and Batting Coach of the Sri Lanka cricket team, and we to entice foreign clubs to part with valued lion by selling Kevin de Bruyne to Manchester French clubs obviously don’t have the same wish him every success in all his future endeavours,” the assets, according to accountancy firm City, a $50 million-plus profit on the midfielder financial means as their English counterparts.” statement said. It did not say why he resigned four weeks Deloitte. “Without a doubt England has who spent barely a year at the German club, before his one-year contract was due to expire. Atapattu become the place to be playing,” Bobby which is owned by carmaker Volkswagen. BEYOND THE PREMIER LEAGUE was also not immediately available for comment. His resig- Barnes, European president of international Although the Wolfsburg bank balance has The League Championship is also now an nation followed India’s 2-1 win of a Test series in Colombo players’ union FIFPro, told The Associated been fattened by City’s Abu Dhabi ownership, increasingly attractive financial option for play- on Monday. India’s last series success in Sri Lanka came Press on Wednesday. “The biggest transfer keeping De Bruyne would have strengthened ers wanting to come to England and willing to under Mohammad Azharuddin’s captaincy in 1993 when fees and the biggest salaries are being paid in its quest to topple the mighty Munich and drop into a second-tier league, albeit one that is they won 1-0. England so the top players will try to come.” repeat its only Bundesliga title success in 2009. the fourth-best attended in Europe. Just look at Atapattu took over the team as its coach in September In the last Deloitte ranking of teams by Discussing players being attracted to the Championship game between former last year after Englishman Paul Farbrace abruptly quit revenue, all 20 Premier League clubs were in English clubs, Volkswagen chairman Martin Premier League teams Sheffield Wednesday months earlier to become deputy coach of England. the top 40 globally - such is the gulf in the Winterkorn, a Wolfsburg board member, said: and Middlesbrough last week. Middlesbrough’s Atapattu was the latest addition in a succession of price of showing English matches on televi- “We will have to consider what we can do here goals in its 3-1 win were scored by an Italian coaches for Sri Lanka since 2010, following Trevor Bayliss, sion compared with their European counter- in Germany to prevent a sell-out.” (Diego Fabbrini), Uruguayan (Christian Stuani) Stuart Law, Rumesh Ratnayake, Geoff Marsh, Graham Ford parts. As a result, even finishing bottom of and only one Englishman (Adam Reach). The and Farbrace. He was asked to prepare the national team the Premier League earned Queens Park FRANCE Wednesday goal was scored by Marco Matias, to face the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, but Rangers around $100 million from the The talent drain to English clubs extends who joined for $2 million in the offseason from Atapattu later blamed lack of fitness and poor form for the Premier League last season and that figure beyond the Premier League elite. And French Portuguese club Nacional. The 26-year-old team’s failure to progress beyond the quarter finals. A pro- could soar by a third when the new TV deals clubs in particular are tempted by lucrative winger was not just a squad player at home. lific right-hander, Atapattu scored 5,502 runs from 90 Tests, starts next year. Relegated clubs are also enti- transfer packages from English clubs who aren’t With 17 goals in 33 games, he was the fourth including six double-hundreds, after making his debut tled to four years of so-called “parachute pay- used to winning titles. highest scorer in the Portuguese league. against India in 1990. His 8,529 one-day runs included 11 ments” to soften the hard landing of relega- For fees of between $15 million and $20 mil- Wednesday is also managed by former hundreds. — AFP tion to the second tier. lion per player, Marseille sold Florian Thauvin Portuguese defender Carlos Carvalhal. — AP