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MONDAY, MAY 29, 2017 SPORTS New Pakistan skipper Sarfraz faces Trophy acid test KARACHI: New captain Sarfraz Ahmed wash in Bangladesh and 4-1 reverses to tesy of their clean-sweep against min- lift in that area”, head coach Mickey a few surprises with his leg-spin in an will face his stiffest test yet when he both England and Australia before nows Zimbabwe in May 2015, while also Arthur said. For Raja, the problem lies in attack led by Mohammad Amir, whose leads unfancied Pakistan in the Sarfraz was handed the reins. The wick- profiting from England’s whitewashing the number of dot deliveries (balls from swing and accuracy was almost back to Champion’s Trophy-starting with a high- etkeeper-batsman is credited with of the West Indies. But the animated which the batting side does not score) its former best in the West Indies. ly-charged clash against India. injecting new energy after winning three Sarfraz, who was often spotted scream- that allows the run-rate to dry up. Pakistan have never won the Champions After qualifying by the skin of their of his first four games, two against the ing instructions at his fielders during the “I would recommend Sarfraz to bat at Trophy but they reached the semi-finals teeth, Pakistan will need to overcome West Indies and one against lowly West Indies series, warned that Pakistan four or five just to shake things up,” he in 2004 and 2009. serious batting deficiencies to be com- Zimbabwe. cannot be counted out. “It’s true we are said. Veteran Shoaib Malik and all- On both occasions they got the bet- petitive following their struggles in the But former captain Ramiz Raja (ranked) number eight but we are capa- rounder Imad Wasim will be required to ter of India, their only wins against their one-day format in recent years. believes the team lacks the skill-set ble of giving a tough time to our oppo- give impetus to the batting line-up. bitter rivals in a multi-national ICC event. Pakistan’s tournament in England starts needed to regularly beat top sides in nents,” Sarfraz told AFP. “We will over- But the team is lacking the services of For Sarfraz, Pakistan’s opener against with the toughest of games against modern limited-overs cricket, which tilts come our weaknesses during our prepa- explosive opener Sharjeel Khan, who is India will set the tone for the rest of their arch-rivals India, the defending champi- heavily towards batting. “They say a cap- rations in a camp in Birmingham and will currently facing a tribunal for spot-fixing tournament. “We all know how lively ons, in Birmingham on June 4. tain is as good as his team and this side be noticed for our fight.” and could face a life ban if found guilty. these Pakistan-India matches are, so we They are looking to halt a slump that lacks power-hitting skills,” Raja told AFP. Enfant terrible Umar Akmal, the other will turn up fully motivated to have a began with a first-round exit from the “Also to win he needs to find wickets CLEARING THE ROPES batsman seen as capable of consistently winning start,” he said. 2015 World Cup, prompting all-rounder with the new ball. He has to be in control Pakistan’s biggest task will be match- clearing the boundary, was kicked out of They also face South Africa, on June Shahid Afridi and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq of his emotions-he must have a flexible ing the big-hitting of other teams. the squad and sent home for failing two 7 in Birmingham, and Sri Lanka on to exit the one-day scene. plan based on discipline to create a win- Pakistan is “playing the style or brand fitness tests. June 11 in Cardiff. The top two teams Test specialist Azhar Ali then led ning environment.” Pakistan squeezed that belongs to the 1990s when the The bowling department is in better from each group will qualify for the Pakistan to an embarrassing 3-0 white- into the eight-team tournament cour- game has moved on, so we need a huge shape. New boy Shadab Khan can spring semi-finals. —AFP England hope Champions Trophy provides elusive title LONDON: In 42 years of trying England In 2004, they reduced the West Indies to have never won a major global one-day 147 for eight chasing 218 only to suffer a international trophy but hopes are high two-wicket defeat. Yet what happened at they can finally put an end to that damning Edgbaston four years ago, in the last statistic as the host nation of next month’s Champions Trophy final, was arguably even Champions Trophy. worse. England, with many of the current Eoin Morgan’s men have come a long squad involved, eventually needed 20 off way in a short space of time since a humili- 16 balls with six wickets in hand-an unlos- ating first-round exit at the 2015 World Cup able position from which they duly lost to in Australia and New Zealand saw them India, who will be a tough proposition labelled “an analogue team in a digital age”. again under the leadership of Virat Kohli. Proof of their resurgence came when they With scores of 300 barely a ‘par score’, posted a world record ODI score of 444 for bowlers could yet play a decisive role. three against Pakistan at Trent Bridge last “No team has mastered the art of bowl- year. England, who once disdained the ing at the death,” South Africa coach Russell Indian Premier League, are now happy to Domingo told the Sunday Times. “It’s how let players miss internationals so they can you bowl up front and in the middle that extend their time in the lucrative Twenty20 limits the damage later.” event. In all-rounder Ben Stokes they have Reigning world champions Australia, one of the world’s best, with the Durham albeit the players are in a pay dispute with hero paid a record $2.16 million to take their board, boast some impressive part before being named the tournament’s weapons in an attack headed by left-arm most valuable player on the field as well. fast bowler Mitchell Starc, while Domingo And even when Stokes fails to fire, England can field the likes of Morne Morkel and can still find a way to win games-as they Kagiso Rabada. showed with a 72-run victory over top- Spin could play a part too, with India’s ranked South Africa in the first ODI of a Ravi Ashwin eager to pose problems. But three-match warm-up series at Headingley the joy of the Champions Trophy, a sprint on Wednesday. “We’ve got the team that is compared to the marathon of a World Cup, capable of (winning our next seven match- is that Pakistan and Sri Lanka will fancy es),” said all-rounder Mooen Ali. their chances while Bangladesh-who knocked England out of the 2015 World ‘LIMIT THE DAMAGE’ Cup-could have a say in the destiny of the Their displays have been noted, with title. England will look to underline just Kane Williamson, the captain of an endur- how much they have moved on from that LONDON: India’s captain Virat Kohli bats during the ICC Champions Trophy Warm-up match between India and New Zealand at The Oval in ingly competitive New Zealand, saying: match when they face the Tigers in the London yesterday. — AFP “They are the best England one-day unit tournament opener at The Oval on I’ve played against. The power in their bat- Thursday. But thoughts about who might CRICKET ting line-up is a real strength, but it’s one- win were put on hold following the day cricket and things happen that aren’t Manchester terror attack that killed 22 peo- expected.” England, whose only major ple. The tournament, as with so much of International Cricket Council trophy is the public life in Britain, goes on with its fix- India ‘to enjoy’ Champions 2010 World Twenty20, are well aware of tures unchanged but with no one unaffect- that point. As if losing three World Cup ed. “We will make this a safe, secure tour- finals, the last in 1992, was not bad enough, nament. Don’t let the terrorists have their England have also been beaten in two title- way,” said ICC anti-corruption and security Trophy after money row deciding matches in the Champions chief Ronnie Flanagan. “Sport can be a Trophy, the ‘mini World Cup’, on home soil wonderfully positive influence in the face when well-placed. of adversity and terrorism.” — AFP NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli says India will go out team which has done so well so far.” rightful share,” a senior board official told AFP “to enjoy” their cricket as they aim to defend The BCCI are angry at the new ICC revenue on condition of anonymity. “But trust me the their Champions Trophy crown against the model agreed last month that reduced the revenue matter had nothing to do with the backdrop of a row over money with the inter- powers of cricket’s “Big Three”-Australia, Champions Trophy. “We work for the best Government to mediate national board. The Board of Control for England and India. The BCCI believes it will interest of the players and our wishes are with Cricket in India (BCCI) backed out of a threat to lose $277 million in revenue over the next them to defend the title and play the brand of in Australia pay row boycott the 50-over tournament in a revenue- eight years.

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