FRIDAY 12 JANUARY 2018 21 You need to find the perfect SPORT balance to do well in South TODAY’S 6.30am QNB Stars League Africa, especially where there Virat Kohli ACTION ATHLETICS Round 12 is more bounce. You cannot be Indian skipper said ahead Ooredoo Doha 4.20pm: Al Ahli vs Al Gharafa casual at the same time you of the second Test against Marathon 2018 6.20pm: Al Sailiya vs Al Arabi cannot have loose shots also South Africa starting tomorrow Livingstone Indian cricketers warm up ahead of their match against South Africa Bjorn eyes EurAsia in England victory with squad for NZ tour Ryder Cup in mind REUTERS REUTERS PARIS: Captain Thomas Bjorn (pictured) will look LONDON: England named to lead Europe to a victory batsman Liam Livingstone in over hosts Asia in this their squad for the two-Test week’s EurAsia Cup with tour of New Zealand starting the event also serving as in March. a dress rehearsal for one The 24-year-old Living- of the teams contesting stone has not played Test the 2018 Ryder Cup. cricket but took part in two Le Golf National in Twenty20 internationals Paris will host the 42nd against South Africa last year. Ryder Cup in September Fast bowler Mark Wood when the Dane will lead a was also included after recov- India brace for tough side trying to wrest the ering from injury. title back from the United “Liam has been a player States, who last won in Europe 25 years ago. that we have been impressed With that longer-term goal in mind, Bjorn has six with for quite some time, former Ryder Cup players at his disposal in a 12-man having performed well in the task in second Test team that will take part in the third edition of the EurAsia county system with Lancashire Cup at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala and over the past couple of REUTERS South Africa lead the strengths. If you want to beat the Lumpur. years with the England Lions,” three-Test series 1-0 best team in the world, which The last time the event was played, a European team National Selector James CAPE TOWN: If India were India are, then maybe we have to led by Northern Irishman Darren Clarke romped to an 18 Whitaker said. hoping for a reprieve from fast after they romped to do something slightly different to 1/2-5 1/2 blowout win over their Asian counterparts in Wood, 27, was named in and bouncy South African wickets a 72-run victory at what we’ve done in the past. the second edition of the biennial matchplay contest in the squad for the first time in the second Test starting Newlands in Cape Town “We have to get stuck in and 2016. since last year. tomorrow, they will not find it in on Monday, a match be tough with the bat and the ball; The current side includes Englishmen Tommy Fleet- All-rounder Ben Stokes Pretoria, a ground where the get in their faces a bit and use our wood, who won last season’s Race to Dubai, Tyrrell Hatton, was included, although he is home side have a formidable that effectively needed physicality in terms of our pace.” Ross Fisher and Matthew Fitzpatrick, Spaniard Rafa still suspended by England and record. just three days to be India know what is coming Cabrera-Bello, Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, Ireland’s Paul missed the recent Ashes series South Africa romped to a completed with one lost and their success will be deter- Dunne, Belgian Thomas Pieters, and the Swedish duo of after being arrested in Sep- 72-run victory in the first Test of to rain. The second Test mined by how they handle the Alex Noren and Henrik Stenson. tember on suspicion of the three-game series at New- threat. Experienced Englishman Paul Casey and France’s causing actual bodily harm in lands in Cape Town on Monday, starts tomorrow. They managed a match aggre- Alex Levy are Bjorn’s two wildcard picks against an Asian an incident outside a Bristol a match that effectively needed gate of 344 over their two innings side led by three-time European Tour winner Arjun Atwal nightclub. just three days to be completed in Cape Town and captain Virat of India. Batsman Gary Ballance, with one lost to rain. Steyn. He will also strengthen the Kohli has told his batsmen to take “We’re very well aware that Asia has never fielded a fast bowler Jake Ball and all- The Pretoria wicket is likely batting. the attack to the home side. stronger team than they do this time,” the Dane told rounder Tom Curran, who to be similar, with perhaps not the There have been murmurings “We need to have intent reporters this week. “Golf is a strange game. Whatever it were all in the squad for the same sideways movement of that South Africa may even select because of the kind of bowling says on the paper very rarely comes out on top. Ashes series which England Newlands, and will provide a fifth seamer and leave spinner attack they have,” Kohli said. As golf in Asia continues to grow at a rapid rate, the lost 4-0, were left out. another Test of the Indian bats- Keshav Maharaj on the sidelines, “You need to find the perfect amount of players from the region making a positive men’s bravery against a seam with Duanne Olivier, Andile Pheh- balance to do well in South Africa, impact on tours around the world points to a bright future ENGLAND SQUAD: bowling barrage. lukwayo and uncapped Lungi especially where there is more for the sport and adds credibility to the EurAsia Cup. Joe Root (captain), Moeen Vernon Philander looked at Ngidi in the squad to offer that bounce. You cannot be casual at Atwal believes his youthful team, which boasts 11 Euro- Ali, James Anderson, times unplayable in Cape Town, option. the same time you cannot have pean Tour titles between them, including multiple win- Jonny Bairstow, Stuart while the new leading bowler in “In this series and for the rest loose shots also.” ners Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand and India’s S.S.P Broad, Alastair Cook, Test cricket, Kagiso Rabada, of the summer, we will be looking South Africa have a dominant Chawrasia, has the strength in depth to turn the contest Mason Crane, Ben Foakes, brings plenty of pace, fire and to see how best we can fit four fast record in Pretoria, with 17 wins in Asia’s favour. Liam Livingstone, Dawid skill. He took 13 wickets in a Test bowlers into whatever formula we and three draws in their 22 Tests. Current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Gavin Green Malan, Craig Overton, Ben against England at the venue two come up with,” South Africa coach Four of their last six victories of Malaysia, his compatriot Nicholas Fung, India’s Ani- Stokes, Mark Stoneman, years ago. Ottis Gibson told reporters this have been by an innings, rban Lahiri, South Korea’s Kang Sung-hoon and An James Vince, Chris Morne Morkel will be the third week. including against India in 2010, Byeong-un, Thai pair Phachara Khongwatmai and Poom Woakes, Mark Wood seamer, with Chris Morris likely “When you are playing at and the other two by more than Saksansin, China’s Li Haotong and Japanese duo Yuta to play in place of the injured Dale home, you must play to your 200 runs. Ikeda and Hideto Tanihara complete the side. White replaces Lynn for England ODIs Thomas teams up with ‘Bones’ for title defence AFP hundreds and two fifties. He has played four Tests, 88 ODIs and 47 Twenty20 REUTERS SYDNEY: Cameron White (pictured) internationals and replaces big-hitting has replaced injured Chris Lynn in Lynn who was ruled out with a calf HAWAII: Justin Australia’s squad for this month’s problem. Thomas (pictured) one-day international series against “Cameron’s in very good form, as returns to Hawaii England, Cricket Australia said his figures demonstrate. He’s playing for the Sony Open yesterday. very well,” chief selector Trevor Hohns this week with a The Victorian right-hander has said. new, but familiar, been in outstanding limited-overs form “He’s one of the leading run- caddie on his bag as with 285 runs at an average of 142.5 scorers in this season’s BBL, he’s expe- he looks to defend and a strike-rate of 115.85 for the Mel- rienced, he’s a very smart cricketer a title he won in bourne Renegades in the Big Bash and he’s a good fielder. He ticks all the spectacular style League. boxes for what we need at this stage.” last year. White was the domestic one-day The opening match of the five- With his regular tournament’s top-scorer last season game series takes place at the Mel- caddie unavailable with 457 runs at 76.16, including two bourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. due to injury, the world number four has turned to five- times major champion Phil Mickelson’s former mentor, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, to help him around the course at the Waialae Country Club. ICC gives green light to Perth Stadium Thomas may not need that much guidance, though, after having tamed the course a year ago by opening with a magical 59 before going on to set the tour’s all-time REUTERS scoring record in a 72-hole event at 253.