BASKETBALL | Page 3 FOOTBALL | Page 6 Mavs owner In Italy, time Cuban to push is running for fan-less out for Serie A NBA return return Tuesday, April 28, 2020 TENNIS Ramadan 5, 1441 AH Nadal pessimistic GULF TIMES about normal restart of competition SPORT Page 5 MOTORSPORT CRICKET Pakistan’s Umar Akmal banned for F1 season set for three years AFP Lahore, Pakistan start in Austria as ontroversial Pakistani batsman Umar Akmal was banned yesterday Cfrom all forms of cricket for three years after pleading guilty to failing to report match- fixing approaches, the country’s French GP cancelled cricket board announced. Umar, who turns 30 in May, Formula 1 boss Chase Carey has said the Austrian GP will be held on July 3-5 last month withdrew a challenge to the charges. AFP priority one and we will only go The batsman’s ban is effective Paris, France forward if we are confident we from February 20, when he was have reliable procedures to ad- provisionally suspended by the dress both risks and possible is- board under its anti-corruption ormula One boss Chase sues.” code, which states a player must Carey yesterday targeted The American said F1 would report being approached to fix the coronavirus-hit sea- publish its finalised calendar “as games. son starting in Austria soon as we possibly can”. The decision was announced F After the opening Australian on July 5 after the French Grand by a disciplinary committee af- Prix was cancelled and fans Grand Prix was cancelled the ter a brief hearing of the Paki- barred from the British race at traditional summer workshop stan Cricket Board (PCB), which Silverstone. shutdown was brought forward charged the player with two The French Grand Prix, which to April/March to free up the breaches. 2014 after a scuffle with a traffic was to have been held on June 28, August break to help complete “The PCB referred the matter warden who stopped him for a was the 10th race of the season the truncated season. to the chairman of the discipli- signal violation. to be scrapped or postponed. Both Silverstone and Austria’s nary committee after determin- Umar last represented Paki- “We’re targeting a start to rac- Spielberg circuit have floated ing that the batsman had not stan in two Twenty20 interna- ing in Europe through July, Au- the notion of staging back-to- requested a hearing,” said the tionals against Sri Lanka in La- gust and beginning of September, back races. board. hore last year, falling to first ball with the first race taking place With races cancelled and Asif Mahmood — the PCB’s ducks on both occasions. in Austria on 3-5 July weekend,” others due to be staged behind anti-corruption and security di- He has so far played 16 Tests, Carey said in a statement. closed doors, the glamorous rector — said authorities took no 121 one-day games and 84 Twen- “September, October and global sport has moved to help “pleasure in seeing a promising ty20s for Pakistan. November, would see us race in This June 30, 2019, picture, shows a general view of the Austrian GP at Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. (Reuters) some of the less well-heeled international cricketer being de- Umar’s ban is the latest in a Eurasia, Asia and the Americas, teams on the grid absorb the fi- clared ineligible” for three years series of match- or spot-fixing finishing the season in the Gulf France joins nine other races in Ruling out holding the race be- “We have left this difficult -de nancial hit. on corruption charges, but de- punishments meted out to Paki- in December with Bahrain be- the slashed 2020 championship hind closed doors, Boullier said: cision for as long as possible, but Last week, Greg Maffei, the fended the ban as necessary. stan players. fore the traditional finale in Abu to be either cancelled (Australia, “Le Castellet are already turning it is abundantly clear given the chief executive of Formula One “I request all professional In 2000, former captain Salim Dhabi, having completed be- Monaco) or postponed (Bahrain, towards the summer of 2021”. current conditions... that a grand owners Liberty Media, said an cricketers to stay away from the Malik was banned for life and six tween 15-18 races.” China, Vietnam, Netherlands, prix under normal conditions is undisclosed number of pay- menace of corruption and im- other players — including greats Carey’s statement followed Spain, Azerbaijan, Canada). ‘RACES WITHOUT FANS’ just not going to be possible.” ments had been made to teams, mediately inform relevant au- such as Wasim Akram and Waqar quickfire announcements from The fate of the Belgian Grand In the next of a series of an- F1 supremo Carey said he which rely heavily on profit- thorities as soon as they are ap- Younis — were fined after a judi- the French organisers and the Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on nouncements, Silverstone’s own- expected “the early races to be sharing from F1 to survive. proached,” Mahmood added. cial inquiry on fixing. owners of the Silverstone track August 30 remains uncertain, ers declared that no spectators without fans” but hoped that “We want to make sure that Umar was whisked away by his A decade later then-Test cap- where the British Grand Prix is with mass gatherings banned in would be able to attend the British spectators would be allowed teams are solvent because they driver without speaking to the tain Salman Butt, Mohammad due to take place on July 19. the country until the following Grand Prix but that they hope it back “as we move further into are part of what we need to race media after the sentence was de- Asif and Mohammad Amir were “Given the evolution of the sit- day. will go ahead as scheduled. the schedule”. successfully in 2020, 2021, and livered. banned for five years in a spot- uation linked to the spread of the Organisers of the race at Le “I am extremely disappointed He added: “We still have to beyond,” he said. The batsman burst onto the fixing case over an incident dur- Covid-19 virus, the French Grand Castellet were forced to act after to tell you that we are unable to work out many issues like the Other measures to help in- scene with a century in his first ing the team’s tour of England. Prix takes note of the decisions President Emmanuel Macron’s stage this year’s British Grand procedures for the teams and sulate against the effects of the Test in 2009, but his career has The Pakistan Super League’s announced by the French state, announcement last week that Prix in front of the fans at Silver- our other partners to enter and health crisis include postponing been marred by disciplinary second edition in 2017 was also making it impossible to maintain the lockdown in France will be stone,” the circuit’s managing operate in each country. a major rule change from 2021 to problems, resulting in various marred by a fixing scandal, re- our event,” the race’s managing extended until May 11 and public director Stuart Pringle stated on “The health and safety of 2022 and requiring teams to race bans and fines. sulting in a five-year ban on director Eric Boullier said. gatherings banned until mid-July. Silverstone’s Twitter account. all involved will continue to be this year’s cars next season. He was arrested in February Sharjeel Khan and Khalid Latif. SPOTLIGHT Sana great ambassador of cricket in Pakistan and abroad: ICC IANS Lahore, Pakistan he International Cricket Coun- cil (ICC) has congratulated former Pakistan captain Sana TMir (also right), who recently bid adieu to the sport after playing 226 international matches, including 137 as captain. Sana, who was the first woman bowl- er from Pakistan to take 100 ODI wick- ets, announced her retirement on Sat- urday. Her list of achievements includes becoming the first from her country to top the ICC Women’s ODI Rankings, reaching number one in the bowlers’ list in October 2018. ICC Chief Executive Manu Sawhney: “Sana has been the face of Pakistan cricket over the years and one of the most consistent performers around the world. She has been a wonderful leader has been an absolute pleasure being ranked ninth among bowlers at the time of the Pakistan team and a great ambas- part of the cricket fraternity.” of her retirement at the age of 34. sador of the game in her country and “Constant support and encourage- The 34-year-old played in three abroad.” ment from ICC have helped us follow World Cups (2009, 2013 and 2017) and He added: “This is an important pe- our passion and dream bigger. I thank six T20 World Cups (2009, 2010, 2012, riod for the women’s game and I hope CEO Manu and everyone at ICC for 2014, 2016 and 2018). She was the cap- Sana will be able to use her vast expe- their incredible support throughout,” tain at the 2013 and 2017 World Cups, rience and contribute to its growth in she tweeted. and the T20 World Cups of 2009, 2010, whatever way she can. On behalf of Sana, an off-spinner who was also a 2012, 2014 and 2016. everyone at the ICC, I wish her all the valuable batter, is among only five women She finished with 1,630 runs and 151 very best for her future.” players to complete the double of 1,000 wickets in 120 ODIs. In 106 T20Is, she She responded to ICC and said: “It runs and 100 wickets in ODIs.