P15-Sports Layout 1
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 SPORTS South Asia to back Platini Qatar begins work at Pakistan recall Fawad Alam NEW DELHI: A senior South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) official has said its seven mem- World Cup final venue KARACHI: Pakistan recalled batsman Fawad Alam from Test wilderness yesterday bers will vote for Frenchman Michel Platini in next year’s FIFA presidential elections. while paceman Wahab Riaz returned from a hand injury to find a place in the 15- Asian Football Confederation (AFC) chief Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has already DOHA: Qatar has begun construction work at the site where the 2022 man squad for the three-match series against England starting next month in the backed Platini as his preferred candidate for soccer’s top job in the February elections, which World Cup final will be played, tournament officials said yesterday. United Arab Emirates. have been forced by the worst crisis in FIFA’s 111-year history. Preparatory work, including the stationing of site offices and five kilome- Left-handed Fawad, who played his third test in New Zealand in 2009 before SAFF general secretary Anwarul Huq told Reuters on Wednesday that his organisation tres of hoarding, have gone up at the site in Lusail, north of the capital, being dropped from the side, was rewarded for his rich form in domestic cricket. would follow the AFC’s lead. “The AFC chief has already backed Platini. We will go with the Doha. As well as the final, the opening game of the 2022 tournament will The 29-year-old, however, cannot take his place in Pakistan’s crammed middle AFC,” he said. “At the end of the day, voting is an individual thing but we will go with AFC as we also be staged at the 80,000-seater Lusail Stadium. order for granted with captain Misbah-ul-Haq, former captain Younus Khan and one- always do,” the Bangladeshi official added after the draw ceremony for the ninth SAFF Cup to Mubarak Al-Khulaifi, the stadium’s project director, said in a state- day skipper Azhar Ali being the automatic choices. Their bowling department has be held in India later this year. Swiss Sepp Blatter beat Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan to win ment that organisers were “very pleased to have initiated a presence on been strengthened by Wahab’s return from a hand injury he had sustained during a fifth term as FIFA president in May but four days later announced his decision to step down the site, which has a special significance for us all”. the recent tour of Sri Lanka. following the arrests of FIFA officials and others two days before the election. Lusail is the sixth venue currently under construction for the World Leg-spinner Yasir Shah and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar are the two frontline Prince Ali has again joined the race for the FIFA top job, while former Asia Cup, the first to be played in the Middle East. The stadium is being spinners in their slow bowling department. “In the light of Misbah-ul- vice-president Chung Mong-joon of South Korea is also in the fray. Chung designed by British architects Foster and Partners. Haq recommendations, we have kept the options open for the 16th has accused the AFC of sending unsolicited letters to its members urging Earlier this month, Qatar announced it will complete work on the first player in the test squad,” chief selector Haroon Rashid said in a state- them to support Platini but FIFA has dismissed his complaint. All India tournament venue to be used in the competition by 2016. Up to 12 stadi- ment, referring to left-arm spinners Zafar Gohar and Mohammad Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das echoed Huq’s view on ums will be used for the World Cup in 2022, which for the first time in its Asghar who would play practice matches against England. “... whoev- SAFF’s stance on the election. “We’ll go by what AFC says. Of course, there history will be played during the months of November and December. er among the two performs well would be added to the test squad,” have to be more meetings before that. But whoever is elected, it won’t be a A final decision on the number of venues will be made by the end of he added. Pakistan ignored the trio of former skipper Salman Butt problem for us,” he added. The South Indian city of Thiruvananthapuram this year. Work for the finals in seven years’ time has progressed despite and pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamir who were will host the ninth SAFF Cup from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3, the eight-team an ongoing Swiss investigation examining in part how the tiny Gulf state cleared earlier this month to return to cricket after serving tournament securing a title sponsor in Suzuki for the first time was awarded the tournament. This was launched in the fallout over cor- bans for their involvement in a 2010 spot-fixing scandal in since it started in 1993. —Reuters ruption allegations engulfing football’s governing body, FIFA. —AFP England. —Reuters Cubs top Pirates, Nationals win PITTSBURGH: Jon Lester limited the Pittsburgh manager Ned Yost turned things over to his top- Pirates to five hits while picking up his first com- ranked bullpen. Ryan Madson struck out two in plete game of the season and the Chicago Cubs the seventh, Wade Davis got through the eighth earned a doubleheader split with a 2-1 win on and Greg Holland worked around a two-on, no- Tuesday night. out mess he created in the ninth for his 31st save. The Pirates took the first game 5-4 when Rios homered in the fifth inning off Josh Pedro Florimon scored on Starling Marte’s sacri- Tomlin (5-2) for the Royals, who won for just the fice fly in the eighth, but they couldn’t complete third time in 11 games as they close in on a prob- the sweep as the Cubs pulled back within four able AL Central title. The Indians, who pulled games of Pittsburgh for the top spot in the NL back to .500 for just the second time since April wild-card race. Lester (10-10) walked one and by winning the series opener, fell to 13-6 since struck out nine while picking up his 12th career Aug. 25. complete game. David Ross and Javier Baez had two hits each for the Cubs. RAYS 6, YANKEES 3 JA Happ (9-8) had his five-game winning Nick Franklin hit a go-ahead two-run homer in streak end. Happ pitched in and out of trouble, the sixth inning and the Rays beat the AL wild- allowing two runs on eight hits in 5 2-3 innings. card leading Yankees. Hobbled Alex Rodriguez Aramis Ramirez had two hits but Pittsburgh’s and Greg Bird homered for the Yankees, who rejiggered lineup mustered little against Lester. remain three games behind AL East-leading Toronto, which lost 3-2 at Atlanta. NATIONALS 4, PHILLIES 0 Franklin, who entered when shortstop Stephen Strasburg gave up one hit and Asdrubal Cabrera left after four innings with a left equaled a career-best with 14 strikeouts in eight knee strain, put the Rays up 4-3 on his homer off dominant innings and Bryce Harper hit two Nick Rumbelow (1-1). J.P. Arencibia made it 6-3 homers as the Nationals beat the Phillies. on a two-run single in the eighth. Rodriguez hit Strasburg (9-7) allowed only a single to Cody his 32nd homer this season and 686th of his Asche leading off the bottom of the fifth - a hard career off Jake Odorizzi (8-8) in the first hours grounder to right field. He has 27 strikeouts in his after the team learned he is playing with a last two starts. The hard-throwing righty struck bruised left knee. Rodriguez moved past Craig out the side twice and fanned eight of the last 12 Biggio into sole possession of 21st place all-time batters he faced. He was still firing 96 mph fast- with his 3,061st hit. balls in the eighth. Blake Treinen tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to complete the shutout. The Nationals BRAVES 3, BLUE JAYS 2 have won three straight, but it’s seems too late to Andrelton Simmons’ tiebreaking RBI single in catch the NL East-leading New York Mets. the ninth inning snapped a 12-game home los- ing streak and the Braves beat the AL East-lead- MARLINS 9, METS 3 ing Blue Jays. Toronto began the night with a Jacob deGrom was hit hard during a rare dud three-game lead over the New York Yankees, but at home against one of his favorite opponents, the Blue Jays, despite the majors’ best record and the Marlins stopped the Mets’ eight-game since the All-Star break, have lost two straight. winning streak. The Braves ended the longest home skid in PITTSBURGH: Chicago Cubs second baseman Starlin Castro (13) takes the wide throw from catcher David Ross as Pittsburgh Pirates’ Mets nemesis Dee Gordon homered and had franchise history. They began the game 14-46 four hits to back Tom Koehler, who plunked overall since July 8. Aaron Sanchez (7-6) took the Andrew McCutchen (22) steals second during the first inning. — AP Yoenis Cespedes in the first inning and then loss, allowing four hits, one run and striking out three RBIs and Alexei Ramirez had a solo homer cut the lead to one on a run-scoring triple by Nick win despite his third blown save.