The Business | SPOWednResdaTy , JaS nuary 01, 20 20 Commonwealth Games: India ends year-long boycott

MUMBAI: India have decided to end a threat to boycott the 2022 Commonwealth Games over the exclu - sion of shooting and said it will offer to host a shooting champi - onship before the Games. Following talks with the Com - monwealth Games Federation (CGF), the Indian Olympic Association offered to host a Commonwealth shooting championship to over - come the year-long boycott dispute. It was not immediately announced by either side, however, whether the medals won at the championship would count towards the Games tally. "Following a useful and constructive CGF visit to India in November, we felt confident and reassured that the athletes and sports community of India places huge value and importance on the Commonwealth Games and Com - monwealth sport movement. "Our visit and collaboration have significantly strengthened our partnership with" In - dian sports leaders "and we are continuing to work closely," Martin added. IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said India would approach the government to seek approval to bid for the 2026 or 2030 Commonwealth Games. The 2010 Commonwealth Games were held in New Delhi. The 2026 venue is to be decided next year. — AFP Shahid Afridi confesses he once smashed his TV out of anger LONDON: Richie McLernon ride Regal Encore (R) clear the last to win The Dave Dawes Silver Cup Handicap Chase from Sean Bowen and Acting Lass at Ascot Racecourse.

KARACHI: A Major skipped 1996 throwback video of for - mer Pakistani skipper Olympics to watch Shahid Khan Afridi is making rounds on so - Cricket in 2019 from Pak-England match cial media, where the cricketer is confessing about smashing his TV out of anger. In the video, when Boom Boom was asked the lens of Ehsan Mani about his short-tempered nature, he said, “Once I had LAHORE: Chairman Pakistan Cricket to bring in more transparency and account - smashed a TV set out of anger.” Giving details about the in - Board (PCB) Ehsan Mani has said the year ability and create an environment where cident, Afridi said once he saw his daughter trying to imi - saw major changes for the sport, especially we can work effectively," he aimed. tate ‘arti’ after watching an Indian drama. “This act of my the return of Test cricket to the country. Mani also reflected on the positive as - daughter angered me and I smashed the TV,” he said. Afridi "The biggest achievement for me was pects of the year and stated that the PCB said, “I asked my wife to watch Indian drama unaccompa - the two Tests we played against Sri Lanka was involved in five committees, which nied and not with the daughters.” — The Business Report at Rawalpindi and Karachi. It has sent out was formerly unheard of. a message that Pakistan is safe and ready "The PCB now enjoys unprecedented Eyes turn to Premier for international cricket and we will now representation at international level as we build on it," Mani said in an interview. Ac - became part of as many as five ICC com - League rel - cording to Mani, the achievement was not mittees this year," he said. an easy feat to accomplish and hailed the The light at the end of the tunnel In egation Sri Lankan cricket team for their effort. terms of performance, the year had not dogfight "The biggest challenge for me was to get seen much to celebrate and instead saw de - Sri Lanka to tour Pakistan. They took small undue assistance anymore and this has feat in the four Tests in South Africa and steps in their return to the country by play - brought spinners into play, which will ad - Australia along with a marginal loss to los - LONDON: British Prime Minister John MADRID: Liver - ing white-ball cricket here first," he said. dress the issue of the lack of spinners," he ing finalists New Zealand in the Cricket Major dodged going to the Atlanta 1996 pool appear to have the Speaking about the major happenings added. In terms of the board's governance, World Cup 2019. In light of the consis - Olympics to stay in London and watch Premier League title for the Pakistan cricket, Mani said the re - Mani said the constitution had been re - tently inconsistent performances, Mani ad - cricket instead, newly declassified files wrapped up with a 13- vamping of domestic structure led to rivet - vamped in order to promote more ethical mitted to the difficulty of the challenge but showed on Tuesday. Major weighed up the point advantage over ing cricketing action on-field which practices however, he added that account - remained hopeful for the prospect of the pros and cons of going to the Games, with his second-placed Leices - renewed the fans’ interest in domestic ability and transparency remains an aim for game, stating that the youngsters would fill advisors pushing him to attend, insisting he ter but the fight to avoid events. "The genesis of better on-field per - the board. in the gaps. "Our challenge is to bring con - had "street cred" in sport and it would make relegation looks like being a down to the wire tussle. Just formances in international cricket is in do - "We had to reform our constitution, sistency in our performances and deliver for great pictures of him in "relaxed, jacket- nine points separates ninth-placed Crystal Palace and third mestic cricket. We made massive make the structure of the board transpar - the results. Our players are professionals off mode". But the cricket-loving premier from bottom Aston Villa. Here are the three pivotal matches investment in the revamping of our do - ent, introduce corporate practices through and the more they play the better they will stuck to his guns and missed seeing Britain´s in Wednesday's action: Arteta needs to get Gunners firing. mestic structure in a very short time which clear delegation of duties and fully restore deliver," he said. "These youngsters are only gold medal -- to watch England lose to The old adage 'too good to go down' should apply to Arse - has resulted in a very successful Quaid-e- international cricket in Pakistan. "We have extremely talented and they are the light Pakistan instead in the first Test at Lord´s. nal, who have been a fixture in the top tier since 1919/20. Azam Trophy." "The first-class matches to make cricket board more efficient and at the end of tunnel, which has been evi - The files were released after 23 years in the However, they are just six points above the drop zone and have entered fourth day, which was previ - look forward at how we have to progress dent by the recent performances," he vaults at the National Archives. Major new boss Mikel Arteta would probably have preferred an ously missing. The pacers were not getting where there is value for money. We have added. —The Business Report seemed keen on Atlanta when the idea was easier opponent than Manchester United as he bids to win raised in February 1996 and flight plans were his first game after a draw and defeat in his opening two drawn up. matches in charge. The United attack will be licking their In a memo to Major on June 7, his private lips at the thought of giving the weak Gunners defence a secretary Rachael Reynolds said she under - thorough test with goalkeeper Bernd Leno and defenders stood he was thinking of going to Lord´s Skohdran Mustafi and David Luiz far from reliable. Arteta rather than Atlanta and "it would be a pity" if will want to see more of what his side produced in the open - he missed the Olympics. The adviser told ing half hour of the 2-1 defeat by Chelsea if they are to avoid him US president Bill Clinton, South African a fifth successive home loss in all competitions — their pres - president Nelson Mandela and French presi - ent run of four is their worst since 1959. —AFP dent Jacques Chirac were all going, and "even the King of Finland is turning up!" The Arsenal against United recalls draft programme would have seen him wit - ness oarsmen Steve Redgrave and Matthew brighter Pinsent win Britain´s only gold medal of the Games. times for ´Street cred´ In a further memo to Major on June 19, Reynolds said decision time was faded gi - fast approaching and spelled out the advan - tages and disadvantages. "You will be very ants tired at the end of July," she wrote, of the negatives. "It is a long flight and the weather LONDON: At the will be hot in Atlanta. "Second, you will miss start of this decade, the Lord´s Test and you are unlikely to be clashes between Arse - able to pick up a satellite channel in Amer - nal and Manchester ica which carries cricket." As for the advan - United were still po - tages, she said it would likely be his last tentially title-deciding chance to attend an Olympics as prime min - affairs, but when the pair meet on New Year's Day at the ister, and there might be "snide remarks" if Emirates they will have more modest goals in mind. United he did not show up to support the British have not won a league title since Alex Ferguson's final sea - team. "Some of the best pictures we see of son in charge seven years ago, while Arsenal have to go back you are in relaxed, jacket-off mode and there to 2004 for the last time they raised the Premier League tro - would be plenty of opportunity for that," phy, during the reign of Arsene Wenger. Both clubs entered Reynolds insisted. "You cannot do too much this season hoping to finish in the top four, but while Ole of associating yourself with winners." She Gunnar Solskjaer has guided United to fifth place, just a said Major was strongly linked with sport in point off the Champions League spots, Arsenal languish in a way "no other politician" was and "you 12th, 11 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea after their should capitalise on this". —AFP home defeat to Frank Lampard's side on Sunday. Arsenal's PERTH: Rafael Nadal of Spain serves during a practice session ahead of the 2020 ATP Cup Group Stage. poor form led to the dismissal of their Spanish manager Unai Emery and the arrival of his compatriot, former Gunners midfielder Mikel Arteta. Having left his role as Pep Guardi - ola's assistant at Manchester City, Arteta is talking big de - spite beginning with a draw at Bournemouth before Sunday's loss. "We are the biggest football club in England, and we have to play a little bit with that arrogance, that belief," Misbah reveals 2019’s achievements, Arteta told Sky Sports, urging the club's fans to make the Emirates a fortress again. "This stadium has to create fear again. I used to hate coming here as an opponent, and we need to use that power. The opponent must be uncomfort - shortcomings, future plans able playing here," he said. —AFP The Business Report Fakhar [Zaman], Hasan [Ali] and Shadab Test batsman," Misbah said. In addition, [Khan], lost form at a crucial time which saw Misbah praised teen pacers Naseem Shah 'Still a lot LAHORE: Chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq us suffer in the World Cup and T20I format, and Shaheen Afridi and expressed that the has said that Pakistan, this year, faced trou - though, we managed to stay number one in duo hold a promising future. He also high - of fire' - bling times, in terms of Test cricket, however the format throughout the year, our win ratio lighted the performances by batsman Mo - he maintained the notion that the team was in T20I cricket has fallen," he said. He con - hammad Rizwan and bowler Iftikhar Ahmed. Sharapova "on the right track". tinued, "Retaining number one position in "Some of the new bowlers like Naseem accepts "Pakistan ended 2019 on a high note with T20Is was a big positive for us. No doubt, we [Shah] and Shaheen [Afridi] have arrived at victory against Sri Lanka, but, overall, it was did not perform up to the set standards, but the scene and they have been impressive in Brisbane a tough year for Pakistan in Test cricket," this is something we look to build on." He, Test cricket," he said. "We will hopefully Misbah said. Speaking about T20I cricket, however, hailed T20I captain Babar Azam bank on these two promising fast-bowlers in wildcard the head coach expressed mixed emotions for retaining his top spot in T20I as well as the future." and said that the team’s performance did not ranking third place in terms of batting in ODI "[Mohammad] Rizwan performed very BRISBANE: For - meet expectations despite maintaining the cricket. well for us in Australia, which was very good in the upcoming year. "We need to do a lot mer world number one Maria Sharapova said she still had top rank in the format. "The emergence of Babar [Azam] across for us. Iftikhar [Ahmed] joined the team in of work in white-ball cricket ahead of the all- "a lot of fire" as she attempts to resurrect her career after The reason, Misbah cited was declining all formats is very good news. He remained the latter part of the year and the way he has important T20 World Cup next year. We can an injury-plagued 2019. The five-time major winner will performances by players, namely batsman number one in T20I cricket and is in the top put up performances in the T20I perform - go a long way with a few more additions in open her 2020 campaign in Brisbane after being awarded Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali and Shadab Khan, ten batsmen in the ODI cricket. He played ances was certainly a plus for us." The head the side and the present players maturing." a wildcard by organisers in preparation for the Australian which saw the win ratio drop in the format. some brilliant innings in the World Cup and coach held an optimistic view for the future "Going further we have to improve a lot of "In white-ball cricket our mainstays like ended the year by establishing himself as a and emphasised on the utilising fresh talent things in both red-ball and white-ball cricket.