SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 2016 SPORTS ’s Amir backs life bans for fixers

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir carried out by a tabloid newspaper. for Test because that is where my past and those incidents won’t come times but you are professional only if said match-fixers should be banned for But Cook said earlier this month that career was held back and I still can’t back to haunt me, but I am looking at it you handle any kind of situation wisely. life as he prepares to return to Test crick- he had no problem playing against believe that this is happening. “You call positively as I want to replace the past It’s my duty to be focused on the game,” et at Lord’s, where an infamous 2010 Amir, who has served his ban and it a coincidence or whatever but for me with a better future. he said. spot-fixing scandal landed him a jail returned to international cricket in it’s a blessing that I am restarting (Tests) “My memory still holds those “Sledging is a part of the game and it term and a five-year ban. January. Amir and new-ball partner right at Lord’s from where I stopped in moments from 2010 but I want to per- indeed isn’t new. But I don’t want to The fast bowler backed comments Mohammad Asif bowled no-balls to 2010.” form well, want to get my name (on) the think a lot about this. I will think about from England Alastair Cook, order on the instructions of their cap- honour board at Lord’s once again,” said my performance,” added Amir. Amir who said anyone caught match-fixing tain Salman Butt. All three received five- ‘MY REAL COMEBACK’ Amir, whose haul of 6-84 in the tainted also said his experiences had made him should be thrown out of the sport for year bans and, together with sports Amir’s pace and -taking ability Test of 2010 features on the honours a stronger person than he was before good. “If fixing is still happening then agent Mazhar Majeed, jail terms. Since make him an automatic choice for the board, where outstanding play is chron- the events of 2010, when he was still a it’s really alarming,” Amir said in an inter- his ban expired, Amir has played only Test series opener from July 14, when he icled. Amir also said he will be ready for teenager. “I went through tough times view before his departure for the four- limited-overs matches,but now he will hopes to be able to put his past behind on-field sledging and the inevitable which actually taught me a lot of good Test tour of England. “I fully back that come full circle with a Test return at him. “I may have registered my come- chants by England fans. At a lessons and now I am much stronger fixers should be banned for life.” Lord’s-a twist of fate that he called a back months ago but is international in New Zealand in January than before. I have got enough in my The 24-year-old left-armer can “blessing”. “To be honest I never thought actual cricket, and playing it again is the stadium announcer played the life to stand strong,” he said. Pakistan expect a cool reception from fans at about my comeback and I feel seriously what I was looking forward to and this is sound of a cash register before one of will also play five one-day internationals Lord’s, where he was caught bowling lucky to be back in the role to play Test my real comeback,” said Amir. Amir’s overs. and a during no-balls to order in a sting operation cricket again,” he said. “I was all excited “I won’t say that I have forgotten my “Crowds in general get nasty some- the tour. —AFP

Coe not expecting many Russians to compete in Rio VIENNA: IAAF president Sebastian Coe blanket ban “unfair”. does not believe there are many Russian “Responsibility must always be individ- athletes who will benefit from a loophole ual and those who have no connection to compete in the Rio Olympics. with these violations should not suffer,” said The International Association of the Russian president who, even before the Athletics Federations (IAAF) played hard- announcement of the decision, had denied ball with Russia on Friday, extending a ban all allegations of “organised stage doping” first imposed in November over state-spon- by Russia. sored doping and mass corruption in “We ourselves are outraged when we’re Russian athletics. But the door was left faced with doping problems, and we work slightly ajar for Russian athletes training to ensure that those guilty are punished. outside the country to apply to compete as But the clean athletes, as they say, why neutrals at the August 5-21 Olympics in should they suffer? I really don’t under- Brazil. The number of Russian track and stand.” But Andersen countered: “The state- field stars likely to meet the strict criteria ment that there must be clean athletes in required by the IAAF seems incredibly Russia, we don’t disagree with. small. “You shouldn’t run away with the “There might be clean athletes in Russia, idea that this is a large number,” Coe said in but they’ve been under a system which is the wake of the IAAF Council’s unanimous not clean and which we can’t be sure it has- decision to extend the ban on Russia. n’t undertaken sufficient anti-doping work “We have a doping review board and it so that they sufficiently can be said to be will be them that will, on a one-by-one clean. “We have no confidence in the basis, make that judgement as to whether Russian system. How can one say an athlete they meet the eligibility requirements and is clean? A hundred or 200 negative tests they are in systems that are safe and secure doesn’t mean you’re clean. “If you’re sub- and we can guarantee them. ject to another system that is comprehen- “Some of those athletes may well be sive and recognised as a strong anti-doping Russian athletes living outside of Russia for system, you say ‘ok, you’ve undergone a an appropriate period of time in safe secure number of tests, you’re under this system, effective systems but there may be others we believe in this system, it’s code compli- who are not. ant, everything is in place: a national anti- HARARE: ’s , left, plays a shot as Indian wicketkeeper MS Dhoni fields, during the T20 International cricket match “They need to apply and we will look at doping agency and strict control’, then we between Zimbabwe and India at , yesterday. — AP them by a one-by-one basis.” Rune believe you might be clean.” Andersen, the Norwegian at the head of Coe insisted that it was the IAAF and not the IAAF Taskforce charged with investigat- the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ing doping in Russian athletics, added: “If that had jurisdiction over eligibility, while Chigumbura blasts Zimbabwe there are any athletes out there who com- acknowledging that some athletes such as ply with this tiny chance of competing star pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva will under a neutral flag, they can do it immedi- appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration to win over India in Twenty20 ately. “They have to apply for an exception for Sport. so that they bring forward issues in the “The IAAF is responsible for eligibility HARARE: Elton Chigumbura smashed an unbeaten 54 rule: that they have undergone doping criteria for international competition and it from 26 balls as Zimbabwe stunned India with a two run SCOREBOARD control, that they’ve been subject to a cred- resides with the IAAF,” Coe said. “I’ll be at win in the first Twenty20 International at the Harare Sports ible system for anti-doping control for an the Olympic summit in Lausanne on Club yesterday. Chigumbura pummelled seven sixes as he HARARE: Scoreboard for the first Twenty20 international between Zimbabwe and India yesterday in appropriate period of time and then the Tuesday. We have a very close working rela- took Zimbabwe to 170 for six in their 20 overs having been Harare: committee within the IAAF will decide tionship with the IOC. It’s hardly a surprise sent into bat by the tourists. India lost opener Lokesh Rahul Zimbabwe India whether that is sufficient. “That rule as we’re the biggest Olympic federation, a on his Twenty20 debut in the first ball of their reply, but ensures that there is an opening for those fifth of all the competitors at an Olympics C. Chibhabha b Dhawan 20 KL Rahul b Tiripano 0 they went into the final over from seamer Neville Madziva H. Masakadza c Dhoni b Bumrah 25 Mandeep Singh c Mutombodzi b Chibhabha 31 who can really demonstrate this.” are athletes. needing eight to win. “The athletes have recourse to appeal in R. Mutumbami retired hurt 0 A. Rayudu b Chibhabha 19 That was reduced to four off the last ball with Mahendra M. Pandey c Tiripano b Muzarabani 48 ‘UNFAIR’ the CAS, but that’s for them. Our judge- Singh Dhoni on strike, but he could only bludgeon the ball run out 20 Russian President Vladimir Putin was ment was made on the basis it was the best M. Waller b Chahal 30 K. Jadhav b Muzarabani 19 to deep point and Zimbabwe celebrated a second consec- MS Dhoni 19 scathing of the IAAF decision, calling the interest of athletics.”—AFP utive victory over India in the 20-over format. T. Mutombodzi c Dhawan b Patel 3 A. Patel c sub (W Masakadza) b Madziva 18 Aside from Chigumbura, (30 from 21 E. Chigumbura not out 54 R. Dhawan not out 1 balls) and opener (25 from 15 balls) G. Cremer c Dhawan b Bumrah 4 Extras (2lb, 11w) 13 gave Zimbabwe their highest score against India in N. Madziva not out 5 Russian track and field Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 168 Twenty20 cricket. India were behind the run-rate for much Extras (5lb, 3w, 1nb) 9 Fall of : 1-0 (Rahul), 2-44 (Rayudu), 3-53 of their innings, but Manish Pandey (48 from 35 balls) kept Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 170 (Mandeep Singh), 4-90 (Jadhav), 5-143 (Pandey), athletes banned from Rio them in the hunt until the last over. Fall of wickets: 1-33 (Masakadza), 1-34 With Dhoni on strike it looked like advantage to the 6-164 (Patel). (Mutumbami retired hurt), 2-50 (Chibhabha), 3-97 VIENNA: Russia’s track and field athletes “I hope we will find some solution here, tourists, but Madziva bowled a succession of excellent Did not bat: J. Bumrah, J. Unadkat, Y. Chahal. will be banned from competing for their but it does not mean that we will get yorkers to limit India to five runs. (Waller), 4-98 (Sikandar Raza), 5-111 Bowling: Tiripano 4-0-35-1, Madziva 4-0-34-1, country at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics offended and stop battling doping. On the Aside from Rahul, the visitors handed 20-over debuts to (Mutombodzi), 6-130 (Cremer). Muzarabani 4-0-31-2, Chibhabha 2-0-13-2, after a landmark decision Friday that pun- contrary, we will intensify our fight on dop- batsman Mandeep Singh, seamer Jaydev Unadkat, all- Did not bat: T. Muzarabani, D. Tiripano. Sikandar Raza 3-0-18-0, Cremer 3-0-35-0. ished the sports powerhouse for a system- ing,” Putin added. Russia’s Sports Ministry rounder Rishi Dhawan and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Bowling: Unadkat 4-0-43-0, Dhawan 4-0-42-1, Result: Zimbabwe win by two runs and lead three- atic doping system that operated “from the also said Rio Games will be “diminished” by The second Twenty20 match will be played at the same Bumrah 4-1-24-2, Patel 4-0-18-1, Chahal 4-0-38-1. match series 1-0. top down” and tainted the entire team. the absence of its athletes, and the Russian venue tomorrow. — Reuters In an unprecedented ruling loaded with track federation said it was considering an geopolitical ramifications, the IAAF upheld appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport its ban on Russia’s track and field federa- - the sports world’s highest court. tion, saying the country had made some The IAAF, track’s world governing body, Brazil looks for first Olympic gold in soccer progress in cleaning up but failed to meet left open a “tiny crack” that would allow any the requirements for reinstatement and individual Russian athletes who have been RIO DE JANEIRO: Playing at home, with its be showcasing his talents. The Santos forward is striker Hirving Lozano, the only under-23 player would be barred from sending its athletes untainted by doping and have been sub- biggest star onboard and an unexpected last- touted as the ìnext Neymarî and is a target of big on the Mexico team in Copa America. The to the Rio Games that begin in 50 days. jected to effective testing outside Russia to minute change at the helm, Brazil is looking to European clubs. There is still no official word on Mexicans will face Germany, South Korea and Fiji “Russian athletes could not credibly apply to compete in the games. win its first Olympic menís soccer gold medal in some of the other over-23 players expected to in Group C. Colombia beat the United States in a return to international competition without However, the IAAF said those athletes Rio de Janeiro. be in Rio, but among those who reportedly have playoff in March and its squad includes several undermining the confidence of their com- would be few and would be eligible to shown interest is Sweden striker Zlatan players from the Copa America squad, including petitors and the public,” IAAF President compete only as “individuals” - and not NO PRESSURE, RIGHT? Ibrahimovic. Heís currently playing at the up-and-coming strikers Roger Martinez and Sebastian Coe said. President Vladimir under the Russian flag. Coach Dunga opted to include star striker European Championship and remains without a Marlos Moreno. The Colombians face stiff com- Putin condemned the decision as “unfair,” Neymar as one of the three over-23 players club after finishing his contract with Paris petition in Group B from Sweden, Japan and telling a meeting of leaders of major inter- REFORMS WERE NOT ENOUGH allowed in the Olympic squads instead of taking African powerhouse Nigeria, the 1996 Olympic national news agencies in St. Petersburg “The crack in the door is quite narrow him to the ongoing Copa America. That plan SAINT-GERMAIN. champion. Looking for its third gold medal, that athletes who compete without doping and there won’t be many who manage to backfired when Brazil was eliminated by Peru in TEAMS TO WATCH: Defending champion Argentina leads Group D against Portugal, “shouldn’t suffer.” get through that crack in the door,” said the group stage of the tournament being played Mexico will field a strong squad, led by Pachuca Algeria and Honduras.— AP Russia does not accept “collective pun- Rune Andersen, the Norwegian anti-dop- in the U.S. That result prompted the dismissal of ishment” for all athletes, he said, comparing ing expert who headed the IAAF task force Dunga, replaced this week by Tite as the senior the ban for the entire team to a prison sen- that determined that Russia’s reforms were team coach. Dunga was also slated to coach in tence that “an entire family” could get if not enough. the Olympics, but now the job falls to the usual one of its relatives has committed a crime. The IAAF said it was necessary to ban under-23 coach, Rogerio Micale. the entire track and field team because This will be the third straight Olympics in there was no way to verify which athletes which Brazil brings some of its best players look- could be considered clean. “The system in ing for that elusive gold medal. The five-time Russia has been tainted by doping from the World Cup champions failed with a team led by top level down,” Andersen said. former FIFA Player of the Year Ronaldinho in “We cannot trust that what people 2008, eliminated by Argentina in the semifinals, might call clean athletes are really clean. If and with Neymar in 2012, losing to Mexico in the you have one or two or five with negative final. The pressure to win gold will be higher tests, it does not mean the athletes are after the elimination at Copa America, and with clean. History has shown that is not the local fans still smoldering from the embarrassing case.” Coe dismissed suggestions there 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi- were any political motivations behind the finals. Brazil opens against South Africa on Aug. decision. “There were members from all 4 in Brasilia, one day before the opening cere- four corners of the world, and the decision mony in Rio de Janeiro. Three-time silver medal- was unanimous,” he said. “Politics did not ist Denmark and Iraq are also in Group A. play a part today.” Local organizers will take advantage of the The ruling came four days before a stadiums built for the World Cup, and the sports summit called by the IOC to address Olympic tournament will be played at seven “the difficult decision between collective venues, including in the Amazon city of Manaus. responsibility and individual justice.” The STARS TO WATCH: Neymar will be the main IOC said it had “taken note” of the IAAF rul- attraction. The striker is coming off an excellent ing and that its executive board will meet season with Barcelona and will be rested after TEMUCO: In this June 14, 2015, file photo, Brazil’s Neymar kicks the ball against Peru during a by teleconference Saturday to “discuss the skipping Copa America. Gabriel Barbosa, a 19- Copa America Group C soccer match in Temuco, Chile. The hosts are trying to win the only Tsunekazu Takeda appropriate next steps.”—AP year-old teammate known as ìGabigol,î will also major trophy that they don’t have by counting on Neymar and its passionate fans. — AP