TUESDAY, MARCH 15, 2016 SPORTS

Williamson wary of spin challenge at World

NAGPUR: New Zealand is wary of the ’s Ravichandran Ashwin-led spin record has any meaning. We go into Bangladesh as well as a 3-0 series vic- threat Indian spinners could pose for attack that also boasts allrounders the match tomorrow with a clean tory in Australia. Kohli led the way, its batsmen in the World Twenty20 and , slate. India is a strong side and scoring 352 runs in eight T20 games at Super 10 opener, Kane part-timer Suresh Raina and the back- Twenty20 is fickle in nature,” a strike-rate of 134 and an average of Williamson said yesterday. up of . said Williamson, who has match-win- 117.33, with openers Rohit Sharma “The pitch will be on the slow side New Zealand has the added chal- ners of his own, such as batsmen Ross and also among the and perhaps take a little turn,” lenge of adjusting quickly to the for- Taylor and and all- runs. “The middle-order has not got Williamson said. “In Indian conditions mat as its last engagement was a test rounder Corey Anderson. too much of an opportunity in recent we can expect spin to play a big part series against Australia, but India’s in-form batsman games. So it becomes our responsibili- and it’s important that we adjust our Williamson played down this concern. said the team’s fine recent run gave it ty to get the runs at the top of the game accordingly.” “In international games you get to a lot of confidence. order,” Kohli said. “I come in at No. 3 so The pitch used here for a test match change formats consistently,” “We’re pretty confident after win- have a better chance of getting runs against South Africa last year had Williamson said. Host India is the ning 10 of 11 games and hope to take than batsmen to follow. We all under- been rated as poor by the favorite to win the tournament but that momentum into the stand that.” International Cricket Council with the starts its campaign against an opposi- World Twenty20,” Kohli said. “This is India and New Zealand are with game ending inside three days. tion it has never beaten in four previ- going to be far more challenging. This Australia, Pakistan and Bangladesh in The World T20 qualifying games ous meetings, including in the 2007 is a big event and the whole feeling, Group 2. Group 1 consists of West also saw the ball turn. That could mag- edition which India won in South vibe is different.” India’s recent success- Indies, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka nify the challenge in against Africa. “I don’t think our previous es include winning the Asia Cup in and Afghanistan. — AP New Zealand captain

Key players in world T20 1

NEW : As the group stages of Group 2 cricket’s World T20 begin this week, Players to watch from Group 2 of AFP takes a look at some of the players the World Twenty20, featuring India, who are expected to light up the tour- New Zealand, Pakistan, Australia and nament. The following is a list of poten- Bangladesh, as the tournament’s main tial match-winners from the five teams draw gets underway today: competing in Group 1, which features Ravichandran Ashwin (India): the West Indies, South Africa, England, With question marks India’s pace Sri Lanka and Afghanistan: attack, Ashwin will be the team’s go-to man in home conditions. The off-spin- Group 2 ner comes into the tournament as the Chris Gayle (West Indies): It’s been top-ranked T20 bowler in the absence a while since Gayle played of the West Indies’ . With but his appetite for T20s appears many variations including the ‘carrom undimmed. While the biggest head- ball’ up his sleeve, Ashwin is feared on lines from his recent stint in Australia’s Indian and he’s also handy with Big Bash League revolved around his the bat lower down the order. bid to chat up a TV reporter, he also (New Zealand): bludgeoned a stunning 12-ball 50. Forget Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill Gayle racked up the highest ever score and Corey Anderson, New Zealand in T20s while playing for the Bangalore suddenly has another big-hitter in the Royal Challengers in the Indian Premier form of Munro, 29. The unheralded League three years ago, hitting an left-hander has been in sensational unbeaten 175 off 66 balls. And he lit up form this year and starred in the Black the first World T20 in 2007 by notching Caps’ 74-run thrashing of Sri Lanka in up the format’s first international cen- Thursday’s warm-up match in Mumbai. tury. It could be the last chance for glo- Munro smashed 67, including seven ry for a player, now aged 36, that cap- sixes, off 34 balls, leading Anderson to NAGPUR: India’s Virat Kohli prepares for the training session at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur yesterday. India plays tain Darren Sammy describes as “the call him “one hell of a player”. His form against New Zealand in the World T20 cricket tournament today in Nagpur. — AFP most destructive” in T20 cricket. is timely for New Zealand, after the Imran Tahir (South Africa): With retirement of their swashbuckling cap- paceman Dale Steyn struggling with tain Brendon McCullum. injury, the hopes of South Africa’s David Warner (Australia): Arguably Kohli urges calm as attack will rest largely on the the most brutal opener in Test cricket, shoulders of leg-spinner Imran Tahir. Warner has been handed a new role in The 36-year-old has been in the form the middle order of Australia’s T20 side. of his life in 2016 and was the stand- A blistering 77 off just 40 balls against out bowler in the recent T20 series India begin campaign South Africa last weekend showed how against Australia and England. Born in quickly he has adapted to the change Pakistan, Tahir broke into the Proteas’ and he says he is relishing the opportu- NAGPUR: Star batsman Virat Kohli urged his with them into the side. (captain), Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit side at a relatively late age because of nity to face more spin bowling. Warner team-mates to stay calm yesterday amid grow- “They have backed their skills and I think this Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, issues over his eligibility, but quickly made his debut for Australia’s T20 team ing fervour about India’s prospects in the World is what has been the x-factor for us.” Like many Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Mohammed became a fans’ favourite due to his even before he played first-class cricket Twenty20, ahead of the host’s tricky tournament of his fellow skippers, Williamson believes that Shami, Pawan Negi, , Hardik ability to turn matches. The stylish but is now an automatic pick in all for- opener against New Zealand. India are the team to beat but says his side- Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit spinner wears his heart on his sleeve mats. His in-your-face approach has After winning 10 of their last 11 T20 interna- which is still to win a world cup-do not lack in Sharma, Yuvraj Singh New Zealand (from): and is a natural entertainer, famed for landed him in trouble, including his tionals, India are red-hot favourites for the World belief. “No doubt India will be possibly the Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, his often dramatic appeals for a . infamous 2013 ban for punching T20 and former batsman Virender Sehwag said favourites for this tournament but I think all the , Martin Guptill, , Joe Root (England): He may have England’s Joe Root in a bar. But as vice- last week he was “99 percent certain” they would teams will come here thinking they can win it,” Colin Munro, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan the appearance of a choirboy but the captain in what is a relatively inexperi- become the first team to win the trophy for a he said last week. McCullum, , Henry Nicholls, Luke chirpy Yorkshireman is a steely com- enced squad, much responsibility now second time. But Kohli, who is sometimes Teams Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim petitor who gets up the noses of oppo- rests on the 29-year-old’s shoulders. regarded as something of a firebrand, tried to India (from): Mahendra Singh Dhoni Southee, . — AFP nents. Widely seen as a captain-in-wait- Shoaib Malik (Pakistan): The mid- put a dampener on expectations in a press con- ference on the eve of the match in Nagpur and ing, Root has excelled at all forms of dle-order batsman made his interna- the game and appears to relish the said it was important not to get carried away. tional debut back in 1999 when still a “I think the key is to learn from the past more aggressive style of cricket that teenager, beginning a rollercoaster World T20 squads England have pursued in the last year. where calmness is required in big tournaments ride which seems to be drawing to a Still only 25, he has already scored like the ICC (International Cricket Council) events close. Still only 34, he dropped a more than 6,000 international runs because you can get sort of carried away or over NEW DELHI: Squads for the group stages sixth Group 2 bombshell last November by announc- since making his debut in India four anxious or over excited,” said Kohli, who is India’s edition of the International Cricket Council’s AUSTRALIA ing his retirement from Test cricket, years ago. Not only is he now the most Test captain. “Both those feelings are not great World Twenty20, which starts today: Steven Smith (captain), David Warner, only three matches after a five-year for any side going into a big tournament. “What prized English wicket, but he is also a Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James exile. But he remains a key member of we’ve learned from playing in big tournaments Group 1 handy offbreak bowler. Faulkner, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Pakistan’s one-day and T20 squads and in the past is that we have to stay as calm as ENGLAND Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Marsh, Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka): The possible and focus on the skills that need to be (captain), Moeen Ali, Sam batting all-rounder has been handed a calming influence in a crisis situation. Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Andrew Tye, Shane After Pakistan’s disastrous performance executed on the field.” Billings, Jos Buttler, Liam Dawson, , the unenviable task of ensuring the India have a woeful track record against the , Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Watson, Adam Zampa struggling islanders at least make a in the recent Asia Cup in Bangladesh, skipper Shahid Afridi will be looking to Black Caps in World T20 tournaments, losing four Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, decent fist of trying to defend the out of their five previous encounters while the James Vince, David Willey INDIA Malik to mentor the side’s young bats- World T20 title they won in 2014. Sri other match was rained off. Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Lanka have been on the decline since men. Husband of Indian tennis star SOUTH AFRICA Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar their triumph in Bangladesh, slumping Sania Mirza, Malik was at the crease BIG-HITTING BLACK CAPS Faf du Plessis (captain), , Hashim Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, to eighth in the world rankings, and when Pakistan lifted the T20 crown in And although New Zealand have been Amla, Farhaan Behardien, , AB Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi, come into this edition hot on the heels 2009 and would love to repeat the vic- undermined by inspirational skipper Brendon de Villiers, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Chris Morris, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, of a torturous Asia Cup campaign. tory in Kolkata on April 3. McCullum’s retirement on the eve of the tourna- David Miller, Aaron Phangiso, Kagiso Rabada, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh. Mathews, 28, was appointed captain in (Bangladesh): ment, their performance in warm-up matches Rilee Rossouw, Dale Steyn, David Wiese. place of the injured just Widely regarded as the best cricketer shows they are not lacking for firepower. NEW ZEALAND hours before the squad were due to Bangladesh has produced, Shakib is a They thrashed the holders Sri Lanka last SRI LANKA Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Thursday when Colin Munro, Corey Anderson Angelo Mathews (captain), Lasith Malinga, leave for India. Progressing to the canny left-arm spinner and a power Trent Boult, Martin Guptill, Grant Elliott, Colin and Grant Elliott all posted half-centuries in rap- Dushmantha Chameera, Dinesh Chandimal, semis is seen as a tall order, so if Sri middle-order batsman with a wide Munro, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan Lanka succeed, then their new skipper array of strokes. Shakib is also id time. Skipper Kane Williamson then smashed Niroshan Dickwella, Tillakaratne Dilshan, an entertaining 63 when New Zealand narrowly Rangana Herath, Shehan Jayasuriya, Chamara McCullum, Adam Milne, Henry Nicholls, Luke will regard it as a job well done. Bangladesh’s most experienced T20 lost to England in their final warm-up match on Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekara, Thisara Perera, Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Mohammad Shahzad campaigner and has played in domes- Saturday. Sachithra Senanayake, Dasun Shanaka, Milinda Southee, Ross Taylor . (Afghanistan): A self-proclaimed fan of tic leagues in four different countries. India also suffered a rare defeat in what was Siriwardana, Jeffrey Vandersay Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Previously ranked as the world’s num- an unofficial T20 international on Saturday when PAKISTAN wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad ber one all-rounder, he has been the they lost by four runs to South Africa in another WEST INDIES Shahid Afridi (captain), Anwar Ali, Imad Shahzad has not only copied his idol’s main factor behind the team’s sharp high-scoring match. Darren Sammy (captain), Samuel Badree, Wasim, Khalid Latif, Khurram Manzoor, ‘helicopter shot’ but possesses a similar improvement in one-day cricket in the With their powerful openers Shikhar Dhawan Sulieman Benn, , Dwayne , , never-say-die attitude. The portly last two years. But the brash 28-year- and Rohit Sharma hitting a purple patch, and Bravo, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Chris Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Nawaz, opener has been in the form of his life old has also made headlines for the the veteran Yuvraj Singh also in good nick, India Gayle, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Mohammad Sami, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shoaib will expect to post a big total on a batsman- Denesh Ramdin, , Marlon and is the main reason Afghanistan wrong reasons and he was slapped Malik, , Umar Akmal, . made the Super 10 cut. With scores of with a six-month ban in 2014 by the friendly pitch in Nagpur. Samuels, Jerome Taylor 61, 41 and 40 in the qualifiers, Shahzad Bangladeshi board for a “severe atti- Kohli, in top form himself, said rookie Indian bowlers Jaspreet Bumrah and Hardik Pandya BANGLADESH AFGHANISTAN is sure to make any opposition bowler tude problem” after he tried to play in would also be crucial to the outcome, saying Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Shakib Al Asghar Stanikzai (captain), Amir Hamza, wary of his presence. Apart from his the Caribbean Premier League without they had showed few signs of nerves in their Hasan, Abu Hider, Al-Amin Hossain, Arafat Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, range of colourful shots, the 31-year- permission. He was also suspended fledgling international careers. Sunny, , Mohammad Mithun, Karim Sadiq, , Mohammad old Shahzad is regarded as the team’s briefly last year for a foul-mouthed out- “Players like Hardik and Bumrah they have Mushfiqur Rahim, , Nasir Shahzad, Najibullah Zadran, Noor Ali Zadran, chief motivator thanks to his chirpy burst at an umpire in Bangladesh’s more confidence than when we started out,” he Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Soumya , Samiullah Shenwari, Shafiqullah presence behind the stumps. domestic T20 tournament.—AFP said. “They have performed in different situa- Sarkar, Tamim Iqbal, Taskin Ahmed Shafiq, Shapoor Zadran, Usman Ghani. —AFP tions and they have brought that confidence