sign in sign up
<<
Home , BJ Watling, Ehsan Adil, Ish Sodhi, Mark Craig, Shan Masood, Taufeeq Umar

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2014 SPORTS Shabana defies years to reach world q-finals

DOHA: Amr Shabana, the 35-year-old four times an opponent, and there are certain points which former world champion, defied the years in are very important,” said Shabana. “At the end of emphatic fashion to reach the World Open quar- the second game I got a bit too excited, which is ter-finals for the 12th time in a row. The resilient- not good in squash. “If you go overboard you ly brilliant Egyptian did that by overwhelming stop thinking, but I managed to stay in control. Max Lee, the rising Hong Kong player, by 11-6, Playing only 30 minutes means I saved a lot of 11-7, 11-4 with an encouragingly incisive per- energy. You can have one bad rally where it formance in less than half an hour. The focussed sucks the energy out of you, and that didn’t hap- and rapid success could be a significant help for pen. It was a good win for me.” the oldest man in the draw, who may conse- Shabana thus remains in contention for quently have a better chance of further becoming the oldest male world champion of all progress, possibly at the expense of Nick time, an accolade currently held by Geoff Hunt Matthew, the defending world champion. of Australia, who won his fourth world title aged Shabana’s was all the more notable 33 years and six months. because Lee, the first Chinese player to reach However Matthew also began the tourna- the world’s top 20, came within three points of ment with this ambition. The 34-year-old beating him at last month’s US Open in Englishman was due for a third round meeting Philadelphia. Now though he was almost contin- Saurav Ghosal of India, for the right to meet uously outplayed. Shabana. “If you don’t control the game you will be at Earlier another Egyptian, the young and tal- the wrong end of it,” Shabana said. “Maybe I ented Fares Dessouki who has been tipped as a played better today. Maybe he wasn’t moving at top five player of the near future, was beaten 11- his best, I don’t know. But for me I had a game 8, 11-4, 6-11, 11-5 by Borja Golan, the sixth seed- plan and stuck to it. And I felt good.” ed Spaniard. This was a fine performance by the Shabana mixed the short and the long 31-year-old Galician, who almost lost to games superbly, taking Lee in short whenever Dessouki in the China Open in September but he had half a chance, and striking the ball heavi- who has improved his tactical options by devel- ly and with meticulous accuracy when he want- oping his front court game. “My two previous ed to send his opponent plunging to the back matches with him helped me learn about my again. There was an important phase as Lee game,” said Golan. “I am happy with that. I think I reached 6-5 and then 7-6 in the second game, am still improving.” He may need to improve when the match might have changed character. some more however as the draw suggested he Instead Shabana produced five superb attacks should next play the twice former world cham- and finished them all with winners, two to the pion Ramy Ashour, another Egyptian. Ashour front, three to the back, snuffing out the was due to face Miguel Rodriguez, the 12th younger man’s recovery. seeded Colombian, for a place in the quarter- “It’s always push and pull, pull and push with finals. — AFP DUBAI: New Zealand batsman BJ Watling (center) plays a shot as Pakistani wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed (right) and teammate Shan Masood look on during the second day of the second Test match. — AFP in trouble after Kiwis pile up 403 runs

DUBAI: Pakistan were under pressure after losing both their openers for 34 in reply to SCOREBOARD New Zealand’s big total of 403 in the second Test in Dubai yesterday. DUBAI: Scoreboard at close on the second day of the second Test between Pakistan and New Azhar Ali (four) and (one) were Zealand at Dubai stadium yesterday: unbeaten at close on the second day after Shan Masood (13) and Taufeeq Umar (16) New Zealand Ist (overnight 243-3) (Williamson), 3-226 (Taylor), 4-245 (Anderson), departed early to give New Zealand an edge T. Latham c Ahmed b Rahat 137 5-245 (Latham), 6-278 (Neesham), 7-346 for the first time in the series. B. McCullum c Masood b Adil 43 (Watling), 8-348 (Craig), 9-387 (Southee) Pakistan still need 170 runs more to avoid K. Williamson b Babar 32 : Rahat 32-8-69-1, Adil 29-9-73-2, Babar the follow-on with eight intact. R. Taylor c Masood b Shah 23 45-8-137-4, Shah 41-7-92-2, Ali 9-1-23-1 MELBOURNE: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (second right) presents a gift C. Anderson c Ali b Adil 9 Pakistan’s new opening pair, after Ahmed to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott (third left) during a reception at the J. Neesham c Misbah b Shah 17 Pakistan Ist innings Melbourne Ground. Modi is in Melbourne after attending the G20 Shehzad and were ruled B.J. Watling c (sub) Sohail b Ali 39 Shan Masood b Sodhi 13 Summit in Brisbane. — AFP out due to injuries, flopped as Masood played M. Craig lbw b Babar 43 Taufeeq Umar st Watling b Craig 16 over a sharp turning from T. Southee b Babar 17 Azhar Ali 4 Modi talks ‘shirtfronting’ and was bowled between the gap. I. Sodhi not out 32 Younis Khan not out 1 Umar, playing his first Test in two years, was T. Boult c Rahat b Babar 2 Total: (for two wkts; 19 overs) 34 and cricket Down Under as he was beaten by off-spinner Extras: (lb9) 9 Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Masood), 2-32 . That capped a good day for New Total: (all out; 156 overs) 403 Bowling: Boult 5-1-9-0, Southee 3-0-5-0, Craig SYDNEY: Indian Prime Minister Narendra In the end, the two men were all smiles for Zealand who added 160 runs in the day. Fall of wickets: 1-77 (McCullum), 2-153 6-3-8-1, Sodhi 5-0-12-1. Modi injected some humour into his address the cameras. Modi is the second leader to use Besides opener ’s brilliant 137, to Australia’s parliament yesterday, using the the obscure term in his address, after New Zealand owed their total to tail-enders term “shirtfront” to make fun of his host while Cameron recalled his concern when Australia’s who added 125 runs for the last four wickets enth in the post-lunch session to leave Corey Anderson and Tom Latham in the space also talking cricket. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was purposefully the Pakistani bowlers frustrated on an unre- of two runs in the first three overs of the day. Modi’s official visit, the first by an Indian heading his way at a summit in Italy. “I won- after they had seemingly squandered a chance to post a big total at 278-6. Mark Craig sponsive pitch. Adil had Anderson (nine) caught in the leader in 28 years, follows on from Prime dered for a moment whether I was heading It was left to part-timer Azhar Ali to break covers before fellow new-ball partner Rahat Minister Tony Abbott’s hosting of G20 world for what I’m told we now need to call a ‘shirt- (43), BJ Watling (39) and Ish Sodhi (32 not out) leaders in Brisbane on the weekend. fronting’,” he said, before going on to say she fought hard to ensure New Zealand get past the stand when he had Watling caught in the had Latham caught behind. “(As) the third head of the government had merely wanted to offer help to fight the 400-mark, a total which could put an in- slips and then two runs later Babar trapped Latham, who scored 103 in New Zealand’s you are listening to this week, I do not know Ebola. Modi’s speech also included a reference form Pakistan under pressure. Craig leg-before to leave New Zealand at 348- 248- defeat in the first Test in , how you are doing this,” Modi told members to cricket, saying that both Australia and India Watling said New Zealand had the better of 8. Craig hit five boundaries in his 110-ball fell in the next over as he edged a ball from of parliament, who were addressed by celebrated the legend of Australian batsman Pakistan on the day. “Obviously after losing knock while Watling had three hits to the Rahat to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed. Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday and Don Bradman and the class of India’s Sachin two early wickets we had to try and put up a fence in his two-hour stay. Sodhi and Tim Latham failed to add to his overnight score Britain’s David Cameron last Friday. Tendulkar. But he noted this relationship Southee (17) added a further 39 for the ninth of 137. He batted for 394 minutes and hit 11 “Maybe this is Prime Minister Abbott’s way broke down somewhat when Australian decent total and we managed that and then their two wickets made a good day for us,” wicket and Sodhi lofted Babar for a six to post fours and a six. Neesham added 33 for the of shirtfronting you!” Abbott made “shirt- Shane Warne came along, mastering India’s the 400. Babar though had the last laugh, dis- sixth wicket with Watling before he miscued a front”-which describes a confrontation in traditional strength of spin bowling. “I wish said Watling. Left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar Australian Rules Football-a global concept you the best for hosting a great and successful was the pick of bowlers with 4-137 while leg- missing number eleven to wrap drive off Shah and was caught at short mid- when in October he threatened to do it to World Cup next year,” he added, referring to gie finished with 2-92 and seamer up the innings. wicket by Misbah-ul Haq for 17. The third and Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the G20 over the one-day tournament being hosted jointly Ehsan Adil 2-73. Earlier, resuming on a strong 243-3, New final Test will be played in from the crisis in Ukraine. by Australia and New Zealand in 2015. — AFP Watling and Craig added 68 for the sev- Zealand lost both their overnight batsmen November 26. — AFP

Ooredoo extends coaching clinic with Paris Saint-Germain Academy Coaching Clinics planned for Qatar, Algeria, Oman and Kuwait

DOHA: The “Paris Saint-Germain Academy sport professionally. ball, and contributing to their growth and brought to you by Ooredoo” coaching clinics Led by Paris Saint-Germain coaches, the development. With this new phase taking took place in Tunisia this week, with special clinics are designed to educate, motivate and place in Tunisia, we are connecting with a training sessions at the El Manzah Stadium. encourage young football players, and poten- community of young people who are More than 200 eight to sixteen year-old tially connect them with a range of new life extremely passionate about the game and young people took part, having been special- opportunities. delighted to have the chance to work with ly-selected from the Ooredoo Football Ooredoo and Paris-Saint Germain organ- coaches from Paris Saint-Germain.” Academy, which has branches in Tunis, ised a special training seminar for 16 local The next coaching clinics are set to take Sousse and Monastir, and from the junior coaches of Tunisian football teams sponsored place in Doha in December, followed by clubs of some of the Ooredoo-sponsored by Ooredoo, as part of the wider investment Oman, Kuwait and Algeria in the coming Tunisian football teams. In addition, some in supporting football in Tunisia. The first months. young people living in underserved areas phase of the “Paris Saint-Germain Academy Ooredoo and Paris Saint-Germain signed a selected by the Tunisian “Sport for All” federa- brought to you by Ooredoo” programme sponsorship agreement in September 2013, tion took part. kicked-off in Doha, Qatar in May this year and and the partnership places a strong emphasis The sessions provided important insights was a significant success. on community support and involvement. The into a range of topics - from proper training Dr. Nasser Marafih, Group CEO, Ooredoo, coaching clinic programme is part of the two and preparation through to injury manage- said: “This programme has already achieved group’s shared approach to encouraging ment - and will take the aspiring young foot- excellent results in terms of bringing young healthy lifestyles and supporting young peo- ballers closer to their dreams of playing the people together through their love of foot- ple’s ambitions and aspirations.