44 Friday Sports Friday, September 27, 2019 ATP hands Kyrgios suspended 16-week ban for poor behaviour PARIS: Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios re- provision in the ATP Code,” the governing body ceived a suspended 16-week ban from the ATP said yesterday. “The investigation found a pat- yesterday and was placed on probation for six tern of behaviour related to Kyrgios’s verbal months for “aggravated behaviour” following a abuse of officials and/or spectators in the past number of on-court outbursts over the past year. 12 months that constitutes a violation” of the The suspension is deferred pending Kyrgios’ ATP rule book, it added. Kyrgios, 24, has five compliance with several strict conditions man- days to appeal the decision. dated by the ATP, which include seeking addi- tional support from a specialist in behavioural ‘PRETTY CORRUPT’ management during the off-season. However, he avoided further punishment for “The suspension will be lifted at the end of calling the ATP “pretty corrupt” during the US the six-month probationary period provided Open. “Following a clarification issued by the that the above conditions are met,” the ATP said player the following day, it was determined that in a statement. It added the same applied to a the incident did not constitute a Player Major $25,000 fine. Tour organisers opened an inves- Offense, and no additional penalties were ap- tigation into Kyrgios following an explosive plied,” the ATP said. meltdown at last month’s Cincinnati Masters Tennis great Rod Laver this month called for which saw him smash two racquets, launch an Kyrgios to be suspended over bad behaviour, abusive tirade at the chair umpire before ap- saying his fellow Australian appeared not to be pearing to spit at the official during a second- learning from his mistakes. Laver, an 11-time round match. Grand Slam champion who is considered one of He was fined $113,000 for ball abuse, leaving the sport’s greatest players, said time away from the court without permission, an audible ob- tennis could be the answer. scenity and unsportsmanlike conduct during his “Whatever they have done hasn’t worked so ZHUHAI: Nick Kyrgios of Australia hits a return against Andreas Seppi of Italy during their loss to Russia’s Karen Khachanov. But the ATP far, so maybe a suspension is the only answer,” men’s singles first round match at the Zhuhai Championships tennis tournament in Zhuhai decided to extend the inquiry into the volatile he told The Sydney Morning Herald. “I’m not in China’s southern Guangdong province. — AFP Kyrgios, who was also disqualified and fined for sure he’s learned anything from any of the things throwing a chair on to court during the Rome that have gone on.” Kyrgios served a three-week the Zhuhai Championships on Wednesday, after “Unfortunately a collarbone injury I sustained Masters in May. ban in 2016 after being accused of not trying at which he said that he could sit out the rest of the at Laver Cup has escalated and has forced me to “The investigation... has concluded that Kyr- the Shanghai Masters. His initial eight-week sus- season because of a collarbone injury. Kyrgios pull out of the Asian swing,” Kyrgios wrote on gios has been found to have committed aggra- pension was reduced after he agreed to see a has already pulled out of next week’s China Twitter. “I’ll be heading back to Australia to rest vated behaviour under the Player Major Offense sports psychologist. He lost in the first round of Open and will head home to Australia to recover. and recover. See you all soon,” he added. — AFP served for heads of state. All the arrangements are Karachi gears up being led by the country’s military, with around Australia’s 2,000 security personnel on alert at the team’s hotel and at the ground. Sri Lankan skipper Lahiru Thiri- for first one-day manne — captaining the side after regular skipper Finch eyeing Dimuth Karunaratne pulled out — is confident international cricket will be in focus. Test comeback “SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) has presented us the se- in 10 years curity plan which we are getting in Pakistan so I am pretty happy with that and I explained to my family as SYDNEY: Australia’s one-day skipper well, so they don’t have a concern,” said Thirimanne Aaron Finch is keen to play Test KARACHI: Karachi hosts a one-day international for earlier this week. cricket again after watching the top the first time in 10 years when Pakistan take on a de- The captain said the decision by some of his team- order fail to fire during the recent pleted Sri Lanka on Friday, furthering the country’s re- mates to pull out of the tour was a “personal matter”. Ashes series. vival in international cricket. “History will be made on “We still have a good team,” he said. “I believe if we The 32-year-old was dumped after Friday when Karachi will host the first ODI,” said Pak- play to our potential we can do very well.” scoring just 97 runs in three Tests as istan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed. Sarfaraz and fast bowler Wahab Riaz are the only an opener against India last summer, Aaron Finch “We must thank the Sri Lankan team for touring Pakistani players who have played a one-day interna- later declaring his chances of padding us.” Teams have been reluctant to visit the cricket- tional in Karachi before — back in 2008. “I can’t wait up again had “probably slipped away”. mad country since a militant attack on the Sri Lankan for Friday,” said Sarfaraz, who took over as ODI captain “If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t hap- But he is reinvigorated and eyeing team bus in Lahore in 2009. Although no players in 2017. The remaining ODIs will also be in Karachi on pen. I’m comfortable with that.” another chance after David Warner, Sunday and Wednesday. The two teams will also play Finch, an aggressive short-format were killed in the attack, several were injured and Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft eight people died. three Twenty20 internationals — all in Lahore — on all misfired against England. specialist who has played just five Tests, is taking inspiration from The attack forced Pakistan to play all their “home” October 5, 7 and 9. Finch said plans to score as many Matthew Wade, who forced his way Tests and most of its short-form games in the United runs as possible in the upcoming do- back into the Test team by hammering Arab Emirates with Zimbabwe becoming the first team Teams: mestic Sheffield Shield season to catch more than 1,000 Shield runs last sea- to return to Pakistan in 2015. Pakistan: Sarfaraz Ahmed (captain), Babar Azam the attention of selectors ahead of the son. “I think it’s a credit to himself, but That tour was followed by a Twenty20 series by a (vice-captain), Abid Ali, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris home Test series against Pakistan and also the hard work he’s done on his World XI in 2017, a one-off T20 match against Sri Sohail, Mohammad Hasnain, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad New Zealand, starting in November. technique and the coaches down at Lanka that same year, and the West Indies for a Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nawaz, Mo- “For me personally, it’s about prob- Tassie (Tasmania) have done a fantas- Twenty20 series in Karachi in 2018. The current tour — hammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Usman Shinwari, ably having one really good crack at tic job,” he said of Wade, who hit two comprising of three one-day internationals and as many Wahab Riaz. trying to get back to the Test team Ashes hundreds. Twenty20s — was tainted by the withdrawal of 10 Sri Sri Lanka: Lahiru Thirimanne (captain), Danushka again,” he told SEN sports radio on Finch’s state side Victoria have four Lankan players who cited security fears. Gunathilaka, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Avishka Fer- Wednesday. “Obviously (I’ll) just try Shield games for him to shine ahead of Sri Lanka then stalled the tour after receiving infor- nando, Oshada Fernando, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dasun and get some runs, get some big runs the opening Test against Pakistan on mation of a possible militant attack on the team, before Shanaka, Minod Bhanuka, Angelo Perera, Wanindu there. That’s my plan. November 21 in Brisbane. — AFP the all clear was finally given last week. Pakistan have Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Nuwan Pradeep, Isuru put in place stringent security measures normally re- Udana, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara. — AFP.