THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2013 SPORTS

Sportspeople of the year Montenegro coach pens Kallis to quit tests PARIS: Wimbledon women’s singles champion Marion Bartoli and NBA star Tony 2-year contract extension Parker were named female and male sports person of the year by French sports DURBAN: South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis will retire from test and first- newspaper L’Equipe yesterday. Bartoli, 29, topped the women’s section with 886 PARIS: Montenegro manager Branko Brnovic has signed a two- class after the Boxing Day test against India in Durban, the country’s points following her stunning success at Wimbledon beating German Sabine Lisicki, year contract extension to lead the country through the Euro cricket board said yesterday. Kallis, cricket’s fourth highest test run-getter, her first - and only - Grand Slam 2016 qualifiers, the domestic governing body said on its website would be available, however, for selection in the crown at the 47th attempt, a on Tuesday. “I feel honored and privileged to remain on the limited-over formats, said record in the women’s game for Montenegro bench,” the 46-year-old Brnovic was quoted as say- in a statement. “It’s been an honor and a privi- those who have finally captured ing on uefa.com after extending his stay in a job he took up in lege to have been part of the South African test such a lofty honor. Two skiers October 2011. He guided Montenegro to the Euro 2012 playoffs, team since making my debut 18 years ago,” said downhill world champion Marion where they lost to the Czech Republic, and their bid for a place the 38-year-old, who has amassed 13174 runs Rolland (522pts) and giant slalom at the 2014 World Cup finals only floundered after two defeats at and taken 292 from 165 tests. “I have world champion Tessa Worley the end of the qualifying campaign left them third in their enjoyed every moment out in the middle but I (520pts) finished second and group. “I hope me and my team will do what we have almost just feel that the time is right to hang up my third but not much consolation done in the last two qualifying campaigns and seal our passage test whites,” said the all-rounder who has also given both have been ruled out of to a major finals,” said Brnovic, referring to the next European accumulated 11574 runs from 325 one-day February’s Winter Olympics in Championship which is being hosted by France. “We have a core internationals. “It wasn’t an easy decision to Sochi, Russia, because of injury. of the team at my disposal for the next qualifying campaign, come to, especially with Australia around the Parker, 31, got the nod with 805 with several young players coming through who can strengthen corner and the success this team is enjoying, points principally on the back of his inspirational performances in France’s being competition for starting places, which is very important.” but I feel that I have made my contribution in this format.” After the first test crowned European champions in Slovenia in September. Parker, who plays guard Brnovic, who played at the 1998 World Cup, has guided ended in a draw, world number one Proteas take on India in the second and for the San Antonio Spurs, beat Judoka legend Olympic and six-time world champi- Montenegro to four wins, four draws and six defeats in his 14 final test today. They will host Australia for three tests and as many Twenty20 on Teddy Riner (555 pts), who won the award last year. — AFP official matches in charge. — Reuters internationals in a series starting in February. — Reuters

MELBOURNE: England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow (right) dives for a catch as teammates Alastair Cook (second right), Ian Bell and Ben Stokes (left) look on during a training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), in Melbourne yesterday. England is preparing to take on Australia in the fourth Ashes cricket Test match starting today. — AFP England captain says Swann’s shock is over

SYDNEY: England captain Alastair Cook yesterday declared ahead of today’s Boxing Day fourth Test, where the tourists he could have stayed but he was like ‘I know I’ve got no a dozen now,” he said. “We’re ranked fifth in the world, we’ve the furor over Graeme Swann’s shock retirement “closed”, will be hoping to avert a 5-0 series whitewash. more to give, I don’t feel I’ve got anything left’.” Cook said won three test matches out of the past 12 months.” saying the spinner had assured him that controversial “I haven’t heard the quotes exactly-obviously I’ve seen Swann “will be missed because he was a fine, fine cricketer.” “England have a very good team, a lot of very good individ- remarks about player arrogance were not directed at his what’s been written-and whether it’s come across badly, he Spinner Monty Panesar is expected to step in for ual players... I think they know they’ve got the stock there, teammates. Swann stunned the cricket world with his totally 100 percent reassures me and the whole England England today, and Cook said pace spearhead Stuart Broad it’s just about them continuing to do what they’ve done for announcement Sunday that he was resigning immediately team that it’s not about us. “So to me the matter’s closed had made promising progress back to fitness after a foot long periods of time, it’s got them to be the number one from the England team midway through the Ashes series. on that.” Australia clinched the Ashes by taking an unbeat- injury in Perth. Australian captain Michael Clarke said he team in the world.” Clarke also declined to comment on the He stoked tensions by saying some players had “no idea able 3-0 lead in Perth and Swann’s departure has further would retain the same 12 from the previous three Tests, Australians’ change of coach and recent turnaround in form. how far up their own backsides they are”. destabilized the tourists’ already-shaky campaign. But Cook with everyone looking “fully fit”. His final 11 will be named “I don’t think now’s the right time for me to talk about that, There was speculation he was referring to his England commended Swann for his courage, saying “no one’s forc- at the toss. Despite three convincing wins on the trot over to be honest, I think it’s really important that we focus on colleagues, particularly outspoken batsman Kevin ing you to play cricket for England, we’re privileged to do third-ranked England, Clarke said there was no room for the here and now,” he said. “I’d prefer to offend nobody and Pietersen. But Swann has since denied that and Cook said that.” “Graeme just gave up a lot for that England shirt and complacency and declined to offer Cook advice. not get involved in it. Mickey (Arthur) did his job to the best Wednesday he had insisted it was not the case. “A phone he had no more to give, and I think it’s a very brave deci- “I don’t think it would be fair for me to sit here and try of his ability and I thought did a really good job-Darren call to Swanny reassured me very quickly that it wasn’t at sion,” he said. “He could have just hung on for these two and give advice to Alastair or to the England team because (Lehmann)’s doing the job now to the best of his ability and all anything about England players,” Cook told reporters games, and whether he played or not is pretty irrelevant, we’ve only won three test matches out of the last, I think it’s he’s doing a good job as well.” — AFP

South Africa and India have ALPINE SKIING Durban bowling headaches Vonn back in latest DURBAN: Finding the right combination of World champions South Africa will almost bowlers will be the biggest headache for both certainly be without injured fast bowler South Africa and India ahead of the second Morne Morkel, who has been a key member and final Test starting at Kingsmead yesterday. of a three-pronged pace attack together with step towards Sochi After fighting out an epic draw in the first Test Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander. Morkel suf- in , the two top-ranked teams in fered a sprained ankle early in the second VAL D’ISERE: Lindsey Vonn has chosen will seek a series win at a venue innings of the first Test. His likely replacement the right place for the next stop on her where South Africa have lost their most recent is Rory Kleinveldt, who has played in four road back to fitness ahead of the Winter four Test matches, including an 87-run defeat Tests. But South Africa will be tempted to play Olympics in Sochi in February. The 29- by India three seasons ago. Kyle Abbott, who was called into the squad year-old, a four-time overall World Cup after Morkel’s injury. winner, opted out of last weekend’s St Kingsmead is Abbott’s home ground and Moritz outing and Tuesday’s slalom in the accurate fast-medium bowler will be keen Courchevel. In her fight to regain full fit- to add to the success of his only previous Test ness in time to defend her Olympic down- when as a late replacement he took seven for hill title, Vonn is being choosy. Returning 29 in the first innings against Pakistan at to competition at Lake Louise in the first Centurion last season. He had match figures week of December, she showed steady of nine for 68. Kingsmead has lost much of the progress over three races in her first starts pace that was on offer when current bowling since reconstructive surgery on her right coach Allan Donald had match figures of nine knee after a crash at the World for 54 when India were bowled out for 100 Championships in Schladming last and 66 in 1996/97 but the Proteas could con- February. template going in with an all-pace attack. But the American, whose boyfriend is Leg-spinner Imran Tahir had a poor match golf world number one Tiger Woods, will in Johannesburg and South Africa have the return for Saturday’s downhill and option of using part-time off-spinner JP Sunday’s giant slalom in a place she Duminy, who was described by AB de Villiers as the best spinner in the first Test. India’s con- knows well. Not only did she win World cerns will be centred around the lack of suc- Championships downhill gold in Val cess of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who d’Isere in 2009, albeit on a different piste, failed to take a in 36 overs in the sec- she also won World Cup downhills in ond innings after South Africa had been set a 2006, 2007 and 2010, as well as two world record target of 458 in Johannesburg. super-combined events in the same peri- Kingsmead may be more helpful to Ashwin od. Vonn has admitted that she is confi- than the Wanderers but India could also call dent of surpassing Austrian Annemarie on Ravindra Jadeja or Pragyan Ojha, who are Moser-Proell’s record of 62 women’s World both left-armers. Cup victories - the American has 59 - and In the most recent Test at Kingsmead, Sri even Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s Lankan left-arm spinner Rangana Herath was mark of 86. man of the match after bowling his side to “I’ve already been thinking about that,” Lindsey Vonn of the US victory with match figures of nine for 128 two Vonn told Red Bulletin magazine. “My cur- back-to-back downhills in Lake Louise. bombing out of Tuesday’s slalom in near- seasons ago. It will also be a worry for India rent plan is to keep going until the 2015 Current World Cup leader Lara Gut of by Courchevel. “The last races were diffi- their three pace bowlers at the Wanderers, World Cup. Then, I’ll see how far away I am Switzerland, who won last year’s downhill cult for me, especially yesterday,” said the Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed from that number and then I’ll decide race in Val d’Isere, was a further 0.06sec 29-year-old German, who finished 13th in Shami, bowled a combined 91 overs in hot what to do, whether I’ll keep going in adrift while Slovenia’s reigning world last year’s downhill. “I was really fast weather in the second innings. The 35-year- every discipline or maybe just downhill super-G champion Tina Maze was just before I unfortunately skied out. I also old Khan, who took his 300th Test wicket in and super-G and concentrate on that ahead, in 11th (+1.20sec). Austrian Anna struggled in the last two super-G races in Johannesburg, played a big role in India’s win record. “Records are the only thing which Fenninger and Spain’s Carolina Ruiz Lake Louise and St Moritz. “In downhill for DURBAN: India’s cricketer Shikhar Dhawan at Kingsmead three seasons ago with match remains of an athlete. The only thing that plays football during a training session ahead figures of six for 98. With only three days of people will remember.” Castillo were second and third, with a raft now it’s looking good. My skis must be of the second cricket test match between recovery time between Tests, India may look Vonn finished in 12th spot in the first of favourites also showing promise on the super fast, because I didn’t ski perfectly India and South Africa at the Sahara Stadium to Bhuvneshwar Kumar or Umesh Yadav to training run on Wednesday, 1.23sec off Oreiller Killy piste. today and still managed to be the fastest. Kingsmead in Durban. — AFP bolster their pace resources. — AFP the lead time of 1min 49.30sec set by Hoefl-Riesch’s outing went some way I hope I can have a good race on Saturday Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who won to making up for the disappointment of and make up some points.” — AFP