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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2015 SPORTS Pakistan axe spinner Ajmal Popov inks Van Persie future uncertain LAHORE: Pakistan have dropped off-spinner Saeed Ajmal from their squad for the three-test Spartak deal AMSTERDAM: Robin van Persie is keeping his options open over his future at Manchester United as he series against Sri Lanka this month and have recalled opening batsmen Ahmed Shehzad and enters a final season of his contract with the club, Dutch media reported yesterday. The striker returned Shan Masood. from injury towards the end of the season but was no longer able to command a regular place in the MOSCOW: Bulgaria captain Ivelin Popov has The 37-year-old Ajmal, once Pakistan’s most potent wicket-taker, has struggled since team. “The club must do its homework and so must I. It’s a new situation,” he told reporters in an inter- joined Spartak Moscow from fellow Russian view with several Dutch newspapers ahead of Friday’s friendly international between the Netherlands returning to international cricket from a ban for an illegal bowling action. Premier League side Kuban Krasnodar, Spartak He was ineffective in the limited-overs series against Bangladesh and the US in Amsterdam. said on Wednesday in a statement on their offi- “I’m going to calmly and relaxed sit down and consider everything. “I still have ambitions of playing before he was left out of the team for the subsequent two-test cial website(www.spartak.com). series. Shehzad and Masood were left out of the test series in every week. I feel top fit and I think I can still go on for several years. Take note of my words,” said the The attacking midfielder has signed a long- 31-year-old, who moved to Old Trafford from Arsenal in 2012. Van Persie said he should have had six or Bangladesh, which Pakistan won 1-0. Fast bowlers Rahat Ali term contract with the side from the Russian cap- and Sohail Khan and batsman Sohaib Maqsood are yet to recov- seven more goals than the tally of 10 he netted for the club last season. ital. The 27 year-old started his career with the “People don’t accept that I just scored 10. Actually that’s a compli- er from their injuries and missed out on selection, the Pakistan Bulgarian side Litex Lovech, before moving to ment because they expect more of me on the basis of what I can do. I Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement. Turkey to play for Gaziantepspor. He then was the club’s second highest goal scorer together with Juan Mata and “Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan and Sohaib Maqsood are still on the moved to the south of Russia, joining Kuban. behind Wayne Rooney (14 goals). “It’s not good that a top club like rehab after sustaining injuries and it is hoped that they would be Popov has won 52 caps for Bulgaria and has Manchester United does not have a scorer with 20 or more goals available for selection in the near future,” chief selector Haroon scored nine goals. “I had three or four offers, but behind his name each season and that is why we only finished fourth.” when a concrete offer came in from the red and Rashid said. Van Persie struggled with an ankle injury through the season, blaming a hectic whites, I told my club immediately that I wanted “Selection committee has also kept its options open in case of pre-World Cup training programme, as he battled to get fit for Brazil, and then to play for Spartak,” Popov said. “My new club is need for the 16th member keeping in mind the extreme weath- a lack of a break after the tournament last summer. “After I came back from the most famous in Russia. This is a big step for- er conditions in Sri Lanka.” The first test begins at Galle from injury I realised that I would not automatically get back in the ward my career,” he added. Spartak finished sixth June 17 and Pakistan will also play five one-day internation- starting line-up,” he said. “But I didn’t have a problem with that last season. — Reuters als and two Twenty20s.—Reuters because they were playing well at the time. —Reuters Blue Jays thrash Nationals, Rockies win WASHINGTON: Kevin Pillar hit two home runs off Max Chase Field swimming pool in the seventh inning and Scherzer, including a go-ahead three-run drive, as the Arizona won a back-and-forth game. Toronto Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals 7-3 The homer was the 51st splashdown in the water Tuesday night to earn a split of a day-night doubleheader. beyond the right field fence since the ballpark opened in Jordan Zimmermann pitched six-hit ball for eight innings 1998. Ender Inciarte had two RBIs, two runs scored and two in the opener, a 2-0 victory that ended a three-game losing stolen bases for the Diamondbacks. He drew a two-out streak. Bryce Harper had a go-ahead single off R.A. Dickey, walk from Brandon Cunniff (2-1) and scored on Pollock’s then he thrilled a fan before the nightcap by taking a selfie home run. in right field with her phone. AJ Pierzynski and Todd Cunningham each drove in a Scherzer (6-4) had won each of his previous five starts pair of runs in the Braves’ five-run sixth inning after the and appeared poised for another with a 3-1 lead. Pillar had Diamondbacks had taken a 4-1 lead off Shelby Miller. other ideas, though. He drove a pitch over the wall in left in the sixth for his second homer and fourth on the season PADRES 7, METS 2 for a 4-3 lead. Ian Kennedy threw six strong innings and outpitched Marco Estrada (2-3) pitched six innings in the second rookie sensation Noah Syndergaard, lifting San Diego past game for Toronto, allowing three runs - two earned - and New York. Kennedy (3-5) broke a four-start losing streak as six hits. Zimmermann (5-2) struck out four and walked one he held the Mets to two runs and six hits. Syndergaard (2- to win for the third time in four starts. Dickey (2-6) gave up 3) flashed enough quality pitches to strike out 10 but the eight hits, struck out six and walked one. Padres reached the righty for seven runs and 10 hits in four innings. It was Syndergaard’s shortest of his five career ROCKIES 6, DODGERS 3 starts. Derek Norris hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Alex Guerrero hit a grand slam off reliever Rafael Alexi Amarista and Will Venable drove in two runs each in a Betancourt with two outs in the top of the ninth, helping four-run second inning. Los Angeles salvage a doubleheader split. Guerrero sent a fastball from Betancourt (2-2) to the PIRATES 7, GIANTS 4 deepest part of Coors Field, just eluding the glove of leap- Andrew McCutchen had four hits and drove in two runs, ing center fielder Charlie Blackmon. It was Guerrero’s first Pedro Alvarez drove in twor and Pittsburgh won for the career grand slam and fourth homer of the day for the 10th time in 12 games. Dodgers. Jordy Mercer hit his first home run of the season and In the opener, Jorge De La Rosa threw six solid innings Neil Walker drove in a run as the Pirates clinched their third with a healing cut on his middle finger and Michael DENVER: Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Alex Guerrero (left) is congratulated by center fielder Joc Pederson (center) series win in the last five played in San Francisco. McKenry homered to lead Colorado. and right fielder Chris Heisey after the Dodgers retired the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning. — AP Brandon Crawford hit a two-run home run and Buster De La Rosa (2-2) had his start pushed back twice Posey drove in a pair of runs for the Giants, who lost their because of a cut he got from the seams on a baseball. The PHILLIES 5, REDS 4 AL-leading Houston. fourth straight. McCutchen improved to .398 (37-for-93) lefty allowed three runs and struck out six for his 71st win Darin Ruf hit a walkoff single with one out in the ninth The Astros were in a big hole early after a four-run sec- over his past 26 games, with 11 doubles, a triple, five with the Rockies, one shy of matching Aaron Cook’s team inning after Maikel Franco tied it in the eighth with a two- ond inning by the Orioles, but bounced back an inning lat- homers, 21 RBIs and 17 runs scored. record. John Axford pitched around a leadoff single in the run homer to lead Philadelphia to a rare late-inning come- er for their major league-leading 17th comeback victory ninth for his 10th save. Ian Thomas (0-1) allowed four runs back victory. Odubel Herrera led off the ninth against Tony this year. YANKEES 5, MARINERS 3 in three innings for the Dodgers, and rookie Joc Pederson Cingrani (0-2) with an opposite-field double to left. Herrera Houston trailed by 3 when the homer by Gattis made it Garrett Jones hit a three-run homer in the top of the hit his 15th home run, a shot estimated at 477 feet. went to third on Carlos Ruiz’s sacrifice bunt and scored on 4-all and the Astros went back to back when Valbuena 11th inning to give the Yankees the lead and Andrew Miller Ruf’s single to right.