26 Sports Tuesday, April 30, 2019 great Wasim not discounting spearhead Amir Pakistan bowler’s dubious catch sparks debate

KARACHI: Legendary paceman cau- part in the 2007 and 2011 tournaments. tioned against discounting ahead of Wasim added that big events are won with a mixture next month’s World Cup, saying Pakistan’s pace spear- of youth and experience. “I am all for youth but experi- head would return to form following a disappointing ence has no substitute, so we should mix youth with string of performances at the crease. experience,” said Wasim who guided Amir during the The 27-year-old Amir was left off Pakistan’s prelimi- Pakistan Super League earlier this year. nary World Cup squad but has a chance to force his “He is a good learner so I hope things will come way back into the final 15 if he does well in the five- good for him sooner than later because Pakistan team match one-day international series against England needs him.” Pakistan is set to play three one-day starting from May 8. matches against county teams before taking on All teams have until May 23 to change their World England in the five-match ODI series from May 5. Cup squads. Missing the upcoming World Cup would The squad will then kick off two warm-up World likely serve as another crippling setback for the young Cup games against Afghanistan on May 24 and bowler’s career after he missed the tournament in both Bangladesh on May 26, before taking on the West 2011 and 2015 due to an embarrassing five-year ban Indies in their first World Cup match in Nottingham on over match fixing. May 31. All 10 teams will play each other in the first Since returning to competition, Amir has fallen into a stage, with the top four playing the semi-finals. rut after guiding Pakistan in a dramatic win over Meanwhile, Pakistan bowler Hasan Ali was at the in the Champions trophy final in June 2017 — with just centre of controversy after he claimed a catch despite four in 14 matches. However, Wasim said he still apparently dropping the ball in their opening tour believed Amir could stage a comeback. match against Kent. The tourists comfortably beat the “We can’t discount Amir from the World Cup,” county side by 100 runs after amassing 358 for seven in Wasim told AFP. “Amir would have been my first choice their 50 overs on Saturday. for the World Cup considering English conditions Kent were 176-3 in reply in the 30th over when Alex where he performs well.” Wasim went on to say that Blake, on 89, skied a return catch to Ali, who was bowl- Amir had both youth and the experience of competing ing. Video footage emerged on Monday that showed at the highest levels of the sport on his side, including the seamer appeared to floor the catch. international Tests and English county cricket. But Ali continued his celebration as the ball lay on Wasim Akram seen sharing some tips to Sri Lankan players. “I am confident that he will do well once his rhythm the ground and the batsman was not given a reprieve is back,” said Wasim, a veteran of five World Cups in by the umpire. 1987, 1992, 1996, 1999 and 2003. Pakistan’s preliminary The laws of cricket state that a catch is completed three players handed bans from the game. ments and fully expects all concerned to respect World Cup squad is largely comprised of young play- only when “a fielder obtains complete control over both Pakistan announced yesterday that veteran batsman Shoaib’s privacy,” the Pakistan Cricket Board said in a ers, with only a handful of veterans-Sarfraz and Haris the ball and his/her own movement”. The image of Shoaib Malik has returned home to deal with a person- statement. Pakistan are playing one match Sohail, who played in 2015, as well as Shoaib Malik, Pakistani cricket was damaged by a spot-fixing contro- al issue but is expected to rejoin the team in 10 days’ and five one-day internationals against England before who played in 2007, and Mohammad Hafeez, who took versy that blighted their England tour in 2010, with time. “The PCB will not be making any further com- the start of the World Cup in late May. — AFP

Hales withdrawn Bangladesh tells fans from England to ease World Cup ‘hype’ DHAKA: Bangladesh skipper Mashrafe played in the Champions Trophy semi- WCup squad Mortaza yesterday called on the coun- final, we had the same team. So there is try’s fans to douse their expectations for no need to create hype,” he pleaded. LONDON: England batsman Alex Hales will the World Cup and avoid putting “The best team does not always win,” not feature at the World Cup after being unwanted pressure on the team. added Mashrafe, who said the players do withdrawn from all international squads fol- After Bangladesh’s appearance at the not need the “extra pressure on us” and lowing an off-field incident not related to Champions Trophy semi-finals two years that he preferred to believe in “luck”. cricket, the England and Wales Cricket Board ago and the Asia Cup final last year, Mashrafe said there should be no said yesterday. national hopes of a winning streak at the public pressure to win or even reach the Hales was included in the 15-man prelimi- World Cup have skyrocketed. semi-finals. “If you ask the ex-players nary World Cup squad for the tournament in But the 35-year-old captain called for and analysts they will tell you we are not England and Wales but it emerged last week calm ahead of the team’s departure for a among the favourites. If we can do some- that he had been sanctioned under the ECB’s warm-up tournament in Ireland, before thing, people’s attitude towards us will disciplinary policy for a second time. the World Cup starts on May 30 in change.” Bangladesh won 13 one-day A report in the Guardian newspaper said England and Wales. “You are saying this internationals last year. Among the World the hard-hitting batsman was serving a ban is our best ever team, but that’s not Cup countries, only India and England from cricket for recreational drug use. A important,” said Mashrafe. did better. Bangladesh open their World spokesman for Hales on Friday confirmed the Alex Hales “We went to the Asia Cup with the Cup campaign against South Africa at Nottinghamshire batsman had been suspend- same team but could not win it. We , London, on June 2. —AFP ed “following an off-field incident last year”. An ECB statement yesterday said: “Alex tional against Ireland in Malahide, the best interests of the team, to ensure they Hales has been withdrawn from all England upcoming limited-overs matches against are free from any distractions and able to squads ahead of the international season.” Pakistan and the World Cup. focus on being successful on the pitch. “I Hales’s latest misdemeanour comes just a few Ashley Giles, ECB managing director of want to make it clear this is not the end of Sharma fined for hitting stumps months after he was suspended and fined by England Men’s Cricket, said: “We have Alex’s career as an England player.” Hales the ECB for his part in a street brawl in Bristol thought long and hard about this deci- has played 11 Tests, 70 one-day interna- KOLKATA: skipper IPL titles, believed he had edged the also involving in September 2017. sion. “We have worked hard to create the tionals and 60 Twenty20 internationals Rohit Sharma was yesterday docked 15 incoming from paceman Harry The 30-year-old has been stood down right environment around the England but is now regarded as a white-ball spe- percent of his match fee for hitting the Gurney and reviewed the umpire’s call. from this Friday’s one-off one-day interna- team and need to consider what is in the cialist. —AFP stumps with his bat following his dismissal But the ‘snickometer’ technology, which in a highly charged Indian Premier analyses noise, suggested the ball missed League game. the bat and the decision was upheld, with The India batsman smashed three a dejected Sharma having words with the boundaries before being adjudged lbw in umpire as well as hitting the stumps. Premier League top-four contenders limp towards line Mumbai’s mammoth chase of 233 against Mumbai lost the match by 34 runs despite Kolkata Knight Riders, and vented his a 34-ball 91 by Hardik Pandya at Kolkata’s frustration on the stumps at the non-strik- Eden Gardens. The world’s most popular LONDON: Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal are not the best,” admitted Pochettino Gunners in the first season since Arsene er’s end on Sunday. Twenty20 league ends on May 12 with and Manchester United all failed to muster after a sixth defeat in 10 league games. Wenger’s departure has come undone over Sharma, who has led Mumbai to three the final in Hyderabad. — AFP a win for the second consecutive Premier Spurs’ skeleton squad have understand- three defeats to Crystal Palace, Wolves and League weekend as the contenders for a ably ran out of gas, but thanks to the Leicester in eight days. place in next season’s Champions League profligacy of their rivals, one more win The defensive issues that dogged stumble towards the finish line. from their final two games against Wenger’s final years in charge still need to Spurs, in third place behind runaway Bournemouth and Everton will guarantee be resolved, while Emery constantly chops pacesetters Manchester City and much-needed Champions League cash and changes his formation and personnel in Liverpool, are best-placed to secure a again next season. midfield and attack. fourth straight season of Champions A three-time Europa League winner League football. Their 1-0 win over Chelsea - 68 points with Sevilla, that competition may now Brighton on Tuesday is the only time in the Maurizio Sarri launched an uncharacter- prove Arsenal’s best route back to the past 10 games involving the four sides that istically staunch defence of his first season Champions League but a tough tie against one of them has won. in charge at Stamford Bridge after a 1-1 Emery’s old side Valencia awaits in the Chelsea are in pole position for fourth, draw away to United on Sunday consoli- semi-finals. two points ahead of Arsenal, with United’s dated his side’s place in the top four. chances now looking slim-they are a point “We played the final in the League Cup, Manchester United - 65 points behind Arsenal with a significantly inferior we are fighting for the top four, we are in Despite a of seven defeats in nine goal difference. AFP Sports looks at why the semi-finals of the Europa League. I games, United remarkably still had a good all four have hit the wall as the season think we have done a good season.” chance of hauling themselves into the top reaches its climax. Sarri has had his troubles this season. four had they held onto an early lead He publicly criticised his players’ mentality against Chelsea on Sunday. Tottenham - 70 points followed capitulations on the road at However, United’s current malaise is A first defeat at the club’s new stadium, Arsenal, Bournemouth and Everton, while personified by a dramatic dip in form for against West Ham on Saturday, means his demand for the loan signing of Gonzalo goalkeeper David de Gea, who has so Spurs have now lost 12 times in the league Higuain in January has reaped precious lit- often been his side’s saviour in recent sea- this season. Yet it has still been a cam- tle reward. sons. The Spaniard was at fault for Marcos paign of overachievement by Mauricio Worse could come, with Eden Hazard Alonso’s equaliser, which secured Chelsea Pochettino’s men. Despite not signing a reportedly closing in on a summer move a point and left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer single player, spending most of the season to Real Madrid and the club currently admitting his side now have a “mountain to at their temporary home of Wembley, and banned from signing any new players to climb”. A trip to hapless Huddersfield and losing talismanic striker Harry Kane for replace the Belgian for the next two trans- Cardiff’s visit to Old Trafford on the final two prolonged spells through injury, Spurs fer windows. Therefore, it is all the more day of the season at least offer an excellent are still the best of the rest in the Premier imperative that Chelsea get back in the chance to lift the mood heading into the League behind City and Liverpool and Champions League next season. summer. have reached the Champions League “We need to focus on our two games, semi-finals. Arsenal - 66 points win games again,” said Solskjaer, but a big “The stress and the fatigue arrived, We Much of the good work done by Unai rebuilding job remains ahead for the are competing with circumstances that Emery over nine months to rebuild the Norwegian. — AFP Rohit Sharma