WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 SPORTS look to clinch New Zealand series

ABU DHABI: Stand-in Shahid here, he is our captain till the World Cup Afridi is hoping Pakistan can maintain and I think he is watching each and every their winning momentum and seal the thing and that’s why the management series against New Zealand in the fourth wanted him to be here,” said Afridi. one-day match in Abu Dhabi yesterday. Pakistan has the option of resting Pakistan lead the five-match series 2-1 wayward paceman and after winning the first match in Dubai bringing in all-rounder . New and the third in Sharjah. Zealand opener said his New Zealand won the second game, team will look to bounce back once also played in Sharjah. Afridi, leading the again. “Our spirits are still high. We have a side in the absence of Misbah-ul Haq chance to come back and win 3-2. So, who injured his hamstring and was ruled there is still a lot of excitement in the out of the last three games, said he want- camp at the moment. We have two more ed a strong finish from his side. games to go out and prove that we can “The team has been playing here for do it and we know we can do it,” said the last three months and has played Guptill, who described New Zealand’s good so it should be a happy reply of 217 to Pakistan’s 364-7 in Sharjah ending after the Test and T20 trophies as disappointing. were shared,” said Afridi yesterday. “We just didn’t get things right. We Pakistan lost the only didn’t have a platform to launch from like against Australia in October before being Pakistan did. That’s the key in chasing big white-washed 0-3 by Australia in the totals.” The fifth and final match will also one-day series-also played in United be played in Abu Dhabi on Friday. Arab Emirates. They then beat Australia 2-0 in Tests Teams (from): and squared the Twenty20 and Test Pakistan: (captain) series against New Zealand. Pakistan Mohammad Hafeez, , were forced to send paceman Umar Gul Asad Shafiq, Haris Sohail, Mohammad and all-rounder home after Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, both suffered injuries. Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Wahab Riaz, Afridi credited the team management , Zulfiqar Babar, , : ’s batsman plays a shot as Sri Lankan wicketkeeper , and watch dur- for Pakistan’s big 147-run win in the third Anwar Ali. ing the seventh cricket match. — AP match on Friday. “I have not done any wonders,” said Afridi who scored a rapid New Zealand: (- 26-ball 55 and took three in the tain), Corey Anderson, Dean Brownlie, last match,” he said. Anton Devcich, Martin Guptill, Matt Dilshan batters England “I will give the whole credit to the Henry, , Mitchell management, they have created a good McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Adam COLOMBO: smashed a atmosphere in the dressing room, all Milne, , Luke Ronchi, and grabbed three wickets in his 300th one-day inter- SCOREBOARD those players who used to have a fear of , Daniel Vettori. national as whipped England by 87 runs in failure, they now have no fear of failure the seventh and final match in Colombo yesterday. because the management has given full Umpires: Shozab Raza (PAK) and Dilshan passed the 9,000-run mark in one-day cricket COLOMBO: Full scoreboard of the seventh and final one-day international between England and confidence to the players.” Richard Illingworth (ENG), TV : on his way to a stroke-filled 101 to lead the hosts to a Sri Lanka in Colombo yesterday: commanding 302-6 after they elected to bat in the Afridi said Misbah was still Pakistan’s (WIS), Match referee: Roshan day-night match in Colombo. Sri Lanka: A. Hales c Prasanna b Dilshan 7 regular captain. “I think Misbah is still Mahanama (SRI). — AFP England were bowled out for 215 in 45.5 overs in M. Jayawardene c Woakes b Gurney 28 J. Root lbw b Prasanna 80 reply after Dilshan’s off-spin broke the tourists’ back T. Dilshan c Ali b Jordan 101 J. Taylor c Sangakkara b Lakmal 2 with the key wickets of (0), (sev- K. Sangakkara c Tredwell b Ali 33 E. Morgan lbw b Dilshan 4 en) and (four). A. Mathews b Ali 20 J. Buttler c Chandimal b Prasanna 23 top-scored with 80 but skipper Alastair D. Chandimal 55 C. Woakes b D. Perera 34 Cook (32) and (34) were the only other T. Perera c and b Jordan 54 C. Jordan lbw b Prasanna 0 batsmen to cross 30 in a disappointing display S. Prasanna run out 0 J. Tredwell st Sangakkara b Jayawardene 17 by the tourists on the slow pitch. The emphatic victory J. Mendis not out 1 H. Gurney not out 6 gave Sri Lanka the series 5-2 and left England search- Extras: (lb5, w5) 10 Extras: (b4, lb3, w3) 10 ing for a winning formula ahead of the World Cup Total (for six wickets, 50 overs) 302 Total (all out, 45.5 overs) 215 which opens in Australia and New Zealand on Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Jayawardene), 2-120 Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Ali), 2-28 (Hales), 3-51 February 14. The veteran pair of Kumar Sangakkara (Sangakkara), 3-156 (Mathews), 4-236 (Cook), 4-57 (Taylor), 5-78 (Morgan), 6-126 and Mahela Jayawardene could not have asked for a better parting gift in their last one-day international (Dilshan), 5-299 (T. Perera), 6-299 (Prasanna). (Buttler), 7-192 (Woakes), 8-192 (Root), 9-193 on home soil. Bowling: Woakes 9-0-71-0 (w1), Gurney 9-0-60- (Jordan), 10-215 (Tredwell). The duo whetted the appetite of some 20,000 Sri 1 (w2), Tredwell 7-0-50-0, Root 5-0-22-0 (w1), Bowling: D. Perera 9-0-53-1 (w1), Dilshan 10-0- Lankan fans at the Premadasa stadium with some glo- Jordan 10-0-55-2 (w1), Ali 10-0-39-2. 37-3 (w1), Lakmal 8-1-25-2, T. Perera 3-0-22-0, rious strokeplay, but fell just when they looked set for A. Mathews 2-0-3-0, Prasanna 8-0-35-3 (w1), J. a big score. Jayawardene had hit 28 off 22 balls when England: Mendis 4-0-28-0, Jayawardene 1.5-0-5-1. he pulled a short ball from to the long- A Cook c Jayawardene b Lakmal 32 Sri Lanka won by 87 runs; win seven-match leg fielder. Sangakkara offered a tame catch to mid- M. Ali b Dilshan 0 series 5-2. off Ali after making 33. But the fans roared with delight when the tournament, although he remains non-committal mid-wicket fence in the 44th over, but Chandimal (55 Jayawardene, a part-time off-spinner who was handed about his future in Tests. not out) and (54 off 26 balls) boosted the ball by skipper , had James Dilshan, whose 18th one-day century contained the total with a quickfire stand of 63 from 35 deliver- Tredwell by Sangakkara in his second over to nine fours and a six, put on 55 for the first wicket with ies. Ali and Jordan claimed two wickets each, but finish the match. Jayawardene, who has already Jayawardene, 65 for the second with Sangakkara and seamer Woakes was hammered for 71 runs from his retired from Tests, will hang up his boots after the 80 for the fourth with . Dilshan nine overs and off-spinner Tredwell gave away 50 in World Cup. Sangakkara too will quit one-dayers after pulled a full toss from to Ali on the deep seven. — AFP Captains in the spotlight ABU DHABI: Pakistani cricketers Umar Akmal (right) and Younis Khan prepare to bat during a practice session at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan’s stand-in captain Shahid Afridi hoped his team keeps the winning momentum and for second Gabba Test seal the series against New Zealand. — AFP BRISBANE: Australia’s willingness to confront a brave new world without captain Michael Clarke will see Changing times Steven Smith debut as skipper in the second test in Brisbane, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s recall to lead India has fanned fears of a return to the past. Dhoni takes back the reins from after for Australia recovering from a thumb injury but has a hard act to follow after his stand-in’s performance in Adelaide. BRISBANE: A changing of the guard is tak- ter. This pitch out here is going to suit him Batsman Kohli lost his first test in charge but ing place in Australian and the perfectly.” Standing 6ft-5in (1.96m) tall, emerged with reputation enhanced after back-to- gathering pace of the rebuilding process Hazelwood has all the physical attributes back centuries and an aggressive push for victory on will be on show in Brisbane this week. for a fast bowler and has been steadily day five that fell short by 48 runs. With one eye on the future, Australian making his presence felt in Australia’s first- Indian media have long put the team’s appalling selectors anointed Steve Smith as their new class competition. record away from home at Dhoni’s door, blaming the skipper on Monday and began replenish- In this year’s Sheffield Shield final, he 33-year-old wicketkeeper’s conservative captaincy for squandering victory chances and hastening epic ing the bowling stocks a day later by took career-best figures of 6-50 to help defeats. His return has raised fears the team might go awarding a first test cap to Josh Hazelwood New South Wales win the title. Then last back into its shell at the Gabba after the chirpy defi- for the second test against India. month, he took his best ODI figures when ance at Adelaide Oval. The lanky paceman has long been he snared 5-31 for Australia against South “With Mahendra Singh Dhoni likely to be back at recognised as a rising star of Australian Africa. Smith becomes the 440th player to the helm, India must not shed the positive approach cricket but the 23-year-old’s elevation to play a test for Australia. He will be present- that they showed in the wonderful test in Adelaide,” the test team has taken longer than ed with his baggy green cap on the Gabba Times of India columnist G. Rajaraman wrote. “It will expected. outfield prior to the start of the second of mean a change of mindset for Dhoni as test captain.” He played his first one-day-international four tests against India today. The new cap- as a teenager in 2010 and was selected for tain is confident Hazelwood will be a big NEW ATTACK Australia’s tour of India later that year but success on a bouncy Gabba surface where Smith, Australia’s third-youngest captain, was pre- withdrew because of a back injury. he has captured 24 first class wickets. ferred to 37-year-old wicketkeeper and vice-captain Brad Haddin as Clarke’s replacement in a vote of confi- Hazelwood had to wait more than three “He’s very skilful for his age,” Smith Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. years before playing his second ODI for added. “I’m just looking forward to seeing dence from selectors. Australia, then another year before finally him zing a few through and bowl with that Smith has already made his position clear by pro- has also been called in to replace Clarke delayed to allow players to mourn the death of in the and joins his all-rounder brother Australia batsman Phillip Hughes. With the test put getting his first call up to the test team. extra bit of pace and get that extra bit of moting himself to the injured Clarke’s fourth place in the batting order. He has pledged to maintain the reg- Mitchell, the first siblings to make the side since the back nearly two weeks, the pitch is expected to be “It’s very exciting. I’ve watched Josh very bounce. “(The Gabba) is traditionally quite ular skipper’s proactive approach to captaincy but will Waugh twins. India have not won a test in five greener than intended with muggy conditions likely closely over the last couple of years at New a fast and bouncy wicket and it certainly have to do so with a very different side in Brisbane. attempts at the Gabba, the last a draw in 2003, and to add swing to the bounce. Dhoni kept silent on the South Wales and he impresses me every looks no different out there for this test Barring strike bowler Mitchell Johnson, Australia can expect a more lively wicket than the batsman- makeup of his team but offspinner Ravichandran time,” Smith told reporters in Brisbane on match.” Australia lead the series 1-0 after will bring a new pace attack, with left-armer Mitchell friendly road served up in Adelaide. The Gabba was Ashwin is expected to be recalled after being a sur- Tuesday. completing a thrilling 48-run victory on Starc and debutant Josh Hazlewood coming in for the supposed to be the venue for the opening test of the prise omission at Adelaide, where legspinner Karn “I think he’s only getting better and bet- Saturday. — Reuters injured Ryan Harris and the dropped Peter Siddle. four-match series but it was switched to Adelaide and Sharma struggled on debut. — Reuters WADA sets up inquiry into Russian athletes

MONTREAL: The World Anti-Doping Agency Standard processes or rules” including by WADA- with in an appropriate fashion under the World Anti- will also “ensure all matters of concern are thorough- (WADA) yesterday set up an independent investiga- accredited laboratories, athletes, coaches, trainers Doping Code,” said Reedie. ly and rigorously examined.” The treasurer of the tion into the “serious” allegations of widespread and doctors, said the statement. It will “explore “The commission will be given the resources it International Association of Athletics Federations doping in Russian athletics. whether sufficient evidence exists that could lead to needs in order for the investigation to be carried out (IAAF) Valentin Balakhnichev, and Diack’s son have The commission will be led by Richard Pound, a sanctions against any individual or organization thoroughly,” he added. The International Association stepped down from their positions while the corrup- former head of the agency and a leading and long- under rules of the World Anti-Doping Code.” of Athletics Federations (IAAF) welcomed the World tion and doping allegations are investigated. standing member of the International Olympic Richard McLaren, a leading expert on interna- Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announcement. The Balakhnichev is also the president of the Russian Committee, said a WADA statement. tional sports law and a member of the Court of IAAF ethics commission is also looking into the alle- Athletics Federation, while Diack’s son Papa Massata WADA has acted following a series of German tel- Arbitration for Sport (CAS), will also sit on the com- gations. “The IAAF takes this opportunity to reiterate Diack has been working for the IAAF as a marketing evision documentaries which said Russian athletes mission. WADA president Craig Reedie said the com- its full support of the WADA investigation,” said IAAF consultant. Diack has stepped down after allega- were systematically given banned substances at mission would analyse the documentaries and infor- president Lamine Diack. “Our primary concern must tions of possible corruption linked to the attribution international competitions. Russian officials have mation received “separately” by the agency. always be to protect the integrity of competition in of the 2017 world athletics championships, which strongly denied the accusations. The commission “If it is found that there have been violations or support of the vast majority of clean athletes, and was handed to London ahead of Qatar. Both will seek to establish “if there have been any breach- breaches of the rules, WADA will ensure that any we look forward to working with WADA to this end.” Balaknichev and 50-year-old Diack deny the respec- es of World Anti-Doping Code or International individuals or organizations concerned are dealt An IAAF statement said the ethics commission tive allegations. — AFP