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SUNDAY, APRIL 20, 2014 SPORTS

Puyol adds to barca woes Ajmal: It’s tough for bowlers Toure blames heritage BARCELONA: Captain Carles Puyol has joined a long list of Barcelona absen- KARACHI: Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal, widely regarded as the world’s best off- MANCHESTER: Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, one of six nominees tees after feeling pain in his knee during training yesterday, the champions spinner, says that life is becoming increasingly tough for bowlers in limit- for the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) player of the year award, said ahead of Sunday’s La Liga game at home to Athletic Bilbao. Centre back ed-overs cricket. says he would have more global recognition if he was not from Africa. Puyol, who turned 36 this month, has barely played this season due to a The 36-year-old believes the Twenty20 format and rule changes in 50- The talismanic Ivory Coast international believes he and Africans like string of injuries and coach Gerardo Martino is also without regulars includ- over matches have made a real difference. “Times have changed and there compatriot Didier Drogba (Galatasaray) and Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o ing forward Neymar, goalkeeper Victor Valdes, centre back Gerard Pique and is hardly any respect for bowlers these days. The attitude and approach of (Chelsea) would be more appreciated around the world but for their her- left back Jordi Alba for the match against fourth-placed Bilbao at the Nou batsmen has become more brazen and it has become very difficult for itage. Camp. Midfielder Sergio Busquets is suspended but Marc Bartra, another bowlers,” Ajmal told Reuters in an interview. City team mate Samir Nasri suggested last month that it would be a dif- centre back, has shrugged off a thigh problem and is in the “Cricket is very fast nowadays and as a bowler you are always under ferent story for Toure if he had been born in Europe or South America. squad, Barca said on their website (www.fcbarcelona.es). pressure.” Ajmal pointed out that batsmen were now playing attacking “I think what Samir was saying was definitely true,” Toure told the BBC’s shots unimaginable a few years back. “Batsmen can attack in T20 or 50-over Barca’s hopes of a fifth La Liga title in six years suf- Football Focus TV programme. “To be honest proper recognition fered a major setback last weekend when they were cricket from the start and as a bowler you need to keep coming up with has only come from the fans. beaten 1-0 at lowly Granada and slipped to third behind something new in every match,” he said. “I don’t want to be hard and I don’t want to be negative but leaders Atletico Madrid and second-placed Real Madrid. Ajmal, who has taken 169 wickets in 33 tests, 182 in 110 ODIs and 85 in I want to be honest.” Toure has won domestic titles in Ivory Atletico, who won 2-0 at home to Elche on Friday, are six 63 T20s, explained that it was now commonplace for teams to get 100 or points clear of Real, with Barca a point further more runs in the last 10 overs of the two shorter formats of the game. Coast, Greece, Spain and England and the 2009 Champions back.Atletico have four games left, including a “T20 cricket is made for batsmen while in ODIs the five fielders inside League with Barcelona but said that despite his suc- trip to Barca on the final day of the season, the circle rule has brought pressure on the bowlers,” he added. Ajmal is to cess he was not as well known as Barcelona’s while Real and Barca each have five.—Reuters play for English county Worcestershire until July when he will return home Lionel Messi or Real Madrid’s Cristiano to prepare for Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka.—Reuters Ronaldo.—Reuters

BOSTON: Jimmy Howard No. 35 of the Detroit Red Wings makes a save in front of Carl Soderberg No. 34 of the Boston Bruins in the third period in Game One of the First Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. —AFP Red Wings soar over Bruins

BOSTON: Pavel Datsyuk scored at 16:59 of the Boston’s zone and put a 30-footer from near DUCKS 3, STARS 2 2007. Kari Lehtonen stopped 16 shots, while performance during a 5-4 overtime win in third period, moments after Jimmy Howard’s the left circle past goalie Tuukka Rask’s left Ryan Getzlaf had a goal and an assist while Alex Chiasson and Ryan Garbutt scored for the Game 1. A second road victory in three nights best save of the game, and the Detroit Red glove. wearing a facemask over his lacerated jaw, wild-card Stars, who took two one-goal losses sends the Canadiens home with a 2-0 lead in Wings beat the top-seeded Boston Bruins 1-0 Right before Datsyuk’s 37th career playoff Corey Perry scored his first playoff goal in to open their first playoff series since 2008. the best-of-seven series. Game 3 is Sunday. in the opener of their Eastern Conference play- goal, Howard made a brilliant save when three years, and Anaheim grabbed a 2-0 lead Game 3 is tomorrow in Dallas. Bourque and Desharnais scored in the sec- off series Friday night. Jarome Iginla’s shot from the right point was in its first-round series. Rookie Frederik ond period after defensive breakdowns left The Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy for deflected by Milan Lucic in front of the net. Andersen made 34 saves in his second post- CANADIENS 4, LIGHTNING 1 Tampa Bay goaltender Anders Lindback in the best record in the regular season but were But Howard knocked the puck aside with his season start, and Andrew Cogliano scored a Rene Bourque had two goals and David tough situations. Gallagher made it 3-0 with locked in a tight game in which neither team glove. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series, the short-handed goal in the third period as the Desharnais and Brendan Gallagher also an unassisted goal in the third period. Price had many solid scoring opportunities. first playoff matchup between the Original Six Ducks moved halfway to their first series victo- scored, leading the Canadiens to the victory. lost his bid for a shutout when Teddy Purcell The winning goal came when Datsyuk car- teams in 57 years, is set for Sunday night in ry since 2009. Anaheim has won just one post- Carey Price stopped 26 shots for Montreal, scored for Tampa Bay with less than two min- ried the puck from the right side to the left in Boston. season round since its only Stanley Cup title in redeeming himself following a less than stellar utes remaining.—AP Choi leads Gilbert eyes Amstel Gold MAASTRICHT: Former world champion out-sprinting Australian Michael Matthews on will set off in Sunday’s Amstel Wednesday he demonstrated that he will be a Gold Race as one of the hot favorites for vic- danger not only on a solo breakaway but also Heritage tory. in a bunch sprint come Sunday. He won’t The 31-year-old Belgian, who won back- have it all his own way, of course, not least SOUTH CAROLINA: South Korean KJ Choi wielded a hot putter to vault to-back Amstel races in 2010 and 2011, because this being the only major Classics into the lead before torrential rain and strong winds halted the second proved he is back on form after missing the race in the Netherlands, the Dutch riders and round at the $5.8 million RBC Heritage in South Carolina on Friday. Choi cobbled Classics in the previous two weeks teams will be eager to impress. made use of his advantageous early tee time, holing out three times from when he sprinted to victory in Wednesday’s One such will be Belkin’s , outside 20 feet on his way to a four-under-par 67 to post a five-under 137 De . who has managed 10th placed finishes the halfway total at Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island. Competition was The BMA rider had opted to skip the Tour last two years but is aiming a little higher this stopped just before 3 p.m. with half the field still on the course and the of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in order to pre- time around. “If I finish 10th again, I won’t be pare for his favoured races in the Ardennes. in a jubilant mood,” he said. “Last year, I often round was rescheduled for completion early Saturday, weather permit- Back in 2011 he became only the second finished between the fifth and 10th place in ting. Australian Robert Allenby was best of those whose rounds were rider to win all three Ardennes Classics in the the Walloon classics. It would be nice to get a interrupted, one stroke behind Choi after completing just five holes. same year, following disgraced Italian Davide top five this year.” And following compatriot Joint first round leader Matt Kuchar endured a nightmare start, making Rebellin’s feat from 2004 — he served a two- Niki Terpstra’s success at Paris-Roubaix last two double-bogeys in six holes to plunge four strokes behind Choi. “I’m year ban after testing positive for a banned Sunday, Mollema is expecting morale to be very happy finishing before the rain,” Choi told PGATour.com. “Even in the blood-boosting derivative of EPO at the 2008 high amongst Dutch riders and fans. morning it’s very tough, wind blowing. Today the putting, I make a lot.” Beijing Olympics. Gilbert has certainly proved “The Amstel is perhaps the best race of the Choi, 43, has won eight times on the PGA Tour, though only once since on this course that he is the man to beat in year for a Dutchman. The fans show up in 2008. His halfway score was two shots better than Englishman Luke recent years having finished in the top six in large numbers and they are very enthusiastic,” Donald (69) and Americans Billy Hurley (69) and Scott Langley (73). each of the last five years. In fact, in that time he added. “After Niki Terpstra’s victory in Paris- Former world number one Donald is ideally suited to the tight Harbour period he has only finished outside the top Roubaix, I think things will be extra special.” Town course, where precision is more important than power. He has a seven in the three Ardennes Classics on three Belkin did receive a blow to their hopes remarkable record, albeit without winning, having finished second or occasions, whilst winning four times. earlier in the week, though, when one of third four times in the past five years. “If I’d got hot with the putter it could And his victory at De Brabantse Pijl pro- Mollema’s main domestiques have been really special but still a very solid round and glad I’m done,” said vides a good omen as the only other time he was forced to pull-out of the race after Donald. “You’ve got to keep it in play and plot your way around this managed that, in 2011, he went on to do the announcing he needed an operation to fix a course. That’s why I’ve had some success here. “It’s not a course you can Ardennes treble. heart condition. overpower and you need to be proficient around the greens. I hit 15 That was an incredible year for Gilbert Frenchman Tony Gallopin of Lotto- greens and with these small greens it’s a job well done.” who won 18 races, claiming the overall World Belisol showed he was in good form with a Masters runner-up Jordan Spieth endured a tough morning, falling six Tour title, becoming national champion in third-placed finish at Brabantse Pijl while strokes from the lead with a 74 that included a double-bogey at the par- both the road race and time-trial, and spend- Belgian Bjorn Leukemans, who also had a four 18th, where he three-putted from 10 feet. ing a day in yellow at the to good ride in the finishing Bill Haas, the early leader at the Masters last week, withdrew before the HILTON HEAD ISLAND: KJ Choi of Korea hits a tee shot on the 7th hole during boot after winning the opening stage. ninth, continued his good spring results second round, citing a wrist injury. —Reuters the second round of the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links. —AFP He will certainly be a marked man but by with fifth.—AFP