18 Friday, March 1, 2019 Sports FIFA, Qatar experts visit four WC stadiums The tour was and health and safety. well ahead of the big kick-off The Khalifa International in November 2022 in order to aimed at Stadium’s redevelopment was ensure an optimum experience successfully completed in 2017 for fans, players, the media assessing and is currently being pre- and sponsors, among others.” pared to host the 2019 World Colin Smith, Managing Di- progress Athletics Championships, rector of the joint venture and while the Al Wakrah Stadium, FIFA’s Chief Tournament and SC.DL the Al Bayt Stadium and the Al Events Officer, said: “The visits DOHA Rayyan Stadium are all in the mark another important step final stages of construction. towards the 2022 FIFA World REPRESENTATIVES from Following health and Cup. The team had a very pro- Qatar and FIFA recently vis- safety inductions at each ven- ductive week, visiting four of ited four proposed 2022 FIFA ue, the participants were split the eight proposed stadiums World Cup stadiums to assess into smaller groups to assess for 2022. progress and further familiar- the areas relevant to their “As the stadiums take ise themselves with the venues. expertise. During debrief ses- shape and near completion, The group, which com- sions, each group reported on we’re now starting to look at prised local experts from Qatar their findings and outlined operational aspects and this and FIFA staff, visited the Al any areas which required res- visit was the first of a range of Wakrah Stadium, the Khalifa olutions. organised stadium visits we’ll International Stadium, the Al Nasser al Khater, CEO of be undertaking to ensure the Bayt Stadium – Al Khor City the FIFA World Cup Qatar stadiums are all operation- and the Al Rayyan Stadium. 2022 joint venture, said: “The ally ready to host World Cup They assessed various stadium visits are the first step to en- matches long before Qatar facilities, including competi- suring all our stadiums meet 2022 kicks off.” tion areas, ticketing, market- FIFA requirements. We re- Further inspections of all ing, media, broadcasting, IT, main committed to delivering Qatar’s proposed stadiums will hospitality, protocol, security and testing all our stadiums continue on a frequent basis. Joint delegation of FIFA and Qatar experts during their inspection of four World Cup stadiums. Naib sparks Barcelona crush Wagner overshadows Afghanistan to ODI win Real, in line for a AFP Tamim’s hundred DEHRADUN double again GULBADIN Naib starred with The left-arm fast bowler grabs five wickets to send visitors crashing to 234 both bat and ball as Afghani- AFP good but we will be waiting for stan outplayed Ireland by five MADRID them on Saturday. The result AFP SCOREBOARD wickets in the first one-day in- was not a fair reflection of the HAMILTON (NEW ZEALAND) ternational on Thursday. REAL Madrid are likely to game.” BANGLADESH (1ST INNINGS): Naib took two wickets to be relying on the Champi- Vinicius Junior was Ma- NEIL Wagner finished with a Tamim Iqbal c Williamson b de Grandhomme .126 help dismiss Ireland for 161 ons League again for another drid’s brightest spark but he Shadman Islam b Boult ..................................... 24 five-wicket haul as New Zea- Mominul Haque c Watling b Wagner .................. 12 and then struck a crucial 46 trophy this season but there also missed a hatful of chances land ripped through the Bang- M. Mithun c Latham b Wagner ..............................8 as Afghanistan achieved their was room for encouragement before Barca’s Luis Suarez ladesh tail to counter Tamim Soumya Sarkar c Watling b Southee .....................1 target in 41.5 overs in the against Barcelona on Wednes- scored twice, either side of a Iqbal’s virtuoso century on day Mahmudullah c Boult b Wagner ......................... 22 north Indian city of Dehradun. day beyond their resounding Raphael Varane own goal. Liton Das c Boult b Wagner ................................ 29 one of the first Test in Hamil- Mehidy Hasan c Nicholls b Wagner .................... 10 Wicketkeeper-batsman defeat. The worry for Solari is not ton on Thursday. Abu Jayed c Watling b Southee .............................2 Mohammad Shahzad put the Barca’s 3-0 victory, 4-1 that his side were unable to Despite Tamim’s heroic Khaled Ahmed b Southee .....................................0 chase on course with his 43 on aggregate, means they go put Barcelona under pressure 126, New Zealand claimed Ebadat Hossain c and b Wagner ...........................0 off 53 balls but his departure through to meet either Valen- but that they failed to kill them Extras: ..................................................................0 the first-day honours when Total (all out; 59.2 overs) ............................ 234 triggered a mini collapse as cia or Real Betis in the Copa off, with some again pointing they reached stumps at 86 Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Shadman), 2-121 (Mominul), Afghanistan slipped to 104 for del Rey final, while their lead to the absence of a predator without loss in reply to Bang- 3-147 (Mithun), 4-149 (Soumya), 5-180 (Tamim), four. at the top of La Liga already like Cristiano Ronaldo. ladesh’s 234. 6-207 (Mahmudullah), 7-217 (Mehidy), 8-226 Naib then put on 49 runs makes them heavy favourites “Scoring one goal in 180 (Jayed), 9-234 (Khaled), 10-234 (Liton Das) Tamim, Bangladesh’s Bowling: Boult 13-1-62-1, Southee 14-2-76-3, de with skipper Asghar Afghan, for another domestic double. minutes of football is not most prolific scorer, laid the New Zealand’s Neil Wagner (right) celebrates after taking the wicket Grandhomme 11-0-39-1, Wagner 16.2-4-47-5, who made seven not out, to Madrid have been unable enough to knock out Barce- foundations for a potentially of Bangladesh’s Mohammad Mithun during day one of the first cricket Astle 5-1-10-0. stabilise the innings with some to match the consistency of lona,” said sports website Test match at the Seddon Park in Hamilton on Thursday. (AFP) huge total when he laid into NEW ZEALAND (1ST INNINGS): cautious batting against a dis- their rivals this term but there AS on Wednesday. “Without the bowling after being sent J. Raval not out ................................................... 51 ciplined Ireland attack. was enough in their perfor- pointing the blame, the truth in to bat on a typically green- their reply when Ebadat Hos- green hue the wicket held no T. Latham not out ............................................... 35 Naib was out with Afghan- mance at the Santiago Ber- is Los Blancos miss Cristiano tinged New Zealand wicket. sain, on debut, saw his third dangers. Extras: ..................................................................0 istan needing nine for victory nabeu to suggest they can do Ronaldo in these types of Total: (0 wickets; 28 overs) ........................... 86 He cracked 21 fours and a ball in Test cricket fly from Wagner in that period To bat: Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, and Najibullah Zadran, who them damage when the sides games.” six as he feasted on fruitless Tom Latham’s bat direct took one for 13 off six overs, BJ Watling, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Tim turned 26 on Thursday, cel- meet again on Saturday in the Karim Benzema had New Zealand efforts, led by to second slip, but Soumya while Southee had none for Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult ebrated his birthday with two league for a second Clasico in helped fill the void during a strike bowlers Tim Southee Sarkar spilled the straight- 40 off six. Bowling: Abu Jayed 8-1-15-0, Ebadot Hossain 8-3- sixes to complete the chase. four days. golden streak earlier this year 26-0, Khaled Ahmed 6-3-6-0, Soumya Sarkar 1-0-8- and Trent Boult, to find the forward chance. One session later and 0, Mehidy Hasan 5-0-31-0. “We are happy to win the “We are sad because we but he has faded, while Gareth edge of his bat. From there Latham and Bangladesh went to tea at first match of the series. Chas- wanted to play in the final but Bale’s patchy displays since re- But there was minimal Jeet Raval knuckled down 187 for seven with Wagner’s ing is not a concern. Some- we go out with our heads held turning from injury have seen support, and after Tamim had to bat unruffled through to figures improving to three for only took one wicket but times the wicket is like that high,” Madrid coach Santiago him reduced to a role on the steered Bangladesh to 180 for stumps with Raval on 51, 29 while Southee was still be- it was the key dismissal of and that’s why we play careful- Solari said. bench. four, his dismissal triggered his eighth half-century, and ing caned at one for 71. Tamim who clipped a wide ly at times,” Afghan said after “We did everything we Vinicius is lively but the a collapse where the last six Latham on 35. The pair cleaned up the delivery to Kane Williamson the win. “Shahzad played very could. We didn’t take our 18-year-old lacks composure wickets fell for 54 runs. In a productive morn- last three wickets immediate- at gully. well today.” chances and they took theirs.” in front of goal. “Vinicius does Liton Das, the last man ing session, Bangladesh ly after tea with Wagner tak- It made up for de Grand- Midfielder Casemiro said not have the precision to fin- out, had the second highest went to lunch at 122 for two ing five for 47 with his relent- homme’s earlier error when Brief scores: Real were already looking for- ish,” said newspaper El Pais. score of 29.