The Business | SPORSundTay , SMarch 011, 20 20 Quick Read PSL 2020: Final decision on yet to be taken: Ehsan Mani

LAHORE: defeat by 30 runs Board (PCB) MULTAN: The Multan Sultans defeated and an equal number of sixes. For Sultans, Chairman Ehsan Mani the Quetta Gladiators by 30 runs despite Bhatti was the pick of the bowlers with three rejected claims that the Australian 's heroics to bring , with Tahir helping his team with Asia Cup will be held his team closer to the 200 rund target set by two crucial wickets. in Dubai, clarifying the host team. Earlier, smashed the that a final decision on Quetta were locked good to take the game fastest of the the venue for the tour - down to the wire after the start they gt from (PSL) as the Sultans posted a mammoth total nament is yet to be openers and Shane Watson. How - of 200 for Quetta Gladiators to chase at the taken. Mani said that the ever, the opening partnership was shattered . decision regarding the when dismissed the former Rossouw smashed six sixes and 10 fours venue for the Asia Cup will be on 30 off 27 balls. He was caught in the deep as he raced towards his 44-ball century. taken in the Asian countries' inter - by as he attempted to slog Bhatti. Skipper who earlier won the est. The PCB chairman added that the Asia cup is held to fi - Watson continued to lead the onslaught, toss and elected to bat first, chipped in with nancially benefit the Associate members of the International scoring a half-century as he battered the 46 off 32 before he fell victim to Moham - Cricket Council. Mani was responding to the Board of Control Multan Sultans' bowlers for sixes and fours. mad Hasnain. For Gladiators Mohammad for Cricket in India (BCCI) President 's com - wasn't able to stick around for Nawaz, , , Hasnain ments that the Asia Cup will be held in Dubai, allowing both long, as he was caught by Vince off a and each picked a . India and Pakistan to participate in the tournament. The Asia , scoring an unim - Both the teams have six points from four Cup is scheduled to be held in Pakistan this year and a final de - pressive 14 off 16 balls. games having won three games each. cision is expected to be taken by the Asian Cricket Council After a couple of impressive innings in the Playing XI Multan Sultans: MM Ali, meeting that will be held in Dubai on March 3. India has main - tournament, Azam Khan seems to have lost JM Vince, Shan Masood, RR Rossouw, Zee - tained that that it will not be able to play in Pakistan owing to his magic touch as he was caught out off an shan Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, , security concerns. Earlier, India had said that it did not have delivery, scoring just 6 runs Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad Ilyas, Moham - any problem with Pakistan hosting the event so long as it was from an equal number of balls. Tahir mad Irfan, Imran Tahir held at a neutral venue. The two countries have not played a bi - claimed his next victim, the dangerous Quetta Gladiators: JJ Roy, SR Watson, lateral series with each other since 2012-2013 ever since Pak - Shane Watson, as he too, like Azam, at - Ahsan Ali, Azam Khan, , istan went to India for one. Since early 2013, the two sides tempted to hit him for a six but got caught. BCJ Cutting, Mohammad Nawaz (3), Sohail have only played each other in major ICC competitions. Pak - Watson scored an impressive 80 runs from Khan, Naseem Shah, , istan beat India comprehensively in the ICC Champions Tro - phy final in 2017 whereas India beat Pakistan in June 2019 41 balls, hammering a staggering seven 4s . —APP last year during the ICC . —APP excited Djokovic saves three Pak to play in crucial to get going in PSL 2020 match points to set up Dubai final with Tsitsipas ISLAMABAD: South ICC Women’s T20 WC match today African pacer Dale Steyn DUBAI: World number one Novak says he is excited to get Djokovic saved three match points to going in the Pakistan Super League, after beat France's Gael Monfils 2-6 7-6(8) 6- : Pakistan will take on South with Pakistan winning the first and the third the Manuka Oval, Canberra. England de - landing in Pakistan 1 as he set up a final showdown at the Africa in the crucial ICC Women’s T20 match of the series. All-rounder Aliya Riaz, feated them in their second match on Friday World Cup Group-B clash at the Sydney who scored 41 off 33 balls in Pakistan’s 42- which was played at the same venue. and joining the Islam - Dubai Open with Greek second seed abad United squad. “I Stefanos Tsitsipas. Showground Stadium today (Sunday). run defeat against England on Friday, feels Sunday’s Pakistan-South Africa match be - South Africa are currently leading the her side has the capability of defeating South gins at 9am (PST). have just landed in Djokovic is yet to lose this year and Pakistan. I’m really ex - the Australian Open champion extended group with four points coming from two vic - Africa and the recent results against them Pakistan squad for the ICC Women’s T20 tories, while Pakistan have a win and a loss have given her hopes of a good performance. World Cup: cited to get going,” said his unbeaten run in 2020 to 17 matches in their two matches, said the information Aliya Riaz said: “We were not up to our (), Aimen Anwar, the pacer in a message with what was also his 17th win over made available here on Saturday by the Pak - best against England but I feel we have a very Aliya Riaz, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, shared by the . Monfils. "It was truly an escape, he was istan Cricket Board. Opener Javeria Khan good chance of doing well against South , Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, In the message, he also said that he was really looking for - clearly the better player for two sets," will lead the team tomorrow following Bis - Africa. We played a very competitive series Muneeba Ali, , Omaima Sohail, ward to meeting the united fans “soon”. The South African Djokovic said in the post-match inter - mah Maroof’s injury in Pakistan’s last match against them in their own backyard last year Sadia Iqbal, (wicketkeeper) and will make his debut in the Pakistan Super League this year view. "I was fortunate to work my way against England, which ruled her out of the which gives us added confidence going into Syeda Aroob Shah and had missed out on the four initial matches as he was back in the second set. Gael is playing remaining tournament. Pakistan have two the game tomorrow. Officials: Syed Iqbal Imam (head coach), with his national team for their T20 series against Aus - as well as he has played ever, I've points from two games (win against West In - “I felt I am in good form and en - Saleem Jaffer ( coach), Amir Iqbal tralia. The fast bowler will now be available for United for played him many times. I know I have a dies, defeat to England), a win tomorrow will joyed my innings against England albeit the (fielding coach), Gemaal Hussain (strength & the rest of the PSL matches. The -led side will good defence but what he did today for give Pakistan a real shot at a semi-final spot result didn’t go in our favour. If we can repli - conditioning coach), Dr Riffat Asghar Gill lock horns with at Rawalpindi Cricket Sta - two sets was unbelievable." considering their last match is against lowly cate the performance we gave against West (physio), Aisha Jalil (team manager) and dium at 7pm today. —APP A double break in the opening set Thailand. On the other hand a victory for Indies we have a great chance of beating Zubair Ahmed (analyst). gave Monfils an early advantage as South Africa will almost guarantee a semi- South Africa and improving our chances of a Upcoming fixtures: 1 March – South ruled out Djokovic dropped his first set of the final spot for them. The two teams competed place in the semi-finals.” Pakistan began their Africa v Pakistan, 9am (PST) tournament, failing to find answers in an enthralling five-match T20I series last campaign in style on Wednesday when they Three March – Pakistan v Thailand, 9am of Women’s T20 World Cup when faced with Monfils' long reach year which was won by South Africa 3-2, defeated the West Indies by eight wickets at (PST). —APP and well-angled returns. Djokovic's CANBERRA: Pakistan drop shots that had held him in good skipper Bismah Maroof stead in the tournament also proved to has been ruled out of the be ineffective against the athletic Mon - ongoing Women’s T20 fils, who was up to the task of length - World Cup after suf - ening rallies to prevent the Serb from fering a communitive controlling points. Djokovic finished fracture in her right with 17 unforced errors in the first set thumb during her and his frustrations only mounted when side’s 42-run defeat he was broken at 1-1 in the second, with against England in Can - the 32-year-old screaming in the direc - berra. The (PCB) has tion of his team while the crowd roared named as Bismah’s its approval for Monfils. replacement, which will be confirmed following the Event But Djokovic had his share of fans in Technical Committee’s approval. In Bismah’s absence, Jave - the crowd too and they egged him on to ria Khan will captain the side. According to PCB, Bismah will restore parity as he converted his first now travel with the side to Sydney on Saturday, where she break point to make it 3-3. However, a will be operated upon by Cricket ’s orthopaedic sur - visibly tiring Monfils still held on to geon. Bismah scored four in Pakistan’s 116 in 19.4 overs after save five set points to take it to a they were set a 159-run target. Pakistan’s next match is tiebreak. Monfils was doubled over be - against South Africa in Sydney on Sunday. To stay in con - tween every point at this stage but the tent for a place in the semi-finals, they have to beat South Frenchman then got a second wind in Africa and then Thailand on 3 March. —APP the tiebreak to go 6-3 up, before squan - dering three match points. Djokovic LPGA champions fear losing then benefited from a double fault to convert his eighth set point. Fatigue set season, Olympics to virus in for Monfils in the third as Djokovic won 12 points in a row to take a 4-1 lead LOS ANGELES: Two- and a medical timeout did little to alle - time LPGA major cham - viate his suffering as the top seed con - pions Stacy Lewis and verted his first match point to clinch the Brittany Lincicome contest. In the other semi-final, Tsitsi - worry the growing pas beat Briton Dan Evans 6-2 6-3 to coronavirus outbreak advance to his second final in a week. that forced three The Greek won the Marseille Open on Asian events to be Sunday. —Reuters MULTAN: Quetta Gladiator players celebrating after taken wicket against Multan Sultan during the 12th match of the PSL. canceled will wipe out the Tokyo Olympics and other tournaments. The LPGA, which has played two US tournaments and two others in Amar Cables Ashiq Hussain Qureshi T-20 Cup Australia this year, canceled a February event in Thailand, another that would have been played this week in Singapore and one planned for next week in China. A run of 15 con - secutive US LPGA tournaments begins with the Founders Lahore Tigers beat Hajvery Sports by six wickets Cup in Arizona on March 19-22 leading into the Tokyo By Our Sports Reporter 1/32 and Muhammad Rehan 1/34 wickets. Olympics women´s event, scheduled for August 5-8. "I´m In reply Lahore Tigers scored 137/4 runs worried about the whole season," Lincicome said, to which LAHORE: In the Amar Cables Ashiq in 17.2 overs. Haroon Rasheed played well Lewis replied, "I know, I am, too. It´s in the US now, too, so Hussain Qureshi T-20 Cup 24th match with 45, Mohsin Aftab Qarshi 29, Salman traveling anywhere, through any airport, I think you´re played between Lahore Tigers and Hajvery Khan 16, Rizwan Aslam 15 and Farhan thinking about it and you´re aware of it. I took Clorox wipes Sports at the Shah Faisal Cricket Ground, Khan 16 runs . Faheem Butt 2/25 with me to Australia and wiped everything down on the air - on Saturday. Lahore Tigers won by six and Ashfaq Ahmad 1/17 wickets. plane." Lewis, who shared fourth at the 2016 Rio Olympics wickets. Hajvery Sports batting first scored Adnan Rasheed and Muhammad Waqas just one stroke behind Chinese bronze medalist Feng Shan - 136/9 runs after 20 overs. were umpire and Muhammad Akyan was shan, and US compatriot Lincicome spoke ahead of the Ahmad Yar 27, Javaid Khan 25, Mian the scorer. year´s first major, April´s ANA Invitational at Rancho Mi - Fazal Quddus 19 and Tahir Irshad 19 runs. At the end of the match chief guest Mian rage. Both players recently became mothers, Lewis giving Lahore Tigers bowling first Rauf Wain Mubeen gave away man of the match birth to baby daughter Chesnee in October 2018 and Linci - 2/20, Tajamul Ch. 2/21, Zaheer Ahmad award to Haroon Rasheed. come greeting daughter Emery last July. —AFP

Tennis: Kvitova beats Barty to set up Doha final with Sabalenka DOHA: Petra Kvitova battled past be Kvitova's first final since April last "I think Ash started to play more you debrief it, but I think (it was) another world number one Ashleigh Barty 6-4, year in Stuttgart. The 29-year-old Czech, slices in the beginning of the second set, really great contest with Petra." 2-6, 6-4 to set up a Qatar Open final ranked 11th in the world, is chasing a so it took me a while to get to used to (it) Earlier Sabalenka dispatched Russian against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. 28th tour title, having lost only nine fi - and be back in my game with my ag - veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-3. The two-time Wimbledon winner nals. "I always bring something else in gressive game, which I tried to play in Ninth seed Sabalenka broke former two- overcame a second-set blip to reach the the finals and I just love playing finals," the first set," Kvitova added. time Grand Slam champion Kuznetsova 37th WTA final of her career and her said Kvitova. Australia's Barty has now lost in back- four times as she reached a 10th career second in Doha, where she won the 2018 "That's why I'm playing tennis, for to-back semi-finals after her last-four WTA final - her first of the 2020 season. title. Kvitova ended a run of four straight those trophies, and playing a final is loss to eventual champion Sofia Kenin "I'm really happy with the level I'm play - defeats by Barty, including in the Aus - something like that, you are very close in Melbourne. "It's been a very positive ing right now and well, we'll see what's tralian Open quarter-finals earlier this to have the title, but it's still very far." week, it really has, and tonight was no going to happen tomorrow, but for sure year. "I did have chances in the last She struggled for rhythm in the second different. It was an exceptional match," I will bring everything I have," said the meetings with her as well, but today I set after dominating the first, but man - said the reigning French Open cham - 21-year-old. Sabalenka has won five was just maybe braver and that's how it aged to clinch the crucial break in the pion. WTA titles despite never having reached is," Kvitova told wtatennis.com. It will seventh game of the decider. "Obviously you look at a match and a Grand Slam quarter-final. —AFP