p17 2_Layout 1 12/22/14 9:58 PM Page 1 TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2014 SPORTS Hughes’ death unites cricket in grief LONDON: Cricket confronted tragedy in 2014 with the death of Phillip Hughes after the Australia batsman was hit by a bouncer in a domestic first-class match. Several batsmen had previously been killed in similar incidents, albeit at lower levels of the game, and two days after Hughes’ death Israeli umpire Hillel Oscar died after a ball ricocheted off the stumps. But the fact Hughes, 25, had scored three Test hundreds and was wearing a helmet, although the ball hit him on an unprotected area of the skull, contributed to a huge sense of shock throughout the cricket world. Australia captain Michael Clarke, in a moving eulogy at Hughes’ funeral, recalled walking out to the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground- where his friend died-for the first time follow- ing his former team-mate’s passing. “I swear he was with me... Telling me we just needed to dig in,” Clarke said, before adding: “We must play on.” Following a short delay to Australia’s ongoing Test series at home to India, that is what happened with no great reduction in bouncer use. Indeed New South Wales quick Sean Abbott, who received much sympathy after ABU DHABI: This photograph taken on December 19, 2014, shows Pathan spectators delivering the ball that killed Hughes, bowled in traditional headgear during the fifth and final day-night international match a bouncer in his first over following the fatal between Pakistan and New Zealand. —AFP accident on his way to a remarkable haul of COLOMBO: In this file picture taken on September 19, 2011, Australian batsman Phillip six for 14 against Queensland at the SCG. Hughes raises his bat and helmet in celebration after scoring a century (100 runs) during the Clarke made a hundred in the first Test win fourth day of the third and final Test match against Sri Lanka. —AFP Pathans find solace over India but was sidelined soon afterwards ming from last year’s Indian Premier League. and nine sixes. However, this could not dis- with a career-threatening hamstring injury. However, Srinivasan was exonerated of guise the one-day world champions ongoing in Afridi’s Pakistan That fast bowling is central to much cricket match-fixing by the court in November. poor Test record away from home, with India success was emphasised when Australia’s West Indies, long plagued by poor results, losing series in both New Zealand and DUBAI: For 59-year-old taxi driver Kamal aggression and passion on the field. They Mitchell Johnson won the International suffered a new low when a players’ revolt over England. Khan, cricket is war without the shooting. come in large numbers to watch sixes and Cricket Council player of the year award. pay saw October’s tour of India cut short, a Victory over India was a rare highlight for Like most Pathans, known for their tough, boundaries in a Twenty20 or a one-day Left-arm quick Johnson led Australia’s move that risked financial ruin for Caribbean England, who spent much of 2014 dealing battle-hardened nature, defeat is unaccept- international. attack during a 5-0 Ashes sweep of England in cricket. with the fall-out from batsman Kevin able. And that is the reason that star all- 2013/14 and then starred in a 2-1 series win On the field, captain Brendon McCullum Pietersen’s sacking and the bitter recrimina- They may not know all the rules of the rounder Shahid Afridi, who hails from the over South Africa while collecting 59 Test became the first New Zealand batsman to tions in his autobiography. game, like the Barmy Army fans of England Khyber Agency, is the star attraction even wickets from August 2013 to September 2014. score a Test triple hundred with 302 against Amid the controversy, England captain or India’s Swami Army but Pathans watch after 18 years in the game. The end of the South Africa-Australia series India in Wellington in February. Alastair Cook ended the year having failed to cricket out of passion for the sport and for “We just come to watch Afridi,” said Taif saw the retirement of Proteas captain Graeme Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq defied a score an international century in his last 59 the love of Pakistan. Khan, who drives a taxi in Sharjah. “I got my Smith. Thrust into the leadership aged just 22, reputation for slow scoring and his 40 years of attempts spanning both Tests and one-day- Kamal, like most of his fellow Pathans, money’s worth when I watched the third Smith captained in a world record 109 Tests, age with a 56-ball century against Australia in ers. Sri Lanka, however, enjoyed a successful often skips his taxi-driving duties to watch one-dayer (against New Zealand) last while overseeing notable series wins in both Abu Dhabi in November that equalled West 2014 that included winning both the World cricket in the United Arab Emirates, the Friday because Afridi got a fifty.” Australia and England as well as scoring more Indies great Vivian Richards’ record for the Twenty20 and their first Test series in England neutral venue where Pakistan have been Afridi hit a 25-ball 55 to help Pakistan forced to play since 2009’s terror attacks on reach 364-7 and went on to win the match than 9,000 Test runs, including 27 hundreds. fastest Test hundred. Misbah’s innings helped as they began a long farewell to batting stars the visiting Sri Lanka team back home. by 147 runs. New Zealand, however, took That the non-white Hashim Amla, a practising seal a 2-0 series win, Pakistan’s first over Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene A 30-dirham ticket ($8) gives fans a com- the five-match series 3-2. Muslim, became Smith’s successor as South Australia in 20 years. This victory was all the set to culminate at next year’s World Cup in fortable seat in the stands or a place on the “Our cricket begins and ends with Afridi,” Africa captain was significant in a country still more creditable as Pakistan, who have not Australia and New Zealand. mound and the rest is enjoyment. “Cricket said Wahid Khan, a trader from Miranshah grappling with post-apartheid ‘transforma- played a Zimbabwe upset the odds in Harare in is the only entertainment for us in this in North Waziristan Agency in the Federally tion’. The ongoing problem of cricket corrup- major match on their own soil since an August when they beat Australia in a one-day country,” Kamal, who has been driving a Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. tion was highlighted when former New armed attack on Sri Lanka’s team bus in international, just their second victory in cab in Abu Dhabi for 13 years, told AFP. “I lost millions in the recent operation in Zealand batsman Lou Vincent was banned for Lahore in 2009, were without star spinner meetings between the countries since the The 9/11 attacks on the United States, Miranshah,” said Wahid, referring to the mil- life in July after being found guilty of match- Saeed Ajmal, one of several bowlers suspend- Africans’ equally stunning success in the inau- and the ensuing war in Afghanistan and itary operations by the Pakistan army fixing in English one-day county matches. ed in 2014 as the ICC cracked down on illegal gural clash at the 1983 World Cup in England. around Pakistan’s north-west Khyber aimed at clearing the area of militants. Meanwhile Narayanaswami Srinivasan actions. But come the year’s end, Zimbabwe had been Pakhtunkhwa province, forced hundreds of Those military sweeps resulted in his headed up the ICC, controversially revamped Rohit Sharma’s 264 against Sri Lanka in whitewashed in both Test and one-day series Pathans to move to the Gulf in search of a shops being razed. Wahid now lives in Abu in favour of the ‘Big Three’ of India, Australia Kolkata last month obliterated compatriot away to fellow minnows Bangladesh, with more lucrative and peaceful way of life. Dhabi and finds solace in cricket.”Cricket is and England, despite India’s Supreme Court Virender Sehwag’s 219 as thd highest individ- home left-arm spinner Taijul Islam becoming A taxi driver like Kamal earns 4,000 a way of forgetting our pains,” he said. “By suspending him as president of the Indian ual one-day international score. the first cricketer to claim a hat-trick on his dirhams to 7,000 dirhams (around $1,100 default we are watching our players here board following corruption allegations stem- Sharma’s 173-ball innings featured 33 fours ODI debut. —AFP to $1,900) a month but the 24/7 job takes and it’s great entertainment.” its toll. “Most of the taxi drivers have kidney Afridi acknowledges the support he stones because they don’t drink much receives. “They love me very much,” admit- water to avoid going to the toilet,” said ted the 34-year-old Afridi. “Most of them Kamal. “Life is tough and there was no drive taxis and whenever I get time I meet India call up Patel to enjoyment but since cricket arrived here them. It’s their love and affection that we are very happy that we can watch our drives me. “It is good that we provide them players.” with some amazement in an otherwise Needless to say, the Pathans demand labored life.” —AFP replace injured Jadeja NEW DELHI: Rookie all-rounder Akshar Patel ing 364 in the opening Adelaide Test.