Pakistan Resolves Row Over Paceman Amir
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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2015 SPORTS Pakistan resolves row over paceman Amir LAHORE: Pakistan’s cricket chief said yes- told reporters. “Both listened to me and players who stained Pakistan’s image court in 2011. Amir, Butt and Asif were premier league matches, forcing the terday that a row over the inclusion of agreed to join the camp unconditionally through corruption. “It’s my right to raise also banned from cricket for five years. selectors to chose him for the camp. tainted paceman Mohammad Amir in a and will have to support Amir when he my voice, which I did, and I will do every- But in September this year the The Pakistan players are training training camp had been resolved and the returns to the team.” The training camp is thing in my capacity to fight corruption,” International Cricket Council lifted sanc- ahead of the national side’s upcoming two objecting players had returned. staged to select the squad for next said Hafeez. tions against the three players. Amir’s tour of New Zealand, where they will Former Twenty20 captain Mohammad month’s tour of New Zealand where “My stance is that all corrupt players ban was relaxed in January this year and play three one-day internationals and Hafeez and current one-day captain Pakistan play three one-day and as many should not be given another chance to he was allowed to play domestic match- three Twenty20 matches. Azhar Ali had boycotted the camp on Twenty20 internationals. represent Pakistan.” Amir, then Test cap- es. At the time of the ban, Amir was Butt and Asif will feature in the Thursday, refusing to train alongside Hafeez, who in November spoke pub- tain Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif tipped as one of the most talented fast national one-day tournament next Amir, who was jailed in 2011 for spot-fix- licly against Amir, said he forgave him were charged with accepting money in bowlers in the world. month, their first appearance in domestic ing. but was sticking to principle. “My stance exchange for arranging deliberate no- Since his return, he has taken 22 wick- matches since their ban expired. PCB had Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman was based on principle and it was por- balls during a Test match at Lord’s in ets in four non first-class games, while his given them a rehabilitation programme Shaharyar Khan said Hafeez and Ali had trayed in a wrong sense,” Hafeez told England in 2010. tally of wickets in the qualifying rounds to undergo before qualifying for national now joined the camp. reporters. The three players and their agent of the Quaid-e-Azam trophy stood at 34. selection-a process Amir has already “The matter has been resolved,” Khan “My stance is the same against all Mazhar Majeed were jailed by a British He also took 14 wickets in 11 Bangladesh completed. — AFP Henry, McCullum lead New Zealand rout of S Lanka CHRISTCHURCH: Brendon McCullum RUN ONSLAUGHT launched his farewell tour in rollicking His whirlwind opening partnership form yesterday with a whirlwind 55 to set with Guptill brought up the New Zealand up New Zealand’s seven-wicket win over 100 inside 10 overs. When New Zealand Sri Lanka in their opening one-day inter- reached 53 without loss after six overs, national in Christchurch. Sri Lankan captain Mathews put himself In a 25-ball stay at the crease, on to try to arrest the run onslaught. McCullum smacked 11 fours and one six McCullum had other ideas and took 16 to have Sri Lanka on the ropes before he off Mathews’ over and 12 off Ajantha departed with New Zealand only need- Mendis in the next to put Sri Lanka out of ing a further 81 runs in 40 overs. the game. Mathews said when he won Martin Guptill posted his 26th half- the toss he wanted to bat to get first use century on his way to 79 off 56 deliveries of a pitch that “looks like a belter”. But while debutant Henry Nicholls was not the wickets started falling early with a out on 23 when the innings ended at the 98-run stand by Milinda Siriwardana and end of the 20th over. Nuwan Kulasekara for the seventh wicket New Zealand were set a modest 189 their one partnership of note. target after Matt Henry destroyed the They fell from 13 without loss to 27-5 cream of the Sri Lankan top order in a and then 65-6 before Siriwardana (66) brief spell of 16 balls when he took four and Kulasekara (58) stemmed the rot. wickets for two runs. Sri Lanka were Siriwardana’s dismissal started the final eventually all out for 188 in 47 overs on a slide in which the last four wickets fell for wicket that promised runs galore, and 25 runs. Dushmantha Chameera, who New Zealand knocked off the target with was not out 13, was the only other bats- ease. McCullum credited the quickfire man to reach double figures. victory to what he described as “a truly Milne, having fully recovered from the outstanding bowling performance” by heel injury that sidelined him in the Adam Milne and Matt Henry. “With the World Cup, was bowling near the 150kph new ball in their bands, they were out- (93mph) mark and while he tied the standing for us and that’s where the win- batsman down at one end, Henry did the MELBOURNE: Australian batsman Joe Burns (R) lofts the ball away to the boundary as West Indies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin (L) looks on, on ning of the game was when you’re need- damage at the other. Inside three overs the first day of the second cricket Test in Melbourne yesterday. — AFP ing to chase 190 and know the wicket is he removed Tillakaratne Dilshan, Lahiru going to be good,” he said. Thirimanne, Mathews and Dinesh Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews Chandimal. Dilshan (nine) top edged the Khawaja, Burns tons as Aussies regretted that his bowlers were not as ball to midwicket where Nicholls cele- threatening. “It’s not easy to bowl at brated his international debut with a Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill,” catch above the head, Thirimanne faced he said. “They are power hitters and they 19 deliveries for one run and Mathews pour on misery for Windies go after the bowling from the very went first ball. Chandimal was dropped beginning. We just need to bowl in the on five off Milne’s bowling, but Henry MELBOURNE: Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns word when he snared Khawaja’s wicket just two Brisbane. He batted for 312 minutes and hit 16 right areas more often.” The big-hitting claimed the wicket four balls later with- hammered centuries as Australia again put the runs later when he was caught down leg-side by fours and a six. McCullum, who announced before the out addition to the score to finish with West Indies to the sword on the opening day of wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin just under six The hapless Caribbean tourists again strug- five-match ODI series began that he will four for 49. the second Test in Melbourne yesterday. Fit- overs from stumps. gled to make any impression in the rain-delayed retire from international cricket in Doug Bracewell, who broke up the again Khawaja hit 144 for his third ton in four Khawaja’s runs came off 227 balls in 331 min- Boxing Day showpiece after losing by an innings February, lived up to his pledge to bow Siriwardana-Kulasekara partnership, had Test innings and opener Burns cracked 128 for utes with just six fours and a six. Khawaja has not and 212 runs in the first Hobart Test. out on top of his game. figures of three for 37. —AFP his second Test hundred of the season as the been dismissed for less than 100 in any format of So far in the series, Australia have amassed Australians reached 345 for three at stumps after the game since October. 928 runs for the loss of just seven wickets. “I being sent into bat. think it was a decent day for us. Showed some Skipper Steve Smith was unbeaten on 32 HAPLESS TOURISTS improvement bowling-wise,” Kraigg Brathwaite SCOREBOARD with Hobart Test double centurion Adam Voges Burns also made a personal statement with said. “I think tomorrow it’s key to come back and on 10. Before the lowest Boxing Day crowd of his ton amid concerns over his position in the start well. Dot balls and try to build some pres- CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand: Completed scoreboard in the first one-day international between New 53,389 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 16 side with the return of Khawaja. sure don’t let them score as freely and work from Zealand and Sri Lanka in Christchurch yesterday. years, Australia made Windies skipper Jason Selectors ultimately decided to make the there.” Sri Lanka (w2), McClenaghan 10-2-40-2 (w3), Bracewell 9-1- Holder pay dearly for sending the home side tough decision to drop Shaun Marsh to fit in The Windies removed dangerous opener D. Gunathilaka c Ronchi b Milne 8 37-3, Santner 8-0-32-0. into bat after winning the toss. Khawaja’s return despite Marsh hitting his high- David Warner cheaply for 23 off 12 balls in the It was another day of triumph for Pakistan- est Test score of 182 against the Windies in fifth over of the innings. Warner belted bound- T. Dilshan c Nicholls b Henry 9 born Khawaja who returned from missing the Hobart.