WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017 SPORTS yet to work out how to stop Kohli: Lehmann

BRISBANE: Australia have yet to work out a Kohli has scored six of his 15 centuries in his have to bowl enough good balls and that’s years later, Lehmann said ’s side bowlers, led by pacemen Glenn McGrath and plan to foil beyond 12 matches against Australia, averaging going to be the challenge for our spinners have the bowlers to take 20 against , and spinner . bowling well and hoping for some “luck” 60.76 compared to his overall average of and for our quicks, challenging his defence Kohli’s men. “The great thing with against the in-form batsman, coach Darren 50.10. Former test batsman Lehmann, a and making sure he’s playing in the areas we “We’ve got spinners who can take 20 team for years has been, backs to the wall Lehmann has said. member of that victorious Australian side, want him to play.” wickets and quicks who can reverse the ball,” brings the best out of players,” said Lehmann. Kohli was man-of-the-series against said his players had been watching videos of Michael Clarke’s Australia were white- he said. “So we’re not fearing getting the 20 “Someone like will , plundering 655 runs off their Kohli and his team mates for months but washed 4-0 during their last tour of India in wickets, we’ve just got to put enough score- stand up or Damien Martyn will come out of bowlers at an average of 109.16 to comfort- were yet to work out how to combat the 2013 where a breakdown in team discipline board pressure on them.” That would mean a nowhere and actually play well on a tour. ably top the batting charts during the 4-0 India skipper. “Bowl well and have a bit of prompted former coach to break-out performance from at least one of “We hope we’ll have a Martyn or a Hayden- win in November and December. luck along the way,” Lehmann told reporters. sensationally stand down four players for a their batsmen, similar to the 2004 efforts of type series from someone. The buccaneering 28-year-old looms as a “For us we’re going to have to come up match for failing to complete an off-field Damien Martyn and Clarke, Lehmann added. And if we do that we’ll make enough huge obstacle to Australia’s hopes of captur- with an ideal plan that works for us, depend- assignment, the infamous ‘homework-gate’ Martyn and Clarke, who made his test runs, obviously. “It’s a great challenge for the ing a first series win in India since 2004, with ing on (the) wickets and what’s going on. incident. Australia were outclassed by bat, debut in the series, together scored over 800 group, being a young group and they’ll be the first test to start in Pune on Feb. 23. “At the end of the day you’re going to ball and in the field during that tour, but four runs to set a solid platform for Australia’s giving it their all.” — Reuters Departing captain Cook says ‘new voice’ needed

LONDON: Cook said his decision to relin- and I think it will be good for the team to quish the England captaincy will allow a have a new voice driving things on in a ‘new voice’ to help an exciting young slightly different way. England team reach its potential, although “There are huge talents in that dressing he plans to contribute by scoring runs. room and I hope to be still part of it and be The 32-year-old opening batsman able to lead in a slightly different way. I’m announced he was standing down on still excited by that.” Monday after a record 59 tests in charge Cook, whose highlights included two with Joe Root favourite to succeed him Ashes victories at home in 2013 and 2015 in the role. Under Cook’s tenure England and a first away series victory in India for 28 have faltered, drawing two of their last years in 2012, said it had been a “huge hon- three series and suffering a 4-0 drubbing our” to captain his country for 4-1/2 years. in India. However, he was confident he had made the right decision. “It was a hard deci- sion because of how much I’ve loved being captain,” Cook, England’s leading scorer in tests with 11,057 runs, including nearly 5,000 as captain, said. “I’ve absolutely loved leading the play- ers in the dressing room, it’s been fantastic, so to give that away is hard, But ultimately it’s the right decision because it’s a job that you can’t do anything less than 100 per- cent. “Unfortunately, as stubborn as I am, I CRICKET know that I couldn’t do it any more like that and it would not be fair to myself or the CAPE TOWN: ’s Tabraiz Shamsi (2nd-L) bowls during the (ODI) cricket match against South Africa, at team to continue at 95 percent.” Newlands Cricket stadium yesterday, in Cape Town. — AFP Cook was in charge through some tur- bulent times, including a 5-0 Ashes white- wash in Australia in 2013-14 after which England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Du Plessis hits 185 as chiefs axed maverick batsman Kevin LONDON: Former England cricket Test Pietersen from the team. captain, Alastair Cook, poses for photog- Speaking about Cook in his book raphers ahead of a news conference at Pietersen labelled him as “a company man”. Lord’s Cricket Ground in London yester- SA beat S Lanka in ODI While Cook said there had been “dark day. An “unshackled” Cook still has sev- moments” during his tenure, not least the eral years ahead of him as an England Pietersen episode, he said he had no player despite resigning the Test cap- CAPE TOWN: A career-best of 185 from regrets as he hands over the reins. “I’ve taincy on Monday, according to prede- led South Africa to a 40-run victory always tried to do what I thought was best SCOREBOARD cessor Andrew Strauss. — AFP over in the fourth one-day internation- for English cricket,” he said. al at Newlands yesterday, putting it on the brink “After four or five years of doing it things If Root, as expected, does replace him, of claiming the No. 1 ranking in ODI cricket. Du CAPE TOWN: Final scores in the fourth one-day international between South Africa and Sri have just changed and ultimately, during he will do so with a ringing endorsement Plessis’ phenomenal knock helped the home Lanka at Newlands yesterday: the last year, the team have played some from Cook. “He would do a very good job. side to 367 for five, the highest ODI total in the South Africa K. Mendis c De Kock b Parnell 29 good cricket without pushing on,” Cook, He obviously has something about him to ground’s history, after it had won the toss and H. Amla c Gunaratne b Kumara 1 S. Weerakkody c Parnell b 58 who won 24 and lost 22 of his tests in bat the way he does,” the mild-mannered elected to bat first. Q. de Kock c Tharanga b Pathirana 55 D. de Silva lbw b Rabada 5 charge, told reporters on the Lord’s outfield Cook said. “He has a huge amount of In reply, Sri Lanka produced its best batting F. du Plessis c Gunaratne b Madushanka 185 A. Gunaratne c Amla b Rabada 38 yesterday. “As captain you are part of that respect in the dressing room.” — Reuters performance of an otherwise disappointing tour, A. de Villiers b Pathirana 64 N. Kulasekera lbw b Imran Tahir 1 with Upul Tharanga scoring its first century, but J. Duminy c Mendis b Kumara 20 S. Pathirana c De Kock b Pretorius 1 PREVIEW that was still not enough as it was bowled out F. Behardien 36 L. Madushanka c Pretorius b Parnell 6 for 327. W. Parnell not out 1 L. Kumara not out 1 With South Africa taking a 4-0 lead in the five- Extras (nb1, w4) 5 L. Sandakan b Parnell 1 India guard against match series, it will have the opportunity to rise Total (5 wkts, 50 overs) 367 Extras (lb7, w3) 10 above Australia in the ICC rankings and claim Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Amla), 2-103 (De Kock), 3- Total (all out, 48.1 overs) 327 complacency top spot by winning the final encounter at 240 (De Villiers), 4-287 Fall of wickets: 1-139 (Dickwella), 2-203 Centurion on Friday. (Duminy), 5-361 (Du Plessis) (Mendis), 3-216 (Tharanga), 4-228 (De Silva), 5- HYDERABAD: India have been warned against be more favourable to their spin-heavy bowling Although Du Plessis fell three runs short of Bowling: Kulasekera 10-0-74-0 (1w), Kumara 7- 307 (Gunaratne), 6-308 (Kulasekera), 7-317 complacency as they look to extend their record- attack. Bangladesh’s captain and wicketkeeper ’s record for the highest score by a 0-73-2, Madushanka 10-0-69-1 (Weerakkody), 8-325 breaking unbeaten run to 19 matches when they Mushfiqur Rahim played down the significance of South African batsman in ODI cricket, his 185 (1nb, 2w), De Silva 3-0-18-0, Sandakan 8-0-62- (Pathirana), 9-325 (Madushanka) host Bangladesh in a Test for the first time this Thursday’s Test, even if the invitation to India has was the highest by any batsman on South 0, Pathirana 10-0-55-2 (1w), Bowling: Parnell 9.1-0-58-4 (1w), Pretorius 8-0- week. Following their recent demolition of been a long time coming. “I don’t believe that this African soil, surpassing ’s 178 Gunaratne 2-0-16-0 55-2 (1w), Duminy 1-0-12-0, Rabada 9-1-50-2 England in all formats, Virat Kohli’s side will be is a historic Test. To me, this is just another Test,” against Australia at Centurion last September. Did not bat: D. Pretorius, K. Rabada, Imran (1w), Imran Tahir 10-0-76-2, Shamsi 10-0-60-0, heavy favourites to cement their status as the Rahim said. Du Plessis put on century stands with De Tahir, T. Shamsi Behardien 1-0-9-0 world’s one Test side in the one-off “Yes, we are happy and excited to show the Kock (55) and AB de Villiers (64) as he went past Sri Lanka : South Africa won by 40 runs. match in Hyderabad when it begins on Thursday. world what our team is capable of doing in India his previous top score of 133 not out, and then N. Dickwella c Behardien b Pretorius 58 Series: South Africa lead the five-match But wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha warned it but I am not really thinking about the number of ramped up the onslaught in the final 10 overs, U. Tharanga c Duminy b Parnell 119 series 4-0. was vital not to be distracted by the prospect of years after which we are going to play a Test in when South Africa added 106. a looming high-profile series against Australia India.” Bangladesh will be without opening bats- He was eventually out in the final over later this month as they face the ninth-ranked man Imrul Kayes who pulled a thigh muscle in a when he was caught on the boundary, the stand was broken when and Tharanga (119) fell in quick succession to Bangladeshis. “Ranking-wise one may think they warm-up match on Monday while left-arm fast attempting a six that would have taken him had Dickwella (58) caught in the deep, Wayne Parnell. Although Sandun Weerakkody will be easier opponents on paper but we cannot bowler Mustafizur Rahman, who had a recent past Kirsten’s record. Sri Lanka made an Tharanga went on to reach his 14th ODI centu- (58) hit his maiden half-century to keep the underestimate them,” said Saha. shoulder problem, was left out of the squad aggressive start to its response, with Tharanga ry - and first since July 2013 - and added a fur- tourists in the hunt, he was dismissed by Imran “I don’t know when are the Aussies coming but because of a lack of match fitness. Soumya Sarkar putting on 139 for the first with as of now the focus is on Bangladesh Test. After is now expected to open the batting alongside ther 64 with Kusal Mendis. Tahir before Parnell wrapped up the tail to finish Niroshan Dickwella in just 16 overs. Although they’re here we will think about it.” Kohli’s men are Tamim Iqbal and paceman Shafiul Islam returns. Sri Lanka’s chase faltered when Mendis (29) with figures of 4-58. — AP looking to set a new milestone after equalling India are expected to make one change from India’s record of five consecutive Test series tri- the side that won the final Test against England umphs against England, , West Indies, in December as Saha returns from injury. India South Africa and Sri Lanka in the past 18 months. (from): Virat Kohli (captain), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Bangladesh held India to a draw in June 2015 in a Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, rain-affected Test in Fatullah the last time they met. Karun Nair, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran They have lost six of eight home Tests Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Umesh against India with two drawn but now get a Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, chance to face them away from home for the , Abhinav Mukund, Hardik Pandya. first time since gaining full status 17 years ago. Bangladesh (from): Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Bangladesh’s Test win in the drawn two-match Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Mosaddek Hossain, series against England last October has given the Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah Riyad, Shakib Al team belief that they can compete against the top Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Subashis Test nations And despite the subsequent 2-0 Roy, Kamrul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, defeat in New Zealand, Indian conditions should Liton Das, Shafiul Islam. — AFP Lyon, O’Keefe turn to spin greats for India’s help

SYDNEY: and Steve O’Keefe home and it’s going to be a big job.” have sought help from two of ’s Following last month’s Test win greatest off-spinners ahead of Australia’s against , O’Keefe worked with for- series in India later this month. mer England international and fellow left- The front-line pair approached New armer Monty Panesar at the National Zealand’s and Australia’s Cricket Centre in . Panesar is one of chief destroyer in Sri Lanka last year, the few foreign spinners to taste a Test Rangana Herath, for advice ahead of the series victory on the subcontinent after PSAK organizes Riaz Chaudhary four-Test tour, which starts on February 23 England broke a 27-year drought when in Pune. Between them, left-arm spinners they beat India at home 2-1 in 2012. Vettori and Herath have captured more Panesar destroyed India in the second memorial T20 Cricket Cup than 700 Test wickets and boast outstand- match in with 11 wickets and ing performances in Asia. backed that up with five wickets in the “The main things you get away from third Test win in Kolkata. KUWAIT: A tribute to late Muhammad Riaz over. Suhail was declared Man of the Match due Hussain, Naeem Shahwere were among the those guys is challenging the batter’s “He talked about being able to adapt Chaudhary, the cricket legend of Kuwait Pakistan to his outstanding all round performance of 74 guests. Many dignitaries & cricket lovers watched defence,” O’Keefe told ’s really quickly and on the spot and also Sports Association Kuwait (PSAK) organized runs and a wicket which led his team in victory the thrilling game. Boys captain Fazil website yesterday from the team’s pre-tour being able to take away the batter’s scoring Muhammad Riaz Chaudhary memorial T20 Cricket by 6 wickets. received the Runner up Trophy while Friend training camp in Dubai. “And if you can options in regards to boundaries,” O’Keefe Cup 2017 on 27th January at PSA Minhaj Cricket At the end, prize distribution ceremony was Cricket Club Kuwait clinched the Winner Trophy, continually put the ball in the right area, said of his time working with Panesar. ground Khaitan. held. Vice President of Pakistan Sports Association received by Captain Muddassar Iqbal. given these conditions will spin more than Australia, who have not won a Test T20 Cricket Cup match was played between Kuwait Muhammad Younas Shahid, Pakistan At this stage, PSA Founder/Director General what we’re used to at home, that will help match in India in nearly 13 years, have Friends Cricket Club & Kandy Boys Cricket team. Qirrat & Naat Council Kuwait (PQNCK) Patron-in- Muhammad Irfan Adil highlighted the remarkable us. “It’s about building pressure and not strengthened their spin options with the Kandy Boys team captain Fazil won the toss and Chief, Shamshad Khan Tanoli & Jahanzeb Usman services of late Muhammad Riaz Chaudhary for being overawed.” he added. “(India) are a inclusion in the touring party of youngsters elected to bat first and they scored 193 runs in President ANP Kuwait, PSA Founder/Director cricket development in Kuwait. He said the event is class team, they’re exceptional batters at Ashton Agar and Mitchell Swepson. — AFP allotted 20 overs, which were achieved compre- General Muhammad Irfan Adil, Advisor M Irfan dedicated to his efforts, services and great contribu- hensively by Friends Cricket Club players in 20th Shafiq, Executive Member of PQNCK Baber tion to the cricket in Kuwait.