TUESDAY, MAY 24, 2016 SPORTS England’s all-rounder Stokes out of 2nd Test

LEEDS: England all-rounder Ben Stokes is “The 24-year-old will be reviewed by a facing several weeks on the sidelines after consultant (on Tuesday), to decide on a being ruled out of the second Test against management plan.” Sri Lanka with a knee injury. Stokes has Woakes is now in the hunt for a seventh been replaced in England’s 12-man squad Test cap. His last appearance came against by Warwickshire all-rounder Chris Woakes. South Africa at Centurion in January, a Durham star Stokes jarred his left knee match where England lost but won the during England’s crushing innings and 88- series. He will compete for a place in run win in the first Test at Headingley. He England’s X1 against uncapped will now miss the second of the three- Nottinghamshire quick Jake Ball, in the match series, which starts at his Chester- squad at Headingley. Both players will join le-Street home ground on Friday. The 24- up with the England squad in Durham after year-old, who is due to see a specialist on leaving their ongoing matches in the Tuesday, could be out of action for as County Championship on Monday. long as six weeks. That would see him miss Meanwhile, Sri Lanka have confirmed that both the final two Tests against Sri Lanka Kusal Perera will be joining their squad. and the subsequent five-match one-day Perera was cleared to play again two international series with the islanders start- weeks ago after the International Cricket ing on June 21. Council lifted a provisional doping ban and And with England also facing Pakistan in all associated charges against him follow- a four-Test series that gets underway at ing concerns over the reliability of the drug Lord’s in July, team management will be test carried out by a World Anti-Doping wary of rushing key player Stokes back Agency accredited laboratory in Qatar. The into the side. An England and Wales wicket-keeper/batsman’s arrival, possibly in Cricket Board statement issued Monday time for the second Test, will change the said: “England all-rounder Ben Stokes will balance of Sri Lanka’s squad as he is replac- miss the second Investec Test at Emirates ing injured paceman Dhammika Prasad, Riverside after sustaining a left knee who has returned home with a shoulder injury during England’s first Test victory injury. “Kusal will join the team as soon as PITTSBURGH: Chris Kunitz #14 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring a goal against Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay at Headingley. “Following a scan (on possible and acclimatize, so he can do Lightning during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center on May 22, 2016. — AFP Sunday) and review by the medical team, some serious work with the bat,” Sri Lanka it was advised that Stokes would be chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya told unavailable for the match in Durham. Cricinfo.— AFP Johnson’s OT deflection lifts Gayle says sexism row Lightning over Penguins 4-3

was just a ‘little fun’ PITTSBURGH: Tampa Bay’s Jason Garrison saw Marc-Andre Fleury and tied the game 3-3 with chances around the Pittsburgh net, though his shot deflect off a teammate’s back and into just 3:16 left in regulation. Alex Killorn picked up Garrison’s flick toward Johnson might not exact- LONDON: West Indies star Chris Gayle has chop Freddie (Flintoff) knows is when he used the net in the first minute of overtime to give his fifth of the playoffs as the Lightning handed ly qualify. “No shot’s a bad shot in overtime,” insisted controversial comments he made to a to bowl short to me and I would chop him past the Lightning a 4-3 win over Pittsburgh on the Penguins consecutive losses for the first time Garrison said with a laugh. The Penguins female television reporter earlier this year were backward point for four.” Sunday and a 3-2 lead in their NHL Eastern since January. blocked 22 shots before they even made it to “just a little fun” as he turned on critics includ- As for Chappell, Gayle said: “Ian Chappell, Conference finals series. A year after falling to Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy the goal crease and continued their series-long ing Andrew Flintoff and Ian Chappell. Gayle, calling for me to banned worldwide, a man Chicago in the Stanley Cup finals, Tampa Bay can stopped 31 shots while Fleury, who returned to dominance in creating pressure at the other end. 36, came under fire for asking Australian who was once convicted of unlawful assault in head back to the championship round with a the lineup for the first time in more than seven Dumoulin’s first goal in 17 months in the final broadcaster Mel McLaughlin out on a date in a the West Indies for punching a cricket official. win in Game 6 at home on Tuesday. Tyler weeks after a concussion and the good form of second of the first period put Pittsburgh in front. live television interview during a Big Bash “Ian Chappell, how can you ban the Universe Johnson, who received stitches and lost teeth his rookie replacement Matt Murray, finished Hornqvist’s tap-in off Carl Hagelin’s feed Twenty20 game in January. Boss? You’d have to ban cricket itself.” Saturday when hit in the face by the puck during the with 21 saves, but couldn’t protect leads of 2-0 made it 2-0 just 90 seconds into the second. “I wanted to see your eyes for the first time, saw Gayle facing fresh accusations of sexism warmup before Game 4, was again in the firing and 3-2. “It wasn’t the best I have felt in a game,” Killorn drew Tampa Bay within a goal 13:15 into hopefully we can win this game and then we following the publication of an interview with line of Garrison’s game-winning shot 53 seconds Fleury said after his 100th playoff game. “Still, I the second on a wrist shot from the left circle can have a drink after as well,” said star bats- female journalist Charlotte Edwardes in The into overtime. “I was just battling in front,” have been practicing a lot, so I should have been that went in and out of the goal so quickly play man Gayle, before adding: “Don’t blush, baby.” Times magazine. In the article, the Jamaican Johnson said. “I saw Garry starting to shoot it, better.” Brian Dumoulin, Chris Kunitz and Patric continued for a few seconds before referees Chappell and Flintoff, former captains of opener boasted of his “very, very big bat”. He thought he was going for my head again, so I Hornqvist scored for the Penguins, who pointed to the red goal light. Kucherov tied it Australia and England respectively, were also asked Edwardes if she had ever “had” a turned around.” appeared to be in firm control at certain points 70 seconds later on an easy one-timer. Kunitz’s among those to criticize Gayle’s conduct. But black man and been in a threesome. The inter- The goal was credited to Johnson for his sev- but now find themselves on the brink of elimina- rebound with 1:30 left in the second gave the Gayle, in an extract from his autobiography view also saw Gayle say women did have enth goal of the playoffs. The Lightning are 12-1 tion. “This is the first time we’ve been in this Penguins the lead again. Tampa Bay’s Ryan published in The Times yesterday, said of his equality. “Women can do what they want. in the past 13 postseason games in which position,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I know our Callahan saw a shot ring off the far post and remarks during the Melbourne Renegades’ Jamaican women are very vocal. They will let Johnson has scored. Tampa Bay came from 2-0 guys will respond the right way. They have for along the goal line - but not across it - with match against Hobart Hurricanes: “I meant it as you know what time is it, for sure,” he said. down and still trailed 3-2 in the third period but four months, five months now.” 3:50 remaining in what appeared to have been a joke. I meant it as a little fun. “I didn’t mean to Gayle added: “Women should please their pulled off a vital road victory. Nikita Kucherov While the Penguins have peppered the visitors’ last chance. But barely 30 seconds be disrespectful and I didn’t mean it to be tak- man,” explaining: “When he comes home, food scored twice to boost his postseason total to an Vasilevskiy for the better part of five games, the later, Kucherov was flying behind the en serious.” is on the table. Serious,” although if she also NHL-best 11 - including a wraparound that beat Lightning keep finding ways to create quality Pittsburgh net to tie it.— AP works, “they share” and it is down to the “first ‘International incident’ person home”. Gayle is currently playing for “Channel 10’s commentary team could be the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian heard laughing in the background... but Premier League Twenty20 competition. He is Fearless Hinchcliffe grabs someone above them clearly decided to step also due to play for Somerset in English crick- in, and a throwaway comment in a fun format et’s domestic T20 Blast event, having enjoyed a escalates and blows up and within hours it has successful spell with the south-west county in 100th Indianapolis 500 pole turned into a major international incident.” 2015. Somerset chief executive Guy Lavender, Flintoff responded on by saying Gayle responding to the Edwardes interview, said: had made himself look a “bit of a chop”. But “We were disappointed to read the report in INDIANAPOLIS: Canada’s James Hinchcliffe month really hoping we would have a new story It was a big day for the little guys at the Gayle, in his autobiography, said: “The only The Times (magazine). —AFP turned in a fearless performance on Sunday to talk about after what happened last year and I Brickyard as Hinchcliffe and Newgarden, driving when he grabbed pole for the Indianapolis 500, think we did it. I can’t believe it,” a beaming for two of IndyCar’s smaller outfits, upstaged two one year after being critically injured in a crash Hinchcliffe told trackside reporters. “A year ago of the sports giants Penske Racing and Chip during practice at the famed Brickyard. (my parents) came here for a very different rea- Ganassi Racing. Newgarden, who drives for local Hinchcliffe will be joined on the front row for son. They were out of the country when I had my outfit Ed Carpenter Racing, threw down the gaunt- next Sunday’s centennial showcase by two accident and I can’t imagine what that plane trip let putting his Chevrolet at the top of the timing Americans, Josef Newgarden and 2014 Indy 500 must have been like for them. sheets with a 230.700 mph average and then winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. “The Arrow “Mom moved in on May 1. She said she watched nervously as Townsend Bell, three-time Electronics car was an absolute smoke show out wasn’t missing a single lap just in case I tried to winner Helio Castroneves, Will Power and Hunter- there, it was right on the edge,” Hinchcliffe told kill myself again and luckily that wasn’t the case.” Reay all failed to better his effort.—Reuters trackside reporters. “Now we’ve got the best seat in the house for the start of the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500.” Two days of qualifying at the sprawling Indianapolis Motor Speedway reached a pulsating climax when Hinchcliffe, the last car onto the track, stormed around the 2.5 mile oval in a four-lap average speed of 230.760 mph (371 kph) triggering wild celebrations in the Schmidt Peterson Motorsport’s pit. It was far different scene a year ago when Hinchcliffe was rushed to hospital fighting for his life instead of battling for pole following a spectacular crash that ended his IndyCar season. The Canadian lost control entering turn three and careened into the wall. A piece of the car’s suspension pierced his left thigh and he lost INDIANAPOLIS: James Hinchcliffe, of Canada, celebrates after winning the pole for the Indianapolis massive amounts of blood. “I came into this West Indies star Chris Gayle 500 auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on Sunday, May 22, 2016. — AP Injured Blackwell slams ‘inhuman’ Eubanks

LONDON: Nick Blackwell has spoken of his still in a coma but they went ahead and did senior’s ringside comments were seen by who put me in the coma and the people at defended his conduct by telling the Sun: “disgust” at the “inhuman” reaction of Chris it. “That’s the Eubanks, isn’t it? They just want many as a reaction to his 1991 World Boxing St Mary’s Hospital. The Eubanks didn’t save “People and media demanded that we speak Eubank Jnr and his father following the attention, no matter if it’s a bad or a good Organization super- title stop- my life. “Chris Jnr was asked later if he’d pick to them. If we had just said ‘No comment’ it British middleweight title clash that threat- thing. “If Chris Jnr was in a coma and I want- page-win over Michael Watson. That bout the belt or my health. He refused to answer. would have come off as cold.” The 26-year- ened to cost him his life. Blackwell was ed to do a press conference on the Tuesday ended with Watson needing major surgery. It “I’m not being funny, but someone’s health old added: “If Nick is part of the small per- placed in an induced coma having collapsed and their family was begging me not to do it, also left him with irreparable brain damage is more important. “The night of the fight he centage that took offence, that’s unfortu- shortly after being stopped the bout with I would not do it. “My promoter was begging and partially paralyzed. went partying. He was celebrating...I would nate. It’s sad for me to hear something like Eubank Jnr back in March. The 25-year-old, Chris Snr. The Boxing Board of Control rang But Blackwell said: “The people who have wanted to go to the hospital and be by that. “All I have ever wanted for Nick has who has since retired, was found to have him and begged him not to do it.” Eubank saved my life were the referee, the person his side until he woke up.” Eubank Jnr been the best.”—AFP suffered a bleed on the skull but woke after a week without requiring surgery. Television images appeared to show Eubank Sr telling his son not to aim for Blackwell’s head dur- ing the fight, which was stopped in the 10th round by referee Victor Loughlin. “Even in sparring, I tell Junior to stay away from the head because his punching is fast, powerful and dangerous,” Eubank, a former middleweight and super-mid- dleweight world champion, told the BBC days after the bout. “So most certainly I was saying this to protect the fighter.” That led Blackwell to say the Eubanks were trying to “grab as much attention as they could” and “make themselves look like the good guys”. Blackwell told The Sun: “I haven’t any hard feelings about the fight because you’re in there to win and try and hurt someone-it’s just the stuff he has done after. It’s inhu- man, it’s disgusting. “My family and friends were begging Nick Blackwell Jnr them not to talk, but they ignored it. “I was