FOOTBALL | Page 5 TTENNISENNIS | Page 11 FIFA opens Indian Wells To Advertise here ethics probe CEO Moore Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 into German quits over WCup bid gender storm Wednesday, March 23, 2016 CRICKET Jumada II 14, 1437 AH Guptill shines as GULF TIMES Kiwis storm into World T20 semis SPORT Page 3 Qatar Football Association president Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani speaks to Qatar coach Daniel Carreno during a training session in Doha yesterday. Qatar are getting ready to take on Hong Kong in their Asian Zone Group C qualifier on the road to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The match is only of academic interest to Qatar as they have already made the final stage of qualifying from Asia thanks to their all-win record from six group matches so far. SPOTLIGHT International duty beckons for QSL stars The players will return to QSL action after their international commitments end next week By Sports Reporter Lekhwiya’s South Korean Doha pro Nam Tae-hee is one of several foreign stars in the QSL who will be on duty for atar Stars League stars Nam their respective countries Tae-hee of Lekhwiya and over the next few days. Abderrazak Hamdallah of El Jaish head the list of QSL Qinternational stars set to be called up for national duty this week when club games give way to qualifying matches and international friendlies. With international football teams around the world preparing for key 2018 FIFA World Cup matches in the coming fi ve days, Lekhwiya’s reli- able midfi elder Tae-hee and El Jaish’s prolifi c striker Hamdallah will join Al Sailiya’s Gragos Grigore, Qatar SC’s Han Kook-young, Al Rayyan’s Koh Myongjin and Al Gharafa duo of tournament in France. Four days Al Sailiya defender Dragos Grigore, Krisztian Nemeth and Vlaidmir Weiss later, Weiss could also be involved in will be donning the Romanian na- on international duty. Slovakia’s clash against Republic of tional team colours this week. Grig- Morocco’s new head coach Hervé Ireland at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. ore, 29, is part of the squad to take on Renard will be hoping striker Ham- Weiss has scored 8 goals in the QSL a visiting Lithuania outfi t. Four days dallah - who has scored an impres- this season, with the January signing later, Romania will take on former sive 17 goals in his debut QSL sea- aiding Al Gharafa to 8th spot after World Cup and European champions son - returns to national duty with 23 QSL matches. The Cheetahs have Spain. The two teams are preparing similar form when Morocco take on shown indiff erent form this season, for Euro 2016. Grigore scored in Al Cape Verde at Stade de Marrakech. but Weiss has been one of the shining Sailiya’s 1-1 draw against Qatar SC The clash this week is part of the lights for the former QSL champions. three days ago. Al Sailiya, coached 2017 Africa Cup of Nations quali- The 26-year-old last scored against by Sami Trabelsi, are currently in 7th fi cation tournament. Hamadullah, Al Sadd two weeks ago and was seen place in the QSL standings. the 25-year-old El Jaish striker, has at his feisty best against Al Kharaitiy- South Korea has called up Le- scored in three out of last four QSL at in a 1-1 draw last week. khwiya’s midfi elder Nam Tae-hee for games, paving way for his side to be Weiss’s Al Gharafa teammate international week. Tae-hee is also placed in second spot with just three Krisztian Nemeth will be keen to joined by compatriots Han Kook- rounds to go in the current QSL sea- power Hungary’s cause in the Myg- young of Qatar SC and Myong-jin son. ars’s international friendly against of Al Rayyan. South Korea face off Similarly, Al Gharafa winger Croatia. Nemeth, the 27-year-old against Lebanon & Thailand in 2018 Vladimir Weiss will be key to Slova- Al Gharafa star, scored in his team’s FIFA World Cup qualifying match- kia’s cause in international friendly QSL 4-0 rout of Al Sailiya two weeks es. Tae-hee, has played key roles in ties. Slovakia will take on Latvia on ago. Overall the January signing has Lekhwiya winning QSL titles, the March 25, as they ramp up prepara- scored 6 goals in just seven starts this 24-year-old winger has scored 8 goals tions for the upcoming Euro 2016 season. for Lekhwiya this season. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, March 23, 2016 CRICKET PREVIEW REPORT Indian women go Focused England down to England by two wickets for 2nd defeat on trot take on spirited IANS could only score 20. The middle Dharamsala and lower order had no choice but to hit out then, and Harmanpreet Kaur was the most successful, he Indian women’s with a 25-ball 26 including three cricket team succumbed boundaries. Knight fi nished with to a second successive 3 for 15 while Shrubsole picked up defeat when they went two wickets. Afghanistan today Tdown to England by two wick- In pursuit of 91, England lost ets in the World Twenty20 at the Charlotte Edwards (4) early, HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala Ekta Bisht having her caught by ‘Our priority is on winning. It is a big game and we are certainly not taking Afghanistan yesterday. wicketkeeper Sushma Verma. India batted with a bit too Tammy Beaumont and Sarah for granted. First and foremost we need to get into that game with the right mindset’ much abandon and fi nished on Taylor, however, got the side 90 for 8. England approached back on track, caressing the ball the chase sensibly at the start between gaps, and it seemed to but, in search of a quick fi nish be a straightforward chase at and perhaps a vital boost in their that stage. net run rate, nearly bottled it. But there was a twist in the However, Katherine Brunt tale as Bisht and Harmanpreet and Anya Shrubsole eventually sliced through the line-up to re- saw the side through to a nail- duce England to 71 for 6 and then biting two-wicket win with an 87 for 8. Beaumont was the fi rst over to spare. to perish, top-edging Harman- Earlier, asked to bat, India preet to Anuja Patil for an 18- were left to rue the what-ifs had ball 20. Harmanpreet outfoxed the batters not been so eager to Taylor next ball as the wick- jump the gun earlier in the day. etkeeper-batter was stumped First, VR Vanitha (0) top- for 16. England were 42 for 3 edged a delivery from Heather and played soundly once more, Knight in the opening over to but then Bisht returned to have Lydia Greenway. Knight and Greenway dismissed Then, Smriti Mandhana (12) off successive deliveries. Sciver had a go at Shrubsole in the became Bisht’s fourth wicket as medium pacer’s fi rst over, but England was left in the lurch. Natalie Sciver misjudged the Some excellent fi elding from catch. Anya Shrubsole was not India led to England losing two to be denied, though, as Mand- more wickets but the drama hana inside-edged one on to came to an end with Shrubsole the stumps moments later to be guiding a full toss from Veda out for 12. Krishnamurthy past point to get India were 15 for 2, and that the winning runs. should have set off the alarm India are now third with two bells. It didn’t. Shikha Pandey points, while the West Indies, walked in and decided to attack the home side’s remaining op- Shrubsole as well, but Danielle ponents, and England are on the Wyatt dropped a fairly easy catch top two slots respectively. at deep cover. Knight later had Shikha out for 12, caught bril- Brief scores liantly by Katherine Brunt near England Women 92 for 8 in 20 the boundary, while Sciver sent overs (Beaumont 20; Bisht 4-21, back Mithali Raj for 20 to leave Kaur 2-22 ) beat India Women India on a slippery slope at 47 for 90 for 8 in 19 overs (Kaur 26, 4 in the 13th over. Knight 3-15, Shrubsole 2-12) by Captain Raj tried her best but two wickets Duminy ruled out of Windies game England pacer Chris Jordan bowls during a practice session outh Africa will play tomor- took 1-31 in three overs in the at Feroz Shah Kotla ground in row’s vital World Twenty20 two-wicket defeat by England in New Delhi yesterday. (AFP) SGroup 1 match against South Africa’s opening game. West Indies without all-rounder The 31-year-old is his coun- JP Duminy who has been ruled try’s leading scorer in Twenty20 AFP the match, Morgan recalled the “hor- opener Mohamed Shahzad scoring 44 in team under their belt. out with a hamstring strain. Internationals with 1,654 runs New Delhi rifi c” feeling in the dressing room at the just 19 balls. “We have played good cricket and Duminy picked up the injury in 70 matches, fourth on the time of the Dutch debacle but said the “I think they are a dangerous side. looking to play well against England as while fielding in Sunday’s 37-run all-time list headed by New Zea- atmosphere was totally diff erent after They have played a really exciting brand well,” he said. “There will defi nitely be victory over Afghanistan and land’s Brendon McCullum.