TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2015 SPORTS It’s no longer boring, boring England

LONDON: Once viewed as the perennial played a mind-numbingly boring style tions if the tactics backfire. stunning against New Zealand and under-performed in. whipping boys of one-day , New as they nudged and nurdled the ball As far as England are concerned, it England are winning new friends and “If you’re going to compete with the Zealand have not only reinvented them- around for 40 overs before launching a was never all doom and gloom as they admirers with a fearless approach to the best in this format of cricket these are selves but have also helped inspire a desperate late assault. reached the World Cup final in 1979, art of batting. the kind of scores you’ve got to be think- remarkable transformation in England’s England reached the lowest of lows 1987 and 1992. England have bludgeoned their way ing of,” added the great all-rounder. approach. The natural fear and caution when they lost to the co-hosts by eight But their failure to grasp the differ- to totals of 408, 365 and 302 and critics “You can’t do it every time, and there that has permeated the soul of English in a Pool A match in Wellington ence between test and one-day cricket have been forced to eat their words will be times when you attack and it cricket and left the team off the pace in in February. was summed up when Geoff Boycott among the torrent of sixes and fours goes wrong, but if you have that atti- the one-day arena for much of the past New Zealand Brendon took 17 overs to reach double figures in pouring from the flailing bats of Morgan, tude and belief ... you can go far. This is 40 years has given way to a new bel- McCullum showed them how the mod- the 1979 World Cup final against West Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Joe Root et al. something I haven’t seen from England ligerent, uninhibited style of play. ern game should be played, smashing Indies during a painstaking opening Former captain Ian Botham, who in ODIs for a very long time.” They trail New Zealand 2-1 in a five- 77 in 25 balls as the eventual runners-up stand of 129 which put too much pres- flourished a flashing blade of his own in The 50-over World Cup was launched match series after three action-packed to Australia sprinted to a meagre target sure on the rest of the side to reach a the 1970s and 1980s, hailed “new in 1975. England have never won the games and the turnaround can probably of 124 in just 12.2 overs. McCullum is target of 287. England” after they cracked an ODI trophy and captain Morgan has a four- be traced back to the humiliating defeat one of the most destructive hitters in England won the Twenty20 World record 408 for nine in the first match of year plan in mind to prepare for the suffered at the hands of the Kiwis a few the game and has given his side real Cup in 2010 but in recent 50-over tour- the series. 2019 edition on home soil. months ago. At the start of this year Eoin energy since taking over as skipper in all naments they have been way off the “It was magnificent,” said Botham, “We’ve come a long way in the last Morgan’s team were the laughing stock forms of cricket in 2012. pace. With Ashes victories over Australia now a Sky Sports pundit.”It’s probably three games, scoring 300-plus in each of the 50-over World Cup in Australia He encourages the other batsmen to mixed in with other bright moments in the best I’ve seen any England one-day of them which is a huge achievement and New Zealand. follow his swashbuckling lead and the the test arena, they rarely seemed to side bat. “They came out with nothing and a big turnaround,” he said. “We are While teams such as Australia, New rest of the team have complete freedom consider re-evaluating their approach to but positive thoughts with the bat and trying to change our process. I want Zealand, India and South Africa regularly to express themselves, secure in the the longer format of the limited-over the ball so it could be a really exciting the guys to continue with that mind- posted scores of 350-400, England knowledge there will be no recrimina- game. The shake-up, though, has been time in a format that England have really set.” —Reuters

Thailand seal golden Games

SINGAPORE: Thailand emphatically defended trait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. their Southeast Asian (SEA) Games football title Vietnam had already seen off Indonesia 5-0 yesterday as they finished top of the medals in the bronze medal match, a which sent table for the second consecutive edition. the Indonesians into international oblivion after Thailand’s under-23s had to wait until after half- the country’s ban by FIFA. After Mac Hong time to break down dogged Myanmar, but Quan’s early penalty, Vo Huy Toan struck twice three goals in the second period earned them a and Nguyen Huu Dung scored in first-half injury deserved 15th SEA Games title 3-0. time, before Que Ngoc Hai completed the rout Thailand’s women’s water polo team on 71 minutes. shocked Singapore and their female volley- “I hope the case of Indonesian football will ballers also took gold in a victorious run for the be cleared as soon as possible because it’s very team on the penultimate day. disappointing for the players,” said Indonesia With hosts Singapore only capable of coach Aji Santoso. adding one more title to their record haul of 83 “They don’t even know what they’ll do after gold on the final day, 2013 table-toppers this tournament.” In men’s basketball, the Thailand led the way with 93. Philippines had some nervy moments before Thai officials celebrated on the pool deck beating Indonesia 72-64 and extending their when their women edged Singapore 5-4 in the proud record of winning the title all but once water polo, and there was more to come when since the sport was introduced in 1977. they beat Vietnam 3-0 in the volleyball final. Thailand won two gold in petanque, as well as Later at a National Stadium packed with claiming the women’s doubles sepaktakraw title Myanmar foreign workers and watched by as they finished top in the volleyball-style sport armed police with dogs, Thailand had to perse- with five gold out of 10. vere before finally winning the football final. Singapore’s lone gold medal came in the With Myanmar ‘keeper Phyo Kyaw Zin inspired, men’s jumbo doubles squash, when Marcus it took defender Tanaboon Kesarat to break the Hua and Vivian Rhamanan beat Indonesia’s Ade deadlock on 54 minutes before goals from Furkon and Sandi Perdana 11-3, 11-8. Chanathan Pombubpha and Pinyo Inpinit. Competition in the biennial, 11-nation, 36- It was a fitting title for the tournament’s form sport regional Olympics concludes today, team, who thrashed Indonesia 5-0 in the semi- before the event formally wraps up with a gala finals and celebrated gold by holding up a por- closing ceremony. —AFP FATULLAH: India’s Harbhajan Singh bowls in this file photo. —AP Extra bowler the way forward for India

MUMBAI: The biggest change made by India cap- really exciting as a captain. And I think both of Tendulkar retired. A few games after that it was a tain Virat Kohli since taking over from Mahendra them enjoyed bowling together as well-if one put very strange feeling. “You suddenly don’t see a very Singh Dhoni is the inclusion of an extra bowler, and pressure, the other took a and vice versa.” impactful figure in the dressing room. As a crick- while it is too early to judge if the strategy will pay Not having Dhoni, who played 90 tests, around eter, you always get used to having him around, lis- off in the long run, he intends to give it every for the longer format was still a unfamiliar feeling tening to him, having discussions with him. “That chance. for the new captain. “It’s obviously strange,” Kohli voice is always there and it’s a very familiar feeling Kohli was named captain after Dhoni retired said. “The same thing happened when Sachin in the change room.”—Reuters from the five-day format during the series in Australia last year, and India’s one-off match in , which ended in a draw on Sunday, was their first full test series under the 26-year-old. Focus on Sangakkara as India have, in the past, preferred to play six frontline batsmen in their test side but brought in an extra bowler for the match against Bangladesh. face Pakistan While it was difficult to gauge the impact of the switch given that rain washed away a chunk of the : will get a chance Lanka have already played six series in as match, Kohli seems set to stick with five bowlers for to build on his prolific Test record before many years, the last of which also took place tests in Sri Lanka and at home to South Africa later retirement when familiar foes Sri Lanka and on the island a year ago. The hosts won both Pakistan contest their fourth series in two Tests, leaving Pakistan without a win in Sri in the year. “I am a big fan of playing five bowlers,” years from tomorrow. Lanka since 2006. Pakistani captain Misbah-ul Kohli told reporters after the match in Fatullah on The 37-year-old has not responded to Haq, who turned 41 last month, hopes to rec- Sunday. “I would want someone like R. Ashwin, media speculation that he will play three more tify that record and build on a commendable who is averaging 40 with the bat in test matches- home Tests-two of the three matches against 2-0 win over Australia in the United Arab you really can’t ask for more from an allrounder- Pakistan and one against India in August- Emirates last year, followed by a 1-0 triumph and someone like Harbhajan Singh to step up with before ending his 15-year-career. The left-han- in Bangladesh this May. the bat, and (Wriddhiman) Saha too. der is head and shoulders above other current “It is always interesting to play Sri Lanka “If those three start clicking, you literally have Test batsmen. His 12,203 runs and 38 cen- because both sides know each other’s game eight batsmen, and you can’t really ask for more as turies far exceed second-placed Alastair Cook well,” said Misbah. “Pakistan has done well in a captain. “It’s basically up to the first six to take of England, who has 9,000 runs and 27 hun- Tests recently and that has given us a lot of more responsibility and we are confident of doing dreds. Sangakkara is unlikely to catch up with confidence.” that.” India bundled Bangladesh out in under 66 record-holder Sachin Tendulkar’s Test tally of Sri Lanka’s coach Marvan Atapattu said overs in batting friendly conditions and the captain 15,921 runs and 51 hundreds, but his 11 Pakistan will miss spin spearhead Saeed was impressed with the off-spin duo of Ashwin and scores of 200-plus are just one short of Ajmal, who was not selected after struggling Harbhajan, who was making a comeback for his Australian legend Don Bradman’s record of 12. with a remodelled bowling action on the country after over two years. In Sri Lanka’s previous Test, against New Bangladesh tour last month. Ashwin took his 10th five-wicket haul, while the Zealand in Wellington in January, Sangakkara “Ajmal at his peak gave a lot of batsmen 34-year-old Harbhajan grabbed three wickets. “I hammered 203 to continue a prolific streak sleepless nights,” Atapattu told the - would like to have players who can win us games that saw him make 221 against Pakistan and based Nation newspaper. “Now that he is not in the bowling unit. And both of them have that 319 against Bangladesh last year. Sangakkara, there gives us a psychological advantage. ability,” Kohli said. who has already quit one-day and Twenty20 “I believe Pakistan have got bowlers who “Especially now that we have a prolonged sea- cricket, will meet Sri Lanka Cricket officials this could win games, but they have not done it SINGAPORE: Onuma Sittirak of Thailand (left) competes for the ball against Linh Chi son in the subcontinent, we need to look at how week to decide how many more Tests he will yet. But we’ve still got to respect the good ball Nguyen of Vietnam (right) during their women’s volleyball gold medal match at the we can strengthen our team for that as of now. play in the home season. Pakistan and Sri and put away the bad ones.”—AFP 28th Southeast Asian Games SEA Games. —AFP “Watching them bowl together in a pair was KSSC prepares for more achievements

By Abdellatif Sharaa HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al- Jaber Al-Sabah, HH the Crown Prince KUWAIT: The Kuwait Shooting Sports Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad, HH the Prime Club ordinary general assembly held its Minister Sheikh Jaber Al-Mubarak, and meeting Sunday under the chairmanship Information Minister, State Minister for of President Eng Duaij Khalaf Al-Otaibi Youth Affairs, KSSC Honorary President who approved the board of directors Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al- report for the fiscal year ending March 31, Humoud Al-Sabah, for their contributions 2015. and support to the club. The assembly expressed its confidence Eng Duaij Al-Otaibi said among the in the board of directors, and its efforts in important achievements of the club were preparing plans and strategies in order to getting one gold, four silver and one continue achievements in various events bronze medals during the 17th Asian both locally and abroad. Games in S Korea, as the total number of In his speech, Eng Duaij Al-Otaibi medals won by Kuwait shooters during thanked members of the general assem- last season was 61 various medals (14 bly for attending the ordinary meeting, gold, 20 silver and 17 bronze) most impor- and said the club will continue to make tant of which Abdallah Al-Rashidi’s gold achievements, as the club is to participate during the World Cup in China, and Fuhaid in many important championships. Al-Daihani’s two silver in trap and double A view of the shooting general assembly. He, on behalf of the assembly, thanked trap in Korea.