TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 SPORTS Under scrutiny Umar Akmal denies wrongdoing

LAHORE: ’s talented but controversial bats- party. The PCB has also served a show cause notice jailed in after he had a scuffle with a traffic department I am playing for,” Umar told reporters. man Umar Akmal yesterday denied any wrongdoing to the 25-year-old batsman whose career has been warden over running a red light. “ is my love and I want to represent Pakistan in a party which led to his axing from the chequered with disciplinary problems. He was also left out of the team after the 2015 for a long period of time.” Pakistan’s Twenty20 team for the three-match series against England later Umar, younger brother of Kamran and Adnan World Cup, with head coach complain- has also reportedly backed the this month. Akmal who also played for Pakistan, Monday ing about his insubordination during the event. PCB embroiled batsman, asking the PCB to clear Umar (PCB) last week said Umar responded to the PCB show cause notice. chairman Shaharyar Khan last week said Umar would and then reinstate him in the squad. was in contention for the 16-man squad but was “I attended a dinner party after being granted offi- be given an opportunity to defend himself. Umar Pakistan play England in a three-match T20 series dropped over an incident in Hyderabad in which he cial permission by my team manager,” said Umar in meanwhile has labelled the allegations baseless. with matches in Dubai (November 26 and 27) and was alleged to have “misbehaved” with women at a his response to the PCB notice. Last year Umar was “I am not answerable to anyone apart from the Sharjah on November 30. — AFP

Perth: Australia’s Steve Smith plays a shot against New Zealand during their cricket test match in Perth, Australia, yesterday. — AP Australia strike back SCOREBOARD PERTH, Australia: Scores at the close on the fourth day in the second Test between Australia and New Zealand at the WACA Ground in Perth yesterday. after Taylor’s epic 290 Australia 1st innings (559-9 declared) (Watling), 6-485 (Bracewell), 7-525 (Craig), 8- New Zealand 1st innings: 554 (Henry), 9-587 (Southee), 10-624 (Taylor) M. Guptill lbw Starc 1 Bowling: Starc 37-7-119-4, Hazlewood 32-2- PERTH: Steve Smith and Adam Voges scored It was also the third highest innings by any T. Latham c Smith b Lyon 36 134-1 (1nb), Johnson 28-2-157-1 (1w), Lyon the fifth and sixth centuries of the second test New Zealand batsman in a test match and K. Williamson c Johnson b Hazlewood 166 37.5-6-107-3, Marsh 15-1-73-1 (2nb), Smith to give Australia a lead of 193 after Ross eclipsed the 253 contributed by Warner to R. Taylor c sub b Lyon 290 4-0-16-0. Taylor’s epic 290 brought New Zealand back Australia’s first innings tally of 559-9 declared, B. McCullum b Marsh 27 Australia second innings: into the contest on day four yesterday. which had looked almost unassailable on day B.J. Watling c Lyon b Starc 1 J. Burns c Taylor b Southee 0 Smith hit his eighth century in 13 tests over two. D. Bracewell c Neville b Johnson 12 D. Warner c Latham b Boult 24 the last 12 months, and his fourth in five tests M. Craig c Johnson b Lyon 15 S. Smith 131 as captain, while western Australian Voges MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH M. Henry b Starc 6 A. Voges not out 101 delighted the WACA crowd with his first on Just before lunch and after more than nine T. Southee c and b Starc 21 Extras (w1, nb1) 2 home soil to take the hosts to 254 for two. hours at the crease, Taylor miscued a slog- T. Boult not out 23 Total (2 wickets, 63 overs) 258 The skipper will resume on 127 not out and sweep to substitute fielder Jonny Wells off the Extras (b7, lb11, w5, nb3) 26 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Burns), 2-46 (Warner) Voges unbeaten on 101 in a partnership of bowling of Nathan Lyon to bring an end to Total (all out, 153.5 overs) 624 Bowling: Southee 13-3-40-1, Boult 10-0-50- 208 that steadied the innings after New New Zealand’s innings on 624. Fall of wickets: 1-6 (Guptill), 2-87 (Latham), 3- 1, Bracewell 10-3-34-0, Henry 12-3-45-0 (1w), Zealand had removed openers Joe Burns (0) Breaking Australia’s opening partnership, 352 (Williamson), 4-432 (McCullum), 5-447 Craig 17-0-81-0 (1nb), Williamson 1-0-8-0. and David Warner (24) cheaply. which had put together century stands in the That drove home the tourist’s advantage first three innings of the series, was an after Taylor’s mighty 374-ball knock, which fea- achievement in itself but also removing Smith came out at number three because keeper BJ Watling on 96, reached his 12th test tured 43 fours, had dragged his side back into Warner with just 46 runs on the board was a of the hamstring injury to Usman Khawaja, century with a four behind point, the 13th of the match with a first-innings lead of 65. major breakthrough. who will miss Australia’s next two tests, and his innings. PERTH: New Zealand’s Ross Taylor raises his bat Although he fell 10 runs short of the triple Southee had Burns caught at first slip by quickly showed his desire to get in on the Voges, who hit a century on debut against as he leaves the field after being dismissed for century, the 31-year-old’s innings was the Taylor, while Warner, who also scored cen- WACA run-fest, which has seen 1,441 scored West Indies earlier this year, scored at a more 290 runs on day four of the second cricket Test highest score by any visiting batsman in turies in both innings in Brisbane, fell to on the first four days. pedestrian pace and reached the milestone match between Australia and New Zealand in Australia, bettering the previous record of 287 Trent Boult and a sharp catch from Tom He raced to his half century in 57 balls and, with his 15th boundary in the penultimate Perth yesterday. — AFP set by England’s Tip Foster in Sydney in 1903. Latham at cover. after being dropped by New Zealand wicket- over of the day. — Reuters Pakistan rejects India offer, series in jeopardy

NEW DELHI: Next month’s scheduled series between India and Pakistan remains in doubt after both sides again failed to reach an agreement on where the matches should be played. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wants to stage the matches in the United Arab Emirates, which has been the team’s “home” base since 2009 because of ongoing security concerns in their homeland that prevents international teams from visiting. But the Indian crick- et board (BCCI) said the Indian government would not permit its team to play Pakistan in the UAE, so the series would have to be played in India. The two coun- tries, bitter rivals on and off the cricket field, signed a memorandum of understanding in 2014 that Pakistan would host their next series after India had staged their previous two meetings. BANGALORE: Groundsmen walk over plastic sheets covering the pitch area and The PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, speaking to outfield near the empty stands displaying portraits of Mahatma Gandhi, left, and ESPNcricinfo yesterday, said he was still waiting for an Nelson Mandela, center, after the play for the third day of second cricket test explanation as to why the Indian government was opposed to its team playing in UAE but was adamant match between India and South Africa was called off due to persistent rains in that Pakistan would not go to India. “There is no ques- Bangalore, India, yesterday. — AP tion of playing in India. I’m still awaiting the reason of not playing in UAE,” Khan said. “We went there in 2007 and 2012. This time not again. It is our series and we Rain ruins India, S Africa Test again will play at our home venue which is the UAE. “What is the problem playing in UAE as they had also played their IPL (Indian Premier League) there as well so why BANGALORE: The second Test between India day’s play, without a ball being bowled, dur- abandoned on Sunday and more wet weather overcast conditions and India replied with 80 for not Pakistan series?” and South Africa in Bangalore was headed for ing the lunch break as incessant rain left large is forecast over the southern city, caused by a no loss by stumps. India lead the four-match The BCCI did not immediately respond to the PCB’s a tame draw after bad weather washed out puddles of water on the outfield at the cyclonic depression over the Bay of Bengal. series after securing a 108-run win in the first comments yesterday. — Reuters play for the second successive day yesterday. Chinnaswamy stadium. On the rain-free first day, South Africa were Test in Mohali last week. The third Test is to be The umpires called off the scheduled third The entire second day’s play was also shot out for 214 after being sent in to bat in played in Nagpur from November 25. — AFP