Sports FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014 44 Cricket: Pakistan look for confidence boosting win DUBAI: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq said his team will look series, for the sake of the team and the management. won the only Twenty20 in Dubai by six wickets on Sunday. The for a confidence-boosting win over Australia in the second day- “Winning is always very important and it is more important third and final game will be played in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. night international in Dubai today. with the World Cup coming up,” said Misbah of the global Pakistan lost by 93 runs in the opening match of three in event to be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand in Teams (from): Sharjah on Tuesday and looked well short on confidence. February-March next year. “A win puts all the things in the Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shahzad, Umar Steven Smith hit a maiden hundred to bolster Australia to 255- right place. It is very important that you keep working hard and Akmal, Fawad Alam, Sami Aslam, Umar Amin, Asad Shafiq, 8 before paceman Mitchell Johnson and spinner Nathan Lyon don’t lose hope,” said Misbah, who is also under pressure to Sohaib Maqsood, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Raza Hasan, shared five wickets to bowl out Pakistan for a low 162 in 36.3 perform after flopping on the last tour of Sri Lanka in August. Mohammad Irfan, Anwar Ali, Wahab Riaz, Zulfiqar Babar, Sohail overs. Misbah said his batsmen needed one good innings to He managed just 67 runs in the two Tests and as many runs Tanvir. get them going. “At the moment our confidence is shaky,” said (67) in the three-match one-day series in Sri Lanka when Australia: George Bailey (captain), David Warner, Aaron Misbah yesterday. “When your confidence is bad even a Pakistan lost both. He was dismissed for a first-ball duck in Finch, Phil Hughes, Steven Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin, straight ball becomes difficult for you, all these players have Sharjah. Left-arm spinner Raza Hasan has recovered from a James Faulkner, Sean Abbott, Kane Richardson, Mitchell performed well before but at the moment they need one good shoulder injury and is likely to replace allrounder Anwar Ali. Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Xavier Doherty. innings to restore that confidence.” Australia too have brought in left-arm spinner Xavier Umpires: Nigel Llong (ENG) and Shozaib Raza (PAK) Misbah said levelling the series was important. “Yes, it is Doherty for Mitchell Marsh (ruled out of the tour with a ham- Tv umpire: Richard Illingworth (ENG) very important to level the series, for the sake of saving the string injury) and may replace him with a fast bowler. Australia Match referee: Javagal Srinath (IND). —AFP Pietersen says England return on if ECB chief quits LONDON: England exile Kevin Pietersen said he could yet return to international duty if England and Wales Cricket Board chair- man Giles Clarke quits his post. Thursday saw Pietersen’s controversial autobiography finally go on general sale after days of pre-publicity in which the South Africa-born batsman, England’s leading all-time run-scorer, high- lighted a “bullying” culture within the England dressing room and was severely critical of the management methods of former England coach Andy Flower. It is hard to imagine the circumstances in which Pietersen might make an international return-not least because he did not play County Championship cricket for Surrey last season. But the 34-year-old has not given up hope and having previ- ously focused much of his ire on Flower and several former team-mates, yesterday saw him turn his attention to Clarke. “What would have to happen for me to be recalled by England?” Pietersen asked in an interview with the London Evening Standard. “Clearly, the boss would have to go. “Clarke would have to go, and I’ve been hearing that could happen in the next few months. That’s all hearsay, you never know. If there is a change at the top, there is potential, but we will wait and see.” It was Clarke who oversaw an uncomfortable press confer- ence alongside Pietersen in Colombo in 2012 where he star batsman was formally reintegrated into the England team. That followed a three-month banishment after Pietersen sent text messages critical of then England captain Andrew Strauss to BILOXI: Jermain Taylor, left, puts pressure on Sam Soliman during the IBF middleweight championship on opposition South Africa players during a home series with the Wednesday, at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. —AP Proteas. “Giles pulls a lot of strings. In terms of cricket, I believe Andy Flower pulls a lot of strings too,” Pieterseb told the Standard. Taylor takes title over “He has Giles Clarke in his pocket.” Boycott sympathy The ECB have steadfastly declined to respond to Pietersen’s limping Aussie Soliman autobiography and they had no comment to make regarding his comments about Clarke. But England great Geoffrey Boycott said he could understand BILOXI: Former undisputed world champion draw and 5-0 in his comeback run, claimed the same thought I would have. He kept fighting.” why Kevin Pietersen felt angered by the way his England career Jermain Taylor captured the International undisputed middleweight title in 2005 after Soliman suffered a torn right knee ligament was brought to an abrupt halt without a specific explanation. Boxing Federation middleweight title defeating Bernard Hopkins, but retired in 2009. in a 2007 loss to fellow Aussie Anthony Former captain Pietersen, having been a key figure in one of Wednesday with a unanimous decision over Soliman, who turns 41 next month, took Mundine. Soliman had won nine fights in a row the most successful of all England cricket sides, was effectively Australian Sam Soliman, who finished 12 command in the early rounds but was forced since a 2008 loss to Mundine. sacked by the England and Wales Cricket Board following the rounds despite a right leg injury. to his right knee by a Taylor jab in the seventh “I’m not going to take up table tennis just team’s 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia concluded in January. Taylor hung up his gloves for two years and then favored the leg to the end of the yet,” Soliman said when asked if he might “I’d be miffed if my career had been finished for no reasons after suffering bleeding in the brain and losing fight. Former dock worker Soliman, who fell to retire. given,” said Boycott. four of five fights over two years before return- 44-12, suffered a torn right knee ligament in a Soliman had won the crown with a unani- “It’s actually a pretty big thing when you’ve got a very talent- ing to the ring in 2011. But his comeback has 2007 loss to fellow Aussie Anthony Mundine. mous decision over Felix Sturm last May. The ed player ... (and) a country says, ‘Fine, we want to move on with- been controversial for health issues and legal Soliman had won nine fights in a row since a Melbourne fighter had defeated Sturm in 2013 out you’,” Boycott told the Cricinfo website. ones. 2008 loss to Mundine. but that verdict was changed to no contest Boycott added the root cause of the bitterness was in 2009 Taylor is out of jail on bail after being “It wasn’t an injury that came back because after Soliman tested positive for the banned when Pietersen was sacked as England captain after voicing his charged with two felonies after allegedly of bad luck. It was because of Jermain,” stimulant methylsnephrine, leading to a nine- concerns about Peter Moores’s suitability as a coach. shooting and wounding his cousin during an Soliman said. month ban. Moores lost his job within the England set-up and was August dispute. “If he wasn’t as good a fighter as he was, he Taylor sent Soliman down in the eighth and replaced by his former assistant Flower, with whom Pietersen But he achieved the crowning moment of wouldn’t have come up with the goods.” the Aussie fell again before a right hand to his had also clashed. Foolowing this year’s Ashes debacle, Flower his ring return when judges awarded the 36- Limping in the ring at times but always able to chin sent him falling backward, unable to keep stood down and was replaced by Moores. year-old American the verdict by scores of 116- perform well enough to pass muster, a gritty weight on his right leg. Reflecting on the change of command in 2009, Boycott said: 111, 115-109 and 116-109. “I heard it before. Soliman stayed in to the end even as the refer- Soliman fell again in the ninth in evading a “You have two people (Pietersen and Flower) who resent the sit- Now I’m hearing it again,” Taylor said of the ee and ringside doctor each questioned if he powerful right hand from Taylor, who sent uation, both in prime positions-one the best batsman and the ring announcement of his new title. could continue. Soliman to the canvas a final time with a left other the coach in charge. —AFP Taylor, who improved to 33-4 with one “He’s a warrior,” Taylor said. “He did the jab at the end of the 11th round. —AFP.