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26 Sports Thursday, January 9, 2020 Players unwilling to endorse four-day Test plan: Players’ body England say they will support the idea after 2023 MUMBAI: Players are unlikely to embrace the pro- for four-day test cricket, we would need to clearly posed four-day Tests until administrators clarify how understand what both the economic and scheduling they plan to utilise the calendar space freed up by the benefits would be, so we can discuss that with players move, the Federation of International Cricketers’ and gauge genuine collective feedback,” FICA said. Associations (FICA) said yesterday. “It is particularly important for us, and the players, The International Cricket Council is set to discuss to understand how any additional calendar space in the idea of trimming the current five-day Tests by a the playing schedule would be used. “Making a funda- day to ease a crammed international calendar and mental change simply in order to provide calendar reduce player workload. FICA, which counts players space to fill with additional or meaningless cricket is from England, Australia and South Africa as members clearly not something we can support. Cricket’s global among others, fears the new gaps in the calendar structure desperately needs clarity, rather than further could well be filled with more cricket. confusion.” “From our discussions with players around the England have said they will support the idea after world, and our global survey data, it is clear that there 2023, Australia are to give serious consideration to the is currently a lot of negative sentiment, within the plan, while South Africa have advocated for four-day global collective of players, towards such a significant games to be played in the future. change to the game’s most traditional format,” FICA However, England director of cricket Ashley Giles said in a statement yesterday. said five-day tests were “precious” to him and the Four-day matches were given the green light by the players after England’s 189-run victory over South ICC in 2017 when South Africa hosted Zimbabwe, and Africa in Cape Town on Tuesday, a dramatic clash that England have since played one against Ireland. With went into the last hour of the fifth day. an increasing number of test matches ending prema- “If we played four-day cricket, I fear we would miss turely, the administrators are keen to free up more out on a lot matches like yesterday,” Giles told the space in the schedules for lucrative shorter-form BBC. “I know a lot of tests now don’t go to the fifth CAPE TOWN: File photo shows a man holding an England flag stands outside the Newlands stadium trying matches. day — but you know it is precious to me, and I know to get tickets to the cricket game that is sold out before the first day of the second Test cricket match Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar told Reuters it is to the players. between South Africa and England at the Newlands stadium in Cape Town. Cricketers are unwilling to he is firmly opposed to shortening test matches to “There’s a decision far from made yet, but it’s a endorse four-day Test plan. — AFP four days from five and warned against straying too responsibility as the guardians for the game in this far from the game’s roots in the quest to attract a country to look after everything that would take the (BCCI) has yet to offer an opinion, but India captain change, we remain supportive of five-day test cricket, younger audience. game forward, and also look after the workloads of Virat Kohli said he was totally against the plan. and would expect significant player resistance if a “Given the obvious cricketing implications, if the our players.” “Until such a time as we and the players are pro- shift to that is imposed on players by the ICC and/or ICC and/ or Boards do want to make a broader case The powerful Board of Control for Cricket in India vided with the full picture and compelling reasons for Boards,” FICA said. — Reuters over extra cover but his hopes of a six to end the Lewis hits 99 game in style fell just inches short. Off-spinner Simi SCOREBOARD Singh was the only Ireland bowler to complete his 10 overs, finishing with 2-44. Brief scores in the first one-day international Zimbabwe to as Windies ease Earlier, West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph between West Indies and Ireland at Kensington Oval: picked up four wickets as Ireland stumbled to 180 all to 5-wkt victory out in the 47th over. “For me, it’s a really good start to Ireland 180 all out in 46.1 overs (L. Tucker 31; A. host S Lanka the year,” said man-of-the-match Joseph. Joseph 4-32) “It’s about putting in the hard work in training and West Indies 184-5 in 33.2 overs (E. Lewis 99 not out) BRIDGETOWN: Opening batsman Evin Lewis fell doing the yards. “I kind of had an idea of how I want- Result: West Indies won by five wickets for two Tests agonisingly short of a century as his undefeated 99 ed to bowl today, and I just kept it simple and bowled Toss: Ireland. helped West Indies to cruise to a five-wicket win over to my plans.” Wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker was HARARE: Zimbabwe have announced a hastily Ireland in the first one-day international at Kensington Ireland’s top scorer with 31 as the tourists collapsed arranged tour by Sri Lanka for two Test matches to be Oval on Tuesday. The 28-year-old left-hander made following a solid start at Kensington Oval. Adair hit two fours and a six in a brisk 29 off 34 played in Harare this month as coach Lalchand Rajput his runs off 99 balls with 13 boundaries and two sixes. Joseph dismissed opening pair Paul Stirling (15) balls before he was stumped off the bowling of says they are ready for a “new beginning”. After dismissing Ireland for just 180, the West Indies and debutant Gareth Delaney (19) as well as the dan- Hayden Walsh, with Tucker soon departing as Joseph The first game at the Harare Sports Club will be reached their target with 100 balls to spare. For gerous Kevin O’Brien for just four as Ireland slumped struck again. The three-match ODI series continues at played from Jan 19-23 and the second from Jan 27-31, Lewis, it was his eighth ODI half-century but he made from 51-1 to 88-6. A seventh-wicket stand between the same venue today and concludes in Grenada on and represents a return to Test cricket for Zimbabwe a gallant attempt to go to what would have been a Tucker and Mark Adair worth 54 runs restored a January 12. That will be followed by three Twenty20 for the first time since their tour of Bangladesh in third century. glimmer of hope for a side playing their first ODI internationals in Grenada (January 15) and St Kitts November 2018. Zimbabwe are not part of the on- With the scores level, he launched Barry McCarthy since July. (January 18 and 19). — AFP going ICC Test Championship and so no points will be up for grabs in the series. “Sri Lanka are always a very competitive team who have been playing well and I am looking forward to the Test series,” Rajput said in a statement from Zimbabwe Cricket. Stokes had more “For us, it’s a new beginning, a new chapter, and it’s good that we are starting off with the long version than cricket which always brings the best out of players. “We know our home conditions better, our players are getting match-fit and enjoying some game time. So all we on his mind have to do is to get in the middle and perform. “We have not had much game time, so the players will be very keen and eager to seize this opportunity and do well.” CAPE TOWN: England all-rounder Ben Stokes dedi- Zimbabwe have confirmed that all-rounder Sean Williams cated his match-winning performance in the second will be their new test captain following the retirement of test at Newlands to father Ged as he now seeks to help Hamilton Masakadza, who has since moved into the role the tourists claim the series in South Africa. of director of cricket.Former Zimbabwe international Stokes scored a rapid 72 from 47 balls to give David Mutendera has been named as the new convener England the quick runs they needed for an early decla- of selectors, joining Gavin Ewing, Shepherd Makunura ration in their second innings on day four, time that and Prosper Utseya on the panel. — Reuters proved vital in the end as South Africa came within eight overs of saving the test. He also took six catches in the game, and wrapped up the South African tail with three quick wickets after a brilliant spell of fast bowling late on the fifth day. FA to review Cup Stokes’ Herculean performance comes as his father Ged receives treatment in a Johannesburg hospital hav- ing suffered a stroke ahead of the first test in Pretoria rights after that started on Boxing Day. “I always had my dad in the back of my mind,” ties shown on Stokes told reporters. “He came out here to watch me and unfortunately he’s not been able to, so there was a betting website lot more in my efforts this game, doing it for him.