SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2014 SPORTS Pietersen slams ‘selfish’ Cook : Kevin Pietersen has slammed England which prompted several ex-England stars to call for England’s chances. The controversial batsman was son, Pietersen believes his style fundamentally does captain Alastair Cook as “selfish” for playing down his him to step down as limited overs skipper. “I think it axed after that dismal Ashes campaign after falling not fit in with what is required in the shorter form of team’s chances of winning next year’s World Cup. is selfish that the captain is not talking positively out with several members of Cook’s team. “There is a the game. The 34-year-old, who also suggested Cook’s side beat India by 41 runs on Friday to sal- about winning the World Cup,” Pietersen wrote in his theory the England and Wales Cricket Board are English stars should spend time in the IPL to hone vage some pride after an emphatic defeat in the Daily Telegraph column yesterday. “In Alastair Cook’s reluctant to remove Cook as captain of the one-day their limited overs skills, has joined Graeme Swann one-day series, but former England batsman own words it is ‘far fetched’ to believe we can win team because it might destabilize the camp ahead of and Michael Vaughan in suggesting Cook should just Pietersen is still frustrated by what he sees as a nega- the tournament. I just do not buy that. It is also non- next year’s Ashes,” he added. “That is hard to swallow focus on the Tests. “This is not a witch-hunt against tive attitude in the national team hierarchy. sense to think we do not have time to make changes for those of us who endured back-to-back Ashes Cook. But he would gain a lot of respect if he admit- He believes Cook is keen to take a low-key that could transform England’s chances.” campaigns just so this winter could be dedicated to ted he is not the right man to open the batting and approach to the World Cup in Australia and New Pietersen revealed that the lack of positivity going one-day cricket in the lead-up to the World Cup.” captain the one-day team, and decided he was going Zealand to avoid heaping further pressure onto his into next year’s tournament is especially galling after Although Cook came through similar doubts about to concentrate all his efforts on winning back the own shoulders after his poor one-day displays, the Ashes schedule was amended to improve his suitability to lead the Test side earlier in the sea- Ashes,” Pietersen added. — AFP

BMW GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP A week of rest - and a 36-hole lead for Garcia

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE: Sergio Garcia’s holes, and then it got a little bit better.” It spot on Ryder Cup was so secure. was all didn’t affect his golf He holed out the but certain of getting to the Tour short wedge for eagle on the next hole. Championship. It was the perfect time for Garcia was at 8-under 132. him to take a week off and make sure he Barring a charge that would make had plenty of energy for a big September. even Arnold Palmer proud, Phil Mickelson He looked better than ever at the BMW is playing his last PGA Tour event of the Championship. Garcia holed a bunker season. He twice hit into the water - mak- shot for birdie, holed a short wedge for ing a triple bogey on the par-3 12th and a eagle and made a pair of big putts at the bogey on the 17th - and shot a 76. end for a 6-under 64. It gave him a one- Mickelson, who needs to finish about shot lead over Ryan Palmer going into fourth to qualify for the Tour the weekend at Cherry Hills, with Rory Championship, was 14 shots behind and McIlroy not far behind. in a tie for 63rd in the 68-man field. Jason “I know myself after 15 years of run- Day withdrew on the ninth hole with a ning around,” Garcia said. “I would love to back injury and said he would try to be play all four tournaments on the FedEx ready for the Tour Championship. Cup, but I knew that it wasn’t going to be Garcia had one of several great finish- good for me to start with - I was going to es - birdie-par-birdie, though it felt like he picked up shots on every shot. First, he made a 20-foot birdie on the 16th. He went for the green in two on the 17th and came up well short. With the tough 18th ahead of him, it looked as though he would lose his lead and perhaps even more ground. But he hit wedge to tap-in range for his par, and then made one of only six birdies on the closing hole at Cherry Hills. “It’s only Friday, so we still have two days to go,” he said. “But it defi- nitely helped my frame of mind going into the 18th tee, which today was play- NAPIER: Argentina’s scrumhalf Martin Landajo (left) has a kick charged down by New Zealand All Blacks lock during their rugby ing quite hard. So it was nice to be able to union match at McLean Park yesterday. — AFP get that up-and-down and then play 18 really well.” Palmer has been showing up on leaderboards over the last month - Savea brace for All Blacks share of the first-round lead at the PGA Championship and an opening 63 last week in Boston. He thought the greens might be softer because of the rain, and in tight win over Pumas he was right. Palmer saw a few approach shots on No 1 and told his caddie the NAPIER: Winger Julian Savea scored two tries as clever tactical kicking that Savea pounced upon for a try, only for Gauzere to call him back, to the course would be there for the taking. He New Zealand again struggled to put Argentina to score the first try. surprise of many in the near sell-out crowd of waited until the end to grab it with four away before they eventually ground out a 28-9 Sanchez reduced the scoreline to 8-6 with his 21,329. The All Blacks then shut the game down birdies in his last five holes. “It was a great win in their tightly contested Rugby second penalty before the All Blacks gave them- in the final 20 minutes when Slade kicked a way to finish,” he said. “I was glad I was Championship clash at McLean Park in Napier selves a massive confidence boost after the half- penalty and number eight broke COLORADO: Sergio Garcia of Spain lines one of the ones that shot low.” McIlroy yesterday. and Aaron Smith also time hooter when they secured a tighthead from from an attacking scrum to feed scrumhalf Smith up a putt on the 15th hole during the also made a late surge after starting with scored tries for the All Blacks to secure a vital the Pumas’ scrum. Barrett broke the line and for the bonus point try under the posts with less second round of the BMW Championship one birdie, one bogey and 12 pars. He four-try bonus point, though the home side had beat the cover defenders and fed to Messam to than 10 minutes remaining. at the Cherry Hills Country Club on began to turn it around with a 30-foot a poor game with the boot. , extend the advantage to 13-6, a critical lead that “Once you get four tries in conditions like this September 5, 2014 in Cherry Hills birdie putt on the 15th, a 35-foot birdie making his first start at flyhalf, kicked a penalty gave them momentum heading into the second you’re going to be happy,” All Blacks’ captain Village. — AFP putt on the 16th and a long two-putt but missed four other kicks, before he was half. Barrett then created Savea’s second try Richie McCaw said. “It was always going to be get tired of it. It wasn’t going to be good birdie at the 17th. replaced by , who kicked a penalty shortly after the break when he took the ball to scrappy and there were patches there where we coming into the Ryder Cup. So if the He shot the same score and felt entire- and a conversion, though he also missed a the defensive line and popped a no-look pass to didn’t look after the ball but they stuck at it. “We Ryder Cup wasn’t there I would have ly different - finishing with two late penalty. his ’ team mate to storm had an Argentina side who certainly came to probably made an effort, but I didn’t feel bogeys one day, three late birdies the Flyhalf Nicolas Sanchez slotted three penal- onto the ball and cross. play and they put real pressure on us at the con- like that was the right thing for me to do.” next. “I feel much better coming off the ties for the Pumas, who were also unlucky to The match then descended into another arm tact area, but we expected that. “There was a So he went to the Hamptons, played golf, golf course because I birdied three of the have a try to Leonardo Senatore inexplicably wrestle before the decision that effectively killed wee patch in the second half where we didn’t went to the beach and had a good time.” last four holes,” McIlroy said. “I sort of ruled out by referee Pascal Gauzere, who said off the Puma’s chances. While trailling just 18-9 get much luck at scrum time but I’m proud of Two days at Cherry Hills haven’t been struggled to get anything going today. It the number eight’s charge down of a clearing they were putting pressure on the All Blacks the ways the guys came back and won a couple all that bad, either. The only nuisance was a little cooler, so the ball wasn’t kick was a knock on. “There are things that hap- deep in their own half, Senatore then charged of big scrums that resulted in tries and that was pen on the game, unfortunately the referee did- down Ma’a Nonu’s clearing kick and raced away satisfying.” — Reuters happened on the sixth green, and it had going quite as far, a little bit of wind ... n’t see it, but that’s all,” Argentina captain nothing to do with his golf. Garcia heard even though the course was softer, it still Agustin Creevy told reporters, before adding it what he described as a series of beeps in played pretty tough.” Hideki Matsuyama could have changed their momentum. “But we his ear, and then a pop. “It’s happened of Japan had a 67 and was among those had an excellent first half then we made some before, but usually I kind of blow it and it four shots behind in a tie for fifth. easy mistakes with the tries they scored off the gets back,” he said. “But for some reason it Matsuyama is at No 30 in the FedEx Cup. first phase. “We didn’t take advantage of the situ- just didn’t feel quite the same. And it still The top 30 after this week advance to the ation when we did score. That would’ve been doesn’t, but it’s definitely better. It was Tour Championship for a shot at the $10 the difference and we could have been closer on uncomfortable probably for five or six million bonus. — AP the scoreboard.”

Tight struggle RUGBYU The All Blacks have struggled to put Argentina away in recent games in New Zealand Wallabies floor Springboks and the pattern continued on Saturday as the heavy rain that had threatened to influence the PERTH: Wing Rob Horne scored a powerful attacks on the line. game duly arrived in the late afternoon and thrilling try in the dying minutes as It looked like the Wallabies would have dropped balls and a tough forward battle were Australia overhauled front-runners South to settle for just three points, from a Foley the predominant features of the match. “Very Africa 24-23 for their first win of this year’s penalty, for their efforts during their peri- happy with the final result,” All Blacks’ coach Rugby Championship yesterday. Horne od of advantage. But the inclusion of said. “We have played these guys stepped off the wing and inside the last Kurtley Beale in the 73rd minute lifted the three years in a row in not great conditions and defender as he finished off a backline Wallabies. “The coaches have been big on this is the first time we have got a bonus point move with two minutes left, before reserves coming on and making an so fairly happy to have picked that up.” Barrett and Sanchez traded penalties midway through Bernard Foley landed the crucial conver- impact, and they did,” Hooper said. “We the first half before the All Blacks managed to NAPIER: Argentina’s lock Mariano Galarza (top) takes the line-out ball against the New Zealand sion to seal victory by a point. Australia thought it was in our control-too many break down the Pumas’ defensive line with profited from the controversial late sin- penalties in the first half and they pun- All Blacks during their match at McLean Park in Napier yesterday. — AFP binning of South Africa’s in ished us. his 100th Test as they climbed off the bot- Morney (fly-half Morne Steyn) can con- tom of the southern hemisphere tourna- vert them from everywhere.” The ment’s table. The decisive try came just Wallabies needing a good start after their Dhoni wants India attack seconds before Habana was due back on demoralizing loss to the All Blacks at the field following his yellow card for a in two weeks ago. high tackle on Adam Ashley-Cooper, And they got it when Foley and Matt ready for World Cup slog which replays showed was unlucky. The Toomua linked up to open up the South result was a surprise after the unbeaten African defense for Israel Folau to spear LEEDS: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said were not in position to chase the runs, so those big. “So we cannot use spinners too much after Springboks won 38-12 on their last away through for his 15th Test try. But the his side’s pacemen would need to hone their dismissals really cost us the game.” The likes of the 40th over. “To some extent it will put extra game against Australia, who were com- Springboks stuck to their game plan of skills bowling in the ‘slog-overs’ if the world pacemen Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed pressure on the fast bowlers to stand up and take ing off a 51-20 hiding in Auckland. kicking the ball whenever they could and champions were to defend their title in Australia Shami were able to take early wickets and then more responsibility. However, in eight games between the caused the Wallabies plenty of headaches and New Zealand early next year. Dhoni’s men let the spinners take over for much of the series. “It’s really important for them to use the com- two sides at the Perth venue, it was the that resulted in penalties. The six convert- suffered a 41-run defeat by England in the fifth It was a tactic that worked well until Friday, when ing games well but at the same time, the next eighth settled by less than seven points. ed penalty goals by Steyn were almost and final one-day international at Headingley on England belatedly made use of the batting pow- five (ODIs at home) against the West Indies, we “You’ve got to be happy to see your wing enough for a third straight win for the vis- Friday but still took the series 3-1 after a trio of erplay by scoring 55 runs for no wickets in the will get a fair amount of dew so they might find it finish the game by scoring in the corner- itors after they opened their campaign crushing wins. India repeatedly exploited designated five overs. tough to execute their yorkers or may not find lovely,” said Australia captain Michael with two victories against Argentina. “I England’s longstanding weakness against spin However, pitches and overhead conditions their reverse swing-it won’t be exactly what we Hooper, who also praised Foley’s ice-cool thought we played pretty well in stages, bowling and might well have done so again on are likely to be very different ‘Down Under’ when may face later in Australia and New Zealand.” But conversion. “It’s his show, it’s his moment, but they played well right to the end and Friday but for Joe Root’s 113 on his Yorkshire the World Cup starts in February, although India having seen Shami take two for 52 in 10 overs at he loves it. He had an outstanding game scored the try,” said South Africa captain home ground. will first have the benefit of a tri-series in Headingley, Dhoni indicated he had the disci- For once India’s batsmen proved unequal to Australia also featuring England. “I think slog pline he was seeking from his pacemen. “His exe- at 10, controlled the boys well and gets Jean De Villiers. “It was a bit tough to the chase, despite a fine fifty from Ambati bowling is something which I would like to cution was great, which I feel is lacking in some the icing on the cake at the end.” The defend with 14 players and a few mis- Rayudu and a dashing 87 from Ravindra Jadedja. improve as a team because the conditions in of our other fast bowlers. “But definitely he Springboks defense led 23-14 when takes cost us. “I thought we did well in the “Three hundred was par score today, and we Australia and New Zealand will be very different,” bowled really well with his yorkers. “Whenever I Habana was penalized and they defied first-half to play the conditions well, but gave away quite a few soft wickets in the middle Dhoni said. “In New Zealand, there are not many needed him or asked him he really bowled well,” Australia for most of the period that they we made a few bad errors in the second order,” Dhoni said. “We lost too many wickets and games (for India) but the grounds are not very Dhoni added. — AFP played a man short, holding off three half.” — AFP