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Home , David Willey (cricketer), Farhaan Behardien, Jonny Bairstow, Lalchand Rajput, Mason Crane

Sports FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2017 44

SL’s Malinga in hot water over ‘monkey’ comment

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga key know about a parrot’s nesting hollow? This is like in a national squad if they are above 16 percent.” faced an investigation yesterday after he compared a a monkey getting into a parrot’s nest and talking Malinga, 33, was a surprise choice for the Sri Lanka government minister to a monkey following criticism about it.” squad as he has played little international in that the country’s cricketers were too fat. Sports min- Jayasekera said some Sri Lankan players had pot the previous 18 months because of injury. ister Dayasiri Jayasekera said he ordered an inquiry bellies that stopped them moving and that often Just prior to the Champions Trophy, however, after Malinga lambasted him for questioning the they could not hold catches. Pakistan skipper Sarfraz Malinga won the cash-rich endurance of Sri Lankan players following their fail- Ahmed was twice dropped in his side’s Champions (IPL) title with the Indians. Malinga was the ure to reach the Champions Trophy semi-finals. Trophy win over Sri Lanka. Both catches were off the only player excused from Sri Lanka’s high altitude “He is now under investigation for making state- of Malinga, who ended up with just one training camp before the Champions Trophy, ments to the media in breach of his contract with Sri for 52 runs. Jayasekera said he ordered a fit- because of the IPL campaign. “They improve their fit- Lanka Cricket (board),” Jayasekera told AFP. “In my ness test on the team after their return from England ness level just to bowl four overs at the IPL,” criticism of the appalling fitness levels of our players, last week and found that most of them carry too Jayasekera said, referring to Malinga. “These guys are I did not name Malinga, but he has chosen to put the much fat. not interested in playing for the country, they play hat on and attack me publicly.” Malinga told a televi- “The typical body fat amounts for a cricketer for the IPL because of the money they get.” sion network the minister knew nothing about crick- should be about 16 percent, but most of our players Jayasekera said he was also making fitness a key et. “I don’t care about criticism from those who are have over 25 percent,” Jayasekera said. “I want the requirement for other sports before an athlete can simply warming chairs,” he said. “What does a mon- results analysed and in future no one will be included participate in overseas tournaments. — AFP

Afghanistan, Ireland face their Test D-Day

LONDON: Afghanistan and Ireland are poised to become the 11th and 12th members of Test match cricket’s close- knit club yesterday when the sport’s governing body meets in London. It’s been almost two decades since Bangladesh were the last country to be granted Test sta- tus but International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive David Richardson believes both Afghanistan and Ireland have impressive credentials. “It’s never wise to try and make a call too early, but cer- tainly the applications of both are very well founded,” said Richardson. “They both, on the face of it, meet the majori- ty, if not all, of the full member criteria that has been set. “I’m optimistic that they’ll be given serious consideration to have every chance of succeeding.” No longer rank min- nows, Asghar Stanikzai’s Afghanistan are up for considera- tion following their victories over Ireland in the Intercontinental Cup in March. Unlike the sport’s other major players, Afghanistan was never a colony of the British Empire. Instead many Afghans’ first contact with the sport took place during the 1980s and 1990s, as refugees fled to Pakistan to escape the Soviet invasion. Cricket struggled under the SOUTHAMPTON: England’s bats during the cricket match between England and South Africa at hardline Islamist Taliban, who viewed sports as a distrac- the Ageas Bowl. — AP tion from religious duties-and famously shaved the heads of a visiting Pakistani football team as punishment for wearing shorts. Bairstow seals England But it has become hugely popular in the country since the regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001. Recent successes, particularly in last year’s ICC World rout of South Africa , have further raised the country’s profile. Spinners , who idolises former Pakistan inter- national , and both made SOUTHAMPTON: Jonny Bairstow made competitive score on what is usually a er Bairstow, whose fifty took just 29 their mark in the Indian Premier League. Khan was the a dashing 60 as England good pitch. Spinners Liam balls. England paid sixth-highest wicket-taker in his debut IPL with 17 scalps, thrashed South Africa by nine in Dawson (four overs for 17 runs) and tribute to Dawson and Crane by saying: and the pair broke into the top 10 of the ICC one-day the first at debutant Mason Crane (four overs for “Our spinners were impressive and international bowling rankings during the just-concluded Southampton on Wednesday. England, 24) both bowled tidily on their never let AB and Farhaan get away from tour of the West Indies. set just 143 to win, reached their target Hampshire home ground. us. “They managed to tie down one of Their former batting coach and former Pakistan skipper for the loss of only one wicket with 33 the best players of our generation (de said a place among the Test nations was well balls left. Opener was 47 not ‘Lost our way’ Villiers) and a very good international deserved and would benefit them in the future. out, his unbroken second-wicket stand “The result doesn’t look good for us,” cricketer (Behardien).” England new-ball “Afghanistan deserves Test status because their perform- with Bairstow worth 98 runs. But the de Villiers told . “We lost our duo and Wood both struck ances are good. Once they get to play Tests, more and foundations for a victory which put way at the start, had to rebuild and we with their opening deliveries. Left-arm more players will come forward just like happened in Sri England 1-0 up in this three-match were 20-30 runs short in the end,” the paceman’s Willey’s had Jon-Jon Smuts Lanka and Bangladesh-Kenya suffered because they were series were laid by their bowlers. star batsman added after a match where out for a golden when he pushed not awarded,” he told AFP. “I think it will be the ICC’s best They restricted South Africa to 142 South Africa failed to get the boost they forward tentatively and played on. decision of the century.” for three after Proteas skipper AB de were looking for after their first-round Wood then followed suit when Reeza Last year, Afghanistan’s national team shifted its base Villiers won the toss. De Villiers made 65 exit at the Champions Trophy one-day Hendricks pulled his first ball to a leap- from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Noida, Delhi, not out and Farhaan Behardien an international tournament. ing Willey at mid-wicket. Left-hander while India’s former batsman Lalchand Rajput replaced unbeaten 64 in an innings where fast Bairstow’s innings followed his 43, David Miller fell for nine when caught Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul-Haq as their national team coach. bowler took two for 36. The made after replacing , in behind off Wood. De Villiers, stepping There are nevertheless questions about how well fourth-wicket pair’s unbroken partner- England’s eight-wicket Champions well outside off stump, slog-swept Afghanistan and Ireland will do in the game’s longest for- ship was worth 110 runs after they came Trophy semi-final loss to eventual tour- Willey to complete a 49-ball fifty. mat. Bangladesh famously floundered for their first together with South Africa 32 for three- nament winners Pakistan in Cardiff last Behardien pulled Wood for four for his decade while New Zealand took 26 years to win their first which represented a recovery after they week. “I’m trying to progress all the time fifty and next ball hit him straight back Test. Ireland, meanwhile, have beaten the West Indies, had slumped to seven for two. But and I played a few shots I didn’t have a over his head for six but it was too little England and Pakistan in their time. —AFP South Africa’s total still looked short of a few months ago,” said Test wicket-keep- too late. — AFP