MONDAY, MAY 11, 2020 13

Roland Garros could be behind closed doors, says French Keep the shine on: Pat Cummins tennis boss Pat Cummins pleads to be able to carry on shining and swinging the ball Reuters | Sydney will probably not resume while there are still major concerns ustralia fast bowler Pat about the transmission of the Cummins believes test I think if you can’t virus. cricket will be much the “Obviously, health is the ab- A shine the ball, that AFP | Paris poorer if using spit and sweat solute, the number one priority to help shine the ball is banned takes away swing but I’m kind of thinking that if without some form of replace- bowling, that takes we are in a position where we rench tennis chief Ber- ment in the wake of the COV- away reverse swing are worried about passing on Fnard Guidicelli admitted ID-19 pandemic. bowling and I just the coronavirus ... I don’t think yesterday that Roland Gar- Cricketers have long used sa- don’t want to give we would be playing in the first ros, already controversially liva and sweat to shine one side batsmen another place,” he added. pushed back four months of the ball, altering the aerody- reason to score runs Australian ball manufacturer due to the coronavirus, namics in an attempt to generate Kookaburra this week said it could be staged behind movement in the air as it flies PAT CUMMINS had developed a wax applicator closed doors. towards the batsman. that would enable cricketers to Guidicelli, who said that The Australian Institute of cricket is because it has so much shine balls without using sweat the French federation (FFT) Sport (AIS)’s protocols for the art to it. You have swing bowl- or saliva. had “no regrets” over its return of sport in the country, ers, spinners, you have all these Cummins believes some sort unilateral decision to move however, specifically rules out different aspects that make test of alternative is essential if the the clay court Grand Slam the practice because of the dan- cricket what it is. tried and tested methods of gen- from May 24-June 7 to Sep- ger of transmitting COVID-19. “I think if you can’t shine erating swing are outlawed. tember 20-October 4, in- Cummins, the world’s top- the ball, that takes away swing “I want them to come up with sisted all options remain on ranked test bowler, thinks that bowling, that takes away reverse another option. Whether it’s the table. such a radical change to the swing bowling and I just don’t saliva or any another substance, “We haven’t ruled out longest form of game would be want to give batsmen another we need to able to shine the ball any option. Roland Garros unacceptable. reason to score runs.” and make sure it keeps swing- is first and foremost a story “As a fast bowler, I think Cricket boards are desperate ing,” he said. of matches and players,” he you’ve got to be able to shine to get players back on the field Cummins became the most told the Journal du Diman- the ball,” he said in an interview after social exclusion restric- expensive overseas buy ever in che. on the website of his Indian Pre- tions are eased to get revenue the IPL when the Knight Riders “There is the tournament mier League team, the Kolkata flowing once more. paid a staggering 155 million taking place in the stadium, Knight Riders (kkr.in). Cummins, though, believes rupees ($2.18 million) for him and the tournament on TV “Why everyone loves test Australia’s Pat Cummins prepares to bowl during a Test match (file photo) that the game at the top level in last year’s auction. screens. “Millions of viewers around the world are wait- ing. Organising it behind closed doors would al- Sri Lanka cricket captain low part of the business KHK Heroes Challenge joins model -- television rights Karunaratne praises (which account for more than a third of the tour - Bahrain Red Crescent Society nament’s revenues) -- to Arthur, eyes top-four rank go ahead. This cannot be overlooked.” for Ramadan Assistance The spread of the corona- TDT | Manama virus has halted all tennis since mid-March and will not resume until July 13 at HK Heroes have joined with the earliest. KBahrain Red Crescent Soci- Wimbledon has already ety to help distribute supplies been cancelled for the during their Ramadan Assis- first time since the Second tance to those in need during World War. this Pandemic. Bahrain Red Crescent Soci- ety is a volunteer charity rec- ognized by the International Lyon slam ‘sudden’ Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and part of the Interna- decision to end tional Federation of Red Cross Ligue 1 season and Red Crescent Societies. AFP | Paris KHK Heroes joined Society in line with both humanitarian Sri Lanka’s captain Dimuth Karunaratne (R) and team’s head coach Mickey initiatives of Bahrain Red Cres- Arthur walk off the field before a match (file photo) yon hit out at the French cent and KHK Heroes Challenge Lfootball league (LFP) by distributing iftar meals, wa- KHK volunteers with the supplies Reuters | Colombo among us in his own and sub- yesterday for “suddenly” ter, nonperishable food parcels, Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, during the Coronavirus Pan- tle way. It sure helped and the ending the Ligue 1 cam- and masks. His Majesty the King’s Repre- demic. ri Lanka cricket captain results always speak for itself.” paign, saying the decision Initiated by HH Shaikh Khalid sentative for Charity Works and Public can take part in the SDimuth Karunaratne laud- Since Arthur’s appointment, could see the division slip bin Hamad Al Khalifa to sup- Youth Affairs, National Security challenge by making dona- ed the impact of new coach Sri Lanka lost a two-test series further behind Europe’s top port the vision of HRH Prince Advisor and President of the tions, volunteering time to Mickey Arthur yesterday and in Pakistan before defeating leagues and calling for it to Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Supreme Council for Youth and KHK Heroes or taking up the said his side must target a top- Zimbabwe at home. The are be reversed. the Crown Prince, Deputy Su- Sports, KHK Heroes has called challenge to post a video online four spot in the world rankings currently ranked fifth in the The LFP ended the sea- preme Commander, and First on the nation for a united cause, and nominate someone to pay it for both the test and 50-over format. son last month with 10 Deputy Premier and HH Shaikh helping those most vulnerable forward. formats. The team languish at eighth rounds of matches un- South African Mickey Ar- in one-day internationals but played due to the corona- thur was appointed as Sri Lan- managed to defeat a dangerous virus pandemic, crowning ka’s head coach on a two-year West Indies side 3-0 in their Paris Saint-Germain cham- contract in December. last series before the COVID-19 pions and relegating the Five coronavirus cases in Spain’s top two divisions Former first class cricketer shutdown. bottom two, Amiens and Reuters | Madrid tested again “in the next few said it was hoping to resume Arthur has previously been “Rankings is the key word. Toulouse. days” to determine whether matches without spectators head coach with the national I’d say Sri Lanka needs to be Lyon, who have reached ive players in Spain’s top they can return to their club’s in June, said detecting pos - teams of South Africa, Austral- in the top four of not just ODI this season’s Champions Ftwo divisions have tested training ground. itive cases was vital to its ia and Pakistan. cricket, but test cricket as League last 16, were left positive for COVID-19 since Many clubs including cham- programme for returning to “Mickey is a no nonsense well,” Karunaratne, 32, said. seventh in the standings clubs began testing players pions Barcelona have returned activity. cool bloke with loads of ex- “That would indirectly and outside the European and staff members last week, to individual training as part of “One of the objectives of perience to back him and his mean semi-finalists to say the qualification places. organising body La Liga said in the second stage of La Liga’s these tests was to detect asymp- brand,” Karunaratne told Sri least and you are perhaps two “Today, it is not only a statement. four-phase protocol for getting tomatic cases. That way, we Lanka Cricket. games away from the plum. about OL, but quite simply La Liga said the players back to activity after play was guarantee everyone’s safety as “At the international level, There onwards, it’s anybody’s about the future of French would remain at their homes halted in early March due to we return to work and comply planning and role clarity is a guess and if you do well on football,” the seven-time where they would continue in- the pandemic. with rules on workplace safety,” norm. What is very important your day you could end up be- champions said in a lengthy dividual training before being La Liga, who last week added the statement. is the belief he has instilled ing World Champs.” statement.

Hon. Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Editor-in-Chief Mahmood AI Mahmood | Chairman & Managing Director P Unnikrishnan Advertisement: Update Media W.L.L | Tel: 38444692, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 38444680, Email: [email protected] Subscription & circulation: Tel: 36458394 | Email:[email protected] | Website: www.newsofbahrain.com | Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing