14 Wednesday, November 11, 2020 Sports Formula One unveils biggest-ever 23-race calendar for 2021 Vietnamese Grand Prix dropped

AFP gapore which will again host a Paris race next year. Vietnam inked a 10-year Formula One unveiled a 23- deal with Formula One in 2018 race calendar for 2021 on Tues- with state media saying hosting day, its biggest ever, but the Vi- the race would cost the country etnamese Grand Prix has been $60 million per year. dropped. The fee has been picked up The season will start in Aus- in full by the country’s largest tralia on March 21 and will in- private conglomerate, VinG- clude the first ever race in Saudi roup, which had been hoping to Arabia on November 28 before dazzle with a night race. the season ends a week later in But its 2020 race was can- Abu Dhabi. celled due to concerns that Vietnam was to hold a street teams and fans coming from race on April 25 but doubts overseas could spark a new about the event arose after outbreak of COVID-19 and the Nguyen Duc Chung, who was corruption scandal surrounding Hanoi’s mayor and a major sup- Nguyen Duc Chung now threat- porter of the event, was arrested ens the future of the event. on corruption charges in Au- “Without Chung, the future gust. In the calendar unveiled of the race is gloomy. It might on Tuesday, the race slot was not happen,” a source close to left vacant. the race told AFP on condition F1’s 2020 season was heav- of anonymity. ily disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic but is eventually Formula One 2021 being run over 17 races, with reigning champion Lewis Ham- race calendar ilton on course to win the title March 21: Australia (Melbourne) The team celebrates with the winners trophy at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday. (BCCI) for the seventh time. March 28: Bahrain (Sakhir) Spectators have been barred April 11: China (Shanghai) from most races this year but April 25: To be confirmed organisers said they expect fans May 9: Spain (Barcelona)* to return next year. May 23: Monaco “The plans for 2021 have June 6: Azerbaijan (Baku) ‘Sheer brilliance’ takes involved extensive dialogue June 13: Canada (Montreal) with all promoters and their lo- June 27: France (Le Castellet) cal and national authorities at a July 4: Austria (Spielberg) time of ongoing fluidity related July 18: Britain (Silverstone) to the global pandemic,” F1 said August 1: Hungary (Budapest) in a statement. August 29: Belgium (Spa-Fran- Mumbai to fifth IPL title “As we have said before, corchamps) we expect fans to return for the September 5: Netherlands 2021 season and for the calen- (Zandvoort) AFP now been for seven dar to look similar to the origi- September 12: Italy (Monza) Dubai years, missed a few games nally planned 2020 season.” September 26: Russia (Sochi) with a hamstring injury but Saudi Arabia said last week October 3: Singapore Mumbai Indians captain the final was his 200th IPL it was holding a race for the first October 10: Japan (Suzuka) has a simple appearance and the win- time. October 24: United States formula for the team’s domi- ning formula is unlikely to The Netherlands, home to (Austin) nation of the Indian Premier change. the popular Red Bull driver Max October 31: Mexico (Mexico League: “Sheer brilliance”. The team has always been Verstappen, gets a race a year City) It is difficult to argue with full of legends with Sachin earlier than originally planned November 14: Brazil (Sao his claim after the Indians Tendulkar their founder cap- with a September 5 slot in the Paulo)* crushed Delhi Capitals by five tain but it was under Sharma coastal town of Zandvoort. It November 28: Saudi Arabia in Dubai on Tuesday that Mumbai found their will be the first Dutch grand (Jeddah) to take their fifth title and ce- winning touch. prix since 1985. December 5: Abu Dhabi ment their place as the IPL’s Bumrah and Boult, who Vietnam signed up for For- most successful side. moved from Delhi Capitals mula One hoping the glamour * = subject to contract Some doubted Mumbai this year, shared 52 wickets of the sport could reflect the (The Vietnamese Grand Prix as they went into the tour- over the season and finished country’s economic lift-off and has been dropped, meaning the nament, moved to empty second and third in the bowl- reshape Hanoi’s staid image, date of April 25 has been left stadiums in the United Arab ers’ rankings behind Delhi’s much as it has done for Sin- vacant for now). Emirates because of the cor- with 30 scalps. onavirus pandemic. Up and coming play- Mumbai had never won ers are brought in and sup- back-to-back titles and never ported. , their triumphed in an even year. 22-year-old batsman, played “Superstitions,” said coach a key part in the final and . The Mumbai Indians team with team owner Nita Ambani at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on ended the season with 516 And between the hard- Tuesday. (BCCI) runs including four fifties. hitting runs of Sharma and South African - fellow opener Quinton de asked any more from the West Indies player Kieron Boult set up victory in keeper-batsman de Kock also Kock and the devastating guys,” said Sharma. Pollard, who led the side the final with three wickets played a key part in Mum- fast of - Mumbai steamroller when Sharma was injured. including one strike off the bai’s two successive titles and , Mum- -Bankrolled by Nita Ambani “No one sees the plan- first ball of the match and a with 503 runs this year alone bai swept aside everything in -- wife of Asia’s richest man ning and training, it’s pres- quick follow-up in his second and some brave catches and their path in 2020. Mukesh Ambani -- Mumbai sure playing for a franchise over. takes behind the stumps. “It’s not rocket science, pick and choose their players like this.” Sharma hit 68 in his “I think the guys really A file photo taken on March 10, 2020 shows a general aerial view of the we have worked really hard carefully and make sure they “The amount of trophies, team’s comfortable run did hard work to make sure Formula One Vietnam Grand Prix race track site in Hanoi. Vietnam’s first for this balance, these play- are cosseted once accepted the amount of talent that’s chase of 157, reached with we can hold on to the title Formula One Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2021 calendar. (AFP) ers,” according to Sharma. into the fold. there, you can say Mumbai eight balls to spare. two years in a row,” said the “It was just sheer bril- The main tactic has been Indians is the best T20 team Mumbai’s back-to-back South African. liance from each individual, to steamroller opponents going around.” titles have left their near- putting their hand up at dif- from the start, with the bat Mumbai, who won the fi- est rivals, Mahanedra Sin- Scores: ferent stages. The balance or ball. “Big-hitting has been nals in 2013, 2015, 2017 and gh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Mumbai Indians 157 for 5 Babar replaces Azhar as and the strength of this team in Mumbai Indians’ DNA for 2019, stormed into this sea- Kings, floundering. Three- (Rohit 68, Kishan 33*, Nortje lies in individual belief.” a long time,” said coach Ma- son’s final by finishing top of time winners Chennai failed 2-25) beat Delhi Capitals 156 “We said at the start we hela Jayawardene. the league stage. They beat to qualify for the playoffs for for 7 (Iyer 65*, Pant 56, Boult Pakistan Test skipper want to make winning a “I’ve been here 11 years, Delhi four times over the the first time. 3-30, Coulter-Nile 2-29) by five habit, and you couldn’t have fifth trophy,” said veteran season. Sharma, 33, who has wickets. AFP Pakistan will play three Karachi internationals and two Tests against the Black The Pakistan Cricket Board Caps, a squad for which is ex- (PCB) announced on Tuesday pected to be announced on Babar Azam will replace the Wednesday. Cricket sets new under-pressure Azhar Ali as Azam, who led Pakistan to Test captain in the two-match a 3-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe series in New Zealand starting in the boundaries in next month. series on Tuesday, said he was Azhar was criticised follow- ready to take charge. ing Pakistan’s three-wicket de- “I feel truly honoured to Uzbekistan feat in England in August this have been appointed Test cap- year, losing the three-match tain,” Azam said in the PCB’s Agencies Tashkent T20 competition. series 1-0. statement. “I am ready and Tashkent (Uzbekistan) The Cricket Federation of The PCB said Azam will prepared to take up the addi- Uzbekistan was established now be the three-format skip- tional responsibility.” History was created last in November 2019. Over the per after assuming the Twen- Azhar led Pakistan in nine week when the first cricket past few months, two coaches ty20 role last year and one-day Tests, winning two, losing four match was played in Uzbeki- have received training at the captaincy in May this year. and drawing the other three. stan, the Olympic Council of Indian Cricket Academy and “Azam has been appoint- Pakistan’s three Twenty20 Asia reports. have now started training ed as Pakistan Test captain, internationals in New Zealand Watched by top officials youngsters in Uzbekistan. which now makes him the cap- are scheduled for Auckland on from the Uzbekistan Na- Along with NOC officials, tain across all three formats. December 18, Hamilton two tional Olympic Committee, the game was also witnessed His first assignment will be to days later and a third at Napier the Twenty20 match was by senior representatives captain Pakistan on New Zea- on December 22. played in Tashkent between from the Ministry of Physi- land tour,” said a PCB release. The first Test is at Mount two of the first teams to have cal Culture and Sports and Azam becomes the third Maunganui from Decem- been established in the coun- the Cricket Federation of Pakistan Test captain in 13 ber 26-30 and the second at try – Barlos and Afrosiyob, Uzbekistan. Barlos emerged months after Sarfaraz Ahmed Christchurch from January who met each other in ANFA winners. Players of Barlos team celebrate with the trophy after winning the ANFA Tashkent T20 competition. was sacked in October last year. 3-7.