GGOLFOLF | Page 5 CRICKET | Page 7 Mickelson CT victory splits with brings long-time windfall for caddie Pak players Thursday, June 22, 2017 FORMULA ONE Ramadan 27, 1438 AH Hamilton GULF TIMES determined to deliver in Baku SPORT Page 6 CRICKET Greats lament ‘sad day’ as Kohli topples Kumble AFP cials had tried to resolve the spat. but as a player, as an individual and as a New Delhi “Though the BCCI attempted to re- senior he is just brilliant,” said Sehwag, solve the misunderstandings between who played under Kumble’s Test cap- the captain and me, it was apparent taincy. atting great Sunil Gavaskar la- that the partnership was untenable and A three-man panel of Sachin Ten- mented a “sad day” after Anil therefore I believe it is best for me to dulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Lax- Kumble stepped down as India move on,” the former captain wrote. man, who picked Kumble in June last coach over a rift with captain India suff ered defeat to Pakistan in year, will deliberate over Kumble’s BVirat Kohli, leaving the hot seat vacant the Champions Trophy fi nal on Sun- replacement. As well as Sehwag and once again. day, but Kumble also helped them re- Moody, reports say other candidates Kumble said on Tuesday his posi- claim the number-one Test ranking are Englishman Richard Pybus, who tion was “untenable” after Kohli ques- and maintained an unblemished record has coached Pakistan and Bangladesh, tioned his leadership style and told in fi ve Test series. Former India captain former India manager Lalchand Rajput the Indian board he had reservations and coach Bishan Singh Bedi also sig- and ex-paceman Dodda Ganesh. about the spin legend extending his nalled his disappointment. The BCCI had urged Kumble to car- one-year stay. Since Duncan Fletcher Kumble, 46, had already appeared ry on as coach until the end of a West left in March 2015, India, currently the headed for the exit after the Board of Indies tour starting June 23, but the world’s top Test team, have struggled Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ad- former India captain did not travel for stability with Ravi Shastri and San- vertised for a new coach last month, al- with the team that left from England jay Bangar both taking on temporary though he was an automatic candidate. on Tuesday. “The Board of Control for roles before Kumble’s reign. Former India opener Virender Sehwag Cricket in India (BCCI) confi rms that “I have very little knowledge about and Australia’s Tom Moody are report- Mr Anil Kumble has withdrawn his the diff erences between Virat and Anil. ed to be among the possible replace- services as the post of the Head Coach But it is a really sad day for Indian crick- ments for Kumble, whose contract ran for the Senior India Men’s team,” said a et,” Gavaskar told NDTV. “India have out after the Champions Trophy. board statement. won everything since the time Anil took Sehwag, who seems to be the front- “While the Cricket Advisory Com- over. I can’t see Anil doing much wrong runner for the job, believes it would be mittee had endorsed an extension to his in one year. Diff erences (can) happen in tough for anyone to match Kumble’s tenure as Head Coach, Mr Anil Kum- any team but see the results,” he added. Anil Kumble said his position as India coach was ‘untenable’ after captain Virat Kohli questioned his leadership style and success as coach. “The way this Indian ble has decided not to continue as the In his resignation letter, Kumble said told the Indian board he had reservations about the spin legend extending his one-year stay. (AFP) team has performed under his coach- coach,” the statement added. his partnership with the captain was ing, I doubt whether anybody else will India will play fi ve one-day interna- “untenable”. “I was informed for the style and about my continuing as the surprised since I had always respected The BCCI had denied any rift in the be able to replicate his success,” Sehwag tionals in the Caribbean, starting to- fi rst time yesterday by the BCCI that head coach,” Kumble wrote in the letter, the role boundaries between the cap- Indian camp, but Kumble’s letter con- told UC News, an online data provider. morrow, with a Twenty20 international the captain had reservations with my which he tweeted on Tuesday. “I was tain and coach,” he added. fi rmed media reports that board offi - “I don’t know about his coaching style wrapping up the trip on July 9. FOOTBALL Ronaldo strike gives Portugal 1-0 win over hosts Russia Real Madrid star nets after just eight minutes to give the Euro 2016 winners their first victory at the Confederations Cup AFP Moscow Ronaldo ready ristiano Ronaldo brushed off to pay 14.7mn the tax storm clouding his Real Madrid future by scoring the euros in tax only goal of the game as Por- Ctugal beat hosts Russia 1-0 at the Con- fraud case federations Cup yesterday. The 32-year-old netted after just Madrid: Real Madrid striker Cristiano eight minutes to give the Euro 2016 Ronaldo is ready to pay Spain’s tax winners their fi rst victory in Group A as authorities 14.7mn euros ($16.39mn) they leapfrog Russia in the standings. — the amount he has been accused Group rivals Mexico and New Zealand of defrauding by a prosecutor — were playing late last night in Sochi. ahead of a court hearing next month, The Portuguese camp had insisted Spanish state TV said yesterday. ahead of this game that their skipper Broadcaster TVE said, without was focused solely on matters on the identifying its sources, the 32-year- fi eld in Russia despite the speculation old would make this payment as surrounding his future at Real. He has a gesture of good will. The report been accused by Spanish authorities of added Rolando will reiterate at a evading 14.7mn euros ($16.5mn) in tax hearing on July 31 that he is innocent and has been summoned to appear in and has never hidden any income court next month in Madrid. from the taxman or committed any The four-time Ballon d’Or winner tax fraud in Spain. — the world’s highest-paid athlete ac- Representatives for Ronaldo cording to Forbes magazine — has said declined to comment. The Spanish his “conscience is clear” in the matter prosecutor says the Real Madrid but has reportedly threatened to leave forward knowingly used a business Real. Despite the off -fi eld disruption, structure to hide his image rights Ronaldo picked up the man-of-the- income in Spain between 2011 match award in Portugal’s opening 2-2 and 2014. Ronaldo has denied the draw with Mexico on Sunday. charges. And he was all smiles escorting a young mascot in a wheelchair out onto refl ex save from four metres out to deny the pitch in Moscow before he netted Andre Silva’s bullet header. However, his fi rst goal of the tournament inside the hosts were unlucky not to force an eight minutes at the home of Spartak equaliser after a string of chances in a Moscow. Raphael Guerreiro’s towering strong second-half display. cross from the left fl ank hung in the air They started to shade the midfi eld and found Ronaldo, who rose at the far battle after the break as Alexander post to head back across Igor Akinfeev. Yerokhin was introduced in place of de- It was a miserable start for the Rus- fender Roman Shishkin. Russia upped sian skipper, who was making his 100th the pace and Fedor Smolov just failed international appearance. Ronaldo’s to connect with an Alexander Samedov goal was the highlight of the fi rst pe- cross as the hosts attacked in waves riod, although he forced Akinfeev into with the home crowd urging them on. a save from point-blank range with a Defender Georgy Dzhikia headed over shot midway through the half. the bar from the game’s fi nal corner in Portugal’s forward Cristiano Ronaldo (left) falls to the ground as Russia’s defender Fedor Kudryashov looks on during the Confederations Cup group A match at the Soon after the break, Akinfeev kept added time with Russia coach Stanislav Spartak Stadium in Moscow yesterday. (AFP) Russia in the game with a one-handed Cherchesov agonising on the sidelines. Gulf Times 2 Thursday, June 22, 2017 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT Infantino not under Investigation, says FIFA Heavyweights Germany, Zurich: Football’s world gov- erning body FIFA assured on Tuesday that “no investiga- tion” had been opened into president Gianni Infantino after sources said his role in the Confederation of African Chile clash at Confed Cup Football’s presidential elec- tions was being looked into. Maria Claudia Rojas, the In today’s other Group B game, Australia play Cameroon with both teams desperate for victory new president of the inves- tigatory chamber of FIFA’s AFP ethics committee, “has con- Sochi, Russia firmed that all files have been handed over to her and that there are no open preliminary ermany and Chile clash for or investigation proceedings control of Group B at the Con- involving the FIFA President”, federations Cup today with the organisation said in a Germany coach Joachim Loew statement. Gtalking up the south American champi- Sources said on Monday ons. “They have shown in the past few that Swiss prosecutor Cornel years that they belong to the elite of Borbely, who was chairman of world football,” said Loew ahead of the the ethics committee’s inves- encounter in Kazan, Russia.