CRICKET | Page 2 NNBABA | Page 5 Ailing India Celtics push skipper Virat James, Cavs to Kohli to miss the brink with county stint game 5 win Friday, May 25, 2018 TENNIS Ramadan 9, 1439 AH Resurgent Djokovic GULF TIMES ready for fresh start, says Wilander SPORT Page 3 Xavi agrees two-year extension ‘I am happy to keep on being a part of the Al AFP and spoke about not being able to cope with Doha the physical demands of professional foot- ball as he got older. Sadd family...’ But with Al Sadd still in the AFC Cham- avi Hernandez could play on un- pions League the player is still feeling good til the age of 40 after it was an- physically, announcing earlier this month nounced yesterday he has signed a that he would continue playing until the two-year extension to his contract end of this year at least. Xwith Qatari club Al Sadd. He has now changed his mind again. The legendary former Barcelona and Although criticised by some for choosing Spain midfi elder will stay with the Doha- to see out his playing career in Qatar, the based club until the end of the 2020 sea- controversial host of the 2022 World Cup, son, according to a statement released by Al Xavi has embraced life in the Gulf and his Sadd on social media. daughter was born in Doha in 2016. “I am happy to keep on being a part of Since being in the emirate he has been the Al Sadd family for two more years,” said named as a global ambassador for the Qa- Xavi. tar World Cup, helped in the offi cial launch “I am delighted to be at the club and with of Lusail stadium, the venue for the 2022 its fans. World Cup fi nal, and has been strongly “Everyone here is one big family and I am tipped to be the team’s coach by the time satisfi ed and thrilled to continue.” the tournament comes around. Announcing the new deal on Twitter, Al Xavi was a World Cup winner with Spain Sadd said: “The maestro stays!” in 2010 and was handed 133 caps by the na- Xavi joined Al Sadd in 2015, originally tional side. on a two-year contract, after making more He was also in a Barcelona side which than 700 appearances for the Catalan gi- took eight La Liga titles, four Champions ants. League titles, and he became synonymous He extended the original contract by 12 with the club’s tiki-taka style of play. months but the 38-year-old was widely Since playing in Qatar he has won three expected to retire at the end of the Qatari more trophies but none in the season just domestic season, which fi nished earlier this completed. The announcement comes on month, to concentrate on earning coaching the same day as his former Barcelona team- badges. Xavi himself had even signalled mate Andres Iniesta offi cially announced that the season just ended would be his last he was moving to play in Japan’s J-League. FIRST TEST Pakistan expose England’s top-order again AFP pionship last season, as the left-arm SCORECARD London quick produced a brilliant delivery that cut away late off the pitch to clip the top England 1st Innings Pakistan 1st Innings of the off stump. A. Cook b Mohamed Amir .........................70 Azhar Ali not out ............................................... 18 akistan pacemen Mohamed England, who had been 165 for fi ve at M. Stoneman b Mohamed Abbas ..............4 Imam-ul-Haq lbw b Broad ..............................4 J. Root c Sarfraz Ahmed b Hasan Ali .......4 Haris Sohail not out .........................................21 Abbas and Hasan Ali took four tea, lost their last fi ve wickets for a mea- D. Malan c Sarfraz Ahmed b Hasan Ali ... 6 Extras (lb7) ........................................................... 7 wickets apiece as England suf- gre 16 runs in 27 balls. J. Bairstow b Faheem Ashraf .................... 27 Total (1 wicket, 23 overs, 108 mins) ....... 50 Pfered yet another top-order Joe Root, the England captain, opted B. Stokes lbw b Mohamed Abbas ...........38 To bat: Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz collapse at Lord’s yesterday to bat fi rst in the opening match of this J. Buttler c Asad Shafiq b Hasan Ali .......14 Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mo- Hopes that a return home and a re- two-Test series despite the fact that D. Bess c Asad Shafiq b Mohamed Abbas hamed Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohamed Abbas jigged top-order picked by new national both sides had concerns over the reli- .......................................................................................5 Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Imam) selector Ed Smith would help rid Eng- ability of their respective top orders. M. Wood c Mohamed Amir b Hasan Ali .7 Bowling: Anderson 5-2-11-0; Broad 7-4-10-1; S. Broad lbw b Mohamed Abbas .............. 0 Wood 6-3-9-0; Stokes 4-2-9-0; Bess 1-0-4-0 land of the batting slumps that plagued The overcast skies above Lord’s al- J. Anderson not out ..........................................0 Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Haris them during a run of seven straight lied to a green-tinged pitch promised Extras (b1, lb6, nb1, w1) ..................................9 Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Tests without a victory in Australia and Pakistan’s Mohamed Abbas to assist Pakistan’s pacemen but several Total (all out, 58.2 overs, 280 mins) ..184 Ahmed (capt/wkt), Faheem Ashraf, Shadab New Zealand quickly proved illusory as (R) celebrates the wicket of England batsmen were the architects of Fall of wickets: 1-12 (Stoneman), 2-33 Khan, Mohamed Amir, Hasan Ali, Mohamed they were dismissed for just 184. England’s Stuart Broad for a their own downfall. (Root), 3-43 (Malan), 4-100 (Bairstow), 5-149 Abbas Abbas, in his fi rst match at ‘the home duck at Lord’s yesterday. Pakistan were soon in the wickets (Cook), 6-168 (Stokes), 7-168 (Buttler), 8-180 Toss: England of cricket’, fi nished with excellent fi g- with Cook looking on as the other three (Bess), 9-180 (Broad), 10-184 (Wood) Umpires: Rod Tucker (AUS), Paul Reiff el Bowling: Amir 14-3-41-1; Abbas 14-7-23-4; (AUS) ures of four for 23 in 14 overs. members of England’s top four all fell in Hasan 15.2-2-51-4 (1nb, 1w); Ashraf 9-2-28-1; TV umpire: Bruce Oxenford (AUS) Meanwhile the recalled Hasan, who single fi gures. Shadab 6-0-34-0 Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL) did not play in Pakistan’s win over Test Azhar Ali was 18 not out and Haris cessive appearances at this level, was Abbas made the breakthrough when debutants Ireland in Dublin concluded Sohail, missed in the slips when Ben the only England batsman to play an he bowled Mark Stoneman (four) with a last week, took four for 51 in 15.2 overs. Stokes dived across Dawid Malan, un- innings of substance, the left-handed late swinging delivery. tain Sarfraz Ahmed. Dawid Malan call’ lbw review verdict on 23 and went Pakistan then consolidated the good beaten on 21. opener making 70. Root, promoted up the order to (six) also fell to the combination of to fi fty with a four to third man off Amir. work of their bowlers by reaching Alastair Cook in his 153rd consecu- But shortly before tea Cook was number three, also fell for four when Hasan and wicket-keeper Sarfraz. But Jonny Bairstow, promoted up the stumps having lost just Imam-ul-Haq tive Test, which equalled Australia great bowled by Mohamed Amir, a teammate he drove at a wide ball from Hasan Cook, England’s all-time leading Test order to number fi ve, was bowled by to be 50 for one — a defi cit of 134 runs. Allan Border’s all-time record for suc- when Essex won the County Cham- and edged behind to opposing cap- run-scorer, benefi ted from an ‘umpire’s Faheem Ashraf for 27. Gulf Times 2 Friday, May 25, 2018 CRICKET SPOTLIGHT RAMADAN TOURNAMENT Runaway victories for Selex and Ailing Kohli to Masters Club miss county stint Men of the matches: Moazammil, Asif, Israr and Umer By Sports Reporter eight wickets, leaving CBQ with Doha 16 runs in the fi nal over. as Test tour looms Bilal however rifl ed a six and a four with three doubles to clinch elex and Masters Club the match off the final ball with The 29-year-old India captain will undergo rehabilitation that will decide recorded runaway wins an unbeaten 16 in seven balls. over their respective Earlier for Gladiators Club, when he joins India’s games in England starting in July, the BCCI said SGroup C rivals in the Shahbaz hit 46 in 29 balls with Ramadan Twenty20 Cricket four sixes and three fours to lift Tournament at the Asian Town them to 142 in 18 overs. Tariq Cricket Stadium. chipped in 33 not out with two Man of the match Asif Ashraf sixes and as many fours. clobbered four sixes and ten Moazzamil (three for 11) and boundaries in his blazing 80 not Mustafi z (two for 13) caused the out to spark a 10-wicket romp collapse of Pak Falcons at 68 in for Selex against Khan Young- 14 overs. Saiful (25 in 23 balls sters, chasing the 136-run target with three fours) and Raihan in just 9.3 overs. (24 in 37 balls) helped the team His partner in the 137-run un- avert the crisis and clinch the broken stand was Shihab, who match in 12.4 overs.