WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016 SPORTS Misbah-ul-Haq keen to leave Pakistan legacy LONDON: Pakistan captain Misbah-ul- given the captaincy following the fall-out against the West Indies, New Zealand and Azam never abandoned the hard work,” against a team of quality players is a big Haq has vowed to leave a Test legacy from Pakistan’s infamous tour of England Australia,” added the top-order batsman, said Misbah, using the Urdu term of achievement.” after a series-leveling win against in 2010. That saw then Pakistan captain who made a hundred in Pakistan’s win ‘Great Leader’ for the founder of modern Misbah said he told the players before England at The Oval. Pakistan marked the Salman Butt and pace bowlers over England in the first Test of this year’s Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Misbah the Oval match how important it would nation’s Independence Day on Sunday Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir series at Lord’s. said he had told the young players in his be for them to mark Independence Day with a 10-wicket victory over England in given five-year bans and jail terms for But after that match, Pakistan suffered squad never to lose hope. with a win. “I told the players that we will the fourth Test at The Oval in south deliberately bowling no-balls as a part of heavy defeats-by 330 and 141 runs in the achieve more than one thing if we win London that saw them end the four- a spot-fixing sting in the 2010 Lord’s Test next two Tests at Old Trafford and ‘Gift for the nation’ and level the series, we will also give a match series all square at 2-2. “The Oval against England. But the past six years Edgbaston respectively. Misbah said “When you play cricket, you have a lot gift to the whole nation.” Pakistan have win is not only pleasing as it is achieved have not only seen Misbah unite the Pakistan had shown remarkable resilience of difficulties and face a lot of challenges, not played a Test in their own country on the Independence Day but it will also team but also keep it scandal-free. “It has to then level the series in convincing style but through hard work you can achieve since an armed attack on Sri Lanka’s team help us form a legacy for our future Test been important for me to unite the team at The Oval. the toughest of things. bus in Lahore in 2009 and Misbah said: teams,” Misbah said. “When I took over as and unity always brings good results, “I kept telling the team that we have “I remember that when we were “Our people love cricket but they are not captain that was my aim, so this win will even in challenging situations like in to follow the example of great teams coming here (to England) no one was able to watch us at home. “So it is impor- help me leave a legacy for future Test England,” said Misbah. who never look behind and keep work- ready to give us any chance but I and tant that we keep winning and give teams,” the 42-year-old veteran skipper “This series-levelling win will go a long ing hard and that’s what we did,” he said. my players had the belief. “With a bit of youngsters and up and coming players added. way in establishing this team because in “It was like the Pakistan Movement that luck, we could have won this Test series the encouragement to take up the game Misbah was recalled to the side and the next six months we have series even in the time of adversity Quaid-e- but even drawing a series in England and make their names.”— AFP Some athletes find grass is greener far from home RIO DE JANEIRO: For Sale: One elite ath- But only one of them, Angel Popov - lete, lightly used. Will swap citizenship, renamed Said Saif Assad just in time for the move to your country and even marry to Sydney Games - returned to his new home compete for your Olympic team if the price with a bronze medal. That left some Qataris is right. (Note: All marriage proposals must wondering whether the money would have include a photo.) When it comes to the been better spent making sure Bulgaria’s Olympics, a lot more mercenaries - er, ath- notorious doping program was included in letes - change allegiances than you’d think. the deal. Undaunted, the Qataris bought Here at the Rio Games, Bahrain’s delegation Kenyan long-distance runners Stephen of 30 athletes includes exactly four Bahraini Cherono and Albert Chepkurui three years natives. Twenty-three of Qatar’s 39 athletes later. That didn’t work out much better. were born somewhere else. Its handball “Nation shopping,” yet another name for team of 14 players includes 11 foreign- the practice, has become prevalent enough borns, including Marko Bagaric, who in track and field competitions that when helped lead the Qataris to an upset win the International Association of Athletics over Croatia, the land of his birth. Federations (IAAF) convenes Saturday, find- He felt bad for Croatia but got over it ing a way to tighten up the eligibility for soon enough. “The worst feeling was dur- the movement of athletes is near the top of ing the national anthem,” Bagaric said. “Ah, their agenda. but what can I do?” While oil-rich, Gulf Soccer’s worldwide governing body, states game the system most often, they’re FIFA, may be the most corrupt outfit in hardly the only nations that seek to flip ath- sports, but their rules on “nation shopping” letes like used-car dealers. The 550-plus are both simple and effective: Once an ath- strong US delegation includes 46 athletes - lete has played for a country in an interna- about 8 percent - born elsewhere. China is tionally sanctioned tournament at the sen- so dominant in table tennis that one in five ior level, he’s bound to that country for life. of the 140 competitors spread across 55 No exceptions. Both Wallechinsky and Bill teams were born in the world’s most popu- Mallon, a historian and statistician with the lous nation. US Olympic Committee, would like to see COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Kaushal Silva (left) plays a shot as Australia’s wicketkeeper Peter Nevill (right) and fielder David Warnerreact during the The reasons for what noted Olympic his- the IOC adopt a similar measure. fourth day of the third and final Test cricket match between Sri Lanka and Australia at The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground esterday.y — AFP torian David Wallechinsky calls a “braun Wallechinsky also thinks a limit on foreign- drain” and others a “passport swap” or born athletes on each national team, or the “transfer of allegiance” are varied. In some number allowed to compete in any given Silva vows no let-up for Australia cases, like China’s table-tennis players, sport, might work as well. American basketball and baseball athletes, Mallon also said removing the exception COLOMBO: Centurion Kaushal Silva said yesterday reached his century with a boundary off Adam “They swept well, they used their feet well, so a or Kenya’s long-distance runners, the talent allowing the national Olympic committees Sri Lanka were determined not to let Australia off Voges. “It was tough initially, because I had a split lot of credit should go to their batsmen.” Lyon pool at home is so deep that reserves with involved to override the rule already on the the hook after they took a commanding 288-run webbing also,” he said. struck in the first hour of play to get opener Dimuth no chance to make the first team are still IOC books might turn the trick. It currently lead in the third and final Test in Colombo. Silva, “But I think that in a way helped me because I Karunaratne stumped for 22, as Nevill clipped the better than any other country’s best. states athletes can switch countries “pro- who batted with six stitches in the webbing of his lit- knew it wasn’t easy for me to drive the ball. So I bails off when the batsman’s foot was raised for a Some athletes take advantage of their vided at least three years have passed since tle finger after injuring himself while fielding on thought, let’s focus on the balls that are coming split-second. Australia also benefited from a review ancestry and others gain citizenship the competitor last represented his former Monday, scored a composed 115 to dim Australia’s into me and leave the away-going deliveries,” said after Holland had Kusal Perera caught off a top through marriage or relocation. But the country.” “I think you could make very spe- hopes of a consolation win. Sri Lanka, who are push- Silva. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, who claimed four edge which took the pads and went into the gloves International Olympic Committee rules cific exceptions, for examples, like mar- ing for a rare series whitewash after winning the first wickets, trapped Chandimal lbw for 43 in the final of the wicketkeeper. Perera, who scored 24, was governing such moves are so laughably lax riages,” he said. But a moment later, Mallon two Tests, were 312 for eight in their second innings session to break the stand. Silva, who survived an undone by a side angle replay after a front-on view that mercenaries in the games are every bit pulls up a file on his computer screen and at stumps on the fourth day at the Sinhalese Sports lbw appeal against Lyon after a successful umpire had been inconclusive.