RRUGBYUGBY | Page 4 NNBABA | Page 5 Springboks Warriors won’t change bounce back, their tactics for Sixers stay England: coach unbeaten Wednesday, October 30, 2019 FOOTBALL Rabia I 2, 1441 AH Zidane dismisses GULF TIMES criticism over Bale’s future at Real Madrid SPORT Page 3 QATAR GOLD RUSH CONTINUES Qatar’s Rania al-Naji celebrates after winning the hammer throw gold at the GCC Women’s Games in Kuwait yesterday. Middle picture shows para athlete Mona al-Saadi after winning the discus throw gold. while picture on right shows the 4x400 relay team posing after claiming silver. CRICKET SPOTLIGHT Shakib banned for India to stage fi rst two years by ICC day-night He starred for the team during the recent World Cup in England AFP sanction, the ICC said. “I am obviously extremely Test match Dhaka sad to have been banned from AFP the game I love, but I com- Kolkata angladesh captain pletely accept my sanction for and star all-rounder not reporting the approaches,” Shakib Al Hasan was Shakib was quoted as saying in ndia will stage its fi rst ever banned yesterday the ICC statement. day-night Test in Kolkata Bfrom all cricket for two years, There was no immediate next month against Bangla- with one year suspended, the comment from the country’s desh in what the new head International Cricket Council cricket authorities who were Iof Indian cricket said would be (ICC) said. expected to name the teams for a major boost to the fi ve-day The ban came after Shak- the India Tests and T20s today. game. ib “accepted three charges But Bangladeshi Prime Min- The second Test against Bang- of breaching the ICC Anti- ister Sheikh Hasina said that ladesh starting on November 22 Corruption Code”, the sport’s the country’s cricket board will be played under fl oodlights governing body said in a state- “will always be with Shakib at Eden Gardens, the Board of ment. and will help him in every way.” Control for Cricket in India These included failing to She said that while match- (BCCI) announced yesterday. disclose to the ICC’s Anti- fi xers often contact players, According to media reports, Corruption Unit full details Sbakib’s “mistake is that when both teams had to be convinced of approaches or invitations he was contacted he didn’t give to take part in what Sourav made in relation to the Bangla- it too much importance. He Ganguly, the former batting internationals and two Tests. desh, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe didn’t inform... the ICC.” star who took over as BCCI chief “We have had a frank and Tri-Series in January 2018 as Having grown up in a rural last week, called “the beginning constructive discussion with the well as the 2018 Indian Premier town west of the capital Dhaka, of something special in Indian players and the team manage- League (IPL), it said. Shakib burst into the interna- cricket.” ment. I have received a positive The 32-year-old’s ban came tional scene after excelling in “For me, as former captain of response about playing the day- as a blow to Bangladesh’s prep- age-level cricket. India and as the current presi- night Test,” he said. arations for next month’s tour He is possibly Bangladesh’s dent of BCCI, Test cricket is of Bangladesh coach Russell Do- of India where the all-rounder most loved cricketer and only utmost priority and we at BCCI mingo said the team is excited. was set to lead the team for a last week successfully led a will leave no stone unturned “I don’t think India have two-Test series and three T20 brief strike by Bangladesh’s to bring this format back to its played a pink ball Test before. international matches. professional cricketers to press feet,” he added. We haven’t played a pink ball Shakib, who has played 56 for better pay and benefi ts. “In this eff ort of ours, day- Test. It’s a massive occasion at Tests, 206 ODIs and 76 Twen- But this is not the fi rst time night Test cricket is a huge step the Eden Gardens. It will be new ty20 internationals, is by far the left arm orthodox spinner forward and we believe it will experience for both the teams. Bangladesh’s best known play- and left handed batsman has bring back the crowds into sta- So we are very excited about it,” er, having topped the ICC all- faced disciplinary actions. diums and a whole lot of young Domingo told reporters in Dha- rounder rankings in all three In 2014, Shakib was sus- children to the sport.” ka. formats several times since pended by the BCB from all New BCCI secretary Jay Shah “It will be a great occasion un- 2009. cricket for six months fol- said the new board wanted a der the lights against one of the He starred for the team dur- lowing “serious misbehav- campaign aimed at “revolution- best teams in the world, prob- ing the recent World Cup in iour” with Bangladesh’s coach ising Test cricket and this is our ably the best team in the world England, where he scored over Chandika Hathurusingha, and fi rst step towards it.” also. So we are really looking for- 600 runs and picked 11 wick- for his altercation with a spec- Media reports said India’s tra- ward to the challenge,” he added. ets. tator during an ODI against In- ditionally infl uential spinners Bangladesh will be without In the World Cup, he also dia in Dhaka. were reluctant to agree to the captain and star all-round- became the fastest and only “He has a severe attitude pink ball Test because the in- er Shakib Al Hasan, who was the fi fth cricketer to reach problem, which is unprec- File photo of Bangladesh creased evening dew meant they banned by the International 5,000 runs and 250 wickets in edented in the history of Bang- captain Shakib Al Hasan. would have less impact. Cricket Council Tuesday from ODIs. ladesh cricket. We think that Bangladesh Cricket Board all cricket for two years for Shakib will be free to resume his behaviour is such that it’s president Nazmul Hassan said breaching anti-graft rules. international cricket October directly impacting the team,” the match conditions had been There have been 11 day-night 29, 2020 subject to him satis- Bangladesh Cricket Board agreed after discussions with the Tests since the fi rst between fying the conditions in respect president Nazmul Hassan told Bangladesh team, who leave for Australia and New Zealand in of the suspended part of the reporters at that time. India today for three Twenty20 2015. Gulf Times 2 Wednesday, October 30, 2019 SPORT PREMIER LEAGUE FOCUS Test spots up for grabs Xhaka ‘devastated with Carey to captain Australia A AFP and sad’, says Emery Sydney ustralian selectors yesterday fl agged a Arsenal manager says Xhaka should apologise for the confrontation with supporters number of batting spots still up for grabs Ain the upcoming Test series By Nick Ames The Guardian against Pakistan, with an A side promising a run-off among a number of contenders. Wick- nai Emery says Granit Xhaka etkeeper Alex Carey will lead is “devastated” after his trau- Australia A in a three-day match matic departure from the against Pakistan ahead of a Test Emirates Stadium pitch on series, pushing his case for Test USunday, but the Arsenal captain’s situ- selection. ation remains up in the air as the club Joe Burns, who was contro- give him time to recover his frame of versially left out of the Ashes mind. squad, will join Marcus Harris at Xhaka was loudly jeered off during the top of the order, with Usman the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and Khawaja, Travis Head, Nic Mad- swore at the crowd as he left the fi eld, dinson and rising star Will Pu- gesturing and removing his shirt in the covski rounding out the top six. process. It has cast his captaincy, and Former Australian captain very future at Arsenal, into doubt. Ricky Ponting recently de- Emery said no decisions have been clared Steve Smith, Marnus La- made and that, while he thinks Xhaka buschagne and, despite his poor should apologise for his actions, the Ashes form, David Warner the player is yet to off er any public contri- only sure starters for the upcom- tion. No punishment has been handed ing Test series against Pakistan. down by the club either at this stage, Carey, who is vice captain of even though Xhaka is widely expected Australia’s One-Day and T20 to be fi ned. teams, had a strong perform- “He is now devastated – devastated ance with both bat and gloves in and sad,” Emery said. “We spoke yes- the World Cup. The South Aus- terday, and also on Sunday night. This tralian was unlucky to miss out morning he trained as normal with on an Ashes berth, with captain the group but he is devastated and sad Tim Paine the preferred wick- about the situation. etkeeper and Mathew Wade as “His commitment with the club is back up. Young gun Pucovski a great commitment every time. He will eye a return to the interna- wants to help. His behaviour was per- tional stage after a strong fi rst fect in training, with the group and with class hundred for Victoria this the club. He knows he was wrong. He month. The 21-year-old was re- was wrong and he feels it inside very leased from a Test series against deeply.