THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2017 SPORTS Ranatunga urges ICC to probe Sri Lanka chief COLOMBO: Former skipper Arjuna office at SLC, as well as at the Asian Cricket Ranatunga has blamed Sri Lanka’s string of Council and ICC. “I deny any involvement humiliating defeats on the country’s cricket personally, directly or indirectly with gam- chief and demanded his investigation by ing business,” Sumathipala told AFP. the International Cricket Council. In what could be the opening shots of a new bid to ‘THEY MESSED UP EVERYTHING’ head Sri Lanka Cricket, Ranatunga, 53, told He also slammed Ranatunga, Sri Lanka’s AFP there was no “proper discipline” in the minister of petroleum, for accusing President national team which has had a horror run Maithripala Sirisena’s government of failing of results. to protect the game. “If he wants to criticise The team lost by an innings and 53 runs the government, he must first resign,” in the second Test against India on Sunday, Sumathipala, said adding that allegations are after being crushed in the first match by frequently made against the board when the 304 runs. They are now fighting to avoid a national team performs badly. whitewash in the three-Test series. Sri “Every time the game is affected at the Lanka also suffered an early exit from the middle, Sri Lanka cricketers are not per- Champions Trophy, and lost a one-day forming to the expectation, we hear this series at home to bottom ranked kind of noise coming from the same quar- Zimbabwe last month. Ranatunga accused ter,” Sumathipala said. Sri Lanka Cricket president Thilanga He added that Ranatunga was hoping to Sumathipala, 52, of being involved in gam- oust him as Sri Lanka’s cricket chief, a posi- ing-a claim Sumathipala denies-and said he tion he tried and failed to secure in elections should not be allowed to hold office. in January 2016. “The same man “There is no proper discipline in the (Ranatunga) is continuously making every team... (but) no point in blaming the crick- effort undemocratically, unethically to hold eters when they get involved in all these office of Sri Lanka Cricket, even when he has gambling things. First they have to get the been democratically defeated more than officials in order,” Ranatunga told AFP. once,” Sumathipala said. Ranatunga and his There have been reports of attempts to younger brother Nishantha stood against approach Sri Lankan players for alleged Sumathipala at last year’s board elections match-fixing. and lost. The next elections are due in five Several officials, umpires and players months. Since retiring from the game, Syrian high jumper Majd Eddin Ghazal have been suspended or fined for involve- Ranatunga has entered politics and he was ment in match-fixing or refusing to cooper- an unelected cricket administrator in 2008. ate with investigations. Ranatunga said the Authorities have not responded to his ATHLETICS International Cricket Council should investi- demand that an interim committee run Sri gate Sumathipala over alleged gambling Lankan Cricket. “I thought OK, if the gov- links and the conduct of the Sri Lankan ernment thinks this is right-and I am part of board. “I want to know if the ICC has a back- this government-I tried to take a step back bone to check if these people (Sri Lanka and allowed them (the board) to run. They Syrian Ghazal leaps Cricket management) are in compliance have messed up everything,” Ranatunga with ethics standards,” Ranatunga told AFP. said. Last month Ranatunga also demand- There was no immediate comment from ed an investigation into the country’s 2011 the ICC. But Sumathipala denied the allega- World Cup final defeat by India, which was tion and accused Ranatunga of a smear accompanied by allegations of match-fix- over admin barriers campaign in a bid to take over the board. ing. Sports minister Dayasiri Jayasekera Sumathipala said Sri Lanka’s sports ministry said he was willing to order a probe if there and the ICC had both cleared him to hold was a written complaint.—AFP LONDON: Veteran Syrian high jumper Majd Eddin Ghazal said, adding that the overall standard of tathlon gold in 1995 and bronze in 1999. Ghazal will gladly put administrative hassles to jumping had dipped in 2017. “I expect surprises Ghazal, whose first name Majd means “glory”, one side as he bids for a third-ever world medal this year,” he warned. Syria has two medals in the is backing himself to add a third for a country CRICKET for his war-torn country. Ghazal has been a regu- world champs, Ghada Shouaa having won hep- caught in the crosshairs of a bloody crisis. — AFP lar on the global circuit, appearing in the last four world champs and three Olympics, his seventh- Sethi elected chairman placed finish in Rio last summer his best result. Bosse hopes for luck in love But the 30-year-old admits that life has not of Pakistan Cricket Board been easy in Syria, where he is still based, much to the amazement of many fellow athletes. More after 800m gamble pays big than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria ISLAMABAD: Newly-elected chairman of good announcements.” As part of the LONDON: Pierre-Ambroise Bosse loves gam- have the toy he wanted from the shop. since the ongoing conflict began with anti-gov- the Pakistan Cricket Board Najam Sethi says revival of international cricket in Pakistan, bling and on Tuesday he rolled the dice and “It was a war of attrition,” said Bosse, who ernment protests in March 2011. one of the challenges for him is to bring the PCB is also planning to host a Twenty20 won the biggest prize of his life, the 800 metres revealed he had spilt a bottle of water on his “If we didn’t face war in Syria, everything back international cricket to Pakistan. “You series against a World XI in Lahore. world title, to give France their first ever gold in bed on Monday when he was fantasising about would have been different now, from the visa know how much work we are doing in this However, the final dates and which players the event. winning the gold. “I felt like a little boy who and financial issues to general athlete’s facili- regard and soon the results will be in front are expected to come to Pakistan are yet to The 25-year-old, who had finished a valiant if wanted this toy and I said to myself: ‘in any case ties like access to coaching and treatment,” of you,” Sethi told reporters on Wednesday. be decided. frustrating fourth in last year’s Olympic final, you have nothing to lose’. “When I went past Ghazal told AFP. “We’re in a huge crisis, which Sethi, 69, will replace Shaharyar Khan, Sethi was also a former caretaker chief seized the initiative with 150 metres to go with them I put myself in their place and I said to affects the mentality of athletes. “Daily life in who quit because of health and personal minister of the Punjab province and was the a stunning burst passing Kipyegon Bett and myself: ‘What must they be thinking? I thought Syria is extremely hard. You can’t imagine what reasons after completing his tenure. Sethi key official behind the successful staging of race favourite Nijel Amos and held on to take they are going to pay for this and that pleased we face on a daily basis.” Ghazal added that he was unopposed and was unanimously Pakistan’s domestic Twenty20 league. the tape first from fast-finishing Pole Adam me’. “It is the first time in my career I have felt encountered problems travelling to compete elected by a new 10-member PCB board of Although the two editions of Pakistan Kszczot. like that. “Finally today I was ahead of every- internationally. governors. Super League were held in the United Arab “I am a gambler, I love going to the casino,” one. People can forgive me now because I now “I have big problems with embassies. They Pakistan’s deposed Prime Minister Emirates, Sethi staged the final of the sec- said Bosse. “And today I just gambled, I put have that world title.” Bosse, who away from the are sometimes afraid I am an immigrant,” he said. Nawaz Sharif had appointed Sethi as mem- ond edition of PSL at Lahore in March. everything on the red, even my last Euro. So track plays guitar-largely tunes by legendary “I’m an expert in embassies, where they are, their ber of the board of governors last month. It will be Sethi’s second term as chair- hopefully, this is also for luck in love.” Bosse, who French poet and songwriter Georges Brassens, addresses, when they open, when they close, It is mandatory, according to the PCB’s man of the PCB after he was involved in a is renowned for his offbeat character and said he thought he was seeing things after he what documents you need for visas... I’m an constitution, that the chairman should be legal battle over the leadership with former addressed his cat ‘Rabs’ after finishing outside went on his lap of honour and espied his best administrative expert in this subject.” elected from the members of the board of PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf. That ended in the medals in Rio by telling him to go the fridge friend in the crowd. Ghazal was refused a Moroccan visa for the governors. Zimbabwe has been the only May 2014 when Sethi said he would not and drink a beer for him, said he thought he had “He had a date with a girl in the south of Diamond League meeting in Rabat, but can now team to visit Pakistan since a terrorist contest elections for the chairman’s post.