BBASKETBALLASKETBALL | Page 5 CCYCLINGYCLING | Page 4 Simmons Australia’s opts out in Ewan wins World Cup blow 11th stage of for Australia Tour de France Thursday, July 18, 2019 GOLF Dhul-Qa’da 15, 1440 AH McIlroy banking GULF TIMES on home crowd at British Open SPORT Page 2 FOOTBALL Qatar pooled with India in Asian Cup qualifying Agencies the North Koreans have quali- ists Saudi Arabia face Uzbekistan, Kuala Lumpur fi ed twice, famously reaching the Palestine, Yemen and Singapore quarter-fi nals in 1966 before be- in Group D and the United Arab ing eliminated in the group phase Emirates are the only non-South he draw for Round Two of of the 2010 tournament in South East Asian nation in Group G the joint Asian Qualifi ers Africa. alongside Thailand, Vietnam, Ma- for the 2022 FIFA World Forty teams were drawn in eight laysia and Indonesia. Cup and the AFC Asian groups of fi ve at the Asian Football The second round of qualifying TCup China 2023 was held in the Confederation’s headquarters, will begin on September 5 and will Malaysian capital yesterday. with the top side in each section conclude on June 9 next year, with Qatar, who will host the 2022 guaranteed to advance to the next the 12 qualifi ers advancing to the FIFA World Cup, were drawn in phase along with the four best third phase. Group E alongside Bangladesh, runners-up. Oman, India and Afghanistan as Those 12 teams will then face off The Groups they bid to defend the AFC Asian in two groups of six in the battle Group A: China, Syria, Philippines, Cup they won in spectacular fash- for the four slots, and one playoff Maldives, Guam ion in the UAE last February. place, allocated to Asia at the fi nals Group B: Australia, Jordan, Tai- Although Qatar have qualifi ed in 2022. Iran, who have qualifi ed wan, Kuwait, Nepal for the 2022 World Cup by virtue for each of the last two World Cups Group C: Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, Hong of being the hosts, they will still and at fi ve in total, face neighbours Kong, Cambodia play the qualifi ers in order to get Iraq in Group C alongside Bahrain, Group D: Saudi Arabia, Uz- vital practice for the quadrennial Hong Kong and Cambodia. Japan, bekistan, Palestine, Yemen, showpiece. who reached the last 16 in 2018, Singapore AFC’s offi cial website said that File photo will take on Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Group E: Bangladesh, Oman, the draw, conducted by FIFA Di- of Qatar’s Myanmar and Mongolia in Group India, Afghanistan, Qatar rector of Competitions Christian Asian Cup F. Group F: Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Unger and Australian legend Tim winning team. Australia meet Jordan, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Myanmar, Mongolia Cahill, saw Asia’s top ranked team Kuwait and Nepal in Group B and Group G: United Arab Emirates, of Iran pooled in Group C along- Korea and North Korea have been in Germany — have been drawn “We are going to play two games games that we are going to play, China will challenge for a place at Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, side Iraq, Bahrain, Hong Kong and placed in the same group and will in Group H alongside Lebanon, against North Korea in the same respecting all the teams in the way their fi rst World Cup since 2002 in Indonesia Cambodia. clash with each other. Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka. way that we are going to play two that we have until now.” Group A against Syria, the Philip- Group H: South Korea, Lebanon, The interesting aspect about The two Koreas — who met in “This is a sports question,” said games against the rest of the teams South Korea have played in pines, the Maldives and Guam. North Korea, Turkmenistan, Sri yesterday’s draw was that South qualifying for the 2006 World Cup South Korea coach Paulo Bento. in the group and try to win all the every World Cup since 1986 while Five-time World Cup fi nal- Lanka CRICKET World Cup hero Jason Roy gets fi rst England Test call Roy’s aggressive approach set the tone for England’s World Cup victory Inzamam to step down as Pakistan’s chief selector AFP fi ne form this campaign taking London 44 wickets at an average of 13.88. He is currently captaining the England Lions against Australia ngland have give Jason XI in a tour match at Canterbury. Roy his fi rst Test call-up Warwickshire seamer Olly to face Ireland after the Stone, who made his England’s ESurrey opener played a one-day international debut last key role in his country’s historic winter in Sri Lanka, earns his World Cup triumph, but pace second call up to the Test squad. bowler Mark Wood will be side- Stone, 25, has fully recovered lined for between four and six from a back injury, which had weeks. kept him out for most of this sea- Roy was a crucial part of Eng- son. Lancashire wicketkeeper- land’s fi rst World Cup-winning batsman Jos Buttler and Durham campaign, with his return after all-rounder Ben Stokes — man of missing three matches with a the match in the World Cup fi - torn hamstring coinciding with nal — were both rested after their the winning streak that carried exploits in the 50-over tourna- them to the title. ment. South Africa-born Roy scored Archer, who has yet to make 443 runs in the World Cup, but his England debut in Test cricket, Lahore: Inzamam-ul-Haq Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, England’s selectors were keen to will have a period of rest before yesterday announced his deci- I believe it is the right time for get him red-ball practice ahead being considered for selection for sion to step down as Pakistan’s the Pakistan Cricket Board to of the Ashes series against old the Ashes. chief selector when his con- appoint a new chief selector rivals Australia, which starts on He will have a short break in tract expires on July 31. who can bring new ideas and August 1 at Edgbaston. Barbados before returning to the Former Pakistan captain In- fresh thinking.” However, Durham’s Wood, UK later this month. zamam, who was appointed to During Inzamam’s tenure, who has a side strain, and Sussex After playing a pivotal role in the role in April 2016, oversaw players such as Fakhar Za- paceman Jofra Archer, suff ering the World Cup triumph, Archer a period which included Paki- man, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, from the same injury, were not has been awarded an incre- stan’s victory in the Champions Mohamed Abbas, Shadab Khan, selected for the Ireland clash. ment contract by the ECB for Trophy two years ago. Shaheen Afridi and Usman Wood is expected to be out of the next 12 months. Meanwhile, Inzamam’s final assignment Shinwari made their inter- action for four to six weeks fol- a squad of 16 players will attend was to select the Pakistan national debuts, while Babar lowing the injury he sustained in a pre-Ashes training camp this squad for the World Cup, where Azam established himself as Sunday’s fi nal, leaving him cer- weekend at St George’s Park, the the Sarfaraz Ahmed-led team Pakistan’s batting mainstay tain to miss the start of the fi ve- Football Association’s national finished fifth in the group stage across all three formats of the Test Ashes. File photo of England’s Jason Roy celebrating with the World Cup trophy at Lord’s Cricket Ground in football centre in Burton. and failed to qualify for the game. Roy’s aggressive approach set London on July 14. That group includes World semi-finals. “It has been a pleasure to the tone for England’s World Cup Cup winners Roy, Root, Buttler, “After more than three years see these players grow and run, which culminated in Sun- well as in limited overs. telling Sky Sports: “We have to- After Eoin Morgan captained Stokes, Wood, Chris Woakes, as chair of the Pakistan men’s make names for themselves in day’s thrilling fi nal victory over It will be the 28-year-old’s tal confi dence he will be able to England’s World Cup team, it is Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. selection committee, I have international cricket,” Inzamam New Zealand. fi rst fi rst-class match since last adapt to red ball cricket.” Joe Root who resumed his role as decided not to seek a renewal added. With England meeting Ireland November when he batted at On James Anderson’s chances Test skipper against Ireland. England squad: Joe Root of my contract,” the 49-year-old “I will follow their progress at Lord’s in a Test match next number three for the England of being involved against Ireland Root’s squad includes Som- (capt), Moeen Ali, Jimmy An- Inzamam said in a statement. with interest because I firmly week — scheduled for four days Lions against Pakistan A in Abu as he returns from a calf tear, erset bowling all-rounder Lewis derson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart “With the ICC World Test Cham- believe these players have all instead of the standard fi ve — Dhabi, making 59 off 73 balls. Smith added: “It’s not clear. He’s Gregory, who earned his fi rst Broad, Rory Burns, Sam Curran, pionship, due to get underway the ingredients to take the Pa- Roy will be handed the chance England chairman of selectors making good progress and, if he’s call-up after impressing for Joe Denly, Lewis Gregory, Jack in September, the ICC T20 kistan cricket team to greater to underline his ability to thrive Ed Smith confi rmed Roy would fi t to play without risk against Somerset and the England Lions.