NNBABA | Page 5 TENNIS | Page 6 Rockets beat Federer Pelicans to loss leaves notch record Miami Open 59th victory wide open Monday, March 26, 2018 FORMULA 1 Rajab 9, 1438 AH Opportunistic GULF TIMES Vettel steals victory from Hamilton SPORT Page 4 SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Australia SC names Xavi Hernández as fi rst mulling global ambassador of 2022 W Cup life bans for Smith, ootball legend Xavi Hernán- In 2016, Xavi’s fi rst act as a Genera- dez has been named as the fi rst tion Amazing ambassador was to pro- global ambassador for the Su- mote football for girls at a pitch built Warner preme Committee for Deliv- by Generation Amazing at Al Baqa’a Fery& Legacy (SC) – the organisation refugee camp in Jordan. Since then he responsible for delivering the infra- has attended numerous activations structure required for the 2022 FIFA in Qatar, including events involving World Cup. schoolchildren and workers engaged A World Cup winner with Spain in with Generation Amazing. 2010, Xavi has been an ambassador In 2017 Xavi also supported Gener- for the SC’s Generation Amazing pro- ation Amazing during the 2017 World gramme – a key legacy project – for the Innovation Summit for Education and past two years. He will continue sup- was involved in the reading of Genera- porting Generation Amazing, which is tion Amazing books to young children the SC’s fl agship corporate social re- in Qatar. sponsibility (CSR) programme. It uses Hassan al-Thawadi, SC Secretary- the opportunity created by Qatar’s General, described Xavi as an iconic File photo of Smith and Warner. hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup player who’s committed to harnessing to empower and educate people across the power of football. Agencies Qatar, the region and the globe. “We are honoured that Xavi is going Cape Town The iconic midfi elder, who has won to continue working closely alongside more than 30 major honours during the SC and support the delivery of our his glittering career, will help the SC to legacy programmes,” said al-Thawadi. ustralia could ban Steven promote various projects that harness “It has been a pleasure to collabo- Smith and David Warner for the power of football to bring about rate with Xavi in recent years. He is life as the fallout over the positive social change. an iconic footballer and a player syn- ball-tampering aff air contin- Xavi, currently the captain of QNB onymous with success and fair play. Aues, reports said yesterday. Stars League side Al Sadd, told www. Hassan al-Thawadi, SC Secretary-General, with Xavi Hernández. Having a player of his magnitude sup- Although both were stood down sc.qa he was delighted to continue his porting our initiatives can only help from their leadership roles after Smith journey with the SC. with Generation Amazing and the SC football can achieve in communities in “The SC is determined to leave a them to grow and leave the impact we confessed that the Cape Town episode “I have thoroughly enjoyed sup- during the lead-up to the 2022 World Qatar and across the region. Football lasting legacy, long after the 2022 desire long after the last ball is kicked was part of an elaborate plan, Cricket porting the Generation Amazing pro- Cup,” said Xavi. has the power to unite people, dispel World Cup is over, and I look forward in 2022. We truly believe Xavi will help Australia (CA), the country’s governing gramme since 2016 and look forward “Through my work with Generation stereotypes and break down social to helping the organisation deliver its us build bridges across cultures and body for the game, is looking at harsher to maintaining a strong relationship Amazing I have seen fi rst-hand what barriers.” objectives,” added Xavi. throughout the region.” (Sc.qa) punishments for the duo. Smith, Warner and Cameron Ban- croft – the three protagonists of the CRICKET sordid saga – fell cheaply as South Af- rica thrashed Australia by 322 runs in the third Test in Cape Town. The Australian players were booed as they walked to the crease and also on their way back to the pavilion, with fans rushing to vantage points to hurl abuses at them from close range. CA’s head of integrity Iain Roy and Aussies’ day of shame performance manager Pat Howard have reached Cape Town to begin investiga- tions after pressure from the Australian Sports Commission and the Prime Min- ister Malcolm Turnbull for stricter ac- tion. The International Cricket Council suspended captain Smith for one match and docked his entire match fee for the ends in 322-run rout Cape Town Test. Opener Cameron Bancroft, 25, was AFP hit by three demerit points, fi ned 75 Cape Town CAPE TOWN SCORECARD percent of his match fee and warned for his part in attempting to “change the South Africa, first innings, 311 D. Warner c De Villiers b Rabada ...................... 32 condition of the ball in order to gain an Australia, first innings, 255 U. Khawaja c De Villiers b Maharaj ...................... 1 unfair advantage” on Saturday, the In- SMITH STOOD South Africa, second innings S. Smith c Elgar b Morkel ..............................................7 ternational cricket Council (ICC) said in (Overnight 238-5) S. Marsh c Markram b Maharaj .............................0 a statement yesterday. DOWN, BANNED A. Markram c Cummins b Starc ....................... 84 M. Marsh c De Villiers b Morkel ........................... 16 “The decision made by the leadership D. Elgar c Smith b Cummins ................................... 14 T. Paine not out .........................................................................9 group of the Australian team to act in FOR ONE MATCH H. Amla c Bancroft b Cummins ...........................31 P. Cummins c Elgar b Morkel .................................. 0 this way is clearly contrary to the spirit A. de Villiers c S. Marsh b Hazlewood ........63 M. Starc c Markram b Morkel ................................... 7 of the game, risks causing signifi cant ustralian cricket’s day of F. du Plessis lbw b Lyon .............................................. 20 N. Lyon run out (Bavuma) ...........................................0 damage to the integrity of the match, shame ended in a crushing T. Bavuma c sub (Handscomb) b J. Hazlewood c Philander b Morkel ...................5 the players and the sport itself and is 322-run defeat by South Af- Hazlewood ..................................................................................... 5 Extras (b4) ...................................................................................4 therefore ‘serious’ in nature,” said ICC rica on the fourth day of the Q. de Kock c Paine b Cummins .........................65 Total (39.4 overs) .............................................................107 chief executive David Richardson. Athe third Test at Newlands yesterday. V. Philander not out .......................................................... 52 Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Bancroft), 2-59 “As captain, Steve Smith must take Set an unlikely 430 to win, Australia K. Rabada st Paine b Lyon .......................................20 (Warner), 3-59 (Khawaja), 4-59 (S. Marsh), full responsibility for the actions of his were bowled out for a paltry 107, with K. Maharaj c Cummins b Lyon ...............................5 5-75 (Smith), 6-86 (M. Marsh), 7-86 (Cum- players and it is appropriate that he be fast bowler Morne Morkel taking fi ve M. Morkel c Khawaja b Hazlewood ...................6 mins), 8-94 (Starc) suspended.” for 23. Extras (b4, lb1, nb1, w2) ..................................................8 Bowling: Rabada 12-6-31-1, Philander 6-2-17- The ICC statement said Smith had It was a fi ttingly dismal end to the Total (112.2 overs) ............................................................ 373 0, Morkel 9.4-3-23-5, Maharaj 12-2-32-2 “accepted the charge” and a “sanc- match for Australia after they were Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Elgar), 2-104 (Amla), Result: South Africa won by 322 runs tion of two suspension points which caught up in a ball-tampering scandal 3-151 (Markram), 4-196 (Du Plessis), 5-201 Series: South Africa lead the four-match equates to a ban for the next Test match on Saturday which sent shockwaves (Bavuma), 6-269 (De Villiers), 7-324 (De series 2-1 and which will see four demerit points through the sport. Kock), 8-354 (Rabada), 9-362 (Maharaj), Toss: South Africa added to his record”. Skipper Steve Smith was subse- 10-373 (Morkel) Umpires: Richard Illingworth, Nigel Llong Smith, 28, had admitted to planning quently banned for one match by the Bowling: Starc 23-5-98-1 (1nb), Hazlewood (both ENG) the ball tampering during lunch on ICC, just hours after he and vice- 25.2-5-69-3, Cummins 27-5-67-2 (2w), Lyon TV umpire: Ian Gould (ENG) the third day of the fourth Test against captain David Warner had stood down 31-2-102-3, Smith 1-0-6-0, M. Marsh 5-0-26-0 Match referee: Andy Pycroft (ZIM) South Africa in Cape Town on Saturday. from their positions for the remainder Australia, second innings Remaining match: Bancroft was caught on television, fi rst of the match. C. Bancroft run out (Du Plessis) ........................26 March 30-April 3, Johannesburg rubbing a piece of yellow sticky tape on “It’s been a horrible 24 hours — I South African bowler the ball and then trying to hide the evi- want apologise to our fans and those Morne Morkel celebrates dence down his trousers. back home,” said stand-in skipper Tim the dismissal of there were more boos after he was short leg. The collapse continued when The plan was to attach a sticky sub- Paine. Australian batsman Pat caught at gully off Morkel for seven. Mitchell Marsh and Pat Cummins fell stance to the ball that would pick up The Australians had already woken Cummins yesterday. It was Smith’s last appearance in the to successive short-pitched balls from abrasive dirt from the pitch. to bruising criticism from their own series after being banned for one match Morkel.