14 Established 1961 Sports Wednesday, August 5, 2020 Photo of the day WIndies T20 series in Australia called off SYDNEY: Australia’s October Twenty20 series against the West Indies was called off yesterday, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the international sporting calendar. It follows the postponement of the T20 World Cup, scheduled for October-November in Australia, and this month’s one-day international series against Zimbabwe. Cricket Australia said the three-match West Indies series had been intended as a warm-up to the T20 World Cup, but could no longer serve that purpose. “In light of this development... it has been agreed to postpone the matches,” CA said in a statement. The series will be take place ahead of the rescheduled T20 World Cup, on dates yet to be decided in either 2021 or 2022. Australia is currently struggling with a second wave of coro- navirus infections and its international borders remain closed, with arrivals required to undergo 14-day quarantine. Despite the logistical difficulties, Cricket Australia insists a money-spinning four-Test series against India in December-January will proceed. They have been less vocal about the fate of the first-ever Test match between DUBAI: Pavel Petkuns performing at Gravity Calasthenics Gym in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. —Photo taken from www.redbullcontentpool.com Australia and Afghanistan, which is due to be held in Perth in late November. —AFP Even the PM’s a fast bowler: Pakistan cricket’s need for speed Blistering pace is essential for any team KARACHI: To understand the culture of fast bowling in included Muslim Pakistan’s meaty diet — unlike mainly Pakistan, look no further than Imran Khan — once a vegetarian India, once known for its spinners. feared quick, and now the country’s prime minister. Not “We are a nation obsessed with fast bowling,” all of Pakistan’s pacemen will fly so high, but Khan’s rise Nawaz told AFP. “We eat meat which strengthens the underlines a tradition where speed is king, and blister- body, we love wickets clattering and the batsman shiv- ing pace is essential for any team. ering so it’s natural that we produce fast bowlers.” As if to reinforce the point, Pakistan have eight quicks in their 20-man squad for the three-Test series ‘THE TWO WS’ against England, starting today, ready to unleash their Nawaz passed on his reverse-swing skills to Khan trademark pace and swing. under whose tutelage Wasim and Waqar became “The They carry the baton passed by predecessors such Two Ws”, a menacing partnership in the 1980s and as Khan, left-arm great Wasim Akram and his destruc- 1990s. tive partner Waqar Younis, the unassuming Aaqib Javed, Wasim said he followed Khan’s legacy, and that pace and Shoaib Akhtar, the feared “Rawalpindi Express” bowling matches the Pakistani mentality. who is considered the “I think it’s the culture (to fastest bowler in history. become a fast bowler), espe- The current generation cially this generation of includes the precocious Waqar and I and then Naseem Shah, still only 17, Akhtar, we all had a role Shaheen Shah Afridi and Speed model in Khan,” he said. Wahab Riaz, and the accu- “Generally, when we talk rate Mohammad Abbas. is king about cricket it’s mostly The production line is so about the fast bowlers, they consistent that when one get batsmen caught napping. player goes, another is We are aggressive people in ready to take over — as nature and that’s what seen in 2010 when helps.” Mohammad Amir and Wasim often holds camps Mohammad Asif, banned for spot-fixing, were replaced to train emerging fast bowlers, swelling Pakistan’s ranks. by Junaid Khan, Riaz, Mohammad Irfan, Ehsan Adil and “When I came I always wanted to be a fast bowler RAWALPINDI: File photo taken on February 7, 2020 shows Pakistan’s Azhar Ali (2nd L) celebrating with Rahat Ali. and then a crop of fast bowlers came, and now we have teammates Naseem Shah (L) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (3rd L) after the dismissal of Bangladesh’s Even Amir’s decision to retire from Tests at just 27 Naseem, Shaheen, Mohammad Hasnain and Musa Khan Mohammad Mithun (unseen) during the first day of the first cricket Test match. —AFP did not slow Pakistan, as Shaheen became the spear- who bowl at 140-150 kph (87-93 mph),” he said. head and Naseem announced himself with a stunning However, perhaps the most decisive factor is Test hat-trick. Pakistan’s legion of tape-ball players, who play in park- bowlers in recent years, received more than 350,000 said head coach Aaqib Javed. But the steady emergence of quicks — left-armers, ing lots and disused patches of land using tennis balls applicants for their talent-hunt programme — nearly According to Wasim, fast bowling is so deeply right-armers, even one who is ambidextrous — raises wrapped in electrical tape to make them heavier, put- half of them tape-ball players, including the ambidex- ingrained that Pakistan’s stocks will never run out. an obvious question: how does Pakistan keep doing it? ting the onus on pace rather than spin. trous pace marvel Yasir Jan. “Many natural resources will dry up, but not Pakistan Former fast bowler Sarfarz Nawaz, regarded as the Lahore Qalandars, a Pakistan Super League fran- “We give them platform in our development pro- bowling’s reservoirs,” he said. “Our fast bowling future pioneer of reverse swing in 1970s, said the factors chise which has been at the forefront of nurturing fast gramme and send them to Australia to hone their talent,” is secure as they follow footsteps and run-ups.” —AFP tures compared to their ‘match-hardened’ hosts. Federation, a new body backed by Chinese gaming England wary eSports starts wising giant Tencent, said credibility was a problem, with ‘COMPLETE BOWLER’ health and wellbeing one area that needs attention. “We’ve had good preparations and team bond- up to health problems “It’s about time that in eSports we looked into all of slow start ing,” said Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq on this,” he told AFP. Chan said the Singapore-headquar- Monday. “Still we feel there is always a slight nerv- tered federation, which launched in December and has against Pakistan ousness when you just play Test cricket after a long, SINGAPORE: Growing concern over health stan- a focus on “holistic health”, has already set up an “edu- long time (away),” he added ahead of his side’s first dards in eSports has prompted a new federation to cation, culture and wellness” commission to guide its Test in six months. pledge to address the problem, as players fall victim work. “We’ve got some very prominent doctors, who MANCHESTER: England know another sluggish Misbah accepted that how his batsmen coped to conditions ranging from wrist injuries to obesity, are sitting inside sharing with us,” he said. start to a Test campaign could prove costly as they with James Anderson and Stuart Broad — who now stress and diabetes. The retirement of top Chinese go in search of a first series win over Pakistan in a both have more than 500 Test wickets each after player Jian Zihao, better known by his gaming handle ‘PULLING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS’ decade. Today sees a three-match contest get Broad reached the landmark against the West Indies “Uzi”, sent tremors through the booming sport, Coaches do sometimes think of health. Ahead of underway with the first Test at Old Trafford. — would go a long way to determining the outcome whose revenues are predicted to reach $1.1 billion this eSports’ debut last year in the Southeast Asian And while England can point to recent series vic- of the series. year, according to industry analyst firm Newzoo. Games, a regional multi-sport tournament, physical tories over most of their rivals, their last such suc- But the former Pakistan captain was also The 23-year-old, hailed as an “icon” of the exercise was part of regular training for many teams. cess against Pakistan was back in 2010. That cam- excited by a pace attack that includes the League of Legends game, stepped away from But Chan said competition between different industry paign, however, was overshadowed by a ‘spot-fix- youthful promise of teenage rising star Naseem eSports in June, saying “chronic stress, obesity, bodies meant important issues, from player wellbeing ing’ scandal at Lord’s which led to bans and jail Shah as well as the accurate Mohammad Abbas, irregular diet, staying up late and other reasons” had to corruption, were not being fully addressed. terms for then Pakistan captain Salman Butt as well and towering left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi. given him Type 2 diabetes. He also had a hand injury. “We’re all pulling in different directions now,” he as pacemen Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir. Naseem has impressed Pakistan fast-bowling However, Uzi’s case is far from isolated in a sport said. “Nobody’s addressing the diversity... the fair England have lost the first Test in eight of their great turned bowling Waqar Younis and Misbah where professional players can perform up to 500 play, the health.” He said GEF was aiming “to be a last 10 series — including during last month’s 2-1 so much when they saw him in action in Lahore, moves a minute, according to the American platform for the ecosystem to bring some credibility win over the West Indies that marked international the coach said they had no qualms about fast- Osteopathic Association, and train for hours a day. to the sports”.