TUESDAY, FEBRUART 7, 2017 SPORTS Australia confident Wade will be fit for India tour WELLINGTON: Australia are confident initially named as stand-in captain for Auckland and Hamilton by middle order 10 minutes notice at Eden Park,” case something happens.” wicketkeeper Matt Wade will be fit for Steve Smith. batsman Peter Handscomb, who also Lehmann added. “(But) he kept well (in Wade was required as stand-in cap- the upcoming test tour of India and have Lehmann, though, said Wade had stood in when the wicketkeeper was tak- Hamilton).” tain in New Zealand because Smith suf- no plans to call up another gloveman as already departed for the pre-series train- en sick during the third test against Wade will be assessed after his flight fered an ankle injury but Lehmann said a precaution, according to coach Darren ing camp in the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan in January. and his match fitness tested in warm up the Australia skipper was already in Lehmann. “He’ll be fine. He’s got on the plane,” Lehmann said Handscomb’s perform- matches in the UAE and Mumbai. Dubai and batting. Wade, who took over as first choice he told reporters in Hamilton. “If there ances were convincing enough not to “Unless something flares up during Australia, who last won a test in India wicketkeeper from Peter Nevill last was any doubt, he wasn’t going to get warrant a call-up for Nevill, who has the Dubai leg or tour game, we’ll stay in 2004, start the series on Feb. 23 with November, missed two one-day interna- on the plane. So that’s a good thing.” been in fine form with the bat in domes- status quo. The bonus with the squad is the first test in Pune, which will be fol- tionals against New Zealand last week The 29-year-old Wade was replaced tic cricket. you’ve got someone who can keep pret- lowed by matches in Bangalore, Ranchi because of back spasms despite being behind the stumps for the defeats in “He was a bit rusty when he only got ty well. That’s handy, having that just in and Dharamsala. — Reuters How Indian power play helped Bangladesh rise NEW DELHI: When India host a Test match foresight and sincere cooperation”. against Bangladesh for the first time this week, it marks the culmination of a political BUILDING THE ASIAN BLOC power play which helped change the Senior cricinfo editor Sharda Ugra said dynamics of world cricket. The invitation to Dalmiya “upset a lot of countries” by cham- the one-off match in Hyderabad was a long pioning Bangladesh’s cause but under- time coming but the tourists remain grate- stood the benefits of building an Asian bloc ful to their hosts for pushing their claim for that could challenge the established order. Test status, a move that was beneficial to “Dalmiya was the first Asian ICC president, both sides. “I think it was a very far-sighted he was the first one from outside the old move. Some would say it was political in bloc of countries that were there. He had to terms of getting one more vote... in the ICC. fight a massive battle,” Ugra told AFP. That’s a cynical way of looking at it,” said “His whole talk was that of globalising Dileep Premachandran, editor-in-chief of the game but ultimately it was to sort of Wisden India. “Others would say he strengthen his powerbase.” (Jagmohan Dalmiya) recognised the kind of Rajeev Shukla, a former top BCCI official passion that people in Bangladesh have for who is now chairman of the Indian Premier the game and, in the long run, the sport League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament, agreed would benefit hugely from that.” that Bangladesh’s admission into cricket’s The virtually unanimous decision to elite had major ramifications. make Bangladesh the 10th Test-playing “Getting Bangladesh into Test cricket nation was taken by the International was a significant move,” Shukla told AFP, Cricket Council (ICC) in June 2000. But it saying that Dalmiya was one of a number was India’s aggressive championing of of BCCI chiefs who helped Bangladesh Bangladesh’s cause that proved decisive, achieve its goal. led by Dalmiya who was ICC president in More recently, England and Australia 2000 after years at the helm of the Board of were at the forefront of a push to create a Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). By work- two-tier Test system but the idea was shot ing with Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Dalmiya down by India, much to the relief of had already loosened the grip of the Bangladesh who are ranked ninth out of OTTAWA: Britain’s Daniel Evans returns the ball during a Davis Cup tennis match against Canada’s Vasek Pospisil in Ottawa, Ontario, Sunday. — game’s traditional elite England and the 10 teams. But despite both champi- Australia, with the 1987 and 1996 World oning their admission into Test cricket and Cups co-hosted by the three South Asian then saving them from the ignominy of TENNIS teams. And he knew that the presence of playing in a second division, India are the another of India’s neighbours at cricket’s last team to host Bangladesh in a five-day top table would change the dynamic once match. Some experts say India did extend and for all when it came to decisions such earlier invites but Bangladesh preferred to Britain, Spain advance in Davis as where to hold major tournaments. host the games themselves, to maximise While the first three ODI World Cups all television revenues. Ugra however said took place in England, the last three India had ironically shown less respect to Twenty20 world championships have taken Bangladesh than countries who were luke- Cup, rain halts Argentina place in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka warm about their admission in the first with the South Asian bloc now able to call place. “A lot of other countries have paid a PARIS: Britain was defaulted into the Davis Cup teenager Alexander Zverev in four sets to send the job with Rubel Bemelmans brushing aside the shots. India, which is the largest con- lot more respect and attention to quarter-finals Sunday while Spain edged Croatia Belgium into the quarter-finals and a potential Mischa Zverev 7-5, 6-1. tributor to the ICC coffers, even has a guar- Bangladesh... than India has,” she said. “You to advance and defending champion Argentina showdown with the reigning champions. In ties that were already settled by Sunday, antee of staging at least one major tourna- keep going and visiting their country, which battled Italy into a decisive fifth match at a rain- Darcis, who famously dumped Nadal out of the United States, the 32-time champions, fin- ment every two years. When Dalmiya died financially helps their board no doubt, but hit tie. Canada’s Denis Shapovalov hit chair Wimbledon in 2013, dropped the first set to 19- ished off Switzerland 5-0 in Birmingham, last year, Bangladesh’s board said its “entry at the same time you need to show the umpire Arnaud Gabas in the face with a ball and year-old Zverev before rallying for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, Alabama, while 28-time champions Australia into the Test arena was the result of his respect to host them regularly.” — AFP was defaulted in the deiciding match, handing 7-6 (10/8) win to hand Belgium an unbeatable 3- rounded out a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic Britain’s Kyle Edmund a 6-3, 6-4, 2-1 triumph and 1 lead. The Belgians, who were playing without and France completed a 4-1 victory over giving Britain a 3-2 victory in the first-round tie world number 11 David Goffin, then completed Japan.—AFP NHL at Ottawa. “It was a strange way to finish,” Edmund said. “I’ve never been part of something like that.” Shapovalov, a 17-year-old Israeli-born Canadian, apologized to Gabas in the referee’s ‘Sad’ Cook quits as Capitals defeat Kings, office as the umpire was being treated for bruis- ing and swelling of his left eye before being tak- Rangers beat Flames en to a nearby hospital. England Test captain “No one is nicer or carries themselves better for a 17 y/o than Shapovalov,” Canadian team- WASHINGTON: Marcus Johansson and on with Chicago and not known as a LONDON: Alastair Cook resigned as England Cricketer of the Year in 2012 and ICC Brett Connolly each had a goal and an brawler, tangled with Pavel Buchnevich in mate Vasek Pospisil tweeted. “Everyone can see that today was an accident.” Test captain yesterday after a record 59 match- (International Cricket Council) World Test assist as the Washington Capitals chased the third period. Versteeg’s jersey got es in the role, saying it was “a sad day” but the Captain in 2013. He tendered his resignation shutout king Peter Budaj on their way to a pulled over his head during the scrap, and Pospisil had blasted 25 aces in a 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5) victory over Dan Evans to level at 2- right decision for the team. to England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) 5-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on he adjusted it while heading to the penalty Yorkshire batsman Joe Root is the strong chairman Colin Graves on Sunday. Sunday. The NHL-leading Capitals snapped box. But an official came over to talk with 2 for Canada, which was without injured world number four Milos Raonic.