Established 1961 27 Sports Thursday, May 31, 2018 Morgan ready for ‘young and hungry’ Australia in ODI series Morgan to captain World XI in charity match against West Indies LONDON: England limited-overs captain come with a strong performance,” Morgan Morgan was set to captain the World XI Eoin Morgan expects a “young and hungry” told reporters at an event in London yester- in a charity match against the West Indies at Australia will be “galvanised” by the ball- day to mark a year until the start of the 2019 Lord’s today which is being held to raise tampering scandal that rocked world cricket World Cup in England and Wales. funds for stadiums in Dominica and Anguilla when the old rivals meet in a one-day inter- “What’s happened to them in the last six damaged by hurricanes that swept through national series next month. months has the potential to galvanise a the Caribbean last year. England, currently involved in a Test young, hungry side.” But while he won’t be able to play in that campaign with Pakistan, resume their Morgan added: “So we’re going to have match, Morgan will take charge in Scotland involvement in 50-over cricket with a one- bring our ‘A game’ to this series. and then in five matches against Australia off match against Scotland in Edinburgh on It’s going to be a good challenge for us starting at The Oval on June 13. “I have a June 10 before returning home for a five- moving forward.” small fracture in the ring finger of my right match ODI series with Australia. hand,” Morgan explained. “I got hit in a The England fixtures will be game on Sunday at Somerset. It’s disap- Australia’s first international matches pointing, but it’s not the worst news that since a ball-tampering scandal during a could have come through. Test match against South Africa in Cape “It’s a week-to-10 days to get the Town in March led to the ongoing sus- swelling down in the finger and then pensions of then captain Steve Smith, his I think they will protect it as we go on.” Morgan was deputy David Warner and batsman disappointed, however, to be sidelined Eoin Morgan Cameron Bancroft. come with a strong from Thursday’s match at Lord’s. “It was Australia will also be without all three performance my first time being selected in a charita- Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben Root (Yorkshire), Jason Roy (Surrey), Ben members of their Ashes-winning fast- ble but also World XI game, it’s very Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), Stokes (Durham), David Willey (Yorkshire), bowling attack-Mitchell Starc, Pat special to be selected,” he said. “It’s at Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood Chris Woakes (Warwickshire), Mark Wood Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. my (Middlesex) home ground, I’ll defi- (Durham) (Durham) nitely be there to watch and support, England’s 14-man squad for the five- Fixtures: ‘ONE EYE ON THE WORLD CUP’ INJURY ‘NOT THE WORST NEWS’ but it’s a shame to miss out.” match ODI series against Australia com- Jun 13: 1st ODI, The Oval (1200 GMT) But Morgan, who led an England team The former Ireland batsman was included England’s 13-man squad for the ODI mencing on June 13: Eoin Morgan Jun 16: 2nd ODI, Cardiff (1000 GMT) currently number one in the ODI world in England squads for both the Scotland against Scotland in Edinburgh on June 10: (Middlesex, capt), Moeen Ali Jun 19: 3rd ODI, Trent Bridge (1300 rankings to a 4-1 win over Australia in a match and the Australia series announced Eoin Morgan (Middlesex, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow GMT) five-match series held ‘Down Under’ in Wednesday despite suffering a finger injury (Worcestershire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire), Tom Jun 21: 4th ODI, Chester-le-Street (1300 January, remained wary of the threat posed fielding for county side Middlesex during a (Yorkshire), Sam Billings (Kent), Alex Hales Curran (Surrey), Alex Hales GMT) by the World Cup-holders. “I think they will, One-Day Cup match against Somerset on (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett (Nottinghamshire), Liam Plunkett Jun 25: 5th ODI, Old Trafford, (1000 with one eye on the World Cup, they will Sunday. (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid(Yorkshire), Joe (Yorkshire), Adil Rashid(Yorkshire), Joe GMT) . — AFP Court halts Sri Lanka cricket vote as crisis deepens and signed up with Zahavi, one of the Lewandowski most powerful agents in world foot- ball. Zahavi said that “Robert’s motiva- COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s Court of Appeal yesterday suspended elec- tions are not money or a specific club, tions for the crisis-ridden cricket board, whose president Thilanga wants to leave because almost all top clubs would Sumathipala is being challenged for the top job. The Court of Appeal like to sign up the world’s best striker.” suspended for two weeks a vote due to be held Thursday pending the Bayern: Agent He said he hoped Bayern president hearing of a petition by Nishantha Ranatunga, who argued that Uli Hoeness and CEO Karl-Heinz Sumathipala is unsuitable for re-election. Rummenigge would understand the “The court issued a stay order on the elections till June 14,” a court BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s star strik- player’s position. “Everyone in the official said. Sumathipala is pitted against Ranatunga, a younger er Robert Lewandowski wants to Bayern club leadership has their own brother of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning captain Arjuna leave the Bundesliga club this summer great career to look back on. They Ranatunga, in the election. The Ranatunga brothers accuse to seek “a new challenge”, his agent should understand his situation,” he Sumathipala of violating International Cricket Council regulations by told Sport Bild yesterday. “Robert told Sport Bild. holding office despite alleged links to gambling. Sumathipala feels that he needs a change and a However, Bayern’s bosses have acknowledges that his family is involved in gambling, but says he has new challenge in his career,” Pini made it clear that Lewandowski will nothing to do with the business and has not violated the ICC code of COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former cricket skipper Arjuna Ranatunga speaks Zahavi told the weekly. play for them next season. conduct. during a press conference in Colombo yesterday. Ranatunga lambasted “The managers of Bayern know Rummenigge told Kicker magazine In 2016 Arjuna Ranatunga stood for vice president but lost by 22 the International Cricket Council for failing to tackle worsening corrup- about it.” Lewandowski, 29, whose earlier this month that Bayern fans “do votes to businessman Jayantha Dharmadasa, while Nishantha tion and accused it of undermining the credibility of the game. — AFP Bayern contract runs until 2021, has not have to worry about Robert Ranatunga who stood for president lost by 32 votes to Sumathipala. been linked with Real Madrid while Lewandowski and the relationship The latest court intervention in the cricket board came as four Sri Qatari-backed Paris Saint-Germain with Bayern... We have a very good Lankans were implicated in an alleged match-fixing scandal exposed ous than alleged in the report and blamed the ICC for not acting swift- and Premier League giants Chelsea one.” in an Al Jazeera documentary broadcast on Sunday. Arjuna Ranatunga ly. Sri Lankan police as well as the ICC have begun investigations into and Manchester United are also “We know what we have in him and told reporters that cricket corruption in Sri Lanka was far more seri- the allegations. — AFP understood to be interested. I’m very happy that we still have such He was the Bundesliga’s top scorer a long-term contract,” added in the just-completed season with 29 Rummenigge. “There’s no need to Graeme Smith said at the sidelines of the goals, the third time he has won the worry, he’ll play here in Munich again Smith will Ceat Cricket Rating awards. trophy after success in 2015/16, also next year.” “He’s still a young man, we have all with Bayern, and 2013/14 while at ex- Magazine Kicker also pointed out made mistakes. I expect him to bounce Ex-Liverpool great club Borussia Dortmund. that Bayern’s senior bosses have return stronger, back and come back really strong. In late February, the Poland inter- repeatedly informed Lewandowski Mentally he would have grown a lot from Hamann slams national parted ways with his previous that there is no possibility of leaving says namesake this situation.” The South African agent of 10 years, Cezary Kucharski, before his contract expires. — AFP remains the most capped test captain in Karius for tears Graeme the history of the game. After taking over the reins of the side at the age of 22, he MUMBAI: Disgraced Australian crick- finished as the world record holder for in Kiev eter Steve Smith will be much stronger the most test wins as a skipper with 53. wavering voters to get behind them. mentally when he returns to international BERLIN: Dietmar Hamann, a former Champions WCup bidding Also vital to the process is the bid cricket after serving a one-year ban for TEST CRICKET FEARS League winner with Liverpool, has criticised the evaluation report that FIFA is due to pub- his involvement in ball tampering, former Despite no longer competing, Smith Reds’ goalkeeper Loris Karius for his tearful lish before the Congress, possibly over South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has still understands the pressure to gain behaviour after the European final defeat against for 2026 enters the next few days.