NBA | Page 7 TENNIS | Page 10 Cavaliers Federer to To Advertise here cool off Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 skip four Thunder Masters 1000 104-100 events in 2016 Saturday, December 19, 2015 FOOTBALL Rabia I 8, 1437 AH Van Gaal fears same GULF TIMES fate as Mourinho if United keep losing SPORT Page 4 CYCLING: TOUR OF ZUBARAH Schweizer’s slick fi nish sees him take win in Stage Two ‘I am very pleased with the win. I came here with expecting nothing and going home with at least one victory’ By Yash Mudgal Results & Classifi cation Doha STAGE (TOP 5) erman rider Michael Sch- 1. Michael Schweizer weizer of Team Rose NRW (Team Rose NRW) clinched the second stage of 2. Andrea Palini (Skydive Team) the third Tour of Zubarah with 3. Koos Jeroen Kers Ga slick fi nish, yesterday at Dukhan. (Wilton Cycling Team) Schweizer, who was piloted well by his 4. Abderrahmane Bechlagheme team, clocked 3:15:01s to fi nish ahead of (Sharjah Team) ST Italian Andrea Palini of Skydive Dubai 5 Jacob Tipper (Team Giant RBS) ST for his best result in last two years. “I am very pleased with the win. I OVERALL CLASSIFICATION came here with expecting nothing and 1. Jacob Tipper (Team Giant RBS) going home with at least one victory,” 2. Maher Hasnaoui Schweizer said. (Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling Team) His best fi nish was a stage win at the 3. Koos Jeroen Kers 24th Course Cycliste de Solidarnosc et (Wilton Cycling Team) des Champions Olympiques in 2013. 4. Andrea Palini (Skydive Dubai) 5. Hamid Beikhormizi “It was really a hard race as it was (Pisghaman Giant Team) not as windy as yesterday. We were lucky to have a breakaway POINTS CLASSIFICATION one kilometre before the fi nish 1. Andrea Palini and Schneider did a perfect 2. Jacob Tipper lead out form me. He was in the 3. Koos Jeroen Kers breakaway all the day and still he 4. Michael Schweizer has the good leg in the end… he 5. Maher Hasnaoui did a superb job for me” YOUTH CLASSIFICATION The German, who was riding for the 1. Mahdi Rajabikaboodcheshme fi rst time in Qatar, was almost given an (Pishgaman Giant Team) easy ride to the fi nish by his teammate Ste- 2. Abderrahmane Mansouri fan Schneider, who gave a perfect lead-out (Shrajah Team) from 1200m to only 200m and then he un- 3. Ben Hetherington leashed his sprint to win the stage. (Achieve Northside Skinnergate) 4. Islam Shawky (Sharjah Team) 5. Isa Ayoob Ismail (Bahrain Team) TEAM CLASSIFICATION Pishgaman Giant Team Shrajah Team Kuwait Cycling Project Skydive Dubai Kazakhstan Track Team Astana Germany’s Michael Schweizer celebrates after winning second stage of the Tour of Zubarah yesterday. (Left) Brit Jacob Tipper retains the yellow jersey. PICTURES: Jayaram. I don’t have good guys to set me up for The 32-year-old stage winner laud- British rider Jacob Tipper fi nished “I somehow managed to retain the Mahdi Rajabikaboodcheshme of the sprint. I am pleased with my results ed the eff ort of Schneider. fi fth in the bunch to retain his yellow yellow jersey. We have last stage to- Pishgaman Giant Team retained best today.” “It was really a hard race as it was jersey. morrow and I am sure it’s going to be young rider’s white jersey. “Tomorrow, we’ll try to make the not as windy as yesterday. We were “It was a very tough race today… going to be tougher,” he said. Andrea Palini was satisfi ed with his race close with the Team Giant. I don’t lucky to have a breakaway one kilome- there was no wind today. There was a The first sprint was won by second spot and red jersey as he said: know if it’s will be possible or not but tre before the fi nish and Schneider did lot of pressure on me in the end. I was British rider Thomas Timothy of “My objective is not the yellow Jersey. we’ll see (what we can do in the fi nal a perfect lead out form me. He was in too tired for the last sprint,” Tipper, Achieve Northside Skinnergate, My goal is the ranking in Asia. As a stage),” the Italian said. the breakaway all the day and still he who has four second lead over Maher while Kazakhstan’s Artyom Zakha- tour, for me it is ok if I take the second The 119.8km third and fi nal stage of has the good leg in the end… he did a Hasnaoui, Skydive Dubai Pro Cycling rov of Team Track Astana won the place. I would like to win a stage, but the tour will be held from Simaisma superb job for me.” Team, said. second sprint. every team is fi ghting hard against me. Youth Center to Al Zubarah Fort today. BOTTOMLINE Recalled Amir vows to respect Pakistan colours AFP Yesterday cricket selectors cleared Since his return, Amir has taken 22 Amir said he will do his best to Karachi him for fi tness training camp, which wickets in four non fi rst-class games, prove he is a changed man. could pave the way for his inclusion in while his tally of wickets in the qualify- “I promise that I will do my best the national team. ing rounds of the Quaid-e-Azam tro- to respect the prestige of the aceman Mohamed Amir Amir was tipped as one of the most phy stood at 34. green cap and Pakistan shirt,” he (right) promised to respect talented young fast bowlers when He then took nine wickets in two fi rst told AFP Pakistan’s green cap and shirt he was jailed in 2011 after admitting class matches of Quaid-e-Azam trophy after being named for a nation- bowling no balls the previous summer while scoring two half centuries. tional events,” said a Pakistan Cricket Pal camp on Friday, the fi rst step toward against England at Lord’s in exchange Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Board press release. regaining his place in country’s team for cash. Shaharyar Khan and head coach Waqar Pakistan will play three one-day and following a spot-fi xing ban. His captain Salman Butt and fellow Younis earlier this month hinted Amir as many Twenty20 internationals on The 23-year-old has shown impres- bowler Mohammad Asif were jailed for could return to the national team after their tour of New Zealand. They then sive form in domestic matches as well similar off ences. completing a rehabilitation programme feature in the Asia Cup in Bangladesh as in the Bangladesh Premier League Amir said he will do his best to prove following the lifting of his ban. followed by the World Twenty20 in In- since his fi ve-year ban was relaxed in he is a changed man. The 26 players included for the fi t- dia in March-April. April this year then completely lifted “I promise that I will do my best to ness camp will be eligible for team’s Amir’s return was opposed by some three months ago. respect the prestige of the green cap limited over series in New Zealand current players, including former and Pakistan shirt,” he told AFP. starting from January 15. Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez, Since his return, Amir has taken At the time of his ban, which derailed “The main objective of the camp is to who vowed not to share a dressing room 22 wickets in four non fi rst-class his career, Amir was only 18. Legendary improve the overall physical fi tness of with the tainted player. games, while his tally of wickets Pakistan fast bowler Imran Khan had all players and to enhance the technical But Amir said he hoped he could win in the qualifying rounds of the described him as “the hottest property aspect of each player’s game and to pre- them over “with my performances and Quaid-e-Azam trophy stood at 34 in international cricket”. pare them for the upcoming interna- with my acts”. Gulf Times 2 Saturday, December 19, 2015 CRICKET SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS New Zealand failed to make most of Late strikes rock green pitch: Boult Reuters Southee, fell within fi ve runs of Hamilton each other, the third and fourth within six runs, and the fi nal three wickets of the day for just Sri Lanka as Kiwis Seddon Park pitch so fi ve runs. green it was barely “The odd ball an over was let- distinguishable from ting us down in terms of trying to the outfi eld had domi- build pressure,” Boult said. Anated the buildup to the second “We just had to go out there test between New Zealand and and put the ball in the right area Sri Lanka with many fearing the but a couple of balls really let us batsmen would suff er most on down there. I think we missed a engineer fi ghtback the volatile surface. trick there a little bit. The fi rst day’s play yesterday, however, put paid to any theo- “We just had to go out there ‘They would probably be sitting pretty at lunchtime but the last couple of sessions ries that conditions in the mid- and put the ball in the right dle would be unplayable with the area but a couple of balls we created pressure and last half hour swung back our way’ visitors reaching 264 for seven really let us down there. before heavy rain forced them off I think we missed a trick with 23 overs lost to the weather.