WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 2017 SPORTS RUGBY Jones backs under-fire England skipper Hartley TWICKENHAM: Eddie Jones came to the on Sunday: “Dylan’s done a really good job but But it is clear that Jones values Hartley’s tained the England cricket team; everyone ques- have a very kind referee to get them home,” he defence of “outstanding” England captain he knows he’s under pressure from Jamie leadership qualities and he compared him tioned him, then he won the Ashes and no one added of New Zealand’s 8-7 victory over Dylan Hartley on Monday amid growing spec- George. “There’s also Rory Best, who’s done Monday to former England cricket captain Mike questioned him,” added the Australian, a lifelong France in Auckland. ulation the hooker could be left out of the well with Ireland and (Wales’s) Ken Owens had Brearley. For all he was a multiple Ashes-win- fan of the summer game. Meanwhile Jones said “That’s how hard it is for them to win. So to British and Irish Lions squad for their upcom- a good Six Nations.” One of the initial deci- ning skipper and highly regarded for his tactical his four-year plan to guide England to a second lose the Grand Slam game when we’ve ing tour of New Zealand. sions taken by Jones, who suffered his first ability and man-management, Brearley’s place global title at the 2019 World Cup in Japan already got the trophy is hardly a scar, it’s a Lions boss Warren Gatland is due to name defeat as England coach on Saturday when in the England side of the late 1970s and early remained intact despite last weekend’s loss. learning experience. “This (Ireland) result his squad on April 19, with the competition to Ireland won 13-9 to deny his side the Grand 1980s was often questioned on account of the Jones, coach of the Australia side that beat doesn’t change the plan at all. Did you think be the starting hooker for the three-Test series Slam and a record 19th successive Test win by fact that, although a specialist opening bats- New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2003 we would never get defeated?” Jones said. against the world champion All Blacks in June a major nation, after his Red Rose appoint- man, he never made a Test hundred and had a World Cup eventually won by England, empha- “Sometimes you’re just not good enough. and July particularly fierce. ment was to make Hartley captain despite low average of under 23. “Dylan is an outstand- sised his point by citing the agonies the reign- “We weren’t good enough on the day but There have long been suggestions that the Northampton front-row’s appalling disci- ing captain,” Jones told a Twickenham news ing champion, the All Blacks, suffered in secur- that’s one day.” Saturday’s reverse was the Hartley isn’t even Six Nations champions plinary record that has seen him miss more conference after what was also Hartley’s first ing the second of their three global titles in third time in the 2000s that England’s dreams England’s best hooker, with many arguing it is than a year of his career in suspensions. loss as England skipper. “I’m not discussing 2011. “You know what the All Blacks had to go of a Grand Slam had disappeared with a only the fact he is captain that prevents Jamie Jones, however, has often replaced Hartley Lions selection but he is an outstanding cap- through to win the World Cup in 2011. defeat by Ireland in Dublin but Jones said: George from being the starting No 2. early in the second half of matches, with tain for us and does a super job. “They lost the semi-final against Australia “If we play them another 10 times, how Gatland did little for New Zealand-born George coming on in the 53rd minute at “There’s no reason why he won’t continue to in 2003 and they lost the quarter-final in 2007. many times do you reckon we’d win? “I reckon Hartley’s Lions prospects by telling BBC Radio Lansdowne Road last weekend. do a super job. “It’s like when Mike Brearley cap- They got to the final in 2011 and they had to we’d win at least six of them.” — AFP Bangladesh hopes Sri Lanka win will bring more Tests DHAKA: Bangladesh’s historic Test victory that Bangladesh are now finally becoming in Sri Lanka should encourage more teams a force to be reckoned with after they beat to find space in their schedules to play the England for the first time in a five-day fast-improving minnows, according to the match in October. head of the country’s cricket board. Their lack of success has been one of the In their 100th Test, Bangladesh beat reasons major cricketing nations have been Rangana Herath’s men by four wickets in reluctant to schedule matches against Colombo on Sunday-their first victory away Bangladesh, with last month’s one-off Test from home against top-class opponents. in Hyderabad their first ever match in India. Bangladesh’s only other victories on for- Their only tour of Australia was also way eign soil since gaining Test status in 2000 back in 2003, but Bangladesh Cricket Board came against fellow strugglers Zimbabwe, president Nazmul Hassan told reporters and a West Indies side which had been that the victory in Colombo could mark a weakened by a strike among their main sea-change in attitudes and that more players. Sunday’s win has stoked hopes matches with Test teams were already being pencilled in. “There is no doubt that every team will show their keen interest to play with us, way more than it has been in the past,” Hassan said late Monday. “They will field their full strength team against us. All the teams will see Bangladesh in a different way. “We have done our groundwork for the next one year, what and how we need to do things. Actually, we will play 10 Test match- es within this period. “We’ve never got to play so many Tests in the past in one calen- dar year because the big teams did not take Bangladesh seriously,” he said. Bangladesh normally play around six Tests a year. The BCB president said the victory over Sri Lanka was part of a larger upturn in per- formances which dated back to Bangladesh’s qualification for the quarter- finals of the one-day World Cup in 2015. Since that tournament, Bangladesh have Australian women team. won bilateral one-day series against Pakistan, India and South Africa, reached the CRICKET final of Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament and defeated England and Sri Lanka in Tests. COLOMBO: File photo shows Bangladeshi “The eagerness and faith for winning devel- Australia offers women big bowler Shakib Al Hasan unsuccessfully oped among the boys,” said Hassan. appeals for the wicket of Sri Lanka’s “Sometimes it gets deviated, but it can hap- Dilruwan Perera. — AP pen, given we are a young team.” — AFP pay rise in bid to end row England told to take risks with SYDNEY: Cricket Australia offered to more than model that has gender equity at its heart,” Twenty20 payments-would soar 25 percent to brave cricket to entice fans double elite women players’ pay and also prom- Sutherland said. “Under the proposal, women will Aus$1.45m by 2021/2022, said Sutherland. ised an increase for the men in a bid to end an receive an immediate average pay increase of “We have placed the emphasis on increasing LONDON: England’s cricketers have been game to get behind us. “It’s a very deliber- impasse over money yesterday. more than 125 percent.” This would see interna- the guaranteed amount that the men will told to spice up their playing style to attract ate strategy. It doesn’t work every time you The body said the package meant women tional women cricketers’ pay jump from receive, rather than rely on any projected a new generation of players and fans, even go out on the park. But we understand that had the opportunity to pursue a fully profession- Aus$79,000 (US$60,885) to Aus$179,000 as of increase in revenue,” he added. if it reduces the chances of winning. it’s more likely you’re going to be forgiven al career at both international and domestic lev- July 1 this year, with an expectation that it will “This is a landmark agreement. We are now Encouraging the national teams to take for having a bad day if you’re doing every- els, while men would continue to be among the rise to Aus$210,000 by 2021. looking forward to sitting down with the ACA to more risks and produce exciting cricket is a thing to try to win a game, as opposed to country’s best paid sport stars. CA said total potential remuneration for all work through the details and we are confident central pillar of the England and Wales not trying to lose it, which is a very key dif- CA chief James Sutherland said the proposed players, including guaranteed and performance we will be able to announce a completed agree- Cricket Board’s new strategy to attract ference in positioning.” five-year Memorandum of Understanding, put elements, would go up from Aus$311 million ment before June 30.” However, the ACA said youngsters into the game.