TRULY TIMES 10 SPORTS JAMMU, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2020 Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Jonny Bairstow LeBron James and the Miami Heat, excluded from Test contract by ECB together again at the NBA Finals The NBA Finals start Wednesday night and the James vs. Miami story line is shaping up as little more than a meeting of the mutual admiration society, albeit with a championship at stake. LeBron James wants to Spo is all about, because he’s LeBron James.” beat the Miami Heat. The damned good, if not great.” Lakers star Anthony Davis England wicket-keeper batsman Jonny Bairstow’s rise in Miami Heat want to beat James, on Riley: “This is in the finals for the first white-ball cricket may have hurt his chances in the longest LeBron James. league is not the same with- time, so he’ll likely be deal- format of the game as he was excluded from England’s cen- These shouldn’t be surpris- out Riles. He’s a great guy, ing with a bit of nerves on tral contract for Test cricket, which was announced on ing notions to anyone, not great motivator, someone that Wednesday night. Butler Wednesday. with a title at stake. just knows what it takes to acknowledged he’d be doing Bairstow who is England’s first-choice opener in both Those looking for more win.” the same as well. ODIs and T20Is, had last played a Test match in December acrimony than that, well, they No shade thrown there. The Lakers are comfort- last year against South Africa. He is currently plying his trade in IPL 2020 with Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has already may be disappointed. Miami Heat, NBA ably favored. Davis isn’t scored 119 runs in 3 matches - the most for SRH. The NBA Finals start finalsMiami Heat’s Jimmy expecting it to be easy. Young batsmen Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope and Dom Sibley Wednesday night and the Butler (22) reaches for the “Miami is a special team,” were all awarded central contracts for the 2020-21 test sea- James vs. Miami story line is ball during the second half of Davis said. “They’re a team son, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a shaping up as little more than an NBA conference final who a lot of people thought statement. a meeting of the mutual admi- playoff basketball game they shouldn’t be here, but The trio were among 12 players handed test contracts, ration society, albeit with a against the Boston Celtics they’re a team who fights. which ensures that they will have their salaries paid in full championship at stake. James Friday, Sept. 25, 2020, in They’re a team who’s tough. by the ECB, and are first time recipients after all three is looking to bring the Los Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The They make big-time plays, scored their maiden centuries in the longest format in the last 12 months. Angeles Lakers back to bas- Celtics won 121-108. (AP got big-time players on their “In light of the impact of Covid-19 on the finances of the ketball’s mountaintop for the Photo/Mark J. Terrill) team, guys who are in their game, the Team England Player Partnership, on behalf of first time since 2010 and the ture allowed me to grow, Photo/Mark J. Terrill) reverence when asked about Both teams haven’t first year, second years who the players, and the ECB are currently finalising the levels Heat are looking to cap a sur- allowed me to see what it James left Miami and the the Lakers’ best player. endured much trouble in the are playing huge for them of player remuneration for the next 12 months,” the ECB prising season with their takes to not only compete for finals have been an almost- “I just think it is a true tes- bubble: The Heat and Lakers right now with a lot of confi- said. fourth crown. a championship but also to annual stop since; this is his tament to his greatness to be have each gone 12-3 in the dence.” “A further statement will be made once these discussions “I’m here for one reason win a championship,” James fifth appearance in the title able to sustain this type of playoffs. The Heat are the Get past the James vs. Heat have concluded.” and one reason only, and said. “So, it definitely put me round in the six seasons that success year in, year out,” first No. 5 seed to make the notions, and the series has The ECB said that test players will continue to be reward- that’s to compete for a cham- finals and weren’t exactly more to offer. ed significantly higher pay compared to white ball players. in a position where I knew followed his Heat tenure. It’s Spoelstra said. “Different Players in both formats are ranked based on performanc- pionship,” James said on the what it took. I saw what it the first time Miami has been uniforms, new players and surprised to see that James is Davis will butt heads with es on the pitch, as well as off-field contributions, fielding eve of Game 1 of his 10th took. But also, I fit that cul- back since he left. During that new teams going after him. the one standing between Miami’s rising star Bam and fitness before their remuneration is decided, the ECB finals, where he’ll be seeking ture as well because of how time, the Heat did some It’s a real testament to that them and the Larry O’Brien Adebayo. There will be times added. ring No. 4. hard I worked. It was a per- rebuilding a couple of times commitment. He’s seen Trophy. “It’s been like this for when veteran point guards — All-rounder Tom Curran’s increment contract was James was asked any num- fect match for those four and used 60 different players everything. At this point in a very long time. If you want Rajon Rondo for the Lakers, upgraded and he was among 12 players receiving white ball ber of different ways Tuesday years.” in those six seasons. Miami his career, it’s just about win- to win, you’re going to have Goran Dragic for the Heat — contracts while Joe Denly missed out on a white ball deal. about his time in Miami, his NBA Finals, NBA Los also endured the departure, ning. And his ability to do to go through a LeBron match up as well. Miami has Dom Bess, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan and Jack Leach thoughts on coach Erik Angeles Lakers’ Anthony return and then retirement of what he does at his age is James-led team,” said Heat the young shooters in Tyler were all given increment contracts, with Saqib Mahmood, Spoelstra, his opinion of Heat forward Jimmy Butler, who’ll Herro and Duncan Robinson; Ollie Stone and Craig Overton retaining their pace bowling Davis, left, looks at their tro- Dwyane Wade and the pre- incredibly uncommon. But development deals. President Pat Riley. He never phy after beating the Denver mature end of Chris Bosh’s there’s a lot of work that goes be going to his first finals in the Lakers have veterans like England central contracts took the bait, speaking only Nuggets in an NBA confer- career for health reasons. on behind the scenes to be his first Miami season. “At JaVale McGee and Dwight Test and white-ball: Jofra Archer, Jos Buttler, Joe Root, with fondness for the four ence final playoff basketball Spoelstra is designing a able to maintain that.” the end of the day, that’s what Howard ready to work down Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes. years he spent in Miami and game Saturday, Sept. 26, game plan with hopes of The feeling is mutual. it normally comes down to. low. Add it all up, and Heat Test only: James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, the two titles the Heat won 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, keeping James in some sort of James, on Spoelstra: “I’m … You’re going to get the captain Udonis Haslem said Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Sam Curran. during that stay. Fla. The Lakers won 117-107 check, of course. That doesn’t not going to sit up here and same test over and over again “it’s going to be a hell of a White-ball only: Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Tom “Being a part of that cul- to win the series 4-1. (AP mean he didn’t speak with act like I don’t know what until you pass, and that test is matchup.” Curran, Eoin Morgan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Mark Wood Olympic hopefuls Kidambi Srikanth, Saina French Open: Andrey Rublev back Lifter Mirabai Chanu to consult Nehwal receive decent draws at Denmark Open from brink to beat Querrey in five sets US expert for back problem It will be a big opportunity When Mirabai Chanu vis- for young Lakshya Sen, who its the US in October she had created quite a flutter will be hoping the trip helps with multiple title wins last overcome a long-standing year. He will start off against back problem. With the France’s Christo Popov, who Tokyo Olympics less than a won the first medal for his year away, the Indian country at the World Junior weightlifting medal hope is Championships last year. A looking to regain top shape. win is likely to pit Sen Chanu, the 2017 world against fourth seeded championships gold medal- Japanese Kanta Tsuneyama.