NEW DELHI: With T20 cricket becoming increasingly more batter-dominated, bowlers with the ‘X-factor’ could make all the difference in the World Cup in June, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy told Reuters.

The batting bias of cricket’s shortest format is evident in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), where 200-plus scores have become a routine and 300 does not look impossible anymore.

Sammy, who captained West Indies to both their T20 World Cup titles, expected the batting carnage to continue in the June showpiece.

“Bowlers have been under the pump,” the former all-rounder said in a telephone interview from his T20 World Cup trophy tour in Saint Lucia. “It’s not just the young bowlers, every single international bowler has been under pressure.

“Look at the IPL right now. Teams are scoring 200 and it’s not a safe total. It tells you that the batsmen are really dominating T20 cricket now.” While teams would pack their squads with power-hitters,

Sammy reckoned bowlers with unconventional skills or action could prove crucial in the June 1-29 tournament.

“The difference will be some X-factor bowlers,” the 40-year-old said. “Whether that’s pace, whether that’s mystery spin – you’d need that in your armoury in order to defend totals or restrict opponents.”

The other way to silence the blazing bats would be with raw pace, he said. “Pace is pace,” Sammy said citing the importance of Lasith Malinga in Sri Lanka’s victory in the 2014 T20 World Cup, and the roles Fidel Edwards, Jerome Taylor and Ravi Rampaul played under his captaincy.

“Whether the wicket is spin-friendly or seam-friendly, genuine pace will always create doubts in the batsman’s mind. “To have that in your armoury is always a plus,” Sammy added.

From a batting point of view, Sammy said the current West Indies team were comparable to the sides that won the World Cups under his captaincy. Their bowling, however, would depend a lot on how their all-rounders contribute.

“Obviously I’d love to have the ‘X-factor’ that I had in 2012 and 2016, when I had two bowlers ranked among the top five. We don’t have that now.

“What we do have is Akeal Hosein, who’s ranked number three. We also have (Gudakesh) Motie, who’s very effective in the middle overs,” he said of his spin attack. “We have guys like (pacer) Alzarri Joseph and the all-rounders that we had in 2016 as well, who could use the conditions to our advantage.”

West Indies captain Rovman Powell recently said they were trying to talk veteran spinner Sunil Narine, also an explosive opener, out of retirement.

Sammy, who recalled senior players including Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer since taking charge, was not sure about Narine’s availability. “You’ve seen experienced guys coming back into the squad. I had the same conversation with Narine,” he said. “We still continue to chat, but at the end of the day, if he is retired, he’s not available for selection.”

West Indies will co-host the tournament with the United States.

Published in Dawn, April 23nd, 2024

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s batting order is far from settled with the T20 World Cup less than two months away and according to their head coach Azhar Mahmood, more shuffling is expected.

Azhar, appointed in the role solely for the ongoing five-match Twenty20 International series against New Zealand, realised this when Pakistan failed to score big enough to avoid defeat in the third T20 on Sunday against the BlackCaps, who rode on a blistering knock by Mark Chapman to level the series 1-1.

The hosts managed 178 runs after winning the toss and opting to bat first, and the total was chased with eight balls and seven wickets to spare by New Zealand, thanks to Chapman’s 87 off 42.

While the left-hander’s onslaught was boosted by a dropped catch when he was playing at 16, he still could have had a more challenging target to pursue had Pakistan scored at a better pace in the middle overs.

After skipper Babar Azam and his opening partner Saim Ayub had given Pakistan a flying start in the powerplay, the scoring rate slowed down with Mohammad Rizwan and Usman Khan at the crease before Shadab Khan and Irfan Khan somewhat pulled Pakistan out of danger.

Pakistan may go into the fourth T20, which is to be held in Lahore on Thursday, with a different batting line-up as they try to find the right combination ahead of the World Cup, scheduled for June in the United States and the West Indies.

“I have said this before as well that your top three is fixed but after that we have to look at matchups and decide accordingly,” Azhar said in the post-match press conference.

“In this match [third T20I] we wanted Rizwan to get some time in the middle since the first match was washed out due to rain.

“But going forward we will be flexible as far as the batting positions are concerned since one number is not set for a particular player,”

Azhar believed Rizwan’s strike rate and Usman’s struggles to shine in an unfamiliar batting position at number four kept Pakistan from posting a challenging total before the pitch started helping the New Zealand bowlers.

“We were 15 to 20 runs short based on the par score,” said the former all-rounder. “We started quite well in the first six overs and scored around 54 runs. Shadab played very well towards the end. But I think we lost momentum in the middle overs as the ball was gripping a bit.”

Azhar, however, gave full credit to Chapman for his absolute battering of the Pakistan bowlers.

“These are the things we have to learn to improve,” he noted. “But you have to pay credit to the way Chapman played. In T20 cricket, if one man stands up, he can take the game away from you.”

Published in Dawn, April 23nd, 2024

PARIS: Paris St Germain continued their march towards the Ligue 1 title with a 4-1 win at home against Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday with all the goals coming in an explosive first half.

Runaway leaders PSG moved to 66 points, 11 ahead of second-placed AS Monaco with five matches left, while Lyon are eighth with 41 points.

PSG struck twice within six minutes with Lyon’s Nemanja Matic deflecting a cross into his own net after three minutes, before Lucas Beraldo doubled the hosts’ lead.

Goncalo Ramos headed in the third goal for PSG after 32 minutes before Ernest Nuamah pulled one back for Lyon five minutes later with a well-placed shot into the corner from just outside the box.

Ramos scored his second three minutes before the break when he ran into the box unmarked to slide in a low cross.

Both sides produced chances in the second half, but neither managed to add more goals.

Lyon will have a chance for revenge when the two sides face each other in the French Cup final on May 25.

Monaco moved up into second place by winning 2-0 earlier away at Brest in a battle of two teams chasing Champions League qualification.

Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria and Japan’s Takumi Minamino got their goals, either side of half-time.

Monaco held on for the victory despite having both Eliesse Ben Seghir and Wilfried Singo sent off in stoppage time.

A third straight win for the principality side leaves them primed to go on and secure automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League, a competition they have not graced since 2018/19.

They are two points above Brest and three ahead of fourth-placed Lille, who beat Strasbourg 1-0.

Canada’s Jonathan David scored the only goal of the game to take his tally in Ligue 1 this season to 17.

The team finishing fourth will enter next season’s Champions League in the preliminary rounds.

Olympique Marseille needed a stoppage-time goal by Cameroonian striker Faris Moumbagna to grab a point in a 2-2 draw at Toulouse and sit ninth in the table.

Jordan’s Mousa Al-Tamari netted a late winner as Montpellier won 2-1 at Reims, while Metz moved out of the relegation zone by winning 1-0 at Le Havre.

The Normandy team dropped into the bottom three in their place.

Published in Dawn, April 23nd, 2024

Australian swimming coach Denis Cotterell has rejected allegations of orchestrated doping in Chinese swimming, saying the east Asian nation is adamant about clean sport.

Cotterell is working with China’s top swimmers in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics and previously coached 1,500 metres freestyle world record holder Sun Yang, who is now suspended for a doping offence.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed reports over the weekend that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned drug before the Tokyo Olympics.

Wada said it had accepted China’s findings that the results were due to contamination and decided against appealing the matter, triggering criticism from top swimmers and the US anti-doping authority.

Cotterell told the Sydney Morning Herald he stood by his swimmers “100 per cent” and said any positive test results in Chinese swimming were not part of a state-run programme.

“I am happy to say I absolutely in support of my swimmers and dispute any suggestion of anything orchestrated,” Cotterell said.

“The suggestion that it’s systemic is so far from anything I have seen here the whole time,” he said.

“They are so adamant on having clean sport.

“It’s sad to see what this suggests or looks like. Its unfortunate for everyone. I feel for the athletes here because of how hard they work now to eliminate the tag that was garnered in the ’90s.”

Chinese swimming was engulfed in several doping scandals during the 1990s, with multiple athletes failing drug tests before and during major championships.

Leading coaches and swimmers criticised Wada and China’s anti-doping authority over the weekend and questioned why the 23 swimmers’ test results were not made public.

Cotterell said he understood if rival swimmers were upset and that the process could have been better handled.

“It unfortunately allows that doubt to come out and to surface. I can’t prove anything, I just know the truth,” he said.

However, he was also insistent that failed drug tests from contaminated food was a consistent risk in China.

“(Swimmers) are not allowed to eat outside anywhere. When they go on a plane, they can’t eat the food,” he added.

Media reports said the swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), which is found in heart medication, months before the Tokyo Games started in July, 2021.

Cotterell’s former swimmer Sun, a triple Olympic champion, served a three-month doping ban in 2014 for taking trimetazidine, which he said he took to treat a heart condition.

The ban was not made public until after it ended.

Sun, 32, is currently serving a four-year ban for a separate doping offence which is due to expire next month and ruled him out of China’s ongoing Olympic trials in Shenzhen.

Cotterell said he had turned down an invitation to coach Sun again and that it was “conclusive” the swimmer would not be selected for China’s Olympic team because he was not at the Shenzhen trials.

KARACHI: Pakistan captain Nida Dar’s significant milestone of becoming the second bowler from the country to claim 100 One-day International wickets was soured by the West Indies’ two-wicket victory in the second ODI against the hosts here at the National Bank Stadium.

Victory for the visitors meant they gained an unassailable lead over Pakistan in the three-match series after what was a thriller of an encounter that ended on the last ball.

Facing a target of 224 runs, West Indies found themselves at 213-5 in 48 overs. Requiring six runs from the final over, and three off the last ball, a boundary off an outside edge from Karishma Ramharack sealed the dramatic win for the side, shattering Pakistan’s hopes.

Initially cruising at 180-3 in 41 overs, West Indies were sent into a tailspin by Nida’s exceptional bowling performance. Nida, who reached the milestone by dismissing opener Rashada Williams, dismantled the middle order by accounting for Chedean Nation, Aaliyah Alleyne, and Chinelle Henry, leaving West Indies struggling at 219-7 after 49 overs.

Despite a valiant effort by pacer Fatima Sana, who conceded only two runs off the first five balls and claimed the wicket of Afy Fletcher, her disappointment was palpable as the ball found the boundary off Ramharack’s bat.

Nida finished with remarkable figures of 4-52 runs in nine overs, while Umm-e-Hani secured two wickets for 38. Sadia Iqbal and Fatima also chipped in with a wicket each.

Stefanie Taylor was instrumental in West Indies’ victory, crafting a composed 73 off 90 balls with nine boundaries before falling to Sadia. This marked her 41st career half-century in 156 matches.

Taylor, a former top-ranked batter, forged an 88-run partnership for the third wicket with Shemaine Campbelle, who contributed a solid 52 off 73 balls with four fours.

Campbelle had earlier partnered with skipper Hayley Matthews, adding 39 runs for the second wicket before Matthews was caught by substitute Diana Baig after scoring 44 off 63 balls with three fours.

Earlier, Bismah Maroof and Sidra Ameen propelled Pakistan to a total of 223 in 48.5 overs. Bismah scored a patient 65 off 105 balls, her 21st half-century in 135 matches, while Sidra struck a brisk 50 off 70 balls, her eighth half-century in 65 matches, with four boundaries. The duo stitched together an 80-run partnership for the second wicket.

The only other notable partnership came for the seventh wicket, as Bismah and Najiha Alvi added 31 runs off 27 balls. Sadia and Najiha contributed a further 22 runs for the last wicket.

Chinelle Henry led the bowling attack for the West Indies, claiming three wickets for 37 runs, followed by Karishma Ramharack with three for 48, and Afy Fletcher with two for 46 runs.

Scores in brief:

PAKISTAN 223 in 48.5 overs (Bismah Maroof 65, Sidra Ameen 50, Najiha Alvi 25; Chinelle Henry 3-37, Karishma Ramharack 3-48, Afy Fletcher 2-46); WEST INDIES 225-8 in 50 overs (Stafanie Taylor 73, Shemaine Campbelle 52, Hayley Matthews 44, Chinelle Henry 23; Nida Dar 4-52, Umm-e-Hani 2-38).

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2024

LONDON: Liverpool got back on track after their week from hell as a 3-1 win at Fulham keep their Premier League title bid alive, while Nottingham Forest launched an astonishing rant at the officiating in their 2-0 defeat against Everton on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side crashed out of the Europa League quarter-finals against Atalanta on Thursday after suffering a damaging Premier League defeat at home to Crystal Palace last weekend.

The Reds’ hopes of giving Klopp a glorious farewell were dwindling but they climbed back into the title race with much-needed first win in three league games.

Liverpool are now in second place, behind leaders Arsenal on goal difference and one point ahead of third placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand on their two title rivals.

Klopp responded to signs of fatigue from his team in recent weeks by dropping Mohamed Salah to the bench among five changes.

And Liverpool took the hint with a more cohesive display by the banks of the River Thames in west London.

Trent Alexander-Arnold put Liverpool ahead in the 32nd minute with a superb free-kick that flashed into the top corner.

Fulham defender Timothy Castagne levelled from close-range after Liverpool failed to clear in first half stoppage-time.

Ryan Gravenberch restored Liverpool’s advantage in the 53rd minute with a swerving blast from the edge of the area for his first Premier League goal.

Diogo Jota wrapped up the points in the 72nd minute, drilling a clinical low finish into the far corner.

Earlier, Everton took a giant stride towards extending their 70-year stay in the English top-flight in a highly controversial victory over Forest.

Idrissa Gueye and Dwight McNeil scored the goals that took the Toffees five points clear of the relegation zone.

Forest remain just one point above the bottom three and were left dismayed at being denied three strong penalty appeals.

The club’s official account on social media platform X called into question the Premier League’s integrity by claiming the VAR official is a fan of relegation rivals Luton Town.

“We warned the PGMOL (referees’ governing body) that the VAR is a Luton fan before the game but they didn’t change him,” Forest said in a statement said. “Our patience has been tested multiple times. NFFC will now consider its options.”

Meanwhile, Aston Villa tightened their grip on Champions League football next season with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth.

Villa shrugged off the exertions of having to go to extra-time and penalties in midweek to book their place in the Europa Conference League semi-finals against Lille.

Unai Emery’s men even had to come from behind after Dominic Solanke opened the scoring from the penalty spot.

Morgan Rogers’ fine finish just before half-time proved to be the turning point.

Moussa Diaby slotted in from Ollie Watkins’ pass to put Villa in front.

Watkins was the provider once more for Leon Bailey to tap in to seal the points 12 minutes from time.

Victory takes Villa six points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur.

Elsewhere, David Moyes’ future as West Ham United manager looks more uncertain after they were thrashed 5-2 at Crystal Palace.

Fresh from their shock 1-0 win at Liverpool last weekend, the Eagles scored four times inside the first 31 minutes.

Michael Olise headed in the opener before Eberechi Eze’s spectacular acrobatic effort found the roof of the net.

Emerson Palmieri’s own goal made it 3-0 before Jean-Philippe Mateta struck twice for Palace either side of half-time.

Michail Antonio’s strike and a Tyrick Mitchell own goal was scant consolation for West Ham.

In Saturday’s late match, goals from Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard gave Arsenal a gritty 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

An early effort from Kai Havertz in the first minute suggested that fans were in for an exciting game, but the two sides quickly cancelled each other out as they struggled to create good goal-scoring opportunities.

Trossard broke the deadlock just before the break after a scrappy first half, Wolves defender Santiago Bueno steering the ball into his path while trying to dispossess Gabriel Jesus and the Belgian lashed it into the net off the right-hand post.

Odegaard then latched onto a pass from Rice in the fifth minute of stoppage time and then reacted quickest as his pull-back was blocked, slotting the ball home at the near post from a tight angle to secure the three points.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2024

LONDON: Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir crushed the women’s-only world record in winning the 44th London Marathon on Sunday, while Kenyan compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao pulled away from Ethiopian distance great Kenenisa Bekele to win the men’s race.

The 30-year-old Jepchirchir crossed the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace in two hours 16 minutes 16 seconds to break Mary Keitany’s mark of 2:17:01 set in a women-only race at the 2017 London event.

Jepchirchir pulled away from a group of four in a sprint finish before collapsing to her knees in tears having beaten the fastest field of women ever assembled.

“I thought the race would be fast and that the record would go, but I was not expecting it to be me,” Jepchirchir said. “It’s because I believe in myself. As I crossed the finish line, I thought about how grateful I am for this to be my last event representing Kenya before I head to Paris (Olympics).”

Munyao, 27, who was pushed by Bekele until the final couple of kilometres, won the men’s race in 2:04.01, pumping his fist several times en route to the biggest victory of his career.

The 41-year-old Bekele — who has raced to three Olympic titles on the track and a remarkable 17 world titles in outdoor and indoor track and cross-country — was second in 2:04.15.

Emile Cairess took third in 2:06.46, all but clinching his spot on Britain’s Olympic team.

Thirty seconds of applause marked the start of the men’s race in memory of world record-holder and last year’s winner Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a car accident in February, at the age of 24.

Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, who clocked 2:11.53 at the Berlin Marathon in September to set a world record for women in a race alongside male runners, crossed second in the women’s race in 2:16.23.

Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya, the 2021 London winner, was third in 2:16.24.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2024

Mark Chapman hit a robust half-century to help an under-strength New Zealand to a shock seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the third Twenty20 international in Rawalpindi on Sunday.

The 29-year-old left-hander smashed a 42-ball 87 to anchor New Zealand’s chase of the 179-run target in 18.2 overs against the much-vaunted Pakistan bowling attack, silencing a packed 16,000-holiday crowd.

Shadab Khan (41) and Babar Azam (37) were the main contributors in Pakistan’s 178-4 after the hosts were sent into bat by New Zealand.

Tim Robinson hit 28 off 19 balls and Tim Seifert 21 off 16 to set the tone for New Zealand’s chase.

New Zealand were strongly placed at 53-2 in the sixth over before Chapman and Dean Foxcroft (31) took over, adding a solid 117-run in a third wicket partnership to square the five-match series at 1-1.

Pakistan won the second game by seven wickets while the first match was washed out after just two balls — both were also in Rawalpindi.

Chapman, whose only T20I hundred came at the same venue last year, clobbered four sixes and nine fours in his eighth half-century in the format.

He was ably supported by Foxcroft.

Pakistan skipper Azam brought spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi on in the 15th over with 61 to defend, but Chapman cracked two fours. He then smashed two sixes and two more fours off Naseem Shah’s next over to bring the target down to 21 of 24 balls.

Fast bowler Abbas Afridi, 2-27, dismissed Foxcroft, but by then New Zealand were just nine away from victory. Chapman and Jimmy Neesham (six not out) reached the target with ten balls to spare.

Earlier Shadab hit two sixes and four fours while Azam hit four fours and a six.

Opener Saim Ayub scored a 22-ball 32 and Muhammad Irfan Khan chipped in with a 20-ball 30 not out as Pakistan added 54 in the last five overs.

Azam and left-hander Ayub gave Pakistan a brisk start of 55 as the duo played some aggressive shots.

Shadab and Irfan boosted the innings with a brisk 62-run stand for the fourth wicket. For New Zealand, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi was the best bowler with 2-25.

The final two matches are in Lahore on April 25 and 27.

Both teams are preparing for June’s Twenty20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies.

All-rounder Shadab Khan and skipper Babar Azam led Pakistan to 178-4 in the third Twenty20 international against New Zealand in Rawalpindi on Sunday.

Shadab hit a 20-ball 41 with two sixes and four boundaries while Azam scored a 29-ball 37 after Pakistan were sent in to bat by New Zealand on a flat Pindi Stadium pitch.

Opener Saim Ayub scored a robust 22-ball 32 and Muhammad Irfan Khan chipped in with a 20-ball 30 not out as Pakistan added 54 in the last five overs.

Azam and left-hander Ayub gave Pakistan a brisk start of 55 as the duo played some aggressive shots.

Shadab and Irfan boosted the innings with a brisk 62-run stand for the fourth wicket.

For New Zealand, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi was the best bowler with 2-25.

Pakistan led the five-match series 1-0 after winning the second game by seven wickets while the first match was washed out after just two balls — both also in Rawalpindi.

The final two matches are in Lahore on April 25 and 27.

Both teams are preparing for June’s Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the United States and the West Indies.