Page 27 - Pakistan Link - March 23, 2018

SPORTS MARCH 23, 2018 – PAKISTAN LINK – P27
SPORTS MARCH 23, 2018 - PAKISTAN LINK
IHC dismisses petition challenging ban Security plan for PSL 2018

on cricketer Sharjeel Khan final in Karachi revealed

KARACHI: Sindh police and gov- a third physical search at the sta-
ISLAMABAD: The Islam¬abad ernment officials on Monday un- dium gates.
High Court (IHC) on Monday dis- veiled the security and traffic plan 6. PCB official Arshad Khan
missed a petition filed by cricketer for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) says the board’s staff will be on hand
Sharjeel Khan against imposition of a final, to be played at Karachi’s Na- to guide visitors to their seats. The sta-
five-year ban on him over a spot-fix- tional Stadium on March 25. dium can seat about 35,000. Four VIP
ing scandal. Spectators will need to pass enclosures will be set up at the venue.
The anti-corruption tribunal of through a roughly four-hour-long, 7. After the match, the crowd
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had three-tier security clearance proce- will be transported back to the mar-
last year imposed the ban on the dure before they can enter the sta- shalling area via the shuttle service.
left-handed batsman over charges of dium. Spectators were requested to use the
spot fixing in Pakistan Super League Rangers’ Brigadier Shahid ex- same shuttle service and route they
(PSL). He was accused of play- plained the security measures which came to the drop zone in.
ing two dot balls in one of the PSL will be in place, and described the The residents of the surrounding
matches. process spectators will pass through areas will be requested not to force
Justice Aamer Farooq of the IHC in order to attend the match: traffic police officials or members
dismissed the cricketer’s petition for 1. Ticket holders will report of the security forces to let them ap-
want of jurisdiction. to the specified car parking areas, proach the stadium directly, Brigadier
During the hearing, Depu- where there will be six marshalling Shahid said.
ty Attorney General Raja Khalid areas. At the car park, they will un- No one is allowed to carry eat-
Mehmood Khan raised the objec- dergo the first physical search and Pa- ables from outside the venue.
tion that the IHC lacked territorial hore and PCB’s anti-corruption tribu- petitioner on Feb 13, 2017 under Ar- kistan Cricket Board (PCB) staff will A series of PCB-approved ven-
jurisdiction to entertain the petition nal chairman as respondents. ticle 4.3 of the code to appear before verify their tickets. dors will set up food stalls within
since the tribunal, which convicted The counsel stated that petitioner the PCB’s security and vigilance de- 2. After this, they will ap- the car parking area and spectators
the cricketer, had conducted the tri- Sharjeel was an international cricket- partment on Feb 17. proach a shuttle service which will can purchase food and drinks from
al in Lahore. er who made his debut in 2013 and The petitioner’s so-called in- then drop them off at the designated there and then go to the stadium.
In his petition, Mr Khan had cited was charged by the PCB for com- terview was conducted on the drop zone. There are three drop zones Ambulances will also be present at
the ministries of law and inter-pro- mitting violations of the board’s an- above-mentioned date and then on ─ one at Expo Centre, one opposite the parking area in case of a medical
vincial coordination, PCB chairman, ti-corruption code. He added that the Feb 18 a notice of charge under Ar- Bahria University, and a third oppo- emergency, the Rangers official said.
Spectators are permitted to carry
independent adjudicator of NCA La- notice of demand was issued to the ticle 4.6 was issued to Sharjeel Khan. site Aga Khan Hospital. their cellphones, but will not be al-
3.
They will undergo another
Federer faces del Potro in BNP Paribas Open final physical search at the drop zone. lowed to carry power banks to charge
4.
their phones.
The distance from the drop
zone to the stadium gates is about “I request you to ensure you have
INDIAN WELLS: Roger Federer Federer is 18-6 in his career pushing him to the limits, but at the 200-300 metres. Spectators will walk enough power in your phone to last
was on the ropes, down two breaks against del Potro, with two of the end he was better player,” Coric said. from the drop zone to the gates. Se- through the match,” said Brigadier
in the second set and another one losses coming at the U.S. Open, in “I thought he was going to drop, but nior citizens and differently-abled Shahid. Security procedures for VIP
in the third. Borna Coric thought he the 2009 final and last year’s quar- he didn’t. He stayed in the match spectators will be transported from and VVIP personnel will be commu-
was close to toppling the world’s top- ter-finals. very, very long, and I just couldn’t the drop zones to the gates via buses. nicated to their security officers, he
ranked player. Federer rallied from a 5-7, 2-4 keep it up anymore.” 5. Spectators will undergo added.
Not so fast. deficit to win the final four games of Federer hasn’t started a season
so well since 2006, when he won
Federer rallied for a 5-7, 6-4, the second set, breaking Coric twice his first 16 matches en route to a Wrist injury forces Misbah
6-4 victory in the BNP Paribas Open for the first time in the match.
semi-finals on Saturday, extending “It didn’t come easy, so I had to 92-5 record.
his career-best start to 17-0 and giv- go get it,” Federer said. “You need to The Swiss superstar was playing out of remaining PSL games
ing him a chance to win his record be match-tough, you need to be con- a rare 11:00a.m. match. According to
sixth title. “I went for my shots. I was fident, have experience, and I think I the ATP Tour, Federer hadn’t played
not waiting. I made the right choic- have a bit of all of that right now, and that early since 2006. And it showed DUBAI: Islamabad United will of their appointed vice-captain Rum-
es all the time,” Coric said. “He was that’s the reason I won.” as he sprayed errors all over the court be battling out their remaining man Raees after the Pakistan seamer
just a better player in those specific There were five breaks in the third. and didn’t break Coric for the first fixtures of the HBL Pakistan Su- sustained a serious knee injury while
moments. At the end, he just got Federer trailed 4-3 and then broke af- time until late in the second set. per League (PSL) without regular fielding against Quetta Gladiators in
through.” Barely. ter two deuces on his way to winning “Really I just woke up,” Federer captain Misbah-ul- Haq who has Sharjah on Feb 28 and is currently re-
“I should have lost a match,” the last three games of the two-hour, said in an on-court interview. “It was been ruled out by a hairline frac- cuperating in Karachi.
Federer said. 20-minute struggle. “That’s why he’s early today. I had pasta at 9:15. It was ture on his wrist. Misbah, who played eight match-
He will meet No. 6 Juan Martin champion,” Coric said. yummy.” The former Pakistan skipper will es and batted only four times in this
del Potro in the final. The Argentine Coric’s crosscourt forehand was Until losing the first set, Federer be out for four weeks after being PSL with a best score of 22, was pres-
breezed past No. 32 Milos Raonic of called out on match point. He chal- hadn’t dropped a set in the tourna- hit by a bouncer from left-arm fast ent at the stadium during Sunday’s
Canada 6-2, 6-3 in 66 minutes for his lenged the call and the line system ment. Trailing a set and 0-2 in the bowler Tymal Mills during the final qualifier.
10th consecutive match victory and showed it was just wide of the side- second, the crowd, including Rod league-round match against Karachi Moreover, Islamabad are also
400th of his injury-plagued career. line. “I was aggressive and I was Laver and Pete Sampras, seemingly Kings in Sharjah on Friday. without Andre Russell after the West
tried to will better shots out of Fed- JP Duminy took over the leader- Indies all-rounder who pulled his
erer with loud applause and shouts of ship for the qualifier against Karachi right hamstring during team’s crush-
encouragement. which was in progress at the Dubai ing victory against Karachi in Shar-
“Borna played a great match. He International Cricket Stadium at the jah on March 4.
was very steady,” Federer said. “I can time of filing this report, with Sahib- Russell had returned to competi-
see why he caused a lot of problems zada Farhan replacing injured Mis- tive cricket at the PSL after complet-
to a lot of players, and he’s only go- bah. ing a year-long ban in January for a
ing to improve from here.” Islamabad earlier lost the services doping violation.
Coric, a 21-year-old from Croa-
tia, was in his first ATP Masters 1000
semifinal. He will jump 13 spots to
No. 36 in Monday’s ATP World Tour
rankings. Federer, No. 1 again at 36,
owns 27 career Masters 1000 titles.
Coric is part of a trio of 20-some-
things that have dominated the desert
tournament.
Multan Sultans’ manager blames ‘older’ players for

dismal performance in PSL

KARACHI: Multan Sultans team roster, Sultan had no other option but we were not able to make the best
manager Nadeem Khan on Monday to pick their first 10 players from the squad,” he told media.
said “older” players were the reason released ones and they also had the “Another reason,” Nadeem said,
for the team’s dismal performance in last pick in all categories during play- “is that Sultans’ match schedule was
Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) third ers draft. “All other teams retained the toughest among all.”
edition. their best 10 players and we had to “We got a good start but as we
Speaking to media upon arrival at take our pick from the players re- played matches in quick succession
Karachi airport, Nadeem Khan said, leased by other teams, so we had few- some of our players got tired and suf-
“The average age of our players was er choices,” the manager explained fered injured, thus we failed to keep
the highest if compared to other PSL while further reasons for Sultan’s the momentum going,” Nadeem ex-
teams, and some of them also suf- failure to qualify for the playoffs. plained. Nadeem also said that not
fered injuries because of the hectic “We are not blaming anyone being able to give Shan Masood a
schedule that the team had.” because we accepted things as they chance was also unfortunate of the
Being the newest addition to the were, but those were the reasons that part of Sultans.

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