Page 27 - Urdu Link - May 25, 2018

SPORTS MAY 25, 2018 – PAKISTAN LINK – P27
SPORTS MAY 25, 2018 - PAKISTAN LINK
Miandad backs abolishing toss Insurance for players: right

from cricket, Salim differs decision at the wrong time

LAHORE: The death of great hock- Academy, Mian Rizwan, said the tour
international curators to maintain the ey goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmad last was arranged by the government. He
standard of pitches. week was distressing. But as it hap- said the president, prime minister
“I think having international cu- pens in our country, on such occa- and sports minister of Mauritius had
rators with a set guideline to make sions the government and political invited the academy and offered it
sporting pitches would be a better parties make some important deci- warm hospitality.
option instead of ending the toss,” sions, which they may not on ordi- Rizwan said they had invited the
Salim reckoned. nary days. Mansoor’s death due to Mauritius academy to visit Pakistan
“In India and Pakistan slow- a serious illness forced the federal to play three matches, one each in
and-low pitches are prepared which sports ministry to introduce a policy Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi in
help home sides win matches rather to provide insurance covers to all rec- August-September this year. He said
easily as this region generally has ognised sportspersons of the country. football was the only popular game in
[world’s] best spinners. However, Though it is a good step, but Mauritius and the people there were
when the same team [from sub-con- the timing of the decision may cre- amazed to know that the game was
tinent] tours England, Australia or ate hurdles. With general elections also popular in Pakistan.
New Zealand it fails to produce around the corner and in case of a Lahore division’s boxers dom-
good performance mainly because change of government, the new one inated last week’s Punjab Open In-
pitches in these countries are in may not give any consideration to ter-Division Boxing Championship.
complete contrast to sub-continent this initiative. Around 300 male and 100 female
tracks,” Salim elaborated. There is a need that the Pakistan boxers from all nine divisions of the
“Every cricket board wants to Sports Board (PSB), which is also part province took part in the sports gala
prepare pitches [in home games] that of this decision, keeps the issue alive held by the Sports Board Punjab.
suits its own team whereas an inter- even after the general elections to get Lahore won 16 gold medals,
national curator will prepare pitches it implemented by the next govern- while Faisalabad and Dera Ghazi
LAHORE: While legendary bats- “No doubt, toss is an integral according to the standards set by the ment. There are hundreds of examples Khan remained second and third.
man Javed Miandad has endorsed part [of the game] but you have ICC, giving equal opportunities to where even medal winners for Paki- From Lahore, Rabia Basri, Ta-
International Cricket Council’s to experiment in order to achieve both home and touring teams to excel stan lived in miserable conditions and hira Warsi, Arzoo Ashraf, Hamza
proposal to abolish toss from the better results in the game; and this with their available resources. are struggling to make ends meet. Sikandar, Zain Rafiq, Hashim, Ibrar
game, another former Test cricketer move [of abolishing toss system] He added, “It is better for cricket According to the decision, a de- Ahmed, Mudassir Khan, Yousaf
Salim Altaf says instead of doing may also prove helpful in intro- that it should be played on sporting tailed policy for providing insurance Ali, Muhammad Arsalan, Muham-
away with the tradition, the game’s ducing the tradition of producing wickets, giving equal help to bats- cover to elite sportspersons would mad Suleman and Faisal Shafiq all
governing body should introduce good-standard pitches, as tracks men, spinners and seamers and that is come to the fore in the next three won gold medals. Cash prizes of Rs
international curators to produce giving unfair help to home teams a big challenge for the ICC. months. Hopefully, the policy will 2.6 million were distributed among
standardised pitches. has become a major hurdle in recent “And to achieve this scenario provide the best of healthcare and the winners.
The ICC’s cricket committee years for touring squads,” Miandad, [of sporting tracks], the ICC should take best care of their families in case Although boxing is a popular
will debate removing the toss when a veteran of 124 Tests, added. come out with a comprehensive pro- of their death. game in the country, Punjab lags be-
it meets in Mumbai later this month. On the other hand, Salim in- gramme to install international cu- The PSB has also named one hind in it as boxers from Sindh and
The panel, which operates in an sists that toss should remain part rators having the ability to prepare of the grounds of its Naseer Bun- Balochistan are expressing more in-
advisory role and can only make rec- of the game. sporting wickets all over the world,” da Hockey Stadium after Mansoor terest in pursuing the game. But this
ommendations to the ICC chief exec- “Toss is an integral and traditional he said. Ahmad, who was a hero of Pakistan event, hopefully, will create interest
utives’ committee, is due to consider part of cricket. Therefore, abolishing “I remember in 1987, Pakistan hockey team and instrumental in the among the youth. The Sports Board
whether the choice to bat or bowl first it does not make any sense. In fact, leg-spinner Abdul Qadir had tak- country winning the 1994 World Cup Punjab should organise such events
should be given to the visiting captain toss is also a source of judging the en nine wickets on the first day of in Sydney by saving a penalty stroke. for other games as well.
to encourage fairer pitches. wisdom of a captain who is required the first Test against England at the Though the Pakistan Hockey With the start of the holy month
“There is no harm if the ICC to make a call in case he wins the Gaddafi Stadium while other bowlers Federation and the sports ministry of Ramazan, sports activities in La-
tries to go with the new system of toss. And his acumen is then proven remained wicketless,” he recalled. announced financial grants for his hore have almost ended. However, a
abolishing the toss. Ultimately, the right or wrong at the end of the match Asked if drop-in pitches could be treatment, but that was not enough few organisers are planning to hold
move may force the home team to which may result in victory or loss the alternative of having equal stan- and Mansoor appealed to the Indian some sports events at nights. Dar
prepare pitches of good standard for his team,” Salim told Dawn. dard pitches throughout the cricket- government for making arrangements Hockey Academy is one of them that
instead of focusing on preparing “As PCB’s chief operating of- ing world, Salim did not agree. “It for his treatment as it had better facil- plans to organise a tournament at the
tracks that [completely] suit them,” ficer, I have been attending ICC would create other problems; rather ities to treat his diseases. The doctors newly established ground of National
Miandad said while talking to me- meetings during which there were than drop-in pitches, expert curators treating Mansoor in Karachi were Hockey Stadium with the facility of
dia on Saturday. discussions regarding introducing can be a much better option.” also not ready to give him permission floodlights also available there.
Contrary to the situation in Ka-
to travel as it could have proved fatal.
Bairstow unconcerned at prospect of emy last week returned home after a rachi, sports activities in Lahore are
The Model Town Football Acad-
not common in Ramazan. The port
facing Amir again 10-day tour of Mauritius where its city has good cricketing infrastruc-
veterans’ team played three matches
ture with almost five big grounds
against its local counterpart. Each
having the facility of floodlights.
team faced one win and a defeat While in Lahore there’s hardly any
LONDON: England’s wicket-keep- ously. “There are plans that you are needs highlighting.” Bairstow is also while the third match ended in a ground where cricket matches are
er/batsman Jonny Bairstow is unper- going to have. You could pick out any enthused by the Test return, fresh draw. The mentor of the Model Town possible at night.
turbed at the prospect of facing Paki- right-arm bowler that we have had from the Indian Premier League, of
stan’s Mohammad Amir again in the problems against — [or Australia’s] Jos Buttler — whose surprise selec- Root returns to number three spot
two-Test series starting here at Lord’s [Mitchell] Starc and [Mitchell] John- tion at number seven will allow the
next week. son are two very good bowlers. Yorkshireman to move up to five as to shoulder more responsibility
Amir, who burst on to the scene “It’s possibly a disservice to our he seeks to consolidate his Test aver-
with his brilliant left-arm pace and players [to mention it], because we age of 39.20.
swing eight years ago in England, have got players who have scored a Reflecting on the first squad LONDON: Joe Root believes a year was on my batting when it came
took his 100th Test wicket to help Pa- lot of runs around the world against picked three days ago by new nation- in the captaincy has given him the around.”
kistan on the way to the hard-earned left-armers. “People have got skills al selector Ed Smith, he said: “Bring- experience he needs to move up the The England top order’s struggle
victory they completed over Ireland – I don’t think it’s a problem that ing Jos in at seven is really exciting. England batting order to the pivotal for consistency was evident in their
in Dublin on Tuesday. “He has obviously been in great number three position for the two- series defeats in Australia and New
A five-year ban over his part in form in the IPL. It is a really positive Test series against Pakistan begin- Zealand as Gary Ballance, Tom West-
the 2010 Lord’s spot-fixing contro- selection.“You have got to keep faith ning on Thursday. ley and Vince all failed to establish
versy stopped Amir in his tracks, of with people and you have got to make Since replacing Alastair Cook as themselves at number three.
course — but on his comeback tour difficult decisions — and that is ex- the Test captain last year, Root has Root’s highest Test score of 254
of England in 2016, there were still actly what has happened.” batted at number four and juggled the came at number three, in a 2016 Test
signs of the wonderful skills with Smith has ‘kept faith’ with Mark dual demands of being the leader of against Pakistan.
which he had lit up world cricket as Stoneman at the top of the order, but the side as well as its batting main- “I did it [number three] for one
a teenager. dispensed with James Vince at num- stay. Coach Trevor Bayliss, though, game in New Zealand and it didn’t
Bairstow succumbed just once, in ber three – a position which will in- believes England’s best batsman work out there but this is a great op-
the final Test at The Oval, and Amir stead be filled by captain Joe Root. should come at number three and the portunity to do it at home and it’s a
finished the four-match series with 12 Vince’s omission was accom- axing of James Vince for the series great opportunity moving forward,”
wickets at an unflattering 42 each as panied with words of advice from against Pakistan has ensured Root’s Root said.
luck largely evaded him. Smith, who spelled out that he be- elevation. “Ultimately nothing will change
The England wicket-keeper is re- lieves the Hampshire batsman has the “I think it’s an opportunity for me about the way I go about my batting.
spectful of Amir’s abilities but does ability to score many more runs than to take on a bit more responsibility at I will look to have that hunger and de-
not appear about to lose any sleep he so far has — and needs to go out the top of the order,” Root said at the sire to make really big runs.”
over the hosts’ imminent challenge and prove it. launch of England’s 2018 kit. Wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow
of taking guard against him in the re- Speaking at New Balance’s “I’ve had a year in the captaincy will bat at number five in a revamped
match. Referencing the drawn series launch of England’s kits for this year, now and I feel I’ve gained enough batting order, while Jos Buttler, who
two years ago, Bairstow said: “We Bairstow said: “Vincey is a fantastic experience to feel comfortable doing has been in scintillating form in the
played them [Pakistan] not too long player. It is well above my pay grade that. “For me it was getting used to Indian Premier League, has been se-
ago, so there will be people in their to decide what he needs to do, but that the captaincy and making sure I could lected as a specialist batsman at num-
team we have played against previ- conversation will have been had.” separate the two; that my full focus ber seven.

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