Page 27 - Pakistan Link - March 26, 2021

SPORTS MARCH 26, 2021 – PAKISTAN LINK – P27
MARCH 26, 2021 - PAKISTAN LINK
SPORTS
Sharjeel happy with welcome on return to Sri Lanka bowlers peg back WI in

national side after lengthy ban slow session

NORTH SOUND: Sri Lanka claimed in the afternoon session in partner-
on his return. “I have played with all wickets at both ends of a dour morn- ship with Kyle Mayers. On Sunday,
these players in the past and in recent ing session which produced just 59 former captain Jason Holder took five
domestic matches, so there was no runs as they restricted West Indies to wickets to help the hosts seize con-
difficulty in adjusting.” 72 for two in reply to the tourists’ pal- trol. Relieved of the captaincy after
Before his ban, the left-handed try first innings of 169 on the second five-and-a-half years the all-rounder
batsman had played one Test, 25 one- day of the first Test on Monday. returned impressive figures of five
day internationals and 15 Twenty20 In between the dismissals of cap- for 27 off 17.4 overs. Holder’s eighth
matches for Pakistan. tain Kraigg Brathwaite and Nkrumah five-wicket innings haul in Test crick-
“Now I am back in the squad my Bonner, the hosts crawled along with et included the important scalp of
focus is only on cricket,” he said. a second-wicket partnership of 56 in Lahiru Thirimanne during the final
“All the talk of the past is now 21 overs between Bonner and fel- session of the day as the tourists’ last
past.” Sharjeel, who struck a century low-Jamaican John Campbell. five wickets tumbled for just 19 runs.
in this year’s PSL before the compe- Having seen Braithwaite fall Thirimanne had offered stout re-
tition was suspended last month be- to a regulation catch at second slip sistance to all the West Indies bowl-
cause of a coronavirus outbreak, also by Dhananjaya de Silva off seamer ers for just short of five hours before
pushed back against questions about Suranga Lakmal without any addi- he dragged a delivery onto his stumps
his fitness. tion to the overnight score, Campbell to depart for 70 off 180 deliveries.
“I have played 55-60 days of do- and Bonner rode their luck through Holder also terminated the only
mestic cricket and I will achieve the almost the entire session in the Sir meaningful resistance from the Sri
goals given to me by the Pakistan Vivian Richards Stadium. Lankans when wicket-keeper/bats-
LAHORE: Pakistan opener Sharjeel number of no-balls or wides bowled team trainer,” said Sharjeel. Bonner should have been dis- man Niroshan Dickwella was caught
Khan said on Tuesday he was delight- in a particular over. “I want to play my natural game missed at third slip when on 17, only at first slip for 32 to end a sixth-wick-
ed with the welcome he had been giv- This gives individual players the on the tour.” Sharjeel — selected to be recalled after television replays et partnership of 58 with Thirimanne.
en since being recalled to the national opportunity to “spot-fix” — influenc- only for the four Twenty20 matches showed fast bowler Dushmantha Wicketless and unlucky in the
squad after completing a lengthy ban ing the lucrative betting market with- in South Africa and three in Zimba- Chameera had delivered a no-ball. morning session, Kemar Roach
for spot-fixing. out, supposedly, affecting the overall bwe — has until April 10 to further Neither batsman was able to grabbed two wickets in the afternoon
The 31-year-old was banned in outcome of the match. improve his fitness. dominate the disciplined Sri Lankan session and added a third amid the
2017 for five years — with half the Sharjeel was named earlier this Pakistan’s tour begins on April 2 attack but they looked set to reach post-tea collapse. The 32-year-old’s
sentence suspended — for his part in month in the squad to play a series of with the first of three one-day interna- lunch safely until Bonner fell. At- final analysis of 3-47 from 16 overs
rigging Pakistan Super League (PSL) Twenty20 internationals in South Af- tionals against South Africa. tempting to pull a short ball from lifted his haul of Test wickets to 208
matches in the United Arab Emirates. rica and Zimbabwe next month. “I am selected for Twenty20 in- left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya, in his 62nd match.
Although illegal in Pakistan, “It was a good welcome and the ternationals only, so I will do fitness Bonner was struck high on his right Deprived of early success when
gambling on cricket is widespread atmosphere was very good,” Sharjeel work on the tour and get ready.” thigh, prompting umpire Gregory Jermaine Blackwood missed a sim-
with punters betting on specific out- said after being asked if fellow squad The squad flies to South Africa Brathwaite to give him out leg before. ple chance at backward-point off Sri
Bonner reviewed the decision
comes during the game — such as the members had given him a hard time on Saturday. but the replay showed the ball would Lankan captain Dimuth Karunaratne,
Roach earned the rewards for his per-
LHC suspends sessions court Kohli calls for player have clipped the top of off stump and sistent efforts by bowling Dhananjaya
de Silva and then having debutant
he departed for 31.
order against Babar Azam power in scheduling most three hours and faced 116 deliv- Pathum Nissanka superbly taken by a
Campbell, who has batted for al-
diving Holder at second slip to leave
on eve of ODI series
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court FIA had conducted the investigation. eries for his unbeaten 27, will resume the visitors languishing at 92 for five.
(LHC) on Monday suspended the or- Azmat argued that the sessions court Elbow injury rules Archer
der of a sessions court directing the had issued the order in contravention
Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of the law. “The order to register a
to register a case against Pakistan case was given without hearing the out of India ODI series
cricket captain Babar Azam and oth- position of Babar Azam,” he said.
ers in a harassment case. In his petition, Azam contended LONDON: Fast bowler Jofra Archer their attack at the T20 World Cup in
The court also issued notices to that he was an international cricketer has been ruled out of England’s up- India starting in October and during
the FIA and Hamiza Mukhtar. and the captain of the national crick- coming One-day International series the 2020-21 Ashes series in Australia.
Last week, a sessions court had et team in all three formats. It con- against India and will also miss the And by taking him out of action now
directed the investigation agency tended that the order passed by the start of the Indian Premier League and managing his workload during
to lodge a case against Azam on sessions court was an “unreasoned, due to an ongoing elbow injury, the the upcoming English season, the
Mukhtar’s complaint. She had al- non-speaking order”. England and Wales Cricket Board hope is he will be fit for both those
leged that she was constantly re- It further added that the im- (ECB) statement said on Sunday. showpiece events.
ceiving “threatening messages” pugned order was in violation of the PUNE: India skipper Virat Kohli on Archer played in all five matches England white-ball captain Eoin
from different mobile numbers on Prevention of Electronic Crimes and Monday said players should be con- of the just-concluded Twenty20 In- Morgan, speaking after Saturday’s
WhatsApp. She had said she was Investigation Rules 2018, while the sulted over the cricket calendar as the ternational series in India, which the 36-run defeat in the fifth T20 in
continuously blackmailed that the direction to register an FIR was in extended bubble life during the coro- hosts won 3-2. He bowled his maxi- Ahmedabad, said Archer had a pro-
suspects would upload fake pictures violation of rule seven of the same. navirus (Covid-19) pandemic has mum allocation of 20 overs but was gressive injury that needed attention.
of her on social media if she did not The petition urged the LHC to set strengthened fears of burnout. all the while nursing a painful right “It will be over to our medical
accept their demands. aside the order issued by the lower With India headed into three elbow. The Sussex quick missed two team to make that decision (about his
“Since, regular inquiry has been court. “It is further prayed that during One-day Internationals against En- of the four Tests against India earlier availability) and the decision Jofra
commenced with respect to the com- the pendency of the writ petition, op- gland starting in Pune on Tuesday in the tour because of the same elbow comes to will be the best for us in the
plaint of the petitioner. the respon- eration of the impugned order may after winning a gruelling Test series problem and is being sent home for long term,” Morgan added.
dent (FIA) is directed to proceed kindly be suspended,” it said. 3-1 and Twenty20 International series further medical assessment. Archer’s omission aside, the 14-
further with respect to registration Earlier this year, the LHC had 3-2, Kohli said more attention must That means he will miss the three man squad selected for the ODIs on
of FIR against the culprits within the suspended the operation of an or- be paid to cricketers’ mental health. ODI matches in Pune, with his arrival March 23, 26 and 28 closely resem-
stipulated time after committing legal der passed by a sessions court to the “The players need to be spoken at Rajasthan Royals for the latest IPL bles the one England deployed during
formalities,” Additional District and Naseerabad police to register a case to and consulted with all round,” said delayed. the T20 series.
Sessions Judge Hamid Hussain had against Azam on Mukhtar’s com- Kohli. “Otherwise it’s going to be a Archer was the Most Valuable Test captain Joe Root, no longer
said in his order. plaint. case of whoever can last through dif- Player in the last edition of the IPL. a T20 regular, will not be flying back
Justice Asjad Javed Ghural pre- Mukhtar had previously accused ficult times like this plays, if not then His current deal with Rajasthan is for the 50-over matches, which is un-
sided over today’s hearing and not- Azam of deceitfully maintaining sex- move away and someone else replac- worth some 800,000 pounds ($1.1 surprising given the quarantine issues
ed that the cricketer had submitted ual relations and making false prom- es that player.” million) but there was no indication that would involve.
a new request. “Who conducted the ises of marriage. She had also alleged He added: “I don’t think that’s from the ECB when, or even if, he Leg-spinner Matt Parkinson has
inquiry in this case,” the judge asked, that she got pregnant in 2015 with his healthy for a cricket system and crick- would join the franchise for the T20 been promoted from the standby list
to which Azam’s legal counsel, Bar- baby but was forced to go through an et culture moving forward which we tournament that begins on April 9. but batsman Dawid Malan and fast
rister Haris Azmat, replied that the abortion. definitely want to make stronger and “Jofra Archer is returning to the bowler Chris Jordan, involved in the
stronger.” UK for further management and in- T20 series, join seamer Jake Ball as
Responding to suggestions that vestigation of his right elbow inju- travelling reserves.
the 50-over games were out of place ry,” said an ECB statement. “Jofra’s
in a year dominated by the World elbow issue has deteriorated over the
Test Championship final and the T20 course of the Twenty20 International
World Cup, Kohli said: “Tournament series and made it increasingly chal-
scheduling is something that is not in lenging for him to maintain perfor-
our control. I think it’s very important mance levels. He has been deemed
to consider how much cricket you are unfit for selection for the ODI series.
playing. It’s not just the physical side “The ECB medical team will
of thing but the mental side of things assess the player and, together with
as well. “Scheduling and workloads Jofra, develop a treatment plan and a
is something that everyone will have return-to-play schedule in due course.
to be very aware,” he added. “Espe- As a consequence, Jofra will miss the
cially in today’s day and age where start of this year’s Indian Premier
you just don’t know where restric- League.”
tions might come in.” England will want Archer to lead

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