■BASKETBALL
Angry fans threaten players
A group of hardcore Caserta fans have stormed a training session and threatened to hold the players hostage following a run of poor performances, the Italian team’s coach said on Thursday. Around 50 supporters invaded the court and said they would prevent the players from leaving the arena on Sunday if the top-flight strugglers lose against Benetton. “There was no physical contact but we came close to it because some of the players didn’t like having their work interrupted,” coach Fabrizio Frates said. “There were threats and they were clear and unequivocal.”
■CRICKET
Balaji back after four years
India’s cricket selectors yesterday picked Lakshmipathy Balaji for their New Zealand tour, after a four-year Test absence for the fit-again seamer. Balaji, 27, who last played a Test match in March, 2005 before suffering a career-threatening stress fracture to his back, was named in a 16-man squad for next month’s three-Test series against the Kiwis. The Tamil Nadu seamer claimed 27 wickets in eight Tests before being laid low by injury. Balaji joins a five-man seam attack that includes 20-year-old rookie Dhawal Kulkarni, who took 41 wickets in his maiden first-class season to help Mumbai win the Ranji Trophy last month. The selectors, who announced the team through a media release, retained the nucleus of the squad that beat Ricky Ponting’s Australia 2-1 and England 1-0 in home Test series late last year. But only six players — Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Venkatsai Laxman, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh — have played a Test on New Zealand soil before.
■CRICKET
Pakistan great to tour China
Former Pakistan great Javed Miandad will next month tour China as a cricket ambassador to promote the game in the Asian giant. “As part of Pakistan’s support plan to promote the game of cricket in China, we have decided to send Miandad to China so that he can explore ways to help lift the game in that country,” said a sports ministry official, Ashraf Khan. Miandad, 51, will tour China from March 9 to March 15. “I have high hopes of China competing at a top level very soon because the feedback I have is that they have potential and can excel in the field of cricket, like they did in other sports,” Miandad told reporters. Pakistan has previously provided assistance to China, such as training and coaching facilities, to prepare its national cricket team. Former Pakistan player Rashid Khan is China’s national cricket coach and guided their female team to the semi-final of the Asian Cricket Council women’s tournament in Malaysia last year.
■CRICKET
Rain has final say
There was no result in the final match of the one-day international series between Australia and New Zealand in Brisbane yesterday after rain forced its abandonment. Australia reached 168 for 4 off 22 overs in their rain-shortened innings, with Brad Haddin cracking an unbeaten 88 off 65 balls with five fours and three sixes. Callum Ferguson contributed an unbeaten 55 from 35 balls with seven fours. New Zealand reached 123 for 6 after 14 overs before the weather had the final say. Martin Guptill was unbeaten on 64 off only 34 balls with debutant Brendon Diamanti on 26 not out from 22 deliveries. The series finished 2-2, which meant that holders Australia retained the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.
Tainan TSG Hawks slugger Steven Moya, who is leading the CPBL in home runs, has withdrawn from this weekend’s All-Star Game after the unexpected death of his wife. Moya’s wife began feeling severely unwell aboard a plane that landed at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday evening. She was rushed to a hospital, but passed away, the Hawks said in a statement yesterday. The franchise is assisting Moya with funeral arrangements and hopes fans who were looking forward to seeing him at the All-Star Game can understand his decision to withdraw. According to Landseed Medical Clinic, whose staff attempted to save Moya’s wife,
Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday homered for the fifth consecutive game, tying a Los Angeles Dodgers franchise record. Yankees star Aaron Judge was the last player to homer in five consecutive games, accomplishing that feat last year. Ohtani, who leads the National League with 37 home runs, homered in the first inning off Minnesota Twins starter Chris Paddack. He hit a slow curveball 134m to center. He carried the bat midway down the first-base line and then did a bat flip. He did not hit a home run later in the game with the Dodgers trailing, but his presence was felt. With two outs
Taiwan’s world No. 6 shuttler Chou Tien-chen yesterday defeated India’s H.S. Prannoy to advance to the quarter-finals of the China Open in Changzhou. It was former world No. 2 Chou’s eighth win in 14 matches against Prannoy, who had earlier this week lamented the age divide between him and up-and-comers, although he is only two years younger than 35-year-old Chou. The Taiwanese, who is seeded sixth at the tournament, rebounded from a close 21-18 loss in game 1 on Court 2 at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium. He bounced back to take the next games 21-15, 21-8 and set up a tough quarter-final
The Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday acquired Taiwanese-American outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations to fill the roster after All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe was placed back on the injured list. Fairchild was designated for assignment by the Braves on Monday after hitting .216/.273/.333 in 28 games for Atlanta, with most of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. He joins Tampa Bay as a versatile fourth outfielder option. To make room for Fairchild on the 40-man roster, the Rays transferred relief pitcher Manuel Rodriguez (forearm strain) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day
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