The rehabilitation of Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Amir is to take another step forward today, with one-day captain Azhar Ali welcoming him into the side for the series against New Zealand.
Ali, who takes over the captaincy from Shahid Afridi for the 50-over game, initially refused to play alongside Amir, who is making his return to the international scene after a prison term and five-year ban for spot-fixing.
However, on the eve of the first ODI against New Zealand in Wellington, Ali said he had talked to Amir and aims to “get the best” out of the 23-year-old quick bowler if he starts.
“We have moved on. We are united and looking forward to the challenge,” Ali said as the team practiced in blustery conditions yesterday. “Whatever my stance was, my job is to lead and keep harmony in the dressing room.”
Pakistan have a strong squad of quick bowlers to choose from with Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali also in the mix.
“Obviously we will try to put a combination together which suits these conditions and the wind factor. We’ve been practicing bowling into it, everyone is ready,” Ali said.
New Zealand had no problems with Amir’s return.
All-rounder Grant Elliott saw the “trampoline” effect imposed by the giant Irfan as probably more of a concern. At about 2.13m, Irfan is one of the tallest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and the left-armer’s height posed problems for the batsmen.
“It’s like batting on a trampoline. It’s a different proposition,” said Elliott, who expects a lot of bounce in the Basin Reserve wicket.
AUSTRALIA, INDIA
Reuters, SYDNEY
India’s Mahendra Singh Dhoni knows the introduction of broadcast technology has enhanced the viewing experience for fans, but the skipper has called for restraint after the overhead “Spidercam” interfered with play in Saturday’s one-dayer against Australia.
Virat Kohli upper-cut John Hastings in the 19th over of India’s innings, but it was declared a dead-ball after hitting the camera.
India chased down a 331-run victory target to end their losing streak, but Dhoni warned that such interference could affect the outcome of tight contests.
“I am quite a traditional guy,” he said after the tourists avoided a whitewash by winning the fifth and final ODI. “Anything that disturbs the game of cricket I don’t like it.”
“It all started right from the Twenty20 where people would be like: ‘Why don’t you wear a mic?’; ‘Why don’t you wear a camera?’”
Dhoni said the camera, which travels along cables and gives a bird’s-eye view of the action, had to be used more carefully.
“I always feel there is always a need for a balance. At the end of the day, it’s a spectators’ sport, people watching on television, but at the same time four runs can really matter,” he said. “Especially when it’s a 310-320 game, those four runs can be crucial.”
On a lighter note, he said there should be some form of penalty for Spidercam if it gets in the way.
“Everyone gets penalized, why not have the same system for the Spidercam? Say: ‘Okay, if you get hit, $2,000 per hit.’ Let’s make it interesting,” he joked.
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB