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Royals ride Gopal and Buttler show to beat Bangalore

Wednesday, April 3, 2019 Rajab 27, 1440 AH

GULF

TIMES

SPORT

FOOTBALL

Pogba wants to stay at Man United, says Solskjaer

Page 7

Victorious Duhail return with Asian club handball title

Al Duhail handball players and officials returned to a warm welcome at Doha's Hamad International Airport from Kuwait after winning the 21st Asian Men's Club League Championship. Duhail beat Al Wakrah 22-21 in the final game, which was held on Monday at Kuwait SC hall. Earlier in the day, Kuwait SC handball team, who had lost to Al Wakrah in the semi-final, played UAE's Al Sharjah, who lost their semi-final against Duhail, for the third place. Kuwait SC missed out narrowly with a 27-28 loss. PICTURE: Anas Khalid

FOOTBALL

Amir Cup final set for May 16

By Sports Reporter Doha

The final of the 47th edition of HH the Amir Cup will be held on May 16, with the venue for the title clash to be decided later. The draw ceremony for the tournament is scheduled for April 14.

The prestigious championship will kick off with a preliminary match between second division teams Mesaimeer and Al Shamal on April 11 at the Al Duhail stadium, the winner of which will qualify for the competition.

Following the qualification match, the draw ceremony will be conducted at the Kempinski Hotel, where the kick-off times and the match-ups will be revealed. Qatar's most popular football tournament will bring together teams from the QNB

Qatar Stars League (QSL) and the Second Division.

The tournament will be held over five stages with the first two rounds reserved for Second Division teams. In the second phase of the tournament -- set to commence on April 21 -- will see top three teams from the Second Division competing against the 10th, 11th and 12th placed sides in QNB Stars League. The matches will be held at Al Gharafa Stadium and Al Arabi Stadium.

In the third stage, QNB Stars League teams (5th, 6th, 7th and 8th) will compete against each other at Grand Hamad Stadium and Al Gharafa Stadium. The fourth round, which is the quarter-finals stage, will see the top four of the QNB Stars League competing against each other on May 2 and 3 at Al Duhail Stadium and Al Arabi Stadium. The

semi-finals will be held on May 11 and 12 at Al Sadd Stadium.

Qatar Football Association's Chairman of the Competitions Committee Hamad al-Mannai said, "The stages of the 2019 HH the Amir Cup have been carefully studied and planned by the officials of QFA. The scheduling of the 2019 HH the Amir Cup will allow our clubs -- featuring in the 2019 AFC Champions League -- ample time to rest and prepare for their matches."

Al-Mannai said that the dates of matches have been approved for all the stages with only match-ups remaining to be decided. He expressed his confidence that the current edition of HH the Amir Cup will witness the same success like the previous editions, and wished good luck to all participating clubs.

ASIAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIP

Doha ready to host Asia's

best athletes this month

`There is no better way to test our preparations for such major events than hosting the Asian Athletics Championships'

QNA Doha

The organising committee of the Asian Athletics Championships is intensifying preparations to host the 23rd edition of the Championships from April 21-24 at Khalifa International Stadium, with the participation of top athletes from the continent.

Asian Athletics Association president and IAAF vice-president Dahlan al-Hamad said Doha 2019 will be one of the most important tournaments in the history of Asia as Doha, the world-renowned athletics destination, is set to welcome Asia's top athletes.

"I'm thrilled to welcome Asia's

elite athletes to Doha, the global hub for athletics, where our outstanding facilities promise to deliver a flawless experience for everyone involved in the event," said al-Hamad.

Al-Hamad said this edition of the continental athletics showpiece brings together nearly 1,000 athletes and up to 450 officials from 45 countries, who will compete for top honours in the world's most populous continent.

"Qatar is about to embark on an enthralling summer of firstclass athletics with the IAAF Diamond League and IAAF World Athletics Championships to follow as top athletics events staged in Doha. There is no better way to test our preparations for

such major events than hosting the Asian Athletics Championships," al-Hamad added.

The four-day tournament will take place at Khalifa International Stadium where innovative and environment-friendly cooling technology has been successfully operating, ensuring optimal conditions for athletes and fans alike.

Over morning and evening sessions will have athletes will compete for 186 medals in 21 men's events, 21 women's events in addition to a mixed relay event that makes its debut in the Asian Athletics Championships.

The tournament will see the usual continental powerhouses go head-to-head for the number one spot in Asia's athletics. After an initial period of Japanese

dominance over the championship, China has taken over as undisputed champion for 17 consecutive editions until it was unseated by last editions hosts and eventual winners, India.

With top Asian athletes descending on Doha from the different regions of the continent, the Championships will surely produce promising athletes who can then return to Doha in September and shine on the global stage when the city hosts the World Championships.

"It's a great honour to welcome some of the finest athletes in the world to Doha for yet another major athletics event. As always, our facilities and infrastructure are ready to help athletes compete at their best and deliver an

amazing atmosphere for fans of the game in Qatar and the region," said Qatar Athletics Federation president Dr Thani bin Abdulrahman al-Kuwari.

Along with the Diamond League round in May, Asian Athletics Championships will be the official test event of the IAAF Worlds, with all major operations, including the venue, transport and accommodation, set to be examined to ensure a smooth and spotless experience during the global showpiece.

Doha has a proven track record of bringing international athletics to the region by staging the annual Doha Diamond League, World Indoor Athletics Championships in 2010 and Asian Games in 2006.

In this July 9, 2017 picture, the then QOC secretary-general and current Qatar Athletics Federation president Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari (left) receives the flag from Asian Athletics Association president and IAAF vice-president Dahlan al-Hamad for the 2019 edition of the Asian Athletics Championships, which Doha will host.

State-of-the-art Khalifa International Stadium will host the Asian Athletics Championship from April 21-24.

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Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019

SPORT

FORMULA 1

A Schumacher is back in a Ferrari cockpit

Reuters Manama

Mick Schumacher, son of seven times world champion Michael, made his Formula One test debut with Ferrari yesterday at the Bahrain circuit, where 15 years ago his father won the first grand prix in the Middle East.

The 20-year-old European F3 champion made his Formula Two debut at the Sakhir circuit over the weekend, finishing eighth and sixth in the two races.

The German, whose father won the Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position in a Ferrari one-two on April 4, 2004, will also test with the Ferrari-powered Alfa Romeo team (formerly Sauber) today.

Yesterday's test in the SF90 was Mick's first experience of a modern F1 car, although he did drive his father's 1994 titlewinning Benetton at the Spa-

Mick Schumacher (also right) prepares to drive his first laps for Ferrari at the in-season test at the Sakhir circuit yesterday. (AFP)

Francorchamps circuit before the 2017 Belgian Grand Prix.

"Obviously, with the name and being the son of Michael, there's

certainly some links and expectations," four times champion and current Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel said last week.

"The way he has developed in the last years, he deserves where he is now. Now we should give him the time and the peace to do his job."

Michael Schumacher, who still holds the record of 91 grand prix wins, won five of his titles with Ferrari in a golden period from 2000 to 2004. He left the team in 2006 before a comeback with Mercedes from 2010-12.

Schumacher senior has not been seen in public since he suffered severe head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps in December 2013. He turned 50 in January.

Mick, who joined the Ferrari academy in January, was the only debutant on track in a rain-hit opening session that followed Sunday's second grand prix of the season.

They were joined by double world champion Fernando Alonso, who left Formula One at the end of last season but was back in a McLaren testing tyres for Pirelli.

GOLF

Valenzuela: the

amateur who turned

down Augusta 21-year-old will instead be at the first women's major of the season

By Ewan Murray The Guardian

The green marketing machine has whirred into action early this year. The Masters can wait; Saturday will see the closing round of the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur take to the hallowed turf in Georgia. This is, according to those who will preside over it, "a historic event that promises to shine a spotlight on women's golf and help inspire a new generation of players".

Depending on your outlook, there is a case of unfortunate timing or Augusta National demonstrating ? not for the first time ? that the greater good isn't really their concern. As an epic fuss is made over an international field of 72 ? cut to 30 by the time the event switches from the Champions Retreat to the Masters venue ? a women's major will be taking place from Thursday until Sunday.

The ANA Inspiration, the first major of the golfing year, has unquestionably been overshadowed by Augusta's latest attempted demonstration of diversity.

The ANA had already been affected by the rising frenzy attached to the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, where excited kids and giddy parents take to Augusta National, live on television, on the Sunday preceding Masters week.

Needless to say, the LPGA Tour, which runs the ANA Inspiration, is privately lukewarm

World number five Albane Valenzuela will play at ANA Inspiration.

? to put it mildly ? about the whole business. This has also placed some competitors in a difficult position.

The ANA landed a coup by sealing amateur involvement from Paphangkorn Tavatanakit, the world No 2, Freda Kinhult, who is fourth, and Albane Valenzuela, currently No 5. Jennifer Kupcho, the top-ranked amateur in the world, will play in Augusta. Valenzuela's story may be the most interesting, and she articulates it impressively. Born in the US, she spent toddler time in Mexico before the Valenzuela family relocated to Geneva for 15 years.

She is now in the penultimate year of a political science and communication degree at Stanford, the California university which counts Tiger Woods and Michelle Wie among golfing alumni.

The 21-year-old Valenzuela harbours no ill whatsoever towards Augusta, which she believes is offering an "unbelievable" opportunity to fellow amateurs this week. It was, the golfer admits, a "tricky" decision to spurn the advances of the Green Jackets when accepting an invite for an ANA return.

"It's a special major to me," she says. "I got the opportunity

to play in 2016 for the first time and made the cut. When I did that, my dad pointed out I might have a shot at the Olympics because of the points situation.

"I got invites to tournaments, made a top five, had other good performances, played in a US Open and was able to compete in the Olympics so I have always been so grateful for that original opportunity. It was a turning point in my career."

Two years ago, Valenzuela received the call from the ANA only for a bike accident the day before she was due to leave for the tournament meaning she had to withdraw. Her major

place was offered again for 2018, when she finished 59th, and retained this time around.

"I don't think many amateurs have had this number of opportunities from the ANA," she adds. "I couldn't say no, they have always been so supportive. It's the first major of the year and I love the course. It's a very significant thing that's happening at Augusta so I'm sad to miss that but I'm very excited to be going back to the ANA. I don't think there was a `wrong' choice, that's just my perspective. I couldn't say no to ANA."

Valenzuela's Plan A is to turn professional immediately upon completion of her degree in 2020. "Now that I have this backup of a Stanford degree, I think I'll go out there a little more freely," she says.

A bigger picture relates to an Olympic return, having represented Switzerland in Rio. The men's section of golf's return to the Games was offset by a raft of withdrawals; the women's element, though, seemed wholly positive.

"I think the guys made one of the biggest mistakes of their lives," Valenzuela says. "I've never had so much fun. You are surrounded by the best athletes in the world, it is not just about golf. It's the highest reference for sport. It meant the world to me to be walking in that stadium, right behind the flag bearer."

Further Olympic recognition looks inevitable. For now, a major championship is all the better for Valenzuela's reciprocal appreciation.

TENNIS

Bencic, Ostapenko ease into second round in Charleston

Reuters Toronto

Swiss ninth seed Belinda Bencic made a strong start to her claycourt season with a 6-3, 6-0 win over qualifier Destanee Aiava to reach the second round of the Charleston Open in South Carolina on Monday.

Bencic broke Aiava at love to open the match, one of the six break points she converted, and was never really tested as the 18-year-old Australian made 24 unforced errors.

Aiava did well to fight off one match point but then doublefaulted the next time the match was on the line to hand Bencic victory in 56 minutes.

Up next for the world number 21 at the green-clay event will be American Allie Kiick, who beat Frenchwoman Pauline Parmentier 6-3, 6-0.

Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, a runner-up here in 2017, dropped

the opening game of her match but quickly righted the ship and dominated the rest of the way in a 6-1, 6-4 win over Swede Johanna Larsson.

Latvian Ostapenko had seven double faults in the match but rounded into form as the match wore on before clinching the win by firing down an ace.

She will next face American Shelby Rogers, who was a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Russia's Evgeniya Rodina in her first match back after being sidelined for more than a year by a knee injury.

Such was her relief at being fit and back on court again, Rogers succumbed to tears after winning the opening set.

"It's kind of embarrassing to be honest," the 26-year-old Charleston native told reporters.

"It was a great moment, I enjoyed every second of it -- even when I got broken. That's part of it. It's all those feelings I missed so much. The adrenaline, the nerves, the excitement, everything. You can't recreate that outside of the arena."

SPOTLIGHT

Murray returns to court after surgery, eyes doubles at Wimbledon

After near-fatal accident, German golfer Leonie Harm targets Augusta

DPA Berlin

Six years ago, Leonie Harm's golfing career seemed to be over before it had barely begun. In a serious traffic accident, she narrowly escaped death. Now the 21-year-old from Germany will be part of a new era: On Saturday, the final round of a women's tournament will be played for the first time at the elite Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, Harm is one of 72 players starting in the Augusta National Women's Amateur championship, as a prelude to the first major of the year when the world's male golfing elite play a few days later for the Masters title and the green jacket. Only the top 30 amateur golfers will qualify for the final

day of the women's event on the world's most famous golf course, where until 2012 the privilege of hitting the white ball over the fairways was reserved exclusively for men. The 54-hole tournament begins today and tomorrow with rounds at the Champions Retreat Golf Club, some 20 kilometres away. The international field of 72 will be cut to 30 for the final round at the Augusta National. Harm has only fragmented memories of the accident on the morning of May 3, 2013, when before school she started to cross the road while jogging. She was hit head-on by car travelling at around 70 kilometres per hour. "Why I crossed the street, I do not know," she told DPA in an email interview. "Apparently I looked around before I jogged onto the street."

Leonie Harm. (Twitter/leoharm)

Harm was placed in an induced coma. Her chances of survival were "low," she says. She had suffered fractures to the base of the skull, hip, ankle and rib. The petrous bone that surrounds the inner ear was also broken, the lungs bruised and haematomas had formed in the brain. But Harm fought back. "After five days, I was reasonably awake again," she said. "After two weeks, I left the hospital,

and after about seven weeks, I was able to play golf again." Hard to imagine, but the only permanent damage she has is "limited hearing on my right ear and thus a poor sense of balance". Today, nearly six years later, the young, self-confident woman is in the midst of life. She has been studying biochemistry at the University of Houston, Texas, since 2016, thanks to a sports scholarship, and plays golf with the Houston Cougars University team. In the summer months she always travels to Germany to start in team events for Golf Club St Leon-Rot. She is weighing up her future: a career in research or a move into professional golf. "I'm currently tempted to give the professional career a try. If that does not work out or if I would not enjoy it so much, I

want to get involved in cancer research," she said. Last summer, she celebrated one of her greatest sporting triumphs when in Southport, England she became the first German to win the British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship -- giving her the ticket to the tournament premiere in Augusta. Women have long been on the outside at the Augusta National Golf Club. The club, one of the most elite in the world, was founded in 1932 and for 80 years was a purely male bastion. Hosting a women's tournament represents a quantum leap. "It's a great pity that golf has lasted until the second decade of the 21st century, to find that these places should be playable for women," Harm said. "This tournament is an important statement and I am pleased to have the chance to be a part of it."

Reuters Bengaluru

Andy Murray has returned to a tennis court two months after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery.

Murray, who has not played competitively since his first round exit at the Australian Open in January, said last month he could possibly play at Wimbledon as he was now pain free after the surgery.

The 31-year-old posted a short video on Instagram, where he was

seen hitting the ball in an outdoor court while rallying with a wall with a caption, "It's a start."

Murray had said he was not sure he could play in the singles draw at Wimbledon, a tournament he has won twice, but targeted a possible return in doubles at this year's tournament as it put less stress on his hip.

The three-times Grand Slam champion compared his situation to that of American doubles player Bob Bryan who returned to the court 5-1/2 months after a similar procedure.

This year's Wimbledon begins on July 1.

IPL

Royals ride Gopal and Buttler show to beat Bangalore

`Today, we were more competitive, but we were 15-20 short with the bat'

Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019

3

CRICKET

SPOTLIGHT

Coach Cooley's Ashes job to be a hit-and-run affair

Reuters Melbourne

Australia

bowling

coach Troy Cooley

has no plans to carry

on the role full-time

after this year's Ashes series

and expects to head back to his

usual job at the national cricket

academy after plotting Eng-

land's downfall.

Cooley, who helped England

win back the urn in the memo-

rable 2005 series, left his post

as head bowling coach at the

National Cricket Centre in Bris-

bane to join the Australian camp

for the recent one-day series

against Pakistan and India.

Although announced as

bowling coach for the Ashes

last week, Cooley confirmed he

would be in the role for a good

time, not a long time.

"Ashes, it gets me out of bed

in the morning," the 53-year-

old said in Dubai, where Aus-

tralia completed a 5-0 white-

wash of Pakistan on Sunday.

"It's one of the best jobs go-

ing around.

"You could not pass up an

opportunity like this.

"But I would probably be

more inclined to continue the

(NCC) head coaching role."

Cooley replaced David Sak-

er, Australia's last full-time

bowling coach, for the India

and Pakistan ODI series, but

governing body Cricket Aus-

tralia have yet to decide on a

long-term appointment. As one of the principal architects of England's droughtbreaking 2-1 series win in 2005, Cooley's involvement is a boost for an Australian team hoping to claim the urn on English soil for the first time since 2001.

He said reverse swing might not have as much of an impact on the series as it had in 2005 because of stadium upgrades.

"It really depends on Mother Nature," Cooley said.

"We'll exploit that if we get an opportunity to, depending on the conditions.

"But a lot of English grounds now have got irrigation and been redone, so you don't have those real dry outfields like in `05."

Even with first choice quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood currently injured, Australia are unlikely to be short of quality pacemen.

Cooley said Australia's whole attack would need to be versatile to have success in England when the series gets underway in August.

"The fast bowlers and the spinners have got to work as a team and I know `JL' (head coach Justin Langer) is really keen to make sure that pack mentality is tight and they're covering all bases," he said.

"So if we rock up and get a green seamer or a dry one we've got enough skillset and enough coverage to be able to take 20 wickets."

Rajasthan Royals batsman Jos Buttler raises his bat after completing his half-century during the IPL match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur yesterday. (Right) Rajasthan Royals bowler Shreyas Gopal celebrates after dismissing Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli. (AFP)

IANS Jaipur

Jos Buttler and Steve Smith made sure Shreyas Gopal's valiant effort with the ball did not go in vain, as Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by seven wickets in their IPL game at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium yesterday.

Leg-spinner Gopal (3/12) snared three wickets in his three overs to reduce RCB to 73/3 from a steady 49/0 and they could only manage 158/4 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.

Chasing a modest 159 for victory, Buttler (59; 43b; 8x4 1x6) made the most of a reprieve when he was dropped on 7 by RCB skipper Virat Kohli in the second over to bring up his seventh fifty in the last ten IPL games while Smith - dropped thrice - scored

a 31-ball 38 before finally holing out to Umesh Yadav at long on off Mohamed Siraj.

Yuzvendra Chahal (2/17) was the pick of the bowlers for RCB as he got the wickets of Royals' captain Ajinkya Rahane (22) and Buttler but it was too little too late as Rahul Tripathi (34 off 23 not out) hit a six off the penultimate ball of the innings to take his team home.

Royals needed five in the final over and as much as it looked like they would make heavy weather of a simple chase, Tripathi pulled Umesh for a maximum to complete the formalities with one run needed in two balls.

RCB, thus, succumbed to their fourth straight loss to stay rockbottom in the points table while Royals registered their first win.

Earlier, Gopal was given the ball in the seventh over and the leg-spinner first broke skipper Kohli (23; 25b; 3x4) and Parthiv

Patel's 49-run partnership for the opening wicket, then cut short AB de Villiers and Shimron Hetymer's stay at the crease in his next two overs as the visitors were reduced to 73/3 in 10.1 overs.

Patel top-scored for RCB with a patient 41-ball 67 - his knock laced with nine fours and a six - while Marcus Stoinis was unbeaten on 31 off 28 balls and Moeen Ali played a nine-ball 18 run cameo to help the struggling outfit post a competitive total.

Patel and Stoinis joined hands for a 53-run stand for the fourth wicket. In the final over, Jofra Archer (1/47) leaked 17 runs with Ali smashing him for a six and a four as RCB managed to score 51 runs in the last five overs.

RCB were off to a good start as Kohli looked in positive frame of mind from ball one, working K Gowtham through midwicket for a couple of runs.

Facing most of the deliver-

ies in the early stages, Kohli was looking good when Patel joined him to welcome Archer by hitting him for three fours in the fifth over.

At the end of six overs, RCB were 48/0, but just after the Powerplay, Gopal removed Kohli with a superb googly that beat the right-hander all ends up to crash into the stumps through the gate.

Gopal did not stop, sending the other `big fish' de Villiers back in the hut in the ninth over for just 13 with another wrong' un that stopped on the batsman forcing him to punch the ball back to the bowler.

Gopal then accounted for Hetmyer (1) as well two overs later, the big-hitting West Indian failing to read another googly that turned away from him to take the outside edge for Buttler to complete a sharp catch behind the stumps.

Patel and Stoinis tried to steady the ship from there on with the Australian struggling to get going. Patel tried his best to drag the team to a fighting total but holed out to Rahane at long on off Archer in the 18th over, looking to up the ante.

From then on, Stoinis and Moeen hit a few boundaries to end on a high.

"Today, we were more competitive, but we were 15-20 short with the bat. I thought 160 was competitive, but with the dew factor, 15 runs more would've been more challenging," the losing captain Virat Kohli said.

BRIEF SCORES Royal Challengers Bangalore 158/4 (Parthv Patel 67; Shreyas Gopal 3/12); Rajasthan Royals 164/3 in 19.5 overs (Jos Buttler 59, Steve Smith 38, Rahul Tripathi 34 not out; Yuzvendra Chahal 2/17).

Royal backdrop for Cricket World Cup launch party

The launch for this year's cricket World Cup in England will take place on The Mall in central London, organisers hoping for a 4,000 sell-out crowd said yesterday. The Mall - which links Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square - will host the party on May 29, the eve of the opening game between England and South Africa, featuring "music, dance and some of the biggest names in sport", according to the organisers. "The opening party will capture the very essence of what makes this tournament so special and will be hugely exciting for the fans that are

lucky enough to attend," said World Cup managing director Steve Elworthy. "The Mall, with Buckingham Palace in the background, is synonymous with some of the biggest events held in the UK and is instantly recognisable to everyone around the globe. "It will be a fitting celebration of a World Cup, cricket and sport with diversity at its core," added the 54-yearold former South Africa bowler. Tickets for the launch party for the tournament - which runs from May 30 to July 14 - will be allocated in a free ballot which opens tomorrow.

FOCUS

Pakistan's Umar fined for night out in Dubai

AFP Karachi

Pakistani cricketer Umar Akmal's dancing skills off the pitch have landed him in trouble as the maverick middle-order batsman was fined 20 percent of his match fee for a night out in Dubai.

The 28-year-old talented yet indisciplined player was in the United Arab Emirates for a fivematch series against Australia, which Pakistan lost 5-0 in Dubai on Sunday. It was his first international fixture since January 2017. But a video clip circulating on social media showed Umar attending a concert and dancing on Friday night in Dubai.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement late Monday that Umar had apologised after team manager Talat Ali charged him with breaching the team's curfew and going to a club, a violation of the rules for tours.

"I am glad that Umar has realised his mistake, and has accepted and apologised for his actions, which were clearly unprofessional and in no way can be ignored or overlooked," PCB managing director Wasim Khan said.

"The PCB expects a high level of professionalism and commitment from its players, and this action is a reiteration and timely reminder that any indiscipline shall not be tolerated or accepted."

Umar managed just 150 runs in the five matches ? a disappointing show that could have a negative impact on his potential selection for the 2019 World Cup, to be held in England and Wales from May 30 to July 14.

The player has had a history of disciplinary problems since making his international debut in 2009.

He was infamously arrested for a day in 2014 after attacking a traffic warden. In 2015, he was dropped from the Pakistan team after local media reported another raucous night of dancing.

Waqar Younis, Pakistan's previous head coach, also suggested the PCB keep Umar away from the team over disciplinary problems following the World Twen-

ty20 in India in 2016. He has also clashed repeatedly with current head coach Mickey Arthur.

In 2017 Arthur sent him home days before the start of the Champions Trophy after he failed a fitness test.

Later that year he received a three-month ban after a spat with Arthur in the national cricket academy in Lahore.

Umar is also under investigation by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for claiming in a television interview that he was offered money to underperform during the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.

The ICC said Umar has not been charged, so he was free to play in international competition.

In this file photo taken on March 24, 2019, Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal leaves the field after being dismissed during the second ODI against Australia in Sharjah. (AFP)

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Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019

SPORT

CRICKET

I've played my last

game for England,

says Cook For the next three seasons, the former England captain wants to give something back to Essex

BASKETBALL

LeBron out for World Cup, says 2020 Olympics `possibility'

AFP Los Angeles

Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James is a "possibility" for the defending champion US team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but says he will skip this year's World Cup in China.

The 34-year-old forward for the Los Angeles Lakers told The Athletic website in a story posted Monday that he will begin production on the movie Space Jam 2 during this off-season and how he feels after next season will determine his chances of playing for gold in Japan next year.

"That's a possibility," James said. "It depends on how I feel. I love the Olympics."

James spent most of the 2004 Athens Olympics on the bench as a US team of NBA stars settled for bronze, then served as the backbone of a revamped programme that won Olympic gold in 2008 at Beijing and 2012 in London.

He did not play for the American squad that captured a third consecutive title in 2016 at Rio.

James is entering the earliest NBA off-season he has known, the Lakers having benched him for the finish of the campaign due to a left groin injury that has nagged him since late December.

This season snaps an eightyear run of NBA Finals appearances for James, who captured two titles with the Miami Heat and another with the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom he left as a free agent to join the Lakers last July.

James will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005 and plans for extra training time during his long summer break as well as his movie work on a set that

will include a basketball court so he can get in some workouts while making the movie.

"I've had basically the same offseason training regimen the last eight years," James told the website. "I knew how long I wanted to rest for the season on a short timeline. I'm figuring out now how to get as much as I can out of two months of extra time for training.

"It requires a totally different strategy. We're looking at it in an entirely new way."

` I've had basically the same offseason training regimen the last eight years. I'm figuring out now how to get as much as I can out of two months of extra time for training. It requires a totally different strategy. We're looking at it in an entirely new way

-- LeBron James,

on entering his earliest NBA off-season courtesy an injury

The Space Jam sequel being made by the SpringHill Entertainment production company owned by James is set for a July 2021 release, 25 years after the original film with NBA legend Michael Jordan and animated allies like Bugs Bunny was released.

That meant James wasn't going to be a candidate for the US team of NBA players competing under coach Gregg Popovich in this year's FIBA World Cup, set to open August 31 in China.

"I love everything about Pop, obviously, but this is not a good summer for me," James said.

James averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists for the Lakers this season and passed Jordan for fourth place on the all-time NBA scoring list.

In this September 9, 2018, picture, England's Alastair Cook plays a shot on the third day of the fifth Test against India in London. (AFP)

By Kevin Mitchell The Guardian

It might be a stretch to see Alastair Cook as the Billy Bonds of cricket, although the England and now exclusively Essex hero shares with the long-ago West Ham favourite the old-fashioned virtues of loyalty and commitment. Cook, a classic one-club loyalist, has never played his serious cricket anywhere but for Essex and England ? and, no, he does not envisage an international comeback.

"I've played my last game for England," he said yesterday. He looked as if he meant it.

When Cook stepped away from England duty after 161 Test matches with a century at the Oval last summer ? finishing as had begun, a dozen years earlier ? he turned again to Chelms-

ford, where he announced his arrival so spectacularly 14 years ago with a double-hundred against a weakened Australian touring side on a pitch as much like marble as turf. He rode his luck, alongside his old friend Ravi Bopara. Both are still here, seeing out the autumn days of their careers, awaiting the start of the county season on Friday.

At the same venue under a gloomy sky yesterday, Cook, a youthful 34, was as buoyant as he was on that sunny day in 2005. But he has done all his looking back. For the next three seasons, he wants to give something back to Essex.

Last week against the Cambridge MCC University side, he knocked out 150 ? his first century as a knight of the realm ? to set speculation rolling that he might be on the bench for England this Ashes summer. He allows himself the half-laugh

of someone who has heard the same suggestion many times.

"I was asked a very interesting question on a panel show, with, like, 18 different circumstances, and I said: `You can never say never,' but, look, I've played my last game for England. Of course there's always that one thing ? an absolute emergency ? but I'm nowhere near that mindset.

"I've had 12 amazing years playing for England. It's time for the next generation of toporder players to try to make their mark. I look forward to watching it, hopefully being involved in whatever capacity at certain stages down the line, whether it's commentating, being involved in coaching, wherever my life might lead me.

"In one way, it's sad that it's never going to happen again, but I've had my time. I've had an amazing journey. But, towards

the end, I wasn't the player I was. Things had to move on."

Nevertheless, the merest twinges of nostalgia have invaded Cook's thoughts over the winter.

"Over the last few months there have been times ... like when England won in Sri Lanka, you know the experience the guys would have had out there. When you win, it's the reward you get for a lot of hard work in tough conditions. I certainly miss that day, and there have been a few other periods. It's natural when it's been such a big part of your life for a long time. But life moves on, doesn't it?

"I went to the Caribbean with the BBC, starting the transition period out of the England team, the first time I've seen England play a Test match without being involved. It's been remarkably smooth.

"It's been good experience

to be at home for a long period of time. I've enjoyed spending time with the kids and I'm looking forward to the summer."

Normally that would have meant preparing for the rigours of fending off bowlers such as Pat Cummins, Josh Hazelwood and Mitchell Starc, when the Ashes begin in August. Instead, Cook will be moving around the counties with reduced expectations, and no pressure.

Only four people in the history of cricket ? Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid ? have scored more Test runs than Cook, none of them an Englishman. Reggie Duff, Bill Ponsford, Greg Chappell and Mohamed Azharuddin were the only other players to start and end their international careers with centuries; none was born on Christmas Day and none played for Essex. He's been blessed in many ways.

BOTTOMLINE

Collapse of Canadian women's league creates air of uncertainty

In this January 25, 2019, picture, Rebecca Johnston of the Canadian women's hockey team competes in the NHL Puck Control during the 2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills at SAP Center in San Jose, California. (AFP)

Reuters Toronto

The sudden demise of the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL) has left the future of women's professional hockey in North America in disarray with many of the world's best players without a club team to play for.

The CWHL, which was founded in 2007, is one of two women's professional leagues in North America and consensus was they could not thrive as separate entities even as popularity of the women's game has been rising in recent years.

"It was overkill," Ken Wong, a marketing professor at the Smith School of Business at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, told Reuters.

"This is a very limited, not just pool of talent but pool of fans. So to split them up two ways like that made no sense at all."

The CWHL has four teams based in Canada, one in the United States and another in China, where it was hoping to grow the women's game ahead of the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

According to the league, a record 175,000 tuned in to watch its championship game last week in Toronto where a crowd of nearly 5,000 were on hand as Calgary beat Montreal for the Clarkson Cup.

The CWHL, which boasts some of the game's biggest names in Canada's Marie-Philip Poulin and American Hilary Knight, operates as a centrally funded, nonprofit enterprise but said its business model has proven to be economically unsustainable.

It will cease operations effective May 1.

In the wake of Sunday's announcement, several Canadian players, including two-times Olympic gold medallist Poulin, posted the same statement on their social media accounts.

SHOCK NEWS "The only thing stronger than the initial shock of the news, was the force felt by every single one of the players immediately coming together," the statement read.

"We know what we have is not enough. We want to build a better future for ourselves and for generations of women to come. That begins now."

The decision leaves the fiveteam National Women's Hockey League, founded in 2015 and based exclusively in the United States, as the only professional

hockey option for women in North America.

The news also rekindled the oft-talked about discussion about a merger between the CWHL and NWHL, with the latter offering perhaps some reassuring words to players affected by the shutdown of the Canadian league.

"We will pursue all opportunities to ensure the best players in Canada have a place to play," NWHL Founder and Commissioner Dani Rylan said. "Those conversations have started already and have quickly become a priority."

Players, and even the commissioners, from both leagues have previously said a single women's professional league in North America would be best for the sport.

Many pundits have suggested the ideal outcome for women's

hockey in North America would be if the National Hockey League, home to the top men's players, provided its infrastructure, marketing and branding to unite the two leagues.

But the NHL, which has previously said it was hesitant on assuming control over either league because it does not believe in their models, said it still has no plans to get involved.

"As long as there is a women's professional league existing and providing professional opportunities to elite women hockey players, we have no intention of weighing into this space," NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told Reuters in an e-mail.

"That doesn't mean we won't be supportive, but there is no need to take a leading role. Professional opportunities still exist for the best women hockey players."

Gulf Times Wednesday, April 3, 2019

5

SPORT

NBA

Giannis returns to power Bucks' win while Raptors romp

`We know how important that is but we are just trying to get better'

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (right) shoots the ball over Brooklyn Nets centre Jarrett Allen during the second-half of their NBA game at Barclays Center. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports

AFP Los Angeles

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a right ankle sprain to score 28 points and grab 11 rebounds Monday, powering the Milwaukee Bucks to a 131-121 NBA victory at Brooklyn.

The Greek star, who sat out a game due to the setback, lifted an injury-hit Milwaukee squad within one game of clinching the best regular-season record in the league and a home-court edge throughout the NBA playoffs.

"I thought it would be a really good team but to be honest with you I didn't think we would be the best team in the NBA," Antetokounmpo said.

Eric Bledsoe added 29 points and reserve George Hill had 22 off the bench for the Bucks, who lead the Eastern Conference at 58-20 and can clinch the best NBA mark with a win Thursday at Philadelphia.

"We know how important that is but we are just trying to get better," said Antetokounmpo. "We could have played better tonight."

Antetokounmpo sparked the Bucks as they pulled away late, hitting a 3-pointer

and later rebounding his own 3-point miss and driving in for a slam dunk to help seal the Nets' fate.

"When a team plays zone the whole game it's hard," he said. "But we started moving the ball well and knocking down some shots."

Sitting out a loss against Atlanta forced him to take some time early to regain a smooth flow with teammates.

"Just trying to get back into the rhythm," he said. "I was trying to wait for the game to come to me. My teammates did a good job finding me.

"I want to play every game ? rest is not in my dictionary. But I have to do what's best for the team to win and if that's rest then I will take a break."

Danny Green powered Toronto with 29 points and the Raptors stayed in the hunt for the overall top spot with a 121-109 home victory over Orlando, improving to 55-23 with four games remaining.

And the Raptors clinched no worse than second in the East when Philadelphia lost 122-102 at Dallas, the 76ers falling to 4928.

Justin Jackson led the Mavericks with 24 points while Tunisian reserve center Salah Mejri added 16 points and 14 rebounds for Dallas.

RESULTS

Indiana Boston Toronto New York Milwaukee Portland Dallas Utah Phoenix

111-102 110-105 121-109 113-105 131-121 132-122 122-102 111-102 122-113

Detroit Miami Orlando Chicago Brooklyn Minnesota Philadelphia Charlotte Cleveland

The Sixers, playing without Joel Embiid, got 26 points from J.J. Redick, 25 from Tobias Harris and 17 from Australian guard Ben Simmons in the loss.

WALKER HITS 47 IN LOSS All five teams battling for the final three playoff spots in the Eastern Conference lost Monday, moving Detroit (39-38), Brooklyn (39-39) and Miami (38-39) nearer the post-season with Orlando (39-40) and Charlotte still chasing and hoping. Despite Kemba Walker's 47-point effort, Charlotte lost 111-102 at Utah and slid to 35-42, staying three games behind Miami for the eighth and final playoff po-

sition. Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 25 points while Spanish guard Ricky Rubio had 20 points and 13 assists and French center Rudy Gobert added 18 points and 18 rebounds for the Jazz.

Boston's Kyrie Irving scored 25 points and Al Horford produced his second career triple double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Celtics' 110105 home victory over Miami, which had 30 points from Goran Dragic in a losing cause.

Thaddeus Young and Bojan Bogdanovic each scored 19 points to lead seven players in double figures for Indiana in a 111-102 home victory over Detroit.

Domantas Sabonis had 18 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for the Pacers while Andre Drummond had 18 points and 17 rebounds for the Pistons.

Portland matched Houston for third in the Western Conference at 49-28 with a 132-122 triumph at Minnesota. Rodney Hood scored 21 points and Enes Kanter added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Luke Kornet's 24 points led five starters in double figures for New York in a 113-105 home victory over Chicago.

MLB

Hernandez ends personal skid as M's dump Angels

Reuters New York

Felix Hernandez ended an eight-game losing streak, and the Seattle Mariners continued their best start since 1995 with a 6-3 win against the visiting Los Angeles Angels on Monday night.

The game was the opener of a two-game series.

Hernandez (1-0), the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner who will turn 33 on April 8, went 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (one earned) and seven hits. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

In his previous 11 appearances (10 starts) since his last victory, Hernandez had gone 0-8 with a 6.34 ERA. Seattle committed four errors through the first four innings but still maintained a 4-3 lead when Hernandez departed.

Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give Seattle some insurance en route to its sixth win in the first seven games.

Chris Stratton, whom the Angels acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Giants last week, started and got off to a rocky start, allowing four runs in the first inning. The right-hander settled in and didn't allow another run before exiting after 4 1/3 innings, having yielded seven hits with one strikeout and two walks.

Mallex Smith started the first-inning rally by reaching on an infield single and then taking second on a wild pitch. Mitch Haniger walked, and Domingo Santana followed with a single to left, scoring Smith for a 1-0 lead. After retiring the next two batters, Stratton gave up an RBI single to Omar Narvaez, followed by a two-run double by Tim Beckham for the 4-0 lead.

The Angels got a run back in the second. Albert Pujols led off with a single and took third on an error. Brian Goodwin knocked in Pujols with an infield single to make it 4-1.

Pujols led off the fourth with a double to deep center.

He then tested Smith's arm in center on Jonathan Lucroy's single and beat the throw to make it 4-2. Two throwing errors by Narvaez helped bring Lucroy home and cut the deficit to 4-3.

CARDINALS PUSH ACROSS RUN IN 11TH TO

BEAT PIRATES Paul DeJong scored on a twoout, bases-loaded passed ball in the top of the 11th inning Monday as the St. Louis Cardinals spoiled the Pittsburgh Pirates' home opener, 6-5.

The Cardinals loaded the bases against Steven Brault (0-1) before a Nick Kingham pitch got away from catcher Francisco Cervelli with Yairo Munoz at bat. St. Louis erased a four-run deficit before Colin Moran's solo homer in the eighth gave Pittsburgh a 5-4 lead. In the top of the ninth, Cardinals pinch-hitter Jose Martinez hit a one-out RBI double for a 5-5 tie.

Kolten Wong hit a two-run homer and Tyler O'Neill hit an RBI single for the Cardinals. Jordan Hicks (1-1) pitched two innings, and John Gant pitched a scoreless 11th for his first save. St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright gave up four hits, four runs and four walks in four innings, with three strikeouts.

Moran also had a two-run double, and Josh Bell had two RBIs for Pittsburgh. Pirates right-hander Chris Archer struck out eight over five scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and three walks. In the first, Wainwright walked the first two batters. Bell hit a one-out grounder to drive in a run. Moran's double to right made it 3-0.

Pittsburgh made it 4-0 in the third. Starling Marte led off with a single, went to third on Corey Dickerson's double and scored on Bell's sacrifice fly. Wong cut the deficit in half, 4-2, in the seventh with a shot to right off Richard Rodriguez. Following Harrison Bader's infield hit, O'Neill reached on Moran's error at third, chasing Rodriguez. Francisco Liriano walked Matt Carpenter to load the bases.

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Felix Hernandez throws out a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports

NHL

Blues win in shootout after Avs rally for critical point

Reuters New York

Jordan Binnington had 24 saves through overtime and three more in a shootout, and Ryan O'Reilly scored the shootout winner against his former team as the St. Louis Blues beat the visiting Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Monday night.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Jaden Schwartz scored regulation goals to help the Blues sweep the four-game season series from the Avalanche. The win moved St. Louis (4328-8, 94 points) into a tie with Nashville for second place in the Central Division, with the Blues holding the first tiebreaker with three games remaining for both teams.

Gabriel Landeskog had a goal and an assist, Alexander Kerfoot also had a goal and Philipp Grubauer had 25 saves for the Avalanche, who earned a valuable point to increase their lead over Arizona to two points for the final wildcard spot in the West. Colorado (36-29-14) has 86 points, and both teams have three games remaining. O'Reilly, who played his first six NHL seasons with Colorado, beat Grubauer on the Blues' second shootout attempt. Binnington made saves on Nathan MacKinnon and Landeskog, while Sven Andrighetto missed the Avalanche's third attempt.

Tarasenko gave the Blues a 2-0 lead just 14 seconds into the third period. Grubauer

RESULTS

Florida New Jersey Toronto Tampa Bay St. Louis Winnipeg Las Vegas Calgary

5-3 Washington

4-2

Rangers

2-1

Islanders

5-2

Ottawa

3-2

Colorado

4-3

Chicago

3-1

Edmonton

7-2 Los Angeles

made a save on O'Reilly's initial shot, but O'Reilly tipped the rebound to Tarasenko, who beat Grubauer for his 31st of the season.

Landeskog, who missed three weeks with an upper-body injury, got his first goal in his second game back when he tipped in a shot from Patrik Nemeth at the point at 6:30 of the third period to make it 2-1.

It was his 34th of the season. Grubauer came off for an extra skater with 2:05 remaining, and it paid off in the final minute.

MacKinnon got the puck to Landeskog at the blue line, and he sent it to the front of the net. Kerfoot got a stick on it, and it bounced by Binnington to tie it at 2-2 at 19:13. It was Kerfoot's 13th of the season. St. Louis got the first goal of the game 7:07 into the first period when Schwartz tipped in a centring pass from Oskar Sundqvist. It was his 11th of the season.

TOP-SEEDED FLAMES REST PLAYERS, STILL HAMMER KINGS

Derek Ryan scored twice while Mark Jankowski netted one goal and two assists as the visiting Calgary Flames leaned on their lesser lights one night after securing top spot in the Western Conference and still throttled the Los Angeles Kings 7-2 on Monday night.

The Flames (50-23-7, 107 points) sat out their top four defensemen ? Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie, Travis Hamonic and Noah Hanifin ? as well as second-line forwards Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk, yet goalie David Rittich needed to make just 23 saves for Calgary, which has won three straight and nine of its last 12.

The score was tied 2-2 after the first period, but the Flames scored five unanswered goals to reach the 50-win mark for the second time in franchise history. The only other time they reached that feat was the Stanley Cupwinning 1988-89 campaign.

Johnny Gaudreau netted the winner at 6:46 of the second period with his team-high 36th goal and 97th point of the season, burying a sharp-angled shot inside the far post.

Then the visitors broke the game open with four goals in the final frame. James Neal scored 13 seconds into the third period and then set up Ryan's redirect goal at 2:33 of the period to make it 5-2.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington defends the net against Colorado Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie (No 4) during the second period at Enterprise Center. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports

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