How do they define Pakistan cricket? Mercurial? That’s what they say, right? You may have heard the word as pundits often scramble to define Pakistan’s resurgence or capitulation or may have read it in the newspaper columns.

In the lead up to this month, many teams around the world named their preliminary squads for next month’s T20 World Cup.

Pakistan, on the other hand, decided against committing anything publicly and named their 18 for the seven T20Is — three against Ireland and the rest against England — in the United Kingdom, their last layover before the mega tournament.

All 20 participating teams are allowed by the ICC to make changes in their squads and submit the final list before May 25. Pakistan play three matches against Ireland and four against England before that.

Pakistan, as revealed by Babar Azam, had hoped that the five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home would serve as an opportunity to try myriad combinations and finalise their World Cup squad before they departed for Ireland.

But, an underwhelming series result of 2-2 against a severely depleted New Zealand side, lack of impactful individual performances, and injuries extinguished those hopes.

Generally speaking, selectors wish to give players maximum chances to stake a claim in the final 15.

They have thrown two more names in the mix by selecting Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha for these last seven games before the World Cup.

Hasan was not at all part of the squad for the New Zealand matches and Salman was only named as one of the five reserves.

Pakistan play Ireland on 10, 12, and 14 May in Dublin.

In usual circumstances, these fixtures would be a mere brotherly detour to help Cricket Ireland generate funds through broadcast rights and commercial sponsorships.

But, with the T20 World Cup around the corner and Pakistan still unsure what their final 15 would look like, the next three games hold great significance for the Pakistan team management.

It is not as if everything is haywire. Unlike the 50-over World Cup last year when Pakistan’s hopes were severely dented when Naseem Shah broke down a month out of the tournament, Pakistan are finally on course to assemble a top-notch pace attack.

In Shaheen Afridi, Naseem, and Mohammad Amir, they have some of the exciting T20 bowlers who regularly demonstrate their destructive abilities with the new and old ball across various phases of an innings.

Haris Rauf, who is in the final phase of his recovery from the shoulder injury, has established himself as a fearsome and effective death bowler with 119 T20 wickets in the last four overs at 16.95 and has an outstanding economy of 8.95.

Hasan, who has been recalled as a cover for Haris, as explained by Wahab Riaz, one of the selectors and senior team manager, brings a plethora of experience and some good T20 form that he displayed in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Abbas Afridi’s wily use of variations make him an effective middle and death overs bowler.

Haris is expected to be available to Pakistan for the England matches and Amir will miss at least the first two Ireland games as he awaits a travel visa in Pakistan.

The unavailability of the two gives an extended run to Abbas, who has taken 10 wickets at 15.20 in six T20Is, all against New Zealand, and some game time to Hasan, who last played in the format for Pakistan in September 2022.

There are no dramas in the spin department.

Pakistan will be heavily reliant on Imad Wasim’s experience who was a vital cog in Pakistan’s T20I ascendance in 2018.

The left-arm spinner, who bumped Mohammad Nawaz from contention after coming out of retirement in March, has been one of the most effective T20 bowlers in the powerplay and middle-overs, especially in the Caribbean, where Pakistan, if qualified, play their three Super Eights matches in the T20 World Cup.

Shadab Khan comes off a decent PSL tournament, Abrar Ahmed adds mystery, and the combination of Iftikhar Ahmed and Salman Ali Agha provides off-spin variety.

It is the batting department, however, that will continue to undergo various rotations and experimentations on the British Isles as the team continues to look for methods to inject firepower.

Pakistan have been one of the slowest-scoring sides in recent years, which has often seen them post par scores that end up getting chased.

There is an urgency to find a solution as Azhar Mahmood, the assistant coach, pointed out recently in an interview with Dawn.

Pakistan have attempted to add that desired firepower by slotting Usman Khan and Irfan Khan in the middle order against New Zealand.

The former did not fire and was moved up the order after Rizwan and Irfan sustained muscle injuries in the third T20I.

Though Rizwan is said to have made significant progress from the hamstring injury, Pakistan would want to give match time to either Usman or Azam Khan, who was ruled out of the all New Zealand matches because of a calf injury.

Fakhar Zaman, one of the most explosive batters for Pakistan in white-ball cricket, has been permanently slotted at number four as revealed by the batter himself at a post-match press conference during the New Zealand series, and he repaid the management’s trust by scoring crucial runs in the two matches he played.

Despite a string of failures in international cricket, Pakistan’s management has not shied away from backing Saim Ayub, who comes with the promise of providing blistering starts as an opener.

The left-hander once again had a fine PSL.

He has been one of the brightest batting prospects in the domestic circuit, scoring heaps of runs in the first-class tournament too.

One of the reasons Pakistan want to continue to bank on Saim and hope that he picks up form is his stunning run in last year’s CPL.

In what was his maiden appearance in the league, Saim scored 478 runs, the second most in the tournament, at an average of 43.45 and a strike rate of 142.26 for Guyana Amazon Warriors, the eventual champions.

Ireland series just might be his last chance to establish himself at the top as any further failure may result in Pakistan going back to their opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, something Azhar highlighted in the interview.

In a fast-moving format where clarity of thought and role specialisation form the basis of successful sides, Pakistan players, less than a month out of their side’s first World Cup fixture, are auditioning for the last remaining spots.

They should have gone into this series looking to transition into the roles they were to take up at the World Cup, rather than worrying how their selection mattered in these games.

That’s how it happens in teams around the world or would be the case with their next two opponents Ireland and England.

That’s, however, not in harmony with Pakistan’s cricket fabric.

Mercurial, it is.

How do they define Pakistan cricket? Mercurial? That’s what they say, right? You may have heard the word as pundits often scramble to define Pakistan’s resurgence or capitulation or may have read it in the newspaper columns.

In the lead up to this month, many teams around the world named their preliminary squads for next month’s T20 World Cup.

Pakistan, on the other hand, decided against committing anything publicly and named their 18 for the seven T20Is — three against Ireland and the rest against England — in the United Kingdom, their last layover before the mega tournament.

All 20 participating teams are allowed by the ICC to make changes in their squads and submit the final list before May 25. Pakistan play three matches against Ireland and four against England before that.

Pakistan, as revealed by Babar Azam, had hoped that the five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home would serve as an opportunity to try myriad combinations and finalise their World Cup squad before they departed for Ireland.

But, an underwhelming series result of 2-2 against a severely depleted New Zealand side, lack of impactful individual performances, and injuries extinguished those hopes.

Generally speaking, selectors wish to give players maximum chances to stake a claim in the final 15.

They have thrown two more names in the mix by selecting Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha for these last seven games before the World Cup.

Hasan was not at all part of the squad for the New Zealand matches and Salman was only named as one of the five reserves.

Pakistan play Ireland on 10, 12, and 14 May in Dublin.

In usual circumstances, these fixtures would be a mere brotherly detour to help Cricket Ireland generate funds through broadcast rights and commercial sponsorships.

But, with the T20 World Cup around the corner and Pakistan still unsure what their final 15 would look like, the next three games hold great significance for the Pakistan team management.

It is not as if everything is haywire. Unlike the 50-over World Cup last year when Pakistan’s hopes were severely dented when Naseem Shah broke down a month out of the tournament, Pakistan are finally on course to assemble a top-notch pace attack.

In Shaheen Afridi, Naseem, and Mohammad Amir, they have some of the exciting T20 bowlers who regularly demonstrate their destructive abilities with the new and old ball across various phases of an innings.

Haris Rauf, who is in the final phase of his recovery from the shoulder injury, has established himself as a fearsome and effective death bowler with 119 T20 wickets in the last four overs at 16.95 and has an outstanding economy of 8.95.

Hasan, who has been recalled as a cover for Haris, as explained by Wahab Riaz, one of the selectors and senior team manager, brings a plethora of experience and some good T20 form that he displayed in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Abbas Afridi’s wily use of variations make him an effective middle and death overs bowler.

Haris is expected to be available to Pakistan for the England matches and Amir will miss at least the first two Ireland games as he awaits a travel visa in Pakistan.

The unavailability of the two gives an extended run to Abbas, who has taken 10 wickets at 15.20 in six T20Is, all against New Zealand, and some game time to Hasan, who last played in the format for Pakistan in September 2022.

There are no dramas in the spin department.

Pakistan will be heavily reliant on Imad Wasim’s experience who was a vital cog in Pakistan’s T20I ascendance in 2018.

The left-arm spinner, who bumped Mohammad Nawaz from contention after coming out of retirement in March, has been one of the most effective T20 bowlers in the powerplay and middle-overs, especially in the Caribbean, where Pakistan, if qualified, play their three Super Eights matches in the T20 World Cup.

Shadab Khan comes off a decent PSL tournament, Abrar Ahmed adds mystery, and the combination of Iftikhar Ahmed and Salman Ali Agha provides off-spin variety.

It is the batting department, however, that will continue to undergo various rotations and experimentations on the British Isles as the team continues to look for methods to inject firepower.

Pakistan have been one of the slowest-scoring sides in recent years, which has often seen them post par scores that end up getting chased.

There is an urgency to find a solution as Azhar Mahmood, the assistant coach, pointed out recently in an interview with Dawn.

Pakistan have attempted to add that desired firepower by slotting Usman Khan and Irfan Khan in the middle order against New Zealand.

The former did not fire and was moved up the order after Rizwan and Irfan sustained muscle injuries in the third T20I.

Though Rizwan is said to have made significant progress from the hamstring injury, Pakistan would want to give match time to either Usman or Azam Khan, who was ruled out of the all New Zealand matches because of a calf injury.

Fakhar Zaman, one of the most explosive batters for Pakistan in white-ball cricket, has been permanently slotted at number four as revealed by the batter himself at a post-match press conference during the New Zealand series, and he repaid the management’s trust by scoring crucial runs in the two matches he played.

Despite a string of failures in international cricket, Pakistan’s management has not shied away from backing Saim Ayub, who comes with the promise of providing blistering starts as an opener.

The left-hander once again had a fine PSL.

He has been one of the brightest batting prospects in the domestic circuit, scoring heaps of runs in the first-class tournament too.

One of the reasons Pakistan want to continue to bank on Saim and hope that he picks up form is his stunning run in last year’s CPL.

In what was his maiden appearance in the league, Saim scored 478 runs, the second most in the tournament, at an average of 43.45 and a strike rate of 142.26 for Guyana Amazon Warriors, the eventual champions.

Ireland series just might be his last chance to establish himself at the top as any further failure may result in Pakistan going back to their opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, something Azhar highlighted in the interview.

In a fast-moving format where clarity of thought and role specialisation form the basis of successful sides, Pakistan players, less than a month out of their side’s first World Cup fixture, are auditioning for the last remaining spots.

They should have gone into this series looking to transition into the roles they were to take up at the World Cup, rather than worrying how their selection mattered in these games.

That’s how it happens in teams around the world or would be the case with their next two opponents Ireland and England.

That’s, however, not in harmony with Pakistan’s cricket fabric.

Mercurial, it is.

How do they define Pakistan cricket? Mercurial? That’s what they say, right? You may have heard the word as pundits often scramble to define Pakistan’s resurgence or capitulation or may have read it in the newspaper columns.

In the lead up to this month, many teams around the world named their preliminary squads for next month’s T20 World Cup.

Pakistan, on the other hand, decided against committing anything publicly and named their 18 for the seven T20Is — three against Ireland and the rest against England — in the United Kingdom, their last layover before the mega tournament.

All 20 participating teams are allowed by the ICC to make changes in their squads and submit the final list before 25 May. Pakistan play three matches against Ireland and four against England before that.

Pakistan, as revealed by Babar Azam, had hoped that the five-match T20I series against New Zealand at home would serve as an opportunity to try myriad combinations and finalise their World Cup squad before they departed for Ireland.

But, an underwhelming series result of 2-2 against a severely depleted New Zealand side, lack of impactful individual performances, and injuries extinguished those hopes.

Generally speaking,selectors wish to give players maximum chances to stake a claim in the final 15.

They have thrown two more names in the mix by selecting Hasan Ali and Salman Ali Agha for these last seven games before the World Cup.

Hasan was not at all part of the squad for the New Zealand matches and Salman was only named as one of the five reserves.

Pakistan play Ireland on 10, 12, and 14 May in Dublin.

In usual circumstances, these fixtures would be a mere brotherly detour to help Cricket Ireland generate funds through broadcast rights and commercial sponsorships.

But, with the T20 World Cup around the corner and Pakistan still unsure what their final 15 would look like, the next three games hold great significance for the Pakistan team management.

It is not as if everything is haywire! Unlike the 50-over World Cup last year when Pakistan’s hopes were severely dented when Naseem Shah broke down a month out of the tournament, Pakistan are finally on course to assemble a top-notch pace attack.

In Shaheen Afridi, Naseem, and Mohammad Amir, they have some of the exciting T20 bowlers who regularly demonstrate their destructive abilities with the new and old ball across the phases of an innings.

Haris Rauf, who is in the final phase of his recovery from the shoulder injury, has established himself as a fearsome and effective death bowler with 119 T20 wickets in the last four overs at 16.95 and has an outstanding economy of 8.95.

Hasan, who has been recalled as a cover for Haris, as explained by Wahab Riaz, one of the selectors and senior team manager, brings a plethora of experience and some good T20 form that he displayed in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and Abbas Afridi’s wily use of variations make him an effective middle and death overs bowler.

Haris is expected to be available to Pakistan for the England matches and Amir will miss at least the first two Ireland games as he awaits a travel visa in Pakistan.

The unavailability of the two gives an extended run to Abbas, who has taken 10 wickets at 15.20 in six T20Is, all against New Zealand, and a match time to Hasan, who last played in the format for Pakistan in September 2022.

There are no dramas in the spin department.

Pakistan will be heavily reliant on Imad Wasim’s experience who was a vital cog in Pakistan’s T20I ascendance in 2018.

The left-arm spinner, who bumped Mohammad Nawaz from contention after coming out of retirement in March, has been one of the most effective T20 bowlers in the powerplay and middle-overs, especially in the Caribbean, where Pakistan, if qualified, play their three Super Eights matches in the T20 World Cup.

Shadab Khan comes off a decent PSL, Abrar Ahmed adds mystery, and the combination of Iftikhar Ahmed and Salman Ali Agha provides off-spin.

It is the batting department, however, that will continue to undergo various rotations and experimentations on the British Isles as the team continues to look for methods to inject firepower.

Pakistan have been one of the slowest-scoring sides in recent years, which has often seen them post par scores that end up getting chased.

There is an urgency to find a solution as Azhar Mahmood, the assistant coach, pointed out recently in an interview with Dawn.

Pakistan have attempted to add that desired firepower by slotting Usman Khan and Irfan Khan in the middle order against New Zealand.

The former did not fire and was moved up the order after Rizwan and Irfan sustained muscle injuries in the third T20I.

Though Rizwan is said to have made significant progress from the hamstring injury, Pakistan would want to give match time to either Usman or Azam Khan, who was ruled out of the all New Zealand matches because of a calf injury.

Fakhar Zaman, one of the most explosive batters for Pakistan in white-ball cricket, has been permanently slotted at number four as revealed by the batter himself at a post-match press conference during the New Zealand series, and he repaid the management’s trust by scoring crucial runs in the two matches he played.

Despite a string of failures in international cricket, Pakistan’s management has not shied away from backing Saim Ayub, who comes with the promise of providing blistering starts as an opener.

The left-hander once again had a fine PSL.

He has been one of the brightest batting prospects in the domestic circuit, scoring heaps of runs in the first-class tournament too.

One of the reasons Pakistan want to continue to bank on Saim and hope that he picks up form is his stunning run in last year’s CPL.

In what was his maiden appearance in the league, Saim scored 478 runs, the second most in the tournament, at an average of 43.45 and a strike rate of 142.26 for Guyana Amazon Warriors, the eventual champions.

Ireland series just might be his last chance to establish himself at the top as any further failure may result in Pakistan going back to their opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, something Azhar highlighted in the interview.

In a fast-moving format where clarity of thought and role specialisation form the basis of successful sides, Pakistan players, less than a month out of their side’s first World Cup fixture, are auditioning for the last remaining spots.

They should have gone into this series looking to transition into the roles they were to take up at the World Cup, rather than worrying how their selection mattered in these games.

That’s how it happens in teams around the world or would be the case with their next two opponents Ireland and England.

That’s, however, not in harmony with Pakistan’s cricket fabric.

Mercurial, it is.

MARSEILLLE: The Olym­pic torch relay began in Marseille on Thursday with the port city’s football legend Basile Boli taking the flame in front of the iconic basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde before passing it on to a number of other celebrity sports stars including Ukrainian gymnast Mariia Vysochanska.

France’s former NBA great Tony Parker was also among the 200 people who will carry the torch in Marseille along with skier Cyprien Sarrazin who collected the flame from Vysochanska.

The 21-year-old from Lviv, whose father is fighting at the front against the Russian invasion, was ‘captain’ for the day of a collective relay of 28 athletes, with one representative from each of the 27 countries of the European Union including Poland’s three-time reigning Olympic hammer champion Anita Wlodarczyk.

The relay “is a way of emphasising our solidarity with Ukraine… at a time when they are suffering a terrible war of aggression,” said French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera.

“This is a sign of unity, hope and solidarity, we want them to win”.

Former French international Boli, who scored the only goal in Olympique de Marseille’s victory over AC Milan in the 1993 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final, set off at 8:20am (0620 GMT) just beneath the famous golden statue of the “Good Mother”, which watches over France’s second-largest city.

“It makes the heart beat and it’s fantastic,” said Boli. “It’s the Olympic flame, it’s the symbol of sport, of living together, of everything we can hope for in the world.”

There is a strong football element to the first of 78 days of the torch relay with 1991 Ballon d’Or winner Jean-Pierre Papin and Ivory Coast great Didier Drogba also among the torch bearers.

The torch will also visit the Stade Velodrome, home of Olympique Marseille, which will host 10 matches during the men’s and women’s Olympic football competitions.

“The start is important in sport,” said chief organiser Tony Estanguet after the beginning of the relay. “We got off to a good start… now it’s on.”

These are only the first steps on 12,000-kilometre (7,500-mile) relay across France and its far-flung overseas territories before the opening ceremony in Paris on July 26.

The flame arrived on French soil at Marseille on Wednesday on board the 19th-century sailing ship Belem in front of 150,000 spectators for a ceremony that posed a first major security test for organisers of the 2024 Paris Games.

As the ship entered Mar­seille’s Old Port with hundreds of small boats trailing behind, planes from the Patrouille de France display team traced the Olympic rings in the sky and then the red, white and blue of the French flag.

Fireworks were fired as the Belem docked after its 12-day voyage from Greece, where the flame was lit in ancient Olympia on April 16.

Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Florent Manaudou carried the torch from the ship and passed it to Paralympic champion sprinter Nantenin Keita, who handed it to French rapper Jul to light a cauldron.

Organisers are hoping the first public spectacle of the Games on French soil will help build excitement after a row about the price of Olympics tickets and concerns about security.

President Emmanuel Mac­ron praised the “unprecedented effort” of the security forces in Marseille. And after watching the flame arrive, he said he hoped the Olympics would bring France together.

“I want our compatriots to imagine that this is a moment of unity and that we are capable of it and that we can be proud of it,” he said.

In the background in Marseille, around 6,000 security forces are on duty at a time when the country is on its highest terror alert.

Extremely tight security will be a constant feature as the torch travels through more than 450 French towns and cities, and passes by dozens of tourist attractions including Mont Saint Michel. It will also visit France’s overseas territories including Guadeloupe, New Caledonia and Reunion.

Around 200 members of the security forces are set to be positioned permanently aro­und the torch, including an anti-terror SWAT team and an anti-drone operatives.

Interior minister Gerald Darmanin has referred to the risk of protests, including from far-left groups or environmental activists such as Extinction Rebellion.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024

LONDON: Global football’s governing body FIFA must publish its review of compensation for workers affected during preparations for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Amnesty International said on Thursday, urging a rapid and positive response to the findings.

Qatar came under intense pressure over its treatment of foreign workers working in extreme conditions, leading many to raise concerns, although the Middle Eastern country has denied that workers were exploited.

Amnesty said FIFA should publish and act on a review “assessing its human rights responsibilities” towards workers, saying its findings were approved by FIFA’s Council in March.

“Ahead of its annual congress next week, FIFA should make public the review it ordered into the organisation’s responsibilities to redress human rights abuses related to the 2022 World Cup,” said Steve Cockburn of the rights group. “FIFA received this review months ago but has yet to disclose or act on its findings,” added Cockburn, the group’s head of labour rights and sport.

“This delay only prolongs the suffering of families who lost loved ones and workers who were abused while delivering FIFA’s flagship event.

“The contents of the report may make uncomfortable reading for FIFA but there is overwhelming public support for it to act and no excuse for stalling any longer.”

In response, FIFA said stakeholders were studying and discussing the review.

“The findings will be published in due course once the review process has been completed,” a FIFA spokesperson told Reuters. “Experts and trade union representatives who have assessed and collaborated in the labour rights programme for World Cup workers have repeatedly testified to the robustness of this programme and recognised that major steps forward have occurred in the labour rights sphere.”

In 2022, Amnesty and other rights groups had led calls for FIFA to compensate migrant workers in Qatar for human rights abuses by setting aside $440 million.

At the World Cup in Doha, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said a workers’ support and insurance fund set up in 2018 by Qatar had provided compensation of more than $350 million to workers in cases mainly related to non-payment of wages.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024

DUBLIN: Pakistan will kick off their final warm-up ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup when they take on Ireland in the first of the three-match Twenty20 International series at Castle Avenue on Friday.

For the Babar Azam-led side, the series will be about finalising the team’s best combination for the T20 showpiece, which is set to be held in the United States and the Caribbean next month.

Pakistan will play four T20Is against England following the Ireland series, with the team management expected to field the first-choice XI in the games against defending T20 World Cup champions.

However, Pakistan may test some players against Ireland, continuing the rotation strategy from the recent four-match series against New Zealand.

With pacer Haris Rauf back from injury for the first time since he picked one up in this year’s Pakistan Super League, the national side will give him a go as the right-armer looks to make a strong case for the World Cup.

The Pakistan pace bowling battery is ripe with options, with Haris only making it stronger, yet as much competitive, given the likes of Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hassan Ali vying for a place.

AMIR TO MISS OPENER

Amir, however, will not take part in the first T20, since he travelled to Dublin via Dubai in the wee hours of Friday. The left-armer, who rescinded his international retirement in March, hadn’t received his Ireland visa.

A Pakistan Cricket Board spokesperson told Dawn said that the Ireland embassy had not rejected Amir’s visa application, but that it just got delayed until the completion of due procedure.

The spokesperson said PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi also talked to Cricket Ireland officials, urging them to play their due role to get Amir’s issue sorted.

Wicket-keeper Azam Khan, who couldn’t feature against the BlackCaps due to an injury, is expected to play, as Pakistan, once again, look to give him a chance to prove his mettle as a power-hitter lower down the order.

Irfan Khan Niazi, who also missed part of the New Zealand series due to injury after making his debut against the

Kiwis, may also be tried again, but he will face tough competition for a place in the side with Usman Khan likely to be rewarded for his cameo in Pakistan’s last match.

Pakistan conducted a “light” training session on the eve of the first match, according to their assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, who believed Irel­and couldn’t be taken lightly.

“We know our combination, we played the previous series, and we know who our openers will be and where we need to work in which areas,” he said. “Our pattern will remain the same. Now, it’s time for execution in the middle.”

Azhar was wary of Ireland’s capabilities, especially with the side playing at home.

“Ireland is playing at home, and they have a good understanding of the conditions,” he noted. “They have a good bowling line-up, and they know these conditions very well.

“We cannot underestimate the Irish team because they have a lot of experience in county cricket.

“But we are quite hopeful that our preparation, our strength, we will play our cricket on that and enjoy it because this is our World Cup preparation time.”

Squads:

PAKISTAN: Babar Azam (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Moham­mad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan

IRELAND: Paul Stirling (captain), Mark Adair, Ross Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Del­any, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Barry McCarthy, Neil Rock, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White, Craig Young.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024

ROME: Naomi Osaka marked her return to the Rome Open for the first time since 2021 with a straight sets victory over Clara Burel in the first round on Wednesday.

Former world number one Osaka came through against her 45th-ranked French opponent 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.

It was the 26-year-old’s first win against a top-50 opponent on clay since beating Victoria Azarenka at the French Open in 2019.

Osaka, now ranked at 173 in the world after taking a break from the tour to have her first child, will face 19th seed Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine for a place in the third round.

Kostyuk, the runner-up on clay in Stuttgart last month, lost to Osaka in their only other previous meeting, in three sets at the 2020 US Open.

On Wednesday, the Japanese star sealed victory in 84 minutes, finishing with 27 winners, including eight aces, and broke serve four times.

“I thought the first set was really tough. I’m really glad I was able to close it in two,” said Osaka after just her second win on European clay this spring.

“Overall I think mentally I tried to stay as strong as I can, so I’m really happy about that.”

She added: “I was up 5-3, serving for the set and I lost [the game]. But just being able to hang in there and eventually close it on my terms is something that I’m very proud of myself for.”

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2024

Olympic and world javelin champion Neeraj Chopra said Indian athletes have shown they can compete with the European powerhouses at the event and the key to success at the Paris Games is maintaining their self-belief.

European athletes won 15 of the last 16 gold medals in the men’s event before Chopra threw 87.58 metres at the Tokyo Games in 2021 to become the first Asian man to win an Olympic javelin title.

The 26-year-old will defend his crown at the Games from July 26-August 11 and will be joined by compatriot Kishore Jena, while DP Manu also has a chance of qualifying for Paris.

The trio were in the finals of last year’s Budapest world championships, where Chopra bagged gold to add to his silver from Eugene, Oregon a year earlier.

“There was a time when I wasn’t even sure of qualifying for the world championships, but see how times have changed,” Chopra said in an interview with Sports Authority of India (SAI) media.

“In Budapest last year, we had three Indians (out of the top six) in the finals and that’s made us believe we’re no less than the Europeans, who have dominated world javelin for so long.

“We have to take this Budapest belief forward and in Paris anything is possible.”

Chopra kicks off his outdoor season in the Doha leg of the Diamond League on Friday and will also compete in India for the first time in three years when he takes part in the Federation Cup in Bhubaneshwar from May 12-15.

He said he had meticulously chosen his competition schedule ahead of Paris. “The entire scenario changes when you arrive at the Games village. The real pressure starts building up then. But I should be prepared,” he added.

“After Tokyo, I found out how international athletes plan their schedule and choose their training centres so that there’s minimum travel, quicker acclimatisation and proper diet leading up to a major event.”

MARSEILLE: The Olympic flame reached Marseille, just outside the Old Port, amid tight security on Wednesday, 79 days before the Paris 2024 Games Opening Ceremony.

More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the ceremony after a six-hour parade of the three-masted Belem, which left Greece on April 27 with the flame after it was lit in Ancient Olympia 11 days earlier.

The ship was awaited by 1,024 boats.

Around 6,000 law enforcement officers are securing the area before Florent Manaudou, France’s 2012 Olympic men’s 50 metres freestyle swimming champion, brings the flame to land shortly after 1730 GMT in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron.

Police canine units and elite forces snipers have also been deployed.

“It’s an unprecedented level of security,” Interior minister Gerald Darmanin said. “Life goes on in Marseille but in great security conditions.

“We conceived this event as a ceremony, the fifth of the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics (on top of the opening and closing ceremonies,” said Paris 2024 executive director Thierry Reboul who is in charge of ceremonies. “Marseille is the ideal spot to create memories.”

“It was the obvious choice,” Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 organising committee, said of Marseille, which was founded around 600 BC by Greek settlers from Phocea.

That will be followed by a free rap concert on a floating stage in front of 45,000 spectators.

On Wednesday morning, the tranquility of the gentle breeze was matched only by the glittering of the Mediterranean sea in the background of the Old Port, making for an ideal day in France’s oldest city.

The relay will start on Thurs­day with former Olympique de Marseille footballers Jean-Pierre Papin, Didier Drogba and Basile Boli, as well as three-star chef Alexandre Mazzia among the torch bearers.

More than 10,000 people will take part in the torch relay before the flame reaches Paris and is installed near the Louvre, in the Jardin des Tuileries.Extremely tight security will be a constant feature as the torch travels through more than 450 French towns and cities, and passes by dozens of tourist attractions including the Mont Saint Michel.

Around 200 members of the security forces are set to be positioned permanently around it, including an anti-terror SWAT team and anti-drone operatives.

Organisers have promised a “spectacular” and “iconic” Olympics, with much of the sport set to take place in temporary venues around the City of Light including at the Eiffel Tower and the Invalides.

In the absence of a much-feared security scare, the opening ceremony will take place in boats on the river Seine in a radical departure from past Games which have opened in the main stadium.

All of the major infrastructure has been completed with only two new permanent sporting venues built in a bid to reduce the financial cost and carbon emissions of the global extravaganza.

The idea of the torch rally harks back to the ancient Olympics when a sacred flame burned throughout the Games.

The Paris Olympics will run from July 26-August 11, followed by the Paralympics from August 28-September 8.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2024