Clarke predicts ODI triple century

PERTH: Australian captain Michael Clarke said on Wednesday it is possible a batsman will crack the 300-run barrier in One-day International cricket.

Clarke was speaking after his side demolished Afghanistan by a World Cup record 275 runs at the WACA Ground, led by a punishing David Warner century.

The left-handed opener belted 178, falling when the chance to become the fifth batsman to score an ODI double century beckoned.

There were still 12.3 overs remaining in the Australian innings at the time.

Indian Rohit Sharma holds the record for the highest individual with 264 against Sri Lanka at Kolkata last November, while Chris Gayle scored 215 earlier in the World Cup for the West Indies.

All the individual scores of 200 have been made since 2010 and Clarke said it was no longer unthinkable that a batsman could make 300 in a 50-over game.

He said there were a handful of batsman who were capable of reaching what was once an unimaginable milestone.

“Someone like Davey, or Chris Gayle or A.B. de Villiers ... on a smaller ground I think they possibly could,” he said.

“You probably have to open the batting so you have the full 50 overs. In this game at the moment who knows, we are seeing so many different shots, different deliveries, so much power.

“There is handful of players round the world who probably could do it.”—Agencies

Witness to bomb blast feels for Pakistan cricket

NAPIER: Former opener Mark Richardson, part of the New Zealand squad which abandoned their tour of Pakistan after a bomb blast in 2002, said on Wednesday he felt sorry that the country has become a cricket no-go zone.

New Zealand flew back home at the start of the second and final Test in Karachi on May 8, 2002, after a blast close to their hotel killed 13 French naval staff.

“The over-riding memories are sad ones when the bomb went off in Karachi on the morning of the game,” Richardson, now a cricket commentator, said.

“We had security concerns but we had started very comfortably. We had visited a fast food restaurant in Karachi and we were feeling very comfortable and then ‘kaboom’ and it was frightening and unfortunately we were on the plane back home later that day.

“It was a sad end,” remembered Richardson, who played 43 Tests and four One-day Internationals. “We felt for our hosts, it wasn’t like a daily occurrence. They were as shocked and as freaked out as we were. You feel for Pakistan.”

That was the beginning of the end for international cricket in Pakistan as security in the country deteriorated.

Tuesday marked the sixth anniversary of the militant attacks on the Sri Lankan team bus, which killed eight people and left seven Sri Lankan players injured.

Those brazen attacks suspended all international cricket in Pakistan, forcing the national team to play their home games in the United Arab Emirates. —AFP

No worry over Steyn form: De Villiers

CANBERRA: South Africa captain A.B. de Villiers backed Dale Steyn to be a World Cup match-winner despite the strike bowler struggling to hit top form at the tournament.

After an indifferent start to the World Cup, Steyn marked his 100th One-day International with 2-39 in the 201-run mauling of Ireland at the Manuka Oval on Tuesday.

Bowling with pace and venom, Steyn sent back opener Paul Stirling for nine and then had danger man Ed Joyce picked up for nought as the Proteas claimed their third win in four games.

However, Steyn still has relatively modest figures of 5-182 from the four games, having been dominated by India’s batsmen at the MCG, going for 1-55 in his team’s 130-run defeat.

By contrast, fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel has 9-174 from four games while the unheralded Kyle Abbott boasts 6-58 in two matches since he came in to replace the injured Vernon Philander.

“I’ve got no worries about Dale at all,” insisted de Villiers. “He’s going to win us a couple of crucial games in this tournament.

“He runs in with a lot of energy, intensity. He bowled with pace again against an Ireland team that it’s very easy to sort of sit back and go ‘I don’t really have to give it all my all here, we just have to relax; we’ve got 400 on the board’.

“He ran everything 140 (kph) plus. I believe he’s still in great form, and I know he’s going to win us a couple of games, it’s just a matter of time.”—AFP

‘McCullum fit to play Afghanistan’

NAPIER: New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum batted with freedom in the nets on Wednesday and should be fit to play Sunday’s World Cup clash against Afghanistan despite taking a heavy blow to the arm against Australia.

McCullum was hit high on the left forearm by a Mitchell Johnson delivery in Saturday’s one-wicket win over Australia and received treatment on the ground, though it did not force him off Eden Park.

“Yep, there’s no reason for him not to play,” New Zealand coach Mike Hesson told reporters in Napier on Wednesday where the team re-assembled after three days off. “The swelling is going down. It looks a bit ordinary at the moment but he’s batted today without any issues. He’s fine.”

Unbeaten New Zealand lead Pool ‘A’ on eight points and face Afghanistan at McLean Park on Sunday before their final clash against Bangladesh in Hamilton on March 13.

Published in Dawn March 5th , 2015

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