4th ODI: Steyn, De Kock guide South Africa to 28-run win over Pakistan

Dale Steyn returned his best one-day bowling figures while opener Quinton de Kock hit a maiden hundred as South Africa beat Pakistan by 28 runs in the fourth day-night international in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

Steyn (5-25) derailed Pakistan in the 47th over with the wickets of Umar Akmal (22), captain Misbah-ul Haq (65) and Saeed Ajmal (0) to wreck the opposition from 228-5 to 238 all out in 49.2 overs.

South Africa's win gave them an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series ahead of the fifth and final match in Sharjah on Monday.

South Africa won the first match by one run in Sharjah and third in Abu Dhabi by 68 runs while Pakistan claimed the second match in Dubai by 66 runs.

With Misbah and Umar at the crease, and with 41 needed in five overs, Pakistan looked set to level the series but Steyn improved on his previous best of 5-50 against India at Nagpur in 2011 to help South Africa snatch an unexpected win, like they did in the first match.

Misbah, along with debutant Sohaib Maqsood (56), put Pakistan in charge but Steyn removed Maqsood in the 37th over to give his team a sniff of the victory.

When Misbah holed out, after hitting four boundaries and a six off 76 balls, Pakistan's hopes were suddenly dashed.

“I am very happy and proud of the boys with this series win away from home, especially after a really bad show in Sri Lanka,” said South Africa captain AB de Villiers whose team lost their last series 4-1 in Sri Lanka in July.

“Quinton is a serious talent for the future in South Africa. Nice to have Steyn in the team, he has that killer instinct.”Misbah said Steyn's devastating over had changed the game.

“We were in a good position until the last five overs. We had two set batsmen and the equation was 30 balls, 41 runs which was gettable but Steyn's over put pressure on us,” said Misbah.

Pakistan had raced to 74 without loss in a cautious start before they lost three wickets in the space of 12 runs.

In the 19th over, Ahmed Shehzad was run out for 43 as he failed to reach the striker's end after Mohammad Hafeez went for a sharp single. He hit five boundaries and a six off 59 balls.

It became 85-2 when leg-spinner Imran Tahir bowled Hafeez (33) and a run later Asad Shafiq miscued a drive and was caught off paceman Lonwabo Tsotsobe for just one.

Misbah and Maqsood went on the attack, with the debutant hitting two huge sixes off Tahir.

Maqsood, likened to former Pakistan batting master Inzamam-ul Haq, reached his half-century with a superb flick off paceman Morne Morkel for his fifth boundary. In all he hit six boundaries and two sixes off 54 balls.

But he played one shot too many and was smartly caught at deep mid-off by AB de Villiers off Steyn who also had Sohail Tanvir for one.

Quinton de Kock anchored the South African innings. The 20-year-old left-hander made the most of a dropped catch at slip by Hafeez off Tanvir when he had made only two.

He went on to make a 135-ball 112 to bolster the South African innings who had won the toss and batted.

De Kock lifted lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan over long-on for a big six to reach the three-figure mark off 127 balls, anchoring the innings with a 87-run opening stand with Hashim Amla (46) and another 69 for the third wicket with skipper De Villiers who made a 40-ball 30.

In all, De Kock hit nine boundaries and a six during his attractive knock before he and De Villiers fell in succession to paceman Junaid Khan who finished with 2-42.

Ryan McLaren (28) and Jean-Paul Duminy (25) added a quickfire 52 for the unbroken sixth wicket stand, hitting two sixes off Saeed Ajmal's 49th over.

 

South African cricketer Morne Morkel will wed Channel 9 reporter Roz Kelly after proposing to her in Dubai at the weekend.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the couple met late last year during South Africa's tour of Australia and have been carrying on a long-distance relationship ever since.

Kelly flew to India earlier this year to spend time with the fearsome fast bowler, who was playing in the Indian Premier League at the time, the report said.

The two reunited in England a few months later, where Kelly was reporting on Australia's Ashes campaign and South Africa was competing in the ICC Champions Trophy, the report added.

The TV reporter travelled to Dubai last week, where the Proteas had just wrapped up a Test series against Pakistan, the report further said.

She is said to have already met Morkel's family and spent time with his friends and cricketing teammates, according to the report.

Pakistan Qulify for final to defeat India

Defending champions Pakistan maintained their winning run at the Asian Champions Trophy when they scraped past India 5-4 on Thursday for their fourth successive victory in the competition which sent them through to the final.

Mohammad Rizwan Junior scored the winner for Pakistan in the 53rd minute after India had come back three times to level matters at 4-4.

Pakistan stunned the Indian defence as early as in the second minute at the Gifu-ken Green Stadium with a field goal scored by Abdul Haseem Khan.

The young Indian side, who have fielded 13 junior players in the squad to give them exposure ahead of next month’s FIH Junior World Cup, drew parity in the 24th when Gurjinder Singh successfully converted a penalty corner before taking the lead in the 30th when Amit Rohidas converted another penalty corner by sending a low drag-flick into the left corner.

Pakistan, however, equalised at the stroke of half-time through a penalty corner conversion by Mohammad Imran.

Pakistan made a strong start after the change of ends and surged ahead in the 36th through Mohammad Rizwan but Indian skipper Manpreet Singh sent a soaring shot from the top of the circle after being put in possession by Malak Singh to level the score four minutes later.

Goals continued to rain as Rizwan scored his second field goal of the day in the 44th to restore Pakistan’s lead.

But India drew level once again when Malak scored from a field effort five minutes later before Rizwan Junior beat the Indian defenders to score the winner.

Pakistan’s victory left former Olympian Shahnaz Sheikh lauding the team’s performance.

“Pakistan has played tremendously well in the event but it is time that we should also include maximum number of youngsters in the team [like India did] to give them exposure for the Junior World Cup,” he told APP in Islamabad.

“On their current form, it seems that they should have no problems in being able to retain the title [they won in Doha last year].”

In Sunday’s final, Pakistan could face either hosts Japan, China or Malaysia.

Japan are currently second in the table after they beat Oman 4-0 on Thursday to move to nine points, three behind Pakistan and three ahead of Malaysia and China who are locked on six. Malaysia edged past China 5-4 in the third match on Thursday.

India to host men`s Hockey World Cup in 2018

India will be hosting the men`s Hockey World Cup for the third time in 2018, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) said.

India first hosted the showpiece event in 1982 in Bombay where Pakistan emerged as the champion. The 2010 World Cup was also hosted by India as a part of test events for the Commonwealth Games and it was won by Australia. 

While Hockey India (HI) won the bid for the men`s tournament, the women`s event went to England in a glittering ceremony at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Lausanne Thursday evening.

The women`s tournament in England is scheduled to take place from July 7-21 in 2018 and men`s event will be held later that year, Dec 1-16. 

"I wish to offer my sincere congratulations to England Hockey and Hockey India on their successful bids to host the Hockey World Cups 2018," said FIH president Leandro Negre. 

"The quality of both bids was truly extraordinary, and the FIH is greatly looking forward to bringing its top properties to England and India. I would also like to congratulate all of the National Associations that submitted bids for these events. The standard was exceptionally high, making the decision extremely hard for the FIH Executive Board," he added.

Alongside the Olympic Games, the Hockey World Cups are the most coveted tournaments. Held every four years, they bring together the world’s greatest teams and most skilful players for the toughest, most competitive international hockey event imaginable.

Both the men`s and women`s Hockey World Cups will feature an increased 16-nation field of participants.

Next year`s hugely anticipated Rabobank Hockey World Cup, which takes place in The Hague, Netherlands during the first two weeks of June, will see 12 men`s and 12 women`s teams competing in a mammoth double event.

“The decision certainly was not an easy one to make. All of the bids that we received were exceptional, being completely in line with our strategy to deliver the most entertaining, exciting and inspiring hockey events in the world. The FIH Executive Board were hugely impressed by the bids from England Hockey and Hockey India,” said FIH Chief Executive Officer Kelly Fairweather.

The FIH has been meticulous in its approach to choosing the hosts for the 2018 showpiece events. As part of the bidding process, the FIH requested that bid questionnaires were submitted before a deadline of Aug 31.

The second phase of the process saw each bid evaluated in detail, as well as further discussions, clarifications, site visits and negotiations taking place with the respective National Associations. 

The final decision was made by the FIH Executive Board in Lausanne Thursday, bringing the process to an end by naming England and India as the host nations of hockey’s top properties.

Miami Dolphins' Richie Incognito suspended for 'bullying' teammate Jonathan Martin

The US National Football League is investigating allegations that a Miami Dolphins linebacker bullied a teammate.

Richie Incognito, 30, was suspended on Sunday night amid claims by 24-year-old Jonathan Martin's representatives.

Martin, 6ft 5in and 312lb (140kg), left the team last week to seek treatment for an emotional issue after reportedly being the victim of a prank.

The investigation casts a spotlight on a culture of hazing that has long been common in league locker rooms.

Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin told a news conference on Monday at the team's training facility: "The NFL is going to conduct a review of the workplace.

"It's going to be comprehensive, it's going to be objective.

"As an organisation we are going to give our full and complete co-operation with the NFL."

Philbin said a decision had been made to suspend Incognito based partly on information from representatives of Martin, an offensive tackle in his second NFL season.

The team said in a statement: "We believe in maintaining a culture of respect for one another and as a result we believe this decision is in the best interest of the organisation at this time."

CAS reduce Troicki doping ban to 12 months

The Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that it had cut Serbian tennis player Viktor Troicki`s 18-month doping ban to 12 months.

The Swiss-based tribunal said that while its appeals panel had rejected the former world number 12`s call to void the sanction, it ruled that there was no indication that he had sought to get away with doping.

"The CAS has determined that the player had committed a doping offence, but that his fault was not significant," it said in a statement.
Troicki, a Davis Cup winner in 2010, turned to the CAS in August in a drive to overturn his ban which was handed down by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

The sanction, imposed in July came after he was found guilty of failing to provide a blood sample during a drugs test at the Monte Carlo Masters.

However despite the reduction in the ban, Troicki will now play no part in Serbia`s attempt to regain the Davis Cup from the Czech Republic which begins on November 15.

The 27-year-old maintained that anti-doping officials at the tournament had told him his urine sample was sufficient, given that he did not feel well enough to provide a blood sample.

But that failure constituted a dope test infringement, said the ITF, despite the player`s insistence that he was under stress at the time.

The CAS said that the anti-doping control officer, or DCO, on duty at the Masters "should have informed the player in clearer terms of the risks caused by his refusal to undergo a blood test".

"Despite the misunderstanding between the player and the DCO, there was no suggestion that Mr. Troicki intended to evade the detection of a banned substance in his system," it added.

Troicki`s closed-door appeal was heard by a three-member panel of CAS arbitrators from Canada, Italy and Britain at the tribunal`s Lausanne headquarters on October 9.

As a result of their decision to cut the 18-month ban to the minimum 12 months allowed by the rules, Troicki will be able to return to the circuit next July, the CAS said.

South Africa to host Pakistan after India rejection

Cricket South Africa said on Tuesday that Pakistan will tour for three one-day internationals and two T20 and arrive on Nov. 18, straight after the teams' current series in United Arab Emirates and partly making up for the Board of Control for Cricket in India's decision to reject a proposed two-month tour to South Africa.

India will now only be in South Africa for less than a month in December.

''With the Indian tour having unfortunately been curtailed, we needed to give our fans the opportunity to see the Proteas in action, and I'm delighted that Pakistan accepted our offer to tour here,'' CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

''It's not been an easy period for South African cricket, but I want to thank our fans and commercial partners for their patience and support during this time.''

The five games will be crammed into a 10-day period from Nov. 20-30 and be in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Centurion. Cape Town's Newlands gets two games after missing out completely in the India tour.

''We are very happy to tour South Africa,'' PCB chairman Najam Sethi was quoted as saying in the CSA statement announcing the series. The PCB has had its own problems, and the hastily arranged South African trip was in doubt after interim chairman Sethi was suspended by a judge in Pakistan last week. He was reinstated on Monday and Pakistan could make around $1.5 million for agreeing at short notice to help out South Africa.

''The tour will be beneficial to both our boards,'' Sethi said. South Africa was left with gaps in late November and all though January after India turned down a three-Test, seven-ODI and two-T20 tour in favor of the shorter schedule, allowing the BCCI to celebrate Sachin Tendulkar's career-ending 200th Test at home and then go on a tour to New Zealand in the new year. India agreed to just two Tests and three ODIs, cutting South Africa's planned marquee series this season by more than half.

The slight was a poorly disguised move by the BCCI to show its dissatisfaction with South Africa over the appointment of Lorgat, the former International Cricket Council chief executive who has a long history of run-ins with the BCCI. Lorgat also volunteered to step aside from his duties during India's shortened tour to ensure there is no more friction.

CSA hasn't announced any replacement series for South Africa in January, its peak season, when cricket's top-ranked Test team has a completely empty fixture list before Australia arrives in February.