18-03-2019

SPORTS
MONDAy,
MARCh 18, 2019
9
Mahmudullah said that it had left the team shocked and the players had a sleepless night having
narrowly escaped from the scene of the attack.
Photo: AP
None of us could sleep properly:
Mahmudullah
Rooney bags first
MLS hat trick in
D.C. romp
Sports Desk: Former England
star Wayne Rooney
scored three goals on Saturday
night to lead D.C. United
to a crushing 5-0 victory
over Real Salt Lake, reports
BSS.
Rooney registered his first
three goals of the new season
and also his first hat
trick since signing on with
Major League Soccer in July
2018. He now has five multigoal
games.
Lucas Rodriguez and Ulises
Segura also scored for
host D.C. United, who peppered
the Salt Lake goal with
22 shots.
Goalkeeper Bill Hamid
made two stops to earn his
third straight shutout as
D.C. United is the lone team
to have not allowed a goal
this season.
Rooney scored on a penalty
kick in the 34th minute
and then added another
with a chip shot over the
goalkeeper in the 41st
minute. He completed the
hat trick with a perfectlytimed
sliding score at the
65th minute of the second
half. Elsewhere, Uruguay
international Nicolas
Lodeiro set up one goal and
scored an audacious penalty
as the Seattle Sounders
maintained their 100 percent
start to the season with
a 4-2 victory at Chicago Fire.
The Sounders made it
three wins out of three after
taking control of the game
with two unanswered goals
in the opening 15 minutes at
Chicago's SeatGeek Stadium.
Spanish winger Victor
Rodriguez fired Seattle into
the lead after eight minutes,
tucking away a low finish at
the far post after good work
down the right by Jordan
Morris. Lodeiro then created
Seattle's second, splitting
open Chicago's defence with
a sublime pass to Morris.
The US international striker
still had plenty to do, but
adjusted his body position
brilliantly to steer a finish
beyond Chicago goalkeeper
David Ousted to make it 2-0.
Seattle extended their lead
early in the second half
when Rodriguez was bundled
over in the area on 49
minutes, allowing Lodeiro to
step up and chip a Panenka
penalty in off the underside
of the bar.
Sports Desk: "As long as we were in
the room, the only thing propped up
in our mind is how lucky we are... it
had happened in a country like New
Zealand which was really unexpected,"
Mahmudullah said upon the
Bangladesh team's arrival at the
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport
on late Saturday (March 16)
evening, following the shootout in
Christchurch, which killed 49 people
and injured several others, reports
Cricbuzz.
Bangladesh players, who were
about to enter one of the attacked
mosques reached the place only a
few minutes after fire opened and
narrowly escaped. The third Test
was called off and the visiting team
left the country on Saturday morning.
The senior batsman, without getting
into the details of the incident,
said that it had left the team shocked
and the players had a sleepless night
having narrowly escaped from the
scene of the attack. "I cannot describe
what is going inside us, what we have
seen," Mahmudullah said. "The only
thing I can say is that we are very
lucky. With all of your prayers, our
family members' prayers, parents'
prayers now we could return here
alive. This incident was very unexpected,
none had expected this. I
could not describe that scene. I, personally,
and all of us in the team could
not sleep properly." Nazmul Hasan,
Bangladesh Cricket Board President,
welcomed the players and the support
staff at the airport and asked
them to take some time out from
cricket and spend with their families.
"They went through a really hard
time," Hasan said. "The moment I
had spoken with them I realised what
kind of phase they are passing
(through) mentally and all of them
look to be tired after 22 hours followed
by the sleepless night they had
spent over there.
"We are happy that they returned
home safe while we don't have anything
to tell them apart from asking
them to go back to their family and
spend time with them in the manner
that they feel comfortable."We asked
them to contact us when everything is
cooled down. You don't need to think
about cricket at the moment and just
concentrate on spending time with
your family [as that is expected to
heal their wounds]. If you need any
help we are there for you."
Tigers urged to move on from
Christchurch bloodshed
Sports Desk: Bangladesh Cricket Board
(BCB) advised the players to move on from
the dreadful incident in Christchurch where
they survived a close shaves, reports BSS.
The BCB urged the players to stay with
their family, forgetting all those happened in
front of them in a bid to get out of the traumatic
condition.
The board also wants to keep the cricket
backseat for the time being and let the players
decide to when they would return to
cricket ground. "Apart from Tamim Iqbal
and Mushfiqur Rahim, all of the players were
set to play the ongoing Dhaka Premier
League (DPL) but it was not now mandatory
for them," said BCB CEO Nizamuddin
Chowdhury.
"The president advised them to not to
think about cricket now and stay with their
family. As he said that the board will cooperate
them in bringing back to the normal
life, we have allowed them to decide when
they will back to the cricket," Chowdhury
told BSS here today.
"At the moment, we don't want them to
talk to anybody else with the incident what
happened in Christchurch. They are advised
to be with their family and their family is
advised to help them get out of the trauma."
By the own admission of the players, they
were in fact three to four minutes from being
caught up in massacre as they were going to
perform Jumma prayers in Al Noor Mosque,
in which the terrorist fired openly, leaving
several dead.
In the brutal shootout carried out at two
different Mosques left at least 49 people
dead and 47 other injured, prompting New
Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to
term it a terrorist attack and one of a darkest
days of the country. "I cannot describe what
is going inside us, what we have seen," standin
skipper Mahmudullah told reporters upon
arrival. "The only thing I can say is that we
are very lucky. With all of your prayers
including our family members' prayers now
we could return here alive."
"Actually this incident was much unexpected,
none had expected this. I could not
describe that scene. I am personally, and all
of us in the team could not sleep properly [at
night]." In the wake of the situation, the
series concluding third Test for which the
Tigers were preparing was called off after the
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and Bangladesh
Cricket Board (BCB) reached in a consensus.
Watching the bloodshed in live, the players
were such traumatic state that they were not
ready to stay at a single moment in New
Zealand. The BCB, however, managed to get
them the first available flight to bring them
back at home, much to the relief of the players
and their family.
They looked visibly shaken when they
landed in the country, prompting many to
stress on counseling them in a bid to get out
of the trauma. Opener Tamim Iqbal also said
after the incident that they might need counseling.
Whether they need counseling, will be
decided later, said Nizamuddin Chowdhury.
"As I said earlier, they need rest at the
moment. We don't want to talk with them
about this matter. And they are also advised
not to talk with this issue. Whether they need
any counseling or any other thing, will be
decided by the board and the team management,"
he said.
Chowdhury said the board also wants to
shift the focus towards the ICC Cricket
World Cup which is an important tournament
for them, erasing what happened in
Christchurch. "As the world cup is approaching
fast, we want to shift our focus on that
event. From now on, this is the only thing
that we'll think about. What happened in
Christchurch is now past for us. Regarding
the team's security in overseas tour, we'll
continue to work but at the moment, the
world cup is our top most priority," he
concluded.
BCB urged the players to stay with their family, forgetting all those
happened in front of them in a bid to get out of the traumatic condition.
Photo: BCB
Ronaldo rested
for Genoa clash
after Champions
League heroics
Sports Desk:
Cristiano
Ronaldo will miss Juventus'
trip to Genoa after firing the
Serie A side to the Champions
League quarter-finals,
coach Massimiliano Allegri
said on Saturday, reports
BSS.
"I'm leaving him at home,
he had played a lot and he
needs to rest. Right now it
would be too risky to play
him," Allegri told reporters.
"I don't need to convince
him. We spoke about it yesterday,
I explained my point
regarding the fixtures
between now and the
(Champions League) quarter-finals
and he agreed."
Juventus will take on Ajax
next month after Ronaldo
scored a sensational hattrick
to overturn a two-goal
first-leg deficit against
Atletico midweek and win 3-
2 on aggregate.
The Portuguese openly
taunted the Atletico fans in
the stands during the postmatch
celebrations, but Allegri
said he was not worried
about UEFA banning his
star player for the clash with
the resurgent Dutch side.
"Everyone celebrated differently
on Tuesday, there
were 42,000 fans there and
we could suspend them all
(based on how they
behaved)," he said.
Italy legend Parisse
bows out in Rome with
another bitter defeat
Sports Desk: Italy rugby
great Sergio Parisse bid
farewell to the Stadio
Olimpico in Rome this
weekend with another bitter
disappointment as the
Azzurri snatched a 25-14
defeat from the jaws of victory
against France, reports
BSS.
Even in defeat, the 35-
year-old Parisse was the star
of the show, setting up Tito
Tebaldi's second-half try to
cap a dominant performance
which earned the skipper
the Man of the Match
award. It was the final Six
Nations game for 138-times
capped Parisse and fellow
Italy veterans Leonardo Ghiraldini
(104) and Alessandro
Zanni (111).
But it ended with a 22nd
consecutive defeat in the
tournament, a fourth consecutive
Wooden Spoon for
a whitewash, and Ghiraldini's
knee injury.
With old guard back,
Real Madrid wins on
Zidane’s return
Sports Desk: It was like old times at the
Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Zinedine
Zidane was back on the bench, and Real
Madrid was winning again, reports UNB.
The demanding Madrid crowd could finally
rejoice on Saturday as Zidane brought the
old guard back and began his second stint as
coach with a 2-0 win against relegationthreatened
Celta Vigo in the Spanish league.
Francisco "Isco" Alarcon, who had been
sidelined by former coach Santiago Solari,
and Gareth Bale, a reserve before Zidane's
return, scored to help Madrid end its fourgame
losing streak at home and recover
some pride.
Marco Asensio, another player who had
few chances under Solari, set up Isco's goal
while goalkeeper Keylor Navas, back in the
starting lineup, made key saves for Madrid.
Zidane's revamped starting lineup also
included Marcelo, another player who had
succeeded under the French coach but did
not play often with Solari.
"Nobody can erase what these players have
done for this club in the past," Zidane said.
"I'll count on the entire squad, but we know
how good Keylor is. I don't even have to talk
about Marcelo, and it's the same when it
comes to Isco. They are all very good players.
They have shown it in the past and I will keep
counting on them."
The win moved Madrid within two points
of second-place Atletico Madrid, which saw
its title chances take a hit after a 2-0 loss at
Athletic Bilbao. Barcelona can open a 10-
point lead over Diego Simeone's team if it
wins at Real Betis on Sunday.
Zidane received an ovation from the crowd
when his name was announced before the
match, and there was an upbeat atmosphere
again following demoralizing home losses.
Madrid lost to Barcelona in the Copa del
Rey and the Spanish league, and to Ajax in
the round of 16 in the Champions League -
results that virtually ended the team's hopes
of winning a trophy this season. It had also
lost at home to Girona in the league. "It's a
new beginning," right back Alvaro Odriozola
said. "We are all motivated again."
Isco netted from close range in the 62nd
minute after Asensio fed Karim Benzema
inside the area and the French striker set up
the scorer in front of goal. Isco was cheered
by the crowd when he was substituted a few
moments after the goal, his first of the year.
Bale sealed victory with a shot from inside
the area in the 77th.
Zidane led Madrid to nine titles in his first
stint, including three straight in the Champions
League, but quit at the end of last season,
saying the club needed a change.He was
rehired on Monday to replace Solari, who
wasn't able to keep the team on track in its
first season without Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I always feel at home here," Zidane said.
"There's a great atmosphere and all I'm
thinking about is finishing the season on a
high." Celta, which needed points to have a
chance of escaping the relegation zone, has
lost 10 of its last 12 matches in all competitions.
It is 18th in the 20-team standings
with 25 points from 28 matches.
Benzema had a goal disallowed just before
halftime because of a foul by Bale, while
Luka Modric's goal in the second half was
disallowed on video review because Madrid
defender Raphael Varane was offside.
Atletico Madrid followed its midweek
elimination by Juventus in the Champions
League by losing 2-0 at Athletic Bilbao.
Inaki Williams put the hosts ahead in the
73rd and Kenan Kodro netted in the 85th to
move Athletic up to ninth.
Atletico's loss came despite a lineup that
included the attacking trio of Antoine Griezmann,
Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata. It
had won five in a row before losing 3-0 to
Juventus on Tuesday to squander its 2-0
advantage from the first leg in the round of
16. "We missed a chance to move closer to
Barcelona, but it was going to be hard after
our poor performance in Turin," Simeone
said. Alaves moved closer to the final Champions
League spot with a 3-1 win at last-place
Huesca, moving within a point of fourthplace
Getafe.
Spain midfielder Isco was handed his first start in the league since October
by returning hero Zidane Zidane.
Photo: AP
‘Like we never left’ - Smith and Warner
back in Aussie cricket fold
Sports Desk: Steve Smith and David
Warner have been welcomed back into
the Australian fold with "hugs and cuddles"
at a team meet-up in Dubai, and
said it was like they'd never left, reports
BSS.
The disgraced pair, whose year-long
bans for ball-tampering expire this
month, were invited by coach Justin
Langer as part of their re-integration
after the scandal in South Africa that
rocked the cricketing world.
Australia are in Dubai as they prepare
for an upcoming series against Pakistan
in the United Arab Emirates following
their upset one-day series win against
India."It's been awesome. It's like we
didn't really leave, the boys were very
accepting of us coming in and with
open arms," said Warner in audio comments
supplied to AFP Sunday.
"A lot of big hugs and cuddles. It's
been great.
"It's good to see the spirit they're in
after a great series win in India and I
am obviously looking forward to watching
them play against Pakistan here
and hopefully they win that series as
well," he added.
The "sandpapergate" scandal in Cape
Town, which also saw opening batsman
Cameron Bancroft banned for
nine months, had far-reaching consequences
for Australian cricket.
Then-coach Darren Lehmann quit
and there was a clean-out of top executives
from Cricket Australia after a
scathing review said its "arrogant and
controlling" culture was partly to blame
for players bending the rules.
Australian cricket has since undergone
a host of cultural changes under
Langer, and Warner and Smith were
brought up to speed at the meeting on
how it now worked. "Making sure we're
in line with team values moving forwards,"
Warner said of the meet-up,
which also discussed the squad's preparations
for the upcoming World Cup.
"Obviously (we've) been out for 12
months and there has been a big
change, which is great, and it's about
excepting that and playing what our
role should be in the team."
Smith, who was stripped of the captaincy
and is barred from being considered
for any leadership role for a
further 12 months after his ban ends,
echoed Warner's comments.
"It seems like some really good
energy among the team at the
moment," he said. "It's great to be
back around the group, they've been
really welcoming and almost like
we've never left."
While the cheating row initially
unleashed a torrent of vitriol against
them, that sentiment has eased significantly
and they are expected to be
slotted straight back into the team.
Smith said the Dubai catch-up went
through "the values that are instilled in
the team at the moment and making
sure we are on the right path looking
forward to what's coming up; a huge
World Cup and an Ashes series in England".
Both players, who are returning from
elbow injuries, are eligible for the final
two games of the Pakistan series. But
selectors decided it would be better to
ease themselves back at the upcoming
Indian Premier League.
Andreescu seeks breakthrough
win at Indian Wells
Sports Desk: Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu will try to follow in footsteps
of world number one Naomi Osaka on Sunday and cap a magical run at Indian
Wells with a first WTA title, reports BSS.
Andreescu grabbed a slice of history when she became the first wild card to reach
the women's final in the California desert with her 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over sixthranked
Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.It was her ninth win over a top-50 player this
year and an astonishing 27th match win across all levels for a player who came
through qualifying to reach her first WTA final at Auckland in January.
"It's incredible," beamed Andreescu, who recovered from 3-1 down in the third
set to beat Irina-Camelia Begu in the first round then roared past Dominika
Cibulkova and Stefanie Voegele in the second and third rounds with the loss of just
seven games. She then toppled 18th-seeded Wang Qiang before an impressive 6-
0, 6-1 rout of former world number one Garbine Muguruza in the quarter-finals.
In Kerber she'll be facing another former world number one, but the German
hasn't won a title since claiming her third Grand Slam crown at Wimbledon last
year.