the bowlers, and I think that's what the bowlers Italy's first run to the quarter-finals in almost

Cricket: Torn between
Shami and Kumar, India
welcome 'good headache'
By Amlan Chakraborty
Reuters 26 June 2019
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Mohammed
Shami's hat-trick in his first match at this year's
World Cup has left India with a pace bowling
dilemma ahead of Thursday's match against West
Indies but bowling coach Bharat Arun calls it a happy
headache.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had shared the new ball with
Jasprit Bumrah until the swing bowler suffered a
hamstring injury in India's comprehensive victory
against Pakistan.
Drafted into the playing XI, Shami sealed India's
narrow victory against Afghanistan with the
tournament's first hat-trick in Southampton on
Saturday.
A fit-again Kumar was back in the nets ahead of the
clash against West Indies and Arun admitted the
team would have to make a difficult choice at Old
Trafford.
"Bhuvneshwar's injury is not of any great concern. It
is just a niggle, which we didn't want to take a
chance," the former test bowler told reporters on
Wednesday.
"And it was also an opportunity for us to plug Shami
into the games. But the fact he's done exceptionally
well augurs well for us, it's an embarrassment of
riches.
"We'd take a call as per the conditions, but Bhuvi
has done exceptionally well, so I think it's a pretty
good headache to have."
Arun was also pleased with all-rounder Hardik
Pandya's evolution as a reliable fifth bowler who
could be trusted to bowl his full quota, something
not many were sure he could a couple of years back.
"It was a big challenge for him to bowl those 10
overs, and he realised that to be able to bowl those
10 overs 'I need to develop a certain armoury in my
bowling'.
"And that's what he's worked on. He's worked on his
slow balls, his slow bounces also, and he's also
worked on perfecting his bouncers.
would be looking to do."
USA left alone to fight
European domination of
women's World Cup
Andy SCOTT
AFP News26 June 2019
Holders the United States are the last
ones standing in the way of a European
winner at the women's World Cup heading
into the quarter-finals, as coach Jill Ellis
and her team prepare for a heavyweight
showdown with hosts France on Friday.
Italy and the Netherlands made it seven
out of eight for Europe as they advanced
on Tuesday, eliminating China and Japan
respectively to end Asian ambitions in the
process. The last African and South
American teams had already bowed out.
There had never previously been more
than five European teams in the last eight
at the tournament since its inauguration in
1991, and the absence of the likes of
Japan -- 2011 winners and runners-up
four years ago -- and Brazil from the latter
stages is not to everyone's liking.
"As a football fan, to me I would want a
little bit more diversity at this point. I find
European football sometimes a little
boring," said US star Tobin Heath, who
once had a spell at Paris Saint-Germain.
"These tournaments you can't really
predict. You've seen these games, they
have been so close," said Heath, whose
team required a debatable penalty to beat
Spain in the last 16.
Japan lost 2-1 to the Netherlands with
Lieke Martens converting a 90th-minute
penalty winner awarded for a Saki
Kumagai handball.
three decades follows significant investment in
the domestic game, with the Italian Football
Federation obliging established professional
clubs to field a women's section.
Five of Italy's starting line-up against
China play for Juventus, the national
champions.
"I think it's been crying out for exactly
what has happened to be fair," said
England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley,
who was born in California.
Bardsley, who plays for Manchester
City, says the increased investment
by European clubs has been crucial
in raising the level of competition, as
has the standard of the Champions
League, which has been dominated
by French giants Lyon.
"It has upped the bar. The investment
in those leagues, those players,
those federations has absolutely paid
off and it's my opinion that they need
to continue because it's only going to
up the bar again for the rest of the
world.
"I think we are in a great place in
terms of European football," she
added ahead of England's last-16 tie
against Norway.
Of the nine European nations
involved at the competition's outset,
only Scotland failed to make it past
the group stage.
Such success has its downside,
though, with Germany coach Martina
Voss-Tecklenburg admitting she
fears for her side's place in the 2020
Olympics.

"All these put together have given him the

confidence to go through those 10 overs."
Bumrah, the top ranked ODI bowler, leads India's
formidable pace attack while the two-time
champions have a potent slow bowling attack
comprising the wrist-spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and
Yuzvendra Chahal.
They do not have a left-arm quick in their ranks
though but Arun said the batsmen were prepared to
face the likes of Sheldon Cottrell on Thursday.
"We have Khaleel (Ahmed) with us as our net
bowler. And we also we have a throw-down
specialist who is particularly a left-hander.
"So I think we have enough practise of the left-arm
bowling as of now."
West Indies have slim chances of reaching the semi-
finals after just one win from six matches and they
will need their power-packed batting order to fire
against an unbeaten India.
Arun said his bowlers were ready for the likes of
Chris Gayle and Carlos Brathwaite.
"It's a big challenge for the bowlers -- especially
when they come after you," Arun said.
"But whenever batsmen come after you, if you're
willing to look at it deeply, there is a chance in it for
Canada and Brazil suffered narrow losses Only the three best European teams
to Sweden and France respectively, while at the World Cup earn qualification
Australia lost on penalties to Norway. for next year's Games in Tokyo,
meaning there is now even more at
Ahead of Friday's match in Paris, the USA stake than usual in the latter stages
remain the favourites to go all the way.
of the tournament.
The traditional stronghold of the women's
game, they have never finished off the
podium at the women's World Cup. "It would be really important for this
team to get to the Olympics," she
- Upping the bar - said.
"Tokyo will be very important for
The last European nation to win the World
everything that we have before us in
Cup was Germany, in 2007. But while the
Germans are an established force the next four or five years."
internationally, the rise of the Netherlands
and Italy has put the spotlight on the work
being done to grow the game at club level
on the continent.
"European countries are developing very
much and quickly. In Europe you see the
competitions improve in several countries.
You see players can make choices
because they make a living out of
football," said Netherlands coach Sarina
Wiegman, whose team are in the World
Cup quarter-finals for the first time as well
as being reigning European champions.
Holder urges West
Indies to dig deep in
World Cup clash
against India
Faisal KAMAL
AFP News26 June 2019
West Indies captain Jason
Holder says he is proud of his
players but wants them to put
everything together in a
"perfect" World Cup
performance against India.
The two-time champions
opened their campaign with a
convincing victory against
Pakistan but have not won
since and, barring an unlikely
sequence of results, will be
heading home after the group
phase.
Batsmen Shai Hope, Shimron
Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran and
Carlos Brathwaite have shown
glimpses of what they can
offer but have failed to win
games for the team.
Brathwaite hit his maiden one-
day international century in
West Indies' ultimately fruitless
chase of a target of 292
against New Zealand on
Saturday.
Holder urged his team to show
fight on Thursday against Virat
Kohli's unbeaten side, who
look certain to reach the semi-
finals.
"We've shown glimpses here
and there of what we can
produce. And as a side we just
haven't brought it together
collectively more often than
not," Holder said at Old
Trafford on Wednesday.
"And it's hurt us in games
before. So tomorrow is
another opportunity for us to
bring it all together and play
a perfect game."
The West Indies' World Cup
hopes were hit by injuries to
Evin Lewis and Andre
Russell, who has been
replaced by Sunil Ambris in
the squad, but Holder said
the batsmen should step up
despite the problems.
"Injuries have definitely
plagued us. But I've been
proud of them so far. I think
for them it's just a matter for
them to grasp batting on the
international circuit," said
Holder.
"And I think Shai has done a
reasonable job so far. Hety
(Hetmyer) has shown
glimpses of brilliance, as well
as Nicholas. It's up to them
to take it deeper. They've got
to be the rock and soul for
our team.
"And they've got to set up
games and learn to close
them out. And a guy who has
done that over the
tournament is (New Zealand
captain) Kane Williamson."
West Indies are languishing
in eighth spot in the 10-team
table with just three points as
the group stage nears its
conclusion.
"In terms of the squad, I think
everybody's upbeat for the
occasion. Playing India is
always a big game for West
Indies, and we're looking
forward to it," said Holder.
"First we need to finish the
campaign as best as we can.
And our objective is to win all
three games."