SPORT | 18

Mahomes, Chiefs

sign richest

NFL contract

in history

SPORTBatting

holds key to

England-Windies

Test series

SPORT | 19

WEDNESDAY 8 JULY 2020

Qatar athletes, backroom staff undergo virus tests

QNA – DOHA

Coronavirus (Covid-19) tests for athletes and supporting staff of Qatar national teams, conducted over two days, were concluded at Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena.

Four hundred and seven athletes and staff members have undergone the tests, of them 210 from nine sports asso-ciations (Swimming; Cycling; Special needs; Taekwondo; Shooting; Bas-ketball; Handball; Table tennis and Gymnastics) were tested on the first day, while 179 from eight sports associations (Tennis; Athletics; Golf; Weight Lifting; Wrestling; Volleyball; Equestrian; Rugby; Hockey and Cricket) were tested yesterday.

According to Head of the Sports Association section in the Sports Affairs Department of the Qatar Olympic Com-mittee (QOC) Ishaq Al Hashimi, the tests have been conducted to ensure that all athletes supporting staff of the national teams are healthy, prior to the resumption of sports activities.

Al Hashimi said that the tests, which covered most sports associations, were carried out on three periods per day to avoid crowding, in the context of applying precautionary measures to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Ishaq Al Hashimi extended thanks to the sports federations for their coop-eration in conducting the tests, praising at the same time the great efforts of the medical teams who conducted the tests.

‘Do it your way’: Root tells stand-in skipper StokesREUTERS – LONDON

Stand-in England captain Ben Stokes says regular skipper Joe Root has given him a simple

piece of advice ahead of Wednesday’s first test with West Indies -- do it your way.

With Root missing for the birth of his second child, Stokes will get to pit himself against West Indies counterpart Jason Holder.

“The best message I’ve received was when I got my photos done yesterday, with the blazer. Rooty just left a message on the hanger which said, ‘Do it your way’,” said Stokes.

But the all-rounder says he

knows that he will be able to turn to Root for advice at any stage during the match.

“Because of Joe’s personal situation, we’ve been letting him deal with that and I haven’t been on him too much.

"But I know he’ll be at home watching and his phone will always be available if I need him,” he added.

Stokes’ first big decision as captain will be to name his team along with coach Chris Silverwood and there are tricky choices to be made with his bowling attack.

James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Mark Wood are competing for the three pace spots alongside Stokes and off-spinner Dom Bess.

“It’s not very often that we’ve been in a situ-ation where we’ve got six or seven bowlers to choose from,” Stokes said.

“It’s a real head-scratcher as somebody who’s got to choose the side but as a bigger picture it’s a great place to be in as a team.

“I feel as if we’re in a position now as a test team like we were with the one-day team in 2015 and building for that World Cup. I feel as if we’re building towards the Ashes in Australia and also India,” he added.

“I’ve been dreading it the last three days, having to deliver bad news to some lads. It’s obvi-ously not a nice thing to have to do, but that comes with being the captain and with being in a lead-ership role. It’s got to be done.”

Nadal to play in Madrid, raisingdoubts over US Open participationAFP – MADRID

Rafael Nadal (pictured) said yesterday that he will take part in the Madrid Open, raising doubts about whether he intends to defend his title at the US Open.

The US Open, whose fate still hangs in the balance, is scheduled to run from August 31 to September 13 on the hard courts of New York while the main draw at the Madrid event on clay starts on September 14.

Madrid will serve as a warmup for the rescheduled French Open, the claycourt Grand Slam that begins on September 20.

The Madrid tournament director Feliciano Lopez tweeted: “I have

spoken to my friend Rafael Nadal who confirmed his participation in Madrid in September. As always, we await you with open arms in the

Caja Magica!” Nadal answered:

“That’s right Feli.

See you in September in Madrid. Mean-while everything is going well!”

The United States has seen a sharp resurgence of new coronavirus cases, leading to fresh doubts about whether the US Open will take place.

Leading players, including world number three Dominic Thiem, have s a i d they expect a decision

from US Open organisers this week.

al (pictured) said he will take part in the raising doubts about

ends to defend his title n.pen, whose fate still

alance, is scheduled to ust 31 to September 13 urts of New York while

w at the Madrid event on September 14.ll serve as a warmup uled French Open, the d Slam that begins on

tournament director z tweeted: “I have

spoken to my friend Rafael Nadal who confirmed his participation in Madrid in September. As always, we await you with open arms in the

Caja Magica!” Nadal answered:

“That’s right Feli.

See you in September in Madrid. Mean-while everything is going well!”

The United States has seen a sharp resurgence of new coronavirus cases, leading to fresh doubts about whether the US Open will take place.

Leading players, including wornumber three Dominic Thiem, havs a i d they expect a decisio

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REUTERS – LONDON

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Team preparations in full swing ahead of QSL restartQNA – DOHA

Qatari clubs have continued their ongoing preparations with the start of the countdown for the return of the Qatar Stars League (QSL) compe-titions on July 24, after a long period of interruption that lasted for more than three months due to the Coro-navirus (COVID-19) crisis.

The Qatari league competitions have been suspended since last March due to the Coronavirus, which led to the suspension of sporting activities in all countries of the world and can-celed many major global competi-tions, especially in light of the high number of infections and the high number of deaths as well, a matter which forced most countries to announce the suspension of all sports activities to uphold the safety of all.

The clubs’ preparations began a long time ago and in many phases in order to preserve the safety of all, as all the clubs were subjected to the necessary medical tests in the midst of strict health procedures by the QSL, the Qatar Football Association (QFA) and the Ministry of Public Health.

With all the clubs completing their quarantine period, more preparations began for the return of the league and its remaining five rounds, as compe-titions will be tough for all who are seeking to win points and make more gains.

The QSL had made an amendment to the schedule of matches in Weeks 18, 19 and 20 of 2019-20 season after reviewing the latest developments and recommendations, and in co-ordination with the authorities concerned.

It had been decided to hold matches in each round over three days and reduce the number of

stadiums to be used to two (Al Janoub and Al Sadd) in order to minimise the pressure on operations and medical teams, against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic.

The kick-off timings and venues of matches in the last two weeks (21 and 22) will be finalized later based on the results and standings of teams in the table, as the QSL is keen to provide all clubs with equal opportunities.

In the meantime, Umm Salal will play a friendly match against Al Rayyan on July 17, as part of the prep-arations of the two teams related to the resumption of the league matches. Al Rayyan is preparing to face Qatar club on July 24 in round 18 at Jassim bin Hamad Stadium, while Umm Salal is preparing to meet Al Duhail on July 25.

Qatar Club decided to cancel the

friendly scheduled against Al Shamal on July 10 as part of its preparations to play against Al Rayyan.

Al Wakra Club announced that the team will play two friendly matches during the current camp period with the teams of Al Shahaniya and Al Markhiya. Its first match will be against Al Shahaniya on July 10, while the second will be against Al Markhiya on July 17, one week before the start of the official matches.

Meanwhile, Al Sadd announced that Mexican player Marco Fabian will leave the club as his contract expired on June 30.

Also, Spanish midfielder Gabi left the team following the end of his con-tract. Gabi played two seasons with Al Sadd, where he won the league, Super Cup, and Qatar cup titles.

Al Duhail Club recently announced that it had reached an

agreement with the Croatian star Mario Mandzukic to end a contract by mutual consent, while Moroccan Mbark Boussoufa refused to renew with Al Sailiya.

Al Arabi Club announced the renewal of the contract of the team player Fahad Khalfan for two seasons, to continue with the club until the end of the season (2021-2022).

Al Arabi had previously renewed contracts of a number of players, including Jasser Yahya, Khalifa Al Maliki, Jassim Jaber, and Mohamed Saad Al Badr.

Chelsea close in on CL spot with 3-2 win at PalaceREUTERS – LONDON

Chelsea kept up their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League and Cham-pions League football next season with a 3-2 victory at London rivals Crystal Palace yesterday thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham.

Chelsea moved into third, leapfrogging Leicester City who were visiting Arsenal later yesterday, to stand five points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United, who visit Aston Villa on Thursday. Palace stay 15 points clear of the relegation zone.

Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side went ahead in the seventh minute when former Blues defender Gary Cahill pulled up with an injury, giving Willian all the time he needed to cut the ball back for an easy finish by French striker Olivier Giroud.

The visitors doubled their lead 20 minutes later as Willian fed Pulisic on the edge of the box and the American shrugged off his marker Joel Ward to fire a fierce angled shot past goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

Chelsea looked in complete control and only a fine save by Guaita prevented Willian from adding a third goal after Pulisic burst through the Palace lines.

But the visitors, who threw away a lead to lose another London derby at West Ham United last week, allowed Palace back into the game in the 34th minute when defender Reece James misplaced a pass and Wilfred Zaha fired a powerful shot past surprised keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.

In the 71st minute, substitute Tammy Abraham seemed to have wrapped up the win for Chelsea when he fired a low shot in off the post after being set up by Ruben Loftus-Cheek. But Palace hit back within a minute when Patrick Van Aanholt got to the byline and squared for Christian Benteke to tap the ball in.

Palace defender Scott Dann hit the post in added time as Palace pushed for an equaliser and only a last-ditch tackle by Kurt Zouma denied Benteke.

Al Rayyan's goalkeeper Mahmoud Ahmed reaches for the ball during a training session held in Doha, yesterday as the teams gear up for the restart of the QNB Stars League season. TOP RIGHT: A healthcare worker conducting a test on an Al Arabi player, yesterday. BOTTOM: An Al Duhail player in action during a training session.

18 WEDNESDAY 8 JULY 2020SPORT

Beal to miss Wizards' NBA restart due to injuryAFP – WASHINGTON

Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (Pictured), the NBA’s number two scorer, will not play in the 2019-20 season restart due to a right shoulder injury, the team announced yesterday.

It’s another major setback for the Wizards, who will also enter the Orlando bubble this week without injured star forward John Wall and Latvian Davis Bertans, who opted out June 22 over injury worries.

“This was a difficult decision and one that I did not take lightly as the leader of this team,” Beal said.

“I wanted to help my team-mates compete for a playoff spot in Orlando, but also understand that this will be best for all of us in the long term.” The Wizards, 24-40, have a tough fight to catch Brooklyn (30-34) or Orlando (30-35) to reach the playoffs

from the eight games they will play in the Orlando bubble. Washington must pull within four games of the eighth seed to force play-in games.

Beal was nagged by a right rotator cuff injury early in the season and symptoms became worse during the NBA’s

four-month hiatus. Beal began to rehabilitate the shoulder with plans on playing but together with team doctors decided sitting out was the best course.

“Bradley did everything pos-sible to be ready to play, but after closely monitoring his individual workouts we came to the

conclusion that it was best for him to sit out the upcoming games in Orlando and avoid the risk of further injury,” Wizards General Manager Tommy Sheppard said.

When the NBA season shut down March 11 after Utah’s Rudy Gobert was diagnosed with COVID-19, Beal was averaging 30.5 points per game, trailing only Houston’s James Harden at 36.7.

Beal was also averaging 4.2 rebounds and a career-best 6.1 assists. In February, he became only the sixth player in NBA history with back-to-back 50-point games, the first since the late Kobe Bryant in 2007.

Bertans, set to become a free agent, has undergone two major knee injuries but had a best-ever campaign with career highs of 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in his fourth NBA season.

PGA Tour, Memorial scrap plans to have limited spectatorsAP – NEW YORK

The PGA Tour and the Memorial scrapped state-approved plans to have limited spectators next week because of what it described as rapidly changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Memorial, hosted by Jack Nicklaus at his Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, was in line to be the first tournament with spectators since golf resumed its schedule on June 11 in Texas.

Ohio Govenor Mike DeWine, a Republican, last month approved a plan that would allow the Memorial to have 20% capacity on property, which would include fans, private hos-pitality areas and essential staff to run the tournament.

“But given the broader challenges communities are facing due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we need to stay focused on the No. 1 priority for our ‘Return to Golf’ - the health and safety of all involved,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement Monday.

The absence of spectators also means the tournament will not have a pro-am.

Mahomes, Chiefs sign richest contract in history worth $503m

AGENCIES – KANSAS CITY

Patrick Mahomes (pictured) and the Kansas City Chiefs agreed to a 10-year contract extension through 2031, ESPN reported Monday.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Adam Schefter reported the deal is worth more than $400m and the "richest contract in NFL history." That would also make his total contract the largest in the history of North American team sports.

Mahomes, 24, was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 2018 and guided the Chiefs to a Super Bowl champi-onship last season.

Prior to the Chiefs' mon-umental win in February, Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said the quarterback would be with the team long-term.

"There will be a right time sometime in the next 12 to 15 months to extend Patrick, and when I say right time, I mean right time for

both the player and the club," Hunt said before Super Bowl LIV.

Mahomes is entering the final year of his rookie deal at $2.8m in 2020 with his fifth-year option slotted at $24.8m in 2021. The Chiefs are adding 10 years to his contract for a total of 12 seasons remaining in Kansas City, per Schefter.

In those 12 seasons, he will earn at least $427.6m, sur-passing the 12-year, $426.5m contract signed by Los Angeles

Angels outfielder Mike Trout in March. At the time, Trout's contract was the largest ever in North America.

In his first 31 games, Mahomes has a 24-7 record with 76 touchdown passes and 17 300-yard games with the Chiefs.

The Chiefs return 20 of their 22 Super Bowl starters in 2020.

Previously the NFL's highest-paid quarterback was Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, who signed a four-year, $140m deal in April 2019 for an annual average value of $35m. His contract includes $107m guaranteed and Wilson turns 32 in November.

Mahomes' agreement with the Chiefs is the first to exceed 10 years in the NFL since Donovan McNabb with the Phila-delphia Eagles in 2002.

In 12 seasons, Mahomes, the MVP in 2018 who guided the Chiefs to a Super Bowl championship last season, will earn at least $427.6m, surpassing the 12-year, $426.5m contract signed by Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout in March.

Alonso set for F1 return with Renault in 2021

REUTERS – LONDON

Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso (pictured) is set to return to Formula One with Renault in 2021, the BBC reported yesterday.

Alonso, who left Formula One at the end of 2018 after a final season with McLaren, won his championship titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006.

The Spaniard, 38, has made no secret of his desire to return to the Formula One grid, with the French manufacturer having a vacancy.

Alonso could join Frenchman Esteban Ocon and replace Aus-tralian Daniel Ricciardo, who is m o v i n g t o McLaren at the end of the 2020 season.

“I don’t know if he is going to join or not with us but definitely if he could come back here I’d be very happy,” Ocon said last week.

Renault were not i m m e d i a t e l y a v a i l a b l e f o r comment.

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19WEDNESDAY 8 JULY 2020 SPORT

New era for cricket as England, West Indies get set for the tossAP - LONDON

International sport finally returns to Britain today when England plays the West Indies in the world’s first cricket Test match since the start of March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s clear the match being staged at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton is about much more than just cricket.

A smoothly run Test series, played in a strict isolated envi-ronment featuring repeated COVID-19 testing and social dis-tancing, can lay the blueprint for future matches and tours in cricket but also events in other sports targeting a resumption.

“If you get one thing wrong, it might blow this whole ‘getting sport back onto the radar’ further back,” England stand-in captain Ben Stokes said yes-terday in his eve-of-game news conference.

Stokes also spoke about the “responsibility on our shoulders” to deliver a “massive occasion” for TV viewers who have been without international cricket for four months.

“I know everyone has been craving this from a player’s point of view,” he said, “but also

I think from a spectator’s and fan’s point of view.”

And then there’s the message England and the West Indies players want to send about equality in sport and society in general in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

A BLM logo will be on the collar of the Test shirts worn by players from both teams and there is set to be a “gesture” made by the teams before the game.

West Indies players have said the movement is a source of motivation on this tour.

“Not only has this been a period for us getting ready for a test match,” Stokes said, “it has also been great for us to have educational chats as a team around this and it has been really beneficial for a lot of our members.

“I feel as a team we have an opportunity to send a real pow-erful message and I am really excited as an individual, and the team is really excited, that we are able to be a part of that.”

Cricket’s oldest format kicks off a very new era for the sport. One where there are no spec-tators at matches, one-way systems inside venues to

maintain distancing, twice-weekly testing for coronavirus, and players not allowed out of their hotels.

Players from the two teams will come into vaguely close contact with each other only on the field of play.

TV viewers will have the choice of adding a so-called “Lord’s hum” during coverage, but there will be no artificial crowd noise in the ground or music between overs, ensuring an eerie silence once the match

begins except for selective a n n o u n c e -ments over the public address system about things such as milestones or b o w l i n g changes.

The big s c r e e n s around the venue will show key highlights, DRS and sponsor messages.

The West Indies squad has been here since June 9 in

order that the players could first quarantine at Manchester’s Old Trafford ground and then practise there in lockdown con-ditions. They had two intra-squad matches - England has had only one - before the squad travelled to Southampton for the match.

“We’re about to show that other places can start putting things together,” West Indies coach Phil Simmons said.

“The England and Wales Cricket Board have to be

commended for all the work they have done to get the series on the road and let’s see what other countries take from it.”

Simmons has had to self-isolate in his hotel room for a period after leaving camp to attend his father-in-law’s funeral last week.

England’s buildup has been interrupted, too, by captain Joe Root having to leave camp to be at the birth of his second child.

He will not feature in the first of three Tests, meaning Stokes has the captaincy for the first time.

“I haven’t had much advice but there has been a lot of opinions flying around,” Stokes said.

“The best message that I have received was when I got my photos done yesterday in the blazer. Rooty just left a message on the hanger which said: ‘Do it your way.’”

The West Indies has not won a Test series in England since 1988 but the team is the holder of the Wisden Trophy after a 2-1 victory in the Car-ibbean last year.

The other two Tests take place in Manchester, starting July 16 and 24.

Ben Stokes sports the England Test cap and blazer during a photo-shoot. Pic:@englandcricket

Lara warns West Indies ‘won’t last five days’ in England Tests

AFP - LONDON

West Indies great Brian Lara says the Caribbean side must try and beat “over-whelming favourites” England in four days because their batting is not strong enough to last five days.

The three-Test series, which marks the return of international cricket after the coronavirus shutdown, starts on Wednesday in Southampton behind closed doors.

Jason Holder’s tourists boast a powerful pace attack but their batsmen have struggled to post challenging totals in recent years.

“They have to be able to pounce immediately,” Lara said in comments on BBC Sport. “England are not beaten very easily at home and are overwhelming favourites.”

Lara, who scored a record 11,953 runs for West Indies in 131 Tests, said it was vital the tourists adapted to English condi-tions quickly.

“They have to hit the road running and stamp their authority on England,” said the 51-year-old.

“I don’t think they can last five days, so they have to take these games in four days. They have to establish a lead and keep it.”

West Indies, who beat England 2-1 in the Car-ibbean last year, have not won a series in England since 1988.

“It’s going to be a series that’s watched all around the world and everybody is hoping to see a competitive series,” said Lara, who scored 34 Test centuries.

“It would mean a lot to all West Indians if they could win.

“If they play good cricket on the first day of the Test series, show they have the mettle to perform against England, that’s the key.”

The second and third Tests will be played at Old Trafford, in Manchester, also i n b i o - s e c u r e environments.

IPL will only be staged abroad as a last resort: BCCI officialREUTERS - NEW DELHI

India’s cricket board will only consider staging the Indian Premier League (IPL) abroad as a last resort if there is no other way to salvage the lucrative limited-overs tour-nament this year, a top BCCI official has said.

The annual tournament was originally scheduled to begin on March 29 but was postponed indefinitely due to COVID-19. India’s death toll from the pandemic surpassed 20,000 yesterday.

Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates have offered to host the league but BCCI treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal said the board was optimistic about staging it on home soil.

“We’ve to consider India first and then think of overseas,” Dhumal said. “They have sent these proposals in case we want to organise it there.

“We will discuss it in the next IPL governing council meeting where we will take a call.”

“We will sit down with all stakeholders (broadcaster, teams, etc) and take a call. The safety of the players is para-mount. There will be no com-promise on that,” the official said.

The 2009 edition of the franchise-based league, which coincided with India’s elec-tions, was held in South Africa and the UAE hosted the early matches of the tournament five years later for the same reason.

The BCCI, facing a $535m loss of revenue if it cannot stage the IPL this year, would be keen to slot it into the Twenty20 World Cup’s October-November window if that event was unable to go ahead in Australia due to the pandemic. The uncertainty around the World Cup, the BCCI has said, has created a scheduling headache for cricket boards trying to recoup some of the losses caused by the pandemic.

“Everybody is under the pressure because of the uncer-tainty,” Dhumal added.

The UAE again is the front-runner to host the tournament if it happens overseas. Sri Lanka is a cost-effective option while New Zealand, which has been largely free from COVID-19, faces feasibility issues.

Batting holds key to England-Windies seriesAFP - LONDON

Batting could well determine which side emerges on top when international cricket resumes after months of coro-navirus-enforced lockdown with the first Test between England and the West Indies at Southampton s tart ing yesterday.

Both sides have proven pace attacks, with West Indies captain Jason Holder among a bowling unit set to include the likes of Shannon Gabriel, Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph as the tourists look to retain the Wisden Trophy they won in the Caribbean last year.

England too have plenty of pace bowling options, with veteran new-ball duo James Anderson and Stuart Broad among a group of fast bowlers that also includes the Barbados-born Jofra Archer and Mark Wood.

They, like the West Indies,

will be captained by a seam-bowling all-rounder of their own in new skipper Ben Stokes, shouldering the burden of England leadership for the first time in the absence of regular captain Joe Root, who is missing the match to attend the birth of his second child.

England have no spare batsman in their 13-man squad, with Dom Bess the lone spinner, and that meaning the make-up of their pace attack appears to be the outstanding issue.

Injuries have prevented England pairing the express Archer and Wood together since the former’s Test debut last year.

But if they are both in the final XI, it could mean Broad missing a first home Test in eight years.

With matches coming thick and fast -- the three-match series will be over before the end of the month -- England may decide to hold Wood back

for the second and third Tests at Old Trafford.

The pitch at Lancashire’s headquarters traditionally has more bounce than the one at Southampton -- a consideration that is even more important given the temporary ban on bowlers using saliva in order to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Root’s absence weakens England’s batting, even if if he managed a mere four runs when the side were bowled out for 77 in the first Test at Bar-bados last year, with Roach taking five for 17.

Nevertheless, the pressure will be on the top order, for all England won a series in South Africa this year, with Joe Denly set to play despite averaging a modest 30 from 14 Tests.

“As a top-order batter Joe would obviously love to convert those starts into hundreds...but also it is fully understood that he has contributed to good team batting performances,” said

England national selector Ed Smith.

West Indies’ also face questions over whether their batsmen can give their bowlers enough runs to play with.

A likely top-five of Kraigg Brathwaite, John C a m p b e l l , Shamarh Brooks, Shai Hope and Roston Chase sub-sided to 49 for five in their final intra-squad warm-up innings at Old Trafford.

“I would have loved to see the batsmen spend a little bit more time in the middle,” said West Indies assistant coach Roddy Estwick.

This series also takes place against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter campaign,

with both sides set to wear a BLM logo on their shirts.

“It means a hell of a lot to all the players,” West Indies coach Phil Simmons said during a new conference.

“But it doesn’t take the Black Lives Matter situation to bring us together as a team.”

Fast bowler Jofra Archer is seen during a photo-shoot.

Pic:@englandcricket

AFP - LONDON

West Indies skipper Jason Holder said yesterday he would keep his captaincy secrets close to his chest as he prepares to go head-to-head with England’s Ben Stokes.

The world’s two leading Test all-rounders will pit their wits against each other behind closed doors in South-ampton from today in the first Test of a three-match series.

Stokes will be leading England for the first time in the absence of regular captain Joe Root, who is missing the game to attend the birth of his second child.

But Holder, who tops the Test rankings for all-rounders ahead of Stokes, has no intention of passing on any trade secrets to his rival, even for one game, until the series is completed.

“I’ll leave my advice to Stokesy until after the series,” Holder told a

conference call. “England are in capable hands. He is an excellent cricketer and a great competitor and I am sure the guys in the dressing room look up to him too.”

Holder has won 10 of his 32 Tests as captain, leading his side to a 2-1 series win against England in the Caribbean last year.

“My captaincy has been made a lot easier by my players, particularly the senior guys like Kemar Roach, Shannon

Gabriel, Kraigg Brathwaite, just to name a few,” he said.

“These guys have helped tremen-dously on and off the park and they’ve made the job a lot easier. I’ve really enjoyed leading this team. It is a very talented group.”

Holder himself needs just 102 more runs to become only the third West Indian after Garry Sobers and Carl Hooper to score 2,000 runs and take 100 wickets in Tests.

West Indies skipper Holder will save his advice for Stokes

Counties agree to two formats in

truncated seasonREUTERS - LONDON

England’s 18 counties have agreed to play red-ball and white-ball cricket during this summer’s shortened domestic season, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said yesterday.

A majority vote was reached at a meeting of the First Class County (FCC) chairs after the ECB Board last month gave the go-ahead to start the domestic season on Aug. 1.

The men’s County Championship was ini-tially scheduled to begin on April 12, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

British media reported two competitions of four-day and Twenty20 cricket have been under discussion to fill the revised calendar.

The agreement by the counties will be passed on to the ECB Board for approval in the coming days after which a new fixture list will be drawn up and announced.

Head groundsman Ian Patterson prepares the cricket pitch underneath Bamburgh Castle, ahead of the sport allowed commencement in the United Kingdom this weekend, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bamburgh, Britain, yesterday.