7 stand trial over cyber death threats against Paris Olympics artistic director

LAHORE: Centuries from batting sensation Rachin Ravindra and the ever reliable Kane Williamson powered New Zealand into the Champions Trophy final with a resounding 50-run win over South Africa in the second semifinal on Wednesday.
New Zealand will now travel to Dubai for Sunday’s final against India, after Virat Kohli’s 84 anchored India to a four-wicket win over Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday.
The 25-year-old Ravindra hit 108 runs off 101 balls and raised his fifth ODI hundred at an ICC tournament. Williamson also impressed with 102 off 94 as New Zealand scored the tournament’s highest ever score of 362-6 in its 50 overs.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, the Black Caps bettered Australia’s Champions Trophy record of 355 made against England in the group stage at the same venue last month.
South Africa, which was unbeaten in the group stage, again fell in the knockout stage of an ICC tournament.
South Africa knew it was going to lose with 99 runs needed off the last three overs but David Miller (100 not out) reduced the scale of defeat by smashing 48 runs in those three overs — including seven fours and two sixes — as his team finished on 312-9.
Miller raised his 67-ball century off the final ball with two runs.
Half centuries from Rassie van der Dussen (69) and captain Temba Bavuma (56) kept the Proteas in the race by the halfway stage before New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner squeezed the chase with 3-43 in 10 overs.
South Africa’s batters also struggled against three other spinners with Glenn Phillips (2-27), Ravindra (1-20) and Michael Bracewell (1-53) sharing five wickets between them.
It was New Zealand’s third win at the Qaddafi Stadium in almost a month after victories against host Pakistan and South Africa in the warmup tri-nation series last month.

LAHORE: Pakistan cricket fans and former players seethed Wednesday after the host country’s already disappointing Champions Trophy suffered one last blow: no final.

“It’s totally unfair,” said Moeed Ali Khan, a private car driver outside Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium to watch the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand.

“I am disgusted, neither our team is in the final nor is the final in Pakistan.”

Pakistan celebrated on February 19 when the country began staging its first major international cricket tournament in three decades.

But it was all downhill after that.

The hosts lost the opening match to New Zealand and their title defense was over with a comprehensive defeat to arch-rivals India.

Their dead-rubber final group match, against Bangladesh, was washed out.

This Sunday’s final was scheduled for Lahore, but with one big caveat: not if India reached the title decider.

By defeating Australia in the first semifinal on Tuesday, India did just that.

India have played all their games, including the Australia clash, in Dubai after refusing to visit neighboring Pakistan because of political tensions.

The final will also be at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Pakistan only agreed to the so-called hybrid model of hosting on the condition that they will also not send their team to India for upcoming ICC events.

The arrangement, which saw other teams shuttle in and out of the UAE while India stayed put, underlined India’s outsized influence over cricket.

“We accepted this arrangement, so what is the fuss?” asked Abdul Samad, a cricket fan.

“When you do not have power you have to bow down and this is the bargain Pakistan had to do.

“No regrets for me. Our team and our cricket is lagging behind so we had to make a compromise.”

‘DOUBLE LOSS’

Others in Pakistan are not so pragmatic.

“No final in Pakistan after such a heavy investment on the venues is a blow,” former captain Rashid Latif told AFP.

“Pakistan is at the lowest level in terms of finances and team-wise as well, which is a double loss.”

Pakistan reportedly spent the equivalent of 16 million dollars to upgrade the three venues in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi.

The country will reportedly get six million dollars in hosting fees from the ICC.

But finances could be hit with the lack of interest in the 50-over tournament after the home team’s early exit.

Three of the matches in Pakistan were hit by bad weather and empty seats at games were noticeable.

“India have improved enormously and that has been evident in this event,” said Latif, reflecting on what has happened on the pitch.

“But I think politics has lowered the cricket a great deal.”

He added: “I think had they come to Pakistan and lifted the trophy in Lahore it would have been great.”

Latif says the repercussions of the split hosting will last beyond the Champions Trophy.

“This problem of one team not coming to another country and in future Pakistan not going to India will hit world cricket badly,” he said.

“It needs to be addressed quickly.”