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CRICKET - Int News 01 Feb, 2020

One ball declaration: Not deliberation by Sean Williams
By BIPIN DANI Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams was not eyeing his individual half century before declaration, according to his father Collin Williams, who was also a cricketer and played five First Class matches. On Friday, the captain did not declare the second innings at the over night score of 241 for 7 (Williams was unbeaten on 47) but declared immediately after playing the only delivery, in which he hit a six and surpassed 50. "Definitely, the half century was not in his mind", speaking exclusveily over telephone from Harare, he said. "It was all about using the heavy roller. Before the start of play he asked for heavy roller. If had declared overnight he could not have had the pitch roller with his choice of roller", he added. Incidentally, the father also sent the audio clippings of his overnight conversation with Sean Williams. "I will pick the option of using heavy roller in the morning and then declare the innings. I intend to give them a target of about 355 runs, i.e. 4 runs per an over", his audio recording said.    "Rain and weather will play important part in the matter but I can't do anything on that. We already had few delays and interruptions in the match (on the fourth day) but I am very keen and positive on winning the match", he had said this to his dad on the eve of the match. Sean Williams, however, had to be content with the draw. Kusal Mendis' ton saved Sri Lanka from losing the Test.

HOCKEY - Int News 01 Feb, 2020

Netherlands win for second time in Valencia, while history is made in Auckland
Sports Desk ISLAMABAD (February 1, 2020):-Hockey history was made in Saturday’s games in Auckland, which became the first top tier international hockey matches to have mixed gender umpires on the field of play. Australia’s Steve Rogers and Wanri Venter of South Africa took charge of the women’s clash between New Zealand and Belgium, while the men’s fixture was umpired by the Australian pairing of Adam Kearns and Aleisha Neumann. In Auckland, New Zealand’s women fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of visiting Belgium thanks largely to a sensational goalkeeping performance from Aisling D’Hooghe, who was named player of the match. Ambre Ballenghien’s speculative backhand strike from an acute angle put the Red Panthers ahead inside the opening three minutes before Gemma McCaw, playing her first international match since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, levelled early in the second quarter. D’Hooghe made a string of wonderful saves to keep deny the Black Sticks from moving ahead before Anne-Sophie Weyns gave Belgium victory with a penalty corner slap-shot nine minutes from time. It was a second successive victory for Belgium on Kiwi soil, having also beaten the Black Sticks away from home in the 2019 edition of the FIH Hockey Pro League.  On her team’s impressive defensive performance, particularly from penalty corners, shot-stopper D’Hooghe said: “I think it is a big focus point for us. We did a good penalty corner defence last year, and we have to do the same this year. We will keep working on it.” The Red Lions ensured it was a day of double Belgian celebration in Auckland, with the world number one ranked team storming to a 6-2 victory against the Black Sticks. The reigning World and European champions exploded out of the blocks, establishing a 3-0 lead inside the first ten minutes thanks to two superb Felix Denayer field goals and a penalty corner from Tom Boon. George Muir pulled a goal back early in the second quarter, but Sebastien Dockier and Nicolas de Kerpel took the score to 5-2 before Muir struck again to re-ignite New Zealand’s interest in the contest. However, a stunning high deflection from Player of the Match Boon eight minutes from time completed a resounding and deserved victory for Belgium. “I think we are in a good way, we keep the ball for long moments and we see that when we do that teams struggle [against us], said Boon post-match. “All in all, we had a pretty good game.” In Sydney, Australia men found themselves on the brink of defeat before eventually claiming two points from a possible three by winning a shoot-out against Great Britain after regular time finished with the scores locked at 4-4. The match - played in searing temperatures that triggered FIH’s inclement weather procedure to give players additional rest during the game – was a thriller, with Great Britain turing a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead thanks to strikes from Zach Wallace, Rupert Shipperley and Liam Ansell before late goals from Aran Zalewski and Trent Mitton sent the game into a shoot-out. Alan Forsyth was the only scorer for GB, with Jake Whetton, Flynn Ogilvie and Jake Harvie on target as the Kookaburras nicked the bonus point.    “It was pretty close in the end”, said Australia’s Lachlan Sharp, who was named Player of the Match. “We train for this every day. It’s pretty hot here at the moment, but luckily we were fit enough to come through in the end.” Grace Stewart scored a dramatic late winner as Australia’s Hockeyroos defeated reigning Olympic champions Great Britain 2-1 in Sydney. GB - who like their men, were playing their first match in the 2020 FIH Hockey Pro League – took a 1-0 lead early in the second quarter thanks to Sarah Robertson’s field goal, with Australia needing just eight minutes to restore parity when Stephanie Kershaw found the back of the net. The hosts withstood intense pressure from the visitors in the third and fourth quarter, with Australia goalkeeper and Player of the Match Jocelyn Bartram producing numerous excellent blocks to keep the scores level. Australia emerged with all three points when Stewart clinically dispatched a backhand strike with just 12 seconds of the contest remaining. Speaking after the match, Jocelyn Bartram said: “The girls played the full 60 minutes to be able to get the win at the end. I’m really proud of our defensive efforts today, particularly on PCs [penalty corners]. We couldn’t have done it without the girls running it down, so we are really excited to get the win today.” It was another goal-fest in Valencia as Spain and the Netherlands played out a highly competitive 2-4 encounter, with the Dutch proving themselves more adept at turning pressure into goals. The Spanish players couldn't have given any more as they moved the ball rapidly during some beautiful build-up play but they could find no way through a staunch Dutch defence. Goals from player of the match Jip Janssen, Thierry Brinkman, Mink van der Weerden and Bjorn Kellerman were enough to quell the Spanish attacking instincts. Spain struck back through Marc Miralles and, in the final minute of the game, Ricardo Sanchez. The day was bitter-sweet for Spain's Quico Cortes. The goalkeeper was playing his 300th game for his country and pulled off a strng of fabulous saves during the match. Speaking after the game, Jip Janssen said: "It [the match]was very much like yesterday. Both teams played with a very high intensity. Our defending was very good and we were very fast with our counter-attacks." Miguel Delas, the defeated captain, said: "Today we have to be realistic. We didn't play at our level and we made some mistakes. Holland were very efficient. To win at this level, we have to be at the top of our game." The result means the Netherlands move to second in the league table, one point behind European neighbors, Belgium. Spain spotted at seventh position, ahead of Argentina who are yet to play, and New Zealand. The FIH Hockey Pro League continues on Sunday (2 February), with the second matches of the New Zealand versus Belgium and Australia versus Great Britain double-headers taking place in Auckland and Sydney respectively. Keep up to date with all the latest news on the FIH Hockey Pro League via the event website and through FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.  FIH Hockey Pro League Match Day 9 – Saturday 01 February 2020 North Harbour Hockey Stadium, Auckland (NZL) Women’s result: New Zealand 1, Belgium 2 (Match 1 of 2) Player of the Match: Aisling D’Hooghe (GK - BEL) Umpires: Steve Rogers (AUS), Wanri Venter (RSA) & Aleisha Neumann (AUS - video) Men’s result: New Zealand 2, Belgium 6 (Match 1 of 2) Player of the Match: Tom Boon (BEL) Umpires: Adam Kearns (AUS), Aleisha Neumann (AUS) & Steve Rogers (AUS - video) Sydney Olympic Park (AUS) Men’s result: Australia 4, Great Britain 4 – 3-1 After Shoot-Out (Match 1 of 2) Player of the Match: Lachlan Sharp (AUS) Umpires: David Tomlinson (NZL), Javed Shaikh (IND) & Emi Yamada (JPN - video) Women’s result: Australia 2, Great Britain 1 (Match 1 of 2) Player of the Match: Jocelyn Bartram (GK - AUS) Umpires: Kelly Hudson (NZL), Emi Yamada (JPN) & Javed Shaikh (IND - video) Estadio Betero, Valencia (ESP) Men’s result: Spain 2, Netherlands 4 (Match 2 of 2) Player of the Match: Jip Janssen (NED) Umpires: Ben Goentgen (GER), Christian Blasch (GER) & Sean Rapaport (RSA - video)

TENNIS - National 01 Feb, 2020

Federal Cup Tennis: Aqeel Khan and Muzammil Murtaza reach in the final
By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (February 1, 2020):-Top seed Aqeel Khan and 2nd seed Muzammil Murtaza reached into the Men’s Singles final of the 33rd Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships 2020 at Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, Islamabad on Saturday. In the first semi-final, 2nd seed Muzammil Murtaza proved too good for 8th seed Mohammad Abid and eliminated him in straight sets with the score of 6-4,6-1. He was in good form and hit a number of winners to outplay his opponent. The best encounter of the day was second semifinal which was played between unseeded 17-year old Huzaifa Abdul Rehman from Islamabad and top seed Aqeel Khan on the center court. In the first set, Aqeel built up a 5-3 lead by breaking the 3rd game of Huzaifa. Huzaifa leveled the score 5-5 by breaking the 10th game of Aqeel after seven deuces and then went on to win the first set 7-5 by breaking 12th game of Aqeel. In the 2nd set, the score went up to 3-3 all, as both the players held their serves. Aqeel won the 2nd set by breaking 7th & 9th game of Huzaifa, who hit 8 double faults in the 2nd set. In the final set, Aqeel took a 2-0 lead by breaking 2nd game of Huzaifa, but Huzaifa fought back bravely and leveled the score 2-2 by breaking 3rd game of Aqeel on love. Aqeel served for the match at 5-3, but Huzaifa not only saved a match-point but also broke Aqeel to go 4-5. In a long game, Aqeel finally broke Huzaifa to take the set and match 6-4 and will face Muzammil Murtaza in the final on Sunday at 1-30. In the Senior 45 category event, Irfanulaah and Israr Gul won the title by beating Hameed ul Haq and Mehmood Khan 6-3,6-3. Sunday (2nd February) final of Men’s Singles will be played at 1:30; Tariq Mehmood Murtaza Chairman Rawalpindi Development Authority and President Islamabad Tennis Association will grace the occasion as chief guest to distribute the prizes among the winners and runner-ups. Capital Smart City is the official sponsor of the 33rd Federal Cup National Ranking Tennis Championships 2020 Results are as under: Mens Singles Semifinals: Aqeel Khan beat Huzaifa Abdul Rehman 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 Muzammil Murtaza beat Mohammad Abid 6-4,6-1 Mens Doubles Final: Shahzad Khan & Mohammad Abid beat Barkatullah & Ahmed Choudhary 6-1, 6-3 Senior 45 Final: Irfanullah/Israr Gul beat Hameed ul Haq/Mehmood Khan 6-4,6-3  

CRICKET - Int News 01 Feb, 2020

PCB names squad for Pindi Test
By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (February 1, 2020):-The national men’s selection committee has named a 16-player squad for the first ICC World Test Championship fixture against Bangladesh to be played in Rawalpindi from 7-11 February. The selectors have recalled off-spinner Bilal Asif at the back of his 43 wickets in nine Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches, while Faheem Ashraf has been drafted in the side due to his all-round skills that were backed by his six wickets in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final against Northern.  Two changes have been made in the side that was named for the two ICC World Test Championship Tests against Sri Lanka.  Kashif Bhatti and Usman Shinwari have been left out, but they remain in the red-ball plans and have been advised to continue their training and preparation.  While Kashif didn’t play against Sri Lanka, Usman made his only appearance in the Rawalpindi Test where he took one for 54.  Squad 1.       Azhar Ali (captain) (Central Punjab) 2.       Abid Ali (Sindh) 3.       Asad Shafiq (Sindh) 4.       Babar Azam (Central Punjab) 5.       Bilal Asif (Central Punjab) 6.       Faheem Ashraf (Central Punjab) 7.       Fawad Alam (Sindh) 8.      Haris Sohail (Balochistan) 9.       Imam-ul-Haq (Balochistan) 10.   Imran Khan Snr (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 11.    Mohammad Abbas (Southern Punjab) 12.    Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) 13.    Naseem Shah (Central Punjab) 14.    Shaheen Shah Afridi ( Northern) 15.    Shan Masood (Southern Punjab) 16.    Yasir Shah (Balochistan)  Chair of the men’s national selection committee and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq said: “We have followed the horses for courses policy for the Test against Bangladesh. I know the two players who have been left out will be disappointed, but they remain firmly within our plans for the red-ball cricket we are scheduled to play later this year.  “Kashif Bhatti has paved the way for Bilal Asif considering there are left-handed batters in the Bangladesh top and middle-order, while Faheem Ashraf has been preferred over Usman Shinwari due to his all-round abilities.  “Following our convincing victory in Karachi, I don’t envisage any major changes in the playing line-up but we have tried to cover all our bases just in case the wicket has any surprises for us.  “We ended 2019 on a high with a victory over Sri Lanka and have made a good start to 2020 by winning the T20I series against Bangladesh. I understand the Test will be a different ball game but I am optimistic we will maintain our good form and translate that into another strong performance that will contribute significantly in the overall confidence building of the Test side.  “We are aiming to collect maximum points from the two upcoming ICC World Test Championship matches against Bangladesh so that when we take the field for the Lord’s Test against England on 30 July, we are in a strong contention for a top-two finish by the end of the 2020-21 season. This is what our aspiration is and that’s what are aiming and striving for.”  The Pakistan team will depart for Rawalpindi on 3 February, where it will fine-tune its final preparations from 4 February.          

SPORTS NEWS - National 31 Jan, 2020

Women Sports Festival from February 25
By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 31, 2020):-A women’s Sports Festival will be taken place from February 25 to March 8, 2020 at the different sports venues Pakistan Sports Complex under the banner of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Islamabad. As many as 13 sports disciplines including Football, Hockey, Softball, Swimming, Baseball, Squash, Netball, Soccer Futsal, Judo, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Taekwondo and Tenpin Bowling will be the part of sports festival According to a spokesman for PSB, Mohammad Azam Dar, in this regard, a high level meeting held at PSB, which was chaired by Director General, Pakistan Sports Board, Amina Imran on Friday at Conference Room of Pakistan Sports Board. Deputy Director General (Technical), Assistant Director (Women Wing)  Shazia Ejaz and the representatives of the participating games attended the meeting. Azam Dar told to media after the meeting that exhibition matches of the various games would also be played during festival including Football, Hockey, Softball, Swimming, Baseball, Squash, Netball, Soccer Futsal, Judo, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Taekwondo and Tenpin Bowling. Swimming competitions will be held at Swimming Pool, Baseball and Softball competitions at Baseball ground, Squash at Mushaf Squash Complex, Soccer futsal at Rodham Hall, Hockey at Naseer Bunda Stadium, Football at Jinnah Stadium, Taekwondo at Amir Khan Boxing Hall and Tenpin Bowling at Leisure City Club, Jinnah Park, Rawalpindi while Netball Judo, Volleyball and Table Tennis will be played at Hameed Hall.

CRICKET - Int News 31 Jan, 2020

Under-19 World Cup: Huraira’s half-century on debut secures Pakistan semi-final spot
SB Report BENONI(January 31, 2020):-A half-century from Mohammad Huraira on debut secured Pakistan U19 a six-wicket win against Afghanistan U19 in the fourth quarter-final of the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup in Benoni on Friday. Pakistan will face India U19 on Tuesday, 4 February, in the first Super League semi-final in Potchefstroom. Huraira, the 17-year-old opener from Sialkot scored with 64 off 76 balls before he was mankaded by Noor Ahmad in the 28th over of Pakistan’s run-chase. Pakistan’s chase began with a flourish as Hurraira, who hit eight fours and a six, made full use of a dropped catch early in his innings. His opening partner Haider Ali hit five spanking fours in his 34-ball 28 before he was run out. The pair added 61 runs in 11.3 overs. Captain Rohail Nazir added 56 for the second-wicket with Hurraira before the former was dismissed by Noor for a 35-ball 22. The possibility of Pakistan breaking the losing streak against Afghanistan at this level – Pakistan had lost their last four completed matches against Afghanistan stretching from November 2017 – came under threat when the batting side lost three wickets for 10 runs with their score slipping from 117 for one to 127 for four. But, an unbeaten 63-run stand between Qasim Akram (25 off 41) and Mohammad Haris (29 off 43) helped Pakistan chase the target with 53 balls spare. Batting first after winning the toss, Afghanistan were dismissed for 189 run in 49.1 overs. Captain and opener Farhan Zakhil scored for the Afghans with a 55-ball 40, hitting seven fours in his innings. Abdul Rahman provided a late flourish to the innings with a 41-ball 30 (two fours and one six). Middle-order batsmen Rahmanullah (29) and Abid Mohammadi (28) made useful contributions. For Pakistan, pacer Amir Khan took three wickets for 58 runs in his 10 overs. Leg-spinner Fahad Munir provided two useful breakthroughs in his seven over spell in which he conceded 29 runs. Qasim Akram, Abbas Afridi, Tahir Hussain and Aamir Ali took a wicket each. For his match-winning knock, Huraira was named man-of-the-match. Scores in brief: Afghanistan Under-19:  189 all out, 49.1 overs (Farhan Zakhil 40, Abdul Rahman 30; Amir Khan 3-58, Fahad Munir 2-29) Pakistan Under-19:  190-4, 41.1 overs (Mohammad Huraira 64, Mohammad Haris 29 not out, Haider Ali 28, Qasim Akram 25 not out, Rohail Nazir 22; Noor Ahmad 2-32)

BADMINTON - National 31 Jan, 2020

Murad and Mahoor win National Badminton title
Salman Khan LAHORE (January 31, 2020):-Murad Ali (NBP) has won the Men's Single Championship of 57th National Badminton Championship 2020 while Mahoor Shahzad (Wapda) retained the Women's Single title. In the Men Doubles Awais Zahid and Mohammad Ali Larosh of Wapda grabbed the Men's Double title.   Khalid Mehmood Secretary General Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) was the chief guest at the closing ceremony. He distributed cash prize and trophies and certificates among the players. Wajid Ali Chaudhry, Pervez Butt Vice President PBF, Zafar Ali Khan VP PBF Zarina Waqar VP PBF Aisha Akram were also present at the occasion.   Results: Women Single Final Mahoor Shahzad (Wapda) beat Ghazala Siddique (Wapda) by 21-19, 21-13 Men Singles Final Murad Ali (NBP) beat Hafiz Irfan Saeed (Wapda) retired hurt Men Doubles Final Awais Zahid & Mohammad Ali Larosh (Wapda) beat Rizwan Azam (NBP) by Noman Sabir (SNGPL) by 27-25, 14-21, 25-23

CRICKET - Int News 31 Jan, 2020

Iqbal Qasim to chair PCB Cricket Committee
BY Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (January 31, 2020):-Former Test spinner Iqbal Qasim will chair the revamped Pakistan Cricket Board Cricket Committee, which will meet on a quarterly basis, it was announced on Friday. Iqbal, a veteran of 50 Tests and 15 ODIs, will lead the panel that will also include Wasim Akram (former captain and now a respected commentator), Urooj Mumtaz (chief selector and representative of women’s cricket), Umar Gul (former Test cricketer and representative of current domestic cricketers) and Ali Naqvi (former Test opener and representative of the match officials). In addition to the five, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan and Director – International, Zakir Khan, will serve as coopted members. The PCB Cricket Committee’s remit will be to advice PCB Chairman Ehsan Mani on cricket-related matters, including but not limited to the performances of the national cricket teams and their managements, domestic cricket structure, high-performance centres and playing conditions. The Committee will have the powers to invite relevant personnel for its quarterly meetings to assist as part of its evaluation, assessment and recommendation process. PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said: “I welcome all the distinguished members in this PCB Cricket Committee and look forward to working with them. I am delighted we have been able to put together a wide-ranging, knowledgeable, experienced and respected group whose commitment and involvement in the game is second to none. “These members are representatives of all key stakeholders within the game. More importantly, and in line with our policy, they are completely independent, which, in turn, will assist the PCB management to further improve the health of the game in Pakistan.” Iqbal Qasim said: “I am pleased the PCB has considered me for this important assignment and will try to utilise all my cricket and corporate experience and knowledge in the successful delivery of my responsibilities. “The PCB Cricket Committee comprises members who are avid followers of the game, are on top of all matters related to the game in Pakistan and, therefore, with collective wisdom, will make recommendations that will help the PCB to improve its strategic direction. “The game belongs to the people of Pakistan and we all are equal stakeholders in this. I think anyone who thinks can make a positive and meaningful contribution to Pakistan cricket, should come forward and play their active part.” About the members: Iqbal Qasim – Played 50 Tests and 15 ODIs in which he took 171 and 12 wickets, respectively. He also took 999 first-class wickets in 246 matches from 1971 to 1992. He has previously served the PCB in various roles, including team manager, chief selector and member of Domestic Tournament Monitoring Committee (DTMC). He is one of the executives at the National Bank of Pakistan. Ali Naqvi – Hit a century on his Test debut against South Africa in 1997 in Rawalpindi. He played five Tests and 115 first-class matches, scoring 242 and 5,881 runs, respectively from 1997 to 2011. He is presently a member of the PCB Elite Panel for Match Referees. Umar Gul – Played 47 Tests, 130 ODIs and 60 T20Is from 2003 to 2016, taking 163, 179 and 85 wickets, respectively. He is still an active domestic cricket and took six wickets in five matches for Balochistan. In the National T20 Cup, he bagged four wickets in seven matches at an economy-rate of 9.35. Urooj Mumtaz – Played one Test, 38 ODIs and nine T20Is from 2004 to 2010, taking 2, 36 and six wickets, respectively. She captained Pakistan in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2009 in Sydney, and presently is the chair of women’s selection committee and acting head of the PCB’s women’s wing. Wasim Akram – An ICC Cricket Hall of Famer, he played 104 Tests and 356 ODIs in which he took a total of 916 wickets and scored 6,615 runs, respectively. Following his retirement from international cricket in 2003, he has become one of the most respected and knowledgeable commentators, and has worked for all the leading sport channels at all the major ICC events.

CRICKET - Int News 31 Jan, 2020

Super Over scores are not part of the record books
By BIPIN DANI Runs scored by the batsmen and wickets taken by bowlers in the Super Overs are not included in players' individual records. This was revealed by India's renowned cricket statistician Mohandas Menon. Explaining the logic behind this, he exclusively said, "No, they are not added in the player's career records. Because Super overs are meant just for the sake of finding out which side has to be declared a a winner in a tied game". "This happens in football too... goals scored during penalty shoot-outs are not added in players career tally", he further added. ICC reply "When ICC first created the super over, it was inserted in the regulations that no team or individual performances will count towards any official records. We took as our lead penalty shootouts in football matches which don’t count towards career goal tallies.  So no-one can score a pair in a List A match!  That doesn’t stop anyone collating such stats.  It’s just that they won’t appear in any List A records",  ICC’s statistician has said this to the MCC on a special request by this Reporter. It was the fifth defeat via a Super over for New Zealand in seven attempts in T20Is! Lucky or unlucky Having lost yet another match by a Super Over, New Zealand skipper may seem to be unlucky but he is not, according to India's sports astrologer Greenstone Lobo. Speaking exclusveily, he says, "he (Kane Williamson) has it in him to overcome all of this and do something magical by finally overcoming these hiccups". "He may win an important multi-team tournament and prove that he is indeed luck. His best is yet to come", he further added.

CRICKET - Int News 31 Jan, 2020

Nice gesture by India's son-in-law Muthiah Muralitharan
By BIPIN DANI Former Sri Lankan cricketer and world's highest wicket taker Muthiah Muralitharan won the hearts of the people at the Bandaranaike International Airport on Thursdayearly morning. Legendary cricketer Muralitharan and his family were waiting in a long queue to get to the counter at the immigration at the airport. He had flown down from India and was taking pictures with everyone who asked for one, while waiting. His wife Madhi Malar was by his side chatting with people she had never met in her life. The immigration staff asked him to step out of the line so they can get him cleared quickly and he could have been on his way home in a few minutes. But he politely declined the offer and waited in line for almost an hour with the rest of the other people. Speaking exclusveily over telephone hours after reaching home, his Indian wife, Madhi Malar said, "Our flight landed at night. We were with our children. Night time is very busy at the airport. There were lots of people at the immigration". "People in Sri Lanka love and respect Murali and as a token of respect offered us to go forward. Even immigration officer too offered to break the queue". "We too love our people and as a respect for them didn't want to go out of turn", she added.  "They were both so very humble and sweet. What a great duo. Such humility from such a legend", one of the ex-Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) honorary officials, Samantha Algama shared the photo. "I thought it was worth a share. Bless him and his family", he said.
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