17/07/2025

SPORTS THURSDAY | JULY 17, 2025

29

‘Norris has to be selfish’ F1 title race with Piastri will go down to the wire, says former driver J OHNNY HERBERT believes Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri “must be selfish” in their quest to win this Lando’s win at Silverstone changes the momentum in the championship,” Herbert said. “I think it’s going to go like this for the rest of the season. Back and Ű BY KIERAN JACKSON

SHORTS

Windies seek advice from greats CRICKET West Indies will call upon batting royalty Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards and Brian Lara to help dissect their humiliating 3-0 series whitewash by Australia, which culminated in one of the most spectacular collapses in cricket history. Chasing 204 for victory in the final Test, West Indies were bowled out for just 27 runs on Monday, recording the second-lowest total in Test history after New Zealand’s 26 against England in 1955. The carnage prompted CWI president Kishore Shallow to summon an emergency meeting of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee, enlisting three of the Caribbean’s greatest batters to give their thoughts on the humiliating defeat in Kingston. “To strengthen the discussions, I have extended invitations to three of our greatest batsmen ever: Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, and Brian Lara,” Shallow said in a statement yesterday. The trio, who plundered a combined 27,967 Test runs in their careers, will join former players Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes and Ian Bradshaw who already serve on the committee. “This engagement is not ceremonial. These are men who helped define our golden eras,” Shallow added. “Their perspectives will be invaluable as we shape the next phase of our cricket development. We intend for this gathering to result in tangible, actionable recommendations.” … but Hooper wants heads to roll after Test debacle against Aussies CRICKET West Indies must take responsibility for the team’s woeful results after they were bundled out for the second-lowest total in Test history in the third match against Australia on Monday, former all-rounder Carl Hooper said. Chasing 204 for victory in the day-night test at Sabina Park, West Indies lasted only 14.3 overs before being dismissed for 27 as Australia sealed a 3-0 series sweep. Seven West Indies batters registered ducks in the innings, a record for the Test format. “Cricket West Indies, I really think a few heads should roll for this because they’ve made some decisions and this is the result of those decisions,” a dismayed Hooper told ABC Sport . “They’ve made some wholesale changes, massive changes, that I think wasn’t needed. “To make wholesale changes and then get results like this, Cricket West Indies have got to hold up their hands and be held accountable,” said Hooper, who played 102 Tests between 1987 2002. England call up Dawson to replace Bashir ENGLAND have recalled spinner Liam Dawson for next week’s fourth Test against India after the injured Shoaib Bashir was ruled out for the rest of the series. Dawson made the last of his three Test appearances eight years ago, but the 35-year-old is in line for an unexpected return to the international stage at Old Trafford. Despite having already broken the little finger on his left hand, Bashir took the winning wicket in a dramatic finish to England’s 22-run victory over India in the third Test at Lord’s on Monday. Bashir is set for surgery in the coming days and will miss the remainder of the five-match series, with England holding a 2-1 lead before the next Test in Manchester. Dawson’s recall comes after his outstanding form in county cricket for Hampshire. The left-armer has been named the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year in the past two seasons. “Liam Dawson deserves his call-up. He has been in outstanding form in the County Championship and consistently puts in strong performances for Hampshire,” selector Luke Wright said. Dawson was part of the England squad to win the 50-over World Cup in 2019.

And when he has a weekend like he had at Silverstone I think it’ll only be a positive thing for the rest of his season for him.” Piastri was unhappy with the 10-second penalty handed his way for a safety car infringement, effectively costing him the race win. “Oscar is going to be very upset with what happened to Silverstone and he’s going to want to bounce back,” Herbert added. “So both of them are actually going to raise their game but for completely different reasons.” Commenting on the shock sacking of Christian Horner by Red Bull, Herbert insists it was “not a surprise”. “Well, I’m not surprised Horner has been sacked. With everything that happened when the initial news broke, with Adrian Newey leaving Red Bull too, there was always going to be a point where change needed to happen.” Herbert also pondered whether the Verstappens may have been involved somewhere in Horner’s dismissal. While Max’s relationship with Horner appeared stable, the same was certainly not true for his father Jos Verstappen, who verbally clashed with Horner on multiple occasions as the allegations emerged and results weakened. “But there’s also, is it anything to do with Max? Because, obviously, Jos was very vocal, and not wanting Christian about. Potentially, I suppose it could be that.” – The Independent/Agencies Helmut Marko confirmed the upgrade plans in his latest Speedweek column. “We soon have the sprint GP weekend in Belgium and then the Hungarian GP ahead of us,” he wrote. “The Spa-Francorchamps circuit should suit our car better, especially given the normally very changeable weather conditions. “We are optimistic about that. Hungary is likely to be a little trickier for us due to the track layout and the typically high temperatures. “But we will have new parts on the car for both weekends and hope this will have a positive effect.” Hamilton and Ferrari, meanwhile, will hope to be in contention for their first win of the season. While the Brit crossed the line at his home race in P4, it was a significant step forward for the 40-year-old, who demonstrated front-row pace in qualifying on Saturday before a late Q3 error left him on row three. – Express Newspapers into the Test squad had been handled. “Obviously it would have been the format which would have taken the most time to come back to. “So I played 50-over and T20 for the last year and a half, two years,” he said. “The guys have played some really exciting cricket since Baz took over. I think the mentality of the team under Baz suits the way I like to play my cricket. “I just couldn’t wait to get back and actually do it without having to be prompted to do it.” The fourth Test against India begins on July 23 in Manchester. – Reuters

year’s F1 world championship. Norris claimed top spot ahead of McLaren teammate Piastri at the last two races in Austria and Silverstone, with the Briton winning his home grand prix for the first time. It means, at the halfway stage of the season, championship leader Norris has often been criticised for his lack of ruthlessness and hard-nosed edge, particularly during his title tilt last year against Max Verstappen. Yet three-time race winner Herbert says he saw signs at Silverstone that the 25-year old was changing in this regard. “ I think Piastri has an eight-point advantage over Norris heading into the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend.

forth, one’s going to have a strong one (weekend), one’s going to probably have a slightly weaker one. “And then it’s just going to be ping pong as we go down the road towards the end of the championship. “One thing I did notice was that when Oscar and Lando walked off, there wasn’t that sort of arm around each other, they weren’t even talking to each other. “It seemed there was a deliberate separation between them. This is part of them going for the championship and

it’s all got to be done in a very selfish way. “That’s where I’m seeing Lando mature.

Lando Norris. – REUTERSPIC

Hamilton, Verstappen dreams reignited

LEWIS HAMILTON and Max Verstappen will both receive significant upgrades for the Belgian Grand Prix as Ferrari and Red Bull take the fight to McLaren. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are currently running away at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings, but that could soon change. After Norris delivered his second successive win, and a first on home soil, at the British Grand Prix, McLaren extended their advantage at the top of the Constructors’ Championship standings to 238 points. While that title fight is all but over at the season’s halfway stage, the other World Championship battle is alive and well. Piastri and Norris are now separated by just eight points, while Verstappen is 69 points behind the Australian at the top of the standings. Hamilton, meanwhile, is still hunting his first podium as a Ferrari driver with the Scuderia currently winless in 2025. Both Fred Vasseur’s squad and Red Bull

are looking to hunt McLaren down in Belgium, though. According to a report from German outlet Auto Motor und Sport , Ferrari will bring an upgraded rear axle to Spa Francorchamps, designed to bring the best out of the new floor and underbody that delivered a stronger weekend at Silverstone last time out. Red Bull are also planning their own upgrade package for the sprint weekend in Belgium. The Milton Keynes-based squad, which parted ways with long-serving team principal Christian Horner last week, are putting together a new aerodynamics update that aims to give Verstappen the tools necessary to reign the McLaren duo back in. The reigning world champion was powerless to defend from Piastri and Norris at Silverstone last time out, despite dragging his ill-handling RB21 machine onto pole position with one of the most memorable laps of the season.

Archer keen to play remaining India Tests, Ashes AFTER missing four years of Test duty due to injury, England speedster Jofra Archer is keen to make up for lost time and says he wants to play the final two Tests against India and prove he deserves a place in the squad for the Ashes series in Australia. the bowler is raring to go. “I can play the other two (against India) if they let me,” Archer told Sky Sports . “I don’t want to lose this series. I told ‘Keysey’I wanted to play the test summer and I wanted to play the Ashes.

“I think one tick is already there and I will do everything possible in my power to be on the plane in November.” It was Archer’s first Test since coach Brendon “Baz” McCullum and captain Ben Stokes took the helm in 2022 and implemented an exciting result-oriented approach. Archer was happy how his reintegration

Archer made his Test comeback at Lord’s in the third Test, bowling at full tilt to claim five wickets, including three in the second innings as England clinched a 22-run victory to go 2-1 up in the five-match series. England management, men’s managing director Rob Key in particular, have been careful about Archer’s workload since his recovery from elbow and back injuries but