PCB clears Hafeez over suspect action comments
KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided not to take action against all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez after the player clarified his recent comments about the International Cricket Council (ICC) protocols in the biomechanic procedure of testing the suspect bowling action. Two weeks after being cleared to bowl by the ICC for the third time following a remedial bowling action, the PCB had issued a showcase notice to Hafeez to appear before its three-member disciplinary committee to explain his position. Hafeez had expressed reservations over the rules the ICC set for the biomechanics test.
Garbine Muguruza thrashed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-1 to reach the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday, condemning the Russian to her worst Grand Slam defeat in more than six years.
The Spanish third seed, who was the champion in Paris in 2016, will face top seed Simona Halep, who beat Germany’s Angelique Kerber 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-2, for a place in Saturday’s final.
Sharapova, playing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2015, suffered her most onesided defeat at the Slams since a 6-3, 6-0 loss to Victoria Azarenka in the 2012 Australian Open final. “I am very pleased to be in another semi-final in Paris,” said Muguruza who has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
“I was up against a great player so I had make sure I brought my best tennis.”
Sharapova, who missed the 2016 tournament because of a doping ban and last year after she was refused a wild card, was broken six times, committed 27 unforced errors and won just five points on her own serve in the second set. It was her fifth loss in 25 Grand Slam quarter-finals. Muguruza pounced on an error-plagued Sharapova start to lead 4-0 with a double break.
Sharapova never recovered from serving up three double faults in the first game.
By the end of the first set, the five-time Major winner had won just eight points against the Muguruza serve and failed to carve out a single break point.
BRUISING MATCH
Halep won a bruising quarter-fi-