AL-HOFUF, Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia will continue to be the home of the Dakar Rally for the next few years with race director David Castera telling AFP “we still have so many deserts to explore.”
Castera was speaking after Saturday’s penultimate stage with Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah poised for his fifth title.
“I’m very happy we’re staying here, with so many deserts still to explore and with this country’s enormous potential,” he said.
Motorsport’s toughest endurance test moved to the conservative Kingdom in 2020 after a spell in South America on an initial 10-year contract.
Dakar organizers ASO announced the switch in 2019 saying a new chapter of the gruelling race’s history would be written in the “mysterious and vast deserts” of the land.
Castera confirmed a clause in the Saudi deal to pull out after five years would not be taken up.
“Today there’s been a big change, it’s progressing at a fast rate,” commented Castera.
“I’m not here to play politics but to organize a sporting event which has the legitimacy to exist here because the terrain suits it.”
Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in attracting high profile sporting events including tennis, golf and Formula One to its shores and is preparing a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
And last month five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Saudi side Al-Nassr in a deal worth 200 million euros.
In the race, Al-Attiyah should complete the cruise to his fifth title. Meanwhile, the motorbikes are heading to the closest finish in the race’s history.
Only 12 seconds separate former champions and KTM teammates Toby Price and Kevin Benavides after about 3,900 kilometers of racing through Saudi Arabia.
Another 136 kilometers on Sunday are all that’s left, a fast beach special to the finish in Dammam on the Arabian Gulf.
Al-Attiyah was second on the 13th and penultimate stage on Saturday, 153 kilometers of dunes around Shaybah in the Saudi southeast.
The stage winner again was Sebastien Loeb for an unprecedented sixth straight time.
Loeb should extend his streak to seven on Sunday but the Frenchman will have to settle for second overall for a second straight year to Al-Attiyah, whose lead of 1 hour, 21 minutes practically guarantees he will win the Dakar just 100 kilometers from his Qatar homeland.
“We just have to bring the title home now,” Al-Attiyah said.
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Dakar Rally to remain in Saudi Arabia, say organizers
Dakar Rally to remain in Saudi Arabia, say organizers
Decision to boycott India match puts pressure on Pakistan at the Twenty20 World Cup
- Pakistan government has instructed the national team to boycott its Feb. 15 Group A game against its sporting and political archrival
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be in the spotlight more for its decision to boycott its marquee Twenty20 World Cup group-stage game against India rather than how well the team performs in the 20-team tournament starting Saturday.
The Pakistan government instructed the national team to boycott its Feb. 15 Group A game against its sporting and political archrival, a decision that shook the cricket world. It was announced moments after Pakistan had swept title contenders Australia 3-0 at Lahore in its final preparation for the tournament.
“It’s not our decision, we can’t do anything,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said in reference to Pakistan’s boycott. “We will do whatever our government and the chairman (Pakistan Cricket Board) tell us.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday confirmed the boycott was a way of showing solidarity with Bangladesh after it was ousted from the tournament.
One of the three Pakistan opponents in Group A is the United States, which eliminated Pakistan after the group stage of the 2024 tournament in Texas with its thrilling win in a super over. Netherlands also has a history of surprising much tougher opponents when in 2022 it beat South Africa.
Six current players — Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi — were in the playing XI in that game against the US.
Namibia is the other Associate country in the group, and Pakistan can’t afford a loss against any of its opponents after already conceding two points to India if it proceeds with the boycott.
Pakistan opens its tournament against Netherlands at Colombo, Sri Lanka on Saturday. It plays the United States next Tuesday, Feb. 10, then potentially has an eight-day break — the India game was scheduled for Feb. 15 — until it takes on Namibia on Feb. 18.
Pakistan’s squad has been transformed under coach Mike Hesson, a New Zealander who took over last year, and has since introduced an aggressive brand of cricket to compete against stronger T20 nations.
In the last two series, captain Agha showed plenty of intent to score at a brisk pace at No. 3 in Sri Lanka and at home against Australia.
Babar’s strike rate of 128.38 saw the leading run-scorer in the shortest format missing out on a large part of Pakistan preparations for the T20 World Cup before he was recalled in the home series against South Africa in late October.
Babar’s experience of batting on slow pitches earned him a place in the squad despite a below-par run for Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League, where he scored 202 runs in 11 games.
Pakistan plans to continue with its tried and tested opening pair of Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan while Babar could anchor the innings at No. 4.
Pakistan is scheduled to play all its games in Sri Lanka, including semifinals and the final if goes that far in the tournament. And with the wickets expected to help the spinners, Pakistan has loaded its 15-member squad with variety of slow bowlers.
Spinner Usman Tariq has a unique bowling action and his long pause just before delivery of the ball surprised the Australians. Leg-spinners Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed; left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz and the offspin of Ayub in the power play will give Pakistan plenty of options.
Pakistan left out Haris Rauf, despite the fast bowler finishing among the top wicket-takers in Australia’s BBL, because selectors believe it’s the spinners who will be playing a dominant role in Sri Lanka.
Shah, Afridi and Salman Mirza are the three specialist fast bowlers in the squad with all-rounder Faheem Ashraf the other seam option.
Pakistan has a rich history in the T20 World Cup and it could be a team to watch despite the off-field distractions. It has featured in three finals, winning the title in 2009, and also reached the semifinals three other times.
The Pakistan government instructed the national team to boycott its Feb. 15 Group A game against its sporting and political archrival, a decision that shook the cricket world. It was announced moments after Pakistan had swept title contenders Australia 3-0 at Lahore in its final preparation for the tournament.
“It’s not our decision, we can’t do anything,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said in reference to Pakistan’s boycott. “We will do whatever our government and the chairman (Pakistan Cricket Board) tell us.”
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday confirmed the boycott was a way of showing solidarity with Bangladesh after it was ousted from the tournament.
One of the three Pakistan opponents in Group A is the United States, which eliminated Pakistan after the group stage of the 2024 tournament in Texas with its thrilling win in a super over. Netherlands also has a history of surprising much tougher opponents when in 2022 it beat South Africa.
Six current players — Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan and Shaheen Shah Afridi — were in the playing XI in that game against the US.
Namibia is the other Associate country in the group, and Pakistan can’t afford a loss against any of its opponents after already conceding two points to India if it proceeds with the boycott.
Pakistan opens its tournament against Netherlands at Colombo, Sri Lanka on Saturday. It plays the United States next Tuesday, Feb. 10, then potentially has an eight-day break — the India game was scheduled for Feb. 15 — until it takes on Namibia on Feb. 18.
Pakistan’s squad has been transformed under coach Mike Hesson, a New Zealander who took over last year, and has since introduced an aggressive brand of cricket to compete against stronger T20 nations.
In the last two series, captain Agha showed plenty of intent to score at a brisk pace at No. 3 in Sri Lanka and at home against Australia.
Babar’s strike rate of 128.38 saw the leading run-scorer in the shortest format missing out on a large part of Pakistan preparations for the T20 World Cup before he was recalled in the home series against South Africa in late October.
Babar’s experience of batting on slow pitches earned him a place in the squad despite a below-par run for Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash League, where he scored 202 runs in 11 games.
Pakistan plans to continue with its tried and tested opening pair of Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan while Babar could anchor the innings at No. 4.
Pakistan is scheduled to play all its games in Sri Lanka, including semifinals and the final if goes that far in the tournament. And with the wickets expected to help the spinners, Pakistan has loaded its 15-member squad with variety of slow bowlers.
Spinner Usman Tariq has a unique bowling action and his long pause just before delivery of the ball surprised the Australians. Leg-spinners Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed; left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz and the offspin of Ayub in the power play will give Pakistan plenty of options.
Pakistan left out Haris Rauf, despite the fast bowler finishing among the top wicket-takers in Australia’s BBL, because selectors believe it’s the spinners who will be playing a dominant role in Sri Lanka.
Shah, Afridi and Salman Mirza are the three specialist fast bowlers in the squad with all-rounder Faheem Ashraf the other seam option.
Pakistan has a rich history in the T20 World Cup and it could be a team to watch despite the off-field distractions. It has featured in three finals, winning the title in 2009, and also reached the semifinals three other times.
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