India coach Ravi Shastri feels that speculating about MS Dhoni's future is "downright disrespectful" and wants to see the debate end "once and for all".

Dhoni has made himself unavailable for selection to the national sides since the 50-over World Cup earlier this year, and the questions about his future have been thrown at everyone connected with the Indian team in the past couple of months. Chief selector MSK Prasad was asked the question earlier in the week and he said "we are moving on", adding fuel to the speculation fire.

"Half the guys commenting on MS Dhoni can't even tie their shoelaces," Shastri told the Times of India. "Look at what he's achieved for the country. Why are people in a hurry to see him off? Maybe, they don't find enough talking points. He and everybody who knows him know he'll be going away soon. So, let it happen when it has to.

"Making statements at his expense is downright disrespectful. After 15 years of playing for India, wouldn't he know what's the right thing to do? When he retired from Test cricket, what did he say? That Wriddhiman Saha was good enough to be handed over the wicket-keeping gloves. He was correct. He's been a shadow when it comes to the team, always sharing his mind, lending his views."

"MS Dhoni has earned the right to retire when he wants to. And let this debate end once and for all" Ravi Shastri

While Dhoni has been silent on the subject, he dropped in to the Indian dressing room in Ranchi, his hometown, following their 3-0 sweep of South Africa in the recent Test series.

"The other day, he came over to the dressing room in Ranchi to meet Shahbaz Nadeem [a Jharkhand statemate, who had made his debut in the Test] and had a chat - how motivating is that for a guy making his debut at home," Shastri said. "Let me say this: MS Dhoni has earned the right to retire when he wants to. And let this debate end once and for all."

Earlier in the week, Sourav Ganguly, the new BCCI president, also threw his weight behind Dhoni when asked if he was rooting for a "Gangulyesque comeback".

"It depends on him," the former India captain said. "I've always said - even when I was left out and when the entire world said that, 'he'll never make it' - I believed in myself and came back and played for four years. You know champions don't finish very quickly. I don't know what's in his mind, what he thinks about his career, so we'll deal with that.

"He's one of the greats of the game. India is very proud to have MS Dhoni. His achievements, when you sit down and take note of what he's done, you say, 'Wow, MS Dhoni!' So, till I'm around, everybody will be respected. That doesn't change."

More arrests have been made in connection with corruption in the Karnataka Premier League, with Karnataka Police's Central Crime Branch (CCB) taking into custody Bengaluru Blasters bowling coach Vinu Prasad and batsman M Viswanathan for an offence in 2018 on Friday.

ALSO READ - Belagavi Panthers suspended from KPL following owner's arrest on betting charges

"Another match-fixing case has been traced by CCB in the KPL. (We have) arrested Bangalore Blasters team bowling coach Vinuprasad and Bangalore batsman Viswanathan," Sandeep Patil, the Joint Commissioner of Police (crime), said.

Patil said that the two had allegedly fixed a match featuring the Blasters in 2018. "(Viswanathan) batted slowly for which he got Rs 5 lakh [approx. US$ 7000]," Patil said. "Further investigation is on. A few bookies are involved, who will be arrested."

Quoting sources, the New Indian Express reported that the arrests were made following information provided by Bhavesh Bafna, who played the drums at the grounds during matches in the tournament and was arrested on October 3 for corruption. Bafna, in turn, had been hauled up after Asfak Ali Thara, the Belagavi Panthers owner, had been arrested on September 24 for alleged betting in the T20 league.

ALSO READ - Drummer arrested for allegedly approaching player in KPL

In the 2018 edition of the KPL, opener Viswanathan played three games, scoring 14 off 13 balls against Bellary Tuskers, 5 off 6 balls against Namma Shivamogga, and 9 off 17 balls against Hubli Tigers.

This is only the latest in what appears to be a widespread malaise in the popular T20 league.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo after Bafna's arrest, Patil had said that the drummer and another bookie called Sanyam had allegedly approached a player from Bellary Tuskers to "fix" games during the last KPL, "but the bowler refused". At the time, Patil had said that the police were on the lookout for Sanyam, apparently a Delhi-based bookie.

The lid was blown off the story when Thara was arrested last month for gambling under the Karnataka Police Act. Patil had said that the police had "sufficient evidence to show he was betting" during the last edition of the KPL.

Soon after, on October 2, Thara as well as the Panthers franchise were suspended by the previous Karnataka State Cricket Association.

Anyone of the view that Steve Smith is entitled to automatically return to Australia's captaincy the moment his Newlands leadership ban elapses at the end of March, would do well to remember the curious circumstances in which Aaron Finch was relieved of the T20 post.

Three years ago, Finch had led the Australia T20 team to wins over Pakistan and South Africa but a losing series against India - despite scores of 44 and 74 - saw him not only replaced as captain by Smith for the 2016 T20 World Cup in India but also dropped from the side.

While Smith was at that stage Australia's undisputed best batsman and captain in the other two formats, the sequence of events took a while for Finch to recover from, particularly as he found himself fighting unfamiliar emotions when recalled at the back end of an ICC event where the Australians would ultimately lose again to India and be knocked out in the quarter-finals. That match stands as the most recent T20 Smith has played, with Finch since being able to reassert his leadership of Australia in both white-ball formats, albeit with diminishing batting returns.

ALSO READ: Langer's bid to turn Australia into a T20 fortress

Since a personally successful T20 triangular series in Zimbabwe last July, Finch has cobbled a mere 75 runs at 7.50 in 10 T20I innings, a sequence coinciding with his abortive trial in Test cricket and also a slim run of ODI scores that saw numerous calls for him to relinquish the 50-over captaincy. However, the selectors kept faith and were rewarded by runs and sound leadership during the World Cup in England, guiding Australia to a semi-final berth that had looked highly unlikely a few months before. Finch knows he needs runs.

"I don't think you're ever assured," Finch said of keeping the captaincy until next year's T20 World Cup on home soil. "In the end it comes down to you doing your main job first and that's for me making runs. If I can look after that I'm sure everything else will take care of itself, but it's honestly nothing I've thought about."

Instead, Finch has been committed to establishing continuity for Australia's T20 team, and also the development of a brand of cricket that will take something from the coach Justin Langer's wildly successful spell mentoring the Perth Scorchers, and also Finch's own time as captain of the Melbourne Renegades, who defeated the Melbourne Stars in a thrilling BBL final at the tail end of last summer.

"You want to be aggressive no doubt, we want wickets in the powerplay and we want runs in the powerplay," Finch said. "A lot of games that is the most crucial part, but then again the last four overs are really important. Having the best death bowlers in the world, and if we're not there at the moment, getting guys as close to the best in the world as what we can possibly have, having guys attack it in the powerplay, taking the game on, making a real play and putting pressure back on the opposition.

"By having similar squads for 12 months will give each player a lot of confidence in each other to be able to do that role and make sure there's 100% faith and everyone's bought into the game plan."

The long term thinking in Australia's selection has been underlined by the presence of Ashton Turner, who is still recovering from shoulder surgery and thus will be somewhat restricted in where he can field. However, he is a better chance to be throwing and also bowling at 100% in a year's time than Chris Lynn, who was omitted from the squad and has now carried a chronic shoulder problem for several years.

"He's not bowling yet, he's batting no problem at all," Finch said of Turner. "His throwing's a little bit more limited to inside the ring, so that's something that's going to have to be monitored. I think there's been a couple of setbacks along the way with his rehab over the last couple of months. But if required he can throw well enough to get a run out or be really effective in the ring.

"I think the fact we've got guys who have had surgeries, there's going to be injuries and niggles along the way, which will be managed, but fielding is a huge focus for us, so come October next year hopefully everyone is fully fit to throw at 100%, anywhere they're required in the ground."

An area in which Australia will need to find a greater level of proficiency is death bowling, something the vice-captain Pat Cummins has pinpointed as his most critical skill to develop and hone over the next 12 months. "The biggest difference between Test bowling and T20 bowling is just the death bowling side of it as a quick bowler," Cummins said. "Try to nail some yorkers and some slower balls.

For Finch, the contrast between the likes of Cummins and Mitchell Starc - world class performers but often rested from T20 duty - and the more extensively T20 tested Kane Richardson or Sean Abbott, who has replaced the injured Andrew Tye, will make for some intriguing selections. "Starcy's proven himself in both the shorter formats of the game that he's as good as anyone in the world," Finch said. "Probably Bumrah's the benchmark in terms of death bowling in the world, but Starcy's very close to him, and it's about getting guys enough experience at international level, but also having the skills to do it.

"I think we're really lucky we've got Kane Richardson who did a great job for us in the one dayers, through India, Dubai and then when he had his opportunity in the World Cup. AJ's a quality bowler and it's unfortunate we're not going to have him most likely for these two series. It's about guys around the country as well, putting a lot of pressure on the players that are in the squad at the moment to put their hand up and make themselves known through one-day performances and Big Bash.

"When you get the opportunity to nail those death overs it's so important that you're putting pressure on."

CHIBA, Japan -- For one of the rare times, Tiger Woods got to do his work in relative peace Saturday, traversing the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club course with but a smattering of spectators watching, virtually no reaction to anything he accomplished.

It was a shame, really, because the place would have been rocking had spectators been allowed in as Woods again offered plenty of highlights at the deserted Zozo Championship, where he took the 36-hole lead at the weather-plagued event.

He might have saved the best for last as he stuck and iron shot close for an easy birdie at the 17th and then hit a laser 5-wood to the par-5 18th, setting up a two-putt birdie for his second 64 of the tournament. He shot a second straight 6-under 64 and finished two strokes ahead of U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and three ahead of Keegan Bradley and Hideki Matsuyama.

A victory at the first PGA Tour event played in Japan would be the 82nd of Woods' career and tie him for the all-time lead with Sam Snead.

The Chiba area had more than six inches of rain Friday, causing massive flooding, rendering the golf course unplayable and pushing tee times back twice Saturday before players could begin the second round.

Although Woods birdied his first hole of the day by stuffing an iron shot to 3 feet, he was not as sharp with his iron play as he was Friday when he made nine birdies to overcome three straight bogeys to open his round.

This time, he had seven birdies and a single bogey to finish at 128, 12 under par. Woodland shot 66 to finish two strokes back, with Bradley (63) and Matsuyama (67) three shots back.

The third round is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. local time Sunday (5:30 p.m. ET Saturday) with Woods in the last group at 8:30 a.m. (7:30 p.m. ET). The players will not be regrouped after the round and will continue into the fourth round, playing until darkness.

The tournament will then conclude on Monday morning.

LOS ANGELES -- Anthony Davis earned six All-Star selections with the New Orleans Pelicans by playing power forward, but he earned his first win with the Los Angeles Lakers by playing center.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel moved Davis from the 4 to the 5 at halftime on Friday night, sparking a 95-86 win over the Utah Jazz in Davis' home debut for the Lakers. Davis finished with a hearty line of 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 blocks, 2 steals and 2 assists, and left his imprint on both ends of the floor with the help of the lineup adjustment.

"Anthony and I talked about it, and he was all for it and wanted to do it," Vogel said.

"If it makes sense, then obviously I don't mind doing it. And it made sense tonight," added Davis, which is saying something for him, considering how he publicly declared his preference to playing the 4 at his introductory news conference.

L.A. shot just 34.8% in the first half with Davis playing alongside JaVale McGee manning the middle, which fed into Jazz center Rudy Gobert's hands.

"Rudy is a problem for any offense going against their defense," Vogel said. "If you have another center out there where he is rolling to the basket, [Gobert] can kind of play center field and clog things up."

With Davis shifting to the 5, Vogel also inserted Alex Caruso -- who received a DNP-CD in the opener -- with the first group at the 1, giving L.A. a smaller lineup with another playmaker on the floor.

"We were faster, I think," Danny Green said of the second-half formation. "We were rotating, we were moving. AD defensively was a monster. We did better with the pick-and-roll coverages, and talking, communicating and switching. Weakside was there rotating, and we got some steals and got out running and got some easy baskets for us on the offensive end."

Davis, spacing the floor on offense and drawing Gobert out on the perimeter to guard him, opened things up for his teammates. LeBron James scored 12 of his game-high 32 points in the third quarter immediately following the change.

"Having AD at the 5 definitely allows us to create more driving lanes for those guards," James said.

And having Caruso on the floor opened up James to being recipient of post-up entry feeds instead of being the player making those passes.

"Allows me to play off the ball a little bit," James said. "I still handled it a lot, but I don't have to handle it as much and I'm able to get to my spot and play a little bit more in the low post where I'm very dynamic down there, being able to triple-threat, being able to find my guys, find my shot as well. And make the defense shift a lot."

In the 12 minutes that James and Davis shared the court Friday without McGee or Dwight Howard in the lineup, the Lakers had an offensive efficiency of 128 points per 100 possessions and a plus-minus of plus-6, according to NBA Advanced Stats.

The shuffle worked for one night, but it also brought up a couple of questions moving forward: Just how often can they go to it and how will the other centers -- McGee and Howard -- take it if their roles begin to disappear?

"Instinctually, you want to go to it full time because it can be so lethal," Vogel said. "But I don't know if that's the smartest approach with Anthony at the 5, banging against centers night in and night out. So it's going to be an opportunistic thing for us."

McGee didn't play in the second half, being the first player in the Lakers' group to have to tangibly show the sacrifice the players and coaching staff all said would be necessary during training camp.

"I give a lot of credit to JaVale being able to accept it," James said.

With Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo both recovering from injury and set to rejoin the lineup in the coming days or weeks, thus displacing the rotation again, it will be someone other than McGee making the next sacrifice.

"I think it's a great example of our team, everybody just wants to win, nobody really cares about the stats or anything like that," Troy Daniels said.

"Everybody has one goal, everybody wants to win, so kudos to the front office for putting this team together, nobody is selfish on this team, we all just want to win."

WASHINGTON -- Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch will turn to rookie Jose Urquidy as his starter against the Washington Nationals when his club tries to even the World Series in Game 4 on Saturday.

Urquidy, 24, pitched most of the season in the minor leagues but appeared in nine games over two big league stints during the regular season. He went 2-1 with a 3.95 ERA. After starting five games in July with a 5.87 ERA, he returned to the majors in September and posted a 1.50 ERA over four outings, including two starts, striking out 16 batters in 18 innings.

"Jose Urquidy will start," Hinch said. "He can go as long as he's good. I don't have a predetermined plan on how many innings, how many pitches. It's Game 4 of the World Series, all things are being considered. Jose gets the ball."

His late-season surge earned Urquidy a place on the Astros' postseason roster and enough confidence from Hinch to take the mound on baseball's biggest stage. After winning 4-1 in Game 3 on Friday, Houston still trails the series 2-1, so Urquidy will be pitching to not only draw his team even, but to ensure a return trip to Minute Maid Park.

So far during the postseason, Urquidy has appeared in two games out of the Houston bullpen. He threw 1⅔ scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, and gave up one run over 2⅔ innings against the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the AL Championship Series.

Urquidy was told after Game 3 ended that he was getting the ball Saturday. He said he was grateful for the chance, and not just for himself.

"Obviously very happy, very few Mexicans have had this opportunity," Urquidy said through an interpreter, though he also answered questions in English. "For me to be in this position, I'm obviously very happy about that and we will try and take advantage of it as much as possible."

The only two pitchers born in Mexico who have started games in the World Series are Fernando Valenzuela and Jaime Garcia.

Urquidy, a right-hander, is a hard thrower who reaches the mid-90s or more with his fastball but also features a plus changeup that has actually made him more effective against left-handed hitters thus far in his big league career. However, beyond the impressive tools, his teammates think he has the mindset to focus under such a bright spotlight.

"[He has] a lot of confidence, first and foremost," Astros outfielder Michael Brantley said. "He goes out there and competes at a high level every time he took the ball for us so far. We expect the same thing tomorrow. I don't think the stage is too big for him."

When Houston has gone to a bullpen game, Urquidy served as the "bulk" pitcher, a new role that has emerged the past couple of seasons in baseball thanks to the advent of the opener. This time, against a balanced Washington lineup, the need to deploy an opener is not so clear-cut. Thus Hinch will use Urquidy as a traditional starter, with no set limit on how far he could go.

"I'm going to try and be focused," Urquidy said. "I'm going to try and learn from these three games about what I'm going to throw and I'm going to be ready to compete tomorrow."

The Astros might need Urquidy to get through the Nationals' lineup at least a couple of times after what happened in Game 3, when Hinch went to his bullpen during the fifth inning after pulling starter Zack Greinke. Houston's two most effective middle relievers -- Will Harris and Joe Smith -- both threw at least 18 pitches Friday.

Of course, Hinch reminded everyone that usage issues, when it comes to the World Series, are a secondary concern. If he needs Harris or Smith, he will use them.

"They will be available tomorrow," Hinch said. "This is all hands on deck every day. They are tremendous pitchers. They are trustworthy."

WASHINGTON -- The 115th World Series became a series Friday night. The Houston Astros, AWOL for the first two games, served notice they were no happy-to-be-here pushovers. The Washington Nationals, winners of Games 1 and 2, conceded that their parade would take some work. Game 3 was a long, slogging, meh affair that ended in a 4-1 victory for the Astros, although that was fine. The evening served a purpose.

Beyond being the first World Series game in the nation's capital since 1933, Game 3 rekindled the notion of baseball being played until the cusp of November. It planted dreams of a seven-game fracas and guaranteed the Astros could start Gerrit Cole in Game 5, which, at least until the Nationals beat him in the first game of the Series, was enough to almost guarantee a Justin Verlander start in Game 6.

And in that there was great utility, because what this Series has lacked in intrigue through three games can be remedied easily over the potential final four. Actually, four was the number that helped win Game 3. The Astros got four (and ⅔) innings from their starter, Zack Greinke, and another four (and ⅓) from their bullpen. After going hitless with runners in scoring position over the first two games, Houston gathered four hits in such situations and scored four runs. The Astros even stole four bases. Four, after all, was their magic number entering the night: They needed four victories for another championship ring.

"We stopped the bleeding," said Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, as the Astros had gone from a paper cut in Game 1 to a festering wound following Game 2. Had they lost Game 3, no blood bank in the world would have enough O negative to replenish their supply. Teams down 3-0 in the World Series have won zero percent of the time. Teams down 2-1 in the World Series have won 34.4% of the time. One of the 31 teams to do it: the 2017 Houston Astros.

They didn't win Friday, of course, because they've been here. Or because of the team meeting they held after Game 2. Or because of the pep talks on their flight to D.C. from Houston. Or because of lucky underwear or superstitions or some karmic cloud lifted by Brandon Taubman's firing. They won because -- ta-da! -- the Astros are a really, really good baseball team.

And maybe that's not a particularly satisfying answer. It's just the true one. Houston did most things right in Game 3. The half-Greinke, half-bullpen strand team was in effect, with the Nationals going 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. The Astros fielded the ball cleanly, as opposed to themselves in Game 2 and the Nationals in Game 3. Houston hit enough. Not like the regular-season Astros. Those guys haven't shown up all October: The team's cumulative .222/.297/.377 line in 530 plate appearances looks like something offered by a bad catcher, not a team whose lineup starts Springer-Altuve-Brantley-Bregman-Gurriel-Correa.

They didn't roar back with a vengeance so much as ring the doorbell and ask nicely to come in. Josh Reddick singled home Carlos Correa for a run in the second inning. Michael Brantley doubled home Jose Altuve an inning later. Brantley singled home Altuve in the fifth. Robinson Chirinos homered an inning later. And voilà ... instant win.

It felt that easy during the regular season, when the Astros won 107 games. That Houston finds itself here, heading into Game 4 of the World Series when its B-level squad has shown up during October, is a frightening proposition for the Nationals. Because if it finally happens -- if Game 3 unlocked something in the Astros -- then this Series gets even more interesting.

It's already not half bad. As he did on the night Houston clinched the American League pennant, manager AJ Hinch will turn to a bullpen-heavy approach in Game 4 as the Nationals tab left-hander Patrick Corbin. All season, the Astros have dismantled left-handed pitching. Their .274/.362/.505 line during the regular season against lefties looks far more palatable than that of the postseason Astros.

Win Game 4 and there is a path to mirror the 1999 New York Yankees, who lost the first two games of the World Series in the Bronx before pummeling the Atlanta Braves in four straight. Though the Nationals showed their mettle in beating Cole in Game 1 and Verlander in Game 2, doing it twice? That takes optimism. And the Nationals carried home an abundance of it, having not lost since Oct. 6 until Friday night.

Now they've got Game 4, and then Cole, and then maybe Verlander and then an everyone-you-can-imagine potpourri of arms for a potential Game 7. And now this Series is starting to sound exciting again, especially with how Nationals manager Dave Martinez avoided using relievers Daniel Hudson and Sean Doolittle the past two games, which means they haven't been overexposed, which could make all the difference in the late innings of a long Series.

We're not there yet. But this Series doesn't feel like the sort that is ending without a return trip to Houston. The Astros weren't great Friday. They didn't have to be. Their good might just be good enough to make this Series great yet.

After getting Friday off because of Typhoon Bualoi, Tiger Woods returned to Narashino Country Club on Saturday for the second round of the Zozo Championship.

Sharing the lead at 6 under with Gary Woodland after Thursday's opening round, Woods kicked off Round 2 with a birdie at the par-4 first hole.

However, Woods gave the shot right back at the par-4 second and followed with a string of pars before getting another birdie putt to drop at the par-3 seventh, which got him back to within two shots of the lead.

Woods carded a 1-under 33 on the front before beginning the back nine with back-to-back birdies, at the shortened par-4 10th (just 140 yards because of standing water) and par-4 11th.

A coach not quite sacked, a raft of player withdrawals, a typically chaotic nexus between cricket administration and government: all scenarios not uncommon when it comes to the endlessly fascinating story of Sri Lankan cricket. And yet amid all these 2019 misadventures there have been remarkable, even transcendent moments: A Test series win in South Africa, a stunning World Cup match win over England at Headingley, and then an even more stupefying Twenty20 clean sweep of Pakistan in Pakistan even after the aforementioned pull out of senior players.

Now, with their resilience so vividly demonstrated, the Sri Lankans have arrived in Australia and linked back with their captain. Lasith Malinga added his own personal contribution to a year of memorable moments by not only defending a mere eight runs in the IPL final, but going on to take four wickets in four balls as against New Zealand in Kandy, the second such achievement of his dizzying international career.

Malinga's experience, drawn from well over a decade in the game, will be a more than useful addition to the group, alongside the strong credentials of Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Niroshan Dickwella, to name three. "It's a good opportunity for me to share my knowledge and experience with the young players," Malinga said.

"I can't play much more cricket, the next few months and maybe in the World Cup. I want to give my best for the young players because they don't have much experience like me, playing franchise cricket, IPL, Big Bash, everything else. Sri Lanka also are regenerating our cricket team, the young players need experience, they need guidance so that's why it is important to play this tournament.

Recalling his successful shut out of Chennai Super Kings for Mumbai Indians in the IPL final, Malinga said a sequence of five balls slung down at better than 140kph, followed by a closing slower ball to nail an lbw and seal a one-run win, was a good example of the sorts of stratagems he can either deliver himself or advise his team about.

"Any bowler who has played 10-15 years they have experience," he said. "According to that we can use our variation and tactical part, that's more important than the power. These days I try to use my tactical and variations according to the game situation. In pressure situations we have to get the correct decision and decide what we want to do. That's the thing with gaining experience over my career."

Asked about Steve Smith and David Warner, returning to international cricket on home soil for the first time since their Newlands bans, Malinga suggested contrasting approaches - patience against Smith, but a more aggressive search for Warner's wicket. "No particular plan but we know how good he is. I've played with him in the IPL and against him," Malinga said of Smith. "We want to stick with our basics, not think much about the opposition, stick to our basic cricket and that's very important I feel in the T20 game.

"In the IPL, [Warner] was the highest run-getter in thus tournament. We know how good the T20 format is for him and we know in the last couple of months he didn't get much runs, but still we know he can damage the opposition in any situation. That's why we are looking forward to him - if we can bowl one good ball for him, that's the challenge for all our bowlers to get him."

Having been on the losing end of a Sri Lankan steal of a T20I against Australia at Geelong in 2017, Australia's captain Aaron Finch was wary. "They've got some seriously dangerous players. I think when you look at Kusal Perera, Dickwella, these guys, they hit all around the ground and they're aggressive, they take the game on, so you have to be at your best," he said. "When you set out you have your really clear plans, but that can change so quick.

"Because they're so inventive, they move around the crease a lot, you have to really think on your feet as a bowler and as a captain. That's going to be really important in this series to hopefully get some wickets in the Power Play and try to put some pressure on the middle order that probably isn't as experienced as their top couple. they're a very dangerous side and they've shown they can beat anyone in any conditions when they get it right.

"They're a world class side, and led by Malinga as well, who's played so much T20 cricket. He's really structured in the way he wants his bowlers to bowl and brings all his experience and all his guidance to their young tearaway quick attack as well. So it's going to be an exciting series. Their spinners posed problems to us in the past, particularly in the subcontinent, so hopefully we can start the series off really well."

Oman 145 for 2 (Jatinder 68*, Ilyas 60) beat Canada 144 for 9 (Wijeyeratne 56, Maqsood 3-25, Khawar 2-18) by eight wickets

Oman moved a step closer to clinching their second straight trip to the opening round of the men's T20 World Cup with an eight-wicket drubbing of Canada on Friday night at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium. Jatinder Singh and Aqib Ilyas made a mockery of Canada's bowling unit with a 126-run second-wicket stand, Oman's highest in all T20 cricket.

Canada were competitive early on in the night after choosing to bat first with debutant Srimantha Wijeyeratne peppering the large square boundaries in the Powerplay. He rocked Bilal Khan through cover in the second over for four of them before another three game off Fayyaz Butt in the fifth as Canada finished the six overs at 56 for no loss with Wijeyeratne on 45.

The opening stand ended when captain Navneet Dhaliwal was bowled by a googly from Khawar Ali in the seventh as spin brought Oman back into the match. Wijeyeratne ran out of steam after reaching his 50 off 33 balls, falling to a splendid catch at extra cover by Aamir Kaleem in the tenth to give captain Zeeshan Maqsood his first wicket of the night, as Canada reached the halfway stage at 76 for 2.

Canada's middle-order could not provide a solid finishing kick after the outstanding platform, though Nicholas Kirton suffered a poor decision in the 13th, given out lbw to a ball pitching well outside leg stump as Khawar got his second wicket.

But there was no excuse for the next three dismissals, caught at wide long-on and twice at cow corner taking on the much more difficult option square instead of straight. It resulted in Nitish Kumar falling to Aamir Kaleem for 22 before back-to-back catches by Sandeep Goud for another pair of wickets to Maqsood in the penultimate over. Canada managed just 11 runs across the final two overs as three run outs in the final over hurt them, and they fell well short of where they could have been.

Khawar was given out at slip in the second over, bounced out hooking off Jeremy Gordon early in the chase. But Canada's fielders were chasing leather for the next hour.

Aqib arrived at No. 3 and hit one of the shots of the tournament in the fourth over, an audacious scoop flick for six to Gordon's 140kph pace over the 80-metre boundary at square leg. Dillon Heyliger was then pulled twice behind square for fours by Jatinder in the fifth.

When five overs of pace to start the Powerplay didn't slow down Oman, Dhaliwal turned to offspinner Nikhil Dutta in the sixth. Aqib showed no mercy, lofting him three times in a row over mid-off and extra cover before sweeping him for a fourth consecutive boundary.

Outside of the Powerplay, Canada set fields to bowl short with fine leg, third man, point and square leg all back on the boundary, and mid-off in the ring. But their bowlers were driven for a series of boundaries by Jatinder over mid-off.

Aqib crossed his 50 in just 25 balls before falling leg before to Heyliger after walking too far across his stumps in the 13th. Jatinder raised his own half-century off 28 balls with a boundary and carried on with Maqsood to the finish, earning the Man of the Match award in the process. Maqsood ended the match with an uppercut over backward point for four off Gordon.

A win over Jersey in Oman's final match in Group B will clinch them the top spot in the group and a T20 World Cup berth. Canada, meanwhile, need to beat UAE to guarantee their place in the playoffs. Otherwise, they may depend on winless Nigeria to do them a favour beating Hong Kong if they want to sneak in through the back door.