DUBAI: Dubai Basketball have bolstered their roster with the double signing of French superstar center Jerry Boutsiele and top Bosnian guard Kosta Kondic.

Boutsiele, 32, arrives in Dubai after spending two-and-a-half seasons in Turkiye. He is set to make his debut on Sunday when the team take on Crvena Zvezda in Serbia in their round 16 ABA League game. He averaged 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the Turkish Basketball League, and counts Denain, Cholet, Limoges, Monaco, and Bahcesehir as his former clubs.

Kondic, 23, has put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half-year deal but will have to wait to wear the Dubai jersey as his agreement will see him continue to play for his current club, Mega MIS, as a loan player for the rest of the season. This season he has averaged 27 minutes per game, recording 15.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and two assists for Mega.

The players bring a wealth of experience to Dubai Basketball’s roster, and head coach Jurica Golemac is delighted with the two acquisitions.

He said: “Jerry Boutsiele is a versatile player who will be very valuable to us, both on the offense and defense, and possesses great technical abilities that will strengthen our game on the court in the business end of the season as we push on for a play-off berth.

“He possesses strong experience in Europe, having played in Turkiye and France, which will be crucial to us as we take on the region’s best clubs in the ABA League.”

Regarding Kondic, Golemac said: “There is no doubt that Kosta Kondic is one of the rising young stars in basketball today and we’re thrilled that he has chosen Dubai Basketball as the next chapter in his career.

“Having played against him earlier this season, he has great vision and (the) shooting abilities to cause the opposition problems and we look forward to welcoming him at the end of the season as an official Dubai Basketball player.”

The signings come with Dubai Basketball sitting fourth in the standings with an 11-4 record after an 89-78 defeat against ABA League leaders Buducnost VOLI in round 15.

Dubai Basketball travel to Serbia on Sunday to take on second-placed Crvena Zvezda (13-2). They return to the Coca-Cola Arena on Jan. 19 to face Cedevita Olimpija.

DUBAI: The ICC has fined Pakistan players 25 percent of their match fee and also docked the team five World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against South Africa in the second Test at Newlands.
South Africa, which will take on Australia in the WTC final at Lord’s in June, swept Pakistan 2-0 in the series with a 10-wicket win inside four days in the second Test.
The ICC said in a statement that match referee Richie Richardson of the West Indies imposed the sanction after “Pakistan was ruled to be five overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.”
According to the ICC code of conduct, players are fined five percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time. The teams are also penalized one WTC point for each over short.
The ICC also said that Pakistan captain Shan Masood accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
Pakistan is at No. 8 in the points table just above last-placed West Indies.