The Londoner

IN A country already rich in tribes, two more factions have arrived on Afghanistan’s diplomatic and political scene: the first- and second-rounders. Last month’s presidential election is looking ever more of a debacle. The incumbent, Hamid Karzai, has 55% of the votes on a preliminary count. But the level of fraud was such that this is seen as a joke. Everybody agrees, having read their counter-insurgency manuals, on the importance of a legitimate government. And some argue only a second-round run-off between Mr Karzai and his main challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, can restore a semblance of legitimacy. First-rounders, however, fear another vote might actually make things far worse. Second-rounders hope the Election Complaints Commission, an independent watchdog, will be able to whittle down Mr Karzai’s share to below 50%, forcing a run off. It has announced an investigation of 2,516 polling stations, roughly 10% of the total. First-rounders, however, point out that people are utterly dis

Pakistan survived an early-innings scare to begin their Champions Trophy campaign with a wobbly five-wicket victory over West Indies at The Wanderers. Three wickets each for Mohammad Aamer and Umar Gul looked to have set Pakistan up for a comfortable win after they bowled their opponents out for 133 in 34.3 overs – Nikita Miller (51) was the mainstay for the Windies with his maiden half-century. But Gavin Tonge (four for 25) posed a constant threat, reducing Pakistan to 76 for five at one stage before Umar Akmal (41 not out) and Shahid Afridi (17 not out) led their side to victory with almost 20 overs to spare. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the second-string Caribbean team – missing all their top players because of a contractual dispute with their board which has since been resolved – began poorly, losing Dale Richards (one) after just six balls when he pushed a return catch to Aamer (three for 24). His fellow opener Andre Fletcher was next to go, and after lifting Rana N