Khan still lacking authority

Amir Khan may have made his American debut in style, dominating Paulie Malignaggi to defend his WBA light-welterweight title, but question marks still remain, writes Matthew Syed in The Times

Amir Khan’s victory over Paulie Malignaggi, a savvy and talented New Yorker, at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden was impressive, as far as it went, but whether it heralds his arrival as a great of the sport, as many were proclaiming after the bout, remains to be seen.

There is no doubting Khan’s speed or versatility. The left jab was sharp as a scalpel and his counter-punching was crisp and, for the most part, accurate.

He also seemed to be undaunted by boxing in front of a largely hostile crowd, his youthful face a picture of concentration and intent. But it was clear early on that Malignaggi lacked discernible fire power — an observation bolstered by his record of only five knockouts in 27 wins — and the most urgent question mark hanging over Khan is whether he has the chin to go with his hand speed and precision. His knockout defeat in 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott continues to loom large in the minds of many British fans who witnessed it.

What is certain is that, however much he continues to improve his technical repertoire, sooner or later Khan is going to get tagged by one of the decent young boxers who populate the light-welterweight division. He will be drawn into a battle of will and stamina of the kind that all fighters have to endure at some stage of their career, and it is only then we are going to see whether he has the durability to go with his undoubted class.

Until that moment, and until that question has been answered, Khan remains a boxer with oodles of talent but without absolute authority.

Selectors got it right at last

England's stunning victory over Australia to win the World Twenty20 was a wonderful team effort and a moment when everything came together, says Sir Ian Botham in The Mirror.

Finally we can celebrate our side being the best in the world. It's an absolutely fantastic achievement and I'm very proud of all the boys for what they have accomplished.

Winning a World Cup is tough and they way they have gone about their business has been a joy to watch, there is no doubt in my mind that the best team won the tournament.

Beating Australia in the Ashes has to be the ultimate achievement for an English cricketer, and nothing will top that. But beating them in a World Cup final is the pinnacle of the short forms of the game and is a real boost for the country.

I think the key to their success was picking the right team for the first time in this form of the game.

We've never had a Twenty20 side to match up with the rest of the world until now and look what happens.