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| Tuesday, February 13, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Kanitkar helps India ‘A’ win ICC ridicules fresh claims Waugh praises
crackdown |
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Indian tour toughest : Aussie manager Mark Waugh unsure of what awaits him PCA’s expulsion will be “grave injustice” Mauresmo clinches Paris Open crown USA follow Spain out of Davis Cup
Haryana triumph; BSF defeated India-Pak series off Anil faces expulsion from camp East Bengal beat
Air-India Punjab, Railways emerge winners
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Kanitkar helps India ‘A’ win CHENNAI, Feb 12 — West Zone batsmen Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Nayan Mongia and Ajit Agarkar put up splendid performances to lead India A to a thrilling four-wicket win over India Seniors in the first match of the Challenger Series here tonight. Requiring 241 to win, India A were in deep trouble at 57 for three before Kanitkar got into the rescue act with a brilliant 55. Wicketkeeper batsman Nayan Mongia then performed the anchoring role to guide his team to the target after the mainline batsmen had failed. Earlier, India Seniors, after being put into bat, scored 240 for nine in their
allotted 50 overs thanks mainly to a solid 78 by VVS Laxman and a flamboyant unbeaten 64 by Hemang Badani. But for the acting wicketkeeper, Vikram Rathore, who dropped two easy chances, India A would have been in dire straits. Though, Kanitkar’s association with Jacob Martin (32) yielded 77 valuable runs, India A needed 107 runs from 19.5 overs. Here, Mongia showed his experience in making big runs through fours at vital times. Ajit Agarkar, who came in at 197 for six, was in his usual style and thrived in the company of Mongia. Mongia and Agarkar collected 14 runs in Ashish Nehra’s 10th over - the 45th of the innings - and put the team on its way to win. Mongia’s slash to the point region of Zaheer Khan gave the victory to India-A, who made 243 for six in 47.5 overs. Mongia contributed a useful 28 of 32 balls with five fours while Agarkar scored 19 with the help of three fours. India A started tentatively and were on the mat against the pace bowlers, especially Debashish Mohatanty, who maintained a good line and length right from the very first over. In fact, both the Tamil Nadu openers, S.Ramesh and Sridharan Sriram were beaten once each and Ramesh survived a life as Virendra Sehwag failed to hold on to a straight forward catch at square leg. Ramesh was just one and the team total six without loss. In the same over, Sriram too had a reprieve with Rathore being the culprit and once again Mohanty was the bowler to suffer. Rathore was not in his elements as he once again dropped an easy catch from Sriram of Zaheer Khan. Then, Sriram was on 20 and the team total at 41 for one. But India A then lost two quick wickets including that of captain Rahul Dravid, who was caught by Rathore off Nehra for 14, to be critically placed at 57 for three. Ramesh was also caught by Rathore off Zaheer Khan for 11 and Sriram was caught and bowled by Zaheer for 20.
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-96, 3-121, 4-121, 5-150, 6-165, 7-177, 8-232, 9-235. Bowling: Agarkar 10-1-47-3, V. Prasad 10-1-44-1, Sodhi 6-0-38-1, Balaji Rao 10-0-55-1, R. Sanghvi 10-0-36-1, S. Sriram 4-0-16-0.
Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-41, 3-57, 4.134, 5-180, 6-197. Bowling: Z. Khan 9.5-1-28, Mohanty 9-2-50-1, Nehra 10-2-61-1, Ganguly 8-0-47-0, Joshi 10-0-39-1, Sehwag 1-0-8-0.
— PTI |
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ICC ridicules fresh claims SYDNEY, FEB 12 — Fresh allegations against four West Indian cricketers being involved in match-fixing were ridiculed by the International Cricket Council saying it were old and unsubstantiated. ICC’s anti-corruption unit head Sir Paul Condon today categorically denied the allegations were related to any of the matches played in Australia this season. He said the claims of a “stack of fresh allegations”, published by the Observer newspaper of London, related to matches in the 1980s. “The article contained no new information and is a repackaging of unsubstantiated allegations relating to the 1980s,” Condon said in a statement issued in Melbourne, where he addressed ICC’s executive board meeting over the weekend. “The recycling of reports in the British Sunday press has unfairly tarnished the reputations of players involved in the Australian series.” The allegations were made in a 13-page document submitted to the ICC and reported by the Observer. Sir Paul renewed ICC’s pledge to stamp out corruption. “We will vigorously pursue any information about the full range of matters we are investigating,” he said. “But we will be equally vigorous in dealing with recycled speculation. The time has come for some journalists who are recycling this sort of information to put up or shut up.” It had been alleged an Australian woman doctor became a top West Indian bowler’s mistress and paid players large fees for information that earned her a fortune, and that the director of an Australian building society doubled as a bookmaker, recruiting cricketers. Waugh praises
crackdown MELBOURNE: His twin brother still a target for match-fixing investigators, Australia’s skipper Steve Waugh today praised the
International Cricket Council’s moves to crack down on corruption in the game. “The game has got to be cleaned up, there’s been a lot of things that have happened over the past few years and something positive is being done about it,” Waugh said during a meeting in Melbourne of eight of cricket’s 10 Test captains. Waugh was joined at the annual captains’ conference by the skippers of the West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and New Zealand. The captains of England and India did not attend. The captains’ conference followed a series of meetings and briefings in Melbourne by top cricket officials, including the ICC anti-corruption chief Sir Paul Condon. Since former South African captain Hansie Cronje last year admitted receiving money from an Indian bookmaker, players from eight nations have been accused of having accepted money in a scandal that has rocked the sport. “It’s not going to be solved overnight,” Waugh told reporters. “It’s going to be a process that’s going to take a while, but we’ve got fully professional people looking after what’s going on and I’m sure in the long run it’s going to be better for the game. “It’s not really a matter of how long it takes, it’s whether they can do the job fully... they’ve got all intentions of doing that and they’re on the right track.” The Australian cricket team is scheduled to fly out tomorrow on a tour of India.
— PTI, AP |
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Indian tour toughest : Aussie manager SYDNEY, FEB 12 — As Australian cricket team prepares to leave the shores for a seven-week tour of India tomorrow, team manager Steve Bernard is looking at it as “the toughest of all, the toughest as, by far, Pakistan is a
doddle by comparison”. They leave Melbourne tomorrow afternoon on an optimistic note after a summer of perfection. Not just the players, even coach John Buchanan told the Sydney Morning Herald, “we want to go over there, want to win the series 3-0 and we go confident enough to believe we can do it. It is just how well we harness the tremendous amount of raw material at our disposal”. A dossier on Indian players and playing conditions has been prepared with statistics and summations on individual strengths and weaknesses reinforced by information from the Zimabweans, who toured India before coming to Australia. This will be Buchanan’s second visit to India. The last time he only had a stopover at the Calcutta airport. He told the Herald here, “it (team) is a very unified and harmonious group, a very important factor while we are there and the undoubted talent through the line”. “In a technical sense, I think we need to solidify No 1, 2 and 3 in the batting order. Michael Slater and Mathew Hayden began together as an opening combination last year and produced some good starts. “We need more from them and we need Justin Langer to rekindle the flame and what he exemplified from the Hobart Test onwards into the tour of New Zealand last season. “The other factor will be how well our quick bowlers adapt to the conditions. That way, I think we can expose the Indian batting with the new ball, which would allow the spinners, Shane Warne and Colin Miller to come into their own,” Buchanan said. He said the obvious other weakness was to adapt to the Indian environment. “While most of the players have been there, what I understand, it is still overwhelming: the culture, the people, the heat just everything about cricket is quite overwhelming. “Its how well in the end we adapt to those conditions which will be a telling factor. Australian players had begun discussing India in New Zealand last year. Ice baths, ice vests, nutrition aspects, type of training and so on. Even while playing against the West Indies and Zimbabwe, their one eye was on India. “It seems the players just can’t wait to be on Indian soil whatever be the distractions and conditions,” he said.
— PTI |
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Mark Waugh unsure of what awaits him MELBOURNE, FEB 12 — Senior Australian batsman Mark Waugh leaves tomorrow unsure of what awaits him from Indian cricket officials, fans, and possibly even the local police. Waugh departs with the Australian team aware of a report that Foreign Affairs officials are on alert to help if Indian police seek to interview him in connection with allegations that he had accepted money from local bookmaker Mukesh Gupta. Waugh’s manager Leo Karis confirmed today the Australian Cricket Board had kept his client informed on whether he could face any inquiries about the allegations in the CBI report. Australian captain Steve Waugh said today his brother Mark would be “a little apprehensive” but he expected him to be well informed on what he could face before the tour. “He would have spoken to his lawyers and the cricket board and I’m sure they’ll sort something out before he goes so he knows exactly what’s going to happen and what will confront him over there to put his mind at ease,” said Steve. ACB chief executive Malcolm Speed said the Department of Foreign Affairs believed it was unlikely Waugh would be sought for an interview by Indian police but the department was available to help if needed. Waugh again refuted Gupta’s allegations that he took money in return for team, pitch and weather information when he was interviewed by ACB anti-corruption investigator Greg Melick here at the weekend. Waugh has enjoyed a golden summer in the home Test and one-day series, despite unrelenting pressure over Gupta’s allegations, but he may get a more hostile reception from cricket-mad Indian crowds who have already turned on their own players caught up in cricket’s match-fixing scandals. Aside from the issues with Mark, Steve Waugh said there was no particular concern about security on the Indian tour beyond those in previous trips to the country. “Every tour we go on now we generally have security people with us so that’ll probably be the same in this tour,” Steve Waugh said today. “Indian authorities I’m sure are going to look after us as well, but you can’t guarantee everything. “I’m sure they’ll do the best they can and I hope there aren’t any incidents on tour.” Waugh and captains of all Test-playing nations except England and India met here today for one of their regular discussions associated with the ICC meeting. Nations big and small gave tentative approval to the ICC proposed 10-year calendar and the creation of an ongoing ranking of Test nations with a trophy for the top team. The calendar stipulated all 10 Test nations play each other home and away over five years, ensuring a crowded calendar.
— AFP |
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PCA’s expulsion will be “grave injustice” LUDHIANA, FEB 12 — In a press note issued here today, Mr Vinod Chitkara, general secretary, LDCA, expressed apprehension that the Board of Control for Cricket in India was considering disaffiliation of the Punjab Cricket Association from the membership of the board due to certain disclosures by Mr Inderjit Singh Bindra, former president of the BCCI, about the match-fixing affairs by some Indian cricket players and officials of the board. Mr Chitkara said Mr Bindra had made these observations not in his capacity as the president of PCA but in his individual capacity and also due to this knowledge gained during his tenure as president of the BCCI. He felt that expulsion of the PCA would be an act of grave injustice to the game of cricket in Punjab which had produced a large number of international and national players. He feared that if the disaffiliation of PCA comes about, then Punjab would no longer be a nursery of budding cricketers. He also apprehended that discontentment which the state had suffered for more than a decade due to misguided youth might resurface. If such a thing happened, the entire responsibility would be on the shoulders of the BCCI and its present president, Dr A.C. Mutiah. It is relevant to mention here that Punjab swept all the North Zone league tournaments in all age groups conducted by the BCCI. Punjab garnered full points (40) in the North Zone Ranji Trophy league and the Punjab team had also emerged champions in the north zone one-day tournament and qualified for the Wills Trophy. Moreover, whatever Mr Bindra has said regarding the match-fixing, has been proved to be true and that is why action had already been taken against some of the cricketers of international
caliber. Despite this, if the BCCI contemplated action such as disaffiliation of PCA, it will only be due to the vested interested of certain of Board officials. In the press note, Mr Chitkara has appealed to the Punjab Government to take appropriate action in this matter so that the state was saved from the discontentment among the youth. Moreover, if the expulsion of the PCA takes place, it would be very difficult, rather impossible, to revive the game of cricket in the state, he cautioned. It is pertinent to mention that the BCCI has already announced its decision to discontinue matches of international level at the Mohali cricket stadium which is undoubtedly one of the best cricket stadiums in the world. This is an act of severe injustice to the state of Punjab, observed Mr
Chitkara. |
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Mauresmo clinches Paris Open crown PARIS, FEB 11 — France’s Amelie Mauresmo ruined Anke Huber’s dreams of a fairytale comeback from a career-threatening injury yesterday when the number eight seed took the $ 565,000 Paris Indoor Open WTA tennis title. Mauresmo, defeated in the 1999 finals here by American Serena Williams, scored her first victory over the sixth-seeded German in their third meeting to take the $ 90,000 winner’s prize. It took the 21-year-old 1hr 15min to win her first Paris Indoors title on her third attempt with a 7-6 (7/2) 6-1 score. “It’s great to win here in France in front of such a wonderful crowd,” said a tearful Mauresmo after the match. “I want to thank all those who have helped me, we’ve worked hard and we’ve succeeded.” Huber, who had considered quitting after a wrist injury which has kept her out of action since the quarter-finals of the US Open last September, said reaching the final had surpassed her expectations. “I’ve had it tough. I’m just happy to be here,” said the 26-year-old, who once again had to settle for runner-up title after losing the 1997 final to Martina Hingis. “It was very tough to play here today and Amelie had a great game.” |
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USA follow Spain out of Davis Cup LONDON, FEB 12 — Switzerland produced the second shock of the Davis Cup weekend when they beat the USA 3-2 yesterday — a day after holders Spain were felled by the Netherlands. Playing in front of his Basle home crowd, Roger Federer battled past Jan-Michael Gambill 7-5 6-2 4-6 6-2 to give the Swiss an unassailable 3-1 lead and their first Davis Cup win over the competition’s most successful nation. It was only the fifth time the Americans, winners 31 times, had gone out in the opening round. Their last first round defeat was in 1993 against Australia. Federer, fresh from winning his first ATP Tour title in Milan, weathered a third set comeback by Gambill. He closed out the tie with an ace and then broke into tears as the crowd gave him a standing ovation. “Roger simply played better than I did today,’’ said Gambill. “I worked my ass off out there, I tried as hard as I could.’’ American Andy Roddick won the dead rubber against George Bastl. Switzerland play France in the second round after Fabrice Santoro and Arnaud Clement completed a 5-0 rout of Belgium in Ghent. Holders Spain crashed out in Eindhoven on Saturday when defeat in the doubles for Alex Corretja and Juan Balcells gave the Dutch an unbeatable 3-0 lead. After winning the title for the first time last year, the Spanish now face the prospect of a play-off to avoid relegation from the world group. But new captain Jordi Arrese insisted Spain could repeat their success in the near future. “I’m certain we have the team to win the cup again whatever the circumstances,’’ he said. “We prepared for this tie very well and our job now is to prepare for the play-off just as well to ensure we don’t go down.’’ Jan Siemerink set up the chance of a Dutch clean sweep when he defeated Juan Balcells in the opening reverse singles. But Carlos Moya salvaged some Spanish pride by beating Raemon Sluiter 6-4 7-6. The Netherlands’ quarter-final opponents will be three times winners Germany who battled back to beat Romania 3-2 in Braunschweig. Nicolas Kiefer crushed Romania’s Gabriel Trifu 6-3 6-1 6-4 in the deciding singles after team mate Tommy Haas had earlier pulled the hosts level with victory over Romanian number one Andre Pavel. In Bratislava, Yevgeny Kafelnikov came from two sets down to beat Slovakia’s Karol Kucera 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-2 in an epic final rubber and secure a 3-2 victory for Russia. |
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Abhinav tops European circuit CHANDIGARH, Feb 12 — Olympian world-record holder Abhinav won a silver medal in the Baltic Cup Shooting Championship, part of the European Circuit Championship, again pushing Olympic gold medallist Rajmond Debric of Slovenia in a closely-contested match in Arhus on Saturday. Abhinav, the youngest shooter in the 2000 Olympics, has created ripples in the just concluded European Circuit Championship, the most prestigious competition for shooting in Europe apart from the world championships and the world cups. He has piped the current Olympic gold medallist Rajmond twice, once at the Den Haag tournament and then again in the Baltic Cup; smashed the world record in Luxembourg with a score of 702.4 and has bagged the RIAC Cup, Nissan Cup and Den Haag Cup. The gold in Arhus was won by C Sanvoll of Norway with a score of 595 + 103.2 a total aggregate of 698.2, the silver by Abhinav with a score of 594 +103.4 a total of 697.4 and the bronze by L.S. Roland of Norway 594+102.5 with a total of 696.5 Abhinav shot a perfect series 98,99,99,99, 100, 99 and a final of 10.2, 9.2, 10.0, 10.5, 10.4, 10.7, 10.6, 10.2, 10.2, 10.9, 10.7. It may be mentioned that Abhinav who went to shoot the finals with score of 594 at the Baltic Cup, had gone with a very heavy mind and totally upset as his death of his grandmother in Delhi on February 5. It may be mentioned that Abhinav is the first sportsman to donate his entire prize money for the Gujarat earthquake victims. “I am happy with my performance but there is nothing to be overjoyed about it,” says Abhinav. “I want to repeat such a performance at the world championship in 2002, the Olympic 2004, world cup in Seoul, Milan, Atlanta and Munich provided the Government of India ensures the best coaching, training, infrastructural facilities for me to world standards at any cost for which I am hopeful as I am in return giving my best for my country and am confident that SAI will fill the gap without any delay”, he added. “I am trying to learn the art of winning so that winning becomes secondary to my nature as my sole aim is to win an Olympic medal whether it comes in 2004 or the next one is not important to me but it has to come. All I have to do is to work hard, be technically perfect,” he concluded in a message from Europe. |
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Haryana triumph; BSF defeated CHENNAI, FEB 12 — Karnataka became the third team to qualify for the quarterfinals from group D, while reigning champions Air-India had a perfect take off winning their opening group A match against Bhopal 3-1 in the 31st Junior National Hockey Championship here today. In the last league match, Karnataka, proved superior in all departments defeating Border Security Force (BSF), Jalandhar, 3-1 in a rough encounter to make the grade from the four-team pool with an all-win record. Karnataka now joined Punjab and Sind Bank (qualified yesterday from group B) and Haryana from pool F. In a match which saw play following which two BSF players were given yellow cards (including two for full back Amolak Singh), Karnataka forged ahead in the 19th minute through skipper K.P. Dinesh who made most of a pass from Ajay Aiyappa off a defence lapse. Three minutes from half time, Karnataka stretched the lead to 2-0 when Sandeep Michael recovered well to bang the ball home of a pass from Dinesh, who tried to take a shot before relaying it to Sandeep. BSF, who were reduced to nine players close to half time and to 10 players six minutes after resumption, seemed to fighting a losing battle after Karnataka made it 3-0 immediately after the second session began. Sandeep once again slotting the ball home. BSF did managed to make a couple of forays into the rival area and in the process earned their first penalty corner which proved productive. Mukhjinder Singh’s feeble push was good enough to beat Karnataka custodian. BSF mounted pressure thereafter and earned three more corners. But Karnataka held on gamely. Haryana became the second team to qualify for the knock-out phase when they defeated hosts Tamil Nadu by a solitary first goal in the last group F league match. Later in a group E match, Delhi humbled Kerala 7-0 after leading by five goals at half time. |
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India-Pak series off DUBAI, FEB 12 — An India-Pakistan hockey tournament scheduled to be held here in April-May has been postponed as the Astro Turf ground here is not ready. Mr Zahid Noorani, chief executive of the CBFS in Sharjah, however, said the postponement had nothing to do with the reluctance of the Indian government regarding matches against Pakistan. “The hockey ground will not be ready for the match before April,” Mr Noorani said. “We are planning to host the series in December or January next,” he told the Gulf News daily. “Our decision to postpone the event has nothing to do with doubts on India’s participation. “We wanted to make the Astro Turf ready for the event. We realised that the turf cannot be completed before April. We have plans to construct a (hockey) stadium. We are just starting negotiations on this matter,” he said. CBFS, who pioneered cricket tournaments in the UAE, has now forayed into hockey and plans to get India and Pakistan hockey officials sign a long-term contract. — PTI |
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Anil faces expulsion from camp PATIALA, Feb 12 — Earlier, ace Javellin thrower and Sydney Olympian Jagdeesh Bishnoi was shown the door on disciplinary grounds. Sources disclosed that at around 11 pm last night, Anil Kumar along with some of his guests after having dinner at a roadside dhaba on Sangrur road, were returning to the NIS complex when the jeep, in which they were travelling, broke down near an octroi post. Anil’s request to the people manning the post for help was turned down. Anil reportedly had a tiff with the octroi inspector and other employees as the thrower and his guests returned to the NIS in a truck. However, when Anil went to retrieve his jeep he had to make a hasty retreat on seeing a police party. Subsequently, the police chased Anil’s car right up to the Dhyan Chand hostel in the NIS complex. Sensing that the situation may turn volatile, top NIS officers were tipped off, who subsequently reached the hostel at around 4 am this morning. Frayed tempers were placated and the situation was brought under control. As a sequel to this incident, the Director (camps) Mrs Kamaljit Kooner has written to Anil Kumar to immediately rush to Delhi and explain his conduct to the SAI Executive Director (Teams) Maj O.P. Bhatia. When contacted, the Executive Director (Academics) Lt Col B.S. Ahluwalia confirmed the incident but refused to elaborate further. Anil Kumar, who won a gold medal in the Jakarta Asian Championships and a silver medal in the Bangkok Asian Games, defended his action by saying that he got upset when a Sub-Inspector tried to manhandle him in front of his colleagues in front of the Dhyan Chand hostel. |
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East Bengal beat
Air-India MUMBAI, FEB 12 —
Despite missing star striker Bijen Singh due to injury, the Bengal giants played a controlled game and registered the win over airmen. On the other hand Air-India strikers again failed to score despite having some easy chances in either half. East Bengal might have taken the lead in the 28th minute itself but medio Sur Kumar Singh, who displayed a perfect ball control, took the ball in centre after dodging three defenders and hit a left-footer only to miss the target. |
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Punjab, Railways emerge winners NEW DELHI, FEB 12 — Former national champions Railways topped the women’s section, crushing Karnataka 25-12, 25-19, 25-11. Both Punjab and Railways remained undefeated in the League. Three men’s teams—Punjab, Delhi and Kerala—and two women’s teams—Railways and Karnataka—have qualified for the Super League from the Delhi leg of the league. Renukoot in Uttar Pradesh hosted the other leg of the league, and from there too, three men and two women teams will qualify for the Super League. The Super League was to be held in Baroda from February 15, but due to the recent earthquake in Gujarat, the Volleyball Federation of India has decided to shift the venue, though it has not announced where it would be shifted. Hosts Delhi, who got a chance to have a face-off with Punjab in the final, after Karnataka were scratched from the league yesterday for including more than three new faces in their squad from the one which had played in the Senior National Championship in Kozhikode a few weeks back, could not match the Punjab players’ spiking and blocking skills, and fell flat in three sets. Barring some occasional flashes of brilliance, Delhi could hardly match the all-round display of former champions Punjab, who somewhat atoned for their relegation to the fourth position in the national championship. Skipper Roy Joseph, a sub-inspector with the Border Security Force, and Manoj Kumar of Punjab Police, yet again came up with stellar performances to help Punjab emerge unscathed. Manoj Kumar was adjudged the best male player while Karnataka libero Mamta Rao was named the best woman player. They were presented a cash award of Rs 1,000 each by Delhi Volleyball Association president Kuldip Vats, who lamented the lack of support from both the Delhi Government and the Sports Authority of India. |
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Softball meet AMRITSAR, FEB 12 —
Mr Hari Jaisingh urged the players to play the game in the spirit of sportsmanship and inculcate the concept of friendship and goodwill. The Editor was introduced the various teams participating in the five-day meet. In the opening match, in the women’s section, Pune University outclassed Punjabi University, Patiala 5-1, while in the men’s section, North Maharashtra University, Jalgaon, beat Dr B.A. Marathwada University, Aurangabad, 6-0. |
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