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ACU’s gives clean chit to
Indo-Pak series Perfect ‘goodwill’ script for a grand finale
It’s 50-50 in decider,
says Miandad |
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Indians succeeded in Aussie style Notes from Pakistan Sami’s joy short-lived Appoint bowling coach, says Imran
Athletic meet at Dharamsala Yamunanagar team beat
Kalka club
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ACU’s gives clean chit to
Indo-Pak series
Lahore, March 22 “It is a clean series,” the two ACU officials said here and added that “no undesirable elements have been allowed to come any where near the players.” ACU officials Col (Retd) Nur Mohammed of Pakistan and Martin Hawkins of England said they had enforced the security protocol as laid down by the International Cricket Council (ICC) very strictly. “So far the protocol has been observed very successfully.” The protocol includes a complete ban on mobile phones in the dressing rooms. Issuance of special identity cards to visitors of the players only after a thorough check is done on their background. Installation of surveillance cameras in the hotel lobby and floors and outside the dressing rooms and a check on the Indian visitors coming into Pakistan for the matches. The two officials said what was pleasing was that even the teams were not keen to have visitors in either their dressing rooms or hotels as they were desperate to concentrate on cricket. They said so far neither the Indian nor the Pakistan team managers had asked the ACU to issue any special visitors passes for anyone. The officials said they could say with utmost confidence that no “notorious or undesirable elements have been able to reach or contact the players.” “We don’t know if any such character has made any effort to meet the players but as far as we know, the series has been clean and also we have enforced the protocol very effectively.” “We are happy the series has gone off smoothly so far and people are enjoying it,” they added. The ICC appointed two ACU officials to keep a watch on the series given the significance attached to it.
Inzamam, Dravid lash out at allegation The cool and affable Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul Haq reacted with uncharacteristic anger as did India’s vice captain Rahul Dravid when told of speculation that bookies might have influenced the 2-2 score in the one-day cricket series between the two countries. ‘Gentle Giant’ Inzamam bluntly told a reporter, who raised the question at the post-match press conference after India had levelled the series last night, to “shut up”. India’s ‘Mr Cool’, who had led the successful victory charge for his team, at a separate interaction with reporters, was furious at a similar question and thundered, “will someone take this man out of the room”. Dravid said he was determined to stay till the end and take India home in the crucial match.— Agencies |
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Perfect ‘goodwill’ script for a grand finale at Lahore Whoever is writing the script for the Goodwill series is doing a darned good job. The poet and the general and their peoples in the great Indian subcontinent could not have asked for more from cricket than to take the emotion-stirring series right down to the wire in a grand finale. The cynics may think otherwise and they are dime a dozen. The cricket could not have been more absorbing with matches oscillating this way and that until cricketers of character who can keep their cool under extreme pressure pull the fat out of the fire. If it was Abdul Razzaq and Moin Khan for Pakistan in Peshawar, it was Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif for India on an even more significant night when failure on the part of any one of them could have ended the series as a contest. That leaves a nail-biting decider on a pitch filled with runs as much as human warmth permeates the sporting atmosphere. In a batting line-up filled with champions who think nothing of driving balls travelling at greater than 90mph for six, it is easy to take someone like Dravid for granted. They call him ‘The Wall’ as if the banal security structure is something to be proud of. In a batting line-up bursting to the seams with performers who think nothing of pulling the fastest bowlers regardless of the line or length, it is easy to take someone like Mohammad Kaif for granted, to. They have not nicknamed him yet but if they do they should have a more colourful description than something as boring as a wall. Dravid graduated long ago in the demanding world of one-day internationals. His moment of epiphany, if we may call it that, may have come as early as 1999 in the World Cup when he kept wickets in the game against Sri Lanka in Taunton after scoring a century. It was in a game against New Zealand in a recent home tri-series when he played a cameo innings in which he struck runs with the pace of a Ben Johnson on drugs that Dravid graduated to classy performers. He can mix them as well as India’s openers and the skipper who have made a fine art of striking the ball with the attacking associated with the limited overs game. Yet, he is the island of calm in a frenetic world, more the Rock of Gibraltar withstanding the crosscurrents of one-day cricketing fortunes with the kind of clinical precision that brings order to chaos, restores reason amidst disorder. His calming influence engineered a Test win in Adelaide and now takes an exciting series to a summit. Kaif is an opportunistic batsman with an antenna fine-tuned to the one-day game. He picks his runs even as he brings a sense of fun to the game, his glinting eyes celebrating as much an off drive as a streaky shot through vacant slip. And no one catches the ball better in the outfield where he is some kind of baseballer who dives with the adroitness and athleticism of a porpoise at an aquatic show. The spirit with which India fought back at Lahore after the stroke-playing gladiators had taken their bow in cameos is a significant sign of where this Indian team has come after the tour of self-discovery Down Under which itself came after an identity-establishing World Cup. If they play like this to a man it would still not matter if they lose series after series. In the rollercoaster world of the one-day international, it may be impossible to match Ricky Ponting and his men’s winning percentage of 80. Where India, with Dravid and Kaif lending a steady balance to five flashy stroke-makers, have travelled under Ganguly is to a ranking just below the best. There may be miles to go before trophies are won. It is the willingness to fight the odds that has brought Team India this far. Even the cynics who harbour outrageous thoughts of conspiracies will concede that a team with spirit that does not accept defeat until it becomes inevitable can change the course of matches. No one knows yet what the great scriptwriter has in store for the finale. Just let it be said that this Indian team will not go down without a fight to the finish. That would be a vast improvement from the capitulation in the tri-series finals to a vastly superior opponent drilled in the mental and game aspects of winning cricket. — UNI
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It’s 50-50 in decider, says Miandad
Lahore, March 22 But victory and defeat notwithstanding, the Pakistan coach said the series has served its cause. “Winning and losing apart, I think this series has done a lot for the cause of Indo-Pak relations and I salute Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf for their contributions in making this series possible,” said Miandad. Going in to the fourth match with a 2-1 lead, Miandad had hoped to wrap up the series yesterday but his bowlers “let him down” as Pakistan suffered a five-wicket defeat in the day-night match. “I had wished we wrap up the series on Sunday but the bowlers let us down and now I think it is a 50-50 chance for both the teams and whoever avails the chances will win the series,” he said. “Everyone would blame the bowlers for the defeat yesterday because we had the match in our pockets after getting their top four players but we bowled badly in the middle overs to lose the grip,” said Miandad, also worried over too many extras being conceded by his bowlers. Our batting has done more than we expected but the bowling let India make 349 in the first match, almost gave them 330 in the second and on Sunday failed to defend 294, it is disappointing. But despite the bowling loopholes, Miandad was not in favour of appointing a bowling coach. “A coach can only guide, it is up to the individual player to do his best to overcome his drawback. “Even a bowling coach would not be able to help if the players do not help themselves,” said Miandad, who played a record 124 Tests for Pakistan making 8132 runs. Describing the off-and-on field atmosphere of the series as exhilarating, he said: “It is like a dream, we had never thought it would be like this. Fans have mingled like brothers and this people-to-people contact must continue in the future and we must tour India as soon as possible.” — PTI
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Indians succeeded in Aussie style It has been often seen that a team dishes out its best performance when under great pressure. Unfavourable results not only activate the drives in the minds of the players, but also ignite their self-respect, sense of duty and accountability. I have regularly witnessed embarrassed players spending sleepless nights after a few dismal shows. This is the best time to gauge and determine a team’s actual preparations. At times, the players can’t wait to get into the middle and make amends for all the mistakes. There are also players, who dread to go there and prefer to stay in the dressing room. No wonder they don’t remain a part of the team for too long. On Sunday, at the Gadaffi Stadium in Lahore, I was proud to watch that there was not one single Indian cricketer, who belonged to the second lot. Everyone in the team looked fired up to go to the centre – not only to level the series, but also to salvage prestige. Aggression was met with aggression. The Pakistani pace attack was handled extremely well. Pak bowlers are yet to realise that the Indian batsmen cannot be dismissed by sheer intimidation. In fact, our bowlers were initially far more effective under the scorching sun after skipper Ganguly lost the toss. I was extremely impressed by the kind of teamwork of our fast bowlers displayed in the initial 16 overs. Irfan Pathan was probably the most accurate, while Balaji bowled in the right areas. Zaheer, it appears, has improved in the last two games. Playing a regular bowler also worked. It was good to see Murali Kartik bowling well. Mohammed Kaif was under tremendous pressure to perform. To bat at number seven, that too when required to score runs at a high asking rate, is not the easiest of jobs. He is either required to catch up with a huge run rate or to set up a big target. Kaif’s match-winning knock couldn’t have come at a better time. And mind it, he has other contributions as well. As a fielder, he not only lifts the confidence of the bowlers, but also saves certain scoring shots. His running between the wickets is a treat to watch. At the other end, ‘Rahul the rock Dravid’ played one of the best knocks of his career. And like Kaif, that was not his only contribution to the team’s cause. Once in the middle, I consider Rahul Dravid as the bowling coach. He may not be too happy to play the role of a wicket-keeper, but the value of his being there is simply immeasurable. Wicket keepers are always the best judges of the wicket and the batsmen at the crease. Rahul’s regular inputs to the bowlers about the line and length to be adapted and what should be their approach to the stumps is very important. Rahul had always helped me in giving me the right insight about my bowling, be it as a keeper or as a fielder at the slips. A keen student of the game, Rahul tries to help the bowlers all the time. In a way, the initial onslaught launched by Sehwag, Saurav and Yuvraj in the first 20 overs helped to build the platform for Rahul and Kaif to prosper. It is the same approach the Australians take in chasing high scores. The first few batsmen bat aggressively and the batsmen coming later consolidate on the early offence. Now one last effort is required on Wednesday to clinch the series. The result of winning the one-day series will surely have a bearing on the Test series. Pakistan, playing in their home ground, will have added pressure on them. After all, Indian batting is a real threat to any attack in the world.
— Chivach Sports |
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Notes from Pakistan "We knew the result beforehand,’’ is the refrain here
regarding last night’s India-Pakistan one-day cricket match. ‘’Friendship and commercial interests took precedence over the game,’’ said many people whom this reporter asked for their views on the match. ‘’It is good. At least we hope that March 24 will be exciting,’’ said a few fans in the posh Gulberg area. ‘The News’ has a long article written by Shakil Sheikh in which he has put across this view. ‘’The body language of the entire Pakistan XI demonstrated a compromise. They left their spirits dumped. It helped India through Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Kaif to get to the target in just 45 overs. ‘Unbelievable’ shrieked a colleague in ‘The News’ when the last runs were taken. *
The Ashes, billed as cricket’s greatest rivalry, pale in comparison to the encounters between India and Pakistan, says former Indian cricket board president Raj Singh Dungarpur. “Ashes means nothing when India and Pakistan play each other and it brings the world to a standstill,” said Dungapur, who is here to watch the one-dayers between the arch-rivals. *
‘’Cricket has buried hockey in this subcontinent’’ is the refrain heard at the National Hockey stadium here. The imposing National Stadium is just across the Gaddafi Stadium, the headquarters of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and sports a deserted look. ‘’Who will play hockey?’’ asked one official. ‘’We beat India in Madrid twice but the news was buried in the sportspages of the newspapers. There was no hype, no reaction and the team which finished third in the Olympic qualifier in Madrid returned unsung.’’ *
Three Indian nationals posing as journalists were caught as they tried to enter the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. The trio, sporting media accreditation cards, were intercepted by Pakistan Cricket Board’s Media Manager Sami-ul Hasan, according to a report in the daily ‘The News’. The daily quoted Hasan as saying he became suspicious about the identity of the persons because two of them were wearing the Indian team colours. “Normally mediamen do not wear team colours while on official duty. When their names were checked with the list of journalists to whom we have issued media accreditation cards their names were not found on the list,” he said. One of the organisers said the trio had been handed over to the police who were trying to find out how they got hold of the media cards.
— Agencies
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Sami’s joy
short-lived Lahore: The joy of having broken the 100 mph speed barrier proved short-lived for Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Sami after he learnt that the speed guns had not given an accurate reading in the third one-day international against India in Peshawar on Friday. Television speed guns clocked two deliveries by Sami at over 100 mph (160 kmph) but a representative of the broadcasters of the series confirmed that there were some doubts over whether the seamer’s bowling speed was accurately recorded, local daily ‘The News’ reported on Monday. The speed guns recorded Sami bowling at speed of 100 mph and 101 mph in the 11th and 17th overs making him the second bowler after Shoaib Akhtar to bowl at or over 100 mph. But Sami was not disappointed at learning that the speed guns had not been accurate. “I don’t care much for such things. I would rather settle for more wickets than going for speed records,” he said.
— PTI Inzamam’s class Lahore: Heaping praise on skipper Inzamam-ul Haq who hit a brilliant 123-run knock off 121 balls that brought him the man of the match on Sunday night, legendary Pakistani all-rounder Imran Khan said the world has not fully recognised the batsman’s class. Though the innings was not enough to win the match for Pakistan and seal the series, Imran said,”He has played more match-winning innings than any other Pakistani. His class has not been recognised by all and unfortunately Inzamam himself is not aware of the potential he has,” he said. Talking about the Multani, Imran said,”He has a world of time to play his shots. He is never in hurry to play shots. This is God’s gift and I have been repeating this time and again. He has it in him and you just can’t develop it.”
— UNI Reflected glory Lucknow: Both are ruthless when it comes to their profession and the similarity does not end here. A 27-year-old youth from Billauchpura here is basking in reflected glory - thanks to an uncanny resemblance to Pakistan tearaway bowler Shoaib Akhtar. Shamshuddin, a butcher who runs a mutton shop in Tudiaganj, is making waves on account of this quirk of fate which is fetching him stardom of sorts on the sidelines of the great cricketing action in the neighbouring country. “When I walk through the streets, children jostle with one another to shake hands and take autographs,” gushes the look-alike. Life has changed, for good, for Shamshuddin ever since people started taking note of his resemblance and it has also improved his business. Since his new found fame and the attention, Shamshuddin’s shop is full of people who mostly end up buying meat from him. “The business has improved a lot,” he said.
— PTI
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Appoint bowling
coach, says Imran Lahore, March 22 The famed Pakistani attack failed to live up to its reputation in the crucial one-dayer against India yesterday, allowing the visitors to run away with the match and level the series 2-2. Imran, a former captain and fast bowling great, said if Pakistan was to win the upcoming Test series against India, they must avail the services of a bowling coach, preferably one of the trio — Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aqib Javed.
— PTI |
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Port of Spain, March 22 The experienced trio led the visitors from 54 for two overnight to 300 for six at close yesterday, already 92 runs ahead of the West Indies’ first-innings of 208. Ashley Giles also supported with an unbeaten 28. Tino Best, taking three wickets for 60, and Pedro Collins, with two for 66, led a disciplined home team attack. But Butcher (61) and Hussain (58) gave England the early initiative, stretching an overnight partnership to 123, their second successive century stand in the four-match series. West Indies (1st innings): 208 England (1st innings): Trescothick c Sanford b Best 1 Vaughan lbw b Collins 0 Butcher c Jacobs b Best 61 Hussain b Best 58 Thorpe not out 81 Flintoff c and b Smith 23 Read lbw b Collins 3 Giles not out 28 Extras : 45 Total (6 wkts, 121 overs) 300 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-8, 3-128, 4-186, 5-218, 6-230. Bowling: Collins 23-5-66-2, Best 25-5-60-3, Sanford 26-6-60-0, Collymore 24-7-39-0, Smith 9-0-30-1, Gayle 13-5-17-0, Sarwan 1-0-3-0. — AFP
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Auckland, March 22 After compiling a 299-run lead on the first innings, New Zealand dismissed the Proteas for 349 in their second innings and were left with a mere 51-run target to win. Everything fell into place for New Zealand on the final day, as recalled fast bowler Chris Martin picked up his fifth wicket of the innings to have 11 for the match and Chris Cairns joined the elite club of cricketers to achieve 3,000 Test runs and 200 Test wickets. He is the sixth player to achieve the double, following Gary Sobers, Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee. SA (Ist innings): 296 New Zealand (Ist innings): 595 SA (2nd innings): Smith b Martin 0 Gibbs lbw Oram 61 Rudolph not out 154 Kallis lbw McMillan 71 Kirsten lbw Martin 1 McKenzie c Papps b Martin 0 Boucher c Fleming
b Martin 10 Pollock c Fleming
Boje c McCullum
Ntini c McMillan b Cairns 6 Terbrugge c sub b Cairns 6 Extras:
(nb-3, b-10, lb-1) 14 Total: (In 108.3 overs) 349 Fall of wickets:
1-0, 2-103, 3-249, 4-250, 5-250, 6-272, 7-290, 8-327, 9-337, 10-349 Bowling:
Martin 23-5-104-5, Oram 27-13-47-1, Tuffey 4-1-13-0, Cairns 13.3-1-63-3, Vettori 24-4-69-0, Styris 13-5-39-0, McMillan 4-1-3-1 New Zealand (2nd innings): Papps not out 8 Richardson c Boje b Ntini 10 Fleming not out 31 Extras:
(nb-4) 4 Total (1wkt, 10.2 overs) 53 Bowling:
Pollock 5-1-16-0, Ntini 5-0-31-1, Boje 0.2-0-6-0. —AFP |
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Athletic meet at Dharamsala Hamirpur, March 22 The meeting decided to hold state level cross-country meet at Nahan in the month of January 2005. Trials for the national level competitions will be held at Mandi on June 27. The association appointed Mr. Santosh Kumar of Mandi as its technical advisor and Kehar Singh Patyal as the Chief coach of the state association. The meeting directed all the district associations to hold their district level meets between October 1 to 8 next. |
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Yamunanagar team beat
Kalka club Yamunanagar, March 22 In the 19th minute of the game, Laddi opened the account of Yamunanagar team. Kalka team tried their best to equalise but could not succeed. At half time winners led 1-0. In the second half Laddi scored again in the 52nd minute.
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