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Inzamam
relying on lower order Peeved with
Taufel, PCB lodges complaint Youhana in pitch controversy Multan, March 30 Purists frown on his unorthodox batting style, he is often criticised for throwing away his wicket after getting the starts, his lack of footwork is seen as a weakness — yet it has no bearing on Virender Sehwag who goes about playing his usual game — attacking cricket.
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Appoint Sarfaraz bowling coach, says Miandad Imran’s tips to Pak bowlers
Notes from Pakistan Latif brothers
Mumbai are Ranji champs
Sportspersons honoured
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Inzamam relying
on lower order Multan, March 30 “We are in a difficult position but our batsmen fought hard. With such a big total posted by the opposition, we were always going to be under pressure,” Inzamam told reporters after the third day’s play which saw Pakistan still needing 112 runs with four wickets in hand to avoid the follow-on. “But our lower order batsmen are quite capable and I am hopeful that we will be able to avoid the follow on,” he said. India scored a mammoth 675 for five declared in their first innings and Pakistan were on a shaky 364 for six at close on the third day. The Pakistani captain, who struck a splendid 77, said his young batsmen showed a lot of commitment and played positive cricket and this had given him the assurance that his team could save the match. “We played positive cricket and that’s what we want to do. It was a good effort from the batsmen today. There is still a lot of cricket left in the game and we can save the match,” he said. Asked whose decision it was to prepare such a placid track at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Inzamam said: “We always want to play on sporting tracks.” “Such pitches do not suit our game. We want hard and fast wickets since we have a lot of fast bowlers. Hopefully, we will have better pitches in the remaining two matches.” Inzamam did not want to talk about his controversial dismissal but said his wicket had put the team under more pressure which resulted in a fall of a few quick wickets. “I was well set, I thought I could have carried on and the team could have been in a better position. A couple of wickets fell after I was out,” he said. “I am not going to comment about my dismissal. But everybody has seen it on television and they can judge for themselves,” he said. When reminded that India had managed to take six wickets in a day while his team could just take five wickets in two days, Inzamam admitted that the bowling and fielding needed a lot of improvement. “We have to bowl better, we did not do well during the Indian innings. The bowlers have to work really hard. Our fielding all needs to improve as we dropped a lot of catches. You cannot win matches if you drop catches,” Inzamam said. He also defended seasoned off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq who failed to make much of a mark on his return match. “Saqlain is playing after a long time and the wicket gave him no assistance at all. It was too flat a wicket but he played his heart out.” The Pakistani captain had encouraging words for young Yasir Hameed who has shown the tendency to get out in the 90s. “I will be happy if he keeps getting the 90s. I think he gets a bit nervous in the 90s. He has to think on this and make sure he gets the hundred in future.”
— PTI
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Peeved with Taufel, PCB lodges complaint
Multan, March 30 “We are surprised at how such blatantly wrong decisions could be given in such an important match,” highly-placed PCB sources said. “These decision have resulted in putting pressure on the Pakistan team and considering the fact that is a very important series, the umpire should have exercised greater care in giving his decisions, especially if they were marginal ones,” they added. Inzamam was given out caught at bat-pad by Aakash Chopra off Anil Kumble when he was on a match-saving 77 in a team total of 233 as Pakistan chased 476 to avoid the follow-on. Replays suggested that the ball had not made contact with the bat on its way to the fielder. Taufel then gave Youhana out just when the middle-order stalwart had begun to put together a partnership with Abdul Razzak. Youhana was on 35 when he was adjudged out caught behind down the leg side off Zaheer Khan, and once again there was an element of doubt as the ball seemed to brush the batsmen’s thigh pad on its way into wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel’s gloves. This is the first time a cricket board has lodged an official complaint against an umpire. Australian Taufel at 33, is the youngest member of the ICCs elite panel of umpires that is drawn from the Test-playing pool of nations. He is standing in his 12th Test match and has umpired 62 one-day internationals.
— UNI
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Youhana in pitch controversy Multan, March 30 According to ‘’The News’’, Youhana lead the chorus for shaving off the grass and even managed to convince a few others in the team, a move with the much-vaunted Pakistani bowling attack as its casualty. Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan alleged that the hosts had set a new trend by offering a visitor-friendly pitch, betraying their own strength of pace attack and subsequently foreign curator Richard Atkinson has come in for some harsh words by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Executive Rameez Raja. PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has also summoned Atkinson in Lahore for a pep talk. The newspaper quotes a team source saying: “The local curator Bashir Kardar had left plenty of grass on the pitch keeping in mind that Pakistan had a strong pace attack. But the foreign curator Andy Atkinson was not happy with so much grass and he received support in the form of Youhana.” With his form deserting him, Youhana argued that the in-form Indian pacers could pose serious problems to the inexperienced Pakistani batting line-up and keeing grass could prove counter-productive. Incidentally in the last four one-dayers, Youhana twice fell to Irfan Pathan who swung the ball viciously. “Youhana led the chorus for having the grass shaved off and having an even pitch for the match and managed to convince some of the other players to also support his idea despite the fact that coach Javed Miandad and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq kept on insisting the fast bowlers needed to be given a supportive track to bowl on,” the source said. “And since Atkinson was also pushing to have the grass shaved off, Youhana eventually got his way and the result was a completely dry and bland surface on which the Indians have dominated,” the source added. “Unfortunately that is the way our senior players operate in the team. Their first priority is to ensure their places are safe in the team and the teams performance comes second,” the source lamented.
— UNI |
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Curator told to make ‘responsive’ track Multan, March 30 PCB Chief Shahrayar Khan summoned Atkinson to the board’s headquarters in Lahore yesterday for an explanation for the “dead” Multan wicket as well as to discuss preparations for the pitch for the Lahore Test, after India had piled up a massive 675 for five declared in their first knock here. Khan later told the media that he has instructed Atkinson to prepare “more responsive” pitches for the remaining matches. Atkinson, who was here till the first session of the match on day two, was also asked to explain the fault in the track which did not support Pakistan bowlers who were sent on a leatherhunt by the Indian batsmen, particularly Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
— PTI |
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Triple ton yet to sink in, says Sehwag Multan, March 30 In a star-studded Indian batting line-up which boasts of Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the best batsman in contemporary cricket, and ‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid, not many would have bargained for Sehwag creating history by becoming the first Indian to hit a triple century in Test cricket. The opener’s knock of 309 against arch-rivals Pakistan in the first cricket Test has dispelled doubts about his ability to play a long innings — an aspect of his game which had come under intense scrutinity till very recently. But “Veeru’, as he is called by his team-mates, could not have asnwered his detractors in a better way — batting for a marathon 531 minutes, facing 375 balls and clobbering as many as 39 boundaries and six sixes in a breathtaking knock. The 25-year-old Delhi batsman will not forget this dusty city, known for its saints and perfumes, which could mark the turning point of his career. “I can’t believe that I have done it. May be it will sink in after a couple of days. all I can say is that it is a great feeling. It is very special because it has come against Pakistan,” Sehwag said. Sehwag not only eclipsed team-mate VVS Laxman’s 281, highest individual Test score by an Indian established against Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 2001, but also recorded the highest individual score against Pakistan, erasing Sanjay Manjrekar’s 218 established in Lahore during the 1989-90 series. “It is my best innings in Test cricket. I had missed out on a double century against Australia,” he said referring to the 195 against Australia in last year’s Melbourne Test. “I was eager to play a big knock this time. We now have to play well in the remaining days and hopefully we can win the match.” Having being unbeaten on 228 after the opening day, Sehwag was determined to join the elite 300 club, a feat only 18 cricketers have achieved in the world. Sehwag admitted that he had made a more conscious effort to stay as long as possible at the crease and thanked his idol Tendulkar for guiding him during their record 336-run partnership for the third wicket. Tendulkar, on his part, acknowledged that Sehwag had heeded his advice — for a change. “Somebody recently asked me whether Sehwag listens to me. I said he hears me, but I can’t tell whether he listens to me. But this time he listened to me,” he said.
— PTI |
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Appoint Sarfaraz bowling coach, says Miandad
Multan, March 30 Miandad is not very keen to have a bowling coach and he has said that time and again. But since the start of this series, he has been needled by several former captains, prominent among being Imran Khan, who have led a campaign for a bowling coach in the light of the indifferent performance of the pace attack in the one-day series and in the first innings here when they conceded a record score to the Indians, including first-year Test triple hundred to Virender Sehwag. Imran Khan has even suggested (some say recommended) the name of former colleague Aquib Javed as the bowling coach and this has not amused Miandad, who is known not to see eye-to-eye with his former teammate and captain. By suggesting the name of Sarfaraz Nawaz, Miandad has played a trump card. Sarfaraz Nawaz is known to be the bete noire of Imran and there is no love lost either between Miandad and Imran. Miandad’s assertion is that he is not being allowed to function freely. “Imran learnt much of his craft from Sarfaraz himself so clearly he (Sarfaraz) has a better idea of what is needed. Then, Sarfaraz has already been coach of the team once in 2000. He has worked with some of my bowlers and understands their needs. More than my personal views on the matter, he can help motivate the bowlers, particularly since he is by nature an aggressive person and that is the quality our bowlers must learn to imbibe from him,” Miandad said. According to PCB sources here, the suggestion has merit and has gone down well with the powers that be. They are, however, not in any rush to make the appointment as it could sent out negative signals in the course of this vital series. A defeat for the home side, that now seems very much a possibility could, however, change the complexion of this debate very quickly, the sources acknowledged. For this part, Aquib Javed has become something of an unwitting pawn between two old rivals. He has been coach of the Pakistan under-19 team that won the World Cup recently beating India in the semi-finals and the West Indies in the title playoff and has acquired quiet a bit of support for himself in circles close to the PCB. In this battle, however, he has come between two giants of the game here and will have very little say in what eventually transpires. — UNI
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Imran’s tips to Pak bowlers ISLAMABAD: Resigned to the fact that the Multan turf has very little to offer to seamers, legendary all-rounder Imran Khan has urged the “demoralised” Pakistani paceman to make most of the conditions in the ongoing first cricket Test against India. After the Indians had piled up close to 350 runs on the first day, a visibly upset Imran Khan came round to the Pakistan dressing room and took the pace trio — Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami and Shabbir Ahmed — to the nets where he passed on handy tips to them. The intense interaction also saw Imran pinpointing the bowlers’ shortcomings and ways of improvement, according to reports in the media. The short coaching class seemed to have a positive effect as the bowlers bowled a better line and length on Monday even though India went on amass 675 for five before declaring their first innings. “Imran watched them closely and told them how they needed to bowl on such a pitch,” Pakistan manager Haroon Rashid said.
— PTI
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Notes from Pakistan Bats are an integral and important part of a batsman’s baggage and Virender Sehwag has brought six of them for the 39-day tour of Pakistan, one of which he used to hammer the attack to notch up a historic 309. “I have brought six bats, which are enough for this tour,” Sehwag said after he became the first player in India’s 71-year Test history to cross the 300-mark Monday. Sehwag uses bats made by the Meerut-based Sunridges company, which is popularly known as SS. Sehwag uses bats weighing 1,200 gm and which have a hump in the middle, meaning a thick portion in the middle that helps send the ball zipping to the boundary or soaring in the sky. Whenever Sehwag goes on a foreign tour he usually drives down to Meerut, 50km from New Delhi, to choose his bats. This time, however, because he was busy in other things he could not go to handpick his favourite willows. “I could not go, so they sent me the bats by courier,” he said. Besides using SS bats, Sehwag has an endorsement contract with sportswear company Adidas, whose flannels he wears while batting and fielding and off the field. In all, Sehwag has at least nine endorsement contracts with various companies and, after his record-breaking innings at the Multan Cricket Stadium Monday, more companies are expected to approach him for endorsements. But the 25-year-old’s first priority after the tour would be to prepare for his marriage with Aarti that takes place next month in Delhi. * Sachin Tendulkar, who scored an unbeaten 194 in the ongoing second Test against Pakistan, and Sehwag have a special chemistry and both are good friends on and off the field. Tendulkar, who batted with Sehwag for a long time in the first innings, seems to enjoy the Delhi captain’s company as both have an uncomplicated and simple approach to life. About their record 336-run third-wicket partnership, Tendulkar said he was constantly telling Sehwag to bat on and target Australian Matthew Hayden’s world record of 380. “I told him it was an opportunity for him to go for the record,” said Tendulkar, and then added in jest: “I know he was hearing me, but I don’t know whether he was listening to me.” Tendulkar made a few more interesting comments about Sehwag that made everyone enjoy a hearty laugh. “He is so unpredictable that nobody can say what he was going to do,” Tendulkar said. “When Mumbai played the Rest of India at the start of the 2003-04 season, I was hoping he does not get a big score. * Khawar Rasool, the man who solves computer and Internet problems at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport, is also an interesting and friendly person. Since his work involves the Internet, Khawar uses the opportunity to send mails - and lots of SMSs - with gusto. Ever since he helped this reporter e-mail stories to the Delhi office, he has been in touch and his SMSs have been a regular feature on one’s mobile phone. Khawar offered to take his “guest” around the historical places of Lahore and even sent an SMS congratulating on India’s winning the Samsung Cup one-day series that preceded the Test series. But Khawar’s favourite SMS seems to be: “Three things can come at any point in time: 1 - Death, 2 - Money, 3 - My SMS. And he has lived up to his claim. — IANS
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Latif brothers MULTAN:
Half-brothers Rashid and Shahid Latif have been separated for decades by hostility between India and Pakistan but cricket has brought them together — as it also seems to be between their countries. Rashid is a former Pakistan cricket captain who played 37 tests and 164 one-day internationals, while Shahid works for a newspaper in Kolkata and is an ardent supporter of the Indian team. Shahid, 50, is in Pakistan for the first time on a cricket visa after restrictions were eased for India’s first tour of Pakistan in more than 14 years. Rashid sent him the match tickets from Pakistan. Both men are likely be in the Pakistani city of Lahore to watch the second Test between the countries, cheering their respective sides.
— Reuters
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Smith, Kirsten guide SA to win
Wellington, March 30 Resuming after lunch on 207 for four, Smith and Martin van Jaarsveld (13 not out) wasted little time in polishing off the 27 remaining runs needed to win the match and even the three-match series at 1-1. Man-of-the-match Smith hit Chris Martin through the mid-wicket for the winning score to end not out on 125. Smith had earlier taken part in a record fourth-wicket partnership of 171 with Gary Kirsten, who was out off the final ball before the lunch interval. “Just to get something out of the series was really satisfying. We knew we had a big job coming here and that they (New Zealand) would be on a high,” Smith said. “They played some superb cricket but our boys, especially the bowlers, played well.” Playing his final Test innings, Kirsten survived a number of appeals before umpire Asoka de Silva finally gave him out lbw for 76 to Scott Styris from the penultimate scheduled delivery of the morning session. Kirsten departed Test cricket with a raised bat and a standing ovation from a good fifth day crowd of about 2,000. Smith admitted that before play began he felt one big partnership on the final day would get South Africa home. “It was great to do it with Gazza (Kirsten) and we were able to bring the team home and give him a winning send off.” Scoreboard New Zealand (Ist innings):
297 South Africa (Ist innings):
New Zealand (2nd innings):
South Africa (2nd innings): Smith not out 125 Gibbs c Fleming
Rudolph b Martin 0 Kallis lbw Oram 1 Kirsten lbw b Styris 76 Van Jaarsveld not out 13 Extras
(lb-2, nb-1) 3 Total (4 wkts, 72.2 overs)
Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-31, 3-36, 4-207 Bowling:
Martin 18.2-2-65-2, Mason 6-1-32-0, Oram 11-3-23-1, Cairns 10-2-19-0, Vettori 18-2-53-0, Styris 9-1-40-1.
— Reuters |
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Mumbai are Ranji champs Chennai, March 30 Tamil Nadu, who had conceded a massive 319-run first innings lead, were 353 for four at close of play and had to be content with runner-up slot for the second year in succession. TN (1st innings): 294 Mumbai (1st innings) 613. TN: (2nd innings): Suresh c and b Bahutule 36 Vidyuth st Samant b
Sriram st Samant
Ramesh lbw Patel 35 Badrinath not out 110 Badani not out 77 Extras:
(b-1, lb-7, w-2, nb-10) 20 Total: 4 wkts, 149 overs 353 FoW:
1-80, 2-94, 3-135, 4-180. Bowling: Avishkar Salvi 10-1-38-0,Munaf Patel 18-1-60-1, Nilesh Kulkarni 40-8-85-1, Sairaj Bahutule 32-8-77-2, Vinayak Mane 15-4-32-0, Joglekar 21-5-28-0, Thakkar 11-8-22-0, Muzumdar 2-0-03-0.
— UNI |
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Islamabad, March 30 Besides the 200 metre breast stroke, India also finished top in the 400 m free style, 200 m back stroke and 200 m individual medley through Mandar Divase, Akbar Ali Mir and Rehan Poncha, respectively. Putting up a tremendous show, Gairik, a 17-year class XII student from Kolkata, came from behind and took the lead in the final 50 metres to set a new record clocking 2 m 28.95 seconds. Gairik who has finished fourth in the same event in the inaugural Afro-Asian games at Hyderabad, surpassed the earlier record of 2m 32.05 seconds set by Mizanur Rahman of Bangladesh in Chennai in 1995. Gairik was late in taking start after Raghavan Madwala of Sri Lanka was disqualified for taking a false start. The Indian swimmer was in fact trailing in the first 100 metre. But he levelled the gap at 150 m and surged ahead after the last turn and hit the touch pad in a record time. Md Niaz Ali and Karar Samedul Islam took the silver and bronze clocking 2m 32.36 and 2m 38.37 seconds, respectively. India beat Pak 1-0 in football Taking a cue from the cricket team, Indian footballers beat hosts Pakistan in a match of nerve by a solitary second half goal. The all-important goal that took the team a step closer to the last four stage came through a penalty which was converted by Debabrata Roy in the 25th minute in the second half. India now have four points from two matches. They had earlier drawn their first group A round robin league match with holders Bangladesh. Pakistan have three points from as many outings. India today dominated the match in both the halves but poor finishing marred most of the moves. The Indian defence also looked off-colour and they were lucky not to concede goals as the Pakistani forwards muffed the chances that came their way. After a barren first half, the Indian team intensified their attack and a move saw a menacing Malsawm Tulunga entering the rival box. With no other option, a Pakistani defender brought him down and Md Khamiz, the referee from UAE, did not hesitate to award India a penalty. Debabrata Roy made no mistake and gave India a crucial victory.
Spikers triumph Defending champions India began their title campaign with a confident 3-0 win over lowly Afghanistan in the inaugural volleyball match of SAF Games. India took just 55 minutes for their 25-14, 25-10, 25-10 win over Afghanistan in group A league match at the Liaquat Gymnasium. G.E. Sridharan, the chief coach of the Indian team told a post-match press conference that he was happy with the win but still the team needed to improve in blocking. “We played well. I am sure that it will be a final between India and Pakistan. But I feel that we should improve our blocking,” Sreedharan said. India fielded its regular six for the first set and made few changes in the second. Sreedharan gave chances to all the players in the third set. The Indians had a little difficulty in settling down but improved their game as the match progressed. Tall and lanky Subba Rao, Tom Joseph, Kapil Dev and Amir Khan clicked well in India’s victory.
Shooting gold India picked up their first gold in the nineth SAF Games when the shooting trio of T. Sandeep, R Sanjeeva and S. Haneefa topped the table in the 10m Air Rifle (60 shots) team event at the Pakistan National Sports Complex Shooting range here today. Nepal bagged the silver through Chanas Rai and Asim Yadav while Dawood Jan and T Mohammad gave-hosts Pakistan the bronze in this event. In the qualifying rounds, both Sanjeeva and Haneefa totalled an identical score of 589 and Sandeep scored 585. While Sanjeeva scored98, 99, 98, 98, 99 and 97 in the six qualifying rounds, Haneefa started promisingly scoring 97 and a perfect 100 in the first two rounds but then slided down a little to score 97, 98, 98 and 99.
Indian eves in badminton final Indian eves blanked Nepal 3-0 to enter the final of the
badminton team. The Indians, considered to be favourites to complete a clean sweep in this discipline, faced no challenge from the minnows and now await the winners of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka match tomorrow. B.R. Meenakshi gave India the lead with a facile 11-1, 11-1 win over Sara Devi Tamang and then Trupti Murgunde made it 2-0 beating Rajni Maiya Joshi 11-0, 11-2. The experienced Manjusha Kanwar settled the issue when she got past Sumina Shrestha 11-2, 11-2. In a men’s preliminary match, Bangladesh got the better of Nepal 3-2 and will face India in their next league match tomorrow.
— PTI, UNI
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Sportspersons honoured
PATIALA: Punjabi University sportspersons, who excelled in inter-university, national and international-level competitions, were felicitated at a ceremony held on the university campus here today. Prominent among those who were present were Olympian Gurbachan Singh Randhawa and Vice-Chancellor Mr S.S.
Boparai. Speaking on the occasion, Gurcharan Singh Randhawa, one of India’s best known athletes and who had rewritten many records on the track in the 1960s, extolled the virtues of sport. He exhorted sportspersons to develop a sense of cooperation and team spirit in an attempt to keep competitive sports clean. For having excelled in various
inter-colege meets the Government College for Girls, Patiala, was awarded with the newly instituted Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur Championship Trophy while in the men’s section Khalsa College, Patiala, was given the Maharaja Yadvindera Singh Championship Trophy.
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