S P O R T S

Murali’s decision unnerves Lanka
Colombo, May 19
The decision by Sri Lanka’s world record holding bowler, Muthiah Muralitharan, not to tour Australia next month has unnerved Sri Lankan cricket authorities, who are pressuring the offspinner to reconsider the move.

I’m not a child, fumes Miandad
Islamabad, May 19
The Pakistan Cricket Board may have decided to continue with the services of Javed Miandad, but the coach is “not jumping with joy” and instead having a rethink on his future plans. “I am hurt and upset at the way the Board has created uncertainty and put a question mark on my integrity and credibility as coach.

Australian bowler Shane Warne takes a putt during a round of golf in Harare on Wednesday. The Australian cricket team is in Zimbabwe for a tour with the first Test getting under way on Saturday. — AP/PTI photo

A bomb disposal expert checks a car during an exercise at a military camp in Agios Stefanos, about 10 miles north of Athens, on Wednesday. Greek army officers organised a brief exercise as they presented two new robots, capable of observing and disposing of explosives, equipment that will enhance security during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. — Reuters

Zimbabwe series may lose official status
London, May 19
In a fresh twist to the Zimbabwe imbroglio, the International Cricket Council today said it was considering stripping official status of the two-Test series that Australia are to play against the African country.

Vaughan’s injury a setback for England
London, May 19
Michael Vaughan’s knee injury has left England with a potentially tricky problem to solve ahead of tomorrow’s first cricket Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, just when it looked like it was the tourists who had all the fitness worries. England captain Vaughan’s twisted right knee, sustained in freakish fashion Monday while batting in the Lord’s nets.

Chauhan confident of regaining form
Barog, May 19
Lack of form of the country’s No 1 goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan just a few months before the Olympics may be a cause of concern for the Indian hockey team, but the player himself is confident of bouncing back to his best at the right time.

Italian Formula One driver Jarno Trulli arrives with an unidentified woman for the screening of the film "The Ladykillers" shown in competition at the 57th International Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on Tuesday. — AP/PTI

Don’t write us off, hockey players
tell critics
Barog, May 19
Urging critics not to write them off, top Indian hockey players today said the present team was the “best-ever side in 20 years” and had the potential to win a medal in the Athens Olympics.

Capriati back in swing for French Open
Rome, May 19
Jennifer Capriati’s rapidly-improving form suggests she could mount her strongest challenge at next week’s French Open since she won the title in 2001.

Nayan Mongia to coach Thailand
Baroda, May 19
Discarded wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia has been appointed as the coach of Thailand’s national cricket team and would prepare the players for the June 12 to 22 Asian Cricket Council Trophy in Malaysia.

Anjali, Sehwag to carry Olympic torch
New Delhi, May 19
Delhi will figure in the global Olympic Torch Relay for the first time when the Olympic flame arrives in Delhi on June 10 on its journey to the final destination in Athens.

Roller hockey, skating squads
Patiala, May 19
The Punjab Roller Skating Association (PRSA) has announced its squads in various age groups which will take part in the 41st national senior, junior and sub-junior roller hockey and speed skating championships scheduled to be held at Vishakhapatnam from May 20 to 25.

Murali’s decision unnerves Lanka

Colombo, May 19
The decision by Sri Lanka’s world record holding bowler, Muthiah Muralitharan, not to tour Australia next month has unnerved Sri Lankan cricket authorities, who are pressuring the offspinner to reconsider the move.

“If Murali decides he is not going to Australia it will be one heck of a challenge for us. It will be a big struggle trying to contain the strong Australian batting lineup without him,” Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu was quoted as saying by the state-run Daily News today.

Sri Lanka is to tour Australia from June 24 to July 13 to play two Tests at Darwin and Cairns.

Muralitharan was offended by remarks by former Australian cricketers and the country’s Prime Minister John Howard, who criticised his bowling action soon after he passed West Indian Courtney Walsh’s tally of 519 Test wickets to become the new world record holder with 527 wickets.

Howard enflamed the controversy last week by saying that tests proved that Muralitharan’s “doosra” - a delivery which spins in the opposite direction of the usual off-break - was illegal.

Muralitharan threatened to withdraw from the tour of Australia, and Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse subsequently threatened to sue the International Cricket Council for banning the spinner from bowling his “doosra”.

“It was in Australia that Muralitharan was called twice in his career for throwing by Australian umpires, and on his last tour to that country four years ago he was jeered constantly by a section of the crowd whenever he came on to bowl,” Daily News said.

“Muralitharan vowed that he would never tour Australia again,” it reported.

In the last series between the two countries in February-March, Muralitharan finished with 28 wickets from three Tests.

“If you take our team as a whole, Murali is the most respected cricketer performance-wise in our team. You don’t go around saying things about him and trying to undermine his achievements after he has broken the world record by taking more than 520 wickets,” Atapattu said.

“We hate to see somebody saying nasty things about another player who had achieved something. When the world says this is the best bowler in the game today you don’t go and say something nasty to him.”

Muralitharan finished as Sri Lanka’s leading wicket-taker in the two-test series against Zimbabwe which concluded Monday.

He took 14 wickets for 219 runs for an average of 15.64. — AP

I’m not a child, fumes Miandad

Islamabad, May 19
The Pakistan Cricket Board may have decided to continue with the services of Javed Miandad, but the coach is “not jumping with joy” and instead having a rethink on his future plans.

“I am hurt and upset at the way the Board has created uncertainty and put a question mark on my integrity and credibility as coach. I am not jumping with joy because the board now says that they will allow me to complete my two- year coaching contract. I will now have to think about my future plans,” Miandad said.

PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan had said yesterday that it had been decided to retain Miandad as coach until his contract expired next year.

But Miandad said he was not happy at the way things had gone after the home series loss to India and. “I am not a child anymore. I know all these things. Since we lost to India, there have been attempts to shift the blame on the coach and the Board has also really made no effort to defend my role and only added to the uncertainty,” he was quoted as saying in local media here today.

“If on the basis of one series, they can question my credibility, integrity, standing and dedication to Pakistan cricket, then should I be content simply because they have now decided I should continue?”

Miandad, serving his third term as the coach, also said he would be seeking a meeting with the PCB Chairman and Chief Executive in the next few days to discuss and sort out a number of issues.

“One of them is the extent of my authority and say in the team. They are willing to hold the coach responsible for a poor performance. But the fact is I have done my best with the limitations I have worked with,” the coach said.

“My position, honestly, is that I don’t even have the authority to ask for a player to be in the team. Then what is my role? To just guide the boys, plan and build a strategy which I have tried to do since taking over as coach.”

Miandad hinted that during his meeting with the board officials he would seek to convince them to give him more say in team matters.

“The players need to realise that if they don’t follow advice, their places in the team are on the line. I should not have to tell players, who have played enough number of matches, how to avoid bowling no-balls and wides.” —PTI

Zimbabwe series may lose official status

London, May 19
In a fresh twist to the Zimbabwe imbroglio, the International Cricket Council today said it was considering stripping official status of the two-Test series that Australia are to play against the African country.

ICC said it would call an emergency meeting of its Executive Board through a teleconference on Friday to take a decision on the matter after concerns were expressed by the international cricket community “about the integrity of Test cricket that have arisen following the performance of an under-strength Zimbabwe team.”

“The ZCU has now indicated that it intends to proceed with these matches as Test matches and I have called a meeting of the ICC Executive Board to establish clearly if the ICC directors believe that according these matches Test status is appropriate,” ICC President Ehsan Mani said.

ICC’s fresh proposal evoked instant response from Cricket Australia who threatened to pull out of the tour in such an event, a move which could throw world cricket in turmoil. The Friday meeting is expected to be a stormy affair since any motion which is passed would need vote of seven of the ten Test playing nations. The ZCU enjoys close relations with the Asian block. — PTI

Vaughan’s injury a setback for England

London, May 19
Michael Vaughan’s knee injury has left England with a potentially tricky problem to solve ahead of tomorrow’s first cricket Test against New Zealand at Lord’s, just when it looked like it was the tourists who had all the fitness worries.

England captain Vaughan’s twisted right knee, sustained in freakish fashion Monday while batting in the Lord’s nets, means England are contemplating a new opening partner for Marcus Trescothick and a new skipper too unless the Yorkshire batsman makes a remarkable recovery.

However, the prognosis for the 29-year-old strokeplayer is not encouraging with England’s medical officer rating Vaughan a “serious doubt” for tomorrow’s match.

Vaughan himself has, however, not yet given up hope of carrying on from where he left off following England’s 3-0 Test series win in the Caribbean last month.

“You can never say never and I’ll be giving myself every chance to try and get the knee right in time for the Test.”

England have two options if Vaughan drops out for the opening match of a three Test series.

They can either hand a Test debut to Middlesex captain Andrew Strauss, who impressed during England’s one-day series in the Caribbean, or restore regular number three Mark Butcher to his former opening role and play all-rounder Paul Collingwood.

Surrey left-hander Butcher for one would prefer to stay where he is, saying Tuesday: “I just feel happier at number three now although obviously I would do whatever is wanted.”

Strauss, also a left-hander, who knows Lord’s well because it is Middlesex’s home ground, said: “It’s not an ideal situation. I’d prefer to know one way or the other but I know Lord’s well and it would be a dream place to make my debut.” — AFP

Chauhan confident of regaining form

Barog, May 19
Lack of form of the country’s No 1 goalkeeper Devesh Chauhan just a few months before the Olympics may be a cause of concern for the Indian hockey team, but the player himself is confident of bouncing back to his best at the right time.

Chauhan’s brilliant outing in the Champions Trophy at Amstelveen, Holland, last year prompted the experts to compare him with the best in the world, but a few months later his shoddy showings forced the Indian Hockey Federation to make a frantic search for goalkeepers to add to the team’s bench strength.

Chauhan blamed a tight international schedule for his lack of concentration and said he was working hard at the fitness camp here to rejuvenate himself.

“Yes I admit it. But it’s due to separate reasons. We played a lot of matches recently and it has its effect on a player. It also affected my concentration.”

“But now at this camp I am a lot relaxed. Just trying to get back my concentration. This long break is refreshing and I am looking forward to the Olympics.”

Something was terribly wrong with Chauhan’s form was evident in the Olympic qualifiers in Madrid when the team management replaced him mid-way through the match against Pakistan with young Bharat Chetri. Even in the four-nation meets in Australia the goalkeeper failed to impress one and all.

Chauhan said “Sohail Abbas scored four goals through penalty corners and three came when I was the goalkeeper. That shattered my morale a lot. My confidence dipped and that reflected in my performance in Australia where we lost even against Malaysia.

“But the break at this beautiful place is helping me. I am waiting eagerly to play at the Olympics where I would, no doubt, come up with my best performance.”

Goalkeeping coach M.R. Negi also sees a bright future for Chauhan, whose international career would largely depend on how he performs in the mega event.

“This is just a phase in his illustrated career. It’s a part of every player’s career. So not a worrying factor,” Negi said.

“It’s certainly difficult for a goalkeeper to maintain his form. I am having regular chat with him. He is working hard and no doubt, he will come back to his best soon. He has to serve the country for a long time,” said Negi. — PTI

Don’t write us off, hockey players tell critics

Barog, May 19
Urging critics not to write them off, top Indian hockey players today said the present team was the “best-ever side in 20 years” and had the potential to win a medal in the Athens Olympics.

The players, attending a fitness camp here, pleaded not to read too much into the recent performances saying the team was preserving its best for mega event, to be held in August this year.

“Hockey has the best chance of fetching India an Olympic medal. We know our abilities and no doubt we have the wherewithal to win a medal,” forward Gagan Ajit Singh said.

Captain Dilip Tirkey was equally upbeat about India’s chances but said the team needed to bridge a few gaps to win the medal that has eluded the country in the last five Olympics.

India’s last medal, a gold, came in the boycott-marred Moscow Olympics in 1980. Since then the team has been struggling to re-establish itself as a force to reckon with at the games, finishing ninth, eighth and seventh in the last three editions.

“We were unlucky to miss the semifinal berths in last three games. But this time we are determined. There will be no repeat of the mistakes that we made on previous occasions,” Tirkey said.

“But we need to be a little more consistent. We always play well against tough opponents but fail to carry that momentum against weaker ones. So may be our mental approach needs to be a little different.”

This “mental approach” seems to be bothering the side for quite some time now. On several occasions complacency of the players has witnessed a complete turn-around in the team’s fate in crucial matches.

To do away with this, the team management is leaving no stone unturned at the camp.

“Besides following a strict fitness regime, we are doing meditation. This will certainly help us in becoming mentally tougher and maintaining our cool in crunch situations,” said Tirkey.

The players have also realised that winning penalty corners is important for team’s success at the Athens Olympics. They also admit that their eagerness to score on every opportunity is forcing them to make some glaring mistakes. “We always try too hard to score goals and sound the board every time we enter the circle. This has resulted in a number of missed opportunities. This is also the reason why we are not earning too many penalty corners,” Gagan Ajit said.

“We are working on this and trying to win as much penalty corners as possible.”

This is also going to help the team as scoring goals from penalty corners will be easier after the introduction of the new rules, coming into effect from June 1.

And probably, no one knows it better than goalkeeper Chauhan.

“It will completely expose the goalkeepers. Penalty corners would be like strokes as it would be extremely difficult for the chargers to check the ball with just the stick. It’s going to be a difficult time for keepers,” Chauhan said.

Despite the hiccups, there is every reason to believe that India can do well in the Olympics as the side has an awesome combination of players and can beat any team in the world on their day, he said.

“We had teams earlier which were quite good. But in the last 20 years or so this is the best combination we have got,” the keeper said. “We would be going to Athens with a 16-member team and I am sure with the kind of players we have, the team management would not have the slightest hesitation in playing any player from the squad.

Prabhjot Singh said “our main aim is to qualify for the semifinals and after that it’s all a matter of chance. But to reach the last four, we would have to beat at least one of the tougher sides in the group — Australia or Holland.

“We are confident that we can beat Holland as we have had some close matches against them. Australia would be tough but we are keeping our fingers crossed,” he added. — PTI 

Capriati back in swing for French Open

Rome, May 19
Jennifer Capriati’s rapidly-improving form suggests she could mount her strongest challenge at next week’s French Open since she won the title in 2001.

The 28-year-old American had a frustrating start to the year, pulling out of the Australian Open and Indian Wells with a back injury and making early exits from the handful of tournaments at which she felt fit enough to compete.

The turning point arrived at the end of April when she enlisted the help of Austrian coach Heinz Gunthardt, who worked with Steffi Graf throughout the 1990s.

At the German Open in Berlin at the beginning of May —Capriati’s first event with Gunthardt in tow — she recorded her first win of the year over a top 10 player, defeating world No 5 Anastasia Myskina to set up a semi-final clash with France’s Amelie Mauresmo.

Capriati lost that match 2-6,0-6, but made another step forward the following week in Rome where she went all the way through to the final — her first in the Italian capital in 11 attempts.

A last four 6-4, 6-4 victory over fellow former world No 1 Serena Williams ended a series of eight consecutive defeats against her compatriot stretching back nearly three years.

Afterwards, Capriati paid tribute to Gunthardt, crediting him with instilling a new mental toughness in her.

“Other matches against her (Williams) have been like this: I’ve led 5-1 or 5-2 and then let it slip away,’’ she said.

“Working with him has helped me to keep the momentum going and the belief in myself.’’

In the final Capriati again started as the underdog as she faced Mauresmo for the second time in just over a week.

The athletic Frenchwoman had won five of their previous six meetings, but the difference between the two players was negligible as they traded shots in a thrilling three-setter, which Mauresmo eventually won 8-6 in a tie-break.

Here was a completely different player to the one who had slumped to a humiliating defeat in Berlin just a week before. — Reuters

Nayan Mongia to coach Thailand

Baroda, May 19
Discarded wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia has been appointed as the coach of Thailand’s national cricket team and would prepare the players for the June 12 to 22 Asian Cricket Council Trophy in Malaysia.

The Test discard has not played international cricket since turning up in the famous Kolkata Test against Australia in 2000-01. India had turned the match on its head after following on to carve out an unforgettable win and level the three-match series.

Confirming the Baroda stumper’s new role as the coach of an international side, his wife Tanu told PTI today that Mongia has, however, still not given up hope of regaining his place in the national team.

“My husband has not given up hope of being recalled to the Indian team,” she said adding it was at the instance of the Thailand Cricket Association that he took up his new assignment. — PTI

Anjali, Sehwag to carry Olympic torch
Our Sports Reporter

New Delhi, May 19
Delhi will figure in the global Olympic Torch Relay for the first time when the Olympic flame arrives in Delhi on June 10 on its journey to the final destination in Athens.

A total of 105 torch-bearers in Delhi will “Pass the Flame and Unite the World”, assisted by thousands of volunteers.

Besides Suresh Kalmadi and Randhir Singh, prominent others who will participate in the torch relay are ace shooters Anjali Ved Pathak Bhagwat and Jaspal Rana, Sydney Olympic bronze medallist in weightlifting Karnam Malleswari, cricketers Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Irfan Pathan, Virender Sehwag and former Indian captain Kapil Dev, former swimming champion Khazan Singh, former Olympian GS Randhawa, mountaineer Santosh Yadav, hockey Olympians Aslam Sher Khan, MP Ganesh, Zafar Iqbal, Ajit Pal Singh and legendary athlete Milkha Singh.

Roller hockey, skating squads
Our Sports Reporter

Patiala, May 19
The Punjab Roller Skating Association (PRSA) has announced its squads in various age groups which will take part in the 41st national senior, junior and sub-junior roller hockey and speed skating championships scheduled to be held at Vishakhapatnam from May 20 to 25.

The teams: (Roller hockey): Senior men: Gurinder Singh, Vikram Singh, Ankit Vij, Sarabjit Singh, Gautam Kamboj, Mandeep Singh, Harkirat Singh, Naginder Singh, Manavpreet Singh and Jaspreet Singh. Senior women: Heena Bharti, Aditi Singla, Daljit Kaur, Rekha, Kanchan Mahajan, Smriti Singh, Smriti Bhushan, Yogita Sharma, Sania Bhagla and Simranjit Kaur. Junior boys: Ashish Puri, Vishal Puja, Divyapal Singh, Navdeep Singh, Parminder Singh, Kamaljit Singh, Shamsher Singh, Dharminder Singh, Parminder Singh (jr) and Jashandeep Singh. Junior girls: Shifali Chabbra, Jasneerat Sekhon, Liza Malhotra, Preet Kamal, Navjot Kaur, Aashta, Ashna Chabbra, Monika and Suman. Speed skating: Sub junior boys: Harsimran Singh, Tajeshwar Mahal, Amarjot Ghai, Sanjamjot Singh, Gurjot Singh, Saranjit Singh, Harman Preet Singh, Arvinder Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Eshan Bhardwaj. Under-8 boys: Harshdeep Singh and Bhavneet Singh. Under-8 girls: Navpreet Kaur, Rinshika, Simran Sagar. 8-10 years boys: Mandeep Singh, Swatanter Pal Singh. 10-12 years girls: Suranshi, Roopan Dhillon, Jasmine Puri. 12-14 years girls: Aastha, Puneet Kaur. Above 14 years girls: Heena Bharti.

BRIEFLY

Manchester United goalkeeper Tim Howard of the USA walks past sprinklers during training at Carrington, near Manchester, on Wednesday. Manchester United will face Millwall in the FA Cup final on Saturday. — Reuters

DECISION ON KALE LIKELY NEXT WEEK
MUMBAI: The three-member disciplinary committee of the cricket board is likely to meet only next week to decide on the fate of Maharashtra player Abhijit Kale accused of trying to bribe his way into the national team. “We may meet only next week,” one of the committee members Kamal Morarka told PTI here on Wednesday. BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya and vice-president Ranbir Singh Mahendra, along with Morarka, the senior-most among the five BCCI vice-presidents, comprise the board’s disciplinary committee. Moraraka was unable to attend the final hearing on the issue that took place in Kolkata on May 15. “I was in Delhi in connection with the elections,” he explained. Kale and the two national selectors, who had accused the player of trying to bribe his way into the Indian team, were heard by Dalmiya and Mahendra before it was decided to put off the committee’s decision in the absence of Morarka. — PTI

SUB-JR SWIMMING
SANGRUR: The Punjab State Sub-junior Swimming Championships for boys and girls will be held at General Gurnam Singh School here on May 29 and 30. This information was given by Mr Sarvjit Singh, Deputy Commissioner. He said this would be the first time that the competition would be held in an indoor pool. Punjab teams for the Sub-junior National Championships to be held at Nasik from June 18 to 21, will also be selected during the championships. — OC

JUNIOR SOFTBALL
SANGRUR: The Punjab State Junior Softball Championships for boys and girls will be held at Holy Heart School on May 29 and 30, according to Mr N.S. Walia, President, District Softball Association. — OC

HEFTY PROFITS
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board is rich by over 80 million rupees from just the sale of tickets during the historic India-Pakistan series last month, a senior PCB official has confirmed. The cumbersome process to reconcile the sale of tickets, including the sale on the internet to foreign nationals, was still in its final stages though, the official said. — PTI