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Henin, Sharapova in last eight
BCCI merger with women’s cricket body on the cards
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Korea blank Malaysia, Kiwis down Proteas
Kuala Lumpur, May 30 Title aspirants South Korea shrugged off an initial challenge from Malaysia to record a 4-0 victory in the Azlan Shah Cup Hockey Tournament at Bukit Jalil Stadium here today. Malaysia, fresh from yesterday’s comprehensive win against India, matched the fancied South Koreans in a well-contested but barren first half only to cave in tamely after the break.
Younis may pay heavy price for clash
Fazal Mahmood dead
Shabbir reported for suspect action
West Indies beat Pakistan Harbhajan’s kin
happy, relieved
Manavjit 17th in men’s trap
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Henin, Sharapova in last eight
Paris, May 30 The Belgian, the champion here in 2003, saved a match point in the third set against one of the biggest hitters in the women’s game. She held her nerve to clinch victory against the US Open champion after more than three hours. Henin-Hardenne, who has won 21 consecutive matches, pinched an error-strewn first set after Kuznetsova wasted a set point but she looked to be slipping to defeat as she came under a fierce barrage in blustery conditions. Kuznetsova held a match point at 5-3 in the decider, narrowly missing a backhand with her opponent stranded. That miss proved decisive as the former world number one stormed back to win the last four games and set up a showdown with second seed Maria Sharapova of Russia. Sharapova needed just three games today to advance to the quarterfinal. The Russian second seed had led Spain’s Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-2, 3-3 when play was halted yesterday due to rain. Sharapova reeled off three straight games on a windswept Court Suzanne Lenglen to advance. In another fourth round match, Ana Ivanovic of Serbia and Montenegro defeated Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-4, 6-7, 6-3. Gaudio loses, Nadal wins Defending champion Gaston Gaudio of Argentina was beaten by David Ferrer in the fourth round today, the resilient Spaniard showing more composure when it mattered to win 2-6, 6-4, 7-6, 5-7, 6-4. Fifth seed Gaudio, who had not dropped a set on his way to the last 16, had his chances in a tight contest that could have gone either way. He bowed out by hitting a forehand long after four hours and five minutes. The third Argentine-Spanish match-up this year at Roland Garros, and probably not the last, was a battle of nerves between two of the best baseliners in the game. Gaudio had won all four of their meetings before Ferrer beat him on his way to the semifinal three weeks ago in Rome. Fourth seed Rafael Nadal of Spain defeated Sebastien Grosjean of France 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 to enter the quarterfinal. Last year’s runner-up Guillermo Coria skidded out of the tournament, losing 2-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2 to Nikolay Davydenko in the fourth round. The Argentine got off to a good start on a blustery Court Suzanne Lenglen before being overpowered by the determined Russian. In the second set, Davydenko cranked up the power on his serve and his ground strokes and began to out-hit the lightweight eighth seed. The Russian 12th seed pulled away in the fourth set and sealed victory after three hours and six minutes with a deft forehand drop shot. Argentine Guillermo Canas qualified for the quarter-final without playing today when his opponent, German Nicolas Kiefer, pulled out with a sore neck. Kiefer, the 28th seed, was hampered by the injury in the fourth round when he took four sets to move past Russia’s Igor Andreev. Jeevan loses
The Indian challenge in the boys singles competition ended today when Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan lost 6-7, 6-2, 1-6 to Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine in the first round. Sanam Singh and Vivek Shokeen had lost in the opening round yesterday.— Reuters |
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BCCI merger with women’s cricket body on the cards
New Delhi, May 30 The Working Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) meets in Kovalam, Kerala, on Thursday and Friday to discuss the proposed integration of the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI). Apart from benefiting from the BCCI-owned infrastructure and modern coaching methods, the WCAI wants to have a national schedule of matches in which their Tests and one-day internationals against visiting teams would not clash with the men’s Tests and one-dayers. “We will discuss the merger issue at the meeting,” said BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla. Even if a decision on the merger is not taken at Kovalam, the BCCI, widely known for its lackadaisical ways of functioning, cannot avoid it for long as the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asked all its member countries to have a unified national body. The ICC has led by example and merged with the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) this April. The world governing body now wants all countries to follow in its footsteps to promote the game without bias. Australia and Sri Lanka have taken the lead, while Pakistan has also opened a women’s wing in its office. Although the BCCI’s dislike of the merger is only too well known, WCAI secretary Shubhangi Kulkarni is hopeful that the women players would be able to use all facilities meant exclusively for men sooner rather than later. "We don't need their (BCCI's) money. We need their technical support and want our players to use their infrastructure," Shubhangi Kulkarni told IANS. She said women players were not seeking a share of BCCI's bank balance. “We need access to the BCCI’s Bangalore-based National Cricket Academy and use their other facilities and infrastructure at different venues, like their five zonal academies,” said the former India all-rounder who played 18 Tests and 27 one-day internationals between 1976 and 1991. “More than that, we need the BCCI’s technical support, at the zonal centres, help from their psychologists and in modern methods of coaching etc.,” she said. Shubhangi said the women players could also gain from the marketing methods of the BCCI. “The BCCI has marketed the men’s game very well. Maybe we could also gain in that aspect after the merger,” she said, but hastened to add that WCAI would not depend on the BCCI for sponsors. The ICC merged with the IWCC two days after the World Cup final in South Africa in April, and the integration will be formally recognised at the ICC’s annual meetings this June. The ICC has formed a Women’s Cricket Committee, chaired by former IWCC vice-president Betty Timmer, on which Shubhangi is the Asian representative. Shubhangi said the ICC had given BCCI a maximum of a year to integrate WCAI with it.
— IANS
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Korea blank Malaysia, Kiwis down Proteas
Today’s
matches
Kuala Lumpur, May 30 Malaysia, fresh from
yesterday’s comprehensive win against India, matched the fancied South Koreans in a well-contested but barren first half only to cave in tamely after the break. The goal scorers were Jong Hyun Jang from penalty corners (43rd and 47th minutes), Eun Seong Hong (53rd minute) and Jong Ho Seo (68th minute). Malaysian captain Kuhan Shanmuganathan was rock solid in the deep, ably supported by veterans Nor Azlan Bakar and Chua Boon Huat, who successfully blanked numerous sorties from their rivals. Malaysia forwards Azlan Misron, Jiwa Mohan and Robert Alcantara exhibited speed and skill as they penetrated into the Korean circle but lacked the finish. The home team should have shot ahead midway in this session but Mohd Fairuz Ramli missed a sitter after being set up by Logan Raj from the left flank. Korea earned three penalty corners as against Malaysia’s two before the break, but all attempts were either saved or flicked wide. Winger Jong Hyun Jang wasted the best opportunity to give Korea the lead when he reverse hit off target after receiving a long through ball from his skipper Hyung Bae Han. Korea took the field in the second half with greater resolve and outplayed their opponents with clinical calibration, agility and athleticism. They took the lead in the 43rd minute after Jong Hyun Jang flicked low past Malaysia custodian Kumar Subramaniam. The 23-year-old was again in the scoring act four minutes later, again drag flicking home to make it 2-0. It appeared that Malaysia, who had fought like tigers against India, threw in the towel at this stage as their squad suddenly began committing unforced errors, missing crosses and making a mess of ball traps. Korea pushed home the advantage and fired two more field goals through Eun Seong Hong and Jong Ho Seo to crown off a splendid win, their first in three matches. In the second match, New Zealand scored once in each half to down lowly South Africa 2-0 to record their first victory. For the winners, Philips Burrows (10th) and Ryan Archibald (49th) scored a goal each. South Africa, with a draw against Malaysia, were still looking for their first win in the tournament. With this win, the Kiwis now moved to four points and into the fourth position, pushing India to fifth on goal difference. South Korea, New Zealand, India and Malaysia were
all on four points each. — PTI, UNI |
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Marion Jones gets to run in Europe
Hengelo (Netherlands), May 30 Jones finished second in the 100m yesterday at the FBK Games, finishing in a modest 11.29 seconds. Chandra Sturrup of the Bahamas won the race in 11.15, and Britain’s Joice Maduaka was third in 11.46. Being allowed to race at all seemed to be a small victory for the three-time Olympic champion. She has been shunned by many European meet organisers since being linked to a US Government investigation into the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative and charges of its operators running a steroid distribution ring in the USA. But the Dutch crowd saved its loudest applause of the day for Jones, and she was mobbed afterward by autograph seekers. “It was obvious that people wanted to see me run,” she said. But they aren’t seeing the Jones of old. Jones has struggled this season, clocking 11.28 in her first 100m race at Martinique on April 30. That’s far from her personal best of 10.65. Though Jones has never failed a doping test and denies using performance-enhancing substances, the Euro Meetings Group — which represents many of Europe’s top athletics meets — has recommended not inviting Jones to any events. Organisers of the FBK Games decided to invite Jones because she had not failed a test or been charged with doping. In other races, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele won the 10,000m in 26:28.72, the best in the world this year. But the cool, windy conditions kept Bekele eight seconds away from bettering his own world record. American Allen Johnson won the 110m hurdles in a meet record of 13.18, topping the old mark of 13.32 set by Mark McKoy of Canada in 1995. Marcel van der Westen of the Netherlands was second in 13.63, and Serhiy Demydyuk of Ukraine finished third in 13.66. The FBK Games are held in honour of Fanny Blankers Koen, who won four gold medals in the 1948 Olympics and died last year.
— AP |
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Memphis (USA), May 30 Atwal, who has now made the cut in the each of the eight starts he has had this season, made just over $ 11,000 yesterday for his effort at the par-70 TPC of Southwind Golf Course after being in contention for a top-10 finish at one stage. Meanwhile, Justin Leonard, who started the final day with an eight-shot lead, had a tense three-and-a-half foot for a bogey on the final hole to barely hold on for a one-shot win over two-time champion David Toms. Leonard came in with a three-over 73 and Tomas shot a seven-under 63 to make the contest a thriller. If Leonard had missed, he was going to a playoff and his name would be in the record book for surrendering the biggest lead ever on the PGA Tour. The Texan made the putt and then fell onto the green in relief after pulling out a one-stroke victory, the first wire-to-wire win of his career. Leonard closed with a 3-over 73 to finish at 14-under 266 and earn his second title of the year and the 10th of his career. Atwal, who had three bogeys on three straight holes between fifth and seventh, had his awful stretch at the same juncture. He dropped shots on fourth, fifth and seventh and another one on eighth to be four-over in a space of five holes after parring the first three of the day. Then he steadied for a series of pars, before a double bogey on the closing 18th. He had no birdies and needed 30 putts and even his driving was short, just over an average of 283 yards. He had just five out of 18 greens in regulation. In terms of score in relation to par, at six-over it was his worst of the season in the USA. Toms, way behind at the start of the shot a 63 with four birdies, an eagle and a bogey on the back nine. He waited on the practice range and signed autographs while seeing whether he would be needed for a playoff. Leonard’s previous win this year was the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in January. Leonard won $ 882,000. Behind him and Toms, Fred Funk (68) was third at 271, while Davis Love III (68) and Heath Slocum (71) tied for fourth at 272. — PTI
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Younis may pay heavy price for clash
Karachi, May 30 With team manager and a senior PCB official Saleem Altaf saying that proper investigations would be carried out and the player found guilty penalised, media reports here said Younis Khan’s contract as vice-captain may not be extended due to the incident in Barbados. “The incident was of minor nature and Shahid Afridi has been verbally warned. But I will hear the version of both players and anyone found guilty would be penalised because there is no word like pardon in my books,” Altaf was quoted as saying by the Jang newspaper. The brawl involving the trio after the first day’s play in the Barbados Test when Afridi misbehaved with stand-in skipper Younis Khan over his batting position, with Inzamam supporting the flamboyant all-rounder, was reported in the media yesterday. Altaf said Afridi and Younis Khan were good friends. “They are good friends but the incident happened when the two got involved in an argument with Afridi telling Younis that he should have informed him before hand if he had to open the innings. Later, Inzamam intervened and hushed up the matter,” Altaf said. The newspaper said while it was unlikely that Younis Khan’s contract as vice-captain would be extended, it quoted an unnamed source as saying that the player was temperamental and an emotional character. “Saleem Altaf has conveyed to PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan that Younis was an unpopular player in the team because of his stubbornness while Inzamam was well respected because of his easy manners,” the report said. “In the backdrop of Altaf’s report, it looks certain that Younis would be relieved of his duties as Inzamam’s deputy.” The News today said Younis Khan was facing stiff resistance from his fellow players in his new role as vice-captain and a likely future captain. “Younis had already started facing minor problems from a few players even while he was captaining the side in the last two one-day internationals in St Lucia due to the forced absence of Inzamam,” the report said. — PTI
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Fazal Mahmood dead
Karachi, May 30 Mahmood, 78, played 34 Tests for Pakistan between 1952 and 1962 after chosing not to tour Australia with the Indian cricket team in 1948. His family sources said Mahmood suffered a massive cardiac arrest at 3.57 p.m. (IST) and died on way to hospital. He is survived by two sons and a daughter. He will be buried in Lahore tomorrow. At the time of his death, he was employed by Ayesha Textile Mill and the Pakistan Cricket Board where he was PCB chairman’s adviser on fast bowlers. Mahmood, who also played in the Ranji Trophy for Northern India, took 139 wickets in his Test career and led Pakistan in 10 Test matches. A former police officer, the handsome Mahmood was a heart throb of young women and Wisden named him ‘Imran Khan of the 1950s’.
— PTI
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Shabbir reported for suspect action
Bridgetown, May 30 Ahmed took five wickets in the match, which Pakistan lost by 276 runs with more than a day to spare at Kensington Oval in Barbados yesterday. It is the third time in his six-year international career that the 29-year-old has been reported by international umpires. He was found suspect when he first came into the Pakistan side in September, 1999, during a Canadian tournament and again in January, 2004, after a one-day international against New Zealand. Ahmed has worked with Michael Holding and others to correct his action. Shabbir
will remain eligible to play — at the discretion of the Pakistan
Cricket Board — in the second and final Test against the West Indies
which begins in Jamaica on Friday. Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said
before the match that Shabbir had been cleared by experts in Perth,
Australia over a year ago. In the latest case, the ICC confirmed that
Ahmed had been reported by on-field umpires David Shepherd and Darrell
Hair, TV umpire Basil Morgan and match referee Ranjan Madugalle. Madugalle informed both the ICC and Pakistan team officials. “The
match officials had concerns with the action used by the bowler at
certain stages during both innings when viewing it with the naked eye,”
he was quoted as saying in an ICC statement. “This assessment has led
the team of officials to request the ICC to commission a biomechanical
report into the bowler’s action.” An ICC panel will conduct an
independent analysis within three weeks and an expert will submit a
report about two weeks later, the authorities said. The analysis will
try to determine whether the bowler’s action falls within, or exceeds,
the 15 degrees of permitted elbow straightening.
— AP |
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Bridgetown, May 30 It was the West Indies’ first Test victory since June, 2004, when the Caribbean side beat Bangladesh. Since then, they had lost four in a row to England and a recent Test series with South Africa 2-0 with two draws. Afridi (122) lashed six sixes and nine fours in his third Test century, but Pakistan, facing a mammoth victory target of 573, were bowled out for 296 just after the lunch interval. West Indies (1st innings) 345 Pakistan (1st innings) 144 West Indies (2nd innings) 371 Pakistan (2nd innings) Butt c Gayle b Edwards 0 Hameed c Browne
b Powell 11 Younis run out 0 Bazid lbw b Collymore 23 Kamal c Smith b Gayle 55 Afridi c Chanderpaul Razzaq st Browne b Gayle 41 Akmal b Gayle 21 Naved c Lara b Gayle 6 Shabbir not out 0 Kaneria c Browne b Gayle 0 Extras (lb-7, nb-10) 17 Total
(all out, 62.3 overs)296 FoW: 1-0, 2-1, 3-16, 4-47, 5-162, 6-257, 7-277, 8-295, 9-296. Bowling: Edwards 1.2-1-0-1, Powell 11-1-47-2, King 11.4-0-70-0, Collymore 19-2-80-1, Gayle 18.3-3-91-5, Hinds 1-0-1-0.
— AFP
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Harbhajan’s kin
happy, relieved Jalandhar, May 30 The off-spinner was reported for a suspect bowling action after the second Test between India and Pakistan at Kolkata. “We came to know about the ICC clearance from TV. It is the happiest moment in my life as the entire family was under tension since the apex body had reported Harbhajan for a suspect action. We are thankful to God,”said Avtar Kaur, Harbhajan’s mother. Amritpal Kaur, Harbhajan’s sister, was happy. “He is finally relieved of tension. We were very optimistic about Harbhajan getting clearance since the controversy over his action began,” she said.
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Manavjit 17th in men’s trap
New Delhi, May 30 Sandhu began with a perfect 25/25 but went down in the next three rounds with scores of 23, 23 and 22. Though the Indian came back with a 24 in the last round his total of 117/125 points gave him the 17th spot in a field of 140. The other Indians in the fray, Anwer Sultan, finished 29th with a score of 114 while Zorawar Singh Sandhu ended 88th with a tally of 93 points. The trio’s performance saw India finish 12th in the men’s trap team standings. Like Manavjit, Aarti also began with a good score of 23 but went down the spiral in the next two rounds with scores of 20 and 21. She totalled 64. In the men’s skeet event, the best Indian on view was Amit Sanghi, who came 56th with a total of 109 points. Baba Prithviraj Singh Bedi (99) was 80th and Amardeep Singh Rai (97) ended 83rd. India stood 18th in the team standings. In the women’s trap event, Shagun Chowdhary finished 54th with a total score of 52 points. Earlier, India’s best bet, World No. 2 and Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had finished 14th in the men’s double trap.
— PTI
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