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Chappell to focus on basics
Ganguly must improve, says BCCI chief
Pathan goes wicketless
England beat Bangladesh
Federer eyeing third Wimbledon in a row
Roddick handed tough early draw
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Sania faces Morigami in opener
India down Pakistan 1-0
Argentina, Germany win
Diet allowance doubled
Sasikiran draws with Berkes
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Chappell to focus on basics
Bangalore, June 16 The former Australian captain, who took over the reins on a two-year term, said he would work out a strategy to suit the Indian mindset, while expressing the desire to play a part in selection matters, a role which his predecessors did not enjoy. “We have to be focused on doing the basic things extraordinarily well. That (the strategy) will change from day-to-day, series-to-series and country-to country”, Chappell said in his first media conference after taking charge. “Each country has different wickets, different methods to the game to be successful. In some countries, fast bowlers are the best weapon; in some other countries, spinners are the best weapon,” he said. The 56-year-old former batsman made it clear that he would not try to replicate the Australian way of playing the game, but evolve a strategy to suit the Indians. “Every country and every culture is different. Every country has different personalities; each individual is a different personality. You cannot transplant one format that works in one country in another country and expect it to work exactly the same,” he said. Chappell said he was keen to have a say in selection matters and would discuss the issue with the cricket board. “I have got an open mind about that; I do not have a particularly firm view,” said Chappell, who was an Australian selector in the past. Chappell said sitting down with the selectors or being in the selection panel would give him an opportunity to discuss his “philosophy” with those in the panel. “I am just looking forward to meeting and discussing with the BCCI and how they want to have things pan out,” he said. Drawing positives from the absence of Sachin Tendulkar due to an elbow surgery, Chappell said it would give chance to an up-and-coming player to prove his worth at the highest level. “It may be an opportunity for someone else who comes up as the next champion cricketer for India. So it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise,” he said. Chappell hastened to add: “Do not twist my words. I am not saying that it is a good thing that Sachin is injured. All I am saying is Sachin is injured; with that one has to make the most of the opportunity.” Asked if Tendulkar’s injury was a matter of concern, he said: “More of a concern to Sachin, I am sure. He obviously wants to get fit. Nothing that we can do about that. Best thing that can happen to Sachin and Indian cricket is he gets fit. That is a process that will take so many weeks.” “In the meantime, we still got a job to do. We will do the best job we can with the available talent.” Chappell said appointing a bowling coach was not a priority for the team at the moment, but he would consider availing the services of experts in different areas in future. “If we need a bowling coach, I am happy to have a bowling coach. It is not something that I see as a top priority right at this moment.” “I have no problems with using different experts from different fields at different times,” he added. The beleaguered Sourav Ganguly received a vote of confidence from Chappell, who said a player of his calibre should be given more opportunities to hit form. Giving his views on the captaincy issue, Chappell said, “Speaking on cricket in general, one has to pick the team first and then the best person to lead the team,” adding that he felt quite strongly in favour of this method. Asked if Ganguly should be continued as the captain, the coach said: “If he (Ganguly) is the best man for the job, he should have it; if he is not, someone else should have it.” Asked whether Ganguly continued to be in the team by default being the captain, Chappell said, “From time to time, you will have players out of form; player who is successful for a long time; you may have to give more opportunities than perhaps you will give someone else.” “There are not many players who can succeed at that level. It is not just about talent; it is about personality, temperament; it is about learning.” “They also make mistakes, have a bad day, but they learn from mistakes. The best players are those who learn fast,” Chappell observed. “So you do not throw those players out lightly,” the former Australian captain said. “You give them one game too many, one series too many; one or two too many; not one or two too few.” It was important that other players did a job and gave cover for players out of form, he said. Chappell said he was prepared for the intense public and media scrutiny in India. “It is part of the profile”, Chappell said when asked how he would deal with huge expectations in his new role. He said it was a normal scenario; since India was a bigger country and had a bigger media contingent, “obviously the scrutiny will be quite strong”. “Love of cricket in the country is very strong; emotions are always quite high”, the former Australian captain said. “The well-being of the country seems to ride on the well-being of the Indian cricket team.” “So, we understand it”, said Chappell, flanked by team physio John Gloster and trainer Gregory King. “We will be under a lot of scrutiny, that is going with the territory. All we can do is what we can control. We have got the job to prepare the team to the best of our ability.” “At the end of the day, it is up to the players to perform. All we can do is offer the best support that is possible”. Chappell said public emotions and scrutiny were something that one could not control. “One thing I have learnt in my cricket career is that you better focus on things you can control; otherwise you have problems”, he said.
— PTI |
Ganguly must improve, says BCCI chief
New Delhi, June 16 Mahendra also said the board was contemplating appointing a chief executive officer this year to take care of its general business while he was in favour of shifting the board’s office to Delhi from Mumbai. Asked if he thought it was time to end Ganguly’s reign as the Indian captain, Mahendra told Karan Thapar in BBC World’s ‘Hardtalk India’ programme that it was a matter which would be decided by the selection committee. “Well, the replacement of Sourav Ganguly is to be considered by the selection committee, but definitely as far as the performance... I tend to agree over the point that he has to improve... in the sense that he has to score.” Mahendra said in the programme, to be telecast tomorrow, that when Ganguly was told about this, he said he would try to improve, BBC said in a press note here today. The BCCI chief said it was a matter which he had brought up before the national selection
committee. “I talked to them, not once (but) on a couple of occasions. I talked to them that those who are performing, those who are coming with performance, do not overlook them, and see that the team
play as a team.” Mahendra said he had discussed about the national team’s recent form with the new coach Greg Chappell. “Specifically, we have made it very clear that the composition of the team is such that we can win the World Cup, but as far as we are concerned, we have failed to understand (why) after going to finals, they are not doing well.” “Greg Chappell also understands this, and he has also said that he will be able to do it.” On whether the board needed a CEO, he said it might happen by the end of 2005. Mahendra said he was confident that the organisation would approve his plans to move BCCI’s head office to Delhi.
— PTI |
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Pathan goes wicketless
London, June 16 Justifying the decision to bat first, Glamorgan, after 97.4 overs, reached 346 for two, riding on centuries by David Hemp (103 off 97 balls, 4x18, 6x1) and Danied Cherry (174 not out off 294 balls, 4x25, 6x2) against Middlesex. Pathan’s 19 overs — that included four maidens — saw him conceding 66 runs without any success. Meanwhile, Dinesh Mongia scored a fluent 66 to give respectability to Leicestershire’s first innings score against Worcestershire in a Frizzell County Championship Division Two match today. —
UNI, PTI |
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England beat Bangladesh
London, June 16 The opening game in a triangular series also involving Australia always smacked of mismatch but Trescothick, who ended 100 not out for his ninth one-day ton, and Andrew Strauss turned it into a nonsense as the home team won with 25.1 overs to spare. England were set to chase 191 to win after Steve Harmison took four for 39 and Jon Lewis three for 32.
— Reuters |
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Federer eyeing third Wimbledon in a row
London, June 16 The Swiss world number one is the firm favourite to complete a hat-trick of Wimbledon men’s singles titles when the grasscourt grand slam gets under way next week. Despite failing to win either the Australian Open or the French Open this year, the reigning US Open and Wimbledon champion has rarely felt in better shape. Federer won his third successive Halle grasscourt title last weekend, a perfect dry run for his attempt to do the same at Wimbledon and match the professional era feats of Sweden’s Bjorn Borg and American Pete Sampras. “I’m very pleased. It was a good performance all week long so it’s exactly the way I want to feel heading in to Wimbledon,’’ the 23-year-old Federer said, adding modestly: “I’m becoming very consistent mentally and physically and in my game.’’ Federer beat Marat Safin, the Russian who knocked him out of the Australian Open semifinals, in the Halle final, to record his seventh ATP Tour victory of the season. The win avenged one of only three defeats that he has suffered in 51 matches this year. The other two were by Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal on clay in Monte Carlo and Paris. Grass, however, is Roger’s kingdom. The gentle, well-mannered Swiss and the pristine, manicured All-England Club fit like hand in glove. Wimbledon has rarely had a more exemplary champion and Federer’s performances there usually appear effortless, mesmerising opponents and spectators alike. Before you know it, he has won. The Swiss can play every shot in the book and has invented several others. One extraordinary, squash-style forehand half-volley from the mid-court that had even his opponent Andy Roddick applauding in their semifinal two years ago still sticks in the memory. At Wimbledon, Federer can serve-volley with the best of them, but the tactic bores him. So he usually plays from the baseline, enjoying the groundstroke exchanges that allow him to show off his
balletic one-handed, top-spun backhand and penetrative forehand. Unlike many good grasscourt exponents but in common with almost all the great ones, Federer’s game is about much more than power, angles, accuracy, spin, timing and touch are his weapons of preference. Occasionally, as in last year’s quarterfinal with Lleyton Hewitt and the final against Roddick, someone proves good enough to take a set off him and raise the possibility of defeat. In both those matches Federer reluctantly switched to serve-volley tactics to protect an unbeaten record on grass that now spans 29 matches over three years since a surprise first-round loss in 2002 to Croatian Mario Ancic, when the Swiss was still a developing 20-year-old. Typically for a player who appears to have very little left to learn on his favourite surface, Federer still uses the lesson of that defeat to his advantage when assessing his Wimbledon prospects. “I’m confident but there can always be a tough draw and there can always be the shock loss in the first round,’’ he cautioned. “But I don’t really think about it because that was what I was more concerned with last year, defending Wimbledon the first time. “Now it’s for the second time so I think it’s easier to cope with this situation than last year.”
— Reuters |
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Roddick handed tough early draw
London, June 16 Women’s top seed Lindsay Davenport also received a straightforward opening match when the world number one was drawn against Russia’s Alina Jidkova. Defending champion and second seed Maria Sharapova would play Spain’s Nuria Llagostera-Vives. Federer’s main rival for the men’s crown, last year’s runner-up and second seed Andy Roddick, was drawn against Czech Jiri Vanek. Roddick was expected to come through that test relatively easily, but then could face the tallest man in tennis, Ivo Karlovic, in the second round. Roddick narrowly beat the Croatian 7-6, 7-6 in the final of the Queen’s warm-up event at the weekend. Men’s third seed and former champion Lleyton Hewitt would play Belgian Christophe Rochus in round one. Hewitt was drawn in the top half of the draw and could meet Federer in the semis. French Open champion and fourth seed Rafael Nadal would face American Vince Spadea. Nadal’s teenage rival Richard Gasquet, beaten at the French Open by the Spaniard, could get his revenge in the third round. British hope Tim Henman, seeded sixth in the bottom half of the draw, would face Finn Jarkko Nieminen in the opening round. He could meet Roddick in the last eight. The leading contenders for the men’s title mostly avoided dangerous floaters in the first round, but fifth seed Marat Safin must get past Paradorn Srichaphan before a possible clash with 2003 runner-up Mark Philippoussis. The leading women mostly avoided tricky early encounters, although Justine Henin Hardenne was drawn against heavy serving Greek Eleni Daniilidou. Venus Williams was drawn against a qualifier and sister Serena would start against fellow American Angela Haynes. Third-seeded Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, still seeking her first Grand Slam title, would play Argentine doubles specialist Paola Suarez. The season’s third Grand Slam would run from June 20 to July 3.
— Reuters |
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Sania faces Morigami in opener
London, June 16 The tie may seem an easy one for the Indian sensation, but 72nd-ranked Sania needs to be on guard against her 25-year-old opponent, who had made it to the third round of the French Open last month. If Sania gets past the 64th-ranked Morigami, she is most likely to face US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the next round. The fifth-seeded Russian, who will meet unheralded Rebecca Llewellyn of Great Britain in her opening clash at the All-England Tennis Club, had lost to Sania in the Dubai Open in April. The Indian teenager, who won the girls doubles title here two years ago, had been going through a tough time since her return from an ankle injury. Besides suffering a first round exit in the French Open, she failed to progress in some of the grasscourt events in the run-up to Wimbledon.
— PTI |
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India down Pakistan 1-0
Peshawar, June 16 After failing to capitalise on two certain goal-scoring opportunities in the second half, an unmarked Abdul Hakim, in the 67th minute, headed an exquisitely timed cross from almost a negative angle by skipper Shanmugam Venkatesh to score the winner. The win also put India 1-0 ahead in the three-match series after both the teams split honours in the first game at Quetta. India should have doubled the lead eight minutes later but Surajit Bose was controversially declared off-side after Sunil Chetri found the net from Pakistan captain Jaffar Khan’s rebound who had an untidy match under the bar. Pakistan retaliated through Mohammad Essa and Arif Mahmood, and launched a series of counter attacks in the final minutes. But the Indian defenders held their nerves and thwarted all the attempts to successfully defend the slender lead.
— PTI
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Argentina, Germany win
Frankfurt, June 16 Always facing high expectations, Argentina defeated Tunisia 2-1 on goals by Juan Riquelme and Javier Saviola yesterday. The eight-team tournament is a prelude to next year’s 32-team World Cup finals in Germany. The field is serious, including World Cup champions Brazil, European champions Greece, Asian champions Japan, and Mexico, winners of CONCACAF’s Gold Cup. Three-time World Cup champions Germany had no problems scoring, but could not defend, with goals coming from Kevin Kuranyi, Per Mertesacker, Michael Ballack and Lukas Podolski.
— AP |
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Inter Milan win Italian Cup
Milan, June 16 Serbian dead-ball specialist Sinisa Mihajlovic, who spent two seasons at Roma, put the knife into his former club with a 52nd strike that killed the game off. Despite playing without the injured Christian Vieri and Brazilian Adriano — on duty with his national squad in the Confederations Cup in Germany — Inter dominated a poor Roma side and never left victory in doubt. Roberto Mancini’s players ensured a territorial domination that allowed them an easy path to a fourth Cup win after successes in 1939, 1978 and 1982. “We did not do much during the match and the goal was a definitive knockout for us, but I congratulate Inter,” admitted Roma coach Bruno Conti.
— AFP |
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Diet allowance doubled
Chandigarh, June 16 The Chief Minister, was replying to a question raised by Mundhal Khurd MLA and BCCI Chief Ranbir Singh Mahendera in the House on the steps taken by the government to spread the culture of sports. Mr Hooda said the government was paying special attention to promote sports activities. Various steps had been taken to popularise sports in the state. He said the diet allowance which was earlier Rs 50 per month, would be raised to Rs 100 per month. The budget provisions for sports for the current financial year had been kept at Rs nine crore as against Rs 4.17 crore in the last financial year, he said.
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Sasikiran draws with Berkes
Paks (Hungary), June 16 Grandmaster Viktor Korchnoi continued with his demolition act and downed top seed Emil Sutovsky of Israel to maintain his slender half-point lead over Zoltan Almasi of Hungary, who had it easy against compatriot Peter Acs.
— PTI |
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Bangalore, June 16
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