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BCCI to restructure secretariat
Vahanvati to probe racist abuse in Australia
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UP close to gaining first innings lead
Sandeep strikes gold for Chandigarh Dynamos
Bindra to test form at Melbourne
Shivalik society to start B.P.Ed course
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Pakistan in driver’s seat
Karachi, January 31 Iqbal was unbeaten on 103 as Pakistan reached 511 for five at stumps on a day which saw runs coming more easily with the track at the National Stadium having eased out considerably. With two full days of play left, the Indians will have to bat out of their skins in the second innings to prevent the home team from clinching the three-match series 1-0. The pressure will be on the visitors as no team in the history of the game has ever successfully chased a target of over 425 runs so far. India’s most successful chase has been 403 against West Indies in Port of Spain during the 1971 series when they replied with 406 for four. A lot will also depend on how the track behaves in the last two days as any wear and tear would again offer assistance to the bowlers. Resuming at the overnight total of 174 for two after taking a slender seven-run first innings lead, Pakistan quickly swung the game in their favour with notable contributions from Mohammed Yousuf (97), stand-in captain Younis Khan (77) and Shahid Afridi (60). Abdul Razzaq was also looking good for a big score, batting on an unbeaten 44 at close. In fact, all top six batsmen crossed 50 in the Pakistan second innings, an indication to how easy the wicket played as well as how innocuous the Indian attack has been on this tour. Everything went Pakistan’s way right through barring a forty-minute period soon after lunch when Anil Kumble struck two important blows to deny centuries to Younis and Yousuf after the hosts began at their overnight 173 for two. Yousuf departed at 318, but the mountain of runs continued to pile up against the tourists. Iqbal’s knock of 103 came in 191 balls while Afridi’s cameo 46-ball knock contained nine fours and a six. Razzaq too joined the run-feast, hitting two fours and an equal number of sixes in his 92-ball unbeaten knock. He also put on 109 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket with Iqbal who reached his first Test hundred with a pulled four off Kumble in the last over of the day. History is firmly against India clinching their second successive Test series triumph on Pakistan soil as the highest-ever run-chase at this venue goes back to 1994 when Pakistan won by one wicket against Australia after being asked to score 315. In fact, it would need a Herculean effort even to draw the match as they would have to battle it out for two full days. In the morning, overnight unbeaten batsmen Younis and Yousuf denied the Indians a wicket for the entire first session while adding 97 runs too in 25 overs to set Pakistan on their way to a big second innings score. Younis fell leg before to Kumble 17 minutes into the second session, to bring an end his third wicket partnership with Yousuf after the duo put on 158 runs off 247 balls. Younis, captaining the side in place of the unfit Inzamam-ul-Haq, struck 11 fours in his 122-ball innings, his 13th half-century in 42 Tests. Yousuf, three short of his third century of the series, was trapped in a similar fashion by Kumble, the ball hurrying through straight after pitching as the batsman was rapped on his rear foot. The dismissal of Yousuf, who hit 12 fours in his 161-ball knock, and Younis saw the hosts slip from 280 for 2 to 318 for four within nine overs. The third wicket century stand was the fourth three-figure partnership in five innings between Younis and Yousuf in the series. The duo had put on 319 runs at Lahore in the drawn first Test before joining forces to add 142 and 242 runs in the two innings of the second Test at Failsalabad, which also ended in a draw. Scoreboard Pakistan
(1st innings) 245 India (1st innings) 238 Pakistan (2nd innings) Butt lbw Ganguly 53 Farhat c Tendulkar b Pathan 57 Younis lbw Kumble 77 Yousuf lbw Kumble 97 Iqbal batting 103 Afridi c Tendulkar b R.P. Singh 60 Razzaq batting 44 Extras
(b-3, lb-5, nb-11, w-1) 20 Total (for 5 wkts, 127 overs) 511 Fall of wickets:
1-109, 2-122, 3-280, 4-318, 5-402. Bowling: Pathan 23-3-93-1, Zaheer 26-4-93-0, R P Singh 21-1-91-1, Kumble 33-3-136-2, Ganguly 16-1-68-1, Sehwag 1-0-2-0, Tendulkar 7-0-20-0.
— PTI |
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BCCI to restructure secretariat
New Delhi, January 31 The time-worn practice in the BCCI has been that whenever a new set of office-bearers take charge, there is change in the administrative set-up as well, as the President or Secretary, whoever calls the shots, brings in his own team of people in the administration. The TCS proposal, modelled after highly professionalised bodies like the International Cricket Council, Cricket Australia, Pakistan Cricket Board and Manchester United, is to set up a permanent BCCI secretariat at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The suggestion to set up a cricket museum is one of the salient features contained in the proposal.
— OSR |
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Vahanvati to probe racist abuse in Australia
Dubai, January 31 Vahanvati will go to Australia in mid-February and speak to venue staff, Cricket Australia representatives and ICC officials. He will also travel to South Africa and Sri Lanka to speak to players and team officials from the three sides before reporting back to the ICC Board meeting here in March. The United Cricket Board of South Africa had filed an official complaint and its Chief Executive Gerald Majola had hinted that his team may reconsider future tours to Australia if the abuse continued. ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed said the world body was committed to ensuring that cricket reacted appropriately to what had taken place in Australia. “Racism in any form is abhorrent and everyone in cricket is unhappy with the way in which players from international teams have been subjected to racist abuse in Australia,” Speed said. “The actions of what would seem to be a small number of people are reflecting poorly on Australia and on cricket. It is essential that this issue is addressed. “What is now important is that the ICC is provided with a clear and independent understanding of exactly what has taken place to ensure that cricket is able to respond appropriately,” he said. In 2004, Vahanvati was appointed to a two-man panel to investigate allegations of racism in Zimbabwe cricket. Speed said the cricket boards of the three countries involved in the ongoing tri-series had pledged to support Vahanvati and his investigation process. “I have spoken with Duleep Mendis, Gerald Majola and James Sutherland regarding this course of action and they all support this step. “The entire international cricket community is united in its commitment to doing everything possible to eradicate any racist abuse,” the ICC Chief Executive said. He said Cricket Australia had sought to make sure that such incidents are dealt with swiftly and in keeping with the ICC’s anti-racism policy. “Once the ICC Executive Board has received this report, we will be in a position to identify what further steps cricket can take to tackle this issue before it spreads beyond the incidents that have taken place in Australia.” Meanwhile, Cricket Australia said today that spectators who offend should face life bans or heavy fines. Its Chief Executive James Sutherland also called to impose such tough penalties who indulge in racist taunts in packed stadiums.
— PTI |
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UP close to gaining first innings lead
Lucknow, January 31 Bengal were 349 for eight in reply to UP’s first innings score of 387 when bad light stopped play. The visitors still need 38 runs to touch the host’s total, with Laxmi Ratan Shukla, the only recognised batsman unbeaten on 50. Piyush, the dimunitive leg-break googly bowler from UP claimed four Bengal wickets for 71 runs, thus raising the hopes of his team gaining the crucial first innings lead. Bad light stopped play about half an hour before the scheduled close even as UP bowled 70.1 overs, already incurring a slow over rate. Earlier, resuming their first innings from overnight score of 138 for 2, Bengal batsmen were immediately in trouble with their set batsman Arindam Das being dismissed for 60 after being caught by Amir Khan of the bowling of Piyush. Despite useful contributions from Rohan Gavaskar (49) and Manoj Tiwari (43), Bengal found themselves in trouble spot at stumps on the third day. Tiwari, after scoring 50 valuable runs with Shukla, was dismissed LBW of the bowling of pacer Praveen Kumar. The hosts also missed some sitters during the day, with ace team India members Suresh Raina flooring Shukla's catch with the Bengal score reading 291 for seven, while Piyush too squandered an easy run out with a wayward throw. The last Bengal wicket to fall was that of S S Lahiri, who expressed resentment when umpire A V Jaiprakash declared him out caught at forward short leg by Shivakant Shukla off Piyush Chawla's bowling.
— UNI |
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Sandeep strikes
gold for Chandigarh Dynamos
Chandigarh, January 31 Hitting back with a vengeance after yesterday’s virtual debacle, the Dynamos gave a tremendously improved performance in a must-win match. Back was the coordination and the killer instinct that had seen them top the league table with five wins in eight matches. The in-form Lions took the lead twice, but the Chandigarh outfit levelled the score on both occasions to push the match into extra time. The first 7.5-minute half failed to break the deadlock, but in the dying moments of the second, Sandeep converted a penalty corner earned by Deepak Thakur to script a hard-fought victory. Incidentally, Sandeep had scored a match-winning silver goal in a league match against the Lions. Played at a breakneck pace, the match produced many exciting moments. There was little to choose between the two teams, who fought tooth and nail throughout the encounter. The Lions drew first blood in the ninth minute when Tushar Khandekar shot home off a pass from the brilliant Rehan Butt. The Dynamos made several attempts to restore parity in the first two quarters, but to no avail. Most of their players were in good nick today, particularly Tejbir Singh, Inderjit Chadha and the indefatigable Dutchman Balder Bomans. Sandeep was rock solid in defence, while goalkeeper Baljit Singh came up with several good saves. Importantly, the Dynamos did not repeat yesterday’s mistake of going into the match with second-choice goalie Kamal Deep, who played for over two quarters in the first final and conceded all four goals. The Dynamos earned two penalty corners in the second quarter, but both went abegging. They finally got the equaliser when Sandeep converted a penalty corner with a low drag-flick in the 45th minute. The final quarter witnessed fast attacks and counter-attacks from both sides. The Lions went 2-1 up when Rehan Butt pounced on a rebound after Baljit failed to clear Sabu Varkey’s hit. Egged on by the boisterous crowd, the Dynamos drew level when Deepak Thakur latched on to a pass from Tejbir to score a field goal — his seventh of the tournament — in the 66th minute. Having got a new lease of life, the Dynamos made repeated forays into the rival territory in extra time and their hard work was rewarded when Sandeep crashed the ball into the net from his team’s fourth penalty corner. With the Dynamos’ win, tomorrow’s tie has become the ultimate final of the tournament. The weak-hearted better stay away, because it promises to be a cracker of a match.
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Bindra to test form at Melbourne
New Delhi, January 31 He shot 596/600 to lift the gold, which has given a shot in the arm to his morale. “I am shooting well, and hope to do well in Melbourne,” Bindra said on the eve of his departure to Melbourne with the other members of the Indian team. “We have a good team, comprising Gagan Narang and Sanjeev Rajput, and we are in The Melbourne International Championship, in which around 70 countries are taking part, will enable Bindra and other Indian shooters to assess their form, in the run up to the Commonwealth Games at the same venue in March. India had won 14 medals in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, with Bindra winning a team gold. But after Manchester, the form of the Indian shooters plummeted so sharply that they could win only two silver medals in the Asian Games at Busan a few months later. Bindra went off shooting after Athens, barring a couple of tournaments, to take a break. “I needed a break after strenuous competitions up to the Athens Olympics. You cannot just keep going. You are not a machine,” remarked Bindra. Bindra said the Indian team have shaped up well after training under Hungarian coach Laszlos Swushak. Bindra felt that he could figure among the medals if shot scores of 595/600. The Indian shooters attended a coaching camp in Delhi from January 9 to 24, and the Hungarian coach’s ultimate target is to get India a few medals in the Asian Games at Doha later this year.
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East Bengal arrive for NFL tie
Chandigarh, January 31 The team arrived in Delhi from Kolkata earlier today from where they took a connecting flight to Chandigarh. Immediately after arrival, the team proceeded to Ludhiana by road. Senior football coach Amritpal Singh received the team at the Chandigarh airport. The Kolkata outfit, who have won the prestigious NFL title thrice, were accorded a warm welcome on their arrival in Ludhiana. The team have put up at a hotel in Bhadaur House. With nine points in their kitty, the red and gold brigade hope to add valuable points in their away matches also. However, the team is not without injury problems, and according to manager Swapan Ball, players like Dipankar Roy and Jatin Bisht have already been sidelined. Accompanying the team today was their new Belgian coach, Phillipe de Ridder, who took over after the exit of Subhas Bhowmick. Due to their delayed arrival, the team opted to skip today's practice. According to the secretary of the Punjab Football Association, Mr Inder Singh, the match will be played at Ludhiana's Guru Nanak Stadium, the venue of JCT's home matches. Entry to the stadium will be through tickets priced at Rs 10 and Rs 15. However, tickets for school students have been priced at Rs 5.
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Shivalik society to start B.P.Ed course
Chandigarh, January 31 The manager of the society, Mr D. S. Bedi, in a letter to the Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, has proposed that the course should be tailor-made for outstanding boys and girls who have already excelled in sports at the school level. The course will enable these boys and girls to not only pursue a course in a field in which they have excelled but should help them earn their livelihood subsequently by training future generation of boys and girls. Mr Bedi has pointed out that the society already has a 28 acre plot near Mohali where the proposed institute could be located. In this connection, he says, Shivalik Public School already has an excellent sports background as also infrastructure. The letter to the Vice-Chancellor also points out that the school was adopted by the Sports Authority of India in 1986 for its excellent sports infrastructure and training programme. The proposed course will enable these sportspersons to pursue a course which would be tailor-made for them and also permit them to take part in various sports meets, both at the national as well as international level, while pursuing an academic course in which they have special aptitude. Speaking to The Tribune, Mr Bedi said boys and girls who excel in sports are unable to devote their full attention to their studies. The new course would be designed in such a manner that it would be more practical and there would be less stress on theory papers unlike traditional college education. In the first year, admission would be made for games like athletics, hockey, gymnastics and swimming. The infrastructure for these disciplines would be provided right from the inception of the course. In subsequent years, games like badminton, tennis, basketball and volleyball would be added depending on the popularity and demand, Mr Bedi said. In the first year the college can have an intake of 200 students and the number can go up in the subsequent years, Mr Bedi added.&nbs |
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