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British media calls for ‘heat rule’
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ECB puts gag on Trescothick
Run feast likely
Time running out for Sehwag, Kaif
Pension policy for former
first-class cricketers soon
Arrest of Dalmiya’s associate stayed
Zee signs rights deals for Abu Dhabi ODIs
Rajinder Jr slams IHF
Samresh Jung shoots gold
Gangjee leads Asian charge
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Ponting guides Aussies home
Fatullah, April 13 The visitors reached the victory target of 307 runs just after lunch on the fifth and final day, with Pointing playing a captain’s knock to finish the match unbeaten on 118. He smashed 13 boundaries in his 253-ball innings. Tailender Jason Gillespie brought up the win with a single to finish four not out. “Yes, it was a sigh of relief,” a smiling Pointing said after the match. Australia resumed on the overnight score of 212-4, requiring 95 runs for the win, but was forced to endure a nerve wracking first session that saw the loss of Adam Gilchrist (12), Shane Warne (5) and Brett Lee (29). Australia’s hopes of avoiding embarrassment then rested with captain Ponting and the tailenders on a deteriorating Fatullah Osmani Stadium pitch. Pointing, who survived a dropped catch when on 97, got vital support from in-form Lee, who helped steady the innings before being dismissed by paceman Mashrafee Bin Mortaza. Gilchrist added just six to his overnight score before Rafique bowled him for 12, reducing Australia to 225-5. Rafique’s next scalp was Warne, who was dismissed lbw for five as Australia crumbled to 231 for six. Bangladesh had a dream start to the match after it piled up a massive 427 runs in the first innings and then bowled star-studded Australia out for 269 to secure a hefty 158-run lead. Australia’s bowlers struck back to dismiss inexperienced Bangladesh out for a paltry 148 in the second innings to ensure the visitors an achievable victory target. Scoreboard Bangladesh (1st innings) 427 Australia (1st innings) 269 Bangladesh (2nd innings) 148 Australia (2nd innings) Hayden run out 72 Hussey b Haque 37 Ponting not out 118 Martyn b Rafique 7 Clarke c Mashud b Rafique 9 Gilchrist b Rafique 12 Warne lbw Rafique 5 Lee c Mashud b Mortaza 29 Gillespie not out 4 Extras:
(4b, 7lb, 1w, 2nb) 14 Total: (7 wickets, 107 overs) 307 Fall of wickets:
1-64, 2-173, 3-183, 4-205, 5-225, 6-231, 7-277. Bowling: Mortaza 22-7-51-1, Hossain 20-5-67-0, Rafique 38-6-98-4, Haque 27-5-80-1.
— AP |
Gilchrist joins elite company
Dubai, April 13 By reaching three figures, both Ponting and Gilchrist have now scored hundreds against all of the other nine ICC Members to have played Tests, a feat only previously achieved by Steve Waugh, Gary Kirsten, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Marvan Atapattu. Ponting’s 118 not out has ensured he remains well clear of South Africa’s Jacques Kallis at the top of the batting list and he is now just one rating point short of his best-ever mark, set after twin hundreds against South Africa in Durban last month. For Gilchrist, who passed 5000 Test runs during his first innings 144, there is the satisfaction of moving back into the top 20 after scoring his first century at the highest level since March 2005 in Wellington, New Zealand. And it means that, once again, Australia have an amazing six batsmen in that top 20. Those other players are Matthew Hayden (5th), Michael Hussey (9th), Damien Martyn (14th) and the injured Justin Langer (17th). But the Fatullah Test also showcased some superb performances from Bangladesh players and three of the leading lights in the home side’s effort have all made significant progress up the LG ICC Player Rankings. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Rafique, whose nine wickets in the match came so close to earning his side victory, is now 26th in the bowling list, up 10 places, and he is comfortably the highest-ranked Bangladesh bowler.
— UNI |
British media calls for ‘heat rule’
London, April 13 “England finished with their first win in this series but, really, the game should never have started at all,” The Daily Telegraph said. “Over in Melbourne, players are arguing about a “heat rule” that kicks in at 35 degrees. The temperature in Jamshedpur was at least 43 in the shade, let alone in the remorseless sun.” The report also hit out at the Indian cricket board for holding the match at an ill-equipped venue. “With its tiny changing rooms and outdated facilities, Jamshedpur is hardly a satisfactory venue for international cricket, even during the cooler months,” the paper said. In another write-up in the same newspaper, former England opener Geoffrey Boycott said the one-day series in India has shown that the tourists do not have the resources to win the World Cup in 2007. “The series in India has become little more than a series of trial matches and it has proved that some of our youngsters are just not good enough,” Boycott wrote.
— PTI |
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ECB puts gag on Trescothick
London, April 13 The ECB’s move reeked of a desperation to bring to an end the controversy kicked off by Trescothick’s contradictory explanation this week that he left the tour due to a virus infection. Trescothick left the Indian tour before the start of the Test series against India for what was then termed as personal reasons but the batsman said on Monday that he had been hit by a virus in Mumbai. Only photographers were permitted for Trescothick’s press conference for his county Somerset, a decision which repelled print media journalists. “It is unprecedented for an England cricketer to appear with an ECB minder and not even to exchange pleasantries with reporters, some of whom, down the years, have shared his favourite bangers with him, The Times reported today. “About 25 journalists were repelled not by the player but by Colin Gibson, the ECB’s director of communications, heeding the advice of confidants of the England opening batsman, who include Neil Fairbrother, the cricketer turned agent. Only photographs were permitted before he was led away to visit two schools in the area”, The Times said.
— PTI |
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Run feast likely
Indore, April 13 If the curator of the ground Samandar Singh is to be believed, then the game is going to be a high-scoring one. “It should be a high-scoring match with around 300 runs for a side,” he said here today. The
curator said the outfield would be green but there would be some dead grass on the 22-yard strip in the middle.
“In the whole series, there was hardly any ground with such a green outfield. However, we will provide dead grass on the pitch,” he said.
— PTI |
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Time running out for Sehwag, Kaif
India lately has been hoping for Virender Sehwag to come good. There have been endless public assurances and even bouts of captaincy for good measure. It hasn’t worked. Jamshedpur only added to the unease.
India might not fret a great deal about the loss in the sixth one-dayer. Heat was terrible and there were far too many replacements, including a new set of medium-pacers. But it needs a reassurance on its top order. India is not willing to let go on Sehwag or Mohammad Kaif, or for that matter Sachin Tendulkar. But time is running out. Ideally, all of India would love to have these men in the 2007 World Cup. But it also needs time to think of alternatives. Between now and the Caribbean carnival, a new player could at the most have 15 one-day internationals. If India must change horses in the midstream, the time to do it is now. That Sehwag has been affected is there for all to see. His initial bravado has given way to skepticism. Sehwag in repose at the crease has resembled a cat ready to pounce on anything, which comes his way. He is a quintessential four-man; always visualising the shortest and swiftest passage of the ball to the boundary. Not at the moment though. Bowlers now are teasing him outside the off-stump and he is curbing himself. He has put his instincts on hold, which is a dangerous ploy for those who are nature’s product. He has even begun to weigh the virtue of pull shot these days. Sehwag is not the kind of batsman who can get away by restructuring his batting. Mohammad Kaif’s case is equally a study in regret. He has been dealt harshly by fate: his 90s and 50s have usually resulted in his omission in the next game while for others it generally is a license for the next dozen games. Now when a string of failures have come, Kaif is leaning not so much on his reputation as on goodwill. Not long ago, he was one safe pair of legs in a bunch of
no-gooders. Now even he doesn’t stand out among ‘Generation Next’ of Indian cricket. Kaif of today will increasingly have to lean on his batting to firm up his base. Mere fielding will not do. One guesses there are still three games for these men to sort themselves out. It isn’t the case of loss of ability; but a snapping up of confidence. They are lucky that India is winning otherwise they would have been still more untenable. One senses that India would still have decided on the two by the end of Abu Dhabi games. Among the youngsters, Ramesh Powar has steadily gained in impression. In Jamshedpur, he stuck it out with bat. He has the sort of frame, which would be ridiculed in modern era. One is now used to seeing a lot of fitter, stronger and mobile cricketers on the field. He is a complete antithesis of it and sooner or later the cry on his frame would only get shrill. For the moment though, he is allowing India to play with five
bowlers. Powar’s presence has also galvanised Harbhajan Singh, who has by far been the best bowler on either side in the one-day series. Against better players of spin than England, it would be tricky for India to choose between the two of them. England, on their part, would be happy for the form of James Anderson who has been one spirited presence since the Mumbai Test. Andrew Flintoff now probably can choose to stay in the hut in Indore as well. Andrew Strauss too could smile, as there wasn’t an Irfan Pathan to keep him in torment. Finally, it is nigh difficult to believe that any cricketer would be keen for competitive cricket in weather as severe as the one in Jamshedpur. Mercury is rising in India and it’s time to lay down the arms.
— PTI |
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Pension policy for former
first-class cricketers soon
Mohali, April 13 As of now the policy is in the initial stages of implementation. The same is expected to be discussed during the meeting of the Financial Committee of the BCCI, scheduled to be held on April 22. After a decision is taken in the matter by the Financial Committee, the issue will be referred to the Working Committee for implementation. “The board has done most of the work on the issue. The only hurdle is to fix the number of first -class matches played by a player for the entitlement,” said Mr M. P. Pandove, Joint Secretary, BCCI. However, he indicated that the cut-off date of retirement of players would be the same as in the case of pension policy for former international cricketers, which is December 31, 1993. The most likely criterion for the entitlement, according to Mr Pandove, would be that the player had to play minimum 45 first-class matches or minimum for 10 years. Meanwhile, many cricketers lauded the introduction of the pension policy and termed it the biggest achievement of the board. “With this step, the board has showed the sincerity towards its former players. And for the former players, the pension is not just a compensation but it is like a honour,” said Arun Sharma, former Ranji player, who had played over 70 first-class matches for Punjab. While praising the BCCI for its new policy, some former Ranji players were of the view that in the policy for first-class cricketers the performance should be the criterion instead of a playing a particular number of matches before cut off date. “The board should prefer quality performance rather than a cut off date policy for the cricketers to provide a chance to the quality players,” said a former Ranji cricketer on the condition of anonymity. |
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Arrest of Dalmiya’s associate stayed
Mumbai, April 13 Justice V M Kanade, while granting anticipatory bail to Choudhary, directed him to attend the office of the Economic Offences Wing
(EOW) from April 17-22 between 11 am and 5 pm. Earlier, Choudhary’s counsel Satish Maneshinde, along with his associates, advocates Huzefa Nasikwala and Shivaji
Nagre, contended that the petitioner was being falsely implicated in the case and he had nothing to do with the said offences.
— UNI |
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Zee signs rights deals for Abu Dhabi ODIs
New Delhi, April 13 The sports channel reached agreements with PTV for terrestrial transmission of the matches in Pakistan, while TEN Sports will do the same at C&S homes. In Singapore, the matches will be available on STAR HUB, while Astro All Asia Network will broadcast the matches in Malaysian territory, a press statement said here today. For the USA, Zee Sports has entered into agreement with Echostar Satellite granting the American DTH telecast major exclusive broadcast rights. Zee will leverage its international network in the UK, Europe, Middle East and South Africa, where the matches will be broadcast through its own Zee International feeds in the respective countries. Zee Sports has already entered into an agreement with public broadcaster Doordarshan to telecast the matches on the terrestrial network in India. Zee Sports had acquired television, radio and Internet rights for all overseas matches featuring India to be played at non-ICC member countries for a five-year period starting April 1. As part of the deal 25 matches will be played over the five years with an average of five matches per year. — UNI
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No Tests for Afridi till World Cup
Karachi, April 13 “I will concentrate on one-day cricket only because too much cricket is affecting my overall performance,” Afridi told PTI. Afridi has played 24 Tests and has scored 1,634 runs at an average of 38.90. He was dropped from the Kandy Test on the Sri Lanka tour. Afridi has two centuries from his last two Tests. But Afridi’s forte has been the one-dayers where his powerful hitting has ripped apart many bowling attacks. The opener has scored 4,824 runs in 222 matches in the shorter version. Pakistan will play Tests in England this summer, then against the West Indies in the home series and finally on the tour of South Africa later this year. “There’s too much cricket and I have not been able to give enough time to my family. But moreover, my overall performance has been affected with too much cricket. I have set standards for myself and unfortunately I am not satisfied with my recent performances in one-day cricket,” Afridi said. Afridi has not scored a half century in his last 14 one-day games while his last century was against India at Kanpur a year ago.
— PTI |
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Rajinder Jr slams IHF
Jalandhar, April 13 “Players were included one day and excluded the next day without any reasons. So, I reaped the harvest which others had sown. Still, I worked with dedication and was able to get the best out of the team,” Rajinder, who remained as coach from May last year to March 30 this year, told UNI here. “I had worked sincerely during my stint with the Indian hockey team as the chief coach and achieved some degree of success despite facing numerous problems,” Rajinder said. He said despite being bogged down by a number of problems, he kept on working hard and as a result was able to reduce the margin of victory against powerhouse European teams.
— UNI |
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Samresh Jung shoots gold
Jalandhar, April 13 The silver medal in the event went to C. K. Chaudhary of the Army who scored 564 points. Japal Rana scored 558 to bag the bronze. Sonia Rana of the CISF won the gold with a score of 382 points in the 10-metre pistol event for women. Annu Raj Sing of the CISF won the silver medal with score of 380 points and Shweta Chaudhary of Indian Airlines won the bronze with 375 points. In the 50 metre free pistol event for women, Olympian Deepali Deshpande won the gold with 575 points, while Kuheli Gangulee of the CISF won the silver with a score of 570 points and Tejaswini Sawant of Maharashtra won the bronze with a score of 567. |
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Gangjee leads Asian charge
Beijing, April 13 Three of the five other Indians were full of errors in first half and then error-free on the return journey. Jeev Milkha Singh (72 and tied 47th), Shiv Kapur (73 and tied 67th) and Gaurav Ghei (74 and tied 82nd) all started on the 10th and had 38, 40 and 41 on the first nine.
— PTI |
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