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‘Middle-order failure in SL one-off’
India tour on: Cricket Australia
Don’t throw it away, Warne urges Symonds
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‘Bias’, soured ties let to B’desh exodus
Nissar Trophy
JCT to open I-League against Dempo
Pinegrove, Mayo girls make winning start Big defeat for Chandigarh school
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‘Middle-order failure in SL one-off’
Vengsarkar also feels that the Indian squad would enter the high-octane rubber, which he predicts will be a very close affair, with their confidence high after their narrow loss in the previous series Down Under followed by a historic first-ever triangular series victory there. In an interview to PTI, the former Test skipper said it is important that openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir fire in unison while hailing the return of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who skipped the Tests in Sri Lanka citing exhaustion. He also was fully supportive of the cricket board's decisions to have a tri-series tournament presently for the India 'A' team, also featuring New Zealand 'A' and Australia 'A', and for introducing the much-delayed concept of paid selectors from this season. Excerpts: Q: How do you rate India's chances in the series against Australia? A: India's chances are very good. It will be, I guess, a closely fought series. India did extremely well in Australia in Test matches and, in fact, should have won the series but a few of the crucial decisions went against India. However, as they say in cricket, there are no ifs and buts. Q: India ran Australia close in the last series in Down Under. Would that performance have any bearing confidence-wise on the forthcoming series? A: Of course. And, since then they beat the Aussies comprehensively in the one-dayers too. It will be a series that will be fought out between two of the world's best Test teams. Q: By how much do you reckon the absence of Andrew Symonds has weakened Australia? A: To be honest, it's not our concern whether A is selected to play or B is dropped from the team. India's concern will be to play at its' best against the available Australia eleven. Q: How important will be the role played by Virender Sehwag? A: Well, it's a team game and everyone will have to chip in if India are to do well. However, Viru is in great form and he, along with Gambhir will make things easier if they fire at the top of the order. Q: The middle order failed in Sri Lanka. Have you talked to the seniors and given them tips on how to tackle the Australians? A: The Indian batting, at present, is the most experienced in world cricket. The Sri Lanka failure was one-off and I am sure they are all eager to put it behind them and start afresh. Q: Australia have picked a pace-oriented bowling attack. Do you think the attack is a bit lop-sided in the absence of a quality spinner? How do you rate India's pace attack in comparison? A: I guess every team wants play to its' strength and as far as Australia is concerned they have a better pace attack than spin. They would surely be missing the class and the experience of Shane Warne on this tour. India's pace attack looks very good at present with Ishant (Sharma) fully fit and Zac (Zaheer Khan) bowling at his best. Besides off course we have a lot of options in Munaf, RP Singh, Sreesanth (if fit), Pravin Kumar etc. Q: Who do you feel is the biggest threat among the Australian batsmen and bowlers? A: They are a world class side and they play positive cricket. I like the way they approach the game. They are supremely fit and very aggressive. However, it depends a lot on how the younger lot (newcomers) adapt to the Indian wickets. Mind you, it won't be that easy. They surely will be under tremendous pressure. Q: Harbhajan Singh seems to have recaptured his form. Your views on how he's done it. A: Harbhajan loves challenge and the Aussies provide him with plenty of it. He bowled extremely well in Sri Lanka and I am sure he must be looking forward to the Australian series. Q: Your views on the availability of Dhoni for Tests. How much do you think would it make a difference to the team's approach? A: Dhoni's return to Tests will make a huge difference. He has matured a lot over the years and can handle tough situations with elan. Q: This is the beginning of a long haul for the Indian team with Test and ODI series coming up later against England in India, and tours to Pakistan and New Zealand following. Is rotating the fast bowlers the best way to go about it? A: It all depends on how the team is performing at that point of time. Besides injuries too play a very crucial role time and again. The BCCI has done a wonderful job in organising a triangular one-day tournament as well as four day matches between the 'A' teams of India, Australia and New Zealand, for it has provided opportunities to some of the younger lot, who could stake a claim at the highest level in near future. Q: What's the way back into reckoning for players like Sourav Ganguly and Yuvraj Singh? A: In cricket, it boils down to form and fitness. After all, one has to deliver in those 22 yards and consistently too. Q: Are you happy with the progress of players like Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma and S Badrinath waiting in the wings for Test spots? A: Yes, they are waiting in the wings. However, they will have to keep scoring whenever they get the opportunities and in whatever matches they play. They are highly talented and good movers in the outfield too. Q: How do you look back on your term as a chief selector? Are you keen to continue as a selector after this year? A: I am enjoying the job and I am happy that almost all the decisions we took in the last two years have worked out in the best interest of Indian cricket. Q: What are your views on the decision by the BCCI to appoint paid selectors? A: It's an excellent decision to pay the selectors, which I feel should have been implemented a long time ago. Mind you, it's a very tough job and a thankless one too. The selectors spend most of the time of the year either travelling or watching matches and hence they don't have any other source of income.
— PTI |
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India tour on: Cricket Australia
Melbourne, September 15 Cricket Australia's General Manager of Public Affairs Peter Young said CA would listen to the Australian government's advice but said the team under Ricky Ponting would depart on September 21, as originally scheduled. "Our position is that the tour is going ahead unless we are otherwise persuaded," Young said. "Our advice is there are some concerns and to exercise caution, but currently they do not compromise the tour. Our plan is to depart on September 21, subject to our advice," he added. The Australian government, meanwhile, made it clear that they would only pass on security advices but the final decision would rest with the cricket board itself. "We will do what we do with Cricket Australia whenever they are looking at a difficult tour...we will provide them with all our up-to-date travel assessments and advice briefs," "And they are also, as I understand it, getting their own independent security advice. In the end it's for Cricket Australia to make a decision, which is how we have dealt with the proposed Pakistan Test tour and the proposed Champions Trophy," the minister said. Australian team's security advisor Reg Dickason has been asked to compile an urgent report on the security situation in India and CA expects to receive it by tomorrow. Meanwhile, Australian Cricketer's Association Chief Executive Paul Marsh believes though it could not be equated with the security scenario in Pakistan, touring India would inevitably invite some flaks for the side. "I expect there will be heat if we decide to tour," Marsh told 'Sydney Morning Herald'. "If the team stays in India, there might be some who criticise us for double standards. But people need to understand our starting point is that we always want to tour," he said. Insisting that situation in India could not be equated with that in Pakistan, Marsh said, "The threat assessment for India has been considerably lower than that of Pakistan. "We want to find out if the latest bombings will change that in any way and what our independent experts think about our Australia A players being over there at the moment." Spelling out the process which is traditionally followed in similar situations, Marsh said, "As always we'll rely on the advice of the experts. Our primary concern at the moment is the A team being over there and trying to get an idea whether it's an acceptable risk for them to stay," he said. "We go to extreme lengths to obtain the best advice on the situation of each country we visit. In Pakistan's case this year, people we rely on told us not to tour. If they say not to tour again, we'll listen. Bombs going off anywhere are a concern," Marsh said. The first of the four-match Test series starts at Bangalore on October 9. — PTI
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Don’t throw it away, Warne urges Symonds
Melbourne, September 15 Warne was critical about Symonds "gone fishing" episode and said the volatile all-rounder has let his team down by not attending the important team meeting in Darwin. "I would have thought that if Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke were good friends, then Symo would have more respect for Clarke than that," Warne was quoted as saying in 'Herald Sun'. "I think it's disappointing that he put a young captain like Clarke in that position. "It was disappointing from Symo, especially with the Australian team not having senior players like Ricky Ponting and Hayden there. "It's not a one-off thing, and I just think Symo has showed lack of respect," Warne said.
— PTI |
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‘Bias’, soured ties let to B’desh exodus
Dhaka, September 15 Former captain Habibul Bashar said it was not an easy decision for him but claimed he had no option as his career was not going anywhere after he slid off coach Jamie Siddons' good books. "It was a tough decision. I shed a lot of tears while deciding and I have many, many reasons," Bashar told 'The Daily Star'. "The situation was getting difficult for me. I wasn't receiving support from anyone. Even the coach's attitude was discouraging and I was in the middle of a lot of uncertainty..." said Bashar. Left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain shared Bashar's feeling of being neglected and said, "They don't think of us, so why should we think of them? "I wasn't enjoying my time whether I was playing for Bangladesh or not," he said, not trying to hide his dislike for the team management. Opener Shahriar Nafees was equally disgruntled and said he would spill the beans soon and explain his premature retirement. "There was a lot of anger, frustration and complaint behind this decision. I will reveal all of this in due course of time because I am no longer part of the code of conduct. "I made it to the national team after working for 10 years and I know, there's a lot of pride of playing for Bangladesh but at this moment, I don't feel good playing for the team," said the left-hander. Nafees, however, said though he has received the ICL offer, he was yet to give his confirmation. "I have been offered but I haven't confirmed anything. My main focus is education and I want to complete my MBA in the next one-and-a-half years," he said. Wicket-keeper Dhiman Ghosh said the team management never allowed him settle in the side and made him insecure all the time. "Why did they drop me if I was the country's number one wicketkeeper?" Dhiman asked, adding he was always told that his job was just to warm the seat for fellow stumper Mushfiqur Rahim. Asked whom he sees filling the void, Dhiman shot back, "There are lots of other players." Six national cricketers are among the 14 players who are set to join the ICL, forming 'Dhaka Warriors'. The rebel cricketers are expected to pocket close to USD 200,000 each after signing the three-year contracts.
— PTI |
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Karachi, September 15 Sources close to the batsman have confirmed to PTI that Yousuf has conveyed to the ICL organisers that he was willing to consider joining them if they drop compensation claims and other charges against him. The ICL took legal recourse after Yousuf — a veteran of 79 tests and 269 one-day internationals -- first joined them in 2007 and then backed out of the contract under pressure from the PCB who assured him of a more lucrative deal with the official Indian Premier League. But the ICL obtained a stay order, restraining Yousuf from playing in any other rival twenty20 league including the IPL. Yousuf is set to file his reply to the ICL charges in the Mumbai high court tomorrow where he has appealed against the stay order. Tafazzul Rizvi, the PCB legal counsel, who is supporting Yousuf in his legal battle said the reply would be submitted by an Indian lawyer, hired to push the appeal in the Mumbai high court. — PTI
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Nissar Trophy
New Delhi, September 15 Imran made the life difficult for the Ranji Champions as he used the overcast conditions to great effect and claimed a hat-trick to end Delhi's hope of posting even a modest total. Delhi, after electing to bat first, were in disarray as captain Virender Sehwag was clean bowled by Imran for zero in the second over of the day. Akash Chopra followed his captain soon after with the Ranji Champions tottering at two for four. Virat Kohli and Mithun Minhas then started the repair work and added 86 runs for the third wicket. While Kohli made 52 with the help of 11 fours, Manhas raced to 49 in just 52 balls but with their loss, Delhi's hopes of making a comeback evaporated.
— UNI Scoreboard
Delhi (1st innings): Chopra c Adnan Akmal b Asad Ali 4 Sehwag b Imran Ali 0 Kohli c Adnan Akmal b Asad Ali 52 Manhas c & b Imran Khalid 49 Bhatia c Adnan Akmal b Asad Ali 1 Tehlan c Adnan Akmal b Imran Ali 0 Bisht lbw b Imran Ali 0 Nanda b Imran Ali 0 Sangwan lbw b Imran Ali 0 A Nehra not out 4 Ishant lbw b Imran Ali 8 Extras (b 5, lb 9, nb 2): 16 Total (in 36.3 overs): 134 Fall of wickets: 1/4, 2/4, 3/90, 4/107, 5/118, 6/118, 7/118, 8/118, 9/122 Bowling: Asad Ali 14-5-32-3, Imran Ali 15.3-5-52-6, Adil Raza 4-0-21-0, Imran Khalid 3-0-15-1. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (1st innings): Hafeez c sub b Nehra 28 Arafat lbw b Nehra 0 Akmal b Nanda 58 Shafiq lbw b Sangwan 22 Misbah b Nanda 9 Shehzad batting 3 Akmal lbw b Nehra 14 I Ali batting 2 Extras (lb 1): 1 Total (in 37 overs for 6): 137 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-56, 3-99, 4-113, 5-118, 6-133 Bowling: A Nehra 10-3-36-3, I Sharma 11-2-50-0, P Sangwan 8-1-45-1, R Bhatia 4-2-4-0, C Nanda 4-3-1-2.
— UNI |
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Champions League
“Ronaldo is training now, he’s with the first team. He’s come on leaps and bounds and I may take him with us tomorrow, who knows?” manager Alex Ferguson told United’s website (www.manutd.com) yesterday. In the other Group E match on Wednesday, Scottish champions Celtic are favourites to win their opening home match against Danish Champions League debutants AaB Aalborg. Liverpool will hope to capitalise on their first league win over United under coach Rafa Benitez when they travel to Olympique Marseille tomorrow. “Now we will go to Marseille in a good frame of mind. That was our best performance of the season and we now feel we can go into a Champions League in good heart and spirit,” Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez told reporters after Saturday’s 2-1 win. Argentina midfielder Mascherano limped off with a calf problem. Former champions Marseille met Liverpool in the group stage last season, winning 1-0 at Anfield before being thrashed 4-0 at home. Also in Group D, Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven host Athletico Madrid. Chelsea, beaten by United on penalties in this year’s Champions League final in Moscow, have a home tie against Girondins Bordeaux and will be buoyed by the return of midfielder Michael Ballack. “He will play on Tuesday but I do not know whether it will be for 45 minutes, 60 or 70,” Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said after Saturday's 3-1 win over Manchester City. England’s remaining representatives Arsenal launch their Group G assault away to Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday with Porto at home to Fenerbahce in the same group. Barcelona were dealt a blow ahead of their Group C opener at home to Portugal's Sporting tomorrow when Aleksander Hleb was ruled out for three weeks after spraining his left ankle in his side's 1-1 draw against Racing Santander. Nine-times champions Real Madrid have no major injuries ahead of their Group H opener against Belarussian debutants BATE Borisov on Wednesday after scraping a 4-3 win over Numancia. Italian champions Inter Milan prepared for their Group B trip to Greece’s Panathinaikos with a 2-1 win over Catania, while fellow Italians Fiorentina were beaten 2-1 by Napoli ahead of their Group F match at French champions Olympique Lyon. Werder Bremen are at home to Cypriot first-timers Anorthosis Famagusta elsewhere in Group B, while Bayern Munich travel to Steaua Bucharest in Wednesday's other Group F game.
— Reuters |
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EPL: Everton sneak victory at Stoke
London, September 15 Everton had a strong penalty claim turned down minutes before Cahill’s winner, leading to their angry manager David Moyes being banished from the technical area. Cahill missed the final part of last season and the beginning of the new campaign with a foot injury. Everton seemed to be cruising when Victor Anichebe added to Yakubu Aiyegbeni’s well-taken opener just after halftime but Stoke hit back with a powerful volley from Nigerian Seyi Olofinjana after Everton failed to clear. The hosts had a goal harshly disallowed when Ricardo Fuller muscled past Joseph Yobo and finished calmly but was adjudged to have fouled the Everton defender. Stoke equalised in direct fashion when Rory Delap’s long throw glanced off the head of Phil Jagielka and past keeper Tim Howard. After Cahill’s goal Stoke launched a series of aerial attacks but Everton held on to move into mid-table with six points from four games, both of their victories coming away from home. Stoke slip to second from bottom. Chelsea top the table after their 3-1 victory at Manchester City on Saturday. They have 10 points along with Liverpool who beat champions Manchester United 2-1 at Anfield.
— Reuters |
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JCT to open I-League against Dempo
New Delhi, September 15 The Punjab team’s home matches will be played at Ludhiana, with a tie against Mohammaden Sporting on October 11, followed by a meeting against Mahindra United on October 11. The matches will be played on a home and away basis, with Kolkata, Goa, Mumbai and Ludhiana (Guru Nanak Stadium) being the venues. The other JCT matches are: vs Chirag (Ludhiana, 23 Oct), Churchil (Goa, 2 Nov), Air India (9 Nov), Mohun Bagan (Kol., 16 Nov), East Bengal (Lud., 22 Nov). |
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Pinegrove, Mayo girls make winning start Chandigarh, September 15 In the inaugural match of the tournament between Pinegrove School and YPS, Mohali, the hosts won the toss and elected to field. Due to the dew factor and overcast conditions YPS, Mohali, could score 96 runs in the stipulated 20 overs for the loss of 6 wickets. Meghna and Anchal contributed 24 and 21 runs, respectively. For Pinegrove, Raj Nimrit was the most successful bowler and took two wickets. Kirat Bajwa and Pragalbha chipped in with one wicket each. Pinegrove achieved the target in 19th over losing four wickets. Surgeet Kaur, with 29 runs, was the highest scorer for the home team. She was given Player of the Match award. Akanksha of YPS took two wickets. In the second match played between Mayo College Girls' School, Ajmer and Ashok Hall Nainital, the former won the toss and elected to bat first. Mayo were down by five wickets for 35 runs but did well to recover due to handsome contributions from Pankhuri, who scored 50. Ruchika remained unbeaten on 47 not out, enabling Mayo girls to pile up an imposing 163 runs in 20 overs losing six wickets. For Ashok Hall, Jyoti and Urvashi took one wicket each. Chasing the target, Ashok Hall crumbled for just 108. Jyoti was the highest scorer with 67 runs. Zaara and Harshita took three wickets each for the Mayo girls. Pankhuri of Mayo Girls School was adjudged the Player of the Match.
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Big defeat for Chandigarh school New Delhi, September 15
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Mumbai, September 15
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