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KP unsure of return date
‘Tests should go ahead as scheduled’
India’s tour in hands of both govts: PCB
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British media lambasts
Kabir Ali’s great terror escape
WR eves start on winning note
Punjab junior football from today
Australia take first day honours India’s tour in hands of both
govts: PCB
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London, November 28 England and Wales Cricket Board yesterday called-off the remaining two one-dayers due to the terror attack in Mumbai but assured the BCCI that the Test series was still on as scheduled unless the situation in India worsens dramatically. Pietersen said the safety of the players cannot be compromised and even though he is the captain he has no power to force any of his team-mates to return to India. “We need to make sure the security’s right - but if it’s not safe then we won’t be coming back,” he said. “People are their own people, I’ll never force anyone to do anything or tell them to do anything against their will. On the field I may ask people to do things in a certain way but people run their own lives. We’ll have to see how the security is,” Pietersen said. England Professional Cricketers’ Association Chief Executive Sean Morris said the team management will take advice from security officer Reg Dickason. “They will look at it in the cold light of day and ask, is it safe to return or not?” said Morris. “They will go with that advice assuming the situation in India does not deteriorate further. The players have full faith in Dickason and will be guided by him.” Team leaves to catch flight back home
Bhubaneswar: After abandoning the last two matches of the seven-ODI series against India in the wake of terror attack in Mumbai, the English cricket team today left for Bangalore to catch the connecting flight back to London. Kevin Pietersen’s men, who were trailing 0-5 in the series, refused to continue the series after the terror strikes that resulted in over 100 deaths. The team boarded the Kingfisher flight number IT 3446 at 1400 hrs here and it would take them a couple of hours to reach Bangalore. In Bangalore, Pietersen and Co will be joined by England’s second-string performance squad and both the sides are expected to fly out together. The team could have left earlier had the flight kept its originally scheduled timing of taking off at 1200 hrs. Chennai to host Test instead of Mumbai
New Delhi: Chennai was chosen as the venue for the second cricket Test against England instead of Mumbai as the BCCI today insisted that the Test series will be held as per schedule. A day after the remainder of the seven-match one-day series was called off following the terror attacks in Mumbai, the BCCI acceded to the ECB’s request for shifting the Mumbai match to a venue in southern India. “India’s Test series against England will be played as per schedule. Chennai will host the second Test from December 10 to 23, instead of Mumbai”, BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement. “The first Test will be played at Ahmedabad from December 11 to 15 as originally scheduled. Baroda will host the three-day game between the visitors and the Board President's XI from December 5 to 7 as scheduled”, the statement said.
— PTI |
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‘Tests should go ahead as scheduled’
London, November 28 “Terrorism is something that we as a world need to stand up against and fight. It is sadly something we’ve got to live with and we have done so in places like England and India for many years,” Botham said. “As far as England’s cricket tour goes, they have to take advice from the people around them but I think it would be a crying shame if they are forced to call things off at the hands of terrorists,” he wrote in his column for the Mirror. “We don't succumb to it in England and I do believe that if the team have the assurances of safety and security then why shouldn’t they play?” he added. The former England captain was all praise for ECB for deciding to go ahead with the Test series despite the terror attack in Mumbai which left over 100 people dead. “It is a difficult time for the England squad and they will feel uneasy about what has happened. I can understand why they will head home and take stock for a few days, but the news that they are planning on returning to play the Tests is encouraging.” “We have to remember what happened in 2005 when a bomb went of in England during the Ashes tour, but the Australians remained and continued with their series,” Botham said. “Our cricket team are full of character and now they will get a chance to clear their heads before the Test series is scheduled to begin,” he said. Another former England captain Mike Atherton said the decision to return home was “understandable” but hoped that the Test series would go on. “Understandably, cricketers decided yesterday that they didn’t want much to do with it all. The one-day series was abandoned and the senior players, as well as the development squad, will come home. So while it may seem inappropriate to say so right now, I hope the Test series in two weeks’ time can still go ahead. Unless the Foreign Office advice is to stay at home, it shall certainly be going,” he said.
— PTI |
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India’s tour in hands of both govts: PCB
Karachi, November 28 “After the Mumbai terror attacks the scenario has changed completely. Before it, we were quietly confident the Indians would come. But now the matter is out of the hands of the two Boards,” PCB chairman Ejaz Butt told a press conference here. He said the Mumbai terror attack was a catastrophic incident and the loss of innocent lives was very sad. “But if India does decide to tour Pakistan I think it will send out a clear message to these terrorists that they can’t stop the people of both countries from leading normal lives,” he said. “After the Mumbai attacks there is now greater uncertainty whether the tour would be held at all. Now it is entirely what the governments decide,” he admitted. But he made it clear that Pakistan would still try to have India play in Pakistan but if this was not possible even at government to government level then the option of playing at neutral venues would be utillised. “Despite what has happened we will seek advice from our government as well as we would like this series to be played as Pakistan cricket badly needs to play international matches,” he said. Butt said Pakistan couldn’t afford to go without international cricket for long and needed to play to avoid isolation in the international community. India is due to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 game on their tour lasting nearly 46 days. The Indian board has said it would tour only if government agrees. Butt said there was no doubt the Mumbai attacks were bad for cricket and sports in general. “The scenario is different now with cricketing activities being postponed in India but we are hoping England will go ahead and play the Tests in India and there would be new dates for the Champions League. That would mean cricketing activities will resume in the subcontinent,” he said. — PTI
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British media lambasts
London, November 28 England abandoned the one-dayers, calling off the last two games of the seven-match series, due to the deadly terror strikes in Mumbai which left over 100 dead. Modi, who is also the commissioner of the cash-rich Indian Premier League, had stated yesterday that he was confident about Kevin Pietersen and Co returning for next month's two Test matches, one of which is scheduled in Mumbai. The comments were denounced by the media here with wide-selling tabloid 'The Daily Mail' describing him as “crass and insensitive”. “It is highly unlikely England will return whatever the cost to the ECB’s relationship with the Indian board and, specifically, Lalit Modi, the Indian administrator who pulls the strings here. He had earlier shown crass insensitivity by announcing that the series would go ahead as new explosions were taking place in Mumbai. “It was as if the Indian administrator who is taking over the game was determined to make it as difficult as possible for England to make their escape, as if his insensitivity in proclaiming to Sky and the BBC that the tour must go ahead was intended to cause maximum disruption to England and the man he has very much under his thumb, ECB chairman Giles Clarke,” the Daily Mail said. The Daily Telegraph was equally scathing in its criticism of Modi calling him a “single-minded character”. “Lalit Modi, the most powerful man in Indian cricket, set the agenda yesterday with his blithe assurances that the “Modi is a single-minded character who does not like to see anyone or anything disrupting his plans, not even a human disaster on the scale of the one unfolding in Mumbai,” said The Daily telegraph. “It seems unlikely, however, that Modis confident predictions will have gone down too well with the England players. The tourists were so surprised by his comments that they immediately called a new team meeting,” the daily added in a stinging criticism. The newspaper said Modi’s only agenda seems to be protecting his brain-child IPL from the financial after-effects of the terror strikes.
— PTI |
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Kabir Ali’s great terror escape
London, November 28 However, he changed his plan at the last minute and decided to go to a cinema and was running late for dinner, thereby managing to escape the violence. “I should have been at the hotel by 9pm; about half an hour before the shooting started,” Kabir said. “I don’t know why I changed my mind. For some reason something told me not to go and I went to the cinema instead. I started watching the film, but it soon became obvious something was wrong. Some people ran out of the cinema. Then I received a text telling me what was happening and I got out. There was panic outside. There were sirens and bangs and people running. It was chaos,” he was quoted as saying by The Times. — PTI
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WR eves start on winning note
Ludhiana, November 28 It were Amritsar XI players who earned the lead in the 7th minute through a penalty corner conversion Charanjit Kaur, however, in the very next minute, last year’s runners up restored parity when Nishi Chouhan sounded the board. WR eves pumped in five more goals through Babita Bindo and Ashnima who scored a brace each while Jasjeet chipped in with one goal to complete the rout. In the second match of the day, Northern Eastern Railway, Gorakhpur played 2-2 draw with HMV Dhanoa XI. NER, Gorakhpur drew the first blood in the 16th minute when Anju found the target while five minutes before the lemon break, Dolly of HMV Dhanoa XI scored the equaliser. Aarti of Dhanoa XI struck in the 33rd minute to put her side into the lead 2-1. Immediately, in to the second session, NER players forced a penalty corner off which Reema scored to level the score. It was a sensational goal that got NER the equaliser after much dedicated attempts. The match entered a very exciting phase as both teams pressed forward with relentless aggression and the forwards from both teams stayed fleet-footed, which in turn kept the defences on their toes. Both the sides pressed hard for the decider but failed to capitalise on the chances which came their way and the issue remained unresolved at 2-all. In the third match, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala went down fighting against Chandigarh Academy 2-3 to suffer their second consecutive defeat. Yesterday, they lost to MP Academy, Gwalior 1-2. For the Chandigarh Academy, Shivani (23rd minute), Reetu (39th and 40th minute) were the contributors while for the losers, Sangeeta Minz and Amandeep Kaur scored in the 48th adn 59th minute to reduce the margin. Jagdish Sahni, chief parliamentary secretary inaugruated the tournament in which top eight women hockey outfits of the country are taking part. He announced a grant of Rs 2 lakh for the organising committee of this tournament. Olympians Surinder Singh Sodhi and Gurmail Singh along with other prominent personalities of the town were present on this occasion.
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Punjab junior football from today
Chandigarh, November 28 Following is the schedule for the tournament: Qualifiers matches: 29.11.2008 - Amritsar vs. Barnala (Qualifier 1) 10.00 am (Ground No.1), Mansa vs. Tarntaran (Qualifier 2) 2.00 pm (Ground No.1); Pre-quarter matches: 29.11.2008 - Gurdaspur vs. Mohali - 2.00 pm (Ground No.2), Muktsar vs. Jalandhar - 10.00 am (Ground No.1), Nawanshahr vs. Faridkot - 12.00 noon (Ground No.2), Fatehgarh Sahib vs. Kapurthala - 12.00 noon (Ground No.1); 30.11.2008: Hoshiarpur vs. Sangrur - 8.00 am (Ground No.1), Ludhiana vs. Qualifier 1 - 10.00 am (Ground No.1), Bathinda vs. Ropar - 12.00 noon (Ground No.1), Patiala vs. Qualifier 2 - 2.00 pm (Ground No.1); Quarter final Matches: Quaterfinal 1 (1.12.2008 12.00 noon), Quaterfinal 2 (1.12.2008 8.00 am), Quaterfinal 3
(1.12.2008 10.00 am), Quaterfinal 4 (1.12.2008 2.00 pm); Semifinal matches: Semifinal 1 (2.12.2008 10.00 am), Semifinal 2 (2.12.2008 1.00 pm); Final: (3.12.2008 - 1.00 pm). |
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Australia take first day honours Adelaide, November 28 Kiwi opener Aaron Redmond (83) held on the innings at the top but once he was dismissed by Hauritz, wickets fell cheaply. Hauritz conceded 17 runs in his first over but he fought back to wrest early initiative from the visitors. Hauritz took two wickets in a decisive spell after lunch to rein in the Kiwis. Andrew Symonds then broke a 64-run stand between Peter Fulton (29)and Ross Taylor (44) when the former was caught by Simon Katich at midwicket. Stuart Clark then trapped Taylor while Brett Lee dismissed Daniel Flynn. — IANS Scoreboard New Zealand (1st innings) Redmond c Symonds b Hauritz 83 How c Haddin b Johnson 16 Ryder c Clarke b Hauritz 13 Taylor lbw b Clark 44 Fulton c Katich b Symonds 29 Flynn b Lee 11 B McCullum not out 30 Vettori not out 12 Extras (b 5, lb 7, w 1, nb 11) 24 Total (6 wickets; 90 overs) 262 Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-101, 3-130, 4-194, 5-200, 6-228. Bowling: Lee 21-6-60-1, Clark 20-6-56-1, Johnson 21-3-54-1, Hauritz 16-2- 63-2, Symonds 12-2-17-1.
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India’s tour in hands of both govts: PCB Karachi, November 28 “After the Mumbai terror attacks the scenario has changed completely. Before it, we were quietly confident the Indians would come. But now the matter is out of the hands of the two Boards,” PCB chairman Ejaz Butt told a press conference here. He said the Mumbai terror attack was a catastrophic incident and the loss of innocent lives was very sad. “But if India does decide to tour Pakistan I think it will send out a clear message to these terrorists that they can’t stop the people of both countries from leading normal lives,” he said. “After the Mumbai attacks there is now greater uncertainty whether the tour would be held at all. Now it is entirely what the governments decide,” he admitted. But he made it clear that Pakistan would still try to have India play in Pakistan but if this was not possible even at government to government level then the option of playing at neutral venues would be utillised. “Despite what has happened we will seek advice from our government as well as we would like this series to be played as Pakistan cricket badly needs to play international matches,” he said. Butt said Pakistan couldn’t afford to go without international cricket for long and needed to play to avoid isolation in the international community. India is due to play three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20 game on their tour lasting nearly 46 days. The Indian board has said it would tour only if government agrees. Butt said there was no doubt the Mumbai attacks were bad for cricket and sports in general. “The scenario is different now with cricketing activities being postponed in India but we are hoping England will go ahead and play the Tests in India and there would be new dates for the Champions League. That would mean cricketing activities will resume in the subcontinent,” he said. — PTI
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England captain Kevin Pietersen has made it clear that his side will not return to India for next month’s cricket Test series unless their safety is guaranteed. Pietersen also insisted that players should not be forced into going to India against their will.
Legendary all-rounder Ian Botham and cricketer-turned-journalist Mike Atherton have backed ECB’s decision that England team should return to India to play the Test series as per schedule and said it would be a shame if the Board scraps the series.
London, November 28
Debutant spinner Nathan Hauritz picked up two wickets as Australia reduced New Zealand to 262 for six on the opening day of the second Test here Friday. Electing to bat, the Kiwis squandered a good start and lost wickets at regular intervals. Brendon McCullum (30) and skipper Daniel Vettori (12) were negotiating the second new ball at stumps Saturday.
Kiwi opener Aaron Redmond (83) held on the innings at the top but once he was dismissed by
Hauritz, wickets fell cheaply.
