 |
|
|
England owe it to India to go back: Hussain
BCCI moves SC in Dalmiya expulsion case
Rana, Billa bowl Haryana to 198-run win |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
No threat to 2011 WC, says Pawar
St Stephen's draw with Viva
Kerala, reach MUPC semifinal
|
|
England owe it to India to go back: Hussain
London, December 2 "England's cricketers owe it to the game, and to India, to go back," Hussain said in a column for the 'Daily Mail'.
“Eventually, the game has to go on, just as people in London had to get back on Tubes and buses after the 2005 bomb attacks. As long as the security people say it is as safe as it can be to return and as long as the Indian people want the tour to continue, England can make a statement by going back. “And if I was asked to go there next week in my capacity as a journalist and broadcaster I would go." England abandoned the last two matches of the ODI series after the Mumbai mayhem that left close to 200 dead. Next week's Test series, meanwhile, has been rescheduled at new venues -- Chennai and Mohali - but top players like Andrew Flintoff and Steve Harmison are not very keen to return. Hussain said while the players' fear was understandable, they should also realise there responsibilities, one of them being to support the game in its hour of crisis. "With the rewards and the lifestyle of being a modern international cricketer comes a responsibility to the game. It is a decision you have to make, whether you are prepared to accept that responsibility in good times and bad or whether you want to settle for an easier life. It is a very grown-up decision and there is no right or wrong answer," he explained. However, he maintained that in case a player pulls out, it should not be held against him. "When we toured India in 2001 under my captaincy just after the attacks on New York, I had no problem accepting the decisions of Robert Croft and Andrew Caddick not to tour. I told them it would not be held against them and it should not be held against Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison or any other England players if they decide they are not prepared to go," he stressed. Croft, who pulled out of the 2001 series in India after September 11 attacks in the USA, said it was a decision he regretted. "Having made the decision in the past (to pull out), I would probably change my decision that I made then. I think there will be a lot of sub-conscious pressure on Kevin Pietersen to go," Croft was quoted as saying by 'The Mirror'. Croft hoped the England and Wales Cricket Board will make the right decision. "I think, knowing Hugh Morris, the managing director, I played with him at Glamorgan. He was a very, very conscientious individual when he played and I'm sure everything is very similar now," Croft said. "On security grounds, there's no security company in the world that will ever guarantee safety. You just can't guarantee safety when you go shopping down the road." NEW DELHI: The England and Wales Cricket Board's security expert Reg Dickason will make a recce of the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai tomorrow and visit Mohali on Wednesday before submitting his report which will determine whether England will return to play the two-Test series in India. A top BCCI source said that Dickason will inspect the stadium and hotel and discuss various issues with security agencies during his day-long visit to Chennai. He will then proceed to Mohali, the venue of the second cricket Test, and undertake a similar exercise. The sources said that Dickason will also have detailed discussion with top BCCI officials regarding the security arrangements at the venues for the series. Dickason was with the England team which returned home abruptly abandoning the last two ODI matches following the terror attacks in Mumbai. He has been entrusted with the task of submitting a comprehensive report to the ECB, which will then determine the fate of the series. The source said that the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has already got an assurance from police authorities that fool-proof security will be provided for the match in Chennai. "The ECB has not sought a letter of guarantee from the police authorities. But we have got the police assurance that fool-proof security will be provided", the source said. The source said that Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) have still not discussed the security arrangements with Punjab Police and will be doing so soon.
‘Team to depart on Friday’
England cricket team is likely to leave for India on Friday for the two-Test series according to 'The Guardian'. The venue of the Tests have also been shifted at the request of the ECB. According to the paper, ''The ECB will present the players with a safety report today and is likely to confirm that the tour will resume later in the week. There is some concern about the team hotel in Ahmedabad, which is in the middle of the city.''
''It is understood that the ECB is also talking to the Indian and British governments, high commissions in Indian cities, security advisers and other risk assessment experts in order to give the cricketers a thorough dossier on safety issues in India,'' the paper added. However, everything would depend on the ECB being convinced about the security arrangements in India.
A tough decision to make: Broad
Speedster Stuart Broad said the decision to tour India would be a tough one to take as any pre-tour security report takes up to three months to compile but it took just a few days to assess the security in the country which had a major terrorist attack last week.
English cricket chiefs are to present their safety and security findings to the players today, leaving the decision to return to India in their court. ''This has to be a personal decision because there is obviously a lot more pressure on the senior boys with their families and kids at home,'' Broad said. ''It is clearly going to be stressful for wives and kids of players who may be going to an environment where such atrocities have happened and where we've seen some incredibly graphic images,'' the pacer was quoted as saying by The Mirror today. He noted that the decision of senior players, who are not keen on making the return journey, will also have an impact on the rest of a young group. ''It is an interesting one because a security report pre-tour can take up to three months to compile,'' said Broad adding,'' In this instance someone has got to put it together in about three days,'' the pacer said. —
UNI/PTI |
|
BCCI moves SC in Dalmiya expulsion case
New Delhi, December 2 BCCI president Sashank Manohar and four other officials moved the apex court against the High Court directive, against which Union Minister and board's former president Sharad Pawar has already filed his SLP. Besides Pawar and Manohar, the other Board officials in the dock are former secretary Niranjan Shah, Ratnakar Shetty (CAO), N Srinivasan (secretary) and Chirayu Amin, junior Cricket Committee chairman. Like Pawar, the officials have also taken the plea that the high court did not give them the opportunity to present their view and thus violated the principle of natural justice. The Calcutta High Court had on November 12 directed initiation of criminal proceedings against BCCI president Sashank Manohar, former Board president Sharad Pawar and four top officials. The court's order had come eight months after Dalmiya, a former BCCI president, alleged perjury against Pawar and Board officials and sought criminal proceedings against them for allegedly producing false documents. All the accused BCCI officials have challenged the ex-parte order directing the Registrar (Original side) to initiate criminal proceedings under section 195 of the CrPC (prosecution for contempt of lawful authority of public servants for offences against public justice and for offences relating to documents given in evidence) at an appropriate court. — PTI
|
|
Rana, Billa bowl Haryana to 198-run win
Chandigarh, December 2 Set a victory target of 361 runs after the hosts declared their innings after addition of just 11 runs to the overnight score at 263 without any further loss of wickets, Goa batting just caved in. Wickets fell like ninepins as half the side was back in the pavilion with paltry 20 on the board. Goa were pushed closer to the edge with situation becoming grimmer at eight for 41 when former Haryana stumper Ajay Ratra was back in the pavilion after scoring seven. An unexpected assault from Saurabh Bandekar, who clobbered 26-ball 44, and useful half century from Robin D’Souza (54 not out) proved that the wicket had no demons for the batsmen. Last batsman Ryal D’Souza notched up 28-ball 27 as Goa were bowled out for 162. Scoreboard Haryana (1st innings): 287 Goa (1st innings): 190 Haryana (2nd innings): 263 Goa (2nd innings): SK Kamat c Saini b Billa 0 SA Asnodkar c Saini b Rana 8 AK Desai lbw b Billa 7 A Katkar lbw b Rana 0 A Ratra lbw b Rana 7 RD Asnodkar lbw b Rana 0 SB Jakati b Rana 0 A Angle c Saini b Billa 6 SS Bandekar c Dewan b Budhwar 44 RDR D'Souza not out 54 RS D'Souza c Lavasa b Mishra 27 Extras (b 6, lb 2, nb 1) 9 Total (all out; 34.5 overs) 162 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-11, 3-11, 4-19, 5-20, 6-20, 7-33, 8-41, 9-107, 10-162 Bowling: J Billa 12-2-49-3, S Rana 14-2-60-5, S Budhwar 6-1-27-1, Dhruv Singh 2-0-11-0, A Mishra 0.5-0-7-1.
HP-Jharkhand match ends in draw
Ranchi: Himachal Pradesh opener Sangram Singh sparkled with an explosive 91 in the second essay as their Ranji Trophy Plate Group A match against Jharkhand ended in a draw on the fourth and final day here on Tuesday. Sangram, who had remained unbeaten on 202 in his first innings, thrashed the home bowlers for eleven fours and two sixes before getting out to a rash shot as the visitors ended their second innings at 181 for two, bagging three points owing to the first innings lead.
Earlier, Jharkhand, which could secure only one point, began its overnight score from 341 for six with junior India cricketer Saurabh Tiwari (169) saving his team from the ignominy of a follow-on, lifting his team to 431 all out in reply to Himachal's first innings total of 551 for 8 decl. Carrying on from his overnight individual score of 144 not out, Tiwari batted confidently till a lapse of concentration ended in a catch to Indulkar off a delivery of Test discard spinner Sarandeep Singh. Himachal Pradesh (1st innings): (declared for 8) 551 Jharkhand (1st innings): S Ghosh lbw b Thakur 0 Vardhan c Sangram b Mohinderraj 66 IR Jaggi c Dogra b Sarandeep 44 SS Tiwary c Indulkar b Sarandeep 169 A Hashmi lbw b Thakur 49 Keshav c Gupta b Mohinderraj 5 Santosh Lal c Dogra b Mohinderraj 2 Kuldeep c Thakkar b Thakur 18 SK Roy c Thakur b Malik 22 SS Rao lbw b Mohinderraj 15 YV Krishanatry not out 0 Extras (b 15, lb 3, w 3, nb 20) 41 Total (all out; 157.3 overs) 431 FoWs: 1-0, 2-82, 3-153, 4-293, 5-329, 6-334, 7-384, 8-398, 9-431, 10-431. Bowling: A Thakur 44-10-122-3, V Malik 45.3-10-120-1, Mohinderraj Sharma 25-6-68-4, Sarandeep Singh 39-14-87-2, B Thakkar 3-0-11-0, Sangram Singh 1-0-5-0. Himachal Pradesh (2nd innings): M Gupta run out 75 Sangram Singh c Rao b Ghosh 91 P Dogra not out 13 Extras (nb 2) 2 Total (2 wickets; 35.4 overs): 181 FoWs: 1-158, 2-181. Bowling: SS Rao 2-0-21-0, Kuldeep Sharma 3-0-17-0, Keshav Kumar 4-0-19-0, MS Vardhan 5-2-23-0, A Hashmi 7-0-23-0, SK Roy 5-0-24-0, SS Tiwary 5-0-34-0, S Ghosh 4.4-0-20-1.
— PTI |
|
Paris, December 2 “It’s one of the most beautiful days in my life. I’ve been dreaming of this trophy since I was a child,” Ronaldo, who will be officially presented with the trophy during a French TV show on Sunday, told France Football. Ronaldo is the third Portuguese player to win the award after Eusebio in 1965 and Luis Figo in 2000. “I was not scared (of not winning the award) because I was aware of what I had done in the season,” Ronaldo added. “Thank you to my team mates, who helped me the be the best, thank you to those who set me up for these goals. I will now work to be good on Saturday. This morning, arriving at the training session, I will be the same lad. What is sure is that I want to win again because it is so good.” The 23-year-old Ronaldo follows former United greats Denis Law (1964), Bobby Charlton (1966) and George Best (1968) as a winner of the prize previously known as the European Footballer of the Year award. He scored 42 goals for the club last season. Earlier this year, he also became only the second player to win England’s Footballer of the Year award in successive seasons. — Reuters
|
|
No threat to 2011 WC, says Pawar
New Delhi, December 2 Pawar, who is also a union Cabinet minister in the Indian government, said, following the Mumbai attacks, the security measures would become even tougher so that no such incidents get repeated. “In the near future, you will see a totally different situation where all precautionary measures are taken and nobody will dare to show this kind of courage here,” Pawar added. Pawar is scheduled to take over as the president of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2010 and is also a former BCCI president. The Indian team was awaiting a security report of its team’s tour to Pakistan but the Mumbai attacks have put the biltaeral ties between the two countries in the cold and the doubts have certainly raised on the tour next year. India will jointly host the 2011 World Cup with Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Pakistan. The sub-continent has already hosted two World Cups in 1987 and 1996. —
UNI |
|
St Stephen's draw with Viva Kerala, reach MUPC semifinal Margao: Defending champions and North Zone winners St Stephen's Football Academy, Chandigarh made it to the last four grade in the fourth Nike Manchester United Premier Cup 2009 Under-15 football tournament India finals here on Tuesday after playing out a goal-less draw with Viva Kerala in a Group B match. St Stephen's, who thrashed Sporting Clube de Goa 4-0 in their first Group B match of the day before playing out a goal-less draw with Viva Kerala, ended on five points but pipped Kalayani Municipal Academy as group toppers. — PTI
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
"I respect the England team for coming home and taking stock after last week's terrible events. Yet, easy as it is for me to say this sitting here in Chelmsford, my gut feeling is that the England team should announce they are going back to play two Tests in India and fulfil their commitment to this tour and the world game," he said.
