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India pushed to the wall
Afridi questions Test ability of Pak players
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Players oppose CA’s ODI revamp
Under-age sex probe: French footballers quizzed
India thump France 6-0, pocket hockey series
NADA gets eyes on training camps
Stokes’ nomination accepted HI defies govt guidelines
Parimarjan makes poor start in Biel
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India pushed to the wall
Galle, July 20 Herath and Malinga turned out to be the unlikely batting heroes as the islanders recovered from a few early jolts and had the visitors in trouble by the end of the day by dismissing Gautam Gambhir (2), Rahul Dravid (18) and Sachin Tendulkar (8). Virender Sehwag (85), who payed with his usual flamboyance, and VVS Laxman (18) ensured that there were no more setbacks as they took the score to 140 for three at close on the third day with the hosts still trailing by 380 runs. With two days left in the match and the pitch at the Galle International stadium expected to deteriorate, the Indians need to bat out of their skin to ensure that Muttiah Muralitharan's swansong Test ends in a draw. The day clearly belonged to the hosts as they not only consolidated their position by amassing a huge score but also scalped three prized wickets. While Gambhir perished in Malinga's first over, Dravid was run out trying to go for a cheeky single. But the biggest blow for the visitors came when Tendulkar was trapped leg before by Muralitharan. Earlier, the Indians managed to claw back into the game to some extent in the pre-lunch session as they evicted Tharanga Paranavitana (111), Thilan Samaraweera (0), Mahela Jayawardene (48) and Angelo Mathews (41). But the late order belligerence of Herath and Malinga took the game completely away from the Indians. After the second day was completely washed out, play resumed today after an hour's delay with Sri Lanka at 256 for two and the Indians managed to get a few quick wickets in the opening session. Ishant, who has been struggling for quite some time, tasted his first success when he induced a nick from centurion Paranavitana which went straight to wicketkeeper Dhoni. Paranavitana (111) poked at the moving delivery off the backfoot and the diving Indian skipper made no mistake. Debutant Abhimanyu Mithun then struck another blow to the Lankan line-up when he had new batsman Thilan Samaraweera (0) trapped leg before.
— PTI Scoreboard Sri Lanka (1st innings): Paranavitana c Dhoni b Ishant 111 Dilshan c Dhoni b Mithun 25 Sangakkara c Tendulkar b Sehwag 103M Jayawardene lbw Ishant 48 Samaraweera lbw Mithun 0 Mathews c Laxman b Ishant 41 P Jayawardene lbw Mithun 27 Herath not out 80 Malinga c Harbhajan b Mithun 64 Muralitharan not out 5 Extras: (b-2, lb-9, nb-5) 16 Total (for 8 wkts, 124 overs) 520 Bowling: Ishant 28-5-145-3, Mithun 28-3-105-4, Harbhajan 30-4-98-0, Ojha 28-1-115-0, Sehwag 10-0-46-1. India (1st innings): Gambhir lbw b Malinga 2 Sehwag batting 85 Dravid run out 18 Tendulkar lbw b Muralitharan 8 Laxman batting 18 Extras: (lb-1, w-1, nb-7) 9 Total (For 3 wkts, 29.4 overs) 140 Bowling: Malinga 9-0-40-1, Welegedara 4-0-34-0, Herath 6.4-1-25-0, Mathews 3-0-9-0, Muralitharan 7-1-31-1.
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Afridi questions Test ability of Pak players
“It was my own decision and it was a spur of the moment decision. I didn't consult anyone,” he told Jang. “I would advise all these players who don't feel comfortable or like playing Test matches to not become a burden on the team and just focus on playing one-day and T20 cricket,” Afridi said. Named captain for the entire tour, Afridi suddenly announced his retirement from the longer version of the game after the humiliating 150-run loss to Australia in the first Test at Lord's. The flamboyant all-rounder reasoned that he decided to quit Tests because he had lost passion for the five-day game and wanted to concentrate on limited overs cricket. Afridi said it was time for some non-performing players in the Pakistan Test side to ponder their future. “As captain I tried to advise some players to avoid playing Test cricket and decide on a future but they insisted on playing Tests. They have not done justice to themselves or the team with their performances,” he said. “I think the time has come for us to decide who should be playing in the Test, one-day and T20 teams,” he said. Afridi said the Cricket Board's (PCB) selection committee would have to make its policy very clear on all the three formats of the game. The former skipper was of the view that they were some very good young players in the side but they need time to settle down. “I would advise everyone not to expect too much from this team in Test matches. It will take time. Salman Butt has become captain for the first time and he should seek advice and guidance from the coach and try to keep the team united. England would prove to be a tougher opponent then Australia because at the moment they are playing better,” he said.
— PTI |
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‘Won’t let captaincy affect my batting’
No
holding him back!
Karachi, July 20 “I was made vice-captain for the England tour so I was already ready for the challenge of leading the team when the need arose,” the left-hander said. Butt was elevated to the post of Test captain for the rest of the England tour after incumbent Shahid Afridi suddenly announced his retirement from five-day cricket following Pakistan's humiliating 150-run loss to Australia in the first Test at Lord's. Butt, however, said that Afridi's retirement was a big setback for the team ahead of the second Test against Australia at Leeds starting tomorrow. “Honestly speaking, I never expected to be captaining the side in such circumstances. I never expected Shahid (Afridi) to retire after the first Test,” he said. “Afridi handled the team well after the disappointing Australian tour and he did a good job as captain. So his retirement is a setback but we need to move on,” he added. The stylish opener, who scored 63 and 92 in the first Test, said the presence of experienced coaches made up for the lack of experience.
— PTI |
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Players oppose CA’s ODI revamp
Senior batsman Michael Hussey said the concept, which might allow teams to nominate a "super-striker" who can bat more than once, could do more harm then good. “If I’m being honest I don't really agree with it (the super striker concept),” Hussey said. “I think it could take away certain players from the game. Spinners might go out of the game altogether which I think might be really sad. And I just don't think it's right - it's one of the great challenges about batting. “You get your chance, if you get out first ball, you want to appreciate your wicket so much ... if you know you've got a second chance, it doesn't sit right with me,” he added. Australia Test captain Ricky Ponting has already voiced his apprehensions on the matter, saying that CA would have a lot of convincing to do as far as the players were concerned. Hussey said the focus right now is preparation for the World Cup - to be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh - and such a concept could prove to be a distraction. “We have to be careful we have to make sure we get as many players prepared for the 50-over World Cup in the subcontinent as we can,” Hussey warned. “I’m not sure the timing is great at this time to be trialling stuff like this when we have to try to encourage spinners, we have to try to encourage blokes batting against spin bowling in 50-over cricket, because we are going to get a lot of that in the 50-over World Cup. The players will be open to some changes but it's got to be well thought out and well planned and well organised for it to work and for the public to get on board with it as well,” he added. — PTI
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Under-age sex probe: French footballers quizzed
One of the young women who is alleged to have met clients at the club had already testified to investigators earlier in the year that she had relations with the two players when she was still under age. If they are charged and convicted of soliciting and paying for sex with a minor, the pair face three years in jail and a fine of $58,000, but only if it is proved they knew she was under-age. Real Madrid striker Benzema is only 22, but missed out on this year's French team, despite playing in much of the World Cup qualifying campaign. Ribery has previously confirmed to police that he had sex with the young woman, but insists he did not know she was a minor. Benzema has not publicly addressed the allegations. The young woman, Zahia Dehar, is now 18 years and four months old. She has been questioned by police and gave a tell-all interview to the news and gossip weekly Paris Match after the scandal erupted. She described selling sexual encounters to Ribery in 2009 and to Benzema in 2008, while she was under-age, and with a third French player, 30-year-old Panathinaikos winger Sidney Govou, in March, when she was an adult. Dehar has also said the players did not know she was a minor.
— AFP |
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India thump France 6-0, pocket hockey series
New Delhi, July 20 The Indians had earlier pipped the home team 4-3 in the first match at the French National Institute of Sports and Physical Education (INSEP) ground. India will play the final inconsequential Test against France here tomorrow before leaving for Holland for the last leg of their European tour. Unlike the series opener, India totally dominated the second Test yesterday, with quality ball control and possession. Contrary to the result, the first half was little unattractive as the Indians managed just one goal. But they came back with firepower in the second session and scored goals at will to decimate the French. Sandeep put India ahead in the 12th minute from the first of four penalty corners the visitors earned when Tushar Khandker was obstructed by France defender Nicolas Monnier. Both the teams, however, missed two scoring opportunities in the opening period with Khandker and Rajpal guilty of shooting wide for the Indians while Frederic Soyez and Olivier Sanchez fumbling for France. Two minutes into the second half, Sandeep increased the lead sinking one past France goalkeeper Matthias Dierckens after Gurbaj Singh, Ravi Pal and Dharamvir Singh had done the spadework. An unmarked Rajpal then made it 3-0 in the 39th minute after he was set up by Vikas Pillay. France's misery did not end there as Sandeep shot home his third and India's fourth goal from a set piece in the 47th minute after Hari Prasad was obstructed inside the striking circle by rival team skipper Francois Scheefer. As if that was not enough, Amir Khan found the back of the French net in the 55th minute with a deft reverse deflection after combining in a swift counter attack with Bharat Chikara. India rounded off their tally three minutes later when Hari Prasad scored the sixth goal after Khandker, Vikas Pillay and Danish Mujtaba combined together to break through the French defence.
— PTI |
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Star pull outs wont affect
CWG: Sharath
New Delhi, July 20 Scottish cycling star Chris Hoy became the latest Olympic champion to withdraw from the Games recently after Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly Ann Fraser decided to skip the Delhi Games. “It doesn’t make any difference if one or two stars are not coming. Commonwealth has its own sheen and charm. It's has its own class. If someone has decided to skip the event, it's his or her choice but we will host the best Games ever,” said Sharath. “At the end, we should look forward to those players who are coming to India and participating. It's such a big event and matter of great pride to be representing your country. One should not be concerned about who is coming or not,” added Sharath, who was in the city to attend a felicitation function organised by the Table Tennis Federation of India to celebrate his recent success at the international level. World number 76, Sharath recently clinched the US Open title at Michigan on July 4 before creating history in Egypt Open in Cairo on July 11 where he become the first Indian to win an ITTF Pro Tour singles title. It would have been a hat-trick of international titles had he won the Indian Open, which was held last month in Delhi as a test event for the Commonwealth Games. He had crashed out of the tournament in the semifinals. High on confidence after bagging two international titles in as many weeks, Sharath said he is concentrating on China Open - a pro tour championship - next month to earn valuable ranking points. “It’s the highest prize money tournament and I am looking forward to come out with some good results. China is considered as power house of table tennis and competition would be extremely tough. It’s like world championship for me and I am looking to make few upsets in the top 50 list of players,” Olympian paddler said. “I am satisfied with my performance in both the tournaments (US Open and Cairo Open). Egypt win was much bigger for me and I'll savour it for rest of my life,” he said. — PTI |
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NADA gets eyes on training camps
Patiala, July 20 Though the re-sampling would be done in these cases but still it has put a question mark on whether the efforts are sufficient to check such players. Sources informed that boxer Manjeet Singh was found positive earlier also and was banned for one year. Rahul Bhatnagar, the director general, NADA, feels that this is a very serious issue. “It is a question of national pride and we will not let anyone interfere with it. Irrespective of his/her stature, we will take samples of all core probables and in case anyone is found positive, we will not let them compete. This practice will not save us from embarrassment during the games but the players will also be scared of indulging in such activities,” he said. Talking about doping, India’s boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu said, “Excessive sampling was being done by NADA, which has certainly made a difference. Lectures by doctors and doping experts are being carried out to keep players away from such substances. Also the coaches regularly inspect the players and their belongings just to ensure that everything was all right. “The most important step we have taken is that our doctors are now maintaining a record of the medicines being taken by the players in case they were ill or due to some other reason. Sometimes it so happens that players fall ill and take some medicines, which are not advisable as per the tests. That may lead to a problem.” |
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Stokes’ nomination accepted HI defies govt guidelines
New Delhi, July 20 Stokes' candidature came under scanner yesterday after the Sports Ministry made it clear that the "No Objection" given to Hockey India for the July 28 polls was conditional and would apply only on abiding with the recent age limitation guidelines of the government. Stokes, who earlier held the post of Indian Women's Hockey Federation chief, is presently 83 and as per the government guidelines no official who is 70 or above is eligible to contest elections of National Sports Federations. But Justice Justice R C Chopra approved of Stokes' nomination after Hockey India refused to go by the government's guidelines, saying the national body was bound by the Societies Act and its own Constitution. Hockey India secretary general Narinder
Batra, who was present during the scrutiny of the nomination papers today as Stokes' representative, doubted government's intention and said the conditional "No Objection" given to them last year does not mention guidelines on age. "We duly accept government's guidelines on tenure limitation of two terms of four years each. When we got the 'No Objection' from the government in August 2009, age limitation was not there. We don't accept the amendments made in the guidelines in May 2010 because they were not made with clear intentions," Batra told
PTI. "We are not governed by the government, we are governed by the Societies Act and by our own Constitution. The government has no right to interfere in our Constitution," he said. Recently, the Badminton Federation of India had also defied the government guidelines and re-elected VK Verma as its president for another term past the revised 12 years limit.
— PTI |
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Parimarjan makes poor start in Biel
Philippines' Wesley So, one of the three Asians in the fray, accounted for David Howell of England to emerge as one of the two leaders with eight rounds still remaining in the category 17 super tournament. The other three games of the first day ended in draws, leaving Rodshtein and Wesley tied at the top of the table. Six of the ten participants stand joint third while Parimarjan and Howell jointly occupy the last spot. Against Rodshtein, Parimarjan came up with a brilliant 'Novelty' on the eighth move in the Catalan opening which was certainly a fruit of his home preparation. Rodshtein fell way behind on the clock as the game progressed and Parimarjan would have been at least slightly better but for his 14th move. Parimarjan fancied his chances in the ensuing middle game complications but Rodshtein had to make a few 'only moves' that he found and when it was clear that heavy material loss was inevitable, Parimarjan called it a day.
— PTI |
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Karachi, July 20
Melbourne, July 20
Paris, July 20
A grim-faced Ribery arrived at the headquarters of the Paris vice squad with an acquaintance but refused to answer questions from reporters. Boulogne-born 27-year-old midfielder Ribery plays for Bayern Munich in Germany and was a member of France's ill-fated squad at this month's 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which went out in the first round.
Biel, July 20
KP blames strict Capello
‘No need to spend big’
BERLIN: