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Will sunny shine for Kochi? "Kochi is not the only franchisee which has approached me. I have been approached by many others even before the first auction was done. |
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Nehra wants the real Test!
Watson, Haddin back for SL series
Ponting has ‘more doubts’ about Sydney Test now
Michael Clarke walks back after being dismissed during the infamous Sydney Test.
Unreal to be named with Bradman: Tendulkar
Venkys to buy Blackburn Rovers
Women’s trio honoured
Mumbai clubs’ matches to be shifted
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Will sunny shine for Kochi?
Mumbai, October 26 The consortium, struggling to put its house in order, has also
sought more time from the BCCI to resolve its internal differences.
Gavaskar was a member of the IPL Governing Council before being ousted
due to a payment dispute some weeks ago. Kochi said it has got him on
board but the former cricketer said he is yet to take a call. The BCCI,
on the other hand, said it was unaware of Gavaskar's role in the
franchise, which is battling to end internal squabbling on how the
franchise would be run. "We consortium partners are very close to
resolving our internal differences and would like the BCCI to give us
some more time and have also sought this," franchise CEO Satyajit
Gaekwad told PTI today. "We have not defaulted on any payment to
the BCCI and just want some more time," he said. Gaekwad said
Gavaskar has already accepted the consortium's offer and that it was
done only after the cricket legend quit as a member of the IPL's
Governing Council. "We approached him after he was no longer a
member of the IPL Council to Sunil Gavaskar to act in an advisory
capacity with the franchise and he has accepted the offer," he
said. "He does not have any stakes in the franchise," he
informed. Gavaskar confirmed that he has been approached by Kochi but
insisted that he is yet to decide and has been approached by other
franchises as well. "They have asked me individually and
collectively to come in for the cricketing part of the team. I will take
a call once the internal issues are resolved," he said. Kochi call
after BCCI decision: Gavaskar
New Delhi: Former India captain Sunil
Gavaskar today denied that he has already accepted an offer from Kochi
IPL team to head their cricketing operations and said he will take a
call only after the BCCI takes a decision on the franchise's future
tomorrow at its governing council meeting. Gavaskar also denied having
any stakes in the Kochi IPL consortium and said his association if any
will be on purely cricketing matter. "I have been approached for
taking care of their cricketing operations and there is nothing in
writing. Let all their internal issues get resolved and afterwards, may
be, I will take a call on that. The association as of now is pretty much
in the air and things like formal association is not there,"
Gavaskar said. "Nothing can be said further till what's happening
today and tomorrow. Once BCCI takes a decision tomorrow, then one can
react about the future association with the Kochi franchise. If that
does not happen, I am quiet happy for what I am doing at the
moment," he told NDTV. Gavaskar said he was approached earlier
also by other franchises even before the first auction but nothing had
come out of them. "Kochi is not the only franchisee which has
approached me. I have been approached by many other franchises even
before the first auction was done. Nothing has come through. Basically,
they talk about the cricketing aspect. But I am not so sure what I am
getting at," he said. Gavaskar denied he is getting any stake in
the Kochi franchise, saying his association, if any, will be purely in
cricketing matters. "That is not correct at all. Nothing to do with
investing. Absolutely nothing," he said when asked if he is going
to have any stake in the team. Asked about the meeting of the IPL
Governing Council tomorrow in Nagpur to decide on the Kochi franchise
issue, Gavaskar said, "They are doing among themselves, I have got
nothing to do with their internal issues. I hope they sort out the
issues. "It is not an individual case, it is a case for the whole
franchise. I am not sure whether they are taking my name. But BCCI will
only look into the merits of the case. I just hope the consortium gets
together and sort out the issues. Then it will be easier for the BCCI to
take a call on them," said Gavaskar, who was recently dropped from
the IPL Governing Council. Kochi team's chief executive Satyajit
Gaikwad had claimed that Gavaskar has accepted the offer to head the
cricketing operations of the team. "We approached him after he was
no longer a member of the IPL Governing Council. WE offered Sunil
Gavaskar to act in an advisory capacity with the franchise and he had
accepted the offer," Gaikwad said. BCCI not aware of Gavaskar's
Kochi links
The BCCI today said it was not aware of the Kochi
consortium's "links" with ex-Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar,
who was a member of the IPL's Governing Council before being ousted a
few weeks ago. The fate of the Kochi consortium, which has sought some
more time to resolve its internal differences, would be decided tomorrow
in a meeting of the IPL Governing Council in Nagpur. Gavaskar has been
roped in an advisory capacity by the franchise, which says it did so
after he had been ousted from the Governing Council. BCCI vice-President
Rajiv Shukla said the Board was not aware of the consortium's
move. "We were not aware of Gavaskar's links with the Kochi IPL,"
Shukla said. "We were never informed because this issue was never
there. This is for the first time we are coming to know about this. We
will discuss the issue in the meeting tomorrow," he added. Gavaskar
was ousted from the IPL Governing Council after a reported payment
dispute. The crux of the dispute in the Kochi franchise is that who will
run the affairs of the franchise, bought from the Cricket Board for USD
333 million, once the joint venture was formed. The investors include
corporate firms Anchor Earth, Parinee Developers, Rosy Blue and Film
Wave - who hold 75 per cent of the equity. The remaining 25 per cent has
been given to the family of Gaekwads - Shailendra, his brother Ravi and
their parents plus a few others, all part of the group of promoters -
Rendezvous Sports World - as free equity for services rendered in
successfully bidding for the franchise. The Board had given the
franchise 10 days' time on October 10 to resolve their internal
differences and the franchise responded by submitting a letter to the
BCCI on the last day of the deadline - October 20. — PTI |
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Modi offers to be available in London for interrogation
Mumbai,
October 26 "Its nothing new and from day one we have been saying
that he's willing to be interrogated. Now Modi is willing to bear the
cost of ED's appropriately authorised Commission to interrogate him in
the Indian High Commission in London," Abdi told PTI
today. Maintaining that the Modi camp was fully co-operating in the
investigations, Abdi said such an action was permissible under section
131 of the Income Tax Act. "The ED authorities can appoint a
Commission to take statement and collect information. It's not anything
new and is permissible under the law," he said. "The offer is
that he will be available for questioning for as many days as they want
in London. The other alternative is through video conferencing,"
Abdi said. "The only reason for all these is because Modi faced a
threat to his life in India, which is known to the Mumbai
police". The ED has already issued a Blue Notice - an
international alert to law enforcement agencies to obtain information
about a person's identity and activities -- against Modi in its probe
into the finances of the Twenty20 league. — PTI |
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Nehra wants the real Test!
New Delhi, October 26 "I
had never said that I will not play Test cricket again. It was just that
initially after my comeback, I wanted to concentrate on the ODIs and
Twenty20s. Now that I am back in the national side for one and half
years, I feel confident to make a comeback in the Test fold. I will like
to make myself available for selection during the South Africa Test
series," Nehra told PTI today. The senior pacer, who last played
against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in April, 2004 has taken 44 wickets from
17 Test matches apart from his 146 ODI scalps from 108 matches. He will
be travelling to NCA to continue a strict fitness regimen as he won't be
playing in the Test series against New Zealand. — PTI |
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Watson, Haddin back for SL series
Melbourne, October 26 "The selection of this One-day squad marks the start of a very important summer of One-day cricket for the Australian side as it continues its preparation for the ICC Cricket World Cup in the Indian subcontinent," NSP Chairman Andrew Hilditch said in a statement. "The squad sees the return of Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson after missing the Indian One-day series and also the return of Brad Haddin from injury," he said. The return of the trio, however, shut the door on the explosive David Warner and Callum Ferguson, who were part of the squad for the just-concluded ODI series against India but did not get a game after two of the three matches were washed out. Australia lost the series 0-1. "Unfortunately this has meant that both David Warner and Callum Ferguson who were in India with for the One-day series have not been selected. This makes way for the return of several of our key batsmen," Hilditch said. "It is a pity neither player got an opportunity in India due to the weather, but both players will return to interstate cricket and look to score plenty of runs and press for selection during the summer," he added. On the bowling front, Mitchell Johnson returns to lead the attack after being given a break. "We have several key fast bowlers out of the side at present with injury, but this does create a great opportunity for several or our young fast bowlers in Mitchell Starc, John Hastings and Clint McKay to continue to gain experience on the international stage. — PTI
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Ponting has ‘more doubts’ about Sydney Test now
Melbourne, October 26 And the latest report about ICC knowing about Majeed's activities but choosing not to issue a warning during the match has only added to the suspicions surrounding it. "I probably have a few more doubts now that there have been some allegations made about some of the finer points and littler things that happened during that Sydney Test match," Ponting told 'ABC' channel. "The one thing I'm very protective of though is the performance that we put up that day ... touch wood the Sydney Test match is not one that has anything untoward happening out of it because I really feel that coming off the ground that day, that's one of the proudest moments of my career," he added. But Cricket Australia chairman James Sutherland said he still firmly believes that the match, which the Aussies won after a stunning Pakistani collapse, was clean. "That's scuttlebutt that is to be proven. I trust that is the subject now of a proper investigation by the ICC and we can get to the bottom of that, because if there is any truth to that then that's obviously something of great concern to cricket fans and cricket administrators all over the world," Sutherland said. ICC not to investigate Sydney Test: Lorgat
The International Cricket Council will not re-investigate the Sydney Test between Australia and Pakistan despite being confronted with reports that it knew of suspected match fixer Mazhar Majeed's "activities" during the game. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said the governing body did not have "sufficient evidence" to warn the Australian authorities about Majeed's activities during the January series. Australia won the Sydney Test after Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse and committed several fielding errors.
— PTI |
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Unreal to be named with Bradman: Tendulkar
Tendulkar is the only Indian in the team which features four Australians, three West Indians, two Englishmen and a Pakistani. "It would have been great to play in this dream team, to walk out with Bradman after lunch, or build a partnership with Viv Richards, and talk to Sobers about cricket," Tendulkar told ESPNcricinfo. "Just playing and having a conversation with them about cricket. I would have liked to have asked (Jack) Hobbs and (Len) Hutton what it was like to play on uncovered wickets, who were the best bowlers they had faced, and of course, the mental aspect of the game," the 37-year-old, who has been in international cricket for over two decades, added. Tendulkar said he is glad that he played with or watched live nearly 60 per cent of the selected side. "I played with Malcolm Marshall in county cricket, I played against Viv Richards in an exhibition game, and Lillee bowled to me at the nets at the MRF Pace Academy, when I was 15," he said. "It was such a thrill. I remember I called my brother and said to him that Dennis Lillee had bowled to me. So to now find myself in this company is unreal. I first met him when I was 12. Pace legend Wasim Akram, the only Pakistani to have made the elite XI, said it was one of his biggest achievements to be named in the star-studded line-up. "I never thought I would play for Pakistan, let alone be picked for an all-time World XI like this. It is a very special thing, to be picked by these judges and even more of an honour to be in the same team as guys like Sir Don Bradman, Sir Viv Richards, Sir Garry Sobers, Sachin and the others," he said. "A lot of people ask me who was the best bowler I ever saw. Imran was great, no doubt, very hardworking and shrewd. Dennis Lillee I never really saw, but people tell you obviously about how good he was. But when I rate a bowler, I look at how he did around the world, on different pitches in England, the subcontinent and Australia, and Malcolm Marshall, I feel, was the best of the lot," he added. Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who currently plays in the Indian Premier League, said, "to be one of only four Australian players to be chosen is an absolute honour, although I do think there were several other wicketkeepers, like Rod Marsh, Ian Healy, Mark Boucher or Alan Knott, who could have easily been picked ahead of me in this team." — PTI
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Venkys to buy Blackburn Rovers
Venkys' chief Anuradha J Desai added: "We expect to be the first Indian company to acquire a Premier League team and we are particularly delighted that the team is Blackburn Rovers, with whom we believe we have many shared values and ambitions.” The V.H Group, of which Venkateshwara Hatcheries P Ltd is the flagship company, specialises in poultry farming and claims to be the “largest fully integrated poultry group in Asia”. Its diversified businesses interests include food processing, animal healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Its website said its valuation was $300 million, while Indian media reported the company are likely to pay 40 million pounds ($63.51 million) for Rovers if the deal
materialises.
When contacted by Reuters on Tuesday, a company spokesman said they would be releasing a statement later in the day." Blackburn, managed by Sam Allardyce, are fourth from bottom in the league - one place above the relegation zone - with nine points from as many games. Last week Allardyce had backed new investment for the the 1995 Premier League champions, who were put up for sale by the Jack Walker Trust three years ago. “The club has been up for sale for some time and new investment would be most welcome," Allardyce said on Friday. “It would seem that things are progressing and maybe we are getting closer to a decision.” In September, investment company Western Gulf Advisory (WGA) said that they were conducting due diligence on Rovers. A WGA spokesperson told Reuters in an email on Tuesday they were still interested in purchasing the club but "did not wish to comment on the current developments". — Reuters
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Wayne’s vacation Roo-ined?
And fellow diners watched in astonishment when a glass was accidentally broken as Rooney argued with 24-year-old Coleen. "It was a sad scene. We're fans and wanted to go over and say hello, but staff stopped us," the Sun quoted one onlooker at the trendy Sea Fire restaurant in Dubai's vast Atlantis resort as saying. "I don't know how it happened, but a glass was accidentally smashed as they argued," the onlooker added. The British mum of two, who was dining nearby with her husband, added: "They've got all the money in the world now but didn't look happy. They've obviously still got problems." Another Brit tripper was shocked by the apparent coolness the pair showed towards each other at their fabulous seven-star Burj al Arab hotel. She said: "I saw them in the hotel lobby when there were no fans or photographers anywhere near and their relationship looked very strained. She was sat down while he stood a little apart from her.
— ANI |
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Women’s trio honoured
Ludhiana, October 26 |
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Mumbai clubs’ matches to be shifted
Mumbai, October 26 |
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On This Day:
In 1977, Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara was born.
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Playing on
Saturday