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Sachin scared of me: Akhtar
Condolences pour in for Pataudi
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Afridi’s retirement has become a joke: Akram
Shahid Afridi
Two support races for Indian Grand Prix
Saina Nehwal storms into Japan Open semis
Saina Nehwal
Jeev 8th, Anirban 29th in Asia-Pacific Panasonic golf
Jeev Milkha Singh
Real Betis go top with perfect record
Geoff Marsh named new Lanka coach
Warriors win thriller
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New Delhi, September 23 In his just-published biography " Controversially Yours", the temperamental Pakistan speedster has accused Tendulkar of being scared to face his scorching pace on a slow Faisalabad track. He also claimed that Tendulkar and Dravid were not match-winners nor did they know the art of finishing games. "....Vivian Richards, Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara and the likes of them are great batsmen who dominated with the bat and were truly match-winners. Initially, when I bowled against Sachin, I found these qualities missing. He might have had more runs and records, he lacked the ability to finish the game," he said in the book, to be formally launched on Friday. Akhtar, who announced his retirement during the World Cup this year, also cited an example where he felt that Sachin was mighty scared to face him. "We would have faced a humbling defeat in the series but for the fact that we reined in Sachin Tendulkar. What went in our favour was that Sachin was suffering from tennis elbow! This severely handicapped the great batsman. We managed to psychologically browbeat him. "We bounced the ball at him and were able to unnerve him. I returned to the dressing room that first day with the knowledge that Sachin was not comfortable facing fast and rising ball. He was distinctly uncomfortable against me. That was enough to build on", he said. "I bowled (Sachin) a particularly fast ball which he, to my amazement didn't even touch. He walked away! That was the first time, I saw him walk away from me — that, too, on the slow track at Faisalabad. It got my hunting instincts up and in the next match I hit him on the head and he couldn't score after that", Akhtar wrote. The 36-year-old Akhtar, who had scalped 178 wickets in 46 Test and 247 I wickets in 163 ODIs, said that Tendulkar and Dravid who have together conjured over 56,000 international runs (over 33,000 by Tendulkar and over 23,000 by Dravid) are not "match winners". "I think players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid weren't exactly match winners to start with, nor did they know the art of finishing the game," Shoaib said. Akhtar who played for Shah Rukh Khan co-owned Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL has accused the Bollywood superstar and former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi of "cheating." "Shahrukh and I talked about my not being happy with the money settled on me. Shahrukh and Modi got me to agree. I should have never listened to Modi and Shahrukh," he said in the book. He didn't stop short of calling Shoaib Malik a "stoodge of PCB chairman Naseem Ashraf" and that's why he was made the captain. — PTI
I think players like Sachin Tendulkar (pic) and Rahul Dravid weren't exactly match winners to start with, nor did they know the art of finishing the game. Shahrukh and I talked about my not being happy with the money settled on me. Shahrukh and Modi got me to agree. I should have never listened to Modi and Shahrukh.
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Condolences pour in for Pataudi
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, September 23
“On behalf of the International Cricket Council (ICC), I condole the passing of ‘Tiger’ Pataudi who was one of India’s greatest, most charismatic and flamboyant captains,” Pawar said in a statement. “Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi was a man of exceptional talent who turned out to be an inspiration to millions of cricketers, not only in India but across the globe. It was an honour and privilege to have known him. “Mansur Ali Khan became a true darling of India cricket due to his on the field heroics and off the field easy manners. After retirement, he maintained his close association with the game in different capacities, including as a commentator. Whenever he shared his views on the game, they were taken seriously as they were considered to be coming right from the bottom of the heart of one of India’s greatest servants of the game. He will be sorely missed,” Pawar added. ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “I was sad to learn of the demise of India’s iconic former Test captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. I had grown up as a young cricketer hearing about his achievements and had only met him for the first time during The Oval Test on 22 August where he had come to present the Pataudi Trophy to the England team…,” he said. Haryana CM Hooda expresses grief
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has expressed grief over the passing away of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi yesterday. In a condolence message, Hooda said that in Pataudi’s death, the country has lost a great cricketer. He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the members of the bereaved family and prayed that the departed soul might rest in peace. Anirudh Chaudhary condoles death
Haryana Cricket Association general-secretary Anirudh Chaudhary expressed his shock and grief at Pataudi’s demise. Chaudhary said Pataudi’s death had caused an irreparable vacuum, particularly for Haryana cricket, as he was very keen for the development of the game in the State. Choudhary said he had recently met Pataudi to seek his advice and guidance for the grass-root development of the game in the State and the former Indian captain had promised his help in the matter. Randhir extends condolences
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) secretary-general Randhir Singh also conveyed his condolence on Pataudi’s death. “It was extremely sad to learn about the passing away of Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, the ninth Nawab of Pataudi. He was an outstanding sportsman and a great human being. He will be deeply missed among the Indian sports fraternity,” Randhir Singh said in a message. |
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Afridi’s retirement has become a joke: Akram
New Delhi, September 23 Afridi, who announced his retirement earlier this year after differences with the team management, recently expressed his desire to make a comeback after head coach Waqar Younis' tenure came to end with the conclusion of the Zimbabwe tour. But Akram slammed such whimsical tactics of the all-rounder and said Afridi should make up his mind "once and for all" about his retirement. "Shahid Afridi is making things too complicated for the Pakistan Cricket Board. Cricket is a team game and not an individual sport. You have to treat the interests of the team and the management above your individual preferences. So I think Afridi should decide once and for all whether he wants to retire or not," Akram said. "His (Afridi's) retirement has become a joke now. You can't play cricket on your own terms. "You will have difference with your coaches, with your chairman and with your colleagues but it should not show in your outlook. At the end of the day you are representing your nation -- Pakistan," the legendary left-arm pacer told Mobile ESPN. Incidentally, after being appointed Test captain in 2010 Afridi quit after just one match, citing lack of form and inability to play the longer version of the game. His next retirement episode came just after leading Pakistan to the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup. After the World Cup, Afridi was replaced as captain by Misbah-ul-Haq and in protest he announced his conditional retirement, citing differences with coach Waqar. — PTI
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Two support races for Indian Grand Prix
New Delhi, September 23 The organisers released the race calender today according to which the first practice session for the race will be held at 1000hrs on October 28 and the second at 1400hrs on the same day. The third and final practice session will take place at 1100hrs on October 29, three hours before the crucial qualifying session. The 60-lap race will start at 1500hrs on Sunday, the October 30. The Delhi championship and the JK Asia series will have two races, one each on Saturday and Sunday. "We are thrilled to be hosting the first ever F1 Grand Prix in India and intend to make this the most compelling race of the year. “The excitement, about the race and the circuit, has built up considerably and our aim is to make this a complete and memorable experience for all our guests," Sameer Gaur, MD and CEO of JPSI said through a press release. — PTI
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Saina Nehwal storms into Japan Open semis
New Delhi, September 23 The fourth-seeded Indian defeated Juan 21-17, 21-13 to make the last-four stage, where she will take on Germany's Juliane Schenk. Saina was facing Juan after almost three years and the Indian dominated her world number 23 rival just the way she did in 2008. Saina opened a massive 18-9 lead and it all seemed like a stroll in the park but Juan fought back for a while to reduce the gap to 19-17. But the Indian was unruffled by the fightback and clinched the opening game by notching up three successive points after that. Saina's domination only increased in the second game and she relied on her trademark smashes to clinch the issue with ease. The 21-year-old Hyderabadi has a good chance of reaching the finals as well, as she has a good one-on-one record against Schenk. The two have faced each other seven times so far with Saina emerging winner on five occasions. They last played against each other in the 2010 Hong Kong Open with Saina emerging the winner. — PTI
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Dunedin, September 23 Australia, beaten by Ireland last week, remain on course for a probably quarter-final meeting with South Africa but their hopes of becoming the first team to win the Cup having lost a match could be undone by a spiralling injury list. On Friday they lost centre Robert Horne (fractured cheekbone), number eight Wycliff Palu (hamstring), fullback Pat McCabe (dislocated shoulder), centre Anthony Faingaa (knocked out in the final minute) and fullback Kurtley Beale (hamstring). It was the last thing the Wallabies needed from a match that was only ever going to produce one result as their backs ripped through some shaky defence en-route to an 11-try victory, with winger Adam Ashley-Cooper scoring three of them in seven second-half minutes. The U.S. had rested most of their first team with an eye on their midweek clash with Italy as they seek to win two tournament matches for the first time and though they battled strongly and scored a try through JJ Gagiano in the first half they were eventually blown away. Australia's scrum, poor against Ireland, was totally dominant on Friday and the backline revelled in the time and space they had to create some excellent tries. "We spoke about being a bit smarter with our decision-making and the scoreline was flattering but I guess the best thing about the performance was the way we went about it," said captain Will Genia. The Wallabies will have concerns about their goalkicking as Beale, Quade Cooper and replacement flyhalf Berrick Barnes all had a go but managed to miss five of the 11 conversion attempts between them. The Tri-Nations champions will hope that first-choice kicker James O'Connor recovers from his hamstring strain in time for the quarter-final, when such profligacy could prove costly. All eyes now turn to Saturday, when England's game against Romania in Dunedin is the mere Hors d'oeuvre for the Eden Park showdown between New Zealand and France. As if the most eagerly-awaited match of the pool stage was not already big enough, it has been given an extra coat of gloss by serving as the occasion for Richie McCaw to become the first All Black to win 100 caps. — Reuters
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Jeev 8th, Anirban 29th in Asia-Pacific Panasonic golf
Shiga (Japan), September 23 Jeev (69), a four-time winner in Japan, was lying tied eighth, while Anirban Lahiri (69), two-over after first round, added a two-under 69 to make the cut in tied 29th place. The cut came at three-over as SSP Chowrasia (74-72) missed the cut by one. Manav Jaini (74-75) and Jyoti Randhawa (71-78) missed the cut by seven shots, while Shiv Kapur (77-74) missed it by 11. Sujjan Singh shot 77 and 76. Jeev, after making up for his slow start on the first day said, "It was windy out there and it was difficult to judge the distance because of the wind but I want to thank my caddy (Janet) for doing a great job today. I hit the ball really well today and I'm glad I've managed to put myself in good position." The six-time winner on Asian Tour and who finished fourth last week in Macau Open, added, "I look forward to the weekend as I can continue to work on my game and make it better. I think my driving was much better today as compared to yesterday. I'll just stay patient and calm and try to manage myself well on the golf course out there over the weekend. I think that's the key to winning." Korea's SK Ho battled his way back into contention by posting a bogey free five-under-par 66 to take the second round lead. — PTI
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Real Betis go top with perfect record
Madrid, September 23 It has been a remarkable start for the Andalusian side who have taken the top flight by storm with their adventurous attacking football after a season in the second division. Roque Santa Cruz scored the first of a double yestereday fter just seven minutes and Salva Sevilla extended the lead from the penalty spot before Efrain Juarez pulled a goal back for Zaragoza still before half time. Betis never looked particularly secure at the back but another penalty this time from Benat Etxebarria and Santa Cruz's second on 49 minutes gave them a comfortable cushion. However midway through the second half Betis keeper Casto Espinosa rashly darted off his line and was red carded for upending Luis Garcia despite the fact that he did have defenders behind him. — AP |
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Geoff Marsh named new Lanka coach
Colombo, September 23 Marsh, who was previously attached with the Zimbabwean team, has given up his current job with IPL side Pune Warriors for the two-year term with Sri Lanka. After Bayliss' departure, Sri Lanka experimented with his deputy Stuart Law and Rumesh Ratnayake. Marsh was in Sri Lanka to watch his son Shaun score a debut Test hundred earlier this month. Marsh played 50 Tests and 119 ODIs for Australia. He was a member of the World Cup winning side in 1987. He became a level 3 qualified coach after retirement and was incharge of Australia from 1995 to 1999, becoming the first cricketer to win the World Cup both as player and coach. He took over as coach of Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2004 and also worked as a national selector for the Australian team. — PTI |
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Bangalore, September 23 Earlier, useful contributions from the batsmen helped Royal Challengers Bangalore post a challenging 172 for eight. Sent into bat, RCB got off to a flier despite the early loss of opener Mayank Agarwal, with the big-hitting Chris Gayle going after the bowlers in his customary style from the word go. After Gayle got out while trying to hit Parnell after scoring 23 off 14 balls, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers kept the scoreboard moving by playing some effective shots. While Kohli scored 34 off 29 balls with the help of four boundaries, de Villiers contributed 31 off 25 and hit two sixes and a four. Thereafter, Saurabh Tiwary made a breezy 28 that came off only 15 deliveries. During his whirlwind knock, Tiwary smashed two sixes and as many fours before falling to Nicky Boje. Earlier, the Warriors were off to a perfect start as Lonwabo Tsotsobe removed Agarwal with the fourth delivery of the match. Gayle along with Kohli then steadied the innings with a 33-run stand before the later got out. — PTI
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farewell tiger — Imran Khan
It's really sad to hear the news. I had met him a few times and he would say he would actually see two balls and had to figure out which one was the actual delivery. I was a huge fan of him. In real life too, he was larger than life. — Deep Das Gupta On that tour to Australia there was a late night party and he wanted to play a practical joke. He told me to come up to him during the party and ask when was he going back to India for his wife's birthday and I did so. Next day there was a heading in the newspaper. He was that kind of a man. — Chandu Borde He was a great fielder, better than any one else in the current Indian team. Whatever he did, he did well till he was thrown out (by the casting vote of selection panel chairman Vijay Merchant). He was a gutsy cricketer. He did well as captain, batsman and fielder. — Nari Contractor I am deeply shocked and grieved to hear about the demise of the cricketing legend Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi. His death is an irreparable loss to the cricket fraternity and to the Indian cricket in particular. — K Rosaiah, TN Governor Tiger’s long association with Bhopal
Pataudi, also known as 'Tiger', had played an influential role in the development of both cricket and hockey in the city. He had started a cricket tournament in Bhopal in the 70s in the memory of his father and cricketing greats like Sunil Gavaskar took part in it. He also served as the Bhopal Hockey Association chief for sometime. Former hockey Olympian, Aslam Sher Khan told PTI that both Pataudi and his father Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan rendered invaluable services to cricket and hockey. "While Tiger did not play for the Indian hockey team, his father, who was also a cricketer, donned national colours in the Olympics," he said. "Tiger maintained his connection with Bhopal at all times and did all he could for development of sports in the city," he said. Being the son of Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Begum Sajida Sultan of Bhopal, Pataudi inherited two titles of 'Nawab', which was an uncommon thing. — PTI
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Pakistan cricket's enfant terrible Shoaib Akhtar has stirred yet another controversy, this time questioning the class and temperament of India's batting stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul
Dravid.
national team has not gone down well with former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim
Akram, who termed the maverick all-rounder's retirement from the game "a joke".
Afridi, who announced his retirement earlier this year after differences with the team management, recently expressed his desire to make a comeback after head coach Waqar
Younis' tenure came to end with the conclusion of the Zimbabwe tour.
New Delhi, September 23
Indian contingent even as four others missed the midway cut in the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open here today.
Jeev (69), a four-time winner in Japan, was lying tied eighth, while Anirban Lahiri (69), two-over after first round, added a two-under 69 to make the cut in tied 29th place.
The cut came at three-over as SSP Chowrasia (74-72) missed the cut by one. Manav Jaini (74-75) and Jyoti Randhawa (71-78) missed the cut by seven shots, while Shiv Kapur (77-74) missed it by 11. Sujjan Singh shot 77 and 76.
Akhtar throws a beamer
Bhopal: Former India cricket captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who died in New Delhi last evening, had a long association with Bhopal, where he was born.