Jaipur, December 16
Despite being banned for life by the BCCI, former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, on Monday, defiantly filed his nomination for the December 19 Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) elections, prompting a livid BCCI to threaten the RCA with suspension.

Modi's nomination papers for the post of RCA president were filed by his lawyer Mehmood Abdi, who himself is aiming for the vice-president's post in the elections scheduled on Thursday.

Abdi was accompanied by Amin Pathan, the secretary of the Kota District Cricket Association and a close confidante of Modi, to do the paperwork on the last day of the nominations. The scrutiny would be done on Tuesday, while December 18 is the date for withdrawals. The polling would be held on December 19 between 11 am to 2 pm.

However, a livid BCCI has shot off a letter to the incumbent RCA president C P Joshi, who has decided against contesting the polls.

“We find that the Nagaur Cricket Association has allowed Lalit Modi as president. We wish to remind you that as per the BCCI rules and regulations, all members, including the RCA, are bound to follow the decision taken and directives issued in the interest of the BCCI, especially those related to disciplinary proceedings,” the letter from BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel stated.

“The RCA stands to lose its rights and privileges as a BCCI member if the expelled administrator of the BCCI is allowed to remain an office-bearer of one of your district units. Therefore, kindly comply with BCCI directives and report the same to us,” it added.

As things stand, Modi can get elected unopposed in the polls given that no one else has filed a nomination for the top post. His faction already claims to have the support of 24 district units out of a total of 33.

Modi was banned for life by the BCCI from all cricket matters in India after being found guilty of financial bungling during his stint as the IPL commissioner but the suspension was stayed by the Rajasthan high court in October, only to be pulled back recently.

Modi's legal counsel had claimed that since the RCA was governed by the Rajasthan Sports Act, the BCCI ban was not applicable on the former BCCI vice-president.

“He has security concerns so we won't be seeing him here for some time but he can contest,” said Abdi after filing the nomination.

Asked if the RCA would be run with Modi in absentia in case he goes on to win the polls, Abdi said, “There is no need for him to be physically present all the time, he has a team under him and it can work under his guidance and leadership.”

“Even Mr C P Joshi was not there all the time in office, we can in fact count the number of days he was there in office,” he added.

It is worth recollecting that it was under the regime of the BJP CM Vasundhara Raje that a Sports Act was formulated to the pave way for Modi's entry and the ouster of the Rungta clan from the RCA in the 2005 elections. With Raje taking over as the Rajasthan CM, Modi seems to be on his way back. — PTI

JOhannesburg, December 16
South African pacer Morne Morkel fired the first salvo ahead of the two-match Test series, starting December 18, stating that the young Indian batsmen will miss 'Sachin Tendulkar’s patience' in the middle and they should be prepared to face some hostile bowling from the home side.

Morkel said it would be interesting to see how the young Indian batsmen cope with the South African pace battery without the likes of Tendulkar in the side.

“Sachin was a batsman who could bat for a long time and put the opposition under pressure. He was the rock for their batting,” said Morkel. “These young Indian batsmen are quality players. We can clearly see from the ODI series that they are attacking batsmen. It will be interesting to see how they go about this,” he added.

Tendulkar retired from all forms of cricket after playing his 200th Test against the West Indies in Mumbai last month. His departure left a huge void in the Indian team and that will be most visible when the Test series begins.

“Like I said, they are all quality guys. Rohit Sharma has been scoring runs off late and Cheteshwar Pujara can bat for time at number three. Even R Ashwin averages 40 at the back-end of their line-up. So we need to make use of the early morning conditions with the new ball. We need to be on the money from Wednesday itself, otherwise they can score quickly and at Wanderers, sometimes it can be a high scoring game,” he said.

The tall pacer feels that India failing to get any practice during the practice game will go in South Africa’s favour. “When I heard the news that they did not have even a ball at Benoni, I felt it will definitely be something in our favour,” said Morkel.

“Because the pitch at Benoni can also be a bit tricky at times. I think that could have been good practice for them. So it is definitely some sort of bonus for us that they were stuck to indoor nets or open net-practice. Out there in the middle, it's a completely different ball game.” Morkel, however, felt his side should not be carried away by the listless show by the Indians so far in the South African tour.

“It is going to be crucial how we use the pace and bounce. But we need not to get too carried away. The Indian bowlers struggled to find right lengths in the first ODI and it takes some time to adapt to the conditions here. So we need to be smart about using the conditions as well,” he added. — PTI

Perth, December 16
A dominant Australia were five wickets away from reclaiming the Ashes after hammering England with the bat and reducing them to 251 for five with the ball at the end of the fourth day of the third test at the WACA on Monday.

Shane Watson hit a quickfire hundred to help Australia set a 504-run target for England. — Reuters

Ben Stokes, who was 72 not out after scoring his maiden test half-century, and Matt Prior (7) will resume on Tuesday with the tourists still trailing by 252 runs and needing to bat through the final day to keep the series alive.

Shane Watson earlier smashed 73 runs off 40 balls for a spectacular century and George Bailey equalled the Test record for most runs from a single over before Australia declared at 369 for three some 40 minutes before lunch. Requiring 504 runs for an unlikely victory, England’s worst Test session for a long time had not quite reached its nadir and Ryan Harris sensationally bowled Alastair Cook for a golden duck with the first ball of the innings.

“To have a license to take on the game was a lot of fun,” said all-rounder Watson, whose ballistic 103 included 11 fours and the five bludgeoned sixes. “We're confident. Absolutely. A good night sleep will freshen up our bowlers to be able to have a really good crack first thing in the morning.”

England, shell-shocked after Australia's morning assault, did at least slow down the home side's momentum after lunch with Michael Carberry (31), Joe Root (19) getting starts.

Kevin Pietersen was also well set on 45 when, in a move unlikely to appease his critics, he strode down the wicket to take on spinner Nathan Lyon, sending the ball high into the sky but failing to clear Harris at the long-on boundary.

Ian Bell's 99-run partnership with Stokes for the fifth wicket ended when the TV umpire determined his attempted uppercut had nicked a Peter Siddle delivery to Haddin for 60.

"We're still hanging in there, and that's the important thing. We need to take tomorrow as deep as we possibly can, keep showing some fight," said Bell. "We need the two guys who are out there now to take it to lunch. We've just got to keep on fighting. "It was the morning of intense drama and some high farce, though, that put Australia on firmly track for a victory that would give them an unassailable 3-0 series lead and ensure the return of the urn.

Brief scores: England 251 and 5 for 251 (Stokes 72*, Bell 60); Australia 385 and 369 for 6 decl (Watson 103). — Reuters

Bailey hits 28 off Jimmy’s over, equals Lara’s record

Australian batsman George Bailey equalled Brian Lara's Test record for most runs off an over against England in Perth on Monday. Bailey matched the feat when he took the same tally off paceman James Anderson in the final over of Australia's second innings on the fourth day of the third Test. Bailey's 4,6,2,4,6,6 matched West Indies great Brian Lara's record of most runs off one over in Test cricket, which he achieved by hitting South African Robin Peterson for 4,6,6,4,4,4 in the Johannesburg Test in the 2003-04 season.

New Delhi, December 16
The Indian hockey teams, both senior and junior, have often been guilty of buckling under pressure in big events. A reason why the captain of the senior team, Sardar Singh, on Monday, called for roping in a qualified psychologist to work on the mental preparation of the players.

The just-concluded Junior World Cup was the recent example of Indian players' mental weakness — despite being tipped as title contenders the hosts crashed out in the pool stages to eventually finish a disappointing 10th.

Sardar said he hoped the senior national side got a psychologist before Hockey World League final round to be held here from January 10-18. “I feel we need a psychologist with the team as early as possible. We even discussed this thing with (Hockey India's High Performance Director) Roelant Oltmans. When we were watching India's Junior World Cup matches from the stands, the players looked to be playing under pressure,” Sardar said.

“I felt that they were finding it difficult to handle the pressure of playing in front of home crowd.”

“Last time Hockey India said they were going to try to rope in a psychologist and I am sure Oltmans will tell HI our views. I hope before the World League Final, we will get the services of a psychologist.” “In the Dutch league, my team Bloemendaal lost first four games. Then the coaches there analysed why we lost and had one-on-one sessions with all the players. After that we won five games in a row,” added Sardar.

“Our focus is on Hockey World League Final and we hope to do well there. 2014 is very important year for us and we will try to give our best,” he said. — PTI

Hubli, December 16
A rare century by skipper Vinay Kumar, followed by purposeful bowling, led by Abhimanyu Mithun, had Karnataka on the verge of victory over Punjab in their Ranji Trophy match here today.

Mithun captured three for 26 from 11 overs, as Punjab, in pursuit of 331 for avoiding an innings defeat, slumped to 156 for five in their second innings at stumps on the third day at KSCA Stadium.

Right-hander Gurkeerat Singh Mann was the only Punjab batsman to show some resistance with an unbeaten 56.

Vinay, who cracked his first first-class hundred, was undefeated on 105, as the hosts reached 505 for nine in their first innings before declaring their innings.

Punjab’s second innings started badly as they lost three wickets with just 35 on the board, with Mithun bagging the wickets of Mandeep Singh (12) and Uday Kaul (3).

Mithun struck again in the 27th over to remove Jiwanjot Singh for 32. Half an hour away from close of play, Taruwar Kohli, who spent nearly two-and-a-half hours in the middle for his 30, was cleaned up by Vinay.

New Delhi, December 16
The Indian hockey teams, both senior and junior, have often been guilty of buckling under pressure in big events. A reason why the captain of the senior team, Sardar Singh, on Monday, called for roping in a qualified psychologist to work on the mental preparation of the players.

The just-concluded Junior World Cup was the recent example of Indian players' mental weakness - despite being tipped as title contenders the hosts crashed out in the pool stages to eventually finish a disappointing 10th.

Sardar said he hoped the senior national side got a psychologist before Hockey World League final round to be held here from January 10-18. “I feel we definitely need a psychologist with the team as early as possible. We even discussed this thing with (Hockey India's High Performance Director) Roelant Oltmans. When we were watching India's Junior World Cup matches from the stands, the players looked to be playing under pressure,” Sardar said.

“I felt that they were finding it difficult to handle the pressure of playing in front of home crowd.”

“Last time Hockey India said they were going to try to rope in a psychologist and I am sure Oltmans will tell HI our views. I hope before the World League Final, we will get the services of a psychologist.”

“In the Dutch league, my team Bloemendaal lost first four games. Then the coaches there analysed why we lost and had one-on-one sessions with all the players. After that we won five games in a row,” added Sardar.

Sardar said the pressure of expectations did not help the Indian youngsters at all in the Junior World Cup. He added that with a number of big events lined up, including the senior World Cup and Champions Trophy, 2014 would be a big year.

“Our present focus is on Hockey World League Final and we hope to do well there. 2014 is very important year for us and we will try to give our best,” he said. — PTI

Get over the glorious past, plan for the future: Walsh

Newly-appointed coach of the national men's hockey team Terry Walsh feels India needs to stop harping on its glorious past and focus on building a strong development programme, which is the need of the hour.

Walsh, who took over the reigns of India last month from compatriot Michael Nobbs, was straight-forward in his reply when asked about the corrective measures for India, a nation which has won a record eight Olympic gold medals in hockey in the past.

“We can't keep on harping about our past. It is not going to help us because the game has evolved over the years,” Walsh said.

“When India was winning its eight Olympic gold medals, other countries had already started to put in place their development programmes and they are reaping the dividends today.”

“We need to put in place a correct structure as soon as possible. We need a strong development programme. By development programme I mean we need to build our base from the grassroots level, we need to work with kids of 8-10 years. —PTI

New Delhi, December 16
Sachin Tendulkar might have retired from all forms of cricket last month but the Indian batting legend says the feeling is yet to sink in that he would not playing the sport anymore.

“It still has not hit me yet that I am not going to play cricket anymore for India. But I manage to play with my son. It has been fun,” Tendulkar told NDTV.

After nearly a quarter of a century of cricket, Tendulkar bade an emotional adieu to international cricket after playing his 200th Test against West Indies in Mumbai last month.

“It has been hectic. There has been things happening around. Since last month, I have spent a fair amount of time with my family, which I was looking forward to it,” he said.

“I enjoy watching cricket and so is my son and I know cricket cannot be far away from me,” he said.

Tendulkar, who was awarded along with star actor Rajinikanth by NDTV for being among the top 25 living legends, said: “It has been a fantastic experience meeting him (Rajinikanth). What a man. There are many players who come to the Indian team from southern India. So there are unbelievable fans of Rajni sir and so am I.

“It was a pity that I was not able to meet him earlier because I didn't have access to him. It was kind of him to meet me this morning. I am absolutely floored by his humility,” the 40-year-old batting icon said.

“I was really happy to know that he watches cricket, we discussed about various matches like India-Pakistan matches,” he added. — PTI

London, December 16
Andre Villas-Boas was sacked as Tottenham Hotspur manager on Monday as two Premier League thrashings in three weeks exposed the side’s frailties despite a transfer outlay of over 100 million pounds during the summer.

Spurs were humiliated 5-0 by Liverpool in front of their own fans on Sunday, having been thrashed 6-0 by Manchester City last month, and the club announced the Portuguese coach’s departure “by mutual consent” in a statement on their website.

The former Porto coach, who took over in July 2012, lasted longer than in his previous job at Chelsea, where he was sacked eight months into his first season. — Reuters

Guwahati, December 16
Olympic medallist MC Mary Kom’s autobiography “Unbreakable” was unveiled by former Miss Universe and actor Sushmita Sen at IIT, Guwahati, on Monday.

Mary was born in Manipur to landless agricultural labourers and her story is one of relentless struggle and unflinching passion for boxing. A childhood of hard labour prepared her body for the sport just as well as any kind of training might have. Fighting against all odds, Mary has made the boxing ring her dominion.

“My struggle has been one that many in our country face, especially women. I decided to write about my story because I wanted to inspire others. If I could achieve what I have, so can everyone else. One must have passion, dedication and faith in oneself and all dreams can come true,” Mary said.

In the book, Mary talks about her tough childhood, her rebellions and how she held her own in the male bastion of boxing. 

London, December 16
Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, the first British winner of the men’s title for 77 years, was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year on Sunday.

The 26-year-old Scot, who was not at the awards ceremony in Leeds because he is training in Florida following a back injury, edged out Wales and British & Irish Lions rugby union fullback Leigh Halfpenny and jockey AP McCoy to win the award.

Murray was presented with the trophy by Martina Navratilova. — Reuters

Patiala, December 16
The 38th Liberals All India Hockey Tournament got off to a colourful start at the lush green hockey grounds of Punjab Public School, Nabha here today.

In the opening encounter, Sikh Regimental Centre (SRC), Ramgarh Cantonment, comfortably got the better of Liberals XI, Nabha, by a 5-2 margin.

Liberals XI opened their account through Amritpal Singh in the second minute. SRC levelled the score in the 11th minute when Karanpreet converted a penalty corner.

After ending the first half at 2-2, the army men took control of the game and scored in quick succession in the 38th, 45th and 50th minutes to gain an unassailable 5-2 lead.

In the other match, Bengal Engineer Group, Roorkee, proved too good for Baba Farid Academy, Faridkot, beating the young team 3-0. 

BRIEFLY

Man City face Barcelona in Champions League
London: Manchester City's fear of drawing one of Europe's big guns in the Champions League round of 16 was realised on Monday when they were handed a daunting tie with four-times winners Barcelona. Holders Bayern Munich will play Arsenal at the same stage for the second successive season while Chelsea hero Didier Drogba will make an emotional return to west London with current side Galatasaray following Monday's draw. Nine-times winner Real Madrid take on Schalke and last season's runners-up Borussia Dortmund will play Zenit St Petersburg, who scraped through with six points after winning only one of their six group games. French champions Paris St Germain will play Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid were paired with AC Milan.

Bedi to fight elections against Jaitley in DDCA
New Delhi: Former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi on Monday announced his candidature against Arun Jaitley for the post of the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president in the upcoming association elections scheduled for December 30. “Yes, I have decided to contest for the president's post in the upcoming DDCA elections. It's time that one stands up and protests against the manner in which the association is being run," 67-year-old Bedi said on Monday. Asked as to what prompted him to fight the elections, Bedi was prompt in his reply, “Don't you guys see what kind of financial bungling has happened in the state association over the years? "

Mahesh first Indian to win Bratislava squash event
New Delhi: Teen sensation Mahesh Mangaonkar became the first Indian squash player to win the IMET Open, the PSA World Tour Challenger 5 event, in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava. The five-game victories over the event's top two seeds led to Mahesh making a breakthrough appearance in the sixth edition of the IMET Open. The 19-year-old World No. 98 from Mumbai downed two-time champion Jan Koukal, the top seed from the Czech Republic, 13-11, 11-8, 9-11, 7-11, 13-11 in the semifinals in 98 minutes, and then lined up against defending champion Greg Lobban, the No. 2 seed from Scotland, who was celebrating his third successive appearance in a Tour final.