Sunday, May 23, 1999
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S P O R T | Sunday, May 23, 1999 |
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SA prove superiority with 122-run
win LONDON, May 22 — Favourites South Africa scored a crushing 122-run win over hosts England to emerge the first team to propel into the super six stage at the World Cup today. Lanka score 4-wkt victory WORCESTER, May 22 — Sri Lanka put together an unconvincing batting effort Saturday to beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in group "A", its first victory in the World Cup tournament. |
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 LONDON: South African opener Herschelle Gibbs (right) plays a shot to leg watched by his opening partner Gary Kirsten during their World Cup cricket match against England at The Oval in south London on Saturday. — AP/PTI Bangladeshis happy with team’s showing DHAKA, May 22 — Millions of Bangladeshis were thrilled today that they did not lose without a fight. |
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Decision
on India’s protest on Monday Aussies
in crunch match against Pakistan The
best of Shoaib yet to come: Akram
Indian
fans selling tickets at half price Olonga
enjoys fame at World Cup World
Cup hits life in Patiala Cronje
to be boss after World Cup Woolmer
likely for Warwickshire Srinath
outclasses Derepasko in final |
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SA prove superiority with 122-run win LONDON, May 22 (PTI) — Favourites South Africa scored a crushing 122-run win over hosts England to emerge the first team to propel into the super six stage at the World Cup today. Veteran fast bowler Allan Donald captured four wickets for just 17 runs as he led a fearsome South African attack that ripped the England batting apart to bowl them out for a paltry 103 runs in 41 overs after being restricted to a modest 225 for seven at the oval. The Proteas reiterated themselves as the team to beat at the tournament as they scored their third straight win to claim six points and go clearly on top of group ‘A’. England gave themselves a game chance of causing an upset when they had South Africa reeling at 168 for seven, but Lance Klusener blasted 48 off only 40 balls in yet another brilliant late charge to guide his team to a fighting total. The hosts began their chase on a disastrous note only to never recover again as the South African bowlers struck at regular intervals. Only Graeme Hick (21) and left-hander Neil Fairbrother (21) managed to offer any semblance of resistance. South Africa can look forward to completing a clean sweep in the group as they meet lightweights Kenya on May 26 and the other African rivals Zimbabwe in their final tie. England, who have four points from two wins and today’s defeat, play Zimbabwe on May 25 and take on India in their final match on May 29 at Edgbaston. Donald’s stunning show was superbly complemented by fellow pacemen Jacques Kallis, who fired out both openers to finish with two for 29, and Steve Elworthy who finished with two for 24. The world’s best fielder Jonty Rhodes added flair to South Africa’s professional triumph by taking two catches, including an out-of-the-world effort to dismiss Robert Croft off Lance Klusener with the England innings already in the doldrums. Kallis struck in the very first over when he had England skipper Alec Stewart, considered the best player of pace in the side, leg before for nought. Kallis, who bowled with admirable control and produced late movement, then dismissed the other opener Nasser Hussain (2) in the very third over before the varied South African attack steadily overcame the England batsmen. Left-hander Neil Fairbrother offered some resistance, but rarely got any strike as batsmen at the other end were kept quiet and then packed off. Donald trapped Fairbrother leg before with a superb delivery that straighted after pitching after skipper Hansie Cronje led the brilliant South African fielding efforts with a catch inches off the ground to dismiss Darren Gough off Steve Elworthy. Earlier, Gough (2/33), left-arm paceman Allan Mullally (2/28) and Mark Ealham (2/48) took two wickets apiece to produce a South Africa collapse after opener Gary Kirsten (45) and Herschelle Gibbs (60) gave a splendid 111-run opening wicket stand. South Africa Kirsten c Stewart b
Ealham 45 Extras (lb-7, w-5) 12 Total (for 7 wickets in 50 overs) 225 Fall of wickets: 1-111, 2-112, 3-112, 4-127, 5-146, 6-168, 7-168. Bowling: Gough 10-1-33-2, Fraser 10-0-54-0, Mullally, 10-1-28-2, Croft 2-0-13-0, Ealham 10-2-48-2, Flintoff 8-0-42-1. ENGLAND: Hussain c Boucher b
Kallis 2 Extras (LB-4, W-9, NB-1) 14 Total (all out in 41 overs) 103 Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-6, 3-39, 4-44, 5-45, 6-60, 7-78, 8,97, 9-99. Bowling: Kallis
8-0-29-2, Pollock 9-3-13-1, Elworthy 10-3-24-2, Donald
8-1-17-4, Klusener 6-0-16-1. |
Lanka score 4-wkt victory WORCESTER (England), May 22 (AP) — Sri Lanka put together an unconvincing batting effort Saturday to beat Zimbabwe by four wickets in group "A", its first victory in the World Cup tournament. After medium paceman Pramodya Wickremasinghe took 3-30 to restrict Zimbabwe to 197 for nine, Sri Lanka struggled to 198 for six to win with 24 balls to spare. The long overdue win, the first from three matches played, gives Sri Lanka an outside chance to qualify for the next stage in which six of the 12 nations will advance. To do that it must win its remaining two matches against India at Taunton on May 26 and Kenya at Southampton on May 30 to join South Africa and probably England to qualify from group A. Sri Lanka was struggling on 157 for six in the 39th over before Romesh Kaluwitharana (18) and Chaminda Vaas (17) combined in an unbeaten 41-run partnership to see the side through. Needing just four runs an over, Sri Lanka were comfortably placed on 75 for one but collapsed against the medium pace of Guy Whittall, who finished with 3-35 in 10 overs. Roshan Mahanama (31 off 64 balls) and Marvan Atapattu, who hit a Man of the Match winning 54, combined for a 62-run stand after losing left hander Sanath Jayasuriya for six in the sixth over. The pair batted for 14 overs before Whittall forced Mahanama to play on. Atapattu, who has struggled for runs, kept calm and with a willing partner in a talented Mahela Jayawardene (31 off 36 balls), put Sri Lanka back on track. Atapattu's 15th half century in his 72nd match came of 90 balls and included four boundaries. Earlier, Wickremasinghe bowling first-change ripped the heart out of Zimbabwe's batting with a three-wicket burst, vindicating Ranatunga's decision to bowl first in helpful condition. SRI LANKA: Jayasuriya c Goodwin b
Johnson 6 Extras (LB-6, W-21, NB-5) 32 Total (for six wickets, 46 overs) 198 Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-75, 3-93, 4-108, 5-150, 6-157. Bowling: Brandes 8-0-28-0, Johnson 7-1-29-1, Streak 8-1-30-2, Whittall 10-1-35-3, Olonga 9-0-50-0, G. Flower 2-0-10-0, Strang 2-0-10-0. Zimbabwe Johnson c Wickremasinghe
b Upashantha 8 Extras (lb-3 w-6) 9 Total (for nine wickets) 197 Fall of wickets: 1-21 2-34 3-78 4-81 5-89 6-94 7-162 8-162 9-176. Bowling: Vaas
10-1-47-0, Upashantha 10-1-43-1, Wickremasinghe
10-1-30-3, Jayawardene 1-0-8-0, Muralitharan 10-2-29-2,
Jayasuriya 7-0-28-1, De Silva 2-0-9-0. |
Bangladeshis happy with team’s showing DHAKA, May 22 (AFP) — Millions of Bangladeshis, who were glued to televisions or radios to witness their team battle the West Indies at the World Cup, were thrilled today that they did not lose without a fight. "Our team played very well as they put up a good fight even if they lost at the end," local sports reporter Zahid Newaz said. It was a much happier reaction than after the team’s dismal performance in its World Cup debut match against New Zealand. Newcomers Bangladesh made a respectable 182 against the West Indies yesterday before losing by seven wickets. They lost to New Zealand by six wickets after collecting only 116 runs. Their display yesterday must have relieved their coach, former West Indian star Gordon Greenidge, who accused them of playing "crazy cricket" in their opener against the Kiwis. Bangladesh’s cricket fans are now pinning their hopes for a win on the match with fellow minnows Scotland. Opener Mehrab Hossain, the only Bangladeshi to score an official one-day century and who led the fight against the West Indies yesterday with a spirited 64, was the talk of the town. Newspapers ran numerous pictures and stories on him in a shift of sentiment from coverage of the New Zealand match, in which they had castigated Bangladesh’s performance. A Dhaka daily said Hossain’s family offered special prayers after his performance, but opted to watch him play from separate locations, in line with a family superstition. "When we all watched him play together he could not perform ... He hit the first century in an international when we watched separately," his father, Mosharraf Hossain, who stayed at work to watch the match, explained. The Bangladeshi Prime Minister Ms Sheikh Hasina, who witnessed the match, telephoned the team at half-time. She "conveyed her
good wishes to the team and encouraged the skipper to put
up a good fight during the West Indian innings," the
official, BSS news agency reported. |
Pressure mounts on Azhar BRISTOL, May 22 (PTI) — "I have not been bothered at all by what people have to say about my captaincy," Mohammad Azharuddin was quoted as saying last week. "If he doesn’t care, he does not know what wrong he is doing," says Bishan Singh Bedi, former India captain. But, deep inside, the Indian cricket captain knows that the heat is on and that his critics want him to be sacked. And the number of his critics is swelling. When he takes the field against Kenya in the World Cup match here tomorrow, Azharuddin’s stakes will be very high as will be those of his team. Another failure with the bat or an unlikely defeat at the hands of unfancied Kenya could spell the end of the road for this gifted batsman. Statistically, Azhar has done well as India’s captain. But he is no leader of men. Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan’s description of Azhar as "India’s biggest problem" finds full endorsement from Bedi, a staunch critic of the Indian captain. "Why was he thrust on the team as captain," an indignant Bedi asks. "Imran Khan himself was not a great captain, but was a great motivator. He led by personal example. Azharuddin is neither a captain nor a motivator,’ says the yesteryear spinner. Bedi terms Azharuddin’s communication skills as "terrible" and goes on to add, "nobody in the team talks to him, nor does he talk to anyone except when it is essential on the field," he says. What lends substance to Bedi’s criticism of Azharuddin’s communication skills is the kind of statements that the Indian skipper makes from time to time. He has averaged 26.20 in his last 10 one-day internationals and yet asked whether his personal form with the bat caused him concern, Azharuddin told ‘The Sportstar’ a few days ago: "Not at all. I am confident of myself. This is not the first time I’ve failed to score runs." After making 31 runs in two matches of the current World Cup, the Indian skipper had this to say yesterday: "It is not as if I am not timing the ball and my feet are not moving well." Azhar says he is not bothered by criticism but the truth is otherwise. When pressure builds on him, he attacks the media. After a disastrous defeat at the hands of Pakistan in Jaipur two months ago, he had this to say to journalists who criticised his captaincy. "We should stop all this rubbish now. This is a crucial time for Indian cricket and such baseless accusation is creating differences in the team and harming the players, the board and cricket itself." His team coach Anshuman Gaekwad, who should share the blame for the failures of the Indian team, wrote from England in his column in ‘India Today’, "Azharuddin has been very relaxed, fooling around with the boys and even bowling at the nets." As for the captain’s critics, Gaekwad had this to say: "As someone said in England, he doesn’t worry about opening the newspapers and reading about another unnecessary debate on whether he should be captain." Brave words these, but
Azharuddin and his team coach know that the knives are
already out. The next few days will determine whether the
two survive. |
Sachin's return boosts India's morale BRISTOL, May 22 (PTI) — When Mohammad Azharuddin leads India in the match against Kenya here tomorrow, he will be playing not only for India’s chances in the World Cup but also his own future in the twilight of his career. The Indian team, a butt of ridicule, anger and dismay for millions of fans after their stunning loss to Zimbabwe at Leicester, however have received the biggest boost in star batsman Sachin Tendulkar’s return. Tendulkar, who missed the Zimbabwe tie as he had to airdash to Mumbai after his father’s death, has put his team and country before personal grief and that by itself should be inspiration enough for the hitherto directionless Indian side. Wayward bowling, irresponsible batting and unimaginative captaincy have all plagued the Indian side since its failure to cash in on a good start against favourites South Africa in their opening tie. Tendulkar, who arrived at London’s Heathrow Airport this morning, joined the team straightaway at the nets to lift the spirits of his team-mates. India, seeking their first points going into their third tie, will still have to be wary of Kenya, who have also lost both their previous outings. But the unheralded African side stunned the West Indies in the 1996 World Cup at Pune and India would be bracing up to prevent any more jolts that would pack them off the tournament in disgrace. The Neville Road ground clash tomorrow should put India into the winning mode, but they will have to sort out the problem of wayward bowling and wides first. While Tendulkar will replace left-hander S Ramesh, who made a confident 55 as the master batsman’s stand in. They are almost certain to leave out erratic paceman Ajit Agarkar and include Debashish Mohanty as the third seamer. Agarkar proved very expensive against both South Africa and Zimbabwe, conceding too many extras to go for 59 and 70 runs respectively. Though all teams have been guilty of bowling wides, India will have their task cut out after giving away 51 extras -including 21 wides and 16 no balls - against Zimbabwe. This resulted in India bowling 6.1 overs more to be docked four overs for slow over-rate and go down by three runs. India will have the ideal chance to regroup against rank outsiders Kenya, who lost to Zimbabwe and were crushed by nine wickets by hosts England. Kenya will be looking to make nothing more than a mark, with stylish Steve Tikolo, who made a strokeful 71 against England, among the best talent in their ranks. A crushing victory will be the ideal tonic for India as they face a very difficult task of having to beat both Sri Lanka and England in their final two ties for a place in the super six. Kenya have their own woes, with 20-year-old medium pacer Jimmy Kamande reported for throwing in their opening tie against Zimbabwe and will not be taking further part in their World Cup campaign. The side led by Asif Karim has a set of allrounders. Their bowling holds no terrors to any seasoned side, their batting has shown some flourish with Tomas Odoyo and Kennedy Otieno among the known names. Alpesh Vadher had also helped himself to a fifty against Zimbabwe and another spirited showing from the African side can be expected. The Kenyan batting has acquitted itself well. They made 229 for seven in their five-wicket loss to Zimbabwe and 203 batting into the final over against hosts England. Teams: India (from): Mohd Azharuddin (capt), Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Ajay Jadeja, Robin Singh, Nayan Mongia, Javagal Srinath, Anil Kumble, Venkatesh Prasad, Debashish Mohanty, Nikhil Chopra. Kenya (from):
Asif Karim (capt), Kennedy Otieno, Ravindu Shah, Steve
Tikolo, Maurice Odumbe, Hitesh Modi, Thomas Odoyo, Alpesh
Vadher, Tony Suji, Martin Suji, Joseph Angara, Mohd
Sheikh and Dipak Chudasama. |
Mother prompted me to return:
Tendulkar BRISTOL, May 22 — It was at his mother’s prompting that Sachin Tendulkar returned to England today, only two days after his father’s funeral, to serve his motherland. Stoic in his grief, the master batsman told reporters here on his arrival from Mumbai: "It was my mother who prompted me to go and attend the nation’s call. She said even my father would have liked me to go and do my duty." Arriving in London this morning, Tendulkar was driven to Bristol from Heathrow and joined his team-mates at 11 a.m. He was there at the ground this afternoon with all attention on the star. "I decided only yesterday on coming back and I am thankful to my mother, my wife (Anjali) and family members who were so encouraging and wanted me to do my duty. "The entire nation too it seems wanted me to be back," Tendulkar said. Tendulkar sported dark glasses and looked composed as many walked up to him to offer their condolences. His team-mates too looked eager to do their bit to help him relax. Despite the severe personal loss, Tendulkar’s concern was all about the team. All through his flight to Mumbai on Wednesday, he kept asking the flight purser about the Indian team’s position against Zimbabwe at Leicester. Tendulkar said his father meant a world to him. "It’s a personal loss, what else..," he said, talking slow and in a lower pitch. He kept admirable control of himself, though his voice would quiver occasionally at the mention of his father to whom he was extremely close. On tomorrow, tie against Kenya which India has to win to keep their World Cup hopes alive, Tendulkar said: "I realise this match is important and we are keen to make a winning impression." Coach Anshuman Gaekwad marvelled at Tendulkar’s composure and said he had no words to describe his best player’s gesture. "I spoke to him yesterday, rather to his family last night, and came to know he was coming," he said. "We will do what is
best in our capacity to keep Sachin’s mind diverted
and occupied. In any case, he is a restless person,"
Gaekwad added. PTI |
Decision on India’s protest on Monday BRISTOL, May 22 (PTI) — The fate of India’s protest over its World Cup match against Zimbabwe and demand for a rematch will be decided on Monday. England Cricket Board (ECB) spokesman Andrew Walpole said the ICC technical committee will meet the Indian team management to decide over the issues raised in the protest. While Walpole refused to say when the meeting would take place, Indian board secretary Jaywant Lele said in Mumbai that the protest would be taken up by the three-member technical committee at 11 a.m. (local time — 3.30 p.m. IST) on Monday. The Indians had filed a protest on Thursday about the reduction of number of overs during the fielding restriction period from 15 overs to 13 after they had exceeded the time-limit of three and a half hours to bowl their 50 overs. The Indian innings, consequently, was reduced to 46 overs with two further clauses: the field restriction will extend to 13 overs only and only two bowlers can bowl ten overs. The Indian protest was based on the fact that such reduction only takes place when the match is curtailed. In this case, India was being penalised for slow over-rate. Even if they were to bat 46 overs, no reduction in field-restriction overs should have taken place. India’s position is based on the "ambiguity" of the tournament format about the rules which states: "If the team fielding first fails to bowl the required number of overs by the scheduled time for the cessation of the first session, play shall continue until the required number of overs have been bowled". The rule continues: "Unless otherwise determined by the referee, the innings of the team batting second shall be limited to the same number of overs that are bowled by the scheduled time for the cessation of the first session...." The rule says only this much and its interpretation by West Indian match referee Cammie Smith has upset the Indian camp and led to their lodging the protest. Despite India’s protest, Peter Burge, South African match referee for India’s tie against Kenya today said he would also act as Smith had done at Leicester on Wednesday. Burge, who spoke to ICC officials on the issue, said he had also been asked to do the same (as Smith) if a similar situation were to arise here tomorrow, dimming Indian hopes for a favourable verdict on their protest. "As far as I am concerned, if a similar situation was to arise here, the team batting second will have its overs reduced to 46 overs and the fielding restrictions will apply only till the 13th over," he said. Burge could not give a clear explanation after reading the relevant portions of the rule, but said he was given the impression before the tournament by the technical committee that in case such things happen, the team batting second will have a reduced fielding restriction in force. He said when Scotland was docked one over for slow over rate against Pakistan, he had applied field restrictions only for 14 overs during Scotland’s run chase. "Whenever I go for a toss with the captains, I tell them there are three penalties for slow over rate — monetary and reduction in overs and field restrictions," he added. However, former international umpire Piloo Reporter in Mumbai said India are on solid ground over the issues raised in the protest. Reporter, who officiated in the 1992 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand, however, said any protest against the decision of a match referee should be lodged within 24 hours of the conclusion of the match. Since the protest is over some of the decisions of Cammie Smith during India’s match at Leicester against Zimbabwe on May 19, the protest should have been lodged by evening of may 20 for it to be entertained by the ICC technical committee. The three-member panel comprises Sunil Gavaskar (India), Ali Bacher (South Africa) and Glenn Turner (New Zealand), according to Indian board secretary Jaywant Lele who confirmed that India lodged the protest within 24 hours of the match. In the official protest lodged with the ECB, the team management has disputed the following points: 1. Reduction in the number of overs in the Indian innings to 46 when they batted second; 2. Number of overs for which field restrictions were applied; 3. Monetary penalty imposed on the team. Reporter said Smith seemed to have clearly erred on point number two while point number one is co-related to point number three. The playing conditions also support the issue raised by India in point number two, he said. Relevant portion of playing condition 5 states: when the number of overs for the team batting second is reduced (in this case to 46), the aim will be to maintain the above fielding restrictions for the same proportion of the second innings as they were maintained for the first innings (fractions to be ignored). When Zimbabwe batted first, the field restrictions were in operation for 15 overs but when India started the run-chase the field restrictions were applied only for 13 overs. "Uniform conditions should have been provided for both the teams. Even if the team chasing the target has to get it in only 25 overs, there should be field restrictions for 15 of these if team batting first had enjoyed identical field restrictions", Reporter elaborated. Regarding point one, and
its corollary point three, Reporter said the two on-field
umpires and the referee in consultation decide how many
overs the team fielding first has to be penalised after
taking into consideration time lost for which the
fielding team was not responsible. |
Aussies in crunch match against Pakistan LEEDS, May 22 (PTI) — Australia, smarting from the upset by their trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand, will be under great pressure to prove their Cup winning credentials when they go into a high-profile clash of the titans against Pakistan in a World Cup group ‘B’ match here tomorrow. The clash between two former champions, billed as one of the feature ties of the first round, has gained even more importance as Australia struggle to remain in contention for a second round slot. Pakistan on the other hand, are a confident lot after two impressive wins over the West Indies and Scotland and would be looking for revenge for home defeats to Australia earlier this season. The Asian powerhouse has only one worry — their top order failed in both their matches and it was left to the lower order and skipper Wasim Akram to wage a fightback to leave enough runs for their superb bowling attack to defend. The toss could be vital as the teams square up at the Headlingly cricket ground and Australian pace duo of Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming would be eager to exploit seaming conditions in the morning bowling first. But Pakistan have remarkably combined as a team and their pace attack — the fiery Shoaib Akhtar has proved more than a handful opening the attack with the wily Akram and Young seamers Azhar Mehmood and Abdul Razzak have looked sharp — will look to torment the Aussie batsmen struggling to click. Akhtar, Akram and Razzak each took three wickets in their 94-run victory over Scotland and Akram has warned that Akhtar was yet to touch his fastest. Both the Waughs, skipper Steve and Mark, failed against the Kiwis who pegged them to a modest 213. The added worry would be opener Adam Gilchrist failing twice as pinch hitter. The onus would be on one-day specialists Michael Bevan and Darren Lehmann to provide the thrust. Australia would also have enough worry over the form of leg spinner Shane Warne, who was taken apart as Chris Cairns propelled New Zealand to a smooth five wicket win to throw the 1987 champions on the defensive. "Everyone has got to lift their game 10 per cent, not just some player," said skipper Steve Waugh. "We didn’t play well and we’ve got to improve. It’s as simple as that." Steve Waugh will be looking for his team to lift itself many notches as his captaincy is also under the spotlight. Australia, though wary of making panic changes, may give veteran all rounder Tom Moody a chance to display the effectiveness of his slow medium stuff. Both Shane Lee and Adam Dale have been far from impressive forcing Aussies on a rethink on their combination. Pakistan captain’s main worry however is his team’s poor fielding. "The boys will rise to the occasion against Australia but I think it will be a good game between two of the best teams in the competition," he said. Akram conceded the batting has not clicked. "That is because the boys are still getting used to the moving ball. I am telling them to adjust to the swing," he said. Apart from being on-field rivals, the two teams share bitter relations. In 1994, Shane Warne and Mark Waugh accused veteran bat Salim Malik, who will be in for Ijaz Ahmed who is nursing a toe injury, of offering them a bribe to lose a match. The incident caused a controversy which is still dogging Pakistan cricket, where inquiries into match-fixing are in their final stages. Teams: Australia (from): Steve Waugh (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Shane Lee, Tom Moody, Shane Warne, Damien Fleming, Adam Dale, Glenn McGrath. Pakistan:
Wasim Akram (captain), Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Abdul
Razzaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed, Yousuf
Youhana, Moin Khan, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mustaq, Shoaib
Akhtar. |
The best of Shoaib yet to come: Akram LONDON, May 22 (UNI) — Pakistan pace sensation Shoaib Akhtar ripped through Scotland’s top order to finish their World Cup group B match as a contest — despite operating at only 80 per cent effort. That at least was the claim of skipper Wasim Akram, who predicted that the young fast bowler would be steaming in with much more venom when the unbeaten Pakistanis clash with Australia in group B on Sunday. It was cold comfort for Scotland, though, whose already forlorn hopes of chasing 261 for six at Chester-Le-Street on Thursday were as good as over after Shoaib had finished an opening spell of three for six in five overs. Wasim (three for 23) also delivered on the pace front to take two early wickets himself, before Gavin Hamilton (76) inspired a mini-revival that ensured Scotland were not undeservedly embarrassed although they still ended up losing by 94 runs. Everything had looked very different at the riverside when Pakistan had been put in and stumbled to 92 for five against a swinging white ball, but they were rescued principally by man-of-the-match Yousuf Youhana (81 not out) whose stands with Moin Khan (47) and then Akram (37 not out) transformed the game. Along with rising star Youhana, though, it was Shoaib extreme pace that left the lasting impression. Wasim will be expecting much more of his young destroyer later in the tournament and he said : "You do not have to bowl 100 per cent all the time’". "I think Shoaib will be bowling quicker against Australia. You do not always have to pull effort out all the time. You can get away with 80 per cent". Scotland captain Geroge Salmond said "he is as quick as anything we have faced", four days after coming up against Australian paceman Glenn McGrath at Worcester in their opening match. "If he is not going on full effort when you get 90 miles an hour. There is not much difference between 90 and 92 or 93 — it is all pretty quick". Salmond was nonetheless pleased with the way his team had responded to the challenge of regaining some pride after their innings lurched to 19 for five. "We have made it a defeat of less than 100, which at one stage did not look possible", he said. "I think in the field we have been quite aggressive and at 92 for five it is at times like that your dreams start to get on a bit of a roll", he added. Meanwhile, Wasim
concentrated most of his comments on the state of the
wicket as well as complaining about the inadequate
preparation available to Pakistan because of poor weather
and poor facilities. |
World Cup diary BUBLIN (Ireland), May 22 (AP) — As Ireland hosted their first World Cup match at the Clontarf Cricket Ground in Dublin yesterday, one of their greatest cricketing heroes was too busy at work to make it to the game. Not exactly a celebrity in a land where sports like Gaelic football, soccer and rugby dominate, Doug Goodwin entered cricket folklore by taking five wickets when Ireland humbled the touring West Indies in 1969 by bowling them out for 25 in a one-day match. But the former right arm medium pacer couldn’t make it to Friday’s game. Now a bookmaker, he was at work taking bets for the match. The 1969 vanquished team included a young Clive Lloyd, the current manager of the West Indies side that defeated Bangladesh at Clontarf. Lloyd went on to lead the West Indies team that won the inaugural World Cup in 1975. Ireland have been involved in international cricket at various levels since the 1820’s but have never emerged as a cricket power and their great moments are limited. So defeating the West Indies even if in a non-recognised match, takes pride of place. "The conditions on the day were perfect ... For us. The pitch was damp, green and wild," Goodwin recalled on Thursday while watching the West Indies warm up at Mallahide Club, where he is a much loved member. "They had played against England at Lords the previous day — which was like a concrete pitch in comparison, so we definitely had the upper hand," he added. Goodwin, who played 43 times for Ireland, took 5 wickets for 6 runs in Ireland’s nine-wicket victory and was a worthy ‘man of the match’. Ireland’s most prominent all rounder, Alec O’Riordon, was the other nemesis, returning 4 for 18. "It wasn’t the best West Indies side ever," Goodwin admitted. Sir Garfield Sobers had stayed in London for treatment of an injury and Lance Gibbs, who did come to Ireland, didn’t play. "But it was the highlight of my career," he said. London: The World Cup could well take the credit for it: Christie’s auction house yesterday sold 97 per cent of its cricket memorabilia including a bat signed by W.G. Grace, Donald Bradman and other cricket greats. The sale at Christie’s South Kensington totalled £ 86,037 ($ 137,659) with immense interest from lovers of the sport worldwide. The top lot was a watercolor entitled ‘The match, Circa 1892’, which sold for £ 14,950 ($ 23,920). The estimate was £ 800-1,200 ($ 1,280-1,920). It shows a cricket match in progress, with a man smoking a pipe while he watches. The autographed bat fetched £ 3,450 ($ 5,520). A set of lillywhites cricketer’s companions from 1866-1885 went for £ 1,150 ($ 1,840) while a toast rack with the divisions modelled as cricket bats with stumps and bails at the ends sold for £ 483 ($ 772). Mr Mark Ghahramani,
cricket specialist at the auction house, said: "We
had worldwide interest in the auction both on the
telephones and in the saleroom, reflecting the universal
appeal of cricket, possibly enhanced by the cricket World
Cup taking place at the moment." |
Indian fans selling tickets at half price LONDON, May 22 — Disappointed by their team’s poor performance thus far, thousands of Indian cricket fans are selling off their tickets at half price. Hundreds of tickets for tomorrow’s India-Kenya group ‘A’ clash are passing hands at very "low premium". The tickets, brought at heavy premium before the start of the World Cup, are being offered at almost one third of the price by disappointed fans. Thousands of whom have travelled from home to watch India’s campaign to regain the title it won here in 1983. The World Cup organisers had earlier announced that tickets for the matches featuring India had been sold off weeks before the start of the tournament on May 14. "We are now getting offers that some may be returned," inquirers at Bristol ground, venue for the India-Kenya tie, were told yesterday. Thousands of local fans of Indian origin and others who had flown all the way from India had formed an "Indian fan club" and are following the team wherever it is playing. "A lot of us have now given up," said Vinod Patel from Leicester, who along with 20 others had tickets for all the Indian matches. Meanwhile, the Cup organisers here said they have not received any official complaint from Zimbabwe, whose team bus was reportedly stoned by Indian fans. (PTI) * * * "I'm no Rhodes" England’s cricket World Cup star Nasser Hussain has dismissed here suggestions that his fielding was on the same level as Jonty Rhodes. Hussain, who has excelled for England at backward point — the same position occupied by his rival — went further on Friday, arguing that the South African was the best fielder the game had ever seen. "I believe South Africa have the best fielder there has ever been in Jonty," Hussain said. "Saving 10 runs and pulling off a run-out can be the difference in a one-day game". Hussain, drafted into the World Cup squad after Michael Atherton had to withdraw through injury, described himself as "a grafter, a worker". Rhodes, nicknamed "Rubber man", first made his name in the 1992 World Cup when he ran out Pakistan’s Inzamam-ul Haq with a full-length dive into the stumps. (AFP). * * * Waugh warns Aussies Every Australian player must lift their game or prepare for an early flight home, according to captain Steve Waugh. Australia meets Pakistan at Headingley tomorrow and after Thursday’s five-wicket loss to New Zealand the match would be of great significance for Australia, because they simply cannot lose. Everyone has got to lift their game 10 per cent, not just some players, Waugh said. We didn’t play well and we’ve got to improve. It’s as simple as that. The team will sit down and think about what we’ll do. We’ve got three games to get it right or we will be going home. Australia must find some cure for the sluggishness that prevailed in the games against Scotland and New Zealand, while several players are yet to reach their own pre-tournament hype. Opening batsman Adam Gilchrist and all-rounder Shane Lee are struggling for form, while the team management might look at giving the new ball back to Glenn McGrath after the experiment to open with Damien Fleming and Adam Dale had little success. And with some batsmen struggling for form, they won’t be encouraged by the news that Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has been saving himself for the game at Headingley and is yet to bowl at full speed in this year’s tournament. UNI * * * World Cup support South Africa’s cricketers have demonstrated their support for their country’s bid to host football’s 2006 World Cup as they prepared for Saturday’s crunch meeting with England at the oval. Member of the Hansie Cronje’s team, the cricket World Cup favourites, wore T- shirts claiming: "I support the South Africa 2006 World Cup" at the nets at the Oval on Friday morning. South Africa are in competition with England, Brazil and Germany to host the tournament and a decision is expected by FIFA, the world governing body, early next year. Cronje said "It’s nothing less than an anomaly that, as the new millennium approaches, Africa is still waiting to host its first Olympic Games or soccer World Cup finals and we believe the time has come for the situation to be addressed". "We have the
infrastructure, we have the stadiums, we have the people,
we have desire. In so many ways, South Africa 2006
represents an opportunity which international sport
should find extremely difficult to resist". (UNI) |
Olonga enjoys fame at World Cup LONDON, May 22 (AFP) — Zimbabwean pace bowler Henry Olonga was, wisely, lapping up his sudden and unexpected World Cup stardom yesterday. He knows as well as anyone that it may not last. Sporting fame is often as fickle as it is fleeting. Olonga turned from villain to hero in the space of five balls against India on Wednesday. The journey back could be just as quick. Against the Indians, the 22-year-old from Matabeleland had conceded 17 runs in three overs — two of them took nine balls to complete after he slung down six wides — when he was handed the ball again, right at the death. Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell admitted it was "a gut decision — not a cricketing one." India needed nine to win off 12 balls, with three wickets in hand. Olonga’s wild opening spell had suggested he could not have hit a barn door from five paces. Yesterday headlines, however, were still lauding the man for what followed — three wickets in five balls and an improbable three-run victory for Zimbabwe. The dreadlocked Olonga — whose first ball in international cricket went for four wides — looks more like a rap singer than a cricketer. "I had a chance to go to the Royal Academy of Music in London, but did not pursue it," he said. "I have a good voice as well. I love Gilbert and Sullivan." Nor did he continue with the idea of becoming a full-time athlete. "I was running times of a little over 10 seconds for the 100m, a shade under 22 seconds in the 200 and jumping more than seven metres," he said. "My coach was adamant I could have gone to the Olympics as a decathlete." His decision to try cricket instead seemed set to backfire four years ago. Zimbabwe’s first black player, he was called for throwing against Pakistan and his career was under threat. Olonga, however, persevered, rebuilding his action with the help of Australian legend Dennis Lillee. Today he is on the way to becoming the finished product. All he lacks is match toughness. A committed Christian, Olonga admits: "I have had to cultivate a killer instinct as a fast bowler because it does not come naturally to me." He even apologises to batsmen when he hits them. Genuinely quick, he knows the one-day game is not particularly suited to his style. But he also knows that,
whatever happens next, he has already given Zimbabwe the
chance of reaching the second phase of the World Cup for
the first time in their history. |
World Cup hits life in Patiala PATIALA, May 22 — The cricket World Cup is proving to be a bane for some and a boon for others in this city. The half a dozen cinema houses here, are feeling the pinch with their box office collections registering a sharp dip ever since the beginning of the Tournament. There has also been a phenomenal rise in the number of absentees in government offices. Sources confirm that Jalandhar-based film distributors have developed cold feet and will not bring any new releases till June 20. Hundreds of shops starting from the bustling Dharmapura Bazar to the Quila Chowk have also fallen on hard times. A big showroom dealer revealed that the sales, since the start of the Cup, are almost negligible. The situation turns worse when India are playing. The superintendent in a government office, preferring anonymity showed a pile of applications to this correspondent in which employees had given vague reasons for taking leave. The reason given by one employee is a ‘fractured foot’ but the same employee can be seen jogging in the morning in front of the Baradari cricket grounds. A leading businessman of
the city has roped in eleven ‘pundits’ who are
performing ‘yagna’ at Haridwar praying that his
favourite team, South Africa win the Cup. The businessman
has placed a bet with a Calcutta-based bookie and
confirmed that he had paid a hefty Rs 1.25 lakh to the
‘pundits’. |
Cronje to be boss after World Cup LONDON, May 22 (AFP) — South African World Cup captain Hansie Cronje will take complete charge of the team when coach Bob Woolmer leaves after the tournament, a senior official said today. Ali Bacher, Managing Director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa, said Woolmer's successor Graham Ford will "act as back-up for the captain". "The overall boss will be the captain", he said. Ford, the 38-year-old Natal coach, was given a three-year contract after impressing Cronje with his technical expertise and communication skills. "We did not want an international figure", Mr Bacher said. "There is no one better than Ford on the technical side". Woolmer, a former English Test batsman, leaves after the end of a five-year contract. Ford will also hold a
camp for black cricketers in September, in keeping with
the government directive to try and introduce more
coloured players in the national side, Mr Bacher added. |
Woolmer likely for Warwickshire LONDON, May 22 (AFP) — England’s hopes of recruiting South African coach Bob Woolmer after the cricket World Cup have dimmed, according to media reports today. Several newspapers said England, who took on South Africa at the Oval today, were losing hope of winning Woolmer’s signature. The tournament hosts have already announced the departure of their current coach David Lloyd immediately after the World Cup. Woolmer, meanwhile, sees his contract with the South Africans end after the event. Woolmer, a former English Test batsman and regarded as one of the most innovative thinkers in the modern game, seemed an obvious replacement. But the Daily Mail newspaper said today that England were "increasingly wary about employing someone who has given the impression that a financial offer he simply cannot refuse will be the only enticement." Woolmer said earlier that he was interested in the England job but wanted to take a break from the sport before considering his future. Many commentators believe Woolmer is more likely to return to English county Warwickshire, who he led to a hat-trick of trophies in 1994. Last week, selector and
former Test player Mike Gatting reportedly ruled himself
out as a candidate for the England coaching position.
Fellow England selector Graham Gooch has also said he
does not want the job. |
Srinath outclasses Derepasko in final BANGALORE, May 22 (PTI) — Top seed Prahlad Srinath of India outclassed Russia’s Artem Derepasko 6-4, 6-4 in the final to clinch the ITF men’s satellite tennis title here today. Second seed Derepasko made the mistake of playing more to Srinath’s backhand and surrendered in an hour and eight minutes. "I had seen him playing and I was confident. He is a good defensive player. I would have done better if I had played in the same tempo without losing concentration," said Srinath. The 25-year-old Indian started with a bang breaking the Russian in the first game. He held his own in the next, sending down two consecutive aces. Srinath had a break in the third game and managed to break again in the fifth after deuce was called thrice to make it (4-1). But thereafter the Indian lost focus and allowed the Russian to come back into the game. He gifted points double-faulting at crucial stages and hit some poor groundstrokes. Srinath dropped serve in the sixth game and then the games went with serve. The Indian, however, finished in style, firing an ace to secure the first set 6-4. In the second set, Srinath broke Derepasko in the third game and ran up a 4-2 lead. Players then held serve before Srinath secured the set and match with an excellent forehand chip. Derepasko, who represented his country in the Davis Cup last year against Romania, looked exhausted and sluggish during the match. The winner collected a cheque of Rs 34,366 and runner-up Rs 23,861. The players will now travel to Mumbai for the second leg of the satellite tennis tourney, the qualifying rounds for which had already started. In the men’s
doubles final, Kirtane cousins, Sandeep and Nitin,
quelled the challenge of Syeed Fazaluddin (Ind) and
Ashley Ford (Aus) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. |
H
Adidas
zonal tennis begins CHANDIGARH, May 22 — The Adidas Junior Circuit Zonal Tennis Tournament started at Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association tennis stadium, Sector 10 today. The qualifying rounds for the Boys U-14 and U-16 were conducted. The organisers made a draw of 96 for both age groups. Eight qualifiers for each event will be selected. The qualifying rounds for the girls will be held on Sunday. Results: Boys Under-14 (Ist round): Pritam Singh b Prabhjot Sachdeva 8-2, Rachat Bansal b Shikhar Kapoor 8-3, Honey Rana b Uday Partap 8-6, Sandeep Roy b Inderpreet Singh 8-5, Sameer Jain b Dilpreet Singh 8-4, Bharat Srinivasan b Karan Patnaik 8-5, Pranav Saboo b Amit Jain 8-7 (7-6), Mehar Partap b Harmawinder Jot 8-2, Varun Garg b Vishavijay Chouhan 8-1, Bhuvan Bhatia b Divtej Singh 8-2, Gurhser Harika b Amol Kumar 8-2, Paras Thakur b Monish Tyagi 8-2, Randeep Gill b Sumit Joshi 8-1. Boys Under-16 (Ist round): Arjun Talwar b Sunil Sharma 8-1, Indruj Singh b Shabroj Gill 8-6, Nitin Mehta b Amit Jain 8-3, Aman Puri b Karan Patnaik 8-3, Jatinder Mehlda b Natesh Bhardwaj 8-5, Harman Singh b Dev Varat 8-1, Sumit Kohli b Sahil Khanna 8-3, Gurdit Singh b Aditya Ahuja 8-2, Pundreek Sharma b Prabhjot Sachdeva 8-3, Ardhman Sidhu b Vikram Kant 8-5, Harneet Singh b Gursher Harika 8, Manish Chofla b Sameer Jain 8-1, Arvind K. Sharda b Kunal Bahtia 8-3, Tarun Kapoor b Pritam 8-2, Ashwin Nath b Randeep Gill 8-7(7), Anshul Bhardwaj b Digvijay Sharma 8-3, Anindya Gupta b Gaurve Choudhury 8-6, Ritesh Sabarwal b Bakul Khera 8-1, Sahil Manchanda b Honey Rana 8-5, Mukul Kumar b Rohan Gaddh 8-2, G.P. Manish b Saurabh Kumar 8-7(6), Paras Thakur b Nikunj Siwach 8-3, Shubham Balla b Jitender Tandon 8-7(0), Sahil Vasudeva b Nikhil Goswamy 8-4, Yanik Nelrod b Simranjit Cheema 8-5, Raghav Nanda b Karan Dhillon 8-1, Virja Bharghawa b Mayank Jain 8-6, Rajat Madan b Bhart Srinivasan 8-3, Bhuvan Bhatia b Tafiq Vasudeva 8-4, Rathindra Kakoti b Shranish Joshi 6-2, Sanam K. Singh b Abhinav Grover 8-4. Boys Under-14 (2nd round) : Bharat Sirinivasan b Nimit Gupta 8-0, Aman Puri b Sandeep Roy Choudhary 8-0, Kinshuk Sharma b Randeep Gill 8-2, Meharpartap Sandhu b Digvijay Chouhan 8-2, Ritesh Sabarwal b Dhruv Saran 8-2, Honey Rana b Sumit Gupta 8-1, Sameer Jain b Jitender Mehlda 8-4, Bhuven Aggarwal b Varun Garg 8-6, Aditya Sharam b Saahil Khanna 8-6, Paras Thakur b Pundreek Sharma 8-6, Gursher Singh b Manav Bajaj 8-2, Vishnu Singh b Sahil Thapa 8-4, Sahil Vasudeva b Sandeep Kumar 8-3, Saurabh Kumar b Nikunj Siwach 8-1, Bhuven Bhatia b Sahil Sehgal 8-3, Sanjog Kapoor b Pranav Saboo 8-5, Simranjeet Cheema b Karan Dhillon 8-3. Sale
of tickets for one-dayer from May 25 CHANDIGARH, May 22 — The sale of the tickets for the Siyaram Friendship Cup one-day limited overs day and night match being played between Indian XI and Sri Lankan XI will start from May 25 at PCA Cricket Stadium, SAS Nagar. The match is being organised by the PCA to honour Mr M.P. Pandove, former national selector. The rates of tickets are as under: Pavilion AC Lounge Rs. 4,000.00 (including dinner), Pavilion Terrace Block Rs. 2,000.00 (including dinner), North Pavilion Block (Rs. 2,000.00 (including dinner), VIP Block Rs. 500, General Block Rs. 100, Student Block Rs. 50, PCA/PCC Members Block (Tickets value Rs. 500/-) Member's Tickets Rs. 50, Member's Concessional Tickets Rs. 250. The tickets would be issued on the first-come-first-serve basis. It was officially announced by Mr Sudhir Mital, hony treasurer, PCA, here today. Haryana
hockey trials CHANDIGARH, May 22
— Trials to select the Haryana junior hockey team
for participation in the 30th Junior National Hockey
Championship to be held from June 11 to 25 at Pune, will
be held on May 23 at 4 p.m. at G.M.N. College grounds
Ambala Cantonment. Players born on or after January 1979
are eligible to take the trials. Players desirous of
taking part in the trials are required to bring their
matriculation certificates in original as proof of age. A
10-day coaching camp sponsored by the Haryana Sports
Department will be held at Shahbad Markanda from May 28
to June 8. |
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