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Thursday,
July 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Ganguly undeterred by defeat Chetan Sharma writes Threat to disrupt World Cup ‘Captain should have a national vision’ Tendulkar can open innings in one-dayers, says John Wright |
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Morocco to host 1st
international cricket tie England not to host Champions Trophy IWHF protest brushed aside Hockey championship inaugurated
Eves hockey squad for C’wealth Games India outclass Bhutan 4-1
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Ganguly undeterred by defeat Bristol, July 10 Having impressed in the tournament after winning three matches and ensuring a place in the final against England at Lord’s on Saturday, India suffered a 64-run defeat yesterday against the hosts and were also bowled out within their quota of 32 overs in the rain-curtailed match. But that has not deterred Sourav Ganguly who was keen to dismiss the defeat as a one-off thing, saying he wanted to be focussed completely on the big final. That they will take upon Sri Lanka, who have taken enough knock on their pride throughout their summer campaign in England and have only one win against England to show off in the tri-series, have made things easier for Ganguly. The Indian skipper indicated he might like to give a look-in to speedster Tinu Yohannan and have Ajay Ratra continue tomorrow as he would want Rahul Dravid, who has been in good nick in the tournament, to recover sufficiently from the minor hamstring injury before the final. Harbhajan Singh could also make a comeback to the side as Anil Kumble was seen limping in the match yesterday. Though, Ganguly dismissed Kumble’s injury as a minor one, he would not like to take any chances by fielding the bowler in an inconsequential match. The chinks in Indian armour were finally exposed yesterday and the team must put its thinking cap on to ensure they do not crumble again against the Lankans who have been temporarily resurrected by their 23-run victory against England on Sunday. The result of the match tomorrow will definitely have a bearing on the Indians going into the final and they must guard themselves against complacency. The bowlers erred for the first time in the series yesterday and they were definitely not helped by some sloppy fielding. The youngsters have brought freshness to the side and agility as well in the field but the seniors will also have to pitch in their extra bit, for, every run saved or extraordinary catch taken puts the rival team under pressure, a fact certainly not lost on the Indian side. Without the dependable Dravid, the batting order also looked fragile and except for Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar, the rest of the batsmen simply caved under the asking rate of more than six-an-over while chasing 230 in 32 overs in overcast conditions yesterday. The match tomorrow offers an opportunity to the Indians to set all that right before going into the final which would again test the team’s vulnerability in big matches that really matter. Sri Lankans are already out of the title-clash and have nothing to lose, but they would not be ready to take another dent on their pride and would be keen to make amends for their dismal performance in the series. Sri Lankans can take heart from their improved performance against England which saw them bowl out the hosts for 206 in 47.4 overs and carving out a 23-run victory. That Kumar Sangakkara, who struck a fine 70, and Mahela Jayawardene, are finally among runs, bodes well for the Lankans. Their match-winning skipper Sanath Jayasuriya got off to a start (23) but that would not be just enough against a prolific Indian batting line-up. Jayasuriya, however, somewhat made up for his failure with the bat against England on Sunday, by notching up three wickets to return impressive figures of 9-0-38-3. The skipper’s skills with the ball provides an option to the side and given his belligerence with the bat, he could single handedly take away a match from any side in the world in a one-dayer. Teams (from): India: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Mongia, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, V.V.S. Laxman, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Anil Kumble, Tinu Yohannan, Ajay Ratra, Harbhajan Singh. Sri Lanka: Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Romesh Kaluwitharana, Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Russel Arnold, Buddhika Fernando, Dilhara Fernando, Upul Chandana, Chaminda Vaas, Chamara Silva, Nuwan Zoysa, Naveed Nawaz, Pramodya Wickramasinghe, Thilan Samarweera.
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Chetan Sharma writes SO, India finally suffered their first defeat of the tri-series yesterday, when England beat them by 64 runs in a rain-truncated match. Coming in a 32-over-a-side match, the margin of defeat was no less than humiliating. India need not worry in the overall scenario of the tournament because they had already made their place secure in the final. But, when they meet England in the final on July 13, yesterday’s defeat will rankle in their mind whereas England will be confident, having broken India’s winning sequence. The greatness of great teams lies in their fondness to win at any lost. We have not seen teams like Australia lose like this,
especially when they are in form. I know it is just a game out there, but with all the competitions around in world cricket, every game has to be fought hard till the end. For the first time in the series, our bowling was indisciplined. As many as 30 extra runs were given to the England side and with so many wides and no-balls, the Indians also allowed them extra deliveries. In a short game, every run given or an extra delivery allowed, is the difference between victory and defeat. The ball was swinging around but our medium pacer did not use the opportunity as they sprayed the ball around instead. Before the final, India play Sri Lanka in their last league match. So they should try to iron out the weak links. Our batting also lacked thoughtfulness. One man made all the difference. The absence of Rahul Dravid made the middle order fallen as he had been holding it together in earlier matches. India had hopes till Sachin Tendulkar had been batting but once he was out, everything was finished for then. For England, I must say Andy Flintoff was a big influence. Though Ronnie Irani was the Man of Match with a half-century and a five-wicket haul, it was Flintoff’s big hitting which shaped English innings. Flintoff has come a long way since he was publicly admonished by the England coach for being overweight, and with right successor for an allrounder’s spot left vacant by Ian Botham in the 90s. I am not saying Flintoff has the same class as Botham, but without doubt, he is the closest. What India’s defeat has done is threw open the field now. India are favourites for the title but England are not for behind. |
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Threat to disrupt World Cup Durban, July 10 The UCB was responding to threats by the ruling ANC youth organisation to wreck next year’s World Cup tournament in South Africa if sufficient black African players are not included in the national team. The ANC Youth League has called for a meeting with Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour after stating that it was “sad and shameful” of the UCB to lift the quota system. The Youth League said in a statement: “it is a sad and shameful reflection that merely eight years into our democratic transformation we still have only two African players who are not even regulars in the national team, and the UCB decides to unceremoniously close the chapter in the transformation of cricket. “The ANC Youth League finds the UCB decision to concentrate resources only ‘in areas where the game is traditionally strong’ as a plain and deliberate way of excluding the previously disadvantaged from the game. “Without African participation in the game there will be no Cricket World Cup in South Africa. We will vigilantly defy and mobilise all our forces to disrupt it to make sure it does not succeed. This is our promise.” Mr Cassim Docrat, a senior executive of the UCB and CEO of the KwaZulu-Natal Cricket Union, said in an interview today that the decision to lift the quota at national levels was taken after it was considered that sufficient transformation had taken place for black players to be included at national levels. “Our decision does not mean that transformation ends,” he said. “We believe that there are enough players of colour who could stake a claim for selection. It is now up to all role players to ensure that more and more black players are brought into the system. “We want to give an assurance that no national or senior provincial team will take the field without sufficient number of players. “We as officials are determined to ensure that the transformation continues to take place so that our teams represent the demographics of the country.” Meanwhile, the Sports Minister is scheduled to hold talks with UCB president Percy Sonn and UCB CEO Gerald Majola, in Pretoria today about the latest developments. The minister said he wanted to get a clear explanation about the UCB decision.
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‘Captain should have a national vision’ New Delhi, July 10 Pataudi said when he assumed the captaincy of the Indian cricket team at the tender age of 18 years, “there was confusion. I wasn’t very conversant with Indian cricket. I was the youngest in the team. But seniors like Polly (Umrigar) guided and helped me”. Pataudi said the captain of the Indian cricket team should have a national vision “as India is a many-layered country with the players speaking many tongues, and having different food habits and to get the Indian team together, the captain should be interested in the team and the country, and nothing else”. Pataudi observed that for the success of any team, the eleven members should play as a team, instead of hankering for individual glory. He said the captain of any good team should set a target. “You may not achieve your target, but nevertheless, one should set a target to do better”. India’s legendary spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, whom many had termed as a “freak” bowler, who was perceived to have not known how the ball would behave once it was released from his polio-affected hand, emphatically set the record right when he said that “I knew what I was bowling. People thought that because of my polio-affected hand, I had no control. But I was always in control of my bowling”. Chandrasekhar said the most memorable wicket he took was that of Ken Barrington of England in 1967, when his
googly, pitched at outside the off stump, was missed by Barrington, to uproot his middle stump. Another former Indian captain, Bishan Singh Bedi, whose “loop delivery” in his spin trick was legendary, confessed that “I was not a classic spinner but was very lucky with my bowling action, as technically it (bowling action) was shady. I really learned about the game after retirement from cricket!”. But Bedi noted that at the end of the day, “success is what counts. Not classic action”. When asked whether he had any role model, Bedi said, “I may have followed the bowling action of left-arm spinner Hedley Verity of England, who played Test cricket for England in the thirties”. Former Indian captain and legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, looking back at his career, lamented that “had I worked a little more harder than I did, I would have achieved greater results. Perhaps a couple of thousands runs and hundred wickets more”. These vintage cricketers of India spoke their minds out at a function to unveil the Timex designer watch to be presented to the Wisden Indian Cricketer of the Century Contest, to be announced at Lord’s on July 23, and the Timex Commemorative watches to be presented to all the 16 players who have been shortlisted for the Indian cricketer of the century. The exclusive watch for the Indian Cricketer of the Century is studded with “brilliants, in a fusion of sportiness and highly technological features, which gives it a premium collectors’ positioning as a ‘One Off’”. |
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Tendulkar can open innings in one-dayers, says John Wright London, July 10 “There is no reason why Tendulkar can’t open the batting again, he might want to open at some stage, we might think it is a good idea for him to open,” Wright told PTI in an exclusive interview. Tendulkar moved to number four against the West Indies in the Caribbean recently and made an immediate impact with a match-winning knock of 65 in the final one-dayer at Trinidad. Now, in the ongoing NatWest triangular series, he has cracked a breathtaking hundred against England at Chester-le-Street last Thursday. But Wright wants to take his time to be absolutely sure it has been the right decision in the team’s interest. “We are still working at that area to make sure it works. We have still got a few games to play to be absolutely sure that’s the best thing,” Wright said, underlining the team’s new philosophy to be flexible in the limited overs genre of cricket. Wright revealed that Tendulkar as well as Rahul Dravid, on his added
responsibility of a wicket keeper, had themselves offered to take the new roles in the team’s interest. Both were keen to fulfil a role that may help the team become better and they made the decision which makes life a lot more easier, Wright said. “I think in our batting order we need players who are flexible, who can play certain roles for the team. I think flexibility is important.” “I try and stress you have got to play a role for the team, so if a team needs for you to play in a certain way, you have to identify what the team needs and plan to go accordingly,” he explained. “That is something we are trying to get better at and work harder at. The game can change so quickly in one-day cricket that you have got to sometime think on your feet.” Wright was pleased India’s young pace attack - only Ajit Agarkar having some sort of experience in playing in these conditions - knows exactly what the team needs from them. “I think everyone in the world knows that the first 15 overs is like the last 10, I am happy at the way they have bowled at the death,”, Wright said. “Change of pace is critical, you have got to be able to bowl slower ball and they are very natural at it. Ajit (Agarkar) has been very good and the other boys are learning how to work on a batsman.” Wright, having praised his fast bowlers, proceeded to look at them individually. Speaking of the two left-armers, he said “Zaheer is quicker than Ashish (Nehra). He is learning to bring it back a bit while Ashish is the whippier of the two. He has got lovely wrists, is very loose-limbed and he can swing it. He is a very natural bowler”. “I am pleased with Ajit and he has played a great role in the one-dayers. There are times when they get to him early but he has come back well,” Wright said. “Tinu (Yohannan) is exciting as well. He has to keep on developing, but he works very hard.” Wright was of the view that the presence of youngsters had given the team a lift, particularly in the fielding area. “I think we are aware it is necessary for us to be a better fielding unit and better between the wickets. Fielding tells a lot about a side.” Wright said the ‘A’ team tours in the last six months had been really valuable. Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif went to South Africa and have gained a lot from the tour. “The team is getting the support we needed and we will get whatever we need (from the BCCI). Mr Dalmiya has been very good in this respect. Adrian (le Roux) has come and made an immediate impact. It has allowed Andrew (Leipus) to concentrate more specifically on his role,” he said. Wright said the team had also got inputs from India’s cricketing greats from time to time and there could be a possibility they would look to have a specialist bowling consultant somewhere down the road. “From my perspective, sometimes in seeking extra advice, it is good to bring in people like Bishan (Singh Bedi), (EAS) Prasanna or Sunil (Gavaskar) from time to time”. “I like the players to go and talk to other players. There are times when you don’t have all the knowledge yourself,” he said. Wright said the team was lucky to have senior players like Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid and the youngsters could benefit a lot from their experience. “We are lucky we have some world class batsmen, they think a lot about the game themselves. Youngsters are lucky to have people like Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid to talk about these issues and not just the coach,” he said. Wright admitted though there were moments when he would disagree with the captain on an issue, it was important the captain made his own decisions. “This is the hardest when he might have a view, I might have a view, but it is he (captain) who has got to take the team out there.” “It is same with the toss. Sometimes we are not always agreeing on batting or bowling, but he is the main guy he has to go on the field and do it,” he said. “At the end of the day sometimes he is right, sometimes I am right but the players have to be strong enough and confident enough to make there own decisions,” he said. It is also a coach’s job to help them learn, help them take their own decisions. “It is a matter of convincing them you are right. If you can’t do it, then they have to go and do as they feel like because cricket is played in the middle. All the tactical decisions are made in the centre.” Though the team is coming along nicely in the one-day arena, Wright said there were still some grey areas when it came to Test cricket. “The critical areas are opening the batting where we need to be very consistent. Second, the tail has to be a lot stronger. Third, we also need to have greater depth in our fast bowling resources.” “These are the three areas we really need to concentrate. Be more successful away from home. Then we can really jump up the ladder quickly,” he said. “It is important that Ajit, Zaheer and Ashish become better batsmen. We are really going to work hard on this in this tour. It would help lengthen our batting. It is an area where our tail has been too long,” Wright said. Modest that he is, Wright was unwilling to take credit for India’s improvement in recent times. “When you are playing for India, you have to work hard. There are no compromises. It’s all right when you are winning. It is just the start of the tour. I still think we have a long way to go.”
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Morocco to host 1st
international cricket tie New Delhi, July 10 The tournament, jointly organised by the Federation Royale Marocaine de Cricket (FRMC) and the Sharjah-based Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) will see the three teams battle for supremacy from August 12 to 21 that will make the winners richer by a trophy and $ 250,000, according to a CBFS press note received here. Morocco is an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council that has officially approved the venue and supports the development of cricket in this North African country as part of its long-term strategy to globalise the game.
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Reiffel as umpire Sydney, July 10 |
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England not to host Champions Trophy London, July 10 “It is with much regret that the FIH agreed to England’s withdrawal as hosts of the 2003 Champions Trophies for both men and women,” said FIH secretary Pete Cohen. “With the background of problems that English hockey is presently experiencing, we appreciate that their withdrawal gives the FIH time to re-issue the tournaments for general tender, sooner rather than later.” English hockey is undergoing a major overhaul after debts of 700,000 pounds (1.0 million dollars) were discovered late last year.” As part of the emergency measures, it was decided last month to disband the English Hockey Association (EHA) and replace it with a new limited company, English Hockey Limited. Hockey president Mike Corbey said: “I know the hockey fraternity were looking forward to the Champions Trophy and watching the world’s best teams playing in England.” “It has always been a great incentive for international teams to visit England and I know many teams will be disappointed by this decision.”
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IWHF protest brushed aside Patiala, July 10 The Indian women hockey team has been placed in pool ‘A’ along with hosts England, New Zealand and Canada — all of whom are considered to be tough outfits — for the Commonwealth Games started from July 25 to August 4. The IWHF had protested to the FIH that as per norms the winner of last edition of the games and the team ranked fourth should be placed in the same pool while the teams ranked second and third should be grouped in the other pool. By this contention, holders Australia and India, who were ranked fourth in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur games, should have been placed in pool ‘A’ while New Zealand and England, who were ranked second and third, respectively, should have been grouped in the pool ‘B’. However, the FIH, in utter violation of norms has placed England, Canada, New Zealand and India in the same pool, in the process leaving Australia in a relatively weaker pool ‘B’ along with Jamaica, Scotland and South Africa. An IWHF source attributed the federation’s failure to convince the FIH to the facts that there was no representative from the Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC) — a body comprising of both the IHF and the IWHF — on the executive board of the FIH. A similar situation arose earlier when the FIH directed the USA to play the play-off series against India in New Delhi in June. The series was to be played to fill the last qualifying berth for the World Cup to be held in Perth in November this year. However, the USA pressurised the FIH into changing the venue at the last minute and the series was ultimately played in England last month where the Indias failed to qualify. Meanwhile, after two-day trials held at the NIS on July 6 and 7, the IWHF has selected a 16-member team for the Commonwealth Games. However, consensus has been reached on the captain of the team. The team is: Tingoliema Chanu, Helen Mary (goalkeepers), Amandeep Kaur, Suman Bala, Kanti Ba, Suraj Lata Devi, Sita Gossien, Samurai Tete, Masira Surin, Shanghai Chanu, Manjinder Kaur, Pritam Rani Siwach, Jyoti Sunita Kulu, Mamta Kharab, Papki Devi and Saba Anjum. Mr G.S. Bhangu will be the chief coach and he will be assisted by Mr I.S. Gill and Mr Jaswinder Singh. Mrs Rupa Saini and Dr Ashok Ahuja will be the manager and doctor of the team, respectively. |
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Hockey championship inaugurated Ambala, July 10 Mr Naresh Gulati, Commissioner and Secretary, Sports and Youth Welfare, Haryana declared the championship open. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gulati said hockey had a unique place in the country. He said special interest was taken in hockey in Haryana and in women’s hockey at least five members of the national team were from Haryana. He said two astro-turf were going to come up in the state. While one astro-turf would be set up in Ambala, the other would be at Gurgaon. He said the new sports policy of the state government would encourage sports in the state. Mr M.S. Mann, Director Sports and Youth Welfare, Haryana, presided over the function. The chairman of the organising committee and SP, Ambala, Mr Manoj Yadav, said 19 teams are participating in the championship. He saidthe Director-General of Police, Haryana, Mr M.S. Malik, would be the chief guest at the closing ceremony. Earlier, sportspersons were honoured with cash awards. About 262 sportspersons from different fields are going to be honoured during the championship. A total of Rs 18.62 lakh is going to be given away as cash award. While 107 sportspersons will be honoured on the first day, 89 will be honoured on the second day and 66 sportspersons will be honoured on the third day. Among others, the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Ms Neelam Kasni, the organising secretary, Mr Harbhajan Pandit, and the honorary secretary, Mr B.S. Nandal, were present. In the knockout stage, Jind beat Rohtak 5-1, while Bhiwani beat Panipat 5-0. Gurgaon Sports Hostel beat Karnal 1-0. Earlier, Gurgaon Sports Hostel beat Faridabad 5-1, while Rohtak beat Fatehabad 5-0. Also, Ambala beat Nidani 3-0, while Sonepat beat SSJ Sirsa 1-0. |
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Eves hockey squad for C’wealth Games New Delhi, July 10 The two-day selection trials were held from July 6 at NIS Patiala, according to a press release by the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation. The team : Surja Lata devi (captain), Tingongloima Chanu, Helon Mary, Amandeep Kaur, Suman Bala, Sita Gussain, Sumrai Tete, Sanggai Ibemhal Chanu, Pakpi Devi, Manjinder Kaur, Pritam Siwach, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Mamta Kharb, Masira Surin, Kanti Baa, Saba Anjum. Stand byes: Deepika Murthy, Pushpa Pradhan, Manju, Adline Kerketta.
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India outclass Bhutan 4-1 Kolkata, July 10 Ashim Biswas and Malswam Tluanga netted twice each for the hosts, while Sonam Jamtsho scored the only goal for the losers at the flood-lit encounter at Salt Lake Stadium. In another match, Tajikistan posted a 2-0 win over Kyrgyzstan with Djabarov Sharif and Sadikov Makhmadali finding the target for the winners who enjoyed near-total domination in the match. India, after an insipid first half display, got their bearings in the second session attacking from both flanks. India shot into the lead in the 12th minute when central midfielder Bongo Singh set up Malswam Tluanga who received the ball near opponent’s goal line and essayed a pass for Biswas to the top of the box. Biswas kept his cool and let go a rasping right footer which entered the net giving no chance to Bhutan custodian Pushpalal Sharma. India continued the attack but Bhutan restored parity 11 minutes later. From a sudden counter-move medio Kinley Dorji passed to Sonam Jamtsho who unleased an excellent 35 yarder into the net over the head of advancing Indian goalkeeper Satish Kumar. India regained the lead in the opening minute after the breather when a Sayeed Rahim Nabi cross from the left was received inside the box by Tluanga who hit the target with a powerful shot after dribbling past two defenders. India kept up the pressure from the outset but lack of mid-field coordination proved their undoing in the first half. A Tluanga pass from goalline helped Biswas to fire home the third goal for the hosts. Tluanga made the final score 4-1 when he found the target in the dying minutes. The Indian chief coach Islam Akhmedov, who employed Sayeed Rahim Nabi as the only striker found himself outnumbered time and again with the mid-fielders failing to play a feeders role to perfection, in the first half. In the 19th minute, Bongo Singh’s power-packed shot missed the target while Subhas Chakraborty was distinctly unlucky later in the same session when his strong right footer hit the inside of the cross bar and came back into play. The hosts failed to take the lead in the first session for their inablity to convert the chances into goals.
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Costa brought
down to earth
Geneva, July 10 Costa, who got married following his Roland Garros win last month and opted to miss the grasscourt season to go on his honeymoon, barely had time to unpack his baggage as he was sent skidding out of the event 6-4 6-3 in the first round yesterday by Paul-Henri Mathieu.
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Ropar shooting Chandigarh |
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