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Thursday,
February 6, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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SHIFTING OF MATCH Policeman Bond out to control run-riots India needs to stabilise batting order
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Wright satisfied with performance
Zimbabwe can cause upset South Africa now mentally tougher Lara has scores to settle
Moses
for dope-free athletics Players ‘not aware’ of banned drugs Sunita eying medal at Olympics Sunita back in
Indian camp Dhanraj Pillay
to be honoured
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SHIFTING OF MATCH
Sydney, February 5 Australian players met late yesterday in South Africa after England formally submitted their request for a venue change and took no step to challenge the holding of their match scheduled in the Zimbabwe city of Bulawayo, the spokesman for the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) told AFP. “We’ve got a game scheduled for February 24 which we’re planning to play in Bulawayo and we’re planning to play that game subject only to continuing advice that the safety and security is as it should be,” he said. Australia’s government has called on the national cricket body to pull out of the Zimbabwe match due to fears of anti- government protests and violence surrounding the game. The foreign ministry issued a travel advisory late on Monday warning that Australians trying to attend the match in Bulawayo could be caught up in violence. Some Australian players had expressed concerns about the game in
Bulawayo, a bastion of opposition to the regime of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, but players have said they will follow ACB advice on the matter. The players held a series of meetings this week with Australian cricket officials and the country’s chief diplomat in Zimbabwe on the security situation there, and then met on their own yesterday to discuss the matter, the spokesman said. My understanding from our management in the field is that the team came back and said that they had resolved to not make any further public comment on Zimbabwe unless there is some change” in the situation, he said. “They’re getting sick of being badgered about it,” he said. He did not rule out that the ACB could change its mind about the Bulawayo match if threats to player security emerged. Earlier, English cricket chiefs submitted a formal request for their February 13 World Cup match in the Zimbabwe capital Harare to be switched to South Africa. The sport’s governing body, the International Cricket Council, said the request would be discussed by the World Cup Technical Committee tomorrow. The English request was lodged with the backing of England captain Nasser Hussain and the players.
England slammed Johannesburg: South Africa today slammed England for requesting the International Cricket Council to shift the venue of their World Cup match against Zimbabwe out of Harare. A spokesperson for the Sports Ministry said they could not understand why the England and Wales Cricket Board was making the call at such a late hour. “We are totally opposed to the game being switched to South Africa,” he said. The spokesperson said the South African Government had been assured that the safety and security of all participants in Zimbabwe would not be compromised. England did not place a formal request for changing the venue on Friday when ICC Executive Board met via teleconference to discuss the security and other aspects. However, the English cricket chiefs yesterday tabled a formal request for their February 13 match to be switched to South Africa. England is the only country to have made such a request.
AFP/PTI |
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Policeman Bond out to control run-riots
Johannesburg, February 5 Bond is comparatively new to international cricket as he has figured in just eight Tests and 18 one-dayers, but making rapid strides towards stardom. “I admire him (Bond) as a cricketer,” said India captain Saurav Ganguly whose team faced the Bond fury on a recent tour of New Zealand. “He has the ability to succeed on any surface. He was the key to New Zealand’s success in Test series. His presence strengthens the side,” he said. New Zealand clinched the two-Test series 2-0 against India, with Bond playing a major role with 12 wickets. Bond is the quickest bowler in the team and is likely to prove a big asset on hard and bouncy South African tracks. He is accurate too, for being quick alone is not enough to unsettle the best in the biggest one-day tournament. Bond rose from virtual anonymity to international fame on the tour of Australia two seasons ago. The responsibility of opening the attack against a formidable batting line-up was thrust upon him after Dion Nash had broken down. That was the opening Bond needed to establish himself as one of the strike bowlers in the team. New Zealand drew a tough three-Test series and then went on to qualify for a triangular one-day series final against South Africa, with Bond consistently grabbing the headlines. He captured 21 wickets and was named player of one-day series. He had finally landed on the scene. When Bond arrived in the West Indies, he had earned the right to share the new ball. He never let his captain Stephen Fleming down in a two-Test series, grabbing 12 wickets in three innings to play a significant role in New Zealand’s maiden series victory in the Caribbean. It was then never easy to forget the New Zealand fast bowler, who finished with seven wickets in the Barbados Test, including five in the second innings, as the West Indies crashed to their fourth defeat in 70 years at the Kensington Oval. Bond is the new face of New Zealand cricket, which has learnt to give the best teams a run for their money in both Tests and one-dayers. Fast and accurate bowlers, experts say, are expected to play a key role in making their team’s fortunes in South Africa. The star parade will be long, from Glenn McGrath to Wasim Akram to Shaun Pollock, but Bond will be the last bowler to be intimidated or overawed by big names. Bond said when he was a kid, he had wanted two things in life - one was to play cricket for New Zealand and the other was to become a policeman. Batsmen and law-breakers beware! Bond has become both. AFP
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India needs to stabilise batting order When I say Cricket is a religion in our country, I am sure that this proposition will find many takers. Such is the amount of excitement and emotion which is generated each time when Sourav and Co steps into the cricket field. And with that excitement, comes expectations. The forthcoming World Cup in South Africa will the trial by fire for these ‘men in blue’ as they have the responsibility of not only fulfilling the hopes of more than a billion back home but more importantly, they have to measure up to their own potential. This World Cup is touted as the most open tournament ever no one emerging as standout favourites. Yes, Australia and hosts South Africa do have scales titled in their favour, but India, Pakistan, New Zealand along with tournament dark horses West Indies will give them a good run for their money. I would however, put my money on India. Of course, I am an Indian to the core but this statement comes out from the mind rather than the heart. Needless to say, India boasts of some illustrious names in their line-up and this includes in both the departments, batting and bowling. While many would count this as an asset, the Indian think-tank need to get it clear in their minds about their strengths. A wrong decision on this front, might just...I just can’t even imagine! Although, the Indian seam bowling sparkled in Kiwiland and spinners Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble too good to fail for long, I still can’t get over the feeling that batting remains our key to help us come back with the coveted cup. With seven batsman, all proven match winners, it makes sense to bank on our batting, putting aside New Zealand tour as a mere aberration in a spectacular season so far. Most fans, I am sure so did the batsman himself, were shocked to see the team leaving the Indian shores without VVS Laxman and there has been speculations that India would pay dear for the selection error. Agreed that Laxman is a class in his own league and is a match winner on any given day but it remains to be seen whether he would be able to make the playing eleven there. With Sanjay Bangar most probably making it as an all rounder, the rest of the batsman pick themselves up, leaving no space for Dinesh Mongia or in this case, Laxman on the benches. Coming to main point, India needs to stabilise their batting order. Sehwag is a hands down winner for the opening slot but the question of Sachin or Sourav remains a brain teaser. I would persist with Sourav to join Sehwag. Not only the left-hand-right hand combination would work wonders for the batsman, Sourav can tear apart any bowling side, thereby making optimum use of the first 15 overs. With the comfort of having the world ‘s best batsman Sachin and Dravid in the middle flank, Sourav can train his guns without much pressure. Dravid needs to seal his number three berth. Dravid would be crucial to India’s fortunes, given his immaculate record overseas. Also there a need to play the sheet anchor role so that aggressive batsman like Sachin, Yuvraj, Kaif and Bangar can press the accelerator to maximum. Though, it would be unfair on Sachin to leave his position at the top of the order, where he has got his major chunk of runs but come what may, he remains our trump card and Wright seems to get it correct for persuading him to get his presence during the middle overs, when most of the matches are won or lost. Yuvraj, Kaif and Bangar needs to give good account of their aggressive self to give the final thrust to India total. On the bowling front, Sourav will have to make up his mind on playing with two spinners, getting Bangar to do the fifth bowler role more seriously. Sourav’s seamers would come handy in those conditions and given the calibre of Harbhajan and Kumble, the Indian skipper should take the gamble of playing both, irrespective of nature of the wicket. It is definitely very tempting to play an extra seamer in those conditions but both Nehra and Agarkar are, according to me, more dangerous gamble than probably Kumble. To conclude, whatever be the batting order, the composition of the team or whether it bats first on winning the toss, the whole nation would be backing the 16 guys in South Africa till the last possible moment. I will keep my fingers crossed. Dronacharya Sports Promoters |
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Wright satisfied with performance
Johannesburg, February 5 The match had to be abandoned due to rains with the local side placed at 69 for two in 18 overs in reply to India’s 265 for seven. Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid top scored with 66 each. Skipper Sourav Ganguly made 41 while Sachin Tendulkar helped himself to a well-made 47. “We were happy with the conditions... the pitch was a little bit slow but generally true and pretty similar to what we are used to back in India,” Wright said. However, Wright was unhappy with his bowlers not being able to get enough match practice. “It was disappointing the bowlers didn’t get more of a runout as they’re all a bit rusty, but Anil Kumble looked in good form,” the former New Zealand batsman said. The Indians will play their second and last warm-up match against the same side tomorrow. India, who are in Group A along with Australia, England, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Namibia and The Netherlands, begin their World Cup campaign against Holland in Paarl on February 12. PTI
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Zimbabwe
can cause upset Andy Flower is the key man in the team and with some talented players around him, Zimbabwe are quite capable of causing an upset against a major team. This happened in the 1999 World Cup when they beat their neighbours South Africa. Although Flower has an average of over 50 in Test cricket and was named Wisden’s Cricketer of the Year in 2002, he will need some support from his brother Grant and seasoned campaigners like Whittall and Wishart. Like most minnow teams in the competition, a good start by the top order will be a pre-requisite for any success. Tatenda Taibu is an exciting prospect and Travis Friend can be very inventive at the end of an innings. Ebrahim will be asked to anchor the innings. Heath Streak is back as captain and will bowl his seamers with the usual accuracy. He will however, require some backup to curtail quality batsmen even on his home pitches. Olonga has some pace and can get the best out on his day, but more often than not is far too expensive. Murphy is not the worst spinner but will need to settle into a rhythm early or pay the price that most leggies do when they bowl loosely. When one analyses the Pool, Zimbabwe really aren’t favourites to beat the likes of Pakistan, India, Australia and England. No doubt the “big guns” of the Pool will be hoping like crazy that Zimbabwe beat one of their opposition. On current form, Zimbabwe will feel they have a chance of beating India in Harare on 19 February. The danger for the teams in this Pool is not to become too engrossed in focusing totally on the big name teams and then forgetting to prepare against the likes of Zimbabwe, who will easily beat Namibia. With all the internal pressures that have gone before this team, don’t be surprised if they come out as unit totally united with a point to prove, and do exactly that.
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South Africa now mentally tougher The team that takes the field on Sunday at Newlands will be very different from the one that reached the semis in 1999. Sure, we have a large number of players who played the last World Cup as well, but the boys who played in 1999 are now men - tougher and more focused. The other big, big difference is the gap left by Hansie Cronje. We will always miss Hansie Cronje both on and off the field. He was a remarkable leader and very talented player, gifted with brains and ability and his absence leaves a tragic hole in the middle of the team. My support to Hansie, even in his last days when he was banned from cricket, has been well-documented, and I respected him tremendously as a human being right till the end. Team 1999 also had a superb coach in Bob Woolmer. Both Hansie and Bob were really disappointed when we were ousted out of the 1996 quarter-finals after a superb start to the tournament. It was then that they resolved that the 1999 World Cup would be South Africa’s. They planned meticulously for four years, drawing game plans for every team, giving individual players specific goals, and keeping the team focused on the one-point agenda of becoming world champions. Bob had made public his decision to quit as team coach of South Africa after the World Cup, and the team was very eager to ensure that he left in a blaze of glory. Unfortunately, that was not to be, but the hunger for the dream, that was theirs and is now ours, is still there. In fact, team 2003 is a mentally tougher unit, than team 1999. We have been through a lot off the field in these last three-four years, and that has brought the team together. We have withstood many lows, ranging from allegations, to the banning of a captain to the death of a dear team-mate. Nothing binds a group of individuals more than adversity, and this is true of the South African team. As far as ability is concerned, this South African team is second to none. Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, who were all taking their first steps in international cricket last time, are now potential
match winners. Makhaya Ntini, who will be playing in his first World Cup, is quickly moving up the world rankings as a bowler who takes wickets. It has always been our policy that the best way to restrict scoring is by taking regular wickets. Then there are the old warhorses, Gary Kirsten, Allan Donald and I, and all of us would like to end our World Cup careers on a high. In 1999, we were the favourites to win the World Cup. In 2003, while we have become a tougher outfit, we are no longer the favourites. We don’t mind being underdogs at all since this team has realised the meaninglessness of such tags. We would like to win this World Cup, not because we want to shake off the tag of chokers — we have won enough to prove we aren’t — but as a gift to our fans who have been waiting for a decade for this moment. If each of us realises our targets and plays to our potential, the cup that has slipped our grasp so far, will finally be ours.
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Lara has scores to settle Johannesburg, February 5 The majestic 32-year-old left-hander will be playing in his fourth World Cup and is keen to erase the disappointment of the last tournament in England in 1999 when he captained a team which failed to get beyond the first round. It was also a disaster for his own form.
In five innings, his highest score was 36 - a miserable return for a man who holds the world records for Test and first class scores, 375 and 501. However, only a fool would write Lara off. His one-day international record boasts 7,549 runs with an average of 42.64 as well as 15 centuries and 48 half-centuries. Lara believes he is fully-fit to resume battle after being laid low with hepatitis after the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka last year which ruled him out of the tours to India and Bangladesh. “I’m feeling well at present and I think we have a very good chance at the World Cup,” he said. “I think our performances in India and Bangladesh (where both one-day series were won) proves the youngsters are coming through and a good team performance is necessary in the World Cup. “I am medically fit and ready to go out there in the middle. We have a good team and can bring home the trophy,” said Lara who has beaten o ff calls for him to be dropped from the team. The run-king will also go into the tournament, where the Windies will be looking to win their third World Cup after triumphs in 1975 and 1979, also with a clear slate after being cleared of any suspicion of match-fixing last year. Furthermore, he wants to remind the world that he is still a player for the big occasion. He may have had a poor 1999 tournament, but he was instrumental in taking the West Indies to the semi-finals in 1996 despite having suffered a humiliating defeat to Kenya in the group stages. In the quarter-finals, he hit 111 off 94 balls as the West Indies defeated the heavily favoured South Africans - the same opponents they face when then 2003 finals get underway in Cape Town on Sunday.
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Moses for
dope-free athletics New Delhi, February 5 Moses, a physicist from Morehouse College in Atlanta, is known for utilising the applied sciences to perfect the technical aspects of his athletic performance in the 400-metre hurdles. This knowledge also helped him create, implement and administer the world’s most stringent random and out of competition testing systems for performance-enhancing drugs in sports. Moses, who is the chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, visited Delhi to signal the launch of the Hero Indian Sports Academy. And he utilised the forum to give vent to his pet thoughts on the menace of doping in athletics. Moses, who has the unique distinction of achieving 122 straight victories in the 400-metre hurdles, from 1977 to 1987, made a candid observation that “it does not matter how many championships you win, the most important thing is the respect you get from the community”. He asserted that the “players will have to take the responsibility for cleansing the game of doping”. The legendary athlete, who won the Olympic gold at Montreal (Canada) in 1976, said he was passionately involved in fighting the menace of drugs in sports, and added that the evil can be rooted out only if “athletes and administrators join hands to cleanse the game”. Moses also had an inter-active discussion with a group of veteran Indian athletes like P.T. Usha, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa and Milkha Singh, among others, and discussed his experiences. He said he never had to skip a meet due to muscle spasms (muscle injury is normally caused due to the prevalence of doping). He said he used to take normal, natural diets to keep himself fit and ready. Moses trained for the 1976 Montreal Olympic trials using the public high school facilities around Atlanta. He won the trials in the 400m hurdles with an American record of 48.30 secs, making his first Olympic team. He became the Olympic champion bettering the Olympic world record with a time of 47.63 secs. For the next decade, he was the king of 400m hurdles, ruling the track without brooking any opposition. Moses could not participate in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games due to the American boycott. He broke the world record twice, the last one on his 28th birthday in Koblenz, West Germany, with a time of 47.02 secs, which remained unbroken till 1992. |
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‘not aware’ of banned drugs Chandigarh, February 5 The President of HOA, Mr Abhey Singh Chautala, said that right from the beginning of the ordeal, he had been stressing on the need for a thorough probe into the controversial dope tests conducted on Sunita Rani. He said that he had been saying that Sunita Rani alone should not be held responsible for these positive tests. He said that his assertion was based on the fact that along with other players, Sunita Rani had also undergone two tests in the country before participating in the international meet and nothing was found wrong in her tests. He said that as the players were not fully aware of the disbanded drugs and medicines, the coaches and office bearers of sports federations should be held responsible if their players fail in dope test. He said that he had also raised the issue and supported Sunita Rani while speaking at the inaugural function of the 18th Haryana State Games at Hisar on October 21.
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Sunita
eying medal at Olympics Jalandhar, February 5 Narrating the days of tribulations during the past about three months, Sunita said: “It was like carrying a dead body without any life. Even as I am fully hopeful to get back the medals one day, the way things moved during and after Asian Games, it is really very shocking for me. I think Indian Government should have acted immediately by taking up the matter at appropriate level I am thankful to the sports fertnity of the country for supporting me during those black days”. Going a bit emotional, the Punjab Police DSP said: “The players should not be humiliated such a way. Even some of the newspapers in Busan had reported that a girl from poor nation like India had won the gold medal. It is really
surprising to see the hardcore lobbying against the athletes belonging to developing countries using media. “I am aiming to win gold medal in next Olympic Games and will surely improve my performance during the next Afro-Asian Games scheduled to be held at
Hyderabad. I have already started practice for 1500 m and 5000 m events leaving aside the three month ordeal”, she said. Sunita further said that the Amateur Athletics Association of India (AAAI) should take up the matter pertaining to setting up of quality laboratories during games at international for a to save future of the sportspersons. Mr Ram Saroop, Sunita’s father
jubilant: “Let us forget those black days. I am sure that Sunita will fetch gold medal in the Olympics”. Later, the ADGP (PAP) Mr R.S. Gill handed over the keys of a motorcycle to Sunita for her outstanding performance during Busan Asian Games. As many as nintyseven sportspersons of various disciplines belonging to Punjab Police were given promotions for their performance in various national and international events. |
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Sunita
back in Indian camp
New Delhi, February 5 The list of 35 athletes and 11 coaches released by the Amateur Athletic Federation of India for the camp in Patiala starting from February 10 included Rani’s name. The athletes selected for the camp are: Men:
K M Binu, P S Primesh, Ghammanda Ram, Bahadur Singh, Navpreet Singh, Shakti Singh, P Ramachandran, Bhupinder Singh, Satbir Singh, Manoj Lal K J, P Shankar, Anil K Rohil, Suresh. Women:
K M Beenamol, Madhuri Singh, C Latha, Sunita Rani, Anju B George, Neelam J Singh, Harwant Kaur, Seema Antil, Jincey Philip, Rajwinder Kaur, Manjima Kuriakose, Manjeet Kaur, Sagardeep Kaur, S Geetha, Kalpana Reddy, Saraswati Saha, Soma Biswas, J J Shoba and G C Promita. Coaches: Bahadur Singh, Harbans Singh, Harjeet Singh, Suresh Singh, N Ramesh, Jaswant Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Pritam Singh, Renu Kohli, Purushotaman and Sanjay Garnaik.
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Dhanraj
Pillay to be honoured Chandigarh, February 5 In women’s hockey, the teams expected are Haryana XI, Punjab XI, Guru Nanak Dev University, Khalsa Club, Jalandhar, Ludhiana XI and Grewal Academy, Kila Raipur. Indian hockey star Dhanraj Pillay will be honoured with the Surjit Singh Award while former Indian goalkeeper Ashok Dewan, a member of the 1975 victorious World Cup team, will be honoured with the Prithipal Singh Award on the concluding day.
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Laxman
collects Arjuna Award New Delhi, February 5 Laxman was the only cricketer to have bagged the prestigious award for the year 2000-2001 but could not make it to the award presentation ceremony held on August 29 last year as he was with the Indian team in England.
PTI
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PSEB beaten Chandigarh, February 5 In another match, GSSS Dhamai prevailed over Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Khatkar Kalan, 3-2. Earlier, the tournament was inaugurated by former national coach Sukhwinder Singh.
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