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Thursday,
February 27, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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McMillan sets up NZ win Does Bangladesh deserve Test status? Bharat Army making presence felt 13TH MAN |
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Aussies will win Cup: Marsh Warne not to appeal against doping ban ‘Warne should expect no mercy’ Battling Kallis fully fit
Kenya set to write history ICC dismisses probe report An artist who makes the ball talk
JCT demolish ITI 3-0
Anand draws with Kramnik Baljit Singh is
Rustam-e-Hind Rural games from March 1 to 3
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McMillan
sets up NZ win
Kimberley, February 26 Opening batsman Craig McMillan top-scored with 75 to help the Kiwis race to their target after Bangladesh made 198 for seven, easily their best total of the tournament but never enough to threaten one of the Cup favourites. McMillan smashed two sixes and nine fours from 83 balls before Scott Styris (37 not out) and Chris Cairns (33 not out) rapidly finished the job and improved New Zealand’s net run-rate, a factor that could decide who makes the next stage. Playing their first match in 10 days after boycotting their game against Kenya, the Kiwis showed signs of rustiness in the field as they allowed the Bangladeshis to bat through their full 50 overs for the first time in the tournament. Teenager Mohammad Ashraful scored his first half-century in one-day international cricket after Cairns dropped him badly on 24, and tail-ender Mohammad Rafique finished unbeaten on 41 after a late flurry of runs. Ashraful, who became the youngest player in history to score a Test century on debut when he made 114 against Sri Lanka aged 17 years 63 days, finally transferred his Test form to the one-day arena with a stylish 56 off 82 balls. He hooked fast bowler Shane Bond for six and struck six fours, including a square cut off Cairns to reach his fifty, helping his side pass their previous high score for the tournament of 124. Bangladesh, who have not won a one-day international in almost four years, looked to be heading towards another paltry total when they slumped to 128 for 7 before Rafique and captain Khaled Mashud chipped in with an adventurous eighth-wicket partnership of 70. While their bowlers struggled at times, New Zealand’s batsmen had no real problems against a pedestrian Bangladesh attack, although right-arm seamer Khaled Mahmud did claim three wickets. Kiwi captain Stephen Fleming hit a quickfire 32, including 19 off Tapash Baisya’s fourth over, before he was controversially given out caught and bowled after the ball appeared to strike his pad. Andre Adams added 18 at almost a run a ball before he chanced his arm once too often and gave a simple catch to Ashraful at mid-on, and McMillan threw his wicket away when he was bowled attempting a bizarre reverse sweep. There were no more hiccups for the Kiwis as Styris and Cairns scored briskly in an unbroken stand of 61. Styris’s 37 came off 36 balls while Cairns needed just 21 deliveries for his 33, which included a straight-driven six off Alok Kapali that cleared the stands and had to be retrieved from a parking lot. Bangladesh Sarkar c McCullum b Bond 9 Ashraful c & b Bond 56 Hossain b Oram 5 Bashar c McCullum b Oram 0 Kapali c Bond b Adams 9 Khan c Fleming b Bond 13 Mashud not out 35 Mahmud c McCullum 12
b Oram Rafique not out 41 Extras: (b1 lb-4 w-10 nb-3) 18 Total: (7 wkts, 50 overs) 198 FoW: 1-19, 2-37, 3-37, 4-71, 5-105, 6-107, 7-128 Bowling: Bond 10-1-33-3, Mills 6-0-32-0, Adams 10-0-50-1, Oram 10-1-32-3, Cairns 3-0-17-0, Vettori 10-0-19-0, Styris 1-0-10-0. New Zealand McMillan b Mahmud 75 Fleming c & b Mahmud 32 Adams c Ashraful b Mahmud 18 Styris not out 37 Cairns not out 33 Extras: (w-3 nb-1) 4 Total: (3 wkts, 33.3 overs) 199 FoW: 1-71 2-99 3-138. Bowling: Manjural Islam 7-1-37-0, Tapash Baisya 8-0-56-0, Khaled Mahmud 10-0-46-3, Alok Kapali 6-0-38-0, Sanwar Hossain 2-0-19-0, Mohammad Ashraful 0.3-0-3-0.
Reuters
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Does Bangladesh deserve Test status? What does obtaining Test status really mean to the average cricket lover? For me it means that the country that is accredited with that “special” status cannot only hold their own amongst the Test playing nations but also that they are considerably better than those who have not been accorded the rights to receive cash, tours and other benefits that come with being included in the select group. Again, most cricket supporters will be aware of the fact that since Bangladesh have been included as a Test playing nation they are given opportunities to tour and to host tours as well get immediate qualification to play in the World Cup. The question we have to ask is how long can Bangladesh be allowed to carry on playing without living up to their status. Their performance is embarrassing to say the least and each loss must be felt in the corridors of those who make the rules of the game. Clearly they are so out of their depth that countries don’t even take them seriously when preparing to play against them. The recent loss at the World Cup to Canada is just another example. The record they have managed to build up is pitiful. They have now played 62 ODIs and have lost 58 of them. They have managed to win three matches and if we are really honest we must
analyse them as well. There was a win against Kenya and Scotland and then a very famous win against Pakistan. That day Pakistan had two LBW decisions against them, one was Salim Malik and three run outs were recorded as well. The cricket world was rocked with this result and many have cast a doubt over the result for various reasons. Over the time Bangladesh have been a Test playing nation, the sports governing body have bent over backwards to help them. Coaches like Eddie Barlow, Gordon Greenidge, Mike Procter, Peter Kirsten and many others have been delegated to assist in getting them up to the required standard as quickly as possible. This has failed badly. Surely when a country is given Test status there has to be a time frame placed on the team to produce the goods. If not, it is tantamount to total misuse of the system. Word is that it was really a ploy to control the balance of power around the ICC boardroom table. This is grossly unfair on the poor player who week after week goes out and gets thumped. I believe that Bangladesh have been beaten so many times that they don’t even know how to win against supposedly weaker teams anymore. One hears that they have got some good young players coming through but they themselves will need to be discarded due to their whole mental approach being disrupted through loss after loss. Either teams like Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Kenya and Namibia should be granted the same status or...Bangladesh must be demoted back to a level they can handle and a system put in place to develop them before they re-enter. Sadly, we all know it will never happen.
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Bharat Army making presence felt Durban, February 26 It pitched up at the Kingsmead ground yesterday, where the Indians were practising, and outside their hotel on the beachfront where it gathered to sing, drum and make its presence felt. One of the founding members of the Bharat Army, Shailin Tank of England said the Bharat Army came into being during the NatWest series against England in the UK last year. He
said the Army’s main motto was to provide as much as support as
possible to the Indian team. “An India-England game is a bit like
war on the terraces. We don’t get physical or anything, but we do
try to outdo them vocally,” Tank said. The sole requisite for joining the Bharat Army is simply an abiding passion for the Indian team. “We
want to provide a unique, innovative voice, committed and passionately
in support of Indian cricket,” Tank said. While the Bharat Army and the Barmy Army will have a go at each other, local supporters, who are fervently praying for an Indian victory today, will also chip in with their bit.
PTI |
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13TH MAN DURBAN: The build-up to the India-England clash at Kingsmead on
Wednesday is seen to be believed. The team hotel is teeming with Indian and England supporters and the lobby is full of cricket antics with the carpet thrown to welcome the guests resembling a cricket pitch. The lift doors are under siege and a cricketer just can’t step out of it without being mobbed. Little Parthiv Patel was sweating profusely when he escaped one such particular attention from his fans on the eve of the match. As he lodged himself inside the lift, Patel uttered. “Baap re, if this match is so, what it would be like when we play Pakistan?” One of the great symbolism of this match is movie “Lagaan.” It is amazing to see so many local Indians refer to the Aamir
Khan-starrer when they look forward to Wednesday’s clash between the former empire and it’s former colony. “We would not mind being beaten by Pakistan — but not against England” is a common sentiment. It’s a fit case to refer to sociologists and one does get in touch with one Mr Ashraf Qureshi (identity hidden) on the subject. “You must understand the hardships immigrants suffered when they came to South Africa to work on sugar plantations. Whites were masters and others were servants and apartheid was in full force. The sense of deprivation and humiliation was passed on from one generation to another. “In the state of Kwazulu Natal — which incidentally boasts of the higher number of people from Indian stock than anywhere else in the world—the discrimination extended to cricket and quite a few promising cricketers could never make it. “Naturally, the older folks still can’t bring themselves to support a “white” team. Movie
Lagaan, in a way, symbolizes the aspirations and frustrations of the deprived lot, in this case Indians, and the masters are seen as oppressors.” There wasn’t a “Lagaan” when Indians played South Africa in the triangular series finals during the 1996-97 tour but the sentiments were still quite overwhelming in India’s favour. Rahul Dravid had smashed 84 in that match including a straight six off Allan Donald which led to “white lightning” mouthing obscenities at the Indian batsman. The radio stations were jammed by callers for days who made comments on the “racist” lines and newspapers were full of angry letters. The Indian cricket team doesn’t need the “Lagaan” inspiration to do well in this, and subsequent, matches. There is a quiet determination to prove their critics wrong (read former cricketers turned television commentators). Sachin Tendulkar, in particular, is said to be extremely charged for India’s rest of the campaign in this world cup. He has told a few he’s fired up to lead the Indian revival in this tournament. There is a sense of persecution among lads. They feel the world is ranged against them. The symbolism of football huddle in the field of play is a way to tell each other only they are together and nobody else is with them.
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Bevan hopes to bat at last
Potchefstroom, February 26 The left-hander has not had a chance to bat, bowl or take a catch in the four matches so far which Australia won easily to become the first team to book a place in the Super Sixes. Victories over Namibia and England at Port Elizabeth on Sunday will see Australia end the preliminary league as the only side with an all-win record. Bevan was padded up to come in next when Darren Lehmann and Damien Martyn hit half-centuries to guide the champions home by seven wickets against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo on Monday. The one-day specialist could, however, get his chance to bat tomorrow after captain Ricky Ponting indicated he may elevate Bevan from his customary number six place in the order against Namibia. "We'll have to think about that, for sure," Ponting said after the Zimbabwe romp. "Another game has gone by without Bevo having a hit. That was the only thing that was disappointing to come out of the game. We've played four games and he hasn't had a bat yet, so we'll have to look at that." Bevan though was not worried at having to cool his heels in the pavilion. "There's no doubt I'll get my opportunity to play a batting role soon," he said. "Batting at number six gives me the opportunity to bat in a number of different situations and I'm sure I'll be at the crease at some stage. "The top order is performing extremely well and that is helping us win games." This is not the first time that Bevan has had nothing to do.
During the 1996 World Cup in the Indian sub-continent, he did not get to bat till the semi-finals, but the lack of match practice was not a hindrance. As Australia were reduced to 15 for 4 by the West Indies in the semi-final at Mohali in northern India, Bevan stepped in to hit 69 and guide his team to a competitive 207. The West Indies fell short by five runs and in the final against Sri Lanka in Lahore, Bevan contributed an unbeaten 36 off 49 balls but could not save his side from defeat. Besides trying to find some work for Bevan, the Australian captain was also worried at his bowlers' inability to stop runs in the slog overs after Zimbabwe recovered from 142 for 6 to 246 for 9. Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie bore the brunt of a powerful assault from Andy Blignaut who plundered eight boundaries and two sixes in 54 off 28 balls. "We didn't bowl well at the end," Ponting said. "Brett was not at his best then. We've got some work to do there. It has been a bit of a problem of ours over the last couple of years, bowling at the death. "We've got to go away and work on that and make sure it's a bit sharper the next time we play." Meanwhile, Namibia, playing their first World Cup, are still recovering from a 181-run battering by India on Sunday in which Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly hit centuries. Namibian captain Deon Kotze brushed aside the prospect of another heavy defeat, saying his team was excited at the chance to play against the best team in the world. Teams (from): Australia:
Ricky Ponting (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Michael Bevan, Andy Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Ian Harvey, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Maher, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Andy Symonds, Nathan Hauritz. Namibia:
Deon Kotze (capt), Jan Burger, Louis Burger, Sarel Burger, Morne Karg, Daniel Keulder, Bjorn Kotze, Lennie Louw, Bryan Murgatroyd, Gerrie Snyman, Stefan Swanepoel, Burton van Rooi, Melt van Schoor, Rudi van Vuuren, Riaan Walters. Umpires: Russel Tiffin (Zim) and Billy Bowden (Nzl) TV umpire: Neil Mallender (Eng) Match referee: Gundappa Viswanath (Ind).
AFP
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Aussies will win Cup: Marsh
Johannesburg, February 26 Geoff Marsh, the former Australian opening batsman, was a member of Allan Border’s side which beat England in the final at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta in 1987. He then coached Steve Waugh’s team to repeat the feat in the 1999 final at Lord’s when Australia thrashed Pakistan by eight wickets. Marsh, who now coaches Zimbabwe, believes the current Australians are well on their way to retaining the title in the final at the Wanderers here on March 23. “The next period of the tournament is obviously the key but they’re looking a real class act at the moment,” Marsh said after his Zimbabwe team lost to the defending champions at Bulawayo on Monday. It was Australia’s fourth successive win in group A, making them the first team in the 14-nation tournament to advance to the Super Sixes. A victory over minnows Namibia at Potchefstoom tomorrow will almost certainly give them the top spot in the group. “They are a very different side from 1999,” Marsh said. AFP
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Warne not to appeal against doping ban
Sydney, February 26 “After much advice from a lot of different and various people, I have decided not to appeal the 12-month suspension,” the leg spinner said in a statement. “Although I find this penalty very harsh and I am extremely disappointed that this has happened, I have decided that I no longer want to put my family under even more stress,” the 33-year-old said. However, Warne maintained that he had not knowingly taken the banned drug. “I have made a simple and innocent error of judgement. I take full responsibility for my own actions and yes I should have checked with someone, I should have known better.” Warne’s decision came after the ACB today published the full findings of the anti-doping committee which handed down the ban and came down heavily on the champion bowler for giving “vague, inconsistent and unsatisfactory” evidence. But the leg spinner denied this saying “both my mother and I gave honest accounts under oath to the best of our recollections.” Warne was banned on Saturday for taking diuretics and Warne said immediately afterwards that he would appeal against the “very very harsh” decision. Warne was given seven days from the day the ban was announced to file his appeal to the National Sports Disputes Centre and the deadline would have expired this weekend. “This has been the toughest two weeks of my life and I have decided that it is best for all concerned to try and move on the best way we can. “Not appealing is a very, very tough decision for me to make. Because I have been a professional cricketer for the best part of 15 years and would love to be back playing as quick as possible but in the end to go through this again every single day for possibly the next three weeks or so is just too much,” Warne said. The bowler, however, remained optimistic about a return to international cricket. “Looking to the future I can say that I am definitely going to give it my best shot to get back to the top and will continue to train hard, work on my bowling and experiment with new deliveries. “I will try to get through the next 12 months the best way I can and try to move forward at this very difficult and tough time,” Warne said. Warne, Australia’s leading wicket-taker in both forms of the game, first hinted he was having second thoughts about the appeal in his column in an Australian daily on Monday. He wrote that he did not want his family to go through another “couple of weeks of heartache, anticipation and anxiety” by going for an appeal. The Australian Cricket Board’s Anti-Doping Committee, which banned Warne for 12 months on Saturday, published its full findings today in which it said the evidence provided by the cricketer was “unsatisfactory”. “Given the extreme vagueness of Warne’s evidence and some inconsistencies, the committee has grave doubts that it has full information as to the extent that Warne used Moduretic prior to providing the sample on January 22,” it said. It also said “much of Warne’s evidence was unsatisfactory and the committee does not accept that he was entirely truthful in his responses to questions about his knowledge of ACB’s anti-doping policy. “His mother’s evidence was vague and unsatisfactory as to the number of tablets she had given him. Certainly, her evidence was that it was on more than one occasion.” Warne was charged with breach of Clause 4.1 (b) of the ACB Anti-Doping Policy, commission of a doping offence by using a prohibited method. Ruling that the offence was proved, the three-member committee said, “the use of the diuretic by Warne was a reckless act totally disregarding the possible consequences. “He knew he was taking a chemical substance which would have some effect on his body but he made no enquiry when such enquiries were reasonably available as to whether it was a banned substance.” The presence of a diuretic in the system is sufficient to constitute the offence of using a prohibited method. Warne’s counsel argued that the player had to have an intention to use a prohibited method in imbibing the drug. The committee
responded that as part of Warne’s contract with the ACB he is bound by the provisions of the anti-doping policy. Hence, the ACB is not required to prove that the player had the intent of using the drug as a masking agent before the offence is established. The evidence clearly established that Warne took a Moduretic tablet and he said he believed it was a fluid tablet and if he had known it was
diuretic, he would have had second thoughts about taking it. He told the committee that the tool the tablet for cosmetic reasons, hoping it would remove his double chin before facing the media the next day. Both Warne and his mother told the hearing that he was given a sheet of the tablets from which a few had been used by his mother. That sheet named the drug Moduretic and specified the two constituent drugs. Warne argued that he could not
react it because of the torn flaps from where the tablets had been used, but the committee ruled that “clearly” that would not be so. “The name were clearly there if he chose to look. He knew it was a chemical compound available only on prescription.
clearly intended the chemicals in the tablet to alter his body integrity
at least cosmetically. PTI
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‘Warne should expect no mercy’ Johannesburg, February 26 Gilchrist said Warne’s belated revelation that he took more than one ‘look good’ tablet that led him to testing positive for banned diuretic substances would blur people’s perception of his case. “I am not saying for one moment that Warne was intentionally doing that — I don’t know the real circumstance surrounding that. “I don’t know all the fine details but there could easily be a perception that information had been withheld and when that does finally come out people can be put off by that. “It can cloud people’s judgment of a certain person,” Gilchrist was reported as saying in an Australian website today. “There’s only one guy who knows what the truth is and he’s got to live with that and it’s up to him whether he wants to tell anyone what it is,” Gilchrist added. “If indeed there has been information withheld or things not been brought out that eventually do come out, he or his party around him have to be prepared to face up to it eventually.” Warne tested positive for banned diuretic substances, hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride, and was banned by the Australian Cricket Board’ anti-doping committee for 12 months from all forms of the game. Warne said upon testing positive that he was given a fluid tablet to ‘look good in front of the camera’ by his mother. But after appearing for the hearing by the ACB’s anti-doping committee which handed out the ban, the game’s second highest wicket taker said that he indeed took more than one tablet last December. Warne added that he took the diuretic tablets on the advice of his mother in order to remove the double chin and look good when posing for the camera as part of the World Cup squad. Gilchrist said he would not lose sleep over the latest revelations by his teammate. “I am not going to toss and turn and think, ‘What else is there?” said Gilchrist. “It’s his prerogative to work out what he wants to say. “He’s got to live with it being revealed or not. If he says it’s two now, well, again, I’ll believe that. If something else comes out that’s up to him to deal with the consequences.” Gilchrist said he would still stand by his earlier statement that he believed Warne would never take performance enhancing drugs.
PTI
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Battling
Kallis fully fit
East London, February 26 Kallis was struck on the left toe in the nets one week before the start of the tournament and his below-par performances, particularly with the ball, have prompted speculation that he might still be suffering from the injury. “I’m one hundred per cent, no problems,’’ Kallis told reporters after practice at Buffalo Park on Tuesday. “I’m happy with my form. In one-day cricket, if you bowl one or two bad balls, some days you get away with it and some days you don’t. “Perhaps there have been one or two more bad balls that I’ve bowled, but I’ve looked at the areas that I’ve bowled and they haven’t been that bad. “I’ve always said that, if they (the batsmen) are hitting me off my areas, I’m happy with that. “It’s going well in the nets as well — I think it’s just a matter of getting a bit of luck and then things will change.’’ Some of Kallis’ critics have suggested that his lack of penetration with the ball during the World Cup had been triggered by a heavy workload at the end of a busy season. He conceded that striking the right balance was not always easy: “That’s a difficult one, trying to put in the work that you want and get the results that you want while trying to keep fresh. “It’s been a long season and we’ve had a lot of cricket but this is a World Cup, so you’ve got that new lust for work and results.’’ All 15 members of the South African squad were given a two-day break following their 10-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Saturday. Kallis said they had all returned fresh and were fully focused on doing a professional job against Canada. “The two days off have been one of the positive things about playing at home — you can get away and do the things you normally do,’’ he said. “It gave us two days away with our friends and family in a home environment. When I’m not playing cricket, I like to get away from it — get on the golf course or go for a swim, something like that. “The guys have come back refreshed and raring to go. We’ll have a look at Canada tomorrow and see where their strengths and weaknesses are. We’ll then approach playing them the way we approach playing Australia,’’ Kallis added. The South Africa all rounder defended under-fire fast bowler Allan Donald, who has taken only one wicket for 106 runs in his two matches at this World Cup. Kallis added that he expected Donald to be given another chance to prove himself against the Canadians. “I’m fully confident that he (Donald) will come back and prove to his critics that he is still a world-class player and that he can produce match-winning performances,’’ he said. “He’s been bowling well in the nets and just needs one or two wickets early doors and he’ll be back. A wicket’s a wicket and a run’s a run — it doesn’t matter who it’s against.’’
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Bowling
lacks firepower The match versus Australia left me with mixed feelings. While we did lose, it was good for the team to know that they showed fight and skill against the best side in the world. The Australians had to work hard for their victory, and they had to sweat more to defeat us than when they played India or Pakistan. Before the India game I had mentioned that Andy Blignaut was a top quality player who exuded an aura of excitement. He did not prove me right at Harare, but he came good against the Australians. Blignaut is an instinctive player, and while his brand of cricket can result in many off days, when he comes good, the opposition is left smarting. We were slow off the blocks in the morning, but it was Blignaut's knock that got us to almost 250, a total that we thought was reasonable. The area for concern as far as the Zimbabweans are concerned, is their bowling. As I mentioned this at an interview with Tony Greig on television after the match, we simply lack firepower. You need your opening bowlers to have either the pace or the accuracy to get a breakthrough with the new ball. However, our pacemen are not quick enough and our seamers and spinners are not accurate enough. To make matters worse, Brian Murphy had an off day against Australia, so the runs we put on the board were easily wiped away by the Australians. Monday's loss means we have to win both our remaining games if we want to go through to the Super Six. While we know that we can't take Holland lightly, we are aware that our next big test will come against Pakistan. They are one side against whom we have traditionally struggled. We have won only two out of 27 games against them, and they wiped us out when we played them at home six weeks ago. They scored 300-plus totals in four of the games, and our bowlers really struggled to contain their strokeplayers. I suspect that the pitch at Bulawayo for that game will be similar to the one we played on yesterday - flat, with nothing in it for the bowlers. Our only chance is if we play Pakistan on a pitch where the ball does a bit off the seam. This will give our bowlers half a chance against a Pakistan batting line-up which is low on self-belief at the moment. True, our batsmen will struggle on such a wicket, but that is the risk we will have to take. Moreover, Blignaut, Grant and I looked in reasonable touch, so we might be able to handle the movement, if such a pitch is made. It may be recalled that we won our last match against South Africa to qualify for the Super Sixes in the 1999 World Cup. Our game against Pakistan will be the last one in the group stage. Like in 1999, we have nothing to lose, and all the pressure will be on Pakistan. If we raise our game and play above ourselves like we did against Australia, Pakistan will have a tough fight ahead.
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Kenya set to write history Chandigarh, February 26 In fact, the performance of Bangladesh in recent years gives one the feeling that the then ICC President, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, was in a tearing hurry to grant Test status to Bangladesh to enlarge the Test cricket group of nations as also to enlarge his Asian vote bank. On the basis of this Test playing status Bangladesh get direct entry into the World Cup while teams like Kenya, Canada, in group B and Holland and Namibia in group A get to play in the tournament by virtue of their performance in the qualifying tournament. At this stage of the World Cup it seems that it is Kenya which deserves a promotion to the big league ! Ever since the Bangladesh team was granted Test status, it has lost 15 of the 16 Test matches it has played. The remaining one was drawn when the weather intervened. The record of the country in one-day cricket is equally dismal barring their win over Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup in England which many say was a fixed encounter and the result of the match had no bearing on the standings in the league. The current ICC President has already given an idea that the international body may like to re-examine whether teams like Bangladesh deserve promotion to the big league. The performance of the team in World Cup 2003 has been equally dismal and it should surprise no one if Kenya are able to put it across them. In fact, a Bangladesh win in the March 1 encounter at Johannesburg would be an upset. Of course, New Zealand did Kenya a favour by opting out from playing against them at Nairobi (and thereby giving four points to their rivals) to show their “white solidarity” with big brother England, who also did not travel to Harare to play against Zimbabwe. Going by their present form New Zealand may well have found Kenya a handful, specially when playing in front of their home crowd. By opting to stay away from Nairobi, New Zealand have probably missed the bus to the super six stage. In contrast, Australia showed better cricketing sense by playing and winning against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo on Monday to keep their slate clean. This World Cup has gone along expected lines except Kenya's win against Sri Lanka. But the way the teams are playing a few more upsets are not unlikely! |
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ICC dismisses probe report
Johannesburg, February 26 In the biggest shock of the World Cup so far, Kenya bowled 1996 champion and Group B leader Sri Lanka for a paltry 157 at Nairobi to win by 53 runs. It was a dismal batting performance from the Sri Lankans after easily beating New Zealand and Bangladesh and then bowling Canada out for 36, an all time low in international one-day cricket. While the Kenyans celebrated a victory that put them in with a chance of reaching the second round, the Sri Lankan loss raised eyebrows in the light of betting scandals that stained the game in recent years. The International Cricket Council said it had heard a news report suggesting that Paul Condon, the former London police commissioner and head of the ACU, has asked for video tapes of the game to investigate whether the Sri Lankans had deliberately lost it in a betting scam. "The ACU get the tapes of every game," said ICC spokesman Brendan McClements. "All the games have to be sent to them so there's nothing unusual about the fact that the ACU has the tape of this particular match. "It will go through the usual ACU procedure like all the other matches."
AP
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An artist who makes the ball talk The highest tribute paid to him is by Viv Richards who said Wasim Akram is the most dangerous bowler he ever faced. Badgered once by an Indian medium pacer about why he was not playing the hook against his bouncers, Viv came up with the classic rebuff “They come tomorrow, maan.” At 36, Wasim Akram can still make those bouncers come at you today, in real time. And a lot else besides. He is the bowler who has bounced out of many a career crisis. He is now looking at a fine last hurrah which the Pakistan team in its current state might not be able to provide him. “It’s been a roller-coaster journey with lots of ups and downs but it was worth it,” Akram said soon after picking up his 500th one-day international wicket. “Whatever controversies I have gone through on and off the field — it was worth it.” It might be worth even more if Pakistan can get to the World Cup final which is Wasim’s dream. The next best tribute to Akram’s dominance as a peerless left arm fast bowler is in the bowling pages of the record book. Ranked next to his 502 is Waqar Younis on 413 and below his skipper on that roll of honour are Muttiah Muralitharan with 314 and Anil Kumble with 308. The gulf says a lot. There are a lot of batsmen around the world who will remember how his in-dipping yorkers landed on their toes off the inside edge, or crashed into the stumps. Insult or injury represented a Hobson’s Choice when they were up against that most creative of fast bowlers. The World Cup has not been obsessed with speed although Shoaib Akhtar clocked the fastest recorded ball in history. Maybe, that is why the event celebrates more the milestone that the senior bowler crossed when he bowled Statham, a nice enough cricketing name for new trivia questions on the Wasim Akram 500. “I still have tremendous passion for the game,” he told a pretty television interviewer ahead of the game against Holland. That passion is to be seen in the way he appeals to the umpires for LBWs and the flying machine shuffle down the pitch that he has adapted for celebrating the fall of yet another batsman. His wickets tally in international cricket, 414 in Tests and 502 in ODIs, all at a healthy average below the 24-run mark, are another tribute to the ultimate artist with the ball who virtually makes it talk. The big break back with the new ball, huge in-swingers, the sharp bouncer and above all reverse swing with the old ball are all part of a
mesmerise cocktail. Along with Malcolm Marshall, he had one of the quickest arm actions in world cricket. That arm is so strong it may have helped him avoid the kind of back injuries that plague most fast bowlers. That arm is fast even today, coming through in a deadly arc leaving batsmen less time to handle a magical array.
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Ranji Trophy semis in March Mumbai, February 26 The semi-finals would be scheduled in the last week so that key players, now participating in the World Cup in South Africa, could represent their respective teams, the sources added.
PTI
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JCT demolish ITI 3-0 Ludhiana, February 26 The encounter kicked off to a spectacular start and the players were yet to settle down, JCT turned on the heat in the very first minute when Jo Paul Anchery gave a
parallel pass to Hardeep Saini who, with a sizzler stunned ITI' s custodian Gumpe Rime.
Egged on by the early success, JCT kept tormenting the ITI defenders with a flurry of raids from both the flanks with forward line working in
tandem. But, their repeated attacks failed to get the desired results. On the other hand, midway through the first half, the ITI players had the golden opportunity to score the equaliser as their forwards sneaked into the striking box and Ibrahim Karim Alhasan managed to pierce through but his attempt was thwarted by JCT ever agile goal keeper, Mansuru Mohammed. With three minutes into the second session, JCT pumped in one more goal through Jaswinder Singh to increase the lead. Jaswinder's shot just crossed the goal line and the assistant refree, M.K. Roy was well in position to award it to the host (2-0). They were
distinctly unlucky not to add one more goal to their credit when K. Yeboah's
blistering volley was warded off by Gumpe Rime. In the 79th minute of the match, JCT, Jo Paul Anchery weaved a good move from the left wing, entered the danger zone, rolled the ball towards K. Yeboah who sent a powerful grounder to consolidate the lead 3-0. In the next match to be played here on March 2, JCT will take on Salgaocar Club of Goa.
HAL hold
Tollygunge Kolkata: Spearheaded by a brilliant display from Kenneth Onu, HAL, Bangalore, staged a remarkable late rally to wipe out a two-goal deficit and hold Tollygunge Agragami 3-3 in a well-contested exchange in the seventh National Football League here today. Down 1-3 half an hour into the second half, the visitors found the target twice within the next five minutes to snatch a vital point from Tollygunge at the near-empty Salt Lake Stadium.
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Anand draws with Kramnik
Linares (Spain), February 26 With half a point from the board, Kramnik, who has so far played one game more than the Indian, maintained his position at the top of the table with 2.5 points. Anand was placed second alongwith Hungarian Grandmaster Peter Leko, both having had a bye each in the tournament already. The duo have two points from three matches. Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan was also placed second though he has played one board more. Kramnik, however, could lose the sole lead in the next round when he takes his first of the two allotted byes.
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Baljit
Singh is
Rustam-e-Hind Chandigarh, February 26 Rakesh Patel pocketed the runner-up prize money of Rs 51,000 in the competition sponsored by NRI sports promoter Harjinder Singh Dhanoa of the U.K. In the title fight for Sher-e-Hind Pawan Kumar of India defeated Sandeep of Australia for the cash prize of Rs 51,000. Sandeep pocketed Rs 31,000. In the women's section Gursharan Preet of Punjab Police won the Bharti Kumari title defeating Sumanpreet of Tarn Taran. |
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Rural games from March 1 to 3 Chandigarh, February 26 He said that 2400 players and 300 technical officers will take part in the games. Competitions in cart race, horse race, camel race, tug-of-war, circle kabaddi (Man & Women), volleyball (Men & Women), wrestling (women and men) and Athletics, would also be organised. Cash awards worth Rs 33.10 lakh would be given to the medal winners of 32nd National Games held at Hyderabad.
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Kimberley, February 26
Durban, February 26
