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Monday,
March 17, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Watch out India, warn Kenya Indians can’t take Kenya lightly Kenya can make it to final: Bacher Barry Richards doubts Kenya’s position |
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High praise for
“Lord Snooty”
‘Bat second to beat Aussies’
Lankans not playing consistently Smith SA
skipper
Kirsten announces retirement Kiwi coach flays World Cup format Quit or face axe: PCB Olonga goes into exile PROFILE OF THE WEEK Anand draws opening games 43 to compete in double trap event Golf: Harinder emerges winner PSEB go down to Hindustan Club
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Watch out India, warn Kenya Durban March 16 The thirty-nine-year-old veteran Karim got rid of skipper Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehmann and Brad Hogg to finish with figures of 3 for 7 in their Kingsmead day-night Super Six clash. And although the African minnows went down to a five-wicket defeat, acting skipper Hitesh Modi warned India that they are planning a huge upset when they meet in the semi-final. “India should watch out. We have nothing to lose and if we believe in ourselves, we can do it,” said Modi who deputised for injured Steve Tikolo. “We have done it in the past and we can do it again. With Asif Karim bowling the way he did last night, the experience is there to do it. It was the spell of his life.” Karim came out of retirement to play in the World Cup having quit after the last tournament in 1999. “It was a wonderful day. There was turn in the wicket for me and by the grace of God I did well,” Karim said. “I have 20 years of experience in the tank. I retired after the 1999 World Cup but the board asked me to come and play again and it was my duty to serve my country.” Chasing 175 to win, Australia reached their target in just 31.2 overs to win by five wickets. Adam Gilchrist hit a blistering 67 off 43 balls to send the champions on their way. Earlier, the Africans had to recover from early damage caused by Brett Lee, who took a hat-trick in the fourth over to reduce them to 3 for 3. Lee began the destruction with the fourth ball of his second over when he felled Kennedy Otieno with a rising delivery and the ball dislodged the bails. Otieno lay writhing in pain before he was taken off the field and rushed to hospital where X-rays revealed no fracture but only a bruised elbow. Next ball, Brijal Patel was snapped up in the slips by Australian captain Ricky Ponting and David Obuya was yorked off the last ball of the over. Ravindu Shah and skipper Steve Tikolo then added 79 for the fourth wicket with Shah reaching 46 and Tikolo, 51. Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said the workout was good build-up for their semi-final against Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday. “We’ve played two matches at Port Elizabeth already so we know the conditions,” he said. “I have spoken to the groundsman and he has said it should be a better wicket than it has been so we are looking forward to it.”
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Indians can’t take Kenya lightly LONG before a ball was bowled in anger this 2003 World Cup campaign, Australia were installed as big favourites to lift the trophy on March 23 in
Johannesburg and rightly so. Of course many South Africans would have told you differently, as they dreamt of a South African victory in their World Cup. The truth is though, that Australia have the best team, but that certainly doesn’t mean they are invincible. Before their game here in Durban, they had found themselves twice, in positions that had their backs against the wall and fighting with tooth and nail to save themselves and to their eternal credit they managed to pull through on both occasions. On the first occasion against England, they were helped by some negative captaincy by the England captain Nasser Hussain, reluctant to attack or at the very least, not go on the defensive against Michael Bevan who was the chief architect in their recovery from 135/8 chasing 205. Michael Bevan again was involved in the rescue act when they slipped to 84/7 in the 27th over against New Zealand and as against England, he was aided at the crease by Andrew Bichel, the almost forgotten Australian pacer who batted well above most people’s expectations on both occasions. This time they recovered to 208/9, which proved far too many for New Zealand. But those were against England and New Zealand, two top Test playing nations that had both beaten them in the not too distant past, surely they would walk all over Kenya. That was not to be. Everything was on target when they won the toss and asked Kenya to bat first. The pitch was in good order with pace and bounce which suited the Aussie pacers and in no time Kenya were 3/3. Would the lights be required in this day/night game, was the question circulating the Kingsmead ground. Well in actual fact, they were, required and although the scorebook will record an emphatic victory by Australia with five wickets in hand and lots of overs to spare, those of us who actually witnessed it and Australia themselves will know it was not as straight forward as that seems. As Kenya have advanced in this World Cup campaign, they have kept on surprising the skeptics. The captain and the players have kept on saying, they have nothing to lose against these top teams and so are very relaxed. But that alone cannot achieve what they have achieved in this World Cup, it requires a bit of guts, determination and let’s not forget, talent. They caused a few shakes and wobbles in the Australian camp and India watching on from the safety of their hotel rooms must have taken heart from Kenya’s performance as most people expect an India versus Australia final but they have Kenya to dispatch in the second semi-final and they should know, it’s not a game to be taken lightly.
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Kenya can make it to final: Bacher Durban, March 16 Kenya has beaten no less than three regular Test nations in this World Cup — not to mention their spirited performance against Australia last night. “It’s a great achievement, not just for Kenyan cricket, but for African cricket to have them in the semi-final especially when you consider that indigenous African players make up more than three quarters of the team. It speaks a lot about Africa’s potential in cricket,” Bacher said. “I would not entirely exclude Kenya from the final,” he added.
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Barry Richards doubts Kenya’s position Durban, March 16 "What does it say about a tournament that it’s allowed a situation to happen where a team can benefit from a forfeited match?" Richards told AFP, referring to New Zealand’s refusal to play their group match in Kenya for security reasons. "Kenya getting to the semifinals, it’s a fairytale but I’m not sure if it’s good for cricket. "I know that it’s easy to be wise after the event, but if South Africa was given the right to host the World Cup, then why weren’t all the matches played in South Africa? "It’s got the grounds. Six months ago people knew what the situation was in Zimbabwe and Kenya.”
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Karim’s conquering return
Durban, March 16 The Kenyan veteran stymied Australia’s race toward a 15th consecutive win in one-day internationals, removing skipper Ricky Ponting, No 5 Darren Lehmann and Brad Hogg before conceding a run. The Australians still managed a five-wicket win, but conquer Karim, who returned three for 7 from 8.2 overs, including two maidens. He pipped Brett Lee for man-of-the-match honours, despite the Aussie paceman claiming only the fourth hat-trick ever in a World Cup. “It’s my first man-of-the-match award, and it can’t be much better than getting it against Australia,” Karim said. Karim, who captained the Kenyans in the 1999 World Cup, retired from international cricket after that tournament. “I have played some domestic cricket since then, but I was concentrating on some personal and business interests,” he said. He was recalled to the World Cup squad in January to added his experience to a group of young players. “They wanted me to back up the youngsters on the team,” he said When he was brought into the attack with Australia on 109 for two wickets, chasing Kenya’s 174, the match appeared completely lost for the Kenyans. But, he trapped Ponting leg before wicket in his first over, and then got Lehmann and Hogg in his second to have Aussies looking a little precarious at 117 for five. “It would have taken just one good spell at that point to have turned the game in our favour,” said Karim. Kenya next face 1983 champion India in the semifinal. The Indians are 8-1 at this World Cup, their only loss coming against Australia. “The thing about this team is belief,” he said. “We believe now we can have a good game in our semifinal against India and hopefully also in the final.” Kenya are not a full member of the International Cricket Council and do not have Test status. In the four years between World Cups, the Kenyans played in 18 one-day internationals - which is fewer than the Australians play in 12 months.
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High praise for
“Lord Snooty” London, March 16 With India looking all set to meet Australia in the final of the World Cup, the British media today lavished praises on the Indian side and its skipper Sourav Ganguly who, said The Sunday Observer, was probably the finest leader in the tournament. “For weeks the pundits have praised Ricky Ponting’s growing maturity, Stephen Fleming’s ingenuity. But Ganguly can lay claim to being the captain of the tournament,” the paper said. “India’s captain is not liked but he is just the man for the job,” it said and commended Ganguly for sacrificing his role of the opener for team’s sake. “Ganguly has also been prepared to sacrifice his own role in the side - rather more readily than, say Nasser Hussain.
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‘Bat second to beat Aussies’ Durban, March 16 "This Indian team is hot. Only India have the goods to beat the Australians," Donald wrote in his syndicated column. "I would advise (skipper Saurav) Ganguly to bat second if he wins the toss against Australia. I think India would find it easier to play Australia if they bat second," Donald said. "When they bat first, they seem too anxious to preserve wickets in the first 15 overs, and don't play too well in that period. Batting second will make them more relaxed as there is a tangible total to target." The fearsome fast bowler, who announced his retirement after his side's early exit from the forgettable World Cup, said India had gained much in confidence after their defeat to Australia in the league stages and backed them to halt the record winning streak of the Aussies. "Sometimes, playing so well for so long just implies that a reversal is coming up soon. Who knows, India, who broke Australia's 16-Test winning streak, could also break their record streak in one-dayers," he said. Donald said for Australia Sachin Tendulkar would obviously be the prime target but felt the master batsman hardly looked vulnerable on his current form. "Tendulkar is in sublime form, and I doubt that he will be intimidated or subdued by anything the Australians dish out for him."
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Symonds or Harvey, Ponting’s dilemma Port Elizabeth, March 16 With batsman Michael Bevan certain to return after missing yesterday’s five-wicket win over Kenya because of lower back soreness, one of the all-rounders seems certain to make way when the side for Tuesday’s match against Sri Lanka is chosen. ‘’We will have to speak pretty intensely about it over the next few days,’’ Ponting told reporters. ‘’Harvey has done nothing wrong and batted very well against Kenya and Symonds has done nothing wrong either and he has batted well too.’’ Both players have legitimate claims to play. Symonds has match-winning potential with the bat, as he showed in Australia’s opening game of the tournament by hammering 143 not out from 125 balls against Pakistan. However, he missed the two matches ahead of the Kenya clash because of a groin strain and Harvey came in, doing a tidy job with the ball that included an impressive one for 11 against New Zealand on Tuesday at the venue for the semifinal. The pair were side by side yesterday as they added an unbroken 61 for the sixth wicket to see Australia home. Symonds finished 33 not out while Harvey made an unbeaten 28 with both playing calmly when another wicket might have set the alarm bells ringing in the Australia dressing room. The alternative would be to leave out left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg but, with Australia keen to maintain a frontline slow-bowling option, that seems unlikely. Ponting said the decision between Harvey and Symonds might be made as late as the morning of the match when it was clearer what type of pitch would be produced for the semifinal. Australia have played twice at St George’s Park during the tournament and the pitches for both were slow, making strokeplay difficult. Ponting’s hope is that a different part of the square will be used for the semifinal, a part that produced a surface on which his side chased 326 to win a one-day game against South Africa last March. ‘’We have not been all that happy with the pitches we have played on there,’’ he said. ‘’But, talking to the groundsman, the pitch for this game is going to be on a different block from the two pitches we have seen previously and he said he expected it to be better.’’ Australia have already beaten Sri Lanka once in this tournament, thrashing them by 96 runs at Centurion Park in the Super Sixes. That followed three wins in four matches against them during a recent tri-series. Ponting was confident his players could extend their world-record unbeaten streak to 16 matches and make it to the final in Johannesburg on March 23. ‘’We have had success against Sri Lanka of late...we are looking forward to it,’’ he said. The Australia captain also believed his side could come to terms with the threat of Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan. ‘’We played Murali pretty well in that last game at Centurion and hopefully we can do the same again.’’ Sri Lanka squeezed into the semifinal ahead of New Zealand thanks to a win over Zimbabwe in their last Super Six match in East London yesterday. They showed fine form by tying with South Africa, dumping the hosts out of the tournament, and beating New Zealand and the West Indies in the first round but then contrived to lost to Kenya while several key Sri Lanka players like fast bowlers Pulasthi Gunaratne and Dilhara Fernando and batsman Mahela Jayawardene have been out of form and the batsmen, apart from Aravinda de Silva, have struggled against fast, short-pitched bowling on quicker pitches. However, the 1996 champions are the last side to beat Australia in a one-day international, doing so in January, and they also beat them in the semifinal of the Champions Trophy on a slow Colombo track in September.
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Australian team looking vulnerable AN India-Australia final was always considered as the best possible final to the 2003 World Cup and so far things have gone well on course for that March 23 clash in Johannesburg. India look good to honour their commitment, although they still have the resurgent Kenyans as a hurdle in between, but I am afraid to say that Australia, to me, are now looking vulnerable after every match and it is just a matter of time before someone stops their winning streak. The Pakistanis, English and the Kiwis were good to unsteady the Aussie ship but not good enough to make them realise that they are humans and defeat and failures are part of life. I read various reports in the media stating India, in particular, Sachin Tendulkar, was the only likely candidate to spoil the Kangaroos’ party (a line of thought which I didn’t necessary disagree with earlier) but Australia would have breathed easy if the Kiwis had managed to enter the last four stage instead of playing Sri Lanka now. I don’t expect the pitch to alter its nature dramatically after Ponting’s call had expert curators scuttling across to the ground trying to prepare a different wicket. The Port Elizabeth wicket, where the ball does not come on to the bat as much the batsmen would prefer to, and half a dozen spinners present in Lankan side guarantees two sleepless nights for Ricky Ponting. It’s an open secret how well Australia play spinners and keeping Saturday’s day-night match in mind, I dare say that Sri Lanka have a high possibility to dismiss the aura of invincibility from Australia, which means India could have to wait for another time to take a shot at Ricky Ponting’s men. All my words of raising the bar on Sri Lanka’s standard does not mean that they have suddenly jumped into the high performance orbit. They have played well in patches and during those days, they have looked a club different from others. Their batting, after dropping an out-of-form Jayawardene’s, looks a touch deep and Gunawardene’s knock in the middle must have pleased the batsman himself as well as the team management. Batting apart, Jayasuriya has plenty of problems in the fast bowling department. Vaas, has been exceptional and I would rather go in for Jehan Mubarak, who is a brilliant fielder and off-break bowler apart from a very good bat, than say, Gunaratne. Fernando does have pace and on previous occasions he has rocked the Aussies and this match winning ability steals a place for him ahead of the other seamer, although Fernando has nothing to show in this tournament so far. So Lankans, have Murali, De Silva, Jayasuriya, Arnold, and probably
Mubarak, who would be more than handful to get in those teasers in the middle overs. Of course, Vaas has to get rid off Gilchrist or Hayden early on to get things according to plan for them. I feel the ball is in Lanka’s court and only a failure on the batting front would prevent the Aussie applecart from getting upset. And we know that is possible. That’s why I insisted on writing the word ‘possibility’.
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Lankans not playing consistently THE South Africans did not take kindly to my remark that they crashed out because there was hardly any enjoyment in their game. Right now only India are playing with a spring in their step and the bond between the players, comparable to what exists in the Australian team. The other similarity between the teams is that there are a number of matchwinners in each side, and while one or two players are stars, the rest of the players are capable of turning things around. It is these similarities that prompted people to speak of an India - Australia final long before the Super Sixes were over. Yesterday’s win over Zimbabwe ensures a place for Sri Lanka in the semifinals. Unlike Australia who have won everything or India, who have lost just one match, the Lankan team comes to Port Elizabeth with three losses and a tie - evidence of the fact that they are not playing consistently. A lot is being made of the fact that we are playing them at Port Elizabeth, but I’m confident that we will win our third game there as well. As a bowler my main target has always been Sanath Jayasuriya. I have got him out cheaply pretty often in our encounters in Australia, and the sideways movement and swing in Port Elizabeth encourages me to feel that either Brett Lee or I will account for him in the first fifteen overs. I feel that the injury Sanath sustained in his arm has hampered his batting in the last couple of innings. Atapattu and De Silva are also in good form, but from there on there does not seem to be much threat in the Lankan line up. The Sri Lankan bowlers will back themselves in Port Elizabeth, especially Muthiah Muralitharan and De Silva. Our bowlers have adjusted to the slowness and the lack of bounce in the Port Elizabeth wicket. Now it’s up to our batsmen to do the same, and negate threat from Muralitharan and Aravinda. I hear the UCBSA are looking into the way the pitch played in our last two encounters at Port Elizabeth. Hopefully an easier pitch will be available for the semis. If that is not the case, I still back our team to keep our date at the Wanderers on March 23rd. It’s now up to India to stave off Kenya and make it to the finals. As far as I am concerned that would be the best possible climax — with India wanting revenge and the Cup, and Australia wanting to prove that they’re simply unbeatable.
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Smith
SA skipper Durban, March 16 An official announcement to this effect will be made by the United Cricket Board of South Africa later in the day. "Smith of Western Province was picked by the national selectors to replace Shaun Pollock. His appointment was approved by the National Cricket Council of the cricket board," CEO of KwaZulu-Natal cricket Cassim Docrat told PTI.
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Team split led to Pollock’s sack? Durban, March 16 But Pollock denied any rift in the South African camp, claiming the main reason for his dismissal was the resistance of the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) to give the captain too much power in the wake of the match-fixing scandal in which now deceased former captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life. Pollock was dismissed on Sunday by the UCBSA after Pollock refused to resign following a meeting Friday with the selectors. The shock news for South African fans came as the country prepared for the two semifinals and the final next Sunday of the World Cup, with India and Australia expected to fight it out. According to a reliable source within the UCBSA, a lack of faith in Pollock’s leadership by Allan Donald, Jonty Rhodes (both now retired), Jacques Kallis, Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener and vice-captain Mark Boucher resulted in the side losing the dream of becoming the first host nation to win the World Cup, not even making it past the first stage of the tournament. Constant comparisons to former captain Cronje, especially by Donald, Rhodes and opening batsman Herschelle Gibbs, further aggravated the situation. But at a media conference here on Sunday morning, Pollock denied that there was any rift in the camp. “I had the players’ respect and had a good relationship with every one of the members. “I don’t know where the source came from that there was a rift in the camp. Everyone was motivated.” Pollock cut a sad and lonely figure as he made a short statement and then fielded questions from the media. He admitted that some “soft options” had been put to him but that “they” had obviously made up their minds on the issue already. The “they” Pollock constantly referred to were the selection panel led by Omar Henry and the council of the UCBSA.
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Pollock refused to take easy way out IT'S South Africa’s crisis rather than the World Cup semifinals that is making the headlines here. It’s quite understandable because when we came here just about everybody was hoping that their national cricket team would do what the national rugby team did in 1995 — win the World Cup at home. Ever since South Africa stunned the cricket world by failing to go past the league stage, it was obvious that heads would roll. Predictable as it was, I still feel for Shaun Pollock. He refused to take the easy way out and resign. Instead he stood by his convictions and faced the axe with dignity. I hope he continues to play for South Africa, for his presence is crucial as the team struggles to replace the likes of Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes. The retirement of Pollock could really rock the boat, so I am watching developments on that front. Nasser Hussain was the first
casualty of World Cup, 2003, and Pollock has followed soon after. I have a feeling a few more announcements are on their way. Coming back to the semifinals, can you blame people for not really being interested? The India-Kenya match promises to be farcically one-sided, while the Sri Lanka-Australia tie might be marginally more challenging. A lot is being said about whether the Aussie batsmen will be able to handle Muralitharan and Aravinda de Silva on a slow low wicket. However, I think the erratic Lankan batting have even less of a chance against Andy Bichel, Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath, all of whom have adjusted magnificently to the conditions at St. Georges Park. Sri Lanka have already lost three games and tied one on their way to the semifinals. Both Sri Lanka and Kenya have got so far thanks to the largesse of the Kiwis, who gifted four points away. Sure, the Sri Lankans could spring a surprise, but right now it seems pretty unlikely. The Durban semifinal was always a worry for India since they felt batting second was a big disadvantage. I can’t blame them for feeling that way, but now that they are facing the minnows, a place in the finals is guaranteed, unless there is a massive disaster. Matthew Hayden has without question been the under-achiever of this tournament. Something tells me he will play a stellar role in the semifinals. Hayden has the technique and the footwork to take on spin on a slow turner. What’s more, a good show in the semifinals will give him confidence against India in the finals. Every Indian knows how dangerous he can be, and they would be counting on his current poor run to continue till the end of this tournament.
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Shaun Pollock’s brother too feels the pinch Johannesburg, March 16 Shaun was coming to terms with being sacked as captain of the national team while businessman Gavin has been left with thousands of dollars worth of unwanted Proteas souvenirs and clothing in the wake of the doomed World Cup campaign. "It's tough but what can you do?" said Gavin Pollock, who runs a Durban sports shop where he had hoped to make a financial killing by seeing the South Africans storm through the tournament. As it turned out, his brother's team, who began the tournament as co-favourites never made it out of the first round — a performance which led to Shaun being axed as captain. Gavin says he has lost 100,000 rand ($ 12,000). "In all honesty, it has not been a disastrous experience as sales went through the roof from the time the tournament began," Gavin told The Sunday Times here. "But right now, most retailers, distributors and vendors around the country are feeling the pinch of South Africa's exit." Meanwhile, the official licensing agent for the tournament estimates the home team's early exit has resulted in the company sitting on stock worth around seven-million rand ($ 855,000). Most of the items will be sold cut-price or donated to charity.
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Kirsten announces retirement Cape Town, March 16 Kirsten, (35), joins Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes in retirement from the squad who failed to get past the first round. He will continue to be considered for Test cricket. All-rounder Lance Klusener has been rested from international cricket and was not included in a 14-man squad named today to play in Sharjah and Bangladesh this month. New captain Graham Smith, who replaces the sacked Shaun Pollock, will lead a side containing five players who were not selected for the World Cup. The other players in the World Cup 15 to be omitted are Nicky Boje, Charl Langeveldt and Monde Zondeki.
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Kiwi coach flays World Cup format Johannesburg, March 16 ‘’I don’t think this format will necessarily find the best team in the world,’’ he said after his side’s exit from the Super Six stage yesterday. ‘’Kenya and Zimbabwe got through (to the Super Sixes) because they both received points from forfeited games and were favoured by the lack of reserve days. ‘’And I’m not sure whether the system for carrying through points from the first round is a good idea. I tend to think everyone should start the second round afresh.’’ Hosts South Africa, Pakistan, West Indies and England failed to reach the second round of the tournament. Pakistan and West Indies lost points due to rained-off matches while England forfeited their game against Zimbabwe in Harare over security concerns. New Zealand got through to the second round despite forfeiting their match against Kenya in Nairobi, also over security worries. That decision damaged their chances of reaching the semi-finals since it reduced the points carried through to the second phase. Aberhart added: ‘’I don’t think there’s much doubt that we would have qualified if we’d played Kenya.’’ He stressed, however, the team had been let down by their batsmen in the final two matches against Australia and India. ‘’We got ourselves into a good position against Australia but couldn’t finish it off, and it was always going to be hard after making only 146 (against India) on Friday. ‘’Even then we had a chance to rescue the innings, we just needed someone to take responsibility and dig in for a big one. ‘’Everyone’s pretty down as you’d expect, but it’s not as if it was all gloom and doom. There were some very strong individual performances. Stephen Fleming led from the front and batted as well here as I’ve ever seen him bat. ‘’When it came to the heavyweights like Australia and India (pace bowler) Shane Bond showed just how good he is — he’s a world-class player.’’ Bond took six for 23 against Australia, helping to reduce them to 84 for seven, and claimed 17 wickets at 17.94 apiece in all. Fleming topped the team’s batting averages with 45.85, including a match-winning 134 not out against South Africa.
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Quit or face axe: PCB Islamabad, March 16 The players are earning a bad name for the country by sticking to their places and they will not be included in the team in the future, Pakistan Cricket Board chief Tauqir Zia told a television channel here. They will be given a choice to quit honourably though, Zia said in response to questions on the refusal of the senior players, including captain Waqar Younis, to quit. Besides Waqar, Wasim Akram, Inzamamul Haq, Saeed Anwar and Rashid Latif also declined to quit. Waqar, Akram and Anwar retracted after initially saying they were disappointed and intended to retire. Inzamam quit from vice-captaincy but said he would continue to play and get his form back. Zia said a team comprising youngsters had already been finalised to play in the three-nation Sharjah Cup but declined to reveal the details.
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Olonga goes into exile
London, March 16 He will hide until he is able to start a new life in a different country - may be in Kenya where he was born and where he has family still, or England, where he could take advantage of asylum. Olonga’s last few hours as an international cricketer were spent nervously looking over his shoulder, lest there was a tap on his shoulder that could have threatened his life. Seven plainclothes officers from Zimbabwe’s secret police, believed to be from the Central Intelligence Organisation, arrived ahead of the match in East London on Friday and were entertained by World Cup organisers during Zimbabwe’s 74-run defeat by Sri Lanka yesterday. Their real purpose for being in the sleepy, coastal town was more sinister than watching their country’s emotionally ravaged cricket team bow out of the World Cup, a report in ‘The Sunday Telegraph’ said. Olonga has received numerous threats during the last month but this one was different. He had been told the officers intended to “escort him home” where a likely charge of treason awaited. The punishment for treason in Zimbabwe is death. The drama began in mid-afternoon when officers from the World Cup-appointed Close Protection Unit came to the players’ hotel and packed all of Olonga’s personal possession in case he was intercepted after the match. PTI |
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PROFILE OF THE WEEK DURBAN: Andy Flower is now through with his international career and instead of a tinge of sadness, there is a sense of over-riding relief within the chest of this exceptional cricketer. Flower’s wife Rebecca and their three child and his parents have already moved to England and he, too, is now ready to bid farewell to his beloved country for Essex this northern summer, and as is widely anticipated, for South Australia in the winter. “Being out of Zimbabwe helps, and having the family out,” said Flower. “The fact is that some of the pressure is wearing off. It’s good being down here in South Africa where there’s less attention on Henry (Olonga) and I, and the situation in general. So I feel more relaxed about it”. Flower and Olonga changed their lives in Harare on February 10 when they used the international focus on the World Cup match between Zimbabwe and Namibia to take a stand against human right horrors begin perpetrated there. “The positive reaction has been overwhelming, and it has come from all over the world,” Flower said. The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) saw the matter differently. They warned the pair to desist or risk not being paid, and could yet summon them to a hearing to explain themselves. “My relationship with the ZCU has been very tense. I find it hard to understand exactly why,” Flower said. The stress mounted, and Flower’s form suffered. There was whispers of death threats. “It did affect my game, but it certainly wasn’t a case of not trying. That was a bizarre suggestion from various quarters and I am sure it was designed simply to get me out of the side.” His stroke from the twilight zone, a one-handed reverse sweep for a single against India, seemed to fuel what remained a ludicrous argument about his lack of commitment. He insisted the shot was serious. “I played it a couple of weeks earlier in an inter-provincial game and it came off.” “Against India I completely misread the line and I couldn’t reach the ball holding the bat with both hands. It most certainly wasn’t casual.” Just as there was nothing unconsidered about the stand taken by him and Olonga. “We made our statement with the goal of some good coming off it,” Flower said. “If what we said publicly allows just a few other people to say what they really feel, of to find just a little more inspiration, or the courage to do something, them it’s been worthwhile.” “Big movements often result from a small action. It everyone contributes something small we’ll start moving in the right direction.” Those words would mark Flower out to many as a patriot, a hero, a revolutionary. But to those who know him, he is all and everything he wants to be: a man whose love for his country runs deep in his soul. Wherever he goes and wherever he plays in the world, noting and no one will change that. |
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Anand draws opening games Monte Carlo, March 16 Vassily Ivanchuk of Ukraine, Linares champion Peter Leko of Hungary and Bulgarian Veselin Topalov became the early leaders in the tournament with 1.5 points apiece from their first outing in this unique event that has one Rapid and one blindfold game in each round. Russian duo of Vladimir Kramnik and defending champion Alexander Morozevich, Dutch Loek Van Wely, Hungarian Zoltan Almasi, Anand and Gelfand jointly hold the fourth place with one point each while veteran Ljubomir Ljubojevic of Yugoslavia, Russian Evgeny Bareev and Spaniard Alexei Shirov are at the bottom of the tables with a half point in their kitty. The blindfold games were played first and Anand’s board against Gelfand was the only one to end in a draw despite both the players staring aggressively. Anand played the queen’s Indian with black and came up with a very interesting piece sacrifice as early as on the 15th move. Gelfand won the piece on the 19th move but had to part with a rook for bishop in the final bargain. The pieces got traded as if in a heap thereafter and it was soon a rook versus two minor pieces endgame on board. The draw was agreed to on move 36 after Anand swept all white pawns on the king side. The rapid game was also not devoid of action as the Indian embarked on the English attack against the Sicilian Nazdorf. Gelfand was pushed to the wall after some lacklustre play but saved himself by the skin of his teeth in the ensuing rook and opposite colour bishops endgame where he had a pawn less. The game took final shape in the bishops ending and Gelfand’s king came to the defense just in time to get the half point. The game lasted 59 moves.
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43 to compete in double trap event New Delhi, March 16 In all, 52 shooters will take part in the double trap event, but the three boys and two women in the fray will not be part of the World Cup contest. India’s challenge in double trap will be spearheaded by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Moraad Ali Khan and Gaurav Sondhi. Four of the foreign shooters have already earned quota places for the Athens Olympics in 2004, to leave the field open for the Indian challengers. The shooters with quota places are Marco Innocenti of Italy, Waldemar Schanz of Germany, Daniele Dispigno of Italy and Joonas Olkkone of Finland. Four men will be shooting for the Minimum Qualifying Score (MQS), including Ronjan Sodhi and Dil Bahadur Thapa of India. Asaf Ali and Shagun Chowdhary are the boy and woman in the fray. The women and boys are not part of the World Cup challenge. They will be vying for the Grand Prix medals, to be awarded by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). NRAI secretary-general Baljit Singh Sethi, who is also the director of competition for the World Cup, said the World Cup winners will be awarded no medals. The double trap for men and boys will have 150 targets, while women will shoot only 120 targets. The participants had a good feel of the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges, and the foreign participants were pleased with the facilities. After quota place competition in double trap tomorrow, there will be a rest day on Tuesday which will be utilised for the unofficial training of the trap and skeet teams. |
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Golf: Harinder emerges winner Chandigarh, March 16 Today, on the fourth and final day, Harinder Gupta scored 78 (four over par) and was declared winner with the gross score of 75 (three over par 72) and with the total gross score, was declared the first runner-up. Manav Dass with the fourth day’s score of 81 (nine over par) was second runner-up with a total of 295. The winner in the nett category was Deepak Kumar of Delhi Golf Club with nett score of 293. Local lad HS Kang with a nett score of 294 was declared first runner-up. The president of the Chandigarh Golf Club, Raja Malvinder Singh thanked all the participants, who had come from various parts of the country. Harmeet Kahlon, former Hero Honda Open winner said he recollected the times when Jeev Milkha Singh, Amandeep Johl and Samarveer Sahi formed part of the formidable foursome and took golf to dizzy heights. Later, the prizes were given away by Mr and Mrs GPS Sahi, IAS and parents of the late Samarveer Sahi. |
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PSEB go down to Hindustan Club New Delhi, March 16 In an evenly-fought encounter, the first half witnessed chances going abegging. Hindustan Club forced more chances to score, but they were as prodigal as their Punjab rivals in muffing easy chances. In the fifth minute, Hindustan Club should have hit the front when their foreign recruit, A Sirki, who has been taken on loan from Mohammedan Sporting Club of Kolkata, set up a nice pass for Rishi Kapoor to give the finishing touches, but the latter’s shot narrowly missed the mark. Two minutes later, PSEB inside-right Parminder Singh too failed to utilise an easy chance to score. Kuldeep Singh and Jujhar Singh, too, failed to cash in on simple opportunies for PSEB while Hitender Singh Rawat and Sameer Jung made a hash of Hindustan’s openings. However, Hindustan got their act together in the second half and dominated over the tired PSEB. A Sirki put the local league champions in the lead in the 55th minute when he converted a centre from the right flank by H.S. Rawat. Rawat did the spade work for the second goal too, which was scored by Sameer Jung. Rishi Kapoor completed the tally when he left-footed home a cross from Subhash Negi. Hindustan and Border Security Force have earned four points from two matches each while PSEB have managed just a solitary point from two matches. |
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LONG before a ball was bowled in anger this 2003 World Cup campaign, Australia were installed as big favourites to lift the trophy on March 23 in
Johannesburg and rightly so. Of course many South Africans would
have told you differently, as they dreamt of a South African victory. 
