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Friday,
April 11, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Test of character for young guns Competition will be stiff in Dhaka |
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Jayasuriya quits as captain
Seniors blamed for Pak
debacle DULEEP TROPHY SAF Games
cancelled Churchill beat Tollygunge Bhupathi-Mirnyi duo triumphs PPS riders
shine
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Test of character for young guns Dhaka, April 10 Playing their first tournament after an impressive World Cup campaign where they finished runners up, India will rely heavily on the youngsters to deliver the goods as they seek to pick the winning momentum again in the day-night match at the Bangabandhu Stadium. With many of the senior players, including batting mainstays Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid skipping the tournament due to injuries, the team’s first international engagement since the defeat to Australia in the World Cup final will be a test of character for the younger members who will now have to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. Although Bangladesh, who have not won a single limited overs international match since gaining Test status, are not expected to pose much of a threat to the confident Indians, Saurav Ganguly and his men will be keen to start on a convincing note ahead of the tougher contest against South Africa, the third team in the fray in the triseries which has lost much of its sheen with the absence of several top-notch performers. “We want to win wherever we play and we have come here to win the title. Our mission is to win and for that the team is mentally and physically prepared,” Ganguly said. Though five members of the World Cup squad have opted out of the tour for various reasons, Ganguly believes that the team still has enough firepower to emerge triumphant at a venue which brings many happy memories for the Indian team. “There are a few youngsters in the side. But I can tell you, they are all talented players and capable of playing good cricket. They have match-winning potential,” the Indian skipper said. Apart from Tendulkar and vice-captain Dravid who are carrying finger injuries, pace spearhead Javagal Srinath has also preferred to take rest while leg spinner Anil Kumble could not make the trip because of “personal reasons”. Young paceman Ashish Nehra opted out because of an injury which may require surgery. The focus will surely be on the young brigade — the likes of Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh — who are proven match winners but will now be expected to be more responsibility. Sehwag, who has been appointed vice-captain, has already indicated his desire to play more responsibly after being elevated to the post. The dashing opener was often guilty of throwing away his wicket after getting the starts during the World Cup and it will be interesting to see whether he will curb his natural attacking strokeplay in the early stages of his innings here. The series will also offer an opportunity to the new entrants — Gautam Gambhir, Avishkar Salvi, Amit Mishra and Abhijit Kale — to prove their worth on the big stage. These players have been rewarded with a berth in the national squad for their consistent good performance in the domestic circuit. The team management has not decided on the opening pair yet but Ganguly hinted that young Delhi opener Gambhir could partner Sehwag which would mean that the captain will bat at the number three position like he did in the World Cup. The 21-year old Salvi is also almost certain to feature in the playing eleven with interim coach Ashok Malhotra having seen his exploits with the ball during the India ‘A’ team’s tour of the West Indies recently. Hosts Bangladesh, on the other hand, appear to be a demoralised lot, having failed to win even a single match in the World Cup in South Africa. In their short international career, they have managed just three victories in 67 outings. They have suffered defeats in all the eight matches they have played against India and nothing seems to suggest that they would be able to put a halt to the sequence tomorrow. The selectors have made wholesale changes in the team that put up a dismal show in the World Cup and Khaled Mahmud has been entrusted with the task of revitalising the team which seems to lack the potential to counter the stronger sides in international cricket. The recall of seasoned all-rounder Akram Khan, a former captain himself, could strengthen the team to some extent but they will have to put up a far more inspiring performance to put it across the Indian side. Teams (from): India: Saurav Ganguly (capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Mohammad Kaif, Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia, Sanjay Bangar, Ajit Agarkar, Parthiv Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Avishkar Salvi, Sarandeep Singh, Amit Mishra, Abhijit Kale. Bangladesh: Khaled Mahmud (capt), Javed Omar, Mehrab Hossain, Md Ashraful, Habibul Bashar, Akram Khan, Alok Kapali, Tushar Imran, Khaled Mashud, Sanwar Hossain, Md Rafique, Tapash Baisya, Manjirul Islam, Tarek Aziz and Tulha Jubair.
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‘Team hungry for victory’ Dhaka, April 10 Ganguly also said the team was keen to win its opening encounter tomorrow as it would set them up nicely ahead of the tougher contest against South Africa, the third team in fray. “It is important that we pick up the momentum. It is an important game tomorrow and we need to start off well. It will help when we play South Africa,” Ganguly told reporters after the practice session at the Bangabandhu Stadium here. Ganguly, who appeared pretty relaxed, said the two-week break after the World Cup had given the team some rest and it was hungry to win again.
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Competition will be stiff in Dhaka The three-nation tournament in Dhaka comes close on the heels of the World Cup which explains why five leading Indian players are missing from the team. But while this may rob the event of some sheen, I believe that the competition will be stiff, and there will be a lot to gain for players from India, Bangladesh and South Africa. India’s selectors have picked five new players, all deserving, to build up bench strength for the future. Abhijit Kale, it might be argued, is no spring chicken. But, he has been amongst the most consistent performers in domestic cricket and has earned his cap. The other newcomers are all in their early 20’s which shows that the selectors have their sights firmly on the years ahead. Bangladesh and South Africa had a miserable time in the World Cup and are in the process of rebuilding, which should see them play with added fervour. Unless the home team produces something out of the ordinary, India and South Africa should be the finalists. But the home team must use this opportunity to prove its credentials. I am glad that Saurav Ganguly has chosen to play. This is an opportunity to consolidate his captaincy and acquaint himself with the new talent in the country, which can be helfpful for him in the future. But it is also important for him to maintain his winning streak in spite of the absence of the stars. It is unfortunate that both John Wright and Andrew Leipus will not be with the side for this tournament. Both have contributed immensely in India’s revival during the World Cup and the board must ensure that their services are retained. Wright has been a silent, but forceful coach whose value is emerging with every tour, while Leipus has made this team perhaps the fittest ever from India. In hot, humid conditions India must start as favourites, but it is the manner of their performance which will be watched with greater interest. In the World Cup, Ganguly’s team regrouped wonderfully after the poor start, and by the end of the tournament were playing the best one-day cricket I have seen from an Indian side ever. I will be watching the fast bowler keenly, though both Srinath and Nehra will be missing. Zaheer, who had one off-day in the final against Australia after six outstanding weeks, will be the spearhead obviously, but this is an opportunity for Avishkar Salvi, who is rated so highly, to make his mark at the highest level. Neverthless, India’s strength in the subcontinent will continue to be the batting, and though both Tendulkar and Dravid are absent, I think the team has enough firepower to blunt the opponents. Ganguly was amongst the runs in South Africa, and Sehwag was just about finding his rhythm. Yuvraj and Kaif have shown their value repeatedly, and these four together represent a fine batting line-up from which the newcomers like Gautam Gambhir can learn a lot. If the young guys succeed, it will reveal the depth of Indian cricket and help the administrators plan from there.
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Resurgent Pakistan clinch Sharjah Cup
Sharjah, April 10 Coming in to the tournament after a humiliating first round exit from the World Cup last month, Pakistan, which dumped eight of their top stars, easily achieved a meagre target set by Zimbabwe to register their fourth win in a row. Zimbabwe, another team in a turmoil, could score just 168 runs after electing to bat in the day-night game, mainly due to a magnificent unbeaten half-century from the young wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu who made 74 runs. The target could hardly extend the Pakistanis, who put up another polished performance to romp home in 35.2 overs, cruising to 172 losing just two wickets in the process. The young guns, who have put up an impressive performance in this tournament, were once again at the forefront of Pakistan’s victory. Speedster Mohammad Sami and off-spinner Shoaib Malik claimed three wickets each while Danish Kaneria and Mohammad Hafeez took two each to share the bounty between themselves. Man of the match Taufeeq Umar then led the Pakistani batting charge, top-scoring with an unbeaten 81. He put on 144 runs with the experienced Yousuf Youhana for the unfinished third wicket stand after Heath Streak had raised Zimbabwe’s hopes by removing Hafeez and Faisal Iqbal cheaply. Pakistan’s victory was never in doubt once these two got going. Aided by some indisciplined bowling performance by the Zimbabweans, who gave away 22 extras, mostly at the start of the innings, Umar and Youhana confidently marched towards the target, unleashing a flurry of attractive strokes in the process. Earlier, Taibu played a glorious innings which was the only bright note in an otherwise gloomy Zimbabwe innings that faltered at the very beginning and never recovered. Pakistan bowlers had a field day against some inept batting by Zimbabwe. Sami sent back the first three Zimbabwe batsmen at the total of just 22 runs PTI SCOREBOARD Zimbabwe: Wishart c Latif b Sami 0 Marillier b Sami 14 Rennie c Latif b Sami 6 Flower c Younis b Malik 7 Taibu not out 74 Ervine c Latif b Malik 25 Ebrahim c Malik b Kaneria 13 Streak lbw b Hafeez 0 Blignaut c and b Hafeez 3 Price lbw b Kaneria 1 Hondo c Youhana b Malik 9 Extras: (lb-4, w-8, nb-4) 16 Total: (all out, 49.1 overs) 168 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-19, 3-22, 4-36, 5-82, 6-122, 7-123, 8-127, 9-133. Bowling: Sami 10-0-44-3, Gul 8-0-24-0, Malik 9.1-1-29-3, Razzaq 6-0-21-0, Kaneria 10-1-32-2, Hafeez 6-0-14-2. Pakistan: Hafeez c Wishart b Streak 2 Umar not out 81 Iqbal c Rennie b Streak 6 Youhana not out 61 Extras (lb-5, w-16, nb-1) 22 Total (2 wkts, 35.2 overs) 172 Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-28. Bowling: Streak 8-0-35-2, Blignaut 9-0-50-0, Ervine 3-0-18-0, Price 10-1-31-0, Hondo 2-0-14-0, Marillier 3-0-14-0, Ebrahim 0.2-0-5-0.  |
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Windies struggle against Aussies Georgetown, April 10 Lara won the toss and chose to bat on what appeared a batsman-friendly Bourda track, but the home side struggled against the under-strength Australian bowling attack to be 89 for five off 23 overs at lunch. The Australians, minus their 913-wicket Test pair Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, made a statement at the outset of the four-Test series by making huge inroads into the West Indies’ batting order. Andy Bichel got Lara’s prized wicket after the West Indies captain looked in dazzling scoring touch with six boundaries off 30 balls. Lara moved across his stumps and was trapped lbw just in line with off-stump by Bichel, much to the delight of the Australian fieldsmen. Lara’s dismissal for 26 after 53 minutes at the crease left his team wallowing at 53 for five. Left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg grabbed wickets with consecutive deliveries to strike soon after first-hour drinks. The chirpy West Australian, playing in just his second Test, tempted opener Wavell Hinds to scoop one straight to Justin Langer at mid-off for 10. Marlon Samuels went next ball, deceived by a Hogg wrong’un, and gave a thick outside edge to the midriff of Matthew Hayden at first slip for a duck. Debut opener Devon Smith was out to a dubious lbw decision off Brett Lee in the fifth over of the match, with South African umpire Rudi Koertzen giving him out for three, even though he inside-edged on to his pads. Daren Ganga, promoted to No 3, was beaten by a low one and was bowled for one by Jason Gillespie leaving the home side 10 for two before Lara and Hinds put on 37 runs for the third wicket. At lunch, local hero Shivnarine Chanderpaul was not out 28 with wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs on 13. West Indies (1st innings): Hinds c Langer b Hogg 10 Smith lbw b Lee 3 Ganga b Gillespie 0 Lara lbw b Bichel 26 Samuels c Hayden b Hogg 0 Chanderpaul batting 28 Jacobs batting 13 Extras (b-2, lb-1, w-3, nb-3) 9 Total (5 wkts in 23 overs) 89 FoW: 1-9, 2-10, 3-47, 4-47, 5-53 Bowling: Lee 8-1-29-1, Gillespie 5-2-11-1, Bichel 5-0-32-1, Hogg 4-1-9-2, MacGill 1-0-5-0.
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Jayasuriya quits as captain Sharjah, April 10 The 33-year-old Jayasuriya had resigned immediately after the World Cup but was asked by the Sports Minister to continue till at least the four-nation tournament in Sharjah. But soon after Sri Lanka lost against Zimbabwe in this tournament, which ruled out their progress to the final, Jayasuriya made it known that the last league match against Kenya would be his last as captain.
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Seniors blamed for Pak debacle Islamabad, April 10 A report released by the three-member committee appointed by Pakistan Cricket Board also came down heavily on the star treatment meted out to speedster Shoaib Akhtar and the “commitment” of the “ageing” players in the side. The committee, headed by retired army Colonel and former cricketer Naushad Ali, said “some of our players could not keep up with the pressure of World Cup even though they were old and experienced enough”. Waqar, who was replaced by Rashid Latif soon after Pakistan’s World Cup campaign came to an end, got a “sympathetic” treatment from the committee but came in for a lot of flak for his inability to communicate with the other players in the side. “Waqar is a seasoned campaigner who is straightforward but at times stubborn and struggeled to communicate with some of the players resulting in frustration for himself and others,” said the report whose release coincided with the new-look Pakistani team’s final match against Zimbabwe at Sharjah. “Waqar expected a high level of commitment from his players but unfortunately did not get the same, including from vice-captain Inzamam-ul
Haq,” the report said. PTI |
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DULEEP TROPHY Kochi, April 10 Narendra Hirwani, who claimed two wickets for 81 runs and Venkatesh Prasad (1 for 15) were the only wicket-takers. Elite C, who elected to bat after winning the toss, made a shaky start, losing their captain S.S. Das (9) with the score on 15. But S. Parab and Yere Goud steadied the innings adding 69 runs for the second wicket, before Parab departed, caught by Sreekumar Nair off Hirwani. Scoreboard Elite C (Ist innings): S. Parab c S. Nair b N. Hriwani 44, S.S. Das c S. Somasunder b V. Prasad 9. Y. Goud c H. Kumar b N. Hirwani 34, H. Badani batting 99, P. Dharmani batting 72. Extras (4 B, 1 LB, 10 NB) 15. Total (3 wkts, 90 overs) 273. Fall of wkts: 1/15, 2/84, 3/90. Bowling: V. Prasad 7-2-15-1, S. Sreeshanth 5-0-29-0, D. Bundela 7-0-22-0, S. Nair 23-5-63-0, N. Hirwani 27-2-81-2, R. Dhruv 19-4-48-0, H. Kumar 2-0-10-0. 5-wkt haul by Uniyal CHENNAI:
An inspired spell by left-arm medium pacer Amit Uniyal, (5 for 21), saw Plate A being shot out for a paltry 135, putting Elite B in command on their first day of ther four-day encounter at the M.A. Chidambaram stadium here. In reply, Elite B were 87 for one at stumps. Elite B started off on a painful note, with their opening batsman Amit Pagnis having to retire hurt on 27, with a fractured right elbow after being struck by
medium-pacer Tinu Yohana in the 10th batting) played the remaining overs out. Earlier, Plate A chose to bat first after winning the toss and were strongly placed at lunch on 102 for two off 36 overs, with a 54-run stand for the second wicket between Rowland Barrington and skipper Hrishikesh anitkar. However, in the post-lunch session Uniyal picked up four wickets in the space of 11 balls. He sent back Barrington, Yashpal Singh, Sunil Joshi and Dodda Ganesh — the last two off successive deliveries. Leggie Sairaj Bahutule claimed three wickets for 50 runs and Harvinder Singh, who shared the new ball with Uniyal, got two wickets for 31 runs.
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SAF Games cancelled Islamabad, April 10 The executive council meeting of the South Asian Sports Federation (SASF), which was held at Rawalpindi, has accepted Pakistan’s decision. The 10th edition of the games will be hosted by Colombo in 2005. “We do not know when the political situation is going to improve internationally. That is the reason why Pakistan suggested the cancellation of the ninth SAF Games which has been accepted by the SASF,” Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) president Wajid Ali Shah told reporters after the meeting. SAF Games organising committee chairman Arif Hasan said Pakistan was deeply disappointed with the turn of events. The SASF meeting, which was called to decide on the future of the jinxed games, originally scheduled to be held in 2001, was attended by representatives of only two of the seven member SAARC countries besides Pakistan — Nepal and Sri Lanka. India, who pulled out of the games citing security threat to their players, did not attend the meeting. Also absent were representatives of Bhutan, Maldives and Bangladesh. Indian Olympic Association President Suresh Kalmadi had already informed the SASF that he would not be able to attend the meeting as its “timing was not appropriate”. Asked whether India’s pull-out had a bearing on the decision, Hasan replied in the negative. In fact, Hasan praised his Indian counterpart Kalmadi for “taking the initiative to prevail on the Indian government to take part in the Islamabad games”. The games which were originally slated to be held in 2001, had to be postponed thrice.
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Churchill beat Tollygunge Margao, April 10 The all-important goal for the winners came in the 66th minute. The goal was a result of fine cross from Noel Wilson to Yakubu, who chested the ball and then dodged past the rival defender made deft placement at the far corner of the net 1-0. With this win, Churchill jumped on to sixth placed with 28 points below league leader East Bengal with 43 points, followed by Vasco Sports (37), Salgaocar (35), JCT (34) and Mohan Bagan (29). Tollygunge remained on ninth place with 22 points from equal number of outings below Mahindra and Dempo with 26 points each, respectively. It was a tale of missed chances for both the teams, in which Churchill had an edge in the first half. In the fast-paced match, the visitors made the first good move in the 19th minute and were almost in the lead had not Churchill Brothers defender Rajesh Meetei brought off a fine goal-line save off Moses Oira back flick of a flag kick taken by Ashim Biswas. In the very next minute, it was Churchill Brothers in the counter-attack, with Roque Barreto passing to Aquel Ansari and with a one-to-one situation the latter’s feeble shot landed straight into the hands of goalkeeper Arindam Ghose. Churchill then replaced Ansari by Mir Farrooq Hyder. After inclusion of Hyder, Churchill accelerated the pace and could have shot into the lead in the 25th minute of the first half, when ace striker Yakubu Yusif, after collecting a pass from Rocky Barreto, unleashed a pile driver from close range but the visitors defender Deb Kumar Sushmal came to their rescue with a timely goal-line save and deprived Churchill from the lead. The home team had one more chance to score at the stroke of the first half, in the combine move Bejamin Ansah pass to Ratan Singh, who in quick succession switched the ball to Rockey Barreto, who dodged past entire defence and unleashed a powerpacked shot which sailed over the bar.
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Bhupathi-Mirnyi duo triumphs New Delhi, April 10 The Indo-Belarussian pair, who won the US Open doubles’ crown last year, are the top seeds at the Estoril event. Bhupathi, who began the season with Joshua Eagle of Australia, is pairing up again with Mirnyi after the partnership with Eagle had brought him less success. The title drought Bhupathi is going through this season is a contrast to 2002 when he won five titles with various partners.
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PPS riders
shine Chandigarh, April 10 Prithivijeet Singh Bedi, a student of class X, participated in seven different events winning various positions. In subjunior and junior jumping knockout, out of 12 teams, he stood first and his companion Jaspreet Singh secured the fourth position. In confined tent pegging and confined individual tent pegging, the PPS trio of Sandeep Singh, Prithivijeet Singh Bedi and Jaspreet won gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively, in both the categories. In preliminary jumping fall and out, Prithivijeet Singh Bedi got the third position and Sandeep Singh stood sixth. There were 42 participants in this category. In preliminary jumping (normal) out of 48 contestants, Prithivijeet Singh Bedi stood fourth and Jaspreet sixth. In subjunior, junior and senior rescue relay (under-21), Prithivijeet Singh Bedi and Jaspreet Singh stood second. In subjunior top score, Simardeep Singh and Prithivijeet Singh Bedi got the fourth and fifth positions, respectively. In subjunior jumping (normal) Gurjap Singh got the fourth position out of 52 participants. Sandeep Singh and Jaspreet Singh of PPS were placed fifth and sixth respectively, in junior jumping top score. The winners were felicitated at a function in the school by Lt-Gen (Retd) G.S. Brar. |
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Though pitted against an opponent which is still trying to find its feet in the international arena, a new-look Indian team will not take the encounter against hosts Bangladesh lightly and aim at starting its campaign in the triangular series on a winning note tomorrow.
