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Razzaq hopes to seal series on Sunday Ganguly cautioned
Notes from Pakistan |
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Cricket fans get visas
Jayasuriya keeps Sri Lanka in reckoning
Japan beat UAE in football East Bengal maul JCT 3-0, retain top slot Give beer, will cheer
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Razzaq hopes to seal series on Sunday
Peshawar, March 19 “I would like to thank god for this, and the boys played really well. Hopefully we’ll win the next game as well (and seal the series),’’ said Razzaq. Razzaq, whose
partnership with Moin Khan at a crucial juncture of the match took the issue beyond the Indians, credited the frontline Pakistani bowlers for setting up the victory with their fantastic spells. “The opening bowlers (Shoaib Akhtar and Shabbir Ahmed) bowled really well. They did not let the Indians run away with the match,’’ said the 24-year-old batsman, who will play the final two matches of the series — March 21 and 24 — at his homeground. Razzaq, whose 52-ball 53 runs was the fastest half-century of the match, said “I am happy we came back from being 0-1 in the series to 2-1.’’
— UNI |
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Ganguly cautioned
Peshawar, March 19 Ganguly had termed the International Cricket Council’s regulations on slow over-rates as “ridiculous” after the first one-dayer in Karachi. “Basically Madugalle reminded him of his duties as a captain and advised him to be careful in future,” an official, who did not want to be identified, told ‘The News’. Pakistan manager Haroon Rasheed had brought up the issue of why the match-referee had taken no action against Ganguly under the players code of conduct after his remarks on the slow over-rate rule, the official added. “Madugalle told the Pakistan manager at the hearing to decide on a fine on the Pakistan team and captain for slow over-rate during the second match in Rawalpindi, that Ganguly had regretted his remarks,” he was quoted as saying. “Madugalle basically said that technically Ganguly had criticised the rule and not the ICC which was why he was not penalized. But he told Haroon and Inzamam that he had spoken to Ganguly and expressed surprise that he didn’t know about the new ruling on over-rates in ODIs,” the official said. — UNI
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Bowling action of
Shoaib, Murali suspect: Mushtaq Peshawar, March 19 Mushtaq Mohammad has supported former Indian skipper Bishen Singh Bedi’s view that the bowling action of Sri Lankan off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan and Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar is suspect. “Murali’s action is very suspect,’’ Mushtaq said and added “People around the world are copying his action. The ball, which leaves right-handed batsmen, cannot be bowled without jerking or straightening the arm. You just cannot bowl that ball with the off-spinner’s grip. Technically, it is not a fair delivery. You can only bowl that ball if you open up your shoulders or jerk it. From 22 yards, with an off-spinner’s grip you just can’t turn the ball.’’ Mushtaq echoed Bedi’s view that there is a danger of creating a generation of chuckers. “There are half-a-dozen chuckers in international cricket. But no one has the guts to stop them. Lots of nations will soon have chuckers,’’ he said. The former Pakistan skipper had no hesitation in saying that even Shoaib Akhtar’s action was suspect. “Of course, someone has to draw the line and judge his action. Anyone who is called for a suspect action is sent for a week to rectify his action and allowed to play international cricket again. It is unfair to batsman who get out facing these bowlers.’’ Bruce Elliott, a member of the International Cricket Council’s committee which investigates suspect actions, has also questioned Murali’s latest ‘doosra’. Elliot had cleared Murali’s action five years ago. The Sri Lankan spinner achieved the 500 Test wickets milestone this week and said he plans to play till 2007 so that he can take at least 650 wickets. Mushtaq was of the view that there is now a tendency to gloss over bowler’s action as long as he is getting wickets for his country. “This is not a healthy attitude. Cricket has its own ethos. Just because somebody is taking wickets, you cannot overlook his suspect action. Then there is no end to such happenings. “Once a bowler is used to bowl in a certain way and tastes success, it is very difficult to get him to change his action because then he may not get wickets. I am not sure that one can change his style quickly as we are made to believe,’’ he said.
— UNI |
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Case against Shoaib dropped LAHORE: A Pakistani cricket fan has dropped a court case against fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar so that the paceman can concentrate on matches against India, a lawyer said on Friday. “My client Syed Najmul Abbas dropped the case in the interest of the country so that Akhtar can give his best against India,” the petitioner’s lawyer Ansar Mahmood Bajwa told AFP. Abbas had filed a petition in Lahore’s civil court last year seeking a public apology from Akhtar over remarks against fellow players in an interview with British newspaper The Guardian. The 27 year-old, nicknamed the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ for his lightening pace, had told the paper: “Imagine if I was playing for Australia with Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie softening them up, then I come on, I’d have got more wickets than anyone ever, mate.” “Here in Pakistan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis are in decline. They were great but they are not match-winning bowlers any more. So I have to make it all happen on my own.”
—AFP |
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Notes from Pakistan
Peshawar, March 18 General Musharraf paid the price of the ticket to Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan during the tea reception he hosted for both the teams in Islamabad on Thursday. “The President asked me the price of the ticket. when I told him it was Rs 4500, he promptly paid the amount,” Mr Shaharyar disclosed. He said all the VVIPs had been paying for their tickets and the PCB was trying to bring the “VIP culture” to an end. “We have requested every one to buy tickets and they are doing that. It is a good thing,” he said. Mr Shaharyar said: “The Prime Minister had also asked for 15 tickets for the Peshawar match and he said he would pay for them.” *
The Indian cricketers, who have been surrounded by a tight security ring during their tour of Pakistan, ventured out of their hotel rooms here last night to indulge in some shopping for the first time since crossing the border. Ten members of the team, including batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, went to the Kisakhani Market, located near the team hotel here, mainly to buy exquisitely designed carpets which are quite famous in Peshawar. Necessary security arrangements were made for the players to move out of their hotel and they were accompanied by a posse of security personnel during their shopping spree. A large number of locals gathered at the shopping complex to have a glimpse of the star players who have been given a warm welcome in all the cities they have visited so far. Because of the large crowd in the shops, the players were taken to a carpet factory nearby from where they purchased carpets. Many of the players also bought shoes. *
A request by Indian captain Sourav Ganguly today to extend the boundary line in the third one-day cricket international match against Pakistan was rejected by the ground authorities. Head curator at the Arbab Niaz Stadium said Ganguly had asked that the ropes on the straight boundary at both ends be extended by five to six yards. “Ganguly insisted that since the boundary on either side of the square was at 75 yards and the boundary ropes in front of the wickets were just 70 to 71 yards, they should also be extended by five to six yards,” Tariq Rana said, according to a report on the ‘The News’ website. However, the ground authorities turned down Ganguly’s request on the ground that the space between the boundary rope lined up with the hoardings and the fencing was very little and if this distance was further reduced it could cause injuries to the fielders. Ganguly had made a similar request during the second one-dayer in Rawalpindi and the ground authorities had extended by boundary by five yards with the consent of the Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
— PTI |
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Cricket fans get visas
Amritsar, March 19 Over thousand visas were cleared till afternoon, official sources said. Four staff members of the Pakistan High Commission who reached here lat night started issuing the travel documents at around 9.15 am this morning amid tight security. Senior district administration officials were assisting the Pakistan officials. Cricket enthusiasts started thronging the rest house of the Punjab Government’s irrgation department where the camp is functioning from the wee hours this morning. Police had a tough time controlling the visa seekers, who vied with one another to reach the counter under the impression that the first come first serve norm was being applied. When the camp officials announced that visas would be issued today only to those who possessed confirmed tickets for the March 21 match and those for the March 24 match would be issued only tomorrow, there was wide-spread disappointment.
— PTI |
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Jayasuriya keeps Sri Lanka in reckoning Kandy, Sri Lanka, March 19 The 34-year-old former captain reached his first Test hundred for 17 months off just 107 balls, cracking 17 fours and two sixes during his 145-ball innings. All rounder Chaminda Vaas survived till bad light stopped play on 30 with rookie Kaushal Lokuarchchi on 13 not out to leave Sri Lanka needing 51 runs to win on the final day. Damien Martyn earlier scored a career-best 161 as Australia, who resumed on 320 for five after conceding a 91-run first-innings deficit, were bowled out for 442. Australia made early inroads with the new ball as both Marvan Atapattu (eight) and Avishka Gunawardene (nine) were trapped lbw to leave Sri Lanka tottering on 36 for two. Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara launched an aggressive fightback, though, scoring 62 from 82 balls for the third wicket before Sangakkara was caught and bowled by Shane Warne for 29. Mahela Jayawardene (13) stayed with Jayasuriya for 65 minutes as 76 runs were crashed from 97 balls before he nibbled at a rising delivery from fast bowler Jason Gillespie and was caught behind. Gillespie, who finished with three for 61, bowled a crucial 10-over spell and was rewarded with the prize scalp of Jayasuriya, who edged a catch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. Scoreboard Australia (1st Innings): 120 Sri Lanka (1st Innings): 211 Australia (2nd Innings): Langer c Sangakkara b
Hayden c and b Vaas 5 Gilchrist lbw b Murali 144 Martyn st Sangakkara b
Lehmann lbw b Vaas 21 Ponting c Sangakkara b
Symonds lbw b Murali 23 Warne c Zoysa b Murali 6 Gillespie c Atapattu b
Kasprowicz c Jayawardene
MacGill not out 17 Extras:
(nb-1, lb-7, b-2) 10 Total: (all out in 134.3
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-26, 3-226, 4-255, 5-304, 6-360, 7-376, 8-393, 9-408. Bowling:
Vaas 33-6-103-3, Muralitharan 50.3-8-173-5, Zoysa 33-11-102-2, Lokuarachchi 12-2-33-0, Jayasuriya 5-0-16-0, Dilshan 1-0-6-0. Sri Lanka 2nd innings: Atapattu lbw b Gillespie 8 Jayasuriya c Gilchrist
Gunawardene
Sangakkara c and
Jayawardene c
Dilshan b Warne 43
Tillakaratne c
Ponting b Warne 7 Vaas batting 30 Lokuarachchi batting 13 Extras:
(b-4, lb-13, nb-1) 18 Total: (for 7 wkts, 67 overs) 301 Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-36, 3-98, 4-174, 5-218, 6-239, 7-274. Bowling: Kasprowicz 17-1-55-1, Gillespie 17-1-61-3, Warne 18-1-83-3, Symonds 3-0-16-0, MacGill 12-0-69-0.
— Reuters |
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Styris, Martin put Kiwis in command
Auckland, March 19 Styris blasted an unbeaten 118 as New Zealand ended the day on 201 for three wickets after recalled medium-fast bowler Martin had ripped through South Africa’s batting, taking five of his six-wicket haul to help dismiss the Proteas for 296.
The New Zealand reply began shakily when they lost Michael Papps and skipper Stephen Fleming cheaply to be struggling at 12 for two when Styris joined Mark Richardson. Papps’s wicket was a significant one for Shaun Pollock, who overtook Alan Donald as South Africa’s leading wicket taker in tests with 331. “I’m really chuffed about it,” Pollock said. “When you start your career you concentrate really hard on getting your first wicket. Now I’ve beaten someone like Alan Donald.” “In a way, it’s sad to go better than someone’s record like that, but I’m glad I’ve done it and now I’ll concentrate on trying to win the match.” The belligerent Styris and the methodical Richardson hauled the home side out of trouble with a record third wicket partnership of 125, beating the 50-year-old mark against South Africa of 94 set by Matt Poore and Bert Sutcliffe in Cape Town. As the partnership progressed, Styris provided the big hits and Richardson the deft touches, although the left-handed opener went out to an aggressive shot. He had hit Jacques Kallis off the back foot through the covers for four and off the next ball attempted the same shot, but slashed the ball straight to Herschelle Gibbs in the gulley to be out for 45. Styris went on to score his third Test century off 121 balls in 173 minutes and hit 16 fours and two sixes.
Scoreboard South Africa (Ist innings): Smith lbw b Martin 88 Gibbs b Cairns 80 Rudolph c Papps
Kallis c McMullum
Kirsten b Oram 1 McKenzie c Papps
Boucher c McMillan
Pollock b Tuffey 10 Boje not out 12 Ntini c McCullum
Terbrugge lbw
Extras (lb-13, nb-3, w-1) 17 Total
(all out, 123.3 overs) 296 Fall of wickets: 1-177, 2-177, 3-235, 4-236, 5-240, 6-246, 7-273, 8-289, 9-289, 9-296 Bowling:
Tuffey 24-7-41-1, Martin 31-7-76-6, Oram 28.3-6-60-2, Cairns 21-6-54-1, S. Styris 14-5-37-0, Vettori 5-1-15-0. New Zealand (1st innings): Papps c Boje b Pollock 0 Richardson c Gibbs
Fleming c Kallis b Ntini 4 Styris batting 118 McMillan batting 31 Extras: (lb-1, nb-2) 3 Total:
(for 3 wkts,
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-12, 3-127. Bowling:
Pollock 14-5-31-1, Ntini 15-2-49-1, Terbrugge 11-3-46-0, Kallis 9-0-49-1, Boje 5-0-25-0.
— Reuters |
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Japan beat UAE
in football Tokyo, March 19 Bahrain on Thursday were held to a 1-1 draw by Lebanon to finish runners-up with three wins, two draws and a defeat. The Emirates had a 2-1-3 record and Lebanon a 0-2-4. “There was no easy match in these six games. My players got past these difficult hurdles one by one and we came into today’s match mentally relaxed with an advantage (better goal differential). It resulted in this victory,” said Japan coach Masakuni Yamamoto. “I told my players that the ticket for Athens is free on the pitch at the National Stadium. We were up 3-0 at the beginning of the second half, then I heard that Bahrain were 1-1 and I felt we were sure of winning the ticket.” “I haven’t thought about Athens yet, but if we keep severely competing against each other and trying to improve, the technique, strategy, physical conditions and all others will follow us,” added Yamamoto. Japan took an early lead when defender Daisuke Nasu jumped for a header on a free kick by Yuki Abe from near the left corner in the 12th minute.— AFP
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East Bengal maul JCT 3-0, retain top slot
Kolkata, March 19 East Bengal went into the lead 44 minutes into the first half when Okoro collected the ball near the midfied, made a 45 yard dash before cutting in and floating a centre in the six-yard box. Baichung seeing JCT goalie Mansuru out of position, probably for the first time in a blemishless first half, out jumped his tall markers to nod the ball into the far corner to give East Bengal a 1-0 lead. East Bengal doubled the lead five minutes after the break from a set-piece move. Baichung was fouled just outside the penalty box. From the freekick Douglaqs sent an intelligent curling cross to the far post and Okoro completed a gem of a move with a spectacular volley (2-0). The defending champions buttressed the lead 16 minutes into the second half. Baichung collected the ball near the centre circle and sent a long lob on the top of the box. Christiano Junior defeated a couple of JCT defenders with a deft body feint and then shrugging off Jaspal flicked the ball past an onrushing Mansuru to record his 10th goal of the NFL. The second half saw coach Subhas Bhowmik making three changes bringing Surya Bikash Chowdhury, Anit Ghosh and Bijen Singh and trying out different combinations. A three-goal cushion was good enough for Subhas to make exception. East Bengal played out the match in the safe mode slowing down the pace and playing possession football, never allowing JCT to get hold of the reigns of the match. However, in between JCT made a couple of efforts through Harvinder Singh. Ten minutes into the second half Harvinder found an open net after catching Sandip on the wrong foot. But he fumbled to allow the situation to be retrieved. — UNI
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Give beer, will cheer Frankfurt, March 19 The idea came to fans of SC Goettingen, who were left without a team to support when the former second-division club from the university town went bust in October. “We got so many requests we could travel every weekend until the summer,” said law student Christoph Pauer, one of the originators of the idea. Several planned trips fell through though because the games had been wiped out by bad weather. But on February 29, about 30 “fans for rent” travelled to support the amateur club Wolfenbuetteler SV — which won 2-0.
— AP |
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Varsity function Amritsar, March 19 |
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In video: Cricket "special" bus leaves for
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