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Angry Shoaib not to play against Lanka
Why catch Murali alone? Pak panel to probe players’ injuries
Maradona better, but still critical |
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India stun Korea in Fed Cup Ankita dazzles, India lead 1-0 Top golfers for Hero Chandigarh Open
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Angry Shoaib not to play against Lanka
Islamabad, April 20 Shoaib’s family members said that accusing him as a deserter and pinning the blame for the series loss against the arch-rivals India has put off the “Rawalpindi Express” who was “not physically and mentally fit” to play the series. They said that attempts were being made to blame Shoaib for the debacle instead of the “rotten match strategy, poor planning and spineless batting and bowling”. “Shoaib is mentally so upset that he might even not participate in any international cricket for a couple of months,” local daily ‘The News’ quoted an unnamed family member of the fast bowler as saying. He said people who were actually responsible for the defeat against India were trying to drag the speedster unnecessarily into the controversy to save their own skin. “These people are afraid of the fall-out of the defeat. They were having a good time without putting in their part during all these years. “These people have failed to deliver since the last couple of years. Now when they realise that they might be taken to task for the failure, they are desperately trying to shift the blame on one man,” he said. “In view of this, the fast bowler does not want to play the matches against Sri Lanka. You need confidence and trust from those people who are associated with you,” the family member said. “If you do not get that, it would be hard to gather yourself for the professional commitments and that is the reason why Shoaib has decided not to play in the three matches,” he said. Meanwhile, Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman Sami-ul Hassan said the fast bowler did not have the Board’s permission to go to India for an ad shoot alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Australian paceman Jason Gillespie. But the family member defended the decision of Shoaib, who is already in Mumbai, saying that he was going to India to honour a contract he had signed sometime ago. The fast bowler had an MRI done for the back injury at Rawalpindi before he left for India. — PTI
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Why catch Murali alone? There were records galore in the past few months in Test cricket. While batsmen scored tons of runs, bowlers reached remarkable milestones. Cricketers from Australia, West Indies and Sri Lanka have re-written the history books in both departments of the game. Brian Charles Lara snatched the record from Mathew Hayden by scoring mammoth 400 runs in the final Test against England. Hayden, who pinched the record from Lara earlier this year, would never have dreamt about his record being challenged so soon. In fact, Lara earlier said in an interview that he was going to get back his record. And he kept his words. Only Lara could have done that and in doing it for the second time, I am sure, he will guard his record till the end of his playing days. If need be, Lara is capable of challenging his own record in the next few years of cricket left in him. A consortium of different island nations, the West Indies is marred by internal problems both in the team and the cricket board. Yet, it is amazing to see their players scaling new heights. The West Indies team, I feel, can still regain their glory days, which started in the mid-70s. But it can only happen if they breed a culture of togetherness in the team. The resources are plenty but the poor management is the real issue in West Indies cricket. Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan are the other two players, who are locked in a neck and neck battle. Having already captured more than 500 wickets each, the duo is currently chasing each other to surpass Courtney Walsh’s record. It will be really interesting to see who ends up with the most number of wickets at the end of their careers. Unfortunately, Murali’s right arm has been brought under the microscope once again. Having got more than 500 wickets in a span of almost 14 years of international cricket, it’s ridiculous to suspect his action at this juncture. ICC has appalling standards to check the issues of action. Any bowler who has a suspect action is sent to Perth or London for check ups cum corrections and within a few days he comes out clean. Frankly, we cricketers don’t get to see any pronounced change in the corrected actions. In my opinion, there are a few more bowlers in international cricket whose actions are blatantly wrong. Then, why catch Murali alone and let all others go scot-free? In a way, ICC seems blindfolded. Only a bowling action committee formed with bowlers from different countries can be fair to the game by calling a spade a spade. One of my favourite bowlers, Waqar Younis has finally bid good bye to cricket. A tearaway pace bowler on the field but a genial and warm person outside, Waqar had fans all over the world, which included yours truly and Sanjay Manjrekar. We both used to be his great admirers. Waqar’s run up to the wicket and his effort in the delivery stage was a treat to watch. The master of reverse swing made every team to shiver in terror with his lightning pace and movement .The present Pakistani bowlers are not even a shade of what Waqar was in his hay days. My first interaction with Waqar was in 1994 in Sri Lanka. I had a long chat with him and he even volunteered me to try his match boots to see if I was comfortable. Bowlers always face a lot of problems with the bowling boots. Waqar and Wasim Akram were the source of inspiration for many bowlers in India. A committed man, Waqar has had a wonderful career and is rightly called the leader of Pakistani bowlers along with Imran Khan and Akram .I wish my friend Waqar a great life after cricket.
— Chivach Sports |
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Pak panel to probe players’ injuries Karachi, April 20 The move came four days after India beat Pakistan by an innings and 131 runs in the third Test at Rawalpindi on April 16 to complete a 2-1 series triumph - its first in Pakistan since the two countries started playing Tests in 1952. India had earlier wrapped up the one-day series 3-2. “The commission will examine the injuries to Moin Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shabbir Ahmed, Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar,” said a PCB statement here. “Shoaib Akhtar has been advised to appear before the commission on Sunday,” it said. The inquiry commission, constituted by PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan, comprises Dr Abdul Wajid, an orthopaedic surgeon in the Aga Khan Hospital, Dr Naseer Ahmed, a former head of the Orthopaedic Department of King Edward Medical College, Dr Riaz Ahmed, who is attached to the Pakistan team, and Dr Sohail Saleem, a member of the PCB panel of doctors. “The commission has not been constituted to find a scapegoat and punish him,” said PCB chief executive Rameez Raja. “It has been constituted to find why so many players got injured and what can be done in future to prevent so many injuries.”
— IANS |
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Harare, April 20 Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara scored an impressive 73 not out off 72 balls to guide his side to 144 for four when bad light ended the match after 27 overs of their innings while chasing a revised target of 173 from 33 overs. The visitors were ahead of the run target under the Duckworth-Lewis system. Earlier, Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu scored a career-best 96 not out to rescue his side and post a respectable 211 for six after 50 overs, before rain disrupted the match in the seventh over of Sri Lanka’s innings. The 20-year-old wicketkeeper, the first black player to captain his country, came to the crease after the home side had lost both openers with only a run on the board, then steered his team to the respectable total after they slumped to 79 for five. Scoreboard Zimbabwe: Sibanda c Sangakkara Taylor b Vaas 0 Ebrahim c Jayawardene Taibu not out 96 Chigumbura c Matsikenyere st Maregwede c Nkala not out 33 Extras:
(b2, lb5, w3, nb3) 13 Total: (for 6 wkts, 50 overs) 211 Fall of wickets:
1-0, 2-0, 3-47, 4-64, 5-79, 6-154. Bowling: Zoysa 7-2-21-3, Vaas 10-5-31-1, Kalusekara 3-0-26-0, Muralitharan 10-1-47-1, Chandana 10-0-43-1, Arnold 2-1-5-0, Jayasuriya 8-0-31-0. Sri Lanka Jayasuriya c Ebrahim Atapattu lbw b Hondo 0 Sangakkara not out 73 Jayawardene c Panyangara b Hondo 5 Zoysa c Taylor b Chigumbura 14 Dilshan not out 35 Extras:
(lb-3, w-5) 8 Total: (for 4 wkts, 27 overs) 144 FoW:
1-9, 2-9, 3-44, 4-77. Bowling: Douglas Hondo 7-1-34-2, Tinashe Panyangara 5-1-22-1, Elton Chigumbura 5-0-32-1, Mluleki Nkala 6-0-34-0, Tatenda Taibu 4-0-19-0.
— Reuters
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Maradona better, but still critical
Buenos Aires, April 20 Family doctor Alfredo Cahe told reporters outside a Buenos Aires clinic that the 43-year-old was still in a critical stage and remained on an artificial respirator. The respirator had been turned down to the minimum level. Argentine media ran live coverage from the clinic throughout the day along with clips of his soccer triumphs and his difficult days with drugs. Earlier in the day, Cahe said Maradona had a lung infection and denied reports he had taken an overdose of cocaine — an addiction he has been battling for the last decade. “It is not related to an overdose. Lately, Maradona was not (consuming) cocaine,” Cahe told local radio. After a similar scare in early 2000 Maradona’s entourage initially denied cocaine was involved but his cardiologist later told anxious fans to change their placards from “Hang in there Diego” to “Damned cocaine”. Maradona had arrived at the clinic on Sunday in a serious, feverish state with breathing difficulties and a swollen heart, after watching a game at his former club Boca Juniors’ stadium. “(I send him) a big hug, I hope he recovers fast,” said soccer-mad Argentina President Nestor Kirchner. “Like all Argentines it causes me deep pain. We must stand by him...He has made all Argentines cry with joy. He is a great person.” Maradona’s official website www. diegomaradona.com said the former Argentina captain was taken ill while eating a traditional barbecue after watching Boca at the BomBonera stadium in Buenos Aires where he made his name. Well-wishers mounted a vigil outside the Suizo-Argentina clinic yesterday, some wearing Boca’s blue and yellow strip. Dozens of fans glued posters of ‘El Diez’ (No. 10 shirt) in his footballing prime on the clinic’s walls. Some jumped up and down singing soccer anthems at the top of their voices. “Poor little English, how Diego screwed you over!” went one jubilant song. Others, like 58-year-old cleaning lady Maria Lujan, were more solemn, praying for Maradona on the steps of the clinic. “Dear Lord, all of us Argentines love Maradona,” she intoned, gripping her pink plastic rosary. “Let him sleep well, let him rest. May all his problems be over.” Local television played footage of Maradona’s greatest moments on the pitch and excerpts from past interviews. “For Argentines who love football, Diego is nothing less than a god and the fact that something bad is happening to him brings huge sadness to us all. I wish I could speak with him,” said Valencia midfielder Pablo Aimar. “If Argentina is known by so many people it is largely due to Maradona,” added Aimar, one of several players to have been dubbed the ‘New Maradona’. “I’ve no idea how he got to reach this state but everyone has to live their own life.” Maradona, the fifth of eight children of a factory worker, was given his first football as an infant and slept with it under his arm. Rising to stardom from a grimy Buenos Aires slum to lead Argentina to World Cup victory, Maradona’s is the ultimate rags-to-riches story in this soccer-mad country and has gained the iconic status of Che Guevara or Evita Peron. He made his international debut in 1977 and then moved to Barcelona in 1982 after the World Cup in Spain for $3 million, although his two years at the Spanish club were marred by illness and injury. In 1984 he moved to Napoli for a world record $ 7.5 million and helped transform a mediocre club into one of the best in Italy. At the peak of his form, he led Argentina to a 3-2 triumph over West Germany in the 1986 World Cup final. He scored twice in the 2-1 quarter-final defeat of England, one the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal when he fisted the ball into the net and the other a stunning solo effort as he ran through the opposition with the ball seemingly glued to his left foot. In 1991 he failed a dope test for cocaine and was banned for 15 months. He played in his fourth World Cup in the United States in 1994 but tested positive for a cocktail of drugs the day before he was due to make his record 22nd appearance. Maradona was admitted to a Uruguayan hospital in 2000 for hypertension and an irregular heart beat and has spent much of his time since then in Cuba having treatment for drug addiction. Despite his well-publicised drug problems, Maradona has a widespread fan club with 20,000 people as far a field as Vietnam and Iceland becoming members of the ‘Church of Maradona’. — Reuters
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India stun Korea in Fed Cup
New Delhi, April 20 After the two teams shared the honours at the end of singles matches, Sania and Manisha defeated Yoon-Jeong Cho and Mi-Ra Jeon 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 to give a surprise victory to the hosts. Earlier, Ankita Bhambri played some fearless tennis to stun Kyung-Mi Chang 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 to put India ahead before Sania went down 4-6, 2-6 to Jeon in the second singles. The win puts India in a healthy position and second seeds Indonesia remain the next major hurdle in the pool engagements. Sania made up for her singles loss with a powerful display and struck a electrifying bonding with Manisha to dominate the doubles match. The Koreans broke Manisha in the fifth game to go 3-2 up in the first set but the home girls broke back in the 10th and pushed it into the tie-breaker. The Indians took a commanding 5-1 lead in the shoot-out to take the set comfortably. Sania was once again in her elements in the second and a series of ripping forehands helped the pair break Jeon in the fifth. The visitors, however, showed nerves of steal and broke Manisha again to equalise at 4-4. But Sania and Manisha were the ones dictating the points. They set up three break points on Jeon’s serve but the Koreans extricated themselves from the situation with some tenacious tennis. The home favourites though were not to be denied for long. Another triple break point on Yoon’s serve in the ninth was too much for the Koreans to handle and a weak backhand from Yoon gave the game and match for India. With four players ranked in the 300s and 200s, Korean coach Jin-Soo Lee had the luxury of playing his fourth player in the first singles. — PTI
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Ankita dazzles, India lead 1-0
New Delhi, April 20 Thanks to her blistering strokes and fluent court coverage, Ankita set the points beautifully as she outwitted her opponent when it came to end game and crucial points in the first singles which lasted for more than two hours at the centre court of the RK Khanna stadium. Ankita began the first set with a bang and broke Chang in the second game to take an early 2-0 lead. She broke her Korean rival in the sixth game again to consolidate the lead 5-1 and held her serve to claim the set 6-1. Chang initially looked listless but slowly came back into the game playing percentage tennis as Ankita drove herself for the kill. The local girl pushed herself a little too much for the winners and, in the process, committed umpteen unforced errors in the second set. Leading 4-2 after having broken Chang in the fifth game, all Ankita needed was to play a waiting game. But she squandered the advantage and had a momentary loss of concentration in the later part of the second set. Sensing opportunity, Chang took the winds out of the sails of Ankita and made her play more shots and kept the points long. Chang eventually broke her in the eighth and tenth game to win the set 6-4 and draw parity 1-1. — UNI
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Top golfers for Hero Chandigarh Open Chandigarh, April 20 The tournament offers Rs 10 lakh in prize money with the winner pocketing Rs 1,62,000. The tournament, sponsored by the Hero Group, will be managed by the Delhi-based Tiger Sports Marketing. The other highlight of the event will be the battle for order of merit supremacy between ashok Kumar and Vijay Kumar. The Lucknow-based Vijay recently nudged ahead of Delhite Ashok with a semi-final effort at last week’s SRF All-India Matchplay Championship. Vijay now tallies Rs 7,90,128, a mere Rs 7,868 behind his rival. “We are proud to present yet another edition of the Hero Golf Chandigarh Open,” said Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, MD and CEO, Hero Cycles. “Chandigarh is the nursery of Indian golf and has provided the nation with golfers of the caliber of jeev Milkha Singh, Harmeet Kahlon and Amandeep Johl to name a few”, he added. Mr Digraj Singh, Director, Tiger Sports Marketing, said: “The Hero Golf Chandigarh open is one of the most looked forward to tournaments on the Tour. It is here that invariably the battle for the order of merit supremacy also heats up, as it is one of the last few events of the season. We have a full strength field this week and all the professionals are keen to lift the coveted Hero Golf Chandigarh Open Trophy.” “The Hero Golf Chandigarh event is extremely important to me,” said Ashok Kumar, who was displaced from atop the Money List by Vijay Kumar at the SRF All-India Matchplay Championship last week. “Vijay is currently less than Rs 8,000 ahead of me. I can surely catch-up and I am really determined to regain the No one spot, added Ashok. The field for the tournament boasts of a who’s who in Indian golf. Other than Vijay and Ashok, the tournament will witness the likes of four-time Order of Merit winner Mukesh Kumar, SRF All-India Matchplay 2004 champion Digvijay Singh, Kolkta’s Shiv Shakar Prasad Chowrasia; two-time Honda Siel PGA golf winners Arjun Singh and Uttam Mundy, SRF All-India Matchplay 2004 runner-up Jumman and a number of well-known names like Gaurav Ghei, Ali Sher and Feroz Ali. The Chandigarh Golf Club is in pristine condition with well spruced up fairways and true greens promising an interesting battle. |
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Buenos Aires, April 20
