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Ahmedabad Test goes to Kolkata?
Zee rights case needs review: counsel
Shoaib Akhtar fined
Raina, Ali fashion Central win
Aussies outplay Kiwis
in Twenty20 contest
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Incentive for UP sportspersons
Kila Raipur games
from today
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Ahmedabad Test goes to Kolkata
?
New Delhi, February 17 (Pakistan were originally scheduled to play three Tests and five ODS during their two-month long tour of India, scheduled to commence on February 24). BCCI president Ranbir Singh Mahendra said after the Working Committee meeting that the tour was now likely to be deferred by 7 to 10 days as the television rights issue was still hanging fire. He said the TV rights issue was likely to be settled by Monday, after the matter, presently being argued in the Madras High Court in Chennai, was decided by the court. He replied in the negative when asked whether the Board had lost a notional amount of over Rs 144 crores due to the delay in clinching the telecast deal as the series against Australia and South Africa went without any concrete telecast deals. Mr Mahendra said he had a talk with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) president Shaharyar Khan today morning, and the PCB's reply to India's proposal to include a sixth ODI and shifting of the Ahmedabad Test to Kolkata will be known tonight or tomorrow morning. Mr Mahendra said the Working Committee decided to shift the Ahmedabad Test to Kolkata as per the rotation policy of the Board, and the new itinerary of the Pakistan cricket team's tour will be drawn up in five days after the PCB makes its stand clear. The Indian team will be named after the Duleep Trophy final. (As per the original schedule, the three Tests against Pakistan were to be played in Mohali, Bangalore and Ahmedabad and the ODIs at Kochi, Vishakhapatnam, Kanpur, Jamshedpur and Delhi). Mr Mahendra dispelled doubts regarding Delhi's ability to host the fifth ODI as he stated that the Delhi representative who attended the BCCI meeting (DDCA general secretary Sneh Bansal) gave the assurance that the Delhi and District Cricket Association was well prepared to host the match. The BCCI president also categorically stated that there was no question of Mumbai being allotted either a Test or an ODI match. Mr Mahendra also asserted the three-day match between the Board's President's XI and the Pakistan team will be held at Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh as originally planned. He said the meeting ratified the appoint of John Gloster as the new physio of the Indian cricket team, effective from February 1, in place of Andrew Leipus, who quit the job after the Bangladesh tour to pursue his higher studies. Mr Ranbir Singh Mahendra, facing the national media at one place for the first time, and lacing his replies with wit and assertiveness, said the BCCI was determined to end the slandering campaigns unleashed against it by vested interests. He read out a letter received from former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya, who attended the Working Committee meeting as a representative of the Bengal Cricket Association, underlining the need to put and end to the "unwanted litigations and malicious allegations against the Board" as the time had come for all members of the Board to furnish a declaration pledging total transparency and to address every issue of financial dealings of the BCCI by any sort of 'vested interests'. The BCCI chief said there was a detailed discussion on Dalmiya's letter and every member, despite some reservations, finally took the pledge, which read; "I hereby declare and confirm that I neither had nor have any financial or other interest in subject matters relating to sponsorships, including television rights, direct or indirect, while serving the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the association that I represent in my endeavours to promote the game of cricket nationally or internationally". Mr Mahendra also disclosed that the Board's legal committee will look into the litigations launched against the BCCI by Chennai clubs Netaji, Bharati and Thyagaraja which are all affiliated to the Tamilnadu Cricket Association (TNCA). He said TNCA president N Srinivasan has sought time and appointment with him to furnish all the details of these court cases in a few days. Mr Mahendra said certain remarks made by former BCCI president Raj Singh Dungarpur in an interview to a Gujarat daily also came up for discussion and another former Board president, Mr I S Bindra, suggested that the BCCI asks Dungarpur to clarify his position and issue a rejoinder to the newspaper concerned failing which action should be initiated against him. BCCI secretary Karunakaran Nair, interjecting to reply a question, said henceforth, the pitches will be made after having discussions among the chairman of the national selection committee, chairman of the Pitches Committee and the Indian captain. He said though the Board was of the opinion that the captain's opinion should be given weightage while preparing the pitch to derive 'home advantage', his words would not be the 'byword'. |
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Zee rights case needs review: counsel
Chennai, February 17 Senior counsel Mr. Harish Salve contended before Mr. Justice K. P.
Sivasubramanium, “It is a classic case for judicial review, when a public body performing a public duty acts unreasonably and arbitrarily,” while challenging the cancellation of Zee’s telecast rights for a four year period ending in 2008. Mr. Salve strongly opposed the key objection raised by the BCCI against the writ petition’s maintainability on the ground that it was a contractual or commercial matter and did not involve any public functions. He cited the BCCI’s arguments in earlier cases before the Delhi High Court and observations of the Supreme Court and argued that telecast of cricket matches was a public duty and since the cricket body was responsible to popularise the game in the country, it could not ask the court to consider the whole matter just as a mere contract. Mr. Salve argued, “Being a public body vested with a public function, the BCCI should also maintain public standards in its tender process, and abide by guidelines issued by the Central Vigilance Commission for public sector bodies.” According to CVC norms post-tender negotiations with anybody other than the highest bidder are prohibited but the BCCI had invited ESPN-Star Sports and allowed it to hike its bid from $ 230 million to $308 million and later cancelled the tender through Zee was awarded the telecast rights. Mr. Salve also countered that the BCCI had uttered a “brazen falsehood” in its counter affidavit, regarding the advance payment of $ 20 million made by Zee in September 2004 within two days of getting the tender for the telecast rights. Citing minutes of the BCCI meetings, he contended that by trying to show that advance payment should have followed, and not preceded, the Letter of Intent, the Board had uttered a falsehood and proved the existence of “malice in fact.” “If you are angry with ESPN, why should you cancel Zee’s rights? It is a case of slapping one because you are angry with somebody else,” he remarked. Mr. Salve said the circumstantial evidence was enough to prove the mala fide action and being unreasonable and arbitrary, should to be struck down. He said, “In a public law remedy, the limitations of specific performance (directing a party to abide by a contract) do not apply.” The BCCI has already told the Court that it would not finalise any contract or tender for telecast rights while the matter is being heard in court. |
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Shoaib Akhtar fined
Karachi, February 17 The disciplinary committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board headed by Justice Amir Alam Khan imposed the fine after a hearing held today, in which the player appeared in person. “The disciplinary committee told Shoaib that it was not satisfied with some of the answers he had given to the four charges of contractual violations by him in Australia,” a Pakistan board source said. The 29-year old was charged with visiting nightclubs, issuing press statements without management permission and returning late from Australia despite board instructions.
Shoaib was doubtful for the tour of India as he was carrying a hamstring strain, which he sustained in the third Test in Sydney in early January.
—Reuters |
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Yuvraj hits ton as North win
Lucknow, February 17 Yuvraj smashed his hundred off 115 balls to take his side to an easy victory. Earlier, West Zone were all out for 201 runs and took a lead of 206 runs at the end of second innings over North Zone. Required to score 207 runs in about two days, North Zone completed the target in 43.4 overs. From the North Zone side, Gautam Gambhir remained unbeaten on 79. The only wicket to fall was that of Virender Sehwag (15). Scoreboard West Zone (1st innings): 201 North Zone (1st innings: 196 West Zone (2nd innings): Parab lbw Mongia 14 C. Chopra b Gagandeep 47 D. Yadav lbw Amit 31 N. Patel c Chopra K. Pawar lbw Amit 37 P. Patel c Yuvraj R. Pawar c Yuvra b Vishal 39 Zaheer b Amit 0 R. Patel c Bisla b Amit 10 Trivedi not out 0 Extras:
(nb-3, lb-1) 4 Total:(all out, Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-78, 3-96, 4-120, 5-127, 6-187, 7-187, 8-189, 9-198, 10-201. Bowling:
Ashish Nehra 15-1-58-1, Gagandeep Singh 8-3-17-1, Vishal Bhatia 10-1-44-2, Dinesh Mongia 4-2-9-1, Amit Mishra 20.1-2-52-5, Virender Sehwag 6-0-20-0. North Zone (2nd innings): Gambhir not out 79 Sehwag c Zaheer b Rajesh 15 Yuvraj not out 100 Extras:
14 Total:(one wicket, Fall of wicket: 1/38 Bowling: Zaheer Khan 9-1-32-0, Sidharth Trivedi 2-0-14-0, Rajesh Pawar 11-0-45-1, Ramesh Pawar 14-1-60-0, Neeraj Patel 2-0-11-0, Rakesh Patel 4-0-23-0, Satyajit Parab 1.4-0-15-0.
— UNI |
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Raina, Ali fashion Central win
Gwalior, February 17 Left-handers Raina and Ali shared a 55-run stand for the fourth wicket and helped Central overcome minor hiccups to overhaul the target of 137 runs with more than a day and half to spare. Raina, very much under the selectors’ microscope, cracked a nonchalant 31 while Ali remained unbeaten on 47 as the two steered Central out of a precarious 37 for three. Raina’s plucky knock contained four hits to the fence and came from 56 balls in 84 minutes while Ali faced 51 balls and struck eight boundaries during his 103-minute stay at the crease. Naman Ojha was the other not out batsman on 19 and brought the winning runs with an uppish drive to the extra cover fence off Ranadeb Bose in the first ball off the sixth over after lunch on the third day. Resuming at seven for one, and needing another 130 to win on a dicey track, Central warded off any threat of early inroads by East in the first hour of the day, with skipper Mohammad Kaif (17) and Sanjay Bangar (9) playing the sheet anchor role. The two added 28 runs in 81 minutes from 105 balls, Bangar being the more cautious, his nine runs coming from 74 balls and 123 minutes. But given the fact that the first two days witnessed the fall of 31 wickets, their extraordinary caution was understandable. The partnership also showed that reckless shots were as much to be blamed for such a short duration affair, and a contest could be made, provided the batsmen applied themselves. Their association was, however, broken when a sharp incutter from Sanjib Sanyal trapped Kaif plumb in front. Bangar then fended at a wide delivery from Bose and Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a tumbling catch in front of first slip, his eighth victim of the match. But East then failed to apply the pressure and let the rivals off the hook with some wayward bowling. Scoreboard East Zone (1st innings): 194 Central Zone (1st innings): 189 East Zone (2nd innings): 131 Central Zone 2nd innings: Fazal c Das b Paul 2 Bangar c Dhoni b Paul 9 Kaif Lbw b Sanyal 17 Raina b Bose 31 Ali not out 47 Ojha not out 19 Extras:
(b-7, lb-4, w-3) 14 Total: (4 wkts, 47.1overs) 139 FoW:
1-2, 2-30, 3-37, 4-92. Bowling: Shib Shankar Paul 17-2-32-2, Ranadeb Bose 18.1-7-54-1, Sanjay Satpathy 3-0-14-0, Sanjib Sanyal 3-0-20-1, R. Satish 1-0-8-0.
— PTI |
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Aussies outplay Kiwis in Twenty20 contest
Wellington, February 17 New Zealand were bowled out for 170 on the last ball of the match despite 66 from Scott Styris and 36 from Brendon McCullum. Australian paceman Michael Kasprowicz was the best of the bowlers, capturing 4 for 29 from his four overs. Today’s match was the world’s first 20-over international amid speculation that the abbreviated form of the game, which enjoys strong public support in England, could become a regular part of the international calendar. The Australians, who also won the first Test and 50-overs internationals, made a flying start, smashing 46 runs off the first four overs, but were forced to settle down after losing Michael Clarke (7), Adam Gilchrist (1) and Andrew Symonds (32) early. Ponting, batting at four, began cautiously but was soon into his full stride, sharing two vital partnerships with Simon Katich, who made 30, and Mike Hussey, who finished unbeaten on 31. Man of the Match Ponting reached his half-century off 35 balls when he whacked former New Zealand rugby player Jeff Wilson for six and finished with eight fours and five sixes off only 55 balls.aThe skipper was at the non-strikers’ end with two balls to go and might have reached his hundred had Hussey taken a single off the penultimate ball instead of belting it for six.
— Reuters |
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Narain betters time on day 2
LONDON: Narain Karthikeyan and Tiago Monteiro continued their Jordan grand prix’s test programme in Barcelona, making steady progress and completing test mileage of 76 and 32 laps, respectively.
“It was a good day and among other things, we spent time updating Tiago’s car to EJ15 specification. He got some runs in the afternoon with the latest specification”, sporting director Trevor Carlin said. “Narain improved his time, he did a 1:19.2 and was working through some more of Bridgestone’s tyre test programme. Tiago’s best time was 1:19.7 and so we are making progress all the time. It is going quite positively at the moment,” Carlin was quoted as saying on the second day’s practice in a press note.
— PTI
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Incentive for UP sportspersons
Lucknow, February 17 The job reservation, a sub quota within the present quota, would apply for class one to class four jobs, informed Mr Chaudhury during question hour. “This is an incentive that the state is offering to ensure that sportsperson who bring glory to the state work and remain here”. To provide a major thrust to sports a holistic sports policy is to be announced in the current budget session of Assembly. Under this, sportsperson representing the state at national and international events and having an income of less than Rs 10,000 a month would now be provided a monthly pension. The amount would be Rs 5000 a month for gold medallist, Rs 3000 a month for silver medallist and those who bring in a bronze medal would be given Rs 2000 per month. The reward money that the state prvides to sportsperson winning medals at competitions has also been hiked, and the minister informed. A sportspersons winning a gold medal in an individual event at any international or national competition would now be awarded Rs 3 lakh instead of a paltry Rs 20,000. A silver medallist will receive Rs 2 lakh instead of Rs 12,000 and a bronze medal winner will get Rs 1 lakh in place of Rs 9,000. Similarly, for team games the amount has been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh per member for the gold medal winning team. The silver medallist team members will receive Rs 50,000 in place of Rs 6,000 and the bronze medal winning team members will get Rs 25,000 instead of Rs 4,000. |
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Kila Raipur games
from today
Ludhiana, February 17 The members of the GSA had been putting in extra efforts since Monday to make the Grewal Sports Stadium, the main venue of the games, playable. Today, they pressed more than 50 tractors into service to spruce up the ground. Sukhbir Singh Grewal, chief organiser of these games, told The Tribune that the playfield had been levelled and was ready for the mega event. Giving details of the event, Grewal said major hockey outfits of the country would be seen in action during this three-day sports extravaganza, scheduled to be held from February 18 to 20. Besides regular sports discplines like athletics, hockey, volleyball and cycle race, competitions in traditional events such as bullock cart race, mule cart race, dog race, camel race, loading and unloading of tractor-trailers, rare feats by veterans and horse riding, as well as tent pegging by Nihangs and Punjab Police recruits, would be the major attraction of this year’s festival. Grewal further said the GSA had resolved to felicitate prominent personalities during the course of the festival. |
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Gaganjeet shoots into lead
Chandigarh, February 17
Lying one stroke behind Jasjeet was brother Simarjeet who submitted a card of one-under 71. The event, which forms the 11th leg of the Royal Challenge Indian Golf Tour is poised at a very exciting stage and is set for a thrilling finale at the par-72 Chandigarh Golf Club tomorrow. Gaganjeet began his day on a steady note with pars on the first five holes. The par-4 sixth saw him make a bogey as his second shot landed on the right edge of the green from which recovery cost him a stroke. However the 16-year-old recovered on the very next hole when he sank a 10-feet putt to record his first birdie of the day. The eighth hole where he three-putted from 15 feet saw him make his only other bogey of the day. The Kapurthala lad made a fine return journey with birdies coming on the 11th, 13th and 17th holes. On the 371-yard par-4 17th hole, Gaganjeet’s drive landed just short of the green from where a chip-putt combination handed him the birdie. “I am happy to be on top of the leaderboard but I feel I could have returned a much better card today. I missed plenty of birdie opportunities,” remarked the leader. Meanwhile Jasjeet had an error-prone round of golf today that forced him down one place on the leaderboard. Jasjeet faltered twice on the front nine when he made bogeys on the fourth and seventh holes. The Noida golfer made the same number of bogeys on the back nine which came on the 14th and 18th but his birdies on the 10th and 13th compensated for the additional strokes. Simarjeet, who had led the field after the first day’s play, displayed some fine skills on the greens that resulted in a creditable comeback after yesterday’s disastrous round. Today the 29-year-old started off on a rather tentative note with a bogey on the opening hole. However he came back strongly to make a birdie on the very next hole and from then on played flawless golf, recording yet another birdie on the 16th. Scores (after 54 holes): 216 Gaganjeet Bhullar (73,73,70); 220 Jasjeet Singh (75,71,74); 221 Simarjeet Singh (72,78,71); 224 Manav Das (82,70,72), 225; Vikrant Chopra (78,74,73) and Amardip Singh Malik (76,72,77); 226 Jaskirat Dullet (76,78,72); 228 Vikram Rana (75,77,76) and Gagan Verma (76,75, 77); 229 Rahul Bakshi (79,78,72). |
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