 |
|
|
Pak capable of bouncing back, says Inzamam
Pak to include Younis, Kaneria
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ICC reprimands Inzamam
Visa issue clouds hockey series
JCT lock horns with Goan club today
Golfers fail to qualify
Shastri Club move up
|
|
Pak capable of bouncing back, says Inzamam
Jamshedpur, April 7 Inzamam said he was surprised by the way his team succumbed in the first two one-dayers and it was now imperative for his players to stay positive and focused as a negative mindset was bound to help the home team. “Naturally, when you go 0-2 down in a six-match series, you come under pressure. You know that if the opposition win one game, they cannot lose the series, while you are left to win all three matches to square the series,” he said. “But I have not lost heart. I know the capabilities of my boys and will continue to back them to perform. Instead of thinking negative, I am thinking that if we can win four straight matches last year (against India), we can do it again to win the series,” Inzamam said in a telephonic interview. “Remember, Australia won seven consecutive matches in 1999 to win the World Cup. We have to stay positive and be focused. The moment we start fearing and get negative, we will seal our fate,” Inzamam said. The Pakistan captain said he had expected a far better performance in the first two one-dayers since the Bangalore Test win had given them a psychological advantage. “I always thought we were a better one-day team because of the availability of utility players. We had entered the series with a great win at Bangalore that had given us the psychological advantage. But we have not played anything close to what we are capable of,” Inzamam said. Pakistan lost the first one-day international by 87 runs at Kochi while they suffered a 58-run defeat in the second match at Visakhapatnam. Inzamam said fielding lapses against the strong Indian batting were mainly responsible for Pakistan’s defeats. “The major factor has been fielding. We knew the wickets would be batsmen friendly and the Indian batting had the firepower to destroy any bowling. In this background, we had to hold every catch, which we failed to do. Except Abdul Razzaq and Yousuf Youhana, no other fielder threw the wickets down,” said Inzamam, who had scored 10,684 ODI runs. Virender Sehwag, who scored 108 in Kochi, was dropped on 0 and 8 by Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal, respectively, while Akmal was also the culprit when he missed Mahendra Singh Dhoni on 82. Dhoni went on to score a blistering 148. “When you lose both the tosses on extremely hot and humid days and on good batting surfaces that will help the spinners in the second sessions, you have to take fielding advantages,” he said. “If you drop catches you should be holding at this level, you should be blaming yourself than anyone else,” said Inzamam, who scored 37 and 16 in the last two matches. Inzamam said his experienced middle-order batsmen also failed to play the bulk of 50 overs, that was also one of the differences between the two teams. “We managed to score 298 in 44 overs in pursuit of 358 runs. If our (main) batsmen had occupied the crease for a little longer than they actually did, we could have surprised everyone,” he said. “Pakistan will go all out for victory on Saturday as it will be a do-or-die game for us,” he said. But he admitted that if India took a 3-0 lead, it would become extremely difficult for Pakistan. However, he did not elaborate further.
— PTI |
|
Pak to include Younis, Kaneria
Jamshedpur, April 7 The team think-tank has decided to make three changes to the side that went down to India in Visakhapatnam and that will see Sami, off-spinner Arshad Khan and allrounder Mohammad Hafeez missing the tie. “The three will be replaced by wrist-spinner Danish Kaneria, fast bowler Rao Iftikhar Anjum and middle-order batsman Younis Khan,” Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said here today. The Pakistan skipper said Sami was being rested, while Younis Khan, down with a viral fever for the first two ODIs, would return to the playing eleven. Regarding Arshad Khan, who had taken six wickets in two games, Inzamam said the strategy of playing a finger-spinner was not working for Pakistan. “We want someone who can bowl in the middle of the innings. Besides, Danish is a specialist spinner who has the ability to take wickets. We want someone who cannot only bowl in the middle of the innings, but can also get wickets for us,” he explained. Inzamam said Shahid Afridi would continue to open the innings because the wickets suited his style of batting and that he could be more destructive on top of the order. The Pakistan skipper also hoped his deputy Younis Khan’s return would provide Pakistan the stability and depth that was lacking in the first two games. “He (Younis) is a man in form and I feel that had our top order lasted 50 overs, we would have won both games. I hope Younis’ return will give us a more experienced middle-order,’’ Inzamam said. “I do not think Younis will bat at number three and we will persist with either Abdul Razzaq or Shoaib Malik, depending on the situation. Younis will bat at number 5 or 6,” Inzamam added.
—UNI |
|
ICC reprimands Inzamam
Jamshedpur, April 7 Inzamam pleaded guilty to an “abuse of cricket equipment” for throwing his bat towards the pavilion after being run out during the one-dayer at Visakhapatnam, which India won by 58 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the six-match series. ICC match referee Chris Broad held the hearing when the players and officials arrived here for the third match in the series, to be held on Saturday. Inzamam was found to have breached Level 1.2 of the ICC Code, which related to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings”, the ICC said in a press note. “As captain, Inzamam must learn to set the example for his team to follow. The player has apologised for his actions and I hope that we will not see this repeated,” said Broad. All Level 1 breaches carried a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee. The charge was brought by on-field umpires Billy Bowden and Arani Jayaprakash and television umpire Ivaturi Shivram. Broad reached his conclusion after a 10-minute hearing, attended by Bowden and Jayaprakash, Inzamam and Pakistan team manager Salim Altaf. For Level 1 and Level 2 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct, the ICC match referee’s decision was final and binding. After his run out at a crucial juncture in Visakhapatnam, Inzamam had lashed out at Abdul Razzaq and had then thrown his bat while entering the dressing room. “I am ashamed of my behaviour. I know I should not have behaved the way I did, but I succumbed to match pressure. It was purely an act that happened in the heat of the moment,” Inzamam had said afterwards.
— PTI |
|
|
Indian eves storm
into final
Potchefstroom, South Africa, April 7 After India had scored 204 for six in their 50 overs, New Zealand began the chase on a disastrous note and slumped to 37 for 4 and though Maria Fahey (73 not out) played a defiant knock, the Kiwi innings folded for 164 in 43.4 overs. For India, Amita Sharma and Nooshin Al Khadeer claimed three wickets apiece. Like the men's event, the World Cup final will see India taking on Australia on Sunday. Put in to bat, Mithali Raj played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 91 and she got an able ally in Anjum Chopra (44) as India posted a total of 204 for six wickets in their 50 overs. India, however, had a disastrous start as they lost opener Jaya Sharma (0) whose leading edge was taken at cover by Sara McGlashan off Rachel Pullar. Pullar was pick of the Kiwi bowlers grabbing four for 39.
— UNI
|
|
New Zealand lead by 127 runs
Sydney, April 7 Sri Lankan paceman Laisth Malinga dismissed Craig Cumming for 16 and Hamish Marshall for six in the final session after the tourists trailed by 63 on the first innings. Scoreboard New Zealand 1st innings 561 Sri Lanka 1st innings Atapattu c Fleming b Astle 127 Jayasuriya lbw Martin 48 Sangakkara b Martin 5 Jayawardene c McCullum Samaraweera c Fleming Dilshan c Vincent b Martin 28 Vaas c Astle b Wiseman 17 Chandana c Martin Herath b Franklin 0 Kulasekara c Fleming Malinga not out 0 Extras (b-1, lb-6, nb-12, w-6) 25 Total
(all out, 148.1 overs) 498 Fall of wickets: 1-95, 2-101, 3-285, 4-407, 5-452, 6-463, 7-488, 8-491, 9-497. Bowling:
Martin 37-9-132-4, Franklin 32.1-8-126-4, Wiseman 38-7-128-1, Mills 23-6-59-0, Astle 18-6-46-1. New Zealand 2nd innings Cumming lbw Malinga 16 Marshall not out 33 Marshall lbw Malinga 6 Wiseman not out 0 Extras
(lb-1, nb-7, w-1) 9 Total (2 wkts, 30 overs) 64 Fall
of wickets: 1-51, 2-64. Bowling: Vaas 9-3-17-0, Malinga 8-2-25-2, Kulasekara 7-1-14-0, Herath 4-2-3-0, Jayasuriya 2-1-4-0.
— Reuters |
|
Visa issue clouds hockey series
Jalandhar, April 7 The Pakistani players were feeling disgruntled over the alleged non-cooperation on the part of the Indian High Commission authorities with regard to delay in issuance of visas for the past six days. Parvez Bhandara, manager of the Pakistani veteran hockey team, while talking to The Tribune over phone from his Islamabad residence, said, “We are disappointed over the delay in issuance of visas to 26 members of the Pakistani veteran hockey squad. The first match at Amritsar 7 had to be cancelled. The authorities concerned first refused to accept our visa applications and passports for four days. The Indian High Commission accepted the same yesterday following diplomatic pressure from us and the Indian Veteran Hockey Association (IVHA) in Delhi.” Expressing disappointment over the issue, Bhandara said they were continuously pursuing the visa case for the past six days with the authorities concerned, but to no avail. “I have been in touch with the Indian visa counsellor for the past three days and the latter has assured me that visas are being issued shortly. Even as relations between the two countries are improving, this delay is uncalled for,” rued Bhandara. Interestingly, the Indian High Commission authorities claimed that the necessary clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) was still awaited. The IVHA claimed that the MHA had faxed the clearance to the Indian High Commission. The general secretary of the IVHA, Kuku Walia, said the MHA had specifically mentioned in its clearance letter that it had no objection to the issuance of visas to the Pakistani team on security grounds. “I talked to Mr Deepak Kaul, visa counsellor in Islamabad, this afternoon to apprise him of the clearance letters issued by the MHA, the Intelligence Bureau, the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of External Affairs. I asked him to expedite the process”, Walia added. Mr Kaul, talking to The Tribune over phone from Islamabad, claimed that the Indian High Commission was still awaiting the final nod from the MHA. “As soon as we receive the clearance from the MHA, the visas will be issued immediately. I hope we will be in a position to clear the applications by tomorrow only,” maintained Mr Kaul, adding that he had to follow the prescribed norms. Olympians and veteran Indian hockey players were also disappointed over the development. “The authorities concerned should have expedited the visa case to keep abreast with the peace process moves between the two countries. The people in this part of the region are keenly waiting to watch Indo-Pak hockey matches. The people-to-people contact will further improve bilateral relations. It is disappointing that the first match at Amritsar had to be cancelled. The fate of the remaining matches of the series still hangs in the balance,” Pargat Singh, former Indian captain, said. |
|
JCT lock horns with Goan club today
Ludhiana, April 7 Currently placed third with 29 points in their kitty, Sporting de Clube are very much in the race for the winners' purse of Rs 40 lakh. They have won nine matches out of 15 played so far while drawing three and losing only two. Their awesome firepower can be gauged from the fact that they have scored the highest number of goals, 33 to be precise, till the end of the 15th round. Coached by Clifford Chukwama, a Nigerian who himself played for this club a few seasons back, Sporting de Clube Goa made a lethargic start, drawing 3-3 with Tollygunge Agragami in their lung opener at Kolkata. But as the league progressed towards its decisive stage, the club grew from strength to strength, pushing aside formidable opponents. The Goan outfit, formerly known as Haywards 2000, beat JCT 2-0 in their home match and later defeated Fransa 4-1; SBT 3-1; Salgaocar 1-0; Vasco 3-0; Dempo 4-0; Churchill Brothers 4-0; and Fransa 2-0. The most impressive win came against defending champions East Bengal, whom they humbled 3-2 on March 26. The star performer for the Goan outfit this season has been their Nigerian recruit Macpherlin Dudu Omagbemi, a native of Lagos, who has scored 12 goals alone. Assisting him upfront is another Nigerian, Edeh Chidi, who has accounted for seven goals. Sporting de Clube were unfortunate to lose the services of three promising players, Ajay Diwadkar, Peter Pereira and John Barreto Louis, who were injured when their bus overturned while the team was on its way to the Kolkata airport on Republic Day after playing against Mohun Bagan the previous day. Nevertheless, the team has many players who are capable of steering the team into the annals of history. Internationals Vincent Pires and Anthony Pereira in the defence have proved to be pillars of strength while in the midfield, Bibiano Fernandes, Joseph Pereira, Joe Rodrigues, Wilton Gomes, Nicholas Rodrigues, and Nigerian Adebayo Adewusi have also justified the faith reposed in them by the club management. However, all eyes once again will be on Dudu Omagbemi, who incidentally notched up a hat-trick against Fransa FC at Margao on February 13. The young Nigerian, who has just crossed his teens, is expected to give a tough time to the JCT defence. Another player to watch out is Edeh Chidi, though a final decision on his inclusion, according to coach Clifford Chukwama, will be taken tomorrow as he has a minor injury. JCT Mills, on the other hand, are banking on foreign recruits Alexander Jebba and Julius Akepele though the team management is toying with the idea of fielding a newcomer, Sakattar Singh, a recruit from the JCT Academy, to bolster the attack. Harvinder Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Hardip Gill, Ram Pal and Baldeep Singh are also expected to lend strength to the midfield and attack. The defence, marshalled by stopper backs KV Dhanesh and Harpreet Singh with Daljit Singh on the wing, no doubt, is dependable, but it remains to be seen whether they can hold back the marauding Dudu Omagbemi and his team. A lot will also depend on JCT goalkeeper Mansuru Mohammed, who surely is in for a testing time on the morrow. The kick-off is at 4.15 pm. |
|
Kaula Lumpur, April 7 The four Indians in the fray were left far behind. Amandeep Johl ended at one-under 143 (73, 70) after two days, while Jeev Milkha Singh (71, 73) was at par, and Rahil Gangjee (73, 74) at three-over could not put out a good performance. Jyoti Randhawa, who made the cut to the British Open in 2004, pulled out after the first round of two-over 74.
— PTI |
|
Shastri Club move up
New Delhi, April 7 Scores: Vipul Traders: 149 in 38.3 overs (Sanjay Kumar 35, Ankur Sharma 26, Chetan Bisht 26, Narender Singh 3 for 21, Prem Prateek 2 for 26, Sonu Vaid 2 for 27). Lal Bahadur Shastri Club: 152 for 3 in 27.5 overs (Vartik Tihara 40 n o, Dilip T T 26, Pramod Bhatti 26 n o, Gaurav Chabra 23). |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
