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No problem in playing under Rahul: Sourav
Chappell seeks good working relationship
India must not overlook the balancing factor
Don’t punish captains: Inzamam
Miandad blames Indian media for wedding controversy
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Punjab Sports Dept relieves
SAI coaches
Sania reaches main draw of Acura Classic
Chess prodigy needs a sponsor
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No problem in playing under Rahul: Sourav
Dambulla, August 1 Ganguly, who arrived here today, said he had played under different captains earlier also and it would be no different now.
“I have played under other captains, so it should be no problem. I am happy to play anywhere, whatever suits the team, Rahul (Dravid) and Greg (Chappell),” he told
reporters here. The elegant left-hander said his immediate priority was to do well with the bat. “I have been in touch with the game and it would be good to score runs and help India win the trophy,” said Ganguly. Ganguly arrived here from Colombo this morning and hordes of mediapersons started gathering at the hotel in
anticipation. Within a few hours, Ganguly joined coach Greg Chappell, captain Rahul Dravid and other teammates at the buffet. He sat there for over two hours before facing up to the assembled media. Ganguly said being away from the limelight after five and half years as captain was not something that he missed. “Actually, I don’t mind (lack of attention). I had a lot of attention for five years. If for the next three or four games, or whatever happens in this series, I am not too worried. Whatever will happen, will happen.” As a senior pro of the side, Ganguly said he would do whatever he could in his capacity to help Dravid do well as captain. “As I see it, it will be hard work for Rahul. It always is for the captain. There are a lot of things which are on mind and if I feel something could benefit the team, I will definitely pass on the suggestion to him.” The first thing Ganguly did on arrival at the hotel was to inform Dravid about his presence. “We just had a normal chat and caught up with what was happening here.” Ganguly, who is just 55 runs shy of completing 10,000 runs in one-day cricket, said he was looking forward to the feat. “It is something I am looking forward to but more than personal marks, I am keen to do my bit for the team to win the
trophy.” —PTI |
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Chappell seeks good working relationship
Dambulla, August 1 “I mean, it’s not a matter of making friends; it’s a matter of doing a job. And I would like to think that we can all get on well together, but it’s more about having a good working relationship with the players,” said the batting stalwart of 1970s and 1980s. Chappell readily described his first day in office. “The dressing room was full of cricketers and cricket equipment. The ideas and the fears and the doubts were all the same (that are there) in every dressing room. It felt exactly the same as in any dressing room I have been in,” he said. Asked if he had made friends with the players or people outside the team since taking over the reins at Bangalore in June, the straight-talking Chappell said he was here for a specific job. “There are going to be times when I am going to have to make tough calls; there will be times when the selectors will have to make tough calls — through that time where a professional relationship will be more important than token friendships,” he said. “So, I am more interested in building a relationship with the players at that level,” he
said. — IANS |
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India must not overlook the balancing factor
India’s reshuffled batting order for the second match of the cricket tri-series was the talk of the evening in Dambulla on Sunday. Except for Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, it seemed anybody could walk in into the middle. While the guessing game has its own merit in a boring game, I still am not impressed with the Indian tactics. To my eyes, they panicked.
When a team is selected, the selectors, the coach and the captain thrash out the details behind closed doors and the first thing they do is to look at the balance of the side. They decide who two would open the innings, who would occupy the middle order, the wicketkeeper, bowlers, etc. But here it was a lottery. I felt happy for Mohammad Kaif that he was tried out at the opener’s slot. But the balance of the line-up was all awry. The two Indian youngsters are loaded with potential but you must not throw them into the deep end when they do not know how to swim. Ideally, the batting slots should have a mix of experience and youth, the balancing factor must never be overlooked. Sehwag and Dhoni as openers; Dravid at number three to shepherd the young Raina at number four; Mohammad Kaif to go with Venugopal Rao and Yuvraj Singh to follow — that is the kind of blend Indians should have opted for. In the end it appeared easy but we would never know the outcome of this experiment if Raina was held on the off-side while still waiting to open his account. The other thing which caught my eye in the evening will gladden the Indian hearts. They should rejoice at the presence of their three left-arm
pacemen. These three were terrific and could form one of the most potent bowling attacks in the next World Cup. It does not matter they do not offer variety. Cricket always advocates that your best bowlers should play. If they are all
left-armers, so be it. You do not have to bring a right-armer just for the heck of it and pay at leisure later. Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Ashish Nehra, for two days running, showed exemplary control. They did not allow Sri Lanka to break free and the inexperienced West Indies were never a safe bet to take them on. India’s left-arm pacemen are from the top drawer. If they retain fitness and form, they will be counted at the time of the 2007 World Cup. Anil Kumble was again not played for the second day running and that is a mistake. You do not bring him to Sri Lanka and not play him. If he was there on Saturday night and I was the opposition captain, I would have never asked my batsmen to take chances against him. That is the kind of respect he commands in batsmen’s minds. It must be made use of. That brings me to the issue of Sourav Ganguly. Now that he is in Sri Lanka, speculation would be rife on his relationship with his former deputy and now the leader at the deck, Rahul Dravid. Frankly, I do not foresee any trouble. I
know Ganguly well and am aware he has a raging fire for the good of Indian cricket. He is a gutsy combative character and I respect him a lot. He would give the personal equation a secondary role. These men, cricketers like Ganguly, Dravid, Tendulkar and Kumble, are not the ones who worry about their positions. They are the ones who are only concerned about the good of the team. They are shining examples in model conduct for youngsters. Dravid is also not a fool who would look out to slight Ganguly. He would do his best to make use of Ganguly’s experience and class; the same that he himself proffered when he was deputy to the left-hander. Besides, the presence of Greg Chappell would always be around to douse any fire from gaining ground. Ganguly has a lot to offer by way of everything. It must be conveyed to him that he is wanted. I remember when Murali was no-balled in Australia for the first time, he did not want to go to the ground. I told him he would be around, he was needed. Even if it was to be in the role of 12th man. I still feel that Sri Lanka is the strongest team in the competition. But I am not sure if they are playing their best cricket. India, on the other hand, are beginning to warm up. I would not be surprised if they end up as winners of the triangular and man of the series is none other than Ganguly himself. |
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Don’t punish captains: Inzamam
Karachi, August 1 “I am glad that the ICC reduced Sourav’s ban and hopefully he will soon regain his lost place. But frankly speaking, I am not a big supporter of match bans because it can put the careers of some captains on the line,” Inzamam said from Lahore. Ganguly was slapped with a six-match ban for slow over-rate in the Ahmedabad one-dayer against Pakistan. But Justice Albie Sachs, an independent arbitrator, ruled last week that Ganguly’s original punishment for slow over-rates was “too severe”. “Sourav Ganguly is a perfect example of the ICC ban. You see six-match ban practically means you are out of two series, and when the ban is finished, you are left struggling to reclaim your place, a situation in which the left-hander finds himself,” the Pakistan skipper said. “It would have been tragic if a player of Sourav’s stature would have seen his career come to a dead-end due to this six-match ban,” Inzamam said. Instead of bans, the ICC should impose fines on captains for slow over-rate, he suggested. “I don’t like to see match bans being enforced on captains. Instead I would prefer hefty fines on them if they fail to perform their duty,” Inzamam said. “What I don’t understand is if a team is found guilty of slow over-rate, why only the captain has to pay the price. I mean, the entire team is responsible. But the players get small punishments while the captain is reduced to sidelines,” Inzamam, who has been the worst sufferer due to slow over-rates, said. He said after Ganguly’s ban was reduced, he regretted his decision not to appeal against a one-Test ban imposed on him during the Bangalore Test. “I understand that I was charged under a different code, nevertheless, I should have appealed against the ban. I am sure the ICC would have taken into account the match situation and if luck had favoured me, my ban would also have been reduced.” Due to the ban, Inzamam missed the first Test against the West Indies at Barbados which the home side won. Pakistan managed to draw level at Jamaica but was robbed of an opportunity to win a Test series in the Caribbean. “Probably, if we had played with full strength, we would have won the Barbados
Test also. And for that, I think my decision to not to appeal against the ban, also played a role.” Inzamam said the ICC should consider that due to too much limited overs cricket and the passion for the game in India and Pakistan, captains and players take a little more time in making decisions. “We don’t like to deliberately slow down the game. The simple fact is that captains of India and Pakistan are extra cautious in critical situations because in our part of the world, you are not forgiven if you make a silly decision. “The captain’s head is always on the chopping block and, therefore, he is more careful while taking certain decisions and for that at times, summons a mid-wicket conference to seek the advice of the rest of the boys”.
—PTI |
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Inzamam named Asian captain
Johannesburg, August 1 The four Indians are Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan and Anil Kumble. Africa: Graeme Smith, Shaun Pollock, Boeta Dippenaar, A.B. de Villiers, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, Albie Morkel, Mark Boucher, Monde Zondeki, Jacques Rudolph, Nicky Boje, Justin Ontong, Dale Steyn (all South Africa); Steve Tikolo, Collins Obuya, Thomas Odoyo (all Kenya); Heath Streak, Tatenda Taibu, Andy Blignaut (all Zimbabwe). Asia: Inzamam-ul-Haq, Yousuf Youhana,
Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Naved-ul-Hasan, Shoaib Akhtar (all
Pakistan); Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Irfan Pathan, Anil Kumble (all
India); Kumar Sangakkara, Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan,
Chaminda Vaas (all Sri Lanka); Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh).
— Reuters
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Miandad blames Indian media for wedding controversy
Karachi, August 1 “I was hurt and disappointed with the way some sections of the Indian media printed or aired baseless stories and lies about the marriage. The campaign to politicise the marriage kept away my Indian cricket and other friends and well-wishers from the ceremony,” he was quoted as saying in a Pakistani newspaper. The wedding drew tremendous interest in the Indian media as Dawood is the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts. “The Indian media tried to politicise this marriage but I am happy with the number of phone calls and messages we got from all over India and from some former cricketers wishing the couple well for the future,” the former cricketer said. “The impression created that the Indian people now hated me is wrong. So many of them residing in Dubai called us up to wish us well,” he told ‘The News’ without naming the Indian celebrities who were invited to the reception. “I am really not bothered about what people say or think about this marriage. As far as I am concerned, the happiness of my family and son is of top priority to me. As is the happiness of the couple. We are happy to have Mahrukh (the bride) as our daughter-in-law and she has already become part of our close-knit family,” the former cricketer said.
— PTI |
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Punjab Sports Dept relieves SAI coaches Patiala, August 1 SAI sources disclosed that the corporate office in New Delhi had pressurised the Sports Department to see to it that the coaches were relieved immediately. When contacted, Mr Suresh Harmilapi, in charge, SAI Northern Centre, denied that his department had exerted any pressure on the Sports Department. He added that as the coaches had to join within 24 hours of getting their transfer orders, those who would not do so would face action. He said he had prepared a report in this regard and had forwarded it to the SAI Director-General, Mr R.P. Wattal. The Sangrur District Sports Officer, Mr Gursharan Singh, confirmed that his office
had received orders to relieve coaches. He added that he relieved three coaches today while one of the coaches
was on leave.
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Grand Blanc (Michigan), August 1 “I wasn’t as aggressive,” he said yesterday. “I felt very much in control so I didn’t want to make any mistakes because nobody was making a charge. To protect the lead is not a fun way to play.”
What was an exciting tournament for three days became anticlimactic during the final round until Woods created a buzz with his comeback attempt. Woods, who began the day eight shots back, tied for second after vaulting into contention with six birdies and an eagle in a nine-hole stretch. “I thought if I played a great back nine, I might be in position just in case Vijay messed up, but he’s playing too well to do that,” Woods said. After making a 17-foot putt for birdie at No 17 to pull within two shots, Woods cupped his left ear to coax a louder reaction from the raucous gallery, a gesture usually reserved for professional wrestling. Woods’ drive at the final hole sailed wide right while Singh made his second birdie at No 16 to take a three-shot lead. Woods bogeyed the final hole and fell another shot back, finishing with a 6-under 66. Woods, the top-ranked player in the world, and Singh, ranked second, have alternated positions atop the rankings for nearly a year. Zach Johnson (69) tied for second — his best finish this year — at 20 under. “The cream rises to the top, and that’s the best cream there is,” Johnson said. Robert Allenby (65) finished 18-under, alone in fourth. Allenby aced the 179-yard 11th, helping him finish in the top 10 for the first time since February. Vijay Singh is the first three-time champion at the Buick Open, a tournament that started in 1958. He’s also the first repeat champion since Tony Lema in 1965. The 42-year-old Fijian has won four events this year and 28 in his career. Vijay Singh trails only Woods’ 44 victories and leads Phil Mickelson by two among active US PGA Tour players. Vijay Singh’s five-shot lead was his largest entering a final round. The four times he led by three after 54 holes, he won each event, including the 2000 Masters. The large cushion allowed him to play conservatively, making two birdies and 16 pars. Vijay Singh matched the Buick Open’s 54-hole record of 22-under 194. “You never win the golf tournament on Saturday, but you can put yourself in position to win,” he said. If he shot 67 or better for the sixth straight time at Warwick Hills, he would’ve eclipsed Robert Wrenn’s tournament mark of 26-under, set in 1987. |
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Sania reaches main draw of Acura Classic
New Delhi, August 1 Playing before a large crowd at the Grandstand, Sania, seeded number one in qualifying, overcame two service breaks in the first set and went on to win the set in 29 minutes. At 3-3 in the second set, Sania and Bondarenko, ranked 196th, exchanged service breaks and the set eventually went to a tiebreak. Sania, the first Indian to win a WTA Tour title, then took a 3-2 lead in the tiebreaker and won the last four points to close the match yesterday. Earlier, Sania won the first round defeating Galina Voskoboeva of Russia 6-1, 6-1. The world 64th ranked Indian dominated Voskoboeva in the 55-minute match as she broke the 20-year-old Russian in the very first game of the match. Sania dropped serve only once and converted six of eight break points. The 18-year-old Hyderabadi is drawn to play another qualifier, Tathiana Garbin of Italy, in the main draw first round. She is in the same half of the draw that features US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetzova of Russia, seeded second. Another Indian in the qualifiers, Shikha Uberoi, lost in the second round 6-1, 6-0 to Aiko Nakamura of Japan. Shikha had earlier defeated local lass Lindsey Nelson 7-6, 4-6, 6-2 in the first round.
— PTI |
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Chess prodigy needs a sponsor New Delhi, August 1 The Delhi Chess Association has promised to provide expert coaching under a foreign coach to Sahaj, which will cost around Rs 1.25 lakh. It will also award him a cash prize of Rs 30,000. Though his trip to the tournament in France was sponsored by the government, his family had to shell out over Rs 2.5 lakh to meet his other expenses. Sahaj’s coach Gurpreet Pal Singh felt that this was the time to give a push to Sahaj’s career, for which a lot of money was required.
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