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Govt clears Pak tour in principle
Haq, Shoaib lock horns again |
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Elaborate security for India-SA match
South Africa crush HCA XI
India must learn to respect heroes
West Zone win Duleep Trophy
Hodge tipped to make Test debut
Sania to celebrate birthday at home
Negi two points short of IM title
Neelam files submission
Bihar rout AP
AGA beat Elephant Club
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Govt clears Pak tour in principle
New Delhi, November 14 The improving of relations between India and Pakistan and the increasing number of sporting exchanges in various disciplines between the two countries have given the confidence to the government to expect a no-hitch tour. Therefore, it has okayed the tour in principle, though it is also waiting for the arrangements to be made by the Pakistan Government for the security of the team to be concretised, as during their last tour, the Indian players and the Board had expressed their reservations over playing at Karachi, where the third Test has been scheduled. According to the tour schedule worked out by the Pakistan Cricket Board, India, as asked for by them, will begin the tour with a three-day practice match, instead of the original two-day tie, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore before the first Test, to be played there from January 5 to 9. The second Test will be played at Faisalabad from January 13 to 17 and the third has been proposed at Karachi from January 21 to 25. The one-day matches are proposed to be played at Peshawar (January 28), Rawalpindi (January 31), Lahore (February 3), Multan (February 6) and Karachi (February 11), subject to the approval of the BCCI. It is learnt that the government will agree to Karachi as a venue if the Pakistan Government promises to provide fool-proof security measures as the city’s reputation as a violent city has forced many Test-playing countries to skip the venue. The Pakistan Cricket Board has acceded to the requests of the visiting teams, though with some reluctance. |
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Butt leads Pak fightback
Multan, November 14 England earned a 144-run first-innings lead after a superb 193 from stand-in captain Marcus Trescothick. The left-handed Butt, who had hit 74 in the first innings, finished the day on 53 not out in Pakistan’s second-innings score of 125 for two. Butt and vice-captain Younis Khan put on 93 runs from 175 balls for the second wicket before Andrew Flintoff cut short the partnership, having Younis caught at slip by Trescothick in the penultimate over. Scoreboard Pakistan (1st innings):
274 England (1st innings): Trescothick c Akmal b Shabbir 193 Strauss lbw b Sami 9 Bell c Butt b Malik 71 Collingwood c Akmal
b Shabbir 10 Hoggard c Akmal b Shoaib 1 Pietersen c Butt b Kaneria 5 Flintoff c Malik b Shoaib 45 Jones b Shabbir 22 Giles c Raza b Shabbir 16 Udal lbw b Shoaib 0 Harmison not out 4 Extras
(b-8, lb-11, nb-22, w-1): 42 Total (all out,
110.4 overs): 418 Fall of Wickets: 1-18, 2-198, 3-251, 4-266, 5-271, 6-364,
7-388, 8-399, 9-400. Bowling: Shoaib 27-2-99-3, Sami 16-1-76-1, Shabbir 22.4-7-54-4, Kaneria 27-4-106-1, Malik 18-1-64-1. Pakistan (2nd innings): Malik c Trescothick
b Harmison 18 Butt not out 53 Younis c Trescothick b Flintoff 48 Sami not out 0 Extras
(lb-2, nb-4): 6 Total (2 wkts, 36 overs):
125 Fall of Wickets: 1-31, 2-124. Bowling: Hoggard 7-0-26-0, Flintoff 9-2-29-1, Harmison 8-1-35-1, Udal 5-1-17-0, Giles 7-1-16-0.
— Reuters |
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Haq, Shoaib lock horns again
Multan, November 14 A brawl reportedly erupted between Inzamam and Shoaib on Saturday evening over the latter giving an interview without getting clearance from the team management. The incident occurred on a day when newspapers were splashed with pictures of the two players sitting together, apparently in a bid to show the unity in the team. “The players are well aware of what they are required to do and how to behave under their central contracts,” Shaharyar told
reporters here yesterday. He was circumlocutory on the issue of disciplinary action against the two players. The PCB also refused to attribute the problem to the fact there was no media manager for the team. Inzamam refused to relent and yesterday said he had allowed Shoaib to sign his agreement to give comments, but no player could do this without clearance from the captain or the coach.
— UNI |
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Elaborate security for India-SA match
Hyderabad, November 14 Detailing the arrangements, city Police Commissioner M. Mahender Reddy told reporters that security in and around the stadium would be maintained by the police from 48 hours in advance and thorough anti-sabotage checks and measures would be made, along with sanitisation of the area using deep-search detectors and sniffer dogs. For the security of the players and the viewers, the stadium had been divided into various segments and separate parking facilities had been provided for each category of invitees and the audience. For foolproof security, each ticket would be scanned, he added. “We have installed equipment which will help police personnel to quickly identify the genuineness of the tickets,” he said. Several layers of security cordons had been planned to prevent the entry of unauthorised persons without valid or genuine tickets, Mr Reddy said. He warned that severe legal action would be initiated against those who would try to gain entry into the stadium without valid tickets. A platoon of mounted police along with water cannons would be put on stand at the stadium to attend to emergencies, if any, he said. About 20 teams of door-frame metal detectors and five teams of deep-search detectors would be installed, he said. To control the traffic on the day of the match, 200 police personnel would be deployed on traffic management duties, including parking management, Mr Reddy said. Meanwhile, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag, M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Kartik, R.P. Singh and J.P. Yadav arrived here for the one-dayer.
— PTI |
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South Africa crush HCA XI
Hyderabad, November 14 Making the most of the morning dew, the South African seamers bundled out HCA XI for a paltry 127 before knocking off the target in just 25.5 overs. Right-arm pacer Andre Nel returned with 2-14, while Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini and Justin Kemp exploited the favourable conditions to pick one wicket each. The best bowler on view was however spinner Johan Botha who claimed three for 54 with his teasing flight. After testing their bowling strength, the South African batsmen waded into the weak HCA bowling. Skipper Graeme Smith scored a blistering 44 off 45 balls with one towering six and six fours. AB de Villiers played a sensible knock of 55 with two fours and sixes each. South Africa play the first one-dayer against India in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Brief scores: HCA XI 127 all out in 42 overs (Daniel Manohar 20, Arjun Yadav 21; Johan Botha 3-54, Nel 2-14); South Africa 132 for 2 in 25.5 overs (Graeme Smith 44, AB de Villiers 55). — PTI |
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India must learn to respect heroes
It has been an expected end to the series, if not for two stars who seem swamped by the march of time. Both are left-handers and one-day openers.
One of them is Sourav Ganguly, who is not seen in one-dayers and is uninvited for the first three games against South Africa. His exclusion and the manner of it is unbecoming on the part of Indian cricket officialdom. I wonder if he has received any phone call from selectors, captain or coach, or even senior players. It is one thing to believe that he does not have anything to offer, it is quite another to act as if he has been an illusion all these years. India must learn to respect their heroes, lest they look like pirates who can only destroy legacy. I have no doubt India have moved forward, but progress is a constant journey where variables keep coming up. India still need to be assured if these youngsters have the stamina and equanimity to keep building on their impressive starts. Success is a double-edged weapon, it can take the hunger out of the system, imprison you in the image which the media and masses configure and shift focus as commerce seeks an alignment. Seniors can play a stabilising influence. New conditions and opponents away from home can strip you of the support of familiar surroundings. Youngsters can be like fish out of a pond and that is where you will need men like Ganguly. It has been logical to keep Sanath Jayasuriya out of the mix in Baroda after the doors of Tests being closed on him. It has brought the curtains down for him for the series and has put his one-day career on line. I wonder if Indians have seen the last of him on their soil. Jayasuriya could have done a couple of things differently. The first one was to take a call on coming for the tour after he had suffered a freak shoulder injury. It did not give him a presence in the field as a fielder and bowler and affected his rhythm at the crease. The second one was to resist the change to come in the middle order. Probably somebody should have taken a call on his behalf within the team. Better still, the selector travelling with the team should have stepped in and cushioned the blow. The coming months are not only important for Sri Lanka, but also for India. India can face stiffer opposition in Pakistan or against England. In the next three months, things can change as quickly as they have for Sri Lanka. In this hour of success, it will only help if India can look at the potential areas of disruption. Prevention is still better than cure. Sri Lanka are a good case study.
— PTI |
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West Zone win Duleep Trophy
Ahmedabad, November 14 West, thus, became the most successful zone in the championship by clinching their 16th title, including thrice as joint winners, in the four-and-a-half-decade-old tourney. North have lifted the crown on 15 occasions. A strokeful unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership between wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel and seasoned Jacob Martin helped West overcome a fighting East, led by discarded India captain Sourav Ganguly, on the third day of the match. Martin, who scored a watchful 52 not out in 135 balls, hit the winning run. His crucial 66-run unbroken partnership with the diminutive Patel, who scored a quickfire 39 off 40 balls with six fours, steered West to the victory target after they were struggling at 109 for 5, chasing 175 in a low-scoring tie. It was an impressive outing for Patel, striving to make a comeback into the national team. He had top-scored with 43 in the West first innings and also effected eight dismissals, including five in the East second innings, in the match. In the morning, East, resuming at 176 for 9 in the second innings, were all out for 181. They had trailed West by seven runs in the first innings. The winners will receive Rs 5 lakh while runners-up East will get Rs 2.5 lakh, according to Gujarat Cricket Association officials. — PTI |
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Hodge tipped to make Test debut
Sydney, November 14 Hodge was included in the 12-man squad for the second Test, but Ponting said the middle-order batsman was unlikely to be the odd man out after being called in for Simon Katich. “I will be surprised if he does not play,” Ponting told reporters in Hobart. “We have not picked the team yet, but I will imagine that he will be a straight replacement for Katich.” Hodge (30) had served as 12th man on six previous occasions and said he deserved his chance.
— Reuters |
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Sania to celebrate birthday at home
Hyderabad, November 14 Though career-wise it has been a successful year — with her WTA ranking up from 170 to a record 31 — the family has decided to opt for simple celebrations at home instead of a public extravaganza. Sania will celebrate her 19th birthday with father Imran Mirza, mother Naseema and younger sister Anam at their residence in Jubilee Hills neighbourhood. “It will be a quiet birthday,” Naseema told IANS. “It will be a closed-door family affair. “There are no plans to have any sponsorship announcement on that day,” said Naseema, who along with Imran played a key role in shaping their daughter’s career. As for Sania’s future goals, “we have not yet thought about them”, she said. Since her return last month from Thailand, where a back injury forced her to concede her second round match in the Thailand Open, Sania has been keeping a low profile and avoiding media attention. She declined to speak at a couple of functions that she attended to endorse products. The controversy over her dress code has only helped to push her further into a shell after a few Muslim religious leaders had termed her dresses on the court as “un-Islamic”. Family members said Sania was now taking complete rest to prepare for the next season. Renowned coach Tony Roche is likely to train her in the build-up to the Australian Open early next year.
— IANS |
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Mauresmo beats Pierce for title
Los Angeles, November 14 In a compelling contest that spanned three hours and six minutes yesterday, the tireless Mauresmo’s brilliant defence and athleticism carried her to the biggest title of her career. Considered one of the tour’s most talented players never to have won a Grand Slam title, the 26-year-old fourth seed proved that she had the credentials to triumph at the highest level by capping a week of solid tennis with a gritty victory in the final. Mauresmo committed only 25 unforced errors in the match to 44 from Pierce. With this victory, Mauresmo would move up a spot to number three in the rankings and Pierce would end the year ranked fifth. — Reuters
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Negi two points short of IM title
Istanbul, November 14 The 12-year-old Delhi boy, having four IM norms under his belt, stood to gain here about 22 ELO rating points to be just two points shy of achieving the magical 2400 ELO points, required for the title, which had been eluding him for quite some time now. In the girls’ section, Woman Grandmaster Tania Sachdev achieved little with white pieces against second seed Anna Ushenina of Ukraine and had to settle for a quick draw. Despite the draw, Tania continued to share the second spot on four points while Chinese WGM Gu Xiaobing scored her fifth victory on the trot and stretched her lead to a full point.
— PTI |
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Neelam files submission
New Delhi, November 14 Counsel Sushil Salwan sent the written submission to the four-member panel hearing the doping charges against Neelam. “I sent my written submission in Neelam’s defence today to panel chairman Walter Davaram (president of Tamil Nadu Amateur Athletics Federation),” Salwan said. Neelam had appeared before the panel, which asked her to present her arguments in writing. The AFI panel hearing Neelam’s case is headed by Davaram and has Adille Sumariwala, G.S. Randhawa and Girish Tyagi as its other members. The panel is expected to submit its report to the AFI in just over a week, one of the panellists said.
— PTI |
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Bihar rout AP
Dhanbad, November 14 In
another match, Chhattisgarh held Maharashtra 2-2. — PTI |
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AGA beat Elephant Club
Patiala, November 14 Brief scores: Black Elephant cc: 187 all out (Jugraj Singh 46, Jaspreet Singh 23, Nitant Singh 21, Sukhwinder Tiwana 18, Jagdeep Singh 22, Mohit Mohindra 17, Ankesh 4 for 40, Saurav 1 for 23). Agra Cricket Association: 188 for 8 (Saurav 46, Prem Prabhjot 22, Faizal 22, Rahul Mehta 20, Jaspreet Singh 2 for 33, G. Gautam 2 for 39, Nitant Singh 1 for 15, Parminder Singh 1 for 45). Saurav (46, 1 for 23) of Agra Cricket Association was declared the boy of the match.
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