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FIFA summons Materazzi
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Footage should have been shown in stadium: UEFA
ICC denies being soft on chucking
Woolmer decries cramped itineraries
Australia not to withdraw
Punjab swimmers net 5 bronze
Hardeep Kaur to get Ranjit Singh
Award
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FIFA summons Materazzi
London, July 13 FIFA said the proceedings opened today following Zidane’s remarks on French television last night in which he said he was repeatedly insulted by Materazzi. “As part of the process, Zidane will be given the right to be heard by means of a written statement, which must be submitted by July 18,” FIFA said. “Materazzi will subsequently be sent a copy of the statement so that he can respond to it,” they said in a statement. “Both players have been told to attend a face-to-face hearing before the disciplinary committee at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich on July 20.” Zidane, who had announced he was retiring from football after the tournament, was sent off eight minutes from the end of the final which ended 1-1 after extra time and went to a shootout which Italy won 5-3. He had opened the scoring for France in the seventh minute with a penalty, with Materazzi equalising in the 19th when he headed home Andrea Pirlo’s corner. Milan: Italian defender Marco Materazzi insisted that Zinedine Zidane deserved to be named best player at the World Cup despite his sending off in Sunday’s final. Materazzi disagreed with FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s suggestion that the 34-year-old Zidane could be stripped of the title. “He won it for what he did on the pitch,” Materazzi said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport published today. “He was the best.” Materazzi acknowledged that he insulted Zidane, who he called his “hero”, without giving specifics. “I didn’t say anything to him about racism, religion or politics,” Materazzi said. “I didn’t talk about his mother, either. I lost my mother when I was 15 and even now I still get emotional talking about her.” Speaking on French TV yesterday, Zidane didn’t reveal what Materazzi said, but indicated the insults related to his mother and sister. Zidane, who retired after his 108th appearance for France, stressed that he felt no regret about his outburst “because that would mean Materazzi was right to say all that. “My act is not forgivable,” Zidane said. “But they must also punish the true guilty party, and the guilty party is the one who provokes.” “I want to ask for forgiveness from all the children who watched that. There was no excuse for it,” he said. “I want to be open and honest about it because it was seen by two or three billion people watching on television and millions and millions of children were
watching. — Reuters, AFP
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France hails Zidane’s half apology
Paris, July 13 Zidane told the nation in a television interview yesterday that he was sorry his actions had been witnessed by millions of children around the world, but said he could have no regrets for defending his family from an Italian player’s insults. “I think Zidane said what we all expected. That is to say he apologised, in particular to children and teachers,” said Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour. L’Equipe, France’s top sporting newspaper which bitterly criticised his attack on Materazzi in Monday’s edition, was more conciliatory today, pointing to Zidane’s impassioned comments on the need to fight the racism blighting the sport. “Never, during a long career during which he heard such things hundreds of times, had he touched on this subject,” the paper wrote in an editorial. “This interview by Zidane was a fairly solemn way of saying goodbye, after the missed opportunity of Berlin.” Michel Hidalgo, a former coach of the national football side, was among leading figures who refused to condemn Zidane out of hand.
— Reuters
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Footage should have been shown in stadium: UEFA
London, July 13 “I didn’t see the incident. Like everyone else in the stadium I was in the dark about what he had done. But I was concerned about the reaction of the crowd and the way they booed and hissed the Italians after they had won the Cup. That has never before happened at a World Cup final and it isn’t nice,” Johansson told The Daily Telegraph. The UEFA chief said the incident might have led to crowd trouble and FIFA should consider showing any such act by players on the big screen so as to make the situation clear to the spectators. “It could have turned nasty but, fortunately, it didn’t but we have to examine what sort of information we can provide the fans in the ground so they know what’s happening. We have to see if these incidents can be shown on the big screen at the ground,” he opined. Zidane had head-butted Materazzi after an exchange of words with the defender but nobody, including the referee, had seen it happen except for Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who rushed towards the linesman to inform him. The referee then consulted the fourth official, who confirmed the French captain’s violent act, and gave the marching orders to him in his last international game. Johansson felt in such a case the situation could go out of hands if tempers flair and it would be in the best interest of the game to keep the spectators informed to avoid a scenario like that.
— UNI
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I am not yet match fit: Sachin
New Delhi, July 13 He admitted that he was far from fit to get back into the rough and tough of international cricket straight away, though he was working hard on his fitness and was keen to mend his right shoulder to regain his place in the national team. “Certain injuries you have to respect as they take any number of days to heal,” Tendulkar said, after flying back to Delhi from London, where he had gone for the rehabilitation of his shoulder and improve fitness. Tendulkar said though he has had to battle with a series of injuries during his 17-year long international cricket career and had come out of them pretty well, “This shoulder injury is the toughest as it is taking a long time to heal. I hope it settles down quickly, and I get back into international cricket at the earliest”. Though his right hand looked thin and shorn of the muscles he once sported, the maestro looked relaxed and composed. But he was a tad disappointed that the post-shoulder surgery, it has been taking quite a long time for the injury to heel, and regain his normal fitness. Tendulkar said he was in England for six weeks as part of his rehabilitation process which included playing some practice matches to get back into his batting groove. “It was essential to have match practice as this time the surgery took long and I thought I should play some practice games to get the shoulder fit. I have to undergo further fitness tests under the physio, and I am not sure of going for the next series (ODI series in Lanka),” he elaborated. The batting legend, who said, “Delhi is a special place to me” as it was here that he got his landmark 35th Test hundred at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground (against Sri Lanka early this year) besides many other cricketing achievements, admitted that he was extremely disappointed at not touring the West Indies and be part of the Indian team’s Test series triumph there. Deftly side-tracking West Indies’ skipper Brian Lara’s lament about the nature of the pitches provided for the Test series with the remark that “you should address this question to him (Lara)”, Tendulkar said any tour to the West Indies is pretty tough as the nature of the wickets and conditions vary. Making a straight and clear remark about the Indian team’s performance in the Caribbean, Tendulkar said “though the ODI series was disappointing, they (the Indian team led by Rahul Dravid) made it up by winning the Test series”. Elaborating further, Tendulkar said in the decisive fourth Test at Kingston “our boys proved that persistence pays”. He said no individual can win a game on his own, and it takes the collective effort of the team to do that, and that was what made all the difference between India and the West Indies. Tendulkar heaped special praise on leg-spinner Anil Kumble, who he describled as the greatest bowler to have come out of the Indian cricket stable. “Anil is a superb bowler. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. He is the greatest bowler of the country and he has proved this by taking over 500 wickets,” observed Tendulkar. Reacting to the serial bomb blasts in his home town of Mumbai, Tendulkar said it was extremely unfortunate and sad. “So many lives have been lost, but it also shows the strength of the Indian people that they keep their cool, and rise to the occasion to help each other. I do pray and hope that it does not happen again as so many innocent lives have been lost.” When asked whether he would be pitching in with any financial contribution to provide succor to the blast victims, Tendulkar spoke like a politician, without giving a direct answer, but beating about the bush: “I am sure there are responsible personalities and we will get together, fight together and try to help the needy. We keep helping each other, and this is our strength. There are few countries like Bharat and it is our strength that we help each other”.
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Cook, Collingwood crack centuries
London, July 13 Collingwood, who was dropped on 79, had scored 109, while Cook, who gave three catchable chances, had reached 101. Earlier, Cook and Collingwood rescued England from potential embarrassment against an under-strength Pakistan attack by batting through the afternoon. Pakistan, who took the field without three of their first- choice pace attack because of injuries, struck three times before lunch after Andrew Strauss had won the toss and opted to bat. Strauss, captaining his country in a Test for the first time, was one of the victims when he was lbw to Abdul Razzaq for 30, Marcus Trescothick was caught behind for 16 while Kevin Pietersen flourished all too briefly with 21 from 26 deliveries. Cook was also dropped on nought off Umar Gul when Imran Farhat threw himself in front of his captain Inzamam-ul-Haq who was poised for a simple catch at first slip and spilt the chance. England, who have drawn two and lost one of their three series since regaining the Ashes last September, had plenty to think about at lunch while Inzamam would have been delighted with his team’s position, which owed more to poor shot selection than especially good bowling. After the interval, Collingwood and Cook were quickly into their stride, taking 23 runs off the first two overs bowled by Gul and leg spinner Danish Kaneria. Collingwood on-drove Daneria to the mid-on boundary then cut Gul to third man for four and steered another boundary into the same area from the next delivery. The pair rotated the strike sensibly and keep the run rate ticking along with some composed batting. Collingwood brought up his fourth Test half century with seven fours from 65 balls with a boundary through the covers. The hundred partnership then followed from 150 balls before Cook enjoyed two large slices of luck on 43 and 45. Umpire Steve Bucknor rejected an appeal for caught behind off Kaneria when a googly appeared to catch the outside edge of the Essex left hander’s bat and the bowler then spilt a simple caught-and-bowled chance. Cook profited from the let-offs to reach his third Test half century from 123 balls with five fours. Scoreboard
England (1st innings) Trescothick c Akmal b Gul 16 Strauss lbw Razzaq 30 Cook not out 101 Pietersen lbw Razzaq 21 Collingwood not out 109 Extras (b-8, nb-13, w-11) 32 Total (3 wkts, 90 overs) 309 Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-60, 3-88. Bowling: Sami 18-3-69-0, Gul 19-3-76-1, Razzaq 17-2-60-2, Kaneria 29-1-73-0, Afridi 7-0-23-0.
— Reuters
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India A need 205 to win
Melbourne, July 13 At stumps, India A were one for no loss with Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan at the crease. Earlier, New Zealand’s off-spinner Jeetan Patel took four for 68, which also included his 100th first-class wicket, to dismiss the Indians early in the day for 280 in 73 overs after they resumed at the overnight score of 209 for six in their first innings. Overnight batsmen Tejinder Pal Singh and Rohit Sharma went on to score 85 and 57, respectively but the Indians still ended up conceding a 52-run first-innings lead. But the Indians hit back through paceman Rudra Pratap Singh who claimed four for 33 in 18 overs. He gave an early breakthrough to his team by removing opener Matthew Papps when New Zealand A’s score was six. Trivedi struck immediately and dismissed M Bell for a duck. RP Singh also cut short the stint of RJ Nicol, who remained the top scorer with 55, while Matthew Sinclair was the other notable scorer with 33. Piyush Chawla and Pujara picked up two wickets each.
— PTI
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ICC denies being soft on chucking
Dubai, July 13 “The current regulations, in place since March, 2005, provide a scientific basis for judging a player’s action while at the same time recognising the reality that almost all bowlers are likely to straighten their arm to some extent during delivery,” ICC General Manager (Cricket) David Richardson said. He was reacting to comments made by former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe that ICC should ensure chuckers are chucked out of the game. “The regulations are based on the views of an expert panel of former players including Angus Fraser, Michael Holding and Tony Lewis — the current Chairman of the MCC’s Cricket Committee,” said Richardson. “This group studied the research of prominent bio-mechanists Professor Bruce Elliot, Dr Paul Hurrion and Marc Portus and the scientific evidence they were presented with was overwhelming. “The facts are that some bowlers, even those never suspected of having flawed actions, were found likely to be straightening their arms by 11 or 12 degrees,” he said in a press release today. Richardson said some bowlers who may appear to be throwing may be hyper-extending or bowling with permanently bent elbows. “Under a strict interpretation of the Law they were breaking the rules but if we ruled out every bowler that did that then there would be no bowlers left,” he argued. — PTI
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Woolmer decries cramped itineraries
London, July 13 “Modern cricket itineraries are the root cause of players becoming burnt out and consequently several key performers are suffering from serious injuries,” the Englishman said. “It is not so much the amount of cricket they are asked to play as the fact that one Test match is following hard on one that has just finished. “Itineraries are congested and it is the players (and the spectators), not the bookkeepers, who suffer. This is a problem that has to be addressed sooner rather than later,” he wrote in his syndicated column for The Times. “In conjunction with back-to-back Test matches, a five-match series of one-day internationals piles added pressure on to the players.” On the Test series with England which commences today, Woolmer said touring in the modern era was a thankless task. “A three-day match against Leicestershire, a one-day bash in Scotland, a four-day fixture against England A at Canterbury and a Twenty20 slog, irrelevant to the longer form of the game, has been the sum total of Pakistan’s preparation before the first Test.” Woolmer also criticised some of the facilities on offer to the Pakistan team. “It is strange that in these modern times and hot weather some hotels in England do not possess air conditioning or fridges,” the Englishman remarked.
— PTI
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Champions Trophy
Sydney, July 13 “Cricket Australia looks forward to joining the BCCI and the globe’s other cricketing nations at the ICC Champion’s Trophy in a few months,” CA President Creagh O’ Connor said in a letter to his Indian counterpart Sharad Pawar. Mumbai is scheduled to host five matches, including the final and Australia’s second game, during the tournament. Expressing their condolences to the victims of the blasts, the CA chief said, “All of us at Cricket Australia were deeply shocked to hear the tragic news of shameful bombings in the cricket-loving city of Mumbai.” Earlier, Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) Chief Executive Paul Marsh hinted that Ricky Ponting’s men might reconsider their participation in the Champions Trophy in India in the wake of the blasts. “We will have a pre-tour visit with Cricket Australia officials to India and we will also rely on independent advice. If it is deemed safe to go we will tour; if we are told it is unsafe we will reconsider our position,” Marsh was quoted by the Advertiser as saying. — UNI
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Jansher jailed in assault case
Karachi, July 13 On the complaint of one Rukhsana Habib, the police had registered a case against the eight-time world champion and his three supporters on June 8. The complainant told the West Cantonment Police that Jansher with his supporters — Nawab Ali Aulia, Qazi Halim Jan and Mehboob — stormed her house in Lal Kurthi area the night before. She alleged that the armed attackers forced her and family members to leave the house before beating her up and tearing her clothes. The police also registered a case against the accused. Later, the police raided the house and arrested three of the accused staying there and recovered two unlicensed pistols from their possession. Rukhsana said her brother, Shakoor, a retired Pakistan Air Force official and former football player, had borrowed Rs 10 lakh from Jansher, who was his friend, in 2003 on the condition that he would pay him mark-up on bank rate. Rukhsana claimed that his brother had given Jansher the documents of his house as surety. She alleged that Jansher started blackmailing her brother and her family and unilaterally doubled the mark-up. She claimed her brother had paid about Rs 17 lakh against Rs 10 lakh loan but Jansher was demanding Rs 40 lakh.
— PTI
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World Cup official succumbs to injuries
Berlin, July 13 Juergen Kiessling had coordinated the city of Berlin’s World Cup activities for many years and was credited with creating the hugely popular fan mile at the Brandenburg Gate where millions of fans watched matches on giant television screens. Kiessling, a 64-year-old widower, was found by emergency services at his house early on Monday. Local newspapers reported he had left two suicide notes. He had a 15-year-old daughter and adult son.
— Reuters
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Punjab swimmers net 5 bronze
Ludhiana, July 13 According to Mr Balraj Sharma, honorary general secretary, Punjab Swimming Association, the national record holder in the 50 m breast stroke event in sub-junior (girls), Mankiran Kaur of Golden Earth Global School, Sangrur, now competing in the junior section, clinched a bronze medal. Monalisa from West Bengal and Poorva Sherye from Maharashtra bagged the gold and silver, respectively. Jashandeep Singh, a student of Shivalik Public School, Ropar, won two bronze medals. He secured third position in 50 m breast stroke. In 200 m breast stroke, Jashan finished behind Koushik and Aditya Roshan of Karnataka to bag his second bronze. Karandeep Singh, a student of General Gurnam Singh Public School, Sangrur, won the bronze medal in the 50 m free style event. Divakar K from Tamil Nadu clinched the gold while silver medal went to Sourabh A Rao from Karnataka. Karandeep’s school mate Damandeep Singh won a bronze in the 200 m free style event while gold and silver medals went to Maharashtra swimmers Saurav Sangvekar and Yudhishthir Jaisingh, respectively.
— OSR
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Hardeep Kaur to get Ranjit Singh
Award
Chandigarh, July 13 Earlier, the apex committee shortlisted 122 sportspersons of different disciplines to receive the award but now it has decided to include thrower Hardeep Kaur in the list as her name has been cleared of dope charges. Hardeep was slapped with a two-year ban during the inter-state competition held at Chennai in July 2004 for a positive dope test. But now her name has been cleared by The Athletics Federation of India.
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